Sunday Thoughts - 2/8/09

We had good day of worship eventhough the crowd was off partly due to rain. In Calif, people don't like the rain and it's probably because they've watched too much of the Wizard of Oz and saw the wicked witch of the east dissolve to nothing when water was poured on her...UGH...LOL

But for the most part worship was good. I opened our service with the video clipping I posted last week entitled "Don't Waste Your Church". It set the tune in our service. I preached on the name "Elohim-God Our Creator". Here is the sermon skeleton but I want to share a snippet of the sermon that really blessed me while I was preaching.

Topic: God Made You
Text: Psalms 139

Thesis: You are precious to God

Transitional Sentence: You are so precious to God that He was and still is actively participating in your life.

1. God knows all about you - v. 1-6
Point: There's no secrets with God

2. God is present in your life, always - v. 7-12
Point: You can't hide from God

3. God knows you potential - v. 13-24
Point: Be yourself

Sermon Snippet:
I was in junior high school in the 7th grade and had the biggest crush on a young lady and wanted her to be my girlfriend. I would walk her to class, carry her books, buy her lunch, walk her home, made sure my hair was combed, teeth brushed, clothes ironed, and everything I could to get her attention and let her know that I liked her. I was a skinny kid at 12 years old with a big afro and I wasn't the best dresser in the world. I didn't play sports because in basketball they jumped over me, in football they ran through me, track/field was limited because of asthma, and baseball wasn't mucho enough for me at the time.

For two weeks, in my mind she was my girlfriend but it needed to be validated with the question, "Will you be my girlfriend?" Before I could ask, she says: "I don't want to be your girlfriend. You're skinny and ugly!" This crushed my ego and broke my heart. My cousins and friends all had girlfriends, popularity, and very athletic. But I was the male Cindarella of the bunch. I joined the marching band playing the trumpet and "Gee Club" (another name for choir) with hopes of finding a girlfriend. Strike out! I started dressing like a gangsta with big white t-shirts, baggy pants, and wore my hair in a perm like Snoop Dogg with hopes of getting a girlfriend. Strike out #2! My talk changed from proper english to; "You know" after every sentence. I started hanging with the bad kids all to gain attention so that I could be like my cousins and friends.

All of my 7th grade year I became a loner sitting at lunch by myself reading a book. I quickly became the loner kid who's skinny and ugly among the girls of my school. The guys called me a punk, nerd, and every name you can think of. I got so bad that I found myself fighting everyday of the week until I got kicked out of school.

My 8th grade year wasn't any better!

When I started my freshman year of high school, I had a new attitude (I'm not sure where it came from). But I started my freshman year of high school realizing that there's always going to be someone who looks better than me, be smarter than me, more athletic, much bigger. much more talented, and so on. But there is one thing can't nobody do better than me; "BE ME!"

This confidence changed my life completely. I was no longer looked at as the skinny ugly boy in school. As a matter of fact, the same girl I had crush on in junior high school had the nerve to want to talk to me, NOT HAPPENING!

And today, I still think the same way. I'm not a jealous person, I'm not trying to be like any preacher, singer, or anything, just me.

As I reflect back, I became comfortable and confident with who I was and not based on what others think because God made me unique for an express purpose in life that no other person can do just like I can do. Praise God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My exhortation is simply this; "Stop being a carbon copy and be yourself like God made you to be!"

This message blessed my spirit and after long I started talking to myself. God be praised for His word, I am somebody!

I'm still itching to preach this message again. God Made You!

Tracy had a pretty rough start yesterday morning with an issue that's beyond my control. I love her dearly and hate to see her feelings get hurt. But it's best that I pray about and leave in God's hands. Please keep her in your prayers.

That's it, that's all!
Be blessed!
Man Down.