Pastor Matt

Pastor Matt

Pastor Matt preached his last sermon as a staff member last Sunday night. After speaking several minutes and reminiscing about the last six and a half years he started his message.

His sermon was about the responsibility of each of us as Christians to reach those that are lost and living in sin. The scripture verse he used is found in John 4:35. At this point in Jesus' ministry we find him talking with the woman at the well. After revealing himself as the Messiah she goes back to town and tells everyone she meets about Jesus. How many times have we heard this scripture preached and the message be about the woman evangelizing and bringing the others to Christ.

While Pastor Matt mentioned that, he also brought out the conversation with his disciples. As the people of the city were beginning to arrive he told his disciples to look up and see that the harvest was already ready to be harvested.

To make the point of his message have more meaning, Pastor Matt walked to the back doors of the sanctuary, opened them and had all of us look into the foyer and beyond the doors of the church. Then he made this statement,"the harvest is not inside the doors of our church, it is out there".

I'll never forget that example.

Thank you Pastor Matt for the visual example. Thank you also for your ministry at Ozark First Assembly. May God bless you and your family and continue to anoint you as you minister in your new position.

Catching Up

Wow, June of 2010 was the last time I posted anything on my blog. A lot has happened since then but I failed to comment about any of it. Maybe I will be better at it in the future.

Anyway, not much going on right now except we are watching My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding.
Man are they intense.

I noticed a while ago we were sitting in the dark with nothing but the glow of the TV and the cell phones shining on our faces. We were either playing games or checking facebook and twitter on our phones. At least we haven't started texting one another while we're in the same room... yet.

On the political front, we seem to be in a bit of a pickle. While I lean to the right and consider myself to be conservative I'm not real thrilled with the choice I have for president. However, I feel better than the last election so I'll support Mitt. I like the Tea Party and what they are trying to accomplish because they seem to be pushing for the same things I do.

Now, you may not agree with me and that's alright. We can all still get along.

Stay tuned for more...

Close enough to whisper

This past Wednesday night Pastor Chris continued his series on being connected to God. It was really good.
As we spend time with God the world starts to become out of focus. Thats the way it should be. When we have a DEEP CONNECTION (the title of his sermon)with God, we began to draw closer to Him.
How do we become connected with God? Simple, spend time with Him. The more time we spend with Jesus the more intimate our relationship becomes. How can we expect to know who Jesus is or what plans He has for us if we don't spend time with Him.
I've been married to the most wonderful person in the world for almost 32 years. Can you imagine what my relationship with Phyllis would be like if we hardly spoke to each other. Not very strong at all. But through the years we have become so close we almost instantly know what the other is thinking.
Shouldn't our relationship with Jesus be better than that?
One of the most powerful points of the message was when Pastor Chris illustrated that our relationship with Jesus can be so close that Jesus can hear us when we whisper. Think about that. He wants to be close so He can hear you whisper.
How close are you to Jesus? Are you close enough that even the slightest whisper gets His attention?

A Time of Loss

One of my best friends and co-worker lost his wife this past week after surgery. Everything was going well and she seemed in good spirits during recovery then, all of a sudden she was gone. I think the most often asked question is, why. Why did this happen to Kim? We don't know the answer to that question. Who does? I am certaintly not qualified to answer that one.
We can always offer the comfort that is needed during a time like this and we should. But, sometimes there is nothing to say. This may sound cold and unfeeling but nothing we say will bring Kim back.
I struggle with this as I try to be a comfort to my friend. What can I say? What can I do to help ease the pain he must be feeling. What about the kids? How do you comfort someone so young at the loss of their mom? I'm at a loss.
It may be different for others that seem to have the right words at the right time but thats not me. What I have to offer is my friendship. To be there when I'm needed.
Life goes on. Buddy, Tucker and Carrie Grace will go on. They have to.
The best I have to offer is the faith I have in Jesus. Without Him, the pain of losing someone can be unbearable. During the extended illness and death of my dad my faith is the main thing that kept me together. The prayers and support of my family and church helped to make the difference as well.
I don't have all the answers but I do have the best answer. Allowing Jesus to be a part of your life can bring the comfort we need during a time of loss

Disconnected

Great message from Pastor Chris on staying connected. He brought out how important it is for us to stay connected. Not only with each other but with our church family and with God.
As I was thinking about what he said I realized we have the ability to be more connected with each other than ever before, but we are the most disconnected personally. Almost everyone has a cell phone or the internet to stay in touch. Just a simple push of a button and I can talk with my brother in Virginia. Another button and I can call my oldest brother wherever he is working. Still another button and I can reach my youngest brother across town. If I'm smart enough I can conference call all three at the same time and include my mom to boot.
The sad fact is we don't keep in touch with our families as much as we should. We all have family we haven't connected with in a long time. Don't let too much time pass before you call. You might miss out on something good.
While your at it, how about getting in touch with God. I'm sure He would like to hear from you as well. He might just have something good for you.

overwhelmed

I catch myself thinking about things to talk about on this site and sometimes it seems overwhelming. I'll try to keep it to one topic at a time.
We have the oil leak in the gulf thats been going on for what, almost two months? Nobody in charge seems to know what to do. The POTUS is blaming BP for not doing enough and BP claims they aren't getting any help from the government. There seems to be plenty of offers to help from all over the world. Some of them have good ideas for stopping the leak and cleaning up the mess in the water before it gets to the beach. However, nobody is accepting the offers. Now, I'm not an expert but you would think the cost to BP is going to be hugh and a little more spent on something else would be worth a try.
You know what I think part of the problem is, NOBODY wants to be in charge.

why we're fat

OK here's the thing. My wife and I went to get breakfast before church this morning and after we placed our order the person asked if we wanted two hashbrowns for a dollar. I ask how much one was and he replied 99 cent. I got two. When we went to the window to pick up the order we were handed a large tea. I explained that we did not order a large tea and she said the large and small teas were the same price. I kept the large tea.
Later I realized I should have made up my own mind and gotten only one hashbrown and requested the large be changed to something that wouldn't take a week to drink.
I've had these conversations with Phyllis in the past about ordering a combo meal because you get more for your money. Why get more than you want to eat just because its cheaper?
I think I have made up my mind to make decisions for myself, if thats ok with you.