Blog Archives
i am a Christian.
what’s this?! four posts in a row this week? it’s like this site hit the jackpot of blogging! (ish) ;]
a friend of mine found this poem online and i stole it from her. i don’t know who the author is or when it was written or anything about it really… other than it’s really awesome and spot on.
when you tell people you’re a Christian, what is their reaction? do they slowly start to back away? do they look at you like you’ve gone mad? do they show concern on their face like they’re not good enough to be around you? are they interested in obtaining the grace you’ve found?
how He loves.
because you know how much i love youtube.
i seriously think you’re going to love this video – especially if you like David Crowder, John Piper, and Matt Chandler.
give it a listen and leave your thoughts below afterwards.
when it comes to disappointing God…
so you think your sin disappoints God…?
so you think your spiritual failures break His heart…?
so you think you can’t share your testimony without being a hypocrite…?
so you think the guilt you feel is from God…?
Jesus & Santa.
who here likes Jesus? *awkward glances around the room*
hopefully ya’ll raised your hands. if not, you’re in deep doo-doo.
who here likes Santa? *again, awkward glances*
if you’re reading this, chances are you’re of an age where you no longer (if you ever) believe in santa. it’s okay to say you don’t like him. i don’t really care for the guy either. if you do like him – more power to you. really, i don’t care. :]
God’s Grace to Obey.
When you think about the grace of God, what comes to mind?
His amazing grace that saved us:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Eph. 2:8)
His grace that forgives us:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
His grace for help in time of need:
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)
What about grace for obedience?
Read the rest of this entry
Why I love the Lord.
On Sunday nights after the evening service, a group of the “singles” (not restricted to age, or even marital status really… we just say “singles” because we make up the majority of the group) usually go out to dinner or dessert. This past Sunday, however, we didn’t go out after the service. We stayed at the church and had a prayer meeting, after which my friend bought pizza for everyone.
There were eight of us all together, and for over an hour we shared prayer requests and sought the Lord in prayer. Some people are burdened with financial difficulties, others with strained or severed relationships, and others with illnesses and injuries. But God is good, and I know that He is weaving the tapestry of every life to bring about His will for us.
Question of the day: is it necessary?
This is another question that was sent to me by my friend Nick. If you’re like me, you will probably form an opinion immediately upon reading the questions. But take a moment and think about it…
Consider such Scripture verses as Mark 16:16, John 1:12, John 3:15-16, 18, 36, and John 6:35, 40, 47.
Outrunning grace.
Do something for me? Grab a home video and press play. No, I don’t mean go dig in that box in the garage for the tapes and VCR. Take a second and snag that video you keep on the shelf in your heart; the one that only you and God have seen. You probably don’t even have to hit play. It’s more like “un-pause.” You know the story of your life so well you could recite it in your sleep. This is what I do, and maybe you’re guilty of it too. You play back that video over and over pinpointing the flaws and regrets. You find everything you can to have a reason why God wouldn’t want you.
While listening to Ketric, one of Cross Point’s youth pastors, speak to the students on the mistakes we make in our life, I couldn’t help but replay my life story starring yours truly. (One of these days I’m going to see if Kate Hudson is available to be my stunt double.) In the new leaders group afterward Ketric told us, “There is nothing too big that God can’t fix.” There is no denying the truth in that statement.
Book Review: “The Embrace of Grace” (Caleb D. Thompson)
I first learned about “The Embrace of Grace” by Caleb D. Thompson from a lady that was teaching one of the ladies’ groups at my church’s Reformers Unanimous chapter. She used a portion of the book as her devotional for that evening, and I was struck with a sense of wonder and humility when I heard a brief summary of what the author was going through during this period (when the book was written, and even now) and how he responded to it.
Caleb is a pastor’s son, worked at his church’s Christian school, and is currently serving out a 14-year prison sentence for consenting to disciplining a child attending the Christian school, while his twin brother, Joshua, is currently serving out a 24-year sentence. Five years into his 14-year sentence, Caleb wrote a book – “The Embrace of Grace.”
Dust.
The first text message rang in shortly after I had crawled into bed. It was my friend Caleb who is currently living in Florida while attending Bible College. “Have you ever thought about the fact that you have treated Jesus Christ worse than anybody else you know? I’ve known that, but it really just sunk it. I’m a turd.”
The reality of his message far outweighed the humor in his self-accusing closing sentence. I thought on what he said for a few minutes before I responded. “Yeah, that thought has in fact crossed my mind before.” Truth be told, just days ago I was driving in my car replaying memories of different times in my life. I remember telling myself that I’m the worst sinner I’ve ever known.
