Thanksgiving 2022

Hello Everyone.

Here in America Thanksgiving is this Thursday. I’d like to share a few things with you. First a story, then a prayer and a Hymn’s playlist I found.

This story is really about an analogy from a sermon my Pastor preached. Last year we were at a multi church Thanksgiving Eve service, during his time to preach he spoke on a division using an analogy about Thanksgiving dinner. I’d like to share that analogy to the best of my recollection as I think it is useful not just in the body of Christ but in the world as well.

The analogy basically goes like this…

“At Thanksgiving when we all gather at the table with many different side dishes, we all pass around the food. Now when the cranberry sauce comes to me I just pass them along to the next person without taking any. What I don’t do is announce, “cranberry sauce is gross. It totally ruins the flavors of the other food. It makes no sense for the plate. Anyone who puts that on their plate is foolish.”

The most important reason not to do this is that they would send me away from the table. I want to stay at the table with my family.”

What a valuable lesson. Let’s not divide on the secondary stuff, stay true to the chore values and love each in our disagreements over the little things.

Now for the rest of what I am a sharing.

A Prayer:
Thanks for Blessings Past and Present

Lord God, we gather around this table to humbly thank You for all that You have given us this past year – not just what is on this table, but who is sitting around this table. Thank you for life and laughter, for health and happiness, for relationships and memories. Thank you, too, for the lessons learned and the tears we’ve cried because of Your ability to grow us through them. Thank You for Your comfort and Your presence, in light of good days and bad. Thank You for what we have now, for what we had yesterday, and for what You will continue to give tomorrow. Let us never take that for granted, but to always be grateful for every good and perfect gift that comes from You. May we have hearts full of thanksgiving not only today but every day of our lives. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, Amen. – Cindy McMenamin

Source: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/7-thanksgiving-prayers-encouraging-and-inspiring.html

Hymns for Thanksgiving: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqk7PmhxKRBd_YoC5DWgrd9jkLkE9OhPk

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

-Chris

Christian YouTube Channels 2022

I have to admit this post will be a little lazy (especially since I did a post like this in 2020 and that one included write ups). But today I will be giving you a list of ten YouTube Channels (in no particular order) I frequently have used for Christian content in the last couple of years.

Here we go…

1. Mike Winger: https://www.youtube.com/c/MikeWinger
2. Logos Bible Software: https://www.youtube.com/c/logosbiblesoftware
3. Ten Minute Bible Hour: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheTenMinuteBibleHour
4. Dr. Jordan B Cooper (Lutheran Perspective): https://www.youtube.com/user/SemperReformanda1517
5. AOC Network: https://www.youtube.com/c/AmbassadorsofChrist
6. THE BEAT by Allen Parr: https://www.youtube.com/user/thebeatagp
7. Dr. Michael Heiser: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrMichaelSHeiser
8. The Remnant Radio: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRemnantRadio
9. Inspiring Philosophy: https://www.youtube.com/c/InspiringPhilosophy
10. Bible Project: https://www.youtube.com/c/bibleproject

Bonus! Fun YouTube Channels Christians Would Like…
Chronicles of Narnia Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/IntotheWardrobe

Lord of the Rings Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/NerdoftheRings

Hope you all check them out,
Chris

So What Are You Going To Do About It?

My Pastor yesterday preached a great sermon yesterday on Isaiah 1:1,10-20. There is a lot I could unpack as there is a lot that stood out to me but the truth is I want to focus on one part at least for now.

A little note on my Pastor, he likes to stay informed. He listens and reads to all different sides of an issue to understand things. During the sermon he mentioned how people love to call into radio programs and complain, they get very worked up and angry. They complain, vent and complain some more. One particular radio host likes to ask the caller at the end of their rant, “Now what are you going to do about it?”

I don’t know who that radio host is or what they believe but what a great question to ask.

We get upset, angry, grieved about the sins of the world and we are justified in those emotions. There is so much evil, pain and sorrow in the world.

But after thinking about these things lets ask ourselves, “Now what are you going to do about it?”

What we need to do about it is follow Christ and live a self sacrificial life of servitude to God. Spreading the Gospel not just in our words but in our actions. Love people, take care of people, tell them about their savior.

Because the true answer to the question, “Now what are you going to do about it?” is what God wants me to do about it.

Have a Blessed Week,
Chris

Scripture Reading Plan:

Monday – Isaiah 5:1-7

Tuesday – Psalm 82

Wednesday – Hebrews 11:29-12:2 (Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16)

Thursday – Luke 12:49-56

Heritage Baptist Church Service 7-10-22 (Sabbath)

Really good sermon on the sabbath in this video from my Pastor…

Who God Uses

Scandals are everywhere in church leadership right now. Moral failures, abuse, coverups.

I am also noticing a problem in stubbornness, pride and arrogance from some of the most famous Bible teachers of the day. 

They’re nasty to people who disagree with them, speak in arrogance, give their opinions on things that they are ignorant on.

All the while their followers build them and lash out at those who disagree with the Pastor or teacher. 

They mock, put words in others mouths, misrepresent the other side, call people heretics and just behave so far away from what the Bible teaches.

They do this under the guise of glorifying God but in reality they’re just glorifying their own perceived intellectual superiority.

Quite frankly all this gets me angry and it grieves me.

It’s helped me come to realize why God uses the fisherman, the tax collector, the Sheppard boy, the stutterer and so on.

He doesn’t just find the smartest and brightest.

Look at the smartest and brightest religious leaders of Jesus time on Earth, they looked in His face and cursed Him. 

They stared in the face of God and didn’t recognize Him, they didn’t know Him.

Yet the people thought they were the most holy because of their knowledge but they lacked humbleness, mercy, grace and love.

I’m not saying God doesn’t use intellectual people of course, Paul was a pharisee. God uses every type of person but I see a pattern that those willing to be humbled and have faith get used by God for His glory.

Of course you may say but all those people still failed.

But what stands out is all those dealt with their failures, humbled themselves and repented.

Jesus said, “The humble will exalted and the exalted will be humbled”

Truth is getting angry at other Christians failures and arrogance is easy and satan I’m sure loves that.

Because while your focusing on them you get distracted and won’t focus on your own sins and failures.

Which is why I must focus on my own sin and flaws and pray that God humbles me before I fall.

God help me, I pray You humble me, take away my anger and grief and help me focus on my own sins, and be a helpful hand to those who need restoration.

In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Have a Blessed Week,

Chris 

Scripture Reading Plan:

Monday – Amos 8:1-12

Tuesday – Psalm 15

Wednesday – Colossians 1:15-28

Thursday – Luke 10:38-42

Heritage Baptist Church Service 6-27-22

Heritage Baptist Church Service 5-1-22

Fifth Sunday of Lent 2022

Part II (His Way Church)

This is part two of my first ever blog series from 2016. His Way Church was special. My wife and I got married there, we have a lot of good memories. Reading this again was a great reminder of God setting the stage for things. Unfortunately His Way Church is no longer running and I’ve lost touch with the Pastor. I hope and pray he is okay.

The Good Word

That’s when the urge started again to find a church. I would pray asking for guidance for two things, to find a church that would focus on Christ’s teaching and for myself to learn how to do works not just have faith. I had three bible verses that were on my mind. When James said faith without works is dead, when Jesus said to remove the plank from your eye before you worry about the spec in your brother’s eye and when Jesus confronted the men about to stone the adulterous woman he said, he who is without sin cast first stone. These three were very powerful to me.

Now Jane and I still talked about how we missed our old church. Then one day on the way home, we saw an advertisement for an Easter egg hunt and the address was the same as our old church. We couldn’t…

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Behaving Biblically

This blog is inspired by one of my favorite ministries, “Bible Thinker” by Pastor Mike Winger. His mission is to get people to think biblically but today I want to take a different direction. Instead, I want to focus on behaving biblically.

Truth is behaving biblically in some ways is harder than thinking biblically.

We all fail at this but some fail and fall hard.

I see people fall deep into sin. I see people mishandle and manipulate scripture to fit their world view. I even see people who are well versed in scripture behave in a manner that is the opposite of the way a Christian should behave.

Which of course begs the question what is the point of you knowing scripture if you yourself aren’t behaving like scripture tells you?

Thinking Biblically and Behaving Biblically aren’t mutually exclusive as a matter of fact they go hand in hand. If you truly are thinking biblically then you should be behaving biblically. 

So let’s think Biblically about behavior. They’re many examples on how to behave in scripture but today I want to focus on the scripture my Pastor preached on Sunday.

Luke 6:27-38 New International Version

Love for Enemies

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 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.”

Meditate on that word and think how you can behave more like the way Jesus tells us to. 

Have a Blessed Week,

Chris

Daily Scripture
Monday – Exodus 34:29-35

Tuesday – Psalm 99

Wednesday – 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Thursday – Luke 9:28-44

Links:

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