Resurrection Sunday!

Elevation Easter!!! Wow!! What more can I say....very moving service today!

Pastor Craig, Phil ( isn't such a bad guy for a NON-Buckeye fan) and the Worship Team, and all the volunteers were on point! They do an amazing job each and EVERY week.

I loved the energy there today. I think I heard the attendance was upwards of 325+ which is amazing considering we had some members out visiting their families!

It is a blessing to see that people we have been inviting are coming to check out Elevation. We have invited quite a few friends and family and it seems like each week we have someone new as our guest there which is amazing! I would like to make that a goal for EVERY week of the year! So I have to think of someone knew to ask quick for next Sunday. This week we had a double bonus.

We had invited a friend that someone else had invited and she came out (Jerrica Choy), but also had been posting about all of the AWESOMENESS of God and all that He is doing in and through Elevation CC via Facebook. It led to my friend Sarah Goodwin (whom I have been great friends with her oldest brother since I was in the 1st grade) and her Fiance' showing up this Sunday which was such an amazing blessing to see her! She gave me the biggest warmest hug of the day!

I also got a lot of complimentary comments on my purple attire! More blessings, yeaaaaa me!

It was also great to see friends from our old church come to visit. (Millers)

I got to share my testimony with a couple whom I have known forever and I made Mrs. Morris cry! Sorry.... lol

Ok so onto what I got out of the message today. As I sat and listened to Pastor Craig talk about "having a BIG Faith in a BIG God, and it will lead to a BIG Comeback", I pulled this out of it..........

If we are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17) because of our faith in Christ through His death, and Resurrection . Then why is it that we fear the changes that God has for us? It is sinful and unfaithful to God to have that fear in our hearts, is it not? Romans 8 says that we are "More than Conquerors". Phillipians 4:13 says that "We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us". Not some things, not a few things, ALL things!!! I so agree with the analogy that most Christians keep their God in a small box, because they think He is a small God (just in their neighborhood) Do we forget Genesis? He created the Heavens and the Earth! That is a BIG God, a God who can and will do ALL things. Psalm 27:1 says "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life. Whom shall I dread? (or whom shall I tremble from?)

I encourage those of you who read this to start putting more and more faith into our ENORMOUS God, who can do anything he wishes. Matthew 7:7 says "Ask and it will be given unto you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you".

Just another little side note:

My wife and I have been planning a business venture for about 2 years. I had(notice it says HAD) lived in fear over some circumstances (even until today), but we have over the course of the last month been putting the wheels in motion a little bit each week. I will say that after today, I gave it totally to God. It is His to do with as He wishes. I know that since it is His, only good things can come of it. I am surrendered to Him with this and everything else. That is the only way it will succeed!!

I hope that this inspires, witnesses, motivate, cultivates, configures, and encourages you in every way imaginable! God bless and have an awesome Resurrection week!

Scott Smith

Confirmation! Elevation!

My family and I have been attending Elevation Community Church, honestly we didn't pray much about it. Although we did pray for us to find a church like Elevation. Once we had decided to attend there wasn't much prayer going to the decision on whether or not to attend there full-time. We have both just been so at peace with the decision.

I must say though it is always nice when God starts confirming things in what you are reading, hearing, seeing, listening to, and doing in your life!


The first "series" we have got to experience is the "Once Upon a Marriage" series. Diana and I are not perfect by any stretch of the means, and having some marital guidance come from the Pastor whether in the form of a sermon or in counseling is always a plus! It has already spoken to me a lot! Craig, I am with you on the Monopoly thing, but for entirely different reasons! I thought Diana was going to bust out in laughter when you brought up that stupid game!

I love that Pastor Craig has addressed real issues that Christians deal with and some pastors are just too scared to mention from the pulpit. Things like adultery, lust, and pornography. These are issues that yes even Christians have issues with. The bad thing is they are all around us and most pastors are afraid to bring up those words in Church! I personally think that is the BEST place to address them!!


Also, staying true to keeping Christ at the center of a Marriage. I can say this, if it wasn't for Jesus... I would not be married today! He has been the constant in our marriage, a marriage without Him will surely fail. Yea, people may stay married without Jesus, but without sharing His Love it is a total failure!

Back to confirmation! Last Sunday, Pastor Craig was teaching on Abram and Sarai and the fact that they tried to do things their own way and what a disaster that turned out to be for MANY generations. One of the versus that Pastor Craig used was

John 15:5
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

I have been reading the book pictured above...."100 Versus Every Dad needs to Know" for about 6 weeks and guess what my verse was Monday morning? You guessed it John 15:5!! I just kind of sat back and said "Wow God, you ARE showing off!" Lol..... It is abundantly awesome how He just keeps reminding us of how we are where He wants us to be on a daily basis! It is REFRESHING! To say the least.

There is also some little inserts from different Authors, and Christian leaders. This one from is from Franklin Graham and I really liked it:

There is not a single thing that Jesus cannot change, control, and conquer because HE IS THE LIVING LORD! (Take that with you on Easter Sunday as we Celebrate the RESURRECTION!!!!)

A Fresh New Beginning!

So today was the first time we got to experience Elevation Community Church as a family! I think we were all a bit surprised in the amount of people that showed up for the Grand Opening. 416!!! Wow!!! That is so thoroughly impressive, even more impressive than that is the fact that 17 people gave their lives to Christ today! My family and I are moving right along with this Church. It has so much to offer for us. First, there are many, many areas to serve in (appealing for all of us). There is a Youth group that pretty much jumped from about 12-15 kids to 20-30 kids in one week (appealing for Austin). There are numerous families in this Church that Homeschool (appealing for Julie, and Diana). Phil, and the rest of the Worship team are absolutely AMAZING!!!! Pastor Craig seemed as though he is supposed to be no where else but on that stage teaching God's word. He was awesome, incredibly funny, and so, so sincere! Very BLESSED that my family FINALLY found their NEW Church home.

It is funny, last week Julie and I attended an event and their Sunday Church service, and we both made up our mind. Today we had Diana, and Austin with us, as well as EVEN more friends and family that came out to see what the NEXT BIG THING God was doing.... Like I said before BLESSED, but even more than blessed. Me and my family are so relieved that we have found this group of people. We have all quickly made some new friends, and are moving quickly to find roles in this new group of believers. Austin and Jordan (our friend Sarah's son) attended Youth Group tonight and they loved it! Both want to be there every week. God is just so amazing. I don't know why it took so long for us to find a new home and hopefully He will reveal that to us, but we are so glad that we have found Elevation Community Church.

Pastor Craig! If you read this, I only have one thing to say (out of Love of course). We need to get a Men's group going! Man time is a MUST!! Lol. We can not let the women out duel us in anything, Monopoly, or Men's Group!

I am willing to go ABOVE and BEYOND to help make it happen too!!

Entering into an Anointed Worship

A few weeks back I was having a phone conversation with a friend about the difference of traditional hymnal worship versus newer contemporary praise and worship music.

This blog is strictly an opinion based blog of mine (especially on this subject) so if you are or get offended by this blog THIS IS MY APOLOGY now.

I have been dreading writing this in fear of whom I might offend or just in general this is kind of a touchy subject!

Here it goes. During the couple of conversations that we had, I brought it to his attention that in all my 30+ years I have been to churches that used both types of worship in their congregations.

During those times as a kid growing up, the entire time that I had heard/sang traditional hymns I have never witnessed the Holy Spirit move over a group of people and witnessed them raising their hands or falling on their face in pure awe of the Holy Spirit working through us as we worship. Not ONCE, NEVER!

God clearly gives us a clear example of how to praise Him, through David's writings in the Psalms.


Psalm 150
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

2Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

5Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

6Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

This is how God tells us to be, this almost perfectly describes a modern worship band! Guitars have strings, drum sets have symbals, usually when they are all being played together people are dancing joyfully unto the Lord! This is what we are to do on Sunday mornings is come together and celebrate LIFE in Jesus, not stand around and chant like a bunch of zombies!

God is EXCITING, now dont get me wrong there are some awesome hymns! AWESOME HYMNS! The words are bery powerful, but there is musical notes in those hymnals for a reason! Because they were written to be sang to music!

How can God tear down the walls of your heart when you don't sound your trumpet?

Joshua 6:20-21

20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

I don't know about you, but I believe Jesus is in the business of tearing down walls! I believe entering into worship with him will tear down the walls of YOUR heart! I believe he wants us to experience His love through the power of worshipping Him. I believe he wants to move in and through your heart through today's modern worship leaders and their gifts as much as the people who have written the traditional hymns in the past.

Try listening to Lincoln Brewster, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Tenth Avenue North, Third Day, Toby Mac, or MercyMe and tell me if the words to their worship songs don't tear down the walls to your heart!

I hope this speaks to you, and remember this is my PERSONAL opinion, but God is very clear in Psalm 150 about how we are to worship Him!

I guess no matter which style best suits you, as long as you are making a "joyful noise" towards our King and creator, that is all that matters!

What a friend we have!

Yesterday I was listening to a sermon on the Cedarville College radio station. I honestly do not remember much about the sermon, but I do remember the minister talking about us having a better relationship with Christ and it got me thinking a little about how our relationships with other humans can compare to our relationships with Christ.

Lets look at some of the things that are common about making new friends and/or maintaining long term friendships. I am going to use some of my current friends as examples ( I hope none of you mind ).

Dave and Robin Hinman, and my buddy Rae!!!!

Last night Diana and I had our Annual get together with the Hinmans!! I guess this is what ultimately got me started on this topic. As we sat there talking to them, and catching up with what seemed like a year and a half of events. It occurred to me that we do not meet with Dave and Robin often enough and that every time we leave our meetings with them it always leaves me wanting to spend more time with them! I have known the Hinmans for over 30 years, and my wife she has only had the pleasure of knowing them for the last 7 of those years, but it is awesome that she shares my appreciation for not only their friendship, but also their Christian influence.

Danny and Danielle Vinson

So a little over a year ago my wife Diana and I had met up with our friends Danny and Danielle Vinson. I had never met either one of them. Danielle had started showing us some houses, and we had been meeting up a couple of times a week to look at houses. After a couple of months had past, we all decided to get together for a cookout. This was the first time that Danny and I had met. Danielle and Diana had known each other since High School. Danny and I became friends instantly. We both have similar interests in careers, movies, video games, education, and most importantly Christ. As we started hanging out with them, we found ourselves wanting to hang out with them more and more, and wanting to know more and more about them.

Fred and Karen Schlicter

Much like Danny and Danielle, Diana and I had met Karen before we met Fred. We had met Karen at Village Christian Schools when Julie was going to school there. A year or so later we were at Julie's soccer practice and ran into both Fred and Karen, and again much like the last couple Fred and I became friends instantly and once again we have been finding ways to hang out with them more and more!

This list could go on and on and on over the last couple of years! Jared and Christine Taylor, Danny and Sarah Simpson, Jeremy and Patty Simpson..... I mean we have made a lot of wonderful friends the last couple of years, but trust me there is a bigger point here than how many friends we have made over the last couple of years.

After dinner last night, I really thought to myself "Man I wish we had more time with Dave and Robin". It seems like 2 hours once or twice a year is a huge injustice to our friendship!

With that said, is that how Christ must feel about us sometimes? That us only spending a couple of hours once or twice a month is such a huge disgrace to the relationship he wants with us?

Jesus gave a sacrifice of Himself that we could never repay in a million lifetimes, yet we often find it difficult to make a conscience effort to just spend an hour a day with him, or maybe an hour every other day.

I find myself often putting off "Jesus time" for either sleep or for TV/XBOX time. Very often to be honest, but as of late that has changed.

The big question is do I do that for my earthly friends? No! If a friend calls and says hey let's meet up for dinner. I say "ok, what time?". That is a normal response. BUT when it is up to me to schedule "Jesus time", I find myself procrastinating more than I do with anything else!

Jesus is THE FRIEND! Jesus is the Friend of all Friends! He cares about you more than any other friend that you know now, or that you will meet in the future! He loves you enough that He sacrificed Himself on a cross for you! He wants you to be close to Him and to know Him better than you know yourself! He wants you to be His friend! He wants a loving committed friendship with you each and everyday and if you have given your heart to Him and asked Him to be the Lord of your life their is a desire in your heart right this very minute saying "Jesus, I want that! I want what Scott is talking about here! I want You to be my friend. I want to be Your friend! I want to be closer to You, can You please show me how to be closer to You?"

This is a new step for me throwing out my phone number on the world wide web, but I am feeling led by God to do so! If you have never accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and if my blog has spoken to you in some way and you want to make that committment that will change your life forever, please feel free to call me and I will pray with you and walk you through it. Even if you have already been saved and just need someone to pray for you, I am here for that too! 513-628-3560

Have a blessed day! Jesus loves you, and so do I!

Ministers' Boycotting Buses over Atheists' Banners???

Today while working I was listening to KLove much like any other day, and heard some talk of the buses in Fort Worth, Texas that an Atheist group had bought advertisement space on it to post their logo's. After hearing what the signs said it struck me in an odd way and I wanted to write about them and what I believe not only about them, but about the churchs' and other organizations who are threatning or who have tried to boycott using these bus lines...

Here is a pic of the bus



A closer look at the banner on the side of the bus:



The first thing I have to say about this post is "THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT". Now before you get all riled up and get upset with me, let me explain! They are very right there are millions upon millions of "Good Americans". There are Americans who pay their taxes every year, who donate to many, many charities, who are good parents, good friends, good citizens, and just overall good human beings.

The problem with that is...... good doesn't get you into Heaven.

Jesus says in John 14:6 that "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

I am all for being good, but just being good does not give you eternal life. Only life through Jesus can do that.

I once heard a story of an Atheist who was so upset with the Federal government that he took his complaint all the way to the Supreme Court. As he stood there stating his case he said "Your Honor, Jews have Hannukah, Christians have Easter, and Christmas. Why can't the Atheists have their own holiday". The Judge replied "Sir I am afraid you are sadly mistaken. Atheists already have their own holiday. April Fools Day, in Psalm 53:1 it says The fool says in his heart, There is no God". Oh yea (Happy Birthday Missy) LOL

Outstandingly true! How can people who say the do not believe in God celebrate Christmas? I bet they do not boycott Christmas and all of their gifts for the sake of what they do not believe in!!!! I bet they soak it up just like every other person on this earth.

Let's get to the part of this story that bothered me the most. I read an article on this off of www.google.com that said there were numerous ministers' from the Ft. Worth area that had protested these signs so much to the extent that they planned a boycott of the bus line.

No I don't know about you, but I am quite certain that this would/has set a fire in me! Why the boycott? What happened to being a light? Spreading the Gospel of Christ? Why boycott the bus line? Why not ride the bus with a Bible in hand and have people from your church volunteer to ride the bus and spread the love of Jesus? Why not take up an offering to pay for random citizens bus fares to show how much the Love of Jesus can spread like a wildfire?!?!?! I just don't get why we would give in to what Satan wants? Are we not called to put on the whole armor of God? I mean let's beat em at their own game! I wish I had the email of every quote, unquote Pastor that is boycotting that so that they may be challenged to stand up for God, Jesus, for their beliefs and not back down from someone who is so naive as to not believe that someone somewhere had to create the sun in the sky, and tell it to when to rise and when to fall, that someone created the stars and told them where to hang in the sky every single night! Someone needs to show them the Love of Jesus!

Romans 1:21
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

I know God is real. I know that God has healed people I know personally that Dr's have said had less than six months to live. How can an Atheist explain that? It is not unexplainable as the may claim. It is FAITH IN GOD, pure and simple. People prayed believing with all of their hearts that God would heal this person and guess what.....He did! Granted their are times like with my Aunt Betty where people prayed their souls out for her healing, but God did not heal her. The reason that I choose to believe is that my Aunt Betty, a devout Christian woman, lived her life to the fullest, served God with all of her heart, accomplished all that God had designed her to do, and probably then some!

As far as my Dad is concerned. He died 19 years ago as of December 7th. As I have mentioned before my Dad would have done anything for anyone. I remember as a young teenager that my Dad while driving to and from Dayton for work would pick up this elderly lady at the same time every week and take her to do her grocery shopping, and then take her home. He met her by seeing her walking down the road and stopped to ask her if she needed a ride. He did this for over a year. A true expression of the love of Jesus!

Take time spread the love of Jesus, you do not know when you may have someone right next to you who is an Atheist or from another religion who does not know the Love of Jesus! Spread His love!

I don't know much, but I know I love You!

Ok soooooo, soooooooooo much has been going on lately and to be honest I have been so stressed out I have pulled out all of my hair! Ha!!!!

Seriously though, with everything going on most of which stress I had brought on myself I have realized something that I have been told my entire life and it is nice to be reminded of from time to time! God is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS Faithful, He ALWAYS has you back, front, top, left side, right side, and especially your bottom covered!

I know my wife doesn't like me throwing all of my business out there regarding my Child Support situation, but I see this as a huge tool to teach others just how faithful God really is in our lives!

Over the summer Diana and I had been running ragged with things from Church to Soccer Practice to general life exsistence. Needless to say I was BURNT OUT! Tired of running every night, tired of being tired every night. BURNT OUT! I needed a break!

At the end of August Austin's Mother filed a complaint with the court for me not paying "timely" payments to Child Support (not the fact that it wasn't being paid, just not on a weekly basis, my total amount for the year had been paid just sometimes it was all at once and sometimes it was weekly). So on October 25th she had her day in court to complain on this matter. My company that I have been working for failed to pay some of my payments on time as well, which the Judge had frowned upon! So on October 25th, he put me on GPS monitoring! I had never been on this before! Better than jail I suppose.

So for the next six weeks the only place I was able to go was to work, the gas station, and home! That is it! God knew I needed a break, God also knew that during this downtime that I would be spending more time almost daily in His presence!I have honestly spent more time in His presence over the last 6 weeks than maybe the last 6 years, and I am loving it. It has become a habitual thing now, and it will always be a part of me now. Whether I was reading my Bibles', reading the Word on (I love this site), or by reading this amazing life changing/challenging book called "Crazy Love". I have thoroughly enjoyed being on "house arrest". A pleasant vacation! LOL

Anyways today I was released from the GPS, and from any further action at this point "Praise God", and I went out on the town for the first time in 6 weeks with my daughter, and my beautiful wife to see "Tangled". Awesome time tonight.

Anyways like I have mentioned in some of my previous posts I have been inspired to write on some odd topics, and these ideas have been flowing from the weirdest places. So for some reason this song just popped into my head this evening after we got home, and I was like this is exactly how I feel about God. I don't know much about what He has for me, what He is doing in me, but I do know that I love Him in all his wonderful splendor, and that is all I need to know! God is ALWAYS FAITHFUL! ALWAYS! (Did I mentiont that already?)