Jim's Blog

Game Planning for the New Year

2011-01-08T14:38:00.007-05:00

Game Planning - a carefully thought out strategy for achieving an objective in war, politics, sports, business, or personal affairs.

Most of us go into a new year with a certain amount of anticipation and hope that what happens over the next 365 days will be good...real good...productive and satisfying even. So as we start the year let's remember a very important principle: nothing good ever just happens.

If we want to drop some pounds we have to get in the gym and sweat and then push away from the dinner table a little quicker than we like. If we want to make good grades in school we have to shut the door, turn off the radio and television, or silence our cell phones while we hit the books. And on it goes. It's called discipline and for most of us, myself included, it's a four letter word. :)

We need to purposely put some thought and prayer into the new year. We need to search the Scriptures and talk to a few trusted friends about staying on course and moving in a positive direction. As I was recently meditating on Scripture my mind was drawn to Joshua 1:9 and Psalm 1. Hebrews 12 came to my mind as well and I'm sure there are a ton of other passages that would do the same thing.

In Hebrews 12 the author challenges us with a very important part of the game plan when it comes to spiritual success. Here's what he says...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up."

When he says 'huge crowd of witnesses' he refers to Hebrews 11 which we often call the Hall of Fame of Faith. Those men and women who by faith fought off conflict and persecution to accomplish great things for the glory of God. It's quite a list and it would be worth your time to read and meditate over it.

Then he says we need to think about the current reality of our life and see if there is anything we are doing that is slowing us down spiritually. It could be a habit or relationship or a pet sin or anything that keeps us from running a winning race. And then he says GET RID OF IT.

Much like an Olympic sprinter gets rid of all anything that will slow him down in his attempt for the gold medal we need to take the steps necessary to put ourselves in the best possible position to win the race of life.

JW - 316

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-12-26T10:16:00.004-05:00

May you enjoy the love of God found in Jesus this holiday season. Enjoy it with family and friends and everyone God brings into your path. May the joy of Christ fill you in the new year and His peace safely guard your heart and mind. And my hope never cease to energize your spirit towards giving your all in service to our loving Heavenly Father! God bless 2011,

JW - 316

The Power of Praise

2010-11-21T20:36:00.007-05:00

2 Chronicles 20 is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. The Southern Kingdom of Judah is being threatened and about to be attacked. War is inevitable. Judah's leadership team is fearful so they seek God. God calms them down, assures them of His presence, and let's them know that He will be fighting the battle for them.

So on the morning of the war they are on their way to the battle when King Jehoshaphat calls a time-out to discuss the play call. He says, 'Here's what we're going to do guys. I want the choir to get out there ahead of our army and lead the way. Choir, I want you guys to sing to the Lord and give Him praise. This is how we're going to fight today. This is our battle plan for victory.' The choir runs the play beautifully. Here's what they sang: "Give thanks to the Lord; His faithful love endures forever."

According to verse 22 the result of their praise had a powerful effect. No seriously, check this out: "At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to starting fighting among themselves." Judah's enemies turned on themselves and the Bible says on that day - "not a single one of the enemy had escaped." They literally killed each other. WHOA!!

Well, it's Thanksgiving week and once again we'll be giving thanks for family and friends and health and the Lord's provision and protection and so much more. Giving thanks is a good, easy and honorable thing to do. But here's a thought for you. Have you ever considered giving thanks to God as a method of warfare? Have you ever thought of praise as a weapon against enemy attack? You can and you should. Do you want to see BIG things go down? Then start your day with praise and thanksgiving. Around lunch time do it again. And again before dinner and then before you sleep at night. Go through the day filled with praise and thanksgiving.

I believe the stakes are high in the battle of life. The stakes are high and the enemy is strong. We need to bring our "A" game to the fight. Our "A" game is the weapon of praise and thanksgiving to our Holy and loving God.

Okay choir - you know what to do - now go get'em!

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

JW - 316

I want my own universe!

2010-11-03T13:35:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite quotes comes from an old radio preacher who is in heaven now named J. Vernon McGee. He once said, "This is God's universe and God does things His way. You may have a better way, but you don't have a universe." :)

JW - 316

Reckless Extravagance

2010-10-11T16:10:00.003-04:00

Timothy Keller is one of my favorite authors. He recently wrote a book called Prodigal God. In it he explains how God's love is recklessly extravagant which, actually, is the meaning of the word 'prodigal'. It doesn't mean "wayward" or rebellious or anything like that. It means "freely spending everything, to be recklessly extravagant."

And that, according to Jesus' teaching in Luke 15, is the true character of God. He allows sinners the freedom to run away and waste it all if they wish. And he runs to the returning sinner even though running in undignified and unacceptable. He blesses him or her with robes and rings and sandals without requiring penance or restitution. God is recklessly extravagant in mercy and grace. Luke 15 isn't the story of "the prodigal son". It's the story of the prodigal father. It's the story of the prodigal God.

Thank God for His recklessly extravagant love, mercy, and grace!!

JW - 316

Christian Atheist

2010-10-11T13:53:00.004-04:00

Hey guys, I recently read 'The Christian Atheist' by Craig Groeschel and highly recommend it to you. The sad premise is that despite our profession as followers of Christ most of us live as if He doesn't exist.

It's a good challenge for us to be honest with ourselves and make a renewed commitment to live a life of all out surrender to the Lordship of Christ in our lives.

JW - 316

The Promises of God

2010-06-04T09:59:00.002-04:00

Numbers 23:19 - "God is not a man, that he should like, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

1 Kings 8:56 - "Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses."

Joshua 21:45 - "Not one of all the LORD'S promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."

Joshua 23:14 - "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed."

2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Hebrews 10:23 - "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

Always remember this: "You can't break the promises of God by leaning on them."

JW - 316

Happy Birthday Baby!

2010-04-29T17:46:00.013-04:00

Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter Kelli who turns 19 on Friday. This picture is of her blowing out the candles on her 3rd birthday 16 years ago :) Ha ha! She's been so much fun for 19 years and an amazing blessing to both Mom and Dad and big brother Aaron! We all love you beyond words and we're very very proud of you! You continue to bring great joy to all of us.

Happy Birthday Babydoll! Have a great weekend!

Dad

Worship Sunday

2010-04-28T11:07:00.019-04:00

All of you are invited to join our 316 Church family this Sunday, May 2nd, for an exciting hour of heartfelt, Spirit-filled worship beginning at 10:00 a.m. in Hickory High School. As part of our Encountering God Face to Face teaching series we are giving the entire service over to our Praise and Worship Team to lead us into the presence of God through music and story.

We believe the Lord is going to meet with us in an intimate way and inspire us to greater levels of love for Him and for one another. This is a service you won't want to miss! Come and join us and let's experience God together.

"Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to Him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to Him. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. He holds in His hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. The sea belongs to Him for He made it. His hands formed the dry land, too. Come let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For He is our God" Psalm 95:1-7

JW - 316

Chutzpah part 2

2010-04-18T23:22:00.003-04:00

I was just thinking - Phil Mickelson showed a lot of chutzpah last week at the Masters. Did you see what he did on Sunday at 13? Wa-hoo! That took a lot of chutzpah :)

Chutzpah

2010-04-18T22:05:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had chutzpah? Do you know of anyone who has or has had chutzpah? Sounds like a disease doesn't it?! It could be a drug though. Take two chutzpah's and call me in the morning.

Actually, chutzpah is neither of those. Chutzpah is just a silly word that I have decided to use more beginning this week. I'm going to try it out and see how it goes for me.

Chutzpah means brazen nerve, audacity, confidence with a hint of arrogance. Let's stick with the audacity or brazen nerve part. Think about this - when and where does life call for a little chutzpah? How about in marriage, and parenting? How about job interviews and making public speeches or standing up for what you believe in? How about just making a decision to get out of bed this morning and making the most of the next 24 hours?

Hmmm...so chutzpah isn't a disease but maybe it could pass for a condition. Yeah, that's it. I think I'll get me a good case of chutzpah this week. Yeah, that's what I'll do. This week I'm going to look for an opportunity to use chutzpah. And then I'll listen for someone to tell me, "Hey Jim, what you did and what you said took a lot of chutzpah and I just want you to know that I appreciate it."

I'll be like...huh?

On the other hand chutzpah can be somewhat negative. Like when someone cuts line at the grocery store. You can get mad and say, "Lady, you've got a lot of chutzpah you know that?" Or when someone pulls out in front of you in traffic you could roll down you window and yell, "that took a lot of chutzah pal!" Just a couple of ideas...I mean...instead of saying what you usually say.

So why not give it a try this week. Look for a situation that calls for some good old fashioned chutzpah and just go for it - all in - you can make a difference with chutzpah! Just don't tell anyone it was me who put you up to it. :)

Do you think it took any chutzpah to write this post? Actually it's going to take a lot of chutzpah to post this post.

JW - 316

He's Alive!

2010-04-01T11:31:00.005-04:00

Easter is not all that hard to understand. What it really boils down to is a man dying on a cross and saving the world. It's pretty simple when you get right down to it. That's what Easter is all about. But just because something is simple doesn't mean it's easy. The story of Easter is a radical story with a radical message. The very idea that God Himself would take the form of a man in the person of Jesus of Nazereth and come to earth and die on a cross to save the world from sin is almost too huge to wrap our minds around.

It's a God-sized idea that comes crashing into our lives as if a gigantic cross had been driven through our roof onto the dinner table. It's an idea that demands our attention. It requires us to engage our minds and hearts and consciences in serious reflection. It's a lot easier to just settle for a family dinner and an Easter egg hunt with the kids.

Every religion in the world except for one tells people what they need to do to be acceptable to God. But that one - Christianity - says there is nothing we can do to atone for sin, which is why God has done it for us on the cross. Or, to put it another way, religion says "do" - the cross says "done".

But you know what? The cross is only half of the Easter story. The other half is the resurrection. Without the resurrection - the first half of the story - the cross - loses its significance.

Withouth the resurrection, the cross of Christ is just evidence of another Roman execution. In the first century there was no shortage of either crosses or executions. Crucifixion was a very common form of capital punishment in the occupied territories of the Roman Empire. Lots of people died on crosses and quite a few of them in Judea, where Jesus was crucified. Other counter-cultural leaders besides Jesus had gathered followers and been put to death in this way.

The only thing that would make a difference from someone elses is if He didn't stay dead from it. It would take a literal, physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus to make His particular cross truly unique and significant.

The apostle Paul agrees when he writes, "If Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God, for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave..." 1 Corinthians 15:14-15 NLT

Without a resurrection the cross of Christ is just another Roman execution. Without a resurrection there would have been no reason for the cross to become the predominant icon of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection the cross would have come to be known as a symbol of defeat, not a symbol of victory. Without a resurrection the movement of Jesus would have gone the way of every other movement - dead and forgotten - just like their leaders.

But that didn't happened. The cross is the icon and it stands for victory! The movement that Jesus started continues to this day. And it's all based on the outrageous and mind-boggling claim that He rose from the dead.

And the resurrection of Jesus means that death doesn't have to be the answer for anyone. Through faith in Him eternal life is available.

"The fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. So you see , just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection of the dead has begun through another man, Christ. Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the other man, will be given new life." 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 NLT

Happy Easter everyone!

JW - 316

Radical Leap

2010-03-11T15:53:00.002-05:00

I enjoy reading leadership books and especially enjoy leadership fables. Radical Leap is a leadership fable written by Steve Farber. I've read the book a few years ago but recently pulled it off my shelf again and I'm glad I did. There are a lot of fun characters in this book - they are a little strange at times but as it turns out they are also very wise. The book is well written, enjoyable to read, and quite challenging. I was encouraged, challenged, inspired, and motivated anew. Amazon has it for $9.00. You can get a paperback version cheaper. I enjoyed it and think you will too.

JW - 316

2nd Anniversary of 316 Church

2010-03-02T12:58:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to give a quick congratulations shout out to the 316 Church family. We celebrated our second anniversary this past Sunday and it was very cool. Thank you to all who helped to make the day another defining moment in our brief history. May God's blessing be upon His church as we continue to reach out to the Hickory community in Chesapeake. Check out some of the pics... http://316church.org/photo-gallery/7

JW - 316

Praise & Worship

2010-02-28T19:41:00.005-05:00

The other day someone asked me what the difference was between worshipping God and praising God. It's something I have thought about it before and here's what I think - see if you agree. Worship is internal whereas praise is more external. Worship is something I feel - it's making melody in my heart to God. Praise is when I actually sing the song. Worship is lifting your heart to God. Praise is lifting your hands to God. Worship is a personal affirmation of truth. Praise is a loud "amen". Worship and Praise are like input and output.

Worship is the input - the inner recognition of who God is and how He is forming us. Praise would be the output - it is the outward response to how we feel on the inside. It's like breathing in and breathing out. If we try to hold our breath in, we will burst.

I have a friend who will frequently shout during a worship service. He'll shout, "BRAVO!" It's because he is so filled with the wonder of God - he just has to let it out.

In many cases we have been taught to receive the input but not express the output. We have been taught to breathe in the majesty of God but told to hold our breath and not release a spontaneous celebration of praise.

How about we do both. Breath in the majesty of God and breath out in jubilant praise to His wonderful name. There's no greater joy and excitement than the worship and praise of God!

JW - 316

Hidy Ho Neighbor!

2010-02-18T11:23:00.006-05:00

Unfortunately I noticed in my life that too often I turn the other way when I encounter people who obviously need my help. I'm sure I do this because I'm are afraid that their needs will be greater than myresources. Have you ever done this? We know that being a neighbor is costly. Our experience has taught us that there is a risk involved. We think we don't have the time. We don't have the money. We fear that meeting the needs of others will make us needy ourselves. The truth is we may be right.

Working with other people's wounds gets messy. Investing in the lives of hurting people will take me off my normal schedule. And yet this is exactly what the Lord calls me to do. Like most I work hard at protecting me and maintaining me. But Jesus is asking me to deny me. Getting involved in helping others requires dying to self. It means walking as Jesus walked.

As followers of Jesus we must mature to the point where we realize that we can trust God to meet our needs, even as we expend our own resources to meet the needs of others. I want to get better at this.

We must learn to trust in the promise of Jesus in Matthew 6:8 where He says, "...your Father in heaven knows what you need before you ask Him."

I think the main reason Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 was to point out that as Christians - we are automatically neighbors to the whole human race. It doesn't matter whether we know the person, or whether his race or lifestyle is like our own. It doesn't even matter if they like us or not. If someone inhabits this planet and has a need, he or she is automatically our neighbor.

In his book on the parables, Gerald Kennedy writes, "When I was in Liberia I talked with a man about that country's head, President Tubman. The president has wielded power for a long time and I inquired as to the secret of his influence. "They have a saying here", my friend reported, "that if a little boy out in the bush stubs his toe, President Tubman says 'ouch'."

That's the quality our world needs to see in those who follow Jesus Christ. That's the kind of follower of Jesus I want to be. I hope you do too. :)

JW - 316

God's Love

2010-02-08T13:48:00.004-05:00

Now here's something I'm incredibly thankful for, but like many things, I have a hard time comprehending. God's love for us is mysterious and supremely awesome at the same time. John 3:16 says, "For God loved the world so much..."

That means that God's love for us is not based on our spiritual condition or on our moral predisposition. God's love for us is not based on our behavior or our attitude towards Him.

God's love is universal and unconditional. He loves everyone and that's what sets Him apart from every other god held up by every other religion.

Unconditional means "no strings attached". Think about that for awhile.

Philip Yancey said, "There is nothing we can do to make God love us more and there is nothing we can do to make God love us less."

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints and angels song.
-Frederick Lehmen, 1917

Speaking of saints...

Who dat!?

JW - 316

Crazy Love

2010-02-04T09:52:00.003-05:00

After not having worship services last week due to the snowstorm I'm itching to get back at it. You never know how much you miss it until you miss it. :) This Sunday we're beginning a new series of lessons for the month of February called "Crazy Love" and you're all invited. In case you're looking for a new church home we meet at Hickory High School every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in the main auditorium and would love to have you come and visit.

This week we're talking about the love of God - what it's like - whose it for - is it lasting - how can I receive it? It'll be hard to capture the entire essence of God's amazing, unfailing love in one lesson but we'll start there and see where He leads us.

What crazy thing have you done in the name of love? There are some interesting and fun stories to be found on the internet about this very thing. And I think by the time we're done on Sunday you'll agree with me that God's love is not only amazing - but humanly speaking it seems a little crazy. Crazy in a good way. Crazy in a way that you'll like.

See you Sunday!

JW - 316

Snowstorm 2010

2010-01-29T21:47:00.003-05:00

Church services for this Sunday, January 31st have been cancelled due to the snowstorm. We'll be back in action next Sunday, February 7th with a brand new series of lessons that I'm very excited about called "Crazy Love". Check out our website for more information. www.316church.org

I'm looking forward to the snow - how about you? We haven't had a big one in awhile.

JW - 316

Haiti Relief Efforts

2010-01-25T15:17:00.003-05:00

We all know of the devastation and tragedy in Haiti and continue to pray for famlies who have lost loved ones and those who are critically injured. In fact, there are so many different needs that it's hard to categorize them individually. I think that's something we all understand.

Our church is partnering with Mercy Chefs in an effort to bring relief to those affected by the earthquake and to those who are volunteering and doing all they can to give on-site assistance. If you would like to be a part of this effort you can go to http://www.mercychefs.com/ and make an online donation or simply donate through the weekly offering on Sunday and we will make sure our offerings get to the relief effort.

In the meantime we continue to pray for the people of Haiti. May God bless them with healing and strength.

JW - 316

Let's Get Fitsical

2010-01-18T00:02:00.009-05:00

In God's eyes you can't separate the physical from the spiritual. He cares about every part of our lives.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."

We should take more serious how much our bodies belong to God and give careful consideration to how we can honor God with our bodies. Take a step towards physical health this year. Think about what you put into your body, walk around the block, take the steps instead of the elevator, buy a gym membership, get good rest, take some time to refresh, and always remember God created you to be you. He made you for a purpose and you are His most valued treasure.

GET FIT in 2010!

JW - 316

Get Fit in 2010

2010-01-14T13:20:00.006-05:00

"...it ain't how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward - how much you can take and keep moving forward. If you know what you're worth go out and get what you're worth, but you got to be willing to take the hits." Rocky Balboa in ROCKY

Do you have the intestinal fortitude to be able to get up when you're knocked down and keep moving forward?

1 Timothy 4:8, "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come."

JW - 316

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T18:31:00.003-05:00

In Matthew 9:29 Jesus said, "According to your faith, it will be done to you."

I've heard that referred to as "The Law of Expectations". The Law of Expectations says that, basically, we get what we expect out of life. We tend to see what we expect to see, we tend to feel what we expect to feel, we tend to act the way we expect to act, and, eventually, we tend to achieve what we expect to achieve.

Your expectations influence your happiness. They also influence your health and even your relationships.

Job was sometimes a pessimist. In Job 3:25 he says, "Everything I fear and dread comes true." You know anyone like that? There were times when Job had the Eeyore syndrome. You may recall that Eeyore is the old donkey in Winnie the Pooh and he known as the consummate pessimist.

Paul, on the other hand, was an optimist. In Philippians 1:20 he says, "I live in eager expectation while I'm going through all these trials. He was an optimist. He could be cheerful even when life couldn't be perfect.

When you expect the best you're honoring God. Expecting the best also increases your ability. Athletes know that the winning edge is attitude not ability. It's how you see it.

Think about this. Mohammad Ali only lost two fights. And both of those fights had one thing in common that was different from all his other fights. In a press conference prior to these fights, he said, "Now...if I lose this fight...". He only said this before two fights - and he lost both.

David went out to fight Goliath and he took stones with him. He was super confident! Everybody else was saying, "He's too big, you can't kill him." David was saying, "He's so big how can I miss?

So when it comes to the new year what approach will you take? It's your choice. It's always our choice. We can choose to live by fear or we can choose to live by faith.

Remember the words of Jesus..."According to your faith, it will be done to you."

Walk by faith in the new year - and expect only the best!

Happy New Year!

JW - 316

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T13:35:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends. I've added some of my favorite Bible verses about the promised Messiah. Amazing...

Isaiah 7:14 - "...the Lord Himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us').

Isaiah 9:6-7 - "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with peace and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!"

Matthew 1:20-21 - "As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she shall have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Luke 2:6-7 - "And while they were there, the time came for her child to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snuggly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them."

Galatians 4:4 - "But when the right time came, God sent his son..."

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

JW - 316

Speaking of Silver

2009-12-20T23:17:00.003-05:00

By the way, check out the gift my beautiful wife got me for our 25th wedding anniversary. SHE ROCKS!!

Silver

2009-12-20T22:43:00.009-05:00

This past Tuesday Shelly and I celebrated our Silver Anniversary. We were married December 15th, 1984 way up in Bangor, Maine where Shelly grew up.

We had a cool wedding. It was a cold and snowy day. Picture perfect in my humble opinion. Shelly's home church, Bangor Baptist, was decorated for the Christmas season. There were 16 live Christmas trees lit up all across the stage. Funny I would remember such a thing as nervous as I was.

After the ceremony and reception we flew to Florida for our honeymoon. Out of the snow and into the sunshine! That was a great day!

The last 25 years have brought a lot of awesome memories. We've had some difficult challenges, some exciting adventures, and a lot of fun along the way. I'm thankful to have a wife who loves the Lord so much! His love radiates from her. I'm looking forward to the next 25 years - the best is yet to come! :)

The Prodigal God

2009-12-13T20:07:00.005-05:00

I just finished a book by Timothy Keller called The Prodigal God and it's excellent. By definition the word 'prodigal' means "recklessly extravagant". So it's easy for us to see how the younger son was prodigal. What we often miss is that the father was also prodigal. The father was prodigal in the way he reacted when his younger son came home. The father throws a shin-dig with a bunch of hoopla. :) He has the fatted calf killed and orders for the son to be clothed in the best robe. That is definitely reckless and extravagant!

Have you ever wondered if God loves you? Look at this story about how the father responds to the wayward son. This is a metaphor for how God our Heavenly Father loves us. And thank God that He responds to us in the same way when we return home to Him!! Love, forgiveness, mercy, grace and acceptance - all because of His love for us.

There is so much more in this book. I encourage you to buy it for yourself and as a gift to someone seeking after God this Christmas season. Read it slow and take time to meditate on what you're reading.

JW - 316

Romans 8:28 - An Old Friend

2009-11-30T22:47:00.002-05:00

I call Romans 8:28 an old friend because it's been a part of my life for over 35 years now. Ever faithful to comfort, encourage, and to remind me that God is faithful to His promises and I can be sure that ALL things work together. And not only that but all things WORK. And all things work TOGETHER. And all things work together for GOOD. That is the promise of our faithful and loving heavenly Father. God's promise is inclusive, God's promise is active, God's promise is harmonious, and God's promise is good. Thank God for this old friend! :)

Has God given you an old friend like this?

JW - 316

6 in a row!!

2009-11-22T21:43:00.000-05:00

Ohio State 21 Michigan 10

WHOO-HOO!! :)

Psalm 116:15

2009-11-07T14:32:00.011-05:00

We said goodbye to a dear saint of God yesterday. Evelyn "Chubby" Schrieves lived 90 years and the Lord decided it was time for her to join Him in heaven. I was amused to hear the story of how she earned her nickname of "Chubby". The story goes that as a little girl she would suck her thumb so much that it swelled up real big and looked 'chubby' - someone said it and it stuck. Very cool! :)

'Granny' is what she went by most, after all, there were 14 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren. Granny loved the Lord and served Him faithfully. She was a prayer warrior for her family, friends, and pastor. :)

She loved NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt Sr. was her favorite driver. A couple weeks ago when we were talking in her living room she said, "I'm trying to cheer for Jr. but everytime I turn the TV on he's slammin' into the wall." :)

She was a big fan of Elvis, and loved those New York Yankees.

Thank you Granny for living a life of love and faithfulness. Thank you for setting the pace and showing the way. We'll miss you Granny.

"The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die." - Psalm 116:15

Third day ritual

2009-10-28T11:20:00.004-04:00

In his book, "What in the World is Going On?" David Jeremiah tells a story about an Albanian funeral he attended awhile back. The funeral happened to take place on Good Friday and so the minister gave a powerful message about Christ's great sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary. After the funeral the minister invited everyone to return on Sunday for what is called the "third day ritual".

Dr. Jeremiah explains that in the Albanian culture friends of the deceased gather again with the family to remember the one who has died and drink some bitter coffee. He says that nearly 300 people returned that Sunday and the pastor shared an Easter message about the resurrection of Jesus and he emphasized the "not quite empty tomb" and talked about the grave clothes of Jesus and how they still bore His shape, but the napkin, which had been wrapped around His head, was folded and placed away from the other grave clothes.

To the congregation that day, this minor detail had great significance and promise because in Albania, when a person has finished a meal and prepares to leave the table, he crumples up his napkin to indicate that he was finished. But if, instead, he leaves his napkin folded, it is a sign that he plans to come back.

The application to the Albanian people was obvious - Jesus is coming back! :)

God's promise to Israel

2009-10-16T21:44:00.005-04:00

God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, "The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you."

There are four unconditional promises in those verses:
1. God promised to bless Abraham
2. God promised to bring a great nation from Abraham
3. God promised to make Abraham a blessing to many
4. God promised to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel

Let's pray for our country and leaders and do all that we can to strengthen our support of Israel. Not everything Israel does is good or right and I'm not suggesting blind approval for anything Israel may do. But God's promise made to Abraham is unconditional and as relevant today as it was the day He made it.

JW - 316

Skeleton Bones

2009-08-24T13:16:00.022-04:00

Our mega cool worship leader taught us a new song yesterday called 'Skeleton Bones' by John Mark McMillan. John also wrote 'How He Loves Us'. Check him out on iTunes.

Is 'mega' still a word? :) Hmmm...anyway here are the lyrics:

Peel back our ribs again and stand inside our chest
We just wanna love you We just wanna love you

Peel back the veil of time and let us see you with our naked eyes
We just wanna love you We just wanna love you

We want your blood to flow inside our body We want your wind inside our lungs
We just wanna love you We just wanna love you

Skeleton bones stand at the sound of eternity on the lips of the found
And gravestones roll to the rhythm of the sound of you

Skeleton bones stand at the sound of eternity on the lips of the found
So separate those doors and let the son of resurrection come in

Oh let us adore the Son of Glory drenched in love
Open up your gates before him
Crown Him, stand Him up

I agree - let the Son of resurrection come in!!

JW - 316

Cashless

2009-08-24T12:57:00.004-04:00

I just finished a book by Mark Hitchcock called "Cashless" and wanted to recommend it. I hadn't read any of Mark's books so this was a new author for me. I like his writing a lot and of course the subject of prophecy is very relevant. In this book Mark writes about Bible prophecy, the present economic crisis, our world future, and especially how the future financial world will be structure under one global leader. It turns out that Mark has written many books on the subject of Bible prophecy and they all look to be pretty good studies. Check it out! Let me know what you think.

JW - 316

Happy Monday

2009-08-17T07:24:00.006-04:00

Hey everyone Happy Monday. "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His faithful love endures forever." :) Psalm 118:1

My son Aaron has reconstructive knee surgery this morning. Shelly and I appreciate your prayers for him. He recently tore his ACL playing basketball.

Kelli leaves for Liberty tomorrow. :( She's very excited and ready. I think she's going to love it there and do quite well. We're very proud of her. To say we'll miss her would be understating it so I won't say it. :)

I think we'll be taking a lot of roadtrips to Lynchburg. Shhhhh don't tell her. We want it to be a surprise. :)

Gotta run now but don't forget - "Let all who fear the Lord repeat: His faithful love endures forever." :)

JW - 316

Baptism

2009-07-27T11:31:00.003-04:00

I'm stoked about this Saturday's baptism! We're going to the Atlantic Ocean and baptizing over 20 children and adults. This is a true defining moment for those getting baptized as they mark the day they follow the example of Jesus and identify themselves with Him and with all those who believe in the Lord.

And not only that but what a great way to celebrate family life as the church comes together in partnership with the family and contributes to spiritual life and growth.

Can't wait! :)

JW - 316

Very cool!

2009-07-10T16:36:00.002-04:00

Check this out. The guys were out having summer fun in the Posquatank River yesterday when they got word that a fellow teammate was in a car accident. After absorbing the news they got together on the dock and prayed for him and his family. I'm just sayin' - we worry a lot about the direction our kids go and how they respond to life as a teenager. It does a heart good to see them humble themselves and seek the help of their Heavenly Father.

Way to go guys! You made my day. I think you also made God's day :) He loves to hear His children call out to Him.

Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, "Life is not pleasant anymore." Ecclesiastes 12:1

By the way, it also looks like someone's hard work is paying off. Keep it up Mom & Dad. :)

JW - 316

4th

2009-07-04T21:52:00.002-04:00

I love America. I can't help it. I was born and raised here and though there are many beautiful places in the world I still cannot imagine living anywhere else. Thank God for America! There's no other place I'd rather be!! Thank God for all who gave their lives in obtaining and preserving the incredible freedoms we enjoy! I like to think positively. I like being around positive and optimistic people. Billy Bummer and Debbie Downer don't live in my house. But I'd be less than honest if I were to go on and on about how cool it is to be American and how proud we all should be without admitting to the very serious problems our country is facing today.

We know the times are tough. Our economy has tanked, Our morals are in the sewer. We live with daily threats of terrorism here in our own backyard. The threat of nuclear war is getting louder day by day. Disease, hunger, materialistic greed, selfish ambition - these are the things we wake up to everyday. The real problem, however, goes a little deeper and is causing us to self-destruct. The real problem is that we as a nation continue to ignore God. Chasing a life of pleasure without regard for God is like chasing the wind. If you haven't figured that one out yet there will come a day when you do.

But you know what!? Thankfully God's promise remains: "If my people, who are called by My Name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14. As believers in Jesus it's time to humble ourselves and submit to our Heavenly Father. 'Hear our prayer, O Lord. Please heal our land.' Happy Birthday America! May God give us more of His loving grace!!

jw - 316

Nice Shaqusition

2009-06-25T15:44:00.001-04:00

Cleveland Cavaliers make a nice Shaqusition today! Everybody say hello to the "BIG DADDY WITNESS"

Wa-hoo! :) Go Cavs!

New Web-site for 316 Church

2009-06-25T15:40:00.001-04:00

Our new site is finally live. You can check it out at www.316church.org

Let me know what you think and give me some ideas to improve it. Presently it is 90% done. The boxes at the bottom still need to be activated.

JW - 316

He already knew what He was going to do

2009-06-25T14:54:00.002-04:00

This Sunday we're going to be talking about Jesus' miracle in feeding the 5,000. Another awesome display of His glory and power!! :)

Check this out in John 6:5 - Jesus saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip He asked, "Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?"

Is Jesus suggesting to Philip that money is the answer? Or is He saying this because He knows how Philip (and basically all of us) naturally thinks? I'm wondering if there is a little sarcasm in His voice when He asks this question.

When we face the problems and challenges of life we tend to think that money can solve everything. Just throw money at the problem and it will go away.

There are times when money fixes things but money wasn't the answer in John 6 and in most cases money is not the answer for us today either.

I like the second part of verse 5 too where it says, "...He was testing Philip, for He already knew what He was going to do."

I love that part because I think I've heard the Lord ask me similar things and finish with "I already know what I'm going to do."

With two kids in college at the same time it's easy to stress over how to pay tuition. The Lord asks me, "Where are we going to get enough money to make the payments?" And then He says, "I already know where."

I'm not sure if you're following me on this - I feel like I'm rushing it - but...think about your greatest problem or challenge that has you feeling a little overwhelmed and maybe worried a little.

I say "worried a little" because we know as believers we're not supposed to worry at all so let's just say "a little" ;)

As you consider how you're going to solve this issue can I tell you that God already knows how He's going to supply your need?! He knows exactly how He will provide for you.

Psalm 37:25 - "Once I was young and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread." Whoa! That's pretty awesome!!

Thank God for His never failing love and continuous care for His children.

JW - 316

Do what He tells you to do

2009-06-12T12:30:00.000-04:00

This years summer preaching series is on the miracles of Jesus. The first miracle we are studying is the first miracle Jesus performed. It happened at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. A problem developed during the celebration - they ran out of wine. That doesn't sound like a big deal to us today but in that day the reception was the central focal point of the wedding and there was a high expectation that everything be perfect.

So Jesus' mother, Mary, informs Him of the problem and He responds by telling her that this problem wasn't really his problem nor any of his business and said that his time had not yet come. She pushes ahead anyway and in verse 5 of John 2 Mary tells the servants, "Do whatever He tells you to do".

That friends, is one of my favorite statements in all the Scripture. If I can follow the instruction in that verse my life would be better - a lot better! If we all followed the instruction in that verse we would all be better off.

Just something to think about when the wine runs out of our lives. :)

JW - 316

Walk the Line

2009-05-31T20:38:00.000-04:00

I watched 'Walk the Line' about the life of Johnny Cash this past Friday night. Then on Saturday morning I did my usual workout at the YMCA which includes walking the treadmill and reading a book. The book this Saturday is "Purple Cow" written by Seth Godin. The book is a challenge for business owners to transform their business into something incredible and extraordinary (much like a purple cow would be).

As I was reading and walking my mind went back to Friday night and a thought came to me about Johnny Cash. He was a purple cow. What made him a purple cow was the fact that he was bad at two things - failing and being invisible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Ts4M3irWM

I'm going to write more about this later but for now let me throw a quick application to you: In the christian life our mission calls us to be real bad at failure and real bad at being invisible. So let the light of Christ shine for the world to see! And as you let the light of God's love shine through you remember that things won't always go your way. That's okay, no problem - just keep walking and keep shining anyway! Stand out in a positive way. Be incredible for Jesus!

JW - 316

Can I get a Witness?

2009-05-29T20:07:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge Bron fan as in LeBron James! Following Cleveland sports all my life I never thought we'd get a player with such dominating talent. Watching him play the game of basketball is a real treat.

If you've been paying any attention to NBA basketball you've no doubt seen the word 'Witness' associated with LeBron James. It's a Nike marketing campaign to hype LeBron and in Cleveland 'witness' fever is everywhere - tee-shirts, billboards, tv commercials, and about everything else. The slogan on the picture to the left says, "We are all witnesses" and it simply means that all basketball fans are witnessing superstar talent on display to the point of amazement night in and night out in the form of LeBron James. Very cool.

So anyway the other night I'm watching one of the Cleveland playoff games against the Orlando Magic. At one point in the game head coach, Stan Van Gundy was extremely frustrated because his team wasn't playing good defense on LeBron. During a time out he yelled to his players, "the problem is we have all become witnesses". He said (I'm paraphrasing now), 'we can't do that. We can't just stand around doing nothing and watch LeBron take over the game. We've got to be more active. We've got to defend. We've got to get a hand in his face while he's shooting. We've got to guard the passing lanes. We've got to do something to make things hard for him. We're in a battle gentlemen and it's going to take a concerted team effort to get the victory we want.'

When I heard him say those things I was amused because I was having a good time watching LeBron dominate. But as I thought more about it I thought about how similar it is to the way we approach our lives. I think there are too many times in life when we just stand around watching life happen to us as opposed to working hard and actively doing the things we need to do to become the best we can be in all areas.

We should know by now that in life nothing good ever just happens, we've got to make it happen. As followers of Christ if we are to have any positive impact for the Kingdom of God we have to get active and deliberate and take responsibility for our growth as individuals and as churches.

For instance, as a pastor I can't just open the doors on Sunday and expect that the crowds are going to flood into our worship services. I have to get with the Lord during the week in prayer and study of the Word and put together a compelling message for those who are to come on Sunday. In addition every week I am talking with people and inviting them to come and hear.

As a Christian you can't just open your Bible and point to a scripture and expect miracles to happen. If we want to make progress, if we want to win in life and be a positive influence on others we have to humble ourselves before the Lord and then serve Him in love by serving others each day. We have to strategize a plan and put that plan into action and give effort to see good things happen. We can't just stand around doing nothing while life happens to us. Let's do what it takes to make us happen to life. :)

Yeah, uh...not sure that last sentence made any sense but I think you get the point. In case you didn't click here and become a witness...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkvTLOhm-TQ

Thoughts on Memorial Day

2009-05-25T13:10:00.000-04:00

What a great Memorial Day! Sunny and warm just the way we like it. Shelly is in the middle of preparing a Memorial Day lunch that is looking and smelling really gooood. I hope each of you are enjoying time with family and friends today.

Sometimes the craziness of our current global reality dims our focus on the true idea behind Memorial Day. Without going into the craziness of our current global reality let me just challenge those who read this blog (both of you) to reflect and give thanks for the thousands upon thousands of American lives that have been sacrificed to obtain and preserve the freedoms we enjoy today.

The more I think about Memorial Day the more real the sacrifices become. Truth is, thousands of soldier boys had the same dreams you and I had growing up. The same dreams you and I are living right now. Think about it. They dreamed of being married to that gal who turned their head the moment they saw them for the first time. They dreamed of playing catch and teaching their children how to throw a ball. They dreamed of taking fishing trips with their future sons and daughters and looking forward to the day when they would escort their daughter down the aisle of the church as she was married. They dreamed of following their favorite sports team and players. They dreamed of their own Memorial Day picnics and July 4th picnics and Christmas seasons with family and friends.

Yet their young lives cut short by death because they fought for freedom. Fearful and couragious at the same time - their lives ended far too soon.

Freedom is never free. I think we all know that. So take a moment sometime today and give thanks for the freedom we have as a nation and give thanks for all those who paid the ultimate price to purchase or preserve our freedom. And if you haven't already been there - put Arlington National Cemetary on your bucket list - and make sure you takes the kids.

Happy Memorial Day to all :)

JW - 316

Leaving the Church

2009-05-18T10:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was another defining moment in the life of our young church. It was Membership Sunday and we held a mass membership class during our worship service. Very cool. :)

The big deal with us is going to be large group worship, small group Bible study, and serving in the church.

As our church continues to grow one of the challenges we will face is the trap of over-programming and losing track of the main goal of fulfilling the Great Commission. Many times when we take Christian people and over-program them into a myriad of good church activities we end up taking them out of the place where they have the greatest impact for God's Kingdom - the world. This happens more than I want to admit.

It's cool that we want more worship services and more Bible studies and more opportunities to meet other believers. Those are all good things. But when we over-program we end up forgetting about people outside the church who need someone to show them what Christianity looks like in the marketplace, around the neighborhood, or on the ballfield and help them connect with God. We become so focused on our own Christian life that we forget to go and tell others the good news.

This is why the big three of worship, small group, and serving will be the launching pad of our individual and corporate spiritual growth plan leaving plenty of time for us to get out into our great big world and build friendships with our neighbors and co-workers and those we rub shoulders with at the Y.

A couple weeks ago a christian friend of mine had a guy make this statement to him: "I like when I'm around you. I'm a better person when I'm around you". Well, being "around" my friend won't happen unless my friend intentionally makes time to get beyond the walls of the church and into the arena of those looking for direction and purpose in life. When he does that he's in position to make a positive impact and escort others into the Kingdom of God.

Tony Morgan, a church ministry strategist says, "Being inside the church building is not the priority. Building the church by reaching our friends for Jesus is the priority...are we truly engaged in his Great Commission if every extra moment of our lives is spent at church?"
http://www.tonymorganlive.com/

Lord, I look forward to small group this week. I look forward to large group worship and serving in Your church next Sunday. I also look forward to shining the light of Your love everywhere I go today. Use me to help others find You. :)

JW - 316

www.316church.org

30 Days to Live

2009-05-13T11:27:00.000-04:00

We just finished our lesson series called 30 Days to Live. 'How would my life be different if I knew that I only had 30 days to live?' That is the question we were challenged with each week and I'm thinking about it a lot these days. It's a power question that has the potential to bring out the best in us...if we let it.

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. I want to say what you want me to say, do what you want me to do, and live the way you want me to live!

Can you imagine?

JW - 316