Love...

John 13:34-35 we are told to love one another. In fact, we will be known by our love.

But here's the deal, it's Christmas time. A time about Christ, a time when those who claim His name are often a little more sensitive towards His mission. Unfortunately, at Christmas time, we often buy for one another and that is that. That's nice, but doesn't really show love. Let's be known by our LOVE at all times and not BUY our LOVE just at Christmas.

I would LOVE to hear some ways people are going to show LOVE to one another at Christmas time. Feel free to comment below...

all about Christ,

David

LOVE...

Looking @ the book of 2 John we find the author writing to the church with an encouragement, a reminder, and a warning...

• Encouragement: that you all are living it, your walking in the truth...verse 4
• Reminder: love one another..verses 5-6
• Warning: watch out for people who don't acknowledge Jesus Christ...verses 7-11

If you could write a letter to your church and you could give them one encouragement, one reminder and one warning...What would they be?

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

Spur...

Following Brian's post yesterday

We should spur one another towards taking your Bible with you everywhere, especially to church (more on that in a moment). In college, I had a couple of off campus jobs that allowed for me to have some break time. I had an old pocket edition NASBu that I carried with me in my back pocket. I would pull it out and read and study if I had the opportunity while on break. I was never without it. I even found myself taking it to church along with my regular study Bible.

As a preaching minister, I wonder why people don't bring their Bibles to church, or if they do why they don't use it? In an effort to help thwart that trend, I ask that our main text not be displayed on the screen (ie. PowerPoint) because I want people to get into God's Word. I want them to know where books of the Bible are (love the sound of pages flipping...could YouVersion add that sound to their mobile apps please). I want their Bibles, your Bible, to be well worn. I was once told, "show me a Bible that is falling apart and I will show you a life that is not."

Ultimately, to me, it doesn't matter if someone is getting into a physical Bible or a digital Bible. God's Word is spiritual and it affects us on a spiritual level. I see good in having both physical and digital Bibles but I see more good in applying what is found inside God's Word.

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

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds Hebrews 10:24

Our idea for this blog is simply the title of it…THINK, SPUR, LOVE…

The people @ Milford Christian Church knew those three words well. I went there as a sophomore in college first job ever in youth/student ministry. I was their part time/ weekend youth minister. But I learned so very much in the two years and some change that I was there…

THINK…they challenged me on what and how I was teaching…they taught and displayed leadership, then let me lead…they let me make mistakes and learn from them…

SPUR…they encouraged me so very much…words of praise and also words of let’s do it better next time…they put they goal ahead of me then told me to go get it.

LOVE…I think they knew this one best…cards and notes…hugs…fully furnished place to stay every weekend…just about every Sunday I was taken out to eat or invited to a home…protected me…stood up for me…trusted me…adopted me…loved me.

Thank you Milford for letting me think, spurring me on, and loving me unconditionally.         

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