Ok, I admit it. i have not read a Harry Potter book. Not because I have protested them or am trying to make some statement, I just haven't. To all my contemporary, young friends, I confess this to you...don't be hate'n. So I will not be in the line tonight to get the book or up all night reading it, so don't ask me about it next week.
I did see part of one of the movies, it was cool. I feel much better now, confession is good for the soul.
Jul 20, 2007
critics
I am a great critic. I think all of us are to an extent. We are good at pointing out what is not right especially when it is in someone else's life. I guess that is why Jesus told us to look to what needs to be dealt with in our lives before we start becoming experts on the lives of others. He told us that because what is natural is the opposite.
In my line of work I live a public life. It is something that you have to get use to, everybody watches and comments about how you live, decisions you make, the way you lead. When you are the subject of that it tempts you to respond in the same way. But one thing that I am continuing to learn is that the more I see all that Christ needs to address in my life the less I am judgmental of others. I do not mean that I ignore God standards or that I accept any and every way of living as OK. It is just that the more I follow him the more patient I am with the imperfection of others. The more I realize that the reason so many people who were so unlike Jesus loved to be around Him is that he was patient with them, accepting of them, and yet bold enough to tell them that the life they were living was not going to give them what they were searching for...a radical change was needed.
Think about it, why is that the people who were most unlike Christ ("sinners", immoral, the tax collectors, etc) were the ones that most enjoyed him? I think that this is a healthy question to ask today's churches and to ask us who are Christ followers. Do we have that same effect on those who are far from God? Maybe we are spending too much time fixing what only God could fix in others instead of serving them, encouraging them, accepting them and thus directing them toward the only one that can change what needs to be changed.
I say all this to say that I have discovered the more you pursue him the more the way you view and respond to others will be heavily impacted.
In my line of work I live a public life. It is something that you have to get use to, everybody watches and comments about how you live, decisions you make, the way you lead. When you are the subject of that it tempts you to respond in the same way. But one thing that I am continuing to learn is that the more I see all that Christ needs to address in my life the less I am judgmental of others. I do not mean that I ignore God standards or that I accept any and every way of living as OK. It is just that the more I follow him the more patient I am with the imperfection of others. The more I realize that the reason so many people who were so unlike Jesus loved to be around Him is that he was patient with them, accepting of them, and yet bold enough to tell them that the life they were living was not going to give them what they were searching for...a radical change was needed.
Think about it, why is that the people who were most unlike Christ ("sinners", immoral, the tax collectors, etc) were the ones that most enjoyed him? I think that this is a healthy question to ask today's churches and to ask us who are Christ followers. Do we have that same effect on those who are far from God? Maybe we are spending too much time fixing what only God could fix in others instead of serving them, encouraging them, accepting them and thus directing them toward the only one that can change what needs to be changed.
I say all this to say that I have discovered the more you pursue him the more the way you view and respond to others will be heavily impacted.
Jul 18, 2007
Last Sunday and stuff
Well I have been a little MIA over the last few days. My wife and kids just left for Texas for two weeks and since getting ready for last Sunday has kept me busy, I have devoted the last couple of days to them.
Last Sunday was great!!! We had a few technical glitches and that is why you have a preview service. But over all it was so great to see that Piedmont was in the process of being born. I loved communicating again, and to be honest I am real excited about my message next time (August 12th). I am going to challenge what you think God requires of you, I assure you that you are going to walk away saying, "Hum.?."
I am thankful for all the people who have supported us with prayer, words, volunteering, and especially with their giving. The way we do church can be expensive but we believe that it is worth it because we believe that people are worth it.
On a different note, I am well aware that I am have not arrived when it comes to living in relationship with God. Yes, I am a pastor, but more than that I am a sojourner with each of you learning everyday what it means to be in relationship with God. Today, I am having one of those days that I just hunger to know him. I don't want to sound all "hyper-spiritual" but today there is a hunger in me to spend time with him. Maybe it is because with my children leaving to Texas I am aware that fathers miss their children sometimes. I called them this evening just to hear their voice. I wonder if this hunger is my God calling just to spend a little time with me...to hear my voice.
Your eternal dad is calling, spend some time with him and in his Word. Not because you have to or that you are suppose to, but because when people spend time with him something changes.
Last Sunday was great!!! We had a few technical glitches and that is why you have a preview service. But over all it was so great to see that Piedmont was in the process of being born. I loved communicating again, and to be honest I am real excited about my message next time (August 12th). I am going to challenge what you think God requires of you, I assure you that you are going to walk away saying, "Hum.?."
I am thankful for all the people who have supported us with prayer, words, volunteering, and especially with their giving. The way we do church can be expensive but we believe that it is worth it because we believe that people are worth it.
On a different note, I am well aware that I am have not arrived when it comes to living in relationship with God. Yes, I am a pastor, but more than that I am a sojourner with each of you learning everyday what it means to be in relationship with God. Today, I am having one of those days that I just hunger to know him. I don't want to sound all "hyper-spiritual" but today there is a hunger in me to spend time with him. Maybe it is because with my children leaving to Texas I am aware that fathers miss their children sometimes. I called them this evening just to hear their voice. I wonder if this hunger is my God calling just to spend a little time with me...to hear my voice.
Your eternal dad is calling, spend some time with him and in his Word. Not because you have to or that you are suppose to, but because when people spend time with him something changes.
Jul 13, 2007
16 great years
I am a lucky man, I am married to my best friend. I am not a real sappy kind of guy and so for me to say that is not meant to get "awe how sweet" from the ladies. It is simply the truth. I enjoy having my wife with me and there are few things that we do not talk about. She knows everything about me...my good and bad sides, my strengths and weaknesses. That is a good and bad thing, it is really hard to hide things from her.
It wasn't long ago that I went through some hard times and she was my great advisor and walked with me through it all. Oh, now I do not mean to communicate that we have not had our tough times. Man oh man, we have had our moments. Jana has looked at me and said, "Sometimes you are so sweet I could just eat you up, and sometimes I wished I had." But sticking it through those times and learning that love is less an emotion and more of a decision is what has made our love something better...it has made it a great friendship.
Today I celebrate 16 years of marriage and look for a lot more to come. It is the hardest thing I have ever work on, but what is being built is something so strong, so encouraging, and so right that it is worth whatever I have to put into it.
Thanks Jana for 16 years of great marriage!
Your husband, lover, and BF,
Me
It wasn't long ago that I went through some hard times and she was my great advisor and walked with me through it all. Oh, now I do not mean to communicate that we have not had our tough times. Man oh man, we have had our moments. Jana has looked at me and said, "Sometimes you are so sweet I could just eat you up, and sometimes I wished I had." But sticking it through those times and learning that love is less an emotion and more of a decision is what has made our love something better...it has made it a great friendship.
Today I celebrate 16 years of marriage and look for a lot more to come. It is the hardest thing I have ever work on, but what is being built is something so strong, so encouraging, and so right that it is worth whatever I have to put into it.
Thanks Jana for 16 years of great marriage!
Your husband, lover, and BF,
Me
Jul 12, 2007
two days
In two days we have our first preview service. Launching a new church that is not true to traditional church but true to the scripture is a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. There is something freeing about putting up a blank canvas and asking, "If we could create a church that moves people into a deeper connection with Christ, what would it look like?" Being free from the, "this is the way we have always done it" mentality is a lot of fun.
Oh, do not get me wrong. I think that there is a place for those kinds of churches and I champion them, but there seems to be enough of those. I just want to gather with a lot of other people who are not trying to perform as a Christian more than they are striving to really know Him. That is the heart of me and of Piedmont. We are about creating environments that help people develop a growing relationship with Christ and others.
Sunday the first real step to making that happen in Macon will be taken. I could not be more excited.
Oh, do not get me wrong. I think that there is a place for those kinds of churches and I champion them, but there seems to be enough of those. I just want to gather with a lot of other people who are not trying to perform as a Christian more than they are striving to really know Him. That is the heart of me and of Piedmont. We are about creating environments that help people develop a growing relationship with Christ and others.
Sunday the first real step to making that happen in Macon will be taken. I could not be more excited.
Jul 9, 2007
To Die
If you were asked what does it mean to be a Christian, what would be your response? Some might say to love God, be moral, go to church, forgive. Those are all good things to say, but they are a little weak to be honest.
The Apostle Paul sums it up in the Bible this way, "I have been crucified with Christ...". He sums up that to be a Christian means one thing more than any other thing, it is to die. To place your agenda, your comfort, your friends, your priorities, your whatever behind a pursuit of him. Dying is not an easy thing. It means giving up things. I was writing a friend about this and I told them that dying means at times being willing to walk alone.
I find that the popular brand of Christianity that is live today is not what Christ died to give us. It is more performance based...as long as you perform publicly as a good Christian (hide the sin and pretend that you have everything under control) then everything is fine. However, Jesus came to give his life and challenges us to do the same. When we truly begin to pursue the God that is pursuing us, we will change, and some of our "Christian" friends will walk away from us or we may choose to distance ourselves from them. In any case...we sometimes have to walk alone.
I do not want sound like a downer, on the contrary, waking alone with Christ is not always easy but is far more satisfying than walking with a million friends pretending to be good.
How is your living...it is good if you are dying.
The Apostle Paul sums it up in the Bible this way, "I have been crucified with Christ...". He sums up that to be a Christian means one thing more than any other thing, it is to die. To place your agenda, your comfort, your friends, your priorities, your whatever behind a pursuit of him. Dying is not an easy thing. It means giving up things. I was writing a friend about this and I told them that dying means at times being willing to walk alone.
I find that the popular brand of Christianity that is live today is not what Christ died to give us. It is more performance based...as long as you perform publicly as a good Christian (hide the sin and pretend that you have everything under control) then everything is fine. However, Jesus came to give his life and challenges us to do the same. When we truly begin to pursue the God that is pursuing us, we will change, and some of our "Christian" friends will walk away from us or we may choose to distance ourselves from them. In any case...we sometimes have to walk alone.
I do not want sound like a downer, on the contrary, waking alone with Christ is not always easy but is far more satisfying than walking with a million friends pretending to be good.
How is your living...it is good if you are dying.
Jul 8, 2007
one week
One week and we have our first preview service. It is so exciting and somewhat scary. I think this the environment that places us in that awesome and awkward position to either trust God and run forward or just run away. I love and hate being in a position that if God doesn't come through I will fail.
I have pastored for many years (13 years) with a good bit of "success." I guess at this point many pastors feel that they have to put on the front that they are always together and have it all worked out. Well, I am too transparent for that. I often do not have it all together, I am often afraid, and every Sunday I walk upon that stage I do so hoping I do not fail.
Now, do not get me wrong. I am so ready to get out there and I am passionate about what I am going to say, and if you know me you know that I have high expectations. It will be our first preview and there may be a thing or two to fix, but we are going to create a great environment.
I am so ready to do what I am wired to do and that is to communicate, motivate, and challenge people to fully pursue that God that is pursuing them. It is like a fire caught up in my bones. I would love there to be a great crowd. I know it is summer and we didn't advertise but if each of you would invite and bring one friend or family we could have a great time.
I believe that Piedmont Church could be more than a church...it could be a part of greater movement to get people connected with that amazing God. I believe that God is waiting and watching to see what we are going to do...God often moves into action when we make the first move with a small step of faith. Together let's believe that God is going to do something bigger than us and lets take a step of faith in that direction by inviting someone to come with us.
I love you guys and look forward to seeing you next Sunday at 6:30 pm (stratford academy).
I have pastored for many years (13 years) with a good bit of "success." I guess at this point many pastors feel that they have to put on the front that they are always together and have it all worked out. Well, I am too transparent for that. I often do not have it all together, I am often afraid, and every Sunday I walk upon that stage I do so hoping I do not fail.
Now, do not get me wrong. I am so ready to get out there and I am passionate about what I am going to say, and if you know me you know that I have high expectations. It will be our first preview and there may be a thing or two to fix, but we are going to create a great environment.
I am so ready to do what I am wired to do and that is to communicate, motivate, and challenge people to fully pursue that God that is pursuing them. It is like a fire caught up in my bones. I would love there to be a great crowd. I know it is summer and we didn't advertise but if each of you would invite and bring one friend or family we could have a great time.
I believe that Piedmont Church could be more than a church...it could be a part of greater movement to get people connected with that amazing God. I believe that God is waiting and watching to see what we are going to do...God often moves into action when we make the first move with a small step of faith. Together let's believe that God is going to do something bigger than us and lets take a step of faith in that direction by inviting someone to come with us.
I love you guys and look forward to seeing you next Sunday at 6:30 pm (stratford academy).
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