Thriving or Just Getting By?

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42

In Romania, after communism fell, we in the west became aware of the many orphans there who were basically warehoused in huge orphanages. They were vastly understaffed. So the babies, while they had most of their physical needs looked after – food, shelter and some hygiene, were very seldom picked up and snuggled or played with. Many of them had what doctors aptly call “failure to thrive syndrome.” They may have been many months or sometimes even years old, but they still looked and acted like newborns. What they did not have is family. Or even a sort of surrogate family who would encourage growth. Many people in North America saw these helpless children on the news and decided that they would adopt one.

Christians can be the same – we might be born into new life with Jesus, but if we are left on our own, we can have that same “failure to thrive syndrome” in our spiritual lives.

God's cure for "failure to thrive syndrome" is Christian fellowship!

The early Christians could not even conceive of a Christian outside of a Christian community. They knew the vast richness of joining with others!

Is the church necessary? You bet, that's where you will find the largest concentration of Christians to fellowship with. Not in Walmart, not on your boat, not on the deer stand, not in front of the TV or at the movies or parties, etc!

Too many Christians are satisfied with a mediocre Christain experience!

Your call: thrive or just get by!

HOW DRY IS IT IN TEXAS?

It's so dry in Texas that the Baptists are starting to baptize by sprinkling,

the Methodists are using wet-wipes,

the Presbyterians are giving out rain-checks,

and the Catholics are praying for the wine to turn back into water.

Now that's dry!

From Nan, with love!

While in Pensacola last week, I had the great opportunity to celebrate my birthday (May 10th) with a great friend, Nan Weaver. She wrote the following poem for me:

Today May 10th is my B-Day and David Kerr’s
He was born a he and not a her
I know that Debbie is glad of that
For he is her cool cat.

Today is young, but he is not
I used to be in the same spot
I’m not wearing depends
But it is right around the bend
So beware my friend.

As we celebrate this day together
I trust we will be friends forever
May your day be great
So continue to celebrate!

Thank you Nan, you are an amazing woman!
---

Nan's book, 'Little Arms, Big Heart,' is an amazing read of how she overcame life's setbacks!

"Little Arms, Big Heart" presents the amazing life story of Nan Weaver who overcame a disability from birth and lived life to its fullest. The book is packed with inspiring stories from her life, her husband's life, and the lives of her children and grandchildren. As a strong believer she offers words of encouragement and hope to those who face difficulties throughout their lives. She writes with emotion and passion to motivate others to reach beyond their limitations and be an overcomer."

Get it from her website: http://littlearmsbigheart.com/ Or click here to get it from Amazon. I have it on my iPad2 (Kindle app)!

Destiny Rambo McGuire: Old Lady Grace

Destiny sang this a couple of times last week at Jeff Ferguson's WOW Conference hosted by the Vine Fellowship.

This is an awesome song on God's Wonderful and Amazing Grace!

Showcased at the Nashville Dinner Theater April 11, 2011

Can't see video, click here.

Hail or Hell ???

Living in Texas I believe in Hail? Why? I have experienced it firsthand! I have held softball size hail in my hand (yes, I was foolish and ran outside to pick one up as others fell around me leaving divots in the ground!). I have had to replace my roof twice as well as our church's roof. I am a believer!

I am also a believer in another kind of hell! I have not experienced it and really don't plan to! I do believe those who have described it, personal accounts from the Bible of those there and what they are experiencing, and how those there don't want any of their loved ones to follow them there. (Lk 16:19-31, notice red letter words!) Hell was designed for the Satan and those that want to follow him there! Their choice!

Much has been discussed recently about Hell with the publishing of Rob Bell's bold book 'Love Wins.' The discussion has been on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, videos, Fox News, Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and now the cover of Time Magazine. I could add my 2 cents worth, but choose not to as there are those that have done a most adequate job. Check this link for a good overview and thoughts,....

I do believe the Bible, Jesus' frequent discussion of hell, the Revelation account of the end of all things, so just so you know, I believe in a literal Hell! I believe in personal salvation through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. To accept His atoning sacrifice gives one heaven and to refuse it gives one hell! That is the impetus for my preaching and going into all the world to share this glorious gospel!

I am not moved by other's arguments or opinions! We as Pastors are to be good communicators and what we say people should be able to understand it, not cause confusion by it. Maybe sometimes our sound speech is not clear! Titus 2:1, 7-8.

Here is a cute story that my friend Carrie Sims Burnett recounts regarding her son Cade:

When the Arlington sirens went off yesterday we drove to an undercover place for car shelter and Cade was terrified! Later to find out this morning as to why he kept saying he hated "the devil." He thought Hell was coming instead of Hail!! He thought the devil was coming! poor baby! LOL..

Don't be caught misunderstanding the difference between Hail and Hell!

Body as a Temple!

Can you relate?

Sunday's Here!!!

Can't see video? click here

Jeremy’s Empty Easter Egg

Jeremy was born with a twisted body, a slow mind and a chronic, terminal illness that had been slowly killing him all his young life. Still, his parents had tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to St. Theresa's elementary school. At the age of 12, Jeremy was only in second grade, seemingly unable to learn.
His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy irritated his teacher.

One day, she called his parents and asked them to come to St. Teresa's for a consultation. As the Foresters sat quietly in the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five-year gap between his age and that of the other students!" Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here."

Doris sat for a long time after they left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Foresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read or write. Why spend any more time trying? As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. "Oh God," she said aloud, "here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared with that poor family! Please help me to be more patient with Jeremy." From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy 's noises and his blank stares.

Then one day he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him. "I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed, loudly enough for the whole class to hear. The other children snickered, and Doris's face turned red. She stammered, "wh-why, that's very nice, Jeremy. Now please take your seat."

Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Miss Miller!" The children responded enthusiastically - all except for Jeremy. He just listened intently; his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them.

That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy 's parents.

The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground we know that spring is here. "A small girl in the first row waved her arms. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and turns into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that is new life, too" little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine."

Next Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that the moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom. "My daddy helped me!" He beamed. Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty! Surely it must be Jeremy 's, she thought, and, of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another.

Suddenly Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered, Doris replied, "but Jeremy - your egg is empty!" He looked into her eyes and said softly, "yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty too!" Time stopped. When she could speak again. Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh yes!" Jeremy exclaimed. "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then his Father raised him up!" The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the school yard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.

Three months later Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket, ...................all of them empty.

Jesus is alive for evermore! Happy Resurrection Sunday to all my friends!

I Really Love MY Job!

I will never complain about my job again even though I can't wear flip-flops to work! How about you?

Can't see video? click here!

Old Age Speak!

Old age has it's own language I am finding out! Consider the following:

ATD -at the doctors.

BFF -best friend fell.

BTW -bring the wheelchair.

BYOT -bring your own teeth.

FWIW -forgot where I was.

GHA -got heartburn again.

IMHO -is my hearing aid on.

LMDO -laughing my dentures out.

OMMR -on my massage recliner.

OMSG -oh my! sorry, gas.

ROFLACGU -rolling on floor laughing and can't get up.

TTYL -talk to you louder.

Can you add any? Please do....

The Bible is Our Headlights

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Ps 119:105 NIV

The word of God is very important in the life of a Christian. The verse above speaks volumes as to the purposes of the Bible for our daily lives. I like the Message Bible’s rendering of this verse:

By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. Ps 119:105

​Several years ago, I was travelling home at night along Kelly Elliott. I began to notice that the headlights of my car seemed to be growing dim. I went a little further, and they went out all together and my car came to a stop. There I was on Kelly Elliott without power sitting in the dark without my car headlights. It was at that point that I realized how very important headlights are on a car. I could not see the road ahead of me. The road had become completely dark. Fortunately I could not move forward because to do so would have imperiled Debi and me and the couple riding with us.

​That is what this scripture is all about. If we are to navigate the paths and roadways of life we need the word of God to illumine the way. If not, we imperil ourselves and those following us.

​The Bible helps us navigate the challenges of life and assures us we will survive!

Step In and Help!

Rescue the perishing; don't hesitate to step in and help. Prov 24:11 TMB

What a great and dynamic Missions Conference we had last week! We do this on an annual basis. It is a highlight of our year. I don’t have these conferences for myself nor for the church's benefit; it is for our missionaries and those that are without Jesus! We are doing what we can to step in and help! A church having a mission’s conference shows missionaries that someone is behind them. It is a time to ‘renew our concern’ for them for yet another year. (Phil 4:10). It also shows our consistent effort to make this gospel of Jesus known in the entire world.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? Rom 10:14-15 NIV

That is why we do outreach globally as well as locally. We doing an Adopt-A-Block outreach for the month of April. Why? To show forth the love of Christ in a practical and tangible way that will affect lives.

Is it working?

Just this week we had a man and his son stop by the church. He had a box full of groceries that he wanted to donate to our food pantry. He said that he and his family had gone through a rough time last year and needed to rely upon the kindness of our church in our outreaches and food pantry.  They wouldn’t have had food without us! He now is on food stamps as he is looking for a job and they had more groceries than they needed. So, he brought them here to help us and others!

Man, that ought to make your heart rejoice and your mouth shout ‘Praise God!’

Pastor, make sure you keep your church Missions and outreach minded! That is our Great Co-mission!

Rescue The Perishing!

Today begins our World Missions Conference. It is an exciting time and in keeping with why we are here as a church and fulfills our vision as I mentioned last week (listen to sermon 'Why We Do Missions' here). Some weeks ago Pastor Rob shared his take on world missions here at the Vine:

The question has been asked, "If your church closed its doors and disappeared today, who would notice?" I believe the 14 missionaries along the back wall of our church represent hundreds of people who would notice if Vine Fellowship closed its doors today. The vision of Vine Fellowship is to connect people to God, other Christians and the world. Through these missionaries we preach the love of Jesus, help feed hungry children, send students to school, teach people how to grow their own food, raise up and train indigenous pastors, plant churches, and train more missionaries to go out and do the same.


I hope that world missions is a part of who are as a member of The Vine Fellowship. You play a vital role.  Not only do we Faith Promise financial support for our missionaries during our conference, but we also hear from our missionaries and allow God to speak to us about the role he wants us to play in these ministries. Another big role we fill is loving and supporting our missionaries. Your attendance at our gatherings shows our missionaries the heart of Vine Fellowship says to them, "Keep doing what you are doing. You are important to us and we will partner with you in this work." That is a great word from Pastor Rob!

Today, join with me in welcoming our missionaries. We say to them all this morning, 'We love you and we are very proud of you!’

My Favorite Animal...

My Favorite  Animal
 
Our teacher asked us what our favorite animal  was, and I said, "Fried chicken."  She said I wasn't funny, but she couldn't have been right, because everyone else in the class laughed.
 
My parents told me to always be truthful and honest, and I am.  Fried chicken is my favorite animal.  I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher was probably a member of  PETA.  He said they love animals very much.  I do, too.  Especially chicken, pork and beef.
 
Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal's office.  I told him what happened, and he laughed, too.  Then he told me not to do it  again.
 
The next day in class my teacher asked me what my favorite live animal was.  I told her it was chicken.  She asked me why, just like she'd asked the other children.  So I told her it was because you could make them into fried chicken.  She sent me back to the principal's office again.  He laughed, and told me not to do it again.  I don't  understand.  My parents taught me to be honest, but my teacher doesn't like it when I am.
 
Today, my teacher asked us to tell her what famous person we admire most.  I told her, "Colonel Sanders."  Guess where I am now . . . .

Neither Do I Condemn You...

Jesus said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go. From now on sin no more'" (Jn 8:3-11)

Over the years as a Pastor I have experienced verbal condemnatory attacks by God’s ‘policemen.’ The attacks have come in many forms. They have been for the most part untrue, except where I have done big pieces of stupid which I had to humbly admit!

However, I have been where this woman was with my accusers ready to stone me. Good news, my character and integrity (and life) have withstood these attacks.

I have found that there are two kinds of people in the world:
1. Those who condemn you.
2. Those who don’t.

Those who do are the most unqualified to condemn you! I prefer to stay away from modern day Pharisees who love few things more than exposing your sin and lifting themselves up by putting you down, and I suggest that you do too!

Instead, look for friends who, too, have been lifted by God's grace and know how to extend it to others.

There is one that is better able to help in times of guilt, disappointment and condemnation! That is Jesus! He is the One most qualified to condemn you, and yet He won't! So it is imperative that we stay close to Him. By doing that you'll discover that you can recover more quickly. Your scars are not permanent. Jesus will meet you in your dark places and heal the wounds of your past because His grace is greater than your shame. There's no limit to the depth of shame He can see us through because there's no limit to the grace He can supply.

His grace super-abounds!

Value of Bran Muffins????

The couple were 85 years old, and had been married for sixty years. Though they were far from rich, they managed to get by because they watched their pennies.

Though not young, they were both in very good health, largely due to the wife's insistence on healthy foods and exercise for the last decade.

One day, their good health didn't help when they went on a rare vacation and their plane crashed, sending them off to Heaven.

They reached the pearly gates, and St. Peter escorted them inside. He took them to a beautiful mansion, furnished in gold and fine silks, with a fully stocked kitchen and a waterfall in the master bath. A maid could be seen hanging their favorite clothes in the closet.

They gasped in astonishment when he said, "Welcome to Heaven. This will be your home now."

The old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost. "Why, nothing," Peter replied, "remember, this is your reward in Heaven."

The old man looked out the window and right there he saw a championship golf course, finer and more beautiful than any ever built on Earth.

"What are the greens fees?", grumbled the old man. "This is heaven," St. Peter replied. "You can play for free, every day."

Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch, with every imaginable cuisine laid out before them, from seafood to steaks to exotic deserts, free flowing beverages. "Don't even ask," said St. Peter to the man. "This is Heaven, it is all free for you to enjoy."

The old man looked around and glanced nervously at his wife. "Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol foods, and the decaffeinated tea?" he asked.

"That's the best part," St. Peter replied. "You can eat and drink as much as you like of whatever you like, and you will never get fat or sick. This is Heaven!"

The old man pushed, "No gym to work out at?" "Not unless you want to," was the answer.

"No testing my sugar or blood pressure or..." "Never again. All you do here is enjoy yourself."

The old man glared at his wife and said, "You and your bran muffins. We could have been here ten years ago!"

Laugh and Dance!

Keep on laughing and dancing!

Can't see image, go here. Look for March 17, 2011 post.

You Shall Not Want

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

To the lost sheep, He is the seeking Shepherd;
To the needy sheep, He is the providing Shepherd;
To the hurting sheep, He is the comforting Shepherd;
To the bruised sheep, He is the healing Shepherd;
To the anxious sheep, He is the peaceful Shepherd;
To the wandering sheep, He is the guiding Shepherd;
To the fearful sheep, He is the protecting Shepherd;
To the lame sheep, He is the carrying Shepherd;
To the discontented sheep, He is the fulfilling Shepherd;
To the parched sheep, He is the anointing Shepherd;
To the timid sheep, He is the reassuring Shepherd;
To the fallen sheep, He is the merciful Shepherd;
To the nervous sheep, He is the quieting Shepherd;
To the heavy laden sheep, He is the restful Shepherd;
To the lonely sheep, He is the ever-present Shepherd;
To the weary sheep, He is the restoring Shepherd;
To all His sheep, He is the Good Shepherd.

by Roy Lessin, his blog is here.

Communicating Vision to Your Church

Last week I took the entire service to share on vision for The Vine Fellowship and our finances from 2010. I did it with guests in the house! I have to admit it is a struggle for me not to 'preach the gospel' but I feel this is an equally important task in the life of our church. For 20 years I have done a 'State of the Church Address' that incorporates vision and finances. We are a church that is open about our finances, how we use the people's (God's) money, and give a public accounting of it. We have nothing to hide. We belong to the Kingdom of Light not darkness! We are open and honest about finances. In fact, we are open about any communication here at The Vine given by email or verbally; you say it you own up to it!

Here is what I recently wrote for our Sunday bulletin:

---
Dear Saints,
Thank you for your support and encouragement with last week’s service on The Vine Fellowship vision and finances. I know some of you may have had guests here and it may not been what you wanted them to experience and I fully understand. It is equally rough for me to take a full Sunday morning service to do it. But it does serve important purposes:

1. It helps everyone to know that we are open and transparent about our finances in this church. I am accountable for how I lead this great church and maintaining my character as you are for your life and character.

2. It helps to keep reminding ourselves of our vision. We need to know why we are here and do what we do so that we all know where we are headed. A vision communicated to people is a refreshing and invigorating experience.

3. A personal best friend of mine, Danny Tice, ministered at the LF NE conference on vision. He said the following: “When we get to a place where we have no vision our term of leadership has expired.” “What does this statement really mean? It means that the primary qualification for a leader of a church is that they have vision for the church they lead. If they don’t, they should either get a vision or they should resign. The vision issue settles the question when a leader should retire? The older leader can still lead if his eyes are not dim and he has vision. Better an old guy with vision than a young guy with no vision.”

Saints, I may be “the old guy” but I still have vision for this church!
I love you,
---

It amazes me that without exception, I generally hear from a guest or two about how they enjoyed the service. They especially like the fact that we discuss openly finances and such. Many say that their church would never do that and that if you asked about finances you are excoriated! Let me just say, that is wrong!

BTW, you can view Danny Tice's excellent article here.

Ten Commandments for a Mother-In-Law

Ten Commandments for a Mother-In-Law

Thou shalt love, honor and respect the new couple.

Thou shalt allow them complete independence.

Thou shalt speak only kindly and loyally about them.

Thou shalt not find fault.

Thou shalt not visit them too frequently, and never enter their home without knocking.

Thou shalt not expect them to visit you too often.

Thou shalt not give advice unless requested.

Thou shalt not mention how much you look forward to grandchildren. [Ooooops, ;>)]

Thou shalt respect their taste in home decorating, though its differs from your own.

Thou shalt petition daily the Heavenly Father, in  whose love they abide, for their happiness.

by Iola M. Irwin