A Walk in the Valley

The Legacy of a Father...

2009-06-03T10:53:00.003-05:00

I have to share this, and am sure that the one from whom I get this story would not mind.Over the last few months of being pastor at Cross Timbers Bible Church I have had the joy of hearing from one of the men about his father who went to be with the Lord years ago. The impact this father had on his son - the gentleman from our congregation - cannot be overstated. At the age of 51 the father had

Love for God...

2009-06-03T10:30:00.004-05:00

I am finding through fatherhood that moments continually occur that illuminate in a very real way what I thought I had already grasped. If you have seen the Disney movie, "Madagascar", you remember that it begins with a young lion trying to learn to roar from his father. His father roars with the awe & fear-inspiring, ear-crushing roar of the adult male lion...and the son lets out a squeak - when

There's Wisdom in Gardening...

2009-05-23T18:00:00.003-05:00

It's not something that I had ever considered, but a frequent trait referenced of pastors is a love of gardening - growing the summer vegetables, growing herbs, growing flowers & roses. I am beginning to understand why - there is wisdom in gardening.WEEDINGWeeding is a great leadership/shepherding lesson. Weeds are pesky little, or sometimes not so little, things. Weeds suck the life-giving water

Remedies against Satan's Devices

2009-05-22T10:58:00.005-05:00

One of the failings of the modern context is a lack of learning and reading history. In some of my reading this week I picked up "Precious Remedies Against Satan's devices" by one of the Puritans, Thomas Brooks. See if the "devices of Satan" as Thomas Brooks sees them in 1652 are not still extremely applicable to today!PRECIOUS REMEDIES AGAINST SATAN'S DEVICES("Precious Remedies Against Satan's

How Did I Get Here? God's blessings on a boy.

2009-05-21T10:24:00.005-05:00

Sitting at the office this morning I looked over to the corner of my desk to take a glance at the bifold picture frame sitting there. In it is one of my favorite photos from my wedding 2-1/2 years ago, and a recent photo of our almost eight-month-old son in his easter vest and tie outfit. I was captured by the question that came to mind - maybe because my wife and son are headed to Midland today

Thought For Today - 5.14.2009

2009-05-14T10:33:00.004-05:00

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." (2 Peter 1:2)What is it that people pursue in life? Isn't the pursuit of humanity a pursuit of Grace and Peace? God's 'Common Grace' is shed

My Beautiful Bride...

2009-03-04T19:36:00.003-06:00

Niki,I love you so much! My life is as good as it is because of God's grace, and you are a gifting of His grace in my life second only to my election and justification in Jesus Christ. You are a beautiful mother, and a more excellent wife than I deserve.I am so very thankful that you allowed us to structure our finances this year to allow me to come to the Shepherd's conference! The Lord has

Shepherd's Conference ~ The First Day (Check-in)

2009-03-04T19:24:00.004-06:00

I awoke this morning with the mixed feelings of excited anticipation and lethargic exhaustion. The little sleep I had the night before I left with the extra two hours of staying up due to the time change was catching up to me. I drug myself out of bed, showered, and joined the teaming masses of LA traffic streaming into "the valley" on a raining Wednesday morning. I am so excited to be here

New Updates Coming Soon

2009-01-21T23:48:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. We are in the process of moving from Dallas to Weatherford, TX. The Lord has led us to Cross Timbers Bible Church near Peaster, TX just northwest of Weatherford where I am the new pastor. The church is absolutely wonderful! We have been loved on more than we deserve and look forward to all that we will learn as we continue to follow the Lord in obedience. Check out

The Fruit of the Spirit...

2008-11-11T09:34:00.003-06:00

Much is written in academic circles on the continuity or discontinuity of the Law from the Old Testament to the New in relationship to the life of the believer. Does the Law still apply? If so, how much of it and which parts? Should we only take those parts of the Law that are repeated in the teaching of the New Testament?Christ, in the Sermon on the Mount, states, "Do not think that I came to

Christ and Culture...

2008-10-13T22:28:00.005-05:00

I am amazed sometimes at the liberties culture will take with things that are closely tied to Christianity. Watching the Monday Night Football game tonight I saw a commercial for the new "Saw V" horror flick. The tag line for the movie is "WWJD?" Sound familiar? Made popular by the recent popularity of the classic book, "In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?", the WWJD has been a pop-Christian icon

Life...

2008-10-10T13:44:00.009-05:00

Have you ever watched a newborn suck on a pacifier? You should sometime. Suck, suck, suck, suck, suck - breathe, breathe, and do it again, and again, and again. :) I was holding Caleb last night after he had dinner and he was loving the pacifier. For the first time he was eyes wide open for a long period of time and interacting with the world around him. Suck, suck, suck, suck, suck - breath,

Biblical Anthropology - Control Freaks

2008-10-09T00:55:00.006-05:00

Every so often a 'stray thought' hits me and I realize that the Lord is teaching me something in the midst of life. This week has been really tough for us. We went in last Friday to have our son 5 weeks early by C-section. We were hopeful that he would be perfect and fine but knew that there could be complications because he was so early. Well, he came out great, gave us a good yell, and then

Knowing and Following the Will of God

2008-10-08T17:22:00.004-05:00