Why Is Trusting God So Hard?
Community groups have become one of my favorite parts of being at Camden Crossroads Community Church. Rarely in church do you get to experience a connection with such a diverse group of people. When you only see people on Sundays it becomes hard to get know anyone with any kind of depth, and our pastor has made it well known that being able to connect with each other is one of the priorities that we need to make time for. This year our community group has started with Andy Stanley’s series called 5 Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith. Even though we were not able to have everyone at our community group (CG) for the opening night for 2010, it is an amazing study that our CG really enjoyed.
The topic of having perfect faith can be extremely overwhelming. We discussed how we know our problems should not effect how or when we trust God, but it does. When we call ourselves Christian and come to church faithfully and tithe regularly and try to live like Jesus but look in the mirror and know that we don’t trust God like we should it can be a gut check that many of us are not ready for.
The truth is we know that we don’t trust Him completely but we don’t know why, or at least we don’t stop to think about it, maybe due to the fact that we won’t like the answer that we give. When we decide to do what we want instead of what God wants we tell Him and everyone else that we don’t trust God. Sometimes it is because we have been let down by someone that we equated with being a representation of God in our lives. This could have been a spouse, family member, close friend, or even a leader in the church. Having to separate who God is from how people have hurt us can be almost impossible.
One thing that continually comes to the front of my mind is how Andy showed us that God established a relationship before he ever gave us any rules. The only reason for the rules was so that we could maintain the relationship that He built. Yet so many times we are willing to throw the relationship away just because we don’t like the rules. It’s like a husband telling his wife that I love you but I can’t stay married to you if it means having to take out the trash every day and then running back home when he feels lonely.
CG has been such a great tool for helping me see just how much relationships mean and how much we need each other. However we can only have those relationships because of the one that God establishes with us first. And that is truly amazing.
How Iran delt with Christmas.
Ever wonder how Iran would deal with a Christian holiday celebrated in their country. Read how they choose to get in the Christmas spirit
10 Words Not to Use for 2010
I copied this article from CNN. I thought it was just too funny.
A new year means a chance to leave some of the tired words and phrases of 2009 in the past. At least that’s the theory of the wordsmiths at Lake Superior State University, who released their 35th annual (deep breath) List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.
This year’s fifteen offenders make up a tech-heavy list. “Tweet” (and any variation thereof) is included, as is “friending” or “unfriending” someone. “App” — as a shortened word for application — is another offender. And at the end of a rough financial year, much of the jargon of economic pain has run its course: “In these economic times,” “toxic assets” and “too big to fail” have no place in 2010. (See the top 10 buzzwords of 2009.)
Some surprising omissions? None of 2009’s most overused health care buzzwords were included (“public option,” anyone?). But Obama himself makes the list, though only as a prefix — Obamanomics, Obamanation, etc. — as do his “czars.” Glenn Beck could need to come up with a whole new vocabulary in 2010. .
The small Michigan university receives thousands of nominations over the course of the year before culling to the most flagrant offenders. Does the list hold any actual power? Some of the banned words from 2008 still crept into conversation last year: “bailout”, “Wall Street/Main Street” and “carbon footprint” continue to be abused. Thankfully, “first dude”, “maverick” and “game changer” were relegated to the sidelines. (See the top 10 quotes of 2009.)
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1951248,00.html#ixzz0bfDCroJZ
The complete 2010 list:
1. Shovel-ready
2. Transparent/Transparency
3. Czar
4. Tweet
5. App
6. Sexting
7. Friend as a verb
8. Teachable Moment
9. In These Economic Times…
10. Stimulus
11. Toxic Assets
12. Too Big to Fail
13. Bromance
14. Chillaxin’
15. Obama as a prefix
Digging the Word for Twenty Ten, or Two thousand and Ten, or whatever you call it.
So I’ve been looking at different Bible reading plans for the new year. Original I know, but what is a budding disciple to do with his time? There is a plan for just about every flavor of personal reading goal out there. You got your Chronological, your Historical, your Variety plan (mix up the Old and New T’s), Your Traditional Strait through (you never get past Leviticus that way), your one year, your two-year (when you try to complete the one year you didn’t finish last year), your three-year, your New Testament only, your Jesus only and the list goes on and on. I have seen some really extreme ones like this one called B90X by Elevation Church (very clever.) So what did I pick? I have to admit the challenge of reading the Bible in 90 days sounded hard, so that’s what I did, or am doing, day two down and counting. Yes I have to set aside some major time to get it done, but to be able to say I did it in 90 days will be an accomplishment for me.
Why do we set these goals as Christians? Most of us were probably told to do it as some point and time in our churches. Maybe we feel like in order to get to the next level of Christendom we have to check this box to get there. Maybe that’s what we need at our church. A special room that only those who know the hand shake can get into and you have to prove that you’ve read through the entire Bible to know it. It would be a room covered in dark wood paneling and book shelves lining the room and leather couches around tables for pontificating the spiritual state of the world and how the church should solve its problems. . . Okay maybe not, but a cool sticker would be nice. Anyway here is to a great new adventure and discipline needed to see it through.
Christmas Commercials
After putting together tons of different pieces of play furniture and real furniture and getting everything set up. I sit down to relax in front of TV so that I can try to erase the memories of frustration from unfound screws and poorly interpreted hieroglyphics that I’m sure you must have a degree in dead languages to be able to figure out. However, instead of the calm relaxing glow of the blueish white light, I see more pictures that show me just how inadequate I am as a father and person in general.
Okay, what father of a new-born gets up at 2:00 am to wish his adoring wife rocking a baby to give her a huge honking chocolate diamond rind (which I didn’t even know was a color for diamonds). Really? 2:00 am? Now I’ve changed a diaper or two at 0 dark thirty and rocked my little girls to sleep when they have cried, but never looking that chipper. And never could I have dreamed to be able to afford a ring like that with a new-born. When did carolers start giving out advice for your Christmas purchases. Seriously that is not clever thats annoying. You know what would stop them? An air horn. Now I’m not trying to be a Scrooge about Christmas but come on.
The reality is that my Christmas Eves are more like an America’s Funniest Home Videos clip. I wonder if Joseph had any moments that he would have regretted being recorded. Would he have been up at 2:00 am walking over to Mary as she rocked Jesus after his early morning feeding, opening a little wooden box saying “I couldn’t wait.” Or would it be him smacking his thumb as his putting the finishing touches on a small toy for Jesus to play with for His birthday. (Theoretically of course)
Hope you all have a very imperfect Christmas.
Worship, the IMAX experience
Now I know its nothing new to us church goers. A lot of churches have been using worship DVDs that show the words to the songs we sing and give the viewer an experience that feast the eyes with sights only seen by astronauts and the most adventurous trekker. But have you ever looked at some of the pictures that they show. On one particular Sunday morning we were singing the amazing some “Arise”. I love this song. However once the video started I felt like all we needed were some bars to hold on to a long with a warning for those that are prone to motion sickness. Clouds were flying past at 120 mph. Tree tops flashed before my eyes. Seas moved beneath me as if I were flying. So I thought, what if we kicked it up a notch. An experience like non other. A full I max worship extravaganza. Now you not only get to look a cool picture of the horse head nebula for the umpteenth time but you get to see it like a planetarium on crack. “please hold on to the hand rails as we praise God in 360 degrees of awesomeness. YEAH!” Just a thought.
Kum By Ya Lord, Kum By Ya
So our church does community groups, like many churches do now a days. One of the things that we wanted to do as a group was find ways to take Jesus to our community. So we had someone suggest that we could do a church service at the local KOA campground. Well, let me just say it was great. Not only did we have a blast worshipping together and fellowship by the pool, but I got to preach in my bathing suit and slippers (flip flops). You just cant get that kind of fun anywhere. Its always amazing to be able to go and share Jesus with someone where they live. I hope we get to do it again.
Christians either don’t know, don’t show or don’t care about what’s going on in the Hood.
Well, its now day three of our mission trip. Some of the things that I have learned so far is:
You can put Tony Chachere’s Famous Creole Seasoning on anything.
Crystal hot sauce makes everything taste better
If a kid threatens to bite you give them the jump rope.
If you give a three year old a jump rope to play with in the projects, you are not getting it back.
Getting a big hug from the same girl in exchange for the jump rope is a good feeling
Chanting is a great way to get teens to unite together
Turkey necks and pig tails are wicked awesome!
Mrs Brenda makes the best potato salad in the world
Hearing Mrs Brenda’s story over lunch, of how she lost her home and some of her family during Katrina was really sad.
Loving on her by helping her get her home back is really good.
I can’t hula hoop anymore and I don’t know when I forgot how.
Getting the opportunity to be taught how to hula hoop by a 7 year old in the neighbor hood was pretty cool
Caulk fixes almost anything, but it can’t build relationships.
Volunteers from Indiana should not volunteer. (You know who you are)
Alysha is the best team leader ever.
Getting a chance to share a little of my time with someone so selfless, reminds me why I should be more like that
You don’t tell seven kids “free ice cream” unless you plan to feed the 30 that heard you from inside the neighbors house.
Getting the opportunity to give 30 kids ice cream when you know they don’t have much, makes you feel blessed.
People are still hurting from Katrina.
People are still hurting from where I live too, and I should make a better effort to help them too.
Getting to know people is the first step to meeting their needs.
