The opportunity of a lifetime

I want you to do something. It's the opportunity of a lifetime. I want to invite you to join with me on a prayer journey. I want to invite you to be a part of a prayer team for Hub City. Try it out for 2 months, now through the end of October. We're going to use the Life's a Journey Campaign as a guide for our prayers.

Beginning next week I'll be posting a prayer guide for you to use. If you're a part of Hub City you can pick up the guide on Sunday or email me and I'll send you an electronic copy.

But don't wait till then to start praying. Start today. Start now. Stop whatever you're doing and use the following as a guide.

As we look forward to the Life’s a Journey campaign, what are some of the "doors" in your life that need to be opened that you could pray for?

• The "door of time" opening in your schedule to participate more fully in the campaign.
• The "door of courage" opening for you to invite a family member, Christian friend, or non-Christian neighbor to a weekend service or to your small group.
• The "door of trust" opening for you to take a step of faith and host a group.
• The "door of your heart" opening for you to become passionate about prayer.
• The "door of humble servanthood" opening for you to be more available to God during this important time
• Other?

In Colossians 4:5, Paul admonishes us to "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity." The word opportunity that Paul uses at the end of that verse comes to us from the word cairos. The Greeks used cairos to describe a decisive moment, a crisis, or a crossroad. It's what we would call a defining moment. Is God wanting you to prepare, through prayer, for a defining moment in your life?

In addition, could it be that all around you, there are people who, for whatever reason, are now open to learning spiritual truths? The Life’s a Journey campaign could be a defining moment in their personal journey. As Paul encourages us, please make the most of this defining moment with them. Pray more than you ever have before. Be spiritually sensitive and ask God to open doors today.

Life's a journey commercial

Upcoming Hub City stuff

I’ve got to say, I am more excited about being a part of Hub City Church than I have ever been. God is doing some incredible things in many of your lives. I think this is just the beginning. In light of that, I have a lot to tell you about.

An Opportunity: Charles Spurgeon once said, Whenever God determines to do a great work, he first sets his people to pray. I am convinced that God wants to do a great work in and through us. And in light of that I believe that he’s calling us to pray. There is an opportunity for you to be on the Hub City Prayer team. It’ll be a 2 month commitment. Bryan Scott and Josh Rogers are leading up this prayer team. We’re providing prayer guides so that you’ll know what to pray. All you need to do is sign up. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. It will change your life. It’s already changing mine. Email Bryan or Josh at lifesajourney2010@live.com.

Upcoming important dates and events:

September 5 and 12: Don’t waste your life. This series is the precursor to our Life’s a Journey Campaign.

September 13: Prayer service and kickoff for 24 hours of prayer and fasting.

• On Monday, September 13, we’ll have a Prayer Service from 7-8 to kick off a 24 hour period of prayer and fasting for the Life’s a Journey Campaign.
• The prayer service will be held at the offices of All Saints Church, 401 Kennedy St., Spartanburg.
• Sign up for a specific hour of focused prayer. You can sign up this Sunday for a time slot (we’ll provide a prayer guide to help direct/guide your praying).
• Fast and pray from 7 PM Monday, September 13 till 7 PM Tuesday, September 14.

September 19: Hub City Church turns 2!!!

• We’re kicking off the Life’s a Journey Campaign (Campaign: It’s more than a Sunday teaching series. It’ll include Sunday teaching, a daily reading from The Purpose Driven Life, memorizing a scripture a week, Hub Group discussion, and a daily email encouragement.)
• Birthday party and baptism at Twin Lakes Clubhouse after the Worship Gathering.
• Start reading The Purpose Driven Life (you can pick up your copy this Sunday for $7.)

Letting go

I read this on Mark Batterson's blog today. It's a quote from Gary Haugen, president of the International Justice Mission:

Gary said we all want adventure, faith, miracles, and a deep knowledge of Christ, but you can't have those things without letting go of safety, security, comfort, and control." You have to choose between safety and bravery. The bottom line is this: God's will in a fallen world is dangerous.

What on earth am I here for?

All of us are dying to know the answer to that question.

It would be tragic to get to the end of your life and find out you've missed out on why you're here.

Your life doesn't need to have that kind of a tragic end. You can discover the purpose of your life's journey.

That's why we're starting Life's a Journey on Sept. 19. Through the worship gathering, small group discussions and daily readings we're going to find out how to make our journey count.

You need to invite some people to be a part of this experience. Ask them to commit to seven weeks. They won't regret it. Neither will you.

How to forgive as the Lord forgave you

Yesterday at Hub City Church I challenged people to memorize Colossians 3:13. It says, Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

I came across this from Ed Young and I thought it might help you put that verse into practice. It really answer the "how" question: How do I forgive as the Lord forgave me?

Number one, we need to consider the cross. I mean, as a believer, all I have to do, all you have to do, is consider the cross. Consider what Jesus Christ has done on the cross for us. Consider the preemptive forgiveness that he did before we even asked for it. And that should motivate us to do the work. All of us are sinners.

I’m a sinner. So are you. We’re in this together. That’s why [Hub City Church] is a place for those who don’t have it together yet. That’s why we say no perfect people allowed. That’s what we’re for. We’re a hospital for sinners. I’m a sinner. So are you. And the cross reminds of the price that was paid for our sins. So just consider the cross.

Here’s a second thing: Realize that resentment does not work. It will not get you where you want to go. You will not get back at the person. Think about this. The person who hurt you probably doesn’t even realize they’ve hurt you. And even if they know they’ve hurt you, they’re out having a good time and doing this or that while we are in the corner licking our wounds, while we’re saying to ourselves, “Oh, I can’t believe they hurt me. I’m just all leashed up to them.” Just release them. Forgive them. Say, “God, you take care of them. I can’t get them back, God. I know you’re going to take care of it; you’re a better judge than I am.” Just remember that resentment does not work.

The third reason that we should be motivated to do this work is because all of us will need a giant monster infusion of forgiveness in the future. I know I’m going to sin in the future and so do you. Hopefully, I will not sin as much in the future as I have in the past, but I’m going to sin. I need forgiveness. I need grace. I need mercy. You do, too. And because of that, I should release you. I should forgive you. I should do the forgiveness work in my marriage, with parenting, in my [job], with friends. Whatever it may be, I’ve got to live a life of that.

Because the moment I live that kind of life, what’s gonna happen? I’ll discover that unleashing unforgiveness is unbelievable.

Communication

One of the people that Liz works with made this statement: Communication is a chronic problem in organizations.

That is so true. I know I need to improve my communication skills. That's where you come in. If you could give me one or two pieces of advice about how I can work on communication I would love to hear it. Thanks.

Catalyst East 2008: Jim Collins Interview

Listen for the profound statement that Jim (guy in the tie) says we each need to articulate. That's good. I'm going to use that.

What God's been saying to me lately

I asked myself a question the other day: What's God been speaking to me about lately? The answer I got was extremely clear and a bit upsetting to me.

Here's what God said: You are more concerned about making yourself look good than making Me look good. You're more concerned with your own reputation than Jesus' reputation. You're more interested in making your name known than I am at making Jesus' name known.

Ouch.

Here's the honest-to-God-truth. I don't want to be like that. I'm not intentionally stealing glory away from God. None of that stuff is the desire of my heart. I had no idea that I was stealing glory away from God.

I didn't know it was there, but God did. And I guess he decided that now was the time to make me aware of this dark side.

So, in light of what God's been saying to me I'm doing a couple of things. First, I'm reminding myself often that it's not about me. I'm saying that in my prayers. I'm intentionally bringing that thought to mind. Second, I'm asking you to pray for me. I want my life to be for God's glory, not Jonathan's glory. I want everything I do to point to, shine the light on and bring glory to Jesus, not Jonathan.

Now let me ask you: What's God been speaking to you about lately? Are you listening? What are you going to do about it?

Barriers to forgiveness

There are a lot of barriers that keep us from forgiving others. The following is a portion of a sermon from Ed Young where he talks about barriers to forgiveness. I just copied and pasted his sermon, so I want to make sure I give him credit (actually, a lot of what we're talking about in our series I learned from him). As you read ask yourself: What barriers are keeping me from forgiving those who have hurt me? Here are a few.

THE SELF-DECEPTION BARRIER

One is the self-deception barrier. We rationalize. We tell ourselves rational lies. We just say, “You know, what I did to that person is no big deal. Man, they totally overreacted. They’re an emotional basket case, anyway. It wasn’t that big of a deal. It was a long time ago.” Or we say, “What my mother did to me...? Yes, she was an alcoholic, but it didn’t really affect me, you know. I’ve just brushed that under the rug. I’ve swept it under the rug. It doesn’t affect me. Yeah, what that coach, what that teacher said to me during my childhood and stuff...? The stuff that happened doesn’t really affect me today. I mean, I’m telling you it doesn’t. Everything’s fine in my life. I’m fine.” Be very careful. That’s a barrier.

THE SELF-DEFENSE BARRIER

Another barrier is the self-defense barrier. And that’s the one that we love. That’s probably our favorite one. We say, “I’m going to get you back. You messed me around. You hurt me. I’m going to get you back.”

I lived like that, as I told you, for like 24 months. I thought, “I’m going to get this guy back. I’m going to make him pay. I’m going to show him. Revenge. I’m going to do it. I’m going to take care of it.”

Have you ever stopped to realize this? Forgiveness is a great act of faith, because what we’re doing when we say, “Debt canceled. I forgive you. I release you..” What we’re doing is we’re saying, “God, you are the ultimate judge. God, I give the situation to you. You are going to take care of this person better than I can. God, I trust you.”

That’s why Romans 12:19 says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Yeah, but they started it. It was their deal. I know that. But our calling is to release them. Debt canceled. God will take care of them.

THE SELF-IMAGE BARRIER

There’s another barrier—the self-image barrier. We say, “Hey, if you think I’m going to admit that I was wrong or I’m going to admit that they messed me around you’re wrong. I mean I’m up here and I’d have to lower myself. They might think less of me and they might think this or that about me.”

Hey, let me tell you something. We are at our strongest when we admit the obvious to God and to others. We are in a great position of strength and influence when we say, “Debt canceled. I forgive.”

THE SELF-PROTECTION BARRIER

There’s another barrier—the self-protection barrier. “I’m just going to protect myself,” you’re saying to yourself right now. And a lot of you are breaking out into a cold sweat just thinking about having to do the forgiveness work that needs to be done. You get nervous thinking about sitting across the table from someone who’s harmed you or maybe you’ve harmed them or sitting in someone’s family room and saying, “I was wrong. Will you forgive me?” Talking to a spouse or a child or anyone else just messes with your mind. Don’t let it be so.

The Real "F" Word

Yesterday we started a new series called The Real "F" Word. It's about forgiveness. You can listen to the sermon online here. But there's only so much I can say in a 25 minute sermon. So over the next few weeks I'll be adding some content here that might be helpful to you.

First and foremost, you need to dive back into the Bible. Let God speak to you through his word. Let him transform you through his word.

Yesterday we looked at Matthew 18:15-35. That's a great place for you to start. Meditate on the story that Jesus told.

I'll be posting some other info later on, but start with the Bible. Forgive as you have been forgiven. Let God set you free.

I want this for Christmas

Reproduce

Somebody asked me a great question today. Let me give you some background.

The mission of Hub City Church is to make disciples who make disciples. We call someone who makes disciples a parent because they are reproducing themselves.

So the question was: What am I supposed to reproduce?

Here's what I think. Tell me what you think.

You want to reproduce someone who hears from God and does what he says. Teach people to hear from God. Find out what God is saying to them. Then keep them accountable with being obedient.

Your boss needs you to...

I'm posting this as a reminder. I'm sure some of you need this info. I know I need to remember this. I got it from Tim Steven's blog today:

I don’t care if you work for a church, a business, or a factory. I guarantee you, your boss needs you to be… A Momentum-Increaser — don’t make your boss be the only one pulling up the attitude and bringing energy to the workplace. A Values-Champion — No one should live out the values of the organization more than you do. A Silo-Destroyer — sniff out and destroy the silos that exist in departments throughout the organization. Make sure everyone is more committed to the macro vision than their micro project. A Straight-Talker — don’t engage in triangle conversations or put-downs of your team or leaders. A Generous-Giver — okay, this one is specific to working at a church, but I would never work for a church where I didn’t believe in it enough to give as much as I possibly could. An Innovative-Thinker — be solution-oriented. Don’t just come to your boss with problems, but also solutions. Your attitude should be, “Economy tough? Less staff? Lower budget? No problem, we’ll figure out a way to get through this!” A Loyal-Friend — you don’t have to hang out together, but he needs to know you are “for” him. If put in a corner, your boss knows you would defend her. A Back-Protector — always believe the best. Always. An Integrity-Keeper — you are who you are when no one is looking. Your boss needs you to have great character. An Unbelievable-Spouse and Effective Parent — the strength of your leadership and effectiveness comes from your leadership at home. A Lifelong Learner — read books, study other best practices, learn, learn, learn–then come back and apply it to your organization. An Equipping-Leader…not a Satisfied-Doer — You should be building teams and reproducing teams. Take delight in the success of your team more than your own success! What else would you add to this list? Which one is most difficult for you?

Hump day challenge

What something that God’s been saying to you lately? This morning I felt a strong need to increase my intake of Scripture. I know you’ve heard me say this before, but the best habit you can develop is that of reading your Bible on a regular basis. How’s that going for you? How could you increase your intake of Scripture? What would you need to do to incorporate and/or increase this spiritual discipline in your life? Just a little challenge for this morning.

Thoughts from DC

My family just got back from a little trip to our nation's capital. I've got to say, I am super-impressed with Washington DC. It was a fun city to hang out in for a couple of days.

One of the big thoughts that kept running through my mind while walking around DC was the amount of power that exists in those few square miles. It's really unbelievable. Kind of makes you understand how politicians can get sucked into the system.

My favorite part of the trip, however, had little to do with landmarks and sight-seeing. By far, my favorite thing was eating. Man, did we ever have some incredible food: Thai, Greek, Ethiopian, and a hole-in-the-wall bagel shop which we frequented every morning for breakfast. So many restaurants, so little time.

I can't wait to go back again. If you haven't been, or haven't been in a while, you need to put a trip on your calendar. Almost everything you can visit is free. There's good public transportation. And there are lots of great places to eat.

The real "F" word

This Sunday is the last week of our God in the Top 40 series. Hip-hop is on the agenda.

But I'm super excited about our next series called: The real "F" word. It's on forgiveness. I think there is going to be some radical life change that happens. I can't wait.

Funny

In case you don't know, my fellow pastor and friend, the illustrious Frankie Creel is in Haiti on a mission trip this week. I'm so glad he got the opportunity to go. And he took Christian McDaniel with him. If you haven't been praying for them, you should. They need it in more ways than one. :)

Well, here's something funny. On his first night there he had older looking macaroni and cheese and one piece of lettuce for supper. I'm laughing hysterically. It's the mission trip diet. :) He's also sleeping on a bunk bed outside because it's too hot to sleep indoors.

See, you need to pray for them.

You should be a fan too

In case you didn't know, I love reading. I haven't always loved reading, but over the past five years I've become a pretty avid reader. I think it's because I like learning new things. But that's not the point of this post.

I'm a big fan of Donald Miller's books. I'm almost done with his book Father Fiction and all I can say is that I'm an even bigger fan now. You need to read this book. If you grew up in a divorced home or without a father then you REALLY need to read this book. If you're a single guy you need to read this book. If you're a dad you need to read this book.

In case you haven't figured it out, you need to read this book. If you did, you would be a fan too.

Encouraged

I must say that I've been so encouraged by Immersion over the past three weeks.

Immersion is basically a crash course in our discipleship process. I love teaching the process. It's one of my favorite things to do.

I am thankful for all who gave of their time to be a part. I'm blown away that God would give us a voice of influence to other churches. I'm amazed at how hungry everyone was to learn and grow. And I am a bit overwhelmed by how God used, and is using, the experience in people's lives.

It going to be fun watching how the information over the past three weeks transfers into action over the next few months as more and more people grow as disciples and in turn make disciples who will make disciples.

Be fully there

I thought this post was great. Maybe it'll remind me (and you) to think twice about when and where to use our phones. You can read it here.

Good marriage advice

I just read an article with some good advice for married couples. Check it out here.

Focus

Here's a conversation after Matthew's golf camp this week:

Me: Matthew, did you make any friends at golf camp today?

Matthew: Dad, I'm not there to make friends. I'm there to learn golf.

That's focus.

Relationships...

This Sunday we'll be talking about relationships. Specifically, we'll be looking at one small slice of relationships. It's going to be good.

But, as I was preparing I came across two great quotes on relationships that I want to share.

Relationships unlock certain parts fo who we are supposed to be. - Donald Miller

Relationships are the virus of influence. - Steve Saccone

A Must Read

All of us have a dark side. All of us have a part of our personality, that if left unchecked, can derail us from what God has for us. That's what this book is all about.

I love to read. I like a lot of books. But this book is quite possibly one of the most important books I've ever read. If you have any leadership responsibilities at all then you need to read this. If you're a parent, you need to read this.

Help Christian get to Haiti

Some of you know this already, but in two weeks Frankie and Christian are going on a mission trip to Haiti. They're going to be doing some construction work in the hurricane ravaged country.

They've had to raise all their funds to go. Here's the deal: Christian still needs to raise $208. And he needs it by tomorrow if at all possible. Let me know if you can help.

Maybe you could give $10. Maybe you could give $50. Maybe you to give the entire $208.

Thanks in advance for helping Christian get to Haiti.

Great article on faith

This article is worth your time. Read it and let me know your thoughts.

For my twitter friends

Moving from good to great

One of my favorite verses out of the book of Nehemiah is found in chapter 6, verse 3. Sanballat and his posse of bad guys are trying to set a trap for Nehemiah. They disguise their trap in terms of a peace treaty. But Nehemiah isn't fooled and sends them this response: I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.

I love that sentence. That sentence is so powerful, on so many levels, but one reason I love it is because I believe that that one sentence holds the key to us moving from good to great.

I think what separates good from great is the ability to say that sentence over and over again. Most of us have a problem distinguishing the good things in our life from the great things. And because our lives are filled with so many good things, the great things get pushed aside. The key is the ability to say no to the good so that you can say yes to the great.

I'm doing a great work and I cannot come down.

That's worth memorizing. It's worth saying.

A Prayer Challenge

I've felt a burden lately that we need to pray more. I don't know if it's coming from the inadequacy I feel or from the feeling that we're right on the threshold of something overwhelming... probably both.

So here are some things that you can use to guide your prayers for Hub City Church and for Spartanburg. This list isn't exhaustive by any means, but maybe you can use it to get you started.

For Spartanburg:

• Pray for lost people to surrender their lives to Jesus.
• Pray for God to pour out his Spirit in an unmistakable way in our community, all for His glory.
• Pray for churches to work together as one.
• Pray for hunger and homelessness to be eradicated, and that the church would be the ones responsible for that task.
• Pray for God's Word to spread like wildfire so that every person in Spartanburg County can hear, understand and have a chance to respond to the Gospel.

For Hub City Church:

• Pray for God to grant us favor, that God will surround us with his favor as a shield.
• Pray for God to do something in us and through us that can only be described as a supernatural movement of God.
• Pray that we'll be one, that we will be unified.
• Pray that Hub City Church will make a tangible difference in our county and around the world.
• Pray that God will show us who to partner with to make a difference around the world.
• Pray for God's protection against distractions, discouragement and disunity.
• Pray that God will grow me into a leader who can lead a church that's twice our size.
• Pray that God will grow Hub City in numbers of disciples we're making.
• Pray for growth in the number of Hub Groups we're offering and the number of participants in those Hub Groups.
• Pray that we will hear God's voice and do what he says.
• Pray that we will be known by love, that we'll live by faith, that we'll be a voice of hope.

That's a good place to start. I'd love to know what you're praying for Spartanburg and Hub City Church. We could make a book of prayers as an offering to God.

Marketing without money

I read the following post from Tony Morgan. It got me thinking and I wanted to share it to get you thinking too. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

10 Ways to Improve Marketing without Spending Any Money

1. Improve guest services on Sunday mornings. Stress that Sunday mornings are a time for your hospitality team to be focused on visitors. The number one reason people will come back to your church is if they find the church to be friendly.
2. Follow through with your promises. If someone volunteers to take a next step in a group, serving or an event, make sure the process is in place to follow up in a timely and personal fashion.
3. Make it easy for people ask questions. Create a one-stop location, physical or online, where visitors can receive more information about your church.
4. Create ministry environments that compel people to invite their friends.Excellent preaching and worship music is not enough. Every environment in the church needs to create an opportunity for life change. When that happens, you won’t be able to stop folks from inviting their friends.
5. Embrace social media. Facebook, Twitter and blogs are an easy way to engage people in conversation and develop relationships. As relationships are developed, you’ll earn the credibility to encourage people to take next steps.
6. Be different. Begin an unexpected series, have a unique worship experience or do something (good) that gets people talking.
7. Make your church an active part of the community. Open your campus to the community, but also get engaged outside the walls of the church where you can directly impact people’s lives.
8. Eliminate the noise. Prioritize what needs to be communicated. Eliminate competing messages. Stop the spam. The fewer the messages we deliver, the more likely the important messages will be heard.
9. Encourage word-of-mouth marketing. The number one reason people will show up to your church for the very first time is because someone invites them. If you have stopped growing, your very first question should be this: Why have people stopped inviting their friends and what would have to happen for that to change?
10. Lead by example. Although leading a church can become all-encompassing, find a way to cultivate personal relationships with nonbelievers. I know of a student who refused to walk through the doors of the church until her youth pastor, who got to know her at an outreach event, wrote her a two-line note thanking her for being a part of the youth group.

Have you used any of these strategies? What was the outcome? And do you have any other free marketing ideas that you’d like to share?

Everybody

I've been reading through the book of Nehemiah. I love Nehemiah. There are so many lessons there on leadership, vision, teamwork, persistence. You should read the book.

Today I read what I had previously considered the most boring chapter of Nehemiah: Chapter 3. Chapter 3 is a list of the people who rebuilt the wall. It tells who they were, who they were sons of, it includes some of their professions and it tells which section of the wall they rebuilt.

Here's what jumped out at me today. Everybody did their part. There were priests doing construction. Perfume makers were building the wall. Goldsmiths laid aside their precious medals for hammer and nail. No matter who you were or what you did, you were expected to do your part on the wall.

The only people who didn't do their part were the nobles. I'm thinking they thought they were better than everyone else, that rebuilding the wall was beneath them. They were the losers in this chapter.

What's amazing is that besides the nobles everybody did took responsibility and did their part to accomplish the work of rebuilding the wall. And guess what? They accomplished their task in 52 days.

I think that has something to say to us as Christians. We've all got a part. We need to be doing something, anything to help build the kingdom. We need to lay aside our rights and even our gifts to do what is for the good of all.

It takes everybody.

Risking Church

This is a fantastic book. In fact, if you're a Hub Group leader at Hub City you need to read this book.

All of us have an innate longing for relationships and community. We all want to be known and loved for who we really are. The church is the place where those needs should be met.

This is a great explanation of what we mean when we talk about making disciples through intentional relationships.

I want to leave you with the prayer that Jim has at the conclusion of the book. I've reworded it for Hub City, but I'm going to be praying it often:

Father,

My prayer today is for the church. It's a prayer of vision, of what isn't now, but what could be. I know You love the church; Father, I do too. I pray that You will release Hub City Church to be a community that reflects Your Son, Jesus. I pray that we will be a loving community.

I pray that facades will be replaced by honest struggle.

I pray that self-centered attitudes of "What's in it for me?" will give way to attitudes of serving others.

I pray that the Scriptures not only will be studied but will stir a passion in us to know You more.

I pray that judgment of others will be overshadowed by radical grace given to all.

I pray that the unbelieving world will see a loving group of people living out their faith and be unable to explain it away in human terms.

I pray for community to become contagious and spread to everyone in our church.

Thank you, Father, for loving me, for speaking to me through your Son, and for giving me Your Holy Spirit to make this supernatural life possible.

I pray all of this in the powerful name of the One whose shed blood provides forgieness and established the new covenant--the name of Jesus.

Amen

Reflections from Sunday 6/27/10

Yesterday was a fun day for Hub City Church. I am thankful that Frankie took care of speaking the past three weeks. He did a great job and continues to improve as a speaker. He's also the first person I've ever heard use the term "weed of love" (I know, it sounds like some punk-rock band). Josh did a fantastic job going solo. I love the band and can't wait for them to be back next week, but I also love the slowed down ambiance of an acoustic set.

I was also super-pumped by all the new people who were in the crowd. It's a reminder to me that there are so many people in Spartanburg County who God is calling us to reach and disciple. It motivates me to go all out and do whatever it takes to accomplish our mission (Making disciples who make disciples) and reach our full redemptive potential.

But by far my favorite part of yesterday was the BBQ and Baptism. It was great hanging out with folks. It was a privilege baptizing Allen, Ashley, Jessica and Justin. I'm so proud of them for their obedience. It truly was an enormous honor for me. I love you guys. Thanks for the opportunity. You can check out pics here and here.

Seriously, if you're not a part of Hub City Church then what are you waiting for?

Five components fo a healthy marriage

If you married then you and your spouse need to read this short article. It's a great reminder.

Dark

I know that I may go through a bit of withdrawal, but I'm going to go dark for a few days. No computer. No facebook. No twitter. No blogging. I'd leave my cell phone at home if I didn't need it for emergencies.

It's good to turn stuff completely off every once in a while. It's time to focus on my family. I need to remind myself that things are fine without me around. The world continues to turn when I'm computer-less.

I'll be back in a little over a week. Until then, don't eat yellow snow and tip your waitress well.

Guest Services

I love this post from Shawn Lovejoy. It's something we all need to be reminded of on a regular basis.

What I learned @Disney World a/b Guest Services (Pt. 1)

Disney World and the church are in the same business: The people business. The church just has a higher goal for people than Disney does. Disney's goal is to deliver fun and entertainment to people. The church's goal is to deliver the message of hope, joy, and eternal life to people. So would you think Guest Services would be more important at church or at Disney? Sadly to say, however, Disney does it better most of the time. We could make some observations from them about how we can deliver our message more effectively to people by HOW we relate to guests on our church campuses each week. Here are a few observations I made about Disney and Guests Services experiences, and their implications for the church.

* Everyone is in Guest Services. They don't have a customer service area or a customer service team at Disney World. EVERYONE is in Guest Services. I mean EVERYONE! As the church, we need to realize every week that guest Services should never be limited to one ministry area. Every follower of Jesus should view themselves as a member of Guest Services! We are all there to serve guests each week! Question: If I really understood this, would this change at all where I park, what time I get there, where I sit, or or how quickly I leave each Sunday?

* The guest is always the most important thing No matter what they were doing, over and over again, Disney World "cast members" (not employees) would stop in their tracks to answer ANY question we had. Always. Never seemed rushed. Never seemed like we were interrupting what they were doing. Never. Every one of them seemed to be convinced that the guest was the most important things at every moment. As guest services volunteers in the church, we need to remember that people ARE our business! Not a program. Not a task. Not a service. People are the church. The church IS people! This means music, programming, curriculum, and meetings are not the most important thing. Loving God is best expressed by loving people! Questions: If I really understood this, how would it affect how I interact with people each week at church? How often do I have a conversation with guests at my church? Or do I only talk to non-guests?

Thoughts on serving

I'm learning some stuff about serving and creating a serving-system at Hub City. I just thought I'd share a few key beliefs that we hold about serving.

1. Every attender is a minister and ministry is serving.
2. Serving is the act of putting the needs of others before my needs.
3. The goal of serving is to help people become like Christ.
4. You cannot become like Christ unless you are serving.
5. Serving opens people's hearts to God and therefore is an act of worship.
6. If a person isn't serving they aren't truly worshiping and growing in their faith.
7. Mobilizing people for ministry is part of discipleship.
8. The role of the pastor (me) is to equip people for ministry.

An exercise in trust

I am uber-pumped about Movies in the Park. I'm also, uber-nervous about Movies in the Park. I always am. My nervousness reminds me that I'm not in control. God is. I've got to trust him.

So, I'm trusting him with the weather (I can't do anything about it). I'm trusting him to bring people (we've done our part). I'm trusting him to open doors for us to build relationships with people.

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him. And he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

90-Seconds of Oh My

90-Seconds of Oh My

In my opinion, this is a great commercial. I hope Frankie watches it.

Immersion

I had the honor the past two days of being a co-facilitator for Immersion. In case you don't know, Immersion is a two-day training in relational disciple-making. We (Hub City) will be doing our own Immersion in July.

But I'm so glad I was able to participate. I was reminded of some stuff that I've forgotten. I was exposed to some stuff that I needed to hear. And God gave me the opportunity to speak into some people's lives.

One thing that really stuck out to me is something that I often forget and that you need to know. In order to have a healthy Hub Group, three things need to be present.

1. An Intentional Leader (Leadership is key)
2. God's Word (the Bible is essential)
3. A relational environment (Relationships are the vehicle)

I'm pretty good at two out of the three. I need to work on one. How about you (even if you're not a leader, you may be one day)?

How do you last in ministry

I read this yesterday and wanted to pass it along.

How Do You Last In Ministry?

By Rick Warren

Ministry is a marathon: it’s not how you start in ministry; it’s how you finish. If you look at 2 Corinthians 4:1-18, Paul gives seven suggestions for finishing the race:

(v. 1) Remember God's mercy: God has given us our ministries. We don’t have to prove our worth through our ministry, and we don’t have to wallow in our mistakes. You don’t have to earn your place as a pastor or leader in the church.

(v. 2) Be truthful and honest in all you do: Maintain your integrity because integrity produces power in your life, while guilt zaps your energy. You need to finish with your character intact. Your integrity includes how you handle the Word of God. Don’t distort it or make it confusing.

(v. 5) Be motivated to work for Jesus’ sake, not out of selfish desires: We need a right motivation. A lot of guys start off as servants and end up celebrities. You need to learn to live your life for an audience of one, and that one is Jesus Christ.

(v. 7) Realize that Christians are only human: We must accept our limitations, and the quickest way to burn out is to try to be Superman. Humility is being honest about your weaknesses.

(v. 15) Develop a true love for others: Churches thrive, grow and survive when love endures. You must love people or you won’t last in the ministry.

(v. 16) Allow time for inward rejuvenation: I have a motto -- Divert daily, withdraw weekly and abandon annually. You need to take time for recharging. In the Air Force, they’ve mastered the art of mid-flight refueling. You can too – you don’t have to land every time you need to refuel.

(v. 17-18) Stay focused on the important things, not distracted by momentary troubles: Keep your eyes on the goal, not the problem. Only he who sees the invisible can accomplish the impossible. To be a winner in the marathon of ministerial service, Christians need to realize great people are just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. If we run from problems, we’ll never be able to become what God wants us to become.

Making the most of Movies in the Park

I think that God wants to grow Hub City through Movies in the Park this summer. I really do. But it's not going to happen by accident. We've got to do our part.

Check this out: Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. Isaiah 54:2.

This really speaks to me about our part. So, what is our part?

We are going to be very intentional about using MIP as a platform to invite people to be a part of Hub City. We've invited people in the past, but it's time to up our intentionality.

How that's going to play out is where I need your help. I'm looking for suggestions.

Here's what I've got so far. First, we're going to have a separate registration card for people to fill out who want more info about Hub City. Second, I need some of our outgoing, extroverts to volunteer to wander around the crowd and talk to each and every person who attends. They can tell people thanks for coming, they'll ask about the person's church involvement, and if they aren't a part of a church they'll make a personal invite to Hub City (Let me know if you want to volunteer. Some of you would be GREAT at this).

That's all I've got so far. What ideas do you have? I don't think we do MIP just to do something nice for the community. It's a part of Making Disciples. It's a way for us to "go and make disciples." It's a way for us to build relationships with people.

Office Needed

It's time. We need an office. I need an office. If you've got some suggestions or ideas please let me know. It needs to be cheap, really cheap. Hey, we wouldn't argue with some free office space!

"School's out for summer!"

Today marks the first non-holiday official start of summer. My boys are ecstatic.

I think grown-ups should get some form of summer vacation. I like the European way of taking a month off.

In fact, I'm writing the president to see if he can make August "Vacation Month." Anybody want to put their name on the letter?

Memorial Day

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

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

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

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

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

Matthew was beheaded sometime after 60 AD.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tidbits of wisdom

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