Monday Morning Clarity (Two Weeks Worth)

Well it's been about two weeks since I was able to post anything to the blog. Mostly because I have been on the road the past two weeks. I spent three days at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. (I hope to post some of the insights I gained there soon). Then, my wife and I had the opportunity to get away without the kids to the beach for 4 days last week. I spent a lot of time reading, thinking, and shopping and eating. It was a great and refreshing time. Because of the vacation, I couldn't get the Monday Morning Clarity last week, so I will give 2 weeks worth today.

• We are going strong in our series "Amazed By Grace". I am having a lot of fun preaching on the grace of God. Last week we looked at "Costly Grace" and the atonement. It's nothing less than amazing to see the depths that God was willing to go to secure our salvation. This week we looked at Romans 8 and the wonderful message that "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." It was a message of hope and freedom.
• Lea Odom and our choir knocked one out of the park yesterday with "Revelation Song". It was an awesome and powerful reminder of the holiness of God. Thanks choir for showing us a glimpse of God's glory.
• We are having a kickoff this Wednesday for our AWANA ministry. There is a lot of excitement about bringing this program back and putting it on Wednesday nights. It will hopefully make us a lot more "family-friendly" on Wednesdays and open the door for us to minister to more families.
• As I am typing, we have Children's Choir going on. Since we moved it to Monday we have seen a good growth and have had new kids almost every week. What a blessing to see a team of workers committed to teaching our kids to sing and providing a quality program.
• I had a great meeting with our deacons last night. What a fantastic group of men who have a heart to be godly leaders. I believe that exciting days are ahead for Sixth Street and this group of men will have a big part to play in it. Thanks to Melvin Smith for his leadership during the transition and to Jim Thomas for taking the reigns as Deacon Chairman.
• October is Pastor Appreciation Month and the church gave me a check yesterday morning. It was certainly undeserved since I've only been here three months. It's a lot of fun to be in the lead chair and see so much potential for the kingdom. In some ways, I feel like I have been on one long Pastor Appreciation since I got here. So many have been generous to buy my family lunch on Sundays, to bring cakes by, to offer such kind words. It verifies to me what a quality group of people call Sixth Street home.
• After being at Catalyst, I have a greater burden for Sixth Street and for myself to make a bigger impact on social issues globally. The church took up the World Hunger banks from SBC and have already collected over $1000 in lose change for the World Hunger Fund. Alison and I have also been convicted recently to sponsor a child through Compassion International. We have done so in the past but haven't renewed it recently. We, as Christ-followers, have such an opportunity to help a child in another country with basic necessities and the opportunity to hear the gospel. If you would like more info, check out the Compassion website.

I'll leave you today with this one great quote from Charles Swindoll at Catalyst:

"Tradition is the living faith of those now dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of those now living."

A Grace-filled Reminder

I just returned last night from a great week at Catalyst in Atlanta. This was my third time going and by far was the best one I've been to yet. I have lots to dump out later on, but I wanted to let you know one of the most impactful moments was the Thursday night session with Francis Chan and a guy named Aaron Keyes. I had not had the privilege of hearing and worshipping with Aaron, but what an anointed, Scripture-filled worship leader - a fresh face on the horizon. Keyes shared a song called "Not Guilty Anymore" that floored me. I want to leave you with the lyrics:

Not Guilty Anymore by Aaron Keyes
It doesn't matter what you've done;
It doesn't matter where you're coming from
Doesn't matter where you've been
Hear me tell you I forgive

You're not guilty anymore,
You're not filthy anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours
You're not broken anymore,
You're not captive anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours

Can you believe that this is true,
Grace abundant I am giving you
Cleansing deeper than you know
All was paid for long ago

You're not guilty anymore,
You're not filthy anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours
You're not broken anymore,
You're not captive anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours

There is now therefore no condemnation
For those who are in him

You are spotless, You are holy
You are faultess, You are whole
You are righteous, You are blameless
You are pardoned, You are mine

You're not guilty anymore,
You're not filthy anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours
You're not broken anymore,
You're not captive anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours

What a powerful reminder of the beauty of grace and forgiveness. Get this CD and saturate yourself in the grace of Christ.

Most Memorable Sports Moment #1

I realized the other day as I scrolled down my blog that I hadn't finished this series I started and in the process, left out the most important sports moment. With no further delay here it is:

Red Sox Defeat Yankees in the 2004 ALCS
That's right. No doubt the biggest moment I have experienced as a sports fan was the improbable comeback in the 2004 ALCS. One year earlier, I was in a hotel in Atlanta when Aaron Boone become infamous and put the Red Sox out of the playoffs. I watched anxiously most of the 2004 season believing that with the addition of Curt Schilling, the Red Sox could finally do it. I suffered through the predictable summer swoon that hits the Sox every year. I saw them fight back from behind the Yankees to secure the Wild Card. I watched the Division series with the Angels and saw Schilling's injury. I saw Big Papi begin his incredible Red Sox run with the game winning shot over the Green Monster securing their place in the ALCS.

Then, here came the Yankees. Every Red Sox fan believed that the Sox would have deliverance from the curse of the Bambino and revenge for the Boone hr a year before. However, those hopes were dashed and talk of the curse began again as the Yankees dominated the Red Sox in the first three games. Schilling looked hurt in game 1 and got shelled. The Sox lost 10-7. Game 2 was a pitcher's duel that Sox ace Pedro Martinez eventually lost. Game 3 was a humiliating loss of 19-8 in which the Yankees looked like the Bronx Bombers of old. It was official. The Yankees were going to win and go to the World Series. No team in history had ever come back from 3 games down in a best-of-seven series. I remember talking with my brother after game 3 and both of us couldn't believe it. We talked about how the Sox couldn't catch a break and how the Yankees got them all. We thought maybe the Sox would win game 4, but surely would lose game 5 or 6. The Yankees were just too good.

Then, the impossible became possible. Game 4 saw the Yankees in command throughout. The Sox took a 3-2 lead in the 5th, but lost it when the Yankees scored 2 in the 6th. Nothing happened until the ninth and the Yankees brought in the most dominant closer in playoff history - Mariano Rivera. Rivera walked Kevin Millar to start the inning and Dave Roberts was brought in to run for Millar. The biggest moment of the series was when Roberts stole second. Bill Mueller drove in Roberts to tie the game and Big Papi hit another walk-off, two-run home run in the 11th. Sox fans were excited, but still realistic that they were down 3-1.

Game 5 was another classic with the Yankees taking a 4-2 lead on a bases loaded hit by Jeter. Big Papi did it again with a single in the 10th and the Sox won again. Momentum was starting to shift and everyone began to believe. My brother and I were on the phone all night asking "Can they really do this?" Game 6 was one of the most incredible pitching performances ever with Curt Schilling pitching with a torn tendon sheath that was sewn to his right ankle to prevent it from moving but caused tremendous pain. On sheer will and adrenaline, he shut down the Yankees and the Sox won 4-2 to tie the series.

Game 7 in the Bronx was supposed to be a classic dramtic game, but the Sox struck early with hr's by Ortiz and Johnny Damon. The Sox cruised and won 10-3 never really being challenged. It was the most incredible feeling and event I had ever witnessed. The Red Sox had done the impossible, and done it against the Yankees - the evil empire. It ushered in the Red Sox as the most dominant team of the decade, reversed the curse of the Bambino, and propelled the Red Sox to the first World Series in 86 years. No matter what, this will probably be the greatest moment as a baseball fan I will ever experience. I know I have not been a lifer Sox fan. I had not endured personally all those years of frustration. However, on a cold night in October, I saw the impossible happen. Greatest Sports Moment #1 - Red Sox Comeback Against Yankees.

Monday Morning Clarity

Well, it feels like I have finally caught up and for the first time in weeks, I had the chance to be somewhat productive on Monday. Didn't have to deal with houses or feeling sick. We're still looking for a house here in Alex City, but hopefully we'll have something in the next couple of weeks.

• I started a new series yesterday at Sixth Street called "Amazed by Grace". I felt like it got off to a good start. We looked at what grace is and looked in depth at Ephesians 2:1-10. I was especially impacted by the depth that God had to go to secure my salvation. It wasn't just a matter of making me a better person or make what was deficient in my righteousness. I had no righteousness. He had to make my dead spirit alive by the work of Christ.
• Yesterday was Homecoming at Sixth Street and we celebrated our 59th anniversary. Looked like a great crowd with some new faces and some old members that choose to return. Lots of energy. However, we need to do a much better job at reaching and being ready for new people. We've got a great team of guys who serve as ushers and greeters. Need to do a better job as church members inviting and doing whatever it takes to get people there.
• We also celebrated Homecoming yesterday with the great Baptist tradition of the "Covered Dish Meal." One of my favorites. One thing I know is that Baptists can eat. That's one reason I couldn't see myself being anything else. What a great spirit among the people of Sixth Street celebrating around a meal. I couldn't help but think that on a larger scale, this was what the early church looked like, minus the fried chicken though.
• I can't wait to get to Catalyst Conference this week. My other two ministerial staff are joining me on the trip. I have been excited about this for months. I have been 2 other times and this is always one of the most creative and transforming times for me as a leader. Gonna have a chance to see some great old friends that are also going to be there.
• I am reading a couple of great books right now. One of them is "Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religions" by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. These guys are young and spot on with their theology and their ecclesiology. Very fresh young minds that aren't sold out to the emerging church and believe that sound doctrine and a love for the church are still important. I'll post a review of it with some highlights when I finish.
  

A Midweek Update

Still lots of crazy things happening around here that are keeping me from being consistent with my Monday morning updates. Some Mondays are so filled with catching up that I find myself late Monday night trying to come up with something. Anyway, here is a midweek update on life and ministry.

• Great Sunday this past weekend at Sixth Street. However, attendance continues to be sporadic and less than what I anticipated. We have been getting several visitor cards the last few weeks though. I hope that we can develop an attitude of anticipation that motivates our church members to be more faithful.
• My youth minister, Eric, preached for me Sunday night and did a pretty good job. He's young and eager to serve the kingdom and has a great future ahead of him. I know that one of the reasons I am where I am is because men like Mickey Dalrymple, Wes Cantrell, John Gibson, Scotty Hogan, and Les Hughes believed in me and nurtured in me ministry and opportunities to preach. I hope I can be as good at mentoring the next generation as those guys were to me.
• Sunday was my birthday. It was a great one. I turned 41. Lots of great well-wishes from the congregation and someone even bought our lunch at Pizza Hut. Then, Wednesday night, one of my church members brought me a pound cake! It was still warm when I cut into it. Mmmmmmmm!
• I am starting a new series this coming Sunday called "Amazed by Grace." I have been doing a lot of reading in the Scripture and in some great books on grace. It has been a wonderful and enriching time. I don't do it enough, but this kind of saturating in God's Word is great.
• One of the main reasons for the lack of postings has been our housing situations here and in Alabaster. This past Tuesday, we drove back to Alabaster and signed the paperwork to sell our house. It was a huge blessing. Our house sold in 2 months from putting it on the market to pocketing the money! (And this in a down house market) Many thanks to our realtor Tim Mitchell. He did a great job! Check out his website at timmitchellsells.com. Now we have to find a house here. We are back to square one in our search, but I hope we will put a contact down on something in the next week.
• I am challenged each and every day by my need to be a more effective father. God has blessed me with three incredible gifts and I am way too passive in their spiritual development. They have been very challenging lately. I know this is in part to the chaos of moving, new schools, and an uncertain housing situation. Alison and I are starting a new book from Kevin Leman that looks great. It's called "Have a New Kid by Friday." I also have to start being much more proactive with starting and being consistent with family devotions. I want them to be students of God's Word and they need to get that from me. Much prayer is appreciated on this.
• I am trying to be more active in getting out of the office and visiting some of our dear saints that can no longer attend church. I got out to three of them yesterday afternoon and it was a major blessing for me.
• It's a great time of the year sports-wise. The Red Sox clinched the wild-card berth this week and start the playoffs next Wednesday. I got to go to the MSU/LSU game for my birthday. So close! It was a great rocking environment. Good days are ahead in Starkville!

That's about all so far for this week. Lots of stuff on my mind and I hope to have some time to do a mind-dump later on this week.

A Review of If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn

My latest book to read and review was If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn. I was really looking forward to this book because I have always admired Alcorn's work. He's always biblically and theologically sound while at the same time dealing with real questions that real people ask. This book was no exception.

This is a summary of the book from the publisher:

"Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?
These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.

In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.

Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.

As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all."

This book is a huge volume - 494 pages. However, the chapters are short enough to be read and digested in one sitting. They are also comprehensive, covering just about any topic or question someone might raise about the questions of evil and suffering. Alcorn has done his homework on this topic. The reader can tell that these are questions that are important to the author. He wants to present a biblically sound answer to the questions that rock the faith of believers and present real challenges to the faith of unbelievers. Alcorn is also honest enough in his presentation to show that the lack of real faith in unbelievers actually helps to increase their frustration with God on this topic. His purpose in this book is not only to show what Scripture has to say about evil and suffering, but to show that the Christian faith presents the best defense of these issues and the only real basis for hope in the midst of the pain. He does not try to be a public defender for God. He allows God's word to speak for itself.

Alcorn's book is the best I have ever seen on this sticky subject. Most of the books I have seen either present a mushy defense that is heavily weighted on a loving God or read like theological defense with about as much readability as a the congressional tax code with little compassion for the deep questions and pain that people experience. Alcorn uses a lot of relevant stories of suffering and how those who experienced them found real hope in the Christian faith. This book should be on every pastor's shelf and should be the basis for a relevant sermon series on this topic for his flock.

You can see the book here: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421326

Monday Morning Clarity

Seems like the Monday morning clarity is hard to get going on Monday recently. Yesterday (Monday) I spent all day in Alabaster packing up stuff to prepare for the movers that will come soon and take it all away. So, no blogging yesterday, but a lot of time for personal thought as I was driving.

Housing Update: We have a contract on our house in Alabaster and were supposed to close this Friday, Sept 25. However, their is a delay and it looks like closing is pushed back to next week. Which...affects the closing on the house we are trying to buy here. We have not been able to set a firm closing date b/c of the uncertainty on our house in Alabaster. All said, hopefully we will close on both houses next week and can begin moving into our new house in early October.

Now on to other thoughts:

• Great Sunday morning at Sixth Street. The crowd was still a little smaller than I had hoped. I think some of the college football games are affecting attendance - especially the late night Auburn games. However, the atmosphere of those here was great. Good job by the praise team and choir. I appreciated Adam's lead-in to "From the Inside Out" and Whitney Patterson did an awesome job on the vocals.
• I preached Sunday morning on the Parable of the Ten Virgins and being prepared for the coming Kingdom. The main takeaway was "What gets me into church isn't what necessarily gets me into the kingdom." Felt a lot of freedom in the message.
• We'll be wrapping up the "Kindoms Collide" series this weekend and I am working on the next sermon series. Hope to have it mapped out by the end of the week, but with all the closing stuff on the houses, no promises.
• Sunday night was a great time of fellowship and food at the Family Life Meeting. Baptists and covered dishes go hand-in-hand. I also told everyone that I am convinced that the Greek word for "chicken" is somewhere in the Acts 2 passage on the church. I've never seen so many combinations of chicken dishes.
• At the Family Life Meeting, I introduced to the church what I felt like should be our Core Values for Sixth Street. I have received good reviews so far and lots of positive comments about the future. I am convinced as we focus on the Word and develop a missional strategy to make disciples, God will bless Sixth Street. Lots of work to do between now and the end of the year.
• I'm really looking forward to the church's kickoff of AWANA beginning Oct 21. Our church needs to have a program to help disciple children and reach families. I am glad for the volunteers that have stepped up to the plate.
• I am digging my weekly disciple group with two guys from the church. It's great to meet with other guys to talk about being better followers of Jesus. The success or failure of the church will be how well we can reach men and disciple them.

Gonna put a post up tomorrow about a review of If God is Good by Randy Alcorn. It's a great read.

Gearing Up for the Postseason

Pardon the diversion from anything mildly constructive to the Kingdom of God and allow me one of my many divulgences into my love for sports. I watched last night's Red Sox/Angels game last night on ESPN. I commented to my wife that with Paul Byrd pitching, I actually figured this might be a loss last night, but it turned out to be one of the more exciting games of the year for the Sox and a reminder that it's almost playoff time. Seems like every year the Red Sox begin the playoffs with the Angels. I hope for much of the same outcome as the past few years. I believe I would put the Red Sox potential pitching lineup of Beckett, Lester, Dice K, and a combination of Bucholz and Wakefied up against anybody. The Sox bullpen of strong, young arms topped off with Wagner and Papelbon should be a great advantage for them too. Being 6.5 up in the Wild Card with 18 to go is a good feeling.

On a side note, before some circumstances prevented out plans from becoming a reality, my brother and I were planning on being in Boston with our wives this week and would have been at the last 2 games at Fewway. Would have been great ones!

Go Red Sox!

Al Mohler and the Future of the SBC

I watched this video online a few weeks ago and thought it was a timely, prophetic message. Dr. Mohler is one of the prominent voices in the SBC. I think that the leadership of our convention would do well to listen and heed this message. It's a little long, but well worth the watch.

Monday Morning Clarity

I didn't get to post my Monday Morning observations last week from sheer business and yesterday I was knocked out in the bed with fever and coughing. Seems like I may be dealing with some flu symptoms. Anyway, here are a few thoughts about this past weekend at Sixth Street:

• I've started a disciple group with two of the guys from the church on Friday mornings. I believe that most churches have missed out on the benefit of intentional, peer discipling. I am using Greg Ogden's Discipleship Essentials and some of his thoughts in his book Transforming Discipleship. I hope to have at least one triad disciple group that I am personally involved in at all times.
• I took my first trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium over the weekend for the MSU/Auburn game. While I was disappointed at the outcome, the game atmosphere was great and the Auburn fans showed a lot of class. I also had to give a "War Eagle" out to the church which was met with a small round of applause.
• I really struggled with my focus and delivery during this last week's sermon. Probably because I was feeling ill and my voice was really straining. Hope it was communicated clearly.
• We were blessed to have a wonderful young lady, Baylie Kizziah, share in song on Sunday night. She has a great voice and stage presence for a high school student. We need to get her on stage more often.
• I'm thankful for the tech team at Sixth Street led by Angela Mullins. She and her team work very hard and with limited resources to bring this church into the 21st century with media technology. I know even greater things are in the future in that area.
• I'm meeting tonight for my first meeting with my church council to present to them my first draft of the Core Values I think we should adopt as a church.

Go Dawgs! Mullen Era Begins!

I didn't get to go to the game at Scott Field yesterday, but I was anxiously barking and rooting on my Bulldogs from my living room here in Alexander City. Unfortunately, I don't get ESPNU on my cable station and for some reason ESPN didn't put it on the pay-per-view on the Gameplan so I didn't get to watch the game. I followed the score on the Gamplan. Thank you also for Twitter and Brad Locke's updates from the game.



From what I could tell, MSU's offense took a little to get going but pulled away in the late first half and in the second half. Chris Relf appeared to be the star of the offense. He appeared to manage the game well and made some good decisions. Chad Bumphis showed the speed and promise that has had Bulldog fans drooling since he committed in February. I also heard that Robert Elliott had a great game with several great plays called back for penalties. Remember too that the offense scored 45 points without arguably our best player, Anthony Dixon. It was the first time the Dawgs scored 45 points since 2002. It was a welcome relief from an offensive drought that has lasted way too long.

The defense continued to be the strong point of the team. I'm glad to see Jamar Chaney back on the field and his leadership. Charles Mitchell is also a great player who will make lots of plays this year.

This week we travel to the Plains at Auburn who is also coming off their first game under new head coach Gene Chizik. I am looking forward to a great game with two teams trying to open up the offense against two great SEC defenses. And, thanks to a great church member here at Sixth Street, I am going to the game! Look for me with my Maroon and cowbell hanging out the window! Go Dawgs!

Colege Football Is Here!

It's time for that mind-numbing, rabid-fan-following, tailgating, experience known every year as College Football. I live in the South and if you don't live in the South, you have no idea of the power and cult-following of southern college football. Worse yet, I live in Alabama where the spiritual environment of church on Sunday morning is created in Bryant-Denny and Jordan-Hare on Saturday nights. Even worse, I am a MS State fan living in Alabama where lately I have been exposed to year-after-year of futility while watching the other teams in the SEC compete for BCS bowls and National Championships.

However, today is the day that we all look forward to. Today, everyone is undefeated. Today, everyone has promise to be better than last year. Today, is about hope and fun and the promise of a new season.

On a personal note, as a MS State fan, we are pumped about the potential of the program under new coach Dan Mullen. Mullen has excited the Bulldog base with his enthusiasm and creativity. The last few years have been an offensive nightmare while our defense has usually been one of the best in the conference. However, the defensive talent was overshadowed and worn down by excessive "three and outs" and turnovers that create short fields. Mullen's Bulldogs may not lead the SEC in offense this year, but we are all expecting significant improvements. We hope to be more competitive in games and average more than 15 points per game (last in the SEC). Here's to you Coach Dan! To you and the Bulldogs I say "Go Dawgs!"

The experience of college football is here! Despite a recession, the swine flu, and a disappointing season of 24, all is right again with the world. Now excuse me. I need to go put another coat on my cowbell...

Monday Morning Clarity

Well I missed last week's Monday morning update. Lots going on and not much time to get clarity last week. All in all, it's been a good first month on the field here in Alexander City. Lots of stuff has happened rather quickly. We did a lot of work to prepare our house in Alabaster to sell and then got out as soon as it was done. We moved into a temporary lodging provided by one of my church members. (Thanks Tina and Dewayne) We enrolled the kids in new schools, met teachers, learned the drop-off lines, etc. We've also learned the Sunday morning routine here at the church. Here are some random thoughts now as we enter into September.

• Great day of worship yesterday. The band and worship team sounded as good as they ever have in my first month here. There was a real sense of expectation among everyone yesterday.
• I'm enjoying preaching through this series on the Kingdom of God. Yesterday we tackled the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13 focusing on the truth statement "Eternity is too long to serve the wrong kingdom." Felt like it was the best sermon in the series so far for me.
• This weekend we are looking at the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18. Gonna learn a lot about being grace receivers and grace givers.
• The worship center was very full yesterday again. It looks like we can comfortably sit 250 people in there and then it's full. We are already at 80% capacity so we need to start figuring out the next step. It was suggested to me last night that we need to start looking at 2 worship services.
• I also heard that several guys from the CACC Baseball Team showed up yesterday at 10:50 only to find out that worship was almost over so they left. That breaks my heart. We need to do a better job of communicating publicly as a church who we are and inviting people to come.
• I looked out over the crowd yesterday and I saw a great group of church members excited about their church. However, I didn't sense many visitors or unchurched. We may have become too complacent at doing church instead of being the church. We need to capture desperate prayer for the lost and unchurched around us.
• I have begun a routine that has left little time for personal prayer on my part. I must be leading out to make this a "House of Prayer" so I need to make some adjustments in the calendar.
• We had a great meeting with some of the parents yesterday about our children's ministry. We are bringing back the AWANA program to Sixth Street starting October 21 on Wednesday nights. We will need a lot of parents to support and volunteer to put on a first-class program for our kids. We have an awesome responsibility to train our children and a children-friendly church is a family-friendly church.
• We were led musically last night by a three-man group of students from Troy University named "Transistor". Great group of guys that blessed my heart and showed me that God is still doing something amazing in the generation of 20-somethings right now.

That's about all for now! Lots of stuff to consider, but I must get back to business (and prayer).

Swine Flu Hysteria

Someone sent this to me today and I thought it was classic.
This is what happens when Swine Flu hysteria goes too far.



On a serious note, the swine flu seems to be spreading rapidly. Protect yourself, keep your hands washed, and pray that this epidemic doesn't get too serious.

Review of Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage

My latest book review from Thomas Nelson was a favorite and one I felt lucky to receive. Rick and Bubba’s Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage is a great read for any and all married couples. I have been a member of the Rick and Bubba Army for over a decade now. These guys are the real deal. I have had the privilege of personally talking to them several times and these guys are great entertainers who are also passionate about their faith in Jesus Christ.

In this book, Rick and Bubba move from their opinions about life, hunting, and politics to the subject of marriage. They do a good job of bringing in the good and bad of their unions with the lovely Sherry Burgess and Betty Lou Bussey. The bad is always done so with a great deal of comedic timing. Most R&B fans will remember some of the stories they share in this book from earlier radio spots.

In this book, Rick and Bubba tackle the issues of fighting effectively, how to make sure you have the right mate, why married couples have it better than singles, how to deal with your spouse’s annoying habits, and why husbands get blamed for everything. They even give guys the long-awaited “Book of Blame” helping you know why you get blamed for not getting the perfect Christmas gift, making everyone late, how you got everyone lost even when she had the map, and how you ruined supper when you were never in the kitchen.

This book is a great read for you and your spouse. Like most of their other books, it comes with a CD in the back with some of the best bits on marriage from the show. If you are a fan, you need this book. If you’ve not been a part of the army, get this book and get on the wagon.

Most Memorable Sports Moment #2

Mississippi State Upsets #1 Alabama


As most of you know, I am an avid fan of all things Mississippi State. As you also know, MSU hasn't had a lot of historic moments in football. Until Jackie Sherrill came to MSU, there had been few winning seasons and great moments since the days of Allyn McKeen and Darryl Royal. One of those historic seasons though was 1980. That year, Mississippi State combined the power "wishbone" offense with the "Bulldog Blitz" and had a season to remember. The highlight of the season was the game against #1 Alabama and legendary coach Bear Bryant on November 1, 1980 in Jackson, MS.

Before the 1980 game, MSU had not beaten Alabama in 36 years. 36! True Bulldog fans know that we consider Alabama as big or bigger a rival that Ole Miss. At the time, I was 12 years old and had just begun to understand the game of football. In addition, most games were not broadcast on TV because we only had about 13 channels at the time. All MSU games were on the radio and not much fun for a 12-year old. On this day, my dad was listening to the game on the radio that Saturday and working around the house. I was outside in the yard and not paying much attention. However, at the end of the game, my dad came running out the house whoopin' and hollerin' (those are Mississippi terms for excitement) like fat man at a buffet. We had a guy living with us at the time who drove a big van whose horn played "Dixie" and my dad commenced to driving down the road playing the horn and ringing his cowbell. It was the biggest upset in MSU football history and is still so to this day.

MSU was led offensively by John Bond, still one of the most beloved quarterbacks. It had a stout defense that inspired a local song called the "Bulldog Blitz". The game was extremely memorable because Alabama had a chance to score late in the game when MSU forced a fumble. Bama was ranked #1 at the time and was the defending national champs. MSU had spent years mired in mediocrity. This helped propel MSU to a 9-3 record and a game in the Sun Bowl. MSU played better, but still not great for the next few years until Jackie Sherrill came and restored a winning attitude.

I have posted a clip I found on youtube of the last few minutes of the game for you to enjoy. Excuse me while a grab my cowbell.

Monday Morning Clarity (one day late)

Alright, I intend each week to start off the blog with observations about the past week in ministry and the gathering of the saints on Sunday. However, the tyranny of the urgent, the opportunities of the day, and the tendency to have a brain drain (especially after preaching twice on Sunday) all join together to keep me from writing. Nevertheless, here are my observations about ministry and pastoring this past week.

• The great momentum here at Sixth Street continues. I meet new people each Sunday morning that are returning. There is a real sense of hope and purpose here. There is a real pioneering spirit among the remnant here that wants to see great things happen.
• My prayer for each and every one of us in the church is that we continue to see that the church does not exist for me, but I exist for the church. I want to develop in them a missional lifestyle that helps them to see themselves as missionaries living among one of the largest unreached people group on the planet.
• I hope that we can dumb-down religion and elevate our dynamic, powerful relationship with Jesus Christ so that we don't substitute religious activity for relational affection.
• I am loving the studying and preaching on the kingdom of God for Sunday mornings. I believe as we elevate the kingdom, we gain purpose and meaning in life.
• I have had some great "after church" conversations that make pastoring exactly what its meant to be. God is breaking down our walls so that we can be empowered to serve Him and reach others.
• I have to spend a lot of time in the next few weeks on several priorities: 1.) Define who we are as a church (vision, core values) and create a strategy to make disciples (mission, strategy) so that what we do makes sense and is not just what we do. 2.) I have to fight the tendency to create programs and instead facilitate ministry. 3.) We have to become much more family friendly in our programming and make great programming that reaches children. 4.) Create systems that help people feel welcomed and help them get where they need to go. We are not very visitor friendly in our structure right now. We have great people at the door to greet them, we just don't know what to do next.
• I am pumped about working with our men in developing a life-changing men's ministry. I mentioned this Sunday having a BBQ in a couple of weeks and we already have a location along with cooking a whole hog! Nothing more powerful than men who love Jesus sharing experiences and burnt pig flesh. I believe that Sixth Street will experience powerful spiritual renewal in the next year because of the men in our church.

This Sunday's message will be a good one. We'll be looking at the kingdom parable of the sower and the soils. Looking forward to it. See you Sunday!

Old Skool Memories

Just saw this on a friend's blog and laughed so hard. Brings back lots of memories. Enjoy.

Monday Morning Clarity

Being new of the field and first time as senior pastor, I want to take advantage of my blog to do more communicating my thoughts and observations as pastor and use this blog as a tool to communicate with my church. (Although, most of my church doesn't know yet I have a blog.) With that in mind, here is a mind-dump of my thoughts about the weekend.

• I am loving being called "pastor". It's a new role for me, but an exciting one. I love that people look at me as their spiritual leader. I also recognize I am still in the "honeymoon" phase.
• The people at Sixth Street at a very loving and exciting group. I know as we begin to reach people on Sunday mornings that our ushers and front-door people will do a great job of welcoming.
• We need to do a better job of making room. At the start of the service, most of the back rows were full and people were coming in looking for room. Got to get a "First Impressions" team going and trained to help make room. I think there is an expectation from some that we may have to go to 2 services sometime next year. Don't know what kind of schedule change that will prompt, but we will need to do something to make room.
• I had a wonderful surprise visit yesterday from some dear friends in Alabaster. I looked out the window at my office to see 4 motorcycles driving across the parking lot. A great reunion with Scotty Vines, Doug Archer, Susie Mattis, and some of the guys from the Westwood Motorcycle Riders ABS class.
• We have some immediate programming challenges with children on Sunday and Wednesday nights that need to be solved soon. Praying for wisdom as we evaluate and create a programming schedule that is friendly to families.
• Started a new series on the importance of the Kingdom of God for the believers. It's called "Kingdoms Collide: Finding Spiritual Sanity in an Insane World". Seems to have started good. Coming soon, we'll look at the kingdom and our possessions. We'll also look at the parables that Jesus taught about the kingdom and what he was trying to teach us.
• Got to get some balance to the schedule quick so I can do a good job in sermon prep and planning and also get to visit some members. Give me balance Lord!

That's a quick dumping of my thoughts and observations from my second week as pastor. I consider it an honor to serve the Lord Jesus as pastor in advancing the cause of Christ in Alexander City. I pray that God will unite us as a missional force in the community and around the globe.

Most Memorable Sports Moment #3

Reverse the Curse - Red Sox Win World Series

No doubt - one of the greatest moments of my sports fanhood was October 27, 2004. On that day, the Boston Red Sox ended 86 years of frustration and failure. It was the culmination of a great season in which they dominated the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

Some have asked me how I became a Red Sox fan. Admittedly, I am not from Boston, I have not followed them all my life, and as excited as I was to see them win, I had nothing on the long-suffering Bostonites who lived and died with this team their whole lives. I grew up in central Mississippi. We loved baseball where I am from - especially MS State Baseball. However, there is no central team close by to which we give our allegiances. The closest team would probably be the Atlanta Braves. However, I grew up just prior to the TBS expansion that would put the Braves in each household in the South as the only baseball choice. Plus, honestly in the 70's, the Braves were horrible.

When I was entering my love for baseball, the dominant team was the Cincinnati Reds. I loved the Big Red Machine of Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Dave Concepcion, George Foster, and Ken Griffey Sr. They were my first love. I also liked the Detroit Tigers since half of my family is from the Michigan area. However, one thing was consistent is that I have always HATED the New York Yankees. I have never liked them at all, never wished for them to win a game. I deeply respect the historical contributions of the Babe, Gherig, Dimaggio, and Mantle. I love the way that Jeter and Mariano Rivera approach the game. I just hate the Yankees. I could list 100 reasons I hate the Yankees, but that would be the subject of another blog. I will summarize it with a couple: 1. They are the best team money can buy, year after year. They have consistently weakened competetive balance by outspending everyone simply because they have the resources to. I don't think it's wrong. They are perfectly right to do so, I just despise it. 2. Every Yankee fan I know is totally obnoxious because they have been so successful. Success breeds arrogance and Yankees fans are by far the most arrogant.

By the time of the late 90's, I was a man without a team. The Yankees stated another area of dominance in the late 90's and I searched for a team that could take them down. Enter, The Boston Red Sox. I knew of some great players like Mo Vaughn, John Valentin, and Wade Boggs played for them. I became intrigued when they signed Pedro Martinez who became the most dominant pitcher of his time. So I began to keep up with box scores and standings. In 2003, I felt the agony of a Red Sox fan when Aaron Boone homered off Wakefield. I followed each and every game in 2004. The comeback in the ALCS (which we'll discuss later) was an epic moment for me.

So when the Red Sox started the World Series in Boston, I had the feeling it was inevitable that they would win but also knew that feeling had been there before. In game 1, the Sox slugged the ball all over the park. By game 4 when Folke came in, my brother and I were on the phone giggling like 3rd grade school girls. It was awesome! (even for a hick from MS)