Living above the level of mediocrity:

"Removing the Blahs from Today"

PSALMS 90

What are the blahs of day to day life?

Why is it so dangerous?

What did Moses know about monotony?

I. Break the spell [v.1-2]

A. Direct our attention to the right object : the Lord

B. Direct our attention to the right perspective

II. Probing the soul [v.3-12]

A. Life is short: God is in control [v.3-5]

B. My sins are obvious: God wants you to walk in step with him [v.7-9]

C. My days are so empty: See each day the way God sees it [v.12]

III. Bringing the Song [v.13-14]

A. Have pity on your servants, Lord

B. The morning has a way of bringing newness

"Those who achieve excellence are faithful in the tedious, monotonous details of life."

"There no problems, only projects/opportunities."

mr & mrs pergl

Two of our program members found true love.

And plan to live happily ever after!

Congratulations Nathan & Emily!

newest program member

Seth & Bethany welcomed their new little girl

ALI JORDYN

on April 1, 2010!

the program is growing...

next to arrive will be:

Isabella (Eric & Sandra) in September

Joey (Brad & Christie) in November

and Pierre & Shaina's little one will be here in January!

Blessings from the Lord!

Congratulations to all the new mom & dads!

Thematic Bible Study

"Love Your Neighbor," I had no idea that I would gain as much from this study as I did! I want to encourage you to take an in depth look at a theme from the Bible this week. I know you will walk away encouraged and challenged in that area. If you have any questions about our study Sunday, or how to do a thematic Bible study please feel free to post them in the comment section of the blog.

An Extended Weekend

Friday night was scheduled as a late night hockey tournament, but ended up being a four on four basketball series. It was that night that I came to the realization that I am not as young as I used to be. We still had a good time even though we were missing the regulars.

Saturday night Shaina and Pierre watched our kids for us so that we could go out to the Olive Garden with a group from church. Thank you guys because we had a nice evening together with Max and about 32 other people from the church.

Sunday of course we spent at church.

Monday we went down to the beach with some of you guys, and had a nice time. Me, Mikey and Levi beat Pierre and Eric in a beach football game. Some of the guys knocked out an old man with a Frisbee, and Mikey got some tips on how to date older women.

Overall it was a nice weekend. We were able to relax and spend time with family and friends.

What Everyone Is Looking For!

I. Someone who isn’t afraid of Toil v. 4, 5 (Passion)
A. Working v. 4 (Eliminate excuses)
B. Wisdom v. 5 (Draw it out)

II. Someone who I can Trust v. 6 (Faithful)
A. Talk is cheap (If you have to tell people = a problem)
B. Trust is crucial (In what areas is trust crucial?)

III. Someone who is True v. 7 (Integrity)
A. The Production (Walks the walk)
B. The Profit (People will thank you)

Conclusion: Am I a hard worker? (Tough get going)
Am I a person people can trust? (Count on me)
Am I a person who is true? (No show, but all go)

Did I Do That?

I shared from 1 Samuel 17 the story of David and Goliath. The main thought I wanted to leave our church family with was that God wants each of us to do something great for God! When we finish our adventure God wants us to look back and say, "Did I do that?" Let's be amazed once again with what God can do. The key is to remember that I can't, but God can!

I would be happy to share with you how you might begin your adventure with God. There are also two choices each person must make. As you set out on your adventure you will encounter a couple of challenges along the way, but the consequences of following Christ with your whole heart are worth it all!

Car Wash For Haiti

Another thank you to those of you who filled the noon to 2 shift at the Car Wash. We made close to $300 so we can get needed supplies to Haiti. All in all I think it was a good time!

NOW = WOW

Friday night was a great time worshiping the Lord! I could hardly stand not being able to sing. I think everyone should get the chance to just sit and listen to you guys worship the Lord. I left that night encouraged as usual. I wanted to say a special thank you to Jordan of course who leads the night of worship, and does such a great job. I also wanted to thank Michy, Nikki, and Caleb for their extra time and effort they put in to make the evening run smoothly. I think those guys started rehearsing at 4:00. I say thank you but I know that God is also saying thank you for your sacrifice.

Where do you stand on Alcohol?

It sounds like I panicked a few people on Wednesday Night as I began the message on alcohol. I didn't even realize it, but I was made aware of it after the service. Sorry to those who were offended, but I just had to share some helpful tips for drinking in moderation. I also thought it would be helpful to dispel some of those common myths that go along with alcohol. I thought they were pretty entertaining, but some may not have understood my methods. Here is the part from Proverbs.

I. The Deceiving Factor - Proverbs 20:1
a. You may act like a fool (Be mocked)
b. You may act foul (Be in a rage)

II. The Dependence Factor - Proverbs 23:29-35
a. There is woe v. 29 (Crying out)
b. There is sorrow v. 29 (Want)
c. There are contentions v. 29 (Fighting)
d. There is babbling v. 29 (Constant talk)
e. There are injuries without cause v. 29 (Because of foolishness)
f. There is redness of eyes v. 29 (Indicates there is a problem)
g. It bites and stings like a snake v. 32
h. My flesh takes over v. 33
i. Trouble is coming v. 34
j. It hasn't caught up with me yet v. 35
k. I can't wait to do it again v. 35

III. The Dangerous Factor - Proverbs 31:4-7
a. It can harm our reasoning v. 5
b. It can harm our remembrance v. 6, 7

A Busy Week

I am so excited to have the opportunity to serve the Lord! He has given me a full week of opportunities to begin the month of February. I have been wanting to raise some money for the supplies and the shipping of those supplies to Haiti. God has opened the door for us to use Tire Kingdom for a Car Wash. I hope people from our church will take advantage and come out and help. The need is great and every little bit will help.

I also have the service Superbowl Sunday night. I am curious to see what God is going to do. I'll post again next week to share how God has worked this week. I am also looking forward to Friday Night of Worship. These have been such a blessing each time we do them. God is great and greatly to be praised!

Which Way Do I Go?

Proverbs 16

1. I want to know Actual Reality v. 2, 25
a. Can I be tricked?
- We can have blind spots
- We can justify our sins
b. Can I believe the Truth?
- God knows me (Weighed in the balances) v. 2
- God gave us one way to Heaven v. 25

2. I want to be Above Reproach v. 7
a. I will focus on pleasing the Lord
b. I will be at peace with my enemies (Not adding fuel for their fire)

3. I want to be All set to Resign v. 9
a. My plans are good
b. God's plans are better (Resign my plan for His and I grow and God gets the glory)

4. I want to Accept Responsibility v. 17
a. I must choose to depart from evil
b. I must be on the defense against evil

5. I want to Age Righteously v. 31 (Found in the way of Righteousness)
a. Am I living a righteous life right now?
b. Will I continue to live a righteous life?
a.

Big Jorge Comes Through

Can I give a shout out on this blog? If I might say we had a pleasant surprise last night at the Program. Who new Jorgey could play the guitar just likes he's ringing a bell... Go Jorgey go!

Do It Anyways

I came across this yesterday from a devotional thought from Jim Burns and I thought it would be good to post.

1. People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish motives.
Do good anyway.

3. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest anyway.

4. The biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

5. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

6. People really need help but may turn against you if you help them.
Help them anyway.

7. Give the world the best you have and you may get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

- The Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith, 1968

Sunday Services

Sunday Morning - Pastor Mortensen

Holy Servants
Exodus 29

1. There was a need for cleansing v. 4
a. Before you can be used you must be cleansed
b. You must humble yourself and come to Christ for the cleansing

2. There was a need for clean clothing v. 5, 6
a. Christ provided the clothing at His cost
b. Christ put on our clothing so we could put on His

3. There needs to be a consuming v. 9
a. The oil that physically consumed them was to represent the Holy Spirit consuming their lives
b. We can't do it alone, we need His power


Sunday Night - Roger Paul (Missionary to Barbados)

True Spiritual Investment is investing in the lives of others - Strengthening the brethren

1. 2 Timothy 2:1, 2 - Invest in faithful people
2. Galatians 6:1 - Invest in fallen people
3. Luke 22:31, 32 - Invest in weaker people
4. Acts 18:24-27 - Invest in fiery people
5. 1 Kings 19:19-21 - Invest in people in leadership - They need help too

Devotional Bible Study

We had a great time going through the devotional method of Bible study this past Sunday morning. I am challenging each person to get just a little deeper into God's Word one time per week. We meet at 9:45 am on Sundays and I think it will be a benefit to your personal time with the Lord. Let me share what we went over on Sunday.

Passage: Philippians 3:13-14

Prayer: __ (Check here when you have prayed over this passage)

Meditation:
1. I have not arrived
2. I am focused on my goal
3. The past is the past and I am moving forward
4. I am ready to work hard to reach my goal
5. I am laying up my treasures in Heaven

Application: (The specifics are up to you)
1. So that I will not feel like I've arrived, I will constantly challenge myself to do more for Christ
2. To stay focused, I will identify and eliminate the things that sidetrack me
3. I will document past experiences that will help me grow closer to the Lord
4. I will ask God to show me what He has for me to do and will outline a plan to get it done
5. I will list the things that I am doing for Christ right now

Assessment of the Application: (Do this over the next couple of weeks)

Glory to the Lord

We had the opportunity to spend time on Friday night with our friends who adopted their boy from Haiti. God is so good! These people have been used by the Lord to bring glory and honor to His name. I thank the Lord for people who are willing to step out in faith and simply trust God to do what only He can do. They would tell you that it was very difficult, but it was worth it. I am continually asking God what the next step is that He would have me to take. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think!

T-Shirt Idea

I was thinking about getting a t-shirt design together and using the proceeds to send some financial aid to those ministering in Haiti as well as to help fund our Missions Trip there this summer. We could sell these t-shirts at schools, churches, work, or wherever else you might think possible. People might say, "How is that little bit going to make a difference?" It has to start somewhere and I think this is a pretty good place to start. I also believe that any little bit helps, and something is better than nothing. It's time to stop talking about the problem and actually do something about it.

My rough ideas is to have something like "Providing Help For Haiti" on the front. On the back have something like a cross in the center and all around the cross have money, water bottles, Meals ready to eat, Bibles, bricks, hammers, and other tools. This is just the way I see it, but I need some help once again because I am by no means a designer. Anyone else have any ideas?

Specific Individuals We Are Ministering To: Part #1

The first group I'd like to focus on is those visiting our ministry. They are not really a part of the ministry but are checking things out. They may have been around for a long time, but they really are not plugged in to the group. Because individuals are important the question is, "How do we minister to this group of people?"

I have a few thoughts that I'd love to discuss with you. I think we need to identify their spiritual condition. How can we find out where they are spiritually? Our goals are to see individuals saved, sanctified, and serving. How can we find out if these visitors to our ministry are saved? How can we help move them into their sanctification process? I think you can see how easy it is to put these goals on paper, but it is a much different story when you try to make these goals a reality. I would love to hear any ideas you might have.

Proverbs 15

Beware Of…
Proverbs 15

I. Beware of what you despise
A. Some people hate the message v. 5
B. Some people hate the messenger v. 12

II. Beware of what disgusts God
A. He knows our giving v. 8
1. Is it really a sacrifice?
2. Am I clean?
3. Is it my best?
B. He knows our going v. 9
C. He knows our goals v. 26

III. Beware of your disposition
A. Am I fallen v. 13
B. Am I feasting v. 15

Conclusion:
1. We need to learn to love instruction – Never stop learning. God is not done with you yet!
2. We need to please God with our goals, going and giving. God knows you and wants the best for you!
3. We need to be the happiest people on earth because we are Christians. Why do we say that?