What memorials do you have?

As we celebrate Memorial Day, I would like to take the time to say Thank You to all the men and women who have served, are serving in the Armed Forces of our Great Country. We also remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.  It is because of these men and women that we have the freedoms we experience today.

Joshua 4:7  tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."

What memorials do you have in your life?  In this case it was a memorial for the Israelites that they crossed over the Jordan River at flood stage and entered into the Promised Land.  In our lives, we can be living life, just going day by day until something happens to make that day a "memorial" in our lives.  Memorials can be good or bad. 

Earlier in  Joshua 3:5  Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."

Many of us will celebrate Memorial Day by going to the lake, visiting a cemetery service, or having family around and enjoying a cookout.  But we can also take time out and remember all the great things, or as Joshua says “amazing things”, that God has done for us.
If you have your family around, rejoice and thank God.  We just received a call from someone who lost her mother last night.  If you are in good health thank God.  We have a friend who received a kidney in a transplant this month and he is doing well and his family is rejoicing.  If your finances are met, then praise God.  I know we have seen God provide for us miraculously this past year. The list could go on and on and be different for everyone.  But they are memorials for us and as we continue this year, be looking for God to do “amazing things” in your life.

Image Courtesy Richard Gunion

Worship Woes.

I am writing this blog as my daughter is playing "American Idol" for Wii. And it is pretty loud, I might add. I must be getting old. Today I want to delve into the topic of Worship styles. I have been involved in many conversations about this topic recently. At church on Wednesday night, we were told that an 81 year old member of the church has decided to leave. The Worship leader is new and contemporary and this woman said that what he leads the church in "is not worship".

OUCH! My husband and I have had the opportunity to visit many churches lately and the Worship styles have ranged from one person with an acoustic guitar, to a tradional organ and robed choir, to a full band with a team of leaders and a light show that follows the beat of the music and everything inbetween. I cannot say that I was comfortable with every Worship style we encountered, but does that mean it is wrong? Lets look at a few sides of this argument:

The robed choir: First off, the minute the organ started playing and the robed choir marched out with their hymnals, you just lost anyone under the age of 21. While I understand the need for hymns, if this is all you are doing how do you attract and keep the younger generations interest?

The solo acoustic guitar: For some, this style creates an intimacy in worship. But what about the newcomer that is unsure of themself and would benefit more from a corporate style of worship?

No hymns, just the popular songs we hear on "Christian radio": Sure, this may be a good way to go. People will at least know the words and sing along. I mean why wouldn't they, the radio station plays this song 20 times a day. But is it just singing a song they know? Is it truly worship?

Full band with light show: First off, you just lost everyone over 50, except for that hardcore rocker over there. I can see that this type of Worship is reaching a whole new demographic of people that are uncomfortable with a traditional setting. But what are you doing to include the older generation? Or those with aversions to big lights shining in their eyes during Worship?

Psalms 100: 1-2: (ESV) Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into His Presence with singing!

I left a lot of open questions with the topics above because there is no right or wrong. I don't know the answers. What I do know is that Worship is important. It is the very thing that allows us to enter His Presence. As far as Worship styles, I guess that is all subjective. What does your church do for Worship? Do you think it offends some? Are you reaching everyone, or is there a generation gap?

Image Courtesy: navets

Related posts:
Choosing the best Worship style for your church or ministry
Styles of Praise and Worship

The More I Seek You

There are advantages in seeking the Lord.  We are living in a time that I believe God is calling His church to seek Him and to have a strong prayer life.  Maybe it is because I have been reading books about prayer, but it seems that God does things when we pray and I believe it His desire that we spend time in prayer.  Remember prayer is just communicating to God.  Prayer intimidates so many people, but it is just talking to God.  In the following verse we have some promises, if we will just seek the Lord.

2 Chron.7:14  if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Humble = Have an attitude of a proper low status in a relationship to an authority. Not being proud or pretentious. In other words we need to recognize that God is in control, not us. His glory not ours.

Pray = Make a request to God, often with a focus that the request asks or pleads for an intervention in a situation.

Seek = Search, look for, try to learn information about an object, implying a diligence in the procurement of the information.

Are you desperate for God?  It is not enough to just pray.  You must “SEEK”.

The Amplified Bible says it like this: pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity my face”

God will pass over a million people to get to 1 person who is desperately seeking Him.

 2Chron.16:9  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

Wicked Ways = The word implies that this evil or wicked hinders or severs a relationship to a person or principle which is proper.

In other words, the way we act and our relationship with God does affect our prayer life. Answered prayer or prayers not answered.

God said he would do these things. (1) Hear (2) Forgive (3) Heal 

He promised to restore their land.  Where we live, not just in the USA.  And that reaches into every part of "our land".   Our homes, our jobs, our churches, and our lives.
 

Communicating to God

Getting rid of junk!

Malachi 3:2 “ But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderers’ soap.

I was thinking about this verse the other day, I still remember my pastor preaching a sermon from this verse. But the real reason I started thinking about this verse is because we had a garage sale this last weekend. And we sold a lot of “junk”.  Now it really wasn’t junk, but it was stuff we didn’t need any more or perhaps our daughter had out grown.

So it got me to thinking about how we get a lot of junk in our lives.  It happens to all of us as we go through life we accumulate certain attitudes, though patterns, speech, and habits, just things that clutter up our lives.

Heb 12:1  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

So sometimes in our lives we need to let the Holy Spirit wash our lives or allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to purge certain things out of our lives.  Or we can just throw off the things or weights that hinder us and make more room for the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Reminder - ThePornEvent.com

Just a reminder about ThePornEvent.com. Today's topic:

Chlidren Exposed to Sexual Sin

Learning to listen

God has great things planned for you.  He has a very definite plan and purpose for your life.  Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God still speaks to today.  He spoke the universe into existence.  And He knows how to speak to mankind, and He is still speaking to mankind today. 

God speaks to our spirits, so we have to learn how to listen with our spiritual ears.  You see, it is not that God isn’t speaking, its probably we are not listening very well.  The only way to learn how to listen is by spending time with Him.  That is why it is critical to have a daily reading and prayer time. We should ask God to guide our lives and then begin to expect Him to do that.

God has a way of directing our lives; He wants us to be in His will and accomplishing His purpose.  He will bring divine appointments, connections and contacts into your life as we learn to listen to Him.



Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

The Porn Event Reminder

Just a reminder about ThePornEvent.com.  It begins May 23 and runs through May 28th.  Here is an article from NewsOK.com detailing the event.
NewsOK.com Porn Event Article

Here is a link to two previous blogs I wrote on the subject of pornography.  I believe it is often unspoken, but it destroys lives.
Addiction to Porn: from the pew to the pulpit
Does Porn Hurt?

I would also like to share a blog from Perry Noble.  He talks honestly about sexual sin.
Pastors and Sexual Sin

Thank you for being a friend.

The title of this blog may be a little misleading. When I was thinking of a title, the theme song for "The Golden Girls" kept coming to mind, hence the cheesy title. I just want to blog honestly about something that has been on my mind lately. Before I get into it all, I want to say that I can see both sides of it and am guilty of everything I am blogging about today. So, with that said, here goes.

I think that social media has warped our perception of what a friend truly is. With the whole "friend me" aspect of Facebook and Myspace, I think that we as a society have gotten very loose with the term friend. I mean, if you are on Facebook, it is very likely that you have a friend that you haven't seen in over 15 years. (guilty) You may even have a friend that you have only met once. (guilty as charged) You may even have a friend that you have never met. (again guilty) I know things about people that I haven't seen in over 15 years. Things about their relationships, vacations, illnesses, and just overall drama.

So lets take a look at what the bible says about a friend.

Proverbs 20:6 NLT: Many will say that they are true friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?

Okay, so when your "friends" post their current situations on Facebook (guilty), you make some generic comment about praying for them (guilty, but I do pray). But are you truly taking the time to be a reliable friend to them, or is it just the obligation of commenting because of the media social world we live in? Just food for thought, like I said, I am as guilty as the next.

Proverbs 18:24 NIV: A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
James 2:23 NIV: And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.

I don't want to take away from the true friends in life. I have friends that would move mountains for me, and I would do the same for them. But how much greater it is to be called a "friend of God"? For me this blog is going to make me think about how I use Facebook and other social media sites. Am I doing this out of social obligation or because of true compassion for a friend? Whether you just met them, never met them, or haven't seen them in fifteen years, I think this is a heart matter for myself. Obligation or true compassion? Something for me to think about. Thank you for letting me share with you today.

Sometimes He calms the storms.

The storms are raging tonight in Oklahoma. There has been rain, hail, tornados, and flooding throughout the state. Being native Oklahomans, we have been out on the porch watching the storm pass all around us. Our 11 year old daughter has had her "preparedness backpack" out for hours and keeps asking when we should take cover. My husband and I have gotten used to the storms, and though we stay informed, we have found other things to do besides worry and fret.

Sometimes this can happen in life. Sometimes the storms can be raging all around us. We can be consumed with all of the things happening around us. We can worry and fret. We can let the storms overtake us so that all we are focusing on is the storm around us. God can calm your storm as He did for the disciples in the ship, but it isn't always His intention. Sometimes He calms us.

Sometimes we need to let go, put our faith in Him and let the storms continue to rage. Sometimes we need to get to a place that we have no other choice except for to completely rely on Him. He could calm the storm, but maybe the storm is teaching us and shaping us into the person He wants us to be.

Psalms 46:10(a) NIV - "Be still and know that I am God."
The NASB says it this way: "Cease striving and know that I am God."

So next time the storms of life are raging around you and there seems to be no end to them, quit placing your worry into the storm. Instead place your faith in Him and your storm will begin to look different. Be still, cease striving and know that He is God.

I have heard this quote many times: "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." - Unknown

To blog or not to blog... 31DBBB Feedback

Welcome fellow 31DBBB bloggers and readers.  Let me begin by saying that I have enjoyed being a part of Christian Web Trends 31DBBB experience.  I have received a wealth of information in a short period of time.  I have found other blogs that motivate and inspire me.  Following the 31DBBB curriculum has reinforced some habits and helped to create new habits.

I appreciate each of you stopping by to offer your feedback.  Feel free to comment on any aspect of the blog.  Here are some topics that I have had questions/concerns about:

1) Layout - I like a clean look on blogs.  I like to be able to see quickly what the blog is about.  Am I accomplishing this?

2) Linking blog to website - I am not sure that the way I have my blog redirected from my website is the best way.  I am worried about ease of use for my readers who find me through the website.

3) Use of video - I try to post one video blog per week.  I use YouTube and embed the code into the blog.  Are the videos clear?  Is the sound quality okay?  Are they easy to view?
                                                                                       
4) Communication - Am I communicating my message well to a general audience?  I always try to keep in mind that persons viewing the blog may not have a Christian background. 


Please provide feedback on anything that may enhance my blog and do not hesitate to tell me what's not working. 




Photo Courtesy - S. Fernando

I am STRESSED out!!!

Addiction to Porn, from the pew to the pulpit

LifeChurch.tv invited us to blog on this topic for their upcoming ThePornEvent.com in partnership with XXXChurch.com.   Today we are going to look at the question, can porn addiction happen to anyone?

Statistics from XXX Church
42.7% of Internet users view porn.
20% of men say they view porn at work.
53% of Christian men consume pornography.
Breakdown of male/female visitors to pornography sites: 72% male & 28% female.
17% of all women struggle with pornography addiction.
The average age of first Internet exposure to pornography is 11 years old.
90% of 8-16 year-olds have viewed porn online (most while doing homework)

We are all aware of the problems a certain golfer had over sexual addiction and what it cost him.  We have all heard about ministers who have been caught up in sexual stings that have cost them and their families dearly.

Webster’s Dictionary definition of addict = to give (oneself) up to a strong habit.

Lets call it like it is; porn is sin and sin can happen to anyone.  From the pew to the pulpit no one is exempt and addiction can happen to anyone at anytime.  Paul talks about battling sin, the flesh in Romans 7:15-25. We all have are different battles, what may be an enticement for me may not be a problem for you and vise versa.  We all are enticed by different things, and we have to learn how to overcome are problem areas.

Just as drugs, alcohol or any other type of addiction affects the person.  Porn can also become an addiction, especially since it is over the Internet and done in the privacy of your own home.  Thank God that you can get help with events like ThePornEvent.com and through great churches making the world aware of porn addiction like LifeChurch.tv or XXXchurch.com.

If you are struggling with porn get some help.  Get a porn filtering software for your computer, talk to someone, get someone to help you be accountable to.  Understand that you are not the only one dealing with this problem, and with God’s help you can overcome it.

Always remember that God loves you, God forgives, God restores. There is victory in Jesus.

For more details go to ThePornEvent.com.
Find The Porn Event on Facebook.

Related Posts:

The Porn Event

LifeChurch.tv and XXXChurch.com team up for The Porn Event

Be prepared: Protecting our children from internet porn

The Porn Event : Get Involved

Tony Steward : ThePornEvent.com

The Porn Event — Time To Get Real About Porn

News and Some Fun Stuff

Does porn hurt? - Churches team up for ThePornEvent.com

LifeChurch.tv invited us to blog on this topic for their upcoming ThePornEvent.com.  We appreciate the opportunity to work with LifeChurch.tv and XXXChurch.com to talk about pornography. It is an unspoken topic that is very real and very destructive.

Will porn hurt your marriage? Will porn destroy your relationships and character? Will porn hurt your ministry and career?


As a pastor, my wife and I counseled couples that were having marital problems.  Now counseling is not my favorite thing to do, but something we did as pastors.  It was disturbing to me that people who brought their bibles and sat in church every week, who participated in church and ministry were involved in all types of sexual perversions.  I had a hard time even believing they were telling me this stuff.  Sure, we counseled them the best we could.  We prayed and asked for God to help, heal and forgive.  We paid for professional help and follow up for these couples. But in the end their marriages failed and their character was destroyed. Porn and its effects certainly played its part in destroying these families.


We have seen the effects of how porn will destroy church leadership and ministry teams on a local and national level.  When this sin is brought to light it brings much shame on the individuals, the leadership the church and the Body of Christ.  All the while, the world around us laughs and says the church is no different than the world.


In my opinion porn and sexual immorality is one of the hardest things to deal with in the church, because of the society we live in, it is common acceptance and practice.  But it certainly is not Godly or what the scriptures teach.  Take a look at some of the statistics from  XXXChurch.com.

(Relevant Statistics from XXX Church)
• 42.7% of Internet users view porn
• 20% of men say they view porn at work.
• 53% of Christian men consume pornography.
• Breakdown of male/female visitors to pornography sites: 72% male & 28% female
• 17% of all women struggle with pornography addiction.
• The average age of first Internet exposure to pornography is 11 years old.
• 90% of 8-16-year-olds have viewed porn online (most while doing homework).

Will porn destroy your career? Recently in the town we live in, an assistant principal was charged with sexual misconduct against a minor. This person once was held a staff position working with children at a church in the area. What did the police find on his computer? Porn.  This person is now a trial, perhaps facing prison and the loss of his job and career. 

Does porn hurt?  Yes it hurts, but also destroys. Thank you LifeChurch.tv and xxxchurch.com for putting on the porn event.   Our only hope is in the help and forgiveness of Christ Jesus.

1Cor.15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

For more details go to ThePornEvent.com.
Find The Porn Event on Facebook.


Related Posts:
The Porn Event
LifeChurch.tv and XXXChurch.com team up for The Porn Event
Be prepared: Protecting our children from internet porn
The Porn Event : Get Involved
Tony Steward : ThePornEvent.com
The Porn Event — Time To Get Real About Porn

Where is the HOPE?

Originally posted by Wendy Spoon on Wednesday, November 05, 2008


Where is the HOPE?

In Lindsey's 3rd grade class, they held a mock election. They talked about why they did or did not vote for each candidate. One little boy spoke up and said that he would not vote for Obama because Obama would send all of the Iraqi's to kill us. (Guess he heard that at home!) When Lindsey realized that Obama would win she became fearful and told us about what was said in class. I reminded her that we don't put our hope in people, but in God. She asked about the Iraqi's. I told her that bad things could happen regardless of who is president, but it is God who sustains us. We do not place our hope in the president of a nation, but the Lord of all nations.

Reflecting on the past weeks and election day, a prologue to a Steven Curtis Chapman song, "Heaven in the Real World" comes to mind. The prologue is by Chuck Colson.


 HEAVEN IN THE REAL WORLD

"Where is the hope?  I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us.  Where is the hope?  The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things we do as a nation.  Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people, and that's where our hope is in this country; that's where our hope is in life."  

Chuck Colson, prologue to "Heaven in the Real World," Steven Curtis Chapman

I saw it again today in the face of a little child
Looking through the eyes of fear and uncertainty
It echoed in a cry for freedom across the street and across the miles
Cries from the heart to find the missing part

CHORUS
Where is the hope, where is the peace?
That will make this life complete
For every man, woman, boy, and girl
Looking for heaven in the real world

To stand in the pouring rain and believe the sun will shine again
To know that the grave is not the end
To feel the embrace of grace and cross the line where real life begins
And know in your heart you've found the missing part


CHORUS
There is a hope, there is a peace
That will make this life completeFor every man, woman, boy, and girl
Looking for heaven in the real world
Heaven in the real world


BRIDGE
It happened one night with a tiny baby's birth
God heard creation crying and He sent heaven to earth


CHORUS
He is the hope, He is the peace
That will make this life complete
For every man, woman, boy and girl
Looking for heaven in the real world

Micah 4:5 (New International Version)
5 All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods;
we will walk in the name of the LORD
our God for ever and ever.

desert experience

Luke 1:80  And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.


We are living in a time where there are people who are living in obscurity but God has been doing a work in them preparing them for a very public display of God’s power. 

John the Baptist was to prepare the way of the Lord.   (Lk 1:17)   But before he did that he spent a considerable time in the desert growing strong in the spirit  . And then at the appointed time the word of God comes to John.   (Lk.3:2)  And he bursts on the scene preparing the way of the Lord.

Maybe you fill like you are in the desert.  It could be that the Lord is preparing you making you strong in spirit.  And then one-day the word of God comes to you and you burst on the scene as God uses you to prepare the way of the Lord for someone.  Remember Moses spent 40 years in the desert and then burst on the scene to bring deliverance to a nation.  Could it be that God has you in the desert and in obscurity in order for you to bring deliverance to someone or a group of people?

Don’t fret the desert experience.  Let it be a time of God strengthening your spirit because He has a plan and purpose for you.

Photo Courtesy Maxfx

He still heals

Ex 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.


I was thinking about this scripture this week.  My mother was having surgery and Wendy’s grandmother was in the same hospital and the hospital was busy that day as they are everyday.



I don’t know what your theology is concerning healing, but I believe God still heals today. I myself have experienced two different instantaneous healings in my back on two different occasions and no one laid hands on me either.  My own daughter has been scheduled for surgery.  We have seen her wheeled into the surgery room only to have the surgeon come back out on 20 to 30 minutes and say after examining her one more time on the operating table decided not to operate because he couldn’t find any thing wrong.



I know personally of one pastor diagnosed with cancer, but after changing his diet and prayer one year later was cancer free and had zero surgery, no chemo, or any other medical procedure to remove the cancer. And he is still cancer free.


There are many more testimonies and you probably have one of your own.  The question I always hear is why does God heal some and others don’t seem like they ever get healed and perhaps die.  The answer is I don’t know or pretend to know.  But I do know anytime I get well whether it is a cold or something bigger, I praise God for healing no matter if it’s a doctor and medicine and no matter how long it takes.  So if you need healing, I join my prayer with yours and believe God will grant you healing.

Want to do some further reading on healing?  Here is a previous post on healing titled God heals today.  We also have a helps page on healing on our website.

Photo Courtesy Andrey Zametalov

Feeble Plea

I was once told that we should not cry out to God with a feeble plea.  I was told that our plea should be righteous.  But I still believe that God listens to a feeble plea.  There have been times in my life that I did not have the strength to offer anything other than a feeble plea.  The time I almost died and almost lost my only child, when she was diagnosed with disabilities that seemed so much bigger than she was.  There are so many times that I recall making a feeble plea that God would help me in my time of need. 

When I first brought up this topic on Facebook a friend reminded me of Hannah.  (1 Samuel 1 and 2)  Hannah was barren and she was tormented by her rival to the point that she would weep and not eat. 

1 Sam. 1:10-11  In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.  11  And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

The passage goes on to say that Hannah was in such a state that Eli, the priest, thought she was drunk. 

1 Sam. 1:15-17   "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled.  I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD.  16  Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."
17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."

Her plea was not righteous.  It was a feeble, heart broken plea to God that he would bless her with a son.  She was pouring out her soul and praying out of her anguish and grief. 

I like reading 1 Samuel 2:1-10.  It is a different cry, but she is crying out to God in a new way.  She has a renewed faith that came from a very feeble plea and an answered prayer. 

1 Samuel 2:9  It is not by strength that one prevails.


It is not always in our strength that God can work in our lives.  Sometimes he works through our anguish, grief, and brokenness.  I believe that God listens to all who cry out to Him, whether the cry is feeble or righteous.   I believe that He rejoices when we cry out to Him whatever the situation we are in.  I believe He meets you where you are.

I like the words of Amy Grant's new song, Better Than A Hallelujah.  The chorus goes like this:

We pour out out miseries,
God just hears a melody.
Beautiful, the mess we are,
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.




This blog written by Wendy Spoon.


Related Post - The Gladness of Sadness

to the ends of the earth

Acts 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

We all know that we are to be witnesses to those around us.  And that we are to support missions as well.  Not everyone can go to the mission field but we can help support missions.  We can also  minister in our communities and be effective there as well.

I am amazed at the impact we have had with our Internet church.  When we started this ministry I really wasn’t sure how it would be viewed, even though we had much encouragement from a few fellow ministers.  So we started out on February 20th wondering whom we would touch?

To God be the glory!  We had 3000 hits on the website in the month of April, we have had viewers or readers from all over the USA, plus Spain, Ukraine, Slovakia, Netherlands, Australia, France, Canada, United Kingdom, Syria, Thailand, Italy, and South Africa.  Plus Wendy was asked to write two blogs for ourchurch.com's Christian Web Trends Blog  and we have been invited to write a blog on the effects of pornography and link it to LifeChurch.tv in partnership with them on an upcoming series they are presenting.  We have been asked to speak in churches in our area, and will be preaching in a church for the whole month of June.

So I just want to encourage you in whatever God is calling you to do.  To keep doing it. God truly has opened doors, and given divine contacts and appointments.  We can be witnesses for Christ.

Photo Courtesy M. Mahdy

Happy Mother's Day Weekend

I trust that each of you is enjoying your weekend and celebrating the Moms in your life.  I want to invite you to visit http://www.speakinggraceonline.com/ and take a look at our Video Teachings.  We post a new teaching every weekend.  We hope that they are a blessing to you.

Happy Mother's Day!

God Bless Our Moms

1Sam 1:10-11  In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.  11 And she made a vow, saying,  "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

This week we are going to celebrate Mother Day.  And I think we can all say Thank You for all of our mothers.  I was doing my daily bible reading the other day.   As I read these verses I thought of the love and dedication of this mother.

 We all know the story of Hannah, how she wanted to be a mother so bad. But so far she hadn’t had a child.  But she dedicated her self to God in prayer.  She was so dedicated in prayer that the priest Eli thought she was drunk and out of her mind.  But her desire was to be a mother.

1Sam. 1:27-28  I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.  28  So now I give him to the LORD.  For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD."  And he worshiped the LORD there.

Then Hannah did something that can ensure success for motherhood.  She dedicated young Samuel to the Lord.  Not only did she dedicate him to the Lord but Samuel was in church all his life and answered the call to ministry.  All because this woman had a desire to be a mom and dedicate her young son to the Lord.  Thank God for mothers especially Godly mom’s who pray and dedicate their kids to the Lord.

My wife Wendy and daughter Lindsey.  Here is a snippet from one of Wendy's blogs:

(The picture is from the birthday lunch she blogged about)

Birthday Lunch

Current mood: blessed

"Lindsey has been soooo sweet to me today. She gave me a card this morning and lots of hugs and kisses, and then she told me about her birthday present that she has been hinting about for a week now. Her big birthday suprise was to invite me to have lunch with her at school as long as I would pick it up and bring it! It was so cute and we ate McDonald's of course. She told me that she had told everyone that it was my birthday and she must have, because EVERYONE told me "Happy Birthday" as they saw us. It made for a great birthday!!"

Fear, Holiness, and Purity (Video)

Related Post - LifeChurch.Tv The Bulleye

The Bunnies

John 15:1-2   "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.   2  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."


We have a family of rabbits living under our little building in the back yard.  We thought they were cute all winter and early spring.  And then I planted my little vegetable garden.  And I do mean little, just a few tomato and pepper plants.  It was then we found out that the rabbits like tomato plants and to my surprise pepper plants as well.

The rabbits ate 3 of my tomato plants down to nothing and 2 of my pepper plants down to nubs.  I was really upset and said I was going to shoot the rabbits next time I saw them.  I decided to leave 2 of the tomato plants alone and also the pepper plants as well.

So today I was out watering the little garden and noticed that the tomato & pepper plants that had been nibbled to nothing had new growth on them and they were showing signs of life.  Now they don’t look like the other tomato & pepper plants, but they are growing.

Sometimes we as individuals and churches go through a pruning process.  But if we will stay planted and keep being watered we will sprout new growth.  Maybe your church has gone through a tough time, been pruned to nothing.

Pastor, stay with it, stay planted and keep being watered and watering your flock.  New growth will come.  Your church may not look like the one down the block but keep with it, new growth will come.

Photo Courtesy Steffen Foerster

A List of Sorts

We have lots of Video Teachings available online at www.speakinggraceonline.com. We post a Video Teaching every weekend. We try to keep them around 20 minutes. Another way that we make church available on "your time".

Lost Things
God's GPS pt.1
God's GPS pt. 2
God's GPS pt. 3
God's GPS pt. 4
God's GPS pt. 5
God's GPS pt. 6
God's GPS pt. 7
The 4 R's
Psalms 37 Trust and Delight
Psalms 37 Commit and Rest

Thank you for allowing us to bring these videos to you.  We hope that they are a blessing to you as you have "church - on your time".  God Bless!

Our Purpose

Speaking Grace Ministries and www.speakinggraceonline.com is committed to posting at least three blogs weekly. One of the three blogs is usually a Video Blog.


The purpose of our blog is to continually educate our readers about the bible and how it applies to our lives.

We hope that our blog has been a blessing to you. We encourage you to comment on our blogs. We appreciate those of you who have shared us with a friend or linked us on Facebook, etc. Do you want someone to pray for you? Visit - www.speakinggraceonline.com and click on Prayer Page.

Thank you for allowing us to bring the Word of God to you through the internet.