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.