First Day of Training Camp

OK, so the season has officially begun. Today was the first day of the Redskins' Training Camp. If you spend anytime with me, you'll soon learn that I'm a HUGE Redskins fan. The team had two Defensive Ends go down with injuries -that's not good. We'll see how that turns out...

My day's been pretty low-key. Watching the girls while my wife spent some "alone time" in Fredericksburg. We're gearing up for Hope's (our youngest daughter) 2-year B-day party next Saturday. We have the whole moon bounce, Chick-Fil-A catered and 30 invites thing going on. Looking forward to lots of fun!!

Slip n Slide

So, the heat index is way up again... My body is still adjusting to this climate. San Diego life really spoiled me!

I broke out the Slip N Slide for my daughters today. We have a slight slope on our side yard, so I positioned it just right for the girls to be able to get some good slides. With a 5 year old, 3 year old and a 2 year old, nothing lasts too long. We were outside for maybe 30 minutes or so, but it was fun while it lasted!!

Remnant

I was down in Norfolk yesterday for my consulting business (tentmaking). I hadn't been in that area in at least 10 years I think. On my way home, I took a detour through Newport News and Christopher Newport University - my alma matter.

Wow! What a different university CNU has become since I graduated in 1991. As I strolled around the campus looking at the new buildings and new landscaping, I caught glimpses of what I remembered about CNU (or CNC as it was formally known as when I was a student). Some of the few buildings we had in the late 80's and early 90's were still in existence. I almost didn't recognize them, though, because of the new landscaping. The new buildings towered over the old ones, so it was difficult to really see "the old campus" in my mind's eye. Only a remnant remained of the old CNC.

I couldn't help begin thinking about how our lives go through a similar transformation. When the Lord gets ahold of us, there is new construction that occurs. There is renovation. And there is demolition. As we journey through our relationship with Christ, only a remnant of who we were BS (before salvation) remains. I thank God for the work He has done in my life. But I also thank God for the remnant that remains for a few different reasons:
a) it helps me remember that I have a testimony and how important it is to share it
b) it helps me remember that I'm still broken and it's in my weakness that He can be made strong
c) it helps me be ever thankful of who I am and who I will be as I grow in Christ

Praise God for the remnant!

True Love is Not Feeling but Willing

I have a Best of AW Tozier book that I read from frequently in my devo time. This morning I read an excerpt from the book that dealt with our love of Christ. The verse that led me to surrendering my life to Christ in December 1995 is John 14:15 - "If you love me, you will obey my commands." Tozier, without referencing this particular verse, really hits the nail on the head with regard to the connection between obedience and love. He writes about how true love doesn't come from obedience. In other words, someone can't command you to love him/her.

Tozier goes on to explain that there are two kinds of love: a love of feeling and a love of willing. The love that lies in emotions is its own master and rises and falls as it chooses. The love that Jesus talks about is a love of willing, the willed tendency of the heart. Righteousness and holiness come from the will, not emotions.

The commitment of our will leads us to a commitment of following and serving Jesus Christ. The corruption of our will leads us into sin and evil. By willing to put God first in our lives and love Him with everything that we are and everything that we have, we find it much easier for our emotional love to follow genuinely. The consistency of our emotional love is more secure, and there is less risk from the danger of an undisciplines heart.

Lord, may our will lead us into a love affair with you!

Launching COAHC

Okay, here we go... The date is set. We have our launch date for City On A Hill! We'll start with a home group @ 6pm each Saturday evening beginning August 2. We'll offer a children's ministry right off the bat. My sister, Debbie, has a passion for children and has been working with kids even before she got saved. Children's ministry, Christian education and kids' camps has been her thing for the last several years. She's committed to being a part of our launch team, and I'm really stoked to have her. Debbie's having surgery on her knee on Friday, so we're going to use her "downtime" over the next week or so for planning. As a dad and a pastor, I couldn't think of anyone better to be teaching and leading my kids in their relationship with the Lord.

So, what do you think about the Saturday evening thing? It's kind of funny that the Lord is leading us in that direction because the church where my wife and I met only offered a Saturday evening service for years before growing enough to be in a position to offer something on Sunday too. For us, once we got used to going to church on Saturday evening, it was really hard to change back to a Sunday morning routine. A Saturday evening service will offer COAHC a lot of advantages, especially during the launch period.

I'm so excited!!!

Happy B-Day Pastor Lee McFarland

Lee McFarland used to rub shoulders with Bill Gates when Lee was the Director of Worldwide Operations at Microsoft. Many years ago, he left all that behind to plant Radiant Church in Surprise, AZ - a hugely effective and popular church in Arizona.

Pastor Lee has been kind enough to invest some time into advising me through the planting process of City On A Hill Church. I have appreciated his encouragement and counsel.

Lee's "peeps" put together the video to honor him for his 50th birthday and tell his story. It's great to be able share our testimonies. Isn't it awesome how his church loves him?



Check out Pastor Lee's blog.

Busy Day Ahead

Have a really busy day ahead chock full of meetings. Will kick things off with the Culpeper Ministerial Meeting. Good to know Christian leaders from different backgrounds are willing to come together to pray and talk about how Christ is affecting the community.

The Lord's leading me to start COAHC off with a home group. Looks like we're going to begin in a couple of weeks. Prayers are appreciated...

Serving the Community

I spent the day helping out at IMPACT Virginia. It's a community outreach event that brings together youth groups and adults from around the state to serve the community through renovations and minor construction projects on homes. There were decks being built, wheelchair ramps, kitchen renovations, painting - and that's just the stuff I saw!

I took a group of young people on a missions trip to Denver last year for a similar event hosted by Group Workcamps. The trip was life-changing for all of our young people and me! I pray IMPACT Virginia will have the same affect on the young people and adults serving this week.

Serving all day, live worship in the evening, awesome fellowship... What more could someone ask for? I definitely look forward to having our youth group at City On A Hill Church participate in this in the future!

IMPACT VA

Off to participate in IMPACT VA today. It's a community missions event where hundreds of people (mostly youth) gather to serve their community through home renovations, etc. I'm glad I can represent City on a Hill Church in this event! I'll tell ya all about it this evening...

God is stirring

Received an email from a local pastor in town describing some events that indicates God is really on the move here in Culpeper. There is a stirring that is inspiring people to move. Ghandi said, "We must be the change we seek." There's a great deal of truth in that statement. People have been praying for transformation in Culpeper. God has heard the cries of His people, and now He's moving. We must seek His will and be ready to move - to be His instrument in the process of transformation. What would He have you do?

A Lamp

What a wonderful day I had. Another day of getting some work done, spending time with the family and meeting some new people in this wonderful community of Culpeper.

In the last year, God has shown me repeatedly that He will not reveal His plans for me for the distant future. As much as I really desire to know "the scoop", that's just not His style. God promises me that His Word is a lamp to my feet. And just the other day I was sharing with someone about how relevant that promise - that Truth - is becoming in my life once again.

A lamp... Not a spotlight. Not a floodlight. Not a light that will shine miles down the path of life for me at my convenience so I can always feel comfortable. God's Word is a lamp that shines just bright enough for me to take the next step without falling. It's a lamp that keeps me safe in the midst of darkness. A lamp that keeps my trust anchored on Him and nothing else.

God has spoken into my life. He has drawn me to Him. He has done miracles in me and through me. And recently He has called me across the country to do His will here in Culpeper. It would have been easy to say, "I'm not going anywhere until You tell me what's going to happen." But I would have missed the adventure. I would have missed the blessings. I would have missed the miracles that He will do in and through COAHC. I'm so glad I'm here. I'm so glad that God's Word has spoken into my life and called me.

Networking

I've been trying to touch base with several leaders in the Christian community to introduce myself. I went back and forth on how to do it - email, letter or in person - and decided that a personal introduction over coffee or lunch would be the best way to take a first step in developing friendships and relationships with other folks who are already doing ministry in Culpeper.

It's been wonderful meeting the folks I've already had a chance to see. I've met and spent time with leaders from five different churches in the community and have several more meetings lined up over the next week or so. It's great to see that there is an attitude focused on growing the Kingdom instead of territorialism. I was really concerned about that coming to Culpeper.

It's important to me, as the new guy on the block, to meet other Christian leaders and develop friendships so we can prayerfully support one another and encourage one another. We all experience those peaks and valleys when we're entrenched in ministry; so it's good to have brothers and sisters we can rely on for support and encouragement.

After all, we're all in this together - aren't we?

Why Church?

I was reading the post for a recent Our Daily Bread devotional entitled "Why Bother With Church?". Interesting question... It got me thinking about where we are with regard to today's churches in the USA for people like me and church leaders in general.

Church is supposed to be an environment where people grow closer to Christ and to one another. The key word is grow. If that's true, then how do church leaders (eg, pastors, worship leaders, youth leaders and all the countless servants who are "working" during the service) grow via the church experience if we're so busy focusing on helping others grow? The answer isn't a simple one, but it's one with which I think many pastors don't bother challenging themselves. Those people end up experiencing burn-out and the church service experience loses its vigor and authenticity.

"If I'm teaching and leading others in the context of a worship service, how do I grow in the midst of it as well?"

"If I'm so busy making sure the video and audio are working properly, how do I keep myself plugged into what's happening enough so that I experience growth?"

"If I'm teaching 5 year-old children about Moses in a room that's down the hall from the sanctuary, how do I stay connected enough to experience growth?"

The onus isn't just on any one person. It's on all of us. It's up to all of us to ensure growth is happening in our own lives and others. That's the point of the Body coming together! Taking the time to pray with someone... Taking the time to listen... Taking the time to speak a word of encouragement into someone's life... Taking the time to soak in the presence of God instead of being distracted by the task at hand... These are all oppoprtunities for growth believe it or not.

We can get so busy with trying to make the church service perfect that we miss out on what God wants to do in our own lives. I hope and pray that COAHC will always keep the main thing the main thing for our leaders and congregation. May we never miss out on an opportunity for growth!

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV

Wow! Does that just jump off the page or what?!!!

I know people who like to talk about God, but there's no fruit in their lives. Folks, Christianity is not about talking. It's about submitting yourself to the power of the Holy Spirit in order to be used by Him. We only have one life, and every moment is precious. Don't waste a single second. Get in the game and stay in the game! Sure, it's important to share our faith verbally, but don't stop there. Move in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Prior to coming to Culpeper, I formally ministered for over two years, preaching sometimes three days/nights a week. It was nice to have a little break from that during our transition out here, but I really miss it now. There's nothing like teaching someone the Word of God and shepherding someone into a deeper relationship with Christ.

New goal: pray and look for opportunities to minister in Culpeper in some capacity either through local churches or through ministries like Young Life, etc.

For the last week, I've been watching the USA Olympic Trials for Track & Field. Yep, it's that time already. The sport is precious to me because of all the blood, sweat and tears I spilled during my competition and coaching in it over the years. I'm so thankful for the testimony God has given me through my experience as an athlete and coach. So many stories and teaching moments that can be shared with others... More importantly, many teaching moments for me to remind myself of while I run the race to win the prize.

Fireworks

This one's for all the parents out there...

Two of my daughters, Abby Rae and Emma, were so excited to watch the fireworks yesterday. They kept asking about it all day. Every time we went in a different direction in the park, they asked if we were going to go somewhere and miss the fireworks. After assuring them dozens of times, we got ready to watch them as 9pm rolled around.

The girls watched with full expectation and I was really excited myself. Within 30 seconds of the first "boom" they were both asking when the display would be over and when we'd be going home. Every few "booms" and "cracks" one would ask, "Are they over yet?"

We endured till the finale. Gotta love kids...

Independence

I'm a day late in posting this, but yesterday was really busy with all the festivities. We had a great time celebrating July 4 in Culpeper. The weather wasn't terribly cooperative (it rained off and on), but it was still fun.

Freedom means so many things to so many people. Freedom from addiction... Freedom from destructive behaviors... Freedom from relationships that lead us down wrong paths...

Paul addressed freedom in his letter to the Romans. He explained that through Christ's death, we are offered a different kind of freedom - freedom from the bondage of sin. To truly experience that kind of freedom, we must also experience death similar to Christ's.

What did Jesus say? "To be my disciple, you must pick up your cross and follow me daily."

Paul goes on to say in Romans that in this new found freedom, we must become a slave to righteousness. It is by this that we find holiness - the process of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ Himself. Ultimately, we have eternal life with the Lord.

I love the paradox of Christianity! In freedom, we must become slaves. In death, we find life!! It's important that we don't let the world define these words for us, but the Word of God. In the Word, we find new meaning... new meaning for our lives.

Happy Independence Day!!

Lawnmowing for the Lord

Sound weird? I thought so, too... at first. I remember our realtor telling us when we first started looking at houses in Culpeper not to consider the neighborhood where we eventually bought our home. "Why?" I asked. She reminded me that with all the foreclosures, homes typically aren't maintained well and the pride of ownership can be lost in a neighborhood resulting in more downward spiraling property values. Certainly makes sense to me. Ultimately, we took our chances, moved into the neighborhood anyway. And I'm really glad we did!

Today will go down as one of the milestones for City on a Hill Church (COAHC). It was an "A-ha!" moment for me. What if I (and, perhaps soon, other people from COAHC) went around our communities and maintained lawns at foreclosed homes? The eyesore of 18 inch lawns disappearing somehow has an incredible effect on people. That's God's love getting relevant in people's lives. That's the fourth foundation of purpose for COAHC: serving our community in practical and relevant ways, demonstrating that God's love is abundant and He cares about the details of our lives.

I mowed the lawn of the house across the street from me today and two neighbors came out to bring me water and ice tea. What an opportunity for God's Light to shine! I look forward to seeing the fruit of this labor.

building

Culpeper is similar to many suburban areas around the country in that it experienced a large amount of residential and commercial development during the recent real estate boom. There are several new home communities around town as well as a fairly new Wal-Mart, Target, Kohls and other various shops and restaurants.

I was reading 1 Corinthians 3 this morning in my devo time. Paul was writing about how the Church shouldn't be focused on following a particular pastor or leader, instead be focused on Christ Who is the Head of the Church (see Colossians 2:10). When I drive around town and see the development and growth that has taken place, my attention and focus is on the actual growth. I'm not thinking about the person who was responsible for pouring the concrete or the person who was holding the hammer in his hand. The fruit of the development is the new home or new store or new restaurant that has a purpose in the community. That's what matters most.

Lord, may City on a Hill Church always be about bearing fruit in the community, glorifying You. May it never be about me or any other leader in the church. I hope 20 years from now, City on a Hill Church will have grown and developed all kinds of deep relationships with Christ all around town, but may all those who see that fruit recognize our Lord as the source of all those good things!