Off to the Mountains

 Church at the Grove, Church Planting, Family  No Responses »
May 162007
 

I am taking a few days with my wife Jill and we are going to get away in the mountains of North Georgia. 

I have to be honest; I am tired!  I love pastoring and I love the experience we have had in launching Church at the Grove, but it is hard work.  I wouldn’t have it any other way, but it is good to be able to get away for some Sabbath time. 

We had another great weekend at Church at the Grove.  We began a new series called “Fuel”.  We had 328 people for our Mother’s Day Sunday and another four people turned to follow Christ!  The sermon was on “The Winner’s Circle” and we challenged people to “Run the Race and Share the Race”!

It makes me want to spike a Hymnal!

We only have a couple of weeks left before school is out and we move into our summer schedule.  We will have two more weeks of two Sunday services and then we will go back to one Sunday service for nine weeks before going back to two in the fall. 

Summer is crazy in the life of a church.  People are vacationing and traveling, spending time at the lake along with many other activities. 

I pray that we all take advantage of the rich opportunity to build friendships and relationships with the people living around us and in our circles of influence.  Build relationships and friendships that will offer the opportunity to start a discussion about the hope found in Christ.  Don’t allow yourself to get to the end of the summer without investing in other’s with the love of Jesus.

Get out of the house; Walk across the street; Tell someone about Church at the Grove!  Tell someone about Jesus!

 Posted by at 7:44 am

My Wife

 Family  No Responses »
May 152007
 

My wife is HOT!!!!!!

Oh sorry, I must contain myself.  My wife is by far THE BEST thing that has happened in my life outside of God’s divine intervention by redeeming me through Christ.  She is the greatest wife and the greatest mom in the world!

She is my best friend!  She is my lover!  She is a godly mother to our children.

One of my friends said recently that “the fragrance of Christ is all over our home”.  That is due to Jill’s godly influence.

She is a shining example of what it says in Proverbs 31.  Check it out. 

She is a humble servant that lives with an obviously large measure of grace and mercy to put up with me.  I can’t imagine life without her. 

She is the perfect wife for the place that God has put us in this stage of our life.  She loves God and she loves people and she loves to see people embrace the message of Christ.  She has a missionary’s heart and she is constantly looking for ways to share the love of Christ.

I thank God for my beautiful and wonderful wife!

 Posted by at 8:56 am

My Mom

 Family  No Responses »
May 152007
 

This past week and weekend was absolutely crazy.  So much so that I put away the keyboard for a few days and did not blog.

I had planned to write a couple of posts in honor of my mom and my wife.  Its a little late, but I can’t continue without sharing my thoughts about my mother.

My mom is a living example of what the bible calls the “fruit of the spirit”.  You can check out the verse in Galatians for yourself. 

Through many difficult experiences growing up, I watched my mom “hold” things together in our household.  Although she was hurting inside much of the time due to family turmoil, she continued to devote care and attention to her children, especially to me being the youngest.  I watched my mom exhibit self-control and a servant spirit under very turbulent circumstances.

She is a “classy” lady and has grown into a godly women that is a wonderful example to my family and others in her church of what faithfulness to God and family should be. 

I absolutely love my Mom!

 Posted by at 8:46 am

Vision! Part I

 Church, Missional  No Responses »
May 102007
 

I spent some precious time with one of my best friends in life Tuesday night and Wednesday night.  You know how you have those friends for life that although you don’t talk as regularly, when you get a chance to see them, you pick up right where you left off.  Darren is that kind of friend. 

Darren is a pastor at a church that has caused him much grief and sorrow over the last year or so.  This is one of those churches that has no vision for reaching people with the life-changing message of Jesus!  I shouldn’t lump all of the people in the same basket.  To be honest, it is probably only a few people causing the problems, but they seem to make the most noise. 

Proverbs 29:18 (NKJV)
18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.

Another word for “revelation” is “vision”.  Where there is no vision,any old purpose or direction will do. When you do not clearly understand your purpose in life or in a church or in any organization, anyone else’s purpose or direction will do.  This is what happens in churches that forget what our “vision” as Christ-followers is focused around. 

Miserable people without a vision for their life always make everyone else around them miserable!

We are here to share Jesus with others!  That’s it!  That’s all that matters!  Nothing else!

Check out Matthew 28:18-20; check out Luke 19:10

First of all Darren is my friend and when my friends hurt, I hurt.  I felt like getting in my car, calling my AW committee, (“W” stands for whooping; you figure the “A” out!) and heading out to “lay hands” on some people!

We must understand clearly what God has called us to do!  God has put us here to lead people to follow Jesus and Make Disciples!  That is it!  The rest is simply determining the best WAY to do it where you live.

What is your vision for life?  What is the vision of your church?

NOW, get up and walk outside your house, office, cubicle or whatever and go have a conversation with someone that needs encouragement and hope.  BE JESUS to somebody.  Go ahead!  Walk across the street!

 Posted by at 9:24 am
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