Christmas Rundown (12.25.09)

• What God is teaching me and reminding me of this Christmas:
  
  
  
  • He is completely SOVEREIGN -- God took 1000s of years to bring His Son into humanity and into history; He used a pagan ruler, a full inn, an manger, and a virgin. Nothing falls outside of God's sovereignty and nothing trumps His ultimate plan.
    
    
    
    • I am resting in His sovereignty in our adoption process and for RBCC in 2010.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Waiting on God is hard but definitely worth it -- The Jews went 400 years without any prophetic word from God (the time from Malachi to Matthew in our Bibles). Then John the Baptist and Jesus burst onto the scene. The Scriptures report that Jesus came when the "time had fully come."
    
    
    
    • I struggle with patience ... patience with myself, with others, and with executing plans. Adoption has revealed this struggle in a big way and yet, I sense God smoothing those rough edges of my character to be a bit more conformed to His Son. AND at the end of the day, I know from the Bible and from personal experience that waiting on God is worth it!!
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Passion for Christ can sometimes wane and must be rekindled -- life, sin, temptation, struggle, criticism all zap our passions.
    
    
    
    • Recently, I've felt mine wane. Then we had our last staff meeting of the year this week and we all confessed our weakened passion. Then a team member said, "The stuff we do is life or death." Think about that ... Jesus did NOT come to create Santa Claus or so we could have an excuse to overeat. Jesus came to die for us so that we do not have to experience spiritual death, so that we could be made right with God. The message of Jesus is of ultimate importance. This conviction sustains and strengthens my passion!
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
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    • I wrote down 3 things that I want to fuel my passion for exalting Christ in 2010:
      
      
      
      • The Gospel is the power of salvation for ALL who believe ... we must share it boldly!!
      
      
      • God's love is unfailing ... we must live it out sacrificially!
      
      
      • The hope of God does not disappoint ... we must offer it consistently!!
      
      
      • God's wisdom is the only true way to navigate life ... we must teach it unapologetically!!
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Onto a few other things --
  
  
  
  • My 2 favorite meals of the year are literally 12 hours apart: Christmas Eve dinner with Beth's family and Christmas breakfast with mine :)
  
  
  • Beth & I will be taking some time off this season and I don't think I've ever needed it more. God is stirring my heart with so many things that I need some time just to be still and focus.
  
  
  • We are still waiting word on our adoption. We were told we would wait 1-10 months before receiving a referral. We have been waiting 7 1/2.
  
  
  • May everyone have a Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!
  
  
  
  

Weekly Rundown (12.13.09)

• Preaching about the Cross can never get old because understanding & applying the Cross is as essential as breathing!!


• Great to celebrate baptism today.


• Spent some time planning our missions giving for 2010.  I am pumped about all the ways we as a church will be able to support God's causes --
  
  
  
  • Lots of various efforts in NW Georgia:
    
    
    
    • Crisis pregnancy; food & clothing assistance; benevolences; homelessness
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • A medical missionary to Kenya.
  
  
  • Missionary in the Middle East.
  
  
  • Efforts to relieve world hunger.
  
  
  • Church plants in 3 different states (Georgia, Tennesse, and Florida).
  
  
  
  


• God blew me away on Friday with an amazing conversation about His radical, unfailing love and then a big, breakthrough about getting our 3rd site up and rolling in Chatsworth ... stuff I've been praying over for months, starting to materialize as God's faithfulness and perfect timing bears fruit for His glory!!


• Great meeting with new Calhoun Elders ... great to be able to expand the local leadership efforts at that Campus.


• Beginning some cool discussions about how to better mobilize our church to serve.


• Prayer requests:
  
  
  
  • Direction and guidance about foreign missions.  The opportunities are endless and all very good ... seeking THE opportunity God prepared long ago for us to walk in -- Ephesians 2:10.
  
  
  • 2010 opportunities in NW Georgia: 3rd site in Chatsworth, 3rd service (Thursday night), and "building favor" in Calhoun.
  
  
  • Sermon and worship planning for 2010.
  
  
  
  


• HAVE A GREAT WEEK :)

Weekly Rundown (12.7.09)

• Crazy, amazing weekend @ Rock Bridge ... Snacks with Santa in Calhoun and rockin' Christmas musical in Dalton. We love to serve and bless our community ... for free ... that's the pattern of Jesus, our Pastor!
  
  
  
  • Thanks to all the incredible people who served and gave of their time and efforts ... you rock!
  
  
  
  


• Praying that is attitude is prevalent in our church:  I Chronicles 29:14.
  
  
  
  • For our Dalton campus ... Step Together Offering is Sunday!  We have a great opportunity to continue generously funding God's work in His church ... let's do it together for greater impact, more momentum, and stronger unity!!
  
  
  
  


• We're collecting toys for children this Christmas season: bring NEW, UNWRAPPED gifts to church on Sunday or during the week to the offices.


• Really excited that our students are learning about global missions.  Together they are sponsoring a child in Swaziland through World Vision .  Praying we all catch God's vision for the world!


• The 'Dawgs are heading to the Independence Bowl --13th straight year in a bowl game --
  
  
  
  • Coach Richt made a VERY tough leadership decision in releasing 3 staff members.  Paul had to release John Mark for a season.  Leaders have to put the overall mission ahead of personal relationships ... always tough, but necessary.
  
  
  
  


• Army-Navy showdown is this weekend ... GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY!!

Stepping Together

Something I constantly thank God for and ask Him to protect is the incredible unity that has marked our church.  When movements are marked by unity there is tremendous focus, teamwork, and momentum.

One example of unity we see in Scripture is unified giving.  Whether it was the giving to build the Tent of Meeting and Solomon's Temple or to assist the suffering church in Jerusalem, God's people gave together, recognizing that more can be accomplished when everyone combines their stewardship of God's resources in the same God-honoring direction.

RBCC followed this pattern when we launched our Next Step Campaign in 2007.  We unified our giving above and beyond regular tithes & offerings to sacrificially and generously fund the much needed Dalton campus expansion.

As part of this campaign, we want to hold a special offering to further unify our giving and increase momentum as we head into the final stretch of this campaign.  On December 13th (or anytime in December) we will have a Step Together Offering.  This offering will be help reduce and eventually pay off the construction loan since construction is finished.

• We are asking everyone who made a Next Step pledge to give part of your pledge on December 13th (or this month).  We are not asking for a new pledge.


• We would also invite anyone at our Dalton campus who was not able to make a pledge or was not part of Rock Bridge back in 2007, to prayerfully consider participating in this special unified offering.


• Simple indicate "Next Step" or "Step Together" on your check or use the specially marked envelopes.

I echo the words of King David (I Chronicles 29:14):

"...who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your Hand."

Rock Bridge PM

After much prayer, lots of discussion, and a church survey we've decided to start a 3rd service at our Dalton campus ... on Thursday evening! Our goals are the same as they have been for 7+ years ... to expose more people to Christ, to reach more people for Christ, and see more people changed by Christ.

Thursday evening appears to be a perfect opportunity to do that as we reach out to those who work on Sundays and cannot come to church (lots of shift-workers, restaurant employees, etc in our area) as well as those who travel on the weekend.  A secondary benefit will be that this service will free up some seats on Sundays @ 11 am when we are most crowded.

This will be an experiment and we confess we don't know exactly how it will work ... BUT we are committed to trying BECAUSE of the potential to be accused of this "... you have filled all Jerusalem (Dalton, Chatsworth, Calhoun, NW Georgia) with your teaching about Him [Jesus] ..." {Acts 5:28}.  We believe that when Jesus is worshiped with passion and taught with clarity that God-sized things occur!!

Now we have to seize this opportunity TOGETHER ... unified, committed, and excited! I want to share ways YOU can help ... {We've created a web link here for more information}

1. PRAY! Please lift this service up, asking God's Name to be glorified & honored.


2. INVITE! Start telling your friends ... the service kicks off on January 14th @ 6:30 pm in the Wink!


3. SERVE! We need people to step up and commit to serving on Thursday nights.  The need is greatest in children's ministry where our desire is make Rock Bridge Kids the "best hour of a child's week"!!
   
   
   
   1. You can SIGN-UP to SERVE right now by clicking HERE.
   
   
   
   

Opportunity

Ephesians 5:16- "Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days."

Once Christ invades our life to become our life, giving us a new identity with new desires for Him and a new power (Holy Spirit) from Him, the rest of our lives are a giant opportunity.  We don't enter into a holding pattern waiting for heaven. We don't continue living in habitual sin because God will just forgive us.  And we don't just sit around hoping for a good sermon or song every now and then.  We have opportunities to seize!

As Christ-follower we must constantly ask the following questions:

• How alert am I for God-given opportunities to love, serve, encourage, invite, & share?


• How willing am I to act on those opportunities?


• What keeps me from making the most of opportunities ... fear? Comfort? Complacency? Disobedience?

Where to spot opportunity:

• In the family of believers, our local churches -- God's church will always have great opportunities.


• In our sphere of relationships ... anywhere you have influence with people, you have opportunity.


• At work ... God created us to work and fills the workplace with opportunities to honor Him.


• Wherever challenges exist ... every obstacle presents an opportunity (think David & Goliath).

Weekly Rundown (11.29.2009)

• Short week due to Thanksgiving ... ate way too much!!


• Spoke this week at the 40th anniversary of my elementary school (Roan School).  I went there in 1st and 2nd grades.
  
  
  
  • Saw my 1st grade teacher ... my first crush!
  
  
  • Also saw my 2nd grade teacher and former P.E. teacher.
  
  
  • All impacted my life!
  
  
  
  


• Beth & I headed south to Florida to spend time with her family. Great trip, great weather, and great food!


• Saw the movie, The Blind Side ... awesome movie, even if you don't like football.


• 'Dawgs looked good in a BIG win over rival Georgia Tech.


• Some things I am thanking God for ...
  
  
  
  • My salvation ... done nothing to deserve it and can only thank God for it!
  
  
  • My wife ... 8 years and counting of joy, laughter, and joint obedience to God.
  
  
  • The Bible ... one of the greatest miracles of God that I have access to every day.
  
  
  • Our church ... 7 years of seeing God build His church and beautify His bride for His glory
  
  
  • The future ... adoption, seeing God continue to build Rock Bridge, more grace, heaven, and seeing Jesus!
  
  
  
  

Twilight: What Can the Church Learn?

In an attempt to learn about our culture so we can better minister to our culture, I will stay on the Twilight bandwagon for one more post (first post is here).  This time let's see how we in the church might learn from this series.

1)  People like a good story and the Bible is full of them.  Bible & boring do not belong in the same sentence.

2)  People are starved for people they can identify with and relate to and will even pursue pseudo-relationships with fictional characters.  Church & the opportunity for meaningful relationships should go hand-in-hand.

3)  People want a hero.  Jesus is the ultimate and only real hero.

Why Is Twilight So Popular?

{Forgive me for this momentary lapse in my blogging to comment heavily on pop culture, of which I try to study or at least be somewhat aware ...}

The #'s are in and they are shocking: Twilight New Moon took in $140.7 million dollars on its opening weekend (#3 all-time)!!  It was the biggest Fall opening in history.  And what is even more remarkable is the storyline seems so, well, so outlandishly freakish: girl falls in love (nothing new there) ... with a vampire (Whoa!) ... who is opposed by a pack of guys who become wolves (What!?!) ... one of whom likes the girl who fell in love with the aforementioned vampire (Say that again!).

So here's my question: Why is it so popular and why did I, of all people, get drawn into this freakishly weird love-gone-wrong story?

1) People like realistic love stories. I know the vampire-wolf part is not "realistic" but love is never easy, is way more complicated than we care to admit, is opposed by forces often outside our control, and takes a lot of effort to work.  At the core the Twilight series is a love story ... the vampire-wolf stuff is just part of the "complications", as Edward would say.

2) There is a character in the story that most people can easily identify with. Again, look past the vampire-wolf mythology to the heart of the characters.  We all want someone who understands us, someone who shares an experience, a struggle, a hope or a dream that we have.  This is the power of a good story ... fiction or not, realistic or fantasy ... it does not matter.  People will flock to something they can relate to either personally or emotionally, either in real life or only in their dreams.

Do you struggle with a habit? Do you have a "fatal flaw" that sometimes holds you back? Are there things about you that you wish you could change?  Then look no further than everyone's favorite vamp, Edward Cullen.

Have you ever fallen in love with someone or something that you couldn't have ... or have in the way you wanted? Ever had your heart broken?  Ever struggle with where you fit into life's big plan?  Then you'll identify with Bella Swan, the main character who tells us this story.

Ever compete for something you valued and lose?  Ever feel like you're always a day late and a dollar short? Ever feel like the nice guy who always finishes last?  Jacob Black is your guy!

{Incidentally, regarding points 1 & 2 ... this why I love the Bible: full of real people experiencing real life! I can relate!}

3) The plot line is anything but predictable and routine. Most stories fall into a predictable pattern that has the audience or reader guessing with incredible accuracy how everything will end.  Not so in this book.  The twists and turns are virtually non-stop.  This is why we see the two camps: Team Edward and Team Jacob emerging.  People are pulling for their guy, but unless you read all the books you really never know who Bella will choose or how or why she will make her choice.  This is creative story-telling at its best because routine is death to creativity.  Now some will say that this creativity is too much and is big-time "jump the shark" stuff.  That criticism may be fair but the audience is so desperately hooked on getting to the final answer, they tolerate and even enjoy it.

4)  Twilight scratched an "itch" by finding a good niche. This series has proven that teenagers and women are a powerful bloc of people who were ripe for a blockbuster made for them.  80% of all ticket sales on opening weekend were purchased by women!   A film, book, or movie rarely succeeds by trying to be all things to all people.  It's wise to know your target audience.  It's also wise to know that your target audience will bring people outside of your target audience with them for the ride (i.e. the husband or boy friend).

5) For whatever combination of reasons Twilight has reached a cultural "tipping point". Tipping point is a term that basically means unstoppable momentum.  People on the outside of this momentum can't understand it, they criticize it, question it, mock it, and even hate it ... but they are powerless to stop it.  Think about the emergence of social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).  Many of these tools have reached a tipping point where now we see CEOs, football coaches, and politicians updating their status and sending out "tweets".  Only in hindsight do these waves become explainable.  So it is with Twilight -- we can't really explain it ... yet.

Weekly Rundown (11.22.09)

• Losing My Religion series continues to be a blessing for me to preach and I pray a means for God to open people's eyes to His love, grace, and character.
  
  
  
  • We're celebrating numerous salvations :)
  
  
  
  


• Tonight Rock Bridge Student Ministry (@ Calhoun & @ Dalton) taught about the needs of the world and the Christian's responsibility to help meet them -- praying the eyes and hearts of young people are enlarged in a mighty, Christ-exalting way!!
  
  
  
  • They took an offering to buy a family village in Kenya a cow through Possibilities Africa.  One cow can totally transform a village with jobs, hope, and openness to Gospel love!
  
  
  • They will also be sponsoring a child through World Vision!
  
  
  
  


• I'm playing sermon "catch-up" this week since I missed a week of preparation when I was out in San Diego.


• Great discussions this week about how to better communicate our mission and core values to provide better clarity regarding WHO we are as a church.  As we grow and add new people, we must reinforce who God has called us to be and remind ourselves about the Spirit-given uniqueness that exists in our church.


• Congrats to our Associate Pastor, Alfred Turley, and his wife, Heidi, who had a beautiful baby girl this past week.


• The football rundown:
  
  
  
  • Georgia is just sad and way below their potential as a team.  It is NOT great to be a Georgia Bulldog right now.
  
  
  • If you like leadership-type stuff, pay attention to how Coach Mark Richt handles this.  It will be a lesson in what to do or what not to do ... either way we can learn something from how he responds.
  
  
  
  


• Great anniversary celebration with Beth this week.  Hopefully, this time next year we'll be parents!!


• My take on the second installment of the Twilight saga: New Moon:
  
  
  
  • Special effects: much better!
  
  
  • Acting: still solid and true to the characters of the book.
  
  
  • Music/Soundtrack: horrible ... didn't match the scenes at all.
  
  
  • Felt rushed and some transitions were abrupt ... hard to compress a 500+ page book into 2 hours.
  
  
  • Still a freakishly popular cultural event.  Asking myself, "Why do sooo many people love this series? Why do I love it?"
  
  
  
  


• Short week this week thanks to Thanksgiving ... ready for some turkey!!!!!!!!

Rock Bridge and the World

Sometimes I think our Christianity is too small.

• We define Christianity solely in terms of our personal relationship with God, instead of community with others where radical love is experienced and sacrificial service is given.


• We think only in terms of our church instead of His Church which is both local and global.

Consider how God described the impact of Christianity when he was speaking to just the 11 disciples:

• Matthew 28:19 -- Go, and make disciples of all nations ...


• Acts 1:8 -- You will be My witnesses ... to the ends of the earth ...

These verses are raising new questions for me as a Christian, as a pastor, and for our church.

• What does it mean to be a global Christian? A kingdom-minded local church?


• What are our responsibilities to fulfill Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:8?


• The church in America has been blessed with an abundance of resources.  The church in the rest of the world is either severely persecuted or stricken with incredible poverty or both.  How do we respond and come alongside our global brothers and sisters?

A few weeks ago our Elders affirmed for Rock Bridge to move forward in 3 broad areas, praying and exploring where God would leverage us for His glory to show His love, serve His people, and help the downtrodden.

LOCAL IMPACT: efforts in NW Georgia to come alongside various local agencies with manpower and resources to share the love of Christ.

GREAT COMMISSION PARTNERSHIPS: partnering with others to make disciples all over the world.  These efforts include church planting here in America and missionary work overseas.

GLOBAL POVERTY: 1 child dies every 5-6 seconds due to hunger.  Thousands die daily because of malaria.  The orphan crisis in certain countries is epidemic.  While the statistics are staggering, the resources are available to reverse poverty and combat disease worldwide.  We are looking at exactly how we should leverage our God-given resources to be part of the solution to these challenges.  Specifically, we believe God is calling to focus on a particular nation and community in that nation.

Much more to come ... but let's all start by praying for God to broaden our vision of His Kindgom and deepen our burden for all nations and all peoples.

Leadership Ruminations: 2-year Summary

Last week I wrapped up a 2-year journey with other pastors in a group put together by Leadership Network. This type of experience was new to me but something I needed.  As I reflect back on the journey, here's some things that come to mind:

• Leaders must pay attention not only to the organizational health but also the emotional health of the teams they lead.


• Churches must continue to take risks for the sake of the Gospel.


• Pastors must not use "guilt" to motivate and lead their congregations.  {Larry Osborne famously calls this "drive-by guiltings"}


• We can't confuse methodology with theology.  Methods will always change while our theology (beliefs) should never change.


• We have to have margin (space) in our lives to be effective.  God gave us the Sabbath for a reason.  We need margin emotionally, relationally, and in our schedules.


• The financial landscape of America is changed for the foreseeable future.  How will this affect giving in the church? It will require more visionary leadership.  For example, candidate Barack Obama raised more money than any other presidential candidate in history during the worst recession in recent memory.  People will give to causes they believe in ... what cause is greater than the cause of Christ?


• Churches must develop new and younger leaders.  "Young eagles" must be allowed to fly. What are we doing to develop the "future" leadership of Rock Bridge?


• Student ministry is perhaps the most difficult "ministry nut" to crack today in the church.  Why? Because it is becoming less & less about the program of ministry and more & more about significant relationships facilitated by the ministry with adults and other students {This is our model at RBCC!!}


• Multi-site and multi-venues are here to stay.  In a resource challenged world, they are excellent ways to multiple the impact of the church.


• More churches will use the concept "volunteer" staff to meet the demands of ministry. Retirees, college students, interns, and those who have a "passion" to work in the local church will fill these roles as their time allows.  Volunteer staff will not be paid in the traditional sense; they will be paid with official positions, positive experiences & compelling ministry opportunities, insider influence, and perhaps even a desk or office or other "perk".


• As churches grow, the pastor has to lead more and do less.


• We must be comfortable being ourselves, living secure in our identity in Christ.

Weekly Rundown (11.15.09)

• Had a great week out in San Diego with my Next Generation Leadership Network group.  I have been meeting with this group of pastors every six months for the past two years.  I can honestly say I am a better pastor, leader, and Christ-follower because of this opportunity to walk in community with others.  I must thank Leadership Network for their work to serve pastors and churches.


• Great services today as we continue in the Losing My Religion series.  I pray many are finding life in Christ through this series.  Next week at both campuses is a GREAT week to bring an unchurched guest ... someone who needs to know about Jesus and pray they hear God and experience His love!!


• Some in our Chatsworth launch team are taking road trips to visit other churches that meet in high schools.  This week they headed down to Charleston, SC to visit Seacoast Church's James Island campus.  They are learning a ton as we prepare to invade Chatsworth.
  
  
  
  • Last week they were up at Elevation Church in North Carolina.
  
  
  
  


• I'm really excited and encouraged by how our staff is thinking right now -- innovative, creative, and BIG!!  We have some amazing ideas to pray over & discuss.


• The 'Dawgs looked respectable against Auburn ... good win, bowl eligible.


• Football Friday is over for the year.  Good luck to the Calhoun Yellow Jackets as they continue in the state playoffs.


• I love to go to movies with my wife.  Our first date was at Star Wars: Episode I in Jacksonville, FL.  We have fun, are able to relax, and make memories together.  Well, this week is a BIG movie week:  the Twilight sequel, New Moon and the football movie, Blind Side both are in theaters this week.
  
  
  
  • My take on Twilight: pop culture phenenom; very entertaining; solid acting; unrealistic plot with a realistic emotional storyline.
  
  
  • Blind Side: based on a true story.  Good acting line-up.  Cameos by several college coaches.  Will be inspirational!
  
  
  
  


• Beth & I celebrate 8 years of marriage this week :)
  
  
  
  • So I'm justified in taking her to at least two movies this week, right?
  
  
  
  

Whose Approval Am I After?

Let's face it, we are all approval addicts.  We want to be accepted, approved, and validated.  The two big questions we must ask are "Where do we go to get the approval we so desperately want?" and "What is the cost of gaining that approval?"

Most of the time we look to other people for this approval and much of the time this will lead us to compromise a conviction, change our beliefs (to fit in), or be manipulated by the fear and insecurity of losing someone's approval.

The Bible warns in Proverbs 29:25 that "fear of man will prove to be a snare [a trap] but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." In other words, only in God do we find the approval, acceptance, and security our hearts want and need.  And the good news is this ... that because of Jesus we have God's approval and acceptance!!

So how does this shake out in our lives?

• It means that we can obsess and stress over what others think about us and therefore, forget what God thinks about us.


• It means criticism must be filtered through God's Word more than the sting of the critic.


• It means I can labor endlessly in a futile attempt to please everyone or I can rest peacefully in the pleasure of God's unfailing love.


• It means that sometimes relationships will be lost as you follow God's leading and pursue His mission.


• It means that your source of approval will ultimately be the authority in your life.

As a young church planter/pastor, many times I stressed over what people thought of me, the sermon, our church, etc.  I was easily shaken and upset.  People's opinions & comments were where I sought approval causing me to make some mistakes, forget who I am in Christ, and at times disregard the voice of God.

To overcome this I had to develop some basic principles, and here's what they are:

• I must preach "the whole counsel of God" and do it "in season and out" which won't always be popular or well-received.


• I must have sources of wise counsel and accountability in my life whose voices I can trust as either encouragement or constructive criticism (Thankfully, I have incredible Elders, a staff that seeks to hear from God, and a godly wife).


• The bottom line for me is to obey God.  Beth & I never would have started Rock Bridge if we took a poll or listened to our critics (and there were/are a lot).


• I will listen to critics and what people have to say, seek to learn, practice humility, but those voices do not have the final say ... God does.  Therefore, all voices must be filtered by God's Word, godly counsel, and prayer.


• I will readily admit when I am wrong, sin against another, or make a mistake and seek forgiveness.


• I am who God says I am, period (I Corinthians 15:10).

Weekly Rundown (11.8.09)

• We're into the Losing My Religion series.  I've been thinking and praying about this series for a LONG time.
  
  
  
  • The message I preached the day RBCC began was titled, "The Trouble With Religion."
  
  
  • I'm convinced that "religion" is keeping more people from God and out of heaven than drugs, alcohol, and sex combined!!
  
  
  • Let's celebrate freedom in Christ this series!  Great series to invite a friend.
  
  
  
  


• Went to see Georgia play yesterday against Tennessee Tech.  Several local boys playing at Tech.  Fun day!


• I saw my first ever Cheerleading competition yesterday ... WOW! Intense and exciting.  Congrats to Northwest and Dalton High Schools for making it to state sectionals!!


• Great all-staff meeting this week with Brad Leeper sharing thoughts on how to be a "great" staff. Some takeaways:
  
  
  
  • Staffs must risk together, have fun together, and create "stories" together.
  
  
  • Bad staffs make their specialty (i.e.-music, children, students) MORE important than the church's mission.  (That's good!!)
  
  
  • Staff members must constantly learn to grow and develop.  Must be curious, read, ask questions, and never stop growing.
  
  
  • Staff members must be flexible in their roles ... jobs will change as the church changes.
  
  
  
  


• First Wednesday was amazing again.  Both campuses experienced God's presence in powerful ways!
  
  
  
  • This service literally "sets the temperature" for our church for the whole month ... prayer, worship, & communion TOGETHER is powerful and desired by God ... He shows up when we seek Him as ONE!!
  
  
  
  


• Navy beat Notre Dame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weekly Rundown (11.1.09)

• Appreciate all the prayers for my trip to Charlotte to speak at a conference.  I had a great time reconnecting with some friends around the country, was challenged, and hopefully brought encouragement to pastors/church leaders.
  
  
  
  • On a side note to the NASCAR fans, my hotel was right next to the future NASCAR Hall of Fame!! It is a sharp looking building.
  
  
  
  


• For the first time in years, Beth & I were home on Halloween ... it was fun but our neighborhood was pretty quiet.


• Our two Fall Festivals (Calhoun & Dalton) were amazing.  The volunteer effort was once again tremendous.  We blessed our two communities with something free and family-friendly ... Jesus was well-represented by His church.


• Ok, Georgia is just sad and bad.  Can't say much more ... I'm still eager and curious to see how Coach Richt handles this from a leadership standpoint.


• I'm loving the Fall weather!


• The week is FIRST WEDNESDAY at both campuses!!


• I'm out!

No Room for Egos

I've noticed a trend at Rock Bridge ... people with big egos don't usually stick around at our church.  We've had lots of people come through our doors hungry for God, for hope, for purpose, for truth, and for a way to serve ... and by God's grace many have found those things through RBCC.  However, some people have come to Rock Bridge looking for a way to feed their own ego and they see our church as a way to achieve that goal.

By that I mean they do not want to submit to what God is doing in and through Rock Bridge, but rather they want the church to submit to their particular idea, issue, or pet project as a condition of their membership, service, involvement, or approval.  Not that new ideas and initiatives are not welcome (they are), but they first must be filtered through our vision and core values. If it passes the "vision" test, then it must also be the right time in our church's history, which we discover through prayer and obtaining wise counsel.

So how do you spot an "ego"?

• The person who introduces themselves by giving their extensive resume.


• The person who is quick to point out what they think your church lacks (usually it is something they could provide, but not something God requires).


• The person who wants to jump into leadership right away (or sing a solo) without taking the time to submit, serve, and learn.


• The person who will not listen or take the time to learn what God is uniquely up to in your church ... because they believe they are the "magic bullet" for your church's needs.


• The person who think it should be "one way" (i.e. "their way") and gets upset, threatens to quit, or leaves when it is done another way.

"Ego" has been checked and left behind when ...

• Their attitude and actions are defined by the question, "How can I help?"


• Told "No" or "Not now", they submit and exhibit a positive attitude.


• They quietly serve and seek direction from God BEFORE seeking influence, leadership positions, or the "spotlight".

Seven plus years ago we realized the danger of our "ego" and coined the phrase, "Leave your ego at the door ... because ego equals "Edging God Out". I'm thankful we did so we could hear God speak and submit to His voice, not our fleshly preferences, not-found-in-the-Bible traditions, or causes motivated by our pride.  This means we sometimes have to say "No" to people whose ideas and suggestions are not born through prayer and are not motivated by God's glory.  This means they usually don't stay around for long.

Weekly Rundown (10.25.09)

• Student Hayride was awesome tonight!!


• Calhoun Fall Festival rocked on Saturday ... Dalton is Wednesday night, starting at 6:30 pm!!


• Praying hard for God's Word to bear fruit from today's services at Dalton & Calhoun.


• We got the Certificates of Occupancy for the new ministry center buildings this past week ... yes!


• Excited about new opportunities for our church to engage in "missions" both locally and globally!  We're looking at targeting specific work in Haiti and/or parts of Africa ... exciting stuff ... pray for God's direction & wisdom!


• Georgia did not lose this weekend :)
  
  
  
  • Next weekend could be a different story ...
  
  
  
  


• Navy is having a great season!!


• I've got to pack for an early flight and get to bed ... have a great week!!!

Random Mid-Week Stuff

Some random things:

Coming Up:

• They moved the Dalton-Rome football game to Thursday night (10.22) because of the bad weather.  Don't know what that means for Football Friday ...?


• Calhoun Fall Festival is Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm


• Student Ministry Hayride is Sunday afternoon/evening ... GREAT event!!


• Dalton Fall Festival is next Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm


• Next Connect Dinner for Dalton Campus is November 3rd.  Sign-up here.

Cool Stuff:

• Great video of Stage 123's design and construction.


• We had a great celebration on Tuesday night ... we just passed the $2 million mark in our Next Step giving efforts ... pretty amazing considering +12% unemployment in Whitfield County during the past year!!

Weekly Rundown (10.18.09)

• We seemed to have skipped Fall this weekend and headed straight to Winter.  For the first time this season I was cold on Friday night watching the Southeast Raiders play football!


• The increase in prayer going on right now all over RBCC is AWESOME!!!
  
  
  
  • I especially need to thank the group of folks who pray with/for me before our services ... you bless me greatly!!
  
  
  
  


• Had a great meal-meeting with volunteers representing all of our ministry areas.  Great to hear everyone's feedback, exciting, and answer questions about what is happening @ RBCC!!  We're going to keep doing these every month so if you'd like to come let me know!


• I'm thinking through some "staff" core values that should define and guide our staff's actions.


• No news on the adoption front.


• Dawgs won but looked iffy.


• Navy won!!!


• Don't forget Fall Festival!
  
  
  
  • Next Saturday in Calhoun (Oct. 24th)
  
  
  • Wednesday, Oct. 28th in Dalton
  
  
  
  


• I just cleaned out our garage ... I'm filthy and tired but hopefully Beth will be proud of me ... she can now park her car in the garage!!


• Here's some ways to pray this week:
  
  
  
  • Alfred's traveling up to Indiana to meet with other Associate Pastors from across the country ... safe traveling and the increase of wisdom.
  
  
  • For RB Chatsworth and building finalization.
  
  
  • Elders' meeting: wisdom and anointing on our leadership.
  
  
  • I'm speaking up in Charlotte, NC at this event on Tuesday, Oct. 27th to church leaders who are about to enter into building/campus expansion efforts.  Pray for me ... I'm kind of nervous/intimidated to be speaking but God will be with me that I know! Pray more that the leaders present are encouraged and uplifted!!
  
  
  • For our local economy and those searching for jobs.
  
  
  • For God to be glorified through Rock Bridge!!
  
  
  
  

Adoption Update #2

• Adoption Update #1

Once again Beth & I thank everyone for their prayers and encouragement as we continue in our adoption journey from Ethiopia.  We are so excited yet praying hard for patience as we must trust God's timing.

However, we did receive some exciting news last week.  Our case worker sent us a personal email (that's a very big deal) telling us that we are now "first in line" to receive the next set of siblings that comes into our agency's care through the Ethiopian government!!  She said that the actual referral could still be "weeks or months" away (praying for weeks) but this is still big news for us.

Here's a rough outline of what will happen:

1. Children (in our case siblings) are made available for adoption through our agency.


2. Our agency contacts us with this information.  We have several days to accept or decline this referral.


3. Once accepted, the children's case is sent to Ethiopian court where a judge will award parental rights to Beth & I.


4. Once this decision is handed down by the court, Beth & I will travel to Ethiopia (after we get several vaccinations) to pick them up!


5. We come home with a bigger family and a blessing from God!

Our minds simply cannot handle how awesome this journey has been.  Just to think that right now, God has children who are orphans that He is sovereignly working to place in our family ... God is so BIG ... I cannot fathom Him or His ways ... but I trust Him and know that He is with us!!

Weekly Rundown (10.11.09)

• Long holiday weekend for many in our area and us Georgia fans sure did need it!!


• Our students enjoyed a great "Survivor"-style Fall Retreat over in north Alabama.
  
  
  
  • I'm always amazed at the level of commitment of our volunteers ... you amaze me!!
  
  
  
  


• I've had several meetings and lunches lately with people who God has called to plant new churches.  I get excited thinking about how God is going to use these guys for His glory!
  
  
  
  • Met with someone who is planting a church in Gainesville, Florida ... that's Gator country ... I know they need Jesus but at least they have Tebow :)
  
  
  
  


• This past week's First Wednesday was absolutely amazing!!  Both campuses were blessed with God's presence.  Below is a quote from a former addict who is now addicted to Jesus:
  
  
  
  • Last night was so great I wondered if it was legal.
  
  
  • I want to thank the amazing job Greg, Stephen, and Jeremy do leading our worship services, bands, praise teams, and choirs.  I appreciate your talent a lot but appreciate your love for Jesus and desire to help people worship Him even more!!
  
  
  • You can check out the church's "Worship Blog" here.
  
  
  
  


• To the UGA faithful ... the Tennessee game is a blessing in disguise.  The coaches and school leadership can no longer ignore the fact that there is a problem with the football program.  The secret is out ... the Vols exposed the 'Dawgs as a very sub-par football team.  The question is how will the players and most especially, Coach Richt respond? (The leadership juices in me are flowing ... I'm very curious to watch and learn from how this gets handled.)


• Church update:
  
  
  
  • Still looking for building possibilities in Calhoun.
  
  
  • Still praying for peace and confirmation about location for Rock Bridge Chatsworth.
  
  
  • New buildings at Dalton campus are close to getting cleared for occupancy.
  
  
  • Lots of work remains to be done on the "North-South" lobby next to the Wink that will connect the campus from Crawford St. to Gordon St.
  
  
  • Fall Festival is coming soon for BOTH campuses ... BRING CANDY to church!!
  
  
  
  


• Have a great week!!

Weekly Rundown (10.4.09)

• I've take a little time off from blogging ... good to be back so here's the rundown ...


• Loving the Fall weather!!


• Praying hard for this "GAP" series ... God doesn't want any gaps in our lives, our relationships, our integrity, or our relationship with Him.  Jesus died on the Cross the close the gap between us and God!!
  
  
  
  • Next Sunday is a GREAT time to invite guests to church!!
    
    
    
    • In Calhoun, we'll talk about how to deal with adversity and bad things in our lives.
    
    
    • In Dalton, we'll be talking sex & purity.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Really excited about launching the Spanish translation services during our 9:30 am Stage 123 service.  Spread the word so more people can hear the Word!!!


• My team won on Saturday -- Navy beat Air Force 16-13 in OT :)


• If our youth apply what they learned tonight, their lives and futures will be better and brighter and God will be glorified.  What did they learn?
  
  
  
  • How to read the Bible on their own and bring it to life in their life.  Good stuff ... thanks Beth, Kurt, Harper, John and all the amazing volunteers!!
  
  
  
  


• Don't forget to bring candy for Fall Festival on Wednesday or Sunday!


• Had a great lunch this week with about 10 church planters from around North Georgia and Chattanooga.  I'm excited to be able to hang out with this guys and hopefully encourage them in their journey to lead Christ-centered churches reaching the unchurched and lost people in their communities!!


• UGA dropped out of the Top 25 ... something is not right in Athens ... ?


• Adoption update:
  
  
  
  • The Ethiopian courts reopen this week (they have been closed since late July due to the rainy season).
  
  
  • Our agency operates a transitional home for children they receive from the Ethiopian government that are eligible for adoption.  The home has room for 35 children and they have room for 26 kids right now.  This means that there will be movement of children from orphanages into their "forever" families soon!!  We're praying we are in this next wave.
  
  
  
  


• Things to remember this week:
  
  
  
  • First Wednesday: Calhoun & Dalton
  
  
  • Student Fall Retreat this weekend (Sat-Sun)
  
  
  • Child Dedication in Dalton on Sunday afternoon.
  
  
  
  

Weekly Rundown (9.20.09)

• For the first time in 7 years we could not do our baptism outdoors in the creek ... BUT we called an audible ... Dalton baptized Sunday night and Calhoun will baptize NEXT Sunday.
  
  
  
  • Baptism and stories of life change that only God could author ...  ALWAYS amazing and cause me to simply thank God.
  
  
  
  


• My brother just got home from Afghanistan ... plane landed a few hours ago!!!


• I had "sermon block" this week ... pray for clarity on this particular message.


• College football this year is CRAZY and it's only been 3 weeks!!


• When it rains (like today) the "AWESOMENESS" of our volunteers really shows!!


• I almost went up to preach today without my Bible ... how could I forget that?


• Great conversation this week with a missionary working in Africa.  We're prayerfully exploring ways to get involved with God's work around the globe.  We'd love to start sending teams on foreign mission trips and find other ways to spread the Gospel and share Christ's love.


• My dogs go crazy when it rains ... and it's raining right now ... have a great week!!

A GREAT WEEKEND TO BRING A GUEST!!

This is a GREAT weekend to bring a friend to church with you!!

In Dalton we will be talking about "gaps" or problems that exist in our relationships ... parents & children, husbands & wives, friends, family members, etc.  But more importantly, we'll discover biblical truths to close those "gaps" and experience relational healing and health.  We all know people with struggling marriages, difficulties with their kids, and emotional strain caused by problematic relationships -- INVITE THEM TO CHURCH WITH YOU!!!

In Calhoun we'll learn the critical question we need to be asking ourselves in all facets of our life.  This question gives clarity when there is confusion and gives us confidence to move forward into God's best for our life and His glory.  If you know anyone who wants to know about God's plans for them, this message will show them how to take the first step -- BRING THEM TO CHURCH and then take them to LUNCH :)

To all of us @ RBCC ... PRAY for God to give people the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the desire to do His will!!

First Wednesdays and A House of Prayer

Over the past few weeks we've been talking about making a shift in our First Wednesday services to be more focused on prayer.  Previously, our First Wednesdays included a message, some worship, and the Lord's Supper.  In the future, we'll shift this time together to include a shorter message (with some "Family Talk" about issues in our church), more time in worship, more time in prayer, and the culminating act of the service will be the Lord's Supper.

I want to summarize why we are making this change.

1) We need it!! Jesus reminds us that much of the work He calls us to do for people requires prayer for it to be successful (Mark 9:29).  There are marriages that need restoring, lost & dead souls that need saving, bodies that need healing, and people in bondage that need freeing.  There is so much that can only be done and will only get done by us praying.

2) Corporate prayer is critical. The vast majority of us pray everyday. Personal time in prayer is important and biblical.  However, praying together as a church is also biblical and I would argue critical.  Nothing shows we are unified in our dependence on God like praying together.

As we looked at our church calendar, we asked ourselves, "When is there quality time given to church-wide prayer?" While we pray during our weekly worship services and our small groups spend a good amount of time in prayer, we sensed God leading us to take our prayer life as a church, as His body to a whole new level.

Jesus said, "My House shall be called a house of prayer." (Matthew 21:13)

Jesus said that praying together increases the potency of our prayers  (Matthew 18:20)

3) What makes a church a church is the ability to offer people grace & mercy.  Grace and mercy are obtained because of the death of Jesus and THROUGH PRAYER!!

Hebrews 4:14-16

¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. ¹⁶Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Do We Need Revival?

Having grown up in the south I'm very familiar with the word "revival" and all its different meanings. Yet this morning while praying the thought came to me "Do we need revival?" Usually the good Christian answer is "YES!"  But before I go there, let's look at a couple of things.

First, what is revival?  It is something more than a series of meetings at a church.  It is something more than an event that lasts a few days.  It is something more than passionate worship and powerful preaching.  Revival is an awakening to the reality and presence of God.  It is dead people coming to life.  It is hard hearted individuals being broken by their sin and healed by God's grace.  It is when a group of people become God's people (Jeremiah 17:7) and are changed forever.

Second, what does it take for revival to occur?  I think more than a spot on the church calendar, revival requires a fresh move of God brought about by the cries of God's people, a strong conviction of sin, and mighty wave of repentance.  This means revival won't always be pleasant or comforting, but rather challening and purifying first, following by the joy of the Lord.

Based on all of this I think it is clear that we need revival but perhaps the better question is "Do we want revival?"

Psalm 85:6

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

Weekly Rundown (9.13.09)

• CONGRATULATIONS TO ROCK BRIDGE CALHOUN:  2-year celebration today!!!


• Had a great time down at Sonoraville Friday night watching an incredible football game (Southeast -21, Sonoraville-26)
  
  
  
  • Great job to Rock Bridge Calhoun for the 5th quarter action after the game.  Heard young people talking about it before the game even started!!
  
  
  
  


• Thanks for all the feedback and input regarding our third service opportunity in Dalton.  Thursday night was the clear favorite and could open up doors to reach new people ... prayerfully expecting a kick-off in early 2010.


• We had a great lunch conversation with about 10 different community service agencies this past week.  Just looking to work together to help people and make a difference in NW Georgia.


• You can now give your tithes & offerings ONLINE!! Learn more here.


• I'm really worried about UGA this year.  Yes we won but lots of glaring weaknesses that will be exploited.


• Lot of ground work being done for our Chatsworth Campus.  We hope to nail down more on the location and possible launch dates soon!!  I am so excited for this campus to open!!


• What's coming up?
  
  
  
  • Dalton Fall Festival
  
  
  • Taste of Calhoun
  
  
  • Connect events
  
  
  • BAPTISM NEXT SUNDAY!!
  
  
  
  

Online Giving Now Available!!

For anyone and everyone who likes to bank online and rarely uses checks, we're rolling out online giving. You can now give to the church online to either your campus' operating & ministry account OR to the Next Step fund (Dalton campus building expansion).  Beth & I just enrolled and it is really simple.  Here's how it works:

1. Go to the Rock Bridge website and click on "Online Giving" (lower right hand corner of the home page).


2. You'll be prompted to set up an account by creating a user name and a password.  You can create multiple accounts.


3. Rock Bridge Community Church (Dalton, GA) will be listed as your "recipient organization"


4. You'll then enter your bank account information.  This works as a bank draft (credit or debit cards are not an option).  You'll need your bank's routing number and the account number that you give from (this information is found on checks ... the site will demonstrate how to locate this information).


5. You'll be asked to verify some things (site is very secure).


6. Then you can set up when to give, how much to give, what church accounts to give to, and how often to give (one-time, monthly, etc).  You can also track your giving history.

A Week in My Life

Sometimes I get asked what I do during a typical week.  While few weeks are ever "typical" here is the basic routine I try to maintain.

In general, I try to get up fairly early (between 5 and 6 depending on when I got to bed the night before) and workout, eat breakfast, and have some personal time with God.  I like to get to church between 7 and 7:30 am.  I also try to use lunch to meet with different people (staff, guests, church members, other pastors, etc.)

Monday

Monday is the day Beth & I have set aside for us.  I call it "date day".  We do something together as a couple.  If one of needs to do something else, we must get permission first :)

Tuesday

Tuesday is a day for meetings.  I meet with some men from our church to pray at 6:30 am and then I am in solid meetings (regular meetings with staff) usually through lunch.  On Tuesday afternoon I am around and available for either more project-specific meetings, counseling & pastoral care, chats with staff members, or basic administrative stuff like emails, phone calls, church-wide communications, etc.

Our regular Tuesday meetings include all-staff prayer & worship; a "tactical" meeting to review the weekend and discuss priorities, projects, and strategy; a worship planning meeting to discuss upcoming messages; a meeting with our small groups' staff to work through group questions.

Wednesday

I study and prepare for the message (I usually prepare 2 weeks ahead).  I pray.

Thursday

I spend the morning working on and finalizing the message I began preparing on Wednesday.

Thursday afternoons are for other meetings, touching base with staff, getting progress reports, counseling, etc.

Friday

Friday is miscellaneous day.  I start going over the message for Sunday, get the Scriptures and bullet points over to our Tech & Worship staff, and go over the service with our worship leaders.

Friday is also my day to visit the hospitals (Each staff pastor is assigned a day to make hospital visits).

I catch up on emails, phone calls, and other communications.  I also try to do some reading and praying.

Saturday

Beth & I usually do something together but we try to keep this day light.  We try to be settled in for the day around 5 or 6 pm.  I spend a few hours Saturday evening getting ready to preach on Sunday.

Sunday

I'm up pretty early and get to church to start praying and reviewing the message.  At 9 am we have a prayer team that assembles.  Then it's off to greet folks and preach!  Sunday afternoon I write blogs, email, reflect, and sometimes grab a nap.

Weekly Rundown (9.6.09)

• First to the subject of college football:
  
  
  
  • Navy took Ohio State to the brink but came up short.  Proud of the middies!!
  
  
  • The 'Dawgs have a lot to work on ... Spurrier's coming to town.
  
  
  • Already this season is showing great excitement and drama
  
  
  
  


• Just got back white water rafting down the Ocoee River with a bunch of 7th graders ... great time and AMAZING scenery with some AMAZING young people.
  
  
  
  • This trip was organized completely by the 7th grade VOLUNTEERS in our RB Student Ministry ... this is a BIG part of our vision on two fronts:
    
    
    
    • 1-that adults build relationships with students to serve as spiritual mentors, examples, and advisors
    
    
    • 2-that as church we practice Ephesians 4 ministry: the staff equips and empowers the "church members" to serve and further build up the church
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Can't tell you how many conversations I'm hearing lately about how much kids are loving (and learning) in Children's Ministry!


• Still praying and seeking wisdom about our 3rd service possibility ... the results of our poll are interesting, encouraging, and exciting.  This data will help us make a better decision.


• I'm so excited about the amount of prayer taking place throughout our church right now ... KEEP IT UP ROCK BRIDGE -- PRAYER IS OUR POWER SOURCE!!


• Here's some things I would appreciate prayers for this week:
  
  
  
  • Wisdom: God's NOT mine or man's
  
  
  • Fresh inspiration from the Holy Spirit as we launch a new series this week called, GAP ... VERY practical.
  
  
  • For NEW guests to come to RBCC this coming weekend (after Labor Day schedules settle down and people are prone to be open to new routines = CHURCH!!!)
  
  
  • For everyone at RBCC this weekend to encounter God's presence, truth, & love!!
  
  
  • For our adoption: a referral to come soon and for Beth & I to have patience
  
  
  
  


• I"m beat ... 2 sermons and 1 wild river!!

Possible 3rd Worship Service!?!?

Over the past few weeks we've experienced an increase in our worship attendance at all our campuses and venues.  While growth is not our goal (glorifying Jesus is), we are excited because MORE people are hearing God's Word and MORE people are experiencing God's love for them.

However, this growth is not without its challenges (but they are the ones we like to have).  At our Dalton campus, we have very little room to add more people, especially at our 11:00 service time ... and this is the time a guest is most likely to show up!! There have been occasions where people have left because they could not find a seat!!  The challenge for us is "What do we do? How do we respond to the 'increase' God is giving us?"

In Calhoun the answer is keep inviting people!!  Keep loving those God sends! Fill up the Civic Auditorium and then add another service!!

In Dalton, the answer is less obvious.  However, we are considering adding a THIRD WORSHIP SERVICE!! Additional services help us free up seats and perhaps reach more people at more times.  The big question is "When?" We are looking at three options and want to survey our church about which option might be best.  Please be in prayer and ask God to give us His wisdom and direction.  Also please remember that at this time we are only considering this option, nothing has been decided.

As you read these options, ask yourself "Which option would have the most appeal to an unchurched person?" AND "Which option (if any) would I attend?

8:15 or 8:30 am SUNDAY MORNING: for early risers and those who like to get the day started quickly

12:30 or 1:00 pm SUNDAY AFTERNOON: for late risers

THURSDAY EVENING (between 6 and 6:30 pm): could be attractive to people who work on weekends (i.e. shift workers), weekend travelers, and college students

If you would be willing to regularly attend and support any of these services, please complete the survey by clicking the link below:

3rd Worship Service Survey

Weekly Rundown (8.30.09)

• Monday through Friday at a church is somewhat out of sight to the majority of people but those days are the critical link in the chain between Sundays.  Not only are services planned, but people are cared for, volunteers and equipped and encouraged, prayers are offered, ideas are generated, administrative functions are carried out, and leadership is given to the church's mission and vision.  I just want to THANK OUR STAFF for the fantastic efforts and leadership in this critical Monday-Friday time frame!!


• Rock Bridge volunteers ROCK!!


• Great "5th quarter" celebration at Sonoraville High School Friday night ... looking forward to several more!!


• This past weekend was a whirlwind for me personnally ... I'm ready for a nap!
  
  
  
  • Football Friday TV show
  
  
  • Saturday wedding up in Bowling Green back late
  
  
  • Sunday services @ RBCC
  
  
  
  


• Great meeting this past week with staff from Athens Church! God is working in that great college town!!


• Here's some things to remember this week:
  
  
  
  • First Wednesday services!
  
  
  • Bring soap, shampoo, razors, and toothbrushes for our local missions drive!
  
  
  • Baptism is coming up: Sept. 20th! More information here.
  
  
  
  


• Dawgs play on Saturday!!  College football is HERE!!!!!


• The rainy season is ending in Ethiopia ... pray Beth & I get our adoption referral soon!!


• Read my first book on parenting last week.  Single sentence summary: Do NOT spare the rod!!!


• My (current) favorite restaurants (I'm not including my "local" favorites ... too many to mention):
  
  
  
  • P.F. Changs ... still #1 ... shrimp w/candied walnuts :)
  
  
  • Buffalo Wild Wings ... love the sweet BBQ boneless!!
  
  
  • Date day is Monday ... where should I take Beth?!?!
  
  
  
  

Michael Vick and the Wisdom of Alcohol

Just read a news report that said Michael Vick had an alcoholic drink after an NFL practice.  His mentor, the well-respected Tony Dungy (led the Colts to a SuperBowl title), criticized Vick's decision (check out the article here).

Now I'm not one for piling on or adding more condemnation than Vick has received but this story offers us insight into lots of things: guarding our reputation & integrity, being above reproach, and most importantly, making wise decisions.

Often we try to reduce life and Christianity down to right versus wrong with the result that we become moral minimalists who walk close to the edge of the cliff and sometimes we fall or slip or get pushed over the side.  Yet the Bible tells us to resist sin and contend for our faith.  So God calls us to walk by wisdom not merely right or wrong.  Wisdom keeps us safe, wisdom keeps us on the right path, protects our integrity, and sets up a positive future!!

• This past weekend the Coast Guard, life guards, and the Weather Center warned thousands of would-be swimmers of the dangerous waves and currents Hurricane Bill was bringing to east coast.  Yet several decided to brave the waters.  Was this right or wrong? Who can say? Was it wise? No, clearly it was foolish and tragically several lives were lost.


• Married men often spend time alone with women other than their wife. Is this wrong? No ... at least not on the surface. But is it wise? We protect what we value and is this a way to protect one's marriage when countless number of affairs have begun this way by well-meaning people who said "It won't happen to me and there's nothing wrong with it."?


• Lots of people spend money without a budget. Lots of people use credit without thinking about the bill they will receive in a few weeks.  Is this wrong? No.  Is this foolish? Yes.

When wisdom is applied to the equation of decision-making we are forced to think about the future, we are forced to get past our emotions (which can convice us we are right!), we are forced to pause and think, AND we are forced to ask other people ... because part of wisdom is SEEKING ADVICE (Proverbs 12:15).

Proverbs 14:8

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.

Decisions That Made a Difference

As we approach our 7-year anniversary at Rock Bridge, I was reflecting on some decisions that we've made that I think have made a big, long-term difference in the church we are today and the direction we are headed.

1)  The pastor needs to spend the vast majority of his time in the two areas of message preparation (studying, praying, etc.) AND vision (casting, clarifying, guarding, etc.).

It is so easy to get bogged down on urgent matters and the details that occur daily in the life of a church; however, the long term health of the church comes from a hot from God vision and passionate, Word-centered preaching.  From the beginning our church freed me to focus on these areas and challenged me to grow in them.  To this day, our elders will frequently ask me, "How is your study time?"  They hold me accountable and encourage me to spend my time in these two areas.

2) Tearing down the distinction of "clergy", avoiding the temptation to let the "staff run everything", and challenging people to serve, get involved, and take an "owners" interest in the church.

While there are certain matters that the staff has to oversee and be directly involved in, I can honestly say that we've made very few decisions where multiple members were not involved and we've NEVER done any ministry initiative that has not been highly dependent on volunteers and the support of the congregation.  Volunteers oversee our budget and run our core ministries.  Our elders are all members who give extra time to shepherd the church, help steward resources, and seek God's wisdom for major decisions.  The result is that I think the people of Rock Bridge have a stake in Rock Bridge.  They care more, give more, and serve more.

Even the questions and criticisms we receive on staff, most of the time are asked because the people of Rock Bridge care and want this church to be the best for Jesus in this community.

3)  We have laid aside personal preferences and egos to change the question from "What do I want from my church?" to "What does Jesus want from HIS church?"

In our core team meetings we had two sayings, "The Bible is our only tradition." and "Leave your ego at the door (because ego equals "edging God out")." This attitude allows us to have a lot of clarity when discussing issues because let's be honest most issues gets discussed from our personal perspectives and prejudices.  When the Bible is the backdrop and humility is the prevalent attitude, God can get a lot of traction from the church.

4)  We've never been afraid to fail or afraid to change.

By constantly trying to improve and continually evaluating for effectiveness, things tend to move in the right direction.

Additionally, the "risk" (if you can call it that) of failure is acceptable if it is made trying to reach more people for Christ and radically love people.

5)  We've sought to balance the corporate and personal aspects of the church.

As a church grows there are some natural challenges that occur.  You have to add staff.  You have to get more organized.  You have to have policies and procedures.  You have to get multiple phone lines.  You have to expand how you communicate.  In summary, you have to become more "corporate" or business-like in many of your functions.  If you don't things won't happen or they won't happen well.  Acts 6:1-7 is a great example of this dynamic at work.

However, at the same time you have to stay personal with people.  People still want to talk to a "real live" person.  People still need to be visited in the hospital, prayed for, and encouraged.   So as the church grows larger it still has to stay personal.  The church is not trying to be General Electric but a (growing) family of God.

At Rock Bridge, sometimes we've failed in this area but it wasn't for a lack of trying.  We have added some systems and policies that help us operate more efficiently and effectively, but we are always trying to keep things personal, to thank all our volunteers a lot, to care for people in crisis in personal ways, to communicate well, and to really be a spiritual "family" (vs. a business).

This is huge in small towns where some people are suspicious of "big" and worried that they will be forgotten or just a "number".  At Rock Bridge we did not start out big, we started with 25 adults.  But we started out loving people like Jesus, and as a result we started growing and getting big.  The key is to never quit loving and caring for people as you grow, but to find more effective ways to love and care for more people.  I think we're working hard to do that!!

Weekly Rundown (8.23.09)

• Starting this week's Rundown with a little college football news: the 'Dawgs are #13 in the AP and Coaches' Poll.  I like starting there much better than #1.  Kick-off in 2 weeks!!!!!!


• Got to give a shout out to our amazing tech volunteers at all our venues and campuses.  This team works hard to make our Sunday mornings happen. Most people don't even know them or see them but you see their work ... from sound and lighting to video and camera shots ... they "git 'r' done!!"


• Sunday Night Live for our Students is in full swing up in Dalton and Area Bible Studies kicked off last week as well.  Lots of amazing opportunities for students to grow closer to Jesus and have some fun doing it.  Calhoun Student Ministry's BIG kick-off is just weeks away!!
  
  
  
  • What is an "area bible study"? An gathering of teenagers in homes all over the place where they hang-out, have fun, and do a Bible study in a relaxed, conversational environment
  
  
  • PARENTS: DID YOU KNOW?  If you son or daughter starts participating in an area bible study when they enter 6th grade, by the time they graduate high school they will have studied about all the major parts of Scripture ... life of Christ, Old Testament, Paul, etc. etc.?!?!?!  AMAZING OPPORTUNITY to leave high school with a working knowledge of the entire Bible :)
  
  
  
  


• Some cool learning opportunities coming up this week ... I love to learn new things!!


• We are starting to look at various opportunities for our church to get more involved with foreign missions and God's GLOBAL work.  We are very involved in local efforts but we know the call on the church is a global call and so we're trying to figure out what that looks like for Rock Bridge.


• Football Friday starts this Friday night -- look for me on local TV!!


• The rainy season is almost over in Ethiopia so we are hoping that speeds up our adoption process!!


• Have an awesome week!!

Student Ministry Kick-off

Dalton student ministry had a BIG kick-off this past Sunday (Calhoun's is coming soon). Awesome event!

Proverbs for Life

As I've finished up a study of Proverbs, I've noticed some pretty amazing stuff regarding just living life.   When following these things tend to make life simpler and smoother.  These principles are grouped into four (4) main categories ...

The Essential Ingredients for Life -- these are "gotta have" aspects that we must have in ever-increasing measure

• A healthy view of God -- Proverbs calls this the "fear of the Lord" (1:7)


• Integrity (10:9) ... it's important to get there, but get there the right way


• Discipline and the ability to deny immediate pleasure for God's long-term purpose


• The ability to listen to God


• Wisdom and the desire to learn, grow and be developed


• Love for people & dependability (20:28)

Avoid "stupid" errors -- lots of mistakes in life are preventable and avoidable.  Common problems come from these common mistakes

• Laziness (22:13)


• Fighting the wrong battles (26:17)


• Impulsiveness and rushing into big decisions (21:5)


• Speaking too much, speaking too soon, speaking w/o thinking ... just speaking in general. (15:1-2; 28)


• Violating your organization or team's "code" or internal "DNA" ... some things are off limits, period (22:28)


• Failure to listen to correction


• Don't self-promote ... self-promotion means it is about us rather than Him!! (25:6,27)

The ability to distinguish between God's part and our part

• We have to be comfortable with uncertainty while living on earth.  We must know that victory rests with the Lord, knowing that God conceals matters to guard His glory and keep us walking by faith.  However, we can be
  
  
  
  • Clear even in the face of uncertainty ... VISION gives this clarity and keeps things (and people) moving forward even when things are cloudy (29:18)
  
  
  • Prepared for whatever God might have planned (19:21; 21:29-31)
  
  
  
  

Making "wise" decisions -- decisions determine the paths we take and the paths we take determine the destinations we reach.

• Seek out wise counsel and listen to voices of "correction"


• Scan the horizon for danger and act with boldness when you see it. (27:12)


• Don't jump to conclusions when making decisions ... usually there is more than meets the eye! (25:8)

Weekly Rundown (8.16.09)

A little more detailed "rundown" this week on a few items ... Have a great week!!!!

Elders @ RBCC Calhoun ... Elders are one of the few "defined" church positions in the New Testament.  They are guardians, overseers, and shepherds of the local church.  We are in the process of nominating, screening, and selecting Elders at our Calhoun campus.  Rock Bridge Elders have played a very important role in discerning God's direction for our church, leading our church during major initiatives, helping people during times of crisis, and advising the staff.  Email carll@rockbridge.cc with any questions.

Chatsworth Update ... The excitement, interest, and momentum for our Murray County site is growing!  We believe there is big opportunity.  In our 7 year history we have recorded over 700 guests from Murray County who have come to our Dalton campus!!  That means they have driven 15+ minutes to worship.  The harvest is plentiful ...

We are still working hard to locate a building and have several possibilities but nothing definite.

Next Step construction ... The construction on the Dalton Ministry Center is running ahead of schedule!  The building is looking great ... the walls are being painted, light fixtures installed, and the elevator goes in real soon!  This building even has some cool "green" features that will save on electricity.  The work on the new "north-south" lobby continues which means the Wink downstairs bathrooms are still OOC.  This new lobby will connect the Dalton campus from Crawford Street (Wink entrance) to Gordon Street into the lobby/check-in area for Children's ministry.

Budget & Financial News ... Despite these tough economic times giving to our regular offering has held strong and grown by about 10% over the past year.  We are blessed and thank God for this!  Still our staff and Stewardship Team have taken measures to cut spending when and where we can without interfering with the "core" ministries and priorities of our church.

Random Stuff ...

• We are looking into the possibility of providing a way to translate one of our services into Spanish!!  We have several people who could already use this service and it could open the door for more people to hear God's Word!!


• We're working on some ways to continue broadening the base of servant-leaders in our church.  Raising up more and more people to do more and more in Jesus' Name and through Jesus' Church is a MUST for Christianity!!


• Working to improve our web site and service.  Sorry for all the problems with podcasts and audio.


• Our worship/tech team has started a worship blog.  You see all the songs we sing along with who wrote them, plus some insights into worship, music, technology, etc.  Check it out here!


• Continue to hear amazing stories of life change!!


• Lots of people are hurting bad and in tough times ... please pray.


• We had a great meeting with our prayer teams.  We know that prayer fuels God's work and opens His hand.  We have people praying during our worship services and prayer walking on our campuses.  We will be looking to have "prayer rooms" on our campuses soon.  The church is to be a "house of prayer"!!! Please contact your campus pastor (carll@rockbridge.cc or gus@rockbridge.cc) or Alfred (alfred@rockbridge.cc) if interested.


• College football is only WEEKS away :)


• I ate fondue last week and literally felt myself gaining weight!

Proverbs Highlights (Chapters 5-10)

The Proverbs journey continues ...

Proverbs 5:3-5 -- sin usually starts out very attractive and alluring but ends up fatal.

Proverbs 5:18 -- enjoy the wife you married as a young man!! In other words, you may grow old but don't let your marriage EVER get old!! Fight for joy, romance, and intimacy!

Other Proverbs 5 thoughts -- a lack of discipline takes you off course and gets you trapped (Remember the feeling when you didn't study along the way and had to cram the night before ... TRAPPED & SCARED!!)

Proverbs 6:26-27 -- Sin has consequences (period!).  We need to learn to hate sin as much as we do the consequences of it!!

Proverbs 7 -- We can be easily deceived (vv. 22-23); therefore, we must guard ourselves and internalize God's teachings (vv. 1-2)

Proverbs 10:18-19 -- the warnings about our words begin!!  Basically, if you talk a lot then you are probably sinning a lot!

Proverbs Highlights (Chapters 1-4)

I recently read through Proverbs and have made a commitment to do so frequently because it is so powerful and practical.  Here are the highlights of my recent journey through this amazing book of the Bible ...

Proverbs 1:7 -- the place to start in life is with a healthy view of God.  Once I get a skewed and inaccurate view of God, then my life goes in "foolish" directions.

Proverbs 1:19 -- the end does not justify the means!!  Ill-gotten gain leads to loss and regret.

Proverbs 1:29-33 -- I call this the "Listen Principle" which basically says that the voice we listen to and follow the most determines where we end up!  Jesus said that His sheep know His voice ... am I listening?  Which "voices" get most of my attention?

Proverbs 2:1-5 -- the pursuit of wisdom involves an intentional process.  The only way to start a process is to desire a certain outcome.  We must desire wisdom and have the discipline to pursue it.  Often we don't want wisdom but rather validation of our own selfish desires.

Proverbs 3:25-26 -- there is a way to live without fear and worry!  It involves putting God, forsaking our "common sense" and obeying God even when it doesn't make sense (see Proverbs 3:5-6).  The difficulty is that we want to be responsible for outcomes, we believe we are smarter than God, and we would rather be "self-confident" than God-confident.  Sooner or later we'll lose this battle.  I think Proverbs teaches that humility and wisdom go together.

Proverbs 4 -- continues on the value of wisdom and the commitment it takes to get it;  Proverbs 4 also warns us against impulsiveness (how many dumb decisions have I made because I just didn't slow down??) and tell us to avoid evil paths and evil tendencies.

Summer Blockbusters ... a look back

It's no secret that Beth & I love movies (our first date was STAR WARS: Episode I)!  This summer there have been lots of blockbusters and we've gotten to see most of them.   My number one criteria for a good movie (as you will see) is NOT the plot's believability or some powerful "moral" theme; I just want the movie to be entertaining, the acting to be good, and the plot to move at the right pace.

Honorable Mention: The latest in the Harry Potter saga.  I had never seen these movies before or read any of the books; however, I have to say the creativity and special effects were amazing!

#4 -- The Proposal -- my summer's best "chic flick":  funny & entertaining with solid acting.

#3 -- TRANSFORMERS part 2 -- lots of action, good special effects and entertaining

#2 -- G.I. JOE -- some nostalgia here as I collected and played with these action figures when I was little ... the movie was full of action and the plot moved quickly; good effects.  This movie was a close second to ...

#1 -- STAR TREK -- how surprised I was at this one!  I had never seen a Trekkie movie before and WOW!.  The story was compelling, the acting excellent with lots of good action and timely humor.  All of that combined have made this movie one I'll see again ... sometime in the not so distant future.

Martin Luther on God's Will

Martin Luther who helped lead the Protestant Reformation had a very simple but profound take on God's will--

A man became a Christian and approached Luther asking, "What is God's will for my life?" Luther asked him what his occupation was and the man said he made and sold shoes.

Luther then replied (paraphrase), "Then make a good pair of shoes and charge a fair price."

Now that is God's will made simple ... obey all that you know where you are!!

Philippians 2:14-16-- ¹⁴Do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

Weekly Rundown (8.9.09)

• Kicked off "You Asked For It" today by asking folks send a text message in church ... great response!!
  
  
  
  • Today's Big Idea on the subject of God's Will:  God's will is more about WHO we are and WHO we are becoming ...
  
  
  
  


• School is back and so was the crowd today ... WOW!!


• Found out some areas that need some attention by our staff ... showing signs of neglect -- communicating with volunteers, tracking progress, following-up, etc.  We'll attack these this week!!


• We've started work on our 2010 Rock Bridge budget ... I'm reminded of two things:  God owns everything and we are His stewards!


• Don't forget to check out the "WHAT'S HOT @ ROCK BRIDGE" list every week on our web site!!  This will help you know what the big items are at church for that particular week.


• So I've been back on Twitter for a week and I LOVE IT!  I'm following some organizations, pastors, news feeds, etc and I've gotten some good sermon ideas, learned some things, and been inspired.  Good stuff!


• The "Dawgs are ranked preseason #13 ... at this point who knows?!?!


• We had a great all-staff meeting this past week.  Learned about the value of "mutual submission".  What do we do at all-staff meetings?
  
  
  
  • We eat :)
  
  
  • We do a team building exercise that sometimes works but at other times causes me to yell at Carll :)
  
  
  • We celebrate birthdays and employment anniversaries (Beth & I have worked at Rock Bridge for 7 years!!)
  
  
  • We talk about current church news, share stories, and cast vision.
  
  
  • We do some type of leadership development or spiritual exercise.
  
  
  
  


• Have a great week!

Weekly Rundown (8.3.09)

• Wrapped our 2-part prayer series today. I cannot believe how much I have underestimated the power, purpose, and privilege of prayer!!
  
  
  
  • Today's BIG idea: Prayer is how we exercise our God-given authority and God-allowed influence to call in God's power to accomplish God's purposes.
  
  
  
  


• Great night of worship tonight in Calhoun! Awesome job to Stephen and the band!! God was in the house!!


• Great meeting out in Chatsworth this past week! Good food, good fellowship, good vibe ...
  
  
  
  • We looked at another building ... ??? Keep praying for open doors and God's direction ... we do need it!!
  
  
  
  


• Don't forget to vote for next Sunday's opening song!!


• First Wednesday returns this week ... I'm pumped!!
  
  
  
  • We're encouraging all of our volunteers to come out for encouragement and prayer as we ramp up for another big ministry season!!
  
  
  
  


• Can't believe that some of our area schools start back this week ... that means football is right around the corner and that makes me happy :)


• We have our monthly all-staff meeting this Tuesday. Always great to hang-out with our team.


• So I decided to return to the world of Twitter tonight. You can follow me by going to here.


• The finale for So You Think You Can Dance is this week!! Beth & I love watching this show together ... the talent and creativity are amazing!




• Got our dogs shaved this week. Bear looks pretty ridiculous.


• Long ago we prayed for God to send our church people who were hurting, broken, and in need of Jesus. He has certainly answered that prayer. The pain people are experiencing is tough to see but we take hope in knowing that God's grace is sufficient!!


• Here's how you can pray for me this week:
  
  
  
  • Leadership wisdom from God.
  
  
  • Message for 1st Wednesday.
  
  
  • Key meetings with staff.
  
  
  • To have an "open" heart before God.
  
  
  • For our adoption referral to happen quickly ... but in God's timing :)
  
  
  
  

Opening Song Survey

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Series starts next Sunday, August 9th!

Church Family

Below is a letter we received from someone who recently lost a loved one.  This letter is a living example of what it means to really be the church and be known for a radical, selfless, Christ-like love.

To my Rock Bridge family,

How can I ever repay the love and kindness you have shown to me and my family during the loss of my {loved one}.  I am so blessed to be part of a church that cares so much for its members.  The food, the prayers, and the support you have given me has meant the world to me.  I have never felt the love as I did in our time of sorrow ... thank you so much!