October 8th, 2007
Do you remember the rest. Let me help you so the song rings in your head all day.
It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood
A beautiful day for a neighbor
Would you be mine
Could you be mine
It’s a neighborly day in this beauty wood
A neighborly day for a beauty
Would you be mine
Could you be mine
I’ve always wanted to have a neighbor just like you
I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you
So, let’s make the most of this beautiful day
Since we’re together we might as well say
Would you be mine, could you be mine
Won’t you be my neighbor
Won’t you please, won’t you please
Please won’t you be my neighbor
Who is your neighbor? Scripture says that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Scripture references that several times, but we focused this past week on Luke 10. Jesus defines for us who our neighbor is by telling the story we call the Good Samaritan. Go check it out and see how Jesus defines our neighbor.
I bet the man on the side of the road would say to the Good Samaritan, I have always to have a neighbor just like you!
Use this beautiful day to love a neighbor as yourself.
Won’t you please? Won’t you please? Please won’t you love your neighbor?
Duane
September 24th, 2007
Yesterday the topic for the teaching in the Children’s Ministry was Jonah. It is a fairly well known story out of scripture. If it has been a while since you have read it, go check it out. Jonah You might just pick up something new from the story that you never knew.
As most know, the story goes that God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach. Jonah decided that he would not go to Nineveh, and that he would head to Tarshish instead. The quickest way to Tarshish was by boat. Most probably know what happens next. He finds himself in the middle of a storm and then eventually (Go read it) thrown overboard. God sends a great fish to swallow Jonah up and he survives in the belly of the fish for three days. God commanded the fish to spit Jonah out onto land and the fish did just that. God then told Jonah again, go to Nineveh. Jonah then replies, Okie Dokie God, you have my attention. Because of Jonah’s preaching God spared the city of Nineveh. (Go read it)
Jonah ended up being right where God asked him to go in the first place, he just went the long way around. How about you? Are you headed in the direction that God has asked you to go, or are you going the long way around?
The question for the day is this, What/Who/Where is your Nineveh? Where is God asking you to go and you keep going the other way? Who is God asking you to come along side and share with them what God has done for you? What is God asking you to do or even stop doing, and you keep doing it or you refuse to start what God asks of you? If you are like me. things come to my mind in each category.
Today, start your adventure to Nineveh.
I did some research and found out that Nineveh was roughly 600 miles from Joppa and Tarshish was about 2000 miles away. I live in Ohio, so the similar distances for me would be this…
Cincinnati, OH to New York, NY - roughly 600 miles.
Cincinnati, OH to Los Angeles, CA - Roughly 2000 miles.
So here is the question. If you lived where I do, would you rather walk to New York or swim to Los Angeles?
Start walking toward and not away from your Nineveh.
Duane
September 17th, 2007
Yesterday I met a new friend. She was a friend of a regular attender at my church. I am guessing, but I would say she was 9 or 10. I met her as I was teaching our 1st through 6th graders at church. Usually guests are timid or shy and aren’t very vocal during the teaching times, but this young lady was different. I had just read the parable Luke 14 records, and began to ask some questions about the passage. Her hand immediately goes up and gives me the answer. I reached my hand out for her to give me five (that is normal for me), but she wasn’t sure what I was doing and somewhat hesitated. Then I saw it click in her head and she slapped me five. A couple of questions later, she did it again! She got another five from me, this time with no hesitation. This young gal was sharp. Almost like she had seen my notes. However, I wasn’t using notes. I, as you can probably tell, was very impressed. The rest of the students were really listening well and responding with great answers, so since they were really into the lesson I thought it was time to take them to the main topic of the day, Serving.
I began to talk to them about serving others. I was using the passage out of John 13, where Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. I brought out a bowl of water and a towel. I sat on a chair in the middle of the circle of children, removed my shoes, and told them they were going to take turns washing my feet. Some of them scooted back, some of them made faces, some even had the nerve to hold their nose. That might have been a smart idea. My feet don’t stink. At least not from roughly 6′-0″ away which happens to be where my nose is in relation to my feet.
Since there were no volunteers I thought I would call on someone, so I called on my new friend. I said why don’t you go first. She responded with the best repsonse that had me rolling. She said “Not me, I am new here”. I didn’t laugh a lot on the outside, because I didn’t want to make her feel bad, but I have laughed ever since she has said that to me.
So, what can we learn from her? How often do we think we can’t serve because we are new to it and wouldn’t know how to serve. I would help her/him, but I don’t know how to do it.
Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. - Martin Luther King Jr.
I believe serving is less a skill and more a decision. Decide to serve someone this day, this week.
Duane
P.S. - One additional comment from my new friend. At my church we say we SHMAK people. (The “H” is silent.) So it sounds like smack. Most of the students know this, so one of them stated we should SHMAK someone this week. I said absolutely, we should SHMAK someone! My new friend said, I am not allowed to smack people.
I am giving all of you permission to SHMAK someone this day/week!
September 11th, 2007
This past week at church we begain talking about this concept of not wasting any opportunities. The teachings were entitled N.O.W. - No Opportunity Wasted.
We used the story of Esther and how she did not waste the opportunity she had to save many lives. If you have not read the account, go check it out. It is a short 10 chapter book in the older testament. Esther
One of the key passages was:
And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? Colossians 4:5(b)
Watch and be alert for God given opportunities!
Duane
September 4th, 2007
Stare at this for 30 seconds and then close your eyes.
Did you see it?
If my math is right and you live to be 70 years old, you will have 2,207,520,000 seconds to work with. God has a plan and a vision for every one of those seconds of your life. hmmmm I may have used half of the seconds of my life already.
When was the last time you focused intently on God’s vision for your life? I challenge you to give God 30 seconds today on his vision for your life. Check out what Paul says in Philippians 3:12-16 (The Message):
12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
15-16 So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.
If you are anything like me, sometimes my vision gets blurred and I don’t see so good. (bad grammar intended)
What is God’s perfectly clear vision for your life? Have you ever asked?
Give him 30 seconds. Will you be able to open your eyes and then it will be perfectly clear, who knows? You may need to give him another 30 seconds tomorrow.
What does God have in store for the remainder of my seconds? I think I will give him 30 today and ask him.
By the way, don’t hate me. The drawing has no special thing that you can see if you stare at it for 30 seconds. I just wanted you to see that you indeed had an extra 30 seconds to spare today.
Give him 30.
Duane
August 14th, 2007
my mom used to say…
Brush your teeth, use soap when you take a bath, be in at dark, don’t put the cat in the dryer - ever again, take good care of the things you have, respect your elders, those aren’t weeds you mowed - they were flowers, don’t run with scissors, and finally - wear clean underwear in case you have an accident.
There are so many I didn’t list of the things my mom used to tell me. More often than not, she needed to repeat them time and time again. She also repeated this to me both in word and in the way she lived her life. There is a God who loves you very much. We will find our strnegth in Him! Both in good times and in hard times she would make certain we found our strength in God! She would say, “God, loves us and will take care of us.”
Where do you go in hard times and in good times? Do you try to handle it on your own or do you find your strength in God?
Our true hope comes from GOd and nothing or no one else.
“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40
Take time today to find your strength and hope in God!
Thanks mom for teaching me where true hope lives…
Duane
July 16th, 2007
This past week we were at Summer Camp for the children of our church. We had a really good time. The children swam, went on hikes, made candles, climbed a 50 foot rock wall, shot bows and arrows (not at each other), plus other things, but the thing that everyone kept talking about was the giant swing. It was camp’s final event. Not that any of my pictures do, but this picture does not give the swing its fair due. I did not do it this year, but I did do it the previous few years. It is very fun!
This year we challenged the children to do something different as they did the giant swing. Once they released themselves to swing, they were to scream I AM FREE and the children on the ground were to scream back, Free to Be Me! You see, that was the theme for camp this year. I am free, Free to be me. God has made each of us unique! A true one of a kind! Often we try to mold ourselves to be someone that we are not. God has made us unique and we are his works of art! Instead of trying to fit into someone else’s mold, why don’t we just try to fit into the artists mold.
Because literally, when God made you, He broke the mold.
You are free to be you!
Duane
June 19th, 2007
Many of you have been there right? I mean you see the most perfect creation across from the dance floor and heart goes pitter patter.
She says stuff to herself like…”He’s so hot!” “Will he ask me to dance?” “Why doesn’t he ask me to dance?” “I should have worn the blue skirt!” “I wouldn’t have worn that neon pink shirt, but we can work on that.”
He says stuff like this to himself… “Dude, she’s hot!” “Do it dude, go ask her!” “She’s been checking you out all night long!” “It’s the neon pink shirt, it gets’m every time!”
It is time to dance to the music of God the creator. He has asked you already. He stands on the dance floor looking at his beautiful masterpiece that he created and he is waiting for you to dance to his music.
What music are you dancing to? The worlds music or God’s perfect melodies?
Don’t spend your life on the fringe of the dance floor. Get out there and dance, it will change your life!
Duane
June 11th, 2007
Hey all,
I am in Panama City, FL with the Student Community (StuCo) from my church! I have added some pages to my blog to keep track of our days. The pages should be updated daily. I hope. =)
Check out the pages entitled Bigstuf!
Pray for our safety!
Duane
June 4th, 2007
Last week the air conditioner in our van decided to stop working. Of course it had to be close to 90 degrees for the past week and a half, just to help matters out. Generally we are more “windows down” people than air conditioning, but I thought we had better get it looked at. For the past year and a half we have been taking our vehicles to a repair shop close to the office. I will drop it off there and walk to the office. Last Thursday morning that was the plan. I walked into the repair shop, and to my surprise one of the workers says. “Hello Duane!”
I repsonded by my normal good morning greeting, but this thought has been on my mind ever since. He called me by my name! He knows my name! I didn’t like that! There are just certain places that you would rather not have the employees know your name by heart. The auto repair place is one of those places. However, there has to be other places that need to know my name. I volunteered this year at an after school homework club for the school system where I live. When I would walk into the room, the students would call me by name, I liked that!
So who really knows my name? Church, work, friends, home, some of my neighbors, classmates, and what do they think of when they see me? At church we have been talking about being about the least and the lost. how many least and lost know me by name?
What about you? Are there any least or lost that know you by name?
To quote the Cheers theme, “Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came”.Who knows your name? Are they always glad you came?
The name they really need to learn is Jesus! Maybe, just maybe, they need to learn your name first then you can introduce them to this man Jesus. They will be glad you came.
Duane
