http://www.nbchurch.com New Beginnings Church Podcasts en New Beginnings Church Podcasts New Beginnings Church no New Beginnings Church nbc@nbchurch.com ℗ & © 2008 New Beginnings Church 720 Things were desperate. No rain in three years. Israel had turned their back on God to follow a manufactured god named Baal... http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-93-dont-make-me-go Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:44:00 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets discipline,blessing,worship,idolatry,obedience John describes Jesus as "full of grace and truth." I am astonished at how Jesus combines the two. People listened to Jesus because they immediately sensed how loved and valued they were to him. Yet ironically no one was plainer than Jesus in telling people the truth about themselves and about God. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-3-judgement-or-warm-fuzzies Mon, 12 May 2008 14:12:22 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets grace,truth I don't cry easily, but I heard a story not long ago that moved me to tears. National Public Radio reported on the death of C.P. Ellis, a former grand exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan in Durham, NC. A remarkable change occurred in his life that illustrates the transforming power of Christ’s love. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-4-the-klansman Mon, 12 May 2008 14:15:08 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets klansman,love,transformation They mocked Jesus, beat him and spit on him. They tied him to a post and bared his back. The Roman instrument for flogging was called a flagrum. It had a short handle and two to three thick leather thongs which were weighted with pieces of lead or bone designed to bruise and tear. Some prisoners died under flogging. The person wielding the flagrum was called a lictor. He needed to be burly and strong. To work at his best, he also needed to be hateful. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-92-spitting-on-goodness Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:54:02 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets good,evil,love,hatred,healing,pain King Ahab wanted Elijah dead! It was tough to be a prophet. Ahab had the disposition of a rattlesnake. God sent Elijah with a message that would infuriate Ahab. 'You have told Israel that the idol Baal sends the rain. There will be neither dew nor rain until Israel acknowledges that it is the Lord God who sends the rain.' http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-91-passing-the-faith-test Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:12:02 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets trust,obedience Jesus said something scary yet wonderful: "Whoever has will receive more, but whoever does not have will lose even what he has." The more we grow, the more we can grow. The less we grow, the less chance that we ever will. What does that say about the growth opportunities we think we don't have time for? http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-2-would-i-be-left-behind Sat, 09 Feb 2008 14:04:30 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets growth,maturity Romanthie is a young single woman from Sri Lanka working in Houston. She attends our church and Ruth and I have her in our shepherding group. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-90-what-is-your-gift Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:01:49 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets ministry,calling,service,talents,abilities,gifts They pressed into a church hoping to hide from the pursuing terror. But the pursuers set the church ablaze, burning 46 people to death inside. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-89-the-only-antidote Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:13:19 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets fallen_nature,trials,kenya,peace We were sitting in a college class. The professor asked two students to come forward. He had them extend their arms and push against each other, palms against palms. If one pushed harder, so did the other--a perfect example of ongoing deadlock. This happens in marriages when one spouse is determined to change some fault in the other and the other spouse resists. It happens between church leaders with an ongoing personality clash. It happens between two workers in a company. People stubbornly, habitually push against each other, refusing to give in. The result can be years of lost happiness or health or fruitfulness or productivity. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-88-breaking-stalemate Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:52:30 CST B. Shelburne Nuggets conflict,resolution,relationship God is perfectly good. He cannot be tempted with evil nor does he tempt anyone to do evil. God does not create anything evil. It is the devil, not God, who causes evil. But how did this evil being get to be among God's good creation? http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-87-where-did-evil-come-from Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:18:47 CST B. Shelburne Nuggets evil,good,fall,temptation,redemption Father in Heaven, Thank you... http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-86-father-thank-you Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:14:37 CST B. Shelburne Nuggets thank_you,thanksgiving My brother-in-law and his wife light up when they tell stories from the Kairos prison ministry. Kairos tries to transform inmates by bathing them in love and acceptance most of them have never tasted. Up to 42 inmates meet for 3 days with a team of Kairos volunteers. Prisoners who may rarely get a letter are each showered with dozens of letters filled with encouragement. And food! Ministry wives prepare food for a 3-day feast totally unlike the survival menu inmates are used to. At each dining room table, six inmates sit with three outsiders. Fifteen different speakers, many of them redeemed ex-cons, share the good news of hope in Christ. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-85-the-god-hater Sat, 10 Nov 2007 14:14:17 CST B. Shelburne Nuggets prison_ministry,love,hope,redemption,change If you want to please Jesus but are disappointed with yourself, maybe this is what's missing. We received the Holy Spirit as a gift at baptism. But we are still commanded as Christians to "be filled with the Spirit," a choice we must continually make. How do we obey this command? How do we become more filled with the Spirit, more full of his help? http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-84-be-filled-with-the-spirit Sun, 28 Oct 2007 11:01:24 CST B. Shelburne Nuggets holy_spirit,filled In most cases God does not call us to be executed but to pick up a daily cross of sacrifice. Whichever it is, "God will never lead us where his grace cannot keep us." http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-83-extreme-grace Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:29:37 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets sacrifice,faith,grace,strength,provision If you are a serious Christian, you see yourself as a follower of Jesus. Jesus went around doing good and calling people back into a relationship with God. Life flowed out from him into people's lives, bringing them from curse to blessing. The church will always be made up mostly of people who are not official leaders, but we are each one called by Christ to help others. Jesus promised, ""If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." You can be a channel of God's grace. There is no better way to live. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-82-the-woman-preacher Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:34:35 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets disciple,grace It is when we are under trial that the world sees our deepest feelings about God. Jesus said Peter would glorify God by dying a martyr's death. Jesus glorified God by remaining faithful through all kinds of trouble even to the cross. Teachers have taught more by their attitude during suffering than they ever did in sermons or lectures. If we accept the Bible truth that mankind's highest purpose is to glorify God, we can accept that Job's was a high privilege in spite of his suffering. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-81-job--pawn-or-pattern Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:03:50 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets job,trial,faith,trust Various ministers served that church during those years. None of them could reach the man's heart to restore him. One day when the old man was out in his garden squashing tomato bugs with the tip of his cane, his little granddaughter came alongside him. "Grandpa," she asked, "when are you going to get right with God?" He didn't say anything, but he did show up on that back pew the day my brother preached. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-80-a-child-will-lead-them Sun, 02 Sep 2007 14:59:13 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets advice,grudge,estrange,withdrawal,reconciliation,return The Apostle Paul started out as Saul, the persecutor who made Christians deny their Lord or go to prison and death. He later said that God chose him, the worst of sinners, as an exhibit of how great God's forgiveness is. And it didn't end there... http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-79-only-god Sun, 26 Aug 2007 15:35:31 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets repentance,conversion,change,transformation When God calls you to minister, you may think God has the wrong address, that you could never be used by God to help anyone. Many people in scripture felt this way but God used them to make a powerful difference. Truth is, there are already people you influence. You choice is how. Is it time to ask God to show you your assignment? To discover the gifts he has given you for service? http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-78-yes-you Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:49:46 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets ministry,calling,service The gospel sets us free from past guilt, but can free us from so much more! Being forgiven is only the beginning. He forgives us so we can forgive. Christ teaches us how to resolve the pain of the past, how to lay to rest bitter memories. He gives us a positive new reason for living and replaces our pain with joy. We can now bless others because we are blessed. We can build up and not tear down. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-77-passing-on-the-pain Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:16:07 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets pain,self-esteem,grace,hurt,free "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you." http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-76-the-most-disobeyed-command Mon, 09 Jul 2007 23:13:31 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets conflict,nuggets,devotional The freedom to say anything does not mean I should. The right to openly discuss public policy and hold our leaders accountable is one of our greatest blessings. It just needs to be exercised with godly respect and sobriety. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-75-freedom-versus-respect Sat, 30 Jun 2007 10:58:54 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets freedom,respect,leadership,president If you are serious about serving God, you will certainly evict evil. But that's not enough. Above all, replace the evil with good. Fill your hearts and your home with things positive and wholesome. Jesus knocks at your door. Make time for God's word and open the door for his Spirit to live in you. The more you taste what is really good, the more evil loses its appeal. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-74-keeping-house Sat, 23 Jun 2007 11:01:31 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets evil,good,magic,witch,boundaries "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long…” Our attitude toward our parents definitely affects the length and quality of our life here, not to mention our eternal destiny. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-73-mad-at-dad Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:04:30 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets honor,parent,mother,father And so we must hand over to another generation. The only choice we have is how. We can pass the torch graciously and constructively or we can stay in denial and treat the young as the enemy. When we choose the latter the church pays an awful price. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-72-passing-the-torch Sun, 03 Jun 2007 11:09:48 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets pass,torch,generation Paul speaks of "the unity of the Spirit" and "the fellowship of the Spirit." Satan loves to set people against each other. He takes every opportunity to fan flames of hurt and anger, to keep hearts hard. The Spirit of God loves unity and grieves over unnecessary division. The more we are led by the Spirit, the more we will be motivated to build bridges, clear up misunderstandings and resolve differences. If there is a way, love will find it. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-71-bridges Sun, 27 May 2007 11:10:33 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets unity,fellowship,division Is your life not going well? It may be because you are neglecting this kind of God-honoring priorities. Do know someone whose life you really look up to? Chances are they are living by these priorities. Ironically, giving up your life like this is how you really find and keep it. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-70-treating-god-like-god Mon, 21 May 2007 11:19:50 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets priorities,god,honoring,first Women do valuable things, but none as critically important as their mother role. More than anyone mothers shape the character of children, and children become tomorrow's culture, good or evil. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-69-keeper-of-the-springs Sat, 12 May 2007 11:29:06 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets mom,influence,godly If God is to be moral judge of the universe, a time of final reckoning has to come. We are used to thinking that even if we have been neglectful, there is always something we can do. We think we can put off change and repentance until later. That is not true, for three reasons. One, we may die at any time. Two, judgment is surely coming. Three, we may become so hardened in disobedience that we lose the capacity to repent. If you are still able to feel conviction of conscience, then thank God and do what you need to do now. If you can delay it for a day or a week, chances are strong that you will delay it terminally. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-68-terminal Sat, 05 May 2007 11:32:09 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets repentance,conscience,conviction We fallen creatures approach conflict in the natural, worldly way rather than God's way. His ways are not our ways. They look foolish to us. What can you get by turning the other cheek? How can you find by losing, go higher by becoming a servant? How are we strongest when we are weak? How could Jesus' submission to death on a cross help anyone? Yet the Bible says (and we keep finding out) that even the foolishness of God is wiser than men. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-67-the-foolishness-of-heaven Sat, 28 Apr 2007 11:37:13 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets conflict,gossip,confront When you respond to evil in Christ's way instead of man's way, the result is always powerful! http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-66-the-ear Sat, 21 Apr 2007 11:47:57 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets respond,evil,love "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away...If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell." http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-65-some-things-will-kill-you Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:52:56 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets The goodness in these lives is the artwork of God. God used the spiritual heritage of previous generations. He used long years of fellowship, the teaching of his word, prayer, life lessons and the refining of the Holy Spirit. You cannot buy lives like these with money. They are masterpieces. God will not waste what he has invested in them. This is just the beginning. Jesus proved that when he rose from the grave. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-64-unendingly Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:14:53 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets spiritual,heritage,heroes He was walking ahead of the disciples. This says a lot about Jesus. Their destination was Jerusalem and the cross. Some of God's commands are a joy but some are extremely hard. In his place I would hang back, finding all kinds of loose ends to deal with first. But Jesus knew that if you give the flesh an inch it will take a mile. Our souls depended on his being faithful. So, as Luke records, "Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem" Literally, in the Greek, "He set his face like a flint stone toward Jerusalem." http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-63-the-stone-face Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:19:11 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets jesus,obedience Kefa had often preached that Christians, when afraid of sorcery, should trust God instead of running to the witch doctor for protection. It was easy to preach this; it took great faith and courage to do it. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-62-the-leaves-have-ears Fri, 23 Mar 2007 12:24:04 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets faith,superstition,courage,witchcraft "Lord, I don't know what will happen in my life today, but you do. Please bring across my path the people whom you want me to help, and make me able for that ministry." If you sincerely and regularly pray that prayer, life can never be boring again. You are constantly watching to see what God will do next. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-61-never-bored-again Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:28:45 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets life,ministry,boring,adventure,discipleship No wonder Jesus is called the Great Shepherd. He notices needs, he gets into people's lives, he helps them, he remembers them and he follows up. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-60-a-shepherds-heart Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:32:12 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets care,shepherd Why Zacchaeus out of all that crowd? Jesus detected a heart ready for repentance. He always does and comes near. Jesus sent Philip to the Ethiopian, Peter to Cornelius, Paul to the Macedonian and the Corinthians, all of them hungry for God. At table Zacchaeus stood up and made a decisive commitment: "Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor...If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." From ripping off to giving away! There are people all around us tired of sin and looking for a better way. This 180-degree transformation shows what Jesus can do for the most improbable life. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-59-longing-of-a-little-man Sat, 03 Mar 2007 13:36:17 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets transformation,repentance,zacchaeus,jesus "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-58-a-chance-to-start-over Sat, 24 Feb 2007 13:44:01 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets gospel,new_creation,new_beginning God is love, and love has to express itself. God so loved the world that he gave up his Son. The world is dying of selfishness. The more we grow like our Heavenly Father, the more we will love and give. The heart of Christ's teaching is that we gain life by giving it up. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-57-is-faith-an-aspirin Sat, 17 Feb 2007 13:47:25 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets selfishness,selflessness,love,self,denial,sacrifice "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-56-different-dinner Sat, 10 Feb 2007 13:50:52 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets selflessness,unselfish,poor Sometimes there are Biblical reasons why churches can't work together. Other divisions continue simply because there is no motivation to work toward unity. The Spirit longs for unity where it is Biblically possible, and so should our spirits. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-55-may-they-be-one Fri, 02 Feb 2007 13:54:56 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets unity,fellowship,division You may seem worthless to yourself, but you are not worthless to Christ. In spite of criticism, he let a sinful woman wash his feet with her tears. He spent time with "losers" and outcasts. People sought him because they immediately sensed how he loved and valued them. He did not endorse their sin but he looked beyond it to what they could become. He loved us "while we were still sinners." Then and now Jesus is in the business of making things new. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-54-worthless Sat, 27 Jan 2007 13:57:57 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets jesus,acceptance,rejection,worth,value Our friend Pamela Marson says, "The safest place in all the world to be is in the center of God's will." Jesus knew he was on God's mission. Nothing could happen to him until it was completed. Each of us is also called by God for a purpose. If we are traveling on that mission, even amidst storms of risk and opposition, we can sleep the untroubled sleep of Jesus. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-53-pillow-peace Sun, 21 Jan 2007 14:00:35 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets peace,storm,fear,faith It is impossible to love with the love of Jesus and still hate people racially. Nor can people who really know each other keep on hating. When we get past our foolish, inherited prejudices, we find that we have in common the things that really matter. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-52-holy-forgetfulness Sun, 14 Jan 2007 15:04:34 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets living_water,samaria,samaritan We still know when to take an umbrella to work. How to educate our kids for financial success, how to advance in our career, when to change the tires on our car. But many Christians seem oblivious to other truths any one of which could totally change their lives... http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-51-smart-ignorance Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:09:28 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets signs,sight,blindness Our children will be no more serious about spiritual things than we are. http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-50-an-intentional-grandma Sat, 30 Dec 2006 15:13:35 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets spiritual,discipline,memory,heritage http://www.nbchurch.com/article/nuggets-1-open-our-eyes-lord Sun, 16 Jul 2006 11:36:11 CDT B. Shelburne Nuggets