Recently I had a small tech device that I needed to destroy so I grabbed my small sledge hammer and started hitting it. The first couple of times that I hit it I couldn’t believe that the device wasn’t destroyed, but instead the hammer just bounced off without causing any real damage. I thought to myself, that is one tough device. After several more hits I finally realized that I had grabbed my rubber mallet instead of my small sledge hammer, they have the same size handle and hammer head, but deliver a vastly different wallop. Recognizing my mistake I changed hammers and quickly completed my task.

That experience got me to wondering how many times I’ve grabbed the wrong tool to do the work of God’s kingdom, like:

Grabbing action without thought instead of waiting and seeking God’s will in prayer.

Grabbing worry or fear instead of faith.

Grabbing frustration and irritation instead of love and grace.

Grabbing the first words that come to mind rather than considering the impact of what I say.

Grabbing words that hurt rather words that build up.

Grabbing presumption rather than knowledge.

Grabbing impatience rather than patience.

Grabbing anger instead of joy.

Grabbing conflict and strife instead of peace.

When it comes to the work of God’s kingdom grabbing the right tool the first time really does make a difference, which is why this Sunday, October 5, we’ll begin a series in worship on the Fruit of the Spirit.

I hope you will make it a priority to join us and to allow God to continue developing His character in you so you have all of the right tools to do His work.

                                        God’s Grace and Peace,

                                                    Mark

I want to thank everyone who contributed to our school supply drive for students at Howard Elementary this year. The quantity and quality of the supplies was a great blessing to the staff and they are looking forward to meeting the needs of a variety of kids and their families through our gifts.

Howard has a new principal this year, Javier del Rio, and after the delivery of the supplies we collected he called to thank us for such a wonderful, unsolicited gift of support. As we talked, Mr. del Rio shared with me some of the dreams he has for both the school and the neighborhood that we share, dreams to impact and change lives by bringing a variety of resources together.

We will keep everyone alerted to future opportunities we have to bless and minister to the kids and families in our neighborhood and through Howard Elementary, but one thing we can all do on a regular basis is to pray. Some things we can pray for include:

  For the protection of the students and staff at school;

  For there to be peace and peaceful solutions for all issues and disagreements;

  For the students to be able to learn and master the new knowledge and skills they need;

  For patience and wisdom for the teachers and staff;

  For God’s work in the lives of every family;

  For God to provide for and work in a powerful way through Good News Club;

  For the needed volunteers for the SMART program and Good News Club.

One of my dreams is for Howard Elementary to be one of the most prayed for schools in the nation and I hope that you will join me and others in praying for the students and staff there.

                                           God’s Grace and Peace,

                                                          Mark

I recently opened my email and found a message in my inbox carrying the name of an old co-worker and friend who passed away last year. Pat was my field training officer when I was a Parole and Probation Officer and my initial hope was that it might be something from his wife, perhaps some kind of last message that Pat wanted to send out to his friends, but in my heart I knew it was really just some unscrupulous person using his name and contacts to go phishing. I didn’t open the attachment and deleted the email, but I was left feeling a little disappointed that it wasn’t a real message.

That experience got me to thinking about how incredible it is that God has given us His word, His message to us. Through His word God shares His love with us; He imparts His truth and wisdom to us; He challenges our suppositions; He stretches us to grow in our faith; He comforts our hurts; and He gives us His guidance and reveals the path He would have us to follow.

II Timothy 3:16 and 17 put it like this:

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

For God’s word to have this kind of power and impact in our lives we must accept that it is from Him, we must take time to study what God has said to us and to meditate upon what He wants that truth to do in our lives. We must be willing to spend time listening to the Holy Spirit as He teaches us and leads us. And we must avoid using God’s word to prove our point to others, but instead allow God to prove His point to us. To do this we must approach God’s word with humility and reverential fear. Every time we open and read it we must be open to God speaking, challenging, training, correcting, leading and encouraging us.

As you spend time reading God’s message to you, soak in His truth, meditate on what it means and allow the Holy Spirit to work the power of His word in you.

                                          God’s Grace and Peace,

                                                           Mark

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15

 Recently, our secretary Terry Wilson shared with me an interesting story that sheds new light on these verses.

They were moving a mound of dirt in their back yard when they came across a surprising discovery. They spotted tunnels created by some critters, which wasn’t too surprising, but what was surprising is that in those tunnels they found a variety of vegetables growing underground, such as red potatoes, onions and beets.

Apparently the critters that had burrowed the tunnels in the dirt had also hauled in and eaten some vegetables from their family garden and whatever was left in the tunnels sprouted and grew new crops. The critters were gone, but they left behind a growing garden that no one knew was there.

Growing vegetables underground, where they are buried and no one can see or eat them, is a bit like hiding the light of Jesus in our lives under the bowl of life. The bowl of life is filled with all kinds of things that can cover, bury and hide the light of Jesus in us. Things like busyness, illness, worry, fatigue, fear, regret, the demands of others, frustration, stuff, money, caring for family needs; all of these and more can fill our bowl and hide the light of Jesus in us.

As you think about letting your light shine more brightly for Jesus, what might be hiding your light or keeping it buried? What can you do, or what do you need to do, to uncover your light and let it shine for all to see?

May the light of Jesus fill us as individuals and as a church and may His light shine brightly out of our lives for everyone to see.

                                           God’s Grace and Peace,

                                                          Mark