My Open Letter to Rock Bridge

The past few weeks have been some of the toughest of my life as we learned about Beth's diagnosis of MDS and now move toward a bone marrow transplant in NYC.  Part of the difficulty is that Beth has had to temporarily give up her calling into vocational ministry.  As a couple who share this call to ministry and a deep love for God's church, we have always lived with the tension that exists between our marriage, our ministry, and our children.  For eight years we have sought to maintain a healthy, albeit delicate balance between these areas of our life.  Often the balance tilted toward ministry and the church we started together ... and we understood that as part of the calling, part of the joy, part of the challenge, and part of the privilege of full-time, vocational ministry.

However, for the foreseeable future we must tilt that balance the other direction to our family and fighting (and beating!) MDS. For Beth it means a long period of medical leave from ministry.  For me it means my ministry at Rock Bridge will be limited as I serve and support Beth during this time.  While I will still be the Lead Pastor and preach as much as possible, I will not be as involved in pastoral care, leading our staff, or executing our vision as I normally am.  The great news is we have a tremendous staff, a clear vision, Elders who are servant-leaders, and a God who is committed to building His church!!

For portions of Beth's time and treatment in NYC, I will be spending most days with her and a few days each week at home (lots of flying in my future!).  There will be other times when I will need to be with Beth for several weeks in a row.  All of this is subject to change as we learn about the details of Beth's treatment and how she responds.  Our boys will mostly stay at our house with their uncle and aunt or their grandparents.

During this period I will be teaching "live" less and we will be using "video" teaching more often in the Wink Theatre (Dalton Campus).  I will also be reducing the number of times I preach (I typically teach 45-48 times per year and would expect that number to drop to 36-42 times over the next 12 months).  Alfred Turley, our Executive Pastor, will be overseeing and leading our church on a daily and weekly basis.  Our Student Ministry staff is a strong team with a good plan and solid vision. Our Elders will still be the "guardians" of our vision and resources while serving as the "discerners" who help navigate our church to fulfill our mission and glorify Christ.

I mentioned a few weeks ago during a "church chat" that I was more excited about God's work through Rock Bridge now than at any other time in our history ... I still am! Our church's renewed commitment to fulfill and obey God's Great Commission through increased missions giving and going, greater dependence on His Holy Spirit through intentional prayer, and planting more small groups is exciting and God-honoring.

Even though our roles at Rock Bridge are necessarily changing for the time being and our primary focus has shifted to Beth's healing, our hearts and our prayers are with the church we love so much.  We still believe God works miracles.  We still believe He will do more than we ask for or imagine (Eph. 3:20-21).  We still are amazed at His grace.  And we still believe the church is the hope of the world!!

Matt

How to Make a "Spiritual" Financial Decision

This weekend our church will give in a unified matter beyond the regular tithe and offering, a practice we see frequently in the Scriptures.  We're calling this our "Less is More" offering.  This is a great opportunity to make a financial decision that honors God. This does not have to be a scary process or a "pin the tail on the donkey" type experience either.  God loves a cheerful and intentional giver, and this offering should be both.

1) Fight the fight against unbelief. God wants to be our provider, not money.  To overcome fear in the financial realm, we must believe that "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus". [Philippians 4:19]  It is very hard to make a faith-based decision when fear is rampant.  God's character of love is the antidote for fear.

2) Resolve to give generously. Don't come up with something "off the top" of your head or just what you can spare.  Giving generously requires you to pray, to plan, and to prepare.  The definition of generosity applies to each person and family differently. However, the example and standard of generosity is the same: Christ on the cross (2 Cor. 8:9).

3) Evaluate needs vs. wants. Special offerings and other giving opportunities give us the chance to identify poor spending habits, unwise stewardship, and perhaps even areas of greed.  Where these things surface, be honest and when necessary, repent.

4)  Read scriptures about generosity and pray for the "eyes" to see the amount God wants you to give. Fill your mind with biblical thoughts about giving. Ask God to help you see the amount. Here are some common ways I think God often "shows" us the amount He wants us to give:

• An expected blessing (A raise or higher than expected bonus; a lower than expected bill; etc.)


• A prompting to do something that normally would not even be an option (One time God prompted Beth & I to give our entire life savings!)


• Special unity with your spouse (I cannot overestimate the importance of this!!)

5)  Ask: Does this amount require me/us to trust God? God wants you to trust Him. By trusting His heart which is full of love, mercy, & grace for His children our gift honors God as our Lord and provider.

I'm excited about this weekend as we seek to excel in the grace of giving!! (2 Cor. 8:7)

24 Hours of Prayer

Our 24 straight hours of prayer and worship is THIS Wednesday & Thursday, 6 pm to 6 pm in Stage 123.  How we need what only God can provide!!  How Satan quakes at united, corporate prayer!  How God longs to hear His children call out to Him!  Let's give God no rest for 24 hours ...

One of the most important prayers we can pray right now is: Lord, make us hungry to pray! And then as we pray ...

• We will know His power


• Unbelievers will be converted


• Sinful habits will be broken


• Families and marriages will be restored


• Boldness for Christ will increase


• Hardened hearts will become tender and sensitive to God


• Prodigals will return home


• Giving will be joyful and generous


• The sick will be healed


• Worship will be intense and passionate


• AND, CHRIST WILL BE GLORIFIED!!!

Headed to the Big Apple!

Beth's white blood cell and platelet counts dropped again today which puts her at greater risk of infection and bleeding.  So we spoke with Dr. Boulad tonight and he wants us to move Beth to New York where she can be directly under his care during this "interim" period before transplant.

This means a sooner-than-expected transition to the Big Apple for Beth and an earlier temporary "goodbye" for her and the boys. However, this eliminates a lot of risks and puts Beth in the safest place before the transplant occurs.

Beth will not return home until after transplant and recovery.  We expect to be in New York the first of the week.  She will be in NYC until healed :)

Prayer requests:

• Beth's white cell and platelet count to increase


• Beth to stay infection free


• Safe travel to NYC


• Smooth transition & adjustment for our boys, Eyasu & Abreham


• The donor match process to move forward quickly


• For Dr. Boulad and his team of transplanters


• For God to be glorified and Beth to be COMPLETELY healed by a miracle or the miracle of medicine!!

Miracles and Medicine: an update

As I write this update on Beth, we are still overwhelmed and blessed by your prayers, encouragement, and support.  Thank you!

We strongly believe in God's power to heal -- by miracle and by medicine.  And while we are desperately and persistently praying for the former, we have to prepare for the latter. We know God gives the victory; how He does so is up to Him (Proverbs 21:31). The uncertainty and waiting are tough and often God gives only enough grace for one day -- today.  So here is we are as of today:

• Physically Beth's white blood counts (infection fighting) and platelet counts (clotting; healing) are low.  Both counts have dropped even further this week (this is our most immediate concern).  She has to eat a low microbial diet and take other precautions (like lots of hand washing, house cleaning, etc.) to guard against infection.
  
  
  
  • Pray for her counts to stabilize and increase as well as her to be protected from infection.
  
  
  
  


• While we know that Beth has MDS, we do not know how quickly it is progressing.  The nature of FA makes this whole thing more complicated.  We have another bone marrow biopsy next week and the doctors are acting like it is progressing quickly.
  
  
  
  • Pray for this biopsy to be pain-free for Beth.
  
  
  • Pray for this biopsy to show RADICAL and COMPLETE healing, only explained by the Hand of God!!
  
  
  
  


• She has been matched with 3-4 would-be donors who are all "10 out of 10" matches -- GREAT NEWS!!  Now one of these individuals must agree to additional testing and then the actual transplant.  If this goes as planned, the transplant process could begin in 3-4 weeks ... more potential great news!!
  
  
  
  • Pray for the matched donors to say "Yes!" and for the transplant to occur as soon as possible.
  
  
  • Thank God for those who are willing to be bone marrow donors! Their decision really is a "LIFE GIVING" one!
  
  
  
  


• Our doctor, Dr. Boulad of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, continues to be an answer to prayer. His compassion, expertise, and "hands on" approach to medicine gives us a lot of confidence and comfort.
  
  
  
  • Pray for Dr. Boulad and for God to continue to use him daily and if necessary to eventually heal Beth through the miracle of bone marrow transplant!
  
  
  
  

Weekly Rundown (11.21.2010)

• Started our end of times series, Christmas: The Sequel ... today.  My hope and prayer is that this series is less about "information" and more about the application of believing that Jesus is coming back!!
  
  
  
  • Next week we discuss the antichrist!
  
  
  
  


• Loving that people are reading the Bible DAILY during our 40 Days focus.


• Praying for the Less is More offering on Dec. 2nd & 5th.


• 24 straight hours of prayer is coming ... 6 pm to 6 pm, Dec. 1-2 in Stage 123 for all campuses.


• I want to thank all the staff and volunteers that are keeping our Student Ministry running strong while Beth is on medical leave.  This ministry has a strong vision and great people serving, discipling, and reaching students.
  
  
  
  • Harper, Kent, Kurt, Ben, and Daniel -- THANK YOU!
  
  
  
  


• Please keep praying for Beth: for miracles, for protection from any infection, for the donor process, for doctors, and for Beth's blood counts to increase.


• Hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving :)

Update from NYC

First of all we want to thank you so much for your prayers, love, and support.  They have lifted us up and increased our confidence in our awesome God.

Today we met with Dr. Boulad, a pediatric oncologist who also specializes in adults with Fanconi Anemia.  He confirmed Beth's diagnosis of MDS.  He outlined our treatment plan:

1. We fly home tomorrow :)


2. Because of the risk of infection (Beth's white count is very low), she must remain at home and relatively isolated.


3. Beth has another bone marrow biopsy in 2-3 weeks to determine the rate of MDS progression.


4. We are moving to have a bone marrow transplant in 6-8 weeks.
   
   
   
   1. The donor search starts now.
   
   
   2. Once Beth is matched with a donor, the transplant process will begin.
   
   
   3. This process will require Beth to be in the hospital here in NYC for 2 months and remain in the New York area for 4-6 additional months to be closely monitored.
   
   
   
   

Prayer Requests:

• For God to be glorified in ALL of this!!


• For miraculous healing!! That the biopsy in 2 weeks comes back NORMAL!!!


• For Beth to stay free from infections.


• For Edwin who is an FA patient who started the transplant process today ... pray for his healing.


• For John, another FA patient fighting mouth & throat cancer ... for healing & recovery.
  
  
  
  • We were blessed to meet both John & Edwin today and pray with them and their families.
  
  
  
  


• For the donor match process to go quickly and smoothly.
  
  
  
  • We can only be matched with someone already on the registry.
  
  
  • Many people have asked about being a bone marrow donor for Beth.  While this is not possible, you can still become a donor and help save someone else's life. Go to BetheMatch.org to find out more information.
  
  
  
  


• For our families.

Weekly Rundown (11.14.2010)

• Great to be at our Calhoun campus today preaching the vision to step out, step up, and step together into the building opportunity we have!! Excited to see God move :)


• We start CHRISTMAS: THE SEQUEL next week!! Don't forget to invite a guest to church with you as we discuss the 2nd Coming of Christ.


• Some great momentum in our small groups right now as we are hoping to launch lots of new groups between now and the new year.
  
  
  
  • Small groups are crucial to how we "make disciples" at Rock Bridge which is one of the non-negotiables Jesus gave us to do (Matthew 28:19-20).
  
  
  • Small groups have unlimited potential: no need for expensive buildings, just people; they are simple, reproducible, and biblical (Jesus and the first churches used small groups).
  
  
  
  


• Beth & I head to NYC on Monday for a doctor's visit that will tell us exactly what we are facing and what the next steps are.  We should be home on Wednesday.
  
  
  
  • Thanks so much for your prayers.  We will update with more specific requests as we get them.
  
  
  • Right now we are praying first and foremost for God to be glorified; for miraculous healing; for Beth to stay free from any infections, viruses, or sicknesses; for opportunities to share our hope in Christ with others we meet on our journey facing similar battles but without the "hope that does not disappoint."
  
  
  
  


• Have a great week!!

Prayers Mean So Much!!

The emails, texts, Facebook messages, etc. etc. MEAN SO MUCH!! YOUR PRAYERS MEAN SO MUCH. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!!!  We wanted to share one such email/prayer from a friend -- 

Just saw your blog;  wow, the warfare is on.............a pastor's wife at a church here in {xxxx} has cancer in her jaw and involves radical amputation.  Interestingly enough, my daughter found my wife unconscious in the bathroom early one morning, this week, and gave us a scare.  Pastor of a church plant that is 5 years old, out in the country in {xxxx} County has a brain tumor and progressively going down fast.

Here's a word for you guys that is in my heart this morning:  My heart is bothered by this news about Beth, but not burdened.  This trial is to take you guys higher, holier, and more healthy that you already are.  It will cause so many who love you both, to drop down to their knees, weep, groan to God, and for the first time, experience a fellowship with our King.

Be encouraged..............It will be fine!  You win! ... God is getting ready to take Rock Bridge and your lives to the next level.  I know it's health here, but it's also warfare.  You can't progress and attack hell without resistance...........you are getting it.  Praise can be the greatest weapon in this battle.  It works!

"Lord Jesus, we bind and attack fear and anxiety right now in Matt and Beth.  We give you our minds because it all begins right here.  According to the psalmist, 'you have answered us.'  Do it again.  Give us the desires of our heart, but you are also sovereign and we give you our voiced liberty to do what you will.  Father, Matt and those boys need Beth......your local body needs Beth.  If you've ever worked mightily on our behalf, do it now.  Do it now..........we pray for wisdom, for favor, for mercy, save some grace for us, and we plead the blood of Jesus Christ over Beth for the miraculous.  I pray explosion that is unexplainable happen in worship tomorrow for Rock Bridge.  We give you glory! Father, for the answer, we ask all of this in Jesus' name."  -Amen

What We Are Facing

Several weeks ago Beth's blood counts (white cells and platelets) started dropping.  This trend continued and prompted our doctors to order a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy this week.

Today we received the news we did not want to hear: Beth's bone marrow is in a state medically known as "MDS" or preleukemia. Obviously, this is very serious and we are now facing a major battle.

Our next step is to travel to New York City where we already have a relationship with an amazing doctor to begin the steps for Beth to receive a bone marrow transplant.

At this point there are no guarantees or certainties, except that this is very tough, hard to accept, and hard to understand ... but God is our hope and strength ... and we are committing this for His glory.

Until we know more details, all we can ask you to do is to pray.

Weekly Rundown (11.7.2010)

• Final message (Part 9!!) of FOLLOW ME this weekend!! What a series!!
  
  
  
  • Today's main point:  Motivation to radically (and sacrificially) follow Jesus comes from the promise of reward.  What is the reward? More of Christ now, and all of Him later! He is our superior Savior, treasure, and satisfaction!!
  
  
  • Praying this verse over our church!!
  
  
  • To all who asked for prayer this weekend -- know that your church is praying for you and with you!!
  
  
  
  


• New series, CHRISTMAS: THE SEQUEL, about the 2nd Coming of Jesus, starts in 2 weeks -- start inviting a friend to join you in church!!


• Abreham is officially walking now.  This weekend he "officially" walked down the hall and into the bathroom while his brother was doing "#1" ... and proceeded to stick his hands into the toilet!! Our lives have changed once again :)


• I think we're putting the kids in daycare/school tomorrow for DATE DAY :)


• Lots of continued interest in mission trips.  Please submit an application if you are interested.


• I love our church! I love what God is doing in our church!


• Have a great week!!

Bonus Feature to Follow Me (Part 3): Giving & Tithing

{Bonus Feature blog posts: Part 1 and Part 2}

I'm so excited to hear how so many of us are wrestling with what it really means to follow Jesus and aligning ourselves with God's revealed truth.  An area of constant struggle is giving, tithing, and money in general.  For this bonus feature (stuff that did not make the sermon) we'll discuss tithing, special offerings, giving to the church vs. giving through other channels.

Tithing is the biblical practice to give the first 10% of one's income to the Lord through the church.  In the OT this money was used to support the Levites who were the priests and who worked in the Temple (and therefore could not farm).  Some people argue that is not a New Testament command or practice; however, the biblical evidence supports the notion of not just a tithe but grace-based, radically generous giving for Christians.

• Actually in the Old Testament a Jew would end up giving around 25% of there income to God's work: the 10% for the Levites/Temple plus additional offerings to pay for the festivals and offerings to help the poor and aliens.


• The tithe started BEFORE the law was given in Exodus. The first tithe was given by Abraham to a priest in Genesis.


• Jesus actually mentioned that tithes should be given but not in a "legalistic" spirit. (Matthew 23:23)


• Special offerings were a part of the New Testament church (see 2 Cor. 8-9).  We also see people on their own giving generous gifts for the church leadership to distribute (see Acts 4:34-35).


• I Cor. 16:1-2 encourages giving on the first day of the week in relation to (in proportion to) one's income. This indicates some type of "percentage" based giving.


• Jesus never lowered an OT standard but raised the standard and encouraged people to keep the spirit of the law.  For example, no longer was adultery defined as just sex with someone other than your spouse, but Jesus said lust in your heart was also adultery.  He went on to say hatred for someone was akin to murder.  Paul seemed to apply this principle to giving when he commended churches for giving "more than [they] were able."

Based on these scriptural truths, here is where I think the safest place to land biblical on the issue of tithing:

• Tithing (10%) to your local church is the starting point for Christian giving.  It is clear scripturally that the local church is the primary (but not the only) "collection" point for funding God's work.


• Christians must constantly look for ways to be generous and sacrificial with the monies God has given them. This could take "giving" well beyond 10%.  This could also mean some money is given to individuals, families, or organizations besides the local church.


• Church members should participate in special offerings (above and beyond their regular giving) when the church unites to give sacrificially (see 2 Cor. 8-9).


• The "spirit" of the tithe principle is to trust God financially and be generous.  We must constantly look at how much we make and how much we give, asking "Am I trusting God or money?" and "Am I being generous based on God's grace to me?"

The following has proven helpful to me (this is from Andy Stanley) when thinking about giving:

• PRIORITY GIVING: give first right when you get paid to the church and other Christ-centered causes.  This indicates that God is first in your finances and invites Him (through obedience) into your financial matters.


• PERCENTAGE GIVING:  this helps make our giving consistent and intentional.  Again 10% is a good place to start and a reference point.


• PROGRESSIVE GIVING: we should seek to grow in giving like we grow in Bible knowledge or Christian understanding or as we grow as a spouse or parent.


• PROMPTED GIVING: God will prompt you to give as opportunities arise.  We should expect this, be prepared for it, and count it as a joy to be able to do so.  We can't foresee when our friends might need something or our church has special burden to do something more for Christ or when a disaster strikes and Christians need to respond.  The Holy Spirit will lead us to give in spontaneous ways.

The Next 40 Days ...

This past weekend as a church we suggested some significant steps for our folks to take over the next 40 days.  Steps of alignment behind our Lord Jesus; steps of persistence that will hopefully form some new spiritual habits; and steps of faith that will honor God and fill us with more of His presence.

1) Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. Over the next 40 days we're just challenging ourselves to read God's Word to learn more about Jesus and how we are to follow Him.  {This averages out to reading about 3-4 chapters per day.}

2)  Pray and fast in a bold, new way. We have the 24/7 prayer option online AND the 24:00 prayer service on Dec. 1-2.  We are will seek to fast from something (food, internet, Facebook, TV, etc.) on Wednesday, Dec. 1st.  The bottom line: just commit to praying more and praying with greater boldness for God to show up in your life!

3)  Sacrifice and invest your money for the Gospel and glory of Christ. As a church we are taking up a special offering on Dec. 2nd/5th.  Portions of this offering will go to campus needs and another portion to missions. However, there are many other ways to take this step.  Just pray and ask God for direction about where to give AND how much!

4)  Spend an hour together as a family/couple with God. We are very intentional about helping our kids be better students and athletes. Many of us take regular "date nights" to invest in our marriages.  However, how intentional are we about growing as family closer to Christ? How much time is spent on "training" our children to go the Lord's way?

• Every week our Children's Ministry sends something home to parents to help reinforce the lesson and use for family devotionals.  You can use this as a tool to teach your children about the Bible and Jesus.


• In Student Ministry, our web site contains information for parents about each week's topic and the "devotional" activity your teenager is asked to do on their own.  Click here for more details.

5)  Do intentional and consistent disciple-making. Invite people to church; share Christ with someone; get in a small group or go on a global mission trip.  Just be intentional about sharing the love and truth of Jesus Christ!!

• The Story is a great way to share Christ with others!


• On November 18/21 we start a new series on the end of times.  This is a VERY popular topic and a GREAT TIME to invite someone to church with you!!


• For more on small groups -- groups@rockbridge.cc


• Global Mission Trips

6)  Share what happens. Just talk about the next 40 days in your family, with your small group, or on your campus Facebook page.