Abiding In Him

2.11.07

2009-02-11T15:34:00.002+04:00

2 years ago today my dad passed away at the young age of 60 years old. A large part of my obsession with my health and working out is a result of his dying at such a young age.

We had a very rocky relationship, but without a doubt he was one of the most important male influences in my life. There have been many a day over the last 2 years that I would have loved to just get his advice and his opinion on things going on in my life.

It is still just unbelievable to me that he is gone. One of the most impactful things for me from his death is that I make sure to tell the people in my life how much I love them and how important they are to me every chance I get. I think sometimes I make people uncomfortable when I tell them I love them - they don't know how to take it. I did not get that chance with my dad for the last year and a half he was alive.

Scattered Thoughts from an Empty Mind

2009-01-11T19:04:00.002+04:00

Ok, I was not suppose to but I got on the scale this morning. I am down 9lbs. on this Ketogenic Diet! Mind you, this is without any cardio work - just lifting weight. I won't start cardio until the end of Feb. or 1st week of March. It took a week or so to adjust this food plan so that it would work for me, I had to tweak a couple of the meals but it is unreal. I have more energy than I did when I was in my 20's. I feel incredible and everytime I go to the gym I am hitting personal bests in weight on certain lifts. I actually got hurt Thursday night in the gym because I feel so good that I started lifting a weight I had no business lifting and hurt my right wrist - but I pushed the weight for 5 reps - yea me!

YouVersion.com is awesome. I downloaded the software to my Blackberry and I love it. I still have not figured out everything I can do with it, but just being able to switch to a different translation of Scripture with the touch of a button is incredible enough.

The Message translation of Scripture is quickly becoming my favorite. I have got to get a Bible with that translation. Its like it is a letter written directly to me, I love it. Matthew 6:33-34 was the 1st verses I memorized when I became a Christ follower and have always been among my favorites. Look at the personalness (not sure if that is a word) of The Message translation in comparison to my other favorite the NIV translation:

Matthew 6:30-34 (New International Version)
30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:30-34 (The Message)
30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

It just seems to put the Scriptures on a more personal level. Really cool.

The end of times must be near, the Arizona Cardinals have won 2 playoff games and are a game away from the SuperBowl. The trumpet could sound any minute now.

Time for the gym. I did not get to workout yesterday and I can't wait to get there!

Leave me a comment with an email address if you want a copy of the Ketogenic Diet.

YouVersion

2009-01-06T17:09:00.002+04:00

Many of you probably know about this by now, but in case you don't:

If you have a "Smartphone", you need to go to YouVersion.com and download their mobile app. I installed in on my Blackberry over the weekend and it is incredible. The entire Bible in a gazillion different transalations is right there at the press of a button. You can post comments on Scripture, chat with others about passages you are reading, etc. Check it out.

I am now on my way to the gym for more painful treatment from my personal trainer Daren. As if life does not dole out hard enough treatment on it's own, I pay this man to abuse me like he does multiple times a week. After 52 weeks though, I must say it has been worth it!

Facebook

2009-01-05T02:07:00.003+04:00

Wow, if you had asked me a month ago I would have said "No Way!" New Year's Eve I joined Facebook and I love it. I spent half of New Year's Day messaging with people I had not talked with in 20+ years. The way the system works by identifying people you went to High School with and then people you have emailed from the email address you provide is just amazing. I have old friends that it has connected me with that I would have had no way of reaching otherwise, people who have moved out of state and stuff. Very cool, plus my Blackberry is connected so I get alerts all day long when people contact me. I am having a blast.

The New Year has started off pretty well. My workouts have been brutal!!! Tomorrow is my off day from the gym and I am SO THANKFUL.

I am going to download Youversion.com to my Blackberry to make Bible study easier at work. This is a great site if you have never used it.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Flush & Turn the Light Out

2009-01-01T22:33:00.005+04:00

My all time favorite movie is "Wallstreet" with Martin & Charlie Sheen. In my former life I wanted to be a stock broker - that is why I majored in Economics. One of my favorite lines from the movie - forgive me that I don't know the actors name -"man we sure went down the toilet on that ugly b....!" Holy cow 2008 could not get over fast enough. I am not foolish enough to believe that turning a calendar means anything, but certainly we all feel some type of optimism when a new year begins.

I have refrained from blogging for the better part of 2008 - while I had a lot to say - I believe there is a lot to be said for restraint & I probably would have really regretted a lot of what I said. As a matter of fact, I have waited over a month to post my personal thoughts on 2008 hoping that when I did write I would only say what I meant to say.

One of the Pastor blogs I subscribe to belongs to Shawn Lovejoy at Mountain Lake Church, & Pastor Lovejoy's last 2 blogs have been a recap of his 2008. I don't know if anyone reads my blog, but I believe I will certainly feel better when I finish this post - dang what a year!!!

Positives:
1) I have a wife and 2 kids and we are all healthy.
2) My wife and I both have good jobs, we have clothes on our backs and food on the table. Those of you who know me know that food is a very important topic for my wife and I. We measure everything we eat. We know every macronutrient that goes into our bodies - it seriously borders on weird I have been told.
3) I started 1.1.08 at 195lbs & 23% bodyfat. I started 1.1.09 at 206lbs & 15% bodyfat. 2008 marked a real personal commitment to getting healthy. My goal - if the Lord taries - for 1.1.10 is 215 - 220lbs & single digit bodyfat.
4) My mom & stepdad have settled into their retirement in the middle of nowhere Arizona and really seem to be happy - that makes me happy.

But 2008 has been one of the 2 or 3 worst years of my life, & I am glad it is over.

Hebrews 11:1-2 (The Message)
1-2The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.

Some may criticize me for using this out of context, but over the last few months I have repeatedly meditated on this verse and it is the reason that I am optimistic as I turn the calendar to 2009. I have known heartache and disappointment in 2008 unlike any other time in my life, but I am still here. I hear the "still small voice" of God almost daily reminding me He is here. I have cried, I have punched walls, I have cussed people, I have longed to beat some people within an inch of their lives - all the while my Father has been there and walked with me and talked with me. I have screamed at Him, shaken my finger at Him, & many times asked Him how He could allow this to happen to me. Through it all, I have learned that my faith in Him is way stronger than I even belived it to be.

Saturday - 1.3.2009 - marks the 6 month anniversary of receiving some of the most devastating news of my life. I have to be honest, there are still moments when I am reminded and just completely caught off guard and stunned at what has happened. I still scream and yell but He still comforts me and reminds me that He is still there and He has it altogether even when I do not.

New Year's Eve- we all have people in our lives that hold a special place in our hearts. We can go days, months, even years without talking with them; but we think about them often. On the last day of a terrible year, I was contacted by one of my special people that I lost contact with over 15 years ago. I believe the Father sent me a gift yesterday when He touched that person's heart to reach out to me on 12.31.2008. I smiled all day like I had not smiled in a long time. Thank you Father, I love you!

Happy New Year to all,

Home Team Curriculum for 4.27.08

2008-04-30T05:22:00.002+04:00

I have not blogged in quite awhile, but our Home Team on Saturday went really well I thought. I thought the subject matter and notes might help someone else so I wanted to post them. I plan to get back to regular blogging from this point on.

LIVING THE HIGH LIFE
4.20.08

You were not only born with a purpose, you were born on purpose.

Are you allowing God to stretch your faith?

Mt. 14: 26-32
26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

v.28 – How many times in your life have you said to yourself or someone else: If only God would speak directly to me or give me a sign? I believe Peter gets out of the boat still not 100% sure that it is Jesus, but I also believe that his faith grew with each step he took on the water.

Do you feel like Jesus is telling you to do something? Sometimes, you just have to step out of the boat and start walking.

v.30 – Peter looked at the chaos around him and took his eyes off of Jesus. I believe the wind here can represent many things – finances, ungodly advice from others, criticism from others, etc. The wind is anything that gets our focus off of what Jesus has led us to do.

John 10:10 - … “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” i.e. abundantly
John 17:3 – “ Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

What is your purpose and what is my purpose in life:
Mark 12:30-31 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

To Rose

2007-08-24T05:48:00.001+04:00

I have been a confessed Christ Follower since I was 17 years old. I have had the joy and pleasure in that time of meeting 4 people that I am confident have actually seen Jesus. I was asked a couple of months ago why I was so captivated by a particular person and I said this: " I know when I am around that person, they have seen Jesus." I can say that about 4 people in my life! Tonight my wife and I received a phone call that one of those people has fallen deathly ill - My wife's grandmother Rose Campbelle. Rose knows Jesus - I don't know how to describe it, but Rose knows Jesus and since the 1st time we met, we have had a special bond that I can only describe as the power of Christ. Rose has fallen ill in the last 24 hours and I only hope I can get there in time Saturday night to see her one more time.

In 1993, Rose lost the love of her life Grandpa Campbelle. Rose told me over and over that Grandpa Campbelle would have loved me and that meant a lot. Rose: you will never see this or read this but I love you and I am going to miss you like you cannot imagine. Go home and see Grandpa - we will all be there soon enough.

You helped me remember my 1st love - Jesus. If I live to be 1000 years old I will never forget sitting on the Gazebo talking to you. Heaven and Grandpa await. We will be sad, but I know you will be happy - Grandpa misses you and he has been waiting. I love you Rose and I will see you again. I believe there is a Gazebo in Heaven waiting for us.

I will miss you Grandma Campbelle and I love you,

Great Quote

2007-07-10T21:06:00.000+04:00

Pastor John Atkinson sent me this quote today and I am going to have it framed and hung up to constantly remind me. Forgive me because I don't know who actually said it:

"God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called." I believe far too many people miss all that God has for them, because when God calls them they listen to all the reasons why they "Can't" or they are not "Qualified". God is just looking for people who will listen and obey, He will take care of the rest!

Consummed

2007-07-09T20:53:00.000+04:00

I am finally really beginning to understand Vision and under what drives people like Church Planters. I am not talking about some neat idea you have, I am talking about something Holy that God drops in you and it changes everything! A few weeks ago a friend came to me and asked me a question, a question that I am sure at the time seemed innocent enough to them, but that question has changed me. As I have sought God about the answer to the "Why" of the question it has become all that I think about. I am not lying when I tell you this - simple things like food are different now, it just doesn't taste the same. I leave the office for lunch now and most of the time I don't even eat - I just want to get away for a little while to seek God about what He is showing me and what I am seeing. And the really weird thing is - I can imagine a zillion different reasons why it is crazy & ONE reason why it is not. And when I compare the "why it won't" to the "why it will" - there is nothing but absolute peace.

Sports Radio

2007-06-28T16:35:00.000+04:00

I listen to 790 The Zone sports talk radio all day long at my desk. I am a sports junkie, in particular Pro Football, and I keep the station playing on my computer all day. Yesterday, they had former Pro Wrestler Lex Luger on their morning show - in response to the events this weekend concerning Chris Benoit. Lex Luger was very open about his salvation and about what Jesus has done in his life, and one of the host of the morning show who has known Lex for quite awhile even spoke of how he realizes that there is something different about Lex now. Click here and scroll down to "Wrestling Superstar Lex Luger" and listen.

Great Quote

2007-06-27T15:51:00.000+04:00

Perry Noble had a great line on a post called My Bible Journey:

"God is Holy and so are His ways…He has never had to say “oops” or “my bad!” And that means I can trust Him…no matter what happens. HE IS STILL GOD!!!"

Meditate on that one and let it really sink in. God is awesome!!!

Coming Clean

2007-06-25T22:00:00.000+04:00

I am going to try something here, more to see if it helps me than anything. People say that if you talk about what is bothering you, a lot of the time it will help. As I have stated on this blog several times before, I am an introvert and I get really introverted when something is bothering me (it drives my wife crazy). Well, I am going to open up and talk/ type about somethings that are bothering me and see if I feel better. Some of you may change your opinion about me after reading this, but I am doing this more for me than anything.

This is not easy for me to admit, but I am terribly depressed! The last 9 days have been really tough for a variety of reasons and I am just not handling things as well as I would have expected (I am disappointed in myself for that). It started with Father's Day. My real dad passed away on February 11th of this year. We had a tough relationship and had not spoken in nearly a year and a half, but I found a certain comfort in the fact that if I needed to I could call him. For whatever reason, Father's Day really drove home the realization that he was gone. And that realization hit hard.

And then came Saturday. Before I begin this tirade I want to make a qualification - I like my bosses. I have only worked for them for about 15 months and I knew their company was struggling when I came to work for them, but sometimes you can only take so much. Friday at my work is supposed to be payday. Friday morning around 11:00am I was called out to a jobsite about 2 hours from the office and knew I would not be back, so I tried to get my paycheck to take with me. Apparently, checks were not ready and I could not get mine yet. Anyway, I met one of my coworkers Friday evening, got my check, got up Saturday morning to go to the bank to cash it before heading off to play golf with some guys from church and BOOM!!! I was told by the bank that the check was written on, that the check was no good. I absolutely blew a gasket, I am not proud of it but I did. After a couple of hours, I was finally able to get my check cashed. But as you can imagine, it sort of ruined my day and I missed my tee time.

I don't know if a few years ago I would have felt this, but in the middle of feeling down I can feel the inner battle going on between the depression and the hope. I can hear God reminding me that He is there and He knows what is going on and He has everything under control.

You know what? I think I do feel better.

Friends

2007-06-21T05:00:00.000+04:00

I had dinner and hung out last night with an old friend I had not seen in over 10 years. Rodney and I were best friends in high school and both played guitars together in a cover band. God used Rodney to help me understand as a young adult, that God not only wanted me to believe in Him but wanted to have a real relationship with me.

Rodney is now the children's pastor at West Ridge Church, and it is just awesome how God is using him to impact young lives.

What was so cool about the evening, is the whole time we were hanging out it did not seem like it had been 10 years since the last time we had seen each other. We talked and opened up to each other like we had never missed a step. Through his time in the ministry he had a lot of wisdom to share with me and it was really cool. There was suppose to have been another friend of ours at the dinner who was unable to join us. It would have been great to see the other friend also, but I know that God ordained this evening just as it was - just the 2 of us.

Fun Day

2007-06-18T18:05:00.001+04:00

I had a great Father's Day with my wife and kid's. They got me a beautiful Life Application Study Bible. The cover is Brown Leather and the front cover looks like alligator skin across about 2/3 of the front. Really cool looking. My wife really pays attention to me because she made sure the text was single column - my favorite.

Spent the day at my mom's with family around the pool. I know I don't say it enough, but my step dad is one the greatest men I have ever met. He took on the responsibility of raising my sister and I when he did not have to, and he did a great job. And now he is an awesome granddad to my 2 kids and my 2 nephews. Thanks for everything dad - I love you!

I love being a dad and I worry sometimes that I don't tell my kids that enough and I worry that I don't show them that enough. I love you BooBoo and Puddin!

Special Moment

2007-06-12T20:25:00.000+04:00

My wife does not agree with this assessment, but my 4 year old son and I had a very special moment together last night. We watched our first WWE match together on TV - John Cenna vs. Edge. It was awesome. My boy was loving it and my wife kept trying to ruin the moment by trying to explain to him that it was FAKE! Women have no appreciation for the finer things in life!

Another Cool Day

2007-06-12T05:30:00.000+04:00

A couple of months ago, Gary Lamb gave me this book - Go Big with Small Groups by John Atkinson and Bill Easum, to read. I really love Small Group ministry and this is a great book that I still carry in my briefcase to reference back to from time to time. If you are involved in Small Groups at your church, this book is definitely worth getting your hands on.

What is so cool about today, is I got to spend about 1 hour and 20 minutes on the phone today with John Atkinson - one of the authors of the book. He is the Small Groups Pastor at Bay Area Fellowship in Corpus Christi, TX. He is a great guy and was more than willing to talk to me about different ideas for growing a Small Group ministry. He is even going to email me some stuff showing me how they do Leader Training and some other things. I am sure it will not be the last time we talk via phone and/ or email.

Wow, I spent Saturday and Sunday with Gary Lamb, I got to meet and hang out for a while with Steven Furtick, and spend over an hour on the phone with John Atkinson. What a cool 48 hours. Thank you Father.

John Atkinson - thank you for your time and your willingness to share your wisdom and experiences with others.

Elevation Church

2007-06-11T20:18:00.001+04:00

What a really cool weekend. I got an opportunity, along with some others from Ridge Stone Church, to visit Charlotte, NC and Elevation Church this weekend. It was awesome. Pastor Furtick came and had dinner with us Saturday evening and that was incredible. As all of you know I read his blog daily, constantly download and listen to his Podcasts, and often times email many of you different posts from his blog. Someone asked me this weekend what I liked about him so much, and having a chance to meet him and talk with him on Saturday confirmed it:

Pastor Furtick is one of those men of God that when you are around him you know that he spends every minute he can seeking the Father. He is truly a man wise beyond his years and takes the responsibility of the call of God on his life very seriously.

We got the opportunity to visit both Elevation Church campuses yesterday, and although I was very ill Friday and Saturday night (I only slept about 30 or 45 minutes Saturday night), I never felt the least bit tired until we finished yesterday. God is doing an awesome thing in Charlotte, NC.

If you ever get to Charlotte, NC, make time to visit one of Elevation Church's campuses on a Sunday morning. You will be glad you did.

Awesome Book

2007-05-31T16:34:00.001+04:00

Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv in Edmond, OK and the author of "Chazown". Chazown is a Hebrew word that means - dream, revelation, vision. This is an awesome book about finding God's vision for your life and living it out. I read it in like 2 days, I could not put it down. Craig has also developed a website that goes along with the book and helps further the experience of the book. The book is very well written and easy to read. I am going to order some extra copies to give to some friends and family. Get the book and read it, it is money well spent.

Unbelievable Day

2007-05-27T17:30:00.000+04:00

Praise God what a day! I got to experience my first Baptism service at RSC today - unbelievable experience! At the start of the day over 60 people had signed up for Baptism, by the time the service was finished 81 people had been Baptized! God is so awesome. As soon as someone posts pictures I will let you know. The service was an outdoor service with 2 Baptism tubs set up on the back of a flat bed trailer. It was awesome!

One of the coolest parts was that 3 of the people from my Home Team got Baptized. Sandi, one of the ladies in our group, her mom was in town for the holiday weekend and came to the service to see Sandi get Baptized and ended up getting Baptized herself. I know I keep saying it was awesome - but it was awesome. I have been a part of the Kingdom of God for a while now and it was one of the most incredible things I have been blessed to be a part of - it was awesome.

I also found out today that Jennifer Popp and I went to High School together. We have emailed back and forth because she is heavily involved in the Creative team and sets the calendar and stuff, but we never realized we new each other already until today - and my sister has been cutting her husband's hair for close to 20 years. Through the course of talking about people we went to school with, Jennifer informs me that one of my best friends from High School is on staff at the church in Paulding County, GA that sent Gary Lamb and the crew out to start RSC. What is so amazing about this, is about a month ago God really placed this guy on my heart and I have really wanted to try to get in touch with him - we lost touch with each other about 10 years ago. Almost everyday God brings him to my mind - after the service today I found a phone number for him and called and left a message.

It was just an awesome day!!! We serve an awesome God!!!

Luke 5:1-11

2007-05-25T03:11:00.000+04:00

Everyone has some type of passion in life - family, work, golf, fishing, or some other type of hobby, etc. When I was 20 years old a friend of mine was telling me a story and in the story he said "Because I feel like that was what God was telling me to do." That one statement changed my life forever, and my relationship with God has never been the same. My passion in life is twofold:

Growing in relationship and intimacy with God
Helping others to realize that they can have an intimate relationship with God, that goes far beyond what their mind will allow them to understand.

I have talked on this blog before about "quiet times" and taking time to be alone with God. Just as important as your quiet time, in growing closer to God, is your obedience to God. I have learned in my life - sometimes the hard way - that nothing will stop my fellowship with God faster than disobedience. Sometimes that obedience means living out what you have learned from Scripture - being obedient to what you already know. But sometimes, obedience means stepping out in faith about something God is telling you to do.

Luke 5:1-11
The Calling of the First Disciples
1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Simon and his boys had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. As a matter of fact, they were done fishing for the day when Jesus comes and asks Simon to take Him out into the water. Simon agrees and takes Jesus in his boat out into the water so Jesus can teach the crowds. When Jesus finishes His message He turns to Simon and tells him to move to deeper water and drop his nets in the water. What follows in this story, I believe, is a very important lesson in developing a deeper intimacy with God.

First is our response:

Look at Simon's response to Jesus in the first part of v.5 and remember this, when God directs you to do something that requires you to step out in faith - it is OK for you to have doubt. God understands our doubt, but despite our doubt we still must step out in faith. Simon said - we have been dropping our nets all night and caught nothing. Simon had his doubts about what Jesus was telling him, but the key is the second part of v.5 - "But because you say so,...". God is telling you to do something and everything around you, everybody around you, and everything you may have tried is telling you it won't work. Obedience only responds 1 way - "But because you say so,...". Your relationship with God can only begin to grow when you "...let down the nets...".

Second is God's response:

v.6 says that the catch was so big the nets began to tear and Simon had to call his partners to help bring in the nets. Despite what his own experience was telling him, Simon obeyed Jesus and the blessing was so great he had to get others involved to handle it. I want to say one thing here, when you decide to walk by faith and to be obedient to God - make sure you have a posse around to share the blessings. Simon got so blessed he had to call in James and John to share in gathering up the blessing. Nothing can sap the joy of a blessing faster than not having people around you to share it with you. God intended for us to do life with others.

v.8 I believe if Simon was here today he would certainly tell us that the catch of fish was an incredible blessing. After all, he was in the fishing business and going out all night and not catching a single fish was certainly no good for business. However, I believe he would also tell us that the real blessing was a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. The Bible says in v.8 that Peter said, "Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man." Peter realized who Jesus was and it humbled him and reminded him who he was. You see, in order for God to reveal Himself to you and for you to understand and grow closer to Him, you have to walk in obedience. Their are going to be times in our life where God is going to call us to step out and obey Him when everything around us says "this is pointless, this will never work, etc." And the blessing is only going to come, God is only going to be able to reveal more of Himself to us when we obey Him.

v.11 "So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him." Simon, James, and John did not park their boats and leave everything to follow Jesus because He blessed them with 2 boats full of fish. Simon, James, and John left everything because they got a revelation of who Jesus is and that happened because they obeyed Him and "...let down the nets...".

Seek Him, listen to Him, and let nothing stop you when He says "...let down the nets..."

Just Thinking

2007-05-24T04:54:00.000+04:00

Just Thinking:

This is the last week of formal Home Team meetings. Fortunately, everyone in our Home Team wants to continue to hang out over the summer. I am glad because I really enjoy Saturday nights with a group of Christians doing life together. We have 3 people from our Home Team getting Baptized this Sunday which is just too cool!
Did anyone see the spat between Rosie O'Donnell & Elizabeth Hasselback?
I just finished reading Creating Community by Andy Stanley & Bill Willits. I read it in like 2 or 3 days and I loved it. The book is about Small Group Ministry in the Church and how they developed the Small Group Ministry at North Point Community Church in Atlanta, GA. The Small Group Ministry at North Point is a key element to the overall ministry of this church, and the story behind the development of this ministry is really interesting and informative. If you are involved in anyway with the Small Group ministry of your church, it is worth your time to check this book out. A lot of good ideas.
I am so looking forward to a 3 day weekend.
I cannot wait for the Baptism service on Sunday!
My little girl just got her results back from this big test the state requires all 1st graders to take to move to 2nd grade. She scored in the "Excels above the Standard" in both categories of Reading and Math, I am so proud of her.

Message Based Curriculum 5.20.07

2007-05-21T23:50:00.000+04:00

HELL NO PART 3

H2O

Gary’s message this week addressed one of the most controversial issues in the Church today – Baptism. The subject of Baptism has caused church splits, family splits, & been a component in the formation of denominations. The most amazing part about this, is that Scripture is very clear about:

Who should get Baptized
The method of Baptism
When a person should get Baptized

As with most things in the Bible, the Church has done a very good job of complicating an issue that is very clear in Scripture.

Read to start:

From the early days of Christianity, water Baptism was used as a public confession of a changed life. Prior to Jesus arriving on the scene, John the Baptist Baptized people in the Jordan River as a public confession of Repentance from sin (See Matthew 3:1-12, & Luke 3:1-3). Even Jesus went to John the Baptist and was water Baptized (See Matthew 3:13-16 & Luke 3:21-22).

Acts 2:37-38 (NIV):

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Commentary on Acts 2:37-38:

Peter calls upon his audience to change their opinion of and attitude toward Jesus and to be Baptized in the name of Jesus as a public acknowledgement that they had accepted Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Baptism in and of itself is not a means of forgiveness and salvation. For the early Church, however, there was no separation between ritual and reality. Coming to Christ and being Baptized were mutually inclusive.

Discussion question:

Who should be Baptized?

Christ Followers, those who have willfully and deliberately made a decision to repent and place their faith in Jesus and follow Him.

Read:

One of the most disputed areas in the disagreements about Baptism is in the method. Some believe Baptism is as a child by being sprinkled, some believe Baptism is after salvation by being sprinkled, some believe you get Baptized 3 times, some believe you get down in the water, some believe the pastor has to get down in the water with you. There are many different beliefs in the method, but let’s see what the Bible has to say:

Matthew 3:16 (NIV):

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water…

Acts 8:38-39 (NIV):

38…And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he Baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water…

Commentary:

It seems clear from these 2 passages of Scripture that both the Baptism of Jesus and the Baptism of the eunuch were done by immersion. The early Christians were Baptized by immersion, meaning their bodies were in the water, went under the water, and came up out of the water. The Greek word for Baptism – Baptizeo – means to wash, immerse, dip under. The word in and of itself literally means to immerse oneself. At RSC we believe and practice Baptism by immersion.

Discussion question:

What method of Baptism do you subscribe to or were you raised with?

Obviously answers will vary here, but the discussion could be interesting.

Read:

Another hot spot in the Baptism disagreement is timing. Many people were Baptized as infants and young children before they were even able to comprehend who Jesus is or what He has done for them. There is nothing wrong with being Baptized as a young child, but it is simply a nice memory for your family and holds no Biblical backing.

Acts 8:12 (NIV)

But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were Baptized, both men and women.

Commentary:

Every instance of Baptism in the New Testament is AFTER someone becomes a follower of Jesus (See Acts 2:41, 10:48, 22:16). Baptism is our way of telling and showing the world that we have chosen to become a follower of Jesus. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward condition.

Discussion question:

When does Scripture teach us a person should get Baptized?

Baptism is the 1^st act of obedience after repenting and placing our faith in Jesus.

Conclusion:

Why do I need to get Baptized?

Baptism let’s the world know I am a follower of Jesus Christ

Colossians 2:12 (NIV):

…having been buried with Him in Baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Baptism illustrates my new life as a Christ Follower

Romans 6:4 (NIV):

We were therefore buried with Him through Baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Baptism demonstrates my obedience to Christ

Matthew 28:19 (NIV):

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, Baptizing them…

As humans, we don’t like to be told what to do, but Christ tells us to be Baptized.

HT Leaders:

Ask your group if anyone is getting Baptized next weekend and ask them to share why they have chosen to get Baptized now.

Baptisms

2007-05-21T18:45:00.000+04:00

I cannot wait for this weekend!!! My wife and I have only been attending Ridge Stone Church since January, and this weekend will be our 1st opportunity to attend a Baptism service at RSC! RSC does Baptisms 2 times a year (Memorial & Labor day weekends) outside in the parking lot of the theater where we hold services. I have been told that the event is akin to a tailgate party at a college football game. People gather early and stay late - I cannot wait.

We actually have 3 people from our Home Team getting Baptized on Sunday which is just way cool!

Gary delivered an awesome message on the subject of Baptism yesterday and if you have not heard it you can go to RSC's website and listen to it or download it as a podcast.

If you are in the Canton area this weekend come by Sunday and enjoy the Baptism service.

Big News

2007-05-15T04:35:00.000+04:00

Well, yesterday's service at Ridge Stone was really cool. Gary announced the big news of the Launch of the Jasper campus on January 6, 2008! Ridge Stone is going Multi-Site and it is really awesome. I pray for Jasper and Pickens County daily and I know that Ridge Stone is going to have a huge impact in this part of Georgia. I get extremely pumped up when I think about the lives that will have been changed this time next year in Jasper, GA as people hear about Jesus Christ.

I pray daily that God will allow me to see lost people as he sees them - at least as much as I can handle in my human form. Pray that prayer and see if God won't begin answering almost immediately.

Man, just a couple more weeks of Home Team meetings. Geez I love my Home Team. I am so thankful God has brought these people into my life.

Gary had a great line in his message yesterday: "It is time the church in America got uncomfortable..." We are the most blessed nation in the world. We enjoy freedoms that no other country now or before now has ever enjoyed and instead of using that freedom to take the message of Christ to the world - we sit in our big fancy buildings and gossip about each other, argue with each other, and we keep what we claim to believe about Jesus to ourselves. God have mercy on us.
Luke 12:48
But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Pray for opportunities - divine appointments - to tell people about Jesus. Another prayer you can count on God answering immediately.

Pray for Gary Lamb, he is really feeling lousy.

Exhausted

2007-05-08T04:56:00.000+04:00

It is tough getting old! You know you are getting old when you stay up until 1:30 in the morning, get 2 1/2 hours sleep and it takes days to get over it. The De la Hoya - Mayweather fight went all 12 rounds, we got home about 1:15am and I was at the church at 6:30am for set-up. About 9:00am, I just sat in a chair in the lobby in a complete fog. When I was 20, I could do that for days at a time, now I need days to recover from 1 time!

Home Team was great - if you want to hear me talk and not shut up: Bring up the subject of Quiet Time with God. Nothing has a bigger impact on my life (since I received Christ as Lord and Savior) and nothing has a greater impact on the individual days of my life than my time alone - one on one - with the Father. And I love to share with people how it can impact their lives as well. Remember this: prayer is not a chore, prayer is not something to be dreaded, prayer is a gift from God.

Luke 23:45:
45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

What an awesome verse. As Jesus hung on the cross and breathed His last, the curtain in the temple that seperated the Holy of Holies was torn in two. The Holy of Holies was a sacred and special place. Only the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies and then only at certain times, but with Jesus' death the curtain tore and the Holy of Holies opened. Praise God, now we can all enter:

Hebrews 4:16:
16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

John 16:26-27:
26In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

Prayer is a GIFT, an awesome GIFT. Go open your GIFT and spend time with the Father.

Yee Haa

2007-05-05T23:39:00.000+04:00

Man, what a rough week! I am really being tested in an area of my life and it is not easy. I am doing a terrible job at handling this issue in a Christlike manner and God lets it keep coming back. I truly appreciate that He is helping me to grow, I just wish I would get a grip on the issue.

Yee Haa! Tonight is Home Team, I loves me some Home Team. I was out of town last weekend and did not get to go to the meeting, so I am really stoked about tonight. It is just awesome to be able to hang out with a group of Christ Followers and be completely open and honest and know that there is nothing you can't tell these people. Doing life together with other believers is just incredible. I don't think I knew how much I needed genuine fellowship with other Christ Followers in my walk with Christ, until I got it. If you don't have it, GET IT!

Tonight is the Oscar de la Hoya & Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. I can't wait! I love boxing. Is that a terrible thing for a Christ Follower to say?

If you attend Ridge Stone Church, you do not want to miss Gary's message tomorrow! Remember, because of summer blockbuster's there is only 1 service and it starts at 10:00am!

Thoughts from the Road Trip

2007-05-01T04:44:00.000+04:00

We had a great weekend on our trip! Traffic was lousy leaving the ATL on Friday - it took us 6 hours to make a 240 mile trip, but it was worth it to spend sometime with my wife's family - and I got 3 new pairs of cowboy boots from my father-in-law - yeah me! About 90% of the time, if you see me, I will have on boots and thanks to my father-in-law I have not had to buy a pair in about 5 years. It was a little tough seeing my wife's grandmother though, here is a women who 4 years ago - in her early 80's - was as vibrant and active as any 60 year old you would ever meet. Over the last few years she has suffered a stroke and fallen and broken her hip. She is unable to walk without a lot of assistance. Her mind is still very sharp, but she really does not like being immobile.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Columbia and Irmo campuses for Seacoast Church and see some Multi-Site campuses in action. 2 thoughts I took away from the visits:
1) Everyone on both campuses were so available to us and so willing to show us around, answer questions about how they do certain things, certain things they tried that did not work, budgeting, etc. No question seemed off limits and they were genuinely excited to find out that we were from a church that was considering Multi-Site. The way we were treated had a huge impact on me.
2) The other thing that really impacted me was a question that continuosly went thru my mind. The Columbia and Irmo campuses are only about 17 miles apart from each other - maybe a 20 minute drive on Sunday mornings - and I kept wondering, if you combined those 2 campuses into 1, right in the middle of where both of them are located - how many of the people we saw going in and out would not have been there for a celebration service. Between the 2 campuses, I am sure 800+ people were in attendance on Sunday (both campuses have 2 Sunday morning services) and both campuses are fairly new in their present locations - the Irmo campus held services for 2+ years in a movie theatre - with plenty of room for growth. It is not only amazing the impact both campuses have had already, but the potential for even greater impact. And if you want a sign that it is working (I don't know the figures for the Columbia campus) - the Irmo campus has a 50% participation rate in their Small Group/ Home Team ministry. What this indicates to me is that lives are being changed. People are not just filling seats on Sunday mornings and going home, but they are fellowshipping and sharing lives together. This is a very important barometer to a healthy, growing church.

I will be very honest with you about something some of you are probably thinking: When Pastor Surratt came on the video screen and began to deliver his message - I did not one time sit there and think "This would be better if he was really here as opposed to watching a simulcast/ videocast (whatever it was)." The power to change lives is in the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God and that does not change depending on the delivery method. Multi-Site works and I can give you countless examples all around the country and the world where it works. Seacoast just happens to be one of many.

Road Trip

2007-04-27T15:36:00.000+04:00

Ok, I know, I have not been doing better about my posting - but I am trying and I am going to get better - I promise.

My family and I are leaving on a little trip in a few hours and I am really looking forward to it. I am actually getting to accomplish 2 things on this trip to Columbia, SC:
1) Visit my wife's grandmother and her dad (her grandmother is a saint and I love being around her)
2) Tim May (Worship Pastor for Ridge Stone), Malcolm Young (Connections Pastor for Ridge Stone), Amy Young (Production Director for Ridge Stone) and myself, are all going Sunday Morning to 2 of the Seacoast Community Church campuses to check out how they do Multi-Site. I can't wait.

Last weekend I had the memory upgrade done on my cellphone and now it is an MP3 player. I have 4 hours of Steven Furtick and about an hour of Mark Driscoll downloaded on my cellphone and about 10 hours of CD's of Gary Lamb to listen to and it is only a 3 hour trip. I can't wait to just get started driving!

Pray for me please. I received a really great offer yesterday that is going to require that I get a grip on my time management skills in order to be able to devote the time needed and the time that I want to devote to this ministry (I will discuss the ministry more later). I am really asking God for 2 things:
1) Help me to really understand my calling (I know what it is, I would just really like some more understanding)
2) Show me what it is in my life that needs to be gone to allow more time for the "best things" or teach me how to get a better grip on my schedule. Something is just seriously not working here.

I heard a great message yesterday from Steven Furtick that I downloaded to my phone (technology is so cool) (link) and I wanted to share the main point of the message with you:

Matthew 7:24 & 25
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

One man built on sand and the other on The Rock, but look at verses 25 & 27 - the storm hit both houses! As Christ Followers we are not exempt from the storms of life. Jesus said in John 16:33:
33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
The storms of life will come, but the question is "What will your house look like after the storm?" Will your house be standing because it was built on THE ROCK? Or will you be out in the yard picking up the pieces because your house was built on temporary things (your reputation, your money, your education, your own strengths and successes)?

I don't mean to post such a gloomy message, but I think it is important. Too many people fall away from Christ when things get tough - when the storms of life come. The Bible does not promise us an easy ride once we accept Jesus. However, the Bible does tell us that we have not been left alone.

If you get time, follow the link and listen to the whole message.

Joshua 1:7a "Be strong and very courageous..."

Psalm 139:23 & 24

2007-04-20T05:17:00.000+04:00

I have been involved in several conversations lately with people, concerning their personal daily devotional time with God. Many seem to struggle in this area with being consistent, for the most part because they do not have a plan. While browsing Purpose Driven Life's website the other day, I found a great article on the subject (link) that I enjoyed so much I emailed it to everyone in my Home Team. One of the Scripture passages that was used in this article stayed on my mind all day today and I just wanted to put my thoughts out there:

Psalm 139:23-24 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

These verses have long been 2 of my favorites in the Bible. I love the complete surrender the Psalmist voices to God, to ask God to basically put him through the ringer and say - Regardless of how hard the truth may be, give me the truth.

Let's look at the 3 "me's" from these verses:
1) "Search me,..."
I have a junk drawer in my kitchen - I am sort of a pack rat - I save every piece of mail, every receipt, every church bulletin, everything, and it drives my wife crazy. Once every few months I go and "Search" this drawer - not to find something - but to clean it out of the stuff I don't need to hold onto. In much the same way, I believe that is what the Psalmist is saying here in v.23 - God, go through me, look at my heart, and find the stuff that does not belong, find the stuff that needs to be thrown out. God, find the things in me that are holding me back from growing closer to you and let's get rid of it. If we are going to continuosly grow in Christ, we must allow God to repeatedly go through our junk drawer and show us things that need to be thrown out.
2) "Test me..."
The Psalmist says - God, I know I have areas in my life that need to be dealt with, so "Search me", but also I know there are points in my life where I stop following you - be it fear or a lack of trust - and I start doing things my way again. "Test me" and find the anxiety triggers. As I go through this junk drawer, I have 3 piles - a trash pile, a keep it pile, and a 3rd pile of stuff that I know I should throw away and for some reason I struggle with putting it in the trash can. I become convinced that the minute the trash goes to the street, I am going to wish I had that thing back. God is going through our junk drawer and he says OK, get rid of this and we throw it out; God says OK, get rid of this and we throw it out; God says OK, get rid of this and all of the sudden we say "You know what God, that one there I think I am going to hold onto - I don't think I trust you enough to throw that one away quite yet". And the Psalmist is saying - find that spot where the anxiety begins and let's deal with that issue.
3) "Lead me..."
I love this part, because to me I hear the Psalmist making a commitment to God to stay the course. "Search me" God, and find the stuff that is coming between you and I. "Test me" God, and find the places in my life where I still lack faith. The Psalmist tells God - take this inventory of my heart and my mind and everything about me - and "lead me in the way everlasting." And by asking God to "Lead", the Psalmist is telling God - I will follow.

Pray these verses back to God daily and be willing to allow Him to show you those areas that still need to be placed on the Cross. And when He reveals something to you, make up your mind right now that you will follow His lead.

Leaders Are Not Superhuman

2007-04-18T04:41:00.000+04:00

Do me a favor, read the following posts:
Gary Lamb, Steven Furtick, & Perry Noble (any of you that have read this blog in the past, know that I read these guys blogs everyday). Our Pastors and Church leaders are constantly under attack and needing our prayers. Write in your calendar, put a reminder on your cell phone, something, but please remind yourselves to pray daily for those that God has placed in your lives to be your Pastor and those he has placed in your lives to lead the churches where you attend and serve. The Apostle Paul repeatedly asked that those he was writing to pray for him and pray for the ministry God had given him. You want to have your world rocked during your Sunday morning church service? Take time everyday on your knees before God praying for your Pastor, lift him or her up to God and ask God to strenghten him, encourage him, anoint him, bless him, etc. and see if this Sunday is not a special blessing to you. And thank God and praise God for the Pastor that He has placed in your life.

I am going to ask for some help here: If you notice on some of the blogs, people have a list to the side of some of their favorite books with a picture of the cover of the book? Can someone email me and tell me how to do that please? I read quite a bit and I would like to have a list like that where I can recommend some of my favorites.

Speaking of which: I just started reading a book today "Confessions of a Reformission Rev." by Mark Driscoll and I cannot put it down - it is incredible! I haven't even finished reading it yet and I already highly recommend it to anyone who feels the call to be a Pastor or a Church Planter.

Members of RSC: Remember to pray repeatedly for the staff this week as they are on their staff retreat.

90 Miles an Hour to Nowhere

2007-04-16T23:08:00.000+04:00

It certainly is no suprise, but the harder I try to get my priorities in order - the less time I seem to have to get things done. I did not even realize until Friday afternoon, when my wife brought it to my attention, that I had not posted anything to my blog in over a week. I really believe that as this year progresses God has some real changes in store for me, and as this unfolds I really wanted to have this blog as sort of a journal that I could always look back on and also to share the journey with anyone who might be interested. That said, I am going to try something different in order to stay more consistent. I am going to start using my lunch hour for posting.

Without a doubt, this has become one of the craziest times of my life and I have no doubt that it is happening on purpose and for a reason. As I stated above, I believe God has some changes coming for me as this year progresses and I believe this time right now is a time of preparation. My early morning prayer time has become more important than ever to me, and I realize more than ever how important that time alone with God is, to everything in my life. And as the days get more hectic, I find myself more and more aware of the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. I know that sounds funny, but I am constantly thinking about what is the best use of each minute of my day.

Because God is so awesome, he brings elements together all in their right order. While sharing breakfast with Gary Lamb a few weeks ago, he recommended that my wife and I read together "The Purpose Driven Life", by Rick Warren, so I bought the book. Last Tuesday I began going through the book with my wife and also my friend Mark Stowers. Easter Sunday Gary began a series called "24" where he is teaching on how to live 1 day, 1 24 hour period the way God intended. So just as God is beginning to show me that I need order and priorities in my life, He brings these things along to help me to learn and understand. I love you Father, you are awesome!

Bowling

2007-04-06T18:06:00.000+04:00

I am so stoked!!! When my wife and I got married she was into league bowling pretty heavy and got me involved. Through the first 6 or 7 years of our marriage we bowled in at least 1 league a week. About 2 years ago we stopped bowling altogether - not sure why we just could not find a league we liked. Tonight we are going bowling with some friends and I cannot wait!

Hear is what I am thinking about today:
Luke 24:39 is just an awesome verse where Jesus is talking to the disciples after he has been resurrected:
"Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you can see I have." (NIV)
What an awesome passage of scripture! We do not serve an idol made from the hands of man, we do not serve someone who's bones can still be removed from a grave, but a risen Lord with flesh and bones. He came to earth because our Heavenly Father loves us so much.

One of my all time favorite passages of Scripture is John 17:3:
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (NIV)
Jesus came and died that "...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10, NIV)
Meditate on John 17:3, eternal life is not just for tomorrow - but for today.

As we celebrate Easter and the resurrection of our risen Lord, let us "Examine" ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5) and make sure that we are living life to the full.

Have a great weekend and find someone who needs to hear the truth and invite them to church Sunday.

Breakfast

2007-04-06T02:42:00.000+04:00

Hey Dudes we are going to be meeting at Ryan's in Canton by Wal-Mart Saturday morning and eating breakfast if you want to join us - 7:30am.

House on Fox

2007-04-04T17:40:00.000+04:00

I don't watch a lot of TV. I watch Nascar & Football, a little bit of baseball, certain golf tournaments (majors), there are a couple of sitcoms I watch on Mondays, & hands down my must watch TV is "Pardon the Interruption" weekdays on ESPN - I record it and watch when I can because I am not usually home when it comes on. For the longest time I have had several people tell me I needed to check out "House" on the Fox network. I cannot ever remember when it comes on and so I never watch, but last night I saw an episode and I was absolutely stunned. If you did not see, try to find it on the web somewhere and watch it!

I won't spoil the ending, but here is the long & short of it: This pregnant lady has a stroke and is taken into Dr. House's hospital. They run test after test on both the mother and the baby and cannot find what is wrong. Their is something wrong with the baby that is quickly killing the mother and the child, but the mother refuses to have an abortion even if it costs her life. All through the episode, Dr. House refuses to call the baby a baby, he will only call it a fetus. Repeatedly during the show they emphasize that the baby is still at least 2 weeks away from being able to live outside the mother. As a last ditch effort, they decide to open the mother up, open the womb, and do surgery on the baby to try to find out the problem and here comes the good part. When Dr. House opens the womb, the baby reaches out and grabs hold of his finger and Dr. House freezes and you can tell that his entire thought process is changing. From that point on he refers to the baby as a baby - no longer calling it a fetus! I was floored at the Pro Life message I was watching and floored by the guts someone had to put that on and deal with the backlash they would obviously take for doing so. PRAISE GOD!

Look at this

2007-04-03T20:47:00.000+04:00

I found 2 really good posts you should check out when you get a chance:

1) Perry Noble "What If"
2) Steven Furtick "Follow That Bird"

Really good stuff.

This ever happen to you?

2007-04-03T04:27:00.000+04:00

I don't know exactly how to explain what is going on, but I am in one of those places right now that I don't recall ever having been in before. I started reading a new book today by a pastor from up north and he is describing a period of time in his life - a life changing time in his life - and he new God was working in his life, he just wasn't sure what He was doing. I have that same feeling and it is cool and exciting, but odd at the same time.

Yesterday Gary Lamb delivered a stand alone message that was all about the vision for Ridge Stone Church and it was powerful. All thru the service God was stirring me like I have never been stirred, and since the service I have listened to the message 3 more times on CD and that same stirring continues - I don't know what it is, but it continues. I wish I could just have all day to get on my face before God, not to get an answer so much as to be completely focused on Him while he does what he is doing. God is so wonderful, I came home from work this afternoon and my wife had taken the kids with her to get her haircut. I came home and had sometime by myself in an empty house to just fall on my face and focus on Him. It was an incredible time and I am so thankful that the Blood of Christ makes it possible for me to approach the Father anytime.

In closing, I want to say thank you to Gary Lamb, Perry Noble, and Steven Furtick, I read each of your blogs daily and I am encouraged beyond belief by your courage, your passion for the lost, and your single mindedness to the vision God has given you. Thank you that you do not allow compromise when it comes to those visions.

Hang Out & Drink Coffee

2007-03-29T16:36:00.000+04:00

Saturday morning - 3.31.07 - Starting @ 7:30am
A handful of us guys are going to be meeting @ It's A Grind coffee shop on Highway 5 & Exit 14 (I-575) in the Publix Shopping Center. We are just going to be drinking some coffee and shooting the bull. I have a real passion to see some type of men's fellowship develop - whether it be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly - where men can gather in a relaxed setting, fellowship with other men, develop new friends and contacts, and hopefully feel free to share their lives.

I realized a couple of months ago that I did not really have any male friends that I could share with about what God was doing in my life and also find out what God was doing in their lives. Most of my friends are associated with my work and they are tired of hearing it. Out of that realization came a passion for some type of men's fellowship group. I shared this desire with a friend (Mark Stowers) who really liked the idea and we decided to start it off meeting at coffee shops or for breakfast and see what happened.

If you are in the area stop by and hang out with us.

Lousy Weekend

2007-03-25T04:11:00.000+04:00

Geez, I am not liking this weekend so far. 1st off our Home Team meeting is cancelled, everyone had prior commitments that were scheduled before the meeting time was set up. We may try to do something tomorrow afternoon, but we are not sure yet. I look so forward to those meetings, I don't know how to describe it but having a close nit group of people you can talk to about anything is an answer to prayer in my life. We have only been meeting for a few weeks, but I have no doubt that I have friends for life.

Also, my 4 year old son has been sick all week - running high fevers, real sluggish, sleeping all the time - we took him to the doctor Tuesday and they said they just thought his body was trying to fight off an infection. By the time I got home from work yesterday, I was feeling really lousy, and when I woke up about 3:00am this morning I felt like I had been hit by a bus. I slept in the bed until 11:30am and then moved to the couch and slept the rest of the day. I woke up with about 50 laps left on the Busch race. Thank God my fever has gone down for now. If this is anything like what my son has been going through this week, the fever will be back in the morning.

If you have not had a chance, look at Gary's blog and read about the dream he has been having the last few nights - aahh!

Take a moment to pray for the services tomorrow. Of the 4 messages of the Baggage Series, Emotional Baggage is the one that I feel is going to hit home for the most people.

Always Somebody

2007-03-24T05:36:00.000+04:00

It is pretty cool that as many people as live in Canton, and as big a town as it seems to be becoming, it is almost certain that if I leave my house I will run into someone I know from Ridge Stone. We seem to be everywhere. So let me say this:

"Residents of Canton - come out with your hands raised praising Jesus, WE'VE GOT YOU SURROUNDED!" AMEN!

OUCH!!!

2007-03-21T01:37:00.000+04:00

Like most guys, I like to consider myself fairly tough. I can tolerate a certain amount of pain. I certainly would not consider myself a "girly man" in terms of pain tolerance. With 1 small exception - my knees. I have arthritis in both of my knees and neither of my kneecaps move back and forth on the correct track like most folks kneecaps. 6 years ago - after about 8 years of tile setting - my left knee decided it had had enough and needed surgery. All went great with the surgery until about 3 months ago when the pain suddenly returned. Along with swelling, fluid build-up, limited range of motion, yada, yada, yada. When the pain became so bad it started interrupting my sleep - it was time to call the Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Today was my visit with him. They took a gazillion X-Rays, poked, proded, squeezed, grabbed, and generally anything else they could to locate the exact areas of pain and to ensure that I left there in more pain than I came in with - thanks Doc. He told me what he thought it was, told me I needed an MRI and if he was correct I would need surgery rather quickly. Apparently he saw the look on my face and offered another solution to try and I would know within about a week if we definitely needed to proceed with the MRI. His other solution was a Cortisone injection and herein lies the problem - I DON'T LIKE NEEDLES AROUND MY KNEES!!! I don't know what it is, but I don't like it. So, he did it anyway! He stuck a needle about 6" long right into my knee joint and I thought I was gonna get to see Jesus! In hindsight, I think next time I will opt for the surgery - at least I will be sedated for that!

An Encounter with The Father

2007-03-20T04:42:00.000+04:00

Man, Gary Lamb made a great point yesterday in his message on Addiction Baggage. He said if you are going to overcome your addiction (and baggage period) you have got to get on your face before God and seek Him - you gotta do some "carpet sucking" I believe is the way he put it. Not just tossing some prayer in the general direction of where you think God is, but seek God with all you got and keep seeking. Get on your face before God and don't give up until you get a touch from Heaven.

As I began studying over the Home Team Curriculum last Monday for this past Saturday's meeting, God began to walk me through some areas of the Bible and remind me of things that I wanted to take a few minutes to share:

In the Old Testament, the Israelites would many times assign a name to God after an experience they had with Him and that name would explain how that experience taught them something about God - His nature, His power, His relationship with us:
Jehovah - Tsidkenu "Jehovah our righteousness"
Jehovah - M'Kaddesh "Jehovah who sanctifies"
Jehovah - Shammah "Jehovah is present"
And there are many more. These names were significant because they reminded the Israelites as they went forward, who God was and what He had done for them. They had encountered the living God and He revealed Himself to them and that encounter brought joy and freedom.

In the New Testament, their are 2 stories in particular that I began to look at:
John 4: 1-26 Jesus and the Samaritan women
John 8: 1-11 Jesus and the Adulterous women
I will not go through both stories because it would take to much time, but if you read these stories you will see 2 people with a lot of baggage and turmoil in their lives. However, their encounter with Jesus changed their lives from that moment on. The Samaritan woman was so overcome she left her water jug at the well and ran back to get everyone and bring them to the well to meet Jesus. To the Adulterous woman He said "Then neither do I condemn you,". These 2 women were freed from their baggage once they encountered and believed in who Jesus is.

We need to start "carpet sucking" until we get an encounter from the living God that frees us of whatever is waying us down.

Home Teams

2007-03-19T05:02:00.000+04:00

Man if you are a Christ Follower and you are not in a Home Team/ Small Group Meeting, you need to get in one or start one. I used to not really look forward to Saturdays because it was always errand day, and we would go 90mph all day long getting things done and then come home and crash. Well, Saturday nights is now when our Home Team meets and it is unchained. We have these great folks from our church named the Stowers and they open their home and allow us in and it is just incredible the bonding that has gone on after just 3 meetings. Gary (http://www.garylamb.org) began a series last week called Baggage, dealing with such things as addiction, unforgiveness, depression, and the like, that way us down and stop us from reaching our potential in Christ. Our Home Team group really opened up and it was just unbelievable to hear people's stories.

You have to find some folks that you can open up to if you want to get free from your baggage. Everyone in the Body of Christ has been given different gifts and those gifts are given to build up the Body of Christ in unity and love. When a brother or sister is able to use their gift in your time of need, it is not only for your benefit but also for theirs. Allow Jesus to love you through those he has placed around you and in the words of Gary Lamb "Unzip your Baggage."

So Cool

2007-03-18T17:38:00.000+04:00

Well finally I am blogging. I am not sure why, it just seemed like something I would enjoy. I am an introvert so it seemed like a great way to unload stuff.

It is almost time to leave for church - I love Sunday mornings! If you are ever in the Canton, GA area drop in and join us at Ridge Stone Church. This is not your momma's church.