tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280075510222162032024-03-04T23:25:58.711-05:00Reality CheckThis is a blog about reality. I hope that as you read the words on this page you can be inspired, pushed, and even entertained by what you read. I'll explore and relate portions of my life as a follow of Christ and a minister to you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-79400326486956174412016-11-29T11:05:00.002-05:002016-11-29T11:06:14.788-05:00The Rhodes Family Playing Tourist in Our New Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The kids in front of a Mosaic Boston ad in on the Orange Line</i></div>
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Since we've been in Boston our family has played tourist a little. We've gone whale watching and sightseeing. We've been to the aquarium and children's museum. One of the coolest things we did was drink the same type of tea thrown off the boat in the Boston Tea Party. I thought I'd post a few pictures from our outings. There will be more to come!<br />
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<i>Whale Watching with the kids</i></div>
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<i>Kids acting silly at the aquarium</i></div>
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<i>Allie and the kids at the Jamaica Plain Lantern Festival</i></div>
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<i>Allie and the kids at a park in Boston</i></div>
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<i>The kids making way for ducklings</i></div>
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<i>Ivey at the Clemson/Boston College game</i></div>
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<i>Ivey, Allie, the kids, and some friends outside the Bunker Hill Monument</i></div>
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<i>And this is the kids just totally knocked out on the T</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-88356847604349212102016-02-25T09:00:00.000-05:002016-11-29T10:32:36.486-05:00A Journey to a New Land<div style="text-align: center;">
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The Rhodes family is leaving Cross Culture at the beginning of September to start a church in Boston, MA.<br />
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I didn’t want to bury the headline. Now, let me explain.<br />
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In March 2013 we moved to Raleigh in faith. Three months out we had committed to move, but I still didn’t have a job. I put out a lot of resumés and received a few calls, but none of the churches were a fit. Then, I received a call from Pastor Clay. I was nervous because Cross Culture was the church I actually wanted to call me back! That call led to an interview. You guys brought us up, treated us like family, and the elders grilled me for what felt like 14 fun hours. A few weeks later Cross Culture called us to serve. God had provided.<br />
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In my original meeting with the elders, I told them that God had called me to start a church. I didn’t know all the details, but I knew eventually that’s where God was leading. I had years left in school at Southeastern and I verbally committed to stay at Cross Culture for at least three years.<br />
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Three years later, wow, God has blessed. Cross Culture Church has been a wonderful experience. We’ve seen students come to know Christ, actually grow in their relationships with him, and the student ministry has grown. None of it would have been possible without the great membership of our church. No doubt, there have been a lot of struggles. Yet, I am left with an overwhelming love for Cross Culture. To borrow from Pastor Clay, I love being your student pastor, and I’ll miss you, the people of Cross Culture, the most. What an amazing and loving group God has gathered. Allie and I are constantly astonished at the love of Christ that shines through so many in our church. The decision to leave was not an easy one.<br />
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<i>Picture Day at Cross Culture</i></div>
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Even while loving my time at Cross Culture I had not forgotten about God’s call to start a church. About a year ago I began a journey that would lead me to a far away land of wonder... Boston. I walked and prayed through the streets, talked to some of the pastors there, and stayed in a really sketchy hotel. When I came back I told Allie, “I think this is it.” Over the next year, I brought the family to Boston and then went back one more time... you know, just to be sure. And I couldn’t get the city out of my head. Just as God had given me the dream to start a church years earlier, he was now completing that dream with a location.<br />
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But life’s circumstances were telling us to stay at Cross Culture. We had a new baby. God had given us a church and people we loved. We prayed and wept about staying... and I’m not much of a crier. Finally, one day I understood why my heart was in turmoil. The easy choice was Cross Culture, but the right choice was Boston. None of our circumstances surprised God. We needed to follow through with what God said years earlier. So, I emailed Pastor Clay a few months back, told him our plan, and met with the elders about how to move forward.<br />
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Here’s the plan: I will continue to minister at Cross Culture through August of this year. At that point, our goal is to move on to the next step in this journey. Things are still not completely clear, and we are again stepping out in faith and trusting God. We desire your prayers more than anything else. This Sunday (Feb. 28, 2016) I’ll be preaching and talking a little more about what God is doing. I hope to see you there.<br />
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<i>Ivey Rhodes</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-52725347172486603272014-09-30T10:17:00.000-04:002014-09-30T13:42:45.475-04:00Praise Him On Sunday. Kill Him On Friday.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I preached a couple of weeks ago on experiencing the power of God I felt like something was missing. My main point was:</div>
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<b>When We’ve Experienced God’s Power We Can’t Walk Away Unchanged.</b></div>
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That’s a fine point, but is it true?</div>
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The sermon centered on the triumphal entry. I proposed that the people who were waving palm branches and laying their cloaks on the ground were not people from Jerusalem, but rather from Galilee where Jesus’ ministry was centered. They were people who had experienced his power first hand. That was why they were so enthusiastic about his entry into Jerusalem.</div>
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Then someone posed a great question, “But Ivey, Weren’t these the same people who yelled to crucify him only a few days later? And if that’s the case, were they really changed by experiencing God’s power?”</div>
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Um…<br />
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Well, I read several scholars who did not believe that the people that announced his entry on Sunday crucified him on Friday. They said that the people that announced Jesus’ entry were several hundred of his disciples who had experienced his power. They said the people that called for his crucifixion were other Jews who had not experienced his power. I took that information and ran with it. It’s possible that the premise for my entire sermon was based on theories from very smart men, and silence from scripture. Were the people at the two events the same or different? Let's be honest, no one has a clue.</div>
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<b>Click this link to listen to the whole message:</b></div>
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<a href="http://host1.cyberears.com//27726.mp3" target="_blank">Experiencing God's Power (MP3)</a></div>
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The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had just not connected all the dots. I just plain left the sermon unfinished. So, after much thought, I’m here to finish it.</div>
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Maybe the points should have been “When we’ve experienced God’s power we <u>shouldn't</u> walk away unchanged.” But that doesn’t quite capture what’s true about life. I don’t think anyone who has truly experienced God’s power can walk away indifferent. I think even the Pharisees were changed in some way. Yet, the change in my message was all-encompasses-life-altering-God-centered-risk-taking change. Not that-was-interesting-I’ll-keep-that-in-mind kind of puny change.</div>
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The more I thought about the whole of scripture the more I realized that there are a lot of people who experienced the power of God and then did some really stupid (And even evil) things: Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, all of Israel, Peter, Judas, and pretty much everyone else in the Bible.</div>
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People that experience God’s power can’t walk away unchanged. That doesn’t mean they’re saved. People that have experienced God's power are gong to doubt God and could even crucify him. We’re fallen people. We’re weak, short sighted, impatient, dumb, and forgetful.</div>
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So I'm making a small change to my points and adding a new one:</div>
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1. When You’ve Experienced God’s Power: You <u>Should</u> Roll Out the Red Carpet</div>
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2. When You’ve Experienced God’s Power: You <u>Shouldn't</u> Shut Up</div>
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3. When You’ve Experienced God’s Power: You <u>Should</u> Desire His Salvation</div>
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...and now the new point that ties it all together a little better</div>
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<b>4. When You’ve experienced God’s Power: You’ll Probably Forget All About It</b></div>
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I can imagine what was in the minds of the people screaming for Jesus’ crucifixion. “Sure I thought you were the Messiah, but you’re not. You’re just some goody two shoes from Nazareth. Nothing special. You healed people, and you fed people, and you had some nice teachings. You called yourself God, but you’re not even the Messiah and you’re certainly not God. You’re a disappointment. You’re nothing like I thought you’d be. You’re a charlatan and an impostor. I wasted my time on you. You’re nothing now. Just die so we can find the real Messiah.”</div>
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People that have experienced God’s power often forget about what God did. It’s all about what he is doing right this moment. God forgive <strike>us</strike> me.</div>
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Remember back. Remember back to when God revealed himself to you in powerful ways. Remember his power then, because he still has the same infinite power today. He hasn’t changed, and you’ll experience his power again even if you’re in a dark place now.</div>
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The same God that was so powerful yesterday is still powerful today. Don’t forget.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-69273783573235489872014-05-07T13:57:00.001-04:002014-05-07T13:57:59.800-04:00Guys, I Planted the Wrong Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"...each tree is known by its own fruit." -Jesus from Luke 6:44</div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/spwade" target="_blank">I was told this story:</a><br />
A man and his family loved Golden Delicious Apples, and he owned some land. One day his wife asked him if he would plant some Golden Delicious Apple trees. The man was excited about the opportunity to own his own Golden Delicious trees. He went to a farmer and got some seeds for Golden Delicious trees. He planted those seeds and the trees grew.<br />
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About two years later the trees were starting to produce fruit. The man was proud, but his wife was a little concerned because she had gone out to the tree and noticed there was something wrong with the fruit. Upon further investigation she realized they weren't producing Golden Delicious apples... they were producing peaches.<br />
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THEY PLANTED PEACH TREES?!<br />
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She brought her husband out to the trees and he was appalled. How could he have been sold the wrong trees. He decided he was going to do something about it.<br />
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That night he went to the local grocer and picked up some Golden Delicious apples. He went back to the trees, picked off all the peaches, and stapled the fresh apples to the branches of the trees. The next day he brought his wife outside and said, "Look, Golden Delicious apple trees!"<br />
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It didn't take her long to see the staples holding the fake fruit on the tree. "You can staple any fruit you want to these trees," she explained, "but it doesn't mean these aren't peach trees. These are peach trees down to their roots."<br />
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The man hung his head in disappointment.<br />
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This story was told to me in a counseling class and revolutionized how I thought about my own and other peoples problems. In this story the tree represents our hearts and the fruit represents our actions. Jesus said it this way:<br />
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<i>A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush. A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. </i><b>Luke 6:43-45</b></blockquote>
You are your fruit. What you <i>do</i> is who you <i>are</i>. I often think of myself as a good person, but then I examine the things I do and realize I'm not such a good person. I produce some pretty stinking fruit. The problem isn't my actions but the source of them. The problem is my heart.<br />
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The same is true for you. Your problem is your heart, and your heart can't help but worship. We worship cars, people, houses, a perfect family, God, school... you get the picture. What your heart worships (desires most in life) will be what nurtures your tree. Your heart is not separate from you, it is you. If you have ever wondered what's inside someone's heart look at what they do. Their fruit shows who the really are inside. <i>...For his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.</i> What's in the heart comes out in the way people live. A close examination of ourselves quickly reveals we need help.<br />
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We can staple good fruit on our tree. We can post it on Facebook and Instagram. Screaming, "Hey guys, look how good I am!" But most of us know deep down we're not good people. Our fruit stinks and all we're doing is stapling good fruit on a bad tree.<br />
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The only real solution is to change the tree. How? Christ. Some of you guys reading this blog haven't had God do a tree transplant on your life. You wonder why you're producing bad fruit, it's because your roots are trying to live in dead soil. Today, the first step to living the life you and God desire is to change what your heart worships... where your tree is planted. Find yourself in God. Not in the opinions of others. Not where you live or what you wear. Not how good your kids are or aren't. Not in your grades, your bad health, or intense exercise routine. What you've been looking for can only be found in Jesus Christ.<br />
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Today if you're already a child of The King: examine your actions, search your heart, make sure your roots are planted deep in God's rich soil, find yourself loved, and start living like you represent the King of Kings.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-19080295741242969962014-04-08T12:07:00.000-04:002014-04-08T23:01:50.864-04:00Parents, I'll Make a Deal With You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ</i>. Galatians 6:2</div>
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I love being a student pastor. I love being Cross Culture Church's student pastor. I work with a whole team that loves students. We get the opportunity to hangout and influence the next generation. How cool is that? We teach the Bible, make progress in student's walks with Christ, have fun, and encourage each other. But here is the thing, we have a very limited amount of time with your student.<br />
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<b>Waking hours in a week: 119</b><br />
<ul><ul>
<li>Hours in school: 40</li>
<li>Hours in extra-curricular activities: 10</li>
<li>Waking Hours at home: 57</li>
<li>Hours texting/snap chatting a week: probably 8+</li>
<li>Hours in Church: <b>4<a name='more'></a></b></li>
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On a good week we'll see any of the students (if they're at life group and church) 4 hours. That means if they are <i>very</i> faithful we hang out for about 3% of their week. That's not a lot of time to build relationships, but we try to make the best of it.<br />
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Teenagers are going to have problems (duh), and parents, one day you're going to come to end of your rope and you're not going to know what to do. I hope you'll call me. I certainly don't know it all, but I'll do my best to talk to you through some stuff. We'll make plans and pray through how to help your teen. But The Cross Culture Student team can only influence your teen as much as they know and trust us.<br />
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Trust is something built. It comes through years, time, conflict, and honesty. We're on your side, we'll try hard, but if your student doesn't know or trust us there is very little we'll be able to do.<br />
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Trouble is going to come and you're going to want a Christ-following third party on your side. We can be those people. Get your student involved! Make youth group a priority. Not only will it help you and them as they learn the Word of God and apply it to their lives, it will help you later when your student trusts us and cares what we say. That 3% could change your students life. Let's make a deal. <b>We'll work together</b> to get your student through some of the most confusing years of their life. We'll share the burden.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-11871422601500529422013-08-06T13:19:00.004-04:002013-08-07T10:44:15.123-04:00Breaking Good: How "Breaking Bad" Taught Me Something About God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Allie and I have been watching Breaking Bad. If you don't know, it's about a brilliant high school chemistry teacher named Walter White who gets lung cancer. He doesn't have the money to pay for treatment so he turns to cooking meth (Seems really brilliant, sike). Everything goes absolutely crazy from there.<br />
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He finds pleasure in power and by season 6 he sees himself as king of kings. As you can see by the trailer above he has a bit of a god complex. Others in the show find pleasure in the meth he cooks. It's the purist around. Junkies crave it. He can't make enough of it.<br />
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In Breaking Bad everyone seeks pleasure in all kinds of ways, but in the end they're always broken and dissatisfied.<br />
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God is never sought.<br />
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I found the lack of God in the show and the seeking of pleasure through meth or power interesting. I'll explain with a C.S. Lewis quote that I got out of <i>Desire God</i> by John Piper.<br />
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We are <b>half-hearted creatures</b>, <b>fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us</b>, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. <b>We are far too easily pleased.</b></blockquote>
People who reject Christ reject the infinite joy offered by Him. They are selling themselves short. Piper goes on to say, "The enemy of worship is not that <b>our desire for pleasure</b> <b>is</b> too strong, but <b>too weak</b>!" We are settling when they seek pleasure in power. We are settling when we seek pleasure in crystal meth or sex or whatever else. All of that is just disgusting mud pies in the slum. True pleasure seekers have searched and can find pleasure in only one thing: God. Everything else is just empty.<br />
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Solomon halfheartedly sought pleasure and came out on the other side and said it was all meaningless. <i>"...I denied myself no pleasure... But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind."</i><br />
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It blows my mind to think that if Solomon would have chased after pleasure hard enough he would have found it in the Living God.<br />
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At risk of seeming crude, if you read the Psalms it sounds like an addict who can't get his mind off the next hit. Seriously, look.<br />
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<i><b>I am faint and severely crushed;</b></i><br />
<i>I groan because of the anguish of my heart.</i><br />
<i><b>Lord, my every desire is known to You;</b></i><br />
<i>my sighing is not hidden from You. </i>Psalm 38:8-9<br />
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<b><i>As the deer longs for streams of water,</i></b><br />
<b><i>so I long for you, O God</i></b>. Ps 42:1<br />
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<b><i>I thirst for God, the living God.</i></b><br />
<i>When can I go and stand before him?</i> Ps 42:2<br />
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<i>I long, yes, <b>I faint with longing</b></i><br />
<i>to enter the courts of the Lord.</i><br />
<i>With my whole being, body and soul,</i><br />
<i>I will shout joyfully to the living God.</i> Ps 84:2<br />
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<i>God, You are my God; <b>I eagerly seek You.</b></i><br />
<b><i>I thirst for You;</i></b><br />
<b><i>my body faints for You</i></b><br />
<i>in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water. </i>Ps 63:1<br />
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<i>Who do I have in heaven but You?</i><br />
<i>And <b>I desire nothing on earth but You</b>.</i> Ps 73:25<br />
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<i><b>I open my mouth and pant</b></i><br />
<i>because <b>I long for Your commands.</b></i> Ps 119:131<br />
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And in Isaiah 26:9<br />
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<i>I <b>long for You in the night</b>;</i><br />
<i>yes, <b>my spirit within me diligently seeks You</b>,</i><br />
<i>for when Your judgments are in the land,</i><br />
<i>the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.</i><br />
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That's how it should be.<br />
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We should be pleasure seekers to the nth degree. We should groan and pant for God. Every morning we should rush to meet with God. Every Sunday we should be giddy with anticipation knowing we get to worship Him.<br />
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I pray I can let this God addiction get out of hand. I want it to consume me. I want Him to be all I desire. I want to chase the pleasure of God with full abandon. I want to have the shakes when I don't commune with my God.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-68021405821961469442013-06-19T11:45:00.001-04:002013-08-07T10:45:26.193-04:00I Was Saved at Three... Or Was I? (Should we Evangelize Children?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been taking a class on evangelism and missions. Because of this I've been thinking about evangelism a lot and particularly how it relates to children. Child evangelism is a subject that is close to my heart, and I think it'll make more sense if I tell you my story, err, testimony.<br />
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I grew up in a super Christian home. My mom tells me about how I was in church the first Sunday after I was born. She played the piano and my dad led the youth and music. We went to church every Sunday. Since the day of my birth I could count the Sundays I have not been in church on two hands (That's less than 10). I was presented with the Gospel at a very early age.<br />
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I'm told this story, because I don't really remember it... though, I think I've developed some fake memories of it because I've been told the story so many times. I don't know though. I was really young. One day I saw an advertisement in a magazine for a carpet cleaning product. The ad had a spilled glass of wine. This advertisement jogged my memory to ask why I couldn't take the Lord's Supper. In a kid friendly way my dad explained that the Lord's Supper is only for baptized believers. I was curious and wanted to know more.<br />
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My dad shared the Gospel with me that day and I became a Christian. I was young; not even 4. Knowing my father, he did not force me into any decision. It was my choice. I'm sure he shared the Gospel to me in a way that helped me understand my decision. Then he let me make it.<br />
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I was baptized soon afterwords (I do remember this), and for years I didn't even ponder the idea that I might not have actually been saved at 3. But eventually, I'd say around 8, I started to have real doubts about my salvation. I didn't actually remember asking Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. The only way I knew about my experience was through my parents. I struggled with this for years. I remember somewhere around 10 or 11 having insomnia. I was afraid that if I died while I was sleeping I'd wake up in Hell. I would stair at the ceiling and pray to God that I'd be saved, but, for some reason, in my mind, it didn't seem to stick. The next night I'd be just as scared. I never said anything publicly because I was already supposed to be saved... and well, I was the preachers kid.<br />
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Finally at 14 I decided that was enough. I killed my pride and walked to the front of the church and told everyone what was going on. I was once and for all letting everyone know that Jesus was my Lord and Savior and that I would follow Him wherever He led me.<br />
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Since that day I wouldn't say I've never ever had thoughts about if I was really saved or not, but whenever those thoughts come up I can quickly point to the moment I made it right. I don't think <i>never</i> thinking about if you're really saved is even healthy. Paul says to<br />
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<i>Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless you fail the test.</i></blockquote>
Pondering our salvation is healthy. It's what keeps us in check. The way I figure it is that if I wasn't saved at 14 no one can be saved. I meant it as much as I could mean it. Any doubts have been reasonably destroyed.<br />
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So, what happened at 3? Was I saved, or did I just want to take the Lord's Supper? As I've matured mentally and spiritually I've come to a few of conclusions.<br />
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<ol>
<li>I was saved at 3 (Three weeks from 4). I truly believe that if I would have died after that time I would have gone to Heaven. As far as I know I meant it at 3 as much as I meant it at 14. My parents tell me there was a definite change in my life. I remember wanting to follow Jesus. I believe He was my Lord then. God doesn't play games. I was sincerely praying for salvation, if I meant it, and I believe I did, then I was saved. So why all the doubts?</li>
<li>I think Satan had my number. He knew what bothered me and he tortured me with that knowledge. The reason I think it was Satan and not the Holy Spirit is because of the manner in which it was done. I was not drawn to God though it. I was scared to death for years. There wasn't a beckoning. It was only condemnation. No matter how many times I prayed to God for salvation the doubt wouldn't go away. In my experience that's not how the Holy Spirit works. At least for me, the Holy Spirit works in a way that has <i>urged</i> me along. So what happened at 14?</li>
<li>I got it right and removed Satan's foothold in my life. I made sure I was straight with God. I settled it once and for all! I do not regret what I did at 14. In fact, I'm thankful for 14. I really believe 14 was a confirmation of what God did in my heart at 3.</li>
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So how should we handle evangelizing children. I know there are smarter people than me who can answer this question, but because of my experience I feel like I can, in some way, speak to this conversation. Children should have the Gospel shared with them. There is no age that shouldn't have God's Good News told to them. Hey, I'm already telling Levi!</div>
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Parents should observe their children and determine their spiritual sensitivity. Some children are more receptive to the Gospel than others. Quentin at 3 is way more verbally open about God than Maggie is at 5. Quentin tells us how he loves Jesus so much. Maggie wouldn't normally say something like that... She has a hard enough time saying she loves us. Parents can look at their children and know if that child is capable of understanding the Gospel. Parents need to guide their children through the process and explain as good as they can all that it means to be saved. I strongly encourage parents encourage their children to talk about their decision. They should tell kids that if they have any doubts about their decision to please talk to them. Remind them of this constantly, at every age.</div>
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I think talking through it with my parents would have solved a lot of my problems. When I was young my parents would have been happy to talk to me about my doubts, but I didn't know it. I'm not throwing them under the bus. They didn't know I was having doubts, how could they? They couldn't read my mind.</div>
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Finally, some people worry that Children don't understand the gravity of the decision they're making. My question to those people is, did they? I didn't not even at 14. I didn't understand the places God was going to bring me and the faith that was going to be required. But I was saved. Yes, I believe that we should try and help people understand what this decision to follow Christ means, but we can't get too wrapped up in the intellectual side of salvation. I don't need to know the make up of water and all its properties for it to sustain me. I just know I crave it and that it refreshes me. The same could be said for salvation. Jesus never said to come to Him like a grown adult who understands <b><u>SO</u></b> much (do we really?). He told us to come as little children (Lk 18:16; Matt 19:14; Mk 10:14). As my brother said on Facebook today, "The beauty of the gospel is that it's simple enough for a child to understand, yet so complex, deep, and powerful, that we may never completely understand the gravity of it all."</div>
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Yes, we should evangelize children. We should help them understand Christ's great sacrifice, their sinfulness, and the Lord's salvation from an early age. They may not understand it all at the point of salvation, but if we don't evangelize them they will understand even less. We cannot keep them in the dark, but we must proceed with caution and try our hardest to council them on the deeper things of the Gospel. I think we'd all be surprised at what a 3 year old (almost 4) can understand.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-18762925658712447392013-05-22T11:48:00.001-04:002013-05-23T16:17:33.477-04:00My 3 Year Old Sons Was Meditating on Katy Perry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. <u>Repeat them to your children</u>. Talk about them <u>when you sit in your house</u> and when you <u>walk along the road</u>, when you <u>lie down and when you get up</u>. <u>Bind them as a sign on your hand</u> and let them be a <u>symbol on your forehead.</u> <u>Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.</u> </i><b>Deuteronomy 6:4-9</b><br />
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"'Baby you're a firework!' Daddy, are you a firework?" was asked by my son Quentin yesterday. I had to laugh and then try to explain to him that the "firework" was metaphorical... I lost him at meta. We're not big Katy Perry fans. No, let me say that another way, we're not Katy Parry fans at all. Yet somehow Quentin knows the firework song. He doesn't know who sings it, but he does know a lot of the lyrics and knows that it's off Madagascar 3.<br />
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I also heard Maggie singing, "This girl is on fire!" We have never listened to Alicia Keys, but a few minutes ago I realized that she learned it from her mother and me. Then I realized the real reason Quentin knew the firework song: again, Allie and I sing it. When either of those songs get in your head it's hard to get them out.<br />
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It was at this point I realized how much our kids are listening. If Allie and I have an argument and the kids are around, we may have made up and figured things out but Quentin and Maggie have chosen sides and are still angry. Usually Quentin takes my side because us bros stick together.<br />
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I started to realize how much influence I have over my kids. Sure they make their own choices and commit their own sins, but at this age I'm their hero and they want to be like me. Sobering. Do I really want my kids to be like me? I want them to be better, but regardless of what I want they're going to turn out like I raise them. You get what you get, because you're doing what you're doing.<br />
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That is why it's so important that we pay attention to the things that we bring in our homes. We can't just watch <b><u>whatever</u></b> is on TV. Every Cartoon Network show <b><u>isn't</u></b> acceptable. Videogames <b><u>can</u></b> affect our kids in bad ways. The movies we see <b><u>do</u></b> matter. The music we listen to (And sing) makes a huge impact.<br />
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Think about it, if Quentin goes around all day singing the firework song he is essentially meditating on a Katy Perry song. Is that what I want? No. We want him singing songs about God. We want him talking about Jesus. We want him to be speaking scripture. And if we want that, we have to be intentional about the things we bring into our home.<br />
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Am I saying that you shouldn't watch Madagascar? No. I'm just saying be aware, and bring things into your home intentionally because your kids are watching... literally.<br />
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Buy some good Christian records off iTunes or turn on the Christian radio station. Get some good stuff in their heads. Sing songs based on Scripture. Those are the things they're going to be repeating and talking about as the lie down and when they wake up. Those are the things that will be posted on their Facebook walls and written in pen on their hands.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-37685481943762252922013-05-01T09:06:00.000-04:002013-05-02T17:28:09.620-04:00$2600 Dollars and All I Got Was This Rasta Banana<div style="text-align: center;">
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"Henry Gribbohm says he lost his life savings, $2600, on a carnival game. And all he has to show for it is this stuffed banana with dreadlocks." That is probably the greatest line to <b><u>ever</u></b> be said on a news cast. <b><u>E</u></b><u><b>ver!</b></u><br />
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When I watched this video the only thing that crossed my mind was that this guy is an idiot. I can totally understand spending $2600 on a carnival game, but he looks so stupid walking around town with that banana....... Ok I'm kidding. This guy is the definition of a fool. What kind of person doesn't KNOW carnival games are rigged. When you ride the sky line ride over the fair, look down at the basketball hoops. They are shaped like toilet seats, and I mean the long handicap type.<br />
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I don't know what else he was going to spend that money on, but I can tell you almost anything would be a better investment than a carnival game. He says he was trying to win an Xbox Kinect. Those can be found new for $100. With $2600 he could probably build a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eWmVrfjDCyw" target="_blank">Kinect self-navigating hover robot.</a> Worth it!<br />
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We laugh, and to be honest, it's pretty funny (you can't make the rasta banana thing up!). But every day we waist our greatest resource on a carnival game called: Crazy. You've been given a limited amount days on Earth. The <a href="http://bible.us/72/psa.90.12.hcsb" target="_blank">psalmist urges</a> us to "<i>number our days carefully</i><br />
<i>so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.</i>"<br />
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<li>Every day you get 1440 minutes</li>
<li>In a lifetime you'll get 27,375 days</li>
<li>That equals about 2,190,000 heart beats</li>
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How are we using the time we've been given? Is our life eaten up by running around like crazy trying to make this practice or do this activity? Maybe work keeps us, or maybe pleasure? <b>Could we honestly say that Christ is the Lord of our time?</b> Anything we make more important than God is an idol. Pay attention to how you're spending the resource of life God has given you. <a href="http://bible.us/72/mat.6.33.hcsb" target="_blank">Jesus told us</a> to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness..." Yes, that even means that before we make our schedules we need to seek God first.<br />
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You're on Earth for a reason. God knows it's not to win dreadlock rasta bananas, but do you? Are you using your resources wisely? Are you seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first? Even with your time?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-29904772056199104962013-04-24T09:17:00.000-04:002013-04-24T09:19:33.660-04:00Oops, I Never Really Explained What the "Sinner's Prayer" Is<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I realized after last week's post about the<i> Sinner's Prayer</i> I never really explained what this <i>Sinner's Prayer</i> was. I assumed many people knew the Christianese term. I was wrong. So, I'm going to succinctly try to lay out the most widely understood idea of the <i>Sinner's Prayer</i>.</div>
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There is no exact way to present a <i>Sinner's Prayer</i>. It's not a specific scripture, and some would argue that it's not even a Biblical concept. I disagree with the idea that it's not a Biblical concept and <a href="http://iveyrhodes.blogspot.com/2013/04/ramen-noodles-and-why-sinners-prayer-is.html" target="_blank">talked about that last week's post</a>. So what is it?<br />
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In Baptist churches, at least, it usually happens when the Pastor finishes preaching his sermon. He'll then pray. During that prayer at some point he'll ask people in the audience if they want to ask Jesus to be their Leader and Forgiver. Then he'll say to repeat a prayer after him.</div>
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The prayer is usually pretty short and says something along the lines of:</div>
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<i>Dear Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I want to ask you to forgive my sins. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and were raised from the dead three days later. I want you to be my Lord (Leader) and Savior (Forgiver). Come into my life and change me forever.</i></div>
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That's not exact. The prayer changes from preacher to preacher, but you get the gist. Then pastors will ask those that prayed the prayer to raise their hands. And following that many pastors will encourage people to come forward and tell everyone in the church service that day the decision they made.</div>
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I went into great detail last week about how the <i>Sinner's Prayer</i> alone doesn't save anyone. It doesn't hold any magic powers. It is what the person means when they pray that really matters.</div>
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A couple of points I didn't make last week:</div>
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1) If the person really meant business with God it will show in their lives. They will start to live in a way that pleases God.</div>
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2) I would also like to note that I really like encouraging people not to recite a canned prayer, but to say a simple prayer to God that comes from their heart. I particularly like doing this when I'm talking to them about Jesus one on one. The prayers are usually simple and powerful.</div>
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I hope that clears some things up that I wasn't able to properly articulate over Twitter. If you have any more questions email, twitter, or leave a comment.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-38165564779064258662013-04-17T13:45:00.000-04:002013-04-18T10:39:34.113-04:00Ramen Noodles And Why The Sinner's Prayer Is Sending You To Hell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmi3n7v4wOtL6Hl2m2LeCpjvZ6HMMuFrm1jsfUVIo8KHELlVpJLaGh6cM4m_rJP8OVrYvjYZ8nDdpcXBLgMcJrEjkCKd9OQ5MlJ_dFvpunEaAV6KjLobwzGoePcMKj4vzBxrKnKm2sXQ/s1600/Ramen+Prayer-02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmi3n7v4wOtL6Hl2m2LeCpjvZ6HMMuFrm1jsfUVIo8KHELlVpJLaGh6cM4m_rJP8OVrYvjYZ8nDdpcXBLgMcJrEjkCKd9OQ5MlJ_dFvpunEaAV6KjLobwzGoePcMKj4vzBxrKnKm2sXQ/s320/Ramen+Prayer-02.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I love ramen noodles, but I'm not so much a fan of the broth. Usually I cook up my noodles and then dump most of the broth out into the drain. Inevitably I dump a few noodles out with the broth, but of course I don't dump out all the noodles with the broth. That wouldn't make sense.</span><br />
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Recently I've seen a backlash against the "Sinner's prayer." Through a little research I've found that this denouncement isn't new. It has been going about in certain circles for a long time. It wasn't until the passed year or so that I really started seeing tweets, status updates, and blogs calling it out. I'm probably behind the curve on this, but as always I write about what is currently on my heart.<br />
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So, apparently, many would have us think that if we prayed a sinner's prayer we aren't saved from the fires of Hell. That's a hugely broad statement. Who are you to tell someone they weren't saved when they prayed to God for salvation? How would that person propose one talks to God, by a cell phone? Maybe they think that the unsaved should ease into a relationship with God? Is it at baptism? Do people dangle by a string between when they desire to be saved and pray a sinner's prayer and when they're baptized?<br />
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Some of the things I've read seem to propose that evil sinner's prayer is sending people to Hell. Hmmm, I always thought it was their sin. I might be misconstruing the argument, and my fellow pastors will claim they aren't saying that... except that's almost exactly what I've heard. One pastor even said that nothing has sent more people to Hell than the <a href="http://youtu.be/dc5lY9YP_bE?t=2m15s" target="_blank">sinner's prayer</a>. It's a shame that people wage war against the sinner's prayer rather than sin.<br />
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Those who are against the sinner's prayer say things like, "They think a little magic prayer can save them?" I can't help what <i>they</i> think, but I can tell you what I do when presenting the Gospel.<br />
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The sinner's prayer doesn't save anyone. Only Jesus saves. I hope people that present a sinner's prayer don't believe it's the prayer doing the saving (Out of the many pastors I know that do, I can't think of one that thinks the actual prayer saves anyone). The sinner's prayer simply expresses the desire a person to be saved.<br />
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I interviewed a <a href="http://pastortrey.com/" target="_blank">Pastor</a> on this subject, I'm paraphrasing, but he said that if Jesus came back in the moments between when someone desired to be saved and when they prayed the prayer those people would be raptured. He went on to say that it's not the prayer that saves you; the prayer only expresses the desire of a person's heart. Finally, we ended our conversation by him saying that we confess with our lips but live it out with our lives.<br />
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Can people misunderstand the prayer? Sure, but that is why it's so essential for pastors to help those praying this prayer understand its point. I cannot tell you what every pastor does, but this is what <i>I</i> do.</div>
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1) I clearly lay out the Gospel message.<br />
2) I say something along the lines of, "If you understood this message for the first time today and you want to make Jesus Christ the leader and forgiver of your life, I want you to pray with me.<br />
3) Before I start the prayer I go on to say, "Prayer is simply the way we talk to God. This prayer isn't a magic prayer that gets you into Heaven. The words mean nothing if you're not truly giving your life over to God."<br />
4) "You can repeat after me, or talk to God on your own right now."<br />
5) Dear Jesus, today I realize that I am a sinner. I realize I have gone against your laws. Today I'm asking you to be the Leader and Forgiver of my life, my Savior and Lord. Today, God, I'm doing a 180. I turn away from the evil things I'm doing and turn to You. Forgive me of my sins. I believe that you died on the cross in my place and rose from the dead three days later to conquer death. And I want to follow you with all of my life. Amen.<br />
6) I ask them to raise their hand if they prayed the prayer so I can pray for them. Usually a few raise their hands, and I pray for them.<br />
7) Then I remind them that the prayer has no magic powers and if they really meant business with God they need to come to the front and tell everyone about the decision they made.<br />
8) For those that come forward I talk to them a little and see if they understand what they've done.<br />
9) For those that I don't think truly understand I set aside more time to talk with them, but for those that it is obvious the Holy Spirit was speaking and they responded we present them to the church that day or night.<br />
10) We schedule a baptism as soon as possible.<br />
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"But Ivey," you say, "it might give them a false sense of salvation." Yes, it might, but those people who find their false salvation in a magical prayer would easily search for it in other magical ways. Maybe through a magic dunking booth, through their Christian parents, or through a snack of crackers and grape juice.<br />
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Again, there is nothing wrong with the prayer. The fault lays in the hands of preachers that don't properly express what the prayer is. Many people who have prayed a sinner's prayer <u>have</u> been saved. Don't preach against a prayer, preach against sin. People that were not sincere about what they prayed will realize their insincerity when they look at their life and examine themselves.<br />
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<i>Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless you fail the test.</i> 2 Corinthians 13:5<br />
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I prayed the sinner's prayer. I did it when I was 3 years old. That little prayer never gave me a false sense of security of my salvation. I knew I was lost. I was scared to death. It wasn't until 14 when I finally got it right. I, again, prayed a sinner's prayer. Did the prayer change in any meaningful way? Nope it was pretty much the same ol' Baptist prayer, but my heart did. I knew what I was doing, and I knew I was a sinner on my way to Hell, and I need a Savior. I wasn't saved by a prayer. I was saved by Christ and that prayer was a simple way for a child to approach his Heavenly father.<br />
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Should a Pastor be careful not to promote an easy Christianity that says to pray a prayer and live however you want? Yes, but really, who does that? I'm sure their are people on the fringes, but seriously, come on. Obviously, the sinner's prayer should never be where an encounter with God stops. It should be an entry point to a life changed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.<br />
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<i>If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. </i>Romans 10:9<br />
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<i> Jesus said, “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you." </i> Matthew 7:7<br />
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<i> Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God — God remains in him and he in God. </i>1 John 4:16<br />
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If you can tell me some other way of confessing, knocking, and asking God for salvation besides prayer, I'm open to listening. Everything I read in the Bible tells me that prayer is how we speak to God. So, until you can show me some other way of speaking to God I'm sticking with getting people to pray and ask for forgiveness and salvation from their sins.<br />
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The sinner's prayer can be a great tool for helping people take that first step. Let's not throw all the ramen noodles out with the broth.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-57471604482680756442013-04-10T11:00:00.000-04:002013-04-10T13:13:52.876-04:00The Sin Creep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Months before Allie and I were to be married I let a big issue creep into my life. It was my little secret, and it was causing me a lot of pain. Finally I decided I was going take care of the problem. Allie and I talked it over and eventually I had a guy help me through the issue.<br />
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About a year ago I noticed the problem was creeping back. I needed to do something about it, but I never took the initiative. Finally Allie said, "ENOUGH!" She made the phone call I was dreading. It took until last week for me to finally face my problem.<br />
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The creeping issue: a rotting tooth. The guy: my dentist.<br />
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Back in 2006, right before we got married, I had cavity. A back molar was rotting and was causing me some pretty intense pain. I, having a spirit of procrastination, waited way too long to get the dentist to fix it. He fixed it, but about a year ago part of that filling broke off. The tooth started rotting again. So last week I went into the dentist, they numbed my face (By which I looked like a stroke victim for about 4 hours), drilled it out, and replaced the filling. He told this time I almost waited too long. It was only 2 millimeters from being a root canal! That would have been a problem.<br />
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Admit it, you thought I was talking about some crazy sin at first. That tooth ache reminded me of how sin creeps into our lives.<br />
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At first we don't really notice it. In fact it may not start as a sin. We may be watching a TV show or listening to a song that sparks something in us. It may be that our friends introduce something new to us. Sin rarely comes into our lives like a tidal wave. It usually starts small and we let it progress and turn into a much bigger problem that can cause us and others a lot of pain. Over the years I've learned the signs of slipping down the slope of sin. In every occasion it is because I'm planting little, "Sin seeds" in my life. Those seemingly insignificant little seeds turn more menacing over time.<br />
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<i>Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. <b>What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds.</b> </i>Galatians 6:7-8<br />
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We just planted a small garden outside our house. When I was looking at the back of the seed packets I realized those plants won't be grown for months! Sin is similar. What we plant we're going to harvest. If we plant selfish desires that's what will sprout in our lives. Seeds start really small, but eventually they become full grown. It's slow, the growth is gradual, but before you know they're full grown. And it's easy to say, "Find those sin seeds, and to stop planting them," but it's not so easy to do.<br />
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Recently I heard Rick Warren say something shocking about trying to stop a problem sin. <b>He said to <u>stop</u> trying to stop that sin. </b>Because the more you TRY, TRY, TRY the more you THINK, THINK, THINK. Those thoughts consume your mind and before you know it you're back where you started. He went on to say it's kind of like trying not to think about pink elephants. The best way to quit sin is to <u>move your focus</u>. Galatians goes onto say,<br />
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<i>But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.</i> Galatians 6:8<br />
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It doesn't say to stop planting seed. It says to keep planting, but plant in response to God rather than selfish desires. Change your focus. Stop planting weeds and start planting vegetables.<br />
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What you'll see is God starting to grow in your life. It'll probably be slow and gradual, but before you know it you'll have God's beauty where where sin's ugly used to be. Because as you plant seeds of righteousness realize God has planted His seed in you. He is cultivating and watering your life and His righteousness is going to grow in your life.<br />
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<i>No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. </i>1 John 3:9Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-52274613943265192682013-03-20T11:35:00.000-04:002013-03-20T12:03:21.063-04:00The Cross Movement: Cross Culture's Student Ministry<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfSh5yhpUtAohEfD6Ub0YNAQrhC7799SHbr4WA2mzh9e7pBxN3Arzo1o54tNsVBGY2w5iqDA4dP-9Pr97KIw3ytxiVutwDqT8yZKqHflrZfjhSkoEy9R_dXdyi-qNHxDmLoS4qsDdsUU/s1600/Cross+MovementTEST+Logo-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfSh5yhpUtAohEfD6Ub0YNAQrhC7799SHbr4WA2mzh9e7pBxN3Arzo1o54tNsVBGY2w5iqDA4dP-9Pr97KIw3ytxiVutwDqT8yZKqHflrZfjhSkoEy9R_dXdyi-qNHxDmLoS4qsDdsUU/s320/Cross+MovementTEST+Logo-03.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"><i>It should be noted this logo is still in beta form... it has not been finalized.</i></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I’m so excited about everyone who has volunteered to work with the Student ministry. If you’re wondering why I haven’t got in touch with a lot of you guys, I’ve been swamped with midterms. All that’s going to change. Look for emails and Facebook messages soon. We’re going to impact this city for Christ!</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Speaking of this city, I was moved by the song we sang Sunday, “God of This City.” It’s a powerful anthem that gets us focused on our home town (Yeah, I’m new, but it’s now my town too). Today on the radio I heard that Raleigh is the number 1 growing city in the nation. Let that sink in for a moment. Since 2000 Raleigh has grown 50%. Wow. All these new people mean more opportunities to share our faith.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">As you know, if you were at church a couple of Sundays ago, reaching people for Christ is one of the main purposes of Cross Culture’s Student Ministry. In fact, I said that everything we do will be bent towards evangelism. I’m so excited about the opportunities we have to do this. Everything we do in Cross Cultures Student Ministry comes down to the C.R.O.S.S.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size: large;">C</span></b>- Connect: We are going to connect our students with each other, and with other non-believing students. The goal is that people will become followers of Christ and that those new followers and current students will grow in Christ.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size: large;">R</span></b>- Reach: This is evangelism. We want to reach the friends, families, and co-workers of our students with the Good News of God’s salvation! We can’t stop, we can’t give up.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size: large;">O</span></b>- Offer: We have the amazing opportunity to come before God and worship Him. We do this through songs, scripture reading, prayer, and the way we live our lives.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>S</b></span>- Supply: We teach and prepare our students for living life and winning their friends to Christ. Life is a tough journey, they’re going to need supplies.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size: large;">S</span></b>- Serve: This is where we serve our community. It’s showing the love of God in a practical way. It’s how people see that we really do love Christ. Service is essential.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Our Student Ministry exists to <b><u>CONNECT</u></b> students so the can <u><b>REACH</b></u> their non-believing friends, while we’re <u><b>OFFERING</b></u> our lives to God daily we <u><b>SUPPLY</b></u> students to live Christ out and <u><b>SERVE</b></u> our community.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Welcome to the Cross Movement.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-86717810862829757772013-03-08T11:34:00.003-05:002016-11-29T10:31:02.405-05:00A Thank You To Oceanside Church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f2JlnPMRjST1OziAFkSEgSv8vIhvQ7SyOgiNuNuY37wtPePHeUJjGVZhbNpm4O8wW06lb6V3-F8e6df9q9_Do-KT5lL0k62iBrv7HAN4tOnP9YMXiQhtKHKQHhQFYmtZjxc0bgSvW9c/s1600/11275_10151282788897124_690990620_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f2JlnPMRjST1OziAFkSEgSv8vIhvQ7SyOgiNuNuY37wtPePHeUJjGVZhbNpm4O8wW06lb6V3-F8e6df9q9_Do-KT5lL0k62iBrv7HAN4tOnP9YMXiQhtKHKQHhQFYmtZjxc0bgSvW9c/s320/11275_10151282788897124_690990620_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Oceanside, thank you so much for your generous scholarship! I know that none of you are rich, and some of you gave out of what you don't have. For that, I am blessed, honored, and humbled.<br />
<br />
As you all know moving isn't cheap and your gifts specifically went to pay my tuition this month. Your money is already at work. Because of when I started the process of going to school I missed many of the deadlines for scholarships, but God always provides. This time He has used you.<br />
<br />
Pastor Trey says that God doesn't have a printing press in the sky dumping enough money to cover the needs of his people. We <u>are</u> His printing press! God opens the windows of Heaven and pours out blessings through his people. We help, work, pray, and give to the needs God has placed on our hearts. Thank you for listening to God, and having a passion for the ministry God wants to use me and the whole family for.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrCgjp_YKNap9-L1uNRyfJSm892zrTfaZ-ncTN0N7i74g2fC3Rlm8yoLt6Vwnyowp7QrPPp_36pYuF4Rc2FnfEj4PABjt5zr3vra7kDPy60c2Dy2UtRvKd2mO4D14SP7fYG02PebvJzM/s1600/Ivey-Rhodes-Preaching-Reality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrCgjp_YKNap9-L1uNRyfJSm892zrTfaZ-ncTN0N7i74g2fC3Rlm8yoLt6Vwnyowp7QrPPp_36pYuF4Rc2FnfEj4PABjt5zr3vra7kDPy60c2Dy2UtRvKd2mO4D14SP7fYG02PebvJzM/s320/Ivey-Rhodes-Preaching-Reality.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Preaching at our Reality Youth Service</i></div>
<br />
I would also like to ask for your continued prayer. After a week and a little bit, as you would expect, we're still getting adjusted. It's so strange being away from family and friends, but God has blessed us with a good church in Cross Culture. There are lots of welcoming people and loving hearts. Also, pray for my endurance, and strength as I take on seminary. Midterm is upon me. Pray for the family too as they put up with me at midterm.<br />
<br />
We love and miss you guys, and may God's richest blessings be upon you.<br />
<br />
Ps: I'm working really hard so that your gifts aren't wasted! Got to keep those grades up.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-65977547299168666842013-02-25T08:00:00.000-05:002013-02-25T10:21:03.472-05:00Children's Bill of Rights<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpAj04uqjsvU3aBlxqU3ZjTLeeuw1LE4r-zhE4KVPeceowHXzHzTQPt00im4fz36WQb1vTBc6-RsPSPyMm-xHY0wygQFkZpvaoUZfWyrCLvS424TCRrxJHnHNX9rauI1zDQ7HZ9Ir7BA/s1600/child+bill+of+rights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpAj04uqjsvU3aBlxqU3ZjTLeeuw1LE4r-zhE4KVPeceowHXzHzTQPt00im4fz36WQb1vTBc6-RsPSPyMm-xHY0wygQFkZpvaoUZfWyrCLvS424TCRrxJHnHNX9rauI1zDQ7HZ9Ir7BA/s320/child+bill+of+rights.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A lot of what I talked about yesterday comes from Dr. John Rosemond. Anyway, he has some great resources over at his <a href="http://rosemond.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is a hilarious list that is chocked full of truth, laugh and enjoy!</div>
<ol class="ol1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-size: large;">Because it is the most character-building, two-letter word in the English language, children have the right to hear their parents say “No” at least three times a day.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-size: large;">Children have the right to find out early in their lives that their parents don’t exist to make them happy, but to offer them the opportunity to learn the skills they will need to eventually make themselves happy.<a name='more'></a></span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-size: large;">Children have a right to scream all they want over the decisions their parents make, albeit their parents have the right to confine said screaming to certain areas of their homes.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-size: large;">Children have the right to find out early that their parents care deeply for them but don’t give a hoot what their children think about them at any given moment in time.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-size: large;">Because it is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, children have the right to hear their parents say “Because I said so” on a regular and frequent basis.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-size: large;">Because it is the most character-building activity a child can engage in, children have the right to share significantly in the doing of household chores.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-size: large;">Every child has the right to discover early in life that he isn’t the center of the universe (or his family or his parents’ lives), that he isn’t a big fish in a small pond, and that he isn’t the Second Coming, so as to prevent him from becoming an insufferable brat.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-size: large;">Children have the right to learn to be grateful for what they receive, therefore, they have the right to receive all of what they truly need and very little of what they simply want.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-size: large;">Children have the right to learn early in their lives that obedience to legitimate authority is not optional, that there are consequences for disobedience, and that said consequences are memorable and, therefore, persuasive.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-size: large;">Every child has the right to parents who love him/her enough to make sure he/she enjoys all of the above rights.</span></li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-6606614321673938592013-02-22T12:50:00.002-05:002013-02-23T11:52:25.054-05:00This is Goodbye Oceanside<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA3miW0tSS_ehyphenhyphenxOXCvD3jlsncqfIt_cwughv1SFZKE8y_WVG_Uvbd3czGUF9xT1SgrZI73vyYb2PZti_GFkf0Cmf6XU5yfx4sEdsvhrn7jaUchtKaFlksFlLvaqGWXwWjDybWhMZ8r0/s1600/Youth,May23.03+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA3miW0tSS_ehyphenhyphenxOXCvD3jlsncqfIt_cwughv1SFZKE8y_WVG_Uvbd3czGUF9xT1SgrZI73vyYb2PZti_GFkf0Cmf6XU5yfx4sEdsvhrn7jaUchtKaFlksFlLvaqGWXwWjDybWhMZ8r0/s320/Youth,May23.03+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Our First Youth Group</i></div>
<br />
My years at Oceanside have been some of the best years of my life. I have been a part of Oceanside church since its inception. This is also the longest I've ever been at a single church. Through the years I've met many life long friends that I've had the privilege of serving the Lord along side. I'm going to miss them all very much.<br />
<br />
When God told me to go to seminary I wasn't sure what that meant. It was going to be a MASSIVE life change. I needed a job. I needed a place to live. I needed a school. You can read more about that process of trust and faith in <a href="http://iveyrhodes.blogspot.com/2013/01/100th-blog-im-leaving-sc-and-many-want.html" target="_blank">this former blog</a>.<br />
<br />
God came through (imagine that?)! I have a school. I have a place to live. I have a job. Some hear me say that, "God came through" and ask, "Well it all just works out for some people." That would never happen to me." And I don't want to off sounding like I didn't work to accomplish any of those things. God worked through me to get them done. Over the past year Allie and I have prayed hard, but we've also worked hard. In my first round of sending out my resume I sent it out to 8 different churches. I applied to be everything form a senior pastor to a choir director.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmmg5r_IDjMnyQmhtfc0_VtQ6zrYnRoJ2DZD3sBSWLW7TYX1KaS2UfHtwXLcZUScFDSvem6S8DM3kVU7DhbCXiQLiLRBSuCYy-GcCARvYhjavFWaOG6Ehv7FISCzMdF8aYtFdzzgIexc/s1600/DSC01019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmmg5r_IDjMnyQmhtfc0_VtQ6zrYnRoJ2DZD3sBSWLW7TYX1KaS2UfHtwXLcZUScFDSvem6S8DM3kVU7DhbCXiQLiLRBSuCYy-GcCARvYhjavFWaOG6Ehv7FISCzMdF8aYtFdzzgIexc/s320/DSC01019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Our first youth camp... only 9 of those people are ours. I have no idea why the rest of them are in the picture.</i> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In the end only one church called me back, and they are awesome. When I said I got a job, I meant I got a great job. I'm going to be the Student Minister at <a href="http://www.crossculturelife.org/" target="_blank">Cross Culture Church</a> in Raleigh, NC. Head over to their website and check them out. When I walked into Cross Culture for the first time I felt at home. They're a great church that loves the Lord, loves people, and wants to see those far from God come to Him.</div>
<br />
With every job there are going to be challenges. I'm not saying everything is going to be perfect, but I am saying that I truly believe God was in this whole thing. I'm excited to work beside Pastor Clay, the youth, and the members of Cross Culture.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyE8LJZzdE7Ud5kW9nL6gDrmVhW74OwD4nke3QikbWBAXDlQnCHSJUqr3nidNr04nak5__aFZw7bjEKtQS0J2ETLgoa9E4pk4S-4fp-obFapot-ksEeT4krn0XlK9GSSvfNZxGlDplXPk/s1600/Camp+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyE8LJZzdE7Ud5kW9nL6gDrmVhW74OwD4nke3QikbWBAXDlQnCHSJUqr3nidNr04nak5__aFZw7bjEKtQS0J2ETLgoa9E4pk4S-4fp-obFapot-ksEeT4krn0XlK9GSSvfNZxGlDplXPk/s320/Camp+2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Camp Kinetic 2012</i></div>
<br />
Oceanside will always hold a special place in my heart. It's where I cut my teeth on ministry. It's where I learned to walk in ministry. It's where I learned to run and jump (And fall through ceilings) in ministry. I love you guys, and will continue to love you. Keep serving the Lord! Don't slow down.<br />
<br />
<i>I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it. </i><b>Philippians 3:12-16</b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-41096784706156684472013-02-07T16:01:00.000-05:002013-02-07T16:03:03.368-05:00I Was Called a Pharisee, Is That A Bad Thing?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4S2ir_lv8Rv87d8bOqHMc10KnGTa-C0X0qPOuddEXa1Sy3TM_09TEeEnWBUJAOjAG8apTrQguJRN3Jmqtp50puaY_rA6lqlZ9vETt3vsaA4KSDwUIIMh8JYnqYRHVpSk9UEMv6Ef1Bw8/s1600/Cool+pharisee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4S2ir_lv8Rv87d8bOqHMc10KnGTa-C0X0qPOuddEXa1Sy3TM_09TEeEnWBUJAOjAG8apTrQguJRN3Jmqtp50puaY_rA6lqlZ9vETt3vsaA4KSDwUIIMh8JYnqYRHVpSk9UEMv6Ef1Bw8/s320/Cool+pharisee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The cool Pharisee</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Let's get this out in the open: Jesus wasn't too fond of the Pharisees. Anyone who just finished reading the gospels with Oceanside knows that. Jesus called the Pharisees <a href="http://bible.us/112/mat.23.15.niv84" target="_blank">Sons of Hell</a>, <a href="http://bible.us/112/mat.23.27.niv84" target="_blank">white washed tombs</a>, and <a href="http://bible.us/112/mat.23.33.niv84" target="_blank">vipers</a>. Those aren't names you want Jesus calling you. The Pharisees had some major problems (like killing Jesus), but maybe all of them weren't all bad.<br />
<br />
You see, the other day I was talking with a friend about a particular belief, and this friend called me a <span style="color: red; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Pharisee</span>. Couldn't he have just called me <a href="http://bible.us/112/mrk.8.33.niv84" target="_blank">satan</a>? That really bothered me. I argued my point, but the whole time the name Pharisee rang through my head, because I equated them with the things I mentioned above. I was highly offended, but also a bit ignorant.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
To help alleviate my ignorance I did a little research. I wanted to know who they were, where they came from, and what they believed. And I found out a few of interesting things:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>They were a political party (Not exactly like Conservatives or Liberals, but something kind of similar)</li>
<li>They followed the Old Testament Laws meticulously</li>
<li>Believed in miracles</li>
<li>Were waiting for the Messiah (But obviously missed Him)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/history/flavius-josephus/war-of-the-jews/book-1/chapter-33.html" target="_blank">Stood up for their beliefs even if it meant death</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
Let's be honest, the laws in the Old Testament are specific and strenuous. The Pharisees were the guys the people looked to for clarification on the laws. That's how we get things like: If the Law says wash your hands we're saying you should wash ALL the way up to your elbows, ya know, just to be safe.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's like my mom did with me and cussing. My mom didn't <i>just</i> say we couldn't cuss. She also said we could not use the much tamer non-cursing Christian filler words. If she heard us saying those tamer words we would get in trouble. To help you not break the <u>actual</u> rule we're going to make another rule that keeps you reeeeaaaally far away from the actual rule. Then you'll be safe, see?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The problem with the Pharisees was that they enforced their extra rules on everyone else, and they thought their meticulous keeping of the law made them righteous. <a href="http://bible.us/112/mat.5.20.niv84" target="_blank">Jesus made it clear it did not</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: red;"><i>Warning the following paragraph is a real life example. You may not agree with me, but please don't miss the point of the blog because you don't.</i></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've written about this before, and I know this is going to irritate people, I don't drink alcohol.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
*GASP*</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My conviction is that the Bible talks negatively about alcohol in almost every instance, but, as pointed out to me maybe 1 <strike>million</strike> billion times, there is no direct command not to drink. The Bible only says don't get drunk. Blah, blah, blah, water to wine, blah, blah, blah. Some people have valid arguments for why they drink, <i>but</i> I have chosen to abstain from drinking all together. Am I holier because I don't drink? Nope. Am I better? No way. But it's my choice not to.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is the point. I am a pharisee about some things, but you are too. And those things matter, but they are not the most important things. It's interesting that the people I'm most persecuted by are Christians who disagree with my personal convictions. Some how they think that because I believe one thing I'm imposing my convictions on them. I'm not. I'm living my life in the way I feel God has called me to live. If that offends you, I'm sorry.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Of course that mentality only works on the, "Grey areas" of the Bible. There are some things we can't disagree on and still be followers of Christ.</div>
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Let's stick to the important things of the Bible. We have to be about winning people to Christ, and we have to build each other up. There are enough haters and trolls in this world without us Christians treating each other that way. We're going to disagree, but people shouldn't know us by our disagreements and arguments, they should <a href="http://bible.us/72/jhn.13.35.hcsb" target="_blank">know us by our love.</a></div>
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If I'm a Pharisee I hope I'm a good one. I don't want to be the guy who misses the messiah because I'm so busy following the extra laws I've created that I haven't payed attention to the actual Scriptures. But I <i>do</i> want to have some tension in my life between living in a manner worthy of Christ and having the freedom salvation allows. I want to be a Pharisee like <a href="http://bible.us/112/jhn.19.39.niv84" target="_blank">Nicodemus</a> or <a href="http://bible.us/112/act.23.6.niv84" target="_blank">Paul the Apostle</a>. You see, not all the Pharisees were bad. If that's the kind of Pharisee I am, I'm cool with that.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-49106348955087494152013-01-24T13:54:00.002-05:002013-01-25T14:16:58.993-05:00100th BLOG!: I'm leaving SC, and Many Want To Know Why. It's All About The Mud.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.</i> -Raymond Edman</div>
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I'm using my 100th blog to say very publicly that I'm moving to Wake Forest, NC to go to seminary full time on campus. Many people already know what's going on, but I thought I'd let <i>everyone</i> in on the story of how all this came about.<br />
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Though most people found out recently I didn't wake up three weeks ago and say with my best king impression, "I do here by decree that I am going to seminary full time in the spring." It was a decision that happened a little over a year ago. I was listening to a sermon podcast from Elevation Church, and to be honest I can't remember the topic, but I clearly remember the Holy Spirit speaking to me. He said that <u>it</u> <u>was</u> <u>time</u>.<br />
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You see, similar to Jacob in the Old Testament I had been wrestling with God about seminary for about three years. During those years I never had a peace that it <i>was</i> time. God was (and still is) doing some great things at Oceanside that I felt I shouldn't leave. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I didn't feel freed to leave yet, and I didn't really want to go back to school. Eventually God pinned me and the Holy Spirit gave the count, "1, 2, 3!!" and slapped the mat. I was down. I gave. I heard the call loud and clear. It was time to make plans to go.</div>
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About a year earlier (that's 2 years ago if you're keeping up) that I heard God say He wanted me to start a church in the next five years. I didn't know what that meant exactly then, and I still don't fully know, but I <i>do</i> know seminary is a step in the journey.</div>
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Seminary takes a long time. It is absolutely normal for an Masters of Divinity to take as long as college. I don't really have that long! So I'm really hoping to work my face off in school. I plan to take summer courses, J-term courses, May-term courses, and even regular semester courses. I'm going to take it all! I'm hoping to get done in 3 years.</div>
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People keep asking me, "And why are you going? Didn't you get your religion degree in college? Isn't that enough?"</div>
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I could argue all day with everyone about the advantages of furthering my education with a masters degree in... divinity? No that doesn't sound right... but anyway, I won't. The main reason I am going is because God told me to.</div>
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Last night at Reality I preached on <a href="http://bible.us/72/jhn.9.1-12.hcsb" target="_blank">John 9:1-12</a> which tells us about when the man born blind was healed by Jesus. Read it. It's one of the weirdest healing passages in the Bible. Jesus spit in the dirt, made mud, and rubbed the mud in the blind guys eyes. Then He told the blind beggar to walk to the pool of Siloam. Many scholars believe the beggar was probably near the temple because people were more charitable there than anywhere else in Jerusalem. So, the walk was across town and the guy was blind with... (wait for it) mud in his eyes. This dude had to look like a fool.</div>
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But the Bible doesn't talk about what the blind man was thinking on the way to the pool. It doesn't even tell us how he got there. Was he led? Did he make it by smell? We don't know, But we do know he washed in the pool and<i> </i>was healed.</div>
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Sometimes I feel like that blind guy walking according to the Master's commands. Many times it doesn't make a lot of sense, and it may not make complete sense later, but I'm going to do what the Master said to do. There are moments where I question God's techniques thinking things like, "Why is he spitting in the dirt and making mud... oh no that muds for me? Oh no, here it comes, mud on the eyes, ug." I have to trust what God told me. People might question me. They might not understand why I appear to be wondering aimlessly around town with mud in my eyes. Regardless, I have to trust God.</div>
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Hopefully God can look at spiritually dysfunctional me and say, "This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him." (John 9:3) God has plans that we don't always understand, but the key is, we have to do what the Master says. There is vision at the pool across town. But we have to continue trusting His commands during the trip there.<br />
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Ps> This blog also holds a record for the longest title on Reality Check.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-9173226955857250972013-01-16T15:45:00.001-05:002013-01-16T15:46:32.889-05:00Obama Supporters Tip Better Than The Other Guys<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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There are two things you don't talk about unless you want people to get in an argument: politics and religion. Well, today I'm kind of going to talk about both. This isn't anything about who is right or who is wrong, but mainly about my perception of the people who supported candidates in this past election.<br />
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Tips are a big deal for a pizza guy. Almost any delivery driver conversation heard at a pizza place has to do with how much someone did or didn't tip them. It's common to judge a person by how much they tip. Notoriously bad tippers are scum in the eyes of most delivery drivers.<br />
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During the election season I delivered to an Obama supporter. I knew because their Volkswagen had an, "Obama, Biden 2012" sticker on the back. The house was in good shape and in a decent section of Mount Pleasant's Old Village. And the thought went through my head, "I wonder how much this Obama supporter is going to tip me?" I gave him the pizza and he gave me the money. I got a $6 and some odd cent tip. Immediately my perception of an Obama supporter changed. That was a really nice tip!<br />
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Later that weekend I delivered to a Romney supporter. I knew because they had a, "Romney, Ryan 2012" sign in their yard. This house was on affluent Daniel Island. The house was rather large and had a dog slobbering at the door. I remembered the Obama supporter from earlier and thought, "I wonder how the Romney guy will tip?" $6 was a big tip and it was going to be hard for this unsuspecting casestudy to top it. The sad part was he didn't even try. I <i><u>almost</u></i> got a $2 tip. Immediately I questioned my perception of a Romney supporter. That was a pretty low tip, and it happened at a nice house with an average sized pizza order.<br />
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I know those two instances were hardly scientific (as in not at all) and anecdotal. But they happened to me and affected my perception of not only those people, but also the people they supported. For some reason last weekend I was thinking about those two orders again, and all of a sudden I realized the point.<br />
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<i style="text-align: start;">Side note: Did you know waiters hate working Sundays because Christians are so cheap?</i></div>
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As Christians we do things like order pizza. We have a cross on our door and scripture hanging from a flag outside our house. We get our pizzas and give the driver $2 on a $40 order. Do you know what that driver thinks? That Christian is a jerk. Then they don't just start questioning you, but they question who you believe in. When they check their runs in they might even think something like, "If that's a Christian, I don't want anything to do with that." And all that over a few bucks.<br />
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But seriously this has very little to do with pizza and tips and more to do with watching the way you treat people. I try to live by a rule (Ask my wife and she'll tell you I break it quite often) don't be a jerk. Remember who you represent when you read that Bible in public and wear that Christian T-shirt. Remember that you reflect who you support. I've heard it said that we're the only Jesus some will ever see. I understand the sentiment of the point, but if I'm the only Jesus they ever see that means they never came to know and follow the actual Jesus. When interacting with people remember you don't WANT to be the only Jesus people ever see. So treat them like God's creations. Treat them with the love and respect Jesus would.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-71397736931655798792013-01-04T13:26:00.003-05:002013-01-04T13:29:26.646-05:00Give Away Everything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm thankful to the Lord for the great response to the sermon last Sunday. I think the message was so affective because I was preaching to <i>me</i> more than anyone else. If you missed it, here is Oceanside's Church On Demand podcast.<br />
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I've had several people come up to me and say, "In America we're just not able to sacrifice." I guess the assumption is that we have it too good. We have too much. We're too rich to actually sacrifice.<br />
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If you missed the sermon and refuse to listen to the podcast the basic premise is this:<br />
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<li>We think of sacrifice as something that is difficult, annoying, or won't advance us directly.</li>
<li>But Sacrifice in the Bible meant blood, death, fire, and an altar. It was worship.</li>
<li>David said, "<i>No, I insist on paying the full price.<b> <u>I will not</u></b> take for the Lord what is yours, or <b><u>sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing</u></b>." </i>1 Chronicles 21:24</li>
<li>If sacrifice is our worship how can we come to God with an offering that cost us nothing? That isn't sacrifice. That is some sort of pseudo sacrifice.</li>
<li><i>Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to <u><b>present your bodies as a living sacrifice</b></u>, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. </i>Romans 12:1</li>
<li>God asks us to be <u>living sacrifices</u> because we wouldn't be much Earthly good if we were dead.</li>
<li>Jesus gave everything for us. Shouldn't we do the same for him?</li>
<li>Sacrifice isn't when we option for pain. Sacrifice is when we give everything.</li>
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So, how can we sacrifice in America? Christians aren't forced to starve because we can't find a job. We aren't sent to prison for standing up for Christ. Even the poor of us are rich compared to most people in the world. Can we really sacrifice like Christ did?</div>
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Yes.</div>
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Firstly, we could dare to bring our American selves to places in the world where we could be killed because of our beliefs. But we wouldn't do something like that JUST so our lives would be in danger. That doesn't make sense. We would do it to reach people who are far from God. There are secret missionaries all over the world who are doing this right now. They are on the spiritual front lines. They willing to risk their lives for Christ.</div>
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Secondly, you could give everything away to the ministry of the Church. Sure it would put you in a bad place. You wouldn't have a house. You really wouldn't have anything but the clothes on your back. Jesus' death on the cross wasn't His only sacrifice. The Bible tells us Jesus gave everything while he was on mission. When explaining what being a disciple is like Jesus said,</div>
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<i>"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." </i>Luke 9:58<br />
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A.K.A. if you want to follow me understand I don't have a place to call home, why should you? Wow, these aren't words I like to hear.</div>
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If we could compare ourselves to anyone in the Bible maybe we could compare ourselves to the rich young ruler. This is the exchange that happened when the Rich Young Ruler asked how to inherit eternal life,</div>
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<i>Then, looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: <u><b>Go, sell all you have and give to the poor</b></u>, and you will have treasure in heaven. <b><u>Then come, follow Me.</u></b>” But he was stunned at this demand, and <u><b>he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.</b></u> </i>Mark 10:21-22<br />
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I think that's where a lot of us are today. We're reading (or writing) this on our computers, tapping our chins with our index finger in our air conditioned houses, and sipping sweet tea. We have too much to give up. We don't know any other way of life but the one we're living now. What would it mean for us if we actually gave up everything?</div>
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And I think this is where we can find some practical help for us 9 to 5ers. We are LIVING sacrifices. Christ doesn't call <u>all</u> of us to be vagrant nomads who live on the streets. There are people right now where you are who need to know Christ. God wants you to <u>live</u> for Him <u>where</u> <u>you</u> <u>are</u>.</div>
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We don't sacrifice just because it makes us look holier. We sacrifice because their are people in need of a savior. That message takes sacrifice. For some that means you need to give up everything and move to Turkey. For others it means you need to be open about what God has done in your life at work.</div>
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I'm not giving anyone an out. I think the spirit of Jesus' message is that we have to be willing to give it all away. If tomorrow God asked you to give everything you had and do ___________ would you be able to? Where is your heart? Have you come to a place where you've recognized God owns it all? If He wants use me to get rid of it, so be it.</div>
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I don't think I'm there yet... One day I hope to be where Job was when he fell to the ground and worshiped God after losing everything but his life,</div>
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<i>"Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. <b><u>The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.</u></b>” </i>Job 1:21Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-33698138341368232252012-12-21T14:33:00.001-05:002012-12-21T14:34:18.755-05:00If There Is A Loving God Why Do Good Things Happen?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Because of last week's shooting in <a href="http://fox2now.com/2012/12/17/connecticut-shooting-names-and-images-released/" target="_blank">Connecticut</a> many people have been questioning how a loving God could let something like that happen. That's a fair question. People much wiser and more intelligent than me have thought deeply about this question, and if you're still wondering about it I encourage you to read this <a href="http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=9105" target="_blank">article written by Billy Graham</a> in the aftermath of the shooting. Another great resource dealing with the suffering of this world is a book by C.S. Lewis called <a href="http://www.abebooks.com/9780684823836/Problem-Pain-C.S-Lewis-Classics-0684823837/plp" target="_blank"><i>The Problem Of Pain</i></a>.<br />
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I have often been posed the question, "If there is a loving God why do people suffer?" In my experience it is one of the top questions from those doubting the existence of God. But there is a question we should ask back: Why is there joy?<br />
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Atheist Stephen Marche wrote about his problems with joy in is article, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/magazine/let-my-tebow-go.html?smid=fb-share" target="_blank"><i>Let My Tebow Go</i></a>. It's an interesting article that I encourage you to read. It's sound like it's about sports, but really it is more about miracles and God than anything else.<br />
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I'm not here to give my magnum opus about God, religion, atheism, and the nature of joy and pain, but I would like to use this next paragraph to make you think.<br />
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Joy exists. You know it because you feel it. And deep down you know it's more than just happy pills and endorphins. Because you see joy in action even if you don't feel it. If there is no God why do miracles happen? Why is cancer cured for no observable reason? Why do the dead come back to life after doctors pronounce them deceased? How does one explain the radical and immediate transformation of a person from destructive drug addict to contributing member of society when they come to know Christ? In the same way that pain might make you question God let Joy reassure you that He is there for you.<br />
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A psychopath tried to suck the joy out of your Christmas, but I encourage you to rest in the arms of your savior.<br />
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<i>Therefore my heart is glad<br />and my spirit rejoices;<br />my body also rests securely.<br />For You will not abandon me to Sheol;<br />You will not allow Your Faithful One to see decay.<br />You reveal the path of life to me;<br />in Your presence is abundant joy;<br />in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.</i><br />
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Choose Joy, because it's found in a person Jesus Christ. Choose Him.</div>
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This is a big Sunday (December 23, 2012) at <a href="http://www.myoceansidechurch.com/" target="_blank">Oceanside Church</a>. We have our Christmas offering and our Candle Light Service.</div>
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The Christmas offering allows you to spread joy through sacrificially giving to missions. And believe me, you will receive joy through giving. Giving sacrificially opens up joy in your heart like no other thing on Earth.</div>
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The Candle Light Service is an amazing time where we gather together and worship our Lord and remember His birth. Candles, Christmas carols, and church, nothing starts off Christmas like that.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Merry Christmas!</span></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-2448220890600784192012-12-14T16:37:00.002-05:002012-12-14T16:37:56.969-05:00Should You See The Hobbit? (A Christian Perspective Movie Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love <i>The Lord of The Rings</i> (LOTR) trilogy. I would say that the first movie, <i>The Fellowship of The Ring, </i>is my favorite movie of all time. The first time I saw it I got lost in it like no movie before or since. I didn't want it to end. I was literally dreading the ending.<br />
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If you don't know, <i>The Hobbit</i> is a prequel to the earlier movies. It takes place 60 years before LOTR. The story is going to span three movies and cover almost every detail of the 288 page book. You don't need to know anything about <i>The Lord of The Rings</i> to enjoy <i>The Hobbit</i>.<br />
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It follows a homebody hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (The uncle of Frodo from LOTR). He gets invited on an adventure. By invited I mean basically forced. The adventure is to rid the world of the dread dragon Smog who inhabits the Lonely Mountain which is the once home of the great dwarves.<br />
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The Hobbit once again took us on a cross country journey through the breathtaking land of <strike>New Zealand</strike> Middle Earth. We visited familiar places like The Shire and Rivendale but were also treated to many new locations.<br />
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Also like in <i>Lord of The Rings,</i> <i>The Hobbit</i> was just as much about the spiritual and emotional journey as it was the physical one. Bilbo starts this first installment as one person and is someone much different by the end. In other words we have a real character, something many movies can't claim.<br />
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<i>The Dwarves</i></div>
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<b>Is <i>The Hobbit</i> A Christian Movie?</b><br />
The writer of the original books, J.R.R. Tolkien, definitely was. This movie is less of a Christian allegory than LOTR, but Christianity rings loudly throughout. At one point I heard a pretty foul mouthed movie goer behind me say, "Here comes Jesus," in reference to Gandalf.<br />
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<i>The Hobbit</i> never references God, Jesus, or anything blatantly Christian, but the overtones are all but impossible to ignore. Just like LOTR. I view this as a great thing.<br />
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There is some magic in the movie. There are also trolls, goblins, elves, orcs, wizards, dwarfs, and hobbits. It's a fantasy movie for pity sakes. But The Hobbit makes sure the viewer understands there is a stark contrast between evil magic and good magic. That being said you might not be comfortable with any magic. I will say that if you were ok with the magic in <i>The Lord of The Rings</i> you should be fine with this movie's magic.<br />
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<b>Is <i>The Hobbit</i> Violent?</b><br />
Yes. It is very violent. There are large battle scenes where heads literally role and stomachs are sliced open. I can tell you I won't be taking my 2 and 5 year old to see this movie because of the violence. There is no blood compared to the gore ridden <i>Walking Dead, </i>but all the kills are there. Head shots, disembowelments, and decapitations happen throughout the movie. The director, Peter Jackson, did not shy away from the violence in this young adult novel movie adaptation.<br />
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<b>How is the Cursing?</b><br />
It doesn't exist. But there is a bit of crude humor from the dwarves. One dwarf in a passing double entendre says, "It's a wonderful game if you have the balls for it." And another talks about kicking iron up Smogs Jaxxy (Sp?). Most of these comments are made quickly and the movie doesn't focus on them, but they are worth noting.<br />
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<b>Other Negative Elements</b><br />
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<li>There is a lot of ale drank by the dwarves. </li>
<li>It would be really scary for young children</li>
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<b>Who She see The Hobbit?</b></div>
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Anyone 12 years old or older.</div>
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<i>Bilbo Baggins and Sting</i></div>
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<b>Conclusion</b></div>
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<i>The Hobbit</i> does not live up to the first film. But it is a great film! I loved every minute of it. I was never bored and the action rarely let up. I felt that the pacing was perfect. The length didn't seem too long for the story. I really connected with Bilbo in this movie (Something I was worried about before seeing it). Martin Freeman, Bilbo, does a wonderful job acting unsure, clever, weak, strong, and brave. Sometimes all at once.</div>
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I would love to see more from the other dwarves in future movies, but I don't think there was enough time in the almost three hour running time to give every dwarf their due. I laughed, loved, and <u>felt</u> with the four or five main dwarves in the movie.</div>
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The music, as typical for a Middle Earth movie, is amazing. The theme of the Misty Mountains runs throughout this first movie. But again familiar musical themes are heard like the classic Shire melody. If you liked the orchestration from the LOTR movies you'll definitely want this sound track.</div>
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I saw The Hobbit in the typical 24 Frames Per Second. I cannot speak to the complaints about looking like a home movie that the 48 FPS versions are getting. I also did not see it in 3D. Mainly because I hate 3D, but yeah, that's just me (Or is it?). The version I saw was shot beautifully and made me yearn to run through the mountains of Middle Earth. You won't be disappointed. Middle Earth has never looked so clear.</div>
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The Hobbit does a great job of not staying too series for too long. There are plenty of laughs to be had, but also plenty of tears to be shed. That to me is the sign of a great movie. You laugh and cry. It allows you to explore your emotions and search yourself. You'll leave The Hobbit wanting to be a braver person. You'll also leave longing for the next movie. We only have to wait a year.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-43685436618871663252012-12-12T12:58:00.000-05:002012-12-13T12:21:51.355-05:00Atheist Shouldn't Go After The Manger Scenes (They Should Try To Stop The Giving)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1404bv/good_guy_landlord/" target="_blank">Los Angeles landlord</a> has gotten in the giving spirit of Christmas. There is hope for humanity, ha ha! But seriously, everywhere I've lived all my landlords and managers have ALWAYS been super particular about getting the correct rent amount and getting it on time. I can't blame them... it's their job. The one time I thought we got a break on our rent it turned out the office had just mis-charged us and then took extra out every month for the next 4 months. It's amazing how much just $70 off the rent would help during Christmas.<br />
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For some reason giving is still<b> </b>encouraged at Christmas time. People might label it something completely different like <i>holiday giving</i> or <i>the winter solstice... spirit. </i>The fact remains there is nothing more Christmas than giving. Before the atheists tried to chase off Christmas trees and mangers scenes they should have gone after giving (not that I'm trying to give them any ideas). Giving <b>IS</b> truly the central theme of Christmas. The origin of Christmas is God's <b>gift</b>, His son, to the world.<br />
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That Landlord's generosity finds its beginnings with Christ. He probably doesn't even think about it in that way. But it's true.<br />
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Every year Oceanside provides 2 big Christmas generosity opportunities. First is Operation Christmas Child (<a href="http://www.samaritanspurse.org/giving/buildabox/" target="_blank">You can <b>still</b> pack a digital box</a>). Second is our Christmas Missions Offering. Every dollar you give on December 23 goes to missions.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">50% to Missions Here at Home</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">50% to Missions Around the World</span></b><br />
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If you received envelopes from Oceanside at the beginning of the year you already have a Christmas offering envelope. If you didn't we have extras available at the church.<br />
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<li>Pray about what the Lord wants you to give</li>
<li>Bring that envelope with you on December 23</li>
<li>Give it in our special offering the Sunday before Christmas December 23.</li>
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This video will blow your mind. It's about how much we spend on Christmas. If we spent a little bit less of that money on Christmas gifts and a little more on giving to missions we could make a HUGE difference. This is for an organization called the <a href="http://www.adventconspiracy.org/" target="_blank">Advent Conspiracy</a>. They make a great point.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-60222474781395607582012-11-29T17:35:00.000-05:002012-11-30T09:27:08.103-05:00Levi, The Amazing Down Syndrome Baby!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think most know by now, but Allie and I have a new baby boy! His name is Levi Alexander Rhodes. I'm super excited about the potential held within this tiny child. The first time I looked at him I wondered, "What does God have in store for this little guy?"<br />
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He was by far Allie's most difficult pregnancy. As many of you know Allie struggled to keep the amnionic fluid at a safe level. Three weeks before his due date <u><b>he</b></u> finally decided it was time to see the world. He was just in time too, because his fluid had dropped to a dangerous level. They were going to induce Allie if she hadn't gone into labor on her own. He was born 1:28AM weighing 6 Lbs. 10 Oz. and 19" long. Levi was the smallest of our children for sure, but, to be fair to him, he was the only one who didn't go to or past his due date.<br />
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God is good.<br />
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The day after Levi was born Allie had a sit down meeting with Levi's pediatrician Dr. Paul Linker. He told her there was a possibility that Levi had Down Syndrome. The doctor was far from sure, but Levi had a few of the physical characteristics. So, they did a chromosome test on him.<br />
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A few days later while we were on our way to the grocery store we got the phone call with the results. Levi's wonderful pediatrician delivered the news.<br />
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Levi has Down Syndrome. God is good.<br />
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The news was a shock. To be honest we cried. It was hard to compute.<br />
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Immediately Dr. Linker scheduled us several appointments at MUSC on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We had to see a geneticist and a cardiologist. I didn't know this until the diagnosis, but many Down Syndrome people have severe heart problems. The earlier they catch those the better.<br />
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Levi had an ultrasound on his heart (I think number 17 for this little guy if you're counting). Then we were sent to a small room to wait for the results. We were so nervous. We waited for like 64.54 hours in that little room. I paced with Levi in my arms. Eventually the MUSC pediatric cardiologist came in the small white room with several other doctors. He sat down, crossed his legs, folded his arms, and blankly looked at Levi for a second. My heart dropped. Then he smiled and said, "Levi's heart looks great... I want to see you guys back here in three years."<br />
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Levi doesn't just have a good heart for a child with Down Syndrome, <u>he has a good heart for any child.</u><br />
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God is good.<br />
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We know there will be many struggles as we go forward, but honestly, kids are always a struggle. Levi is just a new type. We're just happy this lil' guy is healthy.<br />
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I would like you to know that Allie and I are very proud and happy with our new baby boy. We want everyone to view him like we do, a handsome happy little dude. We also want everyone to treat him like any other newborn. Please congratulate us, we have a new edition to our family! This is not a sad moment. We understand that sorrow can be a first reaction, but please understand we are not sorry.<br />
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If you have any questions please feel free to ask us. We don't have all the answers, and we're still learning about DS (That's what all the cool parents call it, and I desperately want to be one of those). We'll do our best. You can ask your questions in the comments, on Facebook, or Twitter. God bless you and your family and may you have an amazing Christmas.<br />
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Oh and can someone explain to me why it's not "Down's Syndrome?"<br />
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Thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law Brittany Rhodes for taking the picture of Levi in the tea cup and of his feet. You can check out her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/brittanykennedy57?ref=ts&fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265314171322913175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528007551022216203.post-13355021521972043402012-11-14T13:08:00.000-05:002012-11-30T09:27:55.981-05:00Trust Me I'm The Doctor<br />
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Life has been cray. Thank God Scaremare is over and it was successful, the election has ended, and Levi has been born healthy! So, it's time to get back to blogging.<br />
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In the past few months the Lord has been teaching me a lot about trust. There have been times in my life where things have been bananas, but since I've been married nothing has compared to this season.<br />
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It all hit us at the same time. There were moments where I wasn't sure if the baby Allie had carried was going to live. Our finances, despite me working more, got tighter. Through all that I had to try and keep my school grades afloat. You've been there (maybe you <u>are</u> there), and you know what I'm talking about.<br />
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We had to place a lot of trust in doctors. There were things going on with Levi that Allie and I had no clue about. I love our doctors. They did a wonderful job. But at the same time I needed something more stable than a person.<br />
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The doctors were amazing, but were only mortals. It would have been unreasonable for me to expect them to be god like. Even time lord doctors aren't as powerful as my God. Our only real option was to place <u>all</u> our trust in God. So, we prayed. Then we prayed. And finally we prayed a <strike>little</strike> a lot more, and so many of you joined us. We cannot adequately express our thanks. But I'll try...<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b><u><i>THAAAAAANK YOOOOOOU!!!!!!</i></u></b></span></div>
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Nope, that wasn't good enough. Could you give me credit for trying?<br />
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<i>Maggie loving on her new baby brother.</i></div>
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Over and over again in my daily devotions The Lord has been telling me to trust Him. He been saying He has it all under control. Seriously, listen to some of these verses that have been in my devotions the past couple of days.<br />
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<i>Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.</i> Psalms 37:5-6<br />
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<i>A man’s steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord holds his hand.</i> Psalms 37:23-24<br />
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<i>It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.</i> Psalms 118:8<br />
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See what I'm Saying! The Lord is definitely telling me something. Trust Him. No matter how much I preach or blog about trusting God saying and doing are two different things. How much I trust God is only evident when it's most difficult for me to do so.<br />
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So, right now, if life is kicking you and things are tough remember that your trust of God is about to become evident. There will be moments when that 10% tithe could go a long way toward paying some bills. Trust Him. You're going to have times when giving up, rolling over, or giving in are going to make everything easier. BUT YOU CAN'T GIVE UP. <i>Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.</i> <b>Ephesians 6:10</b> Trust Him because He is strong. What feels like a million pounds of pressure on you is not even the weight of a spec of dust on His shoulders. Trust Him...<br />
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...for real this time.<br />
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