May 29, 2009

Why do we always seem to skip over our time with God?

I find it amazing how, when we look at our schedules and we find it busy, or we find that we have an appointment early in the morning, or when get to bed late and just want to sleep in, the first thing we take off our list is usually our devotion time (maybe you don't have to have a list that says "devo's" on it but you just skip them anyways). I fall into this pit so many times with out even realizing I'm there. It's like mom tells me, "You have a dentist appointment at 8:30 tomorrow morning," and I think, "Well, I'll have to get dressed, make my bed, take out the trash, eat breakfast... looks like I aint havin devotions tommorrow," or, like a lot of times, it happens this way, "O man, it's late already tonight, I'm tired, and I just wanna sleep in. I guess I'll just sleep through my normal devotion time," and I'm ok with that. I don't even think of it as being sin. One thing that I could also go awhile about on this post about is that this sin of course could also be categorized with the whole "setting your priorities straight," but thats a whole nother sermon. So just pray for me that I'll stop skipping over my devotions all the time, and since I know that it's a big trap for all of us in the youth group, just pray that all of us would find the time to be with our Best Friend (kind of ironic + sad that we don't want to spend time with our self-proclaimed "best friend"), and that we would not skip the awesome profitable time that we need to spend with Him every day.

May 27, 2009

Another Birthday!?!?

Happy Birthday Johnny Caputo! Thanks for your part at church and in your family's ministry to Millersville. Keep a surrendered heart and God will bless your life.

May 18, 2009

Bearing Birthday Biddings...

Happy 17th Birthday Erik Hanson!!!!!!! Thanks for your willingness to serve in the youth group through your violin playing, singing, and involvement. Seek God with all your heart, stay in His Word and let Him lead you through every day. Hope you have a great day!

May 11, 2009

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm?

On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.

They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.

"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter 's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.


Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!



"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.

What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine? High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!

May 8, 2009

Cut and Remove

Matt. 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
I came across this passage the other day and it stuck out to me. I know that all of us church people have heard this passage a countless number of times, but it still stuck out to me. It starts out by talking about the sin of lust/adultery. However, the principle applies to all sin. Basically the question that I keep coming up against is what action am I taking to resist temptation? I think in some ways I have disregarded the seriousness of my sin. While God knows that we won't be perfect, and is ready to forgive, he makes it very clear that we are to make no provision for the flesh but to put it completely to death.
Again, how seriously do I take my sin? Jesus uses a wonderful word picture to show us just how seriously we should take it. It is better to loose a hand or an eye and enter into heaven than to enter into hell with all your bodily members. Talk about putting something to death! I need to look at my spiritual life more like a battle zone. When you are in a battle you take a serious evaluation of your week points. The Holy Spirit helps us do this in our spiritual lives. Next you need to come up with a plan of action. You try to plan ahead so that the enemy will not be able to take advantage of that weakness, of if he does how you can combat it. Shouldn't we do the same?
When I was younger I had a bad habit of calling my brother names that really annoyed him. My dad had told us kids that we weren't supposed to call eachother names, but I had made a habit of it. I started to feel very convicted over my sin...the Holy Spirit. I made a plan of action(I think my dad actually suggested it); when I called him a name, I would pay him money.
Why is it that as I have gotten more lax in my fight against sin? Anyway, it needs to stop. Jesus makes it very clear in this passage that we need to take quick, decisive action against sin. The one other thing to keep in mind, as I said earlier, is that even though Jesus made himself very clear on this issue, He has also stated very plainly elsewhere in the bible that He will give complete forgiveness if we ask and truly repent. These two views can be very hard to hold at the same time. I want to end with a passage that I think gives a very good picture of these two views. It shows that we can know that we are forgiven but still fight with all our strength against sin.
II Cor. 7:8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. 9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Greg

May 4, 2009

Going forward.

Life can only be understood backwards, 
but it must be lived forwards.

     - Soren Kierkegaard

I found this quote, and had to think over it for a while, but what's saying is so true! As we look back, the past things make sense, but they didn't seem to make any sense at the time, and things we are going through right now sometimes make no sense, but in the future we will understand it. So, the only way to live is to keep going forward and trust that God knows what's going on even if we are not sure. God has every thing under control!
Thats my thought for today ;)
Keep going forward!
Rachel

Birthday Girl!

Happy Sweet Sixteenth Birthday Katie Hackman! Thanks for your tender heart and involvement in the youth group. We'll be praying for you over this next year and especially over the next couple weeks as you finish up school. Keep growing!