Dumb Idea # 10

This is the last chapter of this book. Do dead people go to a better place. Of course not. It's an easy answer for anyone who knows scripture. However the problem lies with many who attend our churches today and think that as long as you live a good life then you path will lead to heaven. This is dangerous thinking and devalues the work of the cross.

"Eternal destiny isn't determined by where we wish people would go. It's not determined by where everyone says that they went.It's determined by where God puts us ( or more precisely,by where we put ourselves)." page 159

If this sounds harsh or nrrow minded then you had better read some scripture. Jesus spoke of it often and was very clear on the subject.

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.John 14:6
"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.Matthew 7:13-14
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

"Why is this so important. The cross and salvation are central to the gospel.Once we lose any real concept of hell,the natural consequence is more than just putting us at odds with Scripture;it eventually devalues the cross,redefines salvation,and turns obedience into an extra-credit spiritual add-on." page 163

I would recommend this book to every Christian. It will help you sort out some stuff in your walk with God and help make you a stronger follower of Christ.
10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe

Dumb Idea 9:A Valley Means A Wrong Turn

There is another spiritual urban legend that says all valleys must be wrong turns. But if that were true when would we grow and learn to trust God?

Where would our faith come from?

How could we be prepared for greater things?

"Those who buy into this myth and live by it end up paying a high price. Important spiritual lessons go wanting. Godly character is stunted." page 140

The answer is that we couldn't. Sometimes God leads us into valleys that are long. If we run from those trials we'll never experience God's miraculous power. Messes mostly need miracles to clean them up. Your problem could just be the launching point for God to do a great miracle. But that miracle will never happen if you don't stick it out.

So what does a valley mean?

"Valleys come in all shapes and sizes. Some have an obvious end in site;others look like they'll last forever. Some are self-induced;some are merely the result of living in a fallen world;some are obviously God's will;and some are nearly impossible to figure out until we're safely on the other side." page 142

Did God send me here?
Regardless of how we got there it's a good bet that we are right where God wants us to be, even though it's probably the last place that we want to be.

Did I Mess Up?
This kind of a valley is one that we bring on ourselves through rebellion or a foolish decisions. It's the one valley that does mean we took a wrong turn. Let's face it, if you made a willful decision against God's plan you will know it.

IS This beyond my understanding?
There are valleys that make no sense at all. We may be in them for a long time and have no idea why and may never know why. Everyone tried to figure out what was up with Job. Even when God showed up at the end we still didn't know why? We have no guarantee that we will know why things happen.
Jonah learned the hard way that you can't run from God.

"Even if obeying God's clear leading is what puts us in a bind or keeps us in a bind, continuing to obey is still the only thing to do,even if it seems to make things worse."page 149

If the valley you are in is a result of your own willful disobedience then you must make a turn. It starts with forgiveness and then restoration. These valleys don't last forever but can carry with them the consequences of our actions. We can be forgiven but still have to pay the price for our disobedience.

"One more thing about I messed up valleys:they don't go away the moment we start heading in the right direction. They often take a long time to get out of - sometimes far longer than they took to get into."page 151

There are two ways out of every trial. God's way and the devil's shortcut. Obviously the shortcut may help you in the short run but in the long run will be detrimental to your growth.

"If God asked His only begotten Son to go through the valley of the cross,we shouldn't be too surprised when He asks us as His adopted sons and daughters to go through a few valleys of our own." page 153

Great 1st Day in California

Well we arrived on Sunday night with no problems in Rocklin CA (just east of Sacramento). By the time we got to bed we had been up 21 hours. Still a little tired today but looking forward to a great week. We carried a birthday cake and miraculously it survived the two flights. Another Ron Zammit masterpiece. Thanks Ron.Susan and I got to spend some time today playing with the girls. Then in the afternoon we took McKenna to the park. It was sunny and around 70 with a beautiful blue sky. I have already watched Wonderpets again and read 5 stories (with a few more to come before bed tonight.
Getting ready to watch the season finale of Heroes.
I just helped TJ unpack and set up his new 42" flat screen TV. As I type he is setting up his speaker and receiver. Should be a great way to watch the final episode.

Travel Day

As I am writing this we are at 35,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico traveling to Houston and from there to Sacramento. Taking a week to visit with Leah,TJ,McKenna, and Addison. It’s going to be great to spend time with them.
I just finished reading chapter 8 in the book Ten Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe. Some people actually view God as a spiritual leprechaun and are looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This chapter deals with that idea of luck. Some people read that salvation brings life and life more abundantly (john 10:10) as a literal promise. The promise for us is only to look to the work of the cross. We are promised forgiveness of our sins. With that comes fellowship with Christ and the ability to look forward to heaven.
People get into trouble when they begin their Christian experience with the belief that everything is now going to be great and blessed.

“Jesus promised forgiveness. He promised eternity. But winning lottery numbers,job promotions,good health,and riches? Not exactly.” page 124

So is it good news or bad news. Christianity not filled with gloom and doom. It’s faith filled with hope and joy. The fact is that righteous living often does produce a great blessed life. While that is true it is no guarantee. Righteous living may not produce a life free from hardship,sickness,and pain. There is no guarantee of that here on this earth. As long as we understand that good and bad can and often do happen we will get bitter and mad at God when tough times do come.

“That’s why unrealistic and unfounded spiritual expectations need to be exposed for what they are: wishful thinking. Truth isn’t always what we want to hear or would like to believe. But it is truth. Everything else is a mirage.” page 132

I do believe that I have a much better chance at a great life with Christ than without Him. It’s what we call a no-brainer. Although we have no guarantees I am comfortable following Him and all that He has for me, the good with the bad. I know that He is faithful!

PS Houston sucks as they have no free internet at the airport.

#7 Let Conscience Be Your Guide

Before reading this chapter I might have agreed a little more with this one. However after looking at the arguments I realize how warped our thinking can become. And as our values decline so does our conscience.
When we are faced with a tough moral dilemma,we turn to our conscience. If we feel good about it then we assume it must be OK. Otherwise our conscience would have let us know that something was wrong. But the idea that our conscience is a moral guide is a myth.
The problem is that a lot of us imagine our conscience to be a spiritual thermometer. But that's not how our conscience works. It isn't a spiritual thermometer. It's a spiritual thermostat. The difference is important. Thermostats don't define hot or cold. They reflect our definitions of hot and cold. We set them to respond however we like.

"Our conscience doesn't tell us if we're violating God's standards. It tells us when we're violating our standards" page 109

Our sin nature doesn't just show up as a desire to do wrong things. It also shows up in the way we think. In other words it clouds everything.
That explains why two Christians who are equally committed can be on opposite ends of an argument about what God wants.
You know the saying, garbage in, garbage out. Depending on what we feed our mind with is going to determine how our conscience responds.

"...like many people,I took most of my moral cues from those around me. I assumed that the majority couldn't be wrong. And if they were,God would surely understand. But that too was foolish. Majority doesn't equal morality" page 114

Lastly a callused heart can cause us great pain. If you ignore an area for a long time you will become imune to hearing anything wrong and thus feel that it is OK. We need to constantly seek God and ask Him to point out any areas that are not right in our lives. Our conscience can be invaluable as an early warning to us. We can avoid many pitfalls by living a life that is in touch with God. A consistent prayer life and reading of the word is the best basis for the solid life. Then be sure to be in a good church where you can worship together and be fed.

Jazz at St Armands Circle

This was the 4th Friday of the month and that meant another free jazz concert at St Armand's Circle. The weather was perfect in the low 80's with a light breeze blowing to make it feel very comfortable. B.K. Jackson was featured tonight. He is the next still undiscovered monster talent. He will graduate high school this year but already plays the sax like a pro. We first heard him 3 years ago when he was only 15 and were amazed at thetim.
He has since recorded his first CD all while compiling a 4.8 gpa.
We enjoyed the boys for a while with Shannon and Ryan. Also bumped into Daniel and his daughter.
During the break we went to Starbucks and bumped into a couple that have been at the church for only 2 months. Thomas Dieter and his wife. Great people who we made plns to hang out with when we get back from California.
All in all a great night here in paradise!

Tracey Flanagan
traflan.com


Here he is last year at the Rays playoff game. He's 17 here.

One more in case your too lazy to check you tube for yourself.

Myth #6 Everything Happens For A Reason

There are those people who view everything as from God. Then they take the scripture in Romans 8:28 and let you know that;

- God is working
- God doesn't make mistakes
- You must be very special for God to trust you with this
- won't it be great to see how God uses this?
Where did we get the idea that God is the direct cause of everything?
It doesn't mean that everything that happens is something He wants to happen.
Man has a free will and with it come all types of bad things.

God did not cause Lucifer to rebel or Eve to eat the apple, or David to have Uriah murdered. You can't blame God for that.

"God can and will accomplish His good purposes no matter what. But that's a far cry from saying that everything that happens is somehow good or necessary. A more accurate rendering of Romans 8:28 in modern English reads like this - We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." page 90

It doesn't say that everything that happens is good but just that God is at work in all things.

Sometimes the stuff we face is the result of our poor choices. Again there are consequences to our actions even in forgiveness.
No matter the stupid things we do God is still there to work for our eternal good. Even though we don't deserve it He stills loves us that much.
Pinning everything on God leads to anger and will hurt your relationship with him.
God never approved of people's sin. He didn't cause it. He didn't even use it. He overcame it. That's what grace does.

"This spiritual urban legend,when taken to an extreme,can also lead to an epidemic of irresponsibility. After all , if God guarantees that everything will eventually work out for good no matter what,who cares what I put into the eqution? God will patch it up.He has to. He's promised" page 97

My wife was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease last year. If I bought into the fact that it was from God I could grow very angry and bitter with no change in her condition. But I understand that God is working in this. He may choose to heal her. He certainly can do it and I have faith to believe for it. But the reality is that God is God and I will trust Him with all my heart regardless of the outcome.

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:37-39

Christians Shouldn't Judge

The idea that Jesus forbade his followers to judge is a myth. It's another widely believed spiritual urban legend that can't stand up to the actual words of Scripture.
The most widely misused passage is of course Matthew 7 - the "judge not" scripture. But if you read further you will find it's a warning against judging improperly. Jesus tells us not to give our sacred things to dogs or cast our pearls before swine.
That's hard to do without making a few judgments, especially in regard to figuring out who is a dog and who is swine. Later in the verse Jesus tells us to carefully inspect the spiritual fruit of anyone who claims to speak for God,rejecting those who bear bad fruit and listening to those who bear good fruit.

"Think about it:if we were forbidden to make moral and spiritual judgments,we would have no objective way to distinguish between truth and error. But Jesus told us how to judge precisely because some beliefs are true and some are false,because some actions are right and some are wrong" page 75

The Bible says that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. That's a principle. It's up to us to figure out how that applies. It is not up to us to try to put our convictions on someone else.

"We put ourselves in dangerous company when we judge others in an area where God has not spoken definitively. Like the Pharisees of old, we can end up pontificating about things God couldn't care less about, while missing the things He cares most about." page 81

The key to it all is balance. Our purpose is never to condemn. That is best left to God.

"God wants us to judge in the same way we both judge and love ourselves - boldly calling sin,sin,while responding with an abundance of grace and mercy" page 85

Chapter 4

I am continuing with my book review. This chapter deals with God's will for our lives. It is an interesting chapter that really spelled out some of the problems that we as Christians make for ourselves. Most people think that God's will is both important and elusive. Important for obvious reasons. But it really isn't elusive at all. We just make it that way.
He makes an analogy of an Easter egg hunt.

"There's no cosmic eater egg hunt required to see who can find God's will and who gets left with an empty basket. But unfortunately, that's how many of us feel." Page 56

In many cases we're looking for the wrong thing. It's like a child who thinks Easter eggs are square and polka dotted so he walks right by the real thing while searching for something that doesn't exist.
There are some who believe that God has a detailed blue print for our lives. A blueprint spells out the most minute details possible. But what happens for instance when someone makes a mistake and marries the wrong person? Now there is the person he should have married out there as well as the man she should have married. Does it start a huge domino effect.
There are some people afraid to make even the smallest decision without some kind of a sign from God.
This is living in fear and bondage and it's certainly not God's plan for our lives.
The bottom line is that we are to live Godly lives. As we pursue Christ with a passion and read His word then all the rest will fall into place. As we walk with Him he guides us every day.
Having a free will means that we are all going to make mistakes. You might as well just face the facts that you're not perfect ( I hope that's not a shock to some of you super spiritual ones).
Follow the guidelines laid out in Scripture and trust God to do the rest.
Don't live a life of worry.
God has set you free from worry and wants you to live a blessed life!

"God indeed ,does have a plan for all of us. But it's a game plan with lots of freedom, not a blueprint with every detail spelled out. Our job is not so much to find something: it's to become someone - a reflection of His image and character no matter where we find ourselves." Page 69

Myth #3 Kids & The Godly Home

Chapter three deals with Godly parenting and the results.

We have all heard this a million times. It's found in Proverbs 22:6

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

The problem with this verse is that it is not a promise. It is a proverb. It's a wise saying that will help us and guide in the best ways. But it's not a promise. It doesn't come with a money back guarantee. That means that most of the time this is what happens. But it also means that the opposite could happen as well.
If parenting was the answer to the Godly life as some suppose then this story shoots it full of holes.
Adam and Eve were God's kids. It doesn't get much better than that for being a perfect environment. Yet we all know the outcome. They rebelled and were kicked out of the garden.

So was God a bad parent?

Of course not.

But it does give us a perfect example that things can go wrong even in the best of circumstances.

"If nothing else,the fall of Adam and Eve should put to bed the idea that environment controls outcomes. If rebellion happened there,it can happen anywhere,even in the best of Christian homes." page 50

The problem comes when people buy into this urban legend. When failure does happen there is huge guilt associated with it. After all if it is the parenting then there must have been a failure.
The bottom line is that we pray over our kids and raise them the best we know how. After that it is up to them and their free will.

Today Is The Day

Ever had a bad day?

Of course you have. We all have them.

Last week I lost my keys at the beach. After that ordeal it was home to a frozen over air conditioner. Not situations to lift you up. You probably have stuff going on right now. The question is how you will respond to the situation.
We all have the choice to have a good day or a bad day.
That's right, you heard me. It's our choice.
It's not like you are the only one with problems.
Everyone has them. It's called life.
But you think that your circumstances cause you to have a bad day.
Paul wrote from a jail cell. He said it was good for the advancement of the Gospel.
I'm thinking jail would definitely be a bad day but Paul chose not to allow his circumstances to rule over him.
Peter denied Christ three times. We all know the story. That event could have sent him into a tail spin. The possibility was definitely there.
But not long after we see him preaching and thousands being saved.
Today is the day that the Lord has made.
What are you going to choose to do with it?
Wake up and understand that the choice is yours and yours alone. Circumstances cannot rule over you unless you choose to allow them to do that.
I pray that with God's help you will be filled with joy and have an awesome day even in the midst of any difficult circumstances.

Here are the words of the new Lincoln Brewster song "Today Is The Day"

I`m casting my cares aside
I`m leaving my past behind
I`m setting my heart and mind on You
Jesus

I`m reaching my hand to Yours
Believing there`s so much more
Knowing that all You have in store for me is good
Is good

Chorus:
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won`t worry about tomorrow
I`m trusting in what You say
Today is the day

Forgiveness

10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe.
A great topic in chapter two.

Forgiveness!

It's an area that at one time or another I'm sure that we have all struggled with. First of all forgiveness is not an option. So let's get that out of the way. It's central to the Christian theme.

However forgiving does not then make you a doormat.

We don't put on a "walk on me" T-shirt!

Forgiveness and forgetting are not the same thing. Sin carries with it consequences and forgiveness is not another magic fix-all for everything.
Getting right with with God does not make everything right with life.
The sooner we realize that the better.
Too many people get angry and bitter over things that they created in the first place.
God doesn't forget our sin. That's another misconception. That's like saying that God can't remember. Hey He's God. He does however choose to treat us with a clean slate because of the cross.

2 Tim 4:14 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done.
1 Tim 1:20 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.
Rom 12:19 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,"I will take revenge; I will pay them back,"says the Lord.

In other words it's OK to pray for God to get them. That's what Paul did. But you have to leave it with God. That's where it ends.

"While forgiveness puts aside all bitterness and all plans for revenge, it doesn't make someone trustworthy or turn the person back into our best friend. Trust has to be earned. Close social ties are a privilege. We don't owe anyone either one." Page 36

Does forgiving mean forgetting?
13 Then David confessed to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan replied, "Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won't die for this sin.14 Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the Lord by doing this, your child will die."
David was forgiven but still had to bear the consequences of his sin.

13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Col 3:13

Great New Book

I just started reading "10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe".
It's kinda Snopes meets the Bible.

Some things grow into sort of an urban legend and many people buy into them.

The first one is faith. Some people believe that whatever they have faith to believe will come to pass. It really goes hand in hand with the prosperity preaching of many on television today. It's a belief that faith can fix anything.
But do we really believe that we can force the hand of God?

Can faith fix anything?

Look at these men and women of God who had faith.

37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. 39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. Hebrews 11:37-40

The truth is that if we got what we deserved each of us would be on our way to hell. Our faith in God grants us forgiveness of sins and a place in heaven.

"Faith is not a skill we master. It's not an impenetrable shield that protects us from life's hardships and trials. It's not a magic potion that removes every mess. It's a map we follow. It's designed to guide us on a path called righteousness. long the way, it doesn't promise to fix every flat tire. It won't reroute us around every traffic jam. It won't even stop the road rage of the crazy guy we cut off at the merge. But it will take us exactly where God wants us to go. And isn't that where we want to be?" page 19

No

Great post from Mark Batterson.

What is the hardest word in the English language to say? It's not antidisestablishmentarianism. It's a much shorter word. It's the two-letter word "no."

I've shared this before, but by nature I'm a "yes" person. It's hard for me to say "no" to anyone or anything. I'm a recovering people pleaser. But I was greatly impacted by something Andy Stanley wrote in his book Choosing to Cheat. He said, "Saying yes to one thing is saying no to something else." So true. Yet it's so hard to say "no."

One of the things I really wrestle with at this point is saying "no" to meetings and invitations to speak. I'll always struggle with it. I want to meet with anyone and everyone. And anytime anyone extends an invitation to speak I'm humbled and honored. But Lora and I have a standing joke: every opportunity is an "amazing" opportunity. I genuinely believe that. But let me share a personal revelation that is helping me manage my boundaries.

Last year I operated on this principle: when in doubt, say yes. And that led to over-commitment and no margins. The end result? Spiritual and intellectual burn-out. I didn't feel like I could give each opportunity what it deserved. My new modus operandi? When in doubt, say no. Obviously this doesn't apply to every situation or decision, but it is helping me manage speaking engagements a little better. When I feel some internal tension because I'm over-committing, I need the courage to say "no."

Just processing out loud.

Nursery Rhymes

My mother is visiting us from Canada. The other day she was singing some songs to the boys. She was telling me that as she got out of the car she was only half way through a song. Caleb asked her to sing the baby breaking and falling song.

Hilarious!

She was singing Rockabye Baby. He got baby falling and breaking.
Did you ever stop to think about some of these nursery rhymes.
What a warped song to sing. I mean think about it. The baby is put in a tree. Right there someone should be calling child protective services. Then the baby falls. Definitely a trip to the ER. What a beautiful thought to give children.
Maybe that's why I am like I am after hearing songs like that as a child.

So I did some reading.

Ring Around the Rosy actually emerged from the bubonic plague in the 1600's in London.
The symptoms of the plague included a rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin (Ring around the rosy). Pockets and pouches were filled with sweet smelling herbs ( or posies) which were carried due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. The term "Ashes Ashes" refers to the cremation of the dead bodies! (Snopes does claim this is false but it did make for a great article!)

Don't even get me going on a one "Mr. H. Dumpty". His accident was so tragic that they had to pick him up in pieces.

That's it for here in nursery rhyme land.

Maybe I have been in the sun too long!

Baptism Reflection

It was great to sit and watch our baptism service last night. We opened with worship and then spent the rest of the night on water baptism. It was great to hear about the things God has been doing. Many great testimonies of God moving and faithful people continuing to pray. One woman had prayed for her husband for 35 years and he finally gave his life to Christ over the Christmas season.
So good to see that God is moving and changing lives.
This is the largest baptism we have had in some time.
Here's hoping that next month is even greater.

Easter Egg Drop

Easter Egg Drop from Tracey Flanagan on Vimeo.

Here are the highlights from the Easter egg drop on Saturday. It was a beautiful day with blue skies and lots of sunshine.

Have A Glass of Lemonade

Some days just seem to be there to get under your skin. Monday was that kind of a day. Oh it was a great day but not one without challenges. We spent a few hours at the beach and when it was time to go our van key was nowhere to be found. UGGGHHH! Fortunately Susan had the extra set locked in her purse in the car. An hour later the locksmith showed up to open our van. Life goes on. Another $50 expense that we hadn't planned.

Had Shannon & Ryan over for a BBQ. First the boys came at 4 so we swam in the pool with them until dinner. By dinner time our A/C was frozen solid. Nothing like no air on a hot day. The frustrating part is that we have a leak somewhere in the system and two visits have not yet located it. So today we get the 3rd visit in 6 weeks. Already too much money spent on replacing pounds of leaked out coolant (at $60 a pound). Fortunately we bought the home service plan from this company and this is now existing work that they have to fix. At least that is what I'm hoping for today.

Sometimes when life throws lemons you just gotta enjoy lemonade. I've got a couple of cases if anyone wants to share a glass with me. Looking forward to a great day today!

Easter Monday

I had to put put up this picture. It was my favorite one from last night.

Well we finished a great weekend. Four services and hundreds of first time visitors. Great response to the altar call in each service. My mother flew in Sunday afternoon so after picking her up in Tampa we headed to the beach. What a great way to finish the weekend. We walked around St. Armand's Circle and of course stopped for a coffee at Starbucks.
Then Shannon & Ryan came to the beach with the boys and we had a great time. Here's a video of the evening. Of course topped off with a stop at Coldstone for some ice cream.

Today Is The Day

What a day this is. To think that this is the day that Jesus broke the chains of death.
The day that we were ultimately given new life.
The day that our hope was established.
What does today mean to you?
As I was reading and praying this morning I kept thinking about the fact that without today salvation would not be complete.
We would still be engaging in Old Testament sacrifices to cleanse us from our sins.
But Jesus ended that once and for all with the cross.
He punctuated it with a resounding exclamation point as He rose from the dead.
Wow!
Just think about what he did for you and me.
It is truly amazing.
What unconditional love.

John 4:13-14 says;

13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

I pray today that I will be filled with that spring that never runs dry. Make that your prayer today.

Nathaniel a.k.a. Nano

We don't have a lot of video for Nathaniel. Today as I was downloading the Easter egg drop video I found this one. This is a toy that Matthew first played with. He would put the ball in and pick it up for what seemed to be forever. Caleb when he was old enough did the same thing. Along came McKenna who also played with it. None becomes the 4th. This was actually the first time he has stayed with it and continually played.
We spent the morning at the Easter Egg hunt/helicopter drop. with the boys.
They had a blast. I took lots of pictures and shot video.
I'll put it all up later.
Right now just enjoying the pool and the sunshine.
Later.

Would You Recognize Him?

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. John 1:10

If Jesus was in the world today would you recognize Him?

It's an interesting thought.

We have been so TBN'd out.

So many gain the spotlight only to use it for power and position.

So many prominent leaders have fallen into sin.

This really breeds in us a skepticism that would make it very difficult for us.

I don't know about you but I am very skeptical when it comes to Christian television. There have been too many double lives recently. It does make you wonder how much that skepticism clouds your judgment.

When you read about the vacation homes around the world of the prominent leaders of "Church Without Walls" in Tampa. The luxury cars that were being driven and a total lack of accountability it really makes you wonder.

I am praying today that God will give me wisdom. Help me not to live as a skeptic but to walk in the faith that only Christ brings.

Remember this weekend that Christ died to set you free. Live in that freedom today!

Pressing On

As I was reading this morning this passage (Phil 3:12-14) really spoke to me. Here, Paul talks about the need to continue to "press on" toward our "prize" which is the crown we will receive in heaven. I'm convinced that Satan knows he has lost the battle with us, but he still has the ability to trip us up as we race toward the prize. He has the ability to knock us off course, get us feeling guilty, distract us with earthly things, and keep us busy with things that have no value to God. In doing this, he often succeeds in stopping us from doing what God wants and needs us to do here on earth. Like the actions of a great athlete, Paul reminds us to put the past behind and press on. Forget about the last failure and move on. God, through Jesus, has already forgiven us so we need to just get up and keep moving. God still wants us to accomplish great things for Him.

Your Greatest Need

The following is an excerpt from an article by Bob Kauflin. It was featured in the March/April issue of Worship Leader Magazine.

An empty bank account, overdue bills,and losing a job are significant problems. But they aren't our greatest problem. Our greatest problem is God's righteous judgment against our sins. Our greatest need is to be forgiven of our many sins and reconciled to God as our Father.
Praise be to God, that our problem, our most serious dilemma, has been solved. Jesus has come. He has fulfilled God's righteous commands, received the penalty for our sins as our substitute on the cross, risen victoriously from the grave, and defeated sin and the powers that stood against us. What God has done for us through the gospel is sufficient to merit our eternal praise, whatever our current economic situation may be.
If God gave Jesus to atone for our sins, enabling us to be forgiven by a Holy God, nothing will keep Him from providing what is for our ultimate good. In this and every season, our security comes from keeping Calvary and what the Savior accomplished there always in our view.
Worshiping God in song together won't protect us from a shaky economy or bad investments. But it may be what God uses to equip you to face the months ahead with confident faith, pervasive peace, and overflowing joy.

Less Is More

I am continuing on my 1 year Bible reading this year. If you need a resource go to You Version. You can also get You Version Mobile for your smart phone. That way with your phone you always have access to the Bible from anywhere. I have found that it's a great tool and has really allowed me to keep up with this reading plan.
Part of today's reading was from Philippians 1 & 2. Chapter 2 really jumped out at me this morning.
Read Phil 2:1-10
Maybe some of you have felt this way. Or maybe you are feeling this today. Have you ever felt that you weren't getting enough for your sacrifice of time, talent, and treasure. Paul says that "If you've anything out of following Christ .... put yourself aside". Think about what Jesus has done. Think about the position he had to lower himself to in order to accomplish what God needed him to accomplish. Take a minute to read this passage for yourself. Ask God to help you soak it in. Today, what can you do to start "putting yourself aside"? Focus on the ways in which you can be a benefit to the people around you. The people that need to experience the Love of Christ. Lets encourage each other to always have the mindset of Jesus, having a passion for the people around, and the desire to give everything we have to see changed lives.

The Bridge

If you re in town be sure to invite your friends to one of our 4 weekend presentations of "The Bridge".
Friday @ 7pm
Saturday @ 6pm
Sunday @ 9 & 11am

Mad Church Disease

I just finished this book last night. It was a very interesting read. If you have been hurt in church this would be a great book to read. Maybe you have some questions about things that are happening. Again this book makes a great read. Here 's a quote from the book.

"It's obvious in the arena of pastors and church leaders that there's a classic battle going on between good and evil. We know what we need to do - to take care of our bodies,our minds,our souls, and our families - but we allow the convenience to replace the knowledge that the Holy Spirit has instilled in us.
Satan has been plotting since the fall to ruin mankind, and what better place to start than with the one group of people whose purpose it is to share life with a hurting world. All it takes is infecting one person, and the epidemic can spread like wildfire."

Spiritual health is our number one priority in the battle against this.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Eph 6:18

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Ph 4:6

Be joyful always; pray continually;give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thes 5:16-18

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Josh 1:8

I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. Psalm 143:5

I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord. Psalm 104:33-34

Matthew's Birthday Party Video

Saturday Matthew turned 4. Man I must be getting old! Anyway here are the video highlights of our day at Siesta Key Beach.



Matthew's 4th Birthday Party from Tracey Flanagan on Vimeo.

Matthew Turns 4 Today.

Today Matthew turned 4. It's hard to believe that I have a 4 year old grandson. Once again Ron Zammit capped the occasion with an amazing cake. If they ever move away they are going to be so disappointed with future cakes.
Shannon decided to hold it at the beach.
Have you ever tried to find a parking spot on the Saturday of Spring break? It's insane but we everyone do find a spot.It took me 15 minutes of driving around but I finally got a spot.

We had a great BBQ and of course cake.

Ryan did hot dogs and cheeseburgers.

Lots of other goodies as well to top it off.

Matthew was thrilled to blow out all the candles.Then it was time to open the presents.

Then we finished it off Florida style.
Playing at the beach.
It was an unusually big surf day
We had a blast.

Concert

Here's a shot of the crowd. This is a massive church in Lutz just outside of Tampa. I think it seats 7,000.

For the entire Chris Tomlin portion of the concert/worship experience Dave and I stood at the front only a few feet from the band. It was amazing. Pictures are very small since and not so great from my phone.

Much better night than I had even thought. Chris Tomlin is an amazing worship leader. We were treated to an incredible night of worship. Definitely a must see for the next tour that comes your way. If you are in a city where the tour has not yet gone through be sure to get tickets. You will not be sorry.