Fall Fun!

From now until the end of December is by far my favorite time of the year! Cooler weather, change of colors, Thanksgiving, Christmas, DEER HUNTING! It just doesn't get any better than this! This past weekend was opening weekend of hunting season so it was off to the woods (as if I haven't been spending time there). Loved watching the four-legged creatures but am still waiting for the granddaddy of em all!

Saturday night we loaded up to head to 320 Laird Street for some Fall Festivities! Good thing I already had my costume on! Gracen dressed up like a bee and Addelyn a little duck. I had to eat fifty bowls of gumbo to get filled and Gracen went through the giant jumper a hundred times! Loved it! Claiborne Christian did a great job putting it on!

28 Reasons Why I Love My Wife

Today my wife Jodi turns 28 years old! So I thought I'd list 28 reasons why I love her.

1. She is in love with God!
2. She hears the voice of God. (scary sometimes!)
3. She is a wonderful mother!
4. She takes great care of our home!
5. She takes great care of me!
6. She is a wonderful friend to so many people!
7. She is wise!
8. She is absolutely beautiful!
9. She is a "country gal".
10. She is an "off the chain" cook!
11. She is all about family!
12. She is very creative!
13. She is a whole lot of fun to be around!
14. She has an awesome smile!
15. She is very giving!
16. She is a wonderful partner and support in ministry!
17. She is super kind!
18. She is sacrificial!
19. She is content!
20. She has beautiful eyes!
21. She is a respectful and submissive wife!
22. She has a tender heart!
23. She loves animals!
24. She loves to travel and go to different places!
25. She loves sports!
26. She is Godly!
27. She is very helpful!
28. She is a great listener!
and #29 for one to grow on...She has an unbelievable husband!

I love you Jodi and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
27.
28.

Family Worship Time

"Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

Last night we had our weekly family worship time where we came together as a family unit to sing, pray, read God's word, and have a blast! I understand now more than ever that God has given me, the husband/father, the responsibility to lead my family towards Jesus Christ. I have been passionate about many things in my life. One in particular is evangelism. Through the years I've been involved in jail ministry, street ministry, missions, etc., etc., etc., but none comes close to the evangelization of my own kids. God gives us, no commands us, as parents to evangelize and disciple our very own. I am understanding more and more that truly the heartbeat of God is family. The very first "organization" in his word is just that-family. When we describe the trinity the wording is -family. "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When God illustrates his relationship with the church he uses "Bride of Christ and the Bridegroom". Again-family. The best way to evanglize the world is again-family, through multi-generational faithfulness. Jodi and I are very early in the journey with our kids but I thank God he has placed within us passion, placed around us mentors, and placed us in a church that bleeds family. With Hell having an all out assault on the family until it will take a strong spiritual gameplan and the power of the Holy Spirit to raise our sons and daughters to walk with God in a world that does just the opposite.

Last night we sang a few songs together, prayed, and then taught Gracen the story of Noah. Gracen has a Noah's Ark with alot of animals so we used that as an object lesson. We then acted out animals and let her guess which animal we were acting out. It was a lot of fun and seeds from God's word were planted in her heart. I want her to be raised knowing it is normal for a family to worship together in their home just as normal it is for the body of Christ to worship together in the house of God.

Enjoy some of the pics Jodi took!

Life's Disappointments

In over eighteen years of deer hunting I've only missed ONE opening morning of rifle season (the first year I ever hunted) and never have missed an opening morning of muzzle loader. Well..that first morning came this past Saturday. All day Friday I had sighted in my muzzleloader and did prep work to get me ready for Saturday morning. The weather was to be PERFECT! I was so very excited! Earlier in the week I spent all morning and night taking care of Jodi and Gracen who had a horrible stomach bug. Thankfully I hadn't gotten it! After coming in Friday night from a squirrel hunt down by the house my stomach started making funny sounds. The rest is history. Hugged up by the toilet at 3:30 AM I knew my hopes of the morning hunt were done. For six hours my best friend was 7-UP, a wet rag, and the toilet (not to mention my good wife). I woke up about 8:30 walked on the porch and was again sick (this time emotionally) as I watched the gorgeous morning and knew the deer had to have moved by my stand. As the day grew I began feeling so much better. About 4:30 PM I grabbed the "smoke pole", my camo bag, and my NLT and headed for my "Church Stand" as I call it. About an hour in I had two doe come out and one had my name on it. After going back to the house to pick up "Champ" my old trusted Yellow Black Mouth Cur we went in to retrieve the deer. After what seemed to be such a disappointing morning turned in to a "dream" fulfilled.

The Bible says in Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life."

So many folks hopes and dreams have been put off due to life's situations. A promise of God that seems to go unfulfilled. A God given vision that seems to go unfulfilled. A "turn" in life that was unexpected. All of these have a way of "making our heart sick" at times. You never know when that "hope" to be fulfilled is waiting around the corner. When that promise of God is just days from being fulfilled. When that "unanswered prayer" is only hours from being answered. When that God given vision is only an arm length away. Learn a lesson from the deer hunt.

Small Group Outreach

I took my 8th grade boys small group down to the corner of Desiard and 6th Street in downtown Monroe yesterday afternoon to hook up with Ricky Nolan. Ricky is the founder of Hope Street Ministries and has served the poor now for over 28 selfless years. We met under the I-20 bridge and preached from a "dirt pulpit". I opened it up reading out of Isaiah 53:6 sharing about how we all like sheep have left God's paths to follow our own. I then shared the different parables in Luke 15 about the lost sheep, lost coin,and the lost son. Bro. Rick followed me up reading out of Romans 15. We were able to pray and minister to the needs of the people afterwards. Flo Worster also brought down her 8th grade girls small group who helped feed the people a nice warm meal. I'm so proud of our young people and them being active in serving the poor. This is always my boys favorite small group activity!

You can read more about Hope Street Ministries by clicking the link to the right of this blog.

"Life Lessons from Deer Hunting"

What I love about F.C.

We had a great weekend at Family Church. Presence driven worship, I got the priviledge of baptizing four folks, and Michael Stravato brought a powerful/challenging word on suffering.

As I was getting ready this morning several "things" were stirring in my heart. One of those "things" was on the subject of why I love Family Church so much. Here are a few:

1. The Word of God is preached in it's fullness from the pulpit.

2. We are challenged daily to live out what is being preached from the pulpit.

3. A tremendous focus is placed on the family unit. The most effective approach/method in discipleship and evangelism is through the family.

4. The wonderful relationships I get to be apart of.

5. The "ship" is always moving forward. F.C. is always striving to go forward towards the goal God has called us to.

6. Family Church is a GREAT place to raise your family!

These are just a few reasons of why I love Family Church so much!

What is your family's game plan?

I was sitting at a high school football game several years ago watching a team that had a tradition of winning championships. Their offensive plan of attack was always the “triple option”. They had run this offense for years and although “slow”, “dirty”, and not very “flashy” it was tough as ever for any defense to stop it. They had nearly perfected this plan and ran this “smash mouth” type offense successfully for years. I remember sitting at this one particular game where it was taking the team a little bit longer to get going and it was as if this offensive strategy wasn’t working anymore. I heard well-meaning but ignorant fans hollering from the stands, “Come on Coach! Run another play!” and “Throw the ball Coach!”. Sitting sixteen rows up in the stands I still knew what was going through those coaches minds-“Stick with the gameplan”. Eventually, their offense “blew the gates open” and their proven plan had worked again. I commended these coaches in my heart in that they stuck with the gameplan even when the pressure was on. Even when they were ridiculed and being mocked by their own fans. Even when they weren’t seeing immediate results. And especially because they didn’t throw out the proven playbook to follow someone else’s.

Like sports, we have gameplans for almost every other thing in life. If we want to loose weight we have a game plan to do that. If we have a financial goal to get out of debt or retirement we have that. When I was in the insurance and financial services field I had a hourly plan, a daily plan, a weekly plan, a monthly plan, and an annual business plan. My proven goal each day was one that had been proven successful by other agents who came about long before me. It was “Set two appointments a day each day for sometime in the future.” I did not leave my office each day until that goal had been met. I knew if I called enough people, got in front of enough people eventually I would get the appointments I needed. I knew even if people told me “no” I was just around the corner from a “yes”.

So back to my original question, “What is your family’s gameplan?” It doesn’t take a genious to look around and see that something is not right. You can even look back only 40 or 50 years ago and see a huge melt down from the family. God has laid out a specific gameplan in his word on our roles as husbands, wives, and children. And I believe he gives each family a specific gameplan just for that family to carry out. The truth is we have an enemy that is out to destroy the family unit and we can’t just expect and just “hope for the best.” If we just sit idely by and just go through the motions we will either be totally defeated or never live up to our potential. This takes specific, intentiall action on our parts to execute the plan!
I have had a passion for several things in my Christian walk but one that burns deep into my soul is for my family. Over the past seven years the vision God has given my family has gotten more and more narrow and more and more focused. Now, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that God has given the Payne Family a very specific plan to follow and it is my job as the head of my home to cast that vision to my wife and family. My wife is the one with the legs that helps me carry it out every single day. I could not do it without her heart and soul. Fortunately, she is just as or more passionate about it than I am. We can’t afford to put “hot items” on the back burner like we do our lawns that need to be mowed. This is urgent and needs immediate attention. I can’t tell you how many times I just cry and cry in prayer when I realize the briefness of time that we trully have with my daughters. Will we do a good enough job? Will they be ready to take on the world? Will they reproduce what we are instilling in them? Will they fall in love with Jesus Christ? Will they make wonderful, loving, Godly wives to their husbands one day? All of this can become quite overwhelming. It is then I realize that we are at the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. We need his Holy Spirit to give us wisdom, courage, and confindence in His plan. We need the power of his Holy Spirit working and molding the characters of our daughters. Without this vital ingredient nothing will work. But with this vital ingrediant anything is possible.

Here are some quesitons to ask ourselves?

1) What is the gameplan for my family at this stage in life?
2) Are we executing and carrying out that plan?
3) What do we need to change in our lives to get with the gameplan God has given my family?
4) Are the players of the home following the gameplan?

Some examples of some goals to set.These are some I have laid out for our youth workers before.

1) Goal #1-To become Fully Devoted to Jesus
• How will this be carried out? How will we "get there"? It’s not just going to “happen”. The Bible tells us to “train ourselves to be Godly.”
• Spend quality time each day to connect with Christ. Read and study his word, worship time, stay connected with the Body of Christ, etc.
• Through off the “sins” and other things in our lives that will hinder us from reaching this goal.

2) Goal #2-Have a strong marriage
• How will this be met? How will we "get there?" "How will we strive towards this?"
• Over the next 30 days my wife/husband and I will have “date nights”, or other times where we can connect each other, and communicate.

3) Goal #3-Raise Godly Children
• How will this be met?
• Modeling a godly walk with Christ in front of them, Model a godly marriage in front of them. Spending quality time with them. Training and teaching them.
• Learning from other godly parents that have walked before us.

These are just examples and allow the Holy Spirit to give you specifics for your family, marriage, and children as we each are wired differently. I will get very specific with our gameplan and our roles, etc. with my family.
We have been given the great priviledge and responsibility to be apart of family. Is it serious enough to us that we have sat down, prayed, listened to the Holy Spirit, and written down a specific gamplan for the household? Restassured, the enemy of our souls has a very specific gameplan to tear down the family unit. We can’t afford to allow him the victory in our family.

Street Ministry Recap

I've known Ricky Nolan now for almost ten years now and had the priviledge of him being in my wedding. It's been that long since I first showed up in South Monroe on the corner of Desiard Street under the I-20 Bridge to help out with Hope Street Ministries. I was laughing with someone this past Sunday about this street ministry being some of my "training ground" for preaching. I respect a man that has faithfully served the poor in downtown Monroe now for over 23 years. I great award awaits Bro. Rick in heaven. Because of my change of responsibilities and calling now I don't spend as much time on Sunday afternoons as I once did but when the clock strikes four every Sunday evening I know Ricky Nolan is tending to God's business down in the slums. Occasionally I bring some boys I mentor down on the "streets" to let them get a look at life from a different perspective. To view a different world they don't know much about. This past Sunday I "kicked off" the meeting on the streets with the "open air" style they are used to. Golden Goutreaux came in behind me to wrap it up. Afterwards we prayed for all who would receive it. Then my boys helped serve the people a nice warm meal.

Afterwards, I had a young girl stroll up to me in a wheelchair. It was a bit difficult to interpret her speech but her name was Sarah. Sarah was 6 years old and went to Calhoun Middle School. She was so excited to tell me that she had made a 100% on both her Social Studies and English tests! She asked me to pray for her as she prepares for her 7th Grade year. I was humbled at the joy this crippled girl possessed. I was amazed when I discovered Sarah has dreams of going to college. I held her hand and we prayed.

I asked my boys how many of them got to decide how, when, and where they were born. There response obviously was "we didn't". But by the grace of God you could have been born into a circumstance that your mind can't even imagine. We are all one bad choice away from receiving a meal under a bridge every week. We are not above any of it. We are no better. We are serving Jesus when we hand each man, woman, boy, or girl a hot meal and a "God Bless You". I could have very easily ended up in a bad, bad situation if God hadn't seen it fit to "rescue" me. I thank God he did. But to those who are "still out there" we must continue to serve them as if they were Christ. You can visit Hope Street Ministries website at my links portion to the right of this post.

Thanks Rick for "doing what you do".

Your personal wilderness

In Matthew 3 we read of Jesus coming out of the water as he is being baptized by John the Baptist and a voice from heaven saying, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." What a great "highlight" in the life of Jesus to hear the Father say that he is pleased with his son. So now what? He's going to cast him right out into ministry right? Wrong. The Father sends his son Jesus straight into the wilderness. "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil." For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry." (Matthew 4:1-2)Here Jesus found himself out in a dry barren place without food, without water, without human communication, there with the devil being tempted. Here Jesus found himself in another "training ground". He was being molded, trained, and equipped one last time before being sent out into the world he came to save.After Jesus was tempted in the wilderness the Bible says that the devil left him until the next opportunity came. What's awesome is what I read in the next verse of Luke 4:14. "Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the HOly Spirit's power." Jesus had been in his own personal wilderness for forty days but then left in the Holy Spirit's power!Jesus' earthly ministry then began. What was it that God was working in him during those forty days? Brokeness? Trust? Soul searching?

Take John the Baptist for instance. In Luke 1:80 it says, "John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel" Was this "wilderness" that God had Jesus and John the Baptist stay in a place to prepare them for the work he had called them to do? Was it a place where they could hear from God before they went out to speak to the people? So many times we want to avoid the wilderness (these types) when the HOly Spirit placed these people in the wilderness!

Look at the story of David found in I. Samuel 16. The Lord was about to replace Saul when he told the prophet Samuel to go to the house of Jesse to anoint God's new man. Jesse brought out all of his sons (except David) for the man of God to look over. Although Samuel thought surely one of the Lord's anointed stood before him (because he was judging outwardly) he wasn't. When Samuel asked if he had anymore sons Jesse told him there was the youngest out tending the sheep. Wow! His on father didnt see the potential that was in his own boy! When David came the Lord said, "This is the one; anoint him". Man, how could this young boy grow up to be a "giant killer" and "King"? You see David had already been in his own personal wilderness where God was training and preparing him when no one else was watching. In I. Samuel 17 David approached Saul about fighting Goliath and Saul responds with, "Don't be ridiculous!" "There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth." What David says next amazes me. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!" God had already prepared this young boy to take out this Goliath. He had done so when David was in his own personal wilderness. David also wrote some wonderful Psalms when he was in his own wilderness as well. Laying with his sheep all alone at night in the fields he must have learned to hear from God and to worship him. Being chased from cave to cave David must have learned brokeness and humility. God was training this man not with human methods but by his own plan.

I can remember the years of my own personal experience. Knowing that God had a call on my life and trying to follow the very non-traditional path he was taking me own was hard. But it was during those years I walked through my own personal wilderness where I learned to pray, fast, and seek the Lord. During these times he was breaking me so that he could truly use me one day. It was during these times where I had to learn to hear his voice. It was during these times where he was training me for future purposes. Then it was very hard but now I look back and thank God for them. I know there will be more personal wilderness' in the future because I know he still has greater things in store.

Are you in a season in life where you find yourself in your own personal wilderness? I'm not talking about a wilderness that comes from bad choices, rebellion, or stuborness.I'm talking about one in which the Holy Spirit has led you in. Take heart! God wants to mold you, train you, and prepare you for things ahead. Submit yourself to his work and allow him to mold you!

The hidden evil of jealousy

When we think of evil what comes to mind? Murder? Rape? Child molestation? I was watching on the news last night of a man who had kidnapped a little girl and held her captive for eighteen years sexually abusing her. I can't think of a much evil action than that. Sure murder and rape are evil but so many times other "smaller sins" seem to fly under our radar or we tend to overlook them as "not as evil".

"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech." (I Peter 2:1) In the list of a few evils you will see the word "jealousy." We don't think much of jealousy as being "evil". We laugh at it or see it as "normal" but God's word calls it evil.

So what do people get jealous over? Maybe others looks or build? Maybe someone else gre up in a more exampletory family and you didn't. Maybe you didn't get chosen for something while a friend of yours did. Maybe God is using someone you know in a great way while you feel "inferior".

"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkeness,wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21)

Galatians is clear in that when we are jealous we are submitting to our sin nature and the consequences of living that type of lifestyle is serious.

"A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones." (Proverbs 14:30)

When there is jealousy in our hearts we are not at peace. When we allow jealousy to enter our hearts its like a cancer that eats at us from the inside out. Allowing it (jealousy) to live will kill us and relationships!

Some things I've found helpful in fighting back jealousy is:

1) "Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of the mind." (Romans 12:2)

2) Be happy for people!

3) Pray and ask Got to conitinue to bless them and ask God to help with the things lurking in your heart.

Family Night Recap!

Last night is one of my favorite nights of the month at Family Church-Family Night! I had spent ALL day Friday and ALL day Saturday working some young boys hard in the woods preping for deer season! It has been a crazy last two weeks so I couldn't wait for some good quality time with my girls!

First, we went to Kiroli Park to slide slides, swing, play some girly softball (yes, Gracen has a pink ball and bat that Jennifer Rhea bought her), and some trail walking. I ran into an old friend and even some of our youth playing some football in the middle field at Kiroli Park as well. Next, we headed off to Dillas for some good steak burritos then topped it off with some icecream from the creamery! We had good intentions to go home and watch a movie with Gracen (had to put Addelyn down for the night) but we ended up spending time talking, praying, and worshipping God together as a family. Last, we let Gracen pile up with us in bed (we let her sleep in our room on Family Nights-she has been counting down the days) to read some books then get some shut eye!

Thank you God for allowing us to make memories as a family! Help us Lord in our fight to raise sons and daughters who walk with you!

What I want to pass on to my daughters

I felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to shut my self in my office today after lunch to spend the afternoon with him up until Family Night. I love it when there is a special urging in my heart to be with him because I know there is something(s) he wants to share with me.

It is amazing the things God teaches us through different "life stages." Being a parent now there is so many things God has been teaching me through parenting. I guess so since he is the perfect Father. It seems that I get a little bit clearer picture of the great responsibility that he has given us as parents to raise sons and daughters who will walk with God. My wife and I have but a short time to pour into our children before they "leave our nest." I pray and ask God to reveal to my my daughters strengths and weaknesses so that I may pray more specifically for them. It is awesome to be able to see the fruit of the precious time Jodi spends with my girls. The countless hours of teaching and training them. Then to see them begin to duplicate what they've learned. She has and is doing such a great job as a mom taking care of the family. During some of my time I had with the Lord today I wrote down several things I would like to pass on to my daughters. I will share a few with you:

1) To live a life of dedication and worship to God. I want them to realize that serving God isn't just a "set time" each today. But serving God is a 24/7, all day every day relationship. One that consumes us!

2) To live a life of prayer. It is cute to see Gracen pray for her food, or before bed, or for her baby dolls ,but I pray there comes a day where there is a burning fire in her heart to seek the father through prayer. To learn to go to her knees and fight when the enemy is prowling. To believe and understand the power of prayer.

3) To live by God's word. I pray they have a hunger to feast upon the word of God and hide it in thier hearts. I pray they realize his way is the only way to life. I pray they live by God's principles and standards regardless of the cost.

4) I pray they love family. I pray they will love the family in which they were raised and give their lives to the ones they will become apart of. I pray they will care for thier husbands, children, and homes.

5) I pray they will have a heart to give and to serve. I pray they will give self-lessly and serve others and family as they are serving Christ.

6) I pray they are quick to forgive. We will always be given the opportunity to become offended and unforgiving. Life is to short to live it in unforgiveness and eternity is too long to live with its consequences.

7) Courage. I pray they have the courage to stay the course even when the course goes against the popular tides of the world.I pray they stay true to thier calling that God has on thier lives.

So how will I pass these things on to my girls?

1) I pray God will empower me to live these examples in front of them.

2) I pray for God's wisdom for me to teach them.

Thank you God for giving me the wonderful responsibility to pass the faith on to the next generation.

Back to School Bash with Big Al Recap!

The house was packed last night with 173 crazy students and youth workers celebrating the "Back to School Bash" with Big Al! We cranked up the night with Flo Worster and Jennifer Rhea giving away tons of awesome door prizes! I shared some scriptures from God's word with the students challenging them to rise up and live a passionate life for God! Big Al then came out and ministered to the students the rest of the night. We ended by having all the youth workers come out and pray a blessing over the students for the new school year! A big thanks to Mrs. Elaine Fox for taking some GREAT pics of the night!

"Moving on Up"

We had our annual "Moving on Up" Parent/Student Orientation Saturday evening at 6 PM. This is held every year for families who have kids that are moving up into our Junior High Ministry. They were greeted at the door by our 7th Grade Girls small group. After families signed in and recieved some information they enjoyed a nice catered supper in the Cafe' X. After supper we had all the families come into the E3 Room where they were able to experience a Wednesday Night atmosphere in student ministry. After I introduced our Junior High small group leaders we gave away door prizes, split up in groups, and played an interactive game. Then came business. We discussed with the families the transition and changes Junior High students go through. We talked about the student ministry's place, our mission, and what to expect. I was very pleased with the participation and turnout we had.

This is going to be a great year!

My "Messy List"

For the past few weeks we have been on a series entitled, "One Month to Live". Each week we've had a different speaker give a different message on the subject. Two Sunday's ago Arvil Ogle spoke and challenged us to make a "Messy List" of our lives. This is to help us spend more time examining OUR lives instead of spending so much time trying to CRITIQUE others lives.

"And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye." (Matthew 7:3-5)

If you will read what Jesus said in the above passage he doesn't tell us not to deal with other people's "specks" at all. But what he does say is for us FIRST get the log out of our own eyes so THEN we can see well enough to deal with the speck in our friend's eye.

Occasionally, I will ask Jodi (because she knows me best and I trust her more than any other human being) to honestly evaluate my life and give me two things that she can see are my "weaknesses". Sometimes I come out feeling pretty good about myself. But God is the one who truly knows my heart and sometimes I can know the evil lurking in my own heart.

I made my "Messy List" today and tried to do an honest evaluation of my life. I will share a few with you:

1) I tend to be impatient at times. (Patience is a fruit of the spirit and is a must if I want to move forward towards full devotion. I've heard and experienced the difficulty of praying for "patience" in your life.)

2) I can be irritable at times. (Sure, I can blame it on lack of sleep but the Bible tells us the love "is not irritable."

3) I tend to get in a funk when things happen that are either out of my control totally or I can't seem to get control over something I think I need to be in control of. (I need to remind myself that God is in control! Period.

4) I tend to be a "fixer" and when I can't "fix" something or "fix" somebody or "fix" a situation I can get bent out of shape. (This goes back to that control thing.)

5) I tend to be hardest on those closest to me. (I need to learn to shell out the mercy and grace to others that I so desperately need myself. Please forgive to those people that I have been hard on-I'm sorry).

6) I tend to be hardest on myself. (I've always tended to "beat myself up" when either I mess up or don't do the job I think I should have or could have done. I take a lot off of the enemy's hands when I do this. I need to realize there is no condemnation for those in Christ and that where I fall short God's grace is sufficient!)

Boy, my life sure would be a mess without Christ working in me. Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace.

Family Church Back to School Fall Fashion Show Brunch

School begins this Friday and F.C. celebrated that with a ladies "Back to School Fall Fashion Show Brunch" in the E3 Student Ministry Room. About 110 ladies were apart of the event this past Saturday morning. Mothers, youth, and youth workers modeled off the modest fall apparrel from Kara's Store who sponsored clothing for the show. I am so proud of my wife Jodi for the great job leading this event along with the many other ladies that made it happen! It was a long 4 weeks of hard work and planning. Sarah Niswanger walked with her each step of the way and her father Robert was a huge blessing in his decor skills and planning. A huge thanks to all the models who gave of thier time to be apart. Terry Dick and Tonya Lewis worked so very hard preparing the brunch for that morning. Elaine Fox gave of her time taking pics for the entire event. Phillip Brooks, Alex Potor, and Josh Williams made sure the technical and lighting aspects were covered. Jenny and Olivia Remsberg along with Victoria Worley sang.And last but not least, Dr. Joneal Kirby (A.K.A. Dr. Mom) knocked it out of the park speaking on the subject of mothers "Leaving a Legacy."
You know some people may ask, "Where was the spiritual significance in this?" If Dr. Kirby's message didn't "light your fire" then your wood may be wet? To me, community and building God honoring relationships is never a waste! The girls had a blast!

"So what did you do in all of this Beck?" Well, since I've never been accused of having style I obviously didn't help much with this deal. Nope, I got to babysit my two daughters at home for two whole days! Boy, Am I glad momma is back!

Persistence in Prayer

Living out in the country I have always wanted two white rocking chairs to sit on my front porch. I know this sounds more like the desire of a 60 year old man rather than a 30 year old man but that's just me. I finally went and purchased two nice white rockers that I took home to try and assemble. After several hours of failure, cutting myself a few times, almost cussing once, and not being able to get the holes and arm rests to match up, I broke down and paid the store $10.00 to do it themselves!

How many times have we gone to God in prayer about something, not gotten an imediate answer, thrown in the towel, and just given up? One lesson I learned while in sales was persistence pays off!

One of my favorite presidents is Abraham Lincoln. Take a look of a common list of the failures (along with a few successes) of "Honest Abe."

1831 - Lost his job
1832 - Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
1833 - Failed in business
1834 - Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)
1835 - Sweetheart died
1836 - Had nervous breakdown
1838 - Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
1843 - Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
1846 - Elected to Congress (success)
1848 - Lost re-nomination
1849 - Rejected for land officer position
1854 - Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
1856 - Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
1858 - Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate
1860 - Elected President (success)

It also has been said that Thomas Edison when trying to invent the light bulb failed over 1,000 before he got it!

What if he would have quit at 999? What if Abraham Lincoln would have given up early on in life?

So many times we are knocking at the door of heaven for a great need in our lives and we give up when the answer is just right around the corner!


Jesus had a few things to say about persistence when it comes to our prayer life.

"Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' But I tell you this-though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." (Luke 11:5-10)

Or what about the Parable of the Persisten Widow in Luke 18?

"One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!" (Luke 18:1-5)

I don't know what situation you find yourself in today. Maybe you desperately need God to move in your life. Maybe there is a sick family member that needs a miracle! Maybe you have lost your job during this tough economic time. Maybe your son or daughter has strayed from the faith and you are believing God to draw him or her back.

I pray the words of Jesus would encourage you to fight, believe, and never give up while praying!

The Discipline of our Heavenly Father

I love being a dad. It comes with such joy yet so much responsibility. I understand that God has entrusted Jodi and I with the care and upbringing of our children. He gave them to us to produce children who will grow up to know, love, and serve God. I understand for my wife and I to fail in that area is a serious thing. “Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children form your union.” (Malachi 2:15) Regardless of what many people think, children don’t come out of the womb “little angels”. Although they are cute and cudly they are born with a sin nature. To fail in training them to obey us as parents and disciplining them when they don’t, we as parents allow that sin nature to dominate them. If they can’t learn to obey their earthly parents how will they learn to obey their Heavenly Father? They can’t and won’t. Wow-big responsibility here but I’m up for the challenge! I believe my wife and I are transitional in our family and our girls will grow up to see a biblically functioning family. All of this I realize can only happen with God’s help, grace, mercy, and power in our lives. Without it we will fail miserably! We are very new at this. My oldest daughter just turned three and our youngest is only four months. However, we are striving with everything within us to do our very best. With God’s word directing us, others mentoring us, and friends who are striving for the same goals I believe it we can see this generation grow up to love the Lord.

So where does discipline come into play? Discipline is a word that isn’t very popular anymore in our society. What is discipline? Discipline is:

1. training to act in accordance with rules
2. activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training
3. punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.

Read some of these powerful scriptures from God’s word on training and disciplining:

“Direct (or train up) your children onto the right path (or the way they should go), and when they are older, they will not leave it (depart from it).” (Proverbs 22:6)

They won’t know what to follow or obey unless they are trained to do so.

“Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.” (Proverbs 13:24)

Man! The word of God says that if we do not discipline our children we actually hate them! Not spanking our kids doesn’t make us good parents-it makes us bad parents.

“Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.” (Proverbs 19:18)

We have a window of opportunity when our kids are young! Their little character is being formed! A little child will soon be an adult. We understand that while our kids are young there is still hope for them! The word of God says we ruin their lives when we fail to discipline them.

“A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline with drive it far away.” (Proverbs 22:15)

The word of God even tells us that a young person’s heart is filled with foolishness but not just discipline-but physical discipline with drive it away.

“Don’t fail to discipline your children. They won’t die if you spank them. Phycial discipline may well save them from death.” (Proverbs 23:13-14)

Again, the word of God tells us that physical discipline may save their lives!

“Discipline your children and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.” (Proverbs 29:17)

Now let me try and bring this all together. If the word of God is very clear for us as earthly parents to discipline our children don’t you think our Heavenly Father will discipline his? (Christians). When we are disobedient will we escape the discipline of our Father? I can assure you although we as earthly parents may “hit and miss” sometimes in our discipline God NEVER does! You can be sure that every act of disobedience will be disciplined.

Read these powerful passages below:

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening-it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” (Hebrews 12:5-11)

“I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” (II. Corinthians 7:8-10)

I had to discipline Gracen for something this morning. Most of the time when I get through spanking her, speaking to her, then praying with her she immediately wants to climb in my arms and hug me. This makes my heart glad. To see my daughter say, “I sorry Daddy” then turns from her mistakes makes my heart glad. Why? Because Godly sorrow leads to repentance. How much more must it make God’s heart glad when we disobey, Him discipline us, then we turn to Him in Godly sorrow.

So my question this morning is “How do we respond to God’s discipline?”

"A Call to Fall"

This past weekend was the "4th of July" which is a day to celebrate our countries independence as a nation. During yesterday morning's service we expressed our dependence on God and had a "Call to Fall". Family Church along with 28,000 other people and churches fell to thier knees in humility and repentence. We also petitionted God for forgiveness and to heal our land.

To lead us in this special service was our very own student ministry worship team. Scotti and Victoria did a wonderful job in putting together yesterday's worship set. You can go to Arvil Ogle's blog to view pictures of yesterday's worship service.

http://www.worshipleadership.typepad.com/

Birthday and Family Night

There is nothing quite like an "All American Girl" Birthday Party to kick off your Saturday! My oldest daughter Gracen, turned 3 years old this past Saturday. My wife Jodi, had it looking like "Uncle Sam" lived at 172 Rayner Road. There was red, white, and blue all over the place! We did a little grilling, had a giant water slide, ate some melon, birthday cake, and oh yea-sweated it up in the 100% heat! Nothign like a Louisiana summer! I love my daughter and enjoyed celebrating her 3rd B-day with family and friends!

Sunday afternoon we had both sides of the family come over for a little Family Night! The last Sunday of each month is Family Night here at Family Church! We did some more grilling, eating, volleyballing, and again-sweated it out in the LA heat!

I love spending time with those closest to me! Thank you God for the family unit and what you desire for it to be!

Beck

Servolution in the bag!

It is hard to believe another summer retreat has come and gone. But before we put it in the books, we have a recap service this Wed Night in the sanctuary at 7 PM. Come for some worship, hear testimonies, videos, and pictures of the trip!

Family Night!

The last Sunday of each month is Family Night. We are encouraged to invest in the most important small group we will ever be apart of-our family. My passion for family and parenting continues to grow each and everyday. What an exciting journey we are own in striving to build a family that functions the way God desires it to function. It certainly isn't always easy but I am thankful for the power of the Holy Spirit, God's word, and the great examples that God has placed in our lives to teach us.

Now I am certainly much more passionate about deer hunting than fishing but yesterday afternoon I took my oldest daughter Gracen bream fishing. In a matter of time we had a stringer full of fish (fun to catch but no fun to clean). We had a blast together! I bought Gracen a really cool pink princess fishing rod! The goal wasn't the catching of fish itself but quality time with my daughter. We had a great time but the conclusion could very well be: My daughter may be a bit on the girly side! Flopping fish tended to freak her out! Maybe Addelyn will be my fishing buddy???

After our fishing trip we went to "pop's house" and had supper with some family. Nothing like some good ole garden food! Squash, Black Eyed-Peas, Turnip Greens, Onions, etc! Hit the spot! We than topped it off with vanilla icecream and mulberry cobbler! yes, i said it-mulberry cobbler from our mulberry tree in the yard. I know, somebody say "kuntry".
What a great family night!

We are getting geared up and ready as there are only 12 Days left until this year's
E3 Student Ministry Summer Retreat-"Servolution". We have 86 of us that will head down to Healing Place Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana to get our "serve on". Pray for our team of youth and youth workers as we prepare over the next two weeks!

When God's Plan Doesn't Make Sense

I had the honor of sharing during this past Sunday morning service with a message entitled "When God's Plan Doesn't Make Sense". You can view it at www.familychurch.org

Sulphur, Louisiana

Took the wife and two kids down to the LHSAA Girls Softball State Tournament in Sulphur, Louisiana. C.C.S. took the first game today with a 5-2 victory of Georgetown. It looked bleak for C.C.S. until the last inning when they tied the game up after trailing 2-1. The took it into extra innings finally pulling away with tht "V". Tomorrow they will play at 11 A.M. and hopefully take it to the championship game at 5 PM.

The family and had a great supper at Chilis Restaurant tonight, took Gracen swimming, and now chilling out at the Baymont Inn. Memories, Memories!

St. Judes

I along with four of our seniors from the student ministry left at 7 am this morning to head for Memphis, Tennessee. Our first stop was St. Jude's Research Hospital for a 1 PM tour. My heart was touched to the core to see so many young people suffering from a such a deadly disease as cancer. I was absolutely blown away at how awesome St. Jude's Hospital is! They turn no child away and pay for any patient that can't afford care. It cost 1.3 million dollars a day to run the hospital!

We then took it to Beale Street to tour some places and then ate some supper at BB King's Restaurant. I met up with an old time friend who blessed us all by paying for our meals!

The fun wasn't over yet as we then took it to Family Golf and Game Park. We hit golf balls, hit in the batting cages, and topped it off by racing golf carts. Let me just say I have a headache and my stomach hurts after laughing so hard. We had so much fun. So now we are kicking it at the hotal and getting ready to get up in the morning and head to Graceland before we head back to West Monroe.

Easter Sunday!

I'd like to take this time to invite you and your family to Easter Sunday at Family Church this Sunday April 12th @ 10 AM!

Come hear life-changing teaching ane experience dynamic worship!

See you there!

Sound the Alarm

“Once again a message came to me from this Lord: “Son of man, give your people this message: ‘When I bring an army against a country, the people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman. When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people. Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die. They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives. But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.” (Ezekiel 33:1-6)

For the first 18 years of my life there was something very important missing-spiritual truth. That lack of spiritual truth or revelation of it was like a rope holding me over the fires of hell. Nobody had the guts to share with me the whole counsel of God’s truth and the church my family was attending preached a message that left me secure in my sins. Truth is important because it is the only thing that can set us free. When I did come to a knowledge of God’s truth and was set free from my sins I vowed to God that I would do my best to always share the whole truth of His Word. Sometimes people run from the truth and sometimes they ignore it. The Bible says Jesus was full of “grace and truth”. We can’t give people grace alone because the gospel becomes watered down and we can’t give them truth alone because we can kill them with it or become legalistic. There must be grace and truth.

What kind of father would I be if I saw danger or evil coming to my daughters and yet didn’t warn them? What good would I be if I saw a rapist or murderer coming for my wife and didn’t fight him off? What good would I be if I saw a wolf coming for the sheep (students) in our fold (at Family Church) and yet didn’t warn them? What about the sheep entrusted in your fold? Satan, our enemy, has unleashed a hoard of demons against family and our young people and there is an attack. The alarm has been sounded but will people listen? The alarm has been set off but will the young people arise? The trumpet has been blown so will we as parents rise up and fight the enemy of our kids souls?

Whose blood will be on our hands? If we don’t blow the alarm, sadly it falls on ours. If we blow the alarm, share the truth, and give the warning, it could very well save their lives.

Have a great week!

Beck

"Instead give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life." (Romans 6:13b)

I woke up this morning at 4 A.M. a little anxious and ready to get the day going. I spent time with Jesus and allowed the Holy Spirit to speak to me the message to give our teenagers tonight. Man, life is so different with Jesus! I remember the day it was hard to get out of the bed at 7:30 let alone earlier. When Christ is leading the way the lense in which you view life from is so very different. Today, I am a husband, father, and a minister. I am truly blessed to be able to go out tonight and share Christ to those who need Him.

Thank you Jesus for new life!

Through them...

“And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.” (Mark 16:20)

Notice in the above scripture that it says, “the Lord worked through them.” Who was it the Lord worked through? His disciples! His followers! Believers! Us, Christians! I’ve heard the excuse so many times of, “Well, I guess if God wants to do this or that for so and so He’ll do it.” Well, its true God can do whatever however but He wants to use US-His disciples!

What is it today that God wants to use you to do? How does He want to work through you? What kind of vessel are you? A vessel of love? A vessel of encouragment? Yield today to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work through you!

I'd like you to meet...

My youngest daughter Ms. Addelyn Faith Payne. She was born Thursday morning at 4 P.M. She weighed 7.4 and was 20 1/2 inches long.

"Didn't the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children form your union." (Malachi 2:15)

C.C.S. Chapel

On Wednesday's I have the privilege of coordinating Claiborne Christian School's Chapel Services.
What an honor these students have in being apart of a private school that offers a Christian Education. A school whose top priority isn't even education-it's Christ! All else C.C.S offers falls under that (education, athletics, etc.). C.C.S. has a wonderful staff of teachers and coaches that have sacrificed to be here for these students.

Phillip Brooks from 88.7 FM the Cross is speaking today on how your life is valuable to God so I'd better pay attention!

Tonight is "Couple's Night Out' at Family Church so I can't wait to take my wife out on a date!

Have a great day!

There's no place like home

There was nothing quite like stepping off the plane after a week away from my family to be greeted by my daughter holding up the sign you see in the picture to your left. "Welcome Home Daddy" brought tears to my eyes! Home-it is where my heart is. As much as I love living in West Monroe, Louisiana. U.S.A. I'm just passing through. It is not my permanent residence! We are citizens of heaven anxiously awaiting the day we stand before our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. When I was in Guatemala I had exchanged some U.S. currency for their currency. The last day I was there I thought to myself, "Self, I can't take this money back to the U.S. because it would be no good there. I better give this stuff away here while it is still useful." I thought to myself wow, that's just like our lives here on earth. Why do we live in such a way as if we could take anything with us when we step into eternity? We can't! So why don't we give our resources here on earth, while there is still time, because we can't take it with us to heaven!

Be blessed!

Lunch at the village church

Guatemala Pics

Headed home now...Guatemala Trip

"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9)

"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." (Mark 16:15)

Well, I'm sitting in Guatemala City International Airport waiting to fly back to Houston, Texas. These mission trips never get old. I took my very first one at 20 years old to Brazil back in the year 2000. Wow, how so much has changed since then. I was still single, no kids, evangelized, was in a lot better shape, and was still trying to find God's path for my life. All I knew is I wanted to give my life to serve him. This trip was a bit different in that I have a family of my own now and I missed them very badly. I will be as transparent with you as to say I cried on my pillow my fist night in Guatemala. There is not enough space to write about all I saw and experienced. I literally have hundreds of pictures so I will just try to give you a quick recap of each day.

Day 1

I left Monroe Airport with Michael Lewis at 6:30 A.M. to fly to Houston then to Guatemala City. Then we drove 5 hours up a mountain to get to San Cristobal, Alta Verapaz Guatemala. Now, this wasn't a very relaxing drive because the driving there scares the living day lights out of me! I was just glad I didn't find myself at the bottom of a mountain! Hello! Brakes people! We got to "El Meson" (The Inn) after dark where we settled.

Day 2

I got a tour of the place then had a 9th grade Guatemalan kid work the living day lights out of me. I got a piece of what thier maintanence crew does. I pushed mowed (with a very poor mower) the entire property then the side of a mountain! Now Michael called it a big hill. I'm sorry-it was a mountain! That evening had a couple of Guatemlan youth take me to town for sight seeing and other things. Had a great home cooked Guatemlan supper that night. What I like about these people is that they are very family oriented. Son, is out working hard, mom and daughter working together in the home, and eating lots of home cooked meals. Sadly, a sight we don't see very much anymore in our culture.

Day 3

Mike and I drove to the mountains to see a man who pastors one of his village churches. This is where it got me. I could not fight back the tears as we headed up a muddy road and saw first hand the poverty. I've been to Mexico numerous times, Brazil, Venezuela, Canada and I've never seen poverty like this. It broke my heart. I saw little girls my daughters age walking around bare footed in the wet, cold dirt. This particular day a got flu like syptoms and got chills and aching bones. We ate at the pastors house. This pastor grew up in the mountains and didn't have a pair of pants until he was 7 years old!!! His wife and daughter served us some nice soup, chicken, and mountain coffee. I froze the whole time! After a few hours, Mike took me back to the place where I could get into a hot bath. I was running fever so I really didn't need to do that but I was absolutely cold! I had time to check my email in his office and every part of the sickness began to leave me and it never came back! That night was the church service and Mike spoke out of Genesis. He talked about Kimmie's engagement to Ryan Walker. Since my Spanish isn't the best I understood very little. I heard it was good though! :)

Day 4

I turned 30. (I know it hurts) There's nothing quite like waking up at 5 in the morning to singing and fire works. I walked outside to a herd of youth with a cake singing me Happy Birthday. Of course we invited them in and partied until 6:30 that morning.

I had the honor to minister to about 40 of Mike's staff from the school and church. I spoke to them about "Giving their lives to God, Family, and Others". It was an honor.

That night I went to a home where Guatemalan youth came and we had a bonfire. Man, I wish I knew you could have good ministry around a camp fire. God really moved. I shared from my heart through an interpretor for a while. God then gave me certain things to speak into some of thier lives. They each asked me a question and I answered. I then asked them each "What do you think God wants from your life"? I then asked the adults, "What is the greatest joy of parenting?" and "What is the greatest struggle?". A couple there poured out there heart. I felt led to pray with them so we did and the tears ran. They then came out with a homemade birthday cake with a candle on it. Such precious people. What a memorable birthday.

Day 5

This just might have been my favorite day. I have a heart for the poor and that's who I got to go minister to. We loaded a small team and drove a ways up into the mountains. In Guatemala they have over 22 different indigenous tribes. We drove to where a particular tribe lived up in the mountains then hiked a short ways down a trail. The church I ministered in had dirt floors, pine benches and walls you could see through. I ministered with tons of kids in the church, doors opening and shutting because of the wind, and breast feeding momma's! Hallelujah! I spoke out of Matthew 11:28-30 about coming to Jesus with your burdens. I spoke on rest that he gives. There had to be two interpretors I had to go through. One in Spanish and the other had to speak a dialect they could understand. I prayed for the sick after I preached then we went to the church kitchen down the hill. Now, there church kitchen had dirt floors, a campfire they cooked over, and wood planks as walls. The Indian ladies cooked a soup, tamale's, and it was kickin! We had no utensi's or anything. We ate on a wood table and the kids found a place some where on the ground. After I ate, an Indian man provided me water out of a bucket to wash my hands. It was very humbling.

That night I bought some things for my wife, daughter, and nephew then jetted to the church for a youth service. I spoke to them about being examples and pursuing God with a passion. We had a very good service! Afterwards I went around with a brother dropping off the youth.

As I got ready for bed I thanked the family for taking such good care of me. The mother's statement to me touched my heart when she said, "Thank you for leaving your family and country to come to Guatemala." What a precious soul!

I had a good week just seeing the Lord during the morning hours and parts of the day. Trying to hear his voice and allow him to speak into me. His always willing to speak if we are always willing to listen.

Day 6

Up at 4 A.M. and will leave out at 5 A.M. to make the long mountain ride. Right now I am sitting in the Guatemlan Airport ready to see the two most important people in my life-my wife and daughters.

Inn Ministries is the ministry Michael and LaTonya Lewis founded over 20 years ago. It is a church and a school that provides Christian education. I can't tell you how many times I heard the parents tell me they came to know Christ through thier kids coming to know Him first through the school. They run a church, have three other sister churches, outreaches, a school, and have over 50 paid staff that runs on a budget of only about $160, 000 a year! We will never be able to comprehend the price the Lewis's have paid to see this work happen. Missionaries are my hero's and they have always been. What great treasures await the Lewis family in heaven! Thank you Mike for allowing me to come with you on this memorable trip! I was able to get your ministry in my blood a bit more through this week. The relationships what were built, the sights of the enourmous mountains of Guatemala, and to be able to share the simple gospel of Jesus Christ with another people. They are apart of the body of Christ. They are a portion, they are our brothers and sisters!

Thank you for praying for me this week. I'm ready to see my family now and the youth I love at Family Church.

Be blessed,

Beck

Guatemala Bound!

It's been over 9 years since I took my first mission's trip (Brazil) and since then have been able to go to several different countries to minister. Tomorrow morning at 6:30 A.M. Michael Lewis (of Inn Ministries) and I will fly out of Monroe to head to Guatemala. I'm so excited because such a huge part of my heart is missions and evangelism. I will have the opportunity to minister in village churches, a youth event, and probably the most humbling; address Michael's staff. It seems the Bible truly comes alive when I've been on these trips in the past and I'm excited!

Please pray for our safety as we travel and minister to these precious people in whom Christ died for.

I will leave out Monday and return Saturday night!

Have a great week!

Only believe

Isn’t it amazing how a little child can believe in a big, red-cheeked jolly man who supposedly can fly around the world in one night on a bunch of magical reindeer to deliver gifts at Christmas? How is that? A simple belief that it can happen. If it was possible as a child to believe in something that truly doesn’t exist how much more should we have that simple faith to believe in someone who does exist-Christ.

Jesus said in Mark 9:23, “Anything is possible if a person believes.” Believes in what? Believes in God and His word! The power to do great things! Anything? Anything! We must take Jesus at his word! Surely it can’t be that simple can it?

Smith Wigglesworth who lived in the late 1800’s and early to mid 1900’s was known as the “Apostle of Faith”. Wiggles worth said, “I saw that God wants us so badly that He has made the condition as simple as He possibly could—“Only Believe.” Here was a man that took God at his word and dared to believe Him to do great things! God used Smith Wigglesworth in a mighty way!

What if we too took God at his word? What if we truly believed in Him to do great things!? “Anything is possible if a person believes”. What impossibility stands in front of you today that belief in God and His word could change? Situations? Sickness? Finances? Only believe!

Humble

As I study God’s word more the more I realize just how different HIS kingdom is from the world’s. There is such a vast difference in literally everything such as views and perceptions! What we consider great here on earth God could see as garbage and what we don’t give much attention to, God could see as precious.

Think for a second. Who is the Godliest person that you know? Man or woman. Think again for a second. What brought you to that conclusion? What characteristics or gifts does this person have that would cause you to think that?

If your answer wasn’t humilty then maybe we need to think again what true Godliness or greatness is. According to Jesus your answer may be a good one but not the best on HIS grading scale. Let’s look to see what the greatest in the Kingdom of God must possess.

“So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:4)

Humble-
1. not proud or arrogant; modest

2. having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc.

3. low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.; lowly: of humble origin.

4. courteously respectful

If we aren’t becoming more “childlike” and humble then are we truly becoming great in God’s Kingdom? Are we truly becoming more like Jesus Christ? If we are continually on the defensive and percieved as arrogant how far we really are from becoming great according to Jesus’ standards! We all could probably use a big slice of humble pie!

Lord, humble us!

Great Start to a New Year!

Have you ever been to one of those services that linger on just to linger on? We try so hard to "make something happen" or that someway we can manipulate the Holy Spirit to do what we want Him to do? Well...that wasn't one of those services this past Wednesday night. Yes, the service did "linger" on but it wasn't because man constructed it! God came in the house during our student ministry service and moved upon our students in a mighty way. What a joy to see our students getting free and allowing God to break free the unhealthy habits that try to control and put in bondage a teenagers life. We dismissed the service for those that needed to go but many of our students continued to worship God past 9 o'clock. What a great job the worship team did in following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

It was a great first service for a new year! Thank you God!

Got a Light?

“The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” (Genesis 1:1-5)

What a moment it must have been when the darkness that covered the deep waters fled when God said, “Let there be light!” When light comes darkness flees! There has to be a distinction between “Light” and “Darkness”, “Night” and “Day”. God separated the two. God created the sun, moon, and the stars that give off “Light” so that there is not constant “darkness.”

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

As believers we are the light of the world! There should be a dinstinct difference between us and the world. A separation of “light” and “darkness.” Do our lives give off “light”? Can people see if difference in us? Can people living in darkness see the light of Christ shining in and through you? God has called us to be the light of the world-don’t hide the light! People need to see hope!