Looking towards Easter

I have spent a large part of today working on Sunday's message, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I know that all of you are doing a great job inviting your friends to be at Freedom on Sunday, so I want to be sure that the words that come from my mouth are exactly what God wants me to say! Pray that God will make very clear to me His direction for the message, and also pray that He would be working in the hearts of the people you are inviting. The fact is, God is the only one who can change a heart, so His presence in the lives of your friends is more important to their understanding of the message than the way I deliver it.

Donny and I were talking today, and we both believe that God is about to do some big things at Freedom, and I think that it could really get started this Sunday. We want to be a part of God changing people's lives, and you can have a huge impact in that area by simply inviting someone to join you! I am thankful that God uses us to accomplish His purpose on earth, and that He doesn't do it all by Himself. He could you know, after all He is God.

Tomorrow I'll run through the NCAA bracket rules, and tell you who I've picked to be in the Final Four. If you pick the exact opposite of me you should do great.

Monday morning quarterback

Between yesterday's worship, our trip to Columbia, the NCAA tournament, and Unleash, there's a lot rolling around in my head. Hold on while I try to take you through it.

The Unleash conference at New Spring was amazing: I don't know of any other pastor in this state that has had to endure more criticism than Perry Noble. I have a message for all those out there who are throwing rocks at him and at what God is doing at New Spring, "chill out". I mentioned briefly in Friday's post that one of the main feelings I had after Unleash was encouragement. It was obvious that Perry loves to see churches fulfilling the high calling God has given us. It was also obvious that he has a passion for pastors, and wants to do all he can to equip and encourage them to keep running the race. The final session of the conference was the most uplifting message for pastors that I have ever heard. When I left the conference I was ready to be the pastor at Freedom forever! By the way, we are going back next year, and we want as many of you as possible to take a day off of work so you can be there too.

Taking the Lord's Supper yesterday was very special: I thought that our worship team did an awesome job of song selection and arranging the elements of the service yesterday. Everything pointed us to the importance of the cross, and when we took the bread and the cup the experience was overwhelming. That is where our freedom comes from! Jesus did it for us!

We had a great time in Columbia: We enjoyed bowling, the zoo, my twin nephew's soccer game (they each scored!), and just hanging out with Gran and Grandbob. Other than driving home in a torrential downpour it was a very relaxing trip.

The brackets are out: Between now and Thursday me and the girls will be filling out NCAA bracket sheets. I will let you know later who I think will be in the Final Four, and what I think are some rules for filling out the brackets. The last couple of years I have been way off on my predictions so I am hoping to make a comeback this time around.

One last thing, there will be another important meeting in the morning concerning possible land and buildings for our church. Pray that everyone involved will hear God's voice and have the wisdom to follow Him.

Unleash - Unbelievable

Donny, Blake and I spent the day at New Spring Church in Anderson at their Unleash conference. The whole experience was great and the overall feeling I got from hanging out there today can be summed up in two words: excitement and encouragement. I'll share with you in more detail how God spoke to me. If you'd like an overview of what Perry Noble shared during the main sessions check out Tony Morgan's blog.



We're heading to Columbia in the morning to see my folks. We are looking forward to spending time with them. We will be back and ready to go for worship on Sunday morning. I hope you are already inviting your friends to join us on Easter. It is just over a week away!

An equal calling

I read a blog recently from another pastor that kind of struck me the wrong way. The guy who wrote it is the pastor of an amazing church, and he is leading his congregation to do things that are truly kingdom sized. He is also smart and has tremendous insight into leading a church, so I don't want you to think that what I am about to say means I think he is a bad guy or an inadequate pastor.

He wrote on his blog about some things he thinks he should pay closer attention to now that he is a pastor. The actions on his list are pretty tame, things like the way he dresses, and how clean he keeps his car. He never says that he thinks these are things that all pastors should do, so why didn't I enjoy reading his opinions on the subject?

I guess it's because I have never been comfortable with the idea that there are separate standards for following Jesus based on what your job is. I know that the scripture says that with leadership comes responsibility, and I have certainly lived in that reality for the past 15 years. I also see in scripture where Jesus called all kinds of people to follow Him (fishermen, government employees, blind beggars, etc.) and He called them all to the same path. I believe Jesus expects all of us to represent Him well to the world we live in, not just the guys like me who stand and give a message on Sunday mornings.

It reminds me of a conversation that one of my best friends (who is on staff at his church) had with a woman in his church a few months ago. This lady was upset with him because he was making plans to see Van Halen in concert. He had known this lady before he was on staff at the church, and she had never had a problem with him seeing Van Halen in concert then. She believed that going to see Van Halen is appropriate behavior for a normal follower of Christ, but for a pastor it was wrong. I don't believe that kind of thinking is fair to the pastors or the non-pastors of the world. When my friend asked me my opinion I responded by asking, "Did you get me a ticket?"

Whoever we are whatever we do, Jesus has called all of us to follow Him completely. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in the "Cost of Discipleship", "When Christ calls a man He bids Him to come and die." That call to give up our own rights for the exciting life Jesus offers is the same for everyone.

Leave these five alone

Tonight on American Idol the contestants will all be singing Beatles songs. Even though I was zero years old when the Beatles recorded their last album, I have listened to and loved their music as long as I can remember. I don't want to seem like a snob who places the Beatles on some pedestal of superiority, but if I were in charge of the show there would be several songs that would be off limits. Here are five:

Strawberry Fields Forever: This song has reached iconic status, and is regarded by many people as John Lennon's best work. As far as I know, the actual Beatles never performed this song live, so I don't think Amanda Overmeyer or even Chikezie should be allowed to.

Let It Be: Paul McCartney wrote this song after a dream he had about his mother. It was during a turbulent time in the history of the band, and he dreamed that his mother, Mary, was telling him that everything would be alright.

All You Need Is Love: John Lennon wrote this song for a television program called "Our World" which was the first ever live global television show. The producers of the show wanted the band to perform a song with a message that people all over the world could understand.

A Day In The Life: I don't think we have to worry about any of the contestants attempting this one. I think that they would be crazy to try. This song is really like two separate compositions that are linked together by huge orchestra sections. If anyone tries this one my guess is that Simon will hate it no matter how well it's done.

Eleanor Rigby: I believe this is one of the most moving songs ever written. If you can hear the lyrics about loneliness and not feel something, you need to be sure you're still breathing. I guess it's because I'm a pastor but the line that says, "Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear" always gets to me.

Your thoughtful comments are encouraged. :)

Monday Afternoon Quarterback

When I arrived at the office this morning, I discovered that we still have some internet issues. As a result, Blake and I left the office after lunch to find a working internet connection. We are currently siting in the "theology room" of The Silver Chair coffee shop on Poinsett Street with a strong Wi-Fi connection. If you haven't checked out The Silver Chair yet, you should stop by. It's owned and operated by Joffre, a very nice guy who moved to the area to help start a new church. Here's what's on my mind today:

- This month's message series about Uncensored Grace is helping me to be more aware of God's immense love for us on a daily basis. It's easy for me to think about how much God loves me, and the lengths He goes to show me that love when I am preparing a message or reading the bible, but in the everyday grind of life it can be easy to forget. Since we have been focusing this month on God's uncensored grace, it seems that I am able to recognize God's presence in my day to day life much more easily.

- I mentioned during yesterday's service that we are currently looking very seriously at a land opportunity for Freedom. Continue to pray for wisdom as we will be meeting in the morning to discuss some of the options.

- I spent the first part of last week at the beach hanging out with some other pastors of new churches. I always am encouraged and challenged when I get to talk, laugh, and learn from guys who have been doing this longer than I have. I especially learned a lot from Eddie Cox about how to deal with ADD. I don't know if I really have ADD, but I do know that I have hard time concentrating. Eddie shared with me some things he does to improve his ability to concentrate on what he should be doing, and I've already put some of those things into practice today.

- Last but not least, I discovered in Sunday's paper that Chikezie's last name (which he doesn't use on American Idol) is, Eze. I am assuming that Eze is pronounced the way it's spelled. If that is the case, his name is Chikezie Easy! I thought it was awesome that he didn't use his last name, now I'm not so sure.

Time Change! Don't forget!

I have a lot to tell you about, but it will have to wait until next week. I have been out of town for most of this week, and I know that the dozen of you who read this blog daily have missed me! For now, the important thing to remember is that this Saturday night before you go to bed, be sure and set your clocks forward one hour. We will be sure and have extra coffee available Sunday morning in the atrium to wake you up. See you then!