Lead Well

Recently I read an article in Relevant Magazine titled " Why Doesn't Anybody Talk about Sin Anymore? "  I was intrigued, and unexpectedly found a deep gaping whole in my Christian walk.  In Leviticus, God commands us to "Be holy because He is holy."  I know this verse; I memorized it years ago, but I forgot what it means for my life.  The article talks about how my generation is so wrapped up in God's grace that sometimes we fall into the trap of believing we can get away with anything because His grace is sufficient.  However there is so much more to following Christ than just leaning on his grace.  When we become saved, we receive and begin what is called sanctification, which is a fancy word for becoming more like Christ.  I say we receive and begin because sanctification has two facets.  The first is instantaneous sanctification or justification and the other is just sanctification.  Justification is a legal term stating that we are no longer held gu

Tonight I spent a wonderful night with the guys from the extreme tour at a friend's house.  They are playing a concert at my church tomorrow from 7-9 pm and my friend is hosting them. My wife and I decided to spend the evening with them. I was utterly surprised by what they planned to do.  When I originally agreed and got the backing for them to come I just thought a couple of bands were coming out to play, but what I got was so much more.  The leaders  spent the afternoon driving through our church community and praying about their effect.  These guys consider themselves musicianaires, musicians and missionaries, and more than just playing music tomorrow night, they are here to win souls to Christ.  I planned for our Summer Kick-Off tomorrow to just be a way for families to get together and build relationships, but now I think there is a real chance for lives to be changed forever by Jesus. I am so excited to see what God is going to do in our community!  I once quoted Rob

The #trust30 prompt today calls for me to write about what I am scared to write.  While that's a good one I will be doing it in my own private journal, not here for the world to see.  It's not that I'm scared to let you read it.  It's just that it's personal.  So I will write about it in my own personal journal.  See you tomorrow!

Today's #trust30 post asks what I would say to myself 5 years ago and what I would like to say to my future self 5 years from now. To myself 5 years ago I would say it gets better.  I was burnt out and worn out from a long grueling year, one of the hardest of my life.  I would also tell myself to continue to focus on learning and relationships because you never know when the next season of your life begins.  It could all change with a phone call.  Lastly I would say go for it.  Don't hold back and take the opportunities in front of you.  You never know what God has in store. To myself 5 years from now I would say to keep your priorities straight and in the right order.  There will be much more going on in my life in 5 years and a lot more opportunities.  Remember to spend time with everyone you love because you never know when they will be gone.  Also love your wife and do something nice for her.  She deserves it. It's weird to talk to your future self.  I have so man

Today's #trust30 post is about going after a goal and overcoming the obstacles. It has always been my goal to pursue higher learning.  Even though I just earned my bachelor's degree last year, It has never been my intention to stop there.  So why have I stopped after a year and half?  Several obstacles are in my way: I work 2 jobs so I almost have no free time to pursue a degree My wife is in school pursuing her bachelor's degree so there is a already a financial burden I'm not sure of the cost or the financial aid that is available for advanced degrees I haven't decided which path to take, math, education, ministry? There are too many options  So here is my plan:  First I need to get a job that can support my family so that I can have prioritize my time effectively.  Second, I am going to wait for my wife to get her degree so that we don't have to pay double for books.  While she is in school I will continue to do some soul searching and decide which de

  #Trust30 post for the day. Here goes: If you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive. If I only had one week to live I would stop working at Sam's club.  As much as I enjoy working there and helping people, I love working in ministry so much more.  I am only doing it to continue to support my family.  I would also leave for the mission field as I said in yesterday's post and go to Russia.  There is so much adventure out there and I feel as though I am stuck here because of obligations I and others have put on me.  I am preparing to make a change.  It takes wisdom to do the right thing at the right time, and that is precisely what I aim to do.  I want to solve problems in the world and discover all the incredible facets of different cultures and interactions between them.

Here is the latest writing prompt from #trust30:  (I took the day off yesterday, so no post) Not everyone wants to travel the world, but most people can identify at least one place in the world they’d like to visit before they die. Where is that place for you, and what will you do to make sure you get there? The one place I would love to go is Moscow, Russia.   I don't know what it is, but I have always wanted to go there and especially see the Kremlin.  I have always been fascinated by Russian culture, it's history, famous authors, scientists, architecture.  But what most interests me are the people.  I can read every book, look at every picture, listen to every song, but never get a true feeling of the culture, unless I meet them and get to know them. This brings me to how I will get there.  I will go on a missions trip to Russia.  Most people would like to travel there as a tourist, but I think you miss what is really going on.  On a missions trip, a trip where you se