“I did it all for the Message”

This verse wrecks me.  If you study the life of Paul and his passionate crazy no-holds barred approach to bringing others into a God-saved life you know that he gave it all for his King.  Nothing stopped him from the mission: jail, shipwrecks, the church, beatings, loneliness etc.

It got me wondering, Is all I do… for ‘the Message’?  The quick answer is a shameful no.  It would be easy (and is quite tempting) to pretend my life is all or at least mostly for the message, I mean, I’ve got this label of Pastor and leader to live up to.  I have a whole lot of reasons why I do what I do but I must admit it rarely involves the message.  Are you telling me I have my mortgage payment (1/3 of my salary) for the message?  My mini-van and car are all for the message?  My Nintendo Wii?  My landscaping?  My savings account?  My 401k?  My wife?  My kids?  Did I gain/attain/and retain these things ALL FOR THE MESSAGE?  Again, insert sad face here.  Don’t get me wrong, I am happy, feel blessed, love my life, and know that God had been real nice to me (which could include the above mentioned), but my motive for what I have gained in life has not been pure and filtered through this ‘message’ Paul gave his life for. 

Sorry, I have no pretty wrap up for this blog.  I’m stuck… thinking this one through for awhile. 

nkotb

Wanted to give a shout out to the little man in town.  In a time where big boxes and chain stores rule the roost there is 1 new kid on the block that just might make the cut, Bebe’s Coffee House.  It’s a local joint that has established itself as the go to place for great coffee, good vibe, and consistent service.  Every first Friday night of the month is open mic for local talent and when it’s warm they have a sweet patio that has plenty of comfortable seats to sit back, relax, and get your chill on.  With free WiFi it is my office away from my office…can’t beat that!  Stop by (Lakewood Springs Commons on edge of Plano/Yorkville), check it out and enjoy the best cup of coffee in town. 

Amazing week

Spent the last week in sunny Orlando and had a blast.  Here’s the cliffsnotes. 

Ran out church door, caught plane, smooth landing, great weather, Spyder Convertible, got made fun of, great friends, awesome food, smart speakers (at Exponential Conference), late nights, early mornings, Starbucks, met new faces, great conversations, PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory, Seasons 52, Pirates cove, Corona Cigar Co, Carter snoring, slept in a kiddy size twin bed, Apple store, ping pong w/plastic paddles, GPS awesomeness, Metcalf’s D-B LeBaron Convertible, Bret naked……ewe……hairy, runnin late, caught plane, smooth landing, saw Ari, can’t mention next activity, slept in my OWN bed.  

Amazing week!

Bromance

Hey guys, do you have a special male friend that you like to hang out with, go to the bar with, plays sports with, and maybe even go to the movies with.  Well, you now have an official title for that relationship…it is now called a BROMANCE.  That’s right, ABC News ran a story last night that put a new label on these types of male friendships.  Don’t know if that’s the word I would choose to use for me and my best bud Chrissy B’s relationship, but then again it could grow on me.  I got to believe there would be a less weird more palatable name for my good male friendships. 

Are you alright with that label or do you have a way better name/label than Bromance?  This could get pretty funny…let the names fly!

Freakout

Here is part 2 of our Losing My Religion series video at CCC.  We basically ‘borrowed’ the idea from Burger King’s Freak-out comercials.  We wondered what would happen if we took people’s spiritual ‘whopper’ away.  It’s really short, check out people’s responses.  Perry likey.

Fun is…

I’m gonna be real transparent with you.  I remember early on in our marriage when my wife leaving town for a whole week would send me over the edge with giddy school-girl excitemeant.  It meant days of fun with no boundaries and nobody else to worry about except…well, ME!

Oh how the years change a man.  With almost 8 years of marriage under the ole’ belt and 3 beautiful boys as a result of our luvin’, I feel different now.  I miss her.  I miss my boys.  The big change is that my definition of fun now INCLUDES my wife and boys.  Fun is not ME!  Fun is laughing every night with my wife when we watch our boys play in the yard, at the park, or in our living room.  Fun is me singing songs every night with Rhys and Ethan, tucking them in, and saying a goodnight prayer.  Fun is me and Ari having ‘us’ time after the kids are in bed.  Fun is the knot that I get in my stomach as I approach the front door, after a day of work, knowing that on the other side of that door 2 big boys are gonna come running for a hug while screaming DADDY!  Fun is going to bed with Ari and feeling her next to me as I drift off into the land of the snoring:) 

It’s only day 1 without you babe, and I’m not having fun.  Hugs and Kisses  

tHE dEVIL mADE mE dO iT

I heard a stat this morning that made me go hmmm.  I guess the odds of being possesed by the devil are now 1 in 7000.  Is that good odds or bad odds?  Makes me wonder what the odds are of someone being possesed by the God?  Anyone know?

We are Growing

Easter Sunday we (Yorkville CCC) will be expanding to 3 services.  Here is a video that we are spreading around like cold butter on warm wheat toast (along with written and verbal reinforcement) to make everyone aware of our NEW SERVICE TIMES.  I’m pretty sure it’s up for like 4 awards or something.  Enjoy.

you can’t handle the troof

I’ve been really floored by a very simple verse for the past couple of days.  Here it is, John 14:6 says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life…”.  Here’s my dilemma; How do I keep these 3 things pure (way, truth, life) the way Jesus meant them when he said them?  How do I take these three things for what they are, nothing more…nothing less but still maximize them to their fullest potential?

We’ve all heard this verse used as ammunition to make the innocent ’sinner’ (nice oxymoron) aware that they are going to hell without Jesus.  But I’m not interested in that angle (however right it may or may not be).  I want to know this verse in a fresh non-judgemental way.  How do I NOT use this scripture to only ‘preach’ AT people (cuz that’s the part Christians already do well) but instead use it to revolutionize my own faith?  I mean, surely this verse means something to those who are ALREADY following Christ.

Jesus, how do I CONTINUE to make you my way, my truth, my life? 

Bring It On!

While others cry “Mercy” and whimper “I’ve had enough”, I say IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT!  Bring it on Al Gore, show me what you and global warming are made of!!!  Show me the SNOW!