The Blind Side

Brenda and I went to go me see to movie The Blind Side tonight. What a great way to end 2009.

Wow, what a real life story of two polar opposite ends of the spectrum of culture meeting and making a hugh difference in each others lives.

The Blind Side is a story of unconditional love that is the perfect family film. A rarity these days .

The Blind Side is simply, one of 2009’s best movies for families or anyone who seeks, appreciates or enjoys pure inspiration of the highest level.

You can watch Michael Ohre play with the Baltimore Ravens in the last regular season NFL game this weekend.

Michael Jerome Oher (born Michael Jerome Williams, Jr.; May 28, 1986) is an American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Mississippi for the Ole Miss Rebels. His life prior to college is the subject of Michael Lewis‘s 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game and the 2009 film The Blind Side’

Arizona, church family, Ministry

DROPS LIKE STARS

Really looking forward to Rob Bells’ “Drops Like Stars” gathering in Phoenix February 19 @ Tempe Center for the Arts.

We plot, we plan, we assume things are going to go
A certain way and then they don’t and we find ourselves
In a new place, a place we haven’t been before, a place
We never would have imagined on our own,

And so it was difficult and unexpected and maybe even
Tragic and yet it opened us up and freed us to see
Things in a whole new way

Suffering does that—
It hurts,
But it also creates.

How many of the most significant moments in your
Life came not because it all went right, but because
It all fell apart?

It’s strange how there can be art in the agony…

The Drops Like Stars tour is a two
Hour exploration of the endlessly complex
Relationship between suffering and creativity—
And I’d love to see you there.

https://www.robbell.com/dropslikestars/

http://www.tempe.gov/TCA/

For tickets go to:

http://tca.ticketforce.com/ordertickets.asp?p=713

Ministry, new years

LEAVE IT BEHIND IN 09′

For the last Sunday of 2009, we will look at what God calls us to and the trust we must have in knowing that what lies before us is greater than what we leave behind us .

Instead of allowing the negatives from the past year into the new year, lets decide to leave it behind in 09′ so we can move ahead .

Here is the outline for this weekend’s message.

Stuff We Should Leave Behind from 09′.

Pastor Steve Lummer
” shake the dust off your feet” Matthew 10:14

Our baggage weighs us down and hinders us from moving toward our God intended future.

When Samuel gathered all the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin was picked…Saul son of Kish was picked. But when they looked for Saul, they could not find him. 22 They asked the Lord, “Has Saul come here yet?” The Lord said, “Yes. He’s hiding behind the baggage.” 23 So they ran and brought him out. When Saul stood among the people, he was a head taller than anyone else. 24 Then Samuel said to the people, “See the man the Lord has chosen. There is no one like him among all the people.” Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!” 1 Samuel 10:20-24 (NCV)

Dust That Derails Your Destiny

Shake off the dust of Bad DAYS.
Shake off the dust of Bad DEEDS.
Shake off the dust of Bad DEBTS.

Two types of anger expressed in the Bible.
“Be angry and sin not” Ephesians 4:26

“Thumos” is anger expressed . “Perogismo” is anger repressed .

1. It Takes Control Over Me.
You tear yourself to pieces in your anger. Job 18:4 (ncv)

2. It Effects All Of My Other Relationships.
See to it that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15 (niv)

3. It Damages me Spiritually.
Be angry and sin not …Do not give the devil a foothold Ephesians . 4:27

How To Leave The Baggage Behind

1. I Need To Forgive With A Positive Attitude.
2. I Need To Forgive Others Like God Has Forgiven Me.
3. I Need To Forgive To Release my Future.

We have No Future Without Forgiveness

“shake the dust off your feet” Matthew 10:14
“the washing with water through the word” Ephesians 5:26
“never let the arrows of criticism pierce your heart unless it first passes through the filter of scripture.” – Erwin Mcmannus

church family, family, Ministry

This question comes up every year

Pastor Steve, should we put up a Christmas tree in our house? Isn’t the Christmas tree based from a pagan origin?

Well, I wanted to post on this blog just to clarify the answer I give year after year.

The modern custom of a Christmas tree does not come from any form of paganism. There is no evidence of any pagan religion decorating a special holiday tree for their mid-winter festivals, although the Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a festival called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. Late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. The first Christmas tree was decorated by Protestant Christians in 16th-century Germany. Our modern Christmas tree evolved from these early German traditions, and the custom most likely came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution, or with German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio.

There is nothing in the Bible that either commands or prohibits Christmas trees. It has been falsely claimed by some that Jeremiah 10:1-16 prohibits the cutting down and decorating of trees in the same manner as we do at Christmas. However, even a cursory reading of the text makes it clear that the passage is one in which Jeremiah sets forth the prohibition against idols made of wood, plated with silver and gold, and worshipped. A similar idea appears in Isaiah 44, where Isaiah speaks of the silliness of the idol-worshippers who cut down a tree, burn part of it in the fire to warm themselves, and use the other part to fashion an idol, which they then bow down to. So unless we bow down before our Christmas tree, carve it into an idol, and pray to it, these passages cannot be applied to Christmas trees.

There is no spiritual significance to having or not having a Christmas tree. Whatever choice we make, the motive behind a believer’s decision about this, as in all matters of conscience, must be to please the Lord. Romans 14:5-6a sets out the principle in a passage about liberty: “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.” The Lord is grieved when Christians look down upon one another for either celebrating or not celebrating Christmas. This is spiritual pride. When we feel that somehow we have achieved a higher plain of spirituality by doing or not doing something about which the Bible is silent, we misuse our freedom in Christ, create divisions within His body, and thereby dishonor the Lord. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

When it comes to Christmas my advice is to light it up full throttle.

church family

Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion

Just wanted to post this opportunity for you to join me in a celebration of Christmas Communion this Thursday night.

Christmas Eve Communion Service in Beautiful Prescott Arizona.
7:00 – 8:00 PM Christmas Eve
Prescott First Assembly
1455 Willow Creek Road.
Prescott Arizona
Celebrating Christmas Eve with family and friends.

A time to remember and a time to rejoice.

Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it ‘white’.”
~ Bing Crosby

Life experiences, Storms of life

SEEING THROUGH YOUR SOLSTICE

Here we are at December 21 and the winter solstice that marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, sun and stitium, a stoppage. Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

Your solstice could be the darkest night of your life. The time when you feel like cannot see your way through.

Here are a few thoughts on seeing through your darkest times of your life.

Usually God’s purposes are revealed and His power displayed, in our darkest experiences when like Gideon you ask, “If the Lord is with [me], why has…this happened?” When there seems to be no rhyme or reason, God’s promise is, “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord…who [calls] you by name” (Isa 45:3 NIV).

Anybody can be faithful in good times, but standing “by night in the house of the Lord” (Ps 134:1 NIV) takes real commitment. Hymn writer George Matheson wrote: “Will I remain in God’s house at night…love Him for who He is…know I desire not the gift but the Giver? When I can remain…during the darkness of night and worship…I’ve accepted Him for Himself alone.” When the Israelites faced their greatest challenge, the Red Sea, the Bible says, “All that night the Lord drove the sea back” (Ex 14:21 NIV). Be encouraged, God is working, even though you can’t see Him.

After all, how can God give us “songs in the night” (Job 35:10) if the sun always shines? Jesus said, “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight” (Mt 10:27 NIV). It’s in life’s dark places that God shares things which strengthen you, and encourage those around you.

The Solstice or darkest night of your life can be an opportunity to see what you cannot see in the bright of day.

Take the darkest places and let God transform them into your brightest places.

Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

Be the light my friends and especially in the darkest places.

All the best.

Steve

family, marriage

MENDING BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS

MENDING BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS
Pastor Steve and Brenda Lummer

“It’s better to eat soup with someone you love than steak with someone you hate” Proverbs 15.17 (Living Bible)

Opposites attract but only up to a point. One of the main reasons many couples break up is that they have not enough in common. This can happen early in a marriage or even sometimes, as it seems recently in growing numbers, after the children have moved out of home. Couples find they have nothing in common. Nothing left to talk about.

1. ARE RELATIONAL DEATHS PREDICTABLE?

RESENTMENT brings relational deaths
“… remembering wrongs can break up a friendship.” Proverbs 17.9 (Good News)

RETALIATION brings relational deaths
“Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone…” Leviticus 19.18 (New Living Translation)

RESIGNATION brings relational deaths
“Someone who holds back the truth causes trouble, but one who openly criticizes works for peace. Proverbs 10.10 (Good News)

2. ARE RELATIONAL RESURRECTIONS POSSIBLE?
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12.18
Forgiveness takes ONE – Reconciliation takes TWO.

3. HOW GOD DEALS WITH RELATIONSHIP ISSUES
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5.18-19

What God Reveals:
* Stop USING YOURSELF AS A FRAME OF REFERENCE.
* Start ASKING GOD TO HELP ME SEE THEM AS THEY ARE..
“We are not fighting against human beings, but against wicked spiritual forces…” Ephesians 6.12 (Good News)

What God Requires:
* Stop RESENTING THE WAY THINGS ARE.
* Start FORGIVE THE WAYS THINGS HAVE BEEN.
“Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3.13

How God Restores
* Stop FANTASIZING ABOUT THE FUTURE.
* Start ACTING IN LOVING WAYS.
“…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6.27-28

church family, Ministry

SOUNDS GOOD TO ME

At Christmas time we hear all kinds of sounds you don’t normally hear during the rest of the year.
The other day I was at a gas station in PV when they guy who had just finished filling up his tank with gasoline waved and said “Merry Christmas” … I waved and said “Merry Christmas” back to him….The SOUND of “Merry Christmas” these days has a different sound than it used to 20 years ago….Now the words “Merry Christmas are said with a more preserving cautious protective tone – Those two words are handled with care and caution almost like an archeologist handles the secrets in the sands so he won’t break something that is very rare….Today the Sound of the WORDS “MERRY CHRISTMAS”. Are sound waves that sound good to me.

On every corner of our community you will hear the bells rings from the Salvation army volunteers and those bells will help raise Millions of dollars for the cause of helping folks.

Walk the Malls and you hear the songs that you don’t hear all year – Country artist, Christian artist, rock, rap, and reggae, write songs just for this season ….Sounds you don’t hear all year except this one.

One sound that I heard this past Wednesday night just before men’s bible study was the sound of someone knocking at my church office door. At first when I opened the door I saw no one …but then I looked down at a child by the name of RJ…. I asked how I could help him? He immediately held out an envelop to give to me, then he announce to me that the envelop was 100 dollars for PEOPLE IN NEED.
He went on to say that the envelop held 20 one dollar bills and four twenties that he had saved to give to someone in need this Christmas.

The back story is even more interesting And I would like to invite you to hear it right know.
You see RJ’s mother is from Australia and because of visa complications she was detained in the country of Mexico.
For ten days she was held by the authorities and not able to get back here to her home in the US. It was during that ten days that RJ prayed that his mother would be able to come home. He prayed that if God would help her get out of Mexico and be all owed to come home would give his 100.00 dollars to someone in need..
Long story short, his mother was in Brenda’s bible study last Wednesday night.
RG is a part of out Royal Ranger program and just before Rangers, he knocked on my office door to complete his promise to God.
So this week it will be our privilege to give away RJ’s gift to SOMEONE IN NEED. It is the little sounds that make such a great difference in our lives and the lives of others around us. That sounds good to me.

I loved the sound of that knock on my office door….A sound of not just a little boy, but the sound of someone who had been given hope and now is repeating it to someone else. What great sound.

“The Lord’s message rang out from you …..your faith in God has become known everywhere.” 1 Thessalonians 1:8 (niv)

church family, Life experiences, Media, Ministry

Pastor Bill Wilson – The “Clint Eastwood” of Christianity

It was great to see my youth pastor/mentor of 35 years ago on a news program early this morning and I just had to post a blog about him.

In the summer of 1975 in a mid western church a hand touched my soldier and a guy by the name of Pastor Bill knelt down to pray with me. He knew I needed a lot of change in my life a long with my praying parents and family.

1975 inner city outreach. (Anita Norman, Lisa Letterman, myself and Yogi)

For a few years, I was able to hang with Bill and a few others at all hours of the night and travel on a couple of west cost adventure ministry trips with Bill that opened up my mind to another world that I never knew existed.
Anyway the 30 years have come and gone and this morning as I was getting ready for another normal day, I looked up at the screen for the morning news and there he was being interviewed by a news anchor.

Yep, 30 years and he still is going at it. Sure not as quick but just as edgy as I knew him by in the mid 70’s .

God bless you Bill as you continue to educate, motivate and sometimes irritate all of us. You do exactly what God purposed you to do.

Here are a couple of links Bills web site.

http://www.metroministries.org/
http://blog.metroministries.org/post/45

That same hand now has become a far reaching compassionate hand that touches who knows how many.

Thanks always Bill for not quitting, always fighting, and speaking through the distance.

Steve

outdoors, rivers, What I'm missing right now

Do not burn yourselves out

I love this picture of the middle-fork of the Snoqualmie River because it keeps things kinda in balance.

And this writing by Edward Abbey goes right along with the pic.

“Do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am — a reluctant enthusiast . . . a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic.

Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over those desk-bound men with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators.

I promise you this: you will outlive them.”

Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

Jesus said it perfectly when he instructed us to come apart so we don’t come apart.

Mark 6:31 “And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:”

stevelummer.com

Monthly Archives: December 2009