Take lessons from the wisest person to ever live...

This morning I"ve been reading in the book of Ecclesiastes. Wow! What a refreshing reminder about purpose and how we should live. This book was written by Solomon who is well known as the "wisest person to ever live." To me, this is someone who deserves some listening to. He had all the money, fame, and fortune you could imagine. (I've heard preachers say it would be 10 times the wealth and success of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates combined!)

In our American culture one would think this is the peak of life and is to be desired. This is really what it's all about, setting high goals and reaching them. Solomon begs to differ. In Ecc 12:13 he says, "Here now is my final conclusion. Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty."

Isn't it comforting in a way to hear the wisest man ever tell us in one short sentence how to live. If we want happiness, purpose and meaning in our life, we are to simply fear God and obey his commands. What a powerful reminder this is!

***Remember, if you "Follow" Jesus, you'll see his ways and start to believe in him. Once you "Believe" you'll begin to understand he has a better plan for you. Since he has a better plan, you'll begin to "Obey" and this is where we ultimately stay.....nestled in the will of God waiting for his next move.

Take time to sit at Jesus' feet today and thank him for who he is and the peace and direction he offers us all.

God bless!

The Disney Trip

My wife and I just got back from Orlando, FL. I can't believe I'm 30 years old and have lived this close to Disney World and this is the first time I have visited there. We went to Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Island of Adventure. We had a lot of fun and the weather was fabulous! High 80's in March!

If you need any tips on the best things to do in my opinion at these parks drop me a line.

Fresh Start...

There's nothing like it! Everyone loves the thought of a fresh start. Ask yourself, what is it today I need to start fresh with? Is it your prayer time? your bible reading? your daily exercise? your healthy eating? your restored friendships? Whatever it is, take today to ask God to help you put the past in the past, and start fresh!

Spring is in the air...the grass is turning greener, the flowers are starting to bloom, the trees are turning colors. Don't wait another day!

Make today the day you start fresh! God's blessings are waiting for us all if we seek him first! He came to give us life and to give it more abundantly!!! (John 10:10)

What if we ignore the Bible???

Here are 4 things you can count on happening if we neglect spending time studying God's word:

-i tend to magnify the weaknesses in others and overlook the weaknesses of my own.
-i tend to evaluate all around me, as if this is all there is.
-i tend to close my hands with my possessions
-i tend to hold onto my anger too long

What if we received a text from God..

I can't stress enough the importance of spending time in God's word. In our busy, fast paced life, it must become a priority. Check out this series from Andy Stanley called, "text"

It's crazy to think that God himself, (the creator of the world) has sent us a text message and we get too busy and too lazy to read it.



***If you are new to the Bible and wondering where to start, Read the Book of John. After you do this and what to get a little more advanced, read the book of Luke and then afterwards read Acts. (these 2 books were written together) This will tell you about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and also how the church got started.

Bible Study Help...

If we are ever going to grow spiritually, Daily Bible study is a must. I made this outline to help myself and others know the big picture of what they are reading. The Bible doesn't have to be as hard to understand as we make it out to be.

This guide is for the New Testament. It tells you the Book, Author, Audience, Time Period written, and Purpose. Once I started to understand these things it really gave new life to the Bible for me and I hope it can do the same for you.

God bless!

The Battle Within...

I heard a story once that said we have a daily battle we face between good and evil that is like having 2 animals living inside us. One animal is loving, caring and has a desire to do what's right. The other is angry, quick tempered and seeks evil. The question is, "Which one wins this battle?"

Answer: The one you feed.

What can we do to feed the good animal. Prayer, Bible Study, keep scripture fresh in our minds, keep a song on our heart, sing praises daily to the Lord. Spend time around positive encouraging people. Exercise. Eat Healthy, think pure thoughts.

These are just a few of the things we should do in order to keep God fresh in our hearts and keep the good animal living inside of us always the victor.

Praise the Lord!

The Chief Cornerstone...

Yesterday in Church my Father spoke from I Peter 2 about making Christ the chief cornerstone in our life. This was really a great reminder. If you've ever dealt with construction and homebuilding you know the importance of the foundation. Everything you do the rest of the way will only go smooth if the foundation is secure and properly aligned. This is what Jesus does with our life when we make him the "chief cornerstone."

Ask yourself this, "Is Jesus really the cornerstone that shapes everything else in my life?" Not just for salvation, for everything. My decisions, my relationship, my finances, my hobbies, all should be based on the solid rock, Jesus Christ.

It's my prayer that you and I can take each day as an opportunity to grow in our faith. No matter what type of storms comes our way (they always do come) with our house built upon The Rock, we know we can withstand any storm and praise the Lord through it all.

Loving and Serving God out of Abundance...

This morning I woke up and immediately had the song from psalms 118, "This is the day that the Lord has made" in my head. It's a catchy little tune that can linger in your head all day. The words have such truth. "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Often we have songs we sang as a child that have such a powerful message. Sometimes I am guilty of only looking at the commands of God and not focusing on the Love of God. Each day in itself is a sign of the Love God has for us. We let worry, anxiety and fear drive us too often. God calls us his children and wants a better life for us than we even want for ourselves.

Today instead of serving God out commandments and obedience, ponder on the many blessings he has given you. When your mind starts to focus on the abundant life God has given us all, and the beautiful nature and surroundings all around us, it's a lot easier to tell others just how great our God really is.

Praise the Lord!

The Proverbs Habit

Practice reading the book of Proverbs for what day it is first thing in the mornings. This has really helped me get direction from God and starts my day off on the right track.

Ex...March 17th I read Proverbs 17.... I love verse 22..( a cheerful heart is great medicine )

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

When doing ministry...

always ask the question, "Who am I doing this for anyways?"

I heard my pastor mention this at church Sunday and it really stuck with me. Do we really need the praise of men? Always keep in your mind who you are really working for when doing anything for the Lord.

Your First Song

The Chords are G, C, Em, and D the whole song.

Good Practice Tips for Beginners...

Start out with just down strums...as you get more comfortable, then you can really go at it!

Piano Lesson

I wish someone would have showed me this years ago. Once you learn the basics, it's easy to get more and more advanced. Don't waste your time reading music at first. Learn the chords.

***Also, the piano doesn't start out hurting your fingers like the guitar does! haha

The Model Christ taught...

Follow, Believe, Obey.

Too many times we mix these up. Christ first tells people to FOLLOW him. Once this happens we see the joy, peace, direction and ultimately salvation he brings so we then begin to BELIEVE in him. Once you start to believe in who he really is, it's easy to OBEY him because you now have a firm understanding that he wants nothing but the best for those who love him. After all, isn't it incredible the creator of the World tells us to call Him FATHER! AMAZING!

How to Grow Spiritually...

People often ask me how I am always in such a good mood and have such a positive outlook on life. First and foremost, I gave my life to Christ as a young boy and have never looked back. He has blessed me with more than I could ever have imagined. Along with a great church and a great family to support me, I'm a firm believer in spiritual nourishment. We need to constantly "Renew our Minds" as Paul teaches in Romans. We must daily make it a practice to fill ourselves with things of the Lord. It's so easy to get distracted these days. Another great habit I have gotten into is listening to online messages. I can't tell you how much I look forward to Andy Stanley's latest message being uploaded each Tuesday. He is the best speaker I"m ever heard and is so much fun to listen to. You can find his messages at northpoint.org/messages

My Family...

These people are the greatest influences in my life. Through thick and thin these are the folks who are always there. There's nothing like close family. My parents (Ken & Peggy) have taught me to praise the Lord from a young age. My father is a great Bible scholar and role model to me as a man and my mother is the singer in the family who has the best outlook on life with her attitude. Cap that off with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew who are top notch. (Jason, Jennifer, and Davin) Of course no list would be complete without my wife, Taryn. We got married on July 8, 2006 and my life has never been better. She has a way of making me feel special like no one else can. Words could never describe what she means to me.

**of course I had to mention my best friend, the one and only shih tzu Furgie!

Strumming Help

This is the most common question I get asked, "What is the strumming pattern?"

In this video I break down some common ways you can figure out the strumming pattern of a song you hear.

Your First Guitar Lesson

In this lesson I teach how to play the main 4 chords I use on most of my songs. This is key for beginners to get comfortable with these 4 chords.