Blogsite moving!! www.jasonfanning.wordpress.com

I'm shutting down this bloggers site... wordpress is better: www.jasonfanning.wordpress.com

Fun blog coming soon and you might be in it:)... "the 5 types of male hip-hop dancers in America" ;)

Featuring...
The Man: Greg Garden
The Fraud:(you know who you are)
The Opportunist: Danny Falcone, Andy Vanderveer, Chris Wilson
The Critic: Greg Arender, Joe Batluck, Scott Higgins, Nick Srader, Brandon Pfaffly
The Simplistic: Joey Vanderveer, Kyle Ewing, Wesley Reeder, Jared Sorbello (this position also shared with 90% of girls in America)

Details coming soon:)

- J-Fan

A Christmas question: "With whom is God pleased?"

" 'And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!' " -Luke 2:12-14

The 2 questions that jumps off the page at me are first "why is this statement made in the presence of an infant?" and second, "with whom is God pleased? With me?"

"With whom is God pleased?!?!?!?!?" Is he pleased by my helping some stranger jump start their car last week, or by me hosting my family last weekend, maybe the God of the universe is pleased with me because I somehow manage to carry the title of "pastor" in my job description? WRONG! Maybe He's pleased with me because of my selfish attitude towards my wife, or my frustrated responses towards people, maybe the God of the universe has no reason to be pleased with me! or does He? With whom O God are you pleased?!?!!?

The answer that sinks into my heart melts the very prideful thoughts of the original question: A cross on Calvary, God in human form, blood on my behalf and righteousness imputed to me. The God of the universe would be please with those who trust in Jesus Christ and have surrendered their lives to Him, The God-Man entering into human history to reveal to the world the plan of God to place the sin of all mankind on the back of the sinless One that we would not live by our righteousness but by His! So with whom is God truly please? Jesus! By whom have my sins been paid? Jesus! What righteousness gains me favor? Jesus'! Who reconciles men to God? Jesus!

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24

"And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption." -1 Corinthians 1:30

This Christmas season I plead with you all to remember this: Jesus Christ was born into the world so that God might be pleased with you because when you place your faith in Him no longer does God see your righteousness but He sees that of the Son. Therefore, God can and will be pleased with you by nothing you have done, but by He in whom you trust. With whom is God pleased? With those who've met His Son.

This post can also be viewed at www.dbcstudents.org.

The blogging resumes...

Coming from a guy who cares more about which shotgun shells I'm using than whether or not I've updated my Iphone this year it's amazing to me that I find myself crawling back to the blogging world. However, I'm making a commitment to Ricchuiti that I will blog weekly if he will run it on the techy side of things. So here's to you Ricchuiti!

Why blog?
That is truly the question I've asked myself for a few weeks now, but my reasoning is simple: I want to use any means possible to encourage and equip the leaders and students God has chosen to surround me with. Therefore, this will have a specific audience of students in the Denton area, specifically those at DBSM as well as leaders in DBSM. I hope to honor Christ through every word, to challenge your faith with every line and to share my love of Christ with all who might stumble into this post. My hope and prayer is that God will in some small way use this to show His grace to you and display His glory and honor to your heart and to your soul. My hope is that this will encourage us as a body of students and leaders to live lives given to Him daily and to daily display the Gospel to all who we might see. To those at DBSM I am daily challenged and gladdened to serve in your presence, God has truly been gracious to me to surround me with such people. I love each of you more than you know and more than I ever tell you. Thank you for being a part of my life and for always being so genuine and honest with me. See ya soon;)

Are you being intentional?

It was the morning from Hell, but I will hand it to them, they loved Jesus. I couldn't wait to get out of the car, not for the sake of walking through those heavy, glass doors, but because I needed to get out so I wouldn't have to listen to my stupid parents argue over who spent what when. I don't care! I'm in 10th grade!

Slamming the car door, I remembered my mom yelling something about picking me up, but I didn't care what she had to say. Soon my anger faded into fear as I peered into a crowd with a size I never thought possible. How did all these kids know each other? How long have these kids gone here? I gave a fake smile to some older people who walked by...what are they doing here? I thought this was for students. I thought maybe I will meet the youth pastor or someone I know, but that wasn't the case. I wish I knew at least one person who went here.

The music started about then, and it offered a slight reprieve. But I just opted to stand in the back. I thought about sitting, but where would I sit? Who would I sit by? I'm glad I stood in the back, it would have been weird to sit by someone I didn't know.

The songs were neat; I've never heard so many people sing about Jesus. I really liked listening, I mean, I didn't understand all the songs, but they were my favorite part. The guy that spoke was funny, not what I expected from a preacher guy. I didn't really understand a lot of it, but I was constantly wondering if I was going to get in trouble for standing in the back.

"This sucks. I wish I was back in the car listening to my parents argue," I muttered to myself, and that's when I realized this was truly the worst place I’ve ever been. That guy talked a lot about Jesus and he even said some encouraging things, but why do these people show up here every Sunday? I know I won't be.

I was relieved to have my parents pull up as I stood amongst a crowd of people all alone. Never have I been around so many people and felt so alone. Not one person ever said "hi" to me today. No one stopped to ask me my name, or what school I went to. I came here scared that people wouldn't leave me alone, but I'm pretty sure this is worse. I hate this place. These people already have their friends and cliques; why would they want to talk to me? I guess I don't blame them much.

Leaving that place, I realized I really wanted what those people had, but I had no idea how to get it. It would have been nice to meet one of them, or maybe for one of those older people to say hi to me. I wonder what we would have talked about? Would they have asked me about my parents? I wonder if they would have asked me my name? I guess even if they did, they wouldn't really remember me next time I showed up. They probably would have avoided me, even though I won't go back. But like I said, I know they loved Jesus, but why didn't they love me?

Some of this story is fictitious, but unfortunately some of it is true. Please note, this is not meant to rebuke anyone, rather this is meant to encourage us all to be intentional with students while we are at DBSM. This means sometimes we have to say “later” to our friends and chat with them at lunch. Sometimes it means we have to sit with kids we’ve never met. Sometimes it means we play pool the entire time. Sometimes it means we get a little “uncomfortable” ourselves for the sake of others.

Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:1 that “our coming to you was not in vain”. Paul was INTENTIONAL in his ministry and we should be to. He did not show up with no purpose and neither should we. Think about it, the greatest sacrifice we make is that of our time. So, why not use the time we’ve already committed to be INTENTIONAL? Tonight, be INTENTIONAL with each student you see, whether you know them or not. On Sunday, be INTENTIONAL with this kid who is standing in the back with her arms crossed waiting to leave. With your group, be INTENTIONAL with the questions you ask. We must be faithful and let God be good.

A Re-Post on Lamentations 3

Lamentations finds it’s “fame” in our hearts because of Chapter 3 where the author would say “his mercies are new every day”.

This book is made up of 5 poems showing grief and sorrow over the fall of Jerusalem. These poems morn the loss of the great nation, however this book gives us great hope in the person and the plan of our King. The author of the book is not identified, but is thought to be the prophet Jeremiah because of 2 Chronicles 35:25 where he was said to have “uttered a lament for Josiah”.

In my mind, chapter 3 can be broken up as follows: v. 1-20: Turmoil; v. 21: Pivot; v. 22-40: Hope; v. 41-66: Plea. The gems I will refer to are found in verses 22-40.

The Gems:

1. The steadfast love of the Lord NEVER ceases (v.22)

• If we believe this statement then why do we sometimes question God “why are you doing this to me? Where did you go? Why haven’t you heard me?”
• If we believe this statement why do we base our worth or value on what others think of us?
• If we believe this statement then why do we sometimes feel like we are “unloved” by people or even by God?

2. His mercies NEVER come to an end (v. 22)

• God is quick to forgive, slow to anger. Through the blood lens of His Son we are seen as holy, blameless and above reproach (Col 1:22)

3. His mercies are new EVERY morning (v. 23)

• This idea is similar to God providing manna to the Israelites daily. He only gave them enough for the day, it wasn’t suppose to last longer than that. It showed a complete and daily dependence on the Father.
• His mercy is the same to us today. It is enough for today.
• If this statement is true, why to we lay in bed at night with the weight of the world on our chests? Do we not believe that his mercies will be new the very next day? Will manna truly show up to sustain us or not?

4. He is good to those who wait for Him and to the soul who seeks Him (v. 25)

• To wait on Him through pain, through fear, through uncertainty, through confusion, through sin, through doubt, through insecurities, through failure… through life.
• “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” -Psalm 46:10

5. He does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men (v. 33)

• This verse is not to say that he doesn’t do it, rather that he does not do it willingly. In other words, God takes no pleasure in it, but sin would force a mighty and holy God to be just. Edward Welch would say it this way: “Holiness is not one of the many attributes of God. It is his essential nature and seen in all his qualities.”

6. Things the Lord does not approve: (vv. 34-36)

a. To crush underfoot all prisoners of the earth

b. To deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High

c. To subvert a man in his lawsuit

• So God disapproves of injustice in all forms and of brutal oppression of prisoners… which again points towards the unjust.

Notes on Lamentations from Dr. Constable:

I thought about stealing this, but I’d better give Dr. Constable the creditJ. I thought this was a great breakdown of the faithfulness of God shown in this book:

"Jeremiah wrote seven principles about the nature of Israel's affliction:

(1) Affliction should be endured with hope in God's salvation, that is, ultimate restoration (Lam. 3:25-30).

(2) Affliction is only temporary and is tempered by God's compassion and love (vv. 31-32).

(3) God does not delight in affliction (v. 33).

(4) If affliction comes because of injustice, God sees it and does not approve of it (vv. 34-36).

(5) Affliction is always in relationship to God's sovereignty (vv. 37-38; cf. Job 2:10).

(6) Affliction ultimately came because of Judah's sins (Lam. 3:39).

(7) Affliction should accomplish the greater good of turning God's people back to Him (v. 40)." –From Dr. Constable, DTS.

Lamentations: "A cry from the deep, with the glimmer of hope"

What if we woke up to this headline one day:

Would you be so inclined to mourn for your country? This is a foreign concept to us as Americans since we think our military is untouchable. However, imagine the feeling you would have if this really happened. If our country was taken captive by a foreign land and all of us taken into captivity as well. Would you mourn the loss of this great nation? What if you then found out that God was personally behind it and it was our sin that caused it? That would stir up some emotions wouldn't it?

Lamentations is a book in the Old Testament that we will begin teaching through for the next 4 Sundays. The book is known for the famous passage "God's mercies are new every day", but do we know why the author would say that? Maybe because he is writing 5 laments over the loss of his great nation, Jerusalem.

The author of this book is not specifically named, however Jeremiah is said to have "uttered a lament for Josiah" (2 Chronicles 35:25) and so he is thought to be the author. Above you will find a chart of the book, podcasts will be available on Itunes and on DBSM's fan page. Later peeps.