That's my King!

This Will Be Great!

The Sin Snowball

Sin is like a snowball in that it starts as a small some what insignifigant thing only to find out though the course of some time that it will become a raging mountain of snow barreling down the mountain seeking to destroy you. In the first family of creation the Lord told Cain as he was envying his brother over his acceptable sarifice to God, that sin was crouching at the door seeking to devour him. As creatures born into sin we percieve sin as something we can ultimately have control over, but the truth that we will inevetably realize is that sin will devour us!

Voddie Baucham

The Big Question

We hope you enjoyed the DVD you received. We would like to encourage you to pass the DVD along after you've watched it to a friend, neighbor, coworker, loved one, or even a complete stranger. Our prayer is that God will use this project to bring increase to His kingdom. May God bless you and yours. Feel free to leave us questions, comments or snarks at the bottom of this post. Merry Christmas and happy new year!

Ryan and Kelly Melancon

Mary Did You Know?

A couple of years ago my wife and I started a little family tradition. On Christmas eve we watch "The Nativity Story". There is a scene where Mary and Joseph are traveling and they stop in the evening to eat. They talk to one another about when Jesus is a child. They wonder how it will be, if they can teach Him, or if He will already know about life and things. I don't think Mary or Joseph had a clue what to expect, but I know this... They trusted God.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all our family, friends, brothers and sister in Christ, coworkers, and strangers! I would like to write a letter of encouragement today for you during this Christmas season.

This time of year seems to be hard for many people for several different reasons. Many have lost love ones, many may not have loved ones this time next year, and many dread that reconnection with people they have been neglecting. Whatever the reason I think it may be an attempt to sidetrack us from the true meaning of Christmas. The truth is it's very easy to fall into that ditch. I have found myself in and out of that ditch a couple of times already this year.

I would like to reinforce a couple of things that will help you during these times.

1.) Read your Bible! This is so very important yet so often in the busiest times when we need the most help we neglect it. Most people say "Well I have still been praying." The problem is you're doing all the talking and none of the listening. God speaks to us through His word by the power of the Holy Spirit. I like the saying all my teachers used to tell me... "Ryan God gave you two ears and one mouth so you can listen twice as much as you talk." I think the same principle applies here.

2.) Pray! Just as important as reading your Bible, you can't neglect prayer. Not just praying before your meal either. True alone time with your God. One thing I find I do when I start neglecting my prayer time is I up my prayer for Kelly's and my meals... makes for some cold food!

3.) Keep your eyes on the Cross! Through all the hustle and bustle we tend to lose focus on Christ. The first two things will really help with this but you should also fill your thinking with what Christ has done for us. He died so that we might live!

Lastly if you're not a Christian and you don't understand what all the bother with Christmas is about I would encourage you to examine yourself. You may have a problem and not even know about it or you might know but justify it or ignore it. Take a quick test!

www.goodpersontest.com

From Kelly and Ryan we wish you all a very merry Christmas!

Thefivehundred.org

This was our second year to go out with the 500 after the deeper conference and it was great. Our group was sent to a place in downtown Atlanta called four corners. It's an intersection with a Hooters a Hardrock cafe and a few other restaurants. We broke up to the different corners to hand out tracks and a few guys open air preached.

I had a one on one encounter with a guy from Bosnia who is currently living in Minnesota and visiting Atlanta. After handing him a million dollar bill track he asked what it was for. I told him it was the million dollar question and I asked him what he thought happened after someone dies. He simply stated "nothing". I asked him if he thought he was a good person and he said "yes" so I went through the law with him. After asking him if God should sent him to heaven or he'll he said "what about all the good I've done". I simply explained that his argument would never work in an earthly court and explained that God is more just than any earthly judge. He agreed. I then got the oportunity to share the gospel with him. It was really great. Please pray for this man to be saved! He now knows the truth plainly.

If you didn't make it to deeper there's always next year. If the Lord is willing we will be there as long as they have it.

Ryan

Deeper 2009 (day 2)

Amazing...

I have to say that I've never been so speechless so many times in one day!

An amazing thing about learning apologetics is how eye opening it is. The things we learned make so much sense.

While Greg Koukl was signing his book Kelly and I had just bought from him, I told him "between hearing you and Ravi Zacharias I think my head is going to pop!" He seemed disappointed so I quickly responded "a good pop though." He then told everyone in the next session what I had said. That was cool!

Beyond all the good preaching and speaking that we feasted on here, the one thing that has been magnified in my mind throughout the worship is the magnitude of the payment that Jesus paid. The cup of wrath that He drank not only on my behalf, but on behalf of all those who past present and future repent of their sin and trust in the Savior, Jesus the Christ!

This was our 2nd year of many to come to the Deeper Conference and I can say without reservation I have a deeper understanding of our amazing and wonderful God!

Ryan

We're going DEEPER!

Wow.

That's all I have to say.

We're halfway through the second day and boy has it been amazing. Never have I heard the Word of God spoken of and explained more passionately and eloquently.

We've heard so far from Todd Friel, Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, Emeal Zwayne, Johnny Hunt, Mark Cahill, Greg Koukl, Ravi Zacharias, and our worship leader Scott Krippayne. Mark Spence is the last one we'll hear.

Being here you really feel like you're in the presence of fellow believers. This is the true meaning of fellowship; to be able to speak about your Savior to others who also understand the magnitude of it and are as excited and gracious about it as you are.

Last year was amazing but this year it's just been, well hm, deeper? Even the worship this year; maybe I just didn't get it last year, I didn't understand it, perhaps. But this year the songs seem to really magnify the holiness of our God.

It's all just been incredible and it's not even over yet. I owe Jesus so much more than I could ever even dream of giving Him. I thought I had been living my life for Him before but now I see that I haven't been living every moment to His glory as I should. It's time to step it up, proclaim His name. It's time to take it, yes, DEEPER.

Kelly Melancon