Dealing with a Troubling Truth

*disclaimer* "click link to listen to sermons to get full and accurate context"

I usually post about what has gone on with me during week the this post shifts towards a topic that is dealing with Christian Doctrine.

The past two Sundays we have had very "gettin down to business sermons" We as a congregation are being lead in a book study of Romans last week was Romans five. God has really dealing me some heavy blows to my heart to get me back on track to where I need to be. The sermons are Dealing with some of the most difficult passages in all of scripture. Yesterday we studied Romans 6 which begins.


What should we say then? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may multiply?Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life. For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin's dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin's claims. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, no longer dies. Death no longer rules over Him. For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.

Paul is saying here that anyone who is in Christ has died to sin so if one is dead to sin how can one continue to habitually do it. Paul also says anyone who has died with Christ and continues to to sin is going against his nature and is walking in dangerous territory.

Please click on the link either below or click on the title of the post and listen to the sermons from 5/21/05 and 5/28/05 cause I can't even hope to write this how our pastor preached it.

http://www.fbconcord.org/templates/cusfbconcord2/details.asp?id=28863&PID=193103

Feel Free to comment on this....I would love to get a good discussion going on these doctrines found in Romans 4-6

What Do You Know...I Do Have a Social Life!!!!

Adam came by today and we went over the work I did on his concert. Out of the 12 songs that were recorded 5 were keepers in that we burned them on a CD. In return for my services I had 1 lbs. bag of Starbucks Kenya. I told him as he left that the only other "payment" he had to give me was a nod in the credits of his Album when I releases it (haha).

Well tonight was a blast!!!! I traded schedules with guy at work which gave me tonight and Thursday off rather than my normal Monday and Wednesday; thus allowing me to go out on the town with the Brothers those being Casey, Rick and Sartain. It was awesome we were dealt a blow when our original idea Bailey's Sports Grille had a 21 and up policy. So with that we headed to Hooters. We talked and had good time and even discussed the business of APO for this semester. It was good to see the Brothers again especially Rick.

It was good to get out finally seeing how I tried all summer to no avail. Its really odd feeling the rest of the Brothers kept mentioning that they start classes tomorrow as for me its just another day of work. I wish I could say that I was starting classes again.

Hey Bros. I wish I was right there with ya. I'll be so often you'll think I'm a student.

Jared the Producer

Well today the doorbell rings to find Adam Whipple standing at my door. He had dropped by to give me a cd on which his concert was recorded, oh yeah did I mention that it was one "gygundous"(very very big) track and just for kicks it was in .cda format.

So, today before and after work I put my producer and sound mixer hat on and took to the task of converting the track into .mp3 and then breaking it down and editing and adjusting the volume, adding a pinch of reverb on songs that I thought could use some you know...Ahhh I love Goldwave its awesome!!!!

So as for the rest of my day it was just another typical day of work for the most part it was an unusually good time what mean by that is that there is a girl there that is: simply put, easy to pick on so thats what made the evening so enjoyable cause I'm evil like that.

Dead Poets Society

I just finished watching the Dead Poets society for the innumerable time. Every time I watch I'm inspired by it. The story is about a group of High School age guys in a college prep school. They are in this school mainly because brothers or family preceded them. There are pressures from the world mainly parents to succeed in their studies so that they will be able to go on to the noble pursuits of being Doctors, Bankers, Lawyers, Accountants etc.. Conformity at its best.

The students are introduced to their new English Teacher Mr. Keating played by Robin Williams. On the first day of class Mr Keating welcomes them to class by walking through the classroom and out the door. He challenges the boys to latch on to the Latin Sentiment, "Carpe Diem", he also challenges them to make their lives extraordinary. Throughout the class Keating introduces the boys to the likes of Thoreau, Whitman, Shelley, Shakespeare, and a lot of Romantic and Post-Civil War literature. This is in contrast to what the majority of the faculty likes and prefers in that most of the faculty prefer the realists.

Sorry about that I should write movie review for the the local paper. I wrote that to say this: In my experience with watching the movie I've had people tell me that they don't like it cause it ends open-ended. To this I reply "Apparently you weren't watching the movie then" Ethan Hawke plays an character who is inserted uncomfortably into a tight-nit group of guys and is forced to fit-in.

I love the movie cause I see a boy become and man and for probably the first time in his life the light bulb finally comes on and he finally gets. As Mr. Keating is leaving having been dismissed from teaching if you've seen the movie you know why. Ethan Hawke's character finally steps out in boldness climbing on his desk and salutes his former teacher.

Researchin the Roots

Well after doing some researching through surname indexes and what not. I found out that both sides of my family have ties to Scottish Clans which just rocks my face off.

My Dad's side of the family my given last name Lucas has ties to the Ancient Scottish Clan of Lamont or its Gaelic name MacLaomainn











And my mother side of the family Nimocks can trace its name back through the name Nimmo which has ties to Clan Nicholson or MacNeil.














images used by permission via www.scotclans.com

The Power of God in Music

So I was too terribly thrilled about going to work yesterday. and I was walking throught parking lot at work I prayed that God would give me the attitude and strength to make it through the night. Well God showed up in the form of music(if that's possible, which it is cause He's God) apparently the satelite radio was set to classic rock and heard from the like of Elton John, Jimi Hendrix, Boston,CCR (Creedance Clearwater Revival).

Great Licks and Burn Out

I went to Adam Whipple's show last night at New City and it was great. Finally got to hear the music that I heard all last year muffled behind the door of his room at 2 A.M. in the apartment (haha) Including some excellent blues improvisation which I loved every minute of.

So no dice on the job at Texas Roadhouse. I was told that I would be required to do line dancing during the course of working there and fairly often at that. They were very adamant about me getting my ABC card so much that they were like "we won't even train you if you don't have it" So yeah definantly starting to get burned out on the whole busing tables thing. If I was in high school I don't think it would be as bad, but the fact that I'm a college graduate with a B.A.I might have a possible job with the movie theatre that opened recently. With school getting ready to start back for area high schoolers I will be available to work the the hours they're not able to so I may be able to land a job there we'll see what happens.

House Keeping.....

yeah so the pic that I had on here until the writing of this post was a pic from Spring Formal Freshman year @ CNC so I figured I would update the ole photo.

Enjoy....I guess???

The start of new things

A lot of things have been going on recently with me. Today I signed up at the Rush fitness complex here in Farragut with the goal of getting in shape and losing some weight(major weight). Tonight I went down to the Scottish Rite Temple and started bagpipe lessons. Let me just say its harder than I thought there is going to be alot of practicing involved if I'm to get to where I want to get and thats playing the full set of pipes.

Those are some of the things that have been going as recently as today. I'm still job hunting as of sorts trying to find something better than what I have I applied today @ a Texas Roadhouse that's getting ready to open here in town hopefully because the establishment is stilling being built means that I will have a good chance at getting hired. If that works out I'll stop working at Lakeside possibly to go work Full-Time over there if not we'll see what happens. So keep me in your prayers about that potential employment.