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Hello all

It has been awhile since I posted, I know that you hate being kept in suspense. Nevertheless, its the last Monday of January. One month down and 11 more to go.

As we continue our speaking series on Tough Questions, I just spoke one of my most thought provoking messages (at least to me). I am convinced that God loves us. I am convinced that His grace that He gives me and you, is abundant. I am convinced that He loves real people, not plastic or robotic folks that just blindly meander along.

Asking Questions is real. It drives us to search our heart. God questions dig real deep. God can handle anything we ask. Just make sure to listen. How do we listen you ask? I am reminded of Elijah, and how he heard. It wasn't in the earthquake, the voice wasn't in the fire, or the wind. It was in the "still small voice". God wants to talk to us, commune with us, share and relate to us.

So how do we slow down long enough to hear a still small voice. I have heard some wise folks say that busyness is a sin. Just going a hundred miles an hour, never stopping, just doing, not stopping to listen much less relate to the Creator of the Universe.

Thus our church's decision to do a 21 day fast. Beginning on Feb 5th, the day after the Super Bowl and all those parties with healthy food, we will fast. What we will fast is entirely up to the individual. We have introduced this fast as a devotion to God, to honor a commitment that will mean less of us, so we can have more of Him. We are fasting for miracles. In our fast we are desiring to see some real breakthroughs for each other.

You can fast a meal a day, a meal on one day, a type of food. You can fast tv, internet, cell phone. You can do a day of silence, where we just lock into God. You can participate in the Daniel Fast.... where we don't eat meat, fried food, caffeine, Soda, Sugar, Flour, Rice, or preservatives. We do eat, Fruit, whole grains, vegetables, seeds, nuts, water, fruit juice.

Wow could be tough, but its supposed to be. If you want to make some big strides in your walk with Christ, crucify that flesh - it won't like it, but maybe you and I will slow down, maybe we will hear something that changes our life.

Blessings

Pastor Jay

HMM

Well everyone as you may know our church is in the midst of tough questions. Tough questions about life and faith and everything else. I think God loves it when we ask questions. Hopefully that leads us to the Bible, to read, study, contemplate, and then read, study, contemplate some more. Maybe fire off a few hypotheticals at additional wise people and find some answers.

Here is what I am discovering though? God does not fit into the box of all our questions answered - so fire away. God can handle all of our questions.

This is an authentic journey of discovery, join in. Hope to see everyone on Sunday as we continue the series. Until then check out the website to see some of the questions that we are discussing.

On a total random note: American Idol contestants make me think that I can sing. They coming to D.C. next year.


Jay

Goals take passion

Well we are off and running into the new year. We are receiving some great questions through our website horizonschurch.com Hope you have a chance to vist there and check them out. Pastor Rich and I start this week with the question "What does it matter, what I believe?" Hope you are planning to be with us.

Personally I look at how quickly we have gotten into this year. College football is over, the weather is cold one day, and warm the next.

We take off with some hopes and dreams for the year. I say "Go for it, don't let anyone or anything keep you from it". You see to achieve you must believe. Goals take a passion or drive to make them happen.

Please notice that the entire staff is all blogging. We all are hoping that via our comments on life, and all things thereof that you will get to know a little bit more of who we are. I know that could be kinda scary, but check out what we/they are saying. You might see or sense the passion that each of the team has for Christ and His Kingdom. You might see the passion they have for ministry or music or books.

It is great to see passion in living. What are you passionate it for?

Blessings to al and talk to you soon.

J

Learn, live, hope

How are those resolutions going a week in? I make it a point to start my own a few weeks into it. That way I look like I am doing it well, longer.

I recently was reminded via this illustration that God is more interested in our future than our past. He wants to forgive and heal us from that past, but He is very concerned about your tomorrow. Here is the illustration. When you are driving you have a large windshield and a small rear view mirror. Because you need greatet attention to the future (where you are going) than the past where you have been.

So onward, or charge, or go.......... Understand we learn from yesterday, we live for today, and we hope for tomorrow. How you live today, determines how tomorrow goes.

We start our tough questions series this Sunday at Horizonschurch. You can find the postings and more at our website - horizonschurch.com . Tough questions are going to be asked and talked about. We go into this series not with all the answers, but a lot of them. We are not in debate but journey of discovery - asking gut level questions. The aim it to get somewhere from here.

Maybe we all need to continue to seek, ask, knock. God says in Exodus 3 that "He has heard the cries." As a parent I am very concerned with my children and when they hurt, when they cry. Sometimes they have some tough questions, sometimes my answer satisfies and sometimes it does not.

So ask, let's journey together. I think maybe God loves it when we look to Him for answers.

Until next time - Keep journeying - life is a total ride. Laugh, live, love.

J

New year - New You?

Really New Years resolutions are so overdone, overstated, and neverdone. Sure you may be one of the few out there that has made a resolution and kept it. Great.

For the vast majority of us who put on the pounds at Christmas, take em off at new year, find ourselves with the same "oh well" in a few months. Now resolutions are good, they make us think about improvement - we all need that.

You Can Do it? But this year, let me ask you a question. Link the new you to a new heart. In other words don't just set a goal for the goal. Maybe prayerfully consider what that new you can do for the family, world, God.

You see God wants all of us to be successful when we pursue His purposes. When we don't then isn't our pursuit about self. Is that vanity?

You can do anything you want to. When you do something with the heart and mind of Christ, well then you can do it - and be doing it for the right reasons. So start the new year off with a new you, unless your perfect.

Fix your eyes, abide in Him, and let's see where 2007 takes us.

Wow - I get excited about the idea of people doing things with passion - for Christ.

See ya around

J