Can't wait

This Sunday is the last Sunday of Primal. I'm really pumped about closing out the series talking about what it means to love God with all of our strength. I want Hub City Church to be a church that is GREAT at the Great Commandment.

Well, this morning I've been working on the first sermon for our next series, After Vegas. It's going to be a series on marriage for people who are married and for those who one day hope to be married.

Let me just go ahead and tell you, I am going to say some things about marriage that some of you have never heard before. I am going to make you really, really uncomfortable (I'm pretty uncomfortable just preparing). I will probably make some of you mad.

But I am confident that God is going to do something incredible in us over the next month or so that we talk about this. I think God is going to work in you marriage. If you're single, I think God is going to open your eyes to some things so that you'll be way ahead of the curve when you do get married.

Here's what you need to do: First, invite somebody to come. Do you know anybody who's struggling in their marriage? Bring them with you. Do you know somebody who's engaged? Bring them. Do you know somebody who's desperate to get married, but just can't seem to find that soul-mate? BRING THEM.

Seriously, I'm not about growing Hub City. I am about seeing lives and marriages transformed for the better. That IS going to happen during this series. (I can already see it working in my own marriage as I've prepared and planned.)

Second, go out and buy this book. One of the best books, if not the best book, I've ever read on marriage. It's a great compliment to what I'm talking about.

I feel like taking on the world

Was it just me or did anyone else want to stand up and cheer when you saw the preview of next week's Heroes where the puppet guy says to Silar, "But you're one of us," and Silar says, "No, I'm a hero."

Boo Yah. I feel like taking on the world.

And who else thinks Sayid is no longer Sayid, but is Jacob come back to life?

(If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then that's probably good.)

I have a dream

I have a dream. Basically it's the same story, over and over and over again. The context and characters are different, but the story's the same. I used to have the dream on Saturday nights. Then it moved to Friday nights. And then last night (Wednesday) I had the dream.

The basic premise of the dream is that we're having a worship gathering and we have this huge crowd there. All kinds of new people show up. Famous people show up. It's incredible. The place is packed (each dream takes place at a different place). But then everything goes wrong. Either the sound doesn't work, or I forget my sermon, or the band isn't there, or the power goes out or the people who are supposed to be in charge of things (like Frankie and Josh) just don't care.

It's really an awful dream. And I have it all the time.

But here's what I think. I'm not trying to freak anybody out or anything, but I do believe in Spiritual Warfare and I think that these dreams are Satan's way of attacking me, disturbing my sleep and causing me to worry.

And here's why I think that: He's not happy with what God is doing in and through Hub City Church. He's not happy with the life change. And he knows that we have huge potential to make disciples of many, many people. And he doesn't like it.

I think these dreams flow from my holy anticipation of what God might do. You can read a great article on holy anticipation here. I think Hub City has such potential. I think we've got leaders who don't yet know they are leaders. I think we've got ideas that could transform this community that are waiting to be put to action. I think some of our greatest ideas and leaders are in the harvest (in other words, they're not even a part of Hub City or God's family yet).

I would appreciate you praying for my protection when I sleep. But even more so, pray for God to do beyond what we could ask or imagine, in us and through us.

Angels

I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of all the cultural talk on angels. Most of it is a bunch of crap that portrays angels in sissy ways or as pansy, cupid-like fairies.

But at the same time I do know from Scripture that angels are real. Even though this is true, I have never read anything substantial about angels. That's why Dr. David Jeremiah's book intrigued me.

What I love about his book is how biblical it is in it's take on angels (which is really the only way to be). Basically, angels are messengers who work on behalf of God. You probably knew that, but too often we get focused on the angels instead of God, which is a form of idolatry. What Dr. Jeremiah does so well is continue to turn the focus back to God while at the same time exploring all that the Bible has to say about angels.

If you've ever wondered about angels, what they are like, what they do, or anything else, then I highly recommend you take the time to read Angels. It clears up a lot of confusion about angels and paints a Biblically accurate view of these mysterious beings.

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

Change

Every once in a while someone will post a comment on this blog or Hub City's blog that's of a post from 1-2 years ago. And since I've long forgotten what I wrote I usually go, "Huh?!?."

First, I am always amazed that anyone would read something I've written. Second, I'm a bit shocked that someone would scroll back though 1-2 years worth of posts. I'd rather watch Judge Judy. And I hate Judge Judy. Third, I am amazed at how I've changed over the years.

This whole change idea got me thinking. I'm glad I've changed. Change is a good thing. Seriously. If God is working in your life then you shouldn't be the same today as you were a year ago. You should be different.

My favorite part of planting Hub City Church has been seeing people's lives change. I've seen a lot of life change. I'm hungry to see more. I'm also hungry to see change happen in my own life.

That's all for now... I think Judge Judy just came on.

Pray for Matt

I know a lot of folks suffer from cancer, but Matt's story hits me hard because we're the same age, have the same number of kids, and we're both pastors (albeit his church is a tad bit larger than Hub City). Here's a great article I just read. I'm praying for Matt and his family.

Invasion

If this doesn't make you want to stand up and charge hell with a water pistol, I don't know what will.

What we call "Christianity" is an invasion.
The Kingdom of God is advancing into the kingdom of darkness, a campaign to ransom people and the earth God intended us to rule. For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost. All that was lost. If Christianity seems to you to be having rather less than a remarkable impact on the earth, it is because too many Christians have this idea that we are in a waiting game, that we are basically killing time until Jesus comes back and we all get to go to heaven. We are sitting around like people waiting to catch a flight. That is not what Jesus told us to do; he didn't say, "Now hold tight in those pews and twiddle your holy thumbs, I'll be back soon as I can." He said, "As the Father has sent me, I send you" (John 20:21).

This comes from John and Staci Eldridge's book Love and War.

Weekend Reflections

It was an interesting weekend, to say the least.

The weekend started off GREAT. Liz and I got to get away to The Red Rocker Inn in Black Mountain, NC. We ended up being the only guests that didn't cancel because of the snow, so we had the whole inn to ourselves. We had a very relaxing time, the dinner at the inn was incredible and we can't wait to go back. Thanks to Hub City for the gift.

The snow in NC was beautiful. We got about 9" of the fluffy stuff. I thought it might make travel down the mountain dangerous, but it didn't. Wish we could have stayed another night.

The weird part of the weekend was having to cancel Hub City's worship gathering. We've never had to do that before. It was for the best, but I won't pretend that I liked canceling. Frankie's working on an idea where we might be able to do something online if we have to cancel again.

Finally, last night Jaimee and Allen were gracious enough to let us have Hub Group at their house. Jason brought out the rhyming Bible, we shared communion and Jaimee shared a song. It was good and relaxing and nice to meet in somebody else's house for a week. I'm thankful for our group. If you're not connected in a Hub Group you need to be.

Now it's time to begin a new week. It's a bit slow getting started because of a two hour school delay... and Liz just called saying that sleet is predicted tonight....

A stumbling block

²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." - Matthew 16:23

I notice something this morning from this verse that I've never noticed before.

I can be a stumbling block to Jesus. Usually we talk about being a stumbling block to other people. But this is saying that we can get in the way of what Jesus is doing.

The way we get in the way is by having the wrong mindset, by having in mind the things of men instead of the things of God.

I don't want to get in the way of what Jesus is doing. I don't think any of us does. But I fear we get in the way all the time. Our minds are far too often set on the things of me. To make sure we don't get in the way we need to have our minds set on the things of God.

The best way to do that, by the way, is to read your Bible on a regular basis. What is God showing you through his word lately?

Stay Humble

These are great words from Mark Batterson:

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." I Peter 5:5

Let me make a confession: our family watches American Idol. I watch it for my kids, of course! Here's an observation I've made during the try outs to get on the show. The judges almost always react negatively to contestants who are cocky. It turns them off. It's almost like they naturally oppose them. But the judges seem to love contestants who have a quiet confidence or don't know how good they are. In a sense, have almost as much to do with the contestants making the show as their pride and humility voice quality.

Pride is a turn off isn't it? It invites opposition. But humility is endearing. It invites grace. And it's not just true in the natural realm. That is a reflection of the spiritual realm.

If I had one piece of advice for leaders I think it might be this: stay humble. If you have pride in your heart, God will oppose you and it's awfully hard to do the work of God when God Himself is opposing you! Stay humble in the way you treat others. Treat them as more important than yourself. And stay humble toward God. Keep giving credit where credit is due. And make sure you spend time on your knees kneeling before Him. The leaders that God uses the most have well worn knees.

TMI

Maybe this is TMI, but it's too funny not to record.

Background: Levi has been using the big potty for a little over a week, but has always sat down to pee.

Scene: Levi need to go pee. I start to sit him on the potty, but he wants to stand.

Levi: I want to stand up and pee.

Me: Ok.

Levi: Leave.

Me: Ok.

Levi: I did it!!!

Me: Awesome! What made you want to stand up and pee?

Levi: Girls sit down and pee, and I'm not a girl. I'm a big boy.

Me: Where did you hear that?

Levi: Matthew.

Glad to know my boys have extensive knowledge of how different sexes pee. :)

Matthew's Bronking Bull Ride.MP4

I was jealous. Matthew got to ride and I didn't.

Wild Goose Chase

I was remined this week that following God is like chasing a wild goose. That's not a bad thing. It's what makes it exciting. It's what keeps us dependent on God.

In the words of Mark Batterson: Chase the Goose.

(BTW: He's got a great book on this very subject that's worth reading.)

When everything goes wrong

Yesterday was just one of those days. Actually, it was unlike any day we've ever had at Hub City. It seemed like everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. In the words of some of our regular attenders, "It was rough this morning." Maybe it was Allen andJaimee's fault since they weren't there.... :)

So last night I laid awake in bed thinking about what we could do to keep yesterday's train wrecks from happening again, and what can we learn/take away from yesterday's experience. I've got a few thoughts.

First, it is true that Christ's power is made perfect in our weaknesses. When we are weak, he is strong. I say this to say that no matter how bad we might feel about things, God, in his unique and amazing way, shows his power.

Second, flowing out of the first, we don't say No Perfect People Allowed for no reason. We mean it. We know we're not perfect. We mess up. Sometime's life is messy, and sometimes a worship gathering is messy. No Perfect People Allowed.

Third, in all honesty we can use the first two as an excuse. I'm am NOT saying that we are doing that, but it can happen. That means we need to figure out what we can do to prevent this in the future. We have to do our part. I firmly and passionately believe that. We need to work to do the best that we can do. That's just making the most of the gifts, talents and resources that God has given us. To do any less would be being poor stewards of what God's given us. I want us to do all that we can do. But I also think that we need to pray that God would do what only he can do. That's what takes things to another level. That's when things get supernatural. We passionately want God's favor on us and all that we do.

I've got to say this too: I'm not a "demon behind every corner" type of guy, but I do believe that we have an enemy who wants to do whatever he can to destroy, distract,disunify and discourage (like my 4 "d's"?). Anytime we try and do something for God or with God our enemy is going to do whatever he can to disrupt it.

So here's my conclusion: If you're looking for a perfect church with a perfect show, then Hub City ain't the place for you (actually, I'm not sure that there is a perfect place for you). But if you're looking for a real family whose trying to figure out how to love God, love each other and do life together, then I don't know of another church family that you'd want to be a part of.

Oh, and one more thing: I love Frankie and Josh. I think Hub City is privileged to have them as servant leaders. Me, on the other hand, you're just stuck with.

When everything goes wrong

Yesterday was just one of those days. Actually, it was unlike any day we've ever had at Hub City. It seemed like everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. In the words of some of our regular attenders, "It was rough this morning." Maybe it was Allen and Jaimee's fault since they weren't there.... :)

So last night I laid awake in bed thinking about what we could do to keep yesterday's train wrecks from happening again, and what can we learn/take away from yesterday's experience. I've got a few thoughts.

First, it is true that Christ's power is made perfect in our weaknesses. When we are weak, he is strong. I say this to say that no matter how bad we might feel about things, God, in his unique and amazing way, shows his power.

Second, flowing out of the first, we don't say No Perfect People Allowed for no reason. We mean it. We know we're not perfect. We mess up. Sometime's life is messy, and sometimes a worship gathering is messy. No Perfect People Allowed.

Third, in all honesty we can use the first two as an excuse. I'm am NOT saying that we are doing that, but it can happen. That means we need to figure out what we can do to prevent this in the future. We have to do our part. I firmly and passionately believe that. We need to work to do the best that we can do. That's just making the most of the gifts, talents and resources that God has given us. To do any less would be being poor stewards of what God's given us. I want us to do all that we can do. But I also think that we need to pray that God would do what only he can do. That's what takes things to another level. That's when things get supernatural. We passionately want God's favor on us and all that we do.

I've got to say this too: I'm not a "demon behind every corner" type of guy, but I do believe that we have an enemy who wants to do whatever he can to destroy, distract, disunify and discourage (like my 4 "d's"?). Anytime we try and do something for God or with God our enemy is going to do whatever he can to disrupt it.

So here's my conclusion: If you're looking for a perfect church with a perfect show, then Hub City ain't the place for you (actually, I'm not sure that there is a perfect place for you). But if you're looking for a real family whose trying to figure out how to love God, love each other and do life together, then I don't know of another church family that you'd want to be a part of.

Oh, and one more thing: I love Frankie and Josh. I think Hub City is privileged to have them as servant leaders. Me, on the other hand, you're just stuck with.

A sad story

A very sad story. One among many coming from Haiti.

Loving God with all your heart means having a heart that breaks for the things that break the heart of God. I think God's heart is breaking.

Praying for God's lead on what we, as a Hub City family, should do.

The Male Factor - a review

I know what you're thinking: What is Jonathan doing reviewing a book that was written to women who work in a male dominated workplace? That's a great question. I don't have a great answer.

What I do know is that I've been a fan of Shaunti Feldhahn since I heard her speak at Northpoint Community Church. Her previous books have been helpful to both Liz and me. So I thought I'd give this one a try.

While being a bit long (I'm a fan these days of shorter books), this is a book that's worth reading... especially for working women. Here's a synopsis:

Many talented women today risk undermining their careers without realizing it, simply because they don’t understand how they are perceived by their male colleagues and customers. In The Male Factor, Shaunti Feldhahn reveals the inner reality behind men’s views — the unspoken expectations that no man would dare to publicly acknowledge, and no woman would learn from an HR department. These revelations include:

• Men’s unwritten ‘rules’ of the workplace
• How men perceive workplace emotion
• What common situations with female colleagues most frustrate men-- and why
• Why revealing clothing can sabotage a woman’s effectiveness
• Why some men think flextime is fine, but equal compensation for it is not

The Male Factor equips women with the information they need to make informed decisions and compete on a level playing field, which is important to me since I'm married to a wonderful working woman.

I was privileged to get a copy to give away on this blog. That's going out to Melanie Creel (I've been meaning to give it to her for weeks, but keep forgetting).

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

New family activity

Today I'm going to go buy a cheap calendar for each member of my family and we're going to start a Gratitude Journal. The goal is going to be to write down three things we're thankful for each day. I want my kids to have an attitude of gratitude. The only way for us to develop that in them is to be intentional about giving thanks.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this is going to pan out. I think it could be one of those foundational activities/habits that shapes, not only my boys, by Liz and me as well.

It's also a great way to obey 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Notes from Mark Batterson

I wish everyone of you could have been a part of my time with Mark Batterson this morning. The mini-conference was set up by Anderson University and was a part of their Young Leaders Workshop. Here are some notes.

• Don't let fear dictate your decisions.
• The enemy has two tools: Guilt and Fear.
• Failure could be the best thing that happens to you.
• The greatest experiences are those where we step out in faith.
• Are you living your life in a way that's worth telling stories about?
• Don't we owe it to our kids to live in such a way that we have stories to tell.
• God wants to tell his story through your life. You play an irreplacible part in God's story.
• No guts, no glory: When we don't have the guts to live by faith we rob God of the glory that's rightfully his.
• It took National Community Church 5 years to reach 250. Treat the small things like big things. We've got to be faithful with the small things.
• Bill Gates said, "We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in 2 years and underestimate what we can accomplish in 10."
• Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is hang in there.
• Pray for the favor of God. I want God to do for me what I cannot do for myself. Invoke the favor of God on your life, your family, your church, your community.
• Start every meeting by sharing wins: What good thing is God doing?
• Maybe movie theaters aren't a short term solution, but a long term strategy.
• A problem: We're not creating disciples. We're creating spiritual co-dependents.
• On Giving: The reason we need to grow is so that we can give more.
• On Small Groups: God will not grow our church beyond our ability to disciple people.

I needed to hear what Mark had to say. God spoke to me about some things. I came away from our time more excited about what God wants to do in and through Hub City than ever before.

Responses

I have been blown away by the response of people to yesterday's sermon. It's humbling and cool when God uses my words to speak to people. One email I got was from Shawna Simmons. I asked if I could share what she wrote. She said yes. It's a great example of doing something. And yes, it's in pink because, well Shawna wrote it. :)

Hey Jonathan! Loved your message today. Thanks. It's easy to say I liked it, it's harder to do something about it. Compassion is not really my thing and God has really been revealing to me that I need to work on that. I know God's been speaking to me about giving to http://reecesrainbow.org/ (an organization my sister supports and fundraises for). My nephew has Downs (he turned 2 yesterday) and my sis is an advocate for a baby named Shae w/ Downs. So, today i gave. This is small, I know. I've given before, on my own accord, but I feel confident God wanted me to give to this and I hadn't yet Thanks for the push.

Maybe I need a new job

Just wanted to share a post from Shawn Lovejoy that encouraged me today. You can read it here.

Last night's conversation

Scene: Liz is putting Levi to bed and getting ready to pray with him.

Liz: Levi, is there anything you want to tell God you're sorry for?

Levi: God, I'm sorry that I didn't know you were in my heart. I want you to leave now.

How different generations view work

I found this very interesting. Would love to hear your thoughts.

The Great Depression Generation - viewed their career with an emphasis on loyalty. They would work at the same job for the same company for 40 to 50 years.

The Builder Generation (born from the Great Depression to the mid 40’s) - saw their career as a means of making a living.

The Baby Boomers (born from the mid 40’s to the mid 60’s) - saw their career as the central focus of their life. Work became the definition of who they were.

The Buster Generation - finds work to be an irritant. It distracts them from what they want to do in life. They see work as a necessary evil.

The Millennial Generation (born from 1980-2000) - sees their work as a place to serve humanity.

From Crown Financial

Be brave, wait.

Look at this verse from Ps. 27:14 - Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

We don't usually associate being brave and courageous with waiting. We usually thing that being brave and courageous means going full speed ahead, all-out, no-holds-barred.

But David says that sometimes the most courageous thing we can do is to wait. I need to meditate on this.

One thing

If you could ask God one thing, what would you want the most from him?

In Psalm 27, David does that. Look at what he asks: The one thing I ask of the Lord--the thing I seek most--is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in his Temple. Ps. 27:4.

In other words, more than anything, David wants God.

Makes me wonder, do I want God more than anything? Do you want God more than anything? I want to want that. I want you to want that.

Motivation

It's funny how God works and speaks sometimes. I've been thinking a lot lately about my motivation for doing things. Like, why do I want to write for the paper? Why do I blog? Why do I want to adopt? Why do I want to be the pastor of Hub City?

The list could go on, but each of those questions involves the question of motivation. What's my motivation for whatever I do?

If I'm honest, I don't always have the most pure motivations. Way too often I'm selfish and prideful and want people to put me up on a pedestal and tell me how awesome I am. Wow, when I read that last sentence I sound like such an egomaniac.

But here's what I want my motivation to be: God's glory and God's renown. I want them to be because I've heard from God and am being obedient to him. And so here's what I want my position to be: Humble, one of humility.

John the Baptist said that he desired to be less so that God could be greater. That's what I desire as well. It's just that I get in the way...

Mark has some great posts related to this that you should read: Here, here, and here.

That's good

I find the following quote is not only encouraging, but also has a lot to say to pastors and church planters.

"We knew that Google was going to get better every single day as we worked on it, and we knew that sooner or later, everyone was going to try it. So our feeling was that the later you tried it, the better it was for us because we'd make a better impression with better technology. So we were never in a big hurry to get you to use it today. Tomorrow would be better."

~Google founder Sergey Brin as told to Seth Godin in The Dip

Frustrating

I'm kind of in shock right now.

I'm not usually the recipient of so much anger, but this whole adoption thing and the article I wrote has brought out some vicious people.

I'm not sure why. Seems like people have better stuff to do with their time than to lash out at me. (Pray that I will respond with grace and truth.)

Which reminds me of something I've read in a number of places lately (specifically from Rick Warren and Mark Batterson... I just can't think of where I read them).

They said something to the fact of us needing to use our energies to do good instead of using them to criticize. I agree.

If things continue in this direction, however, I may have to hire security.

Article

You can read my first Spartanburg Herald-Journal article here. It's on adoption.

Read your Bible

I may post this same post multiple times over the next few days. It is so, so, so, so important. If you could do one thing this year that will have lasting positive value, what would that one thing be? I'll tell you what it should be. It should be to develop the habit of reading your Bible on a regular basis. Don't read a devotional book. Read the Bible.

If you're wondering where to start then you need to read this from Swerve:

If you’re looking for ways to encourage your church to read the Bible more this year, we’ve got some great new tools available at YouVersion.com. We just launched more than 20 free Bible reading plans, which are available on the website as well as all mobile platforms. Here are a few highlights:

• You can customize each plan by making it shorter or longer.
• Easily track where you are by checking off each day’s reading. We’ll also show you how far along you are with a percentage of completion.
• Your online and mobile accounts will synchronize your information, including your plan and your progress.
• If you’ve created a group for your church on YouVersion, you can select a plan to be associated with your group.
• Soon, you’ll be able to build a support system by opting in for accountability emails to you and/or a friend.

We hope these new reading plans help you and your church engage with Scripture in 2010!

Lucy Lane's Gotcha Day

This video got our attention and influenced us to choose All God's Children International for our adoption. I can't watch it all the way through without crying like a baby.

143,000,000 Orphans

For all those who work behind the scenes

Crying like a little baby

I don't know what it is, but I've been sort of anti-Christmas-songs this year. I just haven't wanted to hear them. Well, one came on the radio this AM. I was about to switch the channel, but stopped. It was one I haven't heard before by Third Day. It was all about adoption.

I was so moved that I almost had to pull my car over.

I am ready to move forward with our adoption. It would be so awesome to have a little girl celebrating Christmas with us next year.

I'm going to go cry like a baby again.

Holly Jolly Christmas Offering Update

Hey everybody. Merry Christmas.

I just wanted to update you on the amount you gave to The Holly Jolly Christmas Offering. Are you ready? Here it is: $1053!!!

That's awesome! Thanks for your generosity.

Just in case you missed out there is still time to give (some of you said you forgot to bring it with you). You can mail your gives to PO Box 55, Moore, SC 29369. Mark them "Holly Jolly Christmas Offering." Alongside that, any year end financial gifts need to be postmarked by December 31. You can also give online here.

Also, don't forget that we're not meeting this coming Sunday. Enjoy some time with your family and friends.

Have a Merry Christmas. It's an honor to be your pastor.

Jonathan

In limbo... waiting

As many of you know, Liz and I are in the process of adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. Right now we're kind of stuck in limbo, waiting for God to provide the financial resources for us to move forward.

I read this blog post which records a section of George Muller's autobiography. It motivate me more and more to pray and to ask God to provide the resources we need to move forward with our adoption.

I don't know if I can explain it that well, but there's something in me, call it a burden or a holy discontent, that is bothered by the financial cost of adoption. Here's why: There are 143 million kids without moms and dads, and while we may not be able to bring that number to zero in a year or less, we could do something to take a chunk out of that number if finances weren't a barrier to adoption.

If we're going to solve the problem of adoption we've got to do something to fund adoptions. I know this might sound pushy, but some of you reading this blog need to do something to help out with this issue. You can help us out. Email me and I'll tell you how you can contribute to help us adopt.

A means to an end

I read something this morning that got me thinking. And when I combined what I read with some conversations that I've had over the past few days I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts (mainly to just remind myself).

For some reason or another we've made "going to church" an end in and of itself. Now we don't say that outright, but it's implied. We think that if we go to church then we've done our religious duty and we're good to go. Being a Christian then becomes more about where we sit on Sunday morning than anything else.

The only problem with that way of thinking is that it's nowhere in the Bible. I think it's our way of doing the minimum, but we're the ones that came up with the minimum. Another problem that flows from this thinking is the idea that one church is better than another church... the whole competition thing... but I won't get into that now.

Being a part of a worship gathering/service is important. But it's not the end. It's the means to an end. So, what's the end?

The end is a life of discipleship where we are hearing from God more and more and growing in obedience by doing what he says. You cannot be a disciple if you just go sit through a church service for one hour a week. It can help you grow, but it's not the end.

2020 Vision

Here's a great post by Mark Batterson that's worth reading.

Primal

What's the first book you're going to read in 2010? I would recommend... let me rephrase that... the first book you need to read in 2010 is Mark Batterson's Primal.

I could tell you about the book, but that would spoil your own discovery. I will say that I was so inspired and motivated by it that some of it's content is going to provide the framework for Hub City's first sermon series of the year. It revolves around the greatest commandment.

Here's another reason you should read this book: I will occasionally bring out the old yellow highlighter to highlight good stuff that I read. If a book is really, really good then I'll not only highlight, but I'll make some notes. If the book is really, really, really good then I'll highlight, make notes and type those notes up in a word document. Primal gets the really, really, really good treatment.

I don't like to compare authors, and I'm pretty sure that authors don't like being compared with other authors, but Mark's writing is a lot like Malcolm Gladwell's. I think that's why I enjoy his books so much.

This book was provided courtesy of Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. Thanks guys!

Judgement day

Let the reader beware

This must be quote week. The following is from Eugene Peterson:

The words printed on the pages of my Bible give witness to the living and active revelation of the God of creation and salvation, the God of love who became the Word made flesh in Jesus, and I had better not forget it. If in my Bible reading I lose touch with this livingness, if I fail to listen to this living Jesus, submit to this sovereignty, and respond to this love, I become arrogant in my knowing and impersonal in my behavior. An enormous amount of damage is done in the name of Christian living by bad Bible reading. Caveat lector, let the reader beware.

Consciousness

Spiritual maturity has nothing to do with circumstances. It has everything to do with consciousness. A relationship with Christ doesn't always change our circumstances, but it does change the way we see ourselves, see others, and see God. - Mark Batterson

Primal

I'll do a review on this book next week, but I've just got to say, so far, it is really, really good. I think you should ask Santa for it for Christmas.

Keep coming back

I don't know why I'm posting this again... maybe it's a reminder to myself.

We're not commanded to grow the church. That's God's job. We're commanded to make disciples.

For some reason those of us in the church world get this flipped. We think that it's our job to grow the church and that it's God's job to grow disciples. The problem with that thinking is that it's just not Biblical.

Maybe if we could get back to doing our part of making disciples then God would do his part of growing the church... and it would be something that's way beyond our wildest imaginations.

Like a deer caught in the headlights

This is one of those blogs when I want to write something but not sure it's going to come out like I'd like it to come out.

Last night Liz and I had our adoption orientation phone call. It basically gave us a 30,000 foot view of the adoption process. I must say, it was a bit overwhelming, but I expected that.

What I didn't expect was the discussion about financial matters. Maybe "expect" isn't the right word, but I'm not sure what word to use. Adoptions are expensive. I knew that. It wasn't like we were unaware of the costs. But both of us were taken aback when we learned that our next step is to send in the signed contracts and a check of $7390.

I'll be honest, that amount, said out loud, made me stop breathing for a minute. 19 hours later I still feel like a deer caught in the headlights.

So now we need to come up with $7390. Maybe you have some rich uncle who you could put me in touch with.

Hard to put into words

Last week I had the privilege of helping facilitate a training event called Immersion 2. Three great guys came down from Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho, and they joined up with me and two other great guys from SC.

While it was fun to help facilitate the event, I think I learned more than the attendees. I'm still working through and thinking through some of what I've learned. But it's really hard to put into words right now.

It all flows out of this statement: We don't have growth barriers. We have leadership barriers.

That's really, really profound for me. And here's why: I want to reach my full potential as a disciple of Jesus. I want to help others reach their full potential as disciples of Jesus. And I want Hub City Church to reach its full potential of making disciples who make disciples.

None of those things is going to happen if I stop growing as a leader. So now I'm getting back to working through what I've learned, but before that:

Let me ask you, what barriers are getting in the way of you reaching your full potential as a disciple of Jesus?

There's hope for me yet

Here's a great article on introverts. I say it's great because I'm an introvert and it gives me hope. I saw myself pop up in various places in the article. Very interesting.

4 Gifts

Yesterday at Hub City we started talking about the reason for the season. We focused on Giving. I laid out our church's giving plan for this Christmas season. Here's a recap:

Give the gift of toys. We're going to be gathering unwrapped toys to give away to kids at The Haven. We'll collect the toys on December 13. Let's overwhelm The Haven with toys this Christmas.

Give the gift of an offering. We're calling it The Holly Jolly Christmas Offering. This is a gift to the church and the community. First, 25 cents of every dollar that comes in is going to be given away to Total Ministries. Second, we're going to use the rest of the money to do some things that we've been wanting to do for a while, but haven't had the resources to do... things like signs and lighting and decoration to make our Gathering more appealing.

Give the gift of an invitation. This is a gift to your friends, coworkers and acquaintances. We honestly believe that we have something worth being a part of at Hub City. But the only way that people will be a part is if we invite them. We challenged everyone to invite 5 people per week to our gathering by giving out 5 postcards. (BTW: I'm already down to 4 for this week. I invited the girl who cut my hair... after I gave her a good tip.)

Give the gift of focus. This is a gift to yourself. Instead of being consumed with the stress of Christmas, what if instead, we spent time every day focusing on Jesus in his word? That's the challenge of this gift. We gave out a reading plan. Pick one up next week or email me and I'll email you one back.

That's the plan. Here's my question for you: How are you going to participate?

The Kingdom of God

The commentary in today's Herald-Journal does a great job of talking about something that few of us understand. Your Kingdom come!

Great pre-Thanksgiving reads

Mark Batterson had two great posts. You can read them here and here. I think that might become a phrase we start using in my home.

Don't read, it might make you mad

A very interesting, and if you read the comments, provocative article.

It's the potential

I am really excited about the series that we're starting this Sunday. It's titled, The Reason. Most of the time we hear Christians say, "Jesus is the reason for the season." But nobody really acts that way. And I've always wondered, Is that really true. Well, it's partially true, but you'll have to come to the series to find out why I say that.

What I'm really excited about, though, is that we're going to be doing some things as a church this Christmas that are going to make a big difference in some people's lives. And I think that being a part of Hub City this year will make a big difference in our lives.

There is huge potential. And that's what I'm excited about. I can't wait for Sunday.

BTW: This is a great series to invite people to. People are more likely to come to church during the Christmas season then any other time of the year.

Read this

Jaimee had a great post here that you need to read.

Sorry

I feel like I've been letting my 4 loyal readers down. Posts were almost non-existent last week. What's wrong with me? Please accept my heartfelt apologies. I'll try and do better.

Interesting

One of the verses I used in yesterday's talk was Galatians 6:2. Read it.

Something I didn't say, but wanted to mention is that the responsibility for carrying each other's burdens lies on the one without the burden, or with the less burden. That person needs to be on the lookout for burdened people. And when they see a burden they need to step in and carry it.

People who are burdened or hurting shouldn't have to go out of their way to find help. We should be going out of our way to help them.

I just found that interesting. It's not normally how we work, but according to Paul, it should be.

I'm in...

"This is the kind of church and kingdom I want to be a part of - a band of people who are messy, have addictions and shortcomings, make mistakes, get rejected, and are screwed up, but are so fully aware of the Master's grace and love for them in spite of who they are or will be someday; people who embrace discomfort knowing there is so much to be gained for all of us and for all of our churches." - Dave Gibbons

What is going on?!?!?!

If you're my facebook friend then you may have already heard about Levi's "incedent" today at pre-school. He was told by his teacher not to say the word "penis" at school, but to just say that at home. You've got to worry about those preacher kids.

Then, on the way to school this AM, Nathan and Matthew asked Liz what "Jackass" and "Ass" meant. Supposedly, the first word was on Tom and Jerry, and the second word is in C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle (which Nathan and I are reading together). Liz informed them that both words, in those contexts, meant "donkey." But that they usually were bad words and they didn't need to say them.

You know what this means, don't you? It's time for "the talk." It's time for me to sit down with Nathan and go through all the cuss words with him, tell him what they mean, and why he doesn't need to use them.

I know what some of you are thinking, "But you're a pastor. You can't say those words." Where would you rather your kid learn what's the right and wrong thing to say? I'd rather them learn it from me than the kids at school.

Another benefit is that he'll know that I know... and knowing's half the battle.

God wants you happy... NOT

Ok, so that's kind of a harsh title, but it's what we talked about this past Sunday. You can read the transcript here.

But in today's reading from the book of Jeremiah, I see a guy who is clearly depressed. He did exactly what God had called him to do and everybody hated him for it.

Sometimes being obedient to God doesn't lead to where we think it should. You would think that being obedient to God should result in good things, in happiness, in reward. And while that happens sometimes, it's not always the case. I think Jeremiah is a great illustration of that.

But he remained faithful and obedient to what God had told him to do. When things aren't going our way, or when they don't turn out like we think they should turn out, do we press on in obedience? Jeremiah is a great model for all of us.

We have a dream...

At our weekly, Mickey D's staff meeting I asked Josh and Frankie to dream a little... not day dream... but dream-dream. Here's what I asked:

What would you like to see Hub City look like in 6 months? In one year?

Nothing was off limits. Dreams should be big. They should be audacious. They should be God sized.

We shared some pretty big dreams... things that will only happen if God shows up.

Now we're thinking through some plans to partner with God to turn the dreams into reality. But it's going to take some serious divine intervention. And we want to make sure that it's God's will that's done and not ours. Hub City is His church.

Let me ask you, how would you answer that question? I'd love to hear your dreams for Hub City. I'll share some of our dreams over the next few weeks, and I may include some of yours, so comment away. We want to hear from you!

Laughter and food

I had a great time last night with my Hub Group. We did a little pot-luck supper. We ate way too much. It was all good.

But the best part was laughing together.

Something about laughing together brings down walls and fertilizes relationships.

I'm so thankful for the people in my group. I see God at work in each of their lives. I see them growing as disciples.

If you're a part of Hub City, but not in a Hub Group, then what are you waiting on. I promise, you're missing out.

What I want for Christmas

I just found out Switchfoot is coming to Asheville on December 4. It will be a great show. Should I go? Hmmm? Tix are $20.

Just so you know, they are my favorite band. Their new album launches 11/10/09. Holy smokes Batman, that's in three days!

Did you know?

This Sunday is Orphan Sunday. Did you know that there are 143 million orphans in the world. This should not be. We're going to spend a few minute praying about this issue on Sunday. Just wanted to give you a heads up. You can find out more here.

A great reminder

While this post by Tim Stevens isn't a perfect fit with our discipleship process, I think he clearly articulates some important stuff that we forget. He explains what the Sunday worship gathering is all about and that those who just come on Sunday aren't really a part of the church, just a part of the crowd. Being the church, being a part of the church, is more than a Sunday thing.

Sundays are important, but they aren't the most important thing we do. Since our mission is to make disciples who make disciples we place a priority on the environment where this is most likely to happen... which isn't a Sunday worship gathering. The environment where discipleship happens is Hub Groups.

Are you connected to a Hub Group? If not, why not? What are you waiting on? Do you want to be a part of the crowd or a part of our church family?

Urban Legends - week 1

I just posted week 1 of Urban Legends here. I know you've been dying to know that.

I can't wait for next week's legend. It has the potential to mess some of you up.

You want me to do what?

I'm reading through the book of Jeremiah for my time with God. Have you ever read that book? I've read it before, but it is way out there. Some of the things that God asks Jeremiah to do... well, let's just say, I'm not sure if I would know it was God speaking or some other "voices" in my head.

Take today's reading, for instance. God tells Jeremiah to go buy a linen belt. Then he tells him to put it on. Then he tells him to take it off and bury it. Then he tells them to dig it up. Then God uses it as an object lesson for Jeremiah.

It makes me wonder, if God told me to do something that outlandish, would I listen and obey? Or would I check myself into Marshall Pickens?

God: "Go to Target and buy a pair of white tube socks."
Me: "Ok."
God: "Wear those socks for a month without washing them and without wearing shoes."
Me: "Ok."
God: "Take them off and throw them away. What you think of those socks, I think of Gamecock fans."

Just kidding about the Gamecock fan part. But that is what it would be like.

As Jeremiah progresses, God continues to ask him to do crazy things... things that would get you time in jail in our culture. But he listens and obeys. I think that has something to say to us. I know it has something to say to me.

Love this quote

Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act.

We forget

I think we forget that we're in a battle with a real enemy who wants to destroy us and destroy God's work in us. I know I forget about it way too often.

But I heard a story this morning that reminded me of the battle. Our enemy, Satan, is out to get us (if you're a follower of Jesus). He's out to destroy you and me. If you're not a Christian then he's out to do whatever he can to keep you from becoming one. I know that sounds a little weird, but it's true.

Satan is also out to destroy Hub City Church. He's going to do whatever he can to disrupt, distract, discourage and dis-unify.

We need to pray for protection. Ephesians 6 is a great passage to read that gives us some pointers about how to pray and how to fight back. Will you join me in praying for protection? Will you join with me in praying for God to paralyze Satan?

There's a battle, let's not forget.

Overwhelm us

I know I've posted about this before, but I'm praying that God would overwhelm us at Hub City. I invite you to pray that with me.

BTW: This prayer scares me to death!

The lies we believe

Have you ever thought about the lies we believe as Christians. We believe lies all the time. The reason we do this is because we take some pastor's word for something or some friend's word for something and we fail to test what they say against the truth of Scripture.

This coming Sunday we're going to begin exposing some of the lies we believe. My hope is that, as we uncover some Spiritual Urban Legends, that you'll plunge into the Bible, testing what you hear against the truth in God's word.

Myths can hurt us, but the truth will set us free. See you Sunday for Urban Legends.

I feel like a woman

I know Frankie's going to laugh at this, but I've been emotional all day. I feel like a woman whose hormones are going crazy (I know I'll get in trouble with that last statement, but I thought it was kind-of funny). But seriously, I'm messed up.

But it's for a good reason.

I can't tell you what that is right now, but I'm pretty sure I will soon.

But it's exciting, and you may get to participate.

New series beginning this Sunday

While at the gym

Anybody that knows me knows that I make a regular habit of going to the gym to work out. I know that when you look at my massive physic that immediately you think to yourself, "I bet he works out all the time." Well, not all the time, but I do try and go 4 days a week. It keeps my brain functioning.

But I like to make the most of my time at the gym, so I'll either take a book to read, my sermon to review or my iPod to listed to a podcast. It's my attempt to multi-task.

Today I decided to listed to a podcast on the ole iPod. Today's selection was the Catalyst Podcast interview with Rob Bell. If you listed to podcasts at all then you need to listen to the Catalyst Podcast. It's great stuff, but today's was powerfully moving. I thought I'd share a few things that jumped out at me.

1. You need to watch this video.
2. There are 143 million orphans in the world. We're not all called to adopt, but we're all called to consider adoption. Check out 143million.org.
3. Rob Bell says that he says no to 99.9% of the requests that come his way. Talk about focus. I think all of us would be able to do more of what's important and more of what God has called us to do if we said no more often.
4. Rob Bell said so much cool stuff, but I thought I'd leave you with this quote: When you're being obedient to God, you won't want anyone else's life. That's good.

Knockout Entrepreneur

I know, it's a little strange for me to read a book by George Foreman. I don't even own a George Foreman grill.

What interested me at first was the word "entrepreneur" in the title. Since I'm a church planter, I'm almost like a spiritual entrepreneur, so I was thinking I might learn something from good ole George.

This book is packed with all kinds of great information. There are helpful tidbits spread throughout the book.

My problem with the book, however, is that it's to "George Foreman" for me. I think if I'd have been a fan of his, or at least a fan of boxing, then I would have enjoyed this book a bit more. But it just ended up being too much. It almost knocked me out to read it... which is sad because there really is a lot of great, practical business info in the book.

I'll also emphasize the "business" info. George is a businessman. And while some principles do bleed over into church world, I found that this book wasn't as helpful or relevant to me as some others I've read. I would say, however, that if you are interested in starting your own business, and can make it through George's writing style, then you are likely to get a lot from this book.

This book was provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The Simple Life

Be honest. Your life is too complicated. You don't have enough time to do what you need to do. Urgent things trump important things. You long for simplicity, right?

I would agree with what I just wrote, and so would the authors of Simple Life. This was a simple and practical book that walks you through the process of moving from a complicated life to a simple life.

Based on a survey of over 1000 Americans, the book talks about four areas of our lives where we long for simplicity, and how to get there: Time, Relationship, Money and God.

Basically, their prescription for simplicity involves a four step process. 1) Decide what you want to change by creating a doable mission statement. 2) Get rid of all the bad stuff that gets in the way of you getting to where you want to go. 3) Make sure your plan aligns with who you are, your personality and your giftedness. 4) Saying no to good things so that you'll only have great things in your life.

So would you like a life that's a bit less complicated? Are you not sure how to get from where you are now to where you'd like to be? This book could be a great help to you. It was for me.

This book was provided courtesy of The Ooze Viral Bloggers.

Today's Transcript

If you're interested, I just posted the transcript for today's sermon here.

Fast and Pray for Favor

I was reading this today and it motivated me to write this post. Mark Batterson says this, "The favor of God is God doing things for you that you cannot do for yourself."

Would you consider praying for God's favor on Hub City? Would you take a day next week and fast for God's favor?

Mark says, "It is the favor of God that got us to where we are. And it is the favor of God that will get us where God wants us to go. So we're going to fast for favor!"

That's true with Hub City. May God surround us with his favor as a shield.

Great post

Thanks to Jaimee for linking this post. I needed to read it. So do you.

The most important thing

I don't know why this has been on my mind for the past few days, but if I could encourage you to do one thing that will help you foolproof your life, that will be for your personal benefit, that you'll look back on 10 years in the future and be glad you did it, I would encourage you to spend time with your Creator and Savior every day. Pray. Read your Bible. Get to know God. Let God speak to you through his word. Do what he says.

I promise, this is one habit that you'll be thankful you developed.

Who are you under?

Be honest, you don't want somebody telling you what to do, right? None of us like to be told what to do. We think that we're more free if we're out from under authority.

I've always had the dysfunction of having trouble with authority, specifically bad authority. By that I mean authority that doesn't have my best interests at heart or, even worse, authority that could care less about my interests at all.

But here's an amazing truth: Maximum Freedom is found under authority. Or maybe I should say it this way: Maximum Freedom is found under Biblical authority.

So here's my question: Are you submitting to Biblical authority? Here's another question that might be a little more convicting: Are you picking and choosing what Biblical authority you're submitting to?

The first step to finding true freedom is having an attitude that says, "I am going to submit to the authority of God as revealed in the Bible." The second step is actually spending time reading the Bible for yourself so that you know what it says. The third step is actually doing it.

Here's my challenge: Do a little self evaluation. Are you submitting to Biblical authority? Use the following categories: Am I submitting to Biblical authority with my morality, my time, finances, my relationships, my parenting, my dating, my attitude, my speech, my thoughts, my possessions?

Maximum freedom comes when we submit ourselves to Biblical Authority. Are you under that authority?

BTW: I've seen some incredible examples of how God is transforming people who are a part of the Hub City family because they are doing this. I am proud of them. You know who you are!

Yesterday's sermon

FYI: I just posted the transcript to Sunday's sermon here.

And I have to make this disclaimer: I know it's a sermon about money. I know some of you would disagree with what I said. I just want you to know that I'm not going to argue. If you disagree then take it up with God. That this topic (money) evokes such a strong reaction says something about who, or what, has our hearts (Matthew 6:21).

I think that a lot of times when we disagree with what God says about money it says more about our hearts than we want to admit. I think it says something about our willingness or unwillingness to submit to God's authority on the subject.

I've never done this, but comments are closed for this post. If you want to argue about how you're handling God's money talk to God. He's got more time on his hands than me.

In the news

Look a here, not only were we on the nightly news, but I found this story online. I love it when we do things that make the news... maybe I should say, I love it when we do good things that make the news. :)

Something to chew on...

I just read this quote that Andy Stanley made at Catalyst: Are you trying to make your mark, or are you positioning yourself for God to make His mark through you?

That's something to chew on.

Extraordinary - a review

I really hate to do this, but I've got to be honest. I really did not like this book. It was hard to read. It used way, way, way too many words. I disagreed with some of the Scripture interpretation. It didn't seem to go where I thought it was going to go.

Maybe that was my problem. I thought it was going somewhere, but it never got there, so I was frustrated.

The best part of the book was some parenting advice I got. I don't think that the advice was intentional, but it was good. It involves the difference between loving our kids unconditionally and being pleased with our kids. I love my kids unconditionally. Nothing's going to change that. But I'm not always pleased with their behavior or attitudes. The same is true of God. I want to live a life that's pleasing to my heavenly father.

But that's all I got. Maybe I'll come back to it in the future and get more out of it. I'm trying to be nice.

I do have a copy to give away if someone else out there would like to read it. Maybe you'll get more out of it than me.

Getting ready for Sunday

Since we're going to be looking at the question, What's the wise thing to do with money?, this Sunday I thought that Vince's post would be good to read and think about so that we can be ready:

One of the wild things about the Bible is how often it talks about money. Over and over, it's about money. Today's reading (1 Timothy 6) is obviously no exception. We're warned of the dangers of wanting to get rich, told that loving money leads to evil, and that being eager for money tends to lead people away from faith in God. We're commanded to put our hope in God, not money, and to be generous in giving away our money.

When people hear talks about money from their own pastor there can be questions in the back of their mind, "Is he saying this because the church needs money? Is he focusing on this because it helps his salary?"

Well, I'm not your pastor, so let me give it to you straight, and you don't have to wonder about my motives:

• If you live in America, you are rich. If you're living in poverty in America, you are wealthy on the global scale, and that's what God sees. If you live in America, you are rich.
• If you live in America, whether you realize it or not, one of your greatest temptations is wanting to be rich, loving money, and putting your hope in wealth.
• In the Old Testament we're told to give a bare minimum of 10% of our income. In the New Testament we're commanded to give generously. There's no way that God views less than 10% as generous.
• If you live in America, and are therefore rich, giving only 10% just seems really greedy. Honestly, doesn't it? So give 10% (or more) to your church, but then find some other things to give to, to help those who have less than you.

Where I want to go

I love to travel. I love to travel with my whole family. I love to travel with just Liz. I've started making a list of places I'd like to visit sometime in my life. Writing them down is like a challenge/goal. Here's a few:

Road trip up the West Coast.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Virgin Islands
Europe (this could be split into multiple trips)
Grand Canyon
Machu Picchu
New Zealand
An African Safari

That's enough for today. Now if I just had the time and the money to take one month a year for travel... boy is that selfish. :)

I know it's hard

I've heard from a number of people lately who are struggling in their marriages. It breaks my heart.

Marriage is hard. I'm not sure why we think it'll be easy, but it's not. And that's ok. Actually, it's good that it's hard.

The goal of marriage isn't happiness. It's oneness. At the core of happiness is selfishness. At the core of oneness is selflessness.

The deceiving thing is that if we pursue happiness we won't find happiness or oneness. But if we pursue oneness, not only will we experience oneness, but we'll be happier.

It's starts with selflessness and serving and putting the other's needs before your own.

I know it's hard, but shut up about it being hard and start serving your spouse.

And here's another thought... maybe your marriage is one of the tools that God's going to use to grow you in holiness instead of bring you happiness. Just a thought....

Fool Proof - week 3 - Time Bandits

You can read the sermon transcript from yesterday here. I'd love to have you interact with it.

Article

Here's the link to my article in this Saturday's Herald Journal.

Something to remember

Rick Warren twittered this today: Focus on being holy not hip, competent not cool, obedient not outrageous, annointed not attractive, praying not posing. I need to remember that.

Ode to Frankie

Today is Frankie Creel's birthday.

For those of you who don't know Frankie, this post will be completely irrelevant to you.

I just found out yesterday that today is Frankie's birthday. Now I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed with Frankie's utter lack of self-serving, "celebrate me," kind of attitude that would have let me know that his birthday was coming up. Personally, I like to give people fair warning so that they have plenty of time to get a really great gift. But Frankie didn't give me any warning, so all he's getting is this "ode" on my blog.

What can I say about Frankie? First, I believe that God brought Frankie and I together at just the right time. Frankie had a desire to plant a church. I was planting a church. He joined up to learn something. I ruined his life. It was perfect timing.

Second, I couldn't do what I do as the pastor of Hub City if it weren't for Frankie. On top of that, Hub City wouldn't be the church that it is if it weren't for Frankie. He's creative, loyal, dependable and a Clemson fan. What more could you ask for?

Third, I don't know how many of you know this, or maybe you know this but it's never really sunk in, but Frankie works full time for Hub City for free. Seriously. And here's what's so incredible about that: Never once has he complained. Never once has he asked for anything. That is evidence of his great character, or that he's just not that smart... one or the other. BTW: I would love for us to eventually be able to pay him... like maybe some live chickens or a goat.

Finally, the thing that I appreciate most about Frankie is that he's my friend. Not many people can say that they get to work with their friends, but I do.

Happy Birthday Frankie. I hope this blog post will suffice for a gift. Maybe you'll remember to give me more warning next year.

An encouragement

This verse always encourages me. What are your thoughts?

Fool Proof week 2: Musical Chairs

FYI: I just posted today's sermon transcript right here.

A profound thought.

Every once in a while I have a profound thought. This one came during a conversation with the person who's getting me a killer rate on refinancing my house.

Jesus promises to build his church. We're commanded to make disciples. Most of the time we get the two reversed. We work to build the church and want God to take care of making the disciples.

Come on, admit it, that's pretty profound.

I think we switch things up because it's easier to build a church than to make disciples, but then maybe the church ends up being something it was never intended to be. Maybe we should do what we're supposed to do, make disciples, and let God take care of building his church. I wonder what that might look like?

A million miles in a thousand years

I love Donald Miller's writing. His book, Blue Like Jazz, is phenomenal. But it pales in comparison to his new book. I don't want to tell you what it's about because you need to stop what you're doing, go buy it and read it right now.

However, I will tell you how it has affected me. While reading I would find myself laughing out loud and then a few pages later I'd be bawling my eyes out. There are very few books that I read where I'm left screaming at the end, "I WANT MORE!!!" This was one of those books. I didn't want it to end. It has helped shape how I view my time, my relationships, my faith, my parenting, my marriage... I could go on. It's almost as if it helped me see my life from a different perspective, which is helpful... and healthy.

My commentary for the Herald-Journal that'll be coming out next Saturday, Oct. 3, contains some of my thoughts that came from reading this book. When you read it I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Prayer Challenge

I was thinking that we need to start Year Two at Hub City Church out right, so I want to issue out a little challenge to all the Hub City Slickers. Actually, it’s a big challenge. Are you ready for it? Here it is:

Would you take 10 minutes out of your day, every day, to pray for Hub City Church? Would you carve out 10 minutes of your day, maybe on your lunch break or maybe as you drive to work or maybe right before bed, to pray for Our church?

Now you may be asking: What in the world would I pray about for 10 minutes every day? Here’s an example what I’m talking about. Would you pray these sort of prayers:

• That God will bless Hub City and do something so supernatural in and through us that only He can get the credit.
• That God will give us greater influence and favor in our community and around the world.
• That God’s hand will be upon us and that there will be evidence of his grace (like there was at the church in Antioch in Acts 11:23).
• That God will protect us from discouragement, distraction and disunity. That we will be encouraged by his work in our lives and through our lives, that we’ll be focused on making disciples who make disciples, and that we’ll be united, of the same heart and mind.
• That Hub City will grow, and that our growth will come primarily from the harvest or by conversion growth (not just from church hoppers/shoppers). That many people would become disciples of Jesus.
• That God will meet our financial needs in abundance so that we can be more and more generous as a church.
• That God will grant us wisdom and courage and grace.
• If there’s time left over, pray by name for the people in your Hub Group.

These are things that I pray on a regular basis, but I’m not nearly as regular as I’d like to be. I’m working to set aside 10 minutes (minimum) a day to pray for Hub City. Will you join me in that prayer?

If so, will you message or email me back with your commitment? I’d love to know who’s praying with me.

One more prayer item: We are going to pray together every Sunday at 9:15. I’d love for you to join with us. Show up a bit early to pray.

Here’s what I know. No movement of God has ever come about without prayer. I want to see God move in an unexplainable, supernatural way. The first step is prayer. Let’s pray! Are you in?

Stories from Year One

Click on over here to read stories from Hub City's Year One. It's pretty cool reading what God has done in people's lives over the past year.

I'm so thankful for the Hub City family. I love you guys. I love being your pastor and friend. It's an honor.

I'm looking forward to year two. Can't wait to see what God has in store for me, you, Spartanburg and the world.

BTW: If you're on facebook or twitter then post a link to these stories. Spread the word about what God has done.