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

Still on the Journey

Good Evening Everyone,

I'm still on the Proverbs journey and I plan on catching up tomorrow. Until then here is a sermon I preached Sunday evening you can view it by clicking on the word sermon above or watch below.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Untitled from Paul Cartwright on Vimeo.

Proverbs 23 and 24

Good Morning Everyone,

Yesterday was a great day in Pearland!!! A very special thanks goes to Debbie Brown for helping organize our first activity for a group at our congregation we are calling the Littles. The Littles are the children of the congregation who are not in school yet but are old enough to begin doing some fun things with their parents. We had four of the coolest young guys I know here in Pearland come to Chuck-E-Cheese yesterday to have a lot of fun playing games and eating pizza.

Because of all of this fun I had yesterday I forgot to blog. Today we are going to look at Proverbs chapters 23 and 24. Our journey is coming to an end but not slowing down one bit.

Proverbs 23

Proverbs 23:4-5

⁴ Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
have the wisdom to show restraint.
⁵ Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout wings
and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

My Dad told me a long time ago that I would never get rich preaching and he was right...well at least mostly right. I certainly don't have great physical wealth but I am rich in experience and friendship. I have watched men strive and strive to gain material wealth only to see it all go away because they never had enough. Let's make sure we are listening to the words of King Solomon and learning what really matters in life.

Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24:17-18

¹⁷ Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
¹⁸ or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him.

We love to see people fail, especially if we deem that they have done something wrong. We read the newspapers looking to see who has been indicted, we laugh out loud when we hear new stories about the CEO who gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar and we have to try to maintain control of the vehicle when the celebrity gossip comes on the radio. The reason I say we is because I must confess I do enjoy seeing people fail from time to time. We are better than this. We serve a God who demands that we live a life above all of this. Please join me in living a better life when it comes to how we deal with failures of others.

Proverbs 24:27

²⁷ Finish your outdoor work
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house.

This verse is special for me today because I am planning on doing some yard work today. For those of you that know me you know that I hate yard work. When we moved here nearly four years ago we began looking at houses. We saw lots of places but the one that April and I loved came with a big yard. I am committed to doing a better job of keeping my yard up this year. They say God works in mysterious ways and today I was able to read this passage from his Word that makes me want to do some yard work.

Keep on enjoying this journey and don't lose your momentum.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Proverbs 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Once again I have gotten behind but I really do have a good reason. The internet at the house isn't currently working and I haven't had the ability to blog lately. We had a really good weekend here in Pearland and lots of good things are happening here. I hope you are all still enjoying the journey we taking through Proverbs.

Proverbs 18

Proverbs 18:5

⁵ It is not good to be partial to the wicked

or to deprive the innocent of justice.

A great deal of the world's problems can be attributed to people showing partiality towards people who are dishonest. Politicians take pay offs, people take bribe money and even in our schools sometimes people are favored because of their last name. As God's people we cannot show partiality to people because that is not the example God set for us. God sent his Son and allowed him to live a life as a human and have his life taken away and by doing so he did not show partiality.

Proverbs 18:10

¹⁰ The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.

From time to time we all need someplace safe to go. When you are a child it is into the arms of your parents, as you get a little older hopefully it is into the arms of your spouse but even with these safety nets there are still times when you need someplace to go. I can think of no safer place to run to than the arms of God when life is confusing or you are in trouble. The best ways I know to run to God are to immerse yourself into his Word and speak with him daily in prayer.

Proverbs 18:13

¹³ He who answers before listening—
that is his folly and his shame.

I like to talk. I think anyone who knows me knows that I have the gift of gab and that I enjoy good stimulating conversation. My Dad always reminded me that God gave me two ears and one mouth so I should listen more and speak less. There is a lot of wisdom in those words and this Proverbs just reaffirms to me that I need to make sure I am listening more and talking less.

Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19:2

² It is not good to have zeal without knowledge,
nor to be hasty and miss the way.

In my youth I was blessed with some talents and I enjoyed using them. I was zealous and sometimes that was a good thing but sometimes it wasn't. I am thankful to all of those people who help me learn the right time to be zealous and when to back off and allow others to serve. These lessons were not easily learned but I am grateful they were learned. I would encourage you to the kind of person to mentor to zealous young men and women and help them learn how to serve the Lord to the best of their ability.

Proverbs 19:23

²³ The fear of the LORD leads to life:
Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

I've seen Sean Hannity in concert three times now and I have enjoyed him every time. One thing Sean Hannity shares with his audiences on his radio show and in his live performances is that you don't have to worry about the speeding ticket if you are not speeding. If we are living lives that are in keeping with God's will then we will be untouched by trouble.

Proverbs 20

Proverbs 20:4

⁴ A sluggard does not plow in season;

so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.

I shared this passage with a group of young men in the youth group the other night. When I was a senior in High School I had a project over the book "The Grapes of Wrath". I had all semester to do it and I put it off until the weekend before it was due. My whole family pitched in and helped with this project and I eventually got it done. I was acting like a sluggard and my whole family had to pay for it. I would encourage all of us to make sure we are being productive and working for everything as if working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).

Proverbs 21

Proverbs 21:9

⁹ Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

This is one of those passages that some ministers would use to make fun of their wives, I'm not one of those kinds of ministers. I am richly and eternally blessed that I live in my home with my wife who supports me and makes sure that I am taken care of in every way. To the men out there that like to poke fun at the expense of their wives I say that you need to take a good hard look at what all they do for you and consider how you talk about them.

Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22:6

⁶ Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Any time I study Proverbs I like to point out that this verse is not a guarantee. There have been many a good Christian man and woman who have taught their children from God's word, lived a good example for their children and prayed over them at night as they slept jut to have those very children live a life in open rebellion to the Lord. What this passage is saying is that by training your child in the ways of The Lord they will at least know what to do and will be able to make that decision when the time comes. The decision of following God or not following God is one that we all have to make for ourselves. In one of God's greatest expressions of love he chose to give us free will in whether or not we choose to love him. Wouldn't you want to do your best to ensure that your children have the best opportunity possible to grow up and serve the Lord?

Proverbs 22:17

¹⁷ Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach

I end with this passage today to remind you of the reason we are on this journey in the first place. If we are not paying attention to the wisdom found in this book then what is the point of studying? There are only nine chapters left I encourage you to remain steadfast on this journey with God and with me.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Proverbs 17

Good Morning Everyone,

Happy St. Patricks day everyone!!! While I don't necessarily understand or celebrate St. Patricks Day I did always enjoy pinching people for not wearing green. I want to say a very special thank you to Chris Peters for giving us a wonderful devotional thought last night he always does a great job of making us think. Let's take a look at Proverbs 17.

Proverbs 17

Proverbs 17:4

⁴ A wicked man listens to evil lips;
a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

It seems that a lot of the time we place a lot of blame on people who are gossipers and who stir up trouble and rightly so. What we don't do a lot of is talk about the listeners. Did you ever stop to think that people wouldn't say things to stir up trouble if people wouldn't listen? Let's try to be people who don't say things to stir up trouble and let's make sure that we aren't listening to people trying to stir up trouble.

Proverbs 17:6

⁶ Children’s children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

My parents have six grandchildren who all happen to be granddaughters. To say that they are proud of these six beautiful little girls would be a huge understatement. Most Wednesdays my Mom comes over and stays with Emma and it is an absolute joy to see her face light up when she sees Emma. I chose to speak about this verse to show you how wise Solomon really was. Even so long ago he knew that grandchildren would bring joy to their grandparents.

Proverbs 17:22

²² A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

I've sat at the bedside of people drawing their last few breaths and left the room feeling uplifted because they had cheerful hearts. I always try to tell people to not allow situations to define them but for them to define the situation. That may sound confusing but here is what it means. In your life you are going to face many challenging situations if you make the decision that you are always going to glorify God and have a cheerful heart then those situations will not define you, rather, you will define the situation by your attitude. Let's choose today to define the situations. Enjoy the journey.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul