We like to pick on ‘doubting’ Thomas, but I personally can relate to Him.  It is so easy to get out of touch with Jesus, even as a minister, as a Christian.  To lose the sense of His reality.  And when that happens, boy is it difficult to walk in the promises He gives us:  peace, confidence, faith, hope, love, forgiveness, mercy, compassion, joy.  That’s why it is so important to keep in touch with Him.  I find when I am struggling with the fruits of God’s Spirit, or with confidence in His plan, it is usually because I need a fresh touch.  It is so nice to know that our God is as close to us as a prayer, as reading a scripture, as reaching out to somebody in need.  Invigorate your faith this morning, and respond to Christ’s offer, “Touch me.”  Once you do, you will exclaim, “My Lord and my God!” once again, just like Thomas did.

Haley Moon (11) & Jackson Roy (8) lead the Carolina Chapel congregation in How Great is Our God.

I am so proud of my Haley Moon.  She sang How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin in front of the entire church Sunday while Jackson Roy played acoustic guitar.  I am a seriously proud daddy!

Haley Moon sings How Great is Our God at Carolina Chapel

What if we could harness the responses producers spend millions to craft, and connect lessons from God’s Word to the illustrations found in the movies?  We would have an almost infinite supply of segues to Jesus Christ anytime somebody brings up a movie.  After all initiating the conversation is half the battle.  My prayer is that after listening to GOD in the MOVIES, you are ready to see the movies in a new light, and then shine that light to those who may never go to a church.

Pastor Ryan speaking about the Paparazzi in the God in the Movies message series at Carolina Chapel.

Tradition – Part 3 – True prosperity is in who you know.

December is one of America’s most traditional holiday seasons. For some it is a time for sentimental remembering. To others a reminder of past disappointment. God’s Word teaches us that Tradition is really more about the future than the past.

“In the future your children will ask you,
“What do these stones mean?” Then you can tell them …”
Joshua 4:21

Tradition isn’t just a holiday season, but any routine we maintain and pass down. It can be as big as Easter, or the act of taking communion, or as simple as night time prayer with the kids. By establishing traditions with our family & friends, we create teachable moments where, in years to come, those who mean the most to us, can look back with joy, and understand the values that shape our lives.

As you celebrate Christmas with those you love, create a tradition to repeat each year, and look forward looking back!

Read Colossians 3:2 together this morning.  A fantastic guide to successful prayer time.  2 key components:  Thanksgiving & Praying for others.  Giving thanks helps us to keep one foot in the future and the other grounded in today.  Thanksgiving keeps you mindful of the future in a positive way – dreaming of good things to come, while addressing our present reality in a practical way.  Then the clincher is moving from thanksgiving about our needs to praying for others, so that we focus less on ourselves and more on others, forgetting about our own troubles.

Then Kristen gave me some tips for my message tomorrow.  What a great speaking coach!  I really have some awesome people surrounding me, helping me to focus and improve.

“None of us is as smart as all of us”
Dr. Ken Blanchard

In 2 Samuel 7 David decides to build God a house.  Nathan the prophet thinks that is a great idea, too, but then God weighs in, saying,

“Have I ever said a word to anyone
… why have you not built me a house of cedar?”
2 Samuel 7:7

God then proceeds to lay out his love and care for David, and the people of Israel, for David’s son after him, and for those in subsequent generations who will believe.   How He longs for them to enjoy the world of His creation.  God’s house isn’t built of cedar, it’s made of people, and even David got it wrong.

So after explaining thoroughly what His house is and isn’t, God says that David’s son will build it.  Solomon is recorded as one of the smartest people who ever lived, but he proceeds to begin a temple construction project that Muslims and Jews are still fighting over to this day.  You see it’s much easier to build things than people.  People can be messy, frustrating, unpredictable.  But God is interested in building a giant house of people, and that includes you and me.

I guess the moral of the story is, not to get too smart for our own good.  By staying close to God’s Word, we can learn from the mistakes of others who have gone before us, and catch glimpses of God’s heart.  When I think back on ministry I’ve done, it is the people who’s lives I’ve been a part of helping that I remember most.  Today let God build you up, and then follow His example by finding somebody you can encourage.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vfGy0He72c

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZysfDwANnY