John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches....
I would encourage you to read more of these verses from the Gospel of John regarding vines and branches and how apart from Christ we can do nothing.
I read this section of Scripture to a young man recently and he absolutely loved it. Its the perfect verse for The Branch.
The Branch is a ministry of Project 52 that is developing in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. For years Bill, Dustin and I have talked of a retreat but never really knew what it would look like. The Branch is becoming more of a reality because of the journey God has taken me on in my work with young people. He has opened my eyes to see the needs of many hurting people who seem at times to be forgotten.
The Branch will be a ministry where young people can be mentored, or housed and encouraged to be the people God has created them to be. The Branch will also be a place of worship geared toward the younger crowd. I am excited about this new adventure for Project 52.
God is starting to bring people forward with support. Some have offered money, some have offered ideas and others have asked to be part of it. One lady emailed me a picture of a barn the other day and said, "this is kind of how I imagine it looking." Wow and wow!
Pray for this ministry (resources, land, a barn, pray for God's hand in all of it and that we do what He is blessing! He has shown the need) and let us remember that our Savior is indeed the True Vine! We are His branches and with Him there is nothing we cannot do!
In Christ,
Pastor John
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
My Tree Was an Idol
This past weeks ice storm really angered me. Instead of watching trees bud and being excited about spring, we watched trees topple over and branches fall everywhere in Sioux Falls. I'm a landscaper and I love having my hands in the dirt and watching things grow. I take pride in my lawn and in my landscaping. I thought to myself, "if I love my trees so much how come God doesn't" I had spent a lot of money two years ago planting the trees that I did in my yard. Now they were covered with ice and snow and the wind was blowing.
I realize that there are worse things in life. Yet these were my feelings as I waited to see what would happen. If only the sun would come out or the temperature warm up. After I was done complaining God directed my heart to His Word where a passage from Romans made an impression that I am still thinking about a week later. Romans 1 talks about how man worships the creation more than the Creator.
Bam! Like a 2x4 over the head God used His Word to show me how I have made so many things of this world an idol....even my trees! These things have become more important to me than God at times. Oh I wouldn't come out and tell you that but my life would say that's how I felt.
So what do you do when you are convicted? You repent! A lot of people would say, "oh don't be so hard on yourself, don't worry about it" That is not how you get rid of guilt. You get rid of guilt by confessing your sin and once again rejoicing in the fact that Jesus died on the cross to remove our guilt and shame from us.
What things have you been worshipping or loving more than God? Those words from Romans 1 are powerful. They worshipped the creation more than the Creator. What things in creation are most important to you? Money? A beautiful body? When people lust over these things and want them more than God they are worshipping the creation not the Creator. When we want our own way or want to change the Word to fit the lifestyle we want we are worshiping the creation more than the Creator.
Thank You God for what You taught me through this ice storm. Thank You for convicting me of my sin and for providing a remedy for that sin. Wow! The Creator comes to His creation with love and forgiveness!
By the way, it turns out the temperatures did rise and as the ice melted my trees stood upright again! May the love of Jesus melt our hearts to stand upright again and return to the worship of the One who made us.
In Christ,
Pastor John
I realize that there are worse things in life. Yet these were my feelings as I waited to see what would happen. If only the sun would come out or the temperature warm up. After I was done complaining God directed my heart to His Word where a passage from Romans made an impression that I am still thinking about a week later. Romans 1 talks about how man worships the creation more than the Creator.
Bam! Like a 2x4 over the head God used His Word to show me how I have made so many things of this world an idol....even my trees! These things have become more important to me than God at times. Oh I wouldn't come out and tell you that but my life would say that's how I felt.
So what do you do when you are convicted? You repent! A lot of people would say, "oh don't be so hard on yourself, don't worry about it" That is not how you get rid of guilt. You get rid of guilt by confessing your sin and once again rejoicing in the fact that Jesus died on the cross to remove our guilt and shame from us.
What things have you been worshipping or loving more than God? Those words from Romans 1 are powerful. They worshipped the creation more than the Creator. What things in creation are most important to you? Money? A beautiful body? When people lust over these things and want them more than God they are worshipping the creation not the Creator. When we want our own way or want to change the Word to fit the lifestyle we want we are worshiping the creation more than the Creator.
Thank You God for what You taught me through this ice storm. Thank You for convicting me of my sin and for providing a remedy for that sin. Wow! The Creator comes to His creation with love and forgiveness!
By the way, it turns out the temperatures did rise and as the ice melted my trees stood upright again! May the love of Jesus melt our hearts to stand upright again and return to the worship of the One who made us.
In Christ,
Pastor John
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The Oak Trees
2 Cor 3:6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
I noticed some oak trees out by my home. Dead brown leaves still cling to the branches. Its amazing to me that they have not fallen off. The wind hasn't blown them off, the frost and snow haven't either. But something amazing will be happening over the next several weeks.
New green growth will force the old leaves off. We can learn something from the oak tree.
Maybe you are fighting a bad habit now or an addiction. You get frustrated with your self because it seems the harder you try the worse the habit becomes or you think about it more. You beat yourself up and tell yourself you will try harder again tomorrow. What is happening is that you are trying to get rid of an old dead part of your life with the law. The above verse says the "letter kills" that is the law beats us and frustrates us. Its like the snow and wind trying to get those old dead leaves off the oak.
What you need in your life is the Good News that Jesus is the One who begins a good work in you and completes it! (Philippians 1:6) Its knowing His love for you (which is like the sun and the warmth and the new leaves) that helps old sinful habits die and new Godly habits form.
And when the old habit rears its ugly head again, return to the cross and see the blood flowing from the Savior that says you are forgiven and set free. His Spirit gives us life!
I look forward to watching the oak trees transform after a long winter.
In Christ,
Pastor John
I noticed some oak trees out by my home. Dead brown leaves still cling to the branches. Its amazing to me that they have not fallen off. The wind hasn't blown them off, the frost and snow haven't either. But something amazing will be happening over the next several weeks.
New green growth will force the old leaves off. We can learn something from the oak tree.
Maybe you are fighting a bad habit now or an addiction. You get frustrated with your self because it seems the harder you try the worse the habit becomes or you think about it more. You beat yourself up and tell yourself you will try harder again tomorrow. What is happening is that you are trying to get rid of an old dead part of your life with the law. The above verse says the "letter kills" that is the law beats us and frustrates us. Its like the snow and wind trying to get those old dead leaves off the oak.
What you need in your life is the Good News that Jesus is the One who begins a good work in you and completes it! (Philippians 1:6) Its knowing His love for you (which is like the sun and the warmth and the new leaves) that helps old sinful habits die and new Godly habits form.
And when the old habit rears its ugly head again, return to the cross and see the blood flowing from the Savior that says you are forgiven and set free. His Spirit gives us life!
I look forward to watching the oak trees transform after a long winter.
In Christ,
Pastor John
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
What a Deal!?
1 Cor 6:20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
I was shopping with a young man that I mentor. He needed new clothes. It was a good afternoon finding deals in the brand of clothes he liked. But I'm the one who ended up getting even more than I bargained for. As we left the store I looked at the receipt. Something didn't seem right. Wouldn't you know it? Now if they had shortchanged me you know for sure I would have went back. But they had forgotten to ring up one of the shirts. Just my luck, with a young man looking at me and seeing if my walk would match the things I have been trying to teach. What to do, what to do.... What would you do?
Ever been in one of these situations? And what if this young man had not been with me? Would it not be so important then? I read once that character is something you are when no one is watching.
I find myself almost everyday looking in the mirror and asking who am I? Life experiences have taught me to answer that question in a positive way most days- I am a forgiven child of the King through the blood Jesus poured out from the cross. (Now that's a bargain!) In my work I see alot of "kids" who do not know who they are and what price has been paid for them to be free young people!
I love these 20 somethings! I want to help them. I want to help them find their way in life. They have so much to live for! They are the ones who will be the ones guiding young people when I might not be around someday. They will be the ones watched instead of watching.
You were bought with a price! You have value! Its the real deal you have been looking for!
In Christ,
Pastor John
I was shopping with a young man that I mentor. He needed new clothes. It was a good afternoon finding deals in the brand of clothes he liked. But I'm the one who ended up getting even more than I bargained for. As we left the store I looked at the receipt. Something didn't seem right. Wouldn't you know it? Now if they had shortchanged me you know for sure I would have went back. But they had forgotten to ring up one of the shirts. Just my luck, with a young man looking at me and seeing if my walk would match the things I have been trying to teach. What to do, what to do.... What would you do?
Ever been in one of these situations? And what if this young man had not been with me? Would it not be so important then? I read once that character is something you are when no one is watching.
I find myself almost everyday looking in the mirror and asking who am I? Life experiences have taught me to answer that question in a positive way most days- I am a forgiven child of the King through the blood Jesus poured out from the cross. (Now that's a bargain!) In my work I see alot of "kids" who do not know who they are and what price has been paid for them to be free young people!
I love these 20 somethings! I want to help them. I want to help them find their way in life. They have so much to live for! They are the ones who will be the ones guiding young people when I might not be around someday. They will be the ones watched instead of watching.
You were bought with a price! You have value! Its the real deal you have been looking for!
In Christ,
Pastor John
Monday, May 14, 2012
Be What?
In Matt 5:48 we are told to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. Really?
Do you struggle with this passage? Recently I learned the value of wrestling with the Word of God. I think in our world today we don't like to wrestle. We want everything to come easy and in our timing and not God's timing. The culture around us today tells us to be.... happy, be yourself, be whatever you want to be...to do whatever is good for you! And along comes Jesus and tells us to be perfect like the Father!
I asked some youth recently what came to mind when they heard this verse. Here is what they said:
In conclusion-what does this passage mean? Does God intend to leave you hopeless? Never! In the perfect life of His Son Jesus (God in the flesh) God sees you! Through faith in Jesus God sees Jesus living in us! When Jesus' blood was shed on the cross it covered our sin and God sees perfection now. Its a beautiful mystery and a wonderful gift.
We are perfect when we claim Christ as our Savior. The wrestling now is in the day to day living and the struggle with sin. The remedy? The cross and the empty grave which brings peace and life!
Live in that life and be what God wants you to be. And if you struggle with that congratulations for you too are one who wrestles with God!
In Christ,
Pastor John
Do you struggle with this passage? Recently I learned the value of wrestling with the Word of God. I think in our world today we don't like to wrestle. We want everything to come easy and in our timing and not God's timing. The culture around us today tells us to be.... happy, be yourself, be whatever you want to be...to do whatever is good for you! And along comes Jesus and tells us to be perfect like the Father!
I asked some youth recently what came to mind when they heard this verse. Here is what they said:
- you cant
- already failed
- not possible
- hopeless
- I'm not worthy since I've already failed
- how?
- what does this mean?
In conclusion-what does this passage mean? Does God intend to leave you hopeless? Never! In the perfect life of His Son Jesus (God in the flesh) God sees you! Through faith in Jesus God sees Jesus living in us! When Jesus' blood was shed on the cross it covered our sin and God sees perfection now. Its a beautiful mystery and a wonderful gift.
We are perfect when we claim Christ as our Savior. The wrestling now is in the day to day living and the struggle with sin. The remedy? The cross and the empty grave which brings peace and life!
Live in that life and be what God wants you to be. And if you struggle with that congratulations for you too are one who wrestles with God!
In Christ,
Pastor John
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
As a Man Thinks-Proverbs 23:7
I may have blogged before on this passage but I'm continuing to gain new insights on these awesome words. In fact, this Sunday I am preaching on them as I fill in for a local Pastor at his church. Everyday I see people who don't know how to properly think of themselves. They think they are losers, or addicts, or good-for-nothing people. One young man I am mentoring told me one day- I want to be a good man- to which I responded, "you are a good man"
You got to see yourself as God sees you! We look at our performance and conclude we are failures. Its like we have a report card on our self. If we get straight A's God will love us. If we get D's look out for His wrath.
As a man thinks so he is! Who are you? What do you think of yourself? How do you imagine yourself to be? What would you like to be? Lots of questions that I often get frustrated with. So I turn to the Answer! His name is Jesus! He loves me just the way I am and He loves me enough not to leave me where He found me. He loves me enough to tell me I am a sinner but that I am still someone that He loves and died for. He then journeys with me on a new path.
When you see yourself in Christ you can say, "yes, I am a sinner but through Him and by His grace I am a forgiven and dearly loved child" Everyday is a new beginning to live as His child. Every day is a new year, a chance to start over in our walk with Him.
You don't have to let others define who you are. What you wear, what you drive, where you live, none of this defines you either. Your past cant define you nor harm you and the future doesn't have to scare you or define you either. You are God's child if you want to be!
As a man thinks- God thinks you are pretty cool......do you?
In Christ,
Pastor John
You got to see yourself as God sees you! We look at our performance and conclude we are failures. Its like we have a report card on our self. If we get straight A's God will love us. If we get D's look out for His wrath.
As a man thinks so he is! Who are you? What do you think of yourself? How do you imagine yourself to be? What would you like to be? Lots of questions that I often get frustrated with. So I turn to the Answer! His name is Jesus! He loves me just the way I am and He loves me enough not to leave me where He found me. He loves me enough to tell me I am a sinner but that I am still someone that He loves and died for. He then journeys with me on a new path.
When you see yourself in Christ you can say, "yes, I am a sinner but through Him and by His grace I am a forgiven and dearly loved child" Everyday is a new beginning to live as His child. Every day is a new year, a chance to start over in our walk with Him.
You don't have to let others define who you are. What you wear, what you drive, where you live, none of this defines you either. Your past cant define you nor harm you and the future doesn't have to scare you or define you either. You are God's child if you want to be!
As a man thinks- God thinks you are pretty cool......do you?
In Christ,
Pastor John
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