The KNEXN

Miranda singing at church

2011-12-20T19:47:00.002-06:00

My little girl leading "This Little Light of Mine" while daddy plays the drums! awesome!!!!

2011-06-17T19:47:00.001-05:00

Lessons We Can Learn From Prostitutes 1

2011-06-05T16:11:00.003-05:00

Sermon 1 from the series "Lessons We Can Learn From Prostitutes"

Tamar-Genesis 38

1. be a person of integrity

2. sin has consequences

3. God can take our mess ups and mistakes and use them for His glory!

Thanks for listening and may God challenge you as you walk with Him!

What's Your Value?

2011-03-24T20:29:00.002-05:00

If a person never experienced something then they do not know its value. We have to show them the value of Jesus...

Highways and Hedges

2011-03-24T20:21:00.002-05:00

Don't Be Selfish...

2011-03-11T15:23:00.002-06:00

Do you consider yourself a selfish person? Check out this sermon and you might change your mind!

Wait

2011-02-21T14:31:00.003-06:00

Have you ever asked someone to do something and their reply was "Wait"? Let's talk about "Waiting" on God.

Walk By Faith Series- No Fear

2011-02-07T19:53:00.003-06:00

Walk the part of the movie "Facing the Giants" where David and his dad are painting and they talk about fear. Then watch the end of the movie where David has to kick the winning field goal. This will help you better understand the sermon. God bless you as you listen.

Faith Is Action!

2011-01-31T09:30:00.003-06:00

Faith is more than believing , it's taking ACTION! Be challenged and enjoy!

Walk By Faith Series-Endure

2011-01-24T18:18:00.003-06:00

To really understand this sermon watch the death crawl scene from "Facing the Giants" made by Sherwood Baptist Church before listening.

Walk By Faith Series

2011-01-16T15:40:00.003-06:00

Abraham and Isaac...Sermon one from Walk By Faith series 1-16-11

Crosspointe's Vision 2011

2011-01-04T09:04:00.003-06:00

We have got things headed in motion for 2011! This video will you tell you all about it the plan for this year. Hope you will choose to be a part of what God is doing at Crosspointe! God bless, Randy

Where Is Jesus?

2010-12-13T09:50:00.003-06:00

This was my first sermon preached at Crosspointe! enjoy and may God speak to you and challenge you through this message.

The Road To Emmaus

2010-10-12T09:04:00.002-05:00

Many people just don't get Jesus! Do you? Listen and find out...

How BIG Is Your God?

2010-10-05T10:10:00.003-05:00

When an object is far away from us it is small and barriers can get in the way to the point that we can no longer see the object. But when the object is close there are no barriers and we can see its characteristics. What if the object is God? Where is He in your life? Enjoy and be challenged as you listen!

sermon 4 from "New Beginning" series

2010-09-26T14:20:00.002-05:00

Second Chances

Sermon 3 from "A New Beginning" series

2010-09-19T21:06:00.003-05:00

All Things New

Sermon 2 from the "A New Beginning Series"

2010-09-13T10:50:00.002-05:00

Is It Really Worth It?

From A New Beginning Series

2010-09-05T21:41:00.006-05:00

1. A Not So New Beginning

Which Side of the Bridge Are You On?

2010-05-17T13:30:00.004-05:00

My camera's battery died so I had to redo some video at the end. I took the audio from the church's recording and put it with my video. It doesn't match well at the end but at least I didn't lose the flow of the sermon with the audio! Dare to be a Jonathan!

My Deer Hunting sermon on Valentine's Day

2010-02-16T14:38:00.004-06:00

raging river

2009-06-17T09:42:00.004-05:00

It’s been a while since I got to blog. I have been wrapped up in writing all our material for VBS plus making the decorations! I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Well, I want to tell you about a tubing trip my 10 year old son and I went on last weekend at Townsend.
If you have ever been tubing before you know that just after a good rain the river is up and faster. We have been experiencing a lot of rain lately so when we arrived at River Rage they were saying that if the kids are under 10 they could not ride the upper section of the river. No problem. We are covered there. What was real strange about this trip is my son and I decided to wear a life jacket. We have been here before and NEVER even thought about putting on one of these things. Looking back, it was the best choice we made that day!
So we head off to the river and they drop us off. We put in and proceed down the river. There was some good spots where the rapids were fast. We found the spot where the rope swing was and we played there for a while. The first trip down the river was ok but kind of boring. We heard people talking about how strong and fast the rapids were up at the Y, which is where you turn off to go to Cades Cove from Townsend. Being the adventurous men we are, we decided to hike up there and check it out. It did not disappoint! There were some good, strong, fast rapids and it was a blast! Someone had lost a beach ball so we chased after it trying to save it. We hustled to the bank so we could go again. This is where the nightmare began.
We put in to start this adventure again. There were several people on the banks but very few in the water. There was an older gentleman getting on a tube with his grandson in his lap. The current took my son through the rapids first. He was screaming and having a blast. The older gentleman had gotten in front of me somehow so they were next. It happened right in front of my very eyes! The older gentlemen’s tube hit the very first rapid and flipped! The kid in his lap looked to be around 6 or 7 years old. Neither one of them was wearing a life jacket! I was trying to reach them but they were going too fast. All I could do is watch in horror as the older man was swept under by the rapids. I was trying to yell at my son to help the kid but he couldn’t hear me because the water was so loud. I don’t know how, but the kid made it through with only a few scratches. The older gentleman wasn’t so lucky.
By the time I reached him he was holding his head and dog paddling. I reached out, grabbed him, and pulled him on to my tube. I asked him if he was ok and he said that his head bounced off rock after rock and that everything was spinning. When we reached a point to where people were on the banks I got them to come and help me. I explained to them what had happened and some lady ran and got a park ranger. Lucky for that guy it just happened to be a special weekend at Cades Cove and the ranger was there watching traffic. So the ranger radioed for an ambulance. I didn’t realize it when we were in the water, but the older gentleman had a gash in his head that was bleeding pretty bad. So the ambulance arrived and we took off down the river again. We were very nervous about the rest of the trip down stream. And then it happened…my son flipped backwards at the bottom of a rapid! It was over after that. He said, “After seeing what happened to that guy and then flipping on that rapid, I’m never coming back!”
It was an adventurous day to say the least. I took it as an opportunity to explain to him how important it is to serve God every day and how important it is to have Christ in your life because we never know when our life will end. It could happen in a blink of an eye. One minute your having a great time, laughing, and by the time you take your next breath…it’s gone. I’ll leave with a couple of verses to think about but there are others to consider:
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Mark 13:33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! Be on your toes! Randy

one day at a time...

2009-05-15T13:00:00.003-05:00

I was praying the other day and as I listened to the words of my prayer I thought about a certain song. You’re probably gonna think I’m a goof ball but the words to this song sums it all up. Even though the song was a hit in the late 70's to early 80’s, the words are still just as awesome. it's a classic no doubt! Although we look ahead and have all these goals to reach, we still live life one day at a time. Take advantage of today because tomorrow may never come. The Christie family is in my prayers. RIP Mike. Randy

I'm only human. I'm just a woman. Lord help me believe in all I can be And all that I am. Show me the stairway that I have to climb And Lord for my sake Teach me to take one day at a time.

One day at a time sweet Jesus, That's all that I'm asking from You. Lord give me the strength to do every day what I have to do. Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus and tomorrow may never be mine. Lord help me today show me the way one day at a time.

Now do You remember when You walked among men? Well Jesus You know if You're looking below It's worse now than then. Pushing and shoving violence and crime And so for my sake teach me to take one day at a time.

One day at a time sweet Jesus That's all that I'm asking from You. Lord give me the strength to do every day what I have to do. Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus and tomorrow may never be mine. Lord help me today and show me the way one day at a time. Lord help me today show me the way One day at a time.

Are you a chicken?

2009-05-04T12:33:00.003-05:00

What are some things that you are afraid of? I did my Kids Spot this past Sunday at church on chickens and I asked the children this same question. I got all kinds of responses. Some even said they were not a chicken at all. I’m scared of needles, any kind of wasps or bees, spiders, and snakes. These are just some things that turn me into a chicken. I’ve never raised chickens but I have eaten a bunch of them! LOL… I read where, at the sign of danger, the mother hen sounds an alarm and the baby chicks run to her and she covers them to protect them. I’m thirty-six years old and I still run to my momma! My mom is special to me because my dad committed suicide when I was three years old. Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there! Anyway, I thought about what Jesus said in Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Jesus had come to save Israel, to gather them under His protection but they didn’t heed the warnings. They rejected Him and said, “No thanks.” What happens to something or someone if they are not protected from danger? I’ll answer this question with a response that one of the kids gave, “You are dead meat!” You see, there is a bad guy out there who wants to harm us, to do everything he can to keep us from God and going to heaven. He’ll trick us and oppress us, hoping we will fall. The devil is dangerous. You don’t stand a chance against him without Christ. Jesus shed His precious blood for us so that our sins can be washed away. He has sounded the alarm for us to run to Him for protection against the evil one. Don’t flirt with danger and take a chance! Run to Jesus and hide under His wings of protection. I think I’ll snuggle up to Him now and rest in peace…won’t you join me? randy

Keep your head up…

2009-04-30T12:54:00.002-05:00

I have been working on a sermon to preach this Sunday. It’s entitled, “Where is God?” I don’t want to get into my sermon but I will touch on it some. I hope you never experience this in your spiritual walk because it is a miserable place to be but do you know anyone who has walked close to the Lord and for whatever reason, it seems as though that walk grew dim until it seemed God was nowhere to be found. It’s hard to cry out to God only to hear silence and it seems like He is not listening and is nowhere to be found. The reality of it all is, He is near, He does care, and He will come through, just hold on and try to keep your head up. I thought about Israel. WOW! Put yourself in their shoes for a minute. Here you are, God’s chosen people. He has chosen you to establish His name. He has given you His law. He has blessed you beyond anything imaginable. Zechariah 2:8 says that you are the apple of God’s eye. He has given you an abundance of blessings that you did nothing to get! He established His dwelling place, the tabernacle (and temple) in your midst. He has visited you in the form of a cloud on several occasions. He has spoken to you through the fathers and the prophets. Life is good.
But one day it took a turn for the worse. It’s not God’s fault, it’s ours. Because of sin (2 Chronicles 36) God allowed the Babylonian army to come in and destroy Jerusalem, including the temple. They killed women, children, men, grandmaws and grandpaws…anybody and everybody. To get a glimpse of just how bad it was read Psalm 74 and 79. The ones who survived were carried away and led into captivity. For the next seventy years God would be silent. I think I would be asking, “Where are you at God?” or “What’s going on here?” and they did. Of course they blamed God and questioned Him, much like we do when we are going through hard times.
But now for the good part of this story. The book of Ezra, chapter one, tells that Cyrus allowed the captives to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and their city so they can worship again. Ezra, chapter three, tells us what happened. They started rebuilding the temple and they rebuilt the foundation. Ezra 3:11 says, “And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.” Most of them were so excited! Why? Because they are back home, rebuilding the place they love, and soon, worship would be restored. They, once again, would be able to make their sacrifices and enter into the presence of God. God has not forgotten them. He is blessing them once again. Let me encourage you by telling you that God has not forgotten you! He is there! He is with you, right by your side. Keep your head up and don’t give up! I will leave you with James 1:12 (NLT) God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Don’t go there!

2009-04-20T14:04:00.002-05:00

We were at Dollywood this weekend and my wife and two sons went on a water ride while dad stayed at bay with our daughter. She is 17 months old and very smart. We played around for a little while around the entrance/ exit waiting for the family to get off the ride. There were some ducks there and they provided some entertainment for a little while. My wife and kids decided they wanted to ride this ride several times and my daughter was getting bored with the ducks so she decides to run around the area. It was crowded that day, but thankfully no one ran over her. In fact, they got a lot of laughs out of the experience. There came a time when ole dad had to take a break, so I just sat and watched her from a short distance and ate some M and M’s. My daughter proceeded to go toward the entrance of the ride. I gently told her “no,” and she turned around and looked at me like, “Oh yea? We’ll see about that…” And she stood there looking at me, waiting me out to see what I would do. After a few seconds and thinking all is well, she took a step backward without taking her eyes off of me. It’s as if she was saying, “I wonder if I can get away with this much?” again, I said, “No,” but this time it had some umph to it. We stared at each other for a few seconds, and she did it again! But this time she turned and took off! I had to chase after her. She was making a break for it and thought it was funny. I caught her and pulled her up into my arms and gave her a big kiss and we just giggled together. Then she started asking for momma.
As a child of God I know I have a Father who loves me. He doesn’t have a leash on me like an animal and He allows me freedom. I am free to make my own choices, to do what I want, and go where I want. But sometimes I make bad choices that get me in trouble. Sure, I know they are wrong. I know it’s going to get me in deep trouble, but I test the waters. Like my daughter did, I take a step back and I hear the Holy Spirit saying, “Don’t go there! Don’t do it!” Sometimes I listen, but there are times when I ignore God and do it any way. Does God come after me with a whip ready to beat me down? No. He gently reaches down and grabs me, loves on me, and sets me back in a safe place. Are you “testing the waters”? Are you seeing just what God will let you get away with? He’s going to let you play the game but whenever you have had enough, remember, His grace is sufficient. He loves you and He is waiting to take you back. He wants to set you in a safe place. I want to encourage you to read the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. This story illustrates the heart of our heavenly Father. Quit playing games with God and let Him love on you for a while. Randy

the storm

2009-04-14T13:41:00.002-05:00

Last Friday we had to take my son to Vanderbilt for an EEG. It had been raining all morning and it was to get stormy as the day went on. After our appointment was over we went and checked out “the dragon”. “The dragon” was a play area my youngest son had noticed from the window of our doctor’s waiting room. “The dragon” turned out to be a little play area on the sixth floor, but it was outside. There was a little dragon, a castle, and some swings. We were out there for a few minutes and it started getting dark. Then it came…a big rumble of thunder in the background. Then I saw some lightening so we headed inside. I forgot to mention that the tornado sirens had been going off the whole time we were out there. After being raised in West Tennessee where it seems tornadoes come through every day I didn’t think a whole lot about it but my six year old was concerned. He kept saying, “Let’s get out of this town!” My wife and I tried to explain that he was in the best place he could be if a tornado hit! He was at a hospital with a bunch of doctors! But all he could see was that dark cloud and all he could hear was the tornado sirens (by the way, it was the cloud that the tornado in Murfreesboro came out of, that’s why the sirens were sounding so he had a right to be scared. It was just minutes away!). We could never convince him that he was safe while we were there. It wasn’t until we got in our vehicle and drove to Nanny’s that he felt safe.
How many times have we acted just like my child? Think about it. We are surrounded by storms every day. We are faced with struggles on every side, every which way we turn. The sirens are blaring in our ears telling us to take cover and all we can think is, “I’ve got to get out of this place!” But what we fail to see is that we are in the best place we could be! We are safe in the arms of Jesus. We are hidden beneath His wings of love, sheltered by His fortress. He is not up in a cloud somewhere or sitting up in heaven watching everything going on! No! He is right here beside us…in us…in the midst of His people. We, who call on His name, have a rock that cannot be moved! There is no use in going somewhere else to find safety or to get away from the storms. He will walk with us through it! Isaiah 43:1-5a says But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “ Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you…No. Don’t fear the storms, don’t run from the storms, don’t run away from God, walk with Him through the storm, He will help you through. If you are “in Christ (Colossians 2:6-12)” you are in the safest place you can be. Trust Him. It was hard for my son to trust what we were telling him but he did. The storm passed and he was safe. Your storm will soon pass. Keep the faith and trust Him. Randy

He's out of here!

2009-04-12T07:34:00.003-05:00

He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay (Matthew 28:6). It’s as simple as this: do you believe or not? Maybe you’re like Thomas who wasn’t there with the other disciples the first time Jesus came into the room and showed them His hands and side. They tried to tell Thomas that Jesus was not dead and that He really was alive but he would not listen. He said, “"Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it (John 20:25)." And it’s like Jesus just toyed with Thomas for a little while because in the very next verse we see where Jesus waited eight days before showing up again with Thomas being present this time. He goes straight to Thomas, “Here you go! See My hands? Want to touch My side? Do not be unbelieving but believing.” This is the key. Be believing.
If you can take out the resurrection then you have killed Christianity. Without the resurrection Christianity is just a fluke and it’s just a religion. Which in turn, makes people like me weirdoes. Well, some people consider me a weirdo anyway, but the resurrection is absolute truth. It really happened. It is what gives us our hope. Jesus came out of the tomb in three days alive, ascended back to the Father in Heaven, and sent down the Holy Spirit to guide us as we walk with God. Take a look at 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 for further reading. Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus says to John, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Through Jesus we have victory over death! It is NOT over when we take our last breath. There is an eternity waiting on the other side! And through Jesus, we can have life with God everlasting. If we reject Him, we will spend it with Satan, in everlasting torment. Do you believe or not? It doesn’t really matter if you do or don’t! It doesn’t change things at all. If you choose not to believe, then God is still God, the resurrection has still happened, people are dying everyday, and eternity still waits on the other side. The reality of it all is YOU will soon find out that it is real and YOU will wish that YOU had believed! I’ll leave you with the words of Jesus to Thomas in John 20:29, “Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Randy

Peace to you...

2009-04-10T16:22:00.003-05:00

Peace. Is that something you have or do you live in fear, worry, and dread? Can you imagine being one of the followers of Jesus, you just witnessed Him being crucified by the Romans, and now it could be your turn! They had a right be afraid. They had no idea if the soldiers would come to their house, knock on their door, and carry them away to be beaten or even put to death. We find them huddled together in a house, the door shut and locked…why? John 20:19 says they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus appears in the room and the first words out of His mouth is not “hello” or “it’s me, good to see ya”…no…His first words are “PEACE BE WITH YOU.” After showing them His hands and His side and allowing them to rejoice for a few minutes, Jesus repeats these words, “Peace to you…” After all He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). How relaxing this must have been. They have gone from hope to no hope and now back to hope!
There is no peace like God’s peace. Listen to what Paul says in Philippians 4:7 …and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. David understood this concept. If you read the book of Psalms it won’t be long until you read how David is surrounded by people who hate him and want him dead. But in the midst of his trials and tribulations he cries out to God to rescue him, to be his rock, and his hiding place. He asks that God will give him strength and deliver him from his enemies. He understands God’s peace. We will never understand God. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). Our way of thinking is limited. God is not. For example, we don’t know what is going happen in the next few seconds. God knows what will happen 100 years down the road. But we can understand god’s peace. We can experience God’s peace and when we do, there is no other place you would want to be. This world is full of turmoil and strive, we need God’s peace. I don’t know how people make it without it. Again, listen to what Paul said, “God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. No matter how bad things get, we don’t have to worry or fret. We will be alright. Another example for you. The apostle James has just been beheaded in Acts 12:1-2. Peter was next. He has been arrested but he has to wait in jail a week because of Passover. I would be going absolutely crazy knowing that I can’t see my family and in a few days, they wouldn’t have their provider anymore. Who is going to take care of them? But not Peter. Acts 12:6 says that Peter was chained between two guards sleeping. That is the peace of God. What troubles are you facing today? As I am typing this I sit in a waiting room at Vanderbilt hospital waiting for my ten year old son to have an EEG for his epilepsy. As I walked the hallways going back and forth to the car and sit in this room I have seen several children with disabilities that is worse than what we face. God, give them peace. As we live our day to day lives in this troublesome world full of heartache, pain, and sorrow, give us Your PEACE. Randy

...mourning to dancing!

2009-04-09T13:12:00.004-05:00

Have you ever saw something that just amazed you and you had to do a double take just to make sure what you saw was real? Mary Madalene did a double take on this morning. Peter and John decided to go home after discovering that Jesus’ body was really missing. After they confirmed Mary’s story it was hard…hard to lift up their heads. But not Mary, no, she had to take just one more look in the tomb. This time it was different. There was something their besides the linen clothes! Angels! Not one but two! One at the place where Jesus’ head was and one at the place where His feet had been. They ask her, “Woman, why are you crying?” What the English doesn’t show us here is that this was more than just a few tears, this was a wailing. A cry so hard and deep that Mary was in pain. The Greek word is klaiðw (pronounced klah'-yo) which means to wail as in pain. She was tore up. Think about it…she had seven demons that tormented her life cast out by this man Jesus and she has followed Him for quite some time now. They were very good friends and He brought her life joy, peace, and she felt as though she belonged but now He is gone! Listen to her reply from John 20:14 and you’ll understand what I mean , “She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Did you catch that? Mary said, “my Lord.” This implies that she was a slave (Greek-doulos) of Christ’s. Not in a bad sense but a good sense. A slave has lost all of their will to their master’s and the master now has control of the slave. Paul said he was a slave of Christ in Romans 1:1. Mary had given Christ her life. She was His follower, willing to obey His every command but now He is gone. She has no idea what to do next. So she turns as if to leave the tomb, evidently not realizing to whom she was talking to, and runs smack dab right into Jesus! But here’s the kicker: she didn’t realize it was Him! She thought He was the gardener. There could be several reasons for this like she was so distraught over Jesus being gone that she wasn’t thinking right. Maybe she never looked up at Him. I think it has more to do with Jesus’ appearance. I’ll explain. Isaiah 52:14 tells us that Jesus visage (appearance) was marred more than any mans. This would come from the beating He took before the cross and all the torture He suffered the soldiers, i.e. beard ripped off, crown of thorns, the flogging, etc. We know Jesus had the scars from the spear being thrust in His side and the nails being put into His hands but don’t you think that if He had those scars He would have had the others as well? And maybe that’s why Mary didn’t recognize Him! But when Jesus called her by her name she knew exactly who He was! “TEACHER!” she exclaimed! And she grabbed onto Him and wasn’t letting go! And Jesus tells her that she cannot cling to Him and that she needed to go and tell the others that He will be returning unto God the Father. And as a true disciple, she does what she is told, (John 20:18) “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.” No more tears. It’s back to joy and laughter and she races back to town and finds her comrades and tells them of this great news, “HE IS ALIVE!” Does Jesus have control of you? If not, let Him. It will be the greatest decision you ever made. He will turn your mourning into dancing! Psalm 30:11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness…Randy

2009-04-08T12:21:00.001-05:00

Jesus is now dead. He has been buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus in a borrowed tomb. What do you do now? It’s the Sabbath Day and all you can do is sit around and think about what has just taken place! You can’t work to keep your mind off of it. So it is no wonder that John 20 starts off with Mary Magdalene being at the tomb before the sun even began to rise. This woman beat the roosters out of bed! And what does she see as she arrives to the tomb? The stone had been rolled away from the entrance! And not only that but she has discovered that Jesus’ body is missing! What’s her first thought? Somebody has taken Jesus! What’s next? How could this have happened? Crucifying Him wasn’t enough? Now they have done something with His body! So she does what any person would do…she runs to tell the other followers what has taken place. Now you have to understand something here before we go any further. Jewish culture in the days of Jesus did not favor women very well (with the exception of Christianity-there are many woman mentioned throughout the New Testament and they were more esteemed). It’s not much better even in our own today. So it would be really hard to believe a woman’s story, especially of this magnitude. Not only that but think about who this woman is…Mary Magdalene who had seven demons cast out of her (Luke 8:2-3). Can you imagine what the disciples thought as she told this message to them? “This woman is nuts! She must have those demons again because she has lost her mind,” could possibly be what they thought. And the pursuit is on as John and Peter runs to the tomb to confirm her words. Sure enough…the stone is rolled away and the tomb is empty. And to top it off, the burial clothes are laying there. John 20:8 says that Peter and John “saw and believed.” I don’t think they believed the resurrection had taken place, I think they believed Mary’s story now. They have saw it with their own eyes. Hence John 20:9 reads, “For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” Aren’t we the same way? Some things are just hard to believe or understand unless we see it for ourselves. We must have hard evidence…proof or we just write it off and go on about our business. God had used a woman, who had seven demons cast out of her, to be the first person to proclaim, “HE IS RISEN!” We are faced with the same decision as Peter and John had…do we believe her story? If we say yes then we are held accountable with what we do with it. If we believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ then we must act on it. We must be clothed with Him and walk daily with Him so that we can go to heaven when our life is over here on earth. If we write her story off and say, “I don’t believe it really happened” then we will still be held accountable someday…Give your life to Christ and live for Him before it’s too late. Don’t take a chance on eternity. There is no turning back or second chances after you leave this world. Randy

Spiritual giants

2009-04-07T15:17:00.003-05:00

I really like John’s account of what took place when Jesus was betrayed, crucified, buried, and the resurrection. The first thing I would like to point out is how ironic it is that the religious leaders in Jesus’ day were suppose to be pointing people to God and being an example yet they were face to face with God Himself and chose to KILL him! They were so obsessed with keeping laws and keeping clean hands yet they had Jesus’ blood all over them. On the day of the crucifixion the only thing they were concerned about was getting Jesus killed and buried before the Sabbath which started at 6pm that same day Jesus was hung on the cross. John 19:31 (NLT) says, “It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.”
You may say like me, “How stupid can you be?” But before we say anything let’s look at ourselves. As Christians we are commanded to “study” and “show ourselves approved unto God” (2 Timothy 2:15). As we study God’s Word our faith increases (Romans 10:17) and our mind is renewed and we discover as well as know what the Will of God is (Romans 12:1-2). As we grow we become mature in our faith and we leave childish things behind (1 Corinthians 13:11). But with that maturity comes responsibility. We are told in scripture that if we see a brother stumble we are to help them. We are NEVER told in scripture to become the “spiritual police”. Throughout my years in ministry I have witnessed mature Christians acting like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Instead of pointing the way to God and showing the love of Christ they become a watch dog and they bash the one who is in sin. I have heard these “spiritual giants” tell people how they are going to hell and how they need to live their lives. Oh yea…that really works. Go blast a sinner who already can’t stand God and His ways…that’s the way to win them to the Lord! They live by a bunch of rules and regulations instead of the having the heart of Christ. Unlike Christ, if someone doesn’t “follow the rules” exactly like them, they are condemned. How sad! It’s just like the religious leaders in Jesus’ day. Jesus went against their rules and they called Him “the devil.” Then they manipulated the people and the Romans to crucify Him. They didn’t have the heart of God. They just had a bunch of rules. They had no grace or mercy. What about you? Are you a mighty spiritual giant just waiting to condemn those who don’t dress like you, talk like you, look like you? Are you just waiting for someone to make a wrong move so you can slam them with the Bible? If so, go and get a heart transplant. Get a heart from God because the God I know and serve is nothing like that. He is full of grace and mercy. He is patient, loving, and kind. Although He hates sin, He loves the sinner and He reaches out to them with loving arms. We should do the same. This world has enough hate in it. It doesn’t need more from God’s people. I’ll leave you with Philippians 2:5-8 (NLT) You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges, he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

search me, O God...

2009-04-06T13:10:00.003-05:00

If you knew that you would be dead by Friday at 3pm, would you change anything about your life or the way you live it? Jesus told His disciples that He would be betrayed and that He would be killed. And Jesus knew this day was drawing ever so close as He entered into Jerusalem on the donkey in Matthew 21. Some of those same people that cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” would soon be crying out, “Crucify Him!” No, Jesus didn’t have to change the way He lived. He was perfect and did no wrong unlike you and me. But He DID know that He was about to become our sin offering to God and that He was about to feel the horrible pain of being separated from the Father for the very first time! Not to mention the physical pain He was about to face. Jesus knew that in a few short days His time on earth was done. His work would be completed. Man would have an opportunity to be redeemed back to God through Hid sacrifice. That’s why Jesus cried out, “IT IS FININISHED!” right before He took His last breath. He could have called angels to rescue Him. He could have said, “No way. The pain is too much. I’m not going through this for a bunch of people who live their lives for themselves, who indulge in sin,” but He didn’t! Yes, when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane He did ask God the Father if there was another way but He knew it was the Father’s will and He followed through. Be thankful that He did! Jesus paid our debt. He went to the cross in our place. He allowed the soldiers to torture Him and to put Him out for public display of humiliation. And He did it with love. Even while hanging on the cross His attitude was love and grace as He said, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” No. We have no idea when our date with death will be here but yes, there are some things we need to change. Pray this prayer with David in Psalm 139:23-24 (NKJV) 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. Lord help us all to have a Christ-like attitude. Help us to be like Jesus in all our ways. Randy

Where You at?

2009-03-26T12:26:00.003-05:00

I am reading the book of Psalms each morning before I start my day. David was someone I can relate to in so many ways. Despite his problem with women, David was a good leader. Even though he had all the power and prominence, he never forgot where it came from…God. He knew that he had been chosen by God to be Israel’s king and he knew that he had God’s favor. He worshipped God like no other. He played his instruments while he sang and danced in the streets. He didn’t care who was watching or what they thought of him. He loved God and he wanted God to know that. But a side we see of David when we read the Psalms is different. It seems that many times, over and over again, David cries out to God for help. Sometimes he talks as if God has no idea of what is going on, that God has turned away from him. It’s no secret David had enemies. Even his own son tried to deceive the people and overtake the throne. Many people wanted David dead. They feared him. And when they came against David he would cry out to God for help. But sometimes God wouldn’t answer right away. Sometimes He didn’t answer the way David wanted Him to. Like the time when David and Bathsheeba committed adultery and she became pregnant. David fasted for days for the baby to live but God allowed the child to die. We may not be people of power and great prestige, we may not be people of prominence that have enemies vowing to kill us physically, but I guarantee you that we are people that have felt like David. I feel like him right now. Besides going through my divorce, I feel like I am in the darkest part of my life. Over the years I have made some stupid decisions that at the time I thought were good ones and now I am paying the price. Like David, I have prayed for God to do something about it, to bail me out, and it seems like He is nowhere to be found. I feel like saying, “Don’t you see how we struggle? Can’t you fix this situation? I’ve been faithful, I say my prayers, I serve, and live a Christian life the best that I can…why won’t You do something about this?” in fact, I have said those things! I know the answer is “yes” that God can do something about the situation but what is really hard for me is to learn the lessons God is trying to teach me while I wait for Him to do His thing. Just like David said, “You are my rock, my fortress, my strong tower. You are my help in time of need.” David, in all of his struggles never took his eyes off God. He never, for one second, gave up on Him. And let me encourage you, friend, in all your struggles, trust God. Yes, it’s not the easiest thing to do, yes, we want to question Him and say “why?” but when it’s all said and done, and the fire has gone out, you will come out a stronger person, purified like gold and silver (Malachi 3:3) and your faith, after being tested, will be so much stronger and you will hear God whisper, “I was here all along and I with you all the way.” (Isaiah 43:1ff) I will leave you with Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Randy

P.S. Just a few hours after I wrote this blog today, my phone rang. It was my real estate agent with an offer on our house in West Tennessee. Please pray for us that this all works out. We have been making two house payments for a year now and it is draining , wait...has drained us financially. God is awesome!

slavery...

2009-03-16T12:28:00.002-05:00

I want to say right off the bat that I do NOT agree with slavery, although sometimes I feel like one thanks to my wife (just kidding). I asked our youth group this question in class last night, “Are you a slave?” and I let them answer without explaining where I was going with the lesson. Some said, “No,” and some said “Yes…to my parents.” One even asked me if it was a trick question. After they answered I asked them to give me a definition of a slave and the best one I got was “Anybody bound by a master.” So with this answer in mind the answer to the question above is YES, we are slaves! I’ll explain why I say that. Romans 6:16 says, “ Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” You see, we are either a slave to sin, or a slave to righteousness. And if we are a slave to sin, well, then Satan is our master. If we are a slave to righteousness, then God is our master. Get it? Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Yes, He is speaking about riches but the concept applies to our spiritual lives. We cannot live a life of sin and expect God to be our master. Light and darkness CANNOT dwell together! God is Light and in Him is no darkness (1 John 1:5)…Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12) and He shined in the darkness! Darkness is symbolic of sin in the Bible. Sin leads to death (Romans 6:23). Read Romans 6:15-20 for more on this and also check out http://www.biblegateway.com/ or http://www.studylight.org/ to do some research.. Yes, there are times when we do sin, even as Christians, but we do not live our lives in sin. There is a difference. We strive to live according to the scriptures on a daily basis. When we fall short of what God wants from us we have an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1) and we can ask for forgiveness. If we live our lives on a daily basis not caring what God wants and we deliberately go against His will and live according to the flesh, then we cannot please God (Romans 8:6-16). Like it or not, we all are slaves, either to sin or to righteousness. By the way, when you see the word slave or servant in the New Testament, many times the word in the Greek language is “doulos” which means “a literal slave”. It is used 127 times in the King James and 141 times as such in the New American Standard. Maybe the question I should ask is, “Who is your master?” A slave for Christ…Randy

Jump ship!

2009-03-09T13:22:00.004-05:00

When your stuck at home laying in your recliner with strep throat you find that there is not much at all to watch on TV. No football, no baseball, not even a basketball game. I couldn’t even find a good cartoon to watch. But I did run across a show about the Titanic on the history channel. I thought I had heard everything about that ship but this was a good show. They had a different perspective about how the ship sank and how it broke in half. The show is called “Titanic’s Final Moments: Missing Pieces”. These men were on an expedition in 2005 to find some steel that was not a part of a debris field that someone had discovered, but did not take any pictures. They thought this steel might be a part of the bottom of the ship. They had an idea that the ship was not only cut by the iceberg on the side, but also the bottom of the hull. Long story short, they found the steel and sure enough it was the bottom of the ship. In fact, they found two pieces that were hardly corroded and in great shape! So they started their theories of what happened that night. One guy came up with a great one. He said that the ship probably didn’t sink like the movie suggested. He believes the ship didn’t raise up out of the water at a thirty three degree angle which is real steep, but only an eleven degree angle which is no where near as steep. This argument or theory coincides with some of the testimonies of the survivors. They said that they thought they had more time to get off the ship. They actually thought the ship would settle to a certain point and float until help arrived. It was a false sense of security which led to around fifteen hundred people losing their lives.
It’s a lot like the world full of lost people. They are floating around this world on a ship that is sinking fast but it’s such a slight tilt they don’t even recognize it. They have a false sense of security. That’s what makes Satan so dangerous. He is clever. He is good at his game. He eases you in until your trapped by sin and once you realize it, IT’s TOO LATE! You see, people think they have plenty of time to “get their life right” as people say. They think nothing bad is going to happen to them and someday they may give their life to Christ. It’s the greatest tool the devil has to use. False security. Everything’s fine. Help will soon arrive and we will be rescued. Help has arrived. His name is Jesus. His blood can save you. He has come to rescue you. You have to make the decision to get off this sinking ship and onto safety. To me, one of the saddest stories about the Titanic is that the lifeboats were half empty. There was room for a lot more people yet they found themselves drowning in the cold ocean waters and passing into eternity. Don’t be one of these people. Get off the sinking ship NOW! Get on board with Jesus Christ while you still have time! You never know, your next breath may be your last…Randy

stubborn ole mule!

2009-02-19T12:48:00.003-06:00

How does the old saying go? “Stubborn as a mule” I believe is what people say. Are you stubborn? Before you answer, listen to these definitions: 1. a. Unreasonably, often perversely unyielding; bullheaded. b. Firmly resolved or determined; resolute. 2. Characterized by perseverance; persistent. 3. Difficult to treat or deal with; resistant to treatment or effort. I will admit that at times I can be stubborn…just ask Kim. But what if you had a sickness, or you were in some major predicament that just made your life miserable and someone came along with the solution. Do you think you would listen to them? If they said, “Do this and that and you will be rid of your situation,” would you do what they said? I’m sure you are nodding your head yes right now. Have you ever read the story of Naaman the leper in 2 Kings 5? Naaman was the captain of the Syrian army. He was a man of prominence. He was powerful and he could show no weakness. People obeyed his commands and they feared him. Yet this mighty warrior had a disease, leprosy. Even his accomplishments and medals couldn’t hide this disease. Namaan heard of a man of God named Elisha that could heal him if he would go and see him. He did yet Elisha didn’t even bother getting up from his seat. He sent a messenger to Naaman and told him what he needed to do. his directions were to Naaman was to dip seven times in the Jordan River. Simple enough wouldn’t you say? But not Naaman! He was furious. He was upset because Elisha didn’t come and meet him and he wanted to dip in one of the “cleaner” rivers in the area. In fact, Naaman was so mad he left in a rage! His servants found him and talked some since into his head and said, “look big fella’, if you want to be healed just do what the guy said and dip yourself in the Jordan seven times.” He finally wised up, obeyed, and was healed. Now, I ask you again, “Are you stubborn?” Why is it that we know what God wants but we refuse to do it? Whether it’s to obey his Word for salvation, do a particular task, live a certain way, or abstain from certain things, etc. Why do we act like Naaman? Think about it! There are so many people who have heard the Gospel message yet they continue to live with leprosy. They live with the pain and stench of sin and think nothing of it. Or what about us as Christians? We come to church, we know what God’s Will is for us yet we refuse to obey His directions! What are you NOT doing that you know you SHOULD do for God? My prayer is simply this, “Lord I believe…help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24) Don’t be stubborn as a mule… Randy

Paid in Full!

2009-02-16T10:46:00.002-06:00

When I was a 15 year old skateboarder we talked this lady, who had a shoe shop, into selling skateboards. One huge mistake she made was letting teenagers charge stuff. There was no way we could pay for it! We didn’t have jobs. We were not responsible with money, or at least I wasn’t. the only time I got money was if my mom gave it to me. I was down at the shop one day and she said she needed her money. What was I to do? I was a skater kid…a broke skater kid. I scrounged up some money, probably begging my mom for it, and took it to her, hoping it would please her for a little while. Some time later I came up with a little more money and I went to pay on my bill. She said she didn’t my money, that my mom had come by and paid it off! Woo hoo! I was debt free. My debt was paid in full! My mom did this several times. She is the greatest! I love you mom!
This is exactly what Christ has done for us. He has paid our debt. We owe everything to God. We have run up a huge bill that we could never repay because of sin so God says, “No problem…I will pay it.” And he gives us a Passover Lamb, Jesus. He nailed our sins to the cross. He rose victorious from the grave, and He now sits at the Father’s right hand making intercession for us. You see, if we are Christian, that is, if we belong to Christ, God does not see our sin…He sees the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ washes our sins and cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness! Our debt is paid in full! Thank you Jesus! Let me leave you with these verses from Romans 3:21-27 (NLT) 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses[a] and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Trinity?

2009-02-05T11:59:00.002-06:00

Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit… These three separate entities make up God yet they are one. To make something complicated easy let me say it like this: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one in the same yet they are different! Are you confused yet? Many people believe that God is God and there are no three separate entities. But this can’t be the case! For example, when Jesus was being baptized by John the baptizer in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven like a dove and landed on Jesus, and a voice from Heaven (which would be God the Father’s voice) said, “This is My Son in whom I am well pleased.” Get it? There is God the Father or God, God the Son in that came in the flesh, and God the Holy Spirit that dwells in us as Christians today (Acts 2:37-39).
Still confused? Let me try again. If you were to look at the book of Genesis and read chapter one, you would come across the word “God” several times. There were two words used for God throughout the Old Testament, Yahweh and Elohim. The word used in Genesis 1 is Elohim which is plural. Plural means that there are more than one. Verse 26 even says, “Let us make man in our own image.” Notice the plurality. If it was singular, God would have said, “Let Me make man in My own image.” So if Elohim is used which is the plural word for “God” then more than one entity must have been present at the creation. And they were! Obviously God the Father was there because He spoke all this great stuff into existence. What about Jesus? Take a look at John 1. This chapter is all about Jesus. Verse one and two say this, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him (Jesus) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” What about the Holy Spirit? Genesis 1:2 says “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. You see, it’s really simple. All three, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit were present at creation and are still with us today! I don’t know why so many people want to complicate things. I know this is not a exhaustive study and there are numerous arguments, but I think you get the point. Thank you Lord for your creation, including us in your plan, saving us by Your grace, and leading us as we journey toward Heaven. Amen.

2009-01-27T12:04:00.003-06:00

Do you know what it's like to be in a vehicle and you are going fast and you want to slow down but when you apply the breaks you just keep going? That's the way my I feel lately. I have been terribly busy with getting my youth calendar ready for 2009, lining up activities for this year, planning future events, and getting lessons prepared. I just looked up yesterday and realized January is already over and February is upon us! In fact, I mentioned in my monthly caller article that it feels like this year is blowing by so fast. I keep saying I'm going to slow down and take some time off but I just can't seem to find any! If you have some to spare, I'll take it.
I got an opportunity to preach a couple of weeks ago and it went well. I preached on "Life Is Fragile". I came up with the idea after seeing the plane down in Hudson River. It amazes me that all those people came out of that situation alive. Thank God for that. I didn't use this in my sermon but I did think about this thought later...James (4:14) says that our lives are a vapor and that we are only here for a little while and we are gone. Have you ever noticed how fast a vapor disappears? Even if we live 100 years, that's still not very long compared to eternity. So the question I ask is, "What am I doing in my life that makes a difference?", "Who have I made an impact on?" and even "What impact have I made-positive or negative?"
I hope you ponder these questions. Maybe you have made a great impact on someone. Maybe you have directed their lives in a positive manner, maybe even shared the Lord with them and they gave their life to Christ...AWESOME! Or maybe you have made a negative impact on someone and you know it. Is there someone who you need to forgive? Life is short...TOO SHORT! Let go of it. Go make it right if it's wrong. Go out today and be a blessing. Randy

love

2009-01-09T08:37:00.003-06:00

Love. What is love?

When I was a teenager, at the age of 17 I thought I knew what love was. I met a girl in high school that I just couldn’t wait to see. By the time seven o’clock rolled around and it was time to get off of work, I bebopped to her home town to see her. My heart would race! My truck couldn’t go fast enough! And when I saw her I felt all that gooey stuff. You know what I mean? She was “my first love”. I reckon everybody has one…some even marries theirs. And that was our plan until…
Well, like I said, I thought I knew what love is. Twenty years later, I’m still learning what love is, but I guarantee I had no idea what love really was when I was seventeen. When I was so “in love” another girl caught my eye and I had to pursue her. So I broke off a great relationship with my first love for someone who I didn’t know, and by the time I got to know her, although she was a hottie on the outside, she wasn’t very lovable on the inside. Our relationship didn’t last very long because, well let’s just say that I didn’t like sharing my girl with other guys. Get it? You see I thought I was in love with my “first love” but I had no idea of what love is.

Love.
Let’s talk about what love is not.
Love is not: getting flowers, writing the words on a card, giving boxes of chocolate, heart-shaped balloons, text messaging or talking on the phone all night long, groping all over each other, hugs, kisses, no matter how long they last, etc. No. These things are not love! They may be things you do when you are in love, but they are not love. And I can go on and with this thought.

What is love?
In my opinion, this is love:
Tolerance-there are some things you will just have to tolerate that you may absolutely hate.
Balance-have you ever watched a balancing act? If they go too much to one side they fall! Love is all about give and take. You can’t have it your way all the time. Your loved one needs your time and understanding.
Giving-We as people are geared to “get all we can”. We are constantly taking and hardly ever giving. One of the greatest things we can give is an ear and keep our mouths shut!. (Boy, I really suck at this part)
Accepting-Everybody makes dumb choices. However, nobody likes to be rejected. We all want to be accepted and feel like we have a place to fit in.
Compromising-This goes back to the give and take concept. You can’t always have it your way. There has to be a compromise. Not on moral things. I love sports. I was athletic all of my life and played all kinds of sports. Now I coach my kids. But if something comes up with the wife and it’s important to her, that game on tv will have to be recorded and watched later.
Learning-never think you have it all figured out. If you stop learning things about each other, you are in trouble. Find time to spend with each other and learn something new.
Sacrifice-I know it hurts, but take one for the team. Let go of your selfish wants and desires and give some time to your mate’s dreams. Get your ego out of the way.
Forgiving-this is what love is all about. You will fail. Your mate will fail. However, love picks up the broken pieces and mends them back together again. If it can’t, it takes what is left, and puts them to good use. If you hold on to those things that hurt you, it will destroy your love and your life.
I’m out of time but these are some thoughts I had today at Piggly Wiggly. Maybe someday, I’ll make a sermon out of this. In the next few days, I will have some more thoughts and examples. peace. Randy

home

2008-12-08T11:44:00.003-06:00

Home… Home is where the heart is…there’s no place like home…home is where your story begins…Home. My hometown, my alma mater, the awesome Milan Bulldogs, played for the state championship this past Friday night. They were 14-0 going into this game and it looked as if they might be able to pull off an upset and beat Alcoa. But, unfortunately, Alcoa would not be denied their fifth straight state championship title.
Since I now live near Alcoa this was a hard pill to swallow. One thing cool about this game was that it was on local television. It was great to see that purple and white once again. Even though we lost it was still awesome to see. I graduated from Milan in 1990. We have always had a good football team, especially when John Tucker (no relation to me) was there. At one time, and still may be, Coach Tucker was the all time winningest coach in the state of Tennessee. We have won several state championships and I’m sure more will come. Maybe even next year because this team is young and I believe they can make it back to Murfreesboro. Good luck to them.
Watching that game brought back memories, memories of my high school days and living in Milan. There were good times and some bad times. There were great times and some just absolutely horrible, nightmarish. But I still, no matter where I live today or tomorrow, I still consider it home. It made me wonder of where my friends are living now and what are they doing with their lives. It made me relive some of my childhood, skateboarding all over the streets, building half-pipes, playing baseball, waffle ball, basketball, etc. in my big back yard. I had an awesome go-kart track around that yard. Oh yes…memories. One lesson that I am learning these days is that those days are gone…they are past…I can’t do anything to change the good or the bad…all I can do is take care of today and what is ahead of me. I’m thankful for what the Lord has allowed me to go through, both good and bad, and I’m grateful that He is guiding me, holding my hand, as we walk together today, and I can lay my head down tonight and sleep peacefully knowing that He will be there with me tomorrow. As many times I have failed Him, He has been faithful to me. As many times I have left Him and didn’t follow through with His Will, He has always been there waiting for me to pick up the broken pieces and get moving again. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Randy

2008-12-01T13:43:00.004-06:00

Well, it’s official. Change has come to the hill. I just finished listening to the press conference where they announced Lane Kiffin as the head coach of my beloved Tennessee Volunteers. I’m excited about this change, especially if he puts the staff together that people are talking about. We should be able to compete in the SEC once again!
Did you see any of the press conference where Coach Fulmer was let go? It was sad. Many people rejoiced. I had mixed emotions. I have felt like change was needed for years but my heart went out to Fulmer and his family. I know the feeling of being let go like that. I was at my previous church for a year and a half and I was let go and it was totally unexpected. I couldn’t imagine being somewhere for thirty years of my life and then it comes to an end. It was obvious how much Tennessee means to Fulmer. Yeah, he may get a big fat paycheck out of it but I guarantee you that money could never replace what he has lost.

How do you deal with unexpected things? Just to be honest, I have really struggled with what has happened to me and my family. I struggle with emotions toward the people who have hurt me and put my family in a very difficult situation, especially financially. I struggle with the fact that it has even happened. Why? Why me? Have you ever asked God that question? Why is this or that happening to me at the most worse possible time it can happen? But I refuse to give in the towel and give up. I must keep on going and I will. I know someday all will be well again. Maybe it’s a test from God. And yes, I have, on several occasions, had some serious conversations with God about all of this. I need answers. But do I turn away from the One who has the answers? Do I turn away from the One who can help me through this difficult time? No. In fact, I run to Him for strength, guidance, understanding, wisdom, etc. and I want to encourage you to do the same thing if you are struggling with life or with your faith. What alternative do you have that is better than God? If we turn from Him, then we have lost all hope. If you lose hope, then you have lost everything.
I was flipping through the channels the other day and I came across a preacher preaching on How to Handle Discouragement. He was using Psalm 42 and 43 as his text. I encourage you to read and study these passages. I will leave you with this verse from Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Keep the faith, Randy

2008-11-24T14:26:00.002-06:00

I said “good morning” to an older gentleman this morning at work (Piggly Wiggly) as he passed by me. Then I asked him how he was doing and he made a comment that let me know he was just glad to be alive. He said, “We are never guaranteed tomorrow” and these comments sparked a short conversation. The man said something that was so simple yet profound. It spoke volumes. I have made the same comment many times during a prayer, a lesson, or a sermon. This guy said, “We have so much to be thankful for and we just take it all for granted.” Then we proceeded to mention things we take for granted like the air we breathe, being able to walk, eat, etc. It is so easy to lose sight of this idea because we “just take it for granted.” Think about it for a second or two…Did you wake up this morning wondering if your heart would be beating? No. You expect it to be beating…if it doesn’t you won’t be thinking at all! Did you go outside and get in your car thinking, “I hope this thing gets me to work”? Unless you drive a clunker, the answer is no. You reached in your pocket, grabbed your keys, put them in the ignition, and started down the road be-bopping to some music and didn’t give it a second thought. We just expect it to happen. I can go on and on with so many examples but I believe you get the point.
There are tons of verses in the Bible about giving thanks and I challenge you to take a look at some of them. But one that I want to share with you is Psalm 118:19 which says, “Open for me that gates of righteousness. I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.” Don’t wait until you gather with your family for Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday to say “Thanks”. Say it today, right now! Say it every day as you begin your day. “Lord, I thank you for all your blessings. Thank you for all those things we take for granted each and everyday. Thank you for salvation. Thanks.”

This is an awesome song written by Dennis Jernigan

Thank you, Lord

For all that You've done, I will thank You

For all the You're going to do

For all that You've promised

And all that You are

Is all that has carried me through

Jesus I thank You

And I thank You

Thank You Lord

And I thank You

Thank You Lord

Thank You for loving and setting me free

Thank You for giving Your life just for me

How I thank YouJesus, I thank You

Gracefully thank You

Thank You

2008-11-18T13:43:00.002-06:00

Confidence. Too much of this word and people think you are too cocky and you think too much of yourself. Not enough of this word and people say you lack self esteem and you need to build it up. Where is your confidence? Where is your level? Maybe you have a healthy balance, maybe you are on the down-and-out and you lack confidence, or maybe you are one of those who walks with your chest popped out and you are full of confidence. With me, it depends on what I’m doing. For example, until we started serving the Lord here in Harriman I haven’t played a musical instrument or sung in front of an audience in over ten years. But I was so excited when I had an opportunity to play drums one morning during worship. Oh sure, I was rusty, but it felt great! I was kind of embarrassed after the services because people would compliment my playing. I thought to myself, “Did you hear all my screw-ups? Couldn’t you tell I was rusty?” In fact, I even made some comments to them about it and they said they couldn’t tell that I messed up. At the time, I lacked confidence. Since we have been here for several months now I have gotten to play many times and I can tell that my playing has improved. I even look at the crowd when I play. I guess you can say I have more confidence in my ability to play! This week I took another step and played the bass guitar. This instrument doesn’t come as natural as playing drums so I really have to work at it. I love to play, especially for the Lord. I feel like David did when he was playing his instruments and dancing before the Lord. I still haven’t reached a level of confidence to where I can sing in front of a crowd yet, but Lord willing, I’ll get there. Think about some people in scripture that lacked confidence when they were asked to do something for God. Moses…Moses had no confidence in himself or his abilities. That’s why he came up with so many excuses, yet when he finally obeyed, his confidence grew and he became an awesome leader of God’s people. What about Gideon? God called him a mighty warrior! He was from a poor family and he was the least of his family. In fact, when the angel came to him he was hiding in the barn threshing wheat! Yet we see Gideon take on the challenge that God gave him and he defeats a whole army, not with an army of thousands, but three hundred. And their weapons were water pots! Look at Saul, when God chose him to be Israel’s first king, he hid! And yet he came to be a powerful king. And the list goes on and on. If you lack confidence to do something, study these examples, plus others in the Bible, and pray to the Lord to give you the confidence you need to do His Will. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

stand

2008-11-12T10:12:00.003-06:00

Wow! I didn’t realize how long it has been since I have written in my blog and thanks to my father in law for pointing that out to me :’) Let me give everybody a quick update: we are doing o.k. we, along with countless Americans, are struggling financially due to making two house payments. Please pray for our house in West Tennessee to sell. That thing is killing us! We have dropped the price again and will take a major hit when we sell it. Speaking of taking a major hit…
We have been at our new church as youth ministers for about 3 months now. It’s been a rough road. On our very first outing as a youth group, we decided to camping. Unfortunately we had a girl sneak some alcohol into her tent and another girl drank some of it…too much of it actually. She passed out and was puking on herself. Obviously this created a lot of havoc and without going into detail, it caused friction in the youth group and with an elder and his family. If you read any of my previous blogs you would know that we have had trouble with churches in the past. My wife and I have been treated like dogs by some of the churches we have been associated with. This was something we REALLY did not need at this time. We are still feeling the effects of this camping trip and we are dealing with them the best we can. My wife made a comment to me the other day that really opened my eyes to something. She said, “It’s amazing how hard the devil comes after you when you are doing God’s Will.” And she’s right and I have said that statement many times in the past but for some reason I had forgotten that. Maybe it was discouragement, or maybe I was having a pity party and wanting to be petted. But that statement kind of gave me a second wind and has made me dig in my heels and start pushing forward again. Things could be worse, a lot worse actually. We have so many blessings that we lose sight of when hard times come and it’s so easy to lose our focus. If you are having hard times and facing troubled waters ahead, take a look at these verses and remember to keep your eyes on Jesus! Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Also read Psalm 42 and 43

fitting in

2008-07-26T13:11:00.004-05:00

My six year old son asked me and his mother to watch The Incredibles move with him this morning. We have a ton of things to do today but I thought, “what the heck…they can wait,” so I popped the movie in and we watched it together. As I started watching the story line caught my attention right off the bat. These superheroes that each had their own unique trait or superpower were forced by society to “fit in”. So the movie is about this family with these unique characteristics trying to live a normal life like everybody else and the struggles the dad has with it. As I watched the movie I thought about how our society does this to us as Christians. We are unique. We have superpower inside of us—the Holy Spirit. He works through each of us in different ways. He takes our strengths and our talents which make us unique and He uses them to bring glory to God. And on a daily basis we have the outside world trying to beat us up and demand that we hide our identity, who we really are. We are like superheroes taking on the villains—Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
At the end of the movie the Incredibles are forced to come back as superheroes and society is happy to see them again because they had to defeat a evil robot that was destroying the city! The Incredibles are excited about being able to be who they really are without having to hide their identity anymore. Let me encourage you to be who you really are…a child of God filled with His Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14-16 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God… Do not allow society to beat you down, discourage, or keep you from being who you are...Christians, a child of God, filled with His Holy Spirit!

very tired

2008-07-25T10:03:00.002-05:00

What a week! We decided to rent a U-haul Tuesday and move all of our stuff to Rockwood. Whew! We stayed up past midnight loading and got up again the next day at 6am to continue the work. After we got the truck loaded, the car loaded, and a 6 x 12 trailer loaded, we had to clean the house. We finally got on the road around 6:30pm. One thing about traveling from West Tennessee to East Tennessee is that you lose an hour because of the time zone. So actually, we got on the road at 7:30pm. Did you know U-haul’s can only go about 35-55 mph up a hill when it’s fully loaded? It all depends on the grade of the hill but there is definitely no getting in a hurry! There’s no worry about speeding tickets for sure. We arrived at our destination around 3am. We still had to get up the next day and unload all of this stuff. And we did. God blessed us with a storage place not far from the house we are buying. So at midnight we got everything done and headed for the place we will be staying at until our house closes. Thanks James and Angie! Thanks also to Kevin and Lefty for helping us unload our life belongings! We are excited about our new work. We are excited for the things God will do for this community through us. But for today, if at all possible, I just want to take a break and relax. Is that possible? I need some rest… Randy

I can do (endure) all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

yard sales

2008-07-11T06:22:00.004-05:00

I am setting on my front porch at 6:30 in the morning having a yard sale. I've been out here since 5:30 and we have actually had one customer. We did OK yesterday making about $25 but today is going to be even better. Why do people have yard sales? Think about it. Is it to make some money? Of course...it is better to make a little money off your stuff instead of tossing it all away or donating it. After all, you may bring joy to someone! You know what they say, "Another man's junk is another man's treasure!" Here is my idea of a yard sale. A yard sale is a turning away from the past and looking toward the future. Let me explain. I was moving some shoes that my boys used to wear when they were toddlers. They are now nine and six and can no longer wear them. It brought back some old memories of them being that little. That is in the past. Now we are selling the past to buy some things for the future such as a new PS2 game or a new soccer ball.

It reminds me of the passage in Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul is speaking to the church at Phillipi and he is reminded of his past, of what he used to be. He has an awesome resume...except that persecuting Christians thing. He says that all of his accomplishments were trash compared to knowing Jesus and striving to be like Him. Paul says that he wants to know Jesus better, to know His power and then he says the above passage. I have done a lot of good and bad things in my past. I have made some good and bad decisions. I believe we can all say that. But today, this yard sale is more than making money, it's about turning from the past and looking to a bright, wonderful future serving my Lord and Savior in a place where I wanted to be since I was a kid-East Tennessee. As the old song goes, "I don't know about tomorrow...but I know who holds tomorrow and who holds my hand." Randy

Moving...

2008-07-09T07:26:00.003-05:00

Let the fun begin! Last Wednesday we loaded up the family and traveled to East TN where we begin our new work as Youth Ministers at First Christian Church in Harriman. We have been staying in a hotel for nearly a week...did I mention we have 3 children? Talk about fun! We looked at over 30 houses while there and made an offer on one. Please pray that we get this house. It's a foreclosure and we would be getting a great deal and rent would be too expensive for us right now. And also pray for our house to sell here in Union City. We have seriously sought God out on this move. We have had several churches that offered more money, one even had a free home to live in, for us to work with but we didn't have peace about those churches. From the time Kim and I dated our hearts have always been in East Tn. Our blessing has arrived and it's time to go. Lord willing, we will put our roots down here. We are excited about the work and anxious to get started. I don't mean to sound selfish today but please pray for us as we make this move. We are packing, selling a house, buying a house, and starting a new job. As I said at the beginning..."Let the fun begin!"

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

Psalm 118:14 The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

2008-06-25T06:01:00.004-05:00

Wow. It's been a long time since I have published a blog. Since losing my job at Exchange Street I haven't really been "inspired" to write. The last blog I actually wrote was in April and it's now June 25. My house still hasn't sold and I am waiting for a church. My last paycheck came two weeks ago so things are getting scary. I turned on the radio yesterday and David Jeremiah was talking about Gideon and how even though he was visited by an angel Gideon still questioned God by putting out some fleece at night. I feel like Gideon right now. We say we want to trust God and put our lives in His hands but when we are really faced with the situation where we absolutely have to trust Him and put ourselves to the side, IT'S HARD! Gideon wasn't a warrior...he was more of a wimp. He was least in his father's house and he was very poor. He was hiding out when the angel came to him. Yet God saw something in Gideon that maybe even Gideon didn't see and he was chosen by God to lead the Israelites to victory over the Midianites. Gideon's army started out with 32,000 men, yet by the time God dwindled it down, there were only 300 men. These three hundred men defeated a huge army with water pots! Talking about trusting God! I don't know what you are facing today...what struggles you have...but trust God. Hold to His hand and He will see you through. You will have the victory even if you are surrounded by your enemy and outnumbered 100 to 1. God will come through. I encourage you to read the story of Gideon in Judges 6 and 7. I feel like Gideon this morning, a wimp, but I know with God by my side I AM A WARRIOR! God bless you today friend.

What are you made of?

2008-04-04T09:27:00.003-05:00

I have battled thoughts all this week. Thoughts of being a loser, a pathetic idiot, one who can't get it right. I know those negative thoughts only come from the accuser himself. He's the real idiot and loser. God has constantly reminded me that I am a child of His and that He dwells inside of me. That, my friends, makes me a winner no matter what trials I face and the same goes for you too! If we belong to Jesus, then...so what? Whatg about all these things that bombard our lives to bring us down and tries to keep us in the valley? We have victory over all of it! We may not be able to see it or feel it, but it is there-victory. Romans 8:15 says For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" and Galatians 4:6 says Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" That word "ABBA" can be translated as "daddy". We don't have to be afraid of what we are facing! We don't have to fear what lies ahead. All we need to do is trust that God, our Father, is with us and will be with us until the trials are over. By faith, start practicing your victory dance because it is near! Randy

Being Patient

2008-03-31T07:25:00.002-05:00

Yes, it is the dreaded "P"word...patience. It's a word that I do not like very much and something I'm definitely not very good at. I have preached on this subject many times in my short preaching career but it is easier said than done. If you have read my blogs at all then you noticed that I lost my job a few weeks ago. It has been a little over three weeks now. I have sent resumes to several churches all over the states but I haven't heard much out of them so far. I keep wondering, "God, what are You up to? My pay will run out soon and I need to take care of my family!" Then I hear His reply..."Patience. Trust Me." It's tough. Really hard! Yesterday, the preacher at the church we visited preached on the Lord being Light and that He lights up our path as we take one step at a time. the Lord showed me something while I was in Iowa, an idea that I will share later on. right now it's in it's infant stages and I'm doing a lot of planning, thinking, and praying. We truly want God's will to be done. We want to walk in His blessings and not do something selfishly. I know God will take care of us...He always has. He has brought us through so much and when this test is over, we will be stronger and He will get all the glory. Keep us in your prayers...Randy

Road Trip

2008-03-18T18:22:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday I got an opportunity to preach. It was great. After church my family ate with the youth minister and his wife. It was great fellowship. When we got to the car my wife and I made a spontaneous decision...we decided to take a road trip. We are now in Iowa where we used to minister at, 600 miles from home. We have surrounded ourselves with such great friends here. We haven't been here in over 4 years so we were due a visit. It's amazing how you can be surrounded by 200 people and be lonely in a town of 13,000 people and you can drive to a town in the middle of nowhere with 4,500 people in it and be surrounded with such great love! Jesus went through something similar to this. He was rejected by His hometown, even His own kind of folk yet He had 12 close friends that encouraged Him on a daily basis. True friends are great to have especially when you need encouragement. Even though it's muddy as can be, Osceola, Iowa is a great town to be in right now. Father, thank you for friends that lift up and encourage. What a friend we have in Jesus! Amen...

What does a Christian look like?

2008-03-12T10:35:00.002-05:00

What is the first image that pops in your head when you hear the word "Christian"? How would you describe a Christian? Suit and tie, nice dress, someone who goes to church, quotes scripture, reads a Bible, sings praises to God…these are some words that comes to my mind. Maybe you think of things like hypocrite, stuck up, snobby, etc. or maybe you think of words like gentle, merciful, patient, etc. Drop me an email and give me some feedback.

I know that the word “Christian” means “like Christ” but do we, as Christians look like Christ? Do people see Christ when they look at us? Think about some of the things Jesus did. He healed people, He touched lepers, He cast out demons, He died for our sins, etc. In a nut shell, Jesus gave hope to the hopeless. What are we doing for those who have needs? Are we trying to meet them? We are a selfish people who have very little time for our own needs much less any one else’s. Christ was self-less and He made time for people’s needs. Even though He was surrounded by crowds of people every where He went begging for Him to help them, He always was filled with compassion.

I’ll ask you again…Do people see Jesus when they look at you? Lord, help us to “be Jesus” as I live my life today. Amen. Randy

trusting God

2008-03-10T11:08:00.002-05:00

Today is my first day of not going to the office. It is really weird. I have preached for 7 years that we need to do God's will and we need to put our trust in Him. It's much easier to preach this concept than live it. For a while now my wife and I have prayed for God's will to be done in our lives but we had no idea that meant we wouold be jobless. I lost my position as a youth minister this past Thursday. I believe I am still numb from the shock. We have cried enough tears to fill up a bathtub. I have lost a lot of sleep. We have no place to go and yet we continue to pray..."God, Your will be done."

We have no idea what the next step is going to bring. We only have our faith. Faith that God will take care of us in this new journey. If you know of any churches that need a pulpit or youth minister, contact me. Just leave me a comment and I will get it. Please keep us in your prayers. Randy

Bottled up Jesus

2008-03-06T08:48:00.004-06:00

What would you say is the biggest problem one faces in telling people about Jesus? What keeps a teenager at school from living like Jesus amongst their peers? What is it that keeps Jesus all bottled up on the inside of us when we know that people are in need of Him? What is it that keeps us from doing “good deeds” and giving God the credit? Why do we have so much trouble in sharing God’s Word with the lost, asking them for a Bible study?

I know at WinterFest the top answer was “we just don’t care,” but I don’t think everyone necessarily thinks that. I know I care about people’s souls but I still don’t do all the things I should. I don’t take advantage of all the opportunities that God gives me. For instance, when I was the Meat Department manager for a grocery store I was the first person at the store and I would be there alone for about an hour or so. Occasionally, there would be this guy that came in to buff our floors. He got there earlier than I did. He was very friendly and we would have small conversations when he was there. He liked to tell jokes and they were always clean. On this particular morning he had told me a joke and for some reason I decided to be brave and ask him about his faith. He told me he was a Jehovah Witness. All of a sudden a fear came over me like “what am I going to do?” and “what am I going to say?” after all I didn’t know how to talk to a Jehovah witness! (this story took place about 12 years ago) I locked up! I didn’t say anything about my faith and I didn’t mention Jesus. After he left I felt so terrible. I was ashamed because I could not “Speak Up For Jesus.” I even had a couple of chances before he left but I could not bring myself to talk with this guy. I did what most of us do…I said to myself, “I’ll talk with him another day.” That “another day” never came. That guy was killed in a car wreck just a couple of days later. I felt horrible. I had a chance to share Jesus with this guy and I blew it! It still shakes me up to this very day! The very next person I came in contact with that I knew was lost, I shared Jesus to them.

What was my problem with sharing Jesus with this guy? FEAR. Fear that I wouldn’t know what to say if he asked questions. Fear that I wouldn’t say the right words or things. FEAR! And because of my fear, I let a lost man go without sharing with him Jesus and he died never getting another chance! I still wrestle with fear. I have so many ideas rolling around in my head to do for ministry but I am afraid to step out and do them. We have a new coffee shop in town where people hang out. I wanted to go and just sit and meet people there but I was afraid. I am writing this blog from here now. Fear is one of the biggest tools the enemy uses. We MUST overcome our fears. If we want to be a servant of Christ we must conquer! Think of the early church. When Jesus was first killed on the cross, do you remember what they were doing and where they were at? They were hiding out in someone’s house because they were afraid (John 20:19)! But not long after that they were filled with boldness and they risked their lives to tell people about Jesus. And because of their boldness, even facing death, the church served Christ and His blessings were upon them. They church grew exceedingly and became stronger and stronger.
We have overcome. We don’t have to be afraid. We are the winners! We have been filled with the Spirit of Christ and in Him, there is no fear. There are too many souls out there, all around us who need Jesus and we have Him to give. Go out and conquer in Jesus name! 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Expiration date

2008-03-05T08:44:00.004-06:00

As I got to work this morning I went through my normal routine like turn on my computer, check my desk for things I have to do today, etc. I brought my breakfast or lunch, depending on when I decide to eat it, with me today. I pulled the small cup of applesauce from my pocket and for some reason I read the writing on the side. It was an expiration date. Many things that we buy at the store come with an expiration date. I was a butcher for about seven years and we had to check our products on a daily basis to see if it was out of date or not. If it was out of date then it was pulled from the shelf and thrown in the garbage.

I know I think about weird stuff sometimes but the thought hit me as I was staring at my cup of applesauce…we have an expiration date! Unfortunately, it’s not stamped somewhere on our bodies so we do not know when our time will be up. What if it was? What if you knew when your expiration date was and you knew you were to be “taken from the shelf” in just a few days? Would you live your life any different? Are there some things you would change? Is there someone you would “make things right with?” Would you become more “selfless?” Would you try to make more of a difference in someone’s life or your community? Would there be some habits you would definitely break since you knew they were wrong? Or maybe you would give your life to Christ and live for Him knowing that eternity was a day or two away. Whatever you would do, why wait? Why put it off? Your shelf life could expire today or tomorrow. You may be good for several years but why take the risk? Live for Jesus and make a difference. Randy

Romans 14:10-12 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written:

“ As I live, says the LORD,

Every knee shall bow to Me,

And every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Hebrews 9:27-28 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

2008-03-04T10:43:00.000-06:00

One of the biggest problems people have with God, in my opinion, is the problem with evil. We have just completed a study in my Wednesday night class on “The Existence of God” and “The Problem of Suffering.” In this study we covered this very issue. Not to be a dooms-dayer or the barrier of bad news but in some point in our lives, we will be faced with a tragedy and usually the first words people say is “Why has God let this happen to me?” It doesn’t matter if they are Christian or not, God always seems to get the blame. This is a deep, deep subject but I want to share my thoughts from my meditation this weekend.

I opened my Bible to Acts 12 and read about the persecution that has arisen to the point where the apostles were getting killed. In verse one and two we see where Herod the king had taken James, the brother of John, and had him beheaded. It so pleased the Jews that he was going to grab another one and do it again. Peter was the lucky, well, unlucky catch of the day. It was the time of the Passover (Acts 12:4) so Herod would have to put killing Peter off for at least a week. I don’t know about you but if I was Peter, knowing that I was going to lose my life in a few days, never getting to see my family again, I’d be so upset. I’d be yelling at these guards trying to persuade them that I had done nothing wrong and to let me go! But what do find Peter doing? He is chained between two guards sleeping (vs.6). That’s a testament to the peace of God. As the story reads, Peter is rescued by an angel and ends up at John Mark’s house where the Christians had been gathered praying for Peter.

Here’s a question for you. What’s fair about this story? What if you were in James’ shoes? His brother was killed while Peter was saved! Is this fair? Some of you would say no, absolutely not but others would say yes. I say “yes” and here’s why: Isaiah 45:18-22 says that God is a Just God. Revelation 15 paints a picture of what it’s like in heaven after those who won the victory over the beast arrived and verse 3 says that God is Just and His ways are true. I will make it as plain and simple as I can and you may say it’s just a “cop out” answer but it’s the best I can give. God is perfect in all His ways. Every decision He makes is right, it is just. It doesn’t matter if we agree with it or understand it. We can question Him all we want to but He is still God and He is in control. I don’t know why He rescued Peter and allowed James to die. But I know that He was there to comfort and strengthen them, to help them prepare for what was ahead.

Where else do we have to turn to? Are you going to turn your back on God? How then will you be saved? How will you make it into heaven? How will our sins be forgiven because Christ is the ONLY answer (John 14:6)! If you turn your back on God, you lose and their remains no more sacrifice for your sins. Instead of questioning God “Why?” we need to run to Him for comfort and strength, not run away from Him. Read 2 Thessalonians 1. In these verses you will see where persecution and tribulation actually made the Christians stronger because it brought them closer together and they relied upon God to see them through it all. Their hope hung on the fact that someday Jesus would come to their rescue and their persecutors would be repaid by God. Friend, God is here to help not hurt. He is here to comfort, NOT condemn. Trust Him don’t turn away from Him. He will give you peace and He will help your understanding. Randy

Don't drop the ball!

2008-03-03T10:15:00.000-06:00

As we were taking communion yesterday in our service, I turned to Matthew’s account of the “Last Supper” found in Matthew 26:26-29. As I read this passage I thought about how this was such an intimate moment Jesus had with the twelve. He has spent the last three to three and half years of His life with these guys. They have built a strong bond, not only with Jesus, but with each other. In just a short time, the friend they called Jesus, would suffer the most horrific death a man could go through and this “Supper” which was actually the Passover meal, would spell it all out for them. Jesus took the bread and said, “This is My body.” Then He took the cup and said, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” And after eating this meal, Jesus told the men that He would no longer drink with them again until they see him with the Father.

Then Jesus made a comment that struck a nerve with Peter, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.” (Matthew 26:31-32 NKJV) Peter says, “I will never be defended because of you.” And Jesus replies back, “You’ll deny Me three times before the rooster crows.” Now this really upset Peter, “I will NEVER deny You, Jesus, in fact I will die with You.” Yet within a matter of hours, Peter, being the ultimate, super strong disciple, denies Jesus three times and the rooster crowed. And get this, the last time he denied Jesus Peter cursed!

What happened to “I’ll never deny You…I’ll die with You?” It was still there embedded in the heart of Peter. That’s why when Jesus turned and looked at Peter, after that rooster crowed (Luke 22:61), he ran off wailing in tears of sorrow. And we all want to blame Peter for being an idiot. We know he gets a little cocky sometimes as is the case here. I’m sure if we were in Peter’s sandals we would all say the same thing, “I’ll never be offended because of You and I will die with you.” In fact, if you read the text, it says that all the disciples agreed with Peter (Matthew 26:35)! Here’s my point, how many times have we said, and meant it at the time, “I will (You fill in the blank) for Jesus?” yet we never follow through? We had good intentions but we dropped the ball. It is so easy to blame Peter for what he did, yet are we any better? If we don’t follow through with what we promised Jesus, then, no, we are not!

Lord, forgive us for when we fall short. We “drop the ball” many times like Peter did. Thank you for Your patience with us. In Jesus name I pray…Amen. Randy

forgiveness

2008-02-29T14:42:00.000-06:00

One thing that is absolutely necessary for us to do as Christians is to FORGIVE! In Matthew 6:15 Jesus says, “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” There is nothing grey about that verse. If we want forgiveness from God, then we must forgive others. And notice that there are no conditions in the following verses! “But you don’t understand what they did to me!” you might be saying. It doesn’t matter what they did. There are no conditions. We MUST forgive. I know from personal experience how hard it is to forgive someone especially when they are in the wrong and you have no control of what they are doing. Think about Jesus and all that He went through before He got to the cross and when He was on the cross. Look at how He was treated. We wouldn’t even do that to an animal. Whatever we face in this life couldn’t compare to what He suffered and He never did anything to deserve the treatment He received. Yet as He hang from the cross he cries out, “Father forgive…” We have no excuses.

I have to tell you about an amazing example of forgiveness that I saw Wednesday while I was at home for lunch. As I usually do I come home, fix my lunch, and turn on the TV to watch the news. Bobby Cutts, Jr.’s trial was on this particular day. He was being sentenced. As most of you know he received 57 years in prison for killing Jesse Davis, a girl who was pregnant with their second child. As normal procedure, the family of the victim got a chance to speak to this killer who took their loved one away. I believe two sisters spoke out and one claimed that she hated him and could never forgive him for what he had done to their family. Then it was the mother’s turn. She told him that she hoped that he would find God while he was in prison and she hoped that he court would have mercy on him so he could get out someday and see how she has raised his son and that he could tell him the truth someday. And what she said next just blew me away. She said that she forgave him for what he had done! Not only hat but she looked him right in the eyes! Man! Would you be able to do that? I would like to say that I could but it would be very difficult. I think my first reaction would be, “I want to get my hands on him/ her!” but the Jesus inside me demands that I forgive just as she did.

Is there anyone in your life today that you would deem an enemy? Is there someone you “just cannot stand?” If there is then you better deal with the situation now and find a way to forgive. Don’t let unforgiveness fester. It only causes bitterness and anger. Go to that person and work it out. Be Jesus.

Father, if there is someone who we need to forgive today, show us. If we have wronged someone and we know that they are bitter or angry with us and we now about it, give us the strength and courage to ask for their forgiveness. “Thank you” for forgiving us of our wrongdoings even when were enemies to You. In Jesus name I pray…Amen. Randy

Where did they go?

2008-02-28T12:09:00.000-06:00

I started to share with you yesterday the story found in Luke 17:11-19. It’s the story of the ten lepers Jesus healed. This story shares the heart of Jesus and shows us His willingness to share His mercy and how compassionate He is. Once again He travels through Samaria which is something a Jew definitely did not do. If you were a Jew and you stepped even a toe on Samaritan soil, then you were considered unclean. You have defiled yourself and that means a trip to the priest. But once again we have Jesus challenging their laws and walking through Samaria. Why not? It’s a shorter walk, right? As He enters a certain village ten lepers, standing far away from Jesus (because of the Law), get His attention. They yell at Him to have mercy on them. He looks over at them and tells them to “go and show yourselves to the priest.” Verse 14 makes an interesting point…don’t miss it! It says “as they were going, they were cleansed.” It wasn’t an “instant healing”…it took faith. And evidently they had some because they took the first step. And as they went to see the priest they were cleansed. Now get this. Evidently they were still in Jesus’ sight when only one of them turned back and yelled “thanks!” Luke 17:15-16 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. My question is, “What happened to the other nine?” Where did they go? And Jesus thought the same thing: Luke 17:18-19 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” What did these guys think when this one Samaritan turned around to go back to Jesus? Did they think “Dude! He said go to the priest. The temple is that way! Well, he didn’t follow instructions so he’s going to loose his blessing.” I don’t know what they thought or where they went after seeing the priest but what I do know is this…they didn’t say thanks! They were given a great blessing, this miracle. They had been healed from leprosy which meant they could now return to society and live a normal live but they didn’t say thanks, only one…the Samaritan. Not only are we greedy and selfish with Jesus, but we are also unthankful. We take God for granted. Just like these nine that went off with their blessing never to be heard from again, God blesses us time and time again but we are too busy to stop and say “thank you.” Oh, we might say a quick, microwaved prayer, but what we need to do is take some quality time and spend it at the feet of Jesus just like the Samaritan. He fell on his face at the feet of Jesus, giving thanks to Jesus.

Lord, we take time today, to worship you, to sit at Your feet, and to glorify Your Holy Name. We thank You for all that You have done for us. Bless those who are less fortunate than we are. Continue to bless our churches, our nation, our families, and most of all, may You be uplifted and glorified in all things. In Christ name I pray…AMEN. Randy

selfish people

2008-02-27T09:04:00.000-06:00

Since yesterday’s blog, I have been doing some thinking and a lot of praying. As I thought about what I was writing and the subject matter the Holy Spirit just illuminated the fact that we are a greedy people. As Christians, we are greedy with Jesus (see yesterday’s blog). And as I was spending time with the Lord this morning He revealed something else to me—we are also selfish. I guess the two kind of go hand in hand.

Have you ever seen two kids playing with some toys. It’s usually one kid with the toy that the other kid wants very bad but he’s not willing to share. We were in Nashville, TN to ride Thomas the Train and as we waited the boys went in a tent to play with some of the train tables they had set up. Of course, there were kids all over the place and the few trains they had to play with were scarce. My son went over to one of the tables to play and there was this one kid who had every train on the table to himself. He had at least 5 cars to his train while the other kids just stood there and watched, begging him for just one of those trains. My son wasn’t going to let him get away with that. He wasn’t going to watch this kid hog all of the trains. He just reached right over and grabbed him a car or two. That kid went ballistic! He was crying and screaming and made such a scene. Thankfully his dad came over and told him to let the other kids have a turn.

That’s the way we are with Jesus. We are selfish or stingy. Have you ever seen Lazy Town? If you have kids, I am sure you have. There is a character on that show named Stingy. As you can tell by his name he is “stingy.” Everything he gets he doesn’t want to share because “it’s mine.” And we act the same way with Jesus, “He’s mine. Salvation is mine. His blessings are mine. You can’t have any.” Oh I’m sure we would never say anything like that, but that is exactly how many of us Christians act! And when we finally are forced to share some of Jesus we kick, scream, and pout just like a kid who is made to share. Check back tomorrow because the holy Spirit has just revealed another “trait” we possess and it’s nothing new! I’ll leave you with this verse to think about… Mark 8:38 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." Randy

church planter

2008-02-26T09:48:00.000-06:00

This past Sunday we had a guy talk to a few of us at church about church planting. Now I know what many of you are already thinking… “Isn’t there enough churches already?” Let me share with you some statistics that he gave us about “church” as we know it today. There are about 350,000 churches in America today. 3, 800 closed their doors last year and they are closing every day. The average size of a church is around 125 people. 50% of churches are less than 100 and have a bi-vocational preacher (he works two jobs because the church can’t support him financially). Get this one…80% of churches are either keeping the ship steady or they are declining and only 5% are growing!

I live in the South where we have a church of some flavor on every corner. I can throw a rock from where I am sitting at hit at least four different churches. I can go 2 or three blocks and see several more. They are everywhere here! So maybe we do have enough churches…at least in the South. But let me share with you another statistic he gave us. 83.3% of people, surveyed in 2005, said they do NOT go to church anywhere and if they go, it is no more than four times a year (holidays)! That leaves 17.7% of the population going to church. Wouldn’t you agree with me the field is ready for a harvest?

I know it seems to us that everybody has already heard the message of Jesus and that everybody goes to church somewhere already so why bother. That’s a lie from the devil! Look at the statistics that I just gave you. 83.3% of the United States population says that they stay home instead of coming to church. That means one of two things, either they don’t care about Jesus or we are not doing our job to reach these folks. Remember these words of Jesus in Matthew 9:37-38 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”? The harvest is plentiful but His laborers have taken an extended lunch break! We are too busy sitting around in our buildings on our padded pews getting fed bunt we ain’t sharing the food! That’s called greed people! Isn’t that a weird thought? We would never say we are greedy people but we truly are! We are greedy with Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father. What good does it do to pray, read our Bibles, listen to some sermons, go to small groups, sing some songs to God? What? Did you just say it helps you to keep “in tune” or “in focus” with God? You just proved what I am saying. If we are not taking what God has instilled in us and sharing with the lost, who are desperate for love and acceptance, then we are greedy!

This is exactly why our churches are closing the doors. We have sat around and got fat from the meat of God and we haven’t been exercising. Oh yeah, we pray for the lost, and then we sit back down on our pews. But I’m afraid that it’s just a prayer that sounds good when we stand in front of the congregation. Oh, we say we want to win the lost! You know…the Great Commission. We even have it in our creeds and mission statements. How many people were baptized or gave their lives to Christ in your church last year? The last 5 years? The church today has been filled with greed. Not for money, not for power, although these are prevalent in our churches today, no, the church has been filled with greed for Jesus. We just keep Him bottled up inside so we can have Him all to ourselves. Lord forgive me, forgive us, for our greed. Help us to share Your love, Your grace, Your mercy and compassion, with a lost soul today. Randy

Share Jesus

2008-02-25T12:45:00.001-06:00

The last session of WinterFest was called "Share Jesus." It sounds simple enough. And the concept is as simple as the title: we as Christians are to share Jesus. I love the method that Jeff Walling came up with for the kids to have an opportunity to "share Jesus." He asked them to get their cell phones out, open up the contacts, pick one out, set their alarm to go off at 3:16 (John 3:16) so they can pray for the lost. Then, after 30 days, pass on the Bible that was given them at WinterFest to this person they have been praying for and "share Jesus."

I'm sure their (and ours) cell phones have plenty of contacts that are lost. We know plenty of people who are unchurched, left church, who do not have a relationship with Jesus...right? Yes. We even have family members who do not know Christ. What are we doing about it? Anything? are we sharing Jesus? Isn't that our job? Isn't that our privilege? We have been given a responsibility by Christ to "be light." Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

My question is, "Why do we keep Jesus to ourselves?" When people's lives are in danger, their soul is in jeopardy, and we know it that it is, and we have the answer that will help them, why do we not "share Jesus? I know we don't want people, especially friends and loved ones, to go to hell. I'm sure that we want them to know the joy and freedom that comes in knowing Christ and to bathe in the peace that He gives. what holds us back? Could it be fear? Sure. Could it be that we are afraid that we might not know how to answer their questions? Sure. Nobody wants to look dumb. Maybe it's because we are ashamed of Christ there are many reasons or excuses we can come up with. At WinterFest, they played a game like family feud and the question they had to answer was, "Reasons why we do not share Christ." The number one answer was...we simply do not care. Think about it! We would never admit it but the number one reason that we don't share Christ is because we don't care! It's not important to us. It's not a part of our daily routine so it doesn't get done. I couldn't imagine standing before Christ and saying to Him, "You are not important."

Take some time this week to pray that God will open up doors of opportunity for you to share Jesus. All you have to do is share what God has done for you. If you want to share the Gospel message of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, just turn to 1 Corinthians 15:1-7 and then turn to acts 2:36-41 and simply tell them to do what they did. It's really that simple! Randy

See Jesus

2008-02-21T10:10:00.000-06:00

This lesson at WinterFest just filleted my heart wide open! This is what I've been trying to get people to understand since I first went into the ministry. I can sum this blog up in one sentence...God does not see race, money, status quo, gender, etc. The fact of the matter is that every person ever born into society has a soul that needs salvation. No matter where they are in our "made up" categories, they have a soul that needs the blood of Jesus! If we don't share Jesus with them...who will? Are we to say, "To hell with them," just because we don't associate with their type? We, as Christians, have to get passed that attitude! As Jeff Walling said in his sermon, "We need to look beyond the outside shell and see what's on the inside." God said the same thing in 1 Samuel 16:7 when Samuel was to anoint a new king of Israel and all of Jesse's sons were to pass before him. "Oh, surely you want this one Lord." And God's reply, "But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” As you know the story, they wait for Jesse to get David and God chooses David as king.

Only if we can truly grasp this concept! I like the two examples Walling used. He used a Goth kid and two gay men holding hands walking into our church building. More than likely, we'd have them met at the front door and never let them in. "Why, we can't have someone like this in our church! What will people think?" for those of you who have this attitude, let me give you something to think about: What does God think about YOUR attitude? It's definitely not Christ's. I hear people get up and pray in church that we want the lost to be saved. That all sounds good but many times, I'm afraid we really don't mean it because when the lost start showing up, we freak out and run them off. We hold elders meetings so we can get these people out of here. Parents and church members alike complain about how they look or they worry if these people will influence their children to "get on drugs." Give me a break...they go to school with them every day. How about this thought...why don't your kids make an influence on these kids, or adults even, for Jesus' sake!

Jesus ministered to everybody-rich, poor, male, female, Pharisee to the average Joe. He walked on Samaritan soil and ate with sinners in their homes. I challenge you to really dig deep into your soul and ask yourself, "Am I truly like Christ or do I just fit the mold of what I think a Christian is?" When is the last time you looked and somebody, judged them, and put them into a category, and never associated with them? If you were truly like Christ, you'd see that person as a soul that needs Jesus. Thank God that He is the potter and I'm the clay and that He continues to shape and mold me into His likeness. where would we be without His grace and mercy? Lord, help me, help us as your people, see as Jesus sees...Randy

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 10-13

Be Jesus

2008-02-20T09:35:00.000-06:00

The Saturday morning lesson at WinterFest was “Be Jesus.” I had the privilege to meet one of the most fascinating persons named Marilyn Laszlo. Marilyn studied linguistics at the University of Oklahoma and then kept her commitment to God by serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators. She traveled to Papua New Guinea, with a translation partner, to Hauna Village, home of the Sepik Iwam people. Marilyn, her sister Shirley, and their language helpers took an unwritten language and created an alphabet and reading books, and taught the people to read and write (copied from her blog/ to know more about Marilyn go to (http://marilynlaszlo.blogspot.com/). She was the perfect example of “Being Jesus” however, in his sermon, Jeff Walling reminded us that we do not have to go overseas or to some foreign country to be Jesus. We can be Jesus to our neighbors, our friends, our family, our church members, people at the grocery store, teachers at school, etc.

Think about what Jesus did. Luke 4:17-19 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
Jesus did just what the prophets claimed He would do. He touched lepers, opened blind eyes, ate with sinners in their homes, set people free from demonic torture, etc. He did all of this in local neighborhoods, people that He grew up with as a child. Jesus traveled around the local villages and people would flock to Him. Every time He would stop to give some teaching, there would be hundreds, sometimes thousands of people hanging on every word He said. They just couldn’t get enough!

What happened to that environment? We have to beg and beg people just to have an opportunity to share Christ with them. It seems that hardly anyone is interested in what we say or do as Christians. Why? Could the problem be with us and not the world? Could it possibly be that over a period of time Christians have stopped “being Jesus” and the world has turned a cold shoulder? We simply need to “Be Jesus.” When it’s not popular, when it’s challenging, when you are being threatened, though it’s the hardest thing to do…Be Jesus. Reach out to this lost and dying world, make a difference for Christ. Simply put…”Be Jesus.”

Know Jesus

2008-02-19T10:27:00.000-06:00

What does it mean to know Jesus? Many people say they know Jesus, including myself, but how well do we now Him? Think about this with me for a minute…many times we say we know so and so but what we really mean is we know their name and we have met them on a couple of occasions. We may know a few things about them like what kind of car they drive, how tall they are, what color hair they have, what their parents names are, etc. and we confess to really know them. But do we really? No. Let me give you an example. This weekend at WinterFest we, me, my wife and kids, met two comedians named Bean and Bailey. My sons got their autographs and my wife and I had a conversation with them. I learned that they grew up in Morristown, TN. When I was 12 years old I played against them in the Little League state tournament championship. So I told them about this experience and we talked about some of the players that I played against. I can walk away from that day and say, “I know Bradley Bean and Jackson Bailey.” But in reality, I have no idea who Bradley Bean and Jackson Bailey are! I don’t know their wives manes, what kind of car they drive, where their house is, etc. I don’t really know these guys because I don’t spend time with them. I have only met them at a youth rally. And this is the way many people are with Jesus. They have heard about Him at church, they have attended a Bible study or two, they have sung about Him or listened to a song about Him on the radio, etc. and we say, “Yes, I know Jesus.” But in reality, we don’t really know Him because we haven’t spent time with Him. We don’t worship him like we should, our Bibles are collecting dust, our prayer time is only when it benefits us or we are in trouble and we need help with a certain situation. How would my relationship with my wife be if I treated her that way or even my kids? It wouldn’t be very good. If I only used her when I needed something or I came home and never spoke with her, she’d probably disown me pretty quick. If I didn’t play with my kids or have any interaction with them, they would not be close to me and they wouldn’t have anything to do with me. It’s all about relationship…being intimate. I’ve been married for nearly 12 years to my wife and we dated for a year so I know her pretty well. I know her deepest desires, her favorite things, what she likes and dislikes. I know what makes her tick! Why? Because I spend so much time with her everyday and every night. I can truly say that I know my wife. That’s what it means to know Jesus. To spend time with Him, not just on Sunday mornings at some building, not just listening to someone else’s prayer in a group setting, not just hearing a scripture or two being read, but spending time with Him daily…quality time. Time in prayer, communicating with the Father and listening for His response, worshipping at His feet instead of microwaving your worship just to say you got it done, and reading the Bible, God’s Word, every day. When we do these things, then and only then, will we rally come to know Jesus. How well do you know Jesus? Randy
Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

WinterFest

2008-02-18T11:23:00.001-06:00

What a weekend! Friday morning we, my family along with 42 youth and adults, traveled to Gatlinburg for a youth rally called “WinterFest.” I have to admit I wasn’t very excited about going because last year, which was my first time to go, was a flop. The fire alarm went off during the Saturday night session so we missed it entirely and I wasn’t impressed by the production either, however this year was a different story. WinterFest passed out a New Testament Bible before the production began. It was to be used all weekend and at the end of the program they challenged the students to pass it along to someone in their contacts list on their cell phone. They used characters to play Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and these men explained what their book is about so the youth could understand better. They had several visuals using sand and paintings. At the end, they took all the individual paints and made one huge display that formed the face of Jesus. (I would recommend that you try and find the “Sand Man” whose real name is Paul Castillo. What he does with a handful of sand is awesome!) God moved in awesome ways. The theme of the weekend was Mission Christ. The four points were: 1. Know Jesus. 2. Be Jesus. 3. See Jesus. 4. Share Jesus. I will talk about these points as the week goes on.

I want to take a few minutes to brag on the youth that went on the trip. They were very well behaved and we had no major incidents! The only problem that I am aware of is the hotel got onto us because a few of the youth had bought those plastic guns that shoot plastic b-b’s. They were outlawed on the property and one kid got caught (I promise…I am not the kid). They were on time for the devotionals which required them to leave the shops in Gatlinburg and get back to the hotel by 10pm. They stayed in their rooms after “lights out” and I never heard anyone complain. There were no arguments or fights and the trip there and back home went as smooth as it could.

Overall, I must say I have never experienced a youth rally or church service that was as good as this weekend. It is my prayer that the lessons given seek deep within our hearts and our lives are changed by what we witnessed. Lord willing, I’ll have more details as the week goes on. Randy

Shape this lump of clay

2008-02-14T15:14:00.000-06:00

Jesus was different. He ministered to all types of people, both poor and rich, no matter what nationality. He was never biased. He touched lepers and he challenged the ways of the religious leaders of His day. Today, I want to share with you some more people that those two fish (see previous blogs) represent.

First, the disciples or apostles. In Acts 2 we see them being filled with the Holy Spirit and Peter begins to preach about Jesus and how the Jews were guilty of crucifying Him. There were about 3000 souls baptized that day and the church had begun. The church, also known as “followers of the way.” This was what you were labeled if you left Judaism (the old way before Jesus died on the cross) to follow Jesus. Not long after Acts 2 we see a trend taking place—persecution. The apostles, and the church, were persecuted on a daily basis. Slapped around, beaten, heads cut off, are just some of the things they endured. Why? Because they chose to swim in the opposite direction. They didn’t want to follow “what was normal,” or what people thought to be normal.

Then you have Paul and Barnabas. Two guys who traveled all over their area and started churches…from scratch. Paul had been trained as a Pharisee, well versed in the Old Testament scriptures. He even had Christians put in prison and killed! He once swam with the Judaizers. But when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his whole life changed and he started swimming in the opposite direction. He too was persecuted. He was beaten, scourged, stoned, etc. yet he persevered. People would actually chase him from town to town trying to kill him! Why? Because he was different. He didn’t do what people thought was normal. He didn’t fit the description of what they thought should be happening. He went into their synagogues and instead of doing the same old rituals that they do week after week, he preached Jesus and Him crucified. Then he went into the markets and into people’s homes and preached Jesus. No. He didn’t sit in church buildings waiting for the lost to come in…he went out and got them!

I don’t know about you, but I want to be like these people. People who made a difference. And how did they do it? By being like Christ. It’s that simple. Take a look at your life, your spiritual life. Are you like these people? Or are you just one of the crowd. Do you choose to be different or do you just follow along with what ever? I want to be able to say, “I have the attitude of Christ,” but when I look within myself, I see that I have a long way to go.

Thank you Lord for your patience with us. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for being the Potter and forming this lump of clay. Continue to shape and mold us into YOUR likeness and not ours. In Jesus name…Amen. Randy

Philippians 2:1-7 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
The Humbled and Exalted Christ 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

where are you going?

2008-02-13T09:29:00.000-06:00

Seeing those two fish swimming in the opposite direction than all the fish in the tank at the Aquarium restaurant in Nashville really got my attention. It made Matthew 12 come to life. As I said in yesterday’s blog, I have always been different. I think differently than most people, especially when it comes to “church.” To put it as simple as I can say it, “I’m sick of the way churches have become.” Not all but most, it seems, have become social clubs. You must have a certain amount of money in your bank account, dress a certain way, and you must follow certain “rules” if you want to hang around. (I’m know we have to follow the Bible, but I’m talking about our own “personal rules” that we have and force them on someone else.) Like the Pharisees and the other religious leaders in Jesus’ day. Sure, they had the law and the prophets to govern by but they also put their own twist to things. They had all of these traditions that they made law and forced others to live by them as if God Himself had said it. If one didn’t look like them or act like them they were looked down upon and the Pharisees, who were suppose to be an example of God to the people, would shun them and label them “publicans and sinners.” They would have nothing to do with those individuals. They would go out of their way to avoid any communication with these types of individuals. Yet they stood in the streets and prayed beautiful prayers and they showed off their phylacteries so people could see how much Bible knowledge they had. I have learned that people don’t care how many scriptures you or I can quote. They want to know how we can help them. It does no good to slam someone with scriptures…in fact, it turns them off. If, however, we get involved in their lives and help with a need, the door to share the Bible with them will open and they are more likely to listen!
The Pharisees are like the school of fish swimming around the tank in one direction. They prayed, did daily rituals, made sacrifices, sang their chants, etc. Although it looked great in the eyes of man, it became a routine. Jesus said that “their hearts are far from God.” (Matthew 15:8) Jesus represents the two fish swimming in the opposite direction. He did things different. For example, He said things like, “Moses said to you…but I say to you…” Jesus touched lepers when no one would. He challenged the very thoughts of people. He sat in the homes of “sinners” and ate supper with them. Jesus chose to swim in the opposite direction…to break the mold of how things are “suppose to be.” What’s more important: wearing a suit and tie to church or a lost soul? Wearing my beanie while I eat with a bunch of youth or a lost soul? I think Matthew 12 and other passages make it clear…the lost soul. When our churches grasp this concept, then we will “have the attitude of Christ” and then, we will begin to see growth and not decline.
One thing that really stands out to me in Matthew 12 is verse 7, But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. This is the second time Jesus has mentioned this passage to the Pharisees (see Matthew 9:10-13). This passage comes from Hosea 6:6. Rick Rusaw, in his book, The Externally Focused Church, gives a great explanation of this passage:
Mercy, most simply put, is God’s attitude and action toward those in need or distress. Mercy goes beyond pity (to feel sorry for) or compassion (to feel sorry with). Mercy is always expressed in actions. The Good Samaritan is an example. The Samaritan distinguished himself from the priest and the Levite not just because he “took pity on him”(Luke 10:33) but also because he “had mercy on him” (Luke 10:37). Mercy is love with legs on it.
It’s time we, church, show mercy. It’s time to put the legs on our love and truly show Christ. Randy

Be different.

2008-02-12T09:23:00.000-06:00

I was raised in a religious setting. My family went to church every time the doors were opened I guess. My dad had started a bus ministry at the Baptist church and it did well from what people tell me. My brother went on mission trips when I was a kid and now he has started a men’s ministry. My mom is heavily involved at an Assembly of God where I used to play drums at. I’m a youth minister at a church in TN. I was raised Baptist and, as mentioned earlier in a blog, I played drums at an Assembly of God for about five years. When I was twenty-two years old I met a girl who was raised Church of Christ. At the time I was attending another Baptist church and playing drums for a Southern Gospel group. We eventually married and started attending a Church of Christ church. While there the minister encouraged me to preach. After all, this was a desire that God had given me so I went to college and got a degree in Bible. I got my first “preaching job” at a church in Iowa before I even graduated. The reason I’m telling you all of this is so you will know my background. Trust me, it has something to do with the two fish from the restaurant (see yesterday’s blog). Unfortunately, church is very different when you are in an administrative position. Many times I wish I was still a member and didn’t know anything that went on behind closed doors. Don’t miss understand me, I love doing what I do but sometimes the road is tough, especially when you are like those two fish swimming opposite from the rest of the crowd.
I am different. I’ve always been different. I was a skateboarder in High School and wore the weird clothes. I don’t believe in wearing suits just because I’m at church or standing behind a pulpit. I wear a beanie (stocking hat, toboggan) all the time, even when I’m eating! I buy my clothes from Goodwill or one of the other consignment shops in town. I’m different. And when it comes to “church” I have some different opinions about things and it drives people crazy, not to mention that it also gets me in trouble sometimes. When I started the teen center I painted a sign that reads, “It’s OK to be different…Jesus was different.” It’s also painted on one of my old skateboards and this theme is on my business cards. This has been my motto my whole life! And that’s what God was showing me with those two fish at the Aquarium restaurant. The next morning after seeing those fish, I read Matthew 12 again and the first twenty-one verses came alive. It all made sense. Jesus was different. He challenged the “church” people of His day and the way they thought. They wanted to kill Him. They were supposed to be pointing people toward God but instead they spent their time trying to kill Him! Jesus didn’t fit their mold and He surely didn’t fit the description of the Messiah according to them. No. “We are all swimming this way around the tank. You are supposed to be like us. This is the way we do “church.” I can’t speak for you, but as for me and my house, we will…NOT fit into your mold! We choose to be different. We choose to be like Jesus, to reach out to the broken hearted, the lost, the drunkard, the outcast, the cutters, the sexually impure, and the list goes on and on. Jesus came to save those who are sick. We won’t find them in our church buildings during “worship” time on Sunday morning. We have to go into their territory. Remember what Jesus said? “I have to go through Samaria!” Jews didn’t dare set foot on Samaritan soil but Jesus did. And because He did so, many people were converted. Dare to be like Jesus. Don’t just fit the mold of “church.” But if you do dare to different, let me warn you, you will be challenged, even by the “church” people! Randy
Matthew 12:1-8 (The Message) One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them. Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: "Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!" Jesus said, "Really? Didn't you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry, how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? And didn't you ever read in God's Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it's not held against them? "There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant—'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'—you wouldn't be nitpicking like this. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he's in charge."

Lord, help me to understand...

2008-02-11T08:41:00.000-06:00

It seems like every time I read scriptures lately Matthew 12 keeps coming to my mind. I remember the first time I read it, which was about five or six weeks ago, I didn’t really get anything out of it. I have read this chapter several times since with no major revelations. I had been and have been praying for God’s Will to be done, to help me listen for His voice, give me understanding, and to guide my steps so I know God is trying to teach me something. Just what that is I haven’t figured it all out but this past Friday something happened that helped in my endeavor.
I had been to a missions conference in Nashville to prepare for an upcoming trip to Mexico. On the way home we stopped at a restaurant that my wife had heard about and wanted to see—The Aquarium. So we went to the mall but instead of going to the Aquarium, we went to one called the Rain Forrest Café. My five year old was horrified because the gorillas were “staring at him” and when the thunder hit, it was all he could take! After all, we had just been through those tornadoes that hit in West Tennessee last week. So we decided to go to the Aquarium and eat. We sat in there for hours it seemed but in reality, it was about two. It was cool. They have an aquarium in the center of the restaurant that reaches from the floor to the ceiling. It was filled with sharks, sting rays, and all kinds of fish. They even had a diver who got in the tank and waved at the people! As I watched this fish tank I noticed that a school of fish was swimming around the top of the tank, all of them in one direction. In fact, all the fish were swimming in the same direction. They just swam around the perimeter of this huge tank almost like clock work. Every few seconds they’d come back around with their group. I didn’t think too much about it at this point except that it was neat how they stayed together in a big clump like they ruled the tank and dared anybody to mess with them. But then something happened in that tank and I immediately pointed it out to Kim. The Lord does work in mysterious ways and He uses many things to get our attention and to teach us lessons. The reason why it caught my attention is because this particular thing stood out like a sore thumb. There were two fish, the same kind of fish that were in the school, that were swimming in the other direction! I told my wife to look at those fish. It was so weird to me that I grabbed a napkin and a crayon (they gave these to my kids when we came in to eat and it was handy to write with) and wrote the experience down. I didn’t yet know why it struck me so, but it did. And the next morning it all came together and Matthew 12 came to life! God had used some fish to teach me some valuable lessons. I’ll share them with as the week goes on. Just remember this, if we let God speak, He will. If we will slow down and listen, we will hear Him loud and clear. Get that wax out of your ears! Randy
Matthew 11:15 (and others) He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Like a thief...

2008-02-07T10:08:00.000-06:00

The sirens sounded and my kids were scared. We had already prepared for a time like this. It was half time of the TN-FL basketball game when the sirens sounded for a tornado in the area. We have lived here for one and a half years without using our tornado shelter but I sure am glad we had it. School had let out early anticipating these strong storms that were to be coming through our area. They had arrived. Our NOAA radio kept sounding its alarm every few minutes. This time it was for our home town. The sirens were screaming outside for us to head for safety. I went to the neighbors and invited them to come to our shelter. Fortunately for us, the tornadoes went south and north of us. But about 45 minutes south of us, Jackson, TN, wasn't so fortunate. There was major damage to that city including Union University which is where my brother and sister both attended many years ago. Praise the Lord nobody was killed which is nothing short of a miracle! (watch the video) There are 31 reported deaths just in TN alone and over 50 throughout the the storms path. I remember listening to a girl being interviewed and she said, "When the sirens sounded we didn't think a whole lot about it because we live in West Tenessee and it happens all the time. We went to check the weather and we couldn't open our door so we headed for cover." We do have a lot of storms and we get a lot of warnings. We are guilty of taking it for granted.
The Bible tells us that one day we will stand before God in Judgment. This is something we take for granted as well, both Christians and non-Christians. Most of us don't wake up each day anticipating Christ's return or death. We get busy living our lives, carrying on our daily routines, and boom...it happens (or it could happen). How many people do you know that has died unexpectedly, so young? Think about this...we are only one breath away, one heart beat away from eternity! If we don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and His blood is not washing our sins away, then it will not be good when we stand before Him in Judgment. What about you friend? Where do you stand today? You never know when your time will expire here on this earth. Are you living in sin or in Christ? Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were effected by these storms. Randy
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

TEAM concept

2008-02-06T11:26:00.000-06:00

Unity is a powerful thing. When every body does there part, great things happen. Listen to this video, especially Tom Coughlin, who is the coach of the Giants. He talks about how the Giants bought into the "Team" concept and forgot about themselves. Listen to the clip below and listen carefully to the words Eli says. He uses "we" and "team" often.

It's no doubt this team, the Giants, have done something very significant. They knocked off an undefeated team, the Patriots, who were looking to go down as the only second team in history to have a perfect season. They were a two touchdown underdog and yet they won by three! They accomplished something no one else could during the season...they beat the Patriots.

The Bible talks about the power of unity over and over again from Genesis to Revelation. I don't need to make any comments. Just read for yourself.

Genesis 11:5-6 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:46-47 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Acts 4:24, 31-32 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them...31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. 32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

These are just a few examples of the power of unity. Before Jesus went to the cross, John records one of His prayers on behalf of His disciples and us.

John 17:20-21 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

If it's God's desire and there's so much power in unity, why can't we, as Christians, grasp the concept? Let me encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. Paul tells us that we are Christ's body and that we are ONE, not many! Just like a football team that is made up of people who play different positions, we all have our part to play. For the sake of lost souls pray about unity, pray for unity, study the scriptures about unity, and ask God to give us unity. We need His power! Randy

Taking on Goliath

2008-02-05T10:52:00.000-06:00

It was the most watched Superbowl ever. Super Bowl 42-The Giants verses the Patriots. It was David and Goliath all over again. Think about it...David was a kid who really didn't fit the mold and nobody would ever think he could defeat Goliath. After all, he wasn't invited to the party when Samuel was choosing the next king for Israel. Nope. He was left home to "tend the sheep." The only reason he even knew about Goliath was because his daddy sent him on a mission to take food to his brothers that were fighting in Saul's army. Look at the lines given, look at who predicted what...very few said the Giants could beat the undefeated Patriots. After all, they've already beaten the Giants once. The Patriots have too many weapons they said. Their offense is unstoppable. They have set numerous records this year and they were undefeated! Just like Goliath. Goliath was the Philistine's champ. He had never lost a battle and his weapons were unmatched. He had someone to carry his shield for him which freed both hands to fight with. He had a spear that weighed around 60 pounds (shaft + spear head) and huge sword. His armor weighed around 200 pounds! He, himself was over 10 feet tall! Now compare this to a kid around the age of 12-16 years old who has NEVER been in a battle in his life, armed with some rocks and a sling shot. His brothers told him to go back home to daddy but David wouldn't hear of it. He wanted to take on the giant! If you read 1 Samuel 17:40-51 here's what you'll find out. Goliath did alot of taunting. He mocked David and God but David was not intimidated at all. When Goliath came toward David he took off running toward the giant! As he approached him he took a rock from his pouch, hurled it toward Goliath, and smacked him right in the head. Down he went...knocked out cold. Since David was armed only with a sling shot, he grabbed Goliath's own sword and beheaded him. David prevailed that day. Going against all odds, when nobody believed in him, David put his trust in God and won. The undefeated giant Goliath was now dead and the people sang David's praises. Another undefeated giant went down in defeat this past Sunday -the Patriots, which shows us, yet still, that anything is possible. I found a video on youtube of the last drive of Superbowl 42. The plays the Giants pull off in this final two minutes make goosebumps every time I watch it. Enjoy! Randy Mark 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Shake it off

2008-02-04T17:25:00.000-06:00

Did you see that Super Bowl? Very few people gave the G-men a chance and boy...what a game! I'm a Colts fan so since Peyton wasn't in it, I was rooting for the Giants. Since my wife had jury duty today I played babysitter. While my oldest son and I played the game "LIFE" I watched ESPN because I wanted to see if I was dreaming or not. But it's reality. The Giants pulled off what some are calling the biggest upset in history. But as I watched and listened to the commentators something one of them said really caught my attention. They said when Eli broke out of the sack and scrambled right to throw the pass to David Tyree late in the fourth quarter on the game winning drive, it was if he "shook off three Patriot defenders like he was shaking off all those negative comments earlier in the season." If you follow football at all, then you know how Eli Manning and the coach, Tom Coughlin, of the Giants took a lot of harsh criticism during the season. There were people calling for Coughlin to be fired and Manning traded. Manning and Coughlin could have buckled under the pressure but they didn't! They kept cool and endured much affliction and now Eli is the Super Bowl MVP and Coughlin will be recognized as one of the greatest coaches to ever coach the game. "Shake it off," that's what we are to do. When things are not going exactly according to the game plan, when life deals us uncertainty, when friends are few and far between, when the world screams at us that we are nothing but "losers" we have to stay focused. Manning said he just kept staying with a positive attitude and he wasn't going to quit fighting and it paid off. The victory is his. It's the same way with us as Christians. We cannot give up and we MUST stay focused...on Jesus, on our mission, and reaching our goals (get people saved and get to heaven). If we listen to all the distractions that the world and the devil scream in our ears, we will never gain the victory. Who are you listening too? Who has got your attention? Randy Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Looking for "affirmation" in all the wrong places...continued.

2008-01-31T08:50:00.000-06:00

I want to pick up where I left off yesterday examing my past and opening my wound. I told you about my booming stereo and skateboarding success and how they brought me affirmation. This morning I want to tell you about "church." Is it possible that church could play a part in my wound? Yes. And looking back, I see how. Before my first wife and I divorced we started going to a Pentecostal church of about 500 people. Everyone was so loving and accepting, the preacher was an awesome speaker, and the Holy Spirit moved in mighty ways there. One day I noticed that the drummer was playing during worship on Sunday morning and then leaving as soon as the music part was over. Majority of the time he wouldn't be there on Sunday or Wednesday nights. Without the drums, it just didn't sound right. No one else stepped up to play and I noticed that when the drummer was there I followed his beat. I have never played an instrument in my life nor have I ever had any lessons. But that didn't deter me. I told my mom that I thought I could play those drums so I went out and bought a brand new five piece set of Pearl Drums. With no training and no experience I was playing in front of 500 people! And one of the greatest memories I have is when the preacher stopped the worship service and pointed out to everybody that I was playing and he told how I've never played drums before in my life! Man, the affirmation I got that night was great! I had so many people giving me pats-on-the-back and bragging on me. I was soaring like a rocket traveling high speed through space! Only this too, would one day come to an end. Our preacher decided to become an evangelist and he left. When the new preacher was hired, his wife was in charge of the music. By this time I was in the middle of my divorce. I went to ask for help during this difficult time in my life but all I got was the boot. She told me that I couldn't play the drums anymore. It was the most difficult time of my life. I had lost my family, my job (because of family problems), and now, the only thing that brought me affirmation, my church. But all is not lost! I went to another church because that's where a lot of the people who got mad at the new preacher went to. They needed a bass palyer. I have never picked up a guitar but that didn't matter. I played in front of two hundred people like I knew what I was doing the whole time. I even sang some solos! But this too faded away after a couple of years. Looking back I see that all of these things I have talked about over the last few days, the skateboarding, the stereo, the truck, the drums. They were just my way of covering up who I really was. It was ways for me to get something I never got from my dad...affirmation, the sense that I belonged somewhere. They brought me pats-on-the-back and I couldn't get enough of it. But now they are gone. Oh, I still have a skateboard but my back injury has caused me to put it in the shed, I still have a set of drums, only they are collecting dust in my bedroom, I still have the trophies from my baseball days, crank it-up contest, and skateboarding, but what they do for me now is different. They remind me of the poser I was. Now that I have faced my past, I must alow God to direct my future. I must learn and am learning to seek affirmation from Him. Why? Because He is always here, He always has an ear to lend, and His love is very great. No matter how bad I screw things up, He loves me anyway and He's there, there to lend a hand to pick me up and get me going again. My friend, if you are not getting the afirmation you need or you didn't get it whie you were young, turn to Jesus. Drugs, alcohol, sex, whatever you fill in the missing pieces with, they are NOT the answer. They will all fail you. Your friends will, your family will, your spouse will,your kids will, but not Jesus. Why do you think He is called "petra"? He is the immovable stone. You can trust Him. Do you? Hebrews 11:6 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:5 For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Looking for "affirmation" in all the wrong places...

2008-01-30T09:15:00.000-06:00

Affirmation. Everybody wants to know they have what it takes. We want to know we are special and that we belong. That's why we like to get pats-on-the-back and pay raises, etc. Affirmation must be instilled by a father to his young child. If the young child doesn't get any or enough, they'll seek for it elsewhere. I'm the perfect example. I'm 35 years old and I'm still seeking it, only now do I realize I've been looking at the wrong things and seeking the wrong people to get it from. Let me take you back to when I was 16. My first car was a 1978 Pinto. Oh yes...my step dad even put a new paint job on it-silver with a black stripe! After driving it for awhile I graduated to a 1986 Ford Ranger. It was a base model, but hey, at least it wasn't a Pinto! Then one day I decided to get into stereo equipment, after all, my friends we're competing against one another so I might as well join in. Here we go...seeking affirmation. I wasn't satisfied with something simple. It had to be the best and if your stereo was louder, or had more bass than mine, I would make sure it wasn't very long. I went and bought two, fifteen inch dual voice coil Orion subs and two twelve inch. I filled my doors with midranges and tweeters. I used a Clarion receiver because my Sony would shut off the bass hit so hard. Hi-Fonic amps were cased behind my bucket seats. I had a convertible top on my truck so people could hear me for a long time. I remember going into a neighborhood to a friends house and people would come from all over "to see who was boomin'." That's right. It was me. The king of boom! And I have a trophy to proof it.

That's not the only trophy I have. I was a sponsored skateboarder when I was fifteen. I won first place at a contest held in Memphis, TN. I'm looking at the trophy now. It says, "Millington Invasion, March 11, 1989, put on by Mother Skates." As you can guess, I wanted to be the best skater around and I proved that I was pretty good for my time! The praise I got from that was like no other. The paper came and did several interviews. I'm talking big articles, not your little caption under the picture. People read my articles and called me from different towns. I was getting to be famous! I loved all that attention, that is, until I went to Wal-Mart and met my first wife (see yesterday's blog). She gave me affirmation and after falling off the top of a twelve feet tall half pipe, skating lost it's flavor. However, twelve years later, I started skating again. And of course, I got so much attention, especially from the teenagers. Here was this "old man", as they called me, doing all these cool tricks. I loved the praise, the attention, the pats-on-the-back. But it all came to a screeching halt a few months ago because of a back injury. Where have they gone? Now that the skateboard has been tossed in the garage, where are they now? Now that we no longer set the ramps up on a weekly basis...where are the praises? the affirmation? It is gone. Sure, a few kids come around every now and then or they'll text me on the cell phone, but man, it is really silent out here. It's so quiet. Silence is something I'm not used to. I have got to have noise. My wife says it's because I'm running and I need the noise. Maybe she is right. That's why, like I said the other day in my blog, I have to face my wound. I must allow Jesus to take full control. I must quit being a "poser" and allow God to have full reign. More tomorrow. Peace. Randy 1 Kings 19:11-13 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Looking Back

2008-01-29T10:09:00.000-06:00

I was up at 3am this morning dealing with the soreness in my back. There is nothing on TV at 3am except a bunch of people trying to sell you some type of gadget. So I did some praying and a whole lot of thinking...until I drifted off back to sleep around 5. I intended to write about something else concerning my wound but this morning I realized something I did, something wrong that maybe you can learn a lesson from and spare yourself from tons of heartache. Looking back I have realized that this was too a part of me being the poser, trying to find affirmation from the wrong source. John Eldredge, in his book "Wild at Heart," talks about how men turn to Eve when they don't get affirmation from their fathers. He warns us as men that this is a very dangerous thing to do and that we are setting ourselves up for a heartbreak. That's exactly what I did. Not getting the affirmation from my real dad (killed himself when I was 3) nor from my ex-step dad, I turned to Eve. My brother and sister had married and moved away from home and it was just me. Left in the wilderness to fight for myself.
I was headed to Brownsville one day near Christmas time and they were calling for some snow. When I heard the forecast on the radio I decided not to chance it and turned around. I decided to stop by Wal-Mart and find my mom something for Christmas. When I walked in I met my Eve. These two girls are yelling at me and when I approach them I realized I had met them once before several months ago. I started dating one of them. I was seventeen, she was fifteen. After two years of dating we decided to get married. Huge mistake! About four to six months in the marriage she became pregnant. Boy, I really thought I was a man now. I had the American dream--the home, the wife, and now a child. Our marriage was over after just two and a half years. The girl I had put all my trust in, the one who gave me my affirmation for four and a half years, just went and filed for a divorce for no reason. Well, there is a reason...another man. The ultimate shame is to have your wife sleeping with someone else and your kid calls him daddy. This kind of pain, in my opinion, is worse than death. It is in your face everyday and the pain is almost unbearable. Learn a great lesson from me...Wait until you are at least twenty five years old to get married. Go to college, build yourself a financial base, and live out your dreams for a while. And the greatest lesson I can teach you is this...Seek affirmation from God. You need to be reminded that you are His child and that you belong to Him. He accepts you just as you are. I wish someone had taught me this sixteen years ago. It would have saved me from years of heartache. Tomorrow I will even take you deeper into my wound. Randy Isaiah 40:28-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Ouch! That hurts!

2008-01-28T10:56:00.000-06:00

I finished reading Wild at Heart by John Eldredge this past weekend. What a book. Every man needs to read this book. John challenges us to face our past and quit being posers. I thought that was a word only used by skateboarders but he used to describe men who have buried their past and put on a facade for all to see. As I read the book I found myself agreeing with many things said and even some of the people he used as examples. No one likes admitting they have a weakness, after all, we're men! But as I read this book I discovered that I have a wound. A wound that I have tried to bury for years and years. A wound that I thought would just go away, yet it has been thrown up in my face long enough and it's time to face it...with the help of Jesus of course. All weekend I have invited God to fillet me and show me how to realize and deal with my wound. It's difficult. I've always said that I would never be like my dad. But let me clarify something and it's going to take you into my wound. My real dad committed suicide when I was three. What a wimp! I never knew what his voice sounded like. He left my mom to raise three kids on her own. Two years later she remarried. She married a man she had met who lived down the street from us and mowed our yard. They were married for twenty-two years when he left her. I was five years old. He was all I knew for a dad. He didn't have any idea how to be a dad. He had no children of his own. He was caught up in his own little world and we didn't dare try to enter it or we were yelled at. I can remember as a child being spanked until I peed in my pants. Even when I was older I can recall being shoved into a stove and my mom screaming at me to keep my mouth shut or he'll kill me. I can count on one hand the times that he said he loved me and that was only if I said it first. All my life I was told that I would never amount to anything. My mom would even chime in sometimes and I'd hear things like, "You're just like your daddy!" I couldn't stand to hear that! And sometimes when my wife and I argue she'll make a comment that drives me absolutely nuts when she says, "You're just like (my ex-step dad)." And you know what. She's right. I've always said that I didn't want to be anything like him but many times I find myself acting just like him. That's why I must face my wound. I must take it head on so God can help me find my heart again. This week, I will journey into my wound. So hold on tight and bathe me in prayer. God bless, Randy

The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives.--Albert Schweitzer,

Reading

2008-01-25T10:57:00.000-06:00

I absolutely hate to read. I am ashamed to admit that I don't believe I have ever finished a book from cover to cover. Nope. It's true. I would rather be doing something else. I love being outdoors with my kids, playing, coaching sports, or riding a skateboard. Anything but reading. I have a hard time disciplining myself to actually sitting there for awhile and staying focused on the book. My mind likes to wonder...But with all that I said, I am learning to read. No, not learning as in "I can't put words and sentences together," but reading. I'm training myself to actually sit some time aside to focus on a book. Right now I am reading John Eldredge's book, "Wild At Heart." My goal is to have it finished by this weekend because I have ordered another book entitled "The Externally Focused Church" by Rick Rusaw and it should arrive soon. I would like to read a book a week or at least every other week. Why the change? I have a back injury which limits what I can do. The doctors want me to have surgery. My orthopedics doctor said I am improving but I can't even run on a treadmill yet. I am having to make some serious "life adjustments." It's very difficult when your whole life you have been very athletic, active and now I'm like an old race horse with an injury...useless. So I am learning to read. And I'm finding out that it's not so bad! At least I'm broadening my mind. What problems are you facing? Don't give up. Pray for the Father to give you strength to endure. Don't look for a way out...Ask God to give you strength to cope, strength to endure. Remember, problems and difficulties come to pass, not stay. And when we come through them, we are a stronger person and our faith has grown as well. Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you Father, not only for the good times, but also the the bad times. Thank you for taking this lump of clay and molding it into what you would have me to be. Amen. Randy

taking up the cross

2008-01-24T09:30:00.000-06:00

Going back to yesterday's thoughts, have you ever really thought about what it means to "take up your cross daily"? Let's think about this together. Just look at the cross and what happened there. A man hung in horrific, unspeakable pain. He had just taken the worse beating anyone could ever take. They say most people died from the beating and never made it to the cross. Jesus' flesh was ripped off His back from the whip they used. So as He tried to raise up against the cross, made of rugged wood, His exposed bones and muscles would be rubbing against it. This went on for six hours. Not only was it the cross painful, it was a humiliating event. More than likely Jesus was not on a hill far away, but right outside the city gates. He was hung there to be a public display. "What do you think about your king now?" was the cry of the religious rulers. And as people walked in and out of the city there was Jesus for the people to see, to mock, to curse at, to spit on, to question Him. But although the cross is a place of pain and humiliation, it's also a place of hope, a place of victory. Jesus had to endure the pain and humiliation so He could be our sacrificial Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). He is our sacrifice that brings us into a relationship with the Father. "Thank you Jesus for enduring the cross for us." Through Jesus, we have hope. Anything and everything, no matter what we face in this life, cannot compare to the cross, therefore, we can look to the cross and find encouragement, healing, strength, and love. We can go to the cross and live in victory. We can go to our Savior, Jesus Christ, because He has experienced the problems we face and He will bring us through them, making us a stronger person. Are you taking up your cross daily? There are so many people who need this message, a message of hope, a message of victory. If we are not carrying our cross, then they are not getting the message. Christians, pick up your cross for all to see. If you have laid it aside, go back and get it. Together, lets give what people need...hope and encouragement. Randy

the cross

2008-01-23T08:47:00.000-06:00

Our mailman did something different when he ran yesterday. He actually got out of the truck and approached my front door because we had to sign for a letter. After I signed the necessary papers he started to walk off. Unknown to me was my five year old son coming from behind me. He was yelling and running toward the front door with something in his hand. He was yelling for the post man and running to catch him before he got in his truck to leave. He was on a mission! As he got the post man's attention I saw him hand something to him. Before I tell you what it was I want you to understand something about my boys. They are very artistic. They love to draw, color, and cut things out, especially paper puppets. So, my five year old son handed this total stranger this creation he had made, and did it ever teach me a lesson. My son had drew a cross, a big, thick cross and he had written things about Jesus dying on the cross. And he gave this great, powerful message to our mail man. I'm not sure if he could read what the words said because my son is just in kindergarten, but I'm definitely sure he knows what the cross is all about. And the lesson I learned, well, I learned again just how simple our responsibility is as Christian people. God doesn't want us to go out to be heroes and do all this Gladiator stuff. He simply wants us to tell His message. The message that Jesus became our sacrificial Lamb, that He was crucified on a cross, that He shed His blood for our sins to be washed away, and that He was resurrected on the third day giving us victory over death and that someday, we will be with Jesus for eternity...that is...if we have made Him our personal, Lord and Savior. If Jesus dwells in us, then He will be the Gladiator...He will be the hero. We are just vessels being used for God's purpose. Take up your cross so others can see it. Show it. Don't hide it. Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Randy

a little fussy

2008-01-22T11:08:00.000-06:00

My family took a pretty long trip this past weekend. Besides my wife pointing out that we had a low tire because of a roofing nail and having to find a tire shop FAST, we had a good trip. My boys never complained, but they were quick to let me know they had to use the bathroom. But my two month old daughter, well, she is a different story. She did great until about 30 minutes before our arrival there and then on the way home she let loose about an hour before we pulled in the drive way. She was tired of laying in that car seat. Every thing we tried to pacify her did not work, and if it did, it only lasted for a few minutes. The boys were pleading with us to "make her quit crying!" They were even saying "please!" After we had gotten home she was still a little fussy. Kim and I just kept taking turns holding her and loving on her and she finally calmed down and went to sleep. When she woke up this morning she was all smiles. She was out of that car seat and glad to be home.
Our lives is like a series of road trips. We travel for a while and everything is fine but sometimes we get "caught in traffic" and our trip is slowed down and "this or that" takes longer than planned, or we run into an unexpected detour and we begin to get a little fussy. We don't have time to make a pit stop to get some rest because we have a destination that we have to arrive to so we just keep going and going, exhausted and cranky. I want to challenge us all to slow down...no stop... just get off the road for a while and take a break. Get some much needed rest. Sip on a soda, eat a snack, and most of all, spend some quiet time with God. He will refuel your tank and your "life trip" will be more enjoyable. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Randy