John 15:9-17
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command.
I 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. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
This "no" hurt
I have been applying for youth/ associate pastor positions for a while. I have this burning passion in my hear to eventually start a church, but I know that will only come with preparation. I don't want to do this to a church, but I had been looking for positions in youth ministry or college ministry and being honest about my intentions, that I would eventually use momentum and an obvious calling to start this church.
After looking for quite some time, and the result of recent developments, I think I have come to the realization that I need to force a passion on myself. I pray all of the time that God would take this passion away from me, but it hasn't happened. So, I think I will have to force it upon myself. This has been one of the most difficult things that I have gone through. I have played music, and I was able to get into most music venues that I chose. I have played sports and was part of great teams. I went to college, and I had my chance at a great education.
Ministry has been the one thing that has shown the most road blocks. I don't know why God would put something in my heart that no one else wants me to do.
It's been hard.
~Nigel
After looking for quite some time, and the result of recent developments, I think I have come to the realization that I need to force a passion on myself. I pray all of the time that God would take this passion away from me, but it hasn't happened. So, I think I will have to force it upon myself. This has been one of the most difficult things that I have gone through. I have played music, and I was able to get into most music venues that I chose. I have played sports and was part of great teams. I went to college, and I had my chance at a great education.
Ministry has been the one thing that has shown the most road blocks. I don't know why God would put something in my heart that no one else wants me to do.
It's been hard.
~Nigel
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Fart Stories Are Funny
My wife and I were eating at On The Border tonight, and I went to use the restroom. When I arrived, I went to the urinal to hear a child in the stall next to me let out a loud groan. UGHHHHH!!!! His father, trying to play it off a little, jokingly asked, "are you okay in there?"
I wanted to laugh, but I held it in.
Next, you hear the child say, "I'm all done."
I was washing my hands at this point. I don't want you to think I was watching like it was a television show. It did, on the other hand, seemed too good to be true. As I am washing my hands, I notice that the father goes in to the same stall to use the restroom as well, but he quickly tells his child, "come back here."
Confused, the child hesitates, but the father repeats, "come back here." The child walks up. (I think they were looking in the toilet) "Did you not use toilet paper?" The father asks. i ran out the door. I didn't want to know what followed that.
I just thought it was funny.
I wanted to laugh, but I held it in.
Next, you hear the child say, "I'm all done."
I was washing my hands at this point. I don't want you to think I was watching like it was a television show. It did, on the other hand, seemed too good to be true. As I am washing my hands, I notice that the father goes in to the same stall to use the restroom as well, but he quickly tells his child, "come back here."
Confused, the child hesitates, but the father repeats, "come back here." The child walks up. (I think they were looking in the toilet) "Did you not use toilet paper?" The father asks. i ran out the door. I didn't want to know what followed that.
I just thought it was funny.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Rahab and the Spies
1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea[a] for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.[b] 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
This is interesting, because when Moses sent a group of spies, only two of them said that the land could be possessed by the people of God. I guess it just goes to show that when God says, "I got yo back," he really means "I GOT YO BACK!!!."
2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea[a] for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.[b] 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
This is interesting, because when Moses sent a group of spies, only two of them said that the land could be possessed by the people of God. I guess it just goes to show that when God says, "I got yo back," he really means "I GOT YO BACK!!!."
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Don't fake it
I just want to let you know that you are uniquely created. You are specifically crafted to do a specific thing at a specific time.
I am currently listening to a local pastor who has been majorly influenced by a "big name" pastor. Because he has been so heavily influenced, he mimics this big name pastor in speech, in tone, and in tempo. They say that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", but I want you to think about something different. Why would you rob the world of you. I know people who are very good at being who they are. I know a J.J. who is really good at being J.J.. I know a Christopher who is really good at being Christopher. I know a Crystal that is really good at being Crystal, the love of my life.
Why would you change who you are? Christ created you to bless the world with you. Enjoy who you are.
Don't change a thing.
I am currently listening to a local pastor who has been majorly influenced by a "big name" pastor. Because he has been so heavily influenced, he mimics this big name pastor in speech, in tone, and in tempo. They say that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", but I want you to think about something different. Why would you rob the world of you. I know people who are very good at being who they are. I know a J.J. who is really good at being J.J.. I know a Christopher who is really good at being Christopher. I know a Crystal that is really good at being Crystal, the love of my life.
Why would you change who you are? Christ created you to bless the world with you. Enjoy who you are.
Don't change a thing.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Isn't that a little fast? Ha ha... That's what she said.
There is a trend right now in several churches to streamline the Sunday morning service down to an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes. I'm not trying to insult any one pastor; so, don't think this is directed at you... or maybe it is just for you.
I have recently watched several of my favorite churches, and I realized that they take their time. The worship is full, the preaching is full. They take their time. I know your church may be different. I know I may be the product of my mom's church, but I love being with others in worship. Don't get me wrong. I worship on my own as well. Don't get me wrong. I spend time in The Word. Still, what's the rush? Can Sunday lunch not wait 30 minutes? People are hungry, they have a sickness and the only prescription is Christ in his fullness.
I know Christ can move quickly, but some people need a little time.
I have recently watched several of my favorite churches, and I realized that they take their time. The worship is full, the preaching is full. They take their time. I know your church may be different. I know I may be the product of my mom's church, but I love being with others in worship. Don't get me wrong. I worship on my own as well. Don't get me wrong. I spend time in The Word. Still, what's the rush? Can Sunday lunch not wait 30 minutes? People are hungry, they have a sickness and the only prescription is Christ in his fullness.
I know Christ can move quickly, but some people need a little time.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Is it in you? Is it coming out of you?
Jeremiah 20:9 But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
You are surrounded with opportunities to share the love of Christ. Let me be the first to say that I have not done it every time Christ has asked me to, but I try my best. Whether it is good news or bad news (I would like to think it is all good news), Christ has given you a message to share. The question is this: is it in you? If that burning message is in you, then here is the next question: is it coming out of you? We were made to share the good news of Jesus Christ. He was alive here on the earth. He died so that we could be save. Now, he lives in us, THE CHURCH!!!
We are free. We are free to live a great life. That's the message that makes me burn.
A friend once told me that they, the lost, may not want to catch fire, but they will come to see you burn. So, get it out of you and sit back as people watch in amazement. They will want what you have.
IS IT IN YOU? IS IT COMING OUT OF YOU?
You are surrounded with opportunities to share the love of Christ. Let me be the first to say that I have not done it every time Christ has asked me to, but I try my best. Whether it is good news or bad news (I would like to think it is all good news), Christ has given you a message to share. The question is this: is it in you? If that burning message is in you, then here is the next question: is it coming out of you? We were made to share the good news of Jesus Christ. He was alive here on the earth. He died so that we could be save. Now, he lives in us, THE CHURCH!!!
We are free. We are free to live a great life. That's the message that makes me burn.
A friend once told me that they, the lost, may not want to catch fire, but they will come to see you burn. So, get it out of you and sit back as people watch in amazement. They will want what you have.
IS IT IN YOU? IS IT COMING OUT OF YOU?
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