On Second thought.....

Pray for Providence Rhode Island churches

2011-08-26T12:24:00.003-05:00

Over a year ago, I became acquainted with the Restoration House Ministries in Manchester NH. It is a church planting organization that is doing amazing things in the Northeast. I love Restoration House because they refused give up on the possibilities of reaching the Northeast for Christ. They have well over a dozen church plants going on, and many of them are doing incredibly well. Their leaders helped us with our Stone Canyon Campus plant as well.

Two of those Northeast church plants are located in Providence Rhode Island. Northpointe Christian Church is just a year and a half old and has blown away the community with their love and care for Providence. Additionally, they are ready to launch a new church in the southern part of the city called Southpointe. Launch date is October 30th. I am a part of the Partnership Team for Southpointe.

I am asking you to pray for both of these churches as Irene approaches this weekend. They are in the bulls-eye of this storm. Pray for their protection. Pray for the opportunities that will present themselves to both of these churches after the storm passes. These churches are all about helping the community and there are going to be some amazing opportunities for them.

I know that Jerry Dusenberry and Tanner Green would appreciate your prayers as well. They are the lead church planters for the these two churches.

Thanks for your prayers. We are invested in these churches and care very much for them. I will give you any updates that I receive as time goes on.

NOW IS THE TIME....

2011-08-12T13:36:00.003-05:00

We are at a critical juncture in the history of our church. Does that sound too dramatic for you? Well, there are times when God calls a church to take risks and huge steps of faith, often without all the details filled in, so that He can accomplish His will in a community and in the world.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR FCC OWASSO.

Our church has always answered the call. Whether it was way back in the beginning in 1907 when a small band of believers started the church, to decisions made in good times and bad, to moving from one building to another, or building on to facilities, we have been a church on the move.

In 2008 we moved from 86th Street to North Garnett. It might have been the time to relax and say, "Well, that is all over, now we can take a break. " But our church did not. In the three plus years since we moved in we have grown nearly 60%. Our fall of 2011 looks like we will be in record territory on so many levels. We have added a second campus at Stone Canyon. We have helped plant two churches in Chicago and New York City. We are heavily invested in missions teams in Honduras, Thailand and India and China. We have sent dozens of people to those mission stations to share the gospel with people. I could go on and on.

One thing about the church you attend is that it is not a status quo church. The vast majority of members and attenders want to fulfill the mission before us.... "To help others to know, love, serve and share Christ."

If you attend services in a beautiful Worship Center, or have your kids in one of the best Next Generation Ministries in the country, or are part of a thriving Senior Adult Ministry, or have been impacted by missionaries, teachers, preachers, worship leaders, small groups, or ministry teams, or are part of a growing campus church at Stone Canyon, then you need to know about the next challenging initiative before us as a Church. It is called "THE RIPPLE EFFECT PROJECT."

THIS SUNDAY- August 14th, We will launch THE RIPPLE EFFECT at all three services. We will celebrate the past, and embrace the future. We will hear about how God has been impacting families in Owasso and the surrounding areas. We will hear about plans for a fantastic and fun journey, bathed in prayer and hope, culminating in a celebration and commitment event in October. You will hear how you can help, and how important that it is that every family or person who calls FCC OWASSO home is involved in some way.

It's not a Sunday you want to miss. There will only be one of these days in our church. Plan to be at FCC OWASSO at North Garnett ( 8;30 0r 11:00 AM) and Stone Canyon ( 10 AM) this Sunday.

We are going to create some ripples which we believe God can turn into waves that change the world.

Charlie

A day in the life....

2011-08-10T22:14:00.002-05:00

What does a Senior Minister do on a Beautiful August Wednesday? Well, he puts on his swim suit and jumps in a van to head to the Illinois river to float with 45 of my closest friends ( all of them 6-8 graders). The day was perfect. Rain over night got the water up. Clouds in the sky kept the temperatures in check.

Alex Hickman and I did the first 1/3 of the race together... fun stuff. then I kyacked the middle third. And then the last third, I rode with a 9th grade girl, who wanted me to be her partner. That was a little rough, because we flipped three times.... hit my head on a log, and got our canoe stuck. But we figured it out after a while and it was all good.

I was really impressed with the kids... They did what they were told, were helpful to others, and in general, had great attitudes.

Sometimes we stereo-type young people... But I will tell you that I will put our kids up against any others out there in terms of respect, caring for one another and honoring Christ.

Great Job JAMES SUMMERS- you are a great leader and it shows in how you communicate with those kids. They respect you and that is 2/3rds of the battle.

Great Fun... probably be sore tomorrow, but it is worth it.

Application, not just information

2011-08-08T20:02:00.004-05:00

Today, I got a note from someone who attends our church on a regular basis.He is a leader. He appreciated the "Aaron and Hur" message yesterday. But more than appreciation he applied it. He sent me an email this morning stating that he has reorganized his daily routine to include a time of prayer for me, our church leaders and staff. He acknowledged our influence on him and his life. And then he said something profound in my book. He stated that it was his "responsibility" as a believer to pray for His leaders. He gets it. He is understanding that leaders desperately need someone around them to hold their arms up in the tough times of leadership.

He probably never know what his short note meant to me. Not just the fact that he will pray for us, but that he sees prayer for his leaders as a responsibility.

I also got a note from a mother who shared that she had a sweet time of prayer with her children last night, praying for the leaders in their lives. Once again, she did more than just process information. She put it into action. I was so blessed by her words AND actions, and the fact that she passed it on to her kids. That changes lives!

By the way, the message hit home with me to. As I was walking this morning, I realized that I did not pray for our leaders as much as I should. I also do not pray for our city leader as much as I should as well. So I made a commitment today to use some of that walking time to pray for those people that God has put in my life as leaders.

You see, everyone needs a leader in their life. Everyone needs to follow. It is good for the soul and reminds us that we have a place in the bigger scheme of things. We are to be followers of Christ first. Sometimes I get to leading in arena's of my life and I find myself trying to lead God, rather than follow Him. It also reminds us that we can contribute to other people's leadership by praying for them. I like to contribute in that way, and it is pretty simple to do.

Application of Biblical principles can change your life. It does mine.

Blessings

Charlie

Leaders are developed in relationships

2011-08-04T21:03:00.002-05:00

One of the core values we have as a church is "raising up leaders." We don't have an organized plan that someone can travel to "become a leader." Rather, we believe that leaders are developed in relationships. Relationships become a laboratory where men and women can develop spiritually. The Holy Spirit operates in relationships. Think about Jesus. He moved about this earth in relationships. We are quick to site the 12 disciples as the main example. But as I have read through the gospels I see Jesus entering into relationship with people of all walks of life, genders, and spiritual depth.

One example of this relationship is Lazarus. Jesus and Lazarus are friends. He raises him from the dead in John 11. Pretty cool story. But I caught something in John 12. Jesus heads to Bethany and has dinner with some friends... including Lazarus. It's no big deal on the surface, but I like the idea that Jesus had friends and he liked to hang out with them. That is relationship. I like the idea that he just spends time with them. It was kind of costly for Lazarus. John writes that the chief priests put a contract out on Lazarus, because he was a friend of Jesus, who pointed people to Him. That is relationship.

So as a church, we are working hard to raise up leaders in a more organic way. We have leaders at every turn. We have small group leaders, ministry leaders, youth leaders, church leaders, worship leaders and staff leaders and many others. We have leaders in homes, in businesses, and in the community. We have sports leaders, political leaders and personal leaders who influence others.

This Sunday we ordain three men into our Eldership. Some people may think that Bob Buss, Jack Davis and Mark Alred have finally become leaders. But the truth is that they have been leaders for along time. They are moving into a new arena of leadership, but men do not become elders at FCC if they have not been leading for quite some time. All of them have a stake in many relationships as well at FCC, along with a growing relationship with Christ. It is the perfect combination for leadership development.

As I look around, I see a ton of other leaders. I see people who lead without titles. I see leaders who are awesome at serving, making them servant leaders. And I see leaders who have figured out that the best leaders are great followers. I am excited about our leadership "pool" and believe that the future is so bright for FCC OWASSO.

It's awesome to be a part of a church that takes leadership on all levels seriously. We will continue to heat up this value in the coming years. The task before us to reach the community with the gospel is great and it will take great leadership.

Sacrificial Forgiveness

2011-07-25T22:10:00.004-05:00

I was back in the pulpit Sunday with the story of Hosea. I prayed alot over this message, in part because I knew that it would be a hard story for some to take. The whole idea of sacrificing as a way to show forgiveness is radical. Hosea did it for Gomer, God did it for us, but should we be expected to do it for those who have wounded us so badly?

I think the answer is yes... but I want to say that arriving at that conclusion does not come easy.

It does not come without alot of wrestling. And I believe it takes alot of time. No one arrives at the point of sacrificial forgiveness overnight.

As I preached the message, I looked out over the congregation in both services, knowing that some people have been so hurt by others that it seems impossible that they could take the step of sacrificing for that very person. At one point, I almost broke down and cried right there, because I could see the hurt on a person's face. It is a person that I love and care for deeply. I wanted to call a time out, and just freeze the audience and tell that person, "Listen, you may never see yourself getting to that point, and I understand. But if there is ever a glimpse of you being willing to do that, seize it. Don't let it pass. Take the biggest risk and just see what God does with it."

Well, I could not freeze the audience and I know I needed to move on. But the experience reminded me that I preach to real people, and that I am a real person with real feelings. I read once that if you preach to the pain in the pew, you will always have something to say. That is what happened yesterday.

If you missed it, I would invite you to listen the 7.24 message on Hosea. I think it will challenge you. It is challenging me to think about forgiveness to the depth of God's love for us. What a message to the world we would have if we would forgive as the Lord forgave you. It's not really an option. Colossians 3:13 lays that out. It can be hard, it can take time, and it may be quite awkward. But isn't the same true of what God did for us?

It's a journey....a journey we all travel

Charlie

PS. Thanks for being the kind of church that is willing to tackle the hard subjects. There are probably more to come....

Can She do that?

2011-07-18T17:46:00.003-05:00

Our Governor recently called for people to pray for rain. Most Oklahoman's thought that was a good thing. A few people, apparently spooked by the word, "pray", protested that the elected governor of a state should not have done that.

Here is my perspective on this....

- IT IS HOT, REALLY HOT

- IT IS DRY, REALLY DRY

- WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET

Mother nature is not in charge of the weather. I believe in Mother Nature as much as I believe in Mother Goose, The Easter Bunny or Santa Claus ( Sorry Kids).

So , it makes sense to pray to God about the drought and heat wave which right now is causing some real hardship on our farmers, families, children's and some senior adults. I can stay reasonably cool. I can water my lawn, ( at least for now). But there are alot of people who are struggling with this. So why wouldn't we pray to God for a break in the weather?

The Bible says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, present your requests to God." ( Phil. 4)

It seems to me that God invites prayers like this. So I think I will pray for rain... and then trust Him for the results.

The heartburn about the Governor... well, she is a Christian, so she has the right to ask for prayer. She also has the right to be concerned about the hardship this is putting on the state she leads. I kind of like the idea of a Governor who prays. WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET

It's just like the Devil to get us talking about church and state. That way we might not pray to God, just talk to ourselves. That does no one any good.

Just a thought.... off to pray for rain...

Spirit Led Churches....

2011-07-16T14:59:00.000-05:00

In "church world" summer time is often known as a "slump" time. But not at FCC OWASSO. I have been thinking about our summer 2011 . It has been amazing. Just a few highlights...

* Sunday AM Attendance has not slumped at either campus....

* Offerings have held firm...

* Decisions for Christ are happening all over the place...

* We have had a huge increase in church camp participation at all ages

* Our High School ministry just sent off 120 people to the mountains in Colorado

* We have had 2 missions trips. One group went to Thailand and we have 18 in China today.

* Teams are working hard on the Fall RIPPLE EFFECT PROJECT....

* Worship Services have been Awesome, the Hero's series that Matt has led out in has been strong!

I believe that is a result of God's favor being poured out this church. God blesses when His people obey Him. God blesses when His people step out in Boldness, attempting things that are really beyond them, but not beyond God.

A year ago we stepped out in faith and launched our Stone Canyon Campus. 75 or so people went to Stone Canyon. 1 year later 150 people call the Stone Canyon Campus their church. Several have been baptized. The #'s of hours given in service in the community have been incredible. The Spirit is great. The Leadership Core is solid. We celebrate the first year anniversary in August!

This was a huge step for our church. But God always empowers the people who hear and obey His calling. After al,l look at the 11 guys that Jesus had to build the church with. On the surface, they were nobodies. On the surface, they had so much to learn. On the surface , no one would have picked those guys to launch the church. But they had one thing in their life that made all the difference. THEY HAD THE HOLY SPIRIT. Read the first few chapters of Acts... It was all Holy Spirit. It was not them.

I believe that churches who are Spirit Led go places and do things. They are never content with the status quo. They never accept the idea that they have arrived. Spirit led churches step out on faith. They live in boldness. They fight through obstacles. They overcome the enemy. They try new things, all the while keeping their eyes on what is foundational... Jesus and His Word.

I was approached by a man visiting our church last week. He shook my hand and then asked me if I was the Pastor. ( Matt was preaching that day.) I said I was... and he looked at me and said, "The Spirit of God is here."

He could not have said a better thing about our church. We have lots of great things going, great people, great worship, great teaching, and a great caring and loving community. But none of that matters if God's Spirit is not there.

The same goes for your live ( and mine). We are to be Spirit filled and Spirit led. It's the best life to live. And it is the best way to "do" church...no matter what season of the year it is.

Sumertime!

2011-06-14T13:16:00.000-05:00

Summertime! Summertime! I am a big fan!

This summer is off to a great start at FCC... FX was awesome, big crowds of kids going to camp and the prep work for THE RIPPLE EFFECT is in full swing.

Every year we take the summer to study Old Testament scripture. This year's series is HERO'S. We are looking at some of the more obscure OT Hero's in the story of scripture. If you are in town, come to church at NG ( 8:30 and 11:00 ) or at Stone Canyon (10 AM) . If not go to fccowasso.com and listen. Matt Thomason will be preaching most of the series, and he is really good! You will get alot of out them.

I am on a break for a while. I will be in and out of town alot over the next several weeks. Some of it involves travel with Pam, North American Christian Convention, and some Leadership development opportunities in the Northeast. I appreciate the opportunity to refocus, rest, and do some different things than I do the rest of the year.

No matter where I am, or who I am with, I will be thinking of my FCC family , praying for you, and looking for the opportunities to influence people for Christ.

21 inches of snow

2011-02-02T10:25:00.000-06:00

21 inches of snow... makes me thankful for the following...

- A warm house...

- online banking....

- wireless internet...

- books and hot chocolate

- a wife that I like and that likes me (insert "love" there too)

-the ability to work from home, with no meetings scheduled

- the beauty of white snow so deep that you can not figure out where the driveway ends and the street begins

- a very quiet evening with no traffic on the roads.

I am sure in another couple days I will get stir crazy... and it know it is a challenge for those of you with 3-4 kids...but enjoy the moments... a snow storm like this only comes around once in a 100 years...

And we got to experience it!

OPEN DOORS

2011-01-22T17:45:00.000-06:00

This afternoon I went up to the church to check out a couple things. As I drove up to the property I saw a full parking lot. I remembered that today was the Pinewood Derby for the Boy Scouts.

I recall participating in the Pinewood Derby as a kid. My Dad and I worked on our cars together and we went to the races. I don't think I won... but I do remember spending time with my dad. Those are always good memories.

So as I watched dads, moms, grandpa's and grandma's helping with cars and cheering on the races, I sure felt good about a couple things.

One, it is good for our culture whenever there are opportunities for parents, grandparents and kids do things together. We believe in this as a church. Our Elementary and Youth Ministries are being built with this in mind. The most effective ways to raise children is with parental involvement. Children are chosen by God to be led by their parents. Parents are chosen by God to lead their children. That is the best way to do it. Organizations like the Scouts, sports teams and academic teams all provide great opportunities for involvement between parents, grandparents and their kids. They are not perfect, but I love seeing parents and kids doing life together. I am proud of our church and our leaders and staff who believe this and work to make it happen.

It comes in small packages too. It's not always big programs. Today I saw a dad and his two sons working on the stage set for church. I know the boys were glad to be with their dad and the dad was genuinely glad to be with the kids... and they were working for God. It's the best way to do it.

Two, I am very proud of a church who opens it's building to groups who facilitate such involvement. Our building is used every single day of the week. There are people coming and going every day. Beside the Pinewood Derby, we have special needs groups that use the building on a monthly basis, a Homeschool group that uses it regularly, moms groups that meet weekly, sports teams, Homeowners Associations, Health Challenge groups, the Local Tri-athalon clubs, and many more that use the building. Our community votes in our building. We have groups that use it for music recitals and much more.

The building we have is a tool to reach people. So imagine my joy last week when I met a woman who had started coming to church because she had been introduced to our facility and our people through the Winter Health Challenge. She had several kids and told me that she like what we were doing through the Health Challenge, and wanted to see what we were about on Sundays.

Why do we do this? Simply put, we just want an opportunity to share the gospel with people. We see the beautiful building as a tool for introducing people to Jesus. It's happening. Will we see everyone who comes through the door come to Christ? Probably not. However, we have a reputation of being a church with Open Doors. People talk in our community in a very positive way because we open our doors.

Here is the result... When people talk about needing a church, even some of our community leaders who do not attend FCC, recommend us to those who are coming to Owasso. I have been told that realtors, doctors, teachers and others have said, "you need to check out FCC." It's because of the reputation we have been able to build by being a church with open doors.

A building is not a monument to any person. It is a message. A message that there is hope and grace for people who live in our community. It is a message that there are people who are willing to go the extra mile to help them connect with their kids, or to find help in a crisis. And most of all it is a message that says, "You are worth the price to me... my Son died for you." It is the message that counts and changes lives.

By the way... you don't even have to have a building to build a reputation of being a church with open doors. Our Stone Canyon Campus has done a great job of getting out to serve people and they are only building on that reputation. I am so proud of them.

I love our church because we believe in OPEN DOORS... and that will make a difference for alot of people.

2011 Journey- Follow Me

2010-12-31T22:14:00.001-06:00

It's 2 hours till 2011. 2010 wasn't a bad year for me personally, just complicated. So I look forward to a new year... I am looking forward to new opportunities, new friends, new ideas and new ways to celebrate life with my wife, kids and grandkids. Even more so I am looking forward to a renewed committment to get to know Jesus better and to imitate him.

One way that I am going to do that is to read through Gospels this year. I am looking for the way that Jesus treated people, because I think I can do better at that. I am looking for the way that Jesus lifted people up, paid attention to people no one else would, even reached out and welcomed people into his life, because I think I can be better at that.

I am going to look more for how Jesus related to His Father, because I think I can do better at that too.... I want to find the little things Jesus did and see how those framed his ministry, because I think that it is the little things that make the difference.

So why don't you join me on this journey in 2011? Read the Gospels. There are 89 chapters... so that means if you and I read 1 chapter a day, we will go through the books 4 times next year.

Why should we do this? Well, Jesus said, "Follow Me." If we are going to "follow Jesus" we ought to know more about what He did , where He did it, and who He did it with. We find that in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Call it a resolution if you want... I call it a plan. And if I miss a day, its not the end of the world. I will just pick up where I left off... As one writer said, " The goal is not for getting me through the Word of God, it is for getting the Word of God through me." Its a journey... one that God directs. I figure He will reveal what I need to see, when I need to see it.

There are alot of other things I hope to accomplish in the coming year ( now 91 minutes away). But this one is something we can do together...

I like doing things together... I hope you will join me.

Charlie

Where do I start?

2010-12-31T12:12:00.000-06:00

Recently I watched a piece on ESPN by Rick Reilly. It was a commentary about the last year of Tiger Woods' life. Reilly chronicled the story of hs fame and power and how it was all brought down by self-destructive behavior in his moral life. In the end, his immorality and impurity cost him millions and millions of dollars, prestige, and worst of all, his relationship with his wife. His relationship with his children has been changed forever.

Within a few weeks of that ill-fated 2009 Thanksgiving run in with a fire hydrant in Flordia, Tiger was busy with image rehabilitation. His handlers had a stratgey to get him back in front of the public, say the right things at the right time and then start working on the next 5 majors which would break Nicklaus's record. Over the past year we have witnessed this effort. He has talked about working on the person he is, and occassionally he would show flashes of the new nicer, kinder and gentler Tiger. But there would be flashes of the old Tiger too. Either way the changes did not translate into wins on the golf course. For the first time in his career he was winless for the year.

It should be no surprise to those of us who follow sports. Truth is that to win at any professional level, it takes the best that you have. Distractions, personal or professional are certain to doom almost anyone who plays sports at that level.

We are a "spiritually minded" people in America. Because of that, for Tiger, there were more than a few questions about his inner life. Almost all his answers were focused on his childhood religion of Buddhism. It may be something he truly believes in...but there is one problem... and it is the problem that Tiger has had all his life. It is self-centered. And therein lies the problem with our country in general. Faith has become self-centered rather than Jesus centered.

Reilly finished his piece with this insightful statement.

"What good does it to gain back everything on the outside, if so much is missing on the inside?"

Tht is a statement that sounds alot like what Jesus said. "What does it profit a man if he gainst the whole world but loses his soul?"

The two statements have the same answer. Starting on the outside and working inward is a dead end. Instead God says "start on the inside and let that be the catalyst for the changes on the outside."

I suspect that Tiger Woods will win more golf tournaments. I suspect that he will continue the rebuilding project that is before him. But if he does not figure out that rebuilding his soul begins and ends with God and Jesus Christ, there will be a day when he will have lots of records, trophies and the accolades of people, but still be empty inside. His life will always be defined by the events of 2009-10. On the surface it may all turn out well, but it will never be what it could have been if God had been at the center of His heart... not hmself.

There is a lesson there for all of us as well. As you contemplate new goals, new dreams and new hopes, start with your heart. Look inside first and make sure that God is at the center of what you are doing. We will be tempted to focus on the circumstances of 2010 and work hard to change things that did not turn out well. But we might take our cue from Jesus who set out to change hearts first, knowing that the rest would fall into line.

Happy New Year!

CHRISTMAS WEEK...

2010-12-20T12:05:00.000-06:00

Christmas week is always a balance for me. It is lots of fun with kids and grandkids coming in. Yes, this year there will be two grandkids... and Lord willing there will be three next year! Pam bakes alot, there is tons of laughter and conversation. Joel wont be able to make it this year, but we will have all three of the girls and their husbands, so it will be a house full. It is always fun.

Tucked in all of that this year are two Christmas Eve Services and a Sunday Morning Christmas Service. Each of these services are special times for our church family and for those who visit or are checking out the church. I know lots of people are working on all the details to make it a meaningful time of worship and celebration.

This year we are talking about Christmas Stories... So Christmas Eve will be focused on the greatest story of all... the coming of Christ as a baby... Sunday morning we will have ONE SERVICE at 10 AM and we will talk about a "NEW DAY" for all of us because of the coming of Christ.

These are great services to invite people to... so I encourage you to get the word out any way you can... Invite friends, families, neighbors, or co-workers to celebrate Christmas WITH CHRIST at the center of everything.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES are at 5PM and 7 PM.

DEC. 26th SERVICES are at 10 AM ( North Garnett) and 11 AM ( Stone Canyon).

By the way... so far the weather looks good for Christmas Eve... no blizzard this year!

Hope to see you there!

Charlie

A "sort of vacation"

2010-12-17T13:15:00.001-06:00

It is December. I am on a "sort of vacation." A "sort of vacation" means I have the time off, but am still preaching each Sunday and Christmas Eve .

There are two kinds of vacations for me. One is the real deal where you go away, far away, can't really be reached, get to be relatively anonymous, and unwind and relax. We did that this summer in Florida. I always look forward to those. I probably need two of those a year...but I am thankful for anything I get there.

The second one is this "sort of vacation"... which means we stay home, family comes to us, I get up when I want to, work when I want to, quit when I want to... in general, it is about me setting the schedule and doing what I want to.

So what will I do during this "sort of vacation?"

Well, I will visit Brynlee... and play with Gracie. I will talk to my daughters and their hubands. I will text Joel about games and life. I may go to the lake. I will read some books, and work on my study of James ( coming on Sundays and Wednesday in January). I will finish off some Bible reading for the year. I want to re-arrange my home office. I will putter around town some, workout, sleep in some, stay up, watch football, read some more and hang out. I will watch some basketball, high school, maybe some college. I will sit and talk with Pam. We will watch some movies. But I also will kind of stay out of her way. She has two weeks off and she doesn't need me hanging all over her. I will preach a couple Sundays, preach Christmas Eve services, and continue thoughts about what 2011 will hold. I will reflect on 2010 as well.

AND I WILL SAY THANK YOU LORD.... 2010 was a crazy year on so many levels. 2010 has forced me to depend on him more, praise him more, cry out to him more and to reach out to others more. It has been the most demanding year of my life. This was a surprise. I knew 2010 would have its challenges, but I really had no idea of the depth of those demands. We have launched a new campus, Pam and I began leading a new life group, our church has hired a couple new people, and moved some others around and I have established some new relationhips with church leaders at the North American, and in the Northeast. Pam and I celebrated 29 years of marriage, added a new son-in-law and a new granddaughter. We also have confronted some issues at church and in our own lives which have helped us to depend on Him more than ever before. We talk about "digging deep wells." so that when challenges come, you have something to draw from. 2010 was a year which really tested the depth of my wells.

Along the way I have witnessed lots of stories of how God works everything for His purpose, in my life and others.

So my "sort of vacation" is really a good thing... I will slow down and kind of mosey through the last two weeks of the year... hopefully on Jan 3rd, I will be rejuvenated to the point that I can hit the ground running on a new and exciting year ahead.

I also hope that this "sort of vacation" will renew a passion to write more in this blog. ( I know it has been sporadic.) So look for more random thoughts about God, life, and this crazy world that we live in...

FRIENDS...

2010-11-20T12:40:00.001-06:00

This week I had the great experience of playing golf at THE PATRIOT. THE PATRIOT is a brand new course in Owasso that is amazing. It is a course that is cut into several canyons in the southwest part of Owasso. I had walked the course before it was open, and even flew over it in a a helicopter...but there is nothing like playing it.

At first when I was asked to join a couple guys out there to play, I was intimidated. They are good golfers and everything I had heard about the course made me think that I would just "tear it up" ( not in a good way.) So I was very surprised when I started playing and realized that I could hit the ball in the fairway ( they are pretty wide). The greens are mostly huge, although they are super fast and have lots of undulations. The course takes imagination. It takes some risk. But it really does not just shut down crummy golfers like me. I mentioned to the guys I was playing with that this was a very very nice course that was playable even for a guy like me.

So I loved it! Actually had a couple pars! I hit just enough shots to think maybe I could play some more golf and do okay at it.

But what makes golf fun for me is the guys I played with. A couple weeks ago I played another course in Owasso. The course was nice. I had not played on it in a long time. It was also a very nice day. But the best part was the guy I was playing with. He is very good... but he kept me loose.. It was fun for him and it was alot of fun for me.

The same was true yesterday. The course is great, but the two guys I played with were the best.

I think there is a reminder there for me. I need good guys in my life to spend time with. Relationships matter. Whether it is golf, basketball, working out, or meetings with staff and elders, I need to slow down a little bit and enjoy the relational part of it all. I get going too fast and even in the middle of all the activity, I feel alone at times. I want to bury myself in my work. I like what I do... but it can be lonley. But I think alot of that is my fault. I may seem extroverted to alot of people, but I am really not. I am an introvert in alot of ways. Pam has told me that for years. I can't change how I am wired, but I do think I am going to work on that...working harder to sharing life with others I am close to. I need to make the effort. I have plenty of people who want to be friends... but it is up to me to let them in.

I hope I get to play THE PATRIOT again. But it was not the golf course that made yesterday good. It was the friends. I need more of that kind of interaction. It might make me more bearable to live with and to work with.

The loving hand of discipline

2010-11-09T11:40:00.000-06:00

WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE? I have been pondering that statement for a few days. I don't have a corner on love at all. Sometimes I am not as loving as I should be...other times I am more loving than I think I am. Either way, there is a sweet spot where love is both redemptive and corrective. God lives in that sweet spot... sometimes I show up there too, but more often than not, it is one or the other.

When your younger kids do things they should not do, you correct them. Sometimes you discipline them. Why do we go to the trouble of doing that? I think for most parents it is not because we want to be right...it is not a power trip. It is more that you want to save your child the grief and sorrow of making those mistakes that you made ( or that others have made). So you try to get your point across. Rarely did I ever have one of our kids say,"You know dad, I am glad you spanked me... I needed that... It really corrected my behavior." They didn't like being disciplined, but they knew that we did it because we love them.

In "church world" discipline has taken a back seat to grace, mercy, and forgiveness. That is not all bad at times...but we can not escape the fact that God disciplined his children (his people) because he loved them.

The writer of Hebrews says, "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on however, it produces a harvest of righteousness ad peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12: 10-11

The point of disicipline is clear... it produces "righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

And that is the problem... none of us wakes up in the morning and tells God, "discipline me today so that I can have peace and more righteousness." There has to be other ways to get peace and righteousness, or so we think. But if the truth be known, I learn more through discipline. I learn more through times of sorrow. I learn more through the struggles of life.

As I get older I don't go looking for discipline from God, but as it comes, I am learning to go with it and sometimes embrace it. I want more righteousness in my life. I want more peace. If that means God has to be involved in some corrective work in my life, then so be it. He knows best. He is my Father. He also answers the first question I asked... What does love look like? It looks like a Heavenly Father who is willing to do whatever it takes to help me see that His ways are the best ways for me to live.

I will put my life in His loving hands trusting that His plan is the best for me.

CURVE BALLS IN LIFE

2010-10-15T16:48:00.001-05:00

Curve Balls... man they are tricky. I was watching a baseball game the other night ( a rare thing for me). The pitcher for the Texas Rangers, Cliff Lee, threw fast ball after fastball. He was on. The Tampa Bay Rays could not hit him. But over some time, they began to figure him out a bit. So what did he do? Change up.... then curve ball. Strike out after strike out... They never did figure him out. And now the Rangers are in the ALCS.

Life is alot like that. You go along and you get used to a certain cadence or a certain rythym. You think that you have life figured out. And if you are like me, you kind of like it that way most of the time. The problem is that when you live that way for a long time, you begin to depend more on yourself to control your circumstances and you depend less on the Lord. Then it happens... A curve ball. You lose your job, someone gets sick, you have a big bill come due, someone turns their back on you, an unplanned pregnancy... the list goes on and on.

Pam and I had a curve ball this last August.( Not an unplanned pregnancy !) Pam lost her job at the Mid-High. Ten years of working with 9th and 10th graders, down the drain in one phone call. It was district wide budget cuts that got her. No one was happy for this...and We were not really ready for it. ( at least I wasn't). But we took a look at it and almost immediately Pam said, "Well God must have a different plan." He did not ask us ahead of time. We did not "steal his signs." He did not ask permission. It just happened. But all along God was working.

Its about 10 weeks later, and not Pam is working with Kindergarteners. ( BIG CHANGE from 9-10th graders!) And I have to say that while it is exhausting for her in some ways, she has not been happier in her job than she is now. She mentioned this week that she was so glad that God threw this change at her at this time in her life. It has invigorated her and she sees so many ministry opportunities. And nothing against many of the great people that she worked with at the Mid-High, but she loves working with her new team at Stone Canyon. It is such a postive and uplifting environment.

Well all of that to say, " When you get a curve ball in your life remember that God is control." HE may throw it himself, or HE may have just allowed it, but either way HE is in control of it. YOU are in control of something too... you are in control of how you respond to it. You can just stand there and strike out. Or you can take a swing. But another option is to pay attention to it, and look for the opportunity that curve ball brings... you never know how it might work out 10 weeks later.

The Best gift...

2010-09-18T20:20:00.000-05:00

It is no secret that I am not mechanically inclinded. I have a tool box, but I never know what is in it. I have a hammer, a saw, and a couple other tools. But I am not a tool guy. My dad and Pam's dad are those kinds of guys... but I am not. I am glad that Pam has never held that against me.

I have had in my mind for about 3-4 years that I wanted to finish off the privacy fence on my property. My neighbors have provided me 3/4's of the fence, which has been nice. But none of them offered to tie the fence into my house. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?!

So I figured it was time. I called a fence company and their quote for about 50 feet of privacy fence was obscene. So I thought, "I bet I could figure this out and do it myself."

Well..... after today, let's just say, " I am really glad that common sense took over and I got some help." I actually asked a friend of mine to help me. He had some fence to do and I did. He is busy as can be, and I am pretty occupied most of the time myself. But we set today as the day.

Here is the big deal. HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING AND I DID NOT.

So we started about 10 AM.. and by 4 PM we were whupped! Got the 7 holes dug ( auger) and got the posts set at my house. We got the 6 holes dug ( auger) at his house. We did not get the posts set at his house. It was 92 degrees and a heat index around 100. It's Owasso land, which means lots of clay, some rock and even a little hard ground. We were wasted.

But it was a great time. There is something great about spending a day with a brother in Christ who loves his family, loves his church, loves me, and loves his life! AND HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING.

He tells me the hard part is done... but even if it is not, I just loved the work and the time with him. It was encouraging and uplifting. He never looked at me as if I was not really pulling my weight. I tried... I ran the auger... and it only took me for a ride one time! I learned how to set posts... and how important a string is. And I had fun.

Although I am sore as can be... and pretty tired... I have to say, "All in all, it was a pretty good day." We will finish the job soon.

There are all kinds of gifts that we can give to people. But I am learning that sometimes the very best gift is the gift of yourself. I felt like that is gift I got today... and a gift I hope I gave in some small way to him.

So that's what I did today.

IT'S NO SURPRISE....

2010-08-28T18:14:00.001-05:00

It never surpises me that when I plan and prepare messages on the family that there will be a torrent of issues that are unleashed. Our Homewreckers series has certainly done that, and we are only in week 2! I pray more in the lead up and during a family series than at any other time. I have learned to expect that there will be more phone calls, more emails, more sorrow and tragedy during the weeks I preach about what God wants for the family, than at any other time of the year.

This year, I started planning for this series early last spring. And I started praying more than ever. I prayed for my family, my marriage and the marriages and family life of our staff, elders and church.

Satan knows that the family was God's second best idea. ( The first was sending Jesus as our Redeemer.) He lost the first battle at Calvary, so his strategy is to divide families. It is to weaken their spiritual and moral resolve, so that there will be little left to fight off when he comes swooping into the homes of people in our community and in our church. I think when he sees preachers talking about the family, he licks his chops... He knows that under the facade of "Hi, how are you doing...fine" kind of talk in the church, there are simmering issues that He would love to bring to the surface. And this is double true when it comes to a series exposing the sin in our relationships and in the church when it comes to immorality, adultery, our thought life and so much more. It's like Satan says, " Open the door and you are really going to see... are you ready for that?" There are alot of happy homes, great marriages and strong relationships in the church. But there are also alot of hurting people, brokenness, sorrow and even hopelessness in our chuch as well , ( as well as our community.)

I knew HOMEWRECKERS would be that kind of series. But I went ahead anyway, because I knew in my heart that God wants these messages preached and shared. I knew that it would be hard, not just for me, but for our leaders...our staff... our elders... and for many who care so deeply about their families and the kingdom. It would be hard for wives whose husbands care about anything but them. It would be hard for husbands whose hearts are broken because of sin. It would be hard for families whose calendars are dominated with activity, but not with real life. It would be hard for people have made bad choices. It would be hard for people whose have been hurt deeply by others. I knew it would be hard.

My prayer has not changed. "Lord, heal broken families. Bring things to the surface so that moms and dads can know what you really intended behind closed doors in the home. Be the Lord of each home within the church. Help men to step up and lead. Help wives to love and support. Help kids to respect and honor. Help those who are single parents to persevere. And somehow Lord, restore the hope of Jesus within their home."

Satan is coming after me. He is coming after our church. But I will stand on the Word of God... and so will our church... and we will be stronger for it.

I call on all of you who are part of the Kingdom of God to stand with me in praying for our families..and standing against the enemy of God who wants nothing more than to shatter the hope, peace and joy that only a home built on God's Word can bring.

Charlie

A New Chapter

2010-08-22T18:04:00.001-05:00

20 months ago, when I began to think and pray about "double impact", I did not know what to expect. I just knew that God wanted us to do something different. We had just relocated to North Garnett and were cruising along... But I knew that God wanted us to step out in faith...do something bold... even crazy.

I wasnt the only one. Fellow staff members, elders and members of our great church knew it too. As God began to reveal the vision for the Stone Canyon campus... I alternated between fear and fearlessness. We talked, prayed, sought God and as He opened doors and began to crystalize the vision. The last couple nights I have not slept well, but I think it was the anticipation...not a fear of what might or might not happen. I just wanted to see what would happen after all the reading, traveling, questions, praying, attending meetings and more meetings and dreaming about what it might be that God was up to.

Stone Canyon is about "helping others to know, love, serve and share Him." It is the same vision we have had as a church for years..on main street, 86th street, North Garnett and now Stone Canyon.

Today was launch day. 280 people came to Stone Canyon today. And another 1100 + came to North Garnett. There were so many new people who are looking for something. They came, worshipped , connected to God and heard a message about how important it is that we listen to the right voice in our world. I did not realize how appropriate the message would be for the launch of Stone Canyon until this afternoon... God knew exactly what needed to be said.

This is just the beginning. Over the next few weeks we will continue to "settle in" to the Multi-site strategy. We will continue to invite, reach out, connect to and pray for God's will to be done. This is a work of God that we have JOINED HIM in... and now we are off and going. There are greater things ahead for us...

Thanks to all who have participated in this for the last 20 months. Preparation, prayers, planning and then participation today... all of it has been worth it.

I can not wait to see how it all plays out... We are in the beginning "sentences" of a new chapter in the life of our church. Its for God's glory!

More about all this later.

15 years

2010-08-15T21:49:00.000-05:00

My track record did not suggest that I would be anywhere 15 years. I grew up in a home on the move....It was a good home, and a good life, but we were on the move alot.

My first 13 years of ministry included 5 moves. We had great experiences in Oklahoma and Iowa. But sinking down roots was not my pattern....

Then in 1994 I came to First Christian Church of Owasso. I was brought in to do children's ministry... and although I did not know much about cutting edge children's ministry, I figured I could build teams and organize things. God did the rest. There were amazing people who were passionate about kids and families. Many are still with us, and although we all have gray hair now...we loved what we did.

Now it is 2010... I was in Kentucky one year...but for nearly the last 11 years I have had the privildge of preaching, teaching and being part of a leadership team at a great church.

I could not be more thankful for the church and the wonderful people who have loved me and allowed me to grow through the years. FCC has been willing to take risks, to attempt some pretty big things and to stretch to please God. It truly is a "JOIN HIM" kind of church.

What am I a most proud of? Well there are lots of things....
* I am proud of the fact that FCC has been through some tough leadership struggles over those years... and come out of them healthy, loving and focused on His mission.
* I am super proud of the team that God has put together. There was a time when it was just 5 of us on staff ( Matt, Bob, Helen, Darla and me.) But as time has gone by we have added some amazing passionate people who love God and love this church.
* I am proud of the blessing of the Elders I have served with through the years.In tough times and good times they have stood by me. They have guided and directed me. They have protected me. And at times they have corrected me. Nobody has it better.
* I am so proud of the many people at FCC who took God up on His offer through Christ... for those who stuck in there during terribly difficult times and those who took a leap of faith and trusted God even though they could only see the next step... not the final step.
* I am most proud of my family. I take no credit for how they have turned out. The truth is that for many years, my priorities were more with the church than with them. That makes Pam even more amazing in my book... she held things together at times and always projected a love for Jesus in everything. Her influence in my life, my ministry and in our children and grandchildren can not be measured. Our kids are all super young adults... who love God, love their mom and dad and love the church. Again, I do not take credit for that... It was God. And it was our church for the last 15 years. FCC OWASSO is an unusual place because it does not put pastor's kids under a microscope. This church has let our kids grow at their own pace and in thier own way. I know the stories about how it goes in other places... so for this I will always be thanful.

The future??? Well, at this point, I would love to spend another 15 years serving here. But if the truth be known... I have always made one committment when it came to length of ministry. I will serve at FCC OWASSO for as long as God wants me to. Not a day longer... and I hope not a day shorter... I see great possibilities for kindgom work through FCC OWASSO....for me. I am excited about those dreams...I am enthused about our teams....

This morning I said, "The best journey's are shared journey's." That certainly is true for ministry. So thanks to a great church, a great staff team, great elders and a super great family.... But most of all thanks to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit... the best team of all when it comes to making dreams that really matter come true.

Launch Time....

2010-08-12T21:09:00.000-05:00

It's just 9 days away... the launch of the Stone Canyon Campus.

Somebody asked me if I was nervous. I said, "No... It is God's mission, not mine."

I trust Him... and all the people who are working on this. The Core Team, the Launch Team, and so many more...

I know that everyone has put the work into this... I especially appreciate ALL our staff... they have worked hard and long...I am so proud of them.

We have people with a vested interest... people who will serve. People in the school. People in our partner, NOEA...

AND, there are alot of people in Owasso who need a church and need a Savior.

It will be different than our North Garnett campus... but it will still have the same mission... To connect people to God... to help others know, love, serve and share Him.

COME CHECK IT OUT: AUG 22nd.... 11:00 AM at Stone Canyon Elementary School. ( 177th and 76th Street North.)

It's launch time... I like the sound of that... just 9 days away...

2010-08-09T21:58:00.000-05:00

What should we do on a Monday Night? Well, we decided to go out to a ball park and watch our Co-ED softball team play. What fun. the team has so much fun.. they tease each other, have some light banter with umpire and some interesting conversation with opponents. There were a few dropped balls, but some nice plays in the field to make up for it. There were some really big hits... and some not so big along the way.

But the best thing was that these people were playing NEXT to someone. The fellowship is sweet and fun. They encouraged each other and watch out for each other. They really like each other... and they share life together.

To get NEXT to somone does not mean you only do it in classes or groups. Those are the big ways we do it....but there are lots of others... like Summer Health Challenge, Softball, Basketball, exercise groups and many more.

It was fun to see this group of people having lots of fun. I know their hearts and they were there to represent christ and his church and to have fun....

Sounds like it is the way it should be.

Charlie

HE TAUGHT ME.....

2010-07-29T20:13:00.000-05:00

Today, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of special people. Aboout 30 people (young and older) are part of a group called NETT. They are so awesome. Some people might sell them short, thinking that they do not have alot to contribute to a church, a school or even a family. They are the most loving and accepting group I have ever been around. No agenda's or demands... just love. Over the past few years, they have come to our church for special nights every month and a week long camp during the summer.

There are several adults and teenagers who work with them year around...I just love those adults and sponsors... they have such a love for what some might call "the least of these."

Anyway, our theme was "born to be wild." I know this may be a surprise, but I am not exactly a "wild and crazy" guy. But we did some funky and fun things... and then talked about the "wildest" guy in the Bible. John the Baptist had a weird wardrobe, ate some really strange food, and lived in a place no one wanted to live in. But the wildest thing about John was that he always pointed people to Jesus. That was a wild message! It was all about Jesus.

My friends loved the story. They listened so well, laughed hard and they got it! We did motions, told stories and reminded ourselves that everyone needs to talk about Jesus more than they talk about themselves. In the middle of my talk one of the guys burst into tears. I kept going, but one of the sponsors took him out and talked with him. Then following my talk, she came to me and said that he wanted to talk with me. So we went into a side room and talked about his life. It is a tough life. Not alot pretty about it all. Except for one thing. He said to me, "I saw Jesus and He told me that He would be with me. I don't need to be afraid."

WOW! I had tears in my eyes. So much to to deal with, and yet it all boiled down to what Jesus had told him. That was what was getting him through the day.

We prayed, talked some more and he seemed better.

And so was I. I was not the teacher today... I was the student. I needed to hear Jesus what Jesus said to my new friend. "I will be with you. You don't need to be afraid."

Alot of you have HUGE things on your plate... and I know that you sometimes wonder...really wonder... "Is Jesus there?" I have been there. Self doubt, hurtful friends and family, disappointment, goals not met, and sometimes just the junk of life overwhelm us all. And we wonder...

There are some big things on my plate right now... but alot of people have ALOT bigger things on thier plates. The great thing is that there is no plate too big for Jesus. He keeps everyone of his promises...all the time.

"And I will be with you always...even to the end of the age." He said that to some disciples right before He went back to heaven. But he meant it for me... for my friend... AND FOR YOU.

Special thanks to my new friend was my teacher today....:)

Thoughts on things that change and things that don't...

2010-07-24T21:32:00.001-05:00

Mark Beeson is a preacher in Ohio who writes a blog that I follow. This week he made the following comments....

* In 2000, we sent 12 billion emails in a day. In 2010, we daily send 247 billion emails
* In 2000 there were 4 reality shows on TV. Today we have 320.
* In 2000, we sent 400,000 text messages. In 2010, we will send 4.5 billion.
* In 2000, we did 100 million Google searches a day. In 2010, we will do 2 billion searches every
day.
* We performed 0 ITUNES downloads in 2000. There will be 10 billion ITUNE downloads in
2010.

The digital revolution has changed so much about our world. There is no real way to escape it. It does not mean that we have to succumb to all of the temptations and negative things that the digital revolution brings. But the truth is that our world now thrives on instant communication and information. It has changed our economy, politics, and ministry. We will never go back to the way it was.

I think about this in relation to preaching. There is so much more out there to study from, to listen to, and to read. Christian bookselling has become a mega business. Now, E-Books are actually outselling the "old fashioned" kind of books. ( I do not have an E-book reader yet.)

All this change unnerves me in some ways. I find myself captured by the technology of our day, but still drawn to the simple things. There is a tension there that I am continually trying to balance. I am uneasy when I think about the next 10 years, wondering what kind of effect technology will have on my kids and grandkids. Will be good or bad? The likely answer is the same as what we could summarize about the last decade. It will be both. Technology is a tool. It is not the end itself. It can be used for good. ( i.e. communication with family, friends, missionaries across the world and more) It can be used for bad. ( huge time waster, pornography, false blogging etc.)

I know alot of people who have such difficulty with the pace of change in our culture. I am with you. I would like things to stay the same, as long as I get to say how things will stay the same. Somethings I want to change, other things I don't. Some technology I love... ( Skype, my IPHONE, IPOD, computers, and so much more. ) Some technology I do not like.

Today, I was listening to John Ortberg, ( On my IPOD while walking... talk about technology... I would have never been able to listen to a preacher from SF on my phone 10 years ago!). Anyway, in a sermon last fall, he said the following.... "I want to begin with two foundational truths that we all need to remember. First, "God is God," and second, "I am not."

It was so simple... yet it stopped me in my tracks. I needed the reminder. I think we should remember that technology is not God. But it is influencing our culture to the point that the church needs to leverage that technology or it risks being left behind... at the starting line... with no hope of catching up.

We also should not take our eye off the ball. As much as some things change, alot of things will never change.
- Man needs an answer to His sin and separation from God.
- That answer is Jesus.
- Grace rules the kingdom of God.
-Transformation can not happen alone, but only with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
- The Gospel of Jesus Christ is still about a Cross, about a Savior, a loving God and a needed
response from mankind. ( you and me) .
-Salvation is still about faith, repentance, confession and baptism. It all fits together just as well
today as it did in the first century.

So when you think that everything is changing, would you remember what is not changing. Even in the church, we are constantly changing things...( They are called methods.) But the MESSAGE... that is another story. It does not change. The old time gospel message has been around for 2000 years and will be around until the day Jesus comes back.

So hang on friends... go with the change and technology... just remember that God is in control... and what is most important in life will never change.

Beeson closes his post out with these words from scripture.

"When God wanted to guarentee his promises, he gave his word- a rock solide guarentee- God can't break His word.And because His word can not change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives for God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It is a unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God. " Hebrews 6:17-20

AMEN...

Passwords

2010-07-22T12:11:00.000-05:00

I continue to marvel at how our world has changed. I am old enough now to begin to say, "Back before..." Back before cell phones, toll roads, 200 channel cable companies, email, back before power point. ( Yes there was a day when I preached and all I had was a Bible. No screen, no chair, no video nothing but the Bible)

I was trying to access a website recently and it asked me for my username and password. Now if you are under 25 years old, you have never known a life without a username and a password. Us old guys remember life without those dastardly little requirements to get to anything of value in our life. . Want to use your ATM card? (I know some people are convinced that the ATM card is a tool of the Anti-Christ.) Got to have a password. Want to find out what your bank balance is on the computer? Username and Password. Want to talk to your health insurance agent? Username and password. Want to go to ITUNES and download some music? Username and password.

I am all for security. The problem is that I can not remember my usernames and passwords. (This is a stunning admission!) I have multiple usernames and passwords. That is because everyone has different rules. Passwords must be 6 characters, numbers or letters, or a combination of both... but not symbols like $ or # &. But another site says that the password must be 10 characters long . Another website says, "Your password is not sufficiently strong enough." Apparently other people can figure out the password that I can not remember. And that concerns all the security nuts that are out there trying to save me from myself and the bad guys.

So after three attempts, I have to make a new password. That really complicates matters. Now I have variations of the original passwords... multiple variations... which only confuses me more.

I want to get rid of all passwords. Tim, my friend, coworker and resident computer whiz had the best solution for me when it comes to our network at the office. "The Password is Password."
Dont try to access it, it only works for me... and on my computer... no one else would be dumb enought to try it... but I am. It saves him alot of time with me.

I do have a list of usernames and passwords... It is on my computer... but the problem is that the list is , you guessed it, PASSWORD PROTECTED. Errrrr.....

So I have an old fashioned piece of paper with all of them on there ( I think )... but I can't tell you where they are because if I told you I would have to..... well you know.

All of which leads me to appreciate God even more. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and give you rest."

I am so glad He did not say, "Come to me , all you who are weary, and bring your username and password, and I will give you rest. Don't mess up, or spell it wrong, or we will have to start all over. You only get three tries... after that, it gets really complicated"

Aren't you glad that even in the age of computers and technology, God decided along time ago to keep it simple? "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

By the way, there is a password phrase to get into heaven... It is 21 letters long... "The blood of Jesus Christ." I thank God everyday for Him...The Way, the Truth and the Life.

I think I can remember that one... and if there is a day where I can't, I know He remembers Me.

"Out of the dark" ( for a minute or two)

2010-06-27T21:18:00.000-05:00

For the last two weeks or so, I have been "in the dark", so to speak. Very little email, not commenting on Facebook etc. I have been reading, thinking, and just getting away. Pam and I traveled to Florida about 10 days ago... and we had a great time. It is really good to get away and just kind of hide for a few days. I know that not everyone gets to do this so it makes me appreciate the opportunities we get to do this. We had a great time being "nobodies", laughing, eating ( too much I am afraid), hanging at the beach, going to movies, talking, reading, and exploring new things.

I am on a four week preaching break. That was very needed. Breaking the routine is good for me, and good for the church. Matt T. is preaching each week out of Jonah. They are high impact messages that people need to hear. God speaks through many voices at FCC and I am grateful for Matt and his heart for God and FCC. ( The same goes for all of the staff at FCC.)

This morning Pam and I attended College Heights Christian Church in Joplin. It was a powerful service about the church that lives for something beyond itself. At one point, I said to God, "You brought me here for this message on this day." Following the service and lunch with Abigail and Tyler, Pam and I talked about how we both needed that message and the service as a whole today.

Two more weeks... lots of reading,( I will write about some of the things I am learning in future blogs), some writing... no serious email or appointments... just refueling and recharging. We will attend the North American Christian Covention in Indianapolis next week. I have a special wedding to officiate the following week... and then it is back at it. I will be ready!!!

July 18th begins the "JOIN ME" series out of Nehemiah. I am really excited about these messages which lead up to the Stone Canyon launch... God is on the move and he wants us to join him in it all.

One last thing... Tomorrow is my Dad's birthday... He will be 76! I love his positive attitude. He said to me today, " I am doing great... a whole lot better than alot of people my age." It was a great reminder to me about how our attitude determines our altitude in life. I just saw him and my mom at Abigail's wedding... and they seemed really great. My dad is 24 years older than me... but I think in some ways you wouldn't know it. His outlook is so good and I really think he believes that God is not finished with him yet. ( Not just a cliche in his life.).

I am thankful to have alot of people my dad's age and older who have his kind of attitude. They are everywhere...

I have to say that when I talk with him, I am the one that is encouraged. That's a blessing. So thanks Dad for being you... and thanks for a great example of living life fully all the way through the finish line... You are not there yet, because God is not done with you yet!

So, I am going back underground ( at least electronically). I miss being around the FCC family...and look forward to getting back soon...

Blessings to you all... See you soon.

Charlie

Father's day blessings

2010-06-13T23:03:00.000-05:00

Father's day is coming up in a few days. Its always been a fun day, in large part because of I have 4 kids who are great at throwing parties, even when far away ..

I was thinking about our four kids. In the last 8 years, all four of them have graduated from High School with honors... all of them have competed at high levels in Basketball, Volleyball, Vocal Music, and Student goverment. 3 of them have graduated from Colleges ( NSU, Oklahoma State and Arkansas) 1 of them has a Masters Degree from Arkansas. One of them is just a year away from graduating for Ozark Christian College. Joel has moved out to the west coast and is making his way out there. The three girls have gotten married. All of them have married super guys, who love God and love them We have welcomed Gracie into our family ( she was 2 today). We have another grandchild on the day ( to arrive very late fall).

I can think of a better way to be blessed than by having kids who love God , love their families, and love other. What a thrill it is to see their lives unfold before our eyes.

So, Nathaniel, Elizabeth and Gracie, James, Lydia and Baby, Joel, Tyler and Abigial, let me be the one says it first. You all are the greatest kids. In spite of my inattention you still love the church and all it can be. You are the product of a gracious God who gave you your mom... who is the closest think to a saint there is..the most giving and caring person I know.

I Love you all....more than you can know

Dad

A house full of laughter.

2010-06-11T22:43:00.001-05:00

One of the great things about my family is how well they get along. For the last 2 hours, we have had about 20 people in my living room. It has been one round of laughter after ther other. Family from Nebraska, college friends of Abigail's,( Erika, Whitney, Emily, Kara, ) Lydia, Elizabeth, Kim, Kirk, Cassie, Chris, Joel, James, Nathaniel, Gracie,Danny, Linda, Lyndsey, Glen and Evelyn, and others have been one non stop comedy routine.

These are such good times. I know that lots of people get lonely and never experience these kinds of moments. I think one of the reasons why it works at our house, is everyone can laugh at each other, and themselves. No one takes themselves too seriously. We love each other... and include others in our laughter.

Sharing memories is one of the greatest things about a family wedding.

Abigail and Tyler are soon to be married. I can't believe it..I am so happy for them. But on the other hand there is a twinge of sadness... I love her so much and look forward to more of these kinds of nights when we all get together and just laugh

Wow, what a weekend... Laughter is often the best medicine...

Thanks for praying for the FOTB... me...

Charlie

YIKES !!!

2010-06-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

For the last 7 months or so I have had a workout partner who has pushed me and challenged me to get healthy. During that time I have completed a Sprint Triathalon, and 3 5K runs. I have lost some weight... learned to do some biking, done alot of swimming and in general gotten alot healthier. I feel like I am on my way to something... it is a journey for me...one that will last the rest of my life.

Late in the winter, David asked me about an idea he had to take this idea of health and wellness to a new level in our church and community. He had a ton of ideas, but after alot of thinking, talking to friends and praying, he came up with the idea of a Summer Health Challenge.

He incubated the idea over time and put together some really great plans. We talked about it in staff meeting, in Elder's meetings and David went to work. He recruited a bunch of volunteers, created notebooks, made a plan that would include both community and church leaders. Then we promoted it... David's goal was 100 people... But we did not know. A couple weeks ago only 5 people had signed up.

We had 150 people show up tonight. YIKES!

Sean Algaier, ( Biggest Loser Season 8) and FCC Technical Director got us started. We also heard from Suzanne Gauldin , who is a nutritionist... and from David.

All of it was encouraging and challenging... The idea that we get a second chance to do things right really hit home for me. Every breath is another chance... it is another opportunity to make a different choice. I needed to hear it.

I am excited about this because I think it shows the potential of Health and Wellness ministry and how getting our mind, body and spirit healthy can change our lives and the lives of our families and friens.

I think it also shows the potential for SPORTS ministry in general. In our community this kind of thing speaks to people...and I think it can be a great tool to reach people with something more than just health... but with the gospel. There are some great churches that are tapping into this and I hope that we can be the next one.

I also think it speaks to me because a regular guy like David had a dream put on his heart and he trusted God with it... He threw himself into it. He recruited alot of other people to it. He shared the vision whereever he went ... And he wants it to glorify God. He is passionate... but passionate about the right things. He has seen God change his life. He is into the Word, and he is all about trying to make his walk match up to his talk. He's not perfect, makes mistakes, has lots of questions etc. But in his heart of hearts he feels a responsibility to share what he has learned in his life on all levels.

I am so glad that it was hugely successful, but I know David well enough to know that if only 1 person was drawn to God and to the opportunity to be healthier in thier minds, body and spirit, it would be worth it.

Next meeting is June 24th... 7:00 at FCC... Get moving and see how God can use something like this to change your life!

FX 2010

2010-06-07T22:09:00.000-05:00

Our Family Ministry is really on to something. I saw it tonight. I saw moms and Dads, grandma's and grandpa's worshiping togehter, laughing together, celebrating together, and then doing activities together at FX.

This FX ( Family expereince) is a high paced, creative laden program built around Bible Stories and virtues.

I love the leadership of this. I love the volunteers who are getting out their comfort zone. I love the focus on our local YMCA ...

Tonight Josh Adsit came on the scene... and let's just say he came on with a bang! We are all going to love him.

I think tonights program was the best ever! Two more to go... Dont miss them!

"The mistakes of others do not have to derail you"

2010-06-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

A perfect game...it has only happened 20 times in 135 YEARS of Major League Baseball. 27 batters up, 27 batters down. It is a most improbable feat. Surprisingly there have been "three" this season.

I said "three" because two of them are official. Dallas Braden and Roy Halliday both have pitched perfect games this year. One of them was not "official".

Armando Gallaraga pitched a perfect game too... sort of . There are two outs in the 9th inning. 26 up, 26 down. The Detroit Tiger pitcher is one out away from being the 21st pitcher in MLB history to pitch a perfect game. The batter hits a ball to the first baseman who throws the ball to the pitcher, covering first base. Everyone knows he is out. Everyone in the park except for one... the 1st base umpire who calls him "SAFE."

The Detroit bench erupts. The manager screams and gets in the umps face... players stand in disbelief. The fans boo... Everyone has something to say... except for the pitcher.

Gallaraga went back to the mound and pitched to the next batter... and got him out. 28 up, 27 down. He said nothing.

There is a lesson here. Sometimes, you can not control the outcome. You can not control the decisions others make. But you can always control your reaction to those decisions. You can always decide to not lose control. You can go back to work. You can move on. You can even forgive.

Tonight, as I read about Gallaraga's actions on the mound, I was challenged to remember that sometimes life is not fair. Sometimes, life even stinks... but you get back on the mound and pitch. You go back to doing your job, to treating your family right . You go back to do what you do best. You do what got you where you are in life... and not let the decisions or attitudes of other people DERAIL you from the purpose and mission of your life. You don't let disappointment DISCOURAGE you.

God will honor you and bless you if you do this... I know He well.

By the way, the umpire watched a replay and knew immediately that he missed the call. He said, " I just cost that kid a perfect game." I like that umpire... he owned his mistake and admitted it.
There are lessons we learn from him too... One, everyone makes mistakes, even umpires. Two, people who make mistakes should be big enough to admit it. He did. That makes him a better umpire and a better person.

So all the way around, there are lessons in this story for us. I hope they both get another chance to live out history on the diamond... It's good stuff to think about.

Summer time thoughts.

2010-06-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

Summer... I like summers... I like....
- sunshine
- warm still mornings where I can walk and think, pray and listen to good preachers.
- vacation!! Florida here we come!!
- mowing my grass ( immediate gratification for me)
- grilling burgers for my family
- water....water....water...
- watching kids go off to church camp
- Church mission trips... we are sending teams to Thailand and China this year!
- youthquake send off...( That is in July)
- weddings ( especially when one of them is my daughter)
- July 4th...
- Thunderstorms.... love me some thunderboomers!
- Pam, Lydia, Gracie and my birthdays...
- Study break... reading, planning and listening... I need the down time
- North American Christian Convention in Indianapolis
- Pam is off work... love that!!!
- Fall is right around the corner... my favorite time of the year.

Summer... I don't like some things about summer... I don't like....
- heat and humidity
- bugs that fly in my mouth. Doesn't happen much, but it did yesterday, doing yard work. yech!
- paying the water and A/C bill
- Tornados, Hurricaines, drought, and heat waves...
- Pam has to go back to work in August.... booooooo! ( But I am thankful she has a job.)
- No pro or college basketball on TV... bummer... baseball is not interesting to me...
- lighter attedance and offerings at church...

After reading this, I think I like summer more than I don't like it.

Guess what... it doesnt matter what I like or don't like... "This is the day the Lord has made... let us rejoice and be glad in it." Summer, Fall, Winter or Spring... he is the creator of everyone of them.

Blessings

Charlie

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Visits

2010-05-03T08:57:00.000-05:00

Occassionally I take a Sunday and visit other churches. I find it to be a very good thing for me, and for FCC. They get to hear from Matt which is always a good thing. And it allows me to sit and listen, observe and report to staff about the things I see. It also helps me refuel.

I went to two churches....The Church at Battle Creek and First Baptist Church in Downtown Tulsa.

BC is a fast growing church with a very young demographic. They have all the "crowd" control procedures in place including parking, very visible and helpful greeters and a pretty easy to get around facility. The service itself was about 90 minutes long, with the preaching lasting about 50 minutes ( pretty standard). Alex Himaya is a strong teacher and I have to say it was one of the best sermons on Matthew 25 ( Parable of the Talents) I have heard. Chocked full of a vision to use our abilities and gifts to help people who have difficulty , this message was very missional in content. I was ready to sign up to help some people.

He made a statement that I thought was very significant for us. "We have to accept the responsibility for the city that God has given us." I just look around and see that we can grow and do a better job of being an advocate for people of all walks of life in our city. God placed us here and we have that responsibility. Good stuff.

I am always interested in the Worship services...and while it was good stuff...my appreciation for what we have at FCC grows greater every time I go some where else.

Then, I hustled up to First Baptist in downtown. Deron Spoo is a friend of mine... and the church he leads is such a different church than Battle Creek. But I love how he preaches to the Southern Baptist church in a way that challenges their suppostions and preconvieved notions and does it in a thoughtful way. It might be tempting to blow up a downtown church like that...but Deron is a teaching shepherd and it comes through loud and clear.

He message on listening to God was especially timely to me. Elijah found himself on the run and went into a cave, where he did nothing until he heard from God. Nothing... It made me ask, "Where is my cave? Where do I wait and then wait some more.? Have I substituted activity and movement for doing what Elijah did... just wait? Do I wait for the still small voice, or do I jump at the first hint of activity and noise?" The truth is that I am much better at what God wants me to be when I wait for his still voice...instead of always belieiving that he is in the wind and fire and earthquakes. ( Read I Kings 19).

It was thought provoking and humbled my spirit... which I needed.

Deron also led a meaningful communion service. I appreciated that so much. He made a statement that caught my attention..."Many of us are committed, but not really surrendered." Wow... I thought committment was the goal...But it made me think... Committment is good, but it tends to allow other things to crowd it out. We can be committed to several things.. Surrender means totally sold out... everything hinges off that surrender.

There is a ton of application for us...but as I read the life of Jesus I see one that was surrendered, not just committed. That is what pushed him through the cross. "Father, not my will, but yours." That is not committment...that is surrender.

FBC Tulsa has two services...one being contemporary and one more traditional. I attended the traditional... So meaningful in worship with the choir, orchestra, flute solo,and quiet and reflective songs. I loved it.

But I love all kinds of worship...and am thankful for the diversity of the Body of Christ. There is alot of a great work being done by churches in Tulsa. It is exciting.

Good day for me...and for FCC

Baby Dedications

2010-04-15T18:25:00.000-05:00

One of the special things that I get to do is baby dedications. There was a time where we did them on one Sunday in May. We would line up 15-25 couples with their children on the stage and say their names... then I would say something, ask a couple questions, then ask the church to committ to support the families and then pray.

It was always meaningful, but it seemed like an "add on." It was not all that personal, although our EC directors at the time ( Karen Schemet and Cathy Wheeler) did their best to make it a special moment.

While on sabbatical a few years ago, I regularly attended a downtown Tulsa church who did baby dedications once or twice a month. It seemd very pastoral, personal and was something that engaged both the family and the church.

So I stole the idea from my friend and started doing them that way. It was a change that I have never regretted.

Whenever a couple or a parent wants dedicate their child, I get together with them and we talk first. We talk about how this is a dedication of the child, but even more importantly it is a dedication of the parent (s) to raise the child to love Jesus. It is about their example. It is about their faith. It is also about their church family. I think that God gives us a church family for a reason. In part it is so that no one feels like they are going through life alone. Parenting can be a difficult and even lonely journey. Church families have a responsibility to support and bless those who are raising children. So I emphasize that with the parents. Then I always get a funny story or two out of the conversation, and we talk logistics and then pray. Then the following Sunday, we have them on stage and we talk and pray together.

I appreciate the efforts that our current EC director ( Amy Bray ) goes to in order to make it a special time for the family. She has a couple photographers who take fun pictures and then it all goes into a keepsake for the family. I get such great comments about this from the families.

A few weeks ago we had a single mom with her little boy up there doing the dedication. I just thought it was an incredible moment because this little boy is so amazing. His mom and grandparents have been through alot, but here they were, committing to raise this little boy to love Jesus. He is a gift from God and I have the feeling that God is going to use him in a special way. The dedication also blessed some others who had been connected to single moms in their families. There was a huge message sent that day. They saw that our church is a church of grace... a church that looks forward to redeem situations in our lives, and a church that truly cares about everyone.

Today, I have met with two families and another one is coming in a few minutes. They all three are totally different families...but with one common thread. They love Christ, love their children and desire the blessing of God and the support of their church family in raising their children.

This is something I always look forward to... It's one of the many good things about the life I live.

Weekend update.

2010-04-12T09:46:00.000-05:00

Monday mornings... I like them! Especially after a great weekend.

Tackled the Sprint Triathalon yesterday. My goal was to finish.... I had a total finish time in mind and I smashed that... Great fun.... 400 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride and 2 mile run. Some serious hills... At one point I thought, " Man I am really glad they do not make us swim up hill." But I made it...in good time for me. I also know I could do alot better. Now I have a time to work against.

Great encouragement by Pam, David, Eddie , Sharon and a bunch of other friends who were there. Pam was amazing... seemed like she was there around every turn... and crying at the finish line... Triathalon's are a team sport..

Today, felt good waking up and wondering what the next challenge is... I think I know... just need to articulate it a bit...and then do a better job of executing the plan. More about that later.

And one other thing... It feels great to go do something like this fully confident in the team we have at FCC. No worries...no concerns... Thanks to the FCC Staff! You all are awesome.

Charlie

Easter Reflections

2010-04-06T21:45:00.000-05:00

Thinking about many things this evening...

EASTER- awesome services Sunday. I loved the music... the energy... Brittany Bolt and Tim singing "He is risen, He is risen, Alleluia!" That gave me chills! The Easter Choir, Praise Team, Orchestra and tech teams were incredible. The attendance of 2237 was a all time record for our church. AWESOME! We blew away records all over the place... including in EC and Children's. It took well over 200 volunteers to put all of it together...many of whom were at the church from 6:15 to 12:30... 3 services is a challenge...but it is worth it. God gets the praise and glory for this great day. After it all, it was his idea ( the ressurection).

THOSE SERVING IN ARMED FORCES. I was thinking about some of our guys who were not here Sunday. Roger Martinez, Matt Sewell, Eric Snider and some others... They didn't miss Easter, because the Ressurection of Jesus is for the whole world...but they were far from their families. How humbling it is to serve God in this country in freedom, all because of the many who have served our country by protecting us wherever they are called upon to do so! Pray for those guys.... they are in tough spots serving the USA...

I APPRECIATE OUR VOLUNTEERS. Our Parking guys were incredible. I got alot of comments about how friendly and helpful they were. We had enough help in Early Childhood, even though it was a record breaking day. Our Cafe team fed a bunch of people! They were so good to team. David and Kristi and the rest of the gang...you are incredible. It seemed like everything worked well all over the building.

I AMAZED AT THE GENEROSITY OF OUR PEOPLE. After a record breaking year in 2009, we stretched big time with our budget needs each week. After 14 weeks, we are right at budget! Sunday's offering of over $60,000 was HUGE... You are getting it....

IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS. "A living hope can only be brought by a living Savior." Enough said!

WE ARE NOT DONE... Easter is a catalyst for movement... a call to action.... an "ON YOUR MARK" moment... Easter can change a life, a community, and the world. We are not done with our mission ... we are not done reaching people.... we are not done caring for others... we are not done with providing ministry all across the world. We are part of a great kingdom making a dramatic move across the world.

Loved Easter... and really look forward to the coming weeks as we continue to work through "the church unleashed" in Acts 4-7.

See you there.

Invite

2010-04-02T08:37:00.000-05:00

How does God get His message out? I think it is alot like good advertising for almost any business. The key is variety.

When a business comes to town, they look for different ways and mediums to get their message out. It may be the paper, radio, TV, Billboards, flyers....on and on the ideas come.

But there is one medium that businesses recognize as most effective. It is the "word of mouth" method. You know how it works....

Someone finds a business or resturant that is good... they try it out a couple times and make it part of their regular routine. When they need the services this business offers, they immediately think about it and head there.

Conversations between friends, neighbors, or co-workers inevitably work thier way toward something that reminds that person of a business which met a need. So they say, "Hey, this place really worked for me... you might want to try it out." They do, and soon, another conversation is hatched...

The interesting thing is that the first conversation does not just happen once. If you really believe in that business, you will have that conversation over and over. And then, if it works for them, they will have it over and over... and the messages spreads.

It's not just true about businesses. It is true about faith. When people are really convinced that Jesus makes a difference in their lives, they talk about Jesus! When people think a specific church is effective in helping them in thier lives, they talk about thier church. And they offer an invitation.

A simple invitation for people to give Jesus a real shot in thier lives can open the door to life change. A simple invitation to people to come to church and to see what is going on there can open that same door.

By the way... I have seen stats that say that over 85% of people invited to church actually say yes and try it out.

So what works for Lowes, Home Depot, Ruby Tuesday, Red Robin, Olive Garden works for the church too...

How does God get his message out? One of the most effective ways is through the invitation of transformed people... people like you.

WE WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY AT 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00. It's Easter... Invite someone and see what God does...

Be careful who you listen to.

2010-03-29T20:22:00.000-05:00

Get in your car at night, scan the radio and you are likely to come across a talk/music show presented by Delilah. I have listened to her when I am heading somewhere on several occassions. People call in and dedicate songs to loved ones . It is all quite mushy at times...and often kind of a feel good program. And more often than not, she gives advice about how to have healthy relationships with other people in their lives.

I ran across a news item about her and decided to do some "internet" digging. I know you can not trust everything you read...but a couple things are pretty consistent.

This radio personality, who has upwards of 8 million regular listeners on 222 radio stations, gives advice on relationships and love. She is the mother of 10 children, 7 of which are adopted. (That is pretty amazing and cool). She grew up in Reedsport Oregon, which was just down the road from where I went to high school. It's a nice coastal town.

She has been married and divorced 3 times. Not so sure that this qualifies her to give relationship advice... You never really hear about that...but that would concern me.

What concerns me more though is the statement that she posts on her own website. Here it is ...

"We don't try to fix people. We listen. We sympathize. We empathize. If the show has a message it is 'listen to your own gut. Trust your own intuition. Go where it leads. Don't give up."

There is a problem here... The Bible says, " There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12, 16:25.

I just think we all need to reminded that the strongest voice speaking into our lives , should not be a radio personality, a preacher, a mentor, a boss, a relative and especially not our own. It should be the Bible. That is what we should be listening to.

If we listen to others, or even worse, just ourselves... it will have some very bad consequences. I have seen this in my life. Human intuition... or our "gut" certainly should not be the primary source of instruction and guidance . It should be the Bible. This book has stood the test of time. What a gift to all of us!

Unfortunately, we seem to be more interested in listening to other voices... it is a good reminder to me ( and I hope to you) that God himself gave us the Word. It is a light and a lamp. ( Psalm 119).

Be in the Word... and listen to THE voice that speaks from those pages of truth.

Triathalon update

2010-03-26T17:29:00.001-05:00

Many months ago I was preaching and mentioned how much I admired those that did the Ironman Triathalon. Apparently people were listening. Several have asked about that goal and whether I was going to go for it.

One person that heard that was a friend named David. Since October he and I have been working out 5 days a week. I was working out regularly on the elyptical machine...but David has really helped me with getting stronger, faster and more balanced. Core exercises, plyometrics, and a variety of other workouts have helped me alot. The last month the focus has been on the upcoming triathalon.

Swimming was the first obstacle. It really has not been hard...because I like to swim. The stroke came back to me quickly. Most mondays I swim about a mile. Lately we have been focusing on 400 yard increments. ( That is the distance of the next triathalon.) Yesterday I set a personal best... under 8 mintues!

Running has not been to hard. I have done 3 5K's since October. Each time I have set a personal best, and although I am not too speedy, I am conistently getting better.

Biking ? Well, that has been another story. I have borrowed a bike, which comes from a very generous friend. David has been working hard to get me out there on the road. The problem is that I am not too comfortable on the road, especially if there are cars on the road with me. But we have taken on about 4 or 5 10 mile rides...including one today. I was much more comfortable today , and did my best time. I still would prefer bike paths, but the truth is that we do not live in Oregon...( where they are everywhere.)

So , tomorrow it is a mock tri... 7 AM.... 200 yard swim, 11 mile bike and 2 mile run. I think I will finish... and may do ok.

All of this leads up to the real deal in two weeks. The Spring Sprint Tri in Claremore is a 400 yard swim, 12 mile bike ride and 2 mile run. I understand there will be 300 or more people there. My goal... to finish inside of the first 300 or so. :) (Really, it is just to finish.)

I am very thankful for my friend David, who is beginning to train other people. ( I will write more about him in the future.). And I am thankful that I have taken on this challenge and I am looking forward to seeing where it leads me. I have had alot of encouragement from several people and that is always good.

Ironman Triathalon? Well, it would be nice ...but I have a ways to go. I think I will just stick with some smaller challenges for the time being.

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement along the way.

Charlie

"Undercover" greeter

2010-03-21T21:15:00.001-05:00

Today was a snowy cold day in Oklahoma! That is never good on a Sunday. I did not preach today and had planned to visit a church in Broken Arrow, but roads were bad. So I went to FCC and hung out for the services... It was great! I don't get to talk to alot of people on Sundays...so this was a good thing!

I am watching "Undercover Boss" tonight. I can't really go undercover at the church...but I did have a moment today that reminded me of this show.

It was second service...attendance was low and we did not have a greeter at one of the doors. So I was just hanging there and decided to grab some service bulletins and started passing them out. I said, "Welcome to FCC! " then stuck my hand out and shook their hand.

What a great experience! Most preachers shake people out.... I was shaking people in ! People did not know what to make of it. Now, to be honest, most did not know that I was not preaching, so it kind of confused some people. But most people figured it out once they got in the worship center.

It was alot of fun. And while it was not "undercover", it still made me appreciate all the things volunteers do at FCC. It takes alot of different people doing different things to get a Sunday morning service up and running each week. Our Staff, ministry leaders and volunteers work hard. They know that they are BIG part of how people feel welcomed, cared for, and ministered to.

Thank you FCC volunteers! You are awesome.

Ready on the bench

2010-03-06T22:07:00.000-06:00

If you are a part of a team, you want to play. But everyone can not play all the time. So some sit on the bench....sometimes for the whole season. But when you number is called, you have to be ready.

I sat on the bench alot in high school. I sat on the bench in college...but it did not matter because I loved being part of the team and I loved basketball. But there was a time when my team needed me. So I played. Neither experience produced anything dramatic, but it felt good to be on the floor.

That was not the case today for Kyle Kuric. Kyle plays for the Louiville Cardinals. They were playing #1 Syracuse in the last game at Freedom Hall. The place was charged up, emotional, and electric. You would not blame Kyle for thinking that he probably would not get in game. After all, it figured to be close.

Well..... The starting guard hurt his thumb and was out for the game. So in the second half, Kyle Kuric gets the call. And guess what???? Unknown and unheralded Kyle Kuric led the Cardinals to an upset victory of the #1 team in the land. Several steals, several rebounds, dunks, and a total of 22 points in the second half!

What a moment for Kyle Kuric! He was on the bench, but he was ready... He practiced hard, he knew his role, and then when he got the call, he put his heart out there and just played.

That is one of the great stories of this years College Basketball season.

Kyles story reminds me that even in practice, I should do my best.Much of life is practice. Much of life is full of the same things each day. But even in the mundane moments of life, there are points where you and I are being prepared for something significant in our lives. And when the call comes... we need to be ready to go!

There are no wasted moments in God's economy. And God loves surprises. I think about my friend in scripture , Peter... He spent some time on the bench....but he did not give up. Jesus got him in the game in John 21. Then in Acts 2, when the call came to him, he preached his heart out! He was ready...and boy did he preach! I love it!

Do your best in whatever you are doing, for the glory of God AND so you will be ready. It may seem boring...it may just seem like practice... the odds are you may not find yourself in the game...but You just never know when you might get the call.... and then it is your turn to shine.

Awesome day

2010-02-28T20:39:00.000-06:00

I love what is happening at FCC... Today 9 people made decisions to make FCC thier church home. Lots of new people, great energy, and a real desire to influence others. We have had a bunch of new members this year along with many baptisms along the way. It's not about how many, but I am energized by the numbers of people who are finding a Biblically relevant church family that they can be a part of.

Tomorrow Bobby Reed officially starts as the Stone Canyon Campus Pastor. So excited to get started on this. Would you consider being part of the launch team? What does it take? Well, I think it starts with a "calling" from God to do something different, bold, and faith-filled. It takes a spirit of pioneering. It also takes a "can-do" spirit. You need to be the kind of person who can look at a situation and not be overwhelmed by the problem, ( remember God is greater), but instead be energized by solutions. You probably need to be more interested in reaching people with the Gospel than with maintaining the status quo. You need to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Is that you? Then Stone Canyon may be for you . Email Bobby ( breed@fccowasso.com) and find out some more about the opportunity.

Charlie

9

ON YOUR MARK

2010-02-25T14:57:00.000-06:00

There are only 7 Sundays until Easter. What will we talk about this year at Easter? It is always a challenge to preach Easter services because messages need to be shorter (to accomodate 3 back to back to back services) AND to preach the gospel to people who have not been in church for a year along with people who are there every week. There is such a wide spectrum of people in Easter services.

The Easter theme for this year is "ON YOUR MARK..." What is that all about? Well, Easter services focus on the ressurection of Jesus Christ. This year we are talking about our influence in our community and across the world. So the idea here is that we will call all people, no matter where they are to get to the starting line and MOVE.... If a person is not a Christian, we are going to call them to get ON YOUR MARK and make a move toward the ONE who saved their soul. If a person is a Christian, but not engaged in ministry in any way, we are going to call them to do more than just cross the starting line...but to get going...go deeper, invest in a ministry for God and make a different. If a person is a committed believer, we are going to call them to step into something that maybe challenges their comfort a little bit. Take a bold step of faith and do something RADICAL for Christ. Maybe it is a missions trip. Maybe it is just talking to a friend about Christ. Maybe it is loving someone you find totally unloveable. Maybe it is starting a ministry that God has put on their heart.

Any way you slice it, this EASTER will be for everyone who enters the doors of the church building.

So this is where you come in... INVITE PEOPLE TO COME ON APRIL 4th. We should fill our auditorium up 3 times on that day. ( 8:00 9:30 and 11:00 AM) I can promise you that they will hear a message about the ressurected Christ that will motivate them, no matter where they are in thier spiritual lives. The Worship, drama, choirs and message will all drive home the point...NOW is the time to be ON OUR MARK and be ready to move ....

"LET'S TRY SOMETHING"

2010-02-19T22:22:00.000-06:00

One of the things I am going to write more about in this blog are some of the WINS we have at FCC. We need to get the word out. Expect more about the cool things God is doing.

Several months ago Tim came to us and said he wanted to host a Arts Conference put on by Willow Creek Community Church. Last year, one of our themes in the staff was that "we were going to try some things." So we said, "Go for it."

Today was the conference, which was brought by Satelitte. There were worship teams from at least 5 different churches present...about 60 people total.

There is alot to like about this. One , FCC Worship team members got to "fill" up their souls. These people give alot...so it was great for them to sit back and take in. Two, we got to serve some other churches who could not bring a conference like this to their church. One of our values is that we are kingdom church.... part of something bigger than ourselves. So it was a good reminder of that today. Three, We tried something and it was a success!

Not everything we try succeeds. When it doesn't, we try to learn from it. But it is nice when we "try something" and it works.

Good job Tim Tibbles, and all of your superior worship team... That was a WIN...

GENEROUS GIVERS

2010-02-18T20:04:00.000-06:00

I love our church. You are so generous, especially to people in need. Some examples

Today, we gave out a bunch of groceries to people in need. It happens almost every day. Times are hard for a lot of people, so the need is great. We have a great team of people who collect, organize and give out the food. COMMUNITY CARE MINISTRY ROCKS!

A couple weeks ago we announced we would take up an offering for Haiti Relief. This was in January ( when people are paying off Christmas). This was the first month of our new budget year ( always a challenge).

You gave $13,340.00! Our Missions Team gave an additional $6,000. So this week we sent off $19,340.00 to IDES ... a relief ministry we support. FCC PEOPLE ROCK!

Generosity reflects a grateful heart. God has done so much for us... and we are expected to extend that grace to others... It is great to be part of a church that LIVES that out.

CHANGES

2010-02-17T11:48:00.000-06:00

The new website for FCC OWASSO is now up and going. We hope that the website (www.fccowasso.com) will become the front door to our church. So many people use electronic media to find out about what we are doing and who we are!

With that in mind, soon I will be linking this blog to the website. I hope to use the blog to communicate more and more to the church and to those that are searching for a church about the things going on at FCC.

This means that I will post more than I have in the past. It also means that I will probably be more focused on church events, or items of interest to the church family. My hope is that it will spur interest in other sections of the website including children's, early childhood, youth, groups and worship.

I won't totally abandon some thoughts and reflections about my life or the life of my family. You probably will see an occassional photo of Gracie or any of our kids.

I am hopeful that you will check it often and use the blog as a way to connect to the work of God at FCC OWASSO.

What a day!!!

2010-02-07T18:13:00.000-06:00

What a day! We hosted Sean and Misty Algaier ( and their three lovely kids). He has a great testimony about INFLUENCE.

As I was interviewing him in second service, I thought to myself, "I feel like I have known this guy for 10 years." I watched him as he hung around and visited with people for nearly an hour after the service. Everyone was important to him. I like that.

It was a great experience for me personally to talk to him and share what God is doing in his life with the people of FCC.

There were other really special points for me this morning. Just to list a few...

* Following the service a man in our church came up to me and gave me the biggest hug. He just said, "thank you...I needed that so much." It was so heartfelt. Later I thought, "Well I really did not do that much..." but I think he needed to hug someone... and I am sure that if he could have, He would have just hugged God. God is working in his life.

* One guy that has been out of work for 11 months got a job offer Friday. He , his wife and daughter came and found me and told me. I was so thrilled... been praying for them for a long time. Even better, he gets to stay in Owasso, office out of his home, and his pay is better than the job he had 11 months ago. Is that not just like God ?!

* Another guy, who is 30 years old came and found me this morning. He had a stroke 4 weeks ago, which was a huge curveball for him and his family. When I heard that he had a stroke, I went to the hosptial to encourage him, pray with him and share some of the experiences I have had over the past 4 or so years. It was so good to see him. He had headed back to work part time and is on the mend. I was so blessed to see him... He is on a journey of recovery and health.

* Greg came up to me. You have to know Greg... most people don't, but he is the brother of one our members... who finds me almost every Sunday. He always has a good word about my sermon , hugs me, and asks me, "Are you encouraged today brother?" I always say to him, "Greg, how could I not be encouraged by you?" Greg came up today and told me, "Hey, we are moving to Houston this week." I had heard about it through his brother, but when he told me, I have to say I almost cried. I am going to miss Greg alot. He's just real... and a postive influence in my life. We agreed that if he is back in Owasso, he would find me. It wouldn't be any other way... he's been doing it for the last 18 months or so...almost every Sunday.

* Speaking of someone "leaving...." Rod and Amanda Pennington are headed to Thailand this week. It's a 4 year term. We prayed for them... and will continue to do so. Great people who love God so much.

* Decisions, Decisions, Decisions... Yup, five families made decisions for Christ today. 4 young people were baptized. 4 families joined the church... And a young man named Ethan came forward to ask for prayer because he is on a journey of major influence in his life. I loved that.

Good stuff...Great day

Fearlessly proclaim....

2010-02-04T20:25:00.000-06:00

This week, Matt, Mike and I have been at Savannah Christian Church at what is called "Next Level" conference. This church is a "prevailing" church of 6000. They have 4 campuses, and most of the growth has come in the last 10-12 years.

It is good leadership training by guys who have been through the stages of growth that we are going through and beyond. The conference itself is small enough that you can talk to the guys and pick their brains about leadership and church growth. Tonight we ate dinner with an old friend from Broken Arrow who is one of their regional campus pastors here in Savannah. It was fun to catch up, but also to pick his brain about having different campuses and the implications of such leadership decisions.

One of the best things about these kinds of opportunities is that they are challenging, , but also affirming. We hear how people are doing things and the challenges they faced to get where they are. And often we are encouraged because we are making good decisions and thinking through leadership decisions.

There are always things to learn. There are always mistakes to avoid. We make mistakes just like everyone else. But, these churches have a certain DNA that says, "We will not settle for status quo." There are lost people every where who need Jesus, and the Church of Jesus Christ can not sit back and say,"well I hope they find us." Instead, we are to be on the offense. We are to move in the world and take back ground from the enemy. Souls are at stake here...souls that Jesus died for.

I was reading tonight from Ephesians 6. I came across this prayer of Paul's which spoke to me.

" Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the msytery of the gospel.... Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." Eph 6:19, 20b

I wondered, "What if every Christian made that request of God and those they were closest to?" Would God grant the words? I believe he has already promised to do that. Would those words have an impact on people who don't know Jesus? I believe they would.

It is a simple thing... Pray for 5 other people to "fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel." Pray for 5 people who you know would sieze the opportunity to share a good word about Jesus with someone else. Then trust God for the results.

I am going to make a list of 5 people that I can pray for. I am asking you to do the same. And if I could be so bold as the Apostle Paul... "Would you pray for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make know the msytery of the gospel?"

Thanks,

Charlie

REFELCTIONS

2010-01-31T20:15:00.000-06:00

The weekend is over...some thoughts...

A MOMENT OF TRANSPARENCY.....Sometimes on Sundays I wonder if people are really listening... or if they are a 1000 miles away. I know most are "in and out" depending on the subject...In this day of multi-tasking I wonder if people are just more wired to be present in one place and somehow be present in another. I see people with thier I-Phones and I wonder if they are on Facebook, or really using a Bible App. Someone asked me this week how I felt about all the people using phone bible app's. I said, "I am not sure..." I think you just have to trust the intentions of people. Not everyone is on the up and up with this... and some people are pretty bold about what they do in church... But it occurs to me that even if people are only "there" part of the time, or if they are distracted...somehow God can get through. He always does.

A SECOND MOMENT OF TRANSPARENCY.....It is a challenge to preach to a room that is only 1/4 full ( especially when everyone is spread out.) A real challenge.

I LOVE THIS IDEA.... of "Family Experience." (FX) It was a great thing to see moms, dads, grandparents and kids going to worship together. I think James, Aaron and the Children's Ministry Team are sending an important message to families..... "Christianity is a family affair."

It is kind of scary how far we have gotten away from what the Bible describes in Deut. 6. Imagine this... Mom, Dad's, grandparents and kids figuring out what it means to be a true disciple TOGETHER. Is there really any better environment for our kids to learn about Jesus and what it means to follow Him than in the HOME? Church programming is a supplement...never meant to be the only influence in a child's life.

As churches have gotten bigger, they have gotten more specialized. I am not against that at all... I think that children's programs in churches are important. But I also think that occassionally we should remind each other that it is not the church's responsibility to do all the teaching of children. Moms, Dads and grandparents have the greatest INFLUENCE on a child.

ON ANOTHER NOTE: I love hearing about the people who attend our church being "out there" helping others. Many of our wonderful members were out at "Extreme Home Makeover" to help build a new home for a family. Some provided manpower. Some provided leadership. Some provided support and encouragement. I just love the fact that people put themselves out there...and don't believe that the sum total of their Christianity is what happens from 9-11 AM on Sunday Morning.

Is this not what we have been talking about all month... INFLUENCE.... The church needs to leave the building.! It's happening! There is alot more to come as we explore partnerships with our community.

By the way, I think it is amazing that we had nearly 1000 people at church today... with all the snow and Ice. We had dozens of people at Discovery 101 this afternoon. We have three missions trips to Honduras, Thailand and China coming up this spring and summer. We have 600 adults in groups and classes. Matt can't find enough room for groups to meet...

What does all that say? I am not sure, but I am excited about what God is up to at FCC.

Enough reflections... I will try to write more often... so maybe they will be shorter. I won't promise that :) But I will try.

God makes a way

2009-12-27T17:55:00.000-06:00

I suppose that some areas of the country are different than Oklahoma. Go way north and a few inches of snow with wind is not that big of a deal. Go way south and it rarely happens.

We tend to get caught in the middle. So, each winter I hope and even pray that bad weather will not blow in on a Saturday or Sunday AM. I despise cancelling services. So I watch the weather a little closer, trying to pay attention. Oklahoma forecasters are notoriously bad at forecasting snow in advance...but I listen anyway.

Sooooooo.... this week began with the mention of some snow...Wednesday or maybe Christmas Eve. Yeah...right!

It ended up coming in Thursday afternoon. It was drizzle,sleet, then ice, 40 mph winds, and then 8 inches of snow.

Christmas Eve services cancelled. I hated it, but it was the right decision..

What followed was brutal cold, no melting on Christmas day. Okay, we still have Saturday, sunshine, and above freezing temps. Our snow crews worked hard all day to get the snow off the parking lot... but it was too much.

The neighborhoods are in terrible shape ( Oklahoma does not plow neighborhoods). The main road were good..but the parking lots were as bad as the neighborhood streets.

So decision time yesterday afternoon..... Unsafe roads mean unsafe parking which leads to unsafe walking on ice... add to that the fact that some of our most dedicated people are older and it was a change that we could not take.

CANCELLED Sunday Services.

Some churches did not cancel...but it was the right decision for us. (This is a nightmare for a preacher... no one wants to cancel).

So I went up to the church this morning. The parking lot was an ice rink. Good decision.

Only one problem... a man had been planning to come forward this morning to publicly rededicate his life to Christ. I called his Son and told Him about the cancellation. He asked if his dad could come anyway and make his rededication in front of their small group who had agreed to meet at the church one way or another.

How could I say anything but "I will be there?" And so they came. About 30 total people (big small group.) I shared a brief scripture from Acts 16 - the Phillipian Jailer... "What must I do to be saved?" I shared that if people want to come to Christ, or get right with Christ, God will make a way.

One thing I have not shared... the man lives in Grove, about 60 miles away. He drove here this morning . He knew church was cancelled, but he came anyway to be with his son and family. Then when he got there, his son told him, "Charlie and the group are waiting at the church...we are going to do this."

It was a sweet moment as he shared about how much this group meant to him, and how much FCC had meant to him, especially in helping him come back to God.

After a time of confession, we prayed, took communion as a group, and celebrated. He wants to be baptized at his new church in Grove... that will happen next week. His son will baptize Him.

When we were done, I told them, "This is why we (FCC) do what we do." We help others to know, love, serve and share Him.

"Weather" or not, we had church this morning... I know lots of others that did too, some in thier buildings, some in thier homes... and some as families, some as small groups.

I loved it. And after they were all gone, I took a minute and remembered what it was like to minister to 30, 40, 60, or100 people. So many good times... I am blessed to serve a very large church, with awesome people every where. We have a tremendous staff, great elders, and dedicated Christ-followers everywhere. But it these special moments that remind me that Jesus was interested in the one sheep that wandered off. Luke 15:3-7 tells the story. I suspect He would never let a little ice and snow get in the way of finding "the one."

So, cancellation or not, it all worked out great. "One" came home, a small group saw how they could influence someone to come home... and I somehow, by God's grace, got to be there.

Good stuff....

By the way, "they say" it's supposed to snow again on Wednesday. I wonder what God is up to?

Risks

2009-12-23T20:26:00.000-06:00

I have a friend who is taking a risk... a big risk. He is putting himself out there. On the surface it looks like a great opportunity to invest in someone that probably needs it. But it is risky.

I have been reading some stuff he is writing about this... and every time I think to myself, "Could I take that kind of risk?"

I dont know...but risk taking is part of our faith. Risk taking oozes from the Bible.

If we never took a risk, would we ever exercise "faith?" ( You know the answer)

If we live life taking no risks, who do we depend on? (obvious answer)

If we choose to do only what we know we can do, is that really all that challenging? ( not so much)

My friend is taking a big risk, and each step of the way, I applaud him for it. I respect him for it. If it turns out well, I think it will be worth the risk.

But if for some reason it does not turn out well, I think He still will think it was worth the risk.

That is a good place to be.

I am thinking about some risk taking myself for the coming year. Some of those risks I am already committed to. I alternate from apprehension to excitement. As it all unfolds, I believe that I will see God's hand at work. I already have, so I have confidence that even in the risk, God will see me through it.

But there are a couple things out there that I need to commit too... It's kind of like stepping off the edge of a cliff. You may be "roped in", have spotters and all that, but you still have to take the first step. When you step over the edge, you are "all in." I want to be "all in." But they are big steps. ( The first one over the edge always is.)

My friend's risk taking is helping me get closer to the edge on a couple of those things.

There is another who took a big risk.... on me. His birthday is this week. When I think about what He did for me... it makes me think about how "all in" am I for Him. I fall short.

I will let you know how it turns out for my friend and me. Pray for him... pray for me... and think about some ways you might take a step toward a risk.

Near the edge....

Charlie

Generosity

2009-12-22T20:49:00.000-06:00

It's been a hard year for alot of people. I know that some parts of the country have really struggled with economic issues... 18 months ago, Tulsa was declared to be "recession-proof." To quote one of my favorite football analysts, "Not so fast my friend....."

Last night a local trucking company told its 1000 drivers on the road to shut it down. They had run out of money. Tulsa city leaders are trying to figure out how to cut millions out of the budget. They seem to be starting with public saftey. Not sure I get that one... after all, we still have lots of crime, record murder rate, and many fires , along with emergencies right and left.... but I digress....Schools are feeling the pinch. The state of Oklahoma looked good a few months ago. But not so much right now. The recession has caught up with us.

In spite of that, our church continues to be incredibly generous. Giving has been amazing. We will finish well ahead of budget and expenditures for the year. How do I explain that? Well, we have very generous people.

But it is more than just giving money on Sundays. It is an attitude. It is the attitude of generosity that motivates young families to go to John 3:16 and serve food. It is that attitude that challenges small groups to reach out to the hungry , cold, and sick to meet needs. People with jobs are helping people without jobs. Food is being supplied on many fronts. Kindness is expressed to people who are going through hard times. I only hear about a fraction of it, but I know it is happening.

One example....I know of a teenage small group that took thier own money and went and bought some kids gifts for Christmas. What is interesting is that the kids used their own money. As I understand it, they did not ask thier parents for the money. Their leader took them to a local store and they pooled their money and bought the gifts. Those kids learned alot. They learned about how generosity does cost something. They learned how expensive some of the stuff they take for granted really is. From what I have heard , some of them went home and told thier parents, "Thanks for all the things you do for me."

These are 7th graders.... enough said.

Generosity oozes out of our church, and it is not just into an offering plate. It's not just money. It is an attitude.

I do not know what 2010 will hold for us. I am confident that we will have all we need to do what God wants us to do. I do not know how much will be given. But here is one thing I know... we will not lose our generosity. It is part of who we are.

No matter what the economy does, I am so glad to be part of of a church that will always be generous. Way to go...FCC!

The Best gift ever?

2009-12-14T22:11:00.000-06:00

Is it really "the most wonderful time of the year?"

Sunday I talked about the Christmas Carol, "Away in the Manger." I talked about the simplicity of the Christmas story. I also talked alot about the "tender care of Jesus."

What suprised me were the tears. During and after services, so many people wiped away tears. What was it all about? I did not think the sermon was a "tear-jerker." But it touched a nerve in young and old.

It was because Christmas is hard for many people.

It is hard for the person who will have an empty space at their table this year.

It is hard for the woman whose husband decided to chase after someone else this year.

It is hard for the mom and dad who have lost thier son to cancer.

It is hard for the family who was told that the job they had counted on for years would not be there after the first of the year.

It is hard for the children who lost a parent to cancer.

It's hard for the couple who have prayed , sometimes for years, for a miracle baby to come into their lives.

It is hard for the wife that never feels like she measures up to her husbands standards.

It is hard for the children who hear their parents fighting in the other room.

There is alot to be happy about at Christmas. But here is something to think about. Look around at the people around you. Get beyond the surface and look into thier lives. You might find some lives that are messy, hurting, and full of discouragement. You might find someone who is worried and fearful. You might find someone who is hungry and cold. You might find someone who is just tired of putting on a happy face and telling everyone on that they are great.

Those people might just fall into your arms...and burst into tears. And if that happens, be there. Be fully there. Just listen. When appropriate, extend your arms to them. Show them a special kind of love that accepts them where they are, points them to Jesus and makes them feel loved. Listen, pray, and listen some more. Do what you can, and then give them a hug.

It may be the best gift you give this year at Christmas

Compliments and Criticisms... Learning from both.

2009-12-12T21:22:00.000-06:00

"It takes 10 compliments to offset 1 criticism." I found that out this week.

I like compliments....alot. I get alot of them. People are really good to me.

I am good with constructive criticsm... really. I get more than you might think... and if the spirit is right, I deal with it pretty well.

I am not good with nit-picky and veiled shots that people sometimes take.

This week I got all three.

After thinking about it, and sulking just a little bit, I realized that one specific compliment was given to me ( by someone whose opinion I value greatly), in advance of the negative statement. God brought it back to me and reminded me that I need to accept the kernal of truth, but not let it get to me. Most criticism, even the nit picky shots have a kernal of truth. God uses it , even when it hurts.

Then today I read a piece from a highly respected leader who wrote that "Leadership is hard." Why should it be any different for me? Some days are hard...honestly, for me, most are not. I am blessed to be in a great church, with great people, a great staff, and fantastic leaders.

Tonight Pam and I went to a young adults Christmas event... and I was reminded, "This is why I do what I do." Young adults, many of whom have come up through our ministry to youth in the past 15 years, serving God, raising families, and reaching out. I see thier leaders and I think, " We are in good shape for the future...Leadership is coming up." I came away boosted and enouraged by them. It was exactly what I needed.

Now I am ready to go preach tomorrow...

Learning lessons from good teachers

2009-11-07T10:10:00.000-06:00

Who was your favorite teacher? In school, I had so many teachers ( and it has been so long ago) that I really can't remember a favorite. I had a German teacher that I liked... and a High School Geography teacher I really liked. Of course, he was also my basketball coach( maybe that was it).

But outside of school I have had alot of teachers. Pam has taught me alot. She does not conduct lessons...but she has taught me that you do what you have to do when things that are unexepcted come your way. I can never forget how she stepped up 3 1/2 years ago and took care of me when I was sick. She did not sign up for what she got. She taught me about committment, love, and keeping at it even when it was hard. She has taught be about sacrifice. And her care for me and my health continues to this day ( as we had a talk about my schedule). I would like to think I would do the same thing... but I am well know for being a little low in "mercy gifts." Her example shows me the way.

My parents are teaching me right now. Same sort of things. Into thier 70's, when things should be kind of cruising, they have hit some hard times. But they keep a positive spirit. They are supportive of my sister who has really struggled. Thier faith is strong, and thier love for each other is growing. Its encouraging to me... and teaches me about how I should be.

I have a co-worker named Lori who is teaching me some things right now. She has stage IV melanoma. She has had more heartbreak and sorrow in the last 3 years than most of us combined. And now this. The doctors prognosis is not good for her...but she is teaching me that there is optimism when you have faith in Christ. She is teaching me that it is okay to laugh your way through the bad news, and always be looking for the positive. Her notes that say, "Hey, Its a great day to be on this side of the grass," is pretty amazing. She is teaching me... about how to live well, even in spite of tough circumstances.

I have a friend who is teaching me that finding something you love to do for yourself is okay. He recently did something pretty cool and he is like the proverbial kid in a candy store. He is dedicated to God, to the church, to his family and to his work. It is cool to see him do something fun for himself. I need to learn a lesson or two there...

I am learning from Jesus. This month I have been looking at passages that deal with stewardship. Its a touchy subject for some people. Jesus did not pound on people, he just loved them, told them the truth and let the truth settle in their heart. That is what I want to do more of... "let the truth settle in thier heart." I do not have to change lives... that is the Holy Spirit's job. I just have to be used by him to get the Word out there...

God keeps putting teachers in my life... it must mean that I have alot to learn. I suppose that is true for all of us... Teachers are all around us...so let's keep learning.

Truth-telling

2009-10-29T08:38:00.000-05:00

Athletics provide us with many opportunities for lessons... lessons that we all need to learn and re-learn.

Dez Bryant, the Oklahoma State wide receiver is known as one of the best college football players in the nation. He is a 1st team All- America, and has been a vital player in the resurgence of Oklahoma State football. He has a great personality ( at least from a distance), has stayed eligible in school, has been a good teammate, and in general had a great career.

This summer, it is alleged that he spent time with Deion Sanders and some associates, who at least on the surface seem to be connected to professional agents.(Maybe they were, but maybe they weren't) Apparently someone caught wind of this, and eventually the NCAA began to ask some questions.

In interviews with the NCAA, Bryant was "less than forthcoming." That means "He lied." He did not tell the truth about those encounters with Sanders and friends, because he "thought they might be violations of NCAA rules." So he did not tell the truth.

When it all came to light, what he did was not a violation. It was okay for him to eat dinner with Sanders and even take a jog with him. But the fact that he lied is a serious violation.

I have listened to lots of people who have said, "What is the big deal? He was scared? He thought that what he did was wrong, so he did not tell the truth."

The problem is that this is epidemic in our society. In the last month two promiment Head Coaches and some of their staff in Tulsa High School football have been suspended because they were "less than forthcoming with the information they were asked for." They lied. In the course of things, they did not seem like big deals either. But superintendents were forced to go before the media and announce suspensions, forfeits and other penalties, because according to the investigations , their guys did not tell the truth.

Here is the deal... If people of any walk of life are allowed to lie their way out of trouble, it tears are the fabric of who we are as a culture and people. If we can not trust High School coaches, who lead teams of 100 football players, we have a problem. If coaches can cheat, and then lie about it, or just not tell anyone the total truth (what's the difference?) then we have a problem.

Of course, ( and I hate to bring up the past), but in the middle 90's we had a president who lied under oath about his relationship with an intern, and it got him impeached. Should we be surprised that we hear more and more of this today?

Lying will get you arrested and thrown in jail (ask Martha Stewart). Lying will get you fired. Lying will destroy the trust of those you are closest to.. Lying wrecks your life.

I think God has a better idea...one that we should pay attention too.

"He who concelas his sins does not prosper, but who ever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. " Proverbs 28:13

Dez Bryant apparently broke no other rule than the one that says, "Thou Shalt not lie.." After he was caught, he came clean about it...but it has cost him, and his university. I don't like the punishment that the NCAA gave him. I think it is heavy-handed and inappropriate. ( We can debate this...but a one year suspension seems like a bit much here). But it does send a message... maybe a message that others have not been willing to send. If you lie, you will not prosper. You will not get away with it.

Tell the truth all the time.... It just is better that way.

One other verse from Proverbs 28:14- " Blessed is the man who always fears the lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble."

I fear that we have hardened our heart toward "truth-telling". But as I heard all the time growing up..."Honesty is the best policy."

Right Place, Right Time, Right Person

2009-10-25T22:39:00.000-05:00

Matt Thomason and I have been in Southern California for the last 4 days. We have seen lots of really neat things. Lots of church things, and lots of beautiful scenery. And of course we have met some amazing people... The Kingdom of God is incredible that way... lots of people who do not know you, but are willing to share and help you, all because of a higher calling to the Kingdom of God.

The highlight of the trip for me came this afternoon. We have been studying what churches are doing to grow, and looking at some different models. One of the models we are very interested in, but we have struggled with one question. Over and over, we have tried to figure out the answer to a question and it seemed like there was no good answer. The solutions we were coming up with were just not right.

So after our lunch meeting, we headed north to see Cindy Minich ( former FCC member and a good friend). We found her place and follow a good visit, we headed out to Saddleback Church. But along the way, God reminded me of Crossroads Christian Church in Corona. We were going to drive through there, so we got off the busy freeway ( freeways are always busy out here.) We found the church and decided to look around. We found the worship center, which seats 3100 people. As we looked around, God put one person in our path who was a video editor for the technology team. He was very friendly and we got to talking.

In the course of the conversation, he told us of a process they work on, which was the answer to the question that we had. As he talked , we realized that this guy was giving us the answer, even though we had not asked the question. It was amzing. We walked out of there 5 minutes later, just blown away about how God had put us at the right place, at the right time to talk to the right person.

It reminds me of Proverbs 16:9. "In his heart, man plans his course, but God determines his steps" I love seeing God do that, and I am glad that we were "smart enough" to listen to his direction.

I think there is a place for good planning...but ultimately if we are committed to listening to God every step of the way, we will always end up in the right place at the right time, even to talk to the right people.

It's a great way to live.

Keep your eyes on God

2009-10-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

This morning I was reading from 2 Chronicles 20. The enemies of God were gathered against Jehoshaphat and the people of God. The report had come to Jehoshaphat that there was this vast army that had already gathered in stratetic positions to attack.

"Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and the proclaimed as fast for all Judah. the people of Judah came toghetehr to seek help from the Loed, indeed , they came from every town in Judah to seek him." 2 Chronicles 20:3-4

So the people come and Jephoshaphat prays . (20:6-12) It is a passionate plea for help. His ending line in the prayer caught my attention.

" We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." 2 Chronicles 20:12

Have you been there? I have. I usually get the first part right... "I do not know what to do..." But the second part.... not so much. I usually say, "I do not know what to do, but I am going to do something... and I hope you bless it."

Jehoshaphat had the right plan... "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." We will wait to hear from you. We will do what you tell us to do. We have no other option but to do this.

Of course God answered... told Jehoshaphat that he really had nothing to worry about. God had it under control. God could see the future and He had a plan.

If you read the rest of the chapter, you see how God worked in a miraculous way.

I think alot of this came about because Jephoshaphat just keep his eyes on God. He was bold in his prayers, but patient in his actions. He waited to hear from God, and then let God unfold his plan.

Both in my life and as a church leader I could learn alot from Jehoshaphat. There are alot of unanswered questions about the future. But If I ( and our church ) keeps our eyes on the Lord, He will reveal the plan step by step. It will take GREAT FAITH. It will take OBEDIENCE. It will take PERSEVERANCE. It will take alot of HARD WORK.

But in the end, I (and we as a church) will celebrate. We will praise God for we have seen that 2 Chronicles 20:21 is true.

" Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever."

No matter what you face in your life, keep your eyes on God... listen for his counsel, obey and then watch Him work. That is what makes life and the future so exciting.

WHY?

2009-10-21T21:28:00.001-05:00

WHY? That was the question. It came from a person who knew that Matt and I had been to Chicago a couple weeks ago to talk with some church leaders about some new ways of doing things.

I got to thinking about that question. Why? It's a fair question in most contexts. And certainly, when I am using church money and time, I should be able to answer the question.

But I think part of what bothered me was the blank look on the person's face. I just felt like this person was saying, "Why do we need to think about doing new things? Why do you need to go somewhere else to talk to other people who are doing new things? Why? "

It took my back to a statement I started the year with.

"WHEN YOUR MEMORIES EXCEED YOUR DREAMS, THE END IS NEAR."

I love that statement. ( I got it from Andy Stanley at Catalyst last year.) What are you dreaming about... or are you just living with your memories?

I have been doing alot of dreaming. I want to dream God-sized dreams that can only be accomplished with God-given power, Spirit-led faith and "whopper" sized committment.

We are on the verge of announcing some of those dreams on Nov. 1st. They are not my dreams... but they are dreams that God has laid on many of our leader's hearts, as we set out to "help others know, love, serve and share Him."

I have never been more excited by our future, and in a sense more overwhelmed by these dreams. But the truth is that God's plans for me, for us always involve faith , committment, big giant steps, and just a little bit of fear and trepidation. Those things keep me grounded... that it is about God and His plan.

Why? That quesiton can be answered by an old worn out saying... "Because if you keep on doing what you've always done, you will get what you have always gotten." ( my paraphrase)

It's a new day. God wants to do new things in us and through us. I am excited..

Be there on Nov. 1st.

Charlie

Titles and naming babies

2009-10-15T12:41:00.000-05:00

She announces that they are expecting a baby....7 1/2 months from now. Could she and her husband be any more excited? The anticipation of the new life coming into their home is very real. There is a healthy reality to the situation as well. Are we ready? Can we really afford this new mouth to feed for the next 18 years? Will everything turn out right? And the big one....

WHAT ARE GOING TO NAME THIS BOY OR GIRL?

I have been thinking about this..... ( no, no big announcement here from Pam and me!) But naming a baby is a huge deal. Some people stick with family names. Some people stick with Biblical names. Some people pick the names of movie stars, athletic hero's , or politicians. Some names are a combo deal. They combine the names of two grandparents to come up with some sort of interesting name... you know how it goes. There are alot of oddball names out there. You try to be nice....but when they tell you the name they have picked out for their child, there are times you want to say, "What were you smoking when you picked that name out?" ( I never say that.. I just smile and say, "What an interesting name!)

Rick Rusaw once said, "Preaching is like giving birth on Sunday and then waking up on Monday to find out you are pregnant again."

I feel that way sometimes... but it is a good feeling most of the time. Except for the titles. (naming the sermon , so to speak.)

I am working on preaching themes for 2010. I have a over-reaching main idea. I have known where God has wanted to take me in the preaching for the last several months. Lots of thinking, reading, prayer, and talking with people... that's not hard.

Now it is down to where the rubber meets the road. The title. The hardest part of this piece of the planning is series titles and sermon titles. I have been knocking a big chunk of the plan out for the last few weeks...and it is always the titles that get me.

I know what some of you are thinking... "Charlie, it's not the titles that count, its the content." I know that... Don't tell me that... I am with you. But....

I want to be witty... I want those titles to be catchy. I want the title to explode off the bulletin ! I want them to draw people in, snag them , and then lower the boom on them in the message. Hit them right between the eyes (figuratively of course) with the title AND the content.

The problem is that I am not that witty or catchy. I am not a fisherman... and I have a lousy right cross. So this is a big struggle for me.

I look for ideas...anywhere... Other preachers, magazines, movies, quotes... anything to stir some imagination and creativity.

Then I think about others. Does the President of the United States have to title his State of the Union address each year? Nope. It is just the 2009 State of the Union Address Did Knute Rockne title his pregame speech and the Fighting Irish go ready to go out and do battle? I don't know, but most of the time I think they are called, "The pregame talk." How about Jesus? I don't read about him getting ready to go down to the Sea of Galilee thinking in his mind, "Let's see, what am I going to call this talk??? How about "The Sermon on the Mount?" Yeah, that's catchy, witty and creative.

I think about people who write books... and then I read somewhere that the publisher usually title the books... lucky dogs...

So I am left with mom's-to-be and preachers... And guess what? When we settle on a title ( or a name), it is a big accomplishment. It's a break through. A good title means alot. A good name means even more. You can't really delegate naming a baby to some stranger can you? Same with a sermon... A title is your first shot into the minds of hearers and readers. It opens the door to the heart.

And it is a struggle at times.

Naming kids can be a struggle too... Have you ever known a kid that needs to wait to have himself named. It is a stab in the dark isn't it? How do you know that he is going to grow up true to his name? I propose that we wait until all kids are 21 , before they get their name. Hmnnnn.... that won't work.

Well, I can wait till the sermon is done to title it, can't I? ( insert the word, "YES"). So I LABOR ( pun intended) away... Titles are coming... I know they are....

Sermon writing is alot like giving birth. Sometimes they just come fast and furious. Sometimes they take alot of pushing. Sometimes they come in multiples. Sometimes they come in the most surprising places.

But every time, it looks easy if you are not the one carrying the baby ( or writing the sermon). Those of us who are husbands think ( to ourselves if we are smart), "Hey I could do that." I suspect that some people in the pews think the same about the sermon.

You may think it, but a word of advice... DO NOT SAY IT (to either of us.)

One last thing about sermons and having babies... It sure feels good when you get them out...

Now, I have to title this blog...Ugh!

"Me thinks I am old"

2009-09-07T21:22:00.000-05:00

This comes from a blog by David Landrith. It hit home.

This is the mindset of the freshman coming into college ( from Beloit College)

-They don’t remember when “cut and paste” involved scissors.
-Heart-lung transplants have always been possible.
-Wayne Gretzky never played for Edmonton.
-Pay-Per-View television has always been an option.
-Al-Qaida has always existed with Osama bin Laden at its head.
-“Whatever” is not a part of a question but an expression of sullen rebuke.
-Voicemail has always been available.
-The federal budget has always been more than a trillion dollars.
-Bill Gates has always been worth at least a billion dollars.
-The Starship Enterprise has always looked dated.
-They have grown up in a single superpower world.
-They never saw the shuttle Challenger fly.
-They never saw Pat Sajak or Arsenio Hall host a late night television show.
-Digital cameras have always existed.
-Tom Landry never coached the Cowboys.
-Jimmy Carter has always been an elder statesman.

Wow, I am old...

One Month to Live..

2009-09-06T22:04:00.001-05:00

The series, "One Month To Live" has been an earthquake for our church. Alot of things have come together to make it a high impact series.

* For sure, this is a God thing. He is moving. People feel some permission to ask some hard questions. They are thinking beyond the sermon time . They are taking it home, talking with friends and family. The challenge - "If you were given 30 days to to live, what would you change?" is powerful. God takes these kinds of thoughts and uses them.

* Our Worship Teams have done a great job of connecting all aspects of the service. Tim and his teams do more than just sing 4 or 5 songs on Sunday. He has other people that helped with the lighting, the staging, the sound, and the "marketing" of the topic within our building. People drive on to the property and they are confronted with topics. The "yard signs" are preparing people as they come in...

* The mood around this topic is upbeat and positive. This could be a sad , even dark series. But we have approached it with a very positive attitude. This is about living, not dying. People respond to that.

* The stories that are coming to me are amazing. What a joy to see and hear people talk about God and life in such revealing ways.

* The fall is usually really strong attendance wise. But this fall has been the best ever. Why? I think it is a convergence of many factors, not the least of which is that people are inviting friends. (hmmmmm..... Know, love , serve and SHARE...)

I am so looking forward to next week and seeing what God does when it comes to "Learning Humbly."

Wow!!!!

2009-08-25T23:14:00.000-05:00

Birthdays... they come around once a year. This year's birthday was great fun. The Facebook friends came through big. Lots of greetings and good wishes. I was in meeting all day, but they were invigorating, encouraging, and hopeful.

Ate Lunch with James, Dinner with Pam, both of which were nice.

then tonight had another meeting. Cant say alot about it right now,but God is up to something in our church. I can feel it. and so can others. There are some amazing opportunities for us to reach people for Christ...some of which are beyond our imagination.

I have a feeling that the only thing that will hold us back is how big our vision ends up being. I don't want to be the limitation to accomplish the vision God has for FCC , our community and even the world.

So pray for our, our leadership teams, Mike, matt and myself. We all want to be led by God in all of these things.

One Month To Live is off and running. The responses have been amazing... Look for some more in the coming days.

TURN

2009-08-19T21:43:00.001-05:00

Yesterday one of young moms was diagnosed with cancer. Pretty devestating to her, her husband, and kids.

What do you do when you find that out? You TURN....

TURN TO GOD. God cares...and God is there. He does not promise that we will not have valleys...but he does promise to walk through those valleys with us.

TURN TO FAMILY... I know they huddled together. They also have leaned on family

TURN TO YOUR SMALL GROUP. 24 hrs after the news... They were gathered in our church with thier small group, praying, crying, hugging, laughing and saying in every way possible, "We will go through this together."

Do you want to know why we are pushing groups and classes? Do you want to know why it is such big deal that you engage with a smaller group of people. Do you want to know why a class, a group or a ministry group is so important? Do you want to know why it is so important that you go beyond the 500-600 people in your service on Sunday???

Because you get cancer. Because your mom dies. Because your children rebel. Because your house burns down. Because you lose your job. Because you have a baby. Because you wonder if anyone cares. Because you need reassurance. Because you need to give hope, give love, and give reassurance. Because you need someone to share good news with...someone to laugh with...someone to share life with.

Because you need to give grace and receive grace. The best way to do that is to be a part of a group.

This couple did that. It has changed their lives. They have been part of helping change the lives of others... and now, they will go through another life changing experience.

Something tells me that this will turn out well. They have a great God, good family and a super small group.

Prayer for Tonya and David, Dalton and Andrea...

FCC ELDERS

2009-08-16T20:27:00.001-05:00

When I was a young kid, we lived in a mobile home that made noises at night. Occassionally, it would get windy and when it got windy the trailer would shake. I would lie in the dark thinking, "I hope that is just the wind." It always was the wind. But in the back of my mind I would comfort myself by remembering that my dad was in the house and if anything bad were to happen , he would take care of it. But I was always glad it was the wind.

This morning I asked all of our current Elders, the Elders from the past year and two new Elders to come on the stage. It is our custom to "ordain" new elders with prayer. We have moved this to the morning services, in part because we want to involve as much of the church family as possible. God told Moses to lay his hand on Joshua in front of the whole assembly...as a sign of his blessing and committment to Joshua's new leadership.

It occured to me that while these Elders are my friends, my leaders, as well as leaders for thier families and church, they also provide a certain measure of "comfort" because they are our protectors, overseers, and shepherds.

Things seem to happen pretty fast around FCC. We are growing and reaching people like never before. It seems like there are times I want to say, "Stop the craziness." But then I remember that God is in this... and that the efforts to reach out and connect people to God and in relationship with each other is what God called us to do. I love it!

Then I remember, when I want to jump off... that we have Elders in the house. They slow me down, prod me, love me, encourage me, support, sometimes warn me, other times they say yes and no. They teach , they lead groups, they help the other staff members, they pray for me, staff and church members all the time.

They are there. They find strength in our past, find power in the present, and share in our very hopeful future. They rely on the truth of scripture, the person of Christ, the personal ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the power of prayer.

There are there... even when it get's a little windy....

Thanks guys!

One of your best leadership moves....

2009-08-09T17:55:00.000-05:00

"If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you will be right." Steve Jobs, 2005 Commencement speech at Stanford. He's right.

This week, we addressed a subject that no one wants to talk about. In Numbers 27, Moses and God talk "transitions." That is always a hard talk to have, especially when you are a leader. God started it by reminding Moses that he would not be leading the people into the Promised Land. Moses said, "Appoint a man... so that the people will not be like a sheep without a shepherd." This is a statement that reveals Moses' character. He was not bitter or angry about the fact that he did not get to go in the promise land. He was thinking about the people he led. They needed a leader. God knew that and immediately he said, "Take Joshua."

No matter who you lead, there are questions that need to be asked and answered.

1. Do you have a plan for when you are not here? Probably need to talk about it with your spouse, children, business associates. Even at church, there needs to be regular discussion about the next generation of leadership on all levels.

2. Are you mentoring others to carry on into the future with your values? Fathers... have you passed on the important values to your children? In a marriage, if one of you does all the financial stuff, does the other one know enough to carry on if you are not here one day? Simple things like when you pay bills, passwords and usernames for online accounts.... a will goes along way toward helping people left behind in transitions. If you lead in a church ministry, who will come up behind you? After all, life goes on, and so does the ministry of God

There are many more questions. They do not all need to be answered today, but they will be answered...hopefully by you as you exercise leadership

After all, the people you lead (in any walk of life) should not be left like "sheep without a shepherd."

Gracie in the house

2009-08-01T15:18:00.000-05:00

We are starting an adventuresome week with Gracie in the house. Lizzie, Nathaniel, Lydia and James are on thier way to Florida.

So far??? Well it has only been 7 hours. A few thoughts.

She is a doll ( I am not biased)

She is so happy,

Pam and I are older than the first time around

We will have lots of fun with her.

What I need

2009-07-30T07:41:00.000-05:00

Here is a prayer you won't hear on prosperity TV shows...

" Two things I ask of you, O Lord, do not refuse me before I die; keep faslehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, "Who is the Lord?" Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of the Lord." Proverbs 30:7-9

What a novel idea...praying for only what you need.... Let's see....Jesus said, "Give us this day our daily bread..."

That sounds so revolutionary.... and so simple.

A visit from Gracie

2009-07-29T20:42:00.000-05:00

BIG NEWS!!!! Two days till Gracie comes to stay a week with us...

Wow...what will it be like to have a 1 year old in our house for 8 days?

I think we will be tired...

I am glad it is possible for Gracie.

Pam is Gracie-proofing everything what. We will see what we forgot.

Fun times

Church was awesome!

2009-07-26T21:51:00.000-05:00

Church today was awesome! I am not a objective observer... I liked the sermon... alot. But then again I have really liked all of the Moses sermons this summer. I feel like I have really gotten to know the guy.

What makes a church service awesome?

Worship that draws passion for God out of people. ( Not talking volume, pace or anything like that.) I sensed passion in both services...

Stories of God working. The guy who told me that God has changed his life over the past two weeks. He had no idea that God could use him like he did. Or the guy who was just overwhelmed by the help a small group and the church gave him his family after their house burned down. There were tears of appreciation.

Having some trouble getting through the Gathering area after church. Why? People were hanging around, talking, laughing and connecting. Gotta love that .

Talking to some people in 101. Some great stories of how God is leading new people to the church. Lots of new people checking things out.

Seeing a Dad baptize his son into Christ... and seeing Jacob's face as he came out the water. Something happend there... too cool.

Joy... even from a lady who is fighting cancer, a husband who is dealing with severe marriage threats, parents of new babies.

Looking at small groups meeting in gathering area... praying, laughing, open bibles on the table... all the main ingredients of a great small group and class ministry.

Meeting a couple who reasearched communities in Oklahoma and decided that Owasso was their choice. they moved here from Orlando Fl. ... they love it.... they think they might have found a church.

Messages which hit us where we live. We all need a good dose of the truth, "God is God and I am not."

Walking out of the building exhausted, but exhilliarated at the same time.

Working with a great staff... we are back in town and it feels good!

Peace, strength and hope

2009-07-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I slipped away for a while and visited a dear lady who wasn't feeling well. She's been a part of our church for a long time. But in the last year, her days have been complicated by a succession of health problems. It's not been easy for her.

She wasn't entirely coherant...but when I told her that I wanted to pray with her and her daughter...she perked up. So we prayed for peace, for strength and for hope in the coming days.

Peace, strength and hope. I have another friend that I pray for those same things each day. He is young. He is a Iraqi War veteran. He's been injured and hurt...seen things that most will never see. He has lots of tough days. I pray each day that he will have peace, strength and hope. I pray the same prayer for his sweet wife. She is by his side and is the picture of what marriage is all about to me. I used to teach her things as her youth minister. Now she teaches me... about Peace, strength and hope.

Peace, strength and hope. I pray that prayer for a young couple in our church. They lost a child a year ago or so. She is in her third tri-mester... things are going well... excitement is building. I see it in both of them. But I still lift up prayers for peace, strength and hope for them

Peace , strength and hope... this past Sunday in 2nd service, I just asked anyone who needed prayer to stand up. No explanations, no microphones... just an act of faith by standing. I was surprised by how many stood... and who stood... I prayed for peace, and strength and hope for them. It was a cool moment...and I felt there was an extra dose of Peace, strength and hope brought from heaven that day.

Might be a good prayer for someone you know...

28,000 days?????

2009-07-21T20:50:00.000-05:00

Day by day, moment by moment, we live life thinking that we will have "another one." Its an an assumption that we all make . After all , if we live an average life , we will live 28,105 days. ( 365x77).

But the Bible says "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." ( James 4:14). "Each mans life is but a breath." ( Psalm 39:5).

10 days ago the father of one of our members died in an traffic accident caused by a heart attack. It was totally unexpected. Then , on the day of the funeral an aunt died of a blood clot that struck her heart. Totally unexpected. It has been a blurry two weeks for them...first one funeral, then travel, and another funeral.

Last night our Children's Minister's ( Aaron Rathbone) father had a heart attack and died. Just like that. He was 63. ( By my calculations, if he lived an average life span he still would have had 6000 days left.) Mike Rathbone was a faithful minister of the Lord's church. He was a good father, good husband, an encourager of other people. He was the guy that was at the hospital when other people died, some earlier than expected, some not. He was the guy that comforted people in funerals, told people in hospitals that God would be with them before the surgery. He was the guy who spoke of the love of God, the neccesity of faith in Jesus Christ and the hope of eternal life.

He never would get to have his name in lights... never get alot of accolades. But he was a shepherd. He was a teacher. He was a kind man. No pretense about him at all. He was a man who was faithful unto death. And last night, He went home to his reward. Heaven.

I often find myself saying about someone who is a believer and has died, "Good for them, bad for us." I know that Aaron and his siblings were not ready for this. It was totally unexpected. But it turned out to be "the day." Thier comfort comes in knowing that He is with Jesus.

Aaron and his family will press on... because it is what Mike would have done. As hard as it is, they still have some days to live... full days... many happy days.... and some days filled with sorrow. Some days will be really hard, other days ...not so much. Mike will be missed by his wife, his children and his grandchildren and the church he served.

No one knows if they get the full allotment of days ( 28,000 plus). Some get more... one lady in oklahoma just celebrated her 109th birthday ( that is nearly 40,000 days). Some don't get to the average. Thier lives are in a sense cut short.

So the Psalmist says, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

No matter what tomorrow brings or doesn't bring, what is most important is whether or not you and I are ready to meet the Lord. Are you ready to face judgement? Am I ready? Yeah, I am . I am confident Mike was too. How do I know? We share a common bond... Jesus. He makes the way to God possible through His blood and sacrifice on the Cross.

For that I am thankful.

Your prayers for Aaron and his family are appreciated...

Charlie

Routine

2009-07-13T00:19:00.000-05:00

Its late on Sunday night... I am up alone... Pam has gone to bed, but I felt poorly... I think it was becuase I did not get a good amount of rest all week..and especially today. I have a routine that basically means getting up early on Sunday, go preach, come home and rest for 30 minutes, go back and preach, then do lunch, take a 2 -3 hour nap and then get up, do some things. maybe go to evening church...or just lay low.

Today, I did not get the long nap...and progressively I felt worse. I went to bed, but laid their with this sick feeling in my head... I HATE feeling that way. It just shuts me down. I cant really explain it...I know it happened because I did not rest like I should... After 3 years, you would think I would have figured this out...its not going to get better...

So I need to stick to the routine. I am hoping I can settle into some sleep soon...

Losers who Win

2009-07-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

I am convinced that we learn more from our losses than we do our wins. We celebrate wins. We learn from losses.

If you are into athletics, that is no surprise. How many times did you hear a coach say, " We need to learn from this loss?"

The Bible is full of examples of men and women who lost. That is one thing that I love about the Bible. It is full of losers who learned. It is full of people who tried, failed and then tried again. Sometimes they broke through and had a win. Sometimes they did not.

It seems to me that we don't try things unless we have a reasonable shot at winning. Yet, if all we do is win, it could mean that we are not stretching, not challenging others, and not neccesarily following Christ. He was a risk taker. The Apostles were risk takers. Sometimes they won, sometimes they did not. But there was one thing that was true about them... they tried things.

I think that is called faith... no matter if you win or lose.

Take a risk today. Stretch your faith. Win or lose, you will be better for it.

WHAT IF....

2009-07-06T21:44:00.000-05:00

I try not to rant in this blog....but I am going to rant.... I am not sorry for what I am about to say.

In the past two weeks, we have watched the media and society in general take what was the death of a pop music superstar turn into a circus. I have heard that MJ's ( not the basketball player) memorial will be unlike any the WORLD has ever seen. Now alot of that is hype. There is no doubt. It is about ratings and it is about $.

Representative Peter King of New York is being smashed by the same media because he said that the media coverage of Michael Jackson's death and memorial is an "orgy of glorification." He has called for America ( and especially the media ) to honor our American troops who are sacrificing thier lives for our freedom. That is not a 4th of July message... that is everyday! King will be villified by most media outlets as insensitive, cruel and abusive in his portrayal of Jackson.

Well, that is one situation. The other is almost as disturbing. Somehwere in the south, there is a woman and 4 kids who are grieving the death of their NFL Superstar husband and dad. I said HUSBAND AND DAD and apparently BOYFRIEND to a girl 16 years his younger, whom police say was laying at his feet, with one gun shot in her head. No disputes thier death. And apparently, no one disputes their relationship.

So, read the media outlets.... Steve McNair was a pillar of the community, known for his charity work in Nashville. He was considered a mentor for NFL athletes. He has been called in the last couple days, " One of the classiest guys in Nashville." There is some concession that there was a different side to McNair that none of us knew...but that should not skew our view of what a classy guy this was and how this "episode" should not taint his legacy whatsover.

GIVE ME A BREAK!!! WOW!!!

Well, I got to tell you.... WE LIVE IN AN UPSIDE DOWN WORLD. That is not my idea. There are songs written about how messed up our world is... There are books about it. And there is one book that tells us that from the beginning of time, man ( and woman) did not get it right. It is a book that tells a story of how messeed we all are, and yet how there is a GOD OF TRUTH who LOVES people and wants to guide them into RIGHT SIDE UP living.

But before that can happen, we all have to be able to confront the TRUTH about ourselves, our athletes, musicians, politicians. The fact is that the TRUTH will come out here, or at judgment.

I am in the middle of a series on Moses from Exodus and Numbers. Great guy, certainly not perfect. ( In the Bible, we learn that outside of Jesus, we all have a bumpy past.) He blew it several times. But somehow, after 120 years, the Bible says, "His eyesight was clear and he was as strong as ever." His legacy was strong at the end. Numbers 11 tells us that "Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth."

It occurs to me as millions line up for a glimpse at the Staples center in LA tomorrow , and as people gather in a football stadium in Nashville, that maybe just a few minutes everyday, looking at the life of a guy like Moses might give us a better clue as to how to live in an upside down world.

He will never get the attention that Michael Jackson got ( in life and death), or that Steve McNair go ( in Life or Death), but this week in my heart, and in person, I will honor the life of a good man named Don Klahr. Don loved his church. He loved the Lord. He loved His wife of 30 years, Dickey. He loved his children. He loved me. He fought health problems for the last year, but when I saw him, he told me that he was ready...and he knew it was in God's hands. He was just a good guy who had his prorities in order and who lived and died the way God would want for us. He's the kind of guy that churches are built on... faith, strength, honor, and love.

For me, I will honor Don Klahr... and others that come to mind who did not need to be on Enterntainment tonight, or be the lead story on Sportscenter. All Don and many others that I know did was "Love God with all his heart, mind , soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. ( Mt. 22).

Give me 1000 Don Klahrs... I won't waste my time with Pop Superstars and NFL stars. They get enough applause and accolades at their concerts and ballgames...

Let's spread it around alittle bit. Do you know someone who is a Don Klahr kind of guy? Go tell him.... let him know that hes the real hero ...a hero in the right way. He probably will dismiss or deny it, but the truth is that guys like Don... they deserve a little slap on the back. Don would tell you , "God deserves the slap on the back. He changed me."

End of Rant... The Gospel group TRUTH had a song 20 plus years ago that was quite popular. It is entitled "Living life upside down." It tells a story of exactly where we are today.

John has a new way of looking at life
He’s tired of his job, his kids and his wife
He says the secret to his successWas in leaving and finding himself
Now he’s someone to somebody else.
And you say we’ve risen to a new age of truthY
ou’re calling it a spiritual Godly pursuit
But I say, I say,

(chorus)What if we’ve fallen to the bottom of a well
Thinking we’ve risen to the top of a mountain
What if we’re knocking at the gates of hell
Thinking we’re heaven bound
What if we spend our lives thinking of ourselves
When we should have been thinking of each other
What if we reach up and touch the ground
To find we’re living life upside down.

We’ve got a program for saving the earth
While unborn children are denied their right to birth
One baby’s blessed, another cursed
Have we made this world better or worse
Now that the life of a tree comes first.

You say we’ve risen to a new age of light
You’re telling me what used to be wrong is now right

But I say, I say,
What if we’re living,
what if we’re living,
What if we’re living life upside down.

WHAT IF....

OLD(ER)

2009-06-25T19:19:00.000-05:00

We are getting old(er). Pop stars that we grew up with are dying. I have watched some of the coverage...and have read some of the thoughts of my friends on Facebook. Michael Jackson's passing this afternoon has struck a nerve....

Why? Because we are getting old(er).

Many of us who grew up in the 70's remember the Jackson Five. We remember the ever- changing music landscape and how it really reflected the cultural changes of the day. And for those of us born in 1958, we remember MJ being a superstar young adult, who got really wiered after he became famous. His was a troubled life. He had the talent, the fame, and the money. And the heartache ( no pun intended .) The last 25 years were bizzare at best.

I listened to a Doctor who was asked, "Isn't 50 really young to suffer a cardiac arrest?" The Doctor said, " No, it's not, it's actually pretty common."

Hmmmmnnnnnnn.... We are getting old(er). 50 doesn't seem that old...and in many ways it's not... Honestly, I like 50. But I am seeing the things my parents have seen for years. Contemporaries of thiers have been dying for years. Now, contemporaries of mine are dying too. Guess that is called getting Old(er).

So this begs the question for all of us.... Are we ready to leave this world and get on with the next? Psalm 90:12 says, "teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

We ought to figure this out. After all.......

We are getting old(er).

THE END OF THE BREAK....GOOD TIMES

2009-06-25T17:59:00.000-05:00

It's been a good vacation. Lots of sun, water, time with Pam and Abigail. It will have been 14 days when we get back. Pam and I believe that is the longest vacation we have taken...

Some observations....

ANYOMINITY is a nice thing... at least for a while... Here I am just another dude walking around with his shirt off (not a great visual I suppose). I need that from time to time.

Because of TECHNOLOGY, it is hard to completely get away. I checked my email WAY too much, was on Facebook more than I wanted to be... and along the way asked a few more questions about church than I should have. And guess what???? The church does quite well without me. (You would think I would have that figured out.) Maybe that is the biggest "learning" from a vacation for me.

I have done alot of WALKING , which has been hard because of heat and humidity. But I persevered and kept after it.

The hardest parts of vacation are the three days before and the three days after you get back. Most of us have jobs that have deadlines that accomodate vacations, but do not give into them. We work hard to get ahead before we go, and then we have to work hard to catch up when we get back. Just the way it is.

I appreciate vacation because there is an start and end. I also appreciate the fact that I get vacation, because it means that I have a job. In 2009, that is a big deal.

I have appreciated this vacation because we really had no schedule....so I read alot.

VACATION READING LIST
- The Essential Church- Ranier
- Beyond Megachurch Myths- Thumma
- The Three big questions for a Frantic Family- Lencioni
- Pistol ( Biography of Pistol Pete Maravich)- Kriegel
- God Built- Steve Farrar
- Bible- (just parts of it)

It has been alot of reading...Most of it work related... but pretty good stuff...What did I enjoy the most? PISTOL was really good.. I am a basketball freak...so reading this book was fun and interesting.

One other observation... Life goes on, even when you are on vacation. Rock and TV stars die...and so do many others. Church members get difficult diagnosis from doctors, politicians confess thier affairs, governments under go revolutions, the stock market goes up and down, and LIFE GOES ON.

When I get back, I will jump back into writing, preaching messages, working on vision and the exciting future of First Christian Church, loving my wife, kids and granddaughter, and working harder to establish relationships with people outside of the Kingdom...And along the way, I want to build a stronger relationship with God... ALL PART OF LIFE...

It has been a very much needed break...God blessed us...

STRONGER....

Charlie

Vacation report

2009-06-18T23:02:00.000-05:00

Technology confuses me until it blesses me. Today I got to e-chat with Abigail who was in Phnom Penh Cambodia. It was a nice surprise. She arrives back in the states Sunday Night. I think it has been an incredible experience for her.

Joel has arrived in Portland Maine. On to sports Camp tomorrow. I know that he is so excited to have something to do, after being unemployed for the last 7 months. I was grateful to God for saftey in travels ( about 3400 miles). And I don;t believe they stayed a night in a hotel. They had lots of friends strategically placed.

So, here I am in Panama City. Someone asked "why two weeks?" It takes me a week to decompress...to relax... and to enjoy things. I feel that after 5 days, it is happening... no real schedule, no demands to speak of... lots of reading... time on the beach, or in the new Pier Park which is really cool.

We watche Paul Blart, Mall Cop tonight... pretty funny.

I say a vacation is a something where you can do what you want to do, when you want to do, how you want to do it. I can be pretty anonymous here in Florida, which is really nice...Sometimes, living in a smaller town, and pastoring a larger church, makes it harder to go out to stores, or restruants and not be stopped. Don't get me wrong...I like connecting to people...but there are times when I feel like being anonymous is something that is refreshing.

So it is going goood.... reall good...

Two much?

2009-06-16T21:55:00.000-05:00

I have become quite conflicted over all this communication technology. I have a cell phone, that allows me to access my office email account at almost any time I want. I have a lap top computer, which has WiFi capability, thus making me accessible to almost anything I want. I have developed the ability to Text on my phone. That is handy...it is almost always to our kids, or to Pam, and a couple friends. Then I got on Facebook. Mostly to spy on church members..but I post on there every so often. It is amazing that people I know not know want to be my friends on Facebook. Hmmmmmnnnnnn... I used to think you needed to know someone before they became your friends. Now, I am also on Twitter. Although I have not figure it out... It just seems to me to be a "sound-bite" kind of deal where you tell people what you are doing ( some are much more transparent that I ever would be), what you are thinking... and what others are telling you. You only have 142 characters to use in this, so it has to be brief.

All of this is okay...some of it is interesting... I enjoy getting a glimpse into people's lives...but the flip side...not so much. I am too much of a control freak. And gues what? On My vacation I have my computer, phone, texting, facebook, and twitter.. That's a problem.

On a happier note... I am far away from O-Town... on a white Sandy Beach for the next 12 days. What will we do? Pam and I will walk, read, lay around on the beach, check out some of the cool things in Panama City... not answer the phone unless it is one of our kids... and in general, just veg. But I also look forward to some quiet time where maybe God can work on some things in my life. So lots of bible reading, prayer, and some solitude.

The last time we were here was 3 years ago... just a couple months after the stroke. I feel alot better this time around. I still hit the wall... and when that happens, my speech slows down...I labor for words.

I am not near as verbally conversant now. Pam has had to live with someone that she could never shut up to living with someone who might only utter 10 sentences in a 15 hour drive. Lots of quiet...( I really am content to listen to music, or Pam talk). She misses the old charlie... and so do I. But it is what it is...

More from Pamana City later this week.

PRayers

2009-06-06T22:11:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow morning, Abigail gets on a plane and heads to Cambodia for two weeks.

Pretty amazing... first that she would go....Second ...that i would let her.

But I saw God's hand in this from the first time Abigail told me last fall... I saw his hand in her fund-raising... and I saw it in her eyes as she worked this spring with a group of girls at College Heights Christian Church. She has a passion to help young women.

I always thought she would be the star athlete....basketball especially. And she was good. But she was better at Volleyball. Played in High School, and then played in College ( Made 2nd team all-region). But all along, it became clear that ministry was where she was headed. So this year, along with working two jobs, carrying 16-17 hours of school at a really good GPA, she also helped in the ministry at College Heights.

She packs more activity into less time than most. She is disciplined, loving and caring. She loves God, loves Mom and Dad, Loves her guy ( tyler), and her brother and sisters. And she will love her new team and the people they serve across the world.

Pray for her...For protection, strengthen, peace, and a hope-filled time sharing the love of Christ.

Pray for Pam and I. Abigail is a long ways away. Joel is driving from Portland Oregon to Portland Maine... And we are traveling for most of the next three weeks.

I am thankful that God can keep up with all of us, including Lydia, James, Elizabeth, Nathaniel and Gracie.

Thanks for the prayers

WIPEOUT

2009-05-31T21:35:00.000-05:00

I once heard Wayne Smith, then the Senior Minister of Southland Christian Church in Lexington Ky. talk about his Sundays. After preaching multiple services on Sunday Monring and then again Sunday night, he would come home and his wife would want to watch "In Touch" with Dr. Charles Stanley. He did not think that was all that great, although Stanley was his wife's "favorite" preacher. He told us that when he comes home after a long day, he did not want to see Stanley, but preferred seeing Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, say, "Go ahead, make my day."

So today has been long... the whole week has been long... Many meetings...some counseling, lots of thinking and dreaming about the future, and writing a sermon, thinking about future sermons... then two sermons this morning,,, visiting a Life group this afternoon and then off to FIGHT NIGHT tonight. All of it was good... but it drained me more than usual.

This is all a pace of a day I think that i can handle until I actually do it... and then I get a sick feeling... the "wall" is fast approaching and I crash... It was too much. I have crashed... I have this feeling of being closed in...words slow down, and some words do not make it from my brain to my mouth. Sentences are harder to complete. It is all a sign that I have gone too far. This week felt alot like some of the weeks before strokes three years ago... you know the kind where you don;t feel like you have control over much, you are reacting to lots of crisis and the energy is flowing out of you...

So I get home, through on some shorts... start thinking about my next week...decided to watch some TV...nothing on ( basketball finals begins Thursday). Oh , there is Hockey... now that looks like a treat! NOT!

So we finish off the TNT movie ( TWISTER). and then hit the DVR button... What is left to watch from the previous week?

Well, it is highly spiritual. It is uplifting... No, it is not Charles Stanley, or Dr. David Jeremiah... ( I like them both) No, on this night its not Dirty Harry..."

The winner is.... WIPEOUT.(ABC).. That is no conincidence since I am totally wipeout. That is about as mindless as you can get at the end of the day. And it will help me shut it down. Sometimes that is what I need.

I am shutting it down this week , hibernating, writing sermons, study guides from Moses and basically going to get two weeks work done in one...so that I can be gone for 3 1/2 weeks. One week in Chicago... 2 plust weeks on the North Florida Coast.

But for tonight, it is about watching people make total fools of themselves by trying to navigate a obstacle course that is impossible to conquer. Now that is entertainment.

Got to Go.... they have the slippery course coming up...looks cool.

Charlie

GRACIE'S BABY DEDICATION

2009-05-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

This weekend we celebrate Mother's day. Always a fun day. But this year it is a little extra special. We will be leaving in a little bit to go to Fayetteville. Tomorrow, Nathaniel, Elizabeth and Grace will participate in a Baby Dedication at Fellowship Bible Church.

Baby Dedications are really special. At FCC we used to do them once a year. We would bring a boatload of babies, moms and dads up on the stage, ask a couple questions, and pray. But three years ago we started doing them individually. This is a special moment for the family and the church.

Either way, this is important. There are three committments in a baby dedication. One is the committment of the child to God. Every child conceived is a gift from God. ( Psalm 139). Every child is special, and holds special promise for joy and happiness . But, I believe that God puts us on the earth for a purpose. And the discovery of that purpose begins with parents saying, "God we know this child comes from you, and that he/she is YOURS."

Second, there is a committment of the parents to God. This dedication is a public step of committment to raise the child to love God and love others ( Mt. 22:37). When parents stand before God, family and congregation, they are saying, "we dedicate ourselves to be examples of Godly living, to raise our child to know God and His Son Christ, and to follow His commands."( Deut. 6)

There is a third committment. It is often overlooked in many instances. It is the committment ot the Church family to assist and support mom, dad and child in this monumental task of raising children. So in our dedications, there is a part where the church family is asked to committ as well. We take it seriously.

When we began to have children, 26 years ago, we prayed that each one of them would love God and love others. All four of ours do. Now, there is another generation. And our prayer is the same.

We could not be more thankful that Gracie's parents love God and love others... and we know that with their committment, the committment of their church family, the committment of their extended family and the blessing of God will result in a wonderful young lady being used by God to "make up there come down here."

A COOL DAY....

2009-05-03T18:40:00.001-05:00

Over the past three weeks , we challenged our church to bring food to stock our Community Care Food Pantry. We have been giving out alot of food over the past 12 months. There is a big need for people who are finding themselves squeezed by economic realities. So today was the day, and the front of the stage was just FULL. I loved seeing people bring their food sacks in. From Senior Adults, to very young kids, they brought the food in and put it on the stage.

Why was this important?

1. It is the responsibility of the church to reach out and feed those who need food. The church can do a great job with this, if we take it seriously. There are lots of other things that our small groups and classes do for people. But this is something everyone can get involved in.

2. I love the idea of getting the church involved in this. We could go buy food, but that does not give us "buy in" with the congregation. We could go door to door in the neighborhoods and collect food. That's not a bad idea, but why not just ask the church to bring it? We did and they did.

3. We need to give people of all ages opportunities to GIVE. It's not just about money in the offering plate. We want to expand this aspect of stewardship to show people there are lots of ways to give. Food, time, encouragement, prayers, love, and so much more!

4. We needed a "tangible" way to show people that we have resources that we want to share. God has blessed us, and in turn, we believe that we are to be a blessing. We want to bless our church family and our community. This was just one way we could do this...

I thought our church family responded in a fantastic way. And I know that we will continue to do so.

One other side note... today at the end of services, we prayed for 7 people that will be part of our FCC "GO" Teams for this summer. We will have people in China, Thailand, Honduras, and Cambodia this summer ( there may be more!). Again, this is a way to give to the work of the Kingdom of God. Some great stories there.... stay tuned.

Hmmmmmnnnnnn.....

2009-04-29T20:30:00.000-05:00

Is it a pandemic?

Is it Swine flu or N1H1 virus?

Do we have enough medicine to fight it off?

Should we go to Mexico?

It may be serious. It certainly bears watching. We should pray for those that are sick, and do what we need to be healthy. ( Like wash our hands.)

But the best line I heard was from my friend Vince.

" The problem with 24 hour news channels is that they have to manufacture news 24 hours a day, and there isn't that much news."

I think I like his thinking.... What would happen in the world if we only had a newspaper to read in the morning? Wait a minute... it used to be that way.

Feedback

2009-04-26T21:47:00.000-05:00

Changing times... I was thinking about how Facebook provides some immediate feedback on a sermon, paper, article, or just a subject that a person writes about..

It is the day of immediate feedback....Is that always good? Do we get feedback that requires little thought? Do we actually mull over things, let them incubate in our soul, or do we just react? And when we are looking for feedback on Facebook, or in a blog, do we consider what is going on someone's life when they give feedback? It is pretty hard to read facial expression, or hear tone of voice....

By the way, I am growing to like technology...We used SKYPE to talk to Gracie and her parents. That's cool...

Back to the feedback.... what do you think?

Your ATTITUDE makes a difference...

2009-04-25T18:45:00.000-05:00

Rick Rusaw leads a dynamic church in Longmont Colorado. He recently wrote the following to his church... I thought it was really good.

"Hi, how are you? Welcome to the men's restroom." These were the words that the small crowd of guys heading into a restroom heard. "Thanks for coming to the restroom." This was in a busy public place, and I can tell you by the response from most, it was not what you expected. This gentleman was the greeter of the Charlotte International Airport men's restroom. His job for the airport was to greet you as you used the restroom. I'm pretty confident it was also his job to keep the place clean. There is an unspoken rule among guys, and that is, you don't speak in the restroom-not to anyone. Except, when you are answering questions from the only other guy in the place, only to discover he was on his phone and not talking to you-that's another story.

In this restroom everyone was talking because everyone was caught off guard. Our greeter had changed the atmosphere. Michael was exuberant, he was smiling, he was proud of his work. He even offered breath mints or mouthwash as you were leaving. The rule is, never turn down a breath mint-but that's another story. I thanked him for thanking me for coming, and he said in return, "Thank you for thanking me-for thanking you for using the restroom."

He liked his job. His bright smile and great attitude almost made me want to go back again before I got out of the airport, which as I get older is becoming more the norm-but that's another story. You can change your place and your environment, with one tool-attitude. Your smile, your greeting, and your attitude can make the stinkiest of places different in a moment. Whose world needs to be brightened a bit? What place needs you to make a difference? I can tell you one place that doesn't-but you would have to go to Charlotte to find it. By the way, if you find greeters this week at the restroom doors, you'll know where I got the idea!

I like the his statement in the last paragraph. "You can change your place and your environment, with one tool- attitude. Your smile, your greeting, and your attitude can mke the stinkiest of places different in a moment."

As you go to church tomorrow, or to work on Monday, or as you hang out in the house, or as you wander out to the soccer or baseball field for what seems like the tenth time in a week, you bring something with you EVERY time.... your attitude. Check it out , make sure your attitude is the same as that of Christ Jesus ( Phil 2).

Matt's Most Excellent Idea

2009-04-22T21:37:00.000-05:00

Wednesday nights have changed ... It used to be I taught or preached each Wednesday night. Sometimes it would just be Bible Study. Other seasons it would be more of a worship service and then a sermon.

But this last fall we shifted to a strategy that included small groups on Wednesday nights, ( along with home groups on almost every day of the week) and small groups and classes on Sunday mornings.

Maybe one of the toughest things for me was answering the question, "What would I do on Wednesday nights?" Its taken a while, but I think I am figuring it out. I hang out and talk to people. Doesn't seem like alot... and at first, I thought it was not productive.

But lately, it has begun to fit a little better. For instance tonight... I talked with a lady I had never met before, whose two sons come to Glimpse. Good conversation. I talked with a family who attends FCC with their two daughters. They are really cool people, and I think we are friends. I talked with a guy that I like alot...just touching base on how his life is going and what God is doing.

I talked to 4 skateboarders in the parking lot, gently ( yes I was nice and gentle) about how I don't have anything against them or their skateboards, but they really can not do it in the parking lot in and out of cars. Why? Because they would get run over and I would have to be the one to go tell their parents that their son was killed in a church parking lot. ( I thought I had gotten through to them...but as I headed to my car they were climbing on the PODS at the end of the parking lot...I presume it was to make a jump.... I yelled- loud ... sorry guys)

I talked to a small group of 3 couples.. Chris, Morgan, Eric , Lacey, Bobbie and Liz are some of the coolest people around. All in their 20's they study the Bible, support each other, are masters at reaching out to other young couples, and have some of the most mature attitudes I know. They are servants in the church...totally engaged in the life of the church. They are teachers, computer dudes, electricians, moms, dads, and just really good members of the church. I left that conversation feeling really really good about our church and its future. Thank you God!

I talked to a friend of 15 years who has been blessed by God in his business. He and his wife are super parents, great committed members of the church, servants, and people who take thier roles as parents of a bunch of kids very seriously...loved just talking life with him.

I talked to a two couples who are older than me by alot. But they are some of the "youngest" people I know...and they love the church and all the youth there on Wednesday nights.

I also got to sit in on Glimpse. The place was packed, the worship was great...and it was really good to see all the adults in there who are investing their lives in these teenagers. COOL!

I loved doing that. It is especially good because on Sunday Mornings, I hardly get to talk to anyone. So Wednesday nights have become very productive for me... It allows me to connect to lots of different people in a relaxed manner...

THANKS MATT....Great idea

Hero's

2009-04-19T22:01:00.000-05:00

Listen to the news, read the newspapers, click on the internet... in 2009 it all seems like bad news.

So some good news is always welcome. Hero's are pretty welcome sights during this "tough time." Three hero's came to my mind today... just kind of popped in there.

One is Captain Chelsey Sullenberger of US Airways. On the plane that landed in the Hudson, this man of few words simply said to the passengers, "brace for impact." They impacted allright... and everyone lived. Along the way, the Captain was the last one off the plane...checking to make sure that everyone else was off the sinking plane.

HERO LESSON: Be the best at preparation, pay attention to the tedious instruction at work, and you never know when it might all come into play in one "defining moment." Do your job, and do it well. Hey, if you are on that plane, aren't you glad he and the rest of plane's crew were paying attention in pilot school? Heroic actions come at the interesection of preparation and confidence.

Two is Captain Richard Phillips . He's the captain of the ship that was taken captive by Somali Pirates. He traded his own life for that of his crew, spent days in a life boat, often with a gun pointed at him. Navy Seals rescued him and he was eventually brought home to a Hero's welcome. But honestly, he wanted nothing to do with it. He said, "the millitary are the real hero's, next time you see a soldier thank them. " Then he took his wife's and said, "We want to go home and spend time as a family."

HERO LESSON: Courage is cultivated in the quiet times when your soul is shaped by what you believe about yourself, and those you serve. It seems to me that in one "defining moment" Captain Phillips thought the best deal was "you take me, turn them (the crew) loose" and we will figure this out. " That's courage that he did not summon up in one moment... it was a character decision forged in much quieter times.

The third one is Susan Boyle. She is the 47 year old English Spinster that competed in Britain's edition of Idol... Britain's Got Talent. It was a long day for the audience and the judges. They were tired, and had seen some terrible acts. Out comes Susan and she tells them that she wants to be a singer. People in the crowd snicker, judges writing her off before a note is sung..."let's get through this one"... Well, she sung her socks off...and got unanimous support from the jugdes, and an apology from Simon Cowell of all people, for dismissing her before she even sang... And over the weekend, other recordings of her songs have appeared... if everything is on the up and up, she is no one hit wonder. You will be hearing from her.

HERO LESSONS- If you don't believe in yourself, no one will. Follow your dreams. Be ready when the call comes and you find yourself on the stage of your dreams. And then after it is over and the so-called experts act all astonished about what they just heard... let them know you knew you had it in you... you just had to get someone to look past the outside to what was waiting to burst out from the inside. And keep saying that all the attention won't change you!

All three of these people, from different walks of life, remind me of something very important. There is a little bit of hero in all of us. A kind word, a prayer, a annonymous gift, a smile, or an email that just says, "you are worth it.".... all of those make hero's out of us. We don't do those to become known as a hero, but we ought to set out each day, to lift someone up...

There is alot of bad news in the world...but thank God for some hero's who teach us what it means to spread a little news along the way. Be a hero to someone today. You have it in you!

Easter...

2009-04-13T08:42:00.000-05:00

EASTER REFLECTIONS....

-Rainy Day....but our First Touch Team was awesome.
-Record #'s of people- but evenly distrubted services (3 of them)
-Really great worship time- great mix of upbeat, special songs and some quality reflection time
-Repsonse from people who came- very positive.

Lots of people worked really hard to make it happen. From those who spent hours at the property on Saturday, to Worship Teams who were there for 6 plus hours, to First Touch, Children's and EC people- all of them invested heavily in the day. I love our people.

I think that Jesus was good with it all... The focus was on Him.

The day after- tired. So its a day off...doing little things around the house, lunch appointment and class tonight. It will take a couple days to feel normal again. (Whatever normal is.)

The Monday after ressurection day 2,000 years ago???? What a day for the disciples of Jesus! Wow.

WWJD on Easter?

2009-04-07T21:25:00.000-05:00

QUESTION: If Jesus lived in 2009, what would he be doing on Easter Sunday?

Just a question... At staff mtg. today I asked that question... I have been thinking about it this week. I figure that he would celebrate His Ressurection... I guess. But maybe he would do more than just go to church.

Someone said to me this week, "Well, you are getting ready for the biggest Sunday of your year, right?"

From an attendance standpoint... Yes.

From an opportunity standpoint... ( to reach new people), its a big deal.

But I cringe when I hear that... Every Sunday is a big day to us.

Can I confess something? It's pretty easy for all of us on staff at our church to miss Easter. Many of our staff are so busy planning, putting teams together, developing services, writing messages, and anticipating potential problems (weather, check-in, enough communion, plenty of bulletins, timing of services, parking, visitors, and so much more) ... that it is very possible to miss what Easter is all about. We are not bad Christians. We are not spiritual midgets. We care about all the people that will come... and do come every week. But honestly, we could learn alot from Jesus about crowd "control", messages, and what is really important on a day like Easter.

So thinking about what things Jesus might do on that day...keeps me on track.

By the way... I love our staff... their heart and dedication to the Kingdom is unmatched in my mind. And I think through it all, each of them will find a way to really celebrate Easter.

Anniversary's

2009-04-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

Last night, ( April 3) Pam and I went out to celebrate our anniversary. The actual anniversary is April 5, but just like 28 years ago, that falls on a Sunday... and we are pretty busy on Sundays.

So, we went out last night. Before we left the house, Pam gave me my "present." It is a CD of favorite songs of ours. She told me that she had been working on compiling the songs for years. Abigial helped her get it on a CD. What a great gift... a treasure for sure.

So we jumped into our car and went to Tulsa. We had reservations at PF Changs. ( not exactly Taco Bell - that was our first anniversary ), but it was good. It was one of the many prom nights in Tulsa, so the place was packed full of high schoolers in formal attire. Before we ate, we explored Utica Square, sat and talked on a bench... it was all so simple and nice. A GREAT night.

It would be hard to let April 3rd pass by without considering another "anniversary." Three years ago, I had a stroke. Not such a good feeling... its been a long road back, two steps forward and one step back. But there have been constant people in my life that have made it alot easier.

Pam has been wonderful. Can't say enough about the burden a "care-giving" spouse has to bear. She did not sign up for this... but then again I guess 28 years ago, she did. There are exciting things ahead for her in life...we both know it and can't wait to see how God unfolds it all.

Our kids have been incredible. Lizzie, Joel and Lydia were gone, off to college or on with thier lives. But they have been so supportive and understanding. Abigail was in High School, so she saw the day to day. It was scary for her. So what a blessing last night when I got a text from her celebrating the fact that I was alive... I think the whole thing was such a surprise to all of us. Three years later, our lives have moved on. There are husbands, a boyfriend, new places of residence and a granddaughter. And no matter what, they let me know how much they love me.

First Christian Church... what can I say? They have treated me the way a million other pastors would wish their church treated them. Patience, understanding, space... I get to preach, lead and kind of pick my spots... alll with no fear of what others will say. The Elders have been amazing to me. I could not be in a better spot.

Friends. Whether they just are people I can talk to, or staff members, or buddies who just want me to keep plugging away... they are there. I have needed several of the over the past three years.

God has been great to me. Three years ago, I was not in a healthy place on several fronts. Its still a battle on some, but I am better. Occassionally, there are reminders that I am human and I need to take care of myself.

Getting back to health has been a priority over the past three years. But where would I be, if 28 years ago, I had not stood in front of family, college friends, and a church in Superior Nebraska and pledged my love and life to Pam? From that day on we have been faithful to each other and faithful to God. He has given us every blessing we deserved ( do we really deserve any?), and a ton that we don't.

And even if there are days like April 3, 2006 in my future, I am still way better off than I could imagine... because on April 5, 1981 two lives became one.

I look forward to the "next day." I hope it ends up being another 10,220 days. But even if it is only 1 more day, I have had an incredible life, with an incredible woman...

Thanks be to God.

Moses- Leader with Faith and Humility

2009-03-31T22:00:00.000-05:00

I have started a study of the life of Moses for the Summer of 09. I like character studies,becuase they remind us that God uses all kinds of people, in his own way and time, to accomplish his purposes.

Moses was the Deliverer... but he was so much more. He was a humble man. He was scared at times. He did not believe in his ability to convinice Pharoah, to let the peoeple go. He felt inadequate as manager of large groups of people. He had an anger problem at times. His leadership was constantly criticized. He disobeyed God and it cost him something very precious. (the honor of going into the promise land.") He got to spend time face to face with God, and then go down the mountain and confront the sin of the impatient people. I have read through his life... don;t see alot of down time once he turned 80. That was a hard run into the last 40 year segment.

If I were going to study 5 hero's from the Bible I would study, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and David and Jesus. Those are the top five in my book.

Right now I am outlining the books of Exodus and Numbers...along with some refrences in Hebrews 11. All in preparation for 10-11 sermons and 12 study guides for the summer.

You learn alot about God by watching how He works through other people.

I am thankful for a church leadership and staff who gives me the time to study for a series like this...

Real Life meeting faith...it works

2009-03-27T21:36:00.000-05:00

Being from Oklahoma has somewhat insulated us from the harshest realities of the economic downturn. Here in the heartland we are not seeing the wide-spread layoffs that are hitting the Northeast, West, Southwest and Upper Midwest. It may get worse, but for now it is more like a trickle, instead of a flood.

But we are seeing people in our church who are being laid off. It doesn't matter whether it is you, or a 100 people, it is still scary to get the paperwork. When Joel was laid off last November, he said that he was so surprised and shocked... They were putting papers in front of him and telling him to sign them. He was numb.

Imagine what it is like for someone who is married and has children. Joel is single and in pretty good shape as far as obligations. But lots of people are not. It's scary.

I saw an email that one guy in our church wrote to his small group this week. He talked about how he would be laid off today. It was kind of scary, but he knew that God would take of him and his family (including a baby on the way.)

So what did he do? He emailed his small group. The email is one overflowing with faith. But it is also a signal that they have a group to call on if they need help. He ended his email with a quote from 2 Cor 4:8-9 and these words, "I will praise Him in the hard times!"

We will help where we can, along side of the groups. We are being blessed now as a church for times such as these. If you have lost your job, let us know... we want to help.

This is where real life meets faith. And it works!

On another note, Pam and I went to an open house for Pregnancy Resource Center. It is really growing influence in our community. There is a strong vision, great leadership and a desire to care for people. They have expanded thier facilities and they are making a difference.

It is another place where real life meets faith. And it works!

A member of our church lost his brother suddenly this week. His small group was on it, before I even knew about it ( And I knew within about 2 1/2 hrs). There is a group of people who will minister better to him and his family than I can. I will do my part...but the group is where the consistent support and love will come.

It is another place where real life meets faith. And it works!

We want to be a real life kind of place, full of grace and love, support, honoring the truth of God's Word and using those things to build faith into the lives of people. Sounds exactly like what the church should be doing.

THREE THINGS...

2009-03-22T18:08:00.000-05:00

MARCH MADNESS- going very well for me... see previous post... Proud of the OSU Cowboys!

NAIA-Steve Mowery and I went to KC for the NAIA Championships ( 24 games in 3 days). Love it! And we got an added bonus... we took a chance and went to the Sprint Center, bought two tickets and got to see OU-Morgan State. ( Yes, I saw the flip...It was just as bad in real life as on TV.) Great time with a great friend.

CHURCH- The BAGGAGE series has been awesome. It has also been the most draining series of sermons I have done in a long time. People have so much to deal with... and preaching about Anger, bitterness and guilt surfaces alot of things. I think I most pleased with the fact that people look to God to help them with these kinds of things. I have said the same thing every week...."If you allow bitterness, anger, or guilt to take up residence in your life, it makes you tired and weary. And even worse, after a while, you begin to think how you feel is normal and how it will be for the rest of your life."

Galatians 5:1- "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."

Good Stuff...

March Madness

2009-03-17T21:50:00.001-05:00

Here it is... the predictor of March Madness. I am not an expert in Basketball, but I know a little about it. And it sure beats talking about the economy....

Round 1 Upsets- Not too many limbs to climb on in this round...
- Sienna (9) over Ohio State (8)
-USC (10) over Boston College ( 7)
-Texas AM ( 9) over BYU (8)
-Maryland ( 10) over Cal (7)
- Mississippi State (13) over Washington ( 4)
-VCU (11) over UCLA(6)
-Butler ( 9) over LSU (8)
- Western Kentucky ( 12) over Illinois ( 5)
- Michigan ( 10) over Clemson (7)

Round 2 Upsets
- Fla. State ( 5 ) over Xavier ( 4)

Round 3 upsets
Gonzaga (4) over UNC (1)
Kansas (3) over Michigan State ( 2)
Wake Forests ( 4) over Louisville ( 1)

Round 4
Pitt Vs. Duke- Pitt
Gonzaga Vs. OU- OU
Uconn Vs. Memphis - Memphis
Kansas vs. Wake - Kansas

Final four

Pitt Vs. OU- Pitt
Kansas Vs. Memphis ( rematch of 08 national championship)- Memphis

Title Game
Pitt Vs. Memphis- MEMPHIS

there you have it... Should be interesting...

Oh boy.....

2009-03-17T12:40:00.000-05:00

I am going to wade into "deep yogurt" here. I am no expert... but have a thought or two.

It's this AIG thing. I understand that the government bailed them out last fall because they were "too big to fail." I understand that salaries and bonuses are hot buttons today and get people all riled up. I have watched for the last 2 months or so at how the "government " has been outraged at what has been happening in some of these banks and insurance companies. Today, I listened for a bit as Congreessmen and Senators, and even the President said, "We will figure out a way to get that money back, even if we have to tax them (those that got the bonuses) at 90%.

WOW.... here is my problem. Several ( I am being generous here) of the administrations top financial people , along with tax legislation writing congressmen have been accused of dodging personal income taxes over the past few years. Only when they were nominated to the cabinet, or called on the carpet by regulators did they come clean and pay up. Hmnnnn..... and now they are screaming bloody murder about AIG bonuses?

Don't get me wrong... I am not a big fan of 1 million dollar bonuses. ( I never have received one.) This is not the time to be doing that... bad PR.... I think that there would be some better uses of the money.

But , if they are contractual in nature, and have been agreed upon before this current crisis hit ( and that seems to be the case), then what is the big deal about? A year ago, the climate was different. I kind of doubt that someone at AIG woke up in mid-feb and said, "Hey I think I will shell out 165 million dollars of the tax payers money, to a bunch of my buddies at work, some of whom do not work there any more."

What bothers me more is the idea that Congressional members are trying to write laws that would TAX 90% of that money to recoup it. If they will do that, then where will it stop? Talk about "trickle down economics." Pretty soon we will taxes go up on everything , even for the middle income kind of guy...all in the name of "making things right." That is code for "wealth re-distribution." And no matter what anyone says, when the wealth get re-distributed someone gets rich. Its generally the guy who did not work for it.

This gets personal if the government decides to take their new found power to "make things right" and tells me that I can not preach on passages in the Bible that stand against homosexuality ( and if it begins there, it will never stop until Biblical Christianity is legislated out of existence in this country.)

I see this desire to use "power in legislation" to re-shape our country. It is scary.

I am not all that political in nature... I generally try to stay out of these kinds of things... I rarely if ever, write about it. But this Sunday I preached about "Dealing with Bitterness". At the end I talked with people who were dealing with bitterness toward family members, toward employers, even toward God. But one guy really caught my attention. I respect this guy so much and have grown to love him. He told me how good the messages in this "Baggage" series have been, and then he told me he had a problem with bitterness... toward the people that are running this country into the ground right before our eyes.

I thought it was a very transparent and sincere thing to say. He really wants to guard his heart.

There are days like today when I think, "He could be right... and we could be watching it all happen right before our eyes."

I am not smart enough to know whether that is exactly true or not. But I do know that if our government can write legislation in the name of "making things right" that will tax anyone any amount they deem "right", allowing them to dip into our wallets, and to leigslate our own moral beliefs, then this is really not the United States of America any more.

Our hope???? Turn to God...Put our faith and trust in Him. For in the end, all of this will be hay and stubble, and all that will remain is our faith in God and trust in His Son. I believe God is in control and in the end, he will use anyone, anytime to draw people's hearts and mind back to Him.

Charlie

PS . MARCH MADNESS HAS BEGUN.

I will post my final predictions tonight.

Something to think about...

2009-03-06T10:42:00.000-06:00

Interesting little battle going on in California. Last fall, voters supported Proposition 8, which basically stated that marriage was a union between a man and a woman. 52-48%. So those who held an opposing view, that marriage is a civil right for all people, including same sex "couples", went to court. The issue finds itself before the California Supreme Court this week.

Pundits don't know what to do with this. Beyond the obvious question, there is one that I think goes to the heart of the battle.

Here it is...

If the majority of the people say that marriage should be between a man and a woman, what do the proponents of same sex marriage do next? In other words, if they don't the answer they want from the people, they go "above their heads" to get what they want.

So they go the the courts. And they put their trust in their belief that the justices on the state supreme court know better than 52% of the people. This is not a constituional thing. Those who supported Prop 8 followed the letter of the law and constitution in California. They took it to the people... and the people have spoken. But that is not good enough.

( It is an age old problem..remember when you were a kid??? You would ask your Dad, and when he said, "no", did that stop you? No way... you figured out how to spin the question a little different, avoid having to answer the question, "Did you ask your father?" and then get a different answer from your unsuspecting mom. Don't deny it... we all did it)

Now, while I agree with this "form" of referendum politics... and think it has a place in our culture, It does not have a place in this arguement.

California politicans ( not just them, but many politicians in all locales) have made one fatal mistake. The people are not the final word when it comes to moral issues such as same sex marriage. The judges are not the final word either.

In our country, it is all about "majority" rules. That is our country. And in many cases it works. But not in these kinds of cases. There is a higher rule of authority here... And the problem is that sometimes the majority is wrong...

Ultimately the final word is the Scriptures. Bottom line, God has always said that marriage is a union between man and woman. He has consitently condemened homosexuality as a sinful lifestyle, something that people choose to do.

Leaving moral decisions like this to votes or to judges is bad leadership. You have to go beyond what a group of people feel. Because they may feel different next week. Circumstances change... emotions change...and the next thing you know, your perspective changes. Then the rules change... and you are well on your way to chaos.

Going to judges is no better, in large part because they are humans. They are susceptible to changing views, emotions and circumstances.

It is a kind of viscious circle that our founding forefathers could not have anticipated. Don't like something? Vote on it. Is the new law unconsittutional? Ask a judge. Do we need to have a new law? Let the legislature write a new law Don't like the solution? Ask a judge.

It all might work today if we had the same standard of truth that they had back then. The Holy Scriptures. But we don't... so we vote, ask, rewrite, find someone that agrees with me, and then say, "They are the final word..." But they aren't the final word, or someone else will find their own "final word."

We need a standard of truth that sets us straight on how to live in a way that is honoring of our Creator and good for us. That is the Bible... I put my trust in what Scriptures say about all things. I think scripture is pretty clear...

Today....

2009-02-22T16:27:00.000-06:00

Today...

I preached two services about the Samaritan Woman (John 4)....

I talked to a woman whose son suddenly died two months ago. I did not know about it... she said it was the first time she had been in church since it happened. She said it was hard to come...but the message of hope helped her....My heart broke for her...

I talked with a guy whose mom is in the hospital...He just lost his Dad last fall... she is going to be OK.

I talked with another woman who has been diagnosed with cancer in the last two weeks. She encouraged me, not the other way around...They stayed all morning to serve in the Welcome Center. Here they are dealing with this...and they are telling me how exciting it is to see the new families and to help them get to the places they are supposed to go....

I talked with some people visiting who have been wounded at their church. They just need a place to kind of hide and heal....I said we would be that for them...I doubt they are leaving their church, they just need some space....I hate it when any church has to go through this kind of stuff.... We have been there...I know what it is like...

I talked with a woman who is bringing her neighbors, even though she has been coming just a few weeks. She has a burden for her friends who are going through rough times right now... she believes she has found a place for them to get help....

I met with a room full of new people checking us out in Discovery class. 15 faces I had really never seen before. But they are coming, wanting to know about this church, about our ministry and how they can engage. Cool stuff....

I talked with a guy that said our staff is awesome. ( He is right.) We have a staff that is really "jelling" right now. We are not perfect, make lots of mistakes, but we love God and each other.

He is sharing with people about his church...but he was quick to say that it is his relatively new relationship with God that has changed his life. He has it right....

I was hugged by alot of people...

I was told by someone, "I really get alot out of the messages..." It's good to hear....

I got a new picture of Baby Grace. She melts my heart.

In the middle of all of this I am reminded that people have so much to deal with...health, broken relationships, economy, kids, grandkids, doubt, parents, co-workers, pregnancy, there is just so much....

I am thankful I get to do what I do...but I wonder "why me?" What do I have to offer these people? Then I remember my message... It is never my words that save people. It is never my efforts that really make the difference. It is Christ. It is His Spirit. It is His Word. People hang on to what is solid. Today, you can't trust others, government, the economy or any of that stuff... It gets to the point where our faith in God is what we really have. And it is the message we have to share. It is a lasting hope.

That was a big part of my message today... actually if I had been the only one to hear it today, it was a message I needed to hear... I needed to preach it to myself....

.