Category: doctrine/ teacing/ theology


living healthy: spiritually an physically // vol. 2

Filed Under: doctrine/ teacing/ theology, faith, healthy eating, leadership, life, spiritual health, weght loss, working out by serial youth pastor — Leave a comment
January 25, 2010

I have been spending the past few days in my Proverbs journal for my devotions then I read a chapter from Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson.  I am challenged all around right now.  While Provers gives daily wisdom Wild Goose Chase is challenging my to step out of my cage and go after the God-given desires of my heart – because no one else can chase them for me….only I can chase them for myself.  It has really been a great book.  I am going to recommend it to a few people (probably loan it out)  when I get done with it.  It’s so good.  The ‘wild goose’ is the Holy Spirit which is the English translation of what the Celtic-Christians call the holy Spirit  ‘An Geadh-Glas’ which translates ‘the wild goose.’  I love Marks candor in the book.  Mark is the Pastor of the National Community Church in Washington, DC.  Once I am done with the book I will give a full review on it – but for now I don’t want to spoil the book other than to say it is good – really good.

The one thought I have really been challenged with was when Mark was talking about the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan.’  Here is what he said;

Hurry kills everything from compassion to creativity.  And when you’re in a hurry, you don’t have time to get out of your routine, do you?  No room for Spirit-led spontaneity.  No time for Wild Goose chases.  Here is the great irony: the priest and the Levite were probably on their way to the temple.  They were so busy loving God that they didn’t have time to love their neighbor.  And that is when our routines become counterproductive.  Let’s be honest.  We can get so busy doing “ministry” that we don’t have time for ministry.

This is so true.  I’ve seen it in my own life over the past 6 months.  I have been asked to do things and have become so busy doing “ministry” that I have forgotten to do ministry.  God has really been convicting me of that big time.  So I made a phone call and apologized for not being as proactive as I should have been in some things that I said I would do.  There is freedom in forgiveness and freedom in seeking forgiveness.  How have you gotten so busy doing “ministry” that you haven’t been able to do ministry or have become so STUCK in your routine and so GUARDED with your time that you have blocked things that God wants for you?  I know I have but I am trying hard to undo those things.

I am looking forward to journaling through Proverbs and finishing the Wild Goose Chase over the coming weeks.  There is something more satisfying than pursuing spiritual fitness than physical.  Without both we will die though – that’s something to think about.

I joined our gyms ‘Winter Meltdown’ this past week.  It’s a 12 week contest to lose weight and get in shape for summer.  The winner gets the entry fees from four different Anytime Fitness clubs in the area.  Honestly even if I don’t win I’m already a winner.  It will definitely help keep me motivated to drop the rest of the weight I want to lose by summer.  I’m down another 4lbs this week.  That’s pretty exciting for me.

What’s even more exciting is pursuing God the way He wants me to.

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Communion

Filed Under: doctrine/ teacing/ theology, faith, Jesus, life, spiritual health by serial youth pastor — Leave a comment
September 19, 2007

This year we are making an intentional effort in sharing with our students everything that comes with our faith journey.  I am excited.  Last week we walked about baptism, the symbolism of baptism and how we are supposed do it out of our obedience to Christ.  We had 12 kids sign-up last week saying that they wanted to be baptized.  So very cool.

Tonight I am teaching on communion, the importance of communion and what it is and what it’s not.  After I teach on it tonight we are going to lead our students in our first ever communion service in our student ministries.  I am excited about this for a couple of reasons.

  • it’s importance that we can understand elements of our faith even at an early age
  • it will be one more way to help our students understand the importance of a healthy walk with Jesus
  • we will be uncovering one of the “mysteries” of Christianity to them
  • God can use it to grow them and make them strong through a better understand of who He is

I am looking forward to tonight.  I will be using 1 Corinthians 11:23-34.  We will not be passing trays…rather we will have some big loaves on the table with a big cup of grape juice.  They will be able to tear a chunk of bread off and dip it into the grape juice.  Obviously beforehand we will be giving them a time to get right with God and with each other.

I am looking forward to what God is going to do tonight.

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Sermon notes: John 15:1-17

Filed Under: church life, doctrine/ teacing/ theology, faith, Jesus, leadership, personal, spiritual health by serial youth pastor — Leave a comment
May 22, 2007

branches-vine.gif

I have the privilege of preaching John 15:1-17 this weekend in church. here is the passage;

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

- Jesus (John 15:1-17)

I don’t want to share too much here but I was wondering what some of your thoughts are on the passage. I know some issues raised are;

  • abiding in Christ
  • eternal security
  • doing what Jesus commands us to do: love our neighbors
  • we are no longer considered servants but friends of God (yet at the same time we are still slaves to Christ who is our Master)

What are your thoughts?

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