25 Things About Phillip

This came from facebook and figured it might be worth sharing.

1. Apart from Jesus changing my heart and life, I have no idea where or what I would.
2. I find true joy and meaning from seeking to rightly know my self and others through the lens of Scripture.
3. I have honestly one of the most amazingly women in the world for wife. Rebecca inspires me daily with her love, devotion, and commitment to God, church, and her family.
4. I really enjoy spending time with my son Cason, he insanely fun to play with most of the time.
5. I love being pastor. There is really nothing else in the world I would rather be doing
6. The church I pastor is awesome. We are blessed to have good numeric growth, and lots of babies. Seeing people grow closer to God and people futures changed for the better for all eternity is great.
7. Daily Bible reading is something that I can't live without. I read because I have to, because apart from the wisdom of scripture I am idiot, and good for very little!
8. Preaching, I love to explain the Bible to people. Seeing people understand scripture is a rush that I can't describe.
9. People, being able to comfort and encourage people during their times of sickness and distress is very powerful and humbling experience. I am so thankful that God allows me to be a conduit of His grace.
10. I am color blind and dumb. Really I got no clue what color M&M's or Skittles I eat.
11. I chew my finger nails. I am crazy, I will keep them for a few days and chew the same nail. I know that is nuts and gross.
12. I struggle with Caffeine addiction. If left up to myself I would drink drink Red Bull and Coffee all day long. I used to, before I quit coffee for a year drink 20 cups a day. Not kidding, but the increased productivity was cut down due to the frequent trips to the bathroom.
13. I loved Mixed Martial Arts or the UFC. I mean I love I read the related blogs, fighter bio's and get with a few guys from church all the pay-per-views.
14. I buy way too many Bibles. I own a lot and if left to my self would own a lot more. Especially smooth and supple calfskin!
15. I only wear Haynes one pocket gray t-shirts when I am not dressed for church. I mean every picture of me and Cason, I am wearing them. They can never get too old or worn.
16. On the other hand I only wear gray Haynes mid-calf athletic socks and throw them away about every four months when the elastic goes and buy new ones, much to the chagrin of my wife.
17. Paper, I can't deal with crumpled paper. I like it nice and crisp!
18. I try to blog daily. (http://pastorhowle.blogspot.com) I like expressing my self through writing, but I have a problem with verbosity.
19. I love good quotes, they are distilled wisdom. This is because a good quote can so much, using only a few words.
20. Early mornings, I love to get and work early, but can't accomplish much 8 in the evening.
21. My wife and I are pretty crazy about The Office. We also watch Frazier re-runs and own all the Seinfeld DVD's
22. I have a lot of phlegm. I know gross, but I hack and cough like a four pack a day smoker.
23. I come from an amazing family. My mom, dad, sister, aunts, and uncles all love God they are a pretty huge reason I am who I am today
24. Most days my mom and I talk 4 or 5 times a day. Days when we don't talk are few and far between.
25. I once in college got a letter from US Customs for ordering a Cuban Cigar from Great Britain. I am still suspect to searches when I cross borders, never got the Cigar, but the company promptly and kindly refunded my money.
26. I was on the quiz bowl team and the reading club in school. (Don't judge me, I played football, wrestled, and ran track too!) I am full of a little knowledge about a lot of things. One person said "I know enough to make you think I know everything, but in actuality I know very little about anything." That pretty much sums me up
27. I should have used to past 20 minutes more productively.

Pastor Phillip

Changing Up

I have not been writing as much here lately, Delane Miller at my church asked me about it. The reason is I changed my preaching style. I had always been a straight through the book preacher. Pray and select the book and then go and preach. I like it a lot, but I found myself in a little rut. So, Pastor Kyle and I decided we would change do thematic series this year. The response has been good so far, but I jump around from passage to passage, change my mind a lot and I am like kid learning to ride a bike all over again. I have to now approach the Bible, from a broader perspective, than just simple then next part of the book I was preaching in.

But, it was a change. Change is hard, especially once it gets ingrained in us. I was wondering what in your life could use a change? Are there any habits, any routines, maybe even sins that have worked there way into your life you need to work out? Paul address the issue this way:

“throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. (23) Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. (24) You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness-righteous, holy, and true.” Ephesians 4:22-24

So, look for areas in your life in need of change and pray for God’s grace to enable you to make them!

Pastor Phillip

Thoughts About Abortion

When talking about abortion with other people, the conversations can be very unfruitful. Some are going to say mother’s choice and others will say Bible says it is wrong. Now, quoting the bible is great, but to someone who does not believe it, it does little practical good. Here are some talking points or thoughts to consider when discussing abortion with non-Christian people. These came from John Piper’s Blog.

1. Existing fetal homicide laws make a man guilty of manslaughter if he kills the baby in a mother's womb (except in the case of abortion).

2. Fetal surgery is performed on babies in the womb to save them while another child the same age is being legally destroyed.

3. Babies can sometimes survive on their own at 23 or 24 weeks, but abortion is legal beyond this limit.

4. Living on its own is not the criterion of human personhood, as we know from the use of respirators and dialysis.

5. Size is irrelevant to human personhood, as we know from the difference between a one-week-old and a six-year-old.

6. Developed reasoning powers are not the criterion of personhood, as we know from the capacities of three-month-old babies.

7. Infants in the womb are human beings scientifically by virtue of their genetic make up.

8. Ultrasound has given a stunning window on the womb that shows the unborn at eight weeks sucking his thumb, recoiling from pricking, responding to sound. All the organs are present, the brain is functioning, the heart is pumping, the liver is making blood cells, the kidneys are cleaning fluids, and there is a fingerprint. Virtually all abortions happen later than this date.

9. Justice dictates that when two legitimate rights conflict, the limitation of rights that does the least harm is the most just. Bearing a child for adoption does less harm than killing him.

10. Justice dictates that when either of two people must be inconvenienced or hurt to alleviate their united predicament, the one who bore the greater responsibility for the predicament should bear more of the inconvenience or hurt to alleviate it.

11. Justice dictates that a person may not coerce harm on another person by threatening voluntary harm on themselves.

12. The outcast and the disadvantaged and exploited are to be cared for in a special way, especially those with no voice of their own.

13. What is happening in the womb is the unique person-nurturing work of God, who alone has the right to give and take life.

14. There are countless clinics that offer life and hope to both mother and child (and father and parents), with care of every kind lovingly provided by people who will meet every need they can.

15.Jesus Christ can forgive all sins, and will give all who trusts him the help they need to do everything that life requires.

Can you add any others to this list? Please pray for our nation, the words of Mother Teresa are frightening “If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people to not kill each other? Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want.”

Pastor Phillip