Welcome to the Jungle…
Welcome to the Jungle… could have been the theme song for my backyard. It was horribly unkempt and full of weeds, sticks, and very tall grass and a little dog (Cletus) that I could barely see. And I firmly believe, it was the cause of my bout with acute sinusitis (sinus infection). It was also a symptom
of my life and the extreme busyness that I had taken on.
It normally takes me about 45 minutes to an hour to cut my back yard but because of the neglect it took a whopping 2 hours to cut and it still needed cutting 5 days later. I wish I could say the grass was tall because of the fertilizer that I had put on it or that it was all part of the plan for it to look good, but it was not at all that case. Matter of fact, during that same time roughly one month, the front and side yards were mowed 3 times and look very presentable. The backyard was left to grow out of control because it could not be seen by the public.
We are that way in our Christian lives, when we get real with ourselves. We keep the outward appearance looking yard of the month worthy yet the inside of the house is trashed and backyard has seven undiscovered species living in it. God and Jesus had hard words for those who were whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:1-36 and 1 Samuel 16:7 and Psalms 51:16-17).
How are you going to live your life, with hidden sins, or hidden Christianity or are you going to allow God to clean it all out through the Holy Spirit living in your life? With God as the vine dresser and the divine gardener (John 15:1-11), He will keep you pruned and producing fruit even if you neighbors cannot see the backyard of your life.
Posted by Eric on 5/5/2008 at 10:11am – Link to this post
Ants, Ants, Ants!!!
For Christmas, my son received an ant farm from my mom and it has been the center of many family discussions and meals, no we did not eat chocolate covered ants; the ant farm is on the center of the kitchen table. When I was a child ant farms were made of sand but now they are made of gel instead. After weeks of waiting for the ants to make their journey in the mail from California, we put them in their new home and watched in wonder as they began build tunnels and mounds of the gel. Each day we would check them to see what new progress they had made over night and how many of them had made it through the night. As of today, we have 18 or the original 25 and they have created a mound that is full of mold that they eat.
The ant farm makes me think of me in the eyes of God. I know that I did not create the ants but they are a prized possession in the Sanford house. In similar ways, God prizes us. God is interested in our lives, our actions and attitudes. God cares about the big things like food, clothing, and housing and God cares about the other things that occupy our time and thoughts.
If God were to look down on you like I do the ants what kind of progress would He see in your life? Would He see you disobeying your parents, cheating on tests, take His name in vain, living for the pleasure of the world or would He see you living for Him, being honorable, and letting your light shine before men so that He would be glorified? God is always watching His creation and desiring that they worship Him. How will you worship Him with your life this week, this month, this year? Learn from the ants and carry out the work that God has placed you on this earth to do.
Posted by Eric on 3/6/2008 at 2:39pm – Link to this post
Cool stuff about the Red Sea crossing
Over the last couple of months we have been studying Exodus on Wednesday nights at the Light and last week we looked at some really cool artifacts that have been found in the Red Sea at a possible crossing site. The pictures we looked at showed chariot wheels that have been found at the bottom of the Gulf of Aqaba in between Sinai and Saudi Arabia. Traditionally the crossing site has been in the Gulf of Suez but there has been little archaeological evidence that confirms the tradition but not there is a great deal of evidence that shows the Red Sea was crossed further away from Egypt than previously though. Check out these websites and tell me where you think the Hebrew people crossed the Red Sea.
Website #1 Website #2 Website #3 Website #4
Posted by Eric on 2/21/2008 at 4:13pm – Link to this post
Disciple Now
This year the theme of Disciple Now was Cloud of Witnesses taken from Heb. 12:1. During the weekend, we focused on the persecuted church and an Old Testament Survey. Hebrews 12 immediately follows the Hall of Faith chapter in Hebrews 11, where many Old Testament saints were described as being witness of the future promises of a messiah and the offer of redemption to all who believe. This coupled with the fact that the Greek word for witness is martyr, which we view as someone who has given their life for the faith brought us to our theme verse and passage.
It was a great weekend, with Seraph leading worship and Ben DeLoach teaching the Word. You can check out the teaching sessions and photos by clicking here. If you missed the weekend I hope you can join us next year. If you joined us for the weekend let us know what you liked and what didn’t go so well so we can make it even better next year.
Posted by Eric on 2/11/2008 at 2:00pm – Link to this post
Looking Forward...
I cannot believe that Disciple Now is next weekend. I am really looking forward to a great weekend of Bible Study, Prayer, Worship, and Fellowship. For all of you who will be joining us, begin to pray now that God will have the freedom to move in our lives. I cannot wait to see how God is going to work.
What are you looking forward to about D-now?
Posted by Eric on 1/31/2008 at 11:21am – Link to this post
Christmas Gifts
Christmas is a great time of year. I really enjoy the animated Christmas specials that run from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I also enjoy my family during the holiday season. Yet most of all I like the gifts but not because I am greedy or self-centered but because I like seeing people really enjoy what I found for them. I try to be a good gift giver. I don’t give every man in my family a tie or a terrible Hawaiian shirt nor do I give all the kids socks and underwear. I try to give practical yet flashy gifts that someone would use on a regular basis and would not be re-gifted at the next gag gift party. But I have to admit, I do like getting presents. But the greatest gift given on Christmas was Christ himself. God sent Jesus to this earth for one reason, to reconcile our broken relationship. That is the gift I reflect on during the Christmas season. God’s gift to us is flashy yet practical.
What gift was your favorite this Christmas and why?
Join the conversation. Tell us all about it.
Posted by Eric on 12/31/2007 at 9:45am – Link to this post
Missing???
Yesterday, as a sat in Subway (the one in Wal-Mart), I chose the seat near the window. I love to sit and watch people as they come and go into the store. Some are busy, others have a list, and others are just there to kill some time. But I could not help but notice the Missing Children’s board that is in the lobby. I looked at each of the faces and prayed for them and their families but I noticed that almost everyone who entered into Wal-Mart walked right by them and paid them little or no attention. I immediately thought of the people I know who do not know Jesus. I began to think of the lostness in our country and in the world. Over 1 billion people have never heard the gospel, let alone had a chance to reject Christ.
Who would you put on your board of people missing the Kingdom of God? Would you be so busy that you would walk by them and never even look their way? I want to gaze into the faces of the lost and help them find their way home. The people in Hell have real names and faces, so will the people in Heaven.
