Kulabyte

It is amazing where relationships will take you. I met up with an old friend today who is a part of an upstart business producing HD streaming video through the internet. Jason Cronkhite was a part of my small group in Victoria and now is a part of this exciting new venture. The company is called Kulabyte and the web site is www.kulabyte.com. The possibilities of this new technology are amazing. For churches that plan on multi site or who want to be a part of developing leaders abroad then this is the solution. I am excited about my reconnection with Jason and the opportunity of using this new tool for the gospel. God is moving in wonderful ways to make His name famous. Check this site out!

On the Road

This has been an amazing week of reconnecting with kinfolks. Tara and I needed to take this trip for a long time. It has been marked with emotion and adventure. Here are some highlights …
• Day one we drove to Mississippi to see my brother Stan. Stan is a wonderful pastor of a great church in a small town. He is my hero. Stan has done more to lead me into Christlikeness than anyone. I respect him at every level.
• We drove to Meridian, Mississippi to see my dad’s brother Murray. His wife Francis is the sweetest lady alive and a great cook. I cried when I saw them. I didn’t realize how much I need those connections.
• There is Mexican food, Chinese food, and Southern food. We enjoyed Southern food from the hand of a master. Aunt Francis can cook. Her chocolate pie will be served in heaven.
• We had the opportunity to reconnect with my cousin Gary. He is a great guy and reminded me that God grows the church and builds people. I am just someone God uses.
• We drove south and visited with Uncle Robert and Aunt Betty. I love them so much. We share a comfort level and depth of love that time cannot erase. She cooked southern food as well and it was off the hook! She made a blackberry cobbler that will be served in heaven.
• We drove to Texas and had a flat on the Katy freeway. All four tires were dry rotted so I had to buy four new tires! Ouch! I am beginning to think that God has sent me to the desert. I am confessing every sin I can think of and even making up some. I want this season of trials to be over!
• We arrived at Calah’s after 11 pm. Tara was exhausted. I finally found an internet connection and caught up with the outside world. Mississippi does not have the internet! (lol)
So far this has been a good trip. Tomorrow we move Calah and head to Victoria for a quick visit. I am nervous about going back but I am looking forward to seeing folks that I love! Tara is holding up ok. She has surgery Monday. Keep praying for us! I can’t wait to get back to Tallahassee and to the folks at FOTH. I really love this new church!

Calah

Next week Tara and I will make a trip across country to move Calah into another apartment in Austin. I wish I was moving her to Florida but o well. This will be a fun trip filled with reconnecting. Tara will struggle because of her broken hand but she has me. I am learning to be her other hand!
From time to time I post poems that I have written here is another one, enjoy.

Calah

Sparkling eyes that dance and gaze
Sparkling eyes that hold me captive and amazed
Little hands that hold my finger and grasp my heart
Little hands that reach for me reach to me, reach me

Smile my little one for your daddy loves you
Sleep my precious one for your daddy is always near
Grow my little one to be Godly, to be holy, to be you
Thrive my precious one for you are planted in the soil of love

Become and in your becoming be bold
Stretch out and in your stretching reach further that expected or thought
Love and in your loving be unabashed unfettered and unchained
Dare and in your daring dare to be like Jesus

Sparkling eyes that dance and gaze
Sparkling eyes that have held me and hold me still
Sparkling eyes that thrill me inspire me own me
Sparkling eyes that see me and seeing me sees her daddy

It is getting harder

I am trying to remain optimistic but things seem to go from bad to worse. Not only did Tara break her hand but we found out yesterday that she will be facing surgery. As that news absorbed we discovered that her car was totaled. The really sad part of the total loss of the car was we just filled it with gas and changed the oil. O well! We have also had some other things pile on us. Just when you think you are getting a break. I have been preaching on suffering so I am once again living out what I am teaching. Here are some thoughts ….
• Three reasons we suffer
– Things we do
– Things others do
– Things that just happen
• Three common reactions to suffering
– We get negative
– We look around for answers and not up
– We resist and withdraw
• Life is hard and gets harder suffering is part of the deal
• God is interested in your character
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
James 1:2-4
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us, they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us.
Romans 5:3-4
• God is in control
For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
• God hears your prayers
He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas.
Psalm 102:17
• God can handle all your emotions throughout you suffering
Lord, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea! Don’t turn away from me in my time of distress. Bend down your ear and answer me quickly when I call to you ….
Psalm 102:1-11
I wrote this for me today and I hope it helps you!!!

Tara Broke Her Hand!

Tara had a car accident yesterday. She broke her hand in two places. Other than that she is fine, a little shaken but fine. She was headed home to give Caleb some money and was in a bit of a hurry when a car darted in front of her. It was an accident and I am so thankful she wasn’t hurt any worse.
Here is the strange thing, last Sunday night I was speaking at a sister church and said that this year had been a tough one. My back went out and had to have surgery, Caleb had his appendix removed, and I said “Tara, I guess you are next”. Well, she was next. I don’t understand why this is happening to our family other than it is. I have to believe that God is in control and we are most likely being protected from things that are far worse.
As I was praying this morning I could not help but think that Satan really doesn’t want us in Tallahassee. I know that God does. He is our provider and protector. We will trust in Him!

Dog Island

Tara and I had a great adventure this week-end. We went to Dog Island with some friends. Dog Island is located off the coast and is only accessible by boat. I had heard about this island for years but had never adventured there. It was amazing! We had a blast!
The best part was getting to spent time with Carlos and Georgie. We knew these two when we lived in Tallahassee 25 years ago and now we have reconnected through the church. They are great folks.
The amazing part about Dog Island was the unspoiled nature. We saw all kinds of sea life, shells, and birds. The water was “bath tub” clear and the sand white as snow. Our agenda was to be lazy and enjoy the beauty. (I am really good at this)
Tara and I had a great adventure this week-end and God used it. Yea God for Dog Island!

I reaaly didn't want to write this

I was praying this morning about what to write today. (I know that sounds so spiritual) The thought about leading with your heart and loving people kept coming to my mind. I really wasn’t feeling it. I wanted to write something funny or stir up folks.
I got to the office and began reading some post form other friends and found a theme. Several guys were posting about keeping relational distance in ministry. They had some good points. One said that people often have agenda and want to get close to you to influence you their way. NO KIDDING! Another said that limited time means to invest in your marriage and kids. That is true. Then I can across a pastor of a huge church and he said “I have chosen to live life with a few folks, and this has been the best decision I have ever made.” WOW! This guy is on the right track! I understand why God is using his life in a great way.
We who are called to pastor are called to love people. People are messy. I am messy. Here are a very quick takes on how to lead, love, and connect with folks…
• People will hurt you and disappoint you, expect it
• No secrets, no worries. Be real with everyone
• Folks are looking to you to lead them to Christ. That means they are watching everything you do. It is not fair but it is real
• Stay close to Jesus, your spouse, your kids
• Practice what you preach, really!
• Look for friends who love Jesus and love you. I listen to folks who love me and love Jesus. If you don’t love me then don’t bother me!
• There are some folks who are a big pain, and you are a big pain to some folks
• The greatest gift I give to the folks I lead is my heart
I lead the church in Texas for 15 years. I have wonderful friends there. Upon my leaving I was hurt by some of those same friends. So what! God is giving me some wonderful friends here in Tallahassee. I can’t hold back because of the hurts of the past. I am hearing of so many leaders who pride themselves in isolationism. That bothers me. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 “We loved you so much that we gave you not only God’s Good News but our own lives too.” God called me to preach but mostly God has called me to love and connect. What do you think?

Quick Post

Here is a quick post for today. I have been spending a lot of time in preparation for this week’s talk on security. I am amazed how task driven I can become.
Here is something to think about. What are you doing now that might be the preparation for your next? There have been seasons in my life when I knew that my assignment was up and I was waiting for God to show me the next. What I have learned from those times is to be faithful until God moves. Looking through scripture I find many people who were doing things that did not fit them but God was using those experiences to get them ready for His next. God uses every experience in our lives to shape us into His image. This season of church planting feels a lot like preparation for the next so I have to lean into it right now so I will be ready! Just a thought on a Thursday afternoon.

Security

I am in the middle of a sermon series called truth. Over the month of July we are looking at some deep truths from God’s word. I am doing what God has wired me to do, taking complex things and translating it into “bubba”. It is fun and very challenging. This week I am speaking on security.
I have discovered that Tallahassee is very “religious”. It seems that everyone here has a denominational label of some sort. I have also discovered that folks here are very insecure in their relationship with God. Most are convinced that God loves them only when they are good or they are attending church, giving their money, not doing any major sinning. This insecurity has produced a huge amount of dysfunction. Because God’s love is tied to their behavior then God is “ticked” at them most of the time. This is a lie. (read Romans 8) This lie causes the church to be ineffective. If we are insecure then we are at best tentative. God’s love and salvation is based on His character not your behavior but on your response to Him through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
God wants me secure in Him so I can thrive and become all He wants me to be. Growing up Baptist I was taught once saved always saved but had so many preachers create insecurity in me by trying to get me to respond to an invitation. I often felt like their goal was to get me down the aisle of a church building other than building my life in Christ. Sometimes their teachings created confusion, doubt, and discouragement. In our preaching we must make the path to Christ plain but we must build the security of the believer as well. God has called me to build lives. I want the folks I lead to know Jesus and thrive in Him.
This week I will be teaching on security. Any relationship that is rooted in insecurity is dysfunctional and God is not dysfunctional!

Old Guy in a young world

I am an old man in a young man’s world. Why do I say that? Because most church planters are young hip dudes in their late 20’s or early 30’s. When I go on line and look at other churches like ours or when I am leading a conference I don’t see many old dudes like me in these environments. I have come to grip with the fact that I am not young, hip, or cool. I am called to do this and I am enjoying this season of my life. (most of the time) The church I am leading is full of college kids. I love this group and they are helping launch a God movement in Tallahassee. They want me to be me. What is really cool is that they don’t care that I am the same age as their dad. They do expect me to act my age.
Here are some quick takes on being old in a young world …
• I appear foolish when I try looking young. Here is a news flash everyone knows you are dying your hair, you are not fooling anyone!
• I can be current. Just because I will be fifty next month doesn’t mean I don’t get it, whatever it is.
• Tight graphic tee shirts looks cool on a buff 20 something. If you aren’t hitting the gym spare us the view of your Buckle tee on your flabby pecks! I am sticking to a baggy button down.
• Not everyone is meant to wear 7 jeans. Get a mirror and check it twice.
• Character matters more than being cool.
• You can’t teach experience. I have 27 years of leading and I need all of that experience. What I must do is reach back to loving lead these new leaders.
• Music matters and staying current is important.
• A 50 year old on face book is creepy!
• This generation needs my example and they are into relationships. I have to open my life and my home to them.
• No clubbing, really!
There is so much more but that’s enough. I have some wonderful young leaders in my life. God can use an old guy in a young world. Nothing is too hard for Him.

Some self correction

I had a conservation with another pastor last week about being a nobody. He sent me an e-mail reading 1 Corinthians 1:27-31. This passage reminded me that God is not interested in my prominence but my obedience. God takes the weak, simple, and base things of the world to bring Him glory.
What I have discovered is that I have been worried about my image instead of God’s glory. I have been concerned about my next and not God’s now. The way I was socialized as a pastor was to climb the church ladder by self promotion and by gathering a large crowd. The problem with this way of thinking is that it is not how God works. I have desired to become a somebody while telling myself that it was about God and not me. I was and am deceived. God wants me to walk with Him in dependence and love. He wants me to empty myself so He can use my life for His glory.
Recently Tara and I did franchise training. We studied marketing, sells, and goals and objectives. It was fun and needed. The sad part it felt a lot like the training we do for church planting. If church planting is about franchising then where does the mystical power of God come in? What about the pastor walking with God and displaying the fruit of the spirit? What about if God doesn’t move it doesn’t matter? I think that God is launching a new method of church planting based upon His power and for His glory. If the church is going to make an impact on this nation it will only be by the unexplained movement of God. With that said, I, as a leader, must be equipped with understanding of business models, be trained in theological truth, and mostly be a holy man who walks with God. The truth is that the last is the most important and the least applied. A holy man is an empty man filled with Jesus. As a result of this revelation I will be training church planters in a different way. We will first and foremost learn to walk with God.
I had a conservation with another pastor last week and I am reminded it is good to be a nobody who serves the King of Glory!

27 Years! WOW

The greatest thing that has happened in my life other than Jesus and His grace is Tara. We will celebrate 27 years together tomorrow, July 11. I met her at church. I met her at the church that is the key sponsor to Fellowship of the Hills. Now I wasn’t going to church that night to get a word from God I was going to met a girl. I ditched the girl and started a two year quest for Tara’s love and affection. I am a blessed man.
Tara is not perfect. There are times when she drives me crazy. She is honest, open, and childlike in her purity. She supports me and will follow me as I follow Jesus. God has entrusted her to me and my aim is to love her like Christ loved the church. Through these years of loving each other we have endured hardships of sickness, money woes, burying parents, grieving over wayward children, and mean spirited church folks. We have also celebrated thriving ministries, changed lives, children growing in Christ, and so much more. We have fought and loved and will keep loving each other.
A few years ago I did a wedding for my niece Pam. During the vows I asked if they promised to love each other until one of them lays the other in the arms of Jesus. My dad was at the wedding. He was touched by those words. He said to me the only way to really love a woman was to love her that way and that long. Well, I will love Tara until one of us lays the other in the arms of Jesus and even after that my love will go on. I am a blessed man.

Some thoughts

There are a few things roaming around my head this morning that I want to share with you. The first is on the loss of influence.
Starting this church has placed me in a position that I am not comfortable with but has taught me much. When I was the pastor of Parkway Church I had a certain level of “clout” and influence because of the size and scope of the ministry there. God did some amazing things in, for, and through me as a leader during those 15 years. When I moved to Florida, by the call of God, I lost all that clout and influence. I jokingly say that I once was somebody. The amazing thing is that I am still the same guy. In fact I have grown more this last year than I have in years. The biggest revelation to me is my pompous attitude. I have declared that I want to make Jesus famous but the reality is that I want some fame as well. That is called pride and pride made the devil the devil.
Another thought running through my head is partnerships. Not everyone who says they are in with you are in with you. I have discovered some real friends during my transition. Leaders like Hal Mayer, Ted Cunningham, Mike Hurt, Bil Cornelius, Gary Smalley, and others have poured life into me. I have also been disappointed, oh well.
The last for today is on funding. Tara and I took a huge risk leaving the established church to start over. We knew it was God’s will so it was God’s bill. We have two kids in college. This was not the best time to be leaving everything. God has displayed His ability to meet our needs in a real way. No risk no reward has been our motto. God is good and able. Tara is starting her own business and once again we are out on God’s limb.
I did a lot of whining in my time with God this morning and writing these thoughts down for you has helped me to regain clarity. Let me ask you, “What would you do for God if you knew you could not fail?”

Nasty Gators

I had a great adventure yesterday. I love to fish. I have fished in lots of places and caught all kinds, but I love to catch Florida Black Bass. Yesterday, Jeremy, told me about a pond not far from his house that had fish “flipping” everywhere. My heart began to race and visions of a ten pound “Hog” (that is what you call a big bass in the south) raced through my head. I was ready.
I arrived at Jeremy’s house around 7 for the short walk to the pond. The short walk turned in to a hike of 2 miles through swampy over grown Florida woods. When we finally arrived at the “pond” it was a water retention area from the rain runoff for the east side of Tallahassee. It was full of fish, gar, which are worthless and over take all other fish. And it had other aquatic wild life, gators!
Jeremy had his two dogs with us. Gators love dogs. I watched the gators begin to stalk the dogs and thus stalk us. I hate gators. They are sneaky, dangerous, and stink. What was amazing is that Jeremy had been to this pond several times before and didn’t notice these vile creatures. It wasn’t until I pointed them out that he became aware of the danger to his dogs and to himself.
I wonder how many of us unaware when it comes to our spiritual condition. We play around the edges of the “pond” of bad decisions and not see the gators lurking in the shallows ready to eat us. I believe that we need people in our lives that point out the gators and help us live lives that honor God.
I had a great adventure yesterday. I don’t think I will return to the “pond” and I don’t think Jeremy will take his dogs back. It is best to leave gators alone. Just a thought…

Some leftovers from Sunday

I started a new series this yesterday entitled “Truth”. Over the month of July I will speak to some very important topics in the life of faith. I felt like I left some things unsaid. Here are a few more thoughts on suffering.
• The purpose of suffering is to display the glory of Christ’s grace through the suffering of the cross. Paul calls it the fellowship of suffering.
• The myth of the prosperity gospel will not cause anyone to give praise to Jesus.
• God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him alone even when we are suffering.
• Suffering is to take up the slack between Jesus and people, my misery become my ministry.
• Suffering is leveraged by God to fill in the gaps of my life.
• The early followers of Jesus considered it an honor to suffer because of their faith.
• When we suffer we understand little more the suffering of Jesus upon the cross.
• All the events of our lives are filtered by God’s love.
• God will often break you before He uses you.
• Last thing, because we are a family, when you suffer I suffer! We are in this together.
That’s enough. If you missed the talk check on our pod cast at www.thefellowshipofthehills.org. I admit that I don’t know enough about this topic, but I am very familiar with suffering.

Fitness

I have been thrown into a new world, the world of fitness. Yes I said fitness. I didn’t want to go into this world, but when your wife is opening a gym well…
I have made some new friends and new discoveries in this world. These fitness people are really disciplined. They go to bed early and get up early to “get in” their workout. They eat salad. They eat lots of salad. They rarely eat meat on their salad. I don’t understand. They read food labels and understand them. They are spiritual. Really! They understand the connection with the body and the soul. When they discovered that I was a pastor it led to many thought provoking talks.
I am excited about my new world knowing that God will use all of these new connections to draw more people to Himself. God is busy putting me in the place He wants me for His glory even in the world of fitness! I think I will have a salad. (extra meat)

Connection

I am amazed at how connected we are today. We have text, e-mail, twitter, blogs, phones, smoke signals and so forth. But what really amazes me is that in all our connections there is so little authenticity, accountability, or availability. Maybe we need to step back from all the chatter and relearn how to listen, speak, and connect. I have discovered that people can know all about me but not know me. Just a thought on a Wednesday.

Band of Brothers

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers …” This is a great line from King Henry IV by Shakespeare. Let me frame this quote, King Henry is calling his troops to arms against insurmountable odds. He is reaching out to them in the basic sense promoting all of them to his level of royalty. The king believed that it was his divine right and mandate to be king. He was placed on the throne by the power and will of God. So as he called his troops his brothers they became as he was, divinely promoted.
We believers are a band of brothers. We have been divinely promoted. Jesus has called us and has empowered us to stand against insurmountable odds. We are in raging battle for the hearts and souls of mankind. We are called by our great God to join Him in the task of depopulating hell. That being the case shouldn’t we stand together in unity and not attack one another? Shouldn’t we loving correct the wayward, encourage the discouraged, and train up the weak and inexperienced? Shouldn’t we cease with comparison and complaint? Shouldn’t we stop judgment and jealousy? Shouldn’t we live in such love and unity that conveys the great love of God? I think we should!
King Henry finished his speech that day with “he my brother be, be he nar so vile, who sheds his blood with me on this day.” We are indeed the few, the happy few, we band of brothers regardless of our vile nature or unkempt appearance. We are the church of the living God. We are the hope of the world.