Monthly Archives: January 2009

Mountain biking, Prescott

Following Willow Creek in January

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This afternoon one of the college students from our church and I decided to get a short mountain bike ride in while it was still warm enough.

Chase is going to school in Santa Cruz California and when he is in town we try to get in some time on the saddle.

The great thing about Prescott is that the creeks seem to flow for months after a good snow… So that  makes for real fun crossing them as you follow the miles of single track the Prescott National Forest offers.

This single track follows Willow Creek and is one of my absolute favorites places to ride.

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Willow Creek has got some really cold water …. Flagstaff kinda cold!

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Chase has my old Trek hard tail  I brought to Arzona from Missouri. He is really learning to handle it.

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I think mountain biking with friends is more that just riding a bike. Its more like a new adventure and a  gift of inspiration each time you get out.

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Ministry

AOL (Acts Of Love) January Harvest Sunday

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Last Sunday January 25th was Harvest Sunday at Prescott First Assembly of God.

We chose to bless single parent moms and single Grand mothers with a free oil change and a winterized car.

The day was a great success for both the church family as well as the moms who were blessed with some great car care from the church.

Here are a few photos of some great servants!

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Thanks to all who rolled up their sleeves and helped us help others.

Midas of Prescott

Ponderosa Tire of Prescott

Arizona Mudd SLingers

Prescott Auto Body

And Prescott First Assembly church.

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Mountain biking

NICE JAVALINAS!

Here was my company this afternoon on my mountain bike ride.

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This afternoon I took a short but strong ride throug the forest to the south of where we live.

About 2/3rds of the way through the 1 1/2 hour mountain bike ride I could see about a dozen Javalinas right in the middle of the single track about 50 yards in front of me.

I have a bike bell on my handle bars for such occasions.  As I began to ring the bell I could see the creatures scatter to the left and to the right..

These guys were not going to get aggressive and I road right through them.

Kind of cool to see the babies running right behind thier moms …Man, those guys can really move too!

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Football, Kurt Warner

KURT WARNER

When I was pastoring just outside of St. Louis Missouri our family were passionate fans of the St. Louis Rams.

I remember the game when Trent Green came off the field because of an injury and a little known quarter back named Kurt Warner came on the field to replace him. From that day forward Kurt’s story will be remembered in football history for along time.

I also remember the night Brenda and I watched Kurt and the St. Louis Rams when the Super bowl in 1999.

I remember his first interview  on the field after the game was over. Here are his words.

Immediately after the Rams’ victory at the Super Bowl, an interviewer began, “Kurt, first things first–tell me about the final touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce .” Kurt responded, “Well, first things first, I’ve got to thank my Lord and Savior up above–thank You, Jesus!”

Now Kurt is leading the Arizona Cardinals to the Superbowl and I wanted to post on my blog Kurt’s testimony.

Kurt Warner’s Testimony

“I believe that the Lord has a plan for each of us that’s better than anything we can imagine–even if that plan isn’t obvious to us at every stage. He prepared me for this over a long period of time–in lower-profile locker rooms and the grocery store and in Europe, through all the personal tragedies and in spite of the people who doubted me along the way,” Warner explained. “Whether I’m a Super Bowl Champion or a regular guy stocking groceries at the Hy-Vee, sharing my faith and glorifying Jesus is the central focus of my time on this earth. And the fact that I now have a podium, I believe, is no coincidence. I want to be a role model for Christ in everything that I do. Living my life for Him and showing people the beauty of that reality is my mission in life.”

“Before I could devote my life to Jesus and start living my life for Him, I had to go through a lot of personal struggles, including a period a few years ago where I got a little caught up in things that aren’t important–fame, money, lust….”

Warner suffered a series of disastrous setbacks in his career. He faced financial problems, family problems, even the sudden and tragic death of his wife’s parents. All the hurts and the heartbreak caused Kurt to take a good hard look at his life–and what was missing from it. “Growing up I’d always put my life on one side and my relationship with God on the other. I knew God was there, but I only called upon Him when I needed Him or felt compelled to thank Him. Eventually, I realized I needed to live every day for Him.”

Go Kurt …Go Cards!

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Books I'm Reading, Ministry

BRANDING FAITH

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Phil Cooke was one of the presenters at the AWAKEN 08 conference in Pasedena California.

I’m reading his book that basically speaks to today’s way of communicating you message in the best possible way.

Today, faith-based organizations and non-profits struggle under our present cultural framework – the power of global media. The media’s influence in our lives is pervasive, and today, education, business, religion, leisure, science, even family life, are all measured against that influence. The answer to who’s influencing you, is the same as who’s influencing the culture.

It’s the media.

That’s why our challenge today is how to express our faith in a media-dominated culture. How to tell our story alongside the maddening swirl of media “clutter” – TV, radio, computer, digital music player, Internet, mobile phone, and other technologies competing for our attention. How do we get our message heard through the massive and growing wave of media static out there?

This book is about getting your message heard. It’s about telling your story, and making that story connect with your audience.

I’m sure by the time I read Phil’s book and put it into practice, the rules to the game will change and I will have to buy, read and digest his next book.

 

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FASTING, Ministry, Mountain biking

GOD AND YOUR BOD

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This morning nine of us road our mountain bikes up some of the steepest climbs I have ever done here in Prescott.

After it was all said and done my watch told me I had been 4 hours on my bike and my calorie counter told me that I had burned 2905 calories  on the epic ride.

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After getting home it was really key to replintish the well.

You have a physical well of limited energy that you have been drawing from this week. Have you been doing anything to ‘replenish’ the well? As I study, lead, write, have meetings, spend time with family and friends, exercise … I am expending my limited energy resources. I have to remind myself all the time that God designed me in such a way that I am responsible for replenishing this well. I have lost count of the times I have ‘gone to the well once too often’ without re-supplying it and have come up completely dry and have got myself in real physical trouble.

The most critical, yet easy to do, rituals that can replenish our physical wells are:

Eat a healthy breakfast EVERY SINGLE day.

Eat something healthy & life giving every 3-4 hours.

Have a set time of exercise each day.

Stop every 90 minutes of your work day, no matter what you are doing, and take a short break… break for your brain, emotions, and body. Don’t keep the ‘pedal’ pressed all the way to the floor, without a break

Get 7-8 hours of sleep every day.

Are you paying attention to your physical well? What do you need to begin to do to replenish your energy resources each day, so that you can live with more vitality and vision.

A great resource to check how many calories you burn up during exercise is found at the link below called healthdiscovery.net

http://www.healthdiscovery.net/links/calculators/calorie_calculator.htm

 

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FASTING, healer, Ministry

GOD AND YOUR BOD

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I love this message I taught a while back  and thought I would post the outline on my blog as a reminder to keep myself controlled when it comes to my health.

GOD AND YOUR BOD

Your Bod is God

Pastor Steve Lummer

Your body is:
A TEMPLE, it is to be TREASURED not TRASHED.

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 2 CORINTHIANS 6:16 NIV

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 1 Corinthians 6:19

HOW TO CONTROL YOUR BODY

1. KEEP YOURSELF ACTIVE.
Proverbs 19:15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.

2. EAT TO SATISFY NOT TO STUFF.
Proverbs 13:25 The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.

3.WATCH THE INTAKE OF SWEETS AND MEATS.
PROVERBS 23:1-3 When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what [a] is before you, 2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. 3 Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.

4. ASK YOURSELF, “WILL THIS BRING GLORY TO GOD?”
1 CORINTHIANS 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

5. TAKE BAD EATING HABITS TO THE CROSS. ( does this include dark chocolate M&Ms?)
Proverbs 23:2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.

6. BEFORE YOU EAT ….. PRAY OVER YOUR MEAL.
Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

7. SPEAK YOURSELF INTO A HEALTHY EATING LIFESTYLE.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

8. DON’T EAT WHEN YOU ARE DEPRESSED.
Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

Dear friend, I pray that you are doing well in every way and that you are healthy, just as your soul is healthy. 3 John 1:2 (nasv)

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Ministry

AOL (Acts of Love) CONTINUES

This Sunday is another AOL (Acts Of Love) service event form our church to our community.

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OIL CHANGE MINISTRY TO SINGLE PARENT MOMS

I am really looking forward to watching our church show God’s love in a practical way to single mothers this Sunday morning–no strings attached!
Moms drive into the church parking lot, hand over their keys, then go inside the church for a great service.
This is a wonderful opportunity to share God’s love with those in need.
The Oil Change Outreach will be:
January 25th Prescott First Assembly
1455 Willow creek rd
Prescott, Az. 7781455
9:00 am–12:00 pm

To make this event successful, we need your help! Below are simple ways in which you can help. We need:

Men to volunteer their time to change oil or drive vehicles
Women to act as hostesses to the single moms
An offering for this ministry.
Oil, Antifreeze, Windshield Washer Fluid Snacks–Donuts, Muffins, Juice
I want to thank Midas of Prescott, Arizona Mud Slingers and Prescott Auto Body for Partnering with Prescott First Assembly in this Act Of Love.
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