Merry Christmas!

I love this time of year. It is an exciting mixture of celebration and reflection.

We celebrate, as believers, the birth of the Messiah. It is a reminder of God's love for us and the hope we have in Christ...that he will fulfill all of his promises.

We celebrate with family and friends. It is a time to see people we only visit with once or twice a year. Even visiting those we see all the time seems to take on more meaning.

We reflect on how blessed we are. God has provided us with all we need and so much more. This year Carrie and I have realized this at a whole new level.

We reflect on everthing that has happened to and through us this year. With my role changing to Executive Minister at Christ's Church and Carrie being selected "teacher of the year" for her school we have had a lot happen this year.

We pray that you and your families will have an incredible Christmas season full of celebration and reflection.

Faith

(From a recent sermon)

Faith is personal, not global
Faith is action, not words
Faith is unleashed, not controlled
Faith is God at work, not man in charge
Faith is love, not judgment
Faith is others driven, not inward focused
Faith is open to all and closed to none
Faith is exciting, not down in the mouth
Faith takes us off the beaten road
Faith takes us to the hurt, hungry, and hopeless
Faith gets us dirty
Faith makes us smell like the people we love on
Faith points to God, not man
Faith heals
Faith conquers
Faith loves
Faith reaches out
Faith reaches down
Faith raises hands in praise to the one in whom our faith is in

No where in the scripture does it say that faith rests, dies, or is disabled.

It does say faith brings forgiveness
Strength
Salvation
Wisdom
Assurance
Life
Hope
Love

In Mark 9:23 Jesus says, “The one who has faith can do all things!”

If you have that type of faith, how can you sit on the sidelines of life and not get personally involved with those around.

Update

It has been a while since I have written, so I thought I would post a general update.

Here is what has been going on:

• Carrie and I went to West Virginia for Thanksgiving to see family. It was a great time! The highlight of the trip was getting to preach at my mom's church. It was the first time she has ever heard me preach. Here is a picture of my mom, brother and his family, and sister and her family.

• I am wrapping up my first master's class. I just finished my research project and realized that writing papers ( this one was over 20 pages) take longer when you care about the paper and subject than when you are just trying to get it done...like I did in college.


• Carrie has been selected as Teacher of the Year at her school and now is in the running to be Teacher of the Year for our district. I am sooooooo proud of her. She really deserves it!!!

• Carrie and I are wrapping up our time serving our Camden County Campus. It has been and incredible experience and we look forward to seeing what God does on this campus. We know that God also has great plans for us on our main campus in Mandarin.

OK....this is probably the best part. I got to see my nephew (Cameron) and two nieces (Ashley and Olivia) at Thanksgiving. If you have read this blog for any length of time, then you know I am Uncle Sucker and will do whatever they want or buy them what they want! Here are a few pics.

This is Ashley. We got her the Hannah Montanna DVD game. She beat me...but I did get several questions right!

This is Cameron. We got him this truck...mainly so I could play with it also!

This is Olivia. We got her a talking Dora doll that you program to say different names. Of course I programed it to say "Olivia, I like David. Do you like David?" It was great. I also was the uncle that fed her fudge and let her drink my coke. She loved me!

Incredible Experience!!

Earlier this year I got to go to my first Gator football game.

Today I went to my second!

It was a whole different experience. Thanks to my friends Joe and Amy, I was able to see the game from the 2nd row back at the 47 yard line behind the University of Florida bench!

I took my camera a got a few decent pictures. You can see them by going to http://picasaweb.google.com/ChristsChurchSports and clicking on the Gator Football Game album. I'll warn you that I took a lot of pictures!!

Coach Training Videos

Cameron LeSage and I have been working on a website that will allow us to better train the coaches of our youth sports in both the fundamentals of the game and the Christian principals we want them to put in practice.

As soon as the website it up I will post a link to it here. But for now, here is a sample of the video clips we are working on. Keep in mind, to put the clips online we had to downgrade from the DVD quality we created them in.

Jacksonville Air Show

Last Saturday, Carrie and I spent the day at Jacksonville Beach for the Sea and Sky Spectacular. We had a great time on a beautiful day!

To see the pictures online, you can click here.

Last Sunday we had a short service so our congregation could, well, go be the church!

Below are a couple of videos from that experience that we used in our service today.

Click here to see some pictures from the Faith In Action Sunday.

Here are some pics from our Celebration Sunday today. We had a blast at Chick-Fil-A!

A "Pro" To Listen To

This is an exciting week to be a Jaguars fan. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get tickets to the upcoming Monday Night Football game, but I can't wait to see the Jags take on the Colts.

I've been reading all I can about the team this week. This morning I read an article on www.ultimatejaguars.com that both surprised and challenged me. I knew we had a lot of Christians on our local NFL team, but it is always nice to here them talk about it.

Rashean Mathis just went to his first pro-bowl last year. When asked about why we don't see many stories about him in the papers he answered,

Two years ago I dedicated my life to Christ so all the clubbing and all that has stopped. Other than my house, and Titus Harvest Dome Spectrum [church] there aren't too many other places you'll find me other than here in this locker room.

In a day where we here so many negatives about professional athletes it was refreshing to read this article. Mathis shares much more about his faith in the article. He is a true 'pro' in many ways in his life.

I recommend checking it out by click here.

I Love My Church!

Any time you get a group of imperfect people together you will have moments in which you struggle. That is a fact of interpersonal dynamics.

Ideas will clash. Personalities won't match. There will be too many leaders sometimes and no leaders at other times.

Sometimes it feels like the "squeaky wheel" gets the attention while the "flat tire" works hard by itself to just keep rolling.

We have all experienced situations like that. If you haven't, then it is time to get out of your house!

What makes some groups thrive and others wither is how they handle those times.

I love the staff I serve with at Christ's Church. We are not a perfect group, but a passionate group with a God size desire to see people come to know Christ and grow in their relationship with him.

Sometimes we need to be reminded of that. That reminder came for me last week as we all put our programs, schedules, and to do list's aside to serve a family in our community of believers in a real and tangible way.

It has been called "Extreme Home Makeover: Christ's Church Edition!" Our staff took Thursday to gut out their home...which was in great need of some TLC...and then fix it up. Several of us went back on Friday and others went on Saturday. Basically we have had staff at this home everyday for the last week working on it to make sure it all gets done!

Here is a video we showed our church on Sunday morning about this event. We are doing a series called "Faith In Action."




Take a look at the video from my friend Daniel Decker. It is a "behind the scenes" look at our work on Thursday.

A Heartfelt Prayer Request

My good friend and one of the ministers at our church, Arron Chambers, posted on his blog about a friend of his in Myanmar.

Judah came with Arron and his wife, Rhonda, to one of our flag football games last March when he was visiting them. I remember watching him play flag football with the kids, even though he didn't really know much about the game. It was fun to watch.

I don't know Judah, but my heart breaks for the circumstance he, and so many other believers, find themselves in right now.

Please take time to read the story Arron placed in his website and then commit to pray for Judah.

Are You Up For A Challenge?

OK...I've been struggling with something that I know a lot of others struggle with. Especially if you have ever been on a mission trip.

How do you keep the same excitement and closeness to God in your everyday life that you have on a mission trip or camp or (you fill in the blank for a time you were closest to God)?

As I have been praying, reading, and talking to others about this, I've come up with several principles you can put into practice. After all, this blog was started on the mindset of "running straight to the goal with purpose in every step." These are steps we must purposefully take to reach that goal.

1. This is not just a cliche. You have to pray. Think about this. On my recent trip to Honduras I spent hours in prayer leading up to the trip asking God to make me a servant, to keep the team safe, to help me lead, to open our eyes to what He wants us to see. Our team had hundreds of people around the world praying for us. On the trip, we began every morning with prayer and devotion time together as a team. What would my life look like if I approached every week of my life with that much intense and purposeful prayer?



2. "The civilized Christian has a routine; the barbarian disciple has a mission." (From The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus...a must read for every believer!) Every successful organization clearly understands their mission. They place it in front of them at all times. Every decision they make is held up against that mission to see if it falls in line or not. They are evaluating their results to see if they match the mission. Are you getting the point? What is your mission? My mission was clear on my trip. I knew I was there to serve and love people the way God would. I had no routine to get in the way.



3. "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and receive power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:16, NLT On my recent trip I was truly filled with the fullness of life. I don't always feel that in my everyday life. The difference is that I do not always seek to experience the love of Christ. On this trip I expected to experience the love of Christ...was that my first thought when I woke up this morning? Unfortunately not. I started thinking through my day and how much rain we had last night (12 inches in 24 hours!) So, ask yourself, "How can I experience the love of Christ?" I've learned it comes from serving and spending time with God and other Christians who are in love with God.

Pray on purpose. Live on mission. Love always.

They don't sound so difficult. Will you accept the challenge to follow these steps and see how they change your life?

Veronica's Eyes

I have not had much time to post thoughts about my Honduras trip. I am working on another video that I hope to have up by the end of this week.

Here is a picture that I cannot get away from. I have it as the backdrop on my work and personal computer. This is Veronica. She had one of the most contagious laughs. I loved taking pictures of her and then showing her. She would bend over laughing at it and then want another picture taken.

Every time I see this picture, I find myself staring into her eyes. I think it is the hope I see in them at keeps drawing me in. I met her in a village (I cannot even begin to spell it!) where we passed out clothes. We also had a craft for the kids (fruit loop necklaces).

Some Special Teens

We have some special teens at our church.

The more I spend time with them, the more impressed I am by them. Three of the teens (Lindsey Marks, Sarah Joseph, and Jordan Stancil) all came up to our Camden County Campus this morning to join us in worship. I appreciated their encouragement and so did the members of that campus.

Not only did they come up, but they want to help out however they can. They want to help with the kids and youth ministries on this smaller campus.

OK...all of that is cool, but it doesn't compare to their compassionate heart.

Two Saturdays ago, Lindsey and Jordan decided they wanted to serve our community so they went and bought bread and stuff to make sandwiches. After making about 30 lunches they went downtown Jacksonville to pass them out to those who were homeless and hungry.

That is being the hands and feet of God. It is easy to walk away or to put ideas like that in the back of your mind while getting busy with something else. Instead, they acted on the idea. They put their faith in action.

In doing so, they set an example for all other believers to follow.

To those teens: For what it is worth...I am so proud to be friends with you guys!!!!

Honduras Trip A Great Success!!

For the next several days I will be posting pics and videos from the trip I just returned from. It was another incredible experience in Honduras.

I return with a renewed passion for life, love, serving and God!

Many of the children and youth at my church donated soccer jerseys, shoes, balls, and other equipment for us to take and deliver. Here is a video for them.

Power of Positive Energy

I recently signed up to receive an e-newsletter from Jon Gordon, author of The Energy Bus. This is a book I have been looking for in our local bookstores, but they have been sold out...I think that is a sign of a good book! I guess I will have to order it online.

His e-newsletter today was something everyone needs to read...especially if you are involved in sports at any level. Here is an excerpt:

The Secret to Winning
This past Friday, Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio shocked the sports world by announcing that they were releasing Byron Leftwich, their starting quarterback, and replacing him with David Garrard. Coach Del Rio stated that he not only thought Garrard was the better quarterback but that he also brought more “positive energy” to the position and team. He said, “positive energy is something we covet.”

Del Rio, like all great leaders and coaches knows an important secret. If you want to win, ironically, you don’t focus on winning. You focus on the positive energy and attitude and development of your people and team.

John Wooden, the legendary UCLA Basketball Coach, never focused on winning. He focused on developing his players. He focused on improving their fundamentals, skills, character and team work. He focused on people instead of outcomes and as a result he won….a lot.

...Whether its football, basketball, work or life, winning doesn’t happen by focusing on the points on the scoreboard. It happens when we focus on the people, skills, positive energy and teamwork that generate the points.

You can check out the entire article at http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-090307-SecretToWinning.html.

Lessons Learned From A Gator Game

Yesterday I had a 'Top 10' moment in life. I went to my first University of Florida football game.

It was their first game back at The Swamp since winning the BCS National Championship in January.

I went to the game with my father-in-law. We received tickets to the game from Carrie's sister. They were in the Touchdown Terrace which is in the north end zone. Our seats were incredible!

Being my first college football game, I really had no idea what to expect. When I thought about the game in the days leading up to it, I would get anxious. It would be a lot of new experiences, like the crowd...the parking...the crowd...finding the seats...the campus...the crowd (there were about 90,000 people at the game!).

Have you thought about some of the thoughts going through the mind of those going to your church or ministry for the first time? Think about that in relation to what made my experience so great.

• First was the personal invitation. When my father-in-law called to invite me to the game I couldn't believe it.

• Kimmie, my sister-in-law, is awesome!! She took care of all the details. We knew exactly where to go to park (at her boyfriend's place for free!) and meet her. She waited behind on us instead of going with her boyfriend and other friends for some pre-game fun so that we would know exactly where to go.

• To make sure I got the full experience (her dad has been to games before), Kimmie walked us around to see some of the fun hot spots around the stadium. She introduced us to several people along the way.

• She took us to the spot where her friends were all at and introduced us to everyone. They gave us a bottle of water and made us feel welcome.

• David, Kimmie's boyfriend, made sure we knew exactly where to go for our seats. They were great seats...did I mention that! We had an indoor air conditioned area with food and drinks and the seats were covered.

Do your visitors have that type of experience? What about those who come to your program (sports or whatever) for the first time? Every now and then we need a check up to make sure we are making the best first impression.

Disciple or Citizen?

Would you consider yourself a disciple or a citizen of the church?

Our calling is to make disciples, yet at times we seem to be better at making citizens.

I was challenged by this quote in a book I am re-reading, Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America.

The churches have become so accommodated to the American way of life that they are now domesticated, and it is no longer obvious what justifies their existence as particular communities. The religious loyalties that churches seem to claim and the social functions that they actually perform are at odds with each other. Discipleship has been absorbed into citizenship.

Here is the difference according to http://www.dictionary.com/:

Citizen - A resident, especially one entitled to vote and enjoy other privileges there.

Disciple - Someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another.

Without realizing it many churches have produced great citizens of their church. They have committed people who attend every week. They know what the church has to offer them and they enjoy taking full advantage of it. This church is only changing in ways that will make its members happier and more comfortable. It has been very cautious in the area of expectations out of fear of losing a 'tithing unit.'

A community that makes disciples in much different. They understand that the church is the people who gather each week. As those people leave the parking lot each weekend, they are still the church. Monday at work...they are the church. Tuesday at baseball practice...they are the church. Friday with the friends...they are the church.

A disciple making community is a risk taking community. It has expectations that are found in the Scripture. Expectations like membership, maturity, and real ministry that engages people where they are.

I am proud of the community of believers I am a part of. I love the mission we share to "Make Disciples: More Disciples and Better Disciples." We certainly have some citizens among us...but they are starting to wake up to the reality they were not called to dwell in one comfortable place, but to go into all the world with a mission of love and a message of hope.

Are you a citizen or disciple? There is a difference.

Expectations

I have been thinking about this word a lot lately. Expectations.

A couple of weeks ago my sister (Angel) called me to share that she is 'expecting' her third child.

Yesterday, my brother (Jimmy) called me to share that his wife (Sarah) is 'expecting' their second child.

Expectations can be exciting! I am so happy for Jimmy & Sarah and Angel & David for their expectation of a new child in their life. They are great parents who love God and their family. They deserve all the best God has for them.

One the other hand, expectations can also bring disappointment. Carrie and I want to be 'expecting' a child of our own.

WARNING: This makes me vulnerable. Please handle with care!

Let's face it...we don't always get what we want. Some times it is that we don't ever get it and other times it just doesn't happen on our timeline.

After a couple of intentional years of trying to have a child, Carrie (who I love more today than I ever have!) and I have had some of our expectations vanish. I'm 33 and I 'expected' to be a dad by now.

So what do we do with that type of reality in our life. The kind that we don't want anyone to know about or even acknowledge. After all, I don't know anyone, Christian or not, that doesn't face that type of reality at some point in their life. We all have expectations that are taken away or not revealed when we want them to be.

When I get wrapped up in thinking about it, I can get down. It upsets me. I realize how weak I am. I sometimes get frustrated and disappointed at the same time.

Here are the standard phrases I have used with others going through their tough 'reality' in the past. "Hang in there." "Keep praying about it." "Praise God anyway." "God is in control." "This will only make you stronger."

Sometimes these can sound so shallow. They are not meant that way, but they can come across that way.

Here is the question that helps me get perspective again. It is what was going through my mind yesterday when I was running on the treadmill at the YMCA.

Do I still love God no matter what?

Yes...and I know he loves me and Carrie no matter what as well. Sometimes that is the only thing you can accept...and that is OK. I may never be able to explain all that is going on around me, but I love God...no matter what.

By the way, we are not giving up on having children. Don't take this that we are in dire circumstances. It is just taking longer than we would like.

And we are extremely excited about my brother and sister. We can't wait to see you guys at Thanksgiving!

BIG problems need BIG solutions

Last month I started getting this magazine in my box at work. I had no idea where it came from. I have to admit...I wasn't too impressed at first because the cover story was about Al Gore and I'm not much of a fan, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

I know, I know...you are not supposed to judge a book, or magazine, by it's cover. Lesson learned.

My friend Jason Cullum (www.TheFissionGroup.com/blog) signed me up for this magazine when he received a free subscription by renewing his. Once I learned who it came from, I knew it had to be a valuable magazine.

Jason is a business guy. He is a student of leadership. He is a great leader himself. He is the type of guy that if he is reading something, I want to read it.

Well, I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was challenged.

The cover story of the latest issue of Fast Company Magazine is about Adam Werbach. He is an environmentalist who decided to go to work for the ultimate enemy of their movement... Walmart. In doing so, the guy who was the president of the Sierra Club at age 23 was cast out of the inner circle of the environment movement.

While I may not totally agree with all of his points, I was challenged by a quote he made.

He says the company (Walmart) offers him the organizational leverage to make change rapidly and on a scale that the traditional environmental establishment just
can't provide. The movement, he says, "is not willing to suggest solutions that are as big as the problems."

Did you catch that? He decided that being on the outside complaining about the corporate giant was not making an impact, so he took his 'movement' inside the company.

He came up with a solution that was as big as the problem.

Many churches could benefit from this 'big solution' type of thinking. Is our traditional movement having an impact on the huge problems facing society today? No.

The radical solution is not a new one. Jesus said we were to go in to all the world and make disciples. That means we get into the 'problem' where it is dirty and challenging. It is work. It is about people we don't like to be around. People who sin. People who hurt other people. People who just hurt. It may put us in danger at times. It will challenge our stereotypical beliefs on society. It will reveal our prejudices and hypocrisy. It will make us tired. It will make us stronger.

Too many traditional church 'movements' stand on the outside and complain.

They are not willing to suggust solutions that are as big as the problem.

I love my church. It is a great church. But it can be a lazy church. It can be a judgemental church. As a church leader I am often a part of the problem. I fear the backlash of engaging the world on such a level. Adam Werbach suffered great backlash from his traditional peers.

One person said about him,

"For you to believe that you and your little lonesome are changing something with a million-and-a-half employees, $350 billion of sales, well, there's a level of ego there that just is staggering."

One man 'and his little lonesome' is changing a corporate giant.

Imagine what you and God can do.

Self-Evaluation

Have you heard the saying "you are your worst critic?"

Taking an honest look at how we perform certain tasks or the quality we are able to produce is important in our growth process...not easy...but important.

I started this blog with the verse in mind,

"So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step."

1 Corinthians 9:26

What is the purpose of doing such an evaluation?

• to grow in your profession
• to grow spiritually
• to grasp where you honestly are in relation to your goals
• honest analysis

If you walk away from a self-evaluation feeling beat up, you have missed the purpose. Yes, we need to be 'brutally honest' with where we are, but that is for the purpose of charting the next step in your growth process. Too many people get stuck in the 'brutally honest' stage and live there without taking the next step of change.

Remember...to continue to do the same thing over and over and expect different results is the definition of insanity!

Why this post? I video taped our service at Camden County the last Sunday. The church is a great place to be right now. There is excitement and growth, but I wanted to get an honest look at how our services run. I also wanted to hear my sermon.

I have to admit parts of it were rough to see (especially a few spots in my sermon...I didn't know I used my hands so much!) I printed out a few snapshots from the video and showed it to the leadership team. This is a group of leaders that want to grow. They saw the pictures and said what can we do to make this a more comfortable place to worship God. We took it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and take action. It has turned into a great experience!

I Am Christ's Church

This Sunday we start a new series at our church called "I Am Christ's Church." It is one I am very excited about.

Below is a video we created for our members to pass out to share with friends and family about our church.

A Good Book...

I am reading the book Simple Church, by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger.

I would highly recommend it to anyone involved in church ministry...either volunteer or on staff.

Rainer has written many good books on evangelism and church growth. This book is different. It is based on research that revealed the most effective, healthy and growing churches are those that have simplified. He debunks the myth that more programs mean you are reaching more people and being more effective.

"Ironically people are hungry for simple because the world has become much more complex." (page 8). He then lists many companies who have grasped this concept.

• Google - Have you noticed who simple their search page is at http://www.google.com/.


• Apple - The have the entire iMac computer in one unit with the monitor. They started the whole 'plug and play' mantra.


• Southwest Airlines - Simple flights with no hubs (you don't have to fly to Atlanta to get from Dallas to LA!)


• Papa John's Pizza - They chose to just focus on pizza which allowed them to get better ingredients at better prices. They chose one thing and became experts at it.


• Designers - Simple is in. For example, check out http://www.realsimple.com/.

We all have a desire to have our life simplified. Why do we in church sometimes make that difficult with all we offer and expect.

As I have been looking at how to best help our leadership team at our Camden County campus, I have learned that simple is the answer. We want a simple process (this means it moves people along a journey of intentional growth) that allows individuals to connect to Christ, grow in Christ and serve Christ.

The Sunday morning service is our time to connect. Small Groups are how we grow in Christ while building relationships with others. Understand how God SHAPED and volunteering is how we serve him and our community.

Camden County Update

God is doing great things at our Camden County campus. I am excited to be a part of it!

If you don't know, last Sunday (Aug 5) marked the first Sunday of me serving that campus on a weekly basis. Carrie and I will be with them each week through the end of this year. After that we will take time to evaluate what is going on and what the next step is.

This week we had 66 people! Considering they have been formally meeting since Easter this is great! That represents the most they have had in any service yet.

Keep praying for this dedicated group. It can be very tiring working a full time job, having a family, and volunteering countless hours leading a new ministry. I am honored to work with these men and women.

My role at our main campus running youth sports will not be changing. Add in the weekly duties of this new role and a master's level class I am taking, it will be a busy fall. Pray for me to be wise with my time. I know I can fulfill all of my duties with excellence, but it will take a planned effort. Pray that I don't get to wrapped up in other stuff that I put Carrie on the back-burner. I want to be the best husband I can be.

Another Milestone

Today I celebrated another milestone in my process of becoming totally what God wants of me.

There is a process...which I believe is a great one...to being ordained for full time ministry at Christ's Church. This standard was established by the Elders of our church in conjunction with our senior pastor and executive pastor. One of those standards is obtaining a degree from a Christian college/university in religion. With my undergrad in business management I do not, at this time, meet that requirement.

To help non-traditional folks like myself who desire to fulfill their calling to full time ministry, they created a 'commissioning' process. Basically, it is an ordination that is renewed each year by our Elders upon their review of my progress towards goals we established up front. For me that means obtaining my Master's degree.

I am starting that process this month through Cincinnatti Christian Seminary. It is a Master of Arts in Religion and Pastoral Leadership.

All of that said, this morning during our monthly all-staff meeting I was commissioned into fulltime ministry at Christ's Church. The process involved our church leadership team laying their hands on me and the pastor praying for me. While I knew this was in the works, I had know idea it was going to happen today or what it would involve. (Thanks, Cameron, for taking the picture on your camera-phone!)

It may not seem like a big deal, but it is a vote of confidence by my church and a sign of my personal growth. I know I still have a long way to go.

This One Is Tough...Part 2

Last week I shared about Brad Meester's injury in the Jacksonville Jaguars spring training. I left that post with the question of what we do when we pray for something and God answer's it differently than the way we wanted.

We have all been there. It can be a confusing and frustrating time.

Beth Harkins (pictured standing in red shirt giving her testimony after a soccer game in Paraguay this summer) is one of my new friends. She plays in our adult coed flag football and attends our Sunday night service (The Well). Beth is also and assistant coach for Mandarin High School ladies soccer.

This summer she was able to participate in a trip with Athletes in Action. She went to Paraguay to play in a soccer tournament, do soccer clinics, and share God's love with the locals using soccer to build relationships.

In her words, here is a story that shares how God can work...even when we don't understand what he is doing.

“From the beginning in Canada, we experienced some trials that tested our trust in God. The day we were leaving for Paraguay, we had a training session in the morning. With about a minute left our keeper, Jamie, dove left and her knee stayed right. The doctor told Jamie she would not be able to play and that sitting on a plane for 10 hours would not be very comfortable. So Jamie flew home; the rest of us flew to Paraguay unsure of why this happened now and who was going to be our keeper.

On the seventh night is when we began to understand why Jamie, our original goalkeeper, was not on our trip with us. Two of my teammates had shared their testimonies. Then Anna, our goalkeeper from Paraguay, began to tell us through our translator about her story. That night Anna prayed to accept Jesus Christ as her Savior! This was such an amazing night for all of us. It reminded me of the verse in Genesis that says "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

I pray that in every circumstance you will allow God to work in your life. You never know who's life will be changed because of what God is doing in you!

A Child's Prayer

Last night in our youth soccer (Which has been going great! I love indoor soccer in July!), I asked the K-1 grade players if any of them wanted to pray for us before we played the game. A couple of hands went up, and I chose a young girl to step up and pray while I held the microphone.

"Dear God, thank you for letting us be able to play soccer today. Help everyone have fun. Please don't let my mom and dad be separated anymore. Let us have fun. Amen."

I have to admit...I was at a loss for words. I don't know that child's particular situation...and if I did I would not write about it here.

All I know is that there is some situation that caused this young girl to pray for her family.

Coming from a home that was rocked by divorce, I understand that child's prayer. It just served to remind me that in our sports we are "more than just a game." We are a community that can come together and pray for and with one another.

Will you say a prayer for that child today? God knows exactly who she is and what her situation needs.

This One Is Tough

Last week I posted a blog about the conversation I had with Brad Meester. I asked him how we, as fans, could be praying for him and the team as they entered training camp. One of the things he said was for them to be safe and have no injuries.

That is why this morning was difficult.

I got my camera and went to the Jags training camp this morning. My number one goal was to get some nice action shots of Brad. When I arrived I just looked around for the big guys. I quickly realized they are ALL big guys!

I stuck around for about 30 minutes and never once saw Brad. I figured he had to miss the morning session for some reason. On the way back to the church I realized why.

"A breaking story from Jags training camp," the sport's radio show host said. "Brad Meester, the center for the Jags cracked the bone in his ankle in practice last night and will have surgery this Wednesday to repair it. He will be out 8-10 weeks."

How do you reconcile someone asking prayer for safety for him and his team and the, three days into camp, he breaks his ankle?

Be it praying for health and safety or any other issue, we all will go through times when what we pray for and what we get are two different things. Think about times in your life when that is the case. How did you feel? Did your trust in God waiver at all? How did you explain it to other people...both Christians and non-Christians?

Check back Wednesday for my response and a story that may make the point a little better.

"It's like any other job."

I had a good conversation this morning with Brad Meester, the center for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is an active member of our church and a great guy.

This morning's conversation centered around a "Special Edition" of our church sports e-newsletter I am working on for next week. With the Jaguars on their way back to training camp, I wanted to know from him, and a few other players, what it is like being a Christian in the world of professional sports and how can we, as fans, pray for them as the season starts up.

I asked Brad if it was difficult being a Christian in the NFL. He said, "Yes and no. It's like any other job. It definitely has hard moments like anywhere else."

One thing that has helped Brad out is getting involved in small groups. When he came to the Jaguars in 2000 he got plugged in with the team chapel services on Saturday nights and small group Bible studies with teammates Mark Brunnell and Tony Boselli.

In 2001 he started going to Christ's Church and got plugged in with our small groups ministry. He and his wife, Jamie, have been involved in a small group ever since. He told me these small groups have helped him open up about his faith.

I will share more in the e-sports page next week (to sign up to receive it each week go to http://www.sports.ccontheweb.info/). I do want to let you know how you can be praying for Brad as he starts training camp on Friday.

He mentioned to things.

1. The health and safety of all the players...that it will be an injury free season.


2. For ways to reach out to the players who are not Christians and that God will use him during the season. They have a lot of new players. That means more opportunities to build relationships and influence people for Christ.

I'll let you know in the e-sports page what he thinks about he Jaguars upcoming season.

Haunted by Pink Flamingos!

So...I was standing in line for lunch today when a couple of kids came up behind me and started singing this "Pink Flamingo" chant/song/cheer/thingy.

If you were at Bible Boot Camp last month, or had kids go, you have probably heard about the 'pink flamingo' cheer. One of the cabins called themselves that and came up with the cheer. By the end of the camp everyone else was singing the cheer.

I was a bit surprised to have the kids standing behind me today singing it. They saw me come in, got up from their table, and came over and started singing it.

After going to my table, I had another boy walk up to me with his Christ's Church flag football shirt on. We talked for a few minutes about the season.

This lunch served as a reminder that we are to be authentic and real everywhere we go. You never know who is watching and what they will learn from your actions.

Milestones

This week I hit a couple milestones in golf...well, I didn't really 'hit' them. I just acheived something. I will admit these may not seem like much, but to me they represent growth.

On Thursday I beat our senior pastor, Dennis, on one hole. I made par and he made a bogey. Don't get me wrong...he beat me in the round, but I did something I have never done.

This is one of those small moments in life (especially my golfing life) that I needed to celebrate. Don't get me wrong...I didn't come close to beating him in the round. Actually no one on staff has ever beat him in a round of golf.

Well, today (Saturday) I beat my friend Bob Pan (you've been blogged!) on one hole. Again, he did much better than me on the round, but I beat him on that one par 5.

Why are these milestones big to me? They show that I have the potential to play golf at the level of people like Dennis and Bob. They show that I have improved in golf over the last couple of years. And they show that I still have a long way to go.

I believe it is important to find people who are better than I am in areas and spend as much time with them as possible in that area. Having the opportunity to 'measure up' against individuals like that is even more valuable to me. Those are the 'milestones' like I experienced in golf this week.

Milestones are only as good as what you do with them. They may be big things or small. The key is to use them as a measuring tool that motivates you to further action.

Check out this story about a waitress in Indiana who recieved a $10,000 tip to go to college on. Talking about a huge milestone!!

My Prayer Life Challenged

I read this passage today in Colossians.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Don't forget to pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to preach about his secret plan - that Christ is also for you Gentiles. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Colossians 4:2-4 (New Living Translation)

When I first read this I started asking myself if I prayed with an alert mind and thankful heart. I quickly decided that I did, for the most part, and started moving on to the next verses...and then it hit me! I am very greedy when I pray!

Did you catch what Paul said here. "...I am here in chains." He was literally chained up! Paul wrote this from jail in Rome, yet his request was not to pray for his quick release. Instead he asks the church in Colosse to pray that God "will give us many opportunities to preach...".

If I was in jail writing a letter to a church, I would probably make it about me and what all I have gone through and blah, blah, blah. But Paul said to pray for him that he has a chance to minister to others. Actually, in the next 2 verses he says,

Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. Let you conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.

This whole passage has really challenged my self-centered nature when I pray. I have always struggled with the "God, expand my territories" prayers, but in other ways I put the emphasis on me and not on praying "Father, not my will, but yours be done."

Belief without Practice...

I have been reading a book I was given a long time ago called Next Door and Down The Freeway, edited by Neil Wiseman.

In one of the chapters, written by Bill Sullivan, is a quote by George Gallup. He says "Belief without practice is producing an indifferent population." That is a phrase that should challenge each of us.

Think about this.

When I did financial counseling I would use the phrase "Putting principles into practice for a purpose." If you know the principles you want to live by and you know what your purpose is, that defines your practices. If you choose not to act in a way that is in align with those principles and your purpose, then you are lying to yourself.

When you have 3 variables in a formula, you can only choose what 2 of those are. Once those are chosen, the third variable will automatically be calculated. If you choose the principles (God is love) and the purpose (My purpose is to be like God) then the practice is determined for you (I must be love). If I am not love then I either don't really have that purpose or that principle.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is the hypocritical notion that one can say they believe in God and say their purpose is to be like Him, yet they do not put that into action.

Consider these verses from Jame 2.

So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all - it is dead and useless.

...Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?

...So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

...Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.

Never Say Never

Last Friday night I did something I said I would never do.

Carrie and I took a ball room dance lesson.

It was "Dancing With The Stiff" (for Carrie, anyway)

Actually...this is hard to say...I had fun. It was a private lesson with us and two other couples who are great friends or ours. One of the couples have dancing experience (they have won competitions together) and the other was a beginning couple like me and Carrie.

We learned the basics of the Cha Cha and the Fox Trot.

Several people have asked me if I would do it again...and I think I would. I grew up being told that dancing is bad. While I certainly agree that it can lead to improper behavior...and dress as far as that goes...what Carrie and I did was a great couples time. We learned something new together. We laughed together. We moved around a floor to music while staring into each other's eyes with smiles on our faces.

It was a great time.

So...what have you said you would never do? You may be missing out on something fun!

The Drum Major Instinct

This morning was the funeral of JD Hall. It was a celebration of a man who understood his role in life was to make others better.

It was a very diverse crowd in attendance. The crowd of about 2500 (according to the Florida Times Union) heard both moving and humorous stories about Coach Hall. Everyone reflected on his character and integrity and how his desire was to instill those values in his players and all he was in relationship with.

His uncle was one of those who paid tribute to him. His method for doing so was to recite portions of The Drum Major Instinct, a sermon delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. (I highly recommend taking time to read it...click here for the text.)

King says the Drum Major Instinct is that desire in each person to want to be out front and receive praise. Here is a portion of what was read today. It is powerful.

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. ...

¨ I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.

¨ I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

¨ I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

¨ I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.

¨ And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

¨ I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.

¨ I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. …

If I can help somebody as I pass along,

If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,

If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,

Then my living will not be in vain.

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,

If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,

If I can spread the message as the master taught,

Then my living will not be in vain.

I was honored have a small role in this funeral. It was incredible to sit on the stage and watch the crowd respond to that which was being said.

Volleyball Playoffs Video

Jordan Stancil put together this video from footage he took during the playoffs. The two different leagues are intertwined in the video. Enjoy!!

Thanks Jordan!

Leaving A Legacy

The death of JD Hall, Mandarin High School football coach, friend and member of our church, has caused me to do a lot of thinking today.

For one thing, he was 35 and died suddenly of a massive heart attack. I am 33 and could be in much better shape and live a healthier life than I do now.

What I have thought about most, however, is Coach Hall's legacy.

A co-worker came in my office today and we started talking about how we answer the tough questions people are asking. You know..ones like "Why would God take the life of someone who is doing so much good?"

Perhaps God wants to use the life and legacy of Coach Hall to inspire and challenge the rest of us who knew him.

The one thing I have heard the most is how much he cared for the players on his team. His philosophy was to develop the character of the players first and to develop the skills of the player secondly.

Have you ever thought about what your legacy will be? Are you purposefully living a life so that you leave the legacy God wants of you?

I call this blog "Purpose In Every Step" because that is how I want to live my life.

The Highs and Lows of Life

This morning I have great mixed feelings.

Yesterday was an incredible day. I preached at our Camden County campus again. We had 50 people show up for services which is a milestone for the young congregation. After the service we had a great time of fellowship at Giligan's Island...a local park on a lake. It was incredible to look around and see all the people God has brought to this group and to think that just a few months ago they were 8 people meeting in a house. God is Good!

This morning is a low in life. I found out that our local high school football coach died of a heart attack on Saturday night. He was only 35. J.D. Hall was a great man and a friend. He was a member of our church and played in our flag football league. He was actually the MVP for this last season. I went to the school at his invitation this year for their signing day events. Seven of his graduating players received scholarships.

One thing that stuck out to me was his passion for his players. At the beginning of each season he would bring his entire team to one of our Sunday services. He wanted them to understand there was much more to life than football.

It is amazing to me how life can go from a high to a low in an instant with just one phone call. Now I am on my way to the high school to meet with some of the players and pray with them.

Pray for this team and the community. Pray that God will use this to change people's hearts for His sake.

Video of My Niece...Olivia

This is a video of my Olivia pics from vacation. Enjoy!

Uncle Sucker!

Well, we finally made it home about 1:30 this morning. Our flight from Detroit was changed (good thing we got to the airport early...we ended up taking a flight that left an hour earlier). Then our flight from Atlanta to Jacksonville was delayed for about 30 minutes. At least we made it home safe and sound.

Before we left Olivia....I mean Detroit...my brother, Jimmy, described the two of us perfectly. I was willing to get Olivia anything she wanted. That is when Jimmy described us as "Uncle Sucker...the brother of Daddy Sucker!"


If this picture is any indication, I think he is right. This is Olivia with the horse stuffed animal I bought her.

Carrie and I had a great time. This was one of the best vacations we have had together.

A Good Uncle

Being the good uncle, I got to teach Olivia how to shoot a basketball. It is never too early to learn!

Live...From Detroit

Carrie and I are in Detroit visiting my brother and his wife and daughter....mostly his daughter, Olivia! Here is a pic and you can see why.

Today we visited the Henry Ford Museum. It was neat to see all of the phases the automobile has gone through from the days of the horse and carriage and the bike!

While I am here I am working on a sermon for this weekend. It is a part of our 'Man Up' series that focuses on Friendship. The cool thing about working on it while here is that my brother, Jimmy, and I are learning what it means to be friends as adults.

In general, men need to learn how to have friends and be a friend. This is an area I need to work on. I have friends and I love being there for them. The flip side is that I don't go to guys as friends when I need help.

Well, back to vacation! I will try to update more later in the week.

Basic Training Camp

Since Wednesday I have been at Epworth By The Sea for another youth camp. This time it was with 3-4 graders. It was great...especially since Carrie got to go along with me as a counselor. My role was to do the sports and recreation.

On Saturday afternoon I set up a 100 foot slip-n-slide!

Check out Afton and Jordan enjoying the it.

Carrie and I are on our way out of town tomorrow morning to visit my brother in Detroit for a week. It should be a great time.

I will put more pics...and hopefully a video or two...here by the time I return next weekend that are from this camp. I have over 1100 pics just from this 4 day camp!

It's Not That Hard

Each Sunday our ministry staff gather at 7:45am to have a time of prayer before the services. Each week someone shares a verse and prayer.

This week it was our senior pastor's turn. Dennis shared from Micah 6, a passage I that continues to challenge me.

In verses 6 & 7 the people of Israel ask what they can do to restore their relationship with Christ. "Should we offer him thousands of rams and tens of thousands of rivers of olive oil? ...Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for the sins of ours souls?"

The response of the prophet Micah is remarkable.

"No, O people, the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

I needed to hear that yesterday and be reminded of what it is God wants me to do.

A Camden County Update...

I wanted to post this earlier, but it has been a crazy week.

Last Sunday I preached at our Camden County campus again. These guys are awesome! They are always loving and encouraging when I am with them.

I continue to be amazed and impressed by their commitment to getting this campus started.

We had at least 5 first time visitors last week (not counting the couples from my small group that went) and some came wanting to know what they needed to do to be baptized!! How awesome is that!!

Keep praying for the leaders of this campus. I am already looking forward to being up there again on June 24.

Camp Dynamite!

I spent this week at Epworth by the Sea in St. Simons Island, GA with our middle school camp. My role was to provide the morning and afternoon recreation time.

We had over 215 kids from our church attend between the 5-8 grades. I had a lot of fun getting to know them.

We played some crazy games (some pics to come later). There was the human snowman in which each team covered a camper in shaving cream. We had a sloppy slip and slide that had milk, syrup, salsa, soap and a bunch of other nasty stuff for the kids to slide on. The worse part of the whole week was cleaning that mess up!

I also put together a regular slip and slide one afternoon. At other times the campers actually bobbed for vienna sausages out of baked beans (disgusting!) and followed that up immediately with picking gummy bears out of a pile of flour.

It wasn't all sloppy games. We played a bunch of large group games and gave them some free time to play what the wanted....which always seemed to include dodge ball!

Next week I head back to the same camp grounds for our 3-4 grade camps. It is called Bible Boot Camp and should be fun as well. It will be better just because Carrie can go along with me.

4th-6th Grade Flag Football Video

Thanks to Jordan Stancil, one of the teens at the church, we have a video that highlights some of our 4th-6th grade flag football league.

Thanks Jordan!!

A "Vision" Reminder

I have been re-reading a book by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. called Church Leadership.

In it he focuses on vision, team, culture and integrity...all integral parts of effective church leadership.

Here is what Weems has to say about vision:

It is a dream. It is a picture of what is possible. Perhaps the best way to think of it is a "picture of a preferred future." Rosabeth Moss Kanter believes that such a picture must be in place before people can let go of the past and permit change to take place. As Aristotle put it, "The soul ...never thinks without a
picture."

I am now in the process of "dreaming" about the youth sports ministry at Christ's Church. Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing a lot of what that picture looks like. Exciting days are ahead!

As Bishop Rueben P. Job put it, "Vision allows us to see signs of the kingdom now, in our midst." Seeing God's kingdom in the midst of our youth sports....what a sight!

1st-3rd Grade Flag Football Video

Check out this video made by Jordan Stancil!

It is our 1st-3rd grade flag football season highlight video. Jordan does great work!



Thanks Jordan! I look forward to seeing other videos you create.

Golf Should Be A Team Sport

I played in a golf tournament yesterday and have decided that golf is much more fun as a team sport!

Our group did pretty good. We finished at 7-under par. There is no way any of us could have done that on our own...especially me!

Think about the benefits if golf was always a team sport:

• It would increase the chance of success.
• You could learn from each other's shots and swings.
• You would always have someone to keep you encouraged when you hit a bad shot.
• It would help you laugh more on the golf course.
• You could get honest critical feedback.
• Someone would be there to challenge you if your actions started getting out of line.
• You would have someone to help you loosen up and have fun with the game.
• You would have someone to validate your success story. (I made a 20 foot putt for an eagle!)

While these are all great reasons golf should be a team sport, they are also reasons why life was not meant to be lived alone. God designed us for community. As Christians we need good Christian friends who will provide us with all of those things listed above.

Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."

Is your life one you are trying to living out all alone or do you have a team helping you out? I am very glad I had a team on the golf course yesterday. It made a world of difference!

Busy Times

OK.....I will warn you upfront. This post is more personal information. I talk about what I have going on in life right now. It is just an update on what's happening.

These have been some busy times for me around our sports department.

Flag football wrapped up this weekend. We had a great day...but a long day. I got to the church around 6:30am to get stuff together for the cookout we did on the field. I finally got back to the church to drop stuff off about 5:15pm.

Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make this a great season. From coaches to referees, we could not do it without your support! It was so much fun to watch the 1-3rd graders play this season. This was the first season we had kids that young playing.

Besides flag football, our adult coed volleyball just wrapped up. Our leagues were on Monday and Tuesday nights and were probably some of the best leagues we have had here. Mike Boyer and Paul McCracken are my volunteer ministry leaders for the two leagues and they did a great job. I wasn't able to make it to the finals of either league, but knew these guys could handle what ever might come up.

I couldn't make the finals to our Monday night league because our summer golf tour is just getting started. Our second event was on Monday night and we had a great time! Tim Conlan is my volunteer ministry leader and he, and his team (Debbie Deinstadt, Scott Miller, Dave Butler, Annie White, and Danny Molter), have all planned out some great events. Tim has different formats for us to play at each event. Monday night we played Bingo, Bango, Bongo...I had never heard of it, but it was a lot of fun!

Now I am getting ready to go to camp the first two weeks of June to be the recreations guy. That is going to be a blast...especially the second week because Carrie gets to go with me as a counselor. I get to be as messy and creative as I would like. (If you have any fun ideas for large group games send me an email at DavidL@CContheWeb.com)

The third week of June I get a vacation! Carrie and I are going to Detroit to visit my brother and his family.

In the midst of all this, I am getting ready to start two brand new programs at our church this summer. We have youth indoor soccer starting July 14 for those in K-9th grade. This is going to be a lot of fun.

We are also starting "Just For Kicks" which is an indoor soccer program for kids with disabilities. I am very anxious about this one because I don't have any experience in this area. Luckily Carrie does...seeing how she teaches this population for a living.

My role here at church is changing slightly and I am extremely excited about it. Instead of doing some youth sports and some adult sports, from now on I am focusing all my efforts just with youth sports. This will give me a chance to get to know the kids and their parents better. It is hard giving up some of the adult sports, but this is certainly a great and strategic move for our sports department. Cameron LeSage is going to do a great job with all of the adult sports.

I am also in the process of writing to booklets that will be sent out to be printed in early July. One focuses on coaching youth sports to make it "more than just a game" and the other is geared towards parents and how they, from the stands, can make the youth sports experience "more than just a game." The coach's book will be a part of our Certified Coach Training program and the parent's booklet will be given to every parent in our sports.

I feel like God has given me a book to write that would be a bit more substantial than what I am currently working on. I would love to have a working manuscript of it by the end of this year. I will post more info on that later as I get going in this process.

While these are busy times, it is exciting to look at what all is going on and know that I am incredibly happy and know that I am in God's will. What a place to be!! If you don't know what that experience is like, let me know. I would love to talk to you (in person or email) about it.

Our Camden County Campus

This weekend I had the privilege of preaching at our Camden County campus. It was a great experience. I love the people there. They are passionate about what they are doing and have totally invested themselves into their ministry. I look forward to being with them several more times throughout the summer.

In my preparation for the sermon on discipleship (they are going through the 40 Days of Purpose series), I ran across a great little story.

Several years back during a Monday Night Football Game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the announcers said that Walter Payton had rushed the ball for over 9 miles in his career. The other announcer replied, "That is a huge distance...especially considering he has been knocked down every 4.6 yards of that 9 miles!"

That reminds me of our lives as Christians. We are here growing and learning to be more like Christ, but the devil is doing everything he can to knock us down at every opportunity. While it sounds so simplistic, the key is getting back up each time.

By getting back up every time he was knocked down, Walter Payton went on to be one of the best running backs ever in the NFL. What will they say about you?

All I know is I want to here, "Well done my good and faithfull servant." That comes from getting back up when the devil knocks you down.

Reality Check

I have been studying the fruit of the Spirit lately, as mention in Galatians 5:22-23. In doing so, I have really been challenged to examine my life and the "fruit" I put forth. It has been a real growth experience.

For a couple of weeks I have read and re-read these two verses. Then, as if for the first time, I continued to read the rest of the chapters...all remaining 3 verses of it!

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another."

These are the verses I needed to hear. I have been very concerned lately by the notion of Christians feeling it OK to compete in unChrist-like ways. I have been challenged, both by the way I live my life and what I see in others who proclaim Christ as their Saviour, that we have become lazy in our "following the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives."

It is so easy to compartmentalize our life into our Christian times and our personal time or our sports and recreation time or our work time or our.......you complete the sentence. We feel that it is OK to act a certain way because of the people we are around or because of the expectations of the event we are at.

Christ was Christ wherever he went. We are to be Christ wherever we go.

Christ was Christ no matter who was around. We are to be Christ no matter who is around.

After all, as Christians we are to grow to be like Christ. It is not always easy, but has a great reward!

A Crisis of Character

A popular quote is that sports don't build character they reveal it.

This was a tough weekend for our sports. Don't get me wrong...it had some great moments and stories, but it also presented some trials.

The funny thing about these trials is that I preached at our Camden County campus this morning and one of the points in the sermon on discipleship was "God uses trials to teach us to trust Him." It is as if he wants to immediately challenge me to see if I can, literally, practice what I preach!

Our church sports are designed to be a recreational (for fun) and instructional (a chance to learn the game). Satan continues, however, to try to make our sports based on competition in which one person must lose so another can win. OK...I know that is the ultimate outcome of games, but when that becomes the reason for playing...to make others lose so you can win...it moves away from God's purpose of sports and recreation and to a selfishness that is not Christlike.

Here in lies the trials we experienced this weekend. You would think that a church league would be safe from these issues, but some who call themselves Christians choose to yell and berate volunteer referees (good ones at that) to the point of the volunteers leaving in tears. Is this Christlike?

Some who call themselves Christians choose to coach in a way that they intentionally use plays that are not legal and tell the kids if they run it well they can get away with it. What does this teach the players? How is this like Christ?

From professional sports to church gyms and little league fields, character is becoming more and more a problem with players, coaches and fans involved with the games. Some say character is being who you say you are. A better way to say it may be that your character is how you act in the heat of the moment, regardless of what you say about yourself when things are going fine.

It is time to drop the excuses! We can no longer say "it's just competition" or "it's a part of the game". Those are excuses of the devil. There is nothing in scripture that says it is OK to act one way in a situation and another in a different.

It is wrong to yell at referees. It is wrong to try to cheat. It is wrong to allow your youth to think this activity is fine. It is time to take a stand for what is right.

It will not be easy. But it is a battle worth fighting.

If you know me, you know I like NASCAR. There is an interesting development going on right now in that sport. The most popular driver, Dale Earnhart, Jr, has announced he is leaving his current team at the end of this year. Almost everyone desires to have him, and his Budweiser sponsorship, on their team. He would bring a lot of money and fans.

One team that people have mentioned is Joe Gibbs Racing. Gibbs' character, however, will not let that happen. Nascar.com said in an article

But Earnhardt's car sponsor, Budweiser, could prevent a marriage with Gibbs from
happening. The Gibbs organization, whose owner Joe Gibbs is an ardent Christian,
is clearly reticent about bringing an alcohol sponsor on board.

That is character. They are not allowing money, fan support, or anything else pull them away from who they really are.

Often we let sports (or competition) pull us away from who we are as Christians. That is not Christlike...and that has to change.

FCA Golf Breakfast

The Players Championship in in town this week. This is a PGA tour event that brings the world's best golfers to Jacksonville. It is one of the premier golf events on the tour.

This morning I went to the FCA golf breakfast with some of the leaders in our golf ministry and some staff.

The incredible thing about this event is that it was full of local high school and college golf teams. The received a one day pass to see the practice rounds today if they attended the breakfast. Our church sponsored our local high school golf team to attend.

Tom Lehman was the keynote speaker and the event was attended by many pro golfers who will be competing this week.

The theme to Lehman's talk was "It doesn't matter where you start. It matters where you end." He shared his story while giving key points of never giving up...in golf or life. It takes passion and commitment to acheive the goals you have. They will keep you going through tough times when you feel like quiting.

He wrapped up his time by clearly laying out the plan of salvation. I was amazaed at the opportunity God provided to share His love with all of those local teenage golfers who were there just to watch the practice rounds later in the day.

Baptism Service

Last Sunday afternoon we had a service in which 45 people were baptized!!

It is awesome to see families baptized together...husbands and wives....mom and kids....or the whole family! One particular story that got to me was a father baptizing his three sons. The incredible part was the sons are 17, 24, and 28!

God is doing great things at Christ's Church. I'm excited to be a part of it.

From Average David to Captain Super!

This weekend was the annual children's musical. This "God's Gang" production has been a blast to go to the last couple of years, but this year it went to a whole new level.

I was asked if I would be in it. They needed a superhero, and, well....I was the obvious choice for such a role. OK....so no one else would do it and I was the probably the last choice, but, still, this was a childhood dream come true! I was to play a superhero on stage!

Cameron (my co-worker) sent me this picture this morning. He refuses to give up the name of who sent it to him. I figured I should get it out there myself before others do. I really had a lot of fun with this....probably too much fun!

Suns Baseball Game

Last Friday night we had almost 1,400 people from our church attend the Jacksonville Suns baseball game for their Faith night.

It was a lot of fun and great fellowship!

Avalon performed a concert after the game. It's been a while since I heard them. Now I remember why I used to like them so much. They were very passionate about the songs they performed and it was a great worship experience.

Take a Sabbath Rest

I didn't realize how busy I have been lately.

My dad called last week and asked what was wrong because I sounded sick.

One of the high school girls at flag football (my groovy friend Lindsey Marks) asked me Saturday what was up because I wasn't myself.

A co-worker asked if I was upset Sunday morning because I wasn't smiling.

Another teen, Michael Alvarez, asked if I was OK because I didn't look like normal self.

The funny thing is I felt just fine and thought I was being myself all along. It caused me to step back and take an inventory Monday morning of what all I had going on. Come to find out, I have been too busy.

It was all good stuff I was doing, don't get me wrong. Working in the church means Sundays are normally busy days. With the sports we have going on, Saturdays are normally busy also. That makes taking the typical "Sabbath" rest difficult.

The principle of the Sabbath is one each of us need to put in our life. The Hebrew word for sabbath is shabbat, which literally means "stop" or "cease". It means we must intentionally stop "doing" and take a break on a regular basis.

While I couldn't take a whole day off the beginning of this week, it is amazing what taking a few hours away for the purpose of just stopping can do for your energy level. When is the last time you had a sabbath rest?

Sports Ministry Conference Update

Last week I attended a sports ministry conference in North Carolina. It was one of the best conferences I have been to!

I was challenged in many ways to make sure the sports ministry at our church was more than just a program that people attended.

1 Timothy 4:8 says "Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next."

As the next few weeks unfold and we begin to evaluate our strategy for doing sports ministry and make the needed changes, I look forward to seeing what God is going to do. I have been reminded, once again, that it is not about me and my abilities, but rather God and what he wants to accomplish.