Pastor Brian's Recent Thoughts
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The Heart of the Father
August 12, 2010
I love the parables of Jesus. Especially the ones in the Gospel of
Luke. In Luke, we find three consecutive parables dealing with God's
love for the lost, the misplaced, and the prodigal. Jesus told
stories about how a shepherd went after a lost sheep, how a person
searched high and low for lost coins, and how a Father stood and
watched for the return of a far away child. These parables show us
the heart of the Father. It is a heart that loves and seeks the
confused, lost, and hurting.
In the parable of the Prodigal's son, a son demanded his inheritance
... read more
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Everyone is Listening.
June 09, 2010
I recently heard a Pastor from Seattle say something that impacted me. His church was doing a week of service projects for the community. He said these words: "we have been preaching for years and nobody's been listening. We have been serving for a week and everyone is now listening." The old adage is true. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Jesus came to the world to serve humanity. He gave himself as a ransom for many. If we, the Church, are to represent Him well, then we must take on the form of a servant. Jesus was ... read more
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He Is Faithful
March 03, 2010
The last few weeks have been an incredible time in my life. Jessi gave birth to our new little boy, Justice Samuel Gibson, on Sunday, February 21st! He’s a looker. In the last few months of pregnancy there were some complications, but God was faithful. We have a perfectly healthy baby boy.
We dedicated our new facility at 4810 Frederica Street on Feb. 19th. We have been working on this project for years. There has been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears poured out to see this thing come to pass. Sometimes at night I just come and look at it and am ov ... read more
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He came to serve!
April 08, 2009
One of the greatest revelations that a Christian can ever receive is one of service. Jesus said that, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28) Our Lord came to serve the world. His life, message, and ministry was developed around caring for, loving, and healing others.
If we really want people to see Christ flowing through us we will take on the form of a servant. We need to focus on what we can do for others and through this God will be glorified. Next week at River City Church we are se ... read more
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WHAT IS A LIFE WORTH?
February 12, 2009
What is a life worth? Can a price be placed on a commodity such as a human life? Most of us would answer that life is priceless - it value far transcends any highest bid. I have recently traveled to a part of the world where life is still seen by so many as something that can be bought and sold. Sold for a very small sum.
Yesterday I was in Bangkok, Thailand. I am working with an orphanage that rescues children out of the slave trade. I had the honor of meeting a child that was sold by her parents for $24. She was sold for about half the price of a ... read more
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God in the Ordinary
November 18, 2008
I have recently been involved in a social networking platform called "Twitter." Its an application where people make short statements about what their doing and post them online. People follow your postings and vice-versa. This last week one of my friends decided that peoples postings were boring. Twitter had opened our eyes to the fact that our lives are filled with the ordinary.
We decided to take action. We immediately all began writing fantasy "twitters." Ryan Staples posted that he had witnessed a chemical plant exploding. I posted that i had ju ... read more
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Are you a victor or a victim?
October 23, 2008
One of the central truths of the New Testament is that the born again believer is not a victim. The Bible teaches that our faith causes us to "overcome the world!" I am not a victim - I am a victor. I am an overcomer. I am more than a conqueror. I am redeemed from the curse of the law. I am a treasure in the eyes of God. I am seated with Christ in heavenly places. I am a part of the Body of Christ. i have been given power through the Holy Spirit. Does any of that sound like a victim?
I want to encourage you to never play the v ... read more
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A simple word of thanks!
September 30, 2008
Life can be so hectic, busy, trying and tiring that we forget to thank the Lord for all He has done. Jesus healed a group of lepers - He told them to go and show themselves to the temple priest for examination. As they went, the healing power of God touched them, and they were made whole. The gospel records the fact that only a small percentage of the group of healed people returned to give Him thanks for this life altering miracle! I want to come back and say thanks unto the Lord for all He has done. My Sister-in-Law was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. ... read more
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You can fulfill the purpose of God in your generation!
September 20, 2008
I was recently in Amarillo, TX at the church that Jessi and I are ordained through. A lady by the name of Christine Caine from the famous Hillsong church in Australia was ministering. She has a powerful message and some of the things that she said inspired me. WithIn the context of fulfilling a God-given dream for your life Christine said, "There is a difference between a legitimate God-given dream and a fantasy." She stated that many Christians when talking about what God has called them to do are kidding themselves because they will never pay the price that it will ta ... read more
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The God of Covenant
September 03, 2008
Well, here it goes. My first blog - pretty hi-tech for a guy who cheated his way through high school typing! We serve a God of covenant in the midst of a culture of convenience. God is a covenant making, covenant keeping God. He is in the business of making and completing His promises to mankind. We must be sure that we do not adopt a Gospel of convenience instead of a Gospel of covenant. Let me explain the difference between a convenient relationship and a covenant. I have friend who I graduated from college with. We have both taken jobs in diff ... read more
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