Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

Connect Coffeehouse

It's back! After a long hiatus, Connect Coffeehouse is back this Sunday at 6:00 pm!

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Are You Running on Empty?

Then you need to be at ACC this Sunday.

I've talked to a lot of people lately who feel like they're in the middle of a spiritual drought. They have a dry soul that desperately needs refreshed.

If that's you, don't be anywhere other than ACC this Sunday! God is rocking me as I prepare the second message in our Habakkuk series. He has laid a powerful message on me for anyone who is in a spiritual desert.

If you need refreshed and recharged…if you're tired of wandering around in a spiritual desert…I've got a word of hope and refreshment for you this Sunday.

Heading to the Motor City

I'm leaving for Detroit right after I preach at ACC's second service this Sunday.

Aron Kirk was a member of my student ministry when I was the youth minister at the Bethlehem Church of Christ. I've known Aron since his Jr. High days.

Sunday night, Aron will be formally ordained into the ministry at the church where is serving as the worship minister: Macomb Christian Church near Detroit. I'm humbled that Aron asked me to be part of the service.

I've really gotta scoot my boots to get from Cincinnati to Detroit in time. (Definitely praying for no construction or accidents out on the highway!) But as hectic and harried as the trip will be, it will be worth it.

Can't wait to be part of this special night with Aron and his wife, Erica!

Ash Wednesday

In case you didn't realize it, today is Ash Wednesday. We don't officially observe Ash Wednesday in our church. It is more of a Catholic observance, although there are other denominations who also participate.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which is the 40 day period leading up to Easter. Again, we do not observe Ash Wednesday or Lent at ACC. But there are some valuable things we can learn from these traditions, even though they are not inherently Scriptural traditions.

The whole premise of Ash Wednesday is repentance. Strict observers of the day will mark their foreheads with ashes. In the Bible, donning sackcloth and ashes was an outward sign of repentance. And, regardless of what you think of Ash Wednesday observances, repentance is key to our life in Christ. Without repentance, there is no life in Christ at all.

To repent means to recognize your sinfulness and to express sorrow for what you have done. But that's not all it means. To repent means to move decisively in a different direction. It is doing a spiritual 180° turn. It is moving away from your sinfulness and toward a lifestyle that honors God.

I have no problem with the observance of Ash Wednesday. In fact, I think it's healthy to set aside a day to highlight our need for repentance. But repentance can't be a one-day-a-year kind of deal. It is an ongoing process throughout our lives.

Simple and Incredible

The title of this post says it all. These verses are simple…and incredible.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 3:4-5a, NIV)

900 and counting

Just noticed that yesterday's post was the 900th post on my blog. I guess I had better start planning something special for my 1,000th post.

As for this post (#901), just wanted to pass along this simple thought.

Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away.

Sorry. Caught part of the movie Hitch the other night.

Busyness

The archenemy of spiritual authenticity is busyness. (Bill Hybels)

I've had that quote memorized for years. It is so simple and so true. But it is also hard to make a practical application of this truth in our lives.

This week is a prime example…for me, anyway. I can't remember a week when I've had more to do. I'm slamming at work, I'm going to Detroit immediately after church on Sunday, my family has a lot of commitments this week, etc. Busy, busy, busy.

How do we stay in tune with God's Spirit when life demands so much of us? The obvious answer is to cut some stuff out of our schedule. But my week isn't filled up with voluntary stuff that I can opt out of. It's all very real, very important commitments.

The good thing for me is that this week is busier than normal. If every week were like this, I would go insane. My family is normally quite busy, but this week feels like Barry Bonds busyness (aka, busyness on steroids).

How can I stay in step with God's Spirit this week?

A few things come to mind. First of all, I have one open evening this week. And it's going to stay open. Don't ask me to do anything on Tuesday night, because I'll turn it down. I will be at home that night, and I'll make no apologies for it. I used to feel guilty when I spent an evening at home. Felt like I should be working or "doing something." Thankfully, I have figured out the futility…no, the STUPIDITY of that way of thinking. If you feel guilty for being at home with your family, you've got issues. Trust me, they need you more than anybody else needs you.

Secondly, I've got to pace myself. When I look at my calendar, this week looks insane. But Jesus gave me some wise advice when he said, "Don't worry about tomorrow." (Matthew 6:34) The only day I can handle is today. I can plan and make preparations for tomorrow, but it's still ultimately out of my control. I need to focus on making the best use of my time now. If I don't manage my time well today, I'll pay for it tomorrow.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I still have to carve out a time to be still before God. (Psalm 46:10) On weeks like this, it seems like I don't have time for that. But the opposite is actually true. The busier we are, the more we HAVE to be still before God. Otherwise, things will spiral completely out of control.

Don't know if this helps anyone else, but it's been helpful for me to get some of this stuff down in writing. Helps me remember some important truths in the midst of the craziness.

Habakkuk

Got a brand spankin' new series kicking off this Sunday at ACC. The series is called Habakkuk. The name of the series is also not-so-coincidentally the name of the book that we'll be exploring for the next three weeks.

When is the last time you read the Old Testament book of Habakkuk? For a lot of us, I'm guessing that the answer is never. And even if you have read it before, I bet it's been a while.

This little book is tucked away near the end of the Old Testament. The language sounds antiquated and irrelevant to our lives today. Honestly, the book is really easy to ignore.

But through this series, we're going to look at this prophet through fresh eyes. You're going to be amazed at the power of this book. And as old as it is, it has a ton to say about the contemporary issues that we face in our faith and in our lives.

There isn't a lot of glitz and flash for this series. It's going to be straight-up, pull-no-punches Bible preaching.

We're simply going to let the Word of God speak. And that means that we'd better hang on tight…something big is going to happen.

Go ahead and read Habakkuk before Sunday. It's only three chapters long. Give it a shot.

Book of Habakkuk

Parental Forgiveness

As a parent, this quote is rocking my world.

Parents forgive their children least readily for the faults they themselves instilled in them. (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach)

Dang.

And ouch.

Got Questions?

Just a reminder about our Q&A series that begins in a few weeks. The direction of this four-week series will be completely decided by you. I will spend four weeks answering questions that you have submitted.

So I obviously need your questions. We've already received some dynamite questions, but it's not too late. Submit your questions on our website right now.

Q&A Submission Form

All questions will be kept strictly anonymous. And remember, nothing is off limits. If you have a question, ask it!