Far Beyond Surface

Intentions vs Desires

Paul Kern — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:26:41 +0000

“I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together by good intentions” -Augusten Burroughs. Each and every person always follows after their own desires. Many people have good intentions, but it’s their desires that motivate them to act. In this message, Paul reveals God’s plan for how every believer can fulfill God’s purpose for their life instead of pursuing the desires of the flesh.

Kern Family Christmas Update 2012

Paul Kern — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 22:27:36 +0000

Dear friends and family,

We hope this letter finds you blessed by God’s overwhelming grace and faithfulness. We wanted to take a moment to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a New Year full of the Presence of our wonderful Savior Jesus Christ. We pray that God’s guidance and direction will lead you and your family into all God has prepared for you in 2013. We also would like to update you on some of things that have happened this year.

To start with, the ministry here is simply amazing! What a privilege to serve the Lord at such a godly place. Christian Ministries Church moved into our new, paid for building in January. This was a fulfillment of a vision that we had 10 years earlier. This just goes to show that God doesn’t necessarily move in our time, but He does move in time. The church building is a beautiful facility to worship the Lord in and we are still overwhelmed at the blessing it is for us. After 10 years of being in a hot or cold (never comfortable) gym and setting up and breaking down altars, chairs, sound equipment, etc… each Sunday morning, we are very blessed. We even have theatre seating!! You have to come visit us and be a part of the service; it is wonderful. Applied Life Leaders Academy is going great! Applied Life Ministries is now in its 27^th year! Wow, time flies when you are having fun. LOL! This year is the 20^th year Angela and I have been involved in the ministry of developing college age young people. We love it now more than ever! Seeing God transform young hearts and minds and being able to influence the next generation of leaders is a responsibility we feel deeply called to. Brookhill Ranch Summer Camp (3^rd-9^th grade) and High Point Biblical Worldview Camp (15 yr.-19yr. olds) are both being used by the Lord in powerful ways. We had over 2000 young people attend camps this past summer. God is good.

Angela and I celebrated our 20^th Wedding Anniversary this past July. We both couldn’t believe we had been married that long. It was kind of a shocker! Ha-ha. Our oldest son Clark is now a senior in high school and is VERY ready to finish. According to him, he was ready in 10^th grade. O brother…LOL! Our other son Cole is a freshman in high school this year and he provides much entertainment for our family. Actually, come to think of it, they both provide a lot of entertainment for Angela and me, whether we want to be entertained or not! Both the boys are doing well in school, and besides thinking they know way more than their mother and father, they are a great blessing! It is amazing how parents get dumber and dumber as children become teens. LOL! Last, but not least, I cannot fail to mention our extremely obese cat Chloe and our hyper dog Blaze. They continue to bless us with disgusting fur balls and random, unsolicited barks for no reason what-so-ever, except to give us all a good scare!

As most of you know, my (Paul) mother moved to Arkansas at the end of 2007. On her way here she had a tragic car accident that left her hospitalized for 3 month and in rehab for another month. After her release, she lived in our home for another two months before she was well enough to move into her home. Mom was independent before she had the accident, but after the wreck all that changed. After looking after her for five years, and having to provide constant in home care, my mom moved into assisted living apartments in Texas this past October. My brother and two sisters live there and she has more support in that environment. Mom is adjusting well and starting to enjoy her new home. Her cat Sam keeps her in good company. Angela’s mom lost her husband to a heart attack in 2009. Shortly after this, we helped her move to Hot Springs. She lives right down the street from us and we are able to keep an eye on her and help her as she needs it.

We also wanted to take a moment to let you know what our family has been walking through these past few months and what is ahead for us. When our oldest son Clark was 7 yrs. old we discovered a benign tumor was growing in his lower spine. It was the size of a plum and it had eroded away one-third of his vertebrae. We prayed and sought the Lord and felt led at that time to have it surgically removed. Two surgeries were performed, one to remove the tumor and the second, to fuse the vertebrae with rods and pins so the donor bone could fuse and heal. Clark wore an upper body cast for many months until his back was completely healed. We followed up for a couple of years with MRI’s to make sure no more growth was occurring. At the time of the surgeries, we also had a test performed to see if Clark had a disease called Neurofibromatosis 2. This disease causes benign tumors to grow on nerves in the body. The most affected areas are the spine, neck, auditory nerves and optical nerves. The results of the test indicated that Clark did not have the disease. However, there was a 15% margin of error and regretfully the test was wrong. About eight months ago we noticed that Clark’s hearing wasn’t what it should be so we took him and had an MRI done of his head. The MRI confirmed our concerns, by revealing three tumors growing around Clark’s brain and several very small tumors around the spine. Two of the tumors around the brain are growing directly on the auditory nerves of his ears causing damage to the auditory nerves and causing hearing loss. We then had a hearing test done at Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. The results of the test indicated that Clark had only 40% word recognition in his right ear and 96% word recognition in the left ear. The tumor on the right auditory nerve was the size of a quarter and the tumor on the left auditory nerve was the size of a dime. Since that time, Angela and I have done much research and have met with several specialists in Arkansas and Texas. We have also consulted doctors in Boston and Baltimore. Our entire family has been praying and seeking the Lord for wisdom and guidance during this time. We have been declaring healing over Clark (and many others) for the past four months during our family prayer time. On December 4^th we had another scheduled MRI and the results showed that the tumor on Clark’s right auditory nerve had grown significantly. Normal growth in this type of tumor is 1-2 mm per year. Clark’s had grown 4mm in six months. Because of the size of the tumor, pressure on the brain, and the greater difficulty of removal the bigger the tumor gets, we are now in a position to act. We have been reluctant to do anything because we have been praying for divine intervention. We have also been reluctant to remove the tumor surgically because by removing the tumor, complete hearing loss in the ear is highly likely. Surgeons had said that normally these are such slow growing tumors that we could “watch and wait” because of the high probability of hearing loss. This has been a difficult choice to face, but we feel at this time, surgery is the next step.

So, December 18^th is the date set for Clark to have surgery to remove one tumor from the right auditory nerve in his brain. The surgery will take place at UAMS in Little Rock, Arkansas.

We have been reluctant to post anything because we don’t want people to worry. Please know that God has His hand on us and on Clark. Angela and I have been extremely proud of Clark during this time. He is a fine young man chosen of the Lord. He has handled this with courage and faith. We have also been proud of his younger brother Cole who has responded with encouragement and prayer. We don’t know why this has happened (and many others things for that matter-LOL), but we do know that God is our ever present help in time of need. Our family wants to personally thank each one of you who has taken time to pray for our family and speak words of encouragement to us. It has been a blessing and comfort. Please don’t feel obligated to respond or contact us as that is not the purpose of this letter. We know you love us and we love you too. We merely wanted to update our friends and family concerning what Clark has in front of him and ask you to pray for Clark’s healing and for the doctor and his team. Please know that we are praying for you too!

Once again, we love you all and pray you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the Lord’s anointing, Presence, grace and peace be with you all.

With Much Love,

Paul and Angela

A Word for God’s People

Paul Kern — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:13:20 +0000

I really sense in my spirit that Almighty God is yearning to stir His people. God desires to release an anointing of power and an outpouring of miracles on His body in the 21^st century. The church has been without this powerful anointing for too long. But for this power to be released, the hearts of God’s people must be purified and made ready for this out-pouring of God’s Spirit and power. As I was reading in Deuteronomy the other day, I felt the Holy Spirit quicken me to give this word to the church.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Notice verse 20 says, “You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him.”

It lists these three Keys:

1. Love the Lord your God
2. Obey Him
3. Commit yourself firmly to Him

God was speaking this directly to me by the Spirit, so I encourage you to heed what the Spirit is saying to the body of Christ. If the church is going to be restored to a position of influence and power in the world today, God’s people must commit to return to their first love and purge themselves of all worldliness. The scripture says in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “The eyes of the Lord move back and forth across the entire world, searching for those whose hearts are completely committed to Him in order that He might give strong support to them.”

I truly believe in these last days that God has a remnant of people that He will use to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven. I want to be in that remnant! It is vital for the church to understand that remnant will be those who yield to the LORDSHIP of Christ and who have a pure and contrite heart. I encourage you to seek the Lord this Christmas season and reevaluate your personal commitment to Christ and His gospel of truth. Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? If you are a committed disciple of Christ, you should be fulfilling the great commission found in Matthew 28:18. Jesus commissioned us to go into all the world and make more disciples by teaching them to obey His Gospel.

The hour is drawing near for the second coming of The Son of God. Will He find faithful, committed people? Let it be said of us all, YES!

-PK

Remaining Strong and Persistent

Paul Kern — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 01:43:05 +0000

God hasn’t promised us that our dreams will come to pass overnight, but He has promised us He will empower us to fulfill them. In this message Paul encourages the believer to remain strong and persistent when facing adversity and trials. Sharing testimony of his own struggles, you will be motivated and energized to continue moving forward in this powerful message entitled, “Remaining Strong and Persistent”!

Big Rocks

Paul Kern — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 20:56:21 +0000

In this compelling message Paul challenges the church to consider where they have positioned the importance of the Kingdom of God. Using an eye opening illustration, Paul reveals the importance of being Kingdom minded. Warning to the listener, a paradigm change can occur.

Thinking God’s Thought’s Pt.1

Paul Kern — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:11:13 +0000

In this two part series Paul reveals the importance of agreeing with God and aligning our thought life with Him. Isaiah 55 says God thoughts and ways are higher than ours. Paul shows how the believer is set free through the power of the Holy Spirit and how the believer is to live the overcoming abundant life by renewing the mind and thinking God’s thoughts. Paul says, “It’s one thing to be set free, and another thing to LIVE FREE!” You will be encouraged and motivated by this two part series.

Thinking God’s Thoughts Pt Two

Paul Kern — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:01:19 +0000

This is part two in the series entitled, “Thinking God’s Thoughts”. In this session Paul reveals how we are to use our imagination for God’s glory. But we also must be aware of the hidden dangers of imagination and how God says to handle it.

The Power of Your Words

Paul Kern — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:37:37 +0000

In this message Paul reveals the awesome power of our words. The scripture reveals that the world was created by God with the spoken word. This message reveals how God has given every believer this same power to exercise God’s authority on the earth. Words inspired by God have incredible power to change the course of our lives.

What Purpose Do You Serve?

Paul Kern — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 13:47:02 +0000

Is there anything in your life at this moment that is bigger than you? Anything that is bigger than what you want? Anything that is bigger than the car you drive or the clothes you wear? Anything that’s bigger than the friends you have or the house you live in? Many people are so focused on themselves that they have no higher purpose. You can become so self-conscience that you are no long God-conscience. We can become so consumed with ourselves and our selfish motivations that there is no room for anything that is bigger and more important than ourselves. As a pastor, I have a vantage point perspective of people. I watch people attend church on Sundays and camps during summer. It’s especially interesting watching people during worship times. There are those who are unable to enter into worship of the Lord because they spend their entire week worshiping self. Because they have no higher purpose outside of themselves, they are unable to exalt the Lord who is independent of their daily routine of life. I believe that our actions during worship are a real indicator of our focus in life. Our attitude in worship can reveal what our true purpose is. I want to encourage you to beware of this trap. The devil would love nothing more than to cause us to make our lives all about us, instead of all about God’s higher purpose.

Let me ask you this question today, what purpose do you serve? Does your life serve the higher purpose of God and His Kingdom or does it serve the kingdom of self? Everything happens in your life when you discover your purpose and nothing happens in your life until you do. Make this season of your life a time to seek God and discover your higher purpose. Living without knowing your higher purpose is frustrating and empty. No amount of stuff will ever fill the missing piece. God wants to use you to be a blessing and a person of influence. He does this as we set aside our agendas and put His agenda first. Put God first in your life today!

Many Are Called but Few Are Chosen

Paul Kern — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 03:16:49 +0000

Matthew 22:14
“For the called are many and the chosen are few.”
Who are the chosen and how do you get into that in crowd? It’s really very simple. The ones that are chosen are the leaders who respond to the Lord’s calling by stepping up and saying, “I will be a leader Lord. I will be one that will make a difference in my school, college campus, youth group, my sphere of influence. I will be the leader who you can trust to be a voice for you in my generation. I want to encourage you today to step up and respond to God calling. Don’t let your opportunity to make a difference slip past. I encourage you to respond as Isaiah responded. Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
Isaiah 6:8

GOD STILL HEALS

Paul Kern — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:41:16 +0000

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases…
Never doubt in God’s ability to heal! He is our healer. If you have accepted the teaching that God does not heal, then you will never receive healing because it is by faith that God’s promises are activated. Exodus 15:26 says, “…for I am the LORD, your healer.” That is the covenant God made with His people Israel and Christ grafted us in to the covenant promises.
The Bible describes the process of faith for the New Testament believer:
Hearing the Word initiates faith.
Speaking the Word activates faith.
Doing the Word demonstrates faith.
I encourage you today to believe, confess (speak the word out loud), and walk in God’s promises. When Jesus Christ became your Savior, He also became your healer. You can’t have Jesus Savior without Jesus Healer.
One last scripture is Mark 16:15-18:
He said to them, “Go into the entire world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
These are the words of Jesus for New Testament believers. This is what Jesus said we are to do! If anyone tells you different, then they are saying Jesus lied.

More Than Able Part Two

Paul Kern — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:10:36 +0000

The Bible says God has completely equipped you for your purpose in life. God has fully empowered you to fulfill your mission. But sometimes we feel limited or unable because we don’t feel approved by others or feel others don’t appreciate us. But I want you to know today that you are not unable. God has fully equipped you for what you need to be.

All Things Work Together….

Paul Kern — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:29:02 +0000

Sometimes life can make you feel like you climbed on board a runaway train. But it is important to remember that God is faithful. In this message Paul talks about the importance of securing your hope in Christ and in God’s unshakable Word. You will be encouraged and renewed from this faith filled message that reveals how all things work together for our good.

UNMOVABLE

Paul Kern — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:00:29 +0000

The temptation to give up in times of difficulty can feel overwhelming. The scripture exhorts us in I Corinthians 15:58, “Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” How you choose to respond in a time of adversity will determine your outcome. In this message Paul takes an experience from his youth involving a neighborhood cat and dog to illustrate how we must become unmovable to capture God’s promises for our lives.

“More Than Able” Part One

Paul Kern — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:29:10 +0000

Praying In Jesus Name Part Six of The Prayer Life that Produces Power

Paul Kern — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:26:23 +0000

This is the sixth and final lesson in the series entitled, “The Prayer Life that Produces Power”. Praying in Jesus name is probably one of the most misunderstood elements of prayer. In this session Paul reveals what it means to pray in Jesus name and why Jesus commanded us to use His name.

You Are More Than Able

Paul Kern — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:02:53 +0000

The Bible says that God has completely equipped us for our purpose in life. In this message Paul reveals how God has Approved us, anointed us, and appointed us.

ALL FATHERS MUST READ!!!

Paul Kern — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:56:50 +0000

All Fathers,
Statistics and studies reveal that children raised without fathers commonly lack strength of character, tend to have more sexually deviant behavior disorders, and fall more easily into crime. More recent surveys reveal that fatherless children are five times more likely to commit suicide, thirty-two times more likely to run away, twenty times more likely to have behavioral disorders, fourteen times more likely to commit rape, nine times more likely to drop out of school, ten times more likely to abuse chemical substances, nine times more likely to end up in state-operated institution, and twenty times more likely to end up in prison. In 1965 in America, three millions mothers were raising children without fathers. Today, the number is twenty-four million, or 34 percent of American children-the highest rate in the world.
Malachi 4:5-6
“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. 6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
I encourage you to be a father who is there for your children. It is your highest duty, honor, and responsibility. Spend time with your children and love them with all your heart.
-PK

ATTENTION ALL TEENAGERS!

Paul Kern — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:03:44 +0000

I wanted to give up a little encouragement to all the teenagers so I put up a title that I hoped would get your attention. If you are reading this blog, then I succeeded. I don’t want to take much of your time, because I know you have to get your room clean and homework done (ha-ha), so here is what I’ve got for you today. God wants to bring some awesome blessings in your life. Seriously, He really wants to bless you in your teen years! I just happen to know one of the keys to how this can happen so listen up and grab hold of this concept. Are you ready for it? Here it is, “Diligence”! One of the biggest ways God is able to reward and bless you is through diligence. The sad part is many teens go without God’s blessings because they are only willing to commit to things that are easy. By taking this low road, they end up cheating themselves out of the rewards God has for them, simply because they want to avoid difficulty. There are no rewards for starting something and there are no rewards for quitting. God rewards those who are diligent! It is doing the right thing over and over that enables God to pour on the blessings thick. The important thing to remember is there are no “drive-through” breakthroughs. You can get a drive-through milkshake. You can get a drive-through hamburger (hungry yet?). But there are no short cuts to receive rewards from the Lord. I want to encourage you today to take the high road. The road less traveled. All of the wonderful blessings that have come into my life didn’t happen overnight. It took years of faithfulness and diligence. But let me tell you, it was worth it all!!
Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”
This is the road that leads to rewards. This is the road less traveled. If you work all week at your job and you show up every day, then you are expecting a payday on Friday. The same is true in life. If you remain diligent and don’t give up, rewards are surely ahead for you! Today, stay diligent! Remain patient! Don’t settle for second best! Be determined that you are going to get the awesome blessings God has for your life because you are a diligent teen.

-PK

The Power of the Word Part 5 of The Prayer Life that Produces Power

Paul Kern — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:13:22 +0000

This is part five in this series. God created all that we see by His Word. God gave words creative power. One of the keys to powerful and effective prayer is to pray God’s Word. God’s Word is alive and active, it is powerful and produces results. In this series Paul reveals how to pray the Word and get results.

Easter Song

Paul Kern — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 02:19:09 +0000

Overcoming Disappointment

Paul Kern — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:52:45 +0000

Things don’t turn out the way you plan. You don’t get the promotion. The mission trip falls through. The loan for buying the new home doesn’t go through. The vacation you really needed can’t happen because of bills. Your friend doesn’t call.

Each of us faces such disappointments at one time or another. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by them. You begin to wonder if your future will ever get any brighter.

I believe these steps can help in overcoming disappointment.

Don’t Blame God – Run to Him

It is so tempting to blame someone when things don’t go as planned. God never promised our lives would be free of trouble. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. God offers us safety and shelter in the storms of life. God’s plan is always to prosper you, not harm you. Run to Him in times of trouble.

Trust God’s Wisdom, even when things don’t make sense

When you are disappointed it’s easy to get stuck asking why:

Why did this happen to me?

What did I do wrong?

Why do I have to suffer? I’m a good person.

The truth is, some things we will never know this side of heaven. Trusting God doesn’t mean you will always have the answers. In fact, if you had all the answers you wouldn’t need to trust God. That’s why the Bible says; don’t rely on your own insight and understanding. Whether we understand a situation or not does not change God’s character. Trust and lean on God even when you don’t have all the answers.

Don’t compare your life to others

It’s easy to keep your focus on how good other people have it. You’ll run into people who don’t seem to have a problem or care in the world. They seem happy and blessed all the time. These kinds of thoughts will have you putting a cherry of self-pity on top of your sundae of despair. We compare ourselves to others we become oppressed and depressed. Comparison isn’t healthy and God warns us against it. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and not others. If you keep your thoughts fixed on God and not other people, He will keep you in a place of perfect peace.

In your time of need, meet someone else’s need

Focusing on helping others gets your eyes off yourself and your problems. It helps you realize you are not the only one who is hurting, which can keep you from isolating yourself and wallowing in self-pity. Remember this statement, “Sow a seed during your time of need”. Helping others often engages our thoughts in such a way that we don’t have time to think about our problems. The Bible encourages that it is in giving that we receive.

Sometimes we go through things we don’t understand today, but we will understand better in the future. God gives us His Word: As for me, my way is perfect. Anyone who puts his trust in me will never be disappointed.

The Power of Faith Part 4 of The Prayer Life that Produces Power

Paul Kern — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:54:54 +0000

This is part four in the series. Many believers think because they lack faith, their prayers go unanswered. But in this message we will examine another reason our prayers fail to work. It is because, not that we lack faith, but instead, we have the wrong kind of faith. There is a positive and a negative faith. Discover a key to unlocking prayer in the revealing message.

FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY WEEK 2 WINNER!

Paul Kern — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 02:32:41 +0000

Bethany Hanna was this weeks winner of the book Authentic Beauty-The shaping of a set-apart young woman ” by Leslie Ludy! Congrats Bethany!! Check back here often for another chance for you to enter and win a great, christian based, free book.

Crawl Out of a Pit Mentality

Paul Kern — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:08:24 +0000

Joseph is one of my heroes. He could have drowned in the despair of that pit his brothers threw him into, but he determined not to allow it to overtake him. Even though he was in a pit, he didn’t let the pit get him. He didn’t develop a pit mentality. No, Joseph put his trust in God and that is when his dreams came to pass.

The way to avoid a life of pit living is to take control of every negative thought that would try and keep you bound and feeling sorry for yourself. When a negative thought comes, make a deliberate choice to stop and deal with that thought immediately. First, decide that you will not dwell on that negative thought for one more minute. Instead, replace that negative thought with one of God’s powerful thoughts about you. This is the key. Begin to fill your mind with hopeful, positive, faith-filled thoughts from God’s Word.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I will make it because God’s grace is sufficient for me today.
God has a good and positive future for me! I believe what God says about me.

When you say these words, you may not feel like you have a bright future, but you choose to live by the truth instead of your emotions. Emotions are fickle, but God’s Word remains true. As you choose to believe God’s Word about you, hopelessness and negative thoughts are defeated.

This takes intentional choice, self-control, and warfare. Negative “pit” thoughts can only be overcome by scripture. As you choose to believe God’s Word about you, thoughts of hopelessness and lies are defeated one thought at a time.

The Bible says the person who trusts in the Lord will never be disappointed. Refuse to live in a pit of self-pity and hopelessness one more day. Lift your eyes to the hills where your help comes from. The pit is not what God made you for-He did not design you to live in the dark. Every night is followed by morning, and every valley is flanked by hilltops and mountain peaks!

-PK

Free Book Giveaway Week 2!

Paul Kern — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:36:29 +0000

Free Book Giveaway Week 2!
All you have to do to enter to win is leave a comment on a blog post or podcast on the farbeyondsurface.com website to have your name entered in the drawing. The more comments you leave the more your name is entered into the drawing. The winner will be announced Monday March 26th!

This Weeks Book is “Authentic Beauty-The shaping of a set-apart young woman ” by Leslie Ludy

How To Enter God’s Presence Part 3 of The Prayer Life That Produces Power

Paul Kern — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:38:02 +0000

This is part three in the series. God has a way that He desires us to come to Him. In this message Paul uses the Tabernacle and the role of the priest to reveal the New Testament example of how to approach God. This message is eye opening as it shows God’s way for us to come into His Presence.

WINNER-Free Book Giveaway!

Paul Kern — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:07:26 +0000

Anderson Bishop of Groves Texas is the winner of last weeks drawing for the free book giveaway contest. Anderson won the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. Check back to enter in another free book contest starting this week.

Stir Your Destiny

Paul Kern — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 21:11:59 +0000

God has a destiny for you. Even when you can’t see it, God is at work, adding to you, shaping you. God is in the process of preparing you for your destiny. In this message Paul discusses five ways to stir up your sense of destiny.

All Is Vanity

Paul Kern — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:13:33 +0000

All Is Vanity. This is the echo of Solomon, as he reflected eons ago, upon life on this big blue planet. The older I get (46 yrs. Old-it’s not that old) the more I realize the immense truth of Solomon’s wisdom. Solomon is known as the wisest man who ever lived, and he had a vast amount of resources that afforded him the opportunity to experience all that this world could offer. But, even though Solomon could do anything he wanted, and he tried most everything, his final analysis of life on this planet was “all is vanity or meaningless”. Think about life for a minute. Our daily routine of life goes something like this; wake up in the morning, head off to work or school, come home, eat, go to bed and then do it all over again, repetitively for seventy or more years. That’s it. Throw in a few vacations, sports events, debt, doctor visits, and some entertainment, and you have the average life of a person. The mere fact that we exist and live does not give life meaning and purpose. That is why so many people who go through this daily, repetitive routine feeling so unfulfilled with their life, just like Solomon did so many years ago.
So what was his conclusion about the meaningless situation that we are born into? In Ecclesiastes 12, we see Solomon’s conclusion, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil”.
Solomon makes it very clear that the only way to experience a fulfilling life is to live intent on honoring God and pursuing His purpose. That’s it! Nothing else in life can bring meaning or fulfillment. God has a life of fulfillment, joy, and purpose for us, as we follow His plan for our lives. I encourage you to consider your daily routine and ask yourself, “Am I pursuing God’s purpose?” Pursue God intently today and every day, and you will experience His peace, goodness, and satisfaction in all you do. Spend time connecting with God in prayer, read His commandments, serve in your church with a willing heart and minister to those around you. A life with God is a life full of meaning!
-PK