"On a daily basis we're faced with two simple choices. We can either listen to oursevles and our constantly changing feelings about our circumstances, or we can talk to oursevles about the unchanging truth of who God is and what He's accomplished for us at the cross."
- The Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney (p. 47)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Are you Listening or Talking to Yourself?
Basketball Ups and Downs
The junior high basketball team I coach had games on Thursday and Saturday. Thursday we had a game against Wilton and although we won, we did not play very well. We jumped out to an early lead and then coasted the rest of the game instead of playing hard. So in our game at Max on Saturday I challenged the guys to play hard for all 24 minutes (four 6 minute quarters). They responded, played hard the whole game and won, even though we were missing two guys.
I should clarify that I'm referring to our 8th grade team. We also have a seventh grade team that have not been as successful in games this season. Actually, we only have two seventh graders and three six graders that make up this team. So it's a young and inexperienced team and in order to play games I usually have to sub in a couple of the less experienced eight graders. Unlike some of the older kids, these kids are still working on getting the basics and I feel like I have not spent enough time during practice helping them with the fundamentals but have instead thrown them into the same routine with the kids who have more experience. In our remaining month please pray that I would have wisdom for leading the younger kids.
Yesterday my wife and I drove down to Bismarck to see our high school girls' team play their first-round regional game. They finished second in our district and only lost twice all season. However, they struggled at times both offensively and defensively against Grant County and ended up losing the game by two. This was certainly an unexpected result as everyone thought this team had a decent chance of making out of the region and playing in the state tournament.
Okay, enough about basketball. This Sunday I began working with the senior highers during Sunday School. The curriculum we use is from Great Commission Publications and this semester is taking the high schoolers through Romans. I am very excited about working with the two guys in the class and especially in going through one of the richest books in the Bible. Please pray for my wisdom in communicating God's truth to these teens and that God would open their hearts to receive it and live it out. Also pray for my wife as she leads the 4-5th grade class and especially as she has the opportunity to teach an unchurched girl named Paige.
By God's Grace, Jeff
I should clarify that I'm referring to our 8th grade team. We also have a seventh grade team that have not been as successful in games this season. Actually, we only have two seventh graders and three six graders that make up this team. So it's a young and inexperienced team and in order to play games I usually have to sub in a couple of the less experienced eight graders. Unlike some of the older kids, these kids are still working on getting the basics and I feel like I have not spent enough time during practice helping them with the fundamentals but have instead thrown them into the same routine with the kids who have more experience. In our remaining month please pray that I would have wisdom for leading the younger kids.
Yesterday my wife and I drove down to Bismarck to see our high school girls' team play their first-round regional game. They finished second in our district and only lost twice all season. However, they struggled at times both offensively and defensively against Grant County and ended up losing the game by two. This was certainly an unexpected result as everyone thought this team had a decent chance of making out of the region and playing in the state tournament.
Okay, enough about basketball. This Sunday I began working with the senior highers during Sunday School. The curriculum we use is from Great Commission Publications and this semester is taking the high schoolers through Romans. I am very excited about working with the two guys in the class and especially in going through one of the richest books in the Bible. Please pray for my wisdom in communicating God's truth to these teens and that God would open their hearts to receive it and live it out. Also pray for my wife as she leads the 4-5th grade class and especially as she has the opportunity to teach an unchurched girl named Paige.
By God's Grace, Jeff
Wisdom, Stewardship, Service of Eternal Preparation
This past Sunday in our church's year-long sermon series through the Gospel of Matthew, I preached on Matthew 25:1-46 in which we saw that being ready for Jesus' return or to face judgment when you die involves godly decision-making, being faithful caretakers of all God has given us, and self-sacrificially caring for others here and now. The sermon is entitled "The Wisdom, Stewardship & Service of Eternal Preparation." If you'd like to listen to it, click here.
By God's Grace, Jeff
By God's Grace, Jeff
Friday, February 20, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Jesus' Return is Sure but are You Sure You're Ready?
This past Sunday I preached on Matthew 24:29-51 in which Jesus teaches his followers about the nature of his Second Coming and what that means for how they lives their lives. The main point as I saw it relating to us today is "Jesus' Return is Sure but are You Sure You're Ready?" If you'd like to listen to the sermon audio click here.
By God's Grace, Jeff
By God's Grace, Jeff
A Time for Life and a Time for Death
This past Thursday I officiated my second funeral in the past two weeks. Last Sunday I received a call from a member of our congregation that his mother, whose health had been declining, passed away. On Wednesday I led a family service for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and then on Thursday she was laid to rest. The last couple of weeks have been quite busy and at times quite difficult but I have been blessed to be there for these families and to assure them of the hope held out in the gospel for all who repent and have faith in Christ.
Saturday morning the junior high basketball team had a rematch against the only team we've lost to so far this season, our sister town, Turtle-Lake. Again we jumped out to an early lead but then gave it back and in the second half we were never up or down by more than a few points. The game ended up going into overtime and we were able to squeak out the victory 37-34. I am enjoying working with these kids and seeing them develop the basketball skills, love for the game and grow as young men. Please pray for me ongoing coaching and leading of these boys.
After the game on Saturday my wife and I drove down to Bismarck for our every other week securing of provisions and to celebrate Valentine's Day. We planned on having a nice lunch at the recently opened Olive Garden. But when we arrived a few minutes after noon the wait was already 50 minutes! So we drove across the street and had Taco Bell for our romantic lunch. Before you jump to conclusions you need to understand that my wife loves Taco Bell and since the nearest one is 50 miles away we rarely get to eat there so she did not mind at all. Then we saw the movie "Marley and Me" and thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend it but bring some tissues with you as it's a tearjerker. We ran the rest of our errands and picked up a pizza.
On Sunday I finished the current adult Sunday School series entitled "Maximizing your Bible Reading." Next week one of our elders will take over teaching the class through 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Titus and I will work for a couple months with the high school class. I excited about this since they just started a series through Romans so that should be a lot of fun. I also led a service at the nursing home this Sunday and afterward had the opportunity to share the gospel with a woman whose health is declining and desired some pastoral counseling.
By God's Grace, Jeff
Saturday morning the junior high basketball team had a rematch against the only team we've lost to so far this season, our sister town, Turtle-Lake. Again we jumped out to an early lead but then gave it back and in the second half we were never up or down by more than a few points. The game ended up going into overtime and we were able to squeak out the victory 37-34. I am enjoying working with these kids and seeing them develop the basketball skills, love for the game and grow as young men. Please pray for me ongoing coaching and leading of these boys.
After the game on Saturday my wife and I drove down to Bismarck for our every other week securing of provisions and to celebrate Valentine's Day. We planned on having a nice lunch at the recently opened Olive Garden. But when we arrived a few minutes after noon the wait was already 50 minutes! So we drove across the street and had Taco Bell for our romantic lunch. Before you jump to conclusions you need to understand that my wife loves Taco Bell and since the nearest one is 50 miles away we rarely get to eat there so she did not mind at all. Then we saw the movie "Marley and Me" and thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend it but bring some tissues with you as it's a tearjerker. We ran the rest of our errands and picked up a pizza.
On Sunday I finished the current adult Sunday School series entitled "Maximizing your Bible Reading." Next week one of our elders will take over teaching the class through 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Titus and I will work for a couple months with the high school class. I excited about this since they just started a series through Romans so that should be a lot of fun. I also led a service at the nursing home this Sunday and afterward had the opportunity to share the gospel with a woman whose health is declining and desired some pastoral counseling.
By God's Grace, Jeff
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Remain Spiritually Vigilant in the Last Days
This past Sunday (2/8/09) I preached on Matthew 24:1-28, in which Jesus addresses His followers' questions about the end times. I understood the main point of the passage as it relates to us today as "Remain Spiritually Vigilant in the Last Days." If you would like to listen to the sermon audio you can by clicking here.
By God's Grace, Jeff
By God's Grace, Jeff
Superficial Godliness is NO Godliness at All
Two Sundays ago I preached on Matthew 23:1-39 (in which Jesus offers seven "woes" regarding the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His day). The main point of the passage as I saw it relating to us today is "Superficial Godliness is NO Godliness at all." If you would like to listen to the sermon audio click here.
By God's Grace, Jeff
By God's Grace, Jeff
Monday, February 9, 2009
My Insane Week
It all started on a nice Sunday afternoon. After the church service, my wife and I drove to Fargo, got "Chilis" to-go and watched the Superbowl in a hotel room. Monday morning we got up and drove the rest of the way to Minneapolis for the Desiring God Pastor's Conference. Monday night Pastor Mark Dever gave a talk on the necessity of understanding and communicating the gospel clearly and entirely in our evangelistic efforts. I also spent some time wandering through the book store and ended up making quite a few purchases (best Christian bookstore ever!).
However, that evening I also recieved a call that a member of our congregation had passed away. He was already suffering from some severe health problems when we first came to Underwood but I had had the chance to really get to know him and see some amazing fruit in his life in the last year and a half.
Tuesday at the conference was full of more great talks. Pastor Matt Chandler spoke on the impact of the gospel on "nominal" Christian congregations. Mark Dever spoke twice on the Pastor and evangelism and the Church and evenaglism. And Pastor John Piper gave a talk on the life and ministry of one of Christianty's greatest evangelists, George Whitefield. In addition, my wife and I had a chance to swing by the Mall of America during the afternoon break.
Since the fuenral was scheduled for Thursday, we headed out early Wednesday morning (skippping the last couple conference talks) and made it back to Underwood in the late afternoon. I was able then to finally meet with the bereaved family and go over some important funeral details. After bible study that night I was up late working on the funeral sermon.
I arrived at the church building Thursday morning to help get things organized and to be with the family. The service started at ten am and was followed by a lunch in the fellowship hall. That afternoon I had basketball practice and then tried to get some things together in preparation for Sunday. On Friday I continued to work on the sermon and Sunday School lesson, with an afternoon break for basketball practice. Saturday afternoon the church book club met to discuss the first half of C.J. Mahaney's "The Cross-Centered Life." Then Saturday evening I visited the family again and put the final touches on the preparations for Sunday morning.
You might think that would be enough but on Sunday morning as I was getting ready for the worship service, I received a call from another congregant that his mother had passed away. So my heart was heavy again as I led the congregation on Sunday morning. After the services we had our annual meeting and then I jetted down to Washburn to meet this family at the funeral home to begin the planning to lay to rest their mother.
God did provide my wife and I some much needed rest Sunday evening and I certainly felt His graciousness through all of the trials of this past week. Please pray for me to continue trusting God's timing of events in my life and to grow in ministering to those He has called me to care for.
By God's Grace, Jeff
However, that evening I also recieved a call that a member of our congregation had passed away. He was already suffering from some severe health problems when we first came to Underwood but I had had the chance to really get to know him and see some amazing fruit in his life in the last year and a half.
Tuesday at the conference was full of more great talks. Pastor Matt Chandler spoke on the impact of the gospel on "nominal" Christian congregations. Mark Dever spoke twice on the Pastor and evangelism and the Church and evenaglism. And Pastor John Piper gave a talk on the life and ministry of one of Christianty's greatest evangelists, George Whitefield. In addition, my wife and I had a chance to swing by the Mall of America during the afternoon break.
Since the fuenral was scheduled for Thursday, we headed out early Wednesday morning (skippping the last couple conference talks) and made it back to Underwood in the late afternoon. I was able then to finally meet with the bereaved family and go over some important funeral details. After bible study that night I was up late working on the funeral sermon.
I arrived at the church building Thursday morning to help get things organized and to be with the family. The service started at ten am and was followed by a lunch in the fellowship hall. That afternoon I had basketball practice and then tried to get some things together in preparation for Sunday. On Friday I continued to work on the sermon and Sunday School lesson, with an afternoon break for basketball practice. Saturday afternoon the church book club met to discuss the first half of C.J. Mahaney's "The Cross-Centered Life." Then Saturday evening I visited the family again and put the final touches on the preparations for Sunday morning.
You might think that would be enough but on Sunday morning as I was getting ready for the worship service, I received a call from another congregant that his mother had passed away. So my heart was heavy again as I led the congregation on Sunday morning. After the services we had our annual meeting and then I jetted down to Washburn to meet this family at the funeral home to begin the planning to lay to rest their mother.
God did provide my wife and I some much needed rest Sunday evening and I certainly felt His graciousness through all of the trials of this past week. Please pray for me to continue trusting God's timing of events in my life and to grow in ministering to those He has called me to care for.
By God's Grace, Jeff
Top Ten 2009 Superbowl Ads
Here's my list of the top ten Superbowl ads from this year. Sorry for not posting this sooner but this past week has been quite busy. Anyway, hope you enjoy! By God's Grace, Jeff
10. Careerbuilder.com - "It might be time" (to switch jobs that is)
9. Audi - With the guy from the "Transporter" movies
8. Bridgestone - Moon-rover
7. Budweiser - Horse fetching tree limb
6. Monster.com - Moose's "backside"
5. Coke Zero - "Mean Joe Green" parody
4. E-trade - babies talking ("shagapatomous")
3. Bridgestone - Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead
2. Redigree - "Maybe you should think about a dog"
1. Pepsi - Bob Dylan and Wyclef Jean's generations
9. Audi - With the guy from the "Transporter" movies
8. Bridgestone - Moon-rover
7. Budweiser - Horse fetching tree limb
6. Monster.com - Moose's "backside"
5. Coke Zero - "Mean Joe Green" parody
4. E-trade - babies talking ("shagapatomous")
3. Bridgestone - Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead
2. Redigree - "Maybe you should think about a dog"
1. Pepsi - Bob Dylan and Wyclef Jean's generations
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