I’ve pretty busy and haven’t been blogging as much. So in the meantime, here’s a picture I thought really explained a lot about the Hudson River Plane Landing in NYC.

M

Posted: January 31st, 2009 under Culture/Society.
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Just as much as I was pained to watch the ups and downs of the Eagles/Cardinals game, today is a new day and onto new things. In a strange way, I’m happy for the Cardinals and I hope they win the SuperBowl. I think Kurt Warner is an awesome guy and a great man of God (also a heck of a quarterback). The Eagles simply didn’t want it bad enough. The Cardinals came to play and deserved to win.

Here’s to another year. Aren’t you glad that God feels the same way. No matter how bad we are (or how bad we play), each day is a new day and His mercies are NEW EVERY MORNING. Thank goodness for that!

M

Posted: January 19th, 2009 under Sports.
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I got a question for you today….How EXCITED are you to go to church this Sunday? Think about it…Are you truly excited to go to the HOUSE OF GOD?

If you answer “No” to that, I would think about changing a few things to make your answer “Yes”. The Word of God says that we are not to forsake the gathering of the brethren (or in today’s terms….”Don’t take lightly hanging out with other Christians at Church.”). At SouthView, we have been studying the importance of the “House of God” and how as Christians, we need to belong to a church to truly be a believer. See a “believer” belongs to something. I would hope that if you belong to something, you like going and serving at that place.

I can’t wait for Sunday morning…yeah, I’m the pastor and I’m supposed to say that, but seriously I really enjoy hanging out with the people that come to our church. We are still small in number so the people that come out, I know many of them pretty well. But does that have to change as a church grows? Well, sure, if you are running 500 people, can you possibly know them all? I say, probably not, but I’m looking forward to trying!! I love getting to know new people. What better place to find people with the same desires than the local church!

God wants you to base your deep relationships in the Church. The local Church (house) should be the epic-center of our relationships. Just like I hope your best relationships are started in your own “House”, God wants our other great relationships to come out of His “HOUSE”.

I want to encourage you to find a way to enjoy going to church. Maybe you need to look for another place to attend? Maybe your attitude is wrong and you are not willing to open up. Maybe you are attending for the wrong reason instead of going to honor and worship the God of the Universe? Maybe you need to look at the church differently than just a place to go when you have free time or on holidays, weddings and funerals. Maybe it’s time to come into the HOUSE and be part of the family.

M

Posted: January 14th, 2009 under Leadership.
Comments: none

Can I just say that if you haven’t played MarioKart for the Wii, don’t do it. It’s addicting. On top of that, my 6 year old son is quickly becoming a master at it. I’m amazed that a 6year old can unlock new levels, gain new vehicles and come in 1st place against people around the world. MAN! Plus he can beat his dad (and trust me, I’m NOT letting him win).

Just another thing to prove that I’m getting old…

M

Posted: January 10th, 2009 under Family.
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What are the thoughts that come into your head when you think about your HOUSE? I hope the first might be safety? Maybe you associate your house with unconditional acceptance? What about identity? Do you feel like your house is a good example of who you are?

Most people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their house. Some people move around quite a bit into different houses and living spaces, never really finding the “perfect home” they are looking for. Some people let their house fall apart while others spend countless hours cleaning, painting, planting and decorating their place.

Which one are you? Does the word “HOUSE” plant images in your head that you are proud of or images that you would rather not see?

God has created a “HOUSE” for us that we should all be proud of. It’s called the CHURCH. His idea of a house is one of love, acceptance, belonging and safety. The Church should be a place of refuge where everyone is welcome to be apart of. Just like our natural “house”, the church is a place when we can learn and enjoy life together. It’s a place where truly great relationships are formed and lifelong goals are established.

I can honestly say that the Church has become my HOUSE. I love to be there. All my major relationships have been birth out of the local church, including when I met my wife LeeAnn in youth group. To this day, I have long standing relationships with people that I grew up with in church. I can’t imagine not having those relationships and those experiences that I had in the local church.

That is God’s plan. Since the time Jesus had sent out the disciples, God has been working to build the local church as a place for people to come and learn more about His love and forgiveness for us. The early church experienced some tremendous things and even today, that same power is here for us as well.

This Sunday I will be starting a 2 part series entitled “THE HOUSE”. We will examine what God intended the Church to be and how important it is that we are part of the body of Christ. Did you know that the Church needs you? Did you know that there is a place that can provide for all your needs if you let it? Did you know that the local Church can be more than just a Sunday morning event but it can literally change your life for the good?

I can personally witness to this and I’m looking forward to sharing with you this Sunday @ SouthView!

Posted: January 8th, 2009 under Church info.
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