Archive for July, 2008

Good Bye July

July 31, 2008 at 9:37 am · Filed under Church Planting, Family Ties, Upcoming Events

Well, here we are. 1 week out.

It seems as though we’ve been awaiting the arrival of August 2008 all of our lives. But the day has finally arrived!!! August 1st comes tomorrow, marking the beginning of an incredible journey we will embark on for the rest of our lives; a journey highlighted in miracles, a struggle entrenched in sacrifice, and a story remembered because of lives that were changed.

Good Bye July.

You’ve been great to experience, but nowhere we want to stay…

Incredible Journeys start with Irreversible Steps

Please pray for us 1 more time as we spend our last week in SC boxing up our belongings, picking up our lives, and saying our last good byes.

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Courage

July 30, 2008 at 8:46 am · Filed under How Quotable, Words of Wisdom

I don’t normally like to post someone else’s published work, but I read this the other day and thought it was too encouraging to hold onto for myself…

The following is an excerpt from Max Lucado’s Grace for the Moment entitled “No Fears at All“

Could you use some courage? Are you backing down more than you are standing up? Jesus scattered the butterflies out of the stomachs of his nervous disciples…

We need to remember that the disciples were common men given a compelling task. Before they were the stained-glass saints in the windows of cathedrals, they were somebody’s next-door-neighbors trying to make a living and raise a family. They weren’t cut from theological cloth or raised on supernatural milk. But they were an ounce more devoted than they were afraid and, as a result, did some extraordinary things.

Earthly fears are no fears at all. Answer the big question of eternity, and the little questions of life fall into perspective.

Could you use some courage to overcome earthly fears? How can God’s promises help you? Write some promises from God’s Word to encourage you today.

I pray this encourages you as much as it encouraged me. Lets be “an ounce more devoted than we are afraid.”

 Take Courage. Jesus believes in you…

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True Discipleship

July 29, 2008 at 8:45 am · Filed under Intentional Churches, Leadership 101, People of Influence

Yesterday, my wife and I took a break from all the packing and made the trip up to Charlotte, NC to hang out with some incredible friends of ours who had invited us up for the evening.

Pastor JR Lee and his Executive Pastor, Todd Lollis, have been in Charlotte all weekend with their staff from FreedomChurch learning from Pastor Steven Furtick and his amazing staff at Elevation Church.

But last night, they took a break from their learning just to turn right around and spend the entire evening pouring themselves right back into us!!! And we were totally blown away by their honor, generosity, sacrifice, and expectancy. 

Now that is what discipleship is really all about. Someone investing in you, and then you in turn reinvesting in someone else’s life. This is how disciples are made, leaders are coached, lives are changed, and the Kingdom is grown.

If only we could find a way to create a more strategic environment for this type of discipleship to take place in the local church…  (And I am convinced that it starts right here, with us as the Pastors!!!)

Pastor JR and Todd, we can never thank you enough for the investment you made in our lives last night as well as the investment you continue to make in our lives every day. It is doing this thing we call “church planting” TOGETHER that really makes this ride so enjoyable.

And oh by the way, OUTBACK was definitely the better the choice!!!

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Packing, Packing, Packing…

July 28, 2008 at 12:24 pm · Filed under Family Ties

Teresa and I spent the entire weekend packing our things for our move to Shelby, NC. We’ve already spent 2 full days organizing our stuff, putting things in boxes, throwing out junk, and cleaning house along the way.

WOW. I never knew 2 people could acquire so much stuff in just 1 full year of marriage. Hate to see what our house will look like when we hit year 25 or quite possibly even year 50!!!

Anyway, looks like two full days are in books and we’re still only about halfway through…

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Friday Force Five: “Breeding Ferrets”

July 25, 2008 at 11:09 am · Filed under Blog World, Church Planting, Friday Force Five

My boy, Matt Rogers, has finally given into the temptation and has decided to throw his thoughts into the ever growing, much addicting blogosphere.

Matt is… well… Matt. He is probably the most intelligent man under the age of 30 that I have ever met in my entire life. I’m telling you, this boy will blow your mind with the thoughts coming out of his head. But he also has one the sickest senses of humor you will ever run across either. 

All I can say is ”Dude, you are messed up!!!”    

So with that being said, make sure to check out his blog and give him a little bit of lovin’. Watch out, the church world has another thing coming, and I believe Jesus is going to use men like Matt to usher in the next wave of Western church culture like we have never seen before… Definitely NOT for the faint of heart!!!

Breedingferrets.net

I’m telling you, your thoughts about Jesus, the Church, and American spirituality will never be the same…

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