knock. knock. knock.

Well, here we are (again)…
We find ourselves knocking at the door of a brand new year.

It’s usually at this point we find ourselves resolving to do things differently in 2009 from how we did them in 2008. It’s what everyone wants...it’s a clean slate; it’s a fresh start. What is it for you? Is it financial, is it physical, is it a relationship? Put together a plan to make it happen.

Here’s another question to ponder as you set goals (or think about setting goals) for the new year…
How can you help make a difference in the life of someone else? Not only does God have a special plan and purpose for your life; He is equipping you to make a difference in this world. Ask God what you can do to bless others. Ask Him how you can do it. Ask Him to show you who to bless with the gifts, abilities, and talents He has given you. Make an investment that is guaranteed to multiply. Invest in the life of someone else.

That’s it. Resolve to make this year better than last and resolve to help someone else do the same.

Knock. Knock. Knock…are you ready?

What have you resolved to do in 2009? It’s worth thinking about.
Have a Happy New Year! Make 2009 your best yet!

Christmas EVE 2008

Ed Young Jr. wrote the following as his church (Fellowship Church) prepares for Christmas this year...

Christmas is s big deal. That may seem like an obvious statement, but not for the reason many might think. Yes, it's a big deal in our culture—it's the centerpiece of the winter holiday season. Yes, it's a big deal for retailers—it's when they typically go from red to black in their financial forecasts. Yes, it's a big deal for kids—they wait with bated breath for the arrival of Santa and Christmas morning. And yes, it's a big deal for families—when loved ones get to spend lots of quality time together (for better or for worse).

Christmas is the new Easter in the church today. The poinsettia and lily crowd is becoming just the poinsettia crowd. For one reason or another, people who give church just a passing glance all year long will brave the elements and attend a Christmas service. They might get warm fuzzies about “peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” They may have nostalgic memories of attending Christmas services as children and hearing the story of that special baby born in a manger. Whatever the reason, they will come.

My prayer is that, when they do, I will be ready and you will be ready to introduce them to the Savior. When they step into our Christmas services this week, we need to prepare their hearts for Christ to step in and rearrange their lives. That's why it's so important that our message at Christmas doesn't stop with the traditional story of Christmas. You can't talk about the Christmas story without talking about the Easter story. In reality, it's all one message. Christ was born to die. He was destined to step into time and space as a baby so He could walk that long road to the cross as a man.


That is why we are so excited about the upcoming event at the Performing Arts Center in New Albany on Christmas Eve. I hope you will decide to join us.

It's not just the story of Christ's journey on this earth. It's the story of everyone's journey to, or away from, the Savior. We all have a monumental choice to make—to take a step toward Jesus or away from Him. The wise men made that step; the shepherds made that step; Mary and Joseph made that step. And men, women and children throughout history have been making that step.

Will you take that step? If you would like to do that please leave a comment and I would be happy to touch base with you to talk.

Join Emerge at the Performing Arts Center in New Albany as we Rock the Season in celebration of the birth of our Savior. You won't want to miss this highly anticipated night of worship.

Visit www.emergecolumbus.com for more information.

Merry Christmas!

twas the nightmare before christmas...

Here is a poem the creative team (Chris, Tommy, Brian, and Chris) at Jersey wrote a couple of years ago in preparation for a Christmas message series.

Twas the nightmare before Christmas, and all through the house
Everyone is screaming, yes, even your spouse
Uncle Fred in the corner with his evil stare
While Aunt Georgia eats fruitcake without a care

The children are fighting and banging their heads
With screaming of newborns who haven’t been fed
And mamma in her kitchen has just burnt the meal
I may just start running for her wrath I may feel

When out on the lawn there rose such a noise
I could barely hear it but recognized the voice
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and stepped on the cat

The moon shone down on the newly fallen snow
A large someone lying there who we did not know
When what to my wandering eyes should appear
It was just Uncle Steve wearing on his face a dreadful sneer

He must have fallen and hurt himself plenty
Seems Uncle Steve had thrown back one too many
I ran to help him and was met at the door
By a small group of carolers singing for the poor

I had no time for song, for the poor, or for cheer
I needed only to get Uncle Steve into the clear
And when on the lawn I was met by red and blue lights
Twas the police who had heard of our house full of fights

With tears in my eyes and no hope in sight
I fell to my knees prayed with all might
“Oh Jesus, my want is to leave this behind”
“Take my heart, take my soul, and please calm my mind”

Twas as if all my worries were no longer a care
And yet with my opening eyes I would share
None of my circumstances had really changed
It was just how I saw them, they are now rearranged

This Christmas will be different and not just for me
But to all who come to Jesus and receive what is free
Twas a nightmare before Christmas before He saved my life
And now He is waiting to be a part of your life.
Seek Him and it is Jesus you’ll find
And then it will be a Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.

Serving Part 6 (of 6)

Well, this post wraps up our six part series on serving. I hope you have enjoyed it. I will conclude with a call to understanding that our service is for a lifetime...

Not only are we to serve in love, but we are to serve for a lifetime. We have not been called to serve when we feel like it or serve when everything is convenient.
We are to serve for a lifetime in the same way we are to worship for a lifetime.
Consider Romans 12:1 (NIV):

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.

God has not called us to be weekend worshipers. Rather, we are living sacrifices, which means a life of worship. Worship is expected for a lifetime. We are also to serve for a lifetime in the same way we are to be stewards for a lifetime: Look at 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV):

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

Stewardship is required for a lifetime. God has not called us to be token givers, but faithful managers of all he has entrusted to us. We are servants of God for a lifetime. We have all heard this before…The Christian life is more like a marathon than a sprint.

So just as:
Worship is expected for a lifetime;
And Stewardship is expected for a lifetime;
So Serving is expected for a lifetime. Galatians 5:13 (NIV):

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

God commands us to “serve one another.” Our service has never been optional. We are to serve and we are to serve for a lifetime. Can you imagine a group of believers (the church) who actually believe they can make a difference in this world. Imagine with me a group of believers using the gifts God has given them to touch others. God has called you and He has gifted you to do some pretty amazing things. Are you ready to serve?

Now...walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called. - Ephesians 4:1

Serving Part 5

Part 5 of 6
We've discussed our Spiritual Gifts, our Heart (or Passion), we've discussed the Abilities that God has given us, we looked at our Personality, and we discussed that God will even our Experiences in life to make an impact in the lives of people around us.

In this post we will discuss the fact that our service needs to be rooted in love. I think God is more concerned about the way we serve than what we do with our Spiritual Gifts.

1 Corinthians 12 lays the a foundation for ministry. We learn how God has designed the church to function as the body of Christ. It is interesting to note that in Romans 12, one of the other key passages on Spiritual Gifts, that the discussion on Spiritual Gifts is also followed by a passage on Love. Is it a coincidence that two of the major Biblical passages on Spiritual Gifts are each followed by a passage on Love? I don’t think so…

And now I will show you the most excellent way. -1 Corinthians 12:31b.

Now we are going to be shown a more excellent way of serving, which is to serve in love.

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. -I Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV)

It is important to note that the people being spoken of in the above passage are using their Spiritual Gifts. You can do things for the church, but if you are not doing it with love it means nothing. You’re not going to make the difference God wants you to make! Our service expressed without love do not reflect who God is and it will not make a Kingdom Impact.

Serving Part 4

This is part 4 of 6 in our Serving series. I have been highlighting several areas that help us better understand that we have been uniquely gifted to serve within the local church. God has designed us with a purpose and He wants to use our gifts, talents, experiences, and passions to touch the lives of those around us. In this post I will highlight how God uses our personality to make a Kingdom impact.

Have you ever wished your personality was different?
By nature I am more of an introvert. To be honest, there are times I struggle when I'm invited to a party with a bunch of people I don't know. It's times like these when I wish I was more of an extrovert. When you find yourself out of your comfort zone...let it remind you that God has created you just the way He wanted. That's a good thing! Let's find out a little more about our personalities...

Our Spiritual Gift(s) helps us answer the WHAT question (What should I do?).

Our Passion helps us answer the WHERE question (Where should I do it?).

Our Personality helps us answer the HOW question (How should I do it?).

Our personality is God-given and He wants us to use that special uniqueness to touch lives for His glory. After all, that is why we serve...To glorify God and to build others up.
Psalm 139 is a fantastic passage that helps us understand God’s creation of ourselves as a unique individual. Looking at the end of verse 16, you will see that God wrote down all the days he had planned for you in His book – before you were ever born. Amazing!

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)

I hope this passage helps you begin to see why God made you the way he did! He has a very special purposes for you, He loves you, and He wants to use you to make an impact.

You are special, you are unique, and you are wonderfully made.
How is God using you?

Serving Part 3

In this post I will introduce two additional areas (our experiences and our abilities) that help us determine the place where we can make the greatest impact when it comes to serving. This post is a little shorter, but still important in discovering our service within the local church.

Our experiences and abilities have a tremendous impact in determining how God has uniquely designed each of us and how He wants to use us.

As we think about our experiences in life it is often easy to see how the high points of our lives have equipped us to serve God. But it can be harder at times to see how our experiences of failure, sin, betrayal, or violation can be fruitful when we surrender them to God. It is in times like these that we all need to embrace our experiences, both positive and painful, and allow God to use them to shape us so as to fulfill his purpose.

Just as our experiences play a role in determining how God wants to use us, so do our natural abilities. An ability is a natural or acquired skill or talent. God wants to use you and the abilities He has given you to touch the life or the lives of others.

God uses both our experiences and abilities to touch the world around us.

Serving Part 2

Just as we have been gifted to serve, we've also been given a passion (or a heart) to serve in a certain area. If we were to define our Heart when it comes to serving we would say...

Heart is the God-given desire that compels us to make a difference in a particular ministry.

Just as our Spiritual Gift(s) help us understand WHAT we should be doing, our heart or passion helps you know WHERE to serve; it gives you direction. It gives you motivation and energy to serve in a particular area of ministry. Identifying and articulating your Heart is an ongoing process. Some people know and understand their passion while some struggle with understanding the passion God has given them.

What is that thing inside of you that makes you stay awake at night? What is that thing that stirs the emotion of change from within? God has given you a passion. He wants to use your giftedness and passions to do amazing things. How has God shaped your heart? What do you love to do?

Remember...
Everyone has a heart that is passionate about something.
What are you passionate about?

Serving Part 1

I have the ongoing opportunity to teach a course on Serving at Jersey Baptist Church (Columbus, OH). As a staff we decided to help our members gain a better understanding of how God has uniquely gifted them as well as help them find a meaningful place of service at Jersey.

Over the next few posts I am going to flesh out some thoughts and ideas on serving within the body of Christ. Some of the information is taken from the Network (Willow Creek) and SHAPE (Saddleback Church) studies.

Comments and questions are welcome.

Serving Part 1...
The goal of our Serving with Joy course is to help believers to be fruitful and fulfilled in a meaningful place of service.

In Galatians 5:13 we read:
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to
indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

The word serve is a command. That means serving for the believer is not an option.
For far too long there have been too many that sit on the sidelines and watch what is happening. God intends for every believer to play a part in something bigger than ourselves. The impact we can make if we are willing to step on the field will reap eternal rewards. we have been called and gifted to make a difference in this world.

The purpose for serving in the church is to do two things...
Glorify God and Edify others.

What are Spiritual Gifts. We could spend weeks on this, but in short...

Spiritual Gifts are special abilities distributed by the Holy Spirit to every believer according to God's design and grace. Spiritual Gifts are given for the common good of the body of Christ.

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Corinthians 12:11)

Spiritual Gifts help us answer the what question as it relates to serving.

How has God gifted you?

In my next post we will explore the Passion(s) God has given each of us.

hope

As the events of our world continue to unfold it leaves many clinging to very little. We have watched the economy and its continued decline. Are gas prices finally receding or will we again sit helpless if prices increase? We watch leaders from other nations fail and we continue to question our leaders at home. Who will lead this nation over the next four years and can we trust what they say? Will it get better or will it get worse? In the midst of this uncertainty many people wonder if we will find light at the end of this darkness. To trust and hope are seemingly foreign thoughts, yet many still ask…Who should we trust? Where do we find hope? And it would appear as if those would be questions without answers if it weren’t for one thing…There is a Creator and He cares about what is happening; not only in our world, but in our individual lives as well. So when I hear those with failing hope I am reminded of one thing…

My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.

Where have you placed your hope?

how much extra for nice?

Passing along a thought from a blog (Seth Godin) I read this morning...
Thanks Seth. It's a nice reminder.

If I pay $1000 extra for a first-class seat, odds are the flight attendant will be nice to me.

If I pay $2000 extra for the presidential suite at the hotel, odds are the front desk clerk will be nice to me.

If I give the valet $50 to park my car, odds are he'll be nice to me as well.

So, here's the question: if all I want, the only extra, is for someone to be nice to me when I visit your business, how much extra does that cost? How much extra to talk to a nice person when I call tech support? How much extra to find a nice receptionist at the doctor's office? Would you pay $9 extra for a smile when you dealt with the Social Security bureaucrats and were filing a form?

I know you're rushed and stressed and stretched. I know your team deals with hundreds or thousands of customers, and a lot of them aren't very friendly or warm. And I know that some of your customers (maybe a lot) would happily pay a little extra to get that one thing they want most of all...

I think there's a huge gap between what people are willing to pay for nice (a lot) and what it would cost businesses to deliver it (almost nothing). Smells like an opportunity.

framing...

In this crazy world of political positioning we are inundated with a myriad of verbal absurdities. I like to watch and listen to the framing of the campaigns. It adds an element of entertainment in an otherwise dreadful attempt for someone to secure the highest elected office in the world. I read and interesting blog today (Kem Meyer) that discussed framing (see below). It is a quick read and it will change the way you listen to the candidates...


Framing is the practice of considering what's going on in the mind and heart of your listener or reader. (What are they thinking and feeling before you show up?) And, then deciding how to articulate what you want to say.

It doesn't matter if you are an expert with pure motive and open heart. How a person perceives what you say is even more real than how you perceive it yourself. So how ARE you gonna say what you're gonna say?

I went and gathered a few framing examples from some sources to help exercise this part of our brain.

"Words not only explain but motivate. They cause you to think as well as act. They trigger emotion as well as understanding."

	File sharing	or	Stealing music
	Assistance to the poor	or	Welfare
	Gun control	or	Firearm safety
	Estate tax	or	Death tax
	Crime agenda	or	Safety & security platform
	Drilling for oil	or	Energy exploration
	Gambling	or	Gaming
	Disease management	or	Prevention
	Denied	or	Should not be given

"Is it message manipulation? I do not believe there is something dishonorable
about presenting a passionately held proposition in the most favorable light,
while avoiding the self-sabotage of clumsy phrasing and dubious delivery.
I do not believe it is malevolent to choose the strongest arguments
rather than to go lazily with the weakest."

Quotes by Frank Luntz.

home improvement...why?

I don't get along well with most home improvement projects. Yesterday I faced the daunting task of hanging a new light in the kitchen. I will spare you the bone-chilling details. I will tell you that after approx. five hours of sheer torture the light is hanging. The cords are all twisted and the light does not work. All the twisting and turning must have knocked something loose. Tonight I will take it all down and start over. I am OK. Don't worry about me. However, if the light gives me anymore trouble it will find itself in the backyard.

i haven't posted in a few weeks

I haven't posted in a few weeks. Life has been busy and my brain continues to spend much of its time in the red zone. Some days it is hard to put my thoughts on paper. I find myself needing to turn things over to God. However, I struggle with whether or not I've actually done that. I think I have, but then I continue dwelling on the very thing(s) I thought I released. Wow, that was a mouthful. Until next time...

has your brain been re-wired?

I read a communications blog this morning by Kem Meyer. It was on an article that discussed how our brains are re-wiring because of how we're using them. Some paraphrased excerpts:

• The addictive nature of web browsing can leave you with an attention span of nine seconds - the same as a goldfish.

• Our attention span gets affected by the way we do things...we can get into a habit of not concentrating.
  

• Twitter reduces our thoughts to just 140 characters. 12seconds.tv does it in twelve seconds.
  
  
• The average length of the 12 billion online videos consumed by US users in May? 2.7 minutes. The more words you add to a page the more people skim it. Our short attention spans can’t handle long articles and we end up just skipping to the bottom.
  
  
• Shorter blog posts or posts chunked with headlines, bullet points or images get more comments than posts with lengthy blocks of text.
  
  
• Television, the internet and other external stimuli has rewired our brains to make it harder to absorb information that doesn’t come in bite-sized chunks. Our brains are ready to jump to the next stimuli before we’ve fully absorbed the first.

summer

Had a great afternoon at the pool this afternoon with family and friends. I only wish the summer wasn't moving by quite so fast.

what do I want to do with this site?

Just thinking out loud...
Is this site nothing more than a place to occasionally put my thoughts in writing?
Should it be more helpful to current and future subscribers?
I don't know. Until I figure it out I will just keep thinking out loud.

By the way...
Terri is back from Cambodia. I love my wife.

two weeks is a long time

Terri left for Cambodia last Monday. She is having a great time and sounds as if some amazing things are happening. I get an occasional e-mail update which is nice. Anyway, she will be home next Tuesday. My kids have been at various places (aunts, uncles, friends) so I have been a little bored with an empty house. To tell you the truth...being a bachelor doesn't come close to being a husband and father. I don't like an empty house. Two weeks is a long time, but I am glad Terri is having this experience.

happy july 4

We have so much to be thankful for as we celebrate our nations freedom today. Have a very Happy 4th of July!

my wife's on a plane

I just dropped my wife off at the airport. I already miss her.

can't afford the rent, but it looks fun

I ran across this article today.

(CNN) -- Ambitious plans to build a revolutionary 420-meter shape-shifting skyscraper in Dubai have been unveiled by architects. Each floor of the tower would rotate independently, architects claim, creating an ever-shifting shape. The 80-story Dynamic Tower, described as the "world's first building in motion," will also be the first skyscraper constructed from prefabricated units, according to a press statement released by New York-based architect David Fisher's Dynamic Group. Each floor would be capable of rotating independently, powered by wind turbines fitted between each floor. "You can adjust the shape the way you like every given moment," Fisher said. "It's not a piece of architecture somebody designed today and that's it. It remains forever. It's designed by life, shaped by time." Apartments will sell for around $3,000 per square foot, making each unit range in price from about $4 million to $40 million. Work on the tower is due to be completed by 2010, according to Dynamic's Web site.

ok, that's cool!

My brother-n-law got me started on this JOTT thing about a month ago. It has taken my productivity to a new level (personal and professional). I can actually JOTT myself (never thought I would say something like that).

Have you ever needed to write something down while driving? Now you can do it without picking up a pen. Just Jott yourself. Jott converts your voice into emails, text messages, reminders, lists and appointments. Check it out...www.jott.com. Happy jotting!

Kung Fu Panda

Terri and I took the kids to see Kung Fu Panda last week.
Actually the kids took me and Terri and asked us to pay.
Either way...it was fun and I would actually go see it again.

An entertaining movie that helps you realize that we should never give up on a dream.

Two thumbs up.

thirteen years

That's right...thirteen years! Today is my wedding anniversary. I have been married for thirteen years and I have enjoyed every one of them. I am looking forward to the next thirteen years.

And yes, this is a picture from our vacation last week.

If you have taken the time to read this then take another 30 seconds to call your spouse just to say...I love you!

i love vacation

We are having a great time in sunny South Carolina!! I watched a beautiful sunrise this morning. Wish I was a morning person so I could enjoy one everyday. Only three days left. It's happening too fast! I hope it slows down a little.

trusting God to provide

Without going into great detail, I decided to shake things up a little (see last post). In the course of doing so I found that the way I want to see things unfold doesn't always happen. I had it all figured out when out of the blue I was thrown a major league curve ball. Two days of praying, thinking and asking advice resulted in a decision. Long story short...I shook things up a little, got a little shaken up myself, and finally put it all in God's hands. That's a good place for things to be...In God's hands.

are you comfortable?

Is being comfortable a bad thing? Is finding yourself in that place of the same routine OK? I'm not sure. I guess it has its good points, but I wonder if it keeps you from experiencing MORE. Sometimes it's hard to move out of the routine into the unknown. I know...the fear of risk keeps me paralyzed at times. I guess it's in those times that we need to trust God and not lean so much on our own understanding (and comforts). It seems like a scary and exciting thing to leave the routine, but I need to shake it up a little. We'll see what happens.

memorial day weekend

As we wind down from a fantastic three day weekend I am reminded how blessed I am. It has been a fun weekend of friends and family. I am also reminded how blessed we are as a nation and the freedoms we enjoy. The tremendous sacrifices that have been made and continue to be made is humbling. To the brave men and women who fight for our continued freedom... Thank you for your dedicated service to this country.

two weeks

Yep, that's right...
I leave for the beach in two weeks!

one movie down

Terri and I took the kids to see Price Caspian on Saturday night.
Two thumbs up. The kids liked it! This one will make the video library!

movies to see this summer

I enjoy going to the movies, but usually end up watching most on DVD. Here are a few I hope to see before they leave the theaters...

Indiana Jones, Incredible Hulk, Batman, and Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia).














We'll see what happens.
Hope to see you at the movies.

when technology fails

Sunday services in Emerge yesterday were plagued by those evil technology gremlins. From video feed problems at 9:45 to a building power outage at 11:00 we seemed to struggle through the day. Joel (our worship leader) stepped in at 11:00 and shared with a group of 200 people in the dark. His talk about who we follow was terrific. Thanks Joel! We closed with an acoustic version of You Alone. Overall, it was a good day. And all that to say; when our plans backfire, when technology fails, and when the lights go out...God doesn't go anywhere. He is still very interested in our worship. I hope it was a blessing to Him.

four weeks till the beach

That's right, I leave for the beach in four weeks. There will be 18 of us (give or take) and I love it. Some would call it crazy, but it's fun having 11 kids running around the beach and the pool. I will share some thoughts from the beach once I get there.

A sunrise from 2007.
Can't wait to see the sunrises next month!