Since Jen and I got married we read through the yearly bible 3 times and started just recently on our 4^th time. It is a great start into the day by just reading the plan on the phone or let the phone read it to you. Many times we leave encouraged and also learn something new that God is speaking to us during those times.

Today part of the reading was in Psalm 37. It was so encouraging to read the promises in there. As an example Verse 5:

Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.

What a call and what a promise. When we commit everything we do including our work, our off times and all other times, it will build trust in us and God can show us through it his help. Wow what an encouragement. And all of that by just spending 15 minutes per day to read the bible.

We want to encourage you to start a one year bible reading plan and to be encouraged through his word. You can either way buy a one year bible or you can just download the you version bible app to your phone and select the one year bible under the reading plans. To succeed in going through ask yourself those 3 questions.

1. What is a good time for me to do that (morning, night, afternoon etc.)
2. What is my plan to not quit after I missed a day?
3. Who can I invite to join me?

Now be encouraged by reading your bible.

Hey our friend

We hope you had a fantastic week. We had a week full of events in our apartment like a memorial bbq with friends from 5 nations, a visit from my brother and his wife from Germany and a german night at our house. Its wonderful what can happen when you create a place for community to happen. We want to encourage you to be one of those places in your neighborhood.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Recently I saw a commercial where a little boy goes into a diamond store and wants to buy a gift for his mom. After he choose it he put all his money he saved, which was just some change, on the table, which of course was not enough for the purchase. But in the next shot you see the Dad standing in the back showing his credit card with that saying he will pay for the rest.

I believe this is also a beautiful picture of us working with God. When we do our part God will take care of the rest, the bigger part.  But we have to step out in faith that He can show himself faithful.

We want to challenge you to step out in faith this week in one area in your life!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. Jen and I are back in the swing of things after having a wonderful refreshing vacation. Its exciting to see all the great things God is doing in our neighborhood. We want to encourage you to get involved in your community and shine as a light in it!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

 Last week we wrote about the need for fathers in todays time and how each one of us should bring the love of the father to others. A while ago I listened to a sermon from Paul Manwaring about how to be a father. It was probably the best sermon I have ever heard on that topic so I took some of his points into this blog. Learn about some of the roles of a father and what fathers are supposed to do:

1. Fathers give direction. They help their child to find the right path and help them to discover what they love.
2. Father’s believe in their kids. Even if no one believes in a child a father always does and he always sees the best in them.
3. Father’s fix and restore things. Even if the child made a mistake or did something bad, a father helps to fix the situation and restore it.
4. Father’s teach the kids in how to love their spouse. By living in a way in how they honor and love their spouse they teach their child by example how to do the same someday when they get married.
5. Father’s provide and steward resources.  When a father teaches his child how to steward resources, he will help them to know how to earn them and how to deal with them to always have enough.
6. Father’s create the moral compass for the children. When they do that they teach their children on how to choose what is right.
7. Father’s love unconditional not just if you do well in school as an example, but even when you mess up I do love you.
8. Fathers give to the child even undeserved. When we do that we create a greater picture in the mind of the child what unconditional love means.
9. Father’s give identities. A father affirms his child and through praying and hearing from God, he affirms the true identity of his child. Example if God shares that the child is an inventor, guide the child in a creative way into the area of inventing things.
10. Father’s teach thankfulness. Thankfulness is the number 1 key to a happy live, but it is one of the most lacking thing in today’s time. Fathers help children to grow in thankfulness by example. As an example: Thank you God for the rain which brings water so we can grow food to live on.
11. Fathers are willing to pay a price. Sometimes that means to sacrifice some of their own plans to help the child succeed.
12. Fathers are not afraid to show weakness. When we show a child our wekness it helps them to do the same and it creates a humble heart that is able to grow.
13. Fathers teach kids not fair but make them favorites, which helps them to grow to the best they can be. AS an example if one child is excited about soccer buy them a soccer ball and play with him and also put him on a team. The cost for that is fairly low, but you made the child through it to feel like a  favorite. If you have another child that wants to play the violin, buy them a violin and help them to have lessons and then join them when they practice and play. Through that that both children feel like favorites even if the investment in the one was a lot higher than in the other one.

All those points are written towards being a father to a child, but in reality they all apply to every person we father or minister to. If it is someone in church or someone at work.

Be a father and through it show people a glimpse of their Father in heaven!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. Jen and I are on vacation this week. Please keep the ministry and North Beach in your Prayers while we are gone. Thank you for being part of our life.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

If you watched the super bowl this year, especially the commercials, you saw in a lot of them a strong theme of fatherhood. I also noticed that  being a father theme was also advertised on some billboards here in the city. Why is there such a focus on fathers in this season?

Because it reflects the need in our society. Over many years the role of fathers and family didn’t have a strong value in many parts of society. But many people are longing for good fathers and family.

So this actually opens up a great opportunity for us as the Body of Christ / church. The world is asking for fathers and community and we have the opportunity to give it. How? Lets get involved in the lives of the people around us. Let’s be friends with them and start investing in their lives. Let us invite them into our lives and show them how our father means it well with us. In the bible it talks many times about God the loving father. Let’s bring that loving father that that the world is looking and longing for to them.

Start this week to invest in a person in your school, workplace, neighbors etc.

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. Jen and I are on vacation this and next week. Please keep the ministry and North Beach in your Prayers while we are gone. Thank you for being part of our life.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen