Archive for December, 2006
Top Posts In 2006 @ PerryNoble.com December 31, 2006
My buddy Ken has helped me compile a list…and I have decided to go with the 12 top posts of ‘06…should be fun.
#12 – I did this post asking pastors one of the most important questions a pastor can be asked, “How Is Your Wife?” I married the woman of my dream…but marriage is work–ESPECIALLY for pastors.
#11 – This post on creating an experience caused quite a stir in blog world. It was even picked up on a couple of other blogs…and…it seems I offended some people with my “punch them in the throat” comment. Please be advised…I will be doing an entire post on “throat punching” within the next two weeks! :-)
#10 – After what happened to me one morning on my way into the gym I was inspired to post about this! I will be talking about this at NewSpring soon! YES…I am going to talk about this!!!
#9 – Could Jesus have been a pastor in many modern day churches? I did this post listing several reasons why I do not think so…
#8 – During our relationship series I did this post entitled, “Five Things Every Single Dude Should Know.” The result was a lot of thankful women…and a lot of whiney men who keep asking, “When are you going to do a post to challenge the women?” Dude…seriously–STOP IT!
#7 – Hooters anyone? Yes…I did a post on Hooters…THE RESTAURANT!!! Many people read this post & a fun time was had by all…NOT AT HOOTERS though!
#6 – Believe it or not–I literally have people (who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ), who have never met me…yet claim to hate me. (I have the e-mails to prove it!) They claim that this blog is a constant source of frustration for them…so I tried to help them with this post…gee, I hope I got through to some of them.
#5 – I was overwhelmed by what NewSpring did for me on pastor’s appreciation day. I won’t go into everything…but they did a video for me saying thanks…so I linked it on this post…and it turned out to be the 5th most popular post all year long.
#4 – After the November election I had the following opinions…I still do!
#3 – I posted these thoughts after seeing 214 people accept Christ in one day–that day is FOREVER burned into my mind…I will never forget seeing people stream forward and praying out loud to receive Christ…it rocked my world!!!
#2 – This one surprised me. But during our relationship series I did a talk on how to have an affair. It was literally THE MOST DRAINING message I have ever preached in my life…and I shared my thoughts here on the night it was all over.
AND…Drum roll please…
#1 – This post on “the M word” was BY FAR the number one post–nothing else was even close!!! Two things…the first being the e-mails that this post generated–AMAZING! It was especially disturbing all of the perverts men who e-mailed in trying to justify their behavior sin. DUDE–IT’S WRONG–STOP IT!!! Secondly…the conversations that I had revolving around this post–DANG!!! I now know more about some people than I ever cared to know!!!
And that’s it…thanks for stopping by this year (or last year–whenever you are reading this!) I believe we are going to have a ton ‘o fun in 2007…and I AM GOING TO BE A DAD!!! :-)
Broken & Bothered December 29, 2006
Last night I sat on the couch with my AWESOME wife and went from podcast to podcast, downloading different sermons…I’ve GOT to have something to listen to when I work out.
I came across a podcast of a church that has been called controversial by some…and so I decided to listen to a message by the people in this church…it was a message on why homosexuality is NOT wrong.
Let me be very clear about something before I continue. I am SO against the way the homosexual community has been treated by the church. I do not think God has called us to scream and yell at those who are homosexuals. I think the church should be a place where they can come and find refuge AND the answers to their questions.
BUT…saying all of that…I DO believe that homosexuality is a sin. This is not me being an intolerant, narrow minded bigot…but simply me taking what Scripture clearly says and applying it to my worldview.
As I listened to the message last night I found myself getting both angry AND sad at the same time. I was getting angry because this speaker was going through Scripture and twisting it to support his belief system…and then I was sad because I thought of the people in the room and how they were being misled.
I will not call out the speaker OR the church here because I have only listened to ONE message the church has given…and that is NOT an accurate way to develop a solid opinion. I know how I feel when this is done to me and so I refuse to do it to others.
BUT…what this experience did FIRE me up to do was to CONTINUE to preach God’s Word with clarity and passion during this upcoming year. I want to teach those at NewSpring EXACTLY what the Bible says…and HOW this can be applied to our lives.
I believe we must get past this idea of tolerance. The Bible is not a tolerant book–there ARE some black and white issues it addresses. Jesus was NOT a very tolerant religious leader–He actually claimed in John 14:6 that HE was THE way! AND…GOD is NOT a very tolerant God…just read the book of Revelation! DANG!!!!
BUT…as we are called to be intolerant of sin…we are also called to love other people. The speakers argument in the message that I listened to last night was, because Jesus said we should love one another, that we should accept homosexuality. NOW…I am NOT an expert in biblical interpretation…but I am about 1000% sure that is NOT what Jesus was addressing in that passage.
HOWEVER, and Christians, PLEASE hear me…when it comes to people who live differently than us…we are called to love them. They are human beings. They do have a soul. They do matter to God–so they should matter to us. BUT…loving them does not mean accepting their lifestyle if it goes directly against what Scripture says.
I do not hate homosexuals…to do so is a sin. However, I am not called to accept what they do…Scripture calls it a sin and so I must do so as well. Yes, I know, Scripture calls other things sin as well…however, that is not the point of this post. The point is that we ARE called BY GOD to love those who are different than us…but we are NOT called to accept a behavior OR lifestyle that the Bible clearly labels as sin.
BUT…we are also NOT called to scream and yell at people…but we are called to show them who Jesus is, with the hopes and prayers that HE will change their life!!!
Where Scripture is clear–we are called to be clear. On this issue Scripture does NOT leave any room for questioning. And please spare me the e-mails about how Scripture is clear on other issues as well. I agree with that…but “that” is not the point here.
People always ask, “What kind of church is NewSpring?” NewSpring is a church that teaches ABOUT Jesus…and teaches HIS WORD…the Bible…and we do not use it to support our views…we take what it says about life, marriage, kids, money…EVERYTHING…and we show people HOW to apply it to life. That is what we are called to do…and to do anything else is sin.
Seven Commitments For 2007 December 28, 2006
#7 – To Be A Better Manager Of My Time
I STINK AT THIS!!! Most of us do…I have many plates I am trying to spin…husband, father (in July), pastor, speaker, leader, friend…and…uh, I am sure I am forgetting something.
For me, most of the time I tend to work my rear end off keeping these plates spinning…and usually neglect myself. WHICH is WRONG…one can discover this in a reading through the ten commandments–check it out for yourself in Exodus 20…the longest command, the one that God spent the most time explaining was the one about REST. Hmmmm
So…I am going to make an effort to “disconnect” more…to not be married to e-mail and my cell phone…and to take a day to CHILL and relax…I need that–and YOU DO TO!!! I used to say, “The devil never takes a day off–why should I?” Finally someone reminded me that the devil isn’t supposed to be my example–OUCH!
#6 – To Be A Better Leader
I’ve GOT TO GROW this next year…and I am desperate to learn as much as I can about leadership. I am going to read more–go to more conferences…and network as much as I can in order to try to learn more and more.
I have been reading through Proverbs recently…and in the first eight chapters we are instructed to pursue wisdom…to do whatever we can to get it…to pay whatever price is required…and that is my goal for this next year.
#5 – To Continue To Redefine Church For This Generation And The Next
When I was growing up I HATED CHURCH! SO…as soon as I could I made a break for it and began to live a “life without rules.” (I am still haunted from time to time from the decisions I made during that time.)
I can’t stop thinking about this, “What would it have been like if there had been a church that I had actually ENJOYED going to…that I actually LEARNED something in that I could APPLY to my life? Could things have been different?”
The answer is yes…and so when we began NewSpring Church seven years ago–we did so with this in mind, “There are thousands of people in this county who are good people…but they just don’t go to church. They believe in Jesus…they read their Bibles…they want to do what is right…but they are so turned off by church. SO…let’s do church differently–let’s be focused on Jesus…teach His word creatively–show people how to apply it…and who knows…”
Don’t get me wrong–we are not perfect; in fact, we are FAR from it. However, this next year the team that I serve with and I are going to continue to push the envelope on what needs to be taking place…which leads me to the next commitment.
#4 – To Make More People Mad
In doing church the way we do church…it has drawn out more criticism that I ever imagined. There are people who hate me who don’t even know me…and who read this blog and listen to my sermons JUST to talk about all the things that I say and do that are wrong. I am a constant source of anger and frustration for them…
AND if you are one of these people…you haven’t seen NOTHING yet!!! God has called me to do what I do the way I do it…and I will not apologize to self centered, narrow minded Pharisees (see, you’re getting mad) for who He has called me to be and what He has called me to do. I will be more outspoken this next year about the need for change in the church…I will not back down…and so, if I have ticked you off this year and you hate my guts…please–for your own sanity–stop reading this blog–because if you don’t you might just have a breakdown in ‘07!!! :-)
#3 – To Be A Godly Father
My life changed this year with the news that a baby is on the way!!! I can’t wait…I am both scared and excited. I want to do this right…I want to raise this child in a home that is secure. I want to teach this child how to choose between right and wrong. I want this child to pursue his or her dreams in life. AND…I want to be the kind of dad that my kids, when they have kids of their own, actually WANT to come around me & do not have to be guilted into it.
#2 – To Love Lucretia MORE Than Ever Before!
I love my wife–she’s AWESOME! AND…I want to love her more this year than ever before. I want to laugh with her…I want to create memories with her…I want to be EXTRA sensitive to her during this pregnancy. (Ladies–any advice here?) I want her to feel special. I want to invest time in our relationship. And I want to continue to date her…EVER after our child is born. She still gives me chills ever time she gives me that certain smile! DANG…she’s hot!!!
#1 – To Learn More About And Fall More In Love With Jesus!
I feel like I have learned more about Jesus than ever before this year…and HE AMAZES ME! He changed my life…and HE’s STILL CHANGING ME!!! I am consumed by this man…and it is my goal to please Him with every ounce of energy that I can!!!
That’s about it…hope you have a good New Years…I KNOW you will have a good New Years Eve if you come to NewSpring!!! :-)
What A Christmas December 27, 2006
Wow…where do I begin?
First of all–our Christmas Eve services were amazing! HOLY COW…everything from the parking lot to the experience in our sanctuary was well prayed through and thought out…and over 8,600 people were at NewSpring…a new record. Props to all of our staff and volunteers who made this happen!
Immediately after the 11:15 service on Sunday I darted home, packed a duffel bag (in less than 15 minutes–I’m a guy, I don’t need “options”) and then ‘Cretia and I headed out to Thomasville, GA to spend Christmas with her family. The traffic wasn’t bad at all…so we made excellent time. (If you are a guy then you will understand that it was my goal to beat my personal best time…which I did…yeah me!)
Lucretia’s mom is an AWESOME cook…and so she had supper ready for us when we got there…yeah! After supper it was off to bed–which is always a struggle…let me explain.
When ‘Cretia and I go to her house we sleep in her old room…in her old bed. I have named this bed “the marshmallow” because of the pain and agony it puts me through. You see…she grew up sleeping in this bed, AND it is very soft and comfortable…TO HER. However, I weigh a WHOLE LOT MORE than she does, and so…when I lay on this really soft bed I proceed to sink for the next 15 or 20 minutes! AND…if I have to get up to go to the restroom…it takes a least five minutes to crawl out of the hole I have managed to sink into!!! :-)
Anyway…on Christmas morning I went on a run with ‘Cretia’s uncle…and then we went to another uncle’s house for Christmas dinner. There we announced that Lucretia and I are expecting…which was good because they let us go near the front of the food line! :-) You know that pregnant women have to eat…and I HAD to be the good husband and eat with my wife!
After that I went back and took a nap…and then that night ‘Cretia and I, along with Melissa, her sister, hit The Waffle House…good stuff!
On Tuesday Lucretia’s mom took us to lunch before we left Thomasville. The strangest thing happened–I did not finish my food! Literally, I could not eat very much…and so I asked for a to go box. Lucretia’s appetite has picked up since she became pregnant…and so here I am asking for a to go box for me…and Lucretia nearly finished all of her food. I almost turned in my man card for carrying a to go box with me…but then I thought, “Things could be worse…I could be a Clay Aiken fan!”
The trip home was from the pit of Hades!!! There were a couple of times where the traffic was at a complete standstill…and with me and ALL of the patience that God has blessed me with…well…let’s just say I was going crazy!!! By the time we got home my rear end was numb!!!
Saying all of that to say this…it was an AWESOME Christmas. I loved being here at church and seeing people give their lives to Christ. I loved being with my family and exchanging gifts on Christmas morning. I loved EATING a lot of food that I do not normally get all throughout the year. Like I said during our Christmas Eve service…I LOVE CHRISTMAS…and am already looking forward to next year.
(Believe it or not–ideas for next years Christmas Eve services began coming to me DURING the message of our first Christmas Eve service this year…yes, I am a freak…and I love it!)
I hope you enjoy the rest of this Christmas season. AND…don’t forget that NewSpring this coming Sunday is GOING TO ROCK!!! WOW…we’ve never done what we are attempting this Sunday…it will be a lot of fun.
And check back sometime tomorrow for my list of New Years Resolutions…that will be fun!!! :-)
I AM GOING TO BE A DAD! December 25, 2006
Yep, it’s true…wow…I am so excited I don’t know where to begin.
Lucretia and I have always wanted children; however, we also wanted to be able to be married for awhile…and she wanted a chance to pursue a medical career (after four years of high school, four more of college, then four of medical school…then three years of residency I think she more than deserved it!)
SO…we’ve waited. About a year and a half ago we were riding down the road and I said to her, “Baby, I am not saying this to put pressure on you–but I just want you to know…I am ready to have a child.”
She told me that she wasn’t quite ready yet–but she appreciated me letting her know.
This past spring she told me that she felt like this fall would be a great time to start trying to have kids–but then she swore me to secrecy. She told me that when we conceived that I could not tell anyone until she was through with the first trimester. I agreed…I didn’t like it…but still, what can a man do? :-)
(By the way…I told the church that I was not allowed to tell and then we immediately began getting the “are Lucretia and Perry pregnant” e-mails. I have never seen a group of people so interested in someone’s sex life!!! Lucretia even had a lady staring at her belly one night…”just to see if it was bigger.” WOW…crazy stuff!)
You might not remember what you were doing on Saturday, November 4…but I do. Lucretia and I had season tickets to see Clemson play this year…and that was the day they played Maryland. (Big sigh!) The kickoff was at 12:00…and so I got up about 6:30 to go to have my quiet time and go to the gym…’Cretia informed me the night before that I was a freak and that I would be going to the gym alone. :-)
When I got home she said she had a gift for me. (Something EVERY married man wants to hear his wife say when he comes in the door!!!) She pointed to a bag on the table and I looked inside…and there was a book entitled, “The Expectant Father.” I looked up at her and she was holding a positive pregnancy test.
I lost it…literally…I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry…I think it was a combo of both of them…and there was dancing…and I said something that didn’t make any sense.
And then she reminded me that I could not tell anyone…she did let me call her sister…and I was also allowed to tell Clayton…my accountability partner…but no one else.
We went to see the doctor on November 29…it was a actually quite funny seeing me try to sneak through the hospital halls…for those that don’t know…I am 6′ 6″ and I weigh about 225…not exactly built for “sneaking!”
And then…I SAW THE BABY on the ultrasound. Let me be very clear about this…I saw the baby. I didn’t see a fetus…I saw life. I didn’t see a potential for stem cell research…I saw a human being. IT CHANGED ME…I’ve never seen anything like it…EVER.
After that we told a few people…not many. ‘Cretia still didn’t want to deal with people asking a ton of questions…she’s a very private person.
And then on Thursday we went and saw THE BABY again…and he/she was moving all over the place. (It waved at us!) Literally…its little arms and legs were moving…and I told ‘Cretia, “Looks like we have a little Perry…it hasn’t stopped moving yet!!!” PRAY HARD THAT THIS BABY IS NOT LIKE ME!!! :-)
We told the staff on Thursday night…and we told the church this past weekend. A couple of things in closing…
#1 – Please pray for us…we will not be perfect parents…but we both REALLY want to do a good job. Pray for the health of our baby.
#2 – If you live in Anderson…do not…and I mean DO NOT touch my wife’s belly. PLEASE…I am so serious. She has a large privacy bubble…and people she don’t know who touch her tend to freak her out. AND…she is a second degree black belt and will not be held responsible for what she does to you.
We are excited…needless to say…and IF it is a boy…I am totally serious about the name Boaz. Lucretia is NOT that excited however and keeps on saying that a girl would make things easier. SO…pray hard…and celebrate with us…yeah God…and Merry Christmas!
TEAM December 21, 2006
Lucretia and I spent last night with some of the greatest people on planet earth…the staff at NewSpring! We had our annual Christmas party…and we all hurt ourselves laughing and having an awesome time.
I can honestly say a few things about our staff…
#1 – Our Staff Really Does Love One Another!
One of the commitments I have recently made is to try and have lunch with every staff member at least twice a year. This is done in groups of 4-6 people…and I ask them a lot of questions as well as give them an opportunity to ask me ANYTHING.
One of the questions I asked of the two groups I have went out with this month is, “What do you love the most about working at NewSpring?” The #1 answer–hands down–nearly every person said they love the people they work with the most.
Like it or not…if the chemistry is not good…then you have a dysfunctional team…no matter how much talent the people possess. Bill Hybels says that when you hire a staff member that the three “c’s” must be considered–character, competence, and chemistry…and tonight was even more confirmation that the chemistry is awesome.
I feel so sorry for the staff out there that doesn’t care for one another…a ministry cannot survive internal conflict–EVER!
#2 – Our Staff Plays Hard…AND WORKS HARD!
WOW…I could camp all day right here…our staff knows how to “get it done.” I posted last month about “creating an experience,” and our staff is all about making everything right so that when someone walks into the doors of NewSpring–they see a church that cares about them. (Some choose to call this putting on a show…we call it caring for people.)
I walked into our video room today and went over some of the work that DJ has done…and then I went into Ken’s office to preview some of his work…AMAZING! I have been in meetings all week getting the scoop of all that is going to go on behind the scenes this weekend. All I can say is this–the staff at NewSpring has busted their rear-ends to make sure as many people as possible get to hear about Jesus this weekend in a way that they can understand!
#3 – The Staff At NewSpring Has One Goal–TO MAKE JESUS FAMOUS!
From time to time people say I get defensive…and that is not a lie…I do, because, well…you see–this church I am involved in–I have pretty much devoted my life to this thing. And when someone wants to come along and criticize what we do and how we do it…well…it does not sit well with me–it never will. (Steven hits the ball out of the park yet again with this post…dude…I could not agree more!!!)
But not only that–when people criticize this work–they are criticizing the people involved in this work…our staff–who I have prayed and wept with regarding people who don’t know Christ. Who I have seen step into our community and establish relationships with people far from God. Who I have seen weep when marriages are restored…who I have seen stay at our church for hours so a recovery group could finish their meetings.
And why do they do this? Why do they endure the criticism and long hours? Why do they continually seek to improve on what they do and make it better? It’s simple–they believe there really is a heaven and there really is a hell…and people really go there…and without a relationship with Jesus–hell is not just a scary place–it is a reality.
And so–we understand it is our job to make Jesus famous…to spread HIS name among the nations. It is not our job to be the moral police and tell people the types of music to listen to and the kinds of movies they need to see…but it is our job to tell others about Jesus…and then let HIM control them instead of us trying to…He’s so much better at it.
You will not find a better group of people on this planet. Once again…they have all worked so hard to make sure that your friends and family members hear about Jesus this weekend in a way that they can understand…get them here!!!
Awesome Book(s)…and A Random Thought Or Two… December 21, 2006
Guess what–Terry Storch has been FOUND!!! He was right here all along…
Yes, it’s true! The “blogging king” made an exit…and everyone mourned the loss of such an incredible blogger. Yet–it turns out that he, along with Brian Bailey, have written a book entitled “The Blogging Church” which totally has to do with…DUH…blogging! Yes–that’s me in my office with this treasured piece of work!
I would HIGHLY recommend this book if you want to begin blogging…think you should start blogging…or just want to know more about it. And trust me…it is an easy read! You may think, “Well…I am not a computer geek & so I won’t understand it.” Uh…yeah…our IT guy had to come in to my office the other day and put batteries in my wireless mouse because I could not figure out what in the world was wrong with it…THAT is how technical I am…and yet I understood the book!
Some of the people Terry & Brian interviewed for this project were me, Mark Batterson, Tony Morgan, Mark Driscoll…and a few others as well. You have GOT to get this book when it comes out…it will open your eyes to world of blogging…and some FANTASTIC wisdom is shared!!!
A few other great reads…just in case you are interested…
This is one of the best books I have ever read! I was able to meet Dr. Cloud a few weeks back…yeah, he’s possibly one of the smartest men on the planet. I literally could not put this book down…it is an incredible mix of leadership, psychology, and Christian teachings. EVERY pastor in the world should read this book!!!
And then I read this book! All I’ve got to say is, “Craig–thank you for being honest bro!” If you are somewhat religious…this book will offend you. However, if you want to grow in your walk with God…you need to read this book. Craig puts aside the fake side that many pastors seem to display and gets real! WOW!
And then finally…I did read Mark’s book…and I don’t think you should read this one…IF you want to stay comfortable. You see…if you read this book then you are going to be challenged to take GIANT leaps of faith for God. You won’t be able to sit around and be comfortable any longer. Seriously–after I read this book I wanted to go to the local zoo, crawl in a cage with a lion and KICK HIS REAR END! This book is awesome…it’s not safe…but it’s awesome!
AND…one more thing…Tony Morgan wrote an article in Outreach magazine about NewSpring Church–you can check it out here. Loved it!!!
See you this weekend for Christmas Eve…oh yeah…talked to Lee about the music today & he said that the music will be the best it has ever been for anything we have ever done!!! YEAH!