STIX 'N STONES

In Victory & Defeat

For those who know me, it's obvious that I'm a big Texas Longhorn fan. So it was heartbreaking to see the QB with the most wins and highest completion percentage in the history of college football go down to injury on the 5th play of the BCS National Championship game. (I really think we could have won the game if he would have played - but that's another subject).  He is definitely a difference-maker.

Well, one of my good friends gave me a Colt McCoy jersey today as a gift. I absolutely love it!  McCoy isn't just a great football player, he's also a follower of Christ and an all around classy guy.  I believe that you can learn a lot about a person by how they handle disappointment and defeat. The moments right after the championship game against Alabama were probably some of the most difficult moments in McCoy's football career, since he didn't get to play in the biggest game of his life.  This was the game he had waited all of his life to compete in.  Yet in that moment of great disappointment, it's refreshing to hear what he said and how he handled himself.  While he's one of the great college football QB's to ever play the game, his character and relationship with God speak louder than all the accomplishments. That's the last memory we'll have of McCoy on a college football field.  That's the kind of message that will live on long after the event, the trophies and accolades.  Watch it below. . .

The World In Perspective

Easy To Fall For. . .

There are many temptations that we are faced with every day.  This is nothing new.  It all started with Adam & Eve.  The Bible says in Genesis 3:6 "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

This records the first instance of sin in the world.  Adam and Eve ate the fruit that God told them not to eat.  They fell for the temptation of the enemy. These are the 3 basic aspects of temptation.  These 3 elements are also found when Satan tempted Jesus and also in 1 John 2:16.

1) Physical Pleasure - Satan tempted Adam & Eve by getting them to focus on something that was "good for food," even though God warned them against it.  He tries to appeal to our "hungry" desires. When we let our 5 senses control us, we are headed for danger. A hungry need, can be a dangerous one if we allow it to dominate us. Where do we have "appetites" that we're allowing to control us and need to be surrendered to God? It's disastrous to fill our "hunger" outside of God's plans and intentions for our lives.

2) What We See - Eve saw that the fruit looked attractive and "pleasing to the eye," so she decided to eat. She and Adam made an emotional decision and acted upon it. When we live by emotional decisions we are also headed for trouble. Just because something looks, feels and seems right doesn't mean that it's healthy. Satan disguises things to make them look good, when in the end they bring death. It's important to set up boundaries beforehand so that we don't rely on emotions or feelings to rule us.  Do we have proper boundaries in our lives so that we're not fooled by emotions in the heat of the moment?

3) Selfish Living & Pride - Satan tempted Eve by telling her if she ate the fruit, it would be help her "gain wisdom" and be like God.  Ultimately, there is a desire that we all have to be our own "god."  That's what pride is.  It's about us going our own way and refusing the lordship/leadership of Christ.  It's when we become our own boss and disregard sound council and instruction.  Satan will purposefully appeal to our pride and use it against us in order to see us fall.  Where am I not allowing God to lead my life?

It's interesting that Satan used all 3 of these elements when tempting Adam and Eve, just like he did when he tempted Jesus. He went all out and didn't hold anything back.  While we are not above temptation, we have the ability to overcome it by the power of Jesus Christ. We can live in victory and not defeat when it comes to temptation. We can access the power of the cross and declare that Satan and his plans are defeated in our lives.

Ministry School Experience For a Day

On Friday, November 13th, we're hosting something called "Ministry School Experience" with special guest teacher Johannes Amritzer.  It's an opportunity for people to attend our MCM Ministry School at Allison Park Church.  Lunch will also be provided.  The event is FREE of charge to all who attend.  Please register to let us know you're coming, www.mcmministryschool.com. 

The MCM Ministry School is a 9-month, ministry training program that will allow people the opportunity to obtain their ministry credentials (License to Preach with the A/G) upon graduation.  It's a multi-generational school where people of all ages attend. The "Ministry School Experience" being held on Nov. 13th is open to those who are a junior in high school or above, with no "upper" age limit.  Here's the schedule of what you can expect for that day:

• 8am - 9am: Worship & Prayer
• 9am - 12noon: Teachings from Johannes Amritzer w/scheduled breaks
• 12noon - 1pm: Lunch w/Q & A session

Division In Our Family & A Friendly Wager

Today is a day where there is division and confusion in our family.  It happens every year at this time and it's completely unavoidable.  Yet we anticipate this day and even enjoy it.  Sounds strange, huh? 

It's called the "Red River Rivalry."  It's when the Texas Longhorns play the Oklahoma Sooners in one of the great rivalries in college football.  Texas is playing for a chance to be in the National Championship game and Oklahoma is playing to upset Texas and a chance to play the Big 12 Championship game.  But there's even more at stake in the Allen household.  Since Shelley is from Oklahoma and I'm from Texas, we're playing for bragging rights for an entire year. 

As you can tell from the picture, our kids are pretty confused about the whole thing.  The big question they have in their mind is, "Who do I cheer for?"  If they ask their mom they get one answer, and if they ask their dad they get a different answer.  Last I heard, they agreed to cheer for both teams.  

As far as Shelley and I are concerned, we're having a friendly wager.  If Texas wins, then she has to wear a Longhorn shirt and hat one day this next week.  If Oklahoma wins, then I have to wear a Sooner shirt and hat this coming week.  I have NEVER worn anything that has the words "Oklahoma" or "Sooners" on it, and I don't want to change that trend. 

Will it be burnt orange or crimson red this year?  What do I say?  HOOK 'EM HORNS!

When You Don't Think You Can

This morning Joe Schafer (our children's pastor at APC) led the Ministry School students in prayer.  He did a fantastic job.  During the prayer time he challenged the students to write down the "calling" that God had placed on their lives.  He also challenged them from the 1st chapter of Jeremiah and talked about how God called Jeremiah and chose him before he was ever born.  After God spoke, Jeremiah had objections because he didn't think he could be used by God.  He had his doubts (just like most of us at times).  God answered Jeremiah's doubts by saying,

"Do not say, 'I am only a child.'  You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord."  (Jeremiah 1:7-8)

Joe made the following 3 observations about God's challenge to Jeremiah:

1) Forget Your Excuses - God didn't let Jeremiah hide behind his excuses.  He knew that would hinder his future.  God doesn't want us to hide behind our excuses anymore either.  It will hinder our future as well.  Are there excuses that you're hiding behind that are preventing you from obeying God in a certain area of your life?

2) Remember What God Has Asked You To Do (Your "Calling") - God reminded Jeremiah that He had sent him.  God had called him.  Therefore God was going to "back" him and support him.  Sometimes we need to remember the things that God has asked us to do, called us to do, or promises He has given us.  Are we staying on track?  Are we walking in obedience or have we forgot about those things?  Maybe it's time to "dust off" a promise that God has given us a long time ago that we're no longer believing or hanging on to.  God is reminding you today that He wants to bring those things to pass.

3) Nothing Is Impossible With God - God also reminded Jeremiah that his adequacy didn't lie in his own abilities, but rather in God's abilities.  And remember, that NOTHING is impossible with God!  Just like Jeremiah, we often have the tendency to live by what we CAN'T do instead of by what God CAN do.  A good question to ask is, "What areas am I limiting God in my life?" 

Do You Have "Junk" That Your Hiding?

Last night in our Sr High 2Twenty Youth Service we did something unique.  Instead of having a typical sermon, we watched one of Rob Bell's "mini-movies" from the Nooma series called LUMP, which talks about the "junk" we often hide in our lives.  Then we broke off into small groups for a time of discussion and Bible study relevant to the topic of the video.  It actually went really well.  I even decided to post the discussion guide that we created for our small groups.  Some of the questions were taken from the booklet that came with the purchase of the Nooma series, while others were ones we came up with ourselves.  If you choose to watch the video (which I recommend), just know that it lasts about 10 minutes.

Lump (Rob Bell - Nooma)

HERE'S OUR DISCUSSION GUIDE WE CREATED:

Question #1 – Have you ever gotten busted for something you’ve done?  If so, what was it?

 

Question #2 – What are some ways that you avoid dealing with the “junk” in your life?

 

Question #3 – You don’t have to answer the first part of this question out loud, but make sure you think about it:

• Do you have anything in your life that you’re hiding or something that you’re ashamed of?  If so, are you ready to deal with it?
• Here’s the portion of the question that you can answer out loud: Instead of hiding something that you’re ashamed of, or that you regret, what’s the best thing to do about?  What are the results of continuing to hide it?

 

*Let’s see what the Bible has to say about these things:

 

James 5:16 – “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

• This verse tells us there is freedom and power when we confess the things we’re trying to hide.  When we confess to God, He forgives us.  When we confess to another person who is spiritually strong, they can help by to keep us accountable so that we don’t keep getting tripped up by the same thing over and over again.

Romans 8:38-39 - 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.

    

Question #4 – Is it difficult for you to believe that God loves you no matter what you have done in your life?  Why or why not? 

 

Question #5 – How can that truth (the fact that God loves you no matter what) help to change the way that you live? 

 

Remember this quote from the video: “May you stop hiding under the covers.  May you let God pull the covers back.  May you embrace him.  May your whole life become a response to the truth that you’ve always been loved, you are loved, and you always will be loved.”

Would You Rather. . .?

Recently I purchased a game called, "Would You Rather?"  The game is filled with questions that begin with the phrase (of course) "WOULD YOU RATHER. . . ?"  The idea is to give an answer to each question as if you had only the 2 listed options to choose from.  An answer of "neither" or "I don't know" isn't acceptable (just to keep it more fun).  Most of the questions are ridiculously crazy, but that's what makes if entertaining!

I've used variations of the game at parties and small groups.  It can be a resource for sparking conversation.  Here are some of the questions:

1) WOULD YOU RATHER spend one year in a hotel room with a funky smell in it OR with a really uncomfortable bed in it?

2) WOULD YOU RATHER have one million dollars to you today OR ten million in ten years?

3) WOULD YOU RATHER have everything you eat taste sweet OR everything you eat taste salty?

4) WOULD YOU RATHER always take a cold shower OR always get one hour less sleep than you need to be fully rested?

5) WOULD YOU RATHER have to wear scuba flippers during all waking hours for a month OR have to wear a huge, festive sombrero and carry a large trumpet with you everywhere for a month?

6) WOULD YOU RATHER speak like a static radio (fading in and out) your entire life OR sing every word you speak?

7) WOULD YOU RATHER have body odor that can be detected across the room OR be hairy like Bigfoot?

8) WOULD YOU RATHER have your nose grow 1/4 inch a year OR your ears grow 1/2 inch per year?

9) WOULD YOU RATHER spend 3 weeks in a lifeboat with a person who talks incessantly about his or her medical problems OR with somebody who has a chronic, wet, hacking cough?

10) WOULD YOU RATHER live in a world without antibiotics OR without anesthesia?

11) WOULD YOU RATHER speak for only a minute each day OR stand for only a minute each day?

12) WOULD YOU RATHER have to let 30 five-year-old children have the complete run of your apartment for 3 hours with no rules OR let 2 sea lions have the complete run of your apartment for one hour?

It's Now Official. . .

I have to admit that I’m extremely excited by some news that came my way today.  I just received word that our MCM Ministry School has been officially recognized as an “Approved School of Ministry” (Church based Bible Institute) that meets or exceeds the minimum standards for ministerial credentials with the General Council of the Assemblies of God.  That means students who successfully graduate and receive a diploma from our school will be eligible to apply for and obtain their credentials as a Licensed Minister.   

It’s not only an honor to know that we are being recognized and regarded as an official Bible Institute, but it’s also great news for both our current and future students.  Those who attend our school can become a Licensed Minister in an accelerated amount of time because of the concentrated teachings and experience that students receive.      

So what exactly is the MCM Ministry School?  It’s a 9 month, intensive training program that combines classroom teachings and “hands-on” ministry experience.  It exists to launch men and women into ministry (full-time or part-time) by pattering their life after the early church in the book of Acts.  It’s a great training ground to raise-up pastors, church planters, missionaries, youth pastors, children’s pastors, etc., and even those who simply want to make a greater impact in the marketplace/work-force.    You can learn more by going to www.mcmministryschool.com.  

Teenagers Involved With Ministry

I love to see teenagers involved with ministry.  I have used the following Scripture as theme for many years.  1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."  I think many people often set limits as to what young people can do, but God has a completely different perspective.  In the Scripture I just quoted, Paul was challenging Timothy (very possibly a teenager at the time) to set an example for others to follow.  Since God doesn't put limits on young people, why should we?

In the world of sports, teenagers are often recruited for their superstar potential and raw talent.  In the same way, it's my vision to unleash the God-given abilities of teenagers and to use them to make a difference in our world today.  I believe this makes God's heart smile. 

One of the ways we do this is through our youth worship bands.  I LOVE the fact that all of our youth worship bands are made up entirely of teenagers.  They do an amazing job.  You should see how talented they are!  (I can say this because there is no credit that goes to me).  Joy Robinson is our adult director and coordinator who has been working with our youth worship bands for the past couple of years.  I'm so grateful for her investment into the lives of the students.  Joy has a gift for maximizing their musical talents and gifts and turning them into something very special.

Last night was one of the those nights when I reflected on how proud I am of our teenagers.  Jessica S. led worship at our Sr. High 2Twenty service for the first time.  She did an outstanding job.  What's the best part about this?  It's Jessica's age.  She just started 9th grade about a week ago.  Who says you're too young to be used by God?!