When it's all said & done

The Phrase, “God doesn’t waste a hurt”, is a phrase I’ve used hundreds of times over the years. I’ve used it in sermons, in lessons, in counseling sessions and articles. It’s a phrase that carries a huge impact if you think about it.

God is in control of all things, and He allows His children to go through the good and the bad, the easy and the hard, the understandable and the confusing.

He's the one who keeps us from going off the rails and crashing our lives altogether and I am so thankful for that!

The question then becomes, “God what do you want me to learn from this, and how do you want me to become more like you through this?”

I came across this series of questions and concepts that really helped me grasp and begin to understand the fact that God doesn’t waste a hurt.

This reflection and history process was a very encouraging process for me, as I realized that I have many things to be thankful for. Many times I have taken for granted the events and people that have helped shape me, and this process has helped me to grasp the importance of making the most of every opportunity that has been given to me.

Sermon Downloads

Every week at my church I have the privilege of opening up the Word of God and sharing it with our congregation. God's Word is timeless, powerful and very applicable to our lives today.

If you're interested in hearing a sermon or two or a series topic catches your attention feel free to go to the new 7 Minute Lull Sermon Download site to download, listen and apply.

7 minute lull's transfer into "40 minute sermons" which translate into life change which translates into living life to the fullest with God.

Duped

When my daughter was younger she and I went to a corn maze one beautiful fall day. 

It was in response to an advertisement that I heard talking about how the corn maze was a fun and family centered activity that all ages would enjoy, (plus I knew they had the best cider and donuts around, so we went.)

When we got there it was an amazing fall day and at first glance the advertisement was right on, everywhere I looked I saw families having fun and enjoying themselves, and my daughter and I were joining right in (especially when my donuts arrived).

Everything was great that is until we entered the maze. This is where the fun stopped in a shrieking halt! I say shrieking because that's exactly what my 2 year old daughter and I heard around every corner of this HAUNTED CORN MAZE!

Explore & Dominate

Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I've been thinking about God and His plans, and how amazing it is to think that the creator of everything has a plan that includes me.

I've also been thinking about how things change in our lives when we know His plan, accept it and begin to obey it. Life starts to make sense, and decisions that we make begin to have purpose and meaning, and aren’t just some random choice based on how we feel that particular day.

As I've been reflecting on the concept of God having a plan and me being a part of it my mind went back to one of the best youth retreats we ever did, and how important knowing the plans made in our adventure.

Muted or Un-Muted?

I'm going to be speaking at a local college this week and the topic is one that I'm really looking forward to speaking about. This group has a desire to raise funds and awareness for the need for clean drinking water for people in other countries that sadly go without day after day.

So, they want to raise money to purchase a well for a very needy part of the world. They asked me to come and share some stories and illustrations of how important it is to meet needs tangibly in the name of Christ which is a part of my ministry voyage that I've always resonated with.

So, as I was preparing for the talk plenty of examples were flooding into my mind but along with those incredible stories of need meeting leading to life change a period of ministry that was bitter and sweet at the same time came roaring back into my thoughts and I was reminded all over again that ministry is hard work and we have an enemy who tries to make it even harder, but God is always in control.

The time period I'm referring to was during the time I was serving as a missionary full time while still raising support in the middle of the economic crash of 2008 (remember that?) The article was called "No AC, NO FM, Nor Regrets.