The Family Trip to the Amusement Park!



Like Mother, Like Daughter!

The Collar X 2!

Not really sure what to say about this one?

Where I have been?

It has been forever since I have updated my blog, but I'm ready to start writing again and sharing what is going on in my mind and in my life!  As some of you may know, I'm in the process of adopting two very wonderful young guys!  I've had an opportunity to spend some weekends with them and I'm looking forward to them moving here and us becoming a family! 

I will update this blog as things continue to progress.  So in light of my situation I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a part of a family.  And I've done quite a bit of reading and researching, trying to figure out what a perfect family looks like.  So in honor of that, I'm planning on posting some wonderfully awkward family portraits over the next few days, to get myself back into the habit of blogging!  I hope that you enjoy! 

Who is possibly not"a natural born child"?

Pray for the Entire World Final Week part 2

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week please be in prayer for the following countries:

Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia

Congratulations!  If you have followed this blog all year long then you have successfully prayed for every country in the World!  Don't stop praying!  I encourage you to continue to pray that the gospel will be spread to the ends of the Earth!  Let's keep praying into 2012!

Pray for the Entire World Final Week part 1

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week please be in prayer for the following countries:

Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Liechtenstein
Libya

Pray for the Entire World Week #50 part 2

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week please be in prayer for the following countries:

North Korea
South Korea
Kosovo
Kuwait
Madagascar
Macedonia
Luxembourg
Lithuania

Pray for the Entire World Week #50 part 1

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week please be in prayer for the following countries:

Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Mali
Maldives
Malaysia
Malawi

Pray for the Entire World Week #49 part 2

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week please be in prayer for the following countries:

Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Mauritius
Mauritania
Martinique
Malta

Pray for the Entire World Week #49 part 1

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week please be in prayer for the following countries:

Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Monaco
Moldova
Mexico
Mayotte

Tree of Hope

On Sunday at Real Life Christian Church we kicked off our Tree of Hope project.  In 2012 we will be launching our Grassfield Campus at our building over on West Road about a mile from Grassfield High School.  The building is in the process of being renovated and soon the renovation will be complete.  Then we will go in and add sound, video, and lighting systems so that we can hold church services there. 

Our goal is to raise $25,000.00 between now and Christmas for the Grassfield Campus to provide funds for that equipment.  Each Sunday you will be given an opportunity to hang an ornament on the Tree of Hope by making a donation of $25.00 or more.  This past Sunday we collected just over $6,000.00 which was a fantastic way to kick off this project!  I encourage you to pray about how you can be involved in providing Hope for folks that live in and around the community close to Grassfield High School.  We are 1/4 of the way to reaching our goal and you can help us finish the job by being a part of this project.  Hope to see you Sunday at Real Life!  

--Doug  

Pray for the Entire World Week #48 part 2

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week please be in prayer for the following countries:

Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Morocco
Montserrat
Montenegro
Mongolia

Pray for the Entire World Week #48 part 1

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week please be in prayer for the following countries:

Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Vatican City
Nauru
Namibia
Myanmar
Mozambique

Pray for the Entire World Week #47

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week be in prayer for the following countries:

Guadaloupe

Guam

Guatemala

Guinea

New Caledonia

Netherlands Antilles

Netherlands

Nepal

Pray for the Entire World Week #45

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

Please be in prayer for the following countries this week:

Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Nigeria
Niger
Nicaragua
New Zealand

Pray specifically that someone will take the Gospel to these countries:

Matthew 9:35-38
 ³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Pray for the Entire World Week #43

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

Please be in prayer for the following countries this week:

The Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Palestine
Pakistan
Oman
Norway

Pray for the Entire World Week #40

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

Please be in prayer for the following countries this week: 

French Guiana

French Polynesia

Gabon

Paraguay

Papua New Guinea

Panama

He Must Also Have a Good Reputation...

Sunday we looked at the following passage in 1 Timothy where the Apostle Paul lays out 14 dimensions or qualifications of leaders in the church. On Sunday at Real Life we got through 9 of those. Today we are looking at number 14!

1 Timothy 3:1-7

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

He Must also have a good reputation with outsiders....

Paul lays down one of the most important qualifications for leadership as he finishes up verse 7.  He must have a good reputation with outsiders, and those outsiders he is referring to is anyone outside of Christ.  Your coworkers, your customers, your employer or your employees, your kids little league coach and the list just continues. 

It is very easy to have a good reputation with people inside the church.  All you have to do is to appear righteous or friendly or involved in church and you will probably have a decent reputation, unless your wife has a big mouth!  But what about everyone else that sees you outside of your Sunday best.  Would they even know you were a Christian by the way that you conduct yourself in business or in social settings.

I was talking to a friend who was involved in a building project and one of his key leaders was running the project and he thought everything was running well.  The pastor friend of mine met the contractor one day for lunch and asked him how he thought things were going.  And the contractor blew him away when he said, if so and so is ever working on a project for this church, then I don't want be involved.  I'm not a Christian because of guys like that!

The reputation of an entire church can be ruined if you have one leader in your church who has a bad reputation outside even if his reputation inside is stellar!  I'll go even further to say that Jesus' reputation is tarnished when you have a leader who is not thought well of in your community! 

Godly leadership is so important in the church.  I've enjoyed reading what the apostle Paul said about leadership and I look forward to the next two weeks where we will explore 2 Timothy and Titus and glean some more words of wisdom on what's important for leaders!  

He Must Not be a Recent Convert

Sunday we looked at the following passage in 1 Timothy where the Apostle Paul lays out 14 dimensions or qualifications of leaders in the church. On Sunday at Real Life we got through 9 of those. Today we are looking at number 13!

1 Timothy 3:1-7

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

He Must not be a recent convert....

There is nothing more exciting than to see someone understand the gospel and accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.  It is such a joy to see someone who finally "gets it" and makes that decision.  Seeing them follow through in obedience to Christ by being baptized is a great time to celebrate in the body of the Church. 

A new Christian is far more likely to share his faith with someone else than someone who has been a faithful believer for years.  A new Christian is excited about his new found freedom and forgiveness that he finds in Christ and he is ready to conquer the world for Jesus. 

So why shouldn't a person with that much enthusiasm and that much passion for God be put in a leadership position at the church if he has leadership ability?  There are a couple of reasons and the Apostle Paul points out one very important reason.  He says that they might get conceited or puffed up.  They may get filled with pride in their new position.  There is something about a title that causes some people to think that they are bigger and more important than they really are.  Instead of leading with a servant's heart they become despotic and strong willed and hold their position over people.  That's not the role of an overseer or an elder.  An elder is to be a shepherd, to take care of the spiritual needs of the people under his flock.  He is to be someone that loves God deeply and cares very much for people.

There is a danger that a new Christian who is not grounded will not understand this role and will take pride in his position.  Another good reason is that a new convert hasn't been tested.  They haven't withstood the tests that Satan throws at us and haven't proven themselves to be worthy of the calling.  A new believer who desires to be a spiritual leader should start by being a servant.  He should get involved in the life of the church by serving at the church, in his home, and in his community.  And then after he has stood the test of time, then he will be considered for leadership.   

He Must Manage His Own Family Well

Sunday we looked at the following passage in 1 Timothy where the Apostle Paul lays out 14 dimensions or qualifications of leaders in the church. On Sunday at Real Life we got through 9 of those. Today we are looking at number 12!

1 Timothy 3:1-7

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

He Must Manage his own family well....

This qualification is a tricky one because no one has a perfect family!  I know parents who have done everything they can as far as raising their kids in a Godly home, and providing them with love and nurture, and the kid still turn out to be wild or rebellious.  I think what Paul is saying though is that it is important that a church leader be very involved in managing his family.  That he is someone who spends time with his children and his wife and that his house is in good order. 

That he provides leadership in the home and that his children, if he has any, obey him and respect him as the leader of the home.  Far too many men transfer that responsibility to their wife in order to pursue their careers and their very expensive hobbies.  If a man can't gain the respect of his family and have them live under his leadership then there is no possible way that he will be able to lead a church.  In a sense, the church is a family, and is structured to be a place where relationships are essential and trust in leadership is paramount!  A leader can't throw around his title to make people follow him.  They will follow him if he has proven himself to be a good leader in both his family relationships and in the church.  

1 Timothy 3:1-7: Not a Lover of Money

Sunday we looked at the following passage in 1 Timothy where the Apostle Paul lays out 14 dimensions or qualifications of leaders in the church. On Sunday at Real Life we got through 9 of those.  Today we are looking at number 11!

1 Timothy 3:1-7

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

Not a Lover of Money

Money makes the world go round?  Right?  I gotta get more money.  Isn't it all about the money?  We say no, but do we live that way?  Our priorities, our decisions, our generosity, our lifestyle; it is all driven by the amount of money that we have or that we don't have.  Those that don't have want and those that have want more!  We sacrifice our time, our families, our relationships all in the pursuit of money!  

Now money itself is not bad!  It is a resource that is given to us by God so that we can live and survive and so that we can bless other people.  I was taught falsely in Sunday School that money is the root of all evil, but that is not what the Bible says.  Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:10 that:  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

He is saying that one qualification for a leader is that you must have a proper perspective on money!  That money is a tool to be used to bring glory to God and to provide for your family.  That if you are willing to bless other people and if you are a good steward then God will give you more!  A leader doesn't have to be poor but his heart has to be in the right place when it comes to his or her money!   



1 Timothy 3:1-7: Not Quarrelsome

Sunday we looked at the following passage in 1 Timothy where the Apostle Paul lays out 14 dimensions or qualifications of leaders in the church.  On Sunday at Real Life we got through 9 of those.  Today I'm starting a week long series of blog posts where we will address the other 5 qualifications or benchmarks that we should possess if we are going to successfully lead the way God has called us to lead. 

1 Timothy 3:1-7

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.  Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.  (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)  He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.  He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

Not Quarrelsome

 

I have a friend that really really enjoys arguing.  I think that he thinks that it is a Spiritual gift.  He can make an argument out of a discussion about hamburgers and French fries!  If someone says black he is automatically going to say white.  He is by definition, quarrelsome.  The dictionary defines the word quarrelsome like this:  inclined to quarrel or disagree; belligerent.  A quarrelsome person generally looks for an argument or a disagreement, even when being agreeable is appropriate.  Generally a quarrelsome person holds very strongly to their own point of view. 

 There are some people who are just very argumentative and disagreeable and it seems like it is a part of their personality.  This is a nuisance if you happen to be a friend with someone like that, but if they are a leader in the church it can be disastrous. 

 These people will throw out terms like "I'm just playing the devil's advocate" when an idea is presented.  They will look for every hole in every plan or program that the church is trying to create.  They cause a lot of tension in the "board room", and if they don't get their way, they dig their heals in, turn red in the face, and refuse to budge until they get their way!

 Paul is saying that there is no room for contentious people in church leadership.  It is not a place for people to use their power and position to help bolster their self esteem by trying to control the situation or by trying to create chaos because they don't agree on particular issues!  Leadership is hard enough when you don't have people around you that are looking for a fight or who are looking to manipulate the situation.  So Paul says that we should not be quarrelsome.  Instead we should look for places where we agree and to pursue peace in the body of leaders.  There is enough criticism and chaos when you serve in ministry without your team mates joining in!  Paul says we should not be quarrelsome!      



Pray for the Entire World Week #36

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week be in prayer for the following countries:

Fiji

Finland

France

Poland

Philippines

Peru

Pray for the Entire World Week #35

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

Please be in prayer for the following countries this week:

Ethiopia

Faeroe Islands

Falkland Islands

Federated States of Micronesia

Puerto Rico

Portugal

Pray for the Entire World Week #33 part 2

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

Please be in prayer for the following countries:

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Estonia

Reunion

Qatar

Pray for the Entire World Week #33 part 1

The 2011 Experiment
Pray for the Entire World

Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Russia
Romania

Pray for the Entire World Week #31

My apologies for not posting over the last couple of weeks, so for the next 3 weeks we are going to catch up!

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

Please pray for the following countries this week:

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Djibouti

St Barthelemy

Rwanda

Pray for the Entire World Week #28

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for The Entire World

Please be in prayer for the following countries this week:

Croatia

Cuba

St. Kitts and Nevis

St. Helena

Pray for the Entire World Week #27

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

Please be in prayer for the following countries this week:

Costa Rica

Cote d'Ivoire

St. Martin

St. Lucia

Pray for the Entire World Week #26

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

Please be in prayer for the following countries this week:

Republic of Congo

Cook Islands

St. Vincent

St. Pierre and Miquelon

Pray for the Entire World Week #25

Pray for these countries this week:

Comoros
Democratic Republic of Congo
San Marino
Samoa

One A Week, Week #2

We continued in our One A Week journey looking at the Gospel of Mark on Sunday! In 16 chapters Mark focuses on 5 major themes as he looks at the life of Jesus! If you missed the message on Sunday then you can access it here.

At the end of second service it was a privelege to see Greg Corbett baptize his oldest son Bobby and 3 others who were also moved to make that public decision as well. Congratulations to Bobby, Susan, Andrew, and Kathy!

On Sunday we will be looking at the third gospel in our series, the Gospel of Luke! It is also Father's Day at Real Life and we would love for everyone to bring their dads for this special day of celebration!

Pray for the Entire World Week #24

The 2011 Experiment
Pray for the Entire World

This week be in prayer for the following Countries:

China, Taiwan

Colombia

Saudi Arabia

Sao Tome & Principe

"One A Week" Week #1

We started our 27 week series looking at the Gospel of Matthew. If you missed the message on Sunday, then you can go here to listen. We kicked off the message with a video that went through the entire gospel message in 4 minutes. Check it out!

Pray for the Entire World Week #23

The 2011 Experiment

Pray for the Entire World

This week be in prayer for the following countries:

China, Macau

China, People's Republic of

Serbia

Senegal