Gobble, Gobble!

With life's fast pace and our continued responsibilities, it is hard to believe that there are just two Sunday's left in our 40 Days of Community. With this season coming to an end and bringing us into a season of celebration, we would ask that you consider taking a moment to reflect on Thanksgiving.

Where does your thankfulness come from?
For many this is a season of family traditions, travel, turkey, pumpkin pie, football, and story-telling. For some it may just be another day on the calendar or even a season that reminds them of loss. Maybe this year is especially difficult for you and your family and it seems down right impossible to take on an attitude of thanks. But one thing is for sure, no matter where you are on your journey in life, this can be a season of thanksgiving.

Our Father has given us a gift so unique, so precious, and so remarkable. He has given us something we can't repay, something we can only share! We are His children and by His grace each of us has much to be thankful for. By choosing to be thankful and expressing gratitude, lives can be changed and God can be glorified.

Can you give thanks and express gratitude?
Authentic thankfulness is contagious. It is unable to be capped and bottled. It is active and passionate giving of what God has given us. When our focus is on being thankful of all that God has given us, we sacrifice to share it. We go out of our way to give people appreciation and gratitude in ways that they will be thankful. Thankfulness produces giving.

What can you give?
We don't need to complicate the gift of giving. In the famous words of the Nike marketer, "Just Do It". In your time of thankfulness, find whatever you can give and share it. Maybe this is a season in which you can share an encouraging word with your co-worker. Maybe this is a season you give time to someone in need of your ear and heart. Maybe it's time to step-up into service. Maybe this is a season in which you share your dinner table with a neighbor. Maybe it is time to give some of your financial earning to someone with need. Or maybe it is finally that time you give your life to Christ. In the spirit of thankfulness, God will be glorified and you will be satisfied!

What are YOU leaving behind?

I don’t know about you, but I’m the kinda person who seems to over analyze and strategize. The kinda person who looks ahead thinking of ways to prepare and compare. Maybe you’re a bit like me. Maybe things have or seem to be so complicated that you dig deep to fix things and work at giving the right answer. Maybe you have your calendar plotted for the next several years because that seems to be the only way to keep life on course. I wonder if there is anyone in the room today that may fit into this category.

Your everyday routine is full of activities and events saturated with things that you must do! Your focus is given on moving in and out of the task until the day is over and you can stop, sleep, and start again in the morning. You are driven, but sometimes it seems as if your job, your children, your spouse, your friends, maybe even your church is driving! Now, obviously these are all great things. To be a loyal employee, a wonderful father or mother, an amazing spouse, or an unconditional friend.

But have you ever asked what am I leaving behind?

We have a friend named Linda that was diagnosed with cancer several months ago. After months of treatment with chemo, Linda was told she was cancer free. We celebrated. Several months later her health declined and spent up and down times in and out of the hospital. Through all of this she has had family and friends by her side. Just recently she was told that she only has 1-2 weeks to live.

You see… most of the time it takes tragedy to get our attention. Maybe you are going through something like this right now. Maybe things are just a mess in your life and it seems too complicated to fix it. Maybe you are even thinking, “What do I even have to offer that is worth leaving behind?”

Well, I’ve come to one great conclusion in my many years on this earth. No matter how educated you are, how much money you make, you polished your family may seem, and out of all your efforts, all your tasks, and all your life the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

You see a person like Linda knows God is good by His people expressing themselves through love. You see… we have been given the gifts of faith, hope, and love. These are our spiritual possessions.

Are you sharing them…?

ACTS 4:32-34
The Believers Share Their Possessions
32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them.

Many times we read this scripture and just see the practical sharing of the new believer’s. Sharing of material possessions. But there is more than this. They shared everything. Not just tangible things, but time and life. Faith, hope, and love. They sacrificed personal time in order to really know what to share! There were no needy persons among them.

You see… Our love and our faith are the most valuable things we can ever leave behind. And to do so we must slow down and share it.

Some of us may say, “How can I ever do that? There is too much to do and I have so many things that are already on my plate that I have to take care of already.” “This is just the way it is.” “That’s the way life is!” “I’m not free to do this!”

Are you free to do this..?

Galatians 5:1
Freedom in Christ
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Christ died to set us free. Free from the burdens of this world. Free of the vein desires that we strive for. Free to share our faith, our hope, and our love!

1 Cor 13
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Last night my wife and my niece stayed up for several hours reading an old journal that my father-in-law had written before he pasted. They reflected and basked in the many memories that they experienced and laughed and cried together. Even though I had never met my wife’s father, it was evident that he spent a great deal of his time on earth sharing and expressing his faith through love.

You see... we really don’t need to complicate things or plan that far in advance to share our faith and love. We just need to slow down and do it. Be aware of what God set us free for.

What do you need to do in order to be free?

Faithful Love (Psalm 100)

So, as many of my mornings start, Ms. Emma Grace and I woke up to begin our regular snack, Disney Playhouse, and dance time! It is amazing to see how much joy she gets from simply spending time with her father! It definitely continues to humble my heart and drives me to have a deeper understanding of how I should practice being a father. I have discovered opportunities of theology just in our daily adventures. For instance... Today I walked away while she was sitting at her "new" mini princess table set and proceeded to help myself to a "cup of joe". After a moment she realized that I wasn't sitting next to her like I normally do and began to cry out my name! I obviously wasn't too concerned because I continued to indulge in my ritual of steamy, pumpkin spice, ground bean wonder. But then she decided to jump up and run after me as if she was fearful that I would never come back. I tried to coach her to cognitively grasp that I was still near her! But she wanted me right next to her every moment, through every action. It broke my heart and filled my soul all at once.

You see... we do the same thing with our Father. Sometimes we get caught-up in the regular routines of life and get lost in the moment. As we enjoy the surroundings and take in the joy of our routine things happen, then in just a moment, we question whether our Father is next to us. We cling to fear, anxiety, and question. We respond in frantic, irrational, dramatic pleas. Simply because something is different and you have no answer for the mystery. Where is He right now? Does He even care? All while He is right there in the room with you.

God loves us faithfully through all circumstances. Regardless of what you may be going through and how it may be showing itself... God is everywhere, every time. Lift your head up... Daddy's just a cry away!

Mystery Road Trip 2008

Ok... Here's the scoop!

We will be going on a Mystery Road Trip every Sunday after church starting on July 27th and running through August! All you have to do is show-up! Who knows what the agenda will be, it's a mystery!

Details: Please bring $20 to cover any cost that may occur on the Mystery Road Trip. If you are unable to come up with $20, please connect with Jen Deal and we'll find a way to get you on the trip. In addition, if you bring a guest, your trip ticket will be covered.

Drop-off time is 12pm @ the annex, however, we encourage you to show-up to small group at 10:45am. Pick-up will be at 6pm. Student and parent will need to fill out a TRIP TICKET before the crazy bus leaves.

For more information, contact headquarters at 407-629-4410

Student Vote 2008

Take a look at the possible logos and names for our new student ministry and vote for the one you like!

Stay True,
TB

What I've been up to lately!

Meet My Friend Francis Chan

The Unchurched

Are you planning intentional time to develop relationships with non-Christians. At the coffee shop, at work, your neighbor? If not, it seems that you are in the majority! 75% of Chrisitans are NOT building friendships to share Christ. This may be the one major factor in the decline of the church. How do you grow if people aren't bringing people to Christ? How many in your service time are accepting Christ as their "daddy"? This makes me think, "What are we doing with our time?" and "How can we be "barbaric" in finding these friendships?" This can play out in simple ways! It doesn't have to be the old fashioned, corner the guy on the street and ask him to repent, confess, and accept. It can be simple breakfasts, paintball, shooting hoops, going to a concert, anything that grows a relationship of trust and influence. This simple investment will lead you to that conversation for Christ. They will thrist for it because the love you share will be different from any other! Keep true....

The Unchurched

Unchurched adults interested in finding a church home aren’t nearly as likely to visit one in person as a church member who is shopping for a new congregation, claims LifeWay Research. Only 49% of unchurched adults would visit in-person if they were looking for a church vs. 83% of church-switchers. More than half of unchurched people would follow a recommendation from family, friends, neighbors or colleagues if they were looking for a church, but 24% wouldn’t use any of the usual ways of finding one. While unchurched people are open to relationships, few church members are intentionally investing time developing relationships with non-Christians. Sadly, only 25% of church members profess to “spend time building friendships with non-Christians for the purpose of sharing Christ with them.” 38% actually disagreed with the statement, and 36% were noncommittal about it. 25% of unchurched adults would use a church website or an Internet search tool to find a congregation to visit.
Baptist Press 4/23/08

True Community

If there could be a gift that I was able to give everyone, it would be time in the morning to revive and reflect. Somedays become overwhelming and stressful. Somedays we pile up the demands of life and just go along for the ride. Today we need to take time to truly examine the beauty of the gift that Christ has given us. Reflection on life as a gift that we have been given and have no ability to repay in equal. A moment in the morning where you connect with what your purpose is in life! Not an employee at some job, not a slave to a relationship, not a limited by means individual, but a child of God and a heir to His kingdom. We have no limitations, no expectations, no bondage of the past, but only freedom to be loved and to share love. We often allow ourselves to think and live this out so differently. We often complicate it to seem that it has to be so much more than this. The right clothes, the right speach, the right job, the right friends. We even go as far as to justify that we should be careful of who we show love and affection to! However, our daily agendas are this simple... The only thing that counts in life is faith expressed by love! Galatians 5:6

Who are you showing love to today? Who in your path needs this affection? You are the vessel that God will use to express His love for humanity. Are you complicating your faith too much?

Take a moment today and express love to someone! A neighbor, coworker, friend, relative... Share your story! Watch God work! It's the only thing that matters!

For Tyler and Carrie

No No Zone

Have you ever been told, "You shouldn't go in there!" Or, "This place isn't for you!" We have been experiencing this type of conversation with my daughter lately. She seems to want to go places we don't believe she should go. She continues to rummage through Kleenex or tries to eat Cheerios off the floor and seeks to learn new ways to eat paper! Most of our attempts to keep her out of things are to protect her from pain or fear that she will hurt herself. "Don't go in there sweetheart, you will get hurt!" Isn't it interesting that this just happens to be an innate type of feature that a father or mother experiences? Maybe even the feeling a friend would have to protect another. Looking out for their "best" interest. But what if God wants us to explore in dangerous areas? Rummage through the "waste" of the earth so that we may help clean it up? Maybe even experience the pain that could take place bumping through life and it's disappointments? What if He is calling you to step into places that "Christian" people aren't allowed and someone close to you is telling you, "Don't go in there, it's dangerous!'

Acts 17 gives us a look at a guy named Paul who was waiting for some friends to meet him in Athens. Here he is distressed about what is in front of his eyes so he takes on the nay-sayers and boldly defies the "norm" by walking into a place chock full of temptaion and bling! Ok, if you don't get it so far, I will paint a picture for you. Imagine being near an area that is uncomfortable You don't fit in, people aren't like you, their desires are unhealthy. Maybe at a ball game... beer, dancers, profanity. You know it's there; do you ignore it? I would believe that most of us do! We fear the reprecussions or even what other "people of faith" may think of us if we are associated with people engaging in "unholy" behavior. Yet, they are lost! Caught in idol! What is our role? What would God have us do? Well, Paul's mind was missional. His heart was engaged with the plan Christ would have him follow. He was able to see his opportunity even though the difficulty would be there. He begins with simple conversation. Jesus Christ stuff. He is taken to "Mars Hill" a place where murders were known to find shelter. Probably not a place that we would stop by on our way home from work! Here he mirrors himself to speak at their level. He understands what they like and uses it to connect with them. Once he has their attention, BAM, he takes his chance at sharing Christ.

How often do you see opportunity to share Christ and pass it by? How many times will you see the sign and not enter?

-TB

Learning to Walk

So... Are any of you busy? I'm not sure about you, but I'm a pretty a busy guy! Father, Husband, Cook, Pastor, Friend, Lawn Care Specialist, Dish-Washer, the list could go on! This sometimes puts me right at overload – many of us are probably already there. Yet I want to keep moving forward, moving on, growing. I want to make sense of my life. To prioritize. To simplify. To focus on what’s important. Yet it seems like I’m always questioning the questionable. I’m usually thinking about the “what if’s” so that I can calculate the risk of whether or not it’s worth my precious time. Well, this morning, I got a chance to slow down!

I spend every morning with my 11 month girl, Emma Grace. Most days it is routine as normal... sleep, diaper change, food, playtime, diaper change, repeat. You get the picture. But today, something major hit me. As we were playing games with her toys, and I watched her walk, God revealed some wonderful truths. We can only learn to walk when we take the chance to try. We often fall in the middle of trying, but you can only move forward by getting up. When you walk too fast, it's easier to stumble. But even when you walk too fast, you are moving forward! And everyday God gives us breath, we grow!

You see, if we truly believe God is in control (Deut. 4:35, 39), he will slow us down. In the mist of this, we need to continue to move forward and take steps that may me wobbley or at some times risky. Believe that God will pad the fall. Not you! Stop trying to do damage control before the damage has happened. Fail forward with peace that Christ has already paid the price so that we may be free to fail!