Yesterday was a great day.

Yesterday was a great day. We had a wonderful Spirit in the service, two ladies were saved, and Cathy and I had two visitors in our small group. Isn't that great? God is so good. Last week we had two people have major surgeries and both of them are doing great. This was a major answer to prayer.

I think we forget sometimes to thank God for what he has done. We can become so focused on our needs that we live in a constant state of discontent. We are to be grateful. We should be the most thankful people on this earth. God has already given us more than we deserve. He has already blessed me beyond I ever dreamed of. God is good. He deserves our praise.

I encourage you to take some time today and thank God for your blessings. He is worthy.

A Lazy Saturday

Today is my relaxing day. Cathy and I slept in and then had breakfast at Ralph's. Two mornings in a row at Ralph's, doesn't get much better than that. For the rest of the day we pick up the house and try to relax a little bit. Cathy is going to the detention center for their baptism service. I think they are baptizing 18 women this afternoon. Isn't that great? I will watch a little, basketball, read some, and then study tomorrow's sermon. I am looking forward to the new sermon series. I think we are going begin a study of I Corinthians. It is a great book of the Bible that speaks a great deal about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It will help us fulfill our vision of being a Pentecostal voice in Henderson County, in both doctrine and practice.

Speaking of being Pentecostal, I am writing a paper on what does it mean to be Pentecostal. If this is our vision then how do we know if we have accomplished it? To the best of my ability I want to define what being Pentecostal means. Pray for me as I attempt this. I want to write it and then get input from our staff and deacons, before I publish it. I will keep you updated on my progress.

Day Off

I had breakfast with my dad this morning. We eat breakfast together every Friday morning at Ralph's. It is great. This morning all the talk was about the KY basketball coach. Basically it was about who the next coach is going to be. I heard, Billy Donavon, Travis Ford, and Rick Pitino. I like UK basketball but this may be a little over board. Far as I know they haven't even fired the one they have now. Is two years long enough to know if he can do the job? Seems pretty short to me.

After breakfast I mowed and trimmed the yard. It is not my favorite thing to do but it is a sign of spring and I like that. I don't mind the work or being outside but my allergies can act up. I am trying to do some preventive things to keep me from getting a sinus infection.

Don't know what I am doing tonight and I don't care as long as I am with Cathy. Friday nights is our date night.

Lastly I have decided to try to lose some weight. I have rediscovered that it is no fun. I am hungry and I really enjoy food.

I love Wednesday Nights.

I am looking forward to tonight's service. I love our family meals and I love prayer meeting. I believe life is made up of relationships. At 5:30 I get to have dinner with my church family. I get to invest in those relationships. At 7:00 I get to go to prayer meeting and connect with God and invest in that relationship. What could be better?

Dentist Appointment

Today I have to do something I don't like to do. In fact I think most people dread this. I have a dentist appointment. I never like going to the dentist. Why does your teeth always hurt after going? Shouldn't they feel better? Plus it is expensive. Hope I have no cavities. Don't want to go there.

Hospital Visitation

I spent the day at the hospital. A member of our congregation had triple bypass surgery. He did fine and the recovery looks great. Sitting in a hospital for 6 1/2 hours is extremely tiring. I would rather be moving around than sitting but being with the family during these times is great ministry. It is what being a pastor is all about. I am not able to sit with families at every surgery and I have to evaluate the best use of my time but when I get to, it is meaningful. I know the families appreciate it. It also reminds me that ministry is about touching people. Some people think pastors are suppose to be CEO's but we have to remember that the church is not a business, it is a family. It is the body of Christ. We cannot be so busy that we neglect ministry. My means of measuring is that if the surgery is life threatening I do my best to be there, if it not, then I don't stay the whole time. We also have a great staff that can visit and our Connection group leaders take care of those in their group. It is a delicate balancing act but we do the best we can. I know that I love the people of our church and was glad to be there today.

Conference recap

The conference was wonderful. It met all my expectations. Dr. Denbow preached on the presence of God in all three services. It was great. I desire the presence of God in my life, family, church, and community. The presence of God is a real tangible thing. It is something I can experience every day. In fact it is hard to imagine to go through a day without experiencing God's presence. I want it is a personal tangible way. I want to know God.

This week is going to be a busy week. I will spend time at the hospital today and Thursday as two members of our congregation have major surgeries. I believe for their healing and complete recovery.

Conference of the Holy Spirit, day 1

I had a great time at the conference last night. Dr. Denbow spoke on the presence of God. In fact, he said that all three of his messages this weekend are going to be titled, "The Presence of God." Last night we looked at the presence of God in the life of Joshua. Pentecostals are people of the presence. My favorite definition of Pentecostals is Pentecostals are people who pursue God's presence with their whole person in order to receive power to fulfill God's purposes for the whole planet. It is in the presence of God that receive the power of God.

I am looking forward to the luncheon this afternoon and our service tonight. If you were not there last night, you missed it big time!!! Our altar service was wonderful as people lingered in the presence of God and prayed for one another. It was great.

Holy Spirit Conference

Tonight is a big night for our church. It is the Holy Spirit Conference. Dr. Gary Denbow is our guest speaker. I believe First A/G exists to be a Pentecostal voice in Henderson County. I believe our church is to be Pentecostal in both doctrine and experience. We set aside this weekend to learn more about what that means and how we can apply it to our church. Dr. Denbow is the president of Central Bible College in Springfield, MO. HE is a great preacher and will challenge us this weekend. He will preach Friday and Saturday night and in our Sunday morning service. Saturday afternoon we are hosting a leaders luncheon. This may be the most important service of the weekend. WE need Pentecostal leaders. Men and women full of the Holy Spirit doing the work of the ministry. I am excited about what is going to happen. Hope everyone is able to attend.

Life is good.

I love Wednesdays. Ever since we began our Wednesday night meals it has become one of my favorite days. It is good to have a meal with your friends and spiritual family. Last night Cathy and I had my parents over and Sarah and Ross. It was wonderful. Tonight I get to eat with my church family. I believe life is made up of relationships. It is the people in your life that will determine the quality of your life. Right now I live a great life because I have wonderful people in it. I have a great family and I have a great church. Life is really good right now.

A Great Night

Today was such a beautiful day. The sun was out and is was nice and warm. I grilled out steaks for dinner. My dad, mom, Sarah, and Ross came over and we had a great dinner together. It has been a great night. The only downside is that we are watching the biggest loser. It is not my favorite show. It is definitely not a man show.

24

Last night Cathy and I were home. I always enjoy spending time with her. We just had some down time and relaxed. I watched one of my favorite television shows. I don't watch much t.v. I try to keep it disciplined and not out of control but one show I do like to watch is 24. It is suspenseful and I like that even though it can get a little violent at times. It is definitely a man's show. I think Cathy puts up with because she knows I like it. One thing that occurred to me last night is that in a 24 hour period Jack Bauer never eats or goes to the bathroom. That is a true super hero. I couldn't do it.

Looking Forward to the Conference

I have been looking forward to this week for a long time. This weekend is our Conference on the Holy Spirit. Dr. Gary Denbow, the president of Central Bible College, is our guest speaker. He is a wonderful preacher and I think he will challenge our church. First A/G is to be a pentecostal voice in Henderson, KY in both doctrine and practice. That is the essence of why we exists. Over 60 years ago some families in our community contacted the Assemblies of God, to start a pentecostal church. That is how we came into existence. I believe for us to fulfill God's will for our future we must connect with our past. We must be who God birthed us to be. We must fulfill our mandate. There are many other wonderful churches in Henderson but we are to be like them. We are distinct. We have a unique purpose. I want us to fulfill that.

One of the ways we are trying to accomplish this is through the conference. We are bringing in a distinguished theologian to teach us about the Holy Spirit. In addition he is a great communicator. It is going to be a fun weekend.

The Holy Spirit

I am looking forward to service tomorrow. We will continue our series "Power to Serve." We will discuss 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and the teaching on the gifts of Holy Spirit. I believe the purpose of the gifts is power to serve. First A/G is a pentecostal church. That means we have three distinctive teachings on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

1) It is a second experience after salvation
2) Speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence that you have been baptized in the Spirit.
3) The 1 Corinthians 12 gifts are for today.

That has been the outline of our teaching series. We will finish distinctive #3 tomorrow and then our Conference on the Holy Spirit will begin Friday night. Dr. Gary Denbow is our guest speaker. Dr. Denbow is president of Central Bible College. This is the school my sons go to. He is a theologian and a great preacher. You will enjoy the conference.

Today I am taking Cathy out for lunch. We will spend the afternoon together. I love spending time with her. She is my best friend.

Scholarships

Cathy and I received some exciting news yesterday. Charles and Tyler both received scholarships from CBC for the next school year! They are only partial and do not cover the full cost but it sure helps a lot. We have been blessed with good children and God is showing Himself to be faithful. By human means we could not send both of them to a private college but God as called them into the ministry and He knows they need a good education and God is providing.

I want you to know that God is faithful to you as well. He has promised to meet your needs. He will be faithful to your family. Whom God calls, He provides. It is His very nature. Seek God today for your needs. Trust Him with your family. God is faithful. His Word is true. His promises are yes and amen!

My tanks are full

Yesterday was a great day. I spent the day with pastors who love missions. There is not much better than that. We learned about what God is doing around the world. We laughed together, we wept together, we prayed together. Something wonderful happens when you around people who share your values and passions. It pumps me up. I left not tired but filled. I left with an energy that I did not have when I came. Having fellowship with others that share your values and passions will fill your empty tanks.

Do you have a group of people that when you are in their presence, fills up your empty tanks? Do you spend time with people who share your values and passions? You need to. God created you in a way that some needs you have can only be met by other people. God, Himself, will not meet those needs. It is His will for those needs to met by people. God created you for fellowship. Relationship with Him and with his children. You are a member of a spiritual family. You must be an active member of His family. You must be involved in relationships with other relationships.

Mission Rep Meeting

Charles & Tyler went home yesterday. It is always sad to see them leave. For some reason this time hit me harder than the last. We had a really good week with them and got to spend lots of time with them. Friday Charles & I went and played golf together. It is rare that I get any one on one time. We had a lot of fun. We were both really bad. It is sad to see them leave but it is comforting to know they are doing well and are in a good place. It is all you want as a parent.

Tomorrow I am traveling to Crestwood, KY for the Missions Rep meeting. I meet with them twice a year. It is my opportunity to update them on what is happening in missions and encourage them to share the info with the pastors in their section. It is one of the ways to promote missions in the KY District. Pray for me as I drive. I am leaving early in the morning.

Hope in tough economic times

Every Friday my Dad and I have breakfast together at Ralph's. It is one of the highlights of my week. This morning Charles & Tyler were able to join us. It made it extra special. It has been nice to have the boys home this week. They are growing up and I am proud of both of them.

I noticed this morning that the unemployment rate is over 8%. It is the highest rate since 1983. I am afraid that it is just beginning. I seems like the job loss is trickling down to the Henderson area. It is tough to watch people lose their jobs. I know these are alarming times but I want to encourage you not to live in fear. We walk not by sight but by faith. I have never seen the righteous forsaken or begging for bread. God is your provider. God is not bound by economic statistics. Keep your eyes on him. Keep the faith. Even in times of famine God's children will prosper. Read Psalm 37. It will encourage you. It will build your faith. I choose to believe God's Word over the evening news. God Word is true. God's Word is sure. God's promises are yes and amen. Do not get discouraged. Do not fear. God is with you. Psalm 37:19 is my verse for 2009. "In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty."

Great night

Tonight was a great night. Cathy and I had dinner with Sarah, Charles, and Tyler. We had Don Ploss prime rib left over from the banquet. It was good. Great company with great food, can't get much better than that.

I communicated with Dr. Denbow's secretary today. I am really looking forward to our Conference on the Holy Spirit. First A/G is pentecostal church and we desire to be a pentecostal voice in our community. I believe this conference is a way to do that. If you would like to hear Dr. Denbow you can go to the CBC website and listen to their chapel podcast. He speaks there weekly and it is the best attended chapel of the week. He is an excellent preacher and I am excited about having him at First.

The week so far

When Charles & Tyler came home for spring break my desire was to be home as much as possible. Things do not always work out as planned. Saturday morning I officiated a funeral, Sunday night I sat with a member of our congregation at the hospital until midnight, and last night our deacon meeting went until 9:00 p.m. It seems like I have waved at them as I was coming and going but that is going to change tonight. We are going to Cathy's parents for dinner and after service Wednesday night I plan on spending as much time them as possible.

Charles & Tyler are taking advantage of their time off. They have basically slept and ate Cathy's cooking. I think they were ready for some rest. They carry a full load at school, work, are involved in a local church ministry, and Charles is freshman class president. They came home pretty tired. Hopefully they will go back to school rested. They only have two more months. There freshman year has flown by.