Christmas Lights

THINK…

Sunday afternoon we set up our Christmas tree in the Buckham house. The boys were most definitely drawn to the lights. My youngest (3) couldn't keep from touching the little Christmas lights. My oldest (6) turning the Christmas tree lights on (I believe that he has claimed this as his job this year). I admit it, there is a certain beauty found in those Christmas lights, but that is true with all light.

Light draws us to it. We can't help but notice it. There is an instinct to explore light. The magi came from the East following a light, the star that was announcing the birth of Christ in Matthew 2:2, 9-10. The light didn't leave Christ after His birth. In John 8:12 Jesus said He is the light of the world. He draws us to Him, just like a light, and it doesn't stop there. Christ said in Matthew 5:14 we are the light of the world. Christ brings a message of hope and light to
what can be a pretty dark world. He asks us to share that same message of light.

This Christmas we will see lights time and again, we will be drawn to them. It is my hope that when we see these lights we will stop and THINK about the significance of the true light of Christmas.

Post some of your Christmas light "reflections" below...

all about Christ,
David

THINK...

Black Friday I was trying to purchase a Kindle for a family member and as I did so it made me stop and think. 25 years from now or maybe even sooner does anyone carry a Bible to church? By Bible I mean the leather bound, name stamped, highlighted, chicken scratch notes in the margin and underlined different verses Bible.  

Newspapers are going electronic…Kindle and Apple are pointing people towards e-readers plus you have Bible apps…What happens to the Bible? No more rustling of pages flipping? Sword drills give way to the fastest operating system? I know YouVersion is an amazing app, and doing some amazing things, and is definitely I think were the future of people reading the Bible is going and maybe where it already is….but what about the “old school” Bible?

Post your thoughts, comments, and ideas below, I’d love to see them…

Think Spur Love - It Begins

Let me introduce myself, I'm David. Brian came to me with this idea of a team blog approach. I said great. This is a place for thinking, spurring and loving. As our first blog we each decided to talk about an event or person that affecting our faith by causing us to think and spur towards love.

For me, an event occurred in my life a few years ago that changed me. I was laid off from a church I was serving. I had been over small groups and education for about 4 1/2 years. One of the small group leaders at that church knew of another church that was looking for a preaching minister and it was only a few blocks away from my house. She said there was only one problem, it was a Baptist church. This is a problem because I'm not Baptist.

I begin to think about unity in the Body. In Heaven there will be no "non-denominalists" there will also be no "denominationalists" there will only be Children of God. Jesus, in John 17, prayed that we, His followers, would be one as He and the Father are one. Unity is what Christ wants for His followers and what He wants from His followers. God began to teach me it is essential to the Body of believers. I decided to look at them as Children of God.

I preached and was invited back again and again there. Over the next couple of months I had a few interviews at other churches but they had me back several times. I learned a lot about unity and the Body as a whole. Unity has been a lesson that has stuck with me today. It impacts my ministry in the community I currently serve in.

I wish I could say they never had a problem with me not being a Baptist, but the truth is, I got "fired" from that church because I wasn't Baptist. One person raised a stink about me not being Baptist. So I was asked to no longer preach on Sunday mornings but was asked to keep coming back on Sunday nights (because apparently Sunday nights were optional attendance).

In the end, I realized I had to think about unity and reverse some of my theological issues (not stances) for the sake of unity in the Body. The process of thinking on it, spurred me to action, to love for other believers. Today, I have the privilege of being involved with 3 different multi-denominational community ministries, 2 of which I lead. I don't always like the way God teaches, but I love the lessons I learn in His class.

all about Christ,
David