http://disciplegeek.com A simple blog showing the works and interests of a singular follower of Christ. Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:04:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 A simple blog showing the works and interests of a singular follower of Christ. Disciple Geek no A simple blog showing the works and interests of a singular follower of Christ. http://disciplegeek.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://disciplegeek.com http://disciplegeek.com/prayer-for-boldness/ http://disciplegeek.com/prayer-for-boldness/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:12:32 +0000 Trey http://disciplegeek.com/?p=749 http://disciplegeek.com/prayer-for-boldness/feed/ 0 boldness,overcoming fear,peace,prayer,sermons I gave this lesson last night (Wednesday August 11th, 2010.) It focuses on Acts 4. This time I managed to get a recording, so I've attached that. With this lesson I attempted to use notes that are more in an outline format rather than writing everythi... I gave this lesson last night (Wednesday August 11th, 2010.) It focuses on Acts 4. This time I managed to get a recording, so I've attached that. With this lesson I attempted to use notes that are more in an outline format rather than writing everythi... Disciple Geek no 10:15 http://disciplegeek.com/red-vs-blue/ http://disciplegeek.com/red-vs-blue/#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:16:36 +0000 Trey http://disciplegeek.com/?p=587 http://disciplegeek.com/red-vs-blue/feed/ 0 hope,living for god,sermons Lesson I gave for Wednesday night invitation on March 24th, 2010. It's all about picking your side. - - [DDET Click for the transcript...] In many things in life, you have to pick sides. - In sports around here we typically pick Auburn or Alabama. Lesson I gave for Wednesday night invitation on March 24th, 2010. It's all about picking your side. (http://disciplegeek.com/wp-content/uploads/dg/2010/03/war_01dec11-e1269462382689.jpg) [DDET Click for the transcript...] In many things in life... Disciple Geek no 7:27 http://disciplegeek.com/noise-to-signal/ http://disciplegeek.com/noise-to-signal/#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:37:50 +0000 Trey http://disciplegeek.com/?p=546 http://disciplegeek.com/noise-to-signal/feed/ 0 dedication to God,living for god,sermons,study,whisper Here's the lesson I gave for last night's (2-17-10) invitation. Audio has been added. - [DDET Click for the lesson...] 1 Kings 19:11-13 - "Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, Here's the lesson I gave for last night's (2-17-10) invitation. Audio has been added. [DDET Click for the lesson...] 1 Kings 19:11-13 "Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a grea... Disciple Geek no http://disciplegeek.com/the-ork-factor/ http://disciplegeek.com/the-ork-factor/#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:02:06 +0000 Trey http://disciplegeek.com/?p=407 http://disciplegeek.com/the-ork-factor/feed/ 0 living for god,mork and mindy,peculiar,sermons,strange Here's the lesson I did last night, December 30th, 2009. I managed to record it on my Motorola Droid phone, gives me a bit of a quicker turn-around. - [DDET Click for the transcript!] There was TV show in the late 70's and early 80's that some of you m... Here's the lesson I did last night, December 30th, 2009. I managed to record it on my Motorola Droid phone, gives me a bit of a quicker turn-around. [DDET Click for the transcript!] There was TV show in the late 70's and early 80's that some of you may be familiar with called Mork and Mindy. Robin Williams played an alien named Mork from the planet Ork that had come to earth to study human kind. In an attempt to make him different from everyone else, the writers of the show decided that he would do silly things like greet people with "Nanu Nanu," or drink with his finger, or sit on his head. He even aged backwards. His race hatched from an egg as old men and women, and as they grew older, they became young children. Oddly enough we as Christians have a common thread with that strange alien from Ork. First, even though he lived in an apartment on earth, and spent time around human beings, Mork was undoubtedly, alien. Everything he did was strange to those around him. Even when he tried to blend in, he stood out. Like him, we are a peculiar, or special people. 1 Peter 2:9, and Titus 2:14. We show this peculiarity in the way we live our every day lives. We show it when we stop to say a prayer for our food before we eat. Or when we choose to go to church fellowships instead of work parties or school events. We also show it when we turn to the Bible for our business or household decisions, and when we choose to first give to the Lord, and then spend on ourselves. We show it in the way we treat our brethren, and in the way we treat those in the world. We are strange, special, and peculiar people, not just for the sake of being different, but because seeking the Lord first in everything will make us different. Marriage is often used as a direct comparison to becoming a Child of God. Ever since I've been married I see this correlation almost every day. When I was single, anytime I was asked by my friends if I wanted do this or that or go somewhere with them I would give an answer based on my own schedule, wants, or needs. Now that I am married, however, my answer has changed a bit. I consider not just my own schedule, wants or needs but my wife's as well, and if I'm uncertain as to what any one of those are, my answer quickly becomes "Let me check with my wife." Now anyone that's married understands this, but those that are single often respond with confusion, and sometimes even derision, making remarks about pants wearing and the like. When we become Christians, our first priority is to God, and we are to consider His schedule, His wants, and His needs above our own. Hopefully we've studied the Bible regularly enough to know these things by heart, and won't have to "Check with Him" except in the most extreme cases. Because we seek Him first, we will appear strange to those who do not know Him, just like I appear strange to my single friends when I choose to consider my wife first. The Bible also uses words like holy, and sanctified to describe us. These words all mean set apart. We often speak about how sin separates man from God. When we are baptized and become his children, God removes our sin "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12) and we are no longer separated from God. What I think we fail to realize is that now sin doesn't just separate man from God, sin separates man from us as well. We must remember, however, that this only makes us different, not better. We still have temptations and trials just like everyone else, but more is expected of us as we have committed ourselves wholly to the Lord. Second, we too age backwards. When we become Christians we are born again, babes in Christ, washed clean of our sins, pure and holy. But we're still old men. We still have the same weaknesses, the same temptations, and the same trials that we had before we were baptized. Now it is compounded because, as I said before, more is expected of us. Disciple Geek no 8:09 http://disciplegeek.com/credits/ http://disciplegeek.com/credits/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:38:40 +0000 Trey http://disciplegeek.com/?p=321 http://disciplegeek.com/credits/feed/ 1 book of life,death,mortality,preparation,salvation,sermons Here's the invitation I did back on August 12, 2009. It's just a short message comparing the Book of Life in Revelation with movie and tv credits we see today. - Here's more or less the text of the lesson: [DDET Click for the transcript! Here's the invitation I did back on August 12, 2009. It's just a short message comparing the Book of Life in Revelation with movie and tv credits we see today. Here's more or less the text of the lesson: [DDET Click for the transcript!] A few weeks ago Christina and I were babysitting for some friends of ours. Their two year old girl was sitting next to me watching one of her TV shows and when the show ended she started pointing at the credits, asking "who's that?" For whatever reason, this started me thinking about the similarities and differences between the cast/credit list at the end of TV shows and movies and the list in the Book of Life that the Bible speaks about. There are many people in this world that want nothing more in life than to be in the credits at the end of a big blockbuster movie. We know, however from Revelation chapter 20, that being in the Book of Life is much more important, and it should be the list we want to be in more than anything. It's strange to me that people make such a big deal out of being in the credits since anyone having anything to do with the movie gets put in them. Bring the Director some coffee, suddenly you're listed as Assistant Director. Now maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but my point remains valid. Its EASY to get in credits somewhere. There's even a movie coming out that's called the One Second Film, donate a dollar (or more) to their cause and you get listed in the credits as a producer. They're expecting the One Second Film credits to last anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes long. Literally anyone can get on this list. This is not going to be the case with the list in the Book of Life: Jesus says in Matthew Chapter 7 verses 13 & 14 13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Watching the credits, you'll notice that all the stars are listed first, then the rest of the cast alphabetically, then the supporting crew, the makeup artists, sound guys, special effects crews, etc. And while Jesus says that the first will be last and the last will be first, everyone listed in the Book of Life will be equals. We're all going to be going to Heaven. We'll be listed alongside such greats as Abraham, Peter, and Paul, as well as some that we might not think of as the great leaders, but are just as worthy as anyone else: Rahab the harlot, Tabitha, the slave Philemon. But first, we must have our names written into the Book of Life. We do that by becoming Christians and doing the task we have been given, going into all the world and preaching the Gospel. We won't be on that list for attending church once or twice a week. We won't be on that list for keeping a pew warm. We must be active. We must put Christ first. I'll give you one other comparison between the lists and then I'll wrap things up here. Both lists are at the end. Once the credits start playing, that's it, the movie is over, there's no changing anything that happened. The same is for life, once The End has come there are no do-overs, no mulligans, no second chances. We have only one life to live before the Book of Life is opened. Lets examine our lives -- if the end came, right now, if something happened tonight on the way home, and you woke up to look at The Father face to face, would your name be in the Book? Christians, would it be blotted out? If so, this needs to be fixed. Revelation 3:3-5 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, Disciple Geek no 5:17 http://disciplegeek.com/on-fire-for-god/ http://disciplegeek.com/on-fire-for-god/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:00:19 +0000 Trey http://disciplegeek.com/?p=37 http://disciplegeek.com/on-fire-for-god/feed/ 0 living for god,overcoming fear,sermons Ever since I was a young teen, I have allowed myself to be plagued by a crippling fear of public speaking. Several years ago I became determined to overcome this fear. After all, if I could perform in theater, Ever since I was a young teen, I have allowed myself to be plagued by a crippling fear of public speaking. Several years ago I became determined to overcome this fear. After all, if I could perform in theater, in my mind I should be able to speak publicly, but it was the pulpit and the thought of getting something wrong while trying to teach about the bible that scared me the most. I decided to try and gain confidence using the baby step method. First I made sure that I had plenty of opportunities to speak available so that once I felt comfortable enough I wouldn't have to make a big deal of it by requesting to take the preacher's place for a lesson. I did this by suggesting that the Wednesday night invitation and the devotional after our third Sunday song service be made available to all men of the congregation. An added bonus has been that the men of the congregation who have a talent for speaking are able to use it for the glory of the Lord. Then I started by reading scripture in worship service when given the chance. I did this for many years before I felt comfortable for the next step: I asked to do the announcements for our congregation, a task that I felt was difficult to mess up. About a year after I started doing announcements, with God's help and the encouragement of my wife and friends, I finally steeled myself enough to give my first lesson in almost 20 years. This is that lesson given on June 21st, 2009 -- encouraging people to let God control the fire in their hearts, as only He can guide it safely. [DDET Click for the transcript!] Just about every year around this time you can read in the news about wildfires raging, posing a dangerous threat to cities and towns. Fortunately, we have highly trained men and women we call firefighters that come in and work tirelessly to stop these fires. One of the main methods they use is what they call a controlled burn. They start a fire that can be managed, to stop the one that cannot. I. This shows us that fire has a dual nature – it can be beneficial, or it can be destructive. A. When controlled, fire is an awesome thing: A. It keeps us warm! · I’m sure that even during our two days of winter here in Alabama that we can appreciate the roaring fire in the fireplace. B. We cook our food with it: · I’ll take a good, medium-well steak over cold sushi / raw fish any day. C. We use it to make electricity: · The International Energy Agency states that nearly 80% of the world's power comes from burning oil, gas, and coal. D. We also use it to purify and harden metals so we can build better things with them: · Buildings, cars, computers, all this would be impossible without the hardening and purifying power of fire. · And back in the days when swords were used instead of guns, they’d take a piece of metal and heat it up so that it softens, shape it, plunge it in water, then reheat it, fold it over, and reshape it. Sometimes they’d do this multiple times, each time strengthening the metal. This would make for a very strong sword that could hold a cutting edge throughout battle. B. But uncontrolled, fire is a powerfully destructive force. I’m pretty sure we all know -- or know of -- someone that has had their house burned down. Everything they own, scrapbooks, photographs, clothes -- gone -- destroyed in a matter of minutes. Sometimes, even loved ones are lost to fire. One of the leading causes of house fires is the fireplace itself. Why is this? The fire gets out of control. It escapes the boundaries we’ve put it in, usually when we grow lax in watching over it. II. The Bible also shows us the duality of fire. A. Fire is used as punishment Leviticus 10:1&2: Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. Disciple Geek no 13:56