Prayer & Fasting for 2008

Who is God and what does He want? What are the tasks He desires Garden Ridge to accomplish during 2008? How can we continue to grow to become more of what the body of Jesus ought to be? How can we use our talents, passions and different personalities to further the work of the Kingdom of God? These are all questions in which we need to seek the answers from God. That is the purpose behind our time of prayer and fasting.

The reports I received from those who participated several months ago when we did this were both positive and exciting. There were none who said they wasted their time by coming up to the building for a special time of prayer on behalf of the church family at Garden Ridge (of course, most people probably wouldn’t say that out loud in front of the new preacher). However, there were several individuals and families who commented on how this was a special time for them to focus their prayer life and get back into a habit of worship and prayer. Several people commented that they needed to slow down once in a while and be more intentional in giving time to focus on God. Other comments dealt with the joy of seeing the church come together in a bond of love and unity to pray for direction and guidance from God so we could fulfill more of the good works He desires us to accomplish as His ambassadors.

We invite you to please come take part in this special 24-hour period of seeking the will of God. As part of the church family here, we need you to join with your brothers and sisters in lifting up before God our petitions for His will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven! Will you please set apart a time of 30 minutes to an hour to come to the building and join in the prayers of this congregation?

Once again, we will have sheets of butcher paper in the foyers to write down general ideas for people to pray about concerning the spiritual growth and service of this body throughout 2008. However, we are also asking you to fill out cards with personal prayer requests that will then be prayed over by those who come to the building to pray. It is great to be part of the Garden Ridge family, and with that comes a responsibility to seek the will of God and to follow it as best as we can. This is what the Day of Prayer and Fasting is for—to help us be united in our quest to serve as the true body of Jesus in this community!

Understanding the Problem

For more than 20 years, Professor Edwin R. Keedy of the University of Pennsylvania Law School used to start his first class by putting two figures on the board, “4” & “2”. Then he would ask, “What’s the solution?” One student would call out, “Six.” Another would say, “Two.” Then several would shout out, “Eight!” The teacher would just shake his head “no”. Then Professor Keedy would point out their collective error. “All of you failed to ask the key question: ‘What is the problem?’ Ladies and gentlemen, unless you know what the problem is, you cannot possibly find the answer.”

A young couple wanted to buy a home, but felt it to be too expensive for them. They told God, “If you want us to buy it, 1) have the contractor accept only 1/2 of what he's asking for the down payment, and 2) have the bank approve our loan.” Both events happened and they bought the home. They soon began to go into debt. Is this what God directed them to do? How do you know? What is the real problem here?

If we get real honest with ourselves, we all know we live this way. We try to tackle the situations we are called to face through our own human wisdom, and sometimes even do it in the name of seeking God’s will. After all, living in a world with a limited perspective means I must make decisions based upon what I do “know” or else I would never move one direction or another. And who is to say that in the situation of the young couple mentioned above, God didn’t lead them into this in order to teach them some valuable lesson for later in life. Or, He wasn’t concerned with what this young couple would go through because He was trying to use the results of this situation to accomplish something else in His kingdom. (Stop it—my head is starting to hurt!)

Can you see the dilemma here? If so, then you are ready to study the material we are going to look at this morning during our sermon concerning the life of Abram. You see, Abram had some choices presented before him and from what the Scriptures say and don’t say, he set himself and his wife up for some real heartache (not to mention the strife we still have in our world today as a result of his choices!) A simple series of decisions that really lead back to ONE primary decision set a course that has influenced billions of lives since the time he made his decision!
What decision could be so crucial? Well, I will give you a couple hints: It is found in Genesis 12 and it deals with the second part of our development of faith quest—learning to surrender our present to God! Last week we saw the importance of surrendering our past and how debilitating it can be to carry those burdens with us. This morning we will see the necessity of giving God our present. Will we try to solve life’s problems without stopping to ask God what the real issue is? If so, we may find ourselves in the predicament of Abram!

To listen to sermon, click Developing Faith: Surrendering Your Present.

Learning to Walk by Faith

What do you want from your relationship with God? Are you hoping it will result in eternity in heaven? Perhaps your desire is to experience life to the fullest? It may be that you want your life to have purpose, direction, and guidance from a source beyond our limited earthly view? Could it be that you are looking to mature in a way that your life demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit and reflects the shekinah glory of God Himself? Or, are your sights set upon developing a healthy family with relationship skills that lead to better friendships and other interpersonal bonds that are fruitful and uplifting?

These all sound like good things, however, there is a serious problem with this thinking! Our faith walk with God should never be about what we want. When this is how we determine what is best we are thinking according to the flesh! Does this mean that the things listed above are bad—of course not! However, what makes them truly good is they are things God wants for us!!! By walking with Him, He leads us to these things!!! So often, our own attempts at striving for these things winds up in disaster or heartache or frustration because our perspective is limited and our motives are not pure. The real question is whether we have the trust in Him to get beyond what we want to allow him to bring about what He wants!

The Scriptures call us to live a life of faith in God. However, what does this look like? How do we develop faith? Fortunately, God provides an example to follow in the life of Abraham. This morning we will begin the last three weeks of our series on Who is God and What Does He Want by looking at the development of faith. By considering the struggles of Abraham from his call by God in Genesis 12 to the offering of his son as a sacrifice in Genesis 22, we will see that faith involves our ability to surrender to God our past, our present, and our future. These things are very hard to surrender when we are trying to be in control!

Several times in the story of Abraham we see how following his own ingenuity to achieve the types of things listed in the first paragraph of this article actually led to pain and frustration for him and his family, and even separation from God. Even the part of his calling in which God said all the families of the earth would be blessed in him was hindered or forfeited when he tried to walk by his own sight instead of trusting in the guidance of God. These provide painful lessons, however, recognize that God never gave up on him! This is because God wants all these good things for us, even more than we think we do! So, how is your own faith walk going? Are you still holding the reins? Consider surrendering your past, present and future to Him and see where that leads you. I know Abraham is glad he did! Will you be a true child of his and walk by faith?

To listen to sermon, click Developing Faith: Surrendering Our Past.

Whose Job is it to Share the Good News?

How many of you feel confident sitting down with someone and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ in order to lead them to a covenant relationship leading to salvation for their soul? Where do you start and what do you say? I would imagine there are many who would say, “I am not sure I feel confident with this. It would probably be better for someone else to teach them because I might mess things up, or they might ask questions I wouldn’t know how to answer.” Does this sound like an accurate portrayal of your feelings?

Now, if this is where you are in your spiritual walk, then so be it. However, if in one year’s time from now you are still in the same place in your spiritual walk, should it be time to recognize that there is something wrong? Paul told the church at Corinth that God “gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God!” The same Paul who wrote this also told Timothy to be ready in season and out of season to preach the word. Peter adds that we should be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you”.

One of the reasons for studying about who God is and what He wants is to lay a foundation for the work God calls us to as ambassadors in His kingdom. Most of us already know the basic teachings of God, but do we know how to share them with the lost in a way that helps them see how God and His ways are relevant to the things we face in this era? Seeing God as the One who can put order to our chaos; as the One who knows our needs and provides for us; as the Father who will punish us in order to call us back to a right relationship with Him; as One who is hurt by our sin; as One who warned mankind for almost 1000 years prior to the flood; and as the One who will hang His bow in the sky to show us He is at peace with us should help us realize we worship a God who is actively involved in this world and who desires to have a bond of covenant with us! Will studying these stories equip us so we begin to see more outreach to the lost?

This morning, as we consider mission work done throughout the world, let’s not forget our own backyard! Our neighbors, co-workers, fellow classmates and others we come in contact with need someone to share the Good News with them! Can they count on you? If you are not ready for that now, will you be ready in a year? Or, if God grants us another year on this earth, will we be promoting another Mission Sunday asking for the same things because we have not grown? The answer to the question in the title of this article should be obvious! How will you be better equipped by next year to call people to reconciliation with God?

The Harvest is Plentiful

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Garden Ridge showed its love for others once again! The collection of food for some families to enjoy over the holiday season was a great success. In the short time of an hour or two there were 45-48 baskets or boxes of food assembled and distributed to over 30 families. In addition, the pantry was completely restocked for us to be able to help out many more families in the next few months. There were reports of several tearful expressions of gratitude and surprise as food was delivered in Lewisville, Flower Mound, and beyond. May God be glorified as we recognize the opportunities within our community to share from the wonderful blessings we have received from Him and show His love!

To listen to this week's sermon, click Thanksgiving Sermon.

What Are You Building?

Take a quiz—How many of these people do you recognize: Owen D. Young; Pierre Laval, Hugh S. Johnson; James F. Byrnes; Mohammed Mossadegh; Harlow Curtice? These are not obscure names! Each one of these people were designated “Man of the Year” by Time magazine. The major criterion for being selected as “Man of the Year” is that they supposedly had the greatest impact of all persons living on the earth within a given year.


When it is all said and done, what will you have built that will last? The Scriptures contain many teachings warning us about chasing after the things of this world and how temporary they are. The author of Ecclesiastes uses the terms “vanity of vanities” (used 38 times) and “striving after wind” (used 7 times) to share his understanding of the futility of making things “under the sun” (used 29 times) the ultimate quest. His point, as he experiments with many different areas of life in a quest for the meaning of life, from the beginning of the book (1:2) to the end (12:8), is that a focus on the things of this world will always end with the same conclusion—“‘Vanity of vanities’, says the Preacher, ‘all is vanity!’” Any worldview that doesn’t rise above the horizon of man himself is a waste of time!


Mark Twain, shortly before he died, wrote the following:
A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle; . . . they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; . . . those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. It (the release) comes at last—the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them—and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence, . . . a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.


How sad to view life this way, but this is “under the sun” thinking! It is the very trap the builders of the Tower of Babel fell prey to. In a quest to make a name for themselves, they forgot the most important thing—the will of their God!


The one thing we have seen show up over and over again as we have studied who God is and what He wants is that God has a plan for everything! Man was removed from the Garden of Eden—God shared a plan for their ultimate return. Cain killed his brother and God started over through the lineage of Seth. When the genealogies of Cain and Seth intermarried and every thought of man became evil continually, He saved the world through the flood and showed His planning through Enoch and Lamech. Now, as the people build the Tower at Babel, He will once again show His planning and intention through a man we know as Abraham. Through all of this He will show the difference in man making a name for themselves and His making a name for us!
So, what do we use as a basis for meaning, value and significance? What have you done that you believe in and are proud of? What will survive the test of time? Perhaps Paul’s words to the Corinthians provide a perspective we should consider:


According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. (I Cor. 3:10-13)


Have you thought about whether what you are spending your time and energy upon will even last? Are you striving to make a name for yourself, or will you trust God to make your legacy? WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING?



To listen to sermon, click Making a Name for Yourself.

What is Your Perspective?

To please his father, a freshman went out for Track. He had no athletic ability, though his father had been a good runner in his day, particularly in the mile. The young man’s first race was a two-man race in which he was pitted against the school’s 3-year champion in the mile. Thus, he was beaten badly. Not wanting to disappoint his father, the boy wrote home the following message. “You will be happy to know that I ran against Bill Williams, the best mile runner in the school. He came in next to last, while I came in second!”
Perspective is an amazing thing! There are always at least two ways to look at things. One sees the glass half-full and the other sees it half-empty. One faces a trial or challenge and thinks it a punishment from God and another considers it an opportunity to be stretched and to grow in their faith. This is certainly true as we look at the story of Noah and the flood this morning.
Most of us know the major details of the account of Noah and the flood. We also typically understand that there are at least two perspectives from which we should view the events of this story. One is the side of judgment and the way God handles sin. The other is the side of salvation and the way God handles the sinner. We will see in the sermon this morning the effort of God to SAVE mankind, but the destruction that comes because sin must be dealt with according to the righteous nature of our God. What is interesting is that the whole story of Noah and the flood is laid out to make a powerful point that the author intends not to be missed.
According to Gordon Wenham in the Word Biblical Commentary series, the story of the flood from 6:9 through 9:19 carries within it the following pattern:

A. Transitional Introduction (6:9-10)
B. Violence in Creation (6:11-12)
C. 1st Divine Speech: Resolve to destroy (6:13-22)
D. 2nd Divine Speech: Enter the ark (7:1-10)
E. Beginning of flood (7:11-16)
F. The Rising flood (7:17-24)
Þ GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (8:1)
F. The Receding flood (8:1-5)
E. Drying of the earth (8:16-14)
D. 3rd Divine Speech: Leave ark (8:15-19)
C. God’s resolve to preserve order (8:20-22)
B. 4th Divine Speech: Covenant (9:1-17)
A. Transitional conclusion (9:18-19)

This is called a palistrophe, where the story builds up to a point and then builds out from it. The significance of an order like this is that the point in the middle is generally the main emphasis.
Do you see what the author is emphasizing? God always remembers those in a bond of covenant with Him! Isaiah would put it this way: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you!”—Is. 49:15.

Consider some other passages and what God provides for those in covenant with Him because He remembers them (Genesis 19:29; Exodus 2:24; I Samuel 1:19; Psalm 105:42). As horrific as the flood event appears at first glance, it sure demonstrates the heart of love God has for those who belong to Him. It is all a matter of your perspective!

To listen to sermon, click The Flood Was a Salvation Event.

What Legacy Do I Want To Leave Behind?!?!?

Who wants to study a genealogy? Of all the sections of material in the Bible, could anything be as dry and pointless as a genealogy? For some reason Moses puts TWO genealogies side by side right near the beginning of his writings to teach us about our relationship with God (who He is and what He wants).
One of the great things about Scripture is the way God chooses to teach lessons about who He is and what He wills through both the good news and the bad news in people’s lives. One might think it prudent for God to choose one story of victory after another to show the benefits and plausibility of doing things according to His will. And, of course, there are many stories like this throughout the Scriptures: David & Goliath; Daniel in the lion’s den; Joseph in Egypt; Elijah on Mount Carmel; Peter walking on water; and the list could go on. However, God often shows the failings and weaknesses of individuals, as well. He does not try to hide them. In fact, it seems as though He willingly displays them so we might grow from the mistakes others have made. Consider David & Bathsheba; the grumbling of the Israelites in the wilderness; Noah getting drunk; Solomon and his many wives; Peter’s denials of Jesus; and Paul’s argument with Barnabas concerning John Mark, just to name a few. God uses these moments of sin or human weakness to teach us His will and ultimately bring Himself glory!
This morning’s sermon over the genealogies of Cain and Seth is a further example of the way God does this. As we see records of generations of two particular families, it becomes clear that we have a choice to make. What type of family legacy will we leave behind as future generations unfold? Will we leave behind a legacy of worldly success at the expense of our souls, such as we find in the genealogy of Cain, or will those who look back over our own genealogy see God working out His plans throughout our family line, like we see in the genealogy of Seth? What will those who look back at us say our priorities were? What Moses is emphasizing through these two genealogies is the most fundamental decision mankind must make—what legacy do you want to leave behind? When you know the answer to this question, pursue it intentionally! After all, what truly is more important than this?

To listen to sermon, click The Tale of Two Genealogies.

A Great Big Thank You!

It was such a nice surprise and a great encouragement to Deeann and me to receive the outpouring of blessings and kind thoughts that this church family bestowed upon us last week. Thank you for the cards and gifts and especially for the prayers and blessings we were given. We are excited about the work we get to do for the Lord with the church family here at Garden Ridge and look forward to growing together as disciples, servants and ambassadors for our Lord. Thank you again for showing us such love and appreciation even though we have been here such a short time. It is greatly appreciated!

When Justice and Mercy Collide

Isn’t it awesome that God is so merciful? After all, we all mess up, and who doesn’t need a God who understands and provides out of His mercy and grace another chance to work things out? It is really difficult to live in this world and not become influenced or stained by it. Thus, we need a God who is full of mercy and grace! Instead of surrendering as a failure, I can be made new and have a whole new outlook on things!

Isn’t it awesome that God is so just? After all, there are so many things in this world that are shady and deceitful! How many times are we taken advantage of because someone has their own agenda and will take whatever means they deem necessary to accomplish their goal? Sometimes it is hard to know what standard to live by, but having a God who is just helps me determine morality, truth and what is right because I have a measuring stick with which to evaluate things.

We serve a God who is both just AND merciful!!! Consider the way God presents himself to Moses when He reveals His glory to him on Mt. Sinai, as recorded in Exodus 34:6-7:
6 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

Do you see both the justice and mercy of God portrayed as He speaks to Moses? God says these things about Himself!!! The context of this proclamation is that God is angry enough to destroy the Israelites due to their sin with the golden calf, but Moses begs Him to continue walking with them. Moses has returned to Mt. Sinai with two tablets of stone to have the 10 Commandments inscribed on them and he will return to the Israelite camp with a glow that frightens the people as a result of his time in the presence of God. Even the physical representations of tablets of stone (Law) and the glow (presence of God) show both characteristics of His nature!

How do these two characteristics work together? Does His justice override His grace, or does His grace override His justice? Is it possible for the two to work in balance? This morning, as we look at the story of Cain and Abel, we are able to see both aspects of this great God we serve. The justice of God will not accept Cain’s sacrifice, while the grace of God will warn him of sin crouching at his door waiting to have him. The justice of God will hold Cain accountable for the murder of his brother, prohibiting him from using the ground to grow crops and making him a wanderer and a vagrant, while the grace of God will protect Cain from someone finding him and killing him.

Perhaps this is what makes our understanding of God and His ways so difficult at times. It is hard to balance these two characteristics! When I swing to the side of justice, I struggle with what God does through His grace (Why would God protect a murderer?). When I swing to the side of grace, I struggle with God’s justice (Why wouldn’t God accept Cain’s sacrifice?) Yet, God exhibits both characteristics with great balance. Isn’t it awesome that God is so merciful and just!!!

To listen to sermon, click Serving God on My Terms.

The Quest to Live Forever

It is amazing the types of things people in our society will do in a quest to stay young and “live” forever! Have you heard the one about Ted Williams, the former Red Sox Baseball player? Upon his death, his son had his head removed from his body and had both head and body frozen in a preserved state for the day that medical advances can bring him back to life and restore him to good health. To commemorate this decision, (I promise I am not making this up) the Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings Minor League Baseball team held a “Ted Williams Popsicle Night” on June 3, 2003 (the one year anniversary of his being put into cryogenic stasis), in which the first 500 fans in attendance received a free Popsicle—Is nothing sacred anymore?!?!?

Then there is David Copperfield, the magician, who claims he discovered the “Fountain of Youth” on one of the Bahaman Islands he recently purchased for the price of almost $50 million. In a phone interview on CNN in August, 2006, Copperfield said, “You can take dead leaves; they come in contact with the water; they become full of life again. Bugs or insects that are near death come in contact with the water, they’ll fly away.” Copperfield admits he has hired scientists to examine and experiment with the waters, but why has nothing reputable been reported, if this is real?

Robert Freitas, a nano-robotics theorist, suggests we could see the day when tiny medical nano-robots travel through our bloodstream to find and destroy dangerous things like bacteria and cancer cells and other potential hazards. Other scientists are proposing that through cybernetics there will come a time when human consciousness will be able to be uploaded onto a computer system where an individual will live indefinitely in a virtual reality (sort of like a Matrix concept).

Isn’t it amazing that there is within us this desire to live forever? Perhaps, even more amazing is how our Father in heaven has once again responded to a need we have and provided a means for it to be fulfilled! It does not involve cryogenics, cybernetics, nano-robotics, or even a Fountain of Youth! What it does involve is a thing called the Tree of Life. This is what we will study about this morning. However, from what we will see, God is very particular about who He will allow to feast from its fruit. I pray you will see the heart of God as we study about the RESTORATION God brings us through in order to make us ready to live forever.

To listen to sermon, click Eating from the Tree of Life.

A Father’s Discipline

As a parent, it is sure nice to get beyond the stages where corporal forms of punishment are needed to teach obedience and reinforce various life lessons that are vital for the safety and maturation of our children. As Tyler, Christopher and Whitney mature into young adults; it is nice to see our relationship shifting towards more of a friend/respect bond rather than the parent-child/obedience bond we lived with for many years. It is not that they don’t still live with the parent-child/obedience model, but through empowerment and maturation our relationship has moved to a new level—one which I welcome and embrace!

I believe God feels the same way! Training up children is difficult and takes a lot of hard work. Maybe that is why the whole life process begins with something called “labor”. Discipline takes wisdom, patience, perseverance, and, well, discipline to do it well. Fortunately, God demonstrates all of these qualities throughout the Scriptures as He trains up His people to know Him and His ways. The reason these qualities are necessary is because discipline is meant to be more teaching than punishment (discipline and disciple come from the same root word)!

That brings us to the interesting situation going on in Genesis 3 when God brings forth His big stick of punishment upon the serpent and the first man and woman as a result of their disobedience. Certainly, He is teaching He is in control and must be obeyed, but what other lessons is He trying to get across through His choice of discipline? I mean, what does increased pain in childbirth and difficulty in getting the ground to produce have to do with eating fruit they weren’t supposed to? This would be like taking my car to get the brakes fixed and the mechanic working on the horn to make it louder, thinking that would solve my problem, right? It just doesn’t make sense!

Perhaps there is more here than meets the eye at first glance? This morning we will see God’s response to mankind when we mess up. It is a powerful story of love and provision as God refuses to give up on mankind. There are lessons for mankind to learn, but He demonstrates He is in this for the long haul! He will not give up on us! Have I whetted your appetite to the text we will look at this morning in the sermon? (And you probably thought I would explain it all here. Sorry, but you have to wait for the sermon to see how this all plays out.)

To listen to sermon, click How Does God Respond When We Mess Up?

He is out to Destroy Us

The Scriptures warn us over and over again of the enemy we have working to destroy us! We are told he is a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies (John 8:44). We are warned he is our adversary and he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking those he can devour (I Peter 5:8). We are warned to put on the armor of God because of the schemes of the devil through which he will try to destroy us (Ephesians 6:11-13). The truth is, HE IS PLAYING FOR KEEPS AND HE PLAYS DIRTY!!!

There is an old story about how Eskimo’s hunt wolves that parallels the twisted strategy the devil uses to get us to destroy ourselves. It is really quite gruesome, but it shows the danger we are in when we do not control our lusts. What the Eskimo does is take a sharpened knife with a double-edged blade and dip it in blood and freeze it. He does this many times over in order to make a frozen Popsicle of blood around the knife blade. Once this is done, he buries the knife with the handle side down, leaving only the Popsicle of blood exposed. The wolf then smells the blood and begins hunting for it. He begins licking the blade and the coldness of the frozen blood numbs his tongue so that as he gets down to the sharpened blade and slices his tongue, he does not realize that it becomes his own blood that he is feasting upon. Ultimately, the wolf bleeds to death feeding upon his own blood.

This a sad picture, but how many of us fall into the same traps by the devil and actually wind up destroying ourselves because we cannot control our lusts? This morning we will be introduced to someone else in the Garden of Eden who was seeking control. This serpent, who we know as the devil, uses lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride to shipwreck our faith. He sets the temptations before us that will entice us to get out of control so we destroy ourselves! What is interesting in the picture provided in the Scriptures is how consistent he is with the same warfare over and over again. Why do we keep falling for his schemes?

Do you want to hear the good news? I have a picture hanging in my office that was given to me by some great friends. It is a picture of Daniel sitting against a wall in the lion’s den with a lion nose to nose with him staring him in the eyes. I love this picture because it reminds me of the control my God has even over the “roaring lions seeking someone to devour” and how He can hold the devil at bay! Perhaps the real question is whether He can hold ME at bay. We will see the way Jesus handles the temptations of the devil this morning, BUT will we learn from His example? Our enemy is out to destroy us! Fortunately, our God is much bigger than our enemy! “Submit therefore to God! Resist the devil and he will flee from you! Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!” (James 4:7-8)

To listen to sermon, click The Devil's Triangle.

Remember You're Special!

Do you feel special? What do you base your answer upon? Typically, we base our evaluation of what we call “self-esteem” upon values such as: appearance (how do I look?), performance (how am I doing?), and status (how important am I?); and our sense of worth (what value do I have?), our sense of belonging (Do others want me around?), competence (What skills do I have?) and purpose (What am I here to accomplish?). The problem is we often get wrong information about who we really are and what our purpose should be because we live in a world full of sarcasm and negativity. Many times, in a quest to feel good about ourselves, we diminish the value of others or put them down. This just perpetuates the negative feelings people carry around, making it hard to feel special.

Perhaps it would be better to trade our quest for ­self-esteem in for something much more objective and true—God-esteem! Interestingly, when considering the areas listed above through the eyes of Scripture, we are given vivid messages about each of these from a much different perspective. God tells us we are created in His image, thus our appearance is based upon our reflection of Him (Gen. 1:26). Since we are not saved by works, but by grace, our performance is not what God uses to determine our worth (Eph. 2:8-9). God does not love us or select us based upon status. He chose Israel when they were the least of peoples (Deut. 7:7-8). Our worth is clear just by considering the price He was willing to pay for us to be with Him—He gave His best for us (Rev. 5:9). He makes our belonging clear when He talks about choosing us (Eph. 1:3-5). Our competence is measured through what Christ can do through us (Phil. 4:13). And He tells us our purpose is to accomplish good works He created for us to fulfill (Eph. 2:10). So, whose voice are you listening to?

In raising up the three children God has placed in our care, Deeann and I have constantly tried to remind them that they were created to accomplish good works and that they are special in God’s eyes, and in ours! We told them this all the time! Every time one of our children was leaving the house, or when we dropped them off for school or some other activity, or when they went to bed at night, we would regularly tell them, “Remember you’re special!” Our children became so used to hearing this that they would try to beat us to the punch. When we would pull up at school to drop them off they would hurriedly open the back door of the car so they could run off, and they would say as they left the car, “I KNOW, I KNOW, I’M SPECIAL!” It then got to be a game to see who could say it first.

This morning in our sermon, we will see how culture has consistently distorted the view of mankind so that we think less of ourselves than what God’s view is and wind up accomplishing less than what He has created us for! We will see how God spells out very clearly in the Scriptures that we are special! Man holds a high place in the kingdom of God! Will you choose to live like a child of God, or settle for less? God wants you to REMEMBER YOU’RE SPECIAL!!!

To listen to sermon, click God's High View of Mankind.

Which Brother Are You?

A man received a new car from his brother as a present. He parked it at his job and that evening, when he came out of work, there was a poor child of the streets walking around it, admiring it. He asked, “Is this your car, mister?” To which the man nodded and told him that his brother had given it to him. The boy was shocked by this and said, “You mean he gave it to you and it didn’t cost you nothing? Boy, I wish . . . .” He hesitated and the man knew he was going to say that he wished he had a brother like that. However, the boy surprised the man when he completed his sentence. “I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that!” The man looked at the boy and asked, “How would you like to go for a ride?” “Oh, yes, I would like that,” the boy said.

As they were riding the boy asked, “Would you mind driving in front of my house?” Thinking the boy wanted to show his friends he was riding in a new car, the man readily agreed. “Stop by these steps,” the boy cried as he jumped out of the car and started up the steps. “I’ll be right back!” When he returned he was leading his crippled younger brother. “There it is, Buddy, just like I told you. His brother gave it to him and it didn’t cost him a cent! Someday I am going to give you one just like it!”

What makes this type of selflessness so special? Why do stories like this fill us with inspiration? Could it be that it is because it is counter to our physical nature and so totally in line with God’s nature of love? The fact that we are moved by stories like this certainly works against the concept of “survival of the fittest”, doesn’t it? That is because we are created in the image of God, as we will see in the sermon this morning, which means there is a part of our soul that is touched by the same selflessness and giving He Himself demonstrates throughout the Scriptures.

Last week we saw how Moses introduced God as a God of POWER, ORDER, and COMPETENCE. We saw how He could take the biggest messes and speak order into them to turn them into something “GOOD”! This morning, as we consider the elements of covenant found in the second creation account, we will be further introduced to a God who cares about mankind with a selfless, giving kind of love that provides for our needs! We will be introduced to the elemental principles of covenant which are part of the foundation for the rest of Scripture.
We all want a brother like the one who gave the new car, don’t we? God is demonstrated to be this kind of brother, friend and God in Genesis 2. However, how many of us are trying to become like this type of brother to others? This is the quest we should be on as we truly take on the image of the ONE who has created us. Which brother are you?

To listen to sermon, click Does He Care about My Needs?

No Trivial Matter

How well do you know history? If I asked you to name the 8th President of the United States, who would you say it was? Suppose I made it easier and asked you to name the 1st President of the United States. How confident are you that you could accurately name this individual? Suppose I told you if you answered, “George Washington” you would be accurate, but only if he was your answer to the first question and not the second one. What? Everyone knows George Washington was the 1st President!

Traditionally, George Washington is regarded as the “Father of our Country”, but was he the 1st President? In reality, there were 7 “Presidents” selected by Congress prior to the Constitution being adopted in 1789. George Washington was the 1st President elected under the Constitution, but what of those who served under the Articles of Confederation? But, what difference does all of this make? Unless I have some personal stake in who the 1st President was, does it really matter? It is just a story from the past that has little to no bearing on me!
How many times have we thought that about the stories in the Scriptures? I mean, Adam & Eve and the creation accounts are great stories, but what do they have to do with me? It is not like I have some personal stake in it, right? They provide some food for thought, maybe even some interesting trivia, but how do they help me with life in the 21st century?

This morning I am excited about our beginning a new sermon series from the teachings of Genesis because I take it as my mission to help each of us see the relevance these stories have to life in today’s world! We will not just be looking at interesting trivia or human interest stories. These stories were written to introduce us to God and are as relevant today as they were to those who originally received them! We will see over the next few weeks that we need to know about a God of TWO creations; we are blessed to have a God called both elohim and Yahweh; being given increased pain in childbirth as a result of eating forbidden fruit makes perfect sense; God was warning people about the flood almost 1000 years before it came; and many more matters that provide a clear picture of WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE WANTS FROM US!!! I pray you will make every effort to participate in this study over the next three months.

By the way, the 1st President of the United States, if you accept those chosen under the Articles of Confederation, was John Hanson of Maryland. He served in this role for one year, during which time he worked with Congress to establish the Treasury Department, led them to adopt the Great Seal of the United States, which is still in use today, and was instrumental in the passing of a national holiday in which the 4th Thursday of each November would be declared a “day of Thanksgiving”. (I thought Franklin D. Roosevelt established this holiday?—I guess that provides material for another bulletin article!) Anyway, he may be the answer to a trivia question, but then again, some of what he did still applies to our lives today!

To listen to sermon, click Can God Handle My Mess?

Created to be in His Presence

For the past three weeks we have considered the concept of being Human Clay. We began by seeing God as the Great Sculptor and considered His ability to make and remake something from a lump of clay as long as the clay didn’t become so hard it could only be broken. We then looked at man as the Sculpture of God and saw that clay has no business questioning the Great Sculptor as to what He is doing, and that this Sculptor can do amazing things with an ordinary lump of clay, if it will submit to His will and molding. Next we considered the Studio this Great Sculptor uses (the world) in order to craft us, and how that crafting will involve hardships and a process of refining, but our Great Sculptor has things in complete control.

This morning we will conclude our series on Human Clay by considering the Gallery and what it means to be a work of art worthy of being displayed with all of His other works of art. Will He see us as a genuine article of His own making, or will we be rejected as being a cheap knock-off or a counterfeit? How do you tell the real thing?

I am reminded of the account from Exodus 32-34 where Moses brings the 10 Commandments down to the people of Israel two times! God brought Israel to Mt. Sinai in order to make a covenant with them and give them the 10 Commandments. However, what happens to make it necessary for a 2nd presentation of the 10 Commandments is a case study in the things we have been studying about Human Clay. Here is God, the Great Sculptor, trying to mold Israel to become holy as He is holy, but they are so easily distracted, that 40 days of Moses being gone leads to the creation of a golden calf and complete unholiness in the camp! Israel was having a hard time with being soft enough to mold into the image of their God!

What is great about this story is that God did not give up on them! He feared what He might have to do if He continued to travel with them and told Moses His presence would not go with them (33:2-3); but that was because God did not want to have to break them! However, His desire to be in their presence was fierce, thus He revealed more of Himself to Moses (34:5-8) and then reaffirmed covenant with Moses (34:10-26); and finally had Moses make a 2nd set of stone tablets to teach the people His ways (34:27-28). At this point, Moses went back down to the people but they were afraid to come near to him because his appearance had changed!
How do you know when someone has been in the presence of God? It shows up all over their face! (Read Exodus 34:29-30) As Human Clay, God wants to make us more like Him! Will our countenance reveal even a glimmer of light because we have been in His presence together this morning? As we talk about God’s Gallery this morning, listen for two key points: (1) WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A REFLECTION OF THE ARTIST WHO CREATED US; and (2) WE ARE CREATED TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE!!!

To listen to sermon, click The Gallery.

A Work in Progress

AHHHH, the smell of burnt soybean permeates the air, which makes me acutely aware that school cafeterias have once again begun their assembly lines and school is back in session!!! (May God be praised for the availability of ketchup and salt!) This is also obvious by the increased activity in the malls. Teenagers all across the land have been busy trying to pick out new clothes to wear for the week-long fashion show known as the first week of school. No doubt, God has been almost as busy as the mall receiving petition after petition by grumbling students asking Him to free them from the bondage of teachers, principals, and various other school administrators and to rid them once and for all of the terrible oppression known as H-O-M-E-W-O-R-K! If it wasn’t for the benefit of a new social calendar, school would be a total waste of time!!!

How many of us beyond the school age years are happy to have all of that behind us? “No more teachers; no more books; no more Johnny’s dirty looks”? “Now I can get on with real life and forget all that book learning stuff!” May this never be our philosophy!

Probably the best student I ever had in my teaching years at Eastern New Mexico University was a sweet spirited older woman who finally finished her degree at the beautiful age of 72. Of the 1000+ students I had the opportunity to work with in the 16 semesters I taught at the University level, none worked harder and sought to learn more than Marie Roberson! Her routine was to tape all the lectures while also taking notes by hand. She then went home and transcribed the notes so she had the lectures word for word as they were presented. She then prepared for tests writing out lengthy answers to the study guide and spent usually about 2-3 hours taking one essay test, reciting almost word for word what was covered in the lecture. She even learned Greek and translated the entire Gospel of John when she was in her late 60’s. This is an individual who understood that there is always something new to learn!

This morning we will see how God uses this world we live in as His studio to mold us and shape us to become more of what He intends us to be. We are a work in progress! God is using our life situations to handcraft us. Do we make it hard on ourselves by kicking against the ox-goad? (Acts 26:14—an ox goad was a long stick with a pointed end used to prod an ox to keep them moving or to direct their path.) Our spiritual school is still in session and being a disciple means we are a student or learner. May we study hard through the course work of life so we do not have to cram for one FINAL EXAM! It is amazing what God can teach us and shape us to be if we will seek to continue growing! God bless you in your education! May you fully realize the benefits of a degree in spirituality and service to His kingdom!


It is Almost Here!!!

Have you invited anyone to come with you yet? September 16th will mark the beginning of a new sermon series in which we will consider who God is and what He wants from us. It will be a study that introduces God and His incredible way of dealing with mankind! I promise it will be a fresh look at the story of Genesis that will show you how real God is and how relevant His ways are for our lives. I hope you will get excited enough about this to invite someone else to come with you!

To listen to sermon, click The Studio.

The Hardening of Clay

“Wow, this is one of the biggest decisions of my life!” “Will the water be cold?” “I wonder if this blue thing will really keep me modestly covered after it is wet.” “Do I really know enough to follow through on this commitment?” “They really won’t care if I drip water all over the carpet once we get out of the baptistery?” “Hey, I wonder how they change the light bulbs way up there at the top of the auditorium.” “I bet it will feel awesome to have my sins washed away!” “Did I leave the iron on?” “Maybe I should get a puppy.” “How did they say that Holy Spirit thing worked again?”

Can you remember the nervous excitement you felt as you surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus in the waters of baptism? How many thoughts flashed across your mind as you gave yourself to one of the biggest moments and decisions of your life? It is hard to focus on one thing, isn’t it—even during something as special and important as entering into a bond of covenant with the maker of the universe? No wonder the Christian walk is sooooo difficult!!!
It may be that you are reading this article right now in the midst of communion or the sermon because your mind wandered and you were just looking for something to occupy your thoughts. It is so tough to stay on task—AND we have an enemy who exploits this weakness in order to harden us so that we will not become what the Great Sculptor desires to craft us into for His service and our benefit!

We will see in the sermon this morning that God desires to use ordinary lumps of clay like us to accomplish awesome things within His Kingdom! However, this will not happen by chance or accident.

Notice what Jesus says in the midst of explaining the parable of the sower & soils:
And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns;
These are the ones who have heard the word, and the worries of the
world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things
enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (Mark 4:18-19)

We must be on our guard so the struggles and trials of this life do not chip away at the dream and plan God has for each one of us. We were created for a purpose to accomplish the good works He has prepared beforehand in Jesus that we should walk in them.
I am glad you are here this morning! I rejoice that of all the things you could give your time and energy to at this particular time, you have chosen to be with a body of fellow believers who are striving to become more of what God wants us to be. May we help each other be disciplined & focused in our thoughts and soft & moldable in our hearts so our God can handcraft us into the works of art He desires to make of each of us!


Day of Fasting & Prayer
Remember, Friday, September 7th through Saturday, September 8th is a time of Fasting & Prayer for our whole church family to participate in. Please sign up in one of the foyers for a time to come to the building to pray so we have a 24-hour vigil offered up before our God and Father. The purpose of this is to seek God’s direction for this body of Christians as we begin a new chapter in our history so we become all God desires this part of the body of Christ to be and fulfill every good work He has prepared for us to accomplish.

To listen to sermon, click Man, The Sculpture.

A God who is in Control!

Suppose you had it in your mind that you were going to destroy Christianity. What would you do to turn people away from following Jesus and the teachings of the Scriptures?
In 361 A.D. a new emperor took over control of the Roman Empire. He came to be known in history as Julian the Apostate because of the many things he tried to do to stop the spread of Christianity. One of his strategies was to recall several bishops who had been sent into exile because of controversial views they held (teachings of Arianism) so that they would stir up trouble within the ranks of the Church. His hope was that people would become so frustrated with the bickering going on that they would turn back to the pagan religious views that were prominent before Constantine became emperor and used Christianity to bring unity to the Roman Empire, turning it into a “Christian Empire”. Interestingly, this actually led to the final defeat of Arianism as it led many Christians to revisit their differences. It is amazing how God works, isn’t it?

Julian was not finished. He passed a law to bar Christians from being employed in the teaching profession in an attempt to make Christians dependent upon pagan schools and the curriculum that would come with this. Julian even tried to have the Temple rebuilt in an attempt to invalidate the teachings of Jesus! However, it was abandoned after a fire and earthquake halted the work from being accomplished. Coincidence? Julian only reigned 2 years as emperor before he died.

This morning we begin a short, 4-week series called “Human Clay” in which we will be looking at God as our sculptor, we as the sculpture, this world as His studio to mold us into what He desires, and finally, whether we will be the work of art He has made us to be so He can hang us in His gallery. Throughout this series it should be evident that our great Sculptor has things totally under control! He has a great plan that will not be thwarted, even though He has given His creation free will. May it never happen, but we could even go so far as to have a “Julian the Apostate” moment in which we strive to work against the will of this great Sculptor and He will continue to bring about what He desires. So, will you submit to His handcrafting in your life? Will you bring your free will in line with His intentions? “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—an earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands?’”—Isaiah 45:9

A Day of Fasting & Prayer

As we continue to strive to write a new chapter in the history of the Garden Ridge congregation, it is important to make sure we are following the direction our Father in heaven wants us to go. Friday, September 7th through Saturday, September 8th will be a day of fasting and prayer for our church family. We will be asking you, as a church family, to take part in a vigil of prayer (signing up for a specific time to come and pray here at the building and/or lifting up this body and the direction God is calling us to go throughout the 24-hour period we are setting this up for). We will also be putting out sheets of butcher paper in the foyer for you to write things you believe we should focus upon as we strive to know the will of God and obey Him. These sheets will be hung in the room of prayer (Modular 1) for those who come to pray to stir thoughts and ideas to pray for. Each week, more information will be given concerning this to help you be prepared for this very important event in our church’s life.

To listen to sermon, click The Sculptor.

How Big is Your Solution?

Last week we saw how the Law demonstrates the nature of God and was given to the Israelites so they would understand how to live as a holy nation. This morning in our sermon time we will see that the bottom line of God giving the Law was so we could have relationship with Him. This is really what the whole story of Scripture is about! Yet, it seems to be one of the hardest things to maintain!

The devil has all kinds of strategies he uses to work against what God desires, but probably one of his most effective is to get us so focused upon our own problems that we lose focus on anything else. It works something like this: take a book and open it somewhere in the middle and lay it across your face. What do you see? Not much more than the book, right? Now, take that same book and hold it out at arms length. What do you see? If the book represents your problem, the problem is still clearly in focus, but there is so much more one can see as well. This is called keeping things in perspective. There is a much larger picture than the struggles or trials we face, but the devil wants us to think we are alone in what we are dealing with and everything is about our problem or trial or struggle. He wants to see us discouraged so we will trust less, serve less, and live with less contentment and joy.

Revelation 5:1-4 shows a similar situation:
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look into it. And I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look into it;
John was caught up in the moment and so focused on the problem that he could not see the solution!

Fortunately, the passage goes on to say:
And one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
His message to John was, “Step back and take another look!” There is One who is in complete control and He will handle the situation in His own time and own way. The whole message of Revelation is to maintain hope because we have a Lord who has overcome so that we can ultimately dwell with Him for eternity! HE is seeking a relationship with US! Will we see past the schemes of the devil and realize the big picture is truly beautiful—problems and all?

To listen to sermon, click A Church Jesus can be Part of.

Drawing Near to God

Has this ever happened to you? You are driving down the highway listening to your favorite station on the radio, a song comes on, and before it finishes the reception starts to go out. Static starts to overcome the music and lyrics. You really want to hear the song because it is one of your favorites, but no matter how hard you try to tune it in better, adjusting all the fine tuning knobs, it is no use—you are moving out of range. It is not that the station stopped broadcasting. It is not that your radio quit working. The trouble is that you have moved too far away from the station to get clear reception.

Our relationship with God works much the same way! He is our source of guidance, power, strength, and everything else that would help our lives become a beautiful melody of songs. However, too many times the music and lyrics are hard to hear because we have moved too far away and all people hear is static. James reminds us that when we draw near to God He will draw near to us (James 4:8). He includes through verse 10 how this will happen, and begins with cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts! In other words, he admonishes Christians to fine tune their lives by dealing with both the sin that is now in their lives (cleansing their hands) and the intentions that are in their hearts (purifying their hearts).

This morning we will consider why God gave the Israelites the Law and how it was part of their call to become a holy nation. As He sought to draw the people near to Him at Mt. Sinai, it was only going to happen if they lived according to the nature and will of the One True God! His calling for them to be a Holy Nation was so He could dwell in their midst and be near to them! It is sin that puts a separation between God and man, and only when we have made a determination to turn back and draw near to Him will we be able to receive the power that has been made available for each of us. Then our lives can truly be a beautiful song that plays without static or interruption as we travel down the highway of this life!

It Is Coming!!!

Six weeks from today (September 16th) we will begin a series of sermons that is my absolute favorite material to teach or preach. We will be looking at how God introduces Himself through the book of Genesis. This is a series meant to increase faith and empower this church family so we are better equipped to share who God is and what He desires from us as we live in a relationship of covenant with Him. Please be praying for this series and YOUR involvement in it!!! This will be a great time to invite those who do not know God so they can see how awesome and beautiful God’s plans are for our lives. It will also be a time to instruct those who already have a deep abiding faith in God as to how the Scriptures can be shared with the lost. Get excited about this! This will be a fun series to study together and a good time for growth in our spiritual walks!!!

To listen to sermon, click What is a Holy Nation?

Can it Get Any Better Than This?

As each of my three children were born into the world I thought, “Lord, what am I going to do now?” “You mean these little things are entrusted to me to train up in all your ways?” While it was incredibly exciting to have new babies to hold, it was a bit unnerving to realize the amount of planning and effort and patience and faith it was going to take in order to help them develop into all their Father in heaven had created them to be. Thus, we began a journey together that included a lot of winding turns with some very high highs, some incredibly low lows, and a lot of places in between. The goal in sight was to introduce our children to their true Father in a manner that produced trust in Him and a level of intimacy that led them to surrender their wills to Him in a bond of covenant love.

Our task is by no means over, but imagine the joy Deeann and I felt as we witnessed the spiritual birth of the third of our three children. I was brought back into focus in my own faith walk with God when two minutes out of the waters of baptism Whitney said to her mother in an expression of pure joy and relief, “Now I don’t have to worry if Jesus returns tomorrow!” Have I been living with this kind of anticipation? Have you?

One of the greatest dangers to our spiritual walk is the slow hardening of our hearts. If we are not careful we can become so caught up in the things of this world that we forget to focus on the things of the world beyond this one. The author of Hebrews warns about this four times in chapters 3 & 4 of his book, three times quoting the same verse found in Psalm 95:7—“Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts . . .” He also quotes Psalm 95:11 twice which warns, “As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest.” Isn’t it interesting that this warning comes a mere ten verses after the author of Psalm 95 says this, “Come let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving; and extol Him with music and song.” How do you move from praise and worship to a threat of not entering His rest?

This morning we are going to look at having a heart of flesh rather than a heart of stone. We have an enemy who is trying to harden us so that we lose the awe of a God who is working daily in our midst; an enemy who would rather me worry about some temporary problem of this world rather than rejoice in the victory I have for eternity; an enemy who would strip away the joy of my salvation and my contentment in each day because he gets me focused on the wrong things. When he is successful, my faith walk and the kingdom of God suffer. Consider the benefits of being soft hearted this morning and throughout this week so that we soar like eagles (as God has created us to do) and enjoy the activity of our God as He works among us to mold us and give us a heart of flesh!

To listen to sermon, click Developing a Heart Like God's.

The Image of Christianity

And they’ll know we are Christians by our . . . LOVE?!?!? Unfortunately, the image of Christianity in the media and beyond is often times not very positive. For instance, in the cartoon series called The Simpsons, there are characters named Ned & Maude Flanders who live next door to Homer and his family. They are born-again Christians who constantly espouse a cheerful disposition and offer platitudes of faith that are often irrelevant to the everyday living of Homer and his family. In one particular episode, Homer has not seen Maude for a while and speaks to her when he sees her in her backyard. He says, “I haven’t seen you in a couple weeks. Where have you been?” Maude replies in a cheery voice, “Oh, I’ve been away at a Bible camp—learning how to be more judgmental.” OUCH! So, this is what America finds to be humorous? Is this what people see when they gaze upon Christianity? It would not have comic value if people could not relate to its basic truth.

Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (READ Matthew 5:13-16). These are distinct qualities that should draw people to God (Did you catch the end of V. 16?) Salt can certainly induce more thirst, and light illuminates and attracts. However, how often do we carry out our mission too well? Have you ever had salt in an open wound? Have you ever had to close your eyes to the light or turn away because it was so bright it hurt?

What do people see when they look at your life? Would you say they get a clear picture of Jesus, or is the image distorted? One of the main things Jesus says demonstrates we are His disciples is our love for one another (John 13:35). Will we be a body that goes beyond mere words and puts our faith into practice by putting the love of Jesus into action? It is really not that hard if we will just make time for it. How long does it take to call up someone on the prayer list to give them some personal encouragement? Would a 20-minute visit to the hospital be difficult to fit into this next week? How about spending some time singing at the Nursing Home? Do you have a neighbor who is dealing with a loss or significant struggle? A plate of cookies and a hug sure go a long way in providing relief.

Instead of getting mad about the media portrayal of Christianity, perhaps we should change the image so the world finds no humor in it! This morning as we consider the attire of the priest and what it says about the ministry we have, may we always bathe all we do in tender, compassionate love so that men may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven!

To listen to sermon click Garments of a Preist

Are We All Talk

Isn’t it great that we all have value? Paul puts it this way in the book of Ephesians: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” To be God’s workmanship is one thing; to actually fulfill the things He has called us to be and do is another. Take the election and inauguration of the ninth president of the United States, for example.

William Henry Harrison prepared a tremendously long inaugural address and, even though the weather was sub-freezing, he stubbornly spent close to two hours reciting every word of his address. The most prominent result of Harrison sharing his presidential philosophy was to catch pneumonia. Within thirty days Harrison was dead.

William Henry Harrison holds two records in America: one for the longest inaugural address and another for the shortest presidential term. Sadly, as a result of this, it has been said that Harrison talked more and did less than any other President throughout history.

How sad it would be if that was the analysis of the ministry accomplished by the Garden Ridge family. This morning we will see that God has called us to something special as His people. God will walk with us; work with us; even fight for us in order to empower us as tools, ministers and ambassadors in His hands. Are we prepared to fulfill His desire for our lives this week? You have been created for good works which were prepared beforehand by God Himself—AND THAT IS NOT JUST TALK!!! Will we commit to accomplishing His will as we serve as priests in His service?

Who Is God And What Does He Want?

Be praying about the Sunday sermon series we will begin in September that has a two-fold intention: (1) To reach the lost with an introduction of God according to the way God is introduced in the book of Genesis, and (2) To help those who are not comfortable with sharing the Good News of who God is recognize how easy it is to follow the Bible and show the reality, the power, and the relevance of God and His ways for our world today. This might just be the most important series of sermons I have an opportunity to preach here at Garden Ridge, so make plans to attend and start inviting your friends, family and neighbors to come hear these messages.

Click to listen to sermon, Where Are We Going?

The Gift of Discipline

Do you want to see a war? Would you like to witness a power struggle to define all power struggles? Whose will was going to win? This is what you might ask if you were able to use a time machine and venture back to the Jarvis dinner table when my mom was serving vegetables. If it didn’t moo, cluck, oink, or possibly bark (Hot Dogs—hey I was young; what did I know?), it couldn’t be good for you! About the only thing peas and Lima beans were good for was . . . I am still trying to figure that one out.

Anyway, you could depend on a skirmish of World War proportions when vegetables were the battlefield. I would normally try to hide them under some other food, but this often times didn’t work. Upon being discovered, my mom would instigate her patented discipline package which started off with grazing fire and moved steadily towards the large caliber artillery. The 1st step sounded something like this, “Think of all those poor, starving children in India who would give anything to have these vegetables to eat.” I wasn’t sure how my eating these vegetables would help those in India feel any better, but it was alright with me if she wanted to box them up and send them there.

If this step was unsuccessful (and it almost always was), she would move to the scare treatment. It sounded something like this: “If you don’t eat your vegetables you will get rickets or scurvy.” Now, I didn’t know what those were, and they sure sounded bad, but none of my friends had ever had rickets or scurvy and I knew they hated vegetables also. I guess I was willing to take my chances. Unless you were a pilgrim on the Mayflower, who ever heard of someone dying from rickets or scurvy?

Finally, we would reach the 3rd step which was the threat (and ultimate fulfillment) of punishment. (Why did it always come to this?) It took me years to figure out that my mom was not into abuse and torture, but that she really wanted what was good for me. She loves me and wanted to see me grow up to be strong and healthy!

Could it be that God operates in much the same way? I do not always realize what He is trying to do through the discipline and guidance He provides, but I see more and more clearly as I mature how His purpose is to help me develop into more of what he created me to be. This morning, as we look at the mystery of His guidance in our lives, may we develop more appreciation for where He is leading us, and why! -Scott-

Click to listen to sermon, Where Are We Going?

Making a First Impression

Ahhhh—Jenny Caan! She was the prettiest girl in high school and all the guys wanted to go out with her! It took a lot of building up the courage to even talk with her, let alone ask her out on a date. But one day I finally got enough nerve and asked her out and she actually said, “YES”! Was I dreaming? A date with Jenny Caan was like the highlight of life! This couldn’t be any ordinary date. It had to be one for the annals of history!

I planned a special dinner—very romantic and high quality. After dinner, we went for a walk at the park as this was a great time to talk and share who we were. Things were going great! We were laughing and having a good time until we left the park and started walking in the parking lot to my car. I decided to pick her up in my arms and carry her (to show her how well conditioned I was), and even began running with her. (Can you see the doom rising on the horizon?) One small misstep later and what was an evening to never forget (positively) became an evening to never forget (unfortunately, not so positively). (Can anyone here say “road rash”?) Needless to say, it was a short relationship that Jenny and I shared. My 1st impression on a date was not so favorable!

Why do thoughts like this even come into my mind as I prepare to preach my first sermon here with the family at Garden Ridge? Let’s just say that I am hoping not to crash and burn like that poor date experience. How many opportunities does a person get to make a first impression?
It is my prayer that this will be the beginning of a beautiful relationship together as we strive to sharpen one another in our faith walks with the Lord! I pray we will build a bond of trust and fellowship with one another that allows each of us to truly be ourselves and not feel we have to posture with each other so we feel accepted or special or more than what we are.

Our Lord loves us for who we are, but wants to change us to become all He has created us to be. This is not done through casual acquaintance or fancy dates that are meant to impress, but through committed love. It is my promise to you, beginning with the sermon this morning and down through the years to come, to speak the truth of God in love as best as I understand how it fits with His nature and will along with our circumstances so that we will be better equipped to handle the pressures and trials of this life, even if they are as intimidating as one Jenny Caan.

Click to Listen to the sermon, What Did We Hire Him For?