Theologically Practical

It's easy to spout off statements about God and what He can do. We often fall back on these when times get tough or when we are unsure of the next step in our path. I have no doubt that we believe theologically in these statements, but I wonder if we believe in them practically?

If you have grown up in a church or just spent some time in one you can come to a common understanding of some basic principles, but actually believing in them enough to take action based on them is a different story. Saying that God is good and yet working as agents of that goodness to help those around us are two different things. Believing in the Biblical principle of the Holy Spirit changing the hearts of people and then praying and leading to guide people in the process are two different levels. Professing that because you came forward at an invitation and were baptized and seeking the guidance of the gift of the Holy Spirit in your day-to-day life are not necessarily the same thing.

Theological belief and practical belief are as different as knowledge and obedience. The impact of the Gospel isn't felt or shared unless you move beyond what you know to be true and begin to put it into daily practice. It is then that it starts to transform your own life and the lives of those that we come into contact with. It's the kind of faith that will capture a city, heal addictions, restore marriages, reinvigorate faith and attract people that are desperate for something real.

Get Ready

There was a place in Nashville that my wife and I used to love to go out to eat called The New Orleans Manor. It was a buffet style place that served dinner only, but was almost $30 per plate. It served some of the best seafood, prime rib and other incredible foods that make my mouth water even today. We loved the place so much that we had our wedding dinner there with friends and family.

When you knew you were eating there for dinner you changed your eating habits for the day. I wouldn't eat lunch at all and would only eat a small, early breakfast. I wanted to be as prepared as possible for a great meal and didn't want anything to take away from the experience.

Are we preparing in the same way for God to do something amazing in our lives or we rolling along and hoping that a Holy Spirit moment might happen? Are we talking about having a great Sunday in our churches or are we preparing ourselves spiritually for it? In Joshua 3:5, Joshua is about to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River and start the campaign to take over the promised land. He tells them, "Make yourselves holy, because tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." 

Perhaps we would see greater works of God in our lives and in our churches if we would eagerly anticipate them and start the work of setting ourselves apart for His blessing.

The Week That Was

Well here we are a week later and God is continuing to do His great work in this race. Sometimes we run alongside at a good clip and other times it is a laboring run where we push through because we realize the ultimate goal.  He never told us that it would be easy, but He has promised us that it would be worth it.  The victories are still coming and yet there are greater things still to be done!

• The Arizona mission team is thumping along-we are nearing the end of our fundraising
• We are blessed by the generosity of so many people at Northridge & those elsewhere as well
• This Saturday marks one month until we leave for AZ
• The Well & Awakening are booming as we hit two months in-almost 80 total people over two nights!
• We continue to see decisions as youth & adults are baptized into Christ-it never gets old
• Great message from Mike this weekend on End Times-powerful & moving!
• The youth ministry here is blessed with incredible youth partners-wouldn't do ministry without them!
• I enjoyed our parent meeting on Saturday morning-it an intense time of seeking a godly way to raise our youth
• Had a camp planning meeting last week for Woodland-very excited about a new adventure for camp this year
• Also a bit sad as it will be my first time not doing camp with my good friend John Porterfield in 6 years
• In the middle of all this work I am blessed to be married to the love of my life and have three unique, creative & beautiful daughters

The Struggle

"The struggle to the top alone can make the heart swell."
Albert Camus

This quote rolls through my head quite a bit.  It is often misread-Camus' intent is not to talk about struggling alone, but that sometimes the difficult journey holds more rewards than actually arriving at your destination. I have to believe that it is true-I am holding fast to that thought now. 

It is difficult to create a new culture in a church & in an area that has been around for so long.  There is so much teaching to be done, so much patience to be had, leaders to develop, foundations to build, and prayers to be prayed.  I'm not afraid of hard work-I actually relish it-but it can be frustrating as you continue to push along and not see the results you are hoping for or expecting.

Some days it frustrates me more than others.  I have this great desire to see ministry blossoming and people living out their faith on a consistent basis.  I invested 6 1/2 years in Florida and God did great things in spite of me there.  I don't want to recreate a Florida environment in Georgia, but my aim is to see young people (and us older folks) passionately following Jesus and desiring to do His great work.  It is going to take some time and the lessons that He is going to teach me (and His church) through the journey will mold and mature us into the church He designed us to be. 

I pray that I would not grow weary as we do His great work.

The Man I Want to Be

I think quite a bit about the man that I want to be.  Not that I am totally dissatisfied with who I am, but I also know that there is great room for improvement.  I think it is important for me to have that personal vision so that I know what I am working towards.  For accountability and clarification sake I have a short (albeit incomplete) list, in no particular order:

• Financially wise
• Giving & generous
• Even tempered
• Prayerful
• Loving & faithful husband
• Loving father
• Disciplined
• Healthy habits
• Visionary
• Confident in God
• Compassionate

I'm sure that some people could add things to my list, but it is more important to have your own.  It's difficult to go on a journey of discovery and growth if you don't know where you are headed.  So many people flounder in life (both physically & spiritually) because they don't have a clear vision for where they are going.  I see youth and adults continually make bad decisions that cause pain and anguish because they don't have a concept of who they want to become and more importantly, who God desires them to be.

Spending the time to prayerfully consider the person you want to be might seem discouraging when compared to your present state, but I find that it motivates you down the path that God truly wants you to travel.