R.E.M would be proud

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." Matthew 25:13


Well, supposedly today is the last day on planet earth. It's the end of the world as we know it.  That's what the Mayans said, at least. If it is, I should really incorporate some important things into my day:

• Cheesecake
• A nap
• Lots of hugs
• Maybe a good movie
• Cheesecake (had I mentioned that already?)

Of course, Jesus told us that no one knows the hour or the day. No one. Only God knows. There will come a day that the world as we know it ends, though. There will come a day of judgment. A day when we all of humanity stands before God. It could be Saturday. It could be next August. It could be 2026. It could be 2183. It could be 14569. No one knows. But, since we don't know when it could be, Jesus encourages us to live in such a way that will keep us prepared.

• Love people as you love yourself
• Honor your father and mother
• Love your wife as Christ loves the Church
• Respect your husband
• Don't exasperate your children and train them in the way of the Lord
• Seek first the Kingdom of God

That's just a few of the things the Bible tells us to do that will leave us ready. If today really was your last day, what would you differently? Would you tell some one about Christ? Would you kiss your wife when you get home from work? Would you hug your children and play a board game with them after dinner? Would you call your grandma? Would you apologize to someone? Would you forgive someone? Why don't you do it anyway...for no one knows the hour or the day.

Perspective

I often wonder why I can't keep perspective.  Perspective is a funny and fleeting thing.  It comes from the Latin perspicere which means "to see through."  And isn't that it?  Perspective is seeing through things, seeing things the right way, seeing the bigger picture.

Last night, we had a near disaster in the house.  I've been working tirelessly on a Christmas present project for a loved one.  I mean, for like 2-3 weeks, every day.  It's something that I've had to paint several times and has taken pain-staking detail and many coats and touch-ups to get just right.  I'm almost done.  Last night, a can of paint (by my own fault) spilled on an important piece of the project.  In fact, it was the section that I'd worked the longest on.  Now, it was covered in white semi-gloss paint.  I rushed to the sink, got out all the old towels from the laundry room and started wiping it off, trying to get as little paint on my best jeans and my new sweater and the carpet and the kitchen floor.  I held back the profanity in my mind as I was trying to clean up the mess hurriedly before the paint dried.  I finally got all the paint off, then stripped down to my skivvies, scrubbed the paint spots on my jeans and sweater, rubbed a little Shout stain remover on them and threw them in the wash on stain cycle. 

After the madness, as I stood there in my boxers in the laundry room, my wife and I finally cracked up.  We had averted disaster.  That word, disaster, carries more weight these days doesn't it?  My jeans and sweater look like new.  The project looks just like it did before the spill, and no paint got on the carpet or floor.  I told Emily, "I hate I wasted a quart of good white paint, but there's a lot worse things in the world to be upset about, aren't there?"  Even a messed up project or my best jeans ruined wouldn't have really been a disaster.  Disaster has been permanently redefined for all of us (or it at least ought to be).

The people in New Jersey and New York that watched Hurricane Sandy rip through their cities...they know disaster.  The people of Newtown, Connecticut...they know disaster.  Those events give us perspective, and I hope I can keep it.  The things that my boys do that get on my nerves haven't gotten on my nerves that much this week, the things that would have made me grit my teeth haven't really upset me, and the little annoying things about life haven't been so annoying -- because I've got perspective.

And that's the problem with America.  We don't have perspective.  Tragedies enlighten us for a few weeks, then we lose perspective again.  Until we change our perspective, our families, communities, country and world will not change.  We have to choose to see the bigger picture, we have to choose to not be annoyed by trivial things, and we have to choose to see people as God sees them.

That's really it.  We need God's perspective.  Tragedy transforms us for the short-term to see people as they are -- image-bearers of Almighty God.  If we can bottle that kind of perspective up, it would change the world.  If we could decide not to get upset over spilled paint, we will transform our lives and families.  The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:12, "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."  That's perspective.  When we are most in tune with God's Spirit, we are keenly aware of all the blessings we have and the annoying details of life don't seem to bother us as much.  And life is better...because that's how God intended us to be.  Let us keep and hold on to the perspective that we've all had the last six days.

The Only Answer

Yesterday, I did something I don't know that I've ever done in 12 years of ministry.  I preached a sermon that I finished around 1 a.m. that morning.  After the tragedy in Newtown, I struggled to find answers.  Honestly, I wanted to avoid the news.  It was too real for me.  I have two sons in elementary school.  My first grader, Tanner, is 6.  16 of the children killed were 6.  I tried not to think about it because it is too close.

I made it through the message okay because I did most of my crying while writing it.  The passage that brought me most comfort was Romans 9:38:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

If I'm honest, I believe in practical ministry.  I try to preach sermons that will help people lead better lives.  I believe God has an awesome plan for our lives.  I believe when we are obedient to Him, it opens the door to blessing upon blessing.  When I love people the way God wants me to, life is better.  When I forgive people the way God wants me to, life is better.  When I honor God with my body by how I treat it and how I eat, life is better.  When I honor God with my money, life is better.  When I love my wife like Christ loves the church, my marriage is better.  Simply, when I submit my thoughts, words and actions to the way of God, my life is better.  I preach that way.  I think Christianity has become terribly impractical for a generation that is detached from the the Church.  They don't think Jesus matters in their lives.  I've spent most of my ministry trying to convince that generation that He does matter.

However, there are moments when nothing practical makes sense.  Our faith cannot bring those children and educators back in Newton, Connecticut.  There is a huge, gaping hole in the hearts of countless people in that community (and maybe yours) that cannot be filled in the face of such tragedy.  It is in those moments that I am so grateful that, though faith in Christ does offer practical wisdom for our best life, faith in Christ is ultimately about the most impractical thing we could ever imagine:  eternal life.

No matter how bad this life gets, even when the practical stuff doesn't work, even when tragedy steals our heart, and circumstances dampen our joy, we believe in a better day.  That was the only answer I had for the people of God at Church of the Way yesterday:  there is more than this.  There is another day.  There is a better day.  There is a day when the dead in Christ will rise again.  There will be a day when there will be a new heaven and a new earth where there is no more pain, no more heartache, and no more tears.  Nothing can separate us from that day in Christ Jesus.  Nothing.  Not hurricanes.  Not a financial cliff.  Not a gunman.  Nothing. 

Now, here's my rub in this.  There's only one answer:  faith in Jesus.  Statistics show that nearly all Americans want to believe in heaven, but we don't want to believe in the claims of Jesus to be the means through which we receive the grace we need to get there.  That's the other impractical part of it.  We don't deserve it, but Jesus died for us anyway and loves us anyway.  We want to use these tragedies to faintly talk about God's comfort.  And His comfort is a reality.  I believe God is present in the messes.  However, what our world needs more than anything is the message that is unique to the Church.  We have the one Hope we all need.  We corner the market on the one answer when ever other answer fails.  We are all broken.  We are all sinners.  We are all empty without Christ.  And the only Hope we have is in Him.  Our Hope is NOT OF THIS WORLD.  Jesus' Kingdom is NOT OF THIS WORLD.  We believe in another world, a better day.  The work we do as the Church is about eternity.  It matters that much.

God never promises that we will escape the ugliness in this world.  He promises that He will sit with us and weep with us in it.  And I believe He is weeping with Newtown and the world.  He is there.  But -- He promises us that it won't last forever.  There is a better day if we will place our faith in Jesus.  Not if you're really good.  Not if you say your prayers every night.  Not if you attend church or eat all your vegetables.  God's love is made real in our lives through Jesus Christ.  He is THE Hope.  My prayer is that Christians all across our globe would spend every ounce of energy we have sharing this hope with every person we know.  It matters that much.  The world doesn't need our politics or our judgment.  The world needs our Jesus.  Times like these sure ought to remind us of that.

Before 12.12.12. made 12 big

"These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot." Matthew 10:2-4


So, I'm a day late on the whole 12 thing. Of course, people were fascinated with the whole idea of 12.12.12. We won't see a date like that until 01.01.01...and I'll be long gone by then. People were doing lists of 12 things, giving their favorite #12s. Michael Jordan wore #12 one night when his #23 was stolen before the game. Now you know something you didn't.  And a quick run down of some of my favorite 12s:

• John Lastinger -- took my Dawgs to an SEC title and 11-0 regular season in '82 and a victory over #2 Texas in the '84 Cotton Bowl.
• The 12 days of Christmas -- They're hard to beat.
• Eggs.  I like eggs and they come in 12 and they're good for you.
• Krispy Kremes when they're "Hot Now".  12 never seems like enough.
• Sidney Eugene Bream - Thanks for magical moment, Sid.
• Tom Brady -- I admit it, I'm mesmerized watching him play.  One of the best.
• Joe Namath -- Gotta love Broadway Joe, though he's gotten crazier with age.
• Tavares King -- TK gave my son a pair of gloves and they've loved him forever.

But, 12 has always been an important number in the Bible. There were 12 tribes of Israel. And, as the Scripture above points out, 12 disciples. I don't know why Jesus chose 12 instead of 10 or 15. 12 just seemed right to Him. Maybe he only found 12 that were ready. Maybe he was thinking 10 but was surprised to find a couple of brothers that fit the bill, too. Maybe it has significant meaning that we'll learn about in heaven. Who knows? Here's what I do know about the 12 disciples: they were regular folk. They weren't Bible Scholars or professors. They weren't deemed as deeply religious. They were certainly God-fearing, but they were fishermen and tax-collectors. They were misfits...and they changed the world. After Jesus' death and Judas betrayed Jesus and left the group, the 11 remaining picked another one to join them to become 12 again. Then they set off to transform planet earth. 12 regular people. People often think they aren't talented enough or good enough to be used by God. That's hogwash. The 12 disciples changed history because of what Christ did in them, not because of their talent or skill. The testimony of the disciples is that it's all about Jesus, not about our skill-set. We have no room to boast because it is about Him. You can change the world, too. You can change your family, your team, your office, your neighborhood, and your community. Jesus is not looking for the uber-talented, he's looking for people that would be willing to be his disciples and follow Him. And there's plenty of room for more than 12.

Attitude

Yesterday I shared one of my favorite quotes from Charles Swindoll.  I had this quote up in my room in college and still have it in my office.  It's called "Attitude":

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.


Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes."

That's a pretty powerful sentiment.  We spend so much of our time worrying about the things we cannot control, especially the motives, words and actions of other people.  We fret about the economy and our health, and both of those things can have a big impact on our quality of life.  However, the focus of nearly every circumstance we face should be, "What is my attitude about this?" 

I find that when I'm in a bit of a funk, it's because I've had a bad attitude about something or someone.  I have to step back and ask God to speak to my heart, to soften my heart for someone or narrow my focus.  Attitude is so important because life is bound to throw you difficult situations.  What is true in sports is true in life -- you can't win 'em all.  You can't.  You won't.  You'll have some losses along the way.  And, when that happens, you and I have to decide if we are going to let those moments define us or will our attitude overcome every defeat we face.

I think the misnomer about attitude is that we think it means that we're always in a good mood or take things lightly.  That's not it at all.  Attitude is about taking the right things so seriously that the things that aren't the right things never overwhelm us.  Attitude is about seeing the bigger picture in God's Kingdom and even our own lives.  Attitude is understanding what will be important to us when we're 90.  Attitude is believing is something much bigger than circumstances.  If we are followers of Christ, we have little excuse to have a bad attitude.  We have been given much.  Our eternity secure in His grace.  Isn't everything else gravy?  Let us have the attitude of Christ, whatever may come.

Christmas Preparations

"For you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him." Luke 1:76


Many traditional churches celebrate a season of what they call "Advent" leading up to Christmas. You may hear friends and family talking about Advent. Really, Advent is a season of preparation, and that's such an important part of Christmas. What are you doing to prepare for Christmas? Oh, I know, you're doing a lot of preparing. Planning trips, planning parties, cooking food, shopping, wrapping presents, and decorating. Often, we forget to prepare for what we want Christ to do in our hearts, though. We spend all December in hustle and bustle then show up on Christmas Eve and hope Jesus will fix our frantic month (and maybe year). But, what if we prepared our hearts for Christmas as much as we prepared our Christmas cards, decorations or menus? What might happen? I know you've got a lot to do this month. I know there are plans to be made and lists to be marked off. However, don't forget to take time this month to prepare your heart for the birth of Christ. You've heard the story a million times, but God might just want to do something brand new in your life this time around.

Out of Control

I wrote a song back when I was in college called "Out of Control."  It was a little weird, as most things written by college students are, but I got to thinking about that song yesterday.  I'm sure my life is not that much different than yours.  The things I care most deeply about I have little control over.  It's a bit of a depressing thought.  I just started outlining the things in my head that I care about and have absolutely no control over:

• I have no control over whether my wife stays with me for the rest of my life.  That's her choice.
• I have no control over whether my children make wise decisions and good life choices as the grow up.  That's up to them.
• I have no control over people actually getting up on Sunday morning and attending the church I pastor.  That's up to a million different factors.
• I have no control over whether I am appointed to pastor the church I lead from year to year.  I'm a United Methodist pastor, so that's the Bishop's decision.
• I have no control over the economy.  The price of gas doesn't care that I drive a gas-guzzling truck.
• I have no control over whether my favorite teams win games.  Doesn't matter how loud I cheer or what I wear.
• I have no control over my health.  It is fleeting and is no respecter of persons.

I'll bet your life is much the same.  You can't control so much of what you care about.  And that's what is maddening about life, isn't it.  But, that's what is beautiful about it.  As I thought about those things, I begin to think about all the things I CAN control as it pertains to them because I think that's really my purpose.

• I can be the best husband I know how to be and love my wife like Christ loves the Church. 
• I can be the best father I know how to be, invest in my children, teach them the Scriptures and lead them in the path that leads to righteousness.
• I can prepare the best sermons I can, be a pastor devoted to prayer, and create worship environments that people want to get up and come to.
• I can lead with integrity no matter what ministry setting I'm in.
• I could get a smaller truck.  Nah.  But...I can be responsible with the resources God has given me so that God directs my finances and not the economy.
• I can be a great fan and choose to be a Positive Paul and not a Negative Nancy and enjoy games for what they are...games (sorry to all the Nancies out there.  I know several people named Nancy that are great positive people.)
• I can take care of myself by eating right, sleeping enough and exercising.

When you begin to look at it that way you realize that you do, indeed, control a lot.  Life is so much more about our response to all the stuff that we can't control.  You will get your heart broke by the things you can't control from time to time, but I believe we experience our greatest joys when we focus on being the best we can be and trusting the rest to God.  So what do you control?  Whatever you do control, give it your best and trust God with the rest.

This Dawg Will Have His Day

I usually reserve this spot for what I feel I know best: faith and ministry. However, I know Georgia Football pretty good, too, and as my description above says, it's one of the things I'm passionate about.  A lot of Dawgs are hurting this week after a heartbreaking loss to Alabama. So, I thought I’d offer my words.


Saturday’s SEC Championship game marked my 86th game in a row. I haven’t missed since mid-season 2006 and I’ve only missed 7 in Mark Richt’s career. I love going to see the Dawgs play.  I'm addicted to the atmosphere:  the stadiums, the noise, the bands, the colors, and the pageantry.  Something happens to you when you see all those games in person. It changes the way you view the games. You appreciate the simple victories, and you take the loses differently. You realize just how hard it is to win a game against every team, especially in their stadium, no matter who it is.  Win or lose this past Saturday, I was planning on being at game 87 in a row. Though I would have gladly spent my retirement to see us play Notre Dame in Miami, the trip to Orlando will be much cheaper -- so there's that.

Saturday was a heart breaker. I’ve been going to games for 30 years, and it was the most painful loss I’ve ever witnessed. Never before have I seen us lose one so close with so much on the line. Nevertheless, it says something that we were able to play a game with so much on the line. And that’s the point that I think so many are missing.

I have been an ardent Mark Richt supporter, but my faith was shaken after the Boise State game in the Georgia Dome to start the 2011 season. People at church on Sunday asked me if I was said after losing to Bama. I told them I was sad after driving back from Memphis having just lost to Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl and going 6-7 in 2010. That was sad. This was something different. I thought we might could pick up the pieces. I liked the idea of testing ourselves versus Boise, but we looked awful, just like in 2010. I thought we were done, Richt was done and we’d have a new coach by now. I couldn’t figure it out, but Richt and the team were missing something.

Then something happened. We played to the death against South Carolina the next week and lost, but I felt different. We played like champions and we were fun to pull for again. We lost a tough one, but we lost valiantly. I could live with that. We reeled off 10 straight wins, coming back to beat Florida after being down 17-3 and looking great for a half against an LSU team that had proved itself to be far and away the best team in the land. 2012 cemented my belief that Mark Richt has done the impossible. In this day and age of quick fix coaching hires, coaches rarely get the opportunity to right the ship once it starts sinking. Let me tell you, losing the Central Florida is called sinking. His previous success made him a victim of raised expectations, but it also gave him some slack with our administration, and I’m so thankful for that, especially seeing the train wrecks coaching changes have brought to some of our SEC rivals. I believe Mark Richt’s best days are ahead of him.

Richt is a bit of a renaissance coach, and I’m thankful for that. He’s not cut from the same cloth as some of the brightest stars of today in the coaching ranks. No one contacts Richt about jobs because he’d never consider it. He’s a Georgia man and wants to retire here. He’s building a program in which success will be built on top of success. It’s not a quick fix, and I think it’s taken us 12 years to get here for that reason. Some Dawg fans are so heart broken because we hadn’t been in this position in 30 years, and they wonder if we’ll ever get back in their lifetime. That’s really a loser mentality. I think Mark Richt is planning on being around the top 5 for a long time, and we’ve made changes to get us there in the ways we recruit, coach, and execute. We’re meaner than we’ve been in the past, and that’s a good thing. And we’re going to stay this way. Of course we’ll be back – and soon.

I’ve always said that Richt reminds me most of Tom Osborne. Osborne was a stoic figure on the Nebraska sideline for 25 years. He was a deeply devout Christian who did things the right way. He was criticized early in his career for ‘not winning the big one.’ His first 10 years saw 3 Big Eight championships and a lot of 2 and 3 loss seasons. They finished in the top 12 every year, but never higher than #7 until year 10, when the Huskers finished #3. Finally, in 1983, they went undefeated and played Miami in the Orange Bowl for a shot at the National Championship. Turner Gill’s 2-point conversion fell incomplete and, finally, when Osborne got his shot, they couldn’t do it. Maybe he would never win the big one. But that’s a stupid thing to say. Instead, Osborne had brought Nebraska football to heights it hadn’t seen in a long time.

The next 10 years Nebraska finished in the top 6 four times. They were hanging around with the elite. Sprinkled in were some more 3-loss teams. In his 21st season as coach of the Big Red, Osborne went 11-0 again, this time to face FSU in the Orange Bowl for the National Championship. A QB named Charlie Ward coached by a young QB Coach named Mark Richt stole the show and Nebraska missed a field goal at the end to win the game. FSU had finally won their national championship. Osborne still couldn’t win the big one.

But the next year they were there again, this time versus Miami (again) in the Orange Bowl for the National Championship. There would be no drama. Finally, in Osborne’s 22nd season as Nebraska’s coach, the Huskers won it all. The next year, in 1995, they utterly dismantled Florida in the Fiesta Bowl (and were the best team this guy has ever seen) to win back to back titles. In 1996, they lost their conference championship game in the final minute to Texas to halt their bid for a 3rd straight National Title. They would have played FSU in the Sugar Bowl. Then, in 1997, they went 13-0 and whipped Tennessee in the Orange Bowl, splitting the National Championship with Michigan. So, after not winning the big one, Osborne finished the last five years of his 25-year career by playing for the National Championship 4 times, winning 3 and barely missing out on playing for it all 5 years. He retired after the ’97 season.

Richt’s mentor, Bobby Bowden, started a string in his 12th year at FSU in 1987 of finishing in the top 5 for 14 straight seasons. But it took hanging around the top 5 for a while before finally breaking through in that 1993 season. From 1993-2000 (years 18-25 for Bowden), FSU would play for the National Championship 5 times. In most of those years, they went into the season finale versus Florida needing a victory to put them in the big game. They won some and lost some. Vince Dooley, UGA’s greatest coach, took 17 years and a special player wearing #34 to get to the big game. In years 17, 18, and 19, he had his team in a position for a National Title each year, playing for it twice. Dean Smith went to 6 Final Fours at UNC before finally breaking through to win a National Championship in 1982 in his 22nd season. After the game he told a reporter who had asked about finally winning the big one, “Do you really think I’m a better coach than I was 2 ½ hours ago?”

One of the problems with Georgia Football has been that we’ve been waiting on that ‘magical season’ again. I don’t think Mark Richt is working on that. I think he’s trying to string several fantastic seasons together in a row, and every once in a while you have a special player, get a break, or a ball bounces your way and you win it all. I don’t think Mark Richt is trying to win a National Championship – I think he’s trying to win several. Alabama went 12-0 in 2008 and got a date with Florida to go play Oklahoma for all the marbles. Florida was just better that day. Bama stunk it up in the Sugar Bowl versus Utah, then got back to work and started the run their on now by winning the BCS Championship in 2009.

I think Georgia’s about to go on a run, but it won’t be easy. There is more competition in our conference than there has ever been, and chances are we’ll have to win some heavyweight bouts in the Dome to get to the show. The joy of following sports is being there through the heartache to see the moment you've long waited for.  It's no fun to be a fair-weather fan or a bandwagon jumper.  As long as Mark Richt is our coach, I think we’ve got a shot, and I think he, like Smith, Osborne and Bowden is going to get better with age. Of course, having #3 and #4 on our team for the next 2-3 years won’t hurt.

Against All Odds

"Even in tragedy, God through His word offers hope for those who seek and believe. It starts with the promise of a better tomorrow, of life everlasting, of eternal peace. It's called faith, and it offers hope where none existed."


Those are not the words of Scripture, which usually inspire and kickoff my Thursday Thought for the Week. Those are the words of Zig Ziglar, business motivator extraordinaire. He inspired many to be their best in the business world and was also a believer. He died this past Wednesday. Those words of his are words of wisdom, and they come right out of the Scriptures. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Faith is the cornerstone of what it means to follow Jesus. No one comes down to the altar to pray and put their 'fact' in Jesus; they come to put their 'faith' in Jesus. Faith fuels the believer because we believe the impossible. We trust in the goodness of God even when circumstances tell us there is no hope. We expect God to move even when it seems He is far away. And we believe that, in the end, good wins and our eternity is secure. Faith drives every move the believer makes. We can't do anything without faith. You and I will no doubt encounter tragedy or circumstances where there is no hope. We will have seasons of life where there is absolutely no evidence that things are going to turn out okay. Everything will point to disaster and despair. Faith does not listen to despair. Faith rises above tragedy, even the deepest tragedies of life. And faith is our part. It is the thing that we do in our relationship with God. It's the move we have to make. We choose faith. We choose to believe against all odds. If we do, faith makes all the difference. You can put your faith in God, friend. He's come through for me time and time again. He'll do the same for you.

With Confidence

Do you know that feeling when you've got to go before a superior and you know you've done something wrong?  I see that look on my boys' faces a lot.  I remember that feeling myself.  I remember during a particularly rousing game of "Hide and Seek" that I kicked a hole in a storage room door that my brother was hiding in, but he had locked the door.  I was upset, so I kicked the door.  Big mistake.  I had to face my Daddy, and that was not a good feeling.  It's a terrible feeling, whether you are facing your boss after screwing up a deal for the company, facing your coach after committing a foul, error, or penalty, or facing your parents after you've kicked a hole in the door.

It's worse with God.  It's an awful feeling to face God when we know that we have sinned against him, when we are not worthy, when we are so filthy compared to Him.  In fact, it's impossible.  In fact, the Bible says that because of our sin, we are unable to face God.  He is TOO great.  In the Old Testament, no one wanted to see the face of God because we couldn't handle it.  We are too dirty -- He is too pure.  To be in His presence would knock us dead.  His majesty would overwhelm us, literally.  Humanity is not worthy to be in the presence of God. 

Enter Jesus.  You see, if we don't understand this, then Jesus won't be that big of a deal.  However, when you wrap your head around the understanding that we are totally unworthy to stand in God's presence because of our sin, then you begin to understand the magnitude of Christ's death.  The High Priest used to enter the Holy of Holies once a year to offer a blood sacrifice for the sins of the people.  Blood had to be involved, but the blood of animals didn't stick.  It didn't last.  The blood of Christ covered us once and for all.  And now, not only could the High Priest enter into the presence of God -- we all could.

Hebrews 10:19 says it this way:  "We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus."  Now, God is personal.  Now, God calls us friend.  Now, we can stand in the presence of God.  Now, we do not have to be fearful, ashamed, or feel unworthy to come face to face with the Almighty.  Jesus has fixed it.  As we get ready for Christmas, that's the story we can't forget.  The baby in the manger makes a cute scene on display on our mantle, but the message of Christmas ends at the cross.  The blood makes all the difference.  Go to God with confidence.  You don't have to be ashamed of who you are or what you've done.  Embrace the forgiveness -- and start over anew.

Thanksgiving

Hello Church of the Way,

I hope you're are enjoying the beautiful weather on this Thanksgiving week and preparing for time with loved ones over the holidays. After all the Thanksgiving festivities, I'm looking forward to sharing with you this Sunday as we continue our series "CORE" and look at the value of "Generosity." It seems fitting that we'd think about Generosity over Thanksgiving break.

Just a reminder that One Way won't meet this Sunday afternoon, but we'll have our normal worship at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
"Let us come before him with thanksgiving." Psalm 95:2

Sometimes I marvel at all that God has done for me. I am very blessed, and I'm certain that I often take it for granted. I believe that every good and perfect gift comes from above, and He has certainly given me many. In this season of giving thanks, I'm grateful that God has given me...

-His unbelievable Grace that I have never once deserved.
-His love -- that God wants a relationship with me is still bonkers, but oh, so good.
-My wife. Far better than I deserve.
-My boys. My quiver is full (though they keep emptying my pantry).
-My family. We're blessed with wonderful and supportive sets of parents, siblings, and nephews.
-Health. I have only so much control over it, and I'm so grateful for the good health I've been blessed with in the ways that I can't control.
-Our Church. What an awesome group of people committed to changing the world!
-This community. It's a great place to raise a family.
-Fall Saturdays
-Fried Turkey
-Sweet Potato Souffle
-Mello Yello Zero. You should try that stuff -- it's good.
-Coffee
-Laughter
-Funny Commercials
-Electric Guitars
-Comfortable Shoes
-The internet
-Cheesecake
-Good friends to laugh and cry with
-A warm, dry roof over my head

I'll bet you have a lot to be thankful for to. Be sure and tell Him.

Break

I'm taking a break for a few days after 66 out of 67 days. I'll be back soon.

Sabbath

"You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord." Leviticus 23:3


My devotional reading took me to Leviticus 23 this morning. Leviticus usually does not really light your fire. It can be tough to muddle through. It's a hard book to read.  Lots of repetition and lots of rules.  However, it spoke to me. Leviticus 23 is full of ordinances from God about when it is not appropriate to work. It's almost like God is giving His people permission not to work. And that is so poignant for 2012. We live in a world of email, texts, and constant communication. It's hard to take a day off of work, it's hard to get away from work because it's right there on your computer or phone, and it's hard to justify vacation or holidays when there is so much to do. But, we NEED those breaks. We are often sad masses of availability, but we need times when we're not available to anyone but our God and our family.

What is so alarming in our current culture is that we are made to feel guilty for taking Sabbath time.  In our over-worked and over-stressed and money-hungry culture, we have bought into the idea that 'time is money.'  Time, actually is irreplaceable.  Time is fleeting, and you only get a limited amount of it with your family.  Moreover, you only get a limited amount of time on earth to truly live out your purpose as a child of Almighty God.  With Thanksgiving around the corner, I hope you will take time to unplug from the world to which you are normally available. God tells us in Leviticus 23 that we are hard wired to have times of Sabbath and rest. We need times of worship, solitude and family. One day, each of us will have a 70th birthday party. Our kids and grand kids will be there. Not one of us will say we wished we had worked through more holidays, or answered our phone a few more times over Thanksgiving or responded to a few more emails when we were supposed to be having dinner with our family. Not one of us will say we wished we'd focused more on work than our relationship with God. Not. A. Single. One. Of. Us. No, we will say that the times with family and our spiritual growth were what has been most important. If that's what you will say when you're 70, why not live that out when you're 30, 40, 50 or 60? As you prepare for Thanksgiving next week, take a break and have a moment with God. Focus on your family. And don't feel guilty for it. God made you that way and wants that for you. It pleases Him, and you'll feel better at that 70th birthday party.

Fun

No, this isn't about the the music group FUN., though they are kind of addicting.  It's about marriage (and a little bit about music).  A few months ago I heard Easton Corbin's latest song, "Loving You is Fun."  I was hooked.  I'm a bit of a country music junkie.  I know, I know, some of you don't like country music.  However, I just don't know what's not to like about these lyrics:

Love don’t have to be a bunch of drama

A bunch of knock-down, drag-outs, crying in the rain

It’s all right to keep it light now mama, don’t you think

We’re having such a good time together and it’s only just begun

My heart’s never smiled so hard

Baby, lovin’ you is fun

Love is supposed to be fun.  I certainly see a lot of people out in marriage world that are not having fun.  I often say, "Marriage is not that hard."  It's not.  It doesn't have to be.  Love is supposed to be fun.  The person you love is supposed to put you in the best mood, not the worst mood.  Love is supposed to be natural.  Yet, relationships are often filled with drama, heartache, bitterness and anything else but fun.  Where did the fun go?  I'm convinced that fun is one of major keys to building a healthy marriage and a lifetime of love together.  What's sad to me is that I see so many un-fun relationships in the Church.  Because of the example of Christ, we're supposed to be the experts at love and marriage.  I think God wants marriage to be fun.  Here's what I've learned in 12 years of marital fun:

• Single people...if you don't have fun when you date, don't get married.  It won't be fun after the wedding either.  Fun is really easy to spot -- you smile a lot. 
• Keep doing fun things together.  They don't have to be expensive, but you have to keep having fun together.  When you were falling in love, you made allowances and did things to make your future spouse happy.  You have to keep doing that.  You let your guard down, and you've got to keep doing that.
• Eat together.  The funniest moments in my house often happen around the dinner table.  Turn the TV off and eat together.  Sit and visit after the meal (that's what us Southern-folk do).
• Be creative.  Do different stuff together.  Go to different places.  Try new experiences.  Eat at different restaurants.  One of the fun things about dating is that you make sure to schedule these kinds of events.  Married people have to keep doing it.  PLAN on having fun.
• Be happy and don't be so easily offended.  Honestly, I don't understand how and why people get their feelings hurt so much.  I believe that if we are honest with each other we will ward off most hard feelings.  Our feelings get hurt when we hide things.
• Serve each other.  You'll be happy when your spouse is happy and they'll be happy if you serve them.  So serve them.  Help them out in what they're doing.  It'll put a smile on their face and that should put a smile on yours.
• Put the kids to bed early.  It's hard to have much, uh...'fun'...when your 7 year-old is staying up till 10 o'clock.
• Be yourself.  If you can't really be yourself around your spouse, you're going to have a hard time having a long and happy marriage.  *This is really important single people!  Your spouse ought to be the one person on the planet you can be stone cold honest with about everything.
• Pray for and with your spouse.  It is fun to watch your spouse grow spiritually. 

I'm still fairly young and learning.  I'm trying to improve as a husband every day.  However, I can promise you one thing:  we have a lot of fun in our house.  And that's just the way I always dreamed it would be.  Love should be fun.

Surrounded by Saints

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

A week ago today was All Saints Day. It's a day to recognize and remember those saints that have gone before us in the last year. Some churches have an All Saints Service and light candles for those that have finished the race. Since All Saints Day, two saints in my life have passed on. Daisy Gibson was the widow of Douglous Gibson, the Paster Emeritus of First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville, our mother church. Daisy defined class. She always looked put together, always wore a smile, and always carried herself with grace. You were encouraged when you were around Daisy. Kenneth Lad is another saint from my past that died this week. Mr. Lad seemed old when I was 7, so he must've been really old now. Mr. Lad was the only male teacher in my Children's Church growing up. When I think of him, I think of red kool-aid and those little butter cookies you can stick on your finger. I can see him standing in the doorway of our snack room while we ate before going up for our lesson. He was the epitome of a sweet man. He was gentle, loved the Lord and loved working with children.

Saints really are real. I'll bet you've had a few in your life. The passage from Hebrews reminds us that those saints surround us. Their memory and impact envelopes us and encourages us. Their lives prove that it CAN be done. We can run this race for Christ. We can finish the course. It CAN be done right. We CAN carry ourselves with dignity, grace, class and gentleness. People like Kenneth Lad and Daisy Gibson did it, and we can do it, too. We honor those that have poured their lives into ours when we forge ahead amidst struggle. The message is clear from the Apostle Paul. Get rid of all the stuff that is holding you back, the stuff that is hindering your walk with Christ and your purpose in life. Set your compass to true north and run the race you were designed to run it. And when you think you can go no more or you don't have what it takes, remember that there have been saints who believed in you, invested in you, and loved you. They did it. You can to. It's a long race. You don't have to win it today, but run to win the stretch before you this day. Then, do it again tomorrow. You and your future are worth it.

Bigger Fish

In the last couple of weeks I've fretted over my wife going for a second mammogram (Praise God, it was all good).  I've met with and prayed for a dear friend struggling with a wayward teenager and not knowing what to do, and I can see the pain on his face.  I've met with couples and individuals struggling to save their marriage after mistakes or the busy-ness of life catching up with them.  I've mourned for a friend who lost a child, an 8-year-old boy.  I've prayed for friends in my LIFE Group that have lost jobs.  I've planned outreach events to help needy families in our community.  I've prayed and prayed over negotiations our church is having with a bank over our property, and I've tried to prepare a few sermons with God's inspiration.  I heard there was an election going on, too?

I voted yesterday.  Some of the people I voted for won, some didn't ('Cause, you know, there was more than one election going on).  I've chuckled a bit today at the hyperbole on the internet.  Some people are really, really happy.  Some are really, really angry.  Some, thankfully, are calling for prayers for all our leaders.  I simply feel that I've got bigger fish to fry.  It's not that I'm disinterested in politics or who won, it's just that no matter who won I was going to have to heat up the oil and fry the same fish this week and next week.

No matter who is President, I'm still praying on that land.  I'm still heartbroken for friends with lost children and lost jobs.  I'm still trying to help friends with family issues.  I'm still grateful my wife's health is good.  I'm still excited about taking my boy to a football game this weekend.  I'm way, way more heartbroken for my grieving friends that lost their little boy than over any election that didn't go my way.  And I'm way, way more excited about going to a football game with my son than I am about any election that did go my way.

Some people will say I need to take politics more seriously.  I say that politics will always come far, far behind my personal faith in Jesus, my family, my friends, and God's ministry in and through me.  I care about politics, it's just not the biggest fish in my fryer, and those big fish take up most of my time, effort, and energy.  And, friend, I hope you have some bigger fish, for you were not created to be a just a national citizen.  You were created to be a citizen of the Kingdom.  You were created to be a son, daughter, wife, husband, mother, or father.  You were created to be a friend and neighbor.  It's okay to be fired up or disappointed with politics, just make sure you're frying those biggest fish first.  For me, those bigger fish seem much more important to who God is calling me to be in Christ.

Never Enough

"Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income." Ecclesiastes 5:10

Boy, we live in a culture hungry for more. Our church credit card was the recent victim of credit card fraud. Someone tried to charge a bunch of money to a couple of websites. Luckily, Sam's Club has been very helpful in disputing the charges and we're getting a new card with a new number. I first caught wind of it when I got a phone call from one of the website's customer service center. The address the good were to be shipped to was in Cleveland, Ohio. They even gave me the apartment number. I thought about who must be sitting in that apartment. What leads us to that kind of depravity. The truth is, we've all been down that road a little bit. Oh, you and I have probably not stolen from someone, but we've all been guilty of greed. We've felt like we deserve a bigger paycheck. We've fallen in love with stuff, whether it be clothes, jewelry, cars, houses, furniture, music, collectibles, adventures, hobbies, boats, or any number of things. We've all had our vices. Maybe you still do.

I believe money is the single biggest personal issue each of us face. No matter what you make or have, you always feel like you could use a little more.  It is hard to not love money, and the love of it can lead to all kinds of bad things. That's why it is SO important to understand what it means to be satisfied in Christ, to believe that we've been blessed beyond measure through the love of Jesus, and to be thankful for what we have instead of focused on what we don't. When we don't have the right attitude about this, it drives us to all kinds of destructive behaviors. We take another job to have more stuff, stealing precious time from our family. We decide to not give to the church, hurting the local ministry of the Body of Christ. We work longer hours, harming our health and family. The extreme is when we steal a credit card number to get more stuff...because we think the stuff will make us happy. It won't. It can't. Be satisfied with the riches God has given you in Jesus Christ. He has paid the debt that no amount of your overtime can pay.

Fleeting

I lead a weird existence.  The three most important things in my life rank:

• Eternally important - Being a follower of Jesus and my role as a pastor of a church committed to reaching people far from God with His amazing love.
• Very important - A husband, father, son, brother, in-law and uncle to my family and extended family.  Loving my wife as Christ loves the church, raising my children to follow Jesus, and honoring my extended family are crucial to me in life.
• Not very important - I'm a rabid follower of Georgia football.  I've been to 81 straight games and have missed 8 total games in the last 18 years.

I spend a lot of money on all of them.  Kind of by default, my family gets a lot of the money.  If you don't feed your kids, DFACS shows up.  Of course, I see our investment in them as investing in the Kingdom, too.  And I spend a lot of money on Jesus.  My wife and I have always tithed, and we invest over and above that in this ministry that we believe so deeply in.  Finally, I invest a lot in my Dawgs.  You don't go to 81 straight games for free.  But, it's sort of who I am.

It ended up being a weird weekend for me as it all wrapped up, and I'm still trying to wrap my head and heart around it.  I took a vacation Sunday, as I usually do, to attend the Georgia vs. Florida game.  It was one of the most intense games I've ever been to, maybe THE most intense.  We shocked the world and beat #2 Florida.  My buddies and I danced and screamed like school girls.  We laughed, cheered, and screamed...then laughed some more.  We go because we love our team.  When you love your team, you should soak up every moment like that you get, because they don't come around often. 

On the drive home, I glanced at Facebook and noticed some posts on a friend's wall.  Something had happened but I couldn't put 2 and 2 together.  But I knew it was bad.  When I got home, I figured it out.  His 8 year old son was killed by a truck as they crossed the street.  They had gone to pick up pizza to celebrate the Dawgs win after watching it at home.  And now...he was gone.  Celebration had turned to despair, and your favorite team winning doesn't seem to matter so much any more. 

Honestly, this friend and I don't talk much.  We'll occasionally comment on Facebook to one another.  I haven't seen him in years.  But it's too striking for me.  He and I both worked for the Athletic Association at UGA.  He and I both served at the same ministry in Panama City Beach.  He and both have four boys.  It shook me to my core, and it made me hug those boys tighter ever since.

So, the thing that had me rattled most is that what do I do now?  I think about Will, this precious boy, and I see the face of my sons.  It makes me sick to my stomach, honestly.  I grieve for him, for his mom and dad and brothers.  It sends chills up and down my spine to think about.  How can I care about things that don't really matter now?  How could I if I was Will's dad?  Shouldn't I just spend my entire life evangelizing on every street corner and never let my kids out of my sight.  The Kingdom and my family are far more important than football games!  Maybe I need to focus ALL my energy on church and family?

Here's what I know, you can't live paralyzed by fear because that's not really living.  You can't say you're never going to let your children out of your site because that's not living.  And you can't say you're not going to care about things like ballgames, concerts, and Christmas presents...because those things make up life.  Life is fleeting...so live it.  There are no answers to tragedies.  None.  Life is just fleeting.  So soak it up.  The main things have to be the main things.  What is eternally important has to be most important.  What is very important has to be very important.  And for life to be life, it has to be full of a lot of things that aren't very important but provide a lifetime of memories.  Things like ballgames, proms, vacations, and movies.  They aren't important, really, at all.  But the people you experience them with ARE, and our minds often need a distraction from the very important things we're all dealing with, like mortgages, health concerns, job loss, and tragedies.

And that's how and why I can keep caring about something so fleeting as a ballgame in the midst of this fleeting life.  Because I will sit with my sons on Saturday in the seats we always sit in.  And we will eat pretzel M & Ms together and share a Coke Zero.  And we'll say "Gooooooo Dawgs, sic 'em, woof, woof" together.  And we'll be dressed in the same colors...together.  In the long run, the game won't matter much.  The 'together' will.  For the McInnis family, that's what it means to be 'together.'  There is a part of all of us that wants to put life on hold when we hear of a tragedy like Will's, but that's not life -- that's paralyzation.  Moreover, it dishonors the memory of those who would have been right there in the thick of it with us.  Make the things in your life that are unimportant eternally important because of the important people you spend them with!  And cheer for your team because it's fun.  And life is supposed to be fun.  So have fun with the people you love most, and never miss the eternal opportunities in every moment.  I hope you'll join me in praying for Will's family.

It's Complicated...Part Two

This past Sunday I preached on politics.  It wasn't what you'd probably normally hear in church.  I'm okay with politics, but I've never considered myself very political.  Namely, I don't think they make that big of a difference.  Let me rephrase that:  they don't make a big enough difference.  My work is the work of the Kingdom, and it's so much bigger than politics.  Deep down, I don't think politics can fix the problems of society.  Politics are about the affairs of the state, and you can't fix the affairs of the soul with the affairs of the state.

Moreover, I think the issues that we have made into hot button political issues are much more difficult to navigate than political agendas let on.  I mentioned some of those on Sunday, and I thought it'd be worth it to flesh them out a little bit more.  I don't have a lot of the answers, which is kind of my point.  I'm so much more interested in getting to know the One who has the answers and leaning on him in my own life rather than forcing my politics on others.  I'd much rather offer them my Jesus then force feed them my politics.  I'm calling this "It's Complicated - Part Two" because I wrote a blog post a few months ago on the issue of homosexuality and gay marriage and named it "It's Complicated."  That was the first issue I mentioned this past Sunday.  Today, I thought I'd tackle the next 'complicated' political issue:  abortion.

Abortion is a sensitive issue -- and emotional.  Right now, there are women reading this that were told they should have had an abortion and chose not to.  Against all odds, they now have a healthy and happy child.  There are people reading this that were THAT baby whose mother was told to have an abortion (or maybe even tried to), but they survived or she decided not to, and you have grown to become an adult live out your purpose on earth.  There are women reading this who got abortions, for whatever reason.  Some regret it and wonder if they can be forgiven (you can).  Some still think it was the right decision.  There are men reading this who told a high school girlfriend to get an abortion and they did, and they wonder what that child would be like today.  And there are men reading this whose high school girlfriend got an abortion but never even told you they were pregnant.  Lastly, there are a lot of people like me.  People who have not been affected personally about abortion but feel something about.  Some of us are very passionate about it.  Some of us are very confused.  Some of us are convicted, but unsure how to express it.  Some of us disagree vehemently yet love the same Jesus.  It's complicated.

I don't think you can look at the Scriptures without recognizing that God is clearly pro-life.  Every child that is conceived is clearly a creation by Almighty God, for whom He has big plans.  God told Jeremiah "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future."  (Jeremiah 29:11).  Psalm 139:13-16 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body."  It's pretty plain that God has a plan for unborn children.  They are people.  They are His creations.  God's not into killing them.  I don't think you can read the Scriptures and say that God is for abortion, no matter how much you believe in the rights of women.  And I believe very strongly in the rights of women.  However, there are two things that have always kept me at bay from getting on my high horse when it comes to abortion.  It's why I cringe at pro-life rallies and never get into many debates about it:

1. I'm not a woman.  I have never been and I am never going to be a 14-year-old girl pregnant with an out-of-wedlock child that I can't afford and virtually no family support.  I have no idea what that feels like.  The guy can bail on the child and leave town.  The girl is stuck with a decision that she'll live with for a lifetime one way or the other.  I don't have a daughter, but if I did we'd never consider abortion.  We'd do whatever we could to bring about God's glory from that situation and raise that child to be all God intended him or her to be.  But I'll never be in those shoes personally.  I'm not a woman.  I always say that you can't judge someone till you walk a mile in their moccasins.  Those are one pair of moccasins I'll never be able to put on.  I have a theory based on what I read in Scripture.  It seems clear to me.  But I've never been 14, broke, abandoned, and pregnant.  And I never will be.  Let me say this, too, because it's an important part of the story.  We always exclude rape and incest, right?  Why?  If a child is conceived in rape or incest, don't we believe that God can bring about good in all things?  Aren't we the people that believe, as Joseph said in Genesis 50:20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."  How do we know that child isn't going to be President or the next Billy Graham?  I've always thought that if we say we're pro-life except for rape and incest, then we're basing that on political agendas and not God's Word.  If you're going to be pro-life, you've got to be pro-life all the way because our God is bigger than rape or incest.  He can overcome the ugliness at conception to bring beauty in birth and redemption in life.  Isn't that the story of the Gospel?  Like I said, it's complicated.
2. We use birth control.  I have 4 kids; I do not want 7.  Or 12.  So what, you say.  Well, I don't actually believe life starts at conception.  You see, that's not really Biblical.  That's what people with political agendas have taught us to try and get our vote or support.  The Bible says something very different.  In Jeremiah 1:5 God tells Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart."  Whoa, whoa, whoa.  BEFORE you were in the womb?!  Yes, before.  I believe God knows us before our mom was the apple of our daddy's eye.  I believe each one of us is an idea in the mind of God, and he knew us long before we were conceived.  Don't you believe that?  It's what the Bible says.  So, here's the question I struggle with:  how many children have I not had that God intended my wife and I to have because we use birth control?  In Genesis 38, Onan refuses to conceive the child with Tamar that he's supposed to by spilling his semen on the ground.  The Bible says what he did was wicked in the Lord's sight.  As Doc Holiday says in Tombstone, "It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds."  It's hard for me to get all high and mighty on those who have abortions for killing children after their conceived when I'm taking active measures to make sure that children aren't conceived, even if God wanted them to be.  And one of the reasons we don't have more children is we can't afford them.  But we can't afford more children because we have chosen a lifestyle that more children wouldn't allow us to continue in, not because we don't have enough money.  It's complicated.

So, maybe the Roman Catholics have it right.  I'd feel really good getting on my pro-life soap box if I didn't practice birth control and took it all the way through rape and incest.  I'm not sure I'm ready for that.  Now, let me say here that I think God gives us good sense, too.  The reason we use birth control is that I think God has given doctors wisdom and insight to provide ethical means to create and foster health.  I'm not sure it's good for women across the planet to be having 10-14 children each.  I think we're using science for good, for the health of my wife, and for what seems to me to be what's best for my family.  But I can't be sure of that.  I'm making a judgment call on that for my own self.  Some folks who believe abortion should be legal would say it's a judgment call to use science in the same way, just at a different stage in the process.  I think God is okay with what I'm doing, but I'm not positive.  We'd never dream of having an abortion, but what if birth control is just as wrong?  I'm banking on it not being wrong, but I know I pray daily for God to have mercy on me in all the ways I sin and don't even know it.  Man, that opens Pandora's Box, doesn't it?  It's complicated.  I'm pro-life...to an extent.  Not to the extent that I have 12 children.  And I think that's okay with God, but it sure is gray in a world of black and white politics.

I don't know what all that means.  For me, it means I've got plenty of planks to get out of my own eye before I start getting on my political soapbox.  It's complicated, but Jesus is simple.  He forgives us when we seek Him.  No matter what you've done in your life, I hope you'll seek Him too.  He's the one that can fix the affairs of the soul.

Hoping against Hope

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on teh vines, though the olive crop fails, adn fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Habakkuk 3:19


I'll have to admit, I don't venture into Habakkuk much. Nevertheless, my devotional reading led me there yesterday. The theme I'm reading about this week is hope. And sometimes we hope against hope. Really, if there is a glimmer of success on the horizon, we're moving past hope. Hope is the belief of better things to come when everything is hopeless. Hope us trusting in God even when life seems to be handing you lemon after lemon. Think about this passage and the era it was written. If the crops didn't produce and the farm animals died, there would be no food for the family and no money to be made. Their livelihood and life-line was desolate. They had lost all hope. Yet, circumstances do not determine the hope of the faithful. Circumstances are always changing, but our hope is in the One who never changes.

Perhaps you've found yourself recently in a situation like Habakkuk. The money has dried up. The leads on jobs have dried up. The doctors have given a grim report. The relationship has fallen apart seemingly beyond repair. Is your hope in the circumstances or in the One who is above all circumstances? Do you still recjoice in Him? Friend, He is worthy of our rejoicing. He has loved you and redeemed you. And the one circumstance that you could not change, the forgiveness of your sins, He changed forever. That proved His love for us, and we can trust that He's working good in us and for us now. So hope in Him. Hope against hope, no matter how dry the fields seem or how empty the stalls are. Keep hoping. Keep trusting. Keep rejoicing. Keep believing. For our hope is not in our circumstances but in Almighty God.

What it's all about

This is why we do what we do:  adults, children's and teens coming to faith in Christ.  Life change.  Church work ain't easy.  Volunteers give blood, sweat and tears.  Staff are underpaid and overworked.  The faithful sacrifice financially to make ministry happen.  Musicians rehearse, Children's teachers prepare lessons, greeters greet, somebody shops for all the goodies that are out on Sundays, and somebody cleans up the facility.  That's the story in almost every church.  But the work of the Church is the most important thing happening on Earth.  This is why the local church is the hope of the world.  In Gladiator, Maximus says a great line, "What we do on earth echoes in eternity."  That's not exactly true.  The games we won, the money we made, the mansions we built, and the amount of twitter followers we accumulate won't matter at all in eternity.  Most of the things we worry and fret over won't matter in eternity.  But the work of Christ's church not only matters in eternity, it impacts eternity.  What an honor it has been for me to be a part of the life change that has happened through these beautful people at Church of the Way.

To Those Who Wait

I believe our culture has a crisis of patience.  We have lost all patience.  We have no room for it.  Our lives are too hectic and too busy for patience.  That's why baseball is not as popular as it once was.  We like the football teams that run fast-offenses, we like basketball teams that are up-tempo.  We want to see the fastest teams in the fastest sports.  We nearly throw our phone out the window when it doesn't update our facebook app fast enough.  We want speed.  We want our food fast because we already going to have to drive fast to get to a quick meeting before we mow through a few reports.  We have no patience to wait.  I mean, is there anything that drives you more nuts than sitting in traffic or standing in line at Walmart?

Maybe it's because information is so fast now.  We don't have to wait for the morning paper.  Constant, up-to-date news is at our fingertips.  And, we are bombarded in the media by over night successes, which makes us less patient.  If he can reach the top of the pop charts at 14, why can't my baby girl?  If that coach can win a championship in his second season, why can't my coach?  If that guy can drop out and make ba-jillion dollars in one year, why can't I?

If I'm honest, I have not been a very patient person.  I'm results oriented, with others and myself.  I expect a lot out of myself and others.  I'm always pushing and striving for the next step.  But I am learning something.  God is a slow cooker. 

The thing about impatience is that we miss the beauty of the moment.  I want to push my children to grow up, learn more, and develop more, but they will never be this age again.  Never.  I can't wait for my 2-year old to learn to potty.  But when he does, he won't be 2 anymore.  And there is something very fun about 2-year olds that is pure and innocent and happy.  I want our church to make a dramatic impact in the community and for us to see exponential growth.  It is growing, but if I always look ahead, I'm going to miss the fact that this is probably the smallest church I will ever pastor.  We're only going to get bigger, and I will miss out on the days that I can have a relationship with nearly everyone in the seats on Sunday morning.  Impatience makes us miss out on the present.

Impatience is really why do don't choose God's way.  Impatience is really rooted in selfishness, which, I believe, is the root of most sins.  We are impatient to do romantic relationships God's way because we want sexual satisfaction now.  We are impatient to give to our church because we are looking at what it will mean to our current financial decisions rather than seeing the impact of a lifetime of committing to God's mission.  We are impatient to quit harmful behaviors now because they are fun or make us feel better, not trusting God's steady plan for the best life we can have.  Impatience looks ahead to what's next or what we think we deserve while patience looks at right now and what we've already been blessed with.

It is a hard lesson, but I'm learning patience.  Proverbs 19:11 says, "A man's wisdom gives him patience."  Wisdom breeds patience.  When we're impatient, we're pretty much being stupid.  Of course, there ain't no way to get patience than to just live it and wait it all out.  There is no quick fix.  However, when you rest in it, it's a beautiful thing, and you can enjoy the moment.

An Ode to Lily of Sorts

Yesterday, we buried our cat, Lily, of 12 1/2 years.  She was a good ol' girl.  She had been with Emily and me longer than we'd been married.  We got her around Easter in 2000.  She was white with a gray spot on the top of her head.  We named her Lily for Easter.  She lived with Emily in her apartment for a while, then with me in my first parsonage before we married. 

While we were on our honeymoon, she jumped in the trunk of my friend who was staying at the parsonage and preaching for me on Sunday.  He didn't realize it till he opened his trunk in Auburn, Alabama and out jumped Lily.  We came home and thought she was dead.  She was just taking a road trip. 



Lily in her healthier days

She was a huntress, too.  She was mostly outside but came into relax and eat.  She brought home moles, birds, squirrels, chipmunks and even rabbits.  She learned her way around the farmland near my first parsonage, our first neighborhood in Gwinnett, and the neighborhood we live in now.  No matter how long she was gone wandering, Lily always came back.

But she was getting sick, not eating and getting infections.  It was time to let her go.  The boys helped dig a hole in our backyard and we buried her in there with some cards they wrote her and her tag and collar.  My children are Christian children.  They are Resurrection children.  They believe in heaven.  They believe in the resurrection.  One of them said, "We'll see her in heaven when we all come back alive again, right daddy?"  I read the Bible a lot.  I have a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.  I'm in my 13th year of full-time ministry.  And I just looked at him and said, "I don't know."

I don't know if animals go to heaven.  I don't know exactly how it all works at the resurrection.  One part of me says that only humans have souls.  The other part of me says that Christ has come to redeem all creation.  Who the heck knows?  But, it lends itself to a deeper point.  There's a lot that I don't know.  There are a lot of questions that simply aren't answered in the Scriptures.  There are some questions that are even raised.  And we've become obsessed with knowing it all.  I don't think we have to know it all.  I think the point is in focusing on what we do know.

I know Jesus.  I know Jesus lived.  I believe he is who he said he was.  I believe he died for me.  I believe he resurrected.  I believe he loves me and forgives me.  I believe he's coming again.  And I believe I'm at my best when I am being who he wants me to be (and I'm happiest then, too).  I know those things.  That's enough to keep me busy the rest of my life doing His will.  And because we know those essential things, we've got to be able to have the margin to say "I don't know."  The world so desperately needs us Christians to stop pretending we know everything and start telling them the most important thing we do know.  Jesus is real...and he loves you.

Emergency Room

"He now showed them the full extent of his love." John 13:1


We had a late night at the Emergency Room last night. Really, with four boys, it's amazing we don't spend more time and money at the ER. Apparently, a wrestling match broke out in my 2 oldest boys' room, which led to the back of my 8-year-old's (Morgan) head on the corner of a cedar chest. So, he and I trucked on to the ER to get a few stitches. He ended up with three. We've been pretty fortunate.  This summer we had our first broken bone (shoulder and elbow) and these are the first stitches we've had.  There will be more to come, I'm sure. 

Instead of a shot to numb the area, they used this liquid that sits on the wound and surrounding area for about 30 minutes. After about 20 minutes with the numbing agent on there, Morgan said, "I kinda think now that we didn't need to come because it doesn't much hurt more anymore." Of course, I explained to him that it was just numb, but they still needed to sew it up so it would heal right. And we often settle in the same way when Jesus wants to give us the FULL EXTENT of His love. We get half-healed from Jesus, we get a little dose of forgiveness, and we get a little distance from the 'injury' and we think, "Oh, I'm okay now, Jesus."

You're not okay.  You've grown numb to the pain, you're feeling better, but you're not okay.  You're still bleeding because you ran back out to play too soon.  And you won't heal right if you won't just be still and let Him work on you.  Jesus wants to sit with us a while longer. Jesus doesn't just want to numb you from the hurt in your heart. He wants to sew it up and heal it. There's a big difference. When we don't let Jesus all the way in to heal our hearts and spirits, we end up not healing the way we should and we end up with scars. Don't settle for partial healing. Let the Great Physician all the way into your brokenness. Let Him sew you up. And let the healing begin. Get the FULL EXTENT of His love.  All of it.  Not just a little.  Every last drop.  In the meantime, no more wrestling around the furniture.

For people that are driven

I think I had a revelation last week. It wasn't rocket science, but I did something pretty radical for me. Every day, I turned my computer off at 5:30...and I was done. I answered a few emails on my phone in the evening that needed a simple reply, but at 5:30, I was done. My wife was impressed. She's lived with me every second of starting a church, and that has not been the norm. In fact, I'm a driven perfectionist (which is not a good combo), so I'm constantly working to make things perfect. My office is in my house, so it's easy to work until the wee hours of the morning getting things perfect. And it finally hit me. This is going to kill me – literally. I thought to myself, “I'm going to have a stroke at 40.” And I really don't want to. So I turned my computer off. You know what? The sun still came up. Life still went on. And the church I lead is still trucking along. In fact, the crazy thing was that I was more productive than I've been in a really long time because there was not that thought in my head, “I'll finish that up after the kids go to bed.” No, it was “I've got to get this done by 5:30.”


You need to know a secret about your pastor (whoever that is). He or she probably works really hard. And the job they work really hard at is really stressful...if they love people. If you don't love people, ministry is the easiest job in the world. But, if you love people, it's extremely difficult, painful and stressful. You are motivated by a care and cause that most other people do not experience in their jobs. You are living out a calling that has lit your soul on fire. There has always been a feeling in me that I want to all I can to make sure that I'm living out that call to my fullest. My daddy put a strong work ethic in me, and I've carried that over to every area of my life, especially ministry.

Here's the thing, though. I want to be a pastor for a really long time. More importantly, I want to be a husband for a really long time (like, the rest of my life), and I want to be a daddy for the rest of my life. And I want that life to be long, and killing myself won't fix the greater Church or my local church. It might destroy my family and my health.

I'm a big UGA football fan, and we've got us a pretty special freshman running back named Todd Gurley. Fans are clammoring for him to get the ball more. Problem is, the saying about running backs is “they've only got so many carries in them.” Our coaches get it. They're being judicious about a young player because they want him to be a running back for a really long time. It's a marathon, not a sprint. I want to be a pastor for a really long time.

I promised myself that I would not let ministry (or life) make me bitter when I retire. I wouldn't be mad about all I let it take from me. I'm living it now. I won't let it. Moreover, here's what I know: this isn't exclusive to ministry. Anybody that's driven, a perfectionist, or has a high work ethic can fall trap to killing themselves in the pursuit of success or victory. When you get there, it won't be much fun then. I've got some advice for you: turn your computer off. Go play with your kids. Eat dinner with your family. Read a book in the evenings. Watch a T.V. Show. Go to bed early. Take a break. Success isn't attaining goals, it's being the best you. Then, the best you will get you where you want to be, and you'll be really happy when you get there.

Forgiveness

"At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, 'Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?' Jesus replied, 'Seven! Hardly. Try Seventy times seven.'" Matthew 18:21-22 (The Message)


I've been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately. I don't know why. I was reminded about forgiveness a few weeks ago when I heard a line from one of my favorite speakers: forgiven people forgive. Harboring unforgiveness will ruin you like nothing else. If you don't forgive someone, you will find it hard to love anyone. If you don't forgive others, you'll be less likely to seek it yourself. If you don't forgive those who've wronged you, you simply won't be happy.

That's the thing about unforgiveness, it eats away at you.  You think it's doing the person you're not forgiving harm, but it's really doing you harm.  You think you're really sticking it to them by not forgiving them, but you're really hurting yourself.  You're the one still thinking about it.  You're the one still tossing and turning through sleepless nights over it.  Why won't you just forgive them?  Well, unforgiveness makes us feel like we have power.

It's a hard lesson to forgive others because we want revenge and payback. We want there to be a pennance paid. Sometimes we want even more, as Doc Holiday says about Wyatt Earp in the greatest movie of all time, "It's not the revenge he's after, it's the reckoning." There is no room for revenge, payback or reckoning in grace. Jesus got revenge on sin, his blood paid back the debt, and his death reckoned all humanity befor God. He has already forgiving what you just can't forgive. You see what unforgiveness does? It makes us feel like a god. We get to mete our justice and mercy. We hold the upper hand. This kind of thinking doesn't sit so well with God. That's why unforgiveness eats away at us. It is, perhaps, the most wicked of all emotions. Moreover, it slaps Jesus in the face, for if He can forgive us for sinning against Him, how in the world can we have the audacity to NOT forgive others who have sinned against us. If we have truly experienced God's forgiveness, then the most natural thing to do is forgive. Forgiven people realize how much mercy they've received. Forgiven people know how broken they are. Forgiven people forgive. Not just once. Not a bunch. To infinity. They keep forgiving because forgiveness is always - ALWAYS - better than harboring a grudge. And it always feels better.  And you can breathe afterward.  And smile again.  And go on with life. 

Here's the kicker.  When we do forgive, only then are we like God, but in the right way.  And that feels good because it is good.  Is there someone you need to forgive today?

My 9/11

It was fascinating and awe-inspiring to watch some of the specials on TV about 9/11.  It will always be a day to remember, and there is a somberness that accompanies the day.  There are still families without loved ones because of the evil acts of that day.  There is still heartbreak because of that day.

9/11 means something different to me, though.  Four years later, we started Church of the Way on Sunday, September 11, 2005.  Many people told me that I was crazy for picking that date.  It made sense to me.  It was the first Sunday after Labor Day, and the heart of the Fall is the great time to launch a church.  But, to me, it was more than just about the time of year.  September 11 would always be easy to remember.  No one would ever forget our Launch Day.  Moreover, I believe in a redeeming God.  9/11 is a dark day in history, but the launch of Church of the Way would be a day of light for our community.  It would become a date that we remembered with positive feelings instead of negative feelings.  And that's the way it's been for me.

It has been the greatest joy of my ministry to lead this incredible church.  I've had the honor of marrying people, baptizing babies, baptizing children, teens and adults.  I've seen lives change, addictions broken, and families healed.  I've cried over it and gotten chills over it.  And, many people have been impacted because a group of dedicated disciples decided that 9/11 would be about something else.  I'll never forget 9/11/01.  But I'll also never forget 9/11/05.  Happy Birthday, Church of the Way!

Fist Fight

I think my wife is beautiful.  In fact, I think she's smokin' hot.  If you tell me that she's ugly, I'm probably going to ignore you, consider you an idiot and jerk, and choose not to be your friend.  If you tell me she's ugly twice, you and I are going to have words.  If you keep insisting that she's ugly, you're going to find yourself in a good ol' fashioned fist fight.  Of course, no one has ever told me such things.

However, I'm amazed at how many people think it's okay to tell Jesus his wife is ugly.  You didn't think Jesus was married?  Sure he is.  The Bible says that the Church is the bride of Christ, and you better watch calling her ugly.

It's popular to poo-poo the Church these days, and she's got her flaws doesn't she?  One of our sister churches in our local denomination is going through a split, and there are a lot of ugly things being said about the Church through it all.  It's one thing to point out my wife's flaws.  She's got some.  It's one thing to call her out for her mistakes.  She makes them.  It's another thing to call her ugly.  The Church is not perfect.  She makes mistakes.  She's got her warts and scars.  She's hidden things she shouldn't have, said things she shouldn't have and not done a lot of things that she should have done.  She's made up of people.  She's gonna be hard pressed to ever be perfect because of that.  People make mistakes.  It's necessary that we call the Church out for her mistakes from time to time.  I do that.  Leaders should do that.  But be very careful about calling her ugly.  She is the Bride of Christ and the vehicle through which Jesus has chosen to connect with the world.  You might get frustrated with her, you might get disenfranchised with her, but watch what you say about her.  I'm amazed at the number of people who call themselves Christians who keep telling the Church that she's ugly.  A long time ago, when I was first coming into ministry and several young clergy were sitting around complaining about everything that was wrong with the Church said, "You call my wife ugly, you got yourself a fight on your hands.  Be careful about calling the Bride of Christ ugly or you might end up picking a fight with Jesus."  I think that's one dude I don't want to fight with.

Football & Church

I'm so excited because College Football is almost here.  Of course, high school football has already started, and the NFL will kickoff a week from today.  I'm a football junkie.  I admit it.  I.  LOVE.  IT.  I come from a football family.  My daddy played high school football and my brother is a high school football coach.  If wasn't a pastor, I imagine I'd be a football coach, too (that is, after I crashed and burned on Music Row as an aspiring Country Music Singer...but I digress). 

Now, I love many sports.  I watch basketball and baseball.  I played both of those along with running track while growing up.  I like a good tennis match, went to gymnastic meets in college, enjoy jogging, watch all the Majors in golf, and, like most of us, was glued to the television during the Olympics watching sports I never get to watch and know very little about.  However, football is king to me.  And I think I know why I like it most.  I know, I know, you're going to think I'm reaching here.  But football is most like church to me.

In basketball, everybody is tall and skinny.  Soccer has a bunch of skinny little guys running around.  In boxing and track, everybody is chiseled.  In sumo wrestling, everyone is huge.  In baseball, most players are fit, but look like the average joe.  You can succeed in most sports with a group of guys or gals that all look just alike.  A football team takes all kinds and needs all kinds to succeed.

There is no place for the 6'3, 310 pounder in basketball.  There is in football.  It's called guard.  There is no place for the 5'11, 180 lb speedster in sumo wrestling.  There is in football.  It's called cornerback.  Football needs huge guys to play line, medium guys that can run to play linebacker and running back, guys that can fly to play receiver and defensive back, cerebral guys with great hand/eye coordination to play QB, and guys that are little, skinny dudes but can kick the snot out of the ball.  They're called kickers.  It takes all kinds.  When a bus full of basketball players or track stars or sumo wrestlers unloads, they look like cloned stormtroopers.  When a bus full of football players unloads, it looks as diverse as the United Nations. 

That's a lot like church or, at least, the way church out to be.  The church doesn't need clones.  It takes all kinds.  The Church needs people who can pray out loud or sing on stage.  She needs people that can play instruments but can't carry a tune.  She needs people that can work a sound board and people that love working with children.  She needs people that give large amounts of large incomes, and she needs people that give all they can out of small incomes but serve quadruple time.  She needs people that are number crunchers to handle the finances, and she needs people that can barely add but love to greet people with a hug, handshake or smile -- or all three!  She needs people with the gift of hospitality, and people that work behind the scenes.  She needs people that love teenagers.  She needs youthful enthusiasm and seasoned wisdom.  And, to make it all work, everyone (just like a football team) has to do their part.  The fast and slow guys.  The big and little guys.  The kickers and the QBs.  Everyone plays a role.  Football is the ultimate team sport, at least to me.  And church is much the same.  Many diverse parts working together for a common mission.

And it's sooooooo important that we do our part.  When a football team wins, it makes you feel good for a week.  When the Church wins, people go to Heaven.  What's your position?  Are you doing your part?

One Long Swim

I was fascinated all last week with Diana Nyad's attempt to make the longest swim in history without a shark cage.  She was trying to swim 103 miles from Cuba to Florida.  And she turned 63 last week.  I was updating my family at every meal where she was and how far she'd gone.  The thought of it fascinated me and terrified me.  Of course, a couple laps at my neighborhood pool terrifies me as well.  This was Nyad's fourth try.  She didn't make it.  She was disappointed.  She was in the water for 63 hours.  I can't even wrap my brain around that.  It made me think a lot about life and, especially, leadership.  There were a few things about her journey that stuck out, and they better stick out to all of us if we lead anything:

• She had a team with her directing her.  You can't be a "Lone Ranger" leader.  Yes, she was alone in the water.  Yes, only you can know exactly the hills you're climbing.  However, we need a team to direct us, guide us, encourage us and (for Diana), tell us it's time to get out of the water.
• There will be storms.  Diana ran into a squall or two.  They blew her off course.  If you lead anything for a decent amount of time, you're going to run into some squalls.  They're going to throw you off course.  It's going to make you expend extra energy and effort.  But expect them.  You can't possibly think you would do something bold and not run into storms.  If it was easy, everybody would be swimming from Cuba to Florida.
• There will be sharks -- and they'll be circling.  You just have to expect it.   Leaders shouldn't be surprised at the sharks.  Go in knowing what you'll be facing and have a plan.  Diana had a team emitting a low frequency electrical current through the water undetectable to humans but bothersome to sharks.  She had others helping her keep the sharks at bay.  Be prepared for the sharks.
• It was the surprises that got her.  It wasn't the sharks, the storms or the fatigue that ultimately got to Diana.  She had prepared and expected those.  It was those dadgum jellyfish.  They were worse than she thought they'd be.  And they stung her until she said that it wasn't fun anymore.  If there is a way to prepare for what you can't prepare for, it's worth trying.  Leaders have to expect the unexpected.

But here's the part that I love.  After it was over and they pulled Diana out of the water short of the goal., her operations chief said, "It's a cross between being down, being so tired because everyone wanted this so much, and a huge sense of accomplishment...Nobody in the world would even attempt this, but we did" (CNN.com).  We tried the impossible.  We came up short, but even coming up short was better than what anyone else did.  Leaders have to take risks. 

Pastors are often the world's worse.  We end up lone rangers.  We think it will all be smooth sailing.  We're surprised by the sharks.  And the unexpected hiccups get the best of us.  So we stop risking.  And when we stop risking, we stop doing great things for God and His Kingdom.  The same is true for the believer.  We can't stop risking and going out on a limb for Him, despite the disappointment from the last try or the fear of the storms and sharks that might lie ahead.  Your greatest accomplishment, doing the impossible, conquering your fears might be just ahead at the next risk you take.  Don't miss out on it because you wouldn't get in the water.