So I have decided to go ALL IN and buy my own domain name!

So go on over to www.benjaminsmoak.com and check out ALL of the fun that I am having!

A pessimist see the difficulty in every opportunity; while an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

Winston Churchill

Using the story of the feeding of the 5,000 (Mark 6:33-44 and John 6:1-13) we are going to look at -

• what it takes for us to SEE and HEAR the vision that God is laying out  in front of us
• and HOW and WHAT we can learn by simply taking advantage of EVERY opportunity that God sends our way

God WANTS to use the ORDINARY to transform this, our community and our church – the ORDINARY – you and me – God wants to use us – all we have to do is SIMPLY believe that He can do it!

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for Sunday – find someone to bring with you and come EXPECTING God to TOTALLY transform your life!  See you Sunday!

• appointments will happen
• meetings must be attended
• children picked-up
• calls will come
• e-mails have to be sent 

So you understand the point but the reality is that whether or not we are ready or willing or faithful or obedient;  there is a group of people who are literally hungering and thirsting for the love and grace of God, and whether we are ready or not we have what they need.  Today I challenge you, in fact I DARE you to be READY to touch those around you and to intentionally make a difference for Christ!

It is easy to see why Moses became frustrated with the Hebrew people. They were so hard-hearted and weak in their faith that Moses lost his patience and became angry with them. Yet every time Moses shifted his focus away from God, it cost him. When he sought to help his people by taking matters into his own hands, he spent the next forty years herding sheep in the wilderness (Exod. 2:11–15). This time his impetuous behavior cost him the opportunity to enter the Promised Land (Num. 20:12). In his frustration at the peoples’ irreverence, Moses committed the very same sin, blatantly disobeying God’s instructions. How did this happen? Moses allowed his attention to shift to the behavior of others rather than focusing on the activity of God.

Over the past several months as we have been in the midst of a building project, growing a church, and casting vision for the upcoming year, I’ll be the first to admit that I have often allowed my attention to focus on the BEHAVIOR of others and not the ACTIVITY of God.  My prayer for myself, my family, my church, and my friends is that we would become SO FOCUSED on the word, the activity, and the voice of God that NOTHING could distract us!

+  GREAT Mother’s Day – Happy Mother’s Day to any mother that I may have missed yesterday!

+  Worship was dead on -

+ just didn’t feel like I was totally in the message – came off fine, just didn’t feel like I was batting a 1000.

+ busy week ahead – staff meeting, working on some sermons, IMPORTANT properties team meeting (pray Wed. night @ 7:30 we will be coming up with the new layout of our facilities now that our new building in on-line), and a few visits to make.

Make it an AWESOME week and find someway to show and share the love of Christ this week!

“Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation.”

C. Everett Koop 

Using 2 Timothy 1:3-7; 3:15-17 we are going to look at the opportunity that has been given to us

• as parents
• as families
• as a church

to fulfill the “Special Mission” that we have been given to RAISE UP a generation that will RADICALLY change the world for Christ.  God has CALLED us, He has given us the VISION, and now it is OUR TIME as a church to EMPOWER families so that they can CHANGE the world!

I am BEYOND excited about Sunday!  Get your family and friends here Sunday as we CELEBRATE and WORSHIP the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  See you Sunday!

Do you fear change more than you fear God?

Over the past several weeks I have been wrestling with some things that have really caused me to stop (what I was doing), look (at the family, ministry and vision that I have been blessed with) and listen (to the voice of God).  It was during my quiet time that I realized this is a question that I HAVE to answer if I am going to work through this part of my spiritual journey.  I have a choice – I can PUSH through it and learn nothing or I can WORK through it and WRESTLE with it and literally get EVERYTHING out of it that God has for me.

If I am going to be the LEADER, if we are going to be the CHURCH that God has CALLED us to be then we must challenge ourselves, and wrestle with the simple question which do I fear more - God or Change?

“We are so activity oriented that we assume we were saved for a task we are to perform rather than for a relationship to enjoy. God uses our activities and circumstances to bring us to Himself. When He gives us a God-sized assignment, its sheer impossibility brings us back to Him for His enabling.”

Did you read that first sentence?  Our PASSION, our JOY, our HEART’S DESIRE should be to STRENGTHEN and GROW our relationship with our Savior.  What are you doing today that will produce NEW FRUIT in your relationship with Christ?

+ I believe that God is doing some MIGHTY things here at CBC – can’t wait to see what happens

+ I will be doing some vision casting tonight – please PRAY that GOD speaks and NOT Benjamin

+ I am thankful for the MANY BLESSINGS that God has given me

+ VERY BUSY week ahead, but I can’t wait to tackle ALL of the opportunities that await me!

+ Excited about some of the things that God has laid on my heart concerning future ministry opportunities here at CBC!

Have an AWESOME week and MAKE a difference for Christ this week!

PS: Amanda didn’t get named District TOY of the year, but she is definitely #1 in my book!