Great Changes Ahead

As I said in my last post (about a month ago) that I was going through some transitions in life.  At that time, I was not able to speak to them specifically.  However, now as a letter is going out (and should have been received by now), I am able to speak more freely on this.  The first change is that THIS SUNDAY, Sept. 26th, will be our LAST SUNDAY at Cedar Run.

It is with both great sadness and excitement that Anne & I announce that we are leaving Cedar Run Community Church.  Sadness because we have spent the past 7½ years at a Church where God has blessed and led us in so many great and exciting ways.  We have enjoyed our time at Cedar Run so much and leave more blessed for the experience.  

After prayfully seeking God’s will for my life over the last couple of months, He has presented me with an amazing opportunity here locally at New Life Christian Church in Centreville.  Starting on November 1^st, I will be the Family Ministry Pastor overseeing the Children's, Youth and Sportsplex Departments.  It is an exciting new opportunity for Anne and I, and we feel blessed to be called to this mission.

Anne and I want to thank all of you who have supported and encouraged us over the years as our family has grown. We will look back with many great memories.  Thank you all for helping make this season in our lives a very fond one.  Although we would like to thank everyone who has impacted our lives, there are literally too many to post.  So, generally speaking, we want to thank:

• the Cedar Run Staff - great group of people to work with over the years.
• the Parents - without your support and help, so many of what we did at Cedar Run would not have succeeded.  I thank you for allowing me to work with your children.
• the Students - it has been an honor and blessing for me to work with all of you.  You all are God's unique creation and I thank you for catching the vision for what we were doing and allowing God to enter into your lives and impact you.
• the Lord!  Without Him impacting my life as a teen, I would have been in such a great position.  The Lord has blessed my family and I and we are eternally grateful.  We look forward to where He is directing us with New Life Christian Church.

We believe God brought us to Cedar Run in His timing and He is now moving us forward to another great opportunity. We pray that God continues to direct Cedar Run and grow it as the place He desires it to be.  

The Second Change is happening to my writing.  Currently, I have 2 blogs (this one, more personal and devotionally driven and another ministry focused one centered on encouraging youth ministers - www.notamegachurch.com).

Because of my new position at New Life and the focus that it will require, I will be eliminating this blog and no longer write here.  This should be my last post on http://tompounder.blogspot.com.  I will keep the site up for a while so you can browse past posts and hopefully be encouraged in Christ.

  

I will also be changing my Not a Mega Church blog to focus more on Family Ministry and encouraging children's, youth, young adult and family ministers.  My blog has gain in popularity each month and I have received plenty of great reviews about it (In fact, currently YMToday.com uses my writing and I will become a contributing author to Youth Ministry 360 starting next week.).  Therefore, I am continuing the Not a Mega Church blog but changing some of the focus to broaden on my new Family Ministry responsibilities.  The blog title will likely change as well, but that will happen in time.

As we leave and transition on to this new and exciting opportunity, know that we are not leaving the friends and relationships we have developed over the years.  We look forward to continuing them for many more years to come.

As you can see, there are a lot of changes but they are some great changes and challenges that Anne, the girls and I are really looking forward to.  We ask for your continued prayer, support and friendship as we make these transitions.  God has brought us this far and we know His plans for us will continue to guide us even further for His glory.

Sincerely,

Tom & Anne Pounder

Transitions

This month for me has been the beginning of some transitions in my life.

1. I'm gearing up for the fall and the ministry ahead of me.  As a college and young adult minister right now this is a whole new fall for me.  I have never had to experience an August where I am trying to greet new college students or focus on how I can get to GMU more often so I can hang with some of the students on campus.  
2. I'm also transitioning into the fall with my family.  August is usually back-to-school month where my girls are getting pretty pumped about going back to school (I hope that never ends).  So, my wife (mainly) and I plan out what activities the girls will be doing in the fall and what are their school needs.  It's pretty cool and I'll have to say that we have most of that stuff settled now which is nice.

Transitions can sometimes be very exciting as a new opportunity arises, but they can sometimes be tough as something unexpected happens and throws your life into upheaval.

Regardless of what transition you are going through right now, the one thing that doesn't transition is God.  As it says in Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  He never changes and because of this Truth (and the many more He promises us throughout the Bible), we can rest assure that whatever we are going through today, He will bring us through it (maybe not perfectly without any bumps and bruises, but He WILL bring us through it).

So what transitions are you going through in life right now?  Are they good or bad, exciting or mundane?

Offer it before the Lord and see how brings you through it.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

Slowing Down

I've been in a runners funk recently.  For about a week or 2, running hasn't been so enjoyable.  Actually, running is never enjoyable to me, but it has been more bearable up until recently.  So, for the past 2 weeks, it has been harder to run.  The first 5 or so minutes I run just stink and are hard on my legs so I decide early on to make it a 20-21 min run rather than my normal 25-26 min run.

So, the past few days I have tried to counter that hard first few minutes by going a little bit slower.  I start off with a slower pace and try to ease into the run.  And, amazingly, it actually worked!  The first few minutes have been really relaxing and I have made my normal 25-26 minute run with ease.  The difference was all in how I started and slowing down.

Every now and then we need to slow down in life.  We need to take a few steps back and look at the bigger picture and see how the Lord is moving in our midst.  In the fast pace world of Northern Virginia and the DC Metro area, this is particularly hard to do.  Everything needs to happen immediately.  But when we wait for Him, He reveals his path and provides the right action to take.

In Psalm 40:1-5, David talks about his waiting for the Lord and how the Lord heard his cry.  That is the greatness of our Lord.  He doesn't promise riches or wealth.  But He does promise to hear us and to provide (Philippians 4:19).

So take some time today to slow down, rest in the Lord's wisdom and allow him to meet your needs.

V.B.S. & the Youth Working together

In June I posted on my Not a Mega Church? blog about how V.B.S. is a great service opportunity for youth during the summer. In case you missed it, you can read that post here. In it, I highlighted 5 reasons why this should be a very viable option for your youth program to help out with.

Well, this week is V.B.S. week at Cedar Run and because of this I am going to give some give real-time examples of how the 5 reasons really shine through.

Check out how the week progresses here.

Mission Trips

I'm a big fan of mission trips.  My life was changed when I went on a mission trip right before my senior year in high school.  Because of that experience, I believe everyone should have the opportunity to go on a mission trip - domestic or international.

However, as I prepared for a message to some college and young adults this past week, I was challenged to look at the mission field a bit differently.  So often I (and many others) view missions as something you go out and do in other towns or countries around the world.  But, as I looked at Christ's life (and that of Philip), I remembered that my mission field is right in front of me.  In fact, it is wherever God leads me.  Let me explain.

Take a minute and read Acts 8:26-38.

1. Where was Philip going?
2. Who directed him?
3. How did God use Philip?

In the often repeated scripture Matthew 28:19-20, Christ proclaims to his disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."  Christ has told us all to go and make disciples.  How do we do that?  Teach them everything we know and baptizing them.

Using these 2 passages, I was convicted that it is my job to:

• Teach all people (not just my ministry focus of youth and young adults or those in other cities or countries) about Christ.  Whether it is my daughter or my neighbor or a friend I come into contact with, I cannot withhold the love, grace and peace of Christ that has impacted my life for the better.  I need to share Him to others.
• I will know when to share when the Lord directs me.  Philip was told/directed twice (v. 26 & 29) to go take action that led to the Ethiopian eunuch coming to know the Lord as his savior.  Philip just didn't look on the map and say I'm going here and I will do this.  No, the Lord directed him.  Therefore, I need to be in communion with the Lord for Him to direct me.  Philip knew where to go because he knew the voice of the Lord.  He knew what the Lord sounded like.

Therefore, my challenge to you all today is to review these 2 passages above and go before the Lord.  Ask Him to direct you where to share, to whom you should share and what exactly you should share about Him.

Then, when He provides you with an opportunity, you will recognize it and be able to make an impact in someone else's life.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

The "I Run for Me" Running Company

I think I'm gonna start my own running company.  I know I have only been running for 6 weeks or so, but I have become infatuated with this new sub-culture within our society.  I see ways they operate and the attire they wear (and boy, some of the attire they wear, I'm actually surprised they don't feel embarrassed wearing that in public).  I see bumpers stickers like 26.2 to symbolize their achievements or goals.  I see their iPods strapped to their shoulders.  I must admit, I am getting sucked in moment by moment, new shoe by new shoe.  It is a very interesting sub-culture - not bad, but interesting.

But honestly, the more I think about it, this is not me.  The MAIN THING I have learned about running is that I run for me.  I don't run for anyone else.  I run for me.  I don't run so that I can do a marathon.  I don't run because I really like it or because I really want to.  I don't run so I can l can wear those really short running shorts :) (kidding, I would never wear those running shorts - ever!).

I run for me.  I run because I need to.  I run to get focused on my day.  I run to vent and pray to God.  I run to ask Him for wisdom and discernment.  I run to actually listen to music I like (not Miley Cyrus :)).  I run to feel better about myself and to become more healthy, for me.  I really do run for me!

I don't care what I look like when I run or what I wear (For what it's worth, I wear a long sleeve shirt, my sweat pants that probably smell really bad right now and my non-professional-running shoe.).  I don't care if I run like a boxer.  I don't care if my pace is too slow or too fast for someone else.

I don't care because I run for me.  So, that is why I'm starting the "I Run for Me" Running Company.  It's about you and running for you and you alone.  I know it sounds really selfish, but in reality, you need to be selfish about some things so that you can give out appropriately when needed.  Christ calls us all to serve (Luke 10:25-37 & John 13:1-17).  He modeled it in all he did, even death on the cross (Philippians 2:5-8 & Mark 10:45).  How can we possibly serve others with all we have if we aren't selfish about filling up our tank and getting right ourselves?  We need to be selfish in some things.

So, everyone is welcome to join the "I Run for Me" Running Company.  There are no fees to join, all you have to do is walk outside your front door or down where your treadmill is and start running.

Who knows, if we can start a movement here, we might even want to make t-shrits and sell them at running shops :)

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

Injuries

I had to sit out my run yesterday because my knee was hurting.  See, the day before when I was running, I felt that I tweaked it in such a way that it caused some soreness after the run.  Then, throughout the day it continued to feel awkward.  Then, yesterday morning, as I was getting ready, my knee just felt too sore to try to run on it.  So I decided that it would probably be better for me to sit out a day and let my injury heal than to try to rush it and maybe injure my knee worse.

This made me think of injuries in our personal lives.  It made me think of all the times that I have been injured in life and try to rush back to quickly.  For instance, if my heart has been broken by a broken relationship(s), do I try too quickly to mend the relationship or try to force the relationship to mend or do I just let it be?

But there are other examples of being injured in life as well.  Things could have happened in our past that were not our doing that have affected the way we respond to circumstances or life situations.  Whatever it is I think sometimes if we rush back into rectifying the situation too quickly, we may do more harm than good (just like running with an injured knee).

So, as I process my life and how I respond to injuries, I can rest on what Christ said in these 2 passages:

• Matthew 6:12, 14-15, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors...For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
• Matthew 18:15-16, "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."

Christ calls us to forgive and to confront in hopes to rectify the situation.  He doesn't say it has to be immediately (although Paul does say in Epheisans 4:26, "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry").  Since Christ does not give a time frame, I would suggest going before God to find out the right time and place to confront.

The reality is I don't know where you are at with your injuries, but my hope and prayer is that you can forgive and confront in a loving way so that you can learn from all situations.  That way you can continue to move forward in life so that you can be all that God created and designed you to be.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

Not because we want to always, but because we HAVE & NEED to

Many of you all know that I have been running regularly for the past month and a half.  It has been a great stress reliever, processing time and Christ time as I listen to worship music and spend time in prayer.  It is my goal to run between 20-30 minutes and 5 of the 7 days of the week.

As I wake up in the morning to run, there are many days in which I don't feel like running.  I'm tired or my mind just doesn't want to process that day or there are other things I feel that I need to do instead.  BUT, I get out and run anyways...not because I want to, but because I HAVE to.  I make myself run because I HAVE to vent to God.  I make myself run because I HAVE to listen to worship music to keep my focus on Him.  I make myself run because I HAVE to get in shape because I need to be more healthy in my own life.

In the same way, my running is similar to my relationship with Christ.  I don't always feel like spending time with Him. I don't always want to process with him because sometimes I'm mad and want to be angry. I don't always want to spend time with Him because I could be doing other, more "productive" things.

BUT, I NEED to spend time with Christ everyday.  I NEED to get His input on how to handle certain situations.  I NEED His wisdom and guidance.  I NEED His peace.

Because our NEEDS always overrule our WANTS, we need to spend time with Christ everyday, including today.

So, right now, as soon as you stop reading this blog, I want you to click on the link below and spend time with Christ.  You will benefit from it no matter what the topic is.  I just pray that the Lord blesses and nurtures your heart wherever you are at right now.

Our Daily Bread

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

Why I am BACK on Facebook!

So, I've made it a week without Facebook.  I deactivated it and then took the App off my iPhone.  It has actually been a really good week without Facebook.

However, on Tuesday I found out that I was going to be taking the primary role in Cedar Run's College and Young Career Ministry this Summer.  In years past, I have always been involved with this ministry as a person who helps transitions the high school graduates into this new ministry.  But this year the Church Leadership has asked me to be the primary leader and organize this group to get some momentum behind it.  This is something I am really looking forward to doing as I LOVE to create new programs and groups.  And, I am going to love reconnecting with old students.

But, because of the short time frame I have to work to get this program started this summer, I know I need to use every tool I can to reconnect with a lot of old students.  Considering these students do not love emails so much and I don't have all their cell numbers, I am going to HAVE to reactivate my Facebook account!

For all that I do not like about Facebook, the 1 great ministry tool it does do is it connects the masses of people all together.  It allows me to get all the information out that I need to get out to a bunch of people at the same time.

So, I'm reactivating my account and I'm going to use it to kick butt in this new ministry opportunity I have.  But please, in my attempt to re-engage in this social media try to keep your Mafia Wars, your Farmville Animals and your Jammin' Java concert invites to yourselves :).

Why I am Quitting Facebook

This week I decided to quit Facebook.  So, on Friday sometime, I will be deactivating my account, hoping to never reactivate it. Here are 3 reasons I am quitting Facebook:

1. It's too distracting.  With all the status updates, applications, marketing ideas, changes in privacy policy, I almost need an administrative assistant to keep me up-to-date on what is happening with all my 500+ friends (most of whom I haven't seen in years).  I think I could literally spend my whole day tracking what others do, what promotions are being offered and what So and So needs for his FarmTown.  I'm sorry, but I have a wife and 4 young daughters, not to mention a full-time job, a mortgage and hopefully a social life.  Facebook is too distracting for what I need to focus on, yet it is one of the 1st things I do when I wake up.  I don't need any more distractions for my life.
2. I only use it for ministry.  Actually, that is a really good reason to keep it.  But, it is also the reason to delete it.  With Facebook you can easily keep tabs on people without really being with and really knowing people.  In youth ministry we strive to model Christ who came to Earth, met us where we were and then build a relationships that led us to God.  Well, with Facebook, I'm developing relationships with people by basically seeing what they are doing and making a comment about it.  I can "know" someone without really "knowing" someone.  Facebook takes away actually physical time that I should be having with someone else. 
3. I'm not that important.  Who really cares what I am up to?  Who cares that I am making brownies while playing with the kids?  Actually, if I have time to write that then I am not really making brownies or playing with my kids.  I am typing on Facebook (which is another reason to delete it).  If my friends want to know what I am up to, then they should be able to call me and chat with me about it.  They don't need to read what I am doing on some status update.  

So, if you are really curious as  to what I am doing, you can track me down a few different ways:

• Email me - my friends know what that is
• Call me - again, my friends know the number
• Follow my Personal Blog (http://tompounder.blogspot.com)
• Follow my Youth Ministry Blog (www.notamegachurch.com)
• Follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/tapounder)

May God bless you and hopefully I will never be on Facebook again, not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not for me :)

Running to Stand Still

U2 has a great song from their Joshua Tree album called "Running to Stand Still".  It was written about a heroin-addicted couple in Ireland.  I love this song so much as it focuses on the struggle of this addiction.  In many ways, she is running to stand still.  She cannot get herself out of the muck and the mire.

As I have begun to run on a regular basis, this song sticks in my head because I do not want to be a person who is running to stand still.  I want to be running with a purpose and making myself a better person.  Before I started running I was overweight (203 pounds for a 5'10 body), had high cholesterol and I was never exercising.  If I continued this pattern, it would not take too much longer before I would be experiencing some serious health related issues.

Since I have started running I have lost 18 pounds and am now feeling more fit than I have in years.  I have also used my running as an opportunity to connect with God in a whole new, fresh level.  I spend time worshiping to praise music and also spend time talking and listening to him.  It has been a great connect for me with Him.  I no longer feel that I am running to stand still.

So what about you?  What or who are you running towards?  How is it impacting your life (good or bad)?

The inspiration I have for running towards Christ is found in Matthew 6:33 where Christ says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Christ was referring to his provision if we seek Him.  What a great thing to run towards.  When we run towards Christ He will provide and take care of us!  It may not be the way we think He "should" provide for us, but He will definitely provide.

So today and the rest of this week, DON'T run to stand still.  RUN towards Christ and see how He ministers to you!

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

True Protection

Psalm 40:11 says, "Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me."

I read this last week and I used it as my prayer for that day and the days following.  Here is what I got out of what David was saying:

• He asked God to "not withhold your mercy from me".  Basically he is saying that he knows he is a sinful guy and that he has messed up a bunch.  So as he is trying to do what is right he is asking for God to be merciful and gracious to him.
• He says, "may your love...always protect me."  I believe love is personal.  Relationships in general are messed up as they can be very self-centered and conditional; a sort of a "what have you done for me lately" mindset.  But God gives unconditional love and it will always cover and protect us no matter what situation we are in.  His love is greater than all things and it will protect us through the great times and the bad as long as we allow ourselves to feel the love.
• Finally he says, "may your truth always protect me."  The fact is people will always have their own version of the truth as truth can sometimes be how we perceive things to be (whether we are right or wrong).  But REAL truth rests in the Lord.  After all He did say, "I am the way, the TRUTH and the life".  He is the ultimate truth and understanding.

We all make mistakes and we try to learn from them.  It is when we rest in the Lord and trust His will and His control, then we know that His love and Truth will come out on top.  We must become less (and do less) so that God can become greater and shine through it all.

May you all be encouraged by this as much as I was.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

I went for a run today

My life has never really been normal.  It has always had it's ups and downs.  Well, of late, that sense of normalcy has been in real peril as things have been far from it.  I have had to juggle so much each day.

As I was telling a friend of mine about my recent juggling act, he suggested that I stop and focus on getting healthy myself.  He challenged me that the only way I can make it through this recent juggling act is if I was taking care of myself - physically, spiritually and emotionally.

One of his suggestions was that I run every day.

So, this morning I went on my 2nd consecutive day of running.  It wasn't long, but I ran for 30 minutes today.  In that running, I put on some awesome music (some secular and some Christian) on my iPod.  But, it was funny, when I ran to the secular music, I was mad and angry at life.  I got all worked up over the smallest things.

But then, when I ran to Christian music, my shift focused from anger to God.  It was as if God was ministering to me and nurturing me as I ran. As I ran and lifted my eyes up to the heavens, I cried, I praised Him, I allowed him to rest over me.  I ran with a higher purpose in mind.

As I ran and focused on Christ, my mindset focused on trusting God's will and allowing Him to take care of me - where ever He leads me.  I will be at peace about it because I know that God is going to take care of me.

I don't know what you are going through in life but I can attest that God wants to minister to you and He wants you healthy - no matter where you are at.

So my encouragement is to go out for a run.  Put some Christian tunes that rock in your iPod and allow God to minister to you.

By the way, if you are interested, the 3 songs I ran to the most were:

• "O Praise Him" by David Crowder Band
• "Speaking Louder than Before" by Jeremy Camp
• "Until the Whole World hears" by Casting Crowns.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

Choosing today to fight for Christ

Are you choosing today to fight for Christ?.  You do not need to worry about living a lifetime of what Christ calls you to.  Sure, that is the hope, but that can be overwhelming sometimes.  So choosing to follow Christ means that each day you wake up, you will follow him with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37).  Are you choosing today to fight for Christ?

This mindset can be particularly helpful for teenagers who have been in the party scene or who have been living active sex lives.  For them, when you choose to follow Christ, that means you are "throwing away" that lifestyle - a lifestyle that has tremendous temporal pleasures.  So, if someone commits their life to Christ, it may be hard to give up that next party or hook-up.  But, if that person chooses to follow Christ each day, it is much more manageable and can even have some tremendous rewards with it.

So today, choose to follow Christ.  Choose to live your life with integrity.  Choose to say no to that party because you know the ramifications that can have on you and others.  Choose to open your Bible to discover the truth and promises God has for you.  Choose to pray more today.  Choose to share about Christ to others today.  Choose to listen to God today.  Choose Christ today!

These are all manageable and beneficial things for you to do today that will help you grow closer to Christ.

May God bless you as you choose to follow Him today!


http://tompounder.blogspot.com

Feeling Burnt Out - Read this!

Christ says in Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Ok!  I'm going before the Lord because right now I am so emotionally and mentally drained, there is no one else who can promise me this!  Sure, it may be easier to turn to other things that make it seem like they are giving you rest.  But in reality it is only delaying the draining that I am currently feeling.

So I don't know about you, but I'm going before the Lord.  AND, if you are feeling the same way I am, then I suggest you do the same.

May God be with you and give you the rest you need!

tompounder.blogspot.com

Need a Kick in the Pants - read this!

I read this today - Ephesians 4:17-32.  Take a minute and read through it.

I think I might be a little bit more direct today - what separates believers from non-believers is that we know the truth and it has set us free.  I cannot recall of any time where I have heard a Christian state that "my life went to hell because I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior".  But, on the other hand, I have heard many times how life is tough but they do not know the Lord.  As Paul points out in v. 17 and 18, non-believers have futile thinking and have given themselves over to every kind of impurity because of the hardening of their hearts and their continual lust for more impurity.  It is almost like their futile and perverted (not in a sexual way perverted) thinking has made them too drunk to think rationally.

Believers came to know Christ, however, because "you were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (v. 22-24).  Believers were able to separate themselves from the lusts of this world and see through to a better, stronger option - CHRIST!

Therefore, as Paul points out in verse 25-32, let's step up our game!  Seriously, let's:

• put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body (v.25)
• do not let the sun go down on your anger so that you give Satan a foothold in your life (v.26)
• do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (v.29)
• get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  (v. 31)
• be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (v. 32)

It time folks for all of us to get off our butts and start taking our life with Christ seriously.  Let's not half-butt our life with Christ anymore.  You believed in Him for a reason - let's reaffirm that faith and strive towards him all the more!

Take a least 1 of the points Paul outlines above and strive to work on that today and the rest of the week.  Then, may the Lord move in your heart and your life as well as the lives you come into contact with.

Thanks for reading and allowing me to be a little bit honest here.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

www.notamegachurch.com

Being Effective and Productive for Christ

2 Peter 1:3-10 says, "3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

 10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,"

I love 2 things about this passage:

1. If we possess these things:

• goodness
• knowledge
• self-control
• perseverance
• godliness
• brotherly kindness
• love

we will be productive and effective in our knowledge of Christ.  Therefore, I believe this translate into that we can be effective and productive as followers of Christ and evangelists for Christ.

2. In verse 10 that is says, "if you do these things, you will never fail".  Life can be hard an challenging at times but Peter is saying that if we add to our faith the qualities outlined in verses 5-7, we will never fail.  That doesn't mean that we will never experience hardship or tough times.  Rather, we will never fail and over the long term, that will make us extremely productive for Christ.

These are just 2 thoughts that stuck out to me as I read this scripture.

As you look at it, what quality outlined in verses 5-7 do you struggle with?  Pick at least 1 you can work on today and this week so that you can add to your faith and be effective and productive for Christ.

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Some Scripture I read today - 3/19

Continuing to read through 1 Peter, I read these in chapter 2 and was encouraged/challenged.

v. 11-12 - "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

• We get trapped into living our lives the way the rest of the world does.  But, ultimately, when we do that, there is a battle going on between our faith and the worldly desires.  We need to live our lives pleasing to the Lord so that we can bring glory to Him.

v. 16 - "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."

v. 23 - "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly."

• It can be so easy for us, when we are persecuted or made fun of because of our beliefs, to retaliate and say things back to defend ourselves.  But, if Christ, hanging on the cross did not, then maybe we should take a step back and allow the Lord to justly judge and we, as v. 11-12 state, live our lives to glorify Him.

Take a Minute and ponder these verses.  Pray and meditate on them before the Lord and see what HE puts on your heart today because of them.

May God bless you all today and do a great work!

tompounder.blogspot.com

Some Scripture I read today

Today I started reading through 1 Peter.  Here are some verses that stuck out to me:

v. 7 - "These [Trials] have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (emphasis mine)

v. 15-16 - "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

v. 24-25 - "For, 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.' And this is the word that was preached to you." (emphasis mine)

Take a minute and ponder these verses and see what the Lord puts on your heart today because of them.

May God bless you all today and do a great work!

tompounder.blogspot.com

What am I suppose to learn from this?

Throughout our lives we go through "seasons".  I don't know whoever coined this term but if he/she would have trademarked this bad boy, they would be filthy rich right now as it is a very popular word.  Well, right now I am going through a season and to be honest, I'm over it.  I'm ready to move on as I've been in this season for too long. 

As I have had a wide range of emotions during this season in my life, I realize that God is not done with me yet.  He has me here for a reason and although I may be done, the reality is that I may not have even begun to experience what God wants to teach me throughout this season.

The passage I look towards a lot during this time in my life is Romans 5:1-5.  Take a minute and read it.

In this passage Paul says that we need to rejoice in our sufferings because it produces perseverance, character and hope.  Now, don't get me wrong, all seasons in our lives ARE NOT ALWAYS sufferings.  But if we look at this passage that in everything, even our sufferings, God can continue to build into us, He will make us better through any experience or season in our lives.  The question I need to keep asking is, "Lord, what do you want to teach me through this?"  Why am I going through this time in my life.  It is not all "whoa is me", but an earnest desire to learn from the Lord during this time.

Regardless of what the Lord is trying to teach me, I know 2 things:

1. I have to continue to seek Him (Matthew 6:33)
2. He will use this for His glory.  It's not all about me - never has been and never will be.  So, I need to stop looking at this from a "me" perspective and more at how can I use this for His Glory?

Just like me, you may be going through a season in your life where you may not be understanding that God is trying to teach you.  My encouragement to you is to continue to pursue the Lord.  He has you where you are for a reason and if it is through sufferings, He is there with us and will build into us more Christlike qualities to make us more effective for the Kingdom of heaven.

As Paul says, "hope does not disappoint us" (v. 5).  Rest in God's hope and trust that He will not only bring you through all seasons but you will be better off because of it.

Take some time to pray and pursue the Lord.  Whether this season is a tough time for you or not, ask Him what He wants you to learn from this season in your life.

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4:30 am, really?

If you know me, you know that I am an early riser.  I love to get up in the morning when it is just me.  After all, with 4 young children under the age of 8 running around, it is hard to get that alone time.  My routine usually involves:

• praying
• reading some scripture
• dosing off
• checking facebook, twitter and some youth ministry blogs
• working on Cedar Run stuff like lesson prep or emails

The reason why I get up early in the morning is because it is time when I can just have as "Tom" time.  All the girls are asleep and I can really focus in on some things.

The question I have for you all is - do you get that time alone to contemplate, to spend time with the Lord in prayer and search the scripture, to plan ahead for future goals and ideas.  Do you make it a priority or is it just one of the many "to-dos" you try to fit into your day?  When you make it a priority, you choose to do these things regardless of time and structure of your day.

I know I get up insanely early (4:30 am most days), but I cherish these times.  This time where I can do these things are a priority for me.  But, in order to get this time alone, I have to wake up early or stay up late - I choose early.

What do you like to do when you wake up?  Do you get up early enough to have that alone time so where you are not rushed in the morning?  Aren't we rushed enough throughout the day not to be rushed in the morning as well?

This week, spend some time getting up earlier in the morning and:

• find a good place in your house to claim as your morning time
• grab a cup of coffee, soda, juice, whatever
• grab your Bible and prayer journal and, as Samuel did, say to the Lord, "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3)
• ask the Lord to not just speak to you now, but to start preparing you for what lies ahead.

God has some great plans for our lives.  It would just be a shame to never make time to find out what those plans really are.

Examining Your Walls

As I continue to read through Nehemiah, a ton of things are coming out of it.

Take a minute and read Nehemiah 2:11-20

Some questions to process:

1. What sticks out to you in these verses?
2. What was the first thing Nehemiah did with the Jerusalem wall?
3. What was his assessment of the wall?
4. How did the workers respond to Nehemiah's challenge?

Before Nehemiah got into actually rebuilding the Jerusalem wall, he had to do an assessment of the wall.  He had to find out where the weak points were so he could hit those rough spots first.  Once those weak areas were rebuilt and strengthened, the city of Jerusalem would be strong and better equipped to defend her city.

As I was reading through this I thought of how often I assess my life.  How often do I look for weak areas or things that need improving?

I know it is not easy to look for weak or struggling areas in our lives.  It can be a very humbling experience.  But, as Paul points out in 1 Peter 5:5-6, when we humble ourselves, he will lift us up - "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."

This week, do an assessment of your life.  What are some strong areas and weak areas in your life?  Of the weak areas, what steps can you take this week to improve?

After Nehemiah examined the walls, he devised a plan to strengthen them.  The walls improved slowly, but eventually were rebuilt.  In the same way, we can not expect God to repair those weak areas in our lives overnight.  But if we come up with a plan and stick to it, we will be successful in rebuilding our walls as well.

Pray that God would allow you to see the walls in your life that you can begin to repair and strengthen them so you can glorify Him with who you are in all that you do.

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So your saying there's a chance?

In my personal devotion time, I am going through Nehemiah. I just started but what made me fascinated with reading through Nehemiah was the fact that he was chiefly responsible for organizing the effort to rebuild the Jerusalem wall. So, I began to read through and was struck by a few things. As I read and process, I will continue to write about them and I hope you are challenged/encouraged by them as well.

Read Nehemiah 1-2:10

Some questions to answer:

1. Who was Nehemiah?
2. What was on his heart to do?
3. How was God instrumental in allowing him to go on his mission?

Nehemiah was just a simple cupbearer. He didn't have real power or authority to do anything. But, his heart was to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall that was destroyed when they were taken over.

He knew that Israel messed up big time when they disobeyed the Lord (1:5-9). None-the-less, he went before God and prayed for a chance, just an opportunity to go before the King and make his petition. Then, in 2:1-4a, the King asked him for what he wanted. How crazy is that? That had God written all over that as how many times do you think a high King would take an interest in such a lowly cupbearer?

What is on your heart? How is God moving within it?

If God is pressing something on your heart, go before the Lord and pray for a chance to do something with it. Then, when he provides you with an opportunity, Carpe Diem - SEIZE THE DAY! God is giving you a chance, now do something with it.

Just because God gives you a chance to do something, big or small, doesn't mean it will be easy for you to do it. In 2:2, Nehemiah says that he was afraid. But, ultimately, he spoke up and got what he wanted. Do not let fear or uncertainty of the unknown effect your decision to go for it or not. Seize the day and be thankful to God that he has given you this great opportunity.

So again, is God pressing something on your heart to do? Go before him to verify if it is from the Lord or not. Then, if it is something He wants you to take action on, pray for an opportunity and then make the most out of the opportunity you have. Nehemiah did and you can too.

Genesis 4 Devotional

This was the devotional that we gave out to the Cedar Run youth for this past week.

Read Genesis 4

1. Cain and Able were brothers. What did each of them do for a living?

2. Cain and Able brought an offering to the Lord. What was the difference between the two offerings and which one was view upon as better?

3. Because of the difference, Cain did what? Why do you think Cain did this? DIG DEEPER – Read 1 John 3:12.

4. What happened to Cain because of his actions?

5. This is yet another example of the consequences of sin. Review Genesis 3:1-19 to see past examples of the consequences of sin. We suffer these consequences when we fall away from the Lord’s provisions in our lives. This week, what is one thing you could do that will help you resist temptation to fall away from God and his provisions for you? (One suggestion is to read Ephesians 6:10-18)

The choices we make

Last Sunday, we talked about Genesis 3 - the Fall of man. In case you don't know what happens in Genesis 3, allow me to sum up.

• God told Adam and Eve that they could eat from whatever tree they wanted, except for one specific tree.
• Satan came alone (in the form of a snake) and caused Eve to 2nd guess what God had commanded.
• Through Satan's temptation, Eve gave in and ate of the fruit that God told her not to.
• After Eve ate it, she gave some to Adam, who was there with her, and he ate the fruit as well
• After they ate of the fruit, the Lord found out and gave consequences to the snake, Eve and Adam (Genesis 3:14-19)

Now, Adam and Eve didn't have to eat that fruit. They had plenty of other food provided for them by God. Plus, they didn't have to listen to the snake. After all, who actually talks to a snake unless you live in Disney World?

But the fact is they choose to eat the fruit. They choose to listen to the snake. Therefore, the consequences they suffered were a direct result of their choices.

In the same way, the choices we make are going to either push us closer to Christ or further away. There is no way we can expect ourselves to "live it up" according to a worldly perspective and still expect to grow closer to Christ.

My encouragement to you today is to closely examine all the choices you make. As you are making decisions ask yourself, "Will ____________ draw me closer to Christ or further away?". It's a simple question but the rewards or consequences may not be very simple (see Adam, Eve and the Snake for reference).

May God impact you in a mighty way today!

Getting rid of your idols

Read Judges 10:6-16

I help teach our Middle School "Grounded" class. Grounded is a walk through the Bible and some important Church doctrine.

Currently, we are going over the Judges and Kings of Israel. With the Judges a pattern that is often repeated goes something like this:

1. Israel sins and worship other gods and idols
2. God allows Israel and their faithlessness to be overtaken by an enemy
3. Israel learns their lesson, gets rid of the idols and cries out to the Lord for help
4. God hears their cry and helps them by sending a Judge to defeat their enemies
5. After victory, they live in peace for X amount of years until that Judge dies
6. Repeat steps 1-5

The reading in Judges 10:6-16 is very similar to this pattern.

The key point that I would like to discuss is pattern #3 where Israel learns their lesson, gets rid of the idols and cries to God for help. Obviously today we do not have idols or false gods such as Baal or whatever else the Israelites worshiped back then. But, we do have idols that take our focus off of Christ and onto something else.

Some current day idols could be our friends, alcohol, drugs, money, fame, a TV show, facebook or other social media outlets, or even our iPhones. Again, an idol is whatever takes our focus off of Christ. Do you have an idol?

Well, if you do, I want to encourage you to take the next step, as Israel did - get rid of your idols. See, they worshipped other idols and it didn't quite work out for them. So, they had to get right with the Lord again. In order to do that, they had to first get rid of the idols. I'm not saying that a requirement for God to help you means you have to get rid of your idols, but that is what is constantly demonstrated with the Israelites. Plus, how can we completely turn our focus on the Lord if we have our idols still with us? Get rid of your idols whatever they may be.

We have to get rid of the idols that hinder our relationship with Christ. Christ said that he has come to give us life to the full (John 10:10). How can he possibly do that if we are turning to other things as well?

My encouragement for you all today is:

• examine your life. Do you have idols that are hindering what God wants to do in your life? If so,
• Get rid of all the idols that are doing that. Throw them out or do whatever you have to do get into a position where God can minister to you and provide a life that is full (please note - I said full which does not necessarily mean fun or prosperous).

God will always provide, but not necessarily in the ways we think he "should" or will. Throw out your idols and turn your focus on Christ. Then, see how he provides.

Dance Party Options

As you know we are going to have another Dance Party on Jan. 22nd. Well, we need your help in deciding the theme. Click the one theme you would prefer you do.

You have until Jan. 13th to decide. Results will be posted here!

New Years and New Beginnings

It's the new year and as it is all the time when January rolls around, people try to make the most out of it by striving to make bold new starts. Whether it is giving up a bad habit or trying to lose weight, people see January 1 as the time to get serious.

Did you know that the most popular new years resolutions are:

• Lose Weight
• Manage Debt
• Save Money
• Get a Better Job
• Get Fit
• Get a Better Education
• Drink Less Alcohol
• Quit Smoking Now
• Reduce Stress Overall
• Reduce Stress at Work
• Take a Trip

Those are all great resolutions, but where are doing resolutions to be more like Christ fall in? It would be a shame to do some of these most popular resolutions but fail to grow closer to Christ in any way.

Mark 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." If we seek him and strive for him first and foremost, all these other things we strive for or need will fall into place.

Therefore, my personal goal for 2010 is to never miss a day without spending time in Scripture and Prayer. It may be generic or common, but I am striving for it and hope not to fall short so that I can benefit and those around me can as well.

So what are you striving for this year? How can you draw closer to Christ this year? Make a goal and strive towards Him.

Source:

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New_Years_Resolutions.shtml