Approval rating is overrated........

     A long time ago when my nephew was young and hopefully didn't know any better. He had a boy that lived beside him they called JW. JW wanted my nephew's attention so bad he would do anything for him. One day Jamie took advantage of this. They were standing near the neighborhood creek when Jamie said to JW, I bet you can't jump over this creek. The most infamous words then ensued. I bet you I can Jamie Sowders. That boy tried to jump that creek I don't know how many times, but each time he would land right in the middle of the water. His soaked clothes was a reminder of just how far people will go to win your approval.
     Peter was someone who was always trying to get the attention and approval of Jesus. There have been many critics of Peter. However, Peter redeemed himself in being a faithful follower of Jesus. He may have gotten his mouth out in front of his brain a few times, but his heart was right. He simply wanted the approval of Jesus.
     A remarkable story of approval comes in the book Acts when a man named Stephen was preaching about Jesus. As usual, this was upsetting to the Jews. When they began to get angry with Stephen, He looked up into Heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand side God. This is the only time in the Bible were it describes Jesus Standing. Everywhere else depicts Him as seated at the right hand of the Father. However, he must have been so pleased with Stephen that He stood up.
     We seek the approval of so many people in life for various reasons but wouldn't it make more sense to seek out the approval of God. Max Lucado, many years ago, wrote a book entitled "The Applause from Heaven". The book about is us seeking out to please God so much that it would warrant the applause of Heaven. What could we do today that gain the applause of heaven? Moreover, What could we do to cause Jesus to stand up?

I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!!

Look what I did.......

     One afternoon I was over in Kentucky visiting my mom. Reese decided she wanted to work on a puzzle. This was not just some ordinary puzzle. This was one of those that takes up the entire living room floor. Reese was dead set on working on this puzzle though. I started out in the floor with her but I soon had just about all the puzzle I could take for one day. Rhegan started helping her with some advice from on lookers. Her cousin Delaney came by just in time to offer some assistance as well her oldest brother Bradley. The rest of the room would periodically offer some advice. The moment finally arrived. The puzzle was complete. Reese stands up with a great shout of pride and said I did it. You heard me correct. Amidst all of the help and assistance Reese had received, she stood up and said "I" did it. This brought a laugh from the on lookers and the helpful participants.
     Life so often has this same appearance. Life brings about so many challenges and obstacles. You move through it but you never do it alone. There is always help all around you even some times when you don't even know it. However, we are very quick to point out that we did alone. Look what "I" did.... Take a moment and reflect on all the people who have had an influence on your life............... If you really took the time to think about it, it can actually blow your mind the number of people that have helped you along the way. Oh and don't forget the people who were simply cheering you on.
     No matter how much all of these people has helped us, None has helped us like Jesus. We have no idea some of the things he has kept us from. The times He has gone ahead and worked something out. It's like working that puzzle when you reach a point where you have to find that one piece. The piece that the rest of the puzzle hinges on. You search and search. You try many pieces thinking it is the fit, but you find out it isn't. Our life is like that without Jesus. We may try many other things from this world but the decision to place Christ in your life. Well, everything else hinges on that one decision.
     Jesus says to us from the cross........ Look at what I did...

I am John Sowders and I am Second..!!!   

Has Jesus Wrecked Your Life?

     I have a good friend who was going along her peaceful little life. She seemed to have it all together. As I am I sure with everyone, a few bumps along the way, but everything kind of the way she had hoped and dreamed of. Then it happened. In her own words, Jesus wrecked her life. Don't take this wrong she means it in a good way. Jesus took her little world that she was perfectly content with and turned it upside down. Jesus made a wreck of her lifelong dreams and showed her and her husband the plan He had. All it took for God to show them His plan was one trip to Haiti then it was all she wrote. That trip opened their eyes to a whole new way of seeing things. God used that trip to show them He would use them there. They are serving an orphanage as missionaries and also started a ministry to help those orphan children. I am so glad that God offered me the opportunity to become a child of God. Thank you Bruce and Dee Wilson for hearing and following the call to be followers of Him.
     Isn't it amazing how we get out ahead of God and start making our plans then we sit back and pray for God to bless it. In case you haven't noticed, He is God and He knows what he is doing. We should ask Him where it is that He would have us go. If we go His direction and follow His plan, He is sure to bless it.
     Think about the woman at Sychar who was at the well when Jesus came by and told her everything about her. Jesus wrecked her world and she was never the same. What about Matthew the tax collector? He had an encounter with Jesus and he was never the same. Jesus wrecked his world. What about John? He was a fisherman trying his best to earn a living for his family. Then it happened. Jesus wrecked his world and turned it upside down.
     May this be our prayer that Jesus wrecks our lives. He comes in and alters everything. I know some of you will say slow down just a little. I mean I go to church two and three times a week. I am doing just about all I can do. Really? All you can do? We accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. You cannot divide those two offices. There is no such thing as partial obedience. Partial disobedience is complete disobedience. If you go to church that often, I know you have stood in the church and sang, "I surrender all" and "have thine own way Lord". Take that step of faith and mean it.
     Let Jesus wreck your life. Go ahead I dare you........

I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!!

This doesn't look like the picture........

     I am finished.... thank goodness. What do I do with these? You know the "these" I am talking about. The left over screws and bolts and odd pieces. I just finished putting this together and I am pretty sure I followed the directions correctly. However, I am a little concerned that I have pieces left that should have probably been attached somewhere. Have you been there? Makes you wish you had someone standing with that had put one these together before. We could all use a little wisdom and experience completing a task from time to time.
     I have also sent my kids to complete a task only for them to come back disgusted and frustrated. Complaining to me that what they were doing was not working out. I would ask them have you tried everything. Yes, they would say. I have tried everything and every way I know and I just can't get it together. It is always at that moment I would remind them that they hadn't done everything possible to finish their task. They had not ask me to help them. They would always look at me and shake their head.
     Working on something in your life that just simply not working out the way you think it should. Quit trying to figure it out yourself and ask your Father to help. After all, He does have the answers and the ability to resolve the situation. Take it to God in prayer. I am not talking about passive discussion. I am talking about finding a quite place and getting on your knees before the very God of this Universe. He is your Father and He loves you. He wants the best for you. Go ahead, let Him help you on this one.

I am John Sowders and I am Second..!!!

The Point.........

     You know we have all gone through life with certain sayings that have always garnered our attention. I want to throw some at you that I am sure you have heard people say at some POINT in your life.
     1. I just don't get the Point
     2. Just what is the Point anyway
     3. I am about at the Point of my wits end
     4. Can you Point me in the right direction?
     5. I have come to the Point of no return
     6. What's the Point of Algebra?
     7. What kind of Point was she trying to make with that outfit?
As you have noticed, I referred to many statements or sayings that has the word "point" in them. There is something about that word that has intrigued me the last few days as I have sought God in prayer about direction in my life.
     It is at a point that two pieces of wood join together to form the Cross. That Point shows a change in direction in the wood. One piece is vertical while the other is horizontal. The vertical piece of wood demonstrates to us the importance of having a relationship with God while the horizontal piece instructs us to have relationships with others. Those two pieces of wood meet at a point.
     Just as those two pieces of wood meet at a point, my life has came to many different points. There is one point though I want to draw special attention. It was the point in my life that I came face to face with Jesus. Was I ready for that moment? I don't believe I was. Are we ever ready for that moment? However, the Point was before me. Here He is with His arms stretched out offering Himself to me as savior and Lord. At that Point, I was going to make a decision one way or another. I would walk away with a Savior or walk away lost.
     Maybe today you are dealing with something that has brought about much frustration. Your hands have been thrown up into the air in disgust on more than one occasion. You may have even questioned why you bother to care so much about it. After all, it doesn't seem to bother anybody else. So what's the point?
     I was on a mission today trying to locate something. I gave up my manly pride and stopped and asked a gentlemen for some guidance. I asked the gentlemen if he could point me in the right direction. He sure could. He told me precisely how to find what I was looking for. How many of you are pulling up to someone right now in your life and rolling down the window with a great need to ask them, can you point me in the right direction? We all come to crossroads in our lives where we must make a decision. We want to make the right one. After all, we may never get that chance again.
     It is our, Christina and myself, prayer that we would be able to point you to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. The amazing part about God is that he has already seen my death. He knows the direction I need to go to fulfill what He has called me to do. I am so thankful for the POINTS in my life. Please take advantage of yours,,,,,,

I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!!!

Isn't that what we do?.....Ok, maybe not.

     I am continuing my thought from yesterday. God will not let go of me on this subject. In his book entitled, Radical Together, David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, tells a story about a pastor coming to him and talking to him about how their church operates. The pastor said they tell their people to invite as many people as possible to church. When the people come, leave the rest to the staff to create an environment that they will find appealing and want to come back. As I read this, I speculated that many of our churches operate under this pretense. This is the basis of the seeker sensitive movement that many churches have bought into.
     When the pastor asked David if that was the way his church did things. He was honest with him and told him no. The church where he pastors does the exact opposite. He told him that church was for the believers, it was not geared toward the lost. Salvation is extended to the lost through the week as our people encounter them at work or in the market. As they accept Christ as Savior then we plug them into small groups to learn how to reach other for Christ. Would you have a clue as to what the pastor's response was to what David said? The pastor said, " Man that's a new idea"
     Oh it is??? I don't think so. Christ commanded His church to go into all the world and make disciples. He did not tell us to come up with just the right church service with the most awesome music and super relevant speaker and then sit back and wait on people to come in for salvation. Don't get me wrong, there are times when people get saved during a church service, but the church is compelled to go after the lost not wait on them.
     There is a church near my hometown that is experiencing growth, but one of the things they do that puzzles me is they have a baptism service planned without anyone necessarily scheduled to be baptized. They ask people to come to the church and get saved. I don't know about you but this seems a little backward to the way we are taught to go after the lost in the Bible.
     Will we sit back and wait on the lost come to church on our terms? Maybe we will keep changing our church services until it is finally just the way the world wants it? Jesus commanded us to take the Church into the world, but we have allowed the world into the church........

I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!!!

Environment: Who creates it?

     I have had the privilege of being in a lot of people's homes. It doesn't take long in someones home, to find out what is very important to them. Some homes are built for entertainment with wide open spaces in the common areas. Some homes demonstrate a lot of history and memories with all the pictures on display. I have been in homes were musical instruments were out in the open for all to see so it was obvious that the family was musically inclined.
     The homeowner creates the environment. If you look around and see a lot of religious pictures or statues, one would get the idea that they follow God in some way or another. The person who lives there dictates the conversation. You never walk in someones home and take over the conversation. The person who dwells there guides the visit. The homeowner sets the stage and controls the flow of the visit. It would be rude on our part to try to take that from them. We are a guest in this dwelling. It belongs to someone else so we do not create the environment.
     We understand this principal with no problem, but why do we go in the complete and opposite direction when we walk into God's house. After all, it is His house. It's His environment to create. Why do we work so hard on trying to make His dwelling more appealing. Should this task not be left up to Him. Why do we even feel compelled to make Him appear more appealing. He is God. He has a certain attraction about Him that no one seems to possess.
     I believe that in our plot to try to make the church relevant, we forget a basic and important eternal truth. God is relevant. We don't have to dress Him up to take Him to town. You may think that I am off base and not sure if you believe what I am saying. Watch this video and see what you think. WARNING!!!! There is the possibility that this looks like the church you attend. If so, ponder on the thoughts I have presented to you. Remember one truth about God that God said about Himself when speaking to Moses, God said,
" I am that I am"....... God is....... not was..... we fon't have to make Him relevant, He is.....

I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!!!

To be treasured.........

     Many years ago, my grandmother Sowders made all her grandchildren a quilt. There are several of us so this was a remarkable task. Mom held onto to our quilts until we were married. The quilts were all store in plastic bags and were never used. My two older brothers and Sister had gotten theirs exactly the way I described. My younger brother got his as well. However, when I got married my mom and dad had just bought a new house and we were in the process of moving and everything was packed up. Mom told me when she got everything sorted out she would find my quilt and give it to me.
     Time marched on and we both actually forgot about the quilt. Mom forgot about it so much that she actually thought she had given it to me one night when she pulled a quilt out of a bag on a cold night and used it. She left the quilt on her bed for a long time. One day I was talking to her about the fact that I had never gotten my quilt. She told me she would look for it. It was during her looking that she realized she had used my quilt made by Granny Sowders on her bed.
     Being the mother that she is, she apologized like 400 times. As I have told my mom several times, I have the best quilt of all of the quilts my granny made. My siblings got a quilt my granny made, but I got one that she made and my mother used. I will go on record and say I am a momma's boy. I don't know many sons who aren't if they would own up to the truth. The quilt in my possession will always be something that I treasure. It is kept in a plastic and placed in a place of importance. I look at it often. I still am very blessed to have my mother with me right now. However, this will not always be the case, but this quilt will be a reminder of who she was in my life. This quilt means something to me that is unexplainable and indescribable.
     Although that quilt means everything to me, It cannot compare to what Christ means in my life. He gave his all for me. He came when he didn't have to because he loved me too much to leave me the way I was. I am sure you have items in your life you treasure, but allow yourself to treasure your savior on this day, the day of worship.
     May today be a day you lay everything else aside and focus on Him. For when we worship, we show its worth-ship. What is he truly worth to you?

I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!!

Well this is empty,,, throw it away?

     You have just finished the last drink of the bottle of soft drink. The bottle is empty so you toss it in the trash. Maybe it was a bottle of water for you but the bottle is empty now so you throw it away. Would the bottle serve another purpose? Obviously, the bottle had no more meaning of existence for you. After all, it is empty. If I acquired a thirst, there is nothing left in the this bottle to satisfy that thirst.
     The one thing that we hate the most is to open the fridge to get the milk only to find out the last person who got milk finished the jug but put the jug back into the fridge empty. Oh the emotion that goes through your veins when that happens. You don't want that to happen to someone else so you get the jug out and toss it in the trash. It's empty. It is any good now.
     Is the emptiness of something that cause it to have no value? Before you answer, lets ponder for a moment about the Cloths dryer. When is it the most useful to me? It is the most useful to me when it is empty. After a load from the washer, I want to find the dryer empty and ready for use. Likewise, when the load is completely dried, I don't toss the dryer to the trash. The dryer is waiting on me to place another load of clothes to be dried inside of it.
     I know you are going to enjoy this one. what about a baby diaper? When is it the most useful and purposeful? It is of most value to us when it is empty. It is in its emptiness that it performs for me. I wouldn't put a full or used diaper on a baby or child. I want to place an empty, clean diaper on them.
     In Philippians 2, Paul writes to us about the humility of Christ. In verses 6-7 of that chapter, Paul tells us that Jesus, "who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men." The Greek word, Kenos is used here to imply that Jesus emptied himself. At that very moment, Jesus was already fully God, but he became fully man. Jesus emptied himself. There is great debate as to what Jesus emptied himself of but that is not my intent at this moment to discuss the theological aspects of that debate.
     I was us to discuss the reality that whatever he emptied. He did it for us. He left the portals of glory to come visit us and to die for us. In verse 8, Paul tells us "he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross". The most vile and despicable of all forms of death. In Jesus' emptiness, He fulfilled the awesome plan of God.
     You may feel lonely and defeated today. You may just like there is nothing on the inside of you right now. You just have this empty feeling of worthlessness. Don't forget Jesus experienced moments of loneliness and emptiness. He wants to be there for you today. If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, that is the empty feeling. Ask him into your heart today and follow him. If you know him, maybe you have been following at a distance, come closer, He is waiting on you.

I am John Sowders and I am Second..!!!!

Shouldn't this go away?

     Remember the day you realized you were madly in love with that special person. You were just crazy about that person. Your mind is consumed by them. However, no matter how much you fell madly in love with them, it did not really change your situation nor your circumstance. When you dropped them off at their house and went on your way, there were still things in your life that you had to deal with. No matter how much you loved that person, some of the bad in your life that was bringing you down was still right there looking you in the face.
     Many times we have forgotten this simple truth when it comes to our relationship with Jesus Christ. How many times have you dealt with a situation and you said well I know what I must do, I must get closer to God. I have to spend more time with my Savior. Consequently, the problem doesn't go away and in some cases it may have even have gotten worse. Contrary to some false teachers out there, following Jesus does not make all your troubles go away. It doesn't instantly make you a millionaire and your sickness immediately disappears.
     Following Jesus closely may even get you into trouble. Just ask Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Submitting to the God and His supreme will put them into a Firey Furnace, but it was in that furnace they saw God remarkably go through it with them. God didn't take them out but He went through it with them. Daniel was thrown into a den of lions and came out unarmed. Paul found himself in prison many times. Peter was crucified upside down.
     Falling in love with Jesus and turning your life over to him may not bring the results you are looking for if you are looking for an escape from trouble and pain. I know many people today may be going through many different situations. Maybe someone is close to losing a job and the hope of finding another one appears dim. Someone may have a child that is in rebellion and there is no explanation why. Possibly you have lost a loved one and no matter when it was, this week has been difficult thinking about them being gone. Death is a natural part of this world and there is no escaping its ugly grip. However, there is the hope of seeing them again one day in the presence of a loving God.
     Trials and troubles may be a total disruption from the devil. This week has been one of those moments for me. God is opening so many doors for Christina and I to minister and the more doors are opened the harder Satan has tried to disrupt our focus. Satan I am so sorry for your loss today..... Na na na boo boo...... LOL...sorry about that but I love rubbing it in his face. Allow God to be present in your trials and understand it may also be coming from Satan. Use these moments to glory in God and His son Jesus.
   
I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!!!

Follow: what does this mean?

     Like so many people when something new comes along, I tend to fight it. The new trend seems so unorthodox even if it is a good trend. We are by nature creatures of habit. I have heard it said and read where one has to do something for 6 weeks before it becomes a habit. Habit is not a bad word. However, it does imply motivation. If and only if the reason you do something is merely from habit, does it make it right?
     I want to discuss three major avenues that people use a very powerful word to demonstrate what they do. The avenues are Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. When we talk of any of these three, we say we follow so and so on them. Follow is an interesting choice of words. If I follow you on one of these, I tend to watch what you're doing from day to day. I am able to see things of interest to you on a daily basis. I am able to take a look into a person's brain as I hear what they have to say each day that may gleam some insight into who they really are. If I follow you everyday for a said period of time, I begin to know you very well and even the more so as time goes on. I make a conscience decision to follow them everyday. Their life seems to be as much a part of me as it is the author of the information.
     Consequently, we use the same word to describe our relationship with Christ. We say we are followers of Jesus. Lets take a quick look and examine ourselves. If we use the same word interchangeably with the different subjects, then we are to believe that the actions and thought processes are the same. Follower: one who spends each and every day examining and reading about Jesus. One who wants to know every move and action of the Savior. One who will decide to put off that cup of coffee for the opportunity to read something new from God's Word. Follower: One who will not only take the authors word for it but will search some of His friends and fellow followers for more insight and information.
     So are you a follower? Even if you proclaim yourself as a follower, is it out of habit or out of desire? May the gaining of information about God and the closeness to Him be the most important part of our day. The people we follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest may very well be important, but none as important as the God of this universe......

I am John Sowders and I am Second..!!!!

Have the price tags been exchanged?

     I read a book many years ago by Max Lucado entitled, "No wonder they call Him Savior". In this book, Lucado tells the story of a department store that was obviously having a really wild sale. People were finding  what was normally expensive was very cheap and that which was normally really cheap was very expensive. You could buy a $1400 lawnmower for $1.25. I can hear you from here, you would have loved to been in on that sale. However, the store also had $200 on a pack of chewing gum. Sorry kids, no gum for you today. 

     The store had something obviously going wrong. The people that worked in the store didn't know what to do about the situation. They were definitely at a loss for words. The only explanation they could come up with was that while the store was closed someone must have came in and exchanged the price tags, While they were  sleeping, someone came in and exchanged the value of certain items.

     Is your bell going off? well, it should be ringing off the hook. We are living in a society where we have exchanged the value of things in this world. Those things that use to be priceless are now seemingly worth very little. Those things that we placed no value at all now are very important. What has happened? It is the largest demonic phrase that has ever came from the pits of Hell. It is called, "politically correct". Correct for who? It has been amazing what the immoral minority has done to this country. We as followers of Christ has sat back and allowed some of the most prized items to be disregarded.

     When I was in Elementary school, Mrs. Wahlstedt came by and would tell us Bible stories with a felt board, I would love for my kids to hear bible stories while they are at school. Our kids needs to hear the Bible constantly. We need to feed them God's Word. When Mrs. Wahlstedt told her story, anyone who didn't want to listen was taken out. Guess how many there were that went out, you're correct, none! However, today we don't want to offend anyone so we can't do it. I am sorry but the gospel is offensive. Jesus dying on the cross is ugly and offensive. I am so glad that the cross offended my sin and offered me salvation. It is not about what is polite, it is about what is right! I want you to think about how easily this was taken from us. While that was going on, were we telling our own children bible stories at home and teaching them about Jesus. In truth, just how important was it to us?

     What in the world happened to prayer in school? We sat back again and let them take prayer out of school. We have also been mad because they have also taken prayer out of the public arena: ballgames and public events. However, I could see how this was so easy for them to take from us. When does the moral majority pray, they pray in church. They very seldom pray in public whether by themselves or with their family. Why fight for something you really don't participate in? 

     We have allowed the value of things in our world to be exchanged but were they of real value to us or just ideals passed down from the former generation. May we as followers of Christ, engage the truths found in His Word. May we live them out in our daily lives so that it becomes the norm that will be too prevalent to take away or exchange. Think about your family heirlooms, would you let just anybody come in and take them away? They are too important to you. Let the things of God be that important to you.

I am John Sowders and I am Second..!!!

Can we do it?..... Well is the Power on?

     Some years ago, I heard a message from Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III. Freddy has been the pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas for many years. In this message, Freddy, who is a great story teller, tells a story about going into Popeye's Chicken one time and asked for a certain meal. They told him they could get him a drink and some fries but they did not have any chicken. He could not believe his ears. He asked the clerk are you sure you don't have any chicken. She said we do not have any chicken. He told us you know that sign did not say Popeye's Soda Drinks. It did not say Popeye's French Fries. The sign plainly read Popeye's Chicken. Finally after his confused state, the clerk said sir the reason we don't have any chicken is that up until 15 minutes ago, we didn't have any power. The electricity had been turned off.
     Many times in our lives, We have been in the same situation. God has called us to promote and offer Jesus to a lost and dying world, but we haven't been able to do that which God has called us to do because we don't have any power. We haven't allowed God to take control of us. We haven't given him all of us.
     We haven't been called to give them some music although it complements the process. We haven't been called to offer them great children's programs although that complements the process. We have been called to off them Jesus through the power of the Holy Ghost. Jesus told us himself, we shall have power after the Holy Ghost is come upon us and we shall be witnesses of Him to the utermost parts of the world. The utermost means anywhere and everywhere, anytime and every time.
     It is my prayer that we allow God's power to work through us as we give ourselves away to Him for his glory and manifestation to a lost and dying world.
     So today, we will be serving chicken or does all we have to offer is some fries?

I am John Sowders and I am Second..!!!

Are you going to die,,,,, I guess not..

     Christina and I have a plant that sits in the floor in the corner by our dining table. I will admit that we will get preoccupied from time to time and we will forget to water it. You may have one of these plants in your home. After a few days without water, it looks like it is on the brink of death. The leaves are all folding over and drooping down. Some of them are even laying on the floor. I go get a pitcher of water and soak it. You know what happens. After about 2 days of watering, the plant looks vibrant again. The stems are strong and holding up those leaves like it is proud of each and every one. The plant looks like it is suppose to look. It fills the room with beauty. It occupies its corner with dignity and purpose.
     This plant reminds me of us sometimes. What happens to us when we neglect to spend time in God's word. We grow dull and lifeless. We seem to be a drooping existence of ourselves, But if we spend time in His word, we become what He wants us to become. We become proud of who we are and demonstrate our strength we find in Him and His Word.
     When Jesus was speaking to the woman at the well in John chapter 4, She came seeking ordinary water, but what she found was living water. Jesus told her that if she drank water from this well, she would thirst again. However, if she drank from Him, she would drink from the well that would never run dry. If she drank from Him, she would never thirst again. That's the water that we need today.
     That plant is very dependent upon me for its existence. I am very dependent upon Jesus and His Word for my existence. I must trust Him and allow Him to work on me so I can stand proud of who I am in Him.

I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!!

Going to the Father.....

     Have you ever felt that you were at a distance with God. You know things just aren't quite where they need to be, but you don't really know what to do about it. You know you have reached a point in your life that you want to get close to God but He seems so far away. I don't know about you but when I have been in that situation I knew it was my fault because God never moves nor does He pull himself away from me. What did I do to cause this? For me anyway, It came about through selfish decisions. I wanted what I wanted and nothing was going to change my mind until I found out what I wanted wasn't what I wanted at all. Does that sound familiar?
     Well if you feel that way, you are not alone. Many have been in your shoes. I believe if we were honest with ourselves and each other, we have all been there at one point or another. We can also look in the scripture and find a very familiar story in Luke 15 about a son that wanted it his way so bad that he pretty much told his dad he wished he was dead and asked him for his inheritance. The father gave his son what he requested and the son left the comfort of his father's house and went into the world. Scripture tells us that he wasted it all away until one day he looked up and he had nothing left. When he woke up with the pigs, he knew that he had done wrong and wanted to return to his father.
     I want you to notice something very important in this story that I think we overlook because of its familiarity. In Luke 15:18, the son says, "I will arise and go to my father". He did not say he would go to his fathers house. He said he would arise and go to his father. I want us to realize that it is about a relationship and not a residence. Our encounter is with the Father not the church, not His house. I truly believe this is why you find many people in and out of church. They attendance is based on their relationship to that church and its people. The relationship should be focused on God and Him alone. My relationship with others stem from my relationship with God. As my relationship with God grows so does my faithfulness to and concern for His church.
     May we arise today and go to the Father........ May we fall in love with the person of God and who He is.
I am so thankful for the relationship that I have with God that was made possible by My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died for my sins and arose from the grave and is seated at the right hand of the Father.....Praise Him, Praise HIM....... Listen to this song presented by the Prestonwood Baptist Church Choir in Plano, Texas.... AWESOME!!!!!!!......

All I can say is WOW!!! I simply love this song and this church pastored by Dr. Jack Graham is solid,,,
I am John Sowders and I am Second..!!!!

Where do I go from here.......

     I was watching a cartoon pirate show the other day with Reese. They were trying to find Captain Hook who had taken something that belonged to them. They were following him then they lost sight of him just about the time that the road broke into three separate paths. They stood there for a minute then they started listening down each path trying to hear Captain Hook so they would know which path to go down. When they heard his voice they went down that path.
     I have been like those young pirates trying to decide which path I am suppose to go down. However, I am pointing my ears down the different paths trying to hear from God. I don't know about you but I have never been able to get it all resolved in 30 minutes. I have been listening down those different paths for months waiting patiently to hear from God.
     Have you been in the same situation? Maybe you are in one right now. Just know that God is faithful and He will tell you what you need to know. Stay in His word and take counsel from wise friends. I have also found myself many times listening to a song by Third Day, "Revelation". It gives me comfort as I seek out what God would have me do.

I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!!!

We must make the first move.....

     How many times have we been in a situation where we needed something from God? Not just something, we needed something supernatural. You know one of those moments where if it was going to happen, it was going to come from God. What did you do? Did you just wait patiently on God to answer that prayer or did you try to figure it all out by yourself? I believe there are a couple of events in scripture that teaches us what to do. I find in scripture where God is waiting on us to demonstrate true faith in Him and then He will move in a mighty way. In both examples I am going to share, God could have done it all but He gave man the opportunity to demonstrate their faith.
     Moses had died and Joshua was now leading God's people toward the promised land. They are standing on the banks of the Jordan River and they are needing to go over but how will they do it. God instructed them to carry the Ark of the Covenant into the water first and then He would part the river so they could walk across. Could you imagine looking at that moving water and then having the faith to step in, but when they did what they could do, God did what what only He could do and moved the water back so they could cross. God could have parted the water without them but He wanted to see their faith.
     Martha had sent word to Jesus that her brother Lazarus was sick and she wanted Him to come heal him. By the time Jesus got there, Lazarus had already died and they had buried him. Martha cried to Jesus and told Him that He was too late. Jesus knew better than that. He told His disciples to roll the stone away from Lazarus' tomb. When they had removed the stone, Jesus called for Lazarus to come forth and he did. Lazarus walked out of the tomb alive and well. We must understand this important truth. If Jesus could call a dead man to life, He could definitely move a stone out of the way. Jesus could have suspended the stone in mid air if He wanted to but He chose to let the disciples do what they could do and then He would do what only He could do.
     Don't forget we serve a supernatural God with supernatural powers, but He may be waiting on us to make the first move. Go ahead, make that first move of faith. It may unleash a supernatural movement of God. The Israelites carrying the Ark didn't want to step into the moving water. Martha wanted Jesus to come while Lazarus was just sick and heal him. However, God had a different plan, but in both circumstances, what God did was far greater than what they could have imagined. Your movement may not come the way you want it but just step aside and watch God use your faith to do something awesome!!!

I am John Sowders and I am Second..!!!!

Cleaning from the inside out......

     King Hezekiah was chomping at the bit just waiting on his day to become King Of Judah. When the day finally arrived he made no apologizes for the changes he was to bring to Judah. Hezekiah's father, Ahaz, had made a mockery of the Temple and the God of Judah. Hezekiah was going to change this. In 2 Chronicles chapter 29, you can read of the story of the cleansing of the temple to restore the worship of the one true God, the God of Israel and Judah.
     The part in the story that I want to draw attention to today is how they went about cleansing the temple. If you and I were cleaning a room or the garage, we would start at the door and work our way across the floor. This was not the way they cleaned the temple. They went into the inner most part of the temple and worked their way out. The cleansing took place from the inside out.
     This is a beautiful picture of how Christ cleanses us. He cleans us from the inside out. Our outside appearance doesn't change nor do even some of our bad habits. It is a work in progress. I am sure on the first few days of cleansing the temple, noone standing on the outside could even tell the difference they had made, but on the inside an incredible work was taking place. The Levites who were cleaning the temple did make it out to the porch of the temple and there was a definite noticeable change.
     As Christ works on us and in us, the change begins to work its way to the outside but the temple structure is still the same. My outside appearance doesn't change though sometimes we would like a new makeover. We are who God created us. Our body, His temple, may even bare some wounds and scars from sin, but the inside is what is gloriously saved and changed. However, the change is noticeable and obvious to all around us.
     I want to share a video for you today of Brian Welch, former guitarist for the hard rocking band Korn. As you will notice, the outside hasn't changed, but listen to his story and you will learn very quickly God made a change on the inside.

I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!

A New Baby.... A New Boy.... A New Beginning...

     I want to apologize to all my blog followers. I have not posted a blog in the last few days due to being away from my computer while my wife was giving birth to our son, John William Riley Sowders.

     John- John is obviously my name but the name in my sons name comes from Christina's dad. My Father-in-Laws name was John. We wanted to honor the memory of John by naming his grandson after him.

     William- This was my Fathers name. Dad would probably be mad at me for naming my son after him because Dad never the like the idea of naming kids a Jr, I will wait for my whipping when I get to Heaven. We wanted to honor the memory of Dad by naming his grandson after him.

     Riley- I am not quite sure where this name came from but Christina was set on the naming the baby Riley whether it was a girl or boy.

John and Dad, neither of you will get to set your eyes on your grandson Riley this side of Heaven, But Christina and I will work hard to raise a grandson you will both be proud of. Don't worry we will raise him in the knowledge of the Lord and he will know him as savior. You will get to see him one day......

We miss you and Love you both.......
We also give God our Father, Jesus our Savior, and Holy Spirit our sustainer all the praise for allowing us the opportunity to have such a blessing in our home............

I am John Sowders and I am Second..!!!!!!!

Are you there?..... Hello?......

      I don't know how many of you are fans of texting, but I must admit I have turned into a huge fan of texting. Texting gives you the opportunity to talk to someone when we actually cannot audibly converse with them. It also allows to talk to many different people at the same time. Texting is a great invention. I know that when my father-in-law was alive it gave him the vehicle to talk since he was not able to speak audibly due to his cancer. We no longer had to use the one beep for no and two beeps for yes communication.
     However, have you ever sent someone a text and you didn't get the immediate response that you were looking for?  You wait but no reply. Do you do what I do and send another text that says, "hello?"? I also send the "are you there?" request. We never know why they are not responding. We just know that we need a reply and we were hoping that it was going to come soon. When they finally reply, we get the usual answers and explanations as to why they are just now getting back to us: my phone was dead and on charge, I left the phone laying in the other room and forgot about it, or I left the phone in the vehicle while I was in Walmart. All of which are legitimate reasons for them not replying to your text, but you don't really care about the reason. You simply want a reply to your question or thought.
     Have you felt this way with God? You keep talking to Him and asking Him questions, but you do not feel He is replying to your request. Have you ever looked up and said "God, are you there"? I know I have looked up and said in dismay "hello?". There are times that God does seem at a distance or seem that he is not listening to us. Who knows why he isn't answering at that moment. I know its not because he is on charge or He is busy in Walmart, but He is God and sometimes He chooses not to answer. He may be teaching me that I need to learn patience more than I need an immediate answer.
     I do not know why God reserves the right to not answer us sometimes right away, but I do know this one eternal truth. Silence from God does not mean that He is not at work in and through our lives. Let's remind ourselves of an event in the life of Jesus Christ, the very Son of God. When He was on the cross with His hands outstretched dying for our sins. He felt like His Father had deserted him. He cried out to God and said, "my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?". Had God left Him alone? Of course not, while God was silent, He was working on the salvation plan for the human race. God's silence does not mean He isn't at work. Just be patient, God may be working on an awesome plan that involves you that will impact the entire human race...or at least your community or family...

I am John Sowders and I am Second...!!!!!