“What are you thinking just now? What is happening inside your heart? Every human being needs a cause in life, a passion. If you don’t have something in your life that can make your heart pound, that cam move you either to tears of joy or tears of sorrow in about 30 seconds, then, my friend, you are not fully alive. Life is too precious to go in such a half awake condition. You can do better. You deserve better.”
Dr. Wes Stafford in his book:
“Too small to ignore”
I read that again this week and have been reminded of the importance of identifying our passions. If I am not careful, I become passionate about things that are not really important. The Bible tells us to "Redeem the time". As I went into the grocery store yesterday I noticed the door is covered by obituary notices. Life is too precious to not be involved in the cause and passionate about things beyond myself. If you see me today, remind me that "it's not about me". We are all in this together. Think about your "Globality" today.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
SPAW
It's the 3rd Wednesday of the month. We call it "SPAWday"
Service of Praise and worship is one of our favorite monthly events at church. The lineup for tonight looks to be "The Best Ever" with powerful testimonies and great music.
See you there.
Service of Praise and worship is one of our favorite monthly events at church. The lineup for tonight looks to be "The Best Ever" with powerful testimonies and great music.
See you there.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Lesser Hymns
Sometimes the condensed version gets straight to the point and makes a great beginning, ending or transition. In the world of hymns, there are some great Short hymns of praise to God. Doxology ( Greek- Doxa-Logos- Glory Word of speaking) that seem to sum it all up. Lately, I have fouind myself enjoying these through the course of the day.
The Gloria Patri:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, Now and ever shall be, World without end, Amen
The Common Doxology:
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Or how about this one for the meal prayer:
Be present at our table, Lord
Be here and everywhere adored
These mercies bless and grant that we
May feast in fellowship with Thee.
I suggest we let these permeate our day and let God use them to keep us focused on who God really is.
The Gloria Patri:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, Now and ever shall be, World without end, Amen
The Common Doxology:
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Or how about this one for the meal prayer:
Be present at our table, Lord
Be here and everywhere adored
These mercies bless and grant that we
May feast in fellowship with Thee.
I suggest we let these permeate our day and let God use them to keep us focused on who God really is.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Use the tools
Sermon notes:
"Commitment to use the tools"
Nov. 15, 2009
Pastor Al Hazelton
Harlan First Assembly of God
1 Corinthians 14:1 “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.”
Words of Knowledge, Wisdom, Prophesy, Healing, Helps, are all God given tools.
1 Cor. 12:1 “ Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware ( ignorant)”
We live is a time of fake satisfaction and plenty that masks the real needs.
I do not want to stand before God one day and have Him say, “I had many things to tell you, and to give you which you never sought me about.”
There are things that God has for us that we need to seek Him for. It would be better to seek and not get than to not seek and find out it was available.
The reason for the spiritual gift that we are to earnestly desire is for the body of Christ. We serve a God who Can and wants to communicate
John 7:37-38 We need to allow room for certain things for this kind of activity to happen:
1. Time
2. Preparation
3. Shared experience- Take someone with you- Great commission
God’s strong arm reaches down and you can put it to the test : .
1. When you are weighted down by sin
2. When you are overpowered by temptation.
3. When you are oppressed by Christian duty.
4. When we have overlooked it. He may have come in the back door when we expected Him at the front door.
God may have a purposeful delay. Don’t let your impatience accuse God of negligence. He may be keeping you out of view of the battleships of Satan. God has perfect timing. We cannot "Stampede" God into doing things.
We may not be trusting God completely. Pride may be in the way. Press thru to God Himself.
Remember the tender mercies of God.
You can listen to the audio podcast on "itunes" when it is posted this week.
"harlanfirstaog"
"Commitment to use the tools"
Nov. 15, 2009
Pastor Al Hazelton
Harlan First Assembly of God
1 Corinthians 14:1 “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.”
Words of Knowledge, Wisdom, Prophesy, Healing, Helps, are all God given tools.
1 Cor. 12:1 “ Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware ( ignorant)”
We live is a time of fake satisfaction and plenty that masks the real needs.
I do not want to stand before God one day and have Him say, “I had many things to tell you, and to give you which you never sought me about.”
There are things that God has for us that we need to seek Him for. It would be better to seek and not get than to not seek and find out it was available.
The reason for the spiritual gift that we are to earnestly desire is for the body of Christ. We serve a God who Can and wants to communicate
John 7:37-38 We need to allow room for certain things for this kind of activity to happen:
1. Time
2. Preparation
3. Shared experience- Take someone with you- Great commission
God’s strong arm reaches down and you can put it to the test : .
1. When you are weighted down by sin
2. When you are overpowered by temptation.
3. When you are oppressed by Christian duty.
4. When we have overlooked it. He may have come in the back door when we expected Him at the front door.
God may have a purposeful delay. Don’t let your impatience accuse God of negligence. He may be keeping you out of view of the battleships of Satan. God has perfect timing. We cannot "Stampede" God into doing things.
We may not be trusting God completely. Pride may be in the way. Press thru to God Himself.
Remember the tender mercies of God.
You can listen to the audio podcast on "itunes" when it is posted this week.
"harlanfirstaog"
Friday, November 13, 2009
Good advice
I was reading this morning from the book of Exodus chapter 18. Jethro is meeting with his son in law, Moses and giving him some great advice. I find that listening when people are giving good advice is beneficial. There are some great lessons for us in the advice that was given to Moses. See if you can find them.
Exodus 18:13-23 " The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws." Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people-- men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain-- and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."
Lessons:
When I try to lead everything, we can all get exasperated.
I cannot handle the load alone. There are things that others are assigned to do and I get in the way if I try to do it.
I need put more effort into helping prepare people for works of service.
Ephesians 4:11-13 t was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Exodus 18:13-23 " The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws." Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people-- men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain-- and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."
Lessons:
When I try to lead everything, we can all get exasperated.
I cannot handle the load alone. There are things that others are assigned to do and I get in the way if I try to do it.
I need put more effort into helping prepare people for works of service.
Ephesians 4:11-13 t was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Words are important
I was reading from the Book of James this morning and was reminded that I am to be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath today. Someone once said that there is a reason that we have two ears and only one mouth. God also designed us such that our tongue is situated behind two barriers: our lips and our teeth. A pastor friend this past weekend used the illustration of trying to put toothpaste back in the tube is easier than taking back words that have been spoken. I have met some people that speak very little but when they do, it is worth listening to. I have met others who speak all the time and say very little worth listening to. I can choose to build up or tear down with my words. My prayer today is that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my hear will be acceptable in God's sight.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Distribution and Transport
I was doing some reading recently about distribution channels. The new ways of getting information distributed to those that need it. I came across the following. I am not sure of the source of this but I like the concepts. It is a great time in history to be alive.
“In 1893, a ten thousand dollar Congressional appropriation established RFD or rural free delivery. Up until that point, rural Americans had to ride their horse into town to pick up their mail at the general store. RFD provided mail service to rural residents for the first time.
Two entrepreneurs named Aaron Montgomery Ward and Richard Sears spotted a business opportunity. They saw a new distribution channel for their products. They produced so many catalogs that they were the second most widely read books in the country behind the Bible at the turn of the 20th century. They redeemed a new medium--rural free delivery--and turned it into a distribution channel.
That is what podcasting and webcasting and blogging are all about. Jesus told us to go into all the world, but he didn't specify how. It used to be traditional modes of transportation--ships, horses, and airplanes. But digital technology is a new mode of transportation, a new distribution channel, a new medium. We've got to redeem every technology and use it for God's purposes! The message is sacred, but the medium isn't.
A few distribution channels:
Podcasting is circuit riding at the speed of light.
Blogging is digital discipleship.
Video technology turns screens into postmodern stained glass.
Websites are virtual front doors.
Email is word of mouse.
As new technologies emerge so do new distribution channels for the gospel.
What a time to be alive! Our generation has greater potential to fulfill the Great Commission than all previous generations combined.”
I am sure that my grandparents, who witnessed the advent of the automobile and airplanes had these same feelings of excitement about transporting distribution.
“In 1893, a ten thousand dollar Congressional appropriation established RFD or rural free delivery. Up until that point, rural Americans had to ride their horse into town to pick up their mail at the general store. RFD provided mail service to rural residents for the first time.
Two entrepreneurs named Aaron Montgomery Ward and Richard Sears spotted a business opportunity. They saw a new distribution channel for their products. They produced so many catalogs that they were the second most widely read books in the country behind the Bible at the turn of the 20th century. They redeemed a new medium--rural free delivery--and turned it into a distribution channel.
That is what podcasting and webcasting and blogging are all about. Jesus told us to go into all the world, but he didn't specify how. It used to be traditional modes of transportation--ships, horses, and airplanes. But digital technology is a new mode of transportation, a new distribution channel, a new medium. We've got to redeem every technology and use it for God's purposes! The message is sacred, but the medium isn't.
A few distribution channels:
Podcasting is circuit riding at the speed of light.
Blogging is digital discipleship.
Video technology turns screens into postmodern stained glass.
Websites are virtual front doors.
Email is word of mouse.
As new technologies emerge so do new distribution channels for the gospel.
What a time to be alive! Our generation has greater potential to fulfill the Great Commission than all previous generations combined.”
I am sure that my grandparents, who witnessed the advent of the automobile and airplanes had these same feelings of excitement about transporting distribution.
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