tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206741612012-02-16T02:41:27.784-05:00Reliant On HimThe world is filled with confusing and thought provoking things, not the least of which is the internet. And in the short time that I've been here, I’ve come to learn that the only thing that never changes--the only thing that can be counted on--is God. God may not be who you once thought Him to be, and it may seem that he has let you down from time to time, but I can assure you He did not. Take a moment and look around, you'll find that the only way we can live life is RELIANT ON HIM.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-19787392789302493822009-09-09T22:53:00.002-05:002009-09-09T23:10:11.062-05:00President's SpeechI was watching the news tonight about the President Obama's Speech to Congress regarding Health Care Reform. Now I don't know where you fall on this debate, but it doesn't really matter. To be honest, I'm more concerned about the inability of our leadership to work together to come up with solutions. I mean let's be real, for some people it's too late. There are people, Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-89814470311758471162009-05-05T21:48:00.002-05:002009-05-05T21:54:34.241-05:00Surviving Life's LossesThis week we looked at how Jesus dealt with death. We checked out John 11 and the death and resurrection of Lazarus to see how God comforts those who lose loved ones. So what did you think about it? Did you miss the message? You can read it here. But what are your thoughts? Were we on track?Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-56408208506325169032009-04-30T20:46:00.002-05:002009-04-30T21:09:52.683-05:00Has it been that Long...It's been a while since I've put a posting up on my blog. To my loyal readers (all two of you - my mother and wife :) I apologize. But, in my time away I've been doing some really cool stuff. For example, just last week I was down in Orlando, Florida on a church planters conference called, Exponential. And for those who have never been to a church conference, I have Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-91422321411608017362009-02-20T17:25:00.004-05:002009-02-26T13:07:37.571-05:00Food for ThoughtI got an e-mail this week with some very interesting quotes in it and I think they need to be shared. One of my goals as a leader of the church is that I want the community to see the church being the church, not just doing church, and these quotes help reinforce my reasoning.“I want to make a difference. I don’t want to talk about being like Jesus. I want to be like Jesus. I Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-48810678232155463382009-02-17T07:14:00.005-05:002009-02-23T17:42:36.037-05:00 Getting to Know HimOver the past few days, I've found myself talking to more than a few people about "church growth" strategies. Everyone wants to talk about how to grow the church and how to bring more people to Christ. And it really is a wonderful thing, but I found myself time and again telling them that as I step back and look at the places that have had success, and as I look at the Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-70614528995025747532009-02-04T19:41:00.004-05:002009-02-06T13:21:18.559-05:00Answers on Sierra LeoneMany of the people reading this blog are attenders of CrossPoint Church in Harrisburg and have probably heard a sermon from Pastor Dave addressing his recent trip to Sierra Leone (see the message from 2/1 found on: http://www.xpointumc.org/resources_sermon_multimedia.html). Many of you probably also have questions about how Pastor Serry can be starving if our congregation Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-3029920458220260632009-01-30T09:21:00.003-05:002009-01-30T13:06:33.995-05:00Solutions for Tough TimesJust in case you've been living in a cave for the past year let me tell you that the economy is in the toilet, the politicians don't have a clue how to fix it, and the world is busy playing the blame game-that is when they're not bombing one another. It's pretty grim. And you might be tempted to take the Ostrich approach to life by sticking your head in the sand and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-59701947872836049652008-12-23T06:23:00.000-05:002008-12-23T06:23:00.817-05:00Fate Comes Crashing InDid you catch the story on the news the other day? A military fighter jet lost power over San Diego and came crashing down into a residential area. It landed on a home and killed a family of four. Fortunately, the pilot was able to eject, but can you imagine the survivor guilt that he must be experiencing? You know it wasn't his fault, but he also can't help but wonder..Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-79481367397957889582008-12-17T06:43:00.000-05:002008-12-17T06:43:00.358-05:00History vs. PovertyHere's a thought... The other day on the news there was a community group asking the public to consider donating to a non-profit organization to help save a one-room school house. Apparently there is a school house that is on a plot of land where a proposed shopping plaza or factory will soon be built. The developer has agreed to delay work for a number of weeks until the Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-20144572508600311482008-12-12T14:16:00.005-05:002008-12-12T15:16:23.419-05:00Fire the Youth Pastor andCancel All Youth Programs!Okay, so I don't really mean that. We Love You Josh! But that is the message that a few people might hear in this posting. In 2009 our church leadership will work through a book called Sticky Church. It's a good book and a rather quick read (I knocked out 60 pages in a few minutes last night), but what makes it great is all the practical Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-9012549454516541592008-11-25T06:00:00.005-05:002008-11-25T06:37:35.275-05:00Thanks-LivingI've been quite remiss in blogging lately. To those of you who have told me that you read my blog, I do apologize. To those of you who don't normally read...well...here's another try at giving you something interesting.Last night I was driving by the church and I noticed that Dave (the guy who posts our marquee) put up the message, "Thanksgiving is Good, Thanks-Living is Better," Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-3787056155456319352008-11-12T09:39:00.009-05:002008-12-12T15:24:12.527-05:00Comic ReliefI got this in an e-mail the other day and I just had to publish it. It's the funniest thing in the world! Enjoy!Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Julie. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-14049078398688114602008-11-09T12:10:00.000-05:002008-11-09T12:10:00.194-05:00Life is NOT a Choice!I was reading through the BBC again today and I found an article on a 23 year old man who committed suicide. He was a rugby player who had a spinal cord injury and was paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. He didn't see any value to the "prison" of his life and so he traveled from the UK to Switzerland to end his life. The article makes it seem that although his parents Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-6439572682658870772008-11-06T09:06:00.000-05:002008-11-06T09:06:00.884-05:00Use the Bailout to BuildupI was reading through the editorials in The Patriot-News the other day and I found an article that I just had to mention. As a Christian, as an American, as a responsible individual, I think this writer is right on with some things we all need to consider. Here's an excerpt from Thomas Friedman from the New York Times:----------------------------------------The 2 is backJasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-8046297726960570462008-11-03T07:04:00.000-05:002008-11-03T07:04:01.444-05:00It's Just Not the SameThe other night I was driving to an appointment and I noticed that the local funeral home didn't have their lights on. They have a long driveway lined with about a dozen light posts and all of them were turned off. I can only imagine that with the rising cost of electricity and the challenges of a recession that they've chosen to save the money. And while I can't fault Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-4526470184223934942008-10-31T08:06:00.001-05:002008-10-31T08:29:02.895-05:00Customer ServiceI think we've all been there at one time or another. Whether it was a job at McDonald's or a position in a law firm, we all have to do some kind of customer service. For me, a large part of my job in ministry and at the agency is customer service. Dealing with people on the phone and in person can be very stressful. Like this morning, I had a client call me up and ask me to Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-64748892950670977162008-10-30T09:36:00.002-05:002008-10-30T09:38:01.606-05:00Go Phillies!Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-15110149303290385062008-10-28T06:38:00.004-05:002008-10-28T12:15:33.603-05:00PoliticsWith the presidential elections only a few days away, one subject keeps coming to my mind. Now please don't misunderstand me, I'm not a "one-issue" voter, but this is something I've been spending a lot of time thinking about. One of the candidates recently attended a Planned Parenthood rally where he said that he believed that abortion needed to remain legal. He went on to say that as Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-12429288579045975672008-10-26T04:50:00.000-05:002008-10-26T04:50:00.372-05:00It's All About the BlingJust the other week our church held a Celebration Service down at the Forum in Harrisburg. We have three campuses throughout the Harrisburg area and among those there are five different services, so it was nice to bring everyone together for ONE service. It really gave everyone a sense of who CrossPoint really is. Sadly, however, there were several people who decided Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-42549939884148245862008-10-24T06:10:00.002-05:002008-10-24T06:10:00.693-05:00Taking the LeadThe other night I was locking up at the church and I stumbled upon a group of people assembling Marshmallow Angels, and as Wesley would have said, "I felt my heart strangely warmed." You see, it was a mission team that I talked with a few weeks ago and they were working on our church's Angel Tree. Last year's Angel Tree coordinator decided that she didn't want to lead the Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-34695783627742983642008-10-22T10:06:00.007-05:002008-10-23T17:18:05.722-05:00Prayer TimeFor a few weeks now I have been receiving a message in my prayer times: agape. It's a Greek term that means "love," but not just any "love." It's God's love. It's unmerited love. It's grace. It's mercy. It's love that you haven't done anything to deserve. It's love just for the sake of love. And that's the message I've been receiving these past few weeks. LOVE.You may be Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-14165020703838041592008-10-20T11:58:00.004-05:002008-10-21T04:50:06.100-05:00Quiz Time!Okay, here's three simple questions...can you answer them?1. What is the controlling party of the U.S. House of Representatives?2. Who is the U.S. Secretary of State?3. Who is Great Britain's prime minister?If you know the answer to these three questions (without looking them up on the internet), then you are one of only 18% of Americans who could do it. What does that say about Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-66661100595755664182008-10-16T10:10:00.005-05:002008-10-16T11:57:57.762-05:00In Need of a Good Forest Fire(Don't worry, I'm not being totally sick...follow what I'm about to say)Have you worried about the stock market lately? Have you checked your 401K a few extra times this month just to see how bad it really is? Do you believe that we are in a bear market and a recession is coming? Well, you're not alone. I think the rest of the world is with you! But here's a Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-9932155013854098562008-10-15T06:58:00.005-05:002008-10-15T07:29:07.099-05:00Reality CheckI don't know about you, but in the mornings I watch the BBC to find out what's really going on in the world (American news is a little wrapped up with the Election and Economic Meltdown). This morning I caught a story about persecution taking place in India. Apparently, radical Hindus are burning Christian churches in retaliation for converting so many to the faith, and thousands Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-65716133542523260762008-10-10T08:41:00.003-05:002008-10-10T08:42:20.466-05:00I Withdraw My CandidacyFearing that I might actually win, I am withdrawing my bid for the Presidency! Thank you for your support :)Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-46414423086074701062008-10-10T05:49:00.008-05:002008-10-17T12:06:18.288-05:00I'm Running for PresidentMy wife has this wonderful idea about running for president. How great would it be if there were a candidate who was willing to put their entire platform on a website and then donate all of the money they raised to soup kitchens, homeless shelter, and other humanitarian efforts. That's one stop shopping there. The press would eat it up...for like 20 minutes. They'd Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-35719901963254074542008-10-02T20:46:00.002-05:002008-10-02T21:02:37.357-05:00The DebatesBlah, blah, blah, John McCain. Blah, blah, blah, Barack Obama. Have I really become this cynical? That's all I hear anymore? I'm not hearing the words coming out of their mouths. I'm not hearing the passion of their hearts. I'm not hearing the platforms or the issues that they're running on. All I'm hearing is blah, blah, blah. But then by now I think that's all I'm listening Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-34135269837124372332008-09-25T13:51:00.002-05:002008-09-25T13:53:28.991-05:00We Wish You a Merry Christmas!The weeks are really starting to fly by and I think we've begun that unstoppable roll toward Christmas. September is nearly over, October is going to fly by with all the Contagious Christianity events and before you know it you'll be sitting around a Turkey asking the kids what they want for Christmas. Okay, so it's not November yet, but it sure feels like it! So Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-77604592226803296202008-08-07T20:16:00.003-05:002008-08-07T20:43:30.957-05:00God's Show - Better than Man'sEvery year my wife and I travel down here to beautiful Carolina Beach, North Carolina. It's been her family's vacation spot for nearly 20 years and this evening I have to tell you it's been wonderful. This sleepy little surfer town is one of those developing tourist attractions, near Olde Town Wilmington and right at the southern base of the Outer Banks, it's a Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-41825743360890979102008-07-31T11:48:00.003-05:002008-07-31T13:09:17.184-05:00How's Your Week Going? Are you healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and casting out deamons in the name of Jesus Christ? If not, what are you waiting for? I've been haveing a great week. I now officially have an office at the church--not that I'll be there much, but it is nice to have a place to call home.Also, I'm pumped...it's vacation time! This week my wife and my son and I head Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-67608522499548727582008-07-14T20:48:00.002-05:002008-07-14T21:02:00.704-05:00Keeping Up with the JonesIt's funny that I would think of this during our Indiana James Series (trust me, there was no pun intended). Anyway, I was at Jurisdictional Conference this morning (that's basically a meeting of the Northeast Region for the main purpose of electing a bishop) and I noticed how our conversations always got back to local churches and how well they were doing in this Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-10872539972393540742008-07-08T11:55:00.005-05:002008-07-10T15:39:24.615-05:00What Are You Reading?I was just talking with someone this morning who understood this question better than anyone else I've ever heard. We were talking about the Bible and he said, it doesn't matter who you are or how long you've been reading it, you can read the same verse over and over and it will always have something new for you. He said, the more you read it, the more you gain from it. You Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-25210771685951726922008-06-19T14:10:00.004-05:002008-06-19T14:40:06.378-05:00BATMANBOP, BAM, BOOM...Do you remember the old batman series from back in the 1970s? You remember when Batman would fight the villain of the week, you would never actually see him strike anyone. Instead your TV screen would be filled with a cartoon lettered:WHAP, WHAM, SLAP...And then when the picture returned, you would see the villain staggering from the powerful blow that was dealt him by the Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-35327361719446170422007-02-26T19:49:00.000-05:002007-02-26T20:20:34.413-05:00En MemoriumI have lost a dear friend. Not so much a friend as a godly role model. Leon Quiggly was 87 when he died on February 22, 2007 and he was a true and genuine Christian right to the end. Married for 65+ years, father, grandfather, great grandfather and great-great grandfather, Leon was a man who had his priorities right. When in his presence your were instantly put at ease. He could Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-76625112838418095002007-02-21T21:31:00.000-05:002007-02-21T21:42:51.118-05:00When do we have enough?I spend a great deal of time working at my desk. Between sermons, research papers, and paying the bills, my office and I are quite familiar. But often, as I have worked on my Sony PC with its flat screen NEC monitor and Xerox laser printer, I have pondered how much is enough. As a Christian called to be meek and humble, do I need an oak desk or two bookcases filled with Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-37754756126844787062007-02-21T21:17:00.000-05:002007-02-21T21:19:13.434-05:00The Problem of Post-Modern Interpretation I have long held that the Bible speaks to all people in all times. That is part of its greatness. In study groups I have seen it speaks to men and women, the intellectual and the unlearned, the poor and the rich, the young and the old. The Bible has the ability to transcend all aspects of humanity to communicate the Word of God to fallen Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20674161.post-80418437418032845862007-02-10T21:06:00.000-05:002007-02-10T21:33:06.528-05:00A Revelation Regarding WorshipI've been reading Robert Webber this evening (he's an awesome and insightful worship leader) and I've come to a startling realization: a sermon is to be a compliment to worship, instead of the worship complimenting the sermon. Now for some that might not be terribly exciting, but to me, this is groundbreaking. I was raised in conservative Pennsylvania and I was Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203897732984897650noreply@blogger.com0