Hmmmm... Peace it sounds good....

I want to talk about a word that came up today in service, that completely changed the events that happened. The word is peace, it is a word that everyone knows about but few experience. As I was thinking about the people in the congregation and those I am in contact with outside the church, and how many  were going through tough times in their lives it came to me that we above all should know peace on a daily basis. Yet too often we do not know peace, all we know is complaining, whining about this and that in life. Oh this is going wrong and that is going wrong, but why is it that we say we serve a God that is bigger than the boogy man but can't handle the stress I myself am placing on my life. The bible says in Ephesians 2: 14 says For He himself is our peace! He is our peace, well in word I guess we can say He is. Most people will say of God you are my all in all, and I would walk a thousands miles for you but to trust you with what I am going through, not happening.  It gives a reality check of who really is in control of your life, because if all we are doing is whining and complaining, it is obvious that God is not in control. It goes on to say in Ephesians that Christ is the Chief Corner Stone of the building, of our lives, yet many want to only live with Christ when it suits their lifestyle. The building never stands without the chief corner stone. Same is true with our lives, we can never experience peace in our lives without the peace that passes all understanding Jesus Christ. I do not say this to condemn anyone but to encourage you that Christ never asks for you to be perfect that is why he died for you. What I am saying is that if we get back to our first love which was Christ we can experience the truth of peace in our lives. I am making a path for Christ to be the one and only one I serve so I may know peace in all circumstances, the free gift many often neglect.

~Ryan

It's a Day of Thanksgiving!

As we move in to a day filled with family, friends, football, and well of course food, we must be careful to remember what this day has been set aside for. To give thanks for all of the blessings in our lives, large and small. I am reminded as I think of this day of the things that really matter in life, that being relationships. You know materialistic possessions fade and loose value over time, but true relationships are something that should never fade but grow in love, trust and depth. I am thankful for the many relationships God has blessed me with! First off my wife and family, I have been blessed with an amazing wife that is awe striking in many ways, she is understanding and forgiving... ( a must to still be married to me...lol.), and completely supportive of all of my dreams and visions in life. I am thankful for my children yes all 7 of them...jk all 6 of them. From the oldest to the youngest they have all blessed my life, no matter what we have gone through as a family and through the wonderful learning experiences we have had the kids have always greeted me at the door when I come home and when I leave in the morning they wave and blow me kisses. I am grateful that I have a family that I can come home to every day and know that there is always someone there with unconditional love. I am also thankful for extended family, these are wonderful people that accept you for who you are and love you even if you do not see them for years on end because of the miles between you. True relationships, family, and love have no boundaries, no mileage can stop a true relationship from existing. We have had the opportunity of seeing some family members this year more often than we have in the last 8 years.

 It has been a great year, and I have so much to be thankful for! I had the opportunity to travel the world and make friends 8,000 miles away that opened my eyes to a real joy in life even when you may not make a lot of money and or have all the stuff we often will judge one's success by. There was a genuine joy that I noticed in people, this opened my eyes how materialistic mindsets can skew our way of life negatively to always deserve the next best thing. When in all reality the next best thing may be sitting right next to you, or be a phone call away. I say all this to encourage you to be thankful for more than just your BMW or your new computer, or jewelry, but to look at the things in life that bring real joy. Things are good if you can keep yourself humble, believe me I can't wait to be able to buy a new truck and boat. But keep your head on straight and do not over look the real blessings in life, family friends, and faith. 

Which brings me to the next thing I am thankful for, my faith in Christ. There is a scripture that comes to mind when I think of thanksgiving, it is Philippians 4:6-7 it is one that speaks volumes to people's lives as they battle not only stress and fears, but our daily lives are filled with busyness and trials.

Philippians 4:6-7

^"6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ^7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Be anxious for nothing, but by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving! Basically saying hey why are you worried? Don't be worried! Something I like to say a lot is "no worries" because in the grand scheme of life what we are currently going through or worried about doesn't have much weight in the big picture. But in this time of thanksgiving we must remember that we are to come to God with our prayers, but not only come to Him with our prayers but come in an attitude of thanksgiving. Believing what you are coming to Him for He will take care of like a good Father. Come expecting is something we need to start doing, are we coming just for a pity party or are we coming for solutions? I come for solutions, so I come expecting my life to be fixed and better after meeting with Him . I come with thanksgiving because I know if I screwed it up only God can fix it. lol . So I challenge you this thanksgiving to look at your life and what you have to be thankful for beyond your materialistic possessions, and truly see who you have to be thankful for. Always remember that Christ is there for you and we are to come with prayers, supplication, and with thanksgiving!

So as we come to this day of thanksgiving I am looking forward to saying thank you to my Father in heaven for all that He has blessed me with! To all my family and friends I love you all and am sooo thankful that you are in my life! You have blessed me with a life that I will never forget! 

A Comeback to Remember

Did you ever wonder how sport teams gather the adrenaline and tenacity to comeback from what seemed to be a sure defeat? Have you ever sat in your chair and said to yourself, I might as well just quit it's not worth it I am too far behind; we are losing by too much! Then that weekend you watch an amazing game of a team being down 43-0 and find a way to come back in the second half and win the game. Sitting there you think to yourself "God why can't I come back like this... why can't my life rebound like this team. Most of them don't even believe in you let alone serve you." I want to just say a couple things quickly today about a comeback to remember. I have come to find out that life is not always fun and rarely is it ever easy, but we need to stay focused on what we truly desire in life. There are so many road blocks and distractions along the way that can deter us from the goal. The odd thing about the distractions along the way in the purest sense are not usually a sin and or negative but it's that slow fade we allow to creep in along the path that deters us from the real desire to serve God and follow the original mapped out journey. This can lead to a difficult detour in life that if not caught in due season can be years of retracing your steps to get back on the right path. Yet with Christ all things are possible and with Christ all things can be brought into subjection of the cross, no matter how distracted in life you have been and or allowed yourself to get, know that the greatest sports comeback in history has no match for Christ's ability to rebound you right back in right standing with Him and His purpose for your life.
Every Sunday I ask my church questions so they can evaluate where they stand towards the Word. I will do the same today... are you on the right path? Or have you allowed the distractions and slow fades of life to pull you astray from where God desires you to be? Are you in need of a major comeback? Are you in need for the grace of God that can wash away all of the areas of your life where you would rather not talk about? He is able to set you free from all the dirt in life and place you right back in the game! Jesus said it Himself,

^{Luke 4:18}

 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,

       Because He has anointed Me
      To preach the gospel to the poor;
      He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
      To proclaim liberty to the captives
      And recovery of sight to the blind,
      To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

So no matter what road you are on right now friend, God is able to bring you back! To bring you back to a place where you are moving forward not backwards! Take the invitation to be on the right team once again! We have all fallen short and screwed up along the way, what matters is how you finish not necessarily how you start. 

May God Bless You!

Pastor Ryan Peters