This weekend was a busy yet awesome weekend.  Saturday was our Fall Festival.  The weather was beautiful with a cool 60 degrees.  We had a great crowd from the church as well as some good numbers from the community.  We had an incredible showing of volunteers from RFA.  Thanks to all who helped coordinate the different activities and food.  We couldn’t have done it without you!

Sunday was Youth Sunday at RFA.  The youth and their sponsors led the service.  They did a fantastic job leading.  The worship was great!  The musicians and singers meshed real well as they led us into the presence of God.  Different ones revealed some of their God given talents by presenting poems, short stories, art, music and more.  It is amazing how God has gifted these young people with creativity.  Robyn, our youth leader, ended it all with a great encouragement from the Word.  She challenged the older generation to mentor and help shape the young people.  To not only invest in the youth ministry with finances, but to become involved in their lives.  She referenced Titus where the older should teach the younger.  The service concluded with the older generation praying for the RFA youth.  What a great service!

After church, we had a potluck dinner.  As a side note, why do they call it potluck?  Someone asked me that yesterday, I don’t know.    The food was good but the fellowship was the greatest part of it.  Yesterday was Pastor Appreciation Day and Sonya and I were blessed to say the least.  We received an overwhelming amount of love and encouragement.  All of the cards, gifts and kind words reminded us of how good God is.  We are thankful that God has allowed us to pastor at RFA.  Thanks to everyone for blessing us.  We love being your pastor!

After the potluck dinner, Sonya and I left for Tulsa.  The Grandparents are in town so we took advantage of that and dumped left the kids with them for a couple of days.  Last night, we enjoyed a nice quiet dinner at Outback (courtesy of a church member who gave us a gift card).  As married couples, I believe it is important to have time with one another alone, without the kids.  It is a great connection time without interruption or fighting children.  Time to enjoy each other’s company.

Thanks again RFA for such a wonderful weekend.  Because of you, our future looks bright.

Saturday morning is the only morning I drink my coffee at home.  If Hannah is awake, she wants some coffee too.  So, yesterday morning I made her a cup.

I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was 33.  In fact, Josh started drinking it before I did.  He was seven.  Hannah has got us beat.  She is three and already likes a good cup of Joe.

Here is a great article on tithing from Mark Batterson’s blog:

Continued our Ritual series this weekend. Talked about a 4000 year-old ritual called tithing that traces all the way back to Abraham. Honestly, I used to hate talking about money. Thought people would think it was a money grab so I was almost defensive about it. But the longer I tithe the more I love talking about it.

We need a paradigm shift. So many people perceive the tithe as an obligation. It’s an opportunity! Yes, Malachi 3 says you are "under a curse" if you are not giving a tenth. But what a promise! God wants to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you that you cannot contain.

Here are a few principles I shared this weekend:
1) God can do more with 90% than I can do with 100%
2) U cannot out give God
3) 2 be blessed beyond your ability u need to give beyond your ability
4) When u start tithing, your financial problems become God’s problem
5) The tithe is the only thing that keeps money from becoming your master
6) Tithing positions u 4 blessing
7) Tithing = Trusting

In my personal experience, tithing makes finances fun. It infuses me with economic optimism because I’m walking in obedience. I live in holy anticipation to see the way God is going to provide!

Yesterday while we were out shopping, I had a convicting and eye-opening experience.  As I was putting  Hannah in the car, I heard a man screaming vulgarities and making noises as if he was disturbed and frustrated.  I looked over my shoulder and hurriedly put Hannah in the car, just in case he did something crazy.  I rushed Hannah into her car seat and was about to call Sonya and Josh, who were still in the store.  I started the car and drove around to where this gentlemen had been and I witnessed a perplexing sight.

At the front of the store was this disturbed man talking to an older woman.  His whole countenance had changed and he seemed different.  This woman was engaging him in conversation but she mostly listened with a genuinely concerned intent.  She would speak to him and he would reply, while all the long, she looked him in the eye.  She had disarmed this man’s anger because she cared.

As I drove away I was deeply convicted.  Sometimes people just need an ear.  Our reactions are usually the same as mine.  Hurry and get away!  I know we live in a crazy world and anything can happen, but sometimes we can make a difference if we will only show the love of Christ.  What convicted me the most was that this woman confronted this gentleman.  An elderly, frail woman engaged an enraged man.  What would cause her to respond to him?  The love of Christ and the boldness of the Holy Spirit.

What would happen if all believers, with wisdom and discernment, began to minister to the hurting and angry?  Could we change the world if we all had compassion and concern for others?  I am challenged to look at people in a different way.  To see if we can touch more lives just by being willing to listen and showing genuine concern for others.

I am excited to announce a new website that we have been working on that will focus on spiritual growth throughout the week.  growthhelps.com will be a place that has various podcasts with short audio teachings that deal with different parts of the Christian life.  Our goal is to provide 4-5 minute segments that will talk about everything from prayer to Bible reading, family, work, ministry, finances and more.  There is also a resource page that has free e-books, Bible reading plans, prayer sheets as well as other free resources.

Keep in mind that we are in the beginning stages of rolling out this website but there are a couple of podcasts and many free resources already uploaded.  Everything on this site is free to anyone who can use it.  Tell your friends about it and keep coming back as we expand our website in the near future. 

Check it out at www.growthhelps.com

Let me know what you think!

Sunday afternoon, we asked Hannah what she learned in Sunday School.  She replied with a wide-eyed look, “We talked about Jesus walking on the water.”  Then she added, “And when I get bigger, I am going to walk on water too.”

Now, that’s faith!

Do you live your life with joy?

Some people’s concept of Christianity is that it is a religion of sorrow and no joy.  I can testify that when you look at many Christian people they look like they just sucked on a dozen lemons.  Where is the joy of the Lord?

John 15:11 says, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

Jesus gave us the Word of God so that His joy may remain in us and that we may have a fullness of joy.  If you are not a joyful Christian there is a problem somewhere.  You were meant to walk in the joy of Jesus.  It is the joy of the Lord that becomes our strength.  Are you walking according to God’s Word?  Are you living in His will? 

Those who walk in the ways of the Lord have at their access an abundance of joy.  It doesn’t mean that you do not have down times but it does mean that you can have joy even in  the worst of times.  Proverbs 17:22 says, "A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones."  There are many dry bones laying around the church house.  God desires that you have joy not dry bones.  A merry heart would do you some good.

No matter what you are facing in life, you can still walk with overflowing joy.  Jesus in facing Calvary, betrayal and denial, walked with joy.  He gave that joy to you!

So here it is in the nutshell.  You have to make the decision to be happy and walk in joy.  It is God’s will that you walk in His joy.  It is not God’s will or even His lot for your life that you live in misery.  Friends, what are your surroundings?  Are they joyful or are they sad?  Misery loves company.  If you want joy in your life hang around the joyful, not the lemon suckers.  Hang around with Jesus, not the enemy of our souls who has come to kill, to steal and to destroy.  Look to Jesus who has come to give you life and give it to the full.

Now I put a smile on your face and say, "In the name of Jesus, I will walk today with joy.  This is going to be the best day of my life.  I’m happy because I’m free.  I’m joyful because he made my eyes to see.  I have a merry heart because He saved me and the sadness has to flee."  Now go on and have the best day of your life!

Saturday afternoon, Hannah and I were hanging around the house.  Sonya and my mom were at the craft fair and Josh and my dad had gone to some museums.  It was just Hannah and I lounging around. 

She was laying in the chair as I was kicking back on the couch with my legs crossed.  I happened to glance over at her and she was trying to cross her legs.  I assume that it is difficult for a 3 year old to cross their legs (I don’t remember back that far).  She was trying hard to get her legs to obey when she finally succeeded.  She looked up at me with her legs sloppily crossed and said, “Daddy, why do you do this?” (Referring to crossing her legs.)  I simply replied, “Because it is comfortable.”  She was imitating me.

God created within every one of us the desire and the ability to imitate.  Children we often imitate their parents.  Amateurs try to be like professionals.  And as Christians we must desire to be like Christ. 

We have been given the pattern of a perfect life to live and we find that example in the Word of God.  God intentionally gave us His Word that we might know how to live and imitate Christ.  If that seems like a lofty goal, to be like Christ, we also have a great deal saints in the Scriptures who have lived for Christ.  The writer of Hebrews says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and that we have them as an example as well.  The Apostle Paul told his followers, “Imitate me as I follow Christ.”

Friend, it should be our desire to be like Christ and to follow, not only His example, but the lives of all those who went before us.