First Impressions and beyond…

My prayer for Oak Leaf Church’s opening Sunday at the Movie Theater is as follows:

• Pray that droves of new people will check it out for the first time.
• Pray that those who live north of town who checked out on us for a while because of distance will come back again.
• Pray that our first Sunday will be a great example of what we are trying to do there.  You don’t get a second chance to make a good impression on those who will come see what it is like.
• Pray those who work at the movie theater and those who come to see movies will be blessed just by our church being there…without holy water or a blessed handkerchief

Calling on Oak Leaf Church to Fast on Thursday

We are asking everyone connected to Oak Leaf Church to join the staff in prayer and fasting on Thursday.  We’re praying and asking God to do Sun Stand Still kind of things in Cartersville.  If you’re considering joining us, read the following short guide that will help you plan and execute your fast.

What is fasting? Fasting is a spiritual discipline where you go without food for a set amount of time in order to seek God for a spiritual breakthrough. Moses was the first person in the Bible to fast. Before Jesus began his public ministry, he spent 40 days fasting and praying. Throughout the Bible, God’s people fasted at significant parts of their lives. A fast is not a diet, which is altering your diet in order to obtain a physical goal. Fasting is a spiritual initiative. By going without a physical need (food), you are demonstrating your spiritual dependence on God. In other words, fasting is going without food with something spiritual in mind. In the Bible, fasting and prayer are always connected.

Why fast? The Bible talks about numerous reasons to fast, including an expression of commitment, a desire to see God answer prayer, and a sign of humility. Some verses in the Bible related to fasting can be found in Matthew 9:14-15, Psalm 35:13, I Kings 21:29, Ezra 8:21, Jeremiah 29:13-14, Esther 4:15-16, Acts 9:9, Matthew 4:1-11, Leviticus 16:29, Psalm 69:10, Isaiah 58:6, Jonah 3:5, 2 Samuel 12:16-17, Exodus 34:28 and Acts 14:23.

Why are we fasting? As we get ready to move to the movie theater, we are fasting so we can spiritually prepare for what God wants to do in Bartow County through Oak Leaf Church. We are praying that God would use us to accomplish His purposes in our city. We are praying in the spirit of Joshua 3:5 for our church.

How do you fast? First, if you have any questions about your physical health, you should consult your physician. You’ll want to spiritually prepare for your fast by making sure it’s something that God wants you to do.

We’re asking you to pray and seek God’s will for our church, while going without food on Thursday, July 17. If you cannot fast on this day, then you may choose another day. Fast for 24 hours, consuming only liquids. Water, Gatorade and fruit juices will keep you hydrated and nourished. When you feel hungry, remember that you do not depend on food, but on God’s grace.

You can begin your fast on Wednesday night after dinner, and break it on Thursday night if you choose. Or you can choose to skip breakfast, lunch and dinner on Thursday. Instead of eating, spend time praying for our church and ask God to do something miraculous in our town. Pray Sun Stand Still kind prayers.

Road to the Theater: Prayer Guide Day 2

We’re asking everyone connected to Oak Leaf Church to pray specific prayers as we get ready to move to the movie theater.  On Thursday, I’m going to ask everyone to fast and ask God for some big things for Oak Leaf Church.  As you think about joining us for that fast, here’s some information on fasting, which is going without a physical need to focus on a spiritual need.  Today’s prayers come to you via Jonathan, our Family Pastor.

Reaching kids and families is not a secondary thing at Oak Leaf.  It’s not an afterthought.  And Kidventure (preschool & elementary) is not a low priority.  In fact, it’s a top priority!  God has called us to impact kids and parents in Bartow County and beyond.  We are on a mission to see thousands of lives changed!

Today, please pray these three specific prayers for KidVenture:

1. Let Oak Leaf Church become the first place hurting families turn to in a time of crisis. Our prayer is that we become known in the community as the healing place for families. Through counseling, providing basic needs, or whatever the situation calls for, we want to reach families at the point of their need.

2. That our church would reach thousands of children through the public school system. We believe thousands of kids will come to faith in Christ over the next several years. And we believe this will be a direct result of Oak Leaf’s involvement in the public school system. Inviting kids to KidVenture on Sunday morning is great…but we must do more. We must go to where they are. Pray for the right strategic partnerships with our local schools. Pray that the right doors will open so we can take the Gospel in to the schools.

3. That God would raise up crazy, energetic, passionate volunteers on Sunday morning that would make KidVenture contagious. It’s no secret: Oak Leaf has the best volunteers on the planet! We are VERY APPRECIATIVE for all the sacrifice that each individual makes throughout the week and on the weekends. Our prayer is that as we go to three services at the theater, God would raise up even more terrific volunteers. We want to make that one hour on Sunday morning THE BEST hour of that child’s week! Pray that parents, teenagers, moms, dads…anyone and everyone would step up and volunteer for that one hour each Sunday. Let’s unite and make KidVenture so contagious that kids in Cartersville are dragging their parents to church each week!

Summer Training Wheels

I just pulled in the driveway after a 4-day vacation to visit my parents, sisters, and cousins in Gainesville, Florida a.k.a. Titlesville U.S.A.  It was a great vacation and we had a ton of fun hanging out, tubing down a river, and sweating for no reason…other then we were outside.

I also just realized that although it feels good to have an extended weekend, something about it is slightly weird.  It feels very different then most summer vacations that I am used to.  Then it hit me…

This is the first time in my life that I have ever had to work in the summer.  Never before in the 31 years I have been alive have I had a job that meant I couldn’t go and come as I please before this summer.  Between being too young to care or remember, then being in Grade school, college, and seminary, and finally having a job as a teacher I have always had a summer break.

It’s really weird…and kind of depressing, but I guess I’ll have to get used to it.  Oh, well?!

Not Cool…

I got up this morning with dream of iPhones dancing in my head…it was soon a nightmare.

Initially, I went to the gym to play basketball at 6 AM and helped reinforce the myth that white men can’t jump.  Next, I drove by an AT&T wireless store to see if there would be a line.  The answer was yes, but not nearly as bad as I anticipated.  Consequently, I went home to take a shower.  Before getting back to the store I got a book, a sweat tea, and a chicken biscuit and then parked the car.

In no other circumstances on God’s green Earth would I consider waiting in line in 99% humidity with 250 perfect strangers, but hey I am on vacation.  So, I parked the car got in line and quickly thanked the guy who walked up behind me for not making me feel stupid for being last.

I will fast forward, past the last bite of biscuit, tossing the sweat tea cup, and to the point where the guy from the AT&T store is whispering to the first 6 or 7 people in the front of the line.  As I saw heads start to shake, people leave the line and the life leave the crowd I ventured forward to get the scoop.

First, they are out of 16 Gig iPhones, next they only have 3 more 8 Gig iPhones and next they want us to give them our money and come back in 5-10 business days to pick one up.  After I quickly did the math, 3 iPhones, 33 people in front of me I hit the roof.  I murmured something PG rated under my breath and headed back to the car.  I got about to the door and said, “wait a minute, this is insane!”

So, I stormed back to the front of the line and found the first AT&T employee I saw.  I said, “did you guys realize that the iPhone was coming out today? Did you think those guys sleeping on the sidewalk were here to clean the windows?  How do you run out?”  After some lame excuse of only being allotted X number of phones, I said, “well why did you let us all stand here and waste 2 hours of our life and not tell us and hour ago?  Can you not count? There are 300 people out here sweating and waiting patiently and you guys can’t figure out where in the line the phones are going to run out?”

The excuses for not being prepared and for the line moving at a new iPhone every 5 minute pace were about as good as the Duke football team.

In case you wonder what per misery looks like, check the following picture out.

Holiness Lesson from an HD TV

Today we went on the hunt for a television to replace my parent’s old TV.  Their old TV got struck by lightning through the cable of all places.  When the repair guy told them it would cost as much to fix as it would to get a new one (which is probably a ploy to let him keep it, so he can fix it for his newly finished basement lounge) they decided it was time to upgrade.

If you haven’t been shopping for a TV in a while you will notice when you venture out to look for a new set that you really can’t find a non-HD TV anymore…not even at Wal-Mart.  So, my parents (with a little guidance from my friends) decided to go with a Vizio 32″ HD TV.

Here is what I learned…

When we hooked it up to cable (not a digital or HD signal) and it looked really bad.  The picture was grainy and actually mad my Dad so mad he made us turn it off (he just paid $600 for a crappy picture).  So, as a good son would do, I looked through the manual and called the cable company for some guidance.  Here is the conclusion…

The TV’s ability and quality actually forces you to see the imperfections in the signal, because it magnifies the input and shows you how lousy you picture actually looks.  Basically, the TV helps you know how bad you had it before with the lousy TV you used to own.

You might see where I am going.  You feel pretty good about yourself when you are around lost people, or lukewarm Christians.  You puff up your chest and hold your head high when you actually prayed or read your Bible five days in a row.  Problem is you will get a huge does of reality if you start reading Isaiah’s confession of coming in contact with a holy God, it will blow you mind if you think of what kind of self-control it took Jesus to live for 30+ years without sinning.  As Christians we overlook holiness, because we often don’t use all of the avenues to see how utterly despicable we are when we rely on our own goodness.

Just be careful what signal you use to see how you are doing when it comes to every Christians pursuit…“be Holy because I am Holy.”

Gas Guzzler

It’s a little premature, but I am nonetheless in somewhat of a debate as to what the smart move is in regards to our next vehicle choice.  As a family we currently have a Honda Accord and a Ford F-150.  Both are arguably the best in their class (the F-150 was the best selling vehicle 26 years in a row…not truck, vehicle), so you can’t go wrong with either one.

We are having this debate, because we are expecting a Gratto baby to arrive in January and aren’t sure that we can get the kid’s space and convenience out of the Honda and the F-150.  The first line of thinking is that we should just buy a Honda Odessy mini-van and be done.  I could save gas by driving her old car to work every day and avoid the normal $400 a month in gas expenses for my truck.

The real puzzle though (because I get conflicting advice) is if we should get a mini-van over a decent gas mileage SUV.  I know mini-vans are decent when it comes to gas mileage, but they aren’t great.  Plus, do your really need a mini-van with 2 kids?  I know people that have them for one, but they are goof-balls. Another hurdle is convincing my wife to go outside the Honda family and to avoid losing the pickup truck.  I can’t exactly get the boat to the lake to fish with a Honda Accord and going with a mini-van is ghetto.

So, I am really asking these questions…mini-van or SUV?  Honda Odessy or a plethera of other choices?  Do nothing and keep the Honda Accord or lose it and get another vehicle?  Throw a cargo next in the back of the pickup and just tie them all down?

Thoughts?

Top 5 Things You Can Get for a Dollar

I haven’t done a top 5 list in a while, so here is my latest version…

1. 20 oz. Mt. Dew

2. QT Hot Dog

3. Frosty from Wendy’s

4. McDonald’s Sweat Tea

5. A song on iTunes

Just throwing the football…

One of the quickest ways to make you feel old is to do some simple, non-major activity and wake up the next morning and hurt all over.  You know what mean…you decide to go to the gym and your muscles ache the next week, you went for a long walk, and now your legs are killing you, or you mowed the lawn with your shirt off and your back is toast.

Often the singular common enemy is letting yourself get out of shape.  I am not talking about the kind of shape that let’s you run a marathon I am talking about a well-rounded shape that lets you take part of the things you like to do and keeps you ready for what might happen in the near future.

I think of Jesus illustration from Matthew 25, where the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom weren’t ready for him to show up, so they got left out.  In the same chapter, the famous parable of the talents, where some of the men who were given money to make more either didn’t because they were lazy or didn’t because they couldn’t.

When I woke up with morning after throwing the football and playing 20 minutes of two-hand touch, I first thought, “wow am I sore.”  Then I thought, “wow am I out of shape.”  I used to play flag football on at least two teams every year and today I feel like I just finished a fight in the UFC.

I think both the Bible and life teaches that you need to be prepared for anything.  We don’t know when God will send Jesus back, we don’t know what God will call us to do, we don’t know when us or our family will experience some tragedy and we don’t know what we need to do to prepare.

What if God wants you to hike through mountains in China to hand deliver Bibles, could you do it?  What if you are going to need that MBA for the next job He will call you to, have you signed up for the classes?  What if you are going to have another kid, but you still haven’t made progress on that debt?

Maybe God doesn’t bother asking us, because it’s too much work to get us ready, maybe it’s because we are too out of shape, and maybe because there is someone else ready with their game face on, in shape, prayed up, and looking for a fight?

Mighty Men

I have a few proud accomplishments in life….

1. Being married only once and for 5 years to the same girl.

2. Having a great church to attend…one that I would go to if I wasn’t on staff.

3. Finally, getting on staff at a church in a position that fits my skills and my personality.

4. Having enough education to appreciate what I have learned and know that I didn’t over do it.

5. Seeing God answer a lot of prayers in my life to the point where I can appreciate the value of prayer.

On that note I want to reinvite people, regardless of where they go to church to become one of Oak Leaf Church’s mighty men.  Basically, it is an invite to get on our prayer team of 30 guys (not quite there yet) who will pray each week for our services, for Michael, and for God to show up to our services.

If you are interested, e-mail me or leave a comment with your e-mail address, and I will get you one the list.