Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord?

 13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, `Can an old woman like me have a baby?'14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." Genesis 18:13-14


Have you ever been in a situation that looks so big or so out of the ordinary that you didn't think that it was possible that it would come to pass?  Sarah was in that situation.  God spoke to her regarding his plans for her to have a baby and her immediate reaction was to laugh because it sounded so impossible.  I understand her situation.  There have been many times where I have had a crisis of belief and my first reaction is to laugh.



I love God's reply.  Before Abraham could even answer the question, "why", God said, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?"  It all points back to how we view God.  Do we believe that God can do something that seems impossible?  Seek God for your life and trust him.  Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Dream Big, The Best Is Yet To Come

Here we are, almost a month into 2010 and God is at work.  As I have been praying I get the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up and a sense of anticipation that the best is yet to come.  Our days are numbered.  I know that's a little morbid thinking that we only have a certain amount of time on the earth to make an impact for Christ.  I feel that God is going to give us opportunities to be Jesus in 2010.  What are you doing to be  Jesus today?  Dream Big!  Don't let a day go by that you don't ask God to be used by Him!  And watch out, if you ask, He will answer!

It's All in How You Look At Things

Last night we went to a Department store to do a little Christmas shopping with the family.  Somehow we ended up taking a detour though.  There was a need for outfits for Christmas.  My son is having his first band concert of the year and he needed black pants, white shirt and a tie.  My daughter is taking a field trip to see a play with her school and is in desperate need of getting a dress.  She has grown significantly and literally has no dresses that fit.

We quickly found something for my son but my daughter and my wife were taking a looong time trying on clothes and trying to put together an outfit.  My job at the end of the night was to try and figure out how to keep a 9 and 11 year old boy occupied without tearing apart the store.  After they played hide and seek they got bored.  I suggested that we sit on the benches by the exit.  They were not excited about this at first.  They sat there and started counting the number of people exiting the store.  I had this bright idea to have them say Merry Christmas to each person that walked by.  Well, they counted every person that came by and told each and every one of them Merry Christmas. The count was 85 when we left and just about that many left the store with a smile on their face last night.  When plans change, don't get upset, (like I did!) look for a God moment.  Last night we found our God moment. 

Thanks Giving Thankfulness

After a wonderful day of eating turkey and my mom's special whipped potatoes I realized that we are so blessed to have the families that love one another. The more people I talk to, I realize our families are an anomaly. We had my folks and Missy's folks over, yes, at the same time! No two meals for us. Our families get along and love hanging out together. I'm so thankful for family that is easy going and can get along with practically anyone. All of us share the common bond of Jesus Christ and while we don't necessarily agree on everything, we all agree that God is the most important things in our lives. Thankful? Yes. Yes I am!!!

it was a good night

Tonight was a great night. We met with our H20 leaders and sat around eating sushi and Brazilian barbecue. We told funny stories and laughed til our sides hurt. We brainstormed some ideas for youth group as well. As I looked around the table I thought to myself that I really love these guys. In years past we've had some great leadership groups but this one by far is one of my favorites. They've come from all over world and God's brought them here to Stafford, VA to minister to this group of kids. It's truly amazing and I'm amazed at how God is truly using each of them to be an example and a friend to our kids. Come out to H20 this Sunday night to experience God through these amazing leaders!

Rethink came out with a great sermon series called GodView. It rocked my world and it really helped my kids think through their view of God and how they approach Him.

This week we talked about how our view of God can become distorted if we aren't careful. When we ask God for something and he says no, do we tend to doubt God is who he says he is? God is God and his purposes will prevail. He's our dad and He wants the best for us! We won't be disappointed if we see our lives in God's hands.

One of my favorite songs of all time is Blessed Be The Name. It talks about how we should call God blessed no matter what. In the good times and the bad. The bridge of the song says, You give and take away...blessed be your name. That line is coming from someone who's been through the ups and downs of life and recognizes their life is in God's hands.

My prayer today is that everyone of our students (and adults) get this and apply it to our life. What is your Godview?

The Butterfly Effect:

In my last post I shared with you how God moves when we worship. Two weekends ago we had 24 hours of worship and that was amazing. All over the planet there were cities and communities worshiping together asking God to move in this generation! As we worshiped and interceded throughout the night God moved on our hearts. God spoke words of encouragement to us and I believe His promises are being fulfilled in this generation.

After a massive event of historic significance, there is a cause and effect that is set in motion. We are seeing the after effects of our offering of Praise and Worship. Each team brought a fragrant offering to Lord. Now, two weeks after the event, we are seeing those effects. God is at work!

Last weekend we had 25 people moved by the Holy Spirit to get baptized. We preached a simple message about baptism and people responded. I believe this response has a direct connection to the 24 hours of worship and intercession that took place the week before. Do you desire to see the Lord work in your church, community and city?

"14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there" (2 Chronicles 7:14-16).

Let's humble ourselves today and ask the Father to show himself strong in the coming days.