Too Easily Satisfied

One of Satan's most effective tactics is to get us to settle for the good instead of God's best.  The forbidden fruit was "good ... pleasing ... and desirable" (see Genesis 3:6) yet it cost Adam & Eve God's best.  This is true for all sin.  Initially, sin seems good and pleasurable, but ultimately it proves very costly.

The Bible teaches us that the highest satisfaction we can discover is in Christ alone, the greatest pleasure we can experience comes from God, and that the greatest desire we can have is for God.

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. [Psalm 16:11]

Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. [Psalm 119:35]

For most of us "joy", "pleasures", and "delight" are not something we typically associate with God.  So we look for those things in money, sex, food, other people, careers, hobbies, and entertainment choices.  And those things may be good or at least seem okay, but we'll never enjoy God's best if those are what we "settle for".  We become too easily satisfied while our senses are deadened and our ability to enjoy God is dulled.

I was thinking through some of the highest and greatest satisfactions my life ... and to be honest I have at times been satisfied with sin.  However, the highest and greatest pleasures for me have come from God.

• Marrying my wife, Beth.  She is God's gift to me.


• Starting Rock Bridge Community Church. Hard, challenging ... but WOW!!!


• Times in worship when I have literally sensed God's manifest presence ... I could have done it forever if my knees, feet, back, and voice could have endured! (Most recently for me this happened at the last Disciple Now 2010 service.)


• The times when I preach and absolutely know that it is not I who speak, but God.


• Moments in prayer when the still, small voice of God comes through loud and clear and God's presence is tangible in my heart.


• When I read the Bible and have an "AHA!" moment of clarity and insight.

What about you? In what ways are you too easily satisfied, settling for the good at the expense of God's best?  When have you been completely satisfied by God?

Monday is for Missions

As a church we have charted a course to be much more involved and intentional with mission work, both locally and globally.  We are tripling our missions giving over the next 3-4 years, launching short-term mission trip opportunities within our congregation, and deepening our partnerships in our local communities.

We're excited to announce a partnership with H.E.L.P -- Help End Local Poverty. Through this partnership we are working to restore orphans in Zimbabwe affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis.  There are over 15 million children who are orphans because of AIDS, and 12 million of them live in sub-Sahara Africa! We are supporting an orphanage in Zimbabwe.  We directly support these 5 children through our church budget:

Tendai (18 months)

Karen (3 yrs) -- loves to play with dolls and go to church

Luke (11 yrs) -- favorite activities include school, soccer and other sports

Kudzanai (14 yrs) -- likes soccer, learning English, and geography

Cynthia (17 yrs) -- like to cook, sing, and play with younger children

Please commit to praying for these 5 children, the work in Zimbabwe, and the H.E.L.P. Team!!

Weekly Rundown (4.25.2010)

• So glad, excited, & grateful to be back preaching for this week!! I missed Rock Bridge!


• Spent a lot of this week getting my head around all that is going on around here ... I'm pumped and looking forward to an exciting spring:
  
  
  
  • Advance team is currently on the ground in Haiti working to set-up opportunities for us to partner and minister there.
  
  
  • New series on relationships kicked off this week.
  
  
  • Spring Baptism is coming up (click here for details).
  
  
  • More opportunities for people to get connected in groups and ministry teams.
  
  
  • Joel Team is hard at work "strategizing" ways to improve our church and establish systems/practices for us to ministry more effectively.
  
  
  
  


• Beth & I are loving being parents!!  Every day has something new, challenging, and exciting.  Eyasu (3 years) has learned how to say, "I love you" (probably because we say it to him 1000 times a day) but he says it a little differently -- "I love boo." Still melts our hearts every time!
  
  
  
  • A few other words he has learned: motorcycle, "poo-poo", underwear, computer, television, more (as in he wants "more" food!), brush teeth, dog, book.
  
  
  • To answer a few more questions:
    
    
    
    • Yes-we are getting to sleep!  Eyasu sleeps about 9 hours a night and Abreham sleeps anywhere from 4-6 hours straight depending on when and how much he last ate (he loves to eat).
    
    
    • No-the kids will not be coming to church yet.  They are doing great but we are trying to help them adjust to their new home, language, life, and culture.  They have lost their biological parents and all they have ever known.  They are doing well in their new home and seem to be loving being part of their new family; however, multiple sources of wisdom have consistently advised us to move slowly and keep things predictable, avoiding too much too soon.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Really excited about all that is happening at our campuses in Chatsworth & Calhoun.  The volunteers are amazing, the energy/vibe at those sites is strong, and we're excited to be sharing God's Word & love to more people in NW Georgia (2 Thess 3:1)


• Have a great week!

The Rundown (4.20.2010)

Been a long time since we did a "Rundown" blog post ... but let me just say it is GREAT TO BACK in AMERICA and at ROCK BRIDGE!!!  I can't wait to preach again this week!!

Being a parent is awesome, challenging, exciting, and a sacred stewardship from God!

"I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of His glories and grace." {Psalm 34:1}

Ethiopia Update #4: HOME!

We've been home for a few days now and things are good ... very good.  Hearing our toddler say "Dad-dy" & "Mom-my" with his little accent is awesome! The kiddos seem to be adjusting well to their new home.  We've got some medical appointments over the next week dealing with everything from teeth to nutrition.

The trip home was exhausting: 24 hours on planes and in airports with a 3-year old and infant ... not the greatest experience but one we'll definitely remember.  Neither of us slept much at all.  We are still playing catch-up while trying to keep up with our boys :)

Some random stuff:

• We are very grateful for America.


• The Ethiopian people are amazing: humble, kind, & affectionate.


• Ethiopian coffee = very, very strong.


• Jet lag stinks.


• Parenting is awesome.


• It is amazing how much Eyasu (toddler) is understanding us.


• We cannot begin to thank everyone for all the kindness, support, gifts, and prayers!!


• I am more convinced than ever of the sovereignty of God. His hand at times was hard to see but in hindsight His presence and plan were woven throughout the entire adoption process and our journey to Ethiopia.

A Theology of Technology in the Church

Guest Blogger: Brian Holt, Rock Bridge Technical Director

When I was in high school I worked sales at RadioShack in Xenia, Ohio. Although it was that long ago, I remember how easy it was to sell mobile phones. Very few people had them, but everyone wanted them. Fast forward a decade and it is hard find anyone without a mobile phone.

Technology in the church hasn’t been much different. I remember growing up in church using hymnals and overhead projectors. Church websites, video and lighting were not even in our vocabulary, much less a church hiring a {gasp} full-time Technical Director. Why in the world would a church waste money on that? And what would he or she do for the rest of the week?!? But looking at the Church in America now, it’s not uncommon at all to find churches using all sorts of technology, and (thankfully for me) it’s not uncommon to find full-time staff members devoted to managing that technology. But that question is still a good one to ask: Why spend the money on technology?

The answer is easy. Technology (specifically electronic technology) allows the Church to reach people in a way that it never could before. It gives us an opportunity and reach that would not exist without it. Here are just a few examples:

1. Technology lets us expand geographically. We can expand geographically (through multi-site) while still allowing for strong shared leadership and vision. In the same way the early church leaders sent letters to be read aloud by the local “pastors”, we are able to send video to multiple campuses. This is a very effective way to expand the reach of God’s Word. Here’s why:

It’s economical. The cost of a portable facility is a mere fraction of what it would cost to build a larger auditorium and start a church from scratch.

It’s more effective. People may drive a long way to go to church, but if they do they won’t bring their friends. Expanding geographically with technology means that we’re going to them, rather than them having to come to us. Sounds kind of like the Great Commission to me.

2. Technology lets us create an environment that reaches a person holistically. I could talk for hours on this alone. Growing up, church was mostly an intellectual task. Show up. Listen. Learn. Grow. Not a bad equation to be sure, but it left something out. Where was the emotional connection? Where was the creative artistry that inspired me to be in awe of the God who created all? Those things were missing. Technology allows us to create an environment that allows for those things through the use of creative lighting, video elements and moving music. All of these are based in the truth of God’s Word and support the message of the weekend, but communicate that truth in new and different ways. We can take the weekly message and expand how it’s communicated much like taking an object and looking at it from a different angle. It’s the same object, but we see it in a different way. Sometimes seeing something from a different angle helps us understand it – and helps us connect with it.

But where technology is an incredible tool that can be used to expand the reach of God’s Word to be sure; its use is limited. There are things that technology can do well, and things it simply cannot. Technology can’t comfort you when you’re hurting. Technology cannot hold you accountable or help you grow through a tough situation.

None of these technologies work without a physical presence. This is why we have campus pastors to love the people in a way that a video can’t. This is why we encourage people to live life in small groups, not just watch the message. Technology can present truth, but it can never LIVE truth ... that’s what you’re for.

Ethiopia Update #3

We have had full custody of the boys since Saturday afternoon.  It has been exciting to see them start to bond with us and start acting like "typical" children--laughing, playing, crying, feeling "safe" with mom & dad, and yes, testing their boundaries. 

We are tired and ready to be back in America ... so thankful for the USA!! Today we took a trip to the American Embassy (awesome!) to get the boys' visas.  All went well except the web server to D.C. is down ... so no visas unless it comes back up.  We need those visas in order to fly out tomorrow night --- praying the server to be restored!!

Thanks for the prayers and support.  We'll probably lay low for several days when we return ... overcoming jet lag, establishing a routine, getting rested and rejuvenated are the immediate goals.  We heard Easter services went well ... so thankful for our amazing staff and volunteers that make Rock Bridge happen through the Holy Spirit week in and week out.  God bless!

P.S.--On a personal note, seeing Beth as a mother makes me love and respect her even more!! She is amazing with the boys!!

What's Next?

Guest Blogger: Jay Ashlock, Discipleship/Groups Pastor

In my position as Groups/Discipleship Pastor here at Rock Bridge Community Church I have the amazing privilege of connecting with different people from all walks of life. One thing I am learning is that God often works through the people in our lives -- through our conversations, through community, through our relational connections.

Once I was talking to a friend who doesn't attend Rock Bridge.  He visited our church and asked me, "Is there something else to to this?" I asked him what he meant and he said that he has been to Rock Bridge worship service and was wondering what was the next step?   On a larger scale he was asking, "What do we do with all of these people once they come to church?" These questions are powerful and have forced me to wrestle with the way I think of church.

We typically and traditionally have thought of church as a place to go and a spot on the weekly calendar.  But church was given to us by God and is one of the main ways He works in our lives. How? Because true church is community, it is spiritual family, it is people.  And God works through people to work in and on our lives.

One of the ways we try to leverage this principle is through small groups.  I tried to explain to my friend that you haven't really been to church unless you've experienced community in a small group.  Small groups are where we leverage the teaching from our services and learn how to live out the Word of God in a practical way. Groups are not an addition to the worship service.  Groups are where we can really BE the church, instead of merely "doing" one hour a week. This is what we see in Acts 2 -- people joined together by the Cross and doing life together in Jesus' Name.

So how about you? Are you really experiencing church? Are you being the church?

Ethiopia Update #2

We traveled to Awassa, a town 250 km to the South of Addis Ababa.  The orphanage where our boys were first cared for is located there.  The trip was a 5 hour drive through various towns and rural areas of the country.  We were never bored because of what we saw: beautiful country but devastating poverty ... very hard to process.

The boys' orphanage is run by Christians of great faith.  We were welcomed with a traditional coffee ceremony and the director prayed for  us and the children.  We were thanked numerous times as we toured the simple yet clean facility. We were able to see Abreham's crib and Eyasu's bed (he slept on a top bunk) and meet the nannies who cared for them.

Then we met their father ... a moment that we will always cherish ... God's hand was there in a way that we still cannot fathom ... all we know is that it was nothing short of a miracle. 

We arrived back in Addis Ababa today and tonight we are going to a traditional Ethiopian dance performance.

We also learned that we will take full custody of our boys tomorrow-- GREAT news on Good Friday.  The first morning we will wake up with our boys will be Easter Sunday ... this celebration will be extra special.

A few prayer requests:

• Taking full custody of the boys tomorrow.


• We are very tired ... between jet lag, traveling the past 2 days, hard beds, and all of the emotions we are experiencing ... we need a good night's rest!


• For Eyasu & Abreham as they enter our family.


• For Easter services at RBCC ... we are praying from the other side of the world!

Thoughts on Worship

Guest Blogger: Jeremy Owens, Worship Leader

Worship has always been a misunderstood topic. I have heard people say “that was some awesome worship”, when they are actually just referring to the music. Even the term “worship service” is confusing because to many people worship is just the term used for the musical portion of the service.

Worship is so much more than a service, music, words and phrases.  The God of Universe that created me and created you, the God that sent His one and only Son to this earth to die so that we could spend eternity with Him deserves a heart felt reverent response to His amazing love, mercy, compassion and grace towards us.

It starts in our heart.

If we really believed that God is who He says He is we would respond to Him how Abraham did when he took his only son Isaac up to the mountain to sacrifice him because God told him to. Or we would respond the way Noah did when he built a huge boat in the midst of ridicule & mockery because God told him to. The real truth we can pull from both of those stories from the Bible is that worship begins with obedience. If we really believed in our heart that God is who He says He is, then we like Abraham and Noah, would offer our lives to Him everyday.  This is the heart of worship:  we respond to God -- both to Who He is and to what He has done.