When Faith Becomes Sight

The past week has been a blur. Not just a little blurry, but really hazy (sort of like this). This past weekend I had the chance to spend Saturday afternoon with several friends from my youth. Unfortunately the circumstances that led us to reunite were not good: we gathered to spend time with a friend before he passed.

I remember being this relatively timid middle school student when my family visited the church for the first time. The youth group had just returned from a trip to Ohio to lead a VBS. They were fired up and filled with stories. As our family settled into the church, I slowly began to get involved with that youth group. From the very beginning, I looked up to the Harper boys. J.D. was a clear leader within the group. He could make anyone feel important, valued, included.

Along with his brother Chuck (who I still claim was influential in my survival of high school), J.D. was always in the center of the excitement.

As we gathered on Saturday, the stories flowed. The pictures came out and were shared (what were we thinking back then...and why did I not destroy all these photos?). We reminisced and reflected on the skits we learned, the trips we shared, the practical jokes that were pulled, and the scars that some of these left with us. It was such a great time of community and

friendship.

Sunday night I received a phone call telling me that J.D. had passed away that morning. I was floored, bewildered, in disbelief. How could things fall apart so quickly?

As I sat in the funeral home today listening to the minister share about J.D.'s life and faith, I was encouraged. J.D. never lost sight of the fact that this whole life is but a part of the greater story. I am thankful that in the midst of his battle with leukemia J.D. did not lose heart. His faith never wavered and now his faith has become his reality. As St. Augustine said, "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." I'm confident that J.D. is now experiencing the very things that he longed for.

I'll miss J.D. but am thankful for how he helped shape me. May my life have a similar impact on those around me.

Second Look @ Sunday

Some quick take-aways for me from yesterday:

• You have to get to AMC Stadium 16 pretty early to beat Marty Smith there. When I got there, he had already worked up enough of a sweat that he needed to take off his jacket (his hat).
• Thankful for Ascended. They worked hard and it clearly paid off.
• By the way guys, if you have a Twitter account, use it.
• Was surprised to see Lindy Weatherly join us. Anxious to hear her notes from the service.
• Big idea: God is always faithful and He is still in the redemption business.
• In what part of your life do you need to experience redemption?
• So sweet to see some of our people serving the residents of Riverwalk Communities. Here's the proof that I even participated.
• Had a great time at lunch hearing one of my high school friends share her heart for missions. It is amazing what God is doing in her life. Abso-freakin-lutely Amazing.
• Sad news came to me on Sunday night: another friend from the youth group I grew up (quite literally) in passed away Sunday morning. I got a chance to spend a few moments with him on Saturday evening. Not enough time in hindsight. He truly was semper fi (always faithful).
• Finally: looking forward to a great Super Bowl with two legendary teams. Now just have to determine the perfect venue to watch it at.
• 
  

Sunday Set List

Here's the set list that Ascended rocked this AM:

Prelude -- Shine by Collective Soul

I Am Free by Newsboys

Always by Generation Unleashed

Grace Like Rain by Todd Agnew

We Will Worship You by Carlos Whittaker

How He Loves by John Mark McMillan

Why I'm Excited (part 4)

I have already confessed to you that I am not a scientist. Here is another confession for you: I am not an economist (and I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night either). I did take a basic macro economics course during my freshman year at the University of Evansville. One of the principles I learned in Dr. Blalock's classroom was economy of scale. The basic concept is that at a certain point it is easier and cheaper to produce a great quantity of a product.

As I think about the proposed merger between Discovery Church into the One Life Network, I am excited by this economic principle again. The One Life Network has been able to assemble a team of individuals that are really talented. To be able to free those individuals to use their gifts to bless individuals at more than one location or site is really exciting to me. To this point in Discovery's life, our media department has consisted of primarily two college student volunteers (thanks Eric and Ben). To think that we could partner these two gifted individuals with other incredible talents like the team at Fat Head Media or Rocket Plant Studios is so exciting. To think that we could partner our talented worship teams with other talented musicians is exciting. To think of being able to offer small groups around the region.

The beauty to me in this is that it reflects what the body of Christ should look like. There is nothing as beautiful as the body of Christ coming together, bringing their gifts, talents and abilities, to offer life, hope and truth to others.

To read the first three parts, click here: part 1, part 2, or part 3.

Why I'm Excited (part 3)

I got the opportunity to spend today in Nashville visiting with the Crosspoint Church team. First, it is an amazing team that God has assembled there. Second, the staff could not have been more generous in their time. Even though our appointment was just a lunch meeting with Pete Wilson, there were several staff members who spent time answering questions and offering us tours of their facilities (thanks to: Evie, Jarrod, Matt, Wendy, & Justin). As we were driving back from a great time of learning, we began to process all these new insights.

And then it hit me...

I am so thankful that I do not have to walk down the road of ministry by myself. I have been surrounded by great minds from the very beginning. One of the things that excites me about partnering with the One Life Network is the opportunity to learn from other like-minded and passion-driven individuals, some of who have been doing ministry for much longer than me.

John Maxwell has said, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." There is so much truth in that statement. To see the passion, the excitement, the insights that God has blessed these men with is encouraging and challenging. Let me share an example:

Mark just returned from spending three weeks overseas in a southeast Asian country where Christianity is far from the religion of choice. He shared with us the story of Elijah, a church planter, who serves a church of roughly 50. He sleeps in a bamboo car-port so that his lifestyle would not be a stumbling block for those outside the church. His church has taken in a half-dozen widows and cares for them. His passion and commitment to the church is inspiring and convicting.

The chance to partner together with these leaders on a regular basis, sharpening each other, is very exciting to me.

Thrown Under the Bus

Lindy Weatherly threw me under the bus on Sunday morning. Following the (rocking) prelude, there was awkward silence. It lasted just a few seconds, unless you knew that something was suppose to fill it. She said, "We're looking for Trey...." beep, beep.... Bus coming through. I quickly corrected the situation by throwing John Miles under the bus. "It's not me. It's video."

This morning as I was thinking through the service again, the Holy Spirit smoked me. Not just a gentle wrist slap; it was more of a full-on slap across the face (could have inspired a song like this). In the quiet of the morning, God clearly said to me, "The issue is not who was right. You do not have to always be right." (I hate it when God says things that my wife has already told me before.) He continued, "The issue is not being right; the issue is your pride. Your pride will not allow you to be wrong." (Now you see where the bright red marks across my face were there.)

As I sat and thought, I immediately thought of some of the verses from the Bible that speaks to the issue of pride:

"Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall." (Prov. 16:18)

"Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." (Prov. 11:2)

"Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor." (Prov 29:23)

So many of the nations that the prophets of the Old Testament speak out against are condemned for their pride. And I am no better. My pride can drive me to make decisions that glorify myself, my thinking, my knowledge or skill set...and it's not about me. I wasn't there when the earth was set on its axis. I was not there when the sun burst forth into light. I was not in the beginning. I was not before the beginning. I am not God.

So I confess and ask for forgiveness to God, to Lindy, to John. It's not about me and my desire to be right or proved correct. I should have not thrown you under the bus in an unintentional attempt to preserve my pride. And now the really hard part: making this a lifestyle change and not just a blog post.

Trusting God's Sovereignty

Kitten and I have been blessed with remarkable children. Each of our kids has helped remind me about certain elements of God's character. Alyssa (the 6 yr. old) taught me about trusting God's timing. We struggled under our own efforts to grow our family; God provided in his own time, in his own way. Morgan, our youngest, reminded me of God's faithfulness. He never leaves us, nor does he forget us.

Yesterday was our son's birthday. Addison Jay (AJ) would have turned 5. Unfortunately, AJ was not with us long. On Easter Sunday 2006, AJ went to the Father. His passing was unexpected and honestly sent us into a period of questions and pain.

God used AJ to teach me about His sovereignty. Sovereignty is a big, theological term used to describe the fact that God is in control and nothing happens apart from Him. On the surface, this leads to many more questions: Why would God allow something like this to happen? Why did God not intervene? What good could come from this?

The fact is that God did use, and continues to use, AJ's life to impact individuals. As Kitten and I learned to trust God, we found peace and comfort. God has used AJ's story to draw men and women to Him. God has used our son's passing to bring others to eternal life. God used my son to teach me to trust the Father who loves passionately. God used my first born son to teach me about His passion. If I, as flawed and screwed up as I am, could feel such pain, what did He feel when He willingly gave His only son for people like me?

While I still miss AJ, I am thankful for him too. Thankful for all he has taught me and how God has used, and will continue to use, his life.

Second Look @ Sunday

Another amazing week at Discovery Church. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Thanks to all the Discovery volunteers who came early to help make sure things went smoothly. Your consistent service is inspiring.
• Thanks to the One Life tech team that came to inspire our production team. Thanks to all the sound, light, and CG volunteers.
• Thanks to Second. Can't wait for you guys to come back. ;-)
• Thanks to Bret Nicholson for challenging us via video. If you missed the video, you can watch it here.
• Bret taught from John 4. Great story.
• "Jesus did not just want her as a convert; He wanted her to be a worshiper."
• So exciting to see new faces and familiar faces back at Discovery.
• Blessed beyond belief by a great family. Unfortunately, Morgan had to miss the big day due to a stomach bug. My mom stepped up big for us and watched her.
• Can't believe the Patriots lost (and the state of Indiana rejoices)!

Sunday Set List

Want to know what songs the band used in worship Sunday? You can find them (along with iTunes links) below.

Hero by Skillet

My Future Decided by Hillsong United

King of All Days by Hillsong United

Revelation Song by Kari Jobe

Came to My Rescue by Hillsong Live

Why I'm Excited (part 2)

Confession: I am not Bill Nye, the Science Guy. In fact, if I were forced to pick one subject area which was my particular weakness, it would be science. I chose to take the SAT instead of the ACT because of the science component. However, I did enjoy one science class: physics. I convinced myself that physics was more mathematics than science.

One of the equations that I remember from physics was the equation for momentum. The equation reads: p=mv. This fancy equation simply means that momentum can be determined by understanding it as the result of mass multiplied by velocity. Simply put, to increase momentum you must either increase mass (size) or velocity (speed). If you either of those components decrease (without an increase in the other area), you'll see decreased momentum.

This basic understanding is one of the reasons that I am excited by the possibility of merging into the One Life Network. I believe the merger will increase the momentum of both movements in the Evansville metropolitan area. The velocity that One Life has been moving with over the last four months has been exciting. The combined mass of the overall network would aid the people of Discovery as we strive to make an impact on the Westside of Evansville. It's exciting to think of the momentum that God might bring when two unique and exciting groups partner together to make Him known throughout the Tri-State area.

Today's prayer: Lord, do what only you can do. Increase the passion and speed with which we pursue you. Prepare the hearts of those who have not yet heard. As we lift your name up, draw men and women to you.

Why I'm Excited (part 1)

Do you remember the day or weeks before a major event in your life? Do you remember the way your stomach felt funny, like you just tangled with some bad sushi but you had not even had any? Or your mind was racing with a million different ideas and you were so excited that you couldn't sleep? Got those moments in your mind. Great. Now you know where I've been over the last several weeks.

I remember where I was when Discovery really began taking shape in my heart and mind. I knew we were called to plant a church on the Westside. I knew that God was going to go before us. I didn't know where we were actually going or more importantly (or least it seemed that way to me) how we were going to get there. I felt like I might puke from the excitement and nervousness. I was excited by one thing: VISION.

I did not know the details of meeting space, worship teams, production quality, or even things like board members or denominational affiliation. But I knew what we were being called to be. We were being called to be a church that reached out to those that were not in the church in a compelling and authentic way. We were not to ignore the culture or be lost in the culture, but wade through the culture to make the case for absolute truth and more importantly for the Way, the Truth and the Life.

As the elders have met and prayed about this recommendation to merge within the One Life Network, I keep being drawn back to the vision: to be a church for those who do not like church; to help people far from God experience Jesus. As we sat in meeting rooms and living rooms, I kept being drawn back to why we exist...and amazed that God was leading us to partner with another group that had same pressing desire.

Today's prayer: Lord, give us eyes to see as you see. Remove our blinders so that we can see (a) all that you are up to and (b) all the ways that you desire to include us in your awesome work. Let us be driven by our desire to see you glorified and made much of.

Second Look @ Sunday

So much to process from this past weekend, but I'll give it a try anyway.

• Had a great time visiting with Kitten's siblings this weekend. I've been blessed with some fantastic in-laws.
• Speaking of blessings: the nephews came too! Love those guys.
• Alyssa did an incredible job as a cheerleader at the Reitz game on Saturday night. So stinking cute I'm going to have to hire a militia in a few years to keep the boys away.
• Our set-up team is pretty much the most amazing thing since Bacon Bandages. By the way, if we had those in my house, I'd get paper cuts all the time.
• We had a worship team emergency when the drummer went down on Saturday night. God blessed us with an amazing last minute fill-in. Thanks Chris Clark!
• Had a great time looking John 4 on Sunday morning. Pretty amazing how Jesus meets us right where we are and takes us where we could not go on our own.
• He truly is all we need.
• Congregational meeting after service went really well. We talked about the elders' recommendation to transition to the One Life Network. Exciting times.
• Coming this week: why I'm excited about the One Life Network. Can't wait to share some of what excites me about this possibility.

Sunday Set List

Want to know what songs the band used in worship Sunday? You can find them (along with iTunes links) below.

I Am Free by Newsboys

Majesty by Delirious?

King of Glory by Third Day

Faceless Man by Creed

All I Need by Shawn McDonald

Insights from "It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get it and Keep it"

One of my goals for 2011 is to be more intentional in my reading. Over the next year, I hope to read 50 books (not overly ambitious by my previous standards). I'll try and share some of the insights I learn along the way.

The first book that I read in 2011 was "It" by Craig Groeschel. Craig is the senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, which has campuses around the country. Craig and LifeChurch.tv have done an incredible job of maintaining a "kingdom-minded" focus. They have developed numerous resources that they give freely to others to grow the kingdom. One great example is YouVersion.

In "It," Craig shares his heart on how the church can get it. Here are some of my favorite insights from what truly is a great book.

• "...it is what God does through a rare combination of these qualities found in his people: passion for his presence, a deep craving to reach the lost, sincere integrity, Spirit-filled faith, down-to-earth humility, and brokenness."
• "It tends to follow big vision." Cast crazy big vision that is rooted in what God has called and gifted you uniquely to do.
• "Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." I could write for days on this one thought. I am so thankful for the team that God has surrounded me with, the team that He has assembled at Discovery. They make life (and ministry) so much fun.
• Push past the local max. Groeschel draws on Seth Godin's work to say that we need to be willing to fail (and sometimes fail big) in order to see the very best innovations come to life. We need to be willing to push through the failure to experience it.
• "Let him stretch you. Attempt what others says can't be done. You have more in you than you realize. God has put more in you than anyone else sees."

One question for you: Have you ever experienced it? Where are you seeing it right now?

Why I'm Excited...by Tammy Sutton

Over the last several weeks members of the Discovery Church leadership team (the elders and staff) have been sharing some of what has them excited about partnering with One Life. Our fifth installment has been written by Tammy Sutton. Tammy is one of Discovery's elders, in addition to serving as the chief financial person (CFP?).

Most people that know me know I have a passion for projects that involve serving others. One of the most exciting things for me about One Life is the expanded opportunities that it will give us as a church to be a servant. To steal a quote from the One Life Church website, “Jesus lived compassion. We want to follow His lead and share his compassion both locally and globally.” Compassion is the word One Life uses to address these service projects. It involves opportunities for us to serve others ranging from our local neighborhood to those living on the other side of the world.

I like the approach that One Life takes on serving others. They not only look at the immediate needs for food, clothing and shelter, but at the issues that are causing the underlying poverty. They encourage economic growth of the community through micro financing and industry development. Part of the systemic change involves providing clean water for the area. The local residents are trained in various methods to treat and purify the water, resulting in a reduction of diseases and illnesses. Tools such as job training and furthering education enable those in poverty more opportunities to make a sustainable living. The local culture remains intact when implementing these methods that allow for a higher standard of living, and leadership of the community develops from within the native people.

FAQs re:Staffing and Leadership

Since the elders of Discovery Church announced their recommendation to join the One Life Network, there have been several questions asked. Over the next few weeks, we hope to address those questions here. As always, if you have another question, feel free to let us know and we'll either answer you personally or in an upcoming FAQ.

1) The elders have made this recommendation to the congregation, but are the staff members at Discovery Church on board with this?

Yes. Janet, Kitten and I were engaged in the discussion with the elders throughout the process. As you read in Marty's post yesterday, Janet and Kitten offered valuable insight throughout the process. As the elders voted to make the recommendation, the staff stated their support at the same time. Click these links to see why Kitten and Janet are excited about partnering with the One Life network.

2) What will happen to the Discovery Church staff?

They will be drug out into the streets and shot. Not really! This is actually one of the questions that our elders asked as we investigated the process. Trey will serve as the campus pastor for the Westside campus of One Life. Kitten and Janet will still be intimately involved with our ministry. We will probably take a step back and evaluate where people are, who is on board, and then allow people to serve in roles where they are passionate and gifted. At the same time, others might join us who bring experience and passion in areas that we have not begun to fully explore yet.

3) Will there be an elder board for the westside campus of One Life?

The One Life Network is governed by a board of elders that oversee the ministry throughout the network. It is reasonable to assume that each campus will have some representation on that board. The elders are concerned with the vision and direction of the network. Each local campus will have its own leadership team that will direct the day-to-day operations of the campuses.

4) You're not leaving, right?

No. I'm not going anywhere. I am excited about serving alongside you for years to come still. As long as God continues to lead us together, I'm here. You've read why many of the staff and elders are excited about the possibilities. Next week, I'll share with you some of the reasons that I personally am excited.

Why I'm Excited...by Marty Smith

Over the last several weeks members of the Discovery Church leadership team (the elders and staff) have been sharing some of what has them excited about partnering with One Life. Our fourth installment has been written by Marty Smith. Marty is one of Discovery's elders and helps lead our set-up and First Impressions teams.

The thing that is most exciting to me about our partnership with One Life is seeing God at work through His people. I am talking about the other elders and staff of Discovery. In every meeting we have had, it has been awesome to feel the presence of God. It is amazing to see how God uses the strength of every person to accomplish what I think is the shared goal of One Life and Discovery. I love seeing Tammy light up when an opportunity for missions arises. I'm encouraged by how Jack shows genuine care and concern about the feelings of others and how we can demonstrate God's love to them. I appreciate the insightful input that Janet and Kitten have offered. I'm thankful for Trey's direction to look at the big picture. I am very thankful that God has placed me here, to add what I can and enjoy the ride. I truly believe what my favorite passage from scripture says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart leaning not on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will keep your path straight” (Prov. 3:5-6).

I am so excited because Discovery and One Life share the same vision. Discovery has always focused on those who do not like church and church planting. The main focus of One Life perfectly aligns with Discovery in that regard. It is so exciting to see God coordinating our efforts.

Personally I am excited because this new partnership could expand the influence and ministry we have. One of my big passions is student ministry; my prayer is that we could make a significant impact in the lives of the next generation.

In closing, I would like to encourage each of you to pray about and or ask questions about this partnership. Let’s all enjoy the ride!!

Note: Hey, Chase and Nick, I made it through this entire post without a cheesy joke…. Until now…What do you call a big white animal shaped like a tooth? A molar bear! LOL

Second Look @ Sunday

Thankful for another incredible (and busy) weekend. Before we jump into the highlights from yesterday, I would be remiss to not share some highlights from the past two weeks:

• Christmas Eve was incredible! Where to start....thanks to our set-up team for showing up in the midst of the first round of snow storms to unload the trailer at Bob's.
• Thanks to the band who came together to lead us in worship.
• Thankful for those who helped tear down and load up so that everyone could enjoy Christmas.
• Got a chance to worship with my sister-in-law's family last week. Got to see my oldest nephew profess his faith in Christ and follow Him in baptism. Awesome.
• It was really cool to be able to sit with Alyssa (the 6-year old) and join her in worship. She's learned to read which makes it much easier for her to sing corporately. So cool to hear her sing praises to God with me.
• Many people are ashamed or embarrassed by their in-laws. Mine are pretty incredible. Had a great time with them.
• The gym is getting busy. We closed out the month on a great note. Thankful for a great team there too.

And now yesterday's highlights:

• Loved the job the worship team did leading. If you're not worshiping, it's a you issue. Really cool to see people like Chet and Chance set free to use all their gifts and abilities to the fullest.
• Can't imagine what life would be without our Children's Ministry volunteers. Thanks for all you do!
• Guess which movie was showing in the same theater as we set up our nursery? Yep...this one.
• "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight and no vision." -- Helen Keller
• Thankful that Jesus does not go for the Dream Team, but chooses the dropout and flunkies, the less-desirables, me.
• Got a chance to talk with someone tonight about what it means to be a Jesus-follower. Praying for her as she studies Jesus, His life and ministry, and His call on her life.
• Already getting excited about next week. I've got people in mind to invite; do you?

Sunday Set List

If you enjoyed the worship set this morning, here is the set list along with iTunes links so that you can listen throughout the week.

Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath

Everlasting God by Brenton Brown

Revelation Song by Gateway Worship

You Are More by Tenth Avenue North

I Am Not Ashamed by Jeremy Camp