Weekend Update

• Pattie has been at her Mom's since Thursday. She should be home tomorrow. I miss her terribly.
• Spent Sat and Sun at the church packing it up. We got a lot done but their is still much to do. We have 6 years of stuff that we didn't mind having while we were in the warehouse but alot of it we don't want to store. Come by the church on Tuesday night from 6-8 and see if you would like anything.
• Went to the Pointe Church that meets at Hasty Elementary School. Very good service. I was impressed. The pastor, Brian Jones, did a great job and their music and visuals were excellent.
  
• After working at the church, Rayanne and I spent the rest of the day together swim suit shopping. Went to lots of stores including the mall and found one at our last stop.
• Jeep is not running. A friend is coming to look at it in the morning. Pray that we can fix it.
• Did I tell you that I miss Pattie?
  

Thursday at Caribou Coffee

• Thursday nights have been fun for me the past few weeks. I take Rayanne to youth group on Thurs nights and I go to Caribou Coffee and blog, read, etc until it is over at 9:00. Joe lets me use his laptop which makes me feel young and hip and it is a Mac so I feel even younger and more hip. Although just using the word "hip" probably takes me down a notch on the cool scale. I'm not a big coffee house guy. I honestly prefer McDonald's ice coffee. It's not as strong and its cheaper. But Caribou Coffee offers an orange tea which I am growing very fond of.
• Pattie went to Chattanooga with her sister while her mother goes in the hospital over night for some tests. Please pray for her mother. Her blood count keeps going down and they don't know why. Pray for Pattie also. It will be a long night in the hospital. It's never a good place to get rest.
• It's weird not to have to get a sermon together for Sunday. But I have a busy summer to prepare for.
• Several pastors in the area have been reaching out to me hearing that we were having to move out of the warehouse. Ross Wiseman from Metro Church, Brian Jones from The Point Church, Philip Young from Holly Springs baptist. These are great guys and all say they want to help in any way they can and I appreciate the gestures and their prayers.
  
• I had a lengthy talk with Gary Lamb of Revolution Church on Tuesday. It was good to speak to him. I am always challenged by him. And even though he is taking over our warehouse, it was good to tell him what I felt God was leading me to do and get his input. Gary can come across a little hard with his straight forward, honest approach but he always has some wisdom that is worth hearing and causes you to examine the way you are thinking and the way you are doing things. Its a good thing.
• June is going to be a busy month. Not only are we moving and trying new things but I will also be traveling to Indianapolis, Denver, and Gulf Shores, AL. I will be speaking at a camp in Gulf Shores for Ewtonville Baptist in Dunlap, TN. 8 messages in 5 days. Pray for me and the teens that will be there. In July we are planning a trip to Lakeland, FL for our nephew's wedding. We have never traveled this much.
• No Lost Party tonight. The two-hour season finale is next thursday. Can't wait.
• Watched the whole season of American Idol but missed the finale this week. I called David Cook as the winner from the beginning.
  

Demo Man

Spent the evening disassembling our church. Taking our Axios Kids Bible Adventure Land sign down was the hardest. It was a little sad but I will shed no tears. It is what it is - a building. We will continue to reach out to this area in a new way and as long as the Lord allows.

Survived the storm

We survived the storm that came in at supper time last night with very little damage. The front gutter is hanging by a thread and the lawn was strewn with leaves and hail but our house survived the tornado type weather. Two doors down, a tree went through the roof and into the bedroom of our neighbors. Across the street, a large tree was completely uprooted but fell harmlessly beside the house. Around the corner, another tree fell on a parked car. The power was out all night and didn't come on until 7:45 this morning. It was cool to see the neighbors respond to other neighbors who needed help clearing trees and debris. Many buses could not reach their kids this morning because of downed trees and power lines. I keep praying for others in the county who have suffered from this storm.

Weekend Update

• It was our last service in the warehouse. No tears. The only regret was not recognizing earlier that it was time to move. Good crowd. Good vibe. Sense of anticipation at what comes next. I'm proud of our people. They are very encouraging to me and I can see how God has been working in their lives.
• Took up the stage and chairs immediately after the service. It was weird.
  
• Followed up last week's sermon "What would it take for God to get you to move?" with "What would it take for God to get you to something different?" Often it comes back to our worship and how we see God and how we respond to Him. If you can't see God doing something different then you probably won't change either. If you see God as static then you will probably stay static. God is unchanging in His character which makes Him trustworthy and viable to follow but He is also unpredictable and uncontained and far above our thoughts and ways. The unchanging God is continually calling us to change.
  
• We looked at three people responding to God on the move in 2 Samuel 6. The Ark of the Covenant (you know, "The Raiders of the Lost Ark" ark) was being moved to Jerusalem. Uzzah (a priest), David (the king) and Michal (David's wife) all responded differently.
• Uzzahs are those who try to keep God in a box. The ox stumbled, the ark began to fall and Uzzah tried to stop it. They wouldn't want God to spill out. No telling what would happen (watch Raiders of the Lost Ark). It's much safer for God to stay in the box. We want a God that we can control not One that is unleashed in this world. Uzzah had been in charge of the ark for so long (20 years) that it had become common to him. He was a priest and had become religious instead of a true worshiper. He suffered from the disease of familiarity that plagues much of Christianity today. We think we have God figured out. Uzzah died on this day but thinking it was his job to take care of God had slowly sucked the life out of him for years. The problem with being an Uzzah is that it seems the right thing to do but God is not so easily tamed and can take care of Himself very well.
• Davids are those who are moving with God. David, the king, knew who the real King was. He knew that God was not common but that he was. So he took his place as a worshiper among the servant girls and the common people. He was not self-aware but God-focused. He danced and disrobed, oblivious to his surroundings because "it was before the Lord." He sacrificed and gave generously which is always the sign of true worshipers. He was criticized but he didn't care. His response to his critics was "You haven't seen anything yet!"
  
• Michals are those who observe instead of participate, judge instead of love. They are uninvolved yet very opinionated. They never truly worship and become barren in their spirit. The critical, bitter, jealous heart is not fertile ground for the work of God.
• Ended by saying that I felt God was leading us to do something different this summer. We are going to do Saturday night church instead of Sunday morning. Many churches are doing this across the nation but no one is doing it in our area. If you are an Uzzah, you will object by thinking that Sunday morning is the box that God dwells in. Michals will tell us every reason why it won't work and stand on the sideline to watch us fail. But if you're a David, the thrill of God moving makes you want to dance, oblivious to everything except God. We're going to let God spill out on Saturday nights.
  

Rayanne's big night

Rayanne has a formal literary presentation tonight. Each student is giving a speech or reciting a poem or, like Rayanne, singing a song. She is singing and Joe is playing. I am looking forward to it.

Death has no sting!

Had breakfast at IHOP with my sister Penny and her husband David. They spoke last night at Shiloh Hills Baptist Church in Kennesaw and then spent the night at our house. David's mother just went to be with the Lord and the funeral is Sat. in Ringold, GA. David and Penny are missionaries in Ukraine and are home until mid June for their son's college graduation. I am thankful that they were here for this difficult time too. Even though we sorrow, death has no sting and the grave has no victory for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. Sorrow turns to joy when you realize that this is a temporary separation and life is just beginning for her - a healthy, new, energized life! It is the great hope of all who believe.

Playing the Lottery

One of my friends from the Bus Shop bought me a Lottery ticket for this past Tuesday. It was a $5 5 number ticket. She wrote me a very nice note and said that she hoped this ticket was a winner and that God would give me the money to build the kind of church that God and I had dreamed of. Having never played the Lottery, I had her explain how it works. I know that most of you don't need lessons in playing the lottery but for those who do, this is the deal. I had 5 series of 6 numbers per series. You don't have to match all of them to win something. Even if you only match 2 numbers you can win a few bucks but the more you match the more you win. I was dead tired Tuesday night and ready to hit the sack at 10:00 but no way I was going to sleep until I saw the numbers drop at 11:00. The sincerity of my friend and and the spirit of her gift almost had me believing that God was going to let me cash in. The six lottery balls dropped and out of the 30 numbers on my ticket, I matched 1. I have to say it was disappointing but for only $5 I can try again tomorrow.

Weekend Update

We had a crazy, insane weekend. Mother's day, Joe's prom, Joe's birthday, Jacob's birthday (my grandson), and everything was awesome.

• Started Friday morning when Camille came over for the day as usual only this time she was going to stay the night too. We had a great time with her at Target where she refuses to ride and only wants to push the buggy. Then she likes to reorganize all the merchandise. She's awesome. Had to let her sleep with Pattie which meant I went to the couch.
• Rayanne went to Six Flags on Friday and conquered her fear of roller coasters.
• Went to my grandson Matthew's baseball game on Saturday. He is an all-star and it is fun to watch him play.
• To Jacob's birthday party at Jenny's. What a blessing he was to me as he showed genuine appreciation as a 9 yr. old for the generous gifts he received.
• Then to meet Joe and his prom dates and the rest of the entourage of friends for pictures. Everyone was handsome and beautiful.
• Huge, noisy storm Saturday night and Sunday morning which kept me up and I went back to the couch for the second night in a row.
• Sunday was a great service. Good crowd and God really used the message. We gave all mothers sunflowers with Lindt Chocolates tied to the stem. Everyone seemed to like it.
• The message was not about mothers but addressing our move in the next few weeks. I called it "Transitions" and talked about how and why God moves us. I asked an important question that we should all answer: What does it take or what would it take for God to move you? We all want sure signs and burning bushes but even with these things it is easy to doubt what God wants you to do. I used the story of Abraham in Gen. 12 where God called him to move to a land that He would show him. Sometimes God wants us to move so we can leave some things behind. Sometimes it is necessary to move our physical location. So God told Abraham to leave his country. He also told him to leave his people. Sometimes people keep us from reaching our potential in Christ. We have to break free from their influence. And God told him to leave his father's house and the security that he had built up. Sometimes we have to leave our comfort and security and learn to trust God all over again and that doesn't happen unless He moves us. But He also told him there are things to embrace. One thing is to embrace risk and uncertainty. God only told him to move, He didn't tell him where right away. We don't get the comfort of seeing the whole picture or reading the last chapter to find out what happens. We only get the next step and have to trust God for the next one. But He gives us promises to embrace also. God is promising to do great things in us and through us if we will trust Him and obediently follow Him. I don't know the outcome of our move but I do know that God has orchestrated it and that gives me courage and excitement to see what happens next.
• Took Pattie shopping for Mother's Day.
  
• Joe's 18th birthday party was late Sunday afternoon. It was fun and all the family and lots of friends were there.
  

Backwards or forwards

We only have 2 Sundays left in the Warehouse. It is sad to me but also exciting. God is moving us. I tried to stay but God has other plans. I don't know what the full plan is yet but it's got to be good. Stacey said something last night that has stuck with me. She was sharing about some difficulties that seemed bad but God turned for good. She talked about a move they had to make and she said, "It felt like a move backwards but with God, it was a move forward." At first, I also felt moving to the American Legion building was a step backwards but now I am beginning to see that it is a move forward. God is moving us and I don't know exactly where we will end up but we're never going to be the same and that's a good thing.

Lost Party

Lost party tonight! Its one of my favorite times of the week. Not only do I get to watch a great show but I get a Black Cherry IBC Soda and hang out with some young people that have become real friends.

First Wednesday

We started something this month called "First Wednesday." The first Wednesday of every month is being set aside for prayer, communion and testimony. Our first meeting was last night and it was very special, intimate, and encouraging. We laid hands on one young boy for healing, shared Communion, spent time with the Lord, and heard of things that God was doing in people's lives. I hope more people will take advantage of this time.

Elephant #5: Judgmentalism

Judgmentalism is the feeling of being condemned based on opinion. This is the second biggest complaint about current Christianity just behind anti-homosexual and just ahead of hypocrisy. We are consistently warned against becoming judgmental by Jesus Himself and by the other NT writers because it is easy for us to do. We believe that we are right, that God is on our side and we have the verses to prove it. But rarely has one turned to God because we won an argument or pointed out their sin. It usually has the opposite effect - they run from you, God and the Church. Jesus called people who judge hypocrites and it is the only sin that He consistently pointed out. Many Christians feel the need to say something about behavior they disapprove of but Jesus did not take this approach. When tempted to judge you should ask the three questions that Jesus brought up when discussing this issue in Matthew 7. 1) Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye? Why do you really care about the issue that you are upset about? What are you really feeling toward this person? 2) Why are you blind to the plank that is in your own eye? Jesus says that this attitude should cause you to look at your own life and heart. He is saying that the plank in your eye is causing more damage than the speck in theirs. I believe the planks are the
elephants that we have been uncovering in this series. These things are not bringing people to Christ but repelling them. 3) How can you help your brother? The answer is that you can't if you ignore the planks. He is not saying that we shouldn't help but that we should do it with a clean heart, the right attitude and pure motives.

Vassia's last performance

Joe's band performed for the last time together at an event at Woodstock Park. They did a great job and it was a little emotional for the guys. They have spent the last 2 years playing together and to see it come to an end with graduation coming soon was a little sad. The venue was great. Woodstock has a nice downtown area and a great little park for community events. The event promoted Tom's Shoes which Joe has supported for quite a while now. I remember when Joe came home the first time telling us about this ministry that helps people who can't afford shoes. He came home shoeless having given his shoes to help others. He has since always purchased Tom's. All of our family was there which is always nice. It's hilarious to see my granddaughter, Camille, dance to the music. I also got to talk to Ross Wiseman from Embassy Metro Church who helped sponsor the event. It's always encouraging to talk to others who know the highs and lows of church planting.

Weekend update

• Our Spring Giveaway was a great success. Thanks to all the people who donated items and helped serve the people who came to receive this blessing. One lady's story was particularly encouraging and was awesome to see God use us and our stuff in her life. A single mom who was living in a recently leased apartment with no furniture except a bed for her daughter. And even though she had nothing, discouragement was making her reluctant to come, feeling that she probably wouldn't find what she needed, and fueling reasons not to come such as bothering her sister to bring her and no way of getting the stuff home if she did find something. Through the encouragement of her sister she decided to come. By faith, she made a list of things that she needed to make sure she wouldn't take more than she needed and was there before 9:00 (we said from 9-11 but they were lining up at 8:30 at the church.) God gave her everything on the list and Jim and Jeff loaded it on a trailer and delivered it to her house. She testified of God's faithfulness to meet her needs and to always bringing a blessing when she needed it most. It was a privilege to meet her. There were many others that we were able to help.
• Our people were amazing. The time, energy and love that they put into this outreach was very encouraging to me.
• Had a great Sunday. First and second time visitors were in the service. That's always good.
• Preached the last sermon in the Elephant series. Dealt with judgmentalism. It was good but I am glad to be done with this series. It has been a great series and have had a great response from the listeners and it has also been a necessary series if we are really serious about reaching the world around us and the generation to come but it was a difficult series to put together and required a lot of transparency on my part. I don't know if everyone could handle too much more transparency.
• Had an interesting lunch with Bob and Monica. Could God be up to something? Of course He is, I just hope it includes me.
  
• I was excited about the Hawks taking Boston to Game 7 but they looked like the 8 seed that they were billed as on Sunday. It does give us promise for next year.
• I wish the Braves could play the Reds every day. They spanked them all weekend.
  

Lost Party

Watched Lost again last night with all the usual company. Enjoyed pizza and Black Cherry Soda and even some Yoo-Hoos. We love this show and each week something is revealed or done that makes us say "no way!" Knowing that this show is going to come to a conclusion and that they plan on answering all the mysteries in the next 1 or 2 seasons keeps me going. Otherwise they could just keep stringing us along with endless riddles and tiresome story lines. I just hope that the end is not too weird and out there.

Elephant 3: Antihomosexual

The #1 negative opinion associated with the church and Christians is antihomosexual. I spoke on this 2 weeks ago. The perception is that we not only hate the sin but we hate the sinner too. I know that we say the opposite but as always, actions speak louder than words. It seems that being gay is the one thing that we want people to denounce and give up before they come to Christ. We have had 2 gay couples attend our church. One of them came for 2 or 3 weeks and then decided that this was not for them. The other couple received Christ and God changed their lives. One of the ladies is now married and is raising a family. The other young lady followed the Lord in baptism and then shortly after that, moved away. I don't know how she is living her life now but I do know that she is living it with Christ. I also feel that all four of these people felt love and acceptance from our church instead of fear and judgment. This allowed time for God to do His perfect work. I think we need to change four things if we are to change the way we are perceived in this area. 1) Compassion must replace fear. If "perfect love casts out fear" as it says in 1 John, then I must assume that fear casts out love. We fear their "agenda", we fear their "disease", we fear their influence, we fear their presence and because we fear, we cannot reach out in love. Love is the most powerful force in the universe and as the bumper sticker on Joe's car says, "Love Wins." 2) Embrace should replace stance. We seem to have a need to make sure that they know that we think it is wrong. Our job is not to convince them that their wrong or to change their minds but to represent a loving Christ and an irresistible Gospel. 3) This leads me to think that we need to trade winning arguments for winning hearts. Enough said. 4) We must not associate political victories with spiritual victories. This is a hard one and some of you won't agree with this but the more we want to legislate homosexuality the further we push the gay community from the Gospel. God did not call us to fight political battles but to fight for the hearts of men and women. Jesus asked what have we profited if we gain the whole world yet lose our own souls. Would He also say what have we profited if we win our political battles yet lose the souls of men? I will talk more about this on the next elephant.

The Spring Giveaway

This Saturday we are having a Spring Giveaway. Instead of doing our individual Spring cleanings and then having yard sales to get rid of our excess stuff, we decided to combine our stuff and give it away to those who have little or nothing. We are working with the Cherokee Women's Violence Center. Many of these ladies leave their destructive environments behind and seek shelter in these apartments but have nothing to call their own. We have invited them to come and find things to help them in their transitions. DFACS also is putting fliers into the hands of those who are the neediest in our county. We have been collecting a good assortment of furniture and household items and hope we can be a blessing to those who have little or nothing. If you have items that you would like to give, drop them off at the Warehouse on Friday night after 5:30 or Saturday morning. If you know of families that are in need, bring them by the Warehouse on Saturday from 9:00 to 1:00.