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The Intruder

Ok, here is a funny bit.

Last night I was all cuddled up sleeping like a baby. It was perfect sleeping conditions, 2AM (great sleeping time) in the morning and the swamp cooler was blowing full blast.

All the sudden I was I was woke up by our middle son Drayven. He came upstairs yelling, ‘dad, someones trying to break in the front door.’ Ok, that’s all I need to hear to turn all Rambo. I jumped up, and headed toward the stairs, underoos and all. I took the stairs 2-3 at a time.

We have an alarm on our house and beeps on our doors, which neither had went off yet. Half way down the stairs I heard the beeps, which means a door is open. I started thinking to myself, ‘he got in.’ So my 2-3 stair skipping went to 4-5. The adrenaline was pumping full speed by now, after all, I thought an intruder was in my house.

I circle the living room and make my way to the front room to see my oldest son standing there w/ a bat and a touch of Braveheart in his eyes. I screaming ‘where is he, where is he.’

Well the beeps I had heard was Chayce opening door and waving the bat at the guy to get him off the porch. By the time I got there he was walking down the driveway and jumping on his bike. I yelled a couple things at him and he flashed back I was number 1 and was on his merry way.

It took a while for all the adrenaline to subside, but we were able to get back to sleep.

Any similar stories?

Post up at www.ryancook.net in the comment section.

-Peace

Singing Cover Letter

This guy is creative in every aspect of the word! Like Tony Morgan says it- Take a common message. Present it in a creative way. Get people’s attention.
Check it out!

www.ryancook.com

Faith is Substance

Since I just wrote a little about faith yesterday, I thought I’d post this excellent blog from Steven Furtick.

 I like the old King James translation of Hebrews 11:1:
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is not an abstract theoretical proposition.  It’s not wishful thinking.  It’s substance.  It’s action.

Most of my life I imagined faith as some kind of force field.  And the way we talk about faith dematerializes it.  By most definitions, faith is synonymous with hope.

The more I study Scripture, the more I detect a sharp distinction between hope and faith.  Hope is a desire. Faith is a demonstration. Hope wants it to happen. Faith causes it to happen and acts as if it’s already done.

Faith is not content to want it really, really bad.  Faith consults the drawings and gets busy building.  Hope is the blueprint.  Faith is the contractor.

Some of the things we’re believing God for will never happen in our lives because we stand in hope instead of walking in faith.

Open the Door

Last week I taught a message about putting action behind our faith and letting God know we are serious about what we are believing for. A person can pray 24 hours a day and believe for a lifetime, BUT the power comes when he take it one step further and show God we mean business by putting actions behind our faith and what we are believing for.

This week I have already had a couple meetings about new ministries and promises that God has been putting in peoples hearts. They are taking steps and putting their action behind their faith.

It seems like over the past few weeks I have been praying prayers of faith over people. For God to move and open doors in their lives and for God to shine on them. When I have prayed these prayers in the past, I would think that people had to be lifted, moved physically or transferred out of their current situation into another, for God to open doors.

The other day, the question hit me. Does God really have to physically move you out of your situation for Him to open doors or for you to walk through one? I believe the answer is NO. I know God can do the impossible, but it had just never clicked w/ me. When I prayed for God to open doors, I just assumed He would open a door elsewhere, not in a persons same situation.

I think in the past I subconsciously limited God’s movement in peoples lives, and very well my own. He is God and can do anything He wants. Ps. 37:3-5 says- He will give you the desires of your heart! So, what does your heart desire? Next time you are in a situation that you want God to move in and open doors, not only ask Him to open doors abroad, but don’t limit Him. Ask Him to move in your situation and open doors right where you are. You will be amazed if you allow Him to do this. If you believe He is God, and you believe He does what he say and says what He does, then don’t limit Him.

There is more than 1 way to skin a cat. Ask Him to show you all the other ways. He made you who you are, and only you. He gave you your mind to think and dream. Only you can do what you do.

Remember- God talk, brings God on the scene. Enemy talk, brings the enemy to the scene.

If you like, leave me a message at on the comment tab at bottom of page, www.ryancook.net

-Peace

 

 

 

Impact 2K

It is that time of the year again.  Our annual back-pack and school supply giveaway event called IMPACT2K.  The reason for the name is we want to impact 2,000 lives on this one day in our community.  Since our first IMPACT2K event back in 2007, we have impacted 2,000 lives each day of the event.

This year we are upping the number and quality of the backpacks. We are moving from 1000 to 1250 packs filled w/ school supplies and bibles.

Starting in July, we will be receiving donations of school supplies.  Pease drop off all school supplies in the main foyer, front office or see myself, we will take care of them.

We have added a lot of new elements this year to make this event unique and to directly meet the needs of our community.  One quick glimpse is, we will be giving out free haircuts to those in need, right on our campus.

The entire staff has been bathing this in prayer and we are ready to see a huge IMPACT in our community.  Please get on board w/ us.  Whether you have served in either of the 2 previous years and know what you want to do, or if you are just willing to help, we are getting the list started.  Please send me an email, facebook or text and let me know that you want to be involved. rcook@gjfa.org

Did I mention we’ll have two live remote radio station on our campus the day of the event, August 15.  It is going to fun and a great way to IMPACT our community.  Come be a part of it.

-Peace 

www.ryancook.net