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Archive for the ‘Community’ Category

Join the Highway Crew

Posted in Church, Community, Hope on September 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The area of the state in which I live has been seen as a desert for a number of years.  But lately, God has blessed us with some much needed rain and the crops are looking healthy.  So I don’t hear the term “desert” as much these days.

Image

This morning I was moved to Isaiah 40 in my reading.  As I read these verses, I thought about the calling God has given me.  And beyond me, the calling God has given the church.  Verses 3-5 say this

A voice is calling,
“Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

 “Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Make a smooth highway in the desert for our God.  I may not be in a literal desert, but I see the evidence of a spiritual desert all around me.  Spiritually, the people of this area are parched.  Nothing grows but weeds and thorns and grass spurs.

In the midst of this desert, God has called me – and you – to make a smooth highway.  A wide path for God to be glorified.  All of our efforts each day should be to make a way for God to move in the lives of the people we touch.  We are called to turn the heads of the people we meet toward God.  We can’t make anyone believe.  And we can’t force God to move in someone’s life.  But that is not what God has called us to do.

God has called us to make a way – a highway – to those in the desert.  God will do the rest.  Isaiah tells us that when we are faithful to our calling, then God’s glory will be revealed and everyone will see it at the same time.

Be faithful today.  Join the highway crew.  There is a lot of work to be done and the days are getting shorter.

Be a blessing today!

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The Importance of the Pour

Posted in Community, Hope, Leadership on September 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

As I turned on my computer this morning and began opening all the applications I keep running throughout the day, I opened BibleGateway in one of my browser windows.  There I saw the verse of the day – 2 Timothy 1:13-14.  There Paul reminded Timothy to hold fast to the teaching he had given him.  Paul instructed Timothy to “guard the deposit entrusted” to him.  The image I see is that of a security guard tasked with carrying money bags to an armored vehicle for transport.

There are many things I could say about this passage.  But the one that sticks out to me today is not so much the deposit or the instruction to guard that deposit but rather the depositor.  Paul had shared his life with Timothy.  Timothy traveled with Paul, watched Paul, learned from Paul.  Paul had poured into Timothy’s life.  And now he instructed Timothy to guard what he had learned – to make use of it.

This leads me to ask two questions.

1.  Who can you look to in your own life who has poured into you?  Somewhere along the way, someone has taken an interest.  Someone has gone out of their way to invest in you.  You would not be where you are today without them.  Take time today to thank them.

2.  Who are you pouring into?  Maybe you have someone that you are investing in and if so, I applaud you – keep it up.  But if there is no one you are helping, find someone today.  You have much to offer.  God has brought you through the challenges you have faced in your life so that you can turn around and help someone else through similar circumstances.

We are in this together.  God created us for community.  And living in community means investing in one another.

Be a blessing today!

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Why Does Church Matter To You?

Posted in Church, Community on August 21, 2013| 8 Comments »

I have a project for you.

I am starting a new series this week – Why You Should Come To My Church.

I am going to be talking about the things we find, or should find, in our churches that make being a part of the church something that is indispensable in a person’s life.  What is it about church that a person is just not going to have in his or her life if he or she is not tied to a community of believers?

So here is the project for you – text me, email me, Facebook me, call me or simply reply right here with the answer to this question.

Why is your church indispensable to you?

I can’t wait to hear from you!

Be blessed today!

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Lessons Learned From a Day Without Food

Posted in Community, Formation, Grace on July 31, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday I told you about the challenge I issued to our church family on Sunday.  If you missed it, you can to a look at it here.

What I didn’t tell you is that I accepted the challenge as well.  There is no way I can ask our folks to do something that I am not willing to do myself.  So Sunday, I announced that on Tuesday, I would fast from food all day and rather than stuff my face, I would focus my attention on what God wants for me and my relationship with my savior.

I also asked the folks who accepted the challenge to fast this week to report back to me what God does through the experience.

So today, I am sharing what God showed me yesterday through my efforts to fast from food.

Let me just say from the beginning that what I am processing from my experiences is not what I was expecting.  I mean, I expected to have some moment of clarity where I felt more like a child of God than I have felt in a while.  Or some grand revelation or new direction.

But the coolest things happened that opened my eyes to how God works.

The first thing I was reminded of is that God has a very real sense of humor.  I knew this.  It wasn’t a new revelation.  Just take a few minutes on any given day to observe the world and you will see it too.  But I am here to tell you, God is a real jokester.

I was sitting in my office and it was getting to be about lunch time.  I thought about what I should do during the time I would normally be grabbing some fast food.  I thought about spending the time in silence and looking into God’s word for a while.  I thought about praying through some things going on in my life.  Several things were floating around in my head when I received the text.

One of our 1st B family members sent me a text asking if I wanted to catch up over lunch at one of my favorite places to eat here in town.  I text back and explained I was fasting but that I would sit with him and drink a Diet Coke.  After the pleasantries back and forth about not wanting to torture me, we agreed to meet at noon.  I sat and drank and watched him eat a very attractive plate of chicken strips.  But things were good.  I really enjoyed our time together and felt God used that time and my focus to really connect with him.

As I drove back to the church, I was thinking about the experience and feeling pretty good about myself and my ability to go without food.  I’ll admit, there may have been a little pride in my chest.

When I got back to the office, my wife called to tell me that her parents would be coming through and spending the night with us and that they wanted to meet us in Lubbock for dinner.  She then remembered my commitment and offered to change the plan but I was feeling pretty good about my will power and so I told her that would be fine.

Last night we met for dinner at one of my most favorite places in Lubbock to eat.  I won’t tell you the name of the establishment but it is Spanish for grandfather.

Now I need to step back and tell you that Mexican food is my weakness.  And chips and salsa are my drug of choice.

I sat through that meal praying that someone would call me so I could be excused to go talk on the phone (thanks Tiny for not calling).  So there I sat, watching everyone around the table enjoy the meal I love the most.

God has a sense of humor!

But in all seriousness, God used both of those experiences to show me something extremely important.  So important that it will change my approach from now on.

What God showed me in a very concrete and “in my face” way is the beauty and absolute joy of community – of fellowship.  Since I wasn’t eating, I could focus completely and intently on the people around the table.  I could see the joy of being together.  I could really hear the passion in their voices as we talked about the church.  I could see God in the magnificence of it all.

It was moving and enlightening.  I am so humbled and thankful that God has a sense of humor and that God put me in those situations.

I am also reminded that God truly does reward what is done in secret.

What about you?  What is God teaching you through this challenge?

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How’s Your Focus

Posted in Community, Formation, Hope on July 30, 2013| 1 Comment »

This past Sunday I talked about the need to put into practice, the things we say we value.  If we call ourselves Christians, how are we actually striving to become more like Jesus?

Throughout history, believers have used disciplines to create time and space in their lives in which they can experience God’s movement and transformation.  For us today, we hear the word discipline and it has a tendency to conjure up negative images.  In fact, we tend to think of discipline as some sort of punishment for doing something wrong.

But in the sense of spiritual disciplines, they are practices or, as I described them Sunday, habits that help us do our part to experience God in new and fresh ways.

Don’t misunderstand that spiritual progression occurs through the grace of God and by God’s blessing of growth.  But that growth will never happen if we don’t do our part.  We can’t wake up one morning and say, “Today, I become more like Jesus,” and then go about our day in the same way we lived the day before.

We have to put practices in place and remain consistent with those practices until they become habits.  These practices are designed to help us shift our focus from ourselves and our desires, to God and God’s movement in our lives.  There are a number of habits to explore but one of those is fasting.

Fasting is the act of giving something up – something of significance – for a set period of time for a set purpose.

So Sunday, I challenged our family to fast.  In fact, the challenge I issued was for each member to open his or her heart to God and ask God to show a specific area in which things needed to be given up.  Then I challenged them to commit a day this week to giving up whatever God revealed to them for the express purpose of focusing more fully on God and our relationship with our creator.

I also asked them to let me know how it goes and what God does through their efforts.  So far, I have had many of our family members tell me that they have accepted the challenge.  Now I am excited to hear what God will do.

If you would like to take the challenge its not to late.  The question I have for you is this, “How’s your focus?”  What could you give up for a day that would allow you to focus more intently and intentionally on God and what God is doing in and around you?

Message me and let me know what God does.

Be blessed today.

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Back With Renewed Passion

Posted in Church, Community, Hope on July 29, 2013| 1 Comment »

It is good to be back.  The last 2 to 3 weeks have been insanely busy – two conventions spread from the east coast to San Antonio and then a much needed vacation with the family.

But I am back in the saddle now and ready to get back into something that resembles a routine.

My time away gave me time to think – about my life, ministry and direction.  As I thought about the direction of our church family, I became very convicted that the church, not just ours, has become more of a social club than a church.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe with all my heart that when the family comes together, we should enjoy it and have fun.

But if our reason for existing as a church family is because we enjoy getting together then we are just a club.  When I read the New Testament I come away with an understanding of what Jesus expects of the church and it is more than just a gathering of somewhat like-minded people who enjoy being together.

The role of the church in our world should be to offer God’s light to a dark world – to offer hope to those who have none – to love when no one else will.

I am back with a renewed passion to do my part to see the church truly become what the church is supposed to BE.

Who is with me?

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It Only Takes One To Make a Difference

Posted in Church, Community, Formation, Hope on June 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Last night we kicked off our Vacation Bible School.  This is one of the biggest events we host each year as an outreach to the children and families of our community.  This year’s theme is built around an amusement park – Colossal Coaster.

As the kids entered the sanctuary to close last night, we had a video playing with one of the songs for the week playing as background music.  But the video was shot from the inside of a huge roller coaster.  In other words, as we sat and watched the video, it was as if we were riding the coaster.

I sat in the back of the group so that I could see all that was happening.  After about a minute, one of our adult leaders decided to act like he was on the coaster.  So as the coaster crested the top of a drop, he would raise his hands and scream as the coaster plummeted to the bottom.  As the coaster came to a turn, he would raise his hands and lean into it.

What happened next was a very interesting display of human nature.  Slowly, kids started joining in.  Within seconds, all 90 plus kids were into it – raised hands, leaning into every turn and screaming with all the air their little lungs could push out.

I sat and watched and pondered.  Isn’t it amazing how just one person can have such impact.  What a responsibility!  What a blessing!  What a challenge!

How will you influence the people around you today?  Don’t ever think you have no impact.

Be blessed!

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Not Another One Like Her

Posted in Community, Hope on June 12, 2013| 2 Comments »

I had a dear friend take leave of this world yesterday.  She was 90 years old, in fact, just a few days away from turning 91.  The last year has been difficult for her, but if you met her prior to becoming so sick, you would have not guessed her age by her actions.  She was always going – always doing – always being.

The first time I met Butch we clicked right off the bat.  She was sitting in a Bible study on Sunday morning and I was being introduced to the class as a potential for the new associate pastor for the church.  She wasn’t really paying attention to what was going on and had a frown on her face about something.  Neither before meeting her nor since have I ever done this but for whatever reason, I walked over to her and said playfully, “This is what you look like.”   And then I made a sour face at her.  Instead of clocking me with her purse, we became lasting friends.

Not many people come along in your life who have a real impact and truly win your heart.  But Butch was that kind of person for me.

I will miss her but I will never forget.  She had dedicated her life to helping people and she inspires me still to this day to try and do the same.

What a character!  What a lady!  What a friend!

See ya’ on the other side Butch!

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Not Home Yet

Posted in Community, Hope on May 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Last week I spent four days with some amazing college students working in West, Texas, offering our help to those who could use it in recovering from the devastating explosion that rocked that small community.  We saw, first hand, the destruction and we looked into the eyes of some of those who were there and listened to their stories.

Before I could even return home, tornados ravaged a town where we started in our ministry. Parts of Granbury, Texas were flattened last Wednesday night – leaving hundreds of people homeless – some of them, friends of ours.

Now, this morning, we listen to the reports coming out of Oklahoma and we sit with mouths open as we look at the pictures of the catastrophic damage that the tornados left in their wake.

All of these instances have claimed more than property.  These occurrences have taken lives.  As I sit here this morning, I find it hard to even think, much less put thoughts into words.  I struggle with anything meaningful to say.

But one glimmer of hope that I often cling to when faced with tragedy close to home is this:

This world is not our home – we are just passing through.

Paul tells us that we are looking into a mirror dimly but one day will see clearly.  He also says that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:17 – 18.

So take heart today.  Even in the face of tragedy, we can remember that there is so much more going on in this world that we can’t see.  Keep your focus on God and remember that this world is not our home.

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God Is Always Present

Posted in Community, Hope on May 16, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 

West Chair

This week I have been working with a group of college students from Levelland.  We have been working with the Texas Baptists beginning recovery efforts in West.  I have been dumbfounded by the sheer devastation that can be seen as you drive down street after street.  But the most amazing thing about all of it is that s

o few lost their lives in this horrific explosion.

I am not downplaying the 14 that did lose their lives – that fact is heart breaking.  But when you look at the houses and the apartment complex and the schools and the nursing home – it is amazing that there were not more who died in the tragedy.  350 homes were damaged – 140 of which have been condemned.

Yesterday, our group had the blessing of meeting Margaret.  She told us her story of the day of the blast.  She was sitting in her living room in her favorite chair when her patio doors blew past her.  One of the doors hit the chair and destroyed it but she was not injured.  Her house has been declared a total loss but she is fine.  As I looked at the chair, I was overwh

elmed with the fact that God’s protection is real.

Before we left, we gathered as a group on the back patio and held hands and prayed with Margaret.  It was a touching moment.

God is at work – even in the midst of tragedy.  We must never forget that God is present regardless of our circumstances.

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