Archives For Arron Chambers

In this video blog, I reflect on something I remembered while on the weight room floor.

In this video blog, I’m discussing an upcoming message I’m delivering on divorce at Journey Christian Church (11/18/12). The message will be available here beginning 11/19/12.

In this video blog, I remind father’s of an important parenting point as I reflect on my wife being out of town and my daughter’s biggest concern about Rhonda’s trip.

I hope this will help you to enjoy the journey a little more this week.

This weekend I delivered a message I wrote in response to Rob Bell’s best-selling book, Love Wins.

I entitled my message, Truth Wins!

Several ministers and people have asked for my manuscript, so I’m sharing my entire message on my blog.  Feel free to share this message however you see fit.  All I ask is that you credit this message properly.

I will have more to share on Rob’s book in the coming days.  For now, this is what I have to say:

_____________

Truth Wins

By Arron Chambers

 I love to write sermons, but I don’t like to read them.

Today I’m changing that up.

What I want to say to you—as we start this new series on Truth—is so important that I want to get every word right so I’m going to read my message.

You may not agree with everything I’m about to say.

That’s fine.

All I ask is that you check everything I say against the only standard that matters—the Bible, God’s Word.

I have to tell you that I’m preaching angry today.

Now, I’m not angry about being at Journey.  No, quite the opposite.  I love this church and I love serving with you.  Weekly, you are like abundant cool fresh water source to this man’s parched soul.   I love you more than I can express.

And I’m not angry about being in Greeley.  No, quite the opposite.  Greeley is a great place to live. I love our view of the mountains.  I love that we eat cinnamon rolls with our chili!  I love raising my kids here.  I don’t really like the smell some days, but—otherwise—I wouldn’t trade my Greality for anything.

And, you need to know that I’m not angry with you.  No, quite the opposite.  I’m proud of you and humbled to be in the presence of greatness, kindness, and so many good people who love Jesus and are committed to changing this world.

And, I’m not even angry that my Colorado Rockies have been losing a lot lately because Jimenez can’t hit the strike zone, Ian Stewart is playing like…me, Cargo can’t seem to hit homeruns anymore, and Houston Street can’t hold a save to save his life!

But I digress.

No, I’m not angry with you.  I’m frustrated because I just read a book that I found very troubling.

And I’m not talking about American Idol judge and Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler’s new memoir, which is actually beautiful, just beautiful.  Just kidding.

A preacher named Rob Bell recently released a book entitled, Love Wins.  I find it troubling because I don’t think Rob is telling the truth when he strongly suggests that…

–Atheists go to Heaven. (pp. 1-4, Love Wins)

–Hell is not eternal. (pp. 91-93, Love Wins)

–Christ’s use of the word “Hell” is hyperbole. (pp. 71-75, Love Wins)

–Lost people can—after death—eventually move into a new state and be with Christ in Heaven. (p. 105, Love Wins)

–Because of God’s love, “Given enough time, everybody will turn to God and find themselves in the joy and peace of God’s presence”—even after death! (p. 107)

–He also suggests that we can’t answer this question, “Will everybody be saved?” (p. 115)

When I read that sentence, I ran to the garage for some duct tape, because I thought my head was going to explode.

Rob, we can’t say—with authority—that not everyone is going to be saved?!?

Rob, I wish that everybody could be saved too, but Hitler, Bin Laden, and Jesus know that not everybody is going to be saved.

Jesus said…

Matthew 7:13,14

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

 Mark 16: 15,16

15And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

This is the truth we find in God’s Word and I’m so frustrated with Rob because he should know better.

He attended and graduated from a Christian University.  He should know that truth is important.

God wanted us to recognize the importance of truth so He commanded in Exodus 20:16, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Truth is important to God and He loves when you and I walk in the truth.

3 John 1:4

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

The founders of our country recognized the importance of truth, so—in the Declaration of Independence—they wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

When we sign important legal documents, we are asked to sign our name on a line confirming that the information we’ve submitted is true.

Parents understand the importance of truth, so we tell kids the story of little George Washington being asked if he cut down a cherry tree, to which he replied, “I can not tell a lie. I did.” Which, ironically, is a lie because it never happened.

Superman recognized the importance of truth and made it the first word of his slogan: “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.”

 

Our legal system recognizes the importance of truth, so—when one is testifying in a court room—he must put his hand on the Bible and promise, “To tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

My five-year-old brother Adam recognized the importance of truth, so he was greatly distressed when I told him that the ice-cream scoop was really an “egg-scrambler”—leaving him covered in egg yoke and me very pleased with myself.

It’s no fun to be lied to.

I believe that “You can handle the truth!”

And you must handle the Truth with great care, responsibility, and love.

Men, women, boys, and girls do not need us to entertain them, impress them, or tell them that they can live like hell because there is no Hell.  No.  Men, women, boys, and girls need us to tell them the truth.

They need us to tell them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

What’s the truth?

I’m glad you asked.

The Bible is God’s word.

2 Timothy 3:16,17

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

God’s word is the truth.

John 17:17

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

There is a God.

Romans 1:19,20

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

God is One.

Deuteronomy 6:4

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

 God created this world.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

 Human beings are created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27

 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;male and female he created them.

 When God created everything, it was good.

Genesis 1:31

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

 God didn’t create cats. The Devil did. Jk (wanted to make sure you were paying attention.)

Adam and Eve morally fell in the Garden of Eden because they ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3:6

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Adam and Eve’s descendants became wicked and only Noah found favor with God, so only Noah and his family were saved when God destroyed the Earth with a flood.

Genesis 7:23

He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.

Eventually, the Earth was repopulated through Noah and his family and God made a covenant with one of Noah’s descendants—a man named Abram.

God promised Abram that all of the families of the earth would be blessed through him.

Genesis 22:15-18

And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said…”I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise that God made to Abraham.

Galatians 3:16

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Jesus is God in the flesh.

John 1:1, 14

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth

Jesus and God are one.

John 10:30

I and the Father are one.

Jesus was born of a virgin.

Matthew 1:23

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”(which means, God with us).

This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Jesus never sinned.

Hebrews 4:15

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

All human beings are sinners.

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

All sin leads to death.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death,

This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Through Jesus we can have eternal life.

Romans 6:23

but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Jesus died for our sins.

I Peter 2:24

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

 

Jesus rose from the dead.

I Corinthians 15:3,4

 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

If Jesus is still in the tomb, we have no hope of resurrection.

I Corinthians 15:12-14,16-20

 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Jesus came to seek and save lost people.

Luke 19:10

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

God wants us to seek and save lost people anywhere and everywhere.

Matthew 28:19,20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

Through faith in Jesus Christ demonstrated through belief, confession, repentance, and baptism, we can be forgiven of our sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:37,38

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In Christ, if we confess our sins, they are forgiven.

I John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Jesus ascended into Heaven and now sits at God’s right hand.

Mark 16:19

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

The Church is the body of Christ.

Colossians 1:24

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

Satan is real.

Matthew 4:1

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Satan wants to devour us.

I Peter 5:8

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Satan is a thief, murderer, and a destroyer.

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

 But, Jesus came so that we’d have life.

John 10:10

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Satan is a loser.  (I actually don’t have a specific Scripture for this, but it just feels good to say.)

Hell is real.

Mark 9:43-48

And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.  And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

Hell was not prepared to punish people.  It was prepared for the Devil and his angels, but all who reject Jesus go to Hell.

Matthew 25:41

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

God doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Hell is eternal.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-9

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Rob Bell is wrong.

Jesus is coming again!

Matthew 16:27

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then repay each person according to what he has done.

Heaven is real.

John 14:2

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

God loves you, your neighbors, and everyone else in the world.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world,

God wants you and whoever else who believes in His son to go to Heaven.

John 3:16

that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

 Heaven is eternal.

Matthew 25:45,46

Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The only way to get to Heaven is through Jesus.

Let me pause here and make an important point.

Why should we tell people the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?  Because truth is the only thing that will truly save scared, confused, and lost people.

Do I believe in the overwhelmingly wonderful and pursuing love of God?  Yes!

Do I believe that we’re supposed to love each other and every other person in this world? Absolutely!

Love is our motivation, but truth is our message.

The only true love is love that is based on truth.

Only truth truly changes lives.

Only truth truly offers hope.

Only truth truly saves us.

Only truth truly sets us free.

John 8:31,32

 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

God is love, but love is not God.

When Christ’s disciples were scared, confused, and lost Jesus didn’t offer to give them a hug–He told them the truth.

John 14:1-6

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The thing that frustrates me most about Rob’s book is that I believe he’s raising up a generation of people who will have no fear of Hell.

No Hell…Wow! Wouldn’t that be great?  Where do we sign up for that?

Not in the Bible!

And not at this church, because I love you too much to not tell you the truth.

His book has made Rob pretty popular outside of Christian circles, which doesn’t surprise me.

If I’d spent my life rejecting Jesus, living in sin, professionally breaking every commandment, cursing like a sailor, cheating on my taxes, womanizing, hating my neighbors, neglecting my kids, encouraging cat ownership, abusing God’s name, and mocking everything good and holy, I’d want Rob Bell to preach my funeral because he seems to think that dying outside of Christ is really not that big of a deal.

I disagree.

I believe what the Bible says about Hell and I think it’s something to be avoided at all cost so I think the fear of Hell is an important thing.

But, I also believe that—in losing their fear of Hell—the people who embrace the teachings of his book risk also lose their fear of God.

Yes, God is love (I John 4:8) but He’s also a “consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).

And we will one day stand before him, so I want to walk for Him—and to Him—in the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth because I believed Him when He said, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.’

So, walk in the truth and—no matter what you face in this life—you’ll realize that truth wins.

Facing discouragement?  Truth wins!

Facing fear?  Truth wins!

Facing alcoholism? Truth wins!

Facing guilt? Truth wins!

Facing debt? Truth wins!

Facing depression? Truth wins!

Facing heartbreak? Truth wins!

Facing cancer?  Truth wins!

Facing sin? Truth wins!

Facing an eternity without Jesus?  Give your life to Him today, because Truth wins!

This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Yesterday the Christian Standard magazine published an article I just wrote on the issue of Cohabitation.

The article was birthed out of the reaction to a post on this blog from 2009 (Seven Reasons Why Living Together Before Marriage is Not a Good Idea)  that has been viewed (as of today) over 50,000 times.

Here’s an excerpt from my article, Cohabitation for Idiots:

OK, I can hear what you’re thinking. This is an opinion section in the Christian Standard, and you’re going to try convincing me that living together before marriage is a bad idea. Why don’t you stop wasting my time and tell me why I’m right to believe it’s a sin for women to serve Communion?

Well, because I’m not and you’re wrong, but that’s just my opinion and not the point of this opinion piece.

And anyway, I’m the one who was asked to write an opinion article about something I care about and I want to write about cohabitation, which I’m a lot more excited about than what I was previously going to try to write about, which was an article about why we don’t use hymnbooks at Journey Christian Church (where I am the lead minister), which I realized was quite simple to answer: because we don’t want to—and by “we” I mean those in the leadership team who lose sleep over reaching lost people.

So, that’s that, and now I really do want to try to convince you that living together before marriage is a bad idea—and by “you” I mean “you members of the Christian church,” because according to a survey on my blog,1 which more than 1,600 of you answered, the majority of you Christian church people who took my survey (40 percent) believe it’s OK to live together before marriage.2

I do a ton of marriage counseling. Currently I’m working with about a dozen couples from all over the country. In the past 21 years of ministry I’ve worked with hundreds of couples, with most of it being—what I would call—“crisis marriage counseling” with couples who are having huge problems that are directly connected to the fact that they cohabitated before their wedding day.

So, let me “waste” a few moments of your precious time and share why I think cohabitation is an idiotic thing to do.

Click here to read the rest of the article: Cohabitation for Idiots.

Here’s a chart that I’ve created comparing Convenient Love vs. Covenant Love:

My book comes out in 2 days and I can’t wait for you to read it.

The website for my new book Eats With Sinners is now live: http://www.EatsWithSinners.com.

On the website you can order copies of my book.

If you are looking for a good Christmas gift for the reader in your life, why not order a copy of my book? :)

I will sign any book ordered between now and December 16th and include a copy of one of my other books as a free gift for the first 10 people to order a book from my website.  You can order copies of my book by clicking on this link: Order Arron’s Book Here

If you’d like me to include a special message to the recipient of the book, indicate that on the order form and I’ll make sure to personalize the book before we send it out to you.

Here are some of the endorsements that have come in for Eats With Sinners:

My latest book comes out this Friday and I need your help.

I believe my book–Eats With Sinners–can revolutionize how Christians look at evangelism and can reach countless people for Christ, but for that to happen people have to know about it, buy it, and read it.  :)

Here’s the premise behind my latest book:

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
— Luke 15: 2

In Jesus’ day, eating with someone was a way to acknowledge that person as an equal. Religious leaders considered it unthinkable for a Jewish teacher to eat with people who were common, even unclean. But Jesus cared more about saving souls than saving face.

So who are you eating with? Eats with Sinners introduces a biblical model for evangelism—building relationships like Jesus did, one meal (or cup of coffee) at a time.

Each chapter concludes with a “Meal Plan,” which contains questions designed to give individual readers or small group members the opportunity for personal reflection and practical application of the principles outlined in each chapter. Fun sidebars scattered throughout the book feature recipes, meal traditions in Jesus’ day, and case studies.

Here’s what you can do to help me:

1) Order my book today from Standard Publishing’s site, or from Amazon.com, or from any of the major online bookstores.  Sarah Palin’s book, Going Rogue (which also comes out this week) is a runaway best-seller based solely on online pre-orders.

2) Simply mention my book on your Facebook status, Twitter, Blog, MySpace, etc, and–if your technologically advanced–add a link to Standard Publishing’s website (above) so they can order a copy for themselves.

3) Order a copy of my book online or at your local bookstore, read it, and then write a review on Amazon.com, your blog, your Facebook, your Twitter, or on your MySpace page.  Reviews on Amazon.com are important in generating online sales.  My dream is for one of my books to become a best-seller.  If only a fraction of the regular readers of this blog would go to Amazon today and order my book, it would become a best-seller by tomorrow and set this book up to be distributed to a much broader audience.

4)  This is huge…..sometime in the next few days, go to your local bookstore (Christian or Non-Christian–my book will be available everywhere) and buy a copy of my book.  If they don’t have it, ask them to order it for their store.  You don’t know how important this is.  People can’t buy my book at a bookstore if it’s not on the shelves in the bookstore and bookstores won’t order my book unless there is a demand for it.  I would be so grateful if you would do this for me and help me to reintroduce people to Christ’s primary method for reaching lost people: eating with them.

5) Send an email to your friends and ask them to buy my book, read my book and then spread the word about my book.  Help me to create an online buzz about Eats with SinnersWord of mouth is the best advertising I could ever get for any of my books. I believe in this book and its power to reach countless people for Jesus, but I need your help to get the word out.

6) In a few days www.EatswithSinners.com will go live.  When it’s live, please make sure to check it out and send people to the site.  On the site I’ll have information about a church-wide program I’m creating to help teach people to eat with sinners, I’ll have a link so people can order Eats with Sinners t-shirts (and other merchandise), there’s a place on the site where people can order personalized books, and much, much more.

I write books because I want to help people and make a difference in this world for Jesus.  I believe Eats with Sinners can revolutionize how Christians look at evangelism–and reach may people for Jesus–but for that to happen they have to know it exists, buy it, and read it.

Please help me spread the word about my book and–in so doing–help me reach people for Jesus.



My New TV Show

August 26, 2009 — 4 Comments

It’s a long story, but . . . early last spring someone from a TV station in Denver saw a video we produced for a Sunday morning service at Journey and contacted us about the possibility of doing a series of shows.

My friend and extraordinary videographer, Cale Rogers, and I met with the station’s general manager and sales rep on several occasions to discuss the possibility of doing a show for their network.

After a lot of prayer and discussion we decided to step out in faith and walk through the door we believe God opened for us.  We had no aspirations of doing a TV show.  We simply wanted to produce a video to show during a Sunday morning service at Journey.  God had other plans for that video, so we’re going to trust Him and let Him guide us on this journey.

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Here’s an excerpt from a press release on the show:

Greeley, CO – August 13, 2009 –Are you enjoying your journey through this life?  Arron Chambers hopes so, but if you’re not—or if you could use some encouragement along the way—he hopes you’ll tune in to his new TV program, Enjoy the Journey with Arron Chambers.

Arron is the Lead Minister of Journey Christian Church (2332 W. 27th St., Greeley, CO.)—a rapidly growing church located in Greeley, Colorado—and now the host of a new TV program called, Enjoy the Journey with Arron Chambers which launches on Thursday night September 3rd at 7:30 on KWHD channel 53 (Dish Network & Comcast) in Denver and KWHS channel 51 (Comcast ch. 6) in Colorado Springs.

Enjoy the Journey with Arron Chambers is a new and innovative program which includes encouraging and uplifting messages delivered from locations up and down the Front Range of Colorado.  Shot on location, each program will address issues that impact the lives of everyone traveling this journey called life—issues like marriage, family, relationships, identity, purpose, love, and hope.

Make plans now to watch Enjoy the Journey with Arron Chambers Thursday September 3rd 7:30 pm on KWHD channel 53 (Dish Network & Comcast) in Denver and KWHS channel 51 (Comcast ch. 6) in Colorado Springs.  For a short preview, visit us at http://web.me.com/vlcjrogers/enjoythejourney/

Here’s a link to our show’s website:  Enjoy The Journey with Arron Chambers

Please pray for us as we take this step of faith.  I pray that God uses this show for his purposes and for his glory alone.