Touching Our Generation

Saturday, January 26, 2013 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments


People need to be touched, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Touching is fundamental in our culture. We touch people that we love and are concerned about.

We teach children that there is both a good and bad touch. There is a holy and an unholy touch. There are touches for benefit and touches born of deceit.

Effective evangelism begins with touching people. Before we can get them saved, we need to first "win" them. The win people is to gain their attention in a positive way. People want to know that we care about them.

This type of touch begins with making contact with people in many ways:
1. Greeting them in Jesus' name
2. Inviting them to Sunday Worship & Word Encounter
3. Sharing literature such as our Sunday School brochure. Be mindful of what your give people. Don't confuse them.
4. Offering to pray for people: Pray the correct prayer in a suitable setting. Put yourself in their shoes

Some examples of how Jesus touched people:

Touch to reassure and remove fear
Matthew 17:6-8 (New International Version)
5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

People need to be touched, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Touching is fundamental in our culture. We touch people that we love and are concerned about.

There is both a good and bad touch. There is a holy and an unholy touch. There are touches for benefit and touches born of deceit.

Effective evangelism begins with touching people. Before we can get them saved, we need to first "win" them. The win people is to gain their attention in a positive way. Rather than preparing to do "spiritual battle" with people, let's just touch them with God's love first.

This type of touch begins with making contact with people in many ways:
1. Greeting them in Jesus' name
2. Inviting them to Sunday Worship & Word Encounter
3. Sharing literature such as our Sunday School brochure. Be mindful of what your give people. Don't confuse them.
4. Offering to pray for people: Pray the correct prayer in a suitable setting. Put yourself in their shoes

Touch for healing
Mark 7:32-34 (New International Version)
32There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. 33After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. 34He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!" ).

Another touch for healing
Mark 8:21-23 (New International Version)
21He said to them, "Do you still not understand?" 22They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"

Touching children to show God's personal love and compassion
Luke 18:14-16 (New International Version)
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 15People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these

Healing touch to undo something wrong that was done
Luke 22:50-52 (New International Version)
50And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 51But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him. 52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?Touch People

Touch of provision at a wedding
John 2 (New International Version)
1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." 4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." 5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. 8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

Returning to a place once touched with greater credibility
John 4:46 (New International Version) 46Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum.

Go touch someone today with the love of Jesus!

New eBook for iPad and iPad Mini, "How to Take Better Pictures With Any Camera"

Tuesday, January 22, 2013 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments



New eBook for iPad and iPad Mini
"How to Take Better Pictures 
...With Any Camera"

BY BRYAN HUDSON

Helping you take better pictures is the purpose of this multi-touch, interactive e-book for iPad.

Everyone can take better pictures. From beginners all the way to professional photographers, there is always a way to improve. You will learn how to properly compose pictures using any digital camera, including smartphone cameras. There are also insights on how to edit your photos.
Taking better pictures begins with thinking better since photography is as much an activity of the mind as it is using the camera. This is a book for everyday people who enjoy capturing moments in time to enjoy and share.
This is a media rich 81 page e-book with tips, instruction, tutorials, and many examples of great photographs by the author. This book also contains a glossary of terms that you can access directly from the text. Throughout the book are live internet links to information and helpful resources.
This introductory cutting-edge digital book is certain to be useful as you increase your enjoyment of photography by learning new skills. Updates to the book will be released from time to time.

Chapters Include:

Chapter 1 | What is the Best Camera? Three basic types of digital cameras
Chapter 2 | Basic Training: Exposure, depth of field and composition
Chapter 3 | Ready, Aim, Snap: Methods for taking better pictures
Chapter 4 | Mobile Phone Photography
Chapter 5 | Editing Your Photos
Chapter 6 | Special Effects
Chapter 7 | Sharing and Storing your photos
Chapter 8 | Sharpening Your Saw: Info and resources for further learning

Only $5.99

Available in iTunes iBookstore

The Dream is Alive in Those Who Serve Others

Monday, January 21, 2013 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments


Cast Your Burdens on the Lord! (Photo)

Monday, January 14, 2013 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments



Keep it Simple

Monday, January 14, 2013 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments

2 Cor. 11:3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

God gave Adam and Eve simple instructions. The devil's craftiness made them feel discontented when they should have been perfectly content.

This is a very common trap, even until this day. People can be corrupted from simplicity in Christ, and become addicted to unnecessary complexity. This leads to a loss of peace, joy and forfeiture of position (Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden). Said another way; people become carnal, petty, and "flaky."

Don't go there! KEEP IT SIMPLE!

In John Chapter 15, Jesus said we are like "branches" connected to a grapevine. The natural growth pattern of vines is complex and confusing. Vines (and people) need a "vinedresser" to purge and prune the branches. This keeps the vine (and people) simple and fruitful.

Three keys to simplicity and fruitfulness:
1. Follow instructions from the Vinedresser (Jesus) and His “associates” (pastors, elders, etc)
2. Put first things first. Seek first the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33)
3. Do your best. Doing less will require more effort to correct mistakes.

Feeling Cut Lately?

Monday, January 07, 2013 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments

Jesus said in John 15:1-2, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

Like vines in the vineyard, everybody and everything gets cut by God. There is the cut of purging, and there is the cut of pruning. Purging cuts out the bad stuff. Pruning cuts the good stuff to make it better and more fruitful. This cutting may feel bad, but it is good!

We don't want to look like this unkept vine:



We want to look like this vine which has been purged and pruned by the Vinedresser:



You are Chosen, Appointed and Fruitful in 2013!