Homosexuality (I had to tackle it at some point)

Homosexuality has become one of the most divisive issues in our culture and that division has also stormed into The Church. I believe it's important for all Believers to have a Grace-filled and Truth-filled understanding of this issue from a Biblical foundation. I will do my best to address it in a few paragraphs. This post will be far from comprehensive, but I'm hoping it will spark some healthy dialogue.

I believe that most churches have done a shameful thing by singling out the Gay Community as some sort of special breed of "Super Sinners" and the schism between Evangelicals and those living a homosexual lifestyle continues to grow. I do not believe that this is God's will or a Biblical expression of God's love and grace. With that being said, I also know that the Bible has very set guidelines for the powerful gift of Sex. It is to be used and enjoyed within the context of a marriage between a man and a woman. Any use beyond that will eventually cause emotional, spiritual, and possibly even physical devastation. Any form of homosexual sex would fall into this category of being outside the boundaries of God's plan or more specifically...sin.

If you're living a homosexual lifestyle, please know that God loves you. He is for you. This, however, does not mean that He is for your lifestyle. Anyone of us can fall into the trap of trying to justify any type of sin, but whatever the sin (whether sexual or otherwise), if we choose to continue in it without repentance, we will slowly become more calloused and blind towards the Truth of God in our lives and find ourselves in the dangerous trap of rewriting Scripture to fit our choices instead of rewriting our choices to fit with Scripture. I encourage you to trust God enough to seek His plan for all areas of your life. They are plans to prosper and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future (see Jeremiah 29:11).

So what is a "Deep" Church, anyways?

I often hear people say that they want to go "deep" in their faith, but when I pry a bit, I've found that most folks don't have a good answer for what "deep" really means. I personally believe that a church's "depth" should be measured by the waters of baptism. Without Salvation, love for people and changed lives, a church becomes nothing but an institution of higher learning that no longer functions as a Biblical Church. The depth of your church shouldn't be measured entirely by what you learn on Sundays, but by how you treat people on Mondays.

I also believe a truly "deep" church should be unapologetically "seeker sensitive" on Sunday mornings. Life-giving, Christ-centered Churches should welcome the Prodigals home. If we're not careful, we can easily turn into the self-focused, self-righteous Elder Brother in the Prodigal Son Parable who was, ironically, just as lost as the younger brother. A church filled with very knowledgeable Pharisees can provide an attractive mirage for those who seek growth and "depth" but ultimately there is no real growth without a passion to reach the Lost. That's why the amazing depths of God's Love and Grace should always be the primary focus. Proclaim the Word of God with Boldness, Love God and People Passionately, Serve Selflessly & then you will experience true depth in Christ.

New Creation

Last Sunday was a powerful day at The Creek. Many decisions were made for Christ and this song reminded us all that we are a NEW CREATION in Him. What a beautiful promise. I love being a part of a church that continues to find new ways to praise and celebrate our amazing God.

Lies

I don't believe that there is any decision more signifcant that deciding what you will choose to believe. The world is filled with lies that sound true and truths that are falsely labeled as lies. The Bible gives us clear direction as to what we should believe and while this list is far from complete, I've listed some of the most wide-spread lies in our culture today:

1. Lie: "It's my life and I can do what I want!"
Truth: You were bought with a price (the blood of Jesus) and your life is not your own.

2. Lie: "It's my money and I can spend it however I like!"
Truth: You don't own anything. You are only a temporary manager of "your" possessions.

3. Lie: "My choices are nobody's business but my own."
Truth: Every decision you make has consequences on others.

4. Lie: "There's no point to my life."
Truth: God has plans and purposes for you beyond anything you can imagine.

5. Lie: "It's all about me!"
Truth: It's all about God.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

The Voice of Truth

The one command that God gives in the Bible more often than any other command is simply, "Be Not Afraid". Our Creator realized that fear would be our biggest obstacle in acieving a courageous life fully-devoted to Him. There simply isn't enough room in our hearts for Fear and for Faith. We all must choose which voice we trust...the voice of fear or the voice of our Father.

In this video, my four-year-old son, Cooper, makes his actinig debut. I'm a little bit partial, but I think he deserves an Oscar! I believe this short video captures the essence of fear and the power of faith. Remember, your Father loves you more than you can imagine and He has not give you a spirit of fear.

Preaching Part 3: "The Mechanics of Preaching"

Most preachers are terrible communicators. There, I said it. You know it's true. That's why it sounds offensive. The truth has always offended people! I wish it weren't the case. I wish that God-fearing, Gospel-preaching Pastors were the standard for excellence in communication, but sadly, this is not the case. This is also among the primary reasons why an unbelieving world finds the message of Jesus so unbelievable...they've never heard it communicated with clarity, excellence and passion. As a student of preaching and a teacher of the mechanics of public speaking, I've put together a checklist that I use and I believe these simple steps can be effective tools for other preachers as well:

1. Watch Yourself. You can't possibly know how you sound or look while you're preaching unless you go through the awkward process of self-evaluation. Record every sermon you preach and then meticulously watch and listen for ways you can improve.

2. Study Communicators other than preachers. Most preachers learn to communicate by watching other preachers who are also awful communicators which leads to a form of "Intellectual Inbreeding". Watch stellar preaching, but also intentionally seek out communicators outside the ministry who have mastered the art of timing and delivery. The best in the world tend to be stand-up comics, politicians, and actors who play lawyers on TV and in movies.

3. REHEARSE! Most preachers don't rehearse their sermons and it shows. People are entrusting you with their most valuable resource, their time, and if you don't put in the time to study, prepare and rehearse your message, you aren't worthy to stand before them. I don't always get this much time, but my best sermons are the result of 15-20 hours of preparation including 3-5 full run-throughs before I ever preach it to an actual audience. If you say, "How can the Holy Spirit move if it's rehearsed?" Then you obviously have no real understanding of either the Holy Spirit's power or your own responsibility as a messenger of the Gospel. Sorry, somebody had to say it.

4. Pray. If the first prayer you say about the message happens when you're in the pulpit before the congregation, you might as well just sit back down and let everybody go home early. Never underestimate the power of prayer and never overestimate your own ability. God will sometimes use ability, but God will always use prayer.

5. Give it your all. There is no higher calling than the calling to preach and teach so do it with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and God will do mighty things through you!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

Preaching Part 2: "The Goals of Preaching"

My family chipped in and bought me a GPS for my birthday last year. It's worth slightly more than my 94' Honda Civic, so I wanted to make sure I used it as much as possible. The key to maximizing the GPS is that you need to know your destination before you start the trip. If you don't know where you're going, then it can't possibly help you get there and you will just drive around aimlessly looking at the mesmerizing moving map on the GPS' screen.

I've heard many sermons that make me realize that a lot of pastors preach sermons with no clear destination (or "goals") in mind. It becomes painfully obvious early in the message that they don't know where they're going and they don't know where they're taking the audience. It's an uncomfortable experience for everyone involved.

It's imperative that a preacher be laser-focused on the goals of his sermon. Before he even starts preparation, he must ask himself, "What do I want these people to know and what do I want them to do?". The answers to that question represents the destination or "goals" of the sermon. Once you know where you are going, map out the most direct route possible (with a few scenic points of interest along the way to keep the passengers interested). Preachers must also remember that the ultimate goal of every sermon is to clearly and correctly lift up the Gospel and the name of Jesus Christ. If we will do that, He will do the rest.

"And when I (Jesus) am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” John 12:32 (NLT)

Preaching Part 1: "The Importance of Preaching"

This is the first in a 3-part series of posts that will focus on Preaching. Specifically, the Importance of Preaching, The Goals of Preaching and The Mechanics of Preaching. This post will specifically address the importance of preaching.

We live in a world that has become hostile not only to the message of Christ but also to the medium by which that message is delivered. In many circles, "Preaching" has become a negative connotation that stirs up images of closed-minded hate mongers standing on soap boxes and condemning the world on behalf of a distant and judgmental God. Sadly, even in many modern churches, preaching has been downplayed or abandoned completely in lieu of services containing only worship music or experiential elements that exclude a formal sermon. While these other worship elements are good and beneficial, using them as an ongoing substitute and not a supplement to the sermon is irresponsible and completely unbiblical. There are even revisionists who claim that using sermons at all was a tradition borrowed by pagan religions and was never an intended part of God's plan for His Church.

The True History of Christian Preaching is one that dates back to Jesus Himself. Much of what we know of Jesus' Ministry in the Gospels comes directly from sermons delivered to large crowds proclaiming the goodness of God, the need for repentance and the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus commissioned His disciples to go out into the world and preach this same message. There has never been nor will there ever be a substitute for publicly proclaiming the Message. Nearly ever major positive shift in Western Culture can be traced in part or in whole to bold men who were unashamed to proclaim the Gospel, and Jesus is still using those who obey His command to be the salt and light of the world. In fact, there is no more powerful, revolutionary or life-changing force at our disposal than the public teaching of God's Word.

"I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching." 2 Timothy 4:1-2 (NLT)

How do we respond to people who are hostile towards Jesus?

The Truth has always had a way of offending people. Despite all the evidence that support the radical claims of Christ, most folks can't be "talked into" believing in Him. I suppose it's like trying to talk someone into falling in love with someone else. Skeptic's arguments usually mask deeper issues of either intellectual pride, emotional scars or a self-focused worldview where they don't want to be held accountable by anybody's set of absolute moral truths. Sadly, oftentimes their skepticism is a direct result of seeing hypocrisy or experiencing harsh judgment from so-called Christians.

So how should we respond?
We should never respond to hostility with hostility. Jesus always responded with love. As Christians, the best thing we can do is live out our faith by loving and serving in a way that gets the attention and earns the respect of a very skeptical world. Once we have their attention, God will give us the words to say. Saint Francis of Assisi once said, "preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words."

When it is time to "use words," there are some great resources to equip you for these types of conversations. Start and end with the Bible of course, because it is the Living Word of God and the source of Truth. In addition, books such as "The Case for Christ" and "The Case for Faith" by atheist-turned-Christian, Lee Strobel are solid tools. Above all, pray for those who are far from God. Prayer changes our hearts and often the hearts of those for whom we pray.

What happens to people who never hear about Jesus?

Will someone go to Hell just because they never heard about Jesus? The first two chapters of the book of Romans deals with this specifically and I encourage you to read that to get a Biblical explanation. There are different interpretations, but the way I see it, God's ultimate plan is for every human being to have the opportunity to hear the Gospel and make a choice to respond to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In Christ alone can we have the fullness and purpose God intends and it through Christ alone that God's wrath towards our sin is turned away.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the benefit of hearing the Gospel. For those folks, my understanding of Scripture is that they will be judged in accordance to how they responded to God based on what they knew of God and His Laws. This is a basic knowledge availalbe to every human being, so some have called this the "Universal Law". As creatures created in God's own image, we are made to recognize His existence and His natural laws. These things are a shadow of the fullness of His plan with is ultimately made known through Jesus. As Christians, it should be our goal to take the message of Jesus throughout all the world so that everyone may have the benefit of the Gospel. The bottom line is this...God is Loving, God is Just and God wants all the World to hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." Romans 1:20 (NLT)

Why should we "fear" a loving God?

There is often a confusing distinction between God being Love (1 John 4:8) and God being someone we are commanded to "fear". I don't think there's a clean, cookie-cutter answer to this because it deals with the nature of God which is something bigger than the mind can grasp. It helps me to think about it like this...the one command in the Bible given more than any other command is simply "be not afraid". We are told countless times and in countless ways that God has not given us a spirit of fear and that through Him, we can be courageous in all circumstances. Jesus Himself said that we should not fear man but God because God is the one who has power not only over this mortal life, but eternity.

It is as if God is telling us that the only healthy outlet for our fears is to direct them to Him alone. I also believe that a healthy fear can help mold our immature hearts towards a deeper love and faith. When I was very young, I had a healthy fear of my Dad. I knew that if I crossed the line, I would pay for it. I also knew that he loved me more than I could imagine. As I grew, there was much less need for fear as my heart and mind had matured under the loving guidlines he enforced and made possible in part by the "fear" I had of his wrath. I now see that even when I was punished, it was motivated solely out of his love for me.

No parent is perfect, so those parallels will always break down at some point, because God is perfect. His love is perfect. His mercy is perfect. I believe that even His wrath is perfect because it is an extension of His Holiness and it is used to bring us to Him where we ultimately discover his loving and tender Grace. The Bible has much to say about all this and philosophers and theologians much more qualified than me have discussed these thing for centuries, but I wanted to share a few thoughts I've had along the way. I hope it helps.

How to Make Good Choices

When you come to a crossroads and you have to make a choice, please consider these instructions:

1. Trust God. Often we get into trouble because we think we know better than God how to run our lives. Trust your life and your choices to Him and He will guide you. (see Proverbs 3:5-6)

2. Be Wise. Wisdom is more than intelligence, education or even common sense. Wisdom comes from God. Seek it and you will find it. Godly wisdom can and should become the basis for all of your decisions. (see Proverbs 8:33-36)

3. Listen to Godly People. One of the main differences between wisdom and foolishness is that a wise person will consistently seek out and listen to wise counsel while a fool will do his (or her) own thing and resent anyone who tries to tell him what to do. Seek out wise people who can help you make the best decision possible. Once you’ve found some wise friends and advisors, listen to them. (see Proverbs 15:22)

4. Be Patient. In every major decision, realize that good discernment usually comes with time, thought, prayer and patience. In big decisions, your first instinct isn’t always the best option. (see Proverbs 16:32)

5. Check your Motives. Any choice made from an authentic heart to please God will ultimately lead to success. (see Proverbs 16:3)

6. Calm down. Never make a decision in anger. It will almost always be the wrong choice. (see Proverbs 29:11)

7. Be Courageous. The most consistent command in all the Bible is “Be not afraid”. As God’s child, fear should never be your motivation to make any decision. (see Proverbs 29:25)

8. Think it Through. Every wise choice will create future opportunities and every poor choice will limit future opportunities. With every choice, ask yourself how will I feel about this decision I’m making ten days or ten years down the road? Your choices today will either build or destroy your life tomorrow. (see Proverbs 19:3)

9. Listen to your Wife. All the other Proverbs have been for all people in all walks of life, but this one is just for the blessed men who have a Godly wife. Guys, when it comes to big decisions, listen to your wife! Trust me on this one. (see Proverbs 31:10-31)

10. Don’t second guess. Once you’ve gone through the process and made your decision, follow through and don’t look back. “What might have been” is a waste of time! (see Proverbs 4:25)

Christian Ambition

When did "ambition" become a dirty word? On the surface, the term "Christian Ambition" might sound like an oxymoron, because somewhere along the line we adopt the notion that ambition is ungodly and prideful. The truth is that we are called to be boldly ambitious for God. Jesus said that "forceful" (ambitious) people lay hold of the Gospel. The trick is to not let wordly, self-focused ambition come in and choke out the Kindgom-minded drive that God has put inside the heart of every Believer. It's not about making our names great, but His Name great. The distinction is that we must remain always content, but never satisfied. We must always be thankful for what we have while also looking ahead to the even Greater Things God desires to do in and through us for His Glory. We must also realize that sometimes just being still in God's presence is the most productive thing we can be doing. Go ahead...be ambitious for Jesus.

Stevens Creek Grovetown

I'm so proud to be a part of a church that continues to break outside the box to reach people for Jesus. This Fall, we're launching a new campus in Grovetown, GA which will allow us to reach thousands of people that we're not currently reaching. Every community in America needs life-giving churches, and I'm thrilled to know that one is coming to Grovetown! It's an exciting time @ The Creek.

Biggest Surprises from Parenthood

In April of 2005, I became a father and life has been dramatically different ever since. I now have two little boys, and I haven't had one "dull" moment since I became their Daddy. It's been more than four years of constant adventure that's nothing at all like I would have expected, so I thought I'd share my "Top Ten" biggest surprises from parenthood:

10. The Chaos. I guess I imagined that "good genes" (from their mom) would make my kids behave perfectly and I would naturally know how to deal with any issues that arose. I was wrong on both counts. It has been beautiful chaos since day one.

9. The Demons. I wasn't sure how I felt about demonic possession in the modern era until I became the father of toddlers. Now I'm quite sure it still exists, because I've seen them both druel and scream scarier than any exorcism on tv.

8. The Smells. I had no idea, but small children are capable of creating foul and putrid scents so disgusting and repugnant that I've often felt like I'm trapped in a gas chamber dying a slow death.

7. The Volume. Bose Stereos used to advertise the amount of volume their tiny speakers could produce. I now know that their research must have been based on small children, because my kids can scream so loudly that my ears hurt for hours afterwards.

6. The Cuteness. I think God made kids so cute just so their parents wouldn't kill them. My kids could burn the house down, but then give me one of their cute looks and I wouldn't be able to stay mad.

5. The Diapers. I still can figure out how it is scientifically possible for a small child to consume 10 ounces of food and liquid and then produce 30 ounces of foul-smelling waste.

4. The Fighting. Kids who grow up without siblings aren't as tough because they never have to get into a fist fight over a teddy bear. Humans' selfish nature starts young, because our boys came out of the womb ready to fight for their toys.

3. The Grandparents. The day that I became a parent was the day that my parents became alien life-forms who are incapable of showing restraint when it comes to their grandbabies. I think my folks might actually go bankrupt buying Thomas the Tank Engine toys, Disney Movies and ice cream for the boys. So much for my inheritance.

2. The Sleep Deprivation. When my single friends tell me that they sleep ten hours a night and still need Starbucks to wake them up, I have to restrain myself from punching them in the face. Actually, I lack the strength to punch anyways because as the parent of small children, I don't sleep. I don't fantasize about sex or money or anything like that, but I fantasize all the time about sprawling out on a big comfy bed and sleeping. Oh, yeah.

1. The Love. I had no idea I was capable of loving anybody the way I love my boys and their hot mom. It has given me a beautiful insight into the immeasurable love that God has for each of His kids. I'm a lucky man.

Annoying Christians

Jeff Foxworthy says that he can only joke about rednecks because he is a redneck and loves rednecks. I feel the same way about Christians. As a follower of Jesus, I love my fellow Christians, but sometimes they do stuff that just seems annoying to me, so out of love and honesty, I've posted a Top Ten list of some of my biggest pet peeves in all the Christian world.

10. Christians who pray loudly before their meal and then treat their waitress rudely and leave a cheap tip. If you can't afford to tip well, then you can't afford to eat out. If you can't treat your server with respect, you probably shouldn't leave your house much. You're the reason why servers hate working the Sunday lunch shift.

9. Christians who have poor personal hygiene. Just because you're "washed in the blood" it doesn't mean you get a pass on bathing daily.

8. Christians who say that Jesus' first miracle was turning water into grape juice. Saying that Jesus made "great wine" at a Jewish wedding with no alcohol would be like saying he made "great tea" at a South Carolina wedding with no sugar.

7. Christians who say they care deeply for "lost people" but they don't have one meaningful relationship with anybody outside the church.

6. Christians who make their political affiliation more sacred than their affiliation to Jesus.

5. Christians who like cats and/or dislike dogs. God made some animals superior to others.

4. Christians who use words like "fornication" in regular sentences. Just say sex, weirdo.

3. Christians who fall asleep during the service but then tell the pastor the sermon was good afterwards. I can see you from the stage and I know who you are.

2. Christians who refer to each other as Brother so and so or Sister so and so. I guess it's sweet and respectful on some level, but overall, it makes me feel like I'm in cult, so I'd much prefer to just be called Dave.

1. Hypocrites. This one annoys me the most because I fall into this category most days which makes me as annoying as anybody. Luckily, we serve a grace-filled and loving God.

Lazy Revolution

It's remarkable to me just how lazy we have become as a society. When I hear about drive-by shootings on the news, I think, "wow...I remember a time when criminals had the courtesy to get out of their cars to shoot you." This new "Lazy Revolution" isn't confined to criminals; it has infected people from all walks of life and pastors as well. I don't have to spend time looking through my Bible for a passage, because my computer does it for me. I text in partial words, because "whole words" take way too long to write out, and I rarely write a "whole blog" because twitter has empowered me to record my thoughts in one sentence which makes writing a whole paragraph seem daunting. I have much more to say on this issue, but my fingers are getting very tired from all this typing so I'm going to have to take a break.

99 Balloons

This is a very touching story that reminds me of the power of life. Life is always a precious gift from our good and faithful God. Take a few minutes to watch this video...it will be the most powerful thing you see all day.

Grace Amazing

A few nights ago, I was watching Saving Private Ryan on TV. It's a great film which reminds me of the unbelievable price so many soldiers paid for our freedom. I caught it just before the climactic final scene where Private Ryan has been rescued and the brave Captain who had given his life to protect the young man pulled him close and with his dying breath issued an impossible challenge..."Earn it"! The scene flashes forward to an elderly Ryan on the shores of Normandy at the graveside of that Captain. As he weeps at the tomb, we see the pain and guilt that has haunted him every day since he had been saved. Those words, "Earn it", replayed in his mind perpetually and he was haunted by the fear that he owed a debt he could never repay.

Sadly, many Christians choose to live in this type of guilt and hopelessness. The fact is, Christ paid a debt on our behalf that we could never possibly repay. In our pride and self-sufficiency, we're quick to trade in the freedom of grace for the treadmill of good works as we attempt to earn our salvation. We convince ourselves that God won't be pleased with us until He sees how good we are, but Jesus didn't die for us because we were good, He did it because He is good, and He didn't use his dying words to say "earn it". Instead, He said, "it is finished"! Stop trying to earn grace and start embracing the freedom of it. Our victory is not in our goodness, but in the goodness of our Savior.

Amazing Night

This past Wednesday nights at the Creek was one of the most amazing nights I've experienced in ministry. We baptized almost FIFTY people! That's fifty people who were caught up in dead lives and heading towards an eternity without Christ who are now saved and empowered sons and daughters of God! Each person had a story of life-change after their encounter with Jesus. God is always moving and always working and always healing. Thank you LORD!

Sweaty Interview

On Saturday morning, after a brutal, 10K race at Fort Gordon, my great pal Chris Rivers interviewed me during the car ride home. He asked some insightful questions that I've continued to ponder. I love Chris' innovative spirit and his love for Jesus, his family and life in general. Hanging out with him makes me more creative. I hope you guys enjoy this short in-the-car interview.

Thoughts

On Facebook and Twitter (two of the most addictive things on the planet), I try to share one thought per day. Sometimes, one good thought per day is a stretch for me, but at least every few days, I post something. I've collected some of these thoughts together and posted them below. I hope you enjoy them (or at the very least...the make you think)!

I don’t know all the answers, but The Answer knows me.

Stay focused on what you do best. The world is rarely changed by "Well Rounded" people.

God works more through interruptions than itineraries.

God will always call you to do things that are impossible to do without Him. If you're doing something on your own strength, you're probably not making much of a difference.

Pride is the Enemy of Grace. Most folks that never find fullness in Christ resist not because of intellectual reservations, but simply because they're too proud to admit their own helplessness and need for a Savior.

If you want to be like Jesus, consistently show kindness to people who have no way to repay you.

In the history of the world, Jesus is the only "Self-Made Man".

Depending on your motives, "Hard Work" can be either a form of worshipping God or a form of playing God.

You have to be broken before you can truly be fixed.

What you DO will make a NAME, and what you OWN will make a FORTUNE, but it's what you GIVE that makes a DIFFERENCE.

Every decision you make will disappoint somebody, so be very intentional about whom you're trying to please.

A Husband's Love

I've always been a fan of Civil War history, and this four-minute segment from a documentary on the war is one of the most touching things I've ever heard. It's a letter from a soldier to his wife describing his love for his country and his love for her. I don't typically post this sort of thing on my blog, but I believe thes words are so compelling and inpsiring that they transcend time and they should be shared.

Remarkable Faith

Let me introduce you to the Asselin family. These folks are some great friends of mine and they graciously allowed me to interview them and share their story during a recent sermon. Their baby boy Lucas played Baby Jesus at our Christmas Eve Service and four days later, he was diagnosed with cancer. The faith of this family has been in inspiration to me and to countless others.

People Pleasing

The worst job I ever had was refereeing flag football for pre-schoolers. I learned something very early on in my very first game...no matter what call you make, somebody is going to hate you! Any job that pays 5 bucks an hour and brings death threats is a lousy job. Those parents were brutal. For survival's sake, I had to make the decision to ignore the sidelines and just make the decision that I felt was the right decision regardless of who loved me or hated me for it.

This simple life lesson from flag football has been one of my greatest treasures. The most liberating discovery in the world is realizing that you don't have to live my life to please people (and it would be impossible even if you tried). All you have to do is live your life for an audience of one...God. And one day, the crowds will all be silent and you will stand before Him and hear the words, "Well done good and faithful servant"!

How to be Wise

The Bible has a great deal to say about the importance of wisdom. The Book of Proverbs, in particular, is a treasure rich with insights into the attainment of Wisdom. I want to have as much wisdom as I can to do life and ministry the right way, so I try to read a chapter everyday out of Proverbs. There are 31 chapters, so I can do one a day and finish the book each month.

As the information has finally begun to penetrate my thick skull, a very simple path to Biblical Wisdom has emerged. Proverbs talks quite a bit about the importance of listening and holding your tongue. It seems that wisdom is attained through the ears and lost through the mouth, so if you want to become wiser, all you have to do is listen more and talk less! For more insights, I challenge you to read from Proverbs regularly. You'll get a little wiser every day!

Pain

One of my sons has a painful wound that requires cleaning and applying ointment to bring about healing (ah, the joys of parenthood). The entire process is very painful for him (and much more painful for me), and the process is complicated by the fact that he is too young to understand what is happening. In his limited persepective, all he knows is that his daddy is hurting him. I know that the painful process of cleaning the wound and applying medicine is the only way to bring healing, but he can't see past the pain.

I think that we often look at God with the same, misguided persective that my son has. We blame Him for our pain, since He's the one who's in control. What we don't see is the pain that He endures as we suffer and how our pain is often the only way to bring spiritual healing and the development of wisdom and Christ-like character which is His ultimate goal for our life, but still, all we see is that our comfort has been taken away and replaced with pain. Next time life brings you pain, instead of blaming God, ask Him to use the experience to draw you closer to Jesus. That is a prayer that He will always answer!

That's my boy!

I guess "silliness" is an inherited trait, because my oldest boy, Cooper, recently woke up from a nap and decided to entertain himself by invading his underwear drawer and making a hat from his underwear. He said, "Look, I'm silly like Daddy!" Ah, what a legacy I'm creating! I could keep writing the details, but "a picture is worth a thousand words," so enjoy this picture of Coop and his underwear hat.

Creek TIthe Rap

Check out my first (and probably last) public rap performance. Todd, Kevin and "D-Money" (that's me) performed this at church on Sunday. Oh...the stuff I do for Jesus!

When Opportunity Knocks

More than a series of events, life is really a series of opportunities. They come in various forms and present themselves in unexpected ways and how we respond to opportunities is a defining factor that sets the trajectory for our lives. Remember, Opportunity is a guest who arrives unannounced and never stays long. In other words, "opportunity knocks", but it rarely knocks twice! When a good one comes your way, seize it, because it might not come your way again.

Top Ten

I know that we're supposed to love everybody (even the people who get on our nerves), but some people are just harder to love than others. Below is my "Dave's Top Ten" list of most annoying people. I'm praying that God gives me the grace to love these folks, because I know that He has loved me unconditionally as unloveable as I can be.

10. People who send Spam e-mails (I don't need any "Male Enhancement")
9. People who crunch loudly when they eat.
8. People who don’t wave when you let them over in traffic
7. Lazy People
6. People with more than 15 items in the Wal-Mart Express Lane
5. People who talk loudly on cell phones
4. People who gossip
3. People who brag
2. People who like cats
1. Rude People!

Singles and Sex

This Sunday at the Creek, Pastor Marty will be wrapping up our current sex series by talking directly to single adults and students about the lies Satan is telling them in terms of their own sexuality. CNN recently ran a story about a college co-ed in Nevada (where prostitution is legal) who decided to auction off her virginity to help pay for college. She apparantly sees nothing wrong with this and sadly, her values are consistent with her generation ("my body...my choice"). We as followers of Jesus must remember that our bodies are not our own; we were bought with a price and must honor God with our bodies. God's regulations for our sexuality have nothing to do with taking away our "fun", but they have everything today with protecting us and elevating the value of sexual intimacy that should be enjoyed between a husband and a wife. It's going to be a great Sunday and I hope to see you at The Creek! (www.stevenscreek.net)

Hungry for Hope

We're living in a time of unprecedented challenges and more than ever, people are hungry for hope. Today, I had the opportunity to record some brief, encouraging messages that will be broadcast on our local Christian radio station (www.wafj.com). I'm no Joel Osteen, but I'm honored to do whatever I can do to help bring a little bit of encouragement to people. Encouragement and hope are in short supply, so whenever, wherever and however you can, make the effort to spread a little hope around today. It's pretty easy to make someone smile if you make the effort (and it's always worth the effort)!

The Secret

I've been asked recently, "What do you think is the 'Secret' behind the tremendous growth at Stevens Creek Church?" I had to think about it for a minute. On the surface, I believe there are many reasons including a strong, visionary leader (Pastor Marty), a dedicated staff team, a passionate congregation, an amazing new facility, good marketing, Pastor Todd's "Cool Factor", Pastor Kevin's rockin' youth program, great children's ministries, and dozens of other reasons. Any of these would have been a decent anwer to the question, but I don't believe that any of them are the "Secret".

The real reason for the explosive growth hasn't been anything that can be seen a stage, a website or a billboard. I strongly believe that the church has grown, because the church has prayed! Two decades of passionate prayer have yielded this current growth. God always moves through prayer and I believe that nothing great can ever be accomplished apart from prayer. Whatever you may be doing, whether growing a church or growing a family, make prayer your central focus and then watch God do greater things than you could ask or even Imagine.

Awards Announced!

Awards Season is upon us, but with all the hype going to the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, etc. We have forgotten the most important awards of all..."The Daveys"! If you're unfamiliar with "The Davey Awards", it's because I just made it up, but I'm expecting this to get big. There are no committees, no ballots or sealed envelopes, just the winners I appoint based on my own criteria. So...here it goes...announcing The Davey Awards honoring the Best in Ministry, Culture, Politics and Entertainment over the past 12 Months (drumroll please)...

Best Show:
24 (We owe our very survival to Jack Bauer).

Worst Show:
The View (My estrogen levels are so high after watching it, that I actually start lactating).

Best Mini-Series:
John Adams (it made me want to go back in time and wear wooden teeth just for the privilege of fighting for my country. It's truly one of the best films of any genre in recent years).

Best Actor: It's a tie!
Barack Obama (very compelling performance trying to appear more moderate than liberal).
John McCain (very compelling performance trying to appear like he could raise his hands over his head).

Best Actress:
Hillary Clinton (trying to act excited for Obama when he won the election).

Best Book:
The Bible (it wins every year)
Axiom by Bill Hybels (personal development category)
The Shack (Fiction)
The Know-it-all (useless but interesting trivial knowledge category)

Best kids:
Cooper and Connor Willis (like I said...I'm the only one who votes on this!)

Hottest Lady:
Ashley Willis

Sweetest person:
Ashley Willis (congrats on winning two categories!)

Best Church:
Stevens Creek Church (www.stevenscreek.net)

Best Athletic Performance (Wheelchair Division):
Dick Cheney at the Inauguration (he also wins the Hunting Division Category)

Best Awards:
The Davey Awards

Well, that's it for the first annual awards! If your favorites weren't on the list, stay tuned for next year's which promises to be even bigger and better.

Toddlers and Terrorists

I've been watching the show "24" recently which centers around controlling terrorists and my everyday life consists of controlling toddlers and I've noticed that toddlers and terrorists have a lot in common. First off, it's always a bad idea to negotiate with either group...it gives them a false sense of power and it never ends well. Secondly, it's not a good idea to take either one on an airplane. Both groups also tend to scream loudly in languages that don't resemble English. If I didn't love my toddlers so much, I think I would turn them into Jack Bauer and say they pose a threat to national security.

Accountability

The funny thing about accountability is that we need it and we say we want it, but when we actually get it, we usually resent it. Let me give you an example...I recently wrote a blog post documenting my New Year's Resolutions and asking my friends to keep me accountable to follow through on them. Well, I'm only a few weeks into the New Year and I've already fallen off the wagon on at least one of the resolutions which was to consistently write at least two new blog posts per week. I've been called out already by multiple legalistic...urr...I mean "detail-oriented" friends who took my post literally, so I'm posting this to up my weekly average and also to thank my friends for their harassment...umm...I mean gentle encouragment.

Truly, for big things and small things, we need to encourage, protect, challenge, correct and uplift one another. I'm thankful to have jerks...I mean, great friends who do that for me!

"I Deserve it!"

I believe these are the three most dangerous words in the English language. We have become a generation crippled by entitlement. We cling to our rights but shy away from our responsibilities. We fight for our comfort often at the expense of others’ basic necessities. Our Founding Fathers accidentally set the wheels of selfishness in motion with their revolutionary spirit and Bill of Rights. For our new generation, maybe we should revolt against self-focused complacency and draft a Bill of Responsibilities to shift our focus from selfish demands to our selfless duty. We should all be thankful to live in a nation that affords us the freedom to serve a God who offers us grace instead of the punishment we all truly “deserve”.

Run, Forrest, Run!

I love the movie Forrest Gump. In the film, Forrest tells us that whenever he was going anywhere, he was "ruh-nning"! The more I think about it, the Christian "walk" is at times a sprint. When we repent, we're turning from our old messed up ways and sprinting in the opposite direction towards the arms of our Saviour. When we face temptation, we're not called to stand there and contemplate our options...we're supposed to run the other way! The Bible inspires us to "run the good race" and run in a way as to win the prize. In this New Year, be intentional about why you're running, what you're running towards and what your running away from. If you need some extra inpsiration, you can watch clips of Forrest running on YouTube.

New Year's Resolutions!

Happy New Year! 2009 is upon us and today we can look forward to a year rich with possibilities and hope for better times. The new year always seems to bring with it the optimism that we can achieve any goal we set for ourselves. I ate at Waffle House at 1:00am this morning (which I won't do again in the new year) and my friendly-but-toothless waitress and I started talking about resolutions for the new year. She proudly told me that she planned on quitting smoking "right after I finish this pack." I smiled and thought about all the times I had "planned" on doing something good instead of actually doing it. Why wait to finish the pack...start now! So for me, here are a few goals I have for the new year. Note that I say "goals" instead of "resolutions" because goals are precise and measurable which makes fulfilling them more likely. If you'd like to comment, I would love to hear about your own goals so we can all encourage each other to keep them!

*Run a marathon (without dying afterwards).
*Do enough push-ups to firm up my "man boobs"
*Become proficient enough at Spanish that I could order at a Mexican Restaurant and make the server think that I might be his light-skinned, long-lost cousin.
*Spend a minimum of two hours of quality time per day interacting with my kids (I could just say spend "time", but if you don't measure it, then you typically don't follow through).
*Take Ashley out on a hot date every week...no exceptions!
*Read at least 25 books.
*Write a book.
*Post at least two new entries to this blog each week (hold me to it)!