Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor
A few years back I was struck by a revelation:
I use the same word to describe how I feel about cheeseburgers and to describe the Creator God of the Universe.
That word would be: "awesome". In fact, I use awesome to describe a lot of other things as well: computers, movies, automatic doors in vans, Mac products, books, experiences and trips, etc. I sometimes use it even if I don't really mean it. How can that be right? How can I describe how I feel about God accurately?
In Job 25:2 we read: "Dominion and awe belong to God." Awe belongs to God, and is due him and to no one else. Especially Five Guys. That causes me to pause and re-evaluate the language that I use to describe a cheeseburger! My prayer and dilemma is perfectly summed up in an old David Crowder lyric:
I need words
As wide as sky
I need language large as
This longing inside
And I need a voice
Bigger than mine
And I need a song to sing You
That I've yet to find
(You can hear the song by clicking here)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Christmas Presents, Bill Cosby and the Gibeonites (The Sneaky Blog)
Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor
Describing me as a sneaky kid would be an understatement. Case in point: I knew all of my Mother's secret hiding places for birthday and Christmas presents, and there were many. I would wait till she was asleep and then slip out of my bed to either the crawl-space or the laundry room. With stealth-like precision I would tear a little of the wrapping paper away so that I could catch a glimpse of what treasure lay inside. Could it be a new Transformer? I would then try to arrange the present to make it look like there was no rip in the paper or that it had ripped itself naturally when it was set down in its hiding place by my Mother. I'm telling you, I was bad! And I was good at it.
It reminds me of the one Cosby episode where Bill Cosby sees that Claire has baked a cake and he proceeds to partake of said cake while little Olivia watches in amazement. He then tries to cover up the missing piece by adding paper towels and spreading the chocolate icing to make the cake look whole again. Here's the clip in all of its sneaky hilarity!
Speaking of sneakiness, there were some inhabitants of Gibeon in Joshua's day that were downright deceptive. They took sneaky to a new level. Joshua 9 talks about how the Gibeonites heard how Israel had taken down Jericho and Ai and decided (wisely, I think) that they did not want to be obliterated. So, the Gibeonites put on their old, patched up sandles and pretended to have come from a far away land. Israel didn't consult God and established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live (when they really should have killed them all). The Gibeonite's sneakiness saved their lives, and they eventually became woodcutters and water carriers for the people of Israel. Not high profile work, but better than being permanently wiped off the face of the earth!
Children/Communications Pastor
Describing me as a sneaky kid would be an understatement. Case in point: I knew all of my Mother's secret hiding places for birthday and Christmas presents, and there were many. I would wait till she was asleep and then slip out of my bed to either the crawl-space or the laundry room. With stealth-like precision I would tear a little of the wrapping paper away so that I could catch a glimpse of what treasure lay inside. Could it be a new Transformer? I would then try to arrange the present to make it look like there was no rip in the paper or that it had ripped itself naturally when it was set down in its hiding place by my Mother. I'm telling you, I was bad! And I was good at it.
It reminds me of the one Cosby episode where Bill Cosby sees that Claire has baked a cake and he proceeds to partake of said cake while little Olivia watches in amazement. He then tries to cover up the missing piece by adding paper towels and spreading the chocolate icing to make the cake look whole again. Here's the clip in all of its sneaky hilarity!
Speaking of sneakiness, there were some inhabitants of Gibeon in Joshua's day that were downright deceptive. They took sneaky to a new level. Joshua 9 talks about how the Gibeonites heard how Israel had taken down Jericho and Ai and decided (wisely, I think) that they did not want to be obliterated. So, the Gibeonites put on their old, patched up sandles and pretended to have come from a far away land. Israel didn't consult God and established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live (when they really should have killed them all). The Gibeonite's sneakiness saved their lives, and they eventually became woodcutters and water carriers for the people of Israel. Not high profile work, but better than being permanently wiped off the face of the earth!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
A Vocabulary Test
Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor
I used to love vocabulary tests when I was in school. I always thought it was cool when the teacher would tell us to exchange papers with someone around us and then we would grade each others' work. Oooooh, I would think to myself, the power that is in my hands!
Did you know the average person has a vocabulary of 20,000 words, but linguists have shown that in that person's lifetime he or she will express four to five million different ideas? The words must be used in many different combinations with many different meanings in order to meet the need.
So, what is your vocabulary like? What ideas do you express with that vocabulary? It's an important question. James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote in his letter:
For every creature—animal or bird, reptile or fish—is tamed and has been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way. Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine [produce] figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.
What kind of influences do you allow in your life that shape the way you speak? What kind of influences do you allow in your childrens' lives that affect how they speak?
The best influence on our vocabulary is the Word of God!
Let Psalm 119:9-16 be the declaration of your life and your speech will reflect the calling of God on your life:
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping Your word.
I have sought You with all my heart;
don't let me wander from Your commands.
I have treasured Your word in my heart
so that I may not sin against You.
LORD, may You be praised;
teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I proclaim
all the judgments from Your mouth.
I rejoice in the way [revealed by] Your decrees
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts
and think about Your ways.
I will delight in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.
Children/Communications Pastor
I used to love vocabulary tests when I was in school. I always thought it was cool when the teacher would tell us to exchange papers with someone around us and then we would grade each others' work. Oooooh, I would think to myself, the power that is in my hands!
Did you know the average person has a vocabulary of 20,000 words, but linguists have shown that in that person's lifetime he or she will express four to five million different ideas? The words must be used in many different combinations with many different meanings in order to meet the need.
So, what is your vocabulary like? What ideas do you express with that vocabulary? It's an important question. James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote in his letter:
For every creature—animal or bird, reptile or fish—is tamed and has been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way. Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine [produce] figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.
What kind of influences do you allow in your life that shape the way you speak? What kind of influences do you allow in your childrens' lives that affect how they speak?
The best influence on our vocabulary is the Word of God!
Let Psalm 119:9-16 be the declaration of your life and your speech will reflect the calling of God on your life:
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping Your word.
I have sought You with all my heart;
don't let me wander from Your commands.
I have treasured Your word in my heart
so that I may not sin against You.
LORD, may You be praised;
teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I proclaim
all the judgments from Your mouth.
I rejoice in the way [revealed by] Your decrees
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts
and think about Your ways.
I will delight in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Two Are Better Than One
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Volunteers and Mentors needed for Christian Women’s Job Corps
Are you looking for a way to use your gifts and skills to glorify God? Are you an encourager? Do you enjoy teaching and guiding others? Christian Women's Job Corps has a place for you! Apex Baptist Church has partnered with CWJC by offering classroom space for our life and job skills classes and bible study. We have many volunteer needs to get this site going at your church.
One of the key elements to the CWJC ministry is the mentor relationship. A mentor helps a woman in need through encouragement, goal setting, listening, modeling Christ like behavior and holding the participant accountable to their goals. A mentor is not a baby-sitter, financial supporter, taxi driver or a genie available to fix problems. This relationship and ministry is designed to help empower and equip a woman in need in her quest for economic self-sufficiency and in developing a relationship with Jesus Christ. Get involved and allow God to equip you to serve Him through serving others!
CWJC volunteer needs:
• Mentors to attend class & mentor a woman in the program (training provided)
• Class leaders to teach budgeting, parenting, stress management, etc (materials provided)
• Bible study leader (material provided)
• Leaders willing to serve as teacher and on site mentor in small groups (this model is used when we do not have enough mentors for each woman in the program)
• Get a group of friends together to provide lunch on class day
• Child care workers
If you are interested in volunteering or mentoring or want to know more about what is involved please contact Cynthia Thelen at 231-3995 x 113. Phase I classes begin Thursday, Sept. 30th 9:30-1:30 at Apex Baptist Church. Please call ASAP to learn more and get involved.
You will be amazed at how God can work through and in your life as part of this ministry!
Volunteers and Mentors needed for Christian Women’s Job Corps
Are you looking for a way to use your gifts and skills to glorify God? Are you an encourager? Do you enjoy teaching and guiding others? Christian Women's Job Corps has a place for you! Apex Baptist Church has partnered with CWJC by offering classroom space for our life and job skills classes and bible study. We have many volunteer needs to get this site going at your church.
One of the key elements to the CWJC ministry is the mentor relationship. A mentor helps a woman in need through encouragement, goal setting, listening, modeling Christ like behavior and holding the participant accountable to their goals. A mentor is not a baby-sitter, financial supporter, taxi driver or a genie available to fix problems. This relationship and ministry is designed to help empower and equip a woman in need in her quest for economic self-sufficiency and in developing a relationship with Jesus Christ. Get involved and allow God to equip you to serve Him through serving others!
CWJC volunteer needs:
• Mentors to attend class & mentor a woman in the program (training provided)
• Class leaders to teach budgeting, parenting, stress management, etc (materials provided)
• Bible study leader (material provided)
• Leaders willing to serve as teacher and on site mentor in small groups (this model is used when we do not have enough mentors for each woman in the program)
• Get a group of friends together to provide lunch on class day
• Child care workers
If you are interested in volunteering or mentoring or want to know more about what is involved please contact Cynthia Thelen at 231-3995 x 113. Phase I classes begin Thursday, Sept. 30th 9:30-1:30 at Apex Baptist Church. Please call ASAP to learn more and get involved.
You will be amazed at how God can work through and in your life as part of this ministry!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Stationary Activity Center
Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor
Ahhhh...the Exersaucer. Six years ago I would have had no conception of such a thing. But now do I ever. It is one of the greatest inventions of all time. It's close on the heels of the boppy pillow, wheel and the iPod. I'm not sure of the etymology of the term, but it does resemble a saucer and I guess it does provide the baby with some sort of "exercise". Or maybe it's meant more in the lines of, "You can get some exercise while your baby plays happily in the little saucer contraption." I've also heard of it described as the "Stationary Activity Center". Well, that might be the technical description, but to Tobin, our seven month old, it is known as Freedom in all of its new-found glory.
Tobin is our third child and we're used to the pattern and progression by now. This is a time in the life of our baby that we cherish. These are the "stationary" days. He is going through a period where he's content in the Exersaucer (for hours, even!) but pretty soon that's going to change. Very soon. Tobin is going to get bored with being "stationary" and he's going to need to be down on the floor where he can crawl and get into trouble. That means no more reading for Daddy on the couch watching the little fellow out of the corner of my eye to see if he threw up on himself. No more running into the next room to grab something that I forgot or to look something up on the computer. Those days will be gone. They better be, or the next thing I know he'll be trying to crawl up the chimney.
As I was thinking about the term, "Stationary Activity Center," it made me think about the local church. Is that an accurate description of what we're all about? Is the church just a building where folks can come and play with different toys and be entertained? That kind of stings a little bit just to think it might be the case, doesn't it? Are we just a big, grown-up exersaucer with a few bells and whistles? Some mirrors and soft chewable objects. Completely harmless and safe?
Or...are we the People of God, the Temple of God, the Body of Christ? As a church are we actively engaged in loving our community and those around us with the Gospel? It might be a little bit more dangerous. We might get into a little bit of trouble. We might crawl to where (according to some) we're not supposed to go. We might occasionally get hurt. But that's part of growing up and it sure sounds to me a lot more like what we're called to do as followers of Christ!
In a few weeks it's going to be time to take the exersaucer back up into the attic. Tobin is going to start roaming the floors and we're going to have to blockade the kitchen and the stairs. I'm going to have to start paying better attention. It won't be long after that when he'll take his first steps. And the next thing I know he'll be wanting to wrestle. Then he'll be wanting the keys to the 2000 Camry. It's all a part of growing up and as much as I'll miss the exersaucer days I can't wait to see what kind of man he grows up to be. So, as much as I'll miss you, goodbye, Stationary Activity Center. Better things are yet to come!
Children/Communications Pastor
Ahhhh...the Exersaucer. Six years ago I would have had no conception of such a thing. But now do I ever. It is one of the greatest inventions of all time. It's close on the heels of the boppy pillow, wheel and the iPod. I'm not sure of the etymology of the term, but it does resemble a saucer and I guess it does provide the baby with some sort of "exercise". Or maybe it's meant more in the lines of, "You can get some exercise while your baby plays happily in the little saucer contraption." I've also heard of it described as the "Stationary Activity Center". Well, that might be the technical description, but to Tobin, our seven month old, it is known as Freedom in all of its new-found glory.
Tobin is our third child and we're used to the pattern and progression by now. This is a time in the life of our baby that we cherish. These are the "stationary" days. He is going through a period where he's content in the Exersaucer (for hours, even!) but pretty soon that's going to change. Very soon. Tobin is going to get bored with being "stationary" and he's going to need to be down on the floor where he can crawl and get into trouble. That means no more reading for Daddy on the couch watching the little fellow out of the corner of my eye to see if he threw up on himself. No more running into the next room to grab something that I forgot or to look something up on the computer. Those days will be gone. They better be, or the next thing I know he'll be trying to crawl up the chimney.
As I was thinking about the term, "Stationary Activity Center," it made me think about the local church. Is that an accurate description of what we're all about? Is the church just a building where folks can come and play with different toys and be entertained? That kind of stings a little bit just to think it might be the case, doesn't it? Are we just a big, grown-up exersaucer with a few bells and whistles? Some mirrors and soft chewable objects. Completely harmless and safe?
Or...are we the People of God, the Temple of God, the Body of Christ? As a church are we actively engaged in loving our community and those around us with the Gospel? It might be a little bit more dangerous. We might get into a little bit of trouble. We might crawl to where (according to some) we're not supposed to go. We might occasionally get hurt. But that's part of growing up and it sure sounds to me a lot more like what we're called to do as followers of Christ!
In a few weeks it's going to be time to take the exersaucer back up into the attic. Tobin is going to start roaming the floors and we're going to have to blockade the kitchen and the stairs. I'm going to have to start paying better attention. It won't be long after that when he'll take his first steps. And the next thing I know he'll be wanting to wrestle. Then he'll be wanting the keys to the 2000 Camry. It's all a part of growing up and as much as I'll miss the exersaucer days I can't wait to see what kind of man he grows up to be. So, as much as I'll miss you, goodbye, Stationary Activity Center. Better things are yet to come!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Nursing Home Ministry Begins Tomorrow!
Tomorrow night (September 16) is our first opportunity to go love on residents for Jesus at area Retirement/Nursing Homes. We'll be meeting from 6:30-8:00 PM at Brookridge (Atwater) in Apex (312 Lynch St. Apex, NC 27502) and we'd love for you to come and join us! This is a GO project you can be involved in with your whole family!
Here are a few suggested donations that you might like to bring along:
Children can make cards, or any kind of artwork for residents at Atwater. We also need donations of magazines, sample or full-sized shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, etc., toothbrushes, combs, slippers that are appropriate for those who are not so sure-footed, new or gently-used clothing (including pajamas or nightgowns) for folks who like to relax, new socks, individual snack-sized boxes of raisins, Goldfish crackers, individually-wrapped bite-sized candy bars, Go-Gurt tubes, items that are easy process without many, or any, teeth. We need any and every one who would like to see how bringing the Body of Christ to people who don’t have many, if any, visitors can be a blessing! Youth can pray, hand out magazines, candy/treats, lovingly offered clothing or necessities such as soap, sing, paint fingernails (we need to bring our own supplies).
If you have questions please contact Margaret Lawrence! Also, if you'd like to go ahead and put it on your calendar we'll be heading to Rex Rehab in Apex on Thursday, October 21.
We'd love to see you there!
Here are a few suggested donations that you might like to bring along:
Children can make cards, or any kind of artwork for residents at Atwater. We also need donations of magazines, sample or full-sized shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, etc., toothbrushes, combs, slippers that are appropriate for those who are not so sure-footed, new or gently-used clothing (including pajamas or nightgowns) for folks who like to relax, new socks, individual snack-sized boxes of raisins, Goldfish crackers, individually-wrapped bite-sized candy bars, Go-Gurt tubes, items that are easy process without many, or any, teeth. We need any and every one who would like to see how bringing the Body of Christ to people who don’t have many, if any, visitors can be a blessing! Youth can pray, hand out magazines, candy/treats, lovingly offered clothing or necessities such as soap, sing, paint fingernails (we need to bring our own supplies).
If you have questions please contact Margaret Lawrence! Also, if you'd like to go ahead and put it on your calendar we'll be heading to Rex Rehab in Apex on Thursday, October 21.
We'd love to see you there!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Songs From Locked Up
Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor
This past weekend we had our Fall Retreat for the youth: Locked Up (you can see some of the photos by clicking here). Some of you asked about the music so I've listed below the songs we did and where you can find them on iTunes:
Children/Communications Pastor
This past weekend we had our Fall Retreat for the youth: Locked Up (you can see some of the photos by clicking here). Some of you asked about the music so I've listed below the songs we did and where you can find them on iTunes:
- Stay Beside Me by Future of Forestry (they also have 3 new EPs called Travel that are pretty good)
- How Great Is Your Faithfulness by Matt Redman
- Came to the Rescue by Hillsong United
- Death in His Grave by John Mark McMillan
- Carbon Ribs by John Mark McMillan
- All That Really Matters by Matt Redman
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