You Are Beautiful

1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV 

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

These days when viewing television, movies, and magazines we are overwhelmed with pictures and articles about having the perfect body, the perfect clothes and accessories as to make us the most beautiful people that the world dictates.

Today's text from 1 Peter 3:3-4 speaks about the beauty that God sees in us and has created in us, rather than how the world views what is beautiful. Many people in today's society believe that their outward appearance must be based on what the world claims as fashionable and stylish.

Beloved, my prayer for you this week is that you know that God loves you and created you beautifully and without blemish. So go out this week in confidence and in the knowledge that God has given you a beauty and a spirit that is precious in His sight.

This is the day that the Lord has made. 

Inflating Our Faith

Romans 10:17 ESV 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

One cannot turn on any media source these days without hearing about the story of the under inflated footballs from the AFC Playoff Game. Yes, all eyes are turned and all ears are closely checking to see if cheating took place in a championship game. This news event has even come up with the name "Inflategate", as to describe and proclaim its importance to the world.  

One often wishes that the world would pay as much attention to the word of God as to inflate our spirits, our lives, and everything that we do on this earth. The Apostle Paul's Epistle (letter) to the Church at Rome, gives the church advice on how to increase their faith and how to be a legitimate faith community in Rome. 

The Apostle Paul tells us this morning that our faith can be increased by just utilizing the ears that God gave us as to truly listen for Christ's word for our lives. When Christ's people stray from scripture, their faith lives begin to deflate, just like a football that has had the air taken out of it.Only by being in God's word through Christ Jesus can we truly live faith lives that are full and ready to win souls for God.

My prayer for you all this week is that you will take time to study God's word and to listen for God's call for your lives. Instead of trying to figure out if properly inflated footballs are the reason for winning and losing games, may we all surround ourselves in the word and promises of God that Christ lived, died and arose for. Let us go out in the knowledge that God's word will always leave us pumped up and ready to play and to win souls for Christ Jesus

This is the day that the Lord has made.

The Light That Still Shines Today!

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 ESV

As we celebrated Martin Luther King Day last Monday, we celebrated the life of a man that promoted non-violence to the people, as they demonstrated for civil rights. Often this non-violence would be met with violence and anger, and at the end of the day non-violence won the day as well as the battle for civil rights. 

The non-violence of Reverend Doctor King, I often attribute as being the light of Christ, while the violence that they faced can be attributed to the darkness. Let us all go in the knowledge this day that just as much as Dr. King can be thought of as the champion of civil rights, he must also be thought as a minister that helped to bring the light of Jesus Christ into a world that was facing a dark time in its history.

As we think of Dr. King today and celebrate his life and his ministry, may we encourage ourselves to again be the light of Jesus Christ for a world in which many still live in darkness. The message that Dr. King needs us to still communicate, is the fact that we are all equal in the eyes of God, and that we were all made in God's image.

My friends, the words of Dr. King still can be preached to the world around us. We must remember The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, as we continue his ministry as God's shining light that reaches to every dark place that exists in this world.

This holiday is much more than getting off work or school, it is even bigger than Dr. King himself. The fact is that today is our wake-up call to be the light of Jesus Christ to a suffering world. My prayer for all of us this day is that we will remember the life and ministry of Dr. King, not as in the past, but as in a ministry that is still needed and alive and at work this very day.

We that call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ are his shining light that must continue to brighten a world in which people still live in bondage, poverty, and under the darkness of hatred and despair. Just as Martin Luther King was God's earthly vessel of shining light, we need to be the current light carriers to the world that we live in today.

Shine on today and well into the future.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

"Morning Ralph, Morning Sam!"

Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

In the old Looney Tunes cartoons there were two characters, Ralph E. Wolf and Sam Sheepdog. In these stories nothing changed, day after day the same thing, the same routine. Ralph and Sam would fight all day until it was shift change at which time they would clock out for the day and two like characters would clock in and begin the same fighting and the same routine.

 I will save the fighting part for another blog, and focus today on the routine of these two animated characters. When we get into a routine we place ourselves in a position for normalcy, which is often good in our work lives. But when we get ourselves into positions of normalcy in our faith lives we find ourselves in positions in which ministry opportunities may have passed us by.

At the beginning of this new week I encourage all to step outside of your boxes of normalcy in regards to your faith lives. We are called to stir each other up as to love one another and to do the work that God calls has called us to.

My prayer for us all this week is that we will think outside the box in regards to our faith and ministry as the Body of Christ. Shake things up, and encourage one another as Christ calls us to do. Be exited, smile and greet all that you meet in the love and grace that we have been given.  Let us not be like the wolf and the sheepdog: “Morning Ralph, Morning Sam”, day in and day out.

May you feel and live out the excitement and passion that we have been given as followers of Jesus Christ, and knock out the walls of the box of faith that we sometimes enclose ourselves in.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Connecting, Growing, and Serving

2 Corinthians 5:20

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

As people that are made anew through God's gift of the Messiah, we enter this new year full ready and fully excited to spread he gospel of Jesus Christ. The message the Apostle Paul is communicating is that the people of God are to be committed to His ministry.

The grace that we take with us is the fact that we minister with the full power and full energy that God has bestowed upon us. We that call ourselves the Body of Christ enter this year 2015 with God's message that we represent Him to the ends of the earth. 

We that we are called to be the bearers of God's providence to a suffering world, must be prepared to go out in full power and praise of the one who sent us.

Beloved, my prayer for you this week is that you will feel the energy that God has placed in you, as to be His disciples. May we take this moment and this opportunity to

• Connect with others
  
• Grow in Christ
  
• Serve others.
  

God has called and God has instructed. May we use this God given energy to touch others with the love and spirit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.




This is the day that the Lord has made.

More Friends Are More Better!

Ecclesiastes 4:9 ESV 

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

This week begins many changes in not only my life, but in the lives of many as I transition to another town and another church.  This week begins a time of firsts. First introductions, new locations, moving and beginning a new ministry. These firsts also involve my wife and children as well as a new church community and civic community. It involves leaving old friends and making new friends in another location.

As I often say: "Ministry is not a job for the Lone Ranger!" Yes, new things are better accomplished as a group in the fact that there is labor enough for all. At the end of the day all are rewarded for their labors.

I leave this week feeling that my labors in Benton have been fruitful through the labors and successes of many. I head off to Carrollton Kentucky this week feeling that God will embrace us all as we build His Kingdom

So as I leave old friendships, I pray that they will be long-lasting friendships. I pray that new friendships will be established as we go forward together in relationship. So thank you to all the friends that I have made, and "Hi, my name is Tim" to all those that I will soon meet.

My prayer for us all this day is that we have embraced our togetherness in life lasting memories, For those that I will soon be meeting. may it be the beginning of new lasting relationships. 

Hi, my name is Tim and it is nice to meet you.   

Don't Just Press Like!

Acts 20:35 ESV

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

At this time of the year social media and everywhere we look are positive posts about how we should feel and how we should respond to others this Christmas season. Even I am guilty of seeing an awesome Face book post and I immediately hit the like button or type “Amen” into the comments field.

My question for us that hit the like button or respond by saying how much the comment touched us is: “How often do we leave our social media response as our only response to God's wise words expressed by others?”

My friends, being touched and feeling warmed by words at this time of year is crucial and critical, but more must be done. As we welcome the Messiah to come in a few days we must understand that this is also God's call to action for His people.

My prayer for us all today is that the next time we feel like hitting the like button or typing amen, we place the posting as our call to action. As we celebrate Christmas we understand that this is part of God's Master Plan for His creation, but it is also a wake up call for those that call themselves church, for those that call themselves followers of Jesus Christ.

There is still time, go out this day not only in amen, but in action. God is leading the way for us and the Messiah is the one who was sent to clear our paths. What love is in your heart this very moment? Don't let it sit idle and be forgotten, go out and act on it. Know that helping others in God's name is not just work it is a pleasure and our calling, not just our: “Hey I agree with what you are writing!”


Merry Christmas. The Messiah is our greatest gift, what are we going to do about it?


Pastor Tim.