I have found that often we shy away from new or difficult things because they appear too complex. One of those things is sharing the gospel with another person. During our men's conference the speaker wanted to answer this question for the men, "What is one thing that men should be, know and experience during his life?" To answer this he reached out to other Christian men in his life. One of the response he shared with us was that every Christian should know the joy of sharing the Gospel with another person.

Here is something that has helped me understand and share the gospel with others. This comes from , "A Summary of the Gospel and How To Enjoy and Share It." from Desiring God.

Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

Here’s a summary of the gospel to help you understand it and enjoy it!
* God created us for his glory - (Isaiah 43:6–7) * Every human should live for God’s glory - (1 Corinthians 10:31). * We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory - (Romans 3:23). * We all deserve eternal punishment - (2 Thessalonians 1:9). * In his great mercy, God sent forth his only Son Jesus Christ to provide for sinners the way of eternal life - (1 Peter 3:18).

Continue to grow family

Sticking with the idea of being completely poured out from my last post. Let's look at what Paul told Timothy in Chapter 4.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. - 2 Timothy 4:6

Paul had lived and was changed for the glory of God in Jesus Christ. That meant doing different things. It meant getting outside of his comfort zone. It meant overcoming shortcomings and enhancing strengths.

I Can't Do That

Have you ever said that before? Are you saying it now? Let me encourage you to stop saying that. Better yet let me just tell you outright to stop saying that. There is very little that you cannot do. The reason that many of us say we cannot do something is because of pride. We have high opinions of ourselves and think we can do all things well. While you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, that doesn't me that you will do all things excellently. Especially in the beginning.

I mentioned in my video Stink First that you will have to be content crawling first. When babies are learning to walk they fall, a lot. With each fall however they are learning to move better. If you want to do something different, to change the way that Paul had to changed, to be poured first you'll have to learn the proper order of things.

1. Decide To Do Something
2. Do it Poorly - (Crawl)
3. Stumble
4. Do it Ok - (Walk)
5. Stumble Again
6. Do it Well - (Run)
7. Trip and play it off
8. Teach Someone Else to Do it - (Mastery)

Course Corrections

It is possible to decide once you get to Step 4 that this thing isn't really for you. That is ok. Not everything needs to progress past that point. However it is important not to quit at the stumbling points. Never let mistakes or failures make you quit.

Praise Report

I have been tired most of this week and it has been a struggle to get things done. In the midst of this God decided to bless me through the kindness of a friend. This care package was delivered to my house today.

Have a Good Weekend!

I would appreciate some prayer today. I have to keep this one short.

The phrase says, when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging. That is not the whole story though. If you stop you will find yourself stuck in the same place. You have to get out of the hole my friends. Don't stay there.
Be poured out like Paul. All The Way Out.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. - 2 Timothy 4:6

Titus 2:7-8 “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”

My former Pastor told me that you are either a warning or and example to the people around. Most of our words forgotten before the conversation ends but our actions can last for generations. Are you both a hearer and a doer of the Word?

Jesus said that if you love me you will keep my commandments.

The question that I have for you today are you a warning or an example?

As you walk through this weekend. See who you can join up with. It will open your eyes and show you how God does things. He doesn't sit back and passively watch. He is an active participant. Read the words from Phillipians Chapter 2:1-7

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Have a great weekend Family.

Some Sundays are easier than others to get into the spirit of worship. The cold of winter contrasted against the warmth of my bed makes mornings like today move slowly. Like honey that has sat too long I have gotten a little crusty. I am hard to pour some mornings. ;)

So to prime the pump, so to speak, I let the word of God apply the right amount of heat to get me going. So when I opened my browser I saw the image in today's graphic. The picture comes from the artist Michael Bolognesi. As I thought about how God set the stars in the skies I was drawn to the Psalms where we see our scripture.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

God has called us back to himself. That is amazing to me. Why? He is self-sustaining, he is all-sufficient, there is no lack in him. And yet... He is mindful of me and you.

As you head to your places of worship this morning know that God is mindful of you. Read Psalm 8 and know your God.

O Lord, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

God created us to be together. That means that we share the victories as well as the defeats. We spend so much time crafting a "beautiful" image online that we forget that what really builds community is a complete picture. The same goes for our health and well being. No one can help us if we keep our struggles to ourselves.

No one believes the facade anyway so you might as well ditch it and start being real.

Push on my friends.

Finding Contentment

Who reading this really loves cold weather? I don't mean chilly. I mean the kind of cold that whips through you and make you rethink your life decisions. We just had a few days like that. Negative temps with the wind chills made us talk about running to warmer climates permanently. The only problems with this is that we had the same thoughts in the opposite direction when we lived in the land of 100 degree summers.

Double Minded

The Bible says that should stay away from the double minded man. He is unstable in all of his ways. The challenge of these verses is that, if we are honest with ourselves, we are all double minded. When we are hot we want to me cold and when we are cold we want to be hot. When we were young we yearned to grow up but a soon as the realities of grown up life hit we longed for the good old days.

Enjoy The Season You Are In

My encouragement for you today is to enjoy whereever you find yourself. This is because, ultimately, your joy is not in any external thing. God has ordained a time and a place for everything. Is God enough where you are right now?

Carlton