Why I Didn't Preach Last Weekend

I didn't preach at DIscovery Church last weekend. I was at the theater (and no, I wasn't just skipping to watch a movie) but others led in worship and teaching. I've been asked a few times why and here's the reason:

Reason #1: We have talented teachers who need to be given the opportunity to grow and use their gifts.
At Discovery, we've been blessed with some incredibly talented teachers. Yesterday, one of those talented individuals, Janet Oberholtzer, got the opportunity to share about the purpose of and her passion for ministry to college-students. Each time she has preached, she has done a good job...and she's grown in that gifting. Later this summer, you'll have the opportunity to learn from Matt Breivogel, another young, gifted teacher in our midst. I look forward to teaching more at Discovery (and One Life) in the days ahead. However, some times it is good for me and for the body of Christ for others to have the opportunity to share what God is teaching them.

Reason #2: I was serving in KIDS ministry.
Our KIDS ministry rocks! The team does a great job each week in preparing quality lessons that teach and grow our kids. And our KIDS ministry is growing. Sunday, I got the opportunity to pour myself into the life of the kids for one morning. They got to know that their pastor loves them, cares about them, can be goofy, and wants them to love Jesus. All very important lessons in my book. Another exciting part of leading in our KIDS ministry was the chance to teach my incredible 7 year old. Dads, it is so cool to get to lead and love your kids and set great examples for other kids at church.

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.
• 
  

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)!

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.

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?

Second Look @ Sunday

Few thoughts from a snow-filled, action-packed day:

• Still amazed that God has allowed us at Discovery Church to partner with Uncharted International. They are doing some amazing things around the globe.
• Thankful for Brian Kerney sharing how the PEACE plan plays a part in all that Uncharted is doing.
• Wonder if Kerney will ever use the Twitter account I just referenced. Hm...?
• Spent the weekend sick and on the couch. Gave me plenty of time to do research on the new head ball coach at Florida. Welcome to Gator Nation, Coach Will Muschamp.
• Thankful for Darrin Carnahan & the rest of the worship team. Amazed by musicians who can hear a song one day and play it the next.
• By the way, welcome Darrin to the world of Twitter. Follow him!
• Excited for our friends at One Life. Sounds like God did some amazing things that were celebrated in baptism this week. Somewhere around 49 people baptized in two services today. Read some incredible descriptions on Facebook here.
• Big Idea from the Sermon: God uses ordinary people to accomplish His purposes. Mary risked her whole life for the One who gave her her whole life.
• Our family is sponsoring a child. Is yours? If not, make that one of the gifts you give this Christmas season. More info here.

From the Mouth of Babes

This past Saturday Kitten and I were driving around town with Alyssa, our amazing 6 year-old. We were talking about getting ready for Discovery Church the next morning. She said, "You guys are teachers. I am not. I cannot teach anybody about God."

Kitten quickly responded, "You teach people about God. You can tell your friends about Him. You can teach your sister."

Alyssa rebutted, "I don't know enough about Him. All I know is that He is powerful. He knows everything and everyone. He is perfect. And He loves us."

Kitten response was perfect. "Honey, you already know more about God than a lot of adults."

² Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. ³ Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁴ So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 18:2-4)

Second Look @ Sunday

Here's a quick glimpse at some of the highlights from today:

• Our set-up team is amazing. They did a great job unloading the trailer today, even if I had booby-trapped it by switching everything around over the weekend.
• Our phenomenal drummer, Chet, found some great lights on a killer deal that we got to install on our light tree today.
• Our band has been really gelling over the last few weeks. Thanks for all your hard work.
• Saw a high-school classmate today. She and her husband came to Discovery with her sister & brother-in-law. She had no clue that I was the pastor (probably why she was willing to come).
• Alex Tindle stepped up as the host for this morning's service. It was his first time in that capacity. Excellent work friend.
• Janet Oberholtzer, our small groups guru, experienced a first as well. She taught in our Childrens' Ministry area. Thanks for filling in the gap Janet!
• Since I forgot to say it in the service this morning: Happy Birthday Zayden Harper! You're an incredible little four year old. Now keep away from my daughters.
• Got a chance to see some great friends who God is doing amazing things through also today.
• Spent the afternoon with the girls. The only downside was that Alyssa still had a smokin' hot fever.

Dad, I Got Great News

I was getting ready to head back to work yesterday when Alyssa burst into the room. "Dad, I got great news." She ran off with the same level of enthusiasm. What had got her so excited? She came dashing back in. "I asked Jesus into my heart." When I asked her why she had done this, her response was simple: "Because I didn't think He was in there. Now He's in my heart." 

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:15)

Monday Mind Dump

What happens when you take an ADD person and give them sleep deprivation? Thoughts along these lines:

• I love Discovery Church. Volunteers yesterday...you rocked. Thanks for the serious hard work.
• Who sits in a dark parking lot at 4:45 AM waiting for some poor sap to come open a gym. Seriously people. Sleep is not such a bad thing.
• Highlight #1 from Easter: After overhearing me tell a little girl how beautiful her dress was, one of our volunteers said, "You can say that. You're a dad. If I said that, I look like a pedophile."
• "Mary...Boo...It's me, Jesus."
• Watching the Hannah Montana movie wasn't so bad, especially with Morgan sleeping in my arms. Doesn't get much better than holding your little girl in your arms.
• Praying that Ridge Church finds a place to meet soon. Even though meeting places aren't that important to being a church.
• Mowing sucks. Anyone who likes the outdoors and would enjoy walking in God's creation for 2.5 hours is more than welcome to come mow my yard anytime they want. 
• Speaking of mowing: Broke the mower yesterday. Tree roots suck!
• Excited about what God is doing in Vegas. Viva la Verve!
• Highlight #2 from Easter: Easter lunch. Mom rocked the steak with melting sauce and the aspargus & sun-dried tomato concoction. Awesome.
• Can't wait for this week at Discovery: What Would Jesus Say to President Obama?

Wild Goose Chase (Part Three)

Over the next week I will be posting some of my learning points from Mark Batterson's new book, Wild Goose Chase. Thanks again to Billy Chia for providing me with this new read.

"Sometimes God will provide a miraculous sign that will give you just enough faith to take the first step in the pursuit of your passion. But more often than not, faith doesn't follow signs. Signs follow faith. It is the biblical pattern." -- Chapter 2, Goose Bumps

I remember it very clearly. Kitten and I felt clearly led to help start Discovery Church. We had told the congregation at Olivet that we were resigning effective the end of May. We had placed our home for sale by owner. I had even circulated resumes looking for a job to provide for the financial needs of our family. Nothing. No real interest in the house. No real interest in me. Nada. Nothing. Zilch.

I was beginning to wonder if I had heard God's calling right. I had a conversation with my dad and he reminded me that God is an "on-time God." He often will not provide too far in advance and He is never late. He is on-time. With less than a month before our time at Olivet was set to end, God showed up. He sold our house (at a very fair price). He got me a job (with a great company).

It makes me wonder what might have been. What if I had given up on the calling instead of setting out in faith? The pursuit of God is worth everthing, like a treasure found in the field, like a pearl of great price. We should be willing to risk everything to discover and follow Him.

Tuesday's Thoughts (a day late)

Without power, I was unable to blog yesterday and share my weekly mind dump. So without further ado:

• So apparently the service at Discovery Church wasn't the only thing that was powerful on Sunday. Looks like Hurricane Ike was still being felt all the way up in Indiana.
• Communication is critical. We had a case this weekend where communication did not happen early enough or clear enough. Either way that can cause big problems.
• It's awesome watching people invest not just with their checkbooks, but also with their lives. Our volunteers rock.
• Our Starbucks is closing next month. What should we do?
• Vince's series on the Church Planter Assessment Center (CPAC) is spot on.
• I passed my ordination exam even though my answer to the question regarding immutable was anything but. Don't know what immutable means? Look here.
• Can't wait to get my hands on Wild Goose Chase. Thanks Billy.
• My girls are incredible and beautiful. Good thing that they take after their mother.

I Got the Power

After being without electricity for nearly 80 hours, Vectren finally got power r

estored to our house today. What a blessing. You forget how much you rely on electricity until

you do not have it anymore. Here are a few things that I have missed being able to do over the last 3.5 days.

• SportsCenter
• The internet & blogging
• Lights in the bathroom
• Clocks
• Charging my cellphones
• Lights to read by
• The washing machine
• My refrigerator & the food in it

And think it was only 3.5 days. What would you miss?

Heading to the ATL

Kitten and I drove up to Kokomo yesterday to check on her mom. She looks to be doing alot better. I'm heading out tomorrow morning to begin my pilgrimmage to Orlando for the Exponential Conference. I'm spending the night tomorrow night in downtown ATL (Atlanta) at the Doubletree Hotel. I love that hotel. They know all about exceeding expectations. When you check-in, they give you some of the best cookies on the face of the earth...for free. When I was a kid, I loved when my dad stayed at a Doubletree when traveling because it meant I got cookies. Not so sure that my girls will be that lucky this time.

I'll be going to The Midtown Bridge on Sunday morning for worship. The Midtown Bridge launched in August 2007. I'm excited to see what God has been up to. The church meets in a movie theater in downtown ATL. It will be interesting to see what it looks like when the church meets in a non-traditional setting. Definitely something for us to keep in mind at Discovery Church.

Goals for 2008 (part two)

GOAL #3: Make my girls laugh on a daily basis. I love my girls. They are by far the most amazing creations in the world. I find myself standing near their rooms watching them sleeping and completely and totally in awe. What amazing gifts from God. In Psalms 100, it talks of bringing a gift of laughter to God. My hope is to bring such joy to my little girls lives that they will laugh, bringing joy to their daddy and to their Father.

GOAL #4: Read & read some more. I love reading. I have read some really incredible books lately including: In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, The Dip, The Starbucks Experience, and am currently reading Built to Last. I am really looking forward to reading some other books, including: Made to Stick, I Became a Christian and all I Got was this Lousy Shirt, and Pop Goes the Church (yet to be announced release date). The point is that readers are learners and learners are readers. I want to learn, to stretch, to grow beyond where I am right now. If you have suggestions, I would love hearing them.

Goals for 2008 (part one)

I'm not big on resolutions. They seem so over-played. No body really sticks to them, and by saying it was "just a resolution" it seems okay to dismiss the fact that you did not reach your objective. I say all that to say that I prefer goals. Definite, achievable goals.

Over the next few days, I want to share some of my goals for '08. I must confess, I'm pretty excited about this year. It will be one of the busiest, most stress-filled years of my life, but I am expecting God to do some pretty amazing stuff in the midst of it. So without further ado...

GOAL #1: Take the time each evening to have a serious conversation with my wife. Relationships are important and need to be cultivated. They do not grow through proximity, but rather through conversation and living life together. Furthermore, my wife's love-language is quality time.

GOAL #2: Read through the Bible. I read alot. I should read the Bible more. This year, I'm reading through the Bible in "The Message" translation. I figure I'll shake things up a bit by not reading a translation I am overly familiar with (particularly in the Old Testament). By the way, if you want to check a cool online resource to help you read through the Bible in a year, check out: youversion.com. It's really neat how they have put it together.

Lovin' my wife

I was reading one of the many blogs that I cruise through on a daily basis when one line jumped out at me. Craig Groeschel has been writing a list of 40 things that he wished someone had told him when he was 20. I really appreciated number 36 (just wondering why it took until 36 to get to it). It said:

"36. Love your wife more than you love the church. The church is Jesus' bride, not yours."

The temptation in ministry is to spend so much time loving and serving others that you forget about the one that you committed to loving and serving "until death do you part." What a regular temptation for me. It is so easy to eat lunch with an elder/youth worker/another pastor and never invite your wife (and those beautiful girls) to lunch.

Kitten...if you are reading this...first, I'm impressed you found the time in the midst of raising two amazing girls at home where there is no internet connection. Second, you've heard me say on numerous occasions that I married out of my league. No doubt there are many times that you agree. Thank you. Thank you for loving me when I am imperfect. Thank you for doing a great job with two awesome girls. Thank you for being so supportive of me and our calling to the church. Thank you for making sacrifices so that others can know that God loves them. Today, know that you are loved beyond measure and I appreciate you.

I'm So Thankful

This past week featured Thanksgiving. During worship yesterday morning, our pastor spoke about the importance of developing a mindset of thankfulness. He mentioned that he was once challenged to write out 20 things for which he was thankful. In that spirit, I'm attempting to create a similar list. Please enjoy or feel free to comment with your own list.

• My wife, Kitten. You are the most amazing woman in the world. Thank you for your patience with me.
• My daughter Alyssa Grace. You made me laugh so hard yesterday walking around acting like Hannah Montana.
• My daughter Morgan Faith. I love it when you snuggle into my body and sleep. You have reminded me of the delight that the Father must have when we rest in Him.
• My nephews. It is so much fun to have you run up and jump in my arms and yell "Uncle Trey."
• My in-laws. You have taught me so much. Thank you for welcoming me into your family.
• My friends. (I'm not going to cheat the process and name you specifically just to get a number, but I am very thankful for each of you).
• New friends. I'm so glad that we've gotten to meet each other this year (especially Dan, Geoff, Kevin & Esther and Billy & Sarah).
• Our home. A lovely 3 BR, 2 BA ranch on Evansville's growing Northside. Want to buy it?
• Two well-operating vehicles that allow us to drive all over Evansville (at a mere $2.96/gallon).
• The past. You realize today's blessings so much easier when you look at where God has taken you in the past.
• The future. It is so exciting to look and see where God is taking us in the future as well.
• Olivet Presbyterian Church. I honestly could have never imagined staying in one place to serve for 8 years as a youth minister when I came. Yet you have become family. Kitten and I are so thankful for you. You bless us on a regular basis.
• The youth workers at Olivet. Wow! You truly are the youth ministers at Olivet. Thanks for not collecting a salary so that I can.
• Discovery Church. (Can you be thankful for a church that hasn't even had a service yet?) I look forward to growing and serving alongside you in the future.
• Discovery's Launch team. Thank you for committing to serve those who will come to check us out over the next seven months.
• Discovery's Board of Directors. Thank you for saying "yes." You have already provided so much to the process. I look forward to learning so much more from each of you.
• Tim Tebow. If he doesn't win the Heisman, they should change the name of the award to "Heist-man." You can vote for Tim to win here.

• God's sovereignty. I find it very comforting to know that God is in control.
• Microsoft's generosity. They're fixing my XBox 360 for free and extending the warranty. Now if I could just get the process to happen quicker.
• Evansville. I remember growing up thinking that I would want to live anywhere but Evansville. Now I realize just how great Evansville is. I hope that 2008 sees continued growth and development happening within the city/county.