From my Lunchbreak:

I played the random album game during my lunch break... check it out, here are the rules I followed... (from www.jasonboyett.com)

Here are the rules:

1: Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article that comes up is the name of your band.

2: Go to http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very LAST quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3: Go to http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
The third picture in the top row, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4: Use Photoshop or whatever to put it all together.

5: Post it.

Here's what I got:

Awesome.

Goin' All the Way

If you're involved in a relationship or maybe just hoping to be someday the Goin' All The Way series is just your type.

This Thursday is the first week of our new series on relationships, marriage, and sex.

We will be taking an honest look at what God has to say about these things and at how we can learn to have healthy relationships.

This is a GREAT week to invite a friend or even just invite a friend to join the facebook group!

This is a HUGE topic for our generation. So lets take it on together. Don't forget you can ask me questions on the facebook discussion group or via email if it's embarrassing for ya to post it!

For the nerds.

This is totally something that could change how I use my computer.


Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

Urban Legends.

This is the first week of Urban Legends where we will be debunking spiritual myths.

Come this week expecting God to show up and show us who He is in a new way this week!

We will be looking at our first myth: That all roads lead to God. Bring some friends and lets pack out the house this Thursday so that we can lead people to be fully devoted followers of Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the light and no one comes to the Father-Creator God except through Him.

Peace!

Pastor Erik

it - Part One

In chapter one Pastor Craig asks the question: Where does it come from?

I've been a part of a few ministries that had it. it never seemed to last forever though.

It always seemed like it was also an infusion of passion for Jesus brought on by being where God wanted us to be. When we were fully devoted to Jesus. When it was there people where willing to miss out on other things to be a part of what Jesus was doing.

The good news is: if you don't have it you can get it.
The bad news is: if you have it you can lose it.

(Coming Soon- Chapter 2!)

it.

I am reading a book called "it" by Craig Groeschel for the second time. It just released and has been a big deal for me in looking at how I lead and adjusting my character so that God can use me however he wants too.

From the back cover:

"What is It, and how can you and your ministry get and keep It? Combining in-your-face honesty with off-the-wall humor, this book tells how any believer can obtain It, get It back, and guard It."

You got it, or you don't. Join me for the next few weeks as I look at the discussion questions from it.

Also you can buy it here. I recommend it.

Tonight.

Tonight has the potential the change your life.

It has the potential to change the life of your friends.

God is calling us HOME. Pack out the house and let's lead people to be fully devoted followers of Christ - Together.

Home - Week Two

This week will be week two of our new series Home!
This week is a great one to invite a friend to as we learn about how God blesses us when we are home with Him!

Hope everyone is lovin the stage set up - props to my friend Jason French for a bunch of free props!
Also props to my wife for making it look awesome!

Thanks everyone for being a part of leading people to be fully devoted followers of Christ. Let's reach our generation!

Repost fun!

This is from Pastor Steven Furtick's blog, and it's so good I gotta share:

King Saul tried to help God out: he got tired of waiting for Samuel to offer the sacrifice, and decided to take care of business himself.

(Study 1 Samuel 13:7-14)
In his panic, he set off a chain reaction of events that led to his downfall.
His intentions were understandable. After all, God had promised him victory over his enemies. He was simply trying to expedite the process and make sure that God didn’t miss His deadline.

I’ve seen lots of people get in heaps of trouble in their attempts to give God a helping hand.

I’ve seen terrific girls marry complete losers because they got tired of waiting for God to send the right man into their lives. So they take their chances with the best available option, figuring they’ll fix him up. And boy, do they pay a high price for their impatience.

I’ve seen couples try to enjoy a standard of living that’s way over their heads in the first year of marriage, accumulating debt that delayed their financial freedom for decades to come.
God’s plan was to bless them incrementally as they earned, gave, and saved wisely…they just couldn’t wait. God’s way was too tedious…they wanted to be blessed right now!

God doesn’t need our help. He desires our obedient cooperation.

If you’re going to expect God’s best, you’ll have to do it God’s way.

It's time to come home.

Don't you dare miss out on this week at illuminate!

We are starting a new three week series - Home.
This series is a look at the parable of the lost son and we will look at we can regain our identity as sons and daughters of the creator God.

This is a great series to invite a friend (or friends!) too as we look at the love and redemption of the Father.

Let's work together to pack out the room this week - not just so it looks cool - but so that we can lead people to be fully devoted followers of Christ!

Maintance.

Just a quick thought... I have a backyard patio pool like most of you know.

It's starting to get a little hazy. Been to busy to clean it and add the stuff it needs the last few weeks.

Following Jesus is pretty much the same deal, if we don't maintain it through Bible reading, journaling, and prayer... it's going to start to get hazy.

So keep up the good work neh?

Unstoppable.

Sorry about the blog hiatus! This week is part two of unstoppable.

Most of us feel like we are the polar opposite of unstoppable. Whenever I play sports, for example, I am not unstoppable. I am in fact normally the most STOPPABLE person playing.

This is why I have learned a little trick... If I want to win at sports, I need to play on a good team.

With that in mind tonight we are going to talk about an unstoppable vision. You see we didn’t just start illuminate back in March because I needed more to do every week.

We didn’t start it because my boss, the incredible leader that he is, Pastor Bernie told me he wanted a new college service. (Although he did!)

We started illuminate after we felt that GOD had a vision and a purpose for it.

You see when you TEAM with GOD it doesn’t matter how stoppable you are. HE is unstoppable.

When you TEAM with GOD you are on an unstoppable team.

So lets team with God together to bring people to be fully devoted followers of Christ.

Then [Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Mark 8:34

Eternal life now.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
(1st Timothy 6:11-12)

Here Paul was talking about people who were seeking after money. He concludes talking about the fact that these people end up with all kinds of problems and then instructs Timothy to run away from anything like what he had just described. Instead he urges Timothy to live a life that represents God. Eternal life is something that Timothy can represent in his day to day life.

I also can grab hold of the eternal life that I am called to today. Salvation is not just something that I am called to get after I die. I can follow Christ today and represent the new life I have in everything that I do. A big part of this is not grabbing on to things of this world like money. If I allow my pursuit of anything in this world to take the place of my pursuit of God that thing is an idol.

Paul I think today would tell me still to flee from those things. Good advice.

Jesus, help me to live out my eternal life today. Help me not to put things of this world before you because You are all that I need today and tommorrow and forever. Amen.

No time for love Dr. Jones!

It's been a bad week for the blog. I know.

But, if your bored check out my new webpage www.erikgermesin.com and leave me a comment on what you think.

Peace.

Habakkuk - When God Seems Unfair.

This week is the first week of our series on Habakkuk.

You see it every day. Bad people taking advantage of the weak. Good people down on their luck. Innocent people suffering. War. Injustice. Ever get the feeling God isn’t fair? Discover how an Old Testament prophet can inspire a modern day faith in God’s Promises.

Check out this intro:

Don't be stupid.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates correction is stupid.

Proverbs 12:1

This proverb tells me that if I want to have knowledge that I need to embrace discipline and being corrected. A person that can not take being corrected in love is going to end up, well… stupid lacking in knowledge.

For me this starts with the Holy Spirit. If I don’t allow God’s Spirit to correct me when I am making poor choices then I will not be everything that I need to be. This can be with both sin issues in my heart and with just doing what God wants me to do instead of what I want to do.

This also applies to the people that God has put into my life to guide me. I need to respect their takes on what I am doing even if they tell me I am doing something wrong. Pride would tell me just to do what I think is right.

Pride makes me stupid.

God, by Your Spirit guide me down the right paths for my life. I need wisdom so guide me both yourself and through the people you have put into my life. Amen.

Small Blessings.

There is a little bonus that I get to enjoy for the summer. A county program that is using the room that we use for illuminate is out for the summer.

So I get to work on setup a little early. It's not a big deal, and although this allows a youth guy who is awesome to help me with the emptying of the room, but in total I have less stress right before service, and about a hour less work.

Woot!

Things God Hates.

Proverbs 6

16 There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,

19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Each of these things that the LORD hates have the potential to harm other people. Some more than others, but it is clear that the things that God hates are the things that cause people to inflict pain and suffering on others, and usually the innocent.

I know that I should avoid all of these things, though I know that I have done some of them before and will likely do some of them again. More than that I should avoid the attitude that I am more important than the people around me. This attitude is the source of all these actions that God hates. Instead I should have the attitude of Jesus:

Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:6-7)

Jesus teach me to have your attitude and think nothing of myself. Help me to choose to serve other people today. Amen.

Evotional - Blessed Week Two.

This week is the illuminate Junior/Senior night! We will be having TONS of free food and snacks and a killer teaching time so don't miss out.

Also... don't forget to be blessed by inviting people to come and see using the invite cards you got this week!



BLESSED—2
BLESSED TO SHARE HIS STORY

Although it is important to look at personal growth, and it is important to learn things that help us personally, Jesus Himself always looked out for the needs of other people. We are to do the same.

YOU ARE BLESSED TO SHARE CHRIST.

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews… To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
1 Corinthians 9:19-20a, 22-23

Jesus can transform anyone. There are no exceptions. Liars, rapists, gossips, idol worshippers, lovers of money, lovers of self... In one moment of understanding and faith Jesus wipes the slate clean.

So you are blessed to share our Christ, our Messiah, with people who really need Him.

This is not a blessing most of us want. It’s a lot easier to just come to something like this and just chill. Your in good company. Most of the people God has used to share His word and will with others were not the most likely people. However, looking at these people you will see ways that you can share Jesus with other people.

THE UNLIKELY EVANGELISTS

SAMARITAN WOMAN: INVITE SOMEONE TO COME AND SEE.

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" They came out of the town and made their way toward him. John 4:28-30

It might not of been easy for a woman who most people would have shunned to do this, but she did it anyway. She didn’t have to have all the scriptures memorized, she didn’t need to go to Bible college. She just had to know where Jesus was, and then to point to Him and say “come and see.”

For some of you the best way you can be blessed to share Jesus with others will be to invite someone to come and see.

BLIND GUY: SHARE YOUR STORY.
…"Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" John 9:25

How has following Jesus changed your life?

DORCAS: GIVE YOUR LIFE AWAY.
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. Acts 9:36

What a great way to be remembered. You see you are blessed to tell Jesus’ story and you can do it by giving your life away.

Ask yourself, what is something simple you can do this week to help someone?

Now get up and do it.

PETER: GET IN SOMEONE’S FACE.

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Acts 2:38, 40

Just remember, if it’s not done in love. Don’t do it.

And there is a time and a place to do it. When Peter is telling these people these things, they asked him first.

We are to bring people that are far from Jesus to Him and the Life that He offers us.

We are blessed to tell His story. God uses unlikely people and unlikely ways to spread His message.

Evotional - Blessed Part One.

Was awesome to have everyone for the first part of blessed! Don't miss part two this week at illuminate - a young adult service.

http://illuminate.mylfc.com

BLESSED—1
BLESSED WITH A NEED

GOD HAS BLESSED YOU WITH A NEED: YOU NEED EACH OTHER.

…You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family…We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Ephesians 2:19, 21 NLT

God has joined those who believe in His Son together.
He did it carefully. Intentionally. He did it for a reason.
You are members of God’s Family.

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39

YOU NEED A SPIRITUAL FAMILY

1) WITH REFRIGERATOR RIGHTS.

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need…They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts…Acts 2:44-46

If anyone has a need, not a want mind you, but a need we are obligated as believers to help. It is interesting that it was the individual believers that did this not the church.

Sharing a table with each other is a real form of Christianity.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had…There were no needy persons among them. Acts 4:32, 34

WITH ACCEPTANCE.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7

How do you think this brings praise to God then?
Because God made everyone just like they are.

And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's [David] table, and he was crippled in both feet. 2 Samuel 9:13

WITH COMMITMENT.

Commitment + Challenges + Christ = Your Spiritual Family

We have been tricked out of real relationships - with both other people and with God.

Commitment because no real relationship grows without it.

Challenges because all relationships face them.

Christ because all relationships need Him to be healthy.

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. Genesis 2:18