I say job, I truly don't look at being a minister as a job. There are many good ministers out there who have secular jobs and give their extra time to serve the Lord's Church. I am blessed to be able to provide for my family and serve the Lord full time--at least for now. In my ministry, that kinda goes year to year as if I will have a salary. My work does not have a 401K or health benefits--but the Lord does take good care of us! But again, its not a job--its a labor of love! And really, how can I not preach the good news of Jesus Christ?
One of the things I love about my work--is the often diverse things I get to be a part of and experience. This last Saturday--I found myself taking a few of our members to meet up with another congregation's members to go help them knock doors in the neighborhood near their building. Later that morning, I was on the phone counseling one of our members who was struggling with a personal crisis. Later in the day, I had to put together a last minute sermon since the one I was going to do got postponed a couple of weeks. Then I met over at Mesquite Church of Christ to baptize a young man whose dad is one of my oldest friends. An hour later, I was sitting at Grandy's eating some good chicken fried steak and doing some pre-marital counseling with a couple I will be marrying next month. Later that evening I had another crisis situation that needed some help. But let me be clear--I really can't help anyone--I just direct people to our God of grace and mercy and love and His blueprint for life--His word--The Holy Bible!
In my work, I often find myself ministering to all kinds of people--not just my congregation nor the families who live at Allenhurst and Peachtree Apartments. But all kinds of people--and I take great joy in the diversification of my work. I am thankful and honored to serve God. He blesses me and my sweet family everyday! I am excited about future journeys in which He may lead me!
He Is Faithful and mighty to save!
Bruce
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I Love Watching Baptisms
Tonight--we were about to go eat dinner after Bible class at Allenhurst Apartments--and one of our members--Sarah Medders got a call that her younger brother Caleb was about to be baptized. So we immediately said dinner would have to wait--and went to go watch this young man be born into Jesus Christ!
As I watched Caleb's dad Seburne take his confession, I saw the deep emotion Seburne felt and was expressing--to have the honor of baptizing his last child into Christ. I remembered getting to baptize my two step children--and Jayden's baptism was only about a year and a half ago. My heart was so full of joy for both Caleb and his family.
One of my thoughts after the baptism, was the long line of Godly leaders in his family. Seburne is a deacon in the Lord's church, Caleb's uncle Jeff is a preacher, Caleb's grandad Harvey was an elder and a great evangelist--and I was informed by Caleb's grandmother that there were other great men of the church in the family also.
Don't ever underestimate the example we set and hopefully instill in our children! I praise God for the seeds that were planted in the Medders family many years back! Congratulations brother Caleb! Welcome to the Kingdom of God!
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6, NIV).
As I watched Caleb's dad Seburne take his confession, I saw the deep emotion Seburne felt and was expressing--to have the honor of baptizing his last child into Christ. I remembered getting to baptize my two step children--and Jayden's baptism was only about a year and a half ago. My heart was so full of joy for both Caleb and his family.
One of my thoughts after the baptism, was the long line of Godly leaders in his family. Seburne is a deacon in the Lord's church, Caleb's uncle Jeff is a preacher, Caleb's grandad Harvey was an elder and a great evangelist--and I was informed by Caleb's grandmother that there were other great men of the church in the family also.
Don't ever underestimate the example we set and hopefully instill in our children! I praise God for the seeds that were planted in the Medders family many years back! Congratulations brother Caleb! Welcome to the Kingdom of God!
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6, NIV).
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
HOPE
Dear Fellow Workers in Christ,
I probably sometimes sound redundant about our Tuesday morning food pantry at our building--but each week is truly a different worship experience! In fact, my vision and desire for Tuesday mornings--is not to be a time of "handing out food--but instead a time of: EVANGELISM, SHARING LOVE, PLANTING SEEDS, GIVING JESUS A GOOD NAME, SINGING PRAISES, PRAYING FOR FOLKS, AND BASICALLY A WORSHIP SERVICE!!!!
Today was so wonderful. When my sister Sherry (who has come so far in her walk with God since she came to me a year plus ago having lost everything due to a gambling addiction and just living a rough life for years) and I pulled up to the church building--there was probably already 25 people standing in line waiting for us to open up. As I was walking up to the building--I am saying hello in english and in spanish--and got so many smiles and faces full of hope and thankfulness--not just from our regulars--but from a few folks that had not been there before. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT USED TO BEING TREATED WITH LOVE AND KINDNESS! Especially the poor. And while we still don't have a spanish interpreter (I use my best "restaurant spanish"), all the spanish speaking folks seem to happy and excited to be there!
And our wonderful volunteer sisters from Highland Oaks Church of Christ along with my sister and a couple from At The Cross that I baptized and married this summer--were all working and serving and helping all these people--a good 45 to 50 people if you include the children and family members who were not getting food. And I sooooo felt like we were in Heaven--with so much love and hope and sooooo many smiles!!! God is sooo goooood!!! I thought of the verse from the Lord's Prayer--"THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!!!" I felt God's will being done today and it was GOOOOOOOD!!!!
So many more lost souls to reach! So many children who need Jesus! LETS GO!!!
Bruce
I probably sometimes sound redundant about our Tuesday morning food pantry at our building--but each week is truly a different worship experience! In fact, my vision and desire for Tuesday mornings--is not to be a time of "handing out food--but instead a time of: EVANGELISM, SHARING LOVE, PLANTING SEEDS, GIVING JESUS A GOOD NAME, SINGING PRAISES, PRAYING FOR FOLKS, AND BASICALLY A WORSHIP SERVICE!!!!
Today was so wonderful. When my sister Sherry (who has come so far in her walk with God since she came to me a year plus ago having lost everything due to a gambling addiction and just living a rough life for years) and I pulled up to the church building--there was probably already 25 people standing in line waiting for us to open up. As I was walking up to the building--I am saying hello in english and in spanish--and got so many smiles and faces full of hope and thankfulness--not just from our regulars--but from a few folks that had not been there before. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT USED TO BEING TREATED WITH LOVE AND KINDNESS! Especially the poor. And while we still don't have a spanish interpreter (I use my best "restaurant spanish"), all the spanish speaking folks seem to happy and excited to be there!
And our wonderful volunteer sisters from Highland Oaks Church of Christ along with my sister and a couple from At The Cross that I baptized and married this summer--were all working and serving and helping all these people--a good 45 to 50 people if you include the children and family members who were not getting food. And I sooooo felt like we were in Heaven--with so much love and hope and sooooo many smiles!!! God is sooo goooood!!! I thought of the verse from the Lord's Prayer--"THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!!!" I felt God's will being done today and it was GOOOOOOOD!!!!
So many more lost souls to reach! So many children who need Jesus! LETS GO!!!
Bruce
Sunday, March 7, 2010
NOTE TO MY CONGREGATION
I thought I would share a note to my congregation--for our Monday morning church e-mail on my blog today:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ! I titled this e-mail "New Week, New Blessings" because I believe God wants to bless all of us this week!!! Lets be ready to receive those blessings! God stands ready and willing to do GREAT things in our lives--not always what we want--but great and wonderful things nonetheless--if we will accept HIS blessings and love! Why not start this week? Why not listen closely to what HE has to say to us? Why not spend some time each day in HIS word for HIM to reveal how we should live and follow HIS ways? God's on the move!
I was so moved at the love I felt from all of the Highland Oaks family today when I told the congregation thank you for helping us with the fundraiser and all their other help on the ground. I got prayed over by several members before I left--my cup runneth over!!
James Chancellor did such a wonderful job these past two Sundays about bringing Christ into our homes! I really meant what I said today too--that as much as I want our congregation to be about outreach and evangelism--IF ALL EACH OF YOU DO IS JUST GET BETTER AT MINISTERING TO YOUR FAMILIES--THAT WILL BE A GREAT WAY TO EVANGELIZE!!! Love your spouses a little more, love your kids a little more, learn and talk to God a little more and your homes will be very joy filled places!
I enjoyed me, James, and JT taking the Sr. High teens bowling--AND JAMES CAN BOWL!!! We also had a great time last night at the church apartment with the 6th grade and under kids for the pizza/devotional. Special thanks to Sarah, Tim, and Megan for helping me.
NEW PREACHING SERIES
This Sunday Lloyd and I will be starting a new series on The Book of Ruth. We will be spending some time unpacking this wonderful story of love, devotion, compassion, and mercy along with how God can take something difficult--even our sin and rebellion--and make it something beautiful! Then the following Sunday--is our special celebration for our children.
The Leadership Team loves each of you very much. LETS SHARE JESUS WITH SOMEONE THIS WEEK!
Bruce
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ! I titled this e-mail "New Week, New Blessings" because I believe God wants to bless all of us this week!!! Lets be ready to receive those blessings! God stands ready and willing to do GREAT things in our lives--not always what we want--but great and wonderful things nonetheless--if we will accept HIS blessings and love! Why not start this week? Why not listen closely to what HE has to say to us? Why not spend some time each day in HIS word for HIM to reveal how we should live and follow HIS ways? God's on the move!
I was so moved at the love I felt from all of the Highland Oaks family today when I told the congregation thank you for helping us with the fundraiser and all their other help on the ground. I got prayed over by several members before I left--my cup runneth over!!
James Chancellor did such a wonderful job these past two Sundays about bringing Christ into our homes! I really meant what I said today too--that as much as I want our congregation to be about outreach and evangelism--IF ALL EACH OF YOU DO IS JUST GET BETTER AT MINISTERING TO YOUR FAMILIES--THAT WILL BE A GREAT WAY TO EVANGELIZE!!! Love your spouses a little more, love your kids a little more, learn and talk to God a little more and your homes will be very joy filled places!
I enjoyed me, James, and JT taking the Sr. High teens bowling--AND JAMES CAN BOWL!!! We also had a great time last night at the church apartment with the 6th grade and under kids for the pizza/devotional. Special thanks to Sarah, Tim, and Megan for helping me.
NEW PREACHING SERIES
This Sunday Lloyd and I will be starting a new series on The Book of Ruth. We will be spending some time unpacking this wonderful story of love, devotion, compassion, and mercy along with how God can take something difficult--even our sin and rebellion--and make it something beautiful! Then the following Sunday--is our special celebration for our children.
The Leadership Team loves each of you very much. LETS SHARE JESUS WITH SOMEONE THIS WEEK!
Bruce
Friday, March 5, 2010
Sad Days
Today, a family that has been with me the last four years at Allenhurst Apartments to a rough part of Dallas. It breaks my heart! I baptized three of the kids and the parents over the years--and married the parents this last summer.
We have always had so many families who have come and gone from Allenhurst. So to have a handful of families that have been with us for a few years, are just so very dear to our hearts. Its pretty obvious we will not have the access to the kids we once had and I fear for them.
Sometimes, the kids we work with often become like our own--and its painful when you so want the best for kids and yet--we really have little control over their livese.
So we pray and we pray--that the seeds that were planted while they were a part of our congregation--will one day bloom into the abundant life Jesus promised!
So while I rejoice for the time we had with them--my heart is also heavy right now. Every soul is so precious!
Bruce
We have always had so many families who have come and gone from Allenhurst. So to have a handful of families that have been with us for a few years, are just so very dear to our hearts. Its pretty obvious we will not have the access to the kids we once had and I fear for them.
Sometimes, the kids we work with often become like our own--and its painful when you so want the best for kids and yet--we really have little control over their livese.
So we pray and we pray--that the seeds that were planted while they were a part of our congregation--will one day bloom into the abundant life Jesus promised!
So while I rejoice for the time we had with them--my heart is also heavy right now. Every soul is so precious!
Bruce
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Who Is God?
As I work my way through each of our age groups in my congregation--I am spending the next few weeks with the Sr. High teens of my congregation and from Allenhurst Apartments. Not always the easiest group of kids to work with--but I love them dearly! I just finished a stint with a few months with our 3rd through 6th graders and before that had taught our adults for several months.
I am doing a series with these kids who I know struggle with understanding what it means to have a relationship with Jesus--and the series is called "Who Is God?" Tonight we are going to get into the nitty gritty about creation and perhaps what God's desire was with His creation and how much all of us as creators tend to love and adore that which we have created. Thus, I hope to eventually help point these kids to the fact that God is simply--A GOD OF LOVE!
If we don't find a way to help our young people discover who the Lord really is--many will most likely struggle and miss many of the opportunities to enjoy the abundant life Jesus promised!
God is indeed--a God of love!
I am doing a series with these kids who I know struggle with understanding what it means to have a relationship with Jesus--and the series is called "Who Is God?" Tonight we are going to get into the nitty gritty about creation and perhaps what God's desire was with His creation and how much all of us as creators tend to love and adore that which we have created. Thus, I hope to eventually help point these kids to the fact that God is simply--A GOD OF LOVE!
If we don't find a way to help our young people discover who the Lord really is--many will most likely struggle and miss many of the opportunities to enjoy the abundant life Jesus promised!
God is indeed--a God of love!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Renaissance Apartments in Midland, Texas
A couple of years ago, there were some Christians from Golf Course Road Church of Christ in Midland who were dreaming about how they could better spread the hope and love of Jesus Christ to those who would often otherwise be forgotten by most churches. Over a year and a half ago or so--I was in Midland and a group of those Christians were talking about starting an apartment ministry like we were doing here in Mesquite. One afternoon I went out with some brothers from the GCR family to look at a handful of apartment complexes where they could possibly start a new ministry for Christ. One particular complex I most remember us driving by was called Renaissance Apartments. Renaissance is a typical apartment complex with lots of lower income families, many whom most likely don't have a church home or are not actively involved with the Lord.
I remember us sitting there in the car, just praying for God to direct which complex GCR was to go to and begin a work. For some reason, I felt something special about Renaissance. I had these visions of cookouts and bounce houses and lots of kids having fun and the love of Christ abounding all over the complex. And the Lord did indeed direct the GCR family to Renaissance Apartments!
Several months back I went to Midland to preach at GCR and I got to go see the work at Renaissance. They had just had a VBS there and I got to see the apartment they are using. I found out today from a brother on the GCR missions team--that the work has exploded! He said several kids are coming to church each week, there is a meal on Monday nights for the kids, and several Bible studies going on with adults. HALLELUJAH!!!!! Praise God for the Golf Course Road family--they are getting out of the building and living out the Great Commission! Many lives will forever be changed because the Golf Course Road family said yes to Jesus!
Are there some apartments or a neighborhood near your church--that your congregation could go and start a ministry? Start dreaming. Start believing.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV).
Let us be in prayer for God to continue to bless the work at Renaissance Apartments in Midland, Texas!
Peace,
Bruce
I remember us sitting there in the car, just praying for God to direct which complex GCR was to go to and begin a work. For some reason, I felt something special about Renaissance. I had these visions of cookouts and bounce houses and lots of kids having fun and the love of Christ abounding all over the complex. And the Lord did indeed direct the GCR family to Renaissance Apartments!
Several months back I went to Midland to preach at GCR and I got to go see the work at Renaissance. They had just had a VBS there and I got to see the apartment they are using. I found out today from a brother on the GCR missions team--that the work has exploded! He said several kids are coming to church each week, there is a meal on Monday nights for the kids, and several Bible studies going on with adults. HALLELUJAH!!!!! Praise God for the Golf Course Road family--they are getting out of the building and living out the Great Commission! Many lives will forever be changed because the Golf Course Road family said yes to Jesus!
Are there some apartments or a neighborhood near your church--that your congregation could go and start a ministry? Start dreaming. Start believing.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV).
Let us be in prayer for God to continue to bless the work at Renaissance Apartments in Midland, Texas!
Peace,
Bruce
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