Feb. 19 - Last Day (Day 37)

Boy when it rains, it pours. So I had missed the last few days leading up to the weekend because of not feeling well. And then this weekend my computer picks up a virus that I had to take off Internet Explorer and put it back on. Then my bathroom wall falls in. Crazy few days, but here we are the last day of the 180 Challenge!!!!!!
Now there are many important things to think through as we wrap this up, first of all, how'd you do? Was it easy or hard to stay on track. Did you find yourself missing one day and than another only to find it was hard to get back in the swing of things? What did God show you through His Word? Was there a significant verse that challenged you or made you stop doing something? What about the other transformed challenges? Did you try any of those? And I would love to hear about it.
Still the best and most important question is what do you do from here? There is a reason why we don't do the 180 Challenge forever because you and I as believers need to learn to develop our own quality time with the Lord. It is a discipline that only develops as you practice it. I heard a great quote the other day that goes something like this. "Don't let a lack of sincerity be an excuse for disobedience" Many times we hestitate to go to God because we don't feel like it or our hearts just not in to it. But don't let that be an excuse to miss time with God. Many times it is only out of a faithful obedience that God gives us a joy in our hearts. I believe is a trick of the devil to keep us from God. Basically anything that stops you spending time with God is no good. So take the lessons you learned from the 180 Challenge and apply them to your own personal time. That would be the best way to honor God and make me know that you got it.
Anyhow thanks for going the long haul with me. Don't forget to get plugged in to what is going on Sunday nights. Love you guys!!!!


Col. 4
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. May each us be devoted to prayer and a thankful heart. God has so richly blessed us may we have thankful hearts.

Feb. 13 - 16 Days Thirty-one - Thiirty-four

Boy did I get drilled the past few days. I really got hit hard with the flu. I had my first fever I can remember in a long time. I still don't feel to great. Over the past two weeks, someone has been sick in our family at least one every day. Little kids are like germ magnets! It does highlight a great point for all of us to learn. The people we choose to hang around with will effect who we become. Many of us fall victim to the warnings of Proverbs 1 when it says to not hang around those that desire to do harm. If you have a hard time like me breaking free from sickness than choose healthy relationships around you. You will be amazed at the effect that will have on you. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I will write more later tonight.

Feb. 12 - Day Thirty

I hope most of you enjoyed your day off today. Too bad you will have to make it up later:( It was a good day for me, because I felt like I had time to enjoy the things I was doing without feeling rushed. When I have the time to take my time and do things well, I really feel a great sense of accomplishment. Time is a huge valuable assest that we only get so much of. Make sure you don't over load your life with so much stuff that you don't enjoy the things you are doing. It takes some time getting use to it but it is so much healthier for us to slow down and take our time with our time.


Phil. 4:1-9
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Think about such things is easier than said. But this is one of the final challenges Paul gives us at the end of this book. One thing I do know it is harder for me to think about these things when I am rushed and don't have time to start my day off right. Make sure tomorrow is started on the right foot. Slow down and take time to know God.

Feb. 11 - Day Twenty-Nine

Have you ever watched something on TV and just wonder what planet people are living on? I was watching the Grammy's last night and I swear people in Hollywood or the music industry live on a completely different planet. I mean some of the speeches that were given just make me shake my head and laugh out loud. I really do feel bad for people that have been tricked by the devil to believe that living the good life is all about what you can get out of it. These peoples lives have been sold out to one thing and that is selling themselves to the god of pocessions. And here we are just soaking it in and watching every move they make. In some ways this is totatly random but for the most part it is my spirit convicting me more than anything. No matter what we gain, in the end we will lose it all.

Phil.3:12-21
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Boy I needed to hear this verse today. Great encouragement for me to keep on going until God calls me home.

Feb. 10 - Day Twenty-eight

Wow did it get cold this evening or what. It's more than cold, in fact it is downright frezzzzzing!!! That reminds me of something I read the other day that was profound. Did you realize there is really no such thing as cold. Cold is a made up word that we use. There is no measurement for cold, only the absence of heat. When we have low heat then there is cold but cold in itself does not exist. Just like the term evil. Evil does not exist only in the absence of God. So the next time someone asks you why there is evil in the world that God created. Just tell them there is only evil in the world because people chose to live without God.

Phil. 3:1-11
I want to know Christ.... What a simple let life changing statement!!! Just knowing, really knowing Christ will change everything about you. The way your think, they way you act and ultimately the way you will live after death. Knowing Christ is the greatest knowledge anyone can grasp, greater than any wisdom man can come up with.

Feb. 9 - Day Twenty-seven

Phil. 2:12-30
15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe. When we choose to live a blameless and pure life it will be a difference around those that we regularly hang out with. The verse here tells us it is like a star in the universe. I wish I had a nickel everytime I said this but it still remains true; those that say yes to God are going to look different than those that say no. How different? The difference between shinning like a star and darkness.

Feb, 8 - Day Twenty-six

Sorry I missed the past few days, I totally missed Friday, but Saturday the blogger site wasn't letting me get on Saturday. I think it does regular maintance on Saturdays. Anyhow let me back track on the Scriptures:

Phil. 2:1-11
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. I wish this could be said about me. But sadly I struggle with this more than anything. Some days I wish I could step away from myself and watch how I live. Most of what I do is for myself and yet as a Christians I need to consider others better than myself. So how can I be successful in this? Only through the power of God's Spirit leading my life. Without the Spirit guiding me, it is impossible for me to live the Christian life. So each day I must take the time to let go of my own desires and seek after what God wants.

Feb. 7 - Day Twenty-Five

I had an interesting chat with a young man in his early twenties today. He had been addicted to many drugs and had his dad walk out on him when he was younger. As we chatting the thing that came up the most was he always knew that he was better than what he was doing. It made me think of our relationship with Christ. The fact is that God doesn't see us as sinners but as saints, because He believes in us! He knows that we can do better but its not by our strength it is because of Christ. So no matter what you "feel" like remember that God sees you as a saint, go out and live like one today

Phil. 1:12-30
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. What a werid statement but when you think of it further you realize how true it is. When we are willing to let go (i.e. die) than we begin to realize what living is all about. We have to understand that many of us have been tricked by the world as to what a good life is. We have been lead to believe that more is better and so we try to get the biggest, the brightest and the most expensive we can find. However it is all a trap leading us down a path of emptiness. The more we get the less we are fulled. Werid, but true. The truth is the less we seek after in this world the more we can with being fulled with Christ.

Feb. 6 - Day Twenty-four

I have been really encouarged by some of the stories that I am hearing from you guys. God is really doing some awesome transformation in you. I continue to pray for God to reveal Himself to all of us through our brokeness before Him. Its amazing how clearly we begin to see things when we are first brought to our knees. For some of you out there, please learn from the others and don't wait til something bad happens but go to God because He deserves our worship. Don't stop the good work that has begun in you!!!

Phil. 1:1-11
6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. God has not called you by accident, but will carry out what He started in each of you. I am excited to see what that is and how it comes about. I am continuing to pray that God grabs a hold of each you and rocks your world upside down

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Feb 5 - Day Twenty-three

Hey everyone is me, Pastor Dan. I feel like I need to introduce myself again, since I have missed the last 3 days. I have been real busy with the conference and then everyone in my family getting sick. On a side note, please pray for Madison she is really sick. She has a 103 degree temperature and a double infection. Poor little girl is fighting to get better, hopefully the medicine will help. I hope you guys are all doing well. We had a great time at the conference, God really rocked our world about the importance of evangelism and I am excited to see what God does in the lives of our students that went. If you didn't get to go, please talk with someone that went and ask them about it. If you are around next year we are planning to go again so keep on the look out. I guess for me the challenging part was watching the drama presentation on Friday night. They talked about who we pledge our allegiance to? And if we wanted to know if we would ever die for Christ, first we must ask are we living for Him now? Anyhow we will be talking more about it later. Let me know what God has been saying to you over the last few days as you open up His word. God is good, all the time.

Eph. 6:10-24
The armor of God: 19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it This is one of my favorite sections in the Bible. I used to read it every day before a basketball game so I had the right focus on the game. That my battle was just against the oppenent but against Satan and his desire to ruin my testimony. I pray that each of you will put on the full amor of God today and do everything you can to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ!!1

Feb. 1 - Day Nineteen

Hey guys been running around trying to get ready for our conference this weekend. Please pray for us that God will be able to use this time to light a spark in our hearts for evangelism. I will try to respond more tonight and tomorrow depending on if I can get internet access. But I can't wait to share with you on Sunday. See you then:)



Eph. 4:17-32
In your anger do not sin" Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. Great practical advise for us to keep short accounts of anger in our lives. It is a very misunderstood yet powerful emotion that needs to be checked every day. Don't let little things get you so worked up you let them turn to bitterness. Even if you have to say something comfortable or even if you don't make sense share those feelings before its too late.