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Hey y’all! Merry Christmas, yesterday! Hope everyone has an amazing day!
It still amazes me that God, the creator of the universe, would send His Son for me. For you. We are such tiny, finite creatures. We had a beginning and will have an end (Scientific fact: We were born and we will die). But, God is Infinite; He has no beginning and has no end. He is the beginning and the end. Yet, He wanted me and you to be with Him in Heaven. That is why Jesus came. That is why Christmas is celebrated. Jesus came not just to be a child, but to rescue us. If the story of Christmas was just that a child named Jesus was born (as predicted nearly 700 years before it happened) and that was the end of the story, then it would just be a good story that has been passed down from generation to generation; basically, becoming a tradition. However, it is about what Jesus did for us that makes this story one of kind. The absolute greatest true story ever told and worthy of celebrating. He came to die and rise again. As the ultimate sacrifice for the world. Please this Christmas season read, study, and remember why we call it Christmas. Why we find ourselves in awesome wonder of the season itself. Because it is the season in which Jesus’ life began. The life that was going to be given for you.
Merry Christmas!
Darren
Hey Guys! Hope everyone is doing awesome out there!
Last week I went to see Michael Jackson’s “This is it” and I must say, it was AWESOME! Now I have been a MJ fan since I was little. And I mean LITTLE. I remember watching the “Thriller” video my living room and having my head buried in a pillow because I was completely terrified. I am not one of those who only liked him after he died. I was a fan through thick and thin. I was a fan of the music, the dancing, and the genius that paved the way for so many people. He revolutionized the music industry. However, this is not a post on how great MJ was. It is about what we as Christians are doing wrong. This is something that has been on my heart since I saw the movie and really been on my heart for a long time.
During the movie Michael would show the people working for him incredible amounts of love. You could tell he loved the people he was in contact with. If he did not like the way someone was dancing or playing he would correct it and say this is “out of love”. He demanded perfection from his musicians, dancers, and producers yet still loved them. But the thing that really baffled me and really convicted me, was that statement: “It’s out of love.” He wanted to make sure that the people he was working with knew that was he was doing was out of love. It amazed me that he wanted to love the people around him so much that would finish a lot of sentences with “it’s out of love.” He wrote songs of loving people and changing people lives. It is said that he gave $500 million to charities during his lifetime. That’s a pretty chunk-a-change right there.
What is so convicting about this? Shouldn’t I just be happy he did that? No! It is so convicting to me that this man wasn’t a follower of Christ. He was loving the world and changing people lives more than most Christians do. That is ridiculous! The Bible says in Ephesians 5:1 and 2, “1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” I think we as Christians should be doing a little more to be living the life of love we are called to. Think about how many opportunities we have each day to show people love. I know in my own life that I could pour out love to so many people but because it might not be convenient I chose not to. Love is why we are here. We are called to love. We could change the world if we just lived and loved people non-stop. Really we should do everything “Out of Love.”
Darren
Hey Y’all!!Hope life in Ga is good!We’re out here in Fort Collins, Co and it is B-E-A-utiful!Started writing this one like a month ago and got way too busy with junk out here.We finished two seminary classes and doing a whole bunch of stuff for support raising.Can’t wait to get back to ATL and move into a new place.Not really sure where.But we are looking into a guest house above a barn on like 50 acres, so that’s pretty sweet!Be praying for that!
Anyways, God has been so amazing out here.He has shown me a lot about myself as well as a lot about other people.When you spend extended periods of time with people you meet you really see their true character shine through.It amazes me how little credit people will give you.Most of the time it is a lot more public than we think.
I have always wondered why we as Christians have to try to point out or fix others problems instead of fixing our own.Usually when we have way more to fix.I sometimes take for granted the friends I have in Christ back home.I know that no matter how I act or what I do, I am free of judgment!
I love you guys back home!Y’all are awesome!
See Y’all soon!
Darren
Just got back from Fastbreak in Cleveland, Tennessee last Monday (a week ago, I forgot to publish this). It was amazing! God is amazing. God really spoke to everyone there. I was able to work with the programs team and ran the switchboard for the cameras, so I had the luxury of experiencing the conference from the back of the room. I have always been the person who wants to sit in the back, both in class and in church. Not so I can zone out and no pay attention but I want to see what is going on. I enjoy seeing the process of change God is inducing. And from that unique perspective you get to see everything that develops. I noticed the first night that a lot of students were sitting down (the students that “didn’t” want to be there, little did they know God would use them being still to His advantage and speak to their hearts). One of the most encouraging things to me is a person raising their hands in worship for the first time. I noticed that each night more and more people were down in front of the stage during worship. And by the last night a lot of the chairs were empty. And that’s awesome!
The power of God is sometimes overshadowed these days by Society. Or at least we think it is. We tend to think we can overlook God. But that is impossible! No matter how loud our hearts are, God is louder. No matter how much we do to make out lives louder than the voice and power of God, we will never succeed. It is only a matter of time before God is moving in your life.
Seeing those kids move from doing anything they can in order to not listen to God to worshipping in front of people they did not know was amazing. I saw God working in front of my eyes. His voice was louder than their hearts.
Darren
I was browsing through some friends blogs and read something that I have read multiple times but had one of those “light bulb” moments. It is, in my opinion, the proper way to pursue Christianity. We as followers tend to complicate everything in our faith and our walks with Christ. This is a very serious problem within the church we have created. We feel as though we need to build, do, out-perform, out-last, and create things within the church or other churches in order to grow closer to God. Hm, interesting right? Want to know a little secret? Check out Ty Faulk’s banner on his wordpress. It is simple. And simply put: “Keeping it simple by loving God and loving people.” I have believed in this for years and now for some reason felt compelled to write a blog about the subject. Jesus gave the church things they were supposed to do, yet we create others. And if you went to a church service or grew up going to a church you would think Jesus told us the format and what to do each Sunday. But when it comes down to it, Jesus gave the church very few things to do. But what I feel the greatest thing Jesus told us to do is to Love God with all of heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). The church has done a horrible job loving other people. It has been about buildings, numbers, and money for generations. What about the people Jesus tells about in Matthew 25?
Simply Put: “keeping it simple by loving God and loving people.” The church has done it wrong for so long, just look at today’s church and our society. We need to stop adding complexity to Christianity, when we simply need to love others!
Darren
It would seem as though I have forgotten about wordpress and in all reality, I have. My life has been completely focused on finishing school and my internship. But, that is now done!! And I am home!! FOR GOOD!! Back in Marietta. “Welcome home,” right? I think so!
Well a lot has happened in the past few months! I graduated from Augusta State…finished my internship…moved home…and I am now in the process of finding a job! I have my resume out to a few churches for student pastor jobs. I keep getting job offers from out of state churches and really traditional churches. I feel as though none of the churches that have contacted me have really been where God wants me. However, there is one I would love to work at…Hopefully God will provide me with that incredible opportunity. So, keep that in your prayers.
I just got home from BigStuf camp in Daytona Beach, Florida! It was freakin’ awesome!! God did some amazing things there. They always say leaders and teachers learn more than the students and I definitely learned more than my students. God revealed Himself to me in incredible ways! It was awesome how God provided me a time and place to just worship Him only a few days after I graduated. It felt like God was just saying to me…”OK, first and foremost, I want you to start out on you journey of life without school worshipping Me as loud and as hard as you can!” And I want that to set the tone for my life. Constantly growing closer to God.
Well, there is always more…so check in for updates. Now that I am home, I will have more time to update…Hopefully! Call me to hang out!! D-SWEEZY IS BACK!
Coming Sermon: an Intro to “The Complexity and Simplicity of Christ”
How did we get here?God created the Heavens and the Earth…and then us?How can that be?Why God’s offer of salvation in the form of a man?Why a crucifixion?Isn’t it amazing to sit back and wonder these things?All the thoughts, all the questions.Yet, God is working to reveal Himself to you.It is so evident that God is here.Just look around, look in a mirror.There is no way a person can walk through life, live 65 years and not wonder at least once, “How did I get here?”Thoughts such as, “this Christ guy I hear so much about, is He real?How is He alive now?”All very complex questions.All with answers, some not so easy.However, the deal God has made with us is rather simple.Christ wants a relationship with you and me.It is as easy as accepting the life He sacrificed for you.You do not need to do anything.There is no extra work, no payment, it has been paid for you.Such a complex situation that took place to give you the opportunity to live in Heaven, with such an simple response: “Yes God I want to know you and I ask for your forgiveness!”
To Be Continued…
Darren
It is crazy how many times we can lose sight of who God is and how amazing He is.Sometimes it seems our lives become so consumed with school and work that we forget the true awesomeness of God.It is the times when our lives are so hectic that God is the loudest and brightest in our hearts.Sometimes God calls us to just sit and breathe in his greatness.God can seem more real and even more satisfying when everything in our life is going crazy and we finally get a chance to just talk with our creator.God is there.He will always be there.There is no greater truth on earth than this: God is real.God is on our side.No matter how busy your life becomes, God wants to be a part of it.
Darren
Welcoming in the new year can be a mix of emotions.It can be anxious and uncertain about what lies ahead.It can be exciting to see what God has in store for us.It can be sad because the memories we leave behind and the moments that we will cherish forever.It can be rewarding to finally see a year of hard work pass by.It can be a relief to see a year of pain and suffering end.But one thing is for sure: God will be there.No matter what the year is or how many people try to cover up the undeniable truth of God, He will be there.As the years go by God reveals Himself to more and more people.The world can fight and scratch to disprove God’s existence, but they cannot succeed.God is the reason there is a new year.He is the reason for new life: eternal life.He is the reason for our happiness and the blessing we receive each and every year.Welcoming in the new year is a time for thanking God for the thing’s He has done and what He will do in the next year.
Darren
It is that time of year again…when presents, trees, and stockings consumes our lives.It is easy to get caught up in all the commercializing of Christmas.Every place you go is covered in red and green and there are lights every where.There are sales at our favorite stores.Everyone is full of joy, OK maybe that’s a lie.Everyone is grumpy and stressed out because of their last minute shopping.I love getting presents, don’t get me wrong but it seems to consume our lives during this season.It goes from a season of giving gifts to a season of giving the finger.But this is all to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, right?Although this is my favorite time of year, I too get caught up in the importance we place on what we give and what we get, instead of focusing on why Jesus came.Today I was at North Point Community Church and had to leave because all the overflow rooms were full and come back to the 12:45 service to get a place to sit.It offered an hour and fifteen minute break from the Christmas rush in our lives.It gave me and the thousands of others there to worship a chance to remember the true meaning of the word Christmas.It allowed me to remember the reason we celebrate.Christ came for the soul purpose to die for us and redeem us from sin.Not only was He sent to die for our sins, but He did die for our sins.Never will there ever have to be someone else come to save us again.So during this time of Christmas, celebrate His birthday, but more importantly celebrate the reason for His birthday.Merry Christmas!
Darren
