A Preview from Sunday's Message Concluding the Series 'Walk On':

I have seen the city walls crumble
And I have seen the mighty giant tumble
Oh I have seen my sons and daughters fall and stumble
But keep on keep'n on, my son and daughter you must walk on
I have seen the impassable sea split
And I have seen the impossible mountain cast into the ocean's pit
By the blood of the Son and your story you shall overcome
Fear not, walk on and my victory will be your battle won
So keep on keep'n on, son and daughter walk on

A little poem by yours truly about working amidst difficult situations such as growing in concrete. I hope you were encouraged.

Taking it Away

I know all of you, my adoring fans (both of you) have been longing for my next post. Well, here it is!
The lyric 'You give and take away' has been ringing in my ears. This song is inspired by Job's expression in Job 1: 21 "...Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of LORD be praised." Often, we think we know what we need. Things like more money, a house, a newer car, more people in our church but it's God who gives and takes and there is a plan and time for all things. There are people who made verbal commitments, gave their word and then dissapeared, but God has given us a fantastic group of people that love God, each other and those outside the walls of our church and in time will bring others. For now, I thank God for taking some away because His will is best and He knows best. Like a tree growing in concrete, only God knows how and when it will develop and only God determines when and how the roots will grow. So thank you God for giving and for taking away!

Step by Step

I once heard the joke "How do you eat an elephant?" and the answer was "One bite at a time". I'll admit its not a very good joke, but this concept speaks volumes. We can look at the obstacles ahead of us and wonder how in the world will I ever climb that mountain, get that job or finish that degree. The answer is 'one bite at a time' or 'one step at a time.' I often find myself like many other in my generation. I like things to happen quickly without much effort, but often God has another plan. Like a plant that grows in concrete, it takes a lot of time from when that seed finds it's way into a small crack, finds just enough soil to support life and then grow. The words from the book of Proverbs remind us that we need to keep focused and not become distracted by what others have or what we would want. Today, be encouraged that if there are goals that you have yet to see fulfilled that God has empowered you to take steps in the right direction and often its those steps that refine and strengthen us in preparation for the blessing of God. Trust me, this encouragement is as much for me as it is for anyone who reads along. Take a look at Proverbs 4: 25 - 27
"Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on that safe path.
Don't get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil."

Cultural Architecture Beam by Beam

Tonight God opened my eyes and showed me a truth about growing in concrete. The growth must happen in unseen and often seemingly insignificant ways. I met with a friend from the church and after some time of talking at a coffee house he asked me "why did you want to meet with me?" It was then I realized my strong value for relationship with people. We were meeting as friends and brothers in Christ, yet it was mysterious to him why I would want to meet with him. According to Scripture we were doing what was expected and normal, but in a relationally anemic church culture it was bewildering that 'it was good and pleasant for brothers to dwell together'. This value is expressed in Jesus and the twelve men that He chose to spend time sharing His heart with. It was a religious environment that choked true relationship between God and man in the days of Jesus, yet Jesus in seemingly insignificant ways cultivated seeds of truth that allowed the salvation of humanity to 'grow in concrete' and so we must serve in the example of Christ, value people and the priorities of God's heart above the man made pictures of success such as buildings, numbers and all sorts of religious pats on the back.