I used Jesus' Sermon on the Mount as the backdrop to our sermon series For the Love of God. What stands out to me the most is that we are called by God to make a difference. Our love for God is about reserving a place in some world after this one. The way we (that's right, all of us) make things better now, here and now, matters to God.

So, today's Music Monday selection is totally appropriate for that thought. I give you John Legend and the Roots, "Wake Up Everybody."

Father, stir in us a compassion and love for you that pours out to others as well. Teach us how to make this world the way you intended it to be. May our love for you be enough to drive us to wake up to hear your calling. Amen.

Stay blessed...john

So, how do you feel today? Well, let's watch something together and see how we feel afterward, shall we?

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:10-13

I may use this as an illustration for this week's sermon. The text is Matthew 6:24-34:

6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?

And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin,yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Stay blessed...john

I'm working on putting together another sermon series for Lent, which begins in a couple of weeks. The title hasn't pulled itself together, but I'm focusing on Jesus' interaction with the individuals in the text from John.

In the meantime, there is still the matter of finishing our current series For the Love of God. What we have discovered together so far is that the way we love God is by loving others, and the way we love others begins by loving God. Next week we'll see what it might mean to put ourselves somewhere in that equation.

This is the fourth sermon in the series; it's called Neighborly Ways. There's one more sermon to add that will be ready next week. Then I can sell them all as a package for 49.99 (grin).



If you're reading by email, listen to the sermon here: Neighborly Ways

Stay blessed...john

Can your Redshirt sophomore do this?

Well, it seems I am on a Texas kick.  And why not?  This list was an email forward (Thanks, Susan) I hadn't seen before.  It reminds me of a small past time I used to have as a kid.  I would open a map of Texas and just look at the city names. 

I promise I wasn't always a boring kid.

This is a must read for all Texans, used-to-be Texans, adopted Texans or wanna-be Texans:
Just Texas
Pep, Texas 79353
Smiley, Texas 78159
Paradise, Texas 76073
Rainbow, Texas 76077
Sweet Home, Texas 77987
Comfort, Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530

Love the sun?
Sun City, Texas 78628
Sunrise, Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270
Sundown, Texas 79372
Sunray, Texas 79086
Sunny Side, Texas 77423

Want something to eat?
Bacon, Texas 76301
Noodle, Texas 79536
Oatmeal, Texas 78605
Turkey, Texas 79261
Trout, Texas 75789
Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Salty, Texas 76567
Rice, Texas 75155
Pearland, Texas 77581
Orange, Texas 77630
And top it off with:
Sweetwater, Texas 79556

Why travel to other cities? Texas has them all!
Detroit, Texas 75436
Cleveland, Texas 75436
Colorado City, Texas 79512
Denver City, Texas 79323
Klondike, Texas 75448
Pittsburg, Texas 75686
Newark, Texas 76071
Nevada, Texas 75173
Memphis, Texas 79245
Miami, Texas 79059
Boston, Texas 75570
Santa Fe, Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony, Texas 75861
Reno, Texas 75462
Pasadena, Texas 77506
Columbus, Texas 78934

Feel like traveling outside the country?
Athens, Texas 75751
Canadian, Texas 79014
China, Texas 77613
Dublin, Texas 76446
Egypt, Texas 77436
Ireland, Texas 76538
Italy, Texas 76538
Turkey, Texas 79261
London, Texas 76854
New London, Texas 75682
Paris, Texas 75460
Palestine, Texas 75801

No need to travel to Washington DC
Whitehouse, Texas 75791

We even have a city named after our planet!
Earth, Texas 79031

We have a city named after our state:
Texas City, Texas 77590

Exhausted?
Energy, Texas 76452
Cold?
Blanket, Texas 76432
Winters, Texas 79567

Like to read about History?
Santa Anna, Texas 76878
Goliad, Texas 77963
Alamo, Texas 78516
Gun Barrel City, Texas 75156
Robert Lee, Texas 76945

Need Office Supplies?
Staples, Texas 78670

Want to go into outer space?
Venus, Texas 76084
Mars, Texas 79062

You guessed it. It's on the state line.
Texline, Texas 79087

For the kids...
Kermit, Texas 79745
Elmo, Texas 75118
Nemo, Texas 76070
Tarzan, Texas 79783
Winnie, Texas 77665
Sylvester, Texas 79560

Other city names in Texas,
to make you smile......
Frognot, Texas 75424
Bigfoot, Texas 78005
Hogeye, Texas 75423
Cactus, Texas 79013
Notrees, Texas 79759
Best, Texas 76932
Veribest, Texas 76886
Kickapoo, Texas 75763
Dime Box, Texas 77853
Old Dime Box, Texas 77853
Telephone, Texas 75488
Telegraph, Texas 76883
Whiteface, Texas 79379
Twitty, Texas 79079

The Anti-Al Gore City
Kilgore, Texas 75662

And our favorites...
Cut and Shoot, Texas 77303
Gun Barrel City, Texas 75147
Ding Dong, Texas
West, Texas (it's in Central Texas)
and, of course,
Muleshoe, Texas 79347

Stay blessed...john

I'd like to go to this presentation.  Dr. Heath is one of my professors.


If I attend that one I have to give a quick two page reflection.  Now, if I go see Dr. J. Ellsworth Kalas next Monday I can just enjoy it.  You might remember him from his Backside series.

We'll see what the schedule permits.  Stay blessed..john

stay blessed...john
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I recently preached a sermon entitled A Get-And-Give Life. The point was that God gives to us—specifically, God gives us life. So, we must give others life as well. The “Now What” for the sermon was to

Consider what thing(s) you are thankful for that God has done/given for you (forgiveness, health, help, etc). Now, commit to giving that to someone this week.

That got me thinking, as I hope it always does you.

There is much to be thankful for. One example, for me, would be books. Of course, you know how I feel about reading, but there’s more. In the last few years I have literally spent thousands of dollars on books. When I say “spent” what I mean to say is that books have been purchased under my account. Actually, I have yet to purchase a single book with my own money. Scholarships and God’s people have made that possible. Believe me that is a blessing!

As part of my “Now What” and to get a good resource in your hands, I am giving away a copy of the book Hard to Dance With the Devil On Your Back. This is a resource you will appreciate. It is an easy read on a subject that all of us deal with. You can get a complete description of it on Cokesbury’s website. Our church is hosting a study for Lent using the book.

This is our first give-away, and I am excited about it. Getting your shot at the free book is easy. I am sure there are many ways to host a give-away, but let me share with you what I think will be the easiest for me right now:
1) Follow this link to subscribe (it’s free) to the email version of anotherjohn.com
2) Complete the quick email two-step process

That’s it. The give-away will last until Tuesday, March 1st. Once the give-away has ended I will gather the names of everyone on the email list and use random.org to select the recipient. Don’t worry if you’re already signed up.  You will be automatically added to the drawing.

Also, I would appreciate you helping me get the word out. So, if you are reading this by way of email, forward it to someone. Send the subscription link to people you know; post it in your Facebook status or as a tweet. For every status update, tweet or email you send I’ll add another entry with your name on it. Just leave me a comment or email letting me know how many times your name should be added. Make sense?

Thanks for playing. Stay blessed…john

There is a twist this year.  Cost of admission is a can of peanut butter, or a canned meat item.  All items will be given to Irving Cares.

What do you think about the invite?  Stay blessed...john

Check out the details here: Oak Haven 2011 Pancake Supper

Yesterday was a busy day.  Of course, Sunday School and worship in the morning.  Our Administrative Council met during lunch.  Then we hosted our Valentine Dinner & Movie.  It was a pot-luck with some real good stuff, and we watched the Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole--yes, it was a hoot.  All in all, Sunday was a blessing again.


I have provided for you the third sermon in our series For the Love of God.  This week we shifted our focus on what it means to love our neighbor.  The title of the sermon is A Get-And-Give Life. 


If you were attending church with us we would make sure to direct your attention to the "Now What" section of the bulletin. This is how it would read:

Consider what thing(s) you are thankful for that God has done for you (forgiveness, health, help, etc). Now, commit to giving that to someone this week.

Stay blessed...john

Confession: I miss H-E-B.

It sounds silly, I know.  But I remember the corny commercials with Spurs players.  I know the taste of their oh-so-delicious dark chocolate ice cream.  Yes, I laughed when I found out what the B stood for.  One day we will return to a land flowing with Hill Country Fair and the H-E-Buddy.

In the mean time we can all share in the H-E-B experience with this edition of Music Monday.  Apparently, this was a commercial during the Super Bowl.  I missed it.....just like I miss H-E-B.

It's a video about Texas.  Of course, H-E-B is from Texas.  Whether you understand my pain or not, if you're from Texas or have lived here long enough, you'll probably appreciate most of this video.  You can download an .mp3 version of the song, view the lyrics and get behind-the-scene looks at the video here: Jack Ingram's Exclusive H-E-B Commercial. A H-E-B shout out to my man Don for the link.

Here is the video: Full Length Version






Stay H-E-Blessed...john

Why?! Why?! Why couldn't I have thought of these first:

Hands On Salad Bowl

A funny video: Human Ventriloquist

Stay blessed...john

Discipleship is difficult. Becoming more like Christ, putting our own will behind us, is difficult. Many find it difficult and choose something else. Many more, maybe, make discipleship something else.

What do you think of this video:


Difficult, though, does not equate negativity. While it is difficult, it is filled with so much joy. Just think: what we were before God has made new.

Stay blessed...john
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Here is the latest edition the North Texas Conference News. The video covers music, an interview with the bishop and information about domestic human trafficking.

Stay blessed...john

I appreciated yesterday's service greatly. It was Communion Sunday, so we celebrated. The congregation joined with the children in a verse of This Little Light of Mine. It didn't sound like this, but was awesome nonetheless. The "theme" of the service, for the most part, carried throughout our time together.

The sermon A Super Kind of Faith was the second in our series entitled For the Love of God.  For the last two weeks we focused on what it means to love God.  I think I said what I wanted to in a faithful, meaningful way.  Time will tell.

You can listen to A Super Kind of Faith by clicking here, or using the sermon player below.  Also, the first sermon entitled Blessed to Bless can be downloaded here.



Stay blessed...john

This next story is for just about every person I know.  First, my dear Cowboy Capital of the World friends will appreciate the wisdom of this story.  Secondly, everyone else who has ever had to hear me preach can appreciate the point of the story.  So, for all of you, my family and friends, I pass this story on:

One Sunday, a cowboy went to church. When he entered, he saw that he and the preacher were the only ones present. The preacher asked the cowboy if he wanted him to go ahead and preach.

The cowboy said, “I'm no preacher, but if I went to feed my cattle and only one showed up, I’d feed him.”

So the minister began his sermon.

One hour passed, then two hours, then two-and-a-half hours. The preacher finally finished and came down to ask the cowboy how he had liked the sermon.

The cowboy answered slowly, “Well, I’m no preacher, but if I went to feed my cattle and only one showed up, I sure wouldn’t feed him all the hay.”

Stay blessed...john
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Yesterday's story was real.  Names and dates were not given in order to protect the identity of the faithful.  In that post we talked about ministry Super Bowl parties.  Today I saw this video: Is Your Church Having a Super Bowl party?




Was this video helpful? Are you either planning or planning to attend a ministry Super Bowl party? What have been your experiences with them?

Stay blessed...john
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