GO M.A.D.

We are starting a new sermon series through the book of Acts starting May 1st. This years theme has been "Making a difference". What we will see in the book of Acts is how the New Testament believers made a spiritual and physical difference in the lives of the people they made contact with.

What we will also take a look at is how we can practically make a difference where we live and around the world. We are here not for ourselves but for the Lord and for those that God wants us to reach.

What an Easter event

What a day we enjoyed at Langford Elementary on Saturday April 23rd for our Community Egg Hunt and Picnic. We saw some 300 plus from our neighborhood enjoy a time of games, food, crafts and of course the Easter story.

The kids loved running around and picking up the 4,000 eggs we layed out for them and our church people enjoyed being with everyone that showed up. God moved in our event and we saw some 13 people give their lives to Christ (PTL).

We are looking forward to next years and looking to see how we can make it better for everyone.

Spring has sprung and so has God's love

What a great start to our spring season. We have seen plenty of rain and nice weather.

It has been wonderful to see new life in our new church this year. God has been moving in the lives of those that we have come in contact with. There has been a new season in our fellowship.

We have been praying for God to move in our hearts and in our lives. The dormant season of winter is behind us with new life before us.

This new life is showing up in peoples lives like never before. I believe it is because we have strived to be faithful to God's command to share the Good News of Jesus Christ all of the time. People have responded and as such lives are being changed and placed into the family of God.

Our lives may not always be what they need to be before God. But Gods love is not based on how we are today but in who He is.

Each Sunday we have seen how Gods love is being felt and experienced in our church. People who were content in being shy with their faith are now opening up and telling others about Jesus. They have recognized how much God loves them and how much He loves those they know.

God's love has moved and touched the lives of the young and old in our church. People are waking up to their need of Jesus Christ in their lives and His love for them is real and awesome.

What I and each member of my church need to remember is who we are in Christ - New Creations and what we are in Christ - His Ambassador. By being faithful to this fact, we will continue to see Gods love move in our lives and in the lives of others.

Made alike but yet so different

This week I have been enjoying a week off. Though it wasn't what I thought I would be doing during some down time it still has been a good week.

In the book of Genesis it tells us how God created all of humanity in His likeness. It says that He made "both male and female." As God's creation we have been so alike in a very special way but we have been made so different in every other way.

This week has been evidence of that difference in a man and a woman.

A week off for any man would be visions of the lake, camping, fishing, or taking a ride in the hill country on your bike. But this week has not been like that for me. I have been remodeling our home working day and night on the porch, painting, staining, dry walling and much more.

I will need another week off just to recover from my vacation time.

I love my wife very much and did agree to do this remodel with her on our home. The difference in us is that she finds this to be fun. Picking paint colors, curtains colors, rearranging the cabinets and so forth. We have gotten a lot accomplished together, things that needed done a long time ago.

But really do we need to do it on my vacation time?

My wife would say "Yes" because that is when we will not have any distractions with work or anything else. Isn't the meaning of vacation: no work? Laying around doing nothing and watching the NCAA Basketball tournament is my style of vacation.

I will say that even though I would have rather done something else I enjoyed my time with my wife and that is what is most important.

Another year of life

Have you ever wondered why people ask you on your birthday if you feel older? The reality is that you are a year older. But how are we suppose to feel on our birthday?

Some people don't put to much celebration into birthdays because it is just another day in your life. Some people don't want to be reminded that they are a year older and some people just don't care.

Are birthdays any different than any other day in our life? I would say yes. A birthday is the day when you were given life. You were given life from God and from your parents. It is a special day that only happens once a year.

But other than it being another day in life how is it suppose to make us feel older? Every morning when you wake up you may say that you don't feel good or that you have more aches and pains but rarely do we say "Today I feel older."

Age is only a number and not your feelings. We shouldn't feel old because we are a year older, we ought to feel wiser. When you use the word "old" you make people believe that their life is coming to an end sooner than later. And though this may be true it doesn't mean you need to give in to this feeling.

Another year of life ought to be seen as a year wiser and blessed. It is true that as we age we are getting older and life does seem to slow down. But every year that we do live gives us so much to be thankful for in the years that are before us. That is because we have so much more knowledge that the next year doesn't have to have the same problems we had the previous year.

Ones birthday should give you reason to celebrate because of what God still has planned for you. Our lives were made to honor God and to know God. Each year that we live is one way God gives us an opportunity to fulfill our purose in life. Instead of ending it short He extens it a bit longer to help us. I know that I may not honor God in everything I do all of the time. But I am thankful that He gives me another year to fulfill my purpose to Him. Thank you Lord!

How to keep Christmas in perspective.

With Christmas now behind us what have we learned this year? First, that this years gifts were a bit thinner than in previous years. Second, that this years gifts were a bit more personal and thirdly, that this years Christmas vacation was not as extravagant as before.

It seems that each year we find oursleves asking the same question "What is the real meaning of Christmas?" Well what we do know is that Christmas is never about us but about Jesus Christ. That Christmas is about sharing the love of Christ with one another. That all the fuss of finding the right gift really isn't as important as being with those you love.

Each year we tell our kids that Christmas is all about God giving each of us a gift and that gift is the forgiveness of our sins and life everlasting with Him through Jesus Christ. When we keep Christmas in its real place then it makes Christmas so much more pleasing and with very little stress.

This year our family kept it simple for reasons we didn't see come our way. But today in church I was reminded that Christmas isn't about what I get from people but more about what I am willing to give to God. First, I need to give Him my life. Second, I need to give Him my living and thirdly, I need to let others know of what God has done for them to make Christmas so special. Its Jesus Christ.

I hope that this years Christmas was all about Jesus for you. Because when it is then life gets put in proper order. Thank you God for thinking of me and may I find myself always thinking of You.

How great it is to have a spirital family.

My wife, daughter and I were able to visit with one of our Life Connection groups from church. We had a great time with them. We first ate some spiritual food from the Bible. We were reminded how special the birth of Jesus Christ was for all of us.

Jesus came not just to be born but to bring us life. Thats because within our own lives we as human beings have found a way to mess things up before God. In the Bible that is called sin. As a result of our sin we have separated ourselves from God to an eternal death.

But because God loved us so much He sent His One and Only Son to be born of a virgin to bring us back to Himself. Though sin made us enemies of God, God saw passed that to help us in our need to be rescued from sin and from its penalty.

The birth of Jesus Christ did that for all of us. It doesn't matter whether we are young or old, married or single, English speaking or not. Jesus came for all of us to be rescued back to God the Father.

Then we ate from some delicious Salvadorian food that filled our stomachs. The food and fellowship with the church family and with those visitors who were with us last night was neat. Sitting around the table talking and sharing with one another made the evening awesome.

The wonderful thing about being a Christian is that there is plenty of joy throughout your life that you can share with everyone, especially your spiritual family. Thank you for the great evening we enjoyed with you.