Eat Sleep Serve

In 2005 our youth ministry attended a Group Work Camp for the first time. During that week we spent time simply serving in the community of Monroe Louisiana. My thoughts after the trip were "Man, we could and need to do something like this in Adamsville." For the next 5 years we would still travel out of state and country to serve in other communities.  Yet that thought from the first trip constantly lingered. Last year, in 2010 that thought solidified with Eat Sleep Serve. We eat and sleep at the church, while serving and sharing Christ in our back yard. Last years ESS was very successful but this year was even greater.

James 1 tells us that Pure and Genuine Worship is taking care of the orphans and the widows. So that is just what we did for ESS2011. We served in 6 house projects, a children's outreach, and food distributions. We also had 14 free oil changes lined up, but had to reschedule due to rain. As we worshiped through serving during the day we opened up opportunities that 1st Peter 3:15 talks about allowing us to share Chirst with some individuals

We ended each day with a celebration service. During Thursday night's service Pastor Dan Lord of The Life Church of Memphis brought The Word, challenging our group to be the Loudest Generation. We are to Embrace our Call and use our Voice pointing others to Christ. Friday night we asked God to break our hearts for what breaks His, to be able to see the crowds as He sees them by looking past the labels with compassion. The night ended with our group spending over an hour after service on our face in worship while only a CD played. It was definitely one of the most amazing experiences in my life. All four of our Youth Ministry Values were seen played out this weekend, Worship-Acceptance-Change-Challenge.


I am so thankful that God has had patience with me and continued to nag me with this idea until I completed my task.

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Question of the Day:

How did people know who was a follower of Christ BEFORE elections existed?

Seriously if you have a good answer I'd like to know so I can share with others.

Go Back Where You Came From

I did a double take while driving to Wal-Mart as I read the quote of the week at a new local sandwich joint. (From what I hear has amazing Philly cheese steaks.) I’m definitely going once my fast is over.

But I was sincerely bothered by the quote of the week. Not in defense of the pastor, but in defense of the owner of the restaurant. Evidently the sign is in reference to a statement made by the local pastor and other church members during a city council meeting. The owner was trying to gain a beer license so he could add it to his menu, but was denied without apparent legal grounds. The owner was told that allowing the sale of beer would jeopardize the safety of their little town. But I believe there is a gas station less than half a mile from the restaurant that already sells alcohol. While the owner was pleading his case and presenting his knowledge of the law, the meeting heated into an argument in which the local pastor, who is on the council simply told the owner to …

“Go back where you came from”

This made me very angry, and reminded me how much “CHURCH PEOPLE” really get on my nerves. Not necessarily Christians, but “church people” who have forgotten how to treat unbelievers and realize that they may have different values than you. It is one thing to have a disagreement with someone, but another to be just plain hateful and unloving. As Christians we can get so caught up in protecting our “bubble” sometime that we will stop at nothing to maintain our “rightness”. Not righteousness.

I do not drink, nor am I condoning drinking. But at the same time I will never so harshly condemn someone for doing so. If I remember correctly I think Paul said something like this.

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive, so that you have the right response for everyone. ~Colossians 4:5-6

Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Jesus Christ. ~Colossians 3:17

I may have missed something but I don’t ever recall Jesus telling anyone to “go back where you came from”, except maybe Satan.

The reality of this is, that this local Pastor missed the opportunity to show love, grace, and compassion to this gentleman. Even more he has probably messed up all other opportunities for any other believer to have an opportunity to speak into this man’s life.