True worshipers

Sorry I haven't posted over the past week. Things have been a little crazier than normal. The Lord clearly told me about ten days ago to ". . . let your words be few." (Ecclesiastes 5:2) That's hard to do but I have tried --- even on the blog.

The past month at Capstone has been really, really great. God is at work within the church. The Spirit of openness, brokenness and worship within the body has been very real. There are many people truly seeking a life-changing relationship with Jesus - not just going to church. Not just playing church. Not just doing church. We've never been the church "just to attend" because it's Sunday. God has consistently called us to follow His example of selflessness and servanthood. It's challenging and takes a lot of sacrifice. But according to His Word, that's what we are called to do.

Everyone doesn't agree. We live in a consumer-driven culture and people bring that attitude into church. "The church should meet my needs" is the attitude of so many. People walk into churches every Sunday, sit on a pew or in a chair, and wait on "the church" to satisfy some spiritual need they have. And if "the church" does not consistently meet their felt needs, then they will leave and search for one that does.

I don't recall Jesus ever saying, "Go into my church and get your needs met." He never said it was about us in the first place! The work of "the church" (Christ-followers) is to love and serve those around us and in order to do that we will have to put ourselves aside for someone else. I love coming together for "worship with the family" on Sundays but that is just a small part of what the church is.

Yesterday, we could not get the audio to work for the videos we were using during the service. And for about 15 minutes, that frustrated me. Our worship leader Bekky was frustrated. Our sound folks were frustrated. And after my critical thoughts of "why can't we get this right?", the Lord reminded me that our purpose there had nothing to do with a video. We were there to worship Him and that was possible without videos, cables, sound boards, etc. All we needed to have were humble hearts before Him and we would be able to worship. And we did and it was an amazing time together!

We can be so easily distracted by "our needs" that we totally lose sight of what we're supposed to be doing in the first place. John 4:23 says, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."

That's who I am supposed to be - a true worshiper. That's what you are supposed to be. And that's God's greatest desire for Capstone --- that we be true worshipers who worship the Father in spirit and truth.

There's nothing in that verse about me. That's the way God wants it to be.

Rockin' Chair

Here's my girl at the Clemson Botanical Gardens on Sunday in her rockin' chair. Get it?

Monday Morning

Good morning! Here's a quick update on some things going on:

• Sunday at Capstone was great! We had a really big crowd and the response to the "Spring Training" series has been really good.
• We also had a great day of giving --- which is always needed as the work of the church continues. Praise God for providing!
• I loved seeing so many little kids running around. It seems that our preschool area is growing rapidly and it's fun to see moms and dads chasing their kids around the lobby after church.
• It was great having someone from Cliff's church at Capstone Sunday. She now lives in Anderson and he encouraged her to come our way. Thanks, Cliff!
• What a beautiful day Sunday was! Claire and I went up to the Botanical Gardens in Clemson in the afternoon and walked and enjoyed the day. She almost got attacked by a goose who was sitting on her nest. It was hilarious watching Claire run as the goose squawked!
• Dairy Queen's Georgia Mud Fudge Blast is amazing.
• We went to the cookout under the bridge on Saturday. It was fun hanging out with some of the folks I've gotten to know who eat at the Soup Kitchen. Some of the guys were surprised when they found out that I am "the preacher." Skeet told me I looked like a "street person, like one of them." That was one of the greatest compliments I've gotten in a long time!
• Went bowling Saturday afternoon and I beat Nick in the second game! He's a "young pro" and it was pretty cool to win a game. I have to admit --- he was way off of his average so I got lucky!
  
• Stay focused on the Spring Training, Capstoners! Remember this week's challenge: Speak words that are pleasing to God.
  
• Lord, what do you have for me today?
• I hope you have a great Monday. Leave me a comment and let me know what's going on with you!
  

Psalm 55

Just a quick Friday morning post before I get busy finishing up for Sunday.

If you've read this blog for very long, you have probably figured out by now that I have been in the middle of some trying days for quite a while. And even though I have not written about the specifics of the trials, I've wanted to be open with you about the fact that they are going on. I have appreciated more than you could ever know the comments and the prayers that so many of you have left and emailed me with. Some of you I don't even know and you have prayed for me. Thank you.

Because God is God and He is still doing His job, He has spoken to me through His Word on many occasions. There have been days that I have literally read a chapter or passage and felt as if I were reading the story of my life at this moment and time. That's how alive and amazing God's Word is.

Psalm 55 has been that for me this week. On Monday, God showed it to me. Since then, He has prodded me to read it over and over again --- sometimes even in the middle of the night. Every word of this chapter DOES NOT apply to my trials --- so if you read it, don't think I'm wishing death to my enemies. :) But I am praying death to this attack that has been going on for so long now. It is time for God's victory and the enemy's defeat.

So, if you find yourself in the middle of a trial and don't know the answers, pick up God's Word. I guarantee that you will find your story in there as well.

"But as for me, I will trust in you." Psalm 55:23 (NIV)

Pumping out the tank

My friend Cliff Marshall, pastor at Freedom Fellowship in Greer, has a GREAT POST on his blog today. I'm talking GREAT. Take a few moments and read it. You won't be sorry.

Promises

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."
Lamentations 3:22-26 (NIV)

Please pray.

Prayers are needed in a huge way. Please pray for me, my wife, and our daughter. Pray that we will have wisdom that is far beyond our human understanding. Pray that the enemy will be kept away from my family. Pray that we will not shrink away from the battle. Pray that we will live, move, and have our being in Him, that our minds will be the mind of Christ, and that we will be pure in heart. Pray that the darkness will be dispelled by His glorious light. Pray that each of us will seek only Him, dying to self, and living as Christ would have us to live.

Thank you for caring and for praying.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:28-31

Claire's Blog

My daughter, Claire, has a great post on her blog. God gave her something really special last night and she writes about it here. Check it out and let her (and me) know what you think.

Sunday Thoughts

God is amazing! Today was one of those great days to belong to Him, be a part of His church, and worship with some amazing people.

I was really pumped about today's service when I got up this morning. When I got to AmStar, I could tell some of our set-up folks were a little frazzled. It seems that the guy whose week it was to bring the sound trailer overslept! I don't think that's ever happened in almost six years of being a portable church.

So the music folks were a little stressed over all the rushing. But guess what??? They got it done and got it done with excellence (and time to spare!). I continue to be amazed at how God has provided so many people through the years who don't mind coming early and staying late to set-up for service. We are blessed to have them so THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

We sang one of my favorite songs today called "Wonderful Maker" by Chris Tomlin. I was really moved by the words and the spirit of worship, as well as all that Michael put into leading us as he sang. He sang with passion and it ministered to me. Someone commented on me wiping the sweat off my face as I began to preach (it was hot in the theater) but I was actually wiping tears away.

The words of that song say, "What a wonderful Maker, what a wonderful Savior, how majestic Your whispers, how humble Your love. With a strength like no other, and the heart of a Father, how majestic Your whispers, what a wonderful God." With a strength like no other --- I have needed that strength these last few months and He has given it to me. He is our Wonderful Maker.

I was fired up preaching as well. We began "Spring Training" by talking about how we must condition ourselves spiritually in order to be in good shape for life, struggles, etc. We began today talking about conditioning our minds. The enemy knows that my greatest struggles are within my mind and he knows what buttons to push to make me think in some crazy ways. The Bible tells us this TRUTH: "We have the mind of Christ." (1 Cor 2:16). That means that I have the mind of Christ! You do as well if you are a Christ-follower. That is pretty amazing to think about! I challenged the church to meditate on that truth this week. It's awesome.

Our spiritual exercise this week is this CHALLENGE: "I will surrender my thoughts to Christ. " The Bible tells us how to do this: ". . . we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor 10:5) We have the power (because the mind of Christ is in us) to take captive every evil thought and replace it with the mind of Christ. I am going to work hard to condition my mind so that I fix my eyes on Jesus, set my mind on things above, and be transformed by the renewing of my mind.

So, after lunch with mom, dad, sis, Josh, Von & Claire, and some time looking at Cuba pictures with mom, it's been a good day. God is good. I have the mind of Christ. I'm looking forward to a good day tomorrow!

PS - Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka??? Scary. Real scary. Gene Wilder will always be Willy Wonka.

Saturday Night

We're starting a new series at Capstone tomorrow that I am totally pumped about. It's called "Spring Training" and I am really feeling that God is going to use it! Don't miss a single Sunday as we get in some serious spiritual conditioning!

Claire and I are watching the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory right now. Anybody out there love this movie like I do?

Getting Back in the Groove

It's always hard to get back in the groove of life here after being in Cuba for a week. Things are just so radically different. We have SO MUCH STUFF and we focus on our stuff so much that we miss much of what's going on around us. I spent a bunch of time yesterday and today trying to get my laptop to connect with our wireless router at the church office. If I was in Havana, I probably would not be worrying about this because I probably would not have a laptop and definitely would not have a wireless Internet router. Does that mean life in Havana is better or easier than life here? Not at all. Problems are problems and we all have them. I am sure that some of my friends in Cuba were probably trying to find some work today in order to make money to buy food for their kids. That's a real dilemma. It just seems that our issues and problems often stem from our comfort items rather than necessities (though I would argue that my laptop is a necessity, as is my "delete" key which is not working right now!!!!). Somebody needs to lay hands on this laptop for healing!!!

Thanks for all the prayers for our friend Leonel's family and friends back in Cuba. I have been told that in Sunday's service I did not say how Leonel suddenly died. He had a severe asthma attack that caused his death. Please keep lifting his mother, daughters, family and friends up.

I am pumped about a new series of messages we are beginning at Capstone on Sunday. It is called "Spring Training." We are going to talk about how to use PERFORMANCE ENHANCING TRUTH to condition ourselves spiritually so that we can be like Christ and win the big games. The Lord gave me a great thought tonight at HOME group about spiritual dehydration that will definitely be a part.

I need you to do two things regarding Sunday:
1. Be there and bring a friend with you every Sunday in April and May.
2. Please pray for me as I prepare. I really want to be God's vessel to teach on Sundays. Pray that I get out of the way and let God do what He wants to do. If we are going to be changed and experience God in our lives, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to fall on us every time we gather. Pray that we stop playing games with God, stop playing church, get serious, and let Him have control over our lives. Period.

Thanks for reading. I would love to know what's on your mind. So, leave me some comments. I haven't heard from many of you in a while (and it gets lonely here in the blogosphere!) God bless!