Monday, July 31, 2006

Interactive Worship?

I discovered a great new product at the IWI that I will hopefully be using at some point. The problem is, it's REALLY expensive. Well, not really for what it is, but still, it's REALLY expensive for my budget. The name of the company as well as the product, is Interactive Worship Live. It's essentially computer based tracks that the band can play along with. It's used in real time so you can loop verses, choruses or whatever, as many times as you want. For those of you that know me, I do like my freedom! Anyhow, I have created loops in the past that we have used, but it simply takes way too much time to create them. I really like the idea of paying someone else to do it.

The other issue is the never ending battle between PC's & Mac's. Let me remind you that Macs always win hands down! I wasted an hour this afternoon trying to get the demo they sent me to work on my PC laptop. It never would work without chopping the music to smithereens. Is that how you spell it? Anyway, I'm about halfway towards purchasing my new Macbook, and let me tell you, it won't come soon enough. Truth be told, I could always use another lesson in patience.

Hey, here's a deep thought...Interactive Worship? Isn't that what it should be? On many different levels? Okay, I've given you a topic...talk amongst yourselves.

I leave you with a great Mac vs. PC commercial. Ciao!

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Bring out your inner artist

Here's something fun that I ran across at my friend Randy's blog, Ethos. Just click here & unleash your inner artist. As Randy said, it's pretty addictive. ENJOY!

Friday, July 28, 2006

I'm on a mission!

The mission, should you choose to accept it, is this; find new music that's not the same old cookie cutter stuff! At least that's the mission that I'm on. Please join me. Keep your ears open and let me know what you discover. Just this morning I discovered a band with a great sound. They go by Hyper Static Union. Check them out at their myspace page. Listen to the song "Praying For Sunny Days".



This message will self-destruct in five seconds!

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Prepare the way & get out of it!

I'm reading a great book right now by David W. Patterson called Equipping The Worship Team. In many ways it is right where I am at the moment in regards to leadership. In chapter 2 it brought to light something that I wanted to share with you.

Here's what David has to say about preparation:

"To know what is coming yet not prepare is a lack of faith even if you believe it will happen! If we truly believe God has called us to stand in His presence when the body of Christ gathers for worship, then we need to approach every meeting with anticipation and faith that God is going to do great things. If you believe God has called you to lead (in) a powerful worship team and see His presence influence your city, then what are you doing right now to prepare for the coming visitation? We see in Isaiah a prophecy of John the Baptist & Jesus. Within that prophetic word is a principle of preparing the way that applies to our churches and worship teams right now.

3"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make straight in the desert

A highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be exalted

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough places smooth;

5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed,

And all flesh shall see it together;

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 40:3-5

In verse 4 where it says 'Every valley shall be exalted -raised up- and every mountain and hill made low,' this is referring to the ancient practice of preparing a travel route for kings, queens and monarchs.Before a dignitary would leave their domain to travel to another region they would send out an army to build a highway for the chariots of the emperor (did you know that...I didn't). This process would take months, sometimes years to remove the boulders, trees and debris from the road. If there were ravines that had been washed out they would fill them in. All of the obstacles, even hills and portions of mountain peaks were removed inpreparationn for the entrance of the sovereign. In regard to John the Baptist, the obstacles were religious tradition, self-righteousness and hardened hearts. The message of repentance and baptism was thepreparationn for the revealing of 'The Glory of The Lord', Christ. The principle here applies to our churches and worship communities; when we prepare the way by removing the obstacles and hindrances to true worship, the glory of the Lord will be revealed!"

I hope that this spoke to you as it did me. What is your heart like as you enter into corporate worship? Is it just one more thing in an already busy week, or have you "prepared the way" by eliminating all obstacles that might be in the way of the Lord?

I want to make sure that you understood one key point to this whole application. We are not removing obstacles that would keep us from Him. On the contrary, we are removing those things that keep Him from us! He so desperately desires to come and have community with us, His children.

Is the highway to your soul cleared and open for His Grand entrance??

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

At the risk of seeming vain

As if I think that all of you are scrambling to get to your computers for my next blog entry. You can't eat or sleep until you get that next Me-Log fix. YEAH RIGHT!!!

However, I did want to make it a bit easier for those of you that have joined me in this vast blogosphere. As you can see, I have added a subscription feature in the sidebar. Simply type in your e-mail address, click subscribe & you're good to go. I've also updated my playlist.

Okay, I admit it. I Love new toys & gadgets! I'll be adding new features to the site as I learn of & about them. Also, if you care about seeing the blog as it should be with the header in tact, you can simply back out of the site & go back in & it should be there. I'm working on fixing the problem completely, but that should work for now.

Just remember, it's all for you! Well, maybe not all of it. Thanks for taking this trip with me!!!

Monday, July 24, 2006

How big a boy are ya?

Greetings from the land of many boxes. Thanks to those of you that have prayed for and/or helped Lisa & me in our move over the last few weeks. I think we are about to dig ourselves out of the rubble!

Today I want to revisit some of the teachings that I received at the IWI a few weeks ago. Bishop Joseph Garlington was one of the many speakers that really hit us between the eyes. Not only was he absolutely hilarious in his teaching approach, but he is a very learned man with an eloquent tongue about him. Needless to say, he kept our attention quite well. The following video was shown to us to set up his teaching. Check it out before reading on.



Feeling kind of small? On this specific day, he was speaking on the size of God in relation to the size of His creation...namely US. 2 Chronicles 2:6a states "But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?" What does that speak to you? Does it bring back to memory those childhood VBS songs about our God being a BIG GOD? Friends, it's so much more than that! See how this statement from Bishop Garlington strikes you. Hold onto your seats for this one;

"Immensity is that perfection of the divine being
by which He transcends all spacial limitations
and yet is present in every point of space
with His whole being."
Go ahead, read it again. Has it soaked in yet? Yeah, it kinda made my brain hurt too. Let's dissect it a bit. Immensity:in (not) + metiri (to measure), very large, vast, huge. The word literally translated means that you cannot measure its size. My kids love to measure stuff. There's no measuring God! Don't you like the feeling when you've figured something out. Well get over it! We can't figure God out! So, back to Bishop Garlington's quote. Ok, so GOD is HUGE! What else? Because He created the universe & all that's in it, He is able to be in all places at all times. There's something very trekky about that. Do you understand it? Me either! That's what makes Him God!
As if that isn't incredible enough, it gets much, much better. Let's examine what it says in John 14:23: "Jesus Replied, If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to Him and make our home with him". Did you catch that? The same God that is too big to measure, is going to take up residence in my scrawny little body? If I'm reading it correctly, that would mean that I must have been created (by GOD) to be bigger on the inside than I am on the outside. Only an immense God could pull that off! I love serving a God that I don't fully understand! That's where FAITH comes in.
Just in case some of you are still scratching your head as you read this, let me leave you with one last quote from Bishop Garlington. This puts it all into perspective:
"We are not just human beings
having a temporal spiritual experience,
we are spiritual beings
having a temporary human experience."
Well, Bless God Amen!

Friday, July 21, 2006

Beyond the first Gig

Well, we made it through our first gig. Barring a few minor issues everything went pretty well. We started the set with an amp that was on its last leg. It was going out on us throughout the entire soundcheck. However, I firmly believe that prayer works. At least it did in this case! To our amazement, the amp made it through the whole set. Who knows, God may have given it another year of life.

I can't tell you how much the devil has been trying to sabotage this new vision from the very beginning. But you know what, that just told me that something wonderful was going to happen, and I believe that it has! It looks like the bannerman mentality actually worked, if only in a small way. I was able to speak to a lady after the show who approached me about the band. We spoke for a short while about the music, but more importantly about the God that gave us the gift of music. Even though the conversation was short, she seemed very receptive. I haven't had a chance to talk with my other bandmates to see if anyone approached them. I'm convinced that God had her there for a reason, and that's what Beyond Walls is all about. I can't wait to do it again!

Ok, all spirituality aside. It was incredibly fun to play with such talented people. For the most part it seemed pretty effortless. That can only happen if you are playing with great players. Guys, if you're reading this...Goodonya! That's Australian for GREAT JOB!!! Like I said earlier, I can't wait to do it again!

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Banner Man

Does anyone remember the quirky 80's Christian artist Steve Taylor? If you do, believe it or not, he's still around. Truth be told, he blazed a path for many Christian artists out there today. After his recording career he started Squint entertainment (Sixpence None The Richer, yada yada yada) in the late 90's & has since gone on to direct films and continue to dabble in record producing. Anyhow, do you remember the song that he wrote called Bannerman? Here's the lyrics:

One man's grinning from behind the net

Waits 'til the camera's adjusted

Don't you worry 'bout the flak you'll get?

Aren't you scared of getting busted?

The ball gets booted, It hits a cross-beam

Up pops a banner: 'JOHN 3:16'

He don't worry 'bout the critics (they tow the line)

He don't worry 'bout the cynics (they love to whine)

He ain't gonna change the world, but he knows who can

Bannerman


Prime-time football in the Buffalo snow

Freezing his little epidermis

Lifts that banner at the first field goal

Drinks clam-chowder from a thermos

He's never missed a game, He never spells it wrong

He never talks back when they tell him, "Move along"

He don't worry 'bout the critics (they'll howl for days)

He don't worry 'bout the cynics (they naval-gaze)

He ain't gonna change the world, but he knows who can

Bannerman

Sports fans everywhere dying for a drink

But they've gotta find a well first

One man's ready with a banner and a wink

A whole lotta souls are getting well-versed

Every time I see him I smile a little more

I can't help praying for another high score

He don't worry 'bout the critics (they've met their match)

He don't worry 'bout the cynics (they sniff and scratch)

He ain't gonna change the world, but he knows who can

Bannerman


A little sarcastic, but you get the point. At 6:00 tonight, Beyond Walls; a new band here at FBC, is going out into the community for our first gig. We will be doing songs that don't get sung in church very often, songs that can be heard on mainstream radio, Songs of life & love. The point of this new ministry is not to beat people over the head with Christ. The point is to meet them on a level playing field with the universal language of music...in hopes that those listening will sense the love that we are singing about & want more.

So, back to Bannerman. We too have jumped on the banner band wagon. Or is it, band banner wagon? At the top of this blog entry you saw the banner that everyone else will see at tonight's gig. It's our prayer that someone will see it, hear us & JUST ASK. The answer we have for them will change their life forever!

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

A Dying Generation

Hello friends. We have moved & I think I'm beginning to get back into the swing of things again. Yesterday I received an e-mail from my friend & former pastor Robert Brown. You can check out my previously posted blog "Steppin' Out" to get a reference for what he is doing. The following is from his e-mail. Read it with your heart wide open.


"I'm writing this Monday at about noon our time. I didn't have time to journal during the weekend (by the time we returned to the house, I exhausted and crashed). It was quite a weekend. We began at about 6:45 am Sat. heading to a funeral. This funeral lasted 4 hours. We went to the house and had a little service. Then we went to the church for about a 2 hour service. Then we went to the cemetery where we beheld scenes that were surreal. Dave, Sarah, and I were overwhelmed with what we witnessed. I have no idea how many burials were taking place, but it was at least 10 to 15. I'd guess that they must have buried a minimum of 50 people that day. Sounds of singing and great rejoicing were intermingled with wailing and gnashing of teeth."

"As I stood high upon this hill and watched, I saw thousands of people (three?, five?, who knows?) coming to bury their loved ones. By the time we left, there was no room to park! Cars and vehicles were lined up bumper to bumper for as far as our eyes could see. And this goes on day after day after day after ... Our hearts were broken, but most of the natives sat stoically ... for they are numb. The pain of what HIV/AIDS is doing has overwhelmed them. A generation is gone and going fast."

"I began to weep inside and ask the Lord whose heart is also broken: O God, what am I to do? How can I make a differnce? I'm just one little voice crying in the wilderness. But cry I must! I shall never cease to cry out in behalf of these beautiful people, these ailing grandmothers taking care of so many children, and most of all the throng of children who have no one to care for them, no one to rock them to sleep at night, no one to give them a name, a home, and a hope ... that things will be OK."

"I know a little about history and I don't know of anything like this scourge in the history of humanity. And I also know one thing for sure: That Jesus is right here! He came near to touch the lepers of His day. I believe that He wants to use me (YOU!) to reach out and touch these modern day "lepers" afflicted by HIV/AIDS or it's consequences. Sunday was an incredible reminder of the hope of the world: The local church! We spent the whole morning at two services, one at Titus's church and the other at one of the eight or so local missions the church has started. It's hard to believe the joy these people have unless you see & experience it for yourself. They have almost nothing ... except JESUS! I am so sad as I think about how we are so abundantly blessed back home, but it's never enough. We always want more. More money, bigger and better cars and houses and ... we're never satisfied. We have no idea how to sing & dance with the joy I witnessed yesterday. O God, teach us to be content with YOU."

"I got to preach briefly in the large service and then again at the mission. Pray for me as I preach at the church this Sunday. I want to encourage these brothers and sisters to fight the good fight. They have such loving and Godly hearts, but they are so overwhelmed. They need us to come alongside them as their partners. That is exactly what I want to invest the rest of my days doing. I need hundreds of Churches to join me in coming alongside the churches here at ground zero. I can't think of anything else or any other place that so desperately needs our help. I hope and am praying that many of you will come and experience it all for yourself some time soon. But, until then: I hope that you will invite me to come and share the story with you, your small group, your church leaders, or, best of all, your whole church. I have already received some invitations, but I have a calendar still pretty wide open for the fall and all of the spring. Let me know when would be the best time to come and share with you. I can tell that many of you are praying for me, Titus, and the gang. We have a special sense of God's anointing. There is no way that all that is happening is accidental. It is God! And I am so excited and privileged to be a part of it. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate your partnership in the work of the Gospel here in South Africa!"


If anyone out there is as moved as I am & wants to do something about it, please contact FBC and let them know you want to support Robert & his work in Africa. Someone will be able to help you do just that.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Put that flipper down!

Forget what I said in my last post about rest...Just Kidding! There's a lot to be said for it, I just haven't been getting much of it lately. As they say, "This too shall pass". After today, I'll probably be signing off until Monday. We're going to hit this moving thing pretty hard starting tomorrow.

Last night, as I was about to crash on my pillow until I flipped on the tube. The second I did it, I knew it was a bad idea. Oh well, at least I learned something. No, not from the mistake of turning it on...from the actual show I watched. Anyway, I immediately got hooked on a documentary on PBS. Yes, I watch PBS! It chronicled the life of folk singer Woody Guthrie. At first, I got hooked into the musical aspect of it. Then, I really started focusing in on his character. Mr. Guthrie was by no means an incredible righteous man of God. Far from it! However, their was one aspect to Him that many of us followers of Christ could stand to have more of...CONVICTION.

At one point in his life he began to receive a little fame. His "everyday man" songs were sung from coast to coast. With this fame, a steady flow of good income began to come in. Keep in mind that this was right smack in the middle of the depression. I'm about to get to the conviction part. As his fame began to grow more & more, the record labels began to instruct him more on what he could & could not write. In my days in Nashville, I saw more of this than I care to admit. It always amazed me how a big record label could sign a great songwriter and within 6 months suck the song right out of them. Where's the unique music anymore?! Wow, I'm chasing another rabbit right down the bunny hole. So, where were we? Oh yeah, conviction. Even with all the big money rolling in, Woody wouldn't let them try to make him into their poster boy. If you've heard any of Woody Guthrie's music, you know that every song has a message. Not always a good one, but a message nonetheless. He left everything and went back to Texas where he started. He could've had it all, but instead, he chose to stand true to who he was.

How many times, as Saved, Sold out, Born again believers to we literally sell out to what this world has to offer? Do we stand true to the convictions that the Holy Spirit has embedded deep within us? Is the Word of God worth living by, or is it just another instruction manual to be thrown in the bottom of the nearest drawer?

Conviction. That's a tough word to say, much less to live.

Talk at ya soon.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

REST

Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

As many of you know, we are moving this week. As referenced in a previous post, we are making this move because we felt it was time to do something about our debt. As a result, we are now debt free!!

Anyhow, for those of you that have ever moved (which should be just about all of you), you know that it is very exhausting. Thank the Lord that the buyer of our house has allowed us to stay in it for 30 days after closing. That was nothing short of a miracle with our summer schedule. The challenge for us has been to balance hard work with times of rest. There is always a season for hitting it hard! Then, there should also be a season of slowing down. Some of you will be, or have been vacationing this summer. Good for you! If we don't stop to rest every now and then, not only do we just get worn out, but our priorities are all out of wack as well.

Even in the midst of our moving craziness, Lisa & I sat down last night, enjoyed some popcorn & watched a movie. We also have some great friends that took care of the girls for us. That's just one way of living out the Acts church. Friends helping friends!

The moral of this story is simply this; "Hit it hard, but always land soft"...or something like that. Here's a trailer for the movie we watched. I'm a movie buff & this one was really good. ENJOY!

IWI Pics

Check out the link to the IWI pics. I've posted the last group that I had from my cell phone. Hopefully I will get some better pics from Tonja. If so, I'll pass them on to you. Enjoy!!

Monday, July 10, 2006

What's that noise?

Hey everybody. As you can tell, I've been out of pocket for the last few days. The IWI was incredible, but it kept me a little too busy to keep up with the blog. No, it kept me a lot to busy! This week we're moving, so I don't know how often I'll enter the blogosphere.
However, I did want to get the ball rolling on one of the topics that I always love at the IWI. It's this idea of singing our prayers as well as our praise. I call it an idea, but in reality it's actually a practice that's in the Word more times than I can count. You remember...the "NEW SONG". In the original Hebrew, the word "Tephillah" means "supplication" or "intercession". This is a prayer that is sung unto the Lord. The word "Tehillah" means "a song, or hymn of praise". Lamar Boschman, the founder of the IWI, goes a little deeper on this subject in his article; The Power of Singing Prayer.
What are your thoughts on this? If you've never been here before, first of all WELCOME! Secondly, you can click on the comment link below and let me know what you think. Let's get the dialog started.

Have you ever engaged in "Tephillah" or "Tehillah"? Privately or in public worship?

It's all yours...

Friday, July 07, 2006

IWI #5


WOW! This is the first time I've had time to breathe this week. As Becky so eloquently put it this morning, "the conference has been incredible, but there has just not been any extra time to process it." She is absolutely right. So, that's where you come in. I will be processing everything over the next weeks & months right here on the blog. My brain is so full & I can't wait to unleash it on you. Unfortunately you will have to clean up the mess! I'll also be posting the rest of the pics in the days to come.

We are coming home tomorrow & I can honestly tell you that God has changed every one of us. Lord use us to help your church find the "New Song" & live in it!

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

IWI #4

Hello fellow blogoites! Once again, I love making up new words! Yesterday was incredible!! Here's the quick lowdown. Diane spent all morning at her keyboard master class. Thanks again Jeanine, for the keyboard. In Diane's own words, it was very "stimulating". I can attest to the fact that she was overjoyed at the knowledge that was poured generously into her. I think her brain was hurting. At this very moment, she is playing a song that Spring wrote. I'm blown away at what God is doing among this team! Dillon went to the School of Audio again today. We didn't see him much, but he said the classes have been really helpful. God is truly moving in his life this week. Kathy & Becky arrived today. It was really good to finally get the whole team here!

As you will begin to notice, the posts are likely to begin getting shorter. The fact is, it's CRAZY busy here & I'm running out of time. Keep checking it out though. I will post something, even if it's not much.

The bottom line is, God is REALLY pouring into us. The IWI is a week that can leave you a bit overloaded. It's so intense & you receive sooooo much information. Last night, the Parachute Band from New Zealand led us in worship. That was cool for me because they were one of the bands that I had the privilege of working with when I was at Word International in Nashvegas. Unfortunately, I don't get free cd's anymore. Can you believe they actually made me buy them??!! Lamar taught us again on singing to the Lord a "New Song". There are so many scripture verses that talk about this "new song". I have a lot that I want to share on this subject, but unfortunately I don't have time. Be looking, it will come back later. However, I will say this. The "new song" is not the planned, rehearsed song. It's a song that comes from deep within us. It is Holy Spirit led & is a song that is from the core of us to the core of God.

I'll leave you with this. Lamar said something that really stuck with me last night. He said; "Earth songs (planned & rehearsed songs) are good & get us started down the runway, but the Spirit song ("new song") gives us lift off".

What is your "new song"?

Are you afraid to sing it?

Remember, less fear equals more freedom!

IWI #3 - Continued


HAPPY 4th OF JULY!

And we're off! Yesterday was our first full day at the IWI. Dillon continued with his School of Audio classes. The other 3rd of our group arrived at around 3:00, in time for our 4:15 choir rehearsal. Kathy & Becky will be here this afternoon.

Alright, that's enough of the chit chat. It's time to get to the meat of the conference. As we get deeper into the classes, I'll share about them. Until then, let me share about one of the most exciting times at the IWI. Every evening wraps up with a 3 hour worship service from 7-10. I can honestly say that these are some of the most powerful, sweet, intimate moments that I have ever corporately experienced with the Lord. Last night, former YWAM leader Bob Fitts led us in worship. This man has an incredible heritage of leading people into the presence of God. There were moments of sheer joy, coupled with quiet times on our faces before the Lord. One of the lessons I have really learned here over the years is that fearing, or better put, revering the Lord, causes us to lay aside whatever worldly fears we may have. Worship is between you & God. If he wants you on your face, don't be afraid of what every one else is thinking. If he wants you to jump for joy, do not fear! BE OBEDIENT!

Following this wonderful time of worship, the founder of the IWI, Lamar Boschman, gave the teaching for the night. You want to talk about an incredible heritage! This is the 20th anniversary of the IWI. Lamar, a descent of Dutch Mennonites, felt the spirit of the Lord move at an event in British Columbia more than 20 years ago. In his words, "from that moment on I was ruined for the things of this world". He is living out that vision through this conference and it's many arms that stretch out all over the world.

Last night, Lamar challenged us to see God in a new light & to see our ministries as "Ministers of Worship" as a "supernatural" calling. I know, I know, that word conjures up images of scary movies & ouija boards. That's obviously not the reference here. What he meant was simply this; music in the form of worship to an Almighty God, has the power to not only change lives, but transform them! We don't just need to learn music, we need to learn the theology of music. For example, 1 Samuel 16:14-23. David was hired to skillfully play his harp for Saul. Why? Saul was tormented by an evil spirit. When David played, the evil spirit would depart from Saul. Music, coupled with the HOLY SPIRIT has power! Do we believe that, or do we just want what's comfortable? Personally, I'd choose lives being radically changed over my comfort any day!!!!

Until next time...



Monday, July 03, 2006

IWI #3

I'll be posting the next IWI blog tomorrow morning. Set your alarms & come back to see me. Until then, check out the new pics I added on the sidebar link.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

IWI #2

This is the view from my balcony as I sit here typing this entry. The water is peacefully flowing with soft music playing in the background. I wish you were all here. Lisa, I really wish you were here! This morning got off to a great start. Dillon went out around 8:00 to do some grunt work with the school of audio. We will be going back a little later to help run through the sound checks.

At around 10:00 I went across the highway to Fellowship Church. Ed Young was actually there this time. I almost always miss him when I come into town. I affectionately call Fellowship Church "the church of the pretty people". Let me explain. FC is reaching around 18,000 people every week from the D/FW metroplex. Most of these people are seemingly 30-40 something well-to-do yuppies. I may sound like I'm bashing them a bit, but actually it's quite the contrary. The fact is, they feel very comfortable with who they are & who it is that God has them reaching. What I think is incredible about FC is how they target that niche & really stretch those folks to use their influence & affluence for the Kingdom.

For example, most of this morning's message was a video interview by Ed Young with Jim Towey, the White Houses Director of "Faith Based & Community Initiatives". By the way, Ed knew Jim from his days of playing basketball for Florida State, while Jim was on the coaching staff. It's all about relationships!!! Anyway, Jim used to be the personal lawyer for Mother Teresa. It's a long story, but the bottom line is that God used his relationship with her to break his heart & eventually place him in his present day position. He said that president Bush always jokes with him about "what the world is coming to when even Mother Teresa has to have a lawyer". I thought that was pretty funny. So did the other 5,000 people in attendance.

What I thought was great about the whole thing was the fact that, once again, FC knows their audience & therefore used Mr. Towey to speak directly to that niche. As a collective body, they have a lot of money. He challenged them quite directly about using that money to help the poor & needy around them. FC is definitely made up of the affluent in society, but don't let that cause you to judge them. They are changing lives! Not just rich lives either. They have missions to the homeless, helpless & needy of the D/FW area & the world. In closing, Mr. Towey gave a quote from Mother Teresa:

"It's not a sin to be wealthy, it's how you use it that counts".

How are you going to use what God has blessed you with?

Check out what The Word has to say in Matthew 25:35-40. Also, be looking for a link soon in my sidebar (the stuff on the right side of the page) to pics of the IWI.

Talk at ya soon!

Saturday, July 01, 2006

IWI #1

We made it! I met Dillon (one of the band's guitarists) tonight, at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine Texas. We went over to get him started at the school of audio. Seeing as it was almost 5:00 they said for us to come back in the morning at 8:00. That was great news, because we were both starving! So, he will start in the morning while I go across the street to Fellowship Church. Keep tuning in. Things will really get rolling on Monday.

Ciao.