By the time you read this.
I'll be setting sail on the Carnival Glory.
We're spending Thanksgiving week away,
with my wife's family.
Just so you know,
I still got a couple blog post for you this week...just to keep you going.
See you this time next Saturday.
Have a great Thanksgiving Week!
I'm going to post my Thanksgiving Edition today, because I will be gone all next week. So, no blogging for me next week! We are going on a cruise with the in-law's, all of them grandparents, uncles, cousins, everyone's going.
1. This Sunday. I'm sleeping in. Every Sunday starts at 6:00 am for me. This Sunday might start at noon! We have one of those interior rooms with no sunlight...so it's going to be dark.
2. I got two books I'm going to read through on the cruise. Death By Love, by Mark Driscoll and Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever.
3. Christmas Eve Service. Man we got a good ole service planned...when I say not too many churches are doing what we are...I mean it. It's going to be fun. I might reveal the plan to you soon...but probably not.
4. Twitter. I'm on it are you? Hit me up twitter.com/theboydbettis
5. Plans for you. What do you have planned for next week? How are you spending this year's Thanksgiving?
Our staff is beginning to type out notes and quotes from the books we are reading and then uploading and sharing them via Google Docs. This allows us to have access to more books and get cliff note editions of books, we might not get to read.
Here's where it gets innovated...for people with iPhones at least.
Google Docs/Apps is accessible via the iPhone.
So, now I have access to these books at all times.
I can skim through the notes when I want to.
We are also, looking to upload notes on theology and answers to some of the questions unbelievers are asking. If we are meeting with people and they have a question, I might more readily have access to it! This will hopefully make us better and more effective missionaries for Jesus.
Do you have some notes from books your reading,
upload them and share them with us.
If you want me to share my notes with you, let me know.
'And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' - Matthew 28:20b
So often, we forget that last part of the Great Commission.
We get the fact we are supposed to go and make disciples.
We get the fact we are teach them.
We get the fact we are to baptize them.
But, we forget that God is with us on this.
How much more confidently could we do ministry,
realizing that God is with us as we endeavor to further the Gospel?
How often do we forget that the power and authority of Jesus
is on our side when we preach the Gospel?
Jesus said, 'I am with you always, to the end of the age.'
Go today and remember Jesus is with you.
In ministry you can do it out of two ways:
Being on the defense or the offense.
When you're on the defense:
- You make excuses why you can't do certain things to further the ministry
- You let worries and excuses choke out the vision God gave you
- You allow any excuse and/or road block stop you completely from going further
When you're on the offense:
- You won't allow 'no' or 'it can't be done' for an answer
- You see road blocks as now challenges that will be overcome
- You won't allow yourself or your team to make excuses of why we can't go further
- You will not allow a budget, a person, __________ , to keep you from chasing the vision God gave you.
Today, realize are you doing ministry on the defense
or will you man up and take the offense and start
storming the gates of hell with the gospel?
Five songs I'm totally wearing out.
1. No Greater Love - Casey Darnell
2. And Can It Be - Lashey and Joyner
3. Crazy Beautiful - Chasen
4. If It Comes Down - Chasen
5. You Never Let Go - Matt Redman
What song's do you have pumping this week?
In the 1700s we had one of the greatest missionaries.
His name was William Carey.
He wrote a small pamphlet called 'Enquiry'.
He combated some excuses of his time on why,
The Gospel could not be advanced to the nations outside of his city.
Here's what he said:
He combated the excuse of 'the distance between them and us':
'As to their distance from us, whatever objection might have been made on that account before the invention of the mariner's compass, nothing can be alleged for it, with any colour of plausibility in the present age. Men can now sail with as much certainty through the Great South Sea as they can through the Mediterranean, or any lesser sea.'
In regard to their uncivilized and barbarous way of living:
'This can be no objection to any, except those whose love of ease renders them unwilling to expose themselves to inconvenience for the good of others...(The Apostles) they did not wait for ancient inhabitants of these countries to be civilized before they could be Christianized.'
He also, combated some other excuses in Enquiry.
But, man this fires me up to think about how much more we can do because of our modern day resources, technology, and knowledge of the world.
Let's get creative on ways to reach the world.
Let's not come up with excuses people have had for 200 years now!
What is possible now?
Something that get's me ticked is Christians crying about
how God is being taken of the public schools, our nation, etc.
Shut up. They can't take him out.
Stop crying about that.
You know who takes God out of the schools and nation?
YOU DO. When you retreat from the darkness.
Stop acting like you don't have power and God's kingdom is defeated.
Be the light in those darkest places.
Last time I checked,
Jesus would build his church.
Jesus won the victory.
Jesus is the Everlasting King.
The only way God is being taken out of our schools and nation,
is when we clam up, retreat, hide out, and flee from the darkness.
Go and be the salt and light.
You're on the winning team.
You have the power and work of the Holy Spirit to go with you.
Christians need to stop acting on the defense.
And, get on the offense and claim the victory that's already ours.
Amen? Who's going with me?
When your heart becomes to get captivated by the Gospel.
And, you commit to storming the gates of hell.
It get's intense.
It get's intense and the devil get's ticked off.
He want's to destroy, discourage, and disrupt you. (that's my inner baptist...three D's)
That's why you need me.
That's why I need you.
I've felt and sensed a lot of discouragement and spiritual battles lately.
But, you know what, it's not that big of a deal.
Because, I got people like My Bride, Scott, Danny, Matt, and you guys around. Storming the gates with me.
They are there to lift me up, slap me around,
and encourage the crap out of me.
You, know why?
Cause they are passionate about the Gospel.
And, won't allow the enemy to take me out.
And, I won't allow the enemy to take them out.
I got your back.
Do you got my back?
What can I fight with you on today?
