The Walking Dead (Notes from January 17, 2016)

While there are many things I miss about being a full-time logger, there are just as many things  I don’t miss. One thing I don’t miss is the way we were constantly dealing with mud during the winter and early spring. I vividly remember one time when it was so bad that not only did it soil my coveralls, it also soaked into my work uniform and even my underwear. All I could do at this point was remove the dirty clothes, take a shower and put on “new” clothes.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3:1-17 this is what happens to us when we become followers of Jesus Christ. We remove the stain of our sins and rebellious attitudes towards God  by removing our old selves, being washed in the blood of Christ and putting on our new self. When this happens, we are to show compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and love to each other. Basically we understand through our years of following Jesus that this is what God expects of us. However, I have a question we with which we all need to wrestle:

Do I show compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and love to myself? (more…)

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Preparing the Mind (January 10, 2015)

In her book, Your Inner You, Leslie Flynn tells of a mother who was peeling vegetables for a salad when her daughter, home from college, casually mentioned she was going to a questionable movie that evening. The mother quickly picked up a handful of garbage and threw it in the salad. “Mother!” said the shocked girl. “You’re putting garbage in the salad.”

“I know,” replied the mother, “but I thought that if you didn’t mind garbage in your mind, certainly you wouldn’t mind a little in your stomach.”

This story makes a valid point about the importance of guarding our minds, especially if we are followers of Jesus Christ. Why is it important to guard our minds?  It’s because our thoughts determine our actions. If we want to live a sinful lifestyle, all we need to do is think sinful thoughts. If we truly want to be faithful to Jesus and live a Christian lifestyle then we need to think like he does. (more…)

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The Proactive Approach (Sermon Notes from January 3, 2016)

Please take a minute and think about the following question: What approach am I taking to make myself a better person?

After all, everyone  of us has faults, weaknesses and we struggle with sin. What are we doing to overcome these obstacles which keep us from reaching our full potential as humans and, at times, keep us beat down in life? (more…)

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