Lambchow - Embracing the Adventure of Following Jesus

Jul192017 by Dale Heinold1 Comment

reThinking48 – Whatever is Pure

It is sometimes said of folks, especially politicians, that they don’t have a moral compass. Basically meaning that there’s nothing in them that points out the difference between right and wrong. Not true, everyone has a moral compass of some sort. The problem is that their moral compass may be pulled in a direction other than north. So a lie, for instance, is only judged on whether it achieves its purpose and not on the inherent value of truth. Our next dwell on attitude found in Philippians 4:8 helps us “tune” our own moral compass to what really matters.Welcome to our next installment taken from Philippians 4:8. In this series, we are reThinking48. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of goo

Jul172017 by Dale HeinoldNo Comments

Whose Tool are You?

Encouragment

Ever consider the vast variety of tools available at your local hardware store? From the simplest scrapper to the powerfully complex hammer drill and everything in between. There are levels to check slope. Hammers to pound and pull. Screwdrivers and wrenches from the very small to the “do they really make a bolt that big?”. I like the multi-tools, those lightweight contraptions with anywhere from 9 to 25 different tools in one easy to carry unit. I almost always have one with me. But have you ever considered the complex multi-tool of the human form?Think about it for a moment, if the human body was marketed as a multi-tool how many tools could we list? 30? 60? Over a hundred? Just think of all the different things our hands can do from writing to hoisting a sail to gently bathing a b

Jul122017 by Kyle BenefieldNo Comments

reThinking48 – Whatever is Right

Encouragment

Welcome to our third attribute listed by Paul in Philippians, whatever is right or just. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8, NASB95) Please welcome today’s guest author Kyle Benefield, be sure to check out his bio below. Today’s topic is Kyle’s passion, and I think you’ll find that his voice causes us to rethink things we thought were settled. - DaleIf I approach an elderly woman crossing the street and roundhouse kick her to the side of the face, that action alone would be frowned upon by the majority of all cultures on the Earth today; rightfully so. This begs the question t

Jul102017 by Dale Heinold1 Comment

What Should I Wear?

Encouragment

I don’t stress out too much about clothes. There’s very little fashion sense in these bones. When my daughter was in High School, she pointed out that my brown belt didn’t go with my black shoes as I was leaving for work. I shrugged my shoulders and walked out into the world anyway. What a fashion rebel I am.I think that my utter lack of fashion sense can be attributed to growing up rural. The sheep and pigs never turned up their noses if my belt and shoes didn’t match. Do they even make a belt that matches the color of farm boots?Now, I do know that clothes are a huge deal for some folks. I understand that there is appropriate attire for varying situations. You would never feed sheep in a tuxedo, besides there’s no place the hang the Leatherman multi-tool. I also know that the Bi

Jul52017 by Dale HeinoldNo Comments

Rethink48 – Whatever is Honorable

Encouragment

Who are your heroes? Who are those folks that you honor because of who they are, what they do or have done? Perhaps it’s the folks that run into danger instead of away from it. Or maybe those with a special skill or sterling character. It could be just an ordinary person placed in extraordinary circumstances. They may be someone important to you personally like a spouse, mom or dad. It’s those qualities of honor and respect that we consider in this article of reThink48.Welcome to our second attribute to “dwell on” and consider from Pau’s letter to the Philippians. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these thi

Jul32017 by Dale Heinold2 Comments

A Prayer Request

Encouragment

This is an unusual Lambchow so hang with me. About five years ago I began this journey of writing not knowing where it would lead. There was an early, but short-lived, attempt at a daily blog. Then Lambchow.com became advertising space for a self-published book I had written. Then in November of 2013, we began to blog again without fully intending where it would go. That’s the roots of Lambchow.com.It has been interesting and fascinating to watch how God renewed and shaped the vision for this outlet. What began simply as a way to publish what was on my heart became a means of encouraging folks around the world to embrace the adventure of following Jesus. I wonder where it’s going next.Lambchow is more than a website or a blog, here’s what you may not know. We have a daily budget wi

Jun282017 by Dale HeinoldNo Comments

ReThinking48 – Whatever is True

Encouragment

Truth, now there’s a bucket of worms. What is truth? In court, witnesses swear to “tell the truth and nothing but the truth.” But even courts don’t consider all truth, only that which seems relevant to the matter being decided. In the most famous trial of all times, the judge of the case asked that exact same question, “What is truth?” Pilate asked that right before pronouncing Jesus’ innocence. (John 18:38) But the truth of Jesus’ innocence didn’t stop Pilate for having Him tortured, scourged, and crucified. Political expediency overcame justice. And yet truth is the surest foundation one can build on. Perhaps that is why Paul began his list of attributes with “whatever is true.”Welcome to reThink48 as we examine the first of eight attributes listed by Paul in Philippians. “Finally,

Jun262017 by Dale Heinold3 Comments

The Real Prosperity Gospel

Encouragment

Talking about prosperity in connection with following Jesus is tricky business. That one word causes more confusion and false expectations than any other word I know. It has been twisted, pushed, and pulled in all sorts of directions. Folks have preached impossible promises about prosperity that seem more like an investment scheme but without the disclaimers: read the prospectus, past performance does not indicate future gains and invest wisely. The Bible does talk about prosperity, but does it mean what we think?The simple definition of prosperity is growth or increase. A prosperous business is one that grows and increases year after year. A prosperous person is often measured by the home they live in, the car they drive, or the clothes they wear. But there is so much more to prosperi...

Jun212017 by Dale Heinold2 Comments

reThinking48 – A Beginning

Encouragment

Someone once reported after having cataract surgery that the world was suddenly brighter and more colorful. The dull film that clouded their vision was gone, and they could see the world around them as it really was. That same eye-opening, mind altering, joy-inducing experience is the goal of our next Lambchow Series.Philippians 4:8 is a well know verse to many that follow Jesus and will be our focus for this series. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8, NASB95) The contextual wrapper around this verse is peace. Context In the previous verses Paul provides some quick phras

Jun192017 by Dale Heinold2 Comments

Like a Goldfish in Water

Encouragment

They say that a goldfish doesn’t notice the water around it. That living in water is so natural and common that they take no thought of it. I wonder sometimes if the same isn’t true for us.Could there be something about our lives that is so common that we don’t take thought of it very often? The direct metaphor between fish and us would be the air around us or the earth beneath our feet. But I think that there is something even more pervasive or even prevalent than those examples.To perceive this “thing” we must for a moment shut off the busyness of life, push aside our preconceptions of the world around us, and lay down our previous experiences. In short, we must look past all the distractions of what we regularly see for just a moment.So often we see the Bible, (no that’s not

Jun142017 by Dale Heinold1 Comment

Walking Through 1st Peter: Peace to All in Christ

Encouragment

Twenty-four weeks ago we began a journey. We opened Peter’s first letter to the persecuted believers of Asia Minor and chose to walk through it instead of rushing through it. Along the way, we noticed familiar verses and discovered new vistas. We watched as Peter returned several times to his main themes of suffering, triumph, and encouragement. Even in these last few closing verses, those same themes reverberate.Peter closed his letter in this way. “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that

Jun112017 by Dale HeinoldNo Comments

David’s Bad Day Prayer – Psalm 86

Encouragment

This article is much longer than our normal Lambchow Article. It is an edited transcript of the sermon Dale presented at Vineyard Church Peoria on June 11th, 2017. Thank you VCP and Pastor Ben Hoerr for the opportunity. The audio can be listened to on their iTunes podcast or from their website - http://www.thevineyardchurchpeoria.org/2017/06/11/davids-bad-day-prayer/We’ve all had bad days. One of my bad days happened early in my career as a computer networking consultant. The office machine company I worked for had recently launched a division aimed at this new opportunity of making PC’s talk to one another. There were two of us dedicated to growing that business in Peoria.One of our early calls was to a local Police Department. They had a particular kind of server, and we want