Happy New Year!
I cannot believe it is 2012. And last year at this time I was sitting in an emergency room while they shocked my heart because I was in A-Fib. It has been one crazy year! It has been an amazing journey to Tennessee. And I am filled with gratitude to be here and to be serving with Cross Point.
Yesterday was an opportunity at Cross Point, to share my heart for 2012. All the campus Pastors had a chance to share at each of our campuses. What an awesome way to start the year together. Looking to our future as a church and as a campus and committing to pray together.
It has been public knowledge for a couple months that North campus was starting the search for a new home. Yesterday I had a chance to talk more about our move and to challenge us to pray for our journey.
If you are a part of North Campus or you are willing to pray for our journey, here is my message from yesterday. Also, Id love to hear from you? Are you excited for 2012? What does ministry look like to you this year?
Black Friday. Drama…
I dont blog often, but felt I wanted to speak to this…
Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving day.
We have just spent a day of fellowship, family, friends and a ton of food. We’ve chosen to take a day specifically to say… we are grateful.
Then Friday comes and the world falls apart. I know this sounds dramatic, but what I am seeing in the social media world is drama.
Last month at Cross Point, we spent some time challenging ourselves to focus on gratitude. I heard amazing, life changing stories from so many people that chose to spend last month focusing what is good in life. The reality is that gratitude is a choice and it is most often based on our perspective.
There is a lot of doom and gloom these days. Often, the media becomes our perspective. Unfortunately, the media is in business for ratings. And shock sells. The good in life doesn’t often find its way to the evening news unless its a “special story” at the end of the newscast about some dog helping a handicap person across the street. Its sad that we allow ourselves to focus so heavily on the bad, that we completely disregard the good. Its as if the bad outweighs the good. And that just isn’t based in reality. Its preached in the media and then hyped in the social media world.
Today, on Black Friday, we can choose to change our perspective. We can choose to stop focusing and celebrating the evil of the 10-20 idiots with pepper spray and we can choose to focus on the other 100 million that shop today… in peace. WIll we run across a bad attitude today? You bet! We will hear people argue or fight over a toy? Of course! But, I challenge you, that for every guy or gal in a bad mood, there are 100 around them looking to enjoy themselves today.
And please, dont give me this crap about retailers and how evil they are and how they’ve destroyed christmas. Ugh. If you buy even a single gift for someone this year, you’ve bought into the need to “purchase” to give.
By the way, do you know where the term black friday came from? It originated in Philadelphia over traffic on this day. Then it became the standard title for retailers to use, because this day often put them “in the black” financially. So, I wonder how this day became commonly known as “Black Friday” to the public? My guess… the media.
I adore this woman… Happy birthday beautiful!
This was an awesome weekend at Cross Point! Over the last couple weeks, we have spent time in a series called “Together We Will”. It was an opportunity to go through the vision statement of Cross Point and remind ourselves of who we are as a church community.
Our vision at Cross Point is to be a people who are…
Radically devoted to Christ
Irrevocably committed to each other
Relentlessly dedicated to reaching the lost
At Cross Point we value Discipleship, Community and Evangelism. We Pursue God, each other and we serve!
If you’d like to listen to the 3 Part series, you can head over here…
This weekend was special, because each of us as campus Pastors had a chance to speak to our own campuses. We had a chance to close up this series by speaking from our heart with the intent of continuing to align ourselves with who we are at Cross Point and as a Church.
At the end of the service this week at North campus, we also had baptisms. We baptized 4 people this weekend and it was incredible to be a part of that!
Another special thing about this weekend, was that my daughter Kassidi joined us on stage for the first time to help lead us in worship! Needles to say, it was an emotional weekend.
Ive had a few people ask if they could hear my sermon. I wasnt going to put it online, because this sermon was a little different. Its much more of a time of a sharing and it has a lot more to do with us as a campus. But, after I thought about it, I realize that it would be an honor for you to listen and partner with Cross Point North Campus in prayer as we journey through an exciting season.
I joked with one of our campus pastors yesterday, that I now own the rights to the longest sermon preached at Cross Point. I spoke for 45 minutes…
So, sit back and enjoy and pray for us on our journey!!!
20 Years With My Best Friend!
Today, August 18th, I celebrate 20 years with my best friend!
Tammy, I am so grateful to you. For being the amazing woman you are. Strong. Confident. Gentle. Patient. Full of grace. And drop dead gorgeous :)
I realized something this year. I know I often say the opposite, but… i DO deserve you. You are the perfect compliment to who I am. Your strengths and passions match so well with my weaknesses and dreams. I get to do life better, because Im doing it with you.
We are in transition this year. A crazy move to tennessee! There are no special dinners, or fancy cards, or surprise vacations. Not this year. They will happen again as they’ve happened before. But, even though I cant give you all that this year, there is a peace. There is a confidence in who we are and where we are going. There is an excitement for what tomorrow brings. And there is a vision of the next 20 years… and I like it!
Tammy, I love you! Thank you!
Happy Anniversary…
This last Sunday I had the opportunity to speak to the North Campus for the first time since joining Cross Point Church. What an honor to be able to speak from my heart and open God’s word together.
I have to say thank you to so many of you that gave words of encouragement and prayed for this weekend. I am so grateful.
Plus, many of you have asked to listen to my message from this last Sunday. So, here ya go :)
I spoke on Growth VS Comfort. Here are the notes as well…
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Growth vs Comfort
Comfort Encourages Self Reliance - Leads to Complacency
*Complacency causes us to rely on our own knowledge and strength
*Complacency starves our passions
*Complacency feeds our insecurities and fear
Story of Abram - Journey to Canaan - Genesis 12:1-9
Growth Encourages God Reliance - Leads to Movement
*Movement welcomes God to interact
Genesis 17:1-5
*Movement requires risk
Romans 4:18
*Movement is a process
Final Thought…
*We are not in this alone
Romans 8:31
A Bit Overwhelmed… In A Good Way
Im sitting in the middle of a Starbucks in Hendersonville, TN. My wife, Tammy wrote an excellent post yesterday that speaks to being here… and yet, not really being here yet.
Its definitely a bit bizarre to move across the country and just drop ourselves into a new life. New places. New foods. New roads. New routines. That last one is the biggest for me. I love adventure and change. But, I am one that needs consistency and routine to truly get work done and move forward. So, this is a strange time.
But… An Exciting One!
I am on the biggest faith journey God has ever had me on. Taking the position of Campus Pastor for Cross Point is the biggest change we as a family have ever made. It has been a journey of trusting every move and opened door that God has set before us. And, it is stretching us in every good way imaginable.
Today is the first chance Ive had to be out of the office and in the community. I am intentionally trying to get around the community and start living. Meeting the Barista’s and the Grocery workers. Meeting the neighbors and the local gas station attendants. And just trying to get a grasp on where everything is and what routes I should drive. I believe wholeheartedly that we as Christians need to live our lives out in the the community. In every way we can, we need to invest ourselves into the communities we live in. And now for me, it is even greater on my mind, because this is the community I also Pastor.
Saying that doesn’t scare me. But, there is so much unknown in the new, that I have to trust right now. God has the North Campus at Cross Point on an amazing journey. And frankly, I cant see where He is taking us. But, I now He is moving us in a new way.
Just sitting here in the community I serve is overwhelming. It’s too big for me. And believe it or not, I like that. Its what I’ve prayed for in this journey. To see God move. If Im not capable of the task He has set in front of me, I know that He will show up in powerful ways.
So, first hand shakes, hello’s in the grocery store, “can I help’s” in the parking lot… they all matter right now. They are all huge. They are all important.
3 Things I Learned While Moving Across The Country
My family and I just spent 5 days on the road moving from Oregon to Tennessee. When I look back on this, I can actually say that it wasn’t that bad. Good conversation. Beautiful scenery. And there is something fun about staying in different states every night. At least for a short period of time.
While driving, I had lots of time to think. As I come away from the trip, Im able to look back and see some simple things that I learned while on the road. I think some of these things relate to what I do in ministry.
#1 Just Keep Moving…
Driving a big moving truck creates new and interesting issues. Our truck had an overheating problem and at times we were going over mountain passes as high as 8500 feet. The first pass we reached, I had to stop 2 different times and park the truck at the side of the road so it could cool down. Needless to say, this left us about 2 hours behind schedule on the first day.
As time went along, I noticed that if I just kept moving, air would properly pass through the radiator and the truck would make it over the hills. I definitely had to slow down. Sometimes even to a crawl. But, if I didnt stop, we got over the hill and stayed on schedule. In life, we often hit an obstacle and instead of moving and working through it, we stop. Maybe hoping it will go away or fix itself. But it wont. It has to be addressed.
We have to quit giving up every time we hit an obstacle. We grow when we go through trial, not when we avoid it.
#2 Its Not About What I Have
As I said, our truck was rough. At each fill up of gas I would also add 2 gallons of radiator fluid. The truck also leaked like crazy. The door molding was pretty much gone. I could stick my hand through the door cracks to the outside, when the door was closed. This proved interesting when we drove through a massive thunderstorm in Missouri. Also, we had no A/C. Thats right, we handled the trip across country with only the outside air. Let’s just say it… the truck was a piece of crap.
But, we arrived, on time and intact. Our goal was to move from Oregon to Tennessee. And we did it. Regardless of the equipment we were using to get there. We adapted, adjusted and even wrestled a time or two to get that truck to do what we needed. And still, we are here. At times we have to get creative and roll up our sleeves and get dirty.
Too often, we get caught up in the lack of tools or resources we have, when we should be focusing more on the task at hand. Its not about what I have, its about where Im going.
#3 The World is A Lot Bigger Than Me
One of the coolest things about this trip was the chance to drive through and sometimes stay in places I have never been. I love the journey. I love experience. Each night we were in a different town in a different state.
One evening we were in Cheyenne, Wyoming. We stopped into a mall there to do a little shopping. I found myself walking through the mall and seeing all these people. I was so interested in knowing who they were. Why did they live here? What do they do? Do they even like Wyoming? We had driven through the state that day, and I cant say I was overly impressed. It was dry and pretty boring to drive through. I couldnt understand why people would want to live in this huge city in the middle of nowhere. Then I realized how arrogant that was.
As a Pastor, I often have found myself so wrapped up in my needs, my ministry, my schedule that I have flat out ignored the people and needs directly around me. Its easy for me to think that what I do and where I live is most important. If people are not here, they dont get it. Its embarrassing to say, but its true.
Its easy to get lost in our own world. We need to look outside our own comfort and continually pour into the world around us. That’s what God has asked us to do.
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Anyway, we are here. On a new journey. Enjoying the new opportunity to serve, live and pour into a new group of people. Its going to be a stretch in many ways, but we are excited to see God work!
Jesus last words, remind me…
I dont blog much. I used too, but lately have not felt the need or call to speak in this space. But today, as I am reading through the Easter events and soaking in what this weekend means, I feel the need to write out some thoughts.
Ive read some incredible posts about what this weekend. Here are just a few…
Stuck In Saturday - Pete Wilson
Silent Saturday - Alece Ronzino
A Holy Week Prayer - Scott Hodge
But this morning as I read through the accounts of Jesus death and resurrection, one thing stood out to me. The Great Commission. Both Matthew (Matthew 28:18-20) and Mark (Mark 16:15-18) give an account. I love to read both their perspectives on what exactly Jesus said or at least, what they heard. But the one thing they both say is this…
“Go and make disciples of all the nations. Baptizing them”
Jesus chose this call to action as His final words on earth. He had spent the last years of His life teaching, healing, loving. Then was brutally beaten and mocked. Placed on a cross to die. And then rose from the grave. And what he wanted everyone to focus on at that moment was… Spread the good news!
As I read these passages today, I am reminded that I am redeemed to live and serve a gracious God.
As I continue to serve God and His church, I am reminded daily of my need to love Him and share His gospel, by loving people. I
Im reminded of how much hope and freedom I have been given in Him, and I can either sit on it or share it.
Im reminded that in the midst of all my doubt and unknown, I already know who Jesus.
I am reminded that I have no excuse, I have been called to a great commission!
Love This…
