This is going to be used in a sermon someday!

11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  To count yourself means “to think” – to believe that something really is true!  That’s the first step!  Monitor and change your thinking!

Now that doesn’t mean you’ll give in or fall on my face.  No!  But it does mean you believe now you are no longer a slave to sin!  » Read The Rest

“The only thing I like about baseball is that you get to smack things… and sometimes break things on accident.”

- Andrew Paschall, 9

I think you would have liked James. James had a magnetic wit and a warmth about him that seemed to put everybody else at ease. He loved kids. And He saw in Jr. highers the potential to turn the world upside-down for Jesus. I think that’s why he volunteered every minute of his spare time at his church in Salem, Oregon where I got to know him, in student ministry. He was great at guitar and other instruments and drew tons of kids in whom he taught and showed who to worship Jesus… He was the funniest thing at youth group every week. And the one who made others around him have the most fun. He was just fun to watch.
I had the chance to work with Him in ministry while I was a youth pastor in the Northwest. Is wife Julie was a masterful vocalist and led worship every Sunday. He was the father of three beautiful children, and, though he was never on paid staff… he was unreservedly recognized… as a pastor to the youth.
One Saturday he went out to do some running and when he returned he complained to his wife that his arm hurt… » Read The Rest

I know how we think, because I’ve thought this too. Jesus… doesn’t really ASK much of us! After all, he simply tells us to BELIEVE in Him… and TRUST in Him to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. AND HE ONLY ASKS… that we have FAITH! That’s ALL HE REALLY asks of us! “It’s all His GRACE anyway – it’s not anything we DO that makes us any more deserving – WE really do NOTHING - HE does it all! And doesn’t really ask us to do… ANYTHING! All we do… is accept His gift… and not much else. » Read The Rest

Jesus must have been a P.R. staff member’s worst nightmare!  Jesus, at the peak of his popularity turns to see the sea of people who claim to follow Him and tells them bluntly… “EXPOSURE to Christ… dose not make a FOLLOWER of Christ.”

Jesus isn’t distracted by the inflation of his ego that his following was reaching unprecedented figures… he wasn’t tantilized by the sheer volume of resources that were at his fingertips… Jesus wasn’t concerned with nickels and noses… but with hearts.  He’s not concerned with filling a room… but with WHO IS FOLLOWING ME?

So he says in Luke 14 (bold added)

²⁵Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his » Read The Rest