Being a bi-vocational pastor has some advantages and also has some disadvantages.  One of the benefits is that the money that it would usually take to employ us goes back into the church budget and we are able to apply that money directly to ministries that will help benefit God’s kingdom.  However one of the disadvantages is that I feel I never have enough time to give our members for pastoral services (i.e. hospital visits, witnessing, counseling, fellowship, mentoring, so forth).  As I spend more and more time in the role of a bi-vocational pastor I yearn for a season that God will allow me to spend every waking moment trying to touch them for His glory.

As I go to the office everyday I have moments where I have to remind myself that this is were God has me and He is in it.  He has me in this position to touch someone or to do something.  I am not sure of what this is at this moment however I feel blessed to be used.  There is a pure joy in being used.  I hope that you are taking the time to let Jesus inside (based off the intel logo for non computer geeks) so that He can begin to shape your heart and lead you where He wants you to serve.

See that is where pleasure in this life begins, it is not in the money, the position, the car, the house, the job, or the country club.  It is simply having Jesus Inside!

God Bless ~ Tyler

One of the things that I love about our church is the honesty of the leadership and our members.  During our pastor’s classes it is so refreshing to meet with a group of men that not only hold each other accountable but are honest about their shortcomings and failures.  It is not a group that meets with our “Jesus Face” on and pretends all is ok.  We are a group of men that fall down and help each other back up, we pray for each other, we pray for the church, and we pray for guidance.  What an encouragement to be around this group of guys.  I am so blessed to be learning and growing around such men of God.  On the way home tonight the Lord and I were talking about some things that need work in my life, and a song by Natalie Grant came on (I actually already have it on my iPod) called “I will not be moved”.  I have included the chorus here below and it is a new motto here at 2 Metalheads.  We will stumble from time to time, and have heartache and mistakes but we will not be moved in our values, beliefs, and passions.

I will stumble
I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes
I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved

If you do not own this album I highly recommend it as all of the songs are of good quality.  But look specifically at this lyric.  I will not be moved!!  I will stand with Christ for He stands with me.

God Bless ~ Tyler            

Way to True

While Krystal and I were at a friends house for a birthday party one of the kids of the host family walks into the family room of their house wearing this shirt.  I about fell out of my chair as this was just after we spent all night dealing with children and all of the little ups and downs that happen at night when you have a “herd” of 4 like we do.  There is always somebody that needs something or heard a noise or just simply “Isn’t tired”.
As I was dealing with each child I would get more and more irritated everytime they would get out of bed or yell for me and everytime Krystal would remind me that they took a long nap or that they were this or that.  What a great mom, she is everything that I am not sometimes and I hope the children realize how blessed they are to have her. 
Anyway the point is that I was reminded that this same scenario is our lives with sin.  God forgives us and we are walking with Him and then we begin to sin and things change…we will walk a way a little bit then a little more.  We will then repent and get back right with God and then it seems it is not to long before the same cycle repeats itself.  But isn’t it wonderful that we have grace through Jesus that like a mother’s love is never ending, will not hold a grudge, and will always wipe the slate clean so to speak.  Now anyone who knows me knows that I am a very active dad, so dont get me wrong it is not always about Mom but it is easy to see why there is a “Maternal Instinct” given to ladies.  Moral of the story…go hug your mom!  She have probably saved your life more that you know. 

~ On that note:  Mom, thanks for saving mine…I know you did it a bunch!

God Bless ~ Tyler

**Disclaimer**  If you read this before 10:30am CST please read it again.**

For those of you that know me real well this is not news to you but to those of you who don’t you might find this interesting.  I have a documented breathing problem, it is like asthma or emphysema but is brought different in that it is only brought on by the lack of cell phone signal.    Whenever I am driving or in a building and I can’t get a signal I begin to breath funny and have serious complications.  Of course that is just being silly but yet it really relates to our prayer life at the same time.   Why aren’t we as Christians as particular about our “line” to God as we are about our cell phone signal?

At E3-Group tonight we talked about what can hinder your prayer life.  If you are in the group or have been to the group before and you missed it last night then you missed a blessing.  I cannot speak for everyone else but I was really touched and convicted by some of the things that we went through in the lesson; even those that I didn’t get when I prepared it.  The lesson was on prayer and some of the hindrances of our pray life.  Meaning what prevents God from hearing our prayers.  Now first let me say that God hears all of our prayers whether we are saved or lost, and scripture backs that.  But what we see in scripture is that it reminds us that if our heart are not right then God will turn His face away and choose not to listen to our prayers.  Meaning if we have disobedience, arrogance, hypocrisy, or unconfessed sin in our lives then we end up with a situation where according to scripture God turns His face from us and makes a choice not to hear our requests.

John 9:31 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him.

And I can actually handle the understanding of those with good common sense.  I mean that it makes sense to me that if you are being disobedient or not confessing known sin in your life then why should God listen to you?  But here is the one that really got my attention.   What is the state of your belief in your prayer life?  This is where I catch myself failing miserable.  I know that God is over all, and that He can master anything however I just assume sometimes that He is not going to answer based upon my life.  So I basically for lack of a better word doubt that God is going to respond to some of my prayers even though we should know that He will provide all.  Well lets define the word doubt:

Doubt:

How does that grab you?  When we pray and we assume that God is not going to do it or we go into it with any negativity in our heart that is an act of distrust towards God.  Let’s repeat that because I feel that it is that important, praying something to God out of any of any other frame of mind other than faith that He is going hear you and consider your petition is doubting God.  Does that not just put a sour taste into your mouth?  To act as if you don’t trust the creator of the universe and the Almighty God, how shameful is that!?!  Read how God responds to doubt in your prayer life:

James 1:5-7 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.  6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Wow…What a gut check!

I pray that we all will pray with the love and trust in our hearts that God deserves.  I pray that you would check your heart and live your life following the righteous road.

God Bless ~ Tyler