Ungrateful?
Ungrateful.
The Israelites have been taken from brutal slavery and by the immense power of God have traveled safely away from the Egyptian pursuers and they now complain they do not have food. They go from complaining about how they might die from being beaten and literally worked to death to “I’m hungry.” God being compassionate and full of grace extends provision to the Israelites. He send manna and quail for them to eat. Bread and meat, exactly what they needed. He brought them out of slavery, with no intention of leaving them on their own.
I think the key lessons here are that God didn’t send them cake and soda, He sent them food what was good and nutritious. I imagine that in their hunger they began to fantasize about their favorite foods and may have even asked God for those things, I know I would. God heard their plea and answered. Sending them what they needed for survival. God does that with us on a daily basis. When the Bible says He will never leave us he means just that, He doesn’t offer salvation, save us from eternal damnation then leave us to figure the rest out on our own. He wants to be a seamlessly integrated facet of our lives. Our lifeline of sustenance. When we depend on God for what we need and not what we want, we are never disappointed. We become disappointed when all we hope for from God is our wants, and continually overlook the daily needs that are being fulfilled.
God also put a requirement on the provision he extended to the Israelite people. He told them to go and gather it. He gave instructions. God will supply is with what we need, we simply need to follow the instructions He gives us. God most likely is not going to simply deposit money into our checking account every week. Rather, He blesses us with skills and abilities that enable us to work for the money we need to survive. Our problem is we all to often look at what others have and complain that we don’t have as much as they do. The facts are that God gives us what we need according to what WE actually need. Even when everything is taken from us we can be assured that God will take care of us. He doesn’t promise it will be easy, and we shouldn’t expect our every want to be fulfilled; but when we remind ourselves what is truly important, we will find that our basic needs are fulfilled and then some.
Actions:
Make a list of all the basic needs you have that God is taking care of. [ie. rent, food, clothing etc.]
Thanks God for those things.
Check out our full Element Church Blog @ www.theelementchurch.com
Element Blog – Gen 39
Genesis 39 -
The life of Joseph could be summarized as a series of unfortunate events. Joseph is in a place that could be considered a high point. I imagine being in charge of a prominent Egyptians household would be like being a VP for Apple or something like that. He has risen above the fateful situation of being a slave and now has proven himself and his integrity. God’s hand is clearly evident in the this portion of the story. We see Joseph go from managing an entire household, to being sent to prison. Then while in the prison he then finds favor with the head guard and is now running things in the prison. Over and over again God used situations in Josephs life that could have been good enough reasons for Joseph to give up. Instead of being discouraged he took the opportunity to trust that God had a plan and God honored the faith and hard work of Joseph.
How many times do we feel like just as we are making some type of progress, all of a sudden things take an unexpected change in direction. We find ourselves on a regular basis being faced with a choice to trust God, or give up. This story can teach us that if we choose to trust God, He will take care of us. Even when we can’t see what’s next or why something bad has happened, trusting God is the most sure thing. He does not promise to make things easy, but He does promise He will never leave us, and that all our hard work will be worth it someday. God used Joseph at Potiphars house, Joseph was tempted and could have faced destruction, but because of his faithfulness God moved him to a place where he could use Joseph all over again. God’s plans are far deeper and complex than we can understand. Trusting Him is the only way to live.
Why not let the One who created the universe and is all knowing, plan your life? Choosing our own selfish human nature instead is like telling God “thanks. but no thanks, I’ve got this one.” In my own life I can look back and seen how my own selfish choices led me to places I never intended to be. I made bad choices because I acted on what I wanted rather than what God was leading me to do. The results were painful consequences that could be considered a detour to where I wanted to end up. Andy Stanley says it best, “direction rather than intention determines where we will end up.” If I always choose to follow and trust God, I can be assured that I will always be where God wants me. Joseph trusted God with his circumstances and as a result he was blessed by God, even when he was thrown in jail.
Questions:
What situation am I facing right now that I could apply this lesson to?
Am I trusting God with every area of my life?
Is the direction my life is heading where I/God intends for it to be?
If not, what can I change to more closely follow where God wants me go?
Songs For Sunday
Take It All – Hillsong United
We Unite – Elevation Worship
Let It Be – The Beatles
How Great is Our God – Chris Tomlin
The Stand – Hillsong United
Going to be a great week. Invite a friend
Canine Evangelism
So here’s my simple thought for today, having a dog is a great tool for evangelism.
First let me say that I apologize for my lack of attention to you [the 2 people who will read this over the next month].
So the whole dog thing, I caved and we got a dog. A tiny little Yorky-Poo his name is Reggie. The reason he is a great evangelism tool is how he puts people at ease when you talk to them. Not to mention that he draws people to talk to us rather than us having to convince them that its ok to talk to us. What spurs this thought is this past Saturday we brought Reggie to Southside Works and just walked around for several hours, and so many people would stop and ask about him, want to pet him. He would then ignore them acting too cool. The great thing was to be able to start conversations with complete strangers without the awkward “what are you selling me?” feel.
Am I saying, get a dog? Absolutely not. Hold out on that one as long as possible. You can however maybe walk friends dogs, or maybe bring a small child if you think that works. The key is to get out there and talk to people. Tell them about God and what He has done in your life. Its a scary thing but remember no one can question the relationship you have with Christ. That is something to share. When it comes to doing just that, sharing Christ, we should not hold back because of fear.
And if you must – get a dog.
Songs For Sunday
Salvation is Here – Hillsong United
You Lifted Me Out – Chris Tomlin
My Future Decided – Hillsong United
You Are My Strength – Hillsong
My Savior My God – Aaron Shust
New For Sunday
Coming to Element Church, our very first baptism service! You wont want to miss this, there is something amazing and encouraging about seeing people passionate about living for Christ publicly declare there love for Him. The service will be great, you should come.
Our worship set will be,
One Way – Hillsong United
Freedom Is Here – Hillsong United
Your Grace Is Enough – Chris Tomlin
The More I Seek You – Gateway Worship [new]
You Hold It All – Desperation Band
Sorry for the hiatus life has been a bit crazy this last week. God is good, and my wife and I are doing fine in spite of both loosing a grandmother in the same week. A midst constant long distant travel, and draining work days, God is still faithful to reveal Himself and prove sovereign over our lives. I am reminded how peaceful life and even death can be when God is the center of my life. Knowing that I am not in control gives me peace.
Today at Element Church Infinity
Element Church Perscriptions
[* Disclaimer: No "Element Church Infinity" is not a new slogan or extension of the Element Church. It is simply a play on The Office. Enjoy! P.S. No pharmacists were harmed in the creation of this post.]
Today we read Proverbs 6 and are reminded of some potent things that the Lord does not like. READ IT HERE What stuck out to me the most was the kick in the pants to the lazy and the simple lesson that can be learned from ants. They have no supervision, no apparent leader and no one to encourage them, yet they never stop. They work and
work to accomplish what is set before them. They never seem to tire. I wonder if ants sleep at night? Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if I have ever seen a sleeping ant, or know what that would look like for that matter.
Anyway – What if we had the same stamina for doing what God calls us to do? If for a moment we were to evaluate ourselves and what we do, what would we find? Would we be as productive at home as we are at work? Would we read as much of the Bible as we do magazines? Are we as motivated to improve our relationship with God as we are with facebook.com? Do we spend as much time silent in front of God as we do in front of our Samsung’s, Sony’s and Vizio’s? [TV's for the brand/metaphor illiterate] So in the end how would we tip the scale? The question is not whether we have to energy, but what we choose to do with it. There are times and places for each of these things. The point is to balance them in a healthy way.
Hopefully as part of the Element Church challenge we will all increase the health of the balancing act we call our lives. Spend a bit more time with God, create or regain the daily habit of reading the Bible and most importantly become better friends with God.
Dear Element Church
Dear Element Church,
Welcome to 2010.
So this week we are going to introduce an exciting sermon series that will challenge you to join everyone in reading one chapter of Proverbs each day. The month of January has 31 days and the book of Proverbs has…31 chapters, what a coincidence.
Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. ~ Proverbs 1:5-7
There are so many bits of wisdom in this book of the Bible. We will give more information about the series on Sunday.
The Song List for this week is,
All Creation Sing – Steve Fee
More Than Anything – Hillsong United
All Because of Jesus – Steve Fee
Wrap Me In Your Arms – Michael Gungor
Came To My Rescue – Hillsong United
Hope to see you this Sunday At Element Church
Today at Element…
Well you may have missed out on winning a visa gift card or the 32″ TV but here is a glimpse of some of our service today
The Element Christmas Service Spoiler
I am so excited for this coming Sunday. Not only is it the last Sunday of the year, it is our first Christmas together. Normally there is are special hallmark ornaments for such occasions but I will skip that due to lack or interest; however what we will have is going to be great. Here is a look at the worship set…
All Creation Sing [Joy To The World] – Steve Fee [new]
My Future Decided – Hillsong United [with special appearance by MJ come out to see what that means]
For Your Name – Hillsong
You Hold It All – Desperation Band
We also will have some special music by the band as well as some vocalists. The KidzRock choir will perform and Charlie Brown is going to explain Christmas. Did I also mention that we are giving away 2 $50 Visa Gift cards and a 32″ TV? Crazy right? Wrong, we love Jesus and want other people to come to church so we can share the love and joy we have been freely given. So invite your friends not only will they possibly never have to squint to see Katie Curic on the evening news, but they can definitely leave with something even better.
See You there.
Dan Again
Sunday 12.13.2009
Take It All – Hillsong United
You Lifted Me Out – Chris Tomlin
Your Grace Is Enough – Chris Tomlin
The Stand – Hillsong United
King Of All Days – Hillsong United
Announcement
Here is the announcement video from Element Church this week… O wait did you expect a big announcement? Watch the video, December 13 & 20 are going to be awesome.
Some New Element Designs
Here are a couple new design pieces you may be seeing more of around Element Church soon.
Here is the new Prayer Team logo.
Songs For Sunday 12.06
Break Free – Hillsong United
Freedom Is Here – Hillsong United
My Savior Lives – Desperation Band
For Your Name – Hillsong [NEW]
How Great Is The Love – Paul Baloche
Hope to see you there, we will be watching the Steeler game at Mr Smalls on the big screen. It will be a great time to hang out and eat.
Songs For 11.29.2009
Salvation Is Here – Hillsong United
One Way – Hillsong
You, You Are God – Gateway Worship
You Are My Strength – Hillsong
You Hold It All – Desperation Band
Happy Black Friday, try not to walk on people as you surge towards the tickle me elmo.
Carrot Soup
Eclectic, be reminded. Ok so lets continue.
I made this carrot soup last night, I revised a recipe from epicurious because I wanted to roast the carrots. A prerequisite is a minor ability to cook because I add things based on taste and feel rather than measurements [the Italian in me].
5 lbs of carrots peeled and chunked
8 Cloves of Garlic
1 Onion
1 Red Pepper
7 [14 oz] Cans of Vegetable Broth
Lemon or Lime Juice
2/3 of a pint Heavy Whipping Cream
Spices: Black Pepper, Seasoned Salt, Cheyenne Pepper, Ginger, Celery Seed
Boil pot of water with carrots till they are very soft, then strain and place on oiled baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt, pepper. Roast in oven on 400°F turning occasionally till edges turn brown.
While carrots are cooking, on a separate oiled baking sheet, place quartered onion, 6 garlic cloves, quartered pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with black pepper and seasoned salt. Roast in oven on 400°F turning occasionally till edges turn brown.
In the now empty pot from the carrots add vegetable broth, tsp of celery seed, and a pinch of Cheyenne pepper.
Once carrots are done, place in blender with some of the broth. The easiest way to do this is remove some of the broth and place in measuring bowl, then when some of the carrots are blended smooth pour them into the pot with the rest of the broth.
When the garlic, pepper and onion are brown on the edges, place them in the blender with some broth, blend till smooth. Add mixture to pot with blended carrots and remaining broth.
Mix well, add some ginger, lime or lemon juice, whipping cream and salt and pepper to taste.
For best results allow to simmer for 15-20 min.
Songs For Sunday 11.22.2009
You Lifted Me Out – Chris Tomlin
My Savior My God – Aaron Shust
For Who You Are – Hillsong
How Great Is The Love – Paul Baloche
Endlessly – Desperation Band
Songs For Sunday 11.15.2009
You Lifted Me Out – Chris Tomlin [new]
The Time Has Come – Hillsong United
My Future Decided – Hillsong United
How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin
Mighty To Save – Hillsong United
If Architects Had to Work Like Web Designers
Unknown
January 10, 2002
Please design and build me a house. I am not quite sure of what I need, so you should use your discretion. My house should have somewhere between two and forty-five bedrooms. Just make sure the plans are such that the bedrooms can be easily added or deleted. When you bring the blueprints to me, I will make the final decision of what I want. Also, bring me the cost breakdown for each configuration so that I can arbitrarily pick one.
Keep in mind that the house I ultimately choose must cost less than the one I am currently living in. Make sure, however, that you correct all the deficiencies that exist in my current house (the floor of my kitchen vibrates when I walk across it, and the walls don’t have nearly enough insulation in them).
As you design, also keep in mind that I want to keep yearly maintenance costs as low as possible. This should mean the incorporation of extra-cost features like aluminum, vinyl, or composite siding. (If you choose not to specify aluminum, be prepared to explain your decision in detail.)
Please take care that modern design practices and the latest materials are used in construction of the house, as I want it to be a showplace for the most up-to-date ideas and methods. Be alerted, however, that kitchen should be designed to accommodate, among other things, my 1952 Gibson refrigerator.
To insure that you are building the correct house for our entire family, make certain that you contact each of our children, and also our in-laws. My mother-in-law will have very strong feelings about how the house should be designed, since she visits us at least once a year.
Make sure that you weigh all of these options carefully and come to the right decision. I, however, retain the right to overrule any choices that you make.
Please don’t bother me with small details right now. Your job is to develop the overall plans for the house: Get the big picture. At this time, for example, it is not appropriate to be choosing the color of the carpet. However, keep in mind that my wife likes blue.
Also, do not worry at this time about acquiring the resources to build the house itself. Your first priority is to develop detailed plans and specifications. Once I approve these plans, however, I would expect the house to be under roof within 48 hours.
While you are designing this house specifically for me, keep in mind that sooner or later I will have to sell it to someone else. It therefore should have appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers.
Please make sure before you finalize the plans that there is a consensus of the population in my area that they like the features this house has. I advise you to run up and look at my neighbor’s house that he constructed last year. We like it a great deal. It has many features that we would also like in our new home, particularly the 75-foot swimming pool. With careful engineering, I believe that you can design this into our new house without impacting the final cost.
Please prepare a complete set of blueprints. It is not necessary at this time to do the real design, since they will be used only for construction bids. Be advised, however, that you will be held accountable for any increase of construction costs as a result of later design changes.
You must be thrilled to be working on as an interesting project as this! To be able to use the latest techniques and materials and to be given such freedom in your designs is something that can’t happen very often.
Contact me as soon as possible with your complete ideas and plans.
PS: My wife has just told me that she disagrees with many of the instructions I’ve given you in this letter. As architect, it is your responsibility to resolve these differences. I have tried in the past and have been unable to accomplish this. If you can’t handle this responsibility, I will have to find another architect.
PPS: Perhaps what I need is not a house at all, but a travel trailer. Please advise me as soon as possible if this is the case.
Source: http://www.digitalsurvivors.com/archives/000455.php
