"While they were eating, [Jesus] too some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

~ Mark 14:22-25 ~

   Why do we take the Lord's Supper? It is a time to remember Jesus and what he did for us, corporately and in a multisensory way.

   The Lord's Supper began the night before Jesus was to be crucified. It was his final time with his disciples before the cross, and he chose to teach them during the Passover meal. The Passover meal was designed to be a time to teach Israel through a multisensory and symbolic meal about God's deliverance of his people. Every year they would remember how God saved them out of slavery in Egypt.

   So as Jesus was about to perform the act of atonement necessary to set many free from slavery to sin, he chose to Passover as the time to teach them about it. He said, "Do this in remembrance of me." Whereas previously they were to remember the Exodus, they were to now remember Jesus. Jesus is essentially saying, "Do this in remembrance of what I did to rescue you from slavery to sin." This is why Jesus came. If you remember in Matthew 1:21, the angel told Joseph to name his son Jesus "because He will save his people form their sins."

"Do this in remembrance of what I did
to rescue you from slavery to sin."

   We eat the Lord's Supper to remember Jesus and what he did for us. His blood had to be shed, his body had to be broken, and he had to drink of the cup of the full wrath of a holy God in order to pay the penalty that our sin requires. When we drink of the cup and eat of the bread, we remember how costly this salvation is that we have been given.

   So the next time you eat the Lord's Supper with fellow believers, be filled with gratefulness and praise to our wonderful Savior!

   I dedicate this post to my mom for Mother's Day. There is something she used to always tell my brother and I: "Never underestimate how much you can do in 5 minutes." So in her honor, this post is about what you can do with just 5 minutes of your day.


   There is so much you can do in 5 minutes, but often we underestimate the power of 5 minutes. If we only have 5 minutes, we usually just dink around for 5 minutes. Also, the last 5 minutes of any given task are usually the least productive. Or how about the 5 minutes between your morning devotions and what you have to do next?

Often we underestimate the power of
five minutes.

So from what I have found, here are the top 30 things that you can do in just 5 minutes:


1. Make a fruit smoothie.
2. Update your voicemail message.
3. Cleanse your garbage disposal by running it with a cut up lemon, baking soda and ice cubes.
4. Write a love note to your spouse, or your fiance, or your boyfriend, or your girlfriend, or especially this week, to your mom.
5. Plan your dinner menu for the week.
6. Clear one clutter "hot spot."
7. Make a quick call – one you want to stay short.
8. Play rock-paper-scissors, 20 questions or hangman with your kids.
9. Floss your teeth and brush them too.
10. Make yourself or your family a healthy snack.
11. Make your bed or help your child make theirs.
12. Sharpen your mind and work on a Sudoku or crossword puzzle.
13. Self-massage. Rub your neck and shoulders, your hands right at the fleshy part between your thumb and pointer finger, massage your scalp, or rub your feet. This is a great way to relax for a moment.
14. Stretch.
15. Read a poem.
16. Drink a bottle of water.
17. Hit a punching bag.
18. Dance.
19. Pet your dog or cat. This is a great stress reliever.
20. Uninstall 3 apps from your phone that you never use.
21. Do some sit-ups, push-ups, or jumping jacks.
22. Walk outside in the sunshine.
23. Kiss your sweetheart for the full 5 minutes. I've heard this does wonders :)
24. Read 35 verses in the Proverbs.
25. Email a fellow leader that you heard was struggling and encourage them. (Tell them you will call later, you only have 5 minutes).
26. Call one of your kids and ASK THEM on a date! Set a specific time, they will love the attention!
27. Pray Isaiah 45:2-3 over your pastor, fellow pastor, mate or another leader. Pray using their name in the first person. Then text the scripture and tell them you are believing that for them today!
28. Listen in silence to God. Find a quiet place, sit STILL for five minutes. Just say, "Here I am God, what’s on your mind for me?" Don’t think or pray, just listen.
29. Ask someone close to you, "How can I be praying for you?" Then write it down, and remember to pray for them. Follow up a week later and ask them how it’s going. Sincere love and caring go a long way!
30. Order flowers for your mom over the phone.

As I relax after a long semester,
I reflect back on important lessons I learned.

Ahhhhh..... *sigh*


   Today, I finished my last class for the semester. I am done with my junior year at the Moody Bible Institute. I am looking forward to the summer, but before I jump ahead to getting excited for the summer, I am reflecting back on this semester. I have learned some really important things, and the funny thing is that none of them were from the classroom.


   1. Get to know important people. There are people in your life who are going to invest in you. And there are people in your life who you are meant to invest in. These people are really, really important. Get to know them well. There have been awesome people who have poured themselves into me this semester. they have been so valuable to me, and I praise God that I got to know them really well. Also, there are people I continually strive to pour myself into. If I didn't have people like them, I would not be the man I am right now. God uses them to continually sanctify me.


   2. Be a pitcher, not a bowl. Pitchers are meant to pour their contents into other things. Bowls are just meant to hold what has been poured into them. Do not keep what you learn to yourself. Unless you pour it out for the benefit of others, it will just get stagnant and spoiled.


   3. People are like clocks. In order to empower them to do what they were meant to do, you have to know what makes them tick. I have been learning that in leadership, it is crucial to really see who people are and read them appropriately. When you do that, you can speak to them where they are and call them to something higher.


   4. Push yourself (but not off the cliff!). There is a certain level of excellence that you must strive to attain. You know what it is. I don't have to explain it. But you must never get to the place where you worship that standard. It isn't about achieving the standard; it is about learning and growing. If you push yourself too far, you will crash and burn. Know your best, and expect that.

Life is less about the destination,
and more about drive. 

   5. Drive the speed limit! In a literal way, yes, this is very true. It is something that continues to reveal my level of sanctification. But I am thinking more about life. Life has a speed limit. You can't go faster in life than time allows. Learn how to slow down and enjoy the journey. Life is less about the destination, and more about drive. Life is less like a freeway, and more like a country road. There is scenery to be seen, smells to be smelled, people to drive with, and so on. Slow down and enjoy the ride!