tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45514955881340661002023-11-16T06:46:35.839-08:00Just a thought by Pastor TravisWe are a small growing church out in the country in NE Georgia.
This blog is just some of my random thoughts. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694452504413825691noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4551495588134066100.post-81251059697192569942018-02-13T21:02:00.000-08:002018-02-13T21:02:20.617-08:00Church DinnersWe just had a great church dinner, actually it was a lunch but for some reason I tend to always say dinner. We ate a lot of Spaghetti, or should I say we cooked a lot of Spaghetti, and sent home a lot of Spaghetti. And I took home a lot of food. We totally missed judged how much to cook and how many were going to be there.<br />
In my defense I did ask how many people everyone had invited and we went with that number. There could have been 45 people so we cooked for 50. We had 25.<br />
It always seems to be so difficult to get an accurate number on visitors. You can usually depend on the regulars so getting that count is pretty easy, its the rest of the crowd that is difficult to pin down.<br />
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Well I'm just ranting right now. Only because I haven't posted anything for awhile and I'm trying to post often.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694452504413825691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4551495588134066100.post-46638645548744398892018-01-25T14:06:00.000-08:002018-01-25T14:06:53.177-08:00To be filled with the SpiritI was recently reading chapter 6 of " <i>FRESH WIND FRESH FIRE" </i>by Jim Cymbala when I ran across this quote that caught my attention.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"I LONG MORE AND MORE TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, AND TO SEE MY CONGREGATION MOVED AND MELTED UNDER THE WORD, AS IN GREAT REVIVAL TIMES, THE PLACE SHAKEN WHERE THEY ARE ASSEMBLED TOGETHER, BECAUSE THE LORD HAS COME IN POWER." </span>FROM ANDREW BONAR'S DIARY 12/13/1880</b><br />
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Just the thought of that statement runs chills up and down my spine. To imagine being in the presence of God to the point that the place itself shakes. To be so filled with the Spirit that you can sense it so intensely. And to have that prayer to wish that my whole church could, no not could but would also be able to experience it in their own daily walk with God.<br />
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It was a powerful thought for me. I don't usually mark in the books that I read unless its for a class that I have to take, but I did mark that statement and I wrote it on an index card to keep it close by. I plan on posting it up in a spot that I will be able to see it easily on a regular basis.<br />
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I wonder what kind of revival this country could have if just a few more people thought this way and endeavored to live out their lives in this way.<br />
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If we truly attempted to live this life it would be contagious and spread and then revival would be blazing through out the country. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694452504413825691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4551495588134066100.post-54467542626607590762018-01-05T22:37:00.001-08:002018-01-05T22:54:18.155-08:00Sermon message<p dir="ltr">This weeks message will be about revenge. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The scripture verse is ROMANS 12:19</p>
<p dir="ltr">DO NOT TAKE REVENGE, MY FRIENDS, BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD'S WRATH, FOR IT IS WRITTEN: "IT IS MINE TO AVENGE: I WILL REPAY," SAYS THE LORD.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This can be a difficult thing to do depending on your personality traits. Some people are just wired a certain way and they tend to lean in this or that direction. However I do believe it is possible for people to change the way they think, and respond to situations. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Take some time and look at verses 17-21. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Guess what, it is possible to allow God to be the avenger instead you. If it wasn't He would not have told us not to take revenge.</p>
<p dir="ltr">If it seems too tough to do don't get discouraged. </p>
<p dir="ltr">PHILIPPINES 4:13 tells us that "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENS ME." </p>
<p dir="ltr">We just need to ask God to help us in this area of our life. And He will help us.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694452504413825691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4551495588134066100.post-50832660744693321732018-01-04T15:26:00.000-08:002018-01-04T15:26:02.999-08:00Podcasthttps://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=52696797&refid=asa<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">How you can help the least of these in your community!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
Copy and paste the link above and listen to this great podcast. It is a good listen.<br />
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I love the short quote he gives at the end... "change a persons life, change a community"<br />
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So powerful and so true.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694452504413825691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4551495588134066100.post-66676887958490710172018-01-02T20:59:00.000-08:002018-01-02T20:59:22.457-08:00Memory versesJust after Thanksgiving a co-worker asked me a simple question that stumped me for a moment. His question was... "what does John 3:17 say?"<br />
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My answer was "that's a good question," then I told him that I have had verse 16 memorized since I was a kid, but never memorized verse 17. After thinking about it and reciting verse 16 several times trying to remember what 17 said I answered his question the best I could. I said I don't know it by heart but it says something to do do with Jesus not condemning the world. I then took out my phone and opened up my Bible app, Olive Tree Bible app (<a href="https://www.olivetree.com/" target="_blank">https://www.olivetree.com/</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #006621; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">)</span>, and looked it up to find that I was correct.<br />
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I got to thinking about that situation for a few days and realized that most people have a favorite verse or a verse that has deep meaning to them. They know what that verse says and what it means to them. Many could probably even tell you their story of how or why it became their favorite. But they don't know what the verses before and after say. Or at least they don't know them by heart, like I didn't know John 3:17 by heart but knew what it talked about.<br />
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So this led me to come up with a sermon series about our favorite memory verses and the verses before and after them. I asked my church to write on an index card up to 3 verses that they considered to be their favorites and I would choose 5 and look at a few verses before and after it and do a sermon based on those verses. I also challenged them to take some time and look at a few verses for themselves and just be familiar with what it says. It's just another way of getting closer to God's Word.<br />
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I challenge the reader of this post to do the same thing. Take a few moments at the start of your time with God and look at a favorite verse and go up to the start of the paragraph and start reading and go to the end of the paragraph or read the next paragraph. This can give you a better understanding of God.<br />
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I'm looking forward to the next 5 Sunday's. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694452504413825691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4551495588134066100.post-29803705827056958112017-12-31T21:27:00.001-08:002017-12-31T21:27:16.368-08:00Happy New Year<p dir="ltr">Here it is again, the start to a new year. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Looking back I had a good 2017, only a few down swings, mostly average with few positive highs. All in all, a good year.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Praying that 2018 will be as good and better than 2017.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Hope your year will be better than last. </p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694452504413825691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4551495588134066100.post-2783906891215523252017-12-26T22:09:00.001-08:002017-12-26T22:09:07.699-08:00Less<p dir="ltr">This is a concept that can be difficult for some people. Our personalities can get in the way.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As we attempt to climb the corporate ladder, we are taught that we have to have great confidence and to put ourselves first in order to be successful. This then tends to take over in our everyday lives. </p>
<p dir="ltr">This thought pattern then also can begin to flow over into our religious lives. That we have to be concerned about ourselves more than others. </p>
<p dir="ltr">This concept of becoming less and making Christ more doesn't seem to fit the mold of today's culture. But when we get out of the way and let Jesus lead the way we become greater than if we tried to lead. By becoming less we actually become more. Sounds backward I know. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It can be tough to do, but I believe that if a person can choose to become a follower in 1 area in the church then that person can begin to train themselves to become less. Then begin to allow Christ to lead you into better things in life.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This is a growing, learning thing for most people. Don't get discouraged, allow God to show you how to put Him first.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRzC7NBAe5nju6bgghYI35uS5WmVZU0cFvA654DEOxkCsB5C14pcbAzO0OLXIllcmD89u8BNbRkFUrkt-eHyzQUHgWbQBAm-k18rGMHbhVcRpc0zFQUopqYELAtqcWT5THYIMZX-Whm-r/s1600/picture.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRzC7NBAe5nju6bgghYI35uS5WmVZU0cFvA654DEOxkCsB5C14pcbAzO0OLXIllcmD89u8BNbRkFUrkt-eHyzQUHgWbQBAm-k18rGMHbhVcRpc0zFQUopqYELAtqcWT5THYIMZX-Whm-r/s640/picture.jpeg"> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694452504413825691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4551495588134066100.post-9939642839075932932017-12-25T22:48:00.000-08:002017-12-25T22:48:08.546-08:00New Years resolutions vs. GoalsI personally don't like to make resolutions, probably because in the past I wouldn't finish them. I'm talking like days to weeks after January 1 I would fail.<br />
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That tells me that the resolution wasn't important to me. I was coming up with a list of things I wanted to change, or thought I needed to change because it was the thing to do. It was what everyone else was doing and talking about. So I created a list, and never carried it through the end. So I stopped doing it altogether.<br />
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But the last couple of years I have had a goal that I wanted to attempt. To me this was a little different than a resolution. Just different enough that it helped me do a better job at completing the goal.<br />
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Here is how they are different in my eyes.<br />
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Resolutions: these were to broad for me. To much of " I'm going to be a better person this year" or " I'm going to make more money." It's great to want to be a better person but how am I going to better myself, what area needs the most work, and what action was I going to take to complete it, and then how was I going to measure if I succeeded? I was setting myself up for failure from the very beginning.<br />
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Goals: these were more fined tuned for me. Much more specific. I now say that I am going to lose 30 pounds by changing my eating habits and exercising 2-3 days a week. I then can take the eating habits and break it down into some items I am eliminating from my diet and some foods I will be adding to. I then take the exercise aspect and begin to create some specific tasks with some timelines.<br />
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Whether you like resolutions or goals, the biggest key to success is to create an end result that is reachable, but yet challenges you as well. Oh, and it has to be important to you or you will struggle with it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694452504413825691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4551495588134066100.post-35585076118644665622017-12-24T22:39:00.000-08:002017-12-24T22:39:46.009-08:00My first thoughtHere it is 1am 12/25/17 and I'm playing around with this blog. But I felt like that this was something I needed to do. My goal is starting in January to share just some random thoughts about what ever is affecting me at the time. It could be a scripture verse, sermon thought, or current event. However I don't really talk about politics much.<br />
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So it is officially Christmas. Looking forward to spending the day with my wife, enjoying the smells of food cooking as the day goes on, and then eating the food. But most importantly recognizing the true meaning of this day.<br />
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I often say that it amazes me that Jesus would choose to leave heaven and live on earth with us just because He loves us. That's what He did, and He didn't just leave for a short time for a visit. No, He did it the hard way. He came as a child, totally dependent on Joseph and Mary. He had to learn, He got hungry, tired, and He even bled. Just because He loved us. Now that is true love.<br />
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The beautiful thing about Christmas is not the trees, food, fellowship, random acts of kindness, or gifts. No, non of those things, although we do enjoy them. It's because of Christmas we have Easter, which is the very reason why Jesus left heaven in the first place. Without Easter we don't have the hope of heaven. Jesus came at Christmas to give us the perfect gift at Easter.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694452504413825691noreply@blogger.com0