Memorial Day

I read this from Mark Batterson and wanted to pass it along. It's a great reminder this memorial day:

Very few people can name the twelve Apostles and even fewer know anything about them. Hope this changes that. On thisMemorial Day weekend when we remember those who sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we enjoy, it seems appropriate to share how each of the twelve apostles died.

James the brother of John was killed with a sword during a persecution initiated by King Herod in AD 44.

Andrew was hung on an olive tree around 70 AD. Doubting Thomaswas thrust through with pine spears, tortured with red-hot plates, and burned alive around 70 AD.

Philip went to Phrygia where he was tortured and crucified in AD 54.

Matthew was beheaded sometime after 60 AD.

Bartholomew was flayed after he refused to recant. After the removal of his skin, he was crucified in 70 AD.

James the lesser was taken to the top of the Temple where a crowd gathered. When he refused to recant, he was thrown down. He survived the fall so a mob beat him to death with clubs in 63 AD.

Simon the Zealot was crucified by the governor of Syria in AD 74.

Judas Thaddeus ministered in Mesopotamia where he was beaten to death with sticks in AD 72.

Matthias, who replaced Judas Iscariot, went to Ethiopia and was stoned to death while hanging on a cross in AD 70. According to Eusebius, the third century historian, Peter thought himself unworthy to die in the manner in which Jesus was crucified so he requested that he be crucified upside-down. And last but not least, John the beloved is the only disciple who died a natural death, but that doesn't mean he was exempt from persecution. He was exiled to the Island of Patmos and according to legend, thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil.

I’m not sure what that does to you. In fact, I'm not sure what that does to me. But I know this: I'm grateful for the estimated 70 million martyrs who have died because of their faith in Jesus Christ. And I'm grateful for the freedoms I enjoy as an American. May we never take them for granted.

Tidbits of wisdom

There are some good tidbits of wisdom in this post that I need to remember.

Movies in the Park notes

We had the first Movies in the Park of 2010 this past Friday. Honestly, I thought we were going to have to cancel. It rained all day. There was water standing in my yard. But it was dry with blue sky at Duncan Park. So MIP was a go.

Our team did AWESOME! They worked great together. I saw new leaders step up to the plate. Nobody sat around on their rears. I was so proud of our team.

You know who you are and I was proud to be serving with you.

The crowd was way, way down. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the location. Maybe it was the move from Friday to Saturday. Maybe nobody loves me but my momma. But the folks that did show up had a great time, especially the kids.

And the cool thing is that we get to do it again in less than 3 weeks! June 11th we'll be showing The Spy Next Door.

If you helped and have some feedback on how to improve for the June movie please let me know. I want to hear from you.

Not as much

I read a number of blogs on a regular basis. I consider it real time learning. Well, over the past few months I've noticed that a lot of the blogs I follow are posting less and less. And then I noticed that I've been posting less and less.

I wonder if blogging is loosing it's cool or if there's just not enough time to do all the other important stuff that needs to be done (like twittering). I know for me it's been a time issue.

Just something I noticed. And now, because you've read this you've noticed too. :)

Movies in the Park makes the news

Here's the story that was in today's Herald-Journal about Movies in the Park. I love free press.

Too good not to share

I just read this and had to share it. I hope it doesn't make anybody mad. That's not my intention. I hope it motivates you. It sure does me.

“I want every member of this church to be a worker. We do not want any drones. If there are any of you who want to eat and drink, and do nothing, there are plenty of places elsewhere, where you can do it; there are empty pews about in abundance; go and fill them, for we do not want you. Every Christian who is not a bee is a wasp. The most quarrelsome persons are the most useless, and they who are the most happy are peaceable, are generally those who are doing most for Christ.” (Spurgeon)

Showing this Friday

What: Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs.
Where: Duncan Park Baseball Stadium.
When: Gates open at 6. Movie begins at sunset.

Make sure you bring a blanket or chair to sit on.

We can't wait for Movies in the Park!!!

Silly Bandz

As you already know, Silly Bandz are all the rage. But they're not only for fashion. You can use them to get a date.

This morning at the gym a little girl gave Levi some Silly Bandz. You might think she's just sharing, but I think she had ulterior motives.

We need you for Movies in the Park

Hey everybody,

Have you ever wondered what makes MIP such a success in our community? I've spent some time contemplating that question and I think there are two reasons. First, I think that God has granted us favor. There's no other way to say it. God has been gracious and favorable. MIP was his idea and he's done so much to make it such a success. Second, I think that what makes MIP so successful is you. You work your rear-ends off. Well, we're a week and a half away from game time, and here's what we need for you to do.

Pray. Pray for great weather. Pray for God to bring people. Pray for opportunities during the event to tell people about why we do MIP and invite them to Hub City. We are so dependent upon God. We need to pray like it all depends on God.

Work your rear end off. We need to work like it all depends on us. Here's what we need you to do.

- Hang posters. We’ll have some posters available on Sunday for you to hang around town.

- We need someone to pick up the popcorn @ 4 PM from Spartan 16.

We’re meeting at Duncan Park Baseball Stadium at 5 PM (or as soon as you can get there). Here’s what needs to be done.

- Set up sound

- Stuff Popcorn bags

- Set up video

- Set up screen

- Set up/work concessions

- Set up and work registration (Have people at the registration table and people walking around registering people.)

- Bug sprayers

- And some other stuff that I’m sure I forgot. J (If I forgot something, Melanie, please let me know. She remembers everything.)

If possible, I need to hear back from you today. Where are you going to serve? Where are you going to plug in? I'm counting on you. Thanks for all you’ve done so far and all you are going to do. It’s a blast serving with you to make Spartanburg a better place to live.

Don't give up

I don't know why, but this verse has been floating around in my head for the past week. Jesus is talking to his disciples and he says, I have told you these things so that in me you will have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world. John 16:33.

My first thought is, Ain't that the truth!

My second thought is, Somebody needs to hear this.

My third thought is, Whoever you are, don't give up. Just because you're having trouble, don't give up. Trouble is par for the course. It's to be expected. But take heart! Don't give up! Jesus has overcome the world.

Nathan's Recital May 3, 2010

Matthew's recital

Radical

This is probably a book that you shouldn't read. It will mess up your life. It will force you to evaluate your priorities. It will bring you face to face with some aspects of following Jesus that you'd probably rather not acknowledge.

That being said, this is a must read book. I don't know about you, but I am so often frustrated with the Church in America. At the same time, I realize that I'm just as much a part of the problem as anyone else. I don't like that. I don't want to be like that. I want to live a radical life that makes much of God and makes a difference in the world.

That is what this book is about. It's about making much of God by making a difference in the world. But that doesn't just happen. It means living radically. It means living in a way that you've probably never thought about living before.

There's more I'd like to say about this book, but I'm still processing much of it. I'm wrestling with much of what I've read. This may be the most difficult book I've read in a long while. Not that it's difficult to read, but that it's convicting. So instead of me telling you what's in the book I want to suggest that you get a copy and read it. After you read it leave me a message because I have a question to ask you (but I can't ask it until after you read the book).

I'm thinking of personally purchasing copies for everyone at Hub City Church. If you want to get a copy you can pick one up here.

This book was provided courtesy of Water Brook Multnomah and Random House Publishing.

Troop carrier or luxury liner?

I don't know if this makes sense out of context, but I thought it was a great quote that really expresses my heart for Hub City.

The purpose of the church is to mobilize a people to accomplish a mission. Yet we seem to have turned the church as a troop carrier into the church as a luxury liner. We seem to have organized ourselves, not to engage in battle for the souls of people around the world, but to indulge ourselves in the peaceful comforts of this world. - David Platt

Two things I'm praying

Just thought I'd share two things I'm praying for Hub City Church this week:

1. For God to do this: I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Ez. 11:19.

2. For us to be a community of Christians each multiplying the gospel by going, baptizing and teaching in the contexts where we live everyday.

A disconnected faith

God blesses his people with extravagant grace so they might extend his extravagant glory to all peoples of the earth. - David Platt

I read that today from David's book Radical and had this thought: We love the first part of that sentence, but we tend to ignore the second part. Later on David writes, We live in a culture that has a dangerous tendency to disconnect the grace of God from the glory of God. So true.

For some reason being a Christian is all about us: God loves me. But the message of Biblical Christianity is not "God loves me, period," as if we were the object of our own faith. The message of Biblical Christianity is "God loves me so that I might make him--his ways, his salvation, his glory, and his greatness--known among the nations.

So, if you're a Christian, what's your faith about? What's at the center of your faith? God's glory or your comfort? It would suck to get to the end of our lives and realize that our disconnected faith prevented us from accomplishing our mission on earth.

Whatever it takes

Whatever it takes. I love that phrase. If I was running for political office, that would be my slogan.

I want that to be a value for Hub City Church, too. I want us to be known as the church that will do whatever it takes to make disciples who make disciples. I want us to be known as the church that will do whatever it takes to love and accept people. I want us to be known as the church that will do whatever it takes to make Spartanburg a better place to live. I want us to be known as the church that will do whatever it takes to reach out to people who are far away from God.

Am I willing to do whatever it takes? Are you willing to do whatever it takes? Are we willing to do whatever it takes?

Do you have a whatever it takes attitude? If not, why not?

What would it take?

This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

I read that this morning out of Acts 19. All the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. All of them. In the province of Asia. That's incredible.

It got me thinking. What would it take so that it could be said, all the people of Spartanburg county heard the word of the Lord?

What would we need to do to make that a reality here?

I'd like, for one day, historians to be able to look back and say all the people of Spartanburg County heard the word of the Lord. I want to be a part of that.

The Gospel

I read a great, simple definition of the Gospel today and wanted to share it with you:

This is the gospel. The just and loving Creator of the universe has looked upon hopelessly sinful people and sent his Son, God in the flesh, to bear his wrath against sin on the cross and to show his power over sin in the Resurrection so that all who trust in him will be reconciled to God forever.... This gospel evokes unconditional surrender of all that we are and all that we have to all that he is. David Platt

Do I really care?

I want you to ask yourself a question. It’s question that I had to answer a few years back. Here it is: Do I really care if Spartanburg is better because I’m here?

I know that you hear me say that we want Spartanburg to be a better place to live. But for me, it’s more than a catch phrase. I believe that the Bible teaches that we are where we are on purpose for a purpose, and that God has put me here, in Sparkle-city, to make a difference. I also believe that he’s put you here to make a difference. Jesus said you are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Spartanburg should be better because we’re here.

That’s what I love about Movies in the Park, the Garage Unsale, Christmas in Action and Spring Fling. They make Spartanburg a better place to live. They add something to this community. And you and I get to be a part. You and I get to participate.

All of these events do something else. They communicate to Spartanburg that we care and that we’re here for them. They help us to put down roots.

Speaking of Movies in the Park, I think that God might use Movies in the Park in a way that’s bigger than ever this year. I think people are going to surrender their lives to Jesus because they came to Duncan Park or Barnet Park to see a free movie and experience love and acceptance from Hub City Church.

So, do you really care if Spartanburg is better because you’re here? I think you do. So, what are you going to do to make that happen?