It is an awesome responsibility to be a Dad. There are still a lot of great Fathers around today, but in a world that tends to feed on the negative, they don’t get much attention. It’s all about the relationship. The more we are involved in our kids lives, the better parent we will be. It is not intrusion knowing what is going on in your child’s life. It is caring, it is loving, it is being a good Father. If you’re not involved, someone one else will be, and you may not like the lessons they teach. Our Father, God, has a loving and involved relationship in our lives even though we often shun His efforts. His goal is for us to have an eternal relationship with Him. David is credited with writing in Psalm 139:7-10, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” The things my Dad taught me and instilled in me have guided me in life. No matter where I go or what I do; my work ethic, the way I treat my wife and my marriage, my children and grandchildren, and yes, my faith, my Dad has had a big influence on my life. My Mom had influences in other ways but without a male role model things could have been much different. Maybe your Dad wasn’t there for you like that, for whatever reason, you still have the same role model that David had in the Psalms. It is not too late to embrace your Heavenly Father and seek His guidance and advice in your life, it is not too late to become a Father to your own children and the leader of your family. The greatest legacy you can leave for your children and grandchildren is not one of material things, but a life of endearing relationships. Remember that when you die, the only thing that you can bring with you to Heaven is your family. Share your faith with them today and reap the benefit of eternal relationships with the Father of the Universe. God bless you for all you do.
Pastor Dean Hanssen
Outreach & Ministries Pastor
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Review: Come to the Well by Casting Crowns
Mark Hall and the rest of Casting Crowns offer us a banquet of twelve course musical meal to savior and feel the warmth with in our inner soul. Like many of you my first taste of this musical feast was early release of the “Courageous” single to be part of the larger Sherwood Pictures movie of the same name. You can’t hear an hour of Christian radio with feeding on this piece of musical pie. Yes, this called me to the Casting Crowns table of musical offering,s but it was not the main staple that I found there. This album offers us superbly crafted dishes from writing talents of Mark Hall (lead siger of Casting Crowns), Matthew West, Nicole Nordeman, and others. It is with in these dishes of spiritual fruit and water we find two of the best songs on this album. “City on the Hill,” penned by Mark Hall and Matthew West, is a song that challenges us to stop blaming other people, especially other Christians for our troubles and awaken to the inner truth that we each have a part to play in inspiring and building up others to a be lights In God’s world. It has a country rock vibe and the lyrics are worth taking the time to soak in. It is by far this writer favorite song from the album.
The second song that stands out is a folksy tune entitled, “Sprit Wind” that finds is Biblical roots in Ezekiel 37 and Psalms 63:1-2. The lyrics speak to today’s church, asking God to infuse us with the Holy Spirit to make us lights with our cities. It leaves a warm feeling like a cup of coffee on a cold winter’s day.
The rest of the album is a set of strong songs that speak to different life situations and how the power of God can deliver you from them if, like the title track states, you “come to the well.” I would recommend adding this musical feast to your CD collection or downloading it to phone or mp3 player. The music is wonderful, the lyrics will inspire you, and Come to the Well is, simply put, the best Casting Crowns album since their first.
Reviewed by Erin McGinnis, LHF Media Arts & Services CoordinatorThis review is solely the opinion of E.M. McGinnis, who was not compensated in any way by any of the recording, distribution, or retail companies involved in the manufacture or sell of this album, nor the artists and songwriters involved in its creation.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Location, location, location…
Even in the small-sized community of Gladewater, LHF as an urban located ("downtown") church, what does this communicate theologically to our community?
Many of you, I know are scratching your heads and wondering what Brother Ben is talking about in his rambling.....but seriously, what does our location communicate to our surroundings? With respect to many within the community, we (they) feel safety in the neutral-setting and relevance. Intentional or unintentional, LHF is communicating to the public eye that God is indeed imminent, near, accessible, personal, and on our level. As a long-time fixture in Gladewater, I still marvel in the fact as I open the double-doors to the side of the once Goodyear Tire Store or hardware store or video store or physical fitness center or LHF that God has provided the once oily, retail-driven, cinematic, sweaty space as holy. I have even noticed that with respect, some enter this space by the removal of their shoes and the uncovering of their heads.
How is this the modern location of the burning bush? Far-fetched as it may seem, there is a holy presence of God that dwells among those that enter the space. Is it the building? NO Is it the people? YES Does God just reside in bell-towered steepled A-frame buildings? Or does God reside in you and me within our hearts and souls? The importance is to remember that the Church is the people aspect of God and that "doing church" can be done outside the very confines of this holy place we call LHF or your street, or Bodacious BBQ, the gas station, or even Dollar General. God can be found and sited even in these remote areas, just like our own building. Each of us possess God and have the power to change hearts anywhere and anytime. Are you with me?
What are you doing as a people to emphasize the incarnational elements of Jesus? Let's make it simple: How do others witness Jesus as you go about your daily living? Let's chat! Tell me your story!
See you on the journey,
Ben Bright
Many of you, I know are scratching your heads and wondering what Brother Ben is talking about in his rambling.....but seriously, what does our location communicate to our surroundings? With respect to many within the community, we (they) feel safety in the neutral-setting and relevance. Intentional or unintentional, LHF is communicating to the public eye that God is indeed imminent, near, accessible, personal, and on our level. As a long-time fixture in Gladewater, I still marvel in the fact as I open the double-doors to the side of the once Goodyear Tire Store or hardware store or video store or physical fitness center or LHF that God has provided the once oily, retail-driven, cinematic, sweaty space as holy. I have even noticed that with respect, some enter this space by the removal of their shoes and the uncovering of their heads.
How is this the modern location of the burning bush? Far-fetched as it may seem, there is a holy presence of God that dwells among those that enter the space. Is it the building? NO Is it the people? YES Does God just reside in bell-towered steepled A-frame buildings? Or does God reside in you and me within our hearts and souls? The importance is to remember that the Church is the people aspect of God and that "doing church" can be done outside the very confines of this holy place we call LHF or your street, or Bodacious BBQ, the gas station, or even Dollar General. God can be found and sited even in these remote areas, just like our own building. Each of us possess God and have the power to change hearts anywhere and anytime. Are you with me?
What are you doing as a people to emphasize the incarnational elements of Jesus? Let's make it simple: How do others witness Jesus as you go about your daily living? Let's chat! Tell me your story!
See you on the journey,
Ben Bright
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Going Global
Thanks to those that read our "test post" yesterday (shout-outs to Ukrainian and German readers)! We thought we might write a little more "About Us" today, after "testing the waters."
Living Hope Fellowship is a small church in a small East Texas town. We are non-denominational Christ-followers with a heart for service
We appreciate our new, global readership and hope you'll bear with us as we find our blog "voice." Posts will be composed by the different leaders and members of LHF, and therefore will not be written in the same tone or on the same subject each time...perhaps we are more of a blog "choir." We hope to post book and movie reviews, inspirational posts like yesterday's "Just Between Me, You, and God," written by our Outreach & Ministries Pastor, Dean Hanssen, and share our personal insights as we each grow in Christ.
Again, thank you for reading us, and we pray that you be inspired, uplifted, and sometimes very amused by our writings.
~~Melissa McGinnis, LHF Children's Ministry Director
Monday, January 23, 2012
Just Between You, Me, and God
Just Between You, Me, and God 2/24/2012
When I was a kid I used to love to sit on a bar stool in the kitchen while my Mother would bake. There were so many different things going on at the same time. The oven was heating up, ingredients were being gathered, measured, sifted, and set aside for just the right time to add to the mix. Each one brought its own purpose and quality to the recipe. The big stand mixer would whirl away and blend everything to just the right consistency. Cookie dough would be placed on a metal sheet or cake batter would be poured into any one of a variety of pans that would insure perfect results and then into the preheated oven it would go, filling the house with a mouth-watering aroma that set the imagination afire with the expectation of the wonderful goodness to come. Sounds a lot like our Christian life, doesn't it. We, the ingredients in God's recipe are pretty bland by ourselves, but when the Creator adds just the right ingredients into the mix and molds them just the way He wants them He creates an irrestitible recipe for life here and the anticipation of an even better life to come. The best cookbooks in the world are put out by Chruch groups and God's recipe for Christian maturity was written down and passed on to us in the book of James.
Chapter 1: First preheat the oven(trials)
Chapter 2: In a bowl put in wisdom, add faith and works, this is important because faith without works is like dead yeast, it will be inactive and not produce life.
Chapter 3: Then add marinated or tenderized tongue.
Chapter 4: Strain out any selfishness floating to the top.
Chapter 5: Wait patiently, basting all the while with prayer.
May God use you powerfuly in His recipe for life. Pastor Dean
When I was a kid I used to love to sit on a bar stool in the kitchen while my Mother would bake. There were so many different things going on at the same time. The oven was heating up, ingredients were being gathered, measured, sifted, and set aside for just the right time to add to the mix. Each one brought its own purpose and quality to the recipe. The big stand mixer would whirl away and blend everything to just the right consistency. Cookie dough would be placed on a metal sheet or cake batter would be poured into any one of a variety of pans that would insure perfect results and then into the preheated oven it would go, filling the house with a mouth-watering aroma that set the imagination afire with the expectation of the wonderful goodness to come. Sounds a lot like our Christian life, doesn't it. We, the ingredients in God's recipe are pretty bland by ourselves, but when the Creator adds just the right ingredients into the mix and molds them just the way He wants them He creates an irrestitible recipe for life here and the anticipation of an even better life to come. The best cookbooks in the world are put out by Chruch groups and God's recipe for Christian maturity was written down and passed on to us in the book of James.
Chapter 1: First preheat the oven(trials)
Chapter 2: In a bowl put in wisdom, add faith and works, this is important because faith without works is like dead yeast, it will be inactive and not produce life.
Chapter 3: Then add marinated or tenderized tongue.
Chapter 4: Strain out any selfishness floating to the top.
Chapter 5: Wait patiently, basting all the while with prayer.
May God use you powerfuly in His recipe for life. Pastor Dean
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