Communicate often your desire for him to be the recipient of the blessings of God.  Strive to make the basis for your relationship spiritual.

…grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

If we are not careful, it becomes easy to dismiss certain portions of Scripture as being less important than others. Especially when reading the epistles we tend to consider the first few verses to be merely introductory. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable.

Rather than simply offering the standard “grace and peace” greeting common in those days, Paul wished for Timothy something far deeper than that. Used in the New Testament sense, grace is God’s unmerited favor that provides its receiver with a desire and power to do God’s will.

So many times our young people lack desire to serve God, or they sense a frustrating inability to accomplish His purpose for their lives. They need grace! More than any lesson I can teach or motivational speech I can deliver, my young people need for God’s Holy Spirit to do a work of grace within their hearts.

When is the last time you prayed for God’s grace to rest upon someone you love? How often do you communicate to others your desire for them to be the recipients of God’s richest blessings—not simply temporary physical blessings—like that of grace?

No one has the consistent inner drive or the outward natural resources to maintain a walk with God or please Him day by day. No one. In fact, we are all in need of God’s empowering grace. Only grace is greater than our sins. Only grace can pardon and cleanse within. Grace hath brought me safe thus far, and only grace will lead me home.

Where human effort fails and leaves behind it frustration, grace emerges victorious and produces peace. Peace is the settled inward assurance of God’s control, in spite of what circumstances say otherwise. Grace makes it available. Maybe that’s the reason that the term peace always follows the word grace. She is the byproduct of grace. Read more…

admin Youth Philosophy teens, Youth Philosophy

This past Sunday proved to a monumental day in the life of Harvest Baptist Church. To God be the glory, 1,269 people attended the morning service and dozens trusted Christ as Savior. The news media were there as well, and I’d love for you to read the article listed at the end of this post.

This past year has been a whirlwind of activity. And this past Sunday seemed to provide a microcosm of that whirlwind. Our beautifully new paved parking lot couldn’t handle the overflow crowd, nor could the new auditorium! The overflow crowd just kept pouring in… What a sight! I was told that the traffic was backed up on the highway at our exit. PTL.

Ironically the PA Department of Transportation decided that this would be the week they would shut down the northbound exit of the highway by which 75% of our people access our church. Scrambling to set up detour signs (and even posting church members at certain intersections!), we found a way to direct folks to 224 Harvest Lane for the service.

The music was phenomenal and I hope to upload some of it to the site in the next couple of days. When the festivities were complete, I preached a simple and straightforward message with this title: “What will you do with Jesus?”

Using Acts chapter 4 as my text I demonstrated that everyone must ultimately do something with the Lord Jesus. Just as I dealt with the boxes that cluttered my office after our recent move, we must decide what we will do with Jesus Christ in our lives. For a time I ignored those boxes. Later I set some of them aside. Others I simply threw out. Ultimately, however, I had to deal with them. Some ignore Christ. Some set Him aside to be considered later. Some cast Him aside. Ultimately we must deal with Him and His claims.

On Sunday morning I encouraged the people to “look in the box.” Thankfully they did. And for many who had never heard—or at least had never understood—they will be forever grateful for the contents of that box! (I.e., salvation provided solely through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.)

www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/s_644210.html

admin Sunday Review grand opening, new building, Sunday Review

I have to admit that the first day of school was never an overly anticipated event on my calendar! But today is different… After several years of planning and almost 9 months of construction, we are finally occupying our new school building this morning. I readily concur with the exclamation of the writer of Proverbs:  ”The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul!”

What a sweet morning it has been as parents and grandparents have taken pictures, as children have excitedly located their desks, as teachers have carefully introduced classes, etc. I thoroughly enjoy the day to day ebb and flow of ministry life. Christian education provides a wonderful avenue by which the local church can extend its influence daily into the hearts and lives of its young people. Never have I been more keenly aware of this fact than this morning.

When it comes to food, I’m pretty utilitarian. That is, when I’m hungry I don’t need a fancy plate or exquisite cuisine–a couple of toasted peanut butter sandwiches will do just fine. Amen! But every now and then it certainly is nice to eat a fancy meal and savor each and every bite. Today is a day to savor! Thank you, Teachers, for all of your hard work. Thank you, Secretaries, for the incredible hours you have put in. Thank you, volunteers, for stepping up to the plate. Thank you, Lord, for making it all possible!

admin random personal