Busy Bee....

Yeah I know my blog is so out dated. I guess over the past few months I have been too busy to be able to sit down and think. Hopefully in the next two weeks life will slow down to be able to think and write. Til then.

Pastor J

~Happy 4th of July~

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord    as the waters cover the sea."
-Habakkuk 2:14

Unbelief

If you have been following along this last week you know I have been talking about the differences with Faith and unbelief and can someone have Faith yet have unbelief. I know this is very different from my normal post on church ministry and leadership however I have found this to be a great topic and study to think about and dig into the Word of God with. I think once we understand what are the differences and how can we stop and destroy the unbelief in our lives we can see our faith do great things. I will try to hit on some more things this week. But for now its VBS time!

In His Grip,
Pastor J

~Differences~

I’ve been thinking about what it means to live by faith.  Saying that you believe in Jesus is one thing.  Exercising faith in Christ through the challenges of life is another.  It’s easy to confess faith but then to speak and act in unbelief. Here are just ten distinct differences I have noticed about the two.


1. Faith sees more in a promise of God to help than in all other things to hinder. Unbelief sees more in the things that hinder than in God’s promise to help.
2. Faith sees love in the heart of Christ when He speaks to reprove us. Unbelief sees anger in God’s heart when He says that He loves us.
3. Faith gives comfort in the midst of fear. Unbelief brings fear in the midst of comfort.
4. Faith helps the soul to wait, when God defers to give. Unbelief takes the huff if God makes us tarry.
5. Faith will suck sweetness even out of God’s rod, but unbelief finds no comfort even in His greatest mercies.
6. Faith makes great burdens light. Unbelief makes light burdens heavy.
7. Faith lifts us up when we are down, but unbelief throws us down when we are up.
8. Faith brings us near to God when we are far from Him. Unbelief puts us far from God when we are near to Him.
9. Faith purifies the heart. Unbelief keeps the heart impure.
10. Faith finds the ways of God pleasant and admirable. Unbelief makes them heavy and hard. “Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief, (Mark 9:24).


In His Grip,

Pastor J

~Whom Shall I Fear~

You hear me when I call
You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It cannot hide the light
Whom shall I fear?

You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my sword and shield
Though trouble linger still
Whom shall I fear?

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies is always by my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies is always by my side

My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?

And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I'm holding on to Your promises
You are faithful
You are faithful

 

 

Dominating Unbelief

A fellow pastor and good friend  gave me a podcast to listen to by a local GA Pastor. After listen only half of it and waiting for the other part to come out in the coming days my mind is blown away.. How is it I missed this simple truth over all these years. The difference between having Faith and Unbelief. I am digging deep in to the word studying this simple truth. Maybe its not that we have lack of Faith as its we have Unbelief that He is going to do something or something will happen. My mind is still going crazy over this fact and how I missed it in all these years. I am sure I will post more in the next few days as I listen to the rest of the podcast as it comes out. Until then I will dig and do a study of my own on just this topic. "Maybe it's not that I need more Faith but I need to decrease my Unbelief." Here are a few powerful truths I found on it so far.


- Faith believes the Word of God; but unbelief questions it (Psa 106:24).
- Faith holds fast to a promise of God to help; but unbelief says, “How can these things be?” (Rom 4:19-21; 2 Kings 7:2; John 3:11,12).
- Faith will make you see love in the heart of Christ; but unbelief will imagine wrath in his heart (Matt 15:22,28; Num 13; 2 Chron 14:3).
- Faith will give comfort in the midst of fears; but unbelief causes fears in the midst of comfort (2 Chron 20:20,21; Matt 8:26; Luke 24:26,27).
- Faith will suck sweetness out of God’s rod; but unbelief can find no comfort in his greatest mercies (Psa 23:4; Num 21).
- Faith makes great burdens light; but unbelief makes light ones heavy (2 Cor 4:1; 14-18; Mal 1:12,13).
- Faith helps us when we are down; but unbelief throws us down when we are up (Micah 7:8-10; Heb 4:11).
- Faith brings us near to God when we are far from him; but unbelief puts us far from God when we are near to him (Heb 10:22; 3:12,13).
- Where faith reigns, it declares men to be the friends of God; but where unbelief reigns, it declares them to be his enemies (John 3:23; Heb 3:18; Rev 21:8).
- Faith puts a man under grace; but unbelief holds him under wrath (Rom 3:24-26; 14:6; Eph 2:8; John 3:36; 1 John 5:10; Heb 3:17; Mark 16:16).
- Faith purifies the heart; but unbelief keeps it polluted and impure (Acts 15:9; Titus 1:15,16).
- By faith, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us; but by unbelief, we are shut up under the law to perish (Rom 4:23,24; 11:32; Gal 3:23).
- Faith makes our work acceptable to God through Christ; but work done in unbelief is sin. For without faith it is impossible to please him (Heb 11:4; Rom 14:23; Heb 6:6).
- Faith gives us peace and comfort in our souls; but unbelief works trouble and trial, like the restless waves of the sea (Rom 5:1; James 1:6).
- Faith makes us to see preciousness in Christ; but unbelief sees no form, beauty, or comeliness in him (1 Peter 2:7; Isa 53:2,3).
- By faith we have our life in Christ’s fullness; but by unbelief we starve and pine away (Gal 2:20). - Faith gives us the victory over the law, sin, death, the devil, and all evils; but unbelief lays us obnoxious to them all (1 John 5:4,5; Luke 12:46).
- Faith will show us more excellence in things not seen, than in them that are; but unbelief sees more in things that are seen, than in things that will be hereafter;. (2 Cor 4:18; Heb 11:24-27; 1 Cor 15:32). - Faith makes the ways of God pleasant and admirable; but unbelief makes them heavy and hard (Gal 5:6; 1 Cor 12:10,11; John 6:60; Psa 2:3).
- By faith Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob possessed the land of promise; but because of unbelief, neither Aaron, nor Moses, nor Miriam could get there (Heb 11:9; 3:19).
- By faith the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea; but by unbelief the generality of them perished in the wilderness (Heb 11:29; Jude 5).
- By faith Gideon did more with three hundred men, and a few empty pitchers, than all the twelve tribes could do, because they believed not God (Judg 7:16-22; Num 14:11,14).
- By faith Peter walked on the water; but by unbelief he began to sink (Matt 14:28-30).

Also something to think about is this. Many times when we don’t see the answer to our prayers, we believe we lack faith. However, at the point of salvation, every Christian received THE measure of faith. (That's a topic in it's self as the Greek says "The" not "A") The issue is not a lack of faith but the presence of unbelief. Unbelief cancels out faith and renders our prayers ineffective.

In His Grip,

Pastor J

Church? or Community?

Have you ever noticed when you see churches become larger their communities in which they serve don't seem to change much. Why is this?!?! What is the difference between being focused on church growth and being dedicated to influencing community. Well here are a few things to look at.

You grow a church with talent and leadership Vs. You impact a community with compassion    Churches that are blessed with talent (musical or otherwise) and great leadership are likely to grow. Most of these churches are considered good churches and in many ways they are. But that doesn't mean the community has been changed - which for me is the mark of a great church. In my thinking, it is impact that matters. This does not discount the huge significance and eternal value of growing churches that are big because of new things. I'm talking about a kind of impact that not only wins people to Christ, but that does so with such impact that the community takes notice and is changed. I'm all about people coming to Christ. But there is a corporate force that will enable us to ultimately win more to Christ if we have better served our communities. This means we must get involved in things that the community values, not just what we care about. I believe this all begins with compassion. Churches who reach out with servant oriented efforts that will not ultimately result in anyone coming to their church demonstrate compassion that has true impact. I believe that the best way to do this is to prayerfully think through the various services in your community that did not originate from your church, and choose to serve and be a resource to them.

You grow a church on your terms Vs. You reach a community on their terms
  Who sets the "terms" matters. If your church insists that everyone you connect with must do so on your terms, you may grow your church, but you won't impact the community. This is not about sloppy theology, going "liberal", or abusing grace. It's about a willingness to adapt your church's attitudes and behaviors, including receptivity to people who aren't like you, in order that more unchurched people may be willing to try you out and even come back.

You grow a church by offering good "programs"  Vs. You reach a community by offering good relationships

Good programs are important. Especially, a strong children's, and Student program. But if programs are the focus, people will come and people will go. You can test if you are program oriented or relationship oriented by the decisions you make and the actions you take. When you emphassize relationships and extend yourself to the community, you have potential to change the community. I like to see churches not about programs but steps. This is something I have talked about many times in the past.

You can grow a church on history and tradition Vs. You must become relevant to impact a community
    Let me close with a few thoughts on relevance versus history and tradition. We know history and tradition can be good. Some of the church's most sacred elements come from the richess of history and tradition. The point is not to throw them out, but first be relevant in order to reach the community. I don't mean to pick on any churches her (okay may I do), but some of the sermon titles I see on church signs out front of churches are just embarrassing. We are not connecting with people when we communicate in church "code" about things that don't matter to peoples lives. Then when some churches do get people in the doors they hear sermons about Paul's missionary journeys and some obscure law in Leviticus. These people have gotten out of bed, fought to get the kids ready, sat in an unfamiliar setting, and we give them stuff that has nothing to do with their life. (Not to say that learning about Paul's journey would be a great small group or bible study to have elsewhere in the church) That is what I call a perfect description of "irrelevant." speak on a relevant topic. We must be relevant to reach and impact our community. A side note on this: people don't always want to hear over and over again each Sunday how sinful we are and how everything ends in Hell if one is not driven to the front of the church to "repent" each Sunday. Bring a message of hope and grace. As well as how to grow in our walk for those who have accepted Christ. Have a healthy bounce for both.  

In His Grip,

Pastor J  

Going Social

Once again not my own post however my friends over at Lifeway shared this great info about social media. Also to put in a short plug for my cousin Terrace Crawford who wrote #Going Social. Check out this great book for any church ministry or leader.

If your church uses social media or is thinking about social media, here are 5 things to keep in mind:

1.Your audience. According to churchleaders.com, church websites should be geared toward new people, church/ministry social media should be geared toward people who are already involved. Keep your audience in mind when composing messages; update frequently, and promote your social media networks in church bulletins, newsletters, etc. If you plan on using social media as a primary means of communication, make sure church members know where to find those announcements.
  2.What you’re sharing. This is especially true for children’s ministries. Be careful when posting pictures and/or names of kids in your ministry, especially if your ministry page is set to public. The safety of those kids should be a very high priority. If you’re thinking about posting pictures, make sure you have parental permission. It’s probably a good idea to have parents sign a photo release form just incase. And if you’re going to share meeting locations where children will be present, (parks, playgrounds, etc.) be sure your Facebook page or Twitter feed is set to private to prevent unsafe people from acquiring that information.
3.How often you update. Social media is a weird thing– it’s only effective if it’s used consistently. Once you’ve gotten everyone on board and they know to check your pages for updates, make sure you actually post them! Facebook pages are great tools for communicating ministry events and updates if you use them consistently.
4.Grammar, composition, and accuracy. This should go without saying, but sometimes it must be said! Your social media outlets represent your church. Make sure the updates are grammatically correct, composed in a way that is easy to understand, and contains accurate dates, times, and locations.
5.Who runs the account(s). When you hold the password to a social media account, you hold a lot of power. Be wise in selecting the administrator for your social media accounts. It’s a good idea to choose one or two trusted people who can keep up with your ministry’s happenings and who can communicate with one another about what gets posted.

Some simple but yet great things to keep in mind when starting or running your site or sites.
I hope this helps one step to bettering the ministry God has created for you!

Don't forget to "Reach"

In His Grip,
Pastor J

Connent for Change

I wanted to share this great post by friend and Pastor Chuck Bomar:
  
As a leader, we want to get people connected into what we are doing. The question is, how do we define connected?
Well, practically speaking, this is often defined by physical involvement. If there are large numbers of people coming to what we are doing, we assume people are connecting. However, just having people show up in the same room at the same time doesn’t mean they are connecting with one another—especially across generations. And that’s important to differentiate.
It’s one thing to get people to something and even have them serve in some capacity. But it’s an entirely different thing to help people connect inter-personally with others and bridge the generation gap. This is more difficult to do than just having people show up. It takes more time and an entirely different strategy.
Here are THREE practical ways you can work to become a connected church across generations and do so in sustainable ways. I will categorize these into Long-Term, Mid-Term and Immediate ideas to keep in mind and implement.

Long-Term. To build a culture that is connected inter-generationally, the people involved must be motivated by the gospel. I’m not trying to sound over simplistic or super spiritual. I really mean this. The reality is, people who have only accepted the benefits of the gospel and have somehow missed the call of the gospel will only serve as a hindrance to becoming a truly connected church.
The gospel, at its most basic level, calls us to be selfless (Mark 8:34), with a unique focus on Jesus and others knowing Him. The gospel motivated Paul to use his personal liberties for the sake of others (1 Corinthians 8:13) and it led him to give up his personal preferences so that others might come to a saving faith in Jesus (1Corinthians 9:22).
This is the mentality that feeds relational connectivity. True and sustainable connectedness will be robbed unless the most basic principles of the gospel are serving as the motivators for the people involved. Our gospel presentations, then, must include both the benefits and the call of the gospel.

Mid-Term. Be very intentional with the terminology you use. Whether it’s in a one-on-one conversation or from a massive stage in front of thousands of people, we must talk about the unifying aspects of everyone involved.
For instance, when we use the word “family” in church contexts, we are most often referring to individual family structures. Our motivations are good, but if we are not extremely careful we can alienate college-age people, anyone else that is single and possibly someone that comes from a broken family.
To be a connected church we ought to redefine words like family, as the “family of God,” which allows everyone to have common ground. It’s in little nuances like this that change a culture and lead to being a connected church.
Another facet is to stay away from terminology like, “Big Church” because it inherently carries an “us and them” tone.

Immediately. Actually connect two people on some sort of common ground. This can be any facet of life, really. Take vocation, for example.
Consider connecting two people from two different generations for one cup of coffee and do so over the common interest in a particular industry. Maybe an older woman in your church is an engineer and you know a college student who is interested in engineering.
Ask the older individual if she would mind sitting down with a younger woman who is interested in this field of work just to “talk shop” and be available to answer any questions about it. This type of inter-generational exposure to people is what cultivates a connected church. Not every one of these connections will become an intimate relationship, but many of them will. And if connecting people like this is a pattern in your life it will, in fact, lead to your church being a connected one.

Happy Father's Day!

~2 Chronicles16:9~

Something New

 

New Facebook Cover..

Yeah, so I got bored. 

 

However what a great word of truth I was reminded today.

 

 

"Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done."

-Psalm 105:1

~7 Years by My Side~

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 7

 

        Years ago today I married the Love of my life. We have been blessed here on earth with two great children and one who waits in Heaven. We have also been blessed to have been able to foster and parent many children over the years who have all impacted our lives one way or another. Life has not always been roses however With Christ at the center of our marriage and family we find our joy in Him not in the worldly things we have or don't have.

     At different times in our lives we have had a song that has become the Theme song of that Chapter in life we are currently in and here is the list of Songs that have made that list over the 7 years:

Your Grace Still Amazes Me -By Phillips, Craig & Dean

Bless The Road - By Rascal Flatts 

Everlasting God - By  Brenton Brown

Blessed be the Name of the Lord -By Matt Redman

Your Love never Fails - By Jesus Culture

10,000 Reasons - By Matt Redman 

 

This photo is of the Bible that Debbie's Father preached out of during our wedding. After the wedding he gave us the Bible with our names on it and he left all his notes in it for us to find later.

This photo is the heart of where we wanted to start our marriage. Its not about me but about Christ. Powerful and humbling experience.

To many more..

In His Grip,

Pastor J

 

God's At Work!

I love this photo not only does it show Christ protecting us but how we miss the larger picture that God is at work even when it seems like He is not. How Great is our God!

In His Grip,

Pastor J

Power of Prayer

Here is a short post mostly for the reason I am on my iPad and just not in the mood to write much. But while thinking today I have had my mind on the power of prayer. And how great prayer is. On of the best book I have read on prayer and one that is in my list of top books is The Circle Maker. I have talked about this book many times over the past year and if you look over the past year you will find post I have done on just that one book. But anyway back to the topic I want to hit home here. The power of prayer. Some many times in my life I have seem prayer work and no that didn't always come out the way I was thinking or even always the way I would have liked however there Is power in prayer. I have been blessed to see lives changed, people healed and families healed due to prayer. Even now during this time I am praying and circling things in prayer. One of the greatness things I love about prayer is be able to stand still and listening to what Christ wants to say through His Word and for my life. I will post more on this later. I love this topic on prayer. God is Godd \o/ 

In His grip,

Pastor J 

Heartcheck

"If God can hold the planets together

why do we think we are falling apart"

 

-Pastor J

Happy Mothers Day!

Powerful Photo

I found this the other day online and had to save it. I found it to be a statement very powerful.

"But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.  Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right;  who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness."

-Micah 3:8-10

 

In His Grip,

Pastor J

Lost in Time

It's been a few weeks from my last post and that I am sorry for. Please forgive me to all my readers. A lot has happened over the past few weeks however God has done a work in our lives and we are trusting His path for us over the next few weeks. While we currently start seeking where God wants us we seek His path to our next place of Ministry. Lord willing over the next month I will slowly start writing daily and weekly again. Thanks for hanging on and I am sure to get back on track. Join me in Prayer as we seek the next place of Ministry God has in store for our lives.

In His Grip,

Pastor J

The New ADT

I found this story online and had to share:

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around, looking for valuables when a voice in the dark said, 'Jesus knows you're here.' He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze. When he heard nothing more, he shook his head and continued. Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard 'Jesus is watching you.' Startled, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice. Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot. 'Did you say that?' he hissed at the parrot. 'Yes', the parrot confessed, then squawked, 'I'm just trying to warn you that he's watching you.' The burglar relaxed. 'Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?' 'Moses,' replied the bird. 'Moses?' the burglar laughed. 'What kind of people would name a bird Moses?' 'The kind of people who would name a Rottweiler Jesus.'

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 12

Egg Number 12 Message: The tomb is empty. He has risen!
Passage: Matthew 28:25
Item: Nothing (The Egg is Empty)

"Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying." -Matthew 28 5-6

 

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 11

 
 
 
 
 

Egg Number 11 Message: The stone covering Jesus' tomb was rolled away.
Passage: Matthew 27:66.
Item: A small rock.

"So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it."
-Matthew 27:66

It's Friday!

I posted this last year but I wanted to share again this year! Enjoy..... It's Friday... But Sunday is coming, Praise GOD!!

-Pastor J

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 10

 
 
 
 


Egg Number 10Message: Joseph wrapped Jesus' Body in clean linens and put him in the tomb
Passage: Matthew 27:59
Item: Linen, or Cotton ball

"Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth."

-Matthew 27:59

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 9

Egg Number 9Message: The Soldiers broke Jesus' Legs and pierced His side.
Passage: John 19:34.
Item: Toy spear or tooth pick

"One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood

 and water flowed out."

-John 19:34

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 8

Egg Number 8Message: Soldiers parted Jesus' garments and cast lots for His coat.
Passage: Matthew 27:35
Item: Miniature dice

"After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes
by throwing dice.^"

^{-Matthew 27:35}

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 7

 

Egg Number 7Message: Jesus was nailed to a cross and pierced in His side.
Passage: Matthew 27:31
Item: A nail or push pin

 ^"When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified."
-Matthew 27:31

 

 

Please Note: Video Not suitable for young Children

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 6

Egg Number 6 Message: Soldiers placed a crown of thorns on Jesus' head.
Passage: Matthew 27:29
Item: A small thorny branch or a single large thorn (a toothpick would work too)

"They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!”
-Matthew 27:29

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 5

 
 
 

Egg Number 5Message: Jesus was beaten with whips.
Passage: Mark 15:15
Item: a small piece of  leather.

^"So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified0."
-Mark 15:15

(May not be suitable for younger children)

Song is By 3rd Day

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 4

 
 
 
 

Egg Number 4       Message: Jesus prayed to God
Passage: Matthew 26:39.
Item: cut out of hands or little toy praying hands from a book store.

 ^"He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 3

Egg Number 3 Message: Jesus ate the Last Supper with His disciples.
Passage: Matthew 26:26-28
Item: A small piece of cracker to represent the passover bread. or little toy cup.

 ^"As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it,  for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many."
Matthew 26:26-28

 

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 2

 
 
 

Egg Number 4 Message: Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Passage: Matthew 26:14-15.
Item: Three dimes

^"Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests  and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver."

Matthew 26:14-15

Click here to watch Todays Video!

Resurrection Story in Eggs Day 1

So for the next 12 days I am going to post the bible verse and item that goes along with the Resurrection Eggs. You can follow along each day or keep note of them at the end to create your own set of eggs next year.

Day 1:

Egg Number 1 Message: Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people waved palm branches.
Passage: Matthew 21:1-11.
Item: Toy Donkey or small leaf
 

"As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

 “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’

 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

(Please Note Some Days I will post a Video to go along with each day, However some videos are not suitable for young children)

 

Why I went with the iPad..

Okay so there are many reviews out there on the iPad and other tablets. However after me taking over two years reading just about every review I could find and trying to make my own list on what I wanted, pros vs cons. the iPad 4 won me over. Now after just a few weeks of owning it I can say I am most happy with my choice.  Here are the things that I looked for.

1) Price: I wanted to find something that was in the price I wanted and was able to spend. This is where the Kindle Fire came in to play. It seemed like it would be best due to price. however I later found out that Apple has reconditioned iPads much cheaper on there website. So this to me was a big pull back to the iPad over the Kindle

2) Wanted: Next thing I wanted was to do the following:
             Movies (Netflix, Hulu, NBC, ABC and Food Network online shows)
             Facebook
             Twitter
             Games
             Blog (and write)
             Pandora (radio)
             and Books
 These where the main things I was looking for however I found with the iPad I was able to get all this and more then I would ever need with the App Store.

3) Size: The next biggest item I really wanted was a large size screen. Over the two years of looking iPad was the biggest I could find however later the Kindle Fire HD came out with a larger screen. This was something I liked however the biggest thing that really worried me with the kindle fire was Amazons app store. To be honest its just not been around as long and it will still need a few more years in my eyes to get where I want it do. The Kindle Fire seems to be great however I wanted to do more.

I have had a iPod touch for years and know what the IOS was all about. For some reason I felt it was clean and simple to use for all levels of users. I would like to see later down the road the choice to change more around however I am fine with what one can do to it at this point. You are able to change more on the android however after having a android phone in the past Its just to buggy for me and I think slow.
The next thing I had to come up with once I made the choice to go with the iPad over other tablets was what size memory and what gen did I want. Well do to price the older model Gen 2 was going to be about all I could pay for. Then I found on the Apple site the reconditioned iPads, for not much more I could get more memory. So this was what I was planning to do however it came down to, do I get a Gen 2 or 3 and get more memory or go for the newest iPad 4 for only 16gb of memory. So I went onto finding ways I could use cloud and dropbox and other programs to save items in a online storage then using what was on the iPad. After looking at my iPod touch I noticed that most of my storage was used up by my music. I had over 13gbs of music. So I knew if I wanted to replace my iPod I would have to get larger storage on my iPad however I don't think I am going to walk around with my iPad listen to music much. So I found this was not going to that big of issue for me. Most of the time I listen to podcasts and I can use the podcast app for this. However I do have a few cds on my iPad however it only takes up about 1gb or less so I am happy with that. and I only put the top cds I listen a lot on there. I can always change out on iTunes when I need to.

The new HD retina display I didn't really know too much about however I know it was the newest thing out and heard may people talk about it. However I have never been into displays as long as I can see it, that's fine with me. In the end I went with the 16gb iPad 4 the newest one out as of (3/18/13) However I am sure in the coming months there will be even a newer one out. I don't plan on getting another one for a long time. So I am happy with what I have. the size works great, storage for what I need it for works fine. I hard many people say I would need a keyboard for it but to be honest I have had no issue with typing on it even with my fat fingers. Now the only thing I would change with it is, it I was some rich guy that had money I would go with a larger storage however 16gb for me is fine. am sitting at 57 apps, I have used 6.3gb and at this point I don't plan on using much more as I have every app I want right now. there is also with a few cds I put in my iTunes and about 50+ pictures I have taken. The display on the iPad blows me away. I rather watch a movie on it then my TV.
    I think the hardest choice for me to make once I picked what I wanted was what color iPad I wanted. I picked the classy Black!
Here are a few apps I have downloaded and use daily:
iBook - to read books
Remote - to listen to my iTunes on my pc
Pandora - online radio
Dragon Dictation - I talk and it turns it to text. I love this app use from sermons, emails, blogs ect.
Evernote - for not taking
Blogger - so I can do blog post like this one
Skype -
Photoshop express - so I can edit my photos
Bible software - You Version
                           Logos
                           Glo
The Weather Channel - check weather
Kindle - to read kindle books
SmartGlass - to run and control my xbox (how cool is that)
Dropbox - to hold and handle all my pdfs, docs and other files
Gamecocks - to get the latest Gamecock football news and scores
Craigslist - to window shop
Flipboard - a cool way to look at your facebook and twitter feed
Facebook - duh
Twitter - :)
ESPN - Sports
Games - all the way from simple facebook games to larger games like minecraft, Infinity Blade to fun games like Lets Golf and Idiscgolf.
OnLive Desktop - Now this is the best app I have found. if you want to create a word doc, exel, or PowerPoint this program allows you to do just that. Here is are a few screen shots of the program.

 

And a few more...
Now I will end with the last two thing everyone talks about and that is camera Now I am not big into taking photos with my iPad as I have my phone for that however it takes very good photos. I have not really tried the video camera however it seems to be the same. But again these are two items I don't use much. Here is a Photo taken by my iPad. You can see the detail it takes.

So in the end hands down I felt I made the right choice.

 

If you have a low budget and just need something to read books and watch a movie or something I would say get the Kindle Fire HD. If you want to be able to do something more and use it for work, school or just fun iPad. You don't have to get the newest one out on the market and keep in mind apple will just make a new one in 6 months anyway. I spend more for the iPad 4 with less storage but with the display I fell in love! Later I will be sure to post about how I feel the iPad can be best used in Ministry.

If anyone has any questions about other tablets, the iPad or Kindle just ask. I did two years of research for a reason. :) 

 

-Pastor J

~Loving Puking People~

While spending some time last night with my Spark boys during AWANA and speaking with a few church members I came across these two facts. One being as a pastor people like to randomly "Puke" on me. Now I don't mean that be in a rude or even negative way. I mean "puke" as in simply spilling all your cares and troubles on one person. Now this is something over time I have learned to handle and deal with, It seems to be part of the role we carry as pastors. I have been more then blessed to have Christ and the Holy Spirit be able to give me the know how, the right words to say when this happens. I don't feel any college or school can cover some of the things that you are faced with by the people you meet. I find this more funny then anything else really. The fact that people learn you are a pastor so they feel they need to tell you everything about life. At times I feel like I am a church confession box or Psychiatrist. It shocks me at what people will tell me in the first 5 mins of meeting me. Now I don't really mind and over the years I have learn to listen and let the Holy Spirit guide my heart and tongue, Trust me there are at times where you just want to shake the person and go "ARE YOU CRAZY" however I know that's not always the wisest thing to say nor do. I can imagine that Jesus had a lot of people who randomly "puke" all over Him. I have found over time that most people just want someone to listen to them without feeling they would be judged.

 "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
-Mark 10:45

 The next fact I have learned and I seem to be reminded here and there is I love people. Even with as crazy as some are and no matter what people have to say. I love people! Now yes there are a few people out there I do not enjoy being around and as much as I try I just can't seem to engage in to convention I care for. However under the mask that most people will carry and wear and set aside the outter skin that shields their true self people are over all are Amazing! I am not really sure where Loving people is any of the known spiritual gifts we talk about today but again isn't it the greatest Gift of All? Its one thing to have to love someone because we are told to however its another to love them because you want to. Could that have been what he meant when he said "Love your neighbor as yourself", Maybe. Sounds like a good word and heart study there for you to check out. When was the last time you prayed "Lord give me a heart to want to love people" Its more powerful then one would know.           

"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul,
all your strength, and all your mind. And, Love your neighbor as yourself."
-Luke 10:27

In His Grip,

Pastor J

The Bloom in Subscribers!

I just want to stop and thank everyone who has subscribed to my site. I first started this site on 12/27/07  with short hello post however over the years it seems to have grow more then I have known. I don't always check my views and subscribers however I noticed last night I hit the yearly subscribe count was at 9,594 members and my view count at about 230 views a day. I am not big about numbers and I know that's low to some out there however I find that just Crazy! I know many of my readers are pastors and ministry leaders from around the world. Some people have come across my site via my "Pastors" Facebook page you can find Here I started many years ago and is a network of Pastors from around the world and one of the largest groups on Facebook. Or they have come from just a simple Google search, Twitter post or maybe in the rare form of I know the person. I am yet a master of Blogger and not 100% sure the differences in subscribers. There seems to be two forms where people can subscribe or follow. It seems if have a blogger account with Google you can follow my site or you are able to use the Subscribe to link I have put to the right of the screen ----->>> This seems to be more of the thing to do instead of "following". Not sure the details of this. But anyway once again Thank you for all reading and May you each find the power and Grace in our Lord Jesus!   

Books, Books, and More Books!

Over time I will give a book review or two however I have been stuck over the past few months reading and re-reading a few books. I like to take time to get deep into the text and not just read over the words but let them dig into my mind and heart. Most of the time I can read a book and be done with it however the past few books I have picked up have been ones I can't seem to put down. I am sure some time over the next few years they will be put into a sermon text or something. So here are 3 books I am currently reading if not re-reading for that matter. The first one in my list is a Perry Stone book called Opening the Gates of Heaven. The main text speaks on walking in and under the favor of God. I have joined his books in the past and found it a blessing to have met him while working at the TV studio a few years back. The next book I picked up has be a life changer to me over the past year. The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. I could say so much about this book however in short its about drawing prayer circles around dreams and being bold enough to pray like never before. I will post a much longer post on this book as well as the last book currently on my list called Lessons from a Venetian Vinedresser by Robert Scott Stiner and I was blessed to have it signed by Robert a few years back. Again in short the book is based off Jesus saying, "I am the vine, you are the branches, and My Father is the vinedresser." It gets into the detail job and actions of what a vinedresser is and how powerful the actions of one person are to the life of a vineyard. Just shows how Great our God really is! So that's few a few books I am currently reading. My hope is this year I would be able to read more books then I have been able to in the past few years. I hope in time I will be able to use a Kindle or iPad to be able to read some more books in the coming year. However I am a fan of marking and highlighting everything so not sure how much those devices would work for me.

In His Grip,
 Pastor J