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His Eye

Before heading off to TEXAS for the Thanksgiving Holidays, I ran across Psalms 32.8 and I gotta tell ya: It carried me through mentally and spiritually.

It reads in the NKJV:
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye."

What stuck out to me the most was that God will guide us WITH HIS EYES.

Ever been directed by someone's eyes? They look at you and then they "point" to where they want you to go or where they want you to look without saying a word. Just their eyes move and you know to follow them?

We should be so close to God that we can see where His eyes wants us to go.
It's a gentle nudge. An ebbing, a flowing. Nothing harsh or course about it.

My prayer: Instruct me. Teach me in the way I should go. Guide me with your eye.

SHIFT

During the Thanksgiving Holidays I had a chance to sit down and put pen to paper. (It's a lot different then sitting at a keyboard.) I sat down in a comfy chair outside The Limited Too in The Perimeter Mall in Atlanta. I had my leather bound journal with me and a pencil. I began to write. It started turning into some loose form of a poem/prayer to God and the word that kept creeping up was "SHIFT." The refrain was "shift me, shift me, shift me oh God to the right place."

I remember Pastor Mike Cowart had defined righteousness as "right positioning." Being at the right place at the right time. I'll add-- with the right intentions.

So my prayer for the past week or so is for God to SHIFT me to the right place. Shift my heart, shift my mind, shift my desires. That everything is in alignment with His will.

On Wednesday night, we will explore this SHIFTING. How does God shift us? Why? Are there benefits to being shifted? Are there negative consequences for not shifting? When does shifting end or is it a never-ending process?

Not Alone by Jason Upton

You're not alone, you're not alone... I never leave you!
Jason Upton You are not alone

Sweet Sweet Sweet

A SHORT LOVE STORY IN STOP MOTION from Carlos Lascano on Vimeo.

Baggage Claim

When you go on a trip... You pack the stuff you thik you will need. How silly of us if we were going to the Bahamas for summer vacation and we not only packed huge coats and mittens, but decided to take the computer (not the laptop mind you) along with the monitor and the printer, and maybe for the three day trip-- take enough clothes for a whole month?

In our our journey to get closer with God as well as grow to be be more like Jesus, God says don't take any baggage with you. He tells us in Matthew 11.28 "If you are tired of carrying heavy loads, come to me and I will giv eyou rest." And in 1 Peter 5.7 it says "Cast all your cares (anxiety, worry, stress) on God for he will care (he will stress, he will do the worrying) for you."

Before continuing on your trip, give all the excess stuff you don't need to God. Leave all the baggage with Him. he will more than gladly take it from you.

Fuego De Dios (Fire Of God)

When I first got serious with God I read nothing but the NIV Bible. After a while, I searched for other translations to get a better understanding of God's word. I moved to the NKJV. It was a fresh revelation. Not because it was better than the NIV but because it was different. After a few years immeresed in the NKJV and having highlighted and written note sin my Bible I felt it was time to move on. My next step? The Message version. What a difference. Again, not better, just different.

I find I get a freshness as well from singing and listening to music in Spanish. I fell in love with "Mighty To Save" by Hillsong a while ago. And like most things, the "first love" wanes. However, I heard it in Spanish and the goose-bumps returned. I added a song I have never heard in English called Fuego De Dios (I think the Hillsong song is actually called Fire Fall Down). But I love the chant... Fuego De Dios consumenos! (Fire of God, consume us.)

Thought I'd share.

Fuego de Dios


Dios Puede Salvar (Mighty To Save)

Jump, Jump

Praise You In This Storm

When going through something-- not just anything-- but something crushing, breath takingly awful-- there may be a point you think "God should have stepped in by now!" When a problem, situation and issue seems like it will probably take your life away or you wish you were dead instead of going through heartache-- What will your response be to God? Will you choose to give up on Him? Or will you increase your devotion to Him?


Praise You In This Storm
by Casting Crowns in Lifesong

I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Splash Around!

Reading this month's Esquire Magazine there was a short article about the differences between boys and girls. It used the example of taking a bath. When a girl finishes taking a bath, there's no mess, no water, not a drip outside the tub. After a few minutes, a boy will have water dripping from the ceiling, the mat and curtains are soaked. The floor has huge puddles. Then, the article said this, "splash around!"

While driving, my mind wandered. "Splash Around!" Make a mess. Get dirty. Go wild. Don't live life so neat. Make a dent, an impact in your life and those around you.

And then my mind drifted to God. He doesn't operate cleanly. He doesn't operate within boundaries. He loves getting His hands dirty. He loves pushing up His sleeves and getting dirty. He loves a challenge. He loves a mess.

Are you living your life to "safe"? Do you not share your faith because of the fear of rejection? Do you make an impact in people's lives or are they unaffected by knowing you? When an opportunity to make a change presents itself, no matter how challenging it is, do you get excited or do you coward away?

I say "Splash Around!" I say get dirty. Get messy. Jump in head first. Don't allow fear to hold you back. Hostage. Free yourself. Be determined to spread your faith, who you believe in and why to the most people possible.

Matthew 28.20, the Message version reads : Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you.

This verse doesn't hold back. This verse splashes around. It says to go out and make an impact on everyone. Mark them! Everyone!
So I say to you: Don't get out of the bathtub without making a big splash.

HOSTAGE by FAKE

Fakeness stops us from being who God wants us to be. Fakeness grips us and we can't move forward. Fakeness holds us hostage. Break free from being fake. How?

In Isaiah 6 God shows up at church and Isaiah declares he is a sinner. After that declaration, an angle touches Isaiah's lips with a hot coal and takes away his sin. Then God asks, "Who can I send?" And Isaiah replies "Me!"

What happens here? First, Isaiah RECOGNIZES
that God is moving. It was pretty easy becuase of all the smoke, the angles and the Lord himself seated on a throne. We must recognize those moments in our life when God wants to speak to us. when God wants to grab our attention.

Secondly, Isaiah REVEALED himself to God. There is a difference between God knowing who we are (I mean, He created us, made us, formed us) and us deciding to reveal ourselves to God. Our real selves. Many times we prefer to smell like cheap fake perfume instead of letting God take a whiff of our real scent. "God I am a liar, a cheater, a doubter, an adulterer, a killer, a faker" Whatever you are, reveal yourself to God because then you can

RECEIVE God's forgiveness. The angles came down and passed the hot coal on his lips. Isaiah received his forgiveness only after he REVEALED himself to God.

And then the call went out and Isaiah RESPONDED. When ever you have an encounter with God, He will lay something in your heart. A desire. What will you do with it? Will you reject the calling He places n your heart? Or will you respond to it?

Reggie Dabbs Coming

TONIGHT: HOSTAGE

we all struggle with STUFF... sometimes that STUFF gets strong enough to hold us HOSTAGE... how do you get FREE when something controls your every breath?

Jesus tells us you cant take back your life from the STRONGMAN's control until you TIE him up.

Matthew 12:29
"How can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house."

Next Wednesday, March 5th

Surrender

This month we have been talking about "Surrender." What do we need to surrender to God? How do we go about surrendering things? Last night, we touched on who helps us when we are in the process of surrendering to God-- The Holy Spirit. His job as a counselor is to teach us and remind us of all things. Read about it in John 14.25-27.

The Tongue (A Good Video)

OPEN UP and SAY AHH :: Message Intro from Ryan Hartsock on Vimeo.

Try These Games Out...

I was roaming the internet for different youth church's and ran across "Shift Youth"... a pretty cool place. And they had a link to a free game site with simple, addictive games. Try them out after the jump.

My Promise To You...

Between now and the last Wednesday of March, i promise to have something different and new for you during the turnaround hour (Wed's from 7PM to 8PM).

And coming the last Wednesday of this month: Spot Clubs.

2008 Goals

What's your goals for the new year? There is a little saying that says "If you fail to prepare, then your preparing to fail." Whatever goals you have in your mind (whether they be short term or long term) make a plan to achieve those goals. Don't let them sit idly in your heart. Make them a reality.

Two Totally different Videos

well not so different, they took place in the same place.. just different actors...

first up our very own pastor aaron singing... well you tell me what he is singing...


next up my lil' girl Corita and her new love-- cheerleading!