a little yeast…{by Janet Ellis}

Gal 5:9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”

My mom has made all the bread in our household for years. She really likes to do it, so until recently, I let her. Now, I’m the bread maker. (I’m doing it for the exercise and to save Mom’s breath. Stirring up 5 cups of flour by hand is work. Then kneading in the last cup uses even more muscles.) We make sour dough bread which uses 1 package of yeast and a cup of the sour dough starter. 1 package of yeast is only 2 ¼ teaspoons. Last night I mixed up bread and the 6 cups of flour makes a lump about the size of half a small canteloupe. This morning that small lump of dough was the size of a large dishpan. Yep, a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.

You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this. Get ready. This might sound a bit harsh, but I say it in love for you and the precious body of Christ we are ALL a part of. Check out Ephesians 4:29. When we talk with others is what we say going to build them up? Negative words and thoughts works through the whole batch of dough. In the same way positive words work through the whole batch of dough.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk someone to whom we can talk when we want to vent.

TGBTG (To God Be the Glory!)

Before you can pick up your mat {shepherds’ corner by Mike Ellis}

Before you can pick up your mat, we all need someone willing to dig a hole in the roof!

Last week, our preacher candidate did a wonderful job sharing from Mark 2:1-12. He encouraged all of us to write down the one thing that we need to let go, pick up our mats, and walk. We all have potentially paralyzing pasts. Certainly, egregious choices that are clearly sin can paralyze a person. However, errors in judgment that are not sinful can be equally as debilitating if we won’t let go of our mistakes (Ask my wife…this is a problem for me). But if you are already paralyzed, you are not able to pick up your mat and walk because you can’t get to the source of help. We need a friend or a group of friends who are willing to dig a hole in the neighbor’s roof just so their buddy can be seen by Jesus! (Read Mark 2 if you don’t know what I am referencing.)

Lately, I have heard a number of people say with sadness in their eyes and heart, “I don’t have any friends.” If you go to their Facebook pages, you would find that most of them have more than 500 “friends”. Obviously, that is not what they mean. What they mean and what we ALL need, what we desire more than anything is to have a network of people who will hold up our arms when we are tired like Aaron and Hur did for Moses (Exodus 17). We need someone who will say to us, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”, as Jonathan said to David in 1 Samuel 20. We all need a friend who is willing to sell their inheritance to help when someone is in crisis as Joseph did in Acts 4 (and as a result the Apostles called him Barnabas – “son of encouragement”,). But the question is, “How do we develop those kinds of relationships?”

The answer is surprisingly simple to answer but not always easy to execute. 1) We need to be intentional in our relationships. If we are not reaching out, we can’t expect anyone to be reaching back. The younger women need to be seeking out older women to help teach and train them. Older women need to be seeking out younger women to build them up and encourage them. The younger men should be seeking out more mature men to be their mentor. People of the same age need to be reaching out to one another to sharpen and strengthen each other. Those who are in the faith must be “making disciples” as Jesus instructed in Matthew 28. In order to train up someone in the Lord, we need to get to know a person. We must make it a priority to establish connections with others and help them grow closer to God. If you are not setting your sights on finding people to help, then you are not listening to the Gospel call. 2) Practice hospitality – Romans 12 gives a number of keys to good relationships, but this one about opening up your home and being willing to have others come over is a big one. The chapter also tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. That means you need to be there for a person…to spend time. Without a willingness to sacrifice your time, your space, your home, you cannot expect to have friends. Waiting for someone to come to you is a recipe for disappointment. 3) Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another. We need to open up to someone about what is really going on in our lives.  James 5 is clear, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Being fake is always going to alienate. Be genuine. Be real. Be a friend. 4) Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Sometimes, when we do all these things, someone will let us down and we will get hurt in the process. That doesn’t mean we quit trying, it means we try all the more going forward.

So, to whom do I pour out this energy and time and when? 1) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. My cousin has a chicken coop with 11 hens. Every day she goes out and collects the eggs. The reason this adage exists is that if you trip and fall…all the eggs are wasted. But if you have a couple of baskets, you will save some. This works for relationships, as well. If you zone in on one person (often it is the lead minister or pastor who gets targeted by members in a church), then you have a greater chance of not making a connection. Open yourself up to the people who God places in your path, not just those who look like you or think like you. Allow yourself to be led by the Spirit to make a friend whom you can help and who will help you. 2) Give it time…again, with some people you meet there may be an instant connection, and other times, not so much. But go where God is leading, not where you want to be. 3) Be purposeful in your relationship building. Don’t just get together to get together. Get together to build each other up; to correct, rebuke, and encourage; to equip one another for love and good deeds. 4) Don’t wait. Don’t wait on a program at church to help you meet other people. Don’t wait on the eldership to put you into groups. Don’t wait for a more opportune time in your life. Do it now. Find someone who needs a friend and be that friend for them. If you do, when you need someone to dig a hole in the roof of your neighbor to lower you down to get help, they will be there for you!

Words: Harmful or Helpful {Shepherd’s Corner by Richard Moore}

Every person could probably tell stories filled with regrets of when their tongues cause them to sin as well as deep satisfaction when the Lord gave them just the right words to say. Most of us have experience the use of harmful and helpful words. As children we have been taught to respond to harsh words by using the standard retort “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” However, in our hearts we know that this is untrue. According to the School Bullying Council, every day some 160,000 students stay home from school afraid of bullies. With the advent of social networking, there has been an increase of teens committing suicide because of “words” posted on sites like Facebook by “cyber bullies.” Yes, when taken to heart words do hurt and can kill. Words can be psychologically damaging and have lifelong implications.

As Christians we need to know the consequences of our failures to use words in a healing, inspiring and Godly manner. Also, we need to encourage the practice of blessing others with our words and strive to speak helpful encouraging speech by guarding our lips, giving gentle answers, and ministering pleasant words. Ancient Israel suffered from bad speech, as does the church today. We have failed miserably to guard our lips, often making excuses for our bad habits of speech. The Bible is loaded with scriptures about the sins of the tongue as well as blessings arising from proper speech. The following are a few selected scriptures.

James gave us amble reasons to purify our lips. He noted how a “small spark (James 3:5) can set an entire forest ablaze. The tongue is like a flame of “fire” (Verse 6). It is a source of “evil.” When the tongue goes unchecked, it spews forth wickedness that spiritually defiles “the whole person” as well as the entire direction of one’s life.

The key to enjoying life and seeing good fruit is found in Psalm 34: 12-13 “Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.” From this we see that we cannot easily dismiss the sins of our tongues. We need the wise teachings of Solomon to remind us to clean up our speech, and we should follow the example of Christ, whose speech was full of grace and truth (John 1:17)

Pleasant Words

Proverbs 15:1 reminds us to be “gentle” (soft or tender) “a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” The focus is on being conciliatory. The situation here involves an accusation and how Godly people should respond. One of the severest tests of our commitment to wise living is how we stand up under a provocation. “A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is” Proverb 16:21. This proverb reveals that it is not enough to have understanding, but equally important is how to explain what you know in a tactful way.

Proverbs 16:24; 17:27; remind us that “pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones….a man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even tempered. The idea is that gracious remarks promote a sense of well-being among God’s people. Proverbs 16:24 suggest that the entire person is encouraged and enlivened by kind words. In Proverbs 17:27 we learn that those who have knowledge-namely, people who are truly wise, speak carefully and sparingly.

Harmful Words

Proverbs 26 has a great deal to say about the use of harmful words. In verse 20, Solomon noted that just as a fire goes out for lack of fuel, so too quarrels stop when gossip ceases. Verses 23-26, concern those who are malicious and deceitful on their speech. Their smooth words conceal their wicked hearts. In short, those who appear on the surface to be noble minded can be quite petty, hypocritical, and self serving. While their speech might sound pleasant, their hearts harbor deceit.

Know that some of the worst sins that we can commit are with our tongue. How tragic it would be, if Christians were guilty of bullying fellow Christians? Not physically, but verbally and mentally, isolating them from the body of believers cutting them off from their source of vital spiritual strength. In Ephesians 4:29, we are admonished to “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

Two-Step Chicken Pecan Salad

When I was in college, a close friend’s mom made this salad for us in big batches and put it into our care packages.  Now, this is what my friends ask that I bring with me every time we take a girls’ trip to the beach.  It’s one FANTASTIC chicken salad.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

3c diced, cooked chicken

1/2c diced celery

2T chopped parsley

1t salt

1t pepper

1/2t dried tarragon

2T oil

1/2c chopped, toasted pecans*

1/2c mayonnaise

Step 1: In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, parsley, salt, pper, tarragon and oil.  Stir together until well mixed.  Cover, refrigerate at least 2hrs or overnight, stirring once or twice to blend ingredients.

Step 2: To serve:  About 1 hr bbefore serving, add pecans and mayonnaise to the mixture.  Stir until well coated.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is excellent on croissants!

*Hint: To toast pecans, heat oven to 325 degrees.  Place shelled pecan halves on baking sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally for even browning (chopped nuts take less time).  Or, microwave on HIGH 4-6 minutes, stirring after each minute.

coming to America {by Kumba Rosaline Kamara}

First of all I want to thank this church for embracing me and my family. Being one of the many immigrants, I have made my home here. Back in Africa I was struggling to get a good education, knowing it would be the key to access my full potential, but in my country the will to learn is there, but the means to get the education is lacking. Most schools  do not have enough supplies and staff  is underpaid, and more often go without pay.

As a child I grew up in a country called Sierra Leone in the town of Kono, where schools were either too expensive or government schools that were underserved. I used to travel to my paternal home in the village of Kono, where poverty is the order of life. The villagers walk a  long distance to fetch water for cooking, drinking, and washing clothes, and they bathe in the rivers.

My dream, as I vividly remember, is that someday I will help with water situation and upgrade their living conditions.

Does anybody know this stress?

Coming from school,and there  is no food in the house, no hope that you are going to eat food that day. Mother is sick, and there is  no money to take her to the hospital.  Dad is jobless; therefore he cannot provide for his family. That is how stress feels: no hope for the future because of poverty. Poverty is a crisis of starvation in Africa.

Some people have only one meal a day, and some people will go without food. The sad part is that most children in Africa are deprived of at least one basic necessity of life, such as food, clean water, shelter, or healthcare. Instead of these children running, laughing, and playing with friends, these children spend their formative years struggling to survive. Poverty has affected every aspect of their lives. People are dying because of poor health care while giving birth, and these children are left motherless, and there is no government fund to protect them. Therefore they face a lifetime of servitude to the neighboring families, while some of the little girls would be sold as slaves to local fetish priests. Eventually many of these children will die from the combined effects of starvation and disease.

The most significant turning point in my life was coming to America. Since then, my entire life and my dreams have been revolutionized. Apart from the adjustment, I feel the need to talk about assisting my brothers and sisters back in Sierra Leone, where the people are very religious despite being poor.  Worship takes a center stage, but many of the people lack formal worship services.  Some gather under trees and some have the privilege of building small chapels. They lift themselves up in prayers and hymns believing in the message that one day they shall over come these conditions. I want to believe God is using me to appeal for help on their behalf.

Life over here has both contrived and challenged me heavily into the person I have become.  Gone are the days I felt no-hope in tackling issues like poverty. I have realized I am surrounded by God’s extraordinary people who think like me, who have the dream to improve humanity.  This church has been good to me and I believe and trust in God Almighty that together we can help build something better for  the villagers in places like Kono. My prayer is that this will be incorporated among our church projects.

unplugged {Shepherds’ Corner by Kevin Henegar}

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Gen 2:2-3

“Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

Rest.

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that rest is something our culture treats more like a luxury or even a sin than it does a value or a gift.

In order to get some, we have to “go away” for a period of time under the guise of “vacation” or “retreat”.  And even then, we are getting less and less rest during those times.  We might physically go away, but our work has to come with us.  Even if we are only checking email, the thoughts and stresses of it continue to stir inside of us, reminding it is always near.

And this says nothing about all the interruption we invite into our lives on a continual basis with our texts, notifications, and status updates.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to these things.  Technology can be a great thing, but we have to keep it in the proper perspective.  We must not think that it could ever save us and we must not allow it in any way to become our master.  That role is reserved for the Lord.  No one else.  Nothing else.

Our family was blessed to enjoy two weeks away together in early July.  We were beat.  We were wounded.  To say we limped and struggled into this time was an understatement.  We decided together to unplug for the entire time.

No email.  No social media.  No phone.  Two weeks.

I know as some of you read this you are experiencing anxiety at the thought.  Maybe thinking you would be bored.  Maybe worried you would miss something.  Maybe unsure you could go that long without announcing to the world what you ate for breakfast.  The list could go on…

Well.  Here’s my three word report:

It was amazing!

I understand that I didn’t have to work that week, but I discovered time to interact with and connect with my family, time to relax not only body but mind, time to listen to God.

The other thing I realized is that this world does not depend on me.  There are no guarantees.  God may choose to take me home tomorrow and life here will still go on.  I shouldn’t take myself too seriously.

Since returning home, we have started a different practice.  I use my phone for talking and little else.  Other forms of communication are handled on the computer for a specific amount of time each day.  And I try to take more time for rest, connecting, and listening.

You may know this already, but I find it interesting that when it comes to physical training, you have to stress your body to produce gains and improvement but it is not during the training that you realize the gains.

It’s during the recovery.  The rest.

It’s only then that your body repairs your muscles and absorbs all that training.

Insufficient rest means no growth.

There’s no difference with our minds and spirits either.  We need that time away.  Unplugged.  Time for our spirits to heal and be refreshed by the creator himself.

Christ himself needed it, so why wouldn’t we?  (Matt 14:23; Mark 6:46)

Think about it.  Pray about it.  A little unplugging may be just what you need to connect and grow more than ever.

by Kevin Henegar (@kevinhenegar)

**This post originally appeared on our main church website.  Click here for more great content!

San Francisco Chops

Amazing super-delicious yumminess, without a tremendous effort!  It’ll take you about 10 minutes prep time, and about 40 minutes of simmering.

4 pork chops (or more, if your family is like mine…just double the sauce)

1T oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Sauce:

2t oil

4T dry sherry or broth

4T soy sauce

2T brown sugar

1/4t cayenne pepper (scale up or down, depending on your love for spice)

2t cornstarch

2T water

• Tips:  Sandwich your chops between two pieces of plastic wrap and give them a quick pound or two with a meat mallet.  It’ll make them fall apart on the fork after they’re cooked.
• This dish is excellent over rice or pasta.

Trim chops of fat.  Heat oil in a skillet.  Brown chops on both sides.  Remove chops and set aside.  Add a little bit more oil, if needed.  Saute garlic for a minute, being careful not to burn it. Combine oil, sherry or broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper.  Place chops in a skillet.  Pour sauce over them.  Cover tightly.  Simmer over low heat until chops are tender and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.  Add a little water (1-2T) if needed to keep sauce from cooking down too much.  Turn once.  Remove chops to a platter.  Stir cornstarch dissolved in water into the sauce.  Cook until thickened.  Pour sauce over chops and serve.

Without Intermission {by Kevin Kolbe}

For me, one of the most powerful, provoking, inspiring verses in the bible is 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

“Never stop praying” (NLT)

To the point.

“Pray all the time” (The Message)

Easy to understand.

“Pray continually” (NIV)

Practical.

“Pray without ceasing” (NKJV)

Notice the verse doesn’t get into what to pray, just simply, pray. Constantly. And regardless of what version, it “reads” the same.

From what I understand, the Greek means “Pray without intermission.” But, can you really, seriously ALWAYS be in prayer? I believe you can. For example, here are just some of the times I pray:

In the middle of the night.

When I wake up.

When I drive (with my eyes on the road!)

Before meetings.

As I write.

Before I speak or teach.

Whenever an ambulance or firetruck drives by.

For me prayer is an on-going conversation with God. I can’t tell you why the Creator of everything I know actually gives a hoot about what I have to say, other than the fact…that He does.

God wants me to pray to him and never, ever stop. I love Him for that. And that is why I pray. Constantly. Without Ceasing. Or stopping. No intermissions allowed.

~Kevin Kolbe (@k2thedude)

Best.Salmon.Marinade.EVER

Here’s the thing:  This is one of those recipes you use when you’ve lost track of the day and you need something healthy and wonderful for supper in short order.  It’s one you grab when you’re having company over (or not), when it’s grilling weather (or when it isn’t), when you have an hour or when you have all day.  Trust me.  Keep some salmon in your freezer.  This recipe rivals restaurant-quality fare without being complicated.

Marinate salmon for 30 minutes or more, flipping the filets at least once:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp paprika

2 tsp pepper

2 tsp salt

dash garlic powder

1 Tbsp onion flakes

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

Oven bake at 425 degrees for 15 mins (less if your filets are thin) or grill lightly.  Salmon should be slightly pink on the inside when cooked and should flake easily with a fork.

Enjoy!

Shepherds Corner: True Life

He is Risen! Hallelujah!

As we approach Easter Sunday, we find ourselves in the midst of Passion Week. I hope each of us takes the opportunity in our personal devotional time to meditate on the events leading up to the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus, His gruesome and humiliating execution, the punishment and separation from the Father He endured on our behalf, and His resurrection power in triumphing over death being raised to life on the third day!

In thinking on this, I find it interesting that from a worldly point of view death is considered to be the end. We are encouraged to live life to the fullest while we have it because one day we will die and it will be all over. It’s a story that is all about you. What do YOU want to accomplish? What do YOU want to experience? How do YOU want to spend YOUR time and YOUR money? How do YOU want to use YOUR talents? We even create things like bucket lists so we can monitor our progress towards completion of all the things we hope to do before we die.  Practically speaking, we live our lives based on the perception that life precedes death. The Gospel message is completely opposed to this way of thinking. The cross tells us that true life follows death. Romans 6:9 tells us that “since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.” And in a similar manner, his call for us to follow him requires our own death. A death to ourselves and our former way of life (Col. 3), death to the world and its call for our allegiance. In Christ we are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) and are born again (John 3) into newness of life.

While we in the church have a better handle on this than the world, we tend to struggle in our understanding of eternal life. We tend to think of our physical death preceding eternal life and we can be guilty at times of failing to live. We’ve already died. Now it’s time to live… for HIM.  Jesus tells his disciples in John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” And Paul reminds us in Philippians 1:21 that “to live is Christ and to die is gain”.

The amazing thing is that the power through which Christ rose from the grave is the same power that is at work within us! (Eph 1:18-21) We have been crucified with Christ, yet we LIVE! (Gal. 2:20). So how has your living been coming along lately? Is the living water welling up within you? (John 4:14)

This morning while driving Adam to school, I heard a great song from a few years back. The lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Live out Loud” echo these sentiments well. Click here to enjoy… and start living out loud!