What would you do if you were Confident God was with you?
At The Porch last night we had a guest speaker, Captain Chris Plekenpol. Chris was a Commanding Officer in Iraq. He shared stories of the horror that he saw during the war, other soldiers who died with out knowing the love of Jesus Christ, and the triumphant stories of those who came to know Christ in the battlefield..
During his time on stage he asked the question, "What would you do if you were Confident God was with you?" But he also continually added to it: "...in your greatest demise?", "... in your greatest temptation?" His illustrations went right back to Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob. Jealous, his brothers and sisters sold him as a slave (and that was just the beginning of his troubles). But in Genesis 37:21 it says, "But the Lord was with Joseph". And you see the illustrations that even though Joseph was betrayed, thrown in prison for a crime he didn't commit, and taken away from his loving father, the Lord is with him. And even better? Joseph continued to love on the Lord and serve him, despite his situation.
Chris then related this story back to his time in the war. So many times he had to pray.. The times he and his men made it back BECAUSE the Lord was with them. It was such an unbelievable night!
Funniest line of the night: One of Chris' soldiers that he tried to share the gospel with wanted nothing to do with it.. Then, a few weeks later he came back to see Chris after watching Passion of the Christ. He says to Chris, and I quote, "If the s*** in this movie is true, I'm f***ed." Obviously, we don't condone cussing in church, but even JP, our young adults minister said he learned that we like abbreviated cussing. haha But, at least the soldier was right..
I was talking to my brother about people I know who are either atheist or agnostic. He simply said. "Either you're right or they're right. But if you're wrong, what's the consequence? If they're wrong, what's theirs?" ...that breaks my heart, because I love those people.
Anyway afterward, we all went to Porch Late night at Trinity Hall in Mockingbird Station. It was good convo, great conversation, and a good time conversing about Chris' message. I even won a $25 gift certificate to go back to Trinity Hall for knowing Chris' favorite verse! Genesis 39:21!
Genesis 39:21 "But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison."
Romans 8:31 "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
- this is one of my favorites. God loved us this much when we were our ugliest! Wow!
If you want to watch Chris, it should be on The Porch website later this week. Want to hear more about his time in Iraq? Read his book, Faith in the Fog of War.
Ok, have to get back to work! I'm leaving the office early to go to the Rodeo with my girls in Fort Worth! Yee Haw!!
During his time on stage he asked the question, "What would you do if you were Confident God was with you?" But he also continually added to it: "...in your greatest demise?", "... in your greatest temptation?" His illustrations went right back to Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob. Jealous, his brothers and sisters sold him as a slave (and that was just the beginning of his troubles). But in Genesis 37:21 it says, "But the Lord was with Joseph". And you see the illustrations that even though Joseph was betrayed, thrown in prison for a crime he didn't commit, and taken away from his loving father, the Lord is with him. And even better? Joseph continued to love on the Lord and serve him, despite his situation.
Chris then related this story back to his time in the war. So many times he had to pray.. The times he and his men made it back BECAUSE the Lord was with them. It was such an unbelievable night!
Funniest line of the night: One of Chris' soldiers that he tried to share the gospel with wanted nothing to do with it.. Then, a few weeks later he came back to see Chris after watching Passion of the Christ. He says to Chris, and I quote, "If the s*** in this movie is true, I'm f***ed." Obviously, we don't condone cussing in church, but even JP, our young adults minister said he learned that we like abbreviated cussing. haha But, at least the soldier was right..
I was talking to my brother about people I know who are either atheist or agnostic. He simply said. "Either you're right or they're right. But if you're wrong, what's the consequence? If they're wrong, what's theirs?" ...that breaks my heart, because I love those people.
Anyway afterward, we all went to Porch Late night at Trinity Hall in Mockingbird Station. It was good convo, great conversation, and a good time conversing about Chris' message. I even won a $25 gift certificate to go back to Trinity Hall for knowing Chris' favorite verse! Genesis 39:21!
Genesis 39:21 "But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison."
Romans 8:31 "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
- this is one of my favorites. God loved us this much when we were our ugliest! Wow!
If you want to watch Chris, it should be on The Porch website later this week. Want to hear more about his time in Iraq? Read his book, Faith in the Fog of War.
Ok, have to get back to work! I'm leaving the office early to go to the Rodeo with my girls in Fort Worth! Yee Haw!!
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