Pastor Randy’s GSM Fundraiser
Hey friends, it’s that time again. Are you willing to support my ministry efforts and sow into the mission of Go Scatter Ministries? If so this is the perfect time because once again a Foundation is willing to match any new gifts up to $2,500! You can give via PayPal or Venmo @GoScatterMinistries
https://www.paypal.me/GoScatterMinistries?locale.x=en_US
https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3207810963734528205&created=1689261447.1172662&printed=1
If you want your gift to be tax deductible please make a check out to: GENESIS CONFERENCE and write in the memo line: “EVANGELIST FUND” Then mail the check to: GENESIS CONFERENCE FMC
2260 Westside Drive
P.O. Box 206
N. Chili, NY 14514
You can also learn more about GSM or become a Monthly Ministry Partner at GoScatterMinistries.org
All funding for Go Scatter Ministries comes from honorariums and generous donors like you. Much like a missionary I need to raise a minimum of $3,000 a month to cover: salary, overhead, subscriptions, and pension. Doing so not only allows me to use my time helping to counsel at Care-Net, pray with people at Hands 4 Hope, serve as a Volunteer Sheriff’s Chaplain, and speak at churches and camps among other things but it also makes it possible for me to serve as a part-time Hospice Chaplain, an Interim-Pastor, and an Adjunct Professor. Additional I write a bi-weekly article for The Orleans Hub/ Pennysaver and have launched several blogs and videos titled Refill with Randy, and I connect with many in the community by sharing the love of Christ one cup of coffee at a time.
Pastor Randy’s March Madness Ministry Fundraiser
Hey friends, please help me reach my goal of at least $2,500 which will be matched 1:1 any gift $20 and up or 2:1 any gift $100 and up through March!!!
“A Prayer for Hope” by Hope Bollinger
Father God, every word in scripture points to the gift of hope that we have because of Christ Jesus. The Christmas story wasn’t the beginning of that message of hope because the old testament is full of glimpses of your plan to redeem your people and restore them into a relationship with you, but we are able to truly begin to see and understand just how great your love for us is when we read the story of Jesus’ birth in scripture.
Help us to see that you are with us. Nothing is too difficult, too messy, or too dirty for you. Jesus came to give us the gift of eternal life through the salvation that only you, our Heavenly Father, can give when we believe on your Son, repent of our sins, and confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
That first Christmas, you gave us the gift of hope wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Thank you, Father, for your immeasurable gift. In Jesus’ precious name, we pray. Amen.
“Lift Your Eyes Up” by Dave Good
Good day!! Welcome back to another edition of the GSM blog. Once again my name is Dave Good, it is my honor to spend the next few minutes with you. I pray my words are a blessing and encouragement to you.
Today, I’d like to talk about the first week of advent. The first week of advent is marked by the lighting of a purple candle which is the candle of hope or the “prophecy candle.” Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, man has been in need of a Messiah. Our sins separate us from the presence of God.
At first, God gave us the sacrificial system in order to atone for our sins. The sacrifices were numerous and in many ways not sustainable. Thankfully we serve a God who had a solution from before the foundation of the earth.
I Peter 1:19-20 “but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you”God had a plan from the start.” (NKJV)
How did this plan manifest itself? I’m glad you asked. The hope of the Messiah was written in just about every book of the Old Testament. Everything written in the scriptures point to our need for a Savior.
“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.” (Numbers 24:17 NKJV)
What I want you to notice about this verse is the Star. The verse says a star shall come out of Jacob. This is a clear promise for the upcoming Messiah. Let’s fast forward several hundreds of year and turn to the story of the Magi. The gospel of Matthew tells us: “saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2 NKJV)
How did the magi notice the star? I mean, if you look up at the sky on a clear night there are countless stars twinkling in the dark. The answer is pretty simple. First, they were well aware of the prophecy concerning the Messiah. Also, they must of made it a habit to observe the stardom on a nightly basis so they wouldn’t be caught off guard and miss His arrival.
The arrival of the Messiah in the form of a newborn baby lying in a manger happened some 2000 years ago. Each year we wait expectantly to celebrate His arrival. This year, I feel it’s not only important to celebrate the birth of the Messiah but also to search the sky for his second coming. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts of the Apostles 1:11 NLT) Did you catch that. The same why Jesus ascended into heaven is the same way he will return again.
My question to you is, “Are you searching the sky like the Magi? Are you watching intently for His return? Are you prepared for His return?” Those are crucial answers that need to be pondered.
Friends, as we draw closer to the birth of our Savior, let us not forget that his return may be just as close. I pray you take some time to examine your walk with the Lord and ask yourself, “Am I prepared to meet the King of Kings?” I pray you take the next couple of weeks and prepare yourself for His eventual coming. We don’t know when that time will come but if we prepare now we will allow the anticipation and excitement of his coming fill our hearts and lives today as we waiting expectantly for His return.
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” performed by Chris Tomlin
Good morning friends! Take a minute before your day gets busy and meditative on the haunting music and beautiful lyrics of this Advent song that captures the longing of a people desperate for the Messiah.
“The Advent of HOPE” by Pastor Randy
Today is the beginning of Advent, which means coming so, as we prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ at Christmas, we also prepare our hearts for the Second Coming of Christ as prophesied & promised in Scripture. We’ll do this by looking back at the events of that first Christmas and then looking ahead in anticipation of, and preparation for, the next.
Each week we will focus on a them marked by one or the four virtues that Jesus gives us: Hope, Peace, Joy, & Love. Coincidentally, these are four things that our world is starving for these days.
So, for this first week of Advent, we will focus on the HOPE of Christ’s coming. The dictionary defines Hope as follows…
HOPE – a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
This isn’t a matter of “I really hope The Bills win the Super Bowl this year”. I mean, yes, I certainly desire that but I can’t really expect it—especially since there is no past precedent. But when it comes to placing our Hope in Christ we only need to look at all of the prophesies from the Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled in the New to trust that he will continue to be true to his word and his promise to return.
For example it says in Matthew 12:17-21, after Jesus had been healing people, “This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world.”
And so, as we begin this 2022 Advent journey, I encourage you to spend time in prayer, reflecting on Scripture, and trusting in Jesus—who is the HOPE of all the world!
Come back throughout the week as we look at what it means to long for the Messiah and why he is worth waiting for.
“Happy Thanksgiving” by Pastor Randy
Hi friends, I pray that you are on your way to having a blessed week! The Go Scatter Blog will be taking the week off for Thanksgiving but we will be back next Monday for the beginning of Advent.
In the meantime I just want you to know how grateful I am for each of you. I pray that God will be generous with his love, mercy, and grace toward you and that you will in turn be generous in those same areas with others.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalms 100:1-5 NIV)
“Preparing Your Soul” by Dave Good
Good day!! Welcome back to another edition of the GSM blog. Once again, my name is Dave Good and it is my honor to spend the next few minutes with you.
Today, I would like to talk about preparing your soul for eternity. No one knows how long they will have on this earth. I’ve seen people live 100 plus years and I’ve seen some lose their life at a very young age. Some are taken in the blink of an eye, due to a tragic accident or sudden illness, while others pass away slowly after a long battle with cancer or some other fatal illness. The point I’m trying to make here is that we just don’t know when our time is up.
I believe we serve an extremely graceful God who gives us every opportunity to secure a place with Him in heaven. I think back to the criminal hanging on a cross next to Our Savior on Calvary.
“Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”” (Luke 23:39-43 NKJV)
While one criminal was mocking Jesus, the other criminal was able to see the truth. The criminals deserved to be put to death for the crimes they committed but Jesus did not deserve to die. The criminal’s declaration of his own sins and the realization of the injustice of Jesus’s innocence was the first step to securing his salvation.
If you put yourself in the criminal’s shoes you might be able to sort through his thoughts while hanging on a cross next to Jesus. The criminal knew what he did wrong. We are not told specifically in the story but you could imagine maybe murder, blasphemy, inciting a riot, or a threat to the powers to be, the truth is we just don’t know what he did. Whatever his crime was he deserved to be on that cross.
On the flip side, this criminal must have been aware of the life of Jesus. If you were living anywhere around Jerusalem, the works and miracles of Jesus were well known and talked about. The criminal must have figured things out as his life was hanging in the balance. He acknowledged Jesus and was offered salvation.
The reason I’m bringing this up to you today is because it’s never too late to secure your eternity. The criminal next to Jesus had only hours to live and I’m sure his life involved a lifetime of wrongdoings just like us. Jesus offered salvation at the very last minute and promised him a place in heaven. The only thing the criminal had to do was acknowledge and have faith in who Jesus was.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV)
Jesus offers us grace, despite all that we have done wrong, if we only have faith. We need to have faith that Jesus lived a sinless life, died on a cross, and rose from the dead three days later. He paid the price for our sins and restored us to the Father. There is no other way.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV)
Friends, I’m not sure what your past looks like or what sins you have committed over your lifetime but I’m here to tell you that it’s never too late to get right with God. If you put your faith in Our Savior he promises to meet us in paradise. I don’t know about you but that sounds good to me. Knowing I can spent eternity with the Father is the greatest gift he can give us. I urge you today, don’t put off your eternity. It’s never too late to accept the precious gift of salvation!
“Refill with Randy” – Episode #57 (Replay)
For this week’s “Refill with Randy” we will be replaying Episode #57 which is a more meditative experience. Watch. Listen. Be Still.
“Solitude” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Friends, as much as I appreciate this poem let’s prove the poet wrong and commit to sitting with others in their pain and bearing the burden of their brokenness. It’s true that no man can help you die but The Son of Man has already gone ahead of us and taken the sting away from death. Even more, he promises to never leave us nor forsake us and, having already gone ahead of us, will come back and take us to be where he is.
“Live. Laugh. Love.” by Pastor Randy
Happy Monday!!! Friends, I encourage you to find something to laugh about today. Look for a reason to smile. Take note of something beautiful. Find a reason to show somebody love in a tangible way.
It’s very easy to see the brokenness in the world around us but, as a friend shared in church yesterday, “We see what we look for.” So look for something positive today. Find the silver lining in every situation.
Rather than allowing current circumstances to dictate your mood or your attitude I challenge you to intentionally focus in on those things that will feed your soul today.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 NLT
“If You Love Me” by Dave Good
Good day! Welcome back to another edition of the GSM blog. Once again my name is Dave Good and it is my honor to spend the next few minutes with you. I hope your week has been going well and that you are walking in the strength of the Lord and not your own.
Today I want to talk about what it means to love God. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about the meaning of love and how much God loves us. This week I’d like to look at the other side of the coin and talk about how much we ought to love God.
It is quite evident that God has an overwhelming amount of love for each and everyone of us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV). God loves us enough to send his only Son to the cross for our sins, in order to allow us to have eternal life. I would say that is a very clear demonstration of His love. Please take a minute or two and meditate on how much Go’s loves you.
As the realization of the immense love of God sinks in, I feel it is important to evaluate one’s love for God. Are we loving God as much as He loves us? The answer is absolutely not. The love we return to God falls way short of His love for us. Remember when Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NKJV)
Plain and simple Our Savior says, if you love me keep my commandments. How many of us can say we have kept His Commandments? “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10-12 NKJV). The conviction of the scriptures is sometimes a hard reality to swallow, but it is from this reality that we must begin to evaluate our love for God.
We will never be able to love God as much as he loves us so the challenge we face today is figuring out how we can love God better. We just revealed that one measure of our love for God is how well we keep His commandments, and the first obstacle we face is our understanding of those commandments. The only way to better understand those commandments is to search the Word for better understanding. The Word will give you more clarity of the meaning and purpose of his laws and statutes. The more time you spend in His Word the more you realize that the commandments, laws, and statutes are vessels of love for us. God had our safety and well being in mind with each and every law. “You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” (Deuteronomy 4:40 NKJV). God wants the best for you. Period. When you realize the benefit of obedience and how that allows us to demonstrate our love for God, why wouldn’t you live a life pleasing to God? The fact that we can return the love of God by simply obeying his commands offers me so much encouragement.
Friends, we can never match God’s love for us, however we can reciprocate that love through the simple act of obedience. God always makes it simple for us. Start by searching His word and increasing your understanding of his commands, apply them to life, do your best to obey them and it will go well for you. It’s pretty simple. Despite the simplicity, we will find a way to fall short. When that happens we are to seek God and his forgiveness and grace, repent, and get back on track. Living a life based on these realizations is how was can display our Love for God. It’s what we all need to strive for.
I hope my words will prompt you to examine your love for God and, if you feel it’s falling short I pray you make the necessary changes. If you are upholding His laws to this point, I encourage you to keep on that path. Loving God should be our purpose and direction in life.
“Technical Difficulties”
Due to technical difficulties neither the “Refill with Randy” video or blog will be posted today but come back tomorrow for a regular blog update featuring everyone’s favorite pharmacist Dave Good!
“A Prayer for Focus” by Richard J. Foster
Happy Tuesday!!! Friends if your days are anything like mine have been lately I invite you to join me in praying the following…
Jesus, I desire to start this day with you. And yet, my mind keeps flitting to so many things:
Richard J. Foster; Prayers From the Heart
the projects I want to accomplish,
the people I want to talk to,
the people I wish I didn’t have to talk to.
I wonder. Are these things distractions to spiritual concentration or invitation to see God in the ordinary?
I’m not sure.
Jesus, I know that you are that Center who knows no distraction. So I offer up my mental fragmentation to you,
O Lord my God.
May my scatteredness become your gatheredness.
As I am contemplating a thousand things, Jesus,
may I somehow be contemplating you.
Amen.
~
“Practicing Peace” by Pastor Randy
Happy Monday!!! Let’s start the week by learning how to have peace by putting into practice three things that Paul writes to the Philippians about.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:4-9)
REJOICE – Praise is a great habit to form for anyone who wants to know peace no matter their circumstances. When we rejoice always, whether in the midst of something good or something bad, it helps to shape our worldview by reminding us that we serve a God who is always in control and who deserves our praise even when we don’t understand why we are going through something. When we focus on the storms all we see are the winds and the waves and we reactively worry and stress butwhen we focus on God everything else fades away and then, whether the storm subsides or not, we have peace even as we walk through it.
REQUEST – Paul says that we are to present our requests to God through prayer, petition, and praise. It’s one thing to give something to God in prayer but it’s another to actually leave it with Him. Too often we tell God our troubles but then proceed to worry about them and try to work them out in our own strength rather than actually relying on Him. It’s no wonder that we do not know God’s Perfect Peace when we don’t ever allow Him to truly carry our burdens for us as Christ encourages us to do in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” However, when we cast our cares on Him as well as praise his for past help, we not only feel peaceful but we are reminded of how He has already helped us in the past and we are even more at peace having the assurance that He is able to help us at this point in time as well.
RENEW – Much like in his letter to the Romans (12:1-2) Paul gives instructions about being transformed by the renewing our minds. He explains that we are to take captive each thought for Christ by taking control of what we think about. He says that we need to choose to think about those things which are: true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy.Easier said than done though, right? What we also need to understand is that one of the main factors that contributes to what we focus on is what we fill ourselves with. If we spend all day listening to gangster rap with graphic lyrics we will most likely not have a lot of material to work with later hen we are trying to think about something pure. Or if we spend all night watching the news or trolling FB we probably stay up stressed rather than go to sleep without a care in the world. In order to dictate what we dwell on in our thought life we need to be more discerning about what we decide to fill our minds with.
So how are you when it comes to experiencing God’s Peace in your life? Do you think Paul makes some good points but are skeptical about their effectiveness or have you actually put them into practice? What is one thing that you can do today to take back control of your thought life while simultaneously giving God control over your current circumstances?
“I Can’t Wait!” by Dave Good
Good day! Welcome back to another edition of the GSM blog. Once again my name is Dave Good and it is my honor to spend the next few minutes with you. I hope my words are encouraging to you and move you closer to God
Today I would like to talk about the waiting game. No I’m not talking about waiting in the car while your wife is just running in for a few things. I want to talk about the “I can’t wait!” game. I think we all have said to ourselves, “I can’t wait for Christmas!”, “I can’t wait for my birthday!”, “I can’t wait to graduate!”, “I can’t wait to get married”, “I can’t wait to grow up!”, the list could go on and on. The “I can’t wait” statement is a phrase filled with excitement, expectancy, and hope. I would love for you to take a few minutes and ponder some of the things you have said it about in the past.
As I’m sitting here pondering about some other “I can’t wait!” statements that I’ve said, my thoughts began turn toward Jesus. When I look at the life of our Savior I try to imagine some of the phrases he would have used. Could He have said, “I can’t wait to be baptized!”, “I can’t wait to preach in my Father’s temple!”, “I can’t wait to select my disciples!”, “I can’t wait to heal the sick and give sight to the blind!” I can imagine Jesus saying that entire list and much more.
Despite all those positive and joyful intentions, I wonder if Jesus would have even dared to think about the ominous I can’t wait phrases. I’m referring to thoughts of “I can’t wait to spend 40 days and 40 nights in the desert being tempted by Satan”, “I can’t wait to be betrayed by my own disciple, Judas.”, or how about “I can’t wait to be beaten, scourged, and sentenced to death on a cross by Pontius Pilate.” Finally there was “I can’t wait to be hung on the cross, suffocating and bleeding to death for the world’s sins.”
After reading the list I just created I can’t help but try to wrap my head around the adversity and anguish Jesus had to endure for our sins. We put him on that cross. We sentenced him to death. Why in the world would he do that for sinners like us? The answer is actually quite simple. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13 NIV)
The “I can’t wait!” statements that Jesus must have said were based on the joy and hopes that came out of his suffering. Jesus knew that “I can’t wait to die on the cross” was only the prelude to “I can’t wait to rise on the third day!” Jesus knew the end of his suffering from the beginning. He knew his suffering and death would save his people from the consequences of their sins and give them eternal life, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 6:23 NIV) Jesus endured all so we could spent eternity with Him. It was all worth it to Him.
Friends , I’ve said quite a few “I can’t wait!” statements in my life. Most of them were ushering in a new phase of life. Jesus did the same thing. His “I can’t wait!” statements ushered in eternal life for all those who believe. He wasn’t just thinking about the next few months or even the next few years, he had forever on His mind. Next time you think about your “I can’t waits!” keep your focus on a much larger outlook and you would be amazed how your perspective will change.
I hope my words are helpful and thought provoking. I appreciate your time and look forward to seeing you again next week.
Refill with Randy – Episode #80 “Praying the Psalms”
Grab your favorite cup, fill it up, and start this day right by joining Randy in chanting Psalm 121.
“Dual Sermon Preparation” Pastor Randy
Happy Tuesday! Lately I have been helping churches as they seek new pastors and one of the question often asked is, “How do you prepare your sermon?”
It is a valid and relevant question but I would also like to ask members of each congregation, “How do YOU prepare for the sermon?”
For today’s blog post I invite you to read an article by Thom Rainer that explores this very topic, then I would encourage you to implement some, if not all, of his suggested steps.
Imagine if the same amount of time and prayer went into both preparing to preach the message and preparing to hear the message!
Seven Ways Church Members Should Prepare for a Sermon
What if church members began their own form of sermon preparation?
For countless decades, we have heard about the role of pastors in sermon preparation. The number of hours they need to prepare. The priority of preparation. The role of prayer in sermon preparation.
But what if church members prepared for each sermon they heard? What if they believed their roles as recipients of the Word are also crucially important?
I can see incredible church revitalization taking place if church members took on their own responsibilities of sermon preparation. Here are seven ways members can actively prepare for sermons.
- Pray for the sermon. For a few minutes, the church member should pray for the upcoming sermon. That prayer might take place during the week, the night before the preaching, or the morning of the preaching.
- Pray for the pastor who is preaching. Pray that the pastor will understand God’s message for that text. Pray that the pastor will have no distractions. Pray that God’s Spirit will fill the pastor in both the preparation and delivery of the sermon.
- Pray for yourself as you prepare to hear the sermon. Pray that God will speak to you through the message. Pray that you will not be distracted. Pray for clarity of mind and an open heart to receive the message.
- Read the biblical text before the sermon is preached. If possible, read the text from which the pastor will preach. Read it thoroughly. Read it prayerfully.
- Take notes. Take notes as the pastor preaches. You will have a greater focus and greater retention. Review the notes at least once during the next week.
- Seek an application to your life. Ask God for discernment to help you understand how the sermon should change your life. Seek to understand the sermon not only in its biblical context, but in your life as well.
- Share with the pastor “one thing.” If possible, share with your pastor one significant takeaway from the sermon. Pastors hear countless “good job, pastor,” or “nice message, pastor,” but they long to know if God really made a difference in the lives of the church members through the preached word. If you are able to communicate just one takeaway from the sermon in person, by email, or in social media, your pastor will be greatly encouraged.
The preaching of God’s Word is central to the life of the church. It makes sense that pastors should give it the highest priority.
But doesn’t it also make sense that church members should prepare as well?
“Following Christ on the Narrow Road” by Pastor Randy
Good morning! Here is your Monday Motivation to follow Christ on the narrow road no matter what this week.
The Road Not Taken – Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
After sharing with the crowd in John 6 that he was The Bread of Life and that his followers would need to eat his flesh and drink his blood many got upset at Jesus.
“At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:66-69)
Friends, though the world may turn away we must be willing to continue on that narrow path like the true disciples who were determined to follow Jesus even when they didn’t understand everything he was asking them to do, even when he told them things would be difficult ahead, and even when everyone turned away. They did this because they believed he was The Way, The Truth, and The Life and that there was no way back to The Father but by him. And so they took the harder more difficult path. Which one will you take?
It’s easy to follow Jesus in the manger but much more difficult to follow Jesus on the cross.
It’s easy to follow Jesus when he says to love our neighbors until he explains that our neighbors are sometimes our enemies.
It’s easy to follow Jesus when he promises to forgive us but much harder when he says we must also be willing to forgive others.
It’s easy to follow Jesus when we’re healthy and well fed but what about when we get sick or lose our job?
It’s easy to follow Jesus when he says things that are comforting but what about when he says things that are convicting?
Will you follow Jesus this week only when it’s easy or will you choose the narrow path no matter what?
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
“What Is Love?” By Dave Good
Good day! Welcome back to another edition of the GSM blog. It is my privilege to spend the next few minutes together and I pray you find my words are encouraging and bring you closer to God.
The English language does not give the word love its just due. In Greek the word love can we translated into 7 different meanings:
Today, I want to talk to you about love. If I asked you what the definition of love is I’m sure just about all of us will give a different answer. Some may say love is an emotion you feel towards your family. (i.e. I love my spouse or I love my kids). Others may define love as an attachment to a valuable object. (i.e. I love my dream car, I love my new house, or I love my new shoes). The reality is that we can love ourselves, we can love others, and we can love things.
- Eros: romantic, passionate love. …
- Philia: intimate, authentic friendship. …
- Erotoropia or ludus: playful, flirtatious love. …
- Storge: unconditional, familial love. …
- Philautia: compassionate self-love. …
- Pragma: committed, companionate love. …
- Agápe: empathetic, universal love.
Such a simple word with so many meanings. No wonder this word is spoken so much and never really understood. I think the only way to settle this debate is to ask the only One that is defined as love—God himself.
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8 NIV)
God is love. Love is the basis of His character. His thoughts and actions are derived from love so who better to explain what love really is and He does just that through His Holy Word. If we take a look at Paul’s letter to The Corinthians we see other aspects of God’s love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5, 7 NIV)
When you take the time to slowly read those verses it can be both encouraging and convicting. God’s definition of love displays the attitude, posture, and actions involved in loving someone. To be honest, when I was reading those verses I was convicted that I am not loving others the way I should be. You see, many times I fall short in several aspects of this definition. I am not as patient as I should be. I can get a little envious sometimes. I can also be selfish and self seeking and geez I know we all keep a record of wrongs. I am just being honest with all of you. I am so grateful God gives us instructions on how to love better and I pray that each and everyone of you takes the time to examine the way you love others in the light of God’s definition.
I thank God for his all encompassing definition of love, but you know God is not just a God of instruction, He is also a God of action. I wil leave you with this last thought.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)
Not only does God explain to us how to love but He demonstrates love but sending His Son to die on a cross to save us from out sins.
Friends, it’s impossible to examine and define love in a one page blog. My hope today was to give you a few scriptures to point you in the direction of the author of love, God himself. I pray you take a few moments and think about how you love others. Where can you improve? Where can you get better and display the characteristics of God? The only way to truly understand love is to appreciate what God did for us on the cross and live a life that strives to bring Him glory.
Until next week
Blessings,
Dave
Refill with Randy #58 “Pastor Appreciation” Revisited” by Pastor Randy
Happy Wednesday!!! Since I still didn’t have my full voice to record a new Refill with Randy this week I thought I would share a previous one that is still very pertinent since October is Pastor Appreciation month.
So… grab your favorite cup, fill it up, and join me as I share about a significant Pastor Appreciation gift I had been given and share ways that you might want to encourage your pastor this week.
“Pray for All People” by Pastor Randy
“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.”
1 Timothy 2:1 NLT
Happy Tuesday friends! Today I want to talk about one of the most powerful privileges we as Christians have which is to intercede for others in prayer.
To intercede is simply to go to God on behalf of someone else and, just as Paul is urging young Timothy to pray for ALL people, I believe that God expects the same of us.
Now some people are easy to pray for, right? Your grandmother who has always shown love to you, the father who has lost his son due to a drunk driver hitting him, a political leader whom you agree with.
But what about… your family member who has not shown love to you? Or for the drunk driver that accidentally killed the man’s son and has to live with the consequences the rest of his life? Or that political leader that you don’t agree with (right after these verses Paul actually talks about praying for those who rule over us) and whom you greatly dislike? Not so easy, right?
Just as Jesus came to us because we were in need and not because we were deserving we too need to bring ALL to God’s throne to intercede for them because they are in need—not because they are deserving or because they even are aware that they need God’s help in their life. the reality is that we have all fallen into that box before. Remember Paul’s words to the Romans…
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (5:6-8 NLT)
Besides, imagine what your life would look like if you started each day off by praying for others, lifting up their needs, and thanking God for them. I bet you wouldn’t spend nearly as much time focusing on your own troubles or feeding your anger at others. I bet you would start to see others with empathetic eyes and that compassion and forgiveness would come that much easier even in the midst of the most difficult situations.
You see, prayer has the power to change lives but the life that is often most significantly changed is the one doing the praying. Prayer gives us a bigger and better perspective so let us become a people of prayer!
“Farewell to FB” by Pastor Randy
Happy Monday!!! I hope that your week is off to a great start and, those who are new on here, WELCOME!!!
Since some of you on here have followed me on social media I just wanted to make everyone aware that as of last Sunday (10/17/22) FB has permanently disabled both my personal (Randy LeBaron) and ministry (Go Scatter Ministries, Refill with Randy) accounts along with my Instagram (Refill with Randy) and Messenger.
Let me start by answering some of the questions I have been getting since then?
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?
To be honest, I don’t know. I have theories but what I can tell you for certain is that I have not presently or in the past violated FB’s Community Standards. I take it as an affirmation of this that people asked WHY this happened and not WHAT did I do. The reality is that I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. I don’t make political posts, I don’t harass people, and I definitely do not use derogatory or vulgar language. My personal mission is to make FB a better place by encouraging others and posting about coffee, my kids, my cats, and Christ. If I were to guess it is the last one that got me in trouble.
On the day in question I had posted a prayer, shared a video of myself preaching at Albion First Baptist, posted a pic from Shiloh’s service when the pastor pulled me onstage to sing and dance, shared a stat about The Buffalo Bills, and put up a notice that I was going to be taking a week off of social media since I had been so busy lately doing funerals and because I had more in the coming week including attending my sister-in-law’s. Little did I know that that would be my final post and that instead of taking off a week I would be taken off of FB, Instagram, and Messenger completely.
DID YOU APPEAL?
Yes! I appealed immediately since I assumed it was a mistake and would be a quick fix.
I have never been banned or had my account questioned before but I did have an issue in the past where FB took down a post of mine on Market Place saying that I was “selling sexualized material”. Below is the actual pic from my post…
As you can see this is a DVD set of the 1980’s tv series “The Incredible Hulk” with lenticular covers. After explaining this to FB they immediately put my listing back up so I figured the same thing would happen regarding this latest misunderstanding. I. WAS. WRONG.
After filling out FB’s form, including an explanation (though I wasn’t told what I had done wrong) and proof of identity, I waited. In the meantime I noticed that Meta, who FB uses to oversee this, had removed $ from my PayPal account without reason. I had not paid for an Ad since 2021 so this was very unusual and I quickly disabled the link so that it couldn’t happen again. It was then that I received a response to my appeal saying that my FB page would be permanently disabled.
FB MUST HAVE GIVEN YOU A REASON? YOU MUST BE ABLE TO FIGHT THIS?
You would think that after 14 yrs. without ever so much as being put in FB jail, as a number of other users have had happen, that there must be a good explanation as to why this has happened and someone who I could speak to further before this extreme action was taken against me but you would be wrong. I quickly found out that FB is judge, jury, and executioner and that they can act with impunity and without accountability. Below is the response I received from them…
This was definitely a gut punch. All I could think of was how this was going to impact my online ministry since FB is how I have reached thousands over 34 countries with my blogs and Refill with Randy videos, it is one of the easiest ways to connect with my supporters (including fundraising), and it is how I market myself to receive speaking jobs such as guest preaching or Camp Evangelist.
On the personal side of things FB is the easiest way to stay in contact with friends and family both in my community and on the other side of the country. Since my sister-in-law’s funeral was in Utah this past Tuesday the only way I could attend was via FB Live which proved challenging since I couldn’t log in. 😔 I also have tons of posts where I shared things my kids said when they were little of posts on my wall from those who are no longer here like my mother. FB has said that I could download my info. but after a dozen plus failed attempts it is beginning to feel futile.
I also thought about the fact that without notification people might assume that I unfriended or blocked them when they tried to go on my page so I texted or e-mailed those who I had contact info. for, but that was a fraction of those who friended and/or followed me. In fact, if you would please share this on FB or with others that you know we’re friends with me I would really appreciate getting the word out.
WHY DON’T YOU JUST SET UP A NEW ACCOUNT?
That may eventually happen but right now I don’t see it happening for a number of reasons including:
- It was a lot of work to create content and build a base over the years and that can’t be duplicated over night.
- If I did create new content and go through the trouble of setting everything up what would keep FB from doing the same thing again for no reason?
- I am not sure that I want to continue on with an organization that treats its customers and/or Christians this way especially when I see people post horrible content day and day out without a problem simply because they fit FB;s narrative.
- I am still making numerous attempts to appeal (though every time the message I get is that they have too few people to review my appeal at this time).
- It’s still pretty raw.
SO WHAT NOW?
Well, it’s not like I’m not staying busy offline. Between being an Evangelist for the Genesis Conference FMC, President at Go Scatter Ministries, Spiritual Care & Bereavement Coordinator at Supportive Care of Orleans (Hospice), Interim-Pastor at Albion First Baptist Church, Adjunct Professor at Robert’s Wesleyan University, Counselor at Care-Net of Greater Orleans, Volunteer Chaplain at Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Helper at Hands 4 Hope, and a Core Leader at P.A.C.T. and a few other things I don’t stay idle for long. And if I have free time then there are plenty of sporting events that my wife and I go to to watch our kids.
If I when I return to FB in another form or simply start using a different social media platform
Seriously, I am mourning the relationships and connection far more than anything but I hope for now that many will stay connected by following this blog, subscribing to my “Refill with Randy” YouTube Channel, and staying updated on my website goscatterministries.org
If I start a new account on FB or try another social media format I will be sure to let you know but, for now, thanks for sticking with me here and please reach out anytime by replying to a blog post or simply e-mailing me at randylebaron@gmail.com
And if anyone ever feels led to help support my ministry you can do so by giving via PayPal (@GoScatterMinistries or @RandyLeBaron), Venmo (@GoScatterMinistries or @RandyLeBaron) or GoScatterMinistries.org
ONE WEEK HIATUS
As much joy as I experienced earlier today the reality is that it has been a tough couple of weeks filled w/ 8 funerals and now on Tuesday I will be officiating another here in Albion and then joining my family via Zoom for my sister-in-law’s funeral out in Salt Lake City. All that to say that I have decided to stay off social media for a week in order to recharge and spend more time in prayer. That also means that both the Go Scatter blog and Refill with Randy will not be posted this week but will resume next Monday. Thanks all. Pastor Randy
“Plans” performed by Rend Collective
Friends, as another week comes to an end I invite you watch the video and listen to the lyrics from Rend Collective’s song “Plans”.
“Change Your Mind” by Dave Good
Good day!! Welcome back to another edition of the GSM blog. Once again my name is David Good. I am so excited to spend the next few minutes with you. I pray my words impact your life and bring you closer to God.
Today, I want to talk about changing your mind. For some of you I know changing your mind is easy. Heck, sometimes I change my mind several times just trying to order dinner. Seriously though, the type of change I’m talking about will change you entire life.
The change I’m talking about is about restoring, refreshing, and renewing your mind for good. In order to turn your life around it is important to renew and change your mind. Before I met Christ and allowed him into my life I talked like the world, I walked with the world, and I thought like the world. I just wanted to fit in, you know be cool, and be accepted by my friends and loved ones. This kind of thinking often led me into trouble, disappointment, and ultimately a feeling of emptiness. Once Christ entered my life and I started seeking him though my life and my mind started to change drastically.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV.
God instructs is to put off our old self, forget those old desires, and change our mind. This change leads to righteousness and holiness. Sounds pretty straightforward and simple to me. If I allow God to change my mind I will live a holier life.
This all sounds amazing but one question remains. How in the world can we change our minds like that? The answer is that you can’t do it by yourself. God and His Word has to play a vital part in your new mindset. I can honestly say that what I think about now is completely different than what I thought about even 10 years ago. Back then my mind was filled with worldly views and selfish and evil thoughts. My mind was a mess.
Thankfully when I accepted Christ he began a reconstruction project on my mind and attitude. His spirit filled my life with joy and love unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. That is when I fell in love with the Word. Taking the time to read my Bible and meditate on its verses and stories has changed my mind forever.
I fill my mind with Psalms of praise and Proverbs of wisdom and they have been pushing out the filth of my old mindset. The only way I can explain this is by giving you an example. Your mind is like a computer hard drive. It only has so much space to store data. If you fill up the hard drive with filth and a worldly mindset there is very little room for God. What the Word is capable of doing is rewriting the hard drive. The word washes over the filth and restores your mind with more Godly thought. After a while, and a lot of studying, your mind becomes renewed and changed for good
Friends, if there was one piece of advice I can give to you that will change your life it would be this: Read your Bible each and every day. Spend time reading, listening, and applying the Word of God to you life. God gave us the Word as an instruction guide to life. This book will change your mind and your life forever. It will change how you talk, how you walk, and most importantly how you think. My daily Bible reading has been one of the best habits I’ve ever started. If this Book can change a wretch like me I promise you it can do the same for you, all you have to do is open it and start reading.
I pray my words were a blessing and prompts you to change your mind for good. Until next time have a great week.
Refill with Randy – Episode #79 “A Walk to Remember”
Grab your favorite cup, fill it up, and join Randy at Holley Falls, NY for Supportive Care Orlean’s Memory Walk.
“Reflections from the Abbey” by Pastor Randy
The following is a poem I wrote during my most recent trip to The Abbey of The Genesee with my friend Jack Burris. I first stayed at The Abbey 10 yrs. ago while on Sabbatical following the death of my parents and I have stayed many times since. It is a sacred space for me with many memories that have been etched into my soul.
“Let Your Light Shine” by Dave Good
Happy Monday! Welcome back to another edition of the GSM blog. Once again, my name is Dave Good and it is my honor to spend the next few minutes with you. I pray my words are an encouragement to you as you deepen your walk with Our Lord.
Today, I want to talk about your light. No, I’m not talking about the light in your house that you always forget to turn off. I want to take about the light inside of you. You may have read that Jesus referred to himself as the light of the world, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5 NIV), but what does that even mean?
Well, the light refers to his nature, his presence, and his character. The way Jesus lived was unlike anything this world had ever seen. He lived a sinless life full of love, sacrifice, and compassion. Everything he did was geared towards loving others, helping the needy, and bringing glory to His Father in heaven. He modeled what it means to live for God and let your light shine before men.
The example of Jesus’s life is so valuable to each and everyone of us. In case you haven’t noticed, the world we live in is becoming darker and darker by the day. We have wars, rumors of wars, famines, crime, and economic hardships. When you focus on all the adversity in the world it is not hard to develop a feeling of hopelessness and despair. Now more than ever we need a source of light in the world.
So you may be asking yourself right about now, “What does this have to do with me? To be completely honest, this has everything to do with all of us. We have to be the light in this dark world. Our actions, our lives, our decisions have to shine a light everywhere we go. We have to use the example that Jesus displayed for us and influence the world around us. We have to live like Christ. Sure we are not perfect like Jesus but as Christians we have his Spirit living inside of us to help us. The Holy Spirit is our helper that aids us as we navigate this life
Did you know that light overcomes darkness? If you walk into a room with a flashlight the room gets lighter. The light doesn’t get darker. This is the same thing that happen when we enter a room. Our light should shine and illuminate the room. I know you are thinking you don’t glow or light up but that is where you are wrong. Your eyes, your smile, your whole appearance has the potential to change the room. Your words, your actions, and even your reactions can set the tone wherever you go. That is why it is so important to live in a Godly manner. We need to allow the light of Christ to shine through us each and every day.
The final question we have to ask ourselves today is this, “How can I let my light shine before men and bring glory to God?” The answer is actually pretty simple. In the Bible, Jesus gave us the two greatest commandments; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31 NIV).
Loving your neighbor as yourself is pretty self explanatory. Treat those around you with love, respect, and honor. Put yourself in their shoes and treat them how you’d like to be treated. That is the easiest way to let your light shine.
Friends, I know there are days when we don’t always feel like letting our lights shine. There are days when the world seems to overshadow our best efforts to treat others with love. I know that we may not always get it right but we just have to try our best. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit and allow the example of Jesus to guide our decisions and actions. The more we fill ourselves with His Word and rely on His strength the brighter our lights will become.
I hope everyone has a great week and that you will let Christ’s light shine brightly through you!
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NLT)
“Praying the Psalter” by Pastor Randy
Yesterday my buddy Jack and I took a trip down to the Abbey of the Genesee. While there we observed two of the divine hours… Sext (Noon) and None (2pm) by joining the monks in chanting the chosen Psalms for that day.
It is one of my favorite things to do when I visit there and I even purchased a handwritten copy of the Psalter some years ago which I use when observing the hours.
So, in order to experience this a little yourself, my challenge for you is to choose a psalm, any psalm, and spend at least 10 minutes meditating on it either in silence or rhythmically reading it aloud.
Take notice of the words, the voice of the author, what images come into your mind, and what God might speaking to you through it.
Feel free to share any insights in the comments section. Happy Friday!!!
“The Power of Planting a Seed” by Pastor Randy
Earlier today I got a reminder that you never know how or when you might have an impact on someone’s life. As I shared in my “Refill with Randy” video yesterday (check it out on FB or YouTube if you haven’t watched yet) I am currently in a season of ministry where I enter into a person’s, a family’s, or a church’s life for a set period of time with a specific purpose.
The reality is that there have been opportunities to do this throughout my ministry. One way this would happen is when I would be asked to officiate a funeral for a family that isn’t connected to a church or pastor. That happens much more frequently now that I am working at Hospice, I’ve officiated 4 funerals over the past 8 days, but it would happen every now and again when I was pastoring full-time as well.
I always found that those were unique opportunities to show the love of Christ to those who are hurting and in need of hope. Unfortunately, sometimes you only get to interact with them for that that short period of time and so hope you make an impact but often never know.
Well this morning, as I was standing at the front of the funeral home watching the family come in, a young man walked over to me and said, “I don’t know if you remember me but you did my mother’s funeral in 2011.” I asked what his mother’s name was and he shared. I apologetically said that it was a long time ago, that I remember that I did her funeral but that he must have been much smaller then. He then went on to tell me that he just had to stop me to thank me for all of the beautiful things I shared at his mother’s service and how it had impacted him. I thanked him for taking the time to let me know and offered to reconnect with him in the near future.
Ironically, as much as I hadn’t known how much my words back then had impacted him he probably didn’t realize how much his words this morning impacted me. We all have those days when we wonder if what we do matters, especially if we don’t always see fruit immediately, and so his comments gave me a timely reminder to continue scattering gospel seeds whenever and wherever regardless of whether or not I can see the impact. In Mark 4 Jesus says that…
“The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.” Mark 4:26-29 NLT
And Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians…
“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.”
1 Corinthians 3:6-9 NLT
The point is that whether you are doing the planting, the watering, or the harvesting, all are equally important and we simply need to trust God to make the seed grow.
So friends, I just want to encourage you to ask God daily for opportunities to partner with Him for the purpose of growing His Kingdom and, whether you ever see the fruit or not, trust that with God’s help there is always hope when you take the time to plant a seed.
Refill with Randy – Episode #78 “Transient Ministry”
Grab your favorite cup, fill it up, and join Randy as he shares about being in a season of transient ministry.
“Playbook of Life” by Dave Good
Good day!! Welcome back to the GSM blog. My name is Dave Good and it is my honor to spend the next few minutes with you. I pray this blog is a blessing to you and brings you closer to God.
Today, I want to speak to you about practice Most of you know that I am a huge sports fan. Over the years I have played and watched just about every sport there is. Growing up we used to play football in the street, pick up basketball, hockey in the school yard, and baseball in the empty field down the street. Sports allowed me to channel my competitive side and more importantly burn off some of my energy.
Sports have been such a blessing to me over the years. As I grow older the sports have changed a bit but they are still a part of my life. Gone are the days of football and basketball but I still enjoy biking, golf and going to the gym. I will be completely honest with you, I was never great at any sport but I was able to utilize my talents enough to not make a fool of myself. I was never the fastest guy or the strongest but I could understand the game and use my knowledge to overcome those shortcomings. This sounds like the movie, “Rudy.” If you haven’t watched that movie I encourage you to view it—you won’t be disappointed.
Through all my years of sports participation the one thing I’ve learned is that practice is essential to improvement. Any time you join a team, I don’t care what sport it is, the season always starts with a playbook and practice. In football, the playbook diagrams all the plays the offense or defense runs. In basketball the coach utilizes a magnetic board to demonstrate the player movements. In golf, the players carry around a book which contains yardages and club selections from the practice rounds. Every sport has some sort of playbook to help them be the best they can be and impart knowledge to the players.
Our life has a playbook too. It’s called God’s Word or the Bible. Reading your Bible will provide you with God’s playbook for our life. The Bible provides instructions, plays, and rules we need to play the game of life. I know, you are probably thinking that life is not a sport but I beg to disagree. The life we face has everything football, baseball, basketball, or any other sport would include. The are rules, momentum swings, adversities, competitiveness, and drama, all within one game.
The way we get better at life, and the ability to overcome and endure the adversity that is thrown our way, is to spend time practicing. Life practice involves reading our Bible each and every day. Just like an athlete trying to improve and make the team, understanding the Bible and spending time reading it is just like practice. The more you practice the better you get.
You can ask any professional athlete and they will tell you they have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours practicing and most of the time they are doing it by themselves. Whether it’s spending the time at the gym or running laps to improve their endurance, most of the time no one is around or even knows about the effort they are putting in. The same can be said about our walk with Jesus, our prayer time, and our Bible study. The Gospel of Matthew tells us in Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
The Word tells us that we should find a secret place to practice with our Bible. I can honestly tell you I’ve spent many , many hours in His Word. I love reading what God has to tell us. I love trying to understand His commands and rules. I love digesting the plays and directions he has written out for us. The Bible has taught me so much on how to play the game called life and not only endure it but to compete at a very high level.
Just like a professional athlete we never master the game. Sure, we will have days where we feel victorious or strong and there will be days when we feel defeated and worn out. The good news is that our practice and devotion to God’s word will give us the skills needed to stay in the game and fight to the end. The best part is that not only will will be more prepared but God will play the game with us.
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”Deuteronomy 31:8
The truth is that we have the greatest teammate of all. The G.O.A.T. as they say playing along with us. The Lord, himself will coach us , instruct us, and participate along side of us each and every day.
Friends, I hope this analogy from the world of sports and the game of life is helpful. I cannot stress enough how important it is to read your Bible. We need to put in the work on a daily basis to understand His Word. And, if you do just that, I promise you that the practice will pay off and you will be equipped with all the skills necessary to play the game of life at a very high level.
God bless you and I look forward to spending more time with you next week.
“Begin Again” by Pastor Randy
Welcome back friends!!! Well technically you didn’t go anywhere, since we were the ones who took a hiatus, but either way it’s good to be back with you. And, if you’re new, please be sure to subscribe so that you can receive new posts in your inbox every weekday from myself and fellow blogger Dave Good.
Today seemed like an appropriate time to talk about how as Christians we need to constantly Begin Again. I’m not talking about falling into a futile pattern (as some do) of sinning, asking forgiveness, and then starting the cycle of sin and saying sorry day after day after day. Sorry, the preacher in me started coming out there.
What I am talking about however is our need to start everyday with a fresh-filling of The Holy Spirit, an intentional time of prayer & study, and a renewed focus on putting God’s agenda ahead of our own.
The Christian life was never meant to be static or talked about in the past-tense. Rather, it is a relationship that we must invest in on a daily basis just like any other that we want to succeed.
When you first start dating someone you think about them all the time, you let them know how you feel often, you make sacrifices in order to spend time together, you hang on every word that they write to you, and you can’t help but share how you feel about them with others.
And then something happens… , passion gives way to passivity and prioritizing your relationship is replaced with keeping up the routine. Sound familiar? What if that didn’t have to be the case? What if everyday you began again in your marriage. What if you renewed your passion for your spouse by spending time with them first thing every morning, stayed in contact with them throughout the day, intentionally told them how you feel, and, rather than going to bed angry, admitted when you are wrong and choosing to begin again.
Imagine what your marriage might look like if you followed even a few of these suggestions? I’ll admit that even as I am writing them I am feeling convicted to be much more intentional in practicing what I preach consistently when it comes to “loving my bride the same way that Christ loves the church”.
Now imagine what your spiritual life might look like if you applied these same principles to your daily walk with God. Much like dating, when someone first becomes a Christian they might be so elated having been set free from their sin that they can’t get enough of their Savior. Each day starts with prayer, the Bible truly does feel like The Living Word that you can’t get enough of, and you tell anyone who will listen about who Jesus is and how he changed your life.
And then something happens… passion gives way to passivity and prioritizing your relationship with The Lord is replaced with rituals and routine. Sound familiar? But what if it doesn’t have to be that way?
What if you begin again? What if you ask God to renew your passion and refill you with His Holy Spirit? What if you make a deliberate decision to start each day by simply asking God to go with you throughout the day? What if you spent even 15 min. a day rereading His Word and allowing it to speak into your life? What if you gather with others on a regular basis to encourage and motivate one another in your relationship with The Lord? What if?
Friends, I am committing to BEGIN AGAIN everyday in my walk with Christ and I invite you to join me. Please share what practices you find helpful in reigniting your passion for your First Love and sustaining it for the long run.
“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.”
Revelation 2:2-5a (NLT)
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)
“GSM’s Fall Fundraiser”
Hey friends, it is THE FINAL DAY of GSM’s Fall Fundraiser and as of today $1,450 has come in toward the goal of $10,000. To give or to learn more about what I do and what GSM is please visit our website GoScatterMinistries.org You can also give using the links below or by check. Thank you in advance for your support.
https://www.paypal.me/RandyLeBaron
https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3207810963734528205&created=1662724050.0137029&printed=1
“How Do You Like Working At Hospice?” by Pastor Randy LeBaron
Ok, technically I work at Supportive Care Orleans but, for the sake of simplicity, I will refer to it here as Hospice since that is the term most commonly used. And my title is Spiritual Care & Bereavement Coordinator but, rather than keep repeating that mouthful, I will just refer to myself as a Hospice Chaplain.
Ok, now that all that is out of the way, what I really want to do in today’s post is answer the question I have been asked the most since starting this role just over six months ago which is, “How Do You Like Working at Hospice?”
I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked some version of that question followed the statement “I couldn’t do it” or “I wouldn’t want to do that”. Of course what they are getting at is that they view ministering to those who are dying as a depressing occupation and having to deal with emotional family members, both before and after the expected outcome , as not much fun either.
I understand where they are coming from, and there are even days when I might agree with them, but overall my experience as a Hospice Chaplain has been very good and, though I may need to explain so that I don’t sound sadistic, I really like it. Here’s why…
- I honestly feel like God has both called and equipped me for this role. From ministering alongside hospice for many years as a pastor to being ministered to by the hospice staff and volunteers while caring for my mother I view my primary role as “Comforting others with the same comfort that I myself have received.” (2 Corinthians 1:4b paraphrase mine)
- I try to focus on the positives. It is hard saying goodbye again, and again, and again (I get attached quickly as many of you know ) but it is also a blessing to be able to say hello time and again to new patients, new caregivers, and new friends. Just as Tennyson once wrote that, “It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.” I have been so blessed by all who I have come in contact with through hospice that I would definitely agree that I would rather know each person, however brief, and to be saddened when they pass than to never to have know them at all.
- I can honestly say that I am in awe of my coworkers and all of the staff at Supportive Care. There are those who have worked in this area for a lot longer than I have but day in and day out they continue to offer quality, compassionate care to whoever comes our way. Their passion and perseverance inspires me to continue on even when the days are long and difficult.
- I feel most like a pastor again. As much as I have loved the different ways that God has used me over these past 3 years since stepping out of my role as Lead Pastor and starting Go Scatter Ministries I would say that I missed the fulfillment of walking with others through these transitional seasons of life.
And just in case you think I am romanticizing this role, or writing this while everything is going easy breezy, in the past five days since returning from Cattaraugus Christian Family Camp I have done two funerals, visited several patients at the residence or in their homes for Spiritual or Bereavement Care, performed grief counseling for a number of caregivers and made appts. for others, prepared for the first meeting of our caregivers support group tomorrow, participated in meetings, sent sympathy cards to several family members, called way too many spouses, siblings, sons, and daughters to offer condolences and assess how to best help them as they begin their grief journey, and just today I started early with a crisis call to go and offer support to a family whose loved one would pass hours later and my day ended with the sad news of another patient’s passing which took me by surprise.
For all intents and purposes I should be beyond poured out at this point (all this in 5 days and that doesn’t count my Go Scatter Ministry duties of preaching Sunday morning, counseling at Care-Net for most of the day on Tuesday, writing this blog, etc.) and to be sure I empathize with the families involved and will miss the patients but I also feel poured into as God uses me as His Feet, His Hands, and His Voice as I go and spend time holding a patient’s hand, giving caregivers hugs, or speaking words of comfort to those whose hearts are hurting.
I certainly covet your prayers, as I know all too well how quickly burnout can happen, but also want you to understand how grateful I am to God for giving me the opportunity and privilege to share Christ’s love with others in this unique way.
“Why Christians Need The Church” by Pastor Randy
Good morning friends, I have to admit that I hear this all too often and it makes me sad because when we stay separated from the body we fall right into the enemy’s trap. Not only do we need others for fellowship, accountability, correction, and direction but others need us as well. God has given each of us gifts to build up the body but that can’t be done in isolation. Please don’t allow the same old excuses keep you away from being encouraged and being an encourager today.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV)
“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:11-16 NLT)
“And the Greatest of These is Love – Part 2” by Dave Good
Happy Thursday!!! Welcome back to another edition of GSM’s “Refill with Randy” blog. My name is Dave Good and it is my honor to spend the next few minutes with you. This week, we are going to delve into part two of the greatest command. In case you missed last week’s post, I wrote about loving the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. (Feel free to pause and read it real quick) Jesus tells us the second greatest command is to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Once again, that doesn’t seem hard at all. The first question we have to answer is Who is my neighbor? The Pharisees asked Jesus that exact question and Jesus replied with the parable of the Good Samaritan. I encourage you to read Matthew 10:30-37 if you are not familiar with the story. If you just want the cliff notes version (kinda showing my age here if you know what cliff notes are lol.) Jesus tells the story of a man who is robbed and left for dead. A priest and a Levite pass right by him but a Samaritan, whom the Jews hated, cared and saved the man’s life. This parable kicked the Pharisees right in the gut for thinking they were better than everyone and overlooking the needs of others. Jesus goes on to say that the Samaritan loved his neighbor most of all.
The key to obeying the second command is putting others ahead of yourself. You are never too good, too busy, or too proud to help someone in need. Just think of all the people you come in contact with on a daily basis. Whether it’s the cashier at the coffee shop, your family and friends, the hostess at your favorite restaurant, fellow employees, or other church members, everyone has a need and these needs come in many forms. Someone may just need to talk and get a few things off their chest. Others may need help paying a Bill or making ends meet. Some might need help around the house. Needs come in many shapes and sizes and the key is to recognize and just be willing to fill the need.
Now some of you are probably saying, “I have enough to worry about in my own life, I don’t have time for everyone else. My grass needs cut. My bills need paid. I have to work full time. My kids need new clothes for school. My car needs to be inspected this month. I just have so much going on right now. I’m really busy.” Notice all those statements above have one word in common—MY.
My my my, there is a lot of me in those statements. I can honestly say I can relate to all of them. In fact, over my lifetime I have probably used each and every one of those excuses. Loving your neighbor requires us to put others ahead of your own agenda or needs. It involves seeing a need and finding a way to meet it. This is easier said than done but when we look to the example of Jesus it is easy to adjust our focus towards others.
The key to obeying the command to love your neighbor as yourself is to take the me out of the equation. Jesus gives us the perfect example and displays the perfect servitude mindset when he said the following “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
Friends, loving your neighbor involves putting others first. It involves finding a need and trying to fill it even when it’s not easy or convenient. Loving others takes sacrifice and intentionality. When we look at the sacrifices Jesus made in order to meet our needs our we see the bar set pretty high.
My ask for this week is simple. Find one way to love you neighbor as yourself. Find someone with a need and fill it. The need doesn’t have to be big and how you fill it doesn’t have to be time consuming but the important thing is that your act of kindness is intentional.
Until next time…
“And The Greatest Of These Is Love – Part 1” by Dave Good
Good day!! Welcome back to another edition of GSM’s “Refill with Randy” blog. Once again my name is Dave Good and it is my honor to spend the next few minutes with you. I pray my words will be a blessing and encouragement as you start your day.
Today, I would like to start a 2 part series on the greatest commandments. Jesus himself confirms to us the greatest commandments in Matthew 22:36-39 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
That sounds easy enough. I love how Jesus keeps simplifying things for us. At first God gave the Israelites some 600 plus laws to follow after He guided them out of Egypt. No one could uphold all those laws so God proceeds to give us the 10 commandments. Surely we can follow 10 simple rules, right? Once again 10 rules were too much for us to handle. So Jesus sums up our entire Christian walk in two commands: Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. How easy is that?
Let’s take a few minutes and dissect the first command, “Love your God with all you heart, all your soul, and all your mind”. That sounds easy enough. Don’t we all sit here and say, “I love God!” The clause to that whole statement is with All your whole heart, soul, and mind. This is the part that will separate His people from others.
We all love someone or something. There are just components to our life that occupy our love. For some it’s a spouse, a job, money, a reputation, or a car. For others it’s an addiction or a vice that steals our love away from God. I apologize if I’m getting a little personal but the hard truth is the only thing that opened my eyes. I will be honest and tell you that over my lifetime I think I’ve loved every example I listed. The good news I have to report is that my God slowly began shifting my attention to His love.
Over the years I have really begun to understand just how much God loves me. God has provided me with countless blessings and gifts. God has given me a beautiful family, a wonderful career, amazing friends, and He has showered me with more grace than I deserve. I haven’t even mentioned the most important gift of all which of course is the gift of sending His one and only Son, Jesus, to die for my sins. If all those blessings don’t make you appreciate and love God with all your heart, soul, and mind I would encourage you to spend some reflection time with God. Ask God to reveal just a portion of His love to you and you will soon realize that loving God back is the least we can do.
So the question is, “How exactly can I love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind?”
I’m glad you asked. I have a few recommendations for you to explore.
1. Spend time with God on a daily basis. Devoting time to reading your Bible along with a healthy prayer life will bring you closer to God.
2. Count your blessings. Take time to reflect on how good God has been to you. Make a list of the grace, mercy and favor God has bestowed on you over the years and it will illuminate Gods great love for you.
3. Evaluate how you spend your spare time. When you take a step back and examine how you utilize you time you might be surprised. How much time are we spending on our phones watching tv, or hobbies. You might be surprised how much time is given to those instead of your walk with God. Once you get a sense of where you spend your time ask God to help you reprioritize.
Friends, the true key to loving God begins with the recognition of how much God loves us. He loved us first and sent his son to save us from our sins. Living for Jesus and loving him with all your heart requires gratitude and purpose. As you grow closer and closer to Him it becomes easier and easier to love him with all your heart. This type of love doesn’t always happen overnight but will be the most rewarding decision of your life.
Join me next week when we will visit the 2nd greatest command. Love thy neighbor as they self. Until then have a great week!
“It’s Time to Put God’s Plans First” by Dave Good
Good day!!! Welcome back to another edition of the GSM’s “Refill with Randy” blog. Once again my name is Dave Good and it’s my honor to share the next few minutes with you.
Today, I want to talk about God’s perfect timing. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 we learn that, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” (NIV)
If you take a minute and let those verses sink you I am confident you will discover that nothing is by accident. God has a timing for everything in our life. In Jeremiah 29:11 God says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I don’t know about you, but I had plans for my life. I had dreams I wanted to achieve and goals I wanted to accomplish. I call this Dave’s Plan. I pursued my plan for most of my earlier life and I am happy to report that I accomplished almost everything I set out to do. I am not boasting or bragging because it was only by the grace of God that I was able to do this. Despite all the good things I’ve done, God had bigger plans for me.
Almost 20 years ago, God took my dreams and shook them to the core. He flipped my world upside down and set me on another course. This is the period in my life that I accepted Christ as my Savior. My whole world was falling apart and God was in the process of rebuilding it back right. Since then, Jesus has captivated my life and instilled new dreams and new goals.
One of the dreams I have since been nurturing is to one day preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Early on in my life this dream was not even a consideration because I was too worried about starting a career, beginning a family, and buying a car, to worry about my relationship with Christ. Boy how my life has changed! God took my priorities and refocused them on Him instead of the world and I am so glad he did.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of serving God in many ways. I taught Sunday school to the kids, I’ve helped with Vacation Bible School, and most recently I’ve led Bible studies on Wednesday night. Sometimes I just shake my head when I think about how God is using me. I don’t deserve to be used like this, to be honest none of us do, but yet God’s amazing grace permits us to be useful.
When I look back on the twists and turns of my life I can start to see God’s Plan and not just Dave’s Plan. I also know that God had to clean me up quite a bit so that I could even become aware of God’s Plan for my life. Thankfully He has been refining my life, giving me knowledge and wisdom, and restoring my heart and mind to His standards ever since.
Friends, I am here today to tell you that God has a plan for each and everyone one of us. He has instilled dreams in our heart for His purpose. Those dreams will come true if they are a part of His Plans and not just ours. The only way to figure out those dreams are to abide in Him, following Him and His Word closely, and to prioritize His Will for our lives. Among other things we do this by spending time in prayer, searching His Word, and getting to know His Ways. All this won’t happen over night but, if we are faithful and consistent, He will turn His dreams into ours. Then when the time is right our dreams will come true and all for His glory.
I hope my words encourage you today to dream big and allow God to fulfill Your dreams
Until next time…
“Anonymous & Generous + Summer Update” by Pastor Randy
Good morning friends and Happy Friday!!! Before I share today’s blog post with you I wanted to give you an update on both this “Refill with Randy” blog as well as the Video Blog. For these summer months, which will be filled with work, travel, speaking engagements, family events, camps, etc., there will still be both written and video blog posts but not every weekday or every week respectively. So please continue to follow, read, and comment on GSM’s content when it comes out knowing that we will be back to our regular posting by Fall. Thanks! PR
And now, for today’s post, I simply wanted to share about an encouraging piece of mail that I received this past week. It came in an envelope that stood out because my name and address was written for both the sender and the recipient. It reminded me of some of the spam calls I have received from my own #. I joked to Sheryl that I must have been in a fog and sent myself mail again and she joked back that if there was any white dust in it to keep it away from her.
After opening it I found two things inside: the unsigned card show above, which simply read “God Bless you as you continue to serve him.”, and a large bill.
Now please do not think that I am any less grateful for the many other cards and gifts I have received over the past 3 yrs. that I may or may not have known where they were coming from but this just happened to come when I was in the middle of a difficult week filled with sadness from patients who had passed at Hospice, church politics, and number of other things related to ministry. And what this anonymous and generous gift said to me in that moment was… “I see you”, “I appreciate you.”, and “Your gifts, calling, and ministry matter.”
Not that ministry is done for recognition but pastors, just like every other person I know, do want to feel like they are making a difference or fulfilling a purpose and affirmation and encouragement can certainly play a part in that.
So… if the anonymous donor is reading this “THANK YOU!!!” And if anyone else who has shown me love, support, and encouragement whether I knew it came from you or not “THANK YOU!!!”
And please don’t read this and walk away thinking that Pastor Randy needs his ego boosted and is fishing for praise. I can tell you in all honesty that that is not at all my desire. What I would like your takeaway to be however is that sometimes something as simple as a note (there doesn’t have to be money in it), a call, a text, or a visit that reminds someone that you are thankful for them and/or how they are using their gifts for God can make their day in many more ways than you can imagine.
And for anyone reading this I just want to remind you that The Creator of The Universe cares about you and that you are Valuable to Him so, if you don’t hear it anywhere else today… YOUR LIFE MATTERS!!! YOU ARE LOVED!!! AND… as my friend Pastor Trellis Pore would say, THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!!! 😇
“Holy Spirit Come” performed by Patrick Mayberry
Good morning friends! As you hit the midpoint of your week, and maybe in need of a boost, I invite you to listen to the lyrics of Patrick Mayberry’s song, “Holy Spirit Come”, and make it your prayer today.
I’m coming with a heart of worship
I’m bringing in a brand new song
I’m ready to see the unthinkable
I’m ready for a miracle
Hearts praying for a fresh encounter
Souls looking to the living God
I’m ready for a real revival
Oh Holy Spirit come
Like a flood, like a fire
Holy Spirit fall
In this place, fill our hearts
Holy Spirit come
Like a flood, like a fire
Holy Spirit come
Oh, Holy Spirit come
(Woo!)
We’re on the edge of a new beginning
God, we know you have so much more
We’re looking to a new horizon
We’re praying for Your rain to pour
An overflowing of true redemption
An overflowing of Your kingdom
We’re ready for a real revival
Oh Holy Spirit come
Like a flood, like a fire
Holy Spirit fall
In this place, fill our hearts
Holy Spirit come
Like a flood, like a fire
Holy Spirit come
Oh, Holy Spirit come
Oh, can you feel it?
Heaven is reaching
Oh, can you hear it?
Our God is speaking
Oh, can you see it?
He’s got your healing
Oh, just receive it
Receive the freedom
Oh, can you feel it?
Heaven is reaching
Oh, can you hear it?
Our God is speaking
Oh, can you see it?
He’s got your healing
Oh, just receive it
Receive the freedom
Come, like a flood, like a fire
Holy Spirit fall
In this place, fill our hearts
Holy Spirit come
Like a flood, like a fire
Holy Spirit come
Oh, Holy Spirit come
Oh, come along
“Actions Speak Louder Than Words” by Dave Good
Good day!!! Welcome back to another edition of GSM’s “Refill with Randy” blog. Once again, my name is Dave Good. I am honored to spend the next few minutes with you. I pray my words will be a blessing to you and bring you closer to Christ.
Today I want to explore an old saying that most of you are probably familiar with. The saying goes like this, “Actions speak louder than words.” I am almost certain we all have either heard or even said this well known principle of life. When you take a few moments and really examine the meaning of this phrase you can see the truth in it. Although this phrase is not biblical I really believe that God wants us all to live by its standards. We can find similar phrasing in Scripture though like in 1 John 3:18 where the author writes, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
I don’t know about you but this saying speaks volume to me. I am guilty of not upholding the standard we just read. I have made promises or said things that I did not follow through with. I had good intentions when I said the words, but I failed to deliver on the promise. This realization drives me to want to do better and I will definitely use it as motivation to do so.
The encouraging part of my downfall is that we serve a God that never fails on His words. If God promises to do something it is done. He will never go back on His word. The Lord models what it truly means to let your actions speak louder than words. The Bible is full of God telling us He loves us. Over and over again, God reminds his people that He loves them and will protect them. I have told a lot of people I love them but do I always show them I love them? The answer is no. I often fall short on showing my love with action. God, on the other hand, displays His love with the ultimate action. God sent his only Son, Jesus, to die on a cross for our sins. If that doesn’t show you God loves you I don’t know what will. We serve a God of action—not just words.
God is also a God of promises. He not only tells you His promises but He actually keeps them. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Friends, we may never to be able to keep every promise that we make or be able to consistently show our love like we should but with Gods as our role model good thing is God is our role model we can learn to live out our love, keep our promises, and allow our actions to speak louder than ever before. The only thing we can do is strive to be better. Strive to be more consistent. Strive to be more like the example God has modeled for us. This is not easy and we won’t always get it right but the closer we walk with God the more our actions will speak louder than words.
Have a great week I look forward to connecting with you again!
“I Believe It Now” performed by Sidewalk Prophets (ft. Olivia Lane)
Happy Friday Friends!!! As you head off into the weekend take some time to listen to this great new song from Sidewalk Prophets featuring Olivia Lane. I have been listening to this on repeat ever since I heard it on the radio for the first time last week and hope you will enjoy it too.
I couldn’t see it then, but I believe it now
Just a searching soul tired of reaching out
Stuck on the tracks, train bearing down
Screaming from my lungs, ” Who will save me now?”
As the reruns of the regrets, they replay inside my head
Got the devil on my shoulder, and he’s leaving me for dead
Whispers and lies have brought me here
Flooding my veins with doubt and fear
Oh, I
I could not see it then
Oh, I
I could not see
Oh, my God
I remember when I cried
Shook my fists up at the sky
I wondered why
You felt so far from me
Oh, God
It was in my deepest pain
That I heard You call my name
I heard You say
That You were right there with me
I couldn’t see it then, but I believe it now
Trying to hold my head up when the ground fell out
I felt all alone even in a crowd
Like a sinking stone dragging my heart down
And the weight of the sorrows I carried on my chest
It kept pulling me under, and I couldn’t catch my breath
Not how I thought my life would go
Didn’t know my heart could sink this low
No, I
I could not see it then
No, I
I could not see it
Oh, my God
I remember when I cried
Shook my fists up at the sky
I wondered why
You felt so far from me
Oh, God
It was in my deepest pain
That I heard You call my name
I heard You say
That You were right there with me
Love was standing there
Holding me
But I couldn’t see
That love was always there
He carried me
And now, I believe
Oh, my God
I know You heard me when I cried
‘Cause You were right there by my side
I realized
That You have never left me
Oh, God
It was in my deepest pain
That I heard You call my name
I heard You say
That You were right there with me
I couldn’t see it then (I could not see it)
But now I believe (now I believe)
I couldn’t see it then (I could not see it)
But now I believe (now I believe)
(I could not see, now I believe)
But now I believe
Now I believe
(I could not see, now I believe)
(I could not see, now I believe)
“Take Up Your Cross Daily” by Dave Good
Good morning and welcome back to another edition of GSM’s “Refill with Randy” Blog!
Today, I would like to spend a few moments talking about the decisions we make on a daily basis. Throughout your day you will be faced with hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions to make. Some may be easy, like what time I have to get up and get ready for work. If you are like me you probably have that down to the minute. Other decisions will be harder. For instance, what am I going to wear or what do you want for dinner? ( By the way, I hate that question. Lol) Some questions are more important than others. What do you want to be when you grow up or what college will you attend? There is always the most important question of all. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? As you can see, just a few examples of the decisions we face can have a drastic impact on our life.
Jesus, himself had to face many decisions while on Earth . He had to decide what to wear, what to eat, and where to go. He walked this earth and faced challenges every day just like us. The only difference was that Jesus navigated this world without making a poor decision and without sinning. Unfortunately, we will never be able to achieve the same perfection on our own. We live in a fallen world and perfection is impossible without Christ. The Bible tells us, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10) We may never obtain righteousness here on earth but it shouldn’t stop us from trying. So the question remains, how do we strive towards righteousness and make good decisions?
For that answer we must turn to The Word. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) Take a minute and let that sink in. Jesus, himself said, if you want to be my disciple you must deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me. What you just read is a truth that will transform your life.
When I read a rather complex and powerful statement. I like to break it down into smaller more understandable concepts.
The first command is to deny yourself. In other words, it’s not about you. The world doesn’t revolve around you and you cannot have or do whatever you want. Living as Jesus did requires you to live selflessly and put the needs of others before you.
Next, Jesus tells us to take up our cross. The cross is not the same cross he died on. The cross is a symbol of the responsibility and life that is entrusted to us. I don’t think I have to remind you that this life is not easy. Life is full of ups and downs and adversity. We must live responsibility each and every day. It’s not easy but the cross of life is something God gives us the strength to endure.
The final piece of this verse is To follow me. This command is the easiest to understand. Jesus wants us to follow his lead. He wants us to live a life that He first modeled for us. Jesus spent his life loving, helping, and taking care of others. If we are going to follow Him, it is essential that we live that same way.
Friends, our Christian walk is not easy. We must decide each and every day who we are going to follow. Are we going to follow ourselves and live our way or will we follow Jesus? We need to make that decision daily. The good news is that Jesus has already set the example as to how to live life. Jesus would never expect you to do anything that He hasn’t done first. I hope my words are encouraging and bring you closer to God. I look forward to seeing you next week.
“A Little Kindness Can Go A Long Way” by Pastor Randy
Happy Wednesday! I hope the first part of your week has gone well and that the second half will be even better!!! Today I want to talk to you about how a little kindness can go a long way especially in the world that we live in today.
You have probably heard the saying, “Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Well, there is a lot of truth in that and so, as Christians, we should be extra intentional when it comes to exhibiting the fruit of the spirit (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control – Galatians 5:22-23) in response to others.
I know that sometimes it can be frustrating if you are waiting in a long line or if there aren’t any bags at checkout but, rather than getting upset at the closest person on staff who is probably making minimum wage and has no control over the situation, maybe say a quick prayer for patience and then offer the person a smile instead of a scowl or even say something to them like, “No bags again, huh? That’s got to be tough because it’s not your fault but you probably still take the heat for it.” Or maybe, after a long wait in line where you have heard other customers berating the cashier, pause when it gets to be your turn and say to them, “It sounds like you are having a tough time. I pray the rest of your shift goes better.” And if you say it loud enough it will hopefully set the tone for the others waiting in line behind you. 😇
My friends and I actually had the opportunity to show kindness in this way a week ago when we having breakfast at a local restaurant. When we arrived we were seated and had our orders taken shortly after. We then jumped into some good conversation, my two friends discussed world problems while the one’s son and I had more important matters to discuss like LEGOS, and after quite a while ha passed, and I was just starting to wonder where our food was, someone other than our waitress came to our table and said, “I’m very sorry but your order was lost.” She explained that she had noticed that people had come in after us who already had their bill so she went to find out about our order only to find that it was missing. She said she would put it right in and thanked us for our patience and understanding.
It wasn’t really a big deal. We weren’t starving and saw it as just getting to enjoy more time together in conversation. A little while later we received our food, which was worth the wait by the way, and then a few minutes later the lady who had taken our original order came up to our table. As she started to apologize we tried to stop her saying that it wasn’t a problem but she continued on explaining that she was actually the owner of the restaurant and that she had taken our order because the waitress who was supposed to be there for the morning shift hadn’t shown up. She went on to say that on her way back to the kitchen she had answered the phone since she saw that it was from the hospital where her husband had been admitted with some severe health problems, and after hearing some not great news she had forgotten all about our order.
Once again we assured her that it wasn’t a problem and asked what her husband’s name was so that we could pause and pray for him right then. After we finished our meal and went to leave (after my buddy left a very generous tip which I only mention because as a former waiter I can attest that Christians have earned a bad rap over the years from being stingy tippers) she cashed us out and then gave us hugs saying that we were the perfect table for that to happen to.
You wouldn’t think that we would enjoy being labeled as the perfect table to have our ticket lost but it was obviously a compliment, not only because of how we responded but also because of how we didn’t respond. Think about it… we could have been angry, we could have demanded that we get our food for free, we could have got up and left, we could have passive aggressively posted a bad review on social media. There are a number of ways that we could have reacted poorly in the moment, and I wish I could tell you that I have never done any of these things in the past, but any negative reaction would not have allowed us to offer comfort and hope to someone who was obviously in need of both. Beyond that how bad would we have felt after finding out why our food was delivered late?
I know that we all have times when we are rushing and not as kind or as patient as we would normally be but friends it is in those moments that we can truly shine for Christ if we only slow down and try to picture the situation from another’s point of view. Let’s make it a point to pray each morning and ask God to make us more aware of these holy opportunities so that those we come in contact with will be better for it and will understand more about the tangible love of Christ shown through our words and actions.
Let us be Christ’s hands, Christ’s feet, and Christ’s voice in the world today.
GO SCATTER!!!
“A Different Type of Memorial Day” by Pastor Randy
Happy Memorial Day friends! For those who don’t know, Memorial Day is not just a long weekend filled with Parades & BBQs. That has certainly become part of our tradition but the intention of setting aside the day was to honor those who died in active military service.
Something I just recently learned, thanks to my youngest daughter who playing in a parade there the other day with the Albion High School Marching Band, is that Waterloo, NY is the birthplace of Memorial Day.
So, all that being said, I do wish to honor all those men and women who gave their lives to save ours but as this post titles states this is a different type of Memorial Day… for me anyway.
It was 10 yrs. ago today that my mother died after battling brain cancer. As much as the anniversary ofPearl Harbor or 9/11 hit some May 30th, 2012 is a day I will always remember. Today I remember and honor my mother, Ellen LeBaron, and thank God for the impact she had on my life. Love you mom. Miss you…
“Sobering” by Pastor Randy
Good morning friends, I pray that you are doing well. On Wednesday I stopped by the school to drop something off to my wife, she teaches in the Elementary School, and all of a sudden I was hit with the reality of what took place in Uvalde just a day earlier and it was sobering.
As I walked through the parking lot toward the front door I found myself looking around and making sure that nothing looked suspicious. Normally I am not overly aware of my surroundings but even at my son’s baseball game the evening before, which took place just a block away from the Buffalo Tops shootings, I found myself constantly looking behind me to make sure someone wasn’t getting too close to the fence I was sitting in front of. I have talked to others since who also have found themselves experiencing a new sense of paranoia.
It would be easy to justify these thoughts and feelings after all since our school in Albion had a legitimate threat of violence just a couple years ago and because I currently have family in all three schools of the district with Sheryl in the Elementary, Jillian at the Middle School, and both Brendan and Maddie in the High School. That being said, I do not want to live in fear or be suspicious of anyone who seems “different”. I believe an argument can be made to practice caution but not so much that we get consumed with panic.
So how do we not become consumed by all of the things that are happening in the world today? How do we respond without overreacting. I believe the answer is found in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 which says…
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
We respond not in fear but by praying to the One Who has already overcome and by taking captive every thought. Like I shared in last Thursday’s blog, we find peace by putting Philippians 4:4-8 into practice—praying instead of worrying and thinking about things that are true, noble, right, etc.
I pray that as we fix are eyes on Christ that we can once again experience the peace that passes understanding.
“Healer” performed by Casting Crowns
Good morning friends, as we all continue to process the tragedy that took place in Uvalde where 19 students and 2 adults lost their lives at Robb Elementary School I thought the song “Healer” performed by Casting Crowns would be a good focal point for today’s blog.
When the world gets turned upside down we need to remember that there is only One who can offer real healing, true comfort, and lasting peace. Take some time today to meditate on the lyrics below and to listen to the song via the YouTube link at the bottom.
It’s hard to see the storm blowing over
Anytime soon
It’s hard to hear any hope in the headlines
Oh, I don’t know what’s true
We been trusting in the broken
To make us whole
But there’s no new rescue coming
Let’s do the one we’ve always known
We need the healer
We don’t need another hero
We need the healer
Deep down every hurting heart knows
We need the healer
And only Jesus is the healer
The whole world’s looking for something
But what we need is someone (need is someone)
And every road leads back to one name
When all the searching is done
‘Cause there’s no world view, no religion
That can make the blind eye see
Let the eyes of our heart be open
To the healing that we need
We need the healer
We don’t need another hero
We need the healer
Deep down every hurting heart knows
We need the healer
And only Jesus is the healer (You’re the healer)
More than comfort we need the king
More than gifts, we need the giver
More than blessings we need Your presence
More than the healing, we need the healer
More than comfort we need the king
More than gifts, we need the giver
More than blessings we need Your presence
More than the healing, we need the healer
More than comfort we need the king
More than gifts, we need the giver
More than blessings we need Your presence
More than the healing
“Sometimes It Just Seems To Be Too Much” by Ted Loder
Good morning friends, in the midst of yet another terrible tragedy I find myself praying along with Ted Loder in his prayer, “Sometimes it Just Seems to Be Too Much” from his book Guerrillas of Grace.
Sometimes, Lord,
it just seems to be too much:
too much violence, too much fear;
too much of demands and problems;
too much of broken dreams and broken lives;
too much of war and slums and dying;
too much of greed and squishy fatness
and the sounds of people
devouring each other
and the earth;
too much of stale routines and quarrels,
unpaid bills and dead ends;
too much of words lobbed in to explode
and leaving shredded hearts and lacerated souls;
too much of turned away backs and yellow silence,
red rage and the bitter taste of ashes in my mouth.
Sometimes the very air seems scorched
by threats and rejection and decay
until there is nothing
but to inhale pain
and exhale confusion.
Too much of darkness, Lord,
too much of cruelty
and selfishness
and indifference…
Too much, Lord,
too much,
too bloody,
bruising,
brain-washing much.
Or is it too little,
too little of compassion,
too little of courage,
of daring,
of persistence,
of sacrifice;
too little of music
and laughter
and celebration?
O God,
make of me some nourishment
for these starved times,
some food for my brothers and sisters
who are hungry for gladness and hope,
that, being bread for them,
I may also be fed
and be full.
“Love…”
Good morning,
Today’s encouragement is short but not always simple. Today I encourage you to LOVE…
LOVE those closest to you in the way that they will recognize and receive it best.
LOVE those who have offended you and don’t wait for their permission to forgive.
LOVE your friends and family unconditionally based on who they are instead of what they do.
LOVE your enemies and treat them kindly as you would want them to treat you.
LOVE people–not things.
LOVE good–not evil
LOVE…
And, going along with Dave’s post yesterday about looking in the mirror, here is a good way to measure how you are doing when it comes to loving others the way that Christ expects of us.
Most people are familiar with 1 Corinthians 13 whether or not you have read it, listened to a message on it, or heard it being read at a wedding, but have you ever taken inventory of how you are doing in the area of love using this passage as a plum line line? Let’s start by reading the passage together…
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (vv. 4-8 )
Now here’s the test. Replace the word “Love” with your name and see if it still rings true. Here is an example using my name.
“Pastor Randy is patient, Pastor Randy is kind. Pastor Randy does not envy, he does not boast, Pastor Randy is not proud. Pastor Randy does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, and is not easily angered, he keeps no record of wrongs. Pastor Randy does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Pastor Randy never fails.” (vv. 4-8 )
Now, I wish I could say that with these changes the passage still rang true 100% of the time but the reality is that there are areas that I fall short in and ultimately need to ask God’s help to get better in.
So now, how about you? Write your name in each blank, rate yourself (or ask a spouse or a close friend if you’re feeling daring), and then ask God to help you to work on the areas where you fall short. Ultimately though the best thing we can do to grow in each and every area is to spend time getting to know the one who perfected love—Jesus himself.
________________ is patient
________________ is kind
________________ does not envy
________________ does not boast
________________ is not proud
________________ does not dishonor others
________________ is not self-seeking
________________ is not easily angered
________________ keeps no record of wrongs
________________ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth
________________ always protects
________________ always trusts
________________ always hopes
________________ always perseveres
________________ never fails
“A Long Look in the Mirror” by Dave Good
Happy Monday! Welcome back to another edition of GSM’s “Refill with Randy” Blog. Once again my name is Dave Good and I am honored to spend the next few minutes with you. I pray my words are encouraging and have a profound impact on your Christian walk.
Today, I want to talk about something that we do every day. It’s a really simple thing to do, yet it can have a dramatic impact on your life. It’s really so easy, everyone can do it. What I’m talking about is looking in the mirror. I can hear the “come on Dave’s” already. You are probably saying, I look in the mirror all the time and other than admiring my hair, how is that going to change my life?
I’m not just talking about the glance in the mirror to wash your face or, for you ladies out there, apply your makeup. I’m talking about taking a long look deep into your soul. Here is where the complete honesty comes in. There were many times in my life when I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror. There were periods in my life when I suffered from low self esteem. I remember growing up and going through my teenage, brace wearing, new glasses, acne faced phase and really thinking, “Dave you are a mess and pretty ugly”.
I also recall times of shame and regret. Have you ever sinned or done something you weren’t proud of and then tried to look at yourself in the mirror the next morning. I can honestly say that I’ve had that feeling too many times. I’m talking about the not even looking at yourself when you are brushing you teeth kind of guilt and shame.
Taking a long stare at yourself in the mirror is one of the most revealing things we can do. According to William Shakespeare, “Eyes are the window to the soul.” Jesus tells us that, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23 NIV) Our eyes are so important to our health and outlook.
So the next question is, “How can looking in the mirror improve my Christian walk?”
- It allows you to be completely honest with yourself. We need to take the time to examine our lives, admit our flaws, repent of our sins, and expose our shortcomings. A mirror doesn’t hide our flaws, it exposes them, and when we get to the point where we can work on those flaws and repent of those sins our reflection will look so much better.
- It challenges you to want to be better. When you take a long look in the mirror it can often drives you to clean up our act. No one wants to look at themselves with a mess on their face, if you see something you would to wash it off. Your life and soul are no different. The mirror will force you to clean up your act.
- In order to see yourself clearly in the mirror, you must have a good light. The light of our soul is Christ. The more we allow Christ into our life the brighter our light is. Working on your closeness with God will always allow His radiance to shine through you.
Friends, I understand that taking a good hard look at your life may be difficult but I promise you it’s worth it. I’ve spent too many years with the wrong perception of my self, living under the guilt and shame from my mistakes. I am here today to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way forever. God created each and every one of you in His image. If you are willing to work on your problems and be honest with yourself, your reflection will become closer and closer to image that God created. I pray these words are impactful to you and I look forward to our time next week.
“Experiencing Peace through Prayer” by Pastor Randy
“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:4-9 NLT)
I love to read this passage during troubling times because it promises what nothing else in this world can… peace. True peace. God’s Peace.
Another reason why I find this passage as a whole both meaningful and believable is because the person who wrote it, The Apostle Paul, was in prison at the time and yet he experienced firsthand the joy of the Lord in spite of his current circumstances. He was on death row and still he was able to experience the peace that can only come from God—the peace that passes understanding. And so, when we are struggling ourselves and find ourselves fixating on our storms, we need to heed Paul’s advice so that we too can receive this promised peace.
In a nutshell Paul shared a two step approach to experiencing God’s peace and both steps entail mastery over our mindset.
The first thing he says to do is to pray about our problems instead of just worrying about them. The reality is that worrying about something does nothing to change the situation but praying can because the One whom we pray to is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent… all powerful, all knowing, and all around us. There is nothing that we can throw at Him that he can’t handle and, whether he chooses to change our circumstances or to change our mindset, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
(Romans 8:28 NIV)
So, the first thing we do is choose how to spend our time and then the second thing we do is to determine what will fill our minds. If you are anxious about everything bad happening in our world right now then I’ve got news for you, turning on the news or going on social media isn’t going to help. You will only feed your fears and allow your anxiety to control your thinking. Instead Paul urges us to fix our minds on things that are constructive and not destructive. Things that are true, and admiral and right. Things are that excellent and praiseworthy. Things that will help us focus on The Problem Solver instead of just the problem itself.
Years ago, when I was still fairly new to the ministry, I found myself laying awake most nights worrying about things that someone had said to me or about me, things that I could not change or control. I had effectively allowed my anxiety over others opinions of me to affect my thinking and rob me of some much needed sleep. Then one time, after suffering a few restless nights in a row replaying an argument with a board member that had taken place, I broke down and opened my Bible up to this passage. As I read it I asked God to help me to do what was written so that I could experience His Peace.
I started by praying to God and simply asking Him to reboot my mind and then I laid there literally coming up with things that were lovely, that were true, that were right, that were admirable, etc. I began to shift my focus from dwelling on what had been done to me to what God had done for me.
After a while I noticed that I wasn’t feeling as restless, I wasn’t feeling anxious or upset, and when I tried to think what it was that had seemed so overwhelming the past few nights I literally could not remember. I was experiencing God’s Peace in such a real way that I drifted off to sleep and woke up the next morning feeling renewed, restored, and ready to reconcile with the person regardless of whether they regretted their actions or not.
Friends, this is just one example but there are many more I could give. Like Paul, I would urge you to retrain your brain by making prayer your default during difficult times and finding those things to think on which are helpful versus hurtful.
I pray you all have a great day today followed by a peaceful, and peace-filled, rest tonight.
“Do Something” performed by Matthew West
Good morning friends, as I was praying for the families of the victims of the Buffalo shooting that took place earlier this week and trying to understand how racism and hatred can continue to thrive in our world today this song by Matthew West popped into my head.
May we heal our world together… in Christ… through the bonds of love.
I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now, thought
How’d we ever get so far down, and
How’s it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, “God, why don’t You do something?”
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”
He said, “I did, yeah, I created you” (now listen)
If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something, yeah
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
Oh, it’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something
I’m so tired of talking about
How we are God’s hands and feet
But it’s easier to say than to be
Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves
It’s alright, “somebody else will do something”
Well, I don’t know about you
But I’m sick and tired of life with no desire
I don’t want a flame, I want a fire and
I wanna be the one who stands up and says
“I’m gonna do something”
If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something, yes it is, come on
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
Oh oh, it’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something
We are the salt of the earth
We are a city on a hill
We’re never gonna change the world
By standing still
No, we won’t stand still
No, we won’t stand still
No, we won’t stand still
No
If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now
It’s time for us to do something
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something
It’s time for us to do something
It’s time for us to do something
“The Race of Life” by Dave Good
Good day!! Welcome back to another edition of the GSM blog. My name is Dave Good. I am excited about our time together. I pray my words are a blessing and bring you closer to God.
Last week, I wrote a blog called,”Who do you run to?” If you missed it I encourage you to take a minute and read it. The gist of it was that we all have someone or something we run to when things start to fall apart. We should be running to God, but that’s easier said than done. I am not going to go over all the details here (you can still access that post) I just wanted to set the foundation for what we are going to talk about today.
A few weeks ago, I decided to start running again and I signed up to run the Albion Strawberry Festival 5K. It’s a 3.1 mile race that winds through the village of Albion and down the Erie Canal. The course is fairly flat and very scenic. I have run it a hundred times over the years so I’m quite familiar with the terrain. To be completely honest with you, I haven’t really run in a few years and getting back into shape has been quite the challenge. The last time I ran this race was 2018 which was before the pandemic.
As I started my training, I decided to test my endurance right of the bat and just run as long as I could without stopping. The good news was I was able to run the full 3.1 miles without stopping. The bad news was I was so sore the next 3 days that I could barely walk. (All I can say is this getting old thing is not fun. Lol) My first run gave me a lot of confidence that I could complete the race, it also reminded me I have a long way to go. My next run didn’t go so well. I started out really fast and ran out of breath quickly and before I finished the course I had to stop and walk 3 separate times. I’ve gone out a few more times and I’m happy to report that I’m making strides. I have been able to run longer and faster and only have to stop 2 times lol. I’m getting there, I know in my heart I will be ready for the start of the race.
Now, you are probably thinking what does this have to do with my Christian walk? Our Christian walk is like a race. Hebrews 12:1 tells us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Each and every one of us has a course for our life God has planned for us. Some people call it destiny, I like to call it’s God’s plan for our life. God created us to run a specific journey on this earth. The good news is we know where the finish line is and that is life eternal with God himself. The problem is that trying to get to the finish line is not as easy as it seems
We all have hindrances that weigh us down throughout the race. It could be the sin or addiction we can’t shake, the anxiety and fear that consumes our minds, or the problems and issues of this world that seem to come at us from all directions. Our race of life is often filled with stuff that slows us down.
I am here today to tell you to just keep going. Keep your eyes on the finish line. Paul tells us, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 3:14) The course of life may be full of hills, obstacles, and long distances but God will be with you the entire time. He is faithful and will spur you on at times towards the finish line. He will point you in the right direction and sometimes even carry you up the hill. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) That is the God I serve.
The last point I want to make before I wrap this up is simply this: it’s ok to stop or slow down when you are out of breath. There are times in training or even in a race when you are just too tired to keep going and you have to just slow down and catch your breath. It’s OK to slow down and recover. Maybe you just need to take a day to relax, maybe you need to just spend the day reading or being still and allow yourself to be restored so that you can continue your race.
Friends, I could go on and on about what running has taught me over the years. I have learned so much about myself, my strengths and my limitations. The race we are running is not easy, it’s long and difficult. Always keep your eye on the finish line and let God run with you. He knows the way and He knows the pace we need to run to get there.
Have yourself a great week!
“The Lord Is My Shepherd” by Pastor Randy
Happy Monday Morning! Today I want to talk to you about Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider, that David writes about in Psalm 23 when he states in v.1 “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not be in want.”
Specifically I want to share about an instance where God was already providing for a specific need before I even knew to ask Him for it. This has happened many times through my ministry and walk with The Lord but this just the most recent and it has to do with the photo at the top of this post. This is a pic of me mowing on my trusty old John Deere mower that, shortly after this was taken, proved not to be so trustworthy.
Now I have had my share of mower fails over the past 18 yrs. that we have lived here in Albion. Broken blades, broken belts, broken cylinders, you name it. Thankfully though I have always had a group of friends much more mechanically inclined than I am who have helped me in the past. Knowing that might not always be the case though, when my mower suddenly stopped at the bottom corner of our property and I found the culprit to be a broken spring, I decided that it was time to do something I had wanted/needed to do for a while now… I was going to buy a new mower.
I asked my buddy Dave how much HP I needed and what size deck I should get because my current 17.5 HP and 42” deck just wasn’t cutting it (pun intended). He told me I should be looking for a minimum of 20 HP and 50” deck. After researching online I went to a local dealer the next town over started to look through their inventory. I immediately realized that mowers had gone up in price since the last time I had to by a new one, I found my John Deere used on Craigslist about a decade ago, and so I would be spending more than anticipated.
As I looked at the fancy zero-turns and imagined whipping around my yard on one I couldn’t justify the extra expense so I narrowed in on a Troy-Bilt which was 24 HP with a 54” deck. It was still more than I was planning to spend but the thought of not always having my yard get out of control while I waited for yet another repair was very appealing.
After going home and talking it over with Sheryl I made the call and became the proud new owner of a lawn tractor. All there was left was to have it delivered and then pay for it. Oh yeah, and figure out what we were going to do with my broke down John Deere that was still stuck at the bottom of the hill.
This is where Jehovah Jireh comes in. Apparently God knew that we would need to purchase a new mower because the final price with tax was almost exactly what we would be able to pay without dipping into other savings. And, just to remind me that He excels in the details, less than 1 min. after my new mower was delivered a neighbor came over and asked me what I was going to do with the other one. I said I didn’t know but explained what was wrong with it and said he could take a look if he wanted. I then had to take off to get to my kids baseball and softball games.
That was yesterday. This there was a knock on my back door and a man handed me a bank envelope of cash before proceeding to pull the mower out of my yard. Now you may be thinking, “What’s the big deal? I was expecting bigger than that. That kind of stuff happens all the time.” And that my friends is the point. I do believe that things like this happen all the time but God doesn’t get the credit or we don’t think it is something as spectacular as if I had woken up and found a brand new zero-turn in my driveway with a bow on it.
The reality is that thanks to God giving Sheryl and I the ability to work and save we were able to get what we needed when we needed it most without going into debt AND not only did I not have to worry about going through the process of listing the old mower on Marketplace, let alone breaking my back trying to push it up the hill, but both things happened immediately with zero effort on my part. Oh yeah, and the cash given to me was the exact amount we had gone over what we had originally want to spend on the new mower.
In the end the reality was this… The Lord is my Shepherd and because of that I am not in want. Thank you to The One Who Provides.
What are some ways that God has provided for you lately?
“Counter Culture Prayer” by Pastor Randy
Happy Friday friends! The following is a prayer that I wrote inspired inspired by Romans 12:1-21. Let’s pray this together as we close out the week.
Father God,
I desire to worship you today with my body, my mind, and my soul. Help me to die to self so that I can become a living sacrifice for You.
Transform my thinking so that instead of constantly conforming to the world’s ways I will learn to discern and follow Your Will for my life.
Remind me often that I am but one member of a larger body with a mission much bigger than my own. Help me to understand and exercise the unique gifts and skills that You have given me so that I can assist the Whole Body in accomplishing Your Plans and Your Purpose.
Enable me to cling to what is good, hate what is evil, and to choose consistently to do what is right over what is almost right.
Allow me to love others just as sincerely and unconditionally as You have loved me. Help me to love and show hospitality not only to other Christians, or to those who love me in return, but also to those I do not know and even to those who treat me as an enemy with their unkind words and actions.Convict me to return their cruelty with kindness and to treat them the way I would want to be treated. Empower me not to be overcome by evil but to overcome evil with good.
Challenge me to always choose those words and actions that promote peace and lay the foundation for living in harmony with others. Help me to do everything in my own effort to reconcile those relationships that have been derailed—including making the first move just as You did when you sent Jesus to die for my sins even though I had first separated from You to live for myself.
Lord help me to be in the world but not of the world so that I will shine like a star in the night to those who are still stuck in darkness. Help Your Light within me guide them back to You.
For Your Glory.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
“Who Do You Run To?” By Dave Good
Good day!!! Welcome back to another edition of GSM’s “Refill with Randy” blog. Once again, my name is Dave Good and I am really excited to spend the next few minutes with you. I pray my words are a blessing and that they can help bring you closer to God.
Today, we are going to have a very practical and revealing discussion. I have a question for you. Who or what do you run to when things turn for the worse? I want you to think about that question for a minute. The answer may surprise you.
When I asked myself this question, I would appropriately tell you I turn to God when things get tough. You are probably sitting there saying to yourself, that is the correct answer. Then if I sit and think about it, maybe it’s not always God. Other appropriate answer would include: I call my spouse, I call my parents, I call my best friend, or maybe it’s a brother or sister. Again, all of those are great answers and would definitely help you cope when life throws you a curve ball.
Now is the time to get brutally honest and hopefully address a situation that could be a hindrance to your Christian walk. What if I asked you the same question again and you answered with things like this: I grab a bottle of wine and drink my tears away, I get really angry and start throwing things or punching walls, I turn my computer on and visit sites I shouldn’t just to dull the pain, or maybe you just get in your head and scream at anyone you run into. I am sorry if it seems like I’m being harsh but I am just keeping it completely transparent right now.
You see, when we are facing with trials and tribulations we have a lot of options in which we can choose to handle the situation. Some are good and some are bad. The whole purpose of this entry is that I want you to really think about how you deal with adversity. Confession… ALL of the above answers were in reality my own answers at certain points in my life. I covered just about every approach in the past. I can also sit here and say that the first answer works the best. I know you are probably thinking, God doesn’t always answer my prayers and my situation has gotten better. You may also tell me that God takes too long and that you need to figure this problem out right now. I completely understand where you are coming from. God doesn’t always resolve the situation right away but I can also assure you that His solution will be best.
When we take matters into our own hands we often create more of a mess and I won’t even bring up the hangover the next morning or the busted wall that needs fixed. Even if we confide in a loved one or a trusted friend they may not give you the best advice. I’m not saying never talk it over with others, I just want you to be mindful of the limitations of human guidance. We are all flawed and I can assure you I’ve given advice that may not have been the best. I didn’t do it intentionally but it was based on my limited understanding and not the eternal wisdom that only God can offer us.
As I wrap this up I would like to share with you some strategies I have found useful in dealing with adversity.
- Always take a minute and pray. We serve a God that is always there for us. All you have to do is talk to Him. Tell God how you are feeling and ask Him to help you sort things out.
- Open your Bible and search the scriptures for guidance. So many times the best advice has already been written in the pages of His Word.
- Take a deep breath and regain your sound mind. A lot of times problems can really disrupt our spirit. We get angry, confused, and at times our emotions may run wild. If you take a minute just to calm down and refocus you will realize that a clearer head can help reveal a proper reaction.
- Talk to a trusted family member, friend, or your pastor. After you have spent some time with God and regained your composure a conversation with a loved one can clarify the situation. Just make sure their response is in line with God’s Word and answer.
Friends, I hope this entry is helpful to you. I confess that I have not always attacked a problem correctly, I am not perfect and I don’t have this life all figured out, but I can tell you that over the years and many failures I have learned to trust God to guide me out of many situations. Don’t take my word for it, try it yourself. He is faithful and will never steer you wrong
Until next time have a great rest of your week!
“Graves Into Gardens” performed by Elevation Worship ft. Brandon Lake
Good morning friends, a lot has been happening and this seemed like an appropriate song to meditate on midweek. Take a listen with me…
I searched the world
But it couldn’t fill me
Man’s empty praise
And treasures that fade
Are never enough
Then You came along
And put me back together
And every desire
Is now satisfied
Here in Your love (hey)
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
I’m not afraid
To show You my weakness
My failures and flaws
Lord, You’ve seen ’em all
And You still call me friend
‘Cause the God of the mountain
Is the God of the valley
There’s not a place
Your mercy and grace
Won’t find me again
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You’re the only one who can
You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You’re the only one who can
You turn graves into garden
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can
You’re the only one who can
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can
You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can
You’re the only one who can
You’re the only one who can
“God Said, No” by Pastor Randy
There is a poem by an anonymous author entitled, “I Asked God”, that I like because it helps to see things from a different perspective when life doesn’t feel fair or when it seems like God is not answering our prayers.
If you have felt like this lately please read it and hopefully you will gain a new perspective as well.
I asked God to take away my pain.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
Her spirit is whole, her body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a by-product of trials, it isn’t granted, it’s earned.
I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.
I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldy cares and brings you closer to me.
I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.
I ask God to help me love others, as much as He loves me.
God said, Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.
“Call Jonathan” by Pastor Randy
Call Jonathan… I can’t tell you how many times I received a text or a DM with that message. And when I would call Jonathan back it was more often than not because he: wanted a ride somewhere, wanted me to bring him a coffee, wanted to remind me of an upcoming event, wanted to let me know how I could be praying for him or for someone else, wanted to encourage me (he did this a lot), or wanted to let me know that The Bills were going to win.
Sometimes I would laugh because his urgency for me to call him back was often the same whether he was in the hurt and wanting prayer or if he was at Tim Horton’s wanting me to buy a ticket to the latest church dinner. No matter what the reason was though he always started off with, “Hey buddy” followed by a quick explanation for his call.
I would love to get one of those messages again. I would love to hear his voice and his signature laugh. I would love to see him walking down the road and offer him a lift. I would love to grab him an X-Large Coffee w/ 4 Cream at Tim Horton’s. I would love to get a reminder from him that we have coffee group coming up (it would have been today).
Unfortunately those opportunities are no more but still present are the opportunities to honor Jonathan by living life to the fullest, exuding kindness and becoming an advocate for those who may not look or act the same as we do, supporting and promoting local organizations, and helping to facilitate fellowship between a broad spectrum of individuals.
The next time you buy a ticket for a fundraiser, grab a coffee at Tim Horton’s, or root for The Purple Eagles or The Bills, remember Jonathan. I know I will and I hope it brings a smile to my face each and every time. Love you buddy.
For anyone wanting to read Jonathan’s obituary, or to get details about his Callings Hours this Wednesday and Service this Thursday, please click on the link below.
https://www.mitchellfamilyfuneralhomes.com/memorials/jonathan-doherty/4923630/index.php
“Worn” performed by Tenth Avenue North
Friends, it has been a week. After a funeral for a friend, ministering to many grieving through Hospice, and then getting the news that a good friend had passed unexpectedly yesterday… I’m worn. So please end this week with me by meditating on the lyrics of Tenth Avenue North;s song “Worn”.
I’m tired
I’m worn
My heart is heavy
From the work it takes to keep on breathing
I’ve made mistakes
I’ve let my hope fail
My soul feels crushed
By the weight of this world
And I know that You can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left
Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That You can mend a heart that’s frail and torn
I want to know a song can rise
From the ashes of a broken life
And all that’s dead inside can be reborn
‘Cause I’m worn
I know I need
To lift my eyes up
But I’m too weak
Life just won’t let up
And I know that You can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left
Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That You can mend a heart that’s frail and torn
I want to know a song can rise
From the ashes of a broken life
And all that’s dead inside can be reborn
‘Cause I’m worn
And my prayers are wearing thin
I’m worn even before the day begins
I’m worn I’ve lost my will to fight
I’m worn so heaven so come and flood my eyes
Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That You can mend a heart that’s frail and torn
I want to know a song can rise
From the ashes of a broken life
And all that’s dead inside can be reborn
Yes, all that’s dead inside will be reborn
Though I’m worn
Yeah, I’m worn
“What Do You Stand For?” by Pastor Randy
Good morning! Happy Friday Eve!!! Today I want to talk about what we stand for and, more to the point, what is the public perception of what you and I stand for as Christians.
Nowadays it’s pretty easy to find out what people stand against. All you have to do is jump on any social media platform and it takes no time at all before reading derogatory comments aimed at a person, group, or party with differing views from the author or this symbol 🚫 placed over top of you name it. And I am not even addressing the secular culture here as much as I am Christians online.
Whether it’s berating a government figure (guilty), picketing against a political issue, or calling out a particular sin, Christians are pretty good and making known what they stand against. Now, I am not arguing that there are things that that Christians should not tolerate but the point I would like to emphasize is that those outside the church should know more about what, and Who, we stand for vs only what we stand against.
Josh McDowell once made the statement that, “Rules without relationship lead to rebellion.” I would add that when all we present are rules without first having a relationship with people it leads to repelling them.
Years ago I arrived at church where I found a car it the front most spot by the road. Normally that would not be a problem but this car stood out because it was completely covered with bumper stickers that read things like, “All have sinned—this means you” and “Ask me why you serve hell”. I actually took a picture of it and posted it on FB noting that the owner of the vehicle did not have any affiliation with our church.
Eventually the owner of the car came out of the jail across the street where he had been leading a Bible Study. I walked out to meet him and was somewhat surprised as this older, jovial gentleman immediately started telling me that he had been spreading the love of Christ to the inmates. I thanked him for that but also shared my concern that his vehicle did not convey the love of Christ that he had spoke of. I said that I would be glad to have a longer conversation with him about it but asked that he please not park in front of our church in the future.
I didn’t make this request because I was upset with this man but rather because I cared about how people perceived our church. I believe that when we hide the love of Christ behind a wall of judgment it impairs our ability to build actual relationships with people where we can share those truths with them from a place of compassion and with the hope that only comes from knowing, believing in, and following faithfully Jesus Christ.
May we stand for Christ and clothe ourselves with him so that the world will know him, his love, and the hope of his salvation.
Romans 13:8-10 “Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.” (NLT)
Colossians 3:12-17 “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
“Fill My Cup” performed by Andrew Ripp
Hey friends, I decided to take one more week off from taping a “Refill with Randy” episode in order to let my voice get stronger so, instead of me saying, “grab your favorite cup and fill it up”, let’s take some time to meditate on the words of Andrew Rip’s song, “Fill My Cup” and make it our midweek prayer.
“Fill My Cup”
Been walking to a city I cannot see
Through the depths of the valley where the sun can’t reach
I’ve been high, I’ve been low
I’ve been looking for the river that could fill my soul
Been walking to a city I cannot see
Fill my cup, Lord
Run it over
Give me love, give me joy, give me peace
Fill my cup, Lord
Run it over
I am your child in need
Lord, I need you to fill my cup
Fill my cup
Fill my cup
Fill my cup
Fill my cup
Been walking over lies standin’ in my way
They can say what they want, I don’t want what they say
I was born far from home
But I’ve been thriving in the wonder of the great unknown
‘Cause I’m drinking from a well from another place
Fill my cup, Lord
Run it over
Give me love, give me joy, give me peace
Fill my cup, Lord
Run it over
I am your child in need
Lord, I need you to fill my cup
Fill my cup
Fill my cup
Fill my cup
Fill my cup
Fill my house up with hoping
Fill my plans up with purpose
Fill my wounds up with healing
Lord, I need you to fill my cup
Fill my days up with meaning
Fill my future with vision
Goodness, grace and provision
Lord, I need you to fill my cup
And when I get to that city I cannot see
I’ll know that even this valley was a golden street
Fill my cup, Lord
Run it over
Give me love, give me joy, give me peace
Fill my cup, Lord
Run it over
I am your child in need
Lord, I need you to fill my cup
Fill my house up with hoping (Fill my cup)
Fill my plans up with purpose (Fill my cup)
Fill my wounds up with healing (Fill my cup)
Lord, I need you to fill my cup
Fill my days up with meaning (Fill my cup)
Fill my future with vision (Fill my cup)
Goodness, grace and provision (Fill my cup)
Lord, I need you to fill my cup
“I Surrender All” by Dave Good
What’s it going to take? That’s the question I want to address today.
What is it going to take for you to finally turn your life over to God? Now some of you are going to say, “What are you talking about Dave? I accepted Christ years ago and turned my life over then.” If that is the case, I applaud you. However, just because you accepted Christ doesn’t mean you surrendered your life to Him. There are a lot of saved Christians who are still at the wheel and control of their life. I am one of them. I accepted Christ almost 20 years ago, yet there are still areas of my life that I still hold onto. I hold on to my financial situation, I hold on to my use of free time and pleasure, and I hold on to my decision making. In many ways I am still in control.
One of the scariest things in life is to be out of control. Ironically, a lot of us are out of control and don’t even know it. We go about our daily life, tackle all the problems that arise, and make it through the day. We head home, try to get some rest, and do it all again tomorrow. Does this sound familiar? I get the chance to interact with hundreds of people every day, as a pharmacist and one of my favorite things to do is ask someone, “How are you doing?” It’s a simple question and I get answers like: “Living the dream”, “Pretty good”, “OK”, or my personal favorite, “So far so good”. All of these are good answers but do they sound like the truth?
The majority of time we put on our happy face and bare and grin it. I don’t believe that is what God had in mind for our lives when He created us. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us God has a plan for our life, a plan for us to thrive and conquer this life. I do not believe God created us to just make it through the day. That is why it is so important to hand over our life to His plan. His plan is a promise, we can trust Him with our life. He will never let us down or forsake us. The one who created you will put you in a career that you were created for. He will put you in a relationship that he intended you to be in. He will provide for you on a daily basis. These are all promises which God can not fail to fulfill. The problems come when our own control based decisions influence His plan for our life.
So the question arises, “How do I surrender my life fully to Jesus? “ I can honestly say that I don’t have the exact answer to that question except to say that you just have to take it one day at a time. Every day we have hundreds of decisions to make, right? How you make those decisions determines who is in control of your life. If you make snap decisions and just do what you feel is right then that is a self controlled mindset. My recommendation to you is pretty simple, when you are faced with decisions, whether big or small, prayerfully ask God for guidance and discernment. Now you may wonder how how you could say a prayer and wait for an answer when a decision needs to be made quickly? In those situations we rely on what we have already learned from reading His Word and trust that The Holy Spirit, aka The Helper, will guide us daily. That little small voice that nudges you while you make decisions, that is God’s way of prompting us to make right decisions on a daily basis. We just have to listen and obey.
Friends, I don’t even pretend to have all the answers. My life is not perfect and I haven’t always make the best decisions. I have learned over the years though that my best decisions have been made when I have gone to God in prayer or heeded to The Holy Spirit’s still, voice. God will always point you in the right direction. He will always guide you along His will for your life. The more decisions you make according to God’s plan the more you surrender your life to Christ. Surrendering to God is a daily choice but it is also the wisest choice
Thank you for you time. I look forward to the next time. Have a great rest of the week and may God bless you!
“Stand” performed by Newsboys (feat. Toby Mac)
Happy Friday!!! This is a great new song from my favorites… Newsboys and Toby Mac. I used to love going to Newsboys and DC Talk concerts back in the day and here is a mini-reunion. Watch the video, meditate on the lyrics, and enjoy!
Who will I be
When trouble comes callin’ for me?
Will I live the way I believe
When I’m backed up against the wall?
What kind of heart do I have in my chest?
Does it beat for my Savior or just for my flesh?
What will I do in the moment that everything falls?
I’m gonna stand in a world that’s breaking
Stand for a truth unchanging
I’m not ashamed I’ve considered the cost
I’ll stand right here at the foot of the cross, and stand
They can call me a fool
Or stubborn for following You
For trusting without any proof
But I’ve seen you here through it all
So what kind of person do I wanna be
Am I committed to you or Committed to me?
What will I chooose the second that everything falls?
I’m gonna stand in a world that’s breaking
Stand for a truth unchangin’
I’m not ashamed, I’ve considered the cost
I’ll stand right here at the Foot of the cross, and stand (stand)
(Stand)
I’m not ashamed, I’ve considered the cost
I’ll stand right here at the foot of the cross
And stand up for the one who gave everything
Stand up because You deserve all of me
I won’t give up, I won’t give in, and if it takes all I am
I’m gonna stand in a world that’s breaking
Stand for a truth unchangin’
I’m not ashamed, I’ve considered the cost
I’ll stand right here at the foot of the cross, and
Stand Jesus help me stand (stand)
I’m not ashamed, I’ve considered the cost (not ashamed)
I’ll stand right here at the foot of the cross
And stand
“Thanking God for Your Miracle” by Dave Good
Welcome back to another edition of the Refill with Randy blog. My name once again is Dave Good. I pray that the message God has imprinted on my heart will be a blessing to you.
Today, I’d like to talk about miracles. The first question I have to ask is, “Do you believe in miracles? “ I hope your answer is yes! I am a big believer in miracles. I have seen God do some amazing things. I’ve seen family members healed, I’ve seen people set free from addictions and bondage, I’ve seen money and blessings from out of nowhere. These are just a few examples of the many ways God has touched my life and the love ones around me. Now you may be sitting there thinking to yourself “That’s all good but how do you explain a miracle?”
I’m glad you asked that question. A miracle, according to the dictionary, is an event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God.
A miracle simply put is something you really can’t explain. It can only be explained as an act of God.
I’d like for you to let that definition soak in for a minute and take a moment to think back at a time in your life when something happened that you really can’t explain. Maybe it’s surviving an accident that you don’t know how you did. Maybe it’s landing a job which you weren’t really qualified for. Maybe it’s a check in the mail that you weren’t expecting which came at just the right time so that you could keep the lights on. My friends this is a short list but they are all examples of what I would consider a miracle. I’m telling you right now, we have all experienced a miracle at one time or another.
Just writing this has caused a flood of miracles to rush into my memory. Over the years God has been so good to me. Thank you Jesus!!!
So how do miracles happen? In order to answer that question we have to look at the master of miracles himself—Jesus Christ. If you’ve spent any time in the Bible, and even if you haven’t, I’m sure that you are aware of at least a few of the miracles he performed during his time on earth. There was the feeding of thousands with just a few fish or loaves. There were the countless accounts of him healing of the deaf, blind, and lame. How did Jesus solidify these miracles?
I believe there are two essential elements of a miracle.
1. Faith…. You’ve got to have faith ( ugh side note – as soon as I wrote that I suddenly heard George Michaels in my head. So of you may know what I’m talking about lol) Anyway, miracles have to be based in faith. Mark 5:34. Matthew 15:28, Matthew 9:29, speak to this just to name a few. The miracles were performed for each and every example listed because of the great faith in the power of Jesus.
2. Prayer… it is important to pray and ask God for your miracle. One of the clearest examples of the need for prayer comes when the disciples were unable to free the boy from the unclean spirit. The story can be found in Mark 9:14-29. The disciples couldn’t free the boy so then sought Jesus to perform the miracle. Jesus later shared with his disciples that this kind of unclean spirit can only come out with prayer.
3. Thanksgiving… No I’m not talking about turkey here. I’m talking about giving thanks to God for what He is about to do. Jesus displayed this essential part of a miracle multiple times in the Bible, most prominently in the feeding of the multitudes from Matthew 15:36 and Mark 6:41. Jesus took the tiny fish or the loaves of bread and first thing he did each time was “give thanks”. He gave thanks to His Father in Heaven for what he was about to do. All miracles need to start with a grateful heart and an anticipatory spirit.
Friends, I don’t know if any of you out there are waiting for your miracle but I pray that what I have shared might help you. Anytime you put faith, prayer, and thanks all together I know something miraculous is going to happen.
Thank you for your time, I pray my words are a blessing and allow you to uncover even more miracles in life. I look forward to seeing you next week.
“Spring Cleaning” by Dave Good
Good day!! Welcome back to another edition of the Refill with Randy Blog. My name is Dave Good and I pray that my words will be an encouragement to you and add some blessing to your life.
Today, I’d like to talk about spring cleaning. I know most of you are probably going to say, I hate cleaning. Lol. I know this isn’t the best topic but I think you will find out it can be a rewarding experience. I would have to say spring is one of my favorite times of the year. If you take a few moments and look around you will soon see signs of life everywhere. The weather is starting to get warmer, the trees are starting to bud, flowers are emerging from their winter slumber, and the grass is turning a vivid shade of green. The world is starting to awake from the long winter hibernation. To me, this is an exciting time of the year.
Spring is also the perfect time to do some cleaning and evaluation. One of the first projects I do each spring is get the garage and mower ready for the work that lies ahead. The mower oil and blades need to be changed, the porch and garage need swept and organized. There is work to be done all around the house. I know right now you are probably thinking what does all of this have to do with my Christian walk and ministry? I’m glad you asked.
Spring is a time of new growth, reorganization, and new life. I really think our Christian walk could use a season of new growth, reorganization, and new life too. I am not here to throw stones or point fingers but I really think if we are honest with ourselves, we would all agree. I can only speak for myself but I love the idea of breathing new life in my walk. A lot of the time we can get stuck in a bit of a routine or a rut. So the next question we need to ask is what are some of the ways we can grow and mature spiritually this spring?
1. Spend more time in The Word. One of the easiest ways to grow spiritually is to read your Bible more. I don’t care how long or how many times you’ve read the Bible, it will always speak to you in new ways. The Bible is God’s Living Word and you will never master the depth of it so keep reading it and rereading it.
2. Start a devotional. Another way to grow close to God is through the reading of devotionals. Pastor Randy and I have completed many devotionals together using the YouVersion Bible app. It is a wonderful tool to not only deepen your scripture reading but it also helps with accountability. I encourage you to take a look at it if you haven’t already.
3. Spring clean your daily routine. Since the topic of this entry is all about spring cleaning, I think this is a perfect time to take a look at our daily routine and get rid of some of the clutter. I encourage you to take a look at how you are using your time. How much time are you spending with the Lord? How much time are you spending on social media? How much time are you working ? How much time are you relaxing? All of this is important for a well rounded life yet, like everything else, it must be done in proportion. If we are spending too much time in any one of the list above our life could be out of balance and could lead to problems down the road. Spring is the perfect time to reorganize our daily routine to ensure a balanced daily walk.
Friends, Spring is the perfect time of year to fine tune our lives. Spring is a time of rebirth and I hope you seize the opportunity to breathe some fresh life into you walk with Jesus. I will never claim to have all the answers. I will never claim to know it all. The one thing I will tell you is that over the years I’ve used some of these things to deepen my own relationship with Jesus. I can assure you they are helpful because I’ve seen the fruits of it in my own life and I pray that you will too.
“Lessons Learned from Catching Covid & Quarantining – Part 2” by Pastor Randy
Happy Tuesday! If you read yesterday’s post you know that I was recently quarantined after catching Covid-19 and I shared some lessons that I learned from it. If you didn’t read yesterday’s post then go read it. I’ll wait… 😇
Ok, now that you are all caught up, here are a few more lessons that I learned last week…
LESSON #5 – God Is The Good Shepherd & A Good, Good Father
One of the things I love about God is that He cares about us. And He doesn’t just care about the big stuff but He cares about the little stuff too. He really is the Good Shepherd from Psalm 23:1 that supplies all of our needs and the Good Father from Matthew 7:11 who knows how to give good gifts to his children. Not only did God bless me by not allowing me to suffer some of the debilitating symptoms and side effects that some have had to go through and ultimately, I believe, healing me but He also blessed me along the way. And the best part was that he used others to do it! That brings me to…
LESSON #6 – God’s Kids Are Pretty Great Too
I mentioned in yesterday’s blog post that it was tough not having anyone to talk to or touch but that didn’t mean that others didn’t talk to me via texting and social media and that I didn’t get touched by their encouraging words and generous acts. Some examples were…
- A friend showing up w/ coffee and meds
- Another friend showing up with tea and cough drops
- Yet another friend showing up with coffee
- My wife bringing me coffee in bed each morning
- Are you starting to sense a theme here? Lol
- Friends offering to bring me take-out or groceries
- Hundreds of Birthday wishes online
- $4,815 raised for my Birthday Fundraiser
- A friend and fellow pastor offering not only to preach at the two churches I was scheduled to speak at this past Sunday but also to donate the honorariums from each to Go Scatter Ministries.
- Friends sharing that they have their churches and friends praying for me.
- Encouraging messages coming from other countries
- Birthday breakfast in bed ☕️🥓🍳🥞
- I could go on but you get the picture. 😁
LESSON #7 – I Am Not An Essential Worker
Sometimes it takes getting sidelined for a bit to realize that, whether out of a sense of self worth or in trying to live up to others’ expectations, we have taken on too much. The reality is that, like many found out at the beginning of the pandemic, we are not as essential as we assumed we were. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely believe that it is God’s desire to partner with us in order to achieve His Will but sometimes we overstep and forget that God is God and we are not. When this happens we need to be reminded that the world will turn and that ministry will still happen without us. For me this is not a new lesson but actually one that God reminds me of often and one that I now receive with joy.
I have come to learn that there is no greater privilege than to be used by God for His Purpose but also that there is no greater relief than realizing that He can and does use a lot more people than just me. Last week I had friends cover for me with preaching, with Hospice, with Hands 4 Hope, etc. and I didn’t lose one wink of sleep over it because I knew that the same God who would have worked through me in those settings would work just as mightily through them. That isn’t an excuse to stay sidelined and leave ministry to others but rather an opportunity to reevaluate what you are doing and to ask God to reveal any areas that you took on without His prompting. To have Him refine your purpose will ultimately be a blessing to you and to others as you will accomplish more together.
Well, I could go on but seven ramblings is probably enough for now. Thank you for reading and please share any lessons that you have learned while going through a crisis, big or small, so that I can learn from you as well.
“Lessons Learned from Catching Covid & Quarantining – Part 1” by Pastor Randy
Good morning friends, it’s good to be back with you after an unanticipated, yet necessary, hiatus. For those that don’t know, I tested positive for Covid-19 a week ago Saturday and ended up spending Easter through my birthday sick in bed and isolated from friends and family. Currently I am out of quarantine but still nowhere near 100% as I struggle to speak without coughing and I feel like I am constantly fighting fatigue. I am however doing much better than I was a week ago so the blog is back on and I thought I would kick things off with a two part post listing some of the lessons that I learned after having Covid-19 and being quarantined.
LESSON #1 – Covid Isn’t As Fun As The Kids Make It Out To Be
Seriously folks, Covid kicked my butt. It reminded me of when I came down with the Swine Flu, not once but twice, over a decade ago. That seemed worse because I had a bad fever, and I haven’t had one since, but with Covid I did experience waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to breathe—and this was before the coughing began.
I hadn’t felt well for a while but since Sheryl had had Covid herself right before Spring Break I had been cautious and was tested six times over 12 days and they all came back negative, including earlier in the day before The Good Friday Service. It was that night however that I woke up choking, which I blamed on reflux, and the next day after attending a funeral and not feeling well that I decided to take Test #7 prior to going to church and my in-laws the next day for Easter. For this I used a home test and it took all of 20 sec. before both lines shown clearly. I immediately started self-quarantining and my journey began.
LESSON #2 – Even In Isolation It’s Hard To Just “Be” And Not “Do”
It’s hard to turn off the world even when you are sick and all by yourself. As much as I stopped doing a lot of things (i.e. visiting with patients, counseling with clients, having coffee with friends, leaving my bedroom…) I still had a few little devices that “allowed” me to stay up to date with things whether I wanted to or not. From needing to be on social media because I was in the middle of a much needed fundraising effort (Praise God I reached my goal of $4,800 by the time I turned 48!!!) to receiving counseling requests via text late at night when I was trying to sleep, the world did stop spinning nor did my mind. This was a wake up call for me to develop better habits and better boundaries when it comes to having tech always on whether I’m sick or not.
LESSON #3 – Always Multi-Tasking Isn’t Always Good
For better or worse I am a multitasker—not because I think it is a more efficient or effective way to get things done but because my ADHD riddled brain gets bored if I’m not doing at least three things at once. That being said, Covid brain made me slow down and multitasking was near impossible. The other day I laid in bed and read an old fashioned paper and print book from cover to cover in one sitting. No tv on in the background. No reading on the same screen where I get pop up notifications non-stop. No thinking of five other things I could be doing and setting the book down never to be picked up again. No, I read it, enjoyed it, and was inspired by it. In case you are wondering it was The Dream King by Will Ford & Matt Lockett who will be speaking at a number of events this week sponsored by PACT. This is another benefit of having better boundaries with my devices… FOCUS.
LESSON #4 – I Get Why Jesus Only Stayed In The Tomb For 3 Days
Ok, let me preface this by saying that I am only kidding around by comparing Jesus’ being buried with me being quarantined. I think God has a sense of humor and he certainly made me with one. For example, at The Good Friday Service another pastor and I carried a large wooden cross into the sanctuary and when we were placing it on stage I got a splinter from it. When returning to our seats I showed him my wound and whispered, “Now I really understand Jesus’ suffering.” I laughed. He laughed. I came down with Covid the next day. 😳
On second thought maybe I should cool it with the jokes and just get to the point which is that, for an extreme extrovert with physical touch being high up on his list of Love Languages, being by myself without anyone to talk to or touch was downright depressing. My wife would bring me food and drink but the rest of the family stayed as far away as possible so as to avoid any germs. Even though Sheryl had just had it herself a couple weeks prior she avoided getting close to me so as to not carry any of my germs back to the kids or her class. All necessary but also depressing. Even the cats, who never left Sheryl’s side when she was in bed, wouldn’t venture into the room with me. To say that being quarantined was at least as bad, if not worse, than the actually illness would not be an exaggeration. It really made me feel that much more for the people in the hospitals and nursing homes during the height of Covid who had to suffer through so much while not being allowed to have loved ones by their side. Needless to say, as soon as I am sure I will not cough in your face as a result you will all being getting a big hug from me the next time I see you—whether you want one or not. 😉
These were just some of the lessons I learned. Come back tomorrow and read about a few more. SPOILER ALERT!!! They are all positive! 😇
“Pastor Randy’s GSM Birthday Fundraiser – Updated”
Friends, from now until my birthday on April 23rd I am raising support for my evangelism efforts through GSM. The total is currently at $1,819 but there are only 6 DAYS LEFT to raise the final $2,981. Can you help me reach my goal of $4,800? Any amount will help! Thank you in advance for considering.
You can give using the PayPal link https://www.paypal.me/GoScatterMinistries?locale.x=en_US you can Venmo me @Randy-LeBaron or to receive tax credit you can write a check to “GENESIS CONFERENCE FMC” with “EVANGELIST FUND” in the memo line and mail it to:
GENESIS CONFERENCE FMC
2260 Westside Drive
P.O. Box 206
N.Chili, NY 14514
If you send a check please DM or e-mail me at RandyLeBaron@gmail.com with the amount. Thank you in advance for your support!!! To find out more about my ministry check out goscatterministries.org
“Happy Easter & Prayer Request” by Pastor Randy
Good morning friends and Happy Easter! I pray that God would bless you today and help you to be a blessing to others as we shine Christ’s light in this world.
I would also ask that you please pray for me as I am sick with Covid. It is for that reason that I will also be taking next week off from my Refill with Randy blog and videos.
“A Father’s Sacrifice” by Pastor Randy
When we think of Jesus going to the cross we often focus on his actions, his emotions, and his sacrifice, right? And though there is nothing wrong with that because he did endure so much for our sake the fact remains that his Father did and experienced much of the same—just from a different perspective.
One of the most quoted verses in all the Bible is John 3:16. It states…
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (NLT)
God the Father was not merely a passive bystander in Jesus’ sacrifice but a willing participant. He gave us his son to stand in our place and die for our sin. He sent his son into the world, not to condemn it but to save anyone who would put their faith in him.
And, before you start thinking that Jesus was the only one who experienced pain as a part of this plan to redeem mankind, remember that when Jesus took our sins upon him and was separated from his Father for the first time in all eternity that the Father ached as well.
Imagine, as a parent, watching your only son be tortured, mocked, and nailed to a cross and then hearing him cry out…
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).” (Matthew 27:46b NIV)
A little over 18 yrs. ago, the day before our daughter Ashlyn’s 2nd birthday, we were staying at a friend;s place and where she fell and cracked her head open on the corner of a coffee table. As young parents we were overwhelmed with emotion as we rushed her to the E.R.
Eventually we were told that she would need staples to hold the wound together so that it would heal and, inexplicably, they told us that we would need to hold her down while the doctor did it. TALK ABOUT TRAUMATIZING!!! And I don’t just mean for her.
Our hearts broke as she cried out for us to help her—not understanding that what we were doing was for just that reason. As she cried we joined in and to this day I do not understand why we were made to participate in that way.
What I do understand though is that it must have been just as heart-wrenching for God the Father to watch all that his son went through and not step in and stop it. For the same reason though that Jesus didn’t save himself so that he could save others, God watched without intervening out of His great love for us. A chance to be reconnected with His creation.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:28-39 NLT)
“Imagine” by Pastor Randy
Imagine the night before Jesus’ arrest, before Judas’ betrayal, before Peter’s denials, and before the disciples desertion.
Imagine what it must have been like for Jesus.
Imagine knowing in advance that those closest to you in the good times would be furthest from you in the bad.
Imagine washing your friends’ feet, serving them food, and praying for their protection and perseverance—even as one plotted to kill you, two vied for position, and three would fall asleep as you poured your heart out in gut-wrenching fashion at the Garden of Gethsemane.
Imagine knowing that you were about to experience an unimaginable amount of pain—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually—but allowed yourself to be arrested all the same.
Imagine knowing that death was waiting for you in the form of a cross but still choosing to walk toward it—not because you deserve it but because you have great compassion for those who do.
Imagine every difficult choice Jesus made just to give us the opportunity to choose him, to choose life, to choose eternity.
Imagine how much he must have loved us to leave heaven, to become human, to live a sinless life, and to die a sinner’s death, for our sake.
Imagine what our lives could look like if we chose to follow him and his example of loving others unconditionally and unflinchingly.
Imagine…
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:6-8 NLT)
Refill with Randy – Episode #77 “Upper Room to Empty Tomb”
Grab your favorite cup, fill it up, and join Randy on a special Holy Week episode featuring pics & videos from his trip to Israel.
“Jesus is Bad for Business” by Dave Good
Good morning!!! Welcome back to another edition of GSM’s “Refill with Randy” Blog. It’s my honor to spend the next few minutes with you. I hope my words are a blessing and bring you closer to the Lord.
Today, I’d like to talk about what happened after Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The gospels of Matthew and Mark give us a few clues of what Jesus did once he was paraded into Jerusalem. In Mark 11:15-18 it says..,
“When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.” (NLT)
When I reflect on the actions of Jesus in the temple I am reminded of the threat Jesus posed to the Jewish leaders. Jesus was truly bad for business. He shined a bright light on the corruption of the Temple and shrewd business practices of the moneychangers and sacrifice vendors. Jesus was disrupting the flow of money into the Religious Leaders pockets and he also seized the power and status from them. Jesus repeatedly called the Temple, “His Father’s House”, completely contradicting the claim of the Elders as rulers and managers of the Temple. In other words, it’s like walking into a store and dealing with the manager who thought he had the final say but the owner walks in and completely overturns the decision. Jesus put His full authority on display and there was nothing they could do about it. Once again, Jesus was bad for business.
This response of the Jewish leaders to the threat and authority of Jesus was simple. They plotted to eliminate him. Over the next few days, the urgency to kill Jesus escalated tremendously. This really was the last straw that sealed the fate of Jesus. A few days from now they would succeed by nailing him to the cross.
As I am sitting here reflecting on the actions of Jesus, I am convinced that this story is just as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. Today, Jesus is still bad for business in a way. How many people are offended by the name Jesus? How many businesses are avoided because they bare a Christian focus? How many conversations are avoided when the name of Jesus enters it? How many friendships are altered when Jesus enters into someone’s life? These are just a few examples of the impact Jesus has on the world today.
Friends, as we continue our journey through Holy Week, let us hold on to the authority and power of Jesus. To the world, Jesus is a threat. He is bad for the schemes of this world. I am here to tell you today that doing business with Jesus and modeling your life after His example will have a remarkable effect on your life. Jesus came to die and save us from the punishment of our sins but he didn’t come to be a friend of the world. Yes, Jesus may be bad for business… but he is great for our life.
“Jesus followed God’s GPS” by Pastor Randy
Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, and so I want to take a look at not only Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem but also what led him there in the first place. Let’s start by reading…
Matthew 20:1-11 “As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.” This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’” The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked. And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”” (NLT)
This seems like a pretty good first day in the city but, as we know all too well, it kind of went down hill from there at least from an earthly point of view. The fact though was that Jesus knew what was coming all along. He knew that even though there were those now crying “Hosanna! Hosanna!” And throwing Palm branches at his feet that a mere five days later others would be crying, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” and pressing a crown of thorns into his head. We know that he knew this because he had already told his disciples as much. If you go back four chapters Jesus says in…
Matthew 16:21-24 “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” (NLT)
Jesus knew what would happen by going to Jerusalem and yet he kept going in that direction. Why? My friend Pastor Mike Rivera shared in his message yesterday morning that it was because Jesus was heading home and the way was through Jerusalem… through the pain… through the cross. I would argue that you can look back to the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry and see that he had been going in this direction the entire time as he followed GPS (God’s Positioning System).
Jesus chose to go to and through the cross for us. On this first day of Holy Week I would encourage you to take some time and consider where you would be willing to go and what you would be willing to do for him, remembering that he said…
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”
“Pastor Randy’s GSM Birthday Fundraiser”
Friends, giving is currently at $570 which is just under 12% of the goal if $4,800. Would you consider helping me reach my goal today? You can use the PayPal link below.
You can also Venmo me @Randy-LeBaron or, to receive tax credit, you can write a check to “GENESIS CONFERENCE FMC” with “EVANGELIST FUND” in the memo line and mail it to:
GENESIS CONFERENCE FMC
2260 Westside Drive
P.O. Box 206
N.Chili, NY 14514
If you send a check please e-mail me at RandyLebaron@gmail.com with the amount. Thank you in advance for your support!!!
“7 Haikus” by Pastor Randy
From an early age I have enjoyed all types of creative writing including haiku. These bite-sized poems are comprised of three lines with exactly 5, 7, and 5 syllables each. The following are seven random haikus that I have written. If you are feeling creative yourself I would encourage you try your hand at some and please feel free to share!
The Christian witness
Our lives lived out on canvas;
Painted with purpose
Hospitality
Welcoming others as friends;
The first time you meet
The Christian journey
Daily choices that are made;
To keep your first choice
Missional mindset
Purpose over preference;
What would Jesus do?
Hypocrisy reigns
When Christianity is
Compartmentalized
A broken cistern
No water to quench one’s thirst
Many still return
The Imago Dei
Created to be creative
Living works of art
The Incarnation
An ultimate act of love
God becoming flesh
“Body, Mind, and Soul” by Dave Good
Welcome back to another edition of GSM’s “Refill with Randy” blog. I am so glad you are here today. If this is your first time, welcome! I hope you continue to follow us as we scatter words of hope to all of you. My name is Dave Good and I am honored to share the next few minutes with you.
Today, I’d like to discussed your triunity. You are probably thinking, “Come on Dave, that’s a big word, what in the world are you talking about?” I am so glad you asked. I think we all have heard that Our God is a triune being. He is God the father, God the Son, and God the Spirit all in one. Many people refer to this as the Trinity. Let’s take it one step further and remember that we were created in God’s Image (Genesis 1:27). God created us with a body, mind , and soul. So we are also triune in nature. Today we will discuss how we are to take care of each one.
The first part of us is our body. Your body is your physical appearance and structure. You know… your arms, legs, face, and torso which, if you are anything like me, has the tendency to keep expanding. Go ahead and look back at an old photo and see how much you have changed over the years. Your body, once you get past your youthful prime, is on a constant decline through the years (I’m getting a little depressed just writing this). Anyway, we need to take care of our bodies the best we can. Our God created us to take care of this temple that houses our mind and soul. We should participate in regular exercise, eat right, and not abuse ourselves with any substance that could harm us such as smoking, drugs, or too much alcohol. I know this is getting touchy but I want you all to live your best life.
The second part of us is our mind. The mind is where our thinking takes place, decision are made, and it is the source of our intelligence, and, just like with our physical bodies, our minds also need to be nurtured, taken care of, and developed. I know some of you may be saying hey Dave I’m pretty smart I went to college. Others may be saying I’m not too smart and didn’t do well in school so not much I can do. I’m here to tell you God has given us a mind that is so dynamic that if you put the time in you might just be amazed. God also gave us the owners manual to help nurture our minds in the form of His Word. The Bible has the ability to stretch, transform, restore, and renew our minds if we put the effort in and read it daily. Romans 12:2 tells us that we are to be transformed by the renewing our mind.
The third and final part of ourselves is our soul. The soul is a little harder to define but it can best be described as our inner being which consists of our character, our conscience, and our spirit. Our soul is what departs from our earthly body and, if we choose Jesus as our savior, taken up to heaven. The best thing we can do for our soul which will never die is accept Jesus. That boils down to accepting that we are all sinners and we need a sacrifice to make us right with God. Jesus came to earth in the form of man, lived a holy life, and died a sinner’s death on the cross for our sake. If you can accept that and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead then God’s Word says that you will be saved and you (your soul) will spend eternity in heaven. I hope you will make that decision today.
As you can see, there is a lot of effort involved in taking care of our whole self. It takes a daily decision to make sure we are living our best life. However, sometimes we get out of practice and neglect or hurt ourselves. Maybe we aren’t reading our Bible like we should and our mind gets out of focus. Maybe we just got back from vacation and eating out every day has added a few more pounds. To tell you the truth it’s really easy to become a little off track. That is why I think it’ is so important to take an inventory on a regular basis. Look yourself in the mirror and check your body, ask some questions that check your mindset, and make sure things are in balance. If they aren’t in balance make a plan to fix it.
Friends, I know I gave you a lot of things to consider today. I know I may have shed some light on areas that are really out of balance or need a lot of attention but I’m here to tell you that you can start to get back in shape today! Make the decision to work on your body, mind, and soul and you will be amazed how quickly things can change and how much better you will feel when things slide into balance. I hope this entry was helpful for you and I pray God will help you in balance all areas of our life. Blessings! DG
“Refill with Randy” – Episode #76
Grab your favorite cup, fill it up, and join Randy for a special “Autism Awareness Month” episode of Refill with Randy featuring a new book illustrated by Trent Landreth from DrawingsbyTrent.com
“Praying Uncomfortable Prayers” by Pastor Randy
Good afternoon! Today I am sharing a previously published post I came across because I realized as I read it that I needed to hear it again and thought maybe you did as well.
I pray that your week is going well. If not, then I’m still praying for you.
And prayer is what I want to talk about today. I want to encourage you to expand your prayer life. Now most of the time when a pastor issues a challenge concerning prayer it typically has to do with the rhythm, frequency, or duration of your prayers but not this time. This time…
I CHALLENGE YOU TO PRAY UNCOMFORTABLE PRAYERS
And what is an uncomfortable prayer you might ask? I would define it as any prayer that doesn’t fit easily into our Christian Comfort Zone such as…
- asking God to meet a GOD-SIZED need (something we can’t control)
- asking God AGAIN for something that we still haven’t seen any fruit from (be persistent)
- asking God to use you to be an answer to someone else’s prayer
- asking God to place HIS AGENDA ahead of yours
- asking God to do a miracle (putting Him on the line w/out a Plan B)
- asking God why such and such did or didn’t happen to you (real emotions w/out being pc)
- asking God for something publicly (like blessing your food in a crowded restaurant)
- asking God for healing and forgiveness (confessing your sin)
- asking God for the strength to forgive others
- Asking God to bless your enemies
You get the picture. Sometimes we get stuck lifting up prayers to God that are short, sweet, safe, and sanitized. What God wants, and what we often need, though is to go off script and have a real conversation with God without pretense. David excelled in this as we see in the Psalms like in…
Psalm 13:1-6 “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; 4 my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.”
So follow David’s lead and let God hear your real thoughts, your real fears, your real desires, your real doubts, and your real requests. He already knows what they are anyway so in being real with God we will actually start to be real with ourselves. And that’s when God can start responding to our requests in really awesome ways!
“Detox Your Thoughts” by Pastor Randy
Happy Friday! I pray that you have had a good week and are hopefully headed into a restful weekend. For some of you though you may be burdened and your mind still busy with all that has happened throughout the week… at home, at school, at work, online. I’m writing this for you today.
This past month I detoxed in a couple of different ways. At the beginning of the month I did a digital detox to start my Lenten journey. I deleted my FB and IG Apps for a couple of weeks and took time off from posting “Refill with Randy” Blogs & Videos. It’s good for the soul to take some time way every now and again, right?
Then for the latter part of the month I did a physical detox or, as my chiropractor calls it, a Cleanse. For 21 days I purge certain foods from my diet (initially all but veggies & fruit) and take supplements to help get rid of the bad and green foods to replenish the good. Losing weight is a nice side-effect (I’m on Day 15 and down exactly 15 lbs.) but the real goal is to become healthier and hopefully continuing eating better.
What I want to encourage you to do today though is what I would describe as a thought detox. All week long we are bombarded by the noise of this world—social media rants, never ending news coverage, cutting remarks from coworkers or bosses, unkind words at home, you name it. The point is that all of these words compound and impact us whether we realize it or not. There is a reason why our society as a whole is so filled with fear, anxiety, and no sense of identity or self worth. We hear negative things all the time, we personalize them, and then we start to believe them.
What I want to propose is that, in order to prepare for a weekend that can be restorative, we need to intentionally purge those things that we continually think about which are not healthy, helpful, or hopeful. Rather than constantly trying to avoid thinking about those things that trouble us, that can be exhausting, and allow those thoughts to come to the surface where we can deal with them with God’s help.
Ask Him to filter out those things which would be deemed toxic (worrying about things out of your control, dwelling on what someone commented on your post, etc.) and to fill you with His Spirit which can guide your thinking and give you peace.
I hope you enjoy a weekend full of rest for your body, mind, and soul.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
Psalms 23:1-3 NIV
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
“Make Every Second Count” by Dave Good
Good day and welcome to another edition of GSM’s “Refill with Randy” blog. It is my pleasure to spend the next couple of minutes with you. I pray that the words of this message speak to your heart and are a blessing to you.
The topic I’d like to speak with you about is time management. If you take a few minutes and take an inventory of your day, I think you will conclude that you are pretty busy. If you are like me, you are probably juggling a full time job, a busy family, responsibilities at home, and trying to keep up to date with this fast paced world. Just writing that sentence seemed a bit overwhelming and exhausting lol.
The point I’m getting at is that we are living a lifestyle that is busier, more demanding, and faster paced than at any point in history. Things are getting accomplished faster than ever. I remember writing a letter, sticking it in an envelope and throwing it in the mailbox. Now we have emails, faxes, and text messages that will deliver information in a nanosecond. People have gotten used to an instantaneous lifestyle and time is moving so rapidly.
Taking into account all the demands on our life, I would ask you to take a moment and analyze how you spend your free time. If you are like me you may not have much down time. I work 13 hours days, I have a family to care for, and I only have a limited amount of time to catch my breath. So what do you do with that precious down time? Are you reading your Bible, and spending time with God? Are you scrolling through social media and catching up with friends and family? Are you just relaxing in your favorite recliner watching Tv and movies? None of these things are wrong, we all need to rest and unwind.
Now that you have taken an inventory of how you utilize your free time let’s talk to you about priorities. Is God and His word a significant priority? I am going to be completely transparent and honest with you on this question. The answer is yes, God is a priority but I tend to get a little distracted.
My typical day is extremely busy and I’ve had to fight off the temptation of losing valuable time sifting through social media posts and YouTube videos instead of spending time in prayer or devotion.
Having a smart phone or an iPad is a blessing. One of my favorite apps is the Youversion Bible app. I can read my Bible, participate in a group devotional, and have immediate access to God’s Word with the tap of the screen. It’s truly amazing! However, I have a problem. My Bible app is on the same phone as my Twitter app, my YouTube app, my email app, my text app, etc. I think you get the picture. Too many times I have found myself having the good intention of reading my Bible but ending up scrolling through posts or videos and before I know it my free time is almost over. I am just being honest here folks.
I think most of you reading this can relate to what I’m saying. I had great intentions yet my execution was poor. I didn’t spend enough time with God but boy am I caught up on the news and gossip of this world. So what are we supposed to do?
Hear is what I did. First, I moved my apps around so my Bible is on my Home Screen and my social media apps are tucked away towards the back where I can’t get to them as easy.
The second thing I did was I made a prayerful commitment to God to spend more time with Him. I promised that I would read His Word and asked him to hold me accountable if I don’t. Trust me ,my spirit will always let me know when it’s not being fed and I’m not holding up my end of the bargain.
The third thing I did was I designated a specific time of the day to spend time in the Word. For me, I try to make that the very first thing I do. God likes when He is put first BTW. I have made reading my Bible a priority in my life. Do I succeed every single day? I would be lying if I said yes but you know what? I really try and it has made a huge difference in my life and I know it will yours too.
Friends, I know we are all busy and life is hectic but I can’t stress to you enough the importance of spending time with God and His Word. I guarantee it will change your life. The commitment is not easy at first but after a while it becomes more of a joy than all the other distractions in your life. So, as we wrap up our time together, I urge you to make a commitment today. Heck, start with just a chapter a day or maybe 10 minutes and watch how the wonderful words of God impact your life.
“But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
(2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT)
Refill with Randy – Episode #75 “Called & Missioned”
Grab the bull by the horns and join Randy for a Texas-sized episode highlighting Care-Net’s first ever Men’s Conference.
“By Your Grace” performed by Cody Johnson
Hey friends, let’s start our Tuesday together by listening to a song filled hope, mercy, and grace. Watch the video and meditate on the lyrics to Cody Johnson’s “Saved By Grace”.
I’m aware of everything that’s wrong with me
But still You accept me anyway
I live with a past I can’t get past and it still haunts me
So I’m askin’ for the courage to make a change
By Your grace, I have hope
You’ve already paid every debt I owe
Please take my chains and make me see
That by Your grace, I’ve been set free
Teach me, Lord, to seek You day by day
Let only You define just where I stand
Let me not take for granted
All the dеpths of Your forgiveness
Becausе the only way I’m gonna be a better man
Is by Your grace, I have hope (I have hope)
You’ve already paid every debt I owe (debt I owe)
Please take my chains and make me see
That by Your grace, I’ve been set free
I’ve got a long way to go
But Lord, I know
There’s not a step I’m gonna take
When You’re not with me
I’ve got a long way to go
But Lord, I know
There’s not a step I’m gonna take
When You’re not with me
I’ve got a long way to go
Oh, but Lord, I know
There’s not a step I’m gonna take
When You’re not with me
You’re always with me
And by Your grace (by Your grace)
I have hope (I have blessed hope, yeah)
You’ve already paid every debt I owe (every debt I owe)
Please take my chains and make me see
That by Your grace, I’ve been set free (been set free)
By Your grace, I’ve been set free
(By your grace)
“Wholesome Chaos” by Pastor Randy
Happy Monday and Welcome Back to the “Refill with Randy” Blog!!!
Ok, technically I was the one who left for a few weeks but I’m glad to reconnect with you either way. I will share about some of my adventures while away in future posts, including this Wednesday’s All New Episode of “Refill with Randy” on FB & YouTube, but for today I wanted to give you a glimpse into my life these days.
Wholesome Chaos is a favorite podcast of mine by a Christian Dad & Daughter (Dan & Maggie Thurmon) who gained fame on TikTok for their positive messages and funny dance numbers. Check it out!
Wholesome chaos is also a good way to describe the life of an evangelist, preacher, husband, and father like myself. When people ask me how I am doing it’s hard not to answer with the typical, “keeping busy”, but there is a lot of truth in that statement.
On a typical week I wear many hats and serve in many different roles. In addition to the aforementioned evangelist, pastor, husband, and father I am also…
- President of Go Scatter Ministries
- Uber/Bus Driver for all of my kid’s school & sports
- Spiritual Care & Bereavement Counselor at Supportive Care (Hospice) of Orleans
- Blogger
- Sheriff’s Chaplain
- Care-Net Pastoral/ Peer Counselor
- Host of “Refill with Randy”
- Event Photographer
- Hands 4 Hope Volunteer
- Provider of Spiritual Care via Social Media
- Community Pastor/ Coffee Shop Chaplain
- Cupbearer to our cats
- Financial Advisor
- I.T.
- Graphic Designor
- Guest Speaker
- Missionary
- Sounding Board
- Friend
I could keep going but you get the picture. I am not listing these off to say “Look at me. Look at all I do” but simply to share with you that the old joke about a pastor working only 1 hr. a week needs to be retired ASAP. I also expect that most of you can relate to what it is like to try to keep a lot of plates spinning at the same time, trying to meet a lot of different expectations (many self-imposed), and trying to be all things to all people all the time.
You know who else had many different hats, many different expectations put upon him, and met the needs of many people? That’s right… JESUS! The main difference between Jesus and me though (and there are many) us that he prepared himself for a life of Wholesome Chaos by practicing two things as illustrated in this account from…
Mark 1:35-39 “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Later Simon and the others went out to find him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.” (NLT)
- He started the day in prayer away from all the other voices vying for his attention and talked to His Father about what He should do.
- He learned to say NO to those things that others thought he should do but did not fit into God;s Agenda.
Throughout my ministry I have struggled to implement these same practices with different degrees of success and one thing I know is that when I do them consistently well I am more effective for the Kingdom, more at peace at the end of the day, and ultimately a better friend, family member, communicator, caregiver, example, etc. to those who God has called me into community with.
So, how about you? Do you ever get frustrated with how busy you are? Is it because others are demanding too much? Or is it because you say Yes too often because you listen to others vs taking the time to listen to The One Who wants to put you on the path to fulfill a purpose in this life that will impact others and impact His Kingdom?
I urge you to take some time today as we start a new week to get away to a place where you can tune into the voice of God and shut all others out. This may mean physically going somewhere or simply turning off your phone, PC, and tablets for 20 min. If you start to make this a habit, I would suggest at the start of each day, then I believe you will end each day feeling less frenzied and more fulfilled.
Give it a try even for a week or two and then let me know what happened. Did your call become clearer? Did it become easier to say no to the suggestions of others, not because they weren’t asking you to do good things but because God had better things in mind? Or did you sense something else happen as a side effect of spending that solitary time listening to The Lord.
PLEASE MESSAGE ME AND LET ME KNOW!!! 😇
“Social Media Fast” by Pastor Randy
Hi all, just a reminder that I will be starting Lent with a 2 week Social Media fast which includes no “Refill with Randy” videos or blog posts.
Refill with Randy 