Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (3.10.17)

Hey Church!

I hope you're finishing up a great week.  I know students across Gwinnett & Barrow are enjoying a day off today!  This Sunday, you'll hear special messages at each campus.  It will be a great day of worship.  Then, gear up for a 4-weeks series called "Pray-er" beginning March 19.  It's going to be a great season ahead as we prepare for Easter!

Thought for the Week
"He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning."  Daniel 2:21

This Winter (if you can call it that) has been one for the books.  You can see signs of an early Spring peeking through nature. The older I get, the more fascinated I am with the seasons.  Almost overnight, you wake up to see greenery in the Spring or the leaves turning in the Fall.  It's an amazing process that takes a year in the making, and it reveals there is much going on behind the scenes.  This is our God -- Master of the Season.  The Orchestrator of "much going on behind the scenes."  It is in those moments of recognizing God's grandeur that I remember He is orchestrating much behind the scenes of my life.  And I need not worry.  I can't hurry the process.  I can do things to harm it, but the most important thing is to think about what I can do today that will ensure that whatever God is doing blooms when it's supposed to.  That may mean a season of being dormant.  It may mean letting go of the 'leaves' that need to go.  It may mean soaking in the rain of a wet season (which isn't particular fun).  What I can do is trust the process and be faithful in it.  There's a lot going on behind the scenes of your life.  A lot.  But the God that directs the seasons is the same God who is working in your life to spring-forth something beautiful.  You can trust Him.  He's got this.  How can you be faithful today to be ready for whatever God is doing in your life?

In Christ,

Carter McInnis
Lead Pastor

Sports

Kris Jenkins wins it for Villanova at the buzzer.

Sunday marked one month since the Super Bowl, and Monday I finally emerged from under my sports rock.  Since late in the night on February 5, I gave myself a one month ban on sports talk radio and barely watched ESPN except to catch a UGA or UNC basketball game.  I needed to create some separation for myself.  I didn't want to hear about, read about or talk about the improbable comeback.  I'm happy to hear the conversation is now much more about pitchers and catchers.  It's March.  Hope springs eternal for my Braves.

I've had a rough year in sports.  It all started in Houston, but not in the Super Bowl.  It started in at the Final Four at NRG Stadium. My wife is a UNC fan, and we're pretty big Tar Heel Basketball fans.  The stars were aligning last march for the Heels' third National Championship under Roy Williams.  Preseason #1.  Regular season ACC Champs.  ACC Tournament Champs.  And they'd made it to the National Championship, and even hit an improbable 3-pointer to tie it up.  Then Kris Jenkins happened, and Villanova won the greatest NCAA tournament championship ever.

Surely it would get better in the Fall.  My Dawgs had a new coach, started the season with a resounding win in the Chick-fil-a Kickoff vs. UNC (can you say house divided?), featuring our star player's (Nick Chubb) improbable comeback from injury, and thrilling last minute win at Mizzou at the hand of our rising star, freshman QB Jacob Eason.  Against undefeated Tennessee at home, we'd played our best game of the season, trailed late and made a miracle play with 10 seconds left to seemingly secure the biggest home win in several years.  It would be a huge moment for our rookie coach and rookie QB, who had made the (almost) winning pass.  Then the unthinkable happened.

Jauan Jennings makes the game winning catch.

But the Falcons were rolling through the season.  Midway through the year I thought we looked like a Super Bowl contender.  Indeed, we were.  Matt Ryan was the best player in the league, except maybe for his teammate, Julio Jones.  The offense was unstoppable and the defense was maturing.  The playoffs became the ride of the lifetime, and at halftime of the Super Bowl, I couldn't hardly believe my eyes.  We were going to win the Super Bowl.  The loss to 'Nova stung.  The Hail Mary that derailed our season still hurt.  This would give me some momentary sports joy.  Would I get the red, black or gray Super Bowl Champion shirt?  Maybe one of each, or one short sleeve and one long sleeve.  And a hat.  And a pennant for the basement.  And you know what happened.

James White scores the game winning TD in Overtime

In the stadium where the season of my sports discontent started, it ended.  I'd seen my favorites lose the greatest NCAA championship game ever, one of the greatest SEC games ever (Two 40+ yd TD passes in 10 seconds), and the greatest Super Bowl ever (the only one to ever go to overtime.)  I needed a break.

But I can't just give up on sports.  Hope springs eternal, and there are too many lessons.  During my hiatus from sports talk, my boys' basketball seasons marched on.  My youngest was in an instructional league for Kindergarten and 1st graders.  They didn't keep score.  At that age, the kids there were super aggressive kind of took over.  Nothing wrong with that.  The kids were trying to make plays and really got after it on defense.  It was hard for some kids to even get a shot off all season.  In the last couple of games, the referee cleared a path for a few kids who hadn't been able to score all year to get some clear shots.  They were ecstatic when they'd finally made one.  They beamed the whole way back down the court.  That is what sports have really been about in my life.

Sports build confidence and character like few things I know of.  They teach us to keep fighting and working hard.  They teach discipline and effort.  They teach us to respect leaders.  They teach unselfishness.  They teach teamwork.  Few things have shaped my work life and adult life the way sports did.

They also teach dealing with disappointment.  In the movie Fever Pitch, Jimmy Fallon's character, Ben, describes his affection for his beloved Red Sox and their success this way:  "I like being part of something that's bigger than me...It's good for your soul to invest in something you can't control."  And guess what?  Much of our lives we can't control, and we have to learn to get back up and move on when we're disappointed.  Even being a real fan can be positive.  Can we learn to stick with a team or organization through highs and lows or will we be a front-runner fan?  That teaches us something about commitment and relationships.  People will disappoint us.  Will we stick with them?  And isn't success sweeter when we stuck with them for the long haul?

I love art -- music, movies, artwork.  But someone decides what they look like and how they end up.  The artists controls what they create with the skills they spent a lifetime honing.  But sports are unpredictable.  We have no idea what will happen when the game begins, and how hard you worked doesn't always mean you get the results you want, and sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes the ball bounces the wrong way, and sometimes one decision changes the course of the game, and sometimes your preparation meets the perfect opportunity, and sometimes you have to play again after being incredibly disappointed, and sometimes you celebrate a win only to realize there's another game.  Ain't that life?

And the greatest thing about it?  There's always next year, and in your life, there's always tomorrow.  After all, the Heels are looking like they could make another run, the Dawgs are about to start spring practice, and the Braves look like a young, hungry team.  Don't talk to me about NFL free agency.  I'm not ready for the NFL yet.  

I'm still not over it.

At least I'm not a Warriors or Indians fan.  

Why?

With Hurricane Matthew quickly approaching the East Coast, I'm reminded of the tension we all live with:  Why do bad things happen?

Though it's no easier to stomach, we at least 'get it' when someone does something evil and the innocent are injured or killed.  We can explain it so much more easily.  Someone made an ugly decision.  Evil actions by one can affect many.  We get that.

But hurricanes?  Floods?  Tornadoes?  Typhoons?  Earthquakes?  Why?  Why, God, why?

Perhaps this is the point at which many who don't consider themselves people of faith shun God.  "If God were real or loving," one might say, "how could God let such a terrible thing happen?"  Even people of faith struggle through this.  Doesn't God control the weather?  Why wouldn't God stop a storm from killing hundreds, sometimes thousands?  Is God judging us, and does that fit with the character of God that that I thought I knew?

See...lots of questions.

There aren't many easy answers in the face of disaster and tragedy.  Nothing really soothes us and makes us feel 'okay' about the hurt and heartache we are witnessing.  But there is an explanation.  In a sense, we are under judgment, but not the way you think.

I don't believe that natural disasters occur because God is judging a particular region or people.  That's not the message of the Bible.  The story of the Scriptures is that we are all under judgment because of sin.  Sin messed all this up.

Shortly after the original sin of Adam and Eve, in Genesis 3:17 God says to Adam, "Cursed is the ground because of you." The earth is cursed because of sin.  Because of sin, everything is not as it should be.  The cosmos was knocked off its axis.  Creation is out of sync with the Creator.

Storms, floods, earthquakes...these were not part of the original plan.  This was all supposed to be perfect.  We were supposed to be in perfect relationship with God.  Sin messed it up.  Sin messed it ALL up.

What we are seeing is the result of a broken world, but this is not the end of the story.  In fact, people of faith are environmentalists of the highest order.  For while Jesus came to save humanity, we believe God is at work to redeem all of Creation.  Creation longs for this.  Romans 8:22 says, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."  And when Christ comes in final victory, we believe that not only are we made new, but there is a new heaven and new earth.  Everything will be restored.  No more storms, no more tragedy.

In the meantime, our hope is in prayer.  And our task is in being the people of God in the midst of tragedy, whether that means donating money, flood buckets or supplies.  Until there is a new earth and all of Creation has been redeemed, let us be the glimmer of redemption when brokenness rears it's ugly head.  

Everyday Courage

"The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy.  A man does what he must -- in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures -- and that is the basis of all human morality...In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience -- the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men -- each man must decide for himself the course he will follow...For each man must look into his own soul."

-Sen. John F. Kennedy, 1956

Profiles in Courage

More than ever, I am finding we are a culture obsessed with approval.  In some arenas, it is more blatant than others.  In this election season, we are bombarded by it because approval is the life-blood of the politician.  They even call them 'approval ratings.'  Can you just imagine how awful it would be for your existence to be wrapped up in an approval rating?  But we all want to be liked.  We want likes and smiley faces on our posts on social media.  We want pats on the back.  My profession, pastoral ministry, is overcome with the desire for approval.  We serve large volunteer organizations, and I don't know a pastor that doesn't want to be liked.

But this is true of nearly everyone.  Yet, approval isn't all we want.  We want security, peace, and to be admired.  We want easy street.  Courage requires a detour from easy street.  That's why it's often so absent.

I am convinced that we need a new generation of courageous people.  We need courageous leaders, courageous parents, courageous coaches, courageous pastor, courageous teachers, courageous bosses, and courageous.  But to act with courage, one has to face the discomfort that follows it.  If nothing is ever difficult, ever costly, ever risky...courage is not needed.

The problem with our lack of courage is that our value is derived from the things we stand to lose should be act courageously.  We like being liked.  We like fame.  We like our security.  We like being popular.  We like that our friends respect us or think like us.  But nothing great will ever happen in this world if people put their need for being liked about what is the right thing to do.  We call that integrity.  We call that character.

For people of faith, there is a deeper calling for courage and a deeper understanding of our self-worth.  The inner urging for courageous action must be coupled with the understanding that, though our courage might lose us favor with others, our favor with God was determined on the cross of Christ.  Our valor is rooted in the undeterred belief that God's love can never be separated for us.  You see, for people of faith it's actually easier to be courageous.  But that doesn't mean it's prevalent.  All of us, even those of us who call ourselves Christians, are subject to the temptation of security, being liked and not rocking the boat.  But this world that needs changing won't be changed by those that are liked most.  It'll be changed by those that exhibited courage for the most noble causes.

Whatever you face today.  Be courageous.  The world needs the most courageous version of you.

Olympic Level Competition

Admit it.  You watch the Olympics and start thinking about training for 2020.  Or you sign up for a local 5K.  Or you at least join a bowling league.  There is something beautiful about the Olympics.  It's the competition.

Our world seems to be afraid of competition.  We don't want to declare winners and losers.  To me, competition has been one of the greatest lessons athletics taught me.  If you play sports long enough.  you're going to lose.  If you stick to it, you'll probably win some thrilling competitions.  Heartbreak and heroics.  Crushing losses and exhilarating wins.  The agony of defeat and the thrill of victory.  Competition teaches us a healthy disdain for losing.  It pushes us to do and be our best.  It drives us toward improvement.  It narrows our focus.

The reason I think competition is so healthy is that the greatest and most important competition is with ourselves.  It is easy to become complacent and lazy with ourselves.  But this isn't the path God would have for us.  God desires us to mature and be our best with each step we take on the journey.  We are in competition to take the next step in our faith, in our courage, and in our trust with Him.  

After a while, any athlete learns that the games were just games.  They don't count in real life.  Marriage, raising children, relationships, impacting our community, and our relationship with God are what really count.  The competition is to be the best version of us in the games that really count -- in life.  

One of my favorite verses is Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord."  That's the heart of competition with ourselves.  Don't short change the ones you love by being the most 'okay' person you can be.  Compete.  Be the best version of you.  There will be losses.  Dust yourself off and get to work the next day.

They will not televise your victories or competitions.  But competing with yourself to being the best you that you've ever been is far more important than any medal.  So give that mistake you made the Michael Phelps stank-eye and get to work the next day.

Circumstances

Over the last few weeks, I have preached a couple of times on the temptation to rest on our circumstances.  It's really not intentional, but we all slide into the role of being a victim of our circumstances.  If things are going great, we're feeling good.  If things are going bad, we're in a bad place.

We're tempted to structure our lives on our careers, families, finances, health or circle of relationships.  None of those things are bad things.  But can I make a promise to you?

Your circumstances WILL change.

Maybe for the better, maybe for the worse.  Life has ups and downs.  If your joy and existence is dependent upon the things of this world, you are bound for disappointment.  I believe this is the source of the malaise so many are living in today.  We are building our lives on the things of this world.  This isn't to say that life won't bring us happiness and pleasure.  And it isn't to say that life won't get us down sometimes.  What I mean to say is that the foundation of our lives, the true source of our joy, the rock upon which we stand must be something that is never changing if we are to weather the storms and keep our heads about us in the good times.

God WILL NOT change.

He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  He is faithful.  In the valley, he walks with us.  In the good times, he celebrates with us.  In the pit of sorrow, he weeps for and with us.  But His love is never ending.  Circumstances CAN'T take that away.  Circumstances can most certainly take away all that we thought was secure in this world.  But it can't take away His love.

So are you counting on circumstances?  Don't set yourself up for disappointment.  Stand on the one who transcends the circumstances of life.  People of faith in something -- someone -- not of this world.

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (7.21.16)

I hope you've had a great week.  Can yo believe summer is almost gone?  It's flying by.  We're also nearing the end of our July series "Family Movie Night," as we've got TWO more Sundays left.  This week, we'll be watching a little Inside/Out and talking about what real joy is all about.  There's going to be some great music and fun at all our experiences, so I hope to see you there!

Also, continue lifting up our One Way Student Ministry this week as they finish up community mission work and head to Panama City Beach on Friday.

Thought for the Week
"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. " 1 Thessalonians 5:6

Do you know that feeling after you sleep for a really long time and you get up and it takes a while for everything to start functioning right?  Like you can't hardly make a fist at first.  Or, have you ever been woken up from a deep sleep, only to be completely and totally disoriented?  I think that's us Christians sometimes.  I think we put just put our faith to sleep.  We don't exercise it, practice it, keep it alert and ready.  Then, when we need it, we are disoriented and week.  We are not ready.  I believe this is born out of the false idea that faith in Jesus is ALL ABOUT saying a one time prayer, that it is an one time event.  Jesus never ever said, "Say a prayer and you'll be saved."  He said, "Follow me."  Actually, he said, "Deny yourself.  Pick up your cross.  And follow me."  In other words, put this faith to work.  If you shelve your faith, you won't be alert, ready and sober for what life throws your way.  You'll stagger around and be defeated by sin and temptation (again).  That's just what the enemy wants from you.  It's also really easy for us to 'wake up' our faith on Sundays or when we're around Christian friends and let is sleep other days of the week.  It's a dangerous practice.  You never know when you're going to need your faith to be alert and ready.  What are you doing to practice your faith, make it stronger, and empower it?  What are doing to keep it alert?  If you don't, it might just go to sleep.  The danger?  Sometimes we don't even know we dozed off.  Wake your faith up and practice it.

In Christ,

Carter McInnis
Lead Pastor 

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (5.13.16)

Hey Church!

I hope you've had a great week!  I am glad to be back in town and ready for a great Sunday of worship.  Last week, James shared about the Gwinnett Campus.  This week, we'll be in week three of the Legacy Campaign and I'll be sharing more details about where God is leading us at Harmony Grove, The Commons and the incredible opportunity we have to reach our community.  Can't wait to see you there!

Thought for the Week
"He will renew your life."  Ruth 4:5

I readily admit that I'm kind of an HGTV junkie.  I like building stuff, painting stuff and fixing stuff up.  As is popular now, I'm starting to like seeing old stuff re-purposed.  Whether it's reclaimed wood or old furniture or antiques.  Old is making a comeback!  A little paint or poly, some sanding and staining or just some cleaning can do wonders for something old.  And the nicks and knocks just add character.  There's something cool about seeing something renewed.  However, some people just can't see it.  They can't look at an old piece of furniture and see what it could be.  Most of us are this way with our lives.  We just can't see it.  We can't imagine that God could clean us up and give us a fresh coat.  We can't envision what we could be.  So we relegate ourselves to being dusty and beat up.  We settle for a life dirtied and weathered by our mistakes and past.  You know, God sees something in you.  God has a picture of what you could be if you'd let him get to work on you.  There might be some sanding involved (and it might hurt a little).  There might be some paint required, and you may have some things in your life covered up that you're not ready to let go of.  You might need shining up a little.  But he wants to build something beautiful out of you.  Don't worry about cracks and dents.  They'll add character to your story of God's renewal in you.  People will marvel at how beautiful you are.  But you have to let the Master Carpenter get to work.

In Christ,

Carter 

Thanksgiving thankfulness

I hope you are gearing for a great Thanksgiving with friends and family.  I hope you'll be able to make it back for worship on Sunday as we'll continue "Pointing to a Promise" by talking about David.  We have a lot to learn about character from him.  You might even hear some Christmas songs!

Thought for the Week
"I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving."  Psalm 69:30

I've made it a custom the last few years to make a list each Thanksgiving for the things for which I'm most thankful.  I'll surely leave a host of blessings out, but here's the ones that come to mind this day.

I'm thankful for...

• The blood of Jesus that covers over my multitude of sins.
• The grace of God that sustains me each and every day.
• My sweet wife, Emily.
• My four wild boys, Morgan, Tanner, Walker and Brooks.
• To still have my parents with me, because I know so many that don't.
• Parents and in-laws that support us so much
• Our brothers, sister-in-laws, nephews and niece.
• My church family.  What a gift to serve a risk-taking and outreach-focused community of faith.
• For not having Christmas Eve services in high school in a month.
• For new friends at Harmony Grove that we didn't know a 18-months ago.
• For the faithful who have bled and cried with me for any part of the last 10 years in planting a church.
• For safety.  In this day and age, every day is a gift.
• to Disney for bringing back Star Wars and giving me and my boys the chance to see one in the theater together.
• For Southern winters that don't really start until about mid-December and end quickly.
• For the sunshine...for a while there I thought it had disappeared.
• To the mentors that have poured their cups into mine.
• For the light at the end of the tunnel in my school work.
• For pastor friends to laugh, cry and celebrate with.
• For Jeremy Pruitt, Jake Ganus and Sony Michel.  It would have been a long fall without those three.
• For Mello Yello Zero and Coke Zero.  
• For Pop Tarts -- I love those things.
• For my health, notwithstanding the pop tarts.
• For the opportunity to talk College Football each week on WJBB 107.1 in Barrow County.  It's been a blast.
• For coffee.
• For sleeping in.
• For warm socks.  I'm really starting to appreciate good socks in my old age.
• For the chance to do life every day.
• And I'm thankful for you.  It's people that make this world great and people that have so blessed my life.

In Christ,

Carter

When Disaster Strikes

Canaan United Methodist Church in Ridgeville, SC

I am a native South Carolinian.  I was born in Rock Hill, south of Charlotte, and raised in a small town called Williamston on the banks of the Saluda River.   My folks live in the Upstate, and my brother, sister-in-law and two nephews live in the Midlands.  I have cousins and aunts and uncles there.  For nearly 18 years of my life, it was home.  This past week, Mother Nature ravaged the Palmetto State.  The death count continues to rise, the damage is inexplicable, schools are still closed and it raised questions that we all struggle with when disaster strikes.

• Why would God allow such a thing to happen?
• If God controls the weather, why didn't he stop it?
• Where is God in natural disasters?

God allows a lot.  Contrary to popular belief, I don't believe the message of the Bible is one of a puppet-master God in the sky who controls every moment in history.  Being in control and controlling are two different things.  God is in control, but God doesn't control everything.  

Sin knocked the cosmos off its axis.  In the Garden of Eden, sin caused childbirth to be painful and the ground to become difficult in agriculture.  We take these things as normal.  They are not normal.  God did not intend them to be this way.  Sin brought death to humanity.  Sin broke the world, and we're still living in the brokenness.  A crazed gunman at a college campus, a flood in South Carolina, and cancer in a loved one.  They are reminders of our brokenness.

Is there good news?  The message of Jesus is that he is redeeming all this -- he is making all things new.  And one day, when there is a New Heaven and New Earth, this will all be fixed.  Murder is not normal.  Natural Disasters aren't normal.  Cancer isn't normal.  God is fixing this back to the way it should be.  And He can fix it through us.

When we reach out in love across the picket line, when we volunteer and donate to disaster relief, when we care for a friend with cancer, when we pray for the family of the murdered, when we choose love over hate, when we choose selflessness over selfishness, we begin to bring more of that redemption into this world.  God is with us.  The question is how will we allow Him to revealed in us?  

God didn't do this.  Stop saying that.  God's not into flooding things anymore.  Trust me.  I read about it one time.  It's a broken world.  It's messed up.  We're messed up.  Our weather is messed up.  Our systems are messed up.  How are allowing Him to fix a corner of this messed up world through you?  How is He redeeming you, making you new, restoring you?  

First Try

This past weekend we had a first around the McInnis house -- my 11 year-old son helped cut the grass.  Well, sort of.  He did the weed-eating.  It certainly saved me some time.  It was not the prettiest weed-eating job you'll ever see.  The aesthetics left a little to be desired.  It was a little choppy and a little scalped in various places.  But it was his.  He was proud.  It was a landmark moment that Dad believed in him.

But it was also a landmark moment because he came out while I was working in the yard and said he wanted to help.  He wanted to do the work his father was doing, and because of that, I wanted to give him more responsibility.  I wanted to give him more freedom.  I believed in him more because he was about my work.

Does God have to poke and prod you to be about his work, or do you go outside and ask if you can do what your Heavenly Father is doing?  When we ask to be a part of what God is doing, our Father is happy to give us more responsibility and freedom.  He begins to believe in us even more.

We spend a great deal of time talking and thinking about our belief in God, but one our biggest hurdles in life is coming to the understanding that God believes in us.  He trusts us with earth.  He trusts us with our lives.  He believes in us, especially when we demonstrate that we get it.  When we ask to be a part of what He is doing instead of staying inside and doing our own thing, God believes in us even more.  I'll bet God looks at our work and it's a little choppy.  I'll bet he'd describe it as not the prettiest job in the world.  But he's proud.  And (get this), He's able to concentrate on doing the things that only He can do.  Riding the big lawn mower is too big a job for my son right now.  Only I can do that, but he can handle the trimmer.  There are things that only God can do in our world.  But, the bigger question is what are we NOT doing simply because we won't join in God's work.  He believes in you.  He trusts you.  He wants you to be involved in what He is doing.  Go ask him how you can help.  It's okay if it's not the prettiest result in the world.  Your Father will be proud.

Tragedy

Yesterday, the state of Georgia was rocked with the news of five young Georgia Southern students who were killed in a multi-car wreck on I-16.  The five young women were nursing students on the way to a clinical in Savannah.  From the pictures I've seen of them on social media, they were full of life and enthusiasm.  Sometimes you can see it in a smile.  I thought of a few of my dearest friends who have daughters at GSU.  It could have been them.  They're about the same age.  It hits close to home.

Simply, there is not real answer for tragedy.  Shame us when we try to find one.  God did NOT need five more angels.  God's got plenty of angels, and we humans don't become angels anyway.  It wasn't 'their time to go.'  No one has a time.  It wasn't God's will.  My God is not in the business of killing young, vibrant college students.  Everything does NOT happen for a reason.  Sometimes there are no reasons.  Sometimes there is simply tragedy that interrupts life.

We live in a broken world where sin, death, and tragedy are a reality.  There was a plan in which it was not like this.  It was called Eden.  But the brokenness of humanity knocked this world off it's axis, and we've seen heartache and tragedy ever since.  It was not God's original design that we would ever see death.

To believe that God wills our deaths and controls events is a tragic and unfortunate kind of thinking.  It doesn't reveal the true heart of God and the greatest promises of Scripture.  Tragedy simply happens.  Our broken world rears its ugly head sometimes.  Life derails just because it does.  There are no reasons, no greater plan, and no answers.

But there are promises.  God's promise is that He is with us, even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.  He comforts us.  He does not and will not abandon us, no matter how bleak it seems.  My hope and prayer for those families of those precious girls is that they would know the abiding presence of God in these days and the days to come.

And there is another promise.  We weren't supposed to taste death, but we did.  The fall of humanity in Genesis carved a path that each of us have followed.  Since the beginning, we have had a death problem.  God fixed that.  That's why Easter matters to us.  Those of us who follow Christ are still in the 'Easter Season' in which we are celebrating Christ's resurrection from the grave.  We believe Jesus defeated death.  And the hope of the Christian is that, in Christ, we will, too.  Not only in eternal life, but in the resurrection to come.  We really believe that.  We believe that God is with us in the valley, and that one day we will rise again, stare death in the face and say, "Where, o death, is your victory; where is your sting?"  

In the face of tragedy, let us not say the trite things that end up being hurtful more than helpful.  There is no reason for these things.  God is as heartbroken as us.  He weeps at our broken world.  He weeps at our death.  But He is with us, and he has been devising a plan to win back His people over death since the beginning.  May those who face tragedy rests in His presence, and may we all hope in His promises.

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (4.10.15)

I am so pumped about our new series starting this week called "Why are Christians so...?"  We're going to talk about some of the negative connotations that Christians have in the world, why that is, and what we can do to change it and be a force for good.  If you have friends that are skeptics or have questions about faith, this is the time to bring them.  I'm looking forward to sharing with you.

Also, don't forget this week is "Second Sunday Serve" and we're taking up a big collection of toiletries and hygiene items for "Save Our Seniors."  You've still got time to pick up some things to care for some folks in our community.

Thought for the Week
"The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it"  Psalm 24:1

During Spring Break, we took our boys to visit the Tellus Science Museum up near Cartersville.  We had never been.  They've got some pretty cool stuff.  The history of earth, the study of rocks, the weather, volcanoes and all is pretty fascinating.  It's a big world out there.  And it's all God's.  It is his handiwork.  But...we are His, too.  We are the pinnacle of His creation.  He knows us and calls us by name.  He sent his Son not for the powerful volcano, the magnificent sea, or the colors of sunset.  He sent His Son for His People.  You.  Me.  Us.  So, if I belong to this great and mighty God, who loves me so much and who set the stars in the sky, what am I worried about?  Why would I live in fear?  Why would I fret over the small things of this world.  For this whole world is His.  And I am His.  I can trust His power and sovereignty over all Creation.  Over the wind and waves.  And over my problems.  Over the issue in that relationship, over that pending court case, over the illness, over the addiction, over the nagging habit, over the tension at the office.  For I am His.  And He made this place.  His awesome imagination thought it up.  He rules over it.  And, yet, He has chosen to love me and you above all of it.  What are you so worried about?

In Christ,

Carter 

Easter Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (4.2.15)

It's finally Easter week!

The biggest weekend in our faith is finally here.  I'm so excited about the weekend ahead, and I can't wait to share an Easter message with you about our individual journeys to discover the truth about Jesus.  I believe God is going to do big things.  I know our musicians have been working hard to make it an awesome day.  We've got a lot planned this weekend, so be sure to get involved.

Good Friday Service @ Harmony Grove - 6 p.m.  We'll have a traditional service followed by Communion.  Mary Weaver, who is interning with us through Candler School of Theology at Emory, will be sharing the message with us.  It'll be a great way to prepare our hearts for the weekend.  Also, stick around after to help get the church ready for Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday 

Harmony Grove Church of the Way
7:00 a.m. Traditional Sunrise Service with Choir and a brief message.  I'll be sharing a short thought to get us ready for Easter Worship.
7:45-8:15 a.m. - Free Breakfast
8:15 a.m. - Modern Worship Experience
9:45 a.m. - Modern Worship Experience
11:00 a.m. - Traditions Worship Experience

Gwinnett Church of the Way
5:00 p.m. - Free Dinner
5:30 p.m. - Acoustic Family Experience
6:30 p.m. - Easter Egg Hunt

Thought for the Week
"Then Jesus said to them, "Tonight all of you will run away because of me."  Matthew 26:31

In the days leading up to Easter, it's an appropriate time to think about the events that led to the resurrection.  Some churches have Holy Thursday services to celebrate the first Lord's Supper.  Good Friday services talk about Jesus' death on the cross.  Part of that discussion is the betrayal of Jesus, and it's easy to pick on Judas, who betrayed Jesus and had him arrested.  However, all the disciples fled.  When push came to shove, the scattered.  Jesus knew it.  Really, they all deserted Him -- and we have, too.  When do you run away from Jesus?  When you've messed up and you worry you'll be judged?  When you're reminded of something in your life that He wants to change?  When you're unsure of the answer you're going to get from him?  When His will is not your will.  Honestly, we all desert Jesus from time to time.  We all flee.  Sometimes, it's just like the disciples.  It's when the going gets tough.  You wanna know the cool thing?  They were welcomed back.  No matter how far they ran, they were welcomed to come back.  Maybe you feel like you've run away from Jesus.  You can come back.  You can always come back.

In Christ,

Carter 

Right here, Daddy!

I am coaching T-ball this year.  My two youngest sons, 4 and 6, are on the team.  My six-year old is a pretty good ball player and can swing the bat pretty good.  My little one, Brooks, is a little fella and one of the youngest on the team.  He swings as hard as he can, which isn't very hard, but he hits it off the tee alright.

I pitch each player three pitches before they get two swings off the tee.  A couple of games ago, I hit Brooks.  He was none too happy.  The next game up, he was obsessed with me pitching it perfect -- right down the middle.  He basically stuck his bat out and said, "Pitch it right here."  It became more of a game of me trying to hit the bat rather than him trying to hit the ball.  I told him that he had to actually swing the bat himself and do some work.  He pointed and said, "Right here."

Isn't that the way we are with God?  Throw it right here, Father, right down broadway.  We don't want to have to swing.  We want God do to things juuuuust right in our lives so that it requires minimal effort on our part.  But we have to swing.  We have to take steps of faith.  We might have to practice.  We might have to swing and miss a few times.  We might even strike out.  God wants to give us opportunities, but we have to swing the bat.

Don't miss out on what God has in store because you're waiting for the perfect pitch.  Swing the bat at the pitch God has given you right now.  It won't be the last pitch.  Faith is swinging when we're not sure if we're going connect.  Faith is swinging after we missed the last time.  Faith is trusting that God will put the right ball in the right spot at the just the right time we need a home run.  You see, God believes in us.  Believes we can hit it.  Believes in who He created us to be.  God doesn't want to do it alone.  God wants to do it with us, in us and through us.  So swing away.  Trust me...God is a much better pitcher than me.

Because of me

Lord, the Lord Almighty,

    may those who hope in you

    not be disgraced because of me;

God of Israel,

may those who seek you

    not be put to shame because of me.

-Psalm 69:6

What will others seeking God think of God because of me?  It's a staggering thought.  That little verse in Psalm 69 says a lot.  What do people think of God when...

• I'm angry?
• I'm tired?
• I'm frustrated?
• I'm at my whit's end?
• I'm at the gym?
• I'm hungry?
• I'm at the ballpark?
• I make decisions?
• I speak to them?
• I listen or don't listen?
• I have the opportunity to judge?
• I make a mistake?
• I am around people not like me?
• I'm tempted?

One of the chief reasons that people choose to not attend church or give faith a chance is because those who have called themselves Christians have disgraced God by the way they live.  For those of us that call ourselves Christians, this is a challenging passage.  In what ways are we disgracing God?  Are we putting Him to shame?  

Well, I guarantee you that you'll make mistakes.  It's early, and I'm certain I've already made some today.  It's not about perfection.  It's about growing, becoming perfected by the Perfect One, and letting go of our own way of doing things.  Let us give God a good name today because others see Him in us.

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (12.12.14)

I hope you're having a fantastic week.  It's hard to believe that Christmas is less than two weeks away.  This Sunday we'll continue with our series "That Awkward Moment" in which we look into the characters of the Christmas Story and their awkward moments with God.  This week we'll be talking about Joseph.  Hope to see you there!

Also, don't forget to be making plans for Christmas @ Church of the Way.  We've got four different Worship Experiences to choose from:

Grayson Campus @ the SE Gwinnett Co-Op
Tuesday, Dec. 23
6:00 p.m. - Modern Acoustic Worship

Lawrenceveille Campus @ Archer High School
Wednesday, Dec. 24
4:00 p.m. - Traditions Communion Service
5:30 p.m. - Family Experience for Adults & Kids
7:00 p.m. - Classic Experience

Childcare is provided for all services.  Invite friends and family with an e-card here.

Thought for the Week
"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."  Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel -- God with us.  That is the story of Christmas.  In fact, that's the story of God's relationship with us, really.  We would rather God's story be another one.  We would rather the story be that we never have to go through anything difficult.  We would write a story in which life was easy and we were removed from any uncomfortable situation.  That is not God's story.  God's story is that He is WITH us.  Impossibly and incredibly with us.  In a manger.  Fleeing to Egypt.  With us.  In disease and divorce.  In the loss of of jobs and loved ones.  In tears of joy and cries of laughter.  In pain and suffering.  On top of the mountain and in the valley.  God is with us.  If we could really wrap our heads and hearts around the idea that God is with us, how would that change how we walk through the valleys?  Would we walk with more confidence knowing that the God of all creation walks alongside us?  Be encouraged.  No matter what you're doing through, God is with you.

In Christ,

Carter

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (11.26.14)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope your week is winding down and you're close to gathering with family and friends.  We're looking forward to doing the same.  This Sunday, we'll be beginning a new series called "That Awkward Moment" as we take a unique look into the lives of the characters of the Christmas Story.  Christmas is a great time to invite friends.  You can send someone an e-Card here.  

On Sunday, we made a huge and historic announcement.  Church of the Way has merged with Harmony Grove United Methodist Church in Auburn to form two strong campuses, giving us our first permanent home in Auburn and taking another step toward a permanent home in Gwinnett.  Beginning March 1, our morning worship will move to our new permanent home at the Harmony Grove Church of the Way (1385 Harmony Grove Church Rd., Auburn, GA 30011) with 9:45 a.m. Modern Worship & 11:00 a.m. Traditions Worship.  Our Gwinnett Church of the Way will meet on Sundays at 5:30 p.m. at the SE Gwinnett Co-Op.  This move is another step in the journey to be the church God has called us to be.  Archer High School has been so gracious to host us for nearly five years, and we're excited to still reach out to the Archer Community through One Way on Wednesday nights and connecting in the community, but we're elated to have a permanent place to be a mission outpost for ministry.  We're excited about new friends at Harmony Grove and partnering to increase our borders to reach more people.  God has given us a great gift, and the best days are ahead!  This will also free us up to truly find the best permanent location for a Gwinnett Campus.  I hope you'll be in prayer about the days ahead.  We've got an exciting season before us!

Thought for the Week
"Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes this stumble."  Psalm 119:165

On the eve of Thanksgiving, it's my tradition to make a list of things for which I'm thankful.  With the events in Ferguson, MO, it seems more striking this years.  I don't understand why we hurt each other.  I don't understand injustice.  I don't understand fear of one another.  I don't understand why we have such a hard time understanding people different from us...or why we don't want to.  There is a lot of ugliness happening in the midst of this mess, but I want to cling to God of peace.  All I can do is my part.  All I can do is love His instruction and embrace the peace that comes with it.  I'm thankful for that this season.  

I am thankful for...

• The blood of Jesus that covers over all my sins.
• The new life I have in Christ...daily.
• A wife who loves me more than I deserve.
• Four healthy children who love the Church and Christ's mission.
• The diversity in our community and church.
• Leading a risk-taking and missional church.
• Pastoring a church that is truly open to ALL people.
• Mentors.
• Friends.
• The people who have allowed me to mentor them.
• Music.  I love music.
• More food in my fridge and pantry than I can eat.
• A house that suits our family.
• Cars that run.
• Getting to do many of the hobbies I enjoy.
• My health.
• Good books.
• The new friends I've already made at Harmony Grove.
• The United Methodist Church allowing me to serve in ministry.
• Fried Turkey, dressing and my mama's pumpkin pie.
• My wife's mac'n'cheese.
• Football.  

We all have much to be thankful for.  May our nation find peace in the turmoil and in our hearts this Thanksgiving.

With Thanks,

Carter

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (11.13.14)

I hope you are settling into Fall and having a great week.  It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  I'm excited about sharing about "Living Generously" again this Sunday as we continue to learn from God how to live life with open hands.  In this season of counting our blessings, the natural response is generosity.  Truly, gratefulness breeds generosity.  Can't wait to see you Sunday!

Also, our Christmas series called "That Awkward Moment" will begin Sunday, Nov. 30.  I can't wait to dive into some Christmas stories from a brand new angle this Holiday Season.  Mark your Calendars!

Thought for the Week
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55:9

I don't know what I don't know.  I keep thinking that.  The farther along I get in my walk with Christ, the more I feel like I know.  There was a time I was certain about a lot of things, and my certainty has waned.  There was a time I could always come up with an answer; now I've figured out that there is a lot that is unanswerable.  I don't know a lot.  There's even more that I don't know that I don't know.  Did you follow that?  We get obsessed with certainty.  We want to carefully plan our lives.  And we want to understand everything that happens.  We want to just have God all figured out.  I thinking I've figured out that I don't have God figured out.  What I do have figured out what He has revealed to us in Jesus and His Word, the Bible.  I've figured out that God loves us so much he sent His Son to die for us. I've figured out that He wants His spirit to live in me and guide me.  I've figured out that 'spirit living in me' deal is kind of muddy and messy.  I screw up a lot.  And there are times I don't even know I'm messing it all up.  I don't know why some of my prayers are answered and others aren't.  I don't know why good things happen to people that are seemingly bad and seemingly bad things happen to good people.  I don't know why one person seems to catch all the breaks and another doesn't catch any.  I don't usually know why God puts me in the situations He puts me in.  I just don't know a lot...because his ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  And I don't always get it.  What I'm learning is that it's not what I know.  It's who I know and by whom I am know.  I am my beloved's and He is mine.  That's enough to know to walk through all I don't.

In Christ,

Carter 

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (10.9.14)

What an awesome week!  I hope you're having a good one.  Good things are happening at Church of the Way and I can't wait to see what God does next.  Hey, have you heard about our One Way Middle School ministry on Sundays at noon at our Grayson Campus?  Check it out!

This Sunday, we'll be concluding the "CRAZY" series on King David by talking about his relationship with his son, Absalom.  It is a powerful story.  It's been speaking to me for months as we planned this series.  I hope to see you there.  

Thought for the Week
"The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord."  Judges 10:6

Again.  If you read Judges, that's the theme you'll find.  I've been teaching about Judges recently and we keep reading that word.  Again.  Again God's people turned away.  Again they were unfaithful.  They did was was evil in the sight of the Lord...again.  Do you struggle with again?  Why don't we get it?  What speaks to me in all the 'agains' is that God keeps coming back.  We often feel like "this time" we went too far for God.  He'll never take us back.  We've turned away one too many times.  We've done it -- again.  There a few lessons here:

1. If we are not diligent, we'll fall back to former ways again.  When we don't focus on God, spend time with God, take time to pray and read God's Word, get ourselves in a Bible Study, or whatever makes our faith grow, we'll be sure to stagnate and, again, fall away.
2. God's love stretches beyond 'again.'  God pursues us because of His great love.  We don't deserve.  We might run away, but God always runs after us again.  He loves us that much.
3. Bonus:  What would it mean for us to have the heart of God when others hurt us again and again?  That's a tough.  We'll talk more about that on Sunday.

Have an awesome weekend!

Carter