New Job

Last night I was voted in as a new pastor with Treasure Lake Church. The church has about 500 people that would call the church "home" and there are about 300 people at the 3 weekend services. I will be the "Pastor of Young Adult Ministries" and working mainly with people between 20-40 on marriage, parenting, etc and their children. Will also be working with the prison ministry which most of the men there are in their 20's. The church is only about 3 miles away. Thanks for all those that were praying during this process!

Christmas 2010

If Jesus were born in 2010

It is really amazing to place the Bible on top of history to see God's perfect timing for the birth of the Messiah (Jesus). There are lists of reasons why just 100 years earlier or 100 years later would have been completely different based on culture, governmental powers, etc, etc, etc and wouldn't have had the same story (so thank God for His timing and not ours!). But that's not what this post is about --- this is the curiosity of what would be different if Jesus were born in 2010 rather than 2000+ years ago. May look something like this...

Your Sins are Forgiven!

Mark is one of my favorite books of the Bible (full of action!)...I teach at a "Community Bible Study" once a week in DuBois, and we are going verse-by-verse through Mark. After 8 weeks, we are just starting chapter 2, and one of the stories I love about Jesus.

In chapter 2, so many people come to listen and to see Jesus at a house He is staying, that the place overflows. Four men want to place a paralytic at His feet, but can't get through the door so they lower him down through the roof to place Him at the feet of Jesus (quite a step of faith and courage considering Levitical law punished people even for accidental destruction of property!). But when Jesus sees the man at His feet, rather than physically healing the man, He makes the statement, "Son, your sins are forgiven" (vs. 5).

Now I know as you go through the chapter and the parallels in Matthew and Luke, there is a strong theme of Jesus' pronouncement of His divinity since only God (Psalm 103:3) could forgive sins (and very strong indeed...Jewish teachings did not believe the Messiah would have the ability to forgive sins so this would have been an earth-shattering proclamation!). But, I think, Jesus providing a spiritual touch before a physical one is also a pronouncement that spiritual need is the deepest human need and FAR outweighs our physical needs.

Which brings me to my point/conviction: Why when someone begins to suffer physically or emotionally (find out they have a disease, lose their job, lose a loved one, etc) our hearts break and we reach out with cards, gifts, acts of service, etc, etc, etc...but when we are surrounded by people who are suffering spiritually and who need Christ (the deepest spiritual need) why are we not broken? At least not in the same way. Jesus was driven to meet spiritual needs far more than physical/emotional. As Christians/Christ Followers, shouldn't my/our brokenness and convictions for those without Christ be stronger than those who are going through a hard time? Does my/our time and energy reflect that? Thoughts?

A Tribute To My Leaves

A good portion of my day today was dedicated to getting rid of the leaves in our yard...

Of course it is time consuming, so I had the opportunity to create "A Tribute To My Leaves" while I worked. Hope you enjoy...

A Tribute To My Leaves

Why oh why do you have to fall in my yard just like rain? Surely it's got to be enough to drive me insane! Every time I clean one up - 4 more seem to drop. Will this cycle go on forever? - PLEASE make it stop!!!

Why oh why does the wind always blow from the east to the west? So I get you from my neighbor's too and never get a rest! They taught their dog to fetch a stick or a rubber ball...but why didn't they teach her to fetch you instead when it turns to fall!?!

Why oh why did we buy a house with so many trees? Now I know why the dog chooses them, when it goes and pees! All this frustration you cause - it just isn't fair! So I am praying you turn into dollar bills so we'll be billionaires!