Ordinary Man

I'm horrible with math!!

2011-10-07T11:10:00.002-05:00

The last few weeks I’ve done a lot of reflections as we just finished up a series at church on Nehemiah (check it out if you’re interested Change Your World in 52 Days www.h2ochurch.cc) We dug into what breaks our heart, how we can impact the world with our passion, understanding people will attack when we’re onto a good thing and not allowing the enemy to distract us from our God appointed mission. This topic comes just a month or so after the anniversary of my answering the call to the ministry a couple years ago. So, that has spurred some serious reflection and questions and self evaluation of what I’ve been doing for His kingdom.

My passion and what breaks my heart is people hurt by our churches! If you’ve followed me on this blog very much you know this. Those held in bondage by the rules and have never felt the emersion of grace, those who didn’t dress “good enough” for church and someone actually said something, those who sinned and their church severed ties with them, my “etc’s” could go on forever. I have a broken heart for these people, I will cry with these people, I’ll fight for these people!

But then there’s a side of me that tries to pull me away from this passion. It's this human part of me that is flawed and sinful. It's this side of me that hears the outside voices of the world and contradictory religious people. Those that say, “You’re not doing enough!” A side that says, “All this effort can’t make a difference, there too much!” Words of, “You’re not qualified. You’re just an ordinary guy with no “formal preacher training.” These words and thoughts easily creep in as a pastor because you pour tons of time into people, seeing that the return in life change is not equivalent to the energy exerted, or at least what you get to witness anyway. The physics behind that says this calling is immensely inefficient. I’m sorry but it’s a true ugly fact of ministry. And even sometimes, you start to believe it!

But here’s the cool thing! God’s math and laws of physics, and other things I know nothing about, are not the same as the math laws of this world! I’m not saying all this because I’m horrible at math and I can’t help my 4^th grader with his homework. I’m saying this because God has a way of taking the smallest things and using it to provide in an overabundance. Whether it is food (i.e. Jesus feeding 5,000 hungry people with a couple sardines and crackers) or whether that be witnessing one life change that provides a long-lasting inspiring spirit of energy. God math isn’t 1+1 = 2; it’s more like, 1+1 = 1,381!!

This last Sunday was one of those times for me. God physics allowed me to witness a person, whose church background I know very well, raise their hand in an act of praise and worship for the first time. I felt like I was watching chains break before my eyes! This person later described it to me as feeling like they had “…found a piece of a puzzle fitting into place, it always belonged there just hadn’t found it yet.” It totally and completely moved me to tears and injected a spirit of energy and blessing in me that will carry me through for a long time! Pastors, church leaders, staff, praise and worship team, children’s teachers, door greeters, ushers, people who are ministering to those where you work, play and live...this is why we do what we do!

As, we learned from Nehemiah, I WILL NOT COME DOWN from the work God has set before me! I will not let the outside world or religious people tell me the job is too big, or we’re doing it wrong, or I don’t know enough, or I’m in over my head! No, I will not come down! My work and energy didn’t change this person’s life a single bit, but it did create a path for God to. That’s why I do what I do! That’s why I will continue to fight for people hurt by church. Give up on me world and religious people for I am lost to the cause…I’ve seen God change lives!

Man, man, man...

2011-08-10T16:24:00.004-05:00

Monday’s email read, “Wanted to let you know that I received your application 2 and everything looks great! Waiting on one more document and then moving you on to the home study! Sincerely, J” This was from the awesome Program Director for Ghana at our adoption agency!

Not that it wasn’t real before but with that email it all became very validating or maybe it’s better to say “she feels closer.” Honestly, I got teary eyed when I read it.

I know this isn’t the “manly” thing to admit, but really I’m past trying to be manly at this stage in my life (come on, I’m 35 years old, 6’2” & 156lbs soaking wet, and if I didn’t shave for a week you wouldn’t notice), I get a lot more emotional the farther Jesus leads down his path. I mean we all cry when Hickory wins the state championship in the movie Hoosiers, but this is ridiculous! You all do cry during that part right?

Seriously I was sharing with a friend last night what a big baby I’ve turned into. We started reading through the Bible at the same time and I was telling him how I was finishing up Genesis and I got really moved when Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers who sold him into slavery so many years before.

Genesis 45:1-5

Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. ² Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.

³ “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. ⁴ “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. ⁵ But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.

That was really powerful for me! Then I thought about this adoption and our little girl I’ve yet to lay eyes on and a slew of things crossed my mind that I know are gonna tear me up!

I’m gonna cry…at the first sight of her face.

when we have to leave without her on our first visit.

at the sight of Christy seeing her face for the first time.

at the sight of my boys seeing her face for the first time.

at her living conditions.

when she cries.

when we get to share our first bowl of Ramen noodles together.

if she doesn’t want me at first b/c I’m still a strange man to her.

when she misses her friends.

when she makes new ones.

at hearing her story of abandonment.

when she is very confused by our culture.

because I can’t take them all home.

when she freaks over a dog in the house.

when I can’t get her hair right even though I’ve been practicing.

when she gets excited about flushing toilets and bathtubs full of water.

when she asks about going back.

when she falls asleep in our bed.

I’m starting to think that maybe this has nothing to do with being "manly" at all. Maybe this has to do with I’m finally seeing the world through His eyes and it either breaks my heart or gives me great joy.

The Far Side

2011-07-26T16:09:00.003-05:00

Recently Christy was arranging books into a bookshelf we finally got for our bedroom after 13 years of marriage. My side of the bed no longer looks like the aftermath of a Christian bookstore explosion! But as I was glancing across the shelf at some of the books from a box or two that went back early on in our marriage I was reminded of just how different Christy and I really are.

Here’s what I saw and laughed out loud…

Yes, Gary Larson artist and author of the now retired Far Side comics spooning with Emily Post and her Book of Etiquette right there on the shelf in front of me! I seriously did laugh out loud. I’ll let you guess which book is Christy’s and which is mine.

I thought WOW, God had to have been setting up in heaven, needed a little entertainment and said to himself, “I’ll match these two up and see what happens!” Reminded me of what we used to do in college to the freshmen during enrollment when I was Resident Assistant in the dorms. I’m completely guilty and slightly remorseful for taking freshman that didn’t have a roommate and matching with someone “interesting”, like placing students with their former high school rivals or putting together someone from a big city with someone very country, maybe even a “polo” with a “goth” once. Then we’d stand back and watch our own little personal sociology experiment unfold! OKAY, you can quit judging me NOW! That was back in the day when I wasn’t so close to God…and I won’t tell you that right now I’m finding some humor in remembering some of their faces and the stories that followed when they came down to request a different roommate! God’s grace is BIG, I’m forgiven quit judging me!

Anyway, back to me and Christy, I know God has gotten a good deal of entertainment from watching us figure each other out over the years. I on the other hand, haven’t been as excited about some of the stumbling blocks in our marriage and there were times in first few years that I was ready to go to the front desk of the dorm and request a different roommate…truth be known, Christy had the right to visit the front desk way more than me. The night of July 4^th 2001 comes to mind.

That was the night that I came home from a party and became fully engaged in a multitasking exercise that had me with one foot on the floor making my best attempt to stop the room from spinning, as I held down the couch I had not so nicely been asked to sleep on, all while making a last ditch plea to convince my eight month pregnant wife not to go across town to stay with her parents. I think her parting words, in the kindest way possible, went something like, “…and make sure you repaint that wall that you threw-up all over last night!” At this point Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” was far far from my mind.

Today as a pastor, that’s one of the most transparent stories I can can give you about my marriage and my life before I drew close to God. Honestly, I had no intention of telling that story when I started this post it’s just where the Holy Spirit led me. I think it’s important as church leaders that we share our flawed pasts as well as our future mess ups. Church leaders are not called to the ministry because they are perfect; we are called to the ministry because God can show his power by using us through our past and in spite of our flaws.

God was disappointed in the condition I allowed myself to get into that night, but he rejoiced in the fact that Christy didn’t give up on me when it would have been very easy for her to, because this wasn’t the first time this had happened, but it was the last. That next day I made a promise to her that she’d never see me in a drunken stupor again. And she has not!

I'm confident God has enjoyed watching us stick it out together knowing we had nothing in common other than the first time I laid eyes on her she had me hooked, and when she saw me…well, I don’t know what she saw in me. It’s excites me now to look back and see what He had in mind for us all along. Now we can see the fulfillment of Jeremiah 29:11. Maybe fulfillment is the wrong word because it seems so final. I’m convinced there’s so much more that lies ahead of Christy and I. Like the line from Jesus Culture song Come Away that we sang at church last week, "I have a plan for you - It's gonna be great - It's gonna be wild - It's gonna be full of Me"

If you would have told me that night as I laid alone on the couch that Christy would still be with me after 13 year, we’d have two awesome boys, I’d be the missions outreach pastor of a thriving church, we’d be adopting a girl from Ghana and my sometimes beloved beagle Missy would still be sleeping on my back porch…well, first I may have puked on your shoes, then I would have said you were crazy! Listen to me now when I tell you God has a plan for your marriage and your life! “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

To be married to someone completely opposite means I get to learn something new everyday. But even better, to be married to someone completely opposite means she sees potential in me even when I can’t. Not a bad team, not bad at all!

I’ll close with couple Gary Larson classics, enjoy! Sorry, I don’t have any favs from the Emily Post book, just sayin’!

Keep It Simple Stupid

2011-06-23T15:39:00.005-05:00

I’ve probably woke up more mornings with more ideas and taken more notes from things that have randomly popped in my head for this post than I have for any other since I started this blog. Actually I’m writing this while looking on the back of this receipt I’ve been keeping notes on in my pocket for weeks now; it’s from Uncle Julio’s a.k.a. Heaven on Earth in Allen, TX from 5/13/11. That's where the juices started flowing on the way back from the Catalyst conference in Dallas, an event I’m still is stirring things up in me over a month later!

But even with all my notes and ideas and just stuff rattling around in my head I couldn’t put it all together. I started this post multiple times and it would not come together. Back when I was preaching and preparing messages every Sunday I had this happen a few times. And thinking back to each of those times it was when I was putting what I wanted to say, AHEAD of what God wanted me to say.

I’m not a very smart guy to begin with, so when I realize God has decided He’s going to jumble my thoughts up, which is not a difficult task, then I know it’s time to step back and see what He’s telling me. In this case He said, “You’re making this too hard! K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid!”

If you’ve followed me on here for very long you know I’ve blogged about the church and the Church maybe more than anything because it’s one of the areas God has created a passion in me. He’s created a desire for me to see church different or maybe see church as it was originally and hopefully help others see it in a different way. I’ve quoted Acts 2:42-47, the way the very first church did life more than any other scripture…

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Let’s boil that down…

Devoted to teaching and fellowship

Devoted to breaking bread and prayer

Were together and had everything in common

Gave to anyone who had a need

Met together daily

Ate together in each others homes

Praised God and enjoyed the favor of all people

AND THE LORD ADDED DAILY THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED!!

So to get to what I’m trying to say is this. I woke up one morning a week or so ago and sat out on my deck with a good cup of strong coffee (God created the world over strong coffee you know…I know it’s in the Bible somewhere), read my daily devotion and scripture, reflected on the last couple months and realized, WE ARE DOING IT!

Ha! We -are - doing - it!

The family God has blessed me with is being the Church!

The friends that God has put into my life that I spend my time with are being the Church!!

The church I’m so fortunate to get be a part of, serve at and with is not just playing church, we are being the Church!!

Right now going through life looks like Acts 2 and it was so simple!! Instead of trying to act like the Acts church and recreate it - simply try acting like Jesus, see through his eyes, walk where he would have walked, do what he would have done, watch your heart be changed and without even knowing you’ll be the church in Acts and the Church He had in mind!

In the end, I never used any of the notes I carried for over a month. K.I.S.S.!!!

Ooh Yeah!

2011-05-27T09:14:00.006-05:00

Thank you friends for all the kind messages from those of you who know I am saddened this week.

For those of you who don’t know here is the AP press release from last week:

Randy "Macho Man" Savage, a larger-than-life personality from professional wrestling's 1980s flying-elbow heyday known for his raspy voice, brash style and the young woman named Miss Elizabeth who often accompanied him, died in a car crash Friday in Florida. He was 58.

Yes, I am a child of the 80’s and I’ve seen yet another one of my hero’s go down like a bad episode of the The Fall Guy. Oops, you’re right; bad analogy. There were no bad episodes of The Fall Guy!

But seriously these wrestlers were a huge part of my life! Every weekend these guys were wrestling in my living room via antenna! Often right up until it was time for Sunday night church. Mom, who was not much of a fan, would come out of the bedroom like a villain hiding under the rink with a steel chair, and would yell, “You two quit! It’s time for church!” Each and every week saving my Dad’s bacon! I was always one crossfaced chicken wing or scorpion deathlock away from the household heavy weight belt.

In my life I’ve seen wrestling hero after wrestling hero pass…all the Von Erich’s, Andre the Giant, Junk Yard Dog a.k.a JYD, Big Boss Man, Wahoo McDaniel, Ravishing Rick Rude, Bam Bam Bigelow…who will be next? NO, don’t say it! Hulkamania will live forever!!

Fly Sally fly!!

2011-05-16T16:16:00.003-05:00

We have now have chicken! And yes we live in town. I guess the old saying is true, “You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.” Now, growing up we didn’t have chickens, we ran cattle so that’s something I know a little bit about…but chickens, well this is a learning experience for me. My knowledge of chicken ranching consists of years and years of watching Foghorn Leghorn, about a 15 minute introduction to chickens training session from our friend who we bought them from, multiple semi-useless factoids that Winston quotes from the best selling novel “Raising Backyard Chickens” and an 11 minute conversation I had on the sidewalk with another chicken rancher. That’s it! Should be enough…right?

With what I felt like was equivalent to a masters degree in chicken produce engineering the boys and I had a fabulous idea, introduce Lacey Lucy and Sassy Sallie to the free range concept of our backyard. In other words, let them out of the coop for a while, they’ll go back in to roost at sunset (learned that in training). We made the necessary preparations like installing lattice along the bottom of the deck so they couldn’t go underneath, checked for any hen size holes in the fence and things like that. Now just before the release, I thought not to myself…

“Self, wouldn’t it be a good idea if we all got acclimated to the chickens roaming peacefully in the yard together?”

“Well yes Self, that is a great idea, you’re so smart!”

“I know Self, thanks for another compliment today!”

So while I was trying feverishly to pat myself on the back I told the boys to get the leashes for the dogs, after all, “all” of us getting to know the chickens a little more up-close meant the dogs too, actually, especially the dogs. The dogs did well with them in the coop but I wasn’t sure how they would do with them in the open without a chicken wire barrier between.

Wyatt was to take our small wirey mutt, Annie and Winston the larger sometimes beloved in need of a hip replace beagle, Missy. Therein lies my mistake!! Giving Wyatt a task that required good judgement, attention and responsibility.

Sassie Sally came out first like a quarter-horse out of the gate or coop if you will, while Lacey Lucy the more mature of the two wasn’t in as big a hurry. As I was encouraging Lacey, and within the first 34 seconds, Wyatt decides to let them meet up close and personal as he “accidentally” let go of the leash.

Did you guys know how well a chicken can fly when it has 7 lbs of hair, teeth and a hankering for nuggets coming at it? She was gone! And had no intension of coming back!

Days have past now and I’m feeling like a scene from the western Open Range is in my future. You know where Kevin Costner and Robert Duval are part of a dying breed of free range cattle ranchers. They wander into a little town that doesn’t take kindly to “free rangers” so they form a posse of sorts to rough them up and run them off. I am fully expecting any evening now for a posse from our neighborhood to show up on the front door to tell me that the last thing they need in these parts is another free range chicken rancher.

And out of all this, as funny as it may sound, Sassy Sally the free roaming runaway chicken reminded me a lot about grace, myself, my church and staff I so graciously get to serve and worship with. The staff from H2O and I just got back from an out of this world uplifting church leaders event called Catalyst. So much of that even spoke to me and I’m trying to mentally digest it. My mind has been especially focused on how big God’s grace is and how awe inspiring he is. For me personally this has been so evident in the fact that God chose me to work in His ministry with everything I’ve done in my past that some of you know about and a lot of stuff only me and God know about. He still chose me and I can hardly believe it! A speaker brought me to tears Friday night illustrating this.

So there I am on stage this Sunday back home at church saying a few things when I looked over the crowd and saw so many faces whose stories I heard about being set free from the coop of man made doctrine, the coop of habitual sin, the coop of religion and the coop of institutions that cling more to their denomination than they do to the cross. In a second I reflected on my life that was set free and so many others…we FLEW THAT COOP BABY, landed in the neighborhoods tallest cedar tree and are never going back!! How big is God grace? I DON’T KNOW, I haven’t seen the end of it yet and am convinced I never will! I’m convinced there isn’t an end!!

Lacey Lucy, the one that didn’t fly away, roams the yard in the evenings but makes her way back in to the coop every night like clockwork. She finds comfort in the confines of the coop. She knows that she’ll be locked up every night and it does not bother her. It doesn’t phase her in the least that by coming back every night she’s not living up to her full potential.

Sassy Sally on the other hand is gone! Is it risky for her? Yes! She has no idea what waits for her on the outside of coop. But that’s a risk she willing to take. She’s willing to choose a risky life of freedom over the comfortable and safe confines of the coop.

For us it’s the same. But once we get a good taste of grace; I mean a GOOD taste of grace, one where we look deep inside ourselves and see where we started and where Christ has taken us, well, there’s no going back to the coop! The risky unknown life outside of the coop with Jesus cannot compare to the shackles that man has created!! FLY BABY FLY!!

I heard a speaker say, “If we aren’t doing something that feels risky in our Christian walk then are we really living for Christ?” That one gut punched me this weekend and need more thought. Something for all of us to ponder!

Galatians 5:1 (New Living Translation)

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Last chance get them now!

2011-04-19T10:22:00.003-05:00

Hey guys most of you have heard, but in case you haven't, we are having a 3 family adoption fundraiser on April 30th from 5pm to 8pm @ Central Church of Christ.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW we are only selling them for one more week.

The fundraiser will consist of a wonderful bbq dinner and silent action with some sweet items!

The three families it will be benefiting are, the Schulp family who is adopting from Haiti, the O'Neal family who is adopting from Ethiopia and then ours of course and we are adopting from Ghana - all right here in Ada, America! That's good stuff!

If you have always had a heart for adoption but not called to actually adopt this is your opportunity! You can help bring three familyless children into a loving home by supporting one event.

Tickets can be purchased from any of these three families (Schlup's attend Central CofC, us and ONeal's attend H2O) or The Brown Box @ 116 E. Main or directly from our adoption blog http://www.brownethiopiaadoption.blogspot.com/ look on the left as soon as the page opens. Remember this is the last week to purchase!

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
-James 1:27 NLT

Anniversary of the heart

2011-04-11T23:05:00.000-05:00

On this day nine years ago I was sleeping in a rocking chair in the Pediatric ICU floor of OKC Childrens Hospital with a thin blanket a nurse threw over my sometime during the night. Winston our 7 month old baby had just had open heart surgery that morning and I wasn't going to the parent hotel. Nope, I was staying all night even though some very nice friends and family donated the money for Christy and I to have a place to stay in the hospital. This whole thing was totally out of my hands but the one thing I could do is be there!

Tonight just for a little while those feeling welled up inside of me as I went in for one last bed check on my not so little boy. He's perfectly healthy for now. But I just couldn't help rub my fingers up and down the scar he sports down the entire length of his chest one last time before I pulled his covers up. I do that often when he's awake running around the house shirtless and he always asks, "Daddy why do you like to rub my scar?" and I've never really told him that , "Son, it's my reminder that I'm not in control but He is and I'm okay with that."

Maybe tomorrow I'll tell him or maybe I'll wait till he needs the wisdom like I did. Either way I thank you Lord for the 9 years you have to let me have with my son.

Trend Setter

2011-03-28T16:57:00.001-05:00

So today at 3:30pm a friend at work says, "Hey man what's up with the shoes?"

I feel a random drug test is in my future!!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Taking the doors off!!

2011-03-14T16:34:00.002-05:00

Wow, it’s been so many weeks since I’ve posted and a lot has happened in our lives.

One, as you know, is our family’s choice to adopt internationally from Ethiopia. Whoa, this ride is just getting started and it’s already bumpy! This story you can follow in more detail at http://www.brownethiopiaadoption.blogspot.com/ .

And the other major life change being our home church, Fellowship of Believers, merged and became a part of the church family at H2O Church here in Ada where I’m serving as their Missions Outreach Pastor.

Why such a thing? Why would churches merge? Who does something like this? In an era of American church that clings to the sign in the lawn to the point we’ve have forgotten how to let go and remember its Jesus people need to connect with not our name – well, a merger of two churches is taboo!

After praying several weeks we felt we could come together, take a couple things that each of our churches are good at and turn into something a church does GREAT! And that thing being missions outreach with an emphasis on our city.

What does that look like or how does that happen you may ask?

Is it or will it ever work you may ask?

Ah, you tell me?

We met a guy during the community Christmas dinner that came to our home church, has worshipped with us ever since and bought into the idea of churches coming together right from the get go. His past is something that you’ve only read about in books and seen in movies…seriously you don’t hear stuff like this in Ada! Seriously! Did I say seriously? But 13 years ago he turned his life around and gave it to Jesus and ever since he’s been on a mission to win others to Jesus through his everyday life. He truly believes he is “the bridge” from what the churched world looks like to the unchurched world. He feels God has called him to bridge the gap permanently where he lives, works and worships.

So what happens when The Bridge calls up the week our churches merge and says, “Hey, no sense and letting the grass grow under our feet! If we’re gonna to get to reaching people in this town then I wanna have a BBQ in my front yard. No better way to reach people than for my church family to meet my friends!!” “They need to see what I’ve seen. You know, that you guys are normal.”

I knew exactly what he meant but it made me chuckle. I loved it! He actually thinks we are “normal” because we are in church when in reality we’ve just gotten good at hiding how jacked up we really are just long enough to get through our Sunday dinner with friend (dinner = lunch for some of you). Anyway, that’s a post for another day – the how jacked up we are that is, not the dinner/lunch debate.

So what happens? We have a stinkin’ party is what happens!!

The Bridge has about 40 he’s going to invite and we plan on bringing about 25 from the church so we don’t overwhelm anyone.

Is it in a part of town we would normally go or hang out? No.

Is it with people we would normally invite to our own party? No.

Hmm, didn’t Jesus go to a party like that in Matthew 9? I think so!

What I’m starting to find out is people and places that make us uncomfortable are exactly the places that God wants us.

What do you do when you commit to throwing a party in one of those uncomfortable places and with people you don’t know?

First, the week before you plan food for 75 BUT pray for at least 40 so it looks like a decent showing.

Second, the day of the party when God shows up with 100 other people, you humbly say a prayer under your breath for forgiveness because you actually doubted the power of God again. Goes something like this, “Hello God, it’s me slow learner again. Yes, I will eventually take you at your word and realize just how much smarter you are than I am! I know, you don’t have to remind me again that you created the ENTIRE world, which includes me who lives in it, so next time we throw a party with you in mind I won’t be shocked when it explodes! Amen.”

And finally, after a few minutes you find there’s nothing at all uncomfortable about making new friends, building bridges, listening to stories, and dishing out a little healthy serving of love and hope where needed! Nobody got preached to! We were just the church being the church and all acted, “normal”.

I’m totally robbing this phrase from a lady I heard speak who’s heavily involved in city missions in Baton Rouge, LA but get used to it cause I’m gonna start using it a lot more , “We took the doors off the church” this weekend!! It was awesome!

That is why two churches would come together, yes it is working, and God gets all this glory because He is smarter than we are and gives us the courage to do things outside the norm of what church looks like today!!!

Adoption T-Shirt Blitz!!

2011-02-21T15:40:00.002-06:00

Hello Friends,

Our adoption T-shirts are finally on sale! They are sweet!! Check out our adoption blog below to order or read about what's happening!!

http://www.brownethiopiaadoption.blogspot.com/

Get lost!

2011-02-08T11:26:00.003-06:00

The last couple of weeks the boys and I have watched all three of the Lord of the Rings movies. Had they not wanted to watch them with me I honestly would have done it by myself so I’m glad they did, and enjoyed it, now I don’t have to fully confirm my immaturity. These three movies were absolutely awesome if you like that kind of stuff and I do!

Winston and I had a great discussion about how you know when movies are good. I told him in movies like Lord of the Rings it’s if you get lost in them. He didn’t really understand what “getting lost in them” meant so I explained it him like this.

Lost as in you don’t know you’re setting in our living room under a leopard Snuggie (bought for Christy not for me) but rather you are in Gondor battling Orges (not ogers) side by side with a Wizard (who bears an eerie resemblance to Magneto from X-Men, nah couldn't be), an axe wielding Dwarf who has a dry but funny sense of humor and a bad to the bone Elf who can rapid fire arrows at a rate that even Robin Hood would be jealous of! And as I’m telling this I could picture Winston being just the right size for a Hobbit!! He wanted to be something a little tougher of course. Something that carried a sword, but this is my IMAGINATION and you will be a Hobbit!

Whoa!

Back to reality!

Yes, I can easily get lost in a movie, especially a good western or spy movie!! As I’ve said before, since I was a kid I always wanted to be a cowboy or a spy.

I can get lost in books too! I was reading this one last night that resembled the Lord of the Rings story.

There was this good army who was battling a rebellious land full of evil armies. The good army was told by their leader to overthrow every fortified city and every major town in the land. Cut down every good tree and plug up all their water wells and ruin the good farm land by filling them with stones.

As they battled on the good army started running out of water for their own men and livestock. So their leader tells them, when you wake up in the morning the valley you are camping by will be full of water, but you will never hear it rain. And it happened!

The opposing rebellious army also awoke to see the see valley full of water but to them it appeared red as blood.

The battle ensued!! Though armed with 700 swordsmen the evil army could not win! Once the rebellious king realized defeat was at hand he went nuts and sacrificed his own son, next in line to be king, on the city wall!!!

Wow, another one to get lost in!

And this book I’m reading is full of stories just like this and better!

This book I’m reading is full of murder, espionage, soap opera, deceit, drama, sex, heroism, war strategy, lust, good vs. evil, coming of age, action, romance, mystery, overcoming the odds, and did I mention love, oh is it full of love.

It’s also contains a secret…how to live forever!

It’s called the Bible!!

Give it a try! The story I summarized above came from 2 Kings.

Now I must go!! An Orge has just invaded my Hobbit’s room and destroyed his Lego castle…I may need that Dwarf and Elf to win this battle!

Audit week...

2011-01-24T12:00:00.001-06:00

Okay, so most of you know, if you’ve followed me very long that I have a habit of doing this during the times I go through an audit (which is every six month) at my job "that pays the bills and insurance”. These audits totally drain me mentally and physically. Because my OCD kicks in as I strive for total audit perfection until I can't tell if it's the coffee IV or stress causing the 4 day migraine!! Anyway...my habit is to either not post all together or post something from someone else that really has inspired me to keep things simple during audit week. So instead of being totally lazy and not posting at all, I’m going with the semi-lazy approach and that is to repost from someone else.

Drum roll please, Vince Antonucci is someone who has totally inspired me the last year. Through his book Guerilla Lover (if you haven’t read it get it and get ready to be inspired!!) and through his blog where I follow the progress oo the church he started on the Las Vegas strip! Yay, how’s that for a God calling!! This post from him last week will not disappoint you! It might even make you ponder for a while. Enjoy.

Shouldn't Following Jesus Look Like...

Yesterday I mentioned that we've lived here for a year, and the question we always get is, "Why did you move to Vegas?!" As in, "Why did you leave your great church in a great place to live, to move and start a new church in a difficult place to live?"

Well, maybe I'm nuts, but I think we're supposed to orient our lives around Jesus and what He wants to do in the world. Isn’t that what it means to follow him?

Seriously, what if instead of, “I’m moving to Orlando because I got a new job there,” it was, “I’m moving to Detroit because I’m convinced God wants me to live there. I don’t know what I’ll do for work, but there’s got to be something. I don’t know, but I trust God.” Or what if instead of, “I live in Louisville because my family is all here,” it was, “I live in the French Quarter of New Orleans because there are so few Christians, and God needs a presence here.” Or what if instead of, “We chose to live in this neighborhood because the schools are really good,” it was, “We chose to live in this neighborhood because the schools are really bad, and we want our kids to be missionaries to them.”

Shouldn’t following Jesus look like that? Our decisions governed not by what’s best for us and what we want, but by what’s best for God and what he wants. Even if we have to face down fear, no matter what the cost. And isn’t that what makes life an adventure, and worth living, as we become a part of something bigger than ourselves, something better than we’ve ever experienced, something more beautiful than we’ve ever dreamed.

Our Big News!!

2011-01-19T14:29:00.001-06:00

I know a lot you follow my blog through Facebook and many of you also follow my wife Christy through Facebook as well. For those of you who don't also follow Christy, this weekend she made the announcement that after much prayer we have decided to try to pursue an international adoption. Please follow our journey on this new blog we have created!!
http://www.brownethiopiaadoption.blogspot.com/

Oswald After Dark

2011-01-14T20:48:00.000-06:00

Been praying and fasting over some life changing decisions and I came across this nugget in my daily devotion.

"Whether I hear Gods call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends on my spiritual attitude...When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without irrestistible pressure from the outside. The quiet yet passionate insistence of His "Follow Me" was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive...And they followed in perfect freedom." Oswald Chambers

If you don't have a copy of the devotion book My Utmost For His Highest, GET IT!! It's like the oldest devo known to man but it's been update and editted into something that we not only can digest in 2011 but be inspired by without an English lit degree.

Oswald Chambers is on my list of people to meet when I get to heaven, right after God and I sit down over a plate of fried quail breasts and quail legs in Grandma Georgia's mushroom gravy. Yes that's what we'll be having when when we iron out this JFK and dinosaurs deal. Then I'm looking for Oswald, or maybe John Wayne...it'll be a coin toss.

Oswald Chanber's scripture selection and messages always speak to me at just the right time!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Quote I had to share...

2011-01-11T22:19:00.001-06:00

The only reason something like (eradicating poverty) is impossible is that we choose to make it impossible...If we directed our loose change to ventures that train and empower people to feed themselves, poverty could become the horse and buggy of our century - distant memory. Mark Lutz, Unpoverty

If that doesn't put a little burden of responsibility on me I don't know what does! Wow!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Passion!!

2011-01-07T16:29:00.002-06:00

Several years ago I wrote an article called Someone. The premise was there is no reason we can’t continue the feeling we have for other people the entire year, NOT just the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You know what I’m talking about. People who don’t normally hold doors for people do, people who don’t normally donate to worthy causes do, people stop to help change tires and say hello and give in a abundance. So why can’t this continue the entire year??

It can, as long as there is Someone.

Someone who decides, “I will do this all year!”

What’s been on my heart is passion; and passion is what creates a Someone.

Passion is what changes people’s lives.

It should disturb you that people need fed the other 11 months out of the year.

It should disturb you the number of people that drive by a mother with kids in the car trying to change a tire the other 11 months out of the year.

It should disturb you that there are lonely people who are just waiting for their doorbell to ring so they can have someone to talk to the other 11 months out of year.

Because if this disturbs you then you will be passionate to change it!!

And I will no longer accept the excuse from myself or anyone else that, “my passion alone can’t change circumstance.”

Why? Because I’ve seen the passion of a six year old child, stir passion in parents, that stirred passion in adults, that stirred passion in churches causing hundreds of volunteers to lay down their denominational differences, come beautifully together as the body of Christ and feed a thousand people on Christmas day! THAT'S PASSION! Awesome!!!

If we all had the same kind of passion as a child we could change our city, then who knows what after that!

The only difference in kid’s passion and our adult passion is they haven’t been exposed to the world enough to think they can fail.

They actually believe us parents when we tell them, “With Jesus you can do anything!”

I was able to reflect on what our small group of 20 or so followers did at the FOB over the last year and I was inspired to tears.

- Helped with Davo’s Diner (aka Community Wide Christmas Dinner) fellowshipping with people, sacking groceries, praying for people, serving food.
- Served 1,000 hot dogs over the summer months to hungry families
- Countless cards to people we were praying for
- Delivered Thanksgiving dinner to 15 families
- Coat drive that brought warmth to 250 kids in the Ada elementary schools (with the support of numerous community churches – thank you all!)
- Provided baby items to a young couple in need (again more intercommunity church support)
- Collected 20 boxes of Christmas items for Operation Christmas Child (going to Mexico)
- Helped a single friend sell a house that was in poor condition and very difficult to upkeep and get into a new home. And got enough help to move her in 4 hours in middle of the summer!!
- Hundreds of dollars of gift card baskets for multiple families and people.
- Continued support of a single mother with 5 kids we’ve built a great relationship with over the last year and a half.
- And I know there’s more that I missed!

Do I say this to brag? Kinda yeah! Why not? If I can brag about how 20 people are on fire to help this many people –then to God be the glory!

If it inspires someone else to do something - then God gets the glory!

But I also think of the words of Paul in Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

The “weary” Paul talks about here is not the weary of physical tiredness. There is no way to serve your heart out and not be physically tired.

The “weary” Paul talks about is as a reluctants to do it again because we’re not seeing anything productive out of it.

Don’t grow weary of this! We nearsighted humans are serving on our time but the harvest is on God time! And I promise lives are being changed! We probably will not see the effects immediately or in months or it may take years. Or we may change lives and never get to see the effects for ourselves until we meet our friends in heaven.

This week I was reminded of this when we received a Thank You card from someone we sent an encouragement card to letting them know we were praying for them months and months ago. I may have long forgotten but it changed something in that person when they knew that people took the time to send a card and spent time praying for them. This is the harvest!!

This is why we should be should continue the passion in the hopes that we can introduce one person to Jesus! That’s what true service for God is – the willingness out of love to serve just as hard for one as you would for a thousand and never grow weary. I challenge all you who read this to be passionate these next 11 months! Don’t the let the feeling you had during the Christmas season die. It might very well change a life!

13 Years!!!!!!!

2010-12-29T12:00:00.004-06:00

Today is a great day of reflection. 13 years ago about this time of the day I was eating Chinese food with my high school coach who was about to serve as my best man in a few hours. I had gotten to spend the night with one of my great friends, D.B., from college and reflect on some good times. D.B. actually set Christy and me up. I was home from college for the weekend and the phone conversation went something like this…

DB: Ty, you need to come back tonight.

Me: Why?

DB: Just because.

Me: Not a good enough reason, see you Sunday night.

DB: Just do it! It will be worth it, just trust me.

Me: Will you just tell me why already!?

DB: Just take a chance on Chancellor (Christy's maiden name).

Me: What is that supposed to mean?

DB: I was talking to her this last night for a long time and she wants to go out with you.

Me: Me??

DB: Yep. All you have to do is ask.

Me: No way man!

DB: Dude, if you don’t get your “rear” back over here I’m gonna Junior High Johnny your “rear” and ask her for you!!

Yep, that’s how it started. Could it have been any more high school?? And as you know now, I came back.

Then as the time of wedding grew closer, 13 years ago, I did some puking, because of nerves. It’s just something I do. Got that from my old Maysville HS track days. Our relay team just wasn’t ready to run until we had thrown-up our lunch then downed an entire bottle of Pepto together. That gets you ready for game time!

We would actually used intense peer pressure on each other if you hadn’t thrown up yet.

“Come on man, you know if you don’t do this you won’t have a good race. Get it out!!! There you go, now don’t you feel better? Now drink the rest of this bottle of Pepto that we have all drank out of so you can be part of the team. No, those are not Cheetoh floaties in the bottom of the bottle, JUST DRINK IT!!”

My wedding day was not any different. Nerves till I puked, full bottle of Pepto down, I’M READY! SEND HER DOWN THE AISLE!

Anyone who know Christy and I knows we have absolutely nothing in common interest wise. The cliché "opposites attract" could not be any truer. That’s what attracted me to her. Though our interests are very different what we do have in common is we love each other and like the different things about each other. So in 2002 I bought Christy a book called What I Love Most About You. It’s a book with page after page of I love that you [blank]…phrases and if that’s true you put a check mark next to it. I completed the book and then started my own list at the end that the book did not include. Since then I have slowly filled the book with Things I Love About Her from time to time. Today on my 13th wedding anniversary I thought I would share just a few in honor of my still rockin’ awesome wife.

I love your smile. One of the first things I noticed about you…then it was the faded back jeans and ECU Pom jacket. In that order I promise!

I love sharing popcorn with you at the movies. Even if we eat it all before the movie starts.

I love your sense of style. One of the first things that attracted me to you.

I love that you express outrage when someone is treated unfairly.

I love your sense of clothes. Evident by looking at the volume in your closet.

I love how you push me to do things I wouldn’t normally do. I need inspired and encouraged from time to time.

I love your sense of decorum. No way could I make our house look like that!

I love how you put people at ease. That’s why our phone rings at all hours day or night.

I love how you can never decide what shoes to wear. And how could you with so many choices.

I love how you sing along with the radio even when you don’t know the words. Or is it the artist doesn’t know their own words??

I love how you can always pick the perfect gift for a friend.

I love the value you put on family time.

I love your unshakable trust in God. You introduce me to “Just turn it over to Him.”

I also love (remember this list started in 2002)…
Never pass up a chance at Jo’s Pizza, love to talk about friends back at ECU, wetting a hook only if there is a shade tree close, driving around admiring people’s houses, watching you cook new things then laugh when they don’t come out just right, the expression on your face when You’ve Got Mail comes on TV even though you own the movie, how you always want to get rid of the dog but take it back when I offer to do so, sometimes your idea of a goodtime is just stopping by Sonic, you’ll lay awake at night wondering if you hurt someone’s feelings, wanting to get me new clothes when I don’t need them (at least I think I don’t - good shirts should last 8 or 9 years), watching Trading Spaces then thinking we could have done so much better, ticked off because Sonic dropped happy hour, riding around in the Scout and having it break down every time you’re in it, going to Chili's just for chips salsa and water, appreciation of a good pair of socks, how you nibble on baby Winston’s hands when he is sleeping, the love that showed in the tears in your eye’s before Winston went off to surgery, your intense attention to detail at holiday decorating and table settings, that you helped me understand God’s grace, you threw me a 30th surprise birthday party and knew exactly who to invite, the “I need you” look when you are sick, the fun you have with friends and never care who is watching, you willingness to forgive me when I mess up over and over and over, letting Wyatt fall asleep in Daddy’s “spot” when I’m up late working, that you didn’t think I was completely crazy when I felt God calling us to start a church in our home, how we’ve grown closer when the world seems against us, THAT YOU ARE STILL WITH ME AFTER 13 YEARS!

This was by no means the complete list I’ve compiled in this book, just a sample of few I wanted to share with you readers…there are hundreds of other reasons I love my wife and some of my favorites I don’t care to share with you…if you know what I mean ;)

One thing about love though is this. True love with your spouse is when you ask them, “Honey, why do you love me? Is it because of my looks? Is because of the money I don’t have? Is it because I treat you good? Is it because I’m nice? Is because I am colorblind and have no sense of style so you can dress me however you want? Is it because I’m an amazing kisser?”

True love is when they answer “No” to all those question and their answer is “I love you because I love you.”

Happy Anniversary babe!

1997 (Oh my gosh we were young!)

2010 (Dang! She still looks good!)

The middle finger means what????

2010-12-17T11:27:00.003-06:00

This week we had an interesting experience when some of our good friends, at our church Christmas party no less, let us know in a humorous manner, to them, that they appreciated Wyatt educating their daughter on the meaning of the middle finger!

“WHAT?!?!”, I gasped sucking down an combination of medium rare steak, broccoli salad, and salsa as it lodged in my throat and I saw my life passing before my eyes thinking, “This is it, I’ll never get to taste that quesadilla cheesecake over there.” (Yes, I like my steak medium rare! That’s how God intended for steak to be eaten! If he wanted it to be eaten well done he would given us cardboard as a food group!)

Once my food was dislodged, I caught my breath and thought, “Wyatt will never get to taste that quesadilla cheesecake over there.” I controlled my anger but I plotted my attack.

On the car ride home after having relished in my Dirty Santa reward of a phone jack, a 90’s model United Way cap, two Harlequin romance novels and some VCR tapes we started gathering all the information from Wyatt’s impromptu education session.

From Wyatt’s story this all took place around a 100 piece Ninja Turtle puzzle which was apparently an important fact in his defense, but I’m still not sure why. Anyway, he claimed that someone broke out the middle finger and, he being the one always looking out for everyone’s best interest, took it upon himself to let everyone working on the 100 piece Ninja Turtle puzzle know that that was not a nice finger to use, which apparently some did not know until he told them. BUT it was someone else that told them all just what it meant. That was his story and trust me, with some slight variations, he stuck to his guns.

We went home later and called his teacher, who’s a friend of ours, to get some facts from an adult. We do know that they were in fact working on a 100 piece Ninja Turtle puzzle – THAT IS NOT IN QUESTION. Who said what, did the informing, educating and degenerating is a little sketchy. But we additionally found out in conversation with Teacher that our baby boy had hurt a little girl’s feelings earlier in the week by calling her a name…UGH, THIS IS NICE TO KNOW!!!!

Christy and I prepared our case and went off to his bedroom to give our closing arguments. Christy gave one of the best gentle speechs, as only a mama can, about using language or gesture that aren’t appropriate and that we really don’t know they mean, how hurtful words can be to other people, how boys are to respect girls and treat them all like princesses, and a final little shot about focusing on school work.

But as I watched our little boy, the one that is going to keep us up at night for the next 20 years, listen to his mom I saw a different side of him…I saw it in his eyes. The longer she talked to him about his actions and their impact the heavier his bottom lids got. Our bullrider/Navy Seal/linebacker/power forward finally couldn’t hold them any longer and the tears rolled out over his cheeks. And for the first time in his young life he wasn’t crying because of his punishment, but crying because he was remorseful. He really saw where he misstepped and felt bad for hurting the people around him. And I’m glad when he felt this overwhelming remorse that the people that love him most on this earth were there to comfort him.

Made me think back to times in my life when God made it clear my actions were having a negative impact on a person or people and I remember my eyes filling with tears until the lids couldn’t hold them back any longer.

Wyatt is very good at throwing out “I’m sorry” in a heartbeat to avoid certain punishment. But remorse, is a totally different feeling than, “I’ve been caught and now the punishment hurts!”

Remorse is not a reaction to punishment; remorse is a reaction to understanding. It’s an important step in our repentance to and reconciliation from God.

And when it’s over, IT’S OVER!! Like Christy and I getting the point across to Wyatt then when the point was made, and he truly saw what he had done, there was remorse and we were there to hold him and let him know it was over. It’s done and we’ve learned, now go on with life because it’s these things that make us who we are.

That’s the God we serve!! We see what we’ve done, we’re remorseful, we’re repentant, we are hurt that we hurt Him and others and then our Father lifts us up on his heavenly knee as only he can and says…“It’s done and I’ve already forgotten about it.”

That’s the God that loved us so much that he sent His son, down from heaven, in the form of a human baby, to this earth, to walk with us, and live with us, and die for us so we would no longer have to carry the guilt of sin we’ve repented and remorsed over and my goodness if we remember anything during this time of year lets remember that!! What a gift!!

Micah 7:18-20 (The Message)
Where is the god who can compare with you—wiping the slate clean of guilt, turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, to the past sins of your purged and precious people? You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long, for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most. And compassion is on its way to us. You'll stamp out our wrongdoing.You'll sink our sins to the bottom of the ocean...

Have a Merry Christmas (a.k.a Jesus Birthday) family, friends and readers. Don’t worry about Wyatt, he’s okay, and yes, I did eat the last piece of leftover quesadilla cheesecake…with no remorse!!

Pearl Harbor and Pecans

2010-12-07T20:29:00.006-06:00

A couple weeks ago I took my boys over to spend some time with my grandpa. We didn’t have to look long for some excitement because he already had the day planned. He wanted to take the boys out to watch his friend harvest pecans. His intent was to educate them on the entire process. This of course was after he stuffed us with a variety of his canned creations and a few that weren’t his from people I didn’t even know. But regardless, we tasted them all…even Winston reluctantly took a spoonful of sorghum to put a smile on his face.

Then we we’re off to an area known as Perkin’s Corner. Much to my satisfaction he suggested I drive, though I knew he would critique me over the next 15 miles it was well worth the trade for the getting to go the actual speed limit and just for safety in general. Though I wasn’t sure we could be injured in an accident at his 15mph pace I was reassured of the decision to drive after he showed me, in a boastful laugh, his tracks from the week before where he skidded through his turn off and down into ditch when he, “had one on his tail” after topping the hill.

I think anyone will agree that one of the unique things about my grandpa is the stories! Or maybe it’s the stunts he pulls to create the stories? Either way it comes out to be a good story. If I would have been taking notes that day I’m pretty sure he made a decent good story about a trip he took to the grocery store a few days before.

What I know for sure is there was a place along the way that his voice changed a little bit and he got a little more serious. It was when we crossed the river bridge and he pointed off to the south and he said, “See that hill over yonder where that barn is? About a half miles south of there was a house where I was born. We moved later but my uncle lived on this place. We were over here with a bunch other family in December 1941. I could walk you over there right now and put you within 10 feet of the spot where some of us youngins were playing in a little gulley when it came over the radio that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. By the time the news got around to us it was about 3 or 4 o’clock. Yep, that’s exactly where I was December the seventh, nineteen and forty one.” Then there was a noticably long pause.

A pause to see the faces of friend lost to the war that erupted next?

A pause thinking of the family he was playing with in that gully that have gone on before him?

A pause just to relive the days of his youth for a moment?

I’ll never know what the long pause was for, but it was significant, because if my grandpa is awake there are no pauses.

In my short life I’d like to think I’ve had those times I’ll share with my grandkids and great grandkids someday.

The place I was standing in “E” section of the Pesagi Dorms at ECU when the Murrah Federal Building in OKC was bombed, but the first reports thought a gas line had ruptured.

The office I occupied at Groendyke Transport in Enid, OK when Christy called me 8 days before our first son Winston was born to let me know the World Trade Center had a plane crash into it.

And vouching for my cousin Jarrod, we could show you the spot of ground on the old abandoned railroad tracks within 10 feet where we were standing the night grandpa had a great idea. Went something like this:

[Persuasive Grandpa] I’m going to put that raccoon we’ve trapped, you see, the slobbering snarling one that’s looking for a chance to chew one of you boys’ extremities off, yeah that one. I’m going to put him in this snare I made out of PVC and baling wire (similar to one of those things you see dog catchers use). Once I’ve got hold of him you two are gonna use your hands to free him of that trap and I’m gonna to put him in that undersized cage that you two boys are going to hold the even more undersized door open on. Got it?

[Loyal grandsons]…….

[Ticked off Coon] Snarling, hiss, spit, snort, growl….

[Persuasive Grandpa] Got it?

[Loyal grandsons] Is there a reason we can’t be on the safe end of the fancy snare you’ve made?

[Persuasive Grandpa] Huh, much to complicated for you two to operate! You ready?

[Ticked off Coon] Snarling, hiss, spit, snort, growl….

[Loyal grandsons] …..…

[Persuasive Grandpa] Good! Here we go!!!!

To finish this story simply and to uphold the integrity of all those involved I will say the snare worked, the cage was too small, the coon got meaner as was expected, but Jarrod and I were brave to the end despite what Grandpa may say! It was very hard to determine just where that coon was going to go each time Grandpa lunged it in the general direction of the cage. Our flashlights in his eyes and screaming should have had no bearing on the aim of such a gifted snare operator! Brave to end I’ll say! Brave to the end.

Someday I hope my boys will remember so vividly the day they laughed at their great grandpa showing his skid marks that trailed off into the ditch.

I hope they remember the day their 80 year old great grandpa outran them to the truck so we could race from tree to tree because he desperately wanted to educate them about every step of a pecan harvest.

And most of all I want my boys to someday recall the day their great grandpa showed them the area of his birth site, told them the Pearl Harbor story, remember the pause and image just what was in it.

Check out this beast!

Talk to me!

2010-11-18T09:31:00.003-06:00

Thought I'd throw out some scripture that has been speaking to me. Enjoy, and I pray that God's word will speak in your life as well. Remember, that to hear Him speak you have to be in his word.

Psalms 9:1(ESV)
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Ephesians 3:20-21(CEV)
I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen.

Matthew 10:32-29 (NLT)
“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven."

“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.
‘I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Your enemies will be right in your own household!’

“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it."

Colossians 3:5-14 (NIV)
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Acts 4:32-34 (NIV)
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.

This final passage make me think of my church family at the Fellowship of Believers (The FOB). I feel for you what Paul, Silas and Timothy felt when they wrote these words to one of the churches they helped start. I believe it speaks for itself.

1 Thessalonians 2-5 (Message)

Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you're in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn't just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.

A dozen glazed with the bbq sauce on the side please.

2010-11-12T11:47:00.009-06:00

A while back I wrote about few of the sentimental reasons I like Ada especially in the fall. I love Ada in the fall! But then last week I was struck by a few other reasons I love this town!

Where else can I get BBQ and Donuts at the same drive-thru?

Where else can I get a flat fixed, go bowling and if the time is right hear a live band all under the same roof?

Where else can I get my boots resoled and hit a bucket of golf balls?

I love this town – some may call these combinations odd, but I call it efficiency!

Otherwise I would have to make two stops in the mornings, one for the donuts holes my kids like for breakfast and another stop for the ribs I like for breakfast.

Otherwise I would have had to drop off my truck to have the flat fixed then walked to the bowling alley, but cut my game short so I could hoof it across town to hear some live music before having to go back and pay for my tire.

Otherwise I would have had to…oh man, I got nothing for a driving range boot shop other than I love that place!

Now you think I’m poking fun, but I’m serious. I love and have patroned all of these places. I love the spirit and ingenuity of the American business person. I love the ability of Americans to diversify and overcome and given the right combination Americans will flock to it because we are a society waiting the next big thing!

This is great! This is America! I love it!

That is until we drag our consumer mindedness into our churches. Then we don’t know when to stop because we don’t know when enough is enough.

Churches should be more than a cafeteria where you pick and chose and take what you want. The church was meant to be a cafeteria but it was also meant to be a hospital, a school and a home. Sometimes literally, but I’m talking figuratively. Cafeteria to be spiritually fed, a hospital to receive spiritual healing, a school to hear God speak and learn from it, and home to feel like you’re among family while you are there.

But how can this happen?

I'll tell you how it can't. It CANNOT happen solely from a catchy message/sermon or good song!! And it can’t happen if all of us show up wanting something week in and week out. And it can’t happen if we think church is just two days out of the week.
And it can't happen without you!

All these places in Ada I mentioned before that I love are all places we are taking something from. And that’s very different from how church SHOULD BE. But in reality, American church is very much made up of people only there for something and I'm not talking about money.

At church we should be giving.
Giving our praises.
Giving our time.
Giving our teaching.
Giving our listening ear.
Giving our shoulder.
Giving our prayers.

Don’t believe me? Here's what the very first church ever did it and it EXPLODED from a handful to thousands in days. (A summary of scripture from the book of Acts chapters 2 & 4…)

Devoted themselves teaching
Devoted themselves to fellowship
Devoted to sharing meals together with great joy
Devoted themselves to prayer
No needy among them because they gave to those in need…even if it meant selling their own possessions
Worshiped together
United in heart and mind
Testified powerfully to the resurrection of Jesus
Enjoyed the goodwill of all people
All while praising God
…and God’s great blessing was upon them all!

WOW! It’s so simple its mind blowing!

Someone right now is saying, “Well what about someone who has never gone to church or the dechurched that show up looking for help? Don’t they need something? They can’t just show up on day one and start giving?”

Yes, this is the place for them and no, they can’t be expected to give on day one and that’s awesome! Because if we have recreated an environment like the first church did then they will come into our cafeteria/hospital/school/home desperately in need and they will meet Jesus through us and they will leave transformed. And at the very least they will show up on day two giving praises to a merciful God that put them in contact with such a loving and generous group of people that they will quickly call family.

And at our VERY least that is exactly what we can give; our praise to God! Our praises for a life filled with blessing and opportunities and stuff that we don’t deserve. He is worthy of praise!!
Psalm 96
1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

The formula here is not, give with the intention of getting!

The formula is giving out of response to an overwhelming love for Jesus because he gave the ultimate for us and even though we abuse him everyday he still loves us. Give for that reason and the natural byproduct of giving of love is you will get…God’s great blessing was upon them all (Acts 4:33b).

If you want something more from your church, start with giving!

If you want to revolutionize your church, start with giving!

I don’t have to venture to guess, I KNOW that the church across America would EXPLODE instantly if we would show up this week and every week asking a single question…

What can I give?

“God, I praise you because You are You and you still love me; what else can I give so people will meet your son?”

“Pastor, what can I give to help fulfill the vision that God has laid on your heart for this church?”

“Elder, deacon or board, what can I give to help you make things happen at this church?”

“Children’s minister who is overwhelmed, what can I give to help create an environment that kids will love to come to?”

“Friend who I know is hurting, what can I give to ease your pain?”

“Person I’ve just seen for the first time, what can I give to help you feel comfortable in this place?”

This so easy! JESUS ALWAYS GAVE!

In case you missed that, He is the reason for church, He invented church, He referred to the church as his bride, that's a big stinkin’ deal and JESUS ALWAYS GAVE!!

Jesus ALWAYS GAVE!

What can I give to my church starting this week?

Howdy pardner!

2010-11-03T16:05:00.003-05:00

The name of my friend has been changed not to protect the innocent, but rather the guilty. I’m pretty sure, well, actually positive he would love to indulge in this story, but in all fairness today I will change his name to…Keith. Since this is my blog though there’s really no way to tell this story without admitting my guilt as well so, yes, I was present and a participant in the events you about to read.

It was 1993 and my friend Keith and I were out one night doing some “backroading” and looking to get into a little mischief. (Backroading was an official weekend pastime where I grew up. It was to be done at night and on dirt roads, otherwise it was not backroading) Now, notice I said mischief; we weren’t necessarily looking to get into trouble, just a little mischief. So, for entertainment we decided to head out to our local city lake and see if we could catch some of our buddies “parking”. (Parking was not trying to find a place to park like you were at Wal-Mart or something; parking was going into the country and finding a semi-secluded place to slap on some Def Leppard and make-out with your girlfriend.)

Now the fun came when you actually found one of your buddies who was parking and pulled up behind them and shined your headlights into their back window, and continue to do this and laugh to the point you almost feel sorry for your friend who’s desperately hoping this is not his girlfriends Dad! Then when you feel like they are to tears, due to either anger or fear, you sling some gravel and drive off laughing you hard enough to wet your pants.

Well on this particular night as we eased into the city lake parking area, low and behold, there were no “parkers” but there were some “drinkers” and they were from Wayne, 5 of them as I recall. (Maysville students and Wayne students did not like each other and weren’t supposed to like each other, especially if you played football) How did we know they were from Wayne? Because one of these guys, who I can see to this day, was a mountain of a man! He was not a boy, he had to have been a 3 or 4 year senior. He was big, tall, red head and sported a full beard…you see a guy like this once in a football uniform on the opposing team and you never forget him. We knew they were from Wayne!

There they are taking it easy on the tailgate of their truck as Keith, who is driving, pulls up next to them.

He rolls his wind down, hangs his arm out, let’s out a friendly and inviting, “How ya’ll doin’?” Just enough to draw them in a little closer to see who this is, as he looks at me with his infamous grin I’d seen before that without a spoken word says, “Watch this.”

Then all in one motion he hammers it into the wickedest donut I’ve ever been apart of! Just before the dirt engulfed us to the point we couldn’t see, and somewhere about the time I heard the rocks hitting their truck, I saw the Wayne Giant’s jaw drop and eye’s bug out! I still don’t how Keith knew which way was out, because literally it was what reliving the Dust Bowl must have been like, but he found the way out all while I was doubled over belly laughing in the front seat as we made our get away!

When I finally regained control of myself, I looked behind to see a tiny set of headlights, WAY BACK THERE! Then a series of event happens that I still can’t explain. Someone driving about 25 mph pulls out in front of us. Not that big of a deal, except out no where and in the middle of no where and in the middle of the night, there is oncoming traffic. We can’t get around and the headlights behind us are getting closer and closer.

By the time the road cleared the Wayne Giant and his minions were on us and they didn’t find our prank near as funny as we did.

They went around us, asked in a not so nice way for us to pull over, which for self-preservation reasons we declined to do, and then they took off ahead of us.

Ha, they are going on, we think! Nope, wrong again! They are completely blocking the road in front of us and getting out. So we stop in the center of road with nowhere to go other than back, which I had just found out was not a good idea either because Keith wasn’t sure we had enough gas to even get back to town, much less back.

There we were blocked, surrounded if you will; enemy in front, bar ditches on both sides and not enough gas to go back.

Keith looks at me and I can recollect this conversation like it was yesterday.

Keith: “Brown, I’m getting out.”
Me: “WHAT?”
Keith: “Yep, I think I can talk them out of this.”
Me: “Talk them out of it! Have you forgotten you just cut the world’s largest donut these guys?? Which was AWESOME, by the way. That’s why they are blocking the road, not because they want to have a Maysville-Wayne peace talk!”
Keith: “No Brown, I really think I can talk them out of this.”
Me: “You know Keith, I don’t think I can whip you but I will try if you attempt to get out of this truck to “talk”.
Keith: “Then what do you suggest I do?”
Me: “Head at them fast and hard, then hit the ditch and go around them.”

And that is just what we did. I’m not sure if their eyes were bigger when we hit them with the donut or when they weren’t sure if we were going to t-bone them as we flew into the ditch at the last second uprooting a nice patch of sunflowers and partial alfalfa patch and we were off to town, hoping we had enough gas to get there.

So why did I decide to tell you this story?

Because I read a passage in 2 Kings 6:13-15 (NLT) that made me think of this. It’s about Elisha a prophet of God who had upset a king who opposed God’s people. It goes like this…

Go and find out where he is,” the king commanded, “so I can send troops to seize him.”

And the report came back: “Elisha is at Dothan.” So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city.

When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.

Have you ever this way, surround by the enemy?

That’s how I felt this night with Keith and had he not had me there by his side for some wise council he would have done something that would have messed up his world. Actually if we would not have been together in the first place we probably wouldn’t have done what we did, BUT that irrelevant right now. So had I not been there, Keith would have gotten out of the truck, surround by the enemy and gotten pummeled!!

Many times in life we feel like our enemy, Satan, has surrounded us and tempts to step out of the Godly path we are following. And if we are alone or we feel alone it so much easier for him to get to us and once he has lured us away he will pummel us with affairs, shady business practices, overspending, anger, time away from family, addiction and on and on.

So how do we defeat this before it happens?

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 (NLT)

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble…A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

What I’m talking about today is an accountability partner.

All the greats have had one.

Lone Ranger had Tonto

Batman had Robin

Marshall Dillon had Festus

Moses had Aaron.

David had Jonathan

Jesus had the twelve apostles…even more specifically John…who he called “the one that I love.”

So what is an accountability partner??

I’m starting to see how this is vital to our walk through life and our walk with Him. And if Jesus had someone he shared his life with then why shouldn’t we? I know Jesus didn’t need someone to hold him accountable but he did have someone to share life with.

Let me start be saying what an accountability partner is not.

· Someone to sit around and talk about the game with
· Someone to complain to about what your spouse is or isn’t doing for you
· Someone to share the latest and greatest gossip around town with
· Someone to get you out of the house and away from the family with for an hour a week
· Someone of the opposite sex - NEVER EVER
· And finally it is not your spouse – I’ll explain later

I just recently sought out my accountability partner and in doing the research it inspired this post and a recent message I gave at our church. Because more I’ve gotten into ministry and really farther along in my walk with God the more I feel the forces of Satan surrounding me like Elisha. This is just a byproduct of a deeper walk with the Lord. The devil hates this and will do anything to stop it! As Denver said in the book Same Kind of Different as Me, “When you is special to God you is important to the devil.”

And you know what? I’m a little embarrassed to say that I didn’t do this sooner!! It took the weight of ministry to see that I need another brother in Christ to share with. The words in Ecclesiastes should have been a reality to me so much sooner!

Two is better than one…
If they fall they can help each other up…

And that’s what an accountability partner is.

· Someone to share with
· Someone to else to go through life with
· Someone else to learn from
· Someone to hold you accountable (This is why earlier I said not your spouse b/c this person will be holding you accountable to your spouse and ensuring you are being upright in your family and marraige)
· Someone to pray with you and for you

Hear this today…One of the greatest lies of the devil is that you can do life alone. He will convince you that you can do it without Jesus and without the support of good Christian friends!

You know what you will find if you really get into this?

If you really decide to do this?

You will find out that you are not alone, in fact not only do you have someone to tell this to, but you will find out that they share the same things that you are going through and were just as afraid as you to share it with anyone.

Two is better than one…
If they fall down they can help each other up…

So what kind of person are you looking for?

o Someone you can trust
o Someone you can be comfortable with
o Someone who is STRONG enough to be honest with you – it is useless if the person you choose will not be honest with you – ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER MEANS SOMEONE THAT WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE
o They will be real with you when you’ve stepped over the line
o Someone who can give you grounded Godly advise
o Someone you know you can call at midnight and it will be okay
o This may or may not be someone you are buddies with right now, this may be someone you admire that you know you trust and feel comfortable talking too.

Two is better than one…
If they fall down they can help each other up…

So as I started to research the “How’s” of this relationship I found out the accountability guidelines are pretty simple and make sense.

I even consulted one of the pastors I follow and all the answers and stuff I read was about the same.

Honesty and Consistency

o Honesty – pretty evident right – no use in wasting anyone’s energy if we’re not going to be honest
Here’s what you can start by talking about
o What are praying about for yourself
o What are we struggling with
o What are you spending the majority of time doing
o What are you reading in your bible or what are you wanting to start – START TOGETHER
o Here’s a good link to consider for questions you might ask each other. Questions
o Consistency
o You need to talk weekly – if something is going on in your life it can spiral out of control in two weeks! Thus why your person needs to be someone you can call at midnight!

Honesty and consistency!!

Two is better than one…
If they fall down they can help each other up…

Don’t believe the devil’s lie that you can do this alone!

Find a strong trustworthy partner!

Start praying together, being honest with each other and meeting together weekly!

Give it one month and I PROMISE you will see a change in your life and you will start to feel what the writer of Proverbs felt when he wrote in Proverbs 27:9 (NLT) …

The heartfelt counsel of a friend
is as sweet as perfume and incense

I'm gonna get you sucka!

2010-10-15T10:43:00.003-05:00

Disclaimer: I was raised in the country. My heart and my roots still go back to my country upbringing. If you are with PETA or any other animal rights group; if you refer to hunters as “Bambi Killers” or you just don’t think hunting is “right” then you need not read any further because you will most likely be disgusted, appalled and possibly insulted.

When my cousin Jarrod and I were young we had this thing against possums, not opossums - they only have those up north, I'm talking about possums. For the most part they were pesky! They really weren’t bad but they really weren’t good either – they were just always in the way when we were trapping raccoons (coons).

Okay let’s get this out of the way. Yes, we trapped coons! Possibly the highlight of our year as kids, very close to Christmas. It was fun then and I would still think it was fun today if Grandpa wanted to give it another go! This could easily evolve into a whole series of posts so I’m going to attempt to keep is short.

Every summer when it was about time to pick our Grandpa’s sweet corn (and I’m not about a couple rows, I’m talking a couple acres) we’d trap coons.

Why would we trap those cutesy cuddly wuddly little raccoons you ask? Because if left unsupervised coons will DESTROY, no other word for it, a patch of sweet corn. And something we learned very early was if there was ever an animal I believe to be schizophrenic it’s a coon! Oh yah, they look all innocent and adorable on Marty Stopher’s Wild America, BUT I’m here to tell you that pound for pound they are the meanest animal on the face of the earth bar none!

Again, Jarrod and I have stories; OH do we have stories, but this is blog and not a book. If you throw a biscuit in a room with a three day starved coon and a pit bull my money is on that coon coming away with that biscuit EVERY STINKING TIME! Sorry had to get that last shot in; I think you get the point.

So, in the course of coon trapping the odds were much greater that we would trap a possum rather than a coon. I don’t know why, maybe they got an earlier start, maybe they were dumber, maybe they were smarter, maybe we didn't know what the heck we were doing (double that) but inevitably we would catch about ten possums to every one coon. And it would just tick us off, but possums had to be “taken care of” as well because they could damage the crop too, though not as bad, and if we let them go they would just keep getting back in our traps over and over and over so…it was “dirt nap” for them really without a second thought.

Fast forward to this week…

We come rolling into our driveway here in Ada and look up to see, YES, a possum eating our cat’s food. Something else I never understood about possums is they are never in a real hurry to get away if they even try at all. They just waddle around, act real mean, hiss a lot and look really ugly.

I throw the car in park and instantly, I had flashbacks to being a kid again, listening to Jerry Clower records, Uncle Buddy telling some outlandish story about hook men and hungry panthers to keep us scared all night and checking coon traps!

I’m thinking…

“Dude (possum) you’re toast!”

“I’ve hated your kind since I was a kid.”

“I hate you to this day.”

“You picked the wrong bowl of cat food today bro!”

So I jumped out of the car, which my beautiful wife quickly locked me out of by the way, I walked straight up to the possum; looked him in his hideous face; looked at the shovel that was propped up against the wall AND I………scooped him up and harmlessly pitched him over the fence.

I got back in the car and Christy knowing me better than anyone said, “I figured you were going to smack him in the head with that shovel. Why did you just throw him over the fence?”
Somewhat confused myself, my only reply was, “I don’t know. I’ve become more merciful in my old age.”

What I really meant to say was, “I’ve grown more merciful and forgiving the closer I have grown to the One who forgives me.”

Did the nasty love child of a raccoon and skunk deserve to die? Heck yah!

Was the filthy retch doing me dirty? Heck yah!

Everything about me would normally say, “smack that sucka’ in the head, the arrogant fool is eating it right in front of you no less, HE DESERVES IT!!”

But the more I go through life and realize how jacked up I am and how I mess up every single day and how He still forgives me even when I don’t deserve it – the more I feel compelled to hand out mercy and forgiveness…sometimes even to my old nemeses, the possum.

The more I go through life more I have an overwhelming with gratitude for Romans 5:8 (NLT) But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

It did not say, God sent his son to die for us because we deserved it.

It did not say, God sent his son to die to show the greatest act of forgiveness and mercy the world has ever seen because we were good people.

It says, God sent his son to die WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS!

I used to be the world’s worst at holding grudges. If Guinness had a world record for it I’m positive I would have been in the book with a picture of me and my Beaver Cleaver plastered comb over hairdo holding a list as long as my arm. When I met my wife about 14 or 15 years ago I seriously had a “list” of those who I was not only not going to forgive but I was actually going to get even with sometime before I died. This is no lie!

But the more God and I walked together the more he helped me realize, “Man, I am still a sinner! I use and abuse God every day and every day he forgives still forgives me! That's the best deal going! Not only forgives me but throws my mess ups in the Sea of Forgetfulness. So who am I to decide who gets forgiven in my life?”

I read this one time and it was probably the most real this topic has ever become for me, “When we refuse to forgive, what we are saying is; God, I don’t trust you to do your job and I can it better.” If you could use OUCH and WOW in the same sentence I did!

I finally trashed my list and oh what a relief! Like an Alka-Seltzer after a good bowl of crawfish étouffée. Like a weight removed from around my neck. It’s liberating!!

Then I started to feel the gratitude the Psalmist felt in Psalms 130:3-5 (The Msg) when he said…
If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
and that's why you're worshiped.

Who do you need to scoop up with the shovel and pitch over the Fence of Forgetfulness? Who’s the possum in your life? They have a name. It’s time to tear up the list.

I Choose Freedom!

2010-10-05T11:53:00.005-05:00

Ask my beautiful wife and she will tell you where my favorite place is in the fall. It’s Ada!!

Every year, when student come back to college and dorm parking lots are full and I can no longer roll through the stop sign where they cross going to class for fear of making a hood ornament out of bewildered freshman, when I can hear the Friday night bands warming up for the home football games, when there’s just enough nip in the morning air that I have to wear a jacket knowing I'll have to shed it by noon because only in Oklahoma can you scrape frost in the mornings and be in a royal blue mesh half shirt by noon, it excites me! I love Ada in the fall!

I've had a connection here since college. It’s where I graduated college, made lifelong friends and really grew into adulthood; it’s where I became the Jim Kelly of ECU intramural flag football (1 semifinal appearance and 3 championship appearances and never brought home the title). I love Ada in the fall!

It was here in the fall at college where I met this awesome girl I NEVER EVER thought I had a chance with. I remember the first day I saw her at the Pesagi Dorm lounge in an ECU Pom jacket and jeans faded down the back. NEVER WOULD I HAVE A CHANCE WITH THAT GIRL! Turns out she married me! That blows my mind every day!!

My favorite place to be in the fall is Ada!

And this morning as I pulled out of my drive at home I was reminded of this and so much more. You see where we live now, I believe, has one of the best views in Ada and in the fall the sun is at just right angle and I get this view every morning on my way to work (if I don’t oversleep).

This beautiful view reminded me that at this time two years ago we had just moved into this house and I was struggling with overcoming some feelings of guilt in my life when one of my closest and dearest friend gave one of the greatest pieces of advise on this subject I’ve ever read. I think as Christ followers we all need to hear these words from time to time. Below is a summary of his email to me. Enjoy.

Recently, God gave me some insight on this issue. A few weeks ago, he impressed upon my heart to read through the Bible. Well, when I got to Exodus God really opened my eyes to how the Israelites were like me (and the rest of us). Here was a group of people who had just witnessed first hand incredible miracles (the plagues, the Red Sea parting, manna/quail, the cloud and the fire) yet they still grumbled and at one point after all they had observed they told Moses they wanted to go back to captivity and live again as slaves. Can you even imagine?!?

Although that seems crazy to us, we do the exact same thing ALL OF THE TIME! When we worry about things we don't have control over, when it seems impossible to break free from habitual sin, when we doubt God's love for us, when we feel overcome with guilt, etc., etc. we are CHOOSING captivity over freedom. My theme for the last few weeks has been: I'm not going back to captivity; I'm going to choose freedom.

Does God use feelings of guilt to convict us and expose sin? Absolutely.

But he also wants the best for us and he wants to bless us so that we can praise him and thank him and so our lives can be a testament to his goodness and grace.

I think what we have to settle in our own mind is whether our guilt is from our flesh, that part of our flesh feels naturally drawn back to captivity

or

whether our guilt may be the Holy Spirit convicting us over something in our life that needs to change.

If it's your flesh, get over it and choose freedom.

If it's conviction guilt, then make the changes God wants you to make, forgive yourself, and then move on.

This is something we have to get over if we are living in Christ. This is something the church has to STOP using as a submission tool!

"Why" you ask? Because a friend of ours named Jesus died for us and when he did, guilt died at the foot of the cross as well!! We are forgiven! I CHOOSE FREEDOM!!

Thank M! Don’t know what I would do without you brother!

Happy Birthday!!

2010-09-24T16:50:00.003-05:00

Wow! What an awesome day we had last Sunday. To get to have my son Winston’s 9th birthday and our church, Fellowship of Believers (The FOB), celebrating our 1st birthday at the same time was extra special!!

Never doubted Winston would make it to 9, except for a brief moment after the ice storm when he sledded about 150 yards down the hill across the road jumped the curb and into a neighbors shrubs, other than that I never doubted…it was sweet though!! But I have to admit I wondered if The FOB would make it to 1. On several occasions over the last year I’ve said, “God, you picked the wrong guy for this job!” or “God are you sure this is what you want us to be doing?”

Along the way I have kept in my mind Acts 5:38-39 “…If what they are planning is something of their own doing, it will fail. But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to fight against God.”

And after a year, you know what? WE HAVE NOT FAILED!! As a matter a fact we have strived, NOT because of attendance numbers but because lives have changed in the church and the lives we touch outside our church have changed as well.

The people at the FOB are not in the minority because they are meeting in a home. They are in the minority because they are committed! Lots of people attend church but far less are committed to the mission and actually live it out.

For a while I saw the house church as an attractant to the dechurched, then I slowly conformed to a view of seeing the house as weight holding us back. Like a log chain around the neck of an over energized bird dog. (Some of you will get that, many won’t. Ask me later and I will explain.) I felt like, “now that we’ve reached this point, if we could just get out of this house we could do_____” or “we could be reaching ______ if we were in a building” or “we could attract____ if we weren’t still in this house”. I started to lose sight of the impact the group was having on lives and I’m ashamed.

Then it hit me one night when I heard a guy describing to someone who our church was. The reason it hit me was because he didn’t describe us by our building address or even our name, NO, he described us by the work this small committed group of followers has been performing and it blew me away.

And at that moment again I said, “God are you sure you picked the right guy?? Seriously God, it took me this long to figure out, when you want us in a building you will put us in one! Look what we are known for CHRISTIANS BEING CHRISTIANS, THE CHURCH BEING THE CHURCH, NOT THE SIGN IN THE YARD!” That is AWESOME!

Right now, we, not just at the FOB but the entire Church body “we”, needs to renew our focus on the Greatest Command…

Matthew 22:36-39 Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

it completely changes lives and see that as way to open the door to The Great Commission…

Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

I’m so blessed to say I get to pastor Fellowship of Believer, I love my church and I hope all you readers love yours!! But most of all I love the Church, and that guy Jesus who loves it more than I do, died for it and still thinks it is important today!

When people go to church something supernatural happens and lives get changed.

When the church acts like the Church something supernatural happens and lives get changed.

Because people meet Jesus!!!

Feeling blue or something more?

2010-09-16T15:11:00.003-05:00

This will be rather long post this time. Quite possibly the longest post I’ve ever had. This was my Sunday morning message to the church and I was asked to post it on my blog. So in order to make it “bloggie” rather than “sermonie” I’ve tried to shorten it up and paraphrase as much as possible w/o losing the meat of the message.

I hope you will find something useful for your life.

Depression is something I promise every one of has suffered from.

There are mild cases that maybe affect us for a few days, to severe cases that affect us for month or years and totally devastate our lives and the lives of those around us.

Depression effects so many of us and for some reason we think that to be depressed or admit we are depressed means we are crazy.

That is not true!

Lets hit on a few reasons we get depressed and how to get out of it and we’ll use the Bible character Elijah to do so.

First let me throw out this disclaimer again. This is a paraphrase of the Elijah story in case you’ve never heard of him so you’ll be up to speed for the message later. I do not need anyone to let me know each and every detail I’ve left out, hence the paraphrase. If you want the entire story of Elijah detail for detail, and it’s very good by the way, start reading it for yourself in 1 Kings 17.

Elijah is a prophet from God sent with a message for the evil King Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel who are worshipping the god Baal and have allowed it to spread through much of the Israelite nation.

Elijah’s message is, “I serve the Lord of Israel and there will be no rain until I say there will be rain.”

Then God gives him direction to a place of hiding where he provides him with meat and bread brought to him by a raven daily and brook for water.

Then one day the brook dries up. So God guides him to a nearby town and to a widow woman who is to provide him with food.

He finds the woman but she says there’s not enough flour and oil for bread.

Elijah says, “Mama, if you will go home and start cooking, the flour will not run out and oil will not dry up until this drought is over.”

Through God Elijah was given the power to supply the widow with endless flour and oil.

Then the woman’s son dies.

And through God Elijah is given the power to raise him from the dead.

Then God calls Elijah out of hiding and says its showdown time.

Go back to King Ahab have him bring out all the 450 Baal prophets.

The one who worships the real God should have no problem being able to pray and have fire consume their altar.

For a day the Baal prophets pray and pray for fire but nothing.

Thought it was quite funny that the scripture said Elijah taunted them along the way.

Finally Elijah says enough of this, he prays to the real God, our God, and fire not only consumes his altar but everyone else’s as well.

Then he commences to have the 450 Baal prophets seized and he kills them all with his sword!

Wow! That should be a movie!

Look at the how many times God provides and is in control of Elijah’s life. Over and over and over, IT’S AMAZING!

That brings us to today.

So where does depression come in with Elijah?

Why would he get depressed? This guys is a Old Testament rock star!

After all these amazing victories and all the times God held him in his hand; he lets fear creep in.

Jezebel hears about him killing all the prophets and tells him he’s as good as dead too!

So what does Elijah do?

1 Kings 19:3-5 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

One threat from Jezebel and all of a sudden he’s afraid, on the run, praying that his life will end just before he curls up and goes to sleep.

Does this sound like a bout of depression or what?

Absolutely! I believe any counselor will agree.

But how did Elijah get this way?

-He ran himself ragged.

He runs and runs and runs. Then sends his servant away and runs some more. Basically as far as he could go until he physically dropped.

Do you ever feel like this?

60 hour work week, cooking dinner, grocery shopping, soccer, t-ball, Cub Scouts, honey-do’s, friends, dance, gymnastics, homework (have you seen how much 1st and 3rd graders bring home UGH?), karate, office party, football, the lawn, laundry, cleaning dishes, take out the trash and don’t forget to pick up some dog food!!!

Think about all these things for a minute and I’m sure you can even add to it! NO WONDER we become worn out and sink into depression.

- The other thing Elijah did was separate himself from people.

Elijah ran a long ways then bails on his friend, his servant, then goes on alone.

I had a councilor tell me one time that depression is like slowly wading into a pool of water and basically you submerge yourself one small steps at a time.

One of those steps is when we start fabricating flaws about friends and convincing ourselves we don’t need or want to be around them. Then we stop doing things with the people who make us feel the best. And each time we do we take one step deeper into the waters of depression.

-Then Elijah falls into one of the easiest traps there is, he became the eternal pessimist.

He said I’ve had enough. “I’m no better than my ancestors.”

Elijah goes from the Braveheart to Eeyor in a split second!

We are so guilty of this today aren’t we?

“I can never do anything right.”
“I’ll never get ahead.”
“I’ll never get the promotion.”
“I’ll never make the grade in school.”
“I’ll never be able to wear that again.”
“I’ll never kick this habit on my own.”
“I’ll never be as good as them.”
“I work so hard but will never have what they have.”

-And the final thing Elijah did to get into the pit of depression was, he forgot about the guy who got him this far…God!

Look how God was with him when the king was out to kill him, God gave him a place to go, when he was hungry God gave him food, when there was drought God water, when it’s time to move he meets a woman with little food so God give him ability to make more, when someone dies he brings him back to life, when he’s face to face with hundreds of idol worshipers (like Dan Akroyd in the 80's movie Dragnet) he brings the fire down.

God came through!! God answered!! God never left him!!

But then in a moment he gets a little scared and he forgets God.

Then he curls up, pulls the covers over his head and shuts out the world.

Okay, so now you know how we get in, but how in the heck to we get out??

Verses 5-8

Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

Eat and rest. Almost seems to simple doesn’t it?

Do you think there was a reason God told us he rested after he created this place?

Do you think there was a reason God told us to honor him with a day of rest in the 10 commandments?

These weren’t just examples and commands to see if we would do them. God made us! He knows that for mental and physical well being we need to REST!!

We don’t do this though. We feel like we’ll never catch up if we rest…the laundry won’t get done, the yard work won’t get done, I need extra money from my second job, I’ll never catch up on my paperwork if I don’t take it home….

Tell me what is the benefit or who do these things matter if they drive us into a state of depression where we can’t function any longer.

We need rest.

Next.

Verses 10 & skip to V. 18

(Elijah) "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

(God) "Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

Don’t believe the lies that we make up and put into our own heads.

Elijah fabricated in his mind and convinced himself he was the only faithful one left on the face of the earth and that everyone was trying to kill him. That was just a flat out lie! The truth was there were 7,000 faithful waiting to join him.

What have we convinced ourselves of?

"Nobody loves me, everybody hates me. I’ve been doing all the work and no one notices. I’ve been doing all the praying and God isn’t hearing. I can’t make a difference. I don’t fit in." (Note: You have to say those in your best Eeyor voice and this is where the blog loses the live effect!)

Don’t believe that junk!

There are people who care. There are people who notice. You’re not the only one praying. You can and are making a difference. God has a plan you. GOD HEARS YOU!

Verses 11 & 12

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Listen for God.

When you were sick as a kid d0 you remember one of your parents or grandparents or whoever raised you sitting on the side of your bed talking to you in the gentlest of voices?

When we were home sick it was guaranteed that Grandma Georgia was going to be there when you woke up from your sick nap and be sitting there asking if you were ready for the potato soup she had brought over. Potato soup cures everything in the country!

She had the softest and gentlest voice that never changed tones, except maybe during a cut throat game of Skip-Bo. How she could beat me a hundred times in a row and make me feel good about it I still don’t understand. But anyway, because I was at my sickest, because I was at my lowest point, I could hear her the best.

Sometime when we are in the lowest of pits God comes to us not with earthshaking revelation, or thunderous instruction or fiery rebuke…but with a whisper that says “You are not alone.”

And sometimes that’s all we need.

Verses 15 & 16

The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet..."

Seeing through all those names that are very hard to pronounce God said, “Get back to getting’ back at it!”

He tells Elijah – you’re a prophet, step out of the depression pit and get back to doing prophet stuff.

If you are a mom get back to mom stuff.

Business man back to business.

Grandpa back to being grandpa.

Prayer get back to praying.

Giver get back to giving.

I heard a preacher say one time that one of the best ways to fight off depression is if you do something for someone else. Because when we’re doing something for others then we can't possibly be focusing on ourselves.

I know this was a very lengthy but I had several who wanted me to post this because it is something that we all will deal with someday if not now.

Either we’ll be attacked by depression or a loved one will. And if we can understand what’s gets us there or we are there and here’s how we can get out then we can win the battle and kick the devil in the throat when he tries to use this on us.

One last thing I feel like I need to throw out there before I go is this. If you are in the pit depression and can’t get out as hard as you try. Go see a good counselor! Especially a good Christian based counselor if you can find one.

SEEING A COUNSELOR DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE CRAZY!

In case you skipped that line because you speed read like my beautiful bride.

SEEING A COUNSELOR DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE CRAZY!

I have seen one and I will continue to see one for my mental health, the health of my family and to strengthen my marriage.

God gave these men and women a special gift of healing, tap into it!

Chambers before bed

2010-09-15T22:41:00.001-05:00

Reading some Oswald Chambers tonight and this sentence smacked me up side the head.

"The greatest spiritual crisis comes when a person has to move a little farther in his faith than the beliefs he has already accepted."

Wow! How much farther am I willing to go? Is my next move one I'll take because I know I can do it myself? Or is my next step one that is so big that it will only succeed if God shows up?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Speak to me.

2010-09-03T09:42:00.004-05:00

I'm always jotting down different scripture and posting them in different places when I'm seeking God's guidance and encouragement in my life. Today I gathered up some of my most recent for this post in hopes that one of these scriptures may speak to you at just the right time.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
~ Hebrews 10:23, NLT

I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.
~ Psalm 3:4, NLT

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
~ 1 Peter 3:15, NLT

Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.
~ Proverbs 11:14, NLT

Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.
~ Jeremiah 33:3, NLT (Something about this one gets excited!)

Drop in a comment here or on Facebook if any these hit home with you!

Appetizers on vacation.

2010-08-24T16:20:00.004-05:00

In Max Lucado’s book 3:16 Numbers of Hope (if you haven’t read this get it TONIGHT); in the chapter on heaven he says this…

God grants glimpse of this future state. He designed an oculus in this pantheon. Through it we see gold-drenched sunsets. Diamond-studded night skies. Rainbows so arched in splendor we have to stop and sigh. Appetizers of heaven.

When we were out in San Diego a couple weeks ago it was one “appetizer” after another.

See for yourself.

Stubborn? Of course, I made him that way.

2010-08-20T15:10:00.004-05:00

Last week I got a text from a good friend.

She was reading to her daughter about Moses and the Plagues.

At the end of the story her daughter asked, “Why did God make him (Pharaoh) stubborn”

Really think about it, what a great questions? If the plagues were to get Pharaoh to release the enslaved Israelites, God chosen people, then why did God make him stubborn/harden his heart?

The question was so good it prompted me to reread the entire story myself.

When I was done I found so many things in that story that mean something for us big kid believers today.

I challenge each of you to read Exodus 5-12 when you can; I promise you it is full of stuff you have forgotten as a kid and things that will mean something to you now as an adult.

But for our purpose, here is a world record summation of Moses and the plagues.

(For those of you who will be tempted to scrutinize me for posting a paraphrase of the Word and not using the verse by verse account of the story please don't bother commenting I will not post your comment or waste time replying back to you. There that's done.)

Our story in Exodus which means to exit, as in the story of the mass exit of the entire nation of Israel from Egypt.

The Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians for 430 years.

Moses came to power, chosen by God to lead them out.

And that’s where the story starts. God tells Moses He is the one true God and everyone will see his power soon! Everyone will know He is the ONE true God! He says “I AM GOD” many times through this story and tells Moses, “I will make Pharoah stubborn” or harden his heart and my power will be realized through some wild stuff your great grand kids will still be talking about.

And Moses here is how you are going to do it. Walk up to the most powerful person in all the land and threaten him.

Basically tell him to let God’s people that they have enslaved for 430 years go. God’s tired of it…OR ELSE!

Like wimpy Ralphy getting tired of the bully Scott Farkus beating up him an all his buddies in the alley.

So Moses tries to tell the people of Israel what God is planning but they are so enslaved they don’t even hear him.

Moses, very discouraged goes back to God and says, hey God, I’m still not sure you picked the right guy for this my own people won’t even listen to me and I stutter. The stuttering thing cracks me up, of all the lame excuses. I mean, Moses was desperate to get out of this deal. I can just see God looking down over his glasses at Moses and going, "Seriously? You stutter? Me being the creater of the UNIVERSE and all didn't realize you stuttered when I made you and chose you!!" Cracks me up!

So God says you’re still not getting out of this calling I have for you, I’ll send your brother Aaron to be your messenger.

And on comes the plagues.

Actually cool trick first, then on come the plagues!

Aaron goes into Pharaoh throws down his rod that turns to a snake to show God’s power. Pharaohs’ magicians pull off same trick but Aarons snake eats theirs. Pharaoh’s not impressed wheels around and walks back into the house.

End result, Pharaohs heart becomes harder and he will not let the people go. Just as God had said.

Then the Nile, the Egyptian water source turns blood. A dead smelling stench filled the land.

Pharaoh is stubborn and won’t let the people go. Just as God had said.

Frogs cover the land even in their beds

Pharoah is stubborn and won’t let the people go. Even after he asks Aaron and Moses to pray for him and make it stop.

Gnats or lice covering everything.

Pharaoh is stubborn and won’t let the people go. Just as God had said.

Flies covering everything.

Pharaoh is stubborn and won’t let the people go. Just as God had said.

Livestock all died.

Pharaoh is stubborn and won’t let the people go. Just as God had said.

Boils covering peoples entire body.

Pharaoh is stubborn and won’t let the people go. Just as God had said.

Hail now falls from sky destroying everything in its path including people if they are outside.

Again he asks for it to stop and asks Aaron and Moses to pray for him. But as soon as the pray was answered and he got some breathing room…Pharaoh becomes stubborn and won’t let the people go. Just as God had said.

Locust covering entire ground until it was black and finishing off everything green around them that wasn’t stripped by the hail.

Pharaoh is stubborn and won’t let the people go. Just as God had said.

Darkness you could feel. Many historians believe as a direct slap in the face to the Egyptian god Ra, the sun god.

Pharaoh is stubborn and won’t let the people go. Just as God had said.

Then before the last plague its funny how scripture mentions that Moses was admired not just by his people, but the Egyptians as well.

Then the final blow, the first born of all Egyptians in every household is to die. You could hear the wailing from people throughout if you stood outside.

And Israel is finally released, actually run out of the land, just as God had said.

________________________________________

So quickly and shortly what do we gain today by all of this??

6:9 Do we allow our earthly situations, like the Israelites being enslaved and they don’t hear Moses, to beat us down so much that we can’t hear God?

Do we allow what we think is a bad break or crummy life to consume us so much that we miss when God is either saying, “Your life isn’t that bad.” or “Here’s an opportunity for you but because your head is down you’ll never be able to see it?”

8:28 Does God answer our prayers and once we get that breathing room we quickly forget about him, we quit praying daily, quit reading our Bibles because we got our answer and we quit our daily walk with Him? I’m very guilty of this.

9:1 What is your god? What has you so enslaved that you can’t worship God? Job, money, lifestyle, hobby, your situation, your kids (yes this happens), relationships? Is there something that is filling up space in your heart that God should be getting?

11:3 When this story started Moses was hated by Egyptians and even probably by the Israelites because his first threat to Pharaoh brought more punishment on them.

But by the end he was respected by all just as you will be when you stay faithful and obedient even when there’s no reason to and the world says, “Give up!”

When you have destroyed the worldly god that binds you!

When you overcome the plague that afflicts you!

And when you realize the love of God for you, the power of God to change you and that you NEED to get close to the one true God who can save you!

Yes, you will be noticed and you will have a chance to glorify God with your story!

To close we need to answer the little girl’s question.

“Why did God make him (Pharaoh) stubborn?”

God is God. If he wanted the Israelites released all he had to do was blink.

Making Pharaoh stubborn and continuing the plagues was all about showing that God will go through extraordinary measures to reach out and rescue those he loves and that means you.

It was all about showing EVERYONE, Israelite and Egyptian, believer and nonbeliever who was the real God.

Same when Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way the truth and the life…!”

There's nothing on this earth that can bring us down and there’s nothing on this earth that we can replace the one true God with.

Get close to him today. Pray daily. Read your Bibles daily. Tap into the free power only He can offer you to overcome your plagues!

Thank you!

2010-08-12T16:16:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to say what an awesome group of Christ followers I get to pastor and minister with at The Serve (that’s our Wednesday night service ministry at Fellowship of Believers)!

Yesterday was our last Hot Dogs from Heaven outreach of the summer, where we serve free hot dogs in a local park, and let me tell you it was smokin’ hot! At or over 100 degrees hot when we started!! But not a single person backed down as they bagged and distributed and ministered to every person who came by!!

I am so blessed to be able to serve side by side with each and every one of these devoted people who over the summer prepared and handed out 1,000 hot dogs. It is awesome to see such a small group reach so many people! And here’s the cool part, not just were hungry people fed, but each person got a glimpse of the love of Christ.

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

THANK YOU!!!!!

Sisters, hockey and dead fish!

2010-08-04T15:46:00.003-05:00

Remember February 22nd 1980? Oh I do!

This would have been the day before my little sisters 1st birthday. Oh how I had loved the first three years of my life…then she came along. Everything changed forever!

No really, I love you sis…sometimes! Seriously, I love you….when we don’t have to talk! Just kidding…kinda!

Really, February 22nd 1980 was the day a historical Olympic hockey game was played.

It’s was the game prior to the gold medal round but it was the one everyone remembers.

A group of American amateur and college hockey players took on the Soviet Union professionals who had won every Olympic hockey gold since 1964 and were the heavy favorite to win this one.
Last period and the game was tied 4-4 with time is ticking down.

U.S. gets the puck with 10 seconds to go.

Passed it up ice with 5 seconds as announcer Al Michaels rattles off the famous words, “Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miraclessssssss?...YES!”

As the U.S. puck flies into the net with no time left and pandemonium erupts.

Affectionately know to this day as “The Miracle on Ice.”

This is a perfect example of what it takes for a miracle to happen as I recently heard Christian author John Maxwell describe.

He says, “Miracles happen when there is a need sensed by a few, and each individual understands his responsibility and gives his all, regardless of the odds, then Jesus works a miracle.”

Now go back and think about that hockey match again. Perfect example, huh?

Think of the Jesus feeding the 5,000 with a few fish and loaves that is recorded in all four gospels ( Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9 & John 6). The few who sensed the need and understood the responsibility wasn’t Jesus and disciples. Heck, they wanted Jesus to end with a prayer and let everyone go home hungry.

No, the few who sensed the need was Jesus and boy with the fish and bread.

For this miracle to work the boy had to give his all regardless of the odds. And his all was his lunch.

As he looked around at over 5,000 hungry people he was finally convinced that this guy Jesus could really do this; otherwise he would have never given him the lunch.

Maxwell envisioned the conversation between the two sounding something like this, “I can do more with your lunch than you can but I can’t do anything until you let it go out of your hands.”

The minute it is out of his hands the miracle begins.

Just like The Miracle on Ice there was no way to score the winning goal as long as U.S. holds on to the puck. The miracle only happened because they let it go towards the net and gave it chance.

God tells us the same. I can do more with your life than you can but I can’t do anything until you let go of your junk and let me take care of it.

Change your thinking a little when it comes to miracles. They’re not just something that happened a few thousand years ago and about water to wine, walking on water or parting of seas. Miracles in the Bible and miracles today share something in common. They are about bringing the dead to life.

Today we need a miracle in our dead marriages, our dead relationships, our dead friendship, when we’re dead in our addictions, our dead finances or dead in our religion. When you are to the point you've figured out you can’t help you and must have Him to go any further then you have sensed the need for a miracle in your life. Now let go!

Pastor Shannon O’Dell says it best, “Take the pain, take the offenses, dig them up with a spade, and spread them at the feet of the Cross, release them and leaving there with your Lord. Let go! Because he knows what to do. He is in the business of taking things that are dead and giving them new life.”

Let it go!

Pray, “I will not be consumed by this any longer! This will not rule my life any longer! God here is my lunch.”

Lessons from The Learning Channel

2010-07-22T11:03:00.005-05:00

Okay, today I may really offend someone. I know everyone has a hobby that other people just don’t understand. I like to run, fish, hunt and golf. Some people will think why in the heck would you want to run, other than to the fridge and back. Why would you want to try to hook a fish or kill an animal or chase a little white ball all over the place?

Why? I don’t know. For some reason I find happiness and relaxation in those things.
I’ve known pigeon racers, yes pigeon racers, stamp collectors, garage salers, campers, motorcyclists, triathloners, shoppers, civil war reenactors, hikers, gardeners, bakers and wine makers. Somewhere along the way you read that list and said, “Why”.

And last night while watching TV with my awesome wife I said, “Why?”

Okay, here comes the offensive part. I’m going to give you one line and give you a chance to close out this blog, ready…

“Toddlers and Tiaras” on TLC.

This is the show about toddler beauty pageant kids and the behind the scenes with their parents. Last night the kids they followed were age 10 and under.

I must have said “why” no less than 25 times.

I said “why” when they busted out their own spray tan booth in their kitchen.

I said “why” when they took the hair piece in to have it dyed to match the little girl’s hair and then got ticked at the dude in the salon because it wasn’t a perfect match. No prob though, he a blew it out and touched up to perfection by the next morning.

I said “why” when they reviewed the hand signals for “too much smile” “not enough smile” “too much teeth”.

I said “why” when they had to refit the FLIPPER! Someone please tell me that you don’t know what a flipper is unless you have watched this show. A flipper is like a set of dentures but it goes over your existing teeth to cover up the gaps and irregular ones that kids at this age have so they will appear to have perfect teeth. Just so happened that mom worked at a dental office part time and had the stuff at home to do a dental impression right then and there. “If I’m lying I’m dying”, to quote the late great Jerry Clower.

Then one of the moms made some comment like, “its all about you baby” and I thought to myself, “Well not really.” It’s really about who we can make you up to be and who you can pose to be for a little while. Then when that pageant is over that girl is back to normal as fast as she can hit the parking lot.

Hey, that’s cool if that’s your hobby, I don’t understand it, or pigeon racing for that matter.

But the more I thought about the pageant and my comment the more I thought “Wow, isn’t this how we do church?”

Don’t a lot of times we make ourselves out to be someone we are not for a couple hours every Sunday. Then as soon as it’s over we are back to normal as soon as we hit the parking lot.

How much different would church be if we showed up as who we really are every week?
As lonely, depressed, sad, struggling, addicted, frustrated, imperfect, misunderstood, hungry, cold, lost.

What if we were to lay that at His feet every week?

What would this say to the rest of the world about our church?? It would say we are just like you!

As long as we continue to treat church like a pageant we will continue to tell the world we are trying to reach that you must look and act a certain way to come in here.

What a travesty!

I think this scene from Mark 2:15-18 (The Message translation) addresses this beautifully.

15-16Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: "What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riffraff?"

17Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit."

It’s no wonder the lost won’t come to our churches.

It’s no wonder the lost despise us.

If you think this is not the case you either aren’t talking or reaching out to hurting people in the world or you are really fooling yourself.

If you keep up with my blog often then you know our church does an outreach called Hot Dogs From Heaven where we feed people in a local park once a month and try to build relationships with them.

During one of our recent events my friend Mike and I got a chance to minister to a local lady who was struggling with life. She said she really wanted to go to church but she couldn’t, as she gestured to us with the cigarette she had in her hand.

Said she had to “quit” first.

Before I could speak, Mike was in the middle of telling her that you don’t have to be perfect and cleaned up to get into church. Church is a place where you can come as you are, you don't have to clean up your life so you can get in. And that there was no one in any church that was perfect.

She had this funny look on her face and said, “I didn’t think church people wanted me in there with them smelling like smoke.”

In case you missed it let me repeat part of what she said again, “I didn’t think church people wanted me in there with them…”

“Church people” do you see the message we are giving off? And I’ll be the first to admit I’m as guilty of this as anyone else.

We must start to see our churches not as a social event or item on the weekly to do list. We must see our churches as place to glorify God for the abundant grace we are immersed in everyday in our jacked up lives. We must see them as a hospital for the broken to check-in to so they can be met by open-armed Christ followers and given a chance to meet Him too!

There is a line from the Todd Agnew song My Jesus that I will leave you with today. The entire song rocks but these words always hit me the hardest.

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet

Reality Check

2010-07-08T08:45:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know many of you are starting to question the success of the trout fishing expedition but I promise I have pictures…they're just still on my camera…but when I bust them out you’ll be truly amazed.

Below is repost of a blog repost I read this morning and when you read it I think you'll see why I've reposted it again.

It’s insightful, humbling, troubling, thought provoking and it should disturb all of us Christ followers since He commissioned us with reaching the world!

"Jesus' teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of His day.

However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect.

The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted do not bother coming to our churches, even our most avant-garde (daring and unorthodox) ones. We tend to draw buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church.

That can only mean one thing.

If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did."
- Dr. Tim Keller

Greater things!

2010-06-29T10:13:00.003-05:00

Hey all, been a couple weeks away. Here’s the update for those waiting on the update from the trout fishing expedition. Never did figure out what a Wooly Bugger was, probably a good thing, but after a little spying on the locals…salmon eggs was the secret sauce. Christy and I “slaid em”one evening (slaid em’ is fishing term where I come from meaning, we caught some good fish)! Had an awesome time! I’ll try to post a picture of our catch maybe this week.

While preparing my message for last week this verse blew my mind.

In John 14:12 Jesus says, I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

I’m thinking that because it was tucked away between “I’m the way, truth and the life” and Jesus’ promise about the Holy Spirit that I totally missed it’s significants.

Jesus actually said we’d do greater things than what He did while on this earth. Can you a believe that?

So now you’re saying, “Yeah right!” “Jesus fed 5,000 people in one sitting with 5 loaves of bread and couple fish” (John 6:1-14) “How we can’t top that?!”

Oh, but we have. You’re hung up on the means by which He fed (5 loaves 2 fish) instead of the end result (5,000 got fed).

To do greater things would mean we’ll feed more than 5,000 people and followers of Christ across the world do this every day. I’d be willing to venture and say, right here in little ol’ Ada alone we’ve fed over 5,000 through our churches, outreach programs, holiday meals and local mission activities.

So now you say, “Okay I can buy that, BUT Jesus raised people from the dead!” (the Bible records 3 instances) “How do we go greater than that?”

Again, pull yourself away from the means (their heart physically was stopped and He started it again) and focus on the end result (they were brought back to life by Him).

To do greater things would mean we’ll have to give people life. Stop thinking about the physical and start thinking about the spiritual.

What are people of the world who don’t know Jesus referred as, “lost and dying.”

What happens to these people when we introduce them to Jesus and they change their life to follow him? They are “saved” they are “born again”! They are brought out of death into life. John 11:26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.

Yes, Jesus is ALWAYS the one who does the saving but we are means by which they meet Him. Huh, we play a part in bringing people back from the dead. And considering the millions of Christ followers that walk the earth now, just in our present day and age, I’d say we’ve been doing greater things.

We must have faith that we can and will do greater things! We have to believe that we are the ones here on earth left with a mission to see the examples Jesus set for us and do greater!

Wooly WHAT??

2010-06-15T09:11:00.003-05:00

As I do about every six months, I throw out this “blog apology” because I miss a week or more of posting due to auditing at my 40 per week job. I get audited every 6 months to keep a certification we have, I’M NOT IN TROUBLE, this time. So, here it is, “Sorry to all of you who follow regularly I’ve been getting audited.” Done, I feel better, hope you all accept that, but if you don’t wait 6 months and I’ll offer up another one.

We’re getting ready to spend some time in a cabin at Beavers Bend State Park in way southeastern Oklahoma very soon. I love mountain country! Whether Oklahoma or Montana. I love it. When I’m in mountain country, especially early in the mornings, I see why Max Lucado calls the natural creations of God, “Appetizers of Heaven”. I love it!

We’ll be staying just a mile away from the Lower Mountain Fork River and I wanted to take the boys trout fishing. Yes, there is trout fishing in Oklahoma. I am an avid fisherman but have never fished for trout and surely haven’t ever fished for trout in Oklahoma. Much less used a fly rod…other than the time I was playing around in the yard with an old fly rod that was in the family. My grandpa dared me to flip the fly into my Mom’s goldfish pond to see what would happen.

Learned two things that day. One: goldfish will bite flies. Two: your grandpa will bale on you in an instant when your mom comes out the door and sees you have hooked one of her goldfish with a fly rod.

So I was reading up on a few things about what lures we could use to catch trout, where you can fish, red zones, blue zones, barbed hook areas, unbarbed areas, artificial bait only areas…HOLY COW I was worn slick trying to figure it all out and honestly a little scared. Not that much thought has to be put into fishing where I come from.

Where I grew up the only time you got scared was when you knew you were fishing on someone you weren’t supposed to, but you acted like you didn’t see the 6 wire barbwire fence that ripped a hole in your jeans as you crossed with all your gear and if caught will that farmer buy your “playing dumb” story when you tell him you "thought" you had permission to fish that pond.

Anyway, as I was doing my research everything I was reading on trout fishing was on using flies. As in flies that you either buy at the store or that guys themselves in thier garage using hooks and feathers and different colors strings and their supposed to resemble different bugs but their all called flies. But I wanted to know about some good spinners or live bait for the boys, but it was just flies and more flies. And most of these guys I was reading were from Oklahoma fishing the Lower Mountain Fork. COME ON; give a beetle spin or road runner or H&H…something I can relate to. Then the more I started to read these fly names the more I felt, well, guilty.

I’ve got to think that naming flies would be an awesome job, similar to whoever names fingernail polish. Not that I wear it…much…but when Christy comes home and I say "Your red nails look good". She tells me it’s not just red. This color is called, “Wish You Had A Camaro This Color Red And It’s Not Candy Apple Red Red”. Oh, okay.

Listen to some of these names of these flies…

Small Caddis
Midge
Zebra Midge
Black Egg Sucking Leech
Cockroach Deceiver
Nymph
Prince Nymph
Wooly Bugger

I am positive that if my grandma were still living that she would surely, to this day, wash my mouth out with Lava soap and used a toothbrush had I mentioned 3 out of 8 of those in her presence.

I’m wondering what anyone would say if me and the boys plopped right down on the bank of the Lower Mountain Fork and told them to just keep their Wooly Buggers, we’re going with a cork and minna’ (a.k.a. minnow)?

Double Dog Dare You!

2010-06-02T14:12:00.003-05:00

These lyrics from the Lincoln Brewster song Power of Your Name really got to me this week. Another one of those times where I've been diggin' the song for a while then the words just jump out and grab you. I LOVE IT when God works that way.

Here are just a few of the lyrics.

I will live
To carry
Your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
I will give
With the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your Name
Surely life wasn't made to regret
And the lost were not made to forget
Surely faith without action is dead
Let Your Kingdom come
Lord break this heart

Have you ever prayed, “God break my heart for what breaks yours?”

I challenge you, no I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU, and won’t even ask you to stick your tongue to a frozen flag pole if you will try it for one week.

A simple one sentence prayer, once a day, that could change your life if you’re willing to let it.

God break my heart for what breaks yours.

God Bless John Wayne

2010-05-27T08:49:00.012-05:00

I’m the worst hero fan ever!!! My best friend had to call me yesterday to remind me it was one of my hero’s birthday. I was clueless! And no, it wasn’t my friend who was my hero though he likes to think so, no, it’s John Wayne. How did I miss that one!!

I know, everyone looks up to John Wayne, everyone has a wooden John Wayne clock with his image cascading over a desert mountain range in their office, everyone’s youngest son can sing the theme song to Rio Bravo, everyone had a cheap 20x24 reproduction portrait of him that they used to hang in college married student housing because that was the only décor they could afford and convinced his new bride’s sorority sisters it was his grandpa John, I know all this!

But, since I do use this blog for an outlet on spiritual thought, with the exception of the Nature Boy Ric Flair post a couple months ago which rocked by the way, does everyone have a picture like this?!

Yes, if you look closely neatly stenciled on the back of this 90 model Dodge Ram flatbed truck tooling along somewhere on the highways and byways of rural Missouri, it says, “GOD BLESS JOHN WAYNE.” My friend, who reminded me of the birthday, sent this to me about 6 or 7 years ago and it hangs on the wall of fame in my office.

How is that for finding a way to work John Wayne into a Jesus blog?

Thanks B.O. for the reminder yesterday and your awesome wife who can actually be seen in the passenger side mirror taking this picture so many years ago!

And just so you can’t get one up on me in December.

GOD BLESS LARRY BIRD!

Deep Thoughts by An Ordinary Man #1

2010-05-21T11:06:00.003-05:00

So I’ve been thinking about starting this weekly post, perhaps every Friday, called “Deep Thoughts by an Ordinary Man” you know like “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy”, one my favorite Saturday Night Live bits right up there with Toonces The Driving Cat.

I don’t know if I can keep this up every week but I know I can for this week.

You know we like to call ourselves Christians, but in reality that name was given to us by others who saw the way we lived and knew we were different.

Acts 11:26 says, “The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch” a place they stayed for a year teaching people about Christ.

The disciples didn’t give themselves this name. The people they stayed with for a year saw a love for God and a love people that was remarkable. A passion they had never seen before. They saw these men following the lead that this guy Christ set while he was on earth. So they said, we must give them a name, because there is no name until now to describe people who are living a life like these guys. We will call them Christians.

Here is your deep thought.

Would your life make OTHERS around you see that you’re different and call you Christian, and I don’t mean different as in I’m judging you because I’m perfect and you have problems. No I mean different as in mimicking Jesus, tracing his footsteps, knowing you have faults and don’t condemn others for theirs, you love God, you love people and it shows kind of different!

If you’re not living different where SOMEONE ELSE would call you Christian then what are you?

Batter up!!

2010-05-20T10:23:00.004-05:00

When Winston was four we forced him to play t-ball in the summer, not to be athletic, but to help build his social skills. He just finished pre-K and we saw that he needed some help coming out of his shell around other kids. So we wanted him to be interacting with other kids on into the summer.

It didn’t take us long to see that t-ball wasn’t for him, but the social interaction was priceless.

The next year we told him we wouldn’t make him play. But later he found out some kids in his class were on a team and he wanted to play with them. We asked if he was sure he wanted to play and he said he was, so we signed him up.

About half way through the season we noticed Winston was playing less and less in the games even though our coaches had an “everyone gets to play” philosophy.

So then it kind of came to a head in one game when Winston played one inning then was never back in there. His momma saw all the other kids rotating in and out but no Winston. Finally she had enough, and you know what that means. Yep, Momma had her fill, so she sent Dad to the dugout to see what the deal was.

Yes, if you are a male and not married or you are and jyust a slow learner this is this how it works. When this situation happens I urge to go and take care of the situation yourself because if momma has to go it will not be pretty. That’s her baby regardless of the age.

Anyway, I went to the dugout between the next inning to observe and was very surprised.

To set it up for you, there is Winston sitting on the bench, Dixie cup of water in hand, with the other extra kids waiting to be told whether or not to go out by the coach who is standing there in front of them.

Coach “Okay Winston get your glove on and head to left field.”

Winston “Nah, coach that’s okay!” “Send Susie back in I’m okay right here.”

WHAT! It wasn’t the coach that wasn’t putting Winston in. It was Winston who wasn’t putting Winston in.

You see Winston was doing something because all the other kids were doing it but it wasn’t something he really believed in.

I thought of this story after Romans 14:23 (Message) worked on my heart this week.

Paul says, “If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong”

We do this when we refuse to mix our everyday life and church life and in our church life alone. Sort that out for a minute.

In the workplace we allow life outside of going to church override what we believe spiritually because our job pays good so we’re willing to sacrifice our beliefs or we don’t want our coworkers to think we’re a religious weirdo. Why do we not see it one seamless life and our workplace is our mission field?

In our churches we continue to go to a certain place, continue a certain routine, worship a certain way, be involved in certain activities – going through the motions though we know in our heart of hearts God is calling us to something else? It’s not that the places we are going and things we are doing are wrong, but it’s not consistent with what we believe. It’s not consistent with what God has laid on our heart and what He is calling us to do. Maybe He’s calling you to start up something He’s pressed upon you where you are at or maybe there is somewhere else that could use your gift or passion to expand God’s kingdom. After all that is the goal, not the ritual, but getting as many people into His kingdom as possible.

You see, there was nothing wrong with Winston’s t-ball team, the coaches, or the kids, or the league. It was exactly right for 95% of the kids, but it was wrong for Winston because it’s not what he believed in. If he were to have chosen that summer to be honing his golf skills or Cub Scout activities, which are his passion, now he would have flourished.

Think about your life this week. What are you doing or involved in that doesn’t line up to what you believe in just because you worry about what people will think or because that’s the way you’ve always done it? Pray that God will give you the insight to see and courage to change and answer His calling for you.

A year or so later one of our close friends asked Winston, “Don’t you want to play on this soccer team your friend is on there” Winston replied, “You know, sports just isn’t my thing.”

Get your hot dogs!!!

2010-05-13T13:10:00.002-05:00

The Serve gave out 200 hot dogs in an hour and a half in Glenwood Park last night!! Are you serious? 200 hot dogs!

It was absolutely awesome to see kids on their bikes delivering to nearby family members, carloads of people stopping in, some saw our mean green 8ft long sign (sorry City of Ada we only hung it up for an hour and a half and we took it down) grabbed a dog, I think every kid at the skate park got fed, toward the end the girls loaded up and delivered to neighbors who were standing in their yards, and just as we thought we would go home with six left over a family of six came by and finished it off for an even 200!

One kid, who couldn’t have been more than 5 or 6, wanted to take some to about some family members and he literally fell off his bike onto the grass try carry six sacks of dogs. So one of our servers bagged up the sacks tied them to the handlebars, steadied him on his bike and gave him a shove to get him going! It was AWESOME!

The feedback was moving…

“Why are you guys doing this?” “Because we want to serve people.” “Wow that’s cool!”

A little girl in her yard hollered out, “I love you!”, as our Servers were driving away.

“Thank you. I just moved here and you guys are the first nice people I have met in Ada.” (I personally think Ada is full of great people so this one was heartwarming and sad all in one.)

“Man this is awesome!”

“Yo dude, you want one of those bags, they are giving away cookies in there.”

God showed up last night. Not because we gave out all 200 hot dogs but because for a moment people got to see the love of Jesus.

I told a friend this morning and Christy last night that I couldn’t sleep the night before because I was nervous about all the work and preparation that had gone in and worried only 5 people would show up.

They both had to remind me, “And if so, then that’s 5 people who God wanted us to reach that day.”

Whether it’s 5 or 500 hundred 1 Corinthians 15:58 tells us,
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

I am blessed to be able to work hand in hand with such a devoted and passionate group. You guys truly inspire me. This is just the beginning!!

To close, a few lines from the song God of this City.

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

The Serve

2010-05-11T20:30:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine said this week, “Hey, you need to blog something about what we do on Wednesday nights. A lot of people have been asking and thinking we’re doing a Bible study.”

Oh, this is so much more!

By, “so much more” I mean this group of believers actually takes what’s in the Bible and puts it into action.

This Wednesday night action group is called…

THE SERVE

And it’s made up of Fellowship of Believers who meet with us Sunday’s AND others who go to different churches on Sunday but have a passionate desire to serve others.

At The Serve we are either planning or doing for someone.

In the last 7 months we have…

Filled 12 boxes for Operation Christmas Child - shoeboxes of Christmas items and a copy of the Gospel story shipped all over the world through the organization Samaritan’s Purse to kids who might not have Christmas gifts or never heard the Gospel.

Thinking of you gift baskets for families or a friend of the month.

Assisted and still providing support to a single mother with 5 kids getting back on her feet.

Ongoing card campaign to people we are thinking of and praying for.

Gathered baby necessities for a young couple with few resources expecting their first baby.

Helping someone sell a house and move into something they can maintain.

And our latest project…Hot Dog’s From Heaven! Yes, we will be giving away free hot dogs in Glenwood Park at 6pm the second Wednesday of the month June-August.

Why would I list these items?

Am I bragging?

YOU BET!

I’m bragging about God!

All this glory must be deflected to Him because this isn’t about us and doing things to win His favor. This is about people on fire for God and wanting to bring as many people in His presence as they possibly can.

This is a God thing and WE SHOULD BRAG ABOUT HIM MORE!

He has put a burning desire in this group to serve. Half these service opportunities were for people they didn’t even know. All they knew is there is a need – we can meet the need – lets do it.

They are living by the example Jesus set in Matthew 4:24 "Jesus healed them, one and all." He never asked “why are you like this” or “how did you get this way” He just helped them.

They are truly living out the Greatest Command…

Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'…”

If you want to be a part of The Serve, there is no membership needed. Just show up to 1230 Northcrest on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm. If you want to know more just comment on this blog with your contact information or via Facebook, where many of you read these posts and comment, and I’ll get back with you.

Where's my cleats?

2010-04-28T16:21:00.004-05:00

Reading through the book of Romans and got to chapter 11. And to be honest I was struggling to stay focused in this chapter except for this verse that I just couldn’t let go of this week.

6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Romans 11:6 (Today's New International Version)

Those words, by grace then it can’t be works, if it were, grace wouldn’t be grace, just kept coming to me throughout my day. I couldn’t shake it really didn’t know why.

I know it seems like I blog and preach about grace pretty often but can it really ever be too much? It is what saves us after all! You know, without it we’d be dead…other than that it’s really insignificant.

So last night it was time for baseball practice. Tuesdays are usually a whirlwind with Cub Scouts and baseball and whatever else seems to happen, usually happens on Tuesday. I came in the house just in time to eat and see Wyatt, our youngest age 6, fully suited up in last years uniform ready for practice.

He shared with me how someone on the team called him a nerd for wearing last years uniform to practice but it didn’t seem to hurt his ego any more that it does to wear full cowboy attire including vest, chaps, spurs and 70’s Richard Petty meets Hoss Cartwright style 7 inch crown felt hat EVERY time we go to Santé Fe Steakhouse. You got RESPECT baby! He had all his baseball gear on for practice, except his cleats.

So to speed up the process I asked him to look for his cleats while I finished eating. This is where he informed me that with all the looking power a 6 year old has he had combed the depths of every closet and under every bed, but did not find his cleats. In parent terms this means, “I looked in one spot, they weren’t there, I’ll let Dad find them for me while I play with the dog.”

Being a former experienced childhood shoe, boot and cleat searcher (FECSBCS) myself I advised him to try his room again. But this time try looking under the Everest sized toy mound in the middle.
Wyatt again told me, “Dad I’ve looked EVERYWHEREEEEEE”, in his best whiney exhausted voice.

Since I was a highly skilled FECSBCS before I turned parent, I knew good and well he had not looked anywhere!

So I got up, walked to his room, took two steps in the door, stopping for fear of my own health, safety and welfare to go further, looked down and to the right to see, ah, CLEATS!

He didn’t look, he didn’t try and still his Father bailed him out because he was his son and because he loved him.

…then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

Wyatt could have looked for 3 hours or never looked at all like I suspect and my love for him would be no more or no less. Just like if the harder you work for God you think you’ll get more grace…grace would no longer be grace.

When I really think of the things that God knows about me, all the stuff that only He and I know about me...and I’m still loved by Him and covered by His grace. I can’t even begin to know and can’t wrap my brain around how big his grace is and it would only do God an injustice to even try. My goodness it’s the greatest free gift going, yet the hardest one for us to accept!

I had gotten out of a Sunday school class on grace one time and was talking to a friend about it. I had really heard God speak through a powerful message and further class discussion. I made the comment, “All God wants us to do is try.” My friend replied back, “You know Tyson; the amazing thing about grace is He covers us even when we don’t.”

Makes sense, cause if He didn’t, grace wouldn’t be grace.

Got to go now! I hear God calling; I think he just found my cleats.

Raise your hands!!

2010-04-19T11:02:00.006-05:00

Took this picture with my phone during the Rock and Worship Roadshow last Thursday night. The body of Christ in the thousands, mostly youth, filling up a venue like the Ford Center in Oklahoma City to praise God through Christian music.

Is this what the Psalmists had in mind when they said…

Psalm 63 (NIV)
3 Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

Psalm 134 (NIV)
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary

and praise the LORD.

Psalm 141 (Message)
1-2 God, come close. Come quickly!

Open your ears—it's my voice you're hearing!

Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising;

my raised hands are my evening prayers.

Psalm 150 (Message)
1-6 Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship,

praise him under the open skies;

Praise him for his acts of power,

praise him for his magnificent greatness;

Praise with a blast on the trumpet,

praise by strumming soft strings;

Praise him with castanets and dance,

praise him with banjo and flute;

Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum,

praise him with fiddles and mandolin.

Let every living, breathing creature praise God!

Hallelujah!

P.S. Jesus music rocks baby!!

Hold the black olives please.

2010-04-14T16:19:00.007-05:00

Most of you know that pastoring Fellowship of Believers is not my only job, I also hold down a 40 hour per week job doing environmental and safety work for a manufacturing plant. This is the job that pays our bills and insurance.

So while in a meeting at my 40 hours job this morning I heard this phrase, “We’ve got enough going on without getting sidetracked by the pizza.” This made me almost laugh out loud, to think with everything we have going on to operate a multimillion dollar operation, we do from time to time, have to deal with things like a dispute over pizza. But in our work environment it has to be done because we have 400 people working together 5-6 days a week, and disputes like this are bound to happen. You know how it goes, free pizza comes in, not enough for everyone, some get some, some don’t, someone gets mad, someone says something they shouldn’t, people’s feelings get hurt, things start to escalate and before you know it we’ve totally lost track of why we woke up and came to work today. We’ve totally lost track of the task at hand.

When the “sidetracked by pizza” comment came out, my reaction was to laugh, my second was how it reminded me of something that happened to me just last week.

Someone delivered pizza to the comment section of this blog. Yes, I have finally arrived! I received my first official negative response to one of my posts.

I am not saying that just because someone doesn’t agree with me necessarily means it’s a negative comment.

What made it negative was that this person, who chose to remain anonymous no less (imagine that), also chose to get hung up on something absolutely insignificant and missed the entire point.

As I’m trying to give God the glory for the work He was doing through an awesome group of people and lives He has changed as a result, “Anonymous Negative Commenter Man” spent his time trying to pick one word from my post apart in the name religion.

That’s like wanting to spend time debating over whether or not the water Jesus turned to wine was alcoholic or not…if that's what you choose to debate then YOU’VE MISSED THE POINT OF THE STORY.

When this becomes the case, “we’ve become sidetracked by pizza.”

How many times a day do we get sidetracked by the pizza of life? People getting bent out of shape at little league games. Our kids and their Junior High drama, “He said, she said.” Us adults in our office drama, “He said, she said.”

Our everyday lives are so full of “pizza” and it’s spilled over into our churches and personal walk with the Lord as well. We forget that the Christmas play is about Him and not about who gets to sing the solo. We forget that serving the food to the needy is about Him and isn’t about who gets to be seen doing the actual serving. We forget that communion is about Him and not about whether we do it with one prayer or two. We forget that the song we sing is for Him and not about whether or not I like the slow ones. THE MINUTE WE LOSE SIGHT OF HIM IT BECOMES NOTHING MORE THAN RELIGION.

This is how Jesus commented to his critics in Matthew 12:6 when they questioned Him and his disciples about breaking Sabbath rules (Jewish day of rest)
6-8"There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant—'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'—you wouldn't be nitpicking like this…" (The Message translation)

Friends, I plead with you to pray that God will help us to see through the junk in our walk and focus more on Him. Lord allow my eyes to see through the religion. Lord you’ve given me important work to do, don’t allow me to become sidetracked by pizza.

As for my anonymous friend the following is for you, enjoy, today’s post it quite possibly the most recognition you will ever receive on here again.

1) I love you though I don’t know who you are or what your name is.
2) I won’t post your comment, not because I don’t want my readers to see what you have to say, but simply because it won’t grow God’s kingdom by a single person.
3) Don’t waste your time making more pizza because I’m full.
4) I’m praying that you too will see through the religion that surrounds you and the religion that binds you. I’m praying that you will truly see Jesus and not just the thought of Him.
5) I love you man.

Stop that van!

2010-04-05T10:55:00.004-05:00

Air police, city police, county police, highway police, store police, fashion police…where will it end? I guess after this one…pray police. Last night I became the pray police.

I was in the backyard spraying weeds and the boys were on the trampoline asking a thousand questions about, what I was spraying , why they couldn’t just walk through the grass if they had their socks on, and Wyatt wanted to know the difference between poison and poison ivy. (Wow that’s a long sentence and I’m sure grammatically incorrect)

Then off in the distance they hear the echoing through the hills of Ada...the ice cream truck! “Dad can we have a dollar, hurry?!” Now if you know me those two words don’t go together in a sentence, as in, “dollar” and “hurry”.

So I thought about it for a second and decided okay here’s four dollars. And left them with a token parental, “…and don’t let your little brother run into the street” as they whizzed through the back gate.

But they weren’t fast enough. The multicolored polka dotted 1982 Chevy EconoVan cruised right by and down hill just seconds before they could get there. And by the way is the 1982 Chevy EconoVan standard issue in the mobile neighborhood ice-cream industry or just the preferred vehicle? That’s another post for another day.

The boys were gone for a little while so as I went to check on them. There I found Winston, disappointed, but patiently waiting at the curb leaning up against the trash cans I hadn’t brought back to the house since the morning trash pickup. I asked what he was doing and he said he was waiting for the ice cream truck to come back up the hill. I stood there with him a minute and couldn’t hear the music, which normally can be heard from 6 city blocks away. I finally said, “Buddy, I don’t think he’s coming back tonight.” Winston looked up at me and said, “But Daddy I prayed to God for him to come back and everything.”

Now being the expert on prayer, raised in a Christian home, and having a Batphone connection with God, and a pastor which has to put me on a much higher level, living in the Bible belt, and because I read my Bible daily I BECAME THE PRAYER POLICE and at that moment instantly my first thought was, “Well son that’s probably not something we should pray for.” Even half the thought transformed into words and came out of my mouth before I caught myself in all my arrogance.

You know, the “right” things we pray for are world peace, the end of hunger, a cure for cancer, “all those who can’t be with us today bring them back at the next appointed time”…NOT for the ice cream truck to come back. I AM THE PRAY POLICE AND I FIND 8 YEAR OLD WINSTON BROWN IN VIOLATION OF A LEGITATE PRAYER!

What does this kid know? I mean are you going to tell me he was truly listening to his parents when they said you can ask God for ANYTHING?

Come on!

Can you convince me he really believes Matthew 21:22 (TNIV) “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Or 1 John 5:14-20 (The Message) “And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he's listening…”

Huh! Who believes that? At the Pray Police Academy they teach us that those are just memory verses and somewhere in those verses there must be an exclusion for ice cream trucks and 8 year olds who don’t know any better.

Really?? Who is an expert prayer? A pastor? A parent? Someone who has enough wind to go on for 5 plus minutes? A perfect attendance church goer?

A prayer is not something to be memorized or contain phrases that become so routine they lose their meaning. It’s not something for show. No, prayer is our direct line to God. Prayer is our chance to sit on His lap like a child and tell him our thoughts, praises, feeling, hurts, joys, and fears. Phillip Yancy in his book “Prayer” says “When it comes to prayer we are all beginner.”

The literal true beginners, as in kids being beginners in this world, get it so much better than us “mature adult Christians”. In fact, they hear messages and hear scripture and they believe it! Actually, they go beyond that and here’s what separates them from us…they don’t just believe it…THEY LIVE IT! They pray for ice cream trucks, they pray for dead cats, they pray for the Crocodile Hunter, they pray for whatever they can’t handle but know God can. WOW! And that’s just the out-of-control stuff. Don’t get them get started on what they are thankful for! Candy, dogs and cats that haven’t died, candy, swings, trampolines…

As for the ice cream truck prayer in question, well, after careful review we traced the source of the prayer to Winston Brown’s heart. With that being the case we have no choice but to drop all charges! If God is listening and has time for an ice cream truck prayer then the Prayer Police don’t have a problem with it either.

And, effective immediately I’ll be stepping down from my post as the Prayer Police. I’m finding out that though I’m color blind and my wife dresses me in the mornings I’d have a better shot at Fashion Police. “Hey you! Yeah you! Are those socks you have on navy or black…”

Stick and stone...and words WILL hurt me...

2010-03-22T13:41:00.005-05:00

I subscribe to the KLOVE Encouraging Word of the Day through their website http://www.klove.com/. (KLOVE is nationally broadcast Christian radio station - local frequency here in Ada is 91.9 FM) Basically it is a scripture per day sent to you via email using the New Living Translation of the Bible.

We were away part of last week because we spent some time at sisters and brother in-laws house in McKinney, TX for spring break so I had some catch up reading to do.

When I read the two separate emails below back to back it really struck me just how powerfully hurtful (if I can use those two word together and still be grammatically correct) the complacent human word can be.

Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
~ Ephesians 4:29, NLT

Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.
~ Proverbs 26:20, NLT

Complacent human word meaning things we're so used to saying (i.e. certain word and phrases) and engaging in certain conversations (i.e. gossip) that they become second nature to us. Like a habit we don't realize we have but it's obvious to everyone else around us.

These two verses are pretty clear about the harm our words can do, anywhere from discourage those who are listening to us, to fueling the fire of fighting with each other that gossip causes!

This week think a little longer about the things you say out of habit and inventory those that may do more harm than good. Then pray a simple and specific prayer ..."God help me to see these things I've been saying before I speak. I don't want to harm with my words."

Forgiven! Or am I?

2010-03-18T10:58:00.002-05:00

1 John 1:9 (New Living Translation)
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Ah! Does it feel good to read that passage?

Let’s do it again.

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Forgiveness! Is there anything better? Is there a greater gift? Do you feel loved by God when you read that?

If not, why not? There is not a hint of doubt in those words…he is faithful and just to forgive…

Have you had an experience where there is no doubt about your status with God but there is with your church. Or you feel as though you have to have everything in your life cleaned up to go to church?

If we are forgiven by God then why won’t our church forgive us?

I feel that in so many places the church (little “c” church as in our denominations and buildings not big “C” Church as the body of believers following Christ) has conformed to a way of thinking that there are certain things you have to do for God (i.e. confess) and THEN there are certain things you have to do for us to be in our group or not feel as though you’ve been banished from it.

Is that really what Jesus died for?

It makes me sad and I know is saddens Jesus because that is not what he intended when he envisioned his Church.

As long as we keep rejecting people, including those in our own churches, based on a past that God has for forgiven them for but we haven’t…then…we will continue to be seen as country clubs to the outside world rather than the hospital Jesus intended them to be.

How can we reach out to outside world when there’s nothing about church or the people in it that makes us different than life they are already being judged by?

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Shamu attacks...fear?

2010-03-09T12:20:00.003-06:00

I recently read the Max Lucado book Fearless and it inspired me to do a series of messages at Fellowship of Believers (FOB) on the topic of overcoming our fears through Christ.

As I read through the book I guess I was never aware of how many times fear has been ruler in my life and altered my decisions and way of thinking. And how it continues to be the day to day ruler in many people’s lives. It touches all of us at some point and even worse, it can drive us.

What if we reacted to what life deals us with faith instead of fear?

A couple weeks ago I had an interesting conversation with my oldest son Winston.

To set this up Winston (WC) is an animal factoid nut. Right down to correcting his little brother Wyatt (Zeak) who says, “An owl can turn his head all the way around.” Winston, “Well actually no Wyatt it can’t turn it all the way around. It only looks that way. It can turn from all the way in front to, all the way in back, but not in a full circle.” Then out comes the cowboy in Wyatt that says, okay you’re smarter so I’ll just gut punch you and try to step on your neck with my boots for correcting me. Anyway, you get the picture.

So anyway, WC has been absolutely consumed with the whole “Shamu attacks” thing you’ve been seeing in the deadlines. He wants newspaper clipping and webpages printed off, wants to see internet video…everything on this whale attacking and killing it’s trainer! He’s simply fascinated by this deal.

Then were riding in my truck a couple weeks ago and he says to me, “Dad, I want to train whales someday.” I thought myself where in world did that come from? Hasn’t he been reading those stories we’ve been printing about the attack? What’s he been doing with all that stuff? So I said, “Son you know that whale we’ve been talking about attacked its trainer, right?” and “You know that it killed it’s trainer, right?” “Yes, daddy” he replied. So as we rolled up to the next stop sign I took a long pause and looked over at him and said, “Then if you know all that then why in the world would you still want to be a whale trainer it you know they could kill you?”

He looked at me with the most bewildered look on his face. Like either there was a duck billed platypus on my shoulder or I can’t believe the words coming out of my dad’s mouth! And then came the answer to my question that I’ll never forget as long as I live. “Well Daddy, Momma said when Jesus is ready to take you to heaven then He’s going to take to you. It doesn’t matter what you are doing.”

Uhhhh, who’s the pastor here?

Wow! I was completely humbled in an instant. I thought to myself, “Dang! This child has 100 times the faith that I have" Then I thought, “This kid needs to be preaching this series on overcoming fear, NOT ME, he gets it!”

I want the faith that my 8 year old has!

To open up the message series I played this video for the church. See if you can relate your fears in life to how Rerun goes through life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlWI2JJ8l4Y&feature=youtube_gdata

The LORD is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
~ Psalm 27:1, NLT

Woooooo!!

2010-02-24T09:16:00.008-06:00

Warning, if you came to today's post for spiritual inspiration please rewind to a previous post. I read something in the paper yesterday that I just can't let go.

Say it isn’t so!

Wrestler Ric Flair's wife charged with assaulting him
Published: February 23, 2010
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AP) — Police say the wife of pro wrestler Ric Flair has been charged with assaulting him in their North Carolina home.
In a statement, Flair called the incident an unfortunate disagreement and said he did nothing wrong.
Authorities say officers were called to Flair's home in south Charlotte on Sunday night. Flair said his wife attacked him after they went out for dinner. He had minor injuries, but refused treatment from paramedics.
Police charged 41-year-old Jacqueline Beems with simple assault. She was released from jail a few hours after her arrest.

WHAT? Ric Flair?
I’m a child of the 80’s. The Nature Boy was a part of our life like Hulk Hogan (before the “E” reality shows) and Hacksaw Jim Dugan and the Iron Sheik and Randy The Macho Man Savage and the Missing Link and Jake The Snake Roberts and I better stop now because I could go on for hours. They were in our living room every Saturday and Sunday night. They were…well…family. My mom would have to literally pry me away from the TV for Sunday night church.
Ric would hollar’ out his infamous Woooooooo and slap a figure four leg lock on you faster than you could say, “Why is there always a steel chair stored under the wrestling rink?”

Now he’s still making the papers. Not because he’s regained the championship belt at 60, but assaulted by his wife? Not that a woman isn’t capable, that’s not what I’m trying to say. This is The Nature Boy Ric Flair…an 80’s icon to boys everywhere. If he’s gonna be assaulted it should be Hulk Hogan hiding behind a trash can waiting to settle up the 1991 title showdown where the Hulkster lost the belt. Or Jimmy The Superfly Snuka, barefoot and on the roof waiting to pounce because Ric had worked him over with some brass knuckle he'd hid in his trunks in a match decades ago. He is Ric Flair…if he’s gonna make the papers it should be with FLAIR! Laid out in an alley wearing sequence robe and a royal blue feather boa!

Not like this. I guess when they were arguing over the last squirt of toothpaste he popped off his patented catchphrase, “To be the man you gotta beat the man!” and she did.

This breaks my heart.

Next thing you know they'll report that wrestling was all a fake. Huh, like that will ever happen.

Woooooo!!!

Do what?

2010-02-23T15:13:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to say how fired up I am to be able to pastor a church with believers full of passion and willing to serve as quick as their next breath.

Since our beginning not so long ago the Spirit has done so much in breaking down the religious barriers and stereotypes in our lives and has set us down a path of passion for Christ and carrying out His mission.

To paraphrase Christine Caine in terms of what Fellowship of Believers has done; we have stopped defining our Christianity by what we don’t do, but instead have started defining ourselves by what we do.

When was the last time you went to a funeral or read on a headstone, “A good man who didn’t smoke, drink, cuss or cheat on his wife.”?

Uh, never!

So if Christians don’t define theirselves by that when we are dead then why in the world do they do it while they are living!?!?

I AM NOT SAYING that there aren't things that don't fall into living the life of a Christian or the Bible doesn't address as wrong. WHAT I AM saying is don't hang your hat on what you don't do. What you don't do hasn't brought a single soul to Christ. That's my only statement for the critics/modern day Pharisees, I'm done. P.S. The time you spend disproving this theory doesn't bring people to Christ either.

How fortunate am I?

Yes, I’m about to brag a little because God deserves this glory and the passion he puts in people deserves to be bragged about.

A friend of mine called because he knew we make one of our main missions is to serve others at Fellowship of Believers. He knew of a very young couple about to have a baby and they had nothing. Could we help? That’s all the information I had to present.

I broadcast it to our group, who made connections to other believers around town, and some out of town, and in three days they literally had an entire truck load of stuff to help these two bring this new baby into the world.

Here’s the coolest thing though. No one asked, who are they, are they even trying to work, what kind of family are they from, are they living together unmarried, do they drink, do they smoke?? You know the checklist of a “Good Christian” today’s church has made to hold people to as their standard for whether or not they "deserve" help. No, instead this group knew someone had a need and they acted on it, without a single question or second thought. AWESOME!

Huh, funny thing, that’s kind of how Jesus worked wasn’t it? He didn’t ask what’s your home life like? How did you get in this condition? What do you do behind closed doors? Did I see you somewhere you shouldn’t have been last week?

NO, Matthew 4:23-25 (Message) says…He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives….People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all.

That’s what a Christian IS! It not a name you give yourself because of what you don’t do, NO, it’s a life you live based on what you do out of on unbridled passion for HIM because of what He’s done for you!

And today I’m cannot tell you how proud I am to be a part of group of believers on fire for God and changing lives! His kingdom gets bigger one life at a time!

To close here is the exact quote from Christine Caine, ponder it for a while. And if you ponder to long, well then, it may time to file away the "don'ts" and get to work on the "do's".

The church today has defined Christianity by what it doesn’t do. But what DO we do?
-Christine Caine

Stare fear in the face...or wear it around your neck??

2010-02-17T09:59:00.001-06:00

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other of the wild animals the Lord God had made.

Either my kids don't remember Satan appeared as a snake OR they just don't care because God wears a size 13 pair of Red Wing steel toes and He can crush the head of that sucka when He wants too!! Or they thought this was just really cool. I like the faith thought best.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Introducing Vince Antonucci and Guerrilla Lover

2010-02-05T09:30:00.006-06:00

Thought this was really cool since we just got back from Vegas. I had heard about this book and actually ordered it earlier this week after hearing about it from another pastor. Then I was reading Craig Groeschel's (pastor of LifeChurch) blog today and he had this pastor/author as a guest writer. Enjoy the introduction to a new book, pastor and great story!

From the blog of Craig Groeschel http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/

Today our guest blogger is Vince Antonucci, author of “Guerrilla Lovers: How to Change the World with Revolutionary Compassion” and a great example of someone who is willing to do things that aren’t being done, to reach those who aren’t being reached. Vince is currently starting a church on the Vegas Strip, but I asked him to tell us a story from his book of when he started a church service in a bar. Here’s Vince:

When we started the service in the bar, one of our people, Samantha, couldn’t help but notice the pregnant bartender. It turns out that she was an ex-stripper. Apparently, there’s not much call for pregnant strippers, so she had to find a new job, which is why she started bartending at this pub. But feeling like a guerrilla lover, not only couldn’t Samantha help but notice her, she also couldn’t help but start talking to her each week, and she couldn’t help but begin praying about how she could ambush this lady with God’s love. The answer God gave her was… a party.

She began sharing her idea with some of the other Forefront women and everyone quickly jumped on board. They had to act fast, because the bartender was only a few weeks away from her due date. So Samantha and a few other ladies from our church went shopping and bought a boat load of baby-shower presents. Samantha called the bar manager and asked her to call the pregnant bartender in an hour early pretending it was really busy and they “needed extra help.”

The manager complied and the bartender came rushing in … to a nearly empty bar, except for five women and a table full of presents and food, and a huge, “Surprise!!!”

She stopped in her tracks and just stared, not quite able to comprehend what was happening. When she finally got it she was even more stunned. She couldn’t understand why people she didn’t know would throw her a party. And not only were these people virtually strangers, they were Christians. Aren’t Christians against strippers, against bartenders, against women who get pregnant outside of marriage, and against parties? She was confused, and grateful, and pretty much speechless. Samantha says, “I think she had that feeling you get when you don’t know God or that He loves you, but then you discover for the first time that maybe he does. I think she felt that.”

And, by the way, that’s a great example of a guerrilla lover ambush, and I’m convinced that it’s the way we can have a real impact on people and the world.

Thoughts from pastor in Vegas that have nothing to do with gambling! Part 3

2010-01-31T22:37:00.000-06:00

To be honest these few days have really been about people. I mean a person we know representing Oklahoma in the Miss America Pagaent brought us here and by the way you ROCKED Taylor. Then we had the chance to talk with a ton of awesome people who waited on us in some fashion none of which originated from this area.

Today we met another Ethiopian. He's been here driving a cab for 5 years alone saving and doing the paperwork to get his wife here. She arrives next week. He hasn't seen her in 2 1/2 years.

When asked why did you want to come over here? His answer, "Everyone does! In America we all have a chance. A chance for a better life."

How bad do you think your life is as an America? We get ticked when the grocery store is out of 2% milk (which I hate by the way, 2% that is). But at least God has blessed us to live in a country that offers it to us and the freedom to express ourselves when we are displeased.

And at least we serve a God that always give us a chance no matter where we're at in our messed up lives. Just gotta look up to see the mountains top and remember we are made to serve in the valleys!

Stop tonight and take a LONG look at all you have to be thankful for!!

Were coming home tomorrow!! Please have ice melted for us!

- Posted from my iPhone

Thoughts from pastor in Vegas that have nothing to do with gambling! Part 2

2010-01-30T16:35:00.000-06:00

So they call it Sin City. And after being here for a few days I can't say it's not justly named, but so are many of our cities and town just maybe not on this grand of a scale. But you know what I have noticed? That just about anywhere u are at in this city u can look out and see these beautiful mountains. Mountains one of my favorite pieces of God's art or appetizers of heaven as Max Lucado would say. Evidence of no matter where we are in our life God is within our sight we just have to look for Him.

Thoughts from pastor in Vegas that have nothing to do with gambling! Part 1

2010-01-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

In one day we met three people that work in Vegas that had unique stories. Our driver born in SC, went to college at Marshall and was friends with many of the football players that died in plane crash in the 70s. His voice started to crack when he explained how he saw all of them that morning in class then they were gone.

Our waitress was born in Ethiopia and came to US 10 years ago because of something she said was way to long to share with us. You could see the hurt in her eyes though as she thought back to her old life just for an instant.

Then the best of all. We were cruising through the casino after we ate when one of the craps tables busted out in excitement so we stop to watch. One of the dealers asked where we from and our friend said Ada, OK. The guy said heck I grew up in Ada. Yeah right I think. UNTIL he says yeah I still have an Ada brick. Whoa! This dude is for real! An Ada brick from the old brick plant is like the secret handshake for any claiming to have lived there. He could see our suprised that he was telling the truth and started sharing with us how he transferred from Byng to Ada high in the 70s because they wanted him to cut his hippie hair. Said he still has a sister in law in Ada he needed to call and he had been asking people for 30 years if they were from Ada,OK and we the first he had ever talked to.

Wow! Three awesome people in one day. It intrigues me to think if God had a reason for us to meet them.

- Posted from my iPhone

Wait for it, wait for it...

2010-01-26T10:57:00.003-06:00

Some things God has revealed to me during my time of fasting…so far.

1) I REALLY love coffee and I’m starting to LOATHE hot tea. I want that punch baby! I want my Grandpa Melvin’s thick black coffee soooo bad! And that is a good thing, because each and every craving draws me closer to God and deeper in prayer.

2) God doesn’t expect us to sit and wait. We’ve misrepresented verses like Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Somewhere through the years we have convinced ourselves that that means we are to do nothing more than pray and sit around and wait for God to do something!

A couple things I have heard come from the mouth of people that make me want to pull large chunks of my hair out. “I’m gonna pray that someone will ask Joe to church and when God is ready he will come” “I’m gonna pray that God will provide food for the Smiths who’s husband and father just lost his job.” And then when someone does get Joe to church or provides food for the Smith’s then you actually think it was because of you! Really? Are you serious?

Did you ever think that MAYBE, just MAYBE, it was the person that prayed about Joe or the Smith’s and actually did something about it??

Everything happens in His time is true but the sitting and waiting part is anything but! There are times and situations when praying and waiting is all you can do, but there are more times when we need to stand up and be counted!

3) Jesus was a man of prayer AND a man of action and he expected the same of his followers. Read this passage from Matthew 9:35-37 & 10:1-10 and you tell me what is expects of us. (Which by the way is why these illustrations are in the Bible so we can relate and apply them to our life not just cool history stories.)

35-38Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!" 1-4 The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives…
5-8Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:
"Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
9-10"Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.

Let me sum that long passage up for you. Jesus said look, we got a big job here in front of us. We need to pray because we can’t do this without my Father’s help. Amen, now boys GET TO WORK! Get out there and start telling people about me, and by the way don’t start by trying to fix government or whatever you’re reading on the internet, no, start with the people where you live that no one will touch or talk to, all you need is lunch money, and as for tools…well you’ve got two feet, two hand, a mouth that works and a good head on your shoulders, that’s all you need. Save the world one person at a time! Training session over.

4) Just because the actions we take don’t work out like we expected doesn’t mean it was wrong and doesn’t mean it wasn’t His timing. We get way too caught in what our human mind conceives as the “right” action to take. Like asking someone to church and they say no. So we naturally think it was wrong and not God’s time. But God is working on several different levels. He’s working something in you by dealing with the initial rejection. Things like patience and devotion. And His plan and His timing may be for that person to step into to church years from now when the exact words they need to hear are going to be present. Just because it doesn’t happen the way you thought doesn’t mean it was wrong. Don’t forget Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. What’s going on in God’s mind is way bigger than we can deal with.

5) You have to be bold.

6) I really love coffee.

Stay tuned Friday–Monday for my mobile posts on Things A Pastor Can Tell You About Vegas That Have Nothing To Do With Gambling!

Yes, Christy and I and a bunch of people from Ada are going out to the Miss America Pageant. Miss Oklahoma is from Ada and we thought this would be a cool once in a lifetime deal. Don’t tell me it’s not cool for guys to go to the pageant!

Pray for us in our travels…possibly leaving out a day early to beat this ice storm they are predicting.

Pray for my in-laws who will be staying at our house while we are gone, during the ice storm, with 8 and 5 year old boys and a house dog that’s not quite potty trained yet.

Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?

Say no to java.

2010-01-20T11:40:00.006-06:00

Brothers, sisters, friends, followers, lurkers,

Pray for me. I'm fasting for an undetermined amount of time. God and I are needing to have more than just a visit over coffee, no, we're needing to get deep. And when I know it's time to get deep I've started to learn it's time to fast.

I'm new to fasting, NEVER even tried it until last year and WOW! It's an amazing opportunity for you to get seriously deep with God. I've never had God speak more clearly to me in my life than in these times.

I was reminded of these things this week by a fellow pastor.

-God’s plans for your life/ministry are greater than yours! (I Corinthians 2:9, Ephesians 3:20, Isaiah 49:6) SEEK HIM!!!
-God will surround you with the right people in order to make His vision become a reality. (Proverbs 15:22)
-God will reveal what He wants in His time…and it will be amazing! (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

P.S. Because I know someone will ask. I fast coffee. May seem funny, but it doesn't have to be food. Coffee, because I crave it, I go to bed at night ready to have it in the morning, it's my comfort and closest thing I have to an addiction. When I'm off the coffee my body cries out for it and when it can't have it my mind and body have to focus on something and that thing is HIM!

Oop!

2010-01-13T15:18:00.001-06:00

Just had my first person apologize for cussing in front me, you know being a preacher now and all. Milestone or humorous moment? Right now I'm still laughing on several different levels.

- Posted from my iPhone

Top 10 of 2009

2010-01-06T09:28:00.001-06:00

10. The look on my oldest son Winston’s face when his old runaway dog came home. Actually Christy was the one who saw his face when she picked him up from school and Missy was in the car to greet him. Maybe I’ll post that story on the blog sometime.

9. MercyMe in concert! I can only imagine…

8. The look on both my kids faces when they woke up to a white Christmas and Santa leaving a dog. Is that like a movie or what??

7. Staying a week in a beach house in Gulf Shores, AL with good friends – yes, Alabama has a beach and it rocks!

6. My 5 year old son Wyatt not breaking a bone or needing stitches…though we were close a couple times.

5. My 8 year old son Winston going through a stress test with his cardiologist and finding out everything is still holding 7 years after open-heart surgery.

4. Celebrating 12 years of marriage with my awesome wife Christy. No one else would have put up with me for this long.

3. Getting to spend three nights with my grandpa at his house after my grandmother passed away. I heard all the old stories over again but it was the new ones about her that let me see a glimpse into his heart. I could have done without the 3:30 a.m. wakeup calls to eat breakfast…some things never change they just get earlier!

2. Seeing a group of believers adopt a family down on their luck that they knew nothing about and had nothing in common with simply because that’s what Jesus would have done. Even better is seeing that families life change and we now call them friend.

1. Finally, hearing and answering God’s call to minister then doing something crazy like planting a church (Fellowship of Believers). Even better, is the word and vision God continues to bring to me each week and people actually keep showing up to hear it. And best of all, people are seeing Christ and lives are being changed!!

Praise God for an awesome 2009 and I can’t wait for what 2010 brings!

Got it!

2010-01-05T14:14:00.001-06:00

After a little tech support and a whole lot of dumb luck I got it to work. Now have a blogging app on my phone.

This is my first post using it let's see how it works!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

More blogging please.

2010-01-04T13:58:00.002-06:00

Okay, so, one of my new year’s resolutions, along with getting back into my running routine, is blog more often. I’ve tried for at least weekly and sometimes twice a week if the Lord lays something on me, but my problem has been I like to write, so it’s been hard to just throw out a short post. I have a tendency to want to turn each post into a descriptive essay. Get that from my Grandpa who lives each day to tell the next story…some of them are even true.

See! I couldn’t just post, “gonna blog more often”!

Anyway what would help would be is someone would comment on here about an iPhone app that works with Blogspot. I loaded a couple but can’t seem to get them to work (Blogwriter and BlogPressLite). I use Blogspot but don’t have a google email and password. Therefore I’m having trouble getting anything to work. Huge help in blogging if I could find an app. Oh, and to those of you who are still shocked to hear me talking about “iPhones” and “apps”…well you can all go jump in the lake with your boots on or visit my wife Christy’s Facebook page to join in with her where she regularly makes fun of my Dave Ramseylike tendencies that she refers to as “being tight” but I refer to as “being thrifty”!

Come on guys! Help me out with an app!

Ah, shepherd again!

2009-12-22T10:38:00.005-06:00

There is a nativity in every other yard in your neighborhood right next to the LED Frosty (no less than 3 in my house and 1 backup) and 3,000,000 kids “had” to be a shepherds in the Christmas play again this year even though they wanted to be a wiseman. You know, wisemen get to wear crowns and dress cool and carry gifts.

We see and hear this stuff so often we let go in and out without a second thought. But don’t let the frequency of these symbols rob you of the awe of the God we serve! Angels didn’t appear to Frosty when the King was born and He wasn’t delivered by Santa.

NO! The King of the World, our Savior, the Messiah came to this world born to a no name couple, laid in a barn animals food trough and announced to sheepherders working the night shift. DAH DA DAH!! (Insert loud trumpets here!) Doesn’t sound that exciting does it? But it is!

Each and every one of those is an example of the unexpected God we serve. He'll show up anytime and anyplace when you least expect it. And the way Jesus was brought into this world was just the start.

Every step of His life was filled with the unexpected…

-Started teaching the teachers when he was 12
-Got baptized when it was thought he should haven been doing the baptizing
-Touched the sick and contagious when everyone else had run them away
-Loved the rejected when everyone else told them they'd done to much wrong to be loved
-Made the blind see with a touch
-Calmed storms with a spoken word
-Walked on water
-Fed 5,000 and 3,000 TILL THEY WERE FULL with a couple fish and a loaf of bread
-Withered the life out tree to get his point across– now there’s a sermon illustration
-Chose fisherman to spread the message about the Gospel
-Went one on one with the Devil twice and lived to tell about it
-Did I mention he walked on water
-Predicted his own death and HIS RESURRECTION
-FORGAVE the UNFORGIVABLE
-Granted MERCY to a deathbed sinner while He Himself was dying
-Then DIED AND ROSE AGAIN just like he said he would!!

I challenge the jolly man in the big red suit to try pull off any those tricks. Come down a chimney and deliver toys...huh! Now that's boring!

We serve a big God! A God of the unexpected! Don’t let the frequency and novelty of the season rob you that!

“[The Shepherds and the Angels] And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”- Luke 2:8-11

Merry Christmas friends!!

You too

2009-12-10T09:48:00.004-06:00

A couple weeks ago I was absolutely moved by a CD that a friend dropped off for me to listen to. (Thanks Dawn G.) It was an entire album of Christian artists doing U2 songs called In The Name Of Love : Artists United for Africa. You have Sanctus Real doing Beautiful Day, Starfield doing 40, Jars of Clay doing All I Want Is You, tobyMac doing Mysterious Ways, yeah! And does it get any better than Chris Tomlin doing Where The Streets Have No Names? Well, yes it does get better…sorry Chris you know I think you da' man, BUT, Nichole Nordeman doing Grace brought me to my knees!

If you’ve got an extra 99 cents I highly recommend, no I insist, you go to iTunes and buy this right now! I mean now! As in leave this blog, download it, listen and then come back and comment on how that song moved you on 100 different levels.

Waiting…………….waiting……………waiting…………………waiting…………….

Great glad you’re back. Did that song rock or what?!

What I found was interesting was how I had heard all these songs before and have always enjoyed U2, but when I started in on this CD and heard them with, what is my mind was, a “Christian flare” it changed everything about every song. I mean you don’t even have to know the lyrics or have ever heard a U2 song to read all those titles and easily believe these were Christian songs written by these artists. With the exception of 40 which if you knew the chorus was loosely based on Psalms 40 then you’d be convinced as well.

So this poses an interesting question. Just like hearing all these song before and not seeing something spiritual in them do you go through life the same way? As in are you trying to see God in all things even though they may not necessarily be labeled by the world as “Christian” activities? Job, hobbies, standing in line at grocery store, eating at a restaurant, etc. Or are your Sundays so different from the rest of your week it’s like you are living two different lives? Ugh, that will take the fun out of our jam session won't it?

Colossians 1:15-20 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

Six times in the Colossians 1 scripture it refers to Him in all things or everything. How can you read those two verses and not see that God is involved in EVERYTHING we do? He’s not just chillin’ at the church waiting for us to show up on Sunday mornings. Look for Him in your everyday life…it will change you. He is there.

[insert thumb snapping here] … Grace, she takes the blame…She covers the shame… Removes the stain…

Someone

2009-12-01T15:15:00.003-06:00

Here is one the first writings I did back when I first started feeling God move and change something within me. I didn't know what I was going to do with it at the time but I had to get it our so I wrote it into an essay. I guess something inside of me always hoped I'd have a format to preach it so this week I had a chance to do so. What I've posted below is the essay version.

Someone

1 Thessalonians 5:15 “…always strive to do what is good.” (TNIV)

The season following Thanksgiving and preceding Christmas is my favorite time of year. The exception to this is Black Friday, when I lock myself in the closet and would rather eat cold SpaghettiO’s all weekend than make a grocery trip to Wal-Mart.

Why would the days between and not the holidays themselves be my favorite? Once the sale signs have come down there is transformation in the people. It starts innocently---opening the door for a person you might not usually open the door for, and then over the month it slowly spreads into an all out joyfest by everyone you come upon. It’s contagious! Or is it? Do you really think it’s just the cool weather, the Christmas lights, the store fronts, the smell of a fire place burning, getting a good deal on a 15” flat screen TV, or is it literally “the Reason for the season”? Ah, now were on to something!

Much like the chicken or the egg. Does the Lord just fill our hearts this time of year and that sparks the outpouring of joy and good deeds or these start within us and then Lord comes in because of our actions? Yes. I agree with both sides depending on where you are in your walk with the Lord.

Whichever side you want to contend with there’s something common in both…the Lord. My thought is there is always a seed of joy and compassion in everyone. Then that person has the choice to cultivate it, but Someone has to start it.

Someone has to be the door opener.

Someone has to be the person that takes the Salvation Army Angel off the tree.

Someone has to be the one who gets an underprivileged child a basketball, GI Joe, and full suit of clothes even though they only asked for socks.

Someone has to stop and visit a friend you know is lonely.

Someone has to start the food drive and deliver it to the women’s shelter.

There has to be a Someone! As long as there’s always Someone then there’ll always be the Lord there to pour out the joy…Christmas or NOT!

That brings about an interesting question, why can’t the feelings and actions we have this time of year always exist?

We know the Lord is always there, but there’s not always that Someone. There’s no reason you can’t anonymously buy a lonely elderly person’s supper at the cafe in the middle of July, or stop on a cold day in February to help a woman change a tire. Good deeds and joy are needed for 365 days not just 30. Imagine what would the world be like if the Christmas Spirit was in everyone year round?

Oh but it is there, Galatians 5:22-23 says, “ the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Wow! That sound a lot like the traits we exhibit during Christmas, but this passage says we have these within us all time when we have Jesus.

Yes! It’s the Holy Spirit, it’s Jesus, it’s the Lord, it’s not just the reason for this season it’s the reason we exist. He’s the reason for everything that is around us, and the reason we have hope for the future.

Your seed is planted. Now cultivate it, and then it’s up to you if the joy in your heart is to become an annual or an evergreen.

Be that Someone all year! It has to start with one!

Tyson Brown
December 1, 2005

Max said it best...

2009-11-11T11:18:00.007-06:00

I got this in from the Max Lucado devotional that is emailed to me daily. I could not have said it better so here it is from Max in it's entirety.

Who Does the Saving?

“A person is made right with God through faith, not through obeying the law.” Romans 3:28

If we are saved by good works, we don’t need God—weekly reminders of the do’s and don’ts will get us to heaven. If we are saved by suffering, we certainly don’t need God. All we need is a whip and a chain and the gospel of guilt. If we are saved by doctrine then, for heaven’s sake, let’s study! We don’t need God, we need a lexicon.

But be careful, student. For if we are saved by having exact doctrine, then one mistake would be fatal. That goes for those who believe we are made right with God through deeds. I hope the temptation is never greater than the strength. If it is, a bad fall could be a bad omen. And those who think we are saved by suffering, take caution as well, for you never know how much suffering is required.

It took Paul decades to discover what he wrote in only one sentence: “A person is made right with God through faith.” Not through good works, suffering, or study.

Jeremiah and Pilgrims

2009-11-11T10:40:00.005-06:00

Today in my early morning time with God I was feeling this draw to the book of Jeremiah. Can’t really explain why other than the Holy Spirit doing what the Holy Spirit does.

So as I sat down to begin my youngest son Wyatt comes strolling in from his slumber sporting his favorite karate underwear and crawls up in my lap.

In my mind I’m thinking, “teaching opportunity.” So I ask Wyatt, “Would you like to hear a Bible story?” and he says, “Yes”.

So here I go just reading him my Bible’s introduction to the book of Jeremiah. When I’m done reading I try my best to give a kindergarten explanation on what a prophet is.

Sensing his disinterest mostly because he is Wyatt, and then because he seemed determined in trying to stick my pencil up his nose, I thought it best to cut the prophet lesson off and just ask him, “Did you understand any of that?” Not to my suprise, without even pulling the pencil from his nose, he replies, “Uh, not really.” “But Dad I know what a pilgrim is.”

Sweet! Fill me in I said.

Wyatt’s description of a pilgrim…

“Pilgrims were people told by God to leave England on the Faymerry. On their trip they got sea sick and gave it to the Indian when they got to the new land. And the Indians were so nice they still taught them how to grow Indian corn with a fish.”

Jeremiah and pilgrims, who knew they had so much in common? You have to love the innocents of a child.

Mi casa es su casa

2009-11-04T14:27:00.004-06:00

If you know me at all, have heard me speak or follow this blog you know how passionate I am about the devotion of the believers in Act chapter 4. For this post specifically verses 44, 46 and 47.

All the believers were together and had everything in common. …They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (NIV)

Right now if you’re thinking you’ve heard this scripture before, he talks about this all the time, well you’re right! And if you’re following what God is saying through me then you’re gonna hear it again and tomorrow you might hear it again and then you may hear it again the next time I post or preach! And here’s why.

Last week I had the privilege to see 28 people of mixed race, contrasting social classes and assortment denominational backgrounds meet in a home one evening and have everything in common, be together, break bread…and eat together with glad and sincere hearts, enjoying the favor of all people. And as a result people are meeting Jesus and lives are being changed!! Wow, it’s like the Bible says it, we do it and it happens like the Bible says it would…WHAT A NOVEL CONCEPT!

I remember standing there and looking over the crowd as I tried to catch my breath between hot dog runs to the grill, and thinking, “Man, God must be really smiling right now because this is what it’s all about!” Not the fun and games part of it, though it did rock the house, but rather the people being God’s people part of it.

I was again reminded by a friend this week as we discussed some things on a very personal level in our home just how powerful and intimate relationships become by having people in our homes. It creates a comfortable atmosphere that allows us to open up in a way we can’t in formal settings.

Let me make this very clear this is not a cheap plug for the church who is worshipping in our home. NO NOT AT ALL! This has nothing to do with where you spend your Sunday and Wednesday. This is a call to Christian brothers and sisters worshipping everywhere to have people in your home early and often so we can create environments and opportunities to lean on each other, relate to each other, and open up to each other which in turn allows the Healer to come in. Our own stories and lives are our best ministering tools.

BTW…this coming together doesn’t mean just the people in your click, yes, churches have clicks too. If you didn’t know that fact it may be because you’re in one. If that hurt, good. How do you know if you're in one? Ugh...my tongue is bleeding because my teeth are clamped down on it...I'm holding back here for a later post. I'll keep it to this for today verse 47… enjoying the favor of ALL people. All means all.

There was a reason this description of the first church in Acts was written so descriptive and specific in it’s calling for us to be in each others homes. The apostles saw first hand the power as …the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Meg meet Mel

2009-11-02T16:12:00.003-06:00

What do you think of when you think of love? A mushy Meg Ryan movie that always ends up the same? If you’re watching movies in the Brown house then that is a HUGE WHOPPING "YES." PLEEEAAASE it’s always the same…boy meets girl, boy can’t have girl, boy gets girl then messes it up, girl realizes boy only lied to get to know her better, girl takes boy back, girl and boy live happily ever after and buy a puppy. I’m sooooo needing a good dose of Braveheart, now that’s a love story!!

Anyway…I want you think outside the Americanized Hollywood idea of love. Think about a deeper love, a love that’s still lingers when the butterflies in your stomach have faded. A love that even steps outside of companionship. Love that also includes friends, enemies, family, acquaintances and even a love for total strangers.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8 (Msg)
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies.

1 Corinthians 13 isn’t just the “wedding verse” you know! Use it as a tool for inspiration and guidance.

Need an understanding of who Jesus was and what his love was all about, or maybe how devoted and in love your Heavenly Father is with you, or maybe who you are or how you should treat your friends AND enemies, or maybe your searching for a deeper love towards your spouse. This portion of scripture says SO MUCH. Check this out. All I’ve done is replaced the word love with some things that may resonate something in you. Add the name you need to add to make it apply to you and you may just end up with a new outlook on life.

Your Godly father never gives up on you,
I will care for her more than I do myself,
I won’t want what I don’t have,
I shouldn’t strut, or have a swelled head,
Jesus didn’t force himself on others,
I won’t fly off the handle with him,
I will keep no score of her sins,
I will never revels when others grovel,
Our heavenly Father gets pleasure in the flowering of truth,
I will put up with anything she does,
I will trust God always,
I will always looks for the best in him,
Jesus never looked back, and kept going to the end,
My love for her will never die

Don't, won't and will not...

2009-10-26T16:17:00.004-05:00

Today while listening to a sermon I was smacked in the face with this reality. And in being transparent and totally honest I had to fight back the tears in my office.

Some people don't want to be saved.

They want to do what they want, when they want, and how they want and will until the day they die...THEY DON'T WANT TO BE SAVED! I never thought of things from this perspective. I always thought well they just need to hear the message the way this guy can preach it or they just need to read this scripture in this way or spend some time with this person. In our walk of faith and in our pursuit of proclaiming the good news of Jesus we will encounter these people and that breaks me.

Maybe I’ve been naïve. I know myself and I know I’ll continue to think optimistically, as we all should, and I’ll truly hold out hope and will never give up on anyone. And I'm not saying that there's not hope because the power of God that raised the Christ from the dead is still alive and well TODAY.

BUT, some will not respond and that is reality. It breaks me that they don’t want to know Jesus, what He's about or what He can do in their life now and when their life is over.

I’m trying to digest this…had to get it out…maybe more to come.

Crazy Street Preacher Guy!

2009-10-26T09:37:00.003-05:00

I grew up in the small rural town of Maysville, OK - population about 1,000 all the time. Growing up there was great! My friends and I often referred to it as Mayberry and we still call it that do to this day. Much like Floyd Barber Shop in Mayberry, we had Dugan’s in Maysville. What was not similar is Mayberry’s Barney Fife was more like The Duke’s of Hazards Roscoe P. Coltrane in our town. Oh yeah! Just give em’ a reason to cuff ya and stuff ya! I’m so getting pulled over the next time I go home. Anyway…if you’ve ever heard that joke about living in a small town when you cuss while out with your buddies your mom knows before you get home and is waiting on you with a bar of soap, its not to far off.

The other thing about living in a small town is you know who the “crazies” were, ALL OF THEM, and you weren’t even to go near them or within a city block of where they lived.

One of our local crazies was this older guy who often preached from the street corner at the highway intersection in town. I don’t remember him being on the “STAY AWAY” list but he was noted as a local crazy and most stayed away simply because he was annoyance…I mean the guy was going off about God, beating his Bible for a congregation that passed through at 35 mph for goodness sakes…this qualified you as CRAZY!

Fast forward to today. Here I am acting on this call from God to minister and plant a church. Giving sermons about worshiping God anywhere anytime with unbridled devotion. Then what do you know but I’m driving down the road where we live in Ada, OK, a lot juices were flowing from a sermon I had been listening to earlier in the day, the right song came on KLOVE (Christian radio station) and the next thing I know I’m so overwhelmed by the love of God, his Holy Spirit and the fact that Jesus came here for me that I could have pulled over right then and there at the car wash and thrown down an impromptu Spirit filled sermon that Billy Graham would have thought twice about responding too…I was on fire!! At that very time I felt like preaching to a 35mph congregation.

HOLY COW I’M NOW OFFICIALLY CRAZY!! I’m turning myself in. Tell my family I love them and what day visitation is.

NO! I’m not crazy I just needed an outlet.

Looking back at the crazy street preacher guy where I grew up. He had a calling. He was overwhelmed by the facts that Jesus is the only one that can make us right with God, He’s the only one that cares for us day in and day out regardless of our faults, He’s the only one who died so we wouldn’t have to and that feat defeated the Devil for us, and HE’S THE ONLY ONE COMING BACK. Crazy street preacher guy was so overwhelmed that he needed an outlet and he chose what he felt was right and that was to preach at the cars passing through his town.

Do I think it’s the best approach at reaching people? Not really. But that was his calling not mine.

I’d would much rather answer to God someday for responding and it not being the most effective approach than I would answer this question, “Why didn’t you do anything?” “You didn’t even try to tell people about me.”

God hasn’t called me to preach from the street corner…thank you Jesus. But He has called me to plant a church in a town known for a church on every corner and reach out to those who desire and love Jesus with all their heart but aren’t sure how anymore because they’ve been hit by a Mack truck called religion. God has called me, that through the messages He lays on me, to create servant minded Christ followers who overflow with the same love Jesus had to the point it overflows and breaks them. And then they can truly see the injustice around and can’t help but love and aid those in need!! That’s my calling.

Do the facts that Jesus is our healer between us and God, He cares, He died and He’s coming back move you? Does it make you want to take a step closer to your calling? Does it make you want to devote to Him? Does it make you want to answer that tug at your heart called Jesus and say I’m going to change "blank" today or I’m going to do "blank" for Him today? If it does, YOU’RE NOT CRAZY…well you are…crazy for Him and that’s AWESOME! Especially when the world talks about what they see you doing for Him.

Do I think some see me in the same light as I saw “street corner preacher” for so many years? Absolutely! Because human nature is to mock what we don’t understand. And to that I say, “Thank you Lord I must be doing something right!”

Luke 6:22-23 (The Message)
"Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don't like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this...”

To close this post I have written a formal apology to crazy street preacher guy.

“Sir, I apologize that I wasn’t mature enough in my faith to understand that you were only answering your calling. I admire you for standing up in the face of mockery day in and day out. I will see you in heaven someday brother. We’ll sit down over a cup of coffee and you can preach to me every sermon God ever laid on your heart…don’t worry if there’s 1,000 sermons I’ve got an eternity to listen and the coffee will never get cold in heaven.”

Set a spell, take your shoes off...

2009-10-19T15:52:00.005-05:00

The last three week have been an amazing experience for the Fellowship of Believers who for the time being worship in our home on Sundays. I’ve seen God move on SO many different levels. I know this is long, but since I had some things eating into my blog time, I thought some sermon cliff notes would serve as a catchup if you missed a week of worshipping with us or inspiration if you’re simply a blog follower.

Week 1: Worship (a.k.a Yea Jesus!)

Worship is the overflow of a forgiven soul. It’s the byproduct of when we place our mind’s attention on our heart’s Affection.

It can be anywhere, anyplace, anytime and don’t let anyone tell you different. Worship is not limited to a time between 10 and 12 on Sunday morning in a church building. The disciples did it in a stinking boat. Matthew 14:33 “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."...DONE! Now that is a lean mean set of cliff’s notes.

Week 2: Devotion Part 1 (a.k.a. God Has A Facebook Page)

What if we took the Bible for more than just a history book?

What if we quit saying God WAS powerful, God WAS merciful, Jesus HEALED a lot of people, Jesus DID a lot of great works. What if we replaced those words with God DOES and Jesus IS?

What if we thought of the Bible as God’s Facebook page? His status is active and alive and we should see it as our living example today. If we were to check into our Bible’s half as much as we check our friend status on our iPhone the personal time we spent with God would be out of this world…literally.

What if we read Act 2 , where the first church started and saw what the people did after they received Christ and we did the same thing???

What if we forgot about all of our differences and our everything was Jesus.

What if we invited more people we have nothing in common with outside of church inside our homes to eat more often?

What if we fellowshipped together and talked about doing God’s work more than we sat around and talked about other people?

What if we sold or gave up some of our stuff to help people in need?

HOLY COW! Those people were in Acts were CRAZY! YES THEY WERE! THEY WERE CRAZY FOR JESUS AND THEY COULDN’T HOLD BACK ONCE THEY GOT ON THE JESUS TRAIN!

If we do the same will people say we are crazy? Absolutely.

Will the first ones to talk about us be our friends, family or other Christians? Absolutely.

But if we’re not doing something different in our lives as Christ followers then why in the world would someone who’s not a Christ follower have any desire to be a part of this team?

God’s Facebook page is the Bible and His status is… “I would rather have 15 sold out on fire believers, doing crazy stuff to reach those around them with the word about my son Jesus; than 2,000 lukewarm going through the motions, I attended my church 3 times this week, put in my check so I can mark it off my list now I’m done and by the way I didn’t cuss this week Christians ANY DAY!!!!” Don’t believe me? Read Revelation 3:15-16

Week 3: Devotion Part 2 (More Than Just the Born Again Guy)

Nicodemus and devotion can they go together?? Nicodemus is the “born again”guy. Interesting character. Shows up three times in Bible but those three times speak volumes about an amazing path to devotion that just allow your mind to wander what happened to this dude in between the last time I read about him. Remember these are just cliff notes!

Nicodemus goes to see Jesus as night (from John 3:1-9) – your first step of devotion may be in your personal time/personal life – a change no one else may ever know about but you and Him

Nicodemus stands up for Jesus in his inner circle ( from John 7:45-52) – your next step of devotion will be a little more visible – yours friend will see it – they will see a change in you

Nicodemus shows up to take the body Jesus (from John 19:38-39) – final step of devotion all the world will see – now you may very well be telling other people about Him and not just leaving up to your pastor.

I can’t give you specific examples of what it will take for you to start down the path of devotion. But I promise there’s been something tugging at your heart. It’s either been something to give up or something to do. And you’re thinking of it right now. That tugging on your heart is really Jesus knocking. This is not something you’re going to be able to plan out in “three simple step”, but if you take the first step, He will lead you to the next and to the next…

For Nicodemus that something was religion. He was a Pharisee,a religious ruler of the day. Keeper of the law of Moses and keeper of whatever else they made up along the way. Sound like anything in today’s society?

Religion is was what was tugging at Nicodemus’s heart.

Now don’t shut down on me here I’m talking about religion not the church. TWO DIFFERENT THINGS! The church is us as we respond to Jesus and is nothing less than beautiful, religion is all the man made junk we bring into church that clutters things up and hinders us from following Him. Religion is how we’ve institutionalized church. Religion is how we’ve turned church into a country club rather than a hospital. Religion is junk and we can’t serve bother…you must choose…Jesus or Junk.

Hear is just a sample of a couple things Jesus said about religion…

Matthew 9:12 (Msg)
"..Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders."
Matthew 11:28 (Msg)
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Matthew 23:15 (Msg)
"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned. "

Religion is what Nicodemus had to give up when he started down the path of devotion for Christ – it first started in his personal life, then I grew to something his friends could see, then into something that the everyone could see.

So what’s tugging at you today? I challenge any of you reading today to take even the smallest step of devotion and see great things happen.

P.S. I'm not anti-iPhone...I hope to be getting one soon!

Coming soon...

2009-10-15T08:35:00.002-05:00

Apologies to my blog followers. Been getting a little flack about no post in 10 days. I just finished up a pretty intense audit at my day job that had consumed a lot of my "blog time". I'll be back in the swing of things before the week is out.

Besides after the last post, I figured you need a while to recover from picturing my bird legs in a pair of NBA shorty shorts. And to my friend "B" who says he can produce that picture...well just remember you were wearing them at the same time buddy - you're not the only one with pictures!!

Talk to ya'll soon.

The start of something special!

2009-10-05T10:13:00.003-05:00

We assembled, people came, the Spirit moved, I am humbled to tears, I am blessed. That about sums my thoughts from Sunday morning.

I was convinced that this flu bug going around, even closing schools locally, was Satan’s personal attack on this new fellowship of believers Sunday morning worship. But even when, some had to turn around on their way due to illness, the hour came and people showed. It was absolutely awesome to see the Sprit move in a group of believers assembled together to praise our One and Only. And one of the side benefits; getting to elbow the Devil in the throat 1989 Detroit Pistons Bill Laimbeer style baby! Didn't even have to wear the 1980's NBA shorty shorts! Though I had to in high school, but that's another story and a really bad picture I hope never surfaces.

I still can’t believe God chose me, an ordinary man, for this. I know how David felt when he wrote…Who am I, my Master God, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? 1 Chronicles 17:16

And you know what’s awesome? The reason I can relate to David is because the same God that worked in David’s life a couple thousand years ago is the same God that is working today in right here in Ada, Oklahoma. Think about that! Wow! That's the God that can raise people from the dead so don't think for a minute he can't work in your life.

Simple

2009-09-28T14:24:00.003-05:00

Matthew 8:5-13 (Msg)
As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, "Master, my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain." Jesus said, "I'll come and heal him."

"Oh, no," said the captain. "I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine… "

Taken aback, Jesus said, "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust…Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, "Go. What you believed could happen has happened." At that moment his servant became well.

When was the last time you kept your faith that simple? When was the last time you prayed then let it go, whatever your “it” is? When was the last time you said “Lord, I’ve given it to you. You are in charge all the time. You said you’d never leave me. You’re smarter than me.”

How simple was this Roman captain’s faith? It was faith in the absolute simplest form. So simple one word can describe it…Believe. He believed. What is hard about that? Believe.
The day to day activities of this physical life on earth are hard as it is, don’t make Jesus hard. Believe. That where it starts. Believe.

Max Lucado says it best in his book 3:16 The Numbers of Hope

…the Hope diamond of the Bible.

For God so loved the world

that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him

shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

A twenty-six-word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same…We all need the reminder. The heart of the human problem is the heart of the human. And God’s treatment is prescribed in John 3:16.
He loves.
He gave.
We believe.

We live.

Run-of-the-mill sinner

2009-09-23T09:51:00.005-05:00

WOW! I read this yesterday morning and it really spoke to me especially since we now have a group of believers worshipping out of our home on Sundays and Wednesdays. This awesome fellowship has committed their Wednesday evening to serving someone somewhere. So these words from Jesus really struck a nerve in me considering some of the service opportunities we have before us.

^45-48 "This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." ( Matthew 5:45-48)(The Message)

OUCH!! “Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that”, that hurts something deep in my gut, something deep in my heart. It hurts because I’m like that, a run-of-the mill sinner. It makes me feel good ONLY to associate with those I share interests with; I’m comfortable in that setting. The thought of fulfilling what Jesus wants in this passage makes me very uncomfortable and you know what, THAT’S JUST HOW GOD WANTS IT!! We should feel uncomfortable to the point it bothers us! To the point that we are so bothered and uncomfortable by a helpless persons situation that that we have compassion that instills in us a passion to make things better for that person.

I heard an awesome sermon a couple weeks ago where the pastor described how we “Christians” like to insulate ourselves from the outside world by only associating with other “Christians” because it makes us feel good. Well, I hate be the one to break the news to you but God didn’t put us here to “feel good.”

Sometimes helping the helpless means we have to step into their world! We have to drive down their street! We may even have to stop! We may even have to go into their home! We most certainly will have to hug their kids! We have to “Grow up…live out our God-created identity. Live generously and graciously towards others, the way God lives towards us.” There is no “so long as you’re comfortable” clause in Jesus’s instruction.

I’ve posted it once and I’ll posted it again we should be broken by seeing people who are broken. And once you submit yourself, God will bring a passion in you for healing and the only way to heal is to help the helpless.

Don’t miss a very important part of this passage, “…Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." How is God living towards you? I don’t know, think of even the small things you’ve done to rebel against God just this week but He still loves you without a second thought and you are still fully engulfed in His grace without question. Humble yourself, understand HOW HUGE His compassion is and PASS IT ON!

Sugar high and hospitals?

2009-09-18T22:11:00.004-05:00

It is the eve of my oldest son Winston’s 8th birthday and at 9pm I just watched him, two friends and his little brother chow on ice cream sundaes topped with their very own, soon to be patented, concoction of Reese’s, Chocolate Paradise Crunch, Candy Covered Chocolate Drops, Chocolate Sprinkles, Dark Chocolate Crunch, Tootsie Rolls, chocolate syrup and I think I saw the remains of a Kitt Katt. I’m not convinced there was any ice cream even under all that. Now as I’m typing I can hear them in background squeal like girls as they watch How To Eat Fried Worms. So can someone with older boys tell me when they stop squealing like girls and start squealing like men?

So where am I going with this post? Tonight it’s simple…humbleness and the fragileness of life. I snapped a picture of all those boys digging in to that ice cream tonight and the simultaneous thought that popped in my head was, “I could very well not be seeing this right now.” If you don’t know part of my family’s story, the short version is Winston had to have open-heart surgery when he was 7 months old. That day at Children’s Hospital as I stood there holding my one and only son, God taught me about a billion lessons not the least being the fragileness of life. I finally got up close and personal with James 4:14 …Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

As I handed Winston over to the surgical nurse He gave me the smallest of glimpses into what it must have felt like when He gave up His Son. The difference is I wasn’t sure that my son would come back but I had a peace that he would. When God handed over his Son he knew the ending and that was human suffering and death. Gives me the chills to even type these words but it’s what is on my heart tonight. It changed me from the inside out for the rest of my life.

So you’re thinking now, “that’s a good story but it’s a little hard for me to relate emotionally because I’ve never had anything like that happen to me.” Maybe you haven’t had to hand over your child in a hospital and wonder if you’d ever see them again or not. But there was a man named Jesus that was handed over FOR YOU and he died a brutal death to save YOUR life. Notice my emphasis on the YOU! Have you ever tried this to make thing a little more personal. Read this scripture using the directions I’ve added. It’s an awesome thought to know that you were in His thoughts. John 3:16 For God so loved___ [insert your name here] that he gave his one and only son … Changes everything doesn’t it? You are loved!!

Gotta go quiet down these giggling squealing “girls” so we can get some rest; we’re headed to the zoo in the morning. SERIOUSLY I LOVE THE ZOO.

One and all!

2009-09-16T21:26:00.002-05:00

Isn’t it awesome to see how and when God speaks to you? Wait, maybe He speaks to us all the time, it's just awesome when we humble ourselves enough that we submit and realize what he is saying. ANYWAY...I was reading Matthew 4 this morning and along about verse 23 where Jesus had just started his travels I read this. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. (The Message)

He healed them one and all! He didn’t ask, “how did you get this way” or “what are you doing for yourself.” NO! He cared for all of them.

Tonight I was able to share a room with an awesome group of people who are committing their Wednesday nights (and more) to serving “one and all.” You may never know what difference a can of food, a listening ear, a $10 bill or a hug will do for someone. Sometimes serving won’t be fun and it won’t be comfortable, but I’m thinking there was nothing fun and comfortable about nails and wooden cross.

Opportunities to meet this week!

2009-09-06T21:42:00.004-05:00

1: Come be a part of a Fellowship of Believers that are welcomed in our home at 1230 Northcrest this Wednesday night (9/9) at 6:30pm to discuss the path God is leading me down and how you can be a part of it. Come as you are.

2: There’s been some interest in starting a men’s Bible study. So we’ll kick that off this Thursday morning (9/10) at 6:00am at The Brown Box (116 E. Main). I know it’s early but the coffee will be strong, the donuts will be fresh and the Word will be true. (Sign on front door will say "closed" but the door will be open. Come on in and head to the back)

In the beginning...

2009-08-25T12:27:00.006-05:00

I posted earlier that I’ve been reading through the book of Acts trying to trick my mind into believing it’s the first time I’ve ever read it. I’m shooting for an impartial outlook on what the first church was really like. (Oh and for those of you who commented under your breath, “Tricking his mind couldn’t have been too hard.” You're either being facetious or you know me well. Either way I wholeheartedly agree! I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer! I am foolish! “And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.”)

Thinking about Acts and the true church, you know, US, the body of believers. I was stirred by what Pete Wilson from Cross Point Church in Nashville had to say in his blog recently.

Pete says: “Jesus modeled a community for us where everyone’s welcome. He would welcome, love, accept, embrace, and include anybody who came up to Him. It didn’t matter—prostitutes, Samaritans, tax collectors, Gentiles, lepers, or sinners. We dream of a church where people, even if they don’t agree with everything we believe yet and even if they don’t understand everything we teach yet, can discover a place where they are welcome “as they are.”
Jesus helped us understand we’re all equally in need of the forgiveness of Christ. Because of this there is no need for any sense of spiritual superiority. We dream of creating a community…where there is no need for hiding, no need for reputation building, no need to impress anybody because we are all sinners, saved and living by grace.
Jesus continually chose to believe the best in people. He looked at people like Peter, who was inconsistent, unpredictable, and shaky in his faith at times, and still chose to believe that transformation could happen. Likewise, as Christians we’re called to believe the best in all people. We’re called to look one another in the eyes and see the men and women that we can become through the power of Jesus Christ.”

What about a body of believers that work, thought and acted in this fashion that Pete talks about?? Everybody’s welcomed, Nobody’s perfect, Anything is possible!

It’s not about an allegiance to the sign that’s in the church lawn it’s about an allegiance to Jesus and doing whatever it takes short of sin to reach people.

Acts 2:37-47 says...
They were cut to the heart by what Peter had to say about JESUS.

They were baptized and given the gift of the Holy Spirit.

3000 in ONE DAY!

They devoted their lives to the apostles teaching (JESUS).

They continued to gather together.

They had everything in common (JESUS).

They did whatever it took to help someone in need, including sell their own stuff.

They broke bread together in each others homes with glad and SINCERE hearts.

AND THE LORD ADDED TO THE NUMBER BEING SAVED DAILY!!!

NOW THAT’S A VISION FOR CHURCH! It’s sad that this sounds so novel because this is how church started and we should be broken, compelled and passionate for church to be this way again!!!

Sea Biscuit

2009-08-21T15:08:00.004-05:00

I watched Sea Biscuit last night and I teared up...again. Yes, I watch Hoosiers and I tear up. Yes, I watch The Patriot and I tear up. I watch Braveheart and I get fired up!

Why? Because every time I watch those movies THEY WIN! I love it when the underdog wins! I LOVE IT BECAUSE WE ARE THE UNDERDOG or at least the world thinks we are. The world says we can’t or shouldn’t or we’re crazy but the Lord says we can! The world says why give your money to something you can’t see, why help someone that can’t ever give you anything in return, why waste a perfectly good morning to sleep in?

Why? Why? Why? For the same reason I cry when I watch The Passion. The same reason I tear up when I hear the song How Deep The Father’s Love. Because my Guy won! And the words He heard, the beating He took, the pain that was inflicted as He hung on a cross for half a day was for you and me! He has rode the horse, played the game and fought the battle for us! He’s already won! He defeated our last enemy and that was death! He has already kicked the crap out of the devil! Getcha some of that baby!

In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world. (John 16:33, The Message)

Here’s how Paul gets in the face of death!

Oh, Death, who's afraid of you now?
It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God! (1 Corinthians 15:55, The Message)

Don’t you know it would be fun to take Paul to a college football game! Or how about Paul as college football coach? I'm telling right now he is piling on! He is leaving the first string in in the fourth quarter when it's 77 - 0. Okay, got to calm down, I'm getting a little carried away.

Don’t ever forget that you may be an underdog to the world but you are in the starting line for God’s team! And I’ll say it again, OUR TEAM ALWAYS WINS!! Now get out there and recruit somebody!

[Insert your favorite fight song here]

The List

2009-08-18T22:27:00.000-05:00

So this came to my mind tonight while driving. Not sure why. Just a good question that popped in my head that I’ll leave open-ended and hopefully provoke some thought!

Are you content in thinking your salvation is based on your deeds which includes checking the box “went to church on Sunday done for the week”?

Or do you know there’s not a checklist long enough to reach to heaven, you are not perfect, and God’s grace that was bought by his Son dying with you and me in mind is the only way to get there and you should be ecstatic to tell someone about Him and my mom is an English teacher and she would hate this massive run on sentence but if I was preaching this I think I could do it all in one breath with some emphasis to get my point across that I’M FIRED UP about Him!!? Why aren’t you?

Are you living by the list or in grace? If you’re living by the list I hope you don’t miss a box. If you’re enjoying the life of grace then thank the Man with the holes in hands, feet and side by sharing it with someone! Need some guidance on trashing the list, try Galatians on for size, you’ll like chapter 3. www.biblegateway.com

Person vs God

2009-08-16T08:18:00.002-05:00

I’m going through the book of Acts and trying to digest it like I’ve never read it before. Mentally pretending like this is the first time I’ve ever read this book. How is it speaking to me? Then this verse smacked me in the face like the buddy your bird hunting with forgetting to hold the tree limb in front of you. Well, if you’re a bird hunter you’ll know what I’m talking about.

^33-37When they heard that, they were furious and wanted to kill them on the spot. But one of the council members stood up, a Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of God's Law who was honored by everyone. He ordered the men taken out of the room for a short time, then said, "Fellow Israelites, be careful what you do to these men. Not long ago Theudas made something of a splash, claiming to be somebody, and got about four hundred men to join him. He was killed, his followers dispersed, and nothing came of it. A little later, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and acquired a following. He also fizzled out and the people following him were scattered to the four winds.

^38-39"So I am telling you: Hands off these men! Let them alone. If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it—and you better not be found fighting against God!" (Acts 5:33-39, The Message)

If your vision is driven for personal reasons then it will “fall apart.” But if your vision “is of God” then take on all skeptics and challengers because they won’t be fighting you they’ll be “fighting against God.” BTW he is undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champ!! HE WAS DEAD AND CAME BACK TO LIFE…TOP THAT! Makes me think of the Michael W. Smith song Shout Unto God. Listen to it live from the New Hallelujah album and I promise it will fire up your spirit.

Random thoughts on my mind.

2009-08-14T10:45:00.006-05:00

1) Good friends!! I ran into some at supper the other night and realized again just how encouraging and inspiring good friends can be. BTW my favorite verse is John 15:13.

2) Read this thought provoking question in a blog today. Does inviting people to give their lives to Christ seem like a hindrance or an HONOR? That one made me think. If it doesn’t seem like an honor then what are we doing here? Are we trying to get to heaven? Yes. But are we trying to take as many people as we can with us??

The instruction Jesus gave his disciples (Matthew 28:19-20, The Message)is the same timeless directive he give us today. We are the disciples of today! Don’t leave it solely to a preacher to try to reach people and don’t think they’re the only ones that can. I’d venture to say that as many and maybe more people have been brought to Christ through relationships built outside the assembly than through sermons! Maybe I’m wrong but that’s my theory for you to prove or disprove. If you spend much time trying to disprove then I think you have some serious ego problems and your time could have been better spent building a relationship with someone and showing the love of Jesus. (Sorry for the small rant)

Anyway, when I say ministering I don’t mean randomly walking up and start preaching at someone about their “sinful ways.” You’re most likely to hear something along the lines of “GET AWAY FREAK SHOW!” That approach, most often, is what I would call a spiritual turnoff. You just raised every Jesus force field in that person’s body. Give it up, you’re toast!

You can minister and create opportunities to minister by the way you live your life and treat people. People will notice and ask, “What’s she got?”, “Why’s he so positive in a time like this?”, “Why did she give that to those people just because?” Seek out a friendship with to someone that you normally would not befriend or have nothing in common with. People will notice and ask you “Why” and you will have an opportunity to tell your story, you know, to minister. Remember Peter’s words.

...keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. (1 Peter 3:15-16, The Message)

Humans or Souls

2009-08-11T11:26:00.010-05:00

I had a TV show going in the back ground last night. Bad habit for me having to have something going in the background when I’m in the house…as if my two boys own personal UFC match and our living room serving as the octagon isn’t enough. Anyway to get to the point, here’s what I heard, “That’s a human being in there!” I wasn’t tuned into the Sci-Fi channel so they weren’t ruling out an alien encounter or something. This lady was making the point that the person she was addressing wasn’t treating the other individual like a human.

The words caught my attention because I had just read a blog earlier in the day that asked the question, “Are we seeing people as just human beings or as souls?” Whoa! Now that’s cutting deep, right? Was the blogger saying go farther than just “playing nice” and showing respect to others? ABSOLUTELY!

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! - 2 Corinthians 5:16 (New Living Translation)

Since I finally opened my eyes to what God wants for me I’ve asked Him to put me in uncomfortable situations that will give me the opportunity to share my faith. That's a dangerous prayer for me considering my personality. You know something though; He doesn’t send you an RSVP with the date, time and place! The nerve of that guy thinking He’s the ruler of the universe or something! Thinking He can answer my prayer at a gas station in Jackson, MS while my cramped, exhausted, full bladdered family is working on a 14 hour drive coming back home from vacation. Come on God! I’ve been on the road since 4 am and possess a degree of coffee breath that would strip paint. But that’s what He did and I think I had my opportunity and blew it!!

I was filling up with gas and as I turned around this dude is my grill and he say’s, “Hey man you got a couple bucks I can have for gas. My car is done. I’m trying to get home to Monroe, LA but if you could just get me across town I would appreciate it.” Now, let’s set the record straight, I no longer judge people’s heart for the Lord based on looks. (HUGE pet peeve of mine, for another day) But I will tell you that this guy at the least was having a hard time with life that day and getting the car he was in to Monroe, LA was going to be a chore. But I did the “human” thing and gave him $6, thinking, ah, he wants a couple bucks I’ll give him enough to get him across town then some. Yeah me! At the time I felt I had done a good thing. People treating people like humans.

But as I got down the road it bothered me. I didn’t know why. But it did. Then it hit me on a couple levels.

One, I think I missed an opportunity to minister and didn't realize it until just then. Instead of giving him a few dollars and allowing him to be on his merry way why didn’t I just go over there and stand with the guy and fill his car all the way up. What conversation could we have started during that time? “Man why are you doing this for me?” Something like that could have allowed the door to open to let him know that he’s loved by a total stranger. He’s a SOUL, not just a human being? I love you dude because Jesus loves you. Or maybe he already knows that and just needed a Christian brother there to reaffirm that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and we do exist outside the walls of a building we meet in once a week.

The other thing that disturbed me was how often do we do that to Souls? Like giving the guy just a few bucks in gas and not enough to get him home. How often do we give someone just enough love of Jesus to get them going but never enough to get them Home? And you know what I mean by home. Not this bump in the road we call earth. I am talking enough love to get them to that fried apricot stand in the sky we know as heaven. This is still stirring in me so I’m going to ponder it for a while longer. You ponder it as well. Comment if you’d like.

I’m going to stop with a closing I read from a book I finished this week. (By the way I read this book in record time. Those of you that know me know that I am a horribly slow reader. But I read a 190 page book in less than two weeks! Who cares if it had 18 font, half page illustrations and 3 inch margins… I READ 190 PAGES IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS!) Anyway if any of this post resonated with you then this part of an old Franciscan benediction will jack you up!!

“May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.”

I know you think it’s not a stretch, but I WANT TO BE BLESSED WITH FOOLISHNESS!!

Called?

2009-07-28T09:32:00.003-05:00

I woke up on January 12th this year, my birthday, looked in the mirror and said, “I’m 33 today. Jesus died when he was 33. What have I done in my 33 years to advance his kingdom?” I didn’t answer it, just asked it.

So what is this blog? What is this guy doing? What is he about? The best answer I can give is this, “I DON’T KNOW!” I know God is smarter than me and He has spoken loudly now and I must listen. I’ve been hearing for a while but not listening.

For several years God has been working something in me that I have suppressed. I’ve denied it to my wife and friends long enough. Now I must say, “I’ve been Called!” I really never understood what that meant until it happened to me. This has only been my admission for a few weeks now. Whoa, what a relief!

Called to what you’re asking? Called to the ministry. As in pastor, preacher, minister…whatever you want to tag me with. The Lord has filled me with something to say about his Son, you know our Savior the guy that died for me and you then got up and walked after being dead for the three days, yeah that guy. I can’t hold it in any longer!

I won’t try to get into the whole spiritual journey I’ve been on for ten years. That would be WAY too much to digest in one setting. But if you stay with me somewhere along the way you’ll get to hear my whole story piece by piece.

Right now let’s rewind over the last couple of months.

Let me warm up the crowd a little first. You’ve heard of Jesus Freaks right? Well how do you know when you are a Jesus Nerd? When you start listening to other preacher’s sermons, about twice a day, every day during the week. That has been my idea of fun for a while now! SERIOUSLY! Gimme some tape for these glasses.

Anyway, I was listening to this preacher a few months ago and he said he challenged his staff with this question. “What would you be willing to attempt for God if you knew you couldn’t fail?”

I thought to myself that’s an awesome question. Then the first thing that popped into my mind was. “I’d quit my job and start a church.” WHAT! NO! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM! So I played my mulligan card and read it again. DOH! Same result. So, I think to myself I’ll type this question out, print it, tape it to the top of my computer screen, look at it everyday and surely I’ll think of something else worthy of the King.

Fast forward to July 5th. My grandmother passed away. An awesome farmer’s wife that could love a baby with one hand and chase you out of the kitchen with the wire end of flyswat in the other. And let me tell you what she was not shy about washing your mouth out with Lava soap if the wrong word came out of your mouth. But then turn right around and feed you an apricot fried pie when you had understood the error of your ways. A good woman! By the way I’m convinced there will be an all night apricot fried pie stand when we get to heaven!

Anyway back to the ranch, after a little tug from God and nudge from my beautiful bride I volunteered do perform her funeral service. I spent an entire day in solitude at my parent’s country home preparing my words and felt very confident in what God had laid on my heart. But I wasn’t confident in me being able to get through the funeral without breaking down.

When the time came though, well, it was indescribable. It just flowed! Or it felt that way to me anyway. Usually when I preach or teach I get a little excited and accidently skip over some of my finer points. Nuh uh, not on this day baby! The Spirit was choosing my every word. It felt awesome for my best outing to be in honoring my late grandmother, my family and most of all the Lord!

I finished up and sat with the family as everyone passed by to pay their respects. When out of nowhere this guy I've never seen before in my life puts his arm around me and says, “Are you a minister somewhere?” My answer very clearly was, “No.” He then asks, “Have you ever felt the call from God.” Quickly I say, “No.” As he walks away his final statement is, “Maybe you aught to be praying about that son.”

My instant reaction, “WHAT?” “Who was that guy?” “I know everybody in this church, but that guy!” “Who’s he to ask me that!” “The audacity!” “He doesn’t even know me.”

Then from the other side I get this elbow into my ribs and hear the gentle voice of my loving wife Christy say, “So when are you going to start listening to God? Everybody sees it but you.”

Later I tracked the phantom complimentor down at the family dinner and found out he was the pastor at the church where my aunt attends.

This total stranger and I had one of the most awesome spiritual talks I’ve ever had. Again, another story that is a lot to digest right now but maybe in a future post. I will tell you this, the Lord through this total stranger spoke many wise words to Christy and I before we left there that day. He spoke a lot about God’s plan for us and how to handle what He is about to lay before us when He decides to reveal it to us whatever it may be. For me personally his parting words before we walked out of there were huge, “Hey, if you get a burning in your gut and you gotta get it out, you can preach at my church anytime. Just pick up the phone.” WOW! This guy has known me like 15.4 minutes. I am humbled. God is good and God speaks in crazy ways.

The next day I finally admitted it aloud to Christy, God is calling me to minister. To do what? I don’t know. I’m fasting and praying about it daily. That’s the reason for this blog. An outlet for my thoughts. Follow us on this journey and let’s see where He leads us.

Let me share my thoughts with you from day to day. Just don’t hold me to every day because I’m a notoriously sporadic blogger.

For a couple years I’ve been praying this prayer “Lord give me the wisdom to see what YOU want for me and the courage to act on it.” I prayed it, but suppressed His calling out of fear because I thought surely it had to be something else. I’ve finally taken another step down His path, this one maybe the biggest. This maybe more than a step, I’m thinking this is a flippin’ leap. Let me share my thoughts, my successes, and struggles. Oh, yes there will be struggles and I will stumble. And, did I mention I’m a sinner!

This passage spoke to me just the other night after talking to my cousin who is an awesome minister of a church in Tennessee. (Insert shout out here. Hello Marc, love ya brother, thanks for the talks!)

Acts 4:13-14 They couldn't take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen (ordinary men) with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus…

Laymen, ordinary, fishermen, tax collectors and tentmakers. All called by the Lord. I LOVE IT! I’M HUMBLED! I’M HONORED! I’M FIRED UP! That’s me…”ordinary.” It gives me hope. I love it because I have no clue what I’m doing but He does. Faith is like that though. It’s like a roller coaster ride that invites you into the car even though you can’t see any of the tracks. That sounds fun! Let’s ride!

So “What would you be willing to attempt for God if you knew you couldn’t fail?” No, I’m not going to quit my job this week and start a church…at least I don’t think. It’s up to Him and He’s smarter than me.

Stay tuned…