We Are A Mosaic Masterpiece

On Sunday, we had a ministry luncheon and meeting. The main reason for the meeting was so the new lead pastor could share his thoughts of the merging of our two churches (Common Ground Community Church and Soul Central Church) and for me to explain the structure of the ministries of our new body. After we spoke, I had the ministry groups break out into their teams so they could get to know one another and for the minister coordinators to share their thoughts. I stood watching two churches becoming one body and one word popped in my head; Mosaic. Common Ground was mainly white with some African-American, Latin, and Asian people. Soul Central Church was all African-American with the desire to reach all of Portsmouth with no regard of race. God put us together and we are going forward hand-in-hand to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

The mosaic thought, I know, is because we are taking different people – not only by skin color, but background, education, etc. - and creating a family. By definition, mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials (From Wikipedia). An artist will take broken colored items and arrange them in a way to create a picture.

You see, all humans are broken image bearers of God. When God created Adam, he was the image bearer of God. When Adam sinned, that image became broken due to sin. Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the sin-debt for man so we can be rejoined with God. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God takes the brokenness we are and puts the pieces back together so we become true image bearers of Him.

Our local church was brought together by the will of God for His purpose. The Holy Spirit brought us together. We have all the races under one roof and God has placed the right pieces in the right places to form this beautiful picture of what heaven will be like; all people groups worshiping and praising God side-by-side. When an artist takes the different tinted pieces and creates a picture, he uses a bonding agent so the pieces will stick together. The multiple pieces become one piece when the bonding agent is dry. The church’s bonding agent is love; the love that God has for His people, the love we have for Him, and the love we have for one another.

God’s people are His mosaic masterpiece.

Sharing Your Passions

I’m ate up with my daughter Ripley. When I heard she was coming, I told everyone I met that she was on her way. When she got her, I showed pictures and video of her doing anything and everything. If anyone asks me about her, I go on and on and on and on about her and her achievements; she is in the 98 percentile for her height (36 inches); her vocabulary is increasing daily; she dances at any and all music (be it music on the T.V. or radio, commercials, etc.); she is singing now; the list can go on. I love sharing stories about Ripley. I tell family members, friends, neighbors, and even strangers about how great and wonderful Ripley is to me. I love bragging on my little girl.

People do that; they love to brag on what they are passionate about. People will talk nonstop about people or things they love. Be they children, a spouse, a car, a sports team, etc. People share their passion with other people. Sometimes you can’t get them to shut up about them. As Christ-followers, we should be the same way talking about Jesus Christ. We should brag on how great our God truly is.

How can we not be talking about Him? How can we not be passionate about what He’s done for us? Jesus left His heavenly home to be born a human. He went from having all the power of God to limiting Himself of that power (yes, he had power on Earth but He chose to limit Himself of His true power) in His human form. He was tortured and hung on a tree. He was punished for sins he never committed (we committed them). He suffered. He died. He did all that so that you and I can be rejoined with God the Father. Jesus paid the sin debt in our place; we could not and can not pay the price for our sin. The payment for sin is death. Jesus paid it for us. And not only did Jesus die for us, He conquered death for us; He took the sting of death and the keys of hell away so we never need fear either of them. Because of His resurrection from the grave, we have power in Him and through Him. We have power in Jesus Christ to overcome sin, hate, bitterness, etc. and be able to love others.

For what Jesus Christ did for us, how can we not shout from the rooftops the greatness of our Savior and our God? It’s simple, start by sharing with someone; anyone what Jesus did for you. Share who you were before Christ saved you; I call that life B.C. Then share how Jesus changed you through His power and through His grace; I call that life A.D. When you testify about what Jesus did for you; you are only sharing the facts. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. Our passion for Jesus Christ should blow away our passion for our children, achievements, cars, homes, and anything else we talk to others about.

Let’s start sharing Jesus Christ to the world this Christmas season and beyond. The army of the Most High God says; CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

True Meaning of Christmas

When most people think of Christmas, different things come to mind; gifts, Santa Claus, Trees, the Nativity, and/or Jesus Christ as a baby. As Christians, we have always been told that Luke 2 is the first Christmas; however, this did not take place in December. Most likely, this took place in late summer to early fall (August to early October). We know this is because in Luke 2 the shepherds were keeping watch over the sheep at night. Shepherds would only do this when the weather was warm enough and December the weather is too cold to do this.

If Christ was born in the late summer to early fall, why do we celebrate His birth in December? Most of the customs and traditions of Christmas actually pre-date the birth of Jesus, and many of them are downright deceptive in their meaning and origin. Here are a few examples:

The date of December 25th probably originated with the ancient "birthday" of the son-god, Mithra, a pagan deity whose religious influence became widespread in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries A.D. Mithra was related to the Semitic sun-god, Shamash, and his worship spread throughout Asia to Europe where he was called Deus Sol Invictus Mithras. Rome was well-known for absorbing the pagan religions and rituals of its widespread empire. As such, Rome converted this pagan legacy to a celebration of the god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god during the winter solstice period. The winter holiday became known as Saturnalia and began the week prior to December 25th. The festival was characterized by gift-giving, feasting, singing and downright debauchery, as the priests of Saturn carried wreaths of evergreen tree branches in procession throughout the Roman temples. Variations of this pagan holiday flourished throughout the first few centuries after Jesus Christ, but it probably wasn't until 336 AD that Emperor Constantine officially converted this pagan tradition into the "Christian" holiday of Christmas.

The true origin of Christmas is filled with controversy and compromise. A quick study will reveal a number of disturbing roots that we haven't the time to talk about today. In short, the Christmas holiday we celebrate today is indicative of Christianity's willingness to absorb the world's customs and traditions, and forget its simple roots in the historical reality of Jesus Christ. Christmas should be nothing more than a simple, yet wonderful reminder of Christ's humble beginning as a human child in this world. His birth merely set the stage for the power, glory, and salvation that would be revealed in His life, death, and resurrection!

For me, Christmas is more about the spirit of what it represents; that God came down to our level and lived with us. I have a saying, “Jesus didn’t come to Earth for Christmas; Jesus came for Easter.” In other words, Jesus didn’t come to be born but to die for our sins.

Staying in Time With God’s Rhythm

Man’s concept of time is so different than that of God’s; we are finite and He is infinite after-all. Reading about how God laid his plan out to bring about salvation blows my small brain. God took 400 years to create a nation out of one man with 12 sons (think about it; the United States is only 235 years); for me 400 years is a long time but not to God. When Jacob (Israel) and his family went to live in Egypt, there were about 70 people in total and when God brought them out 400 years later there were over 2 million people (some scholars think the number could be bigger; closer to 6 million). The idea how God takes His time to do his work leaves me awestruck.

When God gives us a task to do for Him, we think we will do it now. Most of the time, we are no where ready to do the work He calls us to do. When Samuel anointed David with oil to be king of Israel, David was only 14 to 16 years old. He had no leadership experience, no training in war, or no political training; nothing. God had called David to do a job and when God calls us He equips us. David learned reliance on God by tending to sheep alone in the country side. God opened the door for David to be noticed by the then king Saul who made him his personal musician. From there, David was trained in the art of war, becoming a general with his own troops, and being developed into a leader by experience. God took 15 years to make David king of a portion of Israel and then made him king of all Israel. When it was all said and done, it was 20 years or so before David became king but he was called to the job before he was “qualified” for it. When God calls you to do something; all the qualifications needed are met in Him.

David served God as king of Israel for a good long time. Some people are called to a task by God and do it for a long time and some for a shorter amount of time. In either case, they are doing the task they were called to do for God. We all have a purpose in our lives as God’s people. Paul is quoted in Acts 13: 36, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep [or died] . . .” After God is done with us, our task is completed.

Remember what I wrote in the last post about Ephesians 2:10? The task or job God calls us to do for Him; He has already completed it. Our job isn’t to produce anything; it’s to follow God and march to His drumbeat. God is the One who produces fruit from the ministry He has called us to do. We just need to stay in time with the rhythm He has set.

Giving God the Honor and Focus and Not Man

According to scripture, as a believer in Jesus Christ and a child of the living God my sole purpose in life to give praise and honor to Him. Man should never get the same honor that is reserved for God and man should never be the sole focus of any believer.

I’ve been raised in a Christian home and have been attending a Baptist church since I was in diapers; I even attended a Baptist college. I know some but little of the Catholic church. One thing I do know is that they hold Peter as their first Pope. I’ve always thought this strange since Peter is known to have been married (Jesus healed his mother-in-law) and no Catholic priest (the Pope being the highest priest) are not allowed to marry. I also know (through reading books and watching movies/TV shows) that when someone has an audience with the Pope or other Catholic officials the custom is to kneel and kiss their office ring. This practice goes against what Peter tells Cornelius in Acts 10 (When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.”). As a non-Catholic, I find the practice of kneeling before any man and kissing his office ring offensive; especially in light of Acts 10 and the teachings of Jesus Christ where He teaches no one should hold themselves higher in office (or attitude) to others. No one should think of themselves better other any other person. The sad thing is that the Catholic church doesn’t have a monopoly of this type of practice.

We have churches in the Baptist convention that treat their pastors as if they were their Pope. The man can do no wrong and some of these men start believing it. I think it’s great when I see men staying longer than 2 years (that the average tenure of a pastor in the U.S.) at a church, but it seems the longer a man pastor’s a church the likelihood that they could (I say again; could) loss their focus. The focus or job of any pastor of a church is to equip the members of that church to grow in their relationship with God by reading their Bibles and having a healthy prayer life. The Christian should be looking to God for answers by reading their Bibles. Going to a pastor is good for help but a pastor is not the end all and be all. God is the end all and be all.

As a pastor of God’s people, I see myself as someone who should stay out of the way so God can do His work. Jesus Christ is the head of the church; He is the Great Shepherd of His flock. I am merely an under-shepherd; a steward. The focus should never be on me; the focus should always on God and what He wants for His people. I should never aspire to be honored; I should aspire to bring honor to my Savior and my Father. I pray I never loss that focus.

In The Shadow of the Cross

Ripley loves playing with her shadow. I’ve noticed over the last six months or so that when I’m changing her diaper, she is lifting her arms up and looking at the wall where she sees her shadow. She laughs and waves her arms around. This past Sunday, I was walking behind her trying to get her to walk through the garage without stopping to touch everything and she kept looking at the floor. I was right behind her so instead of her seeing her shadow; she saw mine. Since my shadow is bigger; her shadow was lost in the middle of mine. I wondered then and still do if she thought “Wow, my shadow is huge!”

I’m reading through the book of Acts and am seeing the same men who less than a year before who ran for their lives standing with boldness and proclaiming Jesus Christ. It is awe inspiring when I read the accounts. The apostles don’t inspire me; it’s what God did through them that inspires me. What inspires me when I read is what God can do through people who are 100% committed to Him. The apostles did nothing on their own; they were only tools that God used to further His Kingdom. We, as God filled believers, must understand that whatever we accomplish for God on this green ball we call Earth is not us doing it; it’s God Himself who is doing it and we are the tools He has chosen to use.

When I teach and/or preach, I always ask God to have the group see and hear Him and not me. I stand before people in the shadow of the cross. The shadow I see before me is not my shadow but the shadow of the cross. When properly aligned, my shadow (me as a person) is lost in the shadow of the cross so when people see me; they are seeing the cross. That is my desire when I teach and/or preach and that is my desire when I walk through this life. My desire is to be lost in the shadow of the cross so I will never forget who is at work. It’s not my church; it’s not my ministry; it’s not my flock; it’s all God’s. He is the One who develop the plan to redeem me; He is the One who paid the sin debt on the cross by shredding His blood; He is the One who drew me to Himself and is leading me and indwelling me. It’s not me; it’s Him who accomplishes anything of worth in my life.

Ephesians 2:10 breathed new life in my ideal on what I’m doing for Christ. This passage encouraged me 6 or so years ago to walk without fear of failing. Because when I am walking with God and marching to the beat of His drum, I’m right where he wants me. I’ll close with the verse and I pray it encourages you;

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Giving Thanks


Today is “Black Friday” and I’m sitting at my desk thinking about yesterday and what it means to me and how most of the history regarding Thanksgiving’s Day is all about has been rewritten. With Ripley’s birthday falling on Wednesday (Thanksgiving’s Day Eve) this year, I was very mindful how blessed Teresa and I are with a great child. I’ve written at length what a miracle baby she is; being born with malrotation and needing surgery at 10 days old. She is a walking miracle with only a faint line showing where the doctor opened her open (almost two years ago) to do his thing to make her insides right. God has my thanks for that and so much more. As a Christ-follower, I give thanks to God on a daily basis.

Thanksgiving’s Day is so much more than just turkey with the “fixings” (in fact, we had Cornish Game Hens yesterday instead) and spending time with family. It’s more than eating to much and watching footfall. It’s more than a “holiday” before the Christmas season. It’s about God’s people taking time to give thanks to Him for preserving their lives and blessing their colony in Massachusetts.

The day that we celebrate “Thanksgiving’s Day” was when the Pilgrims were giving thanks to God and not the Indians for preserving their lives from the harshness of the past winters and the fruitful harvest they had. It is true that the first winter the colony at Plymouth Rock, Mass, that half the colonists died. The following spring, the Indians did indeed show them how to grow food and hunt for beaver. The Pilgrim saw all this as God providing for His people. Their colony was based on what they read in the Old Testament and New Testament As God bless their endeavors, the Indians started to trade with them and since the trading was so successful, the Pilgrims were about to pay the companies that sponsored their colony back very quickly. The Pilgrims invited the Indian tribe to be part of the feast to show their appreciation for their assistance but at the same time showing them that God used the Indians to preserve them. The first Thanksgiving’s Day feast was a celebration and a witnessing tool; giving thanks to God and showing the Indians that there is a God and he loves His people.

Thanksgiving’s Day should be everyday for God’s people. I am thankful to God for:

Him dying on the cross in my place and drawing me to Himself and saving me at an early age.
Giving Teresa to me to be my wife and helpmate.
Giving Ripley to me to be her father and being able to watch her develop into a really neat little person.
Being raised in a Christian family (with both a Dad and Mom).
Giving me a purpose in my life and developing me into the man He will use to further His Kingdom.
Giving me a well paying job where He has used to supply a house, cars, food, and list can go on and on and on.

Once we start to mediate or think about how truly blessed we are, one day is not enough to offer thanks to our Heavenly Father. What are you thankful for? Tell God thank you.

A Pastor’s Mandate

You never know what will make a thought pop in my head. This post started yesterday (Monday, 11/21) at the dentist’s office. Teresa and I wanted Ripley to see what going to the dentist is all about so she sat on my lap as Teresa had her cleaning done. The dental assistant was in awe that Ripley drinks either milk or water during the day and no pure juice (only half water; half juice and only when she needs help with pooping; sorry if this offenses anyone). The assistant was further surprised when we told her that Ripley only ate a bite or two of her birthday cake wanting a piece of celery instead. Ripley is used to eating fruit and vegetables. I know if I come in the living room eating an apple, Ripley will want some. That’s all she has even known; eating healthy. That’s our job as her parents; making sure she knows eating the right foods will make her feel better and teaching her to feed herself will equip her to live a healthy and productive life.

When it comes to the church; there are too many anemic Christians. Those who want to be spoon fed on Sundays and thinking they are healthy/productive followers of Christ. When a pastor spoon feeds his people milk each week and never equips them to feed on streak there is an issue. Milk is great for babies and is good when added to a balance diet but for adults only drinking milk there is a lack of getting needed vitamins in their bodies. It’s partly on the pastors to get the church members to desire streak and it’s the pastor’s job to equip them to be able to feed themselves. To help me stay focused on the true role of a pastor, I’ve come up with a pastor’s mandate.

The mandate is based on two Bible passages; Ephesians 4:11-12 (And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;) and 2 Timothy 3:16 (All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.). As a pastor, I see part of my job is to teach the church member to be able to grow in their walk with Christ by giving them the tools to read and understand the Bible. I’m to teach them to be able to read the Bible and apply it in their daily lives. The old adage will fit here; give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; but if you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.

When a Christian is rooted in the Word of God, he/she will be able to stand on the assurance of what is in the scripture when the storms come (Jesus said when storms come; not if they come). When a Christian is rooted in the Word of God, when books like “The De Vinci Code” is published they know it’s only a work of fiction and not based on anything other than a philosophy and that a 6 week sermon series is not needed. When a Christian is rooted in the Word of God, he/she will have a better understanding where they fit in this thing we called life and what their true purpose is and how they can fulfill that purpose.

I know that not all church members want to read the Bible or want to make it part of their lives. That is the difference between a Christian and a disciple (or learner) of Christ. The word Christian means to be “Like Christ.” I like the term Christ- Follower instead of Christian. When a person is a Christ-Follower, they want to be “Like Christ” in every way. As a pastor, I want to lead like Christ led His Disciples so I read the gospels to see how He led and how He lived His life on Earth and by God’s grace I try to do the same. I fail more than I success, but I’m trying.

If a church member has no desire to grow in their walk with Christ; they could be just that, a church member. Being a church member doesn’t mean you are a Christian or a Christ-Follower. It just means you name is on the role books of a local church. A Christ-Follower’s name is in a church’s role books and in the Book of Life.

It’s been 2 years Already


It’s hard to believe that on Wednesday, 11/23, little Ripley Anne Thomasson (AKA Sunshine) will be 2 years old. The time has flown by. Everyone with children has told us that. What a rollercoaster of enjoy it has been.

I remember the evening before we knew for sure. We were shipping at Wal-Mart and Teresa picked up a testing kit and I looked at her with puzzlement. She told me that she had felt weird for a few days and wanted to see if it was true or not. We’ve stopped preventing pregnancy 4 or 5 years before. We both settled to the fact that we might not be blessed with a child and now there was a chance. I was excited. The following day, I saw the test on the bed with a plus; I ran downstairs and kissed Teresa and wanted to shout it out for the world to know. She asked me to wait a few months before we tell the family to make sure nothing went wrong; Teresa was 43 at the time. After 3 months of waiting, I was given the green light and I told everyone from our family members, church members, and even a few people at the gym.

Things went very well during the 9 months. I sang to Teresa’s stomach and read stories to her stomach. I was getting ready to be a Daddy. A position I longed for but stopped hoping for. When Ripley came out at 4:05pm on Monday, 11/23/2009, I went with the nurses as they cleaned her talking to her. Apparently after months of talking and singing to her, she knew my voice and she settled downed. I was in awe; and I still am.

Ripley gets so excited when I come home from work. I’m still getting used to her dancing around the living room when I come through the door. I love being a Daddy and I know that whatever I do and say to her will affect the way she sees God (the Father). I take that responsibility very seriously. I tell her many times during the day that I love her. I tell her that God loves her and that He died for her. I know she is only 2 years old but I’m planting a seed that I pray God will harvest. I pray that God will draw Ripley to Himself when she is young. I pray that she will come to know Jesus Christ as her Savior and use her life to serve Him all her days. I pray that God will allow me to see her grow and become a lady that will bring Him glory.

I love my little ray of Sunshine.

Unplugged

Last week, my cell phone was stolen from my gym locker. And to answer your question; no, I did not have a lock on it. I have since bought one. A dear friend gave me his older phone (same Blackberry I had but one generation removed). I had my phone number put in this phone but for some reason the website and social media was not working so for 3 days (until I made the time to go to a Sprint store) I was unplugged from e-mail and Facebook when I was away from my computer. My Blackberry is a smart phone so I can do a lot with it so it was weird not having it for those days. It felt kind of freeing to be unplugged.

In his book “Replenish,” Lance Witt writes how important it is to get unplugged. To set a time out of either your week or day to get away from the computer, cell phone, church office, and get alone. I thought it is easy to do; I do it at least three times a week. I leave my cell phone in the locker when I go to the gym. I do not use an I-pod or MP3 player while I run. When I run or swim it’s me time to get lost in my thoughts. We have a rule at our house that we do not answer the house or cell phone while we are eating dinner; it’s family time.

The difference that I found when I unplug willingly and when I was forced to was a sense of losing out on something; information. It was a weird feeling when I first had my smart phone turned back into a smart phone. I sat in my truck and put my Facebook account back on my phone before leaving the parking out. What’s up with that?

In our society, we want information now. Be it real news or trash about Hollywood. We’re a me now society. We think that if we unplug, we’ll loss out on something; anything. Jesus when He was here took time to be away from your disciples. It was His time to be along with his Father. When you read the gospels, He always went away to be alone just before He made big decisions; choosing His disciples, before teaching to bigger crowds, or when He decided to move on to another village. He always made time to spend time with His Father. He got direction, encouragement, and a sense of oneness with His Father.

As a Christ-follower, I am told to be like Christ. The Holy Spirit directs me and God the Father molds me to be like Christ. If Jesus Christ made time to unplug, I should do the same. And not just when I’m working out, but when I can spend real time alone with my Savior. Everything will not fall apart if I take an hour to get unplugged. It’s time to unplug.

Waiting or Hoping on The Lord


I’m a little down today; it started yesterday. I know what it is; its Satan throwing doubts my way. I know that God has given me a desire to pastor/shepherd His people. I read how 1,500 pastors a month leave the ministry and how there are churches looking for pastors but no doors have opened. I know that God will open the door He wants to open in his time. I know that fact, but I’m still down. When I’m like this I remember Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind (The Message).” Some English translations use the word hope instead of wait. Either word works.

This morning as I was thinking through my daily reading of Psalms and thinking about Isaiah 40:31, an older Steven Curtis Chapman song popped in my head. I’ve actually sang this song once or twice in the mid-1990s. The song is taken from Isaiah 40:31 and reading the words leaves me refreshed and encouraged. If you are wondering what God has planned for you or you have a God given desire that you are waiting to be fulfilled, read the words to this song and I pray it leaves you encouraged.

“You wonder when the Lord will renew the strength within you;
You wonder how, how can He use you as you are.
Seems like you’re wasting precious time,
But then a voice comes to remind you (to wait).

CHORUS
Wait, wait, wait on the Lord;
You will understand in time.
Why you must wait,
Wait, wait, wait on the Lord;
Yes He hears you,
But for now you must wait on the Lord.

Answers come slowly to your cries of desperation,
But time is His tool, teaching the greatest lessons learned;
So let Him do His work in you,
And watch the miracles come true as you (wait).

(chorus)

And He wants you to know that
They that wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They will rise up with wings as eagles,
They will run, not get weary.
They will walk and not faint;
That’s a promise to us when we (wait).”

Make Believe or Pretending to be Who Your Aren’t

I have a different view of Halloween than some pastors. I know most churches have Harvest Festivals instead of Halloween Festivals but they are the same thing. I know churches try to stay away from the idea of celebrating October 31 but I say use it. The church I’ve been working with have had Trunk-or-Treat events (kids go from car to car in our parking lot asking for candy) on the evening of October 31 for 4 of the 6 years I’ve been with them. We have the parking lot lights on, have hot cider and chocolate, and the last two years a few games and rides. It’s neat to see the different costumes that are worn.

I like to know the history or origins of things and words. Here’s a short history on why costumes are part of Halloween. The first Halloween costumes were rudimentary cloaks and disguises worn so travelers would resemble the wandering spirits of the dead. For this reason, costumes representing ghosts, skeletons and other morbid characters have long been the most standard costumes. In ancient times, people set out food and drinks for the dead souls, so the costumes also served as a means of gathering food from people's doorsteps. In the 19th century, churches in England popularized the baking and distribution of "soul cakes," which were traded in exchange for prayers made on behalf of their departed loved ones. Currant cakes were especially loved by children and, over time, the holiday's focus shifted from a celebration of the dead to a game of children looking for sweets. As the child-friendly version of Halloween spread through English-speaking countries via immigration and literature, costumes grew less morbid and more playful.

I know most people think wearing a costume and pretending to be someone or something else is only for children for one day a year; however, adults do it everyday. People pretend to be happy when they aren’t; they pretend to have it all together when life as they know is crumbling around them; they pretend to be fulfilled when they are in fact looking anyway and everywhere for the “meaning of life.” The whole pretending game isn’t just for the secular world; the church has our own set of pretenders. People come to church with a facade up; couples have been fighting about something on the way to church to only come in with fake smiles on their face. People going through hell during the week saying they are doing great or fine and turn the “How are your doing?” question around to someone else. In our men’s small group, the men know that they are not able to say fine when I ask how they are doing because the word “F.I.N.E.” to me stands for Feels Internalized Not Expressed. No faking it in the men’s small group.

The word that gets thrown around a lot about church goers who pretend to be well when they aren’t is “Hypocrite.” The word hypocrite has it origins in ancient Greek. The meaning of this word is saying a person is acting or being an actor. The actors of this time would wear large paper mache masks that showed different emotions. When an actor needed to show sadness, he wore a mask that shows sadness; when he needed to show happiness, he wore a mask that had a big smile; and so on. The main problem with wearing paper mache masks all the time is that they are made out of paper and start to tear and split. The upkeep on them is too much for people to endure; however, they see it as being better then showing people their true selves out of fear of rejection.

The church is a family and a family accepts their members as they are. The only person who is prefect is Jesus Christ; no one in the church is prefect. Not the pastor, the deacons, the Sunday School teacher, no one is. We are all flawed humans who need a Savior and once saved it takes time to grow in our relationship with our Savior. Being part of a church is to be part of a community of Christ-followers who should love one another and accept each other as they are but also help them grew in their relationship with Christ.

Let’s let the masks stay a Halloween thing and leave them off the other 364 days of the year. God saved you as you were with all the baggage, scares, winkles, and blemishes. He is molding you into a useable vessel; sometimes that has pain involved. Don’t pretend; be who you are and God’s people will love you regardless. But remember; you have to love your brothers and sisters in Christ for who they are; with all the baggage, scares, winkles, and blemishes. Church should be a “No Pretending Zone.”

Some Take Aways from “Replenish”

I’ve been reading “Replenish” by Lance Witt. I’m in the middle of the second unit; has four main units and 41 chapters. The book is very good and it makes me rethink how I’ve conducted my life in the ministry to date. Last night I read chapter 14 which is titled “It’s All About The Groom.” I want to highlight some points that made me think and examined how I view my role an Elder/Pastor in the church.

In our modern day, the wedding is all about the bride. The parents of the bride go into debt to make sure their little princess has a fairytale wedding. The dress needs to be prefect; the location must be prefect; everything must be prefect. The bride walks down the main row of seats; the focus is on the bride as she makes her way to the front. It’s her day after-all. The groom is almost an afterthought. The groom wears a rented tux that some other guy will wear the next weekend. He comes in the side entrance and stands waiting for the bride to make her appearance.

The way we do weddings today is quite different from the weddings of the Bible; especially the relationship between Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. The wedding scene we see in Revelation has the focus on the groom (the Lamb; Jesus Christ) and not the bride (the church). All the scripture passages that have a wedding theme always focuses on the groom and not the bride. The bride (the church) belongs to the groom (Jesus Christ). That’s not only a statement about ancient marriage ritual; it’s also a great picture of the relationship between the church and Jesus.

In most churches, the spotlight has shifted from being on the groom to being on the bride. The way some churches conduct their ministries is almost to say, look at us and see what we have to offer instead of look at the Savior and see what He has done for us and what He can do for you. I agree with Lance where he writes, “As a pastor . . . my job is to watch after the bride on behalf of the groom. I am like a spiritual wedding coordinator. The coordinator’s job is to assist and serve the bride and the groom, behind the scenes, in making their wedding day a meaningful event.”

As an Elder/Pastor, I should never do anything that blocks the bride’s view of the Groom’s glory. The challenge for any/all pastors is to get out of the way so the bride will be awestruck by the majesty of her Groom. One of the indicators (according to Lance Witt) of spiritual disease in a church leader is a possessive spirit about the bride. I’ve used words like “my church” or “our church” when talking about Common Ground thinking nothing about it.

Another statement made by Lance stood out when I was reading chapter 14; “It’s helpful for me to remind myself regularly that the church is not “mine.” I am a steward . . . Yes! I am a shepherd . . . Yes! I am a leader . . . Yes! But, I am not the owner, CEO, title-holder, or groom of the church.” The bride belongs to the bridegroom. An Elder/Pastor should see our role as a steward on behalf of the groom, who’s asked us to look after His bride until he comes for her.

The book has made me reexamine on how I see my role as an Elder and pastor. It’s made me see where I have fallen short not according to what man says is productive but what God (in His Word) says. For a church to be healthy, the pastor must be healthy. A healthy church reaches the lost for Christ because they see what they want in us. I need to be less so Christ is more.

John Piper says, “Christ does note exist to make much of us. We exist in order to enjoy making much of Him.”

A Good Read



Last week at the SBCV Power Lunch for pastors, a good was talked about called “Replenish” by Lance Witt. The following day, a PowerPoint presentation was sent to me covering the topics of the book. It wet my apatite a little so I ordered this book. The book arrived yesterday and my plan is to start it today. I’ve read the forward by John Ortberg (I enjoy reading his books) so I’m really looking forward to the read. I’ll talk (or write) more on my thought about the book after I read it. Below is what is in the presentation; areas in which the book covers. If this looks like something that might interest you, check it out.

“When it comes to the church, you can’t separate leadership from the leader. You can’t divorce the message from the messenger. Yet we can become quite adept at projecting an image that does not accurately reflect what’s going on inside of us.

Godly leadership is always inside out. God always has and always will choose to smile on men and women who are healthy, holy and humble.

In our culture we have swallowed hook, line, and sinker the lie that busyness equals importance.

No one is holding a gun to our heads, forcing us to over-commit and over-schedule. As leaders, we must have the guts to start making some changes in our personal lives and church programs.

In ministry we need to recapture the word faithful. It is the nature of our world to be
enamored with what’s big. But in the church we should seek to be enamored with what’s godly.”

The above is just a little of what is in the presentation. I’ve read the first 7 chapters and it is a very good read; painful because it’s hitting me between my eyes. I will put my thoughts of the book as soon as I finish the book.

What A Great Day



I had a very manly and productive weekend. On Saturday, I finally got a physical exam (first one in 13 years) where I also got a flu shot. I’ll find out the lab results either today or tomorrow but everything seems good. Not bad for a 41 year old. I followed the exam up with taking Ripley (my almost 2 year old daughter) to our local library for what they call Two Time (music, story, and play time) so Teresa could go yard saling. After Two Time, Teresa met us at the house where she put Ripley down for her nap. While Ripley was sleeping, I got out my ax and chopped down a brush thing. It was a bush on steroids where half of it had an eight or ten inch trunk and was at least 10 feet tall; so not really a tree but more than a bush. I worked on it for a little over two hours; that’s chopping the thing down and started to dig up the stump and roots. The root base of this thing was three feet round and I had no idea how deep. I was dripping wet so I called it a day. It was great weather for it; mid 60’s. After church on Sunday, I took the shovel, my garden rake, and the ax and went back to work. It took almost 3 hours to dig and chop the root base up but I was victorious. The root base was 2 feet in the ground and kept going so I made sure the bush wouldn’t grow back and hauled the root base along with the pieces to the curb. I back filled the hole with the dirt I dug up plus some I bought. I have to say, I felt great about myself for getting it done. Plus I love the smell of fresh turned dirt.

When my head hit the pillow on Saturday night, my last thought was “What A Great Day.” It’s funny because that is the title of the last song on a TV show we allow Ripley to watch on NickJr called “The Fresh Beat Band.” To me it was a great day because I was able to get a lot done. The more I think about that last thought, the more I keep thinking that as a Christian everyday should be a great day.

As a Christian, we have prefect peace and the assurance of how we will end up after death. As a Christian, we should know that our Heavenly Father watches over us and provides for all our needs (not our wants but our needs). As a Christian, we have a Holy Spirit that gives us guidance and direction as we need it. As a Christian, we have our sin debt paid in full by our Lord Jesus Christ. While living in a world of uncertainty, we know that because of our relationship with God (the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit; the three in One) we know that we are safe and secure so how can we not have a great day everyday.

Thank you Heavenly Father for loving me and making me your son; thank you Lord Jesus for paying my sin debt on the cross; and thank you Spirit for drawing me to the Father and giving me eyes to see my need for salvation and giving me ears to hear you calling me. Thank you for making me your man and I ask only that you will allow me to give my life back to you every minute of everyday of every week, month, and year of my life and beyond. I love You!

Uncle Buddy



Yesterday, my mom called and informed me that my dad’s oldest living brother died from cancer. He was fading for the last month; he stopped eating last week. My parents were in Kentucky for my dad’s sister’s husband’s funeral last week; he too died because of cancer. On their way home, my dad was able to spend some time with Uncle Buddy so he was able to say good-bye but according to my sister he is taking it hard. Uncle Buddy is the first to die of my dad’s siblings. The first born (Matthew) died after only a week back in the 1930’s, so there were 12 brothers and sisters; my dad is the 6th of the lot.

NOTE: My dad and his siblings are the photo to the left; Uncle Buddy is in blue in the middle row.

I know very little of my uncle; I never had a conversation with him even though he was present at the family events throughout my life. He was always standoffish to most of the extended family. He was only close to a few of his siblings. I do understand why he was the way he was. As I child, I would sit for hours listening to my uncles and aunts talking about how my grandfather was after Word War 2. Granddad was 36 years old when he was drafted (married with 6 children) and he was an Army medical in the Pacific. While serving, we had his nose broken by a Japanese soldier and during the hand-to-hand combat, he killed this soldier. He never got over it. Upon returning home from the war, he became a drunk. Granddaddy was a mean drunk. Uncle Buddy became the family protector when he was drinking. Evenly granddad became a Christian and stopped drinking all together. He finally found the peace he was seeking in the bottle in the person Christ Jesus.

The stories I heard was almost like something from a movie. Uncle Buddy became a daredevil in his 20‘s. I wonder it was because of him fighting granddad over his teen years. Uncle Buddy retired from being a captain in the local fire department. He raised horses; one almost killed him by kicking him in his back. He has to have surgery and got Hepatitis C through bad blood; it was the 1980’s (before they would screen the blood). The Hepatitis C destroyed his liver and he got a new one. While waiting for a new liver, he accepted Christ as his Savior and like my granddad was never the same. He was always standoffish but he used his days serving his Savior doing mission trips ever year.

I because of the witness of those who know him, I will see him again. Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4 gives me this assurance that Uncle Buddy is with his parents; my grandparent in heaven.

God’s Plans For Me



‘”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11”

One of the hermeneutical rules when interpreting the Bible is to know to whom the author of a book to is writing. Not every scripture passage can or should be applied to a 21st century American Christian. The passage in Jeremiah above is clearly written to the children of Israel but I think that we can apply this to our lives. At least it encourages me when I read it. God has plans for me and I can trust Him to fulfill His plans.

God called me to preach His word when I was just 16 years old. He has carried me through some interesting situations over the years. In my late 20’s I tried to walk away from this calling after being burned by a pastor I was working for. The door was opened to work for a Fortune 500 Company so I was content with being a businessman but after a few years of this, God started working on me and He sent people my way to affirm His true calling in my life. I still work for the same Fortune 500 Company (over 12 years now). God has used this job to pay me as I serve as an Executive Pastor in a small church.

Part of my calling (I feel) is to pastor or shepherd God’s people. My passion is to see people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. I see the job of a pastor as equipping God’s people to grow in their walk with Christ and to be able to spiritually reproduce (sharing the gospel to the lost). I’ve been doing this very thing for the last 6 years as an Executive Pastor. The last year, I’ve started to desire the position of a senior or lead pastor of a church (1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer [pastor], it is a fine work he desires to do.”). I do feel that the Holy Spirit has been working on me and my wife Teresa; laying the foundation that will be a partnership in leading a folk of God’s people.

In the last few months, I’ve talked with 4 different churches (via e-mail and telephone interviews). Nothing has come of these contacts, but I trust in God’s plans for me and my family. I know the door to be a pastor will open in God’s time because I know that is God’s plan for my life. I will continue to be faithful to serve in my current position and will continue to be faithful as He opens the doors.

Along with Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10 (“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”) encourages me as I follow the path God has put me on.

Trust In Jesus



There is a young lady I have as a “Friend” on FaceBook. I’ve known this young lady since she was 8 or 9 when her mother helped Teresa and me with the youth department way back in the late 1990’s early 2000’s. She was the sweetest little thing. At the time, I had in my church office a print of Bugs Bunny leading music hanging on my wall (I was Music/Youth Pastor) so she gave me a Bugs Bunny coffee cup for Christmas one year and a Bugs Bunny pen for my birthday the next year.

She’s in her early 20’s now and what I read on her postings makes me sad. Her parents left the church shortly before we did and I know they joined another church but that’s all I know what she has been up to from 2004 until now. Whatever it is, she is just not a happy camper these days. Her whole world seems to revolve around some guy and her job. It seems she allows things to get her down. Last week she posted that she wished that she was 21 so she could sit in her room and drink Jack Daniels to wash away her bad day. My sister and a few others wrote comments trying to encourage her and putting whatever the issue was on God and He will help her.

I read her wall this morning and it was the same doom and gloom I’ve been reading from her since we’ve been FaceBook “Friends.” I just want her to know that if she puts her trust in anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ, she will always be left wanting and/or disappointed.

We have all we will ever need (i.e. love, security, fulfillment, etc.) in Jesus Christ. He is willing and able to carry us through any and every storm that comes our way. Be they self created storms or God created ones; He can and will be with us through them. I think we cannot in our earthly form truly understand the love that Jesus Christ has for us. If we understand just a fraction of what it means to be loved by Christ, we can truly be happy and fulfilled people because our fulfillment is in the person Christ Jesus.

I Survived The Warrior Dash

The past Saturday (Oct 1), I ran in my last race of the season; the Warrior Dash. I’ve run in several trail/obstacle races and this is the toughest I’ve run in to date. Teresa told me that this is the first one she noticed that I showed signs of being tired afterward. It was tough. The t-shirt and metal I have from the race has “I survived the Warrior Dash” and I can say that this is more than a motto.

The race is only 3.5 miles but the obstacles are tough. The race is focused on showing your toughness like a Viking so the names of the obstacles reflect this ideal. The obstacles included Barricade Beakdown which is hurling over 8 4-foot walls with 8 crawling under barbed wire walls; Rubber Forest which is tires hanging and you run through pushing them out of the way; Road Rage which were three cars parked bummer to bummer and you had to climb over them but before and after the cars there were tires you had to run through like football practice; the next obstacle was, Chaotic Cross over which was crawling over tangled nets (the nets were 8 feet over the ground); Deadweight Drifter which was wading through waist to chest deep water and climbing over three huge logs; Teetering Traverse which was balancing up and down 6 inch beams; Deadman’s Drop (the craziest one for me) which was a 12 foot high wall you climbed up easy but on the other side you only had a 2x4 to hang from and drop 3 feet to the ground; Great Warrior Wall which was a 10 foot wall with a rope you had to climb up it (the other side was some slats the climb down); Rio Run which was at least 100 yards of wading through waist deep water of the James River ; Cargo Climb which was 15 foot high climb up and down; Warrior Roast which was leaping over two fire pits (yes fire pits); and lastly crawling through a mud pit. There were total of 12 obstacles that are designed to kill you or challenge you.

All and all it was a fun and tough race. The night before, I got an e-mail saying that Charles City would not issue the race a liquor permit so no beer would be severed. It was no big deal to me because I don’t drink but since the whole race centered on being a warrior beer and turkey wings were to be served. Since no beer was allowed, our parking was free ($10 savings) and I can run the race at another location this year or the 2012 races. We will see.

Below are some photos Teresa took. The photos from the official race will be ready after Oct 7. I’ll post those on Facebook.

The before picture; nice and clean>

Warrior in training.

Warrior hat; check.

Getting my mind ready for the race and trying to think warm thoughts. It was raining at 56 degrees. I warmed up real quick when the fire was releast. See video below.

The start of the Warrio Dash.

Getting to the top of the 15 ft cargo net.

Coming down the cargo net.

Making my way through the mud.

Dirty, muddy, and tired but I'm still able to smile for my ladies.

Returning a Movie and Cottage Cheese



On Sunday, I preached on the Sovereignty of God as we remembered 9/11’s 10th anniversary. One of the things I pointed out was even if we don’t think He is God is always in control; He is over everything. This point came back to me later in the day when I was returning home from dropping off a movie Teresa had rented on Saturday.

We forgot to return the movie on our way home from church so I took it to the store; Ripley was so ready for her afternoon nap. After dropping off the movie, I took a shortcut through a neighborhood. I stopped at the stop sign at an intersection and looked up. As I looked up, I saw a blue Buick LaSabre turning left. In a split second I realized this person was going to hit me; they weren’t turning wide enough. As soon as I thought that, I felt the impact and heard the sound of metal on metal. It wasn’t a hard hit but it did some damage.

I got out of the truck to check on the driver of the other car and it was a little old lady; I found out later she is 70 years old. She was more surprised than me. She said that she didn’t see me and I was wondering if she could even see over the steering wheel. She kept saying that she all she wanted was cottage cheese for her salad so she was going to the grocery store. I felt so sorry for her because she was in shock. I called the police and they came very quickly and we got everything taken care of. The Buick hit me at its left front wheel so it was not drivable. I was able to drive my truck home. The police officer is a man that our church helped his daughter a few months back so it was nice to see him again.

I’m not sure why this happened but I know there is a purpose for it. Through the accident, insurance claim, and getting my truck in the repair shop, I’ve been able to talk with people about church and God. Maybe that could be the reason for the accident. No matter what we go through, we should always be ready to give an account to others about God.

Lord willing, I will have my truck back soon. Mrs. Green’s insurance has me in a car but I rather be driving my truck.

Fun for One Person Could be Weird to Another

In 2000, I discovered I weighted 220 pounds so I went on a diet; I lost 45 pounds. From 2000 to 2005, I gained about half of it back. In 2006, I put myself on a diet (again) and added going to the gym; I lost what I gained. My exercise routine at the time was walking on the treadmill for an hour. When I lost my weight, I kept going to the gym and added weight training and swimming. I went from walking on the treadmill to running outside. In 2007, Teresa told me that the route I would run was equal to a 5K so I started training to run in my first one in 2008. My first 5K was in April of 2008 and I never looked back. In that same year, I race an 8K mud race and the Va Beach Rock-n-Roll half marathon. The following year, I ran in another half marathon and my first extreme trail race (“Muddy Buddy”). I enjoy running in regular foot races but I’m starting to love these extreme trail races. In 2011, I’ve only done one street race and I’ve done two extreme trail races with another one planned for October.

After completing the Merrell Down and Dirty on August 28, I sent this note to some friends;

“After this weekend, I wanted to register for a race called “Tough Mudder” but I saw that it was all full. The race is Oct 22-23 and it was full by July 7. I may try to do it next year if they come back to VA. The good thing about it being full is that I won't be missing church because the race is in Wintergreen, VA. I was talking with one of the directors here at work about how I wanted to do one more extreme race and he told me about "Warrior Dash." I looked it up and I've told Teresa I want to do this one. It's just south of Richmond and it's being held on a Tuesday (Oct 1). If Teresa agrees, I'll take a few days off from work and we'll go up as a family. I look at it this way, I can do these things now and one day I won't be able to but I'll have the memories.

Remember, pain is weakness leaving the body. Sanity is over rated! PEACE!”

The Warrior Dash has obstacles that are little more intense than what was in the Down and Dirty but I think it will be fun. Below are some photos from my last race. Remember, what is fun to me might make others wonder if I’m crazy. The answer is yes but sanity is overrated.

First obstacle (low wall) done and 6 more to go.

Doing the cargo net.

Coming over the net.

Almost done.

I'm giving the announcer a thumbs up; he asked how I was doing.

Out of the mud pit and almost at the finish line.

Celebrating the completion of the race.

We Are Not Okay



I’ve been thinking about how we (humanity) have a strange way of comparing ourselves with others. I know we do this to make ourselves feel better about ourselves. We can always find someone fatter, dumber, poorer, and the list can go on. I think that’s why so many people like to compare their sinfulness with others. They think, “I’m not as bad as Joe Blow, so I’m okay.” That is so far from the truth.

There are no degrees of sin. Sin is sin. Homosexuality is not worse then gossiping; they are equally evil in the eyes of God. It goes back to where Jesus spoke regarding the person with the 2x4 coming out of their eye trying to tell the other person to get the speck out of theirs. God is the ultimate judge where sin comes in. He says in the book of Romans that everyone (all of humanity) has committed sins and because of our sinful acts, we are fallen short of His glory. God also says in the book of Romans that the wages or earnings of sin is death (both physical and spiritual).

The New Testament uses 5 main Greek words for sin, which together portray its various aspects, both passive and active. In each case either a standard is failed to be reached or a line deliberately crossed. It is assumed throughout scripture that the law was established by God. It is, in fact, His moral law, which expresses his righteous character. Sin is in itself self-centeredness.

In the book “Whatever Became of Sin,” Karl Menninger (a psychiatrist) shares his thoughts on how society has removed the word sin from our vocabulary. In describing the indefinite feeling of western society, its general mood of gloom and doom, Karl Menninger adds that “one misses any mention of ‘sin.’” Enquiring into the cases of sin’s disappearance, Menninger notes first that “many former sins have become crimes, “ so that responsibility for dealing with them has passed from church to state, from priest to policeman, while others have dissipated into sicknesses, or at least into symptoms of sickness, so that in their cases punishment has been replaced by treatment. A third convenient device called “collective irresponsibility” has enabled us to transfer the blame for some of our deviant behavior from ourselves as individuals to society as a whole or to one of its many groupings.”

You can see how our society has removed the seriousness of sin out of our thoughts. We think that what I do in my house or mind is nowhere near as bad as my co-worker, neighbor, family member, etc. I’m okay. It’s not until we are shown how bad we are in our sins that change can happen, but we cannot change ourselves.

Religion is man’s attempt to work on making ourselves better. Jesus told the religious leaders of His day that they were white washed tombs; looking pretty from the outside but were full of death and decay. It is God that can change us. God paid for the sins of humanity in the form of Jesus Christ; the gift of God is eternal life through the washing of our sin in Jesus’ blood. Once we accept this gift from God, we are forever changed.

Christianity is not a religion; true Christianity is a relationship with God through the gift of Jesus Christ, and the drawing of the Holy Spirit.

Extending Grace


I’ve learned much from Roger Allen (Senior Pastor of Common Ground) over the last 6 years. In leading people and working with a volunteer labor force, he is good in dealing with people and extending grace. He always says, “You never know what they maybe going through so give grace” when they fail to show up. There is accountability but it’s accountability with grace. I have to admit, with my personality, I’m an extremist with everything. In my commitment to God and His church, I am either all in or not in at all so it’s hard for me sometimes to understand when people say they will do something for God or the church and never do it or do it half hearted.

We had something that happened Sunday that broke my heart and again Roger encouraged me to give grace. I’ve been getting my arms around our little church’s children ministry and getting it to run smoothly. We have two very committed ladies who are taking turns leading the weekly children church. They are both very committed and I thank God for them every week. In the 6 years I’ve been with Common Ground, I’ve known a different lady who has committed twice to help with the children’s ministry but either doesn’t stick around or drops the ball completely. The lady knows her stuff with children’s ministry and has worked in this ministry at other churches but seems to never follow through when it comes to our little church. She is back with us and wants to help with this ministry. She’s filled in during the summer and I know she is ready to get connected in the rotation. I had scheduled a meeting after church this past Sunday to discuss the plan for the fall and I had a call from her helper before I left for church. The lady was on her way to a local amusement park with her grandchildren. Through text messages, I saw that she had forgotten about the meeting and didn’t see the reminder e-mail. What broke my heart is that she says she is committed but she doesn’t come to church on the weeks she’s not teaching. I will extend grace when I call her this week and let her know what the plan we discussed on Sunday for the fall.

In my Bible reading today, God allowed me to see 1 Thessalonians 2: 7 (But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.). With Ripley, my 21 month old daughter, I extend grace to her all the time because she is learning to obey Teresa and me when we are trying to teach her. I think that I should extend the same to the people that God has entrusted me to shepherd. I am so thankful to God for giving me eyes to see what He wanted me to see today in His love letter to me.

One Powerful Book



Back in December, Teresa, Ripley, and I attended our small group’s Christmas party. Part of the celebration was exchanging gifts, but we made it a game. You could either keep the gift you got or take the one from the person who choose before you. After the dust settled, I came out ahead with a $15 gift card for Lifeway Book Store. No one wanted to take the card from the pastor; score!

I tend to order my books through Amazon.com because there prices are better than any Christian Book Store, but I left my book at the house on Thursday and I wanted to read so I went by the local store to see what they had. I prayed that God would have me pick the book that I could use to further His ministry. After looking at several sections, I found Max Lucado’s newest book “Outlive Your Life.” I’ve read several of his books and have never been disappointed so I used the $15 gift and paid the difference; $3.50. After working out at the YMCA, I relaxed and opened up the book.

I started reading it and finished it in five and half hours. Granted, I’m a very slow reader but this book has so many gold nuggets that I couldn’t put it down. This book is a study of the first 12 chapters of Acts. The book shows how a few faithful people can change the world. It’s a story of simple ordinary people, fishermen, and tax collectors. Acts is a story of a movement that exploded like a just-opened fire hydrant out of Jerusalem and spilled into the ends of the earth.

The content of this book hit me between the eyes several times. God convicted me on how I should be doing more for Him. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to do a small group study out of it.

I highlighted two sections of this book that hit me the hardest. The first one is in the 2nd chapter. The sentence is “God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” The second section is actually the last 4 sentences of the book. My eyes were so filled with tears; I had to wipe my eyes to read them clearly. It reads, “None of us can help everyone. But all of us can help someone. And when we help them, we serve Jesus. Who would want to miss a chance to do that?”

If you’ve been wondering what can the church do to reach the lost world; this books simply shows how the early church did it with examples of what is being done now. God is still at work.

Audience of the One

Over the years, I’ve learned what it truly means to worship God. Worshipping God is more than just singing praise and worship music over singing traditional hymns because I can worship God through both. When I was a Minister of Music I thought using praise music was leading the church to worship God and some of our folks did worship Him. Worshipping God is more than sing praise songs. We worship our God everyday, in the things we do, the words we say, and what we don’t say. We should live our lives for the audience of the One. I’m not saying we should live our lives like those with the philosophy of pleasing only themselves but living our lives in a way that will honor our God and Savior.

Remember, God is everywhere at one time. If you are a Christian, God indwells you in the form of the Holy Spirit. Whatever you do (good, bad, or indifferent) God is aware of it. If we truly understand the idea that God is with us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days in a year, then that really should affect how we live our lives. We should live in a way that our lives should be a sweet smelling fragrance offering to our God; well pleasing to Him.

We will never be prefect this side of heaven, but we should have a walk that should be pleasing to God. King David was called a man after God’s own heart but if you ever read the books of 1 and 2 Samuel and see some of the things he did. It’s amazing the bad things he did yet he’s called this. Even through he did bad things, he also did great things for God and when it was all said and done, David confessed his sins and asked forgiveness of God. That’s why he is called a man after God’s own heart; he confessed his sins and sought out forgiveness.

One of my favorite worship songs is “The Potter’s Hand” because I can relate so much to it. I’ve put the words to the songs below to close out this posting. I pray the song makes you think.

Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour
I know for sure, all of my days are held in your hands,
Crafted into your perfect plan
You gently call me into your presence guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life through Your eyes
I'm captured by Your holy calling
Set me apart, I know you're drawing me to yourself
Lead me Lord I pray

Chorus:
Take me, Mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

You gently call me into your presence guiding me by your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life through your eyes
I'm captured by your Holy calling
set me apart, I know your drawing me to yourself
lead me Lord I pray

Tools in the Toolbox



When Teresa and I were married, I had a few tools but Teresa had a whole toolbox full of tools. That was from being a single lady on her own and being taught how to care for herself by her father. After we were married, she let me know that the tools in the toolbox were mind now and I’ve added tools to it over the last 15 years. When I took on a project like building a podium for a Sunday School class I was teaching I bought an electric saw. When I needed to cut shapes and people out of wood for a youth lock-in theme, I bought a jigsaw. I have a good selection of tools but once and awhile I need to get another tool for a project but for the most part I have what I need.

I view college and especially Bible College as a time to get tools for a career and/or for the ministry God has called me. Each class taught me on a topic that gave me the tools to better study on my own. When college was over, I had tools in my ministry toolbox. Over the years, I’ve added to the toolbox by reading books and attending workshops. The last 12 years of my ministry, I have been working at Dollar Tree Stores, Inc. to pay the bills as the two churches I’ve worked with could either not pay me a fulltime salary or no salary at all. God has provided through this great company and doors have been opened to earn a good salary and allow me the time to minister to the people of God. Through a workshop this past week, I have a new tool I my ministry toolbox.

I was able to attend a “Leading Effective Meetings” workshop this past week. I’ve lead meeting for years but when I saw the topic, I had to see if I could learn anything new and I did. I have three Spiritual gifts that always seemed to be the same number on gift tests. They are Preacher/Teacher, Evangelism, and Leadership (or Administration; depending on the test and their naming of the gift.). With the Leadership giftedness, I feel very strongly that anything done for God should be done in an orderly fashion and I focus on getting the I’s dotted and T’s crossed for an event, meeting, or anything else being done at church for God. Through the workshop, I have a better understanding on how to set the tone and have the meeting run smoothly. I look forward to using this new skill in the next Elders’ Meeting in August.

My Little Girl
I try to spend as much time as I can with Ripley. She is just 20 months old (as of the 23rd of July). She is such a treat. We are on vacation so I get to spend all day with her. Whenever we are on vacation I notice things about her that I normally don’t. She is a little gift from God and I pray daily that I will be the Daddy she needs. I pray daily that the Holy Spirit will draw her to the Father at an early age and she will accept Jesus as her Savior. I know she is only 20 months but I tell her all the time about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. If I’m called to preach the word of God and pastor His people and do not share the Good News to my daughter, I will fail as God’s man. If I only lead a church of 50 people and Ripley grows to be a faithful Christ-follower then I will count my ministry as a success.

I love my little girl and I praise my God daily for the gift of her and her mother.

Thoughts for Men



I’m one of those people who tend to be an open book. What you see is what you get for the most part. Most of the time, the people who know me well know what I’m thinking by my expression on my face. As an Elder/Pastor/Bishop (whoever title people throw around), I feel it’s my job to be just me; not being fake but genuine. I try to be as transparent as I can be so I will share a secrete with you that only three people (Teresa, my pastor, and my accountability partner) have known about me. I share this only in the hopes that it will help others who have struggled with this sin. I’ve viewed internet porn and I’ve struggled with it for almost for 10 years. God is gracious in giving me a wife who has helped me get past it. I do not or will not say I am over it because I view this almost like an addition like drug addition is. I can easily jump back on the internet and let the figurers do the clicking.

A lot of men struggle with this and there are a number of pastors who have battled with this as well. It’s been a great while sinse I’ve viewed porn and Lord willing, I will never do it again. I’ve put up barriers to help me from doing it again. Because I know the danger of this sin and how it destroys lives, I wanted to know more the ins and outs of this issue. I’ve been reading “Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brian: by William M. Struthers. It has been eye opening as I read this book. William Struthers is an associate professor of psychology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois where he teaches courses on behavioral neuroscience, men and addictions and the biological bases of behavior. So basically he knows his stuff.

In his book, William gives nine reasons why some men view porn. It makes sense so I wanted to share the list with you.

1. Entitlement: “I’ve earned this.” Some men feel that their lot in life requires that they receive some sort of special treatment. They may feel that they should be given special permission to have this one outlet as their reward because they feel they have been give the short end of the stick in life.
2. Omniscience: “I know what you are thinking.” Some men may feel that they know what people are thinking; that their wives/girlfriends are just trying to restrict their freedom.
3. Altruism: “I am keeping it quiet to protect others.” Some who have a problem with pornography may continue to hide it because they think it is best for their loved ones not to know.
4. Deception: “Hope, not me.” Whether through direct lies of commission, omission, or assent, deception is a skill that many men have honed as part of their descent into depravity.
5. Blaming/Victimization: “It’s her fault.” It’s because their wives will not do XYZ with him or they do not want to have sex as much as they do that men “take to” viewing porn and take matters in their own hands. By playing the victim, the user attempts to absolve himself of his guilt.
6. Pride: “I am right, you are wrong.” A prideful person cannot admit they are wrong in their actions. They refuse to be humble and acknowledge they have a problem.
7. Objectification: “They’re just models.” Part of the problem with pornography is that it causes men to look at women as body parts and not people.
8. Distraction: “I’ve been really stressed lately.” By shifting the focus away from the inappropriate behavior to something else, like difficulty at work, a man can become too focused on what he believes is a justified cause.
9. Revenge: “This’ll show her/him.” Some men will purposely view pornography as a way of wounding someone.

I’m sure there are other reasons men give for viewing pornography, but this is the list on pages 70 and 71 that I thought could be helpful to you if you are struggling with this sin. Remember, all sin is destructive. This sin will create a barrier between you and your loved ones and between you and your God. Don’t play with fire; you will get burned eventually.

Good Book



When I was a teenager, I read a quote from Charles Spurgeon regarding reading and being a pastor. The quote basically said if you want to pastor a church, you must read and if you don’t read, you shouldn’t pastor a church. The quote has stayed with me ever since so I do what I can to read on multiple topics.

The book I’m currently reading is called “Transforming Discipleship” by Greg Ogden and I would recommend it to not only pastors but any Christian to read. Many churchgoers complain that their churches lack a coherent plan for discipleship and spiritual growth. In turn, many church leaders lament their lack of resources to build and manage effective programs to help people become fully devoted followers of Christ. In this book, Greg Ogden introduces his vision for discipleship, emphasizing that solutions will not be found in large-scale, finely-tuned, resource-heavy programs. Instead, Ogden recovers Jesus' method of accomplishing life change by investing in just a few people at a time. And he shows how discipleship can become a self-replicating process with ongoing impact from generation to generation.

This book has affirmed what I’ve felt for many years about the failure of the church in developing true Disciples of Christ. In making disciples, smaller is better than bigger. Having 3 to 4 people in a group where there is accountability, safety, and guidance will produce not only disciples, but disciples able to equip others to grow in their own walks. When I’m finished reading this book, I’ll give it to Teresa (my wife) to read so she can use this to help her as she coaches others in her sphere of influence.

I would high recommend this book for anyone who confesses to be a Disciple of Christ. The book not only shows how Jesus and Paul developed disciples, but Greg Ogden shows how to develop a strategy to build up other’s walk in Christ.

Giving Back

A few weeks ago, Teresa and I took take in the local fun/run for the CHDK to give back how great they took care of Ripley when she was there for her surgery in 2009. A local reporter heard about our story and asked to interview us before the race. We didn't really want to, but we did it anyway in hopes it will help the hospital. Take a look.

What The . . . ?


I don’t consider myself easily offended; having been educated through the public school system of that 1980’s and been working in the secular world for most of my adult life. I do (however) have “What the . . .?” moments or I do a double take when I see or read something that is off in my mind. I had such a moment today.

I go to SyFy.com’s Blastr to read Sci-Fi related stories and updates. They have stories ranching from the upcoming science fiction related TV shows or movies, comic book related items, video games, and so on. I am not into video games; I had an Atari Gaming System way back in 1983 but never went beyond that. I read an article today about the release of a new video game called “Duke Nukem Forever.” The article talked about it being 14 years since the first game that featured the main character Duke Nukem. I went to watch the trailer for the game. The disclaimer came up and it stated that the game is labeled for mature (over 17 years old) audiences and it listed the reasons why. It stated the game had nudity in it. That’s right nudity. The trailer was 2 minutes long and I stopped after 20 seconds. The amount of violence and bleed shed in the first 20 seconds blew my mind and not in a good way.

I know parents who will not allow their children to watch a movie before they see it first. That can be expensive with the average movie ticket going for $10 but now I’m a parent I understand that philosophy behind it. God gives parents our children to love and teach and to give them back to Him. We are to protect them the best we can. I may be over protective being a first time father but I cannot imagine a Christian parent allowing their children to play this game.

Where He Leads Me I Will Follow


The last few months, I have been trading e-mails with a church in Missouri. After a phone interview, they want Teresa, Ripley, and I to come out for a visit. We are working out the logistics for us to go sometime in May. We are praying that if this is God’s plan for us, we want the door to open for us to move to Missouri. While sharing this news, some of our friends and church members have asked, “You willing to go all the way to Missouri to pastor a church?” I had others ask, “What’s out there that you would consider moving?” I understand these questions but they do make me wonder why ask them. The reason I wonder that is because I am God’s slave; He saved me and I belong to Him so whatever He says and wherever He leads I will do and go; period.

While fielding these sorts of questions, the old hymn song popped in my head. The song is “Where He Leads Me.” The words to the first verse and chorus are:

I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
“Take thy cross and follow, follow Me.”

Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow;
I’ll go with Him, with Him, all the way.

I entered Bible College back in 1989 with the desire to be a missionary to Australia. Australia is on the other side of the world so Missouri is only a 20 hour drive or a few hours on a plane. I can not pray for God to open doors for me to pastor if I am not willing to go where He is directing me. I walk slowly making sure the direction He is leading is His desire for me and not mind. As I pray and the Holy Spirit leads me, Teresa is praying and the Holy Spirit is leading her. Since we have the same Spirit, what He is showing me He is showing Teresa.

Where He leads, my family and I will follow; no matter where it maybe. Where He puts us, He has a plan for us in that place. We will trust Him the all knowing and all powerful God.