Growth Dynamics

These are 3 of the 20+ watermelons I raised in my garden this year. Two out of these three were so sweet. I have been eating watermelon every day. I have also been giving them away almost every day because we can't eat all of them. I gave one away yesterday and the guy said with amazement "Did you grow these?"

It is a good question! Believe me I have been surprised myself that the watermelons have grown so well and have tasted so good. Then, just as I'm feeling kind of proud at how good they turned out, I am reminded that something much more in depth is involved in the privilege of enjoying this harvest. For one, it is amazing that we can place a seed in some soil and watch as green plants emerge from dirt! Don't get me wrong, I did a lot of work plowing, preparing and fertilizing the soil. I even subsidized the needed water when it didn't fall from the sky. But, without the dynamics that occur between that seed and the nutrients in that soil (with the addition of sunlight, warm soil, and water), there would be no FRUIT to enjoy!

As most of you know ("You" meaning my host of 9 or 10 readers) I am in the process of partnering together with a group of dedicated Christ-Followers to "Plant" a New Church. The church is called "Connecting Point Church" and will be launching public worship services the first Sunday in October. We will meet at Carolina High School in Greenville, SC. (Ok that's my commercial). In these days of preparation and anticipation there always seems to be the lingering question: "I wonder if this will work?" In essence the question entertains the issue of success or failure; making it or dissolving; etc.

The more I thought about how wonderful those watermelons turned out this year because of God's dynamics of botanical miracles, in the same way, whether or not any church survives and becomes PRODUCTIVE depends on God's dynamics. There are many things we can do to get ready for God's blessings but He is the only one who can actually make anything grow. To settle a dispute in the church over people who followed human leaders, Paul made this statement: "I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, BUT GOD MADE IT GROW!" (1 Cor. 3:6) There certainly has to be planting, plowing, cultivating, watering, etc. but it is only God that can make things grow!

This same principle applies to every aspect of our lives here on earth. Whether it is our work, career, family, etc. we all have a part to play but it is always God that determines the outcome! I have every intention of doing my part and pray that our Partners will do their part as well. But, we can all rest assured that our perception of success or failure rests in the internal dynamics that are completely in God's control! Do your part in whatever life-situation you may find yourself and let God take care of the part that you and I have no control over!! Let me know if you need some watermelon.

The Journey Continues

Connecting Point Church is beginning to take shape. We had our first information meeting last Sunday, July 25, in the scorching heat. I think the heat index was about 105 but the home made ice cream helped us survive. I was blessed that approximately 75 adults and children showed up. There was definitely a sweet spirit in our gathering as we began sharing some of the details about our NEW ADVENTURE. There were some wonderful questions asked affirming that people are making this step of faith with "eyes wide open." We are not chasing some silly dream or trying to find the "greener grass." I believe God is "CALLING" out a People who sincerely want to be a part of something so challenging that we know God will have to do it!

WE have our second Information Meeting at the same shelter this Sunday evening (Westside Park). This week we are meeting at 7:00 instead of 6:00 so hopefully it will be cooler. At this meeting we are going to talk more specifically about the "House Church Movement." The more I read and study the more convinced I am that this is the future! The generation we are striving to reach are tired of the whole persona of the organized church. At the same time, people who have been a part of the church for years are growing more and more disinterested in "business as usual." Author and conference speaker Reggie McNeal says:

"People are not leaving the church because they have no faith;

they are leaving to preserve their faith."

I read another statement by a leader in the House Church Movement who, like me thought we could reform the organized church. He pointed out how God has not called us to REFORM the Reformation. He has called us to Make Disciples! Our model doesn't work and hasn't for years.

God has stirred my heart so many times over the years to just break free from the constraints of man-made expectations of Pastors to pursue what God designed me to do. As a popular song says: "I believe I can fly!" I am ready to take a leap with full assurance that God will hold us up, lead us, provide for us, and use us to reach those who are far from Him!

Connecting Point Church

It is official -- after over 10 years of wondering if God would ever lead me to start a New Church He is moving me and a solid Core group of people in a NEW DIRECTION, with a fresh vision and loads of enthusiasm. For over 19 years I have tried my best to lead two established churches to accomplish the MISSION our LORD has given us. (i.e. to take His Gospel message to those who do not know Him! see Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 19:10; etc.) My first Pastorate was for 11.5 years and I have been in my current position for over 7.5 years. In both of these churches I have done my best to follow Scripture's mandate in accomplishing His vision. Unfortunately, the established church has long been self-absorbed to the detriment of the masses of hurting people in our world.

Don't get me wrong, I love both of the churches God has allowed me to serve! I have met some of the greatest people in the world and have made lifetime friends (eternal relationships!). I in no way put down any of the churches I have served or any of the established churches many of my dear friends serve as Pastor. My calling in this stage of my life has become more and more passionate for those who have never heard or experienced the TRANSFORMING POWER OF JESUS CHRIST. In order to get those who need Jesus the most to listen to His Message, I believe we have to "earn the right to be heard."

Basically I mean that we have to demonstrate our claim that we really want people who are far from God to come near to His loving embrace. If we claim that we want these "lost" souls to know Jesus then we have to seek practical, loving methods of demonstrating this desire. This will cost us something! It takes time, energy, money, and a willingness to be humiliated for Jesus to get His message of LIGHT to the DARKEST corridors of our world! In organized churches we became so "busy" working for God that we just didn't have any time left over to take a cake to our neighbor who had surgery, or cut our neighbor's grass while he was on vacation! (as well as numerous other practical ways that we can show the love of Christ to our world)

For the next few days, weeks and months I will be sharing the progress of this exciting new journey on this blog. The name of our NEW Church will be: CONNECTING POINT CHURCH. Another amazing thing about this adventure is that it looks like we will be meeting for a period of time in the High School where me and many of our Core group graduated. The facilities are brand new but the name and location are the same. I am excited about this because I rebelled against God in my last two years of High School. To have the opportunity to go back and preach on the same campus where I denied my Lord over 30 years ago is nothing but a God thing.

I ask for your prayers as we take this journey. I have never done anything like this before so I am both excited and a little tense. Some of the things that I have tried to work on this week have not materialized so pray for me to have complete trust in God's Sovereignty in this "birthing" experience. Stay tuned for more information about CONNECTING POINT CHURCH.

Head for the Mountains

My recent blog-vacation turned into a Sabbatical! I did not intend on staying away from this online newsletter for such a long time. To say that I have been busy is an understatement. Since we left for our family vacation in mid-June til now has passed so fast! Ashley will be starting Furman in just a few weeks. I can't believe my baby is going to college.

Last week I was at Student-Life with our students and some other great adults. Chris Tomlin's band led the worship all week and Louie Giglio brought the Word of God. I knew before going to Daytona Beach that the worship would be incredible. God surprised me with something even more than I imagined. He showed up and did something special for us on the very first night. Then, things just got better. We worshiped our Lord with abandon and learned very practical Truths from His Word that are immediately applicable. I was blessed to experience this with these Students. I believe some of them had an experience that have the potential to make their teen years different.

I know that these camps are "Mountain Top" experiences and many criticize this process by saying that it does not last in teenagers lives for more than a few weeks. I have no argument against this being a "Mountain Top" experience. What I do suggest is that these kind of 'spiritual highs' are necessary on our journey through this earth. It is way too easy to get so ensconced in our everyday lives that we treat our spiritual relationship with our Creator very casually. It many times takes a difficult time in our lives to make us stop and think about our need for God and about His mercy and grace for our lives.

I wonder how long it has been since you have had a "Mountain Top" experience? I encourage every Christ-Follower to do something to alter your routine by specifically focusing quality time on God's Word and worship. You will find that these experiences, no matter how short-lived, can make a huge difference in the quality and passion of our walk with Christ.

TRANSITIONS

Isn't amazing how many different transitions there are in our journey through life on earth? Some changes are exciting and challenging while others are filled with dread and are very painful. How we view CHANGE itself has great influence on how we respond to changes we didn't plan or want. I once heard someone say that the only people in the church who like change are the babies with dirty diapers. I don't think that is true but it does highlight how many people just want things to stay the same -- even if the "same" isn't accomplishing our objectives.

It is a season of change in my life personally. My daughter is graduating from High School and is ready to move on with the exciting things taking place in her life. My son is working out of town now so we never see him (ok he's 24 but we still like seeing him). My wife realized it was getting close to being just she and I so she got a dog!! I could sit around and feel down-and-out about these inevitable changes or embrace them, learn "in" them, and maximize every opportunity they bring. The real issue is my attitude and heart, not my circumstances.

In many ways it is also a time of transition for us spiritually. WE are living in a time when the organized, structured church is just not accomplishing the objectives given to us by our Founder, President and C.E.O. -- Jesus. For many in these organizations such "realities" are troubling but not enough to motivate any radical changes. I empathize with those who like things the way they have been for a long time. There is something soothing and comforting in things staying the same.

Unfortunately this is not the way God's church grows and impacts our world. Churches everywhere are struggling to keep up buildings and maintain programs while simultaneously proclaiming that the church is not buildings, it is the PEOPLE! When suggestions are made that veer too far from the "norm" it is viewed with suspicion. The church is confused and we know that confused people don't do anything daring or risky!

My dear friends, Christianity is risky and daring. It takes great COURAGE and the STRENGTH that only God can give to be a part of something God-Sized! The sad thing is that CHANGE is being forced on God's People when it could have been embraced and maximized long ago. WE have waited far too long to show the world who our Savior is instead of promoting our next program or "selling" the great services we can render for your family. PEOPLE NEED THE LORD, NOT THE CHURCH! Once they get SAVED then they will WANT to be around other BELIEVERS!

I am realistic about things changing and can't wait to see how God will bless those who step out on faith. God told a man named Abram: "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." (Gen. 12:1) Then we read, "So Abram left, as the Lord had told him." (Gen. 12:4a) God is looking for a group of people who are willing to "Follow" Him by using the FAITH we see demonstrated by a man named Abram. A hurting world needs to see what God can do for them and not what the church can do for them. Ultimate Triumph awaits the daring risk takers who FOLLOW God's CALL. Read the ACTS stories to see what God will do IF we are willing to trust Him.

Are We There Yet?

As "vacation" season approaches, for some families with children there will no doubt be some "road trips" as we travel to our desired destinations. I'm sure all of us can recall days when we sat in automobiles for what seemed like an eternity because we so wanted to get to the beach, lake, mountains, Disney World, etc. I remember when it seemed like "forever" just to ride 45 minutes to the lake! And we all remember those patience-testing questions asked so often by children:

"Are we there yet?" or "How much longer?"

What's the point of bringing this to our minds? As I was meditating and thinking about all the chaos that is evident in our world, I thought for a moment about this question: "Are we even getting close to where we are supposed to be going as a society?" And then this question surfaced: "Where are we going anyway?" It is certain that if we are unsure about where we are going we will have no idea when we get there or even if we are headed in the right direction! (I can attest to the aggravation of driving in the wrong direction for too long before realizing it! This is especially stressful for those of us who seem so consumed with the "good time" we make on our journeys!!) -- sorry, I digress.

Our World is made up of so many different views about where we are supposed to be going that I am not even sure it would be possible for us to ever achieve any kind of unified direction on what we are even striving for. For example, if your passion is "World Peace," what would be different in our world if we were all "At Peace?" (by Peace I mean being without any wars) What would change as far as our future existence? Would we be kinder to each other and in less of a hurry to get nowhere? Would our lives then take on new meaning? Would we find a different reason to FEEL GOOD about mankind?

Or, let's say your passion is Conservation. If we all took seriously the conservation of our Natural Resources and recycled (and we should) how would that change our society/culture? Would taking better care of "Mother Earth" cause people to be kinder to each other? etc. Or, would the greatest benefit be that we enjoy our lives a little more while we are here and then leave a better habitat for future generations? While that is a noble cause, I maintain that it is not enough. Life on a cleaner earth will still end. Then what?

If your passion is technology or economics or health care or sports/recreation, etc. the question I have is what REAL DIFFERENCE will it make for all the hours and expertise we invest in our fields? Don't hear what I am not saying -- please. I am not saying that all of these are not worthy causes. What I am saying is that, with all the attention and money and human resources that are expended every year on these things, we are not any closer to reaching the UTOPIA that humanists have told us since the 19th Century that we could reach! We are frantically pursuing worthwhile interests that are going to make absolutely NO difference in our personal reality once our time on earth is finished!

In a world where my position on life, ethics, social policy, etc. is disqualified because of my Christian perspective I simply ask the question: How are the Liberals/Progressives helping us achieve whatever it is that they think we are supposed to be working for? I am open to any ideas that may better the world I live in but the sad reality is that our pundits from Washington, D.C. to City Hall continue to try policies after policies that do little more than line their pockets with more money or achieve more power for them. Under our present system, the world does nothing but get worse as time quickly passes by!

Are we now living in the world that our great-grandparents fought for? Are we realizing the American Dream that so many Men and Women have given their lives for? How long will we continue to believe in a system of government that is broken? (not to mention is unconstitutional) You may not agree with my position as a Follower of Jesus Christ. But, those who radically oppose this viable position offer no solutions for mankind's many dilemmas! I would just like to hear the "no-spin" response from progressives to this question: "ARE WE THERE YET?" If true Americans will listen, we may just find out that our leaders don't know what to do because they are not even sure where we are going!

Put the Important Ahead of the Urgent

Do you ever feel like there is just not enough time in the day to accomplish all that should be done? Have you ever had great plans for your day only to have them sabotaged by "urgent" things that come up? Does it frustrate you when things just don't go as you hoped or even diligently planned for them to transpire? Does it make you want to stop planning? There are many times that I PLAN ON writing on this blog site but then get sidetracked doing other things and just never seem to get back to it.

I have been speaking for the past 4 weeks on a subject that is critical for anyone who wants to be a Follower of Jesus. The series is called "The Courts of the Lord" where we focused attention on why and how to spend Time Alone With God every day. This is absolutely essential for our spiritual growth and development. I find that, in our social structure, this TIME of quiet respite with our Lord is one of the hardest disciplines to stick with. I have found over these last few months what a renewed T.A.W.G. can do for every area of our lives. When I "SIT" still long enough for God to speak to my heart, the benefits are beyond description.

Jeremiah 29:11 declares that God has a Master Plan for all of our lives. Only those who "SEEK" after God's Plan will actually find it. It's not like God is playing games with us or takes any joy in withholding this valuable information. On the contrary, He says in this section of Scripture that He wants to be found! The only thing is that we have to WANT to FIND HIM more than we want to 'get ahead' or 'be successful' or 'be entertained', etc. SEEKING God is a life-pursuit that must become a central focus of our daily lives. It is the IMPORTANT that must overrule the URGENT things that come into our daily lives.

God revealed something incredible to me in the final message of this series: NOTHING ESCAPES GOD'S OMNISCIENCE AND NOTHING EXCEEDS HIS OMNIPOTENCE! This was a statement I wrote into the final message that was no doubt given to me by God. It is just a quick reminder that God knows exactly where you are concerning your life situation; that He knows exactly what He has planned for your life; and that He is waiting on us to "STAY" in His presence long enough for Him to communicate His plans to us!

Set a time and pick a quiet place. Open the Bible and keep a journal. Your journey to God's BEST in your life awaits. Don't delay, start today!