Friendship

I've been thinking about a post my father-in-law wrote for over a week now. You really need to read the post to get the context. The whole thing is good...but this one statement has stuck with me..."Let’s not confuse the term friends and fellowship together. Fellowship is a church word that describes an activity. Friendship costs something … time, effort and love."
We had a lot of fun having dinner with some new friends last night...enjoyed having coffee with a friend over the last year today and am looking forward to playing tennis with a group of friends on Thursday. Man, I'm blessed. And in each of those encounters I have/am expecting to experience a little more of the Father's love. In all you busyness this week, don't forget to connect with people...they need your friendship, and you need theirs. You never know when a hug, a call, or an email may be just the touch someone needs to remember they have a Heavenly Father that loves them!

Opportunity

So, if you've followed this blog much....there have obviously been a lot of changes in my life recently. No need to go into details; just in a new phase of walking with Jesus and discovering daily His will for my life. I've sensed so much His grace over the past few weeks....manifested through other believers. Thank you for loving us and being an extension of the Father's heart towards us.
I've been fascinated this week with how I can be a conduit of God's grace. So much has been poured out on me....(reference the flow through post a couple of weeks ago)....that I want to make sure I am dispensing God's grace to others. It's really not that difficult, but does involve a commitment of time and some effort. Stuart was a real dispenser of God's grace to me this week when he called out of the blue to let me know he was praying for me and wanted to have dinner with my family. Randy was when he stopped by my office just to tell me he missed me and I needed to play tennis ...mostly so we could see each other every week. (Randy, I re-gripped both tennis rackets yesterday...no excuses now). Jerry was when he stopped to make sure I was ok when I was on the shoulder of HWY 380. (I was....just writing down info off of a realtor sign..work stuff).
My friend, Susan is an inspiration to me as a grace conduit. Her ministry...Hearts for Homes....helps provided needed repairs to the homes of elderly people living on fixed incomes. Talk about a tangible display of the love of God! So, here's the opportunity....join me on Sept 20th on a Hearts for Homes project. There is a need for 4-5 skilled workers and 4-5 unskilled workers. (I am filling one of the latter spots). Email Susan to let her know you're in...and copy me so I can look forward to seeing you there....and ragging you if you don't show.

The Fear of the Lord

I had a fun time talking to Jason Boyd at SWAT last night. He had a very exciting week...picked up his new Kawasaki bike from Carrolton on Friday and drove it home. He told me this great story that happened to him on the way home....when he started the bike and accidentally popped a wheelie on the highway. To be fair, I laughed...but was really thinking about when it happened to me. Each Christmas....Mer's family takes a trip together. Last year...we all went to OK to ride dirt bikes together. I had never ridden a dirt bike, so I practiced a little bit in the pasture out at the ranch. Wayne had bought these little db10 dirtbikes...way small for a guy my size. But they were really pretty powerful...enough so that it was easy to get the front wheel off the ground. I had to learn to sit way up front...which really made me look too big for the bike...because if I sat at the back and gave it any gas at all...I was taking off on one wheel.Jason, I'm a little jealous bro. I hope you have lots of fun on the bike and get to pass it down to Titus. It's funny how we're excited by a powerful machine...but a little scared by it too. A healthy respect we call it. I think that's what the fear of the Lord is all about. Our God is not safe...but He is good. Don't let your image of him get to be too wimpy!

Flow through

Ever tried to catch water in your hands? I used to try to drink like this when I was a kid and it was a hot summer day.

Reminds me of how we're to hold things in our lives....to realize that God blesses us so that we can be a blessing. That things don't always come into our lives to hold onto....but so that the overflow can refresh others.

We've had several opportunities with situations in our community to be able to be a blessing to some folks....and it's amazing how it's blessed us. Meridith turned to me last night as we were talking about that and said...this is fun! Try letting go some this week....ask the Lord what He's placing in your hands just so it can flow through to bless someone else!

Against all Odds

My friend, Rick Thompson has been doing a cool sermon series on Urban myths....things we think the Bible says that just aren't in there. A couple weeks ago he preached a message on the myth that God won't put more on us than we can bear. Someone should have told Gideon that. When the numbers were already stacked against Gideon, God instructed Gideon to shrink his numbers! Why?? So that God would receive the glory for the victory!
At COC, we say we exist for one reason....to make God's name famous on the 380 corridor and beyond. That's a dangerous goal. God's glory and fame increasing usually involves His people finding themselves in a place where the odds are against them. The more the odds are against us, the more opportunity for God to display His glory and increase His fame.
Saturday night we're going to be looking at the life of Elijah...and learning how to handle life when the odds are against us. I can't wait....I know God's word has some encouragement for us. Come expecting!

Authentic Sinners

I heard this quote about Jesus that has kept me thinking for several days now. "He would rather hang around authentic sinners than fake saints." Now, you won't find that quote anywhere in the Bible, but I do think the life of Jesus bears it out. He was called the friend of sinners. His harshest criticisms was always for the "religious" pharisees.

As a youth pastor, I used to always caution my teens about the friends they hung out with. It's funny....this week I've felt like the Father has cautioned me the same thing....but flipped the meaning of it. It's easy in our culture...especially in the Bible belt to insulate ourselves from those who don't know Jesus instead of reaching out to them. It hit me as I was in a group last nigth that was praying for God to send us the masses so we could reach them for Jesus....that God's plan is different. He has already sent us to the masses...and we would rather they "come" than for us to "go" as we've been commanded.

So I'm going to be hanging out with some authentic sinners in the coming weeks. Hopefully...if all goes well.....maybe I'll be called a friend of sinners as well.

Brand New Dawson

I had a cool experience at SWAT last night. I went and just watched the kidos at the Providence SWAT so that their parents could focus in and dig deeper into the life of David. I hope it was good for them. To be honest, I didn't have any life changing experiences or cool stories from watching the kids. Titus and Julia said some pretty funny stuff...but I didn't really get any revelation from them. But....at the end of the evening Robin Booker asked if I had heard about Dawson. I hadn't....and if you haven't heard, it's great! Dawson came in while Robin was watching TV and asked "So if I ask Jesus into my heart, he will forgive everything I've ever done wrong or ever will do wrong....forever?" That's a pretty big concept...one a lot of us adults are still trying to grasp. Once he got his questions answered, he said "I need to ask Jesus into my heart right now"...and his mom had the privelage of leading him to Jesus. So....if you notice something different about Dawson this week....it's that he's a brand new creation in Christ....the old has gone, the new has come. Cool stuff! Another great reason to be involved in a SWAT team...you get to hear and see what God is doing in other folk's lives ....kinda like a front row seat!