empty pentecost

I am reading a book on the life of John G. Lake that is challenging my socks off! (almost literally) With Lake moving in the power of the Holy Spirit on an daily basis and then seeing those who called themselves "believers" who are filled with the Holy Spirit, he said "our hearts will never satisfied with an empty Pentecost." The day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2 was a revolutionary moment for the disciples that changed their lives and our lives forever. After they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they literally changed the world. If the Spirit of God truly lives in our lives we should be different and if not we only have an empty pentecost. The power of God that so changed the lives of the early disciples is still at work today and is available to ALL believers!

fruit

The Bible very clearly says that if we are following Jesus, then there should be Godly fruit to prove it. Just as an apple tree bears apples, so a Christian should produce the fruit that only comes from God. Fruit like love, joy , peace, patience and the list goes on. The question is, what fruit is our lives bearing right now? What tangible fruit is their to prove that Jesus is in control of my life? But the question that challenged me in my reading last night is, "What Godly fruit will be produced from my life after I am gone?" I hope these questions challenge you like they are challenging me.

93.7 percent sure

This next Sunday, February 14th should be our 1st Sunday in the new sanctuary! I say that with 93.7% surety! It will be a mad-dash to make that happen by Thursday for the final inspection, but I believe! Time will tell. Our whole team is excited to go back to 2 services again (9:30 / 11:15). It couldn't be coming at a better time. Sunday our 2nd service was at capacity and the other 2 were getting close to full. It's an exciting time to be a part of what God is doing at C3!

priority

Tomorrow I'm preaching on priority as it pertains to marriage....God 1st, spouse 2nd, kids 3rd and on and on. The last 18 hours, I have been practicing my priorities. Last night Keri and I watched "Fireproof" together. Then this morning, we had family pancakes and the whole family played nerf-gun wars. It was a blast. We will be heading out for a snow adventure shortly in the fresh 6-8 inches.
It's truly the little things in life that make it good. I'm learning to capitalize and enjoy the simple things with those I truly love. May God help me always keep my priorities in the right order.

fuel

It's amazing the difference that the right kind of fuel can make. If you put diesel fuel in a gas engine, you will know it. Waterlogged wood on a fire doesn't work real well either. Or how about a professional marathoner eating a big mac, fries and a coke the night before a race. The truth is that fuel is a major factor in determining performance.
For my life spiritually, if I get away from reading the Bible as much or miss my time with Jesus, my spiritual life is affected. If I am not reading spiritually challenging material or rubbing shoulders with others who are chasing after God, then I will be affected spiritually. What spiritual fuel have you put in your tank this week?

20 miles

This morning I ran 20 miles before 8am. When I came home for a shower before work, my little girl just kind of stared at me. When I finally looked in the mirror, I realized just how rough I looked. My eyes and face were very red from the cold weather. Keri said I looked half dead. Funny. All these miles to reach my goal of completing the Boston Marathon in April. I can't wait!

Retreat

The C3 staff just returned from Kalahari indoor water park for a Ministers Retreat. It was truly great to just get away for 2 days and have others pour into us and to have no responsibility. The days were intentionally open to spend with family and enjoy the water park. We created some amazing memories with our kids that we will have for a lifetime. It is good to be back and I'm ready to jump back in.