Fear of Commitment

Last night in FUEL we discussed the "Fear of Commitment". We all struggle with committing to things, either too many commitments or too few. The question we must ask ourselves, is are we committed to the right things? What do your commitments involve? Are you committed to things you don't really care about or want to put your time and effort into? Are you committed to the things that you value and are most passionate about? You must first realize what you value so that you may make the appropriate commitments towards it. My passions and values are in who God is and what He has done so I make commitments that allow me to work towards God and put my energy and efforts towards Him. So ask yourself, am I committed to the God who created me, the one who sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for me? OR am I committed to the meaningless things of this earth that are insignificant in the grand scheme of eternity? I pray that you will commit yourself to God and to Him alone becuase He provides the greatest benefits and none of the costs. After all, what do you have to lose?

Fear of Rejection

I spoke at FUEL on October 21 about "The Fear of Rejection" and how it can run our daily lives. This fear is perhaps the greatest fear facing today's youth. They are constantly under-attack to be more like another person, dress like them, speak like them, act like them, listen to the same music as them, do the same foolish things as them, etc. I pray that youth of today will be able to hear the Gospel message about a God who loves them for who they are, faults included. I hope they can learn that being rejected by people has no consequences for for the after-life but being rejected by God can affect you for all eternity. We need to live life for an audience of one and only try to gain God's approval because man's opinions are just that, opinions of people who will die just like us.

(See Matthew 10:28)

Preaching at My Alma-Mater Hannibal LaGrange College

I had the great opportunity to preach at my alma-mater Hannibal LaGrange College yesterday, October 14, 2009. It was truly a great honor and I enjoyed every minute of my time there. Dr. Tom Hufty gave me this opportunity and I am truly thankful him doing so. I got to see many old faces and bring back some great memories. Alyssa Askew, a current HLG student and a member of Bethel Baptist Church (my home church) led worship before I spoke. I spoke for about 30 minutes on Mark 10:17-22, the story of "The Rich Young Ruler". You can check out my sermon at http://www.hlg.edu/life/chapel.php