Preview of September 7th at NRN

On Sunday September 7 we will welcome Doug Whitley to North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene - in his presentation as James - the brother of Jesus.

Here is the rest of the clip that I plan to show at church today.

Invite your friends, family and everyone to know to this service!

Sunday - September 7th at 10:45am

North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene.

Worst Album Cover

Worst Album Cover

I saw I similar list on another blog, so I thought I would post some of the "worst record album covers," I found and have you vote for the #1 Worst Album Cover.

Please do not take offense - these are actual record album covers of Christan groups:

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

Number 5 And last but not least:I'm not exactly sure who Al David is - but I am sure he has sideburns and is wearing a white tie.

Well, there you have it, my top picks for Worst Album Cover.

To vote for #1 Worst Album Cover simply click on comment and place your vote and leave a few words as to what moved you to vote for this album cover.

Enjoy.

Some favorite moments of our trip to Canada

I realize it has been 10 days since my last posting on my blog. Sharron and I have just returned from a family trip to Canada to celebrate her dad’s 80th birthday! If you want to read a great blog post about the trip (including pictures) I recommend you take a moment to click on my daughter Stephanie’s blog. She has posted a great review of our trip.

Sharron and I had saved and planned for several months for our family to go to Canada to visit family and surprise her dad on his birthday. We arrived on Monday August 11th and enjoyed an evening with her dad and aunt. On Tuesday we began our travels to see family. We also wanted to make this a memorable experience for Josh and Alyse, since this was their first visit with our family to Canada. Here are some of my favorite moments of the trip:

Alyse travelled so well! As we boarded the plane Alyse was wide-eyed to see everything around her. She travelled from her mom's lap - to her dad's lap - to Papa's ( that's me) to Grammie's.
As air travel goes - it was normal. We had to travel south to Atlanta in order to travel north to Buffalo, NY. It was a long and tiring day.

We enjoyed being with dad on Tuesday for his birthday. He knew that we were going to visit family (this was part of the plan to keep the planned party for him a surprise) so he departed for a trip to visit his sisters. We departed to travel to Toronto to do some "tourist" stuff and had a full day. We spend the night at the home of Sharron's brother. His daughters Deanne and Courtney teach swimming lessons in their backyard pool. Josh and Alyse enjoyed a swim after the full day in Toronto and Alyse got a free swimming lesson from her second cousin Deanne.

One of my favorite places in all the world is the farm that Sharron's Auntie Elva lives on. This farm was established over 100 years ago when Sharron's great grandfather came from Wiltshire England to Dundalk Canada. Sharron's auntie Elva recently celebrated her 92nd birthday!

There is no Internet access at the farm. In fact, Elva still uses a rotary phone and her phone service is part of a party line. While there I heard the familiar two long rings and one short ring - then Elva picked up the receiver and began her conversations. She told us of the story several years ago when she was out in the barn. She fell and broke her hip. She was able to drag herself to the house, up the stairs and into the entry way. When she toppled over the phone stand - someone was on the line. Elva interrupted the conversation and asked for help. Within a few moments neighbors were there to help. She is not bothered by having no cell phone - no Internet - just a simple life with church, family and friends.

I love this picture of Sharron with her dad and her brother Les. Dad told me later that day that he was surprised by the party. Nearly 80 people came together for this day. Les and Anne did a great job in planning and holding this surprise birthday party. I think having our whole family there was truly special for dad.

I am also sure that Dad loved seeing his grand daughters ( Stephanie; Courtney; Deanne and Danielle)

We really enjoyed our trip to Canada. Sharron and I have have many great memories of our travels to Canada to be with family. I remember going to Canada to ask her dad for Sharron's hand in marriage. Sharron and I went to Niagara Falls on our honeymoon. We have many trips to Canada with our girls to visit family. Now - a special memory of our family going to celebrate the 80th birthday of Sharron's dad!

ELEMENT ANNOUNCES THRILL RIDE

Have you heard about the changes in our youth group at North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene?

Under the leadership of Family Pastor - Brittany Cottle and with the assistance of Co-Directors of Student Ministry Bill and Danielle Shannon - our youth ministry at NRN has gone through a transformation. It has been exciting to see many new students coming to our group. This year students went to Youth Camp with several students making life changing decisions. Here is a sample from a recent You Tube posting of what is happening in ELEMENT Youth Ministry at NRN:

A HUGE EVENT coming soon is the THRILL RIDE. Registrations are underway. I encourage you to send your students - and friends to this featured event of our newly designed youth ministry. Here is the promo for this event:

Things are happening at NRN!

Don't miss out....

See the link on the right of the post for ELEMENT YOUTH MINISTRY

THIS IS A CALL TO WORSHIP!

As I pray and prepare for this Sunday I cannot escape the words penned by Vicky Beeching to the song Call to Worship:

The blazing sunrise, the endless oceans
The spinning planets all reveal their Makers power
They shout His glory, they shine His beauty
Their voices cry an invitation to us all
They are summoning every soul,
Summoning every soul¦

This is a call to worship
Let it echo all around the earth
This is a call to bow down
And give God the glory He deserves

We have gathered, to praise our Maker
We've come to worship him for we have heard the call
Let every nation and all creation
Join us worshipping the holy God of all
As we cry out to all of this world
Cry out to all of this world.

This is a call to worship
Let it echo all around the earth
This is a call to bow down
And give God the glory He deserves

This is a call to worship
Let it echo all around the earth
This is a call to bow down
And give God the glory He deserves

To the north and the south
Let this invitation resonate
To the east and the west
Let this invitation resonate
Till the north and the south
Till the east and the west
Overflow with praise

This is a call to worship
Let it echo all around the earth
This is a call to bow down
And give God the glory

This is a call to worship
Let it echo all around the earth
This is a call to bow down
And give God the glory; give God the glory He deserves

Here is a short clip to describe what she believes about getting into God's Word:

We will sing several songs in worship and adoration to our great God during our worship expedience tomorrow. I really appreciate Dr. Tom and Joyce Alsbury, Kim Gutjahr and all those who serve on the worship team at NRN. Here is another song we plan to sing tomorrow:

Come with hearts prepared for miracles to happen tomorrow at NRN. Don't wait for tomorrow to begin your time of worship. Allow God to speak to your heart even before you come to church in the morning.

Expecting a Miracle

I am really looking forward for Sunday at NRN !

In the final message of the series from the Book of James we will join together in an awesome time of prayer before God. I invite all who plan to attend to come expecting a miracle to take place. I am!

One aspect of the service will be a challenge to serve as prayer intercessors. We will make available to all in attendance a prayer band from Voice of the Martyrs.

On Monday our annual Vacation Bible School begins. I appreciate the ministry of Pastor Brittany Cottle our Family Pastor at NRN. She is leading a fantastic team of volunteers from North Raleigh who are giving of their time and gifts to make a difference in a young life. We believe the events of Vacation Bible School can bring about life change. VBS begins on Monday evening and will conclude with the morning worship service next Sunday!

Sharron and I are preparing for our upcoming trip to Canada to visit her dad. The only time her dad has seen Alyse was in October 2007 when he made a visit for the Canadian Thanksgiving. We depart from Charlotte on Monday as Sharron, Stephanie, Josh, Alyse and I fly out to Buffalo, NY then immediately across the border into Canada.

On Tuesday we celebrate Emerson Wiltshire's 80th birthday! The rest of the week is scheduled with travel to visit Auntie Elva in Dundalk, Ontario, Canada. Here is a little note from the village website:

Welcome to the Village of Dundalk in south-central Ontario’s Grey County. Located on Highway 10 between Shelburne & Flesherton at an elevation of 1735 feet above sea level, you might think of Dundalk as the closest place to heaven!

Then we travel on to Toronto for a short visit with Sharron's brother and his family. Josh and Stephanie are hoping for a time in the city and possibly a visit to the Toronto Zoo which host over 5,000 animals and over 1.2 million people visit each year. We will be back in Ridgeway by Friday morning to go across the border and meet Danielle, who is flying from Charlotte to join us for the weekend. We have a BIG FAMILY WEEKEND scheduled! We travel together as a family back to North Carolina the first of week.

The NFL BIG STORY

The NFL season is right around the corner. You probably know the BIG story right now:


In this Jan. 20, 2008 file photo, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre celebrates during the NFC Championship football game against the New York Giants in Green Bay, Wis.



The Green Bay Packers have reached an agreement to trade Favre to the New York Jets, the team announced late Wednesday night, Aug 6, 2008. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)



I want to go back to the most meaningful story of the beginning of the 2008-2009 season for me. I cannot escape the words from Art Monk as he was enshrined in the National Football Hall of Fame this past Saturday. His accepted speech will be remembered as one of the highlights of the day. First, following the introduction of Art by his son James, the applause rang out for over 4 minutes - the longest ovation in the history of the Hall of Fame. Also, for the gentle and kind words from Art. His humility to amazing. His commitment to Christ is very evident in his words as he quoted Scripture throughout his address. Several friends have emailed me about this speech.

Here are some of the highlights from the speech:

To watch the entire speech (18 minutes) from the NFL website simply click HERE . This will include his words about his faith. It is worth the time to watch.

A cheerful heart is good medicine

I just returned from a quick trip Indian Trail to spend one day with Sharron and Alyse; to see our good friend Joyce Ford and then to welcome Josh and Stephanie back from their cruise. I got to spend just a few moments with my good friend Doug Huber and share with him that one of our favorite comedians, Brian Regan, is releasing a new DVD in September. I think it is time for a little insight about humor on my blog. Here is one of my favorite clips from Brian Regan. It's entitled: "I walked on the moon."

Brian has always embraced a style of comedy that truly envelops the idea of using humor for laughter instead of sexual innuendo or vulgarity. Often times referred to as "clean" humor, Brian Regan evokes images of our childhood or everyday adult situations in a light that allows us to laugh instead of cry over the strangeness of life, or the mistakes we've made. Brian uses everyday examples - like the first day of school, or little league - to help us view ourselves in a new light - and then laugh about it. His creativity, enthusiasm, and rubber-faced expressions are a delight to people of all ages.

Brian was born into a family of four children, but the four following siblings turned it into a family of eight children (six boys and two girls). He has always credited his family for his comedy calling it a "funny family". Read more …

If you liked the first clip, you will love this one, as Brian talks about Children's Books:

Brian's home page

Information about his new release next month

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine ... Proverbs 17:22a KJV

Get Serious revisited

I began my sermon this morning with these words:

This morning we study a passage where the message is very hard – difficult to understand. This is one of the reasons I feel it is important to preach through a book of the Bible in order to receive the whole counsel of God – not just what we want to hear or easy “stuff” to preach on.


Two weeks ago we talked about having a REAL FAITH. Last week we looked at the need to TAME OUR TONGUE. The passage today consist of hard works; difficult to speak; hard to swallow.

These words remind me of BUCKLEY'S COUGH SYRUP. It is a Canadian cough mixture that has been around since 1919.

Their claim to fame: “It taste awful, and it works!”

Here is the clip I promised to post:

Me trying Buckley's cough syrup

We call this series ACTION REQUIRED – Because James is telling us to GET SERIOUS. These are hard words …. Here we go:

Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way. You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and His way. And do you suppose God doesn't care?
James 4:1-5 (MSG)

But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.
James 4:6-7a (NIV)

To listen to this message click HERE for the podcast. Be patient - it takes a few moments for the download. I hope you discover the trustworthy sayings...

As BIG as an August weekend gets

The past several days have been filled with business and blessings. On Wednesday I was preparing for my trip to Southport, NC to be with Jeff and Janet Hewett. Jeff had contacted me on Tuesday about the death of his mother following a prolonged illness. I was blessed when our good friend Raynita Kivett contacted me about a free place to stay in Southport. THANK YOU to the Kivetts' for this blessing!

I was also blessed by the pouring out of love to Jeff and his family during this time. It reminded me of the importance of good friends and the impact the members of a small group have upon each other.

Sharron is still in Indian Trail babysitting Alyse ( along with Zeke, Bo and Bubba - the family pets) as Josh and Stephanie are away celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary! Alyse was visiting us here in Raleigh last weekend and we really enjoyed the time together. She really enjoys her giant duck we have in her room at our house. I miss Sharron!

I can't let this posting end with our noting that this weekend is as big as August weekends get for Redskins fans. The Skins play for the first time this season; Zorn Star makes his head coaching debut and; of course, Art Monk and Darrell Green enter the Pro-Football Hall of Fame.

Here is a recent article I read about today's induction ceremony:

Hall of Fame weekend takes on real Washington Redskins look

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Without Darrell Green and Art Monk, the Washington Redskins may never have won three Super Bowls.

Without Emmitt Thomas' lessons, they may not have excelled as long as they did.
On Saturday, all three, key components in the Redskins' dynamic run during the 1980s and early 1990s, will be inducted together into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"We couldn't have done what we did, had that great run without them. That's for sure," Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs said before last weekend's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. "One of the things you've got to be able to do as a coach is handle different relationships, and know how to motivate them. It's a really outstanding testament to Emmitt."

Most fans remember the Redskins for their powerful offensive line, nicknamed "The Hogs."
Gibbs credits Green, a lightning fast cornerback with a knack for making big plays, and Monk, generally regarded as the league's first "big" receiver, as the leaders of the Redskins dynasty that won each Super Bowl with a different quarterback - Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien.

Thomas, one of Gibbs' assistants, had the enviable task of getting the most out of two eventual Hall-of-Famers. But it was Thomas who felt most fortunate. "I know all of us feel blessed to go in, but to go in with those two young men that I had a chance to work with probably had some play in continuing my coaching career is the topping on all of it," Thomas said.
To read more…

And of course - a clip:

If you wondered if I was a fan of the Washington Redskins - Stop by and look behind the open door at my office at the church.

Also - this Sunday marks my one year anniversary as Lead pastor of North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene. On the first Sunday of August in 2007 I preached my first message as Lead Pastor. WOW - the year has flown bye. I praise God for His plan for my life! If you would like to review my first thoughts as Lead pastor - click HERE for my posting last year. As I prepare for the service tomorrow I thought I would give a short "teaser". What does this picture have to do with the message from James 4: 1-10?