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Sunday, June 17, 2007 

Thank you

My dad never had it easy growing up but he faced the odds and became the man he is today. It would have been easy to quit but he kept on moving forward. He's taught me a lot over the years and here are some of the things that stand out today.

My dad taught me the importance of investing in my kids. I can remember way back when I was super young, my dad letting me stay up till 12. I specifically remember coloring in a sylvester and tweety coloring book.

My dad taught me the importance of putting my kids before myself. On too many occasions, my dad would come home from work exhausted. And yet, he would still come outside and play basketball or throw the baseball or football

My dad taught me the importance of pursuing my passion. He was always and is so passionate about singing. I remember putting on his self made mix tape of all the songs he used to sing for people and falling asleep to it. I'm more than sure his love for singing has something to do with my desire to plant a church.

My dad taught me how to love my wife. Despite all the crap that he went through in his life, he has still emerged as a man that loves my mom and is completely faithful to her. I'm sure there was more than one occasion that he could have thrown in the towel. My committment to Bek is for a lifetime and that's because of my dad.

My dad taught me to pursue Jesus. I can still remember various times in my life where I was watching my dad seek Jesus. Whether it was singing or praying for someone. He loves Jesus and that is something that I want to pass down to my kids.

Dad, thank you! I will do my best to help the legacy that you are leaving for us to live on!

This really isn't in comment to your dad tribute, it's more about what you said on Sunday; where's the fine line between conformity and separatists? I think the key words were the first 2 words of that bible verse that was up: Jude whatever... (or whatever?) Anyways: "You adulterers! etc. etc. etc."

"You adulterers!" Simply put! Losely defined, adultery is a husband or wife, cheating on their husband or wife, right? So in order to make sure nobody EVER thinks we're being unfaithful, are we to sit around at home, never getting a job/staying late at work, 'cuz it would involve opposite sex contact? Are we to not have friends with opposite sex? If my friend's husband/wife says hi to me at the coffee shop, are we to turn and run, so as not to be seen associating, and therefore thought to be cheating? No, of course not, that would be silly, and if your spouse DID demand that of you, then THEY're probably the one with the issues!

But otoh, is it OK to spend the night at your best friend's house (who is the opposite sex?) NOT screwing around, just having a "slumber party"; or if your husband/wife works late with opposite sex, should opposite sex say, "Oh it's late, just crash at my house so you can sleep in tomorrow?" If spouse goes out dancing without you, and is all over someone on the dance floor-not going home with them, "just" dancing, but pretty raunchy dancing, is that ok?

I'd guess probably not. (I wouldn't be happy in either of those scenarios.) So 1st one is similiar to separatist; 2nd, similiar to conformist.

Point of lengthy comment is this: do we feel like we're "cheating" on God? Are we being adulterous in our relationship with him, by "screwing around" with the things of the world? Even if we're not fully "cheating", aka: sleeping around, murdering people, crazy drunken parties, etc., are we so into the world, that people looking at us will think we're cheating? Would they be tempted to "tell our significant other" that we were acting inappropriately for a married person, or would they just raise eyebrows and wonder...

Or do we have a healthy relationship with the "opposite sex", (things of the "world"), to the point that we can have a wide variety of male/female "friends", but not be so into them that outsiders think we're acting "single". Are we so in love with God (our "spouse",) that we don't WANT intimate "friendships" with the things of the world, but not to cloister ourselves in our rooms praying 24/7 either?

K, I'm starting to not make sense anymore, even to myself, so summary: "You adulterers!" I think finding the happy medium is just to ask ourselves this: "Am I 'cheating' on my true love?" The End...

First off...who are you?

Second, I agree with you. We'll be looking at this a little more on Sunday.

When I was a youth pastor I had a girl ask me if it was okay for her to be a lesbian and follow Jesus at the same time. It's a long story and I don't have time to explain but my conclusion was that she could.

However, it would be awful and maybe a waste of her time. I likened it to me being married to Bek but choosing to have a mistress on the side. I'd technically be married to her but the relationship would be awful and possibly pointless if I didn't really want to be with her.

This week we're looking at the transformist and what it looks like to live between these two extremes...how both Paul and Jesus did it

Sounds like I missed a good message. I like to see that people are commenting on here and it isn't just me.

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