A Bouquet with Different Flowers

Courtney and I had an awesome opportunity to travel down with Dude Share the Food again this past Saturday. At first, it seemed pretty much like other times that we have gone downtown, with the exception that it was a bit colder...

(here we are packing up the bread truck with some clothes, blankets, and food)

(lining up for some food...there was a huge turn out)

After a little while Courtney, Brandon, Collin, Jessica, Ashley, and I went over to this bridge (not pictured, sorry) and saw Charles and Marcus. These are probably the two nicest men I have ever had the privilege to meet. They were so loving and so humble. After catching up on what was new with everyone, Charles asked us if we could pray and then sing a song. So we all gathered around, held hands, and prayed. After the prayer, we sang "Amazing Grace." While we were singing this song, I looked around us and just thought to myself, "here these men are in the freezing cold, having only the clothes on their backs and a few blankets to keep them warm, and only having a bridge to keep them dry. They are singing at the top of their lungs, louder than anyone else- AMAZING GRACE!!???" This was a very eye-opening experience for me. These two men inspire me. I can only pray that I can have that attitude when things do not go quite the way I plan. After another prayer from a woman with us, we said our goodbyes and Charles had to make a point to hug everyone. "I do this to everybody, you'll get used to me," is what he said. Such love he has. He told my wife, "we all in the same family... like a bouquet just with a bunch of different flowers." That has stuck with me for the past few days.

The family of God is not just white people, not just black people, not just Asian, Chinese, or whatever you want to put on it. We are all sinners and fall WAY short of God's true standards for our lives.

I could care less what you have on your church sign, if you are Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ, Church of God, Assembly of God... that's just a bunch of junk! We all have ONE God, ONE creator, ONE Savior -- JESUS! Love God FIRST, the rest will follow.

Charles and Marcus didn't ask us what church we were from, they just wanted to know our names. They didn't care what denominational ties we had, they just wanted to sing with us. They just wanted us to pray with them. Not just for them, but WITH them- there is a difference. 

So many of us "Christians" like to pray FOR the homeless, but when are we going to sit and talk with them? When are we going to love them where they are? It's so easy to schedule a time to go and share food with them, because we get to go back to our little comfy homes and heat. I am very guilty of this. Let's get real... Jesus had no place to sleep.... interesting huh?

Blessed Be Your Name

This past Sunday morning I got to the school a little early. I had planned to just sit and pray and spend time with Jesus. I sat in my truck and began singing along with Matt Redman "Blessed Be Your Name." As I was singing, I got a little hot, so I turned the truck off. After another few minutes or so, I started getting cold again. I went to start my truck again and it would not crank! "AWESOME!" is all I could say to myself. I started getting really mad and asking God why. "Why is my truck not starting, what did I do??" (yeah, I know...it gets better...)

A few minutes later, Paul drove up beside me and asked if I needed a ride, and I just said I would walk. So I got my stuff that wasn't too heavy to carry and began the walk to the school. About half way to the school door, I started praying and telling God I was sorry that I had neglected Him. Here I was saying "when the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say blessed be Your name!" But I am getting upset about my freakin truck not starting. Things could have been SO much worse! So I just started thanking God for letting me breathe and live another day.

I looked back at my truck and saw that my interior light was on. "Great, now the battery is definitely going to be fried." So I started walking BACK to my truck to turn the light off. I continued to thank God that he has blessed me so much, even if my truck never started again, I was still blessed beyond measure because HE sent HIS son to DIE for me so that I could be with HIM forever!

When I got back to my truck, I opened the door and said to myself, "I'll give it one more try." IT CRANKED!

Thank you Jesus for allowing me to realize that my truck doesn't matter to You and shouldn't be such a huge part of my life. I was putting my truck not starting in between You and I. I can be so selfish sometimes. I can become so consumed with stupid petty things that I miss God.

This story may seem dumb to you, but I truly feel like I experienced a touch from God. I mean honestly, I tried cranking my truck over and over and over again before I started walking. It was not cranking anytime soon. It wasn't my battery because everything was turning on, it just wasn't turning over...DO NOT BELITTLE GOD! He is in control of the smallest and LARGEST things! He will get your attention if He needs to...trust me.

Chasing The Storm

Tonight, I was watching one of my favorite shows on the Discovery Channel- "Storm Chasers." As I was watching it, towards the end of the episode, one of the guys compared one storm to a magician and slight of hand...."I'm here, no I'm here, I'm over here..." as the funnel clouds seemed to disappear and reappear hundreds of feet away. Right after I heard him say that I thought about what God was thinking in that moment, while three twisters were rotating together. I recall where it says in the book of Job that all of creation is but the FRINGES of His power...WOW! Just look at this:

This is called a wall cloud. I think the reason I love to watch this show so much is to see this...the fringe of God's power. Honestly...can you imagine how Isaiah felt when he saw the glory of God? "Woe is me, a man of unclean lips..." Or how about when Moses came down from the mountain from being in the presence of God and he was GLOWING! FREAKIN GLOWING! Little me is amazed at a freakin wall cloud. Jesus is awesome!

GO FALCONS!

I got a pretty awesome opportunity to go to the Falcon's game yesterday afternoon with my father-in-law (later referred to as FIL). To be completely honest, after getting off the MARTA train, I was saying to myself, "there is no way in hell I am coming to another game." I felt like I was being herded with the other cattle on the ranch as they blocked off certain sidewalks so that EVERYONE had to walk one way.

Eventually we got to our seats and sat down. I am not really one to get into NFL games. I don't jump up and hollar on 3rd down "DEEEEEE-FEEEENCE!!!" That's just not what I like to do. I am usually the one at home on the couch with an ice cold Dr. Pepper in the reclining position. But, nevertheless, we were there, and I was truly looking forward to it.

About half way through the first quarter, an older man sat down next to my FIL. I never caught his name, but man was he excited! If anything happened, he was up and yelling, then slapping fives with us. He made the experience worth while.

As I was sitting there in the dome I started thinking. If Jesus was down on that field, I bet I would be up screaming at the top of my lungs for Him. But what about the other 60,000 people in that place...would they be doing the same?

I truly believe that if Christians started living like Christians, this world would become a drastically different place. WE ARE ALL IN NEED OF THE MERCY OF CHRIST! We need to be about Jesus' business of changing lives for HIM!

I continue to pray that 2009 will be a huge year for Jesus. I pray that he would use us as His agents of change in a world shot to crap. What are you going to let Christ do through YOU for OTHERS??

What's Wrong With Us?

It is no surprise that if you look around there is something wrong with this world. Whether you believe it's little things like people telling lies, or people being murdered everywhere. There is something broken in this world...

I have become frustrated with church corporately in the fact that we seem to not address the reason this world is so screwed up; the reason is that we are all sinners. If you put a bunch of sinners together in a room, sin happens. Maybe that's why the non-Christians view Christians as such hypocrites. The truth is that we are all in need of the saving grace of Jesus.

The book of Romans says that no one seeks after God. No one is righteous. So this should explain what is so wrong with the world we live in. The sad part is not the fact that there are lost people out among Christians, it's that Christians could care less that their neighbors are going straight to hell! I mean honestly, if you are a Christian, when is the last time you talked to someone about Christ? And hey, I am speaking about myself as well...I fall WAY short all the time. It's almost like we are afraid to...huh?

How can we be afraid to tell people about the life-changing, chain-breaking, redeeming Savior Jesus? "What's the worst that could happen?" As my father always puts it? They won't listen;they won't accept. In the end, that's God's sovereign power that we must press into. If God wants to save someone, He will. We must plant the seed, God will make it grow (cf Matt. 13).

MAN UP and talk about JESUS! Use the word of God to allow Him to change the community around you. It is possible! Christianity started as a small movement that influenced the community around it. Now it is a huge, impotent one...what are YOU going to do about it??

Launched

Velocity Church has officially launched. We had an awesome time worshiping Jesus yesterday and I am looking forward to the weeks to come and see what God is going to do through HIS church.

One Week and Counting

There is just one week until the official launch of Velocity Church. We still have a lot to get done before next Sunday, but with God's hand in it, it should be no problem. 

Last night while listening to a pastor talk to about 60 kids, I realized something- I can't stand Christians! Now, before you start thinking I am some sort of agnostic freak that hates the church, let me clarify. The Christians that I am speaking of includes myself. We are SO SELFISH! We want it to always be about us, our wants, our needs, our agenda. If you read about the first church in Acts, you will find very few times when the church was all about "the church." The "Christians" that want you to clean up before you step foot in THEIR "Sanctuary," the "Christians" that say "wear your Sunday best, because THAT is what pleases God." Are you freakin kidding? My clothing is what pleases God? I can remember when I was a little younger and I walked into the church building wearing some holy (not the spiritual) jeans and got some horrible looks. Are we "Christians" so HOLY that we cannot look past what someone is wearing to see their heart and where they are in their walk with Christ?

One more vent-

I find it so frustrating when a pastor (and I am not talking about the one I referred to before) stands up on the stage and has a 30min alter call and keeps saying "you don't have much time, accept Jesus now!" A church ON MISSION humbly helps others to find Jesus in their own timing rather than forcing them to make superficial decisions for it's own glory. I am sorry to say that just because Joe Somebody walked down the aisle because YOU TOLD HIM TO and says a little prayer he is "saved." Jesus will save him when Joe is ready, not when YOU are ready.

Ok, these were just some things that have been on my heart for the past couple of days. I pray that Velocity Church will not be a superficial gathering of Christians who do not want to get dirty. I am ready to get to work.

Prosperity Gospel??

I saw this video today...powerful!



So TRUE!

O Christmas Tree

Last night my wife and I bought our first Christmas tree. It took us about 20 minutes to find the perfect one, but it was worth it. Our only problem is we have no decorations for it. We have two (2) ornaments, and that's it. The smell is awesome though. I can only remember one real tree when I was a kid; my mom wasn't a fan. (I guess cause they are pretty messy...)

It's getting closer and closer to Christmas. You wouldn't know it with the weather we have been having up here, but it's only a week and a 1/2 a way! I was listening to some Christmas music a few days ago and I kept wondering why, at Christmas time, we make Jesus a baby again. I know he had to be born to die for our sins, but for a month, Jesus is a baby..."baby Jesus." Just struck me as funny...since there is no scriptural backing on the matter of remembering Christ's birth, only His sacrifice for our sin. I love Christmas though.

Merry Christmas!

to live-
chase<><

tru worship::examples displayed

“The essence of faith is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus”
-John Piper

What is the reality of a true worshiper? Is it a man or woman that displays great affection to one thing or action? Is it a person who sings well, plays well, and likes to do it in an auditorium that happens to be a church building?

We are all called to be lead worshipers, and to simply put it, worship God. The worship of God cannot be contained to music. Containment of worship is the death of true and intimate worship of a Savior. This Savior, my Savior, died and rose to life again. For me to only sing songs to Him hoping that it will be a tune that he will smile upon is hindering me from actually opening my heart to the Father so that he may work through me...

I am a lead worshiper who worships the living and breathing God Almighty. I long to sing endless songs that glorify and exemplify His renown. But it's not about me, it is about Him. It's not about what I want, it's about what He wants. I want to sing songs, He wants me to talk to the man eating next to me...I want to write inspiring lyrics for a generation to experience God's love, mercy, and grace. He wants me to love my neighbor above myself. He wants me to love Him and serve others.

In Matthew 25:31-36, Jesus talks about judgment. Jesus gives the parable of the sheep and the goats. This is how it reads:

31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me..."

It goes on to say that the righteous answer Him saying, "God when did we see you like this? I never saw you hungry. I never saw you thirsty, or naked, or as a stranger." (paraphrase) Jesus goes on to tell us that whatever we did for the least of these, we have done to Him. That is worship! Singing is just an act of worship, but living a life of service...that's worship!

Sometimes I get caught up in believing that I can get through certain things on my own. It's during those times when I need God to comfort me the most. Who am I to say, "I can handle this, I am strong enough." Without the power of God, I am nothing. I am simply a man with a prideful heart. God blessed me with the abilities to play my guitar and sing as loud as I possibly can, only that he may be glorified. Everything that happens to me, whether good or bad, should be pointing to the grace and mercy of Jesus. Paul talks of boasting all the more loudly in weakness. When we are weak, God is strong. God said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9 emphasis mine) Praise God!

to live-
cg