It is wonderful to be back with the congregation after a trip outside of the country! When one travels abroad, one not only notices how well off even the poorest of us in the U.S. are but also how much one misses their home land. The food, the smells, the familiar sights, and the ENGLISH all welcome the traveler back with open arms. After many days of hard work, we have returned from our mission trip to Honduras with many stories and adventures to tell. The trip changed our lives as much as it changed the lives of the Hondurans we helped! Plans are already in progress for next years trip! The date should be set by next week and I pray you will consider going on the adventure and serving others with the love of Christ.
Although our part in the mission trip has been completed the mission is not finished. Journey Mission Camp is in need of many things. More groups are coming in over the next year and the camp is suffering from disrepair and broken down vehicles. Tires, new engines, fans, paint, and much more are needed in order to get the camp back on its feet and fully efficient. Three of us was not much of a strain, but after evaluation, a group of 20-30 will have trouble accomplishing their goals. Journey Mission does much more than build houses. It plants churches, clothes the poor, feeds the hungry, educates those who cannot afford schooling, and much more! The longer the camp is in disrepair the less the mission will be able to accomplish. We all know that a house in disrepair costs much more to run than a house that is kept up and run smoothly. Due to our economy and recent events, Journey Mission has lost some of its finances which would normally go towards camp upkeep. They have attempted to keep finances helping others, but unless the camp is brought up to par, it will eventually fall to self defeat! Returning JMC to complete working condition will enable more funds to be poured into the true mission of Journey—the people. If you or someone you know is interested in helping donate to the much needed repairs please let me (Josh) know!
Thanks to the Fairfax Church of Christ and Phil McKinney, we had the funds to build a house while in Honduras. Their group had to cancel their trip so we were graciously allowed to use those funds and build a house for a family in need. Thank you all for your prayers and support as we prepared and carried out this mission trip! I pray more of you will be able to go next summer and truly Live The Mission!
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Purpose
With many congregations facing a problem of lacking involvement, they have often ask what it is they must do to motivate people to do more for the Lord. Motivation is the key to involvement. Although many think the problem is laziness, I believe it is that their members are involved in many other activities which crowd their time. A while back I shared a thought about taking a Sabbath. We often over work ourselves and accidentally leave God out. It’s not that people don’t want to work for God, they just have their priorities jumbled up! I even fall into this category from time to time. A church sign in North Carolina said “the main thing is to see that the main thing is the main thing.” Often we forget what the main thing actually is. We forget to prioritize the most important things in life so they are lost in the lesser important.
Look at Malachi 1:6-10
The OT priests dishonored God because they did not give Him their best. Although we, today, do not offer animal sacrifices, we do offer ourselves as sacrifices (Romans 12:1). This offering involves our time, lifestyles, money, and everything else. Where do we spend our energy and effort? Do we really wish we could do more instead of thinking we have already done our share?
I want to congratulate all of you as members for your willingness to do what is needed. With that said, I know many of us struggle at times with making sure the main thing is in fact the main thing. Many of us sometimes slip into a slump and forget our purpose on earth. If you are one of those and currently down, find the strength to get back up and do what’s needed for God’s Kingdom!
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Look at Malachi 1:6-10
The OT priests dishonored God because they did not give Him their best. Although we, today, do not offer animal sacrifices, we do offer ourselves as sacrifices (Romans 12:1). This offering involves our time, lifestyles, money, and everything else. Where do we spend our energy and effort? Do we really wish we could do more instead of thinking we have already done our share?
I want to congratulate all of you as members for your willingness to do what is needed. With that said, I know many of us struggle at times with making sure the main thing is in fact the main thing. Many of us sometimes slip into a slump and forget our purpose on earth. If you are one of those and currently down, find the strength to get back up and do what’s needed for God’s Kingdom!
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Obstacles
As they neared the sea, the Israelites knew that there was no way out of it. They looked behind them and saw the Egyptians gaining on them and became afraid. As they cried out, they told Moses it was better to be slaves then in the situation they were now in!
My favorite part of this story is Moses’ response to the Israelites. As they cried out, Moses told them “Do not fear. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
All the Israelites needed to do was to trust in God. They so quickly lost faith and wanted to turn back to their old lives as slaves. At this moment, they could not see past the situation they were in and they could not see the deliverance God was bringing.
How many times in life have we done this same thing? How many times have we been caught in the middle of something and were not able to see God’s hand working? We need only to be still and watch for God.
Are you going to let Satan and this world convince you that your old life was better than it is now? Are you going to turn from God because you can't let go of the sin(s) you were in? I pray that we continue to take a stand and press on no matter how the odds are. God used an army of hundreds to beat an army of thousands! The obstacles we face in life are God’s to deal with. God tells us to “lay down our burdens.” So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, tackle your obstacles and press on!
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
My favorite part of this story is Moses’ response to the Israelites. As they cried out, Moses told them “Do not fear. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
All the Israelites needed to do was to trust in God. They so quickly lost faith and wanted to turn back to their old lives as slaves. At this moment, they could not see past the situation they were in and they could not see the deliverance God was bringing.
How many times in life have we done this same thing? How many times have we been caught in the middle of something and were not able to see God’s hand working? We need only to be still and watch for God.
Are you going to let Satan and this world convince you that your old life was better than it is now? Are you going to turn from God because you can't let go of the sin(s) you were in? I pray that we continue to take a stand and press on no matter how the odds are. God used an army of hundreds to beat an army of thousands! The obstacles we face in life are God’s to deal with. God tells us to “lay down our burdens.” So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, tackle your obstacles and press on!
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Humility
Greetings from Memphis! As you worship this morning, I will be worshiping in Memphis, TN. This coming week will be filled with lots of study and Old Testament discussion as I take one of my Graduate courses! Although I deeply miss being with my Watertown family, I am confident it is in good hands as brother Joe will bring our class and morning sermon and Aaron will bring our evening sermon! May God bless you as you worship Him and learn from His Word.
1 Peter 5:5b-6 says “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”
Humility is more than denying one is good at something. It is more than poor self esteem and looking at the ground. In fact, this is not at all what is meant by humility. Humility is more along the lines of submission. We must not be proud and arrogant individuals. We must not consider ourselves “wiser than the others,” or “holier than others.” We must not fall into the trap of building ourselves up while it tears down others or the trap of being un-teachable. Humility is best seen in the example of Christ. Christ was submissive to God, comfortable with who he was while not lording it over others. As a child we see that Jesus is teachable! We see him sitting in the temple not only asking questions but learning from the Rabbis of old. If Jesus wanted too could he have walked in and told them how it is and how it is going to be? Sure he could have! Could he have spoken every time he attended synagogue? Of course! However, Jesus had a humble attitude and was willing to listen! Do we have the attitude of Christ? An attitude of humility? Or are we un-teachable, prideful, and the best Christian of the bunch? If we are never wrong...we are not humble (and possibly naïve). We must clothe ourselves with humility and only then will God exalt us!
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
1 Peter 5:5b-6 says “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”
Humility is more than denying one is good at something. It is more than poor self esteem and looking at the ground. In fact, this is not at all what is meant by humility. Humility is more along the lines of submission. We must not be proud and arrogant individuals. We must not consider ourselves “wiser than the others,” or “holier than others.” We must not fall into the trap of building ourselves up while it tears down others or the trap of being un-teachable. Humility is best seen in the example of Christ. Christ was submissive to God, comfortable with who he was while not lording it over others. As a child we see that Jesus is teachable! We see him sitting in the temple not only asking questions but learning from the Rabbis of old. If Jesus wanted too could he have walked in and told them how it is and how it is going to be? Sure he could have! Could he have spoken every time he attended synagogue? Of course! However, Jesus had a humble attitude and was willing to listen! Do we have the attitude of Christ? An attitude of humility? Or are we un-teachable, prideful, and the best Christian of the bunch? If we are never wrong...we are not humble (and possibly naïve). We must clothe ourselves with humility and only then will God exalt us!
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Independence Day
I pray that you all had a wonderful (and safe) 4th of July! It’s always good to remember our freedom and those who have served our country and given their lives for what we enjoy here in the United States. I am happy to live in such a great country! Sure, we have our problems, but what country doesn’t? Celebrations such as our Independence Day help us look past the negative aspects of things that sometimes happen and focus on the positives. One doesn’t have to travel very far out of the country to see the difference between the United States and other countries. Many times I hear people complaining about the United States and how much they hate living here…”there’s a simple solution,” I tell them, “change citizenship and move somewhere else.” Guess how many have actually taken my advice. The truth is that we are a blessed nation in so many ways and the poorest of us are rich by the worlds standards. Thank God for our blessings while we have them!
As much as I love the United States, I have to come to the realization that our ultimate goal is not the United States (or any other country for that matter). Recall the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:13b-14: “But one thing I do: ‘forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’” Although Paul was proud of both his Jewish and Roman citizenship, ultimately, it was his citizenship with God ‘s Kingdom that gave his life meaning. Yes we should be proud of the United States and strive to continually better ourselves and our country, however, we must remember that our primary focus is to be that of God’s Kingdom! After all, independence day for God’s Kingdom was around 33A.D. on a Sunday. Happy Independence Day!
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
As much as I love the United States, I have to come to the realization that our ultimate goal is not the United States (or any other country for that matter). Recall the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:13b-14: “But one thing I do: ‘forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’” Although Paul was proud of both his Jewish and Roman citizenship, ultimately, it was his citizenship with God ‘s Kingdom that gave his life meaning. Yes we should be proud of the United States and strive to continually better ourselves and our country, however, we must remember that our primary focus is to be that of God’s Kingdom! After all, independence day for God’s Kingdom was around 33A.D. on a Sunday. Happy Independence Day!
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Saturday, June 27, 2009
A Person Of Integrity
It’s great to be back after a long week. I am so thankful that I am able to leave everything in wonderful hands when I must be away on a trip! I pray you applied everything we learned last Sunday about prayer. Prayer is very powerful and is our primary communication with our Heavenly Father.
Job chapter two is found in the midst of his suffering. We see Satan talking with God and accusing Job of only following God because he has the “good life.” God allows Job to be tested but his life is not to be messed with. The scene quickly jumps from the throne room of God and to a scene taking place somewhere in the Middle East on earth. We see Job already stricken with soars and being pressured to renounce God. In Job 2:9 his wife comes to him and said, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” Notice in the question Job’s wife is questioning his motive for holding onto integrity. Job was faithful to God in the midst of all his suffering. Job spent a lifetime following God and when it comes to the moment of truth, Job matches his actions with his words. Job is truly a good example of a person with integrity.
How do we handle pressure at work, school, and home to go against everything we claim? Sometimes we are asked to put aside our integrity and give in just this one time. When Satan temps us to give in and forget that God seeks integrity, we must remember that these are vital moments to spiritual growth. Being an individual of integrity is not always easy, however, it is the most rewarding characteristic one can develop.
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Job chapter two is found in the midst of his suffering. We see Satan talking with God and accusing Job of only following God because he has the “good life.” God allows Job to be tested but his life is not to be messed with. The scene quickly jumps from the throne room of God and to a scene taking place somewhere in the Middle East on earth. We see Job already stricken with soars and being pressured to renounce God. In Job 2:9 his wife comes to him and said, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” Notice in the question Job’s wife is questioning his motive for holding onto integrity. Job was faithful to God in the midst of all his suffering. Job spent a lifetime following God and when it comes to the moment of truth, Job matches his actions with his words. Job is truly a good example of a person with integrity.
How do we handle pressure at work, school, and home to go against everything we claim? Sometimes we are asked to put aside our integrity and give in just this one time. When Satan temps us to give in and forget that God seeks integrity, we must remember that these are vital moments to spiritual growth. Being an individual of integrity is not always easy, however, it is the most rewarding characteristic one can develop.
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Prayer Power
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”--Martin Luther King, Jr.
The theme for today is prayer. Often prayer is left out of our devotional lives, our decisions, and our interaction together. The only time some people pray during the week is on Sunday morning and the beginning and ending of services. Jesus however saw the importance of prayer and the closeness it brings to the creator.
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, prayer is around almost every corner. You cannot go very far until Jesus is found praying again or teaching about prayer. If prayer was so important to Jesus, it better be important to the spiritual giant. The spiritual giant seeks to have a close relationship with God and knows a key to that relationship is communication on his part.
Some very important points about prayer are made in John 18:
1) Don’t stop praying, there is way too much at stake.
2) Don’t give up when everything seems to be against you...keep asking.
3) Sometimes the answer is just around the corner, God hears you!
4) Keep praying, God is working...even if you can’t see it at the time.
5) Jesus keeps his promises and he tells us that if we ask, God will respond.
Sometimes we get caught up in tough times and situations and feel alone. Sometimes we pray and forget that juts because we think it is an urgent matter, that God should feel the same way. When you are tempted to stop praying and take matters into your own hands, remember that God is faithful and will answer when the time is right. All we need to do is continue to talk to Him.
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
The theme for today is prayer. Often prayer is left out of our devotional lives, our decisions, and our interaction together. The only time some people pray during the week is on Sunday morning and the beginning and ending of services. Jesus however saw the importance of prayer and the closeness it brings to the creator.
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, prayer is around almost every corner. You cannot go very far until Jesus is found praying again or teaching about prayer. If prayer was so important to Jesus, it better be important to the spiritual giant. The spiritual giant seeks to have a close relationship with God and knows a key to that relationship is communication on his part.
Some very important points about prayer are made in John 18:
1) Don’t stop praying, there is way too much at stake.
2) Don’t give up when everything seems to be against you...keep asking.
3) Sometimes the answer is just around the corner, God hears you!
4) Keep praying, God is working...even if you can’t see it at the time.
5) Jesus keeps his promises and he tells us that if we ask, God will respond.
Sometimes we get caught up in tough times and situations and feel alone. Sometimes we pray and forget that juts because we think it is an urgent matter, that God should feel the same way. When you are tempted to stop praying and take matters into your own hands, remember that God is faithful and will answer when the time is right. All we need to do is continue to talk to Him.
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
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