Why God?

Check out my latest thoughts on what's going on with my sister Dawn at: http://www.bridgewaycc.com/dave-ambrose/why-god/

Humility Embodied

I've had the privilege of spending the week sitting under the spiritual teachings of Father Richard Rohr. It has been so refreshing to interact with a man who is at home with himself, with nothing to prove. He is so humble and teachable and grateful. He doesn't pretend to have life all figured out. He certainly doesn't have all of the answers. He's simply one of the most effective teachers I've ever had the privilege of sitting under. He's a man moving toward full integration with the Non-Dual mind. I only wish more religious leaders were like him...including myself. Lord, give me this kind of humility...so I can humbly serve those you bring across my path.

Rohr Rocks My World

I started my doctoral work toward achieving my D.Min at Fuller Seminary and I'm currently out here in Pasadena taking a class called Action and Contemplation with Father Richard Rohr. Wow...it's mind-blowing! I can't believe all of the new horizons that he has opened up to me using the Scriptures. I can't believe how limited my own dualistic mind can be at times with all of its pre-conceived notions and ideas. It's great to hear another viewpoint. It's wonderful to sit in class with Christ-followers from so many different traditions. It stretches me to think. I love to do that! I love to learn! It reminds me of how important it is to remain humble and teachable because there's always so much more to learn. If this first class is any indication of what the pursuit of this degree is going to be like, I'm super-excited! Now I pray that God gives me the faith (and the finances) to keep going!

Its Been Awhile...

Wow...it's been awhile hasn't it? I guess I got tired of writing online and went back to my pen and journal...I've always been a little Old School. Anyway, I took this week off for vacation and spent time with the fam, in the Word...its been great! Today I'm going to watch my son play in a Marching Band competition. I got online this morning to try and find a church to visit tomorrow morning since I've got the week off and I want to see what some other people are doing out there. Wow, it was enlightening to jump online and see all the different churches in our area and how each one of them have slick websites and great presentations. It struck me how there are so many people in our area trying to reach Pre-Christian people with the Good News of the Kingdom of God. I'm just a small part of that effort. But it also struck me how important it is to simply be yourself...to be real. I can't reach everyone in this community. A lot of them don't even want to be reached, but I know Jesus has a plan for this community and I know that I'm here right now doing what He's asked me to do, so I will continue to take one step forward and allow Him to use me. I can't change the world by myself, I have a hard enough time just changing me. But I believe in a God who is powerful enough to change the world and I trust Him to work in my life today. I trust Him to use me to bring His Good News to everyone I cross paths with. And I can't wait to see what He has in mind. Now with all that said, I don't really have a desire to change the whole world. I just have a desire to be faithful and follow Him. So that's what I'm going to try and do today. I'm going to be faithful, and I'm going to follow. When Jesus was here, He didn't even save everyone...just the ones the Father gave to Him. So Father, give me your eyes to see today...

Religulous?

A friend recently gave me the Bill Maher movie Religulous to review so we could sit down and talk about it together. While I don't recommend the movie to the faint of heart, I found many parts of it fascinating. It was amazing to me how many people in the world view religion and particularly Christianity. Most people in the movie saw Christians as people who are so intensely focused on "the next life" that they are pretty useless for this life...people that are so focused upon "going to heaven when we die" that they have forgotten about the plans God has for them in this life.

I believe the Bible teaches that God designed us for good, that we were damaged by evil, but that Jesus restored us for something better...He wanted to use us to bring healing and reconciliation to the world! I also believe that what we do in this life has a direct effect on what we'll be doing in the next life. In other words, this life is a place where we become the kind of people who God can use in eternity where we'll be ruling and reigning with Him in an interactive relationship forever and ever. THIS LIFE MATTERS! God created me and blessed me so that He could use me to bring His blessing to the entire world!

I don't want to be "religulous". I want to be in an interactive relationship with God, serving Him and allowing Him to use me in any way he sees fit. I want to ask good questions and seek out truth. I don't think doubt is bad, because I see all truth as God's truth and I believe when I genuinely seek after truth, God reveals more and more of it to me.

Thanks Mr. Maher for getting me thinking. Thanks for challenging me to go deeper in my faith and really know WHY I believe WHAT I believe. I don't believe we do the world much good when Christians "check their brains at the door" and blindly follow...there are things we CAN know and need to seek out and live out if our faith is going to be real! I want that kind of "religion"...religion that follows after Christ with everything I've got...religion that serves those less fortunate than me with a burning passion...religion that is real and active and based in knowledge. Give me that kind of passion today Jesus!

My Hands Are What I Use to Serve Jesus

I was in Cleveland this weekend for my dad's Retirement Party. It turned out to be an amazing time...Read more

Living Out the Power of Christ can be Challenging!

It's one thing to get up and preach about the Power of Christ, it's quite another thing to actually try and live it out on a dialy basis! It's only Monday and I've already had to use the Prayer Card I handed out at the end of the service yesterday three times! Apparently I need to continually remind myself that http://www.bridgewaycc.com/dave-ambrose/living-out-the-power-of-christ-can-be-challenging/

A Snow-i-Cane? Really?

I read something online today about a Snow-i-Cane hitting the east coast and I thought to myself: Really? It's just a little snow isn't it? What's wrong with these people? For some perspective, maybe these folks up in the northeast should talk to some folks from Buffalo or Cleveland. To these folks, 8 inches of snow is a "dusting"...

Don't get me wrong, I hate snow too, and I'm just about done with it for this season. But a Snow-i-Cane? C'mon man...My opinion: This is just another one in the long list of WeatherPerson Hypes! It disgusts me...

A Few Good Men

Last night we had a Men's Nicaragua Mission Trip Reunion at my house and I was struck again by what a great bunch of guys I had the opportunity to serve with just a few weeks ago on our trip. Guys who love Jesus, but also know how to have fun. Guys who work hard, but also know how to relax. Guys who are secure enough to laugh at themselves and not take themselves too seriously. I haven't laughed any harder than when I'm with these guys. I'm blessed to call them my friends. Thank-you Jesus for allowing me to serve alongside them for a few days. Thanks for the opportunity to make a difference. It's amazing to me...I went away to help the people of Nicaragua, but I was the one who got help...through the vulnerability of a few good men.