NextGenKent

What would happen if the church you attended asked everyone to give their complete paycheck as their offering? Then your church would each week distributed all of the money for all of its members’ needs. What solutions would this bring? I can definitely see how I, personally, would be affected in my attitude. If I chose to do this I wouldn’t spend money on frivolous stuff like ice cream or movies. I would enjoy “things” less and spend more time with people. I would take a greater interest in people and help them when I could because I think I would have more time on my hands )since I wouldn’t be eating ice cream and watching movies). What problems would this bring? Well, I could see that power behind the money distribution would be quite tricky. Each request would need to be legit and proof would be needed for expenses so deceptive schemes would be unmasked. I would hope people would be more humble but I know that even the best of us would seek to be exceptions to the rules. This...

Exodus 2:11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. "One day, when Moses had grown up;" whatever that means, he came to point where he was different; he was his own man now, he saw things differently, FELT THINGS DIFFERENTL...

AS GRACE EXTENDS  SO THE GLORY GOES 2Cor 4:14  knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence . 15  For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving , to the glory (revealing? Fame? Beauty?) of God. I am somewhat new to the hair style scene. At least to the scene that requires extensions. I asked my wife about a lady's hair and how beautiful it was and she remarked back, "Oh you mean her extensions?" After an explanation I was lead to believe that the extensions were not a part of the lady's real hair, but it did make it look more beautiful. Extensions not only are for making things longer and more attractive but also for assisting in our getting across or over something that is in our way--a hindrance or hurdle. Take extension ladders for example. When you slide the extension part of the ladder up for use it allows for us to ...

“IN ALL FAIRNESS” James 2:1-13.  Dealing with the "otherwise" categories in our hearts.   I was sitting in a Chicago corner shop and set my wallet on the table. As I was getting up I was quite aware that I was scanning the room after looking at my wallet on the table to see if I should be cautious … which I should. But I was also noticeably aware of my own awareness … I saw a man in the back sitting at a table and I must confess, that just because he was black I picked up my wallet and put it into my pocket. This is my confession. I don’t know why I did it AND it haunts me. It haunts me for two reasons: because I do not have answer as to WHY I did that; and because I feel like what happened there inside of me, without my conscious thinking, just reacting, MAY have come from sin. I think this goes on a lot; and I don’t think I am the only one who has had this experience. I know I don’t like being in a situation where I feel like I am being treated ...

I recently performed a wedding where the routine involved nothing new. It was outside of the church, but not outside my comfort zone. It was only later upon reflection and investigation by my daughter that I had to rethink some things, specifically  our dancing to a particular song. I had actually looked forward to the dancing moments of this wedding. My wife and youngest son were home sick and since my daughter loves to dance with her daddy I thought it would be a fun binding moment for us.  So when our table was approached by a group of middle school-aged girls to come and dance with them I thought two things: 'How nice for them to ask us to join them', and 'OK, this will be fun with my daughter.' To refuse might offend as well as miss out on a moment with my kids (my middle son actually joined us too). But what I didn't know was what "wobble" meant--that was the name for the song (and dance) we were going participate in. It wasn't until the ride ...