Frank Martin Wants a Good Relationship, and so Does God...with You!

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It's interesting to hear the importance that ball coaches, in particular, place on wanting to "get along". They might have problems with the owners, the general managers, the players, or even their own staff. Frank Martin, the newly named coach of the South Carolina basketball team, wants to go to a place where He can "get along" with the president and the athletic director of a school. So, that's why he chose the Gamecocks. I will state, for the record, that South Carolina has great love affairs for their coaches and enjoys supporting them. They actually look for reasons to support their coaches. I am happy for the team and for the fans as well. Hopefully, the state of South Carolina will be proud as well once the season gets under way next year. There truly is nothing like having a good relationship with your superiors.

Frank Martin at Press Conference
The Gamecock's new basketball coach.
He's  ready to enjoy a good relationship

As important as it might seem that a coach's relationship remain intact, there are relationships that are even more important. Your relationship with your family and friends are actually much more important and will shape you more than any other relationships you have on this earth.

Most importantly, having a relationship with our heavenly Father is not just a matter of feeling good. It is a matter of life and death. God the Father wants a relationship with you so much that He sent the darling of Heaven, His own son, to this earth.

You see, our relationship was so marred in the eyes of God that He couldn't receive any of us into His dwelling place, Heaven. You see, His holiness would not allow it. Not even one sin is allowed. Acts 17:30 tells us that in time past, God blinked at sin, but in spite of that, no one could enter the gates of Heaven bcause they had sinned. Old Testament believers from Adam, to Moses to David all went to what Luke describes for us in chapter 16 as "Abraham's Bosom" (KJV, v. 22-23). Those who were evil ended up in in "torment". This was not heaven, only a holding place. Yes, it was a wonderful holding place, but only a place they could dwell until something extraordinary would happen. Truly our our sin had separated us from our heavenly Father. The Bible reminds us as to how serious the situation is:

But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide His face from you so that He does not listen. (Isaiah 59:2 HCSB)

This is no joking matter. this is not something that could be taken care of by a few good deeds or attendance at a religious service or even a heartfelt confession. It is almost ridiculous to imagine that such a pittance could do anything about the sin we have willingly committed.

Not only is it impossible for us to do anything about our sin, our sin is horrible. One member of British parliament said it this way:

If the guilt of sin is so great that nothing can satisfy it but the blood of Jesus; and the filth of sin is so great that nothing can fetch out the stain thereof but the blood of Jesus, how great, how heinous, how sinful must the evil of sin be. William Bridges

So, it truly begs the question, "what could wash away our sin?" The answer rings back, "Nothing but the blood of Jesus." The Bible tells us that without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22). But its not the blood of bulls and goats that cleanses us from sin, but the blood of the Son, Jesus Christ. It is His shed blood that does ways with our sin. His blood allows us to have a relationship with God the Father, and because His blood was shed on the cross, we have had our sin wiped away. That means heaven is now attainable. But it doesn't stop there! We also have access to our Father daily because of His blood (1 John 1:7). you and I not only have a relationship, but also fellowship. And Jesus did this for you and me when He shed His blood.

Oh, the blood of Jesus
Allowing and restoring
our relationship with God

We remember the blood of Jesus every time we participate in the "Lord's Supper." It is truly a time of giving thanks to Him for shedding His blood for us. It is the one thing about Him that we are asked to commemorate, the shedding of His blood. We do that every time we drink of the cup.

As we enter this precious and glorious time of the year, I would recommend you participate in the Lord's Supper on Palm Sunday night at Oceanside Church. It will be a time of worship that you won't soon forget. And, the rest of this week, wake up every morning and be thankful for what Jesus did for you on the cross by shedding His blood. He restored our relationship the only way possible, with His blood. Every drop of blood that fell from His cross still cries out to you, "I love you!" It is truly nothing but the blood.

Only by His blood,


Pastor Trey Rhodes

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Changers Can't Quit

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It is oh so easy to start a task. You hear the words, watch the commercial, read the book, or do the research and you are all "gung ho". Soon, the excitement subsides and the hard work begins. It is the reason why finishing the job is always what's most difficult.

Quitters Don't Win
No doubt, you have probably been taught since you were a child that you shouldn't be a "quitter". As I look back, I'm sure it's because so many times I decided to do something, like take music lessons or play sports, and then when the excitement wore off, didn't have the maturity to stick it out.

As a result, we have come up with a multitude of ways to keep on keepin' on. One tactic was promoted by a motivational speaker. One thing he did was to cut the word "quit" out of his dictionary. Others have said we need to have accountability to someone. Still others have told us that we just need to sludge through no matter how hard it may be.

Silent Cal and the Power of Persistence
Have you ever heard this from one of our former presidents? They called him Silent Cal, but when he did speak, it was profound. Here is his thoughts on persistence (thanks to my new friend from Michigan, Kevin, for sharing this with me on Sunday):

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, 'press on' has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race. Calvin Coolidge

While "omnipotence" is a strong word, it expresses the power of persistence. Let's persevere.

Am I Truly Committed?
Is there anyone reading who would dispute that there are many things that can and will come along that will cause you to doubt your commitment or your original decision. It can start as a whisper then crescendo into a full symphony...if we let it. The doubts can surface anytime there is opposition or hardship. We begin to question, "Was only our emotions working or was it a true commitment?"

Jack Fischl lives in an indigenous reservation in western Panama as a Community Economic Development Consultant assisting small businesses. Expanding his vision to help others, he moved from just a simple concern for others to making a difference. He gives some good tips that can help us all "change our world". (Go to his blog here) His words are not as dramatic as they are simple reality:

Be consistent in your efforts, research your cause regularly, and expect to feel overwhelmed at some point. Not necessarily by the difficulty of your own efforts but by the scope of the problem. If it was easily solvable, you wouldn't need to work on it.

Commitment to a cause, as we push through the hard things, is what will ultimately make the difference

The Impact of One
One of our small group members, when asked what encouraged her the most about "52 Days to Change Your World" said that it was understanding the impact of what she can do to change the world. That one person can really make a difference. So much of persevering is experiencing your own individual desire to help change the world, and it matters. You might not be able to help everyone, but you can help someone. You might not have the resources to change everything, but you can change something.

Turning Your World Upside Down
It is that attitude that turned the word upside down in the first century. It started with one man, whose name was Paul of Tarsus. He decided, someone's got to do something, it might as well be me. He began by seeing the need of people who were wandering in a dark world without Christ. He sustained momentum by reproducing his walk with Christ into men like Silas, Timothy, and Titus. Finally, he secured the change by bringing together Christ-followers into communities that would then reproduce themselves over and over again. For the next two thousand years, the churches that began from simple missionary journeys would experience God's power working through them time and time again. Now there are over a billion people in our world who claim the name of Christ. Paul only had a little more than a decade on this side of eternity, yet this one man began a missionary movement that has progressed without fail in every generation. It is only a few years after he began traveling his world and changing lives in Christ that we hear these words in Acts 17:6. Mind you, this is from someone who was shocked at the impact of this man's persistence:

These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. (Acts 17:6 NKJV)

Now, some 2700 years later, the words of the prophet Isaiah can speak to you and encourage you as I'm sure they did for Paul as a young Jewish boy:

Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay (Isaiah 29:16 KJV)

As clay can be molded with perseverance and care, in the same way, you can change your world if you don't give up and keep working at it. It is what we all can possess and is truly the great equalizer. That is why, as we mold our world, we choose to never give in, never give up, and never give out.

How about you? Are you ready to turn your world upside down? Then...

"if it's going to happen, I can't quit".

Pastor Trey Rhodes


Lots going on at Oceanside Church.
Easter is on the way. 
Who will you introduce to the resurrected Savior?


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Does Your World Revolve around You? The World of Katniss Everdeen

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It's Not About You
What if it was all about you? I have read 2 books that are complete juxtaposition of one another. The first one is, that many of you have probably already read, The Purpose Driven Life. The other is a book that is intended for "young readers" titled The Hunger Games. It is premiering March 23rd as a movie (which my wife and are going to see).

One book begins with this line, "It's not about you." The other encourages us to live for ourselves, preserve our way of life, and exploit others for enjoyment. While there are many that equate The Hunger Games with the Circus Maximus of the Roman empire, I think there are many applications to our own world and time.

Katniss and the Capitol
The world of Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of the books and of the upcoming movie, is a world where the masses are kept alive by the hand of the government known as "the Capitol". This happens with food rations that all revolve around participation by the districts in the "Hunger Games." The horror of the tale is that each district had to deliver two teens called "tributes" to the Hunger Games. When a district won the games, it was a huge honor and extra food for any district that came out as champion. The problem is, in order to win, they must kill 23 other teens. So, it was anything but "not about you." It was all about you and your survival. The beauty of The Hunger Games is that what was intended to bring out selfishness and barbarism actually brings out the best in Katniss. Once she got her eyes off of herself and onto others, the entire dynamics of the game changed.

The Benefits of Caring
The tributes were told to win at all costs to keep themselves alive. Many of you have taken the challenge to change your world in 52 days. That too will cost. It will cost time...energy...resources...and finances. But the rewards will far outweigh any costs you might have to bear. Hear is what it takes, you chosing to stop looking so much at yourself and have chosen to have an explosion of care and see a burden for the those hurting. The challenge now is to experience a burden and develop a mission statement that defines that same burden for others.

Your Care for Others Cares for Jesus
Jesus places a great burden on us by equating our care and love for the hurting of our world with our care and love for Him. This is how He tells us how we can care:

I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; was in prison and you visited Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?' "And the King will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.' (Matthew 25:36-40 HCSB)

It Might as Well Be Me
Who do you hurt for? Who are you willing to place your comfort and convenience on hold for? Maybe its the girl who has been sold into slavery. It could be the pastor who is being persecuted for his faith in Christ. It might be a soldier miles away from his home family, and friends. What about the child who needs someone to help feed him through a desperate time of famine and war? The one thing they all have in common is they need someone...anyone to care. Will it be you? Will you change your world?

Changing the world one life at a time,


Pastor Trey Rhodes

Great weekend services. Largest this year! don't miss what God is doing.

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Faith that Hurts

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More than Feeling Sorry
Who hasn't seen a commercial come on TV around the holidays and hurt for those children, families, or victims of a disaster? Sure, we've all been there. What happens most of the time is that we simply change the channel. But, occasionally, something that we see...something that we hear moves us. We want to do more than simply feel sorry for the hurting person we see on the screen, so we get out the debit card, call the toll free number, and give. Now, let me say that there is nothing wrong with giving. Many times God uses our financial resources to accomplish great things.

CNN news reports a harrowing experience for one man who went through the most recent onslaught of killer tornadoes:

Steven Vaught of Greenville, Kentucky, said he is lucky to be alive to tell how he survived the storm.
"Why? I don't know," he said. "But I did."
He teared up while recounting the moment the storm came rolling through in an interview with CNN affiliate WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tennessee.
"I was laying on the couch and all the sudden I start hearing a train," he said. "I got up and took two steps off the couch and then me and the two dogs I have and the trailer started rolling down the hill."
Five times. That's how many times he and his trailer flipped continuously down the road as the storm tore through, he recalled.
"Once it hit the ground on the fifth time, I saw daylight and I was sitting up against the stove like I was sitting in a chair," he said.
Vaught had to get stitches in his bloodied chin and staples in his head from some of the injuries he sustained. But those were nothing, he said, compared with what he went through.
He shook his head as he took stock of the destruction around him.
"I don't know how I'm here," he said as his eyes welled up with tears. (click Tornado Stories for more from CNN)

How can I respond?
What happens next is what really matters. With the horror of the tornado over, the response by caring people can make all the difference. The good news is there are people who have chosen to work with disaster victims. They have been labeled "disaster junkies." I'm not sure if the media is making fun of them or trying to label a group that cares in order to stop their own conscience from hurting. Regardless, they are helping the hurting...right here in our own country.

Personal Experience of Being Cared for
I was a recipient of such care after Hurricane Hugo. We had just gotten back to our home on the Isle of Palms and had nothing. The caring volunteers were already there making a difference in the lives of displaced families like ours. They didn't send money, they came themselves. As far as we were concerned, their presence made a huge difference. Disaster junkies were making a difference. And you can make a difference too through ministries like Disaster Relief and Samaritan's Purse.

Get Involved
In the same way, there are times when we sense God not only wants our money, but our involvement. It is then that our small faith in a great God should really kick in. It's not that we can't do some great things because of our finances, but we sense that nothing short of us getting involved will be enough. That is a faith that hurts. It is when we truly understand that God uses us who aren't necessarily the best, but can care the most. When we care, determine that we will make a difference, and then get involved with the hurting, our impact can only be measured in eternity.

What matters to YOU?
Who do you care most about? Then that is where you can make a difference. It was Nehemiah...he believed that God could use a guy like him whom God had placed In a place of prominence to do what looked like the impossible, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. I want you to hear the care in his voice. Here are his words:

"...why shouldn't I be depressed when the city, the city where all my family is buried, is in ruins and the city gates have been reduced to cinders?" (Nehemiah 2:3 MSG)

His heart is broken for his beloved city that is not protected, is a place of scorn, and a place no one would want to live. The broken down walls were symptomatic of the broken nation, so Nehemiah's burden caused him to trust in God and believe that God could use him. If something has to be done...

It might as well be me,


Pastor Trey Rhodes


ATTENTION...Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday! Spring forward one hour. Set your clocks ahead 1 hour.


Dinner this Saturday night. Join us for Nancy Hunter's homecooked ham!
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Great Explosion

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Me and my old red-neck self were up late on Monday night watching the Daytona 500. After a full day and a half of waiting, it was now race time. I was excited and ready for a good race. Except for the second lap melee that collected several big time drivers, notably, Jimmy Johnson, Danica Patrick, and Trevor Bayne, it was an uncharacteristically quiet race.

That was not going to last. With 40 laps to go (that would be comparable to the last quarter in football), Juan Pablo Montoya slams into a "jet dryer" truck and trailer that was on the the track blowing debris off the course while there was a yellow flag. What happened next was unprecedented in the annals of NASCAR. The jet engine exploded, spilled 200 gallons of jet fuel on the track, and erupted in huge flames. By this time, the driver of the car and the driver of the truck had gotten out and were whisked away from the flames.

The Daytona Explosion

For a while, it looked as if the jet fuel would just have to burn out, but the well-trained and dedicated firemen used foam and water to beat back the flames and finally extinguish the ravaging inferno.

How could this happen? It seemed that everything was in the worst possible situation possible. The Montoya car veered out of of control because of a rear drive failure that caused the car to swerve out of control toward the third turn wall where a jet dryer truck happened to be loaded with fuel. What was never thought possible became reality. Only by God's superintending care was no one severely injured or killed as a result. I hope there are many race fans and drivers thanking their Lord that they were protected from what could have been a terrible disaster.

As I look at what happened on Monday night, I am forced to consider another explosion...this time, not a destructive one, but an explosion of care and concern.

This sheep is "bear bait"

You see Jesus cared for those who were around Him. The Bible tells us: "He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd" (Mark 6:34). I'm sure as Jesus looked at the people of Israel, He was broken over what He saw: poverty, sure, economic poverty, but even more, spiritual poverty. He saw His people who were like sheep without a shepherd. Anyone that heard those words understood exactly what Jesus meant when there was no shepherd...they were "bear bait." If left to the elements and to themselves, sheep would wander through the treacherous hills and valleys until they died of exposure, starvation, poisoning, and became food for the scavengers if not the predators. Jesus knew this, so he started where he could: "He began to teach them many things." Of course, it was His wisdom and instruction that they needed. They had to hear and experience His words of life for it was in Him that they would find answers to life's most difficult questions.

How about you? Isn't it time there was an explosion in your life? Who is it around you that you could demonstrate the love of Christ in a practical way? Who could you demonstrate God's love and care for today? Who are you burdened for? The sex slave? The unloved child? The unwed mother? The hungry? The fearful? The hurting? There are so many who need our touch. That's why we must get involved wherever we can and begin where we can. Let's start by showing those we are nearest to an explosion of care. With God's help and by our actions, they can be introduced to a Savior who loves them and cares for them so much that He would rather die than live without them.

Exploding with care,

Pastor Trey Rhodes

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When the Going Gets Tough...Just Quit. Really?

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Here's one that goes against everything we've heard. According to a study published by psychologists Gregory Miller and Carsten Wrosch, when it comes to hard times, we had better just quit or it could affect our health.

In their most recent study, published in the September (2007) issue of Psychological Science, the psychologists followed teenagers for a full year. Over that time, individuals who did not persist obtaining hard to reach goals had much lower levels of a protein called CRP, an indicator of bodily inflammation. Inflammation has recently been linked to several serious diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, suggesting that healthy but overly tenacious teens may already be on the road toward chronic illness later in life. 

So, their answer was to just quit. I do wonder if they quit the first they couldn't get their funding for this study, or was it just handed to them on a silver platter. Maybe the trust fund families do have it right...make everything easy for your kids. Maybe then, they'll live longer. But I have to ask the question, what kind of life is that?

It was Martin Luther King, Jr who said, "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." (For more quotes on "struggle"). So, I have to wonder if it is the struggle that makes our life worth living. Life should not simply be breathing. It should be much more. Life is about finding our purpose in life and moving on that purpose in order to become all we were intended to be.

Thank goodness, they found out more than only how to stay alive. They found out that people that didn't quit found out that life is more...so much more from that same study:

While they did not find a direct link between re-engagement and physical health, they did find that people who readily jumped back into life had a greater sense of purpose and mastery and were less likely to ruminate about the past.

As we have been studying, examining, and agreeing to become more generous people, the first discovery we made was that to become who were intended to be, we were going to have to struggle to get our finances in order. Ouch! Yep, that's right, in order to be a generous person who can meet needs when they come up, we've got to get out of debt. Friend, that doesn't happen without a struggle for most of us. That's why we can't just give up. There will come tough times for all of us for all kinds of reasons. We've got to learn to push through in order to be all we were intended to be. To really be able fulfill the purpose we were intended accomplish, there will always be a struggle. It is probably a strong force of being able to live life to the fullest.

The Apostle Paul, of all people understood that when He encouraged Timothy during a tough time in his life:

All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we're in. 1 Tim 1:18-19 (MSG)

So, as we choose to obey God, there will come a time when you are “tested at the point of your obedience.” It is that moment when you find out what you really believe. It is then that you will have face a struggle. Will I push through and let God use me or will I just quit? For me, that moment happened earlier rather than later in life.

My wife, Kelly, and I had just arrived at seminary in Wake Forest, NC. We were doing what God wanted us to do. We were still in the wide-eyed, head in the clouds moment of our desire to do God's will. We had moved several hundred miles from home and had no way to return. After a week or so, my ministry position had still not come through; no one would hire me; and all our bills were coming due with no available means of money to pay them. It was at that very same moment that I cruelly blurted out to my wife, "We might as well go home. We can't make it financially here. I guess all my doubts were right. This was a dumb thing to do." Her answer? Although I don't remember the exact words, it went something like this, "Trey Rhodes. Did God call us here? If He didn't we should never have come in the first place. If He did, then He will provide." A little humbled I answered, "But honey, there is nothing...we have nothing to pay with. And I'm not just saying that..." I then walked out the door to get some fresh air to try and clear my mind. As I walked, I muttered half to myself and half knowing God could hear me, "Why did we come here anyway? No job...no money...nothing. I guess I just brought my wife and kids up here for...nothing." As I passed the mailbox, which was about 1000 feet from our seminary duplex, I thought I'd see what other bills had come in. I opened the box...still muttering...and spied a letter with a return address from back home. Once again, I complained, "They're probably telling me all the reasons I shouldn't have come up here." Reluctantly, I opened the envelope and discovered not only a letter, but a blue checked piece of paper that looked like some kind of check. Surely, I was seeing things. I bent over and picked it up, brought it close enough to read, and saw an amount that was exactly what we needed to stay the course...at least for now. Within the next week, a ministry position opened up at a local church. Soon I received my first paycheck, and 2 and a half years later, finished seminary. Tested, persevered, and with God's help passed the test.

Here's what I'm saying, many of you committed to the Lord to get your finances in order so that you could be those generous people God is calling us all to be. For that to happen, we must be faithful to God's call in our lives to obey Him...no matter the struggle we face. Never quit and never give up. God wants to do great things through you. Choose to be that funnel of God's blessing and impact this world like you have never imagined!

Never gonna' give up,

Pastor Trey Rhodes

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Make This Day a Day of Generosity

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How many hours and energy have you put into making Valentine's Day special for your love? What if you could have a day where generosity makes a difference in a life outside of your family or friends? One company is determined to look outside themselves and touch lives. Here's their take on "Generosity Day":

(One) investment firm (The Acumen Fund) has redefined the process of giving back and today they're encouraging the world to do so on Valentines Day. They've dubbed the romantic day "Generosity Day" and are attempting to get people to give up on the expensive gifts and flowers. Instead, they are asking people to embrace the idea of giving back. The concept is to spend the day doing small acts of kindness in a pay-it-forward structure. Suggestions include leaving a larger than average tip, giving a colleague a ride to work, or just being extra nice to people. Little things that they hope will make a difference. Many had taken to sites like Twitter to share their support of the day. Happy #GenerosityDay! Join others who are doing outrageously generous thing," Kevin Kruse wrote on Twitter.

Generosity is what our Lord has always been about. We read in the Bible an incredible word form the lips of Jesus,

It is better to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

That seems so backwards while nearly everyone is looking out for number one. People wanting to know what they can get out of someone or something. Even to the point of asking, "What's in it for me?" It would seem that the more you give, the less you would have. But God's economy is completely different.

We are reminded in the Proverbs by Solomon:

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Proverbs 11:24-25

This is the principle, the more we give the more we prosper. It's not about what we have in the bag; it's what we can overflow from God's basket. If we give freely, we will "gain even more." That is basket living that makes generosity a way of life.

Will you hold on or will you choose to give freely? When it comes to Man vs. Money, may man win every time!

Cultivating a generous heart,

Pastor Trey Rhodes


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