NextGenKent

Two of my four children are still in grade school. The other day I heard the one recounting that age old mantra of "tattletale tattletale!" We are trying to teach our children when it's right and wrong to be a tattletale. I can only hope that the advice is taken when needed. But this morning I was meditating on Acts 1: 8-9, where Jesus tells his disciples that they better be his tattletales. They MUST be his tattletales. Yes, and they were going to have help to be his tattletales. He said to them, "When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be my witnesses . . ." aka, Blabbers! Imagine that! Divine power to be a tattletale. "Hey! What is your superpower?" "Being a tattletale, of course!" How can I express to you the necessity of being Jesus' tattletale? When anything good happens to you, blab and jaw it to others! Go on, gab and jibber jabber about the Lord and what He's doing in your life! Prattle, rattle, ...

HAVE YOU EVER FASTED? I mean as a part of your spiritual disciplines ... perhaps for Lent? Did fasting pay off? Read Matthew 26:36-46 then reread verse 41. Let’s get the context by reviewing a little bit: Matthew prepares us for the seven-day feast of Unleavened Bread starting and ending on a Sabbath (v17) which ends with Passover > Jesus spends Passover with the disciples > Judas leaves to betray Jesus > He institutes the Lord’s Supper (akin to the removal of leaven was the forgiveness of sins) > Jesus predicts Peter’s denial > Peter (and the others) denies he will deny > and Jesus arrives at the garden in Gethsemane. < INSERT GETHSEMANE PRAYER TIME > > Jesus is betrayed by Judas > swords are swung > an ear is healed > Jesus is arrested > the disciples flee the scene > Scriptures are fulfilled as Jesus goes to Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin > Peter denies Jesus in the courtyard > the rooster crows. Again, in between these even...

Do you know someone who always seems to be sharing answers to his or her prayers? When was the last time you had one prayer answered? When it has been awhile it can sure seem like the heavens are closed. Especially when others are sharing God is answering. Read James 5:17-18 and then ask yourself, "How hard can it be to pray?" “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” Let's face it, some prayers are more powerful and effective than others. Powerful prayers are obviously those that work, and effective prayers mean those that work the right way. James says powerful and effective prayers come from a certain type of person = a righteous person. So it seems fit to ask, when my prayers are not answered, "Am I not a righteous person?" I must not be. *cricket *cricket *cricke...

Do you like to throw birthday parties? IF money was no option, name one thing you would want to have to throw an awesome birthday party for anyone of your choice. Would you want to have games? pictures? gifts? a cake for blowing out candles and making wishes? What about celebrities? Would you be surprised that several of these things and more were all at Jesus’ birth? You can read about the awesome birthday of our Lord in Luke 2:8-21 . Focus especially on the angel’s message in verse 14. Can you n ame another birthday party with the appearance of angels? Name just one other where the angels were praising God for a birthday to [ Spoiler alert!] the shepherds! No wonder at all of the Christmas plays kids want to be shepherds! Games: The angel of the Lord said, “You will find.” The angels sent the shepherds on a scavenger hunt ! The Magi were sent on one about the same time. This is a great game to have at birthday parties! They had to search for this baby. Gifts: ...

One saying I heard growing up was "Many hands make light the work" and another, "put your money where your mouth is." There were many others that took years before I understood what they meant (a stitch in time saves nine).  Paul tells the Corinthians a new saying about giving. But first, What would happen if we as a church asked everyone to give their complete paycheck to the Church each week so that it could be distributed for all of the members’ needs? What solutions would this bring? What problems would this bring? They did this in Acts 4:32-37. In 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 Paul tell the Corinthian believers that God is able to make all grace abound to them. Grace is unmerited favor, unentitled assistance. The result of God’s abounding grace is for His people to have all sufficiency and contentment in all things. Contentment is not luxury.  The purpose for God’s abounding grace is managed as a pass through account--God gives his abounding grace to y...

I want to share today about what it is like for a man to make love to woman. (Now that I have your attention, I probably better not). However, everyone has a story of their first time.  Which reminds me of a story; now, this story may or may not have happened to my family. My dad was part of the rotary club because several of his friends were involved. My dad raised cattle and bred a certain kind of bovine and knew a lot about that sort of thing. He also had been in the county rodeos a few times riding bulls. He studied to become a doctor but having kids kept him from that pursuit. We lived in a small town, where you know everyone and everyone knows you ...and your business. The rotary club advertised that a popular "sexpert" would be the guest speaker at the next meeting and share about how to make love to a woman. The rotary club never had such great attendance! The place was packed, but the guest speaker never showed up. My dad's friend who was in charge and b...

What is one thing in your life that took you A LOT of preparation? In Joshua 3, we see a leader in need of being esteemed, a way needing known, and a river needing crossed over. However, the  main purpose in Joshua chapter 3 is really about trusting God (as usual), but not in a usual way! There is a sequence to preparing. We have to go through first grade before 2nd grade, and learn to add before we can multiply. God gives Joshua and his people a 3 days’ rest time and Israel's leaders give specific instructions (activities with their reasons) about crossing over this last obstacle fore the entering the Promised Land to the people, including a focal point (ark). Why? They haven’t been this way so they need to know The Way.  They receive God's promise from their leader unesteemed leader and are then commanded “consecrate yourselves!” Joshua gives the Word of God to the people and the people obey and all comes together because the people were able to crossover --an...