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Archive for the ‘Community’ Category

My Friend Wayne

Posted in Community, Hope on June 26, 2012| 4 Comments »

I received a call yesterday that changed the course of my day.  I got word that the life of a dear friend and colleague in ministry tragically ended.  For the first 30 minutes or so, I was numb – and to some degree, I still am I suppose.  The last time I saw Wayne was at a Walk to Emmaus back in February and he was loving life.

He was one of those guys who had a unique grasp of the grace God had shown him and it changed the way he related to God and to others.  There are few people in my life that are any more authentic and real than Wayne Horton was everyday that I knew him.  For nearly ten years he has been an encourager and cheer leader for me.  And I say, “for me” because that is how he made me feel.  I know that is who he was for every person he met, but he had the true gift of making you feel like you were the only person in the room when he was talking to you.

I read, years ago, that Jesus had the knack of simply loving the person in front of him.  Wayne understood how to do that and I am a better person for it.

Even though I will miss him terribly, I know when he passed from this life yesterday morning, he walked right into the throne room of the most high.  Somehow, there is peace in knowing that fact.  There is also satisfaction and comfort in knowing that I had the distinct privilege of calling him my friend for the past 10 years.

My life will forever be different because of our friendship, but the coolest thing is that I am just one of literally hundreds who can say the exact same thing!

Wayne, I love you and will miss you and I’ll see you again before too long.  But until then, we will just be keeping it real around here.

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On the Ropes

Posted in Community, Formation on June 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Today, our students from the church are headed to a ropes course.  It is going to be a blast.  They will be involved with the high challenges which are my favorite – in fact, I wish I could go and participate with them.

The elements they will face are designed to boost confidence and build team work.  It is amazing how climbing to the top of a pole 20 feet in the air and then jumping off in an attempt to grab a trapeze bar 8 feet away builds inner strength.  It is also amazing to see people who may not associate together much, all of the sudden become huge cheer leaders.

I am no stranger to such things.  You can read of one of my experiences as a flying squirrel here.

The take aways from a day like today for our students should be huge.  I am excited to see what God can do when they open themselves up to being uncomfortable and taking the challenges with courage.  The beauty of these elements is that, as scary as they may seem, they are very safe.  When they climb that pole, they will be harnessed and tied to a rope that will not let them fall.

Our walk with God is very similar to being on a ropes course.  God calls us to be uncomfortable and take risks.  Each day, we are faced with opportunities to impact people around us but they all come with the risk of being rejected or persecuted.  But the beauty of it all is that even though it may be uncomfortable, as long as we are trusting God, in the bigger picture, there is no way we can fail.

Will you live your life on the ropes today?

Go be uncomfortable today.

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More Light – Less Heat

Posted in Community, Formation, Grace, Hope on June 7, 2012| Leave a Comment »

We are starting a new Bible study class this Sunday and I am excited to see what God is going to do.  We have been busy this week preparing the room that will house the new class.  We have painted and cleaned and moved furniture.

One of the downsides to having a church that will celebrate 100 years in a little over a year is that the building is not new.  The lighting in the new class room was original to the building and gave the ambiance of a remote cave at Carlsbad Caverns.

So part of the room renovation involved taking down the old, single bulb light fixtures and putting up new florescent lighting.  On Tuesday, my oldest son and I tackled that project.  But the first thing we learned is that those old 200 watt bulbs put off some heat.  We turned the lights off and then turned the breaker off to the room and got ready to take the old fixtures down.  The fixtures were so hot, we could not touch them.  We had to wait 20 minutes to begin the process.  Once they cooled down, we were able to remove the old fixtures, install the new ones and increase the amount of light in the room by at least 150%.

Yesterday, I ran across this quote from Woodrow Wilson that went along with our experience with the lights.  He said,  “One cool judgment is worth a thousand hasty councils. The thing to do is to supply light and not heat.”  What a great thought!

So often, we try to offer our guidance or wisdom to a person in need and in the process of shedding light on the subject, we also apply heat.  It is all in the way we go about it and our attitude toward the situation.

Think of it in relation to how Jesus followers are often perceived by the world.  The media does not find stories of Mother Teresa’s self-sacrificial, illuminating work nearly as news worthy as a fundamentalist group burning the Korán or torching an abortion clinic.

Don’t get me wrong, physics would tell us that a by-product of producing light is nearly always heat.  But I can tell you that the new florescent lights put off a lot more light than the old ones and half the heat.

We need to focus on being light for a dark world without driving people away because they can’t stand the heat.

Go be light today!

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Exhibit the Evidence

Posted in Community, Formation, Hope on June 6, 2012| Leave a Comment »

In some of my reading this morning, I picked up My Utmost For His Highest, by Oswald Chambers.  Today’s reading deals with Philippians 2:12 and the working out of our faith.  But the words that have been ringing in my heart since reading them earlier are these – “exhibit the evidence” of a life of faith.

Exhibit the evidence.  I have to ask myself, does my life always exhibit the evidence of faith?  There is no doubt that all our lives exhibit evidence of something.  Our actions tell the story of our heart.  People see who we really are through what we do and say.

I pray that today, I exhibit the evidence of a life committed to Jesus.

Is that your prayer today?

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What Do You Say To a Group of Missionaries?

Posted in Community, Missions, Motivational on May 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Tonight I have the opportunity to address the group of students, doctors and nurses and sponsors who are on the mission trip to El Paso.

What do you say to a group of folks who have taken a week of their time to travel hours from their homes in order to minister to people they have never met?  Do you say “thanks?”  Honestly, I don’t think any of them are looking for a thank you for what they are doing – certainly not from me.

Do you tell them that what they are doing is dabbling in the eternal?  That what they are doing will have forever implications and impact?  Yes, I should probably say that.  That sounds good.

But what I am drawn to say is less altruistic – almost selfish and self-serving.  But I have thought and prayed about this for a long time.  What I am compelled to tell them is that what they are doing may just have more impact on them than any impact they may be making in the life of another person.

There is no denying that a result of a trip like this is a renewed passion for Jesus – a boost to our commitment.  Some might even call it a “spiritual high.”  And if the motivation for making a trip like this is all about what you will get out of it – well then, that just seems wrong.

But here is the reality.  Yes, we will meet people and we will impact their lives for a day – and hopefully, that impact will have everlasting results to their reality.  But at the end of the week, we are leaving – heading back to our reality.  We will remember the good things we have done for a time but what difference will it really make?

Here is the difference.  Getting out of our comfort zones and serving is part of disciple making. It plays a huge part in our becoming.  As believers, we are called to be disciples – apprentices.  A large part of that process is selflessly serving others.

So what do I communicate to the group tonight?  I tell them that what they are doing has kingdom impact both in the lives of others and in their own lives.  It is part of what it means to be an authentic Jesus follower.

Yeah, that is what I will tell them.

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God Is Already At Work

Posted in Community, Hope, Missions on May 15, 2012| 1 Comment »

I am always reminded when I have the opportunity to participate in a mission trip, that God is already at work long before we show up.  I remember when I did my first trip like this fifteen years ago or so.  I went with the attitude that I had something to give and the people I would see may not know it yet but they needed what I had to offer.  In many respects, that is not a total fallacy.

I had hope and love that I could offer through my relationship with Jesus that everyone needs.  But the reality was, and is still today, God is at work whether I show up or not.  God did not call us to go and be the salvation to a group of less fortunate people.  But we are instructed to go and share our story.  Go and share God’s love.  Go and offer hope.

You see, when we go and offer our time to minister to others, we are not the salvation they need.  We are simply the messengers of the one who is that salvation and that hope.

God is at work all around us – we just have to see it and plug in.

Be a blessing today.

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Stethoscopes and Roofing Nails

Posted in Church, Community, Missions on May 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

What do stethoscopes, roofing nails, Bibles, drywall and a dentist chair have in common?

Give up?  The annual Baptist Student Ministry from South Plains College mission trip to El Paso.  This week, about 100 college students, doctors, dentists and others will join forces to offer free clinics, do minor construction and share the love and hope of Jesus to the people of the El Paso area.

I need your help.  I would like you to commit to pray for the folks on this trip.  Petition that God would give us all the energy and passion to be Jesus to each and every person we meet.  Sometimes that is challenging – like when the shingles don’t show up on time and all the students are standing around with nothing to do.  Or like when you come face to face with the horrible conditions some people live in and you realize that what you are doing, while it is meaningful, isn’t really making much of a dent in what is going on.

Pray that God will be obvious and people will see the hope that is offered through a relationship with Jesus.

We may have 100 people here, but we need hundreds more all over the world praying for what God is doing.

Be blessed today!  And thanks for your prayer!

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Leaving Something For the Next Generation

Posted in Community, Hope on May 3, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday, I asked for input from those under 60.  I asked them for some thoughts on how older generations have impacted them.  I asked for their input to help inform my sermon this week on leaving a legacy.  Sunday is senior adult Sunday and we plan on structuring the service to recognize our senior generations.

So today, it is the over 60 crowd that I ask for input.

If you could instill one or two nuggets of truth in the younger generations, what would they be?  

Give it some thought and leave me a comment here or email me at bhill33@me.com.

The reality is that in many ways, we are experiencing a leadership void and we need to focus on pouring into the younger generations.

So how would you do that?

I look forward to reading your wisdom!

Be blessed today!

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How Have You Been Impacted?

Posted in Community, Hope on May 2, 2012| 3 Comments »

This coming Sunday will be Senior Adult day at our church.  We will have a different structure to the service and everything will be pointed toward recognizing our older generations.

I will be preaching on the importance of leaving a legacy.  I plan on addressing both the senior crowd and the younger crowd.

If you are over 60, I’ll be asking for your input tomorrow but for today, if you are younger than 60 years old, I need your help.  If you are like me, there are many, many people who have played an integral part in your life.  Take some time today to think about those folks.

As you think about the generations ahead of you, who has made an impact on your life and how have they been able to affect you in such strong ways?

Just leave your comment here or email me at bhill33@me.com.

I look forward to reading your comments – they just might show up on Sunday.

Be blessed today!

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Communication Begins With Silence

Posted in Community, Formation, Hope on April 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

In some of my reading this morning I ran across this quote by Thomas Merton, “the reality which is expressible in language is found, face to face without medium, in silence.”  I guess this hit home with me due to the fact that part of my responsibility as a pastor is to communicate God’s message through language.  It is an interesting juxtaposition to think that being able to communicate through words must begin with silence.

It is very true.  Years ago, I heard a long-time pastor say, “If I haven’t spent time alone with God during the week, on Sunday, I have nothing to say.”

It is the same idea.  In order to communicate God’s truth through language, I must first spend time before God in prayer and studying the word.

This truth applies to communicating God’s message in other ways as well.  Our biggest megaphone is the way we live.  Our actions communicate more effectively than words ever can.  So are you spending quality time before God that in turn fuels the way you live?

Take a few minutes today to sit before God and listen to what you hear.

Be a blessing today!

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