tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-353872102011-04-21T23:27:05.320-05:00A place where the men and women of Crossroads Fellowship can connect and discuss the things of God and the things of the Christian life.Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.comBlogger1311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-75771734795931293472009-05-12T08:53:00.003-05:002009-05-12T09:31:29.334-05:00

A.W. Tozer wrote, "Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going of late - and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work. To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble. Prayer will become

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-70078398861684080842008-10-14T11:15:00.004-05:002008-10-14T11:53:52.396-05:00

In the crazy world we live in it is often a struggle for us to believe that God really cares. This struggle is compounded by the fact that God often answers prayer on a time schedule that is vastly different than ours. We live in a society that is bent on instant gratification. I am personally one of the people that is seeking the instant fix. I want my computer fixed now, my line at the gas

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-8273375110467529232008-09-18T10:15:00.004-05:002008-09-18T15:37:17.579-05:00

Sometimes we think of the elderly as something that we can just discard. Heck sometimes we are so ingrained in that mindset we just don't think of them at all. But what if a church that is primarily composed of young Christians, both young in age and the faith, were to reach out to a group of elderly people using cutting edge technology as the means of delivering the message? What would happen,

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-9525239674034062542008-08-26T08:19:00.003-05:002008-08-26T08:28:14.449-05:00

It has been a very long while since it seems that I have written here, at least written here on a regular basis. As the church grows it seems like other things come in and take away time, and demand my attention. Where once I had regular time to sit and put my thoughts in written form, it now seems as though I have only enough time to spend in prayer, sermon preparation, and planning out church

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-69304453286280861922008-06-23T09:12:00.002-05:002008-06-23T09:48:15.486-05:00

Summer is such a crazy time in ministry at Crossroads Fellowship, and it always has been. As a lot of churches slow down ministry for summer break Crossroads really ramps it up. For instance we just ran our first ever summer camp program. We have done camp before, but we have never ran the whole thing, we have only participated before, but this year we ran a really good camp using the

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-83158768966151605722008-06-09T09:12:00.003-05:002008-06-09T09:41:51.518-05:00

I have been really bad as of late about blogging. A lot of you may be wondering what is new in Clarksville, and that is exactly why I have been so bad about actually blogging, and getting it out where people can read. We are going through a lot of ministry changes as our church here continues to grow and flourish. If you will indulge me a little I will write to you here in a few paragraphs and

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-43775182664411189872008-05-01T20:20:00.002-05:002008-05-01T20:41:15.757-05:00

So here I am writing to you all again from Mongolia. It has been rather difficult because of the travelling to actually communicate via this forum. For that I apologize, and eagerly dive into the meat of what has been happening here. Our team started off in Ulaanbaatar for about a day and half. On day two in the morning time hours we were immersed in a course of language study. We learned

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-46066433603643755362008-04-28T19:56:00.001-05:002008-04-28T19:59:46.894-05:00

It is nearly 2:00am in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia as I write these words. The team of five people, counting myself, that has come from Crossroads is resting from the long journey here. Only having been in the country less than a day and the needs of the people of this place are beginning to stick out to those of us who have an eye to look. One might look upon this impoverished nation, where the

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-64782227548300943062008-03-27T08:33:00.003-05:002008-03-27T08:48:57.177-05:00

As we sat in our small group last night studying Experiencing God we were looking at the crisis of belief. Not the crisis of belief when we initially come to faith in Jesus Christ, but that crisis of belief that happens each time God calls us to do something that is God-sized, that we can not do without him showing up and taking over. As we talked about this we all kind of came to a place where

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-74709445628179820092008-03-18T08:31:00.001-05:002008-03-18T08:33:39.296-05:00

What is growing in Christ all about? We think as we grow up to "spiritual maturity" that we will continue to have more and more responsibility in the church. We think that the longer we have walked with Jesus, the more trusted we are in the Christian community. I think that all of this is right, but I think that perhaps we perceive what it should actually look like a little wrong. All too often

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-17521420026384478812008-02-27T09:13:00.000-06:002008-02-27T09:14:59.295-06:00

Luke 14:27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.We have heard this verse quoted and many others like it. But what does it really mean? Many pastors, elders, and great Bible teachers would assert that what this verse means is that each one of us as believers has to take up the burdens as a Christian and bear them with diligence. But is that what Jesus really

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-71511650785570645472008-01-29T07:09:00.000-06:002008-01-29T08:00:03.476-06:00

This seems like a rather odd question to be asking on a church's blog doesn't it? Yet I am not sure that it is not a question that we should be asking. How many of us are blindly walking through life saying that we are trusting God to do amazing things in our lives yet never seeing it happen? I think if we get honest with ourselves and with each other we would have to admit that far to many of

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-80779403667169083992008-01-22T07:08:00.000-06:002008-01-23T06:20:13.500-06:00

As many may well know I have been doing some teaching here at Crossroads on false teachings and heresy. In the process of that teaching I wrote a blog article entitled Trees. The article was about the Nooma video of the same name and the false teachings and heresy it contains. In the process of all of that I somehow managed to attract the attention of a group of people who go to Rob Bell's, the

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-17741420652594818132008-01-15T09:59:00.000-06:002008-01-15T10:24:19.232-06:00

I think the question about if showing a movie at church is outreach is a good question that needs an answer. It will probably be a mixed bag response from all of those reading this if as to whether or not showing a movie would be considered outreach. But I want to hear your thoughts on it. My thoughts are that showing a movie at church, or having a "movie night", always without exception is an

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-74082402452154183912008-01-08T07:57:00.000-06:002008-01-21T15:52:21.502-06:00

This past Sunday evening we did our third installment of exposing false teachings, a.k.a. heresy, at Crossroads Fellowship. That evenings message has me greatly concerned about the future of the C&MA and the church in America in general. Right now I am exposing heresy in videos that are called Noomas that are published by Zondervan and star Rob Bell. This past Sunday we looked at video number

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com177tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-75749717267040803732007-12-12T09:19:00.000-06:002007-12-12T09:38:00.295-06:00

The simple blog for this week - what are you sacrificing to advance the Gospel of Christ and to see the Kingdom grow? Please post comments only about what you are sacrificing, don't post comments about other people's sacrifices please.

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-15858077767145100762007-12-06T07:19:00.000-06:002007-12-06T07:20:32.617-06:00

This was written by a lady in my church. You have to read it.I freaked out Matthew this morning, and his reaction is quite funny and I think, a little extreme. But oh well, what ya gonna do?Pastor Jerry challenged all of us to get up a little early to pray. I thought, why not. I need to pray more anyway. So this morning was my first morning to get up and pray and wouldn't you know it, Matthew

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-56586801513756886512007-12-05T08:56:00.000-06:002007-12-05T09:24:38.427-06:00

I am currently reading a book entitled Relentless Spirituality by Gary Keisling. So far it has been a very good read, and this morning I was really challenged with the illustration the author, and A.B. Simpson, had used when talking about submission to Jesus Christ. It was asserted that the level of our yielding and submission to Jesus Christ is evidenced in our lives by the level of our

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-57886000729260501362007-11-28T12:40:00.000-06:002007-11-28T12:52:19.131-06:00

I recently read this article written by Bob Fetherlin, the V.P. of International Ministries for the C&MA. A lot of good folks at Crossroads didn't get a chance to read it. And for that very reason a copy and paste of it is my blog entry for this week."This movement stands pre-eminently for the supernatural." These are the words of Dr. A.B. Simpson. He believed in the work of the Holy Spirit in

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-90814364166211314722007-11-20T08:34:00.000-06:002007-11-20T10:14:12.087-06:00

I love Bunn coffee pots. They are some of the greatest, if not the greatest, machines for brewing coffee in the whole entire world as long as we are talking about drip coffee. What makes the Bunn so special of a coffee pot though? The fact of the matter is that I can brew a pot of fresh hot delicious coffee in three minutes using a Bunn-o-matic (Bunn) drip coffee maker. A whole pot in just

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-91224156840803745752007-11-15T19:44:00.000-06:002007-11-15T20:10:39.112-06:00

I can't believe that I did it. I went to pick up my "friend" Joe that I work with and take him to youth group at our youth leaders house and messed up. I have really struggled with drugs in the past, especially heroine, but pot was not my thing. However, when Joe pulled out the joint I got stoned with him. I didn't get nearly as stoned as he did, but I just didn't know how to get out of

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-77866406649379597162007-11-02T08:27:00.000-05:002007-11-06T09:35:08.511-06:00

My wife, Sara, was feeling a little attention deprived last Thursday night. So in attempt to get some love and sympathy from everyone she spilled burning hot re-fried beans on her hands. Ok - she didn't do it for attention she did it for love. The blister on her wrist is about 1/2 inch tall and the fingers on her other hand are starting to blister as well. How can blisters from a burn be love?

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-29691056002964362722007-10-30T09:43:00.000-05:002007-10-30T10:27:47.331-05:00

Last night the women of Crossroads had their final wrap up session in the study they were doing. At the same time the youth group of Crossroads was wrapping up it's study of Victory Over The Darkness. A lot of times at our church we have brought attention to the amazing victories we have won in outreach. We talk about the skater outreach that 30 or more teens attend weekly. We talk about the

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-15580429129387079932007-10-24T11:17:00.000-05:002008-11-13T11:09:30.804-06:00

This past week has been quite the crazy week indeed. We finished up the Way of the Master boot camp and went out to the Clarksville Fairgrounds to put on a concert and do street evangelism before the big Demolition Derby down there. In the process of setting up I hurt my leg so bad that I was having difficulty walking for a while. To tell you the truth it is still hurting a little even now. We

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-46740388400638036812007-10-17T09:40:00.000-05:002007-10-17T10:00:35.907-05:00

Each one of us has hobbies we like to do. For some of us it is gardening, others like knitting, or maybe sewing, but for me it is video games. I guess I am from the generation that really gets into video games. I could probably sit here and analyze why I like video games so much, but I think it would be a little pointless because those who like them already know why, and for those who don't -

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-13514769976013507542007-10-09T07:40:00.000-05:002007-10-09T08:01:34.951-05:00

I have often times stated in my preaching and teaching that it is not the actual circumstances of the trial that we are going through that are what is so important to God, rather it is how we respond and get through the trial that is truly important. For instance I was just reading a prayer request from a friend of mine who's mother had a heart attack and passed away. Dan was stating in his

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-5672768109992577002007-10-02T07:14:00.000-05:002007-10-02T07:41:52.899-05:00

This past weekend was one of excitement at Crossroads Fellowship. Why was it so exciting? Well sit back, relax, and I will let you know.Every year at Crossroads we have what is called an annual missions conference. This has been, in years gone by, a half a week where we work very intently at highlighting the work of our missionaries around the globe. We would have a different missionary

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-12582262302222033652007-09-18T07:00:00.000-05:002007-09-18T07:35:22.940-05:00

I am sitting in my office with quite a dilemma on my hands. Recently, the last two Sunday evenings, we have had a couple of folks visit the church that have become quite bothersome to me. These two folks are from a church in Nashville that is planting a church in Clarksville. The church they happen to be a part of is part of the ICOC (International Church of Christ), which is one of the

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-73948513555639416452007-08-28T09:05:00.000-05:002007-08-28T09:07:40.123-05:00

Ok so maybe it wasn’t “the” King, but it was a King, it was Wayne King to be exact. Wayne was the first Pastor that I worked under in the C&MA, and while I was still a lay person (not a pastor) he asked me this important question. “What would hinder your witness with other people?” This question was a little odd for me in the beginning, but ultimately I came to understand that he was asking me

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-43623572309919343802007-08-22T14:13:00.000-05:002007-08-22T14:25:44.942-05:00

If I decide to speed to church because I am running late, that decision only effects me, unless of course I wreck and injure someone riding in the car with me, or in another car. If I decide to lie in order to benefit myself or get out of trouble, that decision only effects me, unless of course someone else gets blamed or punished because of something I did. I could go on and on with more

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-21356898753438514802007-08-14T10:10:00.000-05:002007-08-14T10:29:07.261-05:00

Does that make me guilty of murder in my heart, because we know that hatred is the same thing as murder. If so I guess that I am comfortable in my sin. You see I really hate plumbing, or rather I really hate working on plumbing. You might be interested enough to keep reading this article to see how spiritual content comes out of it when it is about something so mundane as plumbing, but

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-80426341295783242982007-08-07T08:56:00.000-05:002007-08-07T09:33:48.854-05:00

As I sit in my office conversing with my intern I am deeply disturbed by the direction that the church in America seems to be taking. I am not the first person to sound this horn, nor will I be the last. The thoughts that I have I do not credit as my own, but they are the thoughts of many Godly men and women who have went before me. It seems the more that churches struggle to stay afloat in

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-61401812721507397152007-07-25T10:15:00.000-05:002007-07-25T10:35:42.597-05:00

How many of us can relate to that statement? I would love to say that it was just a crafty statement I came up with, but the truth of the matter is that it is accurate and reliable. As we finish up in the book of Revelation I am again reminded of God's patience and forbearance and my lack of the same. Let me tell you how all of this relates by going back yet again to the story of me dropping

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-63329926620298438422007-07-11T09:38:00.000-05:002007-07-11T10:32:18.434-05:00

Last week when I wrote I mentioned about working with the kids on the half pipe and the fear that seemed to grip me and overwhelm me as it related to dropping in on that half pipe. I told everyone of how I was on my knees at the top of that half pipe holding back tears confessing to God how fearful I was and how much I needed his help in this. What I didn't tell everyone was about the part where

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-45999262332513350542007-07-03T10:59:00.000-05:002008-11-13T11:09:31.206-06:00

I don't know if anyone in the world is going to truly understand this other than a person who has actually tried it. I have been working trying to learn to "drop in" on a half pipe. We have been skating a mini-pipe with the kids and so the drop is not completely vertical, but it is pretty close. To make a long story short you really have to throw your shoulder forward and lean way out to do it

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-33690504955875558282007-06-27T08:32:00.000-05:002007-06-27T08:54:09.491-05:00

As we try to reach the youth of our community with the gospel, it seems to us that one of the roughest group of kids out there are those who would label themselves skaters. These kids are foul mouthed, rude, rebellious, flirting with drugs, and the worst thing of all - neglected by the church. It seems that every church wants to grab the star athletes, the smart kids, the pretty girls, the

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-91205902939043049302007-06-18T13:15:00.000-05:002007-06-19T07:47:39.198-05:00

Something I have been thinking a lot about lately is the church's involvement in political agendas and affairs. It seems the more certain factions in the church in America push for Christians to go out and vote, and lobby, and sign petitions the more other factions push for us to not get involved. I seem to have been on the fence on this issue for quite some time. Should we be involved - or

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-59357399670335069692007-05-31T08:41:00.000-05:002007-05-31T08:56:04.302-05:00

This past week I spent time at General Council of the C&MA. This is a meeting that takes place every two years where pastors, elders, and other lay leaders from the Alliance all come together for a time of preaching, worship, and ministry strategy. One of the speakers present during the week was Scott Slocum. A pastor and speaker, Scott Slocum has spent the last nineteen years serving at Essex

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-46412873908677332102007-05-23T22:36:00.000-05:002007-05-23T22:37:10.915-05:00

The alarm clock went of at 3:15am Monday morning and I got up a little groggily out of the bed. It was time for me to start my day as I got myself ready to head to Nashville to catch my flight to Orlando for National Council for the C&MA. Originally I had not planned on attending council, but it seems as though the Lord had been working some things out because it is where he wanted me to be.

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-21292316732471345972007-05-09T09:39:00.000-05:002007-05-09T09:46:40.298-05:00

This coming weekend starting on Friday evening we will be having a special time that has a strong emphasis on evangelism. I have a deep rooted need to share the gospel with everyone I meet, and many people don't understand why sometimes. That is why I want to share this brief letter of testimony with you. After reading this testimony I want to encourage you to come to the planned events this

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-42370900942246261012007-05-01T12:42:00.000-05:002007-05-01T12:51:30.968-05:00

I have found here recently that I keep getting caught in the flow of stuff. It seems that I find myself doing things that I would never have considered doing just a few years ago, but as I have grown with God things just seem to keep happening. For instance just a couple of years ago I was adamantly against street preaching, but now those who know me know that I am a street preaching machine.

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-16096611708986047562007-04-17T08:48:00.000-05:002007-04-17T09:36:53.033-05:00

On Monday, April 16th 2007, my wife's grandmother passed away. We have know for quite a long while that her passing was imminent, and we made all of the preparations for it as best we could. For the last week Sara's grandma was really going down hill and we were expecting her to be taken at any time. We were not sure of Pauline's, Sara's Grandma, standing with the Lord - that is to say we did

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-39107619295650051912007-04-10T08:04:00.000-05:002008-11-13T11:09:31.981-06:00

This past Saturday we had a really awesome turn out for our annual Easter Egg hunt. This year we were given the opportunity to work with the Clarksville Fox, which is a new semi-pro women's football team that is based here in Clarksville. It never ceases to amaze me how God brings ministry opportunities that I would have never expected or even dreamed of. One of the ladies at the church is

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-82571944176635226882007-04-02T10:11:00.000-05:002007-04-02T10:45:29.310-05:00

I have one of the neatest guys in the world working with us at the church that I am planting/pastoring. His name is Larry Williams, and truth be told there is not another man that I would rather have on a team planting a church with me. I have known Larry for a number of years and when we first met let's just say he was still a little unsavory. However it is neat now to watch how God has

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-37341658417814117792007-03-20T07:32:00.000-05:002007-03-20T08:14:00.557-05:00

This past Sunday evening at Crossroads Fellowship we learned about putting the first things first. If you sit down with any person you can very quickly come up with a list of the things that are first, or most important, in their life. For some the first thing to take care of is our kids. For others our spouses are first, and for yet others our jobs come first. But is this the way that it

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-34973879623195575372007-02-28T08:34:00.000-06:002007-02-28T09:01:28.298-06:00

One of the things that my wife, Sara, and I have been encountering a lot here lately is people who have a deep sense of guilt, shame, and condemnation. Past events in their life seem to be weighing heavily upon their shoulders, and the weight of this shame is crushing the very life from those we encounter. Perhaps you can identify personally with what I am talking about, or perhaps you know

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-83473079749682057022007-02-20T07:15:00.000-06:002007-02-20T07:51:43.066-06:00

Each one of us seeks after success in our lives and our ministry. We seek to be the best in all that we do. For those who work in a secular job field we often times strive to set ourselves apart from our peers by being the best person doing the type of work we do. For those of us who work in full time ministry we strive to set ourselves and our churches apart by having the largest congregation

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-31327480713555972372007-02-13T07:42:00.000-06:002007-02-13T07:40:51.558-06:00

Is there something therapeutic in telling others the answers to the above stated question? I personally think that there is something to it. I think that when we tell others important things in our lives it suddenly makes us accountable more than we were, we get encouragement that we would not have otherwise gotten. Also it helps us to have to courage to move forward in doing what we are

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1170257622694542652007-01-31T08:56:00.000-06:002007-01-31T09:33:44.013-06:00

Last week I wrote an article about how we need to be less of control freaks, and more of encouragers trusting God to gift people for ministry. Well this week I want to tell you a testimony that confirms that truth. I have a friend who is a recovering alcholic, who sometimes fights with his wife, and often times regrets other actions in his life as well. When Paul said that it was trustworthy

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1169566449497155332007-01-23T08:41:00.000-06:002007-01-23T09:34:09.726-06:00

I know that I have said this before. And I am pretty sure that I have heard at least one other person say it before. And I know for a fact the Bible says it. Well maybe not exactly in these words, but if we are the body..........why? Church planters, pastors, leaders, missions boards, and countless others look at the book of Acts for insights into how to grow the church. We see the Acts of

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1169045413929334172007-01-17T08:27:00.000-06:002007-01-17T08:50:14.006-06:00

Have you ever been faced with a hard decision in life, where if you choose to do the right thing before God you might be punished or persecuted among men? I know that many of us face those kind of dilemas daily. Take for instance the many Pastors all over the world who are called to preach a message of repentance to their congregation for a particular sin, but know full well from past

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1168886419115251302007-01-15T12:31:00.000-06:002007-01-15T12:40:19.126-06:00

I have enjoyed working through the book of Romans with so many people who have been following this blog. But is it ok for me to say I'm tired now? I think I am going to go for about a two week walk, clear my head, focus on some reading, sermon preperation, and maybe - just maybe - I might come back and we can start working through another book together. Maybe a short book like Philemon, and I

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1168613833693383042007-01-12T08:46:00.000-06:002007-01-12T09:02:13.286-06:00

The first sixteen verses of chapter sixteen of the book of Romans is a series of greetings and recommendations. Paul commends to them fellow laborers for the Kingdom, as well as asking them to greet some of the men and women who are there. This is an important list that Paul is making for them here. One of the biggest challenges in the church is knowing who can be entrusted to teach and who can

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1168529199579004882007-01-11T09:23:00.000-06:002007-01-11T09:26:39.590-06:00

As the apostle Paul begins to draw his epistle to the Romans to a close his closing remarks reiterate his purpose in writing to them at all. Let us read what Paul writes, and then we will discuss it. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1168442216309814632007-01-10T08:50:00.000-06:002007-01-10T09:16:56.376-06:00

I can not say enough how important love, as an overriding principle to all we do, is so important to us as we seek to walk as Christians. Many times throughout history God’s people have done things motivated by other factors rather than love. Each time the results are almost always disastrous. Take for instance the Jews and how they lived around the time that Christ walked the earth. The

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1168341733135537892007-01-09T05:15:00.000-06:002007-01-09T05:22:13.160-06:00

What is our duty and our obligation to our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we “owe” them anything, or are they merely just fellow pilgrims on this road into God’s glorious and everlasting Kingdom? We had talked about why we serve the Lord, whether from love or from obedience, but is there yet another reason to serve him, or reasons to serve him another way? These many questions are answered

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1168269238173303422007-01-08T09:11:00.000-06:002007-01-08T09:13:58.196-06:00

We have talked about doing the “do” and living a life that is holy and acceptable to the Lord. And as if living for the Lord because we love him was not incentive enough for us the apostle Paul almost casually says the following words: Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1168004308669052892007-01-05T07:35:00.000-06:002007-01-05T07:38:28.680-06:00

It is so amazing and refreshing as we read the pages of scripture to find out how truly easy it is to not sin. Now I am getting ready to contradict myself, it is very VERY difficult to not sin, but at the same time it can be so easy. Ok now that we are all scratching our heads let me explain. Each of us struggles daily to “crucify our flesh” and “walk according to the Spirit,” yet I think we

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1167920047623544642007-01-04T08:12:00.000-06:002007-01-04T08:14:07.633-06:00

What is the role of different governments in the world? Are we as Christians to obey those governments? Does God really use non-Christian governments to do his will? These are but a few of the questions we can ask in response to reading Romans 13:1-5. The apostle Paul seems to be putting high regard into obeying the authorities that are placed over us. Let’s take a look briefly at what the

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1167832230118751312007-01-03T07:46:00.000-06:002007-01-03T07:50:30.126-06:00

Using the spiritual gifts that God gives to us is not the only thing that is important as a Christian. Modern Pentecostalism, or Charismatic movement, often times teaches that the most important aspect of Christianity is exercising the use of our spiritual gifts. To understand what I mean one only needs to think of the church groups that teach evidence based doctrine of the baptism of the

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1167743622096519372007-01-02T07:02:00.000-06:002007-01-02T07:13:42.386-06:00

One of the things that I love about planting a church is the time that I get to spend leading worship. If I wasn't a church planter, a person who starts new churches, I think that I could really find fulfillment in a ministry that revolved around leading worship and evangelism. Leading worship is one of the most fulfilling activities during a Sunday service for me. It is especially good when you

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1167148110888152422006-12-26T09:30:00.000-06:002006-12-26T09:48:30.950-06:00

Rather than continuing with the study of Romans today, I would like to take the day after Christmas to reflect on the last year. This last year has been full of challenges, trials, triumphs, joy, let downs, and many other things. There have been days when I looked with fear at what was ahead, wanting to trust God for the outcome, but battling my flesh the whole time. There have been other days

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1166766511097863522006-12-21T23:46:00.000-06:002006-12-21T23:48:31.106-06:00

Next I want to talk about how we treat the Spiritual gifts that God has given us. The Christian and Missionary Alliance, the denomination that I am a part of, talks about our view and treatment of the Spiritual gifts in a paper called, “Expectation Without Agenda.” It has become quite the thing in the last 100 or so years to esteem certain Spiritual gifts above others. For example some

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1166671005889936862006-12-20T21:15:00.000-06:002006-12-20T21:16:45.900-06:00

As we find that we are made to worship God, and as we strive to do exactly that, some of the neatest things begin to happen to us. Those things that begin to happen to us is that God himself empowers each of us uniquely to serve him. I want to look at this empowerment of the Spirit in two parts. First let’s look at what scripture has to say on the subject. For as in one body we have many members,

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1166587380380926852006-12-19T22:01:00.000-06:002006-12-19T22:03:00.393-06:00

What is our response to the Gospel message? I know that this seems like a silly question, but it really is of the utmost importance. What motivates us to repent of our sins and put our full faith and trust in the Lord Jesus? I think the answer is simple. God has put in each one of us a desire to live, and it is that God given desire that the Lord uses to our advantage. But after turning from sin

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1166498210400013192006-12-18T21:15:00.000-06:002006-12-18T21:16:50.416-06:00

I want to move back in again to studying how God dealt with Israel so that all the world might be saved. This is one of the most important facts about the Gospel that we can ever understand because it speaks to us about just how great God’s mercy and love are that he would work his plan out in this fashion. Here is what Paul says about it: Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1166413114771585372006-12-17T21:37:00.000-06:002006-12-17T21:38:34.776-06:00

Now that we have again spoken about personal holiness and the way that God deals with the wicked, both those outside the church walls and inside the church walls, I want to give you some really great news. God is so good that if we just repent of our unbelief and disobedience he will take us back and graft us back in. God has the power to take what is dead and bring it back to life again. It is

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1166157106178841062006-12-14T22:29:00.000-06:002006-12-14T22:31:46.193-06:00

I want to talk about God’s punishment of the wicked. When I say I want to talk about God’s punishment of the wicked I am not speaking of the unsaved, unrepentant masses out on the streets only, but also those who worship inside the church who are living in sin. Every time I talk about this subject I feel like a broken record, but it must be an important subject because as you read through any

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1166069118121484922006-12-13T22:03:00.000-06:002006-12-13T22:05:42.286-06:00

I believe that many Christians are full of hatred towards others. We have spoken about racial prejudice, and the hatred that is involved there. I want to keep racial prejudice in mind, but at the same time include hatred based upon other things such as gender, grudges, rivalries, social status, economic status, etc. The Bible says that hatred is the same exact thing as murder. Some of us will say

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1166020060935717022006-12-13T08:22:00.000-06:002006-12-13T08:27:40.946-06:00

Living in the Southern part of the United States offers many different challenges. I am originally a mid-westerner, and some of the things I am going to say about the South are true there as well, but just not to the same extent. One of the biggest obstacles in the South is racial prejudice. Our country has come a long way in overcoming racial prejudice, but there is still a long way to go,

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1165933758552580652006-12-12T08:28:00.000-06:002006-12-12T08:29:18.563-06:00

We have asked the question has God rejected the church. The answer to that question is the same answer that Paul gave to the Jewish nation when he said has God rejected his people. The answer of course is a firm no. God has not rejected the church or the nation of Israel, but rather we have abandoned him. So then we ask the same question again that the apostle Paul asked. If it is by grace and

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1165847034268723262006-12-11T08:22:00.000-06:002006-12-11T08:41:40.680-06:00

I have put forth that our hardened hearts have helped in causing many people to go to hell for all of eternity. Like the nation of Israel we, the church, have become hardened to what God would have us to do. We have become hardened to personal repentance, corporate repentance, and also have become hardened to preaching a gospel to lost people that involves repentance. This disobedience is sin,

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1165582487518050982006-12-08T06:52:00.000-06:002006-12-08T06:54:47.533-06:00

We are to take the Gospel of one God and his only begotten, Jesus Christ, to all nations. Yet we hesitate when we hear God calling us. We take a step, then a stutter step, and then no step at all. We sit back in fear, or laziness, and keep the most amazing good news to ourselves. We have our excuses why we can’t take the gospel, and they sound so good to our ears. The excuses range from having to

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1165488768212894742006-12-07T04:51:00.000-06:002006-12-07T04:52:48.223-06:00

As we have been looking we have seen that the scriptures definitely declare that there is only one God. We have seen that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved, and we are faced ourselves with the very dilemma that Israel was faced with before we, as Gentiles, were adopted into God’s family. The dilemma we are faced with is this. But how are they to call on him in whom they have

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1165411603738985532006-12-06T07:22:00.000-06:002006-12-06T07:26:43.750-06:00

How many Gods are there? This seems like such a simple question with such a simple answer. Probably anyone who reads this would quickly say there is only one God. Yet our actions seem all too often to say something so different. Even inside of the Christian church we deny the truth that there is only one God by our actions. Even the nation of Israel with her creed of “Hear, Oh Israel, hear

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1165328298734900922006-12-05T08:17:00.000-06:002006-12-05T08:18:18.766-06:00

I want to think of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to look at the events as they were recorded for us there. So many times when thinking of those events we think of the great price the Lord paid, and rightly so. Sometimes we think of thief on the cross that Jesus told would be with him in paradise that day. Sometimes we think of his disciples gathered around mourning his death.

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1165215551661179922006-12-04T00:54:00.000-06:002006-12-04T10:00:05.390-06:00

Each of us might remember the days when we were young children in school if we sit and think long enough. As you reflect upon your days in school I want you to remember those wooden rulers that had the metal strip on one side so that you could draw a straight line. That straight edge was the greatest thing until it got bent or pulled loose from the ruler. Once that happened it was just a

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1164981751478928622006-12-01T08:00:00.000-06:002006-12-01T08:02:31.496-06:00

So how does all of this work together for the ultimate good? Let us look at the rest of chapter nine of the book of Romans to find out. As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" "And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1164883915577654712006-11-30T04:50:00.000-06:002006-11-30T04:51:55.586-06:00

Now you can almost hear the cries of the people saying, “Why does God find fault in us and condemn us to hell if he hardens and shows mercy as he sees fit?” Paul, again by inspiration of the Spirit, knew that this would be the case and so answered the question as it was asked. Here is what he says: You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1164809522941715832006-11-29T08:10:00.000-06:002006-11-29T08:12:02.960-06:00

You can almost hear the cries of the multitude saying that God is full of injustice, accusing God Almighty of being a tyrant, and harsh dictator. We have seen that God always fulfills his promises to his people, yet we see that in fulfilling them to the child of faith that the child of the flesh has seemingly been left out in the cold. Paul, being full of the Spirit of God, knew that it would be

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1164719742732427332006-11-28T07:14:00.000-06:002006-11-28T07:19:37.716-06:00

Paul was crushed for his lost brethren, the Israelites. He longed to see them come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. He sought their salvation by prayer and petition as well as sharing the Gospel with them. He was so crushed that he even made the bold statement that he would give up his very own salvation, and be cut off from Christ for the sake of their salvation. Yet in all of

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1164639301955380262006-11-27T08:14:00.000-06:002006-11-27T08:55:02.423-06:00

This may sound like a crazy question that I am asking. But I think the answer to this question will shed a lot of light on many of our problems. Let's take for instance the story of Achan. We know that Achan was one of the Israelites that was present at the battle of Jericho. And he took some of the spoil of the city that was to be devoted unto the Lord. This stealing of the spoil brought a

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1164379444234932462006-11-24T08:41:00.000-06:002006-11-24T08:44:04.243-06:00

Are you and I really crushed and overcome with grief and anguish at the fate of the lost? The quick and easy answer is yes, but I think we need to look further into this question before we give an answer. We need to look deeper into what it means to ache for the lost. The apostle Paul ached for his lost brothers, the Israelites. Listen and you can almost here the anguish in his voice. I am

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1164280948579756832006-11-23T05:20:00.000-06:002006-11-23T05:22:28.586-06:00

As our faith in God’s promise to grow us in sanctification and holiness becomes more solid we can truly see how good that promise is. The apostle Paul brags about the power of God. I choose to use the term brag, because isn’t that what worship of God really is, us bragging about how awesome He is? Here is how Paul boasts about the Lord. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1164207886115451502006-11-22T09:03:00.000-06:002006-11-22T09:04:47.293-06:00

So how are we to know that we will truly be able to see this promise come to pass in our lives when we seem to so often struggle with personal holiness? The easy answer is that we, as Abraham did, believe God and trust in his character as God. However it is one thing to give mental assent to this, and yet is entirely another thing to believe it to the very core of our being. But God knows that we

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1164116256499605612006-11-21T07:36:00.000-06:002006-11-21T07:37:36.510-06:00

A lot of the “feel good” preachers of today love to quote Romans 8:31 to get the people pumped up and ready to go for God. They say, “If God is for us who can be against us?” Then they try to get the people fired up and living on prosperity theology. They shout, and dance, and use all the right catch phrases to get everyone excited. But then the folks leave the church building and the excitement

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1164031061397859642006-11-20T07:56:00.000-06:002006-11-20T07:57:41.410-06:00

God’s word, the Bible, tells us in Romans 8:17 that we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ provided we suffer with him. It is through suffering that we are granted our adoption into the family of God. However this could almost sound likes a works based righteousness if we are not careful. So I would like to explain the scriptures as I understand them, and why this is not a works based

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1163851625517887042006-11-18T06:05:00.000-06:002006-11-18T06:07:05.526-06:00

The oldest heir of a household in the nation of Israel held a place of high honor. This son would receive a double portion of the father’s property when the inheritance was divided. Further in Israel it was all but impossible for someone outside of the father’s clan or tribe to inherit his property upon his death. That is why Paul using the illustration of being a joint heir with Christ is so

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1163744101114452522006-11-17T00:13:00.000-06:002006-11-17T10:08:07.903-06:00

As we move through studying Romans we again are reminded of the fact that we are not debtors to the flesh, and slaves to its sinful desires if in fact the Spirit of Christ dwells within us. I think perhaps we need to be reminded of this fact because we view being “dead in the flesh and to sin” as being just theoretical. However this death is no mere theory, if we are born again of God’s Spirit

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1163674089654528882006-11-16T04:47:00.000-06:002006-11-16T04:48:09.670-06:00

I want to take a moment to look at Romans 8:7 very closely. Here is what this very important verse says: For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Romans 8:7 There are very many people in the world that claim to be Christians, but use the grace of God as an occasion of the flesh. They would misquote scriptures pointing out

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1163598906891747742006-11-15T07:52:00.000-06:002006-11-15T07:55:06.900-06:00

The principle of living in sin, and giving into sin because of our feelings of condemnation and our mindset is not just a mere theory. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (mindset) in Christ. Paul is making a desperate plea for that renewal of our mind as explains the principles of condemnation and a mindset of sin. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1163512312935091502006-11-14T07:46:00.000-06:002006-11-14T07:51:52.946-06:00

One of our biggest struggles in life is a feeling of guilt and condemnation. Men and women the world over feel the weight of never being able to measure up. We struggle and toil to meet standards that we will never meet, and achieve goals we will never achieve. This is nowhere more true than in the spiritual realm. The inadequacy we feel as we seek to worship and serve God can become overwhelming

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1163425225698177332006-11-13T07:39:00.000-06:002006-11-13T07:40:25.706-06:00

The heart cry of Paul – perhaps even your heart cry. Oh wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? The answer – Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. Romans 7:25 The man who is saved is justified in the sight of God on the basis of Christ Jesus’ shed blood. We

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1163251506823568642006-11-11T07:24:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:25:06.836-06:00

It was Paul’s desire, before Christ, to live a life that was holy and acceptable to God. However he was deceived into believing that he could obtain that goal by legalistic observance of the Law of God. His zeal to be holy, and yet seeing how unholy he was had become a constant losing battle. Here is what he says on the subject. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want,

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1163169831186330242006-11-10T08:42:00.000-06:002006-11-10T08:43:51.196-06:00

So are God’s commandments not to be followed and obeyed because they only bring death? The answer to that is emphatically NO! Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1163069437770953392006-11-09T04:47:00.000-06:002006-11-09T04:54:35.980-06:00

Once we have seen sin for the deadly poison that it is we can make a choice as Paul did. It is important to point out that Paul first made the wrong choice. This is a man that was living as a Pharisee at one point, and was an enemy of the church, a persecutor of the brethren, and responsible for the death of many martyrs. Paul states to us his bad choice here and how it made it, hoping to warn us

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1162995656528102312006-11-08T08:19:00.000-06:002006-11-08T08:20:56.540-06:00

The next portion of our daily study is best looked at as a unit. However to do so would take more time each day than every person has to commit to this study. So I will break it into several parts, but each part needs to be viewed as just one portion of the larger whole.As we begin to move through chapter seven of the book of Romans we are embarking on one of the toughest journeys that one can

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1162910739855685052006-11-07T08:44:00.000-06:002006-11-07T08:45:39.873-06:00

What does freedom in Christ mean? How does one attain and live in this freedom? Is freedom really free? These are all good questions that I hope to answer as we look at chapters seven and eight of the book of Romans. The apostle Paul opens chapter seven with an illustration about the law using the example of marriage. Here is what he has to say: Or do you not know, brothers--for I am

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1162821597368803892006-11-06T07:57:00.000-06:002006-11-06T07:59:57.380-06:00

Before we move forward with chapter seven of Romans I would really like to take a look at Romans 6:23 closely. This is one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible, and I know that statement is going to raise a lot of hair on the back of a lot of necks, but it is true none the less. Here is what the verse says: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35387210.post-1162657259776613182006-11-04T10:18:00.000-06:002006-11-04T10:20:59.786-06:00

We say that the love of Christ controls us, but why is this so? If we are free in Christ then how can we be controlled? The apostle Paul would have us to believe this is the case because of an ownership issue. The word Christian, which is what we call ourselves, would even seem to affirm this truth all the more. There are those who say that Christian means “Christ like,” and yet others would

Pastor Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317211427914726088noreply@blogger.com0