rooted...

I couldn't get the picture out of my head of my buddy, Paul here terrorizing the hibiscus tree as an illustration that fateful Sunday morning. Here is another point looking back at that event. Paul and I discussed, as we laughed, about how sometimes illustrations didn't go the way they were planned. I mean, sometimes you can do a trial run and make sure something is going to work, but we're talking about destroying one plant just for practice to make that happen.
Paul did just what I would have done. "Hey, it will work," I'd tell myself. "What is the worst that can happen?" I think had the same thing happened to me, I may have fearfully decided that the roots were made of barbed wire and that they were never going to tear loose. I think at that point, I would have decided to make my point that being rooted in Jesus was forever. NOTHING COULD SNATCH YOU OUT OF HIS HAND!

Paul chose the original plan and finally won. He de-rooted the tree. Point made. The tree will die and has already started regardless of it's looks once it was pulled from the plant.

Let me say again for anyone who wasn't there...it is an honor to be partnered up with paul in ministry. I hope we get to do this together here for a long, long time. With that said, here is another point to be made about being rooted and his illustration.

When we are rooted in to the life of Christ and we are paying close attention to that relationship, we become extremely strong in Him and hard to separate. Jesus prayed for his disciples and you and I in John 17 and shows us roots. He was rooted. Rooted in the Father.

We root ourselves into something. It might be a pastime, a hobbie, the current events, the weather, your boyfriend, girlriend, video games, music...
The question is not are you rooted. The question is what are you rooted in?

Hope to see you all Wed. Night and Stay rooted or get rooted in Jesus.
cya,
keith

belonging

Hey,
When I found this picture of court street, Athens, OH, It excited me with a lot of memories of hanging out with friends on Friday and Sat. nights. As I said in the message, we all hung out on a wall to the bottom left just outside the picture. We were the townies that never stayed put in a college town always there to remind OU students that this was our town. Our place to belong.

So where do you belong? I have found that I belong in Jesus, but that doesn't just solve every problem here in my 24/7 life. Sometimes i just feel like I don't belong anywhere outside of my family and God. Not saying this to create a pity party. My guess would be that if you are an american teen or adult that you have also struggled with where you belong and who really cares about you. We live in a country that prides itself on independence.

When the Campbell Family experienced our 2nd or 3rd Christmas Parade here in LP, I realized something. After the parade there were all of these parties/get togethers going on around town. Coffee, tea and snacks. Laughter. Warmth. Love. I wanted to be at one of those places, but we didn't belong for whatever reason. How many times do we make others feel that way when we relate to each other and have family time at church or small groups and they are on the outside looking in.

Two points remain. We need to be willing to belong to this community of believers following Jesus and we also need to make others feel welcome to belong. Remember Jesus told the story of the banquet holder sending his servants to the alleys and streets then on to the country...get the beggars! get the poor! get the blind! In other words, come one, come all! There is no sifting filtering system by which we are to find people to belong to this great hope called salvation thru the grace of God thru Jesus.

I am going to try to be more approachable when I really want to just find a corner to hide in. When I just want some time for myself I am going to pray that God changes my desire to belong to a community of believers just like he did. God bless and enjoy your days off this weekend!
cya,
keith

Dauphin Island Mission Extravaganza!!

Hey all,
I talked to Lee today. Here is her picture. She is the wife of the Senior Pastor and also the missions organizer. She sent me a pic of a bathroom that is in the house of a 90 year old lady who we will be helping when we get there. This is just one of the projects, but certainly a neat one to be involved with. She is, as I said, 90 years old and has a grandson that is in a wheelchair. He is living there also. There is another group that will be there the week we are there to put a porch with a ramp up to her mobile home due to hurricane damage this past summer. We will be working on her bathroom. As you can see, she has a chair in the tub for boy in the wheelchair to be able to get in and bathe. We will be redoing the bathroom with a new handicap-accessible shower, sink (already purchased) and finishing touches on the rest of bathroom.
The catch is there is no funding for the bathroom. In God's time I am sure that he will provide a way for us to not only help by redoing it, but also help fund it as well. Be praying for this and we will see what He decides to do :)

I am also including a pic of the RESORT where we will be staying :) All joking aside, this is going to be a jam up trip!
God Bless,
Keith

Your special valentine...

Valentine's day is coming up this Saturday. You may get candy, cards, jewelry, or maybe your not the valentine type. We all like to be well thought of and valentine's day is a great day to think of others and find out who's thinking about you.
As I reflect on my valentine, Mrs. Dawn, and all that she is to me it is overwhelming. Through thick and thin she has stayed right by my side. It is so cliche-ish but this is a world that decides very quickly that if things aren't in my best interest RIGHT NOW then I am getting out. To go thru the good and the bad and still have someone that you are totally in love with is not only rare...it is a miracle.
As I think about it I am reminded of the greatest valentine in the world. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Although my love for my wife continues to grow I find one who loves me more. He made me, with great thought, He formed me and then, after going off kilter, He chose to save me from the destruction that I ran headlong into.
Whether single or dating, remember this valentines day that if you celebrate a love or a friendship, there is no greater love or friend than Jesus. He does not desire candy, or jewelry, or anything that is a TOKEN of your affection. He simply wants you. All of you. He has committed His life to you and He will take no less than the same from you. To the greatest lover of all, our Lord Jesus, the very creator of love itself, may we offer you a deeper version of our love for you this valentine's holiday.
This picture, believe it or not, is the perfect picture for Valentine's Day. This is the picture of the wife of the marine killed in combat in Iraq that flew back and the wife asked if she could spend one more night with him before his funeral. The placed guard asked the lady if she would like him to stand guard throughout the night as a sense of comfort for her. She accepted.
What a great picture of Jesus' love for us. He died for us as did this marine and he now lives again to reign supreme over sin and death. O God help us love you like this fellow soldier and wife love this marine.
God Bless,
Keith

And they're off!!

The ladies are on their way. Revolve tour will have begun in about 6 hrs. Thank you MOrgan for your comment. You too gamegirl. Good to hear practical things are being thought thru to make us more like Jesus. Khia and I are on our way to Chef Buddy's where I will be obligated to get a #12. Obligated in the sense that my inner self loves those!! Everyone have a great weekend. Be safe and follow Jesus.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Keith

confessions

So, I wonder what your thoughts are about last night. I was uncomfortable at some level talking about who we are to confess to and how often. I think because it is a discipline that in the church hasn't been practiced for a long long time. Anyway, food for thought.

Revolve girls...I hope you have a great weekend!! You are all in my prayers. Kaleb should be in yours because Dawn will be with you and he will be with me. It's Thursday morning and I am getting ready to go to lunch in Okeechobee with a few people to meet W. Elmo Mercer, a hymn writer. He's like 76 and written a lot of hymns for the church. How cool is that!! Basically, a seasoned version of Chris Tomlin. Anyway, have a great day or evening...depending on when you are reading this and don't forget to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. That means he is in control and you are good with that. Also confess to each other. Be thinking who your each other is or are. You are the new church following a timeless ageless Lord and Savior.
God Bless,
P. Keith

Kaleb is doing good. I thought I would post my favorite picture of him.
Great addition, Gamegirl, to the Top 10 that was really top 5 and now has become The Top 6!! I purposefully went to McDonald's day...the drive thru, where I would get an Adkins diet friendly (2) double cheeseburgers and a coke (not friendly). So I am pulling up to the drive thru, order and no one comes up behind me. It's 12:10. Is that even possible?? It was sort of bizarre. I will take it that I am supposed to find some new ways to worship today.
Great Job Red football team! The exclamation point is not due to my excitement. I actually wanted to destroy you gals and gents, but a period just looked like I was being a sore loser. I am so stinkin sore. I look about 80 right now. Anyway, good job. I am proud of everyone for being such good sports about everything. Also...for the record. I did not stop to let Jacob get me. I am no quitter and would happily toast his tail to the endzone be it possible. However, I realized that he was going to catch me so I made a fatal decision. I would juke Jake. When I went to juke all that really happened was I slowed down and then changed directions in about 6 seconds... Jake reacted much quicker than that. Oh well. You also will be an old man some day.
Thought for the day. I am sitting in my office preparing for Wed. Night and I look over to my little 365 days of praise calendar thought for the day thing. It IS usually about 2 mos. behind, but not today so here it is.

"The thought of You stirs us so deeply that we cannot be content unless we praise You, because You have made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in You." AUGUSTINE

ideas about worship

Hey guys. Sorry it took me a few days to get back to this. We were talking Wed. night about how do we worship...with our lips and our lives? I don't want to be presumptious to think that these ways are going to be solid ways for you, however I think they are worth trying if you are struggling with the idea of worship being anything your hands find to do in reverence for Jesus.

I think the way I am going to tackle this is to give a top ten list. In no particular order. Here goes.

1. The next time you go thru the drive-thru at a fast food place pay for the person's meal behind you also. This involves a little bit of waiting at the first window. Just tell the teller you are going to pay for theirs also and this is a great time to see if they will relay the message that Jesus loves them for you. In our bible belt part of the country, believe it or not, they usually have no problem with it. Pray for them as you go and know that you have brightened their day. You have worshipped! Obviously, make sure it's not a minivan full of John and Kate plus eight or you may bite off more than you can chew :)

2. Thank God for your parents and pray for them. My hope, as I know my children will be reading this, is that you do this all the time. But try this. Make it a practice when you are being reprimanded or not getting your way. What a great way to show God your obedience to Him far outweighs your own desires. This one's hard no doubt. Not impossible.

3. Get on www.intersectionsym.com. Sing and pray with the music player in solitude. I love worshipping like this. God honors our private pursuits of Him.

4. Making any money? Above what you give from what you make, pray about making a deeper contribution financially to something that will honor God and then pray for what it will accomplish. For example, if you have 40 bucks left and you know you get paid again in a day or two, choose someone or something to give a portion above your regular amount and pray that God will do great things thru it.

5. Find someone lonely. It's not hard to do. They are all around us. Choose a student who you recognize to be struggling and alone. Then, be a smile and friend.

Not an exhaustive list by any means, but at least hopefully some things you've never done before. Let me know how it works. Remember, it's all about bringing honor and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus. Thank Him for the perfect gift He gave for us.

God Bless,
Keith