“WELCOME TO MOE’S!!!” March 31, 2006

Finally–Moe’s came to Anderson!!!

For those who are unaware of what Moe’s is…it is Southwestern food at its finest. There are some seriously huge burritos in that place–chips–cheese dip–salsa…I could go on and on…I have eaten there twice this week.

(On a side note–a miracle of Biblical proportions took place last night…I actually got Lucretia to eat there!!! SERIOUSLY–she doesn’t eat ANYTHING that slightly resembles Mexican food!)

It’s a cool place–you walk in and people scream, “Welcome to Moe’s!” And the menu is interesting to say the least…I can’t really comment on it…you’ve got to go and see it for yourself.

One of the things I will comment on though is a menu item called, “A cup of fat.” I am serious–its right there on the menu–along with the rest of the stuff. And the price? $9.99

This caught my attention right from the start…I had been told about it–but when I saw it I could not stop wondering about it. I figured something called “a cup of fat” that cost ten bucks had to be pretty good stuff.

So I was in there on Tuesday and I asked about it–the burrito artist behind the counter smiled at me and said, “Dude–that item does not exist–the only reason it is on the menu is to get people to ask questions.”

Well–it got me! I loved the idea because of the creativity; however, I have been thinking about this since Tuesday and I have had the following thoughts…

I think we treat God like that at times–don’t you? I mean, we have all prayed that prayer, “God, I am serious–I will do anything–go anywhere–blah, blah, blah…” However, when God speaks and begins to lead us…and it isn’t the most convenient thing for us–we often times tell God, “that’s not on the menu.”

As Christians I think we are all guilty of saying things–making promises–putting things on the menu and telling God, “If you order it–then I’ll make it.” But then God begins to speak–to lead our hearts…and we make excuses such as “the supply truck hasn’t arrived,” or, “that menu item has been discontinued,” OR, “I didn’t really mean to put that item there–it’s really just to see if You would ask questions.”

Is there any area on the menu of your life that is off limits to God? How about your finances? Your marriage? Your dating life? The area of forgiveness? You know–as I have been reading through Scripture I have discovered that God pretty much has an opinion on EVERYTHING…AND…He’s always right!!! Yet often times we will hold out because we think our ideas are better.

So let me ask it again…in another way…is there any area of your life that you are holding back from Jesus? Is there any area of your life that if He clearly spoke to you today that you would look back and tell Him that the menu item that He requested is not an option? I challenge you today to take a look and see…and to place everything at His feet!!!

One more thing on this–some say, “Well, if I turn that area over to God He might mess things up!” Seriously–I think we all have a really good track record of messing things up WITHOUT His help–He’s the one that can patch things up if we will simply be submissive to Him!!!

In other news…

We have a 12 mile run tomorrow…and to be honest, I’m a little bummed! I mean–we did 15 two weeks ago…and 16 last week…12 might be a let down!!! (OK–I am officially a freak!!!)

This Saturday is when we spring forward–DON’T FORGET to wind your clocks forward ONE HOUR!

Uh, Mark–bravo for this post–I seriously think we are related somehow! We think so much alike!

Sunday’s is the Lord’s Supper at NewSpring! Lucretia and I were talking about the fact that every time we celebrate this sacred ritual at NewSpring that God moves in a powerful way! I am so looking forward to what is going to happen!!!

Have a great weekend!!!

Running Out Of Gas March 30, 2006

So I was on my way to meet the running crew this morning (5.5 mile run) and I saw two police cars with their blue lights on at an intersection in front of me.

I assumed what most people would assume in a situation like that…that an accident had taken place and someone was in serious trouble; thus the reason for two police cars.

However, as I got closer I realized the problem–the car in front of the two police cars had simply ran out of gas. (Conveniently they were right in front of a gas station!!!)

I don’t understand that–how do people run out of gas? I can honestly say that this has never happened to me. PEOPLE–it’s REALLY not that difficult–that little thingy on the dashboard of your car is a communication device that is there for the purpose of letting you know how much gas you have.

I know, I have heard it all before, “I thought I had more in the tank,” or, “when it gets on ‘E’ I still really have about 20 more miles.” And though these excuses flow freely–every day someone runs out of gas because they simply will not pay attention to the gas gauge.

The same can be said spiritually!

We had a staff meeting this morning where I communicated to our staff that my biggest fear as a pastor leading this staff is for one of them to run out of gas. I know that might not make sense to some, you may wonder, “How can a staff member at a church run out of gas spiritually?” I would answer, “The same way people run out of gas in their cars–they think they are ok & so they ignore the warning signs AND the obvious places that are designed to help them fill up.”

I know what its like to be on “E” spiritually and still be expected to lead–to be honest, it has to be one of the worse feelings in the world. AND I DON’T WANT THIS FOR ME OR MY STAFF!

Ministry takes work–LOTS of work…and it’s hard, yet I remember a statement made by Bill Hybels that he made in reference to the days when Willow took off and he was doing ministry at a blazing speed – “The speed at which I was doing the work of God was destroying God’s work in me.”

OUCH!

As a follower of Jesus Christ WE have the responsibility to fill our tanks. It bothers me when a Christian makes a comment about a church and says, “I wasn’t getting fed there…” News flash–it’s not the churches job to feed you!!! Let me explain…

Lucretia and I have some friends who have three children under the age of four! (They LOVE the Song of Solomon!!!) One of the things I have discovered about watching each of these children grow up is that when they get to be a certain age they learn to feed themselves–and if a person needs to be fed then that communicates infancy and not maturity.

We are responsible for putting spiritual food into our souls so that we have something to offer for those who are TRULY starving when they walk into our church on Sunday. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to gauge where your spiritual gas gauge is…

#1 – When was the last time I clearly heard God speak to me? (If you have to think about this for a long time…you are close to “E”.)

#2 – When was the last time you saw something in Scripture that looked new and fresh, even though you had read it before? (I recently changed versions of the Bible and it has taken my time with God to the next level!!!)

#3 – When was the last time I invited a complete stranger to church?

#4 – Does my mouth and mind go to automatic pilot during the time we sing…or do I truly mean the words that I sing?

#5 – When was the last time I thought about how far God has brought me? (God rocked my world with I Corinthians 1:26-29 yesterday in regards to this–I can see myself so clearly in these verses!!!)

#6 – Can those closest to me see Jesus in me? (In other words–do your children have to look to another household for an example of a godly mother or father…or two parents that REALLY love each other?)

#7 – Am I ministering out of OBLIGATION or the OVERFLOW? I have done it from obligation before…and there just isn’t any fruit involved.

I challenge you to do what Mary did in Luke 10:38-39, take some time to sit at the feet of Jesus and LISTEN! I promise it will put gas in your tank…

IN OTHER NEWS!!!

Todd did a post about my toes hurting on his site–you can read it here. Please keep two things in mind…

#1 – That is not my foot–I promise that mine is MUCH uglier than that one!!!

#2 – Todd, THANK YOU for your encouragement…as well as everyone else who posted some awesome comments…it means more than you know dude!

This Sunday At NewSpring March 29, 2006

As I announced this past Sunday…this coming Sunday we will take the Lord’s Supper.

I am so excited about this–it is one of the most meaningful things as followers of Jesus Christ that we can participate in.

Often times I am asked why do we not partake of it more. There are some churches that do it every week, some every month some every quarter…you get the picture.

I have always been hesitant to do it every week–I don’t ever want it to lose its meaning. And I don’t want to just tag it onto the end of a service…I would rather have the entire service focus around it.

Churches that do it every week ARE NOT doing it wrong…I am NOT saying that. However, it has been my passion since beginning our church to let the Holy Spirit guide where we go on Sunday’s…and He has clearly led us to do the Lord’s Supper this week.

Oh yeah–remember–THIS SUNDAY is the time change…the one we don’t like because we lose an hour of sleep!!! Remember to wind your clock forward on Saturday night so that you don’t arrive an hour late!

One more thing…Easter is coming and I am REALLY excited about our new series entitled, “DaVinci Decoded.” There is a TON of controversy surrounding the movie and the book…and some churches are highly opposed to having to do anything with it, some are actually organizing boycotts (imagine that!!!), and some are using it to expose the lies in the novel and equip their people to know the truth.

I will post more thoughts on that topic later…I guess I chased a rabbit…the main focus, oh yeah, this Sunday! See you here–it’s going to be awesome!

ONE MORE THING–this would be THE Sunday to invite someone you know who does not know Christ–the Gospel is going to be presented in a very straightforward fashion…and we are praying for tons of salvations.

My Flippin’ Toe Hurts March 28, 2006

So I’ve got these really cool shoes…you might have seen them…they are orange and purple and have “Pastor P” on the back. I custom designed them off of Nike’s website…I figured if I was going to run a marathon then I was going to run it in style!

So a few weeks ago we had a 12 or 13 mile run on a Saturday. (Trust me–there is not a big difference in 12 or 13 miles!) And so for that run I wore my styling shoes. The run was a good one and I felt pretty good–I came home, cleaned up, destroyed some food and took a nap.

However, that night as I was looking at my feet I noticed I had a black toenail. Trust me when I say that my feet are gross to look at without the toenail of death staring back at me–but now it sort of freaks me out.

I was racking my brain trying to figure out why my toe had changed colors…until an experienced runner told me, “Dude, your shoes are too small…you need to go up a size.”

“NO WAY,” I thought, “these shoes are cool…I paid good money for these shoes.” So I ignored the advice and did another long run in them recently. NOW I actually have two toes that are black. I guess the shoes do not fit after all.

So…now I am on a mission to find shoes that fit. I have finally accepted that when you run with shoes that fit you are more likely to enjoy the race.

Believe it or not–this has spiritual significance.

You see–if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then, according to Scripture you have at least one spiritual gift…in other words, there is a perfect “fit” for you spiritually in God’s plan.

I think one of the most prevalant problems among the Christian community is that people accept that God has a plan for other people’s lives…but not theirs. However, one of the things I am continuing to discover is that God does not ever have to say “oops,” in other words, He does not make mistakes…and if you are here on this big ball of dirt we call earth then God has a plan for your life…and that plan is a perfect fit.

I meet so many frustrated people in life–and by far the most frustrated, miserable people are the ones that refuse to embrace God’s plan for their life because they are so busy trying to get Him to embrace their own plan. But you need to understand that if you try a plan that does not fit…something (or someone) is going to get hurt.

I laughed at an e-mail a mother sent me today, she said she was talking to her child (who is six) about what she wants to do when she grows up–the girl replied, “either a veterinarian, a doctor, or to work at NewSpring!” I think that’s awesome!!! This little girl is about getting in on God’s plan! :-)

The one thing you need to keep in mind is that God’s plan is not something that is necessarily going to make you miserable…it will be something you do well and something you enjoy as well.

I am going to get new shoes…I want to run the race the best that I can. As Christians we are called to run the race to the best of our abilities…and to do so we need a plan that fits. If you are unsure where to begin then I would encourage you to begin to volunteer somewhere in your church…if you come to NewSpring then call our office and we will find a spot for you. If you do not attend NewSpring then call your church office and tell them you want to volunteer in the church and that you will do anything…you will make your pastor’s day!

Oh yeah, in a totally unrelated subject–Lucretia’s chocolate chip pound cake was AWESOME last night…I plan to consume the rest tonight!

Monday Just Keeps Getting Better… March 27, 2006

Right now I am sitting in my kitchen watching Lucretia prepare a glaze for a chocolate chip pound cake that just came out of the oven!!! Oh my! I think I am going to hurt myself! :-) My wife is awesome!

Incredible Encouragement March 27, 2006

Monday’s are great days for me…and today was no exception.

I try to get a little extra rest on Monday mornings to combat the “holy hangover.” Then I get up, have my quiet time and then head off to the gym. It’s a great time to do some cross training and listen to a message on my iPod.

This morning while I was nearing a heart attack on the stair climber and older gentleman, who I know very well, approached me and asked could he have a minute of my time.

I think I said yes…it was hard to tell…I could not breathe…and he said, “Last night I had the privilege of worshipping with you at your church. I’ve heard so much about what was going on there that I had to come and see it for myself…and I can honestly say that you guys are in on God’s plan.”

I can’t tell you how that made me feel…I was jacked up all day today because of this dude’s encouraging words. It was especially meaningful to me because I happen to know where this gentleman attends church on a regular basis–and I also know that his pastor has taken personal shots at me from his pulpit and the church newsletter. (It’s amazing how good news travels!)

But for this guy to listen to people…but NOT make a judgment call until he actually came and experienced worship with us shows an incredible sign of maturity in my opinion. I appreciated his words more than he will ever know. It’s so awesome to meet fellow believes who might not necessarily enjoy our style of worship–but they understand that we are all on the same team!

Thank God for this dude! He made my day!

What A Weekend!!! March 26, 2006

OK–I am getting ready for bed and I had to write down a few thoughts before hitting the hay!

First of all–WHO THE HECK IS GEORGE MASON? I mean, did anyone actually see these guys coming? Where are they from? I have a new favorite basketball team–they are the George Mason…uh…I am not sure what they are…but they beat UConn and messed up everyone’s brackets!

Secondly–the 16 mile run yesterday was AWESOME! We have been running at about an 8:50/9:00 pace–but yesterday we did a 9:20 pace and I had gas in the tank in the end. (I didn’t literally have gas…that is just a figure of speech to indicate that I believe I could have kept on going!)

So far our crew has ran a total of 238 miles in preparation for our San Diego run! We have a 12 mile run this Saturday and…to be honest…I am a little bummed out that we only get to do 12 miles. (Oh well–that won’t last long–we have 18 the next week!!!)

Thirdly–what can I say for our services today except for they were AWESOME! WOW–God did an amazing work at NewSpring in all three services. I mean, when you use “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” as a part of the set list–you KNOW it’s going to be good.

This series of messages has been so challenging for all of us–we’ve covered the subjects of generosity, authority, and overcoming temptation so far…and we still have the Lord’s Supper this weekend AND one more in the series on the subject of celebration. I can’t wait! I am praying that the next couple of weeks continues to stretch us in an amazing way!

Fourth – I am NOT that excited about “springing forward” next weekend. I love the fact that the sun stays out longer–but I lose an hour of sleep…that just isn’t right!!! Here is the first of MANY reminders–don’t forget to set your clock forward on Saturday night. (Hey Jonathan…I LOVED the post about your mess up today!)

That’s about it…I’m going to bed now–I can’t wait for tomorrow–we are working on some stuff for Easter that is going to ROCK!