Two must reads

I read two books last Friday that I've been meaning to write about. First off let me say that I'm a slow reader, but these books were both short and easy to read, but at the same time filled with some incredible insights.

First, Andy's book on Making Vision Stick was an amazingly practical look at communicating vision so that it is heard and known. I especially was challenged by what he said about your vision statement being short and memorable. (The Point's: To create a church that unchurched people will love to attend). I'll read this book again many times.

Second, I read John's book, You have what it takes. It is written to fathers (which I am ) and gives the number one question that our sons and daughters are asking. Since I have three boys I focused on what my son's need to know from me: Do I have what it takes? For those of you with girls (I'll pray for you) he says they're asking: Am I beautiful? It's the dad's job to communicate a resounding yes to each of these questions in multiple and creative ways. This is one of the most practical parenting books I've ever read. If you're a dad you need to order it today. It's only $2.99.

Apartment list

Like I posted about yesterday, we're going to be putting door hangers out in 14 apartment complexes over the next few weeks. Here are the places we're targeting. Pray for the people who live in these complexes. Pray for God to work in their hearts and draw them to himself. Pray for God to grant us favor and pour his Spirit on us.

College Point
North Town
The Bluffs
Campus Edge
Riverwind
Arbor Glenn
Autumn Park
Country Club
Hunt Club
Timber Creek
Park Place
Meadowgreen
Timbers
Corners

We're not just starting a church...

I read something from Dave's blog today that got me thinking about The Point.

• We're not just starting a new church in Spartanburg. We are doing is creating a relevant church that non-religious, irreligious, unchurched people will love to attend.
• We're not just starting a church. We're partnering with the Holy Spirit to see people's lives transformed.
• We're not just starting a church. We're participating in a movement that was begun thousands of years ago to connect disconnected people to God.
• We're not just starting a church. We're joining in on the greatest mission ever!

The Church is the hope of the world. What a privilege and honor it is to be invited into God's work in the world.

Big week

This is a big week for The Point. This Saturday we're going to be putting out door hangers on a bunch of apartment doors and then on Sunday we're going to be handing out water and sodas to USC Upstate students who are moving on campus.

PLEASE PRAY! I read this passage this morning and it's going to be my prayer this week. Please join me in praying. Pray that our servant evangelism and marketing will fall on fertile soil. Pray that hearts will be open and responsive to our invitations. Pray that apartment management will be open to us putting out door hangers. Pray that God will bring us the right people as a result of what we're doing.

Instead of gathering to worship last night we went to a number of these apartment complexes and the dorms at USC Upstate and prayed for the students and people living there. Will you join us in praying? Later this week I'm going to send out the names of the apartment complexes we'll be targeting so that you can pray more specifically for the people we're contacting.

Wanting...

I think if we're honest we all struggle with what I'm about to share.

My life's journey with God is usually more characterized by what I need or want from God instead of just needing or wanting God. Does that make sense? Here's what I mean: Lately, I find myself praying for things that would benefit and grow The Point... things like a band, the right leaders, more people, wisdom to lead, help with moving forward, favor with the community we're trying to impact. None of those things are bad. They are all good, and honestly, I think we need them all, but there's a difference between praying for those things and praying to know God better.

So, I don't know how long it will last (I get distracted so easily), but I'm praying that I will come to know God more. I'm praying for a greater spiritual hunger for God.

I read this quote from Margaret Feinberg's new book, Organic God: I want to discover God again, anew, in a fresh way. I want my love for him to come alive again so taht my heart dances at the very thought of him. I want a real relationship with him -- a relationship that isn't altered by perfumes, additive, chemicals or artificial flavors that promis to make it sweeter, sourer, or tastier than it really is. I want to know a God who in all his fullness would allow me to know him. I want a relationship that is real, authentic, and life-giving even when it hurts. I want to know God stripped of as many false perceptions as possible. Such a journey risks exposure, honesty, and even pain, but I'm hungry and desperate enough to go there. I want to know the Organic God.

Half-hearted work

I read Craig's post this morning and it got me thinking.

If there's one thing that the Kingdom, or The Point, or I don't need it's half-hearted work.

Now let me clarify... I know that some people will have more time to do more work than others, but the amount of work or service is not important. The key is to take care of your responsibility with all of your heart. Whatever you're committed to, do it to the best of your ability, do it with passion, do it as if you were doing it for Jesus.

I know I'm thinking in terms of your service within a local church, but this applies to every area of life: Work, relationships, finances, your physical life and your relationship with God. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, work at it with all of your heart as if you were working for the Lord.

The Potter

No, I'm not posting about the "Harry Potter" (even though I might when I finish the last book), I'm posting about how God is the potter and we are the clay. I love that imagery.

This morning I read this out of Jeremiah. It's a great reminder about who God is and who we are. I think we need to be reminded of this often because we often forget.

So many times we try and shape and form ourselves instead of resting in the arms of and submitting to the will of the potter God. God has a plan for us to be used for his purposes. But, so often, our grandiose plans for how we can best benefit God get in the way of his amazing plans for us.

Today, may you submit to the shaping of the potter God.

Starting over

That's really what I feel like I'm doing... Starting Over. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's tough. How do you restart what's been started? I would appreciate your prayers as we seek God about moving forward with what he's called us to do. Pray for wisdom and guidance. Pray for protection. Pray for God's favor.

I read this commentary on Jeremiah this morning: Calling one to difficult service may actually be God's way of honoring his servant's strength of character. I don't know if this is true, but it is encouraging. At the same time, I can think of other ways I'd like to be honored!

For your benefit

As most of you know, I'm not only a blogger, but part of my learning and daily reading comes from the blogs of some other guys. There are a few that have really spoken to me this week and I wanted to share them with you.

• Loved what Jay had to say here.
• Ben had two great posts here and here.
• Jonathan's quote from Piper is good stuff here.

The Point: Defined

Last night I shared about The Point's vision and mission. Below is a bullet point snapshot of who we are going to be as a church.

Vision and Mission – Our vision is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus.

Strategy (How we are going to accomplish our mission) - By creating relevant environments where people are encouraged, equipped and empowered to pursue intimacy with God, community with insiders and influence with outsiders.

Three environments:

· Gathering: A safe and relevant environment where people can explore and discover what following Jesus is all about. Our word for this is Connect.

· Small groups: I believe life change happens in the context of small groups that pray, study Scripture and do life together. Our word for this is Grow.

· Service – My passion is that we are a church of people who serve in the church (to help the church be what it needs to be) and in the community (so that Spartanburg is a better place to live). Our word for this is Serve.

The day after

I haven't really blogged much about our church plant in a while. In all honesty it's been a rough couple of months. Well, last night we had a third and final town hall meeting with some of the influencers in our church where I re-shared the vision and mission and direction of The Point (which I will post in a later blog). At the end of the night we had some great people, some great servants, make the decision that The Point is not where they need to be.

This isn't a bad thing. God is in control, and Jesus has promised that he will build his church. Sometimes people need to leave, and as much as I want The Point to be a place where people can safely explore what following Jesus is all about, I also want us to be a place where people can follow God safely, even if that's to another church. I never want people to feel guilty for following God.

Following the meeting I was overwhelmed with this question: What now, God? The question wasn't asked out of discouragement or despair, but out of an anticipation and desire to move forward with what God has called and invited us to do. And then this morning I read this out of Philippians 4: I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength, and My God will meet all of your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

I don't think it was an accident that this passage was a part of my Bible reading for today. God can be trusted. He will do all that he's promised to do. I think there are exciting days ahead for The Point. I don't think we're here by accident. I think God has a plan and purpose for us. Today I'm motivated by another verse from Philippians: Forgetting what is behind, and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal....

That's quotable

I'm re-reading Good to Great by Jim Collins. It really is an amazing book. This quote is worth posting, especially in light of where we are as a church plant: If people join the bus primarily because of where it is going, what happens if you get ten miles down the road and you need to change direction? You've got a problem. But if people are on the bus because of who else is on the bus, then it's much easier to change direction: "Hey, I got on this bus because of who else is on it; if we need to change direction to be more successful, fine with me...."

I think this speaks to the church's need to love and respect one another as family.

He goes on to say this: The right people don't need to be tightly managed or fired up; they will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best results and to be part of creating something great. Great vision without great people is irrelevant.

That's good stuff.

Robo-dog, a live toy, and wisdom

When Levi crawls he looks like Robo-dog. It's hilarious. His big brothers now think they have a live toy to play with... one that doesn't require batteries! It's amazing how a crawling baby changes everything around the Everette house.

On another note, I am in need of your prayers for wisdom. We've got some big decisions involving The Point coming up and I need wisdom and insight from God. I do appreciate your prayers.

Speaking of The Point, I am excited about the fall. I am looking forward to what God might do. I'll fill you in soon.

"One small knee..."

"One small knee for Levi. One giant life change for the Everette family." That's right, you heard it first right here on this blog read by 3 people. Today was the day that Levi started crawling. He held off until I got back from my trip, but I got to see the first three knee-steps. It was a momentous occasion celebrated by a standing ovation from Mom, Dad, Nathan and Matthew. Now the hard part begins: Containment!

It's great to be back in the blog mode. This past week I had the privilege of being the Project Coordinator for a Power Plant mission project in Myrtle Beach. It was an amazing honor to be able to speak into 100+ lives about church planting and following Jesus.

A big shout out to Jancy, Bob-O, Corley, Jonathan and Clark for all your hard work as Summer Staff. You all were awesome and we more of an encouragement to me than you'll ever know. Thanks for the fun. I love you guys and can't wait to see how God is going to use you.

The cool thing is that I get to do it again next year. The bad part is that I get to go another week with hardly any sleep (I slept more last night than I did the past three nights combined).

Advent Conspiracy

Thinking about doing this. Would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Tom's Shoes

I heard Blake Mycoskie speak a few months ago and was intrigued by his story. He's a Christ follower who is putting his faith in Jesus into action by providing shoes for kids in developing nations.

Not that any of us need new shoes, but here's a way for you to serve/minister to some kid in a developing nation and get a pair of shoes at the same time. Check out the website and story here.

The guy in the kayak

What emotions go through your head if you're the guy in the kayak?

Staff

As most of you know, The Point's "official" staff consists of... me. But the other day I read Devin's post about Staff Expectations and thought it was worth passing on for a couple of reasons. First, I do believe that one day we will have an official paid staff and I think his list of expectations is one of the best I've run across. Second, since we don't have an official paid staff our volunteers are the staff and I think these expectations translate to volunteers just as easily as they do to people who are getting a pay check. (Giving credit where credit is due, some of the following is a direct quote of Devin's post and some is commentary from me.)

1. Loyalty -- Devin says loyalty is: I've got their backs and they have mine. I don't think you can have a healthy, functional, growing church family without loyalty among those who are in positions of leadership and influence.

2. Excellence -- My passion is that we strive to maintain an attitude of high excellence at The Point and it stems from the top down. We should not settle for second best. I want people to have the "holy discontent" that Hybels talks about and to constantly strive to get better. Now I've got to say that excellence is different than perfection. We don't need to get the two confused. Excellence means maximizing and doing the best with what we have. It means giving our best and not the left overs.

3. Personal and Spiritual growth -- Our ministries need to be an overflow of what God is doing in our personal lives. We need to be seeking after God with our whole being and submitting to his authority in our lives. This really is a given, but needs to be stated.

4. Passion -- For God, His people, and our ministry. If there is something that we are doing that we cannot be passionate about, then we are doing a disservice to God and the church.

5. A Positive Spirit -- Negativity kills. I want people to be who they are (crazy, zany, and sarcastic) but to be careful of belittling others, even in humor. This positive spirit should come through in everything.

6. Wisdom -- Be wise in your use of words (what you say and how you say it) and in your actions.

7. Have Fun -- I want us to have fun together.

8. Mistakes -- People are free to make make a mistake (once). Experiments are allowed. Risks are encouraged. However, repeat mistakes due to a lack of preparation are not allowed. I don't want staff or volunteers to be afraid to try new things, and with that comes mistakes. I want us to learn from our mistakes and allow them to move us to the next level.

9. Honesty -- Integrity at all times, in all matters. There are too many horror stories in ministry about a lack of integrity. My passion is that we have a climate of authenticity that allows our people and our leaders to be real. This helps eliminate the temptation to internalize struggles for a fear of repercussions. Integrity is a must. The gospel is at stake.

10. Work hard -- Give 110%. This means at church, in the community, and at home. I want my staff to have healthy lives at church and in their homes. I want them to work harder on their marriages and relationship with their kids than I do their ministry at church. Their primary ministry is at home. But when they are serving God through The Point, give it all you got. Laziness is unacceptable. God and the people with which we have been entrusted deserve our best.

Friends

Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life.

When I was working with teenagers I taught this often. I have seen so many people screw up the direction of their life because of who they decided to hang out with.

Scripture teaches this in Proverbs 13:20 - He who walks with the wise grows wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.

So this begs the question: Who are your friends? What is the direction of their life? Do you like where their life is headed? If not, then you need to change friends because you will end up where they are going.

Now people argue against this all the time. They say things like, I'm strong enough to not go where they're taking me... or They would never influence me. Can I be honest with you? Those are just lies you're telling yourself. If you don't believe me, just keep doing life with the people you're doing life with and come talk with me in five years.

So, where are your friends taking you? Surround yourselves with wise friends. Protect yourself from harm.

Equation

Sometime in my teenage years I heard a speaker say: God + nothing = Everything. While I understand how you could argue with that equation and find ways to pick it apart, it speaks to an amazing truth.

I was reminded of this as I was reading this book the other day and came across this question: Do I believe more and more that he is what I'm desperately searching for, or is there something else I think I need? Do I believe he is the source of the kind of life I really want?

Let's be honest, we've got so much clutter in our lives that we think we need. We trust in all kinds of stuff to make us happy, to give us security, to fill us, and we think we need it all. But what ends up happening is that we replace God with all kinds of other stuff when all we really need is him.

God + nothing = Everything... just something to think about.

iPhone Funny

Yes, I must confess, I would love to have an iPhone. My iPod is awesome and the iPhone just seems cool. There's no way I'd pay for one though (but as a gift...). I came across this video today. I'm pretty picky about funny stuff, but this made me laugh so hard I almost cried.

Stop pretending

I'm reading the book No Perfect People Allowed right now. It's thoughts have inspired a series by the same name that's going to begin on Sept. 9. I was reading on authenticity when I came across this:

Can we be this kind of church: The kind where people don't have to pretend? Where we can be ourselves and stop pretending we're more or less than what we are right now? That's the only way we can help each other grow to be all God intended us to be. If we can't do this, we're just playing church.

My passion, vision, hope, dream for The Point is that we are a church where people can come as they are. As you'll hear me say over and over again in the next few months, there really are no perfect people allowed... because there are no perfect people. Since that's the case, let's stop pretending. Let's be authentic. Then let's allow God to work in us to make us into the people he's created us to be.

Discipline

My friend Cliff started blogging a few weeks ago. I love the definition of discipline that Cliff shares in this post. That will give you something to think about.

Birthdays

No, this is not a shameless promotion of my 33rd birthday (which is today). But, if you didn't know, today is my birthday. 33 years ago today I was born in Weisbaden, Germany. Donations and gifts can be sent to the following address... just kidding.

The first thing my boys did when they got up was bring me my presents (a pair of Crocs and a Clemson flag to hang outside the house... cool gifts!). I had to open them before breakfast. The miracle is that they kept silent about my presents. That's a first. Matthew still thinks I need to be having a "Pirate Party."

Really, my 33rd birthday is the small news around here. One of my room-mates from college, John Gallman, got engaged over the weekend. I'm happy for the guy. I'm worried for the girl!

Back to the birthday... whenever I have a birthday I reflect on this question: I wonder what this year will hold? Year 32 was the toughest year of my short life. I'm curious to see what's going to happen, what God is going to do, how I'm going to grow and change during year 33. It was a big year in Jesus' life.

Now I can't wait for some of Liz's amazing carrot cake tonight!

Marketing

Today I'm spending some time working on the text for the door-hangers that we're going to hang out on the weekends of August 18 and 25. Here's what I've got so far... and I float these ideas out there for some constructive criticism and insight.

Door Hanger #1:
Front: Church for people who like to sleep late.
Logo, web site
Back: The Point meets on Sunday night @ 6 PM
Creating a come as you are church
Logo, web site, phone #
Map, address
Door Hanger #2:
Front: Warning: No Perfect People Allowed
Logo, web site
Back: A new series beginning Sept. 9
sermon titles and dates
logo, web site, phone #
map, address

What am I missing? Any ideas?

Pictures from Stephanie's wedding

Theme verse

I don't know why, but for the past few weeks, and more intensely the past few days, I've been coming back to this passage. I believe that this is our theme passage at The Point. I think it has the potential to make us unique. It is the goal. From it comes our mission (to create relevant environments where people are encouraged and equipped to grow in intimacy with God, community with insiders and influence with outsiders).

I heard a church one time say their mission is to help people find their way back to God. That's good stuff. That's what we're trying to do at The Point.

Giving

I was challenged by this quote that I got out of this book: Giving isn't really giving until it interrupts your lifestyle. That's powerful and kind of convicting.

Follow your heart???

This is such a great passage.

We are so often controlled and directed by our heart or by our feelings. "But my heart is telling me this is the right thing to do.... This just feels right.... I've got a feeling about this...." The list could go on, but think about your life. How often do you follow your heart?

The passage above states that "the heart is deceitful above all things." Above ALL things. The heart is DECEITFUL.

I think that's why we're commanded to "Trust in the LORD with all of our heart...." We're not to trust our heart. We're to trust in the LORD with all of our heart. So... where's your trust?

Habits

Our lives are really the sum of a bunch of different habits. It's those things that we do over and over again that give our lives meaning, stability, structure and manageability.

I've been thinking about habits lately. Maybe it's because I changed my morning routine a few months back. I used to get up, take a shower, drink coffee and have my quiet time, eat breakfast and then go on to the rest of my day. Well, I'm getting up a bit earlier now to make sure I have enough time alone with God before my boys wake up (they never sleep past 7 or 7:30, and are frequently up before 7). With this earlier wake up call I've changed from showering first to drinking coffee and spending time alone with God first. It's been a great change. I really enjoy it (I know you're thrilled to know my morning routine, but hang in there, I'm going somewhere with this.)

The problem is that sometimes, if I have to be somewhere early, I have to revert back to my previous routine. This small change in my morning habits always throws me for a loop.

I know what you're thinking, "Man, Jonathan's a loser!" While that might be true to some degree (I was #1 on my tennis team in high school and never won one match), you try switching things up for a minute and see how you're left feeling. Here are some ideas:

• Change the way you drink your coffee.
• Rearrange your bedtime routine.
• Order something different at your favorite restaurant.
• Get a pizza with toppings you've never had.

The list could go on and on. So what is my point? If our lives are really the sum total of various habits I think it would be profitable to take an inventory of those habits to see which ones are beneficial and which ones we could do without.

Take for instance: Do you have the habit of spending time with God on a regular basis? If not, why not? If you're a Christ follower then I would definitely ask, "Why not?" Then, if you do have that habit, are you making the most of it. I switched my morning routine to maximize my time alone with God. I'd recommend, I'd beg, I'd plead, do whatever you need to do to prioritize your relationship with God.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Just in case you're wondering, there's no way I'm changing the way I fix my coffee. Why mess with perfection?

Humiliating

This week our oldest boys have gone camping with my parents. It's been a bit odd just having an 8 month old around the house (it's a lot quieter!), but great having some less interrupted time with Liz.

That's not the humiliating part. This AM I had to go to the doctor. No, I am not sick, but we thought (actually, Liz thought) it was time to get a doctor here in Spartanburg just in case I do get sick sometime in the future. So, Liz signed me up to get a physical. I don't like going to the doctor. I especially don't like getting a physical. It's a pretty humiliating experience for me (thank goodness the doctor said I don't need a prostate exam for another 2 years. I'm leaving the country in 1 year 11 months 29 days.). But in spite of the humiliation it's supposed to be good for you to get a physical, right?

This got me thinking. Really, the only thing that keeps me from regularly getting a physical (I've had 2 since I graduated high school--and I turn 33 on July 9th) is laziness and pride. I really think I'm too good, too healthy, altogether alright and such, so I don't need to go to the doctor... so I put it off. I change the topic when Liz brings it up. I put off what's good for me.

That got me thinking. We do this a lot don't we? We do it with God all the time. God tells us the best way to do relationships, but we don't want to play by those rules because we think we know better or we're just too lazy to find out what God says. God tells us how to handle money the right way, but we ignore that because we've believed the lie that it's all our money anyway. God tells us how to be in a right relationship with him, but we're not to keen on that, so we mix and match different religions or cultural beliefs together to find something that fits us better.

The problem in all of this is our stupid self-centeredness. It's all about us and if we don't like it we either ignore it or flat out rebel or change the topic so we don't have to think about it anymore.

We're going to talk a bit about this on Sunday at The Point. It will be worth your time. It sure has been eye-opening to me.

One good thing about today: I didn't have to make a follow-up appointment, so maybe I can postpone my next physical for another 7 or 8 years!

Must See

We don't go see many movies together as a family... especially since we have to take out a second mortgage to take all of us, but last night I took the fam to see Evan Almighty. I had heard good things about this film, and I was not disappointed. I laughed throughout the entire movie. It was clean. It was creative. And I think that the way they had Morgan Freeman portray God wasn't all that bad. It even emphasized obedience.

I don't normally recommend movies, but this is worth seeing in the theater.

I want to be like that

Sometimes I read something and think to myself, "Man, I want to be like that!" I read this passage this morning. I want to be like that.

Sunday night change

This Sunday, The Point is going to switch things up a bit. It's going to be an M&M night: Mexican and Movies. Instead of meeting at the BCM building we will be meeting at Corona's on Blackstock Rd. After some Mexican food we're going to head over to the Spartan 16 theater to watch Evan Almighty at 8 PM. Bring some friends and come have some fun. See you Sunday.

Wedding report

We're finally back from our adventure in the northeast and so I've got Internet access and a few minutes to report about my first wedding. I am no longer a virgin wedding officiator. I successfully completed my first wedding. It was a blast and a huge honor to do Stephanie and Chris's wedding. I am so thankful that they asked me to be a part.

People always talk about how beautiful the bride is, but I wish you could have seen my bride. She was gorgeous.

I'll share a funny story... well, it's funny now... during the ceremony I noticed that my wedding band was missing. My first wedding, I'm talking about commitment and doing the exchanging of rings and vows, and MY wedding band is not where it was supposed to be. This really stressed me out and was deeply upsetting. We looked all over the hotel room, had the people where the wedding took place be on the lookout, called the grocery store where I went to by Tylenol for Levi...but alas... no ring. Then Liz is getting earrings out of her small jewelery container and lo and behold, there's my wedding ring. It was a huge relief for me.

After some great fun and great food in Cape May we headed to NYC for 3 days. I wasn't sure what to expect dragging three small boys around the Big Apple, but besides some small complaining they did awesome. NYC is an amazing place. We visited Liz's twin brother, Matt and her sister-in-law, Emily's tiny apartment on the upper east-side. I think God might be calling some of you who read this blog to go plant a church there. They need to have at least one house church per apartment building. If you can do that take off. I'll support you.

I think this every time we head up to New Jersey, but I am so glad Liz has relatives from that part of the country. It was great seeing everyone and hopefully we see you all sooner rather than later.

From Cape May, NJ

I'm sitting out front of my hotel room at The Heritage Motor Inn at the corner of Stockton Pl. and Beach Ave. in Cape May, NJ. Nathan and Matthew are across the street at the beach with their cousin Zack and Aunt Judy, probably freezing to death. I'm babysitting Levi, who is taking a much needed nap, and working on the wedding gig I have for tomorrow. I think it may be all of 62 degrees outside right now. It's supposed to be 91 on Sunday. The pool is about 3 degrees above ice, but it's really beautiful out here.

I don't know how much I'll be posting over the next few days while we're here in NJ and then in NYC. I picked up some wireless from some other hotel nearby.

I would ask that you pray for me as I officiate my first wedding tomorrow. It's going to be a lot of fun. Pray for Chris and Stephanie. It's a big day and a big committment for them.

I have to share some bragging on my boys. I've got great boys, but I wasn't sure how the 8 hour drive to Norfolk or the 5 hour drive from Norfolk to Cape May was going to go. They were awesome. There was no fighting between Nathan and Matthew for the 8 hour trip and only a little bit of squabbling yesterday. They were great. Then Levi, the dude is a trooper. He was great. He's the happiest baby. All this goodness... and without a traveling DVD player!

I'd better get back to the wedding stuff.

Authority

I've got this question that's been running around in my mind the past week: What authority are we allowing to direct our lives? I'll make it more personal, what authority are you allowing to run your life?

I've noticed something over the past few months, personal experience is king. The majority of people I meet (including the one in the mirror at times), Christian and non-Christian, allow circumstances, feelings or peers to be the authority that they align their lives under. While I do believe that God does speak through all three of those I think it is a tragic mistake for us to allow them the ultimate voice of authority in our lives.

So what should be the ultimate authority in the life of a Christ follower? The Bible. Duh!?!? The problem is that we know that, but we don't line our lives up under the authority of Scripture. We think that in certain areas (finances, dating, relationships, work ethic, ect.) that God has made an exception for us. Or we just don't give a rip about what God says (which is what Proverbs refers to as a fool).

That's why one of our core values at The Point is Biblical Authority.

Now let me say what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that you need to know the Bible better. I think that knowledge is great, but if it stops as some intellectual exercise then we're missing the point. What I'm saying is that we need to do what we know. We need to align our lives with how God tells his followers to live in the Bible. We need to submit to the authority of Scripture (by the way, if you want a life of freedom, maximum freedom is found under God's authority, but that's another sermon).

It's about trusting God enough to obey what he says to do. Trust and obedience... these are essential characteristics of a Christ follower. (But I thought love was...? Yes, but the command to love makes love an issue of obedience and "loving others" is just one of the things that Jesus talks about.)

I don't know what your daily Scripture intake is, but I want to encourage you to increase it. Then do what it says!

Stories of grace

I have to admit, I don't understand grace. I like grace. I believe in grace. If it weren't for grace I'd be doomed, but grace is messy. Grace forces me to actually trust God to do what he's promised to do. My bent is to try and fix people, but that's God's job. Grace transforms people who rest in it.

Stripped is another one of those books I got for free (I love free stuff!). I wasn't sure if it would really be worth my time. It was more than worth my time. Reading these stories of life change was a big inspiration to me. I love stories and this book is filled with stories that will increase your trust in the God of grace.

Why you should do Music on Main

Last night Liz, Chris, William, my boys and I went to give gum away at Music on Main. We gave away 318 pack of gum in about 20 minutes. I've got to tell you a story. Liz, the boys and I were giving some gum away to some people who were sitting on benches. One guy looked at the card that we give away with the gum and said, "I got one of these before and called the number on the card and somebody prayed with me." I said, "If somebody prayed for you then it was me." He was so thankful to have been prayed for and it was cool to meet face to face someone who I had talked with and prayed with over the phone. Who knows how God is going to use the giveaways in the future. Who knows how he is going to use you. Come be a part of the fun next Thursday. "Small things done with great love can change the world." - Steve Sjogren.

Transformation

Somebody sent this book to me for free. I've got to say thanks to whoever sent it. There's more good stuff in the book than I have time to write, so you need to read it. You can get a copy here.

Here are a few things that I'll share: I really loved his stuff on the difference between being converted and being transformed. I'm going to teach that sometime. He talked about how the church in the west really has a lot to learn from the church in the east where a church planting movement is exploding. He also shared how not only are we, as individuals, missionaries, but that the church is themissionary (thus the reason for what I'm going to share on Sunday).

I think what connected with me and inspired me the most is the idea of The Point being a church that partners with the Holy Spirit to see lives transformed and then, flowing out from partners with the Holy Spirit to transform the world. I do believe that God has called us to be missionaries here in Spartanburg, but if we stop here then we've fallen short of what God has invited us into. The vision of The Point is to be a church that impacts the entire world. I know that sounds a bit presumptuous considering our size and influence now, but that's the goal. I want to see lives transformed because of what we do in Spartanburg. I want to see us plant other churches in Spartanburg. I want us to plant churches all around the state, our country and the world (which is, by the way, why we give 5% of our take in from tithes and offerings to a church plant in Lexington, SC and another 5% to missionaries both here and overseas).

Transformation is most definitely worth your time.

4 random things that are very important

I realized that I haven't been blogging very consistently lately. Sorry about that. You probably don't care as much about that as I do. I'd like to say I have a good excuse, but I can't make up one that's believable enough for me to write! :)

I do have some really exciting news to share. The problem is I can't write about it until after I share it with our church on Sunday. It has to do with us partnering with God to help fulfill His dream for our city, state, country and world. To all of The Point: Be there on Sunday. I can't think of anything greater to do with my life and time than join with God in what he is doing in the world.

I do want to point you to this blog this morning. I have to admit... I like to feel like I can control people's spiritual growth. I don't know why this is, but it's really just a lack of trust in God and the gospel and the Holy Spirit. Read the post and let me know what you think.

You also need to listen to this podcast on "More than Hello." These are probably some of the best tips I've ever heard on greeting people and creating a welcoming environment at our gatherings. This isn't just the greeters or my responsibility. If you call The Point your church then you are our partner in creating environments where people will want to come back.

Make the most of your summer

Time is a precious commodity. I have an opportunity for you to invest your time in something eternal. Specifically, I am looking for 10 volunteers who will invest 10-15 hours a week during the summer to The Point. E-mail me and I'll give you some more details. Don't waste your time. Make your summer count.

Last Day of School

Today was Nathan's (my kindergardener) last day of school. I was an emotional time for mom. I think is was a bit emotional for Nathan too. He had some awesome teachers this year. Mrs. Wood and Mrs. Bembenek were incredible. We couldn't have asked for better teachers for our son's first year of school. Honestly, I can't believe the first year is over. I know he won't read this, but I am so proud of Nathan. I told him this yesterday, but the reason I am so proud of him is not because of how smart he is, or that he's reading, or that he can do minor multiplication (what's up with that?), but that he is kind and considerate to his classmates and was always looking out for them before himself. Now the summer fun begins!

pre-Birthday bash

Yesterday we had a "Pirates of the Carribean" Birthday party for Matthew. He turns 4 tomorrow. I can't believe he's turning 4. To say it was a magical day for Matthew would be an understatement. I love the wonder and excitement of kids. Nathan said that it was one of the best days of the year.

In honor of a pirate birthday here are some pictures to feast your eyes on...

A window into my world

I just found out about Ed Young's new video blog. His first post is so true. If you are a church planter then you need to watch it. If you just go to church I think his post gives great insight into the world of a pastor. I'm still uncomfortable with the whole "Pastor" thing. But I have experienced just what he's talking about. His words are a small window into my world. You can check it out here.

Influence

I've got to share a cool story that I was just told about The Point's influence. I have to admit, I often wonder, "Are we making a difference? Is God using us?"

I just heard that there is another church in town (which will remain anonymous) where the Children's minister got up on a Sunday morning and implored the people that they need to be out in the community, serving and making a difference. He then proceeded to share how he was at the mall the other day and someone came up to him and said, "We're giving away free gum. Would you like a pack?"

He then went on to explain how he was expecting this person to "witness" to him, but all they did was give him the free gum and tell him that God loves him. He was blown away by this small grace gift given in the name of Jesus.

He then went on to say that their church needed to start doing stuff like this.

Like I said, I often wonder if God is working. I know he is. I know he's working all the time. I believe that in my head, but because I don't always see him working I sometimes am a practical agnostic. But it is stories like these that blow me away. I would never have thought that God would use us to influence another church.

And I also have to confess, part of me is uncomfortable with this because I want The Point to grow, but really, it's not about The Point. It's not about any one individual church. It's about the Kingdom and us working together so that every resident of Spartanburg County, our state and our world has an opportunity to become a follower of Jesus. So, as hard as it is for me to say this, I hope that church steals what we're doing and does it better. We stole the idea from another church. And I pray that God uses things like this to unite His body and transform lives and the world.

My first wedding

I got a phone call from my future brother-in-law Chris asking me to officiate he and Steph's wedding in a month. I'm pretty excited. I'm a virgin wedding officiator, so I hope I don't screw it up.

Seriously, it is an honor to be asked, but now I've got to prepare. Anybody got any advice/suggestions?

Seven Questions

I found these questions on Tony Morgan's post to be worth asking myself. They're probably worth you taking a few minutes to ask yourself also.

Know thyself

Today I got to hang out with a great group of church planter/leaders (a big shout out to Cliff who actually reads this blog). Besides eating some incredible Low Country Boil (thanks to Bill) we spent a good bit of time working on and discussing the Personal Coaching Styles Inventory. Really, it's just one of the many great personality surveys that are out there.

I've taken a bunch of personality tests over the years and they are all worthwhile... to some degree. The value I find is in the self-discovery, and through that self-discovery, knowing that there are other people out there like me. Of the 8 guys who took the survey, five of us scored in the same grouping. It opened up a lot of discussion about how we do what we do and why we do things the way we do and how what we do and why we do it drives other people who aren't like us crazy.

I don't really know why I'm writing this other than to say that I think it's important to know who you are. Only then can you recognize who you are not. And only then can you maximize who God has created you to be.

If only I were catholic

I could have a future Pope and monk coming from my family. Maybe I should convert.

A "must" read

I've been working on Sundays sermon and in my research I am re-reading a few pages in Dallas Willard's book, The Divine Conspiracy. Other than the Bible this is the one book that you need to take time to read. I say take time because it is a hard read, but thoroughly life changing. Go ahead and click the link above and order it today.

Moving into the unknown

Maybe it's just me, but each day I wake up as a church planter feels like another day of waking to the unknown. With that in mind, I love this quote from Erwin McManus:

"When you move forward on what you know, things become clearer.
When you refuse to act on what you know, all that you do not know paralyzes you."

I don't want to be paralyzed. I see paralyzed people all the time. I want to be known as a person who walks by faith, trusting God with the unknown while at the same time being obedient and moving forward with what I do already know.

The Key to following Jesus

I shared last week that I'm on a journey of learning what it means to be a disciple/follower of Jesus. One thing I know for sure is that it's not about knowing more stuff. It's not information based. "The more you know" may work well for a fuzzy NBC public service announcement, but years of Bible studies and expository preaching and discipleship classes haven't really done much in the way of making true disciples of Jesus - people who live like Jesus. Going to seminary and learning Greek and Hebrew hasn't grown me in Christlikeness.

So if it's not about what we know then what is the key? It's obedience. Most of us don't like that word, but if we are going to be just like our rabbi Jesus then we need to live lives of obedience. Jesus modeled that for us. He was obedient. It even says he was "obedient to death on a cross."

So what are we to be obedient to? Great question. I think a great place to start is the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. This is where Jesus boils down how his followers should live. He says things like stick to your word, love those who aren't like you, stop worrying, make God's Kingdom your primary concern, invest your finances in Kingdom/eternal things, how to pray and don't objectify people by lusting.

I want my life to be so characterized by obedience that I can say, "If you want to know how to follow Jesus just imitate me."

I would love to hear your thoughts.

In the Paper!

I opened up the paper (yes, I do read the paper) this morning and got a big surprise on the front page: An article where The Point is one of four featured churches. Check out the article and if you get some time write Kim Kimzey and tell her thanks for including The Point in her article.

Two in one week!

As I'm sure you can imagine. Nathan was on cloud nine tonight. We put him to bed and 4 minutes later he called us upstairs to let us know he pulled his second tooth out. No corn on the cob for a few weeks.

Spring Fling report

I must admit, it was cold and today it was wet, but us being able to serve at Spring Fling was an incredible experience. In-spite of the cold weather we were able to give out over 2500 packs of gum or suckers. That means that over 2500 people were reminded that God loves them and is for them.

I can't say thank you enough to the people from The Point who served. I also am overly grateful for the 22 people from Mt. Airy who came to help us this morning. Because of the wet weather I sent half of them to the mall to give stuff away. God opened up a number of conversational doors. We got to talk about God's grace, The Point and just how much God loves each of us.

Even with having to tear down early tonight (because we were soaked to our bones) I still feel God blessed us with an incredible experience.

FYI: I think we're going to do it again the first weekend in June. The city invited us to do our giveaway at Wings and Wheels. I'm going to need your help. See you tomorrow night!

Prayer Needed

Man am I getting excited about Spring Fling. In my excitement I fell a burden to pray and would like for you to pray with me. Pray that God will use us. Pray for God to reveal himself through us. Pray that people will see Jesus in us. Pray for God to draw people to himself. Pray for good weather. Pray, pray, pray. Would you consider taking some time, 10-15 minutes, today and tomorrow and Saturday to pray for God to use us and work through us at Spring Fling?

God brought to mind these verses out of Isaiah 64:

¹ Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!

² As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!

³ For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

⁴ Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

It is my heart’s cry that people see God through our service at Spring Fling. I am so excited that so many of you are getting involved and helping.

They liked him

One thing that was unmistakable about Jesus was that people liked him. They flocked from all over to hear him speak. And, if you look closely, you'll see that one of the groups that liked Jesus were the sinners. These were the bad folks--the tax collectors, the prostitutes. These "sinners" enjoyed hanging around Jesus... and Jesus seemed to enjoy hanging around them.

Rob Bell says that disciples wanted to be just like their rabbi. This has huge implications for us who are trying to be disciples/followers of Jesus today. People who are "sinners" or who are far away from God should be attracted to us. People should like hanging around us. People who are far away from God should enjoy being with us...and we should enjoy hanging out with people who aren't like us.

I've got to contemplate that for a bit. I want to be like Jesus.

I just had this thought: My wife is really good at this. I know that she is gifted in this area, but people feel comfortable around her and she feels comfortable around almost all types of people. She's good at caring for and loving people. She's a model for me to see this in action. Who do you know that you see this characteristic of Jesus in?

The cost

The past few weeks/months I've been working through what it means to be a disciple, or what it means to follow Jesus... what that looks like, what's required, and how to go about taking someone who is far away from God and making them into a transformed follower/disciple of Jesus.

One thing I know is that being a disciple is more about what you do and how you live than what you know. Discipleship and following Jesus isn't a knowledge based/intellectual exercise, but it's action-based where how I live, how I treat others, and what I do with my life, time, money, talents and relationships is really what Jesus would do if he were me in each of those areas.

One thing I am certain about is that following Jesus is costly, and unfortunately, most of us don't want to pay the price to really be a disciple. I read this quote by Rodney Stark, a sociologist, that I thought was worth pondering: People value religion on the basis of cost, and they don’t value the cheapest ones the most. Religions that ask nothing get nothing. You can read the rest of his interview here.

To be a follower of Jesus costs us everything. Have we counted the cost? Are we willing to follow? Have we even taken the time to think through this or is our discipleship all about what we know?

As I work through what it means to be a disciple/follower of Jesus I'll be sharing what I learn. I would love your input and to hear your thoughts. From the lack of comments, Liz and I may be the only ones reading this. If that's not the case and someone else is reading then jump into the discussion. What does it mean to be a disciple/follower of Jesus?

Really, I can't put into words about how excited I am for Spring Fling this weekend. I found out yesterday that The Point is going to be able to set up a booth near the high traffic Kid's area. That means we're going to be giving away a lot of free suckers and candy!

I also found out that Mt. Airy Baptist Church is sending 26 people to help us out on Saturday. They are also bringing almost 9000 pieces of candy and sticks of gum! Thanks is not a strong enough word for my feelings of gratitude. It will also be good to see some old friends from my former church. I'm going to split half of them between our booth and the children's games with the city. The city needs volunteers and we are trying to respond. Some of our wonderful people will be helping with the city also.

I don't know what is going to come from this opportunity, but I am so thankful that God has opened up a door for us to serve Spartanburg and show his love and grace by giving some stuff away. If you haven't volunteered to help then I need you to e-mail me.

One down

Today was a big day in the Everette home. Nathan's first tooth came out while we were brushing his teeth this morning. So, what's the going rate from the tooth fairy these days?

Q

I'm leaving tonight after small group to go to Q. No, that's not a James Bond thing. It's a unique kind of conference on church, leadership, culture, future and the gospel. I'm looking forward to posting some learnings from the event.

I love learning, but I hate being away from my family. One good thing that's come from being at the pre-project visit in Myrtle Beach last week and going to Q this week is that it's forced me to prepare ahead for my sermons. Right now I've got this Sunday and next Sunday's sermon prepared. My goal is to be four weeks out in preparation. I'm working on sermons for our next series that starts on Mother's day: God @ the billboards. More info on that later.

"Sex God" book review

I must confess, I am a big Rob Bell fan. I first heard Rob speak at a Youth Specialties convention in Tampa, FL in 2001 and God really used him profoundly to speak into my life. Thus, when his first book came out I gobbled it down... twice. Sex God is Rob's second book. You've got to admit, the title does grab your attention. Some of you are probably slightly appalled and offended by the title, but you shouldn't be. This book is worth your time. If you are married or hope to be married one day then you need to read this book for sure... especially the last three chapters.

The premise of the whole book is that our sex lives, as they were intended by God, are really a picture of God... his relationship within the trinity and his relationship with us.

I've got to share a quick story from the book that comes from Jewish culture. When a couple would get married they would exchange the marriage covenant and then go immediately to the marriage chamber to consummate the relationship. The deal was, however, that the entire wedding party went with them and waited outside while they engaged in the act of marriage, and when they were done the partying would begin (the whole point being that you weren't married until you had sex and if you had sex then you were married). I'm glad we don't do that today! I would be a bit embarrassed. Read the book. Some of this stuff may come up in a sermon series in the future.

Sunday night reflections 4-22-07

I felt like last night was one of those nights when it's just hard. We had some technical problems that pushed us right up to starting time in getting ready. A bunch of our folks were out of town (or at the lake). But I think it was still a good night. The sermon actually got recorded this week! I'm going to post it online in a little while. Nathan learned a Bible verse that he quoted for me on the drive home (this is a HUGE thing for me and I am so proud of him). We had some returners.

Personally, I'm really enjoying our Problem with God series. It's been good for me to focus on some simple yet profound characteristics of God. I need to be reminded every so often of who God is and what he is like. Sometimes I get distracted and forget. Sometimes I am consumed by worry and forget. Sometimes I'm just self-centered and I forget. This series has helped me to refocus on who God is and what he is like. I just wish we had more people coming to be a part of the discussion. It's good stuff. At the same time I am so thankful for who God has brought our way and for the way some of you have been inviting people.

God is way bigger than my tiny brain can comprehend, but as we've discussed, God is good, God is Generous and God is Caring. I especially am encouraged by the truth that God as a gardener doesn't mind getting his hands dirty in my life. This week I pray that you would allow our Caring-gardener God to do his work in you so that you will be all that he's created you to be.