Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend

 

Applause for all of our Royal Ranger leaders! 

 

Our annual Pinewood Derby was a success in the sense that it was well attended - and a great time by all!

 

I am thankful for the way the teaching yesterday ministered to many.

 

As you might know, I am a "grace guy".  I love to preach and minister on God's grace and love.

 

However, God is also a God of holiness - and He takes sin seriously.

 

Here's what I know:  When we take sin seriously, we can then take his grace seriously.   What Dietrich Bonhoeffer calls a costly grace.

 

Our forgiveness cost God the life of His Son.  Why?  To redeem us from our sins.  We honor God by taking the very thing that lead to the cross seriously - taking upon Himself your sin and my sin - so that we might have eternal life.

 

I understand that we had over 50 kids in our Kid's Hub (children's church yesterday)!

 

Praise God!

 

I really felt God's presence yesterday as we "sang in the spirit" around the altar after the second service.  It is one of my favorite expressions of praise to God.

 

Good to see new faces yesterday!

 

As I am writing this - I just looked out my office window and saw the first Robin I have seen this spring.  Maybe spring is going to come!  :) :)

 

You can't help but catch the spirit of "March Madness".

 

Great games yesterday.

 

I'm looking at Michigan State and Florida in the final game (my prediction of the score to come later).

 

Here's a story I didn't get to share yesterday (but had planned to).

 

It shows the power of confession:

 

One author writes:

 

"Many years ago I was invited to see a man who was paralyzed from the waist down and had not bee in church for about 9 months.  I began to talk with him and he was a very bitter man, just filled with resentment.

 

A cow had kicked him in the back and paralyzed him.  He was bitter against members who hadn't visited him, bitter against the insurance company for not paying off, bitter against the doctor for not figuring gout how to make him walk, bitter against the cow, bitter against God.  He was very resentful.

 

I said (the author writes), "God may want to heal you and restore you to full health, but He will not heal you until first you get rid of that resentment in your life."

 

I remember him bowing his head and begin to weep, almost uncontrollably, deep sobs, "God, I have been so bitter.  Just flush all the anger and hate form me."  He wept for about 10 minutes.  I prayed with him and I left.  The next day the man came to church, in a wheelchair, the firs time he'd been in church in 9 months.  At the end of the service I gave a "come forward" invitation to people who wanted to come and pray.  The man got up out of his wheelchair and walked down to the front and recommitted his life to the Lord."

 

That is the power of confession.

 

Love you all......