...too small a thing...

I Have Been Here Before

On June 21, 2011 I wrote a blog entitled, Ten Things You Can Think - While Digging a Hole, This blog post was a direct result of the need to dig up my sewer line which was continually stopping up. So, I dug the sewer line up and worked on the pipe which had a coupling in it that did not seem to be reamed out properly. I thought I had fixed it. But it seems that if I did fix it, I only fixed part of the problem. We started  backing up again a few months ago.

Now this was a pesky problem to say the least. I could add a few other adjectives like slimy and stinky to let you know that when the sewer backs up it is never a thrill to go and work on. The only good aspect of the problem was that I had placed a sewer clean out between the house and the septic tank so I had a good access spot to get to the problem. The quickest fix seemed always to be to take a water hose and insert it into the 4" pipe running wide open and usually after a minute or two the clog would release.

Now two years after the first time I dug this sewer line I saw no choice but to do it again to see what in the world was going on. It was amazing how much softer the dirt was this second time to dig up the line. After about an hour and twenty minutes I had the pipe open again all the way down to the septic tank. Using a flash light to look down the pipe I spotted a big clog at the end of the pipe actually inside of the septic tank. It took a little muscle power to do it but I was able to pull the pipe out of the tank. What I found was the main problem.

Septic tanks have a little compartment where the sewer pipe enters the tank. The pipe had been pushed all the way against the back of the compartment and there was only a small 2" x 4" hole in the bottom of the pipe for the nasty sewage to leave the pipe and get into the tank. No wonder it was constantly clogging up. A Sawzall made an nice 4+ inch opening in a matter of a minute or two. I slid the pipe back into place coupled it back together, covered up the hole and we were back in the toilet flushing business at our house.

The top picture is me digging on last Friday. The bottom picture is from the time I dug in June of 2011. There is a moral to this little story. I have been here before. I don't ever really care to go there again. Do it right the first time. Make sure to check everything while you are in the middle of a project. It is now the third day since we have had a clog. What a blessing to think we are clog free.

What is my spiritual thought to go with all the stinky sewer mess. Well If we are trying to serve the Lord but we have one bad habit, one little sin, one problem that we do not give to Him. We will find our spiritual life still backing up. We will be back where we were it is only a matter of time. Repentance means turning everything over to our Lord. Is there a reoccurring problem in your spiritual life. Maybe there is a clog. Go back to the cross and turn every part of your life over to Him.

Do You Want Fries With That?

This morning we are going to be talking about temptation in Sunday School. This is a real and a very important subject that every Christian should think about and try to understand. Our Bible text is from James chapter one.

James 1:14-16 (NASB)
14  But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16  Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

I think the last verse of the text does a whole lot to explain how most of us try to act about sin. We still do what Eve and Adam did in the Garden of Eden. We try to blame someone else for our sinful ways. We look for any and every excuse to say, "If had not been for _______, then I would not have done it." We are always it seems looking for an excuse. The fact is the deception is real, as we fool ourselves into believing something that is not true. Someone else may suggest it to us, but before we sin we fool ourselves into believing something that is not true.

Our desires for things is real. We have appetites for food, fun, sex, and fame. God desires for our needs to be met, but always according to His plan and in His timing. Sin is all about meeting our needs in an inappropriate way, and in a selfish and uncaring way toward other people and God.

When we choose to sin, (and we do make that choice, as we are never forced to sin) so we are making a conscious choice to meet a desire we have in our flesh. We may look for another cause but we cannot find a true source for our sin outside of our self.

It is amazing that we learn to sin so quickly in life. You do not have to teach a child how to start to get what they want. They quickly discover the little behaviors that will get attention and the object of desire. Parents must quickly work with children to teach them the appropriate way to ask for something and to have patience in themselves as they wait for things.

What are your motivations in trying to get what you want? Now that is about as complicated as it gets with any subject. See we as people do not really know what we want. We think we know, but if our desire is for self then it is very easy for it to be connected to sin. Let me put it in perspective for you.

Matthew 6:33 (NASB)
Mt 33  "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

When we are putting God first in all things we will have what He wants us to have, when He wants us to have it. This is the good and perfect plan of Our Lord. When we, because we want something so badly, circumvent His plans we are wrong. These are simple explanations for very complicated situations in our lives.

The truth is we make choices all the time that are not according to God's perfect plan, and we also make choices all the time that do not matter in God's perfect plan. When you go to McDonald's God has a plan for you to be healthy and fulfilled. If you have money God has provided and the lady ask, "Do you want fries with that?" are fries Ok? Of Course. Then she says,  "Do you want to supersize that?"  Now what? 

Dog Dreams

The photo is our Shih tzu Dillon laying of the floor in front of me while I am typing. He is a good pup. He is about 12 years old at this point. He is dreaming this morning as I am trying to think of something worthy to put on this blog post. His head is full of something. How do I know? He keeps barking in his sleep. He is barking sort of a muffled bark that he doesn't open his mouth to do. So it is sort a half way bark. I know he is dreaming about something.

Now what would a dog dream about? A more comfortable sofa to lie on? More dog biscuts? Some more dog food? He is a fairly portly animal already. What would be there in his brain? Maybe he is dreaming of the white dog next door. He sees Ellie (preacher Mike Stephens dog) from time to time for a little sniffing and chasing in the yard? That might be it.

Maybe he is dreaming that a big bad dog is coming into the house and he is protecting me by being brave? Maybe that is it. Dillon could be dreaming that he is hunting those pesky squirrels in the back yard. I am not sure what he has going on in his little dog brain, but I am sure he is dreaming. 

 A dog like Dillon is a pet. He has to be taken care of. He is totally dependent on me and Kathy to feed, bath, and take him out to potty. He is a pretty good pet, and we love on him. But the truth is he doen't do much for our house hold. Maybe that is what he is dreaming about, doing something noble.

Are you dreaming too? Not even necessarily in your sleep. Are you dreaming of what you can do to serve the Lord? Are you dreaming of making an impact on the world for Jesus, or are you chasing something in the world? You are part of the Kingdom of God. Our heavenly Father made all the arrangements for us to become sons of God. But now since we are part of the household of faith, I believe He expects us to be busy in the Kingdom's work. What are you doing? Are you dreaming about it or are you getting Kingdom work done? Are you asleep and just woofing under your breath?

Here is a list of three things you can accomplish today for the Lord.

1.    Read a chapter of Scripture this morning with the intent to take something you learn, and share it with at least two other people today.

2.    Pray for you family, your church, your pastor and the services at your church tomorrow.

3.     Sit and listen for the Lord to give you the names of three people you could call today to invite them to Sunday School with you in the morning.

These are not  just dreams if they are accomplished today. God may give you another task today if you think about it or dream about it. But if no progress is made for the Kingdom of God today, well at least you are keeping pace with Dillon.

Worshiping God

It is Friday. The end of the work week for most people, and so generally folks are a bit happier and buzzing about the upcoming weekend and what they will be doing for the next couple of days. A couple of days with no work will make you a bit happier it seems. But then some will work hard at sports, or some backbreaking home project over a weekend and feel great about that. They may return to "work" on Monday stiff and sore from their days off.

Our purpose in life is to glorify God. Our lives should be all about serving and truly worshipping God as He is the creator, provider, and life giver to all of us. How sad that when people talk of "their weekend" that often there is little talk of how they will include the Lord in their plans. There are times when people do. Planned spiritual retreats are great times in people's lives to realize the priority of worship in your own life.

I am really amazed at so many people however who feel that worship of God is ok for them to skip, ignore, omit, from their lives for any reason. It seems that if you are gone away from home and your routine is broken then God can stay at the house. I am always encouraged when the people from the church share with me where and when they made worship a part of their trip.

Is worshipping God a priortiy for you? If you have plans for the weekend do they include God? Or is Sunday morning worship time just something you have to work into your schedule? Worshipping The Lord does not really have a limit of just an hour on Sunday. Worship happens as you realize who God is and seek Him. Spending time in prayer, Scripture reading and even talking with others are great ways to make yourself ready for worship. Worship of God should be a part of the weekday as well as the weekend. But our time of worshipping God with other people on Sunday should be one of the highlights of every week and something that is talked about in our lives.

Whine or Shine?

Yesterday's blog was about attitude. We do all have one. God's Word is very plain that we are to live out each day walking in the Spirit and being imitators of Christ. We are all being watched by others all the time. They are looking to see if Christ is real in our lives.

Continuing on with thoughts about attitude in Philippians Chapter 2  Paul wrote this passage that just gets me every time I read it because I am so quick to violate the spirit of this passage. My intenet is not really to complain but with little quick comments I make about things just to be cute. How do others see that? We need to really think about everything we say.

Philippians 2:14-15 (NASB)
 14  Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15  so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

OK, So how are you doing on things coming your way? Are you whining or shining? Do you need some cheese with that whine?

ONE MORE THOUGHT...

I do not drink wine, beer or any other "adult" beverages as some like to call them, but I do like a little cheese now and then. Now I know this may sound a little corny but what do you say to get someone to smile for a photo, "say cheese." Now think about this, how far does a smile go? A smile helps a lot of things. But if we complain or grumble and then try to coat our grumble or complaint with a smile, does that really work? Not most of the time. So for me keep your whine and I will just take the cheese.  A smiling face with no complaints or grumbles is so pleasant. Your smile shining into someone else darkness could make a difference today.

How Do You Feel Today?

Philippians 1:21 (NASB)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

How do you feel today is a common question that we may be ask each day. And most of us give the standard answer, "I'm fine." With little more than this said we will move on. But what is really going on in your heart? When the extremes of life are there you may say more than just "I'm fine." When you just heard bad news about a friend, you may not say anything.

Life is full of ups and downs. We have issues that resolve themselves over time and some other issues that seem to become more difficult with the passing of time. But one thing is for sure we all have some things in life that aren't perfect. When we are having a good day, no matter what comes our way things are OK. But when we are having a bad day the least little thing can really seem to get under our skin. So what determines if you are having a good day or a bad day? The answer of course is your attitude.

You have an attitude all the time. Now I will admit I have been guilty of telling my children, "You are having an attitude." as if they should not be having an attitude. I should say your  having a bad, or a selfish, or a difficult attitude. Not just saying you have an attitude.

Paul had an attitude. "To Live is Christ." That is a statement and a powerful one to say the least. This short statement says to everyone that no matter what is going on. No matter how bad or how good life seems to be at any given moment I am going to honor the Lord Jesus in my life. I will be serving Him and grateful to Him for my life. That is a pretty powerful statement especially for a man who is in jail.

Today will have good moments and bad. I hope your day goes well but consider Paul's thought to answer the question "How are you?" "To live is Christ and to die is gain."  This could change a conversation or maybe someone else's life.

SWAT Lunch

Yesterday a group of us as Chaplains grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for the SWAT Team for Cobb Police. These guys are the ones who have to go into the most dangerous of all police situations. Often they go in knowing that someone is armed and will shoot at them.

We had a good lunch. These are big boys and they can put away some groceries. After the lunch we went and observed a bit of their training. Officer Reid gave us a little demonstration of the gear they use in most situations. Glenn Chappelear has on Officer Reid's tactical gear. This is well designed vest pretty impressive and well thought out. In addition it is customized by Officer Reid so that he has things where and especially when he might need them. We were all pretty impressed even though I had seen these vest on officers many times I had never had one explained with the detail Officer Reid gave us yesterday. Did I mention that the vest is heavy? It weighs about 60 to 70 pounds. The kevlar and shielding material inside makes the weight more than the average guy could carry. So as they train with the equipment on to be ready when they are called upon it is a grueling task. When I first arrived yesterday before lunch the SWAT Team was on the firing range shooting both hand guns and long guns in full gear, with their gas mask on. They were burning up and huffing and puffing as they were in the middle of a full work out. There is something so comforting to me to know that these guys are making themselves ready for any situation here in Cobb County.

This morning my Scripture reading in my devotional book just happened to fall on Ephesians 6. The whole armor of God. Each piece of the armor is described by Paul and is to be worn not just by preachers or deacons, or Sunday School teachers, but by everyone who calls themselves a Christian. We do have an enemy and we are going to do battle with him spiritually. Are we ready?

It is so easy to see the importance of the SWAT Team having their equipment ready and exercising with it on so that they are ready. They may or may not have a call out today. You will go into battle today spiritually. Satan is going to come at you today. Each part of the spiritual armor must be put on carefully.

I was really impressed by the last verses of the section on Spiritual armor. Once we have the armor on we are ready and then what do we do. We speak boldly.

Ephesians 6:19-20 (NASB)
Eph 19  and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,  20  for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

When danger comes to our community the SWAT Team can be called out to take on any dangerous situation and they are expected to do their duty. I know these guys I assure you they will be ready and be faithful. In our daily lives we are ambassadors for Christ. We are expected by our Heavenly Father to be ready and to speak boldly  as we ought. Are we ready?

 

Truly Blessed

My mother and father being at Piney Grove yesterday was an added blessing. This photo of Dad with Vernon Goss is priceless for me. Two wonderful godly men having a chat.

Thank you is a word that is used a lot. Sometimes it has a bigger meaning than just something you say after walking in a door that someone is holding open for you. The blessings of yesterday for me carry a very deep and heart felt thankyou.

Sometimes thank you is a powerful deep feeling you have in your heart for someone or for a group of people who have really done something nice for you and the ones you love. This is where I am this morning. The morning after Pastor Appreciation Day. I feel appreciated. If you can do or be such a thing as being appreciatd I think I feel this way.

Yesterday, there were lots of cards and gifts, thankyou. Such a nice meal with so many people staying to eat with us. I am humbled. Thank you. The food was phenomenal and I counted no less than 5, (yes FIVE) banana puddings. Thank you. Such nice decorations and the flowers sent home with us. Thank you. Thre was no service last night because of the big celebration yesterday so Kathy and I got to take my oldest son out to supper at Longhorns on his birthday. Thank you. It was special and I do deeply appreciate all the effort of everyone who made it such a nice day.

I am truly blessed with a chruch that loves me and I love all of the folks at Piney Grove.

Back to work this morning with sermon preparation and a police event at 10:00 am. Several of us Cobb Police Chaplains are meeting at the Public Safety Training Center to cook out hamburgers and hot dogs for the Cobb Police SWAT Team as they are training today. I am sure this will be a great event. I am blessed to minister to these guys also.

One day always leads to the next and even through trials of demanding schedules, hives that itch, problems that people face, a skinned nose, and fears of snakes in the woodpile, I know the Lord is the one to thank and praise for He has truly blessed me.

If you did not get to see my ugly nose skinned down badly, here it is in all it's glory. You can use this photo as decoration for Halloween if you want. And yes it hurts.

What a Great Privilige

Serving the Lord in the Pastoral ministry has some wonderful moments. Last night I had the privilige to once again be the officant at a wedding. The joy of leading two young people at the moment of their wedding vows is truly a great thrill. Peyton Pritchett and Kay Stafford became  a family late yesterday afternoon. There were beautiful laides in very pretty dresses, handsome young men who cleaned up very well, flowers, rings, cakes, good food and of course a preacher. After all what is a wedding without a preacher.

But the reality is I am only the preacher. I was there to lead the ceremony, but the event was not about me. Anyone could lead the ceremony. A wedding is a huge event and no doubt it is all about the bride and groom. It is about the life they are starting together. The ceremony was short just 15 or 20 minutes of their lives spent in the wedding ceremony, but the intent of coming to that moment and making the vows changes both of their lives forever. What a privilege was mine tho help them along this path of life. Of course I never perform a wedding without counseling a couple to make sure of their faith in God. There would be no reason to have a Christian wedding if there is no faith in the Lord. If either the couple did not believe in Jesus Christ as Savior then I will not marry the couple.So their was preparation and a great deal of it to get to this wonderful moment.

In truth the same thing is true for me every Sunday as I stand to preach. I am just the preacher. The event of worship is not about how good or how bad the sermon is today. The preacher or teacher in Sunday School is just the person who speaks. The evnet of worship is about you and God. If you go to church with no desire to worship the Lord, then it is unlikely you will worship. If you go in with a bad attitude you will find it is easy to maintain a bad attitude throughout the service.There is preparation before worship. Knowing Christ and getting ready to worship Him is extremely important.

The young couple last night were  surely not dependent on me for the results of event. No they got married. Likewise my performance in the ceremony did not influnce the outcome of the lives together as a husband and wife. That depends on them of course as they live together and make a home. You are not  dependant on a preacher for worship. You should be focusing on God each time you go to church.  The sermon I preach today should not be the determining factor in how you live before God. You are responsible before God to live for Him each day. 

Now do not misunderstand me, what is  a wedding without a preacher? And what is a church service without a sermon, and you need a preacher for both of these times. But just as the life of the couple is not going to be dependant on the preacher to change the couples life in their marriage, neither are you dependent on a preacher to live out your life in Christ. In other words it is the message that is important not the messanger.

It is all important that a preacher be prepared and preach good sermons with great content and good illunstrations.  But the reality is that the results are left up to  each person who hears the Word of God and then must decide for themselves as tho how they will respond to the message. I am just the peracher, preaching the Word of God. What a privilge.

Tomorrow at Piney Grove

I copied the defintion of Appreciation from Dictionary.com - ap·pre·ci·a·tion

[uh-pree-shee-ey-shuhn] 

noun

1.   gratitude; thankful recognition: They showed their appreciation by giving him a gold watch.

2.   the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value.

3.   clear perception or recognition, especially of aesthetic quality: a course in art appreciation.

4.   an increase or rise in the value of property, goods, etc.

5.    critical notice; evaluation; opinion, as of a situation, person, etc.

Tomorrow at Piney Grove the people are planning to do the #1 Definition of the word for me. Definitions 2-5 I want to write about in this blog post.

Yes, tomorrow is Pastor Appreciation Day at Piney Grove. I have some mixed feelings as I know that I am loved by the congregation, and I do love them. But I want to be careful to express some thoughts with this blog and the day tomorrow. The church is not about me. It is about Our Savior Jesus. He is the reason for life itself. He is the reason for the season we say at Christmas, but in reality He is the reason 365 days a year. I have been called to gospel ministry this I am sure of, and now that I have been at Piney Grove for 14 months God has confirmed my calling as pastor of this great group of people.

But, I must be quick to say that I am nothing on my own. I am but a sinner saved by the grace of God. God has blessed me to give me spiritual gifts. By way of His gifts to me I can and should be a pastor. So, when I have sought Him and continue to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit to empower the gifts, He has used me and I believe will continue to use me in the Kingdom's work. I am very aware of this as Definition # 3 speaks of clear recognition or perception.Therefore as we approach tomorrow let me state without a dount any blessing that anyone is receiving at PGBC comes from the Lord not from me.

The # 4 Definition is of a particular interest to me. I am called to lead. So this I am attempting to do at PGBC. Leading is an interesting art as anyone can speak loud and tell people what to do, but getting people to actually start moving and like what they are doing is what leadership is all about. The value of the people at PGBC is on the rise as they are starting to love each other more than ever before. But they are also recognizing the need to love the community as a whole also. Can we as a churh impact the community? Yes, if I will follow the Lord and lead them to obedience and service. And If the people will actually be the body of Christ they should be. Then we are going to see God do fantastic things. But this is really about what God is doing not about what I am doing.

So as I evaluate and give critical notice (# 5 Definition) prior to the events tomorrow I am very thankful that the the church which wants to celebrate and show appreciation to me and especially my wonderful wife. But I am keenly aware that the credit of any progress and any growth at PGBC is due to the Lord God Almighty.

I say thank you to God first, but I do thank every person at Piney Grove for the emails and cards I have already recieved and any that may come tomorrow. I look forward to a day of folks affirming me in the role God has called me serve as Psstor. But let me be quick to say that without a people of God, doing God's work I am going no where. I love all of you. Together great things are coming. Tomorrow I am thankful for you but I am most thankful for our Lord.

"Loving People Sharing God's Message"