Matt Harris - Eagle Creek Church

"It matters if you're an Evangelical Christian"

2012-03-08T07:39:00.003-08:00

A Barn research study showed that Evangelicals were the group most likely to follow traditional morality while atheists and agnostics were the faith segment most likely to reject those ways.
Among evangelicals, profanity (16%) and pornography (12%) were the most common transgressions. Fewer than 5% of evangelicals had engaged in gossip (4%), inappropriate sex (3%), gambling (2%), lying (1%) or drunkenness (less than one-half of one percent).

In contrast, among skeptics (atheists and agnostics) participation in the eight behaviors ranged from a low of 11% (retaliating) up to a high of 60% (using profanity). While evangelicals averaged 6% participation in each of the eight behaviors mentioned, skeptics averaged five times that level (29%). Other common acts among skeptics included exposure to pornography (50%), gossip (34%) and drunkenness (33%).

People associated with faiths other than Christianity were twice as likely as evangelicals to engage in the behaviors explored. They were most likely to use profanity (33%), view pornography (32%) and lie (18%).

This report is based upon telephone interviews conducted by The Barna Group with a random sample of 1003 adults selected from across the continental United States, age 18 and older, in May 2008. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the aggregate sample is ±3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Minimal statistical weighting was used to calibrate the aggregate sample to known population percentages in relation to several key demographic variables.

The Definition of and Evangelical: "Evangelicals" are born again Christians. In the survey, people qualified as evangelicals if they met the born again criteria (i.e., said they had have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and also indicated they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior) plus seven other conditions. Those include saying their religious faith is very important in their life today; believing they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians; believing that Satan exists; believing that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; asserting that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches; and describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today. Being classified as an evangelical is not dependent upon church attendance or the denominational affiliation of the church attended. Respondents were not asked to describe themselves as "evangelical."

(Note from Matt) The point of this information is not so what we can feel better about ourselves but recognize that Faith in Christ is truly transformational to our soul. Thank God for saving us, forgiving us and for continuing to clean us up.

Titus 3:5, "He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit."

Hello Harrisonville

2012-02-22T14:12:00.000-08:00

If you are in Harrisonville you may have just received a postcard telling you that Eagle Creek Church is starting a church in your town. Well it's true. I graduated from Harrisonville High and still have family in town. So when Sheri and I moved back to Lee's Summit from ministering in Chicago and California and the opportunity came up to start a campus in Harrisonville we were very excited.

How this got started was that we had several families driving up from Harrisonville saying that they wished there was an Eagle Creek type church in Harrisonville. For a while I didn't think much of it but as more people kept coming and saying the same thing I finally asked someone, "Do you think folks in Harrisonville would want to go to a church like ECC" the answer was a resounding "Yes". They told me about how many families that they knew that just weren't going to church for a variety of reasons and felt like our style of service and ministry would help a lot of people get back on their feet spiritually again.

I found myself really praying and thinking about this possibility a lot and talking to trusted advisers and studying the idea. Finally one Wednesday in prayer I felt God challenge me to make a commitment to launch the campus church of Eagle Creek. From there on we have been moving forward.

This church will have a crazy fun bible based children's ministry, an awesome student ministry with a strong emphasis on discipleship, serving and connective activities. modern engaging worship, Inspiring Biblical Preaching and a Strong focus on serving the community and reaching those far from Christ.

We have found that our church is really great for people that want a high energy exciting church that is growing and focused on reaching people for Jesus. We are huge into have fun and growing families in their faith. We are not very traditional. I wear jeans and I'm the preacher. We believe that it's good to laugh and have fun with church folks but at the same time you can't water down the truth.

We are not trying to steal a bunch of church folks we just want people who really share our heart to be apart of this new church campus. So pray about this and see what God wants you to do.

Check us out Sunday March 4th at 8, 9:30 or 11:00 a.m. and see if Eagle Creek is a fit for you and your family.

We will also have an informational meeting in in March in Harrisonville TBA.

Three Services Coming March 4th.

2012-02-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

I love to see the church growing. So many great new families are coming and plugging in. Both our 1st service and 2nd service are quickly getting to the full point with all the chairs set up. I don't want us to ever have to turn people away who are trying to find God, so we will start offering an 8:00 am service on March 4th in addition to our 9:30 and 11:00 am services.

Everyone wants to know if this is going to be too tiring for me But we had three Sunday morning services at the last church Sheri and I served at. The only problem is the occasional deja vu feeling when you are preaching third service and can't remember if you just said something or are about to say something. It usually sorts out in your head.

Honestly I can't wait to see more people come to Christ. This past Sunday when I asked people to raise their hands if they were wanted to pray to become a follower of Christ probably 25 people raised their hands and prayed with us. We are praying and believing that more people will come to faith this year at ECC than in any previous year, and we are starting to see God do this.

Honesty is the Best Policy-Usually

2011-11-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

You and I know that you can get severely burned by speaking the truth. You can even say it in love but if the person you are speaking to is not ready to face truth for their life you are better to keep your words to yourself. In my experience, they will villainize you in order to not have to deal with themselves.

On the other side of the fence, their are those who are growing people and they want to hear the truth and grow, but even they come in two batches. There are those that hear the truth and immediately gracefully receive it and those who angrily reject it immediately but later calm down and deal with themselves.

So which one are you. If you fall into the first group that can't handle the truth, you definitely think you can handle the truth. So what is your indication that you are in the first "Can't handle the truth" group. You tend to say, "I can handle the truth but I don't really have that fault I was confronted with. They were wrong." You transfer blame or you set up such defensive barriers that no one in their right mind would dare tell you the truth about you.

You've got to deal with your denial and ask God to do anything he can to humble you and break you until you can finally grow again. You're stuck in relational and spiritual infancy until you do.

Discipleship requires honesty. But to disciplers Jesus said, "Don't throw your pearls before swine." I know that sounds harsh but it's what Jesus said. They will be victims in their eyes and you will be the villain. So when do you tell the truth to someone? Tune into God's Spirit and talk when he says to and be silent when he says to.

Disciples, James 4:9-10 says "Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." God will probably have to break you for you to begin growing again. You can willingly submit to his correction and breaking or resist it for a life time but now that your his child the correction will never stop until you change or die. Sounds fun!

A truthful life invites truth and dishonest heart invites flattery.

Things I love about My life

2011-09-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

I was writing to a friend earlier and was telling him how I am doing and realized again just how blessed I am. I love my going on dates with Sheri. We danced Saturday with each other and with our kids at a wedding Saturday and I felt proud to be seen with the prettiest lady in the room. I love having four big hugs everyday when I get home. I love wrestling with my boys and cuddling and talking with my girls. I love family outings and Tuesday staff meetings. Sometimes I don't sleep well on Mondays because I am so ready to get back to work on Tuesdays. I love to preach and see God use my life to bless someone elses. I love Sunday afternoons with my extended family at Mom's house. I love dreaming and planning. I love a challenge and crave a godly risk. I love playing the piano and singing at the top of my lungs when no ones around. I love reading the bible and having something speak directly to my heart. And with all this I am just getting started. I am so blessed and thankful for the life God has given me. I think it's good to stop and remember all we have. Thank you God for your amazing goodness to me.

Setting Imaginary Deadlines

2011-07-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

For years I struggled with managing my time effectively. One tool I learned that dramatically increased my effectiveness is the “imaginary deadline.”

If I’ve got a project without a deadline, it’s easy to procrastinate or work halfheartedly. When an assignment has a hard deadline, I start faster, work smarter and focus better.

•Instead of thinking, I need to have my sermon finished before I preach this weekend, I have a Wednesday-at-noon deadline. It’s not anyone else’s deadline. It’s mine.
•Rather than saying this video needs to be finished by next week, I complete all videos by Wednesday at 2 pm. Again, this is my deadline.
•Instead of deciding to read my Bible plan some time during the day, I have mine read before I leave my house.
These are all imaginary deadlines. But when I treat them as real, my productivity and efficiency increase.

(This leadership lesson is from Craig Groeschel pastor of LifeChurch.tv)

Date Night!

2011-07-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

I love date night. It's Friday and I am heading out with my amazing wife. Since we got married 13 1/2 years ago we have been going on dates. Through the birth of all three children and the adoption of Gabriel. It's so therapeutic for me. We just talk and unwind and realize that long after the church is pastored by someone else and the kids have grown and gone it will still be the two of us in this together.

Take the time to take care of your marriage and it will pay off over and over again. So what are we going to do tonight? Whatever we want!!!

Something Great is on the Horizon!

2011-04-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

IF the Bible is true, IF Jesus died on the cross to reconcile people to Himself (II Corinthians 5:15-21), IF He desires people to come to a knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:3-7), IF He has commanded us to reach the world (Acts 1:8), IF He has risen from the dead (I Corinthians 15:3-4), IF He has given us the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and IF He has empowered us to do His work (II Timothy 1:7) then to expect NOTHING to happen is simply inconsistant with Scripture, His commands and His character! There is a building sense of expectation of NOT just a revival in our land…but a brand new awakening.

I honestly believe the greatest days of the church are yet to be experienced!!!

The best really is yet to come!

5 WAYS TO REBUKE A FRIEND

2011-04-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17

Wounds from a friend can be trusted… Proverbs 27:6

Rebuke: Express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions.

Years ago in college, I had a friend tell me was very painful to the people I was closest to and challenged me to think about why I was using sarcasm. I initially dismissed him as being overly sensitive but later assessed what he said and realized what a jerk I was being to people and decided I would not longer be sarcastic. That has stuck with me for over 20 years and probably has probably kept me from hurting countless people needlessly.

That’s only one example. Thankfully there have been many other times a friend loved me enough to help me see the mistakes I was making. Usually I knew, but the rebuke challenged me to alter my ways. I’ve had to “return the favor” many times.
There are times when you have to rebuke a friend, in order to be a true friend. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to tell another where he or she is doing wrong. You may be the only one who cares enough to point out what everyone else sees, but refuses to address.

If you choose to accept the assignment of rebuking a friend, you should be sure you are correct in your assessment, you should pray through the correct timing of your approach, and you should address the person and not others to keep from spreading gossip.

When that time comes, here are 5 ways to rebuke a friend:

1. Be loving - As we should do with everything, rebuke should come in the context of a loving relationship. In fact, one standard might be to not rebuke people you don’t love.

2. Be truthful – Don’t dance around or use subtleties when addressing the issue. State the problem as you see it.

3. Be helpful – Be willing to walk through any necessary recovery with the friend or help them process where they are in life.

4. Be purposeful - The rebuke should not be vindictive in nature or driven by jealousy or selfish interests. The betterment of the friend should be your sole objective.

5. Be redemptive – Be willing to extend grace and forgive the friend for any wrong done. Make sure he or she knows you are still in their corner.

Facebook Does Not Cause Affairs… People Do!

2011-02-03T05:17:00.000-08:00

Below are 7 methods to help married couples create positive barriers into their online presence:

1. Universal passwords for e-mail and social media account log-ins
2. Joint online accounts with joint photos
3. Encourage utilization and sharing of one another’s account
4. No Ex Policy (Ex boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, acquaintances…
can’t be on your friends list)
5. Ask the question, “Would my spouse be okay with this message, email or post?”
6. Openness and honesty (Know your struggles)
7. Delete your account

There are many different ways to minimize the risk and not allow a hint of inappropriate behavior to step into your marriage.

Where is Vision Birthed?

2010-12-31T14:31:00.000-08:00

There are moments when God arrests your thoughts with visions of what could be if he made it so and if we let him work through our lives. And then there are equally powerful moments of vision where our wishes arrest our thoughts with images of what could be if we made it so. The important thing is to know which is God and which is us. Because even good things may not be God things. Where is vision birthed? So for 2011 determine to dream God's dream for your life!

Don't Let Fears Overtake Your Heart.

2010-12-31T14:28:00.000-08:00

Here are some simple but powerful verses that I encourage you to read each day if you are going through a time of fear. They will powerfully change your thought life.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Psalm 46:1-3,7

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Tim 1:7 (AMP)

I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8 (AMP)

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). Psalm 55:22 (AMP)

He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved. Psalm 62:6 (AMP)

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)

The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 (AMP)

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

aaaaaaah....Feel Better?

Make a Budget for 2011

2010-11-27T15:14:00.000-08:00

We've been going through a series of messages called "Hollywood Habits" and it has been great to hear of people cutting up credit cards and committing to giving and seeing God provide jobs. So I thought I would help keep the good things going by providing a link to a very simple budget planning tool on DaveRamsey dot come. This will only take about a minute to fill out and will give you a very rough draft of where your finances are. Have fun!

http://www.daveramsey.com/tools/budget-lite/

What A Day!

2010-10-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Gabriel, our youngest turned four today and my brothers, nieces and nephews all celebrated at our house after church with cupcakes and Papa Murphy's pizza. I just loved sitting back and watching the 14 nieces and nephews act crazy and have fun together. They always put on a play at some point in the day. We are never quite sure when it's done because they are very ad lib but when the adults are done we begin clapping and cheering so that they will take a bow and exit the stage. But I love Sunday afternoons with my family. We were all at church together and then spent the afternoon together. This is my idea of a fantastic day. Great church, Great family and now kids in bed and time to chill for the evening.

Hope you are finding ways to love the one life God has given you to live. Don't let it pass you by. Jesus said in John 10:10, "My purpose is to give them a rich an satisfying life." We were created like God to experience joy and it's what we will do for all eternity in heaven so brush up on your joyfulness this week. Set a few cares aside and savor the good in today.

I Love Grass!!

2010-10-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

There, I said it. The sun killed my grass, the grubs ate it, the weeds destroyed it and I had patches all over my front yard. So I mowed, verticut, mowed again, killed grubs, seeded, fertilized and watered regularly and I have grass. I conquered and I make my wife admire my grass with me every other day. It's small and thin but it's grass and I grew it. Well God grew it, but I helped. I won't let my kids out on my front lawn so what fun is grass if you can't play on it? Well here's my philosophy the front lawn is for show (until I get bored with growing grass) the back lawn is for play. Which is exactly what we did last night, all 6 of us played freeze tag forever. I am really out of shape, well sort of.

by next summer the grass will have been played on and weeds and bugs are going to destroy more patches, and I will still be battling to keep my grass.

Stuff keeps coming at me spiritually as well. I can't keep the bugs weeds and traffic off of my heart. I'm going to keep having worn out patches that have to be cared for. I will be killing off grubs in my thinking for the rest of my life. But one thing is for sure I can't quit growing spiritually or the weeds and grubs and traffic with kill the life off inside of me.

Your Biggest Impact

2010-10-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

We tend to always want to shore up our weeknesses and this is a great approach when it comes to sinful areas of our lives. But when it comes to talents we should focus on our strengths it is the place where we will have the most impact. Who cares is Picasso was a horrible cook he was an amazing artist and that is what he will always be remembered for. There's a lot of things that you and I will never master but what's the one thing that you could really be good at and make impact with? Make that your focus and you will be happier and accomplish far more than if you try to be well rounded. Lead from your strengths.

Great First Week at our New Location!

2010-09-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

We finally have a permanent place to meet for Sunday services, Awana, Youth, offices and other activities and our first week was amazing. Our one hitch was that the air was out in the kids wing. It's now fixed. But it is a great environment for worship and hanging out and in a great location. For those that missed week one we are at 1499 SW Market St. in Lee's Summit, 64082. Over 500 people showed up for church and many faces we had not seen in a while were back along with several new families.

Small groups are off to a great start and it's going to be a great fall. God has a big plan for Eagle Creek Church and we are going to keep pursuing the dream of reaching people who are far from Christ and seeing them experience real life change. We are still working to raise the money to buy the lit sign. It will cost us about $6000 so if you can help us get there it would be great. Thousands of people drive past it everyday on 291 south and we believe it will be a great outreach tool.

We will see you on Sunday as we continue our "Lies We Believe" Series. This week is about lies we believe about ourselves, should be really insightful and challenging.

Halfway There!!

2010-09-04T17:10:00.001-07:00

This has been a long week of working on our new church building at 1499 SW Market. We will be having our first service there on September 12th at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. From Monday through Saturday we have had people out donating their valuable time and skills to make this a great place of Eagle Creek Church to meet and grow. I am sore and worn out from nonstop sanding painting and building but I am even more excited about a church home.

Will you come out Monday September 6th and help us paint sweep up the parking lot? We need everyone to help for this last push. We should be getting chairs by Tuesday or Wednesday so we want to have the painting done by then. Also, if you could bring a broom, and dust pan or shovel to help remove all the loose gravel that would be great. See everyone tomorrow for our last day as a portable church.

New Long Term Church Building!!!!!!

2010-09-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

WE FINALLY have a place where we can hang our hat for the next several years until we buy or build. We have a lease agreement on a beautiful Church facility at 1499 SW Market St. in Lee's Summit, MO 64081. We will have our offices, Services, Mid-week kids and youth and essentially all other church activities there. We will be moving in on September 12th with two services at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Stop in we are doing some final touches but this is an incredibly blessing to our church. Can't wait for our first Sunday!!!!!!!!!

Can't Wait for Sunday

2010-08-27T20:41:00.001-07:00

Ok, many of you have heard the news others haven't, but this Sunday is a really great Sunday because of what I get to announce. If you know, then you are probably excited with the rest of us. If you don't we will have show and tell this Sunday. Don't forget 2 services starting Sept. 12th at 9:30 and 11:00.

My First Day of Vacation

2010-07-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sheri and I and the kids went on vacation last week to St. Louis. We were hauling a pop-up camper and the alternator broke on the van in Columbia and the battery went dead. We got jump started and managed to get to a shop to get it fixed. An hour and a half later as we were leaving we blew out the tire on the trailer before we got out of the parking lot. Finally we were back on the road and 30 miles down the highway our muffler began to drag. So we stopped at 4 different shops in 3 different small towns before we found a really nice guy in Montgomery, MO who took care of the problem. The kids did great the whole time and we made an adventure of the ordeal hiking down the railroad tracks by the shop and finding cool rocks until the muffler was fixed.

When we arrived at our camp ground many ours after we intended, it had just rained and lighting the fire took forever. As I was cooking one of the kids hot dogs on a metal skewer I heated it to nearly red hot and then inadvertently grabbed it to check the hot dogs, bad move. 9 days later the lines from the burns have mostly faded. About 20 minutes later I knelt to check something on the grill and placed my shin accidentally on the grill grate and cooked my shin. To top it all off, I contracted an awful case of poison ivy on one of my arms and in an ear on the same day. It felt like the Chevy Chase Vacation movie.

Finally, I just laughed and told Sheri I better get to bed before anything else could happen to me. I was pretty confident that if I just laid still and closed my eyes I would probably be OK. I was wondering if God was trying to say something. I still don't know the answer but It certainly made the vacation memorable. The rest of the vacation was great but I am happy to be home.

Cults of Lee's Summit

2010-07-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

Starting this Sunday, July 11th, I will begin a series of 3 messages called "The Cults of Lee's Summit." I'm taking on this topic because recently it has come to my attention that cults have been actively recruiting in our community.

They use deceptive techniques to recruit Christians to join their groups. The three cult groups that seem to have the greatest impact in Lee's Summit are The Mormons, The Jehovah's Witnesses and The Unitarians.

Many of them are very nice and sincere and really believe their cult founder's teachings wholeheartedly. However, nice and sincere and calling yourself a Christian is not how God defines what being a true Christian is.

The goal is not to bash any group but to give you the tools to defend your Christian faith against these cult teachings. So make sure you are here for "The Cults of Lee's Summit" Series on July 11th, 18th, and 25th.

If you have friends or family that need to hear this series be sure and bring them.

Eagle Creek ChurchMeeting at Lee's Summit West High School
10:00 A.M. Sunday Mornings
www.eaglecreekchurch.com

Focus on Your Strengths

2010-05-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

It is consistently our habit to focus on our weaknesses. We all have a million things that we are no good at and only 2-5 where we really excel. In order for us to do something great that really matters in life we will do it with focusing on our strengths, not focusing on our weaknesses.

The time to focus on your weaknesses is when they are crippling your strengths from coming out. Disclaimer: I am not talking about moral weaknesses. We have to deal with those. I am talking about things we are no good at.

So what are you good at? What is your strength? Do you help people from different backgrounds to understand each other more. Are you the one who notices the details that no one else sees. Are you the positive one that sees how everyone is gifted and contributes to the whole? Then become all that God made you to be. Focus on your strengths.

Baptism Sunday!

2010-05-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for this Sunday. This is going to be a first for us and for me. We have had baptisms many times before, but not with 24 signed up and not with the opportunity for many more to spontaneously come forward at the end of service to be baptized. Be praying for this service. I will blog back next week about the service. Can't wait to see what God does in lives this weekend!

PARENTING THOUGHTS

2010-03-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

Kids need to know how a home operates to feel safe and secure. What are the values my parents expect me to live by? HERE ARE 4 OF OUR TOP VALUES FOR A SUCCESSFUL LIFE
1. THE VALUE OF INITIATIVE- Initiative is what helps us make things happen. Initiative is what gets you off your duff and gets you moving. It’s about learning to let go of the fear of failure and try. Because the alternative ― staying where you are and feeling depressed about your lack of progress ― is far worse. Passive kids grow up to be easily controlled and influenced by others because they don’t want the fight. They make great victims in relationships. A great Biblical Example of this is the Parable of the Talents. The master was mad at the servants because they did not use what they were given. Teach your child to use the abilities God gave them to live to their maximum potential. Help your kids learn the value of taking initiative!!!
2. THE VALUE OF SPIRITUALITY The responsibility for raising spiritual champions, according to the Bible, belongs to parents. Deuteronomy 6:5-7, “5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
3. THE VALUE OF RESPECT Proverbs 13:3, “Those who respect a command will succeed.” 1 Peter 2:17, “Show proper respect to everyone." Respect for others isn’t a side note in life; it is the core of all successful relationships, so bless them with the ability to build strong relationships with God and others by teaching them today how to respect you. It's up to us to teach our kids how to show respect to us as parents, and also to the world around them.
4. THE VALUE OF RESPONSIBILITY Responsibility is so important!!! Without it, how can you hold down a job, how can you be a good spouse or parent, how can you accomplish great things in life. Kids love to hand their problems, mistakes, and crises to their parents. Their approach is, “My life is my parents’ problem. They’ll take care of things for me. My job is simply to make sure I get them to clean up my messes in life.” Our job as parents is to transform the child’s thinking to “Yikes, my life is my problem.” Galatians 5:6 “Each one must carry his own load.” Luke 9:23 “Take up your cross daily and follow me.” When should a parent turn authority over to a child? When the child stops reaching for authority and reaches for responsibility, and not before.

Moving To Lee's Summit West High School

2010-01-07T07:22:00.002-08:00

This Sunday, January 10th we will have one service at 10:00 a.m. at Lee's Summit West High School. I'm really excited about this change. There is really no substantially bigger auditorium we can move to in Lees Summit. The other two public high schools have only slightly bigger auditoriums. I think it's going to be a lot of fun to have everyone in one service for a while. We are able to really minister to many more families and singles from this location and I feel like our kids ministries will rock here. Anyway can't wait to see all of you Sunday. I sense God is getting ready to do something significant in each of us spiritually this year and through us to bring that same significant work to so many other lives this year.

2010-01-07T07:22:00.001-08:00

Balance Point on Peace

2009-12-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

Sunday I talked about how peace comes from knowing God and Is a gift given from God. There is more to the story however. Can you just live like the devil and ask God for peace and everything is OK? As a rule "NO"

Isaiah 32:17-18, says, "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest." -God brings internal peace to the righteous.

I believe that a life controlled by sin can't experience continued peace because their heart is always anxious and troubled. But the life controlled by God walks in peace. Romans 8:6, "The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace"

Once we tell God, he can have control of our life, there will be war until he has the control we have promised to give him. But once he has won the war for our heart, we will begin to experience the peace that God wants us to live in.

Proverbs 16:7, "When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him."

We Can't Impose Our Morals On Others?

2009-12-03T07:09:00.000-08:00

I've read that "Each person has to do what they believe is right". We can't impose our morals on others. The problem with believing this is that no one really believes this. All of us want to impose our morals on others and believe others should listen to us.

For instance how many of you think that your moral value of not exterminating the Jews should have been imposed on Hitler? Or how many of you think that your moral value of not killing innocent woman and children is superior to the moral standard that the 911 terrorist lived by? Or your moral value of human rights is superior to the human sex traffickers moral values in Thailand.

What makes one set of moral values superior to another. Some people say its the morals that society and the majority agree on that we should live by. If that is the case then we should lay off of women's rights as a moral issue because in most societies throughout history women have been marginalized. And we should not condemn the Nazis because what they did to the Jews seemed advantageous to their race. And slavery has been accepted as a moral practice by societies through time. If the will of the majority in a society determines morality, God help us all from ever being the minority. This is simply those with power exerting their will on those without. It is the morality of natural selection.

Something bigger than any earthly origin determines individual human dignity and thus the value of respectful treatment of one another is established. If there is no final authority on morality that compels us to live up to his standards then we should feel free to live as amorally as wild animals because nothing matters ultimately after this life unless there is a God that it matters to.

If we are being good and there is no God what's the point. Some say we should live morally for the good of the human race. If you don't believe in God then why does the human race matter? We are just a cosmic anomaly sandwiched between eons of endless time. It will all be over and forgotten and won't matter 3 trillion years from now. Why not do as you please.

Morality only matters if it matters to God. That is why we are each compelled in our heart to live by a standard that we often would not choose for ourselves but feel imposed on us even when no one is watching, because we know God is watching and it matters to him forever.

Woman calls 911 to report herself drunk

2009-11-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

(AP) – 2 days ago
NEILSVILLE, Wis. — The call came into the 911 dispatcher: "I don't want to hurt anybody. I'm drunk." And with that, Mary Strey, 49, of Granton, reported herself as a drunken driver about three miles northeast of Neilsville in central Wisconsin.
Clark County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Jim Backus said Monday that Strey's call on Oct. 24 led deputies to cite her for misdemeanor drunken driving with a blood-alcohol level double the legal limit to drive. She makes her first court appearance Dec. 10.
Backus said drunken drivers reporting themselves is rare.
In the 911 call, Strey said she wanted to report a drunken driver and the dispatcher asked if she was behind the suspect vehicle. "I am them," Strey said. She then followed the dispatcher's advice to pull over and turn on her flashers, telling him she had been "drinking all night long."

You've got to love the fact that she confessed her own sins before she hurt anyone. Dumb to get drunk and drive, smart to call herself in. Wouldn't it be great if we were smart enough to call our sin into a friend before we hurt people. To get some help before we cause emotional injury.

I'm Back

2009-11-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

I've made it my goal to blog at least once a week. We've been a little pre-occupied with our adoption, 3 other children and our "Go Big" emphasis at church. But I really want to keep in touch with everyone on a more personal level. As the church grows I want to let you in a little on our lives and the things that I feel I'm learning or just find interesting.

Interesting Note About Muslim Population

2009-11-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

Global Muslim Population Rising
The global Muslim population now stands at 1.57 billion, which is almost 25% of the world’s population. Islam is practiced in 232 countries and territories and is the world’s second largest religion behind Christianity, which has between 2.1 and 2.2 billion followers. There are roughly 2.3 million Muslims in the U.S. making up 0.8% of the population.

While the population isn't all that high in the U.S. It certainly gives us a reason to pray for missionaries around the world that are reaching out with God's hope to Muslims.

Bright Hope School

2009-09-22T13:05:00.001-07:00

Eagle Creek Church is supporting the Bright Hope School Project. In one of the poorest communities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia a public School works with over 2000 children each day trying to educate children suffering from dysentery and parasites. The school administrator, parent teacher association director and most of the the teachers are devout Christians trying to feed as many children as they can from their own salaries. Only 160 can be fed of the 2000. They are also teaching them God's word and raising the next generation of Christian Leaders because the Government is glad to have anyone who will go in to this area to help. Here are some pictures of the school. Here's Sheri and Gabriel and me at the school.

Thanks for the Gifts!

2009-09-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

I heard that the staff and the church decided to throw us a baby shower to help us with the cost of adoption. I am blown away that so many of you care so much and are helping us out in this way. We are trully blessed to be part of such a great church family. Thanks from the Harris Family.

We're Home!

2009-09-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

What an amazing, memorable, exhausting week and so much more. But the important thing is that we are home with Gabriel and he likes us and we like him. There's to much to say about the trip in one post so I will try to post or have Sheri post about memorable moments for a week or so. We will also try to get some pictures up on here.

Travel Plans

2009-09-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

We are heading to Ethiopia Sunday evening, Sept. 13th and will arrive on Tuesday the 15th. On Thurday we have our U.S. Embassy appointment. We will be back home one Wednesday Sept. 23rd. We can't wait to go get our boy. We just got some new pictures.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-09-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of funny about my birthdays. I called my brothers on my birthday to ask them about a few things. Like how to cook a good pork chop on the grill (Paul's the Expert). About a big date(Steve's the Bachelor) and a stray piece of mail for John. None of them remembered it was my birthday during the call. I didn't care, I forget theirs to, I now have one free pass to forget theirs some other year. I may even need to use it this year. But I always tell them to wish me a "happy birthday" so they won't remember the next day and beat themselves up over forgetting.

My best telling of my birthday this year was with Steve. I asked him if he had seen in the paper what had happened 42 years ago this day in history. I loved it when he said he had no idea.

Also a family member sent me a birthday card and at the end of her note, knowing that Sheri and I are heading to Ethiopia on the 13th of September to bring our adopted son home said,
"May the journey be a safe one for Sheri"
That was the best laugh I've had at a card in a while. So Happy Birthday to me.

Peter Pan Syndrome

2009-09-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

I read and interesting article about how boys are growing up with so little challenge and responsibility in life that in their 20's and even into their 30's they are not pursuing life. Little girls are being told "You are going to achieve great things" because women are equals now in the work place and so our girls leave home with an anticipation of doing something. But boys hear little besides be nice and sensitive. That message doesn't motivate them to do anything. Thus the term "Peter Pan Syndrome"

Calling all Dad's don't be afraid to make a man out of your boy by challenging him to work hard and have realistically high expectations of himself. Teach him he can accomplish things of great value and that life wasn't meant to be lived on the couch but on your feet.

Name: Gabriel Thomas Harris

2009-08-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

Another parent that just got back from Ethiopia spent time with our son at the transistion home while she was there to pick up her child. Our boy is 2 1/2 years old. He came up the the lady and called her mommy and got her to come look at the number 8 he had drawn in chalk on the ground and wanted her to be proud of him. They also said that he is into cars and chewing gum. On day when the came he was in a suit jacket and sweats, the other day he was in a fancy sweater. The husband said he was a dapper boy. They also said he was smiley not serious like he looks in the pictures. We can't wait to get there. Heres a more recent picture of him.

WE PASSED COURT

2009-08-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Good news. We passed court in Ethiopia today, and now legally have a new son. We will be traveling on September 13th to go pick him up. Thanks to all of you who have been praying. It's been a long road, but we are one step closer!!!

Turns Out, We didn't pass court.

2009-07-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

It seems that everything that can go wrong with our adoption case has gone wrong so far. The Judge told our agency that we had cleared court but when they went to pick up the paperwork today he said upon further review there was still a missing portion of the case that had to be provided by the Orphanage director where he was dropped off.

His birth mother came to court to give up custody but she was not heard because other paperwork was missing the first time in court. Now she will have to appear on August 9th to relinquish her parental rights again. Doubly tough on everyone involved.

We just have to leave it in God's hands at this point and trust him to take care of everything at this point. The frustrations have been so constant with adoption that they faze us far less now. God is teaching us patience whether we want to learn it or not. Keep praying, we are not devastated or depressed just a bit anxious to see things move forward.

We Passed Court!

2009-07-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

That means that the child we have been hoping to adopt is as of today legally our son in by Ethiopian law. We now only need a visa appointment with the U.S. Embasy to go over and bring him back home. The date will probably be August 20th for our Visa date.

His Ethiopian name is Besufekad Desta. We will give him an amercian name when we come back to the states with him. He is two and a half years old. We can't wait to get there and be mom and dad. Honestly we are incredibly relieved to have passed court and to legally be his parents. Our hearts were very invested in this little guy.

Can't wait to have him back and have everyone meet him. He's not real happy having his picture taken but they said when they weren't taking his picture he was running around smiling and playing but that he is a little shy.

The Problem with legalizing Gay Marriage

2009-07-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

We are headed into moral chaos as a nation concerning marriage.

If the state must recognize a marriage of two men simply because they love one another, what reason would it have to deny marriage to a group of 4 men, or 2 ladies and a man for example, or a sterile brother and sister who claim to love each other? Homosexual activists protest that they only want all couples treated equally. But why is sexual love between two people more worthy of state sanction than love between three, or five?

So love, while it sounds like the best and most noble reason to grant a marriage licence is an extremely flawed basis for granting legal recognition for marriage.

Whether you are an evolutionist or a creationist the obvious function of marriage between one man and one woman is procreation. The intelligent thing for law makers is to align laws to make sense with either the laws of God or the laws of nature, these laws have succeeded and will succeed long after each of our laws are laid to rest. Marriage between anything other than one man and one woman doesn't make sense by the laws of God or the laws of nature.

If sexual love becomes the primary purpose for marriage in the eyes of legislators rather than procreation, the restriction of marriage to heterosexual couples loses its logical basis, leading to marital chaos. It’s the logical progression of where we’re headed.

WHY AM I ADDRESSING THIS? Because as a pastor of a church that believes the bible through and through and believes that it makes more sense for everyday living I want to challenge us to buy what God says about life and Marriage rather than buy hook line and sinker beliefs that are counter biblical and destructive to families and society. So I will start blogging more on these moral issues. My goal is not to pastor a church of moral elitist, but biblical moral realist.

Update one the Bright Hope Project

2009-06-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

(I received this e-mail today about the Bright Hope Project)
"This morning, Sharon Turner of Children's Hope, gave me an update on the Bright Hope School Project following her return from a trip to Ethiopia. Her shocked first impression began as she and Tsegay drove into the western edge of Addis Ababa. She said as they entered the area, she had a hard time grasping how people could live in the conditions that she was seeing. It was horrific. The community around Bright Hope is where the poorest of the poor live. As Sharon told me,"this is where the 'throw aways' are put"; the blind, the disabled, those with leprosy and of course, many who are dying from AIDS. She reported that the roads getting to the school were hardly roads,"it was like driving on boulders". The community is extremely appreciative of the Bright Hope Garden project because everyone else has been repulsed by the conditions and turned away. Many have visited in the past and never returned to help. But you didn't see 'throw aways', you saw God's children who were in great need. You saw the suffering, and did not turn away. " We are demonstrating God's love by creating a Garden of Hope with hens, roosters, eggs, little chicks, freshly grown lettuce, asparagus, potatoes and tomatoes. How exciting that we can be a part of this transformation.

Now the Update:
As Tsegay has been reporting, we are still waiting for the final government approval. Sharon says during her visit, Tsegay had to meet again with two different government departments to help clarify the project for them. One government official was concerned about possibility of child labor issues if the students worked the garden. Tsegay had to show him how it is detailed in the project proposal that the project provides for the hiring of several adults, within the community, who would do the bulk of the gardening and raising the chickens. The children would only be working in the garden in short shifts to learn skills. He then had to meet with the department of agriculture, at the school, to address their issues with the placement of the water well. The boring was to be at the bottom of the slight grade, where the garden would be prepared. Their advice was to have it placed at the top of the hill, away from run-off. (Good advice I thought. We will have to bore deeper but it will be safer)
Tsegay restated to Sharon that the government officials are all very impressed with the project.

So with these regulatory issues hopefully resolved, it finally appears we may be through the final hurdle to begin the drilling. Now again, we are working on Ethiopian Time which means we may have further delays."

Waiting Again

2009-06-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

WAITING AGAIN!!!
Will this ever end. We didn't pass court on June 5th because there was 1 piece of paper missing from the orphanage. Then, on Friday, June 26th we were supposed to go to court again and they couldn't see our case because the power went out in the capital city. So, they postponed our case until today, June 29th. And here we sit. The courts have long since closed, we should know whether or not we passed, but we cannot find out, because once again, the power is out. So, we cannot find out what happened. We can't communicate with anyone in Ethiopia. So, here we sit again......WAITING.....seems like the waiting will never, ever end!!!! But, we trust in God. Some day this month will be just a bunch of memories, and we pray we will be sitting and enjoying our new son.We'll let everyone know as soon as we have some news.

Sheri's Post

Adoption Court News

2009-06-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

We got the call yesterday that our adoption case had been heard in Ethiopian court. There was a missing document that the Catholic Orphanage in Ethiopia was supposed to have shown up with so our court date was moved to June 26th and our travel date to July 20th. Frustrating but we have been warned that these kind of hang-ups occur in adoption. So we trust Gods timing in all of this and will leave the timing to him. Today we are refinishing a toddler bed that Sheri and her mom picked up at one of Greenwoods garage sales. So we will keep ourselves busy preparing for our son to come home.

Court Date for Adoption

2009-06-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

This Friday is our court date in Ethiopia for the adoption of our son from there. If everything goes well we will be awarded custody in Ethiopia of our son and then be able to show everyone pictures of him because he will legally be ours under Ethiopian law. So pray that everything goes well this Friday. I'll blog as soon as I know and get a picture of our son up for everyone to see.

After court we should recieve our visa court date and make plans to travel to Ethiopia probably by the end of June. Then we will have to do the U.S. Adoption when we get back. I'll be back in touch Friday or Saturday.

Dealing with Hurts at a Heart Level

2009-04-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

Hurts must be dealt with in two ways, Internally and Externally, or the heart level and the relational level. In tomorrow's sermon, "Six Toxic Emotions - HURT" we are going to focus on how we deal with those who hurt us but before we do I wanted to give I of the main ways I believe we can get over hurts at the heart level.

Romans 8:31, " If God is for us, who can be against us? 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither 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."

There is a closeness and an intimacy that you can have in your daily realtionship with Christ that gives you a total sense of safety and security when you go out and face tough situations and tough people that could bring hurt to your life.

Hebrews 13:5, " God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

C.S. Lewis, “ Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.”

Grab hold of this unshakeable confidence in Christ to heal you from past hurts and fortify your heart against future attacks.

We Can Make a Difference

2009-04-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

As a church we are launching out all across our community serving people. People are doing things like bringing carnations to the residence of a senior adults center, planning a baby shower for an unwed mother, collecting supplies for the City Union Mission, fixing up and elderly couples home and more. For some this would just be a bunch of do-gooder projects but the truth is that for the person receiving it is much more. Simple acts of service are often the moment that they remember that there is a God who cares about their big and small daily needs. We handed a flower, they received God's love. It's amazing how big a small thing becomes in God's hands. So lets make a difference together this month.

Big Adoption News!

2009-04-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

Sheri and I have been in the process of adopting a baby boy from Ethiopia since February 2008. This past Thursday we received a call from our adoption agency that a two and a half year old boy had been referred to us. We received pictures and medical records, had a chance to review everything and then said "YES we want to adopt him!" When I saw him for the first time, I could picture being his dad and Sheri being his mom. He's three years younger than our youngest so he will still be part of the crew.

Now we have to wait for a court date in Ethiopia which could take 8 weeks. Once the Ethiopian court awards us custody Sheri and I will get our visa and travel to Ethiopia for a week to get to know our son, take care of some immigration issues and them head back to the U.S. where our other three will be anxiously awaiting with their grandparents.

Tricyle Racing

2009-03-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

I am writing this blog just to brag. At this years "Amazing Race" with all our Small Groups, yours trully won the tricylce race against some stiff competition. I don't know if that is something to be bragging about. We had a blast as all our small groups competed in crazy competitions just for fun.

If you are not in a Small Group, it is so important to get connected and make some great friends. As our church continues to grow Small Groups is the key to great friendships at Eagle Creek Chruch. We still have 4 weeks left of the Spring Semester Small Groups and then we will start the Summer semester in June.

What Matters Most to Kids

2009-02-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

Sheri was asking the kids yesterday what there favorite family memory was. Evan quickly said, "Going to Oceans of Fun" Adysen said, "Anytime Grandma and Grandpa are with us" Emmerson started remembering family trips. But what it really came down to across the board was undivided time with family. Where we are away from distractions and just focused on doing something together. It made Sheri and I want to make sure they have plenty of those memories to carry them through life.

One of the big questions for us is, "what will our kids remember and what do we want them to remember. This summer is our all family canoe trip for Mom's 70th and hopefully some camping and maybe a Spring Break outing. We won't spend a ton of money but we will make some great memories.

Make a memory with someone you love.

Adoption Update January 28, 2009

2009-01-28T12:33:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know Sheri and I are in the process of adopting a baby boy. Monday 11 referrals were given out for children 5 boys and 6 girls between 3 weeks old and 5 months old. Which dropped us on the overall list from number 40 in waiting to number 29 and from about 9th in line for a baby boy to about 4th. Great Progress!

The way it works is we have told them that we want to adopt a baby boy up to 12 months old. When they get to us in the order in which we turned in our paperwork they will refer a child to us. Which means they will e-mail us a picture of the baby and a brief history for us to review we then have the opportunity to accept of reject. (WE ACCEPT) And then we will apply for a visa to travel, buy our tickets and get our court date. This takes about 4 months. Then we will travel to Ethiopia for a week and bring our little boy back home. We are continuing to get more excited as we get closer. Keep our baby boy in prayer for enough love and nutrition in until we get there.

Where is Hell Located?

2009-01-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

Actually, the Bible does not tell us where Hell is located. In 2 Pet. 2:4, the statement, “cast them into hell,” has been translated by some as “cast down to hell,” but the Greek actually means, “cast into tartarus,” a place of torment and confinement. Others try to use Eph. 4:9, “(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?” to indicate that hell was in the center of the earth, but this passage is much more likely talking about the grave, not hell.

To get really deep, about all we can know is that hell is somewhere. Maybe down or up or in another dimension. Now how many of you always assumed hell was down because Heaven was up? The location of hell, although interesting food for thought, really doesn't matter because its location is less important than its purpose.

Life After Death

2009-01-28T11:38:00.000-08:00

Daniel Meyers speaks about a book written by a cardiologist at the University of Tennessee that corroborates an important aspect of the biblical message. In the course of their emergency room work, Dr. Maurice Rawlings and his colleagues interviewed more than 300 people who claimed near-death experiences. What made Rawlings’ study distinct is that the interviews were not conducted months or years later but immediately after the experiences had allegedly occurred—while the patients were still too shaken up in the immediacy of the moment to gloss over or to re-imagine what they had experienced. Nearly 50 percent of them reported encountering images of fire, of tormented and tormenting creatures, and other sights hailing from a place very different from heaven. In follow-up interviews much later many of these same people had changed their stories, apparently unwilling to admit to their families, maybe even to themselves, that they had caught a glimpse of something like what the Bible calls hell. Dr. Rawlings concludes, "Just listening to these patients has changed my life. There is a life after death, and if I don’t know where I’m going, it is not safe to die."

What kind of bodies will we have in heaven?

2009-01-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

We won't be a bunch of Ghost drifting around up on the clouds. We'll have a different body than the one we have here on Earth. One that is like Jesus resurrected body.

1 Corinthians 15:49-50, "49 Just as we are now like the earthly man,(Adam) we will someday be like the heavenly man.(Jesus) 50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever."

2 Corinthians 5:1-4, " 1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life."

"We will not be spirits without bodies" What was Jesus resurrected body like? He ate food, appeared and disappeared to people, flew into Heaven, his disciples were able to touch him. This probably just begins to describe what our eternal physical/spiritual bodies will be like, but boy won't it be fun to take them for a test drive. I'm hoping for some planetary tours and maybe a lesson on stars up close and personal. I would like to have as much energy as my kids. I can only imagine.

The Problem with Skipping Church.

2009-01-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

We are at the first of the year and this is a time when gyms see so many people back and so do churches. The reason is related to my previous post. We make healthy decisions for our physical lives and spiritual lives. However about March for any number of reasons we start taking breaks on Sundays. And you and I know that once you take a break it is really hard to get back into the habbit again. So we are gone for months.

This is why I'm concerned. Just like your body goes down the tubes when you quit eating right and exercising, spiritually your life begins to dry up when you are not consistently in Church. We all have work out equiptment that we could use at home and a block we could walk about but when we are around other people consistently that want to get in shape we actually stick with it. And when we are consistently around other Christians that want to get in shape we actually keep growing spiritually. So make it from January to December this year on your spiritual plan. Stay connected and stay growing.

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

I read that 60% of people keep there highest priority New Years resolution so I made one this year. I considered losing 10 lbs and saving and giving more. But I landed on moving my devotional time home from the office and to earlier in the morning. I also added losing the lbs. and saving more but they are second and third.

I like goals because the old saying is true, "If you aim at nothing you are sure to hit it." So what are you aiming at this year. Do you have goals for your children, marriage, spiritual life. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

Take your goals and commit them to God and this will be a great year.

Our Jerusalem

2008-11-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

When Jesus sent his followers out to reach the world after his Resurrection from the dead he told them in Acts 1:8, "8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The two keys here are where and when. The were to start at Jerusalem. The concept is to start where you live. For many people the toughest place for many people to be a Christian is in their own home. They get calloused and oblivious to the needs of those closest. We have to become tender enough in our hearts to see the needs of those living next door to our church.

A newer pastor told me recently about going to a church that was located adjacent to a very needy area but the church had never done any thing to reach out. He said that things were changing and that the were now going to be active participants in bringing hope to these people.

Wherever Eagle Creek Church is as a church we will reach out to our Jerusalem to extend God's love in practical ways, not in theory but in practice.

The Least of These

2008-11-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

What part of my life will Jesus be most interested in when I get to heaven? It won't be my kids or retirement plans or summer vacation or Christmas plans, or career path, all the things that capture our daily thoughts. It will be, "Did I love God and did I love people" and then he will look for the evidence of of that love. Was my love only an inner, "in theory" love or was it a love big enough to change the course and actions of my life. A love that is to small to change our life in any perceivable way is an interest not a love.

I think Jesus expresses the depth of what he is looking for in:
Matthew 25:37-45, "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

How is our love for God and others changing the daily way we act towards those in need.
This is love.

Politics and Religion

2008-09-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year when I get lots of emails about different candidates. I've just read several and watched several videos. I actually planned to major in political science my second year of college and left Bible College for CMSU and then made the switch back to Bible College when I realized I was running from God.

I am not very cynical when it comes to politics. I know there are a lot of lies being told by candidates and political tricks being played out by both sides but I guess I am on the optimistic side of realism. I still believe that there are good people with good ideas that I would love to see in office with the chance to make a change.

However, Our answers are found in God and not in this piece of legislation or that court decision, so even when government fails, for me God's bigger picture for me, my family and mankind is still very much intact. I think some people believe the world is going to come to an end if their guy doesn't get elected. I don't think God is as worried as we are.

All of this said I really want (.................. ) and (................. ) to win.

Why Ethiopia

2008-09-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

We felt that we could love a child from anywhere in the world so we wanted to adopt a child that most needed a family. But every child without a mom and dad to love them needs a home. Ethiopia jumped out to our hearts for three reasons. Sheri had worked providing childcare in high school for an Ethiopian Conference in Naperville, IL and loved the people. Sheri's brother Greg has three adopted children from Liberia in Africa and also there are nearly 4 million orphans in Ethiopia. Ethiopia grabbed our heart and now we can't wait to see our little baby for the first time. That will be an amazing moment. Here's a short video of one of those amazing moments.

http://www.kristinjphotography.com/Slideshows/Day4_Slideshow/Ethiopia_Day4/

Adoption Update

2008-09-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sheri and I are in the process of adopting a child from Ethiopia. It seems like it is taking forever but patience is part of the process. Two more children were referred by our adoption agency this week. Congratulations to the families, sometime this year we will be receiving the congrats but until then we get to be happy for the other adoptive families.

We are adopting a baby boy between o and 12 months. When we receive the referral we will have about 5 weeks before we are able to fly to Ethiopia to pick up our son. We don't have a name yet and are open to ideas. Some name ideas are Isaiah, Zion, Micah. Our other children are Evan, Emmerson, Adysen so we have to find a name that fits.

The courts are closed in Ethiopia until October 6th. At that time they will begin to give many more referrals than they are presently and it will be great to see things moving along.

Recess Relationships

2008-08-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

Something I don't get, maybe because I've been in church all my life, is not connecting at church and making friends. I know meeting new people and making new friends is work. We keep asking our kids each day after school, "Who did you play with at recess? Who did you sit by at lunch? Are they your friend?" We keep doing that because having a friend at school is healthy and makes lunch and recess and the rest of the day a lot more fun.

To me having a friend at the church where you attend makes attending a lot more fun. You have someone to look forward to seeing, someone to get lunch with sometimes, someone to save you a seat and now and then someone to share some exciting news with or to ask to pray for you. But most nomal churches don't have an assigned buddy system so you kind of have to go make those friends. I'm more convinced than ever that Small Groups is the way to do it. Some people are great at getting out of their comfort zone in a big crowd and meeting lots of people, but not most of us. We would rather meet people in a smaller setting where we can have a real conversation maybe at someone's house with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cookie in the other. That's Small Groups.

Church is a little like class (only more fun), but Small Groups are more like lunch and recesss where you make friends. Don't miss the opportunity.

School Bus Goodbyes

2008-08-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Evan's first day in second grade and Emmersons first day in first grade. People tend to go to the bus stop and take photos and cry over their children growing up. I'm a bit less sentimental and am excited that they conquer each new stage of their development. For some folks each of these big days means they are that much closer to being gone for me I'm always wanting to see how they handle life's next big challenge.

I'm not a big fan of overprotecting kids. I don't want to carry them through life, I want to guide them through life. So my tradition as of this year isn't photos and crying, but to sit each of them on my knee and pray for them before they walk out the door to be all that God has destined them to be, and then kick their little backsides out the door. For those who are more sentimental go ahead and ad the photos and tears.

In our neighborhood all the kids got on the bus without saying goodbye or even looking back over their shoulders at mom and dad. I think it was their way of saying, "I'm a big kid now"

Desert Island Foods

2008-08-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Since this is the first of many posts I thought that it was important that I say something meaning ful and challenging so here it goes. I can't wait for dinner. My 4 brothers and sister and I are all getting together over at Mom's tonight and she's cooking brisket and ribs and cheesy potatoes and I'm in heaven thinking about it. These are my if I was trapped on a desert Island foods. For my daughters Emmy and Adysen, it would be Mac-n-cheese. For my wife, Sheri, it would be anything Italian, for my son Evan it would be anything and everything edible.