The REAL World

Have you ever heard someone say the phrase "out in the REAL world"? Or maybe you've even said it yourself. It is usually spoken in reference to secular culture or the workplace, and often separated from the "church" world. Maybe you've heard it said like..."you don't know what it's like in the REAL world!" As if life within the church or a Christian family is somehow less than real, perhaps even fake, or at least sheltered.

Is it really the "REAL" world that people speak of? Who is the one to define the terms? We as Christians believe that the one who made the world also gets to define it. Is the phrase "the REAL world" talking about God's view of things? Usually not. So why do we settle for defining life by the standards of those outside of a relationship with God?

The "REAL" world is defined by God and HIS WORD. It is there that we see what the "REAL" world is, and it looks much different from what the secular culture would have you believe is real. We find what "REAL LIFE" is about no where else. What the standards and life of the world looks like outside of the church is FALSE and a poor imitation of how life should be.

The "REAL" world is what we experience in church and in worship. It is there that the Word of God is spoken, the TRUTH, and we respond back with those same words from His Word. If you want to experience the "REAL" world, spend some time in worship and in God's Word.

The next time you hear someone say "When they go back to the REAL world" or "I want my child to have some REAL world experience" remember where the REAL world exists. Don't settle for a cheap imitation!

How I Did It

People keep asking me how I lost weight. Okay, I'll give my secret, but promise to keep it to yourself, okay?......I've been eating less. I've been working out for the past 8 years pretty much every morning and that helped along the way. But there are only so many calories you can burn by working out. So I cut my food intake in half and starting loosing weight. A key was eating less at dinner and nothing after dinner until breakfast the next morning. It has been in connection to an overall discipline in my life that has grown. So as I become more obedient to God in other areas of life I can control things like eating as well. It's a win/win for me as God continues to mold me in many ways. Boy, do I need it!

Connersvine Concert - May 15

I met with Chris from Connersvine Thursday and I'm SO ready for the concert now. He was a great guy with a heart for ministry first. It was refreshing to talk with him about the band and their thoughts on music and playing. It should be a great night.

If you haven't bought tickets yet, please call the church office to let them know you want them. 317-814-4252 $5 for a professional Christian Concert!! ($7 at the door) This is a bargain for a concert. We want everyone to come. The Crossroad youth band will open from 6:15-6:45PM, and there is food being served from 5:30-6:30PM.

Giving at Church

Tithe? Heard of it? I'm sure you have, it's the principal of giving 10% of your income. It turns out that the biblical principal is to give 10% to your local church ministry (period). In our current age of individualism we have gotten away from the "general" giving and started going to "specific" giving to places or organizations that fit what I WANT to support. No problem there, just don't call it a "tithe" because by definition it is not. Specific giving would be considered "offerings" which are over and above tithe giving. Scripture clearly says that you first support God's work through local ministry. Look at Malachi 3:10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."

This is the only commandment that God says that we should test Him in, because God is always faithful. Sounds like a challenge that we should all take, not to test, but to just trust God in.

Low Sunday?

So it's called "Low Sunday"!? Here's my BIG chance to preach for the weekend services and I find out it's called "Low Sunday"!

Looks like God is trying to make me humble from the start. I think He needs to work overtime on my humilty. As some cartoon character in a "Pond" video I saw said, "I'm really good at humble."

Good Friday?

Good? Was it really good? Is it a "good" Friday?

Without Friday, we are still lost. When Jesus died on the cross, He brought death face to face with God, and crushed it! To skip past Good Friday is to miss the power of what happened on Friday. There is no Sunday without Friday. We preach Christ and Him crucified! It was there that the battle was won. Don't pity Jesus. It was why He came, He submitted to the Father's will and died FOR US!

We are not like those who mourn without hope. We know what His death meant for us. And we now know what our death has in store for us. Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

Is it GOOD Friday? Absolutely!

Spring Break

It's cold here for Spring Break, but I hear that even our Spring Breakers in Florida are wearing winter coats at Disneyland. It's not a sure thing anymore that you can go south for good weather over this break.

It's unfortunate that all the people who leave Carmel for Spring Break miss the best week of the year to be in Carmel. There's no traffic. You can park at church on Sunday. You can find a machine right away at the gym. You can zip right through O'Malia's without a wait. You can drive right through school zones without slowing down. I love Spring Break!