Just MOVE OVER – The Main Issue with Traffic Jams
Okay, so this post has nothing to do with being a pastor, a husband, or a Christian in any way shape or form. It has to do with common sense and a grassroots movement to get people to move over so that we can all enjoy our highway experience.
When people are trying to merge onto the freeway, especially during rush hour…move over!!
I honestly believe that traffic is a perfect example of who we are as people. We want what we want, and we want it on our terms, and forget everyone else. Well, here is the truth of the matter. That attitude causes traffic jams, and causes me to fly into extreme fits of road rage. If you are ever stuck on route 77 and you see a little rusted out Dodge Dakota with an overweight man beating up his stearing wheel while mouthing the words “move over, ” its probably me.
If we would just slow down a little bit, move over, and let people merge, no one would have to slam on their brakes, which would not cause the person behind them
Take a Whiff
When riding my bike in the evenings, one of my favorite things is when I catch the scents of the neighborhood.
The smell of a campfire where a family might be having great conversation or roasting marshmallows.
The smell of a charcoal roasting some BBQ chicken for dinner.
The exhaust coming out from the dryer that fills the air the smell of fabric softener.
I personally love the smell of diesel exhaust when a truck rolls by me on the road.
It’s awesome that scents float through the air, we breathe them in, and those scents connect us to memories and feelings.
God made that. He made it that way. Isn’t that cool?
The Power Of Accepting Apologies
The other night my wife and I got into a little argument. In all honesty, it was my fault. I had had a long day and I responded poorly to something that she said.
I know that every premarital class reminds every couple, “not to go to bed angry,” however, I find that I don’t think very well at night, so when I open my mouth, stupid things come out.
I do much better to sleep on it, wake up when I am rested and thinking clearly, and deal with the issue. In this specific case I woke up realizing that I was wrong.
So I sat on the end of the bed with my wife and said, “I’m sorry for being rude last night, I shouldn’t have responded the way that I did.”
Linda responded, “thanks for apologizing…” and continued to explain our miscommunication.
Then we went on with our day.
As we moved from the edge of the bed into our day, I thought to myself, “man, I’m so glad that she doesn’t hold grudges.”
My wife is a great apology-accepter and forgiver. When we offer forgiveness freely and choose to live free of grudges, the people that we love, like, and work with are extended grace in a way that it was meant to be extended.
So – apologize to someone to day.
If someone asks for your forgiveness – give it freely.
That’s a good plan for being awesome today!
5 Signs that Your Boss (or potential boss) is Awesome
I’m willing to admit it. I am a big fan of my boss. I’ve worked with/for him for almost 9 years and I could do it for a pretty long time and be happy.
I love going to work in the morning. How many people can say that? I mean really, there is rarely a day when I get bummed out about work.
So, perhaps you are evaluating your current situation or are heading into an interview soon. Here are a few things to look for that might let you know that your boss (or potential boss) is awesome.
Or maybe you are a boss and you stink at it – here are a few tips to make you awesome!
2 Main Reasons Why Normal High School Ministry Fails in the Summer
Several years ago we stopped running our normal high school programming in the summer. We still run our middle school program because it is very different and because it meets on Sunday mornings when kids are going to be at church anyway. But taking a break from our weekly meeting for a few months has been a good strategy – here are a few reasons why we have come to this conclusion.
1 – High School Kids Get Summer Jobs
The truth of the matter is that summer is prime time for kids to take on a summer job, get some extra spending money to put in the gas tank or in the old college fund. Generally kids end up working in restaurants, or retail stores that are open every day of the week. Employers have their pick of the litter, and if a person can’t work on Sunday’s, well, they don’t get the job.
We think it’s wise for students to
5 Great Books to Read This Summer
Summer is an important time for reading. For students (regardless of age) there are only a few weeks when there is not required reading (although, I hear that teachers assign books over the summer? That should be illegal.) So it makes for a great time to choose a few excellent books to assist you in your spiritual growth.
I recently encouraged the students from my church to read one book this summer. “Just One?!” you might ask. Well, yes. I want them to read one really good book really well. What I mean is that I want them to slow down and not try to read for speed, but read intentionally. I want to them underline, highlight, even take a few notes or tweet out a few good thoughts. Reading a good book for all it’s worth is hard work.
John Piper describes
Life In the Spirit – Part 6
This is the last post in the series on the the Baptism and Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
If you are interested in the first 5 pieces of the series, you can follow the links below.
If you would like the entire paper as a PDF – please sign up for the email list HERE and I will send you a copy of the paper.
My Journey from Charismatic to Calvinist and Back – Introduction
How is the Holy Spirit Working in the Church Today? – Part 1
The Baptism In the Holy Spirit – Part 2
Introduction and Arguments of Cessationists – Part 3
Cessationism Arguments and Conclusions – Part 4
Does God Still Do Miracles? – Part 5
There is much more to be explored – much more to be desired. I want to badly for my family, my friends, my church, and the students that I pastor to to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Whatever he gives, I want. I pray that your heart might be opened to what the Holy Spirit has for you
Does God Still Do Miracles? – Part 5
This is the fifth part in my series on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Below you will find links to the other posts in the series. Basically I have taken a study that I did for a Seminary class and have chopped it up into readable sections. I pray that these thoughts encourage you as you seek the work of the Holy Spirit in your life
So far I have dealt with the Baptism in the holy Spirit and the arguments for the ceasing of the miraculous gifts.
Today, the post covers the arguments for the continuation of the miraculous gifts.
My Journey from Charismatic to Calvinist and Back – Introduction
How is the Holy Spirit Working in the Church Today? – Part 1
The Baptism In the Holy Spirit – Part 2
Introduction and Arguments of Cessationists – Part 3
Cessationism Arguments and Conclusions – Part 4
CONTINUATION VIEW
Introduction
As mentioned above, the Bible must be the final authority in the discussion surrounding the gifts of the Spirit. The continuationist view asserts that cessationism is rooted in the incorrect interpretation of the Bible
2 Arguments for the Ceasing of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
This is the 4th in a series of blog posts about the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts that evidence this experience.
The first post recounts my exoperience growing up the Pentecostal church, and the next three are portions from a research paper that I completed recently for my studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. So far the arguments for the baptism in the Holy Spirit have been presented and conclusions made. The most current post was the beginning of the arguments for cessationism – the idea that the miraculous gifts ceased at the end of the first century.
My Journey from Charismatic to Calvinist and Back – Introduction
How is the Holy Spirit Working in the Church Today? – Part 1
The Baptism In the Holy Spirit – Part 2
Introduction and Arguments of Cessationists – Part 3
Today the post covers two other main arguments that cessationists make to prove their opinion that miraculous gifts have ceased.
If you enjoy the post, please consider sharing this series by using the share buttons to the right of the page.
Argument #2
The second argument is that the miraculous gifts were used to affirm the fact that the apostles were indeed the messengers of Christ and that they had been given authority from God himself for the benefit of beginning the global Church. Richard Gaffin notes that, “In any construction project, the foundation comes at the beginning and does not have to be relaid repeatedly.”[1] Any startup company or church plant needs a place to begin. There is a necessity for startup capital, leadership, and vision.
Have the Gifts of the Holy Spirit Ceased? – Part 3
I hope that you have been enjoying my research on the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the Miraculous Gifts. If you have missed the previous posts, check out.
My Journey from Charismatic to Calvinist and Back – Introduction
How is the Holy Spirit Working in the Church Today? – Part 1
The Baptism In the Holy Spirit – Part 2
<- – If you have enjoyed any of the posts, please share them!
MIRACULOUS GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
INTRODUCTION
It is now necessary to deal with the second question that this paper has set out to answer, namely, the issue of the effects of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It has already been argued that Spirit baptism occurs at conversion. 1 Corinthians 12:7 notes that a manifestation has been given to each. The primary issue is not whether or not this is true, but if, indeed, these manifestations ended with the apostles. Heated debate continues around the subject of the miraculous gifts. John MacArthur is a leading voice for modern cessationism, the idea that the miraculous gifts have ceased. In his 1978 book, Charismatic Chaos, he crucified the idea that miraculous gifts were still available in the modern context.
