Grace Blogs

I just attended a quarterly business review at work. Teamwork was the main point of the CEO as a means to success.

Teamwork is just as necessary at Grace Fellowship. With 1.5 full time staff members, volunteers serving at GF make things happen. Most of us know how difficult it is to get a group of people organized and moving toward the same goal, say getting your family to church on time on Sunday morning.:-) Imagine the expanded difficulty of coordinating dozens of volunteers.

Fortunately, this is not as difficult as it sounds. Why? We already have the same goal. When it comes to any activity at GF, the fame of God is the goal, …

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Dan mentioned in the extended teaching that we all have 24 hours in a day to do what every it is we need to do. Then he said President Bush has the same amount of time as we do, but does a whole lot more with it.

But does he? Just because the gravity or importance of our daily decision making doesn’t equal the President’s, does that nullify the number of decisions we make every day? I don’t think so.

Now, if someone would like to compare the effectiveness of decision making in a 24 hour period, that might be an interesting discussion. Perhaps that is what Dan meant I and took it wrong.

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Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread,
12and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

I came across this idea the other morning; notice how God is the focus of each stanza, except where we are called to forgive others. Even verse 13 could read, “You lead us not into tempation, but You deliver us from evil” for amplification’s sake.

I must …

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I am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers so less wild
That I would take a little cash
Over your very flesh and blood
-Derek Webb

I heard this lyric today and was devastated. I’ve heard it many times before, but today I understood it. My preoccupation lately has been with money and not God’s provision, not to mention the apathy lack of sleep brings.

I have read where Derek said the most horrible but most freeing moment he could imagine would be to have all his sins read aloud on the 5 o’clock news. Can you imagine if that happened to you? Would it change the way you interact with other believers or friends that don’t follow Christ?

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I had a conversation with John and David about blessing and prosperity the other night. We discussed there is no real promise of a life without suffering, even for the believer.

For a moment, I thought there must be a explanation for the favor I enjoy under the care of our Heavenly Father as a believer. The conversation ended and I didn’t think of it again, until the next morning.

The next morning my daily flip calendar I keep in the bathroom quoted this verse.

Proverbs 21:21(NIV)
He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

This verse reminds me of

Matthew 6:33(NIV)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you

…

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Much thanks to the people of Grace Fellowship for their kindness, support, care, and concern for my family during the process of adding another child to our family. Christ said His disciples would be known by the love they have for one another. We most definitely received it. Thank you all for the outpouring of love!

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I was going through an old Rush songbook I had in the basement Saturday while hanging out with my oldest. I was a huge fan in middle and high school because their music was technically challenging.

Here is the bridge from “Something for Nothing” a song with lyrics written by the drummer Neil Peart:

What you own is your own kingdom
What you do is your own glory
What you love is your own power
What you live is your own story
In your head is the answer
Let it guide you along
Let your heart be the anchor
And the beat of your own song

I had sung them hundreds of times before, but this time I noticed the narcissistic selfish mindset. Being a parent of …

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I was listening to an on-air prayer time driving into Higher Grounds Wednesday morning. Someone had requested prayer for their daughter who was “strung out on drugs”. Normally, I’d pridefully think “not ever my kid”. But this time was different. I immediately got a mental picture of my daughter going through withdrawal. That image hurt. My prayers go out to that family. May God have mercy and deliver her.

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I am in Philly again for the last time for awhile with the baby coming and all. I actually got to bed at a decent hour and woke early enough to get to the hotel fitness center. Wow, you’re thinking - Kevin is exercising something other than his mouth? F)

So noticed something interesting in Exodus 20 today. The last verse reads like this:

26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’

We are going to expand the stage soon so more folks can fit and less changes have to be made during the time of worship. One could perhaps make an argument that our stage is a place where …

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Let’s start with the good news - the issues of the conversions from Thursday were resolved before the depot started Friday’s laptops while keeping all relationships with Corporate IT in good standing.

Here is the bad news. My return flight was delayed 6 hours due to a ground stop for storms in Atlanta. “Ground stop” is getting to be too familiar a term for me in my travels. Let me back up.

I was running late to get to the airport and didn’t eat lunch. For those that know the Philly Airport, the security line was backed up past the moving sidewalks! It was the longest I have every seen. Once I got …

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