What do you hear?

(My Boys and I)


Have you ever noticed that all of us hear things differently. We can hear the same thing, said by the same person even at the same time and still we walk away hearing something a little different. I guess what I'm getting at is this, I want to hear what God wants me to hear. I think sometimes that when we hear things our opinion enters into the equation and we hear what we want to hear rather than what we need to hear and what God wants us to hear. "God, help me to listen deeply for Your message in what I hear and work at putting my own opinion aside in order to hear YOU. "

I'm sitting backstage listening to Pastor Ricks message this morning and I'm realizing there's a whole lot of things I need to work on. Pastor is speaking out of James, my favorite book in the bible. Wow, I've heard this so many times and yet, it sounds different again. I guess that's how God works.

Pd.

Day one done.

Great day! Day one of our remodel service settings for Capital Christian Center is over. Beginning last night at 6pm then today at 8am, 9:30am, 11:00am and then 12:30pm. I'm totally excited about everyone that showed up. What a crowd. overflow was packed, and all the services looked great!

I believe change is huge in our culture today. Pastor Rick talked about living in a lazyboy culture and he's totally right. We are comfortable and because of it often times we never really push ourselves to become what God has for us. Even in church culture, we are comfortable, the change we are going through right now is amazing and actually making us so much stronger. This change is stretching us and causing people to experience church and God from a different angle. New perspective sometimes bring about new thinking which allows us to GROW. Yep, that's what God wants, he wants us to GROW. Never be the same.

Big Question

How should we deal with homosexuals in the church? How do you think Jesus would have us deal with them? Any different then someone else who isn't a christian? These questions are provoked because of some individuals who have decided to parade there message about homosexuality infront of our church. I spent some time talking with one of there young men and now I'm interested in what you have to say.

Pd

40 Days of Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I didn't really think that something so simple could become so profound. God is literally challenging all Christians at CCC and around the world to quit just attending and start doing. Individuals who begin to do and not just sit will experience a whole new vitality in there relationship with God.

I'm in. Yes I'm a pastor I'm in ministry full time but it's a new day calling for new thoughts, new insights, and new action plans.

I hope your in to.

Pd

I'm Sorry?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I believe these are the two most important words in a relationship. No matter a marriage a friendship or whatever. I'm sorry is also the phrase that is most difficult to say. Does it seem that often times that are difficult to do are also things that benefit us most. Nothing good comes easy. I think that's true except in one area. Forgiveness. God does this for free, all we have to do is simply say I'm sorry, forgive me, and it's done. Wow, if we could live that way wouldn't it be awesome.

Lord, we're sorry for not being sorry. We'll definitely work on it.

pd

Colossians 4:5

Kiah's Tball game. Thought you might like this picture.


This is a profound passage of scripture, as well as our memory verse for this week of the 40 days of community.

"Be wise in the way you act with people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity." Col. 4:5

This is something God is really speaking to me about. Making the most of every single opportunity, every person that needs my help, taking time to think an help them come up with a great, God solution.

God bless, let's all make the most of every opportunity God puts in our way.

Pd

What matters most?

Thanks for hanging out at my blog. This is the message I presented Wednesday 4-11-07. I've asked anyone who listens to give me some feedback on how they are deciding to improve in the areas of loving others.

Here's my notes. Now I'd like to here your story of how you are loving others.

Thanks

Pd



Love.

What Matter’s Most?

Doug and Conor - 4/11/07

Intro: Story about unconditional Love.
(Missy play song – What’s love got to do with it? Tina Turner)



I. Why Love? Because He first Loved us. I John 4:7-11
a. Often a failure to love others comes from a lack of focus on God’s love for us.
b. Gen. 2:18 It is not good for man to be alone…We are created for love. Ted Cozinsky – Cal Berkeley

1 John 3:16-19 (MsgB)
This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. [17] If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.
[18] My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. [19] This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality.

We choose Love. We choose Love. Sometimes we don’t realize it but we do choose love. It doesn’t come natural.

Love is an act of our Will.

I John 4:11. Since God first loved us, we should love others.




II. How Love? Sacrificial - Cost you something. Time/ patience.
i. John 13:34-35-All Rabbi’s had disciples, Jesus’ would be set apart because they would love one another, and promote one another before themselves.
ii. John 13:4-14 (MsgB)
So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. [5] Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. [6] When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?"
[7] Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later."
[8] Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet—ever!"
Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing."
[9] "Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!"
[10] Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you're clean. But not every one of you." [11] (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") [12] After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.
Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? [13] You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. [14] So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet.




III. Results of Love. What happens when we love like Christ? I Peter 1:22-23
a. Lift Weights - Strengthened/removal of corruption and corruptibility. Purity Proverbs 30:5
b. People are drawn to us like a magnet, crowds following Jesus because the message he preached was that of love not of condemnation. -Matthew 16:14-16(people were drawn to Jesus not because he was the Christ, they didn’t know he was, they were drawn to him because he preached a gospel of love.)
1. Removal of lust, gossip, dirty talk, self interest, greed…
2. Our tongue has better uses, thanksgiving to God, and encouraging one another.

IV. Sincere Love: Altar: Love must be sincere.
a. Romans 12:9-10 (MsgB)
Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. [10] Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Many of us struggle more on what we get out of a relationship rather than what we give to the relationship.

• God’s love FOR us gives us the reason to love others.
• God’s love IN us gives us the ability to love others.
• God’s love THROUGH us gives us the way to love others.

We know that we have really experienced God’s love when we can begin to love others genuinely.

Sincere.





Handout that says I’m committed to a life of Love.








What Matters Most? Love . . . .
I’m committed to loving people in these ways:
At home:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At school:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At Church: (Oxygen/forward Motion)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Pastor Doug’s feedback blog is at oxygen.cc/doug.html


What Matters Most? Love . . . .
I’m committed to loving people in these ways:
At home:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At school:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At Church: (Oxygen/forward Motion)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Pastor Doug’s feedback blog is at oxygen.cc/doug.html