Last weekend we talked about Proverbs 3:5-6 and the simple process that it outlines for following God’s leadership.

This is what Steve shared during the last weekend service.  It’s the confidence we have when the path we are on is actually the one God chose for use, rather than the one we decided upon and asked Him to bless.  I hope you spent some time this week practicing this process.

This weekend will be our last in the book of Proverbs.  The topic will be laziness.  As you study Proverbs this week, look at how many verses speak to this issue.  So, how do we recognize and overcome it?  Find out this weekend.

Were you slower to anger than you were the week before?  Do you continue to struggle with anger?  No matter where you are, let me encourage you with a few key verses: Ephesians 4:26 and Proverbs 19:11.

I had a great first week back from my sabbatical.  One of many pleasant surprises was a visit by the president of our denomination, Dr. Gary Benedict, who spent Wednesday morning with our staff.  Dr. Benedict was excited to see the great ethnic diversity in our state, and very glad to hear that so many different backgrounds are represented in our church today.

But this diversity extends well beyond our building.  Did you know that as part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance we are among 2 000 diverse churches in the United States, and an even greater number in 51 countries?  I bet you didn’t know that our denomination supports more than 1 500 people working in various overseas missionary enterprises.  And I bet you didn’t realize that our denomination is the only Christian organization that continues to plant overseas churches who send their own missionaries to share God’s grace in other countries.  We are part of a pretty cool family…

This weekend we have the honor of welcoming Richard Herring to our services.  Richard oversees missionary work by the C&MA in several Asian countries, and he will tell you a little more about our work there during each of the worship services.  Steve Mayer will then continue our current series as he speaks from Proverbs 3.

See you this weekend!

Hey, I’m back!

Let me start off by saying thank you to so many. Thanks to the Governing Board for graciously allowing me a two-month sabbatical to work on my dissertation. Thanks to the staff for pulling off a great summer of ministry. Thanks to Josh Conn for taking the helm so well.  And thanks to all of you for understanding my need to do some dedicated writing.

Here is the good news – I finished the first draft!  It was just a few weeks into writing that I realized how necessary this sabbatical was.  With my involvement at the church, it would have been impossible to write and defend my dissertation by next May, the deadline set by Temple University.  But having the draft finished this early means that I have plenty of time for editing and for preparing my oral defense over the next few months.

You have had an exciting summer here: mission trips to Mexico and Trinidad, our always energetic Kids Klub Camp, and 16 baptisms!  God is good!

I am glad to be back, and look forward to seeing you this weekend.

I watched The Bucket List this week.  In the film, two guys figure out they are dying, so they make a list of the things they want to do before they kick the bucket.

The story inspired me.  What is it God has asked me to do today, that I have put off until tomorrow?  And what am I waiting for that keeps me from doing it today?  In Joshua 1:9, God says:

Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Let’s not wait any longer to start living. Let’s speak words of life to each other.  Let’s start praying together.  Let’s become accountable for how we use the internet.  Let’s stop spending money on worthless things.  Let’s give up our guilt about the parents we had, or the parents we have become.

The enemy wants us to stand still and to do nothing.  He wants us to talk, to wait, to fear, to talk some more, and eventually, to do nothing.  But God says he is with us wherever we go.  The time is now — don’t be afraid, just take the next step.  Don’t bank on tomorrow when all you have is today.