Message #5 at BRCC

In this message: the mission of the Apostle Paul, straight paths to God, and Bruce Springstein.
 
04/14/2013-The Story: Paul's Mission from Brookville Road Community Church on Vimeo.

Message #4 at BRCC

In this message I talk about freedom from guilt, I get a little worn out, and I attempt to break the stage.

 

Good Friday from Brookville Road Community Church on Vimeo.

Message #3 at BRCC

My third message at BRCC. In this message I talk about fishing... and I cry.


03/10/2013 - The Story: Jesus' Ministry Begins from Brookville Road Community Church on Vimeo.

This is how a 10 year old girl fixes the wrapping paper of a man.

via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/W2TZAVCaT9/

This is how a man wraps presents. Happy (early) Birthday Tammy!

via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/W2C6JvCaRD/

Message 2 at BRCC

Here is the second message I gave at BRCC. In this message: spandex, Lance Armstrong, flying children, and a personal - powerful - perfectly loving God.

01/13/2013 - The Story: The Beginning of the End from Brookville Road Community Church on Vimeo.

Update and First Sermon at BRCC

It has been a while since I have visited my blog. A lot has changed over the last 4 months; here is a quick rundown:

• The Branches Community Church in Escondido, CA. lovingly released me to minister at our parent church in Indiana. Pastor James Pinkerton continues to lead The Branches and they are in good hands.

• In mid-December Tammy and I moved into our new home in Indianapolis.

• On January 1st I began my position as Associate Pastor at Brookville Road Community Church.

• If you live in the area be sure to stop by and say hello. BRCC is located at 7480 W. US 52 • New Palestine, IN 46163

• While Pastor Hubert Nolen was in Brazil I was given the privilege of preaching the first two weeks at BRCC.

Here is week 1 -

 

01/06/2013 - The Story: God Sends Prophets Like Elijah from Brookville Road Community Church on Vimeo.

Kitty stroller

via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/PpigoCCac8/

Poor swaddled kitty

via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/PNidI2Cac8/

Shelby awaits to board the roller coaster

via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/OZ5bXLCafB/

Our God

I shared this quote the other day in church and thought I'd repost it here. I've searched for the author of the quote but I have not found who to attribute it to; none the less these words about our God bring encouragement to me and hopefully to you today...

“He will never leave me, never forsake me, never mislead me, never forget me, never overlook me. When I fall He lifts me up. When I’m weak, He’s strong. When I’m lost, He’s the way. When I stumble, He steadies me. When I’m hurt, He heals me. When I’m broken, He mends me. When I’m blind, He leads me. When I’m hungry, He feeds me. When I face trials, He’s with me. When I face persecution, He shields me. When I face problems, He comforts me. When I face loss, He provides for me. When I face death, He carries me home. He is everything for everybody, everywhere, every time, and in every way. He is God and He is faithful. He’s the first and the last. The beginning and the end. He’s the keeper of creation and creator of all. He’s the architect of the universe and the manager of all times. He always was. He always is and He always will be unmoved, unchanged, and undefeated and never undone.”

Redemption

What do you do when you fail spiritually? What do you do when you give-in to that temptation? What do you do when you've screwed up big time? Our naturally tendency is to run and hide from God. But if you are going to recover from this failure, if you are going to get up when you fall, then you need to accept God’s undeserved love. 

There is nothing that you can do to deserve His love. In the midst of your sin and failures God extends His love to you. This isn’t God turning a blind eye, or simply winking at sin. This is a radical, crazy love. God’s love for you is just flat out undeserved.

Isn’t that different from human love? We love each other - if; we love each other - because; we love each other - when. The world loves conditionally, and if our standards for love are not met, then our love grows cold. It's not that way with God; He loves us regardless, and He demonstrated this by paying the ultimate price to offer us the opportunity of a relationship with Him. When we fail it's important to remember that we were bought with a price. 

Jesus would come and live and die and buy us back – redeem us from slavery to sin and death. It’s a picture of God’s love for us.

We've all fallen, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 He’s saying that all of us have missed God’s mark in our lives. We become slaves of sin and the things of sin in our lives, the Bible describes this as bondage to sin. 

If you read the next verse in Romans it reads, “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” Rom. 3:24 God presented Jesus as a sacrifice for us. We were in a position of sin and death, then Jesus came as the one who would redeem. He came as one who gave His life and literally paid the price for our redemption to buy us back.

God is a just God. Sin had to be punished. He couldn’t just forget all the things that had happened. God was willing to put the punishment for sin on the shoulders of Jesus so that the mercy and free grace could be delivered to us.


Do you know what you do with God’s love? You receive it. You don’t earn it. You can’t achieve it. You can’t accomplish it. You don’t keep score. You receive it. You begin to live as one who has been bought by a price. It means you hold your head up a little higher. You can even kick your shoulders back a little bit. Why? Because you were bought with a price. It means you stop telling yourself that you are worthless and you’re meaningless and you’re awful and God hates you - because He doesn’t. Because you were bought with a price.

God loves you undeservedly, so much so that He paid the ultimate price to have a relationship with you. When you fall, be sure to return to the One who redeemed you.