New vs. Busy (duke it out!)

Lisa & I are going out of town tomorrow for what we hope is the calm before the storm. The fall is probably one of my favorite times of the year. In my mind, it's really much like Spring in the sense of the newness that's all around us. It may not be the smell of a new flower blooming, but I assure you, there's a freshness about this time of year as well. Wow, that sounded just like a detergent commercial!

...ANYWAY...

As we all know, with the new, comes BUSY! Yes, I said it. Yours & my favorite four letter word. There's sooooo much stuff going on right now. If we're not careful we will become so busy with school, games, job, work, more work...that we lose sight of what really matters. I'm not saying you shouldn't stay busy. Just make sure you're busy with the really important stuff. To decipher what that is, I like to use Henry Blackaby's method; "Look for where God is at work & join Him there".

On a slightly different note, I just discovered that some of our very own from FBC's creative arts department have been moonlighting as indie filmmakers. So, without further ado. I give you...Daily Thoughts by...?

Next Comic Standing

His Final Creation

Yes, I realize that 75% or more of my readership is of the female persuasion. However, this message is for the guys. So, ladies, print it up & pass it on.

This morning a friend of mine called to let me know of an article that she had recently read in Home Life magazine. It was called "Finishing Touches" & it was essentially about how we guys have neglected the one part of God's creation that was created to be our other half...to make us complete. No, she wasn't informing me of this because she thought I needed to read it. Wait a minute! Maybe she was. Hey! Should I be offended? Nah! It was written by my (and now your) good friend Shaun Groves. I would love to post it, but I can't seem to find it anywhere online. C'mon Shaun, hook a brotha up! There's no telling how many cd sales I've sent your way.

So, in a nutshell, here's what stood out to me in the article. You know the gig, it took seven days for God's creation to be complete. Well, actually six, with a little siesta on the seventh. On the final day, God put man into a deep sleep and removed one of his ribs. With this rib He created his final creation..."Woman". Did you catch that? This was His FINAL creation! As Shaun put it, "The finishing touch on a masterpiece...The world was not complete and neither was the man until she arrived."

Ladies, please forgive us. We have not held you in high esteem as we should. You were "the final brushstrokes on God's magnificent canvas".

Without you, we are only half of what God created us to be.

Last Comic Standing?

Anticipation is a wonderful thing!

What are you anticipating?
Better yet, what are you expecting?

This morning I was at the church finishing up a few last minute tasks before this Sunday's services. I wasn't doing anything that necessarily pertains to my specific job description. However, it was through these seemingly tedious tasks that I was overwhelmed with an incredible sense of awe. Three times within about 20 minutes I found myself face down before the Lord, and all I was doing was straightening chairs.

This Sunday is one of our highest attended Sundays of the year. So, needless to say, we put a lot of eggs into this basket. This past week was filled with many different people doing many different things, and it was all for one reason. To give our best to our Savior, in hopes that the people coming this week will come to know Him.

I ask it again, what are you anticipating & expecting God to do in and through you?

Mactastic!

Greetings fellow blogophites! This is my first blog entry using my new Macbook. I guess I should say, my second new Macbook. The first one I received last week was defective. I'm pretty sure God was telling me that I was way too busy to work on anything new. Even though the learning curve for mac's is way less than a pc, it is still going to take me sometime to get used to working on it. The good news is, with a mac, it's not work. It's a lot of fun!!

If any of you that helped me purchase this are reading, GOD BLESS YOU!! A thousand THANK YOU's! God has truly blessed me and my family with great friends. I LOVE YOU ALL!

I'll soon get back to more meaty subject matter.

Rise Up!

Let the church rise from the ashes

Let the church fall to her knees

Let us be light in the darkness

Let the church rise

What do you think the world's first criticism of Christians is? You got it, HYPOCRISY! We don't live what we preach. In fact, we often live what we preach against!

The lyrics found above come from a song that I just ran across a few weeks ago. Of course, being a musician, the music drew me in first. However, as soon as it got to this chorus, it became a wonderful marriage of the two. Listen to the words; "rise from the ashes"..."fall to her knees"..."light in the darkness". These are all attributes that we, as the bride (church) of Christ, must adhere to. We must RISE UP and be what Christ created us to be...a catalyst to be a "light" for Him to our community & even the nations.

All that said, my favorite line in this song is "let the church fall to her knees"! We must be humble enough to admit that as a church we've screwed up, & even ask for forgiveness when we know we need to. It's through this forgiving humble attitude that we will truly RISE UP!

This past week I have been incredibly encouraged to see, and even be a part of the church simply being the church. I meet weekly with a few guys to talk about God's Word & our place in it. These guys are a rock to each other. You know "iron sharpens iron". Anyway, one of the guys had a truck break down & the next thing I know it's getting fixed by two of the others in that group.

Later in the week someone came to the church just to have someone to cry with. Sometimes that's all the church needs to be, an ear to listen & a shoulder to cry on. Let's be honest, we talk way too much as it is.

So, what do ya say! Are we going to rise up? At the very least, let's just get off our comfortable rumps & do something!

Yes, I understand that some rumps are more comfortable than others.

#%&!@*&^%$

Today's been one of those days. Tomorrow I'm going on my annual bonding trip with the guys. It's basically an opportunity for me to realize how bad a golfer I really am. Play a little golf, eat a lot of fish, play a little cards. That's pretty much it. I'll talk at you next week. Maybe then I'll have something profound to say...MAYBE!

I Am Blessed!!

Today I feel like Superman. No, really! My lovely wife threw me an incredible Superman birthday party. Who says a 32 year old man can't party like a 10 year old. I couldn't have asked for a better day. I feel very loved. God has truly blessed me with an amazing family & wonderful friends to boot.

Gotta go, I'm off to save the day!!!!!

What to do?

For those of you who really know me well. You know that I am a big time movie buff. I love going to movie's, renting them, acting in them. No, wait a minute, I've never done that. The fact is, I love escaping reality for a few hours to get sucked into a great flick. So, needless to say, the movie would have to be pretty bad to merit me walking out of the theatre.

Last night, my wife & I went out on the town for a much needed date. A little Mexican food & you guessed it...a movie. It had been a while since we had seen a good comedy, so we went with some friends to see Will Ferrell's new movie "Talladega Nights - The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". I love Will Ferrell from his early days with SNL. His slapstick style of humor has kept me in stitches many times. However, this was not one of those times. Well, to be completely honest, there were times in the movie that were really funny, but it wasn't 30 minutes into the film that I couldn't take it any more. The humor had been overtaken with incredibly lude situations & language. The line was officially crossed & it was time to walk out.

Later that evening my wife and I were reminded of a verse in Ephesians:

"Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses for language than that. Don't talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn't fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect." -Ephesians 5:4 (The Message)

Once again, I love how The Message puts it, very straight forward & to the point. If there's anything I can teach you through this, it would be simply this; Listen to the Lord when He's speaking to you! He created us to think on things that are holy, just & pure. I like a good laugh as much as the next guy. Let's just make sure that we're careful what we are laughing at.

Remember Bill The Cat?

This is a good picture of what I've felt like this week. My brain is hurting with everything that's on my mind. I found this picture and was reminded of my favorite cartoon, Bloom County. Opus & Bill The Cat had a very interesting view of life.

Anyway, in the midst of the craziness this week, God did something pretty incredible. At least I think it was. We, at FBC, had the privilege of hosting some guests this week for a wedding reception. Our local Mennonite friends needed a place that would hold about 600 people. I've never seen so many chairs in our activity center at one time. The reception wasn't until Thursday evening, but as weddings go, they were in and out all week long. I realize that they were using our building because of its size, but I really believe that God was working in the midst of it all.

So, come Wednesday night, it was time for our weekly rehearsals for Sunday morning. As we began, there were a few of them standing around. By the time we were halfway through the first song I turned around to witness somewhere between 30-40 of them, with more peaking there heads in the windows. At first, I have to admit I was a little nervous. However, It wasn't long before the peace of God really began to fall in that place. Our rehearsals are not just rehearsals. We have always focused on it being a time of worship. Yes, we work on the details, but in the long run, the overall time is filled with God's presence. Who knows what they were thinking. All I know is that within that two hour period of time, walls were broken down while two very different groups of people came together in Christ's name. It was a wonderful time in the midst of a crazy week.

Since that night my curiosity has gotten the best of me. I wanted to know more about our new Mennonite friends. I've always been a researcher. Though we don't see eye to eye on everything, you might be surprised to know how alike we really are. Both Baptists & Mennonites have a foundational connection to the Anabaptists from the 1500's. How much of a connection is, and will always be, disputed by those that actually care. However, there is a connection. One notable relationship between the two was when John Smyth's General Baptists attempted to merge with the Mennonites. This attempt obviously failed, or else us Baptists might look, act & live a little differently today. Sometimes I'm not sure that would be a bad thing. Alright, enough with the lecture.

My point is simply this; let's do more to break down the walls between those that seem different than us. Yes, I will admit to my curiosities. What do you think caused them to come watch us in our time of worship...CURIOSITY! Let's just see if we can get past just wanting to know more and get to the heart of who we truly are as a people. In this case, we are all His children.

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" - John 1:12 (NIV)

In Remembrance dos

Check out this trailer for Oliver Stone's new film "World Trade Center".

Is this too soon? Are the wounds still too fresh? Watching this trailer definitely brings up some pretty strong emotions.

The search is on...

I got a pre-release of this band passed on to me today. My faith is slowly being restored in the birth of a fresh sound with great lyrics. Check out their myspace page. Let me know what you think!

In remembrance?

Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001. I was working at Word Entertainment when a co-worker came in and said "you've got to turn the t.v. on". Naturally we all piled in the conference room & for the rest of the day we got nothing done. That was okay though, seeing as the whole world seemed to stop at that moment.

The other day I was flipping through the channels & came across a commercial for a "5th anniversary 9/11 Commemorative Coin".

I'm not a coin collector, so naturally this struck me as a bit tacky. Yes, they're giving 5 bucks from every purchase to 9/11 charities. That's wonderful! But would it not be better to put all of the money towards helping the victims & families in need. I realize that I'm on a bit of a soapbox here, but who really needs another coin to take up space in our already crowded lives. If you want to help those affected by that terrible day, here are just a few of the charities that "all" of your gift will be used:

World Trade Center Memorial Foundation

Tuesday's Children

The New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund

I guess I got a bit burned on this kind of stuff when I worked at Word Records & would go to "Christian Bookseller's Association" every year. You know, the type of conference that tries to sell you on every new product coming out. The good, the bad & the ugly! I'm not knocking CBA. They do some really great things, but at times it was really over the top. They had everything from candy bars with Jesus' face on them to action figures of Jesus & the disciples. Yes, Jesus had "gliding action" but come on...REALLY! Couldn't these retailers have used their money to manufacture something that would really benefit the Kingdom? Couldn't we use our resources to better serve the Kingdom? Better yet, let's put our feet where our money is & GO help!

For those of you avid coin collectors, my sincere apologies. Order as many as you can. Knock yourself out!

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27 (NIV)

Still here!

No, I haven't quit blogging! I've just been a little busy as of late. You know the old saying; "when it rains it pours".

Tomorrow, I will be speaking (more than usual) in one of our 3 services. Not long, maybe 5 minutes max. It's something that I have been meeting with God about for some time & I believe it's time to teach this specific body. I figure, as much as I've been preaching obedience lately, it's time that I lived it. Be praying for me.

Also, Titus & Robert are back from Africa. Titus will be preaching. I can't wait! All of our issues here must seem so trivial to a man that lives in the Aids ravaged streets of Africa.

GOD HELP US!!

The Key

Today, I'd like to revisit a thought that "Summer" commented on a few days ago. You can read the comment here. I'd like to focus on the following quote;

"I think obedience of the Holy Spirit is the key to God dwelling among us through corporate worship."

Let me start by saying this; obedience is the "key" to everything in our relationship with Christ. Without being willing to obey, we cannot even begin the journey. Even at the very beginning of our walk with Christ, it's His Holy Spirit that prompts us. Let's look at some passages in Acts 2 soon after the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost.

"When the people heard this , they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2:37&38 (NIV)

Okay, so here's what I think...for what it's worth. To begin our relationship with Christ, we must first obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Should it stop there? Can I get a resounding NOOOOOO!!! That's like joining a health club & never going to work out. Sure you have a nice membership card to show all your friends, but where's the evidence of actually going? You do the math. When we are in continuous worship (as in Romans 12:1), the Holy Spirit will continually prompt us as to what our next step should be. The world commonly calls this your conscience. As a believer, the Holy Spirit takes the place of that worldy view and guides us to actions that will glorify His Father. This is good stuff!! Here's another verse taken from Acts:

"Peter and the apostles answered, It's necessary to obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, the One you killed by hanging him on a cross. God set him on high at his side, Prince and Savior, to give Israel the gift of a changed life and sins forgiven. And we are witnesses to these things. The Holy Spirit, whom God gives to those who obey him, corroborates every detail." - Acts 5:29-32 (Message)

I love the very end of this passage. "The Holy Spirit...corroborates every detail." That big long "C" word means to give strength, confirm; support. The Holy Spirit is sent to us to confirm and support the Father & son's heart. When we obey the Holy Spirit, we are obeying the whole package. This "trinity" thing is the most incredible yet equally as confusing gift that we could ever receive.

So, what does this mean in our corporate worship. Through obedience, we are inviting the manifest presence of God to join us as we worship Him. Michael Coleman, president & founder of Integrity Music states it very well;

"Now let's look at what it means to experience the manifest presence of God in our praises. The early church experienced the manifest presence of God, resulting in a thriving, growing church that affected the entire world. One way to experience the manifest presence of God is through praise because Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people.

Praise was a key element of early church life. Acts 2:47 shows that praise was one of the foundations of the New Testament church along with apostles' teaching, fellowship, prayer, and breaking of bread together. Many other New Testament scriptures indicate that regular praise was a key part of early church life. Through praise, we too can experience God's manifest presence and be changed and empowered to live out His will."

So, there you have it folks. Let's here what you have to say. The lines will be open all night!