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North Side is using The City to take advantage of technology in order to engage in ministry.

I admit it. I would be the first to line up with Abraham as those guilty of buying things from the Do-It-Yourself Depot of Life. Something’s broke? Here, I’ll fix that. Someone’s hurting? I can solve that problem. Someone’s mad? No worry, I’ll talk to them. It seems I have an unflagging spirit to make right that which seems wrong. My friends have to warn me from time to time, “Now don’t try to fix this. I’m just sharing it with you so you can pray.”

It’s too bad Abraham didn’t listen to his friend, the Lord. Though he had been promised a son, Abraham sought a solution apart from God. And Abraham knew he had made a mistake in his haste to please God. You can hear his regret in those words if only: “If only my solution was pleasing to you. If only my way had been the right way. If only my idea was good enough.”

God would not abide by Abraham’s solution. It was to be done his way, as he had promised — Abraham and Sarah would have a son. He ultimately fulfilled that promise, but not without Abraham’s regret seeding the ground of strife between Isaac and Ishmael. Abraham’s do-it-yourself solution has repercussions even in our day. The Middle East might be a safer place had Abraham trusted fully.

What has God promised you? Are you attempting to fulfill that promise with a do-it-yourself life? No matter how tempting a solution appears, always, always stop to ask God. Compare it with his Word, his character, his Spirit. Anything short of complete trust in those instructions will ultimately lead to regrets. “If only” living is no living at all.

Let’s pray…

What does it take for me to remember, Lord, that I don’t have to fix your Word, or “hurry it up” to make everything turn out right? You don’t need a helping hand. So, please bind my heart to believe your promises and obey your commands. I can’t live any other way.

Martha, O.G. and me…This past Sunday, my friend O.G. preached the message in the Sonshine Ministry. O.G., aka David, had been telling me for some time that God has been calling him to preach. So last Sunday, we gave him that opportunity. O.G. did a great job. As David told me when he was done…”I brought the Word”. He did a fine job.

By the way…do you know what the initials “O.G.” stands for in David’s name ? Here it is…the “original gangsta”…you are going to have to figure out the rest of it for yourself.

The message that David brought was from Luke 10 where Jesus is invited in the home of two sisters…Martha who begins working on dinner and Mary who sits at the feet of Jesus and listens to His stories. David went on to talk about how we all tend to be a Martha and worry too much about  tasks rather than being a Mary and sit at the feet of Jesus. A great message…how often are we too busy with our Martha tasks that we miss out on “sitting at the feet of Jesus”? How often are we too busy or there is too much ministry work to do to spend time with our Lord?

Here is how Jesus responded to Martha, when she complained to Him that Mary was not helping her serve…

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 (NKJV)

Serving is very important, however, we must never let it interfere with our time spent with Jesus. Make time to spend time with Him today.

Our Sonshine Ministry was started here over 12 years ago as a partnership with the Burton Center, then called the Emerald Center. The intention was to provide a church service that those with special needs could not only attend but also participate in. The name Sonshine was selected because  the face of Jesus, the Son, shines through the participants faces each Sunday morning. You see, we need to accept each other just the way we are…no conditions…no judgments…with the love of Jesus…agape love.  The service is held at 10:00am each Sunday morning in the Chapel here at North Side. Here is the real neat thing about this ministry…everyone participates…see the pictures above…David is singing “Amazing Grace”…JW is leading the opening prayer.

On a personal note, when we open our hearts to God’s leading we will be blessed. As Henry Blackaby says in his book Experiencing God, “God is already at work all around us, we just need to join him” Come join us any Sunday morning at 10:00 am in the Chapel and you will be blessed. But watch out…you may be used by God as well.

Today, I will have the opportunity to share “The Greatest Gift Ever” with the Sonshine Ministry (Special Needs)  members and their caregivers. I will share the passage from Luke…

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.  Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,  to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7 (NKJV)

Pretty cool… huh? It is a time that we will celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There will be gifts, music and much laughter. We will certainly celebrate the birth of the Christ child.

By I will be remiss if I do not share this verse with them…

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

After all…Jesus is the greatest gift that we can give this season. Pray that the person who needs to hear this message will receive Christ. How about you? Who do you plan to share “The Greatest Gift Ever” with this Christmas season?

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:
4 To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
7 To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever–
8 The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
10 To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
For His mercy endures forever;
11 And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;
12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;
13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;
14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;
16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;
17 To Him who struck down great kings,
For His mercy endures forever;
18 And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever–
19 Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;
20 And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever–
21 And gave their land as a heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;
22 A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever.
23 Who remembered us in our lowly state,
For His mercy endures forever;
24 And rescued us from our enemies,
For His mercy endures forever;
25 Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.
26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.

Psalms 136:1-26 (NKJV)

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.
What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? 10 I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. Eccl 3:1-10 (NASB)

At this time,  we are all in various seasons of our life. Whether it is a “good” or “bad”, it is a season and it will change.

If this season is an especially difficult one for you…be encouraged by God’s Word..for it is a season.

Meet Tammy…a Sonshine Worship Leader.

Tammy is one our Worship Leaders in the Sonshine Service. She does a great job! Pictured is Tammy singing The Long Black Train with Greg Thompson…they are leading us in music during one of our services. She has been serving in the Sonshine ministry since its inception some 10 years ago. Tammy has been a Christian for a long time. She knows that Jesus is her Savior and has put her faith in Him. She truly loves God and loves people. Tammy always comes into the service with a big smile on her face ready to lead us in worship.

Tammy is a gifted singer. Do you remember the time she and Travis led us in the the Chris Tomlin song…Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone…on the big stage? Tammy is confined to a wheel chair, but told me that she did 5 laps in the pool recently during her aquatic therapy! Wow! The aquatic therapy is the closest that Tammy will get to  walking on this earth…however, she continually works hard in her therapy sessions.

One Sunday a couple of months ago, Tammy told me why that Chris Tomlin song was her favorite…she said, one day her chains will be gone too…her wheel chair…she will be getting a new heavenly body.  That literally brought me to tears. Tammy really “gets it” with the song and I totally missed it! Since that conversation with Tammy, every time I hear the song, I think about “my chains” and how someday they too will be gone. How about you? What your chains? Will your chains be gone?

Our Sonshine Service, for those with special needs and their caregivers, meets each Sunday morning in the North Side Chapel at 10:00 am.

He will also be sure to tell me that he will be glad to lead our prayer time. We encourage participation in our service and so many times I will call on J.W. to open or close the service in prayer. His prayers are the sweetest, most sincere prayers that I have heard. He will always make sure to pray for the Sonshine Ministry and North Side Baptist Church.

J.W. also loves to sing. This picture was taken of him singing his favorite song…I’ll Fly Away. You cannot find a more energetic singer than J.W. singing that song. He often talks about the day that Travis let him sing “I’ll Fly Away” on the big stage at the 11:15 service in front of all those people..

J.W., never meets a stranger. When you stop and talk to him, you are immediately his friend. He will uplift you as you try to encourage him. As he ends our conversations, he always makes sure to tell me…”You are a nice man”…and I thought I was the one who was supposed to be doing the encouraging!

Serving with J.W. at the Sonshine service is a true blessing to me. He is  my buddy, but more importantly…he is my partner in ministry.

The Sonshine Service meets in the Chapel of North Side Baptist Church at 10:10 AM each Sunday morning.

After Saul’s disobedience, the Lord then spoke to Samuel…Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.“1 Sam 15:10-11 (NASB)

Wow..I know as a follower of Christ and a leader of my family and His church, that I fail the Lord many times. However, my prayer is that I carry out the instructions of the Lord to the best of my ability.

Well, back to Saul…Samuel confronted Saul with his disobedience…Saul argued back and finally realized that he was wrong and not matter how he could rationalize his actions…he knew that he was disobedient to the Lord. Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. 1 Sam 15:24 (NASB).  Saul’s disobedience would cost him…he would soon no longer be king.

My question to you this morning is “Who are you listening to?” Are you listening to the Lord, or are you listening to your “people”?