Golden Nuggets

Just a quick moment of encouragement brought to you by the wise words of Jeanne Mayo!

When it seems like everything in life is suddenly going crazy...& it feels like suddenly, everything is coming at you all at once: Realize that there is PROBABLY an element of spiritual warfare. (Time out. Some of you might be thinking "spiritual warfare"? Sounds creepy! But check out Ephesians 6:12!) That doesn't mean that it's ALL spiritual but...

If you have a coop of chickens & they suddenly all start squawking & getting jumpy- even if you can't see it...odds are there is a predator nearby.

SO, when life is crazy & everything seems to be going haywire. You can take a quiet authority (because the enemy of your life is nothing but a LIAR) & stand on God's TRUTH. Know that you will get through it. Remind yourself that you WILL (by the grace of God!) come out on the other side- & you will be stronger for it!



Just a friendly reminder from some people who love YOU!
Jeremiah 29:11-13

Destiny's Birthday!

Destiny Church is turning 5!!!

Bring Your Own Confetti!

The party starts Sunday!

8:30. 10:15 & 12:00

Followed by a picnic Sunday night!

Don't miss it!!!

Your Future & Joy

The school year is begining again & everyone is in changing mode. Changing routines, schedules, schools, even jobs. Usually, when people are making these kinds of decisions, it causes reflection. The kind of reflection that causes us to look ahead toward our future (whatever that may be). In the post from Bill Johnson of Bethel & Jesus Culture (that we found on their site)- Bill talks about knowing God's will for our lives...which seems to be one of the most asked questions for young people in particular. We LOVE what he has to say! So, we'll quit blabbing and let YOU read it!

 

 

“The multitude rose up together against them. The magistrates tore their clothes off and commanded them to be beaten with rods. When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were open and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awakened from sleep, seeing the prison doors open and supposing the prisoners fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. And Paul called with a loud voice, “Do yourself no harm. We are all here.” - Acts 16:22

In 1986 Beni and I went to Israel and Italy with some people from our church. One of the places we visited was a hole in the ground that contained a dungeon. It’s the actual prison where the apostle Paul spent time. Scratch your picture of prison and think hole in the ground. It’s wet, musty, cold and damp. Men were literally dumped down there. From within this hole, the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Philippians, a book marked with a theme that is the most unusual ever to be written by someone in prison: joy. In Chapter 4:4, you see these words: “Rejoice always. Again, I say, rejoice!”
In the Acts 16 passage, Paul’s joy was to receive the most unusual test. Now if I’m in prison, there’s an earthquake, the chains fall off my arms and legs and the door flings open, I’m saying, “Jehovah Jireh—God has provided for me again.” I’m out of there as fast as you can imagine because it’s obvious it’s the will of God. “Praise God! My worship worked again. It shook that thing.”
But not Paul. He’s worshiping God, and the earthquake comes that is so powerful it knocks chains off of wrists and feet and knocks them to the ground. The doors fling open and Paul senses, “I wasn’t a prisoner when I was put in here. And those doors opening don’t make me more free. I smell harvest. I smell some fish that are about to be caught. And since my primary goal in life is to catch fish, I’m going to stay in the most unusual fishing hole I’ve ever been in. Uh, sir, about to kill yourself? You’ll notice that we’re all here.” That was enough of a witness. The guard had to know the same Jesus. He surrendered immediately to Christ, and his entire family got saved. There is something endearing and fruitful about supernatural joy.
There are a number of examples of joy throughout Scripture, but to me, this is one of the most unique and remarkable illustrations.
Several years ago, I felt impressed to work on three verses of the Bible, to see if I could take six months and learn how to do them: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I purposed to meditate and practice those three commands because they are all inclusive.
I would quote them and think about them as I was going about my day. “Rejoice always.” I purpose to choose joy and express it in every situation. Some situations are easier than others. And then “pray without ceasing”; I have to stay in communion with the Lord constantly. And then “In everything give thanks.” That’s really demanding because that means everything. There’s no room for error here. Do these three things all the time. Be always thankful and always joyful, and pray always about everything.
People come to me and say, “I just need to know God’s will for my life.”
I tell them, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
“Yeah, but I need to know whether to take this job or whether I should live in Portland or I should live in San Jose.” It makes very little difference if you rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks.
“Yeah, but I don’t know what to do for my occupation.” Pump gas or be a doctor; it doesn’t matter, but rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks. This is the will of God. All that other stuff is trivial by comparison. It’s win-win. Just rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks.

Fear The Beard!!!

Fear the beard, people, FEAR THE BEARD!!!

Heres the scoop:

We have 5 weeks! 5 weeks to raise $1,000 for The Garage.(Bobby will be growing out his beard from now to then) If we make it to 1,000: Bobby will shave half of his beard & STAY THAT WAY (as he goes out in public & daily life) for a WEEK! For every $500 above the 1,000: he will keep his half-faced beard for ANOTHER week!

So, what are you waiting for?! Spread the word and let's get the half beard going!!!!

(Last night to turn in funds is 8/22/12)

My Greatest Enemy

Woah! It's been FOREVER since we've done an update! So, we want to give you some food for thought. A short blog post from one of our good friends at The Ramp, Lexie Saxion:


My Greatest Enemy

The things I fight the most are things that some deem insignificant.
Watching pointless TV here and there. Sleeping in too late. Eating when I should be fasting. Ignoring that inner voice now and then. Occasionally listening to gossip.
These things seem harmless.
Some would say they don’t matter. Many would say that’s legalistic.
But, what some and many say doesn’t matter.
It’s only about what One person says.

He said, “Deny yourself.”
My greatest enemy is me. Your greatest enemy is you.
Our enemy the devil has already been defeated. It’s our fleshly man that has to be crucified every day.

The seemingly small, non-crucified areas are what keep us from fulfilling the fulness of our destinies.

So, every day I take a nail and hammer to me- the word and prayer. Day by day this enemy dies, and I step further into fulness.

What small areas have you left neglected that need to be nailed to a tree?



We know Lexie's post got us thinking. Every day is a good day to check your heart!
We hope you're having a great week so far!!

Syke!

Just kidding on that last one, huh?! Glad we didn't get blown away in a tornado!
SO, we've rescheduled and IT IS ON! This Friday night!!!

Haven't heard them? Check it out!...

It's gonna be a great night! Don't miss out! #BeABringer

Just in time for Valentines....

Take notes....for the FUTURE ;)

ok...I lied...we're still posting randomness for the night!

Here are some link ups to a bunch or other good stuff!
7 days worth of "Food for Thought"

For the musicians...aaand people who are always looking for good music

To be part of a REVOLUTION

If you're looking for a way to get into your Bible

Forgiveness 101

HEART CHECK (listen to the whole series)

RADICAL (watch the clip- READ THE BOOK!)

poor poor Akbar


ok...I think we're done.

Food for thought....last one for the night. :)

Woo! We are on a roll with the randomness tonight! So, here is one last post coming to you from the beautiful people of HILLSONG CHURCH!

Dinner Time

Posted by:

Thomas Hansen

6 January, 2012

Have you ever prepared something for someone but as soon as they tried it, they didn’t like it? You on the other hand are convinced that if they just gave it a bit more time, they would love it, but to no avail.
At home we experience this on a daily basis. My wife or I (the latter was said a bit optimistically but nevertheless) will make something in the kitchen for dinner. Then the moment will arrive when the first spoonful will enter the mouth of one of the hardest critics in the country - our almost 3 year old daughter, Sienna. As soon as she tastes it, she will make a decision whether or not, she wants to consume the rest. If the first taste puts her off, it doesn’t matter if I act out eating the rest of the meal with a smile on my face for hours; she will NOT eat it.
What I have found though, is that it has often very little to do with the actual taste of the meal as it does with the experience and feelings surrounding it. If the atmosphere is tense or rushed (not that it ever is :)I can almost guarantee that she will not “like” it. If it’s relaxed and fun though, we can place the same meal in front of her and suddenly she doesn’t like but “Mummy & Daddy...I LOVE it!!!”
Psalm 34:8 encourages us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good...” It is not a question of whether or not God is good. Taste and see that He IS good. God is good.
What is it then that puts people off?
Well, just like it’s more the surroundings of our dinner time that determines Sienna’s reaction, so it is with people and God. God is good, but am I? God is good but am I relaxed, loving, encouraging, serving, humble and in general displaying the characteristics of our great God?
Let’s face it, we are the one entrusted to hold the spoon and serve Christ to a starving world. How I pray that the first impression people have of Christ in me the hope of Glory, is a good one.

PRAYER

*Has this ever happened to you? :)

More good stuff to think about...

A post by Joel Stockstill (an AMAZING minister and man of God...who keeps it REAL) from http://www.joelstockstill.com/  (for those of you who want to lead...in ANY area of life!)

Starting Point for Leaders

January 13th, 2012

OK, so you are a young leader (youth pastor or aspiring leader) and your heart is to become the man or woman of God that you feel like the Lord has called you to be. Where do you start? What can you do to ensure that you are moving forward in your development? So glad you asked! I’m gonna give you 3 simple things today that will help you to get traction toward being that supernatural leader of tomorrow. (Note: these are not listed in any particular order)
1. Character- the foundation of your life as a minister. This character should be built upon the rock of the Word. This character should be fashioned every day more and more like the character of Christ. Areas like total honesty, transparency, sexual purity, sound financial stewardship, just to list a few! As you can see, we all have many areas for the Holy Spirit to continue His work in us.
2. Calling- it is imperative as an aspiring leader to discover your calling. Your calling will be the guide to walking in the perfect will of God for your life. (If the Lord has called you to the ministry then you would never want to marry someone who doesn’t share that same passion.) The best course of action for this discovery process is to submit your life in the local church and allow the leadership to help guide you. They will be used of the Lord along the way to help identify, confirm, and release you into the specific call of God for your life.
3. Communion- this is your practical relationship with the Lord. The part of you that longs for fellowship with Jesus. Paul spoke of “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Obviously, this is not something that we do naturally! It is something that must be developed. Develop a sense of deep communion with the Lord. This means that things such as daily reading of the Word and times of prayer and worship with the Lord become second nature and you become a person of deep spirituality (not super-spiritual!).
Wow! as you can see, this is not going to be something you accomplish before dinner tomorrow! I pray these 3 simple areas articulated here will give you something to run with. A sense of where to start in your amazing journey to fulfill Jesus’ best for your life. Remember: don’t settle for anything less than all you’ve been called to be…the Kingdom needs you!!!

*If you get a chance- check out Joel's UNSHAKABLE testimony! Also, watch his first wife's funeral- to hear about a christian life WELL LIVED.....and his recent wedding to his new wife...to hear some good bits of wisdom on how to LOVE WELL! All good things!*

Food For Thought...not just for the ladies.

Are you letting media dictate who you are...or even...who you think you "should" be? If you are, I want to remind you of a scripture...
(from) Psalm 139
"...Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day."

God MADE YOU! And He DEFINITELY knew what He was doing!
What else does the Bible teach us about true beauty?

"...Charm can mislead and (outward) beauty soon fades.
The woman to be admired and praised
is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God." -Proverbs 31

So, how are you gaging your beauty? Is it by a reliable source...or something else?

*something to think about*

Contraversial Issues 101

I posted this link on Amber's wall- and thought I'd post a link to it on here for any of you to see. It's basically a quick cover of alot of questions people have!

ENJOY!

“The Discussion” - Q&A from The City Church on Vimeo.

In your head

Just in case you have a song stuck in your head....we have the solution! (we can't decide if it's a good solution or not...but....)

*"I can't believe you fell for that."

It's that time of year!

We are loving this new Christmas song from Hillsong!

UGLY SWEATERS

The Garage's UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PARTY!!!!!
There will be food, games, prizes, pictures! Come out and bring your friends!

*There will also be a white elephant gift game. Bring something you ALREADY own- to play!

Food For Thought- Day 2

Today's food for thought is a blog post from our friends at the RAMP! You can read the story of Jesus and Judas in Matthew, Mark, Luke, AND John.
When we think about it, Judas was just a person like you or I. He had choices to make everyday- just like we do...
In reading his story it becomes obvious that our CHOICES MATTER.
CHOOSE WISELY....

Betraying Jesus
Posted on February 1st, 2011. -Micah Wood

Most of us are offended at the thought that we could possibly betray Jesus. At the suggestion that such a thing is possible, we immediately start overcompensating by pledging our allegiance to Him with great fervor and zeal. We’re like Peter who declared to Jesus: “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble!” (Matt. 26:33). In just a few hours, Peter would deny Jesus three times. Our hearts are much more easily deceived than we realize.

In fact, I think far too many of us have already begun the process of betraying Jesus, though we still consider ourselves disciples and are probably sitting in the company of other disciples. We think that just because we have not technically done anything to weaken our commitment then we are in the clear. This thinking was certainly true of Judas.

On the very night Judas betrayed Jesus, he sat at a table with Jesus and among other disciples who deeply loved Him. Everything about Judas’ environment seemed right. However, Matthew records, “Then Judas, who was betraying [Jesus] . . .” (26:25). Wait a minute. Judas hadn’t yet given Jesus the kiss in the garden. He hadn’t yet led the religious leaders to Jesus with clubs and spears, but Matthew says that he was already in the process of betrayal.

Though on the outside Judas seemed to be as committed as Peter or John, something was awry. Prior to this last supper, Judas had already asked the chief priests what they would give him to betray Jesus. All his activity among disciples was right, but the process of betrayal had begun when Judas asked this question.

We don’t realize the deadly nature of our questions. Whenever we consider what it will cost us to play with sin, we have already begun to betray Jesus. Whenever we look at temptation and wonder if we could get away with it, betrayal is already deep within our hearts. A Judas Iscariot doesn’t start by bringing a mob into a garden to arrest Jesus. He starts by calculating the cost of compromise and asking if it is worth it.

Today, our outward activities may seem great. We may look like we’re at the table with Jesus and His disciples, but what questions have we been asking behind closed doors? Are we living righteous because of burning love for Jesus or because no one has offered the right price for our compromise yet?

Damon Thompson has often said that until we are sold out, we’ll always be for sale. Until we see the beauty of the One who breaks the bread and pours the wine, we’ll always be asking secret questions. God, open our eyes and change our hearts.

"...I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life..." Deuteronomy 30

Food for Thought- Day 1

Your life has PURPOSE...


Disciple Now | Purpose from Sherwood Church on Vimeo.


Ephesians 2:1-10 NIV

Made Alive in Christ
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jeremiah 1:5-8 NIV

 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
“Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.



Think about that...God doesn't just want you to live an empty life. He has a purpose and plan for YOU! So, LIVE YOUR LIFE ON PURPOSE!

In Case you missed it!

Video Edit: Zari Malbacias

**GIRLS WIN!**

Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Hey Guys,
I wanted to hop on here and let you know about this story. (http://www.news4jax.com/news/29225166/detail.html)
These youth pastors were driving home from watching a football game last night when they had an accident. You can read the full story on the link but in the end: the wife survived and the husband went to be with Jesus.
After our accident, we received cards, letters, and prayers for our Garage family from ALL OVER. I want to give each of you the opportunity to PAY IT FORWARD. This youth pastor and youth group are hurting and have their own aftermath to walk through. I know Bobby and I will be sending some things to her and to their youth group. If any of you want to send something- even if it's just a short note- please let us know and we will send it all together.
Since the accident, (more than EVER) I look for every opportunity I can to help people who are hurting. It's something we are called to do as christians-in our everyday lives but even still- I've actually thought about putting a name to it-as an intentional ministry....The Mackenzie Project...

Anyway, if you want to be a part of sending anything to this Florida church, please let us know!

We love each and EVERY one of you,
Cat