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Happy Thanksgiving!

November 23, 2006 By Leave a Comment

As I sit around with friends and family, I extend my heartfelt wishes for a wonderful day for all of you with friends and family!

Today, as my father-in-law is making the turkey, I am reminded of the power of smell. I know all the Thanksgiving smells…..the turkey roasting in the over, the potatoes being mashed, the pecan pie as it warms in the oven. For us, thanksgiving is about traditions and being together as a family. Today, we have invited a couple of guys from our church to join us as we break bread together and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. I am always sorry that we can’t have both sides of the family together but I know the Laveys are having a great get-together in Dallas.

Giving Thanks – My Quick Six (borrowed from Park!)

  • I am thankful for a God who relentlessly pursued me through college and into my career, never far from me and always bringing people into my life to tell me about Jesus, especially my “prayer warrior” mom.
  • I am thankful for my wife Sue, who is still a “hottie”, who loves Jesus, and who always lends an ear for my tales of adventure and woe.
  • I am thankful for my family, who bring me untold joy each and every day as the kids grow and my wife blossoms as a home-school teacher.
  • I am thankful for the opportunity to work and minister in this world-class city at a cool church like Park Community Church. I have done some cool things with my four companies before but this allows me to try and be significant for the Kingdom.
  • I am thankful for the ability to have a city home, to do life right here in this fast-paced urban environment with all it has to offer, to expose my kids to all that is good and bad in a large global city called Chicago.
  • I am thankful for our parents who have guided us well and helped us get to today – who have now turned into good friends and confidants.

Filed Under: Chicago, Family, Powerful Passages, Weblog

Genesis 3: The Fall

July 19, 2006 By Leave a Comment

Genesis 3 – The Fall of Man

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have started our new series ACT ONE: Genesis at Park and this last week, Jackson Crum, our Senior Pastor talked about Chapter 3, The Fall of Man. While I have read the Genesis story many times, I was struck this week as he laid out a way to look at verse 6:

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food (PLEASURE) and pleasing to the eye, (POSSESSION) and also desirable for gaining wisdom,(POSITION) she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

There are three things that Eve coveted by her statement:

PLEASURE: ….John calls this the cravings of a sinful man — Eve was coveting pleasure — a lot of us seek pleasure and use it to cover up pain. We seek pleasure to cover up the truth that we do not want to face. If we seek pleasure it is only temporary but it feels good and we forget our pain.

POSSESSION: pleasing to the eye – lust of the eyes — Possession: I need this, I want this..if I just have this, I will be fulfilled……She wanted stuff rather than relying on God as her Provider (Jehovah Jireh).

POSITION: If I am seen in this way I will feel better. I need position, rather than a provider.

As I grow in my walk, I still need to continually examine these issues in my life — where are my priorities? What does God ask me to prioritize daily in my life?

What do you think? Please leave a comment

Filed Under: Church, Powerful Passages, Uncategorized, Weblog

Genesis 1 – “Every”

July 17, 2006 By Leave a Comment

As we start our ACT ONE: Genesis series two week ago at Park, I have spent a good deal of time re-reading the this key account of creation and the fall of man. As I spent time reflecting on this powerful passage, I began to notice somethig that I didn’t in the past. Seven times in Genesis 1, the writer uses the word EVERY, to describe all the things that God has given us:

21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and EVERY living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and EVERY winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ………..28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over EVERY living creature that moves on the ground.” 29 Then God said, “I give you EVERY seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and EVERY tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—EVERY thing that has the breath of life in it—I give EVERY green plant for food.” And it was so. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground— thing that has the breath of life in it—I give green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.


God has given us EVERYthing that we need to love and glorify him — he did not leave out anything we may need……every living and moving things, every winged bird, every seed-bearing plant and every tree. I am learning more about God’s powerful love and pursuit of me and this is a great reminder.

Filed Under: Powerful Passages, Uncategorized, Weblog
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