I have been involved in ministry for over twenty years and I can tell you with complete assurance that I am so glad that I surrendered my life to full time Christian service back when I was a teenager.  God has been faithful and I am so excited about all that He has done in my life.  And I must say:  I could never, not even on my best day, deserve His goodness!  But what I am really excited about today, is not what God has done, but what God is going to do!

I AM THANKFUL OR GOD’S TEACHING!  I have been in an ongoing and growing relationship with the Lord for a pretty long time and God has taught me some amazing things.  Over the past few months, God has been reteaching and reminding me of some things.  I am so thankful that God gives me eyes to see what He is up to, ears to hear His sweet and gentle voice and a mouth that can talk about what an awesome God He is!  And I am thankful that God has blessed me with some of the sweetest, most encouraging and most loving people that a pastor could ever want to lead.  I am thankful that God has brought us together to join Him in His Kingdom work and I have so enjoyed our learning together over the past few months!

I AM COMPELLED BY GOD’S LOVE!  When I really know His love, then I can’t help but to share His love!  It is not something that I have to make myself do.  It is just something that happens naturally as I live out my relationship with Him.  When I get a grasp on the love of God and allow the love of God to get a grasp on me – it is absolutely amazing what can happen.  Because of His great love that I get to experience everyday – I make the choice to live for God according to His ways that He has laid out for me in His Word!  His love drives and motivates me to love others for His glory!

I AM MOTIVATED BY TIME!  The day is coming and will come like a thief – when our Lord and Savior shall return.  The stuff that we think matters will all be destroyed – the earth will be laid bare!  When Jesus comes, I want to be ready.  Since I don’t know when He is coming back, if I am going to be ready, then I must live a holy and Godly life everyday as I wait for eternity and desire God’s return!  There is much Kingdom work to do and less time today that we had yesterday – so let’s get busy for God’s glory!  There are men, women, boys and girls that have been abandoned by the modern day church – we have a calling and a challenge to share the Jesus that means so much to us with everyone – everywhere!

I AM DRIVEN BY A PURPOSE GREATER THAN MYSELF!  Jesus is the light of my life and He says that I am to shine as a bright light in a dark world!  The calling that God has placed upon every BELIEVER’S life is more important that anything that our earthly minds can dream up or imagine!  My relationship with Jesus gives me everything and I need and more to accomplish the Kingdom work that God has called me to.  The relationship that you have with Jesus has given you everything you need and more also.  Let’s work together to grow God’s Kingdom for God’s glory by reaching out to those that have been neglected, abandoned and forgotton!  I am so looking forward to what God is going to do!

I made a video to post on the blog, but before I could post it – I had to upload it.  Uploading was not a problem, but getting the upload to complete was.  I tried this over and over yesterday and then I came in this morning and it just clicked!  Lesson:  Never give up, keep trying, every time you fail – you have just learned one more way that won’t work and you are a step closer to what will work!  Hope you enjoy the video!

This morning on the way into the office I was listening to the radio and “The Voice Of Truth” by Casting Crowns was playing and it was just a really good reminder to me that what we really believe – really matters!  Do you really believe that God loves you?  Do you really believe that God has a plan for your life?  Do you really believe that God’s plan is the most awesome and amazing plan that there could be?  If we really believe all of this, then it should change the way that we live our lives!

I think that most of us want to believe it, but then we start to hear and even listen to the competing voices.  I know what I want to believe and I know that what I want to believe is the right thing, so I am making the choice to ignore the competing voices and listen to the only voice that really matters!  The song puts it this way:  “But the voice of truth tells me a different story, the voice of truth says “do not be afraid!”  And the voice of truth says “this is for my glory!”  Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth!”

In the Bible our Savior Jesus declares:  “I am the way, the truth and the life!”  Do you really believe it?