Hold Me Now - HU

I Love To Tell The Story

1. I love to tell the story
of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory,
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story,
because I know 'tis true;
it satisfies my longings
as nothing else can do.
Refrain:
I love to tell the story,
'twill be my theme in glory,
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.

2. I love to tell the story;
more wonderful it seems
than all the golden fancies
of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story,
it did so much for me;
and that is just the reason
I tell it now to thee.
(Refrain)

3. I love to tell the story;
'tis pleasant to repeat
what seems, each time I tell it,
more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story,
for some have never heard
the message of salvation
from God's own holy Word.
(Refrain)

4. I love to tell the story,
for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting
to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory,
I sing the new, new song,
'twill be the old, old story
that I have loved so long.
(Refrain)

Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The Lost Sheep

Growth Needs A Process

Sadly in many churches young people are stuck in the same place spiritually. And there is no process to move them. - Essential Church, p. 168

It is exigent that the local church have a process or system that helps not just young people but all people grow in their faithwalk. We as leaders need to constantly be thinking through the existing plan in the church we serve and the new processes needed to help people become totally committed followers of Jesus Christ. The process is not about the process but about making disciples who are becoming more and more Christlike in their everyday thought life, behavior, friendship and families.

Hope

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:19-26

Share Your Faith

Share Your Faith

Just For Fun

Freedom Is Here - Hillsong

Powerful Song

How To Remain Friendless

Who seeks a faultless friend remains friend-less. - Turkish Proverb

Nat From GMU

On the road today with Ruth. We are picking up Natalie, our daughter, from her first year of college at George Mason University. I think she is enjoying being a Patriot. We look forward to having the Patriot home for a brief time this summer. The Nethery's enjoy Summer. Ruth and I enjoy our children, most of the time. Natalie, this man, your dad is very proud of you and so thankful that I have the privilege of being your DAD. Today, May 12, 2010, is a huge landmark in your life. Remember this day. Thank God for the opportunity to attend school and learn, grow, be stretched, form new friendships, be challenged and blossom into a young lady who is a world changer, difference maker and Kingdom Advancer. Way to go Nat. Go Patriots!

Lonely No Longer

Art thou lonely, O my brother?
Share thy little with another!
Stretch a hand to one unfriended,
And thy loneliness is ended.

John Oxenham

'Tis So Sweet

Keep Going

We try to be reasonable about what we believe. What I believe is not reasonable at all. In fact, it's hilariously impossible. Possible things aren't worth much. These crazy impossible things keep us going. - Madeleine L'Engle

Way To Go

Fret Not

Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
"I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so."

Said the Sparrow to the Robin:
"Friend, I think that it must be,
That they have no heavenly Father,
Such as cares for you and me."

Elizabeth Cheney

Happy Mother's Day

Rest

One Opp. At A Time

"I don't know what dream God is calling you to pursue, but I do know this: A dream becomes reality one opportunity at a time. And if you work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God, there is no telling what God can do in and through you." Mark Baterson, In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day

Psalm 34:1-8

1 I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Way To Go

WOW!!!

At the party I attended mentioned in a previous post I watc hed a little girl experience the power of WOW as she intently observed the birthday girls opening all the gifts that were given to them. The little girl's mother and I were watching and visiting when all of the sudden her daughter turned, looked in her mother's eyes and with a sense of awe and wonder said, "WOW." Her mother and I broke out in parental laughter and wonder ourselves. We thought it was sweet and innocent, and we both think it is the way we as adults should live. This little girl got the WOW. She saw the gifts, the fun, the joy, the friends, the celebration, and was overwhelmed with the WOW factor. May you and I look up and around and notice the gifts, the fun, the joy, the friends and the celebration and be overwhelmed with the WOW factor. "WOW."

Lion Chaser Manifesto by Mark Batterson

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion!

Mark Batterson

Heinz - Anticipation

B-day Party

Went to a Birthday Party yesterday and had a great time. Celebrating life is a wondrous experience. 3 and 7 these girls will soon turn. They now how to live life, wide open and then sleep. No humdrum in their daily routine. Adulthood has not yet decayed their ability to live in the 'Heinz Mode" (you young schooler's will have to google Heinz Ketchup Commercial). Anticipation. What a way to live. In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will lay out my request and then watch expectantly for the answer. Psalm 5:3

I'm Back

Leading a church full-time, working another job part-time, house hunting, house buying, move prepping led me to a blog break. I'm back.

Life

Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning. - John Cardinal Newman

Babe - Funny

Walking On Water

Walking On Water

Roar

The ocean is roaring, Lord and the sea is pounding hard. Its mighty waves are majestic, but you are more majestic, and you rule over all. Your decisions are firm, and your temple will always be beautiful and holy. Psalm 93:3-4

Funny - What Not To Do In Church (Worship)

II Samuel 23:20-23

20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. 23 He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

Calm Is Restored

Stand strong in God... for after winter, summer comes; after night, day returns; and after the storm, calm is restored. T aKempis

Hope Verses

Throw Off

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain

New Series Begins 4-11-10

Horizon begins a new series on Sunday, 4-11-10. It is based on II Samuel 23:20-21. Scott and I have I have read the book In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day and I am currently listening to it via a book on CD. Read about the book and order the book at In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day

Watch and Grow

Worrying For No Reason

1-3 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could embalm him. Very early on Sunday morning, as the sun rose, they went to the tomb. They worried out loud to each other, "Who will roll back the stone from the tomb for us?" Mark 16:1-3

We worry for no reason. These ladies were about a very normal task of taking care of a lost one. They were going about their daily responsibilities and worrying just as you and I do during our daily responsibilities. These worries are unwarranted. We need to be about our responsibilities, but we need not let worries rob of us hope which it often does. Read the rest of the story in the Gospel of Mark. Good stuff.

Hope - Find It Here

Hope - Find It Here

Hope - Don't Give Up

Happier

How much happier you would be, how much more of you there would be, if the hammer of a higher God could smash your cosmos. - G.K. Chesterton

John 20 - The Message

John 20

This Is The Christian Symbol

Easter

Intent

Intent Scripture Reading

Sun - Mark 14
Mon - Mark 15
Tue - Mark 16
Wed - John 13
Thur - Matthew 26:69 - Matthew 28:20
Fri - Luke 24
Sat - John 20 Pay special attention to verse 31
Sun - Easter Sunday

Hope - Adapt And Overcome

Hope Verses

A Prayer Of Trust

O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.

- St. Ignatius of Loyola

Hope

Positive Words

"Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead; do not write them on their tombstones, speak them rather now instead." Anna Cummins

Hope

Hope

–noun
1.the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best: to give up hope.
2.a particular instance of this feeling: the hope of winning.
3.grounds for this feeling in a particular instance: There is little or no hope of his recovery.
4.a person or thing in which expectations are centered: The medicine was her last hope.
5.something that is hoped for: Her forgiveness is my constant hope.

–verb (used with object)
6.to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.
7.to believe, desire, or trust: I hope that my work will be satisfactory.

–verb (used without object)
8.to feel that something desired may happen: We hope for an early spring.
9.Archaic. to place trust; rely (usually fol. by in).

Hope

LOL

1 One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 2 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?” 3 “Let me ask you a question first,” he replied. 4 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” 5 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. 6 But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.” 7 So they finally replied that they didn’t know. 8 And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Luke 20:1-8 NLT


As I read this yesterday afternoon I busted out in laughter and self talk (yes, I did answer myself). This is awesome. "They demanded" and Jesus gave it to them. Jesus is not fearful of the people who question Him and are in authority. He stays calm, He listens, He answers and He moves on to His purpose. He is not threatened. He doesn't walk away and experience negative self-talk. What self esteem, what self-differentiation. LOL. What a glorious peace, and He lives w/in me by the Spirit of God. God, Help me get it. Help me get it. LOL.

Broke The 1,000

Noticed I broke a 1000 post. Cool

Live

"May you live all the days of your life." - Jonathan Swift

To God Be The Glory

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Refrain

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Refrain

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Refrain

John 12:12-19 NLT

12) The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13) took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!” 14) Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: 15) “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.” 16) His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. 17) Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. 18) That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. 19) Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

My Hope Is You - Third Day

Hope

Only Hope - Switchfoot

Poem - Hope

As long as we have hope,
we have direction,
the energy to move,
and the map to move by.
We have a hundred alternatives,
a thousand paths and infinity of dreams.
Hopeful, we are halfway to where we want to go;
Hopeless, we are lost forever.

Mark 14:12-26

12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15 He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me." 19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, "Surely not I?" 20 "It is one of the Twelve," he replied, "one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." 23 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. 25 "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God." 26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy
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Your Expression

Smile! Of all the things you wear out your smile is the most important. Turn that frown upside down. "A happy heart make the face cheerful..." Proverbs 5:13b

Thoughts

"Our voluntary thoughts not only reveal what we are, they predict what we will become." - A.W. Tozer

Funny - Not Southwest

Hank Williams - Jerusalem to Jericho

Came across this while preparing a message for 3-14-10. Interesting telling of the Good Samaritan.

Finish What You Started

"Find your joy in something finished, and not a thousand things begun." Douglas Mallock

Relationship Thoughts To Live

Be quick to receive the truth and even quicker to dismiss gossip.
A smile is your most important accessory.
Examine yourself for the faults you find most irritating in others.
Be a leaner.
Let people help you.
Help others.
Spend more of your resources on relationships than you do on things.
Laugh with people.
Receive criticism and grow.
Call on a close friend when needed.
Seek advice.
Listen.

Horizon

Where Heaven meets earth. "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." The more heavenly minded you become the more earthly good you will be. A simple prayer - "May up there come down here" John Ortberg, God Is Closer Than You Think

Rock On - Don't Stop

One Another

Do not just pretend that you love others. Really love them.... Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:9-10 NLT

Psalm 27

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, "Seek his [b] face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

God's Changing Power

I am currently in a community group, a small group of people that meets regularly to study the Bible, encourage one another and pray for each other, and we are looking at the first four chapters in the Book of Acts found in the New Testament. I enjoy reading through Acts and pray for a renewal in my life and in the local church as God's spirit falls fresh upon us and within us. I have been giving thought to the following verse.

“But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

I know that I’ve read over this verse numerous times and have talked to friends about this verse and have preached messages using this verse and the text in which it is written. It’s easy to pinpoint the geographic interpretation of this command from Jesus. Jerusalem is their home town or where they are located, Judea is their homeland, Samaria is their neighbor, and the ends of the earth is the Roman Empire. Rome was the only known world at the time. Usually this verse is interpreted geographically and that is a good start, but there is much much more to this verse and mandate of Jesus Christ.

What might this have meant to these early followers of the Way. What is expected of them and of you and I as we seek to live out this first century text in our 21st century context.

Where were the believers preaching in Jerusalem? The temple, the market place and in households. The same temple that ordered Jesus' crucifixion is where these followers proclaimed His resurrection. I can’t imagine trying to preach in such a hostile environment. The Jewish leaders thought they got rid of Jesus and his followers, but now the followers are preaching in their temples. The message of Jesus is being heard in the same city in which the messenger had been put to death. These disciples are empowered and begin delivering a message of redemption and forgiveness right where they are. These followers are not from Jerusalem, yet they are in Jerusalem for the purpose of launching a message of hope.

Judea might have been a difficult area because of the Judaism. Many Jews were wrapped up in the laws of Judaism and to hear a message of grace and forgiveness based on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, would have been very strange to them. The new believers and the young church had a lot of undoing to do. To tell the Jewish people that the Law of Moses really doesn’t mean a great deal compared to God’s grace found in Jesus Christ is no easy task. But they did it. They stayed at it and relied upon God's power and one another and discovered ways to help people accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Samaria is Judea’s neighbor. The Jews did not care for these people because essentially Samaritans took a little bit of Judaism and mixed it in with other religions and people groups. Jesus even used the illustration of the good Samaritan to drive home a point about prejudice and hatred. I can’t imagine that the Samaritans liked the Jews either. The Jews and Samaritans did not have a loving relationship and there was most likely some serious prejudice towards one another from both groups. Yet Jesus tells these new believers to go preach to the people they have disliked and to the people who dislike them. This seems unreasonable, yet they did it. They begin to spread the good news (the Gospel) as they experience persecution in Jerusalem they are dispersed and thus is the message of Jesus Christ.

That leaves the last part of the verse which refers to the ends of the earth. To these early Christians the end of the earth was the Roman Empire and the rest of the unknown. The Roman Empire was the known world to them and Rome looked down upon the Jewish people because they were a troublesome people. The Jewish people did not care for the Romans and were even expecting Jesus to deliver them from Roman control. These early followers were expecting Jesus to set up a new Kingdom. But Jesus has now asked the believers to preach to people that oppress them. Go tell someone who despises you about God’s grace and they actually do it. They move beyond themselves and in God's grace and power, not without difficulty and tension, they take the Gospel to Rome, the known center of the world. Amazing.

These followers of the way are preaching to the very people who crucified Jesus, to the people they dislike and who dislike them, and to the people who are in authority and have been oppressive towards them. There’s nothing mild about this text or this story in Acts. These people seem to be downright crazy, yet they are not. They are empowered by God, they are changed by God's spirit, they are seeking to be obedient, they are moving beyond their small worldview and into God' Kingdom and Worldview. All of this just shows how much of a hold the Holy Spirit has on these people. Pentecost is the key ingredient here. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, the church would not have made it. This is powerful and this is about power. Gods power infusing His people and changing the world as they knew it. This is the real bold and beautiful. May we be empowered and live in such a way that God uses us to change the world as we know it.

"All the essentials of Hinduism would, I think, remain unimpaired if you subtracted the miraculous, and the same is almost true of Islam, but you cannot do that with Christianity. It is precisely the story of a great miracle. A naturalistic Christianity leaves out all that is specifically Christianity." C.S. Lewis

Parting Words

"Never part without loving words to think of during your abence. It may be that you will not meet again in life." Jean Paul Ritcher

Mark 5:1-19

A New App For Your Phone

Impossible??

Impossible

On Fire For God

Start Where You Stand

Start where you stand and never mind the past,
The past won't help you in beginning new,
If you have left it all behind at last
Why, that's enough, you're done with it, you're through;
This is another chapter in the book,
This is another race that you have planned,
Don't give the vanished days a backward look,
Start where you stand.

The world won't care about your old defeats
If you can start anew and win success,
The future is your time, and time is fleet
And there is much of work and strain and stress;
Forget the buried woes and dead despairs,
Here is a brand new trial right at hand,
The future is for him who does and dares,
Start where you stand.

Old failures will not halt, old triumphs aid,
To-day's the thing, to-morrow soon will be;
Get in the fight and face it unafraid,
And leave the past to ancient history;
What has been, has been; yesterday is dead
And by it you are neither blessed nor banned,
Take courage, man, be brave and drive ahead,
Start where you stand.

Berton Braley

Hope

Miracles - Jesus

"Jesus himself is the one convincing and permanent miracle!" Paul E. Little, Know Why You Believe

Hope - Hold On

I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.

I believe in love, even when I'm alone.

I believe in God, even when He is silent.

Trust God in the dark till the light returns. A.W. Tozer

Christ Is Central

Jesus Christ is the unique and total incarnation of truth, the only way, the only life, and yet we betray His spirit of love when we build a wall between Buddhist, Jews, or Muslims and ourselves (followers Of Jesus). He is our only Master, and yet without betraying Him we can learn from the Greek philosophers, the sages of India, the philosophers of China, or the sacred texts of Ancient Egypt. Paul Tournier

This Is Rich

1-5 After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins." 6-7Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, "He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins." 8-12Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical? Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, 'I forgive your sins,' or say, 'Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking'? Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . ." (he looked now at the paraplegic), "Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home." And the man did it—got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then praised God, saying, "We've never seen anything like this!" Mark 2:1-12 The Message

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

God's Active Love

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
I John 4:9-10 NLT

Belong To A Church

Pastor.com Blog

The Importance Of The Bible - What If?

Use Them

11 The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away.
12 He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. 13 Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ 14 But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’ 15 “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. 16 The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’ 17 “‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’ 18 “The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’ 19 “‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’ 20 “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. 21 I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’ 22 “‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, 23 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ 24 “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ 25 “‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’ 26 “‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 27 And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’”
Luke 19:11-27

Love

3

Grade yourself on the same scale that you grade others.

Carefully avoid in yourself those things which disturb you in others. - T aKempis

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

There Is A God

I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God. - Abraham Lincoln

The Power Of One

One encouraging word
One extra minute
One extra mile
One brief conversation
One "Thank You" note
One smile
One kind word
One little reminder
One "good job" spoken
One "Hello"
One second before responding
One pat on the back
One positive voicemail
One compliment
One word of discipline
One "I love you"
One hug
One life

Growth

"God loves us the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way."
Leighton Ford

Horizon Community Church began on 2-1-10

Horizon Community Church

A Humble Approach

9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14 NLT