Pastor Tom's Journal

I left home at 6:30 this morning - not as early as yesterday, but I am still "at it" at 9:00 P.M. and I may not vacate this Starbucks table until they close. It was 6:00 P.M. before I could start to write. I have had a tough week and a tough day. I had to get tough and that is tough on me. And yet, I am sitting here with a very sore back, entirely energized to keep going mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

I am trying to articulate some of the values that our Fellowship of Joy shares together and it occurred to me today that one is a sense of the holiness of the ordinary - that there is no legitimate separation of the sacred and profane dimensions of life to one who is dedicating every thought and movement to the glory of God.

Well, here they are again: Spell out the DREAM © 2006, Thomas B. Sims MORE Part 2 MORE Part 1 My First Audio Post - Rough What Are You Going to Do?

For 3 and a half days a week, I am (we are) responsible for an 11 month old boy and his six year old brother - our grandsons. They run me ragged. They wear me out. They keep me from getting my work done. And I was grateful for the break when I returned them to their mother yesterday ... but that was yesterday. Today, I really miss them. Go figure.

Ruth Hopin is currently discussing her book on Priscilla as author of Hebrews in the Religion Forum and in the Christian Fellowship Forum .

I now officially have a chest cold. It was a gift from my little baby grandson whom I adore. it is not the only or more contagious thing about him. More so is his infectious smile , his cheerful giggle, and his inquisitive wonder - but I definitely caught this particular viral contribution. What is catching in your life? What are you passing on? Is it primarily positive and redemptive or malignant and malevolent ? Concentrate on being a contagious joy giver.

The Theophilus Letters Letter 1 ________________________________________________________________________ LIVING THE CONNECTED LIFE - EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN TERMINOLOGY TRANSLATED AND EXPLAINED by Tom Sims I am aware that many of the words and phrases that Christians use are a foreign language to people who have not been raised in our churches and are unfamiliar with how we speak about God. I do not believe that God wants His truth to be obscured to the average person because of words, so I have attempted here to provide a brief translation of some basic concepts. I have highlighted and underlined some key words that you may have heard often but which you may have never heard explained. Life is a great challenge. Times are difficult . At best, we live under a cloud of uncertainty. At worst, we despair. Our message is one of hope. When we say that Jesus brings hope to our lives , this is what we mean: Life in Christ is also a challenge, but it is a liberated life wher

I thrive on "busy." I move amongst projects and big ideas and run on full steam until something intervenes. I love solitude and I love crowds. Go figure. Starbucks is my office. I like some people around me while I am working, but not too many. I am a dreamer. There are so many big pictures in my mind and heart that I must frequently stretch the canvass. I know about strategies and appreciate them. without strategies, nothing will materialize from the vague to the concrete. As the somewhat dubious Father Divine said, "The problem with most metaphysicians is that they don't know how to tangibilitate." I am working on this. However, todays lesson is also centering for me as well as sobering. Psalm 127 is my bookmark in the Psalms for today and it is very specific about the spiritual dimension of our planning: 1 - Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Getting lost and d

Mosaic Alliance is a great model for transformational ministry. For that reason i will also post this at one of our sister sites. This is copied from their homepage: Mosaic Alliance Mission Serving leaders to change the world.... Create the Future The Mosaic Alliance is a global network committed to create the future by unleashing a culture of entrepreneurship, activism, innovation, authenticity, and creativity within the local church. The Alliance seeks to empower and equip churches and leaders to maximize the creative potential in the communities in which they serve. We partner with leaders from around the globe in effort to catalyze the movement of Jesus Christ. The Mosaic Alliance provides resources, training, and ongoing dialogue in effort to serve leaders and churches worldwide. One of our focus areas involves serving church planters, but the Alliance is not limited to chur

Bluefish TV :: BLOG We will be using one of Bluefish's products starting this month when we launch our study of "Chasing Daylight" at the Fellowship of Joy. This is a great resource of sermon/teaching illustrations and other multi-media products for communicating the gospel. I commend them to you.

Chasing Daylight in Fresno Begining February 20-21 Tuesdays at Dennys (Shaw and Willow) -9:00 P.M. Wednesdays at BT (4141 n Fresno St) - 7:15 P.M. Thursdays at Starbucks (Ashlan and Cedar) - 7:00 A.M.

Christian News: In Memoriam: Dr. Gerald May 1940-2005 Thanks to you, Dave Kelly, for bringing Gerald May's life and death to my attention. I was looking for Gerald May online since it had been some time since we had corresponded and I was no longer receiving the newsletter from Shalem. I was very sad to learn that Jerry died in 2005. Shalem Institute's tribute to him includes a link to some of his writings. While he was on staff in our former sister forum, Religious Issues, many of us became friends with Jerry. It was during that time that he battled with prostate cancer. I remember his courage and grace during that time. More than anything, I have been enriched by Jerry's writing - especially " Addiction and Grace." Writing from the perspective of a psychiatrist and a man of deep faith, Jerry grasps the dynamics of addiction in all its dimensions with rare insight. Dave Kelly offers a fitting tribute in his blog as well. Jerry's own words are summarized as M

The only problem with having so many blogs is that only one general one is likely to get the attention it deserves. I thought I'd do a quick check of who is writing what in Pastordom this week: The journal of a life in ministry 30 Jan 2007 by Chuck Warnock Anyway, our committee is doing a wonderful job of inviting former pastors , musicians, and gathering photos and other memorabilia for our 7-month long celebration. Among the artifacts, clippings, and records that we have found, ... Confessions of a Small-Church Pastor - http://chuckwarnockblog.wordpress.com I am ashamed of my ignorance. 26 Jan 2007 by tschuckman Seminaries are being held in caves to train pastors to shepherd the huge ... He accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and he is now a pastor of a small and growing church. ... http:// journals .aol.com/tschuckman/OldSoldierTomsJournal/ ... Old Soldier Tom's Journal. - http://journals.aol.com/tschuckman/OldSoldierTomsJournal/ - Well-Intentioned Dragons (Book R

God has been speaking to my heart this week deeply, profoundly, and lovingly through my own devotional times and through the ministry of Dr. Richard Blackaby. The same messages can be heard at the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary website under Chapel. As we were preparing for worhip today, I was remembering one of our saints who recently went home to be with Jesus. Caryl Borges lived a life that reflected God's love and that took her around the country and to Yemen in the service of the Master. As she fought cancer, she did so with valiant faith. I was honored to be with her during various stages of that disease process. While I wish I had been more of a support along the way, the greatest blessings came during the last two weeks of her life as I witnessed her slipping away, but enjoying every moment God gave her with family. At the same time, she was genuinely excited about going to Heaven. I was sitting in that seminary chapel this morning, waiting for students to arrive, prepa

For Those Who Take Life Too Seriously 1. Save the whales. Collect the whole set 2. A day without sunshine is like, night. 3. On the other hand, you have different fingers. 4. I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. 5. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. 6. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name. 7. I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe. 8. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you. 9. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges 10. Honk if you love peace and quiet. 11. Remember half the people you know are below average. 12. Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains? 13. Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool. 14. Atheism is a non-prophet organization. 15. He who laughs last thinks slowest. 16. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. 17. Eag

GROUP Ministry: Growing Reconciling Obeying Understanding Proclaiming God has called us to a lifestyle that embraces all these dimensions of being: We are expected to G ROW because that is what life generates. We will be growing until we die. We are commissioned with a word of R ECONCILIATION according to II Corinthians 5. It is God’s desire to bring people back into proper relationship with Him, A life of O BEDIENCE is how we can be most useful to God and live in His will. U NDERSTANDING is what happens as we gradually comprehend and act upon God’s will in our lives. P ROCLAMATION is the natural outflow of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. We must grow individually and in community. Each strengthens the other. Group Ministry Materials - Copyright, 2006, Thomas B. Sims

Builders or Destroyers God has called us to be builders: Proverbs 14 1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Builders have certain characteristics. 2 He whose walk is upright fears the LORD , but he whose ways are devious despises him. B = Basis for Life (foundation). We must start with a solid foundation for our lives. 3 A fool's talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them. U = Use of Tools - Words are useful and necessary tools in building toward our goals. 4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. I = Investment - Wise builders invest wisely in their growth. The ox pulls the plow that grows the wheat that is placed in the manger for him to eat which gives him strength to plow. 5 A truthful witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies. L= Line (Plumbline - Truth)

Bruce Alderman is meditating here about the basic core issues of belief in his own life - namely why he believes in God and why, further, he embraces a belief in Jesus Christ. It Seems to Me... : " So who is right and who is wrong? Isn't that what religion is all about? In a word, no. It's not fundamentally about being more right than anyone else. It's about responding to God's call and being faithful to that call, however the call comes and wherever the call leads. " Rightness and wrongness might appear to be essential questions, but Bruce suggests that the relational question trumps them. It is what E. Stanley Jones called, "The Divine Yes." We start there with God and we can sort out the details as we go along.

Christianbook.com Home One of the timeless truths that young pastors need to grasp is the stewardship of study. Reading is at the core of our study. Reading the Bible comes first. We need to read it regularly, voraciously, and systematically. Find a process whereby you can read the Bible from cover to cover rather quickly and then, at least once a year, preferably more often. As you read this way, include a program of reading books of the Bible slowly and meditatively. This is in addition to Bible reading for specific sermon preparation. What else should leaders and preacher read? Read stories because they teach us out to flesh out truth and tell stories ourselves. They express human emotion and experience in ways that we can grasp. They also provide a source of inspiration. Read both fiction and true life stories, especially biographies. Read current events in newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other Internet sources. If you are a prophet, you must understand the times. Read current r