just let go

random

timwcolemandotcom — Wed, 12 May 2010 12:06:13 +0000

jalapeno/cheddar bagel from panera…God bless America

voices

timwcolemandotcom — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:06:43 +0000

The farther I go in this life, the more I am coming to realize just how valuable Nicole’s perspective is. Ultimately, I listen for God’s voice and follow it, no matter who is saying what. However, more and more, it seems like Nicole’s views seem to regularly line up with what God is telling me. I’m sure it’s always been like that…it’s probably that I am just now coming around to actually realizing it.

I’m just sayin’…

one tree at a time

timwcolemandotcom — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:04:54 +0000

Just got to know some people from this very cool organization doing some good things…check them out.

Eden Reforestation Project

Doesn’t God want me happy?

timwcolemandotcom — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:36:48 +0000

If you have been around the church for any length of time, then you know first-hand that one of the temptations we all face is to believe the false teaching that says that you should always be healthy (speak to that sickness and it will go away!), that financial blessing equals God’s favor, that you are somehow supernaturally protected from life’s tragedies, and so on. It just seems logical that God wants me happy, right? In fact, doesn’t Romans 8:31-32 say, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not with him freely give us all things?” While it’s true that God desires good things for us, we need to be careful how we define “all things” in Romans 8:32.

I want to challenge you to read ALL of Romans 8 and then watch this video.

perspective

timwcolemandotcom — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:34:17 +0000

For those of you who are really concerned about all things political right now…

“In Esther chapter 2, King Ahasuerus finds himself without a queen. He had sacked Queen Vashti in a rage because she had refused to entertain him and his guests with her beauty, thereby encouraging uppity-ness in all the women of the kingdom.

But a king needs a queen. My goodness, where does one even begin? His advisors come up with a doozy of an idea:’…let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the capital…And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.’ This pleased the king, and he did so. (Esther 2:3) Yes, the king was pleased. I wonder if he gave thought to how many hearts he was breaking?

All the beautiful young virgins? Ahasuerus ruled 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. By anyone’s measurement this is overkill. It’s a really bad policy. It’s an abuse of power and a major waste of resources.

And God used it to save his people.

One lesson from the book of Esther is that God can make excessive government intervention and very bad legislation serve his purposes and expand his kingdom.”

via http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2333_all_the_beautiful_virgins

watch this…

timwcolemandotcom — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:25:28 +0000

Watch and listen…you can learn a lot from a dancing, shirtless dude.

…originally saw this on http://missionalthoughts.wordpress.com.

love

timwcolemandotcom — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:35:25 +0000

Pause for a moment as you read this and think about this truth. No matter what your relationships tell you right now, there is one who loves you more than your mind can even grasp. You are deeply and completely loved today.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38-39

are you for real?

timwcolemandotcom — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:17:30 +0000

perspective

timwcolemandotcom — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:26:27 +0000

Tonight I am sitting at my desk at home wrapping up my sermon for tomorrow morning. Tomorrow’s sermon covers Luke 14:25-35…the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. I decided to take a break and go downstairs to get a bit of ice cream. I put on my ipod to listen to some music that helps me focus on Jesus. Then, this thought comes blasting through my mind.

I am in the United States of America. I am sitting in a brand new home. My house is well-lit and full of heat. My kids are in warm beds tonight. They were well-fed today. Tonight, they walked to their closets and picked out which one of many sets of pajamas they wanted to wear to bed. I am eating a bowl of ice cream, even though I had a full day of eating. I am listening to an ipod. I am studying out of one of many Bibles that I own. I will get up in the morning and drive my car to our gathering. I will drink coffee and eat food with those who come to join us.

There are those who will never experience ANY of these things in their ENTIRE lifetimes…and yet they still follow Jesus.

God has me in this place to advance his kingdom. I am blessed and I believe he is happy when I enjoy the blessings he’s given me. I don’t experience guilt about where God has me but still…I can’t help but think how incredibly easy most of my life is.

God, break me…

guerrilla lovers

timwcolemandotcom — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:09:55 +0000

read this today at lifechurch.tv’s blog today…

“…Vince Antonucci, author of “Guerrilla Lovers: How to Change the World with Revolutionary Compassion” and a great example of someone who is willing to do things that aren’t being done, to reach those who aren’t being reached. Vince is currently starting a church on the Vegas Strip, but I asked him to tell us a story from his book of when he started a church service in a bar. Here’s Vince:

When we started the service in the bar, one of our people, Samantha, couldn’t help but notice the pregnant bartender. It turns out that she was an ex-stripper. Apparently, there’s not much call for pregnant strippers, so she had to find a new job, which is why she started bartending at this pub. But feeling like a guerrilla lover, not only couldn’t Samantha help but notice her, she also couldn’t help but start talking to her each week, and she couldn’t help but begin praying about how she could ambush this lady with God’s love. The answer God gave her was… a party.

She began sharing her idea with some of the other Forefront women and everyone quickly jumped on board. They had to act fast, because the bartender was only a few weeks away from her due date. So Samantha and a few other ladies from our church went shopping and bought a boat load of baby-shower presents. Samantha called the bar manager and asked her to call the pregnant bartender in an hour early pretending it was really busy and they “needed extra help.” The manager complied and the bartender came rushing in … to a nearly empty bar, except for five women and a table full of presents and food, and a huge, “Surprise!!!”

She stopped in her tracks and just stared, not quite able to comprehend what was happening. When she finally got it she was even more stunned. She couldn’t understand why people she didn’t know would throw her a party. And not only were these people virtually strangers, they were Christians. Aren’t Christians against strippers, against bartenders, against women who get pregnant outside of marriage, and against parties? She was confused, and grateful, and pretty much speechless. Samantha says, “I think she had that feeling you get when you don’t know God or that He loves you, but then you discover for the first time that maybe he does. I think she felt that.”

And, by the way, that’s a great example of a guerrilla lover ambush, and I’m convinced that it’s the way we can have a real impact on people and the world.”