We are seven days into 2020 and I wonder, does it still feel like a new year, a new decade? Have we already fallen back into old habits? I started this blog with this funny name approximately 13 years ago. I will admit, I am not a blogger. I am not a consistent blogger. I am not a good blogger.
I decided to try and begin to write short blurbs to attach to church emails, to follow up on Sunday sermons, share my heart, prayer requests and other things that come up.
This past Sunday I preached a message from John 3:22-30. The focus verse in this text is the popular, "He must increase, but I must decrease" verse 30. As I read the totality of the text I noticed that John could have easily fallen into the trap of constant comparison to Jesus. His disciples were comparing him to Jesus, but John was consistent in his testimony. He would constantly testify that he was not the Christ and that he had complete joy in being in the shadow of Jesus. His goal was not for him to get more followers, but for Jesus to be lifted high. His goal was for Jesus to increase and for him to decrease.
I tried to stress that this should be our resolution for the New Year. Let us all lift Jesus high in 2020 by being more intimate with him than active for him; being humble and rejoicing in Jesus; not comparing ourselves to everyone else, but being content in what God has given us and using it for His glory.
I firmly believe that if we apply the example of John from this text to our lives, we will lift Jesus high and others will be drawn to Him.
Pastor Garrett
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Day 4 update from Logan
I was amazed by the joy they received from getting a piece of bread from us. I mainly worked with the kids. I got to play games and teach them songs such as Jesus Loves Me.
It was really cool to see the big smiles on their faces the whole time and there joy when they received a lollipop. It was especially funny when the people would stop and stare at me because of my red hair because they had never seen it before. The smiles of the people made the whole long bumpy journey worth it, but most importantly the 200 people who are now saved is what makes this whole trip worth it.
Day 3 update
We had a very early start to our day. We met in the hotel lobby at 6:00am, took a walk down the street to grab some Vietnamese coffee, load up in the vans and head to ABC Bakery for breakfast.
Once we arrived at the orphanage, we began to set up for a one day VBS. It was VBS Cambodia style! 100 of bikes were parked inside the walls of the orphanage as several hundred children arrived.
The children were treated to games, songs, a meal and gifts. We attempted to do a relay race and water balloon games and it may have been the most chaotic thing I have ever been a part of. Language and culture were definitely a barrier today.
The kids were full of laughter and smiles as we had an opportunity to show them the love of Jesus Christ.
We came back to the city and headed to the Central Market for some shopping. We returned early to the hotel for rest and showers. Tonight we will eat a buffet dinner.
Tomorrow will be an early and long day as we head into the mountains to visit several villages.
The adventures of team Towers continues!
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Day 2 update from Clarence Kwok
We started the day off early at 6:00 am with some iced coffee and we also picked up some donuts from a French bakery.
We met up with the rest of the team at 7:00am. Half of our team went to the Home of Grace while the other half went to visit the Killing Fields. It was an important visit that let us experience just a fraction of the suffering that the people of Cambodia went through.
We then visited 3 villages to spread the Gospel and to feed the people bread. Pastor Garrett shared a sermon about creation and Jesus's salvation story to already baptized believers (we later found out). Logan shared his story about Jesus walking on water to kids, Gilbert shared his testimony, and I shared the story about the bleeding women. On this day, 42 people accepted Christ. It is such a blessing for us to be able to see the fruits of our harvest and it is an encouragement seeing the obedience from man and the faithfulness of God.
After the villages we went back to the Home of Grace where we played with the kids. We finished our day off with the group eating Pizza!
Team Canada + 1 went out after dinner for the "best" coffee and donuts in Cambodia. Were they the best? Ask us to find out!
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Day 1 update from Gilbert Fung
Afterwards we went to the Bati village church where we felt a little bit at home. There was a time of greeting everyone, some locals sharing their testminonies, and the kids being dismissed to kids' worship after the songs were done. The Broken Arrow team also shared their stories of becoming Christians, teaching a sermon about prayer, and singing a song. We saw five people come to accept Jesus!
At the end of the service, we helped serve a delicious lunch for the congregation, while a heavy rainstorm passed over the open-air church.
The last thing we did in the day was returning to the orphanage and playing with the kids. At first it was chaotic, with around 50 kids running around and kicking and throwing balls everywhere, but we joined in and just had fun with them. They really enjoyed being with us, and I'm really glad that we will get to spend more time together throughout the week.
I hope everyone back at Towers is doing well! I'm thankful that we have a strong group of believers praying for us for this trip!
Cheers,
Gilbert
Friday, August 4, 2017
Landed...
The team has landed in Phnom Penh. We will check in to the hotel and do some sight seeing until our partners from FBC Broken Arrow arrive late tonight.
Stay tuned...
Stay tuned...
Sunday, May 1, 2016
In memory of Chad...
I have debated whether or not to write something in regard to the passing of my cousin Chad "Slam Dunk" Coon. There are so many memories that I will not be able to capture all of them in this post. I will do my best to remember him, but it will not be complete or in order.
Chad was more like a older brother to me than a cousin. Some of my earliest memories are from when I was in 1st grade. Chad, who was in 12th grade, along with his twin sister and younger sister would come in the big blue van and pick me up for school. I remember watching Chad, #14, play basketball. He had a love and passion for sports, but especially basketball. He is the reason why I am a Chicago Bulls fan. In the time before the technological age that we are in now, I would go down to Chad's house to watch the Bull's on WGN. Chad was so cool because he had a satellite.
He was such a giving and gracious person. He would take this teenage boy to "cruise the boulevard" in town. He would let this much younger cousin hang out with him and his "older" friends. He would let me tag along with him when he would broadcast sports with Q102 FM. He would take me to buy soda and candy to Brister's Grocery. He would let me play co-ed softball with him and his crew. He had the first "bag phone" that I had ever seen. He would always stop by my parents house and just talk sports. If he wasn't talking loudly about sports and how to correct the coach of a certain team, then it wasn't Chad talking. If he wasn't covering a sporting event, he was always watching our high school play sports (Go Jackets!) wherever they were playing. He would stand on the sidelines of every football game. He would be in the dugout cheering on softball and baseball teams. He would be at every basketball game coaching from the stands.
I remember when he had an accident while working at the paper mill. I found out about it while at school and I immediately left and headed to the ER to check on him. I remember playing pool (billiards) with him in the upstairs of his house. I remember the poster of race cars and bikinis on his bedroom wall. I remember that when we would "go to the pool" he would always come say hi and eventually we would be throwing some sort of ball around in the yard.
My first experience with golf was with him. We would drive all over the state to watch high school and college basketball. We drove all the way to Ole Miss one time to watch an Ole Miss and Alabama game. We drank a lot of Mountain Dew and Dr. Peppers on that trip. We made many trips to State Championship basketball games. I remember driving to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to his friends apartment and we watched Brett Favre play. A lot of these things I would have never done or gone to, but because it was with Chad my parents would let me go. I got to experience a lot of things because of him.
Memories are flooding into my mind as I type and I can't begin to write them all down. Chad was always supportive of my decisions. He always seemed proud that I was following wherever God was taking me.
Now that I think about, he may have even introduced me to coffee. For those of you who know me that is a big deal. My first "coffee milk" was probably at his house. He always had a golf bag, a softball bag and some dirty shoes in his car.
He loved sports. He loved family. He loved his "baby girls." He loved Michael Jordan. He loved Dr. Pepper. He loved his mom, dad and sisters. He loved.
When I heard about his cancer one year ago, I immediately booked a flight to go see him. I spent a lot of time with him last April. I was able to see him again on a visit this past October. I am so glad I got to spend this time with him. Of all these memories I have shared and of all the things that I have listed that he loves, I was reminded on these two trips about how much he loved Jesus.
He understood that all he was going through was a part of God's divine plan. He told me that he was able to share about Jesus with his friends who were visiting and with the doctors and nurses who were providing treatment and care. When most people question God during a difficult time, Chad trusted God. His belief and faith never waivered.
Chad is in heaven with Jesus today. It is not because of all the great things he did or the kindness he extended. It is not because he was a good man. It is not because he loved. The reason he is with Jesus today and the reason he could be kind and good and love was because he had a personal relationship with God through Jesus. There was a point in his life, when he asked God to forgive him and save him. God was faithful and He did forgive him and save him. Chad is now face to face with his Saviour and Sustainer today. Chad is cancer free and pain free today.
He would want all of you to know that you can have a relationship with Jesus too. Chad was not perfect, but Jesus doesn't ask for perfection. He asks that you trust Him with your life. Chad trusted Jesus with his life through the sports and through the cancer. Because he trusted Jesus with his life, he now has eternal life in the presence of his Creator and Saviour.
What about you?
Chad was more like a older brother to me than a cousin. Some of my earliest memories are from when I was in 1st grade. Chad, who was in 12th grade, along with his twin sister and younger sister would come in the big blue van and pick me up for school. I remember watching Chad, #14, play basketball. He had a love and passion for sports, but especially basketball. He is the reason why I am a Chicago Bulls fan. In the time before the technological age that we are in now, I would go down to Chad's house to watch the Bull's on WGN. Chad was so cool because he had a satellite.
He was such a giving and gracious person. He would take this teenage boy to "cruise the boulevard" in town. He would let this much younger cousin hang out with him and his "older" friends. He would let me tag along with him when he would broadcast sports with Q102 FM. He would take me to buy soda and candy to Brister's Grocery. He would let me play co-ed softball with him and his crew. He had the first "bag phone" that I had ever seen. He would always stop by my parents house and just talk sports. If he wasn't talking loudly about sports and how to correct the coach of a certain team, then it wasn't Chad talking. If he wasn't covering a sporting event, he was always watching our high school play sports (Go Jackets!) wherever they were playing. He would stand on the sidelines of every football game. He would be in the dugout cheering on softball and baseball teams. He would be at every basketball game coaching from the stands.
I remember when he had an accident while working at the paper mill. I found out about it while at school and I immediately left and headed to the ER to check on him. I remember playing pool (billiards) with him in the upstairs of his house. I remember the poster of race cars and bikinis on his bedroom wall. I remember that when we would "go to the pool" he would always come say hi and eventually we would be throwing some sort of ball around in the yard.
My first experience with golf was with him. We would drive all over the state to watch high school and college basketball. We drove all the way to Ole Miss one time to watch an Ole Miss and Alabama game. We drank a lot of Mountain Dew and Dr. Peppers on that trip. We made many trips to State Championship basketball games. I remember driving to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to his friends apartment and we watched Brett Favre play. A lot of these things I would have never done or gone to, but because it was with Chad my parents would let me go. I got to experience a lot of things because of him.
Memories are flooding into my mind as I type and I can't begin to write them all down. Chad was always supportive of my decisions. He always seemed proud that I was following wherever God was taking me.
Now that I think about, he may have even introduced me to coffee. For those of you who know me that is a big deal. My first "coffee milk" was probably at his house. He always had a golf bag, a softball bag and some dirty shoes in his car.
He loved sports. He loved family. He loved his "baby girls." He loved Michael Jordan. He loved Dr. Pepper. He loved his mom, dad and sisters. He loved.
When I heard about his cancer one year ago, I immediately booked a flight to go see him. I spent a lot of time with him last April. I was able to see him again on a visit this past October. I am so glad I got to spend this time with him. Of all these memories I have shared and of all the things that I have listed that he loves, I was reminded on these two trips about how much he loved Jesus.
He understood that all he was going through was a part of God's divine plan. He told me that he was able to share about Jesus with his friends who were visiting and with the doctors and nurses who were providing treatment and care. When most people question God during a difficult time, Chad trusted God. His belief and faith never waivered.
Chad is in heaven with Jesus today. It is not because of all the great things he did or the kindness he extended. It is not because he was a good man. It is not because he loved. The reason he is with Jesus today and the reason he could be kind and good and love was because he had a personal relationship with God through Jesus. There was a point in his life, when he asked God to forgive him and save him. God was faithful and He did forgive him and save him. Chad is now face to face with his Saviour and Sustainer today. Chad is cancer free and pain free today.
He would want all of you to know that you can have a relationship with Jesus too. Chad was not perfect, but Jesus doesn't ask for perfection. He asks that you trust Him with your life. Chad trusted Jesus with his life through the sports and through the cancer. Because he trusted Jesus with his life, he now has eternal life in the presence of his Creator and Saviour.
What about you?
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