“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us…”
“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2, CSB
If you have been with me for any amount of time, you have probably heard me talk about (at least once) the analogy of the Christian life being described as running a race. This picture comes from the verses above in Hebrews, along with the apostle Paul using it frequently in his letters to encourage Christian’s to persevere, press on and “run” as if competing for a prize (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Gal. 2:2; Phil. 2:16, 3:13-14).
I don’t know if you consider yourself a runner or if the very thought of running makes you cringe. The idea of running doesn’t make me cringe, but I don’t consider myself to be a runner either. I guess I am more a work in progress, which is a perfect description of my Christian walk. The Christian life isn’t a sprint, let’s get there as quickly as we can. It’s more like a ultra-marathon.
In a marathon, if you tried to sprint the whole 26.2 miles, you will eventually burn out and crash. Instead, you work on pacing yourself, finding a good rhythm, keeping your eyes focused on what’s ahead. Most definitely there will be times that you will need to “press on” and dig deep when your body tells you to quit and you feel like giving up. This is where our training and endurance help us out. Well, in the Christian life, we are only able to run with endurance if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He is the one who sustains us and gives us the strength we need to continue on.
So, today, how is your race going? Are you fixing your eyes on Jesus or have you lost sight of Him? Have you focused too much on your weaknesses, stresses and anxiety and allowed them to overcome you?
If so, let me encourage you today, to forget what is behind you and press on towards the goal that Christ has called you to!
Hello and welcome back to another FIVE THINGS FRIDAY! As we prepare to enter the weekend, I want to begin by asking you, what are you thankful for today? For me, I am thankful for longevity. As of October, I have been blessed to be at my church for 16 years. God has blessed me and my family with the opportunity to be able to serve Him in one place for so long. There are also a couple of other reasons that I am grateful for 16 years in one church. According to a recent survey (YMlink.com) the average stay for a youth pastor is 18 months to 3 years. The average tenure for youth pastors is anywhere between 8-11 years. As I begin FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, I am thankful that God has given me the opportunity to blow those two statistics out of the water. Not only have I been at West Hickory for 16 years, I have been in ministry a total of 24 years all together. I am beyond grateful for this and I would not change this experience for anything.
So, what are you thankful for today? That is what this weeks post is all about, thankfulness. So, without further ado, I give you this weeks edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
I. CROSS-COUNTRY MEETS
This may sound strange, but I am thankful for cross-country meets. To be more specific, I am thankful that I get the opportunity to help our cross-country coach every Monday during our meets. I am also thankful that I get the opportunity to help assist him with practices every now and then too. It’s fun to be there for the students, to help cheer them on and to see how much they improve from week to week. It is amazing to me to see roughly 60 students compete every week. But not just compete, but to compete in running two miles every Monday. As a middle schooler, I would have no desire to try and run two miles! I loved playing baseball and running bases after every practice. To run two miles is a huge accomplishment. Also, it is fun to watch the girls run since there are several of them that have played or play on our soccer teams. So, not only am I cheering for my daughter and Grandview, but I also want to see “my other girls” succeed!
Cross Country Meet at Newton Conover Middle School
See, being able to be at a church for 16 years as allowed me to help out and be a part of our middle school athletics. It gives me the opportunity to be a part of our community and that is something that I do not take lightly. Also, I just love being around sports and watching students compete. To watch them run every week reminds of 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only receives the prize. Run in such a way to win the prize.” (CSB) During the 1st Century, those competing in the Isthmian games, which was every two years, would compete to receive a laurel wreath. Not everyone got a prize! However, as Christians, our prize is Jesus Christ, so we run our race to live a life of dedication to Him and to be a witness for others. How is your race going today?
II. SOCCER SEASON AND THE JOYS OF COACHING
Okay, after 7 years of coaching soccer, I am still getting use to calling myself a soccer coach. I never thought that I would be that person, but I have come to find the joy in coaching the sport. In those 7 years, God has put some wonderful and amazing people in our lives. I am thankful for that and for the opportunity to be able to coach their daughters. I love seeing the friendships that have been formed along the way too. However, the biggest thing that I am thankful for is seeing our girls enjoy the game of soccer, but it’s not their life. They play for each other because they care about each other and they want to help each other be a better player. They push each other, they challenge each other but they also deeply care about each other. This season in particular has become more than just about soccer. The girls, just like us, have things going on in their lives.
“My coach said I run like a girl, and I said if he ran a little faster he could too!” Mia Hamm
It is a blessing to see them care for each other and talk to each other about things going on in their lives. I know that they are encouraging one another, but I have to say, it encourages me just as much. I am also thankful that when other teams see us play, they know that our girls are different. It really reminds me of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (CSB)
As believers, we have the privilege and responsibility of representing Christ to others through the way we live. Our lives point to Jesus. So it’s important that we ask ourselves daily, “Is what I have on display right now going to lead people to Jesus or is it going to turn them away?” I am thankful that for many of our girls, they represent Christ to others and that is more beautiful than seeing them win a soccer game any day of the week.
III. KEEPING PROMISES… EVEN IF THEY HURT
A couple of weeks ago, I made a deal with one of my buddies over a college football game. My Liberty Flames were playing the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and my buddy and I agreed that if our team lost, then we would wear their teams shirt for a day. Well, unfortunately my Flames fell short and lost by one point. So, sadly a deal is a deal and I had to wear this hideous looking Wake Forest shirt for a whole day. I did take it off that evening because we had a kickball game and it wasn’t part of the uniform!
But as I wore this shirt throughout the day, I was reminded of more than just having to wear the shirt. I gave my buddy my word and I wanted that to mean something. In Matthew 5:37 Jesus says, “But let your yes mean yes and your no mean no. Anything more than this is from the evil one.” (CSB) We live in a world where our “word” does not mean anything anymore. I know that there are times in my life where I have fallen short in this area. But, lately, I have been trying to be consistent with this as I try to model it more each day . Jesus’ words remind me that our commitment to what we say is a direct window into who we really are. It is a mirror of our integrity. As a Christian, I want to do better. I want others to see Christ in me and that means letting my yes be yes and my no be no. I am not perfect in this area, but I am working on it. When was the last time you broke your word? Have you confronted the person you broke your word to and asked for forgiveness? This is something that must be done as we strive to show others that we are living to represent Jesus Christ in all that we do… in word or actions.
IV. OKTOBERFEST WEEKEND AND 5K’s
This may sound strange, but I am thankful for random opportunities in October. One of those opportunities is OKTOBERFEST here in Hickory, NC. This will be the first time since the pandemic of COVID-19 that we are able to have this event. I know for many, they like OKTOBERFEST for other reasons, but I enjoy it because it gives us an opportunity to be out in the community and connecting with people that we typically wouldn’t get the chance to have. Typical, our church has sponsored a booth during the weekend, but not this year. My family still enjoys going downtown and walking around seeing all the booths and vendors. We also enjoy the food too! Some of my favorite foods to enjoy are the kettle corn popcorn, funnel cakes the BBQ. I saw where Duck Doughnuts will have a food truck here for the weekend, so I am definitely excited about that! It is supposed to be a beautiful weekend and I cannot wait to get out and enjoy the festivities once again.
Also in October, we are signed up to run in the local Trick or Trot 5K. Be sure to check out the link to sign up and come run with us! We are going to use this 5K as a “warmup” to our runDisney 10K later next year. As of this week, it has been 8 weeks since my wife and I have been consistently training for our 10K. She has made better progress than I have over those 8 weeks! I may or may not have missed a few days, but she has been consistent and steady. With our daughter running cross country and her consistent training, they are going to leave me in the dust. We still have another week before our 5K, so maybe I can get into “race shape” before then!
V. LOOKING BACK ON 16 YEARS OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
I stated earlier that I have been at our church for 16 years this October. That is truly amazing to me to sit back and think about that. I mean, think about all that has happened in the last 16 years. In that time I have witnessed four presidents serve our country (Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden). In sports, we have seen the Chicago Cubs win a World Series, my beloved Boston Red Sox win THREE World Series and the Braves winning it all last year (and maybe this year!) We have seen our world and our lives impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We witnessed a massive earthquake in Haiti that killed hundreds of thousands of people. We saw 33 miners rescued after being trapped for 69 days in a Chilean mine. I am sure that there are many more things that have happened in the last 16 years.
What is one of the biggest things you remember?
However, two of the biggest things I am thankful for in the last 16 years is the birth of my daughter and then her profession of faith to follow Jesus Christ and being able to baptize her. Those two things are super special to me and rightfully so. I am also thankful for the people and the students that have been a part of our lives and ministry during this time too. It’s weird to think that many of them are now starting their own families! It’s also special to work with my pastor who has been here for 17 years! That is truly remarkable to think about because it’s so rare today. The average time for a senior pastor at a church is 5-7 years. There have been ups and downs in that time. We have lost people that we cared deeply for and some too soon. We have seen God work in and through His people in beautiful ways. But as I look back on all this, the one thing that it shows me is just how faithful God has been. He has blessed us with a wonderful church family, friends and opportunities to be invested in our community. And I do not take that for granite.
However long God sees fit for me to serve him at West Hickory, my prayer is simply 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (CSB)
Thank you for joining us today on FIVE THINGS FRIDAY and I pray that your Friday is simply the best. We’ll see you next Friday for another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. Blessings.
Hello, Friday and welcome back to another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. This week as been much slower than last week which is always a good thing. Sometimes it’s good to not be so busy and to be able to sit down and unwind. But there were some fun moments that happened along the week and I will try to share those with you as we move along. If this if your first time with us, then we welcome you. So without further ado…
I. FALL SPORTS IS BACK
This past Monday our girl had her first cross country meet of the season and kicked off the official start to fall sports. I admit that I hate to see summer go, but there is something about fall sports that gets me excited. Fall sports seems to bring about a fresh start for everyone competing and participating in sports. Not only do we have the start of a new school year, but we get the start of a new athletic year as well. For us, this is cross country and we absolutely love to see our girl go out there and compete as a runner. Practices are sometimes hard and she is worn out when she gets into the car afterwards, but I am thankful for her dedication and leadership that she is displaying to the rest of her team even as a 7th grader. Each practice she encourages others even after she has already finished and that is something that is hard to find now days. I will go ahead and warn you in advance that you will probably see a weekly post about cross country for the next several weeks! But another thing that makes this year more fun is that she will be running against some of her friends that play on our soccer team together or have played together. As a coach it is always fun to see your players who go to different schools and to have the opportunity to joke around with them and still see how you have helped make a difference in their life. I seriously think that I was more excited about this first meet than Gracie was!
But another thing about fall sports is the start of a new soccer season at the YMCA. We have our first game this Saturday and I think I already have the pre-game jitters. Again, I am almost positive that you will be hearing about soccer too in the up coming weeks, so go ahead and prepare yourself.
II. BIG GAME THIS WEEKEND
Ok, so most people are not die hard college football fans and I understand that. However, I am one of those weird fans that I absolutely love college football. And this weekend is going to be an exciting one because my Liberty Flames travel to Winston Salem to take on the #19 Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Am I concerned that all the “professionals” are picking Liberty to lose by 16 points, not at all. For years the “professionals” have always underestimated Liberty. Also, Wake Forest has been known to choke in high pressure games and this is one of those games for them. It should be a fun one to watch, but this game does carry a little bragging rights with it. One of my buddies is a die-hard Wake Forest fan and we have agreed to a little fun wager. If Liberty beats Wake Forest, then he has to wear a Liberty t-shirt for one full day next week. If Wake Forest wins, then I will have to wear a Wake Forest t-shirt for one full day next week. We play on the same adult kickball team and I thought about telling him that instead of the t-shirts, we have to face paints the other teams colors during our game next week, but we aren’t trying to scare anyone! You will have to check back next week for the results to see who wears which teams t-shirt for a day.
III. SUNDAY NIGHT FALL KICK-OFF
Last Sunday we kicked off the start of Fall with a “slime war” and our students had a blast. We made slime and put it in 5 gallons buckets and then gave them blasters and they ran around squirting each other with all colors of slime. We may have had a leader or two covering them with a little powder paint too! It was a great way to help kick off the year as we focused on building unity as we welcomed our new students. But, the thing that I have absolutely come to love about our Fall Kick-offs is the challenges we get to hear from our seniors. This has been a tradition that I started at least 6 years ago and I absolutely love it! Having the opportunity to see and hear other students investing in each other is priceless.
This week we begin our new series ROOTED where we will help students understand what it means to be rooted in God’s love, God’s Word and their faith in Jesus. What are some things that you do with your youth groups to help build unity and enthusiasm? What are some studies that you have done that have been beneficial to the students?
IV. PUMPKIN SPICE CRAZINESS IS ALL AROUND
I have noticed over the last couple of weeks that this whole pumpkin spice thing has gotten majorly out of control. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good pumpkin spice latte as much as the next person, but there is no need to see Pumpkin Spice toothpaste, cereal, waffles, oatmeal, cookies, chips and before too long we’ll see pumpkin spice shampoo… actually it probably already exists. I guess over the last few years I have noticed how the whole pumpkin spice thing has really gotten out of control. Just yesterday, I saw 6 different flavors of pumpkin coffee. I understand people are getting excited for fall and I am in that category as well. I don’t know, is it just me? What is your favorite pumpkin spice food or drink that you look forward to every season?
V. A NEW CREATION
“Therefore, if anyone is inChrist, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, CSB)
Here lately, my daughter, Gracie has started making this snack called “Sugared Grapes” and they are very addictive and delicious. She makes them with Jello powder and then sets them in the freezer for about an hour and they are actually a really great snack. She made them for our church picnic a couple of weeks ago and before I could get any, they were already gone! They had eaten them all up, the whole bunch.
That’s a lot like what happened to you in Christ. Just like those grapes were gone, Jesus made your old nature vanish. When you accept Jesus as your savior, you become entirely new. There’s no trace or crumb of your old nature left in you. That old nature has been swapped for a new nature.
The sin nature is done. It’s gone. Now we have a new nature. And while we are still tempted to sin, our new nature desires to do the right thing. If we stay sensitive to what our new spirit desires, we’ll make godly choices. And when old habits of our old nature pop up, it’s just up to us to say no to those things.
So today, choose to thank God that He has made us fresh and new. Our spirit is recreated and free from sin. Determine to make decisions in light of that new nature. Choose to let that nature rule the things you think, say and do.
Well, that’s a wrap for this week. Thanks for reading and we will see you back here gain next Friday, Lord willing. Have a blessed Friday and a great weekend.
Well, Happy Monday, folks and welcome back to the another work week. No worries, Motivation Monday is here to equip and encourage you as you begin this week with our series THE WHOLE BIBLE IN 16 VERSES. If this is your first time reading MOTIVATION MONDAY, we welcome you and pray that this will be an encouragement to you. If you are a returner, then welcome back, friends.
One of my favorite book series is C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. Throughout the series, Lewis writes about a world filled with people like Peter, Susan, Edmond, Lucy, Prince Caspian, talking beasts (with Trufflehunter the badger being one of my favorites), Aslan the Lion, and walking trees. In Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia), Trufflehunter makes the following statement, “Narnia was never right except when a Son of Adam was king.” Throughout the series, Narnia’s best days were under the reign of Adam’s descendants. Even though Lewis’s stories about Narnia are fantasy, as believers in Jesus Christ, we know according to the Bible that the promised King is a true son of Adam, a son of Abraham, and as we will see today, a son of Judah.
“The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until he whose right it comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him.” Genesis 49:10, CSB (Bold/Italics added)
Last week we looked at Abraham and how God promised (made a covenant) him that through him, he would become a great nation and that God will bless him and make his name great. Today, we see God’s promise carrying on through the line of Judah. God’s promise started with Abraham continued on with Isaac and then on to Jacob. As you read the Bible, we see that God keeps His promises even in the midst of the dysfunction that happens with His people. That is no more truer than with the line of Judah, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. God used Joseph to preserve Abraham’s line and you might think that Joseph would be the one that Jacob would bless with the royal blessing when he was on his death bed.
However, as he laid upon his death bed, he blessed each of his sons in a different way. But when it came to Judah, he was the one who received a royal blessing: “The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until he whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him.” Isn’t it ironic that Jacob would choose Judah? After all, Judah was pretty rough and had some questionable moments within his life time, but that’s the beauty of God. The first time we hear Judah speak was when Joseph’s brothers had thrown him into a pit and were trying to decide what to do with him. Judah suggested that instead of killing him, they sell him into slavery (Genesis 36:26-27). From there it only got worse for Judah. His first son died with no children. So, Judah’s second son married his brothers widow (as was custom), but he too died without children. Instead of allowing his third son to marry Tamar, Judah sent her away. However, she would later trick him into sleeping with her and she would have his twin sons… or grandsons too! True story and it would be hard to make this stuff up!
But, it was to this broken family line that God promised the scepter of kingship, the rulers staff. The descendant of Judah would not only be the king of Israel, he would also be a king over the nations. It will be through Judah that the covenant blessing will come into the world…
Pastor David Platt talks about it in this way, “Genesis 49:10 is a stout promise that was just made to Judah about Judah’s line, that through the line of Judah would come a king who’s scepter would rule and tribute would be brought to him. Not just any tribute, but the obedience of the peoples, the tribes, the nations.We take the gospel to the nations because to Him shall be the obedience of all peoples. Jesus is worthy of the praise of every tribe and tongue.That’s the language here, that all the nations. This isn’t just about the people of Jacob, or the people of Israel, the people of Judah. No, this is about all peoples one day giving their obedience to a king from Judah’s line. This is a clear promise, that takes us all the way from the first book in the Bible, to the last book in the Bible, when John looks, in Revelation 5, and he sees a vision of the lion of the tribe of, you guessed it, Judah. Bowing down before him is every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, every people group in the world.”
Just like it was true in Narnia when Trufflehunter says, “Narnia was never right except when a Son of Adam was king”, so it is today that through the line of Judah, Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It’s a beautiful thing to see how Judah’s blessing changed the world forever.
Thanks for joining us today and I pray that you have a blessed week. Next week we start to pick up the pace a little as we take a look at the sacrifices and law of Moses. See you next week.
Hello, Friday and welcome back. If this is your first time reading FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, welcome and I am glad that you are here. This week has been a little weird, a little busy and a little relaxing. It has a been weird because the summer schedule has ended, so it’s that down time between summer and kicking off our fall activities and events. This little gap has always been a little weird or unusual for me, mostly because for so long I did not know how to handle “down time” and it absolutely drove me crazy. I have learned over the years to utilize this time with calendar planning and allowing my mind and body to rest and enjoy the moment. Now, sometimes that is easier to say than to do. Just like with this week since it was the first week back to school for so many students and teachers (including my own). But, as crazy as the week has been, I still like the excitement and joy of going back to school. I was never one that looked forward to going back to school for the work, but to see my friends and catch up on our summer adventures. What about you? If you are a parent, teacher or a student, how has your first week back to school been? Let me know and without further ado here is this weeks FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
SCHOOL IS BACK
It is that time of the year where summer ends and the start of another school year begins. Even though summer doesn’t officially end until September 21, once school starts, summer is over, right? But the start of the school year brings excitement and anticipation. For students, it’s a new season and a new start. They get to reconnect with friends and maybe even make new friends! For teachers, the anticipation of a new school year starting always brings excitement to them. They look forward to seeing former students and meeting new students. But one thing that I love about teachers, is the joy they have as they decorate their classrooms with anticipation that this year is going to be different. Will their be struggles, issues and stress that come throughout the year, sure! But, at least for the first week they are excited about a new year! I know that teachers enjoy their summers and they deserve every minute of it. But,I am grateful for the ones that have a genuine love and joy to try and change a students life. That’s what good teachers do, they change lives! In fact, none of us would be where we are today if it were not for teachers! Will you please join me through the month of September as pray for our students and our teachers in our communities, our state, our nation and around the world? We must be vigilant each and every day to pray for them. For me, this year my prayer for my wife and daughter is Colossians 3:23.
“Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people.”
SEE YOU AT THE POLE
See You At The Pole – September 28
See You At The Pole is a global day of prayer where students gather around their schools flag pole and pray for their school, their teachers and faculty and the start of a new year. This wonderful ministry has been around since 1990. I have come to love this ministry and I am thankful for the many ways that God has used SYATP in my own life and ministry. This years theme is AFLAME and comes from Romans 12:11-12. “Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord.Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.”
Check out the promo video here and I ask that you join with us in prayer on September 28. Actually, will you join with me in prayer starting today that God will use those students who love Him and want to make Him known to their classmates and teachers, that He will give them strength to stand for Him. I am excited to see God work in the lives of our students this year, but they need your help, your support and most importantly, they need your prayers. But also, we can encourage our students to go and make a difference by sharing the gospel with their peers or teachers, but if our students do not see us living this out as well, the impact will not be as great! So, how you sharing the gospel with people around you? How you allowing God to make an impact for the kingdom through your life, your actions and your words each and every day? If we belong to Christ, then we must be persistent in prayer with all zeal to see lives changed!
CURRENTLY READING
For about the last month I have been reading CANOEING THE MOUNTAINS: Christian Leadership In Uncharted Territory by Todd Bolsinger. This books follows the expedition of Lewis and Clark as they set out to discover a path to the Pacific Ocean. This book is all about adaptive leadership and is a must read for any church leader. It fits well with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic and how we as pastors and leaders must adapt a new philosophy of leading in a post-COVID society. So far, one interesting key point to me was this thought about leadership: “Understanding uncharted territory: the world in front of you is nothing like the world behind you.” That is a keen observation! As church leaders we cannot simply continue to do “church” the way that it has always been done. Now, most definitely we continue to preach, teach and share God’s Word! That must never change. This book has been quite interesting so far and I look forward to reading it and maybe even gaining some ideas of ways that I can begin to look at church ministry differently. For now, I have only made in a few chapters, but I will try to give a full review after I’m done.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK
Photo courtesy of ESPN
This weekend marks the return of college football and I am stoked about it! My Liberty Flames start the season off against Southern Mississippi. But there are a handful of games that are going tone worth watching this weekend: Oregon vs. Georgia, Florida vs. Utah, NC State and ECU, Ohio St. and Notre Dame, and App State vs. UNC. The App St./UNC game is going to be a great game and I will not be shocked if App St. comes away with the win. September is just a wonderful time of the year for sports fans. College Football returns, MLB is winding down and playoff teams are starting to heat up and make a run, the NFL will be returning, but more importantly, our middle school and high school athletics are back. Gracie (my daughter) is competing in cross country again this fall and we are super excited to go and watch her run. If you are a sports fan, which sports are you most excited about this fall? Do you prefer college football or NFL? Will you be attending any high school football games? Let me know!
LABOR DAY WEEKEND
This weekend is Labor Day weekend and for many it is the official end to summer. (Tears are starting to swell up as I come to the realization that summer is almost over.) I pray that you have a blessed weekend and a restful weekend. Whether you will be at the beach, the mountains or at home, I pray that you will enjoy Labor Day as an extra day of rest.
Thanks for being with me today, have a great weekend and we will see you again next week for FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
Welcome back (FINALLY) to another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. It has been a hot minute since our last post! We finally made it through summer and a busy schedule that kept me away from writing and sharing with you. So, in today’s blog I want to share with you about our summer, summer camps and everything else in between. Without further ado…
SUMMER CAMP IS JUST THE BEST
It does not matter if you are attending children’s camp or youth camp, there is nothing quite like having the opportunity to experience camp. Summer camp is a special place that will have an impact on children, youth and adults for years to come. In fact, I say the experiences they get at camp will last them a lifetime. It is a week away from technology and all the distractions at home where they get to focus in on God’s Word daily, experience new and unique games, make friends, grow closer to the friends they already have and best of all the opportunity to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
We do children’s camp at South Mountain Baptist Camp in Connelly Springs, NC. To me and many of our leaders, youth and children this place is special. In fact my wife and I have experienced SMBC for pretty much our whole lives (38 and 46 years). Some how our daughter has become a 12 year camp pro already at SMBC. It truly would not be summer without spending a week up on the mountain! This year was such a blessing because the speaker was a blessing to our kids. He, his wife and their two sons did a phenomenal job of sharing the gospel and relating it to kids. They quickly got added to the top of my list as one of my all-time speakers! Everyday is special as we see the joy on our kids faces. They experience Bible study, recreation, swimming, archery, gaga ball, playing in the creek and fishing throughout the week. On Thursday night we end the week with a bonfire, camp songs and testimonies of how God worked and moved in their hearts and lives that week. One of my favorite parts of camp is at the end of the day when we are in cabins doing our nightly devotions. I always give them a chance to share a couple of things about their day and it’s just a good way to end the day. It makes it worth it to be exhausted for Jesus at the end of each and every day!
Children’s Camp at South Mountain Baptist Camp 2023
Youth camp is a completely different beast! It is just as fun and engaging, but the energy level is a little more. We do youth camp at Garden City Chapel and Retreat in Garden City, SC. This is a little different setting because we do our own camp and programming. Also the dorms we stay in and eat in is really just South Mountain Baptist Camp at the beach, maybe that’s why we enjoy it so much! I know one of the reasons our students enjoy it is because we get to be at the beach for a week. Personally, I am not a fan of the beach and the sand, but I love watching our students experience the camp setting. Throughout the week we experience Bible study, crazy (and sometimes nasty) games, worship, themed night life’s and end the day with group devotions. Again, this is my favorite part of camp. My heart if full of joy as our students share about God and all the things they experienced throughout the day. This year was different as our “little” girl who isn’t so little got to experience her first youth camp! Lord willing, she will get to experience many more throughout the years.
Youth Camp at Garden City Chapel and Retreat 2023
THERE’S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
This summer I had the privilege to be able to go to Alabama and speak at youth camp and believe it or not, this was my first time getting to do that. One of my buddies had asked if I would be willing to come and be the speaker for his camp this year and after much prayer I decided to accept his invitation. It was such blessing to be able to share God’s Word with about 40 students and spend a week with them. They had rented a lake house and it was so beautiful there. We go to spend our days with Bible study, games and relaxing in the lake. In the evenings after Bible study we participated in late night activities like karaoke, a game called Under Ground Church and one evening of a silent worship service experience. Since I was traveling to Alabama, my daughter traveled with me to keep me company on the long trip. Needless to say she may have lost her “DJ” responsibilities! But I am glad that she got to go with me and be a part of their camp experience. Kyle, thank you again for entrusting me to come and share with your students from God’s Word for the week. It was an experience that I am very thankful for!
FROM THE OUTER BANKS TO CAMPING
Our family vacations this summer consisted of a week in the Outer Banks with my wife’s family and then we concluded summer with a camping trip to Lake Greenwood in Ninety-Six, SC. Being able to spend a week in the Outer Banks was truly amazing as we spent it with family. If you have never been to the Outer Banks, it’s a long trip there, but worth it to see just how amazing God’s creation truly is. Even for someone who doesn’t like sand, being in the Outer Banks is a sight to see. While there I found this awesome little coffee shop (Front Porch Cafe)that I was able to go and spend sometime at while reading over my sermons for camp in Alabama. We also go to experience the dunes at Kill Devils Hill and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. It was neat seeing the place where Duck Doughnuts was founded as well! After the Outer Banks and all of our summer camp adventures, me and my girls spent a few days at Lake Greenwood State Park. Of all the State Parks in South Carolina we have visited so far, this one may be at the top of my list. There was absolutely nothing to do except sit around and relax and play in the lake. One evening, it was a little creepy as we were the only ones in the lake. There were no other people, no boats, no jet skis, nothing. But it was so much fun for us and the sunsets each evening were absolutely gorgeous. If you like exploring State Parks then I highly recommend checking out Lake Greenwood.
GOOD-BYE SUMMER
Well, finally another summer has come and gone. This summer by far seemed to be one of the busiest ones yet, but it was still a great summer filled with memories, laughter and God’s working. It is always a little sad to see summer come and go, after all, it is my favorite season. And even though summer doesn’t officially end until September 22nd, as of this coming Monday another school year is upon us. My wife will be starting her seventeenth year teaching and Gracie will be starting her seventh grade year and second year of middle school! All of us hate to see summer go but we look forward to new adventures, another season of fall soccer, cross-country and anything else in between. Thanks for taking a few moments to read FIVE THINGS FRIDAY even though it was more like THREE THINGS FRIDAY today. I look forward to being able to write and blog more regularly now that summer has wind down. Have a great Friday and we will see you next week.
Happy Monday, folks. Welcome back to part 2 of our study on The Whole Bible in 16 Verses. This weeks verses are difficult for some in our culture to accept as absolute truth today. So, before we dive in, I want to ask that you take a moment and pray, asking God for guidance and understanding as we work through these two verses today. Thanks for joining us and let’s go…
“So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:27-28, CSB
Never before have two verses created such conflict in our world, but more on that in a minute. If we are not careful, we will miss the wonderful blessing found within these verses. God, despite His sovereign power and absolute right to rule, chose not to do it alone. God created Adam and Eve as the pinnacle of His creation! God created them in His image, but He didn’t stop there.
He told Adam and Eve that they were to “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it…”
Be fruitful: Adam and Eve were two separate individuals who were joined together by God. After this union, they were now free to help fill and multiply the earth together. This was one of God’s first commands and it is still true today. God created man and woman in the very beginning to be His image bearers. That was His plan and His purpose. It was not by chance or a mistake when He created them male and female, two separate sexes. Some in our culture today have serious issues with this part of God’s design. Many today feel like it’s okay if they form a union with someone of the same sex or worse yet; they feel like God made a “mistake” and they have given into the lie of satan that they were meant to be the opposite sex than what they were born as. We have manipulated the truth for a lie!
The other part in verse 28, we see that God created man and woman to subdue the earth or have dominion over it. This means that we were created to help take care of the world and everything in it, that God gave us. Adam and Eve were commissioned with the task to take care of the land that God had created. Us, like Adam and Eve, have been tasked with ruling all the animals on the land, sea and air. We are to rule over them in the same way that God rules over His creation. Adam and Eve were to care for and be good stewards of the things that God had given them and to bring glory to Him in the way they did this. The same is still true with us today. We are to care for, be good stewards of the things that God has given us and seek to bring glory and honor to Him.
Sadly, we have seen a jaded view of what it’s like to be under authority of a good and wise king. Many churches, church leaders have been hit with scandals and abuse of power, so we can understand where the mistrust is coming from. However, at the beginning, it wasn’t this way! God in His love and goodness, created Adam and Eve to echo His loving rule in His creation/kingdom.
Creation is special, especially creation of Adam and Eve, who were created in the image of God. HE created them, placed them in the garden and gave them important tasks. God brought them into a covenant with Him, but something went wrong with the way humans interact with creation. This leads us to next week where we will look at the fall.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week. Until next time, blessings.
Hello Friday and welcome back to another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. If this is your first time with us, welcome. I am so thankful to see Friday because this has been one crazy and hectic week. One reason for the crazy week is that it is the last week of school and in our house, that is always a hectic week. With this being the last week of school, it got me thinking about summer and all that it brings. So, in today’s edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY we are going to discuss all things summer. Let’s go…
SCHOOL’S OUT!
Photo Courtesy of Pelicans Snowballs in Hickory, NC
Today is the last day of school for our house! I know some students have already finished school for the year and summer break has already started for you. I know some of you may find this hard to believe, but there was a small part of me that always hated the last day of school. I never liked going to school for the work and study. I did however enjoy going to school to see my friends and participate in the extracurricular activities with them. I absolutely loved being a part of marching band, chorus and sports teams! I spent over 100 days with these people and then all of a sudden, I’m stuck at home all day with no friends and nothing to do. When I was growing up, if I wanted to hang out with my friends, I had to ask and beg my older sister to take to meet up with them to play basketball, tennis, or whatever else we would get into. More times than not, she was always willing. If I wanted to talk to them, I had to pick up a phone, dial their number and talk to them over the phone. It’s not like today where we can just text someone or FaceTime someone if we want to talk with them. But, I am grateful for those summers and still have some great memories of me and the boys.
So, with today being the last day of school, here is what I was wondering. Did you ever have an end of the year tradition as a kid or with your kids now? For example, once I pick up Gracie and Jana gets home, we will head over to Pelican’s for our end of the school year tradition that we started with Gracie. It’s not anything big, but it’s a fun little tradition. It actually makes me happy that our little pre-teen is still excited to go to Pelican’s after school! It’s the little victories in life that we will remember the most, right? What about you? Was there a tradition that you had for the last day of school?
SUMMER READING CHALLENGE
Ok, I probably lost some of you at this point, but stay with me. I know that you have doing a ton of school work and the last thing you want to do is pick up another book. I get that! However, I want to challenge you to keep your mind focused this summer. Sure, take a few days and do nothing but veg out on junk food, catch up on TV shows, sleep in, whatever you need to do to unwind from a grueling year. But don’t stay there! Challenge yourself this summer to read a book that you typically would not pick up. I will put out a more extensive list of books for you to read next week. So, for the moment, enjoy your start to summer, get rested up and congrats on a great year. Also, congratulations to all the graduates of 2022!
SUMMER SERVE
Summer is a great time to get out and serve others. Hold on, before you check out. Too many times we think of summer break as “me” time. I completely understand that. We all need a little “me/down” time, but don’t stay there! Don’t be so inward focused that you miss the people and opportunities right in front of you. Find a few ways this summer to go and serve. This isn’t just for students either! Maybe you want to find a way for you and your family to go and serve together, that would be such a blessing. Psalms 100:2 says, “Serve the LORD with gladness” (NASB). Believers should never look at serving God as a burden, but as a delight and privilege. Look for opportunities to serve within your church. Maybe your church has a monthly food bank or clothes bank that you could get involved with. Maybe you could go and help out one of the senior adults in your church. There are multiple ways for you to go and serve this summer. Don’t waste your summer by thinking only of yourself, if you do you will miss out on so many great opportunities.
SUMMER SCAVENGER HUNT
Yes, you read that right. I am going to create a summer scavenger hunt for you and your family to do this summer. It will be published next week along with the Summer Reading Challenge. This is just one way that you and your family can enjoy summer together. You can participate as an individual, a family, a Sunday school class or youth group. The possibilities are endless. This will be a weekly challenge and I look forward to participating with you!
EVERY SUMMER HAS A STORY
As I look back at past summers, I see a trail of wonderful and bittersweet memories. There have been summers that overflowed with joy and summers filled with deep sadness and pain. The common thread is that every summer was unique and had its own tale to tell.
Just as every physical summer has a story, so does every spiritual summer. We each walk through different spiritual seasons at different times. Fall is a time of change. Winter is a time of barrenness and preparation. Spring is a time of rebirth. And summer is a time for bearing fruit and embracing the abundant life that God has called us to.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NASB)
This may sound strange but there is nothing quite like a sweet, sun-ripened summer strawberry! My wife absolutely loves them. In fact, she is already telling me that it’s time to go back to the beach so she can get her favorite strawberries from one of the farmers. Just like sun-ripened strawberries have to be cultivated and cared for while they are on the branches, so do we. We must stay connected to Christ, who is our vine if we are to grow in the image and person of Jesus Christ. I pray that you will stay connected to Jesus (the vine) this summer and seek to serve Him, to bring Him glory in all that you do. If you do, this summer will be one of the most exciting stories you will experience.
Thank you for joining me today and I pray that you have a blessed Friday. Until next week my friends!
Happy Monday, and welcome to MOTIVATION MONDAY. Today, we will begin our series on The Whole Bible in 16 Verses. This will be a longer series than usual, but well worth it as we dive into God’s Word and see His working in just 16 verses. I am glad that you have joined us, and let’s begin with our first verse.
“God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31, NASB)
As I set out to tell the story of the whole Bible, I have to begin with God. He is the author of the Bible, so to tell this story without starting with Him is impossible. See, our view of the world begins with our view of God. “The way we think about God shapes the way we think about everything else, along the way we act and respond to every circumstance.” (Chris Brunno)
God said that all of creation was very good. This may sound surprising to you at first glance. After all, when we look around our world, turn on our radios, tv’s or the news, the world doesn’t seem “very good.” We see things that are dying, decaying, and people who are constantly fighting. How is all of God’s creation good?
At the very beginning, God was able to create everything that exists with just a word. The entire universe came to be because God spoke. God made everything, and everything He made was good. He simply spoke and creation obeyed. Wait what, how did creation obey? It obeyed by coming into being, and sprouting every living thing and then submitting to God’s sovereign power. By saying that His creation “very good”, He was proclaiming that His creation was doing what He wanted it to do. Everything was in perfect unison, working and flowing together just as their creator intended. Everything was in perfect harmony!
Take a moment today to read Psalms 104 and you will see that the earth, the sky, the ocean and everything continue to reflect God’s power, might and creativity. Verse 27 concludes, “They all wait for You to give them their food.” This is amazing because despite all that has gone wrong in the world, God’s kingdom still looks to Him, depends on Him just as it has from the very beginning. Look around you today and thank God for the creation of nature. Let it bring to your remembrance his power and divinity. Genesis 1:31 gives us a small window into the creation story, but it is not the whole story. Yes, God is King and rules over His creation, He did not intend to rule it alone. But, more on that next week.
Hello, Friday! There is something special about waking up and realizing that it’s Friday, especially after testing week. I cannot believe that another school year has come and gone! It literally feels like yesterday when the school year started. I pray that everyone had a wonderful school year and congratulations to all the graduates! Whether high school or college, you deserve a round of applause for your accomplishment! I know that I am extremely proud of all my graduates this year! Well, in this edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, I am going to need your participation and feedback. As the school year comes to an end and we are preparing for summer, I want to have some fun in this post with THIS or THAT Summer Edition questions. I look forward to hearing your responses! So, without further ado, here we go…
THIS OR THAT SUMMER EDITION
THIS OR THAT QUESTION 1: Sunrise or Sunset?
This is a really tough one, but I probably prefer sunset because I am not a morning person. However, there is something about a sunrise and having that morning sun hit your face. I think a sunrise is easier to photograph too, but the colors in a sunset are absolutely beautiful. But, I’m still sticking with my sunset! How about you?
THIS OR THAT QUESTION 2: Pool or Beach?
I enjoy pools as long as it’s not crowded and the same is true about the beach. Not sure why I chose this question because I am more of a mountains and camping person. But I will say pool! I am sure that many of you are beach people and would probably live at the beach if you had the chance… my wife being one of those people! If she could find a way to do it, her dream job would be the beach “librarian” where she would take her little book cart up and down the beach handing out books for anyone interested. I do enjoy the beach for the simple fact that I reminds me of how amazing God’s creation is. But, I am sticking with the pool for now.
THIS OR THAT QUESTION 3: Baseball Game or Summer Concert?
Hands down I will always go with a baseball game. There is something special about being at a ballpark in summer. The sounds, smells and over all atmosphere just screams summer. However, we are going to our first summer concert this year, so I may change my answer after that experience, we will have to wait and see. (I don’t really see that happening, but I’m keeping an open mind!)
THIS OR THAT QUESTION 4: Theme Park or Water Park?
THEME PARK ALL THE WAY! Water parks scare me because there are so many people swimming and floating in the water. I would rather spend an entire day walking around a theme park than swimming with a bunch of strangers who are bumping up against you. Even though there are probably more rides that I would ride at a water park, I will still choose to be in a theme park. I like the atmosphere and the smell of popcorn and food floating through the air is unbeatable. Now, I know some of you will try to say both, because you can go to theme parks that have water parks in them… that doesn’t count. You can only choose one!
THIS OR THAT QUESTION 5: Summer Reading or Summer Movies?
This one is actually quite hard for me. Now, I would say summer reading. When I was younger I did not like to read. I would much rather go and watch the movie, because the movie was better, right? My wife has greatly influenced this side of me since we have been married. I have stated before that I am not a fast reader, but I at least enjoy reading. Also, reading is a bit more relaxing than watching movies now a days. I cannot go to the movies just to watch a movie. It really has to be something that I want to watch. However, there are two summer movies that I will be going to watch this summer, but that may be it. But, which one are you choosing? What books do you enjoy reading and do you have a “favorite” spot that you like to sit and read during the summer?
Well, that’s it for this week. Have a blessed weekend and I look forward to reading your responses. Thanks for reading and see you next Friday!
Coffee Conversations 