Lee Dittman

Our Journey Continues, but includes WAITING ON GOD

2011-06-24T20:52:00.001-04:00

In March, Bev and I returned to Mission of Hope to meet with the director and staff to begin praying about the possibility of us joining the team serving at Mission of Hope. It was busy week, but we spent time getting to know the staff and understand each aspect of both serving and life at the mission. When we came home, we shared with our girls and our church family and began more intensely praying for God’s leading. We have always desired to return to Haiti, but we had to put that aside and pray for God’s leading.

Things have been happening ever since that time that clearly are things that only God could do. That doesn’t mean we are currently preparing to move to Haiti or even have a timetable. Being an organizer, I would like it if God’s answers were always “yes” or “no” and were written clearly for me to see. However, sometimes God says, “Wait.” That is the answer I struggle with the most, but know that God answers that way for a purpose.

Mission of Hope asked us to return to Haiti to continue the process of getting to know one another and continue the interview process. The first week of June, the entire family was here with a mission team from our church. We were busy most of the week serving, painting, evangelizing, and doing things that most mission teams do! On Saturday, I said good-bye to the team and to the rest of my family and continued on at the mission for a total of three weeks. During that time, I spent time “shadowing” each staff member, talking to the director, and assisting in just about every area of ministry. It was an awesome time and I especially enjoyed working with our team of college-age interns, who are giving their summer to help lead groups and work in other areas of the mission. I bonded with the staff and I believe the process of becoming part of the MOH Family has begun. Saying good-bye (which will be tomorrow) will be difficult because although I cannot wait to see my wife and girls, I will definitely miss my family here at the mission.

So, the big question: are we returning to Haiti? God’s answer is “WAIT.” For some of you who have been praying with us, that is not the answer you really want hear … but we know our Heavenly Father has all things under control. I believe the Dittman Family will return to Haiti in the future, which is not a surprise to anyone who knows us. Mission of Hope is still praying about whether or not we are the family to meet the needs they have at the present time. There are other missions in Haiti where we could be used; but we believe God would have us to wait on Him to direct our paths, while we continue to serve Him right where we are planted in Blue Ridge, Georgia. We are so thankful for our church family who has allowed us to take the time away in Haiti.

Please pray with us and for us!
Lee Dittman (June 24, 2011)

OUR JOURNEY TO HAITI AND BACK AGAIN?

2011-05-11T08:15:00.003-04:00

The Christian life is a journey … each day is a new adventure. Your journey may be different from mine, but those of us that know Christ will ultimately end up at the same destination.

I praise God that as a teenager, I had a youth pastor and mentor who helped me to see the importance of yielding my life to Christ. When I was 13 years old, I chose 1 Timothy 4:7-8 to be my life verse: “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

My journey took from there took me through college at Liberty University and then into full-time ministry working with youth and in Christian school teaching.

However, in 2001 my journey took a turn that I never expected. In 2001, I had been an assistant principal in a school for 10 years and was comfortable; but through a series of circumstances… God began closing the door where I had served and my family found ourselves seeking His direction.

We sent out our resumes and had 10 responses in a very short time. One by one we went through the interviews and crossed options off our list. We were down to two ministries. In my mind, the decision was made, because I was offered a position in a very well established school as principal and everything looked perfect. Then came a phone call from the tenth school, which we thought was in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The lady who called told me how very interested they were in both me and my wife and that we were an answer to their prayers. I was kind of honored and then she said, it is not often that we have people seeking to come to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to teach. I laughed … and told her that it was a mistake and then when talking to my wife, she said “I was missions minor in school, maybe this is what God was preparing me for.” That night I could not sleep. I called the school back the next day and told them that we would be praying … to make a long story short. In three short months, we sold everything we had and ended up in Haiti on a one year commitment.

I arrived thinking I would be teaching history, but ended up teaching computers, being the IT Director, and also serving as an interim principal for the school.
That year changed our lives! During the course of the year, we prayed and sought God’s face wanting to stay, but His direction was clear and we returned to the U.S.

In 2004, we again applied to the mission board striving to return to Haiti, but due to political conditions they were not allowing any more missionaries into the country.

I believe you serve where you are … missions is where God has you at that time … and we have done just that for the past 9 years.

Last year, I was introduced to a mission in Haiti that is truly making a difference. It is the Mission of Hope. The morning before the earthquake, I received permission from our church staff to take a group to serve at the mission … which we did this past summer. I immediately saw what God was doing and wanted to do everything I could to be part of what is happening in this country that captured my heart 10 years ago! In fact, in the past 8 months, I have made three trips to the mission and have been assisting with curriculum project via internet!

After my last trip to Haiti, God led me to 1 Peter 4:7-11: 7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

The end is near and time is short. We need to be about the Father’s business. God is now opening the door for the possibility of my family returning to Haiti in a full-time capacity. I would ask you to pray with us and with leadership of the mission, that God would make His plan perfectly clear.

Enough of my journey, let me tell you a little bit about the Mission of Hope!

Mission of Hope was founded 12 years ago. To me their purpose statement and resolutions state clearly not only what they desire, but who they are: As an organization following Jesus Christ, we exist to bring life transformation to every man, woman, and child in Haiti.

Resolutions

1. Relational Proclamation: Intentionally modeling Christ’s love through relationships. The center of everything at the Mission of Hope is the Church of Hope.

2. Evangelistic Saturation: Repeatedly sharing the Gospel message in targeted geographies.

3. Indigenous Mobilization: Strategically developing national leaders to carry the vision to the nation. Mission of Hope is continually turning over areas of ministry to Haitian leadership. All North American missionaries have a Haitian counterpart, who is being trained to take the leadership role!

4. Holistic Transformation: Continuously pursuing God’s physical, mental, social and spiritual destiny for every man, woman and child. Example: Last month 1.5 million meals were distributed from the Mission of Hope, each one accompanied by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

5. Excellent Implementation: Responsibly utilizing all resources and talents to their fullest potential for God’s glory.

2010 Christmas Letter

2010-12-11T21:43:00.003-05:00

Dear Family & Friends,

The year 2010 was a year of exciting things for our family!

The winter and spring were full of “theater” events which kept the girls and Lee very busy. May brought about a major milestone for Heather, as she graduated (with honors) from high school.

Summer brought about a reconnection with Haiti. Lee and girls had the opportunity to be part of a team that went to work with the Mission of Hope. While there, God did a major work in their hearts and they came back with a renewed commitment to this country that has always been near and dear to our hearts. Lee immediately began planning another trip, which he, Bev, and Mikayla were all able to take part in this past November. Our future includes an ongoing relationship and work in Haiti. Our next trip is planned for June 3-9.

Lee and Heather led our Children’s Summer Camp program in July. Bev and Mikayla both served as “Crew Leaders” working each night leading young ones to understand that they should be “Detectives in the Word of God.”

In August, we took Heather six hours away from home to Armstrong Atlantic State University (in Savannah, Georgia) and left our oldest girl at college. Not sure if it was harder for her or mom and dad! She is studying biology, with plans to pursue a career as Physician’s Assistant.

In the Fall, Mikayla was part of the Fannin County 9-11 Chorus that was honored to sing in Arlington, Virginia as part of the “Steel and Beam” commemoration. A piece of steel from the former Twin Towers was brought to rest near the Pentagon. Mikayla’s song, Military Man (which was also copyrighted this year) was featured.

Mikayla continues to be active in the high school drama department. She was part of the One Act competition team that performed “Reviving Ophelia” at placed second in their region. Lee was also the co-director of the show. Then during the Christmas season, she landed a lead role as a lawyer in her class drama production. Lee took a break at Christmas from the high school theater program to play the role of the grandfather in our church’s Christmas production.

Bev continues to work for Pruitt Health Services, as well as part-time at Liberty Tax Services. She stays busy working with numbers during the day, then serves alongside with Lee in the youth ministry at church on Wednesdays and in the nursery on Sunday.

In addition to volunteering in the drama department at Mikayla’s school and leading mission trips to Haiti, Lee continues to serve as the senior associate and youth pastor at Crossover Community Church. He stays busy with ministry, loves the opportunities God has given for him to be involved in discipleship, and also is trying to work on projects stateside to assist the work in Haiti.

What does the future hold for the Dittmans? We have learned to not lean on our own understanding, but in all our ways to acknowledge Him! (Proverbs 3:5-6)

As we share this quick update with you, we wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

In His Love,
Lee, Bev, Heather, & Mikayla Dittman

www.haiti.crossoverchurch.net

2010-07-11T22:48:00.002-04:00

Luke 16:19-31 (NIV) - The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²²"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³In hell,[a] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

²⁵"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

²⁷"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, ²⁸for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

²⁹"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

³⁰" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

³¹"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Our commission and call is to keep people out of Hell.

1. A spirit of intersession: PRAYER

A. Luke 16:24 - “have pity on me”

(1) On earth, the rich man did not have time for things of God … he waited too long …

(2) Did not have time to pray on earth

(3) Did not want to pray

People cry out to God in hell – He does not hear them but they are crying out.

B. Isaiah 55:6 – “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

· If we want revival we must get back to prayer and intersession.

C. James 5:16 – “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

(1) There is power in prayer

(2) TOO OFTEN … We have to get to the place where we get desperate in our prayer lives. Why, should we not continually be desperate for God’s power!

In hell right now there is prayer.

God responds when we pray now … BUT He will not respond to prayers in Hell.

D. We find the rich man (in Hell) praying on behalf of his family: Luke 16:27-28 - "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

· When was the last time that you were pleading desperately for those that you love who are lost?

We need to cry out to God.

We need to cry out…

1. Desperately

1. We need to become desperate For God

2. Get to the place of wanting God more than anything else

3. Putting everything else aside

o When we remove the distractions of this world, we find our relationship with God grows – ie. Mission trips and camp!

In hell they are desperate and are crying out and nothing is more important than the salvation of a lost soul.

2. Deliberately

a) We must become intentional about our prayers

b) We have to begin to pray on purpose, and with intent.

c) We should have a scheduled time of prayer

In hell the people are very deliberate about their prayer they want out, they want their tongues cooled.

3. Determined

a) We must be single minded in our focus

b) Not letting anything get in the way of our prayer life

4. And we must be Broken

· Get to the place to where it breaks our heart to know that there are those who do not know Jesus and are going to hell if we don’t intercede for them.

Brokenness on earth makes openness in Heaven.

I want to be a gap person –

Ezekiel 22:30 - "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.”

Are you willing to stand in the gap for others?

2. A desperate THIRST

A. While serving in Haiti, we came to understanding of what it means to thirst … it is a craving that is deeply instilled in our physical being that let us know we need more water. A craving that is almost uncontrollable until it is fulfilled.

B. Do we as believers ...

(1) Thirst for righteousness

(2) A thirst for worship services

(3) A thirst for a personal quiet time with God

(4) A thirst for a sermon

(5) A thirst for an opportunity to worship God

C. We need to be Desperate for God

John 7:37 – “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”

D. We need a thirst for Holiness and not manmade Holiness full of what you can’t do - A godly holiness (my life verse)

1 Timothy 4:7-8 – “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

In Hell there is unquenchable thirst.

E. Our youth group adopted the phrase “Unquenchable thirst for God” about two years ago …

(1) Do we as a youth group truly have an unquenchable thirst for things of God?

(2) Do we as a church truly have an unquenchable thirst for the things of God?

(3) Do you as a Christian have an unquenchable thirst for God?

3. A burden for the LOST

· Luke 16:25 - "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”

(1) Hell has Moms and Dads that raised rebellious children that turned their back on God – it is now too late for them to impact their children!

(2) We must have a burden for the lost

(3) “In your life time…”

a) Take time to consider that phrase

b) You have “now” … what are you doing with it?

(4) In Hell they remember. . . when they could have chosen God … there is thought of others who will follow them there!

Luke 16:27-28 - "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

(5) Our mission is not to satisfy church people it is to win the lost.

Psalms 126:6 – “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”

a) Weeping for the lost

b) We often spend too much time on “church” people and not enough time reaching the lost!

c) We are not competing w/ other churches.

d) We are here to complete people not compete against them.

e) What a revival we could have if no one cared who got the credit and Christians worked together to win the lost for Jesus Christ.

f) We in churches try to make people happy who have never been happy, and will never be happy.

g) We are to be the salt of the earth, salt makes people thirsty, and do you make people thirsty for Jesus?

Our focus must be on the LOST!

4. A vision for HEAVEN

1) The rich man had a vision for place he could not go

2) How would we live if we had heaven in mind?

3) How would it be If we did everything with heaven in mind?

4) What would it be like if we did church with heaven in mind?

A. It is time for us to put aside our own agendas, time to stop trying to set our own little kingdoms on earth, and get busy working for the kingdom of God.

a) We can’t do things with heaven in mind because we are too busy having our own agenda in mind.

b) We don’t care about how God want our church to operate; We just want to be sure we get recognized for what we do.

B. If we could get SELF out of the way long enough, we might see something accomplished for the Kingdom!

Everyone in hell right now would love to trade places with anyone of us!

a) They would not have to be begged to attend church.

b) They would not have to be begged to pray.

c) They would not have to be begged to seek The Lord.

d) They would not have to be begged to try to win the Lost

e) They would not care who got the credit for the work.

f) They would have a kingdom mindset.

CONCLUSION

4 Things Hell has that the Church needs …

1. Prayer

2. Thirst

3. Burden for the Lost

4. Vision for heaven

They have it in Hell why can’t we have it in CHURCH?

A. If it was in my power I would send some folks to hell this morning;

1) Not to leave you there just so you could see it.

2) I believe Your concerns would change

B. If we were to catch a vision of hell our lives would never be the same.

1) We could no longer be half hearted about our relationship with Jesus.

2) We could no longer be uncaring about the lost.

3) We would have a prayer life like no other.

4) We would be the evangelist God called us to be.

C. Don’t wait my friend until it too late to allow god to work in your life.

· Don’t be in hell on day saying “I remember Pastor Lee preached on this and I paid him no attention”.

DON’T WAIT!!!

Our Annual Christmas Letter

2009-12-20T21:13:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Another year passes and it’s time to update family and friends on what’s been happening in the lives of the Dittman Family in North Georgia! God has been good and in spite of the failing economy, we feel very blessed!

Heather is in her senior year at Fannin County High School. She continues to act in just about every show that the high school drama department produces. She is also the president of the Thespian Theater Honor Society and recently landed a role in the Blue Ridge Community Theater’s production of Leading Ladies. In her off time, she works at Mercier’s Apple Orchard and serves in various ministries at the church. This past summer she was selected to be part of the Summer Honors program at North Georgia State University, which was just one of her many accomplishments this year. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and will be a freshman at Liberty University next year. We went to visit the school last month and while we were there she auditioned and made the King’s Player’s Drama Team … she is very excited that she will get to use her talents next year to touch the lives of others. The team travels throughout the year performing in churches, schools, prisons, military bases, and any place the Lord opens a door.

Mikayla is now a freshman at the high school and like her sister has taken to the stage. She is a fabulous actress and was the only freshman to make the cast of the fall one-act play. When she is not in the theater, she is using her other talent with words. She is a gifted writer and has won many writing contests in the past year and has had several works published. Currently, she writes for the school newspaper. Her biggest success in our minds was a song she wrote entitled, Military Man. I has now been sung on our local television station, Fort Benning (for a dedication at the museum), and in August will be sung at the Pentagon in Washington, DC (with Kayla singing the solo). Mikayla, like her mom, loves babies and is always looking for opportunities to babysit for people in our church!

Bev and I celebrated our 20th Anniversary this year! Wow … we looked back at all God has seen us through during that time and it is overwhelming. God has been so faithful and we are more in love today with Him and with each other than ever before!
Bev changed jobs recently … after 16 years as a teacher and a year in the screen-printing shop, she is finally doing what she loves to do the most – bookkeeping. She now works for Pruitt Health Services and loves it. She also plans to work for Liberty Tax again this winter. Her passion for the babies in our church remains the same and most Sundays you will find her in the nursery! As a mom she is always busy and it seems that although the girls are getting older, their busy schedules make mom’s even busier!

I continue to serve as the Senior Associate pastor at our church, which means I do a little bit of everything: education, youth, drama, website, etc. My biggest challenge this year was setting up a Bible Institute within our church. It has been fun and we will be launching an online Bible Institute in 2010! When I am not at the church, I am almost always at the high school theater. I direct and assist, as much as my schedule allows me and love not only being with my girls, but also being a part of the theater. This year I also joined the “Facebook” crowd and love reconnecting with so many who have had an impact on my life over the years.
2010 will bring changes to our family, as we send Heather off to college! Having served Jesus together as a family for so many years … it will definitely be different. But, we are so proud (in the right way) of our girls and their desire to follow Jesus in their lives!

We pray that you will have a blessed Christmas and a very prosperous New Year!

Love,
The Dittmans

STAND FIRM

2009-10-03T19:58:00.003-04:00

I have been reading through Isaiah and today God gave me a verse that really spoke to me. Isaiah 7:9, "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." It is key to everything - especially in this day age of compromise!

The Worst Day or Best Day?

2009-07-30T13:51:00.001-04:00

“The Lord’s love never ends; his mercies never stop. They are new every morning.” - Lamentations 3:22-23 (NCV)

In Luke 23, the thief on the cross began his day with the smell and sounds of a prison cell; thoughts of the pain that he knew was about to endure, and the reality of his own death. As the day progressed, he carried his cross through a mocking crowd; oh the shame. Finally arriving on Calvary’s hill, he was nailed to the cross…the pain was excruciating! It was a horrible, painful, no-good, very bad day.

Then while hanging on the cross, he heard the man next to him say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34 NKJV). Huh? Say What? His first response was to mock this stranger, for what person in their right mind would forgive those who nailed his body to a cross! But as he pondered and listened to the crowd it occurred to him that the man who said theses words “did nothing to deserve this” (Luke 23:41).

In the midst of the worst of circumstances and the most horrible day of his life, the thief sensed the presence of God and heard His voice. His mockery quickly turned to a regret: “Jesus, remember me when you enter your Kingdom” (Luke 23:42).

Suddenly, because he was listening, the worst day of his life gave way to a bright and glorious future, for Jesus told him that before the day was over he would join Him in Paradise.

“This day, in the stink of it, the throes of it, Jesus makes a miracle out of it. When others nail you to the cross of your past, he swings open the door to your future.” - Max Lucado

THIS DAY

2009-07-30T13:46:00.002-04:00

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” - Psalm 118:24 (NIV)

“This day” refers to today, regardless of what today holds. He was not referring to a special day or holiday, but rather to today.

I am called “to rejoice and be glad in it.” God didn’t say after it or even through it, He wants and desires for me to be happy in it.

Why is it that Paul was able to rejoice in prison, and that he could sing with Silas while they were in shackles? They rejoiced and were glad in it! They saw God and not their circumstances.

As a believer, we should never view our days the way Alexander did in Judith Viorst’s children’s book, “Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” Instead we need to see God instead of the worries and grumbles.

What is a day? -- 24 hours; 1,440 minutes; a sunrise and a sunset; a complete rotation of the earth; 84,000 heart beats; an opportunity to see God or see trouble.

Yesterday is gone, but you still have today. Don’t sabotage today with yesterday’s problems or tomorrow's worries…live it with God in mind.

From Facing Your Giants - By Max Lucado

2009-07-18T16:36:00.001-04:00

“Focus on Giants – You Stumble. Focus on God – Your Giants Stumble.” - Max Lucado
“Wilderness begins with disconnections, it continues with deceit.” - Max Lucado
“Make God your refuge. Let Him be the ceiling that breaks the sunshine, the walls that stop the wind, the foundation on which you stand.” - Max Lucado (Psalms 57:1)
“You’ll never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. Find refuge in God’s presence. Find comfort in his people.” - Max Lucado
“Vengeance fixes your attention on life’s ugliest moments. Is that where you want to look? Will rehearsing and reliving your hurts make you a better person? By no means. It will destroy you.” - Max Lucado
“Forgiveness is choosing to see your offender with different eyes.” - Max Lucado
“Christ lived the life we could not live and took the punishment we could not take to offer the hope we cannot resist.” - Max Lucado
“It is okay to rest. Jesus fights when you cannot.” - Max Lucado
Mark 6:31 “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” (The message)
“Don’t make a decision, whether large or small, without sitting before God with open Bible, open heart, open ears, imitating the prayer of Samuel: Your Servant is Listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10) - Max Lucado
“You have a heart of God? Heed it! A family of faith? Consult it! A Bible? Read it!” - Max Lucado
“When you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does for you.” - Max Lucado
“God hates what pride does to His children. He doesn’t dislike arrogance. He hates it. God has a cure for the high and mighty: Come down from the Mountain. You’ll be amazed what you hear and who you see. And you’ll breathe a whole lot easier.” - Max Lucado
“Humility doesn’t mean you think less of yourself, but that you think of yourself less.” - Max Lucado
“Children spell love with four letters: T-I-M-E. Not just quality time, but hang time, downtime, anytime, all the time. Your children are not your hobby; they are your calling.” - Max Lucado
“Write today’s worries in the sand. Chisel yesterday’s victories in stone.” - Max Lucado

HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

2009-06-25T14:02:00.005-04:00

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17

I read Colossians 3:1-17 in my quiet time this week and the guidelines of how we should live our Christian life jumped off the pages:

Set your heart and mind on things above (v. 1-4)
Put to death worldly desires like sexual immorality, impurity, lust, greed, evil desires, etc. (v. 5-7)
Get rid of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language (v. 8) – Does this include TV?
Do not lie to each other (v. 9)
Put on the image of God and His knowledge (v. 10-11)
Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (v. 12)
Bear with one another, forgiving one another, and maintain unity (v. 13-14)
Let Christ be your PEACE (v. 15)
Be Thankful (v. 15)
Know and learn from the Word of God – using it to encourage one another (v. 16)
Do everything for God – Giving Him Thanks! (v. 17)

SUMMER READING LIST

2009-06-13T14:15:00.005-04:00

Every summer I, as a teacher, would assign books for my students to read over the summer. Some of the students saw this as pure torture, yet my purpose was to keep their minds working and focused on learning.

This summer I have created a summer reading list for myself. I love to read, but often find myself so busy with ministry, graduate classes, and family that I just don't take the time. So this summer I am committed to reading at least 4 books.

I began with Crazy Love by Francis Chan. This is a must read for every believer! Francis really reveals what our relationship with our Heavenly Father should be and so many of us have it all mixed up.

I am currently reading a book which I know has been very controversial, it is called The Shack. At one point I was with all those "anti" groups, but then I went to the next chapter and read the book as it was written ... fiction revealing in human terms God's desire for a relationship with us. At one point the main character realized that he cannot change on his own and the character of God replies, "“You can’t, not alone. But together we will watch that change take place. For now I just want you to be with me and discover that our relationship is not about performance or you having to please me. I’m not a bully, not some self-centered demanding little deity insisting on my own way. I am good, and I desire only what is best for you. You cannot find that through guilt or condemnation or coercion, only through a relationship of love. And I do love you.”

My summer reading all seems to be pointing me to one point: I need to dwell on my relationship with the Father. He desires my attention and I need to be completely devoted to my relationship with Him!

THE GOD SQUAD

2009-06-07T20:33:00.003-04:00

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

What impact can and do believers have on one another?

A few years ago I was part of a group of guys that met together every Wednesday night at our local Mexican Restaurant. There were five of us. It began following a youth mission trip to Mexico, where four of us first bonded. We wanted to keep each other accountable for the commitments we had made to the Lord while serving in Matamores, Mexico. Later, a college student also joined us, as he desired to have someone holding him accountable for his walk, as well. Each week we studied various things together, but most of all we shared what God was teaching us out His Word in our own personal study.

I remember getting text messages that challenged me to dig deeper in my own study and this was from guys half my age! Rarely did a day pass by that someone didn’t share an encouraging word or a story of how God had allow him to share the gospel that day.

Since most of the group was still in high school, I would take the college student along with me to visit them during their lunch break. The conversation always turned to the Lord and that is probably why many in the school gave us the nickname, “the God Squad.” Although it was meant to be sarcastic, we saw it as a blessing to be seen as those who were on mission for God. It was so awesome …

What made this happen? Two things: first a true desire to know God and second the encouragement of brothers in Christ to stay on course!

Can believers impact one another? Most definitely!

Where is the “God Squad” now? Well … to be honest we stopped meeting, stopped texting, and the fire dwindled. All of them have now graduated from high school and moved on in their lives. I pray that they will continue to fall in love with Jesus and find a group of believers that will challenge them to be strong and faithful. God has other people in my life now that encourage me and for me to encourage, but I still like hearing from and encouraging that group that God used to shine for him at our local high school.