The best part of my day

Yesterday afternoon Nathan was begging me to do something with him. The two games I offered to play weren't things he was interested in, so I just left him alone and came to my room to work on the story for Hub Group. A few minutes later Nathan came into my room and suggested we draw together. Since I was working on the story for Hub Group I gave him a different option. I told him to go get his Bible and help me outline the story of Noah (which is three and a half chapters).

Well, he got his Bible and we worked through Genesis 6:5-9:11 together. He did a great job picking out the main points (there's a lot of repetition in that section). At the end I asked him some of the questions we use at Hub Group to discuss the passage and we ended up having a short but neat discussion.

It was the best part of my day.

I actually felt like I was intentionally discipling my son and that he was a willing participant. Afterwards he said it was really fun. Maybe we'll try and to that every week. Wouldn't that be cool?

The Rabbit and the Elephant

I'll admit I was a bit skeptical when I got this book in the mail. I'm glad I didn't resist my initial inclination to put the book down. Actually, when I started reading the book I couldn't put it down.

While it is a book about house churches it is amazingly relevant to our small groups. I think I'm going to buy a copy for each of our Hub Group leaders (if I can find the cash under a couch cushion).

There's a section on page 205-206 that lists out the following principles they've learned. I think they are worth sharing.

• True Christianity is not a weekly event. It's a 24-7, Kingdom lifestyle.
• Jesus is the head of His church. He really does speak to His people. We must surrender control of the church to Him.
• We must listen to each other and to the Lord, and obey what He says. Both community and mission will result.
• Jesus was not religious.
• Simple is easily reproducible; complex is tough to duplicate.
• Jesus used ordinary, untrained men and women to change the world.
• Leadership is servanthood. We must die to ourselves.
• God's concern is for the harvest. We must ask Him to touch our hearts with the things that are on His heart.
• The resources are in the harvest.
• It is more effective to start something in the home of a person of peace with his friends and family than to invite the person of peace to come to your church.
• You can work with a group of not-yet-believers and see them become disciples together.
• Churches are meant to multiply.

Here's my only other thought. I'm a big fan of the house church movement. I hope it does turn into a movement here in USAmerica like we're seeing in other parts of the world. But I do not think it is the only expression of church. In no way shape or form was this proposed in the book. The authors were extremely gracious towards all churches.

But here's where I think gathering together in a larger group can be beneficial. First, we can do more corporately than we can do individually. Second, there is value in a large group gathering. We get to have a band and good teaching. These things are helpful and beneficial, not essential, but beneficial. They are not all that church is (even thought they have become that in a lot of churches), but the are privileges, and they help people connect with God and grow in a relationship with Jesus. Third, not everyone will get connected first through home group/church. Some people need the safety and anonymity of a larger corporate gathering.

But this book was fantastic. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

It's never been done before

I was listening to a leadership podcast today with Andy Stanley that revolved around this quote: In order to reach people who have never been reached we need to do things that have never been done.

That's a great quote. It's the complete opposite of the definition of insanity: Insanity is doing the same things over and over but expecting different results.

I want us to reach those people who have never been reached. I don't just want them to become converts who sit on their butts for an hour on Sunday and say they are a part of Hub City Church. I want to reach those who've never been reached so that we can make them into disciples of Jesus who go out and make disciples of Jesus.

This has been something that's been on my mind a lot lately. I want Hub City Church to be known for reaching people who nobody else is reaching. But in order to do that we're going to have to do what nobody else is doing. We're already doing some of that, but I believe there's more. I'm thinking through what that might be. It would be good for you to think through it too.

What if you are the key, the catalyst, the spark that God wants to use to do what's never been done so that we can reach those who've never been reached?

Made me think

This post made me think. It made me think about inviting people to be a part of Hub City. It made me think about making disciples who make disciples. Maybe it will make you think as well.

Sermon transcripts

Maybe I'm just opening myself up for ridicule, but I thought it might be helpful to some folks to be able to read my sermon transcripts. I write out the entire sermon and then memorize it. That's how my brain works. So, I'm going to be posting my transcripts on the hubcityunderground blog each week.

Now you know.

We get to

I had this thought this morning while the band was playing their last song. We don't have to have a band to worship. We get to have a band.

I really consider it a privilege that we have some guys who will serve by playing instruments and leading the rest of us to prepare our hearts to hear from God. I'm thankful for Josh and his leadership and his heart. I'm thankful for Kevin's mad drum skills, Chris's acoustic artistry, Jordan's lead guitar excellence and Jacob's bass prowess. It's an honor to have these guys serving at Hub City.

I pray for the guys in the band often. I pray that their hearts would be right with God. I pray that they will be unified as friends and musicians. I pray that their skills would improve. I pray that God will grow them as disciples. Maybe you could pray for them too.

Remember, we don't have to have a band at Hub City. We get to have a band. How awesome is that?

The note at the beginning

The note at the beginning of Donald Miller's new book says this:

If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn't cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. You wouldn't tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you'd seen. The truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you'd feel robbed and want your money back. Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo.
But we spend yeaers actually living those stories, and expect our lives to feel meaningful. The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either. Here's what I mean by that:

I can't wait to read the rest of the book!

First time

So last night I spoke at Upstate's Campus Crusade for Christ meeting, or "Cru" if you're cool. They meet at the Amphitheater on Upstate's campus. It was really cool speaking in an amphitheater. Very Grecian.

I also just learned that I was "funny, engaging and relevant." They must have been talking about somebody else for sure. Maybe I "looked" funny. That's got to be it. The "Cru" kids (cool name, huh?) were great. They have a ton of potential to transform Upstate.

Remember, you are where you are on purpose for a purpose. Now live like it.

Good read

Ed Stetzer has a great blog post here for church planters.

De-Parenting

I believe that the goal of parenting is de-parenting. By that I mean that I want my kids to be able to function on their own as healthy adults after they move out of the house... and I do hope the do move out. :) Then they can have their own healthy families and de-parent their own kids.

I think we do the opposite of de-parenting in church world. As people "mature" as disciples they grow more dependent on the church.

Not that I want people giving up on church... no way, Jose. There's a saying that the Chinese Christians have: "Every believer is a church planter." I'm talking about multiplication. I'm talking about every Christian making disciples who make disciples. I'm talking about raising up healthy Christians who aren't unnaturally dependent on the church for all of their spiritual needs.

This is just a thought I'm exploring. What do you think?

Sacrifice

All I'm saying is that you can't accuse me of not sacrificing.

I'm speaking at Upstate's Cru tomorrow night right smack dab in the middle of the Clemson/Georgia Tech game.

That's sacrifice.

Take responsibility

That's the basic theme of Obama's "back to school" speech. You can read it here.

I know there was a lot of fuss over over this speech. And while I understand some of the concern there is something in me that pushes back and fights against the fuss. It reminded me of the boycotts against Harry Potter and The DaVinci Code. Most of the people who stood against those never took the time to read the books. Most of the people who fussed about the speech never really knew what he was going to say.

Read the speech, then make a judgment.

I think that God gave us a brain for thinking. I would never say we should blindly accept what Obama says, but if we don't know what he says then we can't think through what he says. I don't think we should blindly accept what anyone says. I hope people don't blindly accept what I say. I want people to compare what I say to what the Bible says and let the Holy Spirit guide.

One thing that really impressed me about Obama's speech was his encouragement to find our what your good at and then to pursue it for the good of society. I also loved his encouragement to pursue education. Education doesn't hold all the answers to a better world, but it does open doors.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the speech. What did you think?

We are fam-i-ly...

I really do feel like Hub City Church is my family. That's why the following quote was so meaningful to me:

Church is a family. The other members are our spiritual brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. We do not "go to" family--it is not an event or a place. We are family. Of course, healthy families do get together--often. But it is not their getting together that makes them a family; it is their relationship with one another.
Likewise, it is not the meeting itself that makes a church, but the relationships. Being the body of Christ involves much more than meetings.
[Family/Church] is being real with one another, loving and caring for one another genuinely and without hypocrisy. It is the knowledge that if someone is having difficulties, we know that person well enough to recognize the signs. It is learning to take off the masks that we all wear and allowing people to know us as we really are. [Family/Church] takes time and commitment.

That is a great quote from this book. Are you a part of the family?

I WON!!!

That's right. No need to be jealous, but I just won a FREE copy of Donald Miller's new book.

Just wanted to celebrate for a minute.

That's all. You can go back to getting ready to watch the Gamecocks lose tonight.

A need

I you are a part of the Hub City family or you live in Spartanburg you need to read this.

*Sigh*

Nathan came home with a small fever and saying he didn't feel good.

This is not good at all.

*Sigh*

I'm praying for health for my boys this school year and for the health of all of our friend's kids as well. May the God who cause deaf people to hear, blind people to see and dead people to live give our children a healthy school year.

The Others... tell me what you think

So, if you were at Hub City's worship Gathering yesterday then you know what to do, but I wanted to give a little reminder anyway... just in case you forgot.

We looked at this passage and I left you hanging by giving you some homework.

Here it is: How would you live out Peter's command to be holy in all that you do? What does holiness look like for you? Or, if you were to come up with a list of how to be holy, what would you put on the list?

I've gotten a few responses so far, but I want to hear from you. Shoot me a comment.

I love that Hub City Church meets in a movie theater for our Sunday worship gathering. There's something to being portable that is healthy for us right now. It helps us remember that church is more than Sunday, it's more than a building, it's more than one hour a week. Church is a family. We have the amazing privilege of getting to use a movie theater once a week as we gather for worship.

Well, a friend sent me this blog yesterday about having a portable gathering. I thought it was really good. Let me know what you think.

Help a bro out

My good friend and co-worker, Frankie Creel, needs your help.

Frankie is a creative guru. He does graphic design, photography, videos, websites and is working to put together South Carolina's first MMA League thingy (I don't really do the fighting stuff, but some of you out there are into that, so I wanted to put it on your radar). I am so thankful to have him in charge of all of Hub City's creative stuff. I have complete trust in his work.

Here's where Frankie needs your help. He needs some work sent his way. He's cheap, but he's good. Honestly, he should charge way more than he does, but he won't listen to me. He photographs weddings, he can design you a killer website, he can create a bodacious graphic... just don't ask him to sing. It's really, really bad.

If you need some work done, make sure Frankie is the first person you contact. I need to say, he didn't ask me to post this. I believe in him so much that I wanted to post it on his behalf. You can email him at frankiecreel@gmail.com.

Garage Unsale... the details

Here are the basic details:

What: The Garage Unsale is going to be just like a Garage Sale, except we’re going to give stuff away. We’re putting a limit on how many items people can take to make sure that everyone gets what they need.

When: Saturday, October 10, 8-12

Where: Beacon parking lot

Why: We want to serve people with no strings attached. Many of us have too much stuff, stuff we don’t use or stuff we’ve replaced and it’s just taking up space in our attics or closets. Why not give that stuff away to families that need it? In light of our countries tough economic times this seems like the perfect time to give stuff away. The goal isn’t to get people into our churches. The goal is to serve people so that God is glorified. The goal is to build a reputation of being for people.

What we need: Stuff… lots of stuff. Not broken stuff, not junk, but good stuff. We need clothes, furniture, electronics, toys, baby items, appliances and school supplies. We need people to serve. We need people to help collect stuff and to separate/organize it. We need people to serve on that Saturday as guides, helpers, runners (we want trucks available to deliver furniture to people’s houses).

Pods has donated a container so that we can begin storing items. We’ll have some drop off dates available in the near future. We want to go ahead and start collecting stuff so that it will be easy to put it out on the Saturday of the Unsale.

That's all I've got for now. Are you excited?

I love it when a plan comes together

Don't you miss The A-Team? I know I do, but that's beside the point.

Some great plans have been coming together lately. First, let me tell you about a call I got the other day from Hendrix Elementary School. They want to do a movie night for their school and community and were wondering if they could use our equipment. Well, today we finalized the details and we're going help them pull of the best dog-gone movie night any school has ever done! Mark you calendars, Sept. 18 and Oct. 16 are the big days. Hub City Slickers: Mark your calendars. We get to help!

Here's what's so cool about this. We're not looking for recognition. We're looking to serve. We didn't go looking for a place to serve. They called us because of how we've served in the past. I love it when a plan comes together! It's just another way for Hub City to make Spartanburg a better place to live.

Second, this past Sunday, Frankie announced our plans for Spartanburg's first ever Garage Unsale. I just realized that I haven't posted about the details, but in one sentence, it's a Garage sale where we're giving everything away. Pretty cool, huh?

Well, one of our desires for this event is that it not be a "Hub City" thing, but a Kingdom thing where a bunch of different churches come together to serve with no strings attached. Let's just say that we're seeing our desire become a reality. We met with an African-American pastor today who's church is going to be on board and he's going to put us into contact with a bunch of his pastor friends who may be interested as well. It's going to be sweet!

See, I love it when a plan comes together... making Spartanburg a better place to live.

Three challenging questions from Francis Chan

1. Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants?
2. Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in your life?
3. Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made?

Francis Chan got me thinking with these questions. May they get you thinking too.

Tell me a story

I was watching 60 Minutes this past Sunday after Hub Group. I love 60 Minutes. I never really new why until Sunday. Don Huitt, the founder/creator/producer of 60 Minutes died last week and the entire broadcast was dedicated to him. In one of the scenes he is walking down a hallway when a young reporter asks him what it takes to be a successful reporter. Don Huitt replied, "It's four simple words that every four year old knows how to say: Tell me a story."

60 Minutes is all about stories. That's why I like it. I love stories.

Hub City Church values stories. That's why we want yours. We want you to send us the story of how Hub City has influenced your life or how God has worked in your life through Hub City Church. Then we're going to put those stories into a book titled Year One. It'll be a collection of stories to celebrate our First Birthday. You can email them to me.

So, tell me a story....

Grad school time... for Liz

I am super excited. It looks like Liz is going to be starting grad school on Monday. This is an incredible opportunity (and one of the perks of her job). She'll be getting her Master's in Nursing Administration.

Here's why I'm excited about this opportunity. I think that Liz is just starting to tap into her potential. She is gifted in so many ways and her current job has brought out many new abilities that were hidden. Getting a graduate degree will open up more doors for her to be who God wants her to be and do what God created her to do.

Throughout this process it's become more clear to both of us how much we value education. Having graduate and post-graduate education opens doors and creates opportunities. I see this over and over again. It's why I tell high schoolers to go to college even if they don't know what they want to do. Just having the degree will give you more options.

I also don't think that it's ever too late to go to college. There are so many online programs out there today, some of which are very reasonable. So what are you waiting for. Do some research and sign up. The financial investment now could lead to greater opportunities in the future.

Coming soon...

I wish I could tell you now, but I can't.

You'll just have to come on Sunday to find out more.

Aren't you at least a little curious?

A reminder

This video is a great reminder: You are where you are on purpose for a purpose.

In case of rapture

This is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. Yes, I'm totally serious. Check it out for yourself. (Thanks to Tim Stevens for passing along this amazing news.)

You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved. But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.

We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. Each Eternal Earth-Bound Pet representative is a confirmed atheist, and as such will still be here on Earth after you've received your reward. Our network of animal activists are committed to step in when you step up to Jesus.

We are currently active in 20 states and growing. Our representatives have been screened to ensure that they are atheists, animal lovers, are moral / ethical with no criminal background, have the ability and desire to rescue your pet and the means to retrieve them and ensure their care for your pet's natural life.

Our service is plain and simple; our fee structure is reasonable. For $110.00 we will guarantee that should the Rapture occur within ten (10) years of receipt of payment, one pet per residence will be saved. Each additional pet at your residence will be saved for an additional $15.00 fee. A small price to pay for your peace of mind and the health and safety of your four legged friends.

Hand in hand

I was reading 1 Corinthians 16 this morning and came across these verses: ⁸But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, ⁹because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

Does anything jump out to you in those verses?

Paul is going to stay in Ephesus because a great door for effective work has opened to him. I love that. I want a great door for effective work to be opened to me, to Hub City.

But the verse doesn't end there. Notice the last part of verse 9. There's an "and" there... and there are many who oppose me. It's like the great door for effective work and opposition go hand in hand.

I want the great door, but not the opposition. But it looks like they go together. Just thought I'd share that today.

Must read... seriously, a must read

I finally finished Leonard Sweet's book So Beautiful. I say finally, not because it was boring or bad, but because it was so profound. What Sweet does is paint a simple, beautiful, doable picture of church. Much of what he wrote resonated deep within me. I would tell you more but I think it would be better for you to read it yourself. Warning: Don't read it if you're comfortable with the status quo, church-as-usual. Actually, I take that back. Do read it, but be warned. It will mess you up... in a good way. There are very few books that I need to read again (not want to read again, but need to read again). But this is one of them. Big thanks to my friend Jaimee for letting me borrow her copy.

Pics from first day of school

I'm just the messenger

Saw this today and had to post it. It's a picture of a world-first, women-only parking lot.

Just spreading the love. :)

Marriage advice

So I'm thinking of doing a series on Marriage sometime in the near future at Hub City. I've got a lot of ideas. There's so much to say, but I learned a few things way back in the day (and had it modeled by my parents) that I think lay the foundation of having a marraige that goes the distance.

First, marriage isn't a 50/50 relationship. You know what I'm talking about... where one person gives 50% and waits for the other person to meet them halfway. Marriage is 100/100. Each person should give 100%. There are days when you can only give 65%. Other days your spouse might only be able to give 5%. What happens if the spouse is in one of those down times and you've got the attitude that "I'm only going 50%." It's not going to be good, that's for sure. I could say more about this but you'll have to wait for the series. Just know that both partners need to give 100%. Are you giving 100%?

Second, this flows from the first, but selfishness and self-centeredness kill marriages. Need I say more? We need to think first of the other person, the others' needs, the others' desires. To quote Veggietales, "Being selfish doesn't pay." Included in this is submitting to one another. When's the last time you submitted to your spouse? And don't give me that "wives are supposed to submit to their husband" crap, either. Read the whole passage. The first thing it says is that we are to submit to one another. Do you submit? Are you selfish? How would your spouse answer that question?

Third, here's the biggie. This is the number one thing I see missing when I look at married couples. Respect one another. Seriously, respect your spouse. In the way you talk with them, in the way you talk about them, in the way you treat them when they're around, in the way you treat them when they're not around... respect your spouse.

And here's the deal, it needs to start with the husband. Dude, man up. Give 100% to and for your wife. Be selfless. Respect your wife.

Hey, I may have found a series outline just by typing this out! And singles, this is so, so, so, so important for you because you need to know this stuff before you get married, then you won't have to play catch-up. You'll be a better husband/wife... because the more you know....

Thoughts on Carowinds

I know, you probably don't care, but after taking the boys to Carowinds yesterday I had some thoughts I thought I'd share (that kind of rhymes...).

Carowinds has such potential. It's the only real amusement park anywhere around us. Sure, you could drive to Atlanta for Six Flags, but who wants to do that? Carowinds has some great roller coasters. The water park is a really good water park. There are great kids areas.

But I think I know how they could improve (and since I'm such a business genius I think they should listen to me). First, do a better job with cleaning the park. Things looked dirty. The bathrooms smelled really bad. It didn't look like people took pride in taking care of Carowinds. My experience would have been better had it been cleaner.

Second, customer service isn't optional. There were some great, energetic employees. There were some employees that were jerks. That shouldn't happen... especially when you pay out the wazzoo to get into the park. Employees should smile and be nice. They should like people. They should like their jobs. If they don't then it's the job of the supervisors, managers and owners to change the culture. Some things need to be changed. Nathan got yelled at by a middle-aged life-guard who seemed to have some control issues about a green line on the ground. I know you need to stand behind the green line, but you can be nice in how you talk to people. I could go on with this, but I'll stop before I get worked up.

Third, if you're going to charge $10 for lunch then it better be out of this world. Seriously, I know this is nothing new, but food is outragious. Tons of people, including my family, were picnicing. It would have been a great idea for them to have picnic tables available for the families that were trying to save a little after having to take out a second mortgage just to buy entrance tickets.

All this gets me thinking about the church too. There are some paralels. A clean, appealing context are important. That's not hard or expensive to do. It just takes some attention to detail. People are important and we need to treat them with respect, period. And I know we don't charge for food, or at least most churches don't have food courts, but if we are going to have food, coffee, etc. it needs to be good.

It's about doing the best you can with what you have. I'd like to go back to Carowinds, but I just don't know. You think they'd hire me to manage the park?

Integrity

You should read this.

Orientation

Really enjoyed orientation for Leadership Spartanburg this evening. I love being in a room with poeple who all want to make Spartanburg a better place to live. Tomorrow is the retreat. Should be fun.

Hacked

Twitter was hacked this morning. What am I going to do? If feel so... twitterless.

To those people who are waiting on the edge of their seat for my next tweet... oh wait, I thought I was Ashton Kutcher for a second.

Back to the real world.

Your story

I need stories.

Let me be more specific. If you've been involved in Hub City Church in any way, shape or form over the past year then I need your story. I need the story of how God has used Hub City to make a difference in your life. I need to know what Hub City means to you.

Why, you might ask? Well, the third Sunday in September is our first birthday and one of the things we want to do to celebrate is to put together a book of stories celebrating how God has worked through Hub City in Year One.

I'd like all stories in hand by the first Sunday in September (Sept. 6). You can email them to me. You can comment on this blog with your story. You can handwrite it out and give it to me (just make sure I can read your handwriting).

We want to celebrate what God has done. I know he's done some great stuff in you. I've watched it happen. I look forward to getting your stories.

A few reflections

Did you know it's hard to type and look at a computer screen when your eye is twitching like crazy? Don't know what's going on, but it looks like the church-planter's twitch is back.

Here are a few reflections on yesterday. First, I was blown away by the response to yesterday's sermon. I'm thankful that God used it to speak to some people. Remember, you are where you are on purpose for a purpose. If you want to listen to it just go to our website.

Second, by far, over the past month, the most fun and rewarding part of what I do hasn't been our Sunday morning Gathering. It's summer, so our numbers have been a little lower. So, what's been the best part? It's been Immersion. I love talking about our Discipleship Process. Last night we wrapped up our time by walking through the four stages of the process. I love to see people get it. I love that we have a process. I love that we're seeing people move through the process.

For all of you who were a part of Immersion, thanks. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the experience. I'd love to hear what phase you think you're in and where you need to go next and what you need to do to get there.

We'll do another Immersion in a few months for those who missed out. I promise, you don't want to miss out next time. This is something that everyone who's a part of Hub City needs to go through (some of you need to go through it twice). You won't regret it.

Make them wonder what you've got

A new series beginning this Sunday @ Hub City Church

Reflections on Camp McCall

This past Monday-Wednesday I took the two older boys to Camp McCall for "Lad Camp." We had a blast flying down the Sky Glide Zip Line, going on a creek walk, climbing down into a gorge to play in the Little Waterfall (where the water temp was one degree above freezing), shooting BB guns, and risking our life on the Swing. I'll post some videos when I get them loaded onto youtube.

I just thought I'd record a couple of reflections from out time. First, shared experiences with our kids create memories that can last a lifetime. We got to create a few memories at Camp McCall, but my hope is that those are deposited away into all of our memories so that years from now we can sit back and reminisce, "Remember when...." Second, going to camp forced (not in a bad way) me to spend quantity time with my boys. Quantity time leads to quality time. I think we had some good quality time.

My final observation is kind of sad. I think Camp McCall is great. They have great facilities (even though they are pretty rustic). They have great staff. They have great food. The downfall is that it's an RA camp. Most of you reading this will have no idea what an RA is. It stands for Royal Ambassadors and it is a program within the Southern Baptist Convention for teaching missions to boys. I think it's a GREAT thing to teach missions. I just think that RA's is outdated, especially for new churches like Hub City. I think that McCall could still be a missions and adventure camp, but it would really help to lose the RA label (at least for some of the summer) to make it more relevant to those of us in the church planting world reaching people who are unchurched or dechurched. Camp McCall is too great of a resource and opportunity to let fade away, but I fear it might be headed in that direction if it's focus stays on insiders.

Distraction of destination?

I've had this question running through my mind for the past week: Is your dream a distraction or a destination?

Let me give you a little background on where this is coming from. I saw a church sign last week that says, "Dream big dreams." I'm cool with that. My only concern is if my dreams will get in the way of God's dreams. If so, then my dreams are more of a distraction than a destination... the destination being what God wants, God's agenda, God's purpose.

Then, on Saturday, Liz and I drove through Converse Heights. Not that we could afford to live there, but it's my favorite neighborhood in Spartanburg. It's downtown, diverse, classic. We love to drive around the neighborhood and look at houses that are for sale and dream about what it would be like to live there. If we let it, that dream can become a distraction to us being missionaries in the great neighborhood where God has placed us.

So is your dream a distraction or a destination? If it's a distraction then stop wasting your time. If it's a destination then go after it with passion.

Resources about Human Trafficking

Here are soome sites where you can learn more about the problem of Human Trafficking:

- Not For Sale
- International Justice Mission
- Triad of Hope

5 questions husbands should ask their wives

Read these on Perry Noble's blog today. Guys, these are GREAT questions for us to ask our wives.

#1 - What is the most romantic thing that I’ve ever done for you?

#2 - What is something fun we can do together?

#3 - What is one thing I can do for you this week that will relieve stress from your life?

#4 - How Can I Pray For You?

#5 - If you could change one thing about our marriage–what would it be?

Parenting tips

We've got a number of people expecting kiddos at Hub City. This is exciting. Bring on the babies! I read this from Mark Batterson's blog this AM. It's good stuff.

Here are seven lessons I've learned:

1) Your greatest failures as a parent can turn into your greatest successes IF you simply apologize. You are modeling one of the toughest skills to learn: how to handle mistakes.

2) A great marriage is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kids so focus on your marriage first and your kids second.

3) You create memories via engineering shared experiences. Be intentional about setting shared goals. Become a student of your kids. Learn to love what they love.

4) Parents are prophets. Don't just use your authority to speak correction into their lives. Use your authority to speak encouragement into their lives. Otherwise you will become a prophet of doom.

5) We have a Heavenly Father who compensates for our parental weaknesses. So take a deep breath and relax a little. Even if you're a single parent, you're not alone. God will make up the difference!

6) One of the greatest gifts you can give your kids is time. A little one-on-one time opens channels of communication like nothing else. If you hang with them when they are young they'll want to hang with you when you're old.

7) If all else fails, teach your kids to say please, thank you, and sorry. Especially to God.

Worth watching

There's a very disturbing video on this site that talks about Human Trafficking. It's worth watching.

Me love story

Not that you really care all that much, but I've been reading some novels this summer as a change of pace. I love fiction. Let me rephrase that, I love GOOD fiction. Something about being a part of another world through a book is theraputic.

I finished Dan Brown's Angels and Demons two weeks ago. Really liked that book. Very suspenseful. It also gives an interesting take on Christians who take the Bible seriously. I don't agree with the take, but it does show what others think of us. Now that I've read the book I can go see the movie.

Currently I'm reading John Grisham's The Appeal. So far, so good. He does a great job pulling you in. One thing that's really interesting is how positively Christians are portrayed in this book. There's a pastor by the name of Denny Ott who might be one of the best portrayed pastors in any book that I've read that has a pastor.

So have you read any good fiction? Anything that you would recommend? Liz just devoured the Twilight series. That's next on the agenda. I want to be a part of the cultural phenomenon... Liz wants me to become a vampire. :)

Things that make me mad

Usually, I'm a pretty calm, cool and collected guy. But there are a few things that set me off. Injustice is one of the biggies.

Last night Liz and I watched Taken. We're going to be using that movie this Sunday for our God at the Movies series. Part of what was exposed in the movie is the sex trade industry. Not sure if you knew this but there are around 27 million slaves in the world right now. Many of them are sex slaves. This angers me. This should not be.

I just don't understand how you could treat people as property and sell people like you sell ice cream. And then to take somethings that is such an incredible gift (sex) and use it as a weapon... my blood pressure is starting to increase.... This should not be.

If you read the prophets in the Old Testament, over and over again the prophets are rebuking God's people for their injustice. As Rob Bell says, God is on the side of those who are on the underside of power.

I write all this to say that something needs to be done. We need to do something. Not sure what that is, but I'm listening and looking. People aren't property. Sex is not for sale.

Related to that, I heard a couple of years ago that Atlanta is the main hub of the the sex trade in the U.S. That's right down the street. That bothers me.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments.

I need ideas

Ok, here's the deal. Some Sundays, when we're gathering for worship, they are showing movies. Like this Sunday, Harry Potter will be speaking in the theater next to me. So, there are people who are coming to the theater to watch a movie instead of coming to the theater to attend our worship gathering (go figure). So here's where I could use your help/suggestions: How can we serve those people, with no strings attached? I'm thinking of some sort of giveway that our greeters could give/offer... like suckers or gum. I need to hear back from you.

Challenging

I was challenged by the following blogs written by Bob Roberts. What do you think?

- Conversation with Patrick from Nigeria
- Evaluation-The key to any kind of growth - especially point 3.
- Pastors here-Pastors there

Living Together First Can Spoil Marriage, Study Finds - Science News | Science

Living Together First Can Spoil Marriage, Study Finds - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News - FOXNews.com

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Seven Pounds

In preparation for this Sunday's, God at the Movies, sermon I watch Seven Pounds. I thought it was a great movie. There are so many connection points in this story. I'd love to hear from you. What did you think of the movie? What kind of connection points did you see where you could talk with someone about who God is and what he's like, or where you could illustrate some spiritual truth? I might use your comments on Sunday, so comment away!

David Crowder*Band Rockumentary 4: Twitter Will Kill You

Hilarious! Frankie, this one's for you!

Our missionary position

Do I have your attention? I'm reading this book right now (thanks to Jaimee letting me borrow it). Once I got past the introduction (all 58 pages of it), I have found it to be a great book. What makes it great is that it makes me think. There are so many quotes that that I could share, but I don't have time to include them all. However, I read this tonight and think you need to read it too... enjoy:

Are you familiar with the missionary position? For those of you who are easily offended, this is your great moment. Just remember: The place where offence is most easily taken is in prison. The church needs to rediscover the Missionary Position, a posture that forces us to look at the world eye-to-eye and face-to-face without turning our backs. The Missionary Position tries to get together with the world in a healing and so-beautiful way. It doesn't view the world as a "market" but as a "mission." Everyone is here on assignment. Everyone is on a mission. Everyone is a missionary. Every Christian has an apostolate to fulfill. Every disciple conveys the good news to the world. (56)

Our missionary position

Did that get your attention? I'm reading this book right now. Once I got past the introduction (all 58 pages of it), I have found it to be a great book. What makes it great is that it makes me think. There are so many quotes that that I could share, but I don't have time to include them all. However, I read this tonight and think you need to read it too... enjoy:

Are you familiar with the missionary position? For those of you who are easily offended, this is your great moment. Just remember: The place where offence is most easily taken is in prison. The church needs to rediscover the Missionary Position, a posture that forces us to look at the world eye-to-eye and face-to-face without turning our backs. The Missionary Position tries to get together with the world in a healing and so-beautiful way. It doesn't view the world as a "market" but as a "mission." Everyone is here on assignment. Everyone is on a mission. Everyone is a missionary. Every Christian has an apostolate to fulfill. Every disciple conveys the good news to the world. (56)

Get more sleep

I read this devotion this morning and wanted to pass it along.

Illness, stress, family problems, job demands, etc., rob us of sleep. And when we constantly run on low battery power it shows up in our attitudes, our relationships and our performance. The Bible says: (1) "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He give sHis beloved sleep." (2) "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" (Ps. 4:8 NKJV). (3) "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet" (Pr. 3:24 NKJV).
Sleep is an act of trust; when you go to sleep the world is in God's hands, not yours. And it will get along very well, even if you're not awake to control things. When you awaken tomorrow morning, just like God giving Israel fresh manna, He will give you the grace needed. Jeremiah said, "After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me" (Jer. 31.26 NKJV).
Ever tried to pray when you were suffering from sleep deficit? It's hard to do. Before Elijah was able to spend prolonged time in prayer the angel of the Lord made him take not one, but two long naps. Contrast that with the disciples in Gethsemane who couldn't pray because they kept falling asleep. Know what? It's hard to think, feel and act like Jesus when you lack sleep. That's why "He gives His beloved sleep." Maybe the most spiritual thing you could do is get to bed earlier and wake up refreshed so you're ready to fulfill God's purposes for your day.

Don't be lazy

This past Sunday we started a series titled: God at the Movies. The point of the series is to teach us how to do Cultural Exegesis: To figure out what movies are saying so that we can use them as connection points to talk with people about God. Too often we're just lazy and forget that God has placed us where we are, when we are, within the culture we're in, for a reason. And one way to be a good steward of that is to think critically about the expressions of our culture (movies, TV, books, music).

I gave three questions that we should ask of all movies, music, TV, etc.: What does it say? (Everything is saying something. Some is profound. Some profane.) What does it mean? (This is where you see if the Bible has something to say about it. Kind of wish I'd come up with a better second question, but at least it's easy to remember.) How can I use it? (How can we use what the movie is saying as a connection point to talk about who God is and what he's like or to teach/illustrate some kind of spiritual truth.)

This coming Sunday we're going to look at the movie Up. I loved Up. It illustrates some great stuff about community. Can't wait to share.

Read this on Mark Batterson's blog today. It got me thinking, what if we, at Hub City, prayed this this week?

This weekend I proposed a little evangelism experiment. More than any other religious word, the word evangelism conjures up feelings of guilt because so many of us feel like we don't share our faith like we could or should.

Here's the prayer that I've challenged NCCers to pray everyday this week. Can't wait to see how God answers these prayers. Lots of divine appointments waiting to happen this week!

Lord, I pray for an opportunity to share my faith with someone in some way. It’s not up to me to decide who or when or where. But I know why. Because you love them and want a relationship with them. So Lord, surprise me with opportunities to share my faith.

Forgive me for trying to do your job for you. You are the one who convicts of sin. You are the one who draws to Christ. But help me do my part as salt and light. Help me see those opportunities to react compassionately or listen patiently or speak kindly. Through word and deed, help me plant seeds of love in the lives of others. Give me boldness when it’s time to speak. Give me restraint when it’s time to listen. Give me words to say. But more importantly, give me ears to hear.

Lord, help me be sensitive to the prompting of your Holy Spirit so I can see the divine appointments you send my way. Help me not to be afraid of questions I cannot answer. Help me not to be afraid of people’s reactions or rejections.

Lord, help me preach the gospel every day, when necessary, with words.

In Jesus name, amen!

The family... Thanks to Frankie Gentle

Herald-Journal Article

Here's the link to the Herald-Journal article I wrote for yesterday's paper. What's funny is that they didn't include my name on the web site, so I'm wondering if I really wrote it or not?!?!? God's just trying to keep me humble.

Blown Away

Yesterday I floated the need out there about a family who lost everything in a fire. Our little church and our relational networks has really stepped up. We've provided beds. There's still time to get gift cards to us so we can get them to them. Bring them on Sunday.

Unplugged

I'm going to be unplugging for the next week. Going to Hilton Head with the family. Can't wait.

For all of you that read this blog, thanks! Talk with you in a little over a week.

Urgent Need

Hey everybody,

I met a family at Movies in the Park last Saturday who could use some help. Let me say up front that they did not ask for help. But I felt compelled by God to do something. I was talking with the husband and he shared with me some of their story. The short version is that their apartment burned down at the end of last year and currently they are sleeping on mildewed/molded/stained mattresses donated by Salvation Army. They lost everything in the fire (clothes... everything). They are extremely grateful for what they've been given, but I think it's appalling that someone would have to sleep on a mildewed/molded mattress.

So here's the deal: I'm floating the need out there. These people need beds. There's a husband and wife, plus 4 kids (ages 12, 12, 10 and 9). If you have an extra bed/mattress or know someone that has an extra bed mattress, that would be willing to give it away, no strings attached, please let me or Frankie know.

I also think it would be great if we could get them some walmart or target gift cards so that they could go by some clothes. If you want to grab a gift card you can bring it on Sunday and drop it with Jaimee Holmes at the Hub Table.

Sometime this weekend we'll have a video with more info on my or Frankie's blog. Let me know if you have any questions.

I feel sick

I feel like I've been punched in the gut. I feel kind of sick.

Mark Sanford, the Governor of our state, just admitted to having an affair. This admission comes right on the heels of a church planter that I know who admitted to having an affair with his secretary. My heart is broken over stories like this. I

Here are my thoughts: PRAY FOR PROTECTION FOR MY MARRIAGE, YOUR MARRIAGE, ALL MARRIAGES. Seriously, we have an enemy and all he wants to do is mess us up. His only job is to steal, kill and destroy. We need divine protection.

And let me say this to those of you who might get all cocky and start passing judgement on Sanford or others in his situation. Pride comes before the fall. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Any of us could fall like Mark Sanford. Why not instead of passing judgment don't we show love, empathy and forgiveness. After all, isn't that how our Heavenly Father responds to us when we sin?

I pray for God's grace and forgiveness to be tangibly felt by the Sanford family. I also pray God's protection over all of us.

Movies in the park ad june

Don't be jealous of our amazing dance skill.... Nigel, here we come.

Thank You

My oldest, Nathan, has really been doing a great job saying "Thank You" lately. Maybe I'm the only parent who thinks this, but when he shows heartfelt gratitude there is something in me that want to do more for him. Like two weeks ago when we bought snow cones for the boys... they were SO greatful (for ice with syrup). Their thankfulness made me want to buy them snow cones all the time (don't tell them I said that).

I wonder what our gratitude does to our Heavenly Father? So often I find myself praying for stuff and asking God to meet my needs instead of thanking him for all that he's given me and for all that he's done for me. I want to be grateful. I have so much to be thankful for. Don't you?

I'm working to make it a habit to show gratitude more often to God. I know how it makes me, as a dad, feel when my boys say "thank you." I bet our Heavenly Father feels a similar way when we say "thank you" to him.

BTW: I want to say thank you to all of you who read this blog. I'm honored and blown away that you would take some of your time and read something I have written. Thanks!

MIP Pic

Movies in the Park was great on Saturday. We had quite possibly our largest crowd ever. And people laughed at our "So you think you can dance" video.

Prayer guide for June 21st - June 27th

Spread God’s love by serving
Serve: When we serve, we actively pursue the lost, the forgotten, and poor to show them a God who is passionately in love with them. And when we serve together, we can accomplish more than we ever could on our own…

This week's daily Prayer Focus

Sunday - Blessings and protection for our children/future generation. Prayer Verses: Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4

Monday - People who serve our countries. Prayer Verses: Jer. 29:7

Tuesday *Don't forget to Fast* - The service projects initiated during One Prayer. Prayer Verses: Matt. 9:36-37; Matt. 25:37-40

Wednesday - People in need of healing. Prayer Verses: Mark 16:17-18; James 5:16

Thursday - People suffering from addictions. Prayer Verses: John 8:34

Friday - People suffering and affected by AIDS. Prayer Verses: Luke 14:13

Saturday - Guidance and strength for parents. Prayer Verses: Deut. 6:4

We're LIVE

Well, we were live, but if you go to www.yourcarolina.tv you can watch us talk about Movies in the Park as well as Hub City. It was a lot of fun.

The Disappearance of God - A review

First off, I've got to say that I would never have bought this book. While I would consider myself to have many (not all) of the beliefs of Albert Mohler, I really, really disagree with his tone. Having said that, I am really glad I read this book. I learned some stuff, especially from his chapters on Christian Beauty.

This book points out how our culture has wandered away from a belief in the God of the Bible and shows some of the paths that have taken us to where we are. I was engaged, but maybe that's because I don't usually read books like this. I've got to say this again, it's not that I disagreed with Mohler's content. It's great content, that deserves a reading whether you agree with it or not. What I didn't like was the way that he said what he said. I also didn't like how the book seemed like a collection of blog entries. On top of that the book just ends, with no real hope, no real "do this" solutions. Basically it just points out the problems, and while it does give some solutions, it's just not practical enough for me.

I also have to say that I completely disagree with his statements about Expository preaching. I don't think the arguement is either Expository preaching as he defines it or "the Bible is just a footnote." I think that we do expository preaching, but in a way that connects. I do not think that his definition and way of doing expository preaching is even Biblical. Neither Paul, nor Peter, nor Jesus did it his way. I think Mohler's stuck in a preaching tradition and he can't see out of it.

I'm glad I got the book for free. But I'm not sure if I would advise you to go buy it. If you're interested you can find out more here.

Prayer

I would really appreciate your prayers. On Thursday, at 10 AM, I am going to be interviewed live on Your Carolina. I also think that the segment will air on the new Scene on 7. I'll be talking about Movies in the Park. Pray that I will communicate in an engaging and informational way all that people need to know about Movies in the Park. Pray that I will represent Jesus, Hub City and the Church well. Thanks.

Eyes Wide Open - A review

This book was fantastic. Seriously, it is worth getting and reading. Jud does a great job of showing us a healthy and right picture of God, ourselves and our purpose. He does so with engaging stories and simplicity.

One thing I really appreciate is how Jud uses the Bible. These ideas aren't just things he's made up, but they are truths that come straight out of God's Word. He just state it in new, fresh and simple ways. It was a great reminder to me and sparked a few sermon series ideas that Hub City folks might hear in the Fall.

I really only have two qualms with this book. First, the cover are is horrible. A book this good needs better graphics on the cover. Second, it could have been longer. It was so good that I wanted each chapter to say more.

Sir Dalton - A Review

I've got to say, this book wasn't what I was expecting. It is a children's book (make that an older children's book) that's a parable about truth and following Jesus and the authority of the Bible. But even though it wasn't what I was expecting it was very good, especially for older kids. I tried to get Nathan to read through it with me, but I think it will suit his tastes better in a year or so (it didn't help the situation that there's a love story that flows through the book... Nathan can't stand love stories).

What I like best about books like this is that they can open up discussions between parents and kids about issues that are important. It provides fodder for spiritual conversations. That's a good thing. Parents just have to make sure they take the time to read it with their kids.

I must say, at the end of the book I was disappointed. I wanted more. I may have to find book four in the series to see what happens next.

Helping out a fellow broth

I had lunch today with a church planter who moved to Spartanburg to plant Kaleidoscope Church. It's going to be an intentionally multi-ethic/international church. He's a great guy. I'm excited to have him in Spartanburg.

Here's what I'm really excited about: Helping them out. I want to be known as the guy, and I want Hub City to be known as the church that helps out new churches in Spartanburg. I most definitely don't have all the answers, but I sure can pass on what I do know. Our church isn't perfect, but we can share resources.

Pray for Derrick and Kaleidoscope church.

Week 2 Prayer Guide

Prayer guide for June 14th - June 20th
Make a difference by giving.

Giving helps in the spreading of the gospel, starting new churches and seeing lives transformed.
This week's daily Prayer Focus:
Sunday - People who are struggling as a result of the world economic crisis. Prayer Verses: Matt. 10:29

Monday - The 660+ churches planted through the One Prayer 2008 mission. Prayer Verses: Eph. 6:18; Col. 1:3-4

Tuesday *Don't forget to Fast* - Protection for those sacrificing their life to work in the mission field. Prayer Verses: Psalm 91:14

Wednesday - Persecuted believers. Prayer Verses: Matt. 5:10; John 17:14-19

Thursday - Orphaned and abandoned children. Prayer Verses: James 1:27; Matt. 25:37-40

Friday - Victims of worldwide natural disasters. Prayer Verses: Matt. 25:37-40; Isaiah 58:12

Saturday - People around the world in need of food, clothing, and shelter. Prayer Verses: Is. 58:7; James 2:14-17

Good stuff

I've read a few really good posts today that are worth your time.

Vince follows up what I was saying the other day about humility with this post.
Mark always inspires and challenges me, but I really love what he says about reading the Bible here and what we're becoming here.

What do you think of what Vince and Mark have to say?

One Prayer

I completely dropped the ball this past Sunday and forgot one REALLY BIG part of our One Prayer series: PRAYER! During the month of June, we want to pray for the Church (big C). Each week I'll give you a guide to facilitate your prayers. I'm also going to invite you to fast with me once a week as we pray, not only for our church, but for the Church. Here's this week's guide, as you can see, we've got some catch up to do:

Saturday - The 36 countries represented in One Prayer Prayer Verses: Matt. 6:10 1 Tim. 2:1-2

Sunday - The pastors participating in One Prayer Prayer Verses: Eph. 1:16-19 Eph. 6:19-20

Monday - Other One Prayer churches in your area Prayer Verses: John 13:34-35 John 17:23

Tuesday *Don't forget to Fast - Opportunities to spread the gospel Prayer Verses: 2 Cor. 5:18-21 1 Matt. 28:18-20

Wednesday - People who don’t know Christ Prayer Verses: 2 Cor. 4:4 Mark 2:17

Thursday - Increasing boldness in our faith Prayer Verses: Acts 4:30

Friday - Leaders who are planting and launching churches Prayer Verses: Matt. 9:36-37 Acts 4:30-31

Body of Death

In Romans 7 Paul cries out: What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Body of death??? Paul??? Check this out:

This term "body of death" was graphic and showed the extent of his struggle. Near Tarsus, Paul's birthplace, an ancient tribe dealt harshly with murderers. A convicted murderer would be strapped to the dead body of the slain. He would remain strapped there until the decay of the corpse infected him and killed him. Maybe this is what Paul was referring ot when he spoke of his "body of death."

That's a pretty good description of what sin does, don't you think? Thanks to Jud Wilhite for the quote.

Mormon's just stopped by

That's right. I didn't have the time to talk with them now, but they may come back next week. It's my first "mormon visit." It has got to be hot walking around in black pants, tie and backpack. It really breaks my heart. Pray for Elder Adams and Elder Bennet. Maybe we can have a conversation next week.

Would love your advice on having a conversation with them.

The missing "H's"

I'm meeting with this group of church planters tomorrow and I'm supposed to do the devotion. I'm not really big on devotions. Most of the time they are a waste of time, so I wasn't all that excited to be asked to "devote." But then I read this yesterday.

I cried. It completely broke my heart. Pray for Gary, his family and his church.

But it helped me to know what to talk about tomorrow. I think that there are two character traits that are lacking in many church planters. They both begin with "h". They are holiness and humility.

The two go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. We are commanded to be both holy and humble.

We sacrifice holiness by chasing cool and we more known for pride and ego than for humility.

I don't want that to be said of me. So here it is, I'm giving you permission, if you see me falling short in either holiness or humility then feel free to pull me aside, give me a call or shoot me an email to call me on it (just don't be a coward and do it anonymously). I may get defensive at first, but I'll listen.

Let's stop missing the "H's".

A tale of two preachers

Read this quote on Ben's blog yesterday:

Once there were two preachers. George Whitefield amazed crowds with preaching ability, led tons of people to Christ, and died with a great reputation. John Wesley organized his converts into discipleship groups and equipped ordinary farmers to become preachers who carried on the mission long past his death.

I want to be more like John Wesley. That's one reason we're taking the next three weeks to do Hub City BS. If you haven't signed up there's still time. Shoot me an email.

One Prayer

This Sunday, June 7, we're joining with 1649 churches from around the world for a series that's titled "One Prayer." I really can't tell you how excited I am that Hub City is going to be a part of this.

For one, we believe that the Church is more important than our church. We're just one church working towards the advancement of God's kingdom. Another reason I'm excited is because I think this is one way we're a part of fulfilling Jesus' prayer of "make them one." Finally, I'm pumped because we're going to hear from some great communicators who say what I want to say, just better. The theme for 2009 is God is....

Now I know it'll be a bit weird having the sermon come via video, but heck, we meet in a movie theater, so it'll be OK! Here's the lineup for the One Prayer series:

6/7 - God is... strength.
Francis Chan, Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley, CA

6/14 - God is... ready.
Scott Hodge, Orchard Park Community Church, Aurora, IL

6/21 - God is... love.
Craig Groeschel, Lifechurch.tv, Edmond, OK

6/28 - God is...
Andy Stanley, North Point Community Church, Alpharetta, GA

It's not for us, it's for God.

Once again, Vince's post makes me want to read this book.

Just read The Divine Commodity by Skye Jethani and I thought I'd share a few thoughts this week, as they apply to the church we're planting here in Vegas.

If you pick up this book, I think the analogy Jethani uses starting on page 85 is brilliant. I'll make you read the book, but the idea is that church used to be something that brought you to a destination (to God, to worship of God, to bringing friends to God) but it has now become the destination.

This leads to people asking, "What kind of programs does your church have for me?" The right answer?This church isn't for you, it's for God.

It also leads to people leaving their church for another church that will be "better for us." Huh? What does better for us have to do with anything?Church isn't for you, it's for God.

But here's what I wonder: Have we gone so far in the wrong direction that there's no turning back? I don't think so, but I wonder if I'm idealistic. How do we turn this thing around, on a big scale?

Moving grandma (momahaze)

Yesterday my dad and I moved my grandma, ie. "Momahaze," from her assisted living facility in Easley to one in Augusta, GA, that's much nearer to where my parents live. I hate moving. But I was glad to help move Momahaze.

The facility that we moved her from is like the projects compared to the 5-star facility in Georgia. Seriously, it's like moving from Columbia to Clemson. It's amazing. Not only is the facility so much better, but her room is almost twice the size with a balcony that made me drool. On top of that, the new facility is $800 a month cheaper than the old one!

Don't get me wrong. The facility in Easley was good, but the one in Augusta seems pretty great. And to think that if she'd have stayed in Easley she would have been settling for something far less than what she could have in Augusta.

So all of this got me thinking. So often we settle for less when we could have so much more. I see singles do this all the time when they settle for who they are going to date, when instead they should have raised their standards. I see this with people who charge everything they buy and run up dept just to have the best and the latest, when instead they could have waited, saved and ended up paying cash.

So where are you settling?

Liz and I are in the process of making some tough financial choices in order to have more finances to do things we really want to do. Honestly, I'd rather not cut out what we're thinking of cutting out. But when I think of the possible rewards in the future it makes the sacrifice worth it. We'd rather have the great over the good. That means not settling.

Mission trip ideas

My favorite part of youth ministry was taking kids on mission trips. For some reason I've been thinking a lot about mission trips lately. I think it was sparked by Ed Stezter's recent trip to Europe with this organization.

I'd like to see our church go on a mission trip. There's something supernatural that happens on mission trips.

So here's my question: Where should we go? Who should we partner with? If you were me, and you could plan a mission trip for Hub City Church, what would you do? (I'm not saying we'll do that, but I would love your ideas.)

I'll be honest, I'm partial to overseas. I'm also partial to a partnership that will last for a while instead of a one-stop-drop mission trip. I'm also burdened for Europe... it's the only place, other than North America, in the world where Christianity isn't growing. But I'd also love to go to Africa or China or the Middle East. Let me hear from you.