“You shall have no other gods before me!” Exodus 20:3

     “Sorry i have been a bit sporadic writing…..I have been discouraged and frustrated….i have sought clarity and understanding as to what GOD would have me do as far as ministry and service….i would love to be in ministry (paid) somewhere but we are here in pensacola with family. GOD expects me to take care of my family and i am good with that. I would love for a local church (and it’s singles) to get fired up about ministering to other singles. It isn’t happening…..And, I have to take alot of vacation at a time that I didn’t need it and will be in NJ for the summer….But, here is the clarity! Thou shalt not …have other GODS before me! GOD expects us to serve him in all things!

      Biblical religion is exclusive in nature. GOD expects to be the most important driving force in your life. Yahweh to Israel, Jesus to the saved, I AM to Moses and Pharoah….GOD is first and only. HE will not be a choice, HE is the only choice!  HE does not seek a place in a pantheon of many gods. There may be a temple of a thousand buddhas or a system of many hindu dieties (animals….). God does not share space with such. GOD is GOD!     FATHER!     SON!        HOLY SPIRIT!       GOD!

None of us would place our GOD in a basket with these idols or would bow down to a cow, would we? Of course not!

“Hear O Israel! The LORD our GOD the LORD is one! Love th LORD your GOD with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength” Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 22:37-38. In other words, GOD is always first!

* What about work? You are to be a Christian at work. You are to work hard and conduct yourself as a Christian. If “talking religion” isn’t allowed or you are not comfortable with it, you still are obligated to share the good news of Jesus. Be the most reliable, compassionate, responsible person you can be. When people notice, tell them why.

*I might be too busy with school to do church stuff….GOD wants you to get an education. HE wants you to succeed. After all, what a light on the hilltop you will be in community college or the state U. as a believer! But don’t get so distracted with school that you don’t see GOD working in your life. Don’t choose to not serve because of “studying”.

*I am a faithful member of the church! Good…..But, remember this …”no other gods”…. if your church is so busy following the rules and promoting the beliefs of the church and forgets to preach JESUS CHRIST, it has become a god in itself. If you hear more about how to believe, how to follow the rules, how to be the church…..chances are you aren’t studying the mercy and forgiveness that JESUS taught and that is provided through HIS death, burial and resurrection.

*I don’t have time to be religious? Got me too! I am so busy. But, GOD hears our prayers continuously…at work…school…on the road. Satan wants you overwhelmed. Time will become another god to serve if you let it.

*marriage and family? GOD loves you whether you are married or single! Period. But he also knows that most people need companionship to avoid temptation. You can marry. But GOD comes first! Marriage is not your god. Children cannot be your gods.GOD (FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT) is GOD!

Clean that garage and get those other gods out of there.

Spritual Growth Workshop Schedule for Singles Late Night!    9:15 each evening…..

Thursday June 28- Lonnie Johnson: “Single, not a label. A legacy”

Friday June 29- Dr. Anthony Fischetto:  Excel as a SINGLE in GOD’s kingdom

Also, check out Eric Brown, Donnie Dillon and Matt Dabbs at 9:45 Friday am: Reaching a broken generation!

Saturday June 30- Jim Miller: “Living Single in the Big House of GOD”

 

Young Adult

by Jordan Richardson on April 20, 2012

In an age where many of us have taken to social networking to find out what’s happened to those we grew up with and spent our formative years with, Jason Reitman’s Young Adult is a near-perfect capsule of what it feels like to look down on someone – and fall flat on our faces. Written by Diablo Cody, this film marks the first time since Juno that the writer and Reitman have worked together.

Young Adult is probably the best pure character study of 2011. It takes the most popular girl in high school and follows her as she nears the dreaded 40s. She’s not yet equipped with the tools to move behind her deluded juvenile state and, like many, is locked in a realm of self-absorbed interpretations and adolescent observations.

Charlize Theron continues her excellent run as an actress by playing Mavis Gary. She lives in Minneapolis as a divorced ghost writer of a popular series of young adult (YA) books. She is 37 and is, whether she enjoys it or not, in a rut of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and drinking pop from the bottle. When she receives a birth announcement from her old high school boyfriend Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson), she decides to visit her hometown of Mercury to try to win him away from his wife Beth (Elizabeth Reaser).

Mavis arrives in Mercury and predictably finds herself to be very above everything. She knows how to turn on the charm when needed. Prior to meeting Buddy, she runs into a former classmate named Matt (Patton Oswalt) and drunkenly informs him of her plans. Matt, disabled from a high school beating, becomes her unlikely companion throughout her quest to woo her old flame.

Theron brilliantly adds layer after layer to Mavis by the moment and her character grows incredibly complex. It’s not that we grow to dislike her, necessarily, but that we grow to pity her. She is so self-absorbed and obsessed with the notion of clinging to her “glory days” that she fails to really move on. She arrives in Mercury and looks down on everyone, unable to see Buddy’s happiness and sure of her view that he’s struggling to maintain his cool in a world of diapers and weird mom bands.

I’ve been critical of Cody’s work in the past, but in this outing her writing is quite good. She captures the elements of Mercury well, creating a town that is humble and seems kind of fun. Mavis’ growing disdain for the place actually makes it more likable, even as she succumbs to the Kentacohut’s cheesy allure. Interestingly, Cody writes Mercury as a place filled with inspiration – from the teenaged conversations in line at a fast food joint to the life of the fictional “Ryan.”

Cody and Reitman outline Mavis’ descent into disaster with all sorts of restraint. They play it close, so that you never really fully hate her until things pull too far. If the film has an error, and I believe it does, it’s that things twist too out of control in the final minutes. There is a yelling session on the lawn that, while played perfectly by Theron, feels somewhat overwritten. And the appearance of a quiet side character (Collette Wolfe) in the movie’s closing scene seems almost absurd in her proclamations of despair.

Nevertheless, Reitman’s Young Adult is a damn good movie. It works because Mavis isn’t melodramatic in her contempt and excessively ingenuous in her behaviours. She is completely credible, not a comic archetype but rather a contemptible vision of not quite getting it. Theron’s performance is easily one of the best of 2011 and Cody’s writing is as good as it’s ever been.

I shared this movie review and believe that this the is the target that most churches and outreaches are coping with. As I follow up Matthew’s excellent article about Men growing up and being responsible, let us not forget that 40 year old women are wearing pajamas to Walmart! GOD has provided answers…..wish both church members and the community would ask the question!!!!

Real Men, players, fakers……by Matthew Morrow

Real Men, players, haters, fakes, wanna be’s, and the real deal~ Observations and life experience

by Matthew Morrow on Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 3:28pm ·

I’m going to just jot down some thoughts on what I think being a real man and by definition we will be using a Godly man as our subject matter. Just feel like writing so here goes……

I personally think there are tons of wussy men out there. Men that do not except responsibility for themselves, their families, or their own actions. I have many times been this man. I think we are each given moments every day to “MAN UP!” and we buckle under. Most of the times it’s little things. I think Life is that way. Life isn’t some grand event that only happens once a year like Christmas or a Birthday, but Life happens everyday. It is as constant as the ocean waves crashing over you. It’s great when you are walking in a foot of cool water lightly splashing at your feet, and fun when you’re waist deep, turning your back to the waves, still feeling the sun beat down on your shoulders. Get’s a little scary when you can’t see the bottom, when your chest deep and now with each wave you have to bob and bounce to keep your head above water. Without noticing you have been swept 100s of feet down the shoreline from where you entered and you can loose site of your stuff, and your family. Before you know it you are in over your head and drowning and yet the waves keep crashing over and over.

Men were made to lead, made to create, to conquer, to build, to father, to work, to take care of their families, their parents, their children, thier wives, their land. We were made in God’s image and he is these things as well. Ever since sin entered the world, unfortunately men have constantly been sown with generation after genration of greater weakness, flaws, malice, and sin. Do you know in America last year there were more illegetimate children born than there were married women? There are lots of reasons given. One is that women have taken many of the traditional male jobs. Now if you are standing in line cause a woman took your job, MAN UP, had you been worthy you would have been too valuable to cut. This is not a discussion on womens roles, but on mens. I beleive if men are acting like they were created to be, Honorable, honest, hard working, trustworthy, creative, bold, uncompromising, determinded, and more women would glaldly follow them. The Bible says that women are to submit to their husbands and goes on to say that MEN are to treat their wives as Christ treated the Church. Which he laid down his life for. In other words you are to give everything to your wife and family second only to God.

In this election year we have congress and senate which is mostly men, and our president and most of his staff (mostly men) that any given night we can turn on the news and see that the family is under attack. our faith is under attack, and our men are under attack. We can’t watch a TV show where men aren’t portrayed as either sex addict dogs, idiots, or players. I’m hard pressed to find positive unfoulable characters in our media. Heck even Superman in the last movie produced who’s supposed to be the “boyscout”, the guy who’s only flaw is always doing the right thing and being a man of his word and untarnishable had an illigetimate kid and left his unwed GF to raise him on his own for 7yrs. Sad sad sad…. We have politicians, sports heros, and yes even men of our faith claiming Jesus but yet the country is riddled with divorce, with bad marriages, etc.. Some of the stuff I have seen like CIA meeting with prositiutes, presidents having sex with interns in the white house, ….let’s be real for just a second…. Affiars aren’t like tripping and falling…. opps i fell over and we happen to be naked. Affairs of the mind start with just a thought. That’s all it takes… A person you start a friendship with, you shar things with and before long you are sharing parts of yourself that should never be shared. I had a girl come to me one time and tell me that this was happening to her. My advice to her was to quit her job, RUN!! I told her. She thought I was crazy, but I said if you flee from sin, God will bless you for it.

Sigh…. I don’t know… I have been accused of being too “macho” or “manly” or whatever like those are bad things. Men were made to conquer. I constantly feel like men are more often the butt of jokes and unfortenately I think we have accepted the roll. So after reading the Bible (which by the way most of the men I talk to who say they are Christians have never bothered to read those instructions), and many other books on being a “MAN” This is what I have come up with. Choice…..Everyday we are given the choice to choose what type of man we will be. I have found that if you are whoever you want to be. Yes we have genetics, etc.. but you don’t have to be your father or grandfather. You are your own man! MAN UP! “Choose this day whom you will follow but as for me and my family we will choose to serve the Lord” I believe the problems with our marriages, schools, politics, and religion will all be sorted out when get our houses in order. Meaning that Men need to Man up and be what and who they were made to be. It is our Job to take the Love of the Lord to others, to be Christ to everyone we meet, to scarifice, to lead, to BE MEN. I can’t control what other men do. All I can do is pray for them, try to be the best I can be and be what God has made me to be. When you except your purpose in Life, to Glorify God with all that you are and leave each person better than you found them, you will have become a man. And I guess that’s the point isn’t it….each man has to grow up and into the Man God has made him to be. If you wonder why your life isn’t Rocking and rolling, why it’s not awesome, it’s because you aren’t walking in the light. if you don’t know what all this I just said, I will gladly talk to you. i welcome your comments and prayers as I continue daily to fight to be all I can be. many days I will fail, but I tomorrow is a new day, so bring on the dawn….

Ollie gets along great with the dog! Rituals and compromise!

Ollie and his girlfriend Sasha are having a rocky time these days. But Ollie gets along great with the dog!

He comes home from work and fluffy is there to meet him. He pets her and praises her. Then he gives her a treat and takes her for a walk. Great! Except that his walk of the dog makes him fifteen minutes late to pick up Sasha….for their date…with the Johnson’s. When he arrives (late) she is frowning. Not only is he late but his hands were empty. Sasha asked, ” Did you pick up something at the store for dessert. We are supposed to bring dessert!” “Sorry, I forgot”, he answers. “You didn’t forget to buy dog biscuits for fluffy I bet!”, she counters.

Does Ollie like his dog better than Sasha? Maybe. Or, is Sasha too “high maintanence”? Probably not.

Ollie and Fluffy have a ritual. They know what to expect. Ollie and Sasha are making it up as they go along. More unpredictable. Less secure. So, what to do?

As a couple becomes closer, the communication level should increase. Sasha could call Ollie and remind him of dessert. Maybe they could walk Fluffy together or it would give her a few extra minutes to get ready. Maybe the Johnson’s are flexible and don’t mind if you are few minutes late or you both could prepare to leave earlier.

Relationships ( friends, dating, marriage, parenting) are demand commitment AND compromise. Flexibility AND patience.

If you want to share your life, you will be disappointed at times. You also can be very blessed at others.

Thoughts

Gulf Coast Bible Camp Retreat Itenerary!!!!!

For more details and other activities check out the link above for “Upcoming Events!”

APRIL 20-22

Living (SINGLE) in the Great House of GOD!

SINGLES RETREAT AT GULF COAST BIBLE CAMP

SCHEDULE!

Friday APRIL- 6-7 pm-Registration

7:00 PM: meet and greet

8:00 PM:  singing and devo – Lesson 1- The Door (Milton)

9:00 PM:  campfire

Saturday March 17- 8-9 am Breakfast and Sat. registration

9:00 AM: Lesson 2- Get Out of the Kitchen! (Jim) With breakout—————

10:30 AM:  Lesson 3 -Parlor and Prayer (Greg) With breakout

 LUNCH

1:00 PM Lesson 4 – Clean the Garage (Greg)  With Ropes Course (at 1:45)

3:00-6:00 PM – FREE TIME

6:00 PM – Dinner

7:00 PM – Lesson 5- Are you living in the Living Room? (Milton)

Singing/campfire

Sunday March 18- 9 am- Breakfast

10:00 AM – Praise and Worship

11:30 AM –Cleanup and Blast off!

Clean Out the Garage!

Priorities………….

A friend told me that her priorities in her marriage were 1) her children 2) her husband 3) herself. She did all the recitals and ballgames. She ironed the uniforms and did the birthday parties. Then she ironed her husbands shirts and cooked for him. She was next in line but she grew bitter because there was no time for herself. She rebelled against the order and got her independence.

After a break to reconsider, she started over. Kids first, JOB second (where did that come from?) and a tie for last with herself and her new boyfriend. He wants out. Honestly, who wants to be tied for last with a frustrated person.

Good effort doesn’t always equal good results. You have to (humbly) put your needs first. Build your spirit and share it with the kids and significant other. Calm your mind and give peace to others. Protect your body and it will be better to serve others.

Now, do the kids come first at times? Yes. And when it is their time, take care of them and enjoy it! Does your love life/marriage come first at times? Yes, very often but it is a two way avenue of service and caring for one another. Does your job come first at times. Yes, it pays the bills.

Life is a balancing act. You have to alternate priorities and meet needs.

What about the “other” stuff? Let’s face it, alot of people want something from you! Give them what is left over. And if that isn’t enough, cut em loose.

GOD, family, country…….good! Ex’s, fair weather friends, social obligations that you don’t enjoy……treat em like the old bowling ball in the garage. Either let it sit or get rid of it!

Clean out the garage of your heart.

Living (Single) in the Great House of GOD —-Living Room Activity………..

ARE YOU A PLAYER OR A SPECTATOR?

     (John 12:1-11)

 The cast of characters

JESUS – Emmanuel/God on Earth/King of Kings/Lord of Lords

MARY – Worshipper of Jesus

Lazarus- Resurrected hanger outer

Judas- Treasurer and Critic

other disciples

religious leaders and general public

MARTHA – In the kitchen

     SO….. (thanks Jeremy for pointingthis out!)   MARY is passionately in AWE of JESUS….she is slathering him with perfume and washing his feet with her tears! She is aware of who he is and what he deserves.

WHY aren’t the others doing the same?

MARTHA is busy being responsible! I appreciate Martha. Somebody needs to be responsible. Or we’ll all be hungry……except….Oh yeah! This guy fed 5,000 and 4,000 people out of thin air. SO, MARTHA———GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!

JUDAS is busy being…..Judas. I mean….honestly….somebody needs to keep track of the money. Next thing you know it’ll be wasted on homeless people or prisoners. Gotta use the Lord’s resources appropriately, right? JUDAS….the work will be done despite you!

LAZARUS is hanging out….After 4 days dead he is probably just happy to be there……

The disciples are ….there. Wonder if they are just so used to the incredible that they are confortable.

Religious leaders….it is bigger than you. Why are you not  AMAZED?

So….here is the question for you, the Christian Single. Where are you in this picture?

Seeking Jesus  ___

Content with my beliefs ___

I need help to believe ____

I like when others are proven wrong ___

I’m like Martha (somebody has to do the grunt work) ____

ARE YOU LIVING IN THE LIVING ROOM?

Living (Single) in the Great House of GOD

There is a picture of “the church” going around the internet. It is of a small, stone church building on a cliff. And it has Bible verses to explain different parts of the building. The roof=the truth (1 Tim, 3:15). Built with living stones: (1 Peter 2:5). The steps are the 5 steps of salvation. The cornerstone and the door: Jesus (Eph. 2:20, John 10:9). Built on a Rock that juts over a cliff (Matt. 16: 13-18). GOOD verses! Bad picture!

What is wrong with it? Well, first of all, only a Billy Goat could get to it! It is unaccessable. Secondly, there are no people! Thirdly, it is too small so growth is impossible. And, the door is so small that only a small gymnast could enter!

We ae the Restoration Movement! So, let’s symbolically restore this house and make it a home for the heart! This week we will start with the door:

• Jesus Christ is the GATE! A GATE is LARGE! Open! Welcoming! Several can come in and out at one time.
• PEOPLE are the true house of God! We need people! Red, Yellow, Black and White. Short and Tall. Young and Old.
• Need a rail because Jesus is safe and reassuring.
• A Red Carpet for royalty (aren’t we princes and princesses.
• And the door must be open. We must make people feel welcome!

I need your input! What do you think?

 

Just Do It! (cookies, badges and camping with the scouts!)-Why get involved in community agencies?

Acts 19:9 (Paul went first to the religious Jews) …..they refused to believe and became obstinate….So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the hall of Tyrannus (footnote: a gymnasium where sports and education training occured)

I know many in the religious world who completely separate church and social activities. Example: Two men (good friends) ride 4 hours each way six times a year to see their favorite college team play. They do NOT discuss religion. They do passionately cheer for their team and enjoy a big time. Both have agreed not to “fellowship” with the other because he is “not a real Christian” but don’t let it affect their friendship…….

I feel that Jesus should be the center of all our life! He should be discussed by friends! Shared and enjoyed. Jesus should be taken to the game! You can’t have a church life and a social life. You cannot have Christian friends and act differently with them than you do with your real friends. You are a Christian! Period! One expectation!

Scouting notes or thoughts! It is good for parent child relations. Yes, my back is sore today from sleeping on a rack on the U.S.S. Alabama with the scouts last night. Yes, I came home tired. Jameson and I spend quality time with other dads and their boys exploring the ship. We enjoyed (extra) time with church members Kelly, Joey and Thomas. We met another family. The Dad is a deacon in a local church. He expressed interest in our homeless outreach. We invited him to come observe/ volunteer next month! Many good dads spending time with their sons! A goog thing!…..badges- kids learn and demonstrate skills and are rewarded with badges (knot tying, do a good deed, history, fire safety). They earn the reward. This helps prepare for the real world where nothing is free!…..cookies- Girl Scout Cookies are BIG business! My wife (Rachel) works hard to keep up with the inventory and money (she is the scout leader). The scouts learn basic business and marketing skills. Lessons are also learned in approachability and courtesy……The Boy Scuts offer a badge for religious mastery of one’s faith. The curriculum is tough. I would be willing to say that many adults don’t know enough about their local church’s teaching to get a badge. Good stuff!

Did you know that kids involved in scouts, sports and community organizations have more success in life? Less temptation. Less drugs, sex, alcohol abuse, etc. Works for the grownups too!

Other great options are tutoring, Big Brother/ Big Sister or volunteering a day at a local charity.

Excuses? Yes, there are many you can use. “Many are affiliated with the United Way which supports ________ (insert your sin). ” or “That group supports alternative lifestyle #7″  or “I don’t feel that we should be unequally yoked with people like those________”

Get over it! All 3 major automotive manufacturers hire and support people from alternative lifestyles (alternative to GOD). So does Wal Mart, K Mart and the mini mart. Your favorite entertainers often are living a non Christian lifestyle (do you turn off your TV or radio)?

The final decision (opinion). Get out there and meet some new people. Be a Christian in your community. Mentor, assist, tutor, whatever…..JUST DO IT!

Just Do It! (Week 3) Feed and Cloth the Homeless……

Matthew 25:35-36 “When I was hungry and you gave me something to eat and I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me……”

H.O.M.E. – the ministry to Pensacola’s homeless……The facts: about 100 attened and ate lunch today. Many showered and changed into clean clothes. Some ate and ran but 4 stayed for Bible study. Several had medical questions which were answered. Hygiene items like shampoo and  soap were distributed along with candles and bug spray. About 35 believers served today. The food was good! The clothes given away were nice and clean on hangers. The fellowship for some was sweet and others simple necessity.

Why serve the homeless? Many churches do not! You could point at the fact that 100 ate a meal and only 4 attended Bible study. Aren’t some of them criminals and addicts? Aren’t most just opportunistic visitors who take what they can get free? Most will never become church members.

Why serve the homeless? Because it is right! Jesus closed Matthew 25 by stating in verse 45 that if you don’t serve them, you don’t serve Christ. v. 46 says “then they will go away to eternal punishment….”. Why serve the homeless? Because many of us (all….) are basically criminals and addicts in  the eyes of a perfect GOD. You can argue and be offended but we are all sinners. You may not be addicted to crack or liquor but something has your attention. How well do you manage you money, pay your taxes, etc.? How many spend more money at McDonald’s every day than they give to support widows or orphans. How’s that anger issue? Do you watch more TV than read your Bible? Are your perfect?

Why serve a group that only 4% are interested in Bible study? Isn’t that a big waste of time and effort? Here is my counter argument. Does your outreach or occupation have a 4% success rate. If a car salesman sells 4% he will make ALOT of money! If the local evangelist studies with 4% of the people he meets each day, he will have accomplished tremendous things. Thing about it. 1 out of every 25 is INTERESTED!

Why serve the homeless today? If nothing else, my 9 year old son is learning to serve others and to be useful. That in itself would be enough.

JUST DO IT!

LAUNCH SINGLES WEEKEND IN APPROX. 4 WEEKS (FEB. 17-19) – see upcoming events!