February 2010
1 post
www.martinyouthministry.com →
Scott’s blog has moved.
December 2009
8 posts
Thoughts about the 1st Sunday of December
WOW.
Can you believe it’s December?
Yesterday, Ricky preached what i would call a GLOBAL POSITIONING sermon. He challenged us to look at three major ROADS in the Bible.
From those three roads, JERICHO, CALVARY and DAMASCUS, he discussed major Bible events and happenings on these notable roads.
From each of these roads, we can see gifts from God…
JERICHO road was paved with mercy....
“If you guess life ends at death, please consider that Eternity would be a long...”
– Rick Warren
“I will not trust in RICHES but in Him who RICHLY provides.”
4 tags
The Monopoly Life
Does the name Charles Darrow ring a bell with you? Probably not, but you are familiar with what he did. During the great depression of the early 30s, Mr. Darrow of Germantown, Pennsylvania was an unemployed heating engineer. With plenty of spare time on his hands, he began concocting a new board game which he made and reproduced by hand.
In 1935, Parker Brothers purchased...
November 2009
28 posts
Caffeine
85% of our Christmas shopping got done on BLACK FRIDAY.
BIG PAPA and GRANDMA BOND and AUNT STACEY were in town to celebrate Thanksgiving. And they all three volunteered to babysit Claire while we took care of our Christmas lists.
We hit up all the hot spots in the big metropolis of Jackson, TN.
I love the holidays. I love Christmas. I love starbucks eggnog latte’s. I love family. I love...
1 tag
HOW RICH ARE YOU? →
See where you rank among the world’s wealthiest.
Then, try complaining.
“It takes a greater leap of faith to believe nothing created everything.”
– Rick Warren
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow...”
– 1 Peter 2:2
“I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is...”
– Jesus Christ
3 tags
SACK THE PULPIT
We want to
get everyone thinking about “Sack the Pulpit,” an outreach project we’ve never tried
before (thanks to the Spring Meadows church for such a great idea)….
Soon,
grocery bags with attached grocery lists will be handed out to members to fill,
and return to the area around the pulpit. Once the pulpit is completely
“SACKED”, the youth group will deliver the bags to families in the...
3 tags
A Few Thoughts on an Unforgettable Day...
SUNDAY was for lack of better words… AMAZING. This weekend a spiritual fire was fed.
No, there wasn’t any physical fire. But the people’s hearts are aflame! If your congregation is looking for a speaker, look up BRAD HARRUB!
Brad is a scientist by degree. A speaker by profession. A preacher by talent. But mostly a big blessing to the people in Martin, TN.
Brad presented...
4 tags
“A low view of God is the cause of a hundred lesser evils.” But a person with a...”
– A.W. Tozer
“Lion chasers don’t try to avoid situations where the odds are against them. Lion...”
– Mark Batterson
4 tags
7 Little “Extras” That Make Visitors Feel Welcome
Thanks to Adam Faughn for this excellent blog post.
Here’s for today’s RE-BLOG…
Every congregation has visitors. Even small, rural congregations have visitors from time-to-time. We are always excited to see new faces. Visitors are exciting, whether from near or far.
I have never met with anyone who says, “Our congregation just isn’t friendly.” Every congregation thinks it is...
“The difference between MEN and BOYS is whether they put their FAMILY before...”
– Dave Ramsey
Drop Your Buckets
This past Sunday night, I preached on FORGIVENESS
It was unique because I talked to dad on the phone Thursday night, and he told me he was preaching sunday night, too.
His topic? FORGIVENESS.
It was also unique because it was a KID’S sermon and KID’S sermons are always fun.
We invite all the KIDS to the front couple of pews and the get involved in the message as participants, props...
6 tags
Prayer or Performance
Which of the following is the most important…
praying for a new job or putting in job applications?
praying for a lost soul or studying the Bible with a lost soul?
praying about losing weight or going on a diet?
praying about finding a good mate or going on Christian dates?
praying for a sick friend to get better or providing a meal for that sick friend?
praying for...
3 tags
What Do Elders Do?
They…
Watch out for our souls
Visit the hospitals
Counsel
Listen
Attend funerals
Sit through long meetings
Spend lots of time away from their families
Pray
Solve problems
Win souls
Restore the erring
Greet visitors
Teach Bible classes
Attend weddings
Encourage weak members
Spend time with God
Care for those without homes and parents
Study their Bibles
Make sure the truth is...
Your Signature, Please
How much do we value the NAME of the Lord?
What would you pay to bear his signature? Consider the worth of HIS NAME. Let’s spend a few minutes today thinking about the glory in the NAME of our LORD…
CONSIDER IT HOLY. “They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the offerings made to the Lord by fire, the food of their God, they are to be holy....
2 tags
October 2009
16 posts
Creating Memorable Scenes
justingerhardt:
I hate how forgettable life tends to be.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but routine, inertia, and familiarity kidnap our memories every day. Significant things are said, potentially life-changing thoughts are thought, beautiful moments happen…and 24 hours later we hardly remember them.
A hundred beautiful colors bleed into one another, all of them eventually becoming...
The Red-Light District
Can you imagine the front page headlines of your town’s newspaper announcing to the entire community that over the years you’d had sex with 2,478 prostitutes? Your boss would be ENRAGED. Your coworkers would be HORRIFIED. Your neighbors would be DISGUSTED. Your wife would be DEVASTATED. Your children would be HURT and HUMILIATED. You’d feel like the SCUM of the EARTH. Your...
“We are in a spiritual battle that rages unseen all around us. Sexual freedom...”
“Freedom is not simply the privilege of doing what you want. Real freedom is the...”
– Daniel Henderson
Men, Have You…
Been praying everyday?
Been Reading your bible everyday?
Been sharing your faith with your coworkers and those closest to you?
Been loving your wife like Christ loves the church?
Been living a life of integrity?
Bought your wife flowers in the last 3 months?
Been on a date with your wife in the last month?
Been investing in your kids spiritually?
Recently told your wife you love her?
...
INSULATION or EXPOSURE
Church culture is no different than any other tribal culture that’s out there. We all trend towards immersing ourselves with like minded people. We gather with those that think like us… dress like us… talk like us… vote like us…. worship like us…. you get the picture.
This tendency is one of the areas God has been pressing down on my in my personal life. Humanity’s default setting is a...
THE ETERNAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
THE ETERNAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, the largest, oldest, and most reliable fire and life insurance company, offers a policy which is strictly equitable. It operates all over the world (John 3:16), and its management has never changed. It insures a man for more than he is worth.
The only insurance against loss in the great Judgment Day fire (Rev 20:15).
The policy is non-forfeitable and...
Which Story Are You In?
justingerhardt:
I heard Louis Giglio say once that following God is about trading a starring role in a tiny story for any role in the biggest, most incredible story of all time.
I think he’s exactly right.
When I sign on to follow God I’m bailing on my story and jumping into His, just grateful to have a place—any place—in it.
So how does that translate into real change in my every day...