Christmas Break 2011 Update

It's been over 4 1/2 months since I've updated my blog. And I didn't even do a regular post then. So it's probably time I do that.

Things have been going quite well for Christmas break so far. I got done with finals on Wednesday the 14th and came home on Friday, after stopping at my grandparents'. My car hadn't started Wednesday night, but it did the times after that, so I drove home. Just the other day, it didn't start again. I think it has to do with rain and moisture getting somewhere in the electrical system, because it rained both here and at school when it wouldn't start. As long as it doesn't rain, I can drive, right? I'll get it looked at before going back up to school.

I've been able to relax and just hang out over break so far, and that looks to continue. I went to see "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" with my buddy the other day. In order to be caught up, I watched the first Sherlock Holmes movie the night before that at 1 AM. They were both very good, I thought. A semi-modern twist on the characters. It had the old-school look but with a modern feel, somehow. I much enjoyed them, at any rate. Maybe I'll have the opportunity to watch one or two more movies in theater yet this break. We'll see. I'm also planning on watching all six of the Star Wars movies, since I haven't done that yet. I've been a deprived child, I suppose.

How might I be able to spend money on movies? Plasma donation. I do it at Biolife in Dubuque, but there's also a plasma center here in Columbia, MO. I went during the summer and got rejected for 6 months because I had same-day eye surgery in May. Well, that six months has passed. Time for another go, methinks. I plan on going in this morning/afternoon and seeing if I can start donating. I'd get about 3 donations in before going back to Dubuque for spring semester. But this place in Columbia pays new donors $40 each time for the first few donations; ours in Dubuque pays $50 a week total. That extra $80+ would be really nice to have, if possible. God knows, though. He'll provide if He sees fit and if not, it wasn't meant to be. I'll survive either way.

That's about all for now. Until next time, God bless and merry Christmas early!
-Nathan (White Boy Fresh)

Sunday School Nugget - God's Timing

This is a Sunday School nugget I did last year, my first time doing one. I decided to do it on God's timing.

Here's an outline of my message. Funny thing is, I had to do this nugget without notes because I had forgotten to print them out ahead of time. But I stuck to the outline pretty well I think.

If you're unable to listen via the above embedded audio, click here for an alternate link to the audio of my nugget.

God's Timing

Whirlwind nugget, as I have several Bible passages to read though well-known to most of us.
Talking about something which I am currently up against - Time. Specifically, God's timing in life!

I.    God is all-powerful and He's all-knowing
Psalm 139:1-3 "knowest my downsitting...my uprising"
Psalm 139:17-18 "how precious are God's thoughts toward us!"
-If God cares about the sparrow, how much more does He care about us!

II.    Timing relates to us in many areas of life, including school, work, relationships, and major decisions that need to be made.

-Today we often want Instant gratification - microwave minute.
-Tendency is to try forcing everything by our time. Not patient and want everything done now.
    Abraham & Ishmael - not in God's timing (Genesis 17:20-21; "And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee...but my covenant is with Isaac")
        -Ishmael was born when Abram was 86, and Isaac was born when he was 100 years old! Talk about God's timing and not man's!

III.    God's timing is the only thing that matters. He knows everything about us and He has a plan for us! Why not trust in Him for our wants/needs instead of trying to force everything ourselves?

-Isaiah 40:31 - "but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..."
-Psalm 39:7 - "what wait I for? my hope is in thee"
-Psalm 130:5 - "I wait for the Lord...in his word do I hope"

-In every area of life (job-related, ie getting a job; relationships, ie when or if the time is right; decisions, ie when to take that big step forward in whatever it is) we need to work by God's timing!

IV.    Challenge for Us

1. Trust the Lord for whatever area (Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart...lean not unto thine own understanding")

2. Wait on HIM! (phrase/words on my phone as part of wallpaper, w/getting to know different girls from school past year and couldn't help but wonder "Could there be something there in the future between us?" - looked promising at least in my eyes but then door closed and I got discouraged; Psalm 27:14 - "wait, I say, on the Lord!")

Father's Day Nugget

I was scheduled to do a Sunday School nugget at my church, and it was on Father's Day this year. The format of our morning beginning is to have one of the men give a little 5-10 minute nugget (sermon) for the whole church before everyone dismisses for Sunday School. And like I said, mine was on Sunday which happened to be Father's Day. This is the spin that I put on the special occasion. I hope it's an encouragement and a challenge to you like it was for me just putting it together.

If you can't listen to the audio based on the above embedded player, then click here for the actual file.

Here is my sermon outline:

The Greatest Father of All

Happy Father's Day! For this special occasion, I felt led to give a nugget about the greatest Father that any of us could ever have: our Heavenly Father. Hopefully it's a challenge and an encouragement to you, as it has been for me. I'm gonna talk about three things that God our Heavenly Father does for us.

I. He Disciplines Us (Heb. 12:5-7, 9-10)

- God disciplines us as a sign of His love for His children. Pretty clear from this text.
- This second part is interesting. Parallel between earthly fathers and our Heavenly Father. Earthly fathers disciplined us so we would follow and obey them; how much more is it with God? Verse 10 is HUGE. Earthly fathers discipline us as it seems best to them; they're doing what they know to be right. However, God the Father disciplines us for our profit (NO DOUBT) so that we can share in His holiness. WOW!!!! That totally blows my mind.

II. He Loves Us (1 John 3:1)

God has called us His sons! He's given us an inheritance that none of us deserve. He sacrificed His only begotten Son for us. "How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure..."

III. He Cares for Us (1 Peter 5:7, Matt 7:11)

- Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Reminds me of Philippians 4:6-7 (be anxious for nothing; give it over to God in prayer and supplication, and He'll give you peace). Matt 6:8b, "...for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."
- Jesus uses example of children asking for bread and being given a stone. Earthly fathers know better than that. How much more then does our Heavenly Father give us good things (like the Holy Spirit in Luke 11:13) when we need them? God cares for us as His children. I'm thankful for a Heavenly Father Who disciplines me when I need it and Who loves and cares for me as immensely as He does.

Reboot

Well, I'm bringing this blog back from the dead. I haven't updated in almost 2 years, and that's gonna change. At least during the summer. I've changed the title of my blog and a few other things to update it some. Hope you enjoy the changes and are encouraged by what you read.