Sermon Prep

How often do we realize how much time goes into preparing a sermon.  I knew stats that said a really good sermon takes between 20 and 30 hours of preperation.  Since I am prepping mine right now, I thought last weekend when I really started to get my hands dirty that I could have this done in 10 or 15 hours total.  Well guess what, I was wrong.  But this whole experience has made me realize how much I appreciate my pastors for doing this week in and week out.  It is hard to do this with not only school but also gearing up for our youth service on Sunday.  I have thought that throughout this whole thing that when I get a chance to be a youth pastor or pastor someday that this won't seem so bad because I won't have school and stuff to distract me, because that will be my job. Then I was thinking last night in bed, because that's where most of my great ideas come from when I can't sleep, that this won't be as easy as I think when I get a chance to be a pastor because of the responsibilities I will have to my congregation of youth group.  So I think this is something more than just prepping a sermon, but it is prepping me for life in ministry.  On Sunday, the only two things that I want to do is Worship God while pleasing Him, and accurately talk about His Word because of passages like Galatians 1 and James 3.
Oh God, help me to be accurate with the words that you have given us.
God help me to be your mouth piece, and do not let me get in the way!
Lord, the thing I ask is Use me!

I ask for those of who you read this that you would pray for me as I start to come to ending of my sermon prep. There is still quite a bit to do, but it is coming down to the wire.  Please pray that God would use this experience to show me what He can do.  It's not about me and my great speaking ability, but it is about the Holy Spirit using me to work in the lives of many people that will hear what we as GARRA have to say on Sunday!  Lord use us to do some pretty awesome things this Sunday at Faith Baptist Church!

Contentment in Faith

What does this even mean, contentment in faith?  So many times I have been taught to be content in whatever God has given me, but I also hear have faith that God will give you when ask in faith.  I am trying to be very careful, but I am wondering how to be content while having faith that God will give you what we need.  God doesn't want us to settle I believe.  I believe that we should want to do things, and even want things, to glorify Him.  The problem with this is when we let those things get in the way of glorifying God.  So where is the contentment in faith?  I believe we have to observe where we are, what we have, what we want, and see if we are truly satisfied with what we see.  What are areas that we are not content in?  Well, for me it easy to say, its relationally and materialistically.  While these are very general, they are so specific.  I will be open and honest, I want to be in a relationship that is according to God's plan, but am struggling to wait on His plan to come.  Materialistically, I want a SUV instead of my car.  Are these bad things?  No they are not, but am I letting these things get in the way of my relationship with God?  Honestly, yes I have.  I have not gone to God and seeked Him out, I have let my wants and desires to overcome my thinking and let God get out of the equation.  How foolish is that?  So contentment with faith, where does this come into play?  Well, relationally, God has someone that is awesome and someone that I cannot imagine out there waiting for me, as I am waiting for her.  The way that I can please Him now is living a life that is morally pure, honest, and loving towards her, even though I do not know who she is.  Materialistically, I am thankful that I have a car that I can drive back and forth from school to home to be involved with a youth group that is growing in their relationship with Christ.  God has blessed me so much that I do not even realize some things.  When I have asked the question in the past, God why not?  I have to remind myself that God is the only thing that I need, and He supplies what I need when I need it, not necessarily when I want it.  How often do we realize that He does do that?  He gives us what we need because He knows what we need, and what we do not need.  Rob Bell really does explain it best when he says that God does not give us always what we need because of two things.  1, He knows what will happen with it, because it might get tangled up and messed up, and 2, He knows what is to come, like an "OWANGE" kickball!

Wanting to be Done

Well, I am sitting at my computer, working on a paper that is coming together after around 7 hours of work.  This is really annoying because it feels like nothing is accomplished, and the only thing that I can think of is Skyview is coming, and school will not be as much like this.  If you are confused, I am doing an internship at Skyview Ranch in Ohio next year that is going to count towards school.  One thing that I have to keep reminding myself of is to not give up on this semester and jump straight to the summer.  That is what I really want to do, and just be done with school.  This is really annoying, but I have to push on.  Well, I would love to just keep writing, but unfortunately I have a paper that I have to finish!!!

Letting God, and not getting in the way

This past month has been one of the toughest of my life.  I have had a roller coaster month, and started on a low, but really took off on February 2.  I thought life was perfect, God let me have what I wanted, an awesome girlfriend.  Things changed though, I took that for granted.  We both decided that we weren't ready for this, and time still needed to develop a friendship.  That was hard to accept, and I really didn't want to accept it.  I fought it, I fought God, but looking back, I was advising God to let this happen, while making it sound like I want what God wants, but I was just fooling myself, I was telling God this is what I want.  So the last two weeks I have been battling on what in the world to do.  I was so willing to wait and wait and wait, and couldn't take it anymore, I really just wanted this whole thing to be done.  I was so consumed in myself, that I completely forgot about God.  Yeah I would read my Bible, go to class, go to chapel, but struggle deep within on this battle.  I wanted this done, I wanted this gone, and I took care of it, I ended one of the most valuable friendships that I have had at BBC.  I reacted, and didn't act, and gave up.  I am so thankful that God is a God of second chances though, I have no idea if that friendship will be reconciled, but I pray that it will be.
So why blog this?  Because I want people to realize two things, why I have been frustrated, tired, and beat up lately.  But also, I want people to think about their friendships.  Where are they?  First off are they right with God?  Have you built your friendships to a point where you are able to go through a fire and be refined?  Friends are some of the best things that can happen in life, but we need to make sure that God is still the priority.  That is the one thing that I have learned through this, is that even though we think we know what is going on, God is still in control, and sometimes we have to let go and let God.  What does this look like?  I am still learning this, but when we do let go and let God work, things become so much easier because we don't have to worry about what is going on.  This is a lesson that has taken me all month to figure out, but it is one that I am glad I had to learn.  I really wish I could have learned this three weeks ago, but I didn't and now I can honestly say that I have given this over to God, and He is control of this now.  Praise God from whom all blessing flow!