What A Difference A Year Makes!

On April 24^th  it will have been one year since I left my position as Children’s Pastor at Seacoast Church and what a year it has been. The emotional roller coaster has been more than I thought it would be.  I never would have made it through this past year if it wasn’t for the support of my loving wife who encouraged me when I was down, kicked me in the pants and got me motivated when I didn’t feel like getting out of bed. And loved me when I was unlovable! I am so thankful that God shared her with me and that she is in my life!

I’m thankful for my friend and brother in Christ, Greg Jones who was not only a huge support but ended up walking through a very similar situation in life. He was a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear and a prayer partner. It’s always good to have someone who understands your feelings even when you don’t know how to put them into words.

For Pastor Ernest Smith of Front Range Church who was a great support. He introduced me to the beauty of Colorado and just loved on my family and me when we needed it the most. Who gave me hope that one day I would be working in full-time ministry once again. And was just a great friend through and through.

For Life Park Church and Pastor Chad Moore who allowed us to sit in on services and be fed and not pressure us into joining or serving in the church but to just be cared for during this time.

And for the many others who I could never name all of them because I would miss someone – thank you for all the cards, messages and hugs over this past year. Your kind words and support for my family and me has been a huge blessing.

I miss my work at Seacoast. I miss the wonderful staff I had the pleasure of serving next to each and every day for the past 15 years. And I really miss the kids and the families. I always thought I would retire from Children’s Ministry when I was old and ready for the grave, but God had other plans for me.  I love seeing the Facebook posts of my kids (yes I still refer to the kids I had in ministry as my kids) and watching them grow up and living their lives. I love seeing them get married, have children of there own, go off to college, graduate and get jobs. I like knowing I played a little part in their lives and them in mine!

I do hope that one day God will return me to ministry, not sure it will be Children’s Ministry and not sure it will be in a church setting, but I do hope and pray for that opportunity again. For now I’m happy for the ministry he has me in at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and I am so thankful for the new friends I have made at the ReStore. Every day they become more and more like family to me. (No matter how dysfunctional they might be!)

I’m not going to lie, this past year was rough, but I am glad I went through it – it drew me closer to God, deepened my faith in Him and taught me to Trust Him like never before.  I’m really looking forward to what God has in store in this next year and for my family.

Thank you for the prayers and support and I ask that you would continue to keep me in your prayers.

Was It a Morning Like This?

Great way to start the morning! Christ has Risen, the grave could not hold the King of all Kings! Celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior!

Holy Week Song - Four

The Via Dolorosa is believed to be the path that Jesus walked on Good Friday on the way to Golgotha, the place of the skulls where he would be nailed to a cross and give up his life for us. I picked this song because I think it is a great way to see and hear what God did for us through his son Jesus.

So thankful for the sacrifice Jesus made for me so that I could spend eternity with him in heaven one day.

1Peter 2:24 - "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."

Holy Week -Song Three

As we remember the events of the last days of Christ's life we have to start with remembering his last meal with his disciples. As I said before, this is my most favorite time of year. I like to sit and think about all that Christ did for me, to put myself in the events that took place in that last week of his life. This song I feel captures what God did for us! How Beautiful! How Beautiful! The love God had for us is so far beyond anything we could ever imagine. To know what Jesus was going to go through, the betrayal, the trials, the beatings and the suffering on the cross - and yet God did this for us! Why? Because he loves us. Think about that for a minute. God allowed all this to happen to His Son, because he loved us. Maybe you can't understand that kind of love because you never really felt love from anyone. Or maybe you've been hurt by love. That my friend is human love - it is limited. But God's Love is Agape Love - it has no limits, it is perfect love! I look forward to the day when I get to be in heaven with God the Father and Jesus the Son and all those who have gone before me. To talk with Peter and the disciples and hear how it truly was to be there in the last week of Jesus' life.

And to thank Jesus face to face for all he has done for me.  How Beautiful that will be!

Listen to the words and imagine how much God loves you - no matter how much you can imagine I promise it is even more!

Today is Maundy Thursday in the church - a day to remember what Christ did for us. The taking of the last supper - the bread, remembering his body that was beaten and nailed to a cross for your sins - and the cup, the blood that was shed for the forgiveness of sins - not just my sins, all sins! I still mess up and walk in my flesh, I still say and do things that are not Christ-like. That is why I must remember what God has done and once again ask for forgiveness. How Beautiful!

Let me leave you with this line from the song -

And as he laid down his life we offer this sacrifice,

 that we will live, just as he died willing to pay the price! 

Holy Week Song 3

This is another song that I just love! I love how it tells the story of what Christ did for us on the cross. It tells how Christ defeated death and rose again. My favorite line for this song is;

No Power of Hell, No Scheme of Man

Could ever pluck me from His Hand.

Till He Returns or Calls me Home

Here In the Power of Christ I'll Stand!

For it is in Christ Alone and not by anything we have done that we can boast of our salvation.  Take a minute to listen to this song and may the words of this song be your prayer today and every day!

Holy Week - Song Two

One of my favorite parts of the Thorn is response time. After seeing Christ die on the cross the audience has the opportunity to respond to what God did for them through the death of His Son.  The pastor leads the audience in a time of prayer and there are crosses set up throughout the auditorium and the audience has an opportunity to go to a cross, write down on paper or a magnet whatever they want to leave at the cross. (see picture below) During that time someone is singing the song Redeemed. What a powerful moment to see hundreds of people leaving their sins at the cross. I've heard stories of people pinning their sins, their marriages, health issues, jobs...you name it they leave it at the cross, asking for forgiveness, for healing, for new beginnings - it is a very emotional time for the people at the crosses. It is an emotional time for me as well as I just sit back and pray for all those folks with tears running down my face.  We are all redeemed by what Christ did on the cross for us! No longer who we were, but changed and made new!

Listen to the words and remember that you are Redeemed!

Holy Week - Song One

This is my most favorite time of the year. I just love Holy Week. I love the events leading up to the last days of Jesus' life and His resurrection. I love the songs that tell the story of Easter and all that surrounds it.  I wanted to share some of those songs with you. Please do me a favor and listen to the words - you might need to listen more than once.

This first song is by Ray Boltz - I believe Ray's songs are prophetic (I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb) and theologically powerful if you actually listen to the words. Yes I know they are oldies, but there is a reason they call them oldies but goodies!

The first time I heard his song, Watch the Lamb, I was on my way to visit a friend and I remember pulling into her driveway and just sitting in my car crying listening to the words of this song.  You see I can picture myself in the story. I can imagine being the person singing this song and the emotions he must have felt as the event unfolded before his eyes. To this day I can't listen to this song without tearing up.  Today as I was driving to work listening to this song I had a realization. The song talks about a father taking his two sons to Jerusalem with their lamb to make a sacrifice. As they enter the city there is riot taking place. The streets are filled with angry people - it is the procession of Christ heading to calvary. At the end of the song the children meet back up with their father and tell him that the lamb they brought to sacrifice had run away.  The realization is that the lamb was no longer needed. You see Jesus paid the price for our sins once and for all. We never need to sacrifice another living thing because Jesus was the sacrificial lamb that paid it all. So the lamb running away makes sense, because it is no longer needed. The final line says; (the father speaking about his two boys) So I took them in my arms and we turned and faced the cross and I said; dear children watch the Lamb!

I hope you enjoy this song and that it speaks to your heart and that you will take the time to listen to the words and imagine yourself there in Jerusalem on the day that Christ was crucified.

And remember what Christ did - He did for you and for me!