Last night I was reminded about the fact that we as the body of Christ are family. We do life together and we are there for each other. Recently one of the volunteers on my team asked for prayer for their spouse who was interviewing for a new job. They brought their needs before God and before the people they do life with here at Fellowship Church.

You might think that it is normal to bring things to God, but what purpose other than praying could there be for sharing our needs with others?  Let me offer this thought. Many times God uses the people around us to answer our prayers. You may need to read the sentence again and let it sink in.

Let’s jump back to my story again for a moment.  Last night as we were beginning our worship team practice one member brought me a check and asked that I give it to that same member of our team who had shared just a couple weeks ago about their needs.  Because the member in need shared their request God used those around her to answer her prayer.

So the next time you are with friends or attending your life group please remember this.  God uses those you do life with to answer prayer and often times to meet your needs.  So get out there and do life together!

The longer I am a daddy the more funny my kids seem to become. Their innocence and the way they view the world and the things around us has a purity about it. Well the other day as we were driving down the road with both boys in the back seat Mason said “Daddy, God is that tree”. I quickly fixed his theology and told him that Jesus is not the tree. He quickly replied “Right, Jesus is behind the tree.” I laughed and said “I guess he is cause God is everywhere”.

There was a brief moment of silence in the car and then Mason said “Jesus is in the car with us right daddy.” “Yep he is” I replied. More silence…then I hear the sound of the seat belts clanking in the back seat as Mason says “Buckle up Jesus, it’s not safe to not be buckled in. (as he his putting the middle seat belts together.)

Just wanted to share this funny moment with you all.

Whether you have kids or not, I hope that you are drenching your day with Jesus. I am reminded of Deuteronomy 6 where Israel is being urged to talk about God, His laws, & precepts in every area of life.  I love this.  Check it out.

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

How are you doing with these things?  What are you speaking into your family, friends, and those around you.  Something to think about.

Wow, it has been a long time since I have actually “Blogged”. It’s not that I don’t like to blog, it’s just that the season I have been in for the past six months has been a personal journey. I have heard rumors about me which frankly I would be proud of if they were true. One such rumor was that I was leaving with one of my band members to go start our own church. Although that would be cool, it is not true.

What is true however is that the past 10 months of my life have been such a hard part of my own journey. I have remained silent to you, the public about the events that have occurred through out the year. They were painful and and I withdraw when I hurt. God moving John & Michelle on was painful for us all, but especially painful for those who went into spiritual battle with Him day in and day out. It hurt and I withdrew quite a bit.  Fast Forward!!

Here we are 18 days until our new pastor Eric Koehler delivers his first message as the lead pastor of Fellowship Church and I can honestly tell you that I am more excited about Fellowship Church than I have ever been before.

God has done some incredible things through Fellowship Church in the past, but I believe that it doesn’t compare to the things God is going to do in the future in our lives, church, & community.

My family and I just returned from one of the best Holiday vacations we have ever had. We went to Dayton, Ohio to be with my sister & brother in law, their 6 kids; my other sister & brother in law & their 3 kids, my parents, and our family. All in one house mind you. Now the first thought is not how much fun that sounds like but it really was the best Thanksgiving we have maybe ever had.

One of the reasons why it was so special is because of two little boys from Haiti, Aaron & Jordan. They are twins that my oldest sister Julie & her husband Rob adopted. They began the process of the adoption 3 years ago when the boys where just 6. They finally came home to live with their new family 4 weeks ago now at age 9. The adoption was a grueling process for them full of excitement and disappointment. But we got to meet these two boys for the first time last week.

We walked in the door and two bubbly little boys ran over and tackled me while saying “Uncle Jeff” in broken up English. It was the coolest thing ever! I had never met them. Within a few minutes they had captured my heart! Our family is so truly blessed!

Mason had the best time playing with all of his cousins and it was so hard to leave them all knowing that we only see them once a year. As we left I promised we would try to come visit this summer. Outside of Jesus, family is the most important thing in the world to me. I love my family!!

I know this is getting long but I want to share one other thing before I get back to working on Christmas. I think I am officially tired of Christmas and it’s only Dec. 2. But I get to have that attitude since I have been working on Christmas since Sept.

Anyway…as we just finished celebrating Thanksgiving I came across a verse which has impacted me in a profound way. It puts my whole perspective of life back into focus.

Proverbs 30:8-9

give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9 lest I be full and deny you and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.

That is my prayer.  I don’t want to have too much that I don’t think I need God.  And I don’t want too have too little that I resent God.  I want what I need so that I can be most useful in His Kingdom.

So for this Blog…it might be a little thin until the new year.  But know that I am excited about what God is doing!  And begin inviting people to our Christmas Services.  It is going to be a worshipful event as we focus on “That Night”!

I have been listening to a replay of the 9-11 events this morning on Fox News this morning.  It is amazing how I can remember that day like it was yesterday.  Jennifer & I were in a rehearsal for an upcoming CD recording session in Forest, Va.  We stopped and the events of the day  changed to be all about the tragedies of that attack.

I remember  Steven Curtis Chapman released a single that day early because of the events that were unrolling.  The Song…God is God.

As I listened to the events unfold again this morning, emotions began to well up within me.  Some of them were feelings of anger. Actually most of them were.  Some of my feelings were for the victims and for their families.  I remember seeing bumper-stickers that read “9-11…Never Forget”.

It’s good to have reminders.  Reminders of where we have been, events that have happened, and prices that have been paid.  When you think of 9-11 what do you think about?  What feelings coming rushing in?  Where were you? Take time to Remember.

We had a great weekend at Fellowship Church. We had a great turn out for our community wide yard sale.  It was so cool to see so many great items donated by FC folks.  This was no ordinary yard sale.  We gave away things like patio furniture, bedroom suites, tv’s, gps units, clothes, bicycles, etc.  Our community was blown away that we were giving it away for free.  We really took a big step this weekend towards building a bridge with those around us in Delaware County.  God really used this event!  I want to say thanks to everyone who donated or came and helped Saturday.  Because of you it was a success!  Way to be Jesus to our community!  So proud of you all!

Yesterday I enjoyed my day off with my two boys.  I got up and made a pancake breakfast for them.  Then we loaded into the mini-van and headed over to look at a rental house that is available here in Glen Mills.

Jenn and I are convinced that God wants us to sell our house so it is officially on the market.   We have no idea where we will be living but we are stepping out in faith knowing that God will bless our obedience.  Did I mention obedience is not always easy or fun?  We really are needing to get out of the bondage of debt and this will help us do that.  Dave Ramsey would be be so proud!

With so much going on in our lives it seems that I have been wanting God to be more present in my life.  Why does it always happen like that?  Why does it always take something to bring us to a place of needing Him more?

This morning I was reading from the devotional book entitled Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby.  The first sentence blew me away.

“Our response to God greatly determines His presence in our lives. If we seek God with all of our hearts, then we will find Him”(Jer. 29:13–14).

Do you ever struggle to find God?  Do you ever wrestle with walking with him every day?  Do you try to find Him but feel that you can’t? If that’s you like it is me at times, be encouraged by these verses and continue to seek Him with everything that You are!

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  — Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV)

⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. — James 4:8

³ Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. — Jeremiah 33:3

¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴I will be found by you, declares the LORD, –Jeremiah 29:12-14

Today I have talked to several people that seemed to be tired and lacking strength.  I have to admit that I am right there with them today.  I have slept too little this week.  If you’re like me it can be so hard for your mind to shut down when you finally get to bed. Today I could use some extra strength of mind, body, & soul.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (New International Version)

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

Did you know there was even a verse like 2 Chron. 16:9 in the Bible.  One that says that God is literally looking for hearts fully committed to Him in order that he can strengthen them?  That is crazy.  To think that God has nothing better to do on this rainy day than to roam around looking to to strengthening people’s hearts.

He does not strengthen just anyone.  He strengthens those who have hearts that are fully committed to Him.  For those of you are are not fully committed to Him, a strengthened heart is out of reach without committing yourself completely to Him.  Do you need your heart strengthened?  Then cry out to Him.  Joy can only be found by those who are strengthened by Christ!

Psalm 84:5 (New Living Translation)

⁵ What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,

A phrase that Pastor John used to use a lot was “God’s favor”.  I have heard stories all my life about people having real life needs met in miraculous ways.  Some people might think they are circumstantial or even luck.  But we know that it is God meeting the needs of His children just as He promised to.

Philippians 4:19 (New International Version)

¹⁹And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Monday night our dryer died on us.  I called a friend to come over and help me take a look at it.  If I were to do it alone,  it would be reminiscent of a tool time episode and we all know how those ended…fire, explosion, & usually personal injury.  After a couple hours of looking at it, we decided that we could not fix it.

My first thought was not “God will meet your needs”.  It was more like, “Great, what are we going to do?  We can’t afford to fix it let alone buy a new one.”    While my friend Jim and I were trying to put it back together, his wife told us of a mutual friend who had recently moved and had left a dryer behind.  She recommend we call her and inquire about the drier.

So Tuesday morning in my office I called our friend that had moved.  Sure enough, they had two dryers and only needed one so they left one at the house.   When I asked what they were planning to do with it she simply said, “Do you need it?  We were just going to donate it”.  It was at that point that I was reminded about the verse in Philippians.  God was meeting our need for a new dryer.

Last night Jennifer and I drove out to their house and loaded the dryer into the van.  We took it home and got it installed, and celebrated God’s favor while doing some laundry.  Thank you Father!

Well it is a big day here in Philly. The Vick haters are everywhere you turn. Personally I am excited to see Vick in an Eagles jersey. Most people are not, or at least here they aren’t. So why are we so opposed to giving this guy a chance?

There are guys in the NFL who have done much worse things including murder, and still are adored by thousands of fans. There is no question that the dude messed up. There is no question that what happened was cruel and awful. That’s an automatic. It was terrible.

Coach Andy Reid said that “America is a place for second chances.” That would make a good catch phrase or mission statement for a church. “Fellowship, a place for second chances…” Has a ring to it. Hopefully whatever church you attend or are a part of, could put their church name in that sentence. If not, I know it’s not a place I would want to go. I know that’s a pretty strong statement.  But isn’t the gospel at it’s very core about second chances?

In John 8 we see a great example of Jesus giving someone a fresh start.  A women had been literally caught in the act of adultery.  That’s a pretty big deal.  In some churches, that lady would be asked to leave.  In most churches she would always have that hanging over her head.  But Jesus the one that paid the penalty for that very act said he did not condemn her.  He then challenged her to go and sin no more.

When I think about that story I think about my own life.  I am so glad that God does not look at me and define me by my actions, both past & present.  He does not stand as my accuser but as my brother, friend & Savior.

Will Michael Vick every be accepted here in Philly?  Probably, the first time he scrambles for a big play.  Unlike God, we forgive in the sports world according to performance.  Good thing it’s not that way with Jesus!

When Chester (our black lab) woke me up at 6:30am to go outside I wasn’t thrilled. But when I got down stairs and opened up the back door I saw the hot tub and felt God beckon.
So God and I soaked for the last 40 minutes. It was a a good time of prayer. It was a good time of crying out to God and asking Him for wisdom, peace, & security. I am learning to rely completely on God. When I have a need, I used to go to him after I searched all other avenues. Now, I try to go to him first thing.
So in the midst of a morning of taking care of the boys and getting them ready for school, thanks to my pal chester I have already had a great time with Jesus.
There is something about mornings that is so peaceful. The birds sing, the wind blows, and sometimes if you listen close enough you will find that Jesus wants to meet with you in the quietness of your day. I need that time. I need Him.

I came across a resource today for those of us that struggle with anxiety and fear. I would love for you to check out their site. The ministry is called 360degreelife.

I found this short video on their website which is a testimonial of the Power of God’s Word and it’s life changing ability.  If you struggle with anxiety, panic or fear, I pray it encourages you to get into the Word!