The Journey of Life

NEW BLOG SITE

2008-12-29T10:19:00.001-05:00

I have a new blog site at www.thejourneygreenville.com/blog This will be my new posting sight so come on over and check it out.

New Medication

2008-12-19T08:37:00.003-05:00

You might be wondering where I have been lately. Truth is that I have just not felt much like posting. In fact, I have not felt much like doing anything. A couple of weeks ago I started some new medication for my MS. It is called Rebif and is a shot that I give myself three times a week. The side effect is that it leaves me feeling drained of energy. I do not care for that much, but the side effects are supposed to lessen over time. I wish this time would hurry up and pass.

I am hoping that I will be able to post more often after Christmas. Until then I appreciate your prayers and wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Is It Worth It?

2008-12-11T13:46:00.002-05:00

This is the time of year when I usually spend some time reflecting over the past twelve months. It seems like just yesterday when we were packing the Uhaul with all of our worldly possessions and moving to an apartment in Greenville, SC. We were coming with an idea to build a church that is totally focused on relationships.

You might wonder how it's going. Too be honest with you it is much more difficult, requires a lot more faith, and is a much slower process than I imagined. There are days that you don't understand what God is up to, other days when you wonder where all you "friends" went, and still more days where you just wonder, "Is it worth it?"

This is not a pitty party blog, it is an opportunity to share how good God is. "Is it worth it?" Definitely YES! Althuogh my mental movie has not played out the way I imagined, God has another movie playing. To be able to know that God is providing for our every need, to be able to watch my wife obediently follow God regardless of traditions, and to hear my daughters praying for their friends - "Is it worth it?" Again YES!

I have always said that God is more about the journey with you than your desired results. Our family has experienced that to it's fullest over the past couple of months. God is faithful and anything we do for Him, well, Yes It's Worth It All!!!

Is it Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

2008-12-08T08:10:00.002-05:00

This time of year always brings out emotions about saying Merry Christmas. Some stores and businesses do not say the word Christmas in fear of ostracizing those who do not celebrate Christmas or even believe in Christ. It sure will fire up the traditional Baptist and they will boycott stores and go out of their way to say Merry Christmas to all who will hear.

Here is my only thought about that, if you do not live the life of Christ during the year then why get so bent out of shape when others choose not to say the word Christ in Christmas? Remember living the life of Christ is not attending church services or even inviting people to go to church with you. Living the life of Christ is yielding our lives to the Holy Spirit. Obeying when He speaks - loving God and loving man.

We sure are quick to say Merry Christmas, but slower to respond to the person in need. Have we fed the hungry, clothed the naked, given drink to the thirsty, or visited the sick? (See Matthew 25:31-46) If not then we are all words to offer a Merry Christmas.

What would happen this year if we would stop worrying about what is said and become intentional about what we do? What if we were to live out Christmas rather than just talk about it? Maybe we would not have to boycott stores to get our way (or might I say tradition), maybe they would see people that are different and living out Christmas before them. Maybe for the first time they would understand that Christmas is not just a word, it is a Savior!

Do I Love God?

2008-12-02T08:44:00.002-05:00

Lately I have been on a journey to figure out why I do some of the things that I do. One of the areas I am trying to get a handle on is my love for God. I am finding out that there are many things that I do because that's just what you do to show God that you love Him. For example: do I attend church to worship God or to show Him my faithfulness to Him? Am I diligent about loving others in Christ because I truly love them or because God expects it? Do I share Jesus with my neighbors because I am concerned for them, or because it is a mandate of the church?

You probably don't understand what I am trying to say, because I am struggling with this myself. Do I love God and keep His commands simply because I love Him, or do I keep His commands in order to do works to prove that I love Him?

I have been reading I John 1 and 2 the last couple of days and it specifically tells me that if I love God, I will obey His commands. My question is which commands? And that probably is my problem. If I focus on what to obey, then maybe I am missing the point of who to obey. If I am to obey God, then I must spend time with Him daily! He must lead me and I must be open to His will. I must live a life of complete obedience to Him and not a to-do list.

To live this kind of life then I must be in a relationship with Christ. One that goes beyond the thirty minute devotion time I set aside. I must be on a regular speaking basis with Christ. Let's be honest here, it would be easier to follow the commandments of the church than God. The church expects us to be faithful to services, attend special events, attend visitation night, give money, etc. That is why so many can be good church members while never developing a relationship with Christ. Christ commandment is to Follow Him! He is not in a box, nor leads us to a life in one.

So my question is Do I Love God? This morning I see that I can make others think I love God by my actions. But to truly answer this question I must look in my heart and see if my love for God is what is controlling my actions. If not, then do I love God?

A Week In DC

2008-12-01T08:07:00.002-05:00

Each year our family tries to take a vacation during the week of Thanksgiving. We have gone to Mexico to visit some friends that were missionaries, attended the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and this year we traveled to Washington DC.

It had been over 20 years since my last visit to the Nation's Capitol and I have to say that I was quite impressed. From the ease of maneuvering around the city via subway to the friendliness of every person we met, I do not know if our trip could have been any better. Oh, and by the way - Washington DC has to be the most handicap city in America (at least of the ones that I have visited).

The highlight of the week for me was visiting the White House. We had gone through Bob Inglis' office to set this tour up for us and it was worth it! It was hard to believe that we were standing in the House that the leader of the USA lives. The history of it all was a little overwhelming for me to comprehend, but each day I think I am grasping more of it.

Anyway, we are now home and trying to get back into the swing of things. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and now are planning for a wonderful Christmas season.

Why I Did Not Attend Church Sunday - Final

2008-11-20T07:55:00.002-05:00

This week I have diagnosed why I did not attend church this past Sunday. As I make my final post on this subject let me say that I do not believe in forsaking the assembly. In fact, I believe that God is pleased when believers gather together to worship Him. I know that others may not be gathering for the reason of worship, but I am not in control of other people's motives. I will worship God corporately on a weekly basis.

But does that mean that God expects me to be in church Sunday morning, night, Wed. night, visitation, special events, and revivals? I don't think so. Now it has taken me a while to make that statement. I have lived with a box view of church. By that I mean that I saw church one way and everything that does not fit into my box (or view) of church must be heresy - not heresy of Christ, but heresy of my traditions.

To live in a constant fear of missing church is bondage, not the freedom that Christ gives to believers. To live thinking that others are heathens because they do not attend church as much as I might is judgmental and playing the Pharisee! To live in the new life given to me by Christ at salvation means that I focus on God and not my tradition.

To bring this to a close let me say that there are certain things that every believer must do: Love God and Love our neighbors. The church does a great job of focusing on loving God, in fact that is why we spend all of our time there. But the church can never teach you to love your neighbor. That is an on the job training deal. You must be around your neighbors to learn to love them. That is why I won't be in church every Sunday. I need to balance my life to fulfill the Great Commandment of loving God and loving others.

Hopefully this week has allowed you to search your own motives for attending church. Whether you agree with me or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is how are you in loving God and loving other?. If you are not balanced, then you will not live in the freedom of the believers life while making a difference in the world around them.

Why I Did Not Attend Church Sunday Part III

2008-11-19T08:29:00.004-05:00

I was reading in John 1 this morning and noticed this self description of John: "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness; Make straight the way of the Lord." I thought to myself, "self, shouldn't that be a description of me? And as far as that goes, shouldn't it be a description of all believers?"

Christ did not die on a cross for me to sit on a pew, or plan events for people to sit on a pew. Where did we ever get the idea that Christianity is about attending a church building? Why do people allow ministers to plan their spiritual lives - what they need to study to grow in Christ, what events they need to bring people to, who to have fellowship with, etc. What happened to people simply obeying the Holy Spirit and being the voice of one crying out in wilderness?

I, for so many years had become content with the church planning every religious event for my life and then complaining because I was so tired. I am to be the voice of one crying in the wilderness (by the way look at people around you and you will see the wilderness). I am to tell them to get ready for the coming of the Lord, not simply give them a flyer about a church event.
I am to make a difference in the lives of those around me, not simply provide ministry for them. I am to go and be the church, not expect people to come to my church.

I stated yesterday that for many years I have heard that the majority of churches are plateaued or declining. We can continue in our religious events and watch the established church crumble Notice I said established church, I do not believe the Church Jesus established will ever crumble - but maybe His church looks a whole lot different than the way we see church!

So I did not attend church Sunday (see previous posts) because I am attempting to be the church. I am going to be the voice of one crying out in the wilderness for people to get ready for the coming of the Lord. This may take me on a different path than others, but then again didn't it take John this way as well?

Why I Did Not Attend Church Sunday Part II

2008-11-18T08:25:00.004-05:00

To understand why I did not attend church Sunday you must understand that I view myself a little differently than I did just a couple of years ago. I always understood that when Jesus gave the Great Commission He was commanding us to go into all the world. I always put an emphasis on "go" but added that we were to bring people back to the church building to attend a special serviced or event. My go always had a hidden motive.

As God started dealing with my heart about church planting, He began to let me see His Commission in a different light. I began to have such questions as: Will I go to people who will not come to my church? Will I go to them under the disguise of friendship only to get them to do what I want them to do - accept Christ, attend church, begin giving money, etc. Will I model the example of Christ and go to people who would eventually crucify me?

Working through these questions made me see that God was calling our family to be missionaries. (By the way, I believe this means that all believers are to be missionaries.) I thought this meant we would go somewhere cool like Africa or Asia, but it surprised me when God clearly showed us Greenville, SC.

As missionaries we have taken time (almost a year) to learn the language. Yes, people outside of the church have a different language than believers - and not just curse words. We are learning the behaviors and traditions of people. We are learning to go to people who will not come to our churches. We (especially me) are learning to serve people who will never attend our church, give money to us, or support in any way.

You may ask why do all this when there are plenty of churches in Greenville and a ton of good ministry happening. The answer is simple. I have hear the statistic for the last 15 years that the majority of our churches are not reaching anyone - they are statistically plateaued or dying. If that is the case, then when is someone going to step up and try something new? I just figure that God is leading us into something new. A deeper committment to the Great Commission of "Go".

So why was I not in church Sunday morning? (By the way I do not believe in forsaking the assembly, our assembly was Wed night. Read my last blog about this.) Because we were being missionaries to our community by specifically praying for people. Our next step is to begin inviting these people to our home for Sunday brunch. As missionaries, our goal is to go. Therefore, we must adapt to their schedule so that someone is home when we go.

So who are you a missionary to?

Why I Did Not Attend Church Sunday

2008-11-17T10:50:00.003-05:00

Wednesday night The Journey had a celebration service. We decided to have our "Sunday morning worship" on Wednesday nights. The reason why is simple: we want to be able to build relationships with people that do not attend church. When is the best time? Sunday.

So there I sat Sunday morning wondering if I needed to find a church to attend. I mean, don't all good Christians attend church on Sundays? I am not mad at the church, so why would I stay at home? It is amazing the guilt I was feeling even having this conversation with myself. After a while it was decided that we would stay at home Sunday morning.

So we spent some time specifically praying for people in the apartment community in which we live, put out signs about the connections event we were having that night, spent some time with our family, and held the event that evening in which we met several new families. It really was a great day!

Today, I wonder why I had such a hard time going against the traditional model of church. I realize that it is because that is all that I know. I also struggle with the fact that others think I am against the church because I see it in a different way. But why do I struggle when I know that I am being obedient to God?

I have to admit that I am still struggling with my feelings and emotions on why I feel it is important to be in my community and actively praying for it on Sundays. I would like to take this week and work through them. So feel free to read my thoughts, but remember I am still working through them and should be read as such. Until tomorrow...

A Change in Life

2008-11-13T09:55:00.003-05:00

I have heard it said many times that a person will not change until they hurt bad enough to change. It is interesting that I am currently living out this statement. From my last post you know that my MS is progressing and my cholesterol is high. I thought is was dangerously high, but as I talk with other, maybe I am not so bad off. Anyway, to my point - I guess the fear of having a heart attack has encouraged me to make major lifestyle adjustments, starting with my diet.

Now, I have not been a terrible eater - but I do like the fried stuff, cheese, candy, sweets (ok maybe I am not a good eater as I look at this list). But I have gone almost a week with no sugar, caffeine, white rice, potatoes, flour, anything white. I have cut out fried foods, no red meat, and even cracked down on eating gluten. I have replaced my choices with fresh salads, vegetables, fruits, oatmeal (every morning), fish, and anything that has a bland taste. You can say that I hurt bad enough to make a change.

So let's apply this to my spiritual life. Do I really hurt bad enough to make a change. I am not talking about the consequences of poor decisions, but the realization that my sin sent Jesus to the cross. Do I hurt bad enough that every time I act in anger, become judgemental, or promote selfeshness, it is like slapping Jesus in the face?

We have too many people trying to live by a list of things to do to please God. I don't think God is pleased with our list, He is pleased with an obedient heart. We can never be obedient unless we hurt bad enough over our sin to let God take control.

So are you hurting today?

Life Happens

2008-11-11T08:46:00.002-05:00

So after my last post one of those "life happens" moments interrupted my daily routine. I had an MRI of my brain and a ton of blood work. When I saw the neurologist, he told me that the results of my test were not too good. It looks like my MS has moved to a progressive MS. What this means is that things will continue to go down hill with my health and he is not sure if it can be stopped. As a result he wants me to start taking a shot three times a week.

He proceeded to tell me that my blood work showed that my cholesterol was extremely high and that I would probably die of a heart attack before the MS could do serious damage. He was so encouraging. As a result I need medication and a major change in lifestyle (diet, exercise, remove stress, etc.). Fun stuff right before the season of eating sweets!

So for the past week I have pondered my life. I know that God loves me and has a plan for me. I understand that He is in control and that this did not take Him by surprise. The problem is that it took me by surprise. So I got off of my daily routine, changed things up, and just dealt with the situation. Sometimes I think we need to just stop and "be" for a while.

Too many times I have expected believers to bounce through the tough times in life. The reality is that when people need some time, it is not that they are denouncing God or loosing faith in Him - they just need to process what has just been dealt them.

Anyway, don't be so hard on people for taking a time out when life happens. Sometimes they need to know that you are there without you saying a word.

By the way, we are having a service at The Journey this Wed. night. If you are in the area, come and celebrate with us. Email me at mike@thejourneygreenville.com for more information. If you are not around here, will you pray for us?

Lessons from Joseph

2008-11-03T08:26:00.002-05:00

Last night our LIFE Group dealt with the story of Joseph as found in Genesis 37-47. It generated some great discussion and is causing me to continue to ponder about the his life. There are some great lessons that I need to learn and I want to share them with you.

The first lesson from the life of Joseph is that he kept his eyes on God, not the actions of others.

Think about the way others treated this guy. He was sold into slavery by his brothers who originally thought to kill him. He had a great job in Egypt serving Potiphar until Potiphar's wife accused Joseph of rape and Joseph was thrown back into prison. He interpreted the dreams of a baker and a butler and told the butler to tell Pharoh about him when the butler got out. The butler did remember, but two years later.

I am sure that Joseph faced discouragement at the fact that those around him did not treat him very proper. But Joseph never gave up! No matter what circumstance he was in, others could tell that the Spirit of God was upon him.

So what is the lesson for me? Too many times my emotions are tied to the actions of others. Let's face it, church planting is hard work - especially when it is totally based on relationships! I get so excited when someone says they will come and be a part of LIFE group or a Celebration service, but equally let down if they do not make it.

This morning I realized that my attitude cannot be based on the actions of others. I must be grounded on the fact that God has a plan and a purpose for me. The danger is that if I live in a reaction mode to other's actions, then those I love (my family) will just get the left overs - which is the discouraged and disappointed Mike Thompson. If my emotions are based on God, then I can get off of the emotional roller coaster and give my family the best of Mike Thompson.

What about you? Living in reaction to others? How's that working for you and who are you hurting along the way? Let's strive to be based on God, not the actions others. We will be happier and those around us will enjoy being around us.

Happy Halloween?

2008-10-30T08:15:00.002-04:00

I know for believers Halloween seems to be one of those times that we wonder about. Do we celebrate it? Do we boycott it? What do we do with Halloween?

Let me just point out a different aspect of Halloween. Regardless of what you feel about it, Halloween is the best time of the year to meet your neighbors. Think about it... how many times during the year do your neighbors expect you to drop by? Or when do they send their children to your house to receive a trick or treat? Let's face it, Halloween is a great time to build some relationships.

I know there are always exceptions to the rule, but for the most part you will find your neighbors open to a visit. So go ahead, take the risk, meet someone new. Before you seclude yourself from the world by attending a church function, why not drop by the neighbors house? If you do not have children, why not flip your porch light on and welcome visitors? Believers are to be salt and light, not hiding from our neighbors.

Now I know that some parents do not want their children participating in such an evil holiday. I can respect that, but avoiding the world will not keep your children out of hell. This is a great time of conversation between you and your children. Take time to explain what Halloween is about. Contrast that with what the Bible teaches and involve your children in developing a plan for being salt and light in a lost world. Just make sure you talk about facts and not myths (either about Halloween or the Bible).

So with that I will offer you a Happy Halloween and hope that you take the opportunity to meet someone new!

Book Club

2008-10-28T10:00:00.002-04:00

Last night I had a book club meeting so guess what I did all day yesterday? Yep, I read a book - nothing like waiting until the last minute. The book our group read was The Shack.

I found it to be an incredible read. I do not want to comment on it in case you want to read it, but it did challenge my view of God. Is my view of God limited by my religious background? I would have to say yes. I limit God in my view of what I think He is. I also play God when I sit in the seat of judgment against others and even myself. But that is all I can say about that without giving away the book.

Most people I have talked to that have read the book loved it. Still I hear about others who hate it and encourage you not to read it. I would love to hear your comments about the book. If you have not read it, think about picking it up and begin to dialogue about the topic of God.

Update on The Journey

2008-10-23T08:52:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since updating you on the church plant, so here goes:

We have developed our Class 101 which is Joining the Team. Anyone interested in being part of The Journey will first attend this class which covers the basics from what we believe, to how we will function as a church.

We developed Class 201 which is our process for making disciples. Our mission statement is to make disciples that make disciples by loving God and loving others. We do not believe that disciples are made in a weekly class at the church so Class 201 instructs partners (we do not have members) how we intentionally make disciples in small group settings.

We also developed a Class 301 which is Sweet Spot Living. Sweet Spot living takes a persons personality, spiritual gifts, strengths, passions, and priorities and helps them to discover why God created them. We also teach how people can live within their sweet spot reducing frustration in life.

In our first round of Class 101 we had 9 people attend the class and become partners with The Journey. We also had our first worship service and had 19 in attendance. We have moved from one small group to two and are looking at starting a third by the first of the year. Our next worship service is scheduled for Wednesday November 12, so please be in prayer for this.

I am excited to be at the part of The Journey to be putting flesh to the vision that God had put upon my heart a couple of years ago. It has been an interesting journey so far and I know that God has much more in store for us over the coming months.

Why Does The Church Exist?

2008-10-22T08:13:00.002-04:00

I had a conversation with a lady yesterday and she asked where I worked. When I told her that I was in the process of starting a new church, she asked why Greenville needed another church. She did not attend church, but thought that the church must be doing good because she saw their parking lots were full as she passed by on Sunday morning.

What does it tell us when those outside the church define the church's success in terms of how many cars are in the parking lot? The sad thing is that although we will not admit it, that is how we define success inside the church as well.

For change to come to the church we must define a few words - success, disciple, transformation to name a few. Sadly the church has come to a place that success is defined by the number of people in the seats on Sunday and the amount given in the offering. A disciple is someone that attends the church services three times a week, goes on visitation, and is involved in the ministries of the church. While transformation has become those who put their church first (behind God, or course).

We all say that this is not the definition, but it is what we have put in place. I remember feeling this way as a pastor and defining my success on how many people would come and how many would get involved in our programs.

Before change can come to the church, we must define our terms as Scripture does. When we do, we may find that the church is in need of a much needed overhaul to realign our priorities with those found in the Bible.

Will We Just Talk About It?

2008-10-21T07:54:00.002-04:00

I am good at talking about things that I hope will come true. I am a person that constantly dreams about the future, wonders what could be, and envisions what it will look like when my dreams come true. Unfortunately too many of my dreams will never come true because at some point my dreams must produce action or else I am just a dreamer.

Since moving to Greenville to turn a dream into reality I have had numerous conversations about the state of the church. This is not news to me or anyone else who hears it. The church has turned inward, forgotten about the mission given by Jesus to reach the world, and seems concerned about petty things. In fact, I think a sports analyzer would describe the church as a loosing team because it is just floundering with inward battles dominating the agenda.

So here is my thought about that - we know where we are at, but who is telling us where we are going? I am tired of conversations reminding how bad it is! Where are the dreamers, where are those willing to stick their neck out to make change, where are those that are tired of the status quot?

At some point we must move from conversations into dreaming what the church can do to reach the lost (not attract the saved). Then these God inspired visions must produce action or else we are a group of people just doing a lot of talking. Frankly, I am tired of the talk! May God raise up men and women that don't want to talk about the problems of the church, but seek God for a solution and put God's plan into action.

More on this tomorrow.

Has It Been That Long?

2008-10-20T21:23:00.002-04:00

So I am sitting here on Monday night watching some football when I remembered that I have not posted in a while. The last couple of weeks have been absolutely crazy. I have been working a ton getting ready for my final class at Rockbridge Seminary. I have been working on a Master's Degree for a little over 2 1/2 years. Finally I will begin my last class tomorrow morning. I am a little excited about that. I set a goal for myself to have a Master's Degree by the time I am 40. Well I will meet my goal with around 8 months to spare! So what is next? Think I will take a little time off before setting my next goal.

Anyway, hopefully I will get back to posting thoughts about my spiritual journey beginning tomorrow.

What If God Fired Christians?

2008-10-14T08:07:00.002-04:00

A friend called me yesterday and asked me if I heard the news. Tommy Bowden, head coach of Clemson University had been let go. To be honest with you, being a South Carolina fan - I could care less. In fact, I kind of like Tommy Bowden as Clemson's head coach.

As I watched the press conferences (by the way one interfered with my favorite television program "Chuck"! One more reason to hate Clemson) I learned that Bowden was not fired, but decided to quit. Regardless of how you put it, Bowden did not perform up to expectations and was let go.

Get's me thinking this morning - What if God were to fire (or let go) "believers"? What if we had weekly meetings and God asked how we were improving our record of making it to devotion times. What if God actually expected us to be fishers of men and held us accountable to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. What if God asked us how we were improving as parents, how we were drawing closer to Him, how closely we were to carrying out His commands? Pretty sobering questions.

If our Christian lives could somehow be played out on the football field, I wonder if Tommy Bowden's record of 3-3 would look good compared to our lives. A head football coach was "let go" for just breaking even when they were expected to do so much more.

As a believer, don't you think that God expects more out of you besides just breaking even in life? If we never spend time improving our devotion life, becoming better parents, being salt and light in the darkness - then why should we not be "let go" by God? I wonder how many people would be out of a job this morning if God did call a press conference and reveal those that were no longer needed on His team?

Would you be out of a job this morning?

Be Doers!

2008-10-09T08:39:00.003-04:00

What a week! Be careful what you preach because it just may be a preview of what your life will be. It is funny that after studying Scripture on faith, preaching about it, being challenged in our lives yesterday about living it, I am really exhausted. But I am so joyful right now - not just that God heard the prayers of many, but that He thought enough about me to teach me about Faith.

Too many times people want to learn new insights about God's Word so they can gain knowledge, appear to be a spiritual giant to others, gain the next degree, or just be able to prove a point. All of these miss the point of digging deep into the Scripture. We learn so we can put it to practice in our lives by loving God and being obedient to Him.

James 2:22 instructs us to be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

So when we learn about faithfulness, but are too tired to spend time with God; or we learn about humility and find ourselves bragging; or we learn about loving our neighbors and talk about them behind their back - then what are we? Fools with a lot of head knowledge showing the world that we do not really care about following God!

This week I thank God for the opportunity to live out what I learned on Sunday. Without the opportunity to live out what I have learned then I will remain weak in my faith. Also, if I refuse to live out what I learn from the Scripture then am I a follower of Christ? That's one to think on this weekend.

By the way, Thank you to all who prayed for us yesterday. It is truly a blessing to know that we are not alone! Have a great weekend.

Practical Application of Faith vs. Fear

2008-10-08T09:19:00.002-04:00

So I preach about living a life of faith, I blog about it, now the real life test. Last night our older daughter had to go to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. The doctor told us that it is a back up in her outgoing plumbing. In other words, the poop ain't flowing to the outspout. So how is my faith when it is my daughter? I have to say that it is more difficult when your obedience to God cost someone else. But I must move on, I must not let this become a stronghold, I must trust!

Will you please pray for our daughter. Pray specifically for a movement (pardon the pun). Thank you for joining with us in faith that God will touch her body.

Faith vs. Fear

2008-10-07T13:59:00.002-04:00

It is amazing thing that God allows me to preach on subjects that I struggle with. For example, last week God led me to speak about living a life free of fear. As I studied and read Scripture I came to clearly see that faith is the opposite of fear. Now I have to admit that sometimes I whine when I should be living in faith. (OK, if you know me then you know that I whine too much.) I have realized that my whining is simply me vocalizing my lack of faith. Now I know that I cannot just trip a switch and live in complete faith, but I sure am reaching for it. I believe a life of faith is so much appealing to one filled with fear. Check out the characteristics of a life of fear vs. faith:

A life of Faith is full of -
freedom
hope
optimism
focus on the future
healthy relationships
commitment

A Life of Fear is full of -
frustration
despair
pessimism
focus on today
loneliness
confusion

Looking at this list makes me long for a life of faith, what about you? Let's begin the process of transformation from fearful lives to lives overflowing with faith.

Where Have I Been?

2008-10-06T17:13:00.002-04:00

I may be presupposing that some missed my blogs, but I am sorry for not posting. As you may know we had our first preview service for The Journey on Sunday. It was an amazing time as we saw The Journey add a monthly celebration service.

Last week I was so focused on preparing for the sermon that I had little time for anything else. It is funny that I felt like I was preparing for my very first sermon. I studied, looked up the definition to words in the Greek, prayed, studied some more, prayed, read commentaries, prayed, studied. I wanted to make sure that I was as prepared as I possibly could be. I wanted to deliver a timely message and not just ramble about some thoughts.

I feel like I accomplished my goal and thinking about it now I think that is the way I should prepare for every message. May I never fill the pulpit again with a half-hearted message that contains more of my thoughts than God's.

Hopefully, I will get back to my regular postings as we continue to journey together through life.

Faith is...

2008-09-30T08:11:00.003-04:00

So The Journey is moving forward and we have the first worship service of the new church planned for this Sunday morning. I am excited about finally getting together to focus on one thing - God...not the mission, vision, process, etc. - we will focus on God. So why are their jitters in my stomach, and thoughts in my head that no one will come and it will be a day of discouragement? I understand that much of this is spiritual warfare, but could the warfare be a result of my lack of faith?

I went to Hebrews 11 this morning to get a little faith boost and I got more than a boost. Read Hebrews 11 and see what you think, but when I read about Noah, Abraham, Moses, those that suffered persecution - I have to say that I feel like a little boy whining about the fact that no one will come.

Where is my faith? God has clearly led me to Greenville, SC to plant a church. By faith our family stepped out and watched a house sell in a small town in a terrible housing market, by faith we saw God open up a three bedroom apartment on the ground floor, by faith God gave me an opportunity to serve as the RA for two apartments which pays for our rent, by faith our girls have transitioned to a new school, by faith we saw God begin to develop a core group at The Journey, by faith God...

Sorry about going through all of that, but I just needed a little reminder this morning that I am God's man, this is His plan, He died for His church, and these are His people I work with. When you think about it, that does not even require a lot of faith.

I think the world could use people right now that have faith in something other than politics, the housing market, or the stock market. Where are these people? They are in our churches! It is time for believers to step up and show our faith in God and His plan. It is time for us to be that salt and light to the world. It is time...

I for one am willing to learn all I can about faith so I can step up. What about you? Are you ready to lead in faith? Are you ready to make a difference? The opportunity is here, what will you do?

Dreams Do Come True

2008-09-29T08:16:00.002-04:00

What a great weekend I had. I spent some time with my family as we went to the mountains to perform our annual tradition of apple picking. My family did the picking while I did the watching. But it was fun just being with Karen and the girls. After being excited that the Univ. of S. California lost, I watched Clemson lose, Florida lose, and Georgia lose. What makes that so good is that I kept posted on the S. Carolina game and they won! How about that!

But one of the greatest things happened at The Journey when a dream that had started in my heart a couple of years ago came true. We completed our Class 101 and nine adults and 2 children are now members (we call them partners) of The Journey! I know the road is still long and filled with difficulties, but today I celebrate!

To add to that, our small group last night took time to discuss how we were going to connect with our neighbors and provide an environment for them to feel welcomed. It is so awesome to be around others with a like mind. It was such a great night that I don't think my mental movie could have been this good.

Now I look forward to this Sunday. The Journey is having it's first Celebration service. This church plant is quickly becoming a reality and I look forward to worshiping as a new church!

Has God done something in your life recently? If so, why not respond so that we can all celebrate together.

Thursday Prayer

2008-09-25T10:12:00.002-04:00

Thank you for praying for us, since beginning to attack the enemy I see that prayer is so essential. I hope you have someone praying for you, if not - let me know because I would be honored to be a prayer warrior for you.

Here are some request to be praying for:

My health, I am taking an off day and trying to rest my body. Once again I have overdone it, pray that I will learn the limitations of my body.
Please pray for a Bridge Event that The Journey is having at Th Paddock Club (apartments we live in). We are showing a movie outside by the pool this Sat. night at 7pm. We are wanting to make connections with people that live here, so pray that they will come. Also pray for the weather, it looks a little iffy right now.
Pray for The Journey's first celebration (worship) service on Oct 5 at 10am. We are excited to begin worshiping together on a monthly basis. We have been inviting people that we have had the opportunity to meet, so pray that we have a wonderful time of worship that morning.

Thanks for praying, by the way - if you are in the area and would like to come to the movie night or the celebration service, we would love to have you. Let me know if you need directions!

Have a great weekend.

Use of the Armor

2008-09-24T08:05:00.003-04:00

This morning let's take what we have learned in Eph. 6 and 2 Cor. 10 and apply these Scriptures to attacking the strongholds in our lives. I think practical application of the Scripture is where many believers fail. As a result, we have churches full of weak, defeated people that have enough knowledge about the Scripture to fill a library full of books. I don't know about you, but I don't want to just have information - I want to live out the knowledge found in the Bible.

So just take a look at this example. Let's say I want to attack the stronghold lust in my life. I would begin by taking my armor and attacking it on a daily basis. The Word of God will help me to discover Truth about this stronghold. When I have spent time here, then I take the weapon of Truth and look at my life through it's lens. Truth will help me to see who I really am and identify my struggle. It will keep me from blaming others because it is focused on my stronghold. As a result of seeing myself as I really am, depression can move in. That is why the weapon of Righteousness will help me to identify a person that has been given God's righteousness. Don't forget that all of this takes place on the battlefield of the spirit with the weapon of prayer providing the atmosphere.

I could go on, but you should get the point. Use every weapon available as one unit to attack the strongholds in your life. As a result, you will see strongholds fall, peace enter your life, and joy of victory.

As we wrap of these blogs on spiritual warfare, I encourage you to not just watch the battle but be in it. Only then will you experience personal joy as you gain victory over strongholds.

The Armor

2008-09-23T07:44:00.003-04:00

So this morning let's take a look at the weapons that are at your disposal. These are listed for us in Ephesians 6:13-18.

truth
righteousness
peace
faith
salvation
Word of God
prayer

So there they are, but how on earth is a believer to use this stuff? One thing I found quite interesting is that in verse 13 we are told to take up the whole armor of God. I have always looked at this list and thought that I should put on one piece at a time until it was complete. But according to this verse, I must take them all up. There are a couple of reasons why I think this is important.

The pieces of the armor work together. For example none of us believe we are righteous, and before salvation we are not. But righteousness is put upon us the moment of salvation. Without the Word of God we would not know that and without truth we will not believe that. Another example is using the Word of God to attack disobedience. If we do not have peace, then we will use the Word of God without understanding the end result of the battle is peace for the believer. We are not to attack people with the Word of God, but to help them find peace by a deliverance of their sin.
The armor becomes who we are. Let me explain this: if a believer is to use truth, then he must live truth. The believer is to be honest in all his dealings. When he gives his word to do something, he carries through with it. Truth is not a piece of the battle, it is who they are - as with the other pieces. For example the Word of God - the believer becomes the Word of God. When they open their mouths, words that honor God come out. When they have a difficult situation, the Word of God is their strength and direction. They don't just carry it on Sunday's, they live it in front of a lost world.

That gives us a ton to think about today. Are you using and living out the armor of God in your life?

Weapons for the Battle

2008-09-22T08:16:00.002-04:00

I hope you had a great weekend, I know our family did. Thanks to some friends who gave us tickets to a South Carolina game, our family experienced Gamecock football! Our girls had not experience a live football game so we did it all - tailgating, buying souvenirs, and eating a ton of snacks! It was one of those family experiences that was absolutely priceless!!

It is hard for me to believe that I am beginning a third week on the subject of spiritual warfare. But now that we have identified it and we know what to attack against (if you missed these just look them up under spiritual warfare in the archives); now let's take a look at the weapons we have been given for the war.

To prepare us for the week, Read Ephesians 6:10-20.

We will get to the weapons tomorrow, but let me give some history about Ephesus. In Paul's day Ephesus was known as a very wealthy and populated city with over 250,000 people living there. It was known for the temple of Diana, or Artemis, which was one of the seven wonders of the world. The Ephesians worshiped Diana as the mother of the earth. This worship would include black magic and the casting of spells. People would come from around the world to purchase "Ephesians Letters" which were charms which people would wear guaranteeing protection on a journey, a child to the childless, or success in love or business.

As a result of this black magic, the city of Ephesus was given up to the magic arts and idolatrous superstition of the orient. The people lived under so many superstitions that they became easy prey for false magicians and to demonic penetrations.

Knowing the background of the city helps us to understand why Paul tells the church in Ephesians 6:11 to put on the whole armor of God that they may be able to stand against the trickery or charms of the devil.

Read Ephesians 6 today so that you can be involved in the learning process and tomorrow we will dive into it.

Punish All Disobedience

2008-09-19T08:22:00.002-04:00

Before we finish up for the week with the theme of 2 Corinthians 10: 1-6 take a good look at
verse 6: being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. I took the Greek words and paraphrased this verse so I can understand it better, being prepared to protect or defend against disobedience when your obedience is in abundance. Does this mean what I think it does? Are we literally to be on the offensive against disobedience? YEP!!!!!!!!

Please read Matthew 18:10 - 20 to see what Jesus says about dealing with disobedience before you read my comments.

So here are just some personal thoughts about this subject of waging war against disobedience:

Before we dare attack someone elses disobedience, we must be overflowing with our own obedience.
Obedience to Christ makes us more like Christ. The closer we get to Him, the more sin will literally make us sick and bring us to the necessity of coming against it.
A relationship is necessary to confront someone of their sins for the purpose of restoring them in a relationship with Christ.
We come against disobedience:

out of love - if we cannot separate the sin from the sinner, loving the man while hating the sin like Christ - well, we better get off of our street corners and shut our mouths!
to rescue a brother from sin that will bring destruction to their lives
to protect the purity of the church
to defend against the unity of the church.

I hope you hear my heart here. I do not condone attacking people (by the way - neither did Jesus), but it is our job to come against disobedience. Would I be showing love to my children if I never spent time showing them their disobedience, pointing out the consequences of their actions, helping them develop a plan to stay in obedience? How about if I just looked the other way when they were disobedient because I did not want to get personally involved or the fear of them not liking me anymore? Of course not, I would be telling them that I do not care about them!

So what is the leadership of most churches telling their people when they do not confront sin? Hang on here! What do most deacon's do in the church? They think it is their God given responsibility to run the church. Where is that in Scripture? They are to be servants!!! You will not be a servant unless you are obedient to God (overflowing with obedience). Does that describe most deacon bodies? Maybe churches should be less concerned with rather a deacon is divorced and focus on if he is obedient.

What about pastors and staff? When is the last time an ordained minister sat in the home of a person and confronted them of sin. I know it is not popular, people may not like you, they may talk about you, they may not add to your attendance or give to your account - but how can a pastor continue to let people live in sin and look the other way? That is telling people that we do not care about you - we just care that you come to our programs, give to our building fund, and laugh at jokes that are told from the pulpit!

Now some of you are saying that no one does it like that anymore. Not so true, I have had to do this a couple of time. I did not confront sin because I hated the person, but because I loved them and following Scripture could see their actions were leading to destruction. For some there was restoration, others chose to go their own way. Now was I perfect, nope and I still am not. Was I obedient - yep. Did some leave the church because of it, yep. But I will take you to the family that is living in obedience, joy, and service because they turned from their sin!

If the church were to actually attack sin in it's own midst, a revival would take place. But we will not because too many are lacking in their own obedience. What about you? Are you overflowing with obedience, or are you one that needs to be confronted?

Next week we will continue this thought but focus on our weapons for the battle. Have a great weekend, full of obedience.

Bringing Every Thought Into Captivity

2008-09-18T07:40:00.003-04:00

The next area of spiritual warfare is bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. I believe few Christians actually do offensive battle in this are of their lives. Just look at the cycle of so many believers: they sin, ask forgiveness, do good for a while then fall to the same sin - they ask forgiveness, do better for a while then fall to the same sin... and the cycle continues until the believer begins to think that it is hopeless, become embarrassed, discouraged and give up.

Verse 4 of I Cor. 10 informs us that we are to bring every though into captivity. Captivity is a force able event. It is the act of taking freedom from someone or something. The thoughts that are free in an unsaved person's life are not pleasing to God. When salvation occurs, the hard work begins of locking up some thoughts. So how do we do this? The rest of the verse tells us by being obedient to Christ. When I say obedience to Christ the mind automatically goes to things we do, our acts of service. But are we obedient to Romans 12:2?

And do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind....

So how do we get on the offensive in this battle for our thoughts? I believe this is where you see the acts of bible study, prayer, and accountability energize your spirit for the battle. Are there areas in your thought process that are displeasing to God and causing you to stumble, then bring them into captivity. Memorize Scripture dealing with this issue now! Pray for God to renew your mind with His thoughts. That is being offensive! Work at it when you are not in the middle of the temptation. Then when those thoughts arise, you already have it won. Let's face it, it would be difficult to think lustful thoughts while quoting Scripture!

I wish I had more time to deal with this, but take what I have written and check it out. Study on your own, after all if you really want your thoughts to be honoring to God then you will do the work. Just something to remember - God is the only one who knows our every thought, so why do we spend so much time trying to hide them from others and are not concerned with God?

Casting Down Arguments

2008-09-17T07:36:00.002-04:00

The second area of warfare according to 2 Corinthians 10:5 is casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

Let's be honest, our world is a place of arrogance, greed, and pride. Just look at the financial disasters this week. What do you think happened here? I would guess that there are people who thought they knew better than anyone else (including history) and in their desire to gain more power and money made some huge financial mistakes, maybe even some intentionally. These arrogant based decisions are affecting our entire economy.

This is the battle - to wage war on arguments, which in the Greek is defined as reasoning such as is hostile to the Christian faith. The world looks at believers as if they were idiots. The mindset is that Christianity does not make sense because it does not follow a logical system of thought. Are they right? Look at it from the world's perspective:

We believe in a God we cannot see
We believe God came to earth in the form of a man to save us of our sins by dying
Our central belief system is faith in God for salvation
God comes as the Holy Spirit to guide us in our lives

I mean to the unbeliever, this is hard to swallow. But don't take my word for it, read
I Corinthians 1:18-25 and see how Paul confirms that the gospel is foolishness to the world.

So here is the battle as I see it in this area. From the introduction of Satan in Scripture we find that he has exalted himself above God. This continues today and is manifested in the world through a spirit of pride. Therefore, the believer is to attack this attitude on a daily basis beginning in their own lives. The question is how - we will deal with the how's next week, but for now we must begin to realize this attitude before we can wage war against it.

It is easy to find pride in those around us, but harder in our own lives. Spend some time looking at your life, ask God to show you the areas of your life where this attitude of pride has crept in, or you have never dealt with. Take time to do it now so it does not become a stronghold in your life.

The Stonghold In Your Life

2008-09-16T08:29:00.004-04:00

As we continue to look at spiritual warfare, 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 give us the focus of the war.

pulling down strongholds
casting down arguments
bringing every thought into captivity
punishing all disobedience

Of that list, how many are defensive strategies? None! As believers we are to be on the offense and attacking these areas. So why do I live in a reaction mode so many times just trying to stay afloat during the battle? I think it is because I do not really understand my role and I lose focus during the battle. So let's learn more about on what we are to focus.

Pulling Down Strongholds
The Greek word for strongholds means to fortify, through the idea of safety; anything on which one relies; of the arguments and reasonings by which a disputer endeavors to fortify his opinion and defend it against his opponent. The dictionary defines strongholds as a strongly fortified defensive structure.

I believe strongholds are an area of a persons life where they find security and comfort. For the believer we know that this is to be God, but in actuality we struggle with this. We have strongholds that we must attack and bring down so that we can be totally vulnerable, open, and even exposed before God.

Some will define strongholds with actions such as alcoholism, drug addiction, looking at pornography, and even eating. But I would disagree with this because these are all actions of the flesh. Remember what we have learned already? We do not war against flesh and blood, but our war is in the spiritual realm. Hang with me here... While all of the above are awful actions, I believe the stronghold goes deeper. It is something within the person causing the actions to emerge in their lives. If we just attack the action, it will return. If we attack the inner stronghold, victory can be gained.

I know this is a long post, but follow me here. I met a man that was an alcoholic. He desired desperately to quit but never was victorious because he was trying to break a habit. When he got serious about stopping he sought help to identify why he was drinking. He identified that he had a serious self esteem problem. In fact, he hated himself and every time he drank it reinforced this problem while he was trying to get away from it. There were other issues, but I think you get the point. As he attacked and began bringing down the stronghold of a lack of self-worth in his life, his desire to drink began to subside. He has now been sober for six months for the first time in his adult life. He struggles every day with this because if he is not watching, the stronghold will creep back into his life. He is in a constant offensive battle to tear it down!

People are living defeated lives, giving up on themselves, others, their marriages, their churches, their friends, and the list goes on. Are their things in your life that you need to bring down? Quit making resolutions and begin searching the thought, feeling, or emotion that is triggering the action. It is hard work and easier to live with the stronghold, but there will never be freedom in you life. As a believer we are in a war and that war includes bringing down strongholds! Are you accomplishing this in you life today? If not, why not?

From Realization to Resolution

2008-09-15T07:51:00.002-04:00

Last week we began the topic of spiritual warfare. We took a look at it and started to realize that it is indeed a true part of the believer's life. But is it enough just to realize it? I think not! I don't want to just see the battle, but move through it to a time of peace. So this week I want to focus on how to engage the battle and move to a resolution of it in our lives. To keep us focused on the topic will will be in 2 Corinthians 2:1 -6.

Corinth was truly a place of spiritual warfare. Corinth was known throughout the land as a place of wickedness. It was a sea port which brought sailors in from all over the world. Along with this came open drunkenness and prostitution. In fact thousands of temple prostitutes would descend on the city every night... I don't want to go into more detail, but Google Corinth and see what kind of place it was.

So this is where Paul has brought the gospel and is addressing a church in 2 Corinthians 10. There were some in the church that would constantly accuse Paul of not being true to God. These people would especially show up and challenge him after he had left the city. This is what Paul is addressing in verses 1-2.

In verse 3 Paul tells us that even though we walk (or live) in the flesh, we do not war in it. I know we all realize this, but realizing a battle is not enough - we must see what the battle truly is! If our battle is not in the flesh then do you spend time praying for God to show you the real battle? Your enemy is not another person, a place, or even a thing - it is not what you can see, feel, or touch. It is so much more.

Today, begin praying for God to give you spiritual eyes. Spend time identifying what the battle is really about. We act out in the flesh the battle that is raging in our spirit. Is the battle fear, loneliness, feeling of uselessness? To get to the resolution, you must see the battle. You will never identify the battle apart from God!

Tomorrow we will continue with this idea of identifying the battle.

Thursday Prayer

2008-09-11T08:34:00.003-04:00

I have so much more to share about spiritual warfare, but after our discussion this week, I do not want to skip out on prayer. We will continue next week on the topic of spiritual warfare. Let's partner together in the battle, here are some ways you can pray for us and please let me know how to pray for you.

I am going on a job interview today for a part time position. I don't know yet if I should do it, I am just walking through doors as God opens them
For The Journey as we will be having a preview service on Oct 5th
For relationships we are building as a family. God is opening some wonderful opportunities and we just want to be faithful to His leadership and timing
The small group we have in our home every Sunday night

I am trying to keep it to four things each week because I do not want to bog you down with request. If you would like to follow along with our journey go to www.thejourneygreenville.com
and sign up for our monthly newsletter. Just a note, the website is currently being updated but should be up soon so keep checking back.

Hope you have a great weekend and go Carolina (this week I could be meaning East Carolina).

Fighting the Unseen

2008-09-10T07:59:00.002-04:00

As I continue learning about spiritual warfare, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 sheds an important light on spiritual warfare. It is not in the flesh, but in the spirit. I know that this bit of information may not rock your world, but let's just think about it for a minute. If the battle is in the spiritual realm, then why do we battle in the physical? If we think that going to church, getting wise counsel, reading the Bible is the way to defeat the devil, then we are mistaken because they are all physical acts. While I am not negating their importance, I am saying that the spiritual acts of warfare are what fuels the physical acts. In other words prayer is what takes the things of the mind (like Bible memorization) and activates it in the battle.

To go even further, even the armor of God is made up of things you cannot see. Read
Ephesians 6:14-18, I'll wait for you.......no, read it........go ahead, get your Bible and read.........Don't take my word, see it for yourself.........all right. Notice the armor is made of things you cannot see truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God. Even putting on the armor is in the spiritual world.

So what is the key to the spiritual world? I believe it is prayer. Prayer is the connection between the physical and spiritual. Prayer is so much more important than a blessing over meals or bedtime prayers. Prayer is being active in the fight. Churchplanting Landmines says this about prayer: Prayer is not the preparation for the battle, it is the battle.

If prayer is the key to fighting the unseen, then why am I so weak in it? Why have I not developed it? I must if I am to fight for myself, my family, my friends, my church, those who cannot fight for themselves yet? I don't know about you, but realizing the importance of prayer, it is moving to the top of my list to develop!

More Thoughts on Spiritual Warfare

2008-09-09T08:29:00.002-04:00

After reading some Scripture about Spiritual Warfare (I Peter 5:6-11, Ephesians 6:10-20,
2 Corinthians 10:1-6) I cannot deny that spiritual warfare exist. I cannot even deny that as a believer I am to expect it. So why is it at age 39 and being in the ministry for 15 years that I am beginning to embrace the idea? It is not that I did not know about it. In fact, I can recall preaching sermons from Ephesians 6. My problem is that although I knew about it, I did not apply the principles of spiritual warfare in my life. Question: This being the case then did I really believe it was happening to me?

So here are some principles I learned from I Peter 5:6-11 (these are just raw notes from one day of studying, please take them as such)

I am to shepherd the flock I am entrusted with (vs. 1-4). I must do it willingly, not looking for profit, I must lead by example, and remember that my reward comes from God - not man. One of the aspects of the shepherd is to battle, not just for myself, but for the flock
I am to be clothed with humility (vs. 5). It is to easy to get prideful about the number of sheep that are in my flock. The more sheep I have, the more I must battle. Maybe I need to train others around me to do battle so none of the sheep fall through the cracks.
Be self-controlled (vs. 8). The battle belongs to the Lord. Therefore, since I belong to the Lord - I win. Don't go off half cocked looking to pick a fight. Have a plan, execute the plan, and storm the gates of hell.
Battle the devil (vs. 9). Identify him and kick his butt. Do not give in or up. Be confident that faith in God, His Word, His ways, will defeat the devil. Stand up and be a man of God! God gave me power, not fear. If I live a life of fear, where did I get that from?
Remember that I are not alone in the battle (vs. 9). Others are standing with me. If we could get our act together as churches and quit competing against one another then we could become a force that will not be stopped. It is not about numbers, it is about battling!
Stability, strength, rest, confidence will be mine after the battle. I will need it for the next battle. The battle may be won, but the victory is not totally mine until Christ returns.

Just some notes, hope they help. Take them and add to them and remember that the battle is real, but so is our God!!

Spiritual Warfar - Fact or Fiction?

2008-09-08T05:59:00.003-04:00

It seems like lately I cannot get away from discouragement. I know the truth of God's Word, I try my best to stand up in faith - but every time I feel like I am getting out of it, something happens and I am struggling all over again.

I am reading Church Planting Landmines by Tom Nebel and Gary Rohrmayer for a class on church planting from Rockbridge Seminary. This weekend I read the chapter about Landmine #8: Underestimating Spiritual Warfare. I have to admit that while I know there is a battle, I have underestimated the enemy and the attacks. Here is a quote from the book that helped me identify the spiritual warfare in my life:

Gary and I have been around church planters most of our adult lives, and we've lived in that world ourselves. And as we've tried to get a handle on spiritual warfare as it is levied against church planter and their new churches, we've observed that most of it can be placed into one of three categories: discouragement, distractions, or disqualifications.

They go on to write specifically about discouragement, physical hardship, emotional hardship, and fear. As I read these sections it is like a light came on. I and my family is enduring spiritual warfare! I think for too long, although I have known about it, I have treated spiritual warfare as a fictional area in my life. But now that I have identified it, the battle is on. But how, and what do I do? We will discuss this throughout the week.

I know you may not be a church planter, but I wonder how many people are facing discouragement and distractions in their lives. Could it be spiritual warfare? Begin to ask God to show you if it is so that you too can battle the enemy rather than succumb to his evil schemes.

Thursday Prayer

2008-09-04T07:32:00.003-04:00

I enjoyed taking Monday off and spending time with my family, but it seems like I have lost a day somewhere. I want to continue with the Interdependent Disciple, but it is already Thursday prayer - so we will pick up the disciple next week.

Today's prayer I am going to be absolutely selfish and ask that you pray for me. Now before I put my feelings out there, let me assure everyone that I am fine. Sometimes after I post people call because they are worried that I am frustrated or angry or something like that. I am blogging for me, not to pass on words of wisdom to others. This is my journal of planting a church, therefore there will be raw emotions. I am just opening my life up because I think others can identify but are too fearful to open up and let others see what is going on. My life is an open book. And with that here is why I am asking for prayer:

I have been at this church plant deal for eight months and it is the hardest thing ever! You may wonder why so hard. Well, the truth is that I never escape church planting world. Since my living room is my office, work is always there. Since my mind is constantly formulating mental movies of the church plant, it never shuts down. Since my mental movies are usually wrong, the disappointment is continual. Since the work is so slow, I am constantly pushing forward. Since my focus is people, my time is fleeting. Since I deal with MS, my heath is always a question. Since we have few people, I am constantly seeking how we can get it done. Just to name a few reasons why it is hard work.

With anything, after the initial phases the excitement wears off and you have to make a decision to stop or move on. Here's where I would like for you to pray for me: that I will move forward with The Journey with confidence and boldness. Would I like to quit? Today, yes. I would like to have a regular job with a regular schedule and a regular paycheck. Sorry if this honesty freaks you out, but this is my journal remember. Will I quit, NO - it is not a viable option for me. I cannot and will not quit on God and spend my life sitting on the sidelines wondering what could have been.

So you may wonder why pray to continue if you know you are moving forward? I ask you to pray so that I will have confidence in the plan of God, that I will be encouraged knowing that God will use a disabled, that I will have the faith that God will always bring about His plan, that I will celebrate what God is doing at The Journey, that I will enjoy the ride, and that I will grow into a man after God's own heart through the valley and on the mountain top.

Wow, I feel better just expressing my feelings - as confused as they may seem. As I have prayed through this myself, I feel a fresh wind of the Spirit blowing on my life. Hey, maybe you ought to try this. Maybe not on a blog, but on a piece of paper. Write out your raw emotions and just feel the Spirit begin to minister. And if I can pray for you, it would be an honor!

The Interdependent Disciple

2008-09-03T08:10:00.003-04:00

Growing up I could not wait to grow up and be on my own, living my own life. I craved and sometimes struggled to gain my independence. As a teenager I dreamed of making my own decisions, being my own man, riding through the west on a horse chasing outlaws...Sorry, got a little of my mental movie in there!

Anyway, my point is that everything from television shows to movies and even examples point to being my own person in need of no one. Then I look at the Bible, especially Paul's writings, and find that we as believers are interdependent. We work together as a body to accomplish the will of God.This sheds a little more light on the need for transformation as found in Romans 12:1-2. My dream of being independent can never come true for a disciple of Christ. In fact my dream must change if I am to be a disciple that makes disciples.

Check out this verse: Ephesians 4:28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good that he may have something to give him who has need.

Even the thief must be transformed, not to better his life, but that he can live up to the expectations of disciples that live interdependent lives! Did you catch that? The thief is to stop stealing so he will have something for someone else. The thief never thinks about the needs of others, but the disciple of Christ is constantly meeting the needs of others. WoW!!!

So what is our excuse for trying to hide our emotions, struggles, victories and live independent lives? The disciple that lives a independent life is shallow, constantly defeated, and longing for a better way (if he is even a disciple). When will we actually believe the Scripture and live the life that God has in store for us? If God created us to be with and share with one another (and He did), what stops us? Good place to pick up tomorrow.

A Great Family Outing

2008-09-02T09:32:00.003-04:00

One thing that I learned early on in ministry is even if you build a great church that impacts thousands of lives but lose your family, you have lost everything. These are words that I live by and strive to always put my family as the top priority in my life. We are constantly looking for new things to do together as a family and I wanted to pass along a great family outing.

There are nine mice hidden in downtown Greenville. Not real mice, but little mice statues located on Main Street. Yesterday with clues in hand we went in search of these nine mice. It was so much fun walking (or rolling in my case) down the street on a mission together as a family to find these mice. It allowed time for talking, exploring, and accomplishing this task as a family.

If you live in the Greenville area and want some more information, just contact me. If you are not in Greenville, then check out your town for some great family events. Families can do more than just watch television together. Find something that your family can share in and go for it!

By the way, I have more pictures with the mice posted on Facebook if you want to check them out.

Thursday Prayer

2008-08-28T07:25:00.003-04:00

Last week I made a decision to begin taking a day off from the computer, emails, and making phone calls. I had been convicted about this, but after 8 months with very little time to get away from church planing world - I am seeing the value in it. Therefore; I will begin posting prayer concerns on Thursday. Thank you for partnering with us through prayer.

Personal

God has given me a couple of great weeks with better walking. I want to praise God for this and also seek more of the same.
Another praise is that the transition to school has been fabulous for the girls and our whole family. Pray that it will keep going well as the homework begins to increase.
I have the opportunity to serve on the Government Relations Task Force with the MS Society. I will be working with SC Legislators to find a way to provide affordable health insurance for people in SC who cannot get covered due to a preexisting condition. Pray that God will give me wisdom and open the doors for some great relationships.
Pray that God will give me His eyes for those around me so that I can pray for them with a sincere heart. Pray for a few that I believe God is beginning to work on.

The Journey

We are having a cookout this Sunday night and inviting people we have met to come and meet others that are a part of The Journey.
On Sunday mornings we are having our Class 101 to let people know what it means to join The Journey. Pray for those that will be attending that God will guide them in their decisions.
Pray as we move from one home group to two beginning in September. Pray that God will continue to multiply us out into all of Greenville county.

Our Nation

Pray for Andy and Staci Wood and their son who moved to California to plant a church. Pray for them as the find a place to live and start building relationships in their community.
Pray for Capstone Church , a new church plant in Ft. Inn, SC. Pray as they begin to assemble a core group that God will direct their steps
Pray for our next President of the U.S. Remember, God is in control so seek Him and He will guide our nation.
Pray for Donnie Blake as he leads First Baptist Church in Eutawville. I love that church and I pray that they will be an impact in their community.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. Hope you have a wonderful long weekend!

How Do I Pray For Others

2008-08-27T08:06:00.002-04:00

Continuing on with the thought of praying for others, if I just blog about it but never put action to my words then I am of "sounding brass and a clanging symbol" (basically full of crap). So let me just work through how to build a relationship with others that I do not know that well and then focus on them in prayer? By the way, glad you are reading -but this is me working this out, maybe it will help you as well.

Look at the people that I come in contact with on a regular basis. Stop viewing the manager at the apartment complex or the server at Java Jolt as people that are there to get me what I want. I need to begin praying that God would open my eyes to see them as He sees them.
Find out their names, write it down and begin praying daily for them. Begin to pray specifically that God would open doors to further the relationship. (To do this I must have a consistent prayer life!)
As God opens that door I must be willing to spend a little extra time just talking, even if I am in a hurry. Again I must have God's view not mine to even see the opportunity! Take this information that I find out and begin to pray more specifically for the person.
Begin to pray that God would move the conversation with the person to spiritual matters. I have a problem bridging this gap because I do not want to seem pushy. Therefore; I want for God to notify me and the other person when it is time to walk across this bridge.

I think that helps me out, thanks for letting me process. Believe it or not this has taken me a while to put a process together to move me from talking to action. Hopefully this will motivate you to put some action steps to your words. I find that the church is full of people who love to talk about it, but void of those who will actually step and do something. Today, seek to be different, we have enough church folk - we need leaders (people who act) to impact this world for Christ!!!!!!!

Who Do I Pray For?

2008-08-26T07:49:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I brought up the fact that I was directly blessed by God when I focused on others during prayer. It is easy to completely focus on my family in my prayers because we have a relationship. I love my wife and daughters with all of my heart and would give anything away for each one of them to have a blessed day. But do I pray for those outside of my family with the same intensity?

I am sad to say that I go through my prayer list of fellow believers so quickly that I am barely able to get their name out before moving to the next person on the list. This is a sign of a shallow relationship. Sure it is good that I pray, but can I be happy just saying "God you know what they need" about my brother or sister in Christ?

Even worse is the fact that I have very few nonbelievers that even make my prayer list. If I am so shallow in praying for my family in God, how much am I really praying for those who have yet to trust in the Father?

Jesus wept over Jerusalem for those who did not even trust in Him. He spent time with sinners and met their needs. He did not do this out of obligation, but out of a heart of love for others. In Ephesians 3:17 Paul says that as believers we are to be rooted in love. This love should be for anyone - family, other believers, and even nonbelievers. As we develop a heart of love, then we will long to build relationships. Then as we build relationships, our prayers will move from shallow half-hearted words to powerful prayers to our Father on the behalf of those we truly love.

What I Learned about Prayer

2008-08-25T07:54:00.003-04:00

May I begin this post by confessing that my prayer life is not what is should be. I am haphazard in my prayer style, inconsistent in my prayer times, and many times powerless in my prayer life. But here is something I learned last week.

You all know our girls started school last week. As a result, my prayer life for them has been very consistent -almost a pray without ceasing deal. My attention has been on them, not myself during my prayers which usually consist of my healing, my gaining wisdom, my finding a system to increase my devotion life...

As I begin this week I look back and praise God for how He made the transition to school smooth for the girls. Here's the amazing thing, it was not only a good week for the girls but for our entire family. And as for me, well my health has been wonderful, my prayer life is much improved, and I have even had sparks of tremendous wisdom. These things were all a part of a wonderful week even though I did not pray for myself - my prayers were focused on others.

So here is what I learned about prayer: It is not all about me! I am not saying it is wrong to pray for myself, but when my focus in on others, God gives me the desire of my heart. It makes sense since Jesus was all about others. In His prayers He prayed for Himself, but the focus was always on others.

Today, begin praying for others - make that your focus. After all, Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of heaven and all the things you need for life will be given to you. So why focus on yourself when you have already been promised the answer?

I Don't Understand...

2008-08-21T08:04:00.001-04:00

There are times in our lives when we just do not understand why things happen; for example: the death of a newborn, an incurable disease, or even 9/11. But as a believer, we do not have to spend a lifetime searching for the answer because we always come back to the fact that God is sovereign. As a result of His Sovereignty our faith does not require us to have an explanation.

But it seems like I am encountering a new breed of Christian: those who are constantly searching and questioning God's direction for their lives. I believe this is the danger of the "post-modern" Christian. They are always looking for God to give them the right feeling to guide their next step. They do not want to commit because they are afraid of making mistakes. And since certain things (like the system of church) are flawed, their desire is to throw it all out and search for something new.

Paul says in Ephesians 1:18: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened: that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (read verses 15-23 to get a clear picture of what he is saying)

I don't think God's plan for us includes a lifetime of searching for Him or His will. So, we must seek God to give us understanding which leads us to hope. Note I said seek God, not His will or a feeling. As we seek God He leads, as He leads we follow.

Today if you are searching for an answer from God, don't focus on the question or the answer or even good advice - Focus on God. Read about God in the Bible, not about your problem! Pray for God to show you Himself, not an answer. As you focus on God, He will open your eyes of understanding and then you will find it - HOPE!

What a Great Day!

2008-08-20T10:38:00.002-04:00

I just want to say Thank You to so many of you that prayed for our family yesterday as school started. Let me just tell you that the girls had an awesome day at school! No unexpected events, they both like their teachers, and both met some new friends. Hey, even Karen had a great day yesterday as we all enjoyed God's peace. The girls may not be as excited about school today when they get home since I suspect they will have homework!

Thanks again for the prayers, calls, and emails. It's great to know that we have one another as we journey through life. Hopefully I will be able to be there for you in the future like you have been for us.

I am a Rich Man

2008-08-19T07:42:00.003-04:00

Well, the girls are off to school and I sit here reading my Bible in a very quiet house. I am reading Ephesians right now, which might I add is a very rich book about the promises of God. If you ever need to be encouraged, begin reading in Ephesians and see all the things God is promising you.

Anyway, Ephesians 2:7 says "that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Websters gives a couple of definitions of grace:

the exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor, disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred
(Theol.) The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as distinguished from His justice; also any benefits His mercy imparts; divine love or pardon;a state of acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor

I know that grace is a deeper subject than this one blog can handle, but too many times I equate grace as a past action that was accomplished at my salvation. But grace includes privileges for the believer their entire life. So I say that I am a rich man, why?

I have the greatest wife in all the world
I have two wonderful daughters
God gives me extra time to spend with my family
I have some great friends
God gave me free HDTV service for six months yesterday, a free DVR (thanks nice lady at Charter), a bluetooth headset for half-price, (yesterday was an amazing day)

All of these are things that make me rich, not because I deserve them but because grace includes God's goodness, not just one day but every day. So, are you rich? Why don't you begin a list of all the things that you have as a result of God being good.

Can't wait until this afternoon and I hear about how God is making my daughters rich at school today!

What Now?

2008-08-18T11:16:00.003-04:00

I remember almost a little over 10 years ago when my older daughter was born. The excitement and joy for all involved was almost overwhelming. I remember when Karen and I took her home, sat her on the bed in her car seat and asked each other, "What now?" Over the next 10 years there have been a ton of "what now" moments, especially when our second daughter was born.

As I sit here this morning, I am at another "what now" moment in my life. Tomorrow our girls will go off to school; Michaela to the fourth grade and Marissa to the second. They have been home schooled until now so this will a new experience for them and for my wife and myself. What I usually do during the "what now" moments is pray, so that is what I will do.

"God, as I come to you today I ask You to help me know what to do. You have entrusted Michaela and Marissa to me and I want to be faithful to You, to my wife, and to the girls. I want the absolute best for them, as I know you do as well. You have led us to send them to school, so help us have the strength to follow through. I have tried to teach them your ways, help them to remember those things as they encounter things and people that I will not be there to shelter them from. The hardest thing for me to do right now is to hold my children with an open hand, but I must so that You can mold them to accomplish the plan that You have for their lives. Father, I know You will you protect them, will you help me to believe that? Lord, I do not know what to do, as a Father, but I know you will guide. Tomorrow as the girls start school, will you guide them in everything they do. Don't let them be stricken by fear, but energized by Your peace. As we send them off tomorrow, may we celebrate tomorrow night Your goodness, provision, and peace."

Friday Prayer

2008-08-15T09:16:00.004-04:00

I cannot believe it is Friday already! This has been a very productive week for The Journey. We have developed plans to move into two LIFE groups (small groups) next month. We also planned for a bridge event in September and developed the materials for the 101 Class (membership class). I am excited about September as we move forward with The Journey.

Please join us in prayer with these items:

LIFE group will be meeting this Sunday evening at our apartments. I am anticipating several neighbors to come that have not been a part of The Journey.
The staff of The Journey (me, Allen, and Jonathan) as we continue to grow together.
My daughters as they will be starting school on Tuesday. They will both be encountering a new school so please pray for them as well as the transition for out family

Thank you for joining us in actively praying for us! Have a great weekend.

The Disciplines of the Disciple

2008-08-14T12:41:00.002-04:00

So the Olympics are so on my mind. How can they not be, I watch them almost all night! As I watch these great athletes of the world compete I keep thinking about all the hours they have trained for those brief few moments of competition that only comes around every four years. These men and women are to be admired for their discipline.

I know that to be a disciple of Jesus, I too must be disciplined in the fundamentals of prayer, reading the Bible, etc. Haven't we all heard sermons challenging us to get up early and start our day with these disciplines. Here's the deal - I struggle to get up on time, regardless of early. For years I have slept through devotion time and felt so guilty because I could not get up early. It's not that I don't love God or want to spend time with Him, it's just the early thing.

Last week I went to a seminar and learned that God made my uniquely different. As a result, I do not have be like someone else! I need to discover who I am and live as me. So this week I have applied my uniqueness to my disciplines. Instead of getting up early, I have started doing my quiet time at lunch. It is amazing how much easier I find it to be a disciple when I am not trying to put someone else's discipline routine in my life.

I know some of you reading this thinking, what is the big deal. The big deal is that as a disciple of Christ, find the routine that works for you to discipline your life. God created you special, quit adopting everyone else's plan and live yours! It's has been freeing for me, maybe it can be for you!

What Drives the Disciple?

2008-08-13T07:50:00.003-04:00

As I have watched the Olympics, I have noticed a tremendous drive that each athlete has to perform at the very top of their game. Last night Michael Phelps won a gold medal in the breast stroke and set another world record. After the swim he seemed to flip his goggles off and looked a little disappointed. In an interview later that night he said that his goggles started filling up with water, but that was not why he was frustrated. He said that he was frustrated with himself because he knew he could have swam faster. Are you kidding me!!! I would be happy with one gold medal. What drives this guy?

What drives him is a sense to not just beat others in the pool, but to know that he always did his very best! That is why he has given up his social life to train, that is why he spends countless hours in the gym and even more in the pool, that is why he has said "no" when others tried to get him to forget about swimming for a while. He desires to be the very best swimmer possible.

Why do I not have the same commitment when it comes to my spiritual life. What is my goal? Do I desire to be the very best for God? If so, then what am I saying "no" to in order to accomplish my goal? Am I disciplining my body? How about allowing my mind to be transformed?

If I never put a goal to improve my spiritual life, then I will hit what I am aiming for every time. My desire is to be more like an Olympic athlete (think Paul wrote about this) when it comes to my spiritual life. What about you?

The Disciple Mentality

2008-08-12T13:35:00.005-04:00

I preached Sunday morning at Haristown Baptist in St. Stephens, SC. Can I tell you about this Kingdom minded church located in a small town in rural SC? Well, since this is my blog I am going to anyway. The people of Haristown have been sponsoring a church plant in Greenville, SC called The Journey (that's our church plant by the way).

Why? because they understand that the Kingdom of God is not all about their church.
How? They pray for us regularly, send a monthly check, sent us Vacation Bible School Money, and keep in touch with us
How big is the church? They run 80 people on Sunday morning
How did you connect with them? I have preached for them, but I never asked them to sponsor us, they just decided to do it

I tell you about this church because they exemplify the mentality of a disciple: a disciple builds the kingdom of God by investing into others. A disciple looks out for others rather than focuses on their own needs. A disciple looks at life from God's view rather than their own.

Maybe we have so many infants on the church pews because their church does not have a disciple's mentality. When a church focuses on how many people they have, how good their buildings are, and how much money they take in; I think they area as far away from a disciple as one can possibly be.

Thank God for churches large and small that put their focus on the Kingdom of God by investing their lives into others. May The Journey follow this example that has been put before us.

It's Good to be Home

2008-08-11T09:22:00.002-04:00

It seems like we were gone forever and the last couple of days I longed to get back to my house. I am not saying that we were not having fun as a family and that I was not interested in the people we were meeting and visiting. But you know when you are just ready to get home. It seems like you sleep better, the shower works better, and you feel comfortable knowing where everything is.

That started me thinking this morning about what makes me feel comfortable in my life. If there is anything that the world offers that I long for more than the things of God, then I will find tremendous frustration in my life. As a believer my heart should long to spend time with God and do His will. Not just out of love for Him, but because this is where I am comfortable.

I wonder why so many "believers" think more about money, time, jobs, church work, etc. than the things of God? I am not saying these people are heathens, but when we grow up in Christ our desires will change! As I look at the institution of the church I am amazed how many infants in Christ are still sitting in the pews hollering "feed me, and if you don't I will whine and complain!"

Wow, how did we get there? Maybe we need to spend some more time here tomorrow. I am posting some pictures from our trip on my Facebook sometime today, so if you are interested check them out!

Friday Prayer

2008-08-01T00:07:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks that you just never get everything accomplished on your "to do" list no matte how hard you try? Well, that has been my week. But here it is Friday and whether or not I completed my list, the week is coming to an end. Here are a few items to pray for us this week:

We will be leaving Sat. to go to Bluffton, SC to participate in a Priority Weekend '08 for Crosspoint Bluffton. Crosspoint is a church plant that will be sponsoring The Journey for the next three years. Pray as we are able to share the vision of The Journey that people will understand it clearly.
Monday and Tuesday I will be attending a leadership conference in Hilton Head. Pray that I will continue to develop into a godly leader. Also pray for my family as the will be with me.
Wednesday and Thursday our family is taking a few days to celebrate the end of summer in Hilton Head as a family. Pray that we will have a great, relaxing time together.
Friday night I will be leading a wedding rehearsal with the wedding on Sat. in Eutawville.
Sunday morning I will be preaching in St. Stephens, SC to a church that has been supporting us financially for the last couple of months.

As you can see, we will be burning up the roads this week. Please keep us in your prayers that we will be safe. Don't know how much I will be posting this week, but I'll do it when I can. Also, please let me know how I can pray for you. I believe in partners in prayer, not one way streets. Till next time...

People Letting You Down?

2008-07-30T08:58:00.002-04:00

As we continue to build relationships with those around us, our mental movie is that everyone will accept our friendship. The reality is that people make promises, they seem like they are all about the relationship, and it looks like your mental movie will work out to perfection. Then something happens and the realization that your mental movie was completely wrong and the relationship goes no where. So what do you do? Do you give up and quit investing into others?

Oswald Chambers deals with this today. Check it out here and then let me know what you think.

Start with your family

2008-07-29T08:27:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I found myself stapling event flyers to 348 apartment newsletters. Right beside me was my daughter Michaela working as fast as she could. We worked for an hour and a half watching the stack of flyers get smaller and wishing they would disappear sooner. We talked to pass the time, in fact, my daughter commented on how the task was more bearable when we talked. That's when it hit me:

I'm not supposed to just take my daughter to church, but to be the church to her. My family is my first relationship in my life. In my eagerness to win the world by building relationships with others but loose my family, well what good is that?

Deuteronomy 11:19-21 teaches that it is my responsibility to be the church to my children. Too many times the pressures of a church plant capture my attention when my children are in need of my time. I know there needs to be a balance in my life, but if I ere on my balance of time then wouldn't I want to ere on the side of my children? The question is do I?

So what about you? Does your family know that they are your priority? Spend some time thinking today about where your family fits into your life.

Being the Church

2008-07-28T09:05:00.003-04:00

I am just getting in from a Breakfast-on-the-Go at The Paddock Club. I want to thank Dan Carroll, Josh, and Jake for sponsoring this event. For those who do not know, a Breakfast-on-the-Go is where I stand at the front gate and give people a breakfast in a bag. The purpose is to offer someone a free gift in order to let them know someone is thinking of them.

I am always amazed at the responses. Some people speed past me looking the other way so they will not have to make eye contact. Some slow down to check out what is going on, but then hit the gas when I start towards their car. Some will roll down the window half way and ask what I am doing and how much it cost. Then there are those that will stop, chat a little, and wish me a great day.

So which response would you prefer? Personally, I love it when people stop and chat - you know building relationships! But who am I there to serve? Every person who comes through the gate regardless of their response.

To be the church to the world means that we put aside their response. We are the church because we are disciples of Jesus and we serve all out of our love for Him. If we are not careful, we will choose to be the church to those who act the way we think they should. Then you know where that will lead! A club mentality of the church.

Today, who will you serve? Don't worry about their response, just do it because you understand that this is the heartbeat of God - offering something to others even if they think they do not need it.

Frday Prayer Request

2008-07-25T09:08:00.003-04:00

I have not done this in a couple of weeks, but I want to put some prayer request out there and ask for you to be partnering with us through prayer.

Please pray for me physically. I will begin a Vacation Bible School with high school students at Forestville Baptist in Greenville, SC on Sunday and go to Thursday. Saturday I will be at Crosspoint Bluffton to participate in their preview services. Monday and Tuesday I will be in a leadership seminar. Friday I will be in Eutawville for a wedding on Saturday. Then Sunday morning I will be preaching at Harristown Baptist in St. Stephens, SC. A busy week!
Pray for The Journey. We finish meeting with Medowsprings Church this Sunday and will continue meeting in homes. After a great staff meeting last week we are praying for ten LIFE groups meeting by January 09. Pray that God will continue to show us the intentional process of making disciples that make disciples.
Pray for Medowsprings, a church without a pastor trying to figure out what the next step is for their church
Pray for the apartments in which I am the Resident Assistance (The Paddock Club and Howell Commons). I am searching for churches to help me reach these communities, so far with no luck. I am shocked that churches will not jump at an open invitation to invest into 1500 people. Oh, well - guess they do not count if they do not go to church!
Pray that I will learn to be the church at all times, not just when it is convenient for me.

Thanks for praying for us, if I can pray for you - Please let me know! Have a great weekend.

So Do I Have To Go To Church?

2008-07-24T08:50:00.002-04:00

As we have been processing this question, why do we have to go to church when we are the church, I can imagine some are fearful that I am trying to get rid of the church service. But that is not true.

Just because we are the church does not give us a reason to forsake the assembly of believers coming together to worship God. Jesus spent time in the synagogue teaching and preaching because it was what He did while He was going from place to place. He made it part of His life. Check out the believers in Acts 2:40-47. Here we find the believers continuing steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and spending time daily in the temple together.

Being the church is a change of thinking. If you do not go to church to fulfill some kind of unwritten law of being a Christian, then why go to a building? To worship God! Fellowships of believers is not to be about our programs, event, classes, etc. - it is to be about God! Somewhere our mindset has shifted from just simply going to show our love of God to what can I do at the church to prove God.

How powerful would our churches be if the pastor shifted from teaching his wonderful sermon to leading people to see a holy God. What would happen if our singing moved from "I" centered (think about how many songs talk about what I will do or what I am) to God centered. What if instead of people coming to a building to get something, they cam to give something. If this were to happen then maybe we could become the church that storms the gates of hell rather than sitting in our ivory tower watching people go to hell!

So I do not advocate that we never assemble together, but that our assembly is about the church coming together to truly worship a holy God!

How Do I Become the Church?

2008-07-23T05:53:00.003-04:00

So hopefully you get what I am talking about being the church rather than going to church. Now I am not saying you don't have to gather together, but we will discuss this tomorrow. Today I want to answer the question on how to get outside of the walls of a building to become the church. When ever you need an example of what to do, don't grab the latest Christian self-help book - look at the example Jesus gave us in the Bible.

The book of Matthew shows Jesus' plan to take the church to the people. He lived it among them. Check out these examples:

4:18-22 - As Jesus was walking He called some disciples

5:1 - When Jesus was seated on a mountain, his disciples came to him

8:1-4 - When Jesus came off of the mountain He encountered a leaper

8:5-13 - When Jesus entered Capernaum a centurion came to him

8:14-15 - When Jesus went to Peter's house He found Peter's mom was sick

8:28-34 - When Jesus crossed the sea to the country of Gergesenes, he encountered a demon possessed man

9:9-13 - After Jesus called Matthew the tax collector to follow Him, he sat at a table in the house and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Him

I will stop here, but go check out the book of Matthew for yourself to see how Jesus was the church. Yes, He went to the synagogues to preach and teach but that was not all that He did. In fact the stories we see of Jesus is Him healing the sick, teaching, preaching, feeding the hungry outside of church walls. Jesus did all of these things, as He went. It was part of His day! He always had time for children, those in need physically, and those in need spiritually.

So what about my day? In my busyness to perform my church duties, do I take opportunities for those right around me. Maybe being the church isn't so hard, but slowing down to encounter people is. I believe that God wants me to be willing to lay everything aside to take those opportunities to speak into people's lives. Will I do it, or will I be to much in a hurry?

What about you? Who will you encounter today that God wants you to be the church to? Will you be aware of the opportunity, or will you be so preoccupied that you miss it? Why don't we start our day by asking God to give us His view of people. As He opens our eyes to those around us, stop what you are doing and be the church to those who are in need.

Are You the Church?

2008-07-22T13:01:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we started talking about the idea of being the church rather than going to church. I know some of you are reading this and saying, "Oh this is just a play on words." Please go deeper than this and notice the deep theological statement that a five year old boy made.

Let's face it most believers think that their responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission is to pass out a flyer about an event at the church, invite someone to attend a church service, or pass a tract to a waitress. This idea of evangelism is void of depth and relationship, but it is very convenient for the busy believer. Why is it that most church members think it is the paid staff responsibility to visit the sick and witness to the lost? May I suggest something that you may not like. We as church leaders have set it up this way!

In an effort to feed our egos and self-worth we need the church to need us. We like it when our members say things like: "Oh, I don't know what I would do without you; You are the greatest pastor; and I am so glad you were there for me" Before we can teach people to be the church we must ween ourselves from defining ourselves by a church building or programs or being busy.

Sorry about that tangent, but as leaders of a church we must equip people to be the church. We must be intentional about making disciples that are more than our groupies, but can go out and make other disciples. Am I willing to invest into people that will leave me to accomplish what God has in store for them? Am I willing to invest into people who may never attend a service at The Journey? Am I willing to lay aside programs for the opportunity to build relationships? If I am not, then I can make my disciples; but not necessarily disciples of Jesus. Disciples of Jesus do not go to church, but are the church.

Do You Go To Church?

2008-07-21T09:58:00.002-04:00

The past several days I have had the greatest opportunity to visit with Real Life Ministries, a church built on relationships in Post Falls, Idaho. If you are a church planter and want to do more than just talk about building relationships but want to see it in action - then get yourself to Real Life Ministries. It was the best conference I have ever attended in 15 years of ministry!

There was so much I came away with that I could post for the next year. But I want to focus this week on one question. Darren, one of our small group leaders, told the story about a conversation his two boys had on the way to church. The question was asked while in the car when the family was going somewhere where they were going. The older son responded by saying, "We are going to church". The younger son (5years old) asked a serious question to that, "How can we go to church when we are the church?"

This question has rocked my world! "How can we go to church when we are the church?" Honestly as a church planter I have gotten off focus from my vision to equip people because I need a service, program, etc. to draw people in. I don't want to build a church for people to attend, I want to equip people to go be the church in their workplaces, homes, neighborhoods, schools, etc. If I am just trying to get people in, then what good does that do besides making me look like a sucess in the eyes of others.

I won't go to far with this today, because we will work it through the week. So for today what does this question mean to you - "How can we go to church when we are the church?"

Prayer Request

2008-07-14T20:03:00.002-04:00

I will be leaving to go to Idaho for a few days to spend some time at Real Life Ministries. Real Life is the amazing story of a church totally based on relationships. God is doing such amazing things that we (Allen Davis) and I are heading out there to see what is going on.

While I am out would you be praying for several things:

Please pray for Nicole. She was a part of the mission team that worked with The Journey last week. She is actually in the picture of my last post. She is the one holding Michaela, our daughter. I found out last night that her dad died suddenly Sunday morning. They did not know exactly why, but it was very unexpected. Pray for her and her family as they go through this valley.
Pray for The Journey as we continue to move forward. We have been meeting at Medowsprings Church on Woodruff Road this month and will be there for two more weeks. Pray that God would give us wisdom on how to continue developing the core group in August.
Pray for me as I go to Idaho this week. It is a really quick trip and I will not get much rest. I am aware that this is awful for my health, but it is important. Pray that God will keep me going.
Pray for Allen Davis, the Connections Pastor at The Journey that he will see exactly how God is leading us to set up our home groups. At The Journey home groups are not a program, they are the foundation of what we do.
Pray for Jonathan Whitten, the worship leader at The Journey. It is a difficult job leading music because everyone feels like they know what needs to be done. Pray that he will follow God's leadership.

Thank you for praying for us and I will post on what we learned in Idaho when we get back. So I guess I will be back on line Monday.

Thanks!

2008-07-11T09:24:00.003-04:00

Just want to take the opportunity to say thank you to a youth group that worked with The Journey this week. This group is from Holden, Missouri and traveled to Greenville, SC to take part in Power Plant a week to expose youth to church planting.

This week these guys passed out over 1,000 fliers to apartments and subdivisions informing the community of upcoming events. They also helped Lighthouse Ministries (a ministry to downtown Greenville) move into their new office space. They even cleaned out the children's area for another church (and I mean clean it out). That was what they did during the day. At night they had two watermelon socials at apartment complexes (the rain did not help much - but we needed the rain) and had a Kid's Club another day. I think they had a busy and very productive week!

I was impressed with this group of teenagers (and their leaders) because no matter rain or shine, they did not complain. Everyone was so impressed with how quickly they got to work and did not rest until it was finished. This is a great group and we were very fortunate to have been able to spend some time with them. Pray for them as the travel home for the next two days.

A Church Planter has even more Thoughts!

2008-07-10T09:25:00.003-04:00

Sorry for missing yesterday's post, I know you just live for my blog. Anyway, continuing on with my thoughts, good or bad here we go:

As I reread my post from Tuesday the Lord hit me upside the head. Why do my thoughts turn negative when people do not respond the way I think they should. (There goes that mental movie again) At the same time I am disappointed, I am also extremely encouraged about the people who are making huge steps of faith to be a part of The Journey. Can I tell you about Jim and Marianne who recently left their church in which they were greatly involved to begin a new chapter in their lives with The Journey. They understand the vision and focus of The Journey and are making major adjustments in their lives to follow the call of Christ! (Sounds like a disciple of Christ to me). How exciting is that!

So why do I focus on the negative? Does the devil make me do it? No. Is it just who I am and I can't do anything about it? I certainly hope not. Is it a choice that I have made to focus on the negative rather than rejoice in the positive? Yep, that is it! It has been my choice.

So here is my deal... Today I will focus on the positive and take the negative to the Lord to handle. If this is a choice then it must be done on a daily basis. So I will do it today and worry about tomorrow, well, tomorrow! Hope you have a great positive day! Remember, it is your choice!

More Personal Thoughts of a Church Planter

2008-07-08T09:19:00.003-04:00

Thanks for the comments on yesterday's post to wait on the Lord. There is a song that says "strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord" and that seems to be where I am living these days...waiting on the Lord!

These are my thoughts lately about waiting, good or bad here they are. Frankly, I am not good at waiting. We have been here for six full months and in my mind The Journey should be running over with people wanting to invest into the life of a church plant. The reality is that planting a church is hard work! Working with people is a great opportunity, but it is also filled with disappointments. Just when you think some are coming on board with you, they disappear!
My first thought is to cast these people aside and press on, but if I am waiting on the Lord then I must understand that He has a plan for them that may or may not include The Journey.

So here is my thought for the day: what do you do when you wait on the Lord? Am I to just wait at the house and catch up on television, do I continue to build relationship with core group members, with lost, with the community?

The Bible tells us to watch and pray, so waiting is an active sport. Prayer is not a blessing for a meal but a time to engage with the Heavenly Father. I guess this ties in with yesterday's question about fasting and praying.

Help me out here, what do you do to promote an active prayer life rather than passive waiting. Any suggestions are welcomed and needed!

Personal Thoughts of a Church Planter

2008-07-07T03:33:00.003-04:00

If you notice the time of this post then you see it is 4am once again and yes, I am awake. It is remarkable to me how many times God seems to wake me up just to spend some time with Him. I used to get back to sleep by reading or watching television, but lately I get up and pray and study the Bible on the topic on my mind.

So what is on my mind this morning? The topic of fasting. I have to be honest with you I do not know much about the subject so I have been looking at Scripture and googling the subject. It is amazing to me that I have been in the ministry for almost 15 years and have not tapped into the area of fasting. Maybe that shows what a comfortable life I have lived that I did not need to dig deeper to get in touch with myself and God.

So why the interest in fasting now? Have I mentioned that I am a church planter without a consistent paycheck living in an apartment trying to lead people to a new way of "church"? All of the above areas are on my mind, but my greatest concern is how do I make a dent into the darkness around me? How do I lead others to see that it is up to believers to be salt and light in the world? How do we get on board with a movement of God to reach the hurting, confused, and angry and lead them into a relationship with Him.

Pretty heavy thoughts for 4am. Here's my overwhelming desire: I want to be used by God to make a difference in the lives of others. Oh, those others are not necessarily church folk - but those who do not acknowledge God right now. How on earth do I do that?

I know I have been rambling, so maybe you can help. What are your resources for fasting? How are you penetrating the darkness? What is God showing you about how to reach into a world separated from the love of God? You hear my thoughts, what are yours?

What Disciples Do Pt III

2008-07-05T10:10:00.003-04:00

Sorry I did not post yesterday, but what a tremendous time I had with my family and other friends celebrating the fourth.

Anyway, here is our working definition of a disciple: A disciple is a person who has answered the call of Christ to follow Him by making major adjustments in their lives to invest into others

The third thing that I see a disciple does is invest their lives into others. I do not mean they invite people to church programs; they look at every person they meet as an opportunity to invest the love of God into them. Now I am not talking about walking around with Bibles and hitting people on the head; I believe that as we live Christ out in front of others, they will see a difference.

The problem is that too many believers will not allow others into their lives to see Christ. Let's face it, if we welcome someone to our church then we consider ourselves to be friendly. My wife has thrown an awesome challenge to me when I talk to people. She tells me "to ask the second question." First questions are always introduction while second questions want to find out about the individual. To be honest with you I think our churches are full of first question conversations. As a result we remain shallow with others and they are never allowed to see Jesus in us.

So here is a question to see if you are investing your life into others. Who are you intentionally building a relationship with? Notice the question is not who is investing into you. If you have a person are they a member of your church?

Until we take off our blinders to those we have contact with everyday, then we will never be salt and light into the world. If we are not salt and light, then how can we be disciples?

What Disciples Do Pt II

2008-07-03T09:42:00.002-04:00

A disciple is a person who has answered the call of Christ to follow Him by making major adjustments in their lives to invest into others

The second thing I see that disciples do based on Matthew 4 is that they make major adjustments to their lives to follow the calling of God.

When Jesus called to the disciples to follow Him, they left their nets and family to pursue this calling. Just think about it, these men left everything they knew, the security of a job and family to follow a man into the unknown. Talk about faith.

Let's be honest, praying the sinners prayer and to go to heaven one day does not require major adjustments to one's life. But living out this calling will rock your world. Think about where Jesus led the disciples - into a life that was constantly challenged, mocked, and preached against by the religious leaders of the day; they went to Samaria to meet with a woman which broke religious, generational, and cultural norms of the day; to meet with the sick and outcast; to break bread with sinners; and we can go on and on. The point is that the disciples life did not change one time, but constantly while Christ was with them and even more after His departure.

I recited the sinners prayer and sat on church pews without anything in my life being challenged. When I discovered what it meant to be a follower of Jesus, well let's just say everything in my life changed. Can we be complacent in a church and be a disciple of Jesus? Let me go ahead and tell you what I think - NO!!!

What major adjustments have come to your life as a result of following Jesus. If you can't think of any, then what is your definition of a disciple? If you use the Bible for the definition, it will include major changes to your life. If you are not a disciple, then what are you?

What Disciples Do

2008-07-02T12:11:00.003-04:00

A disciple is a person who has answered the call of Christ to follow Him by making major adjustments in their lives to invest into others

I want to continue on with out working definition of a disciples that comes out of Matthew 4. The first thing I see a disciple does is answer the call of Christ. Can you envision Jesus walking by the shore when he calls out to two fishermen (Peter and Andrew) to come and follow Him. Their response was that they immediately left their nets and followed this man named Jesus.

I understand that salvation comes we we answer the call of Christ to follow Him, but isn't being a disciple more than just being saved? Did Christ call the fisherman to rescue them from hell or to give them a whole new way of life? Jesus called us to something bigger than just going to heaven (and that is a big deal). Jesus called us to a new way of life.

Do we cheapen God's grace when we do not live a new life. I know this is a little long, but take the time to read the following from Costly race by Dietrich Bonhoeffer :

Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheap jacks’ wares. Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on our selves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which cause him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price.” And what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Costly Grace, pp. 45-48.)

I think that says it all!

What is a Disciple?

2008-07-01T09:36:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I posted at 4am and today it is more like 10, to say that my life is a little unpredictable is an understatement. Anyway, continuing on with the theme of being a disciple this morning I decided to give you my definition of a disciple.

This definition comes from the account in Matthew 4:18-22 when Jesus called the first disciples to follow Him. So here it is, wait for it......wait for it......wait for it.......here it is......

A disciple is a person who has answered the call of Christ to follow Him by making major adjustments in their lives to invest into others.

I know it is not to complicated and you are probably disappointed, but I think that the Bible is not as complicated as we make it out to be. I think sometimes we intentionally make it complicated so that we have an excuse for not being obedient. But that is a topic for another day! I want to develop what a disciple does tomorrow, but today why don't we all think about this definition of a disciple and read Matthew 4:18-22. Until tomorrow...

What am I a Disciple of?

2008-06-30T03:52:00.002-04:00

It's about 4am on Monday morning and I am sitting here searching through the Scriptures with this pressing question, "What is a disciple of Jesus Christ?"

Can I just express my heart to you this morning? Well, I am going to any way whether you like it or not. I have had the opportunity to speak in a lot of churches over the last couple of years and something seems to be common in them all. Every church is full of nice people, but where are the disciples of Jesus? I mean, where are those people who are making major adjustments in their lives to follow Christ?

As I read the story of how the disciples left everything to follow Jesus and see how many people in churches refuse to change anything in their lives, I wonder what has the definition of being a disciple become. I know there are some great people in churches, but the facts are:

the divorce rate of church members is the same as those not professing to be a disciple of Christ.
Men inside the church confess looking at pornography at the same rate as those outside the church.
Over half of the young people currently in youth groups will leave the church within the first year of college, many will never return.
Baptisms are declining.
Church attendance in most churches are plateaued and declining.
Churches are closing their doors at an alarming rate
Many churches seem to focus on their buildings, how many people attend, and how much money was given

Seriously, if our churches are to be making disciples, then we suck at it! But before I can cast stones at everyone else I must take a look at myself. What am I a disciple of? A question I will ponder this week, hope you will join me on this journey.

Prayer Time

2008-06-27T08:49:00.002-04:00

Many of you have asked how to be involved in our family's life and the life of The Journey and I have not given a good answer. But a couple of weeks ago when I was having a difficult time with my health I asked several people to pray for me. Over the next couple of days I saw God heal me from what could have been a lengthy flare up of MS. My eyes were opened and I saw first hand the power of prayer. As a result I am going to start posting prayer needs on Friday so that each of you can actively be involved in prayer on behalf of our family and The Journey.

Pray that God continues to bless The Journey financially. We have received a paycheck every week for the past couple of months to which I am extremely grateful. Next week we will begin paying our worship leader (a minimum amount) each week as long as there is money in the account. We also have expenses in marketing (signs, flyers, etc.) coming up that we currently have no money for.
Pray that God continues to give the leadership team (Me, Allen, Jonathan) wisdom as we move forward with the church plant.
We are excited that God has given a place to meet during the month of July. Begin to pray for God' provision in August.
Pray for our family as we continue to seek to build relationships with others so we can just show them the love of God
Pray for my health (healing would be nice)
Pray for services this Sunday. We will be meeting at Medowsprings Church on Woodruff Rd. Pray that those we have been inviting will be there.

That gives you plenty to be praying for. Please feel free to email me for more specific information, or to offer any encouragement. May you have a good weekend!

How to end a Youth Camp

2008-06-24T18:12:00.003-04:00

So we had a terrific week of camp with the youth at Forestville Baptist Church. I know sometimes it is hard to leave after going so deep with the Lord and one another. We chose to write and sing a song for the final event of camp. This expresses how we were feeling after an exhausting week. It is kind of hard to hear, but I think you will get the idea. Hope you enjoy!

The Journey is Meeting

2008-06-24T08:10:00.003-04:00

Talking about getting out into the deep, The Journey has been moving away from the shore line! For five months we have been meeting and planning while growing together. For the past couple of weeks we have been sensing God moving us into the next phase of the church plant. We decided to start meeting together for worship once a month. While planning for these services we tried to find a location to meet - unsuccessfully I might add. Well, I did find one place, but they wanted $11,000 a month - out of our price range by about $10,900.

Anyway, this past week God provided in an amazing way. Not only are we going to meet this week, but we are going to be able to meet the whole month of July sharing the vision and purpose of The Journey. We will be meeting at MedowSprings Church which is located on Woodruff Road (past Five Forks into Simpsonville). And get this, they are letting us meet there through July for free!! That is definitely in our price range. We will be meeting at 10:30 and if you need directions just send me an email. Our hope is that this will be an opportunity for people to check out The Journey to see what we are all about.

Just like in fishing: when you move out into deeper waters, you can find larger fish. When we move out into deeper waters with God, there are bigger blessings. Where are you today with God? On the bank, in the shallow waters, or moving out deep?

I'm Back

2008-06-23T05:54:00.003-04:00

It seems like forever since I have posted, but here I am once again. Last week was an incredible week as I spent it with the Sr. High group from Forestville Baptist Church at youth camp. What made it so amazing is that we spent a week discipling young people in a small group format. It was a refreshing change from the typical "hype youth up on Jesus" and send them home without a way of applying what they learned to real life situations.

I want to thank Brian Deyton (youth minister of Forestville) for allowing me to spend time with his youth. Also I could not have done it without Mike Mohler and Chad Hall (pastor and worship leader of Trinity Point in Easley). These are some incredible guys and it was a joy to work with them.

This past week at camp we encouraged the youth to dig deep in the application of the Word of God. Transformation to our lives will not come in Sunday School answers, but only when we stop, listen to God, set goals for our lives, and commit to hold one another accountable to these goals. I wonder how many adults are willing to dig deep? Based on the state of the church, not too many.

As I continue to practice what I preach and dig deep in the application of the Word of God, I encourage you to get out of the shallow waters. We will be taking a look at how this week.

Another Week Down

2008-06-13T10:23:00.002-04:00

Where does time go? It seems that this week just started and here it is already Friday. Today our family is celebrating Father's Day since I will be away at a camp on Sunday. Got some lunch planned, time at the pool, and of course - Father's Day gifts. What a great Day!

Just want to update you on The Journey. We are heading into the summer full steam ahead. It has been such an interesting ride so far as God has truly been leading us. For the first time in my life I do not have control, and I am just moving forward with the vision as God lays it out there for us.

Specifically with The Journey:

we are sponsoring a pool party at my apartments. It think it will be a great way to serve and continue building relationships with my neighbors.

We also have some opportunities to begin doing some worship services on Sunday morning. I know we have one scheduled for June 29 - will get more details to you about that.

For the first month we had money left in the budget at the end of the month. Don't know how that happened, but thank you God. (Don't stop giving financial support though, it was not a ton of money)

God is moving us forward into the next phase of the church. As we begin to worship, continue to cast vision, and develop small groups I believe we will see this summer as a tremendous experience for us

Like I said earlier I will be leading a youth camp beginning on Sunday. I know I will not have Internet access so I will not be able to post. I think you will be able to go on with life without my words for a week, but I will be back the next week.

Until then, are you in preparation to worship corporately?

Preparation for Worship

2008-06-12T04:46:00.002-04:00

As we have been looking at worship this week I have realized that this is a huge and sometimes controversial topic. Almost everyone feels they have the secret ingredient to worship since they have had a worship experience. (Remember what Oswald said about experience - it is a door to know God). So today I am not presupposing to have the ultimate answer to corporate worship, but I do see one key element - Preparation.

In the Old Testament, anytime the Israelites were going to face God there was a preparation time. Moses and Joshua were both instructed to tell the people to sanctify themselves before God met with them for specific purposes. In the New Testament, Jesus spoke about the heart of the man over his actions. Jesus pointed to the fact that if you went through the motions of worship, but did not have a clean heart then in actuality you were far from God.

In our worship services, how much attention is given to preparation. I am not just talking about the pastor or worship leader getting ready to put on a service, but the people of God spending time preparing for corporate worship. In my view, what a person does through the week is their preparation for worship. I am afraid that we have left worship up to the professional clergy and have not prepared out own hearts for corporate worship which is simply responding to God for who He is and what He does.

What would happen in our churches if members would spend time in the week preparing themselves to worship together on Sundays? Maybe we would see a falling of the Spirit of God because we were not just talking about worship, but actively involved in the process. We might even find that there is not a need to be critical of other churches because they do not worship the way we do. Maybe we would not be so "I" centered in worship and be God centered. Maybe it would absolutely revolutionize our churches focus on God rather than the program.

I don't know what you think, but I see that it is my responsibility to be prepared to worship with others. If I am not prepared, then I am just there for the show. Hey, isn't that what Jesus accused the Pharisees of?

Psalm 100 and Worship

2008-06-11T07:34:00.004-04:00

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100

Here are some things out of Psalm 100 that I see related to worship:

Worship can be loud (shout to the Lord)
Worship is joyful and exciting (Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs)
lost people cannot worship (know that the Lord is God)
we worship God because we were made for God (it is He who made us, and we are His)
we worship God because we have a master to follow (we are the sheep of His pasture)
worship is praising God for who He is (give thanks to Him and praise His name)
we worship God because of his unending love for us (For the Lord is good and His love endures forever)
we worship God for His faithfulness to all (His faithfulness continues to all generations)

Worship is not an event one time a week, it is the expression of a life that is following the Master, understanding that their is a plan and a purpose for their life. They are joyful in the fact that God is love and faithful to all. One who worships will not let situations stifle their worship, but give their heart, soul, strength, and mind to worshipping the One who paid the ultimate price for our salvation.

Sometimes I miss the mark in worship (many times if I am honest with myself). I allow events and circumstances in my life control my worship as they take my eyes off of Christ. As my faith grows weak, so does my worship. I know it is a difficult path, but I want to walk the path of worship, regardless of what is happening around me. May God lead and teach me in this journey of worship of Him!

What Is Worship?

2008-06-10T08:04:00.002-04:00

Before we deal with the elements for corporate worship we must all be on the same page of what worship is. Many times when we think of worship we think of a service we were in that we experienced a moving of the Spirit of God; or maybe we think of a time alone where we sensed a real presence of God. These are great experiences of worship, but we must use the experience to point us to God. Oswald Chambers wrote this about experiences:

Experience is a doorway, not a final goal. Beware of building your faith on experience, or your life will not ring true and will only sound the note of a critical spirit.

As we seek to define worship it cannot include a simple experience, but go much deeper. It must go to God Himself. I believe Psalm 100 gives us a good idea of worship:

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100

So from Psalm 100 and other scripture, here is my simple definition of Worship: responding to God for who He is and what He does. We could dissect this definition, but you can do it on your own. The one thing I want you to see about worship is that it is God's idea and He initiates worship with us. Therefore worship is a response.

I have to be honest with you, many times in my life my first response is not worship. Rather it is selfish and sometimes angry. If I am to worship through my life, then I must check up on my responses. Wow! we are going deep here so I better stop for the day, but let's pick this idea up again tomorrow.

Facing a New Week

2008-06-09T08:41:00.002-04:00

So I come back home from a wonderful vacation to find that while we were gone, Greenville became the hottest place on earth! What's up with that? It was cooler at Daytona Beach -something is wrong!. Of course maybe it was hot in Daytona, but all I had to do each day is go to the beach so it did not seem as bad.

Get this, I wake up this morning with a swollen and soar throat, runny nose, sneezing, and water eyes. Again, what's up with that? It is bad enough to have to come home from vacation, but get sick on top of that - well this is not how my mental movie is playing out in my head!
But enough of my complaining, life happens and we must deal with it and move on!

So here is what is on my mind this week - what are the elements to corporate worship? I know it is kind of a deep subject, but I have been thinking about this idea of corporate worship for weeks now. I have had the opportunity to visit and preach in a lot of churches over the past few months and to be honest, I don't think many churches are having corporate worship.

If I get into all of this today, the post will be so long that I will get distracted in the middle, so for today just begin to think about this idea of corporate worship. What is it? Why do it? Can it be measured? Are there certain elements for it? I would love for this week to be interactive because I do not have an answer here - hopefully we can learn together!

One More Day of Vacation

2008-06-05T20:40:00.002-04:00

I am sitting here looking at the ocean tonight thinking about our vacation. Tomorrow is the last full day of vacation and then we pack up Sat. and head back to Greenville. We have had such a great time that it will truly be sad when it comes to an end.

I have started posting on things I have done for the first time while on vacation, here is the list so far:

Climbed to the top of the fort in St. Augustine
Drove on the beach
Rode in a race car around the Daytona International Speedway
Gone to the beach every day
Buried my daughter Marissa in the sand, all except for her head
Went shopping without complaining
Visited the end of the beach, literally the rock wall where Daytona Beach ends
Haven't gotten sunburned (yet, still one more day)
Had a professional photographer take family pictures on the beach
Watched my daughter ride a boogey board (she is quit good) while sitting in a chair in the ocean
Caught a fish in the ocean. Sure it was a minnow and I did catch it with a bucket, but it is still a fish that was in the ocean

As you can see, a great vacation. Thank you to so many of you that have been praying for my health. My MS has not affected me at all. In fact, I told Karen tonight that I haven't felt this good in a long time. I tried to get her to move to Daytona for the sake of my health, but we thought it would be a long commute on Sundays to lead the Journey. Oh well!

If you do not have a vacation planned for your family, plan one right now! The rest, relaxation, adventure, and family bonding will be worth every penny you spend!

Gotta go for now and look for some more first time events to get in to. See you next week!

I Feel the Need For Speed!

2008-06-03T10:16:00.005-04:00

We are on vacation in Daytona Beach Florida and having an awesome time. My theme of this trip is to experience as many things for the first time that I can. Some things I have done so far is to go to the top of the fort in St. Augustine (had to climb a ton of stairs, but I made it), watch the Space Shuttle launch from the beach, drive on the beach, and get this... ride in a race car around the Daytona International Speedway!

Seriously, I rode in a race car going 175 miles per hour around the track. Pretty exciting especially when he drove up close to the wall. I have to say that I have a new respect for Nascar drivers.

I have posted more pictures on my Facebook, so check them out. Until next time, why don't you try something new today, I know I will!

Going on Vacation

2008-05-29T07:41:00.002-04:00

Today is the girls last day of school so let me say Hooray for them! Tomorrow we start vacation in Daytona Beach, Florida so let me say Hooray for me! Since I won't be blogging much over the next week, let me leave you with the an idea about relationship building.

When you are building relationships sometimes you wonder if it really matters. I know we do it for God and He is a rewarder of those who are faithful, but sometimes it is nice to get back from someone when you are pouring so much out into other people.

The past few days have not been so good for me physically. The cross of Multiple Sclerosis has decided to launch an attack on my body. As a result I am having extreme difficulty walking which is leaving me a bit depressed. Yesterday I decided to email some friends just to ask them to pray for me. Here is what I received:

Multiple emails expressing concern for me and my family

Someone prayed for me instantly via email

Multiple phone calls wishing me well and asking what they could do

A visit from some friends last night bearing cookies

As I sat in my house last night surrounded by family and friends with an incredible amount of laughter I thought to myself, "Self, yes it is worth it!" I may not have much money, a large house, or even great health; but I do have some wonderful relationships in my life. I know I do not build relationships to get something, but a true relationship is there when you need it most!

Well, that's all I have for now, think I start thinking about what to take on vacation!

But I am not a Preacher

2008-05-28T07:35:00.003-04:00

I know many of you that follow my blog are not pastors, church planters, or will never preach a sermon in a church may be wondering how this topic of preaching the Word applies to you. Go read 2 Timothy 4:1-5 before you continue reading....

no, seriously, read it......

don't skip down, read it.....

get you Bible out and read it.....

have you read it? check out verse 4

Does that describe you? see, if you have not read it you have no clue what I am talking about so better go and read it!

I believe this verse describes our "church" culture today. Churches are full of people who want the pastor to tell some good stories to motivate them to live a better life. As a pastor, it is hard not to tell the fun stories that motivate and encourage people - it feels good to get someone to tell you "Good Job". But if I am not careful, I will water down the Word by running out of time telling stories to give people what they want and never get to the Word.

So how does the average church member fight against this mentality? Be in the Word yourself apart from Sunday mornings. If you spend time in the Word during the week, then it will be familiar to you when the sermon comes around. But if you spend more time in the world, well, the Word will be unfamiliar, harsh, and not very encouraging to you. You will leave a service thinking the preacher is mad at something and it just did not do it for you!

If we are to be disciples that make disciples, we must hunger for the Teacher's Word! Use this rule of thumb before you criticize your preachers sermon: did you spend enough time in the Word during the week to give you a foundation to compare his sermon too?

PS: If you did not take time to look up the Scriptures I asked you to at the beginning of the blog, I wonder would you rather hear my Words or the Bibles? Just a question!

Why Preach the Word?

2008-05-27T07:53:00.003-04:00

To get the full view of what I am talking about the next few days go ahead and read 2 Timothy 3:10-4:5.

In 2 Timothy 3:10-17 Paul is telling Timothy that impostors of the gospel of Jesus Christ would grow worse in the coming days. As a result of that Timothy was to stick close to the Scripture that was entrusted to him. Paul reminds Timothy that this Word has been given by God and was profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. I want to look at why using the Bible for correction is important.

If we preach our opinion then what do we have as the standard for our lives. You know the saying, "everyone has at least one opinion". What makes your opinion stand above everyone Else's'? Even when our opinions can be based in Scripture, it is our job to preach the Scripture not our opinions.

Let me give you an example. In three of the four sermons I watched Sunday, the pastors talked about tithing. They did not do this in the context of their sermons and seemed to be getting on their soap boxes. When they talked about tithing, they never used one Scripture just personal stories and opinions. Although I knew their opinions were based in Scripture, I wondered what the person who did not have a knowledge of Biblical tithing was thinking.

Paul states that the Scripture is profitable for correction. If people are not tithing and the Scripture points this out, then this is good for making a complete man of God. If opinions are used for correction, well that is what we accuse others of being too judgemental.

I know some of you think I am splitting hairs, but the truth is that too many sermons are void of Biblical preaching. Again I come back to the question: Are you using the Bible to make your points, or are your points coming from the context of the Scripture?

Preach the Word, Please!

2008-05-25T13:00:00.003-04:00

So it's Sunday afternoon and I have been in bed all morning. My cross of Multiple Sclerosis has jumped up and made it very difficult for me to walk. Since I could not make it to church, I decided to catch a service on television. I have to say that I was thoroughly disappointed with what I observed.

Now I want to qualify what I observed with the fact that today was the first time I saw these churches on television and hopefully not every week is like this weeks service. I also want to make it clear that I am not bashing church, just bringing out a very serious point and try to explain how that affects each of us.

I watched four local church services from three different denominations and found the same results - the sermons were based on the Bible, but the Bible was not preached. Every church in an effort to connect with the audience the pastors told stories, jokes, illustrations, and even quoted the Bible, but the services were void of preaching the Word!

You might be wondering what I mean by this so let me quickly try to explain. Paul instructs Timothy to preach the Word which is done by viewing the text of Scripture through the eyes of language, context, unity with the rest of Scripture and letting the Scripture make the practical application. What I observed today were sermons full of man's application adding Scripture to make a point. Doesn't sound like a huge deal, but this greatly impacts our whole theology. I don't have time today to deal with this, but this will be our topic for the week.

Until then, if you have an opportunity - Just preach the Word, Please!

TGIF

2008-05-23T10:35:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks that you stopped to take a breath and bam! It's Friday! This has been a great week, but boy has it been busy! Before when I talked about being busy I would mean it was just full of projects which may or may not have been completed. Now when I talk about a busy life it is from all the opportunities that I have to meet with people. Some people within The Journey, but just as many outside of any church. That excites me because that is why I moved my family to Greenville! To impact the lives of others by building relationships with them!

That goes back to my last post about a vision for your life. Have you thought about a personal vision? As I have been chewing on this I have discovered that part of my vision is to be the best husband, father, and friend possible.

So now that I have identified this, what will I do about it? It is one thing to say it, but something totally different to put action to my words. What must I do to be the best husband? What does that look like? What about being the best father? Does that mean giving my daughters everything they desire, giving my time, or both? And as a friend, how do I become a trustworthy, loyal friend that people long for?

All questions that I must deal with to put into practice a vision for my life. This weekend, chew over your vision and what it would take for you to get there!

On another subject I am looking forward to a cookout with The Journey. It will be awesome to just spend some time with one another building relationships. Also looking forward to hearing some great music at the Handlebar and on Monday spending time with good friends.

Hope you have a great weekend.

The Importance of a Personal Vision

2008-05-21T07:56:00.004-04:00

The conference I attended was led by Steve Cloud of the Pastor's Coaching Network. I have to say that it was probably the best conference on leadership that I have ever attended. It was packed full of truth, practical application, and real time experiences. Thanks to Steve, Trish, and Carl Martin for putting this together.

So what am I chewing on as a result of the conference? The idea of a clear vision, not just for The Journey, but for me personally. When I look at the end of my life, what do I see? What will be my legacy? How have I advanced the kingdom of God? Seeing the end result of what I want to be is vision. Once I have the vision, then I can work the plan to accomplish it.

The problem that I have is to jump to the planning stage before I have a clear God-given vision. The result of this is personal frustration because:

1. I am working a plan, but is it God's plan or mine. If I have not taken the time to discover God's vision, then how can I say I am working His plan?

2. The temptation to switch plans. If I do not see my desired results, then I will adopt another person's plan because I see greater results. I must see God's vision to achieve His results that he has planned out for me.

3. I will quit. God's vision brings God's power, patience, and hope. Without these things I will quit when the plan gets hard and tedious.

Wow! That's good stuff on the importance of the vision. I still have so much bumping around in my head so we will stick on this topic for a little while. My question today for you is; "Do you see the importance of a God given vision for your personal life? What does he want you to be?'

Leadership Conference

2008-05-19T16:01:00.003-04:00

Well I find myself out of town once again attending a leadership conference. I thought I was a pretty good leader, and maybe I am - but I am discovering that there is a difference between a good leader and an effective leader.

One thing that I heard today is that the majority of people in churches are satisfied. They have decided (intentional or unintentional) that growth is not a priority to them. I sure don't want to be like this, I truly have a desire to grow in my relationship with Christ, my family, The Journey, etc. But to grow, I must take an honest look at where I am now.

Being honest with myself is not necessarily easy because I have to admit that I am not perfect. I know some of you reading this already know this, and I do to - I just don't want to admit it! But the hope and joy in Christ is knowing that I do not have to stay here, I can grow!

What about you? Are you growing in your relationship with Christ, your family, others? If not, then you know where to start. Ask God to give you the courage to take and honest look at yourself and then go from there.

Don't think I will be posting tomorrow, but I will catch you up on the rest of the conference on Wed.

Update on The Journey

2008-05-16T06:35:00.002-04:00

We have been in Greenville now for almost five months and just wanted to update you on the progress of The Journey.

We have been casting the vision of the church to anyone who will give us an ear. I spend much of my time at Java Jolt, the clubhouse of the apartments, or anywhere there is a group of people. Since the core value of The Journey is relationships, I need to be actively seeking to build relationships with anyone God brings in my path.

Out of these relationships God is assembling a core group of people that have a desire to plant The Journey. It is funny though, there have been as many people hear the vision, show interest, and then move on through the doors as we currently have attending. Some have discovered The Journey was not their cup of sunshine while others have questioned the values of The Journey and even the focus of the staff. Through it all I have learned to hold people with an open hand. They are not mine, they belong to God. If God desires for them to be part, it will happen; if not, why should I fret about it.

The Journey is meeting on Sunday evenings in a home provided by a fantastic family. We are studying Scripture together to help us be the people God wants of us in a confusing world. This summer our desire is to have one Sunday morning service a month. We still don't know where yet, but are actively praying and seeking.

By the end of the summer our prayer is that we are meeting monthly in worship and in LIFE groups in homes all around the city. As I write this I wonder what things will really look like when the end of summer hits. So far, things are turning out different than my mental movie of The Journey. But that is OK because I want to be on God's plan not mine!

God has been so faithful to us in every way possible. Although this is the hardest thing our family has even been a part of physically, emotionally, and spiritually it is where we need to be.

Why Do You Do What You Do?

2008-05-15T08:02:00.002-04:00

Came across this verse in Titus 1:3 this morning: but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

This may not seem astounding to you, but to me when Paul says that He has been commanded by God to preach what was committed to him - a light came on. That is why Paul could not quite preaching the word even when he was beaten, stoned, left for dead, shipwrecked, put in prison, etc. He was living out his command.

Sometimes I wonder if people are self-called to the ministry or commanded by God to preach the word. Just last night I was having a pity party (I know it is hard to believe) wishing I could quit it all. Deep inside I knew I could not because something was keeping me at it - now I know it is the command that God has put on my life to reach into the darkness with the light of Jesus Christ.

What about you? What are you doing out of the command of God? Maybe there would not be so much burn out in churches if people would follow God's command for them, not their own desire, the desire of a church, or even a denomination. I don't know about you, but today I find joy in all circumstances knowing that I am just living out the command of God.

By the way, Oswald Chambers today is exceptional and is similar to my post today. Check it out!

Are You the Same?

2008-05-14T11:21:00.002-04:00

After spending the weekend in Eutawville, I have realized one thing - I have changed. It was great to spend time with friends, even though it was not under good circumstances. But have you ever returned back to a once familiar and wonderful place to find that things just did not feel right? That is what I experienced.

Now I am not slamming anyone by saying this, I am just pointing out a fact that I have changed. At first I did not embrace this feeling well and I questioned my motives and wondered why things felt different. Then I realized that this is the way God works. In preparing our family to be missionaries in Greenville, He had to change me or else I would never leave a familiar place. Being used by God is sometimes uncomfortable, unfamiliar, and uncertain; but it is the center of joy, peace, and excitement.

My question for you today is are you the same? Only God is the same yesterday, today, and forever - but He is perfect! God will change you as you grow with Him. This change may be a refocusing on His will for you, or it may just be the process of perfecting you. Either way, as God changes you joy, peace, and excitement will follow!

Back to Eutawville

2008-05-10T15:09:00.005-04:00

Well, it is Saturday afternoon and we are planning out return visit to Eutawville. The man I had been asking you to pray for passed away early this morning. As I sit here thinking about the life of Austin Shockley (Shock) I find myself laughing and crying, sometimes at the same time.

When I think of Shock, I just think of the perfect man. For those of you familiar with Ward Cleaver on the television show from many years ago Leave It To Beaver, that is who I think about when I think of Shock. The familiarity is not necessarily in looks, but with the image of a perfect dad, husband, mentor, and friend. Now I know there is none perfect, but I think Shock got as close as a man can get.

As a husband, I always saw teamwork and love between he and his wife Jane. As a father of two girls I never heard but kind words coming from the daughters. Now they will be quick to tell you that their father would discipline, but it was always associated with love.

As a mentor to me - well, let me just say this: Shock was always there offering support, encouragement, and not telling me how to live Christ but showing it. As we moved from Eutawville many people said that they would call us, support us, etc. Most fell short of their promises. Not Shock! The calls came continually, the financial and prayer support was constant, and the love never lacked. That's a mentor and a man of his word!

To be honest, it hurts me to know that Shock will not be on the other end of the phone when I call. It saddens me to know the valley his family is walking. And sometimes I wonder why God takes great men out of the world, especially when I know some that need to be taken off the earth. I know all the answers, so don't think I am losing my faith, but death stinks!!

Through it all we will walk forward because God is faithful. Please pray for Shock's family as they move through the coming days. By the way, I have wondered who will take Shock's place in my life. The answer is that God gave me Shock for a season of time, now I must go and be Shock to someone else in need.

Don't know when I will get to post again, until then is there someone in your life who needs a Shock?

Not All Relationships Are Equal

2008-05-09T07:52:00.003-04:00

As we finish up the week on relationships, let me share a thought with you that has been knocking around in my head. I am becoming aware that there are different levels of relationships. For my use, there are three levels:

The Developing level. I believe these consist of individuals that we have just met and are trying to get to know. Conversation is on a surface level as we just get to know one another.

The Discipleship level. At this level common interest are shared. One of the common interest is Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. This is where the two begin to explore and apply biblical principles together.

The Intimate level. This is when the relationship develops to a level of trust that we can hold each other accountable as we continue to disciple one another.

I know that is a quick definition of each level, I think I need to develop them more. But here is the meat of the issue. If we identify what level each of our relationships are on, then we will not expect someone to act like a disciple when they are in the developing level. I have found that when I do not assess my relationship correctly, I become frustrated and sometimes hurt when the other person does not act according to my mental movie.

This is something I definitely want to develop next week. Right now we are heading out for Eutawville. Our friend Shock I asked you to pray for has been given a diagnosis of weeks or even days of life. I know the doctors are not God, but I also know what the end looks like.

I will be preaching again at Lake Murray Baptist, SC and we will celebrate Marissa's birthday on Saturday and Mother's Day on Sunday. Looks like another busy weekend.

Staying the Course

2008-05-08T07:59:00.003-04:00

Over the last two days we have discussed the idea that although relationships are messy, we must be actively building them with those around us. So how do we remain pure before the Lord when we are investing into messy people?

I believe it imperative for us to stay as close to Jesus as possible. Now this is an easy church answer, that sounds so simple. But just take a look at our devotional lives, would it show our desire to stay close to the Lord?

Since I know that I will be in the world (but not of it), I have decided to put boundaries around me. Rather than just talking, I am putting action to my words. I have decided to take one relationship to the deepest level - accountability. I have recently asked an individual to ask me seven questions on a regular basis. I gave him these seven questions that deal with every aspect of my life. He has already asked them to me once, and what a humbling experience to answer them and not be perfect before another. But I know it is what I must do to remain holy in an unholy world.

Please pray for a great friend of our in Eutawville today. His name is Shock and he has been battling cancer. It looks like the cancer has spread rapidly and he is in the hospital. Just pray for God to be real to all who are involved. And for our family as we head that way in the next day or two.

You Want Me to do What?

2008-05-07T10:15:00.003-04:00

I am sitting in Java Jolt this morning after an early meeting just observing a building full of people. As I watch them I listen to a group of ladies sharing stories about life with one another. At another table a couple sits and shares a morning cup of coffee together. The workers behind the counter swap stories about the business of the morning. Still there is another man playing the Wii. And look, here comes another couple of ladies in the door now.

You know, I have asked this question of God many times since moving to Greenville, "You want me to do What? Build relationships with people? But who and how?" I am not saying that I am an expert in building relationships, but I have learned a few things. The first is that there are always people around us to build relationships with. The question is do we see them?

We get so busy with projects and events of the day that we fail to see the people that God is putting in our paths. We must begin the day asking God to open our eyes to those around us. Once we do this, you will be amazed how many opportunities God has already provided to begin building relationships with those around you - we just need our eyes opened to see them.

Will you pray for God to open your eyes today? Will you continue this prayer daily? If you do not, then don't say you are interested in showing Jesus to people because you are not if you are not willing to see them first.

Relationship Building Involves People

2008-05-06T08:06:00.002-04:00

I believe sometimes we sit in church and make mental movies of building relationships with others in order to show them Christ. My mental movie goes something like this:

I see someone in need and stop to offer my assistance. Since the person is so glad that I am there, they ask me why I am different. I then proceed to tell them the goodness of God to which they exclaim, "Oh thank you! I want to place my faith in Jesus right now" I then put my cape on and fly away to build a relationship with another poor lost soul.

Reality? Not So Much!!! The truth is that people have problems and their lives seem messy. Sometimes the process for a person to trust in Christ may take years. Now, does our idea of building relationships involve people or does it focus on us being the heroes for fixing their lives? Based upon our view, determines if we are in it for the long haul, or just for the present (out of sight, out of mind).

I need to get to the place where I view myself a person who just lives out Jesus before a world in need of a Savior. How about you? By the way, Oswald Chambers has a great devotion this morning about dealing with others who disagree with you.