Hookers and Robbers

That may sound like a weird thing to have as a blog post but hold on you will understand in a minute. This week has been a super challenge and I'm looking forward to the last 3 days of it. Monday I started school and sat through 9 hours of class which was how do I put it "fun"(not really). Tuesday was awesome our worship band from church took the hour drive south the Buckhead Church and went to 7|22. We went to see Charlie Hall who is one of my favorite worship leaders and just released a new CD. Then last night at church we started Finacial Peace University with Dave Ramsey which is I think could revolutionize our church finacially. I'm looking forward to tonight with our men in our small group to really open up and knock out some problems we might be going through we will see.

Going back to Tuesday night at 7|22. Wow what a challenging night. We first heard some new worship tunes by Charlie Hall and was blown away by God meeting us there and being able to worship a risen savior. Then Dan Kimball, who wrote the book They Like Jesus but Not the Church, stirred up a new sense to invest in people's life who are not walking with the Lord. Flat out people need Jesus and people like Jesus they just don't like the people that say they follow Jesus. We have got to quit being self righteous, arrogant Christian who thinks our poop doesn't stink and start showing them Jesus. After all the only people Jesus condemned was the religous leaders. On Charlie's new CD there is a song called Hookers and Robbers. It is a story of Charlie inviting in his words "the hardest, harshest, and pained people" into his home for a "lively celebration". He tells them the story of a man who can "set them free break their chains all they have to do is come and listen". Christ came to the world to set prisoners free, free from the bondage of sin (Luke 4:18). So to wrap up this post what can you do to invest in someone's life that may not know Jesus and bring them to the kingdom.

Thanks
MC

Stewardship

Recently my pastor just completed a series on Stewardship. Soon we will be starting financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey and the Lord has really been working on my heart about this issue. Wikipedia defines stewardship as "personal responsibility for taking care of another person's property or financial affairs or in religious orders taking care of finances". I think stewardship goes beyond the realm of just finances(although that is a major part of it). Stewardship also deals with anything that has been given to you by God. Which by the way is everything you have. How you use your money, time, raise your kids, treat your spouse, work ethic, etc. is all classified under stewardship. A couple of weeks ago I heard a story of a 17 year old taking every dollar he had to his name, all the money he had gotten from birthdays, working a part time job, or any other, and he gave it to his local church anonymously. The only reason he gave was he felt the Lord was telling him to. No pressure from anyone to give 10% or a preacher presenting a sermon on giving, just because God told him to. WOW now that is giving big. The total was a little over $1000.00 that may not seem like much to a lot of people, but in today's society of xbox and playstation he chose not to purchase that but to sow his seed into the Kingdom. I have been praying for that teenager since I heard of that story that God would do amazing things in his life. I want to issue a challenge to everyone to "Give Big" this month. This doesn't necessarily have to be a dollar figure. For some it may be, but for others it might be serving in some capacity or going out of your way to help someone who needs help. The Bible says in Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Remember to Give Big and I promise God won't disappoint.

MC