Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Papa Ponderings
Job 1:8-11 NIV--- Then the Lord said to satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
"Does Job fear God FOR NOTHING?" satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
I have been pondering satan’s question to God for sometime now. It haunts me. Do I fear God? Do I love God FOR NOTHING? If God was not so good to me, would I still love, respect and serve Him?
Wanda ate a piece of leftover flounder this past Sunday afternoon before we left for Lay Aside at church. A rather large bone, about ¾ of an inch, pierced her tonsil and would not come out for love nor money. She held her tongue down with a depressor while I shined a huge spotlight down her throat and probed around with a pair of tweezers. It was a sight. Funny turned to panicky after about fifteen minutes.
Finally, it dawned upon me to pray. What a novel idea for a preacher. Sometimes I still think God doesn’t need to be bothered with “small stuff” that I can handle on my on. Sunday reminded me that I couldn’t handle the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff to God.
Papa whispered in my spirit. “We are going to get this thing out. We can do this… together.”
I told Wanda that we were going to get it out. When I said that, there was amazing sense of peace and confidence that filled my soul. I knew we were going to get that thing. So one last time she pressed her tongue down as far as she could, and I could see the bone clearly sticking out the bottom of her tonsil about ¼ of an inch. My hand and the tweezers blocked my last visual of the bone, but I probed where I had last seen it. Then I pinched the back end of the tweezers as hard as I could and pulled them back. There it was, firmly grasped in the jaws of the tweezers! I held it up in triumph like a trophy in front of my Bride. The thrill of victory was sweeter than the breath we had been holding for half an hour. We were going to be okay.
In the moments thereafter, my mind began to ponder. What if I had not been able to remove the bone? What if we had taken her to the emergency room, and they couldn’t remove it? What if it caused an infection that spread throughout her entire body? What if she had died as a result of a stupid fish bone? Would my love for God been any different in that scenario?
I was once again reminded of satan’s statement: “Does Kenny love, respect and trust You FOR NOTHING?”
Satan told Adam and Eve in the Garden that God was not good… that He couldn’t be trusted because He was a selfish old coot that cared nothing for nobody but Himself. Most people still buy that lie today. We think God is good when He’s good to us. But when things don’t go our way, we think God is out to get us.
I believe God made mankind in His image, and mankind returned the favor. We made God in our image. Think about that. I tend to think God is like the people I know. No human being has ever loved me FOR NOTHING. Oh, I have some who say they do, but I don’t think that even the very best human being has the capacity to keep loving all the time in the face of constant betrayal, abuse and rejection. I know, because I’ve been looking for that person all my life. And I have been bitterly disappointed. There have been a few times when my hope was high as I narrowed my search to a handful of promising lovers, but they, too, couldn’t pull it off and love me FOR NOTHING.
Because people are incapable of loving me FOR NOTHING, I’ve developed a faulty belief system that believes God is like that, too. I cannot fathom the fact that God loves me PERIOD, whether I’m good, bad or ugly. No one else loves me like that. But maybe that’s why He is God and we are not. God knows we don’t have it in us to love to that capacity. That’s what makes Him so special.
I’m learning to trust Him more everyday. It’s difficult shedding all these layers of false beliefs that I’ve used to put God in a box so I could control Him and figure Him out. But I’m finding that He is so far beyond all of that. I don’t understand Him at all anymore, and I’m surprisingly comfortable with that.
He does love me FOR NOTHING. God gets nothing from me that He really needs. If I cease to exist, He is still God, and yet He loves me FOR NOTHING. Think about that.
That’s why I love that old song, “It’s My Desire to Live for Jesus.” It says: “If you could see where Jesus brought me from to where I am today, then you would know the reason why I love Him so. Now you can take this world its wealth and riches. I don’t need earth’s fame, ‘cause it’s my desire to live FOR HIM.”
I love Him FOR HIM because He loves me FOR NOTHING.
You think about that…
"Does Job fear God FOR NOTHING?" satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
I have been pondering satan’s question to God for sometime now. It haunts me. Do I fear God? Do I love God FOR NOTHING? If God was not so good to me, would I still love, respect and serve Him?
Wanda ate a piece of leftover flounder this past Sunday afternoon before we left for Lay Aside at church. A rather large bone, about ¾ of an inch, pierced her tonsil and would not come out for love nor money. She held her tongue down with a depressor while I shined a huge spotlight down her throat and probed around with a pair of tweezers. It was a sight. Funny turned to panicky after about fifteen minutes.
Finally, it dawned upon me to pray. What a novel idea for a preacher. Sometimes I still think God doesn’t need to be bothered with “small stuff” that I can handle on my on. Sunday reminded me that I couldn’t handle the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff to God.
Papa whispered in my spirit. “We are going to get this thing out. We can do this… together.”
I told Wanda that we were going to get it out. When I said that, there was amazing sense of peace and confidence that filled my soul. I knew we were going to get that thing. So one last time she pressed her tongue down as far as she could, and I could see the bone clearly sticking out the bottom of her tonsil about ¼ of an inch. My hand and the tweezers blocked my last visual of the bone, but I probed where I had last seen it. Then I pinched the back end of the tweezers as hard as I could and pulled them back. There it was, firmly grasped in the jaws of the tweezers! I held it up in triumph like a trophy in front of my Bride. The thrill of victory was sweeter than the breath we had been holding for half an hour. We were going to be okay.
In the moments thereafter, my mind began to ponder. What if I had not been able to remove the bone? What if we had taken her to the emergency room, and they couldn’t remove it? What if it caused an infection that spread throughout her entire body? What if she had died as a result of a stupid fish bone? Would my love for God been any different in that scenario?
I was once again reminded of satan’s statement: “Does Kenny love, respect and trust You FOR NOTHING?”
Satan told Adam and Eve in the Garden that God was not good… that He couldn’t be trusted because He was a selfish old coot that cared nothing for nobody but Himself. Most people still buy that lie today. We think God is good when He’s good to us. But when things don’t go our way, we think God is out to get us.
I believe God made mankind in His image, and mankind returned the favor. We made God in our image. Think about that. I tend to think God is like the people I know. No human being has ever loved me FOR NOTHING. Oh, I have some who say they do, but I don’t think that even the very best human being has the capacity to keep loving all the time in the face of constant betrayal, abuse and rejection. I know, because I’ve been looking for that person all my life. And I have been bitterly disappointed. There have been a few times when my hope was high as I narrowed my search to a handful of promising lovers, but they, too, couldn’t pull it off and love me FOR NOTHING.
Because people are incapable of loving me FOR NOTHING, I’ve developed a faulty belief system that believes God is like that, too. I cannot fathom the fact that God loves me PERIOD, whether I’m good, bad or ugly. No one else loves me like that. But maybe that’s why He is God and we are not. God knows we don’t have it in us to love to that capacity. That’s what makes Him so special.
I’m learning to trust Him more everyday. It’s difficult shedding all these layers of false beliefs that I’ve used to put God in a box so I could control Him and figure Him out. But I’m finding that He is so far beyond all of that. I don’t understand Him at all anymore, and I’m surprisingly comfortable with that.
He does love me FOR NOTHING. God gets nothing from me that He really needs. If I cease to exist, He is still God, and yet He loves me FOR NOTHING. Think about that.
That’s why I love that old song, “It’s My Desire to Live for Jesus.” It says: “If you could see where Jesus brought me from to where I am today, then you would know the reason why I love Him so. Now you can take this world its wealth and riches. I don’t need earth’s fame, ‘cause it’s my desire to live FOR HIM.”
I love Him FOR HIM because He loves me FOR NOTHING.
You think about that…
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
FYI...
ATTENTION!!! New Stuff!!!
JOY Class Moves
Our JOY Sunday School class will begin meeting in the KidZone room in the church life center beginning this Sunday, April 26, 2009. Don’t walk across the street. You’ll have to turn around and come back. See you Sunday.
S-Group Development Team
I need help. (Be nice. You know what I mean.) I need some help getting people CONNECTED in S-Groups. If you have a passion for S-Groups and would like to team up with Wanda and me to brainstorm some ideas and ways to get people involved, PLEASE call or email Wanda (wandalashley@bellsouth.net or (704)477-6590). I have asked Wanda to head up this team. She is a great organizer and idea gal. I have some books and material I’d like for us to study to get a broad range of ideas and concepts to really get S-Groups up and running. We need YOU!
Disciple Bible Study
We need some facilitators for Disciple Bible Study. DBS is a 32-week survey study of the entire Bible. You will learn the background, theme and overall view of every book of the Bible. If you would like to take the course, or if you will like to LEAD a group, please contact me (kenny@rhcconline.org).
NO KENNY WEDNEDSDAY BIBLE STUDY THE NEXT 2 WEEKS
Wednesday, April 29th, I will be in Atlanta with the rest of our staff attending a conference.
Wednesday, May 6th, we will enjoy a concert featuring The Sometime Singers and The Music Men.
We will RESUME Bible Study on WEDNESDAY, May 13th, at 6:30 pm.
COORDINATOR NEEDED FOR RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
We would like to have a Red Cross Blood Drive here at RHCC on June 18th. But we still need a COORDINATOR to register people and make appointments. If you would like to serve in this capacity, please let me know. The more help we get, the easier it will be. Thanks in advance for your willingness to serve.
Publicize YOUR S-Group
If you have a group that is open to adding new members, publicize it on this blog. Tell a little bit about the group. Give the time and day of your meeting. Send me a picture of you so people can put a face with your name. Also give an email and/or phone number for people to contact you.
The best way to do this is by posting a comment with all this information. Keep promoting S-Groups! Thanks for the help.
Lay Aside Every Weight
LAEW continues this Sunday, April 26th from 6 to 8 pm. Notebooks will be available this week. If you missed the first session, no problem. We will review and catch you up this week. Invite a friend. For those of you who don’t know what LAEW is, here you go:
Ever feel lonely? Disconnected? Depressed? Angry? Discouraged? Joyless? Kinda like you have a cement block on your chest? Like you just ran a marathon and they tell you to keep running? Having trouble sustaining harmonious relationships? Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?
Well, Papa God invites you to “lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset you.” Come and experience the healing, loving grace of God for those wounds and heaviness you’ve been carrying around for years. He never meant for you to be burdened down with the weight of past hurts and experiences. This event will positively change your life. If you are ready for that, call the church office to sign up. We’ll be expecting you. Invite some friends as well. Don’t put it off. Just do it!
Lay Aside Every Weight Seminar Information
Five Sunday evenings beginning April 19 thru May 17, 2009.
Time.......................... 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Cost........................... FREE!
Place.........................
JOY Class Moves
Our JOY Sunday School class will begin meeting in the KidZone room in the church life center beginning this Sunday, April 26, 2009. Don’t walk across the street. You’ll have to turn around and come back. See you Sunday.
S-Group Development Team
I need help. (Be nice. You know what I mean.) I need some help getting people CONNECTED in S-Groups. If you have a passion for S-Groups and would like to team up with Wanda and me to brainstorm some ideas and ways to get people involved, PLEASE call or email Wanda (wandalashley@bellsouth.net or (704)477-6590). I have asked Wanda to head up this team. She is a great organizer and idea gal. I have some books and material I’d like for us to study to get a broad range of ideas and concepts to really get S-Groups up and running. We need YOU!
Disciple Bible Study
We need some facilitators for Disciple Bible Study. DBS is a 32-week survey study of the entire Bible. You will learn the background, theme and overall view of every book of the Bible. If you would like to take the course, or if you will like to LEAD a group, please contact me (kenny@rhcconline.org).
NO KENNY WEDNEDSDAY BIBLE STUDY THE NEXT 2 WEEKS
Wednesday, April 29th, I will be in Atlanta with the rest of our staff attending a conference.
Wednesday, May 6th, we will enjoy a concert featuring The Sometime Singers and The Music Men.
We will RESUME Bible Study on WEDNESDAY, May 13th, at 6:30 pm.
COORDINATOR NEEDED FOR RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
We would like to have a Red Cross Blood Drive here at RHCC on June 18th. But we still need a COORDINATOR to register people and make appointments. If you would like to serve in this capacity, please let me know. The more help we get, the easier it will be. Thanks in advance for your willingness to serve.
Publicize YOUR S-Group
If you have a group that is open to adding new members, publicize it on this blog. Tell a little bit about the group. Give the time and day of your meeting. Send me a picture of you so people can put a face with your name. Also give an email and/or phone number for people to contact you.
The best way to do this is by posting a comment with all this information. Keep promoting S-Groups! Thanks for the help.
Lay Aside Every Weight
LAEW continues this Sunday, April 26th from 6 to 8 pm. Notebooks will be available this week. If you missed the first session, no problem. We will review and catch you up this week. Invite a friend. For those of you who don’t know what LAEW is, here you go:
Ever feel lonely? Disconnected? Depressed? Angry? Discouraged? Joyless? Kinda like you have a cement block on your chest? Like you just ran a marathon and they tell you to keep running? Having trouble sustaining harmonious relationships? Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?
Well, Papa God invites you to “lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset you.” Come and experience the healing, loving grace of God for those wounds and heaviness you’ve been carrying around for years. He never meant for you to be burdened down with the weight of past hurts and experiences. This event will positively change your life. If you are ready for that, call the church office to sign up. We’ll be expecting you. Invite some friends as well. Don’t put it off. Just do it!
Lay Aside Every Weight Seminar Information
Five Sunday evenings beginning April 19 thru May 17, 2009.
Time.......................... 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Cost........................... FREE!
Place.........................
River Hills Community Church
104 Hamiltons Ferry Road
Lake Wylie, SC
(803)831-1615
104 Hamiltons Ferry Road
Lake Wylie, SC
(803)831-1615
Seminar Instructor: Kenny Ashley
kenny@rhcconline.org
Serendipity Bibles
A Serendipity Bible is the greatest tool in the world for S-Groups. Every passage in the Bible has icebreakers, discussion starters and questions in the margins. It also has topical studies for men, women, singles, marriage, parenting, youth, recovery, special needs and many more.
I have a few of these Bibles left. You can purchase one for a mere $16 each. What a deal! It is a “gotta-have-one” if you are leading an S-Group in Bible study. Email or call me to reserve your copy.
kenny@rhcconline.org
Serendipity Bibles
A Serendipity Bible is the greatest tool in the world for S-Groups. Every passage in the Bible has icebreakers, discussion starters and questions in the margins. It also has topical studies for men, women, singles, marriage, parenting, youth, recovery, special needs and many more.
I have a few of these Bibles left. You can purchase one for a mere $16 each. What a deal! It is a “gotta-have-one” if you are leading an S-Group in Bible study. Email or call me to reserve your copy.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Red Cross Blood Drive at RHCC
Kathy from the Red Cross informed me of a dire need for sites to host blood drives. The need for blood is escalating. She has a date of Thursday, June 18th. I would love for RHCC to host one. BUT we need volunteers to solicit and sign up people in the church and community to give blood. The more we have the better. Would you be willing to help coordinate this most worthy cause? If so, please email me… kenny@rhcconline.org . Thanks in advance for your help. Blessings.
Lay Aside Every Weight
Lay Aside Every Weight is off and running. We had a great start this past Sunday night, April 19, 2009. It’s not too late to start. We will meet next Sunday, April 26th from 6 to 8 pm. We will review and catch you up. There is no charge for the seminar. You may purchase a notebook for $20 if you so desire. Just let me know so I can reserve you a copy.
Are You in an S-Group?
ser•en•dip•i•ty 1. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
2. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
3. An instance of making such a discovery.
Word History: We are indebted to the English author Horace Walpole for the word serendipity, which he coined in one of the 3,000 or more letters on which his literary reputation primarily rests. In a letter of January 28, 1754, Walpole says that "this discovery, indeed, is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word." Walpole formed the word on an old name for Sri Lanka, Serendip. He explained that this name was part of the title of "a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip: as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of...." (Dictionary.com)
Serendipity is what happens when two or three get together and share their lives and the Holy Spirit does something beautiful when you least expect it.
God created us… you and me… as well as the entire universe for ONE purpose and ONE purpose only… RELATIONSHIPS. For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever would trust in Him should not perish but have eternal LIFE.
LIFE is about RELATIONSHIPS. Mark 3:14-15 MSG--- “He settled on twelve, and designated them apostles. The plan was that they would be with Him, and He would send them out to proclaim the Word.”
Jesus called people to follow HIM… to learn what life is all about by being WITH HIM and watching how He lived and related to people. Proverbs 27:17 MSG--- “You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.” We glean from one another treasures of life whenever two or three are gathered together to just BE WITH ONE ANOTHER. Just get together and the Holy Spirit will do the rest. I promise. Try it and see.
One of the best ways to get started with an S-Group (serendipity, share, small group… “S” for short) is to have a Round Robin group with 4 assigned meetings once a month, or more often if you desire. You will have 8 people in your S-Group. You will meet just to have a meal and get to know one another. One person, or a couple, will take the lead and call the place and time of the first meeting and make assignments as to what to bring to eat. The other three meetings will be a group decision as to time, place, what to eat, etc. when you have your first get together.
Wanda and I have been a part of several Round Robin groups. We didn’t even know some of the people in our group when we started. Today, they are some of our most treasured friends. It is amazing how much you can learn about one another and how quickly you can grow to love one another in such a short time.
After your four meetings, you may decide to stay together and do some Bible study, or a book study, or do a hobby together, whatever you like to do. Or you may want to join another S-Group to get to know more people. The KEY is getting together and sharing life together.
If you are not part of an S-Group, you are missing one of the truly great blessings of life. Please get involved. Just do it. You are not going to make me beg, are you? Okay, I’m begging. I can’t stand to see you miss out on such a great blessing.
Here’s what I want you to do:
Make a decision and commit to being in a S-Group.
Email me with your name, family members name including children and their ages, your email address, and best phone number to reach you.
My email is kenny@rhcconline.org .
Sheila Fife has graciously consented to help you get connected. She will contact you and set you up in a group with which you will have the most in common.
If you have any questions, call Sheila or me.
What are you waiting on? Life is passing you by and so are the blessings. Do it NOW!!!
TESTIMONIES of S-Groupers
If you have been a part of an S-Group that has been a blessing to you, would you please post a comment on this blog for all to see. We want EVERYONE in a S-Group. Thanks in advance. Love you all. Blessings.
2. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
3. An instance of making such a discovery.
Word History: We are indebted to the English author Horace Walpole for the word serendipity, which he coined in one of the 3,000 or more letters on which his literary reputation primarily rests. In a letter of January 28, 1754, Walpole says that "this discovery, indeed, is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word." Walpole formed the word on an old name for Sri Lanka, Serendip. He explained that this name was part of the title of "a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip: as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of...." (Dictionary.com)
Serendipity is what happens when two or three get together and share their lives and the Holy Spirit does something beautiful when you least expect it.
God created us… you and me… as well as the entire universe for ONE purpose and ONE purpose only… RELATIONSHIPS. For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever would trust in Him should not perish but have eternal LIFE.
LIFE is about RELATIONSHIPS. Mark 3:14-15 MSG--- “He settled on twelve, and designated them apostles. The plan was that they would be with Him, and He would send them out to proclaim the Word.”
Jesus called people to follow HIM… to learn what life is all about by being WITH HIM and watching how He lived and related to people. Proverbs 27:17 MSG--- “You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.” We glean from one another treasures of life whenever two or three are gathered together to just BE WITH ONE ANOTHER. Just get together and the Holy Spirit will do the rest. I promise. Try it and see.
One of the best ways to get started with an S-Group (serendipity, share, small group… “S” for short) is to have a Round Robin group with 4 assigned meetings once a month, or more often if you desire. You will have 8 people in your S-Group. You will meet just to have a meal and get to know one another. One person, or a couple, will take the lead and call the place and time of the first meeting and make assignments as to what to bring to eat. The other three meetings will be a group decision as to time, place, what to eat, etc. when you have your first get together.
Wanda and I have been a part of several Round Robin groups. We didn’t even know some of the people in our group when we started. Today, they are some of our most treasured friends. It is amazing how much you can learn about one another and how quickly you can grow to love one another in such a short time.
After your four meetings, you may decide to stay together and do some Bible study, or a book study, or do a hobby together, whatever you like to do. Or you may want to join another S-Group to get to know more people. The KEY is getting together and sharing life together.
If you are not part of an S-Group, you are missing one of the truly great blessings of life. Please get involved. Just do it. You are not going to make me beg, are you? Okay, I’m begging. I can’t stand to see you miss out on such a great blessing.
Here’s what I want you to do:
Make a decision and commit to being in a S-Group.
Email me with your name, family members name including children and their ages, your email address, and best phone number to reach you.
My email is kenny@rhcconline.org .
Sheila Fife has graciously consented to help you get connected. She will contact you and set you up in a group with which you will have the most in common.
If you have any questions, call Sheila or me.
What are you waiting on? Life is passing you by and so are the blessings. Do it NOW!!!
TESTIMONIES of S-Groupers
If you have been a part of an S-Group that has been a blessing to you, would you please post a comment on this blog for all to see. We want EVERYONE in a S-Group. Thanks in advance. Love you all. Blessings.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Kenny's Sermon for Sunday, April 19, 2009
Leaks and Landing Strips
April 19, 2009
Ephesians 5:18 NKJV--- And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.
Ø The Greek implies that we are to be continually being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Ø If we are filled one time, why do we need to be continually filled?
Ø Because we LEAK.
Ephesians 4:30 NIV--- And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Ø Grieving God means He is saddened that we are eating garbage when we could be feasting at His banquet table.
Ø It does not mean that He is disappointed with us.
Ø Whenever we choose to SIN… act INDEPENDENTLY living in our own strength apart from dependence upon God… we LEAK and the Holy Spirit is pushed aside by our self-willfulness.
The Power Struggle
Galatians 5:16-17 NLT--- So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
Ø As long as we live in this fallen earthsuit, there will be a struggle with who is going to control your life… the FLESH or the Holy Spirit.
Ø Don’t beat yourself up because you feel conflicted. It is what it is.
Ø If the Apostle Paul, the greatest Christian who ever lived, struggled, what hope is it for you and me not to.
Romans 7:15-20 NLT--- I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. 16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.
18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. 19 When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. 20 But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.
Ø Paul is not copping out here and blaming his struggle on sin.
Ø Sin is like gravity pulling on us 24/7.
Ø The Holy Spirit encourages us to trust Him and let Him overcome sin FOR us.
Ø The FLESH argues with Him that “I” can handle this on my own which is the essence of SIN.
Ø After exhausting himself in his struggle vs. sin, the penny dropped for Paul.
Romans 7:22-25 NLT--- I love God's law with all my heart. 23 But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Ø The freedom from sin Paul sought was found in what Jesus had done FOR him, not what he could do himself.
Ø BUT the FLESH is stubborn. It won’t let go without a fight.
Ø That’s why trials and tribulations are our FRIENDS.
Ø They bring us to a place of giving up our attempts to be in control and let the Holy Spirit take charge.
James 1:2-4 MSG--- Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 3 You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4 So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
Ø Floating in water: If you TRY to float, you will sink. You must give yourself up to the water and the water will hold you up.
Ø The second you think you have to HELP the water hold you up, you sink.
Ø The second you think you have to HELP the Lord control your life, you LEAK.
How Do We Keep From Leaking?
Romans 8:1-8 NLT--- So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent His own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. 8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
Ø Do you see how vital your MIND is to your life?
Proverbs 23:7 KJV--- As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…
Romans 12:2 NKJV--- And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Philippians 4:8-9 MSG--- Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious — the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
Ø All our problems stem from one basic sin…. UNBELIEF!
Romans 14:23 KJV--- For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Ø God says that we died with Christ and we are dead to sin.
Romans 6:6-7 NLT--- Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
Ø The sinful nature, the FLESH, is the residue of the OLD MAN.
Ø The old man died with Christ on the cross. He is dead and gone.
Ø BUT when we don’t believe it, he is still alive to us even though he is dead.
Ø ILLUS: Boy who spills his drink at meals.
Ø We plug the LEAKS by choosing to walk in the Spirit.
Ø It’s our CHOICE.
Galatians 5:16 AMP--- But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
Closing Down the Landing Strips of Word Curses
Ø We were created originally in the image of God.
Ø How did God create the universe?
Ø God spoke… “Let there be…”
Ø God has given our word creative power as well.
Proverbs 18:21 NIV--- The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Ø Our words are either ROUND UP or MIRACLE GRO.
Ø Our words either feed people or poison them.
Ephesians 4:29 AMP--- Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.
Ø Our BELIEF SYSTEM is composed of what we believe about God, ourselves, others and life in general.
Ø It determines how we think, how we feel, and how we live.
Ø It is a mixture of truth and error.
Ø God’s Word is TRUTH. Jesus is the WORD. He is the TRUTH.
Ø It is vital that our BELIEF SYSTEM operates on the TRUTH or we will be led astray and miss out on the abundant life Jesus died to give us.
Ø WORDS are the substance of our THOUGHTS.
Ø WORDS also have a profound effect on what we THINK.
Ø Therefore, we need to be very careful about the WORDS we SPEAK and HEAR.
Proverbs 26:2 NIV--- Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
Ø Birds hop around on the ground seldom resting in one place as the look for food.
Ø WORDS are like birds looking for a landing strip in our soul.
Ø Encouraging words do just that… put courage into us.
Ø BUT “word curses” have the opposite effect. They can suck the life right out of us.
Ø How many of us to this day still remember hurtful words spoken to us once upon a time?
Ø But in Christ, we have a blessed promise:
Isaiah 54:17 MSG--- No weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what GOD's servants can expect. I'll see to it that everything works out for the best."
Ø satan is called “the accuser of the brethren.” He is a liar.
Ø But if you don’t believe the TRUTH, that lie will worm its way into your heart.
Ø And as you think in your HEART, so are you.
Ø You will become that lie. You must guard your HEART.
Proverbs 4:23 NLT--- Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.
Erasing the Word Curses
Ø Be careful little ears what you hear. Be careful little tongue what you speak.
Ø Word curses can cling to us like beggar lice so we need to clean them out.
Ø Let’s do it. Pray aloud with me:
PRAYER TO DESTROY WORD CURSES
Lord, I loose the influence and the effects of all word curses (known or unknown) spoken about me, to me, or by me. Forgive me for word curses I have spoken upon myself. I bind myself to the truth of the Word which tells me I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me. I bind myself to the truth of the Word that Jesus has given me His peace which the world cannot take away. I bind myself to the truth of the Word that all things work together for my good. I am not limited by anyone else’s opinions of my life and my abilities unless I choose to come into wrong agreement with such limitations. I loose every wrong agreement I’ve ever believed and entered into regarding negative words spoken to me, by me, or about me. I bind myself to the truth of the Word that I am a new creation in Christ. Old things have passed away. All things are new and waiting for me to receive them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Ø Once you kill the weeds, you must apply PRE-IMERGENT.
Psalm 141:3-4 MSG--- Post a guard at my mouth, GOD, set a watch at the door of my lips. Don't let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong — don't let them lure me with their sweet talk!
Psalm 19:14 NLT--- May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Share YOUR Good Stuff
If you would like to announce some GOOD STUFF of your own, simply post a comment and I'll publish it on Kenny's Stuff. All of you reading this blog, PLEASE OPEN THE COMMENTS to share in the stuff others are sharing. Blessings!
April 19, 2009
Ephesians 5:18 NKJV--- And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.
Ø The Greek implies that we are to be continually being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Ø If we are filled one time, why do we need to be continually filled?
Ø Because we LEAK.
Ephesians 4:30 NIV--- And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Ø Grieving God means He is saddened that we are eating garbage when we could be feasting at His banquet table.
Ø It does not mean that He is disappointed with us.
Ø Whenever we choose to SIN… act INDEPENDENTLY living in our own strength apart from dependence upon God… we LEAK and the Holy Spirit is pushed aside by our self-willfulness.
The Power Struggle
Galatians 5:16-17 NLT--- So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
Ø As long as we live in this fallen earthsuit, there will be a struggle with who is going to control your life… the FLESH or the Holy Spirit.
Ø Don’t beat yourself up because you feel conflicted. It is what it is.
Ø If the Apostle Paul, the greatest Christian who ever lived, struggled, what hope is it for you and me not to.
Romans 7:15-20 NLT--- I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. 16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.
18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. 19 When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. 20 But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.
Ø Paul is not copping out here and blaming his struggle on sin.
Ø Sin is like gravity pulling on us 24/7.
Ø The Holy Spirit encourages us to trust Him and let Him overcome sin FOR us.
Ø The FLESH argues with Him that “I” can handle this on my own which is the essence of SIN.
Ø After exhausting himself in his struggle vs. sin, the penny dropped for Paul.
Romans 7:22-25 NLT--- I love God's law with all my heart. 23 But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Ø The freedom from sin Paul sought was found in what Jesus had done FOR him, not what he could do himself.
Ø BUT the FLESH is stubborn. It won’t let go without a fight.
Ø That’s why trials and tribulations are our FRIENDS.
Ø They bring us to a place of giving up our attempts to be in control and let the Holy Spirit take charge.
James 1:2-4 MSG--- Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 3 You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4 So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
Ø Floating in water: If you TRY to float, you will sink. You must give yourself up to the water and the water will hold you up.
Ø The second you think you have to HELP the water hold you up, you sink.
Ø The second you think you have to HELP the Lord control your life, you LEAK.
How Do We Keep From Leaking?
Romans 8:1-8 NLT--- So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent His own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. 8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
Ø Do you see how vital your MIND is to your life?
Proverbs 23:7 KJV--- As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…
Romans 12:2 NKJV--- And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Philippians 4:8-9 MSG--- Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious — the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
Ø All our problems stem from one basic sin…. UNBELIEF!
Romans 14:23 KJV--- For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Ø God says that we died with Christ and we are dead to sin.
Romans 6:6-7 NLT--- Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
Ø The sinful nature, the FLESH, is the residue of the OLD MAN.
Ø The old man died with Christ on the cross. He is dead and gone.
Ø BUT when we don’t believe it, he is still alive to us even though he is dead.
Ø ILLUS: Boy who spills his drink at meals.
Ø We plug the LEAKS by choosing to walk in the Spirit.
Ø It’s our CHOICE.
Galatians 5:16 AMP--- But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
Closing Down the Landing Strips of Word Curses
Ø We were created originally in the image of God.
Ø How did God create the universe?
Ø God spoke… “Let there be…”
Ø God has given our word creative power as well.
Proverbs 18:21 NIV--- The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Ø Our words are either ROUND UP or MIRACLE GRO.
Ø Our words either feed people or poison them.
Ephesians 4:29 AMP--- Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.
Ø Our BELIEF SYSTEM is composed of what we believe about God, ourselves, others and life in general.
Ø It determines how we think, how we feel, and how we live.
Ø It is a mixture of truth and error.
Ø God’s Word is TRUTH. Jesus is the WORD. He is the TRUTH.
Ø It is vital that our BELIEF SYSTEM operates on the TRUTH or we will be led astray and miss out on the abundant life Jesus died to give us.
Ø WORDS are the substance of our THOUGHTS.
Ø WORDS also have a profound effect on what we THINK.
Ø Therefore, we need to be very careful about the WORDS we SPEAK and HEAR.
Proverbs 26:2 NIV--- Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
Ø Birds hop around on the ground seldom resting in one place as the look for food.
Ø WORDS are like birds looking for a landing strip in our soul.
Ø Encouraging words do just that… put courage into us.
Ø BUT “word curses” have the opposite effect. They can suck the life right out of us.
Ø How many of us to this day still remember hurtful words spoken to us once upon a time?
Ø But in Christ, we have a blessed promise:
Isaiah 54:17 MSG--- No weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what GOD's servants can expect. I'll see to it that everything works out for the best."
Ø satan is called “the accuser of the brethren.” He is a liar.
Ø But if you don’t believe the TRUTH, that lie will worm its way into your heart.
Ø And as you think in your HEART, so are you.
Ø You will become that lie. You must guard your HEART.
Proverbs 4:23 NLT--- Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.
Erasing the Word Curses
Ø Be careful little ears what you hear. Be careful little tongue what you speak.
Ø Word curses can cling to us like beggar lice so we need to clean them out.
Ø Let’s do it. Pray aloud with me:
PRAYER TO DESTROY WORD CURSES
Lord, I loose the influence and the effects of all word curses (known or unknown) spoken about me, to me, or by me. Forgive me for word curses I have spoken upon myself. I bind myself to the truth of the Word which tells me I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me. I bind myself to the truth of the Word that Jesus has given me His peace which the world cannot take away. I bind myself to the truth of the Word that all things work together for my good. I am not limited by anyone else’s opinions of my life and my abilities unless I choose to come into wrong agreement with such limitations. I loose every wrong agreement I’ve ever believed and entered into regarding negative words spoken to me, by me, or about me. I bind myself to the truth of the Word that I am a new creation in Christ. Old things have passed away. All things are new and waiting for me to receive them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Ø Once you kill the weeds, you must apply PRE-IMERGENT.
Psalm 141:3-4 MSG--- Post a guard at my mouth, GOD, set a watch at the door of my lips. Don't let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong — don't let them lure me with their sweet talk!
Psalm 19:14 NLT--- May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Share YOUR Good Stuff
If you would like to announce some GOOD STUFF of your own, simply post a comment and I'll publish it on Kenny's Stuff. All of you reading this blog, PLEASE OPEN THE COMMENTS to share in the stuff others are sharing. Blessings!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Just Thinking Out Loud... Again
Just Thinking Out Loud…
Romans 8:28 NLT--- And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Do you believe that? If so, have you griped and complained this week about the hand that you’ve been dealt like I have? I claim to believe this verse, but my negativity denies it. IF God weaves all the events of my life into a divine tapestry that one day will reveal a complete work of art that will magnify His glory and bless my socks off, then why am I downcast and disgruntled?
Proverbs 23:7 (KJV) says “that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” If my thoughts determine how I feel, which they do, then I need to be very careful about what I allow myself to think about. It is so easy to slip into “stinking thinking.”
How do you know what I think? You hear what I say. My words reveal my thoughts. If you want to know what God thinks, you read His Word. Words reveal our thoughts. With that being said, think about this verse: Proverbs 18:21 MSG--- Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit — you choose.
Our words can be like Round UP (weed killer), or they can be like Miracle Gro. They have the power to speak death or life into people. So many people I talk with have been wounded by other people’s tongues. Very few are blessed with special people who fertilize their souls regularly with words of life. And it is so easy to do and costs us nothing.
I heard of a man one time who fell on hard times and lost everything… his family, his career, his self-respect. He ended up sitting on a street corner homeless and selling pencils in order to survive. One day a business man walked by him on the street. The man pulled the change from his pocket and dropped it into the box of pencils and kept walking. Then he stopped and turned around addressing the downtrodden pencil merchant.
“I beg your pardon, Sir. I mistook you for a beggar, when, indeed, you are not. I failed to see the pencils you are selling. May I have my pencils, please.”
A couple of years later, a dapper young man in a fine suit entered the store of the businessman and said to him. “Sir, you do not know me, but I know you. Two years ago, you bought some pencils from me as I sat on the street not far from here. At that time, I believed my life was over and there was no use in my living anymore. But your words of respect kindled in me a spark which fanned into a flame the faith I once had in God and His plan for me. I got up and with God’s help have been reunited with my family and my life as well as my business has been restored. I just wanted to return the favor and thank you for your kind words of encouragement. They were life to me when death was knocking at my door.”
As I write this, my soul is in turmoil. My emotions are a cauldron of mixed feelings boiling inside of me. I can’t seem to get my bearings. I’m uncertain about every step I take. I don’t know whether the ground beneath my feet is solid ground or sinking sand.
I used to have God figured out. If you did good stuff, things that pleased Him, He loved you. If you didn’t do good stuff, or did bad stuff, He was disappointed in you and you had to do more good stuff to get back into His good graces.
Now I know that is not true at all. I know some people who have said the “sinner’s prayer” and gone to church their whole life, and been baptized every which way, but I see no evidence that Jesus lives in them at all. As a matter of fact, some of them are downright mean and extremely self-centered. Are they in God’s good graces just because they’ve jumped thru the hoops of religiosity?
Then I see people who never go to “church,” who would give you the shirt off their backs… who love and accept people just the way they are. They are like the “Good Samaritan” who helped the wounded man in the ditch while the “good religious people” walked on by. Is God disappointed in them because they don’t jump thru the same hoops?
God is blowing my mind and stretching me so much I feel like Gumby (I’m really dating myself with that!) I just know I’ve got to get back to basics. I’ve got to quit “word cursing” myself and others. I’ve got to start trusting God’s heart when I can’t trace His hand. I’ve got to start encouraging myself and everybody else, too.
I could use your help. If you find me spewing Round Up instead of Miracle Gro, please let me know. Thanks for allowing me to think out loud. It helps me because how can I know what I think until I hear what I say.
You think about that…
Beggars Telling Other Beggars Where to Find Bread
Papa means for us to love, encourage and help one another. If you have come across some blessings you could share, pass them along. Write a comment and I’ll post it here so others can share in the blessings.
www.yourneighborhoodproduce.com is a local co-op run by Christine Nelson. She takes up money and buys restaurant quality produce every other week. Pick up is on Saturdays from 8 to 9 am at the Clover Middle School. You pay by midnight on the Monday before the Saturday pickup. We’ve tried it and the quality and quantity of produce is terrific. You need to bring a big sack or laundry basket to carry your food home. It’s great.
If you have other blessings you would like to share, you can write a comment here and I’ll post it. Or email me at kenny@rhcconline.org. Blessings to you all.
Lay Aside Every Weight Begins This Sunday, April 19
Time: 6 to 8 pm
Cost: FREE! You can purchase a notebook for $20 if you desire.
Place: River Hills Community Church in the sanctuary.
Seminar Contact: Kenny Ashley
kenny@rhcconline.org
www.kennyashleystuff.blogspot.com
803-831-1615
Romans 8:28 NLT--- And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Do you believe that? If so, have you griped and complained this week about the hand that you’ve been dealt like I have? I claim to believe this verse, but my negativity denies it. IF God weaves all the events of my life into a divine tapestry that one day will reveal a complete work of art that will magnify His glory and bless my socks off, then why am I downcast and disgruntled?
Proverbs 23:7 (KJV) says “that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” If my thoughts determine how I feel, which they do, then I need to be very careful about what I allow myself to think about. It is so easy to slip into “stinking thinking.”
How do you know what I think? You hear what I say. My words reveal my thoughts. If you want to know what God thinks, you read His Word. Words reveal our thoughts. With that being said, think about this verse: Proverbs 18:21 MSG--- Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit — you choose.
Our words can be like Round UP (weed killer), or they can be like Miracle Gro. They have the power to speak death or life into people. So many people I talk with have been wounded by other people’s tongues. Very few are blessed with special people who fertilize their souls regularly with words of life. And it is so easy to do and costs us nothing.
I heard of a man one time who fell on hard times and lost everything… his family, his career, his self-respect. He ended up sitting on a street corner homeless and selling pencils in order to survive. One day a business man walked by him on the street. The man pulled the change from his pocket and dropped it into the box of pencils and kept walking. Then he stopped and turned around addressing the downtrodden pencil merchant.
“I beg your pardon, Sir. I mistook you for a beggar, when, indeed, you are not. I failed to see the pencils you are selling. May I have my pencils, please.”
A couple of years later, a dapper young man in a fine suit entered the store of the businessman and said to him. “Sir, you do not know me, but I know you. Two years ago, you bought some pencils from me as I sat on the street not far from here. At that time, I believed my life was over and there was no use in my living anymore. But your words of respect kindled in me a spark which fanned into a flame the faith I once had in God and His plan for me. I got up and with God’s help have been reunited with my family and my life as well as my business has been restored. I just wanted to return the favor and thank you for your kind words of encouragement. They were life to me when death was knocking at my door.”
As I write this, my soul is in turmoil. My emotions are a cauldron of mixed feelings boiling inside of me. I can’t seem to get my bearings. I’m uncertain about every step I take. I don’t know whether the ground beneath my feet is solid ground or sinking sand.
I used to have God figured out. If you did good stuff, things that pleased Him, He loved you. If you didn’t do good stuff, or did bad stuff, He was disappointed in you and you had to do more good stuff to get back into His good graces.
Now I know that is not true at all. I know some people who have said the “sinner’s prayer” and gone to church their whole life, and been baptized every which way, but I see no evidence that Jesus lives in them at all. As a matter of fact, some of them are downright mean and extremely self-centered. Are they in God’s good graces just because they’ve jumped thru the hoops of religiosity?
Then I see people who never go to “church,” who would give you the shirt off their backs… who love and accept people just the way they are. They are like the “Good Samaritan” who helped the wounded man in the ditch while the “good religious people” walked on by. Is God disappointed in them because they don’t jump thru the same hoops?
God is blowing my mind and stretching me so much I feel like Gumby (I’m really dating myself with that!) I just know I’ve got to get back to basics. I’ve got to quit “word cursing” myself and others. I’ve got to start trusting God’s heart when I can’t trace His hand. I’ve got to start encouraging myself and everybody else, too.
I could use your help. If you find me spewing Round Up instead of Miracle Gro, please let me know. Thanks for allowing me to think out loud. It helps me because how can I know what I think until I hear what I say.
You think about that…
Beggars Telling Other Beggars Where to Find Bread
Papa means for us to love, encourage and help one another. If you have come across some blessings you could share, pass them along. Write a comment and I’ll post it here so others can share in the blessings.
www.yourneighborhoodproduce.com is a local co-op run by Christine Nelson. She takes up money and buys restaurant quality produce every other week. Pick up is on Saturdays from 8 to 9 am at the Clover Middle School. You pay by midnight on the Monday before the Saturday pickup. We’ve tried it and the quality and quantity of produce is terrific. You need to bring a big sack or laundry basket to carry your food home. It’s great.
If you have other blessings you would like to share, you can write a comment here and I’ll post it. Or email me at kenny@rhcconline.org. Blessings to you all.
Lay Aside Every Weight Begins This Sunday, April 19
Time: 6 to 8 pm
Cost: FREE! You can purchase a notebook for $20 if you desire.
Place: River Hills Community Church in the sanctuary.
Seminar Contact: Kenny Ashley
kenny@rhcconline.org
www.kennyashleystuff.blogspot.com
803-831-1615
We will meet for 5 Sundays in a row. April 19 thru May 17. If you can’t make them all, please come when you can. Everyone is welcome.
GRACE GROUPS
Kenny and Ben’s Tuesday morning Bible Study will meet this Tuesday, April 14th as usual. Our passage this week is Mark 15:1-5. Come join us.
We have 2 more weeks of Revelation… April 15 and April 22… at 6:30 in the sanctuary.
Post stuff about your GRACE GROUP here in a comment. I’ll be glad to post it for you.
Friday, April 10, 2009
What's Next?
WEDNESDAY REVELATION BIBLE STUDY
We will meet this Wednesday, April 15, at 6:30 pm as usual. There will be no meal at 5:30, but come anyway. Bring a sandwich or something.
We will conclude our study of The Book of Revelation on April 22. Yes, we have a meal at 5:30 pm so the crowd will be back up that week.
April 29, there will be no Bible Study. The entire staff will be in Atlanta for a conference. Y'all try to keep the church from falling apart while we are gone. Ha! Ha!
May 6 is the last church-wide meal. The Sometime Singers and the Music Men will provide the program for the evening.
We will resume Bible study, without 5:30 meals, at 6:30 on May 13 and continue thru the summer. Be thinking about a book of the Bible or a topic you would like to study and let me know.
LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT
Ever feel lonely? Disconnected? Depressed? Angry? Discouraged? Joyless? Like you have a cement block on your chest? Like you just ran a marathon and they tell you to keep running? Having trouble sustaining harmonious relationships? Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?
Well, Father God invites you to "lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset you." Come and experience the healing, loving grace of God for those wounds and heaviness you’ve been carrying around for years. He never meant for you to be burdened down with the weight of past hurts and experiences. This event will positively change your life. If you are ready for that, call the church office to sign up. We’ll be expecting you. Invite some friends as well. Don’t put it off. Just do it!
We will meet for 5 Sunday evenings from 6 to 8pm beginning April 19 thru May 17.
It's free. That's right, FREE. Unless you want to buy a LAEW notebook for $20.
Small childcare is provided. We will take up an offering to help defer the cost of childcare. A dollar from each of us would cover it.
GRACE GROUPS
If you have a Grace Group that you would like to publicize on my blog, just put the announcement in a comment, and I'll publish it. That makes it easy for me and you. Tell your friends about this blog so they can keep up with all the good stuff going on.
TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
Ben Rawls and I are facilitating a Bible Study on Tuesday mornings from 8:45 am to 10:00. We have a great group. Ben answers all RG's questions and I handle the easy ones. Come bring your questions and let's discuss them together. All you need is an open heart and a bible. If you don't have a bible, we will get you one. We can't do much for you if you don't have a heart. Jesus will have to take care of that. Love ya. See you on Tuesday in room 102 in the sanctuary building.
MASTER'S MEN
Master's Men is a group of guys who get together on Wednesday mornings from 7:00 am to 8:00 am to discuss the meaning of life and do a little Bible study. Yes, it's early. I know all about that, but it's worth it when you get there. We have a great time together.
For the more cultured of us, we all load up on the church van and go eat pinto beans and cornbread every Wednesday at 11:30 am SHARP! I say SHARP because even though they are Christians, they will leave you if you're late. We would love for you to join us. Blessings.
WHAT DID I FORGET?
Send me what I forgot to announce via a comment and I'll publish it. Thanks, y'all. Have a blessed week.
We will meet this Wednesday, April 15, at 6:30 pm as usual. There will be no meal at 5:30, but come anyway. Bring a sandwich or something.
We will conclude our study of The Book of Revelation on April 22. Yes, we have a meal at 5:30 pm so the crowd will be back up that week.
April 29, there will be no Bible Study. The entire staff will be in Atlanta for a conference. Y'all try to keep the church from falling apart while we are gone. Ha! Ha!
May 6 is the last church-wide meal. The Sometime Singers and the Music Men will provide the program for the evening.
We will resume Bible study, without 5:30 meals, at 6:30 on May 13 and continue thru the summer. Be thinking about a book of the Bible or a topic you would like to study and let me know.
LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT
Ever feel lonely? Disconnected? Depressed? Angry? Discouraged? Joyless? Like you have a cement block on your chest? Like you just ran a marathon and they tell you to keep running? Having trouble sustaining harmonious relationships? Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?
Well, Father God invites you to "lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset you." Come and experience the healing, loving grace of God for those wounds and heaviness you’ve been carrying around for years. He never meant for you to be burdened down with the weight of past hurts and experiences. This event will positively change your life. If you are ready for that, call the church office to sign up. We’ll be expecting you. Invite some friends as well. Don’t put it off. Just do it!
We will meet for 5 Sunday evenings from 6 to 8pm beginning April 19 thru May 17.
It's free. That's right, FREE. Unless you want to buy a LAEW notebook for $20.
Small childcare is provided. We will take up an offering to help defer the cost of childcare. A dollar from each of us would cover it.
GRACE GROUPS
If you have a Grace Group that you would like to publicize on my blog, just put the announcement in a comment, and I'll publish it. That makes it easy for me and you. Tell your friends about this blog so they can keep up with all the good stuff going on.
TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
Ben Rawls and I are facilitating a Bible Study on Tuesday mornings from 8:45 am to 10:00. We have a great group. Ben answers all RG's questions and I handle the easy ones. Come bring your questions and let's discuss them together. All you need is an open heart and a bible. If you don't have a bible, we will get you one. We can't do much for you if you don't have a heart. Jesus will have to take care of that. Love ya. See you on Tuesday in room 102 in the sanctuary building.
MASTER'S MEN
Master's Men is a group of guys who get together on Wednesday mornings from 7:00 am to 8:00 am to discuss the meaning of life and do a little Bible study. Yes, it's early. I know all about that, but it's worth it when you get there. We have a great time together.
For the more cultured of us, we all load up on the church van and go eat pinto beans and cornbread every Wednesday at 11:30 am SHARP! I say SHARP because even though they are Christians, they will leave you if you're late. We would love for you to join us. Blessings.
WHAT DID I FORGET?
Send me what I forgot to announce via a comment and I'll publish it. Thanks, y'all. Have a blessed week.
Just Thinking Out Loud...
Matthew 25:31-45--- "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'37 "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?'40 "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'41 "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'44 "Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'45 "And he will answer, 'I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me."
On Thursday, April 9, 2009, I had the privilege of officiating a funeral service for James David (TJ) Smith who went home to be with the Lord after a motorcycle accident this past week. I never him, but within thirty minutes I learned a great deal about this big man with an even bigger heart. No, TJ didn't wear his religion on his sleeve because I assume like a lot of motorcycle riders, they were cut off. I've been thinking about cutting mine off... religion, that is, especially after the funeral yesterday.
As I listened to the flood of people who poured out to pay their respects to this "real good man," a song that was played at the funeral, their love for TJ filled the room like the fragrance of exquisite perfume. They openly wept as they shared one TJ story after another.
One told of the time when TJ met a total stranger whose boots were just totally worn out. TJ took him to the shoe store to buy him a pair of boots. When the man took his boots off, he only had a few threads for socks. So, TJ bought him some new socks. When the clerk measured his feet, his feet were two different sizes. So, TJ bought him two pair of boots so he could get one good pair out of the two.
At restaurants, TJ would buy drinks for everyone at the next table. He would go around and introduce himself and talk to each and every one of them. TJ would just say, “I like to meet people.”TJ wanted everybody around him to have a good time. He had a contagious laugh that made everyone stop and smile even if they were in a bad mood. He was a lover of life. The world was his oyster, and he meant to savor every ounce of life.
When Jesus said that He had come that we might have life, and life more abundantly, TJ took Him seriously. Like Jesus, TJ just loved people. All people. He didn't discriminate. TJ understood that God was God, and he was not. He told one man, "God's always right. We are not." He would consistently tell young people to love their mamas and call home so they wouldn't worry about them. He believed in the adage, "live and let live." And live he did. He left fingerprints on everyone in that room. Even me, and I didn't even know him.
As I looked out over that chapel yesterday, I saw a family more closeknit than any church I've ever been a part of. They laughed. They cried. There was no pretense. No hypocrisy. They were who they were… just a bunch of people who came together to honor a fallen comrade and console one another in their grief. I’m understanding more and more why Jesus yelled at religious people who just didn’t get it. Jesus came here to love people to life and set them free from the bondage of the law, not kill them with it. People who had been irreparably damaged by the Fall needed a Savior to follow, not a creed. Jesus told people to follow HIM. Following Jesus means following a PERSON, not a set of religious rules and regulations we can use to compare ourselves with others who, in the eyes of religion, don’t make the grade.
TJ was like the group that didn’t have a clue they were ministering to Jesus when he befriended people and lent them a helping hand. Religious institutions are more interested in what people can give to support their kingdoms rather than God’s. Religion just doesn’t get it. TJ got it, and no church taught it to him. Maybe TJ was the way he was because he was saved FROM religion rather than BY it.
Romans 2:13-16 MSG--- Merely hearing God's law is a waste of your time if you don't do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God.14 When outsiders who have never heard of God's law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. 15 They show that God's law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God's yes and no, right and wrong. 16 Their response to God's yes and no will become public knowledge on the day God makes his final decision about every man and woman. The Message from God that I proclaim through Jesus Christ takes into account all these differences.
You think about that…
On Thursday, April 9, 2009, I had the privilege of officiating a funeral service for James David (TJ) Smith who went home to be with the Lord after a motorcycle accident this past week. I never him, but within thirty minutes I learned a great deal about this big man with an even bigger heart. No, TJ didn't wear his religion on his sleeve because I assume like a lot of motorcycle riders, they were cut off. I've been thinking about cutting mine off... religion, that is, especially after the funeral yesterday.
As I listened to the flood of people who poured out to pay their respects to this "real good man," a song that was played at the funeral, their love for TJ filled the room like the fragrance of exquisite perfume. They openly wept as they shared one TJ story after another.
One told of the time when TJ met a total stranger whose boots were just totally worn out. TJ took him to the shoe store to buy him a pair of boots. When the man took his boots off, he only had a few threads for socks. So, TJ bought him some new socks. When the clerk measured his feet, his feet were two different sizes. So, TJ bought him two pair of boots so he could get one good pair out of the two.
At restaurants, TJ would buy drinks for everyone at the next table. He would go around and introduce himself and talk to each and every one of them. TJ would just say, “I like to meet people.”TJ wanted everybody around him to have a good time. He had a contagious laugh that made everyone stop and smile even if they were in a bad mood. He was a lover of life. The world was his oyster, and he meant to savor every ounce of life.
When Jesus said that He had come that we might have life, and life more abundantly, TJ took Him seriously. Like Jesus, TJ just loved people. All people. He didn't discriminate. TJ understood that God was God, and he was not. He told one man, "God's always right. We are not." He would consistently tell young people to love their mamas and call home so they wouldn't worry about them. He believed in the adage, "live and let live." And live he did. He left fingerprints on everyone in that room. Even me, and I didn't even know him.
As I looked out over that chapel yesterday, I saw a family more closeknit than any church I've ever been a part of. They laughed. They cried. There was no pretense. No hypocrisy. They were who they were… just a bunch of people who came together to honor a fallen comrade and console one another in their grief. I’m understanding more and more why Jesus yelled at religious people who just didn’t get it. Jesus came here to love people to life and set them free from the bondage of the law, not kill them with it. People who had been irreparably damaged by the Fall needed a Savior to follow, not a creed. Jesus told people to follow HIM. Following Jesus means following a PERSON, not a set of religious rules and regulations we can use to compare ourselves with others who, in the eyes of religion, don’t make the grade.
TJ was like the group that didn’t have a clue they were ministering to Jesus when he befriended people and lent them a helping hand. Religious institutions are more interested in what people can give to support their kingdoms rather than God’s. Religion just doesn’t get it. TJ got it, and no church taught it to him. Maybe TJ was the way he was because he was saved FROM religion rather than BY it.
Romans 2:13-16 MSG--- Merely hearing God's law is a waste of your time if you don't do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God.14 When outsiders who have never heard of God's law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. 15 They show that God's law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God's yes and no, right and wrong. 16 Their response to God's yes and no will become public knowledge on the day God makes his final decision about every man and woman. The Message from God that I proclaim through Jesus Christ takes into account all these differences.
You think about that…
Monday, April 6, 2009
Welcome to Kenny's Stuff
Welcome to my world. I feel like a minnow in a cyberspace ocean. I'm about as blog ignorant as you can get. However, I'm willing to learn if you will just be patient with me.
A special thanks to Elizabeth McGarity whose graciousness and assistance has allowed me to get this far. She tells me that I can put ALL MY STUFF that I want to share with you on this BLOG. She says it will simplify our communication with one another. I sure hope so. What I want to do is use this tool to share Gracelines, info about Grace Groups, seminars, teachings, as well as some talking out loud with Papa. Hope you are willing to talk back, too.
I have a poem on a sketch in my office that summarizes what I want to do with this blog. It says...
Come walk with me.
I do not know the length of the journey
Nor the direction of the trail.
I can't even guarantee the smootnness of the path
Nor the quality of the discovery.
All I can say is...
Come, walk with me.
(Marcus F. Wesh, Jr.)
A special thanks to Elizabeth McGarity whose graciousness and assistance has allowed me to get this far. She tells me that I can put ALL MY STUFF that I want to share with you on this BLOG. She says it will simplify our communication with one another. I sure hope so. What I want to do is use this tool to share Gracelines, info about Grace Groups, seminars, teachings, as well as some talking out loud with Papa. Hope you are willing to talk back, too.
I have a poem on a sketch in my office that summarizes what I want to do with this blog. It says...
Come walk with me.
I do not know the length of the journey
Nor the direction of the trail.
I can't even guarantee the smootnness of the path
Nor the quality of the discovery.
All I can say is...
Come, walk with me.
(Marcus F. Wesh, Jr.)
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