Our Passion

We are created with many passions. Some use them for bad purposes & get themsevles into a lot of trouble. We should turn our passion towards God & let that passion become integrated into every part of our lives. David was a warrior & a king. The passion that he had for God was incredible. He mentions in 2 Samuel 22:30 that with God he can go against any troop & with God he can leap over anywall. Talk about the original superman. David had a passion for God that enabled him to go against massive armies & do incredible things as the king.
Sometimes we look at the lack of committment from people to God & the things of God (prayer, Bible reading, regular church attendance, giving, etc.) & wonder what's going on. We will even chalk it up to our culture, society, how busy everyone is, & things like that in general. There is a solution & it's not by giving someone a book or starting a new program or yelling at the top of our lungs. The solution has to do with our passion for God.... quite simply... THERE IS A GREAT LACK OF PASSION FOR GOD & it's not integrated into our everyday lives.
People are really committed to what they are passionate about. They will sacrifice, place a high priority on, & even go out of their way to make sure that what they are passionate about happens. People aren't committed to God or the things of God because there is a lack of passion for God. Otherwise.... you couldn't keep them out of God's House, you couldn't keep them from giving, or sharing their testimony, or using their gifts & talents for God's kingdom and that passion would intgrate into everything.... their marriage, their children, their workplace, their social outlets, etc.
What are you passionate about? Too many peopel today are more passionate about their education, their kid's sports teams, climbing the ladder of success, their hunting, their sports teams, their cars/boats/etc., and their hobbies & interests to name a few than they are to God. Sadly, it showing in our culture & society.
Let's get passionate for God & integrate that passion in everypart of our life so people will see it!!!

The Loss Of A Dear Friend & Fellow Brother

I just got word yesterday that a very good friend of mine who was also a frat brother died from complications of the H1N1 virus & pneumonia. He was only about 35-36 years old (I believe.. maybe a bit younger). I followed his brother's updates on facebook over the last few days. His brother Mark is a fellow pastor in Kentucky. I have been kind of rivoted to my facebook page looking for updates on Kevin. It's really hard to beleive that his earthly life is over. Death always makes us take stock in what is 'really going on'. We get so used to the everyday routine down here that we forget to view things through the lens of Scripture. We are just pilgrims headed to our 'real' home. This life here on earth is just a journey of trust, faith, & love in Jesus Christ.

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 23 I feel torn between the two, because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, Phil 1:21,23 (NET)

Paul....realized that heaven is much better than earth & really desired to just be done with earth & flesh & get on to glory. He stayed, thank-the Lord, & wrote many letters that we are reading & living by today that are included in God's Word.

My friend Kevin JUST GAINED what we, as believers in Christ, are striving for. He gained... he didn't lose... he didn't give up... HE GAINED & He is worshiping the Father.

The death of a believer is not "good-bye", it's just "we'll see you very soon"

The Lord is coming soon.... take advantage of everyday... hug your spouse & kids, tell someone that you love them... don't take people or things for granted....

live this journey in such a way that the Father will one day say "you believed in my Son, you lived for me the best you could, good job"

God bless, Pastor G....... Kevin, we'll see you soon
(pray for their family)

Are You A Haunted House?

Jesus said a puzzling little parable in Matthew 12:43-45 about a spirit going out of a person, then it coming back in with 7 times more evil than before. WHAT WAS JESUS TALKING ABOUT?? He was talking about what the Pharisees & Scribes (the religious leaders & elite) were doing at the time & what we do today all too often. They had decided that since they no longer served idols like they used to & they kept the oral law very religously they were 'clean', 'safe', 'pure', & 'holy'. Jesus said... NO, you have swept up & cleaned the outside, but the INSIDE IS JUNK & that's not going to cut it. That is what happens to many today... they clean up on the outside, they look good, they try to be holy & righteous in their own strength, but there has NEVER BEEN A TOTAL REBIRTH & change of the heart through Jesus Christ & the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus looked at the Pharisees & said "there has been reformation, but no REGENERATION". That is what we need..that is what the person srtuggling in the world needs... REGENERATION... not reformation. That is why some will struggle with sins over & over & over again.. only to fall into it time after time after time. They usually are trying to 'clean up' themselves instead of running to God & saying "change me on the inside through your Spirit". Don't just clean up & look good on the outside... be changed from withing. The Gospel work is from inside to outside, NOT outside in. You also can't clean a fish until you catch it... so don't expect people to fix their problems & situation before they come to church.... let them come JUST AS THEY ARE to meet a Savior ready to heal them!!
Pastor G (you can listen to the sermon on this on our website odky.org)

It's time to blog again

Ok, I haven't blogged in a while, but now that I am posting it on our church's website I've got to keep up with it & that is what I shall do. My brother even called me yesterday & told me I've got to update it if I'm going to post on it. So here we go... there will be more post, there will be more info, & hopefully more stuff to chat about... enjoy & chime in
..go throught the archives & check out some of my older, orginal ones...especially the "breakthrough diet".. I believe that would be amazing if everyone joined in that one
Pastor G