Don't you just love it? (or things I'm learning daily)

Don't you just love it when you have this big problem--I'm talking the kind you can't fathom getting over--and you approach it alone. I mean I'm supposed to be some big guy, right? I mean sure, you act like you give God control over it but underneath it all your grip is still as firm as ever. This has been my past two or three weeks: finals approaching, school bills due, things not falling into place at work--you name it. And then today seemed to be the culmination of it all--on the verge of a breakdown or something (as close as I come to that....lol)--I just couldn't work things out right at work to save my life and I realize a huge balance is left on my fee bill due to a scholarship not coming through. I mean why can't I fix THIS. All I could think is ME, ME, ME. And then, at the height of it all, when I think my options have run out, I finally--three weeks in the making--finally give it to Christ; the last I turn to is the place I should have started........Where do you think this is going? What does God do for those that truly humble themselves and remove doubt in him? Within 1 hour I find out that the scholarship check went out 2 or 3 days ago and should be here just in time and my boss (my aunt and best friend) calls to let me know everything is fine--something I've needed to hear for awhile now. Why do I do this to myself?
Sometimes God allows us to continue in our ways, to continue in our own folly to the very last instant--to that instant in which we truly humble ourselves and give our troubles to him. This is just one way in which our King is "mighty to save."

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Now playing: Hillsong - The Freedom We Know
via FoxyTunes

I need to do this more often

With the chill (or lack thereof) of fall comes football, sweaters, and school. With all that said, there's still no excuse as to why I haven't posted as much. But I'm coming back with a vengeance. Check back for more on our new study on Acts. It's a good one. Be there, 8 o'clock on Wednesdays to join us in our journey to truth and togetherness.

Geoff

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Now playing: Casting Crowns - What The World Needs
via FoxyTunes

Baseball and Persecution

So I'm watching the Giants play the Marlins and waiting to see history made by Barry. No matter how you feel about him, etc. you have to respect how, despite all the criticism and all the distraction, he can focus and just go for it. But regardless I was just curious: how many of you guys read these things? Just leave me a quick comment if you can; just curious. See you guys later.

Geoff

Rejoice In Your Chains

So I'm excited about studying Phillipians with you guys. I really think that if we stick with it, we'll all be blessed with something we can take with us out of this study. Last night, in case you missed it, we started diving into the first chapter of Phillipians in which we find a good case of Paul turning the worst for the best.
We can be inspired by Paul's example of servanthood through suffering and learn to turn the not-so-good parts of life into an example of Christ's love in us by the reaction we show to these aspects in life. From his jail cell, in one of the worst times in his life, Paul is able to be cheerful in his service to God and calls on the Phillipians to do the same. Paul also shows us that while he is a respected theologian and Biblical author, he has his struggles as well. He recognizes that it would be far better to die and be with Christ but that he is here on Earth for a purpose. He recognizes a lost world's need for Christ and stresses that "to live is Christ, but to die is gain." Paul concludes that in order to reach people here on Earth, we are called to be "children of heaven here on Earth." In order to reach people for Christ we need to strive to be like Christ, even as we are sinners in a sinful world. I encourage you to come out next week as we explore more in Phillipians and more about ourselves.

Until then,
God Bless.

Geoff

So you know what today is...

I know I'll see all of you at our service tonight, right? Just kidding but if your interested swing by for our College & Career Service in the sanctuary at 8. Tonight we'll dive into the third part of our patriotic series "Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness". (In actuality the title serves more as a springboard into the topic of free-will rather than be an actual patriotic service....come by you'll see) Following up our talk about God's greatest gift, freewill, from our lesson "Liberty" last week, this week we will examine America's obsession with "the Pursuit of Happiness". Hope to see you all there tonight for some good worship an bible study. And as always I'm sure we'll grab some food after. Later!

Geoff

Summer Update

Ok, I'll make you guys a deal. I'll post more if you guys take this and apply it. Deal? Deal. So first of all Fuge was great, as if that was ever in doubt. I've really taken a conviction to journal and other spiritual disciplines. I believe, this Fuge more than any other, was a time of submission rather than conviction. God really showed me the importance of being obedient to him daily and forming good habits in my relationship with him. In the end, it was a great time.

In other news our College Service on Wednesdays has been going on strong and I hope to see all of you guys there at 8 on Wednesdays in the sanctuary. You can check back here for updates on the series we are going through at the moment.

To end, I'm going to figure out how to post pics on this thing. Get ready for some funny stuff. Later guys.

Geoff

UPDATE: I've got it now. Here you go.
P.S. The guys are getting shaved because the kids reached a certain goal with their missions offering at camp.

"Who Is This?" they asked

Alright guys. Finally remembered my password for this thing. So as you all remember, we read Matt. 21:1-11 Sunday morning, which coincided with Palm Sunday. So I'll leave you the verses to study for today, Monday, and I'll be back tommorrow mornin with commentary on what we read tonight, and also with tommorrow's verses. So just check back every morning, all week and I hope you all enjoy the journey!

Today's verses are: Matt. 21:18-27 (you can read on through some parables if you'd like but as far as history/actions of the day we'll stick with these verses)

Have a good one guys!
Geoff

Nothing Means Nothing

"But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it." - 1st Corinthians 10:13 -

Isn't it comforting to know that these words still ring as true for us today as the day they were first written? Though we may feel overwhelmed by situations, no matter what obstacle or temptation may cross our path, even though we may not be able to overcome it ourselves, if we ask for a guiding hand we will find that God is ready and available not only to help us through temptation but to bring us fully through it. There's nothing we can't overcome.
I read these verses to the youth group tonight and I posed them this question--how many of you would be willing to say that there are some temptations we can't resist. Many of them, along with myself, raised their hands; and they were right. No matter how much we want to fully be in control and in power of our lives, there are some things we are aren't strong enough to face ourselves.

"Christ is not weak in his dealings with you: he is a mighty power among you. Although he died on the cross in weakness, he now lives by the mighty power of God. We, too, are weak, but we live in him and have God's power" - 2nd Corinthians 13:3 -

Unlike our friends (however well intentioned they are), whom we run to in tough times, Christ knows our situation exactly; he's knows what it is to feel vulnerable in the human sense. He's felt what we feel! But he is also there with his mighty power to help us when we get to the point of decision as to what will be our reaction to a given temptation. If we confide in Him, His answer will be mighty enough to squelch the temptaion everytime. Hope this encourages you as much as it does me. Until tomorrow...

Update 2-28-07

Just added a new link for LSU's Summer Job Fair that I attended today. SkyRanch looks like an awesome place. One of my LC friends worked there last summer and had nothing but great things to say. Check it out down there in Links; i'll be back tonight with a full post. Later guys and gals.

Softball, sites, and songs

There's something about physical activity that seems to cleanse the soul. I played my first softball game with the BCM at school and I'm glad to say it was a success: we won 4-2. But the most successful thing to me was being able to play with a group of people of like mind. I mean not many softball teams out there clap when the other team makes a spectacular diving catch to rob them of a run; it's great to fellowship with fellow athletes, and fellow Christians period.

Now, back to the meat and potatoes of this post. Check out some of the new features over there on the sidebar and below in the Links section. Plenty of good stuff down there to keep you surfing around for awhile--I'll try to add one or two noteworthy links a week. As you can see, I added a nice little picture of our current study and the title of the upcoming week's lesson to give you an idea as to what to expect. Also, every Friday I'm going to try to incorporate some sort of lesson preview into my blog for the day, so be on the lookout. And as always, throughout the week I'll try to post some follow up questions/verses for you to ponder from the previous week's lesson.

That's all the time I can spare tonight. I'm typing this in one of my MANY study breaks. But i'll leave you guys with a verse from one of my favorite songs. Enjoy.

All I am for all you are

Because what I need and what I believe are worlds apart



I look beyond the empty cross

forgetting what my life has cost

and wipe away the crimson stains

and dull the nails that still remain

More and more I need you now,

I owe you more each passing hour

the battle between grace and pride

I gave up not so long ago

So steal my heart and take the pain

and wash the feet and cleanse my pride

take the selfish, take the weak,

and all the things I cannot hide

take the beauty, take my tears

the sin-soaked heart and make it yours

take my world all apart

take it now, take it now

and serve the ones that I despise

speak the words I can't deny

watch the world I used to love

fall to dust and thrown away

 from Worlds Apart by Jars of Clay

"Oh, this is the start of something good. Don't you agree?"

And what better words to start our little blog here with with those of the amazingly talented Gavin DeGraw. I hope you guys read this from time to time, and take a little something out of it with you. In the coming months, I really feel that we have what it takes to grow our little class into something special: an encouraging place in a discouraging world. Everywhere we turn, we are told what we can't do and what were unworthy of. I hope you all know that with our Savior, our Rock, we shouldn't have to worry about that worldly discouragement we face daily. But it always helps to, as Paul says (the Beatle of course, not the saint) to "have a little help from our friends." Over the course of this blogs lifetime, we'll laugh, we'll cry; but more importantly, I hope I can encourage you and in turn I hope you all can encourage each other. I look forward to taking this journey together and hope you all enjoy the ride.