Coming September 2012...

Baby Robinson! We are thankful that God answered our prayers! My mind has been racing. I no longer look at the children's section at the store in the same way!  We are nervous and excited about being parents. I hope to lead my child to love Jesus and serve Him.

One of my favorite passages of scripture is Psalm 139. God

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them" Psalm 139:13-16.

Read more about our journey into parenthood over at my wife's blog! 

Will you begin to pray for us?

Doin Work - Taming the Beast

Main Thought: Words reflect what is in our heart.

Doin Work - "Taming The Beast" from Source Student Ministries on Vimeo.

Messsage Explanation: James: 3:2-10. When God created man, he gave us two eyes, two ears, two nostrils and one mouth. Our words reflect what is in our heart Matthew 12:34 “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Our words can either GIVE life or TAKE life away from others. Words have the power to direct our lives (v. 3-5). Words have power to destroy (v. 6-7). We can assassinate others with our words. “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble” Proverbs 21:23.

Ephesians 4:29: “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

Here are some action steps to WATCH OUR WORDS 1. Read and apply Scripture (Proverbs a day, James)

2. Think First - remember the acronym THINK, try to ask these 5 questions before you speak:

Is it True? Remember this rule about gossip: “The more interesting it is, the more likely it is to be false.” Is it Helpful? Will your words help bring about a solution to a problem? Is it Inspiring? Will your words build up someone? Is it Necessary? Do we have to say anything at all? Is it Kind? Are your words based on a desire to help?

3. Talk Less. Your chances of blowing it with your words are directly proportional to the amount of time you spend with your mouth open. Listen to the words you say.

4. Build Others Up - Proverbs 12:25 says, “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” Do your words destroy others or give life?

God Does Not Waste Pain

Life. It happens. We never know what will happen next. If you are like me, I want to avoid problems and pain in life. Why do we have pain? Why is life tough and not always easy? Sometimes I do not admit that I have pain in my life. I try to push it away as if it just quickly dissolves into thin air! Other times I can feel sorry for myself to the point that I miss out on seeing the needs in other people. Lastly, I will simply complain. Complain to God, myself and those closest to me. No matter what happens, God does not waste pain.

What do we do when life gets tough? 

^“Dear brothers and sisters when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:2-6 

Troubles in life are inescapable. It is not a matter of “if” but “when” we will face trouble in life. Our culture runs away from problems at a rapid pace. We are a generation of "avoiders." We run to vacations, video games, movies, and drugs to escape problems. It is a continual search for the perfect resort moment where we think all of our problems will go away. Many people spend their lives running from pain instead of embracing pain.

Is joy the same as Happiness? Happiness is based upon circumstances, emotion and life decisions. James is talking about trials that prove a person’s intentions.

How do you respond with trials in life? James gives us the specific way to handle trials.

1. Thank God for His grace. (v. 2)Dear brothers and sisters^, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. “What do you want me to learn from this instead of please TAKE this away…” It is not thanking God FOR the trial but what God will do THROUGH it.

2. Seek God's Wisdom. (James 1:5) First, ask God for help. Then, find a small group or personal friend who can help you. We are not meant to live alone in our problems.

3. Trust God. (James 1:6)

 God allows trials in life for us to grow in our faith. God allows trials for good, not evil. 

How we respond to problems in life is probably one of the greatest ways to show Jesus to the world.