Because You're Drowning

Have you ever been at the beach and felt the pull of the tide? A man was at a beach one time with his son. The father held his son in the water will the water was over chest high. A rip tide got a hold of the man and suddenly, he was out far enough that he couldn't touch the bottom. He was still close to the shore, but with that little riptide pulling....

It would have been really humiliating for him, a guy who grew up at the beach and had been around it his whole life, to cry out for help so close to land. So, he didn't say anything. He was holding his son above the water, getting pulled a little bit more and more into the deep. The lifeguard on duty was looking at him, probably waiting for a call for help, but the man would not call out.

He was getting pulled a little further and a little deeper. The lifeguard most likely thought, "What an idiot! I'm going to go save this man and his son!" The lifeguard came down from the chair, jumped in and starting swimming toward the man and his son. Just as he got to them, the man could get his feet on the bottom again. The man told the lifeguard, "I'm okay. We're alright." Why couldn't he cry out for help?

Pride. He was too proud.

In that same way, we don't like to say, "I need God's help." We want to say, "I am a good person. I am a strong person. I'm good on my own." Though you may be a good man or a good woman, you have sinned, just like every one of us has. One sin is enough to keep you out of heaven. That is why we need a Savior. We need a Savior because we are drowning without Him.

Hebrews 7:25 "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them."

Snowmegeddon

As a lover of snow, I'm thrilled with the 12 or 13 inches that we received last night. Here are some pictures as I got around today. I saw some drifts 4-5 ft. Wow. School is cancelled today and tomorrow. Good times!

The 3P Challenge!!!

Check out the link below. This is Jason, our youth minister here at Oakwood, outlining a challenge for students in our ministry. I wonder how different our youth group will look this fall because of this, and more so, how many students will have their eternal destinations changed! Catch a glimpse of the evangelism process for our youth. Good stuff!

Oakwood Student Ministry Blog: 3P Challenge!!!: "Wednesday, January 26th, we cast a vision for our students for the entire year of 2011.  The 3P challenge is our mission and our goal.&..."

Derek Saw His Shadow

Our old youth minister here at Oakwood was named Derek. He and I are still good friends and his birthday is February 2nd. I texted him this morning and wished him a happy birthday. I also asked him if he saw his shadow today (a joke through the years), to which he said that he did. What does that mean, you may ask? Even though the groundhog didn't see his shadow today, Derek saw his. That means that there's 6 more weeks of winter for Oklahoma. Yeah!!!!! Bring on the snow! And Happy Birthday, Derek!

Snooooooklahoma!

Click on the picture to enlarge it and then click it again to see the detail. Fun!