My Family at Pastor Appreciation

Today Highland Hope celebrated PASTOR APPRECIATION SUNDAY.
It was a WONDERFUL day.

Old Testament favorites: Gideon

I love the story of Gideon and how he trusted God. Here's some of the Scriptural background found in JUDGES 7:1-11, 13, 15-22.

Gideon Defeats the Midianites Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ “ So twenty-two thousand men left,while ten thousand remained. But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say,‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’he shall not go.” So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths.All the rest got down on their knees to drink. The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place.” So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others… During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up,go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp…. Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream... When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out,“Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. “Watch me,” … When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’” Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow,they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. GOD IS ABLE!

Here are some thing we can face in our lives and learn from the nation of Israel and God's servant Gideon:

ISRAEL WAS OPPRESSED BY MIDIAN BECAUSE THEY HAD DONE “EVIL IN THE EYES OF THE LORD.” (Judges 6:1)

WHAT EVIL HAD THEY DONE?

• THEY WORSHIPED OTHER GODS.
• GOD WAS ABLE TO DO WHAT HE HAD PROMISED TO GIDEON.
• GOD IS ABLE TO DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO.
• WHEN GIDEON TRUSTED THE LORD AND LET GOD WORK, THE ENEMY WAS DEFEATED.
• WHEN WE REALIZE WE CAN'T, WE FINALLY ARE READY TO SEE THAT GOD IS ABLE.

A few questions to ponder...

What sin do you find yourself committing over and over again?

What false gods do you find yourself worshipping?

Do you need to be reminded that God IS faithful?? Has God been somewhat slow answering your prayers? What is God trying to teach you during His silence?

Is there an area in your life where you just can't seem to trust God? Is it in an area of sin you keep failing in?


Respond to some of the questions and let's discuss things!

SPIRITUAL FLATNESS

Tomorrow, Mar 26th, I've been asked to share during POWER HOUR at the High School, below is what I plan to share with the students.

SLOW FADE

Many of the sports we play involve round objects we hit, kick, drive or dribble. A lot of men my age prefer golf. The objective of golf is to a hit a little ball into a little hole from half-way around the world. Personally, I find golf more an exercise in frustration than an enjoyable game.

My personal game of choice is basketball. With basketball, you have a much larger ball, get as close as you want to the hole, and stuff it if you can jump high enough to do so.

This basketball looks normal, but it has developed a problem. It doesn’t bounce like it once did. Instead, it now hits the ground with a big thud. Without a push from an outside source, it is content to sit there. You can’t tell by looking at it, but over time my basketball has gone flat, it's slowly faded in being effective. I can’t name a specific point when it lost its bounce. The problem is the basketball leaks and the solution is quite simple. I simply take out my air pump and periodically refill it.

What is true for this basketball is also true for us as Christians. We all have times when there’s a bounce in our step, but over time something has changed. You probably can’t point to a specific event that you begin to fade and the air went out of your Christian step, but your spiritual life has gone flat. We have the same problem as the basketball -- we leak, we slowly fade in our effectiveness and what we were created for! Mediocrity is rarely the result of a single blowout, but more often it's an unnoticeable slow leak or fade. [show ppt of “Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns]

So how do we get our bounce back into our step? How do we change that dull thud into a high flying bounce? Instead of rolling away from God’s heavenly court, we draw nearer to God and let Him "fill us" with His presence. “Be continually being filled.” (Eph 5:18b). How? By periodically refilling by drawing near to Him, keeping a short list of sins by confessing our sins, through prayer, by studying God’s Word, and by remaining in fellowship.

Growing Deeper,
Pastor Dan

Heavy Heart

My heart is heavy because of the shooting today at Maryville Baptist Church (about 20 min. from Highland). The Rev. Fred Winters (Sr. pastor) died in the shooting.

Following our service today many of our congregation knelt at the altar and wept. We will continue to lift the Winters family and the Maryville Baptist Church in prayer.

Pastor Dan Perry