Speaking Engagements

I'm back! I will posting again very soon. I am speaking this weekend for a youth group tomorrow. I am speaking from John 6 and I was reminded of this verse today, John 6:66.

Retreat

Last weekend I had the opportunity to speak for Zion Missionary at an youth retreat in Converse, IN. What an incredible time. It was so awesome to see God workngi in each of teens lives over the weekend. God did incredible work. Zion has a great youth pastor and awesome volunteers. They are going to have some great things in store for them.

It also was the first time that I was able to take some friends with me on a retreat in which I was the speaker. We brought our youth praise band. They did a fantastic job and believe God used them to reach students for Christ.

I love retreats. They are a time to retreat, to get refreshed, and to refocus on Jesus Christ. It is a time to get away from the business of life and focus on Jesus Christ.

Hearing God's voice

What does it mean to really hear the voice of God?

If you feel that God is speaking a message to you but you are not really sure if it is from God here are some good questions to ask your self about the message.

1) Does it line up with the Holy Bible, the written scriptures?

2) Does it lead you into a closer relationship with God, a greater unity with Him?

3) Does it lead you into expressing love, which is putting God’s benefit and the benefit of others before your own benefit?

4) Does it lead to a dying of yourself and a greater manifestation of Christ life in you?

5) Does it cause greater humility in you, and a greater dependence upon God?

6) Does it cause greater love, joy, and peace from God in you?

Interesting Observations from Matthew 23

Matthew 23- Seven Woes

Seven Ways to Guarantee God’s Anger:

1. Keeping others from entering the Kingdom of God (23:14)
2. Converting people away from God to be like yourself (23:15)
3. Following Man Made traditions instead of God’s word (23:16-22)
4. Involving yourself in every last detail and ignoring what is really important (23:23,24)
5. Keeping up appearances when your private world is Corrupt ( Matt. 23:25,26)
6. Acting Spiritual to cover up sin (23:27,28)
7. Pretending to learn from the past, but your present behavior shows that you have learned nothing (23:29-36)

It seems all of us have struggled with one of these woes. In fact I think form time to time I haev struggled with all of them.

Lifehouse's Everything Skit

This is an incredible drama. It's shows how much we can mess up our life. One thing to remember is that there is always hope.

Things are not always as they appear

This does not have any movement. the movement you see, when you look at the edges of the picture, is purely the result of tricking your brain.

I found this on neatorama, where they explain:

Neatorama reader Walt Anthony shares with us his blog, geared to educate kids about optical illusions. Walt did a good job in explaining the illusions in the post:

Anomalous Motion Optical Illusion aka Peripheral Drift Optical Illusion is characterized by anomalous motion that can be observed in peripheral vision. […]

Keep in mind that this is a static image. It is not animated in any way. but as your vision moves back and forth the center area seems to be moving toward the center (contracting) and the outer edges seem to be moving away (expanding) from the center. Also worth noting is that if you fixate on a point in the center and don’t move your eyes this anomalous motion will stop.

Parents Need to Invest in their Children

2/3 of the students active in our youth ministry walk away from their faith within a year of graduating high school.

OUCH! Those of you familiar with youth ministry know this to be a problem across the country. In fact, our numbers would be viewed in many circles as pretty exceptional.

So I looked for commonalities in the piles. Initially, I thought the kids who were most involved in youth group, church activities, leadership development efforts, or discipleship programs would be more likely to end up in the "Still Active" pile. I found this not to be the case. Those kids were just as likely to be in the "Walked Away" pile. Those things seemed not to be indicators of a teen's long-term spiritual commitment.

What became evident really quickly was the effect of parents on the faith-development process. I realize that this entire process is a bit subjective and nonscientific, but what I discovered was enough to indicate a real pattern.

We lose 25% of kids who have 2 Christian parents and Dad takes the spiritual lead.
We lose 50% of kids who have 2 Christian parents and Mom takes the spiritual lead.
We lose 66% of kids who have a Christian Dad only
We lose 75% of kids who have a Christian Mom only
We lose 90% of kids who have no Christian parents

So 10% of the kids who have no Christian parents - the "outreach" kids - stick with it. I contacted those kids and asked them all the same question, looking for patterns. Without exception theire was one common factor with the 10% who stuck around. They all had a spiritual mentor - a surrogate spiritual Mom or Dad. A spiritual mentor.

Peace in Kenya?

Kenya president, rivals reach power-sharing deal

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga today signed a power-sharing deal that should bring an end to nearly two months of post-election discord.

Reuters quotes Kofi Annan, the former U.N. chief who served as a mediator in Nairobi, saying that the post of prime minister will be created and rival parties will be given a greater role in the cabinet.

BBC News says a new coalition government will be formed. "Both sides agreed that there should be a prime minister, but had differed on what powers the new post would have," the British broadcaster says.

Read more in this Associated Press story.

(Photo by Presidential Press Service via Reuters.)

Prince Caspian Trailer

I can't wait

Encouragement

After a couple of bad weeks, God has brought incredible people into my life to affirm and encourage. God knows what we need and when. We all need encouragement.

Here is article by Mark Safferstone

The load of life is just too heavy to carry on our own. This is why God gives us brothers and sisters who can come lift us up in our discouragement and despair. The meaning of the word encourage is "to put courage in" someone.

The ultimate goal of every encourager should be to lead people to believe more about God and His promises. God Himself is the ultimate encourager, as the Scriptures listed here show.

Verse	Text	Teaching Point
Romans 12:8	If it is encouraging, let him encourage.	Some are gifted encouragers, some are talented, and some are not. Yet we can still learn to be an encourager.
Titus 2:6 - 8	Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those that oppose you may be ashamed because they have not bad to say about us.	We have an obligation to encourage those that are younger than us and there is always someone younger that we can encourage. Your words speak, but your actions speak louder than your words.
Hebrews 3:13	But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.	Encouragement must be consistent. Encouragement gives us strength to stand up to the worldliness of those around us.
1 Thessalonians 5:11	Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.	Encouragement provides strength. Once you’ve started, continue.
1 Thessalonians 5:14-15	And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.	Regardless of your circumstances, reach out to all that can benefit from your encouragement.
1 Samuel 23:15 -16	While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.	When you learn that a brother is confronted by the challenges of the world, help him find strength in the Lord.
1 Samuel 30:6	David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.	Once another has instilled a spirit of strength and encouragement, you are more willing and able to find strength in God.

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities

My wife is incredible

My wife reminded me of this passage today. It was a great encouragement to me.

Psalm 39

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

1 I said, "I will watch my ways
and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
as long as the wicked are in my presence."

2 But when I was silent and still,
not even saying anything good,
my anguish increased.

3 My heart grew hot within me,
and as I meditated, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:

4 "Show me, O LORD, my life's end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man's life is but a breath.
Selah

6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
He bustles about, but only in vain;
he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

7 "But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.

8 Save me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the scorn of fools.

9 I was silent; I would not open my mouth,
for you are the one who has done this.

10 Remove your scourge from me;
I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

11 You rebuke and discipline men for their sin;
you consume their wealth like a moth—
each man is but a breath.
Selah

12 "Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.

13 Look away from me, that I may rejoice again
before I depart and am no more."

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