This Weekend

Long time, no blog.  Sorry.

For all of you in D-ware… this weekend will be third installment in the sermon series “Unstoppable.”  Sunday’s message will be “Unstoppable Impact,” as I preach about whom God uses in His service. 

Then, in the afternoon I’ll be leading about 9 or 10 people through our membership seminar…

Then, in the evening, my small group is beginning a study through the Gospel of John…

Also coming up will be Vision Night on January 25.  Are you planning to come?  I hope so!

I Can’t Do It…

I can’t be a good husband on my own… my marriage is now in its 17th year.  I realize that I will never be the husband God wants me to be if I try to go on my instincts.  I need help.

I can’t be a good father on my own… If I want to save my kids thousands of dollars worth of therapy in the future, I need help navigating this gig called fatherhood.  I can’t do it alone.

I can’t be a good pastor on my own… Bible college and graduate school taught me some mad skills when it comes to breaking down a passage of Scripture, but I’ve learned more about being a visionary leader from the mistakes I’ve made.  I’m just not good enough to pull it off.

So you know what I do?  Actually, there are several practices that have served me well.

1.  I try to stay in God’s word… the words of this passage are especially helpful.   There is no other way to walk through this life, in my opinion.

2.  I learn from others… Some people mentor me up close, others from a distance.  Lately I’ve been reading books and blogs.  Here are a few…

Perry Noble

Steven Furtick

Dennis Mullen

I’d be interested in what you do to meet the demands of your responsibilities. Talk to me…

Sunday Night

“Imagine Christmas”… Once again I am blown away by the generosity of our church.  Though the numbers aren’t quite official, I believe we could have our biggest Community Impact offering of the three years we’ve been doing this.  The staff now has the privilege of deciding how we divide up the funds. 

Exterior Illumination… The Perrys have joined what seems like the rest of the world when it comes to decorating the yard and house for Christmas.  I’ve always preferred simplicity- you won’t see the blow up decorations in our yard.    Anyhoo, if you’re in our neighborhood, come check it out.  I’m proud of myself.

Redskins on TV… I’m gonna try to watch and not get mad if they get whipped again on national TV.  Oh well, at least the Tar Heels are doing well.

Seeing things in High-Def

Well… after our faithful Sony Trinitron, PIP, 32 inch Sony gave up the ghost, we waited for a while to replace it.  I was attached to this TV- we’ve been through some great times together.  I had to face the fact that we now had on our hands a 120lb (or more) anchor.

Long story short, we got a new TV- 42 inch.  Like every flat panel LCD, this TV is able to receive a High Definition signal.  I cannot believe the difference!  I can see things so much clearer.  The details jump off the screen… Alex Trebek’s pinstriped suit looks 3-D; Roy Williams skin is really sun-damaged; the condensation on the Budweiser bottle is dripping off the screen onto my cabinet. 

Unbelievable.  I don’t want to go back to regular television.  Now I know.

test

Quick Friday Survey

This Weekend

Church services these past few weeks have been awesome and so Spirit-filled.  God is really doing something special among us- and I think more is on the way.  Here’s why my heart is overflowing…

*  First, the sermon that will be delivered on Sunday has been brewing for about eight months… This message was given when I was at a conference back in March- and I’ve been working it and reworking it ever since.  I can’t wait.

*  Second, our small groups participation has MORE THAN DOUBLED since February.  The only explanation is God’s hand. This includes home groups, men, women, Sunday groups.

*  Third, we’ve seen four baptisms in the last two weeks. 

*  Fourth, the spirit of expectancy is very strong. 

See you Sunday!

Mom Update

Hey there:

It’s been way too long since my last update.  I’m in NC, visiting with my mom as she undergoes the third of her six chemo treatments for breast cancer.  The first two treatments steamrolled her.  Both times she became dehydrated… the last time she was actually hospitalized. 

So, I’m here until Saturday.  Please pray for her to take the treatment well and to not repeat the same reactions (which usually happen on Sunday). 

Also pray for Michelle and the kids as I’m gone.  Michelle is strong, but these days will be difficult without me.  I am so thankful for her sacrifice.  My mom is sick- and I want to be hear.  Being away never comes at a good time.

Update on my mom

Many of you know that my mother is battling breast cancer.  She learned on Monday that she is going to have to undergo chemotherapy and radiation.  While we were hoping for radiation only, she is taking this news in stride.  Please continue to pray for her.

Friday Post, part 2

Dear church:

I am so excited about the upcoming series “No Perfect People Allowed.” We will be examining the way Jesus attracted people to his ministry- through creating an atmosphere of acceptance without approving of their lifestyle.

In order for us to reach our maximum potential as a church, we must learn to love unbelievers unconditionally. We can’t expect unbelieving church attenders to get rid of their sinful habits or change their lifestyle in order to attend our church.

So, that’s why the first sermon is called “Come As You Are…” The church is a hospital for sinners.

The second sermon is called “But Don’t Stay That Way…” Jesus changed lives because he allowed sinners to get close to Him. He accepted them. But he also challenged them.

Why am I writing to you today? Because I need your help. I need you to share your story with those who will come to church on both of those weeks. I need you to share how Christ has changed your life.

On September 14, we want to have “cardboard testimonies.” To find out what I mean, click on the following link…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

If you can’t open the link, I would suggest going to your favorite search engine on the web and search for “Cardboard testimonies,” and you should find something.

A cardboard testimony is best described as a way to communicate to the world how God has changed you…

On a piece of cardboard, you would write a brief phrase to describe your life before Christ… “I once was_________”

On the other side of the cardboard, you would again write a brief phrase to describe your life after Christ… “But now, I’m _______.”

Would you be willing to share your story? If so, I need to hear from you. Pray about it and get back to me through this email address.

All stories are not going to be dramatic, such as… “I was a Hell’s Angels gang member… but now I’m a biker for Jesus.” Those are good, but not everyone has been changed like that.

Perhaps your story would be a bit more typical, such as… “I was addicted to work… but now I’m addicted to God’s work.”

I would love for you to share your “cardboard testimony,” so get back to me. Two things…

1. We only have so much time in the service to devote to this, so it will be on a FIRST COME, FIRST TAKEN basis

2. You would need to be available for rehearsal on September 11 @ 8 PM. This rehearsal will give us a chance to walk-through the song that will be played during these testimonies.

Any questions? Please contact me…