Free Audio Book

Christian Audio is offering Jonathan Edward's Religious Affections free this month.

I Rejoice in My Scars!!!

I came to saving faith in Jesus Christ in June 1998 after 28 years of living a life of celebratory debauchery. I clearly remember the sensational feeling of the Holy Spirit coming into me and bringing life to my dead soul. The LORD did an amazing work in my life that afternoon and the scales fell off of my eyes and revealed a life to me that was beyond comprehension.

Since that day I have alway rejoiced in my salvation and also grieved and regretted my past life before Christ. The closer I have walked with my LORD the more I have come to understand the great offense my sin was to God and how much that sin damaged my soul. My willful and deliberate sinful living inflicted wounds deep within me.

When Jesus Christ transformed my life he healed my wounds. In fact it is by his own wounds that I am healed! Now when a wound is healed it leaves a scar. Sin has consequences! Sin is forgiven 100% and there are times when we must deal with the consequences that result from various sins we have committed.

For too long I allowed the scars to remind me of my sinful past and the damage that was inflicted upon me as a result. My wounds have been healed, but the scars remain I would lament. I believe that it is healthy to lament over your past sin, but one can easily focus on past sin and the damage it cause rather than the healing that has taken place.

Scars are reminders of wounds, but more than that they are a testimony to the healing that has taken place in our lives. John Ensor in The Great Work of the Gospel, reminds us that...

"We may choose to hide the scars of our past sin in shame and guilt, or bear them graciously as a testimony to the grace of God. The ongoing consequences of some of our sins are not reminders of our sin, they are reminders of the Great Work on our behalf. In this way, our triumph ovr shame is completed. What guilt and shame once used to black mail us into silence, God now uses to make our testimony ring authentic and glad of heart."

My scars testify to the glory of God and the grace of the gospel. They speak of the wonderful healing that God has done in my life. My wounds were so severe that certain death awaited me, but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great live with which he loved me, even when I was dead in my sin, made me alive together with Christ.

I have been rebuked, and rightfully so. Now I will rejoice in my scars. Jesus himself bears scars that testify to the grace of God. I am thankful that the LORD saw fit to reveal the power of the gospel to me in a deeper and more profound way.

Soli Deo Gloria

Sunday Worship

There are many interesting adventures in church planting. In the early stages you do not meet for Sunday worship. The obvious question is: what are we going to do Sunday morning? The answer is we are going to worship somewhere. Where?

That is the question we face again today at the end of our second week in Brainerd/Baxter. Last week we went to Heritage Assembly of God. This week we are going to Staples Alliance, and next week we will go to Lakewood Evangelical Free church.

We are very much looking forward to gathering with the people of God tomorrow to worship. As we go to different worship services in our community we will also seek to learn what the spiritual climate is like. We also hope to connect with local pastors.

We are praying that God will use this time to reveal himself in deeper and more profound ways in our hearts.

Church Planting ~ Livin the Dream Baby!!!

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Why is Dan Rather not considered one of the wisest men in America?

We Made it!

Yes we finally made to to Brainerd/Baxter and have hit the ground running. We moved in last week and spent most of that time unpacking and getting our house in order. We have already had a couple of good opportunities to share the gospel and we have made a lot of connections with people wh0 have shown various levels of interest in being a part of our church plant.

We will be hosting two informational gatherings next week to share the vision for Pointway Church and answer questions people may have about following Christ and planting a church.

Please pray that God would use these gatherings to help us connect with these new friends. Also continue to pray for us that God would open doors for the gospel to go forth.

Free Book.

You can download a copy of John Piper's The Future of Justification here for free! If you don't have time to read the whole book read the intro, ch. 11 and the conclusion.

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Asher and Mommy

Anne says I never put good pictures of her up. I think its safe to say that this is a good one. I finally got it right!

I Challenge You

Mommy and Asher

Asher Doing Some Reading

Asher and Daddy

Asher Chillin Out

We Made It!!!

We finally moved into our apartment in Baxter and are fully engaged in the unpacking process. It is a little scary how good we have gotten at the moving experience. This is the eighth place we have lived in six years of marriage.

We had lunch at Wendy's on Monday and had the opportunity to share the gospel with a man we saw there. I had seen him in town previously at Caribou Coffee and at the post office. (We have p.o. boxes right next to each other.) When I saw him at Wendy's I commented that we keep on running in to each other. To which he replied, "maybe there is some reason we keep meeting".

I was greatly encouraged by the opportunity to share the grace of God with this man and after lunch I rejoiced because I had specifically asked the LORD to give me an opportunity to testify concerning His goodness and grace.

We are busy getting utilities hooked up and updating information with all the people we want to keep in touch with. We are excited and humbled to be serving the LORD in this mission to plant Pointway Church. I can't think of one thing I would rather do with my life.

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory