Archive for November, 2007
A Few Things I Am Excited About… November 30, 2007
It’s Friday…here are a few things I am really excited about…
#1 – This Coming Sunday!
Seriously, we have had tons of volunteers put in countless hours in preparing our atrium for the Christmas season…and it looks incredible. For all those who pitched in this past week–THANK YOU!!!
Also, once again, I cannot confirm or deny that I will be wearing a suit on Sunday…but I do believe this will be a weekend we do not soon forget. It was nice to take a speaking break last weekend…and I am ready to get back to action.
#2 – Christmas Services!
I remember being a kid the night before Christmas and having that anxious feeling of just wanting the next morning to GET THERE!!! I literally got in trouble one year because I woke up at 4am and wanted to go unwrap presents…I finally went to bed when my mother threatened to “unwrap my rear-end!”
Yet here I am–36 years old–and finding myself with that same feeling of anticipation in regards to our Christmas services. I can’t wait!
Don’t forget to wear your T-shirt on Saturday and begin inviting as many people as you can.
#3 – Charisse’s First Christmas
This year will be my little girls first Christmas…and ‘Cretia and I are both pretty excited about that. What are we getting her? Not much–SHE’S NOT EVEN ONE!!! I do not understand parents who buy their tiny children TONS of toys–she’s not going to remember this!!!
Hold on–we are going to get her a few things…with the understanding that she will want to play with the paper and the box that the present comes in more than the actual present.
(By the way–Charisse spent some time with me yesterday here at the office and it was awesome! ‘Cretia had to run and errand…so I kept her here and she was so much fun and we were having a great time until she blew chunks all over me. :-) It didn’t matter–she’s still awesome…and her spit up is the best in the world!)
#4 – Clemson Beat USC
Just in case anyone missed it–Clemson kicked a last second field goal and beat Carolina. I just love saying that–it makes me smile.
#5 – My Book
I met with a crew on Wednesday to brainstorm through book ideas. I’ve been contacted by a couple of publishers who are interested in me writing a book. WHICH…is a dream of mine. I am not sure the subjects that are going to be addressed…but after the meeting on Wednesday I have a much better idea. It’s going to be FUN.
It’s also a blessing because about a year ago I attempted to hire and agent to assist me in this process and was told I should give up on the idea of writing a book because it probably wasn’t going to happen. It was disappointing at the time–but God obviously had other plans.
#6 – Gametime Follow Up
Seriously–if you were here during Gametime then you KNOW what we’ve got coming up–we are about to give shoes and jackets away to some kids who REALLY need them, we just received some REALLY exciting news about our Greenville campus location and our children and youth buildings are in the permitting process and we will see construction begin in about a month and a half or so.
#7 – Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Seriously, I made another one the other night and…WOW…I STILL say I am THE BEST grilled cheese sandwich maker in the world!
#8 – Hanging Out With Other Pastors
I had lunch the other day with a local pastor and we sat in Chili’s for two hours just talking about life and ministry–it was a BLAST. (Thanks Tim for the time and encouragement.) If you are a local pastor I am considering trying to get a group of us together for lunch and a time of encouragement, NOTHING FORMAL, just lunch (we’re going dutch) and talk time. It will be on Thursday, December 20th…e-mail me here if you want to come and we will get the information back to you in regards to a time and place.
Those are just a few things running through my mind…
GASP – I Can’t Believe Jesus Did That! November 29, 2007
The other morning I read Luke 8:26-39 and I saw something I’ve never seen before–seriously, it hit me right in the face and I was both challenged AND convicted at the same time…work with me here…
In Luke 8:26-28 we have a pretty unusual scene–here Jesus sails into a region and is basically met by a demon possessed nude dude who is running around and screaming at Him. (And you thought the people in your church were weird?)
So, after a brief conversation (Luke 8:29-30) Jesus takes care of the serious ministry issue that is before Him. (Don’t you just love the fact that in Luke 8:31-32 the Bible said that the demons had to actually get permission from Jesus to act–just in case you might be wondering–HE IS SOVEREIGN!)
So…the demons from the nude dude go into the pigs…and they all freak out and run down a hill into water and drown! (Luke 8:33)
The people watching the herd of pigs freaked out (I would have to) and ran and told the city what had taken place. (They were probably tested from drugs on the spot as well.) After they passed their drug test the people all figured that they might need to go out and check things out…and when they got there they saw the guy formerly known as “demon possessed nude dude” sitting at the feet of Jesus in his right mind. (Luke 8:34-36)
From here TWO pretty unbelievable things take place…
#1 – The people ask Jesus to leave!
Every time I read this story it blows me away that in Luke 8:37 the people ask Jesus to get back in the boat and leave. WHAT THE HECK IS THAT? This passage had always pretty much confused me until I recently discovered that pig herding was a MAJOR source of revenue in that area. In other words–these people knew that if Jesus stayed around long enough that it was going to effect their $$$ – so rather than be in awe of the fact that something incredible had just happened they allowed financial fears to forfeit any possibility of Jesus doing additional work in their midst.
#2 – Jesus refused to “disciple” someone!
This one blew my mind–Luke 8:38-39 distinctly say that Jesus refused to allow the former nude dude to get into the boat with Him. Instead Scripture says that He told him, “Actually, what I want you to do is go tell everyone how much God has done for you.” And then Jesus left him…
WAIT…what about Bible study? What about giving him a list of rules and regulations? What about DISCIPLESHIP? Seriously–who in the heck does Jesus think He is, cleansing someone and then not taking him through detox? What was Jesus thinking?
I think all too often we get our views on discipleship from people who have a desire to teach people to think just like them rather than from Christ. (By the way–if ANYONE is an authority on the subject of discipleship…I would pretty much say it’s Jesus!) AND…I am not saying that learning Scripture and Christian community are not important; in fact, I would argue that BOTH are essential.
However, it is clear in this text (and in many others) that a MAJOR part of the discipleship process is actually being INVOLVED in ministry, going and doing something–telling others what God has done for you. Jesus challenged the former nude dude to go beyond himself–to go back to the people he had once frightened and tell them how good God was.
All too often as Christians we believe discipleship is a time where we focus on ourselves–but Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:36-40 align with this text we just covered so well–discipleship is about loving God first…AND OTHERS next. Once this guy discovered who Jesus was he was sent out immediately to tell others about Him…
Discipleship isn’t just about information…but rather application. All this guy knew was who he used to be and how that changed once he met Jesus…and Jesus, for some reason, thought that his conversion experience was sufficient to fulfill what would eventually become known as the Great Commission. I would argue that Jesus discipled this guy by challenging him to GO…and that this dude learned as much by telling his story as he did by reflecting on it.
Just a few thoughts I had on a story I read. :-)
Ten Things I Would Say To Anyone Entering Ministry…And Anyone Else Living On This Planet November 28, 2007
#1 – Do Not Neglect Your Personal Time With God
I have learned that I can either do ministry from memory or ministry from the overflow of what God is doing in me–the latter is ALWAYS the most fruitful.
#2 – People Will Hurt You–Love Them Anyway
One of the biggest temptations in life and ministry is to become bitter and angry at people who hurt you and then allowing those relationships to drive wedges into future relationships. LOVE PEOPLE–Jesus did. It’s not easy…but we’re called to do this.
#3 – Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes
One of the biggest things that holds God’s kingdom back is His people, empowered by His Spirit, who are afraid to fail! I would rather make a mistake trying than make THE mistake mentioned in James 4:17.
#4 – Remember WHO You Are Serving
One day I will stand before Jesus…our goal in life should be to please HIM in all things…career, relationships, finances, parenting…
#5 – Think Big
Don’t limit God–Ephesians 3:20 is SO TRUE! Why do we make nickel and dime plans when God OWNS THE FLIPPIN’ UNIVERSE?!?!?
#6 – Don’t Let Yourself Get Into A Rut
One of the biggest weapons the enemy uses is the one of familiarity…and in giving into this enemy we begin to desire to just…be…comfortable. We have PLENTY of time to be comfortable in heaven…while we are on the earth we must allow God to disturb us so that He can use us to disturb others.
#7 – Never Stop Learning
Always ask questions–from everyone. I seek advice from pastors who have churches larger than NewSpring…and also those who have churches smaller. If I ever get to be so prideful and arrogant & begin to think I can’t learn from others–I am convinced that God will kick my rear end!
#8 – Be Real
The “pastoral/Christian” image is played out…people are sick and tired of the man in the pulpit pretending that his poo doesn’t stink! (Expect for those obsessed with their own image!) Christians are KNOWN for being able to fake it through life because we’ve believed the lie that once we become Christians we NEVER have problems anymore!!! Don’t fall into that! (More on that Sunday at NewSpring.)
#9 – Take About Real Issues
Most people attending our churches do not care about the measurements of the Temple–but they do want to know how they can hold a marriage together, how they can keep from going under financially and how to raise good kids.
#10 – Surround Yourself With “Yes” Men and Women!
Yep–surround yourself with people who say, “yes, Lord–whatever you want” and then they will passionately pursue HIS direction. If you have people around you that are scared of you then your leadership/life IS IN DANGER.
I Do NOT Want To WASTE My Life/Ministry… November 27, 2007
My friend (and our teaching pastor here at NewSpring Church) Clayton King has recently started a blog. You can check it out here. Anyway–he recently posted something that I thought was something that every pastor human being in the world needs to read, it is VERY possible for us to get so caught up in trying to please people that we lose sight of WHO we were created for (that would be GOD), thus causing us to waste our life trying to please people who will not be our final judge…and so, with his permission, I have reposted his thoughts here…
Several days ago, I wrote a reflection on “Dangers for Seasoned Veterans” where I listed 10 potential struggles that older ministers and Christians sometimes succumb to. I promised to share a personal story about one such veteran that I had the great honor to know and even serve on a number of occasions. I had intended to post it a few days earlier, but have spent every free moment trying to ready our new home for inspection on Monday.(In order to protect this man’s integrity and not cast him or his surviving family in a negative light, I choose not so use his real name.)
When I was in middle school, our family carpooled with several other families, but one family really stood out. The dad was a pastor of a church in our community, and he was one of a kind. Old school, Bible quoting, Southern Baptist, and country to the core. He had a jovial and warm personality and was never, that I recall, in a bad mood. He was trained in the classic seminary model, where he moved his family to a seminary town and spent 3-4 years finishing his degree while pastoring small churches, all the while his wife worked 2 jobs just so they did not starve. He was known and loved by all his parishioners and everyone in town.
As the years passed, his congregation began to age, as did he. His health began to fail, largely due to the stresses of his job. The older people felt like the church as slipping away from them; too much change, too many new people, and a pastor that was not “holding things together.” They gave him grief for every little innovation he suggested, encouraged him to stop visiting new people in the community and spend more time taking care of the core group of church members. When he hesitated to give in to all the demands of the older members, the deacons reminded him that he had a secure job with benefits and that if he rocked the boat, he would find himself looking for a new church (and how many churches would want to hire a pastor in his late 50s with high blood pressure, hypertension, and high cholesterol)? He understood their point, and he decided to GO ALONG TO GET ALONG.
A few years ago I was in the hospital visiting a family member when I walked past a room and heard a familiar voice. It was this same pastor, that I had known as a child, whom I dearly loved and respected. It had been years since I had preached for him, but his voice was unmistakable. I entered the room and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. We visited for about 10 minutes until I could tell he was worn out. The heart surgery had taken a toll on him, so after I prayed for him, I was ready to leave.
He grabbed my hand and began to weep. “Are you still preaching the gospel, Clayton?” I responded that I was and intended to until I died. Then he choked out these words.
“Don’t you ever stop, and don’t you ever let anyone stop you. I let a church full of lazy christians steal my passion away from me. They did not want to change, they wouldn’t reach out to anyone, and they did not care about people dying without Jesus. All they cared about was making church easy and convenient. I let them scare me into doing what they wanted. And I slowly died. I would give anything to be your age again, Clayton. I would do it differently and I would obey God no matter what people said. Trust me son, you don’t want to end up like me, dying in hospital with regrets hanging over your head. Once you let anybody other than Jesus tell you what to do, you begin to die.”
It was the last conversation I had with an old friend. But as that Seasoned Veteran took a bow not long after that, his words are still ringing in my ears. I hope they stick with you for a while, too.
Charisse Pictures November 26, 2007
Here are some shots of our beautiful little girl! (I CANNOT believe she will be five months old tomorrow!!!)
Her eyes are big and beautiful, just like ‘Cretia’s! I AM IN SO MUCH TROUBLE…and so is the dude who comes to pick her up for her first date!!!
Charisse was a lamb for Halloween…and I got to eat all her candy!!!
Not only are her eyes beautiful–but her smile makes me want to just give her anything she wants! I had NO IDEA having a little girl could be this scary and awesome at the same time!
Lucretia dressed her up for the cold, windy day! (For those not in the south–”cold” here is anything below 60 degrees!!!
“I’m wearing my daddy’s Clemson hat–GO TIGERS!”
Sunday Night (And A Few More) Reflections… November 25, 2007
What an incredible few days…here are a few thoughts I would LOVE to share before heading off to bed…
- THUD!
- Yes, I know I said I would post some pictures of Charisse over the holiday…oops…I promise I will have them up tomorrow.
- Today at NewSpring was awesome, one of the best messages ever preached from our stage…and I can say that because I didn’t preach it! Will Merritt did an incredible job of comparing playing football to being a parent…if you missed it then you can go hear and listen to it or watch it.
- Overall I thought that our parenting series was a huge success…teaching through this stuff REALLY stretched me both theologically and practically. It was a fun time…but I am REALLY looking forward to what’s next.
- I am doing a new workout routine in regards to lifting weights that is absolutely kicking my rear end! If I see you in the gym and do not speak it’s not because I am being stuck up…it’s because I am begging God for things like oxygen.
- I heard about THIS STORY and thought it was a joke…it wasn’t…I threw up! (OK…not really, but I wanted to–warning, you MIGHT after reading this!)
- THUD!
- It’s amazing how real Hebrews 4:12 has became to me lately–God’s Word REALLY is living and active. I am reading through the Gospels right now and am discovering things I’ve never seen before.
- I thought the T-shirts we gave away today were cool! For those of you who received one–don’t forget to wear them next Saturday (and every Saturday until Christmas) while you are out and about–I promise they will create conversation…USE THAT to invite people to one of our six identical Christmas services.
- For those wondering what the heck I am talking about…we gave EVERYONE at NewSpring a really cool T-shirt today with a saying on the front and our services times on the back. In all our research we see over and over again that the #1 reason a person decides to attend NewSpring is because of a personal invitation…so we wanted to equip everyone in our church with a unique way to begin a conversation.
- (Students–don’t forget that we want you to wear them to school on Wednesday’s…and invite your friends as well!!!)
- If you didn’t get a T-shirt and want one–we may have some leftovers next week.
- THUD!!!
- Speaking of Christmas Eve…I PROMISE the Gospel will be shared in one of the most unforgettable presentations ever given at NewSpring Church. I am privileged to work with people who are passionate about presenting the story of Jesus Christ in unforgettable ways!
- In other words–if you have friends and family members that do not know Christ–GET THEM HERE FOR CHRISTMAS. Statistics show that people are more likely to visit during Christmas than just about any other time during the year. (The other times are Easter, after a child is born, after a tragedy takes place and upon moving to a new community.)
- Don’t forget our times are normal service times on Sunday and then 2:00 and 4:00 on Monday. AND yes, our services will be MUCH better than fruitcake!
- Next week we begin a brand new series entitled, “Stripped,” in which we will talk about what happens when you strip away religion from Jesus…this one is going to be SO MUCH FUN!
- There is a rumor floating around out there that I am going to be wearing a suit next Sunday…I can not confirm or deny that rumor.
- THUD!!!
- So what’s with all of the “thuds?” I am sure some of you have guessed–it’s the sound of the University of South Carolina falling from #6 (and 6-1) to…well…looking through the rankings here–nope, not in ANY POLL that I see!!!
- What a game–obviously the RIGHT TEAM WON! What was USC thinking…man to man coverage on Aaron Kelly on 4th down? Uh…better luck next year! :-)
- I COULD NOT GO TO BED LAST NIGHT!!! I am not sure how our field goal kicker was able to kick because I was just about to pass out in my living room. Lucretia and Charisse were asleep when we won the game…and I am not sure–but I think I turned two back flips and a cartwheel. NO–I will not be doing that on stage this coming Sunday…but then again there IS that crazy rumor that I might be in a suit.
A Few Random Thanksgiving Thoughts… November 21, 2007
There is a lot of randomness going through my head that I want to share…
- I Thessalonians 5:16-18 says that Thanksgiving should be a year around deal.
- Clemson plays South Carolina this weekend–I am REALLY excited about this years game. Of course I believe the Tigers will prevail!
- I read this story this morning and wanted to throw up–seriously, this is gross!
- Scott’s picture of his little boy’s T-shirt was AWESOME!
- Lucretia spent all day yesterday on cooking for Thanksgiving…when I got home the Mac & Cheese was already in the fridge just waiting to go into the oven! YEAH!
- Melissa, Lucretia’s sister, will be making the white chocolate fudge cake for dessert tomorrow–God is so good!
- I am planning on running around seven or eight miles on Thanksgiving morning & then DESTROYING some food for the rest of the day!
- I made a grilled cheese sandwich last night and it was awesome…I honestly believe I am the best grilled cheese sandwich maker in the world–that is NOT pride–it’s merely confidence. :-)
- I spent SEVERAL hours yesterday discussing through our Christmas services at NewSpring and I had a headache when we were done. Folks, my mind was BLOWN at how passionate the group is around me in regards to presenting the Gospel…and TRUST me when I say that we are going to be attempting some things for this service that we’ve NEVER done before–EVER. It is going to be one of the most UNIQUE experiences ever!!!
- We will be launching our promotional plan for the Christmas services this Sunday…and trust me, it’s much better than fruitcake! (Actually, I think getting my hand stuck in a blender might be better than fruitcake!)
- Friday I will be sleeping in–unlike the millions of abnormal people who will wake up at dark-thirty to ravage the shopping malls seeking to save money while LOSING SLEEP! Seriously, I don’t understand you people!!!
- This will be Charisse’s first Thanksgiving…should be a blast…pictures to follow on Friday or Saturday.
- A pizza delivery guy came to my door on Monday night and when I opened the door the smell intoxicated me–I hated to tell him that he had the wrong address and that I hadn’t actually ordered a pizza!
- Thanks for those who have been praying for my back–it is getting better!!! :-)
- Go Tigers!
- If you didn’t read Clayton’s follow up post to his “pitfalls for young lions“…you should go here and read it now…great stuff! (It’s entitled dangers for seasons veterans)
- I REALLY am excited about what God has done in our church this year and what I believe He has in store for 2008. I will be recapping 2007 and casting vision for 2008 on Sunday, December 30th and I believe that service will be electric…because…in addition to celebrating and anticipating YOU will actually be selecting the songs our band does…which…if you haven’t e-mailed in your favorite song that our band does you need to do so RIGHT NOW!!!
- That’s about it–Happy Thanksgiving!