Ryan Cook -Real Life

Successful Way to Share your Faith

Wanted to hit few of the notes from my message last night on sharing faith.

Paul was speaking @ Areopagus Acts 17:16-34

How did Paul Share His Faith

  ·      Didn’t matter where he was, seized opportunity- He was hanging around waiting for Silas and Timothy

·      His spirit was provoked or troubled by what he saw

·      He was just being himself

·      He met the people where they were, on their turf- spoke to ALL people, both Jews and Gentiles.

·      He didn’t judge them because they didn’t know any better- What if Paul went in and said, “you guys are stupid, your following false gods, you guys are ignorant” would that have worked? No, ran them off and shut down.

·      He believed in what He spoke about

·      He wasn’t afraid

·      He made known what was unknown_ He explained God to them

·      He got people thinking- they said “we want to hear more about this later”

·      Didn’t win everyone to Christ- Not a perfect conversion rate, but still some believed! And that’s what matters, they were not all ready, they weren’t all in the same place in their journey of life.

God orchestrates this. We might just be a step in the process. The first or opening step, maybe the closing step. Just because you don’t win someone to Christ the first time doesn’t mean it was all for nothing.

8 Easy ways you can share your faith

·      Talk to people: Just talk, be friendly, be relational

·      Ask & Answer and Listen: open your mouth and also be an active listener, people want to tell their story. Listening also earns credibility

·      Be Selfless- it’s not all about us

·      Open your mind and your eyes to others, spiritually & literally (I see lots of Christians walk around w/ there heads down, avoiding other people, Ohh there so and so, let's keep walking…..be friendly, what if one of those people are going through a hard time or just need a friendly hello?

·      Visit different places- we are a people of habit, eat at the same places, visit same places, try a new one, expand yourself

·      Don’t be afraid- Listen to what Acts 18:9-11 says-  ⁹One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." ¹¹So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God

·      If you have been a hypocrite, repent & ask for forgiveness- make it right w/ people- earns credibility. People wont care what you know until they know you care.

·      Ask and listen to the Holy Spirit- Act 19:21- says Paul was purposed or impelled to go to Macedonia

·      Be Yourself!! We have a lot in common w/ other humans. Don’t diminish that just because we attend church. We all feel pain the same way. 

·      Be yourself- Someone needs what you have. Some of you can't do what Pastor Mike does w/ the youth or reach students as some of our students can and so on and so on......

www.ryancook.net

Just Come Home!

Christmas Opener- Just Come Home!
This is one of the most powerful openers I have ever seen. A must see through the end!

Christmas Opener: Just Come Home from NewSpring Production on Vimeo.

For more information on Jesse Fisher, the lyrical talent from the opener, or to get a copy of this video visit kadence.tv and NewSpring church.
Be Blessed! ryancook.net

Embrace

I came across this quote the other day and wanted to share it. I hope it challenges you as it did me≈

‘An embrace involves always a double movement of opening and closing. I open my arms to create space in myself for the other. The open arms are a sign of discontent at being myself only and of desire to include the other. They are an invitation to the others to come in and feel at home w/ me, to belong to me. In an embrace I also close my arms around the others- not tightly, so as to crush and assimilate them forcefully into myself, for that would not be an embrace but a concealed power-act of exclusion; but gently, so as to tell them that I do not want to be w/ out them in their otherness. I want them to remain independent and true to their genuine selves, to maintain their identity and as such become part of me so that they can enrich me w/ what they have and I do not.’ – Miroslav Volf

How many people that are different than us do we embrace, or better yet, do we bear the pain to love those who are not like us? Whether skin color, social, educational or economic differences?

As a people, are we changing our community toward a good change or do people perceive us different because of our actions towards others, or lack of action?

Loving one another can be messy, ugly, unnatural, and sometimes not fun, but we ALL have been called to ‘love our neighbor.’

www.ryancook.net †

 

 

What are you Doing?

Do you ever think to yourself, what am I doing here or why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing here for this 60-80 years on this earth?

I know this question haunts many people that I know and I get asked all the time about how to find ‘purpose’. Well, todays blog will not actually be about finding your purpose, but maybe rather what should you be doing in the meantime that will lead you to your purpose.

Some of my prayers over this past week have gone something like this:

God, I need you. I want you to have ALL my life. I want nothing to be between us. Stir my heart in desire and desperation for you.

God, make my heart desperate for the things you are desperate for, show me just a glimpse. Fill my soul with the love you have. Help me to love people like you do. I desperately need your love today.

God, move and shake my life anyway you want, I am yours! Open my ears so I can hear, my heart so I can feel, my mind so I can know and my eyes so I can see.

God, I allow you to blow my mind today!

(Ok, I want to stop here and dare you to say that prayer, but don’t say it if you don’t mean it or want to allow God to move in your life)

Today, I see many Christians, Leaders, Businesses, Pastors knowing what to do, but just sitting around wasting this short time we have here to make a difference, letting life go by, and just watching as it passes.

Enough talking…what are you doing about it?

You see the problem or issue or opportunity or challenge. You’ve talked about it with your friends. Perhaps, if this issue concerns what others are—or are not—doing, youve gone over the line and gossiped about it. The question is, “what are you going to do about it?” Or, if you are talking to yourself like I am right now, 'What am I going to do about it?' If the answer is 'nothing,' then why even talk about it? Why do we waste our time talking about something that we have no intention of making better when theres plenty in our lives that needs our attention? 

Why do we go sit Sunday after Sunday to a Pastor or Leader try to lead us, then we go home and do just the opposite? Or even better yet, go home and gossip about the message, what the Leader was wearing, instead of getting the point and do something about it? If you aren’t going to do something about it, why even go? Leaders spend thousands of dollars to go to conferences, go back home and do the same thing he/she was doing, why?  There are people around us who need our help and there are plenty of opportunities for us to contribute to our families, co-workers, churches, clubs, etc.

Yet, many of us, will just sit and complain about something…and never lift a finger to change it. We are all messed up, so it is no wonder we spend so much of our lives focused on things that dont amount to much at all. 

I pray that God gives me the vision to spend my time helping others meet their challenges. I pray that my focus is on things I can actually influence for good and that I DO actually influence that situation for good.

Talking is good if it pushes your life or the lives of those around you forward. But, the real question is 'what are you talking about doing?'

If you are reading this via email or feed and want to leave, go to www.ryancook.net - click on the comment tab at bottom of blog.

-Peace

 

Homeward Bound

SERVING @ HOMEWARD BOUND---SERVING @ HOMEWARD BOUND---SERVING @ HOMEWARD BOUND
Today was a great day. It seems everyday I am alive, it gets better and better. Seriously!

Chayce and I along w/ a group of friends were able to go to Homeward Bound and serve tonight. This is part of our 'Be Christmas' serving program. We showed up and was able to do it all, from food prep all the way through the serving stage. Everyone got involved all the way down to the 4yr olds. It was awesome to be able to serve along friends at the same time helping serve some less fortunate in our community.

Everyone enjoyed the food, thought it was the best dinner in a long time and was very thankful that we served them. In fact, about 75% of them personally thanked each of us for serving.

Homeward bound shelters about 100 adults a night plus kids, so a total of about 120 nightly. They check in around 5:30-6pm nightly and must be out by 8am the next morning. Although in one big room, families have priority and a 'safer' section for kids and families so they can somewhat of a tiny bit of privacy.

The shelter is supported by local donations and supporters. I encourage you, if you want to get involved in serving, this is a great place to start.

We wrapped up the night w/ all us who served w/ a little meeting an prayer. Part of our prayer was that we not only impact during this time and season, but it becomes threaded through our lives and who we are as people.

Here are a few pics. If you can not view the pics from the email or rss feed or if you would like to leave a comment, please click on my site @ www.ryancook.net and if you want to leave a comment, click the comment tab at bottom of blog.

Be Blessed!

Peace!

Love

Jesus

Friend

Giver of Life

Joy- Peace- Love- Humility-Forgiveness

Indescribable

 Love is:

-The man who stands out on the corner of 4^th/Grand and hands out snack packs to those less fortunate.

-The smile from my 2-year-old daughter as she wakes up and yawns in the morning, followed by,‘get up dad, the sun is up.’

- The drunk, stinky people that come to your church wanting to escape the heat, only to find Christ.

- The glimmer or twinkle in your kids eyes when they get good grades or excel in sports.

- The skipping heart beat that flutters when you see your spouse walk into a room.

- Being able to provide shelter/food to those in need.

- Just finding out you have 2 relatives that made a decision to follow Him.

- Collapsing your head into your hands, crying for hours, seeing no daylight, knowing His arms are wrapped around you tightly.

-Dropping off homemade jellies, jams, juice, breads and peanut brittle.

- Making time to find out other peoples stories and invest in them.

- The strength to carry on..........

- Freedom from addictions and bondages.

-Knowing we must forgive others in order to be forgiven ourselves.

 Love your neighbor- Love your enemies

www.ryancook.net

 

 

 

Witnessing

I was waiting in line this morning for a new IPhone. Which I would like to add, they only got 50 phones in. Not sure if that was a marketing sensation or just plain stupid? 

Anyways, while standing, I started chatting w/ a guy while in line. A younger woman was standing in line behind us a reading a small book. It appeared to be a small bible. She started to talk to the young man and he became more interested in her (probably because she was better looking than me). She started actually witnessing a little. I thought, cool. While she was talking and a second glance, I noticed this book she had was a 'book of Mormon'. 

I have to give her credit. This woman was not fearful to share her faith at all. In fact she was well versed in a couple of faiths. She was 'taught' to witness and disciple by her church. 

After thinking about it for a while, most Jehovah's Witness's also share their fearlessly. I have to hand it to those religions; they are well discipled and very persistent! 

This posses some question I have to ask myself: Why are some Christians afraid to stand up & share their faith? Why do so many compromise? Is it because we haven't been taught right? Maybe not expected of us? What do you think Jesus will say? "I know you were afraid, no worries buddy, I know you didn't want to be made fun of".    

Though this lady was another faith than I, she has encouraged very much. She has encouraged me to be more persistent. To share what and who I believe Jesus is, more often, in every opportunity I get. I am encouraged to pray harder for doors of opportunity to be open so I can share the love of Jesus w/ others. 

-Peace

www.ryancook.net

The Bird Man

Many times, while driving around town, I have seen a man throwing birdseed and feeding bread to local pigeons.  I have seen him as early as 6:30am on a below freezing day, just walking the streets, usually w/ his head down.   Almost everyday I see him about a block over from the church, in the alley, feeding birds.  You can’t miss him, at any given time there are about 100 birds swarming around him.

Well the other day I decided to stop, say ‘hi’, and find out what his story is.  Everyone has a story, you just have to dig it out. 

The Bird Man’s real name is Edward Gillman, but if you are calling him by name, he prefers Eddy.  Back in 1982, he was the Agricultural Rep for this are.  He wants to be called the Agricultural Rep, I explained to Eddy that name doesn’t role off the tongue as a nickname, he agreed and said the Bird Man will do.

Eddy is 66 years old.  He used to own and operate a tractor/trailer combo and haul electronics, but lost his equipment.  He has been a resident of GJ,CO for the last 20 years but lost his home last year.  He told me he couldn’t continue to pay rent.  He now wonders the streets, staying at the homeless shelter on North Street and times when he can’t make it back, he just sleeps on the streets.

How does Eddy have money to feed birds?  He makes $600 on SSI and gets about $200 in cash donations a month.  He usually eats at the Catholic Outreach or Salvation Army.  Generous people of the GJ contribute food, birdseed and old bread to him every now and again.

During the day, Eddy says he has 35 ‘bird stops’ throughout the city.  He says some of the birds follow him to get seconds and thirds.   When birds are hurt or wounded, Eddy does administer first aid.  If he can’t help, he drops the birds off at a local vet.

I asked him how people treated him around the city?  His reply was for the most part, people are nice.  He says every now and again there are those that throw things at him or call him names, but for the most part, people leave him alone.

In 1958, Eddy got married at the young age of 16.  In 1960 he lost his new bride and 2 kids to a tragic auto accident.  He has stayed single ever since then.  Why didn’t Eddy ever remarry?  He said "once you have one marriage and one love, it is hard to do it again and the second usually doesn’t work anyways."  Eddy has a few other street friends, but mainly, the birds are his friends. 

As I left, I shared some pizza w/ him, Eddy was very grateful. 

As I stated at the beginning, everyone has a story and most people don’t mind telling it, in fact, most welcome a friendly smile.  I am glad I was able to meet The Bird Man and start another friendly relationship.  If you see Eddy around town, honk and wave or stop by and tell him hi, I promise he won’t bite.

-Peace

www.ryancook.net

 

 

 

 

Chose to be Intentional

Summer time is here and the kids are out of school.  Time for vacations, bike rides, bbq's, fishing trips and family reunions.During this summer while having fun w/ friends and family, I want to challenge you in something: try being intentional about developing relationships w/ outsiders.  

We can chose to be intentional or unintentional when it comes to developing relationships w/ outsiders.  I chose to be intentional.  Everywhere I go, everything I do, I try to start or build relationships.  I know Brese at the Bradley’s Mart, Don at the City Market self-checkouts, the ladies at Homestyle Bakery (hahaha- like I need more sweets) and many at Wal-Mart.Through getting to know them, they have gotten to know me.  They all know what I do and who I am.  When I meet someone, I look at them more as a soul, not their outer appearance or the color of skin. 

We must intentionally engage people who we have been taught to stay away from and not get involved w/.  We need to engage and let grace do its beautiful work.  When we signed up to follow Christ, it was not for a safe, sheltered life.  Jesus was never sheltered from people’s pain and he sure didn’t keep to safe places.He engaged those who were being crushed by there own mistakes.  He wiped away the tears of prostitutes, held hands of the outcasts, sat w/ the tax collectors, and touched the wounds of the sick and the crazy.  He was radical! 

I know that a lot of us are either unintentional or even against developing relationships with “outsiders.”  Sometimes we take God’s laws, our man made laws, and our own opinions and place them on people who don’t even believe in God.  I know, I know, it makes me sick and makes my ears hurt to hear some of the foul sayings that come out of peoples mouths or to watch people of all ages destroy themselves w/ alcohol and drugs.  But see, these same people we see all around us are the ones God wants us to reach.  Along w/ us, they are His children too, they just happen to be lost right now.  We are ALL in need of this beautiful thing called ‘grace.’  We know what we need to do, let’s go out and do it.

Please leave comments @ www.ryancook.net

-Peace

ShareFest

We are looking for Volunteers (see sign upp below) to pair up with over 20 local Churches to serve their neighbors. It could be painting, hooking up a swamp cooler, hauling trash, building a deck and steps on a home, baking cookies for a neighborhood or making lap quilts for Seniors. These are actual requests we already have.

April 19 & 20, 2008

Demonstrating the love of Christ to our Community

Celebrate with us on April 19 & 20 as we partner with other local churches to address the numerous needs of our community. This event will replace our normal weekend services. Instead of coming to church, we will be gathering with other believers to serve our city with hope and help.

Workday Projects
Saturday, April 19 and Sunday April 20, 2008 8:00 a.m.
Worship Celebration
Sunday, April 20 at 12:00 noon - Canyon View Park

A C i t y W i d e E v e n t

You can sign up at the following links or phone number: www.arkalmighty.com

You can volunteer by email to vickim@gjvineyard.org or call 248-5946. Be sure to include your phone number and zip code.

· Celebration (CVVC, Fellowship) – Food for BBQ –the side dishes supplied by churches. CVVC supplying the chicken and drinks + organization ad 30x60 tent. Need other churches to help in organizing donations of salads/side dishes, desserts, teams to staff/serve/clean-up condiments tables, dessert tables, and side dish tables. Call Bob Clifford @970-242-7970 to let him know how your church can help (helping teams probably need around 6 people).

Monday, March 31st at 9am at the old Mesa County Courthouse, the County Comissioners met- declaring April 19th & 20th officially as ShareFest Weekend.

General Information:

· BOTH Saturday and Sunday there will be a worship service in the parking lot at CVVC from 8-8:20ish. Afterwards there will be late registration for anyone not assigned to a project in their chapel.

· Sunday from noon-3ish there will be free BBQ lunch for all workers and guests, live music will be played, a tent to go share your story from the day on video will be available, and carnival games for the kids. All are encouraged to invite the folks you served to attend.

If you have any other questions please call Greg Merschel @ 970-985-1794

-Peace