Currently Listening We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions By Queen see related

Paola is going to state!  Nice Job Fellas & Fans!  Good to hear :) 

Ryan

Currently Listening Camel By Camel see related

Prostitutes. Lusty Camels and More.

Man, I played Kyle Liebniz the other night in chess.  He's GOOD!  I mean, really good!  Most of the game I thought I was toast... and I was trying to figure out how I was going to deal with all the harrasment of getting beat.  Well, I got lucky, and won--and I'm not kidding about the lucky part.  I was done for.  I think it's awesome that the football team is into chess and monopoly.  It's a good thing. 

It's been on my heart lately.... I feel like there are a flood of people who claim to be Christians but their lives don't reveal it.  It's like saying, "______ is my girlfriend.... but I treat her like dirt, we never talk, I don't care about her -- and I'm only her boyfriend because she makes me popular." 

The great thing is that God sees right through the fakeness.  When your parents are fooled, your friends are fooled, pastors are fooled, or when we even fool ourselves... God is not fooled.  He knows if your heart is really desiring him or not. 

Check out what the Bible says about it. 

Jeremiah 2:35 And yet you say,
   ‘I have done nothing wrong.
      Surely God isn’t angry with me!’
... you claim you have not sinned.  (I left out a chunk... some may  not be ready for it.) 

 Take a minute and check out the whole book of Jeremiah.  It's pretty graphic.  Prostitutes.  Lusty Camels and More.  But the main point is that the Israelites claimed that they were right with God... but their actions didn't show it.  God gave us his son, Jesus Christ, to pay our price for our sin, and when we commit our lives to Him... we're also asking him to change us from the inside out. 

I know that a few of you are struggling with sin.  You want to do what's right, but you keep getting tempted to go back.  Been there myself.  Keep struggling, don't ever lose your passion to stay away from sin.  One thing that I used to pray when I was in High School... "God.  I'm struggling.  Don't let me get calloused.  Don't ever let me be OK with my sin.  Don't ever let me think it's no big deal.  I'm sorry.  Lead me back to you." 

Why?  Because God wants a relationship with you.  And he want's to be your super dad, best friend, body guard & more. 

Currently Listening Beauty from Pain By Superchick see related

Hey people.  I must tell you this. 

www.B2SB.org

You have to register online if you want to party early with free pizza & drinks.  Plus you have a chance to hang out with the band, Superchic[k] before the show.  Do it.

I'm back from Mexico!  Man, to be used by God is an incredible thing.  Courtney and I are setting up a website for www.pillarofhope.org (don't try it, it's not created yet).  Our goal is to generate $3000 of funding per month for the orphanage through the website!  Anyone want to sign up to give a few bucks a month?  Well, wait till we get the website created. 

I met a little Mex boy... Alehandro (sp?) that was new the orphanage (he just got there a few days ago).  He's my new amigo.  We played some basketball.  He liked Alley-oops. 

I also got to see all the kids at Rio-Bravo.  I dropped off some letters that some of you gave me.  I smelled each one first to make sure that they weren't perfumed.  lol.  But I got to hug my little amiga Selema.  She's got the brightest smile in the world!  And we got to give our hugs to Diana again.  She's the girl that Courtney and I sponsor at the orphanage, and she's a silly girl.  :) 

But I'm back.... and this is one of many things happening in my life right now. 

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
Our church would like to purchase the gym across the street to use as a community center / place for robotics to stay / etc.  I'd love anyone's ideas on design or use for the building.  I've been swamped with a ton of work on this; measuring, designing, talking to designers, P.Kirk, our youth team, etc.  And we need to get on it if we're going to make a proposal by Aug1. 

SKATE PARK
Several guyz/gals in our churhc are planning on setting up sweet skate park next fall in the church parking lot.  We've got some money to raise, but it's all good. 

SUMMER PLANS
Summer is buzzing by... HS GUYS AND GALS... I NEED TO KNOW TODAY IF YOU'RE WANTING A GROUP RATE TICKET TO WOF?  $30  We're going this Tuesday.  (Youth group is at the Burdge's this Sunday)

NEW TALENTED HELP
And some more sweet news... Anita Burdge will start working in the youth office at the church part time SOON!  She's already been volunteering a ton of time since April, and she's like the coolest, sweetest, best-est, gal in the world.  Plus, she's keeping tabs on the organizational things in which ... if you've noticed... i lack skills. 

AND THE PREZ (...byterian Church)
I just heard the news.  

Our national church "government" has already said that they will not allow ordained leaders in our church to be practicing homosexuals. 
BUT said that districts can decide the issue for themselves. 

Well, what does the Bible say about it?

"Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin." Lev. 18:22 (TLB)

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor 6:9-11 (NIV)

So here's a trick question... Should sinners be leaders in a church? 

What about me?   I work as a pastor in our church.  If sinners should not be the leaders of a church, then I'm done for.  I should quit now.  There is a differience.... I recognize my sin.  When I see that my actions don't line up with God's guidance in the scripture, I repent of (turn my back on) my sin.  Will I be perfect?  I wish.  But I'm humbled before God, time and time again for failing to follow his truth.  But I want to. 

On the other hand, if we "ordain" (elect) practicing homosexuals, OR IF WE ORDAIN ANY couple that is having sex outside of marriage (and think's it's OK), OR EVEN someone who thinks it's ok to surf porn, or thinks it's ok to punch people in the face... than we're saying a LOUD "Those practices are OK."  When we should be saying, "Live for God, not for yourself.  Ask for forgiveness & struggle to do what is right." 

Do leaders sometimes do those things?  YES.  Should they ever think those things are OK?  Absolutely not... because they oppose God's word. 

We'll see what happens in the next year in our church.  Just to let y'all know... our local church will not ordain homosexuals, thieves, cheats, co-habitators, but only those who accept Christ's forgiveness over these things...  Also, I should note, that I do not hate people that are Gay.  Homosexuality is defined in the Bible as a sin... among many others which I have failed to follow. 

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.  1 Timothy 1:15-16

Ryan

Jason B.... here are the security letters on the previous screen.  I think you should change the spelling of your last name.

Also, a note to Christian students... with the DaVinci code coming up I wanted to give you a resource to tell you that Jesus wasn't just some guy. I want to encourage all students who are serious about living for Christ to be discipled by this message about the DaVinci code. 

http://www.livingwaters.com/da_vinci/asxfiles/listen.asx

The movie and the book are both fiction.  Made up.  So don't get tweaked out. 

I'm speaking tomorrow at Baccalaureate.  Congratulations you crazy guys & gals of 2006.