The Zoo Kids

The Zoo Kids
Finally Together

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Overwhelmed by the Body

By "body" I mean the body of Christ. Last week I was getting ready to head out of town to lead a mission trip to Lakeshore, MS with 15 college students. 3 of our 4 children were sick and my wife was not feeling her best either. I commented to a couple of friends at church to keep an eye on her and make sure she is alright while I was gone. Monday night some friends invited her and the kids over and Thursday night our Sunday School class brought dinner. Needless to say my wife and kids were in good hands while I was gone. 

Today I got to the BCM to find several folks from our church in the yard cleaning up and hedging bushes. I knew they were going to be there, but seeing them there working just magnified my being overwhelmed by the community of believers we are blessed to be a part of. 

This is just a couple of many things we have experienced living here in Cochran, GA and being a part of the community of Christ-followers here at First Baptist Church. A couple of weeks ago we had a weekend filled with fellowship and friends, worshipping, a couple being baptized, sharing meals, working side-by-side, and just hanging out. It was a great weekend. 

We are truly blessed! 

Believe AND Belong!!!

From my time with the Lord reading and reflecting on His Word this morning:


Luke 4:33-34, 41 (cf. Mk.3:11) - Demons and evil spirits KNEW Jesus was "the Holy One of God", "the Son of God", and "the Christ." They KNEW that Jesus was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, but in spite of what they BELIEVED they did not BELONG to Jesus.


This is what I believe to be the greatest issue facing the church (especially the church in the United States) today - our churches are filled with folks who believe, but do not belong. They KNOW Jesus is the Holy One of God, the Son of God, the Christ...yet they continue to live for themselves and have never made the commitment to BELONG to Christ. I am not talking about living a perfect life, but I am talking about making a commitment to belong and then living in such a way that you devote your life to living out that commitment. This is a commitment that is very similar to the one we are supposed to make when we marry someone - we give ourselves to them, for them, for the long haul! This is my commitment to Christ: to Him, for Him, for the long haul!


Psalm 34:22 - Those who take refuge in Him - who put their lives in His hands - will never have to worry about being condemned!!!
Romans 10:9-11 - Those who trust in Him will never be put to shame!!!
John 10:26-30 - Those who believe and belong (are His sheep) have placed their lives in His hands and are eternally secure because HE holds them with a two-fisted grip! HE holds us - we don't hold Him!!! And He will never let us Go!
Jeremiah 32:40 - He inspires His own to fear Him in such a way that they will never turn away from Him.


What a comfort to know that I am His and that He will never let me go! Hallelujah! Amen!


I believe! And I belong! I am His, for Him, for the long haul! He has me and will never let me go!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Mission Trip 09 - The Return to Lakeshore

I just got home from spending the week in Lakeshore, MS with several students from MGC. We had a blast and the Lord led us into some great conversations this week. We had a wonderful worship time Tuesday night with the other 3 BCM groups who were there. A few of our girls had a really cool time with God last night. We sat around and talked about it and the Lord had plans to continue the conversation. In my Quiet Time this morning He has some things to say that were very parallel to what we were talking about last night so we had a good time of discussion and reading & reflecting on the Lord's Word this morning as we drove toward home. The Lord never ceases to amaze me with how He works and speaks through His Word. Very cool time!

Glad to be home though!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Baptism @ the Hangar


Tonight was a very cool night. We had 3 of our students from MGC get baptised before their peers at the Thursday night college worship service that FBC Cochran hosts. Father is doing some amazing things around this little country town.

PK & Tinsley

Tracey & Tommy

Tracey & Montez


Tinsley, Tommy, & Montez

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Crazy Love

This  morning I was thinking about how I interact with my Father. I was praying this morning that the Lord would help me have a better understanding how I should live in relationship with Him. As I read my Old Testament passages this morning I got a great look at how the children of God had to relate to Him in the OT and I was immediately grateful that I no longer have to atone for every sin (even those I committed unknowingly or unintentionally). I am thankful that my Jesus was the final and perfect sacrifice for my sin. As I read my New Testament passage I got to revisit the trial and humiliation Jesus went through along with His death on the cross for my sin. I am so thankful that my Jesus atoned for my sin and did for me what I could never do in a million years if I was the most devoted Christ follower to ever live. 

So I leave my one-on-one time with Father this morning still reflecting on how to properly relate to Him. While in Wal-Mart last night I picked up a book that a good friend has read and recommended to me - Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Shannon started reading it last night and as a family we watched one of his videos online this morning for our family devotional. It too was talking about how we should properly relate to the Father. The website is www.crazylovebook.com and you can check out the videos from that page. I am specifically talking about the "introduction" video and the "the awe factor of God" video. I have a lot of respect for Francis Chan and his radical living for Father. I can't wait to get into this book and glean from his thoughts about loving Father and how to respond to His love. 

Coach

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The First Post

Our family is in the middle of our second semester working here at Middle Georgia College. We are having a blast and are seeing the Lord doing some very cool things. I wanted to create a blog to share some of these things with friends and family. The following will reflect our journey with the Lord as we endeavor to give our all to be disciples who lead others to do the same - I call this bleading for Christ - "being a disciple of Jesus Christ who leads others to do the same."

The Lord has been very good to us here in Cochran. We moved here praying for a home that would be big enough for our family (zoo) and also condusive to being a place where we minister to students and others in our community. Our home has truly been a base for ministry and we love it and would not have it any other way! This past weekend we were trying to put a playset together for our kids in the back yard and on Saturday we had upwards of 15 students here helping and hanging out. Sunday afternoon was much the same and we also had some good friends from our church come help too. We have a good number of students in our home on Monday night for Bible study and we often have them over for lunch on Sunday too. We love having a home that serves as a base for ministry. The Lord is good!

We also prayed in coming here that we would find a community of believers who lived and shared much like we read about the New Testament church. We have a great group of friends at our church (FBC Cochran) and we truly seek to serve one another however and whenever we can. When we first got here our youth pastor came over with his mower and mowed our lawn for us because we did not have one yet (still don't!!!). We have been blessed enough to bless others in a few ways and we have been blessed in many ways ourselves. It has been a very cool thing to experience.

I wish I had started blogging these things months ago, but better late than never.

This past month we saw 3 of our guys commit and give their lives to Jesus. We have seen many others recommit their lives to the Lord. We spend most of our time meeting students one-on-one and discipling/mentoring them. Thus many of my students have been calling me "coach." I kinda like the nickname so I hope it sticks. This is a great honor to carry such a title and it brings with it much responsibility. "I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength" (Phil.4:13).

That is enough for now.

Fight the good fight!

Coach