July has 31 days. The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters. Coincidence? I think not.
Take the "Learning God's Character" Challenge. Read a chapter a day in the month of July. FYI - tomorrow is Friday - July 31. T.G.I.F. TO help the mathematically challenged - on July 1 you read Proverbs 1 and so on.
Let's jump on it!!!!
This Sunday is July 3 - there will be no Velocity or Breakout - bring the kiddos to worship with you this week as we continue our teaching series SUMMER VACATION: the Lessons of Life from Jesus' Parables.
Also - reminder about the "prayer tent." It is set up in the worship space for you. when you have a need to pray, you can come to the front, to the altar or to the back in the tent. take someone with you, do you deal with God. The Cross is also there for you to write prayer needs, lay down burdens, give to God your hearts desires.
Each of these tools are designed to help you connect with your heavenly Father. God wants a relationship with you. If you have never opened the conversation with God - begin today by asking him to simply show up for you today...lay out your need. He will not let you down. God will prove himself. The next step to realize how far you are from Him...it is because you have gone you way, not his - it is called sin. You have to repent (turn from it) and ask Jesus to reconcile you to God. Jesus Christ can and will do that when you believe in Him, call on His name and be saved. Trust Jesus today. Find a friend to tell them about your decision and ask them to walk the road of discipleship with you.
David
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Psalms 139
Psalm 111 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths,[a] you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Lord – you know…everything. All about me, the world, how I feel, where I hide, what I do, who I am. Lord you know. I praise you today for who you have made me to be. Your works are wonderful.
Had a really cool opportunity to hang out with Justin and Sarah Atkins over in Honea Path last night at the ZONE. They have a cool group of kids from several churches as well as kids who don't do the church thing. Justin shared with them all how much God loves them - so much in fact that He won't stop loving them. He also shared the above scripture. Great job Justin. God is using you.
CityPrayer at 12:15 today!!! It is Thursday and you know what happens on Thursday? CITYPRAYER!!!!
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths,[a] you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Lord – you know…everything. All about me, the world, how I feel, where I hide, what I do, who I am. Lord you know. I praise you today for who you have made me to be. Your works are wonderful.
Had a really cool opportunity to hang out with Justin and Sarah Atkins over in Honea Path last night at the ZONE. They have a cool group of kids from several churches as well as kids who don't do the church thing. Justin shared with them all how much God loves them - so much in fact that He won't stop loving them. He also shared the above scripture. Great job Justin. God is using you.
CityPrayer at 12:15 today!!! It is Thursday and you know what happens on Thursday? CITYPRAYER!!!!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Valley of Vision - a collection of puritan prayers and devotions
this was my reading today from Valley of Vision
O Love beyond compare,
Thou art good when thou givest,
when thou takest away,
when the sun shines upon e,
when the night gathers over me.
thou has loved me before the foundation of the world,
and in love didst redeem my soul;
thou dost love me still, in spite of me hard heart, ingratitude, distrust.
thy goodness has been with me during another year,
leading me through a twisting wilderness,
in retreat helping me to advance,
when beaten back making sure headway.
they goodness will be with me in the year ahead;
I hoist sail and draw up anchor,
with thee as the blessed pilot of my future as of my past.
I bless thee that thou hast veiled my eyes to the waters ahead.
If thou hast appointed storms of tribulation, thou wilt be with me in them;
If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation,
I shall not drown;
If I am to die,
I shall see thy face sooner;
If a painful end is to be my lot,
grant me grace that my faith fail not;
If I am to be cast aside from the service I love,
I can make no stipulation;
Only glorify thyself in me whether in comfort or trial,
as a chosen vessel meet always for thy use.
O Love beyond compare,
Thou art good when thou givest,
when thou takest away,
when the sun shines upon e,
when the night gathers over me.
thou has loved me before the foundation of the world,
and in love didst redeem my soul;
thou dost love me still, in spite of me hard heart, ingratitude, distrust.
thy goodness has been with me during another year,
leading me through a twisting wilderness,
in retreat helping me to advance,
when beaten back making sure headway.
they goodness will be with me in the year ahead;
I hoist sail and draw up anchor,
with thee as the blessed pilot of my future as of my past.
I bless thee that thou hast veiled my eyes to the waters ahead.
If thou hast appointed storms of tribulation, thou wilt be with me in them;
If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation,
I shall not drown;
If I am to die,
I shall see thy face sooner;
If a painful end is to be my lot,
grant me grace that my faith fail not;
If I am to be cast aside from the service I love,
I can make no stipulation;
Only glorify thyself in me whether in comfort or trial,
as a chosen vessel meet always for thy use.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Pondering the meaning of it all
Recently i have bumped up against some really cool people. Now i have known them for awhile, but opportunity allowed me to have in depth conversation with them about hopes, dreams, failures, pain. Basically understanding who they were and where they were going.
People are stinking amazing...who knew right? Men and women with such passion, with great expertise, with volumes of experience...they are out there in the wide world making a difference for Christ in their homes as amazing moms and dads- leading their children to honor God and seek His plans for their lives from an early age. They are out there as business owners, as teachers, newly weds, as former drug pushers & users, as fast-food employees, as single moms, as people who with their hands, as people seeking a job, as people discipling others, as people loving unlovely people.
People? Who would have thought there could be so much good in them considering where they have come from? God could & did.
God redeemed us for living such as this. When you stop for a moment this week to ponder the meaning of it all, consider this...in the grand scheme of life you have a purpose and generally I can speak truth from the bible as to what that is. You are to to sow seeds...be a farmer. investing the life you have into others. as a writer, an artist, a dad, a boss, a leader, a follower, a care-giver, a prayer warrior, a chemist, a teacher, a wife, an administrator.
Give what you have to God - He does not ponder, He knows the meaning and linking and the connectivity of it all. you are a piece, a link to His global strategy to share the Good News of Jesus Christ - to bring hope to hopeless people in hopeless places. You are the hammer to put a dent in the darkness, you are the light to illuminate, you are the spark to ignite, you are the arms to hug and hold and comfort, you are the hands to clap and shake and grasp hold.
Ponder no longer and live your legacy.
Sunday @ Capstone we continue SUMMER VACATION - don't miss it. Our parable of Jesus study will encompass the story of the sower and the soils from Luke chapter 8. I hope to see you there.
Pray for me - I am preaching @ Camp McCall the next 2 nights to boys and men from all over the state. This is the camp I worked at as a college student and attended for 11 summers as a camper. It is always huge to go back and give back.
DB
People are stinking amazing...who knew right? Men and women with such passion, with great expertise, with volumes of experience...they are out there in the wide world making a difference for Christ in their homes as amazing moms and dads- leading their children to honor God and seek His plans for their lives from an early age. They are out there as business owners, as teachers, newly weds, as former drug pushers & users, as fast-food employees, as single moms, as people who with their hands, as people seeking a job, as people discipling others, as people loving unlovely people.
People? Who would have thought there could be so much good in them considering where they have come from? God could & did.
God redeemed us for living such as this. When you stop for a moment this week to ponder the meaning of it all, consider this...in the grand scheme of life you have a purpose and generally I can speak truth from the bible as to what that is. You are to to sow seeds...be a farmer. investing the life you have into others. as a writer, an artist, a dad, a boss, a leader, a follower, a care-giver, a prayer warrior, a chemist, a teacher, a wife, an administrator.
Ponder no longer and live your legacy.
Sunday @ Capstone we continue SUMMER VACATION - don't miss it. Our parable of Jesus study will encompass the story of the sower and the soils from Luke chapter 8. I hope to see you there.
Pray for me - I am preaching @ Camp McCall the next 2 nights to boys and men from all over the state. This is the camp I worked at as a college student and attended for 11 summers as a camper. It is always huge to go back and give back.
DB
Friday, June 3, 2011
Sprinting to the Finish/ Chicago
Mid-May up to today has been a full on sprint. Don't come by the house - like to have mail still in the box, grass up to your waist and clothes everywhere (not really - just a point of exaggeration). My point is it does not feel like there is time to do maintenance much less anything extra with all the added things that seem to come along each day as the school year ends and summer begins.
It is officially time to breathe. Family time is planned and about to be executed as we are doing "micro" vacations this summer. Kids are picking what we do - Although I am excited too.
This Sunday at Capstone we begin our Summer teaching series - Summer Vacation: Life Lessons from the Road. If you are in Anderson check it out Sunday.
FYI -
Last week was a needed time of growth for me. Took a trip to Chicago to Moody Bible Institute. 1800's evangelism DL Moody founded the school and today it still provide excellent bible, preaching and missions education.
Learned a lot - great preachers - Tony Evans, Lon Solomon, Kevin De Young and Jim Cymbala.
Walked a lot, made the elevator ride up the "Sears" tower, rode the "L", walked the halls of University of Chicago and Illinois Tech. Caught a Cubbies game too - rains delayed and about 35 degrees.
Check out the pics
It is officially time to breathe. Family time is planned and about to be executed as we are doing "micro" vacations this summer. Kids are picking what we do - Although I am excited too.
This Sunday at Capstone we begin our Summer teaching series - Summer Vacation: Life Lessons from the Road. If you are in Anderson check it out Sunday.
FYI -
Last week was a needed time of growth for me. Took a trip to Chicago to Moody Bible Institute. 1800's evangelism DL Moody founded the school and today it still provide excellent bible, preaching and missions education.
Learned a lot - great preachers - Tony Evans, Lon Solomon, Kevin De Young and Jim Cymbala.
Walked a lot, made the elevator ride up the "Sears" tower, rode the "L", walked the halls of University of Chicago and Illinois Tech. Caught a Cubbies game too - rains delayed and about 35 degrees.
Check out the pics
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