Launch Conference

I went to the Launch Conference today and thoroughly enjoyed it. It inspired me, gave me a new confidence and reminded me of my call. I left there with a new sense of urgency to get going and start over again. I didn't realize how closing Axios had taken a toll on me. I don't really consider Axios a failure. We did some great things and reached some people that wouldn't have been reached. But I didn't succeed either. We are not leaving behind a new church. Everything rises and falls on leadership and so I take the "fall" personally. My confidence has been shaken somewhat. But this conference has lit my fire once again. This renewed confidence does not come from my track record and is not in my abilities and skills but comes from the God who has called me. Without this "call" I would quit, find a new profession, stay in Georgia. The call never ceases. Its in my heart and whispers in my ear. It cannot be laid down for any length of time until it begins to burn once again in my soul. It cannot be ignored without paying a great price. To follow it is also a costly endeavor but it is also a path of blessing. I cannot tell you how I know I am called, I just am. It has been confirmed through His Word, prayer, by other people, by outside circumstances. It is not imagined but real. His call is specific and for me includes the following:

• God has called me to minister to people.
  
• God has called me to preach His Word.
  
• God has called me to plant a church.
• God has called me to Denver.
  
• God has also called my wife and Rayanne to go with me. ( Thank God!)

My heart is on fire tonight. I pray that God moves us quickly.

The Axios Prayer

In my Bible reading, I have been going through the letters of Paul that he wrote to the young churches that he had planted. Today I read the first chapter of 2 Thessalonians and came across the prayer that inspired the name "Axios" in verses 11-12 and was reminded again of how great this prayer is. Here are just some thoughts on that prayer:

With this in mind, - he was just writing about the inevitable return of Jesus where He will exercise judgment on those who do not believe and will glorify Himself in those who believe. Both are motivations to follow the Lord faithfully which should result in the rescue of those who are lost and a life that brings glory to God.

we constantly pray for you, - this was very important to Paul and it caused him to pray.

that our God may count you worthy of his calling, - we were "saved" from something but also"called" to something. We were saved from God's inevitable judgment through Jesus Christ and called to a life of love and good works. Paul prays that we will live up to this calling. There is a lot riding on this.

and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours - that God's power will get behind every good intention and every good idea that we have to fulfill His calling on our lives so that it will amount to something great for His kingdom.

and every act prompted by your faith. - What is your faith prompting you to do? How is it moving you? What do you see yourself accomplishing for God? What action do you need God's power to work through you in order to accomplish? What need is your faith moving you to meet?

We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, - this is how you bring honor to the name of Jesus.

and you in him, - and through this, Jesus will also honor you.

according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. - but it all comes back to the grace and favor of God.

Sunday Recap

• Went to The Pointe Church with Bob, Monica, Jim, Donna, Jamey Boy and Jamie Girl (yes they are married and have the same name!) and their little son, Brody. It is still good to be connected with the Axios family.
• The Pointe has a great praise band and we thoroughly enjoyed the worship songs.
• Brian Jones' best statement: "The early church did so much with so little while the church today does so little with so much."
  
• I am still not sold on meeting in a school. Its just a personal preference. The Pointe, along with many other churches, does a great job in the school. I'm not ruling it our for us but I want to look into other alternatives before jumping in.
• Ate lunch at Zaxby's with everyone. Saw a kindergartener from my bus. Every afternoon when we start leaving the school, I yell to the kids, "Hold on to your diapees, babies, we're moving out!" (This is a quote from the Rugrats Movie) They all yell and scream that they aren't babies but they secretly love me saying it. So this young boy wanted to tell me to hold on to my diaper. I love being a bus driver.
• Watched the Falcons crash and burn. The Broncos also went down. Miami and the Colts did not play. That's good because it was a bad weekend for my teams. Georgia Bulldogs also were humiliated at the hands of Alabama. The only good thing was that the Gators lost. That alone almost makes it a good sports weekend.
• Went to Bob and Monica's last night for supper. We had a great time planning and praying about Denver. We are all getting very excited and anxious to get rolling.
• One of my favorite shows began last night - The Amazing Race - and I missed it!
  

Random thoughts

• Still been working on the house. Ben and I pressure washed the driveway and the sidewalk last weekend. I am amazed at how dirty it was. They look white now.
• I am going to be painting Ben's room today.
• I'm tired of working on the house but feel I need to do everything necessary to sell the house. I thought of Noah who took over 100 years to build the ark. I bet he woke up some mornings and thought the last thing he wanted to do was work on that stupid ark again!
  
• The last couple that looked at our house liked it but wanted a bathroom in the basement.
• We are watching Camile today. Always a joy. We also will be going to my grandson, Jacob's baseball game.
• I've lost about 8 pounds recently. One statement that has helped me was from Pastor Brian at Ewtonville Baptist Church in Dunlap, TN. He told me at camp back in June that "if you want to lose weight at our age, you pretty much have to stay hungry." This line has been stuck in my head and makes my hunger bearable.
  
• Pattie and I cashed in a gift card at Red Lobster last night. It was delicious. Endless shrimp, what a deal. So much for staying hungry.
• A kid on the bus told me that I look like a president of the United States - Benjamin Lincoln.
  
• I go for a physical on Monday.
• Pattie's back is much better. Still not completely healed but better. She starts physical therapy soon.
• Birthdays are coming up. Ben's is on Tuesday, the 30th; Rachele's is Wed., the 1st; Jenny's is 10 days later on the 11th.
  
• Brian Jones, the pastor at The Point Church, is paying my way to a church planting seminar called Launch on this coming Tuesday. Very generous of him and am thankful for his friendship and his kingdom mindedness.
  

ESPN Christianity

I love ESPN. I don't have to spend 2-4 hours watching a game. I can just tune in to ESPN and watch a minutes worth of highlights and get the score and be good to go. It's amazing that they can take a 3 hour game and reduce it down to 60 seconds or less of the best plays. I think we do the same with the Bible and our faith. We like the highlights. We like the best verses. We like the great promises. We love the positive, nice, pleasant, "get rich," "get well" verses of the Bible but pay little attention to what accompanies these verses or the context in which it is given or other verses that might say something different. For instance, we like Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." But we don't quote 4:12 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." We love Jeremiah 29:11 but don't want to accept 2 Timothy 3:12. We love this promise but ignore this command. We want this but are not happy when this happens. Are you upset because you feel God didn't come through? Has God disappointed you by not answering a certain prayer or saving you from a certain situation? Maybe you are trying to live in the highlights instead of deepening your knowledge of Him or understanding the whole of Scripture. ESPN doesn't show the sacrifice, discipline, blood, sweat and tears that it takes to make the highlight reel. In order for us to live in the highlights as Christians, we also must be willing to make the sacrifice, accept the discipline, spill our blood, work up a sweat and shed our tears. Cheer up, my brothers! Hang in there, my sisters! Be strong and of good courage! Every trial or difficulty has an end and the reward, the highlight, is for those who don't quit, who persevere to the end. The best highlights are in the bottom of the ninth, after the two-minute warning, the 15th round, the last 10 laps. But you don't get there without playing the rest of the game.

More than one dog in the hunt.

I love NFL football. The first NFL game that I remember watching was in 1971 as a boy of 11. It was the longest game in NFL history and was won by the Miami Dolphins. I instantly became a Dolphin fan which was great timing because they had their perfect season the next year. In 1984, Indianapolis got their own franchise - the Colts. I have faithfully cheered for them since then. In 1986, I moved to Atlanta and added the Falcons to my list. Now, since I am moving to Denver and I must "become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some," the Broncos are my new home team. Woe is me if I was just a Dolphin fan or an Falcon fan. Thankfully the Colts and the Broncos look like they can contend this year. I feel sorry for those die-hard, only one team fans. You ought to be a "one-woman man" but when it comes to football it is not a sin to love more than one team. I always have a dog in the hunt. In baseball, I have one dog (the Braves) which means I lost interest by the All-Star break this year. I will watch the post season but who am I suppose to cheer for? A California team? No way. An East Coast team? Maybe. Hey, wait! I lived in the Chicago area for almost a year. Go Cubs!

High School Reunion

Last Friday, I set off for Indianapolis for my 30 year High School reunion at Heritage Christian School. I was impressed with how the campus has changed and been improved. I was also impressed that my principal, Al Leinbach, was still with the school but in a different capacity. We were State Champions in Soccer in our Senior year and since then they have had several State Championships in other sports. There were 70 in my Senior class and only 15 showed up but we had a great time together. The reunion was from 1:30-4:30 and then we went to O'Charley's for dinner together and hung out until 8:00. It's amazing that after 30 years (the last reunion I attended was 10 year) with no contact with any of them that I feel so connected with them by sharing the common bond of graduating together. I was amazed at their stories of tragedy and triumph and excited to see how God was alive in their hearts. It was a great time. Here are some highlights:

• Our class president, Ed Blackwood, couldn't attend because he is inAustrailia planting churches.
• My friend, Mike Lockwood, couldn't attend but I found out that he also preaches.
• Donna Kindred has an amazing story of their daughter being healed from a rare form of cancer. I don't remember Donna being the most spiritual minded person in HS but God had done some radical things in her life. God was definitely present in her and her husband's lives. She prayed an amazing prayer for us all as we left O'Charley's. Her best line, "If you think I talk a lot now you ought to get me speaking in tongues."
• Doug Wilson also had his own amazing story of overcoming Hodgkin's Disease. He had a year of chemo and radiation where he never got sick or lost his hair. He is now healthy and looks like a Harley dude with ponytail and tattoos. It was a good story and great to see him.
• Anna Toby went through divorce and single motherhood only to find God was everything she needed and eventually a great husband. Her story was beautiful and her tender heart was encouraging.
• Kathy Day and her husband planted a church in Michigan. We hit it off right away as we talked about the difficulty and blessing of church planting. Kathy is definitely a spiritual uplifter. She is great to be around.
• Marshall Best has 6 kids and authored a 700 page book on Bible prophecy called Through the Prophet's Eye. He is sending me a copy but told me it was different and to use what I agree with and throw out the rest.
  
• Steve Barnes came the furthest - Phoenix, AZ. He owns a travel business.
• Jim Acheson was a blessing to be around. Overcoming his polio, he is a great bowler and golfer.
• Anita Kennedy is still sweet as can be.
• Kenny Andrich was there. I have a funny story about him but too long to share here.
• Doug Theiss and his wife headed up the reunion. Thanks again. You did a great job.
• It's always great to see Greg Bowman.
  
• Angie Beagle, Marty Summers, Meg Hassinger, Janet Pryor also attended.
  

Thanks for Praying!

After posting my prayer list yesterday, 2 things happened:

1. We heard from Apartment Life and they expect to have as many as 18 openings in Denver by next month. She also said that we would probably be placed in a downtown Denver complex. She was quick to say that this is not set in stone but looks very likely. We were thrilled.
2. Someone came and looked at our house today. After two weeks of no activity, someone came today after asking you all to pray. We were excited.

Sometimes when you are waiting on God you can get the sense that you are forgotten and that nothing is happening and suddenly God answers and shows that He was at work all the time. I hope to share with you soon some ways that I have been seeking God this week and how He has led me to pray about our situation. Maybe it will help you as you wait for your situation to change. In the mean time, don't stop praying. God has shown us that He is working behind the scenes but we are not there yet. I praise God for this encouragement and can't wait to see how He works it all out. Take the poll on the sidebar about prayer and if you have a chance, leave me a comment about the answer you chose.

6 Ways to Pray for Us

1. Pray for the sell of our home. I have always envisioned and hoped that we would sell our house by the end of September. That always aroused skepticism in others considering the state of the housing market but I believe that God wants us in Denver and I believe that He has a buyer for our house. All authority has been given to Christ which means that He is not bound by housing trends and economic indicators. I yield to His timing and His plan but pray every day that today is the day.
2. Pray that Apartment Life will be accepted by new apartment complexes in Denver. We would like to begin our ministry in Denver with Apartment Life. This organization places Cares Teams in apartment complexes with the purpose of developing community and ministering to the tenants. They have recently met with three companies that expressed a high interest in this amenity. Pray that these new mission fields will be opened in the Denver area.
3. Pray that an opening in Apartment Life will coincide with the selling of our home. Moving to Denver is not contingent on an opening in this ministry but it would be a great financial help and an opportunity for God to place us where He wants us. Otherwise, we have pretty much settled on an apartment complex in Lone Tree.
4. Pray for a job to provide income for our family. We have some friends that will continue to support us as we move to Denver but it will not be enough to sustain us. If the Apartment Life gig works out, I will probably consider school bus driving. An apartment is provide through Apartment Life (or at least at minimal cost) and I believe we could manage under those circumstances. If Apartment Life does not open immediately then I would need a more full time job.
5. Pray that Pattie and Rayanne will adjust to Denver. It's not easy making such a big move. My wife and daughter are very excited about the move and are 100% behind it but it does mean leaving people they love to go to a place where we know only a couple of people. Pray that we will find a church to partner with until our launch date. Getting Rayanne in a youth group and being around other believers will be very helpful.
6. Pray for Denver. Pray that God will prepare the hearts of people to readily accept the Gospel and will partner with us in reaching Denver. I am thankful that Bob and Monica are going with us as our Worship leaders but we will need others to join our team - musicians, children's ministry, sound and video techs, creative set designers, artists, computer expert, nursery, etc.

Your prayers mean a lot to us. Prayer changes things. Prayers empower, encourage, lift, and set us free. Prayer reminds us that we can't do this alone. We need God and you. We will fail by ourselves. Prayer is essential.

Geronimo!

Sorry for the delays in getting this blog going but finally it is here. One of the craziest things I have ever done is jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Having never done it, I hardly slept the night before. I was scared. But I went through with it and it was scary but also awesome, unbelievable, freeing, and inspiring all at the same time. But I would have never jumped if I hadn't been confident that my parachute would open. Sometimes following God feels like jumping out of an airplane. You take a leap of faith even though you have no idea what the outcome is going to be. Its a little scary but you will never experience the thrill unless you take that leap. And you are able to do it because you have confidence in the One who has called you. This move to Denver is a leap of faith. There are a lot of unknowns but the one thing that is known - that God has called us and is with us - enables us to move. "Daring to move" is the next chapter (chapter 6) in the story of my life. I hope you will follow along, interact, share your thoughts and life with me as I share our life with you.