Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (7.24.14)

What an awesome week it's been here!  KidsGames has rocked as we've welcomed about a 100 kids each night.  We've made so many new friends as about two-thirds of those children are from our community and new to Church of the Way.  It has been so much fun.  On Sunday, you'll get to see a highlight video for some of the amazing things going on this week.

We've got a big Sunday coming up.  We'll be continuing our series on where God's calling us the next 15 months as a church through "Go Beyond:  V15ION".  We'll be talking about how each of us can deeply connect to Jesus.  It's a Sunday you won't want to miss:

• There's a few surprises in this week's message, and it's going to be a lot of fun.
• Sunday morning we've got a baptism and remembrance of baptism.
• KidsGames highlight video!
• Some big, exciting news you'll want to hear.

Also, if you've got questions about Go Beyond or anything, this Sunday at 3:30 we have an "Ask the Pastor" hosted at my home.  We'd love to have you for discussion and dessert.

Thought for the Week
"The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal, with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies."  Isaiah 42:13

This week we've been talking about being a champion at KidsGames.  What does that mean to you?  Does it mean winning the most games, being the best, or accomplishing the most.  If life is all about how we measure ourselves against others, there will always be someone a little better.  And if we do reach the pinnacle and become the very best, it won't be long before we become older and a little less sharp while a new generation comes behind us to take our crown as 'the best.'  It's inevitable.  It's a losing game to see ourselves based on the merit of our accomplishments.  We can be champions because our God is THE Champion, and he created us in His image and called us by name.  Whether you have accomplished a great deal in life or very little, whether you think you measure up or have always doubted that you might not.  God is a Champion...and He is your champion.  And listen really closely -- the True Champion overcomes where you fall short.  And we all fall short sometimes.  The greatest athlete or artist has areas of their life they're not real happy about.  We've all got failures and some dirt in the corner.  We serve a God who triumphs over those shortcomings and cleans up the dirt.  I hope you'll hear this.  If you want to define your life by you ability to win, you'll be disappointed.  While there might be a season your a champion on the field, office, classroom, or whatever, there will be others where someone else gets the job or promotion, wins the game or excels past you in the area in which you thought you were the best.  Don't fall into that trap.  You aren't defined by your accomplishments.  You are defined by a Champion who has power over all the universe, and still calls you into a personal relationship with him.  Jesus loves you not because you are a champion at life but because He is a champion at love.

In His love,

Carter 

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (7.17.14)

I hope you're doing well.  Our family had a great vacation, but we're glad to be back in Gwinnett and sleeping in our own beds.  I'm really ready for the exciting couple weeks we've got coming up at Church of the Way.  KidsGames starts Monday night, and I can't wait.  This Sunday, we're continuing to dig into God's V15ION for Church of the Way in the coming season.  I'm looking forward to sharing about God's call on our church to reach those far beyond the walls.  I get excited just thinking about the work God is doing and about to do among us.  I hope you'll join me in praying for Go Beyond:  V15ION and KidsGames.

Thought for the Week"The Lord answered Moses, 'Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.'" Numbers 11:23

God said that to Moses.  The great and mighty Moses.  I mean, Moses was as good as it gets, and even his faith sometimes failed.  Even Moses couldn't see a way when there appeared to be only dead ends ahead.  Even Moses saw a God with limitations.  Even Moses doubted.  God's message to his chosen messenger is incredible:  "Moses, your God is too small."  God is saying, "Do you think I can't do what I promised?  Do you think I can't handle this?  You think I'm not big enough to conquer whatever lies ahead?"  If you're like me, you see a plan as to how things should work out.  You see steps and a process for what will bring success.  And you see a time to close up shop and count your losses.  You see when you should take another path because this one is impossible.  But God sees ways through impossible.  He sees a way forward when the path is blocked.  If you live your life by what you can accomplish or what can humanly be done, then you will have a life that levels out at your talent or skill level and a very natural existence.  I don't want that.  I want a life that doesn't make sense.  I want God to do things in me that I just don't see.  I want God to move in supernatural ways that I don't understand.  I want God to stretch out his long arm of grace and cover my family and me.  I want my God to be a Big God in my life.  Is the size of what God wants to do in your life being limited by the size of your faith?  Is your God too small?  Make Him big.  Stop telling God how big your problems are and start telling your problems how big your God is.

In Christ,

Carter

Sunday Preview & July 4th Thought for the Week (7.4.14)

Happy Independence Day Church of the Way!

I hope you're having a great July 4th.  After all of your Independence Day celebrations, I hope you'll make plans to be at worship on Sunday.  For the next five weeks, James and I will be teaching a series pointing to where God is taking our church in the next season.  I'm super excited about what God has in store.  I hope you'll be there for "Go Beyond:  V15ION."  We'll be talking about where we're at in moving toward a permanent facility, and how God is calling us to reach more people with his love in the next year.  And we've got some exciting news about some things happening this August and September.  I get excited just thinking about it.  Can't wait to share with you on Sunday!

Thought for the Week
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17

This passage in 2 Corinthians is the backdrop from one of my favorite worship songs.  In fact, you can listen to it right here.  I can really get a good jog in when that one is rockin' in my iPod.  The old King James Version of the Bible says "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."  Freedom.  Liberty.  Typically those are words we associate with the 4th of July.  Surely, Independence Day is a time to celebrate the freedoms we have in our country.  We should be grateful for that.  But, the kind of freedom we experience DOES have parameters.  We still have rules.  We have a limited freedom, and the rules give us boundaries within that freedom to protect us and allow us some level of choice.  But, our adherence to the rules are for our own preservation, not our devotion to an ideal of freedom.  Let me put it this way.  If there were no speed limits, how fast would you drive?  Now, you probably speed a little, but you keep it 10-15 MPH above the speed limit mostly because you don't want to get a ticket.  So, you might go 45 in a 35, but that's it.  If the sign instead read:  "It's probably safe to go 35-45 MPH here, but do whatever you want"...how fast would you go?  That's the kind of freedom God gives.  His love is free.  And we have freedom to be ourselves and not who anyone else tells us to be.  We are not guided by rules, but by His Spirit.  But, God still gives us clear commands, but have a choice to follow or not.  And He won't love us any less if we 'speed' right through.  We obey in freedom because of our adoration and love for the One who gave us freedom from our sins and brokenness.  But we don't have to.  What will you do with the freedom God has given you?  Follow him or follow your own path.  I know for me, that's an every day decision.  Decide today to follow the Freedom-giver.

In Christ,

Carter 

Faith & the Flag

The flag in front of our home.

In the last week, I have driven by a number of churches of all denominations that have their front lawn lined with American flags.  Now, I love Ol' Glory.  Above is a picture of the small one in our front flower bed.  I enjoy a patriotic celebration as much as the next guy.  During the first Gulf War, I wore a homemade Desert Storm jacket that my mother decorated with flags, stars and military symbols.  I get a little teary during a flyover at a football game, and some of my best friends have served in the military.  Oh, and I still get choked up when Lee Greenwood sings "God Bless the USA" in the Stone Mountain Laser Show.  I mean, what red-blooded American doesn't?  I am so grateful to live in a country that has afforded me the opportunities and freedoms I've enjoyed throughout my entire life.  I do not take lightly the price of that freedom and those opportunities.  I am thankful of the men and women who have fallen, served and continue to serve.

Still...I can't help but wonder what kind of message we are sending when the Church joins arms with patriotism.  The religious leaders of Jesus' day wanted faith to be nationally focused.  It was for Israel.  Jesus made a new way.  It was for Non-Jews, too.  The Apostle's struggled in the Early Church with this concept, but God gave Peter and Paul a vision to reach the Gentiles.  Jesus commanded His Disciples to "make disciples of all nations" and told them they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

This church thing has always been about 'all nations.'  The Church is a global movement, not a national icon.  My faith does not bid me to raise the flag of my country but to raise the flag of my surrender to my Redeemer.  When we link faith to patriotism we run the risk of confusing the message.  Is this church only for Americans?  That's critical in the community in which I serve, which has people from all over the world.  What if I do not align myself as American...am I welcome in a church lined with flags?  Does being an American make you a better or more superior Christian?  One can make an argument that being American hinders our ability to surrender our lives to Jesus because we have so much, so many blessings to surrender.  When we place the flag beside the cross, do we endorse all they both stand for?  We fully endorse the work of the cross and all it means.  Are we ready to say that we stand for all the flag has stood for and stands for?  Certainly not.  The flag and our country are like us, limited and fallible.  America does things we're proud of, and America does things we're ashamed of.

This is critical for Christ followers.  We are Disciples first.  I believe Jesus meant what He said in Matthew 16:24, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."  Deny everything, pick up a cross and follow Jesus.  Deny all that makes us ourselves to embrace a new self.  God didn't create us as Americans -- God created us in God's image.  All of us.  Every tribe, every nation, all peoples on earth.  We are about helping all nations experience the restoration of that image.  When we stand before God, our allegiance to Jesus, not our allegiance to the flag, will be the only thing of any importance.  

Celebrate this July 4th.  Celebrate the country in which we live. We have the best justice system, the most freedom, and the greatest country that I believe has ever existed.  America has done more for goodwill in the world than any other nation in history.  We have become freedom fighters not only for our people but for people all across the globe.  I am so proud to have been born here and to live here, but let us not forget that our nationality is of secondary importance to the one in whom we were born again and offers us life.  It is this life that the world needs from Christ's Church.  Let us offer this life, for it alone is the only hope salvation for the world.