Shout Out...

The very first blog I ever read was pastor Mark Batterson of National Community Church. Mark is a blogging machine, and a great writer. His post from today, 56 signers, is worth checking out.

4th of July...

I love the 4^th of July. It is our celebration of the day that the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence stating our freedom from the kingdom of Great Britain. Have you ever thought about what changed when they made that declaration? Not their circumstances, not their surroundings, not the facts of life under British rule… just their hearts.

I love the fact that the 56 men who would go on to later sign the Declaration of Independence declared their freedom while still in the process of fighting for it. Think about it - they weren’t free after the war had ended and they had decisively won their freedom… they were free the moment they had the courage to…

• Believe they were free men
• Declare they were free men
• And then stand firm on the truth that they were free men.

Once you have been set free in your heart, YOU ARE FREE! Regardless of the chains that may bind your body - you are free. Regardless of the circumstances - you are free. Regardless of your surroundings - you are free. Regardless of the facts - you are free.

There is an old saying that fits here… that’ll preach. Yes sir it will. I better quit as I’m starting to feel all Braveheart like and looking for my face paint.

Happy 4^th to you.

The More Things Change... the More They Stay the Same

We never really have any controversies about our music anymore (said as I throw salt over my shoulder, knock on wood, and rub my lucky rabbits foot... just kidding). I guess those who would be offended have spoken Ichabod over us and departed... go ahead and laugh, and Quit being so serious all the time... after all it was God who created laughter and humor...

Anyway... as I was reading through my daily blog roll there was a link to a post that contained letters that had been written to a pastor. It seems a concerned church member was highly upset by the choice of music being used during their services. The letter said this...

"I am no music scholar, but I feel I know appropriate church music when I hear it. Last Sunday's new hymn - if you can call it that - sounded like a sentimental love ballad one would expect to hear crooned in a saloon. If you insist on exposing us to rubbish like this - in God's house! - don't be surprised if many of the faithful look for a new place to worship. The hymns we grew up with are all we need."

Click here to see what the questionable song was

Another upset church member penned this letter to the pastor...

"What is wrong with the inspiring hymns with which we grew up? When I go to church, it is to worship God, not to be distracted with learning a new hymn. Last Sunday's was particularly unnerving. The tune was un-singable and the new harmonies were quite distorting."

Click here to see what the song was

I think I've met those people. Just proves the old saying - the more things change, the more they stay the same. I remind myself all the time that everything was cutting edge at one time. Every program, every style of music, every class, every _______... was once cutting edge, and somebody's 'new' idea. Isn't it funny how perspective, and time, changes everything.

Thank you for being a church that embraces creativity and new ideas. Thank you for understanding that change doesn't have to hurt... in fact it can be a lot of fun! Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to plug in my ipod and go back to work,... for those of you with an 8track it's a little di...gi...t...a...l... m....u...s...i...c... p...l...

Happy 4th of July!

Here is the original post if you want to read it.

ONE Prayer Continues This Weekend With the ONE Prayer Offering...

Hope everyone is having a blessed week, and I hope all of you are checking in over at oneprayer.com to stay up to date and unified in your prayers during the ONE Prayer series. According to the update, sent to me by the ONE Prayer team today, there are 1480 churches in 27 different countries, representing over 830,000 believers, doing this series with us.

This last week pastor Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv blessed us with an awesome message and his one prayer "Make Us One". This week we get a chance to answer that one prayer as we take our ONE Prayer offering that will be combined with offerings from all the other churches participating in this series. Give as generously as possible as the offering will be used to build over 500 churches in Cambodia, India, Sudan, and China. If you want to read up on what the offering is being used for yourself check out this page on the One Prayer website. If you have any friends that you think would like to give to this offering let them know about it.

We look forward to seeing you this weekend as we continue this series.

New Prayer Request Link...

I wanted to inform everyone of a new web page I've added for prayer requests. There is a link on the side of this blog, and a link will soon be added to the main page of the church website. If you have a prayer request just click on a comments tab on that page and leave your prayer requests.

I also want all of you to check it out and pray through the prayer requests there every chance you get. Time to start praying ya'll!

Cinematografa Dos...

Finally...

Todays Devotional...

Tuesday is the official fast day for all of the churches participating in the ONE Prayer series. We will be fasting and praying together for the duration of the series. If you have never fasted and don't totally understand the point, I encourage you to check out todays devotional on oneprayer.com. There are additional resources at the end of the devotional for you to further study fasting.

ONE Prayer - Tuesday, June 10...

I hope you guys are engaging over on oneprayer.com. Be sure and track with it and participate as much as possible.

Today is fast day for all the ONE Prayer churches, as will be Tuesday of every week for this series. The focus of our prayer for the day is for salvations.

One of the things I talk about quite a bit is not just praying a blanket prayer for salvations (although you should do that), but to have someone in mind when you pray. Who is the one person in your life right now that you want to see God save? Whoever it is, when you pray - pray for that person by name. While you're praying for them, also pray that God would give you influence with that person so that you would have the opportunity to lead them towards God. Pray that God would open doors and create opportunities for you to use that influence. Pray for yourself and ask God to help you to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to help you discern what step you could help that person take to lead them to Christ (it may be inviting them to church, it might be taking them out to eat, it might be anything in between... just listen and God will lead you). Most importantly... pray with faith when you pray for that person,... and know this - GOD WANTS TO WORK IN THAT PERSONS LIFE EVEN MORE THAN YOU WANT HIM TO!

Make sure you go to over to the ONE Prayer web site, and list the name of that one person that you are praying for, everyday, for their salvation.

3's,4's, and 5's get after it. Partner with God and watch Him use you to lead people to Him. And then help disciple those people once He does.

Don't forget to fast and pray today.

ONE Prayer is underway...

We kicked off the "ONE Prayer" series today with the message "God Make Us Kingdom-Minded". I can wait to see how the rest of the series is received as we hear from some of the pastors of other churches participating in the series along with us. I will try to highlight what is going on over on www.oneprayer.com each day. I encourage all of you to head over to the official website and participate.

AND,... how about our official "ONE Prayer" anthem penned by Joe? Good stuff. I'm thrilled to be alive here and now and serving God alongside the people I serve with.

Can't wait for Friday night!

The List...

What does a list of all the churches participating in the ONE Prayer series look like? Something like this...

One Prayer Churches from LifeChurch.tv on Vimeo.
Seeing all of them listed like that makes 1,200 churches seem like a lot more than just a number!

The Church We Must Be - Part 2

The book of Ecclesiastes says that God has “set eternity in the hearts of men”. That is why within every one of us is a longing for something that is outside of our current state of existence. We try to manage that longing by filling ourselves with all sorts of things like sex, money, or stuff, but there is really only one thing satisfies the deepest longing inside of us… God.

Jesus said in these verses that the first and greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. We could spend a lot of time talking about that, but the big idea here is worship.

We are hardwired to worship. You can’t maneuver around that simple truth. The question is not if you will worship, but what will you worship. You will give your affections to the one true God, or you will give them to a thousand lesser gods.

To live a life of worship is to live a life of Reaching Up. Every activity should be lived in a posture of Reaching Up. Every decision should be made in a posture of Reaching Up. Every day should be lived in a posture of Reaching Up. Our first core conviction is “It’s All About God”, and we do that when we constantly keep Reaching Up.

If this one simple idea of constantly Reaching Up would land in the hearts of believers in such a way that they made it a priority each and every day to pursue intimacy with God… then they would be a third of the way to spiritual maturity.

Remember from part 1… Reaching Up, Reaching In, and Reaching Out…

Hero Awards...

I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who helps out by serving our church on Sundays. From the workers in the childrens' room to the musicians on the back of the stage, and everyone in between those two places... thank you from all of us at Liberty. God knows the time and effort you put in every single week. I'm praying that God will bless you in a special way this week.

Everyone else please take the time to thank, pray for, and encourage them every chance you get.

From the bottom of my heart - thanks guys. I hope you don't mind but I wrote you a little song and it goes like this...

Dum, dum, dum dum... splash...
Liberty Outreach Church presents... (real American heroes)...
Today we salute you Mr. Liberty Outreach ministry worker person... (Mr. Liberty Outreach minstry worker person guy)...

The Church We Must Be - Part 1

One of the things I feel called by God to do as pastor of Liberty Outreach is to keep things focused and to keep things simple. Sounds easy enough, but becomes exponentially more complex when you add people to the mix. That’s not me whining… that’s just the truth of it.

I think focusing and simplifying is exactly what Jesus did in these verses. He narrowed down (or focused) all of God’s commands into two simple thoughts. Love God with everything in you, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Starting tomorrow I’ll explore that more, but for today I want to establish a grounding thought about the way the people of Liberty Outreach are to live out their faith. Here goes – God wants you to consistently live your life in a way that is Reaching Up, Reaching In, and Reaching Out. Most Christians usually have at least one of those things going on,… maybe two,… but rarely all three at the same time… and rarer still is the believer who keeps all three going consistently.

That may not mean a lot to you right now, and that’s okay… I simply wanted to plant the thought.

More tomorrow. In the meantime remember… Reaching Up, Reaching In, and Reaching Out…

Follower of Jesus Defined...

"To be a follower of Jesus means - to live as Jesus lived, to love as Jesus loved, and to leave what Jesus left behind."

David Putman in Breaking the Discipleship Code

Multiple Choice?

There are so many terms and question swirling around in the church world right now that it could be enough to give you a headache. Just a few among the many questions facing churches and church leaders are:

Should we be attractional or missional? Should we be focused on incarnation or exaltation? Should we be evangelical or emerging? Should we meet in buildings we call churches or are house churches the only biblical form of church worship? Should it be pews or chairs, music or no music, guitars or pipe organs, stained glass windows or concert lighting, hymns or praise choruses, screens or hymnals, hip-hop or polka, should it be __________ or __________, etc… until you reach the point of insanity#@$!

Without being too insensitive to the people involved I really couldn’t care any less than I do.

I honestly don’t feel called to uphold a certain church tradition. I also don’t feel called to tear down church tradition. I simply feel called to be obedient to Jesus and the way He is leading (within the parameters of solid doctrine).

Before you string me up please finish reading the rest of this post.

Tension in church and the way we do things is not a new phenomenon. The early church faced this in incredibly complex ways. Jewish converts to Jesus were trying to hold onto the traditions of Judaism (which for the record were given to them by God), while gentile converts didn’t have the history of that tradition to uphold. NOTE - we still wade through the same basic issues as the church… the scenery is just different.

Here is how they handled the conflict in the early church (read these scriptures). The church recognized Paul had a grace to speak and minister the gospel to the gentiles, while Peter had been given the task of preaching the gospel to the jews. They agreed that it would be best for them to go their separate ways and continue to pursue the calling of God to each unique group. Some would say that to think that way is divisive. I say that’s not division - it is diversity. Smart leaders had the vision to see that God was doing something in both people, and to force people into a big one size fits all box would be to hinder the move of God in both groups of people. To sacrifice the calling of God on the altar of compromise is to dilute the move of God. If you think that sounds combative, then you are missing the point.

Whatever I say over the next week or so on this blog about how we are going to accomplish the mission of God as a church know this… our way is not the only way, it’s just a way. It’s the way Jesus has led me to pastor at this time in this place. That’s why I bless every other church in our city and area. If they are called to minister in a traditional way to a traditional people – then God will use them as He has called them. If they are called to minister in a different way to a different group of people – then God will use them as He has called them. As long as they uphold the gospel message of Jesus and Him crucified - then more power to them.

I think Jesus summed up this idea nicely in these verses. CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

Tune in for more tomorrow… for now it’s time to get ready for the season finale of LOST!

One Prayer Numbers for Today...

Over 1,100 churches and 730,000+ people will be participating in the ONE Prayer series. I'm praying the number of people represented reaches a million.

C3 week 7...

Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day, and a great week so far. This past Sunday we talked about the church (or the body of Christ) and how what God is doing through the church is just as significant and important as everything else He has done in history. This whole story we have been following is about a God who pursues man. That hasn't changed - it just continues with the church. We get to be a part of God's search and rescue efforts. Awesome...

I am going to start a series of posts about the church tomorrow. For today, here are some scriptures about the body of Christ for you to think about. For us to be who we are supposed to be, these scriptures are going to have to become more than just an idea, they must become a reality.

Romans 12:3-8
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Ephesians 4:7
Ephesians 4:11-16

Tomorrow we will begin talking about some of the specific things that define us as a church. Until then don't worry, be happy.

X3 Watch...

One of the things I like to do from time to time on this blog is share helpful resources I find. Although the internet can be a useful tool, it can also be a stumbling block for many people. One of the biggest issues and temptations with the internet is pornography. If you struggle, or have ever struggled with this issue, then you might want to check out this accountability/integrity software called X3 watch.

The basic idea of the software is that of accountability. Why do you need accountability? One good reason is found in these scriptures from Ecclesiastes. Remember - we (the church) are the body of Christ... what one member does has an effect on the whole body. It's time for you to strengthen the body of Christ and allow the body of Christ to strengthen you!

Here's how the software works - If you were to visit any questionable web sites it stores that information in a hidden folder and then automatically sends that info via email to the 3 accountability partners you chose when you installed the software.

There is a free version as well as several purchasable versions to choose from. Hope this helps.
Download X3 Watch here.

A Patriotic Aside...

It's Memorial day... time to break out the Lee Greenwood and be thankful for every blessing that comes with being born here in these United States of America. In spite of all the cynicism that surrounds us, I've always had a deep sense of pride in being an American. Enjoy your day off today, but be reminded that freedom is never free. Many have paid the ultimate price for their country, and today we are proud to remember them and pray for the families they have left behind. God bless America!

Objects Right in Front of You Are Not as Large as They Appear...

"The objects of the present life fill the human eye with a false magnification because of their immediacy."

William Wilberforce

There are things in our lives that are immediate, and there are things that are important. We have a bad tendency to sacrifice what's important on the altar of what's immediate. The advice of Jesus to people who have a problem with that was simply to seek first the Kingdom of God... and then He told them that everything else would be taken care of.

For more on this idea follow this link to a post I did a while back.

Something Cool...

Occasionally I come across something so creative/weird/artistic/etc. that I can't keep it to myself. The video below would be one of those things. If you have about 8 minutes to waste then check it out. *disclaimer - I can't endorse the web page listed on the video as I have no idea what the content of it is... like I said... this is just too cool to keep to myself...


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Keep Dreaming...

"When your memories exceed your dreams... the end is near."

Author unknown

Invitation...

"As I continue to read the words printed in red in my Bible, there's a sense that Jesus isn't just providing an explanation of how to live as much as He is issuing an invitation to real life. He is welcoming us into His kingdom and under His authority, a place where the rules and guidelines of the world are turned on their head and we are invited to embark on a journey of relationship with God."

From The Organic God by Margaret Feinberg

Big Announcement Regarding the Mystery Numbers...

We announced today that we will be kicking off a new series called One Prayer on June 8. The premise of the series is this... if God would answer 'one prayer' for the church at large, what would you pray? Here is what makes the One Prayer series so special -this series is not just for us and our church, but we will be taking part in it simultaneously along with Christ followers from all around the globe!

Here are what the mystery numbers mean that you've been seeing on here for a few weeks now... as of today there are 868 churches, in 18 different countries, representing 583,119 people that will be taking part in this series alongside us.

During this series...

• We will be hearing messages from some of the most influential leaders in the church today.
• We will be praying, fasting and seeking God along with hundreds of thousands of believers from around the globe.
• We will be taking a special offering on June 22nd that will be combined with the offerings from all the other churches taking part in this series. This offering will be used to plant 500 churches in Cambodia, India, Sudan, and China.

Be praying for this series, and If you know of any churches or pastors that might be open to participating in this series let them know about it.

I feel like the hand of God is on this series, and I think it is going to be good for the church at large. And personally... I think it's going to be a lot of fun to step outside the box a little. I'm looking forward to it!

Grace and Truth (How We Should Live)...

If you haven’t read yesterdays post Grace and Truth (Why Jesus Lived)… you should probably go read that first.

One of the things we talked about Sunday is how we (the people of God) should live in light of how Jesus lived. Jesus was the incarnation of God on earth. Over and over the New Testament writers referred to the church as the body of Christ. We are going to talk more about that in a few weeks, but here is the quick version - just as Jesus was the incarnation of God on the earth, we (the church) are the incarnation of Jesus on the earth. That means we are to reflect Him in both purpose and personality.

If Jesus was full of grace and truth, then His followers (His church) should be full of grace and truth also.

Unfortunately many churches tend to land on one side of the fence or the other. Churches that tilt towards the grace side often wind up explaining away sin and turning into an anything goes type of people. Churches that tilt towards the truth side often wind up using the word of God as a weapon with which they inflict legalistic pain and impose their brand of morality upon others.

Both are wrong. Without truth you have Christianity without backbone, and without grace you have Christianity without a heart.

Jesus was both, without sacrificing either! We must learn how to become a people that through grace can make sinners feel comfortable around us (as apparently was often the case with Jesus), while at the same time never losing the edge of truth that confronts people in their sin and causes them to be convicted about the fact that the Jesus life is the better way.

I heard a quote several years ago that settled for me how I would relate to others when it comes to these two words grace and truth. “Grace says I’ll accept you no matter what. Truth says I’ll be honest with you no matter what.”

I’ve never regretted living in the beautiful space between those two places.