26.2

Well I'm doing it. Call me crazy, but I'm going to run the full marathon this coming April in Nashville. Alex Perry and I are going to take the challenge. It is 26.2 miles. I'm a fairly consistent runner and don't really have much problem running distances, but I have never ran that kind of distance. I'm going to begin an "Army style" training regiment early in the mornings to start getting prepared for it.

My biggest reason for running the marathon is that it is one of my life goal's. I have a list of about 100 life goals that I want to accomplish before I die. Others include: learning to speak Spanish fluently, become a skilled guitar player, be baptized in the Jordan River, write a book, etc. I hope in 2009 I can mark several off the list, but this one I will do for sure. Wish me luck, and if you're brave enough, join me.

End of Year

I can't believe 2008 is days from being over. This year has been unbelievable in my personal life and in the church. I think it is fun to look back over the year and point out the highlights and the lessons learned. I had the leadership team at church do this as we opened our meeting. I asked: what is your favorite moment in 2008 in the church, and what is the biggest lesson you have learned in 2008? The stories and lessons shared were insightful, and they reminded me again of how good God has been to us this year.

Me personally, this has been a year of learning to please God more than I want to please others. God has challenged me to love others, but live to please Him alone. This means I have to be willing to make decisions that are not popular, if God is leading it. It means I have to be willing to preach messages that could step on toes, if that is what God wants me to say. It means I have to quit living to make others happy, and live to solely please my Father in heaven. Have I mastered this? No. However, I feel I have made strides in this direction.

What has been some of your favorite moments from 2008? What has been the biggest lesson you have learned?

I look forward to an incredible 2009 with God, my family, and The Journey!

First Semester in the Books

Well, I finished my last exam this morning. It was a three hour, mack-daddy size exam. It was tough semester but I think when the final grades come in I'll be happy. I worried at first if Vanderbilt didn't make a huge mistake in admitting me to the school, but once school started, I quickly felt that I would be able to do it. It has been a good semester. I met some great people and have even recruited a guy to the church. I look forward to next semester, but I'm excited to have a month to breathe.

Spiritual Formation...In the Marriage

Most Christians have a focus and desire to grow spiritually. Everyone will grow at a different pace, but to some degree, most Christians want to be closer to God and grow as believers. One of the major things I see developing in Christianity is a very individualistic approach to faith. We have our eyes set on our own spiritual development. We have "my" relationship with Jesus. In the ancient days, being a Christian was a very communal thing. Your faith was lived out openly with others. Your growth as a believer was spawned on and shared by others. The major problem that has developed from individualistic faith is that we don't know how to have a relationship with God with our spouse.

When the Scriptures talk about the two people becoming one in the marriage relationship, I believe this includes our relationships with Jesus. We are to be growing as a couple in our relationship with God. How do we do this? Why are we so uncomfortable with this? I have listed five questions that serve as a litmus test to your relationship with God as a couple. See how you do:

1. Do you pray together daily?
2. Do you pray and ask God for guidance and then wait for an answer in regards to major decisions as a family/couple?
3. Do you read the Bible together regularly?
4. Do you share regular conversations about the things that God is teaching you in your walk with Him?
5. Do you confess sin to one another and pray for each other through those things?

We can think we are mature Christians, but we may be baby Christians in our walk with God as a couple. See how you shape up on these questions. Commit to begin the process of spiritual formation and growth as a couple. I believe it holds the key to a more vibrant marriage and a more fruitful walk with Christ.

Sunday Evening Reflections

It has been a great today! We had an incredible service today at church. It was amazing to see all the people in one service...wow! There was a ton of energy in the room. We wrapped up the Love Sick series today. I personally believe it has been one of the best series we have ever done at The Journey. We finished it off with a bang today. It was awesome to take communion together as an entire church. It was an even more amazing sight to see all the people signing the cross as couples. I'm excited about what is coming for us a church in the weeks ahead.

On a personal note, I went to the Titans game today. A very generous person in the church gave me tickets as a Christmas gift. I usually don't have a chance to go to Titans games because of preaching on Sunday's and the because we have had two services on Sunday's. Having one service today allowed for me to that. It was cold, but a ton of fun. Titans won and clinched their division.

Pray for me this week. I have my finals at school and then I get to have about a month long break. It has been a challenging first semester of graduate school, but I'm learning some neat stuff and meeting some cool people.

Journeying forward!

Catching Up

Well, I have been without internet access for nearly a week. I'm still recovering from the side-effects. I got my internet working again today and feel like I've missed everything going on in the world, though I haven't really missed anything. I feel like a have a ton of catching up to do. Couple of things going right now:

* Small group game night at my house tonight for all those interested (leave a comment if you need the address)

* I can't believe the Love Sick series is on Week 3 of 4 this week, it has went by fast

* We are going to be making the Love Sick series into a DVD set that can be purchased. The cost is $20 for the entire series on DVD; the proceeds go toward purchasing Catalyst equipment for our current and future campuses

* We are going to be making the following series available for purchase as well: War Zone, DNA, Shattered -- these are all $20 for an entire series

* This Sunday is our last week at 2 services, we are prepping for our move to Providence on February 8th -- service on December 7th is at 9:30am

Lots of great things going on right now in the life of The Journey. I will be sending a newsletter out in the next week outlining some of the focuses for the 2009 and recapping some of where we have been for 2008.

This Sunday @ The Journey

This weekend at The Journey we are going to be talking about what things poison our relationships. We are continuing our Love Sick series. Last week we had great crowds and a lot of fun. This week will be no different. If you have friends and family you have been wanting to invite, this week would be a great weekend to extend the invitation. Once again, you do not want to be late, the opening song will be incredible. Also, you never know when a surprise interruption and dance could break out (had to have been there last week to get that one or go watch the video at www.thejourneytn.org).

I'm looking forward to what God is going to do this weekend in the lives of people and in the relationships represented every weekend. Don't be late: 9am and 11am. Reminder: December 7th begins our move to one service at 9:30am. This will be until February 8th 2009 when we begin our preview services at Providence. Service times for services when we begin Providence campus will be: West Campus 9am and Providence Campus 10:30am. Both campuses will offer the same service, with the same music, and the same teaching/teacher.

Everything

A question that has been stirring in my spirit the last month or two is: Am I saying EVERYTHING God wants me to say? It seems like an easy question, but it is not. Am I willing to say things that I know will upset people? Am I willing to say things that will step on some toes? Am I willing to say the whole truth and call people to be transformed by it? My mind tells me yes. Sure I'm willing to say everything. Then my spirit asks me again, Are you saying EVERYTHING God wants you to say?

I have a few people in my life who I trust to share words from God with me. Some people love to claim to have the gift of prophecy, but it is just another way of saying they want to tell you what to do. The individuals I trust with this have shared encouraging things with me and challenging things. At the Sunday night event, one of those individuals whispered into my ear during worship, "God wants to pour so much more into you, but you have to quit holding back. He's going to bless what you are doing, but don't hold back." What I kept hearing was, "everything," give Him everything. Say everything.

I wanted to give you a little something that I'm praying through in my life and that perhaps you could join me in. I want to please God, not man. Pray I would say EVERYTHING God wants me to say and that He would open the floodgates as a result. Ask the question for yourself. Are you giving God everything?

Sunday Evening Reflections

Today was one of the greatest days in Journey history, no question about it! We started our new series: Love Sick and had over 200 people at church. That is single-handily the largest crowd outside of Easter we have ever had. Both services were packed to the gills and it was an amazing day. Highlights from this morning:

* The praise band opening service by singing "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis
* Our worship time was incredible, "Glory to God" and "Jesus is Alive" was amazing
* The electricity in the room today was second to none, you could sense God was moving
* Jeff Bode and Alex Perry interrupting my sermon introduction by dancing to "What is Love" ...by the way, neither can dance :-)
* Seeing people praying with other people all over the building today - awesome!

Tonight we had our Volunteer/Journey Awards celebration, it was so much fun. This was the largest attended event we have ever had outside of Sunday morning. As we were leaving and dismissing all people could talk about was how much fun that was. Highlights from the night:

* the 1,000 pots of chili people made (okay, it wasn't that many, but seriously)
* giving awards for the best pot of chili, congratulations: Jeff Bode, Amber Burton, and Robbie Cheuvront (first place)
* getting to tell all the volunteers how much they mean to us and show them by raffling off some cool prizes and sending everyone home with a Journey hoodie
* watching Todd Bates and Shawn Allen give out the Journey awards, it gets better every year to watch people's reactions
* our winners: Brewington's (Spirit award), Andrea Vickers (Unsung Hero), Jay Spice (Rising Star), Kelly Piercy (Special Recognition), and Jeff Bode (Journeymen of the Year) -- Jeff's speech was both stirring and inspiring, unbelievable
* Seeing Amy Jordan's vision of participating in Samaritans Purse and setting a goal of 50 boxes get doubled (over 100) and praying for the kids who would get them
* Sharing the statistics that the Journey is in the 4% of churches in America that qualify for being considered an "effective evangelistic church" -- at least 26 conversions in a year and a 20:1 conversion ration (The Journey's conversion ratio is 5:1)
* As always, praise and worship at the end was stellar and second to none; however, THE KIDS TOOK THE NIGHT by playing with the band during "Sing, Sing, Sing" to close the night -- best moment for sure!

It was great. I love this church. You are the best. We march forward toward the mission God has birthed us to accomplish.

Three Questions to Ask Yourself

Could there be more than three...sure, but then it wouldn't have that catchy little title. Plus, all you people who love the three steps to _________________ lists wouldn't keep reading. So to save all of us the trouble, I've listed three questions each of us would be well serve to ask ourselves regularly.

1. Am I closer in my walk with Christ today than I was a month/year ago?
This question is a matter of progression versus regression. There are only three possible states of your relationship with God: stagnant, regressing, and progressing. This question must be asked regularly, because at any moment we can begin to slip from our walk with God or become neutral. We can't possibly lead the charge of a mighty movement of God's Spirit in a state of regressing or being stagnant. Cry out to God and ask Him to help you move forward.

2. Is my heart growing more skeptical or compassionate for people?
This question deals with our attitude toward people. A true sign as to the condition of our spiritual health is how we view and treat people. The reason I ask about your heart is because you can put up a front that pretends to like people, but you know whether or not you are growing more hardened or compassionate. Followers of Jesus who are on fire for him have a burning desire to love people, even those who are unlovable and undeserving. Pray for God to break your heart for the condition people are in.

3. What things in my life am I putting before God?
This is the hardest thing to ask ourselves. We don't ever admit to putting things before God. However, if you look under the microscope close enough, many things can begin to edge God out. Anything put before God is called an idol in the Scriptures. What are the idols of your life? Look at your checkbook, your calendar, and your desires and see if they balance out with God's dream and hope for your life and this world. Pray for God to reveal the things in your life that are coming before Him, repent, and put God in His rightful place in your life.

Sunday Night, November 16th

We have our blow event of the year coming this Sunday evening. We are going to have a blast together. We having a chili cook-off to kick the night off. If you think you can bring it, don't be scared. Even if you don't think you can win, bring a pot of chili so we can ensure everyone gets to eat :-). We are also going to have our volunteer celebration and Journey awards. This is going to be crazy! I'm dying to tell you what we are going to do for all the volunteers, but you will have to trust me when I say BIG. Our Journey awards is our annual recognition of some of the great stories of the year and people who were instrumental in our success. This will be the third year we have done these and they are special every time.

Following the awards, we are going to be praying over the shoe boxes everyone brings for Samaritan's Purse. If you have not got a shoe box and filled it with goodies yet, you need to...for real. It is an inexpensive way to help people who will have nothing this Christmas and the organization is amazing. After we have prayed for the children who will receive the shoe boxes we are going to go into a time of worship together. The band has an extended time of praise and worship planned to lead us in worship of our Lord.

Do not miss this event. If you miss, you are seriously in jeopardy of forfeiting your rights to some cool stuff. I can't say anything else about it or I will be tempted to let the cat out of the bag. We are going to laugh together and cry together. This is a great event for meeting people and drawing closer to those you already know. 5:30-7:30pm Sunday night at West Elementary. Be there or be square.

Turning Outward

There is a story of a pastor who was preaching about our role as individuals and as a church to reach the lost. He spoke to his church, "The problem is that people are dying all over the world and going to hell and you don't give a damn!" The crowd looked at each other stunned and in dead silence. The preacher continued, "The saddest part is that most of you are more upset that I used the word damn in church than you are that people are dying ad going to hell."

Wow! Isn't that the truth. What about us, what about The Journey? What do we care more about? Do you care about those who are without Christ? Here's some questions to help you answer the question honestly.

1. When is the last time you've had a lost person in your home? (The plumber who fixed the toliet doesn't count)
2. How many meaningful conversations did you have with non-Christians this week?
3. Who are the nonbelievers you prayed for today?

If you can't answer those questions with several names, chances are you're on the road to not caring. Scary. I'm praying for God to reignite my passion to reach lost people, not just in church on Sunday, but in my personal life.

You don't fail if the Spirit prompts you to ask someone to follow Christ and the person doesn't. You fail when the Spirit prompts you but you're afraid to ask. We can't blame ourselves if someone rejects Christ. That's putting ourselves in God's place. It is our job to share the story of Jesus with a world who is desperate for hope. Do we really believe Jesus is the answer for the hurt, brokenness, and emptiness in our world today? If so, why wouldn't we be sharing the message of his grace and love freely and without fear?

Howard Hendricks, a well-known preaching professor says, "In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering." Let it not be said of us.

God wreck us from our complacency and indifference with the fact that there are lost people dying and spending eternity separated from you. Help us to care more about people than our own egos. Disturb us for the things that disturb you.

Pray for me today, I have a chance to eat lunch with Ed Stetzer. He is a leading missiologist in the church world right now. He is an expert on how the church can live out what I just blogged about today. Pray I learn a lot and ask great questions.

Acts 2 Community

Last night, the elders and campus pastors, along with our families, had the opportunity to visit the home of a couple from The Journey. They had requested that we come out and pray for their children and for their home. The kids had not been sleeping through the night and were having health issues. Their marriage was suffering as a result of the constant grind of sick kids, no sleep, and their own recent health issues. They suggested that we not only come to pray, but we could eat dinner together as an entire group.

We had a wonderful time. We cooked the meal together with everyone running around the kitchen. After we ate, we sat and talked about this year's political race and all the interesting things that transpired. We then moved into talking about the issues that had been going on. Elder James and myself read some Scripture and we all prayed over the couple. After we prayed for the couple, we went into the rooms of the kids and prayed for God's protection over the rooms and the entire house. Then we had each kid come downstairs and we prayed for them individually. It was an incredible night. I didn't know what to anticipate as we prepared to go to their home, but what happened is what you read about in the Scriptures. It was an example of the Kingdom God on Earth. It was what was described in Acts 2 when they broke break in homes and prayed for each other as they had need.

It took 1.) humility to ask for people to come pray and expose their insecurities 2.) faith that God answers prayers and that it was worth calling upon the church 3.) compassion for those who went out to empathize with the family and embrace their pain and hurts. The church in action looks like what happened last night. The more we are willing to follow Christ and humble ourselves, we will experience more amazing things.

Sunday Evening Reflections

I cannot believe that the Shattered Series is already over. I hope and pray that everyone has been encouraged, empowered, and prepared to live life with God in the midst of difficult circumstances. We have had some great crowds for this series and there is a sense that God is really about to do some big in our church.

We start the new series next week: Love Sick. Love Sick is a series that will deal with relationships. This will probably be one of the most fun series we have ever done at The Journey. You are not going to want to miss a single week...I promise! You are also not going to want to be late any of the four weeks, because each week will start with a surprise (I'll give you a hint: it will be a different song each week). We are going to laugh a lot, but we are also going to look at things that will kill a relationship. Bring friends, bring spouses, bring neighbors - just bring somebody, you do not want to miss this series.

Last note: We will be moving to one service in preparation for our launch of Providence. The move to one service will be on December 7th at 9:30am. Mark your calendars. Also, Providence preview services will begin on February 8th. You will be hearing more and more about this as the next several weeks go by. Just wanted to give you as much advance notice as possible.

Be in prayer this week for me as I have tests and school obligations. I want to do my very best at school, but I'm thrilled about what God is doing at The Journey and find myself wanting to focus all my attention there. Pray for my study time for the Love Sick series, I want it to be life-changing for people.

This Weekend @ The Journey

This Sunday will conclude the Shattered series. I'm looking forward to this message. It will be unlike a lot of the messages I have done at The Journey. Be sure to get there on time, you don't want to miss the new worship song we are going to be learning.

Also, bring your pictures to church of you and your significant other (husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend). We are going to need these for the next series I'm doing called: Love Sick. You need to invite friends and family to the Love Sick series. It is only four weeks long, but you may be able to convince those you are working on to come to a series on relationships. We are going to hand out invite cards to everyone on Sunday to distribute to friends, co-workers, and family.

It is going to be a great weekend. See you there.

3 Things God is Challenging Me On

God is really getting under my skin. He is constantly challenging me to look into the mirror of my soul to see what areas I need growth and improvement. These may be areas where I'm doing well, but need to take to a different level of obedience. Right now, there are three things in particular that God keeps stressing on me and for our church.

1. Prayer
This is not just a generic answer that sounds like the right "Christian" thing to say. God is really challenging me to spend more time praying for the people of The Journey, the direction of the Journey, and for the fuel for my own efforts. Prayer will open the breakthroughs in those who are on the edge of faith. Prayer will open the breakthroughs for the marriages on the rocks. Prayer will open the breakthroughs for the person in bondage to destructive habits and addictions. Prayer will open the breakthrough for The Journey to see hundreds, if not thousands, walk through our doors for us to minister to. I (we) need to connect to the Living God not just daily, but throughout the day, and pray for His kingdom to come. Jesus said in Luke 11:1-13 that if we would persist in our prayers, God would answer. If Jesus says it, I believe it.

2. Discipline
Being an Army guy, I know what it takes to be disciplined. The problem is, I don't think I, nor anyone else, equates success in ministry and church to being disciplined. However, there is an absolute necessity to be disciplined in our thoughts and our actions. Jim Collins in his book Good to Great teaches that a culture of discipline is required for any organization or leader to make the jump from simply being good to being great. What does discipline look like in a church? That is one of things we are wrestling through right now amongst leadership. A few things it could be: starting services on time and ending them at the time you planned, planning enough in advance that communication can be better, ensuring people are contacted who fill out passports and follow-up with them, be on time to meetings, be prepared for meetings, and many other things. I feel this is as important for me as it is for the church. God is challenging me to become more disciplined in my thoughts and actions.

3. Disrupt the Status Quo
Everywhere I turn, every book I read, and every mentor I speak with, one predominant thing keeps emerging: if you want to make a difference and lead a church that is making a difference, you have to disrupt the status quo. The status quo is our comfortable and predictable religious motions we grow accustomed to in churches. Disrupting the status quo involves: preaching sermons that challenge people, maybe even makes some people mad, calling out inappropriate behaviors that poison a church and relationships, demanding a culture of discipline, challenging people to not just be Sunday morning Christians, and many more things. Challenging the status quo means that we are willing to do anything except for sin to reach people for Christ and see the Kingdom of God advance. We are not complacent to just be good ministers or a good church. We want to ignite a Jesus movement in this region. We want to reach thousands for Christ. This will take disrupting the status quo and calling everyone to live for something bigger than ourselves.

Jesus for President

We have just elected our next President of the United States. Barak Obama will be the 44th President of our great nation. I know there are many people excited about this (just look at what the crowd in Chicago was last night) and I know there are many people disappointed and worried. This campaign has done something amazing. My eyes have been opened to the condition of our world and our church. Political parties have replaced the church as the agent for bringing change. The church not only is to blame, it has excepted this. Today's church believes that the Republican Party is the party that represents Christians. Today's poor and middle-class believe that the Democrats are the party that supports their causes and needs. Political parties have one agenda: their own. If we believe that any party is "the party" that represents groups and beliefs, we have bought into their marketing scheme. Political parties are interested in securing votes, not upholding Christian values or helping the poor and sick. These parties have done an amazing job of convincing Americans that they represent their ideals; however, I do not buy it.

This political season has opened my eyes to some realities that the church must fix. It has opened my eyes to the condition of our nation. We put our hope in Presidents and legislation rather than Jesus and His Church. Is government bad, no. Is it needed, sure. It is the hope of the world or our nation, absolutely not. That distinction belongs to one person: Jesus.

In the weeks to come, I will be preparing a teaching series that will show some things that I believe God is showing me regarding our 21st century reality. I want to challenge Christians and non-Christians alike to see the role of Jesus and His Church differently than it is currently viewed. I want Jesus to once again gain His rightful place as the only hope of nations. Jesus for President. I think it has a ring to it. I think it offers more hope than every other person and party who claims they can fix our world.

Phillip Fulmer and the Kingdom of God

Well I can't believe it. The University of Tennessee and Phillip Fulmer have agreed to part ways. Yesterday Fulmer resigned at the desire of the administration and fan base. I felt bad for him as he cried and gave his remarks. You could see a genuine love for what he did and for the university. Though he was sad, the decision was the right one for the future of the school. His love and commitment were not enough in a competitive driven profession. His skills and abilities no longer were enough to get the job done. He won a National Championship in 98' and won over 150 games in his career, but over the last eight years he has struggled to produce what he did in his first nine. The mission of the UT football team was bigger than one man. The mission will go on long after him.

The same is true for the Kingdom of God. The mission is bigger than one man. It will go on after us, it has been for over 2,000 years. Every person in the Kingdom of God has a significant role to play. All of us are expected to give our skills and abilities to the advancement of the Kingdom. We are all expected to pour ourselves and our hearts into the mission in such a way that it evokes passion, just like Fulmer did with Tennessee. However, the mission is not about us, it is about Jesus. The mission cannot stop because of one man, it is bigger than that.

My prayer: God allow me to serve in your kingdom effectively for as long as I can make a difference.

Question: Do you think it was wrong for UT to make former resign or was it the right decision?

Crazy Enough to Believe It

I'm just crazy enough to believe it! I really believe that the Journey can reach thousands of people across Middle Tennessee. Not only to do I believe it, I'm expecting it. God has given this church a vision that is way bigger than ourselves. It is a vision that will take more than a few talented people to become reality. This vision will require normal everyday people to seize divine moments and believe that God is going to use their lives for something incredible.

I believe in the next several years, we are going to be ministering to several thousand people every weekend in our services. I see a church that will have hundreds of small groups meeting all over Wilson County, Davidson County, Trousdale County, Rutherford County, and Sumner County. I see a church that is sending hundreds of people across the country and overseas annually for missions work. I'm seeing people who are currently working at jobs they like give their lives to the mission of serving God vocationally. I'm envisioning a church that is known throughout the community for its service and love. Most importantly, I'm seeing a church that the lost, hurting, and broken are flocking to and they are surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ. I'm seeing Sundays in which hundreds at a time are being baptized and making decisions to follow Jesus. It may not be where we are now, but I see it.

Walt Disney died five years before the opening of Disney World in Florida. When they opened, one the high-up executives said, "I wish Walt would have seen this." The response from his colleague, "He did, that's why its here!" I see it Journey Church and I'm crazy enough to believe it!

Sunday Evening Reflections

WOW! What a day! We had two great services today. We had a TON of guests at church today (including the family I did the funeral for). We are almost finished with the Shattered series and it has been really good. I feel this had been impacting to people of the Journey and there is much to digest and apply to our lives.

We have some BIG things going on right now. We are honing in on the dates for the Providence Campus launch and many other plans. We had a great meeting last week with the church at the "business meeting" to discuss moving to one service in preparation of being at two campuses. We have some details starting to emerge from the conversations we had within the groups at that meeting and meetings within leadership; the details will be finalized and communicated VERY SOON.

We have a HUGE event coming up in two weeks. November 16th on Sunday evening we will be having a Volunteer Celebration, Chili Cook off, and our annual Journey awards. You do not want to miss this event, it is the biggest event of the year. Lot's of laughs, maybe some tears, and a great time!

God has plans for this church that surpasses our wildest imaginations. We journey forward.

This Weekend @ The Journey

We are going to be in Week 4 of our Shattered series this week. I'm going to be talking about "Releasing Our Grip." The theme of the topic is forgiveness. Forgiveness had massive implications on our lives. We think we know forgiveness, but I think we fail to see the full scope of its power. Join us this weekend for a new perspective on the power of forgiveness.

Also, we have been learning some new songs in worship. We have a lineup of songs over the next several weeks that you are going love. Make sure to be on time so you don't miss any of the worship time.

Last note: We are starting a new series on November 16th called: Love Sick. This is going to be a series on relationships. You definitely want to invite people you are investing in to this series. It is going to be a lot of fun. We need you to submit photos of you and your spouse this week and next. These can be digital or print. The pictures can be wedding, dating, or recent pictures. These will be used for the bumper video each week before the message.

God Moments

Today I'm conducting a funeral. I received a phone call from a person in the church who is a friend to this family. The family is a sweet family; however, they had no church to rely on during this time. I was asked if I would be willing to visit the family to help console them. I was called about an hour after the grandmother has passed and I made my way up to the nursing home to see the family. I have to be honest, I didn't exactly know what to say. I didn't know the lady who had passed or anyone in the family. I just began praying for God to give me direction on how to love this family and reveal His love to them.

When I arrived at the nursing home, everyone was in the hall. I asked them if they wanted to step into the room to get our of the busy hallways. When we stepped in, I realized that the lady who had passed was still in there. Needless to say, I was in uncharted waters. My heart just started to break for this family as I realized that this loss had just occurred. I just tried to put myself in their shoes to imagine the pain they must be feeling. I spoke with them about God's love surrounding them and that He is near during these times. I also encouraged them to lean heavily on each other. Then we did something that changed everything, I had them hold hands and start sharing their most memorable moments from her life. They started sharing funny stories, stories that described her love and character, and many more. You could sense a weight lifting off the room as we all cried. This lady deserved to be honored for all she had given her life to. We prayed afterward, and I offered to do the funeral if they needed someone and they accepted.

I left the nursing home that day realizing that there are hurting people around us every day. Some don't have a church to help them through the hurt and to speak of God's love to them. It is crucial that we become the light of the world, because there is much darkness. I was told later on that the moment we had in the room that day really impacted the family. It gave them a peace in the midst of their grieving.

Pray for me today as I try to serve this family at the funeral and honor the lady who played such a large role in their lives.

Handling Criticism

I think I'll let the words of Craig Groeschel from Life Church say it all from his book Confessions of Pastor (p.157-176):

"The truth is, I stink at handling criticism - especially nitpicking, ignorance-based, selfishly motivated, unjustified criticism. I should be able to rise above it. I hate the way it always gets to me."

He continues, "This confession reveals one of my greatest character flaws: I care too much about what people think. I should be consumed with pleasing God, but I'm often consumed with the impossible - trying to please people. I know it's wrong, but it's the truth. When people take their shots at me, I find myself wanting to defend my actions, justify my behavior, or even criticize back."

How do you handle this?

Groeschel offers four insights:

1. Listen - consider the source, if it is someone who truly loves you and isn't driven by personal agenda, then the criticism can be helpful to you. Don't focus on what is being said, as much as you focus on who is saying it.

2. Answer - If you think a response can help the critic understand your position then answer, but watch your attitude. A couple of missing details of the story could help a critic that is honestly seeking clarification to understand better. Just remember to first consider who before what.

3. Dismiss - If you face someone who can't be pleased, dismiss their invalid criticism. What people criticize often reveal their deepest insecurities. Hurt people hurt people. It's especially helpful to understand who your critic is when he or she is emotionally unhealthy or wounded. The jab may be coming from an injured heart.

4. Endure - This is not the easiest, but endurance is critical if you want to succeed spectacularly at anything God sets before you. Whenever you veer off the beaten path, whenever you blaze a new trial, you'll be criticized. Sometimes it will be relentless. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Be obedient. For the joy set before you, endure your unavoidable opponents.

Last thoughts: "You are who God says you are, not who people say you are. Don't try to base your life on the unstable foundation of human opinions, but instead, build on the unshakable truth of God. The truth is your high ground. When you cling to the truth, you can rise above the criticism."

Practicing What I Preach

The problem with most Christians is we don't "practice what we preach." Since I spoke on living life through the lenses of gratitude yesterday, I thought I would share another thing that I'm grateful for that actually happened to me today.

When I arrived at the train station this morning, I had to go to the ticket machine and buy a ticket. The tickets are $5 per trip. As I walked up to the machine to pay for my ticket, a man handed me a ticket and said, "don't worry about buying one, they are too expensive, take this one." I was a little shocked at first and wondered whether or not I should check the ticket for being fake. Then I thought to myself, why would he give me a fake ticket when he didn't charge me anything?

When I got on the train, it hit me: It was a $5 ticket, but I should be grateful for the man's generosity toward me. I thanked God for the free ticket and prayed for God to bless the man who gave it to me. If we look at the little things that happen everyday, I bet we can discover many instances in which we should be grateful. Gratitude is a choice on what perspective we will live with.

What things can show gratitude for today?

Monday Morning Reflections

By the time I went to bed last night I was completely exhausted. I had went to the UT vs Alabama game the night prior and didn't get home until 2am. Needless to say, I was very tired and had a weak voice on Sunday. What I lacked in voice, God made up in power. God once again showed up and touched the hearts and lives of people. The reality is, God is always there, it is whether we are open to allowing Him to shape and change our lives. Here were some things that stood out to me:

* I liked the flow of the service better with our changing of the order of things (I would love to get your thoughts on this as well)

* I thought it was cool to start the service off with Robbie singing 'How He Loves Us'

* Worship was great and the new song 'Breath on Me' was a success

* I enjoyed teaching on the subject of Gratitude. I'm still trying to align my perspective on life through the lenses of gratitude, but it was fun to see people writing down things they are grateful for and sharing it with someone else

* We had two full services yesterday and the energy was great

* I enjoyed having reflection and prayer time after service -- this allows people who feel intimidated by coming in front of the church to still have an opportunity to respond to the message and receive care

* Our "business meeting" went great and we had a great time eating and worshiping together -- we are going to do those more often

It was a great day yesterday. There are many more days like that ahead of us. Do not settle for mediocrity Journey church, we have been called to challenge the status quo and lead the way in stirring a movement for Jesus. That is exactly what we are going to do.

If We Only Win One More...

If the University of Tennessee could only win one more game this year, I pray they win tonight. Tennessee has had an awful season by our standards. There is controversy around firing the coach and our lack of good recruits. The bottom line is: if they beat Alabama tonight and knock them out of the National Championship hunt, that will make our season.

Tonight an upset is going to occur! I will be on the Hill with John Griffin watching it all take place. John is probably going to be crying for three hours on the way back home, but it will all be worth it!

Time with Jesus

I try to spend time with Jesus everyday. I get in the Scriptures daily and pray continuously. However, I had an amazing experience happen to me when I got home...Jesus was in my living room. Really! Okay, Kaleb dressed as Jesus for his school's Bible character day, but it was hilarious. My wife had already been crying from laughter when I got home. He kept going around saying, "Let the children come to me" and "Obey God" -- priceless! Enjoy the pics, we sure enjoyed seeing it live. It is not often that Jesus stops by the house, I felt like Zacchaeus.

This Sunday @ The Journey

Guys I'm excited about this Sunday. We continue our Shattered series this week. It has been a great two weeks so far and this one will be no different. You are going to want to get there early this week...we are starting out of the gate with the song that we did in Week One: How He Loves Us. Come prepared to worship and hear from God. Bring a friend, you never know what God may do in their life.

Also, we are having a "State of The Journey" meeting Sunday afternoon. We will meet at 5:30pm @ West and have dinner together and a time of worship. Following food and worship we will have our business meeting.There will be childcare available after worship has concluded. You do not want to miss this meeting. We will be discussing some very important movements happening right now. We need feedback and ideas about how to best launch the new campuses and will be looking for as many people as possible to be there.

It is a privilege to serve as lead pastor here at the Journey. The best is yet to come!

Authentic Community

I have to take a moment today to brag on my small group. It is a great small group. The cool thing is: it is not great because I'm leading it, it is great because the people seek relationship and transparency. I have been a part of small groups and Sunday school before, but I have never had an experience like this group. The problem with most Sunday schools and small groups is we don't truly desire intimacy. Real intimacy means we come clean about the condition of our lives, thoughts, and hearts. It means we lay it on the table with a group of people and something amazing happens...you find yourself still loved and accepted. This is what authentic community looks like.

We have had some amazing nights in our group as of late. People have been coming clean about broken marriages, struggles with addictions, insecurities, and many other things that they felt they needed support from the group on. This is what Biblical community should look like. This is what it looks like when people get tired of playing Christianity and truly start wanting to reflect Christ's character to the world. God is raising up a people who's rallying cry is: "We want more!" There is so much more, but you have to be willing to go where you have never gone before, with people you have never been there with. If you want to go there, there is a great reward waiting you on the other side: Authentic Community.

What are you Seeking?

What is it that you seek in your daily life? You know, that thing or ideal that you wake up ready to pursue. It could be a dream job, a particular amount of finances, a relationship, or an array of other things. My question is: does God register on the radar of what you are seeking daily? Do you wake up with a hunger to have time with Him? The world strives and hungers for many things other than God, Christians fall into this category as well. I believe God is raising up a people whose primary desire in life is to connect to Him. Their day involves being in the Word, prayer, and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's movement in our daily moments. They are not detached from the world, but they stand out in the world. These people will lead the way in the mist of trying times and crisis in our world. These people are the image bearers of the Living God and their image is magnetic to those around them.

This is why our first step at the Journey in making a disciple of Jesus is to make disciples that are: Passionately seeking God's presence.

My prayer: Lord make me hungry for more of you. Give me an insatiable desire for your presence. Would you make this your prayer and your desire. Allow God to take you through a process of transforming your passions and desires. Can you imagine what it would look like if the church would lead the way in this? I dream of a church that is passionate about the things of God, not just performing religious rituals by showing up to church. Following Jesus and seeking him is a moment by moment endeavor. It begins with the honest question: What are you seeking?

33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. 5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Psalm 24:3-6

Glory to God...Forever

Imagine a life that reflected these words. There is a new song that is about to sweep the nation and world that millions will be worshiping to in the weeks and months to come. It is called 'Glory to God Forever' by Fee. The video below was recorded of their performance of the song at the Catalyst Conference. Focus on the lyrics. Make your prayer today be that those words would become your life. True worship is when our lives declare Glory to God, not just our words.

Sunday Reflections

Something has been brewing inside of me as of late. I will be sharing more about this over time, because I don't want to communicate it as some "flash in the pan" set of thoughts I'm having. These things going on in me have been happening for many years now, but God is beginning to make them so much clearer than ever before.

My sermon today had traces of the transformation happening inside of me right now. The sermon dealt with how we "dig our own graves" through our choices, decisions, and actions that are apart from the will of God. Our sin brings devastating results. We must stop making decisions and choice that gain us nothing, but cost us everything. I didn't want to stay on this too long, but I felt clear that I needed to make sure it was understood. The main point I wanted to come across was: we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds, where our desire for obedience outweighs our sinful desires. I dream of a people and a church who's hearts are defined by this. And I have to be the first person willing to model it.

Journey church, we are going to experience some amazing things in the days ahead. God is stirring something in more people than just me. God is about to ignite a movement in His people that will call all people to Himself. I was excited by the spirit of the room today and the response I heard from people following the message. I heard people say over and over again, "thank you, I needed that." The key for us is not just hearing it, but doing it. That is true worship.

Passages for reference from today:
Romans 7:14-8:14 (NLT)**Main Passage
Exodus 34:7 (NLT)**Generational Sin
Galatians 6:7-8 (NLT) **We reap what we sow
Psalm 119:32 (TNIV) **Running to God's commands set our hearts free
Romans 12:1-2 (TNIV) **True worship is through our actions; transforming of our minds
Matthew 26:26-28 (NLT) **Communion
Colossians 2:13-14 (NLT) **Christ's work on the cross

My Son is a Rockstar

The better title would probably be: My Son loves to Worship

This is more accurate to the truth of the matter. In the pictures above you see my son posing with members of Fee, the band that leads the Catalyst conference, is the primary worship leaders at Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta, and all around rock stars!

We went to see Fee in concert at First Baptist Hendersonville last night and loved it. I had just returned from two days of worshiping with these guys, but last night I got to enjoy it with Katrina and Kaleb. We had a blast just letting it rip. As Steve likes to say, "bad singers of the world unite!" It was great to just relax and worship without feeling a sense of responsibility for making sure something is getting done or preparing to go up and give a message. It was also mega cool to be able to go 30 minutes down the road to see a phenomenal band. These guys were awesome to pose with Kaleb for the pics...he loved it.

Why wouldn't he? He's a rock star!

One Thing

Imagine Jesus appeared to you in a dream and said, "____________(insert your name here), I want you to come up with one idea that will allow people who need me to hear about me. I want you to accomplish this at all cost. I want a full report when I see you here later."

If you were given the challenge to think of one idea, just one way, to reach people with the message of Jesus, what would it be?

3 Rules:
* Don't let money play a factor in whether or not it could happen

* Be sure the idea would include your involvement and participation

* Time is not a issue (don't fret about how long it would take)

How about it? What would your one thing be?

Take a moment to think about it. The answer will reflect a lot about you. It may also catalyze an opportunity to put the idea into action to reach people.

My idea: I would try to find a way to have people from my neighborhood over in in small groups (10-12) and find ways to relationally connect with them. In other words, I would throw parties. We could grill food, play cornhole, etc. I would need to work the idea out further, but it suites my strength of building relationships and it would be something I would establish trust and opportunities to share the gospel over time.

Journey through Luke

It is so important to find time to be in God's Word. We all have an excuse for why we don't have enough time to do it is often as we would like. The reality is, we make time for things that matter to us. Ouch! That hurts a little. But its true. What I have found to be helpful when I read the Scriptures for personal growth, not just sermon development, is when I journal. I write down the date, the passage, and my thoughts down about it. I'll write whatever insight I have about myself, others, leadership, church stuff, or just the world in general. I don't read a particular amount of Scripture. I like to do what I call "read until it resonates." I read until something stands out. Then I ask the question, "God, why is this standing out to me?" "What are you trying to teach me through this passage right now?" Give a shot and see how this helps your Bible reading time.

If you want to journey with me through the Gospel of Luke, that is where I am right now. I have gotten through the first 5 chapters. The following are thoughts that resonated with me and the references to which Scripture it was:

* God will work with other people, if you are unwilling to listen to what He is trying to say (Luke 4:14-30)

* My words must be fueled by the Holy Spirit in order to carry power (Luke 4:36)

* Speaking with authority and power is what God will use to spread HIS message far and wide (Luke 4:37)

* Jesus stay grounded and focused on the work at hand through reflection, prayer, and solitude (Luke 4:42-43)

* I must seek the Father to stay focused and fueled by the mission He has given me, I cannot maintain a spiritual authority or power apart from Him (Luke 4:42-43)

* If God directs me/us to do something, it doesn't mean we don't do it just because we have been unsuccessful in the past. I must be obedient to Him (Luke 5:4-7)

* Even as Jesus gained more prominence and fame he still withdrew to be with God (Luke 5:12-16)

* The church and Christians often keep out the people who most desperately need to be in (Luke 5:17-26)

Drink Coffee. Do Good.

At the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta last week, we were served fresh-brewed coffee for free the entire time. You would think that the coffee must not be any good if they were giving it away, but the opposite is true. They were giving away good coffee, because there is a story behind the coffee. The name of the coffee is Land of a Thousand Hills, and it is farmed in Rwanda (the country devastated by a civil war that killed millions).

Now Rwanda is rebuilding and trying to recover from the years of strife. Growing coffee for the United States has become a new focus for progress. Every bag of this coffee sold puts money directly back into the farmer's pocket who grew it, plus an additional $1 is invested in a program designed to help genocide widows become entrepreneurs in their own communities. It is a great story, go read it. More importantly, it is great coffee, with a great cause.

Last night I ordered a 5lb. bag of coffee to show my support. I'm no longer going to buy my coffee from a faceless organization. I'm going to keep drinking coffee (lot's of it), but I'm going to contribute to something other than just fattening the pockets of some corporate giants. Drink coffee. Do good.

Sunday Reflections

It has been an amazing week for me. I spent the end of the week in Atlanta for the Catalyst Leadership Conference. I was refreshed and reenergized as a result. There were many inspiring speakers and stories that remind me and others there why we do what we do to begin with. My voice is nearly gone from singing at the top of my lungs for two straight days!

I felt today was a great day at The Journey. I began the new series: Shattered. We talked about the reality that God cares for us and loves us despite our circumstances. We often struggle through believing that when we are in the midst of tough times, but it is a promise we can stand on.

Take time this week to reflect on the reality of God's love for you. If you are feeling weary and carrying heavy burdens, give them to Jesus and find rest in him. Invite a friend next week as we continue the series. I believe there are many people who need to hear what we are talking about.

Blessings.

This Weekend at The Journey

Hello all! It has been a couple of weeks since posting and I apologize. School has kept all my spare time busy (not there was much before school to begin with :-)). I'm trying to get out of this blogging funk that I'm in. To do so I will have just keep my nose to the grindstone and write. Right now, I have many plates I'm trying to keep spinning: Family, The Journey, School, Writing my book, Writing published bible-studies, blogging, correspondence with a pastor in India (I'll share more on this later), and just personal refreshment time. I tell you all that to attempt to communicate my need for your prayers and support. I'm doing great; I've just never had this much going on.

I'm really excited about the new teaching series I'm starting this Sunday at The Journey. Click on this link to send someone an e-vite (email invitation). Below is the overview of what we will talk about.

Shattered: putting life together when the pieces are broken

We go through life with ideas of how things are supposed to go. We have dreams, plans and hopes for things we want to accomplish and achieve. At some point, everyone will experience the crashing down of some of those ideals. Relationships fail, jobs disappear, health fades, and we are left scrambling to pick up the pieces and make sense of it all. Where is God while these things are happening? Can we run to Him? Will He help us? The next five weeks we’ll seek to discover how to walk with God through the pain when our lives are shattered.

Hope to see you all there!

Today

What are you doing today?

If today was your last, did you live life to the fullest?

Did you tell people you loved them?

Did you tear people down or build them up?

Have you talked to God today?

Have you considered whether or not your thoughts, words, and actions have honored Him?

Have you thought about what things really matter in life?

Has your perspective of others been skeptical or graceful?

What have you done today to show the love of Christ to those around you?

Have you modeled it?

Have you spoke it?

What are you doing today?

What will you do tomorrow?

What if there is no tomorrow?

Confessions of a Pastor

I have to admit that I have not been consistent of late with blogging. I did not anticipate the amount of my time that would be spent trying to juggle Master's school, church, family, and friendships. I wasn't naive; I knew I would be busy, but disciplines like blogging and twittering that once allowed me to communicate more regularly have become more difficult to pursue. In addition to blogging, working on writing projects has all but ceased right now.

Why am I telling you this?

I need your prayers. I need continued wisdom about what events and commitments to say "yes" to and which I should say "no" to. It is not easy as a pastor to say "no" to anyone or anything you are asked to do, but I'm finding that stewarding my time well is even more important these days for me. The other thing I'm finding difficult is finding time to refresh. It seems that as a student and pastor I'm constantly pouring out, but rarely having anything poured in. This has brought forth the realization that I need an Oasis.

I'm as excited as ever about what God is doing in my life, my family, and The Journey. I believe God is bigger than any stress I face or any difficulties that may come. The stress of life has made me realize how desperate I really am for God to be first in my life. It has made me realize that family can't be replaced by anything. Following Christ and being in the love of my family is the oasis I need. I'm also grateful for a church family that I can go to for prayer. These are my confessions.

Finding a Life Rhythm

Have you ever felt like your life was in a groove and going well, but then other times feel like everything is out of whack? I believe in such a thing as a "life rhythms." Songs are driven by the beat of the drum that keeps the rhythm consistent. If a drummer gets off rhythm, the entire song sounds out of whack. You find "life rhythms" everywhere you look. The sun rises and falls in rhythm each day. The tides of the ocean rise and fall in rhythm. I believe each person has a responsibility to find their "life rhythm" because that is where the sweet spot is.

The danger is when you push so hard that you get out of your life rhythm. If a drum beat is going faster than what the song is intended to go, the song doesn't work. The same is true for you and I. We have to stay "in tune" and marching to the proper pace that our lives should flow. Sometimes it is necessary to take a break to get back on rhythm. Other times we need to pick up the pace so that we can get in rhythm.

What is your life rhythm? Have you ever found yourself out of rhythm and drained and tired? Take time to evaluate the pace of your life, your family, and your work. Our individual mission's that God has ordained for us are too important for us to live out of rhythm. We have to live in tune to Him and walk at the right pace.

Sunday Reflections

I can't believe the DNA series has come and gone already. It was a six week series and it seemed to fly by. We had a lot of new guests who came for this series and several shared with me how much they enjoyed hearing a different angle on those things that should define our lives and our faith. If you missed any of the weeks and want to catch up, go to our website @ www.thejourneytn.org

We had a great day today. The music was incredible and brought us to a place of worship. I thought the 'Signs' song and video was genius...Joey Lockovich came up with that idea. There were many giggles and smiling faces as everyone read the different church signs. The challenge for us is to not let church signs do the work that is reserved for us as individuals to share our faith with the people around us. I want to give props to Robbie and the praise band for gutting it out when the lights were messing up in the first service and when the entire PA system shut down at the end of the second service. We believed there would be spiritual attack today and we were not mistaken. However, God won the day. It was an amazing moment when the whole church lifted their voices and the band came and stood on the stage risers and locked arms. That was a special moment and one I won't forget.

The time is rapidly approaching when we will be meeting in multiple locations. Be thinking of friends to invite to get the word out. It is going to be an awesome ride.

Never Forget

Where were you on this day seven years ago? September 11, 2001 is a day that most Americans, especially living in this era, will ever forget. It is a day that I remember where I was, what I was doing, what the weather was like, and what I was wearing; the memories are vivid. I remember riding down the road crying as I heard music and thought about the people who were killed. It is a day that we should never forget.

Why?

* It reminds us that nothing is guaranteed, not even our next breathe

* It reminds us that life it too short for silly arguments, conflict, and selfishness

* It reminds us of what matters: God, family, friends, and living our lives with purpose

* It reminds us to live each day like it is our last

* It reminds us that we live in the greatest country in the world, perhaps ever

* It reminds us that there is evil that exists around us and the world needs the hope of Jesus

Be reminded of these things today. Reflect on where you were, who you were with, and what you felt as you watched those towers and Pentagon come under attack. Take time today to pray for the families still dealing with the lose. Thank God for your blessings and live today reminded of those. Tell your family how much you love them, you never know when it could be the last time. Ask yourself if you are doing what you love in life, life is too short to go through the motions.

Never forget.

This Weekend @ The Journey

We will be finishing the DNA series this weekend at The Journey. The objective for Sunday will be to discuss in depth about what sharing our faith looks like. The "churchy" word for this: EVANGELISM.

How many of you when talking about yourself would say, "I'm an evangelist." The reality is, most of us would not, but maybe we should. We are ALL called to be propagators of the gospel message of Jesus. How we do that and why we do that is something in which we will discuss on Sunday?

Things to ponder:

* without someone caring enough about you and your salvation to tell you, you may not have the hope you have today

* without people who feel responsible to share the message of Jesus through words and actions, how will the world know about God's redemptive plan?

* what will you do about "the call" to make disciples?

All this and more will be discussed on Sunday, don't miss it.

Questions for reflection: when is the last time you shared your faith with someone? Have any of your actions (good/bad) shared your faith for you?

Stunted Growth

Have you ever had moments where you felt your growth as a follower of Jesus had been stunted? Can you recall times where you felt like God was far away and you were trying to regain the status you had before? I think we've all had those times. Some may be experiencing that right now. The one thing I've learned over time is that those times are normal. Look at the Scriptures, the book of Psalm is full examples of David feeling abandoned by God. God does not abandon us. In fact, we are the ones responsible for the "feeling" of abandonment. We have either fell into sin and are not where we were. Sometimes we get into habitual ruts and just go through the motions. Going through the motions will actually move you backwards in your walk with God. Some of you have actually let the "busyness" of your lives to crowd your life so much that you push God out of it. We also have moments of stunted growth when we go through trying circumstances and we don't invite God into our hurts, pains, and difficulties.

If you have experienced this feeling of being "stuck" in the same place in your relationship, try some of these things:

1. Tell God you are tired of being where you are and desire to draw closer. God knows the situation, but it is good to share your thoughts and the way you feel. It is often the catalysts for getting back where you want to be.

2. Tell someone else that you are tired of being where you are and ask them to journey with you to help you get where you want to be. Christianity has never been a solo journey. We are meant to live in community and grow in community.

3. Begin to journal or reading some passages of Scripture they may connect your story to someone else who has been in your position. Go read the book of Psalm.

4. Evaluate how you believe you got off the track you were on. Was is it an event? A hurt relationship? Laziness? Busyness? Find out, that will help you avoid it next time.

5. Repeat Step 1. I cannot express the importance of drawing near to God through simply crying out that you don't want complacency any longer. Tell God you want to be on fire for Him. Ask Him to light the fire in you.

The world can not afford to have a bunch of stunted Christians running around them. The world needs Christians who are burning white-hot for the love of Jesus and are experiencing that love daily in their relationship with Him. The world needs Christians that are growing in their knowledge of God and His love for the world around them. Believe it or not, what the world needs is not the next great President of the United States, it needs you and I to become everything God created us to be.

Sunday Reflections

Man...today was very fun! We had a great day in our services and many people talked about how meaningful it was for them. Couple of thoughts about the day:

* It was fun talking about the Scriptures today and I hope that something was said that can be helpful for everyone as you journey to grow in this area

* Worship was electric today...I could go on an entire rant about that

* Titans won a close a game...just thought I'd throw that one in there

* I can't wait until we launch these new campuses and get a chance to reach people in these areas

* I had a friend from Divinity School there today and he said he really enjoyed it...it was cool seeing him there

* I'm just grateful for all the people who serve on Sunday mornings to make what we do happen...never forget the eternal impact that you are making on people's lives

I'm heading to bed. I'm tired, but grateful for what God is doing in our midst. The Journey is a fun place to be.

Worship @ the New Campuses

OK...seriously, this is not what worship at the new campuses will be. Robbie and the band will actually be traveling to each location to lead worship, but I couldn't resist putting that as the title of this post. Seriously...you have to watch this video. Pay particular attention to their facial expressions and the guy in the back singing background vocals who seems uninterested.

Want a Quick Laugh?

If you want a quick laugh to pick you up, visit Chad Jordan's blog and watch the 10 second video he has posted today. Priceless!

Click here to watch funny video

This Weekend @ The Journey

We continue our DNA series with the discussion of Studying Scripture. How on earth do we begin to make sense of the Bible? Where do we begin? How do we hear from God through it?

This weekend at The Journey I want to bring to life the purpose of the Scriptures in our lives. I want to simply our understanding of the Bible and learn to use it for all situations in our lives.

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the lowest, 10 the highest), what do you feel is your current level of competency when dealing with the Bible?

Attack of the Killer Bird

This morning I met with Shawn Allen, our Hartsville campus pastor. We were having coffee while sitting outside on the patio at Panera Bread. Out of nowhere, a bird comes soaring between us and smacks into the glass and onto our table. It landed facing me and I panicked, thinking it was going to come flying at me. It was breathing heavy and was twitching around. I went to pick it up with a napkin, but it kept moving and I kept dropping it. At this point, Shawn and I are dying laughing. The six guys inside the restaurant doing a bible study our also in hysterics as they watch the event unfold. I eventually quit trying to pick it up and instead, covered it with a napkin and we moved tables.

About 30 minutes later, one of the workers came out to clean our table we had left. We told her to beware of the dead bird under the napkin. She went to peek underneath the napkin to see the bird and it flew away. That bird had basically knocked itself unconscious. We were once again laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. All the guys inside were laughing again. It was quite an eventful morning.

Moral of the story...I don't know, help me pick one: once you fall, get back up...never let running into a glass window keep you down...don't attempt to throw a bird away that is only unconscious...be careful eating outside at Panera?

Sunday Reflections

There are many things going on right now in the life of The Journey. We will be launching the two new campuses in the next couple of months and need for each family to begin praying about which campus you plan on attending. It is exciting to think about how God is going reach people through our efforts in the days ahead. We also have a goal to raise $40,000 within the church to provide the resources needed to expand to these new campuses. This goal is not gigantic, but it will take as many people as possible to accomplish it.

Don't forget to continue inviting friends to join us on Sunday mornings. Ask God to reveal to you those people that you are to be investing in. Also, if you are looking for the next step of involvement, you need to find a small group. Small groups are the environments that you will learn more about following Christ and join with others who are desiring the same.

Special Note: Be in prayer for the families and people who are in the path of Hurricane Gustav. The last thing Louisiana needs is another giant storm to trounce it. Let's join in asking God to diminish the storm before it reaches land.

Football Time

Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit's voices are being heard. Fantasy football teams have been drafted and way overrated by their owners. All this means...football season has arrived! Our nation runs on football. I'm excited about all the possibilities and match ups this season. The cool thing about this point of the season is that every one's team has a chance. There is hope and anticipation about what your team might do.

The challenge I have for everyone: Let the excitement for what Jesus has done and is doing in our lives be as active as our football fever. Let our excitement for game day be an excitement that we also see when we show up for worship gatherings on Sundays. Lives are being radically changed by the power of God. It is an exciting season ahead of us. The fall is a great time of year. But there is equally exciting things happening in the Kingdom of God as well. This is going to be a great ministry season for the Journey this fall.

Scriptures that Speak to Me

It has been a while since I've posted any Scriptures that speak to me. These are just passages that have spoken to me throughout or at different portions of my life. The Scripture I'm posting today has recently become a favorite of mine. I have probably read it many times throughout my life, but it has spoke even clearer to me lately.

John 7:16-18 NLT
16 So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. 18 Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.

This has become the gauge upon which my messages are formed and prepared. My prayer has always been that God would speak through me, but lately I'm constantly asking myself if I'm seeking to speak what God wants or my own ideas. I think a problem that exists in the church in our country is that too many preachers are preaching to glorify themselves instead of the one who's ideas they are to be sharing. The day in which I seek to honor myself by sharing my ideas and quit seeking to share God's message is the day I need to step down. This passage is written on a piece of paper in my office for me to see constantly. I hope that it may somehow speak to you as well.

Starbucks Boycott

On my last day of orientation at Vanderbilt on Friday I parked at Starbucks across the street. I had got a cup of coffee and walked across the street to complete my orientation. While there, I met a guy that I really connected with and we talked about ministry and many different things. Toward the end of the day we decided to skip out on the last session and because he lives in Hermitage I told him I would give him a lift. When we got to Starbucks parking lot I quickly noticed that my Jeep was not there. I had been towed. Starbucks towed me. The cafe that takes so much of my money took even more. We had to catch a ride to the tow company and then I took him home. It cost me $65 to get my car out.

When I got home and told Katrina, she suggested that I boycott Starbucks $65 worth. At first I didn't think I had it in me, but after some thinking, I believe that is exactly what I need do. So, since Friday, I haven't touched Starbucks, a.k.a. St. Arbucks. The plan is to drink $65 worth of coffee somewhere else before going back. It is my small way of getting justice and vindication.

Question: Have any of you ever been towed? This was a first for me and I felt violated. If so, tell me your story.

Just Imagine...

Just imagine if these new campuses are able to reflect the movement and momentum that we have experienced in the last several months

Just imagine if we were to go from ministering to roughly 170 adults/kids weekly to 450 adults/kids weekly in a matter of months

Just imagine Sundays where 100's are giving their lives to Christ and are being baptized

Just imagine a church in which people who are de-churched or have never been come to encounter the Living God

Just imagine the number of broken marriages that will be made whole as a result of The Journey coming to them

Just imagine God raising up several full-time ministers from within our body as a result of tasting what it's like to serve God

Just imagine the Journey being a church that influences churches throughout the nation

Just imagine that first Sunday we have three campuses operating and the excitement and anticipation we are going to have

Just imagine how God is going to change your life as a result of being a part of this movement

Just imagine if the numbers I'm projecting are undershooting what God plans to do and He blows our minds!

Take some time today and this week to just imagine the possibilities...I am pumped!

Campus Plans

There are still many moving parts to figure out regarding our launch of two new campuses in the near future. We have some targeted dates this fall that will require us to gage where resources are and how things are shaping up. Right now, we do have our strategy for how we will launch these campuses. We are going to be taking a staggered services approach to successfully launching these new campuses. We believe this will allow us the maximum momentum going into these new areas. It will look like this:

Providence Campus: Sunday 9am

West Campus: Sunday 11am

Hartsville Campus: Sunday 6pm

Each of the services will be identical services so that all campuses are learning and progressing at the same pace. Robbie and the band will lead worship at each location and I will be the primary communicator at each campus as well. The role of the campus pastors will be to shepherd and minister to the people on an individual basis that come to their campuses. They will be responsible for leading teams at their campus, overseeing small groups assimilation, and for overall campus development and growth. As we continue to grow and progress at each campus, there will obviously be other changes and new strategies implemented; however, we believe this gives us the best potential for success as we begin.

We (the elders) need to know which campus you and your family are planning on making your home campus. Obviously you would be free to go to any of the campuses, but we are trying to gage how the numbers are going to shake up at each place so that we can begin to look at developing leadership teams at each place. There will be a letter sent to everyone this week that will have a card in it. The card will ask which campus you are prayerfully considering to attend. Please fill this out and turn it in on Sunday. This information prepares us to be successful as we move forward. Exciting times are ahead.

Sunday Reflections

It was a good day today. We had two very good crowds for the services. It seems like the message came across, but it wasn't without difficulty. I will be the first to admit that today's topic was not the most glamorous or popular. There probably aren't many Sunday's you wake up saying, "I can't wait to get to church today...I hope he is talking about fasting!" Maybe you do, but I highly doubt it...I sure don't. I did feel that I was preaching exactly what God wanted me to speak today. There is a difference between preaching what people want to hear and what God wants you to say. I felt today was a day that wasn't going to be fun to preach, but it was necessary to get people where God wants them.

Points to remember about today:
* the Cone Shell marine snail is one bad dude!

* Scriptural fasting is: abstaining from food or certain types of food for a period of time for spiritual purposes...sorry...fasting TV and XBox doesn't count

* Jesus mentioned fasting as part of the three chord group of things that people who follow God would do - when you give..., when you pray..., when you fast...(Matthew 6)

* The reason we don't fast is because of King Stomach and his rule in our lives

* We eat away the blessings of God

* fasting brings: things to the surface that control us, balance to our lives, healthier bodies, effectiveness in our prayer lives, guidance for decisions, and revelation

* primary purpose of fasting: acknowledging that God is our source of life, nourishment, and sustenance

* when we fast it is as if we were in continuous prayer

* desire to experience the Blesser more than the blessing

* If you want to discover more of God through fasting, just do it. Start slowly and progress how long you fast. There is never a convenient time to fast!!

NOTE:
Tomorrow I will lay out some details about the future of the Journey and our new campuses...invite someone to the blog to see it. Everyone else in the church will receive a letter on Tuesday or Wednesday describing those details. All I can say for now is: HOLD ON TIGHT...HERE WE GO!

Spiritual Community or Social Club

A question popped into my mind this morning: what makes the relationships at church different than all the other relationships we share? Just for the record, I'm not one of those guys who believes in having your "church" friends and your "real" friends. I have discovered that my friends are my friends, some go to church and others do not. My question centers around the discussions being had between friends who call themselves followers of Jesus and those who don't. If I was to give my honest assessment, I believe the church, which is a spiritual community, often ends up being no different than a social club.

Let's face it, we can have conversations all day long about the weather, our kids, the latest development in Titans camp, the presidential race, and many other things. We seem to be able to carry a conversation about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie better than we can about the condition of our hearts. We don't often have much to say about the bitterness, jealously, envy, hate, lack of forgiveness, lust, pride, fear, and other things that too often fill our hearts. The church, and more importantly, the relationships in the church, are to be full of transparency so that we can lift each other up when we fall. It's OK to enjoy being with church people and having conversations outside of what Jesus has done for you. My fear is that we have that conversation all too often, and forfeit the closeness and realness gained from authenticity with each other. There is a big deficit in the number of conversations Christians are having that pertain to spiritual matters and growing.

This is why it's important to be in a small group on a regular basis. If you are not in a small group, find a 20/20/20 group to be a part of. Even beyond groups, there is a need to transition some of our close friendships to allow for more spiritual conversation to occur. There is too much at stake for us to not have others helping us along the journey. We have to allow conversations to take us into the presence of God so that we can grow together. You will be amazed when you being to engage in meaningful conversations just how much WE ALL struggle. Next time you are spending lots of time with people from church, ask yourself the question: is this a spiritual community or a social club? When you discover the answer, do something about it. Be the person who shifts the culture.

A New Journey Begins

Today I begin a new journey in my life. I start my Master's program at Vanderbilt today. I have orientation and registration for classes all day long. This evening will be a class reception and dinner. Two thoughts are swirling around my head:

1. How did I fool Vanderbilt into accepting me?

2. What level of focus and commitment is this going to require of me?

This program will grow me and challenge me in great ways. Completing this program is going to open many opportunities and doors for me in the future. More importantly, I believe I'm going here for more than a piece of paper; I believe I'm going to Vanderbilt because their are leaders and individuals there that God desires for me to encounter and invest in. There are going to be some kingdom warriors that I'm going to partner with as a result of this...I'm believing that with all my heart.

I know it is going to be difficult. I truly believe God has ordained this season for me, but I know it is going to require extreme focus. Pray that I would be wise with my time and confident in myself as I embark on this new part of my life.

Book Review: Wild Goose Chase

I've never met Mark Batterson before, but after reading his new book Wild Goose Chase, I feel we are kindred spirits and men with the same heart beat. The theme of his new book is on reclaiming the adventure of pursuing God by following the lead of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The title of the book reflects the Celtic Christians and their name for the Holy Spirit - An Geadh-Glas, or "the Wild Goose." Mark uses this theme of chasing the Wild Goose as the backdrop for exploring how to live on a radical journey with Jesus and why we often settle for a complacent religious experience instead.

The book is structured to look at six cages that keep us from engaging in the life that God desires for us to live. Those six cages are: the cage of responsibility, the cage of routine, the cage of assumptions, the cage of guilt, the cage of failure, and the cage of fear. Mark takes biblical characters and traces their steps of chasing the Wild Goose to show how we can break free from each cage. Mark's strength as a writer is that he is able to communicate profound truths with simplicity. His conversational writing allows for the reader to easily follow where he is leading and to grasp the content being shared. Mark uses humor and personal story to help make the connections to the points he is communicating. This makes the book a very easy read.

Wild Goose Chase is a great book for those seeking to understand how to live a more vibrant faith. This book is not designed to answer deep theological questions or as a model for having a successful church. This book is intended to serve as a catalyst for breaking out of the rut of religion and into the adventure of relationship with God. I believe Mark delivers on his intentions of writing such a book. He challenges the status quo of Christianity and dares to believe that there is something much deeper waiting to be found. In Mark's own words: This book is about more than you and me experiencing spiritual adventure. In fact, this book is not about you at all. It's a book about the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who wants to write His-story through your life. And if you read through Scripture, you'll discover that His favorite genre is action-adventure (Wild Goose Chase, pg.11).

I highly recommend the book for those who desire to begin living that action-adventure. The challenge is great, but the reward is greater. The book is available for purchase at all major book distributors, including Amazon. I am also giving away a free copy of the book. If you would like the free copy, simply leave a comment on the blog expressing why you desire to "chase the goose" in deeper ways in your life and I will choose one person to send the book to. The book is 174 pages long and published by Multnomah. If you would like to learn more about the book or Mark, visit: www.chasethegoose.com or www.markbatterson.com

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of Washington, D.C.'s, National Community Church, widely recognized as one of America's most innovative churches. Mark is the author of the bestselling In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and a widely read blogger. He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Lora, and their three children.