Random Shots

The above shot is some crazy guy having fun in Brazil with his fellow preachers and teachers of the word.

The next two are taken at Bison Daze at Harding University. Wild times they were!!

This one is from the Family Pumpkin Fest that Northside hosted.
Here is a shot of an extremely happy mommy and girlie bee!

Verse Memorization

Work on this verse for the week. I will be back tomorrow to share some long awaited pictures with you from our recent activities here at Northside.

Romans 13:14
"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Positive

I read this on Jim Gardner's blog this morning and thought that you would like to read it, too. It serves as a great reminder to us all that encouragement works better than hard criticism any day. How are you doing on this topic? Are you more prone to criticize or are you more likely to lift up? If you, like I, want change to occur in a person or program, try putting the positive foot forward first. Here are Jim's thoughts:

"How much slack are you willing to give to your ministers/elders?

This week has been like an epidemic. A wave of phone calls have poured in to me from friends and colleagues throughout the country struggling under the weight of criticism. Most of it is couched as "constructive criticism," but it is criticism nonetheless. The critic often never understands the depth of the wound inflicted on the man of God wholly devoted to the ministry.

When was the last time you expressed your gratitude to your spiritual mentors? When was the last time you told your minister you appreciate him? When was the last time you took an elder and his wife to lunch as an expression of appreciation for their spiritual work?

The words of Chuck Swindoll are ideal for this circumstance: "Be tolerant with your (shepherd). A better word is patient. Try your best not to be too demanding or set your expectations too high. Multiply your own requests by however many there are in your church, and you'll have some idea of what the shepherd of the flock must live with. Be very understanding...Pray for him! Encourage him! When you do, you'll find him all the more willing to serve the Lord among you" (Hope Again, p. 226).

Is your minister not your ideal guy? Cut him some slack. Are your elders stuck in neutral? Try encouragement rather than criticism. As we Fresnans can attest, lofty expectations can be an ideal setup for great disappointment. Rather than cutting critique, why not try a compliment or two? As one who's blessed by a congregation with an unusual measure of encouragement to me, I can testify that it does a minister of the Word wonders.

Give it a try with your leaders beginning this Sunday!"

Quote Of The Day

"The gospel is not after-death fire insurance, nor is it merely personal peace and serenity in the here and now. More, the gospel invites us to participate in the kingdom of God, that long-awaited rule of God, in which the rebellion, with its corollaries of lust and violence and greed and self-seeking, is undone. The gospel invites us to follow in the way of Jesus, who embodies for us the way of the kingdom." Lee C. Camp

Out of the Woods

Well, I'm finally back to somewhat of a functioning order now that my bout last week (from Wednesday afternoon to Friday evening) with a nasty stomach virus is over.

Just to catch you up:

Had a great Bible study tonight at my house with 20 God-hungry students. Very thought-provoking stuff tonight.

For those of you keeping up with memorization, here it is:

Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Of Donkeys And Elephants

The party lines have been drawn. Are you blue or red?

It's more than that, though. I believe that making Christian choices runs deeper than either party or the platform on which they stand.

I'm not endorsing McCain in this blog.

I'm not endorsing Obama in this blog.

I'm endorsing Christ.

We Christians, if we truly follow Christ the way He wants, will not take a "top down" approach with the government leading in His power, but will take the hearts of servants and serve our neighbors, enemies and any that fall between these two areas (Mark 10:42-44).

The American mantle of power should never be used by those truly seeking to be disciples of Christ. It is not The Way.

I will post pics and stories of the weekend later on but for now I will leave you with the words of minister Bill Tibert about how we should be as American Christians.

"During the 1960s and '70s there was an antiwar slogan that asked, "What if they gave a war and nobody came?" The point was what if there was a declaration of war and all the people just refused to participate? What if there were abortion clinics but nobody went in? What if abortion was a legal choice, but it was a choice nobody took? Changes in the law, blocking abortion clinics, demeaning name-calling will not stop abortions. The history of the church through the ages has been the history of changes brought about in society through the church demonstrating and living an alternative vision of life. We need to stop telling our nonbelieving neighbors how wrong their way of life is, and we need to start showing the power of the gospel in the way we live....Let me ask you: Which has greater power? Ten thousand people who fill the streets in front of abortion clinics and shame those seeking abortions, or ten thousand people in California who take to the state capital a petition they have signed stating that they will take any unwanted child of any age, any color, any physical condition so that they can love that child in the name of Jesus Christ?"

Memorize and Recite

I will be back tomorrow with thoughts and pics about the long weekend and my birthday. In the meantime, while I spend some long needed time with my wife and daughter, meditate on these verses and commit them to memory.

Psalm 139:23-24
"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."