Religions – What’s The Difference?

April 23, 2008 at 3:45 pm | In God, church, spiritual | Leave a Comment
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Many are confused today about who is RIGHT!   Well,  one must clearly understand that in any belief system, there are presuppositions that we all make.  One of those is the belief that the Bible IS the Word of God.  That its words are true and that everything we believe must be put through the grid of its pages.

That said, I hope you will come this Sunday as we look at Mormonism, Catholicism, Jehovah Witnesses and even “The Church of Oprah.”    Jesus, said, I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by him.   It may appear to be pretty narrow, but the Scriptures are very clear.

What are your thoughts and questions?

Do I WIN or LOSE?

April 15, 2008 at 12:55 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Last night our church Elder team, took a night off from business as usual and took in a Sixers and Cavs game.   I think most of our guys were rooting for the home team.  Well, being from Cleveland and a big Lebron James fan….I was rooting for the Cavs. 

The game had a contraversial but classic finish.  The last two minutes were trading baskets.  With .09 left on the clock…Cleveland down by 1, pass the ball in, a drive to the hoop, the shot is missed…the place goes wild….Sixers…WIN!  The sixers already in the locker room celebrating their win.  Meanwhile, the refs had blown a foul on the play and wanted to look at a replay to make sure they got the call right.   They send word to both teams.  The game is NOT over.  Two free throws are awarded to the Cavs.  He sinks them both.  Cavs win 91 to 90. 

I cannot help but think…just a few days ago we celebrated April fools.   The greatest April fools was played on Satan.  In fact it was prophetic.  Genesis says, Satan will bruise the heel of Jesus, (he did that at Calvary), he went into the locker room celebrating the day prematurely.  The game was not over…Jesus was raised from the dead and delivers a crushing blow to the enemy.  Jesus wins!  

All of us who line up on Jesus’ side.  WE WIN!   The Battle is OURS!  The VICTORY IS OURS!

Way to go Jesus!  Way to go, all those who line up on Jesus’ side!  Way to go CAVS!  Home Court advantage is now yours.   Believers…you too have home court advantage all the way through the playoffs!   Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!

GOOGLE IT…”Sexual Purity”

April 12, 2008 at 2:30 am | In Google, purity, sex, sexual purity | Leave a Comment

Well, Hope you will join us this Sunday as we kick off God’s Google!  We will type in “Sexual Purity” in the search bar.   This message is a critical message in a declining culture.  It will challenge all of us to remain faithful in our marriages, to commit to be faithful until marriage and to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.   Sex is never sin….the perversion of sex is sin.  Sex…the way God designed it is flat out…incredible!  See you Sunday!

On Mission with my Kids…or Is That My Mission?

April 10, 2008 at 2:18 am | In Dan O'Deens, Gateway Church, God, children, church, love, purpose, success | Leave a Comment

About 4 years I had this idea and dream of taking each one of my children on a “missions” trip.  That was when my oldest was moving in to her teenage years.  WOW…this year my ‘baby’ turns 18, my next just turned 16 and my boys are 13 and 15 this year.    Well a few weeks ago my two girls and I had the chance to go to Paris and serve alongside our missionaries.  What a great time to be in another part of the world serving with my girls.   

BUT THEN I GOT TO THINKING!  THey are my mission field.  They are a stewardship that God has entrusted to me.  I only have them for a short time…and then I turn them back over to serve the Lord in their adult lives. 

Thanks God for giving me a great group of kids:  They are yours.  Thanks for giving me the opportunity to invest in their lives.  I love you Cory, Gabby, Chi and Si!   But more than that…God loves you too!

Deuteronomy 6:   “Fear the Lord your God as long as you live.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  Talk to your children when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up.”

The Ultimate Gift – DEATH!

April 7, 2008 at 6:48 pm | In ABS, Death, God, Life, church, purpose, spiritual | Leave a Comment
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OK…Are you thinking what I was thinking?  First of all Death is not even a ‘gift’ is it?   So…anyways!  Have you watched this incredible movie called “The Ultimate Gift?”  What a fantastic movie.  It is a sermon series for sure!  Without giving away the movie for those of you that ought to go out to Blockbuster right now and rent it, the movie is based on a series of Gifts:  The gift of love, giving, family, work, problems, learning, laughter and money.  I finished the movie…and thought…that was a great movie.  

But now I am thinking about the gifts!  As I think about ‘death’, I am reminded that death was a gift to us from God to keep us from living in the current state that we are in…Sinfulness!  I hate sin…I struggle with it, I am affected by it, I see its damaging affect on so many people.  

Adam and Eve sinned and that sin separates us from a holy God, in a holy place called heaven.  God gave us death, in fact submitted himself to it so that we could die.  Once we die to ourselves and accept His free gift of salvation, We are freed from the sting of death, and the penalty of sin.   He gave us death to release us from this life to LIFE ETERNAL!  Great Idea God!

Not that I am looking forward to death…it does however give me the HOPE that I am looking for when death comes knocking on my door.  ”For it is appointed unto every man, once to die!”  

You choose LIFE…by choosing to die to yourself and Live life with Jesus!   I choose Life!  But to have Life…I have to Die!   You do too!  Have you made the right choice? 

Sweet 16…my…not so little baby girl!

April 4, 2008 at 5:05 pm | In Sweet 16, daddy's girl, love, my little girl | 3 Comments

gabbyjpeg.jpgWhat a great week to spend time with my youngest daughter.  She turned 16 this week!  I took her to get her drivers permit…Yeah Gabs…you passed the first time…quit sweatin’ it…you did great! 

Off to the bank to work on her accounts, then I got to take her today to have a procedure done on her hand.  OUCH!  The first time she has ever been cut…she is hoping it will be the last.   It was all better after we went to Dairy Queens for a Heath Bar and Banana Split Blizzard!

She is downstairs sleeping.  Hard to believe how fast they grow up.  I love her every bit as much today as I did the moment I first held her in my arms.  

It has been great to just hang around my baby.  In fact…I got to take both of my girls to Paris, France and spend 2 weeks alone with them on a missions trip over Spring Break!   I love my kids!  I will never sacrifice my time with them over my work or my ministry.    I love you Gabby…and I want you to know how much Jesus loves you and I want more than anything for you to arrange your life to live life with Jesus everyday, because without Him…you have no life…at least not REAL LIFE!    Happy Birthday!

Change Our Community dot com – Billboard

April 3, 2008 at 7:08 pm | In Church Billboards, God, Serving, Serving Community, church | 5 Comments

billboard.jpgConstruction has begun!  Our first building is under way!  YEAH!  We are certainly excited about that…but…for Gateway Church it has never been nor ever will be about the physical building!If a church exists and it does little or nothing to change its community then it may as well close its doors!  The “church” is God’s people.  I get to serve with a great church!  This past Sunday our Blue Crew (service teams) were all over the community.  Serving free hot dogs in Coatesville, serving our church plant Elk Creek Church as they hosted Jon and Kate Plus 8, cleaning up the bypass with Penndot, serving in local community endeavors from nursing homes to city missions.   I am so proud of my team and family for BEING the Church.  Let’s continue to serve the people of our community!  As we serve, like Christ served, we will definately CHANGEOURCOMMUNITY.com  Check out the New Billboard along Business 30! 

STOP Having a Relationship With Jesus!

April 1, 2008 at 11:07 am | In Uncategorized | 2 Comments

An exerpt from a great book I am reading:  “I Became a Christian and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.”  The author says, “I have a relationship with Jesus.  It took me a while to get to know him, but I grew to like him.  We began sharing life together in deep ways.  I’ve celebrated with him, and grasped for his hand when things were falling apart.  I have a great relationship with Jesus.  But sometimes I do life in such a way that I go without Jesus.  I don’t take the time to pray or to read the Bible.  I can go entire days not talking to or thinking about him much, if at all.  And when I go without Jesus, I wish he were closer.  It’d be nice if I could see him more.  I miss him.  But I CAN live life without him.  Things certainly don’t go as well, but not keeping him around doesn’t ruin my life.  Why not?  Because we have a relationship.  It’s a great relationship, but it’s just a relationship.”  

Wow…never thought of it like that!  I do believe having a relationship with Jesus is better than having religion with Jesus.  Jesus said, “ABIDE WITH ME.”   So I am in my mothers womb… and someone asks me “IF I have a relationship with my mother?  I suppose I do…but it’s way beyond that.  I live inside her.  I can’t live without her.  I am completely dependant on her.  I can’t do anything without her.  

So…for me…of course I have a relationship with Jesus.  But it is WAY beyond that!  I want to “abide” with Jesus.   He is my father.  His Son, Jesus is my friend…he is my all.  I want to start living life with Jesus.  Where he goes, I go.  I just get to tag along with Him.  OK…I am not attached to by the umbilical cord…but I am connected to the Vine…I am the ‘branch.’ 

So…it’s far more than having a relationship with Jesus…it’s…’where He goes, I go!’  I am hangin’ with Him!

I want to learn to “Abide In Him.”  Read John 15

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