The Untouchables!

Posted by Pastor D | Posted on 08-02-2010

Category : At the movies, Community, Connections, Cultural Relevance, Formation, Lessons, Lifestyle, Spiritual Fitness, Uncategorized, evangelism, example, how ya' livin', witness

Okay, show of hands. Who likes The Untouchables? I love that movie. It talks about a great era, which I love. I love the 20′s era gangster stuff. This movie detailed a group of lawmen called the Untouchables. They were tasked with the mission to stop Al Capone in prohibition eta Chicago. As usual for me I find something in a movie that works as a ministry point. I think it may be a preacher thing where lots of things can be illustrations. At any rate, there is a scene in the beginning of the movie where Ness is selecting officers and law enforcement to be a part of the Untouchables. As he looks through the classroom type space where the officers are he says, “I know many of you take a drink now and then, but since that is what we are fighting against let’s not do that anymore” (paraphrase).   His whole point in saying this was to say that the Untouchables had to cease participating in the things they were supposed to be rallying against. This speaks volumes to believers.

How many believers have done or do the things that their code (the bible) says that they are supposed to be against. I know many people criticize the church because they say they are always against something. The truth of the matter is that there are things that believers are against and are supposed to be against as well as things that believers are for. In order for the witness to be the most effective believers need to make it a point to not participate in the things they are going to have to stand against. Elliot Ness wanted there to be a moral authority to their crusade against prohibition. How do we live that out in our everyday lives? Sometimes it seems that we want so much to be a part of the crowd that we put down what the original instructions were. Elliot Ness said to stop doing what they were doing if there were going to do what they needed to do. We need to live right lives and be an example. The question for us needs to be what are we wanting to be an example of? Elliot Ness has an important message for us from the 1987 movie that should work its wat into our 2010 lives.

Just A Thought

Posted by Pastor D | Posted on 04-02-2010

Category : Community, Connections, Cultural Relevance, Daily Babble, Spiritual Fitness, Uncategorized

Just a thought. I was sitting here thinking about the church. As much as we are supposed to be reflective of God’s Kingdom we are decidedly divided and marginalized. I have been having lots of conversations and thoughts on church diversity these days. Listen, I am not naive enough to think the on any given day the local church will end up being 100% diverse. However, the startling thing to me is the lack of willingness among “church people” to even be open to it. No one wants to “work across the aisle” borrowing from political terminology. I find that many things are less likely to happen when we are not even open to them. There seems to an entrenched idea of not worshipping together and then we become content worshipping within our own bubbles. I am not downing church or any church in particular. I am merely addressing what seems to be an prevalent ideology that works within church membership.

One thing I have noticed is that idea has not permeated the younger population of the church. This is a good thing. What they seem to want is Jesus and His will for their life. It does not matter to them who they are next to as they do this. I know some of you may not feel where I am coming from, but like I said earlier… It is just a thought. Peace!!!

No Quitters Allowed

Posted by Pastor D | Posted on 28-01-2010

Category : Community, Connections, Cultural Relevance, Formation, Lessons, Lifestyle, Spiritual Fitness, Uncategorized, example, how ya' livin', witness

My family joined the vast group of wii owners during this past Christmas season. Everyone has their favorite game on the wii or better yet, the game they each excel at. However, my son is still trying to find the game he likes the best. While he searches for what suits him best he went and played a few of the games. After a while since it took so long and produced a little frustration he said, “I QUIT”… Duh, duh, duh (dramatic movie danger sound track). Things got a little hard and required more effort, determination and work and my little man said, “I QUIT”. My son is not a quitter, but in this instance he was. I had a quick thought when that happened. I asked myself, “What am I?” In addition to that I asked, “What are you?” Are you a quitter?

Once thing I have seen with people is as soon as things get a little hard and a little inconvenient we bail out and quit. It seems easier to quit and throw in the towel than it is to scratch and fight to finish what we started. When we look at many marriages we see it all of the time. Either spouse will stand before a preacher and invited guests and declare their undying love for each other. They will share endless and heartfelt vows. About a year later the spouse finds out some not so good things about the other spouse and the spouse bails. What? What happened to, “Till death do us part?” Somehow the commitment had become inconvenient to keep so we bailed. Life requires that we fight and fight hard. Life will throw things at you that make you want to quit, but that is not what we do. We fight! Look at those in Haiti and all they are experiencing and fighting through. So many of them have hope and are still fighting. Which of you reading this blog is going through anything even close to what is happening in Haiti? My thoughts exactly.

So, the next time life gut punches you and you experience trying times do not back out and quit. I know it is an old school cliche’ saying, but “winners never quit and quitters never quit.” Do you want to win?

Under Attack!

Posted by Pastor D | Posted on 19-01-2010

Category : Community, Cultural Relevance, Formation, Lessons, Spiritual Fitness, Uncategorized, example

Do you ever feel that way? I mean when it seems that Murphy’s Law goes into effect “whatever can go wrong will” (that is one of Murphy’s Laws, right?) Oh well… It seems that sometimes things happen in a stream during your life that makes you feel like you are under attack. It is not just one, but maybe two or three over a span of time that make you say DANG!(and no, dang is not a cuss word). I am leery to use words like attack because sometimes those kinds of words can be overused, especially in church world. The following rant is not at all a complaint, but it is merely what is happening in my world that seem a little attackish (I know that is not a word) to me. The three attacks that seem to be in my world these days are;

  • Health
  • Finances
  • Relationship

Both of my children over about the last month have been sick. They have been trading off with stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. It has been pretty overwhelming with the children not feeling well. It has been crazy. They cry, they grimace and want mom and dad to make it feel better. As soon as it seems that one gets well the sickness comes back or the other one gets sick. You have got to be kidding me. Yes! I am a man of faith, but this has happened in life and just seems again, a little attackish. :-) I think this has all been done to keep us distracted and not focused on some of the other things going on and to throw a schedule into the things that need to be going on in our home. As recent as last night my daughter had a hard time sleeping and was in big discomfort. We are praying and pushing for them to be fully well and declare healing in Jesus name for them both. :-)

Alrighty then, the next is finances. We are at a pivotal place where money is needed to make some things happen in our family lives and things come up to mess up that effort. Anything from a bank snafu to a major car repair needed. What? Let me pick one financial thing that seems a little attackish without going down the list. We went to Courageous Church this past Sunday to celebrate the one year anniversary with Shaun King. By the way, this was totally an AWESOMEservice.  We had been having some car trouble with our main car. While driving to service the car was smoking and making loud noise. Got out of service and prayed to make it home. Guess what? We did not. The car died in the middle of the interstate. Aargh! I had to maneuver the car to the should which is tough because the steering wheel locked. At this point the car is smoking and will not turn on. Fast forward to Monday after we hear back from the garage. Just to get the car to run costs crazy moneyand that is only the beginning. After it runs, there ware some radiator issues. Aargh! This sounds like more crazy money. Talk about bad timing, this was it. Again, this seems a little attackish to me. :-)

I was going to write about the third thing that has been under attack, but I will save it for tomorrow because this post has been pretty long as it is. See you all tomorrow. Peace!!!

Whatever You Say Daddy

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Posted by Pastor D | Posted on 04-01-2010

Category : Formation, Lessons, Lifestyle, Spiritual Fitness, Uncategorized, example, how ya' livin'

Lately when I talk to anyone about what is going with the church plant and what season I am in, my answer is simple. I respond to them that I am in a place of, “whatever you say Lord!” That is honestly my state of mind these days. I want to do what God says for me to do. That is in regards to the church plant, family etc., etc., etc. I am so done with doing things my own way or from my own intelligence and ingenuity. My trust has been totally refocused an re-shifted. I have to say, I love it. This is the paramount place of any father and son relationship. My son and I were at Target spending a gift card he had gotten for Christmas. There was a group of toys he wanted, but he did not know which one to get. He turns to me and says, “Daddy which one do you want me to get?” In my mind I thought, “Just make the decision.” However, he did make a decision by deferring to me. This instance was not isolated because he has done it with his food choices, clothes etc. Every time in my mind I think the same thing, “Make a decision for yourself.” This last time being at Target God gut punched with the realization and said, “This is the way it is supposed to be.” God used my son to show my how it should look between me and my heavenly Father.

Many times we head through life making all of our decisions ourselves and never asking what God what He wants us to do. Now, I am not saying you necessarily need to ask him what color jeans or shoes to buy, even though you can. I am merely saying that so many of our life choices never seek God for any consultation. What we typically do is make the decision and then we ask God to endorse the decision that we have made. The process should be the other way around where God makes the decision and we agree.

Our lack of asking God is really a lack of trust. I figured out that my son often says to me, “What do you want me to do, get or have daddy” because he trusts me and knows that I want what is best for him. Is that your point of view as well. Since you know God wants what is best for you do you defer to Him on every decision? Or, are you still confused as to what God’s intentions are for you? I would encourage you to join me in letting 2010 be year of Whatever you say daddy!

Whatcha’ Lookin’ Forward To?

Posted by Pastor D | Posted on 30-12-2009

Category : Amazing things, Church Planting, Community, Connections, Cultural Relevance, Daily Babble, Formation, Lessons, Lifestyle, New Things, Spiritual Fitness, Uncategorized, example, how ya' livin'

Whew! Let me say that again. Whew! 2009 is well on its way out. In just over a day we will be smack dab at the beginning of 2010. How about that? Many of us have bad things to look back on in this year and good things to look back on in this year. We all share varied experiences throughout this past year. Many people have already started to make resolutions (in my case revolutions) and make plans for the upcoming year. However, some people are so disenfranchised and beaten down by 2009 that they have no desire to enter into the New Year or they enter in limping. Even with all of this, I have a question… “What are you looking forward to in 2010″? I know that 2009 might have disappointed some, but there is nothing like a New Year and a fresh pad of paper to write things on. As far as I am concerned, I am looking forward to some things. What about you? Can you lift up your bowed down head and set your eyes forward and get a vision for 2010?

Tomorrow we will jump into what I would call Game Changers for 2009. For me 2009 brought some changes and decisions that I think God will use as a springboard to some pretty cool things. See you tomorrow!

Primal ~ A Book Review

Posted by Pastor D | Posted on 22-12-2009

Category : Amazing things, Books, Community, Connections, Cultural Relevance, Daily Babble, Lessons, Lifestyle, Smart Stuff, Spiritual Fitness, Uncategorized, books and mo' books, giveaway

primalI like to read. Do you? I have a few books in my library that I go back and read from time to time. Some of the books are educational, inspirational etc. They run the whole gamut. I came across a book just recently called Primalwritten by Mark Batterson. I read a book he wrote a while ago called Wild Goose Chase, which by the way was awesome!I have to say, I am almost done with this particular book and I have to say that the book “had me at hello.”Do you remember that line from Jerry McGuire? This book from the first chapter had me captivated and my eyes ready to overflow with tears. Seriously! I loved this book. It is weird how some things arrive with perfect timing. Primal spoke to me at an exact place where I am in my life right now. It spoke to the place so loudly that I had to cover my ears. The imagery of going down the 2,000 stairs to the essence of what these early believers dealt with screamed at me. Through this book I was beckoned to go back. This book has been extremelypersonal to me because it was an answer to prayer. Let me say one thing before finishing the post, thank you pastor Mark. I am not in a place where I am moving forward by going back to the place where I first met Him as Mark did in the balcony of the seminary.

In an age of Christianity where there is so much fluff and surface when it comes to a real life in Christ this is a welcome read. It is not often where we are called to go back to a primal, basic, foundational and raw relationship. We have moved away from that. The place that Primal pulls us back to is a place of authenticity, power and great dedication. That is where I want to be and my hope is that this is where others want to be as well. The heart of Christianity has in a sense been lost and it seems that the goal of this book is to give us a hart transplant and do what the bible says. The bible speaks of taking away a heart of stone and giving us a heart of flesh. God, through this book Primal, give us your heart.

Okay, gotta go I have a few more pages to read so I can finish this great book.

Check the book out here at Random House.

How A Glowstick Works

Posted by Pastor D | Posted on 21-12-2009

Category : Amazing things, Community, Connections, Cultural Relevance, Daily Babble, Formation, Lessons, Lifestyle, Smart Stuff, Spiritual Fitness, Uncategorized, example, how ya' livin', witness

glowstickMy kids always get little things that they hold onto even more so than their major toys. One of these things are some glow sticks. They found some in their room the other day. I am not sure when they first got them, but it had to be a little while ago. They found them and immediately they wanted to use them, but did not know how. My wife says to them, “you need to break them.” So, both of the glow sticks have been broken. At this point the kids are slap happy. My son rushes to the light switch to turn off the lights. Why? He wanted to be able to play with his glow stick in the right condition. Where is that you might ask? In the dark. There are two major facets to glow stick operation.

  • Glow sticks must be broken before they can work.
  • Glow sticks work best in the dark.

My son wanted to get the whole house as dark as possible so he and his sister could fully enjoy their glow sticks. As people God created us to be glow sticks. We are supposed to go into the places where our light is most effective in order for it to be seen. We do not so much have a problem with glowing as much as we have with being broken. That is a whole different and scary issue. Circumstances that we have experience often break us and take us to a place of pain. However, more than these being stains they are things that cause our light to shine. If you have experience poverty that is a brokenness that can be used as a light once you get to a place of financial peace. If you have experienced domestic abuse and the brokenness from that we are able to show a light once healing has taken place there.

When my kids were playing with these glow sticks this whole thing hit me that we break first and then are effective. What is in us that has been broken that God can use as His own personal glow stick?

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