That Is The Problem

Good Morning,

This is a conversation I had with my teenagers during Bible class Sunday Morning.

ME-“Why do we have announcements on Sunday morning?”
TEEN-“So everyone can know what’s going on.”
ME-“Why do we always take up the collection after the Lord’s Supper?”
TEEN-“It says in the Bible to take up a collection and it’s a convenient time to do it.”
ME-“What is significant about the resurrection of Jesus Christ?”

You might think that I haven’t put up the complete conversation but I have. The answer to the final question was a deafening and heartbreaking silence. I will give the teens the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe they were afraid to speak up for fear of giving what they consider a wrong answer but I don’t think that accounts for all of the silence. I also don’t put the blame on the teenagers for the silence. I place the blame solely on the shoulder of us as adults.

We have done a great job teaching our children and teens about the traditions of “church” but we have lost the message of what Church really is. Church isn’t the building, or even the things we do in the building, Church is the body and bride of Jesus Christ. Church isn’t about making announcements or when we take up the collection Church is about being the embodiment of Jesus Christ here on Earth.

So what do I do about the silence? How do I become part of the solution to the problem? These questions have been in my mind all week and I think I have found the answer. I have to show them who Jesus is and what he wants from us. It may sound simple but I am a simple guy and I believe that when you break down most problems that most of the solutions are pretty simple. The answer is simple the implementation is where it gets a bit tricky. How do you show Jesus and make him real to teenagers? The simplest way is to show them Jesus in scripture but even that becomes difficult because there is so much there.

I have decided to work through the “I AM” statements in the Gospel of John. What better way to get to know Jesus than by looking at the statements he made about himself. I plan on blogging the experience and I hope you will come along for the ride.

I ended the silence by saying “You see that is the problem.” And I stand by that statement. It is a problem when teenagers can’t tell you the significance of the risen Christ but it’s not just their problem it’s our problem too. Let’s claim responsibility and become part of the solution. I love you all and I thank you for reading this. Please pray for my teenagers and myself as we attempt to know and love God and his Son Jesus Christ.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Not My Will

Good Morning Everyone,

Matthew 26:42
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

How many times have you read or listened to this passage? I would dare say that you are not considered to be a preacher if you have not preached at least one sermon on this passage. This is such an intimate time between God and his son Jesus Christ and we are so blessed to be able to read and listen to these words. Have you ever really thought about what was being said between Jesus and his Father? Have you ever considered what was going on in the mid of Christ as he asked his Father to take the cup away from him? I’ve thought about these things and from where I stand it boils down to Jesus doing whatever needs to be done even though it was going to be difficult for him.

It was about 2:00AM this morning and Emma began crying. I’m not sure what was bothering her. Maybe she had a bad dream, maybe she didn’t eat enough of her snack at bedtime or maybe she just wanted to be held. This was the second night that Emma decided she needed to be up at 2:00AM so April asked me to see if I get her calmed down and back to sleep. I got up and went into Emma’s room and picked her up and began to rock her in the rocking chair. Before I knew it 45 minutes had passed and were both asleep there in the rocking chair, I had WON, or so I thought. I laid Emma back down and almost immediately she started to cry. I went back into our bedroom and I told April to turn down the monitor and just let her cry because if we keep giving into these late nights they will become a habit. It took her a few minutes but Emma finally cried herself out and slept until nearly 7:00AM this morning.

I tell you that story to share with you that my understanding of the garden is very different today than it was yesterday. I understood that Jesus was crying out to his Father for help and that Jesus was being mature enough to do what needed to be done regardless of the suffering he would suffer. I understood academically that Jesus, the son, made a request of God, the Father, said the Father said no. I now understand academically and I am beginning to understand emotionally what happened in the garden.

My little girl was crying out to me that she didn’t want to be in her bed, she wanted to be in her Daddy’s arms. My little girl was saying she wanted the comfort of her parents and I had to tell her no because it was the right thing to do. Even though it hurt me more than I can express I knew I had to allow her to go through something so she can grow up and mature into a young lady. God’s love for us and for Jesus is shown through God allowing his son go through something painful because it’s what had to be done.

Is there something in your life that you are putting off because dealing with it is painful? Are you refusing to mature because it might be difficult? Today you can be reassured that God understands what you are going through. God’s only son cried out in the garden begging him to take the cup from him and God still did what needed to be done which was saying no to his only son. I love you all and I hope you are all blessed this morning.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

They Really Do Care!

Good Morning Everyone,

Do you ever have those “Aha!” moments in your life? God blesses me with more than my share of those moments because of the work I get to do with teens. It never ceases to amaze me when I see a teenager understand what God wants them to do in their lives. It never ceases to cut deep when my teens say something that hits me Right Square in the middle of my own complacency. Wednesday night was one of these moments for me.

Wednesday night I had two teenagers in my class. Circumstances were that some of the teens had to be out and, I understand that this is going to happen from time to time, but I was still a little sad that there were not more teens there. I was upset for a lot of reasons, probably the biggest reason I was upset was because we were beginning a new series on the book of Colossians. I decided I would go ahead and start the series with sharing some background as to how the letter was written and some of the themes in the book, I also decided we would only look at the greeting and thanksgiving portion of the letter.

Paul states that since the day he heard about the Colossians that he has not stopped praying for them (Col. 1:9a). One of the questions I asked the two that were there that evening was “Do you know of anyone who prays for you daily?” and the answer they both gave took my breath away they both said “You pray for us every day Paul.” It was a great moment! I knew in that moment that they knew I really cared about them. These are two that were still relatively young youth group members when I got here and two that had a good relationship with the previous youth minister (whom I also have a good relationship with) so I knew that when I got here three years ago that these two might be hard to win over.

As great as that moment it was it also served as a reminder to me to pray for the people I love every day. I need to work at it and get better at it, which is a pretty good definition of the Christian life in general. Today I will lave you with Paul’s word in Colossians and I hope they have the same effect on you that they had on me. I love you all!

Colossians 1:3-14
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[c] behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Change The World

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you are all doing well this morning. I’m sorry to say that I faltered on my three times a week blogging last week. Part of the reason I faltered was that I thinking very intently about what I wanted to write. I hope the wait was worth it for all of you today.

In 1996 a movie came out called “A Time To Kill” which was based on the John Grisham novel of the same name. In the movie Matthew McConaughey plays a lawyer by the name of Jake Brigance who is charged with defending Samuel L. Jackson’s character Carl Lee Bailey who is accused of killing a man who raped his daughter. In the movie Donald Sutherland plays Jake’s mentor and friend Lucien Wilbanks, a lawyer who has been disbarred because of his behavior. In one of my favorite scenes in this movie Jake goes to visit Lucien for some advice on defending Carl Lee and Lucien reminds Jake of what he told him when he began training him as a lawyer by saying…

“I can not promise you riches. What I can offer you the chance to save the world one case at a time.”

I love this line because it shows the man’s passion for the law and for changing the world for the better. Believe it or not Donald Sutherland was reflecting Christ in his admonition to Jake. Jesus said it this way.

Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus was telling his disciples to change the world one soul at a time. In that admonition to his disciples he never promises them riches but he encourages them to go out and change the world. The admonition is the same for us today. When people ask me why I am a youth minister I tell them that I want the opportunity to save the world one teen at a time. People might think this is just Paul being overly optimistic but really when people are working with teenagers they are changing the world.

You might think that teenagers are not listening to you, and sometimes they may not be, but by simple virtue of the fact they are at an activity the world is different. When we have church camps in the summer the world is changed because these teenagers are being exposed to ideas they have never heard before and being challenged to live a life better than the status quo. The same can be said for adults to an extent. When an adult chooses to come to a worship service then their life is different, they may choose to ignore what they hear but by simply hearing what is said the world is a different place.

I challenge you to change the world today! Do what Jesus was telling his disciples to do and share his message with the world around you. I hope you are all blessed today. I know you have all blessed me.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Doing Something Good Without Realizing It

Doing Something Good Without Realizing It

Good Morning Everyone,

When I was 17 years old my Mom who suffers with Multiple Sclerosis, my Dad and I all decided to make a trip out to the farm. Most of the time Mom lived a pretty normal life but on this particular trip to the farm Mom was recovering from an attack from her MS. My Dad was pulling our travel trailer up to the farm with the suburban and I was following my Dad in my pickup. We were driving through Houston during traffic, which was stressful enough, but to make matters worse, Dad was pulling a trailer and trying to look after Mom. So there we are on I-45 and I see my Dad put his blinker on to change lanes and no one was letting him over. I was a few car lengths behind and could get over easily so I got over and then made my way up to my Dad and blocked for him. When we got to where we were going my Dad took me aside and told me how proud he was of me for blocking traffic for him and that he was impressed because he knew that he had not taught me how to block. I didn’t realize I had done something good until my Dad told me and I have to say it was a good feeling.

This past Sunday evening after services we had a youth devotional at our home. One of our teens brought her little sister (4^th grader) and little brother (4 years old) with her to the devotional. All together we had 5 teens and 2 younger children as guests in our home. After the devotional we were going to eat and it was decided that the two younger children would eat with Emma in the dining room and the teens could eat wherever they chose to. I sat down in the dining room with Emma and the two younger children and before I knew it all of the teenagers were sitting in there with us. Emma and the two younger children were so excited that the “big kids” wanted to spend some time with them. The teenagers had done something really good without even realizing it and my heart was full.

Matthew 19:13-15

13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

My teenagers, without knowing it, were doing exactly what the disciples couldn’t do. My teenagers were living the example that Jesus set out for them in scripture. They didn’t make a big show of it, they didn’t do it because they had to, they did it because they wanted to and that’s exactly how we should be living our lives.

Sometimes you can do something good without even realizing it, but you can also do something bad without even realizing it too. Let’s make sure we are doing good things today and let’s make sure when we make mistakes to do our best to make them right. Thank you all for the blessing you are in my life. I hope these words have blessed you today.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Seeking Out The Good of Others-9/12/11

Good Morning,

Well I only posted twice last week but the week I made my commitment to post three times a week I actually posted four so my average is intact. Last night I preached a sermon on seeking out the good of others over your own needs, I won’t put the whole thing up but I will give you the gist of it.

When the school year began a few weeks ago I decided I wanted to do something to help our teens get through their day with an encouraging message. I decided that three times a week I would send a text message to the teens with an encouraging thought to help them get through the day. Parents you can be so proud of all your teenagers, they have all responded well to receiving these text messages and have been grateful for them. One of the scriptures I shared with the teens recently was 1 Corinthians 10:24 which says…

24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others-1 Corinthians 10:24

I really love this passage but it has been eating at me because I haven’t really been doing the best job of seeking out good for others lately. Here are three ways that I believe might be able to help us help other people.

1. Become active in your community-Acts 2:46-47

The early church was always extremely active in their community and they were blessed for it. If you don’t believe me just look.

Acts 2:46-47

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

2. Care For Widows and Orphans-James 1:27

Another way we can seek out the good of others is to be aware that there are people in our world who are not as fortunate as we are. There are children out there who don’t have mothers and fathers, there are women out there whose husbands have died and they have no one to take care of them. As God’s people we have the opportunity to look after these people and help them live a better life.

James 1:27

27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

3. We Seek Out Those With Sin in Their Lives and Minister To Them-Luke 19:1-10

Probably the best thing we can do to meet the needs of someone else is to find people living in sin and minister to them. I think we hear this one and agree with it and then we just kind of forget about it. All of the community awareness and taking care of widows cannot take care of the sin problem in the lives of people. In order to help people with their sin problem then we must become involved in their lives just like Jesus did in Luke 19.

Luke 19:1-10

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

It would have been so easy for Jesus to dismiss this sinful tax collector, some probably thought that he should have made an example of him to the people there, but that was not Jesus’ way. Instead Jesus went to the man’s house and that impacted him so much that he changed his ways. Imagine what would happen if showed Jesus to the people you are around on a daily basis through your example and through his word? Not every case would be a Zacchaeus but I believe if you shared Jesus enough times with enough people that you would eventually find someone to respond to the Gospel message.

Think about how you can help someone today. You hace all helped me and blessed me by being my friends.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Mission Field Memories

Good Morning Everyone,

As I sat at my desk this morning enjoying my Diet Dr. Pepper (I know, I know but something had to give) and enjoying a snack I was trying to think of what scripture to share with my teens via text message when I came across this one.

Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:24

What a great charge from our brother Paul!! I immediately sent this as a text to my teens with the instructions to lift up Jesus to someone today. As I was texting this message to my teens I was reminded of my own teenage years and the brief weeks I spent on the mission field.

When I was 16 years old I went on my first mission trip to the small Caribbean island of Dominica. My days were spent walking up and down the hills, knocking doors, helping with VBS and sharing the Gospel message with anyone who would listen. At the end of every day our group would get together and share our experiences from the day. It wasn’t too many days into the trip when we all started using the phrase “lift up Jesus” as our battle cry.

It has been thirteen years since that first mission field experience and so many things have changed. I went to college, I began in ministry, I got married, and I even became a father. In those years I have seen and done a lot of things but I always seem to come back to those early days learning lessons on the mission field.

Today I challenge you to lift up Jesus to those around you. Don’t wait to go on a mission trip because, whether you realize it or not, you are on a mission trip every time you leave your home. I hope all of you are blessed today by these words. Thank you all for blessing me.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Emma Turns One

Emma Turns One
Good Morning Everyone,

Yesterday we reached a milestone in the life of our little girl Emma as she turned one. I can hardly believe that a year ago I hadn’t even met this wonderful and sweet little girl. I can’t believe how much my life has changed in this very short year. I love being a father and I love learning more and more about this sweet little girl we call Emma every day.

As I think back over Emma’s first year of life there are many moments that stand out but the one that I always come back to happened in Texas Children’s Hospital. Emma had a small heart condition that they had to take care of that required her to be sedated. After what seemed like an eternity the doctors finally allowed us to go back and see Emma in recovery. April and all the grandparents went back to see Emma but she just didn’t want to wake up which was completely normal. I finally got back to see my little girl and I started talking to her and that’s when she started to wake up, when she heard her Daddy talking to her, and in that moment I really started to understand that this little girl is my whole world. When no one else could get her to wake up and stir her Daddy’s voice brought her around. In that moment I thanked God for the responsibility that he had blessed me with and I hoped that I would never have to be in recovery with my little girl again.

The rest of the story is that Emma is now perfectly healthy and has even started walking in the past few days. This year has been an adventure and I look forward to many, manymore. I love you pumpkin and I hope that you will always listen to your Daddy’s voice.

Love,

Daddy

Nobody Enjoys Change

Good Morning Everyone,

Have you ever noticed that people in general do not enjoy change? I noticed this in a big way when I took my little girl for a ride in the car yesterday. I picked up Emma from our babysitter’s house yesterday like I do every day except instead of going home we went to the airport to pick up my Mother-in-law, her husband and my grandmother-in-law. Emma loves her family from Minnesota but because she had not seen them in awhile and since we were deviating from our normal routine Emma had a meltdown on the way home. I don’t use the term meltdown loosely here, she lost it, there were tears and cries and I’m pretty sure she threw a pacifier at some point.

I am always impressed at what we can learn from children about the human condition. Emma demonstrated what most of us feel when it comes to change. We would all like to throw a fit from time to time but we can’t because we are adults and that is not acceptable. As most of you know I work with teenagers, and one thing I’ve learned is, change is a way of life for them. Their bodies are changing; they are constantly being exposed to new ideas at school that cause change, and their interests change almost as often as they change their socks. The Bible has this to say about change and about the God we serve…

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.-James 1:17

In our ever-changing world it is important to remember that we serve a never-changing God. Our lives are turbulent and unstable but we serve a God that understands that and offers us stability. I like stability and I believe that we can all use a little more in our lives. Won’t you accept the stability that God offers? I hope you are all blessed by these words today. Thank you for blessing me.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Tips for Ending a Disagreement

Good Evening Everyone,

The past few weeks we have been studying out of the book of Philippians on Wednesday night in our teen Bible class here in Pearland. Tonight we began Chapter 4 and as I was preparing I realized that the Apostle was teaching us how to end a disagreement.

Philippians 4
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.

I don’t know who these two ladies are, I don’t know if they were related and I don’t know what they were arguing about but it must have been pretty bad. Paul is writing this in chains and he takes time to address these two ladies so I guess it must have been more than a small disagreement. The ingenious thing that Paul (directed by the Holy Spirit) did was to teach all of us how to deal with a disagreement.


Philippians 4:4

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

It is pretty difficult to be mad at someone if you are living your life rejoicing in the Lord. It is even more difficult if you are rejoicing along side the person who you might disagree with.

Philippians 4:5-7
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

To the non-believer your gentleness might be the only gentleness they see. When you are living a gentle life then it is difficult to get into arguments and you will not be as anxious of a person. I don’t listen or do this one very well. I’m a pretty anxious person but I am working on it.

Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

If you are focusing on these things then getting into an argument will be increasingly difficult. Paul knew what it meant to live in peace with everyone and he has shared most of what we need to know about getting along in these 5 verses. The challenge for us is to apply this to our lives and make a concentrated effort to live like God wants us to. I believe you can do it if you are faithful to our faithful God.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Benin West Africa

Good Evening Everyone,

Tonight I spent several hours listening to a man named George Akpabli. George is a preacher in Benin West Africa, but more than that, George is equipping men to preach the Gospel. George is one of the missionaries we support here in Pearland and tonight was the first time I had really had the opportunity to sit and visit with him.

As I sat and listened to George talk about what these men have to go through just to be able to preach the Gospel I became very aware of how blessed I really am. These men study for three years to receive their training. In the time they are studying they leave their families and live onsite at the school in Benin. After three years of being away from their families they then go out to preach the Gospel with no promise of any support financially. Thanks to the school in Benin they learn some farming skills and many of them raise a crop to help support themselves. These men will never preach in a congregation with a nice building, most of them are lucky to have a roof over their heads, and their support will more than likely always be dependent on what they can do but these men are happy.

I think about all of this as I sit in my air-conditioned office situated in our comfortable building. I know that I will not have to go out and work in a garden so I can feed my family, in fact, I don’t even have to go to the bank thanks to the blessing of direct deposit and yet I still find ways to complain. I was humbled tonight and I hope that I can learn to be happy with what I have and be thankful for all of God’s blessings. I hope that you may read this and examine how you look at life. Maybe we could all use a little time in the garden.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Blog Roundup

Good Morning Everyone,

One thing that has really encouraged me to begin blogging more is that I tend to read a lot of blogs. When I say a lot I mean a lot, to be more specific, I am currently subscribed to 78 different blogs. Some of them post more than others, some of them are deeper than others but all in all I read them because they encourage me in some way. Today I am going to share with you four blogs that I really enjoy. Let me add this disclaimer; if you are a friend of mine who blogs and yours isn’t on here please do not get offended. Like I said I subscribe to 78 blogs so someone is going to have to get left out. That being said, let’s press on.

#1 Mcakenzie’s Meandering-Robbie Mackenzie is the youth minister at the Main Street Church of Christ in Springfield Tennessee. Robbie is extremely engaging and is not afraid to tackle tough subjects in Christianity as well as youth ministry. Robbie also hosts a vlog that never disappoints. Keep up the good work Robbie!

#2 A Place For The God Hungry-Jim Martin is the preaching minister for the Crestview Church of Christ in Waco Texas. Jim’s writing is easy to read but never ceases to challenge. If you are looking for a better understanding of Christian living then I would have no trouble recommending this blog for you.

#3 The Kingdom, The Kids & The Cowboys-Alan Stanglin is the preaching minister for the Central Church of Christ in Amarillo Texas. Alan most recently was the pulpit minister at the Legacy Church of Christ in the Dallas area but he has had an interesting and varied career in and out of ministry. Alan is a wonderful equipper and encourager. If you are looking for someone to help you live a stronger Christian life and be a better minister then Alan is your man!

#4 Marathon Bird-Holly Shaw has been a good friend of mine for longer than either one of us probably want to admit. Holly is a wonderful Christian woman, wife, mother and servant of the Kingdom. Holly is also an excellent student of the human condition and shows us what life looks like through her eyes. Many of Holly’s writings focus on her life as a parent and as a woman. As a new parent I find Holly’s insight of great value and I think you will too. Thanks Holly for doing such a great job!

Well there are four blogs that will bless you if you give them a read. Thanks to all of you bloggers and readers out there. I would love to hear what all of you are reading blog wise so feel free to drop me a line. I hope this blog blesses all of you today as much as all of you bless me.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Did You Hear There Was an Earthquake Yesterday?

Good Afternoon Everyone,
I think the title says it all. I grew up in South Texas so earthquakes are not a phenomenon I am all that familiar with. I have lived through one before. My sophomore year at Harding I felt an earthquake, I didn’t realize it until chapel the next day, I honestly thought my neighbor just had his stereo up really loud. Watching the news yesterday I was struck by what God can do through earthquakes and other acts of nature. It made me think about one of my favorite stories from 1 Kings.

1 Kings 19:9-18New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

I love this story because it shows that God can reveal himself in any way that he chooses. Elijah was expecting to see God in some grand display but at the end of the day God came to Elijah in a gentle whisper.

As I see it there are two things to consider. First, God is not going to grab you by the scruff of the neck and make face to face contact with you in some grand display. God has already given us a grand display in the life, death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ. Second, we should always recognize God in all aspects of life. I applaud Elijah for looking for God in all of the displays of nature.

Where do you see God? I would love to hear where he reveals himself to you. I hope you are all blessed by these words today. Thank you all for blessing me.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

School Year Goals

School Year Goals

Good Morning Everyone,

If you count my interning years then I am coming up on my tenth year in ministry. I have learned many things in these ten years but the one thing that stands out the most is this. When you are in youth ministry you begin to look at a year differently. For the average person the New Year begins on January 1^st but for a youth minister you really think of years in terms of school years. So if one is to follow this line of reasoning then the first day of a year in the life of a youth minister is the first day of school, which for me, was yesterday.

I’m not a New Year’s resolution type of guy because I never seem to follow through on them but I do find goal setting an effective way of gauging progress. Today I want to share with you some personal goals that I have for this new school year. These

are not ministry goals per say (we will save those for another blog) but they are goals for my personal life and therefore will have some effect on my ministry. So without further a due here they are!

#1 Better Personal Bible Study-As a minister you are constantly in the word preparing for the next Bible class, sermon, or tracking down the answer to the question someone has asked you, but sometimes that gets in the way of a real study. To accomplish this goal I am reading the Bible in chronological order. I will probably have some thoughts to share with you from this study at some point.

#2 Write at least 3 blog posts per week-My good friend Ryan Parsons is a social media guru. The man is more plugged in that anyone I know and he does all of these different social media outlets to help further the cause of Christ. I have this great venue to share things about God and ministry but I don’t use it nearly enough. To that end I am going to attempt three blog posts a week. (This makes number two for this week. But who’s couting J)

#3 Write at least 3 encouraging texts to my teens per week-One of the teenagers from the last place I worked began sending out encouraging text messages to his youth group. Like any good minister I plan on stealing this idea. Some days it may be a scripture to think about, some days it may be an encouraging word, and who knows, maybe I will even tell a joke or two. Our teens live in a digital world and we need to cash in on that.

#4 Lead/Participate in a small group Bible study-It is my hope to begin studying with some friends of ours with some material I have written. I will let you know how it goes

#5 Reading/Listening to ministry resources-There are so many good books, blogs, vlogs, podcasts and other resources dedicated to ministry right now. As a minister it is not very often that I get to sit in on a Bible class so I am hoping to build myself up by being fed by others.

Well there you have my five goals for the new school year. The only thing keeping me from accomplishing all of these is myself. God is faithful and I believe he will help me to accomplish these things if I devote my life more and more to him each day.

How about you? What goals are you working on right now? I would love to hear about what you are doing and help you in any way that I can. I hope you are all as blessed by me today as I am by all of you.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Back To School

Good Morning Everyone,

Today is that day that you always dreaded as child, the first day back to school. For me this day was always a pretty dreadful experience. I loved summers growing up in Texas. Whether it was going to church camp, area wide devotionals, or spending time on the family cattle ranch I loved every aspect of summer. The first day of school always loomed like a dark cloud on the horizon of my life. The first day of school meant getting up early and not staying up late hanging out with my friends, it meant that I had homework, it meant I had to take tests and it also meant my spirituality was going to be challenged.

The last aspect of my spirituality being challenged was one that I was always aware of, but now that I look back I realize that more often than not I failed. I listened to and told jokes that I shouldn't have been a part of, I gossiped, I made fun of people and in general didn't give much regard to my spiritual appearance. I think it is this part of my spiritual journey that lead me to ministry, specifically, youth ministry.

In my works with teens I see that not really much has changed in schools. Our youth group summers are great! Every Monday night we have a big group of kids that make it out to the area wides, our camps and Bible classes are well attended and the overall spiritual health of the teens is great. Then the first day of school roles around and my teenagers, my babies, are thrown back into a world that could care less about spirituality. So today I want to leave all of you with a few scriptures to help you and help your teens live a spiritual life in an unspiritual world.

1 Corinthians 15:33
33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

1 Peter 5:8
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Deuteronomy 31:6
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God's will help you and your teenagers navigate the unspiritual world of Junior High and High School. As always I offer myself as a resource. I hope I have blessed all of you today as much as all of you have blessed me.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Anchor Points

Good Evening Everyone,

I know I usually try to write articles on this blog that are purely religious in nature but tonight I thought I would try something a little different. While there will be a religious spin on this article my hope is to , as my good friend Troy Albers would say, wax philosophical. So that being said sit back and enjoy.

When I was in the 11th grade I was offered a position singing with the chamber choir at my high school. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement! I spent the next two years learning how to sing and making a lot of friendships. I think back on this and at that time of my life it was a turning point. Learning to sing in an ensemble teaches you a lot about what life is all about. You learn all about teamwork, camaraderie, and relying on the people you work with.

While joining the chamber choir was a turning point in my life as a junior in high school it now serves as an anchor point in my life. I believe we all have these anchor points in our lives that help make us the people we are today. These anchor points take different forms for different people. For some people it might be a place, or a sight or even a smell. For me the anchor point of my chamber choir experience is in the form of the song "That Lonesome Road" by James Taylor. This was the first song we learned in our group and the words have always stuck with me. Take a look and see for yourself what they say.

"That Lonesome Road" by James Taylor

Walk down that lonesome road all by yourself
Don't turn your head back over your shoulder
And only stop to rest yourself when the silver moon
Is shining high above the trees

If I had stopped to listen once or twice
If I had closed my mouth and opened my eyes
If I had cooled my head and warmed my heart
I'd not be on this road tonight
Carry on
Never mind feeling sorry for yourself
It doesn't save you from your troubled mind
Walk down that lonesome road all by yourself
Don't turn your head back over your shoulder
And only stop to rest yourself when the silver moon

Is shining high above the trees

Like I said, I love this song, I often times find myself humming or singing this song to myself. The song serves as a reminder of what your life can be like if you don't slow down and think about your actions and that ultimately you may find yourself walking down a lonesome road if you don't.

This song anchors me because I know I don't have to walk down a lonesome road. I have a heavenly father that never leaves my side. I have a family that loves and cares about me and eleven months ago today we added our little Emma to our walk down life's road.

I don't know what your anchor points are in your life but I hope that you're not making decisions that will force you to walk down a lonesome road all by yourself. What are your anchor points? I'd love to hear what helps keep you grounded and what helps to make you the person you are today. I hope you are blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

p.s. Here is a really cool video of James Taylor singing this song I hope you enjoy it

Godly Friendship

Good Afternoon Everyone,

This is a sermon I preached this past Sunday on the topic of Godly Friendship taken from 1 Samuel 20. I hope you all enjoy this and get something out of it.-Paul

Godly Friendship from Paul Cartwright on Vimeo.

When I Grow Up I Want To Be

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Two posts in one day!!! No one was as surprised as me. Here is a sermon I preached this past Sunday evening I hope you all enjoy-Paul

When I Grow Up I Want To Be from Paul Cartwright on Vimeo.

Have You Told Someone Today?

Good Morning Everyone,

It would have been difficult in the last week to turn on your television, radio or computer and not hear about the death of the singer Amy Winehouse. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most of the people reading this article were not fans of this singer, in fact, I will go even further and say that a good number of you had probably never even heard of this singer until her passing. While I could never be considered a fan of Amy Winehouse I can say with no reservation that she was extremely talented and gifted with a soulful voice, a voice that will never sing again. The talent of Amy Winehouse was always overshadowed by her antics on and off the stage. She was a known substance abuser and her personal life choices were shameful to say the least, these personal life decisions in many ways defined her much more than her talent did. I look at the life of Amy Winehouse and it seems that she leaves behind more questions than answers. Here is my question regarding the life of Amy Winehouse. Did anyone ever share the gospel with her?

I have researched this singer’s life and the only reference I can find to religion is the fact that she born into a Jewish family. Amy Winehouse is just the latest example of someone who lived a very high profile life and died at a young age without the benefit of knowing the saving grace of Jesus Christ. What’s even more alarming is that Amy Winehouse is far from unique in this regard. We come into contact every day with people who have not had the Gospel shared with them, and because of that fact, these people have no chance at salvation.

We all have our “reasons” for not sharing our faith with people we meet. We are afraid we might offend someone with the Gospel, we claim that we don’t have enough time to do a good job of sharing the Gospel or maybe we even think that these people are living such sinful lives that they are beyond reaching. All of these “reasons” would be more accurately referred to as excuses. The Gospels help us understand what it means to make someone’s needs. Matthew 25:34-40 is a prime example of this.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’- Matthew 25:34-40

I’m not going give Amy Winehouse any space on my Ipod or watch her funeral on Television, but, her untimely death will serve as a reminder to me to not pass up an opportunity to share my faith when it presents itself. How about you? What are you going to do when the next opportunity presents itself to share your faith? I hope this high profile death will serve as a reminder of our responsibility as Christians.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Sunday Night Sermon Take 2

Hey Everyone,

I have heard that some folks are having trouble hearing with the sermon I posted. Here is the audio file and it is much clearer.

Thanks Paul

Sunday Evening's Sermon

Here is a sermon I preached on Sunday eveing I hope you enjoy

3 Prerequisites For Life from Paul Cartwright on Vimeo.

Sometime being buys accomplishes nothing

Good Evening,

Have you ever had one of those days where you were busy all day long but you accomplished absolutely nothing? I had one of those days today. I went to my office and worked and did things that I thought needed to be done. I came home and put out a few little fires that needed tending to. I even managed to fix supper for the family, and it all felt so empty. While days like this bother me they also help me to see God more clearly...let me explain that one.

Yes I felt like I got very little accomplished in my office today because I was working on tasks that seemed to only be busy work ,and frustrating busy work at that, but in the middle of that I got to read something that made me smile. A sweet sister in Christ sent me a note with a suggestion on how to help my boys in the youth group excel at leading public worship. More than that she ended her note by telling me how much she appreciated the work I do. WOW!!!

After putting out those little fires while at home I felt drained only to have an amazing conversation with an old college roommate of mine who is also in ministry. He had a day today where he felt very busy but felt he accomplished nothing too. WOW!!!

Someone once said you can't appreciate the sunshine without the rain and today I learned a little bit more about how to appreciate the sunshine. Are you busy? Do you feel that your efforts aren't accomplishing anything? Join the club. But also remember that someone is benefiting from whatever it is that you are doing, the trick is to figure out who those people are and hold them close to you. I hope you are all as blessed today as much as all of you bless me.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

The Eggstra Special Event

Good Evening Everyone.

We were really blessed today by Chris and Susan Peters. They hosted the Eggstra Special Event which included an egg hunt and dying party. I made a slideshow of the event I hope you enjoy. Thanks Chris and Susan for all you do.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Which Nicodemus Are You Most Like?

Good Morning Everyone,

So I looked at the calendar this morning just to make sure it was in fact the month of April and sure enough it is, the only problem is that it was 46 degrees this morning. I don't know about you but that seems a bit cool for the month of April in South Texas.

I want to thank everyone for the nice comments you left of on the series of posts on the book of Proverbs. It was an amazing journey for me and I really enjoyed helping to lead all of you through that amazing book of God's word. I'm not really sure where I want to go next. I enjoyed a daily post on a chapter from a book of the Bible but not all books lend themselves as well as Proverbs does. So until I decide where I want to go next I just want to give you something to chew on today.

Nicodemus is an interesting character in the Gospels. People like to use Nicodemus as a whipping boy for the purposes of feeling superior in their own faith. We look at what we have done as Christians and compare that to the life of Nicodemus and think "hey, I'm doing alright". This is a dangerous way to live your Christian life (a whole other post) and if you choose to look at the story of Nicodemus in its entirety you would see it is also an invalid way of looking at his life. Let's take a look.

John 3:1-4 ¹ Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”³ In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”⁴ “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

Nicodemus was at the right place, at the wrong time but for the wrong reasons...let me explain. Nicodemus was at the right place, with Jesus, a place where I believe we all wish we could be. Nicodemus was at the right place at the wrong time, night. Why would Nicodemus go to Jesus at night? There are a lot of people who have tried to answer this question but the best I can see is that he went to him at night because he didn't want to be seen. The Gospel of John is full of light and dark imagery and every time dark is the negative of the two. So, Nicodemus was in the right place (with Jesus), at the wrong time (night), and for the wrong reasons. Obviously Nicodemus knew he couldn't physically enter his mother's womb a second time so what he was trying to do was trip Jesus up on something.

This is usually where people quit reading the story because they say things like, "Sure I may have cheated on my taxes but I would never try to trick Jesus.",the whole time feeling oh so superior when in reality I know a lot of Christians (myself included) that from time to time act like Nicodemus. I see Christians who come to the right place (amongst God's people in worship or in congregational activities) and they may even be there at the right time but they are there for the wrong reasons. Maybe they are there because they feel the need to check "church" off the list for the week, or maybe they are there solely for the social aspect or maybe because they have nothing better to do. Whatever the incorrect reason for being in the right place at the right time the fact of the matter is you're not that much different that Nicodemus...at least the Nicodemus on John 3. When was the last time you looked at Nicodemus in John 19?

John 19:38-42⁸ Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹ He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. ⁴⁰ Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. ⁴¹ At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴² Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

This is the same guy that was trying to trip up Jesus back in Chapter 3. I was talking about this with one of my ministry buddies and he asked a good question. What happened between John 3 and John 19? I don't have an all inclusive answer for you because those facts are not revealed to us in Scripture, but, what I do have is a simple answer of redemption. Something along the way made Nicodemus believe in Jesus enough that he would openly go and ask for the body and make a huge financial commitment is providing the spices for burial.

Some people look at Nicodemus and see a coward that was trying to test Jesus. I look at the story of Nicodemus and I see myself, a flawed individual that has been blessed to come into contact with Jesus Christ, and I see a great story of redemption. I hope that when I come to the end of my life that I look like Nicodemus in John 19 and not like the one in John 3. What are you doing to make sure that you are more like the Nicodemus in John 19? I would love to hear some good ways to look more like that Nicodemus so let me know. I hope you are all blessed today because I am blessed for knowing all of you.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

End Of The Road

Good Evening Everyone,

Well I didn't forget about our Proverbs journey, I just got a little sidetracked. More than anything I have been working on a funeral I have been asked to preach tomorrow, and I will admit I have been taking advantage of this wonderful weather and doing a little yard work. Let's finish the journey.

Proverbs 25

Proverbs 25:15

¹⁵ Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,

and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

I remember when Pap-paw was in the hospital I decided to get into a battle of whits with another visitor. Pap-paw was sick and didn't feel well but he took the time to teach me that by keeping my mouth shut I would come out ahead. While it's a little different than what is being said here I think the principle applies.

Proverbs 25:21-22

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
²² In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.

I am reminded of two friends I had in college that had been friends since High School. These two guys went to a small Christian school where everyone knew everyone else. One of these guys didn't particularly like the other at first. The guy who wasn't liked made it his mission to become friends with the other guy. I believe he lived out the passage I have referenced here. As Christians we don't have the option of treating some people better than others, let's try to be good to everyone.

Proverbs 26

Proverbs 26:18-19

¹⁸ Like a madman shooting
firebrands or deadly arrows
¹⁹ is a man who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”

I work with teenagers therefore I hear a lot of jokes at other people's expense. I am even guilty of making a few of the jokes myself from time to time. I hope that we are the kind of people who would rather build someone up rather than tear them down.

Proverbs 27

Proverbs 27:5

⁵ Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.

I mentioned that I am preaching a funeral tomorrow. Right now there is a family that will never be able to tell their loved one that they love him ever again. Make sure that you are taking every opportunity to tell the people that are closest to you how you really feel about them.

Proverbs 27:17

¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another.

This should be the anthem of Christians. we need to spend our times building each other up all of the time. This doesn't mean that we only build one another up in services or when we go to camps and retreats but all the time without ceasing.

Proverbs 28

Proverbs 28:22

²² A stingy man is eager to get rich

and is unaware that poverty awaits him.

I was privileged to know a man named Willie Sandlin. Willie was a minister in Northeast Arkansas and made a huge difference in the life of teenagers and adults alike. Willie was one of the most generous men I have ever known. Willie was known for loaning his vehicle to total strangers because they needed it, giving the last dollar in his billfold to someone who was in need or just taking time our his day to talk. All of this might not sound all that remarkable but it might if you knew that Willie lived most of his life in extremely poor health. Willie had a number of ailments that had never been seen before. There are surgical procedures that exist today because of Willie, and even when he didn't have money to pay his medical bills he still found ways to help others. When I grow up I want to be like Willie.

Proverbs 29

Proverbs 29:27

²⁷ The righteous detest the dishonest;
the wicked detest the upright.

I can't really add much to this, it's a good thought and one very appropriate to our times.

Proverbs 30

Proverbs 30:24-25

⁴ “Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
²⁵ Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer

As I was working in my yard the other day I found lots and lots of ant hills. This passage really made me think about the ants in my yard. They are tiny creatures but when a lot of them work together they can build these large hills. When you look at your average person he or she is pretty small but when you put a lot of us together we can do some amazing things. Next time you think you don't make a difference go take a look in your yard and see if you see so ant piles.

Proverbs 31

I'm not going to try to select a few verses from Proverbs 31because this is the chapter used at both of my Grandmother's funerals. I encourage those of you men who are unmarried to read this chapter and then go find a lady who lives up to these standards.

I have enjoyed this journey more than I can tell you. I hope you have enjoyed the journey and more than that I hope you keep on reading your Bible every day.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul