The Bible in a Year

I started listening to the Bible two days ago with the intention of reading/listening to the Bible in a year. I think this year I'll listen through the Bible starting in Genesis and read chapter by chapter until I reach Revelation. There are different plans and guidelines that help you read through the Bible in a year; choose one that best suits you and start today. It's a great learning experience for the whole year! Read it and live it everyday - good luck and God bless!

Humbled at Home

Yesterday I walked less than a mile from our church to go door to door letting people know that we had a food drive happening. As I walked through one neighborhood I was humbled at the life style some are living less than a mile from the church, not over seas, right here at home. Some were hard workers working a couple jobs each, others, not so much. However, I remember Jesus going town to town and door to door in the scriptures. In one instance in Matthew 15, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way." Jesus healed many of the people and fed them all. Lord help me to have compassion on people like you do. Lord don't ever let me forget my many blessings and continually remind me to share them!

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

John 6:35
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Patience

Krista and I lived near the church where we ministered, Friendship AG Church, Richmond, TX...in Y2K. It took me about 5 minutes to get to the office every day. However, it took Krista almost an hour and a half to get to her work every day...one way. I remember picking her up from work one day and driving from the Galleria area back down to Richmond. After 3 minutes of that route I finally fully understood road rage. I could have rammed cars & shot out windows very easily! I still remember sitting helplessly in the traffic, moving by the inch every 30 seconds or so. I was maxed out. Sometimes our walk with God is just like that. It feels like we're moving by the inch when we want to be cruising down the highway. After I thought about it for a while I realized I had wasted my time that day. I was with my wife Krista; we had over an hour of time to talk, reflect, talk about the day, etc. However, I could only focus on what frustrated me instead of who I was with. We could have at least planned a vacation or talked about the weekend coming up; something to entertain us, but I was too pre-occupied with the external circumstance I could do nothing about. I hope you're beating me to the point. Point is: look at the good, keep our eyes on the positive, stay focused on energizing yourself with good thoughts, healthy conversation and being still and knowing that God is the author of your life. In other words, every part of our life is orchestrated by God. Instead of looking around at the many things we can't control, why not look to our God and have a conversation that will be uplifting and productive so that when we're finally out of the traffic jam, we have a good idea of where we're going with God.

Richmond, TX

Krista and I relocated to Richmond, TX in '99. I hired on as the youth pastor for Friendship Assembly of God Church. These next few years would set the foundation for my ministry years to come. They were good solid years of ministry. Friendship is a great church and Pastor Frazier was a good leader and teacher to me. The most lasting impression he left on me was to always give others the benefit of the doubt. It's imperative and of course Biblical to be objective when "problem solving" of any kind when in church leadership.

1) Lead with grace and 2) Mercy triumphs judgment.

Chess

League City, 1998 - I remember my good friend Mike T. who taught me the basic moves of playing chess while we lived in League City. He attended our church and we lived in the same apartment complex. I still remember coming home most everyday and thinking only about playing chess! Within a few days the game of chess had consumed my mind and I still remember sitting on Mike's porch learning the moves and trying to beat him for the first time. I still think about chess all the time! Matter of fact, I play it on facebook most everyday. I make one or two moves a day against my opponents in games that sometimes last for months! Just saying...I sort of enjoy chess!

Christianity should be something that consumes our mind. We should constantly be asking God how we can learn more about Him & best serve Him. If we ask; "How can I better serve my family, my friends, my church?" that's one sign that we're heading in the right direction. Serving God is serving each other. Jesus said if you serve the least of those around you then you have served Him. Matthew 25:31-40. Most new Christians are so excited to serve God it's all they think about; pleasing God begins to consume them. The Apostle Paul says that living a life of Christ is a marathon, not a sprint. Therefore, let's take our faith walk with God in stride, don't burn out, keep on moving forward, even if it's in small steps. Hold steady to the truth of God's promises so that you will finish with the eternal prize of Heaven. 2 Timothy 4:7,8 and 1 Corinthians 9:24.

Believe It

In a prayer time the other day I was near speechless; the only thing I remember saying was "God, I still believe in you." I went to the church the next day and didn't take my church key with me so I sat in the parking lot waiting of the rest of the team. I flipped the radio on and immediately Jeremy Camp began singing "I Still Believe." I thought that was cool enough. Then, later that morning I felt God speaking to me "Tom, I still believe in you!" I do believe in God, but there was something overwhelmingly awesome about knowing that God wanted to be sure that I heard Him speaking to me saying that He still believes in me. What a great way to start the new year. And for you, there is no doubt in my mind, the maker of heaven and Earth, your maker, your friend, the one who died for you, - Jesus still believes in you no matter what you think He thinks! He loves you, He still believes in you; and He should, He made you and will continue the good work that He started in you.

The Hunt for the Peace of God

So as Levi and I went on a little hike and hunt today we finally stopped and took a rest by a steam. I was at total peace enjoying watching him have so much fun and sense of adventure on the hike. By the stream, as Levi fiddled with sticks and asked me a few times when we'd see a deer it reminded me of our relationship with Christ. Although Levi typically seems to be a patient kid for his age and he was sitting rather quite in-spite of being little anxious, as adults we can be fidgety and unappreciative of our time with God on any given trek we're on with Him. All the while He is just glad to be on the trek with us; and of course all the while God knows exactly where we're going and watching out for our every move. He even guides our steps, so the Bible says. Today - remember that God enjoys watching you walk with Him. Not necessarily watching you work for him. Be at peace today knowing that God loves you, cares for you and will safely guide you onward in your adventure through life.

Shooting Rabbits & Christianity

Very simple: while rabbit hunting its common to see a rabbit, shoot it, get all excited about hunting rabbits and....... within minutes you're walking through the woods with your gun down to your side while you day dream about lunch. When the next rabbit jumps out in front of you; you miss it. In Christianity, we see God, have a great experience and...... then walk about our week with little hope; and when God moves suddenly in our lives again, we are not prepared for Him and we miss it. The cure? Faith, Hope, Love; Repeat.

A God Moment

A God Moment: The other day my 6 yr. old son asked to help me mop @ the church. He was mopping the bathroom floors and cafe area w/ his ipod on singing the words "Not to us, but to your name be the Glory"...mopping floors. What a teachable remind-able moment for my boy to remind me that everything we do on Earth, even the little things, even to the least of these, even mopping floors or sharing a smile to the cashier or telling the waiter he did a good job: everything we do is for God, not for us. Every action, every good work, every act of faith, all hope - and our hope - is for God to be glorified. As Levi mopped away I stood still & knew HE was God. And today @ Velocity I had another God moment; the kind of moment where God fills us beyond explanation. I hope tomorrow I have another few minutes where time stands still and I am aware of God's presence! Furthermore, I hope you do too! Look for God at every turn in your day, He's there to help you see things clearly!

Christmas: A Story of Faith and Hope

The story of Christmas is a story to remind us that our faith and hope are not in vain. Everything we hope for and believe in as Christians will be revealed to us in full at the appointed time. God made it known through the prophets many thousands of years before Christ was born that there would be a savior for Israel and for all people! Throughout the centuries from when Israel and Judah collapsed to when Christ was born; Jews were made slaves and dispersed to other parts of the world, most doubted and lived without hope, but others hoped yet never saw the Savior in this life. However, the Bible talks of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke chapter 1 who were faithful and found righteous. Because of their faithfulness, God sent them a son in their old age in which they were to name John - that same angel Gabriel then went to Mary and proclaimed the time had come for the Messiah to be born and she would be the mother of the promised Savior! At this time in history, it had been over 700 years since anyone had seen God move or speak. And now the time had come. In your life, don't lose hope. Even when it seems God has not moved or spoke to you. Even if you feel like God doesn't hear you and does not respond to your prayers: At the Appointed Time God will reward you for your faithfulness! Long after others quit serving God, strive to remain faithful because there will be a day when there is no more shame & no more pain. God promises.

Take a Walk; Have a Talk

Matthew 4. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, there were three ways the devil came at Jesus; Physical, Mental, Emotional. The enemy can’t attack your spiritual – that’s all God’s domain. But you can allow the enemy total access to your spiritual by letting him break through another avenue of your being. Stand strong, and when you’ve done everything you can, Keep Standing! 1 Corinthians 16:13
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." Walking, Reading, and talking to a friend can help keep your physical, mental, and emotion tuned up. You will have to stretch yourself in these areas as to not become numb to your initial efforts. Keep the faith - move forward in everything you do! Put your hand to the plow, don't look back. Press on toward the goal - this includes your Earthly goals and most important the goal of staying true to God until you've reached heaven.

God's Voice

I was in prayer today at the church and I know God spoke to me as clear as He ever has. It was during my repetitive walks around the sanctuary that my mind became very still; I knew it was God. Apparently, it was predestined that I “over heard” Krista listening to a podcast of Joyce Meyer and John Eldridge agreeing that hearing the voice of God is not only possible for today, but it’s essential for today. They talked about the potential awkwardness of explaining to others about the whole idea of God speaking to us on a personal level. John 10 states clearly that those who belong to Jesus will hear his voice, still! Later, I went to pick up Molly from pre-school and Andy Stanley was on the radio talking about being confident in knowing the voice of God. It’s a great day when I can settle my heart and mind to let God speak to me. You can do the same by being still and giving God your undivided attention. Being still and doing nothing are two completely different things. Being still is difficult, but with God’s help its attainable. God will speak to you when He has your undivided attention.

Indescribable Uncontainable

So, to recap the week: On Monday in my Fab 5 Mtg. (you can laugh, we do) I learned not to let desire become expectation to the point of do or die. On Tuesday I learned to pace myself during the heat of the day: my thermostat busted and my body overheated. As my body began to shut down w/out explanation I thought of many things. On Wed. after my brain and body had a chance to kiss and make up I evaluated many things in my life, slowly! God clearly presented a thought to me while still sipping juice and topping off on potassium:

"I've been called to do the impossible by the immeasurable who lives in me."

Since God lives in me & His power and might are immeasurable, that makes the impossible seem reasonable.

Still too wordy? If God is for you, who can be against you? Are you acting alone or with God's blessing? ...I've always believed that the right question will flush out the best answer.

You may feel overwhelmed these days: if so - inquire of God about His desire and hope for you and how He can help you move forward in your faith and understanding of who He is and how He works in people's lives.

Deep Breaths. Lots of prayer. Find a trustworthy friend to share all. Read the Bible. Simmer down.

On Thurs. a friend came to hang out with me and confirmed I was going to live!

On Friday my wife and another friend went as a team (while other friends and family watched the kids, thank you all!!) and cooked for the Light for the Lost Dinner in Parma, OH. "As a team" makes all the difference!

Today I am glad for friends, family, truth, and am moving forward in my faith due to a week of running hard, stopping fast, starting slow, counting blessings, and looking ahead to a bright and exciting future w/ The Immeasurable!

HonorBound

Tonight we kicked off our men's ministry efforts at Velocity Church. I'm excited about seeing the spiritual growth of our men over the next several months. By Christmas we should be much more the men we were tonight because of our desire to move forward in our faith!

I say Men's Ministry "Efforts" because even though we like to meet up for breakfast once a month and inhale bacon like it's going out of style, we're more than a group of AM meat eaters. We're about helping others. My prayer for our Velocity Church Men is that we are keenly aware of our own spiritual aptitude so that we can make adjustments to personally move forward & be of good use to those who are closest to us; whether it's a spouse, child, co worker, or even the cashier - my goal is for our men to see the need and meet it without hesitation. Our wives need to be loved, kids need to see Jesus, co workers need a good example and cashiers are people too; and we're ready to give people something to believe in.

Our Velocity Church Men's Team is called HonorBound... a term that will mean something positive to many people before too long!

Forgiveness

A story is told that when da Vinci painted the "Last Supper" he was fighting with a fellow painter; so he painted that dude's face on Judas's body! But when he began painting Jesus, he couldn't continue; so he erased the face of the other painter from Judas's body. Forgive: da Vinci did it; more importantly Jesus did it, so can we.

Lesson Learned

I've been asking God to make things clear to me recently. I love the catch phrases He's been giving me to keep it clear and simple. See if this helps you: "I need to let go of frustrations I have with some people, and others I need to let it fester." Here's the Case: I had a reservation about something today. But I played it off as myself being to critical. Wrong: in my heart I knew there was reason for my gut check. Thankfully, as I'm learning slow but sure, God has been surrounding me with some armor bearers that help protect. For your sake: give everyone the benefit of the doubt, don't leave them unattended. The Point: Follow your intuition until the coast is clear. Evaluate the circumstance with prayer and fasting and proceed from there; slow but sure.

Bunch a Linchpin's

Don't let your circumstance, job or your ministry define you. Define it first, in other words, cast vision, paint a picture of what it needs to be, and by what would make you proud to be apart of it, and work to that end! Do things that will help you move forward and eventually help your office or construction crew move forward. Was reading a book called Linchpin for a while. I still flip its pages every so often. The book is for middle managers first, and everyone else a close second. Basically, serve so efficient at what you do that you create an atmosphere and an idea that you really are irreplaceable, even though every one is, you can still be of such good help and encouragement to those around you that they will wonder what they'll do if you ever leave. Be the definition, not the word that defines it. Think about it: would you like people running around calling you a Linchpin or would you rather people say "that person is who holds the many elements of our complicated structure together." Be more than hearers, say more than words: Be action.

Hungry...

I started praying through the scripture of Ezekiel 37. I'm asking God to awaken every single last dead bone in my body mind and soul and bring life to all facets of my life. Sometimes we have area's in our lives that we don't dare let God have, and it stunts our spiritual growth. God told Ezekiel to speak life into the dead bones of Israel and Judah and He would renew their land, He'd make them whole again. I want Velocity church to be whole and right with God so we can be about His business.

If These Walls Could Talk

Tonight I have a date with my wife, but not just a typical date. We're going to discuss the subject of "If these walls could talk." This past week at ministers retreat we were challenged w/ this subject from the Ohio Ministry Network. Krista and I are going to take the materials with us to dinner tonight and talk about how we got our start and ask each other just what our walls would say about our family if they could talk! We'll examine where we want to make adjustments at home so that we can be all the more intentional about a strong finish in our faith, raising kids, and loving each other.

No matter if it's home, church, work, school, riding motorcycles, playing golf or sitting in your easy chair... Do what you do with the intention of glorifying God. In other words, Make God Proud! Of Jesus He said, "This is my son, in whom I am well pleased!" May it be the same for you as you enter eternity, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!"

Season's

Wintertime...blah. Springtime, Oh Yea!

Seasons: I like Spring, Summer, and Fall the best. However, if it weren't for the Winter season, Spring wouldn't be so sweet!

Spiritual Seasons: Our church is in the middle of a 40 day fast. As far fasting goes, it's like winter time! However, this is still an exciting season for us because we're looking ahead to greater things!

Whatever season you're in; take full advantage of learning something and moving forward! Whether you want it to pass soon or last a lifetime; learn what God needs you to learn from it and share your experience with someone close by!