Blog Move

I moved my blog to a self-hosted blog. You can now find me at mikesilliman.com or mistakemaker.com.

Dr. Pepper & Guns N’ roses

What does Dr. Pepper & GNR have to do with each other? Click here to find out and click here on Sunday to claim your free Dr. Pepper.

I care about Joe the Plumber for a different reason

A middle class, blue collar plumber named “Joe” was made famous in the last presidential debate. Each candidate used Joe as an example of who they are fighting for in this election.

I care about Joe the Plumber for a different reason…

I got to thinking about the “Joe’s” all around our community and County…The hard working men and women that are just trying to make it through life one day at a time. 

These “Joe the Plumbers” are all over the place and are looking for answers in life and hoping for change. Joe struggles as a divorced father trying to raise his kid properly. Joe tries hard to balance work with family. Joe wonders what life would be like if he did things differently. Joe struggles with addiction problems. Joe struggles to make ends meet each month. Joe wants desperately to find happiness. But Joe is looking for answers in all the wrong places.

I give my life to helping Joe find truth. I find myself praying for Joe when I can’t sleep at night. In fact, I can’t stop thinking about Joe….Joe is always on my mind. I’ll do everything in my power to help Joe find peace in this life and the next. Our church exists for Joe. We love Joe. We accept Joe for who he is. We don’t judge Joe. We don’t think we’re better than Joe. Joe doesn’t have to clean up before he comes to our church. We will serve Joe. We will invite Joe to discover life in Jesus.

Jesus died for Joe…and that makes all the difference in this world and the next for Joe.

IF’s & BUT’s

If IF’s & BUT’s were candy & nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas! – “Dandy Don” Meredith

The story of how God called Gideon is incredible. Gideon was a “play-it-way-safe” kind of person. “Risk” was NOT in his vocabulary. He had two goals in life…

Goal #1. Live under the radar and be very “average”.

Goal #2. Stay alive! 

As the Israelites were on another cycle of disobedience, The enemy was pounding on Israel. The enemy (the Midianites) would swarm in quickly…steal everything, destroy everything that they didn’t steal, and leave quickly! Israel was taking this beating for seven years!

That’s when God called Gideon. Gideon took his job of threshing wheat to an underground winepress to hide, just in case the bad guys pulled one of their sneak attacks. Gideon wanted safety. God wanted Risk.

God called Gideon a “mighty warrior” as he was hiding in a hole of doubt, fear, inadequacy, & insecurity. But God always calls us based upon our future potential, not based upon our current position! 

Gideon tried to use every IF & BUT imaginable to stay safe, stay average, and stay alive! God was patient…Gideon eventually allowed God to turn his IF’s & BUT’s into YES’s & WHEN’s. 

IF’s & BUT’s produce CAN’Ts & WON’Ts…YES’s & WHEN’s produce GOD WILL & GOD CAN!

What next step is God asking you to take that scares you to death? What excuses are you giving to God that are keeping you from accomplishing all that He wants you to be? No more playing it safe! Remember…God will & God can!