The Central Theme

Christ died on the Cross, in our place, as requested by the Father, setting us free from the eternal curse that we brought upon ourselves, as an expression of His love, then overcame death by raising Himself from the grave, conquering Satan and sin, proving His deity and holiness so that we might believe. This must remain central in our hearts and cannot be forsaken or replaced with any other notion. Minimizing this truth is to mock the central theme of the gospel.

Back from Mission

I have been back from Mission, TX for a few days now and decided to make the time for a little update on our ventures. We were very blessed as a church to partake in the gospel in such a powerful way. Our church led numerous projects which provided platforms for us to share the gospel. These projects included women's spa days, pouring concrete, painting houses and churches, soccer clinics, vacation Bible schools, literacy drives, and block parties. I was privileged to join the construction crew and we were assigned the task of building bathhouses for two families. The families needing the bathrooms were otherwise bathing outside under a water house. One family had 3 kids and the other had 4. Needless to say they were in quite a desperate situation. The trip gave me the opportunity to reflect on the many blessings I have been given. One of the big questions I had ask myself was whether or not I would devote myself to God given the same circumstance. Do I serve Him because He has blessed me or do I serve because of who He is? I must be careful not to serve out of the abundance of blessing, for there in lies the trap and lie of prosperity gospel. What if the blessings stop coming from God? Does my loyalty to Him then cease as well? No. It must not. Then I only love God for His gifts and not His love. We all need to make sure that we are serving for the right reasons. How bitter would you be if you couldn't even afford a bathroom for your wife and 4 kids?

Mission 2 Mission

I will be leaving with about 50 other people from our church bright and early in the morning headed for a town in south Texas called Mission. Ironically enough, we are calling this a mission trip. Mission to Mission. Yep, ironic. Last year's trip proved to be fruitful and eye-opening as I trust this year's experience will be much the same. It is a great privilege to be able to serve in this capacity and I am filled with mixed emotions. God will do great things through this little trip and I am thankful that He has made this possible. Be in prayer for the recipients of the gospel for they are a huge part of our motivation. Also, pray for our hearts to be aligned with God's Spirit in order that we would represent Him well.

Project Rescue

I have not made time for a post in a while, but this bit of information was too good to overlook. There are lots and lots of ways for us to spend our money, whether we invest in our 401k, go to a movie, or donate to charity. I recently came across what seems to be a very worthwhile charity, but don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself: http://www.projectrescue.com/. The organization strives to help the victims of sex trade. Their website is certainly worth a look. And while you're at it why not see what you can to do help? You just might help change a life.