Reverence

As I am working to get Connection Point Church started, I have people who aren’t in our core group calling me “Pastor Thomasson” or “Reverend.” That feels weird to me to be called “Reverend” even by people I’m leading. It’s even weirder being called that by people I don’t know. The times I’m called “Reverend” by non-core group people I’m trying to buy something for the church or set something up for the church. I’ve never been big in titles when it comes to church work because we are all equal in the eyes of God. The only title I offer is Mr. or Mrs. to those people who are older than I (I was raise to respect my elders). I tell people to just call me Tom; just Tom.

The last church I worked as a youth pastor, I had one of the teens asked what I wanted to be called. I told them to call me by my name, Tom. They said, “Pastor Tom?” I told them, “No, just Tom.”

I hate the title “Reverend” and try to avoid it at all cost. When I fill our anything and am asked to choose a title, I put Mr. At conferences, if there is a preprint name tag it will have “Rev.” on it. I bare it in those circumstances. I know that my distain for the title “Reverend” goes back to my pastor and mentor of many years telling me as a young 16 yr old preacher-boy that, “The only person that we should reverence is Jesus Christ and that no man should be revered or called reverend.” Below is the definition for the word “Reverence” and I’ll let you make your own mind up. But as for me, I’m just Tom.

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin reverentia, from reverent-, reverens respectful, reverent
Date: 14th century
1: honor or respect felt or shown : deference; especially : profound adoring awed respect
2: a gesture of respect (as a bow)
3: the state of being revered
4: one held in reverence —used as a title for a clergyman

Determination

Some animals have the curious habit of steering a straight course, no matter what obstacles may be in the way. A black bear swimming in the water, for instance, will not turn to the right or left for any reason-boats, floating logs, reeds, or whatever.

Large tropical snakes will slither right over a boat or canoe rather than go around it in the water. Some land turtles are so determined to proceed in a straight line that they will push headfirst all day against a telephone pole rather than go around it.

We may laugh at these animals for their stubbornness or stupidity; but they are only following an instinct buried deep inside them.

This instinct also lies deep within many human beings. Sometimes it results in tragic or foolish mistakes. But when guided and focused by the Holy Spirit, this instinct to steer a straight course matter what the obstacle becomes a marvelous thing.

Jesus left the remaining eleven disciples with a tremendous task: “Go into the world and make disciples of all nations.” What were these men and a handful of followers against the entire world? Yet their single-minded determination to follow Jesus, inspired by the Spirit, turned the world upside down.

If we are Jesus’ disciples, we too carry within us the seeds of that determination. We can either dismiss it as foolish stubbornness or bring it to God’s Spirit for focus and direction. Around us is a world that is waiting for a handful of people to turn it upside down again.

Anxiety

Last night I laid out the plan of doing a monthly Celebration Event starting in October to our small Monday evening Discovery Group. It’s out there now. Last night I had the same dream over and over again. The dream was me and only 2 people in this Celebration Event; the same two people for 3 months. I know actually what the dream means. I have some anxiety about this step. Last year I came across Philippians 4:6:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

I have freedom in knowing that God is in control (even when I can’t see Him), and He will make known everything I will need to know. The rest I have to take through faith. He has given us the people to help us reach out to the community of Carrollton, and He (God) is the One who draws people to Himself. We can have all the bells and whistles and if God isn’t in it, nothing will happen. And on the other side, we can have canned music, folding chairs, no multi-media slides, and preach the Bible and Christ, and God is in it, it will exploded.

Through the eyes of faith, I will trust the One who saved me and has called me to be His servant. I will trust in His great power and His great knowledge to do what He has called me to be and do.

Lord, take me and use me the way You see fit.

Mud Run 2008

I have to say that I will never look at sand the same way after I ran in the ASYMCA Mud Run. The course was at least 85 to 90% sand. I mean loose sand, not compact sand. The race kick my butt and it was the toughest thing I ever put myself through and I loved it. They waited to put the toughest part toward the last half. They had a 5 foot wall which was easy to jump over (for me) and 3 “mud pit” areas. The last mud pit was one I had to crawl under rope and through mud (it was awesome) and through it my knees got cut up (no big deal) it was a cool adventure.
According to the website’s result tab, my running time was 67 minutes and 29 seconds, and I came in 64th out of 86 men in the age group of 35 – 39 and 973 place out of over 2000 runners. Not too bad for my first 8K mud run. See below for some of the photos of the run. After August 31, I’ll post about the Rock-N-Roll Half Marathon.

Before the race; nice and clean.

Getting my mind focused on the pain to come.

Lining up to start.

The Race starts.

Getting through half of the sand.

Happy to finish.

Battle wounds.

Nice free and cold water.

I feel better in the shade.

Happy the race is over and ready to get the mud and sand off.

Getting the mud and sand off.

Loving FaceBook



I’ve been playing around on FaceBook for almost 2 months now and I’m loving going on this community website more everyday. Teresa is now hooked on it and is on it more than I am.

There have been people in my life that I allowed to go by the way side and I think of them every once and a while. Friends I made in college that went one way and me another. Teens I lead as a Youth Pastor now adults that I lost touch with. And people in my travels in ministry that I think of often but never been able to find an e-mail or phone number for. The people I have based sermon illustrations and stories I tell to my now friends.

FaceBook has given me back the opportunity to reconnect with these people. I love hearing about where my college friends are now and what they are doing. Some are where I thought they end up and others no where near. One has gone from Youth Pastoring to being a Warrant Officer in the Army (still work with youth as a volunteer), and some are teaching in Christian Schools. FaceBook is an awesome tool to reconnect.

19,999 People and Me



After almost 10 years, I starting jogging again back in March 2008 (only 4 months), and have run in two 5K Races and will run in an 8K Mud Run on Saturday, 8/9. I say that to say this, I registered to run in the Virginia Beach Rock-N-Roll Half Marathon. The race is on August 31. I looked through the race’s website about 6 weeks ago, and it said that only 20,000 spaces were available. I thought there is no way 20,000 people will run in a race in VA. After I race 8 miles on Sunday, I told Teresa that I think I can run in this race. I went in the website to register and there were only 200 spaces left. I thought wow, 19,999 people and me will be running over 13 miles on Labor Day weekend. It should be interesting. I’ll post after the race to let you know that I survived the race and my time and placing. In the registration, there is a place where they want to know your guess on your running time. I put 2 hours 30 minutes and 24 seconds. I have no clue but I ran 8 miles in about 1 hour and 22 minutes on Sunday so I’m giving myself another hour to run 5 miles. It will be a neat adventure.

True Satisfaction is Found In Jesus

In Greek mythology, King Tantalus was punished in the underworld by being chained in a lake. Its waters reached to his chin but receded whenever he bent down to satisfy his burning thirst. Over his head were branches laden with choice fruit, but they immediately withdrew whenever he reached upward to satisfy his hunger. A symbol of utter frustration, his name is immortalized in the English word “tantalize.”

And this is what the world is like. The world tantalizes us, but it can never satisfy the longings of the human soul. It will always come up short. In the same way, seeking to know God, or attempting to satisfy the human soul apart from Christ is utterly futile.

But, there is serious satisfaction when we trust Jesus. When we believe the good news of who He is, we find satisfaction and a blessing that never runs dry. We have good news. He is with us, right here, at this very moment. Jesus is alive and is available to us where we are, where we work, and whatever we are doing. He is here to satisfy our souls forever.

We need to simply trust and believe.

GO!

DISCLAIMOR: This is longer than I normally post.



When I think about the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28: 19, I wonder if this verse has been used some many times for missions and witnessing that it’s lost any power to encourage Christ-followers to do this task. This is a great task to do, and overwhelming at times. Who is to be doing the going, and why is it that Christ-followers aren’t doing more of it?

Let’s look at the verse:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The King James Version has “YE” or “YOU” after Go. The King James Version council would add words to the manuscript that they thought made passages flow better. When they did this, they put the words in italic to show this. Later versions assumed people knew who was to go so they did not add this word to this verse. So basically, as Christ-followers we are the ones who Jesus told to go.

So we are the ones who are commissioned to go and tell the good news of Christ’s gift of eternal life. Why is it that not everyone is sharing this news? I have some theories of why this is.

1. People are under the assumption that this task is for the “Pastors” or “Professional Clergy” to do.
If this was the case, Christ would have only talked with the 11 remaining disciples separate from the crowd. He told everyone that was with Him to “Go.” There were around 500 people present at this meeting.

2. People that don’t have the Spiritual gift of evangelism assume they don’t have to do this task since it’s not their thing.
Even though you may not have the Spiritual gift of evangelism, this commission is for you to do as well.

3. Some people feel that they can’t talk with strangers. They say, “I’m shy.”
The greatness of this commission is that we aren’t doing it. It’s the Holy Spirit through us who is doing it. Acts 1:8;

“but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

As humans, we are merely the work gloves. In themselves, gloves just lay around. It’s not until you put your hand in them that they are able to accomplish a task like raking the leaves or hammering a nail. The Spirit is accomplishing the task of telling the good news of Salvation. God doesn’t need us, but He wants to use us.

4. People say, “I’m not a good talking.” Or, “I wouldn’t know what to say.”
God will give us the words to use when we need them. Jesus told us that we will be put in situations that we may not know what to say. In these times, He said not to worry because the Spirit will give you the words to say. Mark 13:11;

“When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.”

You have trusted your eternal soul to Christ for salvation. Trust that He will do what He says helping you speak to others about him.

Matthew 28:19, tells us to go and tell the world about what He has done for us. Step out on faith and tell some one today.

I’m Not In Control

One of the must freeing truths I’ve learned in the whole church planting thing is that God is the One who does, and I’m called to just follow His lead. He has planned and accomplished all the works or tasks He has called me to do for Him. It’s freeing but nerve racking at the same time. I’m a take charge sort of guy and I struggle with “letting go and letting God.”

I had a reminder of this yesterday. I’m praying and talking with God and trying to look a head of what He has shown me already. I was getting frustrated and wondering what can I do to get a head of the planning. There are so many “I’s” needing dotted and “T’s” needing crossed. As I was praying and wondering about the church plant, I read through my notes for last night’s Discovery Group study of John 6:15-21 and the John account of Jesus walking on the water. Something in my notes hit me between the eyes. The disciples spent hours rowing against the storm’s waves trying to save themselves. They were tired and scared and then they saw Jesus. When they invited Him in the boat, the storm stopped and they found that they were on land. It is Jesus who claims the storms of our lives. It is He who puts things in order. I had to stop and tell God that I’m sorry and will relay solely on Him to do His plan. Connection Point Church isn’t my plan, it’s God’s plan to reach His sheep.

Once I let go, I was called by our Missions Director about some of the things we’ve been talking about. He told me that God gave us a band to play music for us. I got excited and knew who did it. God is doing His thing and getting things ready. He will give us a meeting place in a town where meeting places are limited. He will give us the equipment we’ll need when we will need it. And He will give us the money when we will need it. God is always in control even when we can’t see it.