As I went through the pages looking for a specific page the picture below fell out of the pages. It is a great reminder of the heritage I have. I’m grateful for having parents who modeled Christ to me.

2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

Why do we read the Bible? Because it is Truth.

In a society where there are many so-called “ways to heaven” and in a culture where there are no absolute truth the scriptures have remained as what is truth. The truth we read in scriptures was sent to man to reveal God’s redemption plan.

What we read determines what we believe. What we believe enables how we live and how we live is the evidence of who we serve.

1 Thessalonians5:12
Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.

Let’s show our appreciation for the pastors, leaders, Sunday School teachers, children’s workers, student ministers, Bible study leaders, life group leaders, mentors and coaches who care for our spiritual development and dedicate their time and lives to see people become more like Christ.

It could be as simple as a thank you during a handshake as you are greeted by them at church. Or it could be a card with how their life and time has influenced you. However you think, let’s give it up for those who dedicate time and energy to minister to others.

26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

27 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.

28 You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

29 You, Lord, are my lamp;
the Lord turns my darkness into light.

30 With your help I can advance against a troop ;
with my God I can scale a wall.

31 “As for God, his way is perfect;
the Lord ’s word is flawless.
He shields all who take refuge in him.

32 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?

God is…

• God is faithful to us when we are faithful to Him.
• God is true to those who live in truth before Him.
• God’s favor is on the humble.
• God is our light.
• God is our strategy and strength.
• God’s Word is flawless and is my protector.
• God is the only one we can place our security on.

Please comment below your responses and thank you ahead of time!

Godin dismantles the modern theory of work with a very post-modern view of where the society is currently going. The principle of his book is based on the premise that everyone is an artist and we have a gift to give and bring to society and that gift is our art.

He rolls out the concept that our work and job are two separate things. Godin describes our job as what we do and our work as how we do it. The art of what we do makes us the “Linchpin” in our job. Every “Linchpin” adds “emotional labor” to their work, which enhances what they do on their job.

You get paid to go to work and do something of value. But your job is also a platform for generosity, for expression, for art.

- Linchpin (p. 57)

 

Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient. The medium doesn’t matter. The intent does. (83)

Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another. (84)

Linchpin explains an artist gets joy when he/she gives away her art.

We are to do our job, but the work we do… the art is our gift to those around us. When we give our art away, we become indispensable. We become Linchpins.

This book is a great read for anyone wanting take it to the HNL (Hole-Nother-Level)

See larger image Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (Hardcover) By (author) Seth Godin List Price: $25.95 USD New From: $12.00 In Stock Used from: $16.31 In Stock

Over these 4 weeks we will have live art happening on stage during the worship and the message. This week we had Beth Witte and she painted on Jesus the Feeder. The art she completed after each service was up to silent auction and the proceeds went to start soup kitchens in South Africa.

Sunday, I discovered there is something unique that happens when you engage spoken word with live art. There is a new level of engagement that could appear as a distraction but turned out to be very effective.

Jesus Exhibition Pics

After talking with him for about 30 min last Sat, I was assured he was ready to take this next step.

We had a sweet moment at the Westside pond last night with his great uncle, great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all there to be a part and share in this moment.

Here’s the video of it:

Josh’s Baptism from Kasey Robinson on Vimeo.

The art will be up for a silent auction after each service and the proceeds will go to raise money for mission efforts. This weeks paintings will raise money to pay for a soup kitchen in South Africa. Each soup kitchen costs $1500 to get started. The painting in the first service sold for exactly $1500, so our first soup kitchen is already paid for!

I’ll post more images and results later. What a great start for a series and for the Fourth of July.

Cassie got Judah and myself a shirt for Father’s Day. Check out the cuteness!