What's Stopping You?

     Jesus. Son of God. Prince of Peace. Wonderful Counselor. 100% man. 100% God. Creator.

 

     He pursued you and I relentlessly and passionately. Jesus desires our hearts SO much that He was willing and did die a brutal death for us. And this Jesus, my Jesus, did not stay dead. Three days after dying He walked out of the grave! This is a big deal, what other dude do you know that woke up after being dead for three days?

     After Jesus' resurrection He spoke with some of His disciples(IN PERSON). The last words He had to say were important. These words still are. They did not just apply to His disciples then, but His disciples now. So listen up church:

 

 

"Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

 

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

 

     Jesus is commanding you and I to go to the ends of the earth. To family, to friends, to neighbors, and to co-workers. He is calling us to tell these people about the goodness of Himself. That they can live forever in Him. This is the best news anyone could ever hear!

 

     But what's stopping you? What's stopping me? Why are we being cowards? What am I waiting for? What have I got to lose? Nothing because Jesus has already won the victory over death, hell, and the grave.

 

     Church, ask yourself today "What is stopping me from sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ everyday I have breath?" Be bold and proclaim His name today! Get pumped and sell out for Jesus!



Spring is coming!

     It's that time of year again, when the seasons change and everyone is either super excited for the change or kind of negative about it. Have you ever noticed that? When winter changes over to spring then summer everyone feels differently about it. Some are ready for warmer weather because it means cookouts, pool parties, and no school! While others are dreading the heat because it means getting all sweaty and driving the power bill up with the a/c. Either way everyone handles change differently, no matter if its weather seasons or life seasons.
     As many of you know my husband, Seth and I are about to enter into a new season of our lives together this August. We prayed and asked God where He wanted us and He told us Wake Forest, NC for Seth to complete his degree at South Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. This means moving about three hours from the home town we have always known. This means moving away from family and friends and our jobs. This means we are going to be broke for the next few years! Needless to say, the current easy-going, got-it-made season of our life is about to change. 
     I believe most people would be freaking out if they were me right now, but God has actually placed the desire in my heart to go to Wake Forest. He has already given me a passion and love for the people we will live beside and the people I will work with. And I haven't even met them yet! I am actually pretty pumped about moving there. But at the same time I already miss my family and friends so much. I know it's going to be hard. Through the wave of emotions, God has given me such a peace about whats to come. I know all this is for His glory and bringing Him glory brings me the most joy.

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. " Ecclesiastes 3:11

     I just want to encourage those of you who are transitioning through seasons of life. Yes it can be scary, but it can also be exciting. Trust God with your life, because before the foundations of the earth were even laid He had YOU in mind. He planned out your life step-by-step and moment-by-moment before anyone else ever thought of you. And Jesus loves you more in a moment than anyone else could in a lifetime. He will bring you through this season, and the next, and the next. Just trust Him.

 

 

"An apple a day..."

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Thank you, Johnny Appleseed.

I hate the doctor's office. I loathe doctor's appointments. I believe that most people feel the same. I think that's why the story of Johnny Appleseed is good for children. It may scare them into snacking on an apple instead of cheetos. Or, maybe not.

I like the thought of getting a daily dose of something in order to get both short term and long term results. I think it's smart and healthy. But, I think this goes farther any eating apples.

When I first became a follower of Jesus, I was told that daily bible reading was essential to my life and growth in Christ. It was easy and somewhat exciting at first. But, after a while I got in a rut and it became a chore. Kind of like a healthy diet. We look in the mirror to see muffin-tops, get motivated to eat right/exercise, but after a while it gets boring. We get out of the habit, and before you know it we find the three chins that we had once lost.

We need Jesus and His word more than we need apples and treadmills. And, hearing from our creator should be more exciting to us. It does take time, effort, and commitment, but I assume like the washboard abs that I haven't found, it's worth it in the long run.

 

 

"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come."

1 Timothy 4:8

 

 

I hope this is encouragement to you. I can tell the days that I am in the word and the days that I don't make time. My attitude towards people is different. My effort in all of my activity is different. My mindset and motivations are different. And, I would reach to say that the results of my days are different.

 

I challenge you: Make time. Make an effort. The King of all creation wants to talk to you. It's worth it.

 

Don't know where to start?

My goal in bible reading is to get away in a quiet place and read at least one chapter of the bible a day. I try not to skip around, but read through the different books in the bible. A good place to start may be with Romans. It lays out our faith in a way that is understandable, but it will make you think. Just a thought.

 

 

"An apple a day..."

"Who, Me?"

Yes, you.

The Annie Armstrong Easter offering is coming up. This is an offering taken up in Southern Baptist churches around Easter to support the work of North American missionaries. I love this effort as it catapults the Gospel forward in the United States and other countries that surround us.

I was recently reading an article about this effort. It gave a look into the lives of some of the missionaries that this would be supporting. It spoke about their calling and the process of God showing these men and women where He would have them go. At the end of the article was a fantastic thought. To paraphrase, the writer said that most of tomorrow's missionaries are in our churches today, and that if they don't go no one else will.

That's when about everyone in the church says, "Who, me?"

Yes, probably you.

Have you ever thought about the fact that God has a plan for your life and that that plan is probably not the plan that you have for your life? The calling that God has for those NA missionaries in that article is not the exception, but the norm for New Testament followers of Jesus. The only difference is that they were positioned to hear God's calling, obeyed, and maybe you're not called to go to the exact place that they are called to go. But, you are called to go. You are called to go to you're family. You are called to go to your community. You are called to go to your neighbors around your nation. And, you are called to go to the World. You are not called by me. But, by Jesus. And, when we argue we are not arguing with a pastor, church, or denomination, but with Him.

 

¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,^[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

 

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

 

 

Monday's missionary is probably sitting in your seat on Sunday. And, if they don't go, who else will?Jesus has issued the call. Will you answer?

All About JESUS.

Lent

John 3:30

^"He must become greater; I must become less"

So as we all know tomorrow kicks off the first day of Lent. Lent is a time of fasting and reflection it begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter. For Christians this gives us a time to fast or most of the time give up something that distracts us from God. We all get so busy and invested in life that many things distract us from God, this time period is just a good time to slow down and reflect on just how great God truly is and how much He has blessed us. For me personally this year I'm giving up all social media. I've prayed that God show me what distracts me or consumes most of my time away from Him, and social media was the answer. Use this time to just really reflect on Jesus's life, death, and resurrection, or as a time of thanksgiving. Lent is always  an awesome reminder that Jesus is enough. A lot of Christians challenge themselves during this time as well. So what is distracting you from being All About Jesus?


Joel 2:12-13          
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster

We Are The Church Part 2

We've been entrusted as the church with an awesome and humbling task/gift of sharing the love of Jesus with others. 

As the church there are 4 things that can be labeled as our purposes.

1) Worship - All too often we think of worship as singing a few songs and as something that we can only do on Sundays or Wednesdays or in our own quiet time. True worship, however, is how we live our lives daily. Worship is giving a sacrifice of praise. Yes singing, prayer, and gathering with other believers is a time of worship. But so is being in the shower or being at work or school, worship is a lifestyle. Colossians 3:17 reads, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him". I gotta be open and honest with y'all, I fail to do this every single day of my life. It's something I've been being convicted of and something that I need to repent of. The heart of worship is bringing glory to Christ and if we're not bringing glory to Christ, we're ultimately bringing glory to the enemy. 

2) Fellowship - As the church, we're called to fellowship with one another and with the Lord Jesus Himself. We're brothers and sisters in Christ! You may be an only child, but if you're a part of the body of Christ you have more brothers and sisters than you can even count! Romans 15:7 reads, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” We’re all in this together, playing on the same team with the same coach. We should be there for our brothers and sisters. Praying for one another, talking to one another, encouraging one another, and LOVING one another. Satan can’t touch our salvation, true. But he can keep us from coming together as the church to prevent us from accomplishing things for Christ.

Our fellowship can be broken with other believers whenever we sin against them. Such sins are being resentful towards a brother or sister, gossiping, jealousy, envy, bitterness, and causing divisions. Another open and honest moment from me to you, I struggle so much with every one of those sins against my brothers and sisters. I'm extremely prideful and the bitterness I have towards others at times eats away at me. Please pray for me…

Our fellowship can also be broken with our Savior as well. Our fellowship is broken with Jesus whenever we sin. The solution however is simple, repent. As believers, repentance should be a part of our DAILY lives, emphasis on the word daily (if you didn't notice).

3) Ministry – As the church, part of our duty is to serve. We serve in the church, the community, and anywhere and everywhere we are. Guys, we ought to have our communities and schools turned upside down for Jesus. He's worthy. We're not worthy at all, but He's worthy of our all. Our debt was paid in full at Calvary when Jesus took our sins upon Himself. God punished Himself for our sins. WHATTTTT!!!!???? Let me say it again, HE'S WORTHY! 

4) Witness - “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8.

That’s a promise. And God doesn’t break His promises.

You’ve probably heard it said, “Share the gospel, if necessary use words.” I completely understand what that statement is trying to say (as a matter of fact I'm guilty of tweeting that), but it’s a halfhearted way to witness. And honestly it’s not witnessing at all.

The word translated to witness from the Greek is martyria. Martyria means making a defense, spoken testimony is the essence of its meaning.

In witnessing situations, Satan loves it when we talk about the Bible, God, and church. As long as we don’t mention the name Jesus, he doesn’t care. We accomplish his work for him. 

Just say Jesus. Like the song says (I have no clue what its title is but I’m sure y’all may know it), “When you don’t know what to say, just say Jesus.” There is power in HIS name. Let’s make it a point to proclaim His name and His truth to all the nations.

I want us all collectively to pray for everyone who reads and writes this blog. Pray that we will be bold witnesses for Christ wherever we are. Let’s pray for all our brothers and sisters who are genuinely following Jesus. Pray. Pray. Pray.

Let's be the church that Christ intends for us to be.

Freedom comes in following Jesus.

“But HE was wounded for OUR transgressions; HE was crushed for OUR iniquities; upon HIM was the chastisement that brought US peace, and with HIS stripes WE are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5

Please sit back and meditate on the contrasts in that verse. That alone is a call to worship.

                         #AllAboutJESUS

Forgetting Jesus

"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile."

Romans 1:16 (NLT)

 

There are some things that we need to hear over and over again. Things that we need to be reminded of on a daily basis. One thing I've heard again and again is this, "Keep the main thing the main thing."

 

Friends, I'd like to remind you that the main thing is the Gospel of Jesus. I need to be reminded of this. Our lives are cluttered. It is easy to be distracted. It is easy to become complacent. What would happen if we remembered God's goodness and the price that Jesus paid for us in every moment? Trial and triumph?

 

The Gospel is this: We are all sinners and we ought to face God's wrath. But, God doesn't want that. For some reason a faultless, holy, just God wants a relationship with bad and corrupt people. He wants that so much that instead of punishing us, He punished His innocent Son Jesus in our place. Through Jesus we can be forgiven and be made right with God. Jesus calls sinners to Himself and makes them new creations. This is the Gospel.

 

 

Is that sweet to you? Is it more than just church talk? Does hearing what Jesus has done still stir your heart for God?

 

I'm finding more and more that it is when I forget this good news, or when it grows old to me, that is when I struggle to love God and others like I should. When I say and do things that I regret is usually when I forget how high a price Jesus paid for me. When I give into temptation is usually when I forget to keep the main thing the main thing.

 

So I urge you, keep the main thing the main thing. Remember today that in Christ you are loved and adored. Remember that someone died for you despite you. That even though we were rebels against God, Jesus gave His life so that we could become friends of God. 

 

One last thing: 

If you have never made the main thing the main thing it is still the main thing. Even if we choose to run and rebel, Jesus is still Lord and worthy of our worship. I hope and pray today that you know Jesus and that He is Lord of your life. If not, you will still have to face His wrath. It's a lot better to bow now in victory than later in defeat. Jesus is calling, will you answer?

 

Keep the main thing the main thing. Don't forget Jesus today.

 

All About Jesus.

 



We Are The Church Part 1

We are the church. We are the chosen people of God. Chosen to be used by Him to accomplish His will here on earth. 

Wow! Almighty God, creator of the cosmos (Phil Robertson voice), redeemer of the lost, and sustainer of the earth chose us (yes, you and me) to be His body. You and me being sinful, totally depraved, helpless human beings. That's mind-blowing! 1 Corinthians 12:27 reads, "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." Verses 28-30 show us that we're not all the same. God has gifted each of us to do different things to serve Him.

I want to stop right here. Read the last sentence in the last paragraph. Don't you think that the gift of salvation to spend an eternity with the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of the universe is enough? I do. I mean think about it, if you're saved by God's grace that means that there was once a point in your life when you were lost. Lost and on a one way road to an eternity in hell separated from the love of God. Let us stop and rejoice and as Taylor said in her post, "You Make Me Wanna Shout!", let's celebrate! 

God didn't stop here though, He didn't just give us the gift of salvation. He blessed us with spiritual gifts to be a blessing to others and to glorify Christ. And if you really think about it, every single thing in your life, whether possessions, emotions, family, food, shelter, natural abilities, how you look, anything and everything in your life is a gift from God. 

Not all gifts are spiritual gifts, however, in its simplest and purest form a spiritual gift is: "A God given gift through the Holy Spirit received at the point of salvation used to build up the body of believers and to glorify Christ."

I strongly urge each of you to find out what your spiritual gifts are. You may be wondering, "Well how in the world do I do that?" It's simple. You can ask other believers and they can help you get an understanding on what your gifts are; or you can take a survey online or from another resource to aid you in understanding what your gifts may be; but most importantly, you need to try out different areas of service. Wherever God uses you most, is most likely the area in which you possess your strongest gift.

Here's a list of some websites with spiritual gift surveys on them:

http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/test/adult

http://mintools.com/spiritual-gifts-test.htm

http://www.sdrock.com/giftstest/

Prayerfully think about what your gifts could be and ask others to pray with you. I hope this helps and I urge you to come back and read part 2 that I should be posting later this week, Lord Willing. 

Also, here's something to think about when discovering your spiritual gifts, "You've got to step out to find out." 

And remember it ain't about you, me, or anyone else. 

It's #allaboutJESUS

You make me wanna shout!

     I always look forward to a time of celebration. I love birthdays, weddings, and baby showers. If you're celebrating something, I will be right there beside you celebrating as well! It is exciting to decorate and plan out the party. Go buy nice gifts and wrap them pretty. I just love celebrations! 
     Yesterday as I was running on the treadmill, I turned on my iPod and went straight to my "Jesus Culture" playlist. (btw, if you haven't checked them out, you definitely should!) I have loved this band since I became a Christ follower. And yesterday I finally realized why I love them so much. A side from the fact that their music is the best (seriously), I love this band because they understand that Jesus is to be celebrated. All the time. I was processing all of this in my mind while sweating to my death on the treadmill, and I just go into full out worship mode. Hands up, singing/panting the words out loud, so full of Jesus. I love that everyday Jesus teaches me something new.

HE IS TO BE CELEBRATED!

"But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world."

1 John 4:4 (NLT)

     I could read that over and over. Those words are so sweet on my lips. This makes me want to shout! Listen: YOU BELONG TO GOD! Creator of everything, He has no beginning and He has no end, yet He wants you. You are His! You are precious, you are valued, you are loved. And through Jesus' blood on the cross, and His resurrection three days later, WE HAVE WON THE VICTORY. Jesus snatched the keys to hell, death, and the grave from satan on that day. 

     If you play basketball and its the championship game and your team wins, what are you going to do? Celebrate! Well church, team Jesus has the victory over satan and hell! How much more awesome and worthy of our praise is that than the Super-bowl champs? LOADS! 

     Church, I want you to know that in joy and in sorrow we have a reason to celebrate Jesus. That is it. Jesus is so worthy of all of me and all of you. As a church I want us to become consumed with Jesus. I want us to celebrate Jesus in all we do, all the time. I want other people to remember Jesus, not myself. Lets sell out for our King!

     If you feel like you don't know Jesus, but you can feel something, someone bigger than yourself tugging on your heart, thats Jesus my friend. And He desires you, He wants an intimate relationship with you. Don't worry, you don't have to "clean your act up" before you accept His call. Just go, run into His arms. You wont ever regret it and I promise you, you will be forever changed! Have a collision with God's grace and love today! Lets celebrate!

Jesus Is The Remedy

I wanna share some points from a sermon that made me realize that only Jesus can really heal pain and how Jesus is the remedy to pain and hurt. You see at the age of 15 I lost my dad. Now my dad was my hero, my rock, my support, so when he passed away I was devastated. But I was very angry at God for taking my dad from me and my family, because my dad was a preacher. I would question God like how could You take one of Your most faithful servants? Through that anger I wanted nothing to do with God. I stayed out of church for the longest time and ran from God for 5 years. During those 5 years all I wanted to do was heal the hurting and pain I was feeling. I tried alcohol for the longest time that never healed my heart. I then tried drugs that just made things a lot worse, then it was girls and that left me more broken. One night I was invited to revival so for some reason I went. Thinking I was gonna get nothing out of it, I sat there with a broken heart. The preacher preached on Mark 5 the man in the cave story. But he put a different twist on it he pointed out how bad that this man was hurting. In verse 5 we read about him cutting himself to ease the hurt and pain. The preacher made this point that we do the same thing we use stones such as alcohol, drugs, and even others to heal our pain. If you continue reading the story you'll learn that Jesus comes on the scene and things change. You see Jesus heals this mans hurt yeah he casted out the demons, but Jesus healed the hurt. Jesus makes this man a whole new creation that people didn't even recognize. So if you're hurting because of lost of a loved one, or whatever youre hurting from give it to Jesus. Nothing in this world can heal pain, only Jesus can. Jesus is the remedy to all hurt and pain. That's why He says "come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened." Because Jesus is the remedy.

Jesus Is Enough

Hey everybody! For those that don't know me my name is Chris Snead. I'm friends with Seth Springs and Bradley Couick and let me just say these two guys are solid guys for Christ. We are all 3 in ministry or in school for ministry. From all 3 of us we love Jesus and look forward to sharing with you. I've had the privledge to hear both of them speak and share their testimonies they're amazing. Seth invited me to join this blog with the purpose of encouraging people to follow Jesus and for the followers to keep running the race. Now I haven't always been all about Jesus. I used to be about me, self satisfaction and just doing me. That lifestyle will leave you empty and searching for more and more. I'll share my testimony another day, but just wanted to put the welcome out there :). I look forward to posting more and getting feedback from y'all.

If you don't think Jesus is enough read John 4 and understand it. Jesus is more than enough :) have a great weekend!

It's All About Him.

What up everybody? Some of you may know me, some may not. I'm Bradley Couick and I'm a friend and brother in Christ of Seth Springs and Chris Snead. I'm new to this whole following Jesus thing, so bear with me. I have a past a mile long, but a future that spans throughout eternity by the grace of God. Lord willing, in the future I'll be writing posts to encourage y'all out there to continue to run the race with endurance along with anything else that God lays on my heart to write. I just want to be a vessel that Christ can use to shed His light into others. I've tried things my way for 20 years of my life and that got me into some really sticky situations (I may mention some of them in the future on here, stay tuned..). Now, by His grace and His grace alone do I even consider living for Jesus. It's amazing to me how far He's brought me in just one year and 19 days of calling myself a "Follower of Jesus". I remember praying recently, "Lord, I'll follow you as long as you make this an adventure." The thing about that prayer is, HE ALREADY HAS!! Never did I think that I'd be back in school, studying the Bible on top of that! God definitely has a sense of humor...

I want to leave y'all with this thought/prayer from St. Richard of Chichester:
"To see Christ more clearly, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more nearly."

No matter what life throws at you or what the enemy throws at you, always remember that your sole purpose in life is to bring glory to Jesus Christ. It's all about Him.

What's your favorite food?

Take a second.

Think of your favorite food.

What comes to mind? Is it spicy, sweet, salty, or combination of flavors? Are you a steak and potatoes person or did something from Panera come to mind? Why do you like this food and what first attracted you to try it?

Mine would be a Cajun filet biscuit with tomato and mayo from Bojangles. Oh, and don't forget the Mtn. Dew from the fountain. It may sound silly, but man, the combination of flavor gets me every time!

Now think about the blandest food on earth. What comes to mind? Maybe rice cakes or oatmeal. Wheat bread toast and white rice are two that would top my list of boring foods.

Now, you know I'm not a food blogger, so what is my point?

If your relationship with Jesus was a food what category would it go in? Would it be a favorite that you get excited over or is the equivalent of a rice cake? Have you grown bored with the same old same old or is everyday a new adventure for you in Christ Jesus?

I believe it is easy for us to grow bored. Or, sticking with food, it is easy for our relationship with Jesus to grow stale. There are few things that I hate more than biting into a stale Dorito. No excitement. Little spice. Maybe a good bit of sour.

So, how do we defeat this funk? How do you turn white rice into teriyaki chicken and fried rice?

Here are a few questions that I usually ask when I'm seeking to taste the sweetness of Christ:

1. How's my bible reading/prayer life?

Yep, back to the bible reading and prayer stuff. If I'm not in communication with Jesus then I will not experience sweet communion with Jesus.

2. Am I in my comfort zone?

I'm pretty boring and don't usually try new foods. But, my wife Taylor loves that excitement. She often tries new foods when we go out to eat. Maybe the reason our relationship with Jesus grows bland because we're comfortable. What if you stepped out and trusted Jesus? What if you began to give generously or share the gospel with friends? I bet that wouldn't be too boring.

3. How are my relationships others?

A difference between me and others causes a difference between me and Christ. Maybe the reason you and Jesus are cold is because you have been cold to someone else in your life.



These are just some thoughts.


All About JESUS!

 

"So why do you and Taylor want to be missionaries in the UNITED STATES?"

Taylor and I have recently committed ourselves to be trained as United States missionaries. This has brought a little change to our lives. I left a job that I loved, we moved out of our first home and in with family, and we, God willing, will be moving 3 1/2 hours away to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in late July. This is all so that in turn we can move to somewhere up north or out west to be missionaries to our own country.

We're are about 2 or 3 months removed from this decision, and there is one common response that we get when telling people: "Oh...umm...that's...umm...WHY?"

An idea among some southerners, not all but some, is that there is nothing worth seeing above Virginia. Or, a "why go there when you could stay here" attitude. So why do we want to go there(to a different region) all the while staying here (the US)? Here are a few reasons...

1. There is Something Worth Seeing.

That which is worth seeing are families who don't have access to good bible believing churches come to have a saving faith in Jesus and there lives being turned upside down by the Gospel. I would say that is worth seeing. Being raised in the south most of us take it for granted that there are lots of bible believing churches. We take it so for granted that many southerners have grown desensitized to the good news of the Gospel to the point of it no longer having an effect on our lives. And, while we don't pay attention to what we have, others don't have the blessing of strong evangelical churches.

2. The Bible Commands It.

 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 (NLT)

That simple. Jesus calls us to take His Gospel into our homes, up the street, across the nation, and around the world. For some reason He has chosen to give us a strong passion for the "across the nation" part. That doesn't mean that we can forget the rest, but we feel like we know where we will be spending most our lives' time.

3. Our Nation Needs It.

Our families need it. Our neighbors need it. Our nation needs it. All the nations need it. Did I mention that our nation really needs it?

I am a firm believer that Christianity is on the decline in America. Our nation, for the most part, is not one that sees Jesus as Lord. We, for the most, are a country that ignores the grace that God has shown us. We should be a missionary destination.

The map below is one that I saw recently. It was produced by researchers at Gallup. This map shows the most religious and most nonreligious states in the US. We don't want to make the US more religious. We want to see our nation experience God and His goodness. I think this map should give us all a greater sense of urgency for the Gospel to be preached across our nation.


(Pinkest=Most Nonreligious/Darkest=Most Religious)

There are many reasons, and I could go on, but I think you get the point. Our nation needs Jesus. We must go. Will you?

A Trip to the Principal's Office?

Ever been called up to the Principal's office? I know I have, and whether you are still in school or not, you probably have been to.

I remember sitting in class and hearing the intercom buzz, "Mrs. Soandso, will you please have Seth Springs report to the office. Thank you."

No matter what the purpose of my visit to the office, those words made me shutter. And, worse than the squawking box was the walk of shame. On your way to the office you are forced to think about all the reasons that they may want to see you. Did they see you stick your gum under your desk? Had you been talking too much in class? Or, did you do something wrong, but didn't know, and they knew, but you didn't know. Oh man, a trip to the office was always pure agony.

I think some of us think about heaven like that. Fearing what the verdict is as we go through life trying to check off boxes on our to-do lists. Maybe we have doubts about our salvation, or we question if we have this thing right or not and fear the possibility of standing before God and being sent away.

Well, there's good news...

"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus."

Romans 8:1

(NLT)

 

Do you know what that word condemnation means? It means "punishment." So the good news is that if you belong to Jesus, which means if you have believed on Him and trusted in Him, you are forgiven and free. And, Paul didn't say there was a chance of condemnation. He didn't say there is a little condemnation if we don't do this, this, and that. He said, there is NO condemnation for those who belong to Jesus!

 

So, Follower of Jesus, no more "sent to the Principal's office" feeling. I know we sometimes get in a rut. Honestly, there are times where I don't even want to pray, or can pray, because of guilt. But, in times like that I must remind myself that there is NO condemnation for me and that the bible teaches that I can approach God's throne with boldness because of His grace. Remember, we are not made right with God by our righteousness, but by His!

 

There is a flip-side to this though. What about the ones who don't belong to Christ Jesus? There is condemnation for them. God is love, but love is not God. Though God wants to show love, He must still punish sin. Therefore, if we have not trusted in Jesus our sin is still on us and we will have to pay the price. As a Christ-follower, my heart breaks for those who still face condemnation. I ask you, don't wait. Trust in Jesus today.

 

 

 

Today, I am glad that God has made a way. "There is NO condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." -Romans 8:1

 

 

ALL ABOUT JESUS!





"Happy New Year!" or "Thank goodness it's over, that was one of the worst years of my life!"

It's December 31st. Tonight is New Year's eve.

With that comes instagram collages galore, tweets about turning something up, and facebook is officially full posts about 2013 memories and nightmares.

One thing is clear, people in our culture see a New Year as an opportunity to reboot. Whether you want to look back or not, we are all looking forward at least a little bit. So, here's the question I am asking myself...

Will I take responsibility for what I did not do well in 2013, and will I make the necessary changes so that I can do those things well in 2014?

Let me make this clear, I don't think any power lies in our will power or some little promise that we make on the first day of ever year. But, I do believe in an all-powerful God who has the power to change our hearts. I do believe that if we seek His face, He will honor that and allow us to "press reset."

I guess where this question leads me is that if you want to get hit by less cars in 2014 than in 2013, don't stand in the middle of the road. Many of us complain about our circumstances, but don't change the decisions that determine our situation. So, what's a real life example? Maybe you want to be involved in less drama in 2014. Gossip less. Don't want the stress of sex and dating? Give yourself to Jesus and stay pure. Don't want to make the same dumb decisions on those late nights? Come home earlier, don't drink as much, and surround yourself with people who sharpen you not ones who make you dull.

I pray that I will take the new year as an opportunity to examine myself as well. I need to do a better job of listening than talking, loving than becoming angry, and trusting than doubting. Jesus, change my heart and my ways.


Let's take responsibility for what we did not do well in 2013, and make the necessary changes so that we can do those things well in 2014.

Happy New Years!

Partners in Ministry: The Joy of serving Jesus with your spouse.

"Marriage is fun."

"Marriage is crazy."

"Marriage is tough."

 Marriage is a process."

 "Marriage is what you make it."

"Marriage is great."

"Marriage is for old people."

"Marriage is a waste of time."

"Marriage is the greatest adventure on earth."

 

Above is a short list of things my wife Taylor and I heard before we got married. If you're married I'm sure you can remember everyone and their mama giving you their opinion/advice. Some good and helpful. Some encouraging and uplifting. Some not so encouraging and uplifting. People are fun!

 

My guess is that you don't need someone else's take on marriage, and especially when that someone has only been married for 8 or 9 months. So, I admittedly know nothing, but I was thinking on it today and wanted to share. 

 

The question crossed my mind: "When are Taylor and I the closest?"

 

I began to think about our lives together. We do almost everything together. We spend lots of time together and it probably seems odd to friends and family when they see one without the other. So out of all that time together, when are we closest?

 

Taylor and I are closest when both of us are close to Jesus, and both of us are closest to Jesus when we are serving Him. So, my conclusion is that our marriage is best and we are closest when we serve Jesus together. I feel closest to Taylor when we are partners in the Gospel ministry.

 

I don't think this is rare among Christian couples. And, I don't think that this should surprise us. I mean, why do most Christian couples go through pre-marital counseling with their pastor before tying the knot? Maybe because they have to before the pastor will marry them, but I think some do it with the intentions of making Jesus the foundation of their marriage from the start. So, why does it seem rare that we are distant from our spouse when one, or both, is distant from God?

 

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Matt 7:24-27 (NLT)

Also, seeing Jesus work through Taylor makes me want Jesus to work through me. One of the greatest joys in my life is watching Taylor serve Jesus. Sometimes I like to take a step back and watch. I admire and long for Taylor most when she admires and longs for Jesus. I pray that I, as her husband, set a good example in this and that my relationship with Jesus would be one that makes her long for Jesus more as well.

"As iron sharpens iron,

so a friend sharpens a friend."

Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

 

 

We also obviously think and act more biblically when we are closest to Jesus, therefore we treat each other with love and respect which can only work out well. We are closest when we are closest to being who God created us to be. I hold Taylor closest when she models the life of a biblical wife (which is usually :D), and she holds me closest when I model the life of a biblical husband. This is logical. It should not surprise us that faithfulness to God and obedience to His Word is a blessing to our marriages.

 

"For wives, this means submit your husbands..." Ephesians 5:22 (NLT)

"For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.."
Ephesians 5:25 (NLT)


 So, what's my take on marriage?

Serve Jesus together.



Here's a few things that Taylor and I try to do to keep our relationship with Jesus and each other fresh. We are not perfect and we are not the model. These are just a few things that have been recommended to us and have blessed our marriage thus far.

1. Pray together. Allow your marriage to be a triangle with Jesus at the top. Get on the same page with Jesus and your spouse.
2. Devotions Together. We both read the bible daily, but sometimes we study the word together. Make sure that you and your spouse have the same authoritative voice speaking into your lives.
3. Worship Jam Sessions Together. Sound cheesy? I love riding down the road with Taylor sitting in the middle seat of my pickup truck and us singing out to Jesus together. I'm sure others wouldn't enjoy it, but I think Jesus does.
4. Serving Jesus together in the Church and in the Community.
I don't even know what the ministries I'm involved with would look like without Taylor. Seeing her serve unselfishly pulls me closer to her and to Jesus. Sit down with your spouse and pray about where Jesus wants to use you and jump in.

I think most of this is basic, but so easy to miss. Don't miss out on God working in you're marriage. Serve Jesus together. 

Take Joy Where? (Thanksgiving)

Well, it's that time of the year. Thanksgiving is next week. The holidays are officially here. It will be Taylor and I's first holiday season as a married couple. I love my wife, I am thankful for her, and I excited about being with our family as a family.

Thanksgiving is a neat holiday to me. We set this time of the year apart from the rest of the year to be thankful which is kind of weird. I hope that we really exhibit an attitude of thankfulness year-round.

Thankfulness is easy at times and not so easy at others. This week I was to tempted to have one of those others. My truck has been acting up. Tuesday morning was a breaking point for me. I had to be at a local school pretty early. I went out to get in my truck to leave and it started having some issues. It caused me to run late. I loathe running late. I wanted to kick, spit, and cuss. I was on my way and began to pitch a little hissy fit to God. And, then, like a hammer on my heart, God hit me with Philippians 4:4...

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
Phil 4:4 (NLT)

So often we want to place our joy in things other than the Lord. That morning I wanted to place it in my truck running well. That sounds silly. But, I allowed my joy to depend on my truck. Maybe its not your vehicle. Maybe its your relationship with your parents, children, spouse, or some boy/girl. Maybe your joy depends on your bank account or how things go at work/school.

I would like to remind you that Paul wrote Philippians 4 while being in jail for worshipping Jesus. He had all the reason in the world to be in the dumps. But, he chose to be joyful. Not in his freedom. Not in his status. Not in his living arrangements. But, Apostle Paul's joy depended on Jesus. So should ours.

Our family situations change. People let us down. Things, like trucks and cars, break. Finances can hit a wall. We live in a changing and inconsistent world. But, as Christians, we belong to an unchanging and consistent Jesus. He doesn't walk out. He doesn't leave. He doesn't break. He can handle anything and everything we throw at Him.

This Thanksgiving, and every other day of the year, I challenge you to place your joy in Jesus. Let your thankfulness depend on Him, not your circumstances. He can handle it. Take joy in belonging to Jesus.

ALL ABOUT JESUS!!!

 

The What and Why of the Christian Life. (HCC Youth Video)

This is a video by the HCC Youth. We showed this video at Call 4:1 on Sept. 15, 2013.

"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Galatians 2:20

Call 4:1- September Recap (Video and Pictures)

CALL 4:1

September Recap

Call 4:1 is a monthly worship service for students from 6th grade through College. Call 4:1 is Student led. All students are welcome, and other youth groups are invited! Call 4:1 is held on the 3rd Sunday PM of every month from 7-8:30.

 

Our first Call 4:1 was Sept. 15th! I felt like it was a HUGE step in the right direction. It was awesome to see students come together for the cause of Christ. I'm super proud of all the students who made this Call 4:1 possible. It's encouraging to see students stepping up, and really taking on the responsibility of leading others in the way of Christ. I can't wait until next month! There were at least four different youth groups represented. Hope you will join us in October!

 

Check out the recap video and pictures below!