I promised in last week's message from 2 Timothy 1:5 that I would post some of the resources that Ali and I use to teach our girls Scripture. I hope you find these helpful!
1)Morning Devotional: Little Visits With God, by Allan Hart Jahsmann and Martin P. Simon. This book is a great resource to teach your kids how to apply scripture. Each devotional takes only around ten minutes, so any mom or dad can walk can make it a part of one's morning routine.
2)CD's and Videos: "Hide 'Em In Your Heart: 13 Bible Memory Music Videos for Children," by Steve Green. This resource comes in two volumes and every time my kids watch them, they are mesmerized!
3)Children's Bible: The Beginners Bible: Timeless Children's Stories (Grand Rapids: Zonderkids, 2005). This resource is great for younger kids. We also like the the ESV Illustrated Family Bible. This resource has amazing pictures and uses the actual biblical text to tell the stories.
4)A book for older kids: Bruce Ware, Big Truths for Young Hearts (Wheaton: Crossway, 2009). While I haven't used this book for my kids, I have found it to be a great resource to teach foundational matters of our faith. Dr. Ware's work takes the lessons he taught his daughters at bedtime and puts them together in a great book of theology for children. This book is one of my favorite recommendations to parents with kids 7 and older.
5)A final resource that I recommend is one I was given by Johnny and Janet Gresham in our church from focus on the family. John Trent Rick Osborne, and Kurt Bruner have edited Parent's Guide to the Spiritual Growth of Children: Helping your Child Develop a Personal Faith (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 2000).
These are just a few of the resources I've found most helpful. Keep in mind that our oldest is under 6, so we've yet to delve into the resources that help teach the scriptures to older kids. That is where you may come in. Let's get a conversation started and share our resources with each other.
I pray God blesses you this week as you take the opportunity to leave a legacy of faith in your kids by giving them a biblical foundation.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Encouragement
Dear Church Family,
I hope the Lord fills you with exceeding joy on this Monday morning. I have a few matters on my heart that I want to share with you. First, I want to thank-you for faithfully giving to our church. We have begun the year in strong fashion and exceeded our budgetary goals for the first two months of 2011. March is already shaping up to be another strong month. I share this news with you with a great sense of gratitude in my heart. Through your obedient stewardship, we are better able to minister to the needs of our members and community. Moreover, we are able to advance the Kingdom through missions and evangelism. Especially as I think about the uncertainty of our present world scene, your giving speaks of the sincerity of your love for Christ and His church. So, thank you for demonstrating your faith by trusting God with your checkbook.
Also, let me encourage you to mark Wednesday, March 30 on your calendar. That particular night, we will serve our Wednesday night Connection Dinner a bit earlier than usual. It will begin at 5:15pm and will be followed by our first mid-week worship service called Thirsty. The service will occur every six weeks and is inspired by Isaiah’s “Invitation to the Thirsty,” in Isaiah 55:1-3. This will be a special time of sincere worship, prayer, and preaching as we seek the Lord to have our thirst for personal revival quenched. I cannot wait to see what this service will bring to the life of our church. We are praying for a great crowd of more than 150 that night. I want to see you there!
I hope the Lord fills you with exceeding joy on this Monday morning. I have a few matters on my heart that I want to share with you. First, I want to thank-you for faithfully giving to our church. We have begun the year in strong fashion and exceeded our budgetary goals for the first two months of 2011. March is already shaping up to be another strong month. I share this news with you with a great sense of gratitude in my heart. Through your obedient stewardship, we are better able to minister to the needs of our members and community. Moreover, we are able to advance the Kingdom through missions and evangelism. Especially as I think about the uncertainty of our present world scene, your giving speaks of the sincerity of your love for Christ and His church. So, thank you for demonstrating your faith by trusting God with your checkbook.
Also, let me encourage you to mark Wednesday, March 30 on your calendar. That particular night, we will serve our Wednesday night Connection Dinner a bit earlier than usual. It will begin at 5:15pm and will be followed by our first mid-week worship service called Thirsty. The service will occur every six weeks and is inspired by Isaiah’s “Invitation to the Thirsty,” in Isaiah 55:1-3. This will be a special time of sincere worship, prayer, and preaching as we seek the Lord to have our thirst for personal revival quenched. I cannot wait to see what this service will bring to the life of our church. We are praying for a great crowd of more than 150 that night. I want to see you there!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
31 Days of Thanks Giving
My wife Alison put these 31 verses together so that each day between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be a day of true thanks giving. One of the wonderful benefits of being a Christian is that we have peace with God. This peace wells up within your heart and leads you to appreciate the blessings we enjoy in Christ. I pray that these verses will cause you to experience this peace as we reflect on Christ during the holidays:
Day 1 Philippians 4:19: “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Day 2 John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Day 3 John 19:28 & 30: “After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled…He said, ‘It is finished!’ Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
Day 4 Ephesians 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ…”
Day 5 Ephesians 1:4-5: “for He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself…”
Day 6 Ephesians 1:7-8: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”
Day 7 Ephesians 1:11: “In Him we were also made His inheritance, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will…”
Day 8 Ephesians 1:13-14: “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation- in Him when you believed- were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Day 9 Romans 11:33: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways!”
Day 10 John 11:25 & 26: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die- ever.’”
Day 11 Ephesians 3:16, 20-21: “I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith…Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think- according to the power that works in you- to Him be glory…”
Day 12 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”
Day 13 2 Corinthians 5:21: “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Day 14 2 Corinthians 3:18: “We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Day 15 1 Corinthians 1:5: “…by Him you were made rich in everything…so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Day 16 2 Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Day 17 John 7:37-39: “Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.’ He said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive…”
Day 18 John 8:12: “Then Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.’”
Day 19 John 10:10: “I [Jesus] have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.”
Day 20 John 14:14: “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
Day 21 Romans 15:13: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Day 22 Philippians 4:6-7: “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Day 23 2 Corinthians 1:3-5: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ.”
Day 24 Luke 18:7: “Will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay to help them? I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice.”
Day 25 Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses...”
Day 26 Ephesians 6:10-11,14-17: “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil…Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word.”
Day 27 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”
Day 28 Hebrews:16: “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.”
Day 29 James 4:7-8: “Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
Day 30 Colossians 2:13-15: “And when you were dead in trespasses…He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.”
Day 31 1 Peter 1:3-4,24-25: “According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…For ‘All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower drops off, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.”
Day 1 Philippians 4:19: “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Day 2 John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Day 3 John 19:28 & 30: “After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled…He said, ‘It is finished!’ Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
Day 4 Ephesians 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ…”
Day 5 Ephesians 1:4-5: “for He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself…”
Day 6 Ephesians 1:7-8: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”
Day 7 Ephesians 1:11: “In Him we were also made His inheritance, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will…”
Day 8 Ephesians 1:13-14: “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation- in Him when you believed- were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Day 9 Romans 11:33: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways!”
Day 10 John 11:25 & 26: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die- ever.’”
Day 11 Ephesians 3:16, 20-21: “I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith…Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think- according to the power that works in you- to Him be glory…”
Day 12 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”
Day 13 2 Corinthians 5:21: “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Day 14 2 Corinthians 3:18: “We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Day 15 1 Corinthians 1:5: “…by Him you were made rich in everything…so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Day 16 2 Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Day 17 John 7:37-39: “Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.’ He said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive…”
Day 18 John 8:12: “Then Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.’”
Day 19 John 10:10: “I [Jesus] have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.”
Day 20 John 14:14: “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
Day 21 Romans 15:13: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Day 22 Philippians 4:6-7: “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Day 23 2 Corinthians 1:3-5: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ.”
Day 24 Luke 18:7: “Will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay to help them? I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice.”
Day 25 Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses...”
Day 26 Ephesians 6:10-11,14-17: “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil…Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word.”
Day 27 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”
Day 28 Hebrews:16: “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.”
Day 29 James 4:7-8: “Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
Day 30 Colossians 2:13-15: “And when you were dead in trespasses…He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.”
Day 31 1 Peter 1:3-4,24-25: “According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…For ‘All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower drops off, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.”
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
City Uprising 2009: Last Day
Today was a fitting conclusion to an amazing week. Along with our team, Ali and I did a servant evangelism project passing out free packs of chewing gum along with information on the Gallery Church. It was astonishing how quickly our bags of gum were given away. I cannot wait to preach about all that God taught me on this trip on Sunday. Highland Park, God is doing great things in our church and He wants to do even greater things in the future. This week, 270 people gathered from around the country to devote 3 days to making a difference for the Kingdom in New York. In those three days, 80,000 contacts were made with New Yorkers encouraging them to be tested for HIV. Of those contacted, over 1,000 responded by going to the health clinics with which we partnered for testing. 60,000 contacts were made with New Yorkers through our servant evangelism efforts. 12 service projects were completed in health clinics and public school buildings. It was incredible to be a part of such a tremendous effort, and I want to thank you, Highlan
d Park, for supporting Ali and I on this trip. I want to challenge you to begin dreaming as I have been dreaming in relation to our own church's efforts within our city of Louisville. If 270 people can gather for 3 days to impact Louisville, image what the same number of people could do within the city that they live in 365 days a year? Interestingly, it is very common for our church to have the same number of people attend one of our services that attended this mission trip. What if we completely submitted ourselves to the Lord, asking Him to use us to do great things for His glory? I pray that question grips your heart! I can't wait to ask it from the pulpit on Sunday.
d Park, for supporting Ali and I on this trip. I want to challenge you to begin dreaming as I have been dreaming in relation to our own church's efforts within our city of Louisville. If 270 people can gather for 3 days to impact Louisville, image what the same number of people could do within the city that they live in 365 days a year? Interestingly, it is very common for our church to have the same number of people attend one of our services that attended this mission trip. What if we completely submitted ourselves to the Lord, asking Him to use us to do great things for His glory? I pray that question grips your heart! I can't wait to ask it from the pulpit on Sunday.We love you, miss you, and are looking forward to seeing you Sunday.
This was the team that we worked with all week.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
City Uprising 2009: Day Four
Today, Ali and I, along with our team, passed out invitations for free HIV testing. I went in to the day unsure of how we would be received, but I was amazed by the receptivity of the New Yorkers. Our group of 12 was able to pass out around 700 invitations at the city's well traveled Union Square. The supervisor of the health clinic with which we worked expressed great hospitality by buying us pizza for lunch! PaPa Johns has nothin' on New York-style Pizza! When I heard the reports of how the effort has impacted the city, it has become evident that Ali and I are a part of something much bigger than anything we could have dreamed. Already, over 500 New Yorkers have responded to the invitations of the participants of City Uprising, and we are praying that God makes our efforts even more fruitful tomorrow. After today's overwhelming response, different health clinics started calling the church requesting that we 
work at their sites tomorrow. God is bringing down the stereotypes that New Yorkers have of Christians as we display Christ's love through our actions! I must also share what a blessing it is to get to work with Ali on these various projects. It has enriched our marriage and relationship with each other getting to serve together this week. It is incredible how serving the Lord works, for He blesses you in ways you would have never anticipated. Thank you for your continued prayers for us. I'm sure there will be more wonderful news to report tomorrow.
Monday, June 29, 2009
City Uprising: Day 3
What a great day! It always feels wonderful to put in a day of physical labor for the Lord. Along with a team of ten others, Ali and I filled dumpsters with old, outdated textbooks, removed gum from desks and tables, and crawled through windows to sweep alleys and rooftops. While working, I loved getting the chance to meet Larry. He lives on Long Island and is a maintenance worker at the school since 1969. He has three kids several grands, a wife of 42 years, and is looking forward to retired in two years. We had a great conversation about life and kids, and I am sure he was a bit suprised by my strong, southern drawl. It was such a thrill to tell Larry the reason we had traveled to New York to work in his school for the day. Be praying that we get more opportunities to meet more people like Larry. Also, be praying especially hard for us tomorrow as we invite New Yorkers to receive free testing for HIV. I have already h
eard awesome reports from other groups who have already gotten to minister to dozens of people through this ministry. We came on this trip trusting that we would see God do great things. It is amazing to see Him at work!Below is a shot of the Empire State Bldg.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
City Uprising 2009: Day Two
Ground Zero: June 28, 2009
Today has been exhausting and invigorating all at once. Ali and I just made it back to our room after a great evening of worship. God gave Aaron Coe, the head pastor of The Gallery Church, the vision for the trip based on Jeremiah 33:9, which says, "This city will bear on My behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all hte good I will do for them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace I will bring about for them." From that verse, God laid it on Pastor Coe's heart that He wants to propel the church to prosper the city of New York. Pray that Ali and I will join God in what He is doing to spread his glory throughout this city of 9 million people. Tomorrow, we will be working to tear down the negative stereotypes New Yorkers often have of evangelicals by displ
aying the love of Jesus through our actions. We will be working all day at a highschool, moving furniture, peeling gum off of the underside of desks, and doing whatever else we can to help.
aying the love of Jesus through our actions. We will be working all day at a highschool, moving furniture, peeling gum off of the underside of desks, and doing whatever else we can to help.I heard wonderful reports of Matt's and Phil's messages this morning and evening. It is a blessing to have such wonderful men in our church who can preach and teach God's Word! I also know it must have been great to have Nuno and our choir back home from their tour. Thank you again for the opportunity to be here.
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