New Off The Wall Logo

My wonderful wife is currently using her graphic talents to create a new logo and t-shirt design for Off The Wall Ministry.  Here is a sneak peak as we continue to work toward a finished product.  Leave some comments and let me know what you think.

Seize The Summer

As you may know I am about to embark on a journey with 12 other people across 6 states over the next two weeks called Seize The Summer.  Through worship, drama, and preaching we hope to ignite people of all ages to "Seize The Summer" for Christ.  One of my favorite passages in Scripture is found in 1 Corinthians 15:58 and it says,

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

During the summer we tend to take vacations, whether it be from school, work, or just to get away for a week or two.  Often time that vacation carries over to our spiritual life.  We become more self-focused and less God-focused.  Our commitment to God tends to decrease while our hours of daylight increases.  As we travel together over the next two weeks please pray for us, but also take a look at your summer and be purposeful to seize it, to take hold of the opportunities you have to grow in Christ and love people.

I will try to blog on what is happening and also share our team devotionals with you as well.  Also check out http://polenband.wordpress.com for pictures and video from the tour.

Sermon Notes from Titus 3

This morning I was blessed to have the opportunity to share the message at Countryside Chapel.  The people of the church have grown near and dear to my heart and I am excited to get to know everyone more and walk with them as I move into a role as one of the pastors.  Here are some notes from this morning's sermon from Titus chapter 3:

1. We All Need A Reminder
- We are a forgetful people, we constantly need to be reminded of Biblical truth and what a Godly life should look like.

2. We All Need To Understand The Gospel
- How deep is your understanding of the Gospel?  Do you understand terms like "regeneration," "justification," or "grace?"
Regeneration: to be born again, or born from above (see John 3)
Justified: to declare or treat as righteous (see Romans 4:1-8)
Grace: God's enabling power


3. We All Need To Devote Ourselves To What Is Excellent & Profitable
- Do you live a purposeful and intentional life for Jesus?  Do you build others up or tear them down?

Summary:  We all need to read Titus 3 and other Bible passages (especially the whole book of Romans & Ephesians 2) to be reminded of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We need to study and un-layer all that Christ accomplished for us on the cross and in turn worship and adore him with thankfulness.  Many of us are held back by a fear of truly understanding the grace and mercy of God.  Living a life abandoned to Christ, fully trusting him, following him in faith is scary for many.  My prayer is that you would "taste and see that the LORD is good" and you would know Jesus and his love for you in an intimate way.

Eat God's Words

"Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts." - Jeremiah 15:16

How precious are the words of God to you?  Are they sweet to your taste?  Do they bring you joy?  Do they breathe hope and thankfulness into your life?  Jeremiah digested and delighted God's words.  He spoke them for the people's good.


When we "eat" God's words, when we digest them and let them be nutrition for our souls it makes us spiritually healthy.  Just as in the physical sense we need to have a healthy diet balanced with exercise so we also need a healthy spiritual diet and work out our faith.


Notice Jeremiah said "your words became to me a joy..."  It takes perseverance, commitment, and discipline.  Just as it is hard to stay away from the sweets, to be disciplined to work out we fight the same battle spiritually.  Distractions lead us away from our Bible and prayer quickly eludes our minds.  God will reward your commitment to him and his word with joy and delight.  Ask for spiritual wisdom and insight as you are committed to study his word and your life will change.


My challenge for you today is to set for yourself one spiritual goal for Bible Study.  Find someone to hold you accountable and do it!  My wife and I are personally committing to memorizing 1 Corinthians 13 by June 5th.  My prayer for you is that you would digest the Word of God and it would be joy and delight to your heart.

Northern Ireland Update 7

Beki and I have been praying every morning for our situation and a few days she told God, "I just want to know when my interview is."  Well, a few hours later we got an email that told us her interview is May 24th.  While the downside is that it is far away the upside is that we finally have a date.  We are praying for the possibility of moving the date up to the end of April or first of May however there are no guarantees this will happen.

In preparation for the interview Beki has to get a medical done in London as well as prepare all of our paperwork.  Please keep us in your prayers as we begin to make plans to move forward with the interview and our return home.

Northern Ireland Update 6

It's cold!  Today it is really windy, cold, and dumping down a combination of rain and sleet.  I am ready for summer.  Beki and I are continuing to enjoy marriage.  Everyone keeps asking us about what marriage is like and to us nothing is really different other than we sleep in the same bed together.  This week we have been invited out for dinner almost every night.  Our calendar quickly is filling up but we are just asking God to use us during our time here.

I have been busy skyping in on meetings and keeping up to date with the guys and girls at Off The Wall.  I am also in the process of developing a new website for the ministry so please pray for my patience as I am learning a new program.  I have also been blessed to meet with many young men over here and continue to network and build connections.

Beki and I are trying to figure out how to best encourage and grow one another in marriage.  I love hearing about what she is reading in Scripture.  This morning I was encouraged by the passage she was reading in Exodus 18.  I want to encourage you to take a moment today and read it.  It is a great example of leadership and discipleship.  Continue to pray for favor with governments and airlines over the next few weeks as we await to hear when we will be able to return.

I figured you may like a picture so here is one from our wedding :)

Northern Ireland Update 5

The wedding is over and the dust is settling.  Beki and I moved into a cozy little house that we are renting out until we are able to go home.  We currently do not have a car so we have been walking a lot and relying on others for rides.  We had guests over last night and look forward to using the time we have here to minister to those God puts in our path.  I am having some coffee and meals with some local young guys over here this week.  Beki and I are also taking time to get together with many other newly married couples as we prepare for young married ministry back home in Ohio.

Please keep praying for Beki's visa medical and interview.  Both must be done in London which means we need God's favor to have the timing work out.  It is not like you can just drive to London and can get very expensive flying there and staying a few nights there.  We are praying everything can work out to get the medical and interview done within a few days of each other so we only have to take one trip to London.

During my time over here I am gaining a small insight to what Paul must have felt when he wrote the epistles.  I miss seeing firsthand the growth God is doing in everyone back home.  I am excited for what is to come and pray that I will be with you all soon.  I will leave you with this passage...


"We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but alwaysseek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may yourwhole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Brothers, pray for us.

Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

- 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Northern Ireland Update 4

We were truly blessed by our friends and family on our wedding day.  We had so much fun and loved the worship time during our wedding ceremony.  We spent 5 days in Edinburgh, Scotland that were absolutely great.  We are now back at Beki's parents house trying to find a place to stay for a couple weeks.  Dad dropped off paperwork at the lawyer's office as soon as they returned home so now we are just waiting for our interview to get scheduled in London.  We are praying for a quick return home and finally get settled in our house.

Beki and I started reading Colossians together.  This morning I was challenged by the power and purpose in Paul's prayer and words.  I want to leave you with this passage as food for thought today.  May these words, may this hunger, and love for people be an essential part of our lives.

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  May you be strengthened with all power, according to this glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." - Colossians 1:9-12

Northern Ireland Update 3

So tomorrow I am getting married...

As I am reflecting on the whole marriage process I am finding how sanctifying it is.  If I really open my eyes to everything that has happened, especially recently it is easy to see how self-centered and not God centered we can be.  You own wedding can be in and of itself a justification to put your eyes on yourself.  The problem is that when your eyes are on us they are not on Jesus.  I am enjoying this eve of my wedding just thinking about how great God is.  Thanking him for my friends, family, church and most of all my soon to be wife.  This truly is about him and his glory as two people unite.  May God be glorified and lifted high tomorrow!

Thanks for all the prayers and support for the big day!  Love you all!

Northern Ireland Update 2

It was a blessing to pick everyone up from the airport yesterday in Dublin.  After long waits for delayed flights we eventually got the rental cars and got to experience driving on the other side of the road.  Lets just say it was an experience making the two hour drive from Dublin to Bangor.  Needless to say we all arrived home safely and everyone was able to get settled in.  Today the men are off for a road trip along the coast while the women do their women stuff...lol.

In preparation for marriage I have been reading a lot on marriage, listening to sermons on marriage, looking into the Scriptures for passages on marriage, and praying for our upcoming marriage.  The main thought I keep coming back to is found in Ephesians 5:25,

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,"

This is an incredible challenge and responsibility for us men.  To show our wives the same love that Christ showed us.  For you young guys who someday want to be married I would challenge you to start thinking about this.  Prepare yourself, really start to understand what this means so that you can love your future wife as God has commanded you to do.

Continue to pray as we work through all the last minute details.  Beki and I still have no idea where we are going to live over here when we get back from March 23rd.  Just praying that God will provide us a place to stay till we are able to return to the states.  Our documents are still in the mail.  Upon arrival they will be able to schedule our interview to get us home.  Pray that they would arrive soon.  Thanks again for all your love and support!