Bible Reading Plan - Weeks 32 - 35

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Week 32

August 3
2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34-35

August 4
Zephaniah

August 5
Jeremiah 1-3

August 6
Jeremiah 4-6

August 7
Jeremiah 7-9

August 8
Jeremiah 10-13

August 9
Jeremiah 14-17

August 10
Jeremiah 18-22


Week 33

August 11
Jeremiah 23-25

August 12
Jeremiah 26-29

August 13
Jeremiah 30-31

August 14
Jeremiah 32-34

August 15
Jeremiah 35-37

August 16
Jeremiah 38-40; Psalms 74, 79

August 17
2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36


Week 34

August 18
Habakkuk

August 19
Jeremiah 41-45

August 20
Jeremiah 46-48

August 21
Jeremiah 49-50

August 22
Jeremiah 51-52

August 23
Lamentations 1:1-3:36

August 24
Lamentations 3:37-5:22


Week 35

August 25
Ezekiel 1-4

August 26
Ezekiel 5-8

August 27
Ezekiel 9-12

August 28
Ezekiel 13-15

August 29
Ezekiel 16-17

August 30
Ezekiel 18-19

August 31
Ezekiel 20-21

Speeding Ticket

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I hate getting speeding tickets! You know why? Because I hate getting caught breaking the law! lol! I haven't had a speeding ticket in 5 years (haven't been caught speeding), but in the last 12 months or so I have been on a record getting them!

The best way to NOT get a speeding ticket is to NOT speed! I know this, but I do not DO THIS! I am a hearer of that word only, and not a doer ... unfortunately! The only peace I can find is to say to myself, "I am supporting Kansas City with my financial contribution!" It still doesn't help, but it sounds better at least!

I did tell him I was a pastor and that I could say a special prayer for him to keep him out of hell for writing me a ticket ... but that didn't help.

The reality is that he (the policeman) who pulled me over along with 5 other lucky speeders, was just doing his job (I grit my teeth saying that ... still a little mad about it actually) so I can't blame him. Praise the Lord, Hallelujah!

Tomorrow I will share something spiritually uplifting, today I just couldn't find it in my angry heart to do. lol!

I'm Dying

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Starting Sunday, August 2 we kick off a series entitled, My Last Words. The premise is "What would I tell you today if I was going to die tomorrow?"

I had a meeting with the pastoral staff and said that I wanted them to dig deep for the message they would preach if it was their last! My wife thought is was little morbid because she would skip church to hold hands with family, lol! My sympathetic gift caused me to say, "then talk about how important family is..." lol!

So, how would you live the last day of your life? What would you tell those closest to you? What's most important?

I am looking forward to this series more than any series we done here at Mercy to date ... I hope you will be here, or at least check it out on iTunes, or on our media page.

God bless!

If I wasn't a Christian

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I normally don't struggle over what to entitle my blog entries ... but for this one I struggled to not only come up with a title, but trying to find a picture the summarized that content ... crazy hard!

Here is the long title: I am a better person because of Jesus Christ, hands down!

If I wasn't a Christian ... I would be a mess!

For you skeptics out there; no, I probably wouldn't be a drug addict, or be living on the street, but I for sure wouldn't be here doing what I am doing today! That's easy! So by saying that, "I am a better person ..." doesn't mean that I am in anyway "better" than anyone else! I am just "better" than what I would have been, had it not been for Jesus.

If I wasn't a Christian...

...I would cheat
...I would steal
...I would lie
...I would hate
...I would do whatever I feel like doing
...etc.

And truthfully I think if I wasn't a Christian I would be a pretty decent guy ... I mean I wouldn't kill anyone ... but I wouldn't be the person I am today!

So when people don't see the reason, or the benefit, or the advantages of living a Christian life, they simple don't know Jesus.

Because of Jesus ...

...I am a much better husband
...I am a much better father
...I am a much better citizen
...I am a much person all the way around

If it wasn't for my relationship with Jesus, trust me, I would be living a much different life! I know this because EVEN with Jesus in my life I still mess up and do things I must say sorry for ... but because of Jesus there is a bridle, or a restraint, or a moral compass that guides me ... without that I would be wild, a person with no-restraints, doing what I want, when I want, how I want ...!

Thank God for Jesus! Seriously! If you do not know Him, you are really missing out on a MUCH BETTER life!

Pert

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When I was a kid growing up (back in the 70's & 80's)when you passed gas rather than say "fart" or "farted" our family was taught to say, "I perted" or you were asked, "did you pert?" Now mind you, this was something my family was saying back in the 70's, so when Procter & Gamble came out with Pert Shampoo in 1985 you can only image the laugh that we got with that!

Thought you would enjoy a little Gibson family History on flatulence!

Your Path

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I have always believed that every person on the planet was born for a purpose, and until we are fulfilling, or at least attempting to fulfill, that purpose we will not be totally happy.

I think anyone can, depending on their personality, can achieve a measure of happiness, but until we are walking the path we were created to walk on ... we miss out on the real joy of living.

I understand that many times due to unfortunate circumstances we are forced to "do something else" ... like the teenage girl who gets pregnant must now be a mother taking care of her child and is forced to put her dreams on hold. And the boy who must now get a full time job to care for his new family ... sometimes it is self inflicted (like the example I just used), and sometimes it's not.

But I say - IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO LIVE YOUR DREAM ... TO WALK YOUR PATH!

I am concerned that some people (maybe even you) have forgotten about what excited you, what drove you, what kept you up late, and got you up early. You have forgotten why you were born and have settled into a routine of getting up, going to work, coming home, going to bed, to then just get up the next day and start it all over again.

Here is my challenge: Turn the TV OFF for the next 7 days, and take that time to sit and think, dream, reflect, pray, meditate, with a pen and notebook in hand and write down your dreams, write down what you would do if you could do anything you wanted to do, no limitations, no boundaries ... and then at the end of the 7 days look it over. See what would give you a skit in your step ... and begin to pursue it.

I promise that even in the pursuit of "it" (whatever "it" is for you) you will have a sense of purpose and meaning that will be beneficial.

After all it's what God wants for us!

When Doubts Assail

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We all have doubts from time to time and ask our selves those haunting questions; does God care? Is He even aware of what is going on in MY life, the world, or my friend's life? Can He hear me when I pray? Does He love me, really? If so, then WHY...?

Have you ever been there? Are you there now?

Even as I type this my heart aches with those and for those who are in that place now ... wondering, doubting, fearing, and feeling the fangs of despair digging into the flesh tearing away at what little hope is left.

I have felt those very feelings! And I would say to you from Psalms 130

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;

2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?

4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.

8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

Dream Again

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Remember when we were young (or younger) and we had dreams about what life would be like? What our marriage would be like, what our job would be like ...? Maybe you even had a picture of what your house would look like, the dog you'd have, the car you'd drive? What your kids would look like? Remember that? What has happened to that dream?

Yes, I understand that some of those childhood "dreams" were unrealistic, and far fetched, BUT many of them weren't ... so what happened to your dreams? Have you pushed them aside as childhood fantasies? Impossibilities?

What happen to your dreams? Do you even dream anymore? Why, or why not?

Please dream again! This world needs dreamers, people who will dream the impossible dreams, then with God's help DO THE IMPOSSIBLE!

If nothing else I hope that today's blog will renew your passion for life, for dreaming, for taking the limits off you mind ... dream!

Walking Out

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As I think about the day I said, "I do" (15 years ago) I remember thinking, "wow, I am married ... now what?"

Just like most couples, when I was walking out of the church, I never wanted to walk out on Jana, or have her walk out on me ... I wanted our marriage to be a "till death to us part" deal. And I am prayerful that that is what it will be! I hope that we will be still crazy in love for our 50th ... even our 75th (though, I'll be 100 years old)... that will be cool!

So what can we (those who are married) do about that?

There is a lot we can do ... and truthfully it does "take a lot" to have a happy marriage. As I have said before, "good marriages don't just happen, you make good marriages happen!"

I could give you the 1, 2, 3's ... but it would take 100 posts to go through it all ... so here is my advice: READ SOME GREAT MARRIAGE BOOKS!

1) The Seven Principles to Making Marriage Work by Gottman
2) His Needs, Her Needs by Dr. Harley
3) Love is a Decision by Smalley
4) Building Your Mate's Self-esteem by Rainey
5) The Five Love of Languages by Gary Chapman
6) Boundaries in Marriage by Henry Cloud

If you have any specific questions about marriage you would like me to address, please email me! I would love to help you anyway I can!

Bottom: You can have a wonderful marriage ... you really can, IF YOU DO WHAT IT TAKES!