Running In The Dark

OK, so I've started running again. It's been several years since I was running on a consistent basis. I must say that it's taking me some time to get back into the swing of things and not be dieing by the end of the run.

I run the same route every day and the route has two hills. When I first started running I couldn't make it up the hills. So, I would walk up the hills and then continue the run. However, something interesting happened the other night.

It was about 9:00pm when I went out to run. It was dark and I discovered that I couldn't see the entire route. During the day, I see the hill coming, I focus on how long until I get to the top of the hill and then end up stopping to walk it. However, in the dark I couldn't see the top, I could only see a few feet in front of me and guess what . . . I ran the entire route.

Today, I went out and could not make it up the final hill. It was the same route, same person but I couldn't make it. I could see the length of the hill, I could see the top and my brain said, "you can't make it", "It's too hard", "You'll have to walk it."

This got me thinking about our lives. I know it's important to set goals. I know it's important to know where you're going. However sometimes it's also good just to take one step at a time.
It's healthy to simply trust that each step you take is taking you in the right direction. It's OK to not know what the end game is, what the outcome will be and what will happen tomorrow.

It's called faith.

G3,

Weekend Reflections

Every once in a while, I take a moment to post some random thoughts from the past few days. Today is one of those times. These thoughts are in no particular order and on no specific topic.

• Saturday morning was my Head Coaching debut for my youngest daughters softball team. The head coach could not be there and I was called on to lead. I'm happy to say that my head coaching record is 1-0. I'm undefeated.
• It's really hot in PA this weekend.
• Had a good lunch with Adam on Friday. He and Laurie are coming back to NewSpective for a while and we're happy to have them.
  
• I'm so proud of our team at NewSpective Church. They commit their time, set up equipment, get sweaty and dirty, take down equipment, rush around trying to fix A/C adapters and set up more & more "stuff" every weekend. However, they all know what's at steak . . . the 213,000 people in Northampton County who don't know Christ.
• We're getting really close to our first 300,000 piece email blast. It's going to be crazy and I can't wait to see what God does.
• It's really hot in PA this weekend.
• I installed the air conditioners in our house on Friday. By the time I was done, I was soaked but I'm glad I did it.
  
• Did I mention, its really hot in PA this weekend.
• One Prayer kicked off this morning and it was awesome. Steven Furtick form Elevation brought the message and it was amazing.
  
• I'm off to Vegas this week for work. I've never been to Vegas so this should be an exciting trip.
• It's really hot in PA this weekend.
• My youngest daughter will turn 10 this coming weekend. Yes, both of my daughters are in double digits. . . . I'm getting old.

There you have it. Just Some Thoughts.

G3,

NewSpective Church - New Service Time

I am so pumped about this. In fact I think the above speaks for itself so, start inviting people today.

This weekend we'll conclude our "God's Vitamin Water" series with a message titled, "Power-C". Next weekend we join with over 900 churches for the first ever, "One Prayer" series. It's going to be awesome!

This changes everything!

G3,

Kai is born!

Justin and Danielle had their baby early Saturday morning.

Kai Jacob Alexander Chamberlin was born 5/24/08 @ 1:49am, weighting in at 7lbs 9oz and standing a proud 22" tall. (if he could stand)

Kai and Danielle are doing well.

We're so excited for them and this new chapter in their lives.

G3,

WiBo: Ed Stetzer

Big Idea: There is no faith without doubt. Don't be afraid to say, "I
don't understand, I don't get it"

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Perry Noble

Big Idea: Don't forget your calling. Don't appollgize for dreaming big
dreams. Do what God has called you to do under His authority.

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: John Burke

Like the branch and the vine, stay connected to God and the fruit will
grow naturally. "Stay Connected: Fruit Happens"

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Mark Dever

Big Idea: God's word will build God's Church.

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Darrin Patrick

Big Idea: We don't fall into sin. We actually exchange God's Glory for
sin. We worship creation rather than the Creator.

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Tim Stevens

Big Idea: Spiritual interest is growing in our culture while churches
are declining. Leverage the culture or risk looking your impact.

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Vince Antonucci

Big Idea: Do whatever it takes to seek and save the lost. The most
messed up people wanted to hang out with Jesus. Can the same be said
of us?

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Mark Batterson

Big Idea: We all need dreams that are way beyond our human ability to
accomplish. 1 Cor. 8:2-3.

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo is underway

Arrived at WiBo and getting ready for a great day. More later.

G3,

WiBo is only a few days away

This Wednesday and Thursday we're taking 5 of our leaders to Reston Virginia to experience the first ever WiBo conference. The White Board Sessions is a unique conference bringing together 8 world class communicators who each get 30 minutes to talk on 1 topic.

Tim, Perry and Mark are just 3 of the 8. These three alone are more than worth the price of the conference.

I understand there will be live web feeds and blogs from the conference. If you have a chance, tune it. It's going to be awesome.

G3,

Rock Flashback

I saw the Granger Community Church did this song in their service this past weekend. It made me flash back to this band and remember how great they are. In fact their front man, recently won the Dove Award for Artist of the Year.

I went and downloaded this CD from iTunes and have been listening to it the past few days. It Rocks!

Great songs, great lyrics, great message . . . great band.

Check it out and be inspired.

G3,

The little Things

As many of you know, I am an assistant coach on my daughter's softball teams. Both of my girls play for the Upper Nazareth Clippers and I help out on both teams. My younger daughter's team lost their first game and then won their next 4 in a row. They've played really well, they've come together as a team and they have dominated pretty much every game they've played. That is until last night.

Last night they had the opportunity to see what it feels like to get totally spanked!! I'm not talking about loosing a game. I'm talking about an all out butt kickin'. At the end of the first inning, we were loosing 6-0 and only had 3 girls at bat . . . And then it went down hill after that. :-(

The biggest issue with the loss was the fact that our team didn't do the little things right. They didn't use two hands when catching a fly ball. They didn't keep their gloves in the dirt when trying to get a grounder. They stood and watched strike after strike sail past them without raising the bat from their shoulders. They threw the ball too much, they held onto the ball too long and ended the game with a score of 15-1.

The little things can cause big changes, failures and successes. Little things like talking with God on a moment by moment basis. Little things like celebrating who God is and who you are as a result of the blood of Christ. Little things like worshiping together with other believers. Little things like giving a hand to someone in need. Little things like inviting someone to church. Little things like telling a friend about the Hope that you have in Christ.

Like my daughter's softball game, when the little things are done well, they win. When the little things aren't done well, the score is 15-1. The same thing is true in your walk with God. When the little things are missed, people face a Christ-less Eternity and Satan has an opportunity to gain a foothold in your life. However, when the little things are done well, your relationship with God grows, lives are changed and you'll hear God say, "Well done!"

Focus in on the little things!

G3,

Emily Update

I want to thank all of you for your prayers.

Emily seems to be feeling much better. The best we can tell is that she had some kind of nasty virus that just wouldn't go away. Today was the first day she ate real food and was a bit more like normal. (Although I did kick her tail in Mario Kart).

G3,

Please Pray for Emily

I want to give a quick shout out and ask for your prayers for our
oldest daughter Emily. She's been sick since Sunday. After a local
doctor visit, a call to her specialist in Hershey and some blood work,
we're not sure if it's just a virus or something more serious. She's
in a lot of pain and doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Please pray for Emily and our family.

Thank you and I'll keep you posted.

G3,

Joy in the Journey

As a new church start, it's frustrating sometimes when things aren't moving forward at the speed that I think they should. God is continually reminding me that His timing is perfect and mine . . . not so much.

I received a very encouraging email yesterday from one of the people at NewSpective. In this message the writer says this:

I think God is allowing me a glimpse of where we are going as a church. I am reading(madly) several books on just what we as a church can offer this new generation that is coming into the Lehigh Valley. I do believe that God is showing me that I GET IT...I SEE WHERE WE WANT TO GO....so praise God.

What an encouragement. God is moving in the lives of leaders and positioning NewSpective to have an impact on the Lehigh Valley. The team is coming together and beginning to understand just what it takes to reach a lost generation. I'm excited for the growth, excited for the challenge, excited to see lives changed. God's doing some cool things and I can't wait to see what's around the next corner.

G3,

Next Steps

On my way to Mars today I listened to a message by this guy. While the message wasn't really about "Next Steps", God used this message to stir in me some thoughts about my Next Steps, NewSpective's Next Steps and maybe even your Next Steps.

As many of you know, some of our NewSpective team spent some time at Liquid on Sunday. We had the chance to experience, first hand, what a move of God in a community could look like. Since our conversation with Tim and Mike and some email communication with them over the past day or so, God's been stirring up a fire inside me. He's been stoking the fire for reaching the Lehigh Valley like never before. However, this fire brings with it a fear. To move from where NewSpective Church currently is to where I believe God wants us to be, is a daunting task. Do we have the budget, do we have the volunteers, do we have the children's ministry workers, do we have the commitment, do we have the band, the greeters, . . . It's like trying to eat an elephant.

Today, God reminded me that eating an elephant is easy. It's just one bite at a time.

He reminded me of the story of Moses as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses told the people, in his humanness, to stand still, sit back, relax, take a photo and watch what God does. And yet, God doesn't work that way. God responds to Moses by telling him to stop crying, stop standing around and take a Next Step. Raise your staff, enter the water, take your Next Step and then I'll show you my glory. You step and then I'll move.

I don't know that I've been sitting around waiting for God to move but there certainly are some Next Steps that I need to take. There are some Next Steps in my personal walk with God. There are some Next Steps to take with NewSpective Church.

Church, we need to take our Next Steps. Whatever that is for you and keep moving forward. God's going to do some crazy things in the Lehigh Valley through NewSpective Church. Let's take some steps and see what God's up to.

G3,

Weekend Recap

As many of you know, Jennifer and I got away for a long weekend. We went to Cape May, NJ and spent 4 days and 3 nights in stress less bliss. Here's some random thoughts from the weekend.

• I love my wife!!!
• It's important to get away and recharge: Recharge your personal life, your walk with God, your relationship with your spouse and recharge your own purpose.
• Yes, I actually went on the beach. Sand stuck to me like glue. However, please refer to thought number one above. :-)
• The little shops in Cape May were fun. All of them weren't open but we did make a purchase at "Whales Tales." (How cool is that!)
• When you view a beautiful sunset live, it really makes you appreciate the amazing creation that God put all around us.
• The view from the hotel was simply awesome. Clear shot to the ocean.
• I've never done a wine tasting before. I guess I never realized how many different subtleties there are in wine flavors and aromas.
• Sitting on the beach, listening to music, reading "Pop Goes The Church" and hanging out with my wife . . . Priceless!
• I am no competition for Jennifer when it comes to 500 rummy. She kicked my butt . . . TWICE!!!
• When are they going to get one of these restaurants in the Lehigh Valley?
• Why is it so hard to follow directions backward? Left is right and right is left, North is South and South is North.
  
• The iPhone is amazing. The only technology I brought on the trip and the only technology I needed. Full web, maps, email; what more could a man need?
• Returned home last night and capped the weekend off by taking about 17 people from NewSpective to experience a worship service at Liquid. Wow, Tim and his team do an amazing job. Set up starts at 4:45am and take down ends at 9:00pm. They are reaching their community and extending around the world. We spent a little more than an hour with Tim and Mike after the service. They were so encouraging and gracious. (More about Liquid in a future post)

All in all this was a great weekend from start to finish. God is Good. He's truly blessed me and my family and I'm grateful that He allows me to be a part of His plan.

G3,

Caption Please

So Jennifer and I saw this live tonight. Simply Amazing!!!

Wild At Heart

Ok, so I must admit, I had fun cutting a tree down this weekend. Yes, I went to Lowes, purchased a chain saw and took out this 30 foot tall crab apple tree in my yard. Wood chips were flying everywhere, I was hot, sweaty, tired, dirty, and totally worn out by the end of the day. However, there was something about working outside, using power tools, hearing that tree snap and crack as it fell to the ground and then cutting it up into little pieces that made me feel . . . Wild, Adventurous, Tough and totally like a man.

It reminded me of the book Wild At Heart by John Eldridge. About 5 years ago, God used This book and some of Eldridge's other books, The Sacred Romance, The Journey of Desire, Epic and Waking the Dead, in conjunction with personal study of God's Word to totally rock my world. Having grown up in a Christian Home and in Christian Churches, I had created a Caricature of God and my relationship with Him, that just wasn't real. God used the writings of Eldredge to expose His truth to me about why I was created, what kind of relationship God desires from us, how much Love God has for us and what God expects from His people. It has truly been an amazing journey and God has been leading the entire way.

If you've never read any of John's books, I highly recommend clicking on one or all of the links above and ordering them . . . now!

They just might change your life.

G3,

God's Church

It never ceases to amaze me when God steps in and changes things at the last minute.

I'm a firm believer that it's God's responsibility to build His church. Don't get me wrong, we (Christ Followers) have the responsibility to engage in conversations and lean in to the people around us. As the Spirit moves in those conversations, we need to be listening and invite these new friends into Christ's presence by sharing Christ with them. However, no matter what we do, it's still God's deal and He's going to do His thing in spite of us.

Yesterday was no exception. By 10:00am Sunday morning, the entire band at NewSpective was either working or sick in bed. Needless to say, I had to make some quick changes to our service. With God's prompting we used a couple of Passion videos and had Charlie Hall and Chris Tomlin lead us in worship via video. When the music portion of our service was over, it was evident that the Holy Spirit was in the room and moving. In fact, I received the following note, this morning, from one of our Partners:

God really used the music selection yesterday to reach my heart…I haven’t felt impacted in worship like that in a while. He just seemed to reach down and hold my heart. So, thanks for being used by God and doing your part in that.

God reached down, stirred things up, changed our direction and impacted lives. It's so awesome when He does that and I'm so privileged to be a part of what He's doing in the Lehigh Valley.

Pop Goes The Mailbox

I received my copies of "Pop Goes The Church" yesterday and I'm so excited about how this book is going to impact NewSpective Church. As you may recall, this is the book that I had the opportunity to preview before it went to print. I can't wait to read through the finished book. I purchased copies for some of our leaders and I'm looking forward to going through it together.

If you are a pastor or church leader or church attender I highly recommend this book. It is a must read if you have any desire to reach your community for Christ. Tim has great insight and speaks on a topic that is one of his passions.

You can purchase a copy for yourself here.

Access & Influence

As a pastor I've seen many times, where Satan has used well meaning people to try and derail the vision that God has placed in my heart and the responsibility that God has placed in my hands. People have used phrases like, "God has a word for you" or "I feel so led in my heart to tell you . . ." or "I believe God wants you to . . ."

The reality is that God "can" use anything and anyone, to communicate His truth to His people. In fact, He can even use a jackass to communicate His will. However, I've come to realize that not everyone should have access to me or have influence on me. If I allowed everyone, with an opinion or "word from God" to influence me and the path that God has placed me on, I would be a basket case going every which way but God's.

So, I've come to realize that there really are only a few people who have access to my heart and influence on my life. I'm not going to name names but I will describe these people to you.

First, my wife. She has access to my heart and certainly has influence on my life. Of all the people on the planet, I listen and respect her opinion and observations more than anyone else. She is my life partner and there isn't anyone who has access to me or influence on me, like she does. That's the way God planned it. The two shall become one.

The second group of people who have access to and influence on me, are a few pastors who I know and/or respect. There are a couple of pastors who I communicate with on a consistent basis and if any of these men brought an issue or observation to my attention I would listen in. I would take their concerns seriously and reflect on their thoughts & opinions. There are also a few pastors who God has used, via their blogs, books, messages and podcasts, to influence me on theology, leadership, marriage, responsibility, pastoral roles and many other topics. God has and will continue to use these men to access and influence my life. These man, unknowingly, have influenced me and continue to challenge me on multiple levels.

The final group of people who have access to and influence on me are those people who I do ministry with, week in and week out. These people stand by my side. They are in the trenches with me on a regular basis and if anyone of them came to me with a concern or issue they would have my attention. They have influence on my life because I respect them. We're doing life together, we're serving in ministry together and it must be a two way relationship.

Having said all of the above, there is also a group of people who don't have access to me or influence on my life. These people are the spineless cowards who hide behind anonymous email messages, anonymous blog comments and third party hearsay. These people claim to know God and feel like that fact alone should allow them access to me and influence on me. They have some issue or concern that they want to share and completely violate scripture to get their point across. They don't care about me, they don't care about the ministry that God has called me to, they don't take the time to engage in an authentic conversation and therefore they don't have access to me or influence in my life.

It's not that I'm bitter or upset, it's just that I've come to realize there are some people who have earned the right to speak into my life and there are those who have not earned that right. While this post is stronger than a lot of my posts, it's important that people know my heart.

Who has access and influence on your life? Maybe you need to take some time and evaluate this question so that you too don't get derailed from the life God has for you.

G3,

Motivation

Steven had a great post today.

Check it out HERE:

G3,

Random Thoughts

Every once in a while I list some current thoughts running around in my head. They're in no particular order or on any given topic. Simply some thoughts:

• I hate doing my taxes. I know I have 7 more days to finish them but I thought I'd beat the rush and finish them up tonight. Turbo Tax is your friend.
  
• I worked from home today. I got a lot done without any distractions.
• God is solidifying, in me, the vision He has for NewSpective Church. I believe He has some great big things in store for this church.
• I heard a quote tonight on American Idol. One of the contestants said, "if you're going to dream, dream BIG." We've all heard it before but it's great to be reminded of it. I think God wants us to dream BIG dreams, pray BIG prayers and expect God to do BIG things.
• I love the reaction I get from people when I tell them I'm a Pastor.
• Had my teeth cleaned today. They feel all smooth and shiny. :-)
• The book of James has been kicking my butt recently. I can't seem to get this passage out of my mind. Is "the church" simply hearing the Word or are we putting into practice? Are we "being" the church or simply "doing" church.
• I heard that this church had over 600 people in church on Easter Sunday. Praise God. With over 213,000 people in Northampton County, that don't know Christ, we need every church in the area to be knocking it out of the park.
  
• Had a good conversation with a friend of mine tonight. God's stirring up some big things in his heart and I'm excited to see where God leads.
• Jennifer and I are planning a little "getaway" in a couple of weeks. I love spending time with her and I'm looking forward to a little break.
  
• With over 3,000,000 square feet of commercial property for lease in Northampton County, why is it so hard to find 5,000 that's affordable?

Well, there you have it. Some of my thoughts.

Kinda scary, huh?

G3,

Wildness vs. Civilization

I read a quote the other day from Charles Lindbergh.

"Real freedom lies in wildness, not in civilization."

I'm sure he was referring to the freedom of flying, being in the clouds, above the noise of life. However, I want to take this quote one step further.

I believe that "Real LIFE lies in Wildness, not in civilization." As I read more and more about Jesus, I realize that He was all about the Wildness and very little about the Civilization.

I mean, it's not civilized to say, this. Especially in today's world.

I don't know too many people who would think this is civilized either.

Or how about this?

What happened here is certainly not very civilized.

Jesus didn't live a civilized life. He lived a wild life. Wild for the love of His father. Wild for the love of those around Him. Wild for the return of your heart and mine. He didn't follow any prescribed rules and regulations. He looked at the Heart of every man, woman and child and loved us with a Wild, unconditional kind of love.

So, here's the question. Do you want to be Wild or Civilized? Do you want to sit back in your civilized, white picket fenced world and allow those around you to continue on their hell-bound destination. Or do you want to be Wild and do whatever it takes to bring people who are far from God, into life in Christ.

I don't believe you can be both. I believe it's one or the other. Each one of us must choose.

G3,

I'm Sick!

So, I was going to post some theologically stimulating stuff tonight. You know, share a passage of scripture or famous quote and then expound upon it for a couple of paragraphs to stimulate the minds of those who stumble upon or intentionally check up on my thoughts.

It was going to be good. I had the quote all ready, I knew what I was going to say and I know it would have been meaningful to someone.

However, I have some bad news. Being a man, this news is hard for me to share. In fact, most men don't admit this and if they do, they instantly become babies about it. So, I'm going to do my best and hold back the tears as I share this information with you.

Here Goes . . . I'm Sick!!!

That's right. I thought I could fight it. I thought I could Muscle through and force myself to "feel better." I thought if I didn't say anything to anyone and "acted" normal, whatever that is, that all would be well with me and the world. And guess what ? . . . I was Wrong!

Maybe it's my schedule finally catching up to me or the fact that I sit next to someone at the office who is just getting over the flu. But whatever it is, I have that achy, stuffy head, sore throat, coughing, joint aching, head pounding, throat itching, runny nose, annoying as everything evil disease.

Or it could just be a cold. But I'm betting on the first option.

So, please pray for me. Pray that God restores my health and returns my home to normal. As I said above, most men are babies when they are sick and I am no exception. Maybe you should pray for my wife and kids as well. :-)

You keep praying and I'll keep you posted.

G3,

Big Announcement - Take 2

Well, the BIG Announcement I spoke about on Friday has been put on hold for a couple more days. The T's are still uncrossed and there are a couple if I's that need to be dotted. However, that announcement will be coming by the end of the week!

In the meantime I want to tell you about another initiative that NewSpective Church will be participating in this June.

One Prayer is a prayer initiative, initiated by LifeChurch.tv. Craig Groeschel is their Lead Pastor and the author of a great book, "Confessions of a Pastor." The premise behind, One Prayer is that hundreds of churches, all across America, would join together for a four week series of talks on Prayer. I am so stoked about this series and the way in which it is coming together that I can't wait for NewSpective Church to join in this effort.

Rather than have me tell you all about it, I'll let Craig tell you directly. Check it out by clicking the Play Button on the video below.



It's going to be amazing and I can't wait.

Let me know what you think of the idea.

G3,

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

I just got back from a meeting and while I can't tell you all the details yet, look for a big announcement here within the next few days.

It's going to be big.

I'm talking B I G!

In fact, I believe it's going to totally change NewSpective Church and the impact we are going to have on the Lehigh Valley.

Stay tuned.

Did I tell you it's going to be BIG?

G3,

Be Encouraged!

The other day I received a Google Chat message from a friend of mine. He wanted to reach out to me and encourage me in our ministry here at NewSpective Church. While I won't go into his entire message, one of the things he said was:

We don't often get to hear from people that we are doing things right, but I just wanted to let you know that I think you are doing things right. It takes a remarkable individual to be sensitive to what is culturally relevant and biblically inspired to set tone, environment, and message.

The reason I'm telling you this is that I agree with the encourager's perspective. We don't often hear from people that we are doing things right. We don't often get encouraged and told that we are making a difference.

So, I wanted to take a moment and give a shout out to our entire NewSpective Church family. People, you're doing it right. God is blessing NewSpective by preparing our fields for His harvest. Some of you, in your last ministry post, were simply attenders. You went to the service and went home. Today, you are pulling the trailer, setting up equipment, doing administrative work, teaching NewKids, running cables, arriving early, staying late, playing music, handing out worship guides and much more. In short, you're doing a great job! I'm proud to be your pastor and pray that God will continue to use this church to reach and impact the Lehigh Valley for Christ.

Be Encouraged! God is Good!

G3,

22 Years! What a Saint!

It's been over a week since my last post. I should apologize for that or try and make some kind of excuse like, Easter weekend was busy or I'm trying to finish my 2007 taxes and haven't had time to blog. However, the reality is, I was just having trouble coming up with something better than the "Steven Bauer" photo. (see post below)

I finally have it. A photo of my wife!

You see, last Friday we celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. I know what some of you are thinking. If they celebrated their 16th anniversary, why is this post titled, "22 Years!"

Well, there's a very simple explanation for that. You see, Jennifer and I dated for 6 years prior to getting married and this November will mark 22 years since I first tricked her into going on our first date. 22 years of putting up with me and my idiosyncrasies. 22 years of financial ups and downs. 22 years of job changes, ministry changes, people talking about me behind my back and 22 years of dealing with the challenges of being married to an ESTJ.

Let me just say this. 22 Years of me. . . is a challenge. Jennifer is a beautiful, caring, strong, sexy woman. I wouldn't want any one else on the planet, to have been by my side these past 22 years and I can't wait to see what God has in store for our next 22 + years.

Jennifer, I Love You!

G3,

I Want To Be . . . Jack Bauer

Last January, Jennifer and I began watching the 6th season of "24." After just a couple of weeks, we were hooked. We didn't miss an episode and if we had to, we DVR'd it so that we could watch it as soon as we got home.

If you are a "24" fan at all, you know the new season was put on hold due to the writers strike and Jack won't be back until January of 09. However, Jennifer and I have been able to maintain our "24" fix, thanks to Jennifer's sister, Jovine (pronouced Javeen). She owns the first 5 seasons and Jennifer and I have been methodically watching all of them. In fact we are currently about 6 episodes away from the end of season 5 and then I'm not sure what we're going to do until January.

One of the things that amazes me about Jack Bauer, aside from the fact that he doesn't eat or use the bathroom for an entire 24 hour period of time, is his commitment. Jack has a dedication to his job, his country, his goals and his duty like no other man I've ever seen. Over the 5 3/4 seasons that we've watched, Jack has given up his family, his wife, his daughter, his friends, his co-workers and his life for his cause. He's willing to do "whatever it takes" to get the job done, protect his country and save the world.

What if we, bible believing Christ followers had this same kind of dedication to saving the world as Jack does? What if we were willing to lay down our lives, give up everything we are and all we have for the sake of Christ Jesus?

In our Connecting Point on Friday night, we are going through the book of Romans and last week we read Romans chapter 9. I was convicted by Paul's convictions in verses 1-3. What if we had this same kind of conviction and dedication to reaching those who we care about, those who are in our sphere of influence?

How much different would our world be if we were more like Jack . . . Dedicated to the cause. . . of Christ?

G3,

Snow Cones and Flood Waters

When I was a kid, I used to love snow cones. On a hot Summer day, there's just nothing like a cup of pure, clean water that's been frozen and then shaved into little pieces, with the sweetest raspberry syrup poured all over it. (For those of you who prefer cherry or blueberry, I would question your salvation*.)

The snow cone is a staple at street fairs, carnivals, fireworks displays and many other community Summer festivals. While I love a good Snow Cone, when you break it down to it's simples form, it's just water. Simple, pure, clean refreshing water.

As I drive to work everyday, I follow a river along route 46 in New Jersey. With all of the rain we've had lately the river has risen above the normal bank and is dangerously close to the road. In fact there's a house along the river that has a bridge connecting the main house to a little island in the middle of the river. There is a small building on the island. As I past by the bridge yesterday I realized that about 1/3 of the bridge was completely under the water level. In fact the water was moving so fast and so powerfully over the bridge that you could see sticks and branches going across where the bridge normally is. In many parts of the river the water is moving so fast that all kinds of debris is just flying by.

As I thought about this raging river, I couldn't help but realize that in it's simplest form, it's just water. The same water, although much cleaner, that is used to create the amazing Summer refreshment that we call a snow cone.

So, what's the difference? . . . Power!

The same God who can take H2O and compress it and freeze it to make ice, can take the same H2O and let it loose down the raging river. The same God who can comfort and heal a broken heart can take that same person and let them loose to impact their world for Christ.

So, here's my question. Are you a frozen block of ice simply looking for refreshment or are you a raging river, looking to impact your world? Sometimes we need the refreshment and other times we need to be raging. However, we can't be just one all the time. All raging and no refreshing will kill a person. On the flip side, all refreshment with no raging isn't what God has called us to do.

G3,

*Please note: The cherry/blueberry comment with regards to salvation was just a joke. I realize that raspberry snow cones don't get you into heaven.

Leaving Well!

If you've been a part of a church for any period of time, you know that leaving a church can be very hard. Relationships are at stake. Families are involved. Feelings get hurt. Intentions are criticized. Tempers rise. Anger mounts. Territories are defined and "true colors" are seen for the first time. In fact, many feel that if they ever left "their" church, they would never be welcomed back again.

I think it's sad and frankly unacceptable, that "the church", people who are supposed to be known by their love for one another, can't leave well.

Adam and Laurie have been a part of NewSpective Church since day one. Adam led our worship, assisted with purchasing equipment, held practices at his house, hauled equipment around, set up and packed up the church each and every week & served on our leadership team. Laurie . . . Supported Adam! Any man in ministry will tell you that support like that is a Full Time Gig.

However, God has other plans for Adam & Laurie. This past weekend we had the chance to say goodbye. We did it well. We publicly thanked Adam & Laurie for their time with us and service to God at NewSpective. We gave them a gift and prayed over them. It' wasn't a big ordeal but It was good for NewSpective to see that leaving a church doesn't have to be ugly. It doesn't have to be long and drawn out with trash talking and storytelling.

You see, when God is the focus of what you are doing, it's so much easier to accept His will. We may not understand it, we may not like it, but God is God and we . . . are not!!! God moves people from one post to another. He knows what He's doing and He's ALWAYS right!!

I wish Adam and Laurie the best and pray that God speaks clearly as to what their next post will be.

I also pray that "the church" would learn from this example and understand that Leaving Well is part of this command.

G3,

An Apple A Day . . .

As many of you know I'm slowly becoming a "Mac Guy." Having lived in the Microsoft After Market for almost 10 years, even I find this hard to believe.

Today I read a quote from Apple co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, that exemplifies where I'm at in my life and my ministry. Here's the quote:

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

In my 15+ years of church ministry, I've had more than my fair share of "opinions" presented to me. It's so easy to let the opinions, comments & misconceptions of other, drown out the voice of God. It's easy to get upset and want to walk away, when people misinterpret your heart or don't care enough to find out the truth. The reality is, our time is limited. I can't afford to waste my time living someone else's life or being trapped and manipulated by what other people think.

God has given me a passion to communicate truth from His word and to Connect People with God through Life In Christ. It's really that simple. . . and . . . Everything else is secondary.

There, I feel much better now.

G3,

Great Weekend

Here's a quick recap of the weekend. In no specific order.

- Our connecting point gets better each week. Patrick is doing a great job leading and the discussion has been awesome. David gets to join us this week, which will be cool.
- Holyfire Rocks
- Pulled the church trailer for the first time and our Buick did a great job.
- Our setup team is getting better and better each week.
- I didn't get to see any of the Daytona 500 yesterday but the M&M's car came in 4th. Looks like it could be a great year for Mars.
- Yesterday our service was great. Mark rocked the kit and the Holy Spirt spoke loud and clear. I can't wait until this weekend.

More later this week.

G3,

Holyfire - Be There!

One of my favorite bands, that not enough people know about, is coming to Nazareth this Saturday night. I'm so pumped about being able to experience their music and worship with them this weekend.

So, here's my suggestion. If you don't have anything to do, Saturday at 7:00pm, make plans to be at The Carpenter's Church to experience the ministry of Holyfire. If you do have other plans for Saturday night . . . Change Them! Change them NOW! And make plans to be at this concert. It's going to be amazing and could be life changing.

And let me clarify one thing. Tucker did not ask me to pimp this concert on my blog. Holyfire is simply that good!

G3,

Leading By Example

Steven, from Elevation, had a great post today on taking care of your staff. One day, NewSpective will be in the position to take care of our staff in a similar fashion. It's critically important.

Check it out HERE!

G3,

Eli the Church Planter

With less than 3 minutes to go in the "big game" Eli Manning was given the football and began the winning drive in Super Bowl XLII. As the quarterback, the game was all on his shoulders. Standing on the 17 yard line, he had 83 yards to go. The only option was to score a touchdown. The Giants were down by 4 points, so a field goal would do no good. While the pressure was all on him, the Team needed to step up and move the ball. Every team member had to do their job. The line had to block, the receivers had to run their routes, the running backs had to move the ball and Eli . . . well, Eli had to get rid of the ball. Eli spent that last two and a half minutes handing the ball off to other people and throwing it down field.

As a church planter my job is exactly like Eli's. I have to learn how to hand the ball off. I can't score all the points, I can't pull the trailer, unload the trailer, prepare every message, produce all the videos, prepare all the graphics, send every e-mail, update the database, maintain the web site, print the worship guides, man the welcome center, teach NewKids, lead worship, preach, take the offering, set up the sound and lights, secure trailer storage, update the giving records, pay every bill and balance the check book. My job is to equip the people for ministry. When our Team all does their part, the entire team wins and God is glorified.

I received a text message from Mark, telling me that he took care of the trailer storage today, so that I don't have to worry about that on Friday. You can't imagine how that one little thing can have such a large impact on my week. It was a hand off and the team moved the ball closer to the goal line.

As each member of our Team does his/her own tasks and as I hand the ball off to those more qualified then myself, the Team will win. God will be glorified, people will come to know Christ and this valley will never be the same.

Who's ready to take a hand off? It's the 4th quarter and time is running out.

G3,
Steven

Great Stuff From Perry

Perry Noble, pastor at NewSpring, had a great blog post today. I don't want to add to it or take away from it so . . . .

Click Here and read it for yourself.

Then, come back here and leave a comment and let me know what you think. I believe he and his team are spot on and every church in America should be asking the same question.

G3,

A Day Off?

So, yesterday I kind of took a "Day Off."

What I mean is that I worked my day job and then came home and spent time with my wife and kids. We played some DS and Wii and then Jennifer and I watched a movie. The only thing I did for the church was to purchase some tickets for this conference. We're going to take 5 of our leaders and I believe it's going to sell out so I wanted to get the tickets.

As a church planter I find myself working 8-9 hours a day to make a living and then spending 3+ hours at night working on "church stuff." So, it was nice to only spend 3 min ordering tickets and then actually relaxing with my family.

Have a great week.

G3,

Man Is Born To Live

Boris Pasternak was a Nobel Prize winning poet and writer. Mr. Pasternak was once quoted as saying:

"Man is born to live, not to prepare for life."

I believe that we, as Christ Followers, can learn a lot from this quote. God created us to Live Life and to live it to it's fullest. He didn't create us to simply learn about Him or His word but to allow Him to live His word through us. He created us to engage our hearts with Him. As we engage our hearts with the Creator of the Universe, we are then able to engage our hearts with those around us.

As we engage our heart with God and with Friends we will then be able to live like we were created to live. I've resolved that I'm going to take God at His word and live life to the fullest, allowing Him to direct each step. How about you?

G3,

Focus

A couple of weeks ago, our Connecting Point started a study on the book of Romans. Let me say that the book of Romans is Not for the faint at heart. Paul starts out nice and quickly gets all up in the grill of the people and specifically the Jews in Rome.

Last week as we were discussing the end of Chapter 1 and then Chapter 2. We talked about judging others. We talked about what happens if people know Christ and yet don't live like they do. We also talked about those people who God abandon. It's been a good study so far and I believe it will continue to be.

However, yesterday I heard a message from Perry at NewSpring and he made a statement that really stuck in my head. He said,

"Christians are way too obsessed with the behavior of people who don't know Christ."

It continued to solidify the fact that our job is to connect people with God through life in Christ. We can't expect people who are far from Christ to act like they know Him. Especialy when those who claim to know Him don't act like they do. Our job is not to be judge and jury. We, "the Church" and specifically NewSpective Church needs to stay focused on Connecting People with God and Friends. That's our job. Love God and Love Others. As we connect people with God and Friends, the Holy Spirit will convict people and take care of their sin.

Just a Thought!

G3,

Pop Goes The Review - Part 2

I was informed today that Tim pushed up the due date on his book review by 3 days. So, I buckled down tonight and finished my first read. I plan to go back over it again and ensure that my notes makes sense before I send it off to Tim this weekend.

All I can say is that this book has been an inspiration, a challenge, a blast to read and an eye opening look at what the church was meant to be. It has also been a sobering reality of how far away from God's plan the "church" has fallen. God never intended the church to be a Holy Huddle of the Christian Country Club where no outsider can gain access with out looking, smelling, talking and living a certain way. Jesus never exhibited this kind of thought process. Jesus met people where they were and then offered them the solution to their life situation.

Tim does a great job of illustrating, with success stories and real life examples, the importance of understanding the culture and language of those in your community. He then demonstrates how to use that culture and language to share Christ as the answer to life's challenges.

I'm not sure when the book is being released (3 days early I hope) but when it comes out I challenge every Christ Follower to read it and digest it. No matter if you work for a church, volunteer at a church or simply want to talk to your neighbor about Christ, this book will give you practical examples of ways to use Pop Culture to reach out to the world around you.

G3,

Just a Thought

It's been a great weekend. So as not to bore you with all of the details, here are some quick thoughts.

• Hung out with Tim Stevens, well at least his new book on Friday, which challenged me for the development & launch of our own new church.
• Had a great time discussing Romans with our Connecting Point on Friday night. We missed David but it was great to have Carol join us.
  
• Spent some time with some old friends on Saturday, celebrating their children's birthdays. It was great to re-connect.
• Both teams I was routing for today lost. Is it possible for both teams to loose the Super Bowl? Well, maybe we can have some good food that night at least.
• Today was the highlight of the weekend. I love worshiping with NewSpective Church and being able to share God's word with our people. We're building vision and team while taking steps forward in preparation for our Easter Launch.
• God has done some amazing things at NewSpective Church and I can't wait to see what He does in 2008.
• I tried a new Candy Bar tonight. All I can say is that Chocolate and Caffeine is a great combination.
• Our new lighting should be in tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting it all set and ready for next weekend.
• I can't believe "The Moment Of Truth" is actually coming to TV. What will they think of next?
  

More thoughts soon.

G3,

Pop Goes the Review - Part 1

So I spent some time with a venti cup of caffeine and Tim's new book, "Pop Goes The Church." All I can say (because I'm not able to quote the book yet) is WOW. I'm only about half way through the book but Tim is hitting the nail on the head. This new book is a Must Read for all church planters and seasoned pastors alike. If only "the church" could grab hold of this thought process and put it into practice, the world would never be the same.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book and then a re-read before sending it back.

I'll keep you posted.

G3,

Big Day!

Not only did I receive Tim's book yesterday (More on that later) but the new Mac Book Pro is here and running well.

Software is all installed, turn it on and . . . It works!!!

Imagine that?

I think I may have seen the light!!!

Pop Goes the Inbox

Well, it arrived. I have the transcript of Tim Stevens new book, "Pop Goes The Church." I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I'll start reading later today and keep you updated. Look for some "Pop Goes The Review" posts over the next few days.

G3,

Pop Goes The Church

As many of you know, I follow many blogs. I read a lot and study church growth and pop culture. One of the blogs I read, on a regular basis, is LeadingSmart.com by Tim Stevens.

Tim is the Executive Pastor at Granger Community Church in Granger Indiana. Granger is one of the top 10 most innovative churches in America. Tim, along with writing partner Tony Morgan, have co-written 3 of the most practical ministry books on the planet.

• Simply Strategic Stuff
• Simply Strategic Growth
• Simply Strategic Volunteers

Tim is currently working on a new solo writing project called "Pop Goes The Church."

Last week Tim reached out to the readers of his blog for some help with the new book. He was looking for 10 leaders to review and comment on the book prior to his final edit. Over 100 people volunteered to help and I found out today that I am one of the 10 selected to review and give input on this new project.

I'm excited about this project and while I don't need another task on my plate, this topic is critical to communicating the Gospel in today's culture. While I'm not allowed to quote from the book here, I will keep you updated on my progress. I will receive the book tomorrow and have 14 days to read it, comment and return it.

G3,

Good News!

I can't believe it's the 14th of January. I just realized that I've only posted 2 times in 2008 and that's unacceptable. Statistics tell me that people from 15 states and 11 different countries visited this site in 2007. To those of you who check out my thoughts on any kind of consistent basis, I say . . . I'm Sorry.

However, I have Good News!

This past weekend at NewSpective Church, I spoke about being disturbed by the status quo. The status quo on this site is that over the past year, I've posted only 91 times. That means I've posted less than 8 times per month and less than 2 times per week. If I'm going to say no to the status quo, that means I need to kick it up a notch.

One of the purposes for this site is to share what God is doing in my life and in the ministries that I'm privileged to be a part of. God is certainly more active in my life than 2 times per week. So, I'm going to attempt to carve out more time to share what's going on and what God is teaching me. I pray that as you read my musings, you too will be encouraged to be more intentional about sharing Christ with those in your sphere of influence.

I believe that God is getting ready to do something really crazy at NewSpective Church. Our partners are stepping up, giving time, volunteering to serve, giving money and taking steps to make our Easter Launch a reality. Our current series of talks called, "Facing the Giants" is really going to stretch us to prepare our fields to receive all that God has for this valley. The "Free Movie" night on February 10th is going to be a great opportunity to start creating some buzz in the community. More about that event in a week or so.

NewSpective, the next few months could get totally out of hand!!! And that's a great thing!!!!

Stay tuned. Who knows what might happen next.

G3,

Gas and Go!

Wednesday morning was my first day back to work. I'm working my "day job" at the Mars Snack Food national office in Hacketstown, NJ. (They make M&M's there).

Anyway, having been off for 10 days over the holidays, I had not driven my car much at all. So, I went to get in my care to drive to NJ and the fuel light was on. You know, the one that says, "you better get gas soon or you'll be walking." Anyway, I was frustrated because I didn't know I was low on gas, I didn't plan on getting gas, so I hadn't allowed time to stop. As I headed to NJ I got to Tatamy and saw the gas station sign. The price was $3.15 for regular.

I began to have an argument in my head. Do I stop now and be sure I have enough gas to get to work or do I try and make it over the NJ border to Belvidere where I know the prices is better. Well my wallet won out and I passed right by the gas station and continued on my way. I watched the gas gauge dangerously approaching the big "E." I continued to rationalize the price savings and tried to calculate the distance to Belvidere and convince myself that at 27-30 mpg I should make it there OK. As I crossed the bridge and pulled into the gas station I was relieved. First the price was $2.89 (that's 26 cents less per gallon) and second, I made it to the fill up.

Isn't that the way our spiritual walk is as well. We get filled up, at church, during quite time with God, while listening to some music, reading a book, seeing a sunset, etc. . . and then Life hits. We get caught up in the "stuff" of life and before we know it, the gas light comes on, we're running on fumes and we didn't even realize we were getting low. We start to hope and pray that we can make it to the next filling station, the next church service, the next quiet moment to reconnect with God, the next second in our day when we can talk with God and get some insight, energy or strength. When we finally do and God in His faithfulness meets us and rejuvenates us, we smile a quick sigh of relief that we Made It. We gas up and get going all over again.

What's really awesome is that God is faithful. He does fill us. Every second as we need it. We don't have to risk waiting to cross the boarder or for the next church service. We don't have to try and determine what's the best option. We simply need to lean on Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to live though us and fill us with His Power.

Gas and Go, every moment and see what God does.

G3

What's In Store?

January 1, 2008. I can't believe another year has come and gone. Like many of you, this time of year brings to mind many questions:

• Where did last year go?
• Why didn't I accomplish all I set out to accomplish?
• What's in store for the coming year?
• Will I be better off one year from now or not?

And for most of us the answers aren't easy to find. One year ago we all had plans. We had things we wanted to do, places we wanted to go, people we wanted to help, work we wanted to do and many more. Then along came . . . Life! We got busy just trying to keep up and before we knew it, the Summer had come and gone and Christmas was right around the corner.

So, here we find ourselves on January first of a new year and the same goals, thoughts, hopes and prayers are circling in our minds.

I believe 2008 is going to be an incredible growth year for me personally and for NewSpective Church. I don't have all the answers to all of the "new year" questions. I don't know if goals will be accomplished, I don't know if every need will be met, I don't know if loved ones will all survive the year or not. I don't know what God has in store for NewSpective Church. However I do have one answer. I can say with the utmost certainty that we will be better off one year from now, if we stay connected to God, through Jesus Christ each and every moment of each and every day. I believe it's impossible to walk through an entire year with God as the leader and guider of our lives and not be better off.

NewSpective Church, this year is going to be one of the most challenging and life changing years of your lives. God's getting ready to do something really powerful here in the Lehigh Valley and I believe that NewSpective Church is going to be right in the middle of it all.

We may not have all the answers but we have the God of the universe as our guide. So, this year is going to ROCK!

I can't wait to get started.

G3,