Bill's Blog

God and Government - part 2

2012-01-26T11:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, I shared about a historic day in the state of Kentucky as we became the 5th state to launch a State Legislative Prayer Caucus which calls on the entire Commonwealth to pray and seek God for the protection of our freedom to express our faith in God and for our government leaders to have wisdom as they carry out their God-given roles in our state and nation. It’s a huge affirmation to what we should know by now: if you make government completely void of God, you are headed for chaos, destruction, and a country void of the very blessings of God, the One who has been the foundation of this nation from its inception. Kentucky State Senate President Williams reminded us of something that we must remember: our constitution, including any amendments, does not contain the words “separation of church and state.” However, that does bring us to the other side of the coin. What if there was a complete marriage of God and government? What if they became one and the same? Would that be a good thing? There are times when I think YES, YES, YES! Perhaps pornography would be outlawed. Perhaps the rights of unborn people created by God will finally be protected, and we would see abortion abolished. And I could list many more. But just one day after the historic Kentucky Prayer Caucus launch, on January 11, 2012, there was another historic event that happened. The Supreme Court of the United States made a unanimous decision to declare that there is a ministerial exemption on churches and religious organizations that allows them to hire and fire in ways that other employers cannot: based on their beliefs. Chief Justice John Roberts refers to the First Amendment of the Constitution, saying, “The Establishment Clause prevents the Government from appointing ministers, and the Free Excercise Clause prevents it from interfering with the freedom of religious groups to select their own.” He continues explaining his view by saying, “The interest of society in the enforcement of employment discrimination statutes is undoubtedly important. But so, too, is the interest of religious groups in choosing who will preach their beliefs, teach their faith and carry out their mission.” What this ruling does is prevent government interference in a church’s calling or dismissal of a minister based on that person’s ability to carry out the teaching of that church’s beliefs or the failure to teach those or live out those very beliefs. It’s a huge ruling because otherwise, churches could be sued successfully for letting go an employee or minister who suddenly declares they believe abortion is okay or homosexuality is okay, even if that church teaches and preaches otherwise. Imagine a world where the government has its hands on the calling of ministers in your church? That is a scary world. When you think about it, government is a tricky concept when it comes to living a life ruled by God. That was once how it was for Israel. They were ruled by God, and God would raise up leaders in the form of judges and prophets. But the day came when they wanted to be like the other nations around them and have a king to rule them: an established government. Here was God’s response to that through the last judge of Israel who was Samuel: “But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.’ Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, ‘This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day,’ (1 Samuel 8:6-18, NIV). And as we look at the roller coaster history of Israel, we see that when there was a king that loved the Lord, that governmental period was blessed and prosperous. When it had a king that despised the Lord or turned away from Him, Israel became a mess. So where does that leave us? Friends, we must let our individual lives and families’ lives be governed by the awesome love and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! He is the answer! He is the source of abundant life (John 10:10). He is the giver of eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; 10:13)! And then as for our government, here is what we do: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,” (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4, NIV). That is how we blend both God and government. We are blessed to be in this great nation called the United States of America. But I believe that we must fight hard to remember that those blessings come from one source: God Himself! My life depends on Him, not government! Our nation’s future prosperity and success depends on HIM, not government. So let’s turn to Him, live obedient lives, and pray for our leaders. Our nation’s present and future depends on it!

God and Government - Part 1

2012-01-23T13:26:00.000-05:00

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but something within me drew me and motivated me to attend this event. It was quite spontaneous, and I knew of no other ministerial friends that were going. But when I got the e-mail invite to attend the Kentucky “Call to Prayer” Day in our state’s capital, I just had to RSVP and go. I invited our youth pastor Jon Burdette, and on Tuesday morning, January 10, 2012, we loaded up my little green civic and headed to Frankfort. We were going to get there an hour early for what was called a “pre-event” for pastors and other citizens. As I pulled close to the round-about near the Capitol and found a quick easy parking spot, I was wondering if maybe we were one of the few attending. After a lovely encounter with the greeter at the door and the hilarious security man, we found ourselves in the famous rotunda of the Capitol building. The pre-event was nice, with some refreshments, a video presentation, and introductory remarks about what was about to take place. But once the clock struck 12 noon, the main event began. It was awesome! State legislators took to the podium and shared a little about their faith and about how excited they were to launch this Kentucky Legislative Prayer Caucus. It is only the 5th state caucus to launch in the nation, formed after the national version of it that was founded by Randy Forbes in Washington. As the speeches were delivered and as many of our state legislators signed the “Call to Prayer Proclamation,” it was as if an old-fashioned revival service had taken place. Throughout the event, there was applause and amens. At one point, a lady even whipped out a shofar (an Old Testament ram’s horn) and blew it right there inside the rotunda. Awesome stuff.One of the statements that was made by Senate President Williams that elicited one of the loudest ovations was, “There is no mention in our constitution of the separation between church and state.” I had heard that before. Probably even preached it. But it was great to hear one of our very own government leaders say it. Another cool moment came near the end of the event when someone read the actual “Call to Prayer Proclamation” document:Throughout the history of the United States, its citizens have drawn strength, hope, and guidance by prayer and humble petition before a loving and merciful Creator—imploring him to watch over this nation, its leaders, and her people. The faith-based principles that established America, including the first amendment to the constitution, guarantee the freedom of religion and its expression. The moral and solemn responsibility of those elected to public office, draws many servants who believe in the power of prayer—to seek humility in governance, wisdom in decision-making, courage in times of testing, and providence for God’s favor and blessing. On May 24, 1774, when facing enormous challenges, caucus members from the Virginia House of Burgesses passed a resolution setting apart a day of “fasting, humiliation, and prayer.” in early 2005, a small group from the U.S. House of Representatives began meeting in room 219 of the United States Capitol to pray for our nation. The gravity of this meeting was derived from the humble and sincere belief that God could heal and restore America. Soon thereafter, these members formed the Congressional Prayer Caucus to vigilantly watch over and protect the right of individuals to pray. We stand at the threshold of another significant crossroad: either to acknowledge and embrace the vibrant character of our spiritual heritage or to plunge headlong into the postmodern void—a value neutral and amoral vacuum that endeavors to deconstruct much of what we hold sacred. Centuries ago, the Bible records in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that God told King Solomon:“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”With clear vision and the recent re-affirmation of “in God we trust” as our national motto, it becomes more evident how important prayer is to this country and to Kentuckians. The preamble of the state constitution humbly asserts, “We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy, and invoking the continuance of these blessings, do ordain and establish this constitution.” The patriotism of the Commonwealth’s first governor, Isaac Shelby, helped inspire the state motto, “United we stand, divided we fall.” Furthermore, the official Latin commonwealth motto, adopted in 2002, affirms, “deo gratiam habeamus” (let us be grateful to God). We, the undersigned believe in prayer and the Judeo-Christian principles that remind us that our rights come from Almighty God, unite in this proclamation. Accordingly, this day we respectfully and humbly issue a “call to prayer” for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and invite Kentuckians everywhere to pray that God will continue to bless this country, our noble state and the freedom for which they stand.The really cool moment came when the man got to the Bible verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14. As he read it, gradually, most everyone in the rotunda, including legislators, began to say the Bible verse aloud as well. It was spontaneous. No one asked the crowd to do this. I tell ya, it was as if the Holy Spirit’s presence truly invaded the rotunda of the Capitol that day. And fellow citizens, that is as it should be. There are some things about that concept “separation of church and state” that may actually be good (which I’ll write about next week), but our founding fathers and most importantly, God, who has established and richly blessed our great nation, NEVER meant for us to not involve Him and His all-knowing wisdom and ways from the governing of our country. So let’s answer the call! Humble yourself. Pray. Seek His face. Turn from your sin. And God promises that He will hear our prayers. He will forgive us. And He will heal our land. Our nation’s present and future depends on Him. Will you answer the call to make that happen?

I've Tried Everything!

2012-01-06T10:40:00.000-05:00

There’s that place I want to get to, whenever I face a problem, where I can stop, throw my hands in the air, and say, “I’ve tried everything!” And then I can sit back, relax, and let someone else shoulder the burden of resolving the issue, or I can just dismiss the issue completely as if it were completely unresolvable. It’s a nice, smug feeling to be able to say, “I’ve tried everything. My hands are tied. I’ve done all I can do.” But the older I get and the more trips around the block I have taken, I’m finding that rarely do I or others actually TRY everything to resolve an issue. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat knee to knee with a husband and wife who are looking at the broken pieces of their marriage. One of them is done. And I hear them say, “I’ve tried everything. It’s just not working. There’s nothing more to do.” And 9 times out of 10, I can make a quick list of a half dozen things to try that they have absolutely NOT tried: professional counseling usually being at the top of the list. I was meeting regularly with another young man who questioned the existence of God, the legitimacy of Christ, and the truthfulness of the Bible. My response was to challenge him to ask all the questions he wants as long as he does his homework and pursues TRUTH! I firmly believe if anyone pursues truth with sincere tenacity, they will find it, and it will park them squarely at the foot of the cross, staring into the life-changing face of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just ask former skeptics and atheists Lee Strobel and Josh McDowell. However, this young man wasn’t much into doing research. I don’t much dismiss a movie with high rotten tomato ratings as a bad movie unless I watch it first. I certainly wouldn’t dismiss something that is purported to be the difference between eternal life and eternal death without first doing the research. And yet so many dismiss the Bible as fiction, having read almost none of it. This young man had read almost none of the Bible, and yet was comfortable dismissing it as a fairy tale. When those folks’ eyes slowly dim on this earth and then awaken on the other side of eternity, will they dare utter the words, “I tried everything?” I guess I’ve been thinking about this here lately because of the new year. We often make resolutions at the beginning of a new year, trying to become healthier, seeking to do things to make our families better, or perhaps even trying to grow more spiritually. And so many times we fizzle out in a month or two and find ourselves as resolution-less as we were on Dec. 31. Hey, I know all about this. I paid for 3 months’ worth of Snap Fitness membership once. And after only going there an average of once per month, I canceled that membership. But certainly I wouldn’t come to the end of the year, look at my small biceps in the mirror, and say, “I don’t know what happened! I tried everything, and I still have no muscles.” Yet we often do this with our lives. We wonder why there is not more joy. We wonder why there is not more peace. We wonder why there seems to be little direction or purpose. And the easy way out would be to throw up our hands and say… well… you get the picture. Jesus once encountered a wealthy, young, Jewish ruler who approached him and asked the question of all questions, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). Jesus listed some of the Ten Commandments for him to keep, and the man replied, “I have kept all these from my youth!” (Luke 18:21). In essence, I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING! Now read what Jesus said next in verses 22 and 23: “When Jesus heard this, He told him, ‘You still lack one thing: Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’ After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.” He hadn’t tried one thing: giving everything to Jesus! It’s a paradoxical truth that has confounded so many, yet liberated and transformed many as well: if you want to save your life, then lose it (Luke 9:23-26). Lose it by giving it completely over to Jesus. Are you experiencing an abundant life? If not, have you tried Jesus? He IS everything! Yes! He is EVERYTHING!

Don't Miss Christmas - Part 2

2011-12-16T12:49:00.000-05:00

Don’tcha just LOVE Christmas? So far, let me just list for you some of my favorite things I have already experienced as part of the Christmas season…1. Just seeing my wife be so excited. This is truly her favorite time of the year. She’s like a kid in a candy shop!2. The music. Our church has been just totally singing some great songs that just put you in the Christmas spirit like no other. And my wife teaches all these choirs, so I’ve had a healthy dose of some great Christmas music.3. Decorations. I have to admit that I’m a little bit of a scrooge when it comes to decorations. My lazy bone kicks in, and I don’t want to start decorating as early as Sherry does. But I’ve really enjoyed it this year. I love turning that tree on each night. 4. Food. As I am writing this, my wife and daughter just finished a weekend baking spree, and boy I think I’ve already gone to heaven. They make this stuff that we named “White Christmas Crunch.” I’m pretty sure it was what Manna tasted like in the Old Testament (do you notice how we church people refer to Manna any time we taste something we like). I’ve eaten Buckeyes and Snickerdoodles. Time to loosen the belt buckle.5. Family. I can’t wait to go see my family in southeastern and central Kentucky. I love getting together with them. And spending extra time with my wife and kids when school is out is always a blast. And I am blessed to have such an awesome relationship with my in-laws, and we have wonderful holiday plans with them.6. Jesus. Now, I have to admit that I paused a while after number 5 and then suddenly remembered that I hadn’t even listed JESUS yet. Talk about missing Christmas. I feel like I’ve experienced Jesus more this Christmas season than ever before. Our church has taken the month of December to learn more about the different names of Jesus, and it has been such a blessing. 7. Serving. Our church has had some neat opportunities to serve and give to others during this Christmas season. And what a blessing it is to be a blessing to others. From giving to international missionaries to helping needy families in our own community, my church family has been busy helping and serving this month, and I love it.Last week, I wrote about how King Herod blatantly missed that first Christmas. After all, he wanted to have the baby Jesus killed. He missed Christmas for sure. Probably nobody reading this article wishes that Jesus was never born like Herod did. But there is one important thing you must know – without Christ, you too WILL miss Christmas. Do you know Him as your personal Savior and Lord? If not, the Bible says to simply call on His name, and you will be saved (Romans 10:13). It’s the easiest thing to do, getting saved. It’s the free gift from God to you and to me (Romans 6:23). But He doesn’t force Himself on anyone. You must accept this free gift and take hold of it. So why don’t more people embrace Christ? Because truth has fallen on hard times. Let’s face it! We live in a day and time when it is becoming politically incorrect to even say “Merry Christmas” anymore. It’s Happy Holidays instead. We live in a day and time when our kids will bring home from school coloring pages of a Menorah or a Santa Claus, but rarely will you see a Nativity. We live in a day and time when our state has to create special legislature just to say we affirm our long-standing motto of “In God We Trust.” To embrace Christ has become more and more of a decision to go against the flow of our culture. But that’s okay! I’d rather stand in the minority with Christ than in the majority without Him. Friends, if you have Christ, you have everything! Place your trust in Him and embrace the free gift of Him today, and no matter what your circumstances or what the mood of our culture is, nothing can thwart the abundant life (John 10:10) and the eternal life (John 3:16) that is ours all because of that baby Jesus born that first Christmas day! Call on His name, and let Him be YOUR Savior, YOUR King, and YOUR source of joy, peace, hope, and love. And you will never miss another Christmas!

Don't Miss Christmas - Part 1

2011-12-08T23:02:00.001-05:00

Christmas is most definitely my wife Sherry’s favorite time of the year. She leads our church’s choir and she teaches choir at Twenhofel Middle School. Because of her love for Christmas, she stays quite busy during the month of December, taking choirs to the Florence Mall, the Cincinnati Museum, and most recently the Independence Christmas Walk (which was epic-ly awesome, by the way). It seems that Sherry even makes us decorate our house earlier and earlier each year. That tree went up almost at midnight the night before we hosted our family for Thanksgiving this year. When it comes to celebrating Christmas, she is tireless. And I LOVE it. She makes Christmas awesome for me and our kids. There was one year when we were so busy, and I think we were in the process of moving. That year, we got the tree up very late: late to the tune of getting it put up on Christmas Eve. Yikes! Better late than never. It’s like we came dangerously close to missing Christmas that year, at least as it pertains to decorating.Well, decorating isn’t everything, and it certainly isn’t the main thing. But the truth is, people truly do miss Christmas sometimes. They miss Christmas by completely missing the point of it altogether. The point of Christmas is JESUS! The point of Christmas isn’t about gifts; it’s about THE Gift of salvation that comes through that little baby that was born to die on a cross for you and for me. The point of Christmas isn’t about stressful shopping excursions; it’s about the Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). There is one character in the Christmas story that truly did miss that first Christmas. His name is King Herod. You see, before the wise men, or Magi, travelled to go see Jesus, they had a conversation with Herod. Herod had heard about some astounding birth of the “king of the Jews.” Matthew 2:3 says, “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all of Jerusalem with him.” In verse 8, King Herod sends the Magi to Bethlehem to search for the child and gave strict orders to report back to him the exact location of the recently born King of the Jews. However, after seeing Jesus and giving their gifts to Him, the Magi were warned in a dream to not go back to Herod, so they didn’t. “When they had gone, an angel o the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you , for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him….’ When Herod realized he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi,” (Matthew 2:13, 16). Wow! Herod missed that first Christmas so badly that he actually tried to kill the very purpose and point of Christmas. Herod got caught up in something that we all can, if we are not careful. He got caught up in himself. Call it self-preservation or self-absorption. Either way, Herod was all about Herod. He was so concerned about his own throne and reign being threatened by this birth that he began to operate irrationally and even violently. If only he knew that this child he was trying to kill had the power to save his very soul. But Herod missed it because he couldn’t get outside himself. I need to make sure Christmas isn’t about Bill. Bill needs to be careful not to be all about Bill. Even as we give gifts during Christmas, it can be about US still, right? I want to get just that right gift. And if somebody gives me a gift, I better have one just as nice to give back to them. Even our giving comes to be about us and if we gave the right amount in the right away. I encourage you to not fall in to Herod’s trap. Get over yourself this Christmas! As you shop, attend holiday events, and do the normal hustle and bustle of Christmas time, don’t miss the ultimate, awesome, life-changing point of Christmas. It’s about a baby who was born to die for you and for me. And his name is Jesus Christ. If you miss him, you will miss Christmas. Don’t miss Christmas.

Happy Thanks-living!

2011-11-24T11:50:00.001-05:00

My favorite memory of Thanksgiving was one particularly funny moment I had with my mother-in-law. My mother and father-in-law used to live in Williamsburg, KY, so the very last day of school before Thanksgiving, we would load up the mini-van and head south to spend the holiday weekend with them. Usually, that meant us getting to their home just after dark on the day before Thanksgiving. My wife and mother-in-law are amazing cooks, so once we got there, the ingredients were flying as the cooking and baking began. My mother-in-law always makes the turkey, stuffing, giblet gravy, deviled eggs (my fave), and more. I guess I had never actually watched someone prep a turkey before in all my years of celebrating Thanksgiving. But this particular time I did. I watched as Nana reached inside that turkey and pull out a bag. An actual bag. Inside that bag were unrecognizable fleshy items I had never seen before. Nana began to pull those things apart and start working on them to use for ingredients in the gravy. I had to ask, “What in the world is that?” She began to list them: the turkey’s neck, heart, gizzard, and liver. What!? You mean to tell me that they chopped off that turkey’s neck, cut out its gizzard, heart, and liver, stuck it in a little bag, and jammed it up inside that turkey’s cavity? What a horrible way to go!!! Where is PETA on Thanksgiving, protesting the torturous death of turkeys everywhere? Well, needless to say, we had a huge laugh. When I laugh with Nana, it usually involved me laughing so hard that I cry and my ribs are sore afterwards.I love those moments. Thanksgiving Day provides so many of those kinds of moments as we gather with family, sometimes gathering from miles apart. We catch up on stories, share memories, take a break from the routine rat-race of life, and just BE. Be with each other. Be in the moment. Be thankful for what we have and how we have been blessed. I know that has been my experience. But I also know that I have friends who work on Thanksgiving or who have to work very hard the next day (they work retail, so black Friday is like their Super Bowl Sunday). So when do those friends get to have their moment to just BE? Well, I would like to submit to you that we need to have a whole lot more Thanksgiving Days. Our federal government doesn’t have to designate one day for us to do this, although I am glad they did. Instead, what if Thanksgiving became a lifestyle? No, I’m not talking about never working again and sitting around getting fat on food while watching football (although, that sounds very appealing at times). I’m talking about having moments every day of our lives where we stop, get off the rat-race track of our lives, and just be. Just be thankful to our awesome God. Just be thankful for all our blessings that we often take for granted. I love Philippians 4:6 which reads, “Don’t worry about anything. [Really? How is that possible?] Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done,” (NLT, brackets mine). Now what if we did that every day? It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving just once a year on the last Thursday in November. It would be a lifestyle. It would be “Thanks-living!” And the best part is the promise God puts with that powerful verse of Scripture! Philippians 4:7 reads, “THEN you will experience God’s peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus,” (NLT, all-caps mine). Wow! Even when we stop to count our blessings we get blessed! Isn’t our God awesome?! Let’s spend the rest of our lives giving Him thanks!

It's Not Time Yet!

2011-11-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

It’s funny the little spiritual insights you gain from owning a dog. I love my little (well, okay, she’s not so little thanks to the fact that we love to feed her treats and only like to walk her from the living room to the bedroom) beagle named Allie. She’s a loving, affectionate, playful dog, but as you can infer from my previous parenthetical statement, she LOVES to eat. I am blessed to have a study in my home, and there are days that I will spend the bulk of my “office hours” there in order to get some good studying and sermon preparation done. On those days, Allie is living the blissful life of not being constrained to her crate. Every day, she gets her second cup of food at 4 p.m. However, it seems to never fail that when I am working from home, she will push me to feed her at 3 p.m. instead. She gives me those eyes. She goes to the backdoor, asking to “go potty,” (we always make her do that first when we get home before we feed her). She will bang her bowls together and look longingly at me. But I don’t give in. As if she can understand English, I always tell her, “It’s not time yet. You have to wait.” I wish I could just get her to understand that the gratification she longs for is coming very, very soon. She just has to wait a little longer, because it is not time yet.One of my favorite songs that we sing at my church for worship starts with the words, “Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.” It is a great rendition of Isaiah 40:28-31 which reads, “Do you not know? Have you not hard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in (in the King James wait on) the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, the will walk and not be faint,” (NIV84).What are you waiting for? At times, I have waited for God’s clear direction on a very important life decision. I just wish He would write it in the sky for me sometimes. But instead, I have to halt my life, pray and commune with God, and then wait and listen for His answer. At times, I have seen family and friends wait for His healing as they have battled surgery, illness, and disease. At times, we wonder when Christ will return and end this crazy world of pain, sin, and suffering. Some have done this to a fault, such as Harold Camping who predicted the end of the world would happen back on May 21. He has since changed his prediction to October 21 (coming soon). But we are reminded of the very words of Jesus who said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,” (Matthew 24:36). But instead, Jesus exhorts us to, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour,” (Matthew 25:13). In other words, we WAIT. It’s not time yet. As we wait longingly for God to move in a way we feel like He needs to move, remember first of all that HE is on His throne. His ways are higher than our ways, and that we must submit our longings for what we THINK is best for us to what HE KNOWS is best for us. And while we do that, we continue to wait. How? We wait by living wholeheartedly for Him, praying fervently to Him, growing more closely to Him, serving others and bringing others to Him. If we wait like this, the time will come when we will see things more through His eyes, and the very things we may be waiting for will come in HIS time. Or perhaps we will even realize the things we were waiting on fade away completely from our minds compared the wonderment of living a life filled with God. What are you waiting for? And how are you waiting?

Margin

2011-10-22T15:55:00.003-05:00

Have you ever seen a piece of paper filled with words? No, I mean LITERALLY filled with words: no spaces, no margins, just completely covered with words? It’s a strange sight. It’s almost hard to even read something like that. It’s overwhelming. I love making PowerPoint presentations. I remember when I first was introduced to this Microsoft phenomenon. I was like a kid in a toy store. I would build these presentations for church, and every slide would be packed with animations and transitions and multiple different fonts. There would be sound effects and animated gifs. These presentations were complex and I took pride in building them. Then I went to a training meeting that gave pointers on building such presentations. I was shocked to hear that I was totally doing it wrong. Turns out that LESS is MORE! With all the words zooming in and out and sound effects coming and going, the message of the presentation got lost in all the busy-ness on the screen.That brings us to this word MARGIN. It comes from the Latin, meaning “border.” Much like a document needs borders in order to make it more readable and digestible to the mind and eyes of the reader, much like a PowerPoint presentation needs limits in order to deliver the message without distracting from it, so our LIVES need margin in order for the meaning and purpose of our lives to not get lost in all the busy-ness. Jeremiah 29:11 is my favorite Bible verse. It reads, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” (NIV). God has a plan and purpose for each and every person He has created. But how many times do those plans get lost in a person’s life because of the lack of margins? Do you want to experience God’s best for your life? Then set up these margins or borders today:1. A border to keep out sin. We may desire God’s plan for our lives, but how many times to we miss it because we are simply living life OUR way rather than God’s way? A great margin to set up in our lives is to take time to make sure that we have placed our trust in this awesome God who loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us so that we can have eternal life. And once we have trusted in Him, His message for us is to make a U-turn away from a life of sin and towards a life that is devoted to Him. Have you set up a border to keep out sin in your life?2. A border to keep out busy-ness. I’ve heard it said, “If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.” Our lives are so busy. Not only do we have work commitments, but our kids can keep all of our waking hours busy with school activities, sports activities, artistic endeavors, and lots of awesome wonderful things. And we haven’t even talked about how busy we are for our church. I don’t think there is anything wrong with keeping busy and doing wonderful things that put food on the table and that are good for our kids and family. But there must be some kind of borders, or your life becomes like that piece of paper that is completely filled. No one wants to read that. And its purpose becomes lost. Schedule a nice quiet supper with your whole family sitting around the table at least a couple of times a week. Once a day would be even better. Turn off those cell phones and close those laptops in the evening about an hour or two before bed time. Those evening hours of winding down and relaxing can be exactly what you and your family needs to refuel the tank so that you can live the purposeful life that God has for you. One of the best decisions I made this past month was to remove Facebook from my cell phone. Man, I was constantly getting buzzed by that thing on my hip. And I am too OCD. I had to respond to every notification, or the world would stop rotating on its axis. Oh how much nicer it has been for me to just go to Facebook when I want to go to it, rather than my life and time being ruled by IT.Jesus said, “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,” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV). Margin. Follow Jesus. Let Him add margin to your life. And you will experience the rest and the clearly defined purpose that He has for you. Do you have margin in your life?

Sunrise Children's Services and Texas Road House Restaurant

2011-09-30T21:40:00.001-05:00

Hey Northern KY friends! Eat at Texas Roadhouse this coming Monday, October
3 for supper, write SUNRISE on the check/bill, and you will be helping a
wonderful ministry that helps foster kids, adopted kids, and Christian
counseling services all made available through Sunrise Children's Services.
Check out the word given to me below by our NKY rep Kevin Richardson. It's
a great cause, very much worth eating steak for!!! J

Bro. Bill,

I just wanted to remind you and the congregation about our Texas Road House
Restaurant event coming up this Monday, October 3rd.

After 3PM, Texas Road House Ft. Wright, (off 3L next to Wal Mart), will be
donating 20% of the check spent that evening to Sunrise. All someone has to
do is either bring a printed copy of the attached card to this email, or
write Sunrise on the check. That's it!

I appreciate any word you can get out on this for me, and God Bless all of
you!

Kevin W. Richardson

Regional Advancement Director, Northern Kentucky

Sunrise Children's Services

P.O.Box 176291

Covington, KY 41017

T; 859-445-7801

Email: kwrichardson@sunrise.org

Web: SUNRISE.ORG

YouVersion Bible App

2011-09-29T20:13:00.001-05:00

I am a HUGE fan of the mobile Bible app called YouVersion. This is an e-mail I got from them today. You can use this application on your computer or laptop. But what's even more awesome is that they have a mobile version of this app for nearly every platform available: droid, iPhone, Blackberry, and more. Read below to see how many translations are available and even more awesome information about YouVersion. Oh, and my favorite thing about it is how it gives you a wonderfully accessible and useful way to keep you on a Bible reading plan. If you have not tried to read the Bible through in a year or have tried and dropped off (like I have done many times), check out the ESSENTIAL 100 reading plan below. If you start it now, it will get you through the Bible highlights in 100 days or by the end of 2011. Pretty cool stuff. Create a free log-in today and get in the Word!!!

You are YouVersion.

2 Corinthians 3:3 says that you are a letter from Christ, written with the Spirit of the living God on human hearts. Reading the words of inspiration, encouragement, and direction that God has given to us—the Bible—fills us with passion for the things that matter most to His heart. Most people who use the Bible App say that having God's Word with them everywhere helps them connect with Him more often, and more deeply, every day. That's why we do what we do.

It's YouVersion's Birthday!

On September 27, 2007, YouVersion launched as an online Bible with just 7 translations. We wanted to build an interactive Bible where God's unchanging Word could be layered with constantly updated contributions like videos and blog posts. Then on April 29, 2008, YouVersion announced our first mobile version, and our whole world changed. The YouVersion community quickly discovered that having the Bible on our phones helped us read more. YouVersion multiplied into a worldwide community, with nearly 30 million unique installs, 152 translations in 45 languages, more than 190 reading plans, and personalized features we couldn't imagine back in 2007. Thank you for joining us, by using the Bible App to engage with God's Word and sharing it with your friends. Celebrate with us and read more at our blog.

Featured Reading Plan: Essential 100

Have you tried the Essential 100 reading plan? Essential 100 gives you a meaningful overview of the entire Bible in just 100 days. (That means if you start now, you can complete it just as the new year begins!) Each day, Essential 100 leads you through a passage from the Old or New Testament, 50 from each. Even as Essential 100 is revealing to you the big picture of God's love, it's also helping you develop a daily Bible reading habit. Sign up for your free YouVersion account, and you can get started trying Essential 100 today! Or try another of YouVersion's (so far) more than 190 reading plans.

Did You Know…

...Besides using the Bible App to read your Bible, you can have the Bible App actually read it to you? Listen while you drive, work, exercise—even read along! A speaker icon means the version you're reading has audio available. Just tap that icon to see audio controls. If your current version doesn't have audio, tap the current version's "short code" (abbreviation). A list of all available versions displays. The ones with speakers next to them offer audio. You'll find audio versions in several languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian—even Chinese—to name just a few. Check your preferred language to find your new favorite listening Bible! (Coming soon to Windows Phone, too.)

Building a Better Bible App

We're constantly working to make the Bible App easier, more accessible, and more useful on every platform. For example, just as with your favorite paper Bible, now you can use highlights to mark passages that speak to you in a special way. Simply tap the verse(s) you want to highlight, tap the Share icon, and choose a color—now your verse will be easy to spot again later as a reminder! (Highlights will also be coming soon to Windows Phone.) Want more tips? Find the latest news about your favorite version of the Bible App at YouVersion's blog.

In Your Own Words

"@YouVersion on iPhone is a game changer. Hardly missed a day & often read ahead of schedule." —Morgan

"YouVersion has helped me feel the passion of the writers through audio versions. For me, to read the Scriptures and then hear them is like scenes being written in my heart." —Mary

"No better way to start the new month than with a fresh, hot cup of #coffee and my #YouVersion Bible App." —Tara

YouVersion is YOU

We write the software that makes the Bible App work, but you're who makes YouVersion what it is: A global community committed to sharing God's Word. We want to empower you with tools that help you tell others all that God is doing in your life. But we can always use more help. Whether it's beta testing new software, helping new users learn what the Bible App can do, or helping translate the Bible App into more languages, YouVersion's awesome volunteer community helps propel this Bible revolution forward. Please let us know what you can do to help.

You are the work of His hands. You are loved. You are appreciated. You are YouVersion.

Facebook: http://facebook.com/YouVersion
Twitter: http://twitter.com/YouVersion
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Support: http://support.youversion.com
Donate: http://www.youversion.com/donate
Volunteer: http://support.youversion.com/how-can-i-help/

To unsubscribe from these emails: http://www.youversion.com/settings/notifications

--
in awe of HIM,
Bill Clark

senior pastor
Hickory Grove Baptist Church
Independence, KY
www.hickorygrove.net

Get Off the Ride

2011-09-23T15:59:00.000-05:00

We have season passes to King’s Island. My kids love it. My wife Sherry and I love it as well, but we are finding that our bodies react differently to a day at King’s Island than it used to. I am a huge fan of wooden roller coasters. So needless to say, you know what I like: the Beast and the Racer. I love the feel of the wooden coaster. And the Racer is especially cool because of all the camel humps that give you the sensation of coming up out of your seat (for enthusiasts, those are called “negative G’s or G-forces”). However, something has either happened to the Beast or to me over the past few years. By the time I get off the ride, I feel like my stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, and ribs have all played red rover with each other. Talk about getting shook up. As a man, I feel like I need to ride all these rides and show my kids and the world that I can take anything. Bring on the thrills! Bring on the excitement! I ain’t (pardon my Appalachian-American lingo) ‘fraid o’ nut’n! That’s what my head and heart say. But my body says something else. I am finding that after so many rides, I am DONE. I love my kids and wish to continue riding rides with them. I am a man who wants to show he can do anything. But when that little sick feeling in the temples of your head and the pit of your stomach starts to make itself known, it’s time to just get off the ride and call it a day.Roller coasters serve as a great metaphor of life. I have had the privilege of having lots of wonderful conversations with lots of people about how their lives, careers, health, and families are doing. Some of those conversations have been very difficult. There are times when I hear someone share about their life and it sounds like the Vortex with many twists and turns and corkscrews. And what’s worse is that in many of those situations, the person CHOSE to get on that crazy ride. They’ve found themselves wrapped up in a drama like no other, being tossed and turned by volatile relationships, personal addiction, and choices based on selfish desires. It certainly is a ride, but it’s not the kind that provides a safe, enjoyable rush of adrenaline. It’s the kind that is rocky, dangerous, and leads to a life that literally spins out of control. What’s the answer? When the ride of life gets that complex, what possible solution can help? I think the answer may be more simple than most think: GET OFF THE RIDE!Jesus said in Matthew 11, “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,” (vv. 28-30, NIV). Maybe the better way to put it is to change rides! Unbuckle the harness that grips you to a life of hairpin turns that lead to nowhere, step out of that nausea-invoking seat, and exit the ramp. But that’s not all. Yoke yourself to Christ. A yoke was used to collar two oxen together for farm work. Farmers would often yoke a young, inexperienced ox with an older, well-used ox. Just by being connected, the young ox would learn from the older one and become just like him. And eventually, he would be the one that would lead a younger ox. When you step off of your life’s ride and connect yourself to Christ and never leave Him, it’s the most amazing trade ever. Your old life for a new life. He will love you, lead you, grow you, and use you if you let Him. But first, you gotta get off the ride. What’s your choice?

Reveal 2011 - night 3 sermon notes

2011-09-15T13:33:00.001-05:00

Notes from Rob Turner's Sermon
. any time you talk about the Lord, it is a life lr death matter.
. The story of Ken and Beth Perkins
. Soren Kierkegaard - "The problem with Christians today is that no one
wants to kill them anymore."
. The big elephant in the room for American Christianity is, "Where is the
persecution?"
. Christ said that if they persecuted Him, they would persecute us.

Revelation 21:1ff
6 Things You Will NOT see in Heaven
1. No lack of beauty.
- like the beauty of your bride continually making you speechless 2. No need
for faith.
- Because the dwelling of God is now with men.
- faith has become sight

(sorry. I missed #2 - anyone else catch that one)

3. No degree of suffering.
- Rev. 21:4
4. No boredom.
- Rev. 21:5 - all things new... qualitatively BRAND new!
- not just us being weird little angels playing harps forever.
5. No emptiness.
- Rev. 21:6
- water is a symbol of life all through the Bible
- the woman at the well was parched
- "without cost" - there's lots of water you can drink in this world, but
yhere's a cost to it and it will kill you.
6. No unbelievers in heaven.
- Rob has done a lot of funerals where the family has tried their best to
convince him their dead relative is in heaven.
- Rev. 21:8
- It's not a question whether not you believe that Jesus is real. The
demons do that and shudder.
- Do you trust Him?
- parents, we need to quit farming out the spiritual formation of our kids
to other people.

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created by Easy Notes

Reveal 2011 - night 2 sermon notes

2011-09-15T12:17:00.000-05:00

Notes from Rob Turner's Sermon
. If you are not a Christian, you have a powerful enemy: God.
. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
. Hell is so real and so bad because God is so real and so good.
. We will always find someone that we are better than. That's a bad way to
define sin.
. If my heart is not right and I do not do what I do out of faith, even
something I do that seems good could be sin.
. The gospel is not about making good people or bad people better; it's
about making dead people alive.
. Jesus does not want fans; he wants followers.
. Jesus absorbed the wrath of the Father upon Himself.
. Jesus' body was riddled with our sin. He became sin who knew no sin.
. Jesus is at the right hand of God right now praying and interceding for
the saints.
. Double transfer: Jesus became sin. We became the righteousness of Jesus
Christ.
. If you are a Christian, here is your first and last name: "in Christ."
. Are you clothed in Christ?
. Jesus = everything

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created by Easy Notes

Reveal 2011 - night 1 sermon notes

2011-09-14T14:11:00.001-05:00

Reveal 2011, a northern Kentucky youth conference that just concluded last
night, was AWESOME! My buddy Rob Turner was the preacher for the event, and
God, as always, used him to speak transformational truth in a powerful,
creative way. My next couple of blog entries will be notes from each night
that I took while he was preaching...

Notes from Rob Turner's Message
Colossians 4:2-6
- Pray up
. devote - Hold on to
. prayer lists demonstrate what we value, shows what we truly care about .
pray like your life depends on it . they didn't ask Jesus how to preach or
socialize. They asked him how to pray.
. when is the last time someone saw us and asked us how to pray.
. winning people to Christ doesn't start with strategy; it starts with
prayer . we don't like to pray because it forces us to deal with ourselves.
The hardest person you will ever have to lead is you.

- Speak up
. prayer is the great icebreaker that prepares others hearts to hear the
Titanic of the gospel.
. Beware of the social gospel - just helping others . We must speak up about
Jesus.
. We always talk about what we love.
. if you stop praying, your heart grows cold, and you will not speak up.

- Step up
. Colossians 4:5
. character and conduct matters.
. we abuse the grace of Jesus to speak and act like we want.
. you are not stepping up for Jesus when your facebook and twitter statuses
are from Hell.
. you are not walking in wisdom when you date horribly.
. Don't just date someone who is a Christian. Date someone who is a
fruitful Christian.
. Guys, the girls want us to lead in a Christlike way.
. Our life is a vapor. The time is short.
. story of Richard - AP photographer - he took a picture of the falling man
. do you realize that you have neighbors and classmates who are like that
falling man: fully alive but dead. They need Christ.
. Will you pray up, speak up, and stand up?

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created by Easy Notes

Adam Greenway for KBC President!

2011-09-13T11:36:00.000-05:00

We were so blessed to have Dr. Adam Greenway serve as our interim pastor of the Grove between Will Langford and myself. What a special man he is, and I am pumped that he has been nominated to be president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. It seems to me that God has placed him to serve at the Grove and most recently at Florence Baptist Church at Mount Zion to prepare Northern Kentucky, the site of this year's KBC, as well as the entire state for Adam to be considered for this role. He is a gifted preacher, wise teacher, a man of impeccable character, passionate missionary, and lover of Christ. I hope and pray for God's will to be done, but I have this gnawing feeling that he will be the guy, and that makes me PUMPED! Here's the full story on the nomination: http://www.kybaptist.org/kbc.nsf/pages/greenway-KBC-president-2011.html

Remembering 9/11 - Ten Years Later

2011-09-10T17:09:00.000-05:00

I will never forget that day. I was driving in my car to go to the office when news cut in on the radio that a plane had apparently flown into one of the WTC towers. By the time I got to the office, no one on the radio news had even speculated that it was a purposeful, terroristic act. I somehow mustered up the ability to go ahead and start getting work done in the office. At some point, I encountered our church secretary. Diane told me both towers had been hit. We went into her office where she and one of our volunteers named Floyd had plugged in a radio. We listened in shock and horror of what was unfolding in our nation. We decided we needed to find a TV. But first, we paused and prayed together in that office. After finding some old bunny ears to put on a TV set, we were able to get local news coverage. And you know the rest of the story. What a horrific, tragic day. We decided to hold a spontaneous prayer meeting in our church that night, and the attendance was great. We just simply shared and prayed. It was a microcosm of the effect 9/11 had all over our country. Strangers would talk to strangers and express their fear, hurt, and even anger over the events. People went to church for the first time in years, and old Bibles were dusted off. We'll never be the same. But I hope we will never be the same, FOR THE GOOD! The old routine is back. Oh we will break it tomorrow as we attend remembrance services to commemorate the 10-year anniversary. But have many folks slipped away from the patriotism or worse, the faith and prayerfulness, that they experienced 10 years ago? Maybe so. I love 1 Peter 4:19. It says, "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." The context of this verse is a word to Christians who were being severely persecuted for their faith. Peter was urging them to keep the faith in the midst of that suffering and to continue to do good and be committed to their FAITHFUL God. God is faithful, isn't He? Some reached out to Him for the first time 10 years ago. Some still failed to acknowledge Him and find strength in Him. Some thought more of Him for a while, but have since slipped back into their routine of self-sufficiency. How about you? Did you hold His hand tighter on that day 10 years ago? How tightly are you holding it now? God is faithful, even in the midst of the actions of evil-doers and the suffering of the innocent. He is still there, reaching out His hand to those who would find their hope, peace, and strength in Him. Take hold of it, and don't let go. Our world is a lot different than it was 10 years ago. And if the Lord tarries His coming, we have no clue what the world will be like for the next 10. But this I know, if my life is in the hands of my faithful Creator, I have no reason to fear. Through triumph or tragedy, God is faithful.

Randall Neighbour Conference Call

2011-09-08T14:02:00.000-05:00

My church is becoming a church of healthy, growing, serving small groups, or as we call them, Life Groups. I am a huge proponent in the life-changing, ministry-mobilizing power of small groups. I've been blessed with lots of challenging, growth opportunities as a pastor by meeting small group gurus from around the nation. Randall Neighbour did a conference call with small group leaders all over the nation today, and it was a great experience. Randall is the author of The Naked Truth about Small Groups and is a very successful small group pastor in Texas. So I jotted down some pretty cool nuggets from that conference call, so if you are into small groups in your church, I hope some of these things will spark thoughts, ideas, actions, or healthy questions to get you moving in the direction God may be leading you and your church...• A lot of ministries are set up to build a congregation rather than the body of Christ• Why do pastors want more leaders? Sometimes it’s simply job security. Sometimes it’s a numbers expectation. • Let’s not let this be rooted in volunteerism. Let it be rooted in calling.• Let’s not build a castle. Let’s build His Kingdom!• Let’s help people not for OUR structure but for THEIR sake.• Do what you need to be doing for your group MEMBERS, and you’ll end up getting group LEADERS for free .• Our culture, including the church, is built around consumerism. What does the church offer me? Solution: cultivate organic relational evangelism in your church which breeds discipleship which breeds new leaders.• What does relational evangelism look like in group life? New parents mature at a rapid pace because there is someone they are responsible for. Same is true for Christians who lead friends to Christ. They become disciplers because they are responsible for helping another person spiritually. • If a small group decides to band together to reach their friends for Christ, we will see great relational evangelism which results in effective, one-on-one discipleship.• We need to focus on helping our groups and equipping our groups to reach their friends for Christ.• Key word: organic.• Randall defines a small group as a group of folks (about 10-12) who gather together because of Jesus.• How to do this? Start with just one group. Get one group to have its individuals to list lost friends that live locally in order to pray for them.• Book by David Early• Help a group reach a couple of their friends for Christ to get this process started. Invite lost friends to supper in your home.• Whoever wins them Christ, have that person bring that new convert to their group and win that new convert to your group.• Let this be a slow process to develop your small groups into groups that seek to win the lost and to disciple those they win.• Set the bar real high. Let the church know that this is not about building a church structure; this is about doing what God has called us to do.• Build a pathway that you want your groups to intentionally take to move them to a healthy, growing, missional, Christ-centered group!

The 4 C's of Parenting

2011-09-06T22:01:00.001-05:00

We are now the proud parents of pubescent teenagers, and I am definitely learning how to navigate these sometimes choppy waters. I am a big fan of a ministry called Homeword which is ran by a wonderful man named Jim Burns. He is such a great parenting expert. I once heard him share about the 4 C’s of parenting, and they happen in this order: Caring, Controlling, Coaching, and Confiding. When we first have those little newborns, they are 24/7 care. I was just talking to a friend of mine in church who is being absolutely blown away right now by how much her and her husband’s lives have been changed and rocked by this little 10 pounds of humanity. They are completely helpless blessings who constantly need our attention. But then you have the controlling phase where we pretty much micromanage our child’s lives, and we have to do so for their own physical safety. Left on their own with no boundaries, our little ones would not survive as they climb whatever they want, yank on whatever they want and put in their mouths whatever they want. We kind of stay in that season quite a while, and if I’m being honest, I would love to still park there for a long time. But I’m already finding my parental gears shifting to not JUST controlling but with some coaching as well. I know that in a few short years, coaching will be all I will do. Coaching involves being very loving and caring and involved in our kids’ lives. But it also leaves enough distance for kids to test boundaries and experience the pains of failure and consequences. My controlling nature so wants to not let this happen, but this is good for our kids and very important in their maturation process. And I can’t wait for the day (well, I CAN wait because I don’t them to grow up this fast), when we are in the confiding stage. You know that stage. Perhaps you are in that phase now with your parents, where you can call them and get advice, sharing your feelings and problems. If things work out well and we are blessed to have good parents, in the adult years, parents become great friends.But in the meantime, I am still controlling and coaching along with my pre-teen and teen. We were just having a healthy debate about whether or not parents ruin everything. Those are fun conversations. My son Cameron often jokes around and asks me if I want to be his friend. We love saying random things like that. I almost always say NO. I say, I just want to be your Dad. And to me, that’s even better. It will mean at times that my kids don’t like me, but that just means I’m doing my job. Hebrews 12:10-11 says, “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Being a parent gives me a very microscopic idea of what God the Father must feel like. Does He ever wonder if we are ever going to learn? Do we ever break His heart? Does He smile when He sees us finally get something and stay within His boundaries? I know one thing: He’ll do anything to have an amazing, life-changing love relationship with us. He showed us this by laying down His own Son. As a dad, I want to emulate that kind of selfless, sacrificial love for my kids. That love involves selflessness and discipline. It involves all the time caring, sometimes controlling, consistently coaching, and ultimately confiding. Parenting truly is the toughest job around. As you navigate these waters, look to the best Parent ever, our Heavenly Father for all the strength and wisdom that we truly need to be the parents that our kids truly need!

Gimme Your Eyes

2011-09-03T09:47:00.001-05:00

There’s a catchy little tune from Christian singer Brandon Heath that I really like. It’s called “Give Me Your Eyes.” Here’s what the chorus says:Give me Your eyes for just one secondGive me Your eyes so I can seeEverything that I keep missingGive me Your love for humanityGive me Your arms for the broken heartedThe ones that are far beyond my reach?Give me Your heart for the one's forgottenGive me Your eyes so I can seeI had not heard the song in months, and the song came flooding back into my mind just this past Monday. Have you ever just experienced a day of happening that you just knew were directly from God? It’s as if He has set up some divine appointments just for you because He is trying to tell you something or lead you somewhere? That was my Monday. On my way to make a hospital visit, I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in months. We talked right outside that hospital with tears flowing about how God had worked in and through a house fire they had where they lost everything. How GOD had worked. My heart was so blessed to hear that. After making that hospital visit, I decided I could use some caffeine and went into Starbucks in Crestview Hills. There I ran into an old friend who is a retired educator and administrator. I asked him how he was enjoying retirement. Turns out he has been doing mission trips to Egypt and India. I sat enthralled with his stories of sleeping in the slum of India and doing ministry in the garbage towns of Egypt. I was amazed at literal miracles that he experienced while there. Yet I also was amazed at how broken our world is. While we sit in the comfort of our homes, there are people in the far reaches of this world building a dung house to provide some semblance of shelter in their town or village. While we take our kids back to school shopping here in suburban Northern Kentucky, there are little children being given to pedophiles in India as a gift from a pedophile god (notice the little “g”). While we celebrate the birth of a new baby in our family, a ministry in India has set up a private dropbox for mom’s to place their newborn babies in as an option to just killing that baby in order to escape financial and societal consequences.Acts 26:17-18 says, “I will rescue you from your own people and the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” This passage challenges those who know the light of Christ to go and tell others who are in the darkness, so that they can experience the awesome, life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. So many nations and people groups are still in that darkness. We need to go to them and proclaim Christ. However, WE, TOO, need our eyes opened. We are often shackled by the tunnel vision that is our own little world. God opened my eyes like never before on Monday to His amazing work in places I have no clue about. He opened my eyes to the brokenness from my community to the continents that so desperately needs Christ’s help. I hope my eyes never shut again. Lord, gimme your eyes. Help me and everyone to see all things through your eyes so that we can know your awesome work around us, and so that we can know the desperate need that exists as well. And then, let us be your hands, feet, hugs, smile, and help from our community to the continents, shining your light in the darkness, so that eyes will be opened to see our awesome Savior Jesus Christ!

Thinkin' about the iPad. Have the Playbook.

2011-08-22T13:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I am one geeky guy for sure and love the tech stuff. I have loved my Blackberry phone for the year that I have had it. And it looks like now that webOs is on its way to extinction, it was probably a good move to switch from the Palm Pre to the Blackberry. So when I began saving up for a tablet, I was salivating for the yet to be released Blackberry Playbook. The marketing is correct. It is powerful. It is portable. The 7-8" screen doesn't bother me. I carry it like a paperback book. I've preached from it. I read my rss feeds from it. I play games, record and upload video. It's great. But after having the Playbook for 4 months, I am missing some features that I know the iPad has. I miss a really good Bible app. The playbook has more stuff available for other religions than it does for the Bible. And you can't watch netflix on the playbook. However, I can show powerpoints from my playbook. The playbook can multi-task seamlessly and has adobe flash which is great for viewing all kinds of videos and web pages. So I guess I'm starting to have some buyer's remorse. I actually thought about selling the playbook and saving up for an iPad. If Blackberry could come up with a great Bible app in the near future, that would make me feel so much better. But today my eyes are looking awfully hard at the tablet that Apple built. What say you?

in awe of HIM,
Bill Clark

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Keeping your mouth shut :-)

2011-08-13T14:28:00.002-05:00

Ok. So we all have those certain things that we don't like but we have just decided to give in on and keep our mouths shut. I believe this is especially a dad/husband thing. We have an opinion, we have a peave, but we have, over time, decided quite smartly that these things are hills not worth dying on. So I will give you a short list of my own:

puddles on the bathroom floor
snacks granted to kids an hour or less before a meal
wash rags wadded and left in the bottom of the tub rather than folded and hung on the neat little bar thingy
batteries taken out of the remote control and never replaced
the last pop tart taken, yet the empty box left in the pantry to give an empty hope to someone that next morning

Okay, friends! It's your turn to sound off. What makes you wanna scream, yet you bottle it up and paint that smile on? :-D

Casey Anthony Trial: Where Is Justice?

2011-07-17T20:58:00.002-05:00

It’s amazing the kick in the gut that you can feel when you see something completely unfair happen, and you cannot do a thing about it. I’ve watched sports games where your team had a call go against them. Instant replay shows that it was a bad call, but for whatever reason, it doesn’t get reversed. You just feel so violated and wronged. Well, it’s just a game. So perhaps moving on from that isn’t too hard. But then you have this Casey Marie Anthony trial. My wife has been completely immersed in this trial. If good ol’ Nielsen is watching us, Headline News’ ratings should have gotten a big bump the past two months just from the Clark house. I really didn’t watch any of it, but I enjoyed hearing Sherry update me almost nightly on any of the new twists, turns, and bombshells of the trial. But by the time closing arguments began, Sherry got me hooked. I watched every bit of those closing arguments. I was locked in. And when the jury had reached a verdict, Sherry called me and told me. I was in my office, but I got on my tablet and was able to watch a live video feed on the internet. I couldn’t believe it: NOT GUILTY! I was of the opinion that this was an open-shut case for the prosecution. To me, it seemed that the defense’s game plan was to blame a bunch of other people and hope something sticks, a lot of smoke and mirrors. With the chloroform, the duct tape, and the defendant’s lies and strange behavior during the search for the missing little Caylee, I thought for sure Casey would get convicted. But it didn’t happen. She was charged with 4 counts of basically lying to the police and would only have to serve an additional week and a half in jail than what she had already served. It seems like everyone “knows” she is guilty. And even though it sure seems like it, none of us can say for sure exactly what happened and how. But I can’t help but feel awful about Caylee. This helpless little toddler was completely dependent upon her guardian to protect her in every way. And someone overpowered her, killed her and treated her body like a bag of litter. The jurors saw reasonable doubt, and I appreciate the class with which the prosecution team has responded to their verdict. Those 12 folks sacrificed 8 weeks of being sequestered away from their families. I have to believe they rendered a verdict based on a careful consideration of all the evidence and testimony. But at the end of the day, where is justice? We all just want someone to pay for what happened to Caylee. It reminds me of a verse in the Bible we find in the book of Acts. Acts 17:31 says, “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” A lot of folks refer to this day as Judgment Day. Maybe a better name for it is Justice Day! We have a decent legal system. I really believe that. But it’s not perfect. Why would it be? It is run by imperfect people. But the day is coming when One who is absolutely perfect, who knows all and has seen all will deliver His justice very swiftly and powerfully. I know we want justice and want it now. But one thing is for sure: justice will prevail, because Jesus, the righteous judge, will have His day and His final say. The gospel gives us an amazing, miraculous irony to that day. The truth is that on that Justice Day, if we all get what we have coming to us, none of us will darken the gates of Heaven. But if we trust in Jesus and Him alone for salvation and have been born again (John 3), the Bible says we are “justified,” meaning we are found “not guilty” in his eyes. When the righteous judge looks at the charges against us, it will be stamped “paid in full” because of the blood of Jesus in which we trust for salvation. Justice will be served one day. Make sure you have been “justified” before that day. And if Casey Anthony or any person has not been justified before that day, justice will be served and there will be no amount of fancy speeches, special worded arguments or rules of deliberation that will get us out of a jam. It will be just you and the One who knows all. On that day, justice will prevail. Are you ready?

Mitchell Clayton Update: Week 2 in Vilcashuamán

2011-07-13T22:34:00.000-05:00

Another awesome update from missionary Mitchell Clayton:

Hello everyone,

I would like to first thank everyone for their prayers. I love hearing back
from you all and it is truly a joy knowing that I am being lifted up daily
in the prayers of many!

I would like to just give a short update of what has happened since I wrote
last. One big blessing is that we have finally gotten to meet with a few
more of the Christians here and have bible study with them. They had been
gone or working in the past few weeks yet it was a blessing getting to
engage with them finally. And it would seem that this coming week when we
meet for bible study that we can finally have several of them there all
together. Another blessing was that we were able to meet more Christian
girls here. Two girls who we met randomly and went with them to Sheperd
sheep. I had full intentions of sharing the gospel with them but we soon
found out that they were Christians already and we will get to meet more
with them and hope to disciple them as well. Please pray for them, their
names are Maribel and Marisol. Please pray for a young lady named Emma who
we had a chance to share with this week. To me it seemed that God was
really speaking to her heart and she herself admitted that she was not a
christian, which is a big step for people here to admit. We were able to
explain to her the gospel to some degree and hope this week to meet with her
many more times to continue discussion. The first time we had talked with
her she talked to us a lot about the Jehovas Witness and what they had told
her. They have a somewhat big influence here but please just pray that the
true word of GOd and Gospel will change her heart.

The past few days have also been somewhat of a downer for us. Many people
who we tried to visit were just not there and at times we felt lost. But we
will not let it get us down and in our last few weeks we will push hard to
share as much as we can!

This week Lord willing a team of missionaries is coming to visit us for
three or four days. They are called the Barnabus team and are traveling
from town to town visiting the student missionaries. It will be a joy to
have them here and hopefully encouraging as well. I know it will be nice
for me just to have another American man to talk to!

Please pray this week that God will allow us to continue meeting with the
people we already know and that He will put new people in our path. Pray
also that we will have energy to continue on these last few weeks! Here are
some specific requests:

* The continued discipleship of the believers here
* People we are sharing with, Emma, Monica, Gloria, Delfin, Domitila,
Josefina, Hector, and Christian
* Continued team unity
* Spanish speaking ability for me and leadership
* Boldness in sharing the gospel
* Strength and Energy

Thank you all very much!!

Pablo

Update from Mitchell Clayton on the Peruvian Mission Field

2011-07-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

Here's an update from our own Mitchell Clayton who has been on mission in
Peru this summer...

Hello friends and family,

Sorry that it has been so long since the last update! That is due to a mix
of business and the internet being really slow here. First I will give a
quick update on the last week we spent in Huancapi. It was really hard to
leave after getting to know some of the people there and after being
recieved so graciously by everyone there. The last week we were blessed
with many opportunities to share the gospel and we had people asking us some
good questions. We were also able to give out some bibles to people who did
not have one. We did have one young lady named Janet asking us how she
could give her life to Christ and we explained it to her and she simply told
us she was going to do it. Unfortunately it was one of the last days and we
did not have another chance to fully follow up with her. But she did give
us her email so hopefully we may contact her. I am confident that we were
able to sow many seeds in the town of Huancapi and I pray that God will send
more workers there and continue the work that has been started!

Last week we had a break that took place in Nazca Peru which is famous for
the Nazca lines. This 3 day break was a wonderful time for all of us to
rest and to here about what God is doing in the other towns here. We also
got to eat some more americanized food which was great! THis time really
helped us to refocus and have a vision for the second half of our time here.

So now I and two other girls are in a new town called Vilcashuamán. Jenna
is still with me but we have picked up a new girl named Gerica who served
here in vilcas two years ago. Jacky went to serve in a small town of about
300 people called Cordova where she will be for the next 4 months. I will
say it was a huge blessing serving with her and I learned a lot about
village life through her being Peruvian that I would not have known
otherwise.

We arrived here Sunday the 28th and for the first few days the Creative
Ministry Team was with us. They are a team this summer that is traveling
village do village doing skits and music that are gospel based. IT was a
blessing having them here and through there ministry we were able to meet
some people. Vilcas is a beautiful town as well and a little bigger than
Huancapi. I think there are about 4 thousand people living here. Also
there are some inca ruins including a large piramid called the Ushno. The
ruins are very cool to see and they bring in a lot of tourist, but yet still
very few gringos. For the most part the people have been recieving us
nicely but to tell the truth in contrast to Huancapi some people here are
not as friendly and at times even seem hostile to us. Yet I am reminded
that we are to shine as lights in the midst of a dark and twisted
generation. And this place is truly dark spiritually. Yet there are some
believers that we have met and that have been reffered to us from previous
missionaries that have come. God has blessed us with chances to have bible
study with them. Another blessing is that we have seen God truly move in
the lives of a few christians here through our bible studies. They have
expressed to us how the Word has been speaking to them so praise God for
that. We are going to continue to meet with them as much as possible and
try and leave them with a mission attitude to reach this town long after we
are gone.

In the past few days we have met a lot of people and have been trying to
visit them at their houses. We will continue to share bible stories with
them and the gospel through the stories. Tomorrow we are planning to go to
the fields with a young couple to milk cows. There is no doubt in my mind
the field will be very very far away but it will be a good opportunity for
us to share with them. Another thing I will tell you is that now I am
pretty much the main translator. Gerica knows a lot of spanish but does not
speak a ton. Please please pray that God will give me the spanish skills
necessary to minister here. Leading bible studies and doing all ministry in
spanish is difficult for me many times. Yet I am confident that God works
through our weaknesses and that has shown thus far. Another thing I will
mention is that here I have more or less been called to lead our team of
three which is a position that is challenging and good for me but I need
wisdom in doing so. Thank you all for taking the time to read this message
and you can pray for the following things:

Our team and unity
THe christians here, Eusebio, Yolanda, Virginia, Ferencio, Edwin and the
others that we have yet to meet Monica a girl that tomorrow we are going to
help in her field Mine and Gericas spanish For reception from the people
here Wisdom as I seek to lead our team.

Lebron's Law: The Way You Do Things Matters

2011-06-18T22:06:00.001-05:00

I love basketball, and I have really enjoyed watching some good NBA playoff games. And now the season has ended as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat on June 12 to capture their first ever national championship. What the Mavericks did to win that championship was a wonderful display of great teamwork. However, that story has been overshadowed by the story you have undoubtedly heard more about: the fact that LeBron James’ big “decision” last summer to leave Cleveland and “take his talents to South Beach” did not result in a championship. It’s a big story because of something that has truly intrigued me. You see, LeBron James did something that any one of us had a right to do: change his job situation. He had every right to do that, just as any of one of us has a right to leave one job for another one, perhaps for more pay, perhaps for a situation that we would like more. LeBron even took less money to do what he did. And he did it to play with two friends. He played with them on the USA team, and they have great chemistry. So why did so many people seem to want him and the Miami Heat to fail? I believe it’s because of this: the WAY you do things matters. When we were teenagers, breakups were no fun. But what if I broke up with my girlfriend by sending a text message saying, “I don’t want 2 b with u anymore. C ya. L.” I was taught that you do those things face to face and you do it respectfully, humbly, yet honestly. The problem is that LeBron, who may have simply gotten some real bad advice, left a city that adored him for years and let them know he was doing it by asking them and the whole world to tune into a one-hour show on ESPN on July 9, 2010. And even though the show’s proceeds actually benefited a charity, $2 million to the Boys and Girls Club, now, even ESPN analysts are saying that was a big mistake for him. LeBron is seen as that guy who broke up with his girlfriend through a text message. Then, the very next day, LeBron joined his two new superstar teammates Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh for a very lavish, pyrotechnic pep rally to celebrate the beginning of a dynasty. Within a matter of 2 days in the summer of 2010, the Miami Heat became the team that America loved to hate.

I don’t know LeBron. I’ve always thought he was a class act and an amazing talent. I never thought of him as selfish or immoral. But the way you do things really does matter, and it can affect your reputation in a powerful way. Proverbs 22:1a reads, “A good name is more desirable than great riches.” So how do you build a right reputation? Here’s what Philippians 2:3-5 says in the New Living Translation: “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” It can be tough to do, but if we seek to do things for the sake of Christ and others more than for our sake, we can rest assured that we could never be accused of being self-centered. All they will see is someone living their life for Christ and for others. Yes, the way we do things does matter. So let’s do things… do EVERYTHING for GOD’S glory and not ours. I bet you and I will both find that our life will truly matter and make an eternal impact like we never imagined.

New Outdoor Basketball Area at Jonathan Creek

2011-06-11T23:27:00.000-05:00

We have taken a group of youth to Jonathan Creek in Hardin, KY for Crossings
Camp since its inception in 2000. We love that place. I've played many a
game on its outdoor basketball courts. Those courts got a beautiful
makeover that was dedicated just today! Check out this e-mail sent to me by
president and CEO David Melber...

Hi,

I hope you're doing well today. I want to let you know about a special
event at Jonathan Creek that you are invited to.

Due to the generosity of Jeff and Stacie Richard, we have been given the
privilege of constructing and renovating the central area of Jonathan
Creek. This renovation includes a new sand volleyball court, new basketball
courts, and a new fountain and seating area. This area also includes a
memorial to the Richard's late son, Nate, who loved playing basketball.

We are going to have a formal dedication of this memorial on June 12th,
beginning at noon CST. The dedication will start with lunch at noon and
include a brief dedication service at 12:45pm. We would like for you to be
a part of this event if your schedule permits.

Please respond by e-mail to confirm your attendance.

Thank you.

David Melber

President & CEO

Mitchell Clayton on Mission in Peru - UPDATE

2011-06-11T23:06:00.000-05:00

Here's another awesome update from Hickory Grover Mitchell Clayton who is on mission for Christ in Peru...

Hello everyone!

Thank you all very much for your prayers. This past week has been an amazing time just getting to know this small town. It is incredibly beautiful here with mountains on all sides and the small pueblo in the middle. (I think were at about 10 or 11 thousand feet) I was told there are 1800 people who live here but there may be more. The beauty outside helps me to overcome my living conditions. My room is about 8 by 8 with a tiny little bathroom that has a toilet with no toilet seat haha and a shower with ice cold water. But it really does not bother me, we are normally so tired by night time so I sleep very well. Today also we washed our clothes for the first time and did it all by hand! Thankfully the girls were there to help me.

This past week it seems as if we have met atleast half the town. The people here are very nice and welcoming. Especially among the young people us "gringos" have been recieved well. Here I call myself Pablo (my middle name translated into spanish) because it is much easier for the people to pronounce and it is rare for me to walk somewhere without hearing a kid yell "hey Pablo!" God has opened doors for us to be able to enter into the schools and even teach a few classes of english. Everyone hear wants to learn english but even the english teachers know very little. This week we have also been able to tell some bible stories to some of the younger kids in the park. Since we have been able to make some relationships the past week we will be pressing hard the next few weeks to share the Word with them as much as possible. We also went to the evangelical church here that meets a few times a week but is very small. Including the three of us there were maybe 7 or 8 people. Most everyone here is catholic. Yet also there are some other gods here that they worship and I hear the people will make offerings to the ground for their crops to grow. Although the people are so wonderful here they are definately lost. The other day we passed by a little house where some elders were gathered and we heard them sing Save me virgen Mary. Certainly they do not understand the true gospel, the only gospel. Another thing they have hear is miniature houses that they place on their roofs that they believe are Gods that protect them. I have been praying that God would wipe away everyone of those little houses. I would love to be able to tell more of the adventures we have experienced here but somethings will be better left to be seen in pictures! Please continue to pray for this town. Here are some requests:

Emilia - a young girl we shared with
Feliciano - An elder who we are sharing the bible with
All the kids in the school who are impressed by us just because we are from the US
Pastor Antonio and his church here
Team unity between me and the girls
Today for the presidential election. They have brought in some military to the town just incase things get out of hand
And most of all that the Spirit would come and work in the hearts of every person who lives here

God Bless,

Pablo

Make a Date to Vacate

2011-06-01T14:55:00.001-05:00

As I am writing this, all I can do is think about VACATION! We have one planned that involves going to oceanic waters in a place I’ve never been where I don’t have to set an alarm clock, take kids to school or practice, go to meetings, or be overwhelmed with a busy work schedule. It’s that time of the year where we take time to vacate. It’s a funny word: vacate. It simply means to leave or go away. Here’s a question for you: do you really need to vacate? Do you really need to leave or go away? I learned a new term from our youth pastor here at the Grove. It’s called a STAY-cation, where you take a week off from work, but you don’t go anywhere. You just stay at home, catch up on the ol’ honey-do list, and do fun stuff around the hometown area. Stay-cations are fun too. But leaving or going away is actually a very biblical principle. No, Jesus didn’t command us to, “Go forth unto ye tropical getaway forthwith to rejuvenate thineself with much sun and rest whereby you may return to labor once again.” Nah, you won’t find that anywhere, but you will see Jesus GETTING AWAY. Check this out. Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Luke 5:16 says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Even Jesus withdrew to get away from the crowds and the high demand that was placed on Him. He did it to refuel. However, there is one ingredient to his little vacations that maybe we didn’t think of as we have been planning our summer getaway: prayer. Whenever it mentions Jesus getting alone and withdrawing to a solitary place, it says that he did so in order to pray. God the Son needed His time of refreshing from God the Father. And if Jesus so needed, oh how much do we! What if your vacation planning involved looking for ways to not just have a great time or even just a physically relaxing time (although those are great)? What if your vacation planning also involved finding ways to become refueled spiritually? Maybe you use your getaway for an opportunity to re-form the habit of reading some of God’s word each day. Maybe you just set a goal for reading one book of the Bible while you are vacating. Maybe in addition to that, you can find a good companion book to read that will refuel your faith. There are plenty of awesome Christian books you can find that really teach wonderful truth and give you new perspective on living the Christian life. One of my favorites is Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. Max Lucado has written some powerful books that have ministered to so many people. Or maybe you can plan on or two times with your family during your trip where you just sit down together and share prayer requests and just pray together as a family. Perhaps that will set the stage for having a weekly time together like this when you vacate the vacation spot and return home. Maybe you have even better ideas, but the point is this: vacation is important. No, I’m not talking about having to spend a bunch of money to have the most amazing one-week getaway ever. You don’t have to do that. Just get away for one evening, one day, one weekend, or one week, and just leave the usual hub-bub of life. And in that time, let God rejuvenate you. Next time you vacate (or even stay-cate), let God in your plans. Take time to pray and be refreshed like never before!

Mitchell Clayton Mission Trip to Peru

2011-05-28T21:08:00.001-05:00

Hi, my fellow blog readers! I just wanted to give you information regarding
a young college student from my church who is now in Peru on a mission trip!
I am so proud of him and pumped that he is using his passion and ability to
speak Spanish to serve God in this way. Here is his first contact to us
back in the states from the mission field. Check it out...

Hello friends and family,

I hope everyone is doing very well. Currently I am in Lima about 3 hours
away from taking a 9 hour bus ride to Ayacucho and then from there maybe
another several hour bus ride to Huancapi. Huancapi is the name of the
village I will be staying in until the 21st of June. This past week in Lima
has been wonderful but full of training which has been good and has
hopefully prepared us enough to begin our mission in the villages. I will
be on a team of 3 people myself, a girl from Tennessee named Jenna and a
Peruvian missionary Jacky. I believe Huancapi already has an existing
evangelical church but with a pastor and leaders with very little training.
We may be working some with them. Another thing we will be doing is
teaching the gospel and discipling through orality techniques. Because many
of the people in the village are either illiterate completely or
semi-illiterate we will be relying much on sharing the gospel through
telling bible stories and other techniques. Another goal of ours is to just
build relationships and trust among the people and be part of their culture
for a while. I have heard that the people are open to talk about religion
but often times they have a tough time understanding clearly the gospel.

The truth is though, that I really dont know much about the village and what
exactly we will do. But here are some prayer requests that I would love for
you to lift up:

* Team unity amongst me and the two girls
* Traveling in the next few days
* Sicknesses (they told us that sickness is almost inevitable in the
mountains)
* Wisdom for the leadership of the church in Huancapi
* For me having to translate. Jacky speaks only spanish and Jenna
only english so as you see I am the middle man. And almost no one speaks
english in the villages so pray that I will be able to communicate
effectively
* For the people in the village that God would send his Spirit and
work in their hearts and for the believers that may already be there
* Acceptance amongst all the people

Thank you all so much for your prayers! I hope to be able to update you all
maybe in another week or two with more details, prayer request and Lord
willing to share the ways God has worked.

Dios les bendiga,

Mitchell

Is Your Life Group Alive?

2011-05-27T17:42:00.001-05:00

I LOVED this article about how small groups do have life spans. If you are in a small group and especially if you lead or host one, this is a must read! Check it out!

I See Dead Groups - http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Markhowelllivecom/~3/zamWGMA9pjM/

in awe of HIM,
Bill Clark

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

The Ultimate Graduation

2011-05-27T10:32:00.001-05:00

Well, Harold Camping of Free Radio International had the date set for Judgment Day. Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 6 p.m. You can’t get much more specific than that. But he got stood. He was all set for Judgment Day, only the Judge never showed. Harold has gotten so caught up in his mathematical formula that he forgot to check the best source for getting ready for the world’s end: God’s Word, the Bible. Matthew 24:36 says, “Now concerning that day an hour no one knows – neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son – except the Father only.” Uh… as it turns out… not even Jesus knows when Judgment Day is coming, and He says so Himself. The day after Harold was stood up, we had a special worship service at our church where we recognize our graduates. It was a beautiful service that really touched my heart as I looked at the faces of teens that were only four years old when I came to Hickory Grove. It was my second graduate ceremony in three days. The Friday prior, I got to go see a huge graduation ceremony at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. I was blessed to see several of my friends graduate with wonderful degrees. Some of the folks that graduated from seminary had SEVERAL degrees. It made several thoughts come to mind. First, don’t these guys have anything better to do than to go to school all the time? Hee. Just being honest. Second, how many student loans are they gonna have to pay off after all these degrees. But then another thought came to mind: there truly is so much to learn. Those graduates at Southern Seminary had made a huge accomplishment. But none of them would say, “I did it. I’ve learned all I can know. I no longer need to be taught.” There is always something to learn, and it even seems to me that the more I learn, the more I discover how little I do know. Only 4 chapters after Jesus reminded everyone that not even HE knows when Judgment Day is, we see Jesus talking to his eleven disciples (which, by the way, means “learners, students, pupils”) and giving them these great words: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus commands us to “make disciples (remember that means students) and to “teach.” What does all this mean? It means this: until Jesus DOES in fact return and bring this old world as we know it to a screeching halt, we will always be learning more and more about who He is, how to live life according to His will, and how to impact others’ lives for Him. We will always be students until the ULTIMATE GRADUATION DAY when we die or when He returns, and if we have placed our faith completely in Him, we can rest assured that it will be a glorious graduation, basking in the very presence of our King of kings and Lord of lords. So here is the question: are you READY for that day? If not, one good thing that may have come from Harold Camping’s confused prognostication is that it at least put the whole idea of that final day on your mind. We don’t when that day will come, but trust me friends: it is coming. So get ready! Trust in Christ; learn more of Him; and then live your life to bring others to Him as well. It’s time for us all to get ready for the ultimate graduation.

The End is Near? The False Teaching of Harold Camping

2011-05-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

Last night, at our last lesson of the 2010-2011 year of Filling Station (weekly Bible study for parents and grandparents at the Grove), we ended with THE END! We talked about end times, and we made reference to Harold Camping's prediction that the world will end this Saturday, May 21 at 6 p.m. Well, he must be better than Jesus, because Jesus said that not even HE knows when he's returning - only the Father knows (Matthew 24). Here's a good article from Al Mohler about Harold Camping's history of trying to calculate a date that only God the Father knows...

AlbertMohler.com – The End is Near? The False Teaching of Harold Camping

YouVersion: 20 Million Installs, May 26 Webcast, & More!

2011-05-17T20:51:00.001-05:00

I am a HUGE fan of the free Bible app that is sweeping the world called YouVersion! They are moving and shaking with a combination of simple, powerful technology AND, most importantly, the most powerful piece of literature in the history of the universe. Here is some of the latest news about YouVersion, and if you aren't already using it, you gotta check it out. It's FREE! Also, it mentions a new piece of software that looks amazing called the Glo Bible. You gotta go to www.globible.com and check out the specs on this. I've downloaded the free lite version but haven't installed and checked it out yet. In a world where it feels like there are so many obstacles to the gospel, isn't it awesome to see God's Word being made available in such powerful, universal ways?! Here's a message from YouVersion:

Hello, YouVersion friends!

Last November, we got together for the first YouVersion webcast and wondered if our generation could be the most Bible-engaged generation in history. We challenged each other to make Scripture a part of our daily lives and share the Bible with our friends. And the incredible YouVersion community is doing just that, fueling a pretty awesome milestone recently…

Together we've installed the Bible App on more than 20 million unique devices!

LET'S GET TOGETHER FOR A WEBCAST
To celebrate, join us on Thursday, May 26 at 11am CDT for a YouVersion Community Webcast. We'll share the latest news, take an inside look at what's coming up, and give you a chance to ask your questions. And just to add an extra bit of fun, you'll have a chance to win an iPad2 when you spread the word and attend the event. We look forward to seeing you there!

http://www.youversion.com/webcast

CONNECTING WITH THE YOUVERSION COMMUNITY
We talk a lot about how amazing the YouVersion community is, and we think you'd enjoy the opportunity to connect with each other! Here are two great ways to do that:

>> Schedule a meetup. Enjoy a face-to-face connection with others who are passionate about the Bible…study together, discuss what you're reading, and pray for each other. If you do not see a group in your area, be the first to start one! We set up an area to make it easy:

http://www.meetup.com/YouVersion.

>> Like the YouVersion page on Facebook, and join the conversations happening there. It's a great way to learn about Bible App news and take part in discussions about Scripture.

http://facebook.com/YouVersion

YOUVERSION AVAILABLE IN GLO BIBLE
Glo, the innovative Bible exploration software for PC, Mac and iPad, has become the first of YouVersion's partners to offer Bible App features directly within their software. This means that you can link your YouVersion account with the latest release of Glo Bible, synchronizing all your bookmarks and notes between both applications! Now, anytime you use the Glo Bible, you'll have easy access to your favorite passages and notes.

http://www.globible.com/

Thanks for all you're doing to engage with God's Word and share it with the people around you. We look forward to seeing you on May 26 for the webcast!

Sincerely,
Your Friends at YouVersion

Facebook: http://facebook.com/YouVersion
Twitter: http://twitter.com/YouVersion
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Blog: http://blog.youversion.com
Support: http://support.youversion.com
Donate: http://www.youversion.com/donate
Volunteer: http://bit.ly/youversionvolunteers

Canine Qualities

2011-05-17T17:33:00.000-05:00

So I plopped into my chair in my study to write this week’s article, and there is someone in my family that just keeps coming up to me, craving my attention. Soon, she realizes the only way to get it: she jumps into my lap as I sit in my work chair and just parks right there. My dog Allie is just so awesome. We’ve had her since she was weaned. She is one happy beagle. As they say, she truly is part of our family. As I was thinking about what to write, I couldn’t help but think about how much I love my dog and what a great companion she is (she FORCED me to think about her, actually). So I thought it would be a fun thing to think about what we could learn from the great “canine qualities” that Allie and perhaps your dog or pet exhibits. We actually could learn a lot from these furry family members. So here goes:

1. Affection. My kids are entering the muddy waters of puberty now, and I notice that it has been a long time since I’ve come home from work and been greeted with squeals of glee from them. But there is one family member that always meets me at the door with an enormous bounce in her step: Allie. She actually gives hugs by putting both paws on your shoulders and stretching. It is easy to dismiss affection as not that important. But it is important. When you receive it, it truly is refreshing. 1 John 3:18 says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” One thing we can learn from our canine companions is the importance of putting our love in action, showing affection to those we love.

2. Loyalty. My senior English teacher in high school was Miss Linda Leach. She is one of my all-time favorite teachers. She said something that really has stuck with me. She said that people just weren’t truly loyal anymore, that it was a lost art. She introduced us to literature that told stories of people laying down their lives for others. Today, people would rather sue their best friend or their own mother than to cultivate loyalty. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” There have been times that I’ve had to put on my mean master hat with Allie. She still loves to eat trash to this day. I have wondered how she would feel about her old master after he has had to discipline her and come down on her pretty good. But it never fails: Allie is just as loving and loyal no matter what. A dog serves as one of the best examples of unconditional loyalty.

3. Teachability. That’s a word that I was introduced to in sports. I had really never heard of that term till I was hearing it get thrown around to describe some of the better basketball players that were coming to UK. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. That might be true, but I know that my Allie knows some good tricks. We have her sitting, singing, rolling over, dancing, and going to her crate with relative ease (of course, a yummy treat is always involved). Jesus said in John 14:41, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” Our dogs do what we say (most of the time) because they are teachable, and because they love their master, they want to obey and please. Oh that we would have that mindset with our heavenly Master!

It’s amazing what we can learn from a dog. Now let’s go out and live it!

200% Jesus

2011-05-15T14:17:00.000-05:00

I know Easter is over. And there is something about interacting with a holiday after that holiday has already passed that just doesn’t seem right. I admit that I just don’t like to sing any Christmas songs after Christmas day. But I really wanted to finish all seven of the sayings from the cross, those last words of Jesus before He died on the cross as atonement for sins. As I was looking at both those sayings, it reminded me of an awesome theological truth that is so mysterious yet so vital to the Christian faith. Here are the two sayings. The first consists of two simple words: “I thirst,” (John 19:28). In those two words, we are reminded of how Jesus was 100% human. Sometimes I struggle with that truth. Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Messiah. He is part of the triune Godhead. Through Him all things were created. He is the Alpha and the Omega. I just don’t even really like to say He was human. But He was. He had to be. And God gives us evidence of this all through His word. Jesus wept (John 11:45). Jesus got tired (John 4:6). Jesus was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1). Jesus got hungry (Mark 11:12). Jesus got angry (Matthew 21:12). Sounds pretty human, doesn’t it? But there’s a very important reason for it: He was the perfect lamb that was to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Hebrews 10:11-14 says, “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” What is that saying? Well, up until Jesus arrived on the scene, sin would be continually dealt with through animal sacrifices by the priests. But when Jesus came, He allowed Himself to be the ultimate, final, once-and-for-all sacrifice for sins. He had to be human, a sinless, unblemished human in order to fulfill that role as the perfect, spotless sacrificial lamb. And that’s exactly what He was. Check out this awesome verse in the Bible: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin,” (Hebrews 4:15). How amazing is this! The very One who was sinless and the only One able to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins is also the One who GETS us. He knows our weaknesses. He knows what it’s like to deal with these bodies that are capable of thirst, hunger, and fatigue. He knows what’s it’s like to experience temptation. What an amazing Savior He is! And if that’s not amazing enough, not only is Jesus 100% human, but He is also 100% divine. He further declares His deity as He, God the Son, speaks to God the Father in this final word from the cross: “Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit,” (Luke 23:46). Now, I was decent enough in math in my growing up years that I know this just doesn’t add up. You are 100%. I hear that our bodies are around 60% water. That leaves 40% for other things. But we can’t be 200%. However, that’s probably the best way to describe Jesus in a way that explains who He is. He is 100% divine, the very Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. And He is 100% human who knows all about our weaknesses. We cannot fully wrap our minds around this. But I praise God for it. What an awesome Savior we have who understands our human weakness yet also is the perfect, sinless Son of God! I may not fully comprehend this till Heaven, but I intend to spend the rest of my earthly life celebrating it!

Cross-words: It Is Finished

2011-05-14T15:39:00.000-05:00

FINISHED! When we say that word in America here in the year 2011, it does not come off very profound. In fact, more often than not, that word carries a negative connotation. We use it to communicate that we are quitting; someone has gotten the best of us; I surrender; I’m leaving you. So because of this, we may not fully grasp the amazing ramifications of Jesus’ very last words from the cross on the day He was crucified: “Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit,” (John 19:28-30). Those words, “It is finished,” are our English translation of the original Greek word in which the New Testament was written: TETELESTAI. It was not an uncommon word in that day, but it certainly wasn’t a negative word. Two of the most common uses of the word were associated with the military and with merchants or accounting. How was this a military word? It was a battle cry and a victory chant! When the troops had won a battle in a war, it was not unusual to hear screams of TETELESTAI on the streets of the towns. It was a word of victorious celebration because a battle had been won. Wow! How ironic! Jesus, an innocent man who had done nothing wrong, had just been brutally scourged, tortured and mocked and put through the most excruciating death imaginable known as the crucifixion. And yet, Jesus gives a victory cry as He breathes His last. To the casual observer, that wouldn’t make any sense. But to those who know Jesus and get why He came and especially why He died, TETELESTAI makes perfect sense. By Jesus’ death on the cross, He had conquered sin, breaking down the great chasm between mankind and a personal relationship with the God who created us. Because of Jesus’ brutal death, the way was made for anyone who would believe in Him to have an abundant life (John 10:10), and a life that will never end (John 3:16). And what’s just as awesome, Jesus’ battle cry was foretelling of another victory He was about to have: victory over death and the grave as He comes back to life on that first Easter morning!

TETELESTAI may have been most commonly used in New Testament times by merchants. It was an accounting term that literally mean paid in full. Oh my! When I think of my Savior hanging on that old rugged cross and using his last breath to stamp my life’s balance sheet of enormous, sinful debt with those words “paid in full,” I am overwhelmed! I don’t deserve this! I am not worthy of this! It’s so hard to fathom the fullness of this precious gift provided by Jesus because we just don’t always get to experience this from another human. Oh how rare we see that kind of grace. I’ve seen something close to it once. A good friend of mine who was also a minister made a huge moral error and had an affair with a lady in his church. He was immediately fired from his church and found himself in the lowest state his life had ever been. When it all went down, he texted me just seven simple words: “My life and my ministry are ruined.” However, his wife made a choice that she didn’t have to make. She had every right to divorce him and never trust him again. But she chose to forgive him and work on their marriage. Today, they are doing so wonderful, and my friend is serving as a chaplain. He loves his wife and daughters so much. He comprehends the power of grace in way that many others can’t fathom because he truly comprehended his failure. If the fact that Jesus said “paid in full” has not changed your life, perhaps you need to understand your failure, your inability to be good enough to deserve a place in heaven or even change to have a daily conversation and relationship with God Himself. Or maybe you understand it all too well but just don’t believe that Jesus could ever forgive you of your great sins. Have you seen any video clips of Jesus’ crucifixion? Have you read up on how badly He was beaten and tortured? What He went through us inhumane at best and downright evil at worst. He did it for you. And my friend, TETELESTAI. It was enough. The victory is won. Your debt has been paid in full. Now, will you accept this transaction?

[if you have questions about making a decision to accept Jesus and receive eternal life, please contact Bill at (859) 356-3162, ext. 21]

Volunteers Sought To Clean Up Flooded Pioneer Park - Cincinnati News Story - WLWT Cincinnati

2011-04-29T17:55:00.000-05:00

Volunteers Sought To Clean Up Flooded Pioneer Park - Cincinnati News Story - WLWT Cincinnati

Check this out! What a great opportunity to serve in the community.

Eat Mor Chikin! - BUY Chick-fil-A next week

2011-04-22T12:07:00.001-05:00

I love Chick-fil-A, and this is so legit! Let's be a blessing to that great organization! They've been persecuted quite a bit lately, especially by an incident in Pennsylvania where they've been accused of being haters of gays. It's been taken to a whole new level where they are being made fun of for their stance on being closed on Sundays.

You know what? That's awesome! What an honor for them to be persecuted for doing things God's way! Check out this link below that tells you more about this situation, as well as a campaign for folks to eat Chick-fil-A next week as part of a BUY-cot, showing our support and appreciation for them!

http://action.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147505518

Cross-words: My God why have you forsaken me

2011-04-22T11:03:00.003-05:00

“My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me?” These words from the cross coming from the mouth of Jesus Christ are the only ones quoted in more than one of the Gospels in the New Testament. In the original manuscripts, these words of Jesus are actually written in the language Jesus spoke – Aramaic: "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" Why would Jesus say such a thing? There are two reasons. First, (and this may surprise you) Jesus is pointing all those who heard His words, including us today, to a prophecy. He is quoting Psalm 22:1, which reads, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” (NIV). But let’s read on: “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet,” (Psalm 22:12-16). Does this sound familiar? And this passage was written way before crucifixion had even been thought about. Jesus was trying to clue the people in once again that HE is the One they had been waiting for. He is the Messiah! He is the Savior! And He was dying for them, and if they would just believe, eternal life would be theirs (John 3:16).

Speaking of dying, that brings us to the second reason Jesus said these strange words from the cross. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, we read, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” So Jesus became sin so that sin could be obliterated and paid for on the cross. Now Habakkuk 1:13 reads, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil.” Perhaps this is the very thing Jesus dreaded most in the garden of Gethsemane as his spirit became so troubled and full of anguish that it caused a rare medical condition called hematidrosis. It’s a condition occurs in the midst of great anxiety where a chemical is released that breaks down the capillaries in our sweat glands, causing those sweat glands to fill with blood. Then when you sweat, you literally sweat blood. Jesus was absolutely horrified while in that garden. Could He have been thinking of the absolute torture and pain His body was about to endure? Could He have been thinking about how all of His disciples would literally abandon Him as He was arrested and led away to a crucifixion? Perhaps. But He may have been thinking of that moment. You know the one? It’s the moment that the sins of the entire world would be literally placed upon Him as He hung on that cross. And in that moment, God the Father, would have to literally look away, turning His back on His one and only Son. Was that moment the most painful part of the crucifixion for Jesus? Perhaps so. He did it for love. He did it for our healing, so that we could have life abundant and life eternal. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed,” (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus paid it all, even enduring being forsaken by His Father. He did it for you and me. What is your response? May we believe in Him. And may we spend the rest of our lives worshiping and praising Him with all our hearts and with our very lives, because we are so not worthy of that kind of love. Yet He has freely given that love to us. And that love has changed my life forever. Has it changed yours? If not, oh would you let it?

Cross-words: Caring for the survivors

2011-04-22T11:03:00.001-05:00

One of the more intriguing “last sayings” of Jesus from the cross is found in John 19: “Jesus saw his own mother, and the disciple standing near whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother.’ And from that hour, he took his mother into his family,” (vv. 26-27). It makes sense. If we have the blessing of approaching death, knowing that it is coming, and actually having time to make preparations, it is nice to be able to make preparations. Now that was one crazy thing to say. Blessing? Well, lately, it seems most of my funeral sermons have been written for folks who died suddenly and unexpectedly, and even at a young age. It has made me appreciate the concept of growing old and sort of seeing the end of the journey in this life coming at you. It would be very nice to be able to have conversations with the people you love most and tell them how you feel about them. It would be nice to make sure those you care about the most are going to be taken care of after you pass away. In the past year, there was another person affiliated with my church who passed away, and each family member go to have their own private time with the one who was dying, allowing there to be some wonderful parting words. There were a lot of tears shed, but those words will make a powerful, wonderful impression to those survivors for the rest of their lives.

Jesus hung on that cross for three hours. He was crucified at 9 a.m. He breathed his last breath with his earthly body at 3 p.m. Six hours. Those six hours changed history and has been changing lives for the past two millennia. During those six hours, we have already discovered over my past two articles that he asked forgiveness from God the Father to those who crucified them, and he offered salvation to a criminal that was dying on a cross next to him. And now we see that Jesus, from the cross, was taking care of his affairs. And when you take a closer look at it, you can see why his words to Mary and John are so beautiful and crucial. Historians believe that Mary’s husband Joseph died before Jesus’ public ministry began. When that happens, it would be the responsibility of the oldest son to take care of his mother. That would be Jesus. With Jesus now dying, it would certainly fall on the next oldest son to take care of Mary. But we know from John 7 that Jesus’ brothers did not believe Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah. Considering that Mary faithfully followed her son Jesus and believed in Him and supported His ministry, Mary must have been so grieved as she looked at that cross to think that in a few hours she was not only going to miss being in the physical presence of her Savior and Son, but she was also about to be completely alone in her faith journey, with no believing sons to comfort her and encourage her in the faith. And of all the big 12 who followed Christ closely, one had betrayed Him and hung himself. And almost all the rest had scattered in fear of being treated the same as Jesus. But then there was one. He is known in God’s word as the disciple whom Jesus loved. It is John. He was the only one of the 12 who witnessed the crucifixion. He had expressed no shame in associating himself with Jesus by being present at the horrific scene. So Jesus literally make John his mom’s new oldest son who would take care of her in every way, and encourage her in the faith. And now John was given a huge, awesome, and very honoring responsibility: being the son of the one God had chosen to show favor to and allow to be the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus’ love is so amazing. While hanging there in unthinkable agony, all He could do and would do is LOVE. He loved and honored his mother. And He loved and rewarded a faithful disciple. As Easter approaches, I hope you can stand in awe of the love of Jesus Christ, who seeks to care for you in ways that you may not even know. Draw near to Him now, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8a)!

Cross-words: Today you will be with me...

2011-04-20T20:01:00.001-05:00

Can you even imagine greater words being said from the mouth of Jesus to YOU: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise,” (Luke 23:43). It’s my favorite subplot to the Easter story because it forms this amazing microcosm of what Jesus is totally about. Jesus was crucified that day with two other criminals. One of those criminals joined in with seemingly every other person that was within earshot that day, jeering Jesus in the midst of the most torturous death imaginable. That man said, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us?” (Luke 23:39). The other criminal was quick to correct his fellow dying inmate. Soak up his words: “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong,” (Luke 23:40-41). It’s a great response from our perspective because from my squeaky clean standpoint, serving as a minster in the year 2011, I just think that one criminal had a lot of gall to talk like that to Jesus, the Son of God. So I’m glad that other criminal set him straight. But those words of the correcting criminal are much more profound than that. He experienced something that is absolutely, positively, eternally crucial and vital to every person who has ever lived; in that moment, the criminal on the cross realized the truth about himself and the truth about Jesus. And when you put those two together, faith is born, a life-changing, eternal life kind of faith that is absolutely awesome. The correcting criminal experienced the awareness that he deserved to be hanging on that cross. He was a sinner that deserved to die. He knew he was guilty as charged. And by the same token, that second truth was just as real to him: Jesus is innocent. Jesus is perfect. Jesus is sinless. And by definition, that makes Him God Himself, the Messiah, the Christ. He saw Jesus for who He was while also being painfully aware of his own sin.

But here is the most amazing part of the story. His fellow inmate may have thought Jesus was the Messiah. He said, “Aren’t you that Messiah guy? If so, get us off these crosses.” Maybe there was a part of him that believed Jesus really could do that. Even so, his request is very revealing. That criminal just wanted to survive to live another day. And perhaps this was so that he could go about his usual business once again. But our correcting criminal made a different request. Jesus could have saved them all from that cross that day. But this criminal didn’t ask for that. Instead he made this request: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” (Luke 23:42). And Jesus’s response happens to be the second of our seven last sayings from the cross: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” I’m not sure if this criminal really GOT what Jesus’ kingdom was about. This criminal might have been one of many who thought Jesus came to re-establish Israel’s political reign in the world or perhaps to lead a military revolt that would do away with Roman rule. And if so, maybe Jesus’ words were shocking to him. And if so, perhaps when the criminal did close his eyes on this earth and open his eyes in the presence of Jesus in paradise, he finally did get it, and oh what an eternal surprise that would be. We don’t know for sure if this criminal knew exactly what Jesus was getting at, but friends, we have hindsight, don’t we. We know exactly what Christ was getting at, and it is life-changing. In this amazing incident that happens completely while Jesus hangs gruesomely on that old rugged cross, we see the whole purpose of Easter in the first place: our salvation. Jesus did it for you. Jesus did it for me. The bad criminal was right. Jesus could have saved himself and them. But it wasn’t the nails that were holding him back. It was his love for you and for the world. He chose to do this so that we can have eternal life. Do you realize just who this Jesus is? Have you placed your faith in Him? If so, you have the most awesome gift. And when death is knocking on your door, Jesus’ words will ring true for you as it did for that criminal: “today you will be with me in paradise.”

Touch Me Not versus Do Not Cling to Me

2011-04-19T14:37:00.002-05:00

My life group had a wonderful discussion this past Sunday evening regarding the dialogue Mary Magdalene had with Jesus when she encountered Him after His resurrection. We had just watched the last episode of a video curriculum entitled "The Easter Experience," which, by the way is AWESOME!!! We were able to discern that the video clip was based off of the Gospel of John, because it is the only place in the Bible that gives details of this specific conversation with Mary Magdalene. The video clip showed a very heart-warming scene of Mary embracing the risen Jesus. But at the end of the clip, we all were remembering John 20:17 - Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father, Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Our discussion centered on the phrase "do not hold on to me," which is the New International Version rendering. You may remember the King James Version rendering "touch me not."

Interestingly enough, we all began to exclaim how we had pretty much grown up to believe that Jesus was commanding Mary to keep her hands off of Him because He had just resurrected and was about to ascend and no one was really allowed to touch Him yet. We just all had been taught that way or had at least somehow interpreted it that way. But what about Thomas? Jesus allowed him to touch the wounds on his hands. Why did he get a pass on this post-resurrection, pre-ascension rule? I believe it is because there was no rule.

I got out my old Greek books to do a little research. Now there is not real earth-shattering discovery there, but it does help in the translation. The Greek word is HAPTOU (hop-too) and is the present singular middle imperative of the verb that means to touch or take hold of. Basically what all that means is that Jesus was indeed commanding her to stop doing something she was already doing. As it turns out the New Living Translation, in my opinion, really gets it right when it translates that word "don't cling to me."

I believe it paints one of two pictures, and maybe some of both. First, Mary, who had been so distraught over the death of her Lord, finally sees Him again. She is literally in awe of actually seeing Jesus whole and alive again, especially when just three days earlier, He had been completely disfigured by the brutal scourging and crucifixion. So she clung to Him, and had no intentions of leaving His presence. So Jesus had to say, "Okay, okay. But I have a job for you. I need you to go tell the disciples." Second, maybe it had gotten beyond the emotion of her seeing Him again and perhaps Jesus knew her heart was to never let Him go and never get beyond this very moment of seeing and being with the risen Jesus. Perhaps Jesus had to make a point to her that not everything had been fulfilled yet. He was still going to have to leave her again, but only because it was time for the Holy Spirit to come upon all His followers and because He needed to go to prepare a place for her (and for all believers) in Heaven.

I believe that this little phrase has been misinterpreted as a rule for what not to do to the newly resurrected body of Jesus, when instead, Jesus was making an awesome point that rings true even today: celebrate the resurrected Jesus and be so glad and in awe of Him, but don't just park yourself there; He has a job for us to do - GO TELL OTHERS!!!

Cross-words: Father Forgive Them

2011-04-19T12:50:00.002-05:00

I've been blessed to write a weekly column in our local newspaper called the Journal News, founded and ran by two wonderful saints Don & Cathy Hubbard. I've been doing a series on the 7 last sayings of Jesus from the cross, so I thought I'd include my articles daily on my blog for you to read! It's especially great to read at night time when you really want to read something to help you go to sleep ;-). Here's the first article I wrote, and be looking for the other ones each day this week...

One of my favorite things to look at as Easter approaches is to take a fresh look at the story that is the reason for Easter: the story of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. It’s an intense story: so intense that when it was quite accurately rendered in the form of a movie, we ended up with a movie called “The Passion of the Christ” that is not for the weak of stomach. It very brutally portrays the torturous death of our Lord and Savior. It’s so hard for us to wrap our minds around just how awful Jesus’ death was. We wear crosses as jewelry. We use them as decoration in our homes and in our churches. But make no mistake about it; the cross did not produce warm fuzzies in the hearts of folks living in the 1^st century. We would gawk at anyone wearing an electric chair on a gold chain for jewelry. Well, that’s what the cross was in that day. But the beautiful free gift of eternal life that we can receive if we believe has turned that awful, brutal, inhumane cross into a symbol of love and grace in our hearts and minds.

We learn so much from the cross. Have you ever paused to think about the profound things Jesus said while hanging on that cross? I would like to look at those sayings with you over the next several weeks as Easter approaches. I like to call them “Cross-Words.” The first saying that I would like to share with you is found in Luke 23:34 where it says, “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’” Can you imagine having the capacity to forgive the very ones who are unjustly completing a death sentence upon you, forgiving them even though you know you are completely innocent? Forgiving them even though you know that you have the power within a blink to usher all of heaven’s angels down upon them to defeat them? Forgiving them even though they have no clue that you are the very Son of God? Forgiving them even though they don’t even WANT that forgiveness because they see nothing they’ve done that is wrong? Only God can dish out that kind of forgiveness. I am glad He does, because without it I HAVE NOTHING! Forgiveness is at the very essence of Christ’s work on the cross. My church and I have been reading the Bible through in a year, and the timing of Easter is perfect in the reading schedule because we are winding down two Old Testament books that are perfect setups for comprehending the profound purpose of the cross. Leviticus and Numbers give the long list of rules and regulations of the Israelite people known as the Law or the Torah. In addition, it goes into great detail about the blood sacrifices that had to be made for various purposes, including the guilt and sin offerings which were crucial for the absolution of sin. As you read about the perfect lamb without blemish that had to be offered in Leviticus, you can’t help but already begin to picture in your mind our perfect, spotless Lamb of God named Jesus that was the ultimate and final blood sacrifice for the sins of the world to all who would believe. That forgiveness, that “not guilty” verdict is our only way to heaven and our only way to a personal relationship with the God who made us. Jesus is that way, and He revealed that truth in dramatic fashion by speaking out forgiveness while His life had already begun to ebb away at the hand of those who hated Him and did not believe in Him. That, my friends, is an amazing love, and it has changed my life forever! Let it change yours this Easter! His forgiveness is amazing, and without it we have no hope. But with it, we have hope beyond hope; we have everlasting life!

Darryl Crenshaw

2011-04-01T10:40:00.001-05:00

I was with Darryl when he went on to be with Jesus 4 years ago tomorrow. It was a very difficult experience that I think about more often than I thought I would. I miss him. I love his family. Ashlee is a precious young lady. Darryl's good friend Rick Robbins passed along such an awesome email to all of us Northern KY pastors today, that I thought it more than worth posting...

In awe of HIM,
Bill Clark

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

From: Rick Robbins <rrobbins@nkbaptist.org>

Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:22:15 -0400

To: Rick Robbins<rrobbins@nkbaptist.org>

Subject: Darryl Crenshaw

Dear NKBA Friends

Four years ago tomorrow, pastor Darryl Crenshaw was playing basketball at Hickory Grove BC w/fellow ministers when he sat to rest, fell over, and went to Heaven. I later went over to the church to take his motorcycle home. His sunglasses were on the bike and they awaited him. But he never put them on again. How we miss our friend Darryl.

Pastor, I hope that you are not a loner. I hope that you have many pastor friends w/whom to laugh, cry, and play. Pastors in the NKBA have helped me through the past year in ways no one else could have. Darryl had many pastor friends and we loved him. Remember Shirley, Brandon, and Ashlee and their families.

Rick Robbins

The Barna Group - Research on How God Transforms Lives Reveals a 10-Stop Journey

2011-03-19T23:56:00.000-05:00

This is an awesome article, and very intriguing! Most folks don't make it past stop five. And sadly, our churches are often guilty of only helping people to stop five and stopping there! Good stuff. Great challenge! Check it out!

The Barna Group - Research on How God Transforms Lives Reveals a 10-Stop Journey

Is the way we do church hindering evangelism

2011-03-15T00:44:00.001-05:00

Here's a very interesting article athat draws a contrast of two different small group philosophies that are a bit of a microcosm of two different church philosophies. One protects the flock but keeps out the lost. Check it out...

Belonging or Believing…Which Comes First? - http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Markhowelllivecom/~3/wd54NRKJMxM/
In awe of HIM,
Bill Clark

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

You can take the FREE Spiritual Gifts Analysis test!

2011-03-08T17:23:00.001-05:00

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friend,

A friend of yours, Bill Clark, just took the Team Ministry Spiritual Gifts
Analysis on Church Growth Institute's web site. Your friend thought it
was valuable and interesting and wanted to tell you about this unique
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Within minutes you will receive a complete Spiritual Gifts Analysis,
along with a 4- to 5-page personalized evaluation of your dominant
gifts that you may print out for future reference. Just go here:

http://www.TeamMinistry.com/

I hope you'll take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn about
yourself and how the Lord has gifted you! There is absolutely no cost
or obligation.

Sincerely,

Cindy Spear
Administrator/Resource Development Director
Ephesians Four Ministries/Church Growth Institute

Here's what your friend wanted to say to you:

Hey, blog reader friend of mine! Discover your spiritual gift(s) today!

Home Alone

2011-03-03T11:21:00.003-05:00

I don't know about you, but I struggle with the idea of leaving my kids home alone at all. My protective nature kicks in big time, and I find it hard to do. And I just saw in the news today how a mother was arrested for child endangerment for leaving her kids home alone. Her kids ranged in age from 3 to 12. However, the reason she was arrested is because she left them from 8 p.m. last night till 3:30 a.m. this morning. Neighbors saw what was happening and informed the authorities. That made me think, "What age is the right age to begin letting your kids be at home while you make that Kroger run or even go out on a date with your spouse?" Check out this article:

http://www.parent.net/article/home-alone.shtml

Fetus To Be Called As Witness In Abortion Hearing - Politics News Story - WLWT Cincinnati

2011-03-01T23:57:00.000-05:00

Fetus To Be Called As Witness In Abortion Hearing - Politics News Story - WLWT Cincinnati

Now that is a title to a news article you can't help but click on and read. Check it out!

114-year-old believed to be world's oldest person

2011-02-01T16:42:00.000-05:00

Now that's a lot of candles on the ol' birthday cake. You gotta read this short article. I love the two things she said was the secret to her longevity!

114-year-old believed to be world's oldest person: "MONROE, Ga. (AP) -- At 114 years old and counting, Besse Cooper says it's 'rather great' to be the oldest person in the world. She makes her 75-year-old son proud. 'We were delighted when she got to 100. We thought that was a great achievement,' said Sid Cooper. 'We never imagined she'd live to be the oldest person in the world.'..."

Joel Olsteen's View of Homosexuality

2011-01-28T16:04:00.002-05:00

Check out this video clip on Joel Olsteen's interview with Piers Morgan on CNN, then I'd like to share some thoughts below:

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2011/01/24/piers.osteen.homosexuality.cnn.html

So Piers hammers Joel pretty hard once Joel actually declares what the Bible says about homosexuality: it is a sin. And Joel does his best to make sure Piers understands that he doesn't seek to hate homosexuals or bash them. He wants to reach them. But Piers keeps belaboring the point. For the sake of this blog post, I want to deal with what Piers says near the end of the discussion. He asks Joel what a homosexual needs to do to improve their life if it is indeed a sin. Joel responds by giving examples of how many people have been able to overcome addictions in their lives. Piers fires back quickly in disagreement with the notion that homosexuality is like an addiction. He says people have a choice to fall into addiction but "if you're gay, you're gay." Someone I've talked to that is gay has told me the same thing, but hearing this person describe sounds very familiar to me. He spoke of remembering from a very young age a curiosity towards homosexuality, but no action. As this person got older, he was introduced to homosexuality and not only had urging from others but opportunity to act. Let me ask you this: does this not sound like a description about someone who could fall into the habitual sins of pornography (heterosexual), getting drunk, crime, etc.? I know there are those who are of the belief that there is something in a person's genetic makeup that makes them have a higher propensity for homosexuality. I've heard the same thing about alcoholism. But you'll never hear anyone say that alcoholics have no choice but to be alcoholic. I believe we all have a choice!!!

The most important choice for anyone is to choose to say YES to Jesus Christ, making Him Savior and Lord of your life. That is the only hope for change. And change will happen with Christ in your life. Some are immediate, and some may be more gradual. I have seen Christ help people recover from alcoholism, drug addiction, atheism, involvement in the cult, and yes, even homosexuality! Don't believe me? Watch this video: http://youthforjesus.com/2010/10/20/jesus-christ-saved-me-from-27-years-of-homosexuality-video/

Piers made Joel look like he was in a corner. But Joel was right, even if he didn't have a whole lot of good strong responses to the follow-up questions. Friends, our culture and society and nation needs TRUTH today more than ever. Truth is becoming a more and more precious commodity. Some fear to speak it, and many live comfortably apart from it. And most fail to realize what God's word says, "the truth will set you free," (John 8:32). That truth is the content of God's Word. Joel was just stating the Scriptures, and that is the truth that will set us free. Truth is also a person named Jesus Christ (John 14:6). A relationship with Him will set you free! Have you wholeheartedly embraced life-saving Truth!!!?

What happens when mom unplugs teens for 6 months?

2011-01-19T00:36:00.001-05:00

What a great story! I think the results of this experiment are huge in showing how technology can have you rather than you have it. Could you unplug your family like this? Read on!

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FEA_PARENTING_TEENS_UNPLUGGED?SITE=KMOV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Unveiling the Truth about Abortion and Planned Parenthood

2011-01-17T21:07:00.002-05:00

What an amazing article! Hat tip to my friend Rhonda Smith on this article she found. What a story and testimony Abby Johnson has. She got to see the inner workings of her clinic, and over time began to see the true motives and drive of the Planned Parenthood organization she worked for. This article truly is a must-read for anyone who believes in the sanctity of life. I know God is going to use this young lady to proclaim truth about abortion. Check out this article:

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=34424

Who are the Nephilim

2011-01-11T11:30:00.005-05:00

Since we at the Grove have begun to read the Bible through in 2011, it's been awesome to hear the buzz of folks discussing Bible passages that perhaps they have never read before or are encountering anew and afresh. Our Life Group is using our meeting time to discuss what we have experienced in our Bible reading each week. Our last meeting, we got into a discussion about who the Nephilim were? These are the giants or mighty warriors mentioned in Genesis 6:4 (and get ready; you'll hear about 'em again in Numbers) that were apparently offspring formed between the "sons of God" and "daughters of men." I'm going to paste a couple of links that give you some good, in-depth reading on this issue, but first, let me make a few comments. First, don't let this completely de-rail the Bible's main focus of being God's love letter to you and His great story of how He created us and sought to redeem us. It can be so easy to get caught up with this issue of the Nephilim and Nimrod that we lose sight of the main point which is how God created free-willing humans for a personal, eternal relationship with them, but they chose SIN, and God has been dealing with that since (eventually to the point of sending His one and only Son to pay the price for our sin). Second, pray for God's discernment regarding this and other passages. He will give us just enough understanding to help us continue on as we read His word. There are some things we will not fully understand till we get to Heaven, and I look forward to that day. But until then, stories like this Nephilim stuff challenge me to look to HIM and not my own ideas for the answers. Finally, it's okay to not fully understand everything in Scripture. One of the "proofs," in my opinion that the Bible is truly God's infallible word is that it's not squeaky clean like we would like it. If I were to write a "bible" to try to get people to believe a certain way, I would make sure it was tight, easy to understand, and free of anything that might cause people to scratch their head. We can do that if WE write it. But the Bible was not written by us. It's GOD'S Word to us for the purpose of bringing us to HIM. And passages like this certainly do that.

You'll see that the issue of the Nephilim is boiled down to 2 schools of thought that come down to the debate on the meaning of "sons of God." Some historians, scholars, and ancient writings interpret this to mean actually sons of Seth who was the 3rd rarely spotlighted son of Adam and Eve. Legend has it that Seth's descendants were very dedicated to God to the point of them being considered angelic. But some of them broke rank and came off their mountain and had relations with the beautiful daughters of Cain who were at odds with God, which would explain why the Nephilim were so evil that God wanted to destroy the earth with a flood. The other school of thought is that the "sons of God" refer to angelic beings, more specifically "fallen" angels. There are those who believe it unnecessary to read the "fallen" part into the issue of the Nephilim, but the etymology of the word does point to the idea that these offspring come from a fallen origin. This is probably the most widely known and perhaps most widely assumed view by most. The truth is that there are holes in both theories. I personally still hold to the fallen angel view, although I am very intrigued by the "Sethite view" as well. As you read the links below, I believe you will find the Jude passage very intriguing, and it perhaps points to the Nephilim issue, although the Answers in Genesis article makes very good points about how that passage in Jude would not be referring to the Nephilim at all.

It's very difficult to wrap our minds around this idea of the Nephilim, but we know through God's word that they did play a role in the early centuries of the human race that God created. And part of me is glad I didn't know the Nephilim personally. And I am reminded that wickedness is not a new issue. God has been dealing with it from the get-go. But I look forward to the day where a new heaven and new earth will be ours and sin will be no more. Until then, Lord, help us to have pure hearts before you. See if there is any wicked way in us, and lead us into the way everlasting. God bless you as you journey through His word, and here are a couple of links to some good reading on the Nephilim:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephilim
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-c036.html
and my favorite...
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/aid/v2/n1/who-were-the-nephilim

Our Mission Field

2010-12-17T22:00:00.000-05:00

GREAT video on our need to get on mission for Christ to reach the unreached right here in America. And perhaps we need to be utilizing greater technology to do so. What a powerful video! Check it out below, and let me know what you think!

Mason Teen Talks About Airborne Crash - Video - WLWT Cincinnati

2010-12-11T00:49:00.000-05:00

This is one unbelievable miracle that this young man survived! Check out this video clip of his appearance on the Today show about his crash and recovery. I hope he knows that the Lord has given him a chance to truly experience the abundant life. There's no way someone would normally survive this. Click the link below and check it out.

Mason Teen Talks About Airborne Crash - Video - WLWT Cincinnati

New judge takes oath

2010-12-05T00:53:00.000-05:00

Here's the link to the quick little news note the Richmond Register reported in regards to my sister's swearing in this past Tuesday as Family Court Judge. Their photographer took a million pictures, yet they chose this one to feature. I think my mom must have slipped that photographer a "Ben Franklin."

New judge takes oath

Breakdown of the Cats vs Heels Game

2010-12-04T15:59:00.000-05:00

Man, I hated to see us lose to the guys in baby blue today. The Heels played great defense, and with us giving them some easy baskets and committing lots of fouls, we gave them a big win they badly needed. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. Jones forgot to come to the game and played tentative the whole game.
2. We still need to learn how to pass when our drive is cut off. But I also noticed no one cuts to the middle or wing to receive that pass.
3. Doron Lamb deserves to start.
4. We have very poor transition defense.
5. Josh Harrelson is proving to be very valuable. I love it when he ripped that ball from Zeller then scored.
6. Knight seemed slow today.
7. Hate him if you want, but Zeller is a beast.
8. Zeller also is loved on the homecourt by refs. A flop by Zeller resulted in Jorts 1st foul. Knight's crucial 3rd foul came when Zeller got a generous charge call.
9. What was up with our anemic pick & roll?
10. We are a talented team but have lots of work to do on interior and transition defense and just playing smarter on offense. I believe we can still do well even if we don't get Kanter. But I hope we learn to play smarter & faster after this loss.

Well, those are my thoughts while still under the influence of massive disappointment! Let's recover & learn from the loss and go on a big winning streak!

Go Big Blue! And Free Enes!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

The Four Spiritual Laws on Blackberry

2010-11-30T09:38:00.001-05:00

If you have a Blackberry, check out this awesome, potentially life-changing app called The Four Spiritual Laws. You can get it here: http://bb.immmooo.com/4Laws or search MMMOOO at App Store.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

TSA pat-downs; evidence that terrorism is winning?

2010-11-20T00:43:00.001-05:00

The airport body scans and pat-downs have really been in the news this week. It really seems to be out of hand. I have had one of my own friends go through a traumatic experience with this. I'm sure these policies are in place to protect us from terrorism. But when terrorism has gotten us so scared to the point where we make passing through airport security a scarring experience, have the terrorists actually WON? Have they succeeded in their goal: striking terror in the hearts of Americans? One way we can fight and win this war is to start using common sense in how we maintain our security. Take extra precautions, but use reason. Check out this video clip!

Eat Chicken; support children in need

2010-11-03T20:26:00.001-05:00

Hey, friends! As you may know, I love me some Chick-fil-A, and I want to offer you the opportunity to be able to go eat there and make a difference at the same time. Use the link below, print off the flyer, and take it with you to Chick-Fil-A on Houston Road in Florence on Thursday, November 11 between 5 and 8 p.m., and you will be helping raise funds for Sunrise Children's Services. Sunrise is a great auxiliary organization of the Kentucky Baptist Convention that offers lots of services for children, from counseling to foster care. It's a great cause, and a fun way to help, so plan on eating Chick-Fil-A for supper on Nov. 11! Here's the link...

http://hickorygrove.net/downloads/chickfila_sunrise.pdf

Shepherd elected Family Court Judge

2010-11-03T20:10:00.000-05:00

I am so proud of my sister!!!

Shepherd elected Family Court Judge

Wish I had this car!!!

2010-10-18T17:24:00.001-05:00

You gotta check out this awesome video clip of this couple who created a Radio Flyer Wagon CAR!

2010-10-15T13:50:00.002-05:00

My friend Erica Crump as introduced me to a disease called Dravet that I know very little about. There's a neat link that can give you lots of details.

It's www.idea-league.org.

Erica's daughter Grace has the disease, and there is a fundraiser in Walton Park coming up that you might want to be a part of. It's called a "Walk for a Cure." To be a part of this, you can go to the link above and sign up, or you can just show up at the park and get involved. The Walk takes place October 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

I am continually amazed at the things out there I know very little about, and Dravet is one of them. I appreciate Erica making me more aware!

Inspiring Speech of an Abortion Survivor: Gianna Jessen

2010-10-01T15:49:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen this yet, take 8 minutes and listen closely. What a powerful story and ministry God has given this lady. When you survive an abortion attempt, there must be two choices: either you crash into a way of life that is full of despair and psychological monsters and demons, OR you know that God has an amazing purpose for you to be living, and you seek with all your heart to fulfill that calling and purpose. Gianna has chosen the latter, and world, buckle up!!!

http://www.godtube.com/featured/video/inspiring-speech-abortion-survivor-gianna-jessen

Hurry! Free Spicy Nuggets (8-count) at Chick-fil-A!

2010-09-21T11:27:00.001-05:00

Hey friends!!! If you love Chick-Fil-A like I do, you don't want to miss this free offer. It is completely legit, and there are a limited number of reservations. I've made mine for the Houston Road location! Get your free nuggets reserved today!

Hi,

From September 27 - October 2, 2010, select Chick-fil-A markets are giving away a limited number of FREE Spicy Nuggets (8-count). It's easy to get one. Click the link below. Hurry! Limited reservations available.

Reserve your FREE Spicy Nuggets (8-count) from Chick-fil-A.

If you live in states select markets, plan to make your reservation for an EXCLUSIVE premiere tasting of the Chick-fil-A® Spicy Nuggets (8-count). From September 27 to October 2, 2010, select Chick-fil-A® markets are giving limited number of FREE Spicy Nuggets (8-count) to customers who make a reservation.

If you have not already signed up to be a Chick-fil-A Email Insider, you will not receive any additional emails from Chick-fil-A. To become an Email Insider, or to be added to the Email Insider Do Not Mail list, please click here.

The Chick-fil-A Spicy Nuggets Giveaway is open and offered only to legal residents of Georgia, Ohio, Colorado, and Maryland who are thirteen (13) years of age or older as of September 20, 2010.

The List

2010-09-17T09:33:00.000-05:00

I received this wonderful devotion from my friend Ann Durham! For all you other busy folks like me, I hope this speaks to you as it did to me:

Subject: Verse of the Day - Transforming the Task List - RBC Ministries

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

What got you out of bed this morning (besides the lure of a hot cup of coffee or tea)? If you're like me, you finally pulled yourself out of bed because you've got stuff to do. In fact, your obligations for the day will probably end up being itemized on a list.

My to-do list is unapologetically low-tech. Just a small pad of lined paper with the date on the top and a handwritten itemization of things I need to get done before I hit the sack at the end of the day. I know that a Palm Pilot, a Blackberry, or even my trusted laptop could make my list look much trendier, but in the end a list is a list—a long series of items that keep my feet to the fire.

What's troubling is that as I get to the bottom of one page of tasks, there's often a note that says, "See next page." And the scariest page is the one from yesterday that reminds me that I didn't get it all done after all. It's easy to begin to feel that life is only about "living for the list"! But if all of life is just about the stuff to do, it becomes little more than an accumulation of random, disconnected events in life. You climb in bed at the end of each day exhausted, thinking to yourself:

There really has to be more to life than this.The good news is that God has an overriding purpose for your life that encompasses everything on your list. When we put that purpose at the top of our priorities, even a day with an incomplete task list can be a smashingly significant, successful day. Are you ready to find out what it is?

God's purpose for you is that you live to glorify Him. Not that you stop doing the list thing, but that everything on your list can be done to His glory. It's just that simple. Glorifying God in all we do takes us beyond the routine of "just getting things done." It fills the stuff on the list with a new sense of significance and in the end leaves us feeling that even the smallest task is significant. Getting the right degree, finding the right job, making lots of money, or landing a meaningful relationship is no longer the end game. Thankfully so, those kinds of pursuits left to themselves soon run out of gas. But getting a degree (or doing any of those things) so that you can use the degree to glorify God instead of yourself fills your life with a new and lasting sense of significance.

This is exactly what Paul had in mind when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God." There is nothing in your life that can't be done to glorify God. Living to bring glory to Him is the all-consuming, driving, defining purpose that God has intended for our lives. Glorifying God simply means to do all we do in a way that communicates the attitudes and actions of God. It is filling life with His presence. When others see His mercy, justice, grace, love, tolerance, generosity, and humility in everything we do, they are seeing the glory of God through our lives. And tactfully giving Him the credit for all our accomplishments focuses the spotlight and applause on the right person.

Let's face it—our lists are here to stay! Let's make something of them. Do it all to show your world what God is like!

YOUR JOURNEY…

▪ Look over your tasks and plans for the day ahead. What priorities are reflected in your list?
▪ What are the dangers of being ruled by your task list? Have any of these dangers crept into your day-to-day activities?
▪ Consider one of the more mundane items on the list. What are some ways God could use that task for His glory if submitted to Him?
▪ Think of some practical ways you can submit your plans and lists to God each day. You can start right now. Take some time to ask the Lord to show you how to bring glory to Him in all your activities.

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Fw: Ministry Results from FUGE 2010

2010-09-16T19:30:00.001-05:00

Check out these awesome results from FUGE Camps! Our high schoolers attended Fuge at Ridgecrest this summer. It was an awesome experience. Lord willing, our high schoolers will be attending M-FUGE in New Orleans this coming summer. Check out this letter from Fuge...

Dear Ministry Partner,

THANK YOU SO MUCH for coming to FUGE this summer. We're honored that you chose to join us at camp and we sincerely hope your group experienced some Defining Moments as a result of that week.

Now let's celebrate together what God accomplished over the course of 2010. We know life-change takes place in many different ways but here are a few tangible ways that we saw it happen this summer:

Decisions at camp:

· 1,013 Salvations

· 2,834 Recommitments

· 451 Decisions for Vocational Ministry

· 1,516 Other Decisions Made

5,814 decisions made (and those are just the ones we know about)! This is reason to celebrate! We are also excited to report that OVER $600,000.00* was received in this year's missions offering. This money will be given to the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board to be used to spread the Gospel in Canada and to reach the Roma people of Central & Eastern Europe (* includes mission offering money given by FUGE and CentriKid participants).

You were a BIG part of making all this happen by bringing your group to FUGE. We are humbled every year by what we see God do in the lives students, adults and staff. It's an incredible blessing to be part of His work and a privilege to share it with you. See you in 2011…

Sincerely,

Your FUGE Family

P.S. Here's what's new in 2011: Experience a NEW M-Fuge location at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA and a NEW Centrifuge location at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO. We are also offering lower cost, 5 day camp options at several locations. Middle School ONLY weeks at Carson-Newman College and one week of Combo MSO at Mississippi College. For all dates and locations, go to www.FUGE.com

More Filling Station Freebies!

2010-09-12T22:43:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to pass along some more great downloadable freebies from our Filling Station Bible study on Wednesday nights. We've been dealing with Internet Safety, and this past week's focus was on how our kids and teens are drawn to the internet because of gaming, music, and videos. We had lots of great discussion on this. I'm also going to give you some links on how to go into the parental controls of all the different gaming consoles so that you can gain control of what your child get to see, hear, and interact with. There is also a great Social Networking Safety guide that talks about a lot of the stuff we've been dealing with in this study. So enjoy these links below, and let's guard our homes and our kids' hearts and minds!!!

Unforced Entry - Gaming, Music, and Videos
Social Networking Safety Guide
Xbox 360 Live - parental controls
Wii - parental controls
Playstation 3 - parental controls
iPod Touch - parental controls
Nintendo DS - parental controls
Nintendo DSi - parental controls

Wildcats In the NFL

2010-09-06T23:35:00.000-05:00

Wildcats In the NFL: "

With the signings of Micah Johnson and Tim Masthay, the number of former Wildcats in the NFL continues to swell. Below is a table of all the current Cats that are working for the shield:

Player	Team	Position
Keenan Burton	St. Louis Rams	WR
John Conner	NY Jets	FB
Jeremy Jarmon	Washington Redskins	DE
Micah Johnson	Miami Dolphins	LB
Steve Johnson	Buffalo Bills	WR
Braxton Kelley	Denver Broncos	LB
Trevard Lindley	Philadelphia Eagles	CB
Tim Masthay	Green Bay Packers	Punter
Corey Peters	Atlanta Falcons	DT
Myron Pryor	New England Patriots	DT
Alfonso Smith	Arizona Cardinals	RB
Jacob Tamme	Indianapolis Colts	TE
Garry Williams	Carolina Panthers	OT
Wesley Woodyard	Denver Broncos	LB

Pretty nice list. Also, in case you missed it, ESPN had a pretty good snapshot of John Conner (who also has some purty fans). The money quote comes, of course, from head coach Rex Ryan:

“Whew, he smoked him,” Ryan said. “This kid’s got a talent for running through people.”

Yaup. Sounds like our guy. Happy Labor Day, everybody.

The Filling Station Freebies!

2010-09-02T10:05:00.002-05:00

Hey, friends! Hope you are having an awesome Thursday! Wanted to let you know that our new Wednesday night program called "The Filling Station" is doing so well. We have had about 20 to 30 folks each week so far, and we have really dug in on this topic of internet safety for our family. We call the study UNFORCED ENTRY because it paints this metaphorical picture of anyone in the world having access to our home and kids because we have not checked the windows and doors of the internet in our home. Through cell phones, iPods, and laptops, there are portals through which people we do not know can have input on our kids's lives. Are we policing that? This is what we've been dealing with. I want to make available my teaching notes for the first 2 weeks of this 6 week study, so here's the links! Take 'em, read 'em, and use 'em to begin making your home more internet safe!

Unforced Entry - Week 1
Unforced Entry - Week 2

Three Things About Islam

2010-08-31T14:01:00.000-05:00

Looking for your apologetics fix? Check out this video! Very informative and will give you a perspective on Islam perhaps you never had. Our fight is not with flesh and blood, my friends. It's the infiltration of ideas that might cause us to take one step away from truth in the name of political correctness or "loving tolerance." Let's be careful! And let's keep our eyes completely on Jesus! Check out these truths about Islam...

Connected

2010-08-28T18:05:00.002-05:00

I am pumped to see what God is going to do NEXT at the Grove! We have a busy fall already underway as we kicked off most of our Wednesday night programs this past week! I am especially excited to see how many adults were able to make it out to our brand new "Filling Station" practical Bible study. We had a great start to our study on internet safety called "Unforced Entry." This coming Wednesday, our adult choir led by my lovely bride Sherry will kick off with a Christmas party, of all things. They are going to be previewing their Christmas cantata which they will be presenting to the church on December 12 at 6 p.m. as part of our Christmas at the Grove celebration that night. Then in one more Wednesday, our on-campus version of Beth Moore known as Sherry Risher will be leading an awesome women's Bible study on JONAH, starting Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in our Conference Room. d

That's our Wednesday night stuff, but we have even more going on at the Grove as we prepare for Impact World Tour events taking place at Simon Kenton High School October 9-10. You'll be hearing lots more about that soon, including a Local Link training event right in our Sanctuary.

I'm pumped about my first sermon series that will start on September 12. It's simply entitled "Connected," and will inspire and challenge us from God's word to make sure we are vitally connected to all the things God wants so that we can truly experience His will for our lives! Without connection, we will wither and die. You'll be hearing more about that soon! I'm pumped to worship tomorrow at the Grove as God shows us how great He truly is! You'll know what I mean if you show up at 9:30 or 11 a.m. tomorrow! Till then! have a super Saturday!

Crossings 2010 - Final Blog

2010-07-15T16:41:00.002-05:00

Gotta make this post a fast one today. We have a different schedule for Thursday night through our departure at 10:30 a.m. CST tomorrow. Tonight, we eat outside in a shelter, have the annual boat race and then jump into a later worship time tonight. It is BLAZING hot today. Hope we don't get to scorched for our outdoor supper.

Last night went great, but there was a lot of emotion as teens were broken over some issues. God has truly moved this week. Hoping to see our teens embrace God as their heavenly Father like never before as a result of this week.

Got some sore throats & fatigued bodies today, so please pray for our teens. We'll be back at the Grove at 6 p.m. (Lord willin') tomorrow ready to apply what we've learned and recover from a fun but grueling week!

Crossings 2010 - Blog 3 - Broken Hearts

2010-07-14T10:40:00.003-05:00

Hey, friends! Well, to me this is the hardest day of camp. We are officially over half done with camp, so we are getting over that hump! We all wake up a little bit later and have a little less energy to get going today. But still an awesome day. As I right this, there is hardly a cloud in the sky. It's a beautiful, hot day at Crossings!

Yesterday was a wonderful day, and what really stuck out to all of us was our worship experience Tuesday night. We "skyped" an orphanage in India called "Sandra's Home." You see, in India, they have a problem with infanticide. Because families don't have enough money to give a proper wedding for their daughters, moms will kill their baby girls within hours of it being born, often by poison or by boiling the baby in a pot. Sickening and heartbreaking are words that come to our mind. But Sandra's Home is founded on the hope that moms will begin to give that baby girl to the orphanage rather than kill it. But breaking that barrier down to get moms to actually take advantage of this option has been very difficult. They have had one baby dropped off on their doorstep. They appropriately named that baby girl "Grace." Once the community caught wind of Sandra's Home, families began to give their kids to the orphanage just to help them escape the atrocities of poverty, prostitution, and forced marriages. It's very common for 11 year old girls in India to be married off to 50 year old men. Sandra's Home and other ministries like this are a beacon of hope to a culture that worships 33 million gods and lives their lives without direction and hope. Our missions offering this week goes directly to reaching babies like Grace and children who need a better education, food, medical help, and more importantly SPIRITUAL help. We spent our entire churchgroup time last night talking about how broken we are about the kids in India. We got to meet the adults who run Sandra's Home and meet kids who live there, via Skype. What a powerful experience it was. And our teens came away wanting to do something to help, and having a deeper appreciation for all the luxuries we have here in America.

Please join us in praying for Sandra's Home and other ministries in India. And continue to pray for our teens as God does an amazing work in us!

Crossings 2010 - Blog 2 - Two teens adopted!

2010-07-13T11:14:00.003-05:00

Hey, friends! Our theme for camp this week is "Adopted." It's an awesome journey into understanding the teaching in God's word in regards to what it truly means to be saved and brought into God's family. The first full day (yesterday) of camp taught about "The Father," helping us understand how awesome and holy God is, and how He loves us so much that He made a way to bring us into His family through Jesus Christ. Today, we talk about "The Family" that we are a part of once we have allowed God to adopt us. Becoming a Christian essentially means that we allow God the Father to bring us into His family, making us His child, and making others in the church our brothers and sisters in Christ. Two teens in our group got "adopted" into God's family last night: Zack Jackson and Taylor Dillon. We are so pumped! They prayed themselves and did the Romans 10:13 thing, calling on the name of the Lord and receiving salvation. I told them to right July 12, 2010 in their Bible to remember their RE-Birthday! God is so awesome! Can't wait to see what He is going to do next this week.

We also had tons of fun! Besides seeing life change happen with these teens, I don't think anything will top the fun I had with my own little girl Molly. We zip-lined together. I am hoping to post the video on youtube today, so stay tuned. And then as always I got some amazing BLOB footage during our lake time. Tyler Hopperton and Eric Powell are our official blobbers, and they did send a few to the moon!

Today is mostly cloudy with a chance of rain on and off all day, but it's not going to dampen our schedule unless we get lightning. So I welcome the high of only 88 degrees today :-). Thanks for keeping up with our camp journey and please continue to pray for us to experience all that God has in store for us!

Crossings 2010 - Blog 1

2010-07-12T10:25:00.002-05:00

Hey, friends! What a great start to Crossings 2010. The trip to Crossings was the smoothest ever. What a safe, quick trip. No hitches at all. We actually arrived almost 30 minutes earlier than planned. The teens are having a blast already. Once we got on campus, we actually had quite a bit of free time. So once we settled in our rooms, most of our group took a dip in the pool. We then hung out and got ready for our Opening Worship time. But before we went to that, we had supper. We enjoyed some yummy grilled burgers. At opening celebration, our kids got to go to their Bible study groups to meet their leaders and other teens from other churches that are in their groups. They also learned what their POI's are for the week. Then all the teens came back to the worship center to sing praise songs and hear about the Beyond Effect. The Beyond Effect is an awesome concept to help teens be thinking about a passion that God has given them and a burden He has placed on their heart, and how they can combine those two to think of a personal ministry project to help others. You can see more about it at www.thebeyondeffect.org. You gotta check it out. Last night, the teens also learned about the missions offering that goes to help orphans in India. The opening worship ended with our Camp Pastor showing up just in time to talk. He had had a flight delay coming from New Orleans. Not sure if it was related to the stormy rain we had or not. Allen Jackson is a professor at New Orleans Baptist Seminary. He is basically a youth ministry guru. Great guy! We then went from opening worship to our church group time called Checkpoint. We had lots of announcements to give the teens, and we spent some time getting to know one another better and seeking God's will for us this week. After that, it was free time. Most of the teens hit the Snack Shack pretty hard. Then off to bed we went. A great first day, but now we are in the first FULL day of camp. Morning Celebration was so funny! Good times. The teens are now in Bible study time. They have large group Bible study, small group Bible study and a thing called Break-through which is just a time to get to know one-another better and have fun. Looks like it's gonna be a fun hot day, but also a day where the teens are challenged to understand their need for spiritual adoption by the Heavenly Father! Please pray for God to do an amazing work in the hearts of our teens! Until tomorrow, let's we are looking forward to some great CROSSINGS at camp!

My Sermon Notes from Dr. Greenway's Message Today!

2010-06-27T11:04:00.001-05:00

Sermon Notes
06.27.2010

Dr. Adam Greenway

Matt. 28:16-28

FIVE MARKS OF THE GREAT COMMISSION CHURCH

1. Loves God & therefore worships passionately.
- Psalm 63
- don't outsource worship to the musicians. All blood-bought believers should be passionate worshipers, not passive worshipers focused on a performance before us.

2. Loves God's word & therefore it obeys it's teachings wholeheartedly.
- Psalm 119:97-104
- Watch out for the "cafeteria" approach to the Bible.
- We can't teach effectively what we don't practice daily.
- one of the biggest mistakes of the church is that we treat people like customers. We need to treat others like servants. Let's banish this marketing mindset.

3. Loves fellow believers & therefore they live together in harmony.
- 1 John 4:7-12
- God wired us to fight... The devil! But the devil causes us to fight one another.
- there's no option. We as believers MUST love one another.

4. Loves lost people & therefore they proclaim the gospel faithfully.
- Romans 10:8b-14
- Because we DON'T go, we are leaving the harvest fields ripe for the pickin' for cults & false religions!

5. Loves all people & therefore they go to the nations intentionally.
- Psalm 67:1-5
- we need to go to the nations and also recognize that the nations are coming to us.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Fuge - Day 2

2010-06-22T22:57:00.000-05:00

Well day 2 is going in the books. Actually it was the first FULL day of camp! It was awesome. ereally, the only 2 negatives were the insanely long breakfast lines and that lightning through a wrench in track time #2. But the positives more than eclipse those. We all had fun. The teens love their Bible study groups. Recreation was fun. I loved tossin' frisbee w/ the guys in free time. The food was delicious. And my favorite time was worship tonight. Todd Agnew truly led us into Christ's presence among us. And Rob Turner preached an amazing message from Ephesians 2:1-10. He drew the line in the sand between being dead in sin vs. being alive in Christ. Our teens were very reflective afterwards. I truly believe they are encountering God in a special way. What an awesome group of teens we have here this week. Lookin' forward to another great day tomorrow!!!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Fuge - Day 1

2010-06-21T22:38:00.000-05:00

Hey, friends! Since i've pretty much ignored my blog forever, I thought tonight would be the perfect opportunity to get it goin' again. The first day of high school camp is winding down, and here's what I loved most:
- the smoothest trip ever: light traffic, no mishaps, only 2 stops, & great time!
- a great group of teens who are easy to chaperone
- a mood of excitement; all the teens said they are excited even if they feel like this is different than what they are used to.
- great staff: I amexcited that my good friend Rob Turner is the speaker for the week. He i s amazing! Plus recording artist Todd Agnew is the worship leader.

So the first FULL day is tomorrow! I pray that we stand in awe of God will do in our lives this week!

Father amazed by the attention UK players

2010-03-25T11:24:00.001-05:00

Father amazed by the attention UK players’ kindness turned into a national story

Posted using ShareThis

Getting cut from high school team changed Wall

2010-03-25T11:23:00.001-05:00

Getting cut from high school team changed Wall’s life

Posted using ShareThis

The Karate Kid Trailer (2009) HD

2009-12-28T23:07:00.001-05:00

For real! It's a remake of the Karate Kid movie, starring Will Smith's son Jaden! I'm pumped to see this. It's the 80's coming out in me!!!

Outdoor Christmas decorating on a low budget

2009-12-14T21:38:00.001-05:00

Our children's minister sent this to me and I LOVED it. Check out the house on the right. In case you can't make it out, it says "Ditto!"

John Calipari Puts DeMarcus Cousins In A Headlock

2009-12-14T18:19:00.001-05:00

I love this act of love from coach to player! Since DeMarcus' nickname is "Boogie," this has become affectionately known as "The Boogie Noogie!"

Our Upward Basketball season is about to begin at our church. This served as a small reminder that showing love to your players is of utmost importance!

UK-Miami Postgame: Charlie Coles

2009-11-17T17:06:00.001-05:00

I LOVE this video clip. It's priceless. Lexington's Dick Gabriel asks Charlie, Miami's coach, how did he let this game get away from him. His response is gold! Man, I love this guy! I may have to dig up more postgame pressers on Charlie throughout this season. He was funny. You need to go to johnclay.bloginky.com to check out the full audio of both Charlie and Coach Cal's pressers. Good stuff.

Loved the game last night. Sure I would have loved a blowout. My favorite thing about this game was that it was the first game I watched on TV with my son Cameron where he was really into it. When Wall hit that game winner, me and my 9-year-old stud were chest-bumping and hugging. I have officially passed onto him my blue blood!

Encountering True Priorities

2009-10-20T10:31:00.002-05:00

As I write this, I am at home keeping watch over my sick son. Cameron was tested for strep and the flu, and both turned out negative. Turns out he has a sinus infection and viral pharyngitis. Nothing to do but keep feeding him Ibuprofen for his ongoing fever (ranges from 99 to 102), giving him fluids, keeping him restful, and PRAYING!!! One thing that's been cool about all this is that I've had to move around plans, cancel meetings, and get people to do things in my place. Why is that cool? It's reminded me of my proper priorities. I love my job. It's my calling! I am blessed to be doing something that I wake up to each morning and get excited about. I get to serve the Lord and others as a minister. And with that calling comes lots of busy-ness: meetings, visits, administration, correspondence, studying, counseling, more meetings, the list goes on. It's a job you never clock out of. And it's so easy to let it dominate everything in your life to the point that you have very little if any margin. Until someone gets sick. Cameron has been my priority this week. And it's been so cool. I've cleared my schedule to just be here. I haven't had to do too much: keep checking his temp, keep making sure he's drinking fluids. But it's been great to be a dad and put everything else on the back-burner. When it's all said and done, THAT is the right priority set. The day will come when I won't be as busy. And I'll want my grown, adult kids to hang out with me. And that possibility will depend upon the relationship I develop with my kids NOW! So if you're reading this, don't let your kids get sick before you make time to hang out with your kids and just BE THERE! It's the right priority!

09-10 Kentucky Basketball: "This is OUR Time!"

2009-10-16T23:35:00.001-05:00

This gets my blood pumpin' and ready for #8!!!

Church having a Bible & book burning???

2009-10-14T20:23:00.000-05:00

This video belongs to my "are you kidding me" file! Can someone tell me how this benefits the cause of Christ? Does this draw unsaved souls or does it cause many to yet again write us off as creepy, cultic crazy folks with no grip on reality? I guess you know how I feel. I just keep remembering the testimony of a missionary to China who told me how when they were almost out of Bibles, he throngs of people would clamor for just one page. The missionary would rip pages out to give to the masses. And we have a church in America burnin' Bibles? Lord, please help us!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FkbgeR8LKs&feature=youtube_gdata

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Cardboard Testimonies

2009-10-12T20:58:00.001-05:00

Hey, friends! Been a while since I've blogged. I don't know if I'm actually gonna ever get my 5 in per week or not :-). But for my first post this week, I wanted to share a video that my good buddy Sarah Thomas introduced to me. How simple yet so powerful. I'd love to do this at the Grove some time. The testimonies of the people in our church would just probably blow us away. When you see a fellow brother or sister in Christ this week and you have a moment (or even if you don't), why don't you pause and simply ask them, "What's your story?" Let them tell you about what Christ is doing in them lately. Let them tell you how Christ has changed their life. Some of the best sermons I've ever heard preached were simply the stories of changed lives from folks who have never stood behind a pulpit. What would your cardboard say?

Futuristic Burger Kings Coming!

2009-10-07T07:29:00.001-05:00

Click title above to check out the new Burger King designs that are coming soon! Cool stuff. My nerdy self is into stuff like this :-).

Fall Retreat - Scavenger Hunt

2009-10-04T01:29:00.001-05:00

Check out this cool highlight video I was able to make (very easily) through animoto.com. It's the pics the groups took as part of a scavenger hunt they did Sat. afternoon. We called it the Amazing Grrr...Race!!! Enjoy...

Fall Retreat - Midway Through!

2009-10-03T09:59:00.003-05:00

We just finished our second worship service of our Fall Retreat weekend! It's been so awesome. I feel like our teens are very locked into this whole idea of realizing that the worst kind of poverty is spiritual poverty. And in order to deal with this pandemic, we must be willing to roll up our sleeves and build relationships with the poor. Throwing money at the problem won't help in the long run. We must be relational!

What a great start to the retreat. Our kids are now in small groups to look at these concepts more deeply! Then it's lunch, a scavenger hunt (with digital cameras), then some sports tournaments and free time! LOVIN' IT! Let me leave you with this awesome concept that Pastor Dave taught us today: "THE TRANSFORMATION EQUATION!" It starts with this: relationships = trust. Now here's the equation that comes out of those relationships: TRUST + PRESENCE + PROCLAMATION + DEMONSTRATION = TRANSFORMATION! Think about it. It could change our churches' ways of doing ministry. Less time in the office, and more time on people's front porches!

That's pursuing Jesus!

Fall Retreat Here We Come!

2009-10-01T22:35:00.002-05:00

Well, so much for me blogging 5 times a week! BUSY-NESS has been a monkey on my back this week. So I'll have to see if I can get 5 in next week. But before we head into the weekend, I just wanted to write to let ya know that this weekend, we are taking our youth on its annual Fall Retreat down at Cedarmore in Bagdad, KY. It's going to be an awesome weekend. There are some cool things I like about this weekend. We typically bring a smaller number of teens which has an added feeling of fun & intimacy. I'll really get to hang with teens one-on-one more which is cool. I also love that I'll get to hang with some fellow youth ministers that I've become good friends with and some of which I've known a long time. Thom Brown, youth pastor of Oak Ridge Baptist, was one of my youth at Hickory Grove. I just love him like a brother and am glad I'll get to serve with him this weekend. BJ Donahue, youth pastor of Piner Baptist, has become a dear friend, and since we moved, he is now one of my neighbors. He's a passionate, driven, hard-working guy! One of my new friends that I've made through this event is John Hedberg, youth pastor of Kings Baptist in Mt. Washington, KY. He's such a fun dude. On top of all that, I actually personally know our song leader and speaker. Dave Bever is an inner city pastor in Cleveland, and our youth worked directly with him a couple of summers ago when we did the PowerPlant mission trip there in Cleveland. This guy is AMAZING! He is so passionate and communicates God's word in a mind-blowing way. And he connects so well with teens! Our youth are gonna love him. Rachel Hurt is our worship leader and college friend of Thom Brown. She is so talented. I am looking forward to getting to see her again. Haven't seen her since Thom's wedding.

Our theme for the week is entitled "In Pursuit of Jesus." You can't tell by the title, but it's a theme about poverty and reaching out to help others. I'm very excited about seeing our teens challenged to be more missional in their thinking.

Well, eyes are getting heavy and still have lots to do. So I'll sign off for now!!! Look for more blogs next week!

Dennis Swanberg - Bengy and the Zipper

2009-09-26T12:14:00.001-05:00

The Hickory Grove Pulpit

2009-09-23T22:58:00.002-05:00

As I write before going off to dream-land, I was thinking about what might be appropriate to blog today. It was an awesome and busy day today. Everything about my day was centered around worshipping with our teens. It started off with See You at the Pole this morning and ended with our first of five multi-youth-group worship services this school year (called "1 Night" worship services). Everything was just great today, with the exception of my buddy Dee Younger being taken to the hospital with a severe case of vertigo.

But another thing that happened today at my church was a special called business meeting for the purpose of electing several new deacons and hearing an announcement from the deacons about an interim plan for our pulpit. You see, our pastor Will Langford resigned about a month ago, and now we are faced with the task of supplying our pulpit with other preachers. At the Grove, according to our constitution, finding subs for preaching is the responsibility of our deacon body. So if you missed the business meeting tonight and you are a Grover, I'll let ya know the plan as it stands. Here goes:

Since our church is embarking on a huge, awesome fall Life Group campaign that even involves preaching on a theme, Bill Risher, Nate Niemi, and myself will be preaching from now through at least the first Sunday in Dec. I will preach from now through the end of October, with the exception of Oct. 4 when Nate will preach. I will be with the youth on Fall Retreat that day. Then starting in November, Bill Risher will preach that entire month. I will likely preach again the first Sunday in December to close out our fall Life Group campaign. By the way, this campaign is a spiritual growth emphasis entitled 40 Days of Community. It's going to be AWESOME!

In the meantime, a subcommittee of our deacons will be prayerfully seeking an interim preacher that will take over preaching duties until our pulpit search committee (being elected this Sunday) finds our next senior pastor.

You got all that? Lots of information there. I hope my Hickory Grove friends find this helpful. It's not unusual for folks to begin to wonder "what next" or "what now" when they lose a senior pastor. I want to assure all my Hickory Grove family that we are about to have a GREAT fall. And in the meantime, let's be praying for God to grow us closer to one another and to Him during this time of transition. Change and transitions aren't always fun or fast. But God can use them to do a mighty work in a church. I'm going to be praying for His wisdom & guidance during this time for our deacons, for our new pulpit search committee, for us as a staff, and for our entire church body. I truly believe our best days lie ahead as we seek His face and surrender wholeheartedly to Him. Let's buckle up and get ready for an awesome, God-sized journey!

Prayer changes things!

2009-09-21T20:03:00.002-05:00

Well, I want to stay true to my word and blog at least 5 times a week. I promise not to be too wordy (my reputation of being a talker does precede me). What's been on my heart for the past week is the unsung hero of our faith: prayer! It's probably the one tool, weapon, & resource I take most for granted in my life. I begin to look for it to be there for me after I've exhausted all other resources. I tend to appreciate it most when I feel like it is all I have. Since our pastor Will Langford was led to take another pastorate in Virginia, I've been grasping for this resource of prayer way more. I've been highly motivated to pray for Will & his family because I've only been through what he's going through once. And it was still the hardest thing I've ever been through besides my parents divorce. And I only moved 30 minutes away. He's moved nearly 10 hours away. And they are literally starting over, making new friends, establishing new relationships, and launching new ministry efforts. In the same vein, I've been praying so much more for MY church family. I love Hickory Grove so much. It's my spiritual family. I want to see it become all that God wants it to be. It is the bride of Christ. And we've been hurting and grieving the loss of our shepherd. But I do know God has an awesome plan and a purpose in all this. That part can get me excited, anxious, nervous, & impatient all at the same time. What I've realized is that we simply don't know right now what that plan is exactly yet. That means I have no control over it. That means I don't know what to do. And that reminds me that there is one thing that should be the first thing I want to do: PRAY! So if you are one of my Hickory Grove friends, please join me in praying for our church as we move forward into the next chapter of our legacy of faith. If you are a friend who doesn't go to Hickory Grove, would you please pray for us? I believe are best days still lie ahead if we follow God wholeheartedly down His path as He reveals it to us little by little. And prayer is the key. Prayer truly makes a difference. It changes things.

To support that thought, I leave you with a Bible passage I'll be preaching from this Wednesday as I get the honor to speak to 4 youth groups in a worship service at New Banklick Baptist Church. The worship service is called "1 Night," bringing several youth groups together as ONE group to worship our ONE God with ONE voice! I will be preaching on prayer (in honor of See You at the Pole day this Wed.), and this passage blows my mind. A mere human can pray and literally change the mind of God. What an awesome God we have. What a just, gracious, merciful God we have. What a loving God we have. Read Exodus 32:7-14. And make sure you pray continually. It truly does make a difference!

Great Post-game UK-UL Summary!

2009-09-19T17:56:00.002-05:00

Click on my blog title above to read a great post-game article on the UK vs UL football game today. Matt Jones is one of the best. KSR is one of my favorite blogs to read. "But we won" sums it all up! Go big blue!!!

Blog Rededication :-)

2009-09-18T22:35:00.003-05:00

Hey, friends! As I've been doing some praying & thinking this week, I've felt compelled to do better about blogging. There may be only 2 people that read my blogs out there (Hi honey & mom), but I just feel like if you're gonna have a blog, you need to keep the posts coming. So my new goal is to blog 5 days a week. So keep coming by to see some posts daily. I want to simply post some cool God-teaching-moments that I experience during the week, some behind-the-scenes stuff about our ministries at Hickory Grove, and of course, some personal posts as well. I love talking about my family and the cool things we get to do and experience. So be looking for some daily blogs starting next week! And thanks Sherry & Mom for reading. And if a few others are reading too, thanks :-)

What Can Brown Do for You?

2009-09-16T23:32:00.001-05:00

Check out this blast from the past. We made this video years ago as part of a sermon series on serving. We used Emily Brown as the star! Good times!