When noone is listening

When ever I speak in front of kids I have these thought that go through my head. Are the even listening, are they bored, do i sound stupid, is what im saying to them actually making a difference. What I have come to realize is that this is the devil messing with me. Im not perfect and I now that my message isnt either but if just one person is affected by it, then it was what God had planned. Over the past couple of weeks our youth group has grown leaps and bounds. A few weeks ago we were lucky to have ten people and now we are moving to a bigger room because God has shown his favor upon us. Last week we had twenty eight and another twenty two this week. These youth want more. I think they are hungry for what God want to use them for.

Grace

This is one thing we all take for granted.   Grace by definition is getting what we don't deserve; and not getting what we do deserve.  I have been thinking of all the grace that my life is field with.  I fall short of God's glory every day so right there that tells you that God has shown me some sort of grace.  Grace is like a free pass.  Almost like all is forgiven.  We are shown grace by our parents, friends, and sometimes our teachers.  I would what our lives would be like it grace wasn't a factor.  

We should give grace because we need grace.  

SO give grace.  

It is as easy as that.  

Or maybe just a good starting point.

God bless.

Justin Abercrombie

P.S. 

Clemson 27

Maryland 17

Georgia  24

Alabama 21

elevation

It has been a long time since I have sat down and wrote on my blog.  When I first started this thing I wanted to us it as a relief as well as a support for others.  I have been so busy since my last entry.  I got married to the most wonderful women on earth in May and I couldn't be any happier.  My wife's little brother got married and I have been running a summer camp since the beginning of June.  Without saying things have been a little crazy.  So I welcome my self back.  

Elevation is the title for todays lesson.  Jordan and I took a Sunday off to go visit a church called elevation in Charlotte, N.C.  I have heard great things about this church but until you see something for yourself it never clicks.  It was not that we were blown away but it almost felt like we were part of their family while we were there.  I wanted to build a relationship with the childrens director and make some positive contacts to be able to grow within the ministry.  I learned that great things are out there.  Sometimes you have to through your personal pride and ambition out the window and support a cause.  

I say volunteers loving what they were doing and seeing the joy and love on their faces inspired me to do my best.  I have let things get old and not fun for my kids.  Even though my experience level is not very high, it is no excuse for reaching the ceiling on creativity.  

I learned honor and respect in a new way also the honor they should their leaders and the vision being carried out, carried out all the way to the guy in the parking lot.  

As a church, we need to ask ourself one question.  Do we as a collective group believe in the cause.  The cause is reaching people that don't know about God.  People that are lost and need to be found.  Do we do enough?  I will stop with this to chew on until next time.  The only way to build and elevate is to out everything into it your got.  We are on the earth for one reason, we are here to further the kingdom of God.  

P.S  Only a couple more weeks until college football starts.  Go Tigers.

God is Love

Justin Abercrombie

Childrens Pastor

Carpenters Church

offering

God has really been on me and my family about offering.  I have not always tithed and I am not proud of that.  I was raised in a family that went to church but did not practice the things at home that are being taught at church.  I wasn't aware of the importance of tithing and the benefits it has on your life.  First of all tithe means tenth.  One tenth.  One tenth.  Not 90% not even 50%, not even  20%, only 10%.  The first tenth is not even ours.  It is GODS!  

Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself.

Who gave me this job?

Who gave me this roof over my head?

Who gave me this wonderful family you have?

God did!!!!  He gave us everything we have, and he will continue to bless us.  That is why we tithe.  We also tithe because the Bible tells us too.  

I have really been blessed by the hand of GOD and I have continued to tithe and pray that GOD will show me something.  I think that the time GOD picks to bless us are a surprise.  I love surprises but especially when you know that it came straight from GOD.  

Here is a little story for you.  Jordan and I where about to go on our honeymoon and I had money coming in that I was going to us for the honeymoon.  When the check came in it was nine hundred dollars short.  I was really worried but I didn't really let on to the severity of the problem because Jordan would have freaked.  I prayed that things would work out an that we would make it anyway.  The day before we went on the honeymoon I opened up the mail box and there was a check in there for the remaining amount.  That was a sign from GOD that I had made progress and was doing the right things.  I don't worry about where my tithe goes, I just pray that GOD uses it to further his kingdom.

Thank you Lord for blessing my life like no other.  I thank you for continuing to bless me and my family even though we fall short of your grace on a daily basis.

GOD is LOVE

Justin Abercrombie

AM I DOING ENOUGH?

God has always been the one that has has a plan.  We are living proof that his plan is in motion.  As an employee in a church I think we focus on what other churches or groups are doing that we don't focus on what might work for us.  It is so easy to steal ideas and piggy back on the backs of others but it takes a special group of people to get together and find ideas that have not been used that might work better.  

I struggle every sunday by asking myself did I do enough this week or did I put a good enough message together and the answer is no.  I am never satisfied with what I do.  In a way, I think this is a good quality but at the same time I think this is a very bad quality.  I am learning everyday to become better at what I do but I think that the relationship that I have built with them will propel me into a new level.  I won't more for my kids and the kids in our area.  

I am challenging myself to be a better person, a better christian, and a better kids pastor.  

I am going to put the effort in it that will make it better than anything I have ever seen.  I want GOD to move in these kids lives like no other.

I think the movement in a church starts with the kids and pours over to the youth, and then into the college and adults.  Big things have to start small.  

I want to be apart of something that honors GOD in every aspect.  Whether it be our nursery, to our first impression group.  

So my challenge is that everyone look in themselves and ask this question.  

AM I DOING ENOUGH?

GOD IS LOVE

Justin Abercrombie

Childrens pastor

Carpenters church

Go TIgers

Now that spring practice is over.  The most boring time in sports in upon us.  The highlights of the next couple of months leading up to college football will be  the NBA playoff, MLB, the college World series and things like that.  I enjoy ever sport to some degree but nothing compares to the emotion and thrill I get from Clemson football.  

I remember those day when my father would take me to a game.  I knew what I wanted.  I wanted a drink, some nachos, and a rubber football.  I had to beg my dad for the football because he knew I was going to lose it as soon as we got home but right there in that moment it meant the world to me.  I associate family and friends and the time we can get together to just relax, with college football.  

My future wife Jordan told me one day she didn't like football but she liked going to the games.  I guess I can see where she is coming from now.  If I could be any place in my off time I would love to be in the middle of 85,000 screaming fans.  In the middle of all that chaos it seems so calm.  I have passed the contagious bug on the my friend Michael.  He loves going to the games and cheering as loud as he can and I hope to one day I will be able to take my little boy or girl to their first game and share in the excitement.

The only beef I have is, and don't get me wrong I am the first one on the chopping block for this one.  How can we let it all hang out in front of total strangers, in a public place, lifting our hands up high and screaming almost in worship of a school.  Then when it comes to church on Sunday morning some can't get out of bed and others walk into church all tired and do nothing but sit on their hands, in front of the one who created them.  I find this to be common in every city all over the country.  Let get with the program folks!

GOD is LOVE!

Justin Abercrombie

Children's Paster

Carpenters Church

Time?

This has been an aspect of all of our lives, since we were born.  As a newborn, your eating depended on what time it was and how long since the last time you had eaten.  Then as your got older you had to be at school on time, and soccer practice, and even church.  There is a time set for everything.  It seems like the day we are born a stopwatch starts and we are in a race.  Now, don't get me wrong time also benefits us in so many was.  It is how our world stays on course, or on schedule.  It is how we know to go to work and to leave work and go home.  

 

In 2001, after 9/11 I went into the military with no idea what I was getting me self into.  I went from just graduating and sleeping on my moms couch until noon every morning, to getting screamed at all day long.  I was forced to put this whole time thing into motion.  Not only did I have to be on time for school, but we had to wake up at a certain time, we could only go to the bathroom at a certain time, and we could only call home we were told it was time.  We have been forced into a race to see who can get the most done in the time alloted to them.  

It almost takes sitting down and letting things slow down to realize the little things that we miss on a daily basis.  We miss the small of things, the way certain foods taste, I think we even forget the things that we love to do.  Free time is nomore.  It is something we have to make time for.  I have taken on a lot lately, more than the usual a lot, I have noticed that there is not much time for anything.  So not procrastinating should be my focus.  Although I am aware of this goal I still fail.  I fail to get things done ahead of time and then I have cut into the already busy schedule to make less time for something else.  

There is enough time it is just learning how to mange the time you have not have and not let the time manage you.  I have let time manage me for so long that it seems natural.  Today I am writing this to mainly remind myself what is feels like to be over welmed and that have myself to blame.  I have a final, a paper, a powerpoint, and some labs due in a class today.  Of course I have not finished them all but I will work my brains out to get them finished and once again tell myself that this will never happen again.

Manage time, don't let it manage you.

GOD is LOVE

Justin Abercrombie

Carpenters Church 

Children's pastor