Dave Samples

New & Improved Website

2012-01-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends!

I wanted to share our redesigned website with you all! Check it out!

http://www.chasingrace.org/

Go Tell the Church!

2011-12-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

An important excerpt from Jesus and Addiction by Don Williams

In my former church a couple vanished for several weeks from a large adult Sunday school class. Finally, some concerned friends went to their house and were met at the door by the wife. After an exchange of pleasantries, she revealed that her husband was suicidal and had admitted himself to the psychiatric ward of a local hospital. While his wife appreciated the visit, as it ended, she gravely asked, "Please don't tell the church. It would be too embarrassing, too humiliating." Rather than crying out, "Please tell the church, we need prayer and love now as never before," she silenced these friends out of her fear of exposure and judgment. She was more afraid of the self-righteousness that plagued the church than she was of suffering alone.

A new Church, however, is emerging: a Church that welcomes suffering people just as they are. The new Church lives grace, grace, grace. In it addictions to substances, processes, and people are confronted. Codependency is admitted rather than admired. The new Church is found where God will fill the hole in the soul with himself. This is a Church where generational sin is broken, environmental sin is overcome, and personal sin is forgiven. This is a Church where the false self dies and abandonment ends. The new Church is where our being wound is healed.

The new Church is centered in the fearless, free, and self-giving Jesus, where Jesus' agenda for ministry is pursued, love is unconditional, and human control is surrendered. This a Church under the control of the Spirit.

This is a Church where all are addicts and are taking responsibility for their recovery, where a fresh, real commitment is born. This is a Church where sin is inventoried, confessed, and forgiven, where people are healed and delivered and amends are made. This is a Church where prayer and meditation prosper.

This Church is filled with praise, prayer, and the gifts of the Spirit. Here the cross is preached and tithes are paid.

This is a Church where love is extended, accountability is demanded, and relationships prosper, where the lost are found, the poor are clothed, and the hungry are fed. This is a Church that is taking the good news to the nations.

Where this Church is emerging, people who are caught in crisis, bound in shame, fearful of judgment, addicted and despairing can cry out, "Go tell the Church." Such a Church will respond by offering a flood of grace, water for the thirsty, bread for the hungry, refuge for the abused, deliverance for the addict, and love for all.

The new Church is Jesus' Church. he designed it and called it into being. It is the choir for his worship. It is the family for his love. It is the weapon for his warfare. It is the Church--militant in its suffering. It is the Church--triumphant in his return.

Are you weary? Fed up? Famished? Faint-hearted? Helpless? Hopeless? Lonely? Empty? Lost? Trapped?

Go tell the Church.

--Don Williams, Jesus and Addiction

Stanley on Christmas

2011-12-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

I Love This Song!

2011-12-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

This song gives me goose bumps everytime that I listen to it. Those of us who have experienced the overwhelming grace of God who has freed us from every sin and who has allowed us to stand in the righteousness of Christ can celebrate the freedom that is in Christ Jesus. I am free!

"River Men" - Grace River Men's Winter Retreat

2011-12-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

Grace River Church 2011

2011-12-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Mars Hill Church - Mark Driscoll

2011-12-06T06:17:00.001-07:00

Blessed Are The Tears by Bryan Duncan

2011-11-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

2011-11-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Proclamation

[New York, 3 October 1789]

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

Self-Giving Worship

2011-11-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

What follows is taken entirely from, "Self-Giving Worship", Don Williams, Jesus and Addiction.

In the addictive church, people come to worship in order to get rather than to give. As users, their preoccupation is, "What's in it for me? Do I enjoy the aesthetics? Are people friendly to me? Do I like the music? Am I inspired by the choir? Does the preaching feed me? Is the pastor friendly? Does the pastor know my name?" Such pious expectations about our spiritual growth barely hide our full-blown narcissism. Often I hear people say, "I'm going to another church. My needs aren't being met here." Whatever the merits of this complaint, it has nothing to do with worship. The reason is simple.

Worship is not getting; worship is giving. The word worship in Hebrew means "to fall down, to surrender, to submit," as in a slave or subject bowing low before a mighty king. The word in Greek means "to come toward to kiss." This kiss is not an act of intimacy, it is an act of submission, as in kissing the ground before a sovereign, or kissing his feet.

Worship is the basis for a life of self-giving; it is surrendering ourselves to God. Consider Psalm 95:6: "Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker," or Psalm 99:5: "Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at His footstool; Holy is He."

In the New Testament we are called to worship as priests. There is no clergy class. (See 1 Pet. 2:5) All believers belong to this priesthood. Like Israel, we are not to come to God empty-handed. Slaughtered sheep, goats, or bulls, however, are no longer acceptable sacrifice. The last bloody sacrifice was made on the cross by Jesus. What then are we to bring?

1. First, as priests, we are to give God our bodies (Romans 12:1).
2. Second, we are to bring God our praise (Psalm 100:4; Hebrews 13:15).
3. Third, we are to give our prayers in intercession (Hebrews 4:16).
4. Fourth, we are to bring our tithes and offerings to God (Malachi 3:8-10).
5. Fifth, as priests we are to bring God our acts of mercy as a part of our worship (Hebrews 13:16; 1 John 3:17; Matthew 25:40).
6. Sixth, self-giving worship includes evangelism (Romans 15:15-16).

David Crowder*Band - How He Loves

2011-11-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

This is one of the songs that saved my life when I was going through a deep deep darkness a few years back. "I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way..."

Steve Ramsey

2011-11-21T09:30:00.001-07:00

I'm in a bit of a funk today. I'm in the process of saying "goodbye" to a dear friend who has been with me through some deep waters. There was a time when my heart was immune to such emotion and I could leave friends or see them leave and I would just suppress the emptiness that is a part of the separating process. I'm much healthier now and I feel the full impact of the loss. I don't like it much but I'm learning to see the painful feelings as legitimate. Better to feel loss, then to never feel at all. One of the lines that I often share with those who are grieving is that the pain that it is felt is simply a measure of their love. That being said, I love this friend a bunch!

I'm saying goodbye to a good friend, a coworker, and a pastor, who has helped me carry the burden of our new church plant--Grace River. Steve Ramsey is the friend who has talked me out of quitting multiple times. He is the guy that I shared lunches with once a week for almost two years. He has helped to clarify my weaknesses and he has encouraged my strengths. I have laughed with him until I've cried, and I have cried with him until...I didn't need to cry anymore. Steve is, what must be the definition of, a good friend. And I will miss him greatly.

Steve is headed back home to Arkansas where his parents are in need of his care and assistance as they face the challenges of growing older and weaker. It appears that in God's timing, they now need him more than I do. I am so very grateful for the times that we shared together. I've been blessed! I love you Steve!

The Case of the Missing Wallet

2011-11-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

I am trying to be more discerning of the Holy Spirit's voice. My motive is simple: #1--I want to help people. #2--I want to see the miraculous. With that in mind, I am taking more risks when it comes to acting out on what I think the Spirit may be saying. It's sad to say--but I'm still a rookie when it comes to the work of God--I'm just starting to learn.

About eight months ago, I was visiting in the home of some friends who are part of the foundation of Grace River. As we talked about church, health, and life, Mrs J brought up that she could not find Mr. J's wallet and that she feared that she had accidentally thrown it away in the trash. Anyone who has ever lost a wallet knows the crisis that this is. A wallet contains numerous important items that cannot easily be replaced: drivers license, credit cards, medical cards, etc. Since I'm practicing hearing from God, I took this as a great opportunity. I love Mr. and Mrs. J dearly and I've found that love is a really good platform from which to hear from God. I could empathize with the loss of the wallet and the distress that Mrs. J was feeling. And so, with love in my heart and love in my head, I simply asked the father quietly under my breath to let us know where the wallet was. I assured God of my love for the J's and my love for Him and that it would simply be wonderful if He would release Mrs. J from her worry by allowing the wallet to be found. The first thing that came into my mind as I was praying was, "look in the drawer". I spoke kind of cautiously, and suggested that I thought that maybe God was telling me to tell Mrs. J to go and look in a drawer and that she would find the wallet. As I recall, I said it a few times--really trying to encourage Mrs. J to go and look--but she wouldn't. She had already looked everywhere and she was unwilling to look anymore. Listen, I understand that completely. In fact, I was not offended at all that she wouldn't look--maybe I was relieved that she wouldn't look since that would save me the embarrassment of the wallet not being where I said it was.

Move the clock forward eight months. Mrs. J stood in church a few weeks ago and testified that some months ago she and Mr. J could not find his wallet. She shared that recently she had been doing some in depth house cleaning and that she came across the wallet....in a drawer.

By the time of her testimony, I had forgotten all about it. But Mrs. J had not and she shared with the church that I had told her where it was eight months ago but that she didn't look. Isn't that awesome? I love our God and I love the way that He expresses His love--sometimes through the miraculous!

What to Expect at Church

2011-11-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

What follows is mostly a summary of direct quotations with an occasional paraphrase on my part. The work belongs to Don Williams and is shared from his book, Jesus and Addiction - A Prescription to Transform the Dysfunctional Church and Recover Authentic Christianity, Recovery Publications, San Diego, 1993. On pages 170-174, Williams describes the "Freedom in Community" that we should expect in a fellowship of Christ-followers.

I intend to share these eight values tomorrow morning in my message from John 1:1-5 that I've titled, "REBEGINNING - It's not to late to start over..."

"The values that form the core of God's family are liberating values"

1. We enjoy the authority of being adopted into God's family. We belong and can never be alienated.

2. We find a new identify. We are identified by our new Father and by our new brothers and sisters. We are accepted and can never be rejected.

3. We have a new security. As members of God's family, we have been given the keys to the entire kingdom. We can never be locked out. We can risk sharing our thoughts, our feelings, our stuff, and our lives because we are finally secure.

4. We can live honestly by respecting each others thoughts and feelings. We are free to know ourselves and each other. There is no abusive control--no party line to parrot.

5. We live together in a nurturing environment that is determined by love. Love builds up! It is emotional support under girded by tender-hearted kindness that seeks our benefit.

6. God's family life includes discipline. We are free from the old self-destructive chaos. We are free to live responsibly. We can and must speak the truth in love to each other while owning the impact of our words.

7. We care for each others physical needs. We are free to give.

8. Rather than sick dependency, our family goal is to grow up into maturity. This means achieving a healthy interdependency.

Church is Healthy!

2011-11-12T07:26:00.000-07:00

If you are feeling down or if you are feeling somewhat cranky--Go to church!

CNN reports, "A new study shows that attending religious services regularly can mean a more optimistic, less depressed, and less cynical outlook on life".

"According to the report, to be published this week in the Journal of Religion and Health, those who attend services frequently were 56% more likely to have an optimistic life outlook than those who don't and were 27% less likely to be depressed. Those who attended weekly were less likely to be characterized by cynical hostility, compared with those who did not report any religious service attendance".

"'We looked at a number of psychological factors; optimism, depression, cynical hostility, and a number of subcategories and subscales involving social support and social strain,' said Eliezer Schnall an associate professor of psychology at Yeshiva University in Manhattan, who headed the initiative."

Read the entire article at the CNN Belief Blog found here.

Happy Veteran's Day!

2011-11-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

I am proud to have served my country in the very small way that I did. I have never felt as much pride as I did when I wore the uniform of the United States Navy. There are some things that cannot be experienced outside of the military. I am so glad that I know what it feels like to salute the flag of the United States. I'm glad that I know what it feels like to march with a unit, to share the Navy tradition, and to be included with nation's finest. I'll spend my Veteran's Day seeking out those who have protected our freedoms and letting them know how very grateful I am. Happy Veteran's Day!

Couldn't be Prouder!

2011-10-31T07:43:00.000-06:00

Grace River is not quite two years old. We'll celebrate our 2nd birthday on December 13th. I couldn't be prouder of the people that make up Grace River. We've been on an amazing journey that has taken us through seven different locations already in our young life together. I'm prompted to brag about her one more time, I guess, because the days that we are currently experiencing may be our best yet. For two weeks in a row, we have broken the 110 mark in attendance. There is an excitement and an expectation when we get together that creates and electric atmosphere in the room. We have a ton of kids and great leadership to teach them each week. The worship team is the best that I have ever had at any church. They are passionate, prayerful, and transparent in their worship. Our prayer team also numbers more participants than any church that I have been involved in leadership. We are a praying people. We have multiple ministries that are surfacing from the ground up--born of the passion of our members. Each week, testimonies of the miraculous work of God are freely shared and applauded. It would truly be unusual if we didn't hear about a miracle. We're celebrating the new families that God is bringing to us each week and we're considering the new gifts that they are bringing to the mix that will help to take Grace River to the next level. We've baptized twenty-seven people in these two years with more on the way. I truly believe that this is the work that I was created for. I couldn't be prouder!

You can keep us with Grace River in words and pictures at http://www.observing-grace.blogspot.com/
Read more about who we are and what we are doing at http://www.chasingrace.org/.
We would love to friend you at Facebook. I would also invite you follow me on Twitter.

The Civil Wars - Poison & Wine - David Letterman 10-26-11

2011-10-27T17:09:00.000-06:00

I didn't stay up to watch them last night--can't say the last time I watched Letterman. Anyway, I really like these guys. I'm familiar with Joy Williams from CCM fame. I strangely find myself identifying with the song Poison & Wine. The best I can tell, it's because many of my relationships throughout my life have contained a mix of bitter and sweet, of poison and wine. "I don't love you and I always will"--great line!

Rich Mullins - Elijah

2011-10-23T07:36:00.000-06:00

Elijah by Rich Mullins remains one of my favorite songs of all time. I'm teaching on Elijah today and so I was reminded of the song. I think I like it because it's sad, yet hopeful. This world is not all there is--thankfully. Elijah saw God perform some of His greatest miracles through his life and yet we find that Elijah has times of despair, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Ironically, though Elijah would beg God to take his life--Elijah would never taste death. Rather, God sent a chariot of flames to rescue Him from this earth. Enjoy!

My New Office

2011-10-22T17:43:00.000-06:00

God Opened a Door--Literally!

2011-10-21T17:37:00.000-06:00

Something pretty special happened to me today--it's happened once before several years ago. Today I got a phone call about 11:30 telling me that one of my friends had locked their keys in their car and they were wondering if I could take them to Fort Collins to get a spare key. I agreed and went to pick up my friend who happened to be at our local hardware store. He jumped in my car and we drove to his house in Fort Collins discussing the whole way trials and difficulties. He remembered that I had recently written on patience and was wondering if perhaps God was telling him to slow down today. The situation got a little graver when we reached his house. After searching for several minutes, he returned to the car telling me that he couldn't find the key--it wasn't where it was supposed to be. This makes sense in that my friend is in the middle of a move. However, it made his situation a little more desperate. We talked about solutions on the way back to his car including calling to see if the police could get him in, calling his insurance company to get a locksmith, and maybe even throwing a brick through a window (this last one was not seriously considered...lol). I also remembered a time several years ago when I was in a situation where someone locked their keys inside a UHaul truck. It was one of those impossible situations where if the door was not opened--it was going to be a very long wait. Having checked the two doors to truck multiple times, I offered a prayer and tried again. The driver-side door opened right up! I shared that story with him but neither of us were seriously considering the "faith" option. Arriving back at his car, I told him that I would walk around the vehicle and prayerfully check the doors one more time for him. He started walking into the hardware store to seek out further help. I began with the back hatch of his van, praying, "God, my friend really needs his keys. He doesn't need to spend money on a locksmith. It would be really cool if you just unlocked the door for him". The back hatch was locked and didn't open. The next door I checked was the side sliding door on the driver's side. It didn't open. The driver's side door was also locked. I moved around to the passenger side still praying my prayer--nothing--still locked. Finally, I reached the last door and I will assure you that I had no belief that the door would open--none of the others had and I didn't expect this one to either. I prayed my prayer--grabbed the door handle--pulled--and miraculously the door opened. The alarm sounded--he turned around slightly shocked as to what might be happening. I climbed in, grabbed his keys out of the ignition, silenced the alarm, and then announced that the door was open and showed him the keys in my hand. He was speechless...lol. What an amazing God we serve!

Happy 79th Birthday to my Dad!

2011-09-22T08:58:00.000-06:00

My dad turned 79 today. He is an awesome man of God who has been used by God in many places. He was planting churches before it was cool to do so. A quick list of the places where he has served include:

Kimball, Nebraska
Douglas, Wyoming
Wolf Point, Montana
Fort Yates, North Dakota
Cannonball, South Dakota
Fort Washakie, Wyoming
Menominee, Michigan
Plainview, Texas
Lockney, Texas

New Grace River Pictures

2011-09-18T15:50:00.000-06:00

The latest pictures from our worship at Grace River are posted at http://www.observing-grace.blogspot.com/. Today we had the honor of ordaining two of our pastors, Joey Scott and Derek Donahoe. We also had a chili cookoff--I didn't win...again. These last two weeks have been really special. It's hard to explain but there is excitement that is even beyond what we normally experience. Grace River is not a dull church to begin with--but recently we have really experienced the empowering of the Spirit among us. We're drawing new families and drawing closer together as a family. These are exciting days at Grace River!

Natalie grant held

2011-09-13T09:13:00.000-06:00

26 Years

2011-09-06T16:24:00.000-06:00

26 years ago today, Tina and I pledged our lives together in marriage at the Woodland Baptist Church in Jackson, Tennessee. We were both young and naive. But somehow, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, we have managed to build a life together. We stated on our wedding invitations that we were blending our lives in marriage believing that God could do more with us together than He could with us as individuals. It's been very true that our lives and our ministries have complemented each other. Those who know us, know that we work together--it's not always pretty--but we do work together...lol. Thanks to all of you have walked beside us throughout these past 26 years. Some who read this will have known us long enough to have actually attended our wedding way back when. Since then, we've served six churches together and we've lived in five different communities in three different states. Happy Anniversary!

Jaren & Jillian

2011-08-29T10:12:00.000-06:00

Discovering Communion...

2011-08-18T13:25:00.000-06:00

This past Sunday, I was setting up the communion table in the back of the middle school cafeteria where we meet each week. One of our new ladies approached with curiosity and asked, "What's that?". I answered, "Communion--we're going to receive communion today". She immediately asked again, "What's that?". I gave her a brief explanation of the Lord's Supper and what it was all about. She then asked, "Can you show me where that is in the Bible so that I can read about it?". Almost immediately, the best friend of this lady also walked into the room, saw the table, and asked, "What's that?". Within minutes both ladies were seated at a table, Bibles opened, reading for the first time about Jesus' gift of communion. Later, during the service when we were gathered as a church around the table, I couldn't help but watch with wonder as these two ladies received for the very first time these symbols of Jesus' sacrifice. This coming Sunday, we will celebrate another first for these ladies when both of them will be baptized, along with others, in a backyard swimming pool. We met these ladies, when in the sovereignty of God, our church was led to meet at the Severance Middle School. You see, one of the ladies is the person who opens and shuts the building for us each week. At first she would open the building, leave, and then return to lock up when we were finished. Gradually she began staying longer and returning earlier until after several months, she began staying for the entire service. And then she brought her best friend--and now they both have been attending every week ever since. To me, the story is absolutely miraculous! I've told them that most people go and find a church to attend. However, they must be very special to God, in order for Him to go to all of the trouble of bringing a church to them! These ladies illustrate the purpose and mission of Grace River--to be a safe place where anyone can come as they are and find hope and healing. They also clearly illustrate the great love that the Father has for each of his children. I'm glad that God has allowed Grace River to be a church without walls so that He can take us wherever we are needed. More are waiting...

GROWTH

2011-08-13T08:57:00.000-06:00

Each morning, I am guided in my time of prayer through a simple system that I developed years ago. I have posted about that before in a blog entitled, "How to Be Heard in Heaven". Like all systems, it is simply a tool to use and the way that I use it has continued to evolve through the years. I invite you to use it and to make it your own in whatever way works best for you in terms of developing intimate times with the Savior each day.

Today I am focused on growth. To the best of my ability I want to be in a state of prayer throughout the day, developing a desire to grow in these six specific ways. I will be speaking verbal prayers. I will be acting on opportunities that the Father may place before me today to grow in one or more of these areas. As often as I think of it, I will be in my heart rehearsing, "God, grow my _______", putting one of the six areas in the blank or at times speaking all six, or even other areas that the Spirit may impress upon me. After all, the point is to grow into His likeness--not just the one that I can imagine. Here are the six areas that I'm aware of in which I need to grow today.

GODLINESS: Father, I want to be a more perfect reflection of your Son--in every way. Make me and mold me--break me--refine me--heal me. Keep working until others can see Jesus in me.

RESOURCES: Lord, I want to be a faithful steward with the things that you have given to me. It's your stuff--not mine. Show me today how to grow in my giving. Bless me with more so that I can bless more!

OBEDIENCE: Spirit, give me a sensitive heart to your leading today. Bring to my mind every instance of hesitation that I might learn to obey immediately. Show me my failures in the moment that they happen that I might learn from my mistakes.

WISDOM: God, you have said that if I will ask, then you will pour out your wisdom liberally. I'm asking. Fill me with your wisdom that I might understand your ways and cooperate with your ideas. I don't want to miss it. Teach me in an obvious way today.

TALENT: Jesus, you are perfect in everything that you do. You have gifted me and you have resourced me. Sharpen my skills today that I might be of more use to you in your work. I want to be the best teacher, the best pastor, the best counselor that I possibly can be. Perfect the gifts that you have placed upon me.

HUMILITY: Lord, I know that you cannot use me effectively if I am proud and arrogant. Continue to take me to the broken places in my heart until I am completely dependent upon you with no self-will remaining. You bring down the proud and you raise up the humble. Accomplish your purpose in me.

Weaker & Stronger...

2011-08-12T12:29:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow marks the 20th month of Grace River's existence. We began with 60+ people in a coffee shop/karate studio on December 13th, 2009. I am a reluctant church-planter. On December 6th, 2009, I resigned as pastor from a church that I both loved and felt called to lead. The church had become hopelessly divided over an issue that I had caused and after three excruciatingly painful months of waiting and hoping for the best, Tina and I determined that nothing beneficial could come from our staying. It seemed to me that 1/3 of the church no longer desired to have me as their pastor, 1/3 of the church still wanted me, and 1/3 of the church had grown tired of the fighting and had already left. The church that I loved and had served for more than ten years had split--and I was the primary reason. Control issues had been building in the church for years but they were not the primary reason for the dysfunction--I was. Sometime during July/August of 2009, I had become emotionally involved with someone on "facebook". The improper relationship lasted in it's entirety for no more than two months and yet it was enough to sink the ship. This was a straw added to a straining back that had already endured the confession of some integrity issues several years earlier. Initially, under the leadership of five senior elders, the church voted overwhelmingly for a course of healing and restoration. I began a three month paid sabbatical focused on finding healing for myself and healing for my marriage. However, in my absence, other voices and other agendas fought against my future restoration to the church, and week by week, and day by day, the church grew more and more divided. And on December 6th, 2010, under immense pressure, I resigned.

The nature of my resignation and the nature of the origins of Grace River (more like a church-divorce than a church-split) was not well-received by all. Initially, I believed that Grace River would be accepted (perhaps reluctantly) into our local association. I believed that because of my life-time of service in the association, the state convention, and even the national convention, that our new church would be allowed to partner with Southern Baptists. I was wrong. Even now, though most of my church does not see the value in denominational affiliation, something in me strongly desires it. Yet, the denominational door remains closed and locked. For my part, I remain Baptist--by conviction--even if I'm not allowed to affiliate. When asked, I say that Grace River is a non-affiliated Baptist church. For me, the most difficult part of church-planting is doing so without partners--without the encouragement of the denomination that I have partnered with for most of my life.

One of my biggest personal issues that God has forced me to deal with is codependency. My definition of codependency is that it is, "the need to be needed". I thought that I needed my previous church to need me (they didn't agree) and I guess I still need my denomination to need me--but they don't. They are doing just fine without me and the truth is that I am doing ok without them as well. But it still hurts. It hurts not to be chosen. It hurts to be left out. It hurts to not be good enough. It just hurts.

Tomorrow marks our 20th month of existence as a church. In that time, we have baptized 16 individuals, we have worshipped in 7 different locations, we have grown from 60+ people to 60+ families, we have funded a $70,000 budget, we have attracted a staff of 4 pastors and more than 10 ministry leaders, and best of all we have seen countless lives graciously changed through Christ.

"Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, 'My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness'. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size--abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, The Message).

New Book

2011-08-10T10:35:00.000-06:00

Last week, Tina signed a publishing contract with Kregel Publications.

I remember that more than fifteen years ago, Tina was in the cast of The Promise--a dramatic musical portrayal of the life of Christ, performed in an amphitheater near Glen Rose, Texas. Over the course of a season, Tina developed some wonderful friendships--including a relationship with Dena Dyer--who is co-authoring the new book with Tina. I also remember one evening after the show when one of the cast members (don't know who) approached Tina and asked if he could pray for her. Included in his prayer was a prophetic word that "Tina would be published around the world". At the time Tina had not written anything more significant than a letter. She had never taught anything (other than Sunday School) and she had never spoken before a group except maybe to share a testimony. Tina was a worship leader and a song-writer and so our assumption was that God would publish her music in some way. In the last sixteen years, Tina has recorded two Cd's of her own songs, she has led worship in some wonderful places, and ever so slowly she began to write articles, stories, Bible studies, and books. The book that Tina is writing with Dena Dyer is her third and the first to be published. It's a long way from "around the world" but still, it's got a shot.

You can read some of Tina's writings at her blog: Journey Moments or visit her website if you would like to invite her to your church or to your women's group: www.tinasamples.com.

Samples' Family Update

2011-08-09T09:21:00.000-06:00

It's about time for an update. I have not written on the blog for quite some time. Those that blog know that there are periods of time when you can post multiple thoughts everyday and then there are periods of time where there is just no motivation to write anything. I don't know if I'm feeling especially motivated today or if I'm just feeling a big guilty for having not written in so long. Either way...here I go.

I'll start with the family. Tina signed a conract with Kregel Publications last week to write a book with one of her dear friends, Dena Dyer. Both Tina and Dena (I like the way that sounds) are gifted writers, teachers, singers, etc. They both have husbands who are hoping to ride their coattails all the way to the top. This will be Tina's first published book and the Samples' house is praying for much success. We plan to take the book on the road and to teach it wherever possible. When the book is finished and the release date is anounced, I will certainly be letting you know (and asking to come to your church to teach it as well).

My oldest son Jaren will be marrying his fiance Jillian towards the end of this month. It will be simple and small wedding in the mountains. Jillian is in the Navy and they will be relocating to San Diego. I've never been to San Diego but I look forward to visiting. I hear that it is a wonderful place with great weather. In the meantime, Jaren continues to teach guitar and to play in his band, A Texas Tragedy, with his brother. They recently opened for Sheridan at a small venue in Littleton.

Zach, my youngest son, is changing schools. Next week, he will begin his junior year at Resurrection Christian School. He has been at Windsor for his entire academic career and so this a pretty big deal. Rez will allow Zach to improve his grades and to get ready for college in a stronger way. He is also excited about playing baseball for Rez. Two years ago they barely missed winning the state championship. We're looking forward to dedicated christian coaches who want to build strong character into their teams. Zach is also looking for a car--something around $500--that runs, would be great.

As always, we appreciate your prayer. We feel like God is doing a great work through our church--Grace River. Many lives are being transformed as we continue to try to be a safe place where anyone can come as they are and find hope and healing. I'll share more tomorrow (or the next day...lol).

In Concert...

2011-08-02T18:12:00.002-06:00

Daily Grace Devotion

2011-07-27T09:53:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

If you are not already reading my devotions each day, let me encourage you to take a look. They are short, to the point, and come right out of the biblical text.

http://www.dailygracedevotion.blogspot.com/

Heavenfest 2011

2011-07-19T07:55:00.000-06:00

Baptism Pictures

2011-07-05T11:24:00.002-06:00

You can see pictures from our Independence Day Baptism Service @ www.observing-grace.blogspot.com.

Gem Lake Hike

2011-07-04T08:57:00.000-06:00

Our church likes to hike and last Saturday we took our first hike of the summer up to Gem Lake. It's a fairly easy hike (3 miles roundtrip) to a beautiful rain-filled lake. Here are some pictures.

Me & Tina

2011-06-30T09:36:00.000-06:00

Here is one of my favorite pictures. This is of Tina and myself the night that I asked her to marry me. We were both 20. I took her out to dinner to The Old English Inn in Jackson, Tennessee. After dinner, we went to our Baptist Student Union meeting at Union University where we were both students. This picture was taken in the hallway at Union.

Bost Family Coming to Grace River

2011-06-14T15:50:00.000-06:00

New Grace River Pics

2011-06-12T17:10:00.001-06:00

Hey Everyone! There are some new Grace River pictures posted at http://www.observing-grace.blogspot.com/. Check them out! We have a great church!

More VBS Pictures

2011-06-09T21:16:00.000-06:00

Vacation Bible School Pictures

2011-06-07T15:05:00.000-06:00

Grace River hosted her very first Vacation Bible School this morning. We're meeting at Windsor Main Park and the first day was awesome. The Grace River folks stepped up with 19 Bible School workers for the first day teaching 20 children. That's a marvelous 1:1 worker/student ratio. I thought that you might enjoy some pictures of our first day.

1st Annual Grace River Car Show

2011-06-05T16:04:00.000-06:00

Today was our first attempt at hosting a car show and it was a huge success. We had beautiful cars, delicious food, and changed lives. Here are a few pictures that Tina took today...

Daily Grace Devotion

2011-06-02T11:26:00.000-06:00

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to let you know that I am now writing a daily devotion. These are biblical thoughts and practical application right out of my personal quiet time. The devotions are being archived at www.dailygracedevotion.blogspot.com. Check it out and let me know what you think.

--Dave

Grace River Band Pics...

2011-05-19T21:48:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures of the band from Wednesday night's Windsor High School Baccalaureate service. Grace River Church has an incredible group of talented musicians that God has brought together. We are grateful...

The Church that Prays Together . . .

2011-05-11T07:23:00.000-06:00

One of the best things about Grace River is that she is a church who prays a whole lot! We believe that God changes things when we pray. Stuff happens when we pray! Over the past few months we have seen at least two miracles as individuals have been completely healed of diseases and injuries. Our purpose statement is, "Grace River is a safe place where anyone can come as they are and find hope and healing for their hurts, habits, and hang-ups". Physical healing is certainly exciting to see--but so is emotional healing, and of course spiritual healing. Our God is a God who heals us! This picture is a picture that can be taken just about every time that we get together. We pray a lot! We're seeing God answer...

Trail Ridge Road

2011-05-10T21:14:00.000-06:00

Tina and I took a little trip up to Estes Park this afternoon and then on to Trail Ridge Road. The higher portion of the road is still closed for snow removal but we enjoyed what we could see. Can you imagine how much snow must have been covering the road before the plows came through? Amazing!

My Mom...

2011-05-08T07:39:00.000-06:00

My mom died in September of 2005. I can remember the date because Tina and I were in Galveston at the time preparing to sail on the Rhapsody of the Seas in celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary. Last Friday, her only sibling--my aunt--died as well. The passing of Aunt Caroline brought back much of the sadness that I felt with my mom's home-going. And so, I approach this Mothers' Day with a bit of loneliness and with a longing for more time. I wish that there was more time to sit at the dining room table and talk over coffee. I wish that there was more time for hugs and for stories. My mom loved history and I wish that there was more time to stop and look at historic markers along the road. I wish that my mom could share more of my life with me, and I with her.

I'm learning that my mom was not quite as perfect as I remember her. My journey towards healing has revealed a darker side to my mom that I never knew--at least a side that I chose not to remember. That's ok now. Imperfections no longer scare me like they once did--we're all broken vessels healed by the grace of God. My mom did a great many things right. For starters, she loved me. She modeled for me what it looks like to love and to share one's life for a greater good. Much of my mom's life was spent in sacrificial service to the King--giving, suffering, and denying self....Heaven will be filled with friends who came understand the Gospel through my mom's loving imitation of Jesus. My mom loved coffee and my mom loved me! Someday...we'll have plenty of time...in the land of timeless eternity.

The Criminal Amish?

2011-04-30T11:33:00.000-06:00

Some of the things that our government does in the name of "safety" simply infuriates me. Evidently an Amish farmer is guilty of selling unpasteurized milk across state lines. Gasp! After a lengthy investigation and an early morning sting operation--this dangerous Amish farmer has been stopped of his illegal activity--selling milk! Give me a break! Meanwhile, the Mexican Drug Cartel continues to invade Texas, Arizona, and California. Nothing to worry about there...not in comparison to the illegal Amish Milk Trade. Sheesh!

Leave the Amish alone!

Read the story in the Washington Times here.

Grace River Easter Pictures

2011-04-25T18:22:00.000-06:00

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T21:28:00.000-06:00

We had an amazing day of worship at Grace River for Easter. Check out pictures and narrative at http://www.observing-grace.blogspot.com/.

Eric Ludy - The Gospel

2011-04-22T11:45:00.000-06:00

Saint Patrick's Day: celebrating a life of mission

2011-03-17T08:17:00.000-06:00

Grace & Karma

2011-02-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

I found some interesting exerpts on the subject of grace from a recent interview with Bono of U2. Check it out and let me know what you think. At the bottom, I've included a link to the larger interview.

"You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics; in physical laws every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff" --Bono

"Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: "I'm the Messiah." I'm saying: "I am God incarnate." And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You're a bit eccentric. We've had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don't mention the "M" word! Because, you know, we're gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you're expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he's gonna keep saying this. So what you're left with is: either Christ was who He said He was the Messiah or a complete nutcase. I mean, we're talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we've been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had "King of the Jews" on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I'm not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that's farfetched". --Bono

"If only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s--- and everybody else's. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that's the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it". --Bono

Read more at The Poached Egg: here.

How Big is the U.S. Debt?

2011-02-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Jaren & Zach aka "A Texas Tragedy"

2011-02-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

My Funeral Songs...

2011-02-11T08:06:00.001-07:00

Someday, I intend to die. And when I do, I would like to have a big say in what my funeral looks and sounds like. In fact, I'm seriously considering officiating at my own funeral. I'm thinking that I could prerecord and then via video lead whoever shows up through a journey of remembering my life--at least the stuff that I think is important. What I don't want is someone who doesn't know me very well giving one of those generic funerals where some nice sentiments are shared and everyone keeps checking their watches (cell phones?). Who knows me better than me? And besides, I'm really good at funerals. If there were a way to specialize in pastoral ministry, mine would be funerals. Well I'm getting ahead of myself a bit because I don't intend to share my funeral with you--not yet anyway. I do want to share with you today the songs that I want played at my funeral. Songs at a funeral can say a lot about a person. By the way, I have no plans to die anytime soon--I just thought I would share my songs with you...

"Cheer Up Church" - Charlie Peacock click
"Great is Your Faithfulness" - Hymn click
"It's a Beautiful Day" - U2 click
"Elijah" - Rich Mullins click
"Tie Me at the Crossroads" - Bruce Cockburn click
"Pacing the Cage" - Bruce Cockburn click

God & Money (part 1)

2011-02-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Beneficial vs Detrimental

2011-02-07T09:11:00.001-07:00

I was honored to have my counselor, Tom Pals, speak to the Grace River family yesterday. We are not yet recording our messages and so I can't give you his actual presentation, but I can share the notes that I took. This is not verbatim but rather is the impressions that I wrote down as I listened.

"The Lord knows the thoughts of man. He knows that they are futile" (Psalm 94:11).

Futile means "empty, vain, unproductive". We all think that our thoughts are very wise but in reality they are futile. God says so!

In the middle of the Garden of Eden, God placed "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" (Genesis 3:8-9). "Knowledge" is knowing enough to be able to think or act. For example, a person who has knowledge of a computer can effectively use it. Genesis 3:9 describes a tree of the "knowledge of good and evil" or perhaps better translated as the tree of the "knowledge of what's beneficial and what's detrimental". This particular tree is the only tree that Adam and Eve were forbidden from touching. God did not want them burdened with the responsibility of having to decide "beneficial" vs "detrimental". Only God who is all-wise, all-knowing, and all-powerful can rightly determine beneficial from detrimental. Our futile minds will confuse beneficial with detrimental and detrimental with beneficial and thus we screw it all up.

Joseph, having been severely abused by his brothers, was able to eventually declare, "What you meant for evil, God meant for good" (Genesis 50:20). In other words, "what you meant to be detrimental, God caused to be beneficial". Joseph, like us, likely would not see the benefit of being sold into slavery. However, once he saw how it played out and how God used it to save his family--he could declare it beneficial. Our futile perceptions lead us to draw the wrong conclusions about what is beneficial and what is detrimental. Only God knows! Futile perceptions usually declare pain to be detrimental and pleasure to be beneficial. That's certainly not how God sees it.

I ran out of gas on Sunday and I worked very hard to solve the problem myself so that I would not be embarrassed or, in my mind be seen to be irresponsible. After all, I know that cars need gas to run and I was aware that my car was running low on fuel. However, by hiding my need, I did not allow the Body of Christ to care for me and to meet my need. My shame prevented the growth of intimacy between my friends and myself. I declared the situation "detrimental" and thus prevented something "beneficial" from occurring. My perceived knowledge of beneficial vs detrimental devalued life, devalued my friends, and thus I devalued the gifts that God has placed within the body.

We are not God and therefore we are not able to discern what's beneficial from what's detrimental. We would do well to simply put down the fruit and to slowly back away from the tree...

Stuff God Hates...

2011-02-01T09:34:00.001-07:00

Throughout the book of Proverbs, there are some interesting lists. One of them is found in Proverbs 6:16-19, "There are six things the Lord hates--no, seven things he detests". Since God apparently is seriously annoyed by some things--we might want to be aware of what they are. I mean, none of us wants to be on the business end of God's wrath. Angering God is exponentially worse than taking a bone away from my dog, Gavin--and I don't do that--ever!

Here is the proverbial list of things that God detests:

1. Haughty Eyes: self-righteous arrogance. I don't know if you can see pride in someones eyes or not but you can certainly see it in the way that they look at other people. To ever think that you are better than someone else is to say that God's creation is imperfect and flawed.

2. A Lying Tongue: deceitful and exaggerated speech. We are to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. There is no place for exaggerating or for minimizing among God's people. Just tell the truth--in love!

3. Hands that Kill the Innocent: literally kill and I think verbally kill. Most often we kill the innocent by putting them down or by damaging their reputation. This happens all the time in politics. It also happens in the church. Identify a minister who is being mightily used of God and you will find more critics than you can count.

4. A Heart that Plots Evil. The ends do not justify the means. To attempt to accomplish a worthy and noble goal by evil means is to be evil. For example to get together with your friends in order to talk down (pray for? or gossip?) an enemy is to commit evil. Jesus says to TALK TO THEM not TALK ABOUT THEM.

5. Feet that Race to do Wrong. Sometimes it just seems fun to do wrong--or to destroy someone. It can be exciting. We race to do it because it's exciting. I've been on the receiving end of, "a race to do wrong"--at least from my perspective. I know what it feels like to see people excited and energized as they prepare for a lynching.

6. A False Witness who Pours out Lies. Exaggeration is lying. Minimizing is lying. Twisting the truth is lying. A "white lie" is a lie. Sharing the truth without the context is lying.

7. A Person who Sows Discord Among Brothers. God hates division. Woe to the person who turns brother against brother. There is no need to persuade a person against another. It would be much better to be a peace-maker.

Now the truth is that you have and I have done all of these things at one time or another. And though God HATES the stuff we do--somehow through the sacrificial death of Jesus--He LOVES us. Listen to this: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from THE WRATH OF GOD through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Romans 5:8-10).

Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al (High Quality)

2011-01-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

Love this song. I'm sure that there is meaning to life in there somewhere. Enjoy!

Calling the Sick...

2011-01-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

"Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do. Now go and learn the meaning of this scripture: 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.' For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough" (Matthew 9:13).

No doubt about it! Jesus is a radical! Refusing to live up to the expectations of the religious elite, Jesus makes his home among sinners. He hangs out with the sick for they are the ones who need a doctor. If Jesus was the cure for cancer--then he would surround himself with cancer. If He was a custodian--then he would go to dirty and neglected houses. Better than any of these things--Jesus is a Savior, therefore, he surrounds himself with lost, hopeless, and broken failures. He calls sinners--those who don't already think that they are good enough. What is the most shameful and embarrassing thing about you? That's why Jesus calls you! He isn't calling your good stuff--it will only get in the way. He is calling the worst in you--the stuff that you wished never happened--the things that you hope no one knows about. He is calling the sinner in you. He is calling the brokenness so that he can provide healing. Why? For the glory of God! If I could point to anything in my life that merits salvation then I could glory in that. But because I am saved--not by my works--but by Christ's gift, there is nothing in me worthy of praise--only God can be glorified! It's all Him! "The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

Step Seven

2011-01-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

Step Seven: "We humbly asked God to remove all our shortcomings".

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

I can't think of too much harder than becoming willing to give up the very things that I have used my entire life to cope with life's difficulties. "God, would you take away my comfort. Please remove my support and my coping mechanisms. Exercise out of me the very things that I substitute for you." Step Seven is a prayer for change. It is to beg God to do whatever is necessary in order to transform me through and through. Step Seven requires great courage and a willingness to embrace great pain.

"Step Seven goes beyond confession and asks God to change us....When we repent, we turn from our sins. At the same time, we turn to God. We turn from self-will to his will" (Don Williams, Jesus and Addiction).

This kind of prayer requires courage and but it also takes a great deal of trust in God. He does not strip us naked of our unhealthy shortcomings just to leave us barren and alone in some far off desert. He takes away the garbage that we have put our trust in for perhaps our entire lives so that he can replace it with something better--Himself!

"God loves us. God accepts us. We are his. We are no longer worthless and alone, bouncing around in a meaningless universe" (Don Williams, Jesus and Addiction).

Step Six

2011-01-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Step Six: "We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character".

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up" (James 4:10).

In my view, Step Six, may in fact be the hardest step to realize when one is honestly working through the steps to realize authentic and transformational life change. Jesus asked the lame man by the Bethesday Pool, "Do you really want to be healed?" In the same way, step six causes us to internalize the question, "Do I really want to get better?" Do I really want to be done with all of the maladaptive coping mechanisms (those things that I do to keep from dealing with life)?

Step Five

2011-01-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Step Five: "We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs".

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed" (James 5:16).

Step Five is maybe the scariest of all of the steps. The thought of confessing sins can intimidate just about anyone. I've been in the middle of several confessions-gone-wrong and I so I completely understand why the thought of confessing sins would be frightening. People don't always keep confidence. People don't always extend Christ's grace and forgiveness. People don't always represent the gospel very well. Though scary, confession remains essential and a fundamental biblical principle. James 5:16 concludes, "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much".

Don Williams in his book, Jesus and Addiction, writes, "Confession is the only way we can be free from captivity. Through confession, we're not only admitting our sins, but also giving ourselves to God to be brought into a right relationship with him through the death of his Son". It's the sharing of our stuff with Jesus and with His human representatives that allows the murky shadows to become brilliantly cleansed. It's not an option--it's essential in our spiritual development. We must confess our sins to each other. Williams continues, "If we don't seek others out in confession, we will miss an important spiritual, relational, and biblical truth--God ministers to us through others. They are often the means through which Jesus makes his intercession and mercy effective. As we confess, our hypocrisy will blessedly melt. We will no longer be religious but real. After people see our brokenness and tears they will extend their love and mercy in Jesus' name."

"To be freed from fear is to be free to face our sins and acknowledge our pain before God and each other" --Don Williams, Jesus and Addiction.

A Few Suggestions...

2011-01-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you who read my blog regularly, I would like to suggest a few others:

The history of Grace River Church is being recorded by Amy Fulton at http://www.observing-grace.blogspot.com/. Amy writes about Grace River from her perspective as our #1 sound guru. You'll find lots of pictures and commentary dating all the way back to our beginning as a church.

My beautiful and talented young bride Tina writes regularly at http://www.tinasamples.blogspot.com/. She also has a website at http://www.tinasamples.com/. Tina is a speaker, writer, worship leader and all-around God-gifted individual. She has a keyboard and will travel if you need a speaker/worship leader for an upcoming event. She has an amazing testimony and is a compelling teacher.

Our church website is at http://www.chasingrace.org/. In addition to info about our young church, we hope to soon have audio and eventually video of messages and worship segments. There are lots of pictures in the photo tab that you can check out. We have worshipped in 5 locations in our first year. Last summer we baptized 11 people in a inflatable swimming pool right in the middle of Windsor's Main Park. Exciting Stuff!

Step Four

2011-01-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

Step Four: "We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves".

"Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord" (Lamentations 3:40).

Step Four is perhaps the hardest of the steps to accomplish. It involves taking an honest and sober look at everyone and everything that has happened in one's life--the good and the bad. For me, it is a detailed record of my sins, my relationships, my failures, and my successes. It is to answer the question, "Who am I?" What have I done? What has been done to me? Don Williams writes, "Jesus comes to free us from the past. This includes our bondage to Satan, this fallen world system, sin, the law, and the flesh. As we make our 'searching and fearless moral inventory,' much of this will be specifically exposed. It will include the hurts that we've inflicted on others as well as the hurts that have been inflicted upon us". The fourth step takes time, it takes courage, it takes honesty, and it takes the searchlight of the Holy Spirit shining into the dark places of our heart that we would rather avoid. It's also a step not to take alone. It's advisable to have a counselor, mentor, or accountability partner that you can share your stuff with. A moral inventory can be extremely painful at times.

To find a Celebrate Recovery group in your area click here.

The Storehouse Principle

2011-01-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

The primary text for "The Storehouse Principle" is found in Deuteronomy 28:8, "The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your storehouses and in all that you put your hand to..." Only two other times in the Bible does God "command" a blessing. In this case, the blessing is commanded upon our storehouses. So what exactly is a storehouse?

King David created one in order to gather supplies for the building of the temple (1 Chronicles 27:25). Nehemiah had storehouses for the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 7:70-72; 13:12-13). Hezekiah had storehouses (2 Chronicles 31:6-10; 32:27-30). Of course, Joseph was made famous for his storehouses (Genesis 41). A storehouse is simply a place of savings--a place where you put your surplus. It's like a savings account.

Here's a couple of things that we need to grasp in order to have a complete biblical understanding of finances. First of all, God has already provided more than we need. He is the God of more than enough! He has never done anything without providing more than enough. There are numerous examples throughout scripture. When the Israelites were picking up manna in the desert--there was always more than enough. When Jesus fed the 5000--everyone ate until they were full and then 12 baskets of leftovers were collected. God is not limited in His resources. The second thing to understand about our finances is that we tend to either hoard or spend if we believe that resources are limited. People, however, with an abundance mentality are able to wait and save. You and I will be able to set up a storehouse only if we come to believe that there are plenty of resources. A third thing to understand about your finances is that God blesses us so that we can bless others. He doesn't give to you so that you can just selfishly use His blessings just for your own purposes. We are stewards (managers) of all that God sends our way. God owns everything and He allows us to simply manage a portion of His resources.

How do you begin a storehouse? A storehouse begins with anything that we set aside to save. If you find a penny--pick it up and put it in your storehouse. If you get a extra money--out it in the storehouse. You can have a garage sale. You can sell stuff that you no longer need on Craig's List or something like it. You can dedicate a percentage or an amount of each paycheck to go into your storehouse. When you get enough money collected you might want to take it to the bank and open a "Storehouse Account". Don't worry about starting small--just start! Then once you've begun, ask God to "command a blessing" upon your storehouse (Deut. 28:8).

When can you spend your storehouse? Only when God says that you can. Consider it His money. Never use it unless you are absolutely sure that God has asked you to.

Here are some New Testament passages that might provide a bit more insight: Luke 16:10-13; Matthew 25:1-13; Luke 19. You might want to look these up and read them and ask the Spirit to give you some application in regards to starting a storehouse.

Now, go and get started!

A Year of Ones

2011-01-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a brand new year!

Today's date is all ones: 1-1-11.

God's list of "ones" is found in Ephesians 4:4-6: "There is ONE body and ONE Spirit, just as also you were called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all". If you count the "ones" you will find that there are seven of them in this passage. Seven is the number of perfection. Therefore, these are the perfect "ones"!

Ephesians 4 contains another list of seven--located in the first three verses. It's a description of how we are to live our lives. "(1) Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, (2) with all humility (3) and gentleness, (4) with patience, (5) showing tolerance for one another (6) in love, (7) being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace".

Just for grins, let's match up these two lists of seven found in Ephesians 4 and make some application.

#1: If we all "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called", then we will have "one body" (one church). In other words, when we all do well what we are called to do in the church, then our church is strong and unified. We are the unified body of Christ.

#2: When we serve each other in the church with "all humility", then the "one Spirit" is able to show up and empower us. Pride is the biggest threat to unity. And without unity--there will be no Spirit working among us.

#3: "You were called in one hope of your calling". Live out your calling in "gentleness". Remember that we are all broken and damaged and therefore need to be handled gently. We need to do what God has called us to do without leaving a wake of damaged people behind us. Serve the church gently.

#4: Serve with "patience" because there is "one Lord" and you're not Him . Things will not always happen in your timing. They will always happen in God's timing. Be patient and wait upon the Lord.

#5: We are to, "show tolerance for one another" because we have "one faith". What is our faith? It is the belief that we are all sinners saved by the grace of God. Resist the urge to quickly judge each other by remembering that we also can be easily judged. None of us are perfect (yet).

#6: We can serve, "in love" by remembering our "one baptism". We are baptized into Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Each of us is sacrificially loved of God and can thus give and receive love from each other. I guess that you don't have to love the person that Christ didn't die for--but since He died for everyone--get busy loving!

#7: Finally, we are to, "preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace". It's easier to do if we remember that there is only, "one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all". He is in everyone and He is over everyone. God is using each of us to accomplish His purposes. It's bigger than any one of us could ever accomplished--that's why He called us together at Grace River.

Let me finish this up as Paul did in Ephesians 4:7, "But to each of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift". You have a gift of grace. I have a gift of grace. When we all come together and combine our grace-gifts, we become God's River of Grace! May 2011 become the "Year of Ones"!

"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers. But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants; day and night they think about his law. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper" (Psalm 1:1-3).

May you bear much fruit this year and prosper!

Grace River's 1st Birthday Picture

2010-12-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

OBAMACARE

2010-12-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

Grace River's First Year!

2010-12-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Step Three

2010-12-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

Step Three: "We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God".

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1).

Turning our lives and wills over to the care of God means meeting God on his terms--not ours. "Jesus doesn't beat us until we give up. On the contrary, he took the punishment that we deserve. Out of his undying love, he woos us to himself. As Jesus humbles himself before us and washes our feet, he breaks our pride. Through his acts of mcercy, he crushes our hard hearts and fills them with his love and compassion. Once this happens, at the very core of our being, our abandoned shame base starts to heal." (Don Williams, Jesus and Addiction). Jesus doesn't beat us into submission--he loves us into submission! The Gospel IS NOT the frightening news that God is angry and that he is going to hurt us if we don't straighten up. The Gospel IS the very good news that God loves us and that He has already made a way for us to be reconciled with Himself through the sacrifical death and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. Step Three involves a conscious and heart-felt decision to trust God.

Don Williams writes, "I must confess that as a Church addict, becoming detached requires a lot of grace. At times God has had to separate me physically from the Church--once when I resigned and once when I was fired. At other times, he has worked on me through the Spirit by wedding my heart to himself in new ways, freeing me to love him once again. Whatever the means, we must be separated from our addictive attachment to the Church so we can really love and care for the Christian community in freedom rather than with compulsion. . . . As the attachment to our addictions is broken, we will be free to deal healthily with the things that have bound us, including the Church."

Step Two

2010-11-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Step Two: "We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity".

"Everyone is an addict, suffering from personal, environmental, and generational sin. Everyone masks shame behind proper costumes and false selves. We need a Power greater than any self-help group. We don't need another codependent rescuer. This Power can't be another addiction in the form of drugs, relationships, or church. This Power can be found in God alone, the only one who has never abandoned us, however lost or lonely we have felt. This Power is no abstraction; this Power is a person we can trust. That person is the Lord Jesus Christ, who brings eternal, unconditional love from God's heart to ours." --Don Williams, Jesus and Addiction

The question is, will you believe that Jesus can and will break you free from your insanity? Will you believe that Jesus can provide the fulfillment and the purpose in life that you have been searching for? Those of us who have become desperate enough have found new life through Jesus. Don't confuse Jesus with a nice-looking religious addiction. Jesus is no religion--He is a person! He is God!

Step One

2010-11-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

For some time now I have been slowly reading Don Williams' book, Jesus and Addiction. I have reached the point in the book where Pastor Williams discusses the 12 Steps of recovery. My personal exposure to the 12 Steps comes exclusively through Celebrate Recovery and so I am deeply interested in another perspective. In Jesus and Addiction, Pastor Williams is making the case that the church is by and large an addiction machine and that changes will be necessary in order for a church to become a place where individuals find freedom from addiction. For example, rather than teaching people to serve out of their wholeness, churches often encourage service in order to find some sense of personal fulfillment--I now know that such a motive is called codependency and is anything but healthy.

Step One: We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.

This first step, "painfully confesses that addictions, whether to substances, processes, or relationships, are no longer working and that we have to release them. We have been pretending that we are in control, but in actuality, we are out of control."

"Giving up the illusion of control means abandoning the last defenses of our independent egos. It means that false selves are now exposed for what they are. Since destruction precedes reconstruction, these false selves must die."

"This admission of impotence only comes through crisis. The crises of admitting that we are powerless over our lives comes as we hit bottom--sometimes with a bounce, sometimes with a crash."

"God will break the hard hearts of the self-righteously religious who come to Step One. He will strip 'elder brothers' of performances, righteous works, presumptions, judgments, and secret rage. As those elder brothers, we will give up the law and the spiritual pride that goes with it. Where will that leave us? We will be on our faces, mumbling that we are powerless and that our lives, yes, even our religious lives, have become unmanageable. We will be on our faces, admitting that our codependent service to the church, our workaholism, and our continual rescue of others, hide the emptiness inside. We will be on our faces admitting that our attachments to money, food, sex, relationships, and our own self-images are idolatrous. This is the first step on the path of healing, and we must take it with guts and grace."

"I have admitted my own powerlessness more than once. My first crisis was during my conversion. I realized how much Jesus loved me and how I shared responsibility for his death. My heart was broken; I knew in that moment that I could no longer manage my own life. Another crisis came when my wife Kathryn and I, in deep emotional pain, admitted that we were powerless over our relationship. Years later, I was broken once again when I was fired as a pastor. I then knew that I was powerless over the church. I became separated from my 'drug of choice' and all of my codependent relationships. Numb, depressed, and empty, I retreated into myself. All my plans, hopes, and dreams lay shattered at my feet. This was God's severe mercy and my first step to healing. All of us will go through this crisis more than once as God brings down our idols, setting us free to love him. Acknowledging that we are out of control is the first step to becoming like the fearless Jesus."

--Don Williams, Jesus and Addiction.

Forty Pounds of Puppy...

2010-11-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

It's about time for a Gavin update. He had a vet appointment today to get his rabies shot and it allowed me to catch up on his stats. He is just a little over four months old and the Vet predicts that Gavin will grow to around 75 pounds before he is done. He weighed 40 pounds today--up 10 pounds from this time last month. According to the Vet's records, Gavin weighed just 4.6 pounds on his first Vet visit back on August 3rd.

Gavin graduated with honors last week from his puppy class. He dominated his final exam and stood head and shoulders above his classmates (literally). On a "stay" command, he held his butt on the floor longer than any of the other puppies. He was able to run about forty yards right to me on a "Gavin, Come!" command. He was even able to accomplish the highly difficult "roll over" maneuver. He will start the intermediate class in a few weeks continuing on with several of his classmates.

We are currently discussing the options for neutering. Tina says, "Yes". The boys and I are not so sure.

Cory Gardner for Congress

2010-10-29T15:54:00.000-06:00

This race is easy. When Betsy Markey ran for congress, she ran on a platform of fiscal conservatism. At the time, I shared on this blog a tv commercial Markey ran that espoused the wisdom of her grandfather--"You shouldn't spend money that you don't have". Representative Markey then went on to support the big dollar Obama expenditures which included the health care bill. I can assure you that the 4th Congressional District that Markey supposedly represents was overwhelmingly opposed to Obamacare. I personally called her office multiple times to voice my displeasure. She chose to ignore the voices of Northern Colorado and to go along with her big-spending Democrat buddies. I believe that Cory Gardner will represent Colorado well. You can learn more about him at his website: http://www.corygardner.com/home.

Ken Buck for Senate

2010-10-28T09:06:00.000-06:00

Ken Buck is my choice for US Senate. I first met Ken when he was running for Weld County District Attorney. He was interested in connecting with the churches in Windsor and Ken took the time to have lunch with me. Having watched Ken over the past several years, I have found him to be a strong man of integrity and conviction. He shares my values and I have no doubt that Ken Buck has the backbone to stand up to anyone who might suggest he compromise values in order to get along. You can find out more about Ken by visiting his website: http://buckforcolorado.com/

Tancredo for Governor

2010-10-27T11:12:00.000-06:00

After quite a bit of deliberation, I have decided that I will be voting for Tom Tancredo for Governor of Colorado. Perhaps I will disclose the others that I intend to vote for a bit later as well. Tancredo's website is found here. There has been a boat-load of very concerning facts revealed concerning the Republican candidate for governor, Dan Maes, that make it virtually impossible to support him. The Democratic candidate is also plagued with ideas and a track-record that I do not want to support. The latest polls show that Tancredo has a good shot of winning and I am pleased to throw my support behind him. Tancredo for Governor!

Grace River Pastors

2010-10-26T08:54:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was able to eat lunch with these guys at Santiago's in Johnstown. I'm on the left right next to Derek Donohoe our Worship Pastor. Derek makes a living as a personal trainer and he has one of the biggest hearts for worshipping God that I have ever seen. It is not unusual for him to get choked up while leading us forward in worship, giving an offering of thankful tears. He is a graduate of Ocean's Edge School of Worship in Florida and from what I've seen, Derek and his wife Kara will do absolutely anything that Father puts before them. Derek cares about people, and anyone fortunate enough to call Derek friend, is truly blessed. Next is Joey Scott, our Youth Pastor. Joey and his wife Connie joyfully pack their home full of teenagers every week providing a safe place for learning and growing. It's not unusual for Joey to use his day off as day with Grace River kids. He loves kids and he loves to play! Joey is one of a very few men that I have met that authentically desire to impact kids with the truth of God. There is no pretending with Joey. He is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist College in North Carolina. Finally, on the right is Steve Ramsey. Steve is our Small Group Pastor and is a proud graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas. Steve loves people and he makes a huge difference in their lives. Steve has a heart for church planting and God has effectively used him at Grace River. The best thing about these guys is that they are, each and everyone, my good friends. Maybe soon, I will be able to show you the rest of our staff.

Motivating Staff?

2010-10-19T09:03:00.000-06:00

Addicted to Ministry?

2010-10-18T14:58:00.000-06:00

There is a better way to do ministry than the one that I have spent most of my life dedicated to. Don Williams' book resonates with my soul in more ways than I care to discuss. However, as I have been recovering from many things over the past year (including church), I have found that there is a healthy way to do ministry. Jesus is the example of course. Here are few paragraphs on the subject from Williams' that you might find interesting.

"Jesus wasn't addicted to his ministry or relationships. Unlike today's pastoral workaholics, he was free to leave a successful campaign behind and move on to other cities. Since he was motivated by God's call rather than by the needs around him, he was free to withdraw from the masses and find rest and refreshment without guilt."

"Since Jesus loved people from wholeness, he had no addictively attaching relationships. Unlike many pastors today, he didn't need to collect important people around him in order to shore up his fragile ego. Being free from people, Jesus was free for people."

"Jesus not only freely loves us, he sets us free to love ourselves and each other. As we receive his mercy and become merciful toward ourselves, we will be able to extend it to our neighbors. Such love throws Christians into each others arms for care and comfort and enables us to bear the good news of Jesus' love into the world. Since he doesn't condemn us, we won't condemn ourselves or each other. Since he loves his enemies, we will love our enemies. Since he forgives us, we will forgive ourselves and each other. Since he comes to seek and save the lost, we will go to seek and save the lost. The great commission will be fulfilled throughout the whole global village by a Church in love with God and its neighbors."

--Don Williams, Jesus and Addiction

Vote Life!

2010-10-06T07:34:00.000-06:00

Lincoln Brewster - Salvation Is Here

2010-10-05T17:29:00.000-06:00

"Comeback"

2010-10-05T09:25:00.000-06:00

"I am bringing you back again but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, which you dishonored while you were scattered among the nations" (Ezekiel 36:22). I AM BRINGING YOU BACK AGAIN! What an amazing promise. God's people had been taken into captivity and they had literally lost it all. God is setting them up for blessing but he wants them to know for a fact that the coming blessing has nothing to do with their earning it or deserving it. In fact, to make the point, the prophet repeats, "But remember, says the Sovereign Lord, I am not doing this because you deserve it" (36:32). This means a great deal to me personally because I have experienced a sort of exile only to be brought back again by the grace of God. And though at this point in time, I recognize that I don't deserve to be brought back, the day may come when I forget the pain and I forget the exile. In the day of plenty, I may become proud.

How does God restore us from our place of exile? "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean" (Ezekiel 36:25). God begins by cleaning us up. He washes away the sin and guilt with his clean water. It's a baptism of sorts. Don't miss the point that we can't clean ourselves up--only God can do it with his sprinkling. I have spent the last year working on me through Celebrate Recovery, through counseling, through learning how to be me without the need for pretense. None of these things though has made me clean. I was made clean when God put me in the shower and washed me with his water. He declared me righteous!

Next the prophet Ezekiel says, "And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command" (Ezekiel 36:26-27). The heart is thought to be the seat of desires. It's the place where our "want-to" lives. Once God cleans us, he changes our desires. The desire of sin is taken away and the desire for obedience is put it in its place. "I want to sin" is replaced with, "I want to obey God". It's not intellectual and it's not willpower--it's a complete change of desires. My "want to" is transformed.

Finally, Ezekiel declares, "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am ready to hear Israel's prayers for these blessings, and I am ready to grant them their requests" (Ezekiel 36:37). As a washed and transformed servant of God, I am ready to pray for the blessings that God is just waiting to pour out upon me. I don't know for sure what God is wanting to do in the way of blessing but I can tell you what I am praying for. I am praying that Grace River Church becomes a safe place for ANYONE to come and find hope and healing. I am praying that God will provide us with the space to do week day ministries and AWANA. I am praying that God will give us the resources to be able to meet real and relevant needs in our community. I am praying that each week, people will find new life in Christ Jesus as happened last week in our worship service. I am praying that signs and miracles will become the norm for the people of Grace River. I am praying that our church will be come vital in the communities throughout northern Colorado. I am praying that God will be glorified!

Me and Gavin

2010-09-24T14:02:00.000-06:00

Freedom with Jesus...

2010-09-20T09:58:00.000-06:00

Some quotes today from Chapter Six of Jesus and Addiction by Don Williams.

"From the study of addiction, it's clear that everyone is in bondage. For us there is no 'natural' freedom. Only when God's grace intervenes in our lives and we die and are raised with Christ can we progressively detach ourselves from all the things that had controlled us. Rather than the bondage of desire, we increasingly experience the freedom of true desire. This freedom means that we will not turn any substance, process, or relationship into an idol, losing control to anything outside the control of God. This freedom means that we are now able to think, say, and feel truthfully without fear of abandonment or shame. This freedom means that down deep in our guts we know that we are loved unconditionally by Jesus and are secure in him for eternity."

"As a result, we can at last love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love our neighbors as ourselves."

"How can we nurture this new freedom? How can we prevent relapse into addiction and codependency? First, we must live with Jesus, the only fully free person on this planet, day by day. As we experience his freedom, we will be set free from our attachments, compulsions, and addictions."

"Jesus found his freedom in open communion with God, serving as a channel for what the Father wanted to accomplish. Consequently, Jesus was free from any external code. He had no need to check out how people felt about him in order to know how he felt about himself."

"Unlike addictive and codependent people, Jesus had no illusion that he could control everything. Because he was submitted to his Father, he didn't have to get control of himself. This made him free from seeking to control circumstances or people. Fear of failure, exposure, or of losing his addictive fix weren't hooks for him. Since Jesus was certain of who he was, he was free from the bondage of human control and expectations. Instead he was free to love, confront, comfort, heal, and save people."

"Through Jesus' example, we learn that freedom isn't found in autonomy or separation from God. Real freedom is found in unity and communion with God. No wonder Jesus says that apart from himself we can do nothing."

--Don Williams, Jesus and Addiction, 1993, Recovery Publications, Inc.

Craig Morgan - God Must Really Love Me

2010-09-16T18:18:00.000-06:00

Oregon Trail...

2010-09-13T08:32:00.001-06:00

Tina and I recently made a trip into Wyoming to see some sights and to visit the place where we first met. We have just completed 25 years of marriage and it seemed fitting to visit the space where it all began for us. I love history and so our two-day trip focused on seeing some historical sites. The picture is of me walking along some wagon ruts that were cut into the rock by the thousands of emigrants moving west along the Oregon Trail. This is near Guernsey, Wyoming which is not a place that you will ever find unless you happen to be going there. It's amazing to me that the trail still remains--after all of these years. It was no easy task to make the trek across the plains and mountains to the promised land of Oregon, Californa, or even Utah. It was often a deadly pursuit and only the stoutest arrived to begin a new life. The pioneers would travel maybe 12-20 miles a day hoping to slip through a narrow window of good weather that would allow them to cross the mountains before the winter snows began. I'm learning a couple of things from the Oregon Trail emigrants. First of all, there is a trail for all of us to follow--we don't have to make our own way. Others have gone before us and we can learn much from their journey. Secondly, we don't travel alone. The emigrants relied on the multiplicity of gifts contained in a wagon train in order to overcome the constant obstacles in their path. In the same way we have fellow travelers joining us--gifted in their unique ways--working together to move forward to our common goal. Thirdly, there are others coming behind us who will benefit from our experiences and signs of life that we leave behind.

Rebuilding & Restoring...

2010-09-07T08:45:00.000-06:00

Allow me to share some quotes from the final chapter of Gordon MacDonald's book, Rebuilding Your Broken World.

"When you have been pushed or have fallen to the ground, there can be only one useful resolve: GET UP AND FINISH THE RACE!"

"In recent years we've spent enormous amounts of energy asking how the church in the West might find renewal. We've sought the answers in the pursuit of powerful preaching, evangelistic marketing programs group dymamics, and upbeat, contemporary public services. Perhaps there is virtue in all of that. But I would like to propose that if we were to rediscover the ministry of restorative grace, we might find an enormous number of people crowding forward to receive what God has offered to give through Jesus Christ. There, in the ministry of restoration, may be a key to renewal. Both inside and outside the church are broken-world people, and they are there in no small numbers. They yearn for an understanding and wise ear; they dearly wish for an amnesty that would provide the chance to make things right and new. If their spirit is right, they are not asking that their sins be diminished or overlooked; they are not asking that people pretend that nothing has happened. What they seek is what the cross of Christ offered: grace freely given; healing fully applied; usefulness restored"

"The objective of rebuilding a broken world is not returning life to business-as-usuual as if nothing had ever happened. That could never be. No, the objective is to come out of a dark time and finish the race with a depth of grace and humility that might not have happened under any other circumstance. We broken-world people live with a strange irnony. Not for one moment would we ever wish to repeat what caused the original collapse. But we cannot ignore the fact that when restoration has had its way, we may be in a better position to offer insight and grace to others than we ever were before . . . Broken-world people are equipped now to understand other struggling people. We know how to give grace because we have received it"

"Back in 1923 I once ran an invitational race (one mile) with Joey Ray and Ray Watson. We three were members of the relay team that set the world record for the four mile relay held for over twenty years. These two had a better time than I by three or four seconds. They never beat me in a race; I never did well without competition. Anyhow in this race we three were running along at a mile rate together--the first lap, then the second lap. I suddenly hit a branch of a tree, a solid branch, (with) my left shoulder. It was a terrible blow and stopped me cold. The blow almost knocked me out. For two or three seconds I could not think. I cannot remember whether it knocked me on to the ground, but it knocked me out of my running place, stopped me cold. I remember trying ot figure out what I should do next. How could I ever catch them--should I bother to stay in the race. Everyone would understand that the blow by the tree branch knocked me out. Somehow I staggered back on the track and stumbled along. I can see them (now) many, many yards ahead of me. But I remember one clear conclusion. I must keep going--even if I come in long behind. I must not quit. So I kept going. I won the race. This then is the lesson I learned: whatever the difficulty--the blow--we must keep on. God will lead to the result that will glorify Him" --Dr. Raymond Buker in a letter to Gordon MacDonald.

"And some who are the most gifted in the things of God will stumble in those days and fall, but this will only refine and cleanse them and make them pure until the final end of all their trials, at God's appointed time" (Daniel 11:35, TLB).

Grace River's First Day at Severance Middle School

2010-09-05T19:15:00.000-06:00

Check out the pictures and commentary of our first Sunday at Severance Middle School at http://www.observing-grace.blogspot.com/.

Missing My Mom Today...

2010-09-04T13:01:00.000-06:00

My wife and I were out at Windsor's Main Park setting up our church's display for the Harvest Festival that is held in our community each year. This weekend is always sentimenal to me because it was this time five years ago that my mother suffered a massive heart attack and went home to heaven. Tina and I were in Galveston at the time preparing to take a cruise in celebration of twenty years of marriage. My parents were crafters and made it their custom to be in Windsor for the Harvest Festival. Each year they would set their booth up on the east side of Main Park and sell their sand-blasted scripture signs. The Harvest Festival, the park, the activity, all remind me of how much I miss my mom. Below is the obituary from her hometown newspaper, The Floyd County Heperion-Beacon.

MONA SAMPLES

Memorial services for Mona Samples, 69, of Helena, Montana were held Wednesday, September 7, 2005 at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Windsor, Colorado. Her son, David Samples, Pastor of the church, officiated. The body was cremated and a separate memorial service will be held in Helena, Montana. Arrangements were under the direction of Marks Funeral Service of Windsor, Colorado.

Mrs. Samples died Saturday, September 3, 2005 in Windsor, Colorado.

She was born October 23, 1935 in Floydada to the late Raymond and Blanche Ramsey Williams. She graduated Floydada High School and received her B.A. degree from the University of Wyoming. She married Ted Samples in Floydada January 26, 1953. She and Rev. Samples were Southern Baptist Missionaries for twenty years. She was a housewife, mother and artist. She was active in Baptist Women's work.

They also served as beloved pastor and wife of Grace Fellowship Church in Lockney. During this time both she and Rev. Samples also worked for MHMR in Plainview. After retiring, they owned and operated Christian Crafts in Lockney, where they designed and created sandblasted wooden signs. They also travelled the Craft Show circuit selling their signs and ministering to the others there. They moved to Montana and were living in Helena.

Mrs. Samples is survived by her husband, Ted Samples of Helena, Montana; two daughters, Sandra Evans of Seattle, Washington and Cynthia Stauffenberg of Helena; two sons, Mike Samples of Reno, Nevada and David Samples of Windsor, Colorado; nine grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and one sister, Carolyn Ramazani of Lubbock.

Grace, We Just Don't Get It

2010-09-02T09:26:00.000-06:00

Hosea's Wife (Brooke Fraser)

2010-08-25T17:40:00.000-06:00

Our Next Home...

2010-08-21T20:46:00.001-06:00

Grace River has now experienced four different and entirely unique locations. We have worshipped in a coffee shop / karate studio. We have met in an actual church building. We have worshipped God in a park. And we have even celebrated the resurrection together in a funeral home. We have done all of this in just eight months. What's next? September will be the month that we move to Severance--at least to the Severance Middle School. The school is brand new and is perfectly located between Windsor and Severance. It's about three minutes outside of Windsor and about two minutes outside of Severance. Grace River has several families living in Severance and so this new location will be a special blessing to them. For now we have two more weeks in Windsor's Main Park. Then it's off to the Middle School...

Approaching Another Milestone...

2010-08-17T07:42:00.000-06:00

These are really exciting days as Grace River moves out of her infancy. We have survived our beginning in a coffee shop. We have experienced four months in an actual church building. We have enjoyed three months of worship in the park. Each location has brought with it unique challenges as Grace River grows into her identity as a kingdom church. I was thinking this morning that in the same way that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and journeyed with them in the wilderness on their way to the promised land--He is bringing us along in our journey. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness in part because it took awhile to transform slaves into warriors. They had to change from the inside out. We are also changing. Not everyone who began with us is still walking with us. Each week brings new faces and new experiences of grace. God has given us gifted gifts in many awesome people, some who were with us in the beginning but are now gone, and some who are just now arriving. Each person along the way has contributed something to the river of grace that we are now experiencing together. We are not the same as when we began. Ironically, it's with a bit of sadness that we approach our final two weeks in the park. We will be back on occassion but not in the same way that we experienced as we camped here for the past three months. We have seen the providence of God as we have enjoyed good weather week after week. We have made new friends with many of the families that live in the blocks surrounding the park. Some of these new friends will travel on with us as we move to our next temporary home and set up the tabernacle if you will. Ours is a journey of faith quite unlike anything that I have ever done before. It's scary...it's exciting...it's hard...and it's overwhelming at times. Last Saturday a group of us from Grace River hiked Greyrock. The trailhead is several miles up the Poudre Canyon from Fort Collins. The trail begins easy enough and it's hard to imagine that the whole group will not be there at the end to enjoy the beautiful sights from the top. And yet, for a variety of reason, not everyone gets there. Not everyone gets there at the same time and not everyone gets there at all. There are places along the trail where one can rest and enjoy the beauty. There are other stretches along the trail where the hiking is rough and the trail is hard to follow. You may pass fellow hikers along the trail and you may get passed. It's all included in the journey. It's a good metaphor of our journey as a young church. I'm reminded to enjoy each step of the journey--whether easy or hard. I'm reminded that the day will come when I will sit with friends on the top of a peak that we have through God's grace ascended. We will look around us and see the beauty that can only be appreciated when one has climbed a mountain. We will laugh and we will share a meal--breaking bread together on the mountain of God.

Grace River Church

2010-08-15T22:41:00.001-06:00

The Me I Like to Be...

2010-08-09T23:49:00.000-06:00

The Word on Work...

2010-08-09T08:47:00.000-06:00

"Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and woking with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

Why do we work?

We work to EAT (2 Thessalonians 3:7-13). A big part of having a job is earning the resources needed to live. We should each do everything that we can to earn the necessary resources to live without unnneccessarily depending on others. The time may come when we all need help from our brothers and sisters and we shouldn't be ashamed to ask for it. The first step, however is making sure that we are doing all that we can under God's providence to provide for ourselves.

We work to GIVE (Ephesians 4:28). God blesses us so that we can bless others. When we understand that the resources that we receive belong to God and that He is merely resourcing us to do his work then we are free to give generously. Our perspective changes when we see our job as a way to finance ministry rather than a way to enrich ourselves.

We work to WORSHIP (Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-23). Our work is worship when we do our work as unto Christ. In every moment of every task, we can do our work's activity as worship of God. This may be especially true when our work is difficult or without reward. Do it for Christ. We never look more like Christ than when we are lovingly taking up our cross--those difficult tasks that force us to deny self.

Rejecting Rejection...

2010-08-06T08:34:00.000-06:00

"Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it. We may receve it gladly, with thankful hearts. For we know it is made holy by the word of God and prayer" (1 Timothy 4:4-5, NLT).

To be clear, this passage is correcting the erroneous belief that certain foods cannot be eaten or that somehow it is less than spiritual to get married. Paul seems to scream in response, "EVERYTHING that God created IS GOOD!" It's stunning to see how easily we can move away from the clear teaching of God and embrace legalistic paradigms. I guess that it is easier to reject the imperfect and the potentially or perhaps obviously flawed things among us than it is to make them holy by prayer. "Everything" by necessity must include "Everyone". This is where the rubber hits the road. We are incredibly skilled at rejecting people who fall short of God's glorious standard. The problem is that when we reject these good creations of God, we are in effect rejecting God. Jesus has not called us to purify his church for him--he has already done that through the cross. He has, however, called us to bring the rejected of the world to him, so that they might become holy. How does it happen? Through prayer and the word of God. So the next time we're tempted to reject someone, perhaps we can join God in making them holy instead. Pray for them! Search the scriptures with them! Everyone God created is good! Don't reject any of them!

Gavin's in the House...

2010-08-02T21:42:00.000-06:00

Five week old Gavin showed up at our house today as the newest member of the Samples' family. He is half German Shepherd, half Labrador. So far, he sleeps hard, plays hard, and pees hard. Tomorrow Gavin will get to go meet the vet to make sure that he is as healthy as he should be for his young age. Zach chose the name. It's has something to do with the band "Dance Gavin Dance". Tina bought "Puppies for Dummies" and it appears that Gavin is being raised by the book--at least on day one. More to come...