Interview with a Soldier

Can you learn from the experiences of others?

I hope so, because that's exactly what we're trying to do in this series...Interview with a _________. Sunday it was an interview with a soldier. I interviewed Sergeant Quentin Bales of the 875th along with his wife Ginger. As many of you know, the 875th was deployed to Iraq for 12 months and they just returned home a few weeks ago. Tag on the 2months training in Wisconsin and that's 14 straight months away from their families. That's a huge sacrifice! Quentin & Ginger shared with us their initial reaction when they found out about the deployment, his experiences in Iraq (he went to Ur...land of Abram...pretty cool!) & how they survived during the 14 month separation. It was great to hear from someone "in the trenches." It's hard to know what really goes on with all the media coverage. One thing is for sure. The sacrifice was huge but it was given for something larger than the Bales...freedom. The same thing is true in our lives spiritually. There is a greater cause...building God's Kingdom. Quentin was willing to sacrifice his family for a year...are we willing to sacrifice that thing in our lives for the bigger vision? That's the tough part.

So, who will we learn from this Sunday? I already know, but you'll have to check back tomorrow!

Examine your ways

A guy rushed into a service station one day and asked the manager if he had a pay phone. The manager nodded, "Sure, over there." The guy inserted a couple of coins, dialed and waited for an answer. Finally someone came on the line. "Uh, sir," he said in a deep voice, "could you use an honest hard-working young man?" The station manager couldn't help overhearing the question. After a moment or two the guy said, "Oh, you already have an honest, hard-working young man? Well, okay. Thanks all the same." A broad smile stretched across his face. He hung up the phone and started back to his car, obviously elated. "Hey, just a minute," the station manager said, "I couldn't help but hear your conversation. Why are you so happy? I thought the man said he already had someone and didn't need you?" The guy smiled. "Well, you see, I am that honest, hard-working young man. I was just checking up on myself!"

Because of THIS verse we should seriously check our spiritual pulse on a regular basis. Are your ways pleasing to God or do you please man? How is your attitude? Are you too busy to love, help, and care for others? Are you spending time with God on a regular basis? What needs to be examined in your life today?

Risk

We are planning a series in January called Risk. Here's a thought on this series as ideas have been running thru my head lately. It seems as Christians we put a ton of emphasis on removing evil from our lives. We are always trying to remove sin and we don't like to be around people who sin. Somehow, we consider ourselves more holy by doing this. Maybe we should define holiness not by what we get rid of but what we do. It seems that the greatest tragedy in life is not the sins that we commit but the life we fail to live. Think about this...if we go only where we know and do what we're certain will succeed, what do we need God for?

Sweet Memories!

Crossroads' Singles Table Tennis Tournament...that's how I roll!

Success Follows Failure

How do you view failure?

Go!

You know how it goes...you're in a hurry but the light is red. After the light changes to green you're still not moving. Why not? Because the person in front of you is looking in the mirror...checking their hair or popping a pimple. You lay down on the horn and the person in the vehicle jumps...realizing they are in a vehicle on a highway with other people around. Once they become aware of the situation they give you (the driver paying attention) a dirty look and stare you down as you pass them. They forgot about the world around them because they were focused on themselves. As we've been looking at the 12 disciples over the past few weeks there's one thing I've noticed about all of them (excluding Judas) after their encounter with Jesus. They got busy doing God's work. I think as Christians we move slow because we are so consumed with ourselves. God has given us the green light to do ministry and reach our area for Him. However, God may be thinking the same thing we think when we're behind someone and the light is green..."go dude, it doesn't get any greener than this." Maybe...just maybe that's what God is saying to us.

The Latest

It looks like the building is not gonna happen. I talked to Jon at Fletcher Dodge yesterday and he said his bosses are not wanting to do anything right now with the building. They have other construction projects going on and that's taking priority over the building in Jonesboro. Also, they've added more vehicles to their lot so the parking issue is a problem. They are not sure if they could allot enough room for us to park. Anyway, he said he would call me back today and give me the final word...which according to his gut feeling is a "sorry, maybe later." I'm not getting a phone call...he's never called me before so I don't know why he would now. It would take a move of God for me to receive a call from him. Also, if he did call, it would be another miracle for him to say, "they said go for it." So, there you go. Apparently, God wants us where we are for now or he has something better for us. Right now, you're probably feeling a little sad and disappointed (like I am) but hang in there...what seems to be a loss is actually God setting us up for something bigger and better...I can't see it right now, but I've been around God long enough to know that He operates a little differently than we do. My biggest dreams always come up short from His plan. Have a great time at group tonight!