Today on People Of The Second Chance's blog there was a story and a link to this video below. This is powerful as we as a generation think about how we can really sacrifice to bring hope to the hopeless. Check it out and check out their cause. What is the thing that scares you to death that you just might need to be doing? Hit me up on twitter and facebook and let me know. … [Read more...]
is church life stifling your creativity?
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earlier this year i was reading Donald Miller's blog and came across this post on creativity. this week i am teaching twice on the place of arts and creativity in the church and as i remembered this post i became curious about what you think about how it fits. here is the post from Miller: When Solomon wrote Song of Songs, a dramatic opera about a young, poor woman who fell in love with a Shepherd king, do you think he had “the voice of the church” in his head? Do you think he was worried about what a group of people might think? Of course the evangelical church didn’t exist, then, and neither did the collective evangelical consciousness, but what I mean by that question is that if Solomon were writing today, and were writing an Opera for young kids about the ways of love, he would no doubt be attacked. My guess is the criticisms would be listed as such: 1. His opera does not mention God. Why wouldn’t he use this opportunity to bring people to God? He’s a Godless … [Read more...]
WHO’S APPROVAL ARE WE SEEKING?
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Over the past few months I have been drawn back to the Message Solo//Remix Devotional. Today I read in day 306 from 1 Thessalonians 2:3-8. I want to share this entire devo with you. If you don't have a copy of this, it is worth picking up. READ: Read the passage noting the word approval 3-5God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. Be assured that when we speak to you we're not after crowd approval—only God approval. Since we've been put through that battery of tests, you're guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you. 6-8Even though we had some standing as Christ's apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else. We weren't aloof with you. We took you just as you were. We … [Read more...]
FEATHERING LIFE
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As I looked down at my leg this morning there was a feather ever so gently kissing the denim between it and the skin of my thigh. I didn't really notice it until it caught my eye. Why? Because it was not weighing me down. There was no burden it was asking me to carry. It was light, soft and simply taking a short journey through my story of life. That's the funny thing about feathers of life...they are easy to carry!!! Their burden is light and asks nothing of us. However... Sunday I hopped a plane from DFW to Colorado. For the lack of wanting to pack a suite case that would need to be checked and go through the process of possible loss I packed all that I could into my backpack. There was also another backpack filled with camera gear. I had friends out here who wanted new photos done and so at their request along came backpack number 2. As I walked through the airport I realized what a load these bags were. They were burdensome to me. Every fifty feet or so I found myself having to … [Read more...]
FINDING THE RHYTHM OF LIFE
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Some of you may know that over the past couple of years I have had the privilege to be a part of a group of men that are taking a journey of life together. Two years ago none of us knew each other. We showed up in Estes Park, Colorado in hopes that this was not an Amway Scam or some sort of "leave us in the woods for dead" kind of thing. Sure enough it was neither. It was simply this vision of one man to help bring rhythm and pace to lives of young men before they found themselves burnt out and ready to quit. I have to say that at first my desire was nothing more than to come, get refreshed and replenished, and come home. I had no real desire to make friends. I had no real desire to pour out. I had not desire than to get refreshed. However, what actually happened was that I began to absolutely fall in love with group of guys they had assembled. They were all so legit, so real, so humble, and so willing to pour into others they had ever met. Out of this my heart began to soften. I felt … [Read more...]
THE BIRTH OF A SERMON (FROM CONCEPTION TO CULTIVATION)
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I love the creative process that goes into just about any and all projects. I love to see how each unique piece comes together to form a finished product. In the last couple of months I have stepped into some new and exciting roles within the role that I already have here at Compass. Not only am I responsible for the main speaking and teaching at our Roanoke campus and loving on our people, I have now taken on a bigger chunk of our preaching team. For those of you that don't know I am part of a church that is multi-site. What that means, is that we are one church, one budget, one staff, one eldership, MULTIPLE locations. Now most churches like ours have video at their other campuses while there is in person preaching at one of them. We however have a unique set-up in the fact that we have in person preaching at all of our locations. The beauty of that is the fact that we all write together. We collaborate on sermons prep and craft. Every Tuesday we get in a room and research, give … [Read more...]
I LOVE LIGHT
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Many of you know that one of my favorite things to do is take photos. So much so, that I have a side business in photography. This is what I have come to love about taking photos...I can control light. I control how much I let in. I control how much I allow to hit my subject. I control where the light goes. I control the intensity. I have the ability to control light. I love that I can make a seemingly dark area come to life with just a little bit of light. I love that there are different ways and different modifiers that help you produce different kinds of light for different settings. I LOVE LIGHT!!! As I began to think about this the other night I was reminded of John 12:46 where Jesus says, "I have come into the world as light, so that no one who believes in me should live in darkness." The reality is, is that if we love THE light, then we get to control the light that is given to the world around us. We control how much light we let out. We control where light goes. We control … [Read more...]
DOES YOUR STORY DRAW PEOPLE TO CHRIST OR YOU?
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This morning I am sitting outside at Starbucks reading and praying for people in our church. Now normally I would throw in my ear buds and tune out the world around me, but for some reason I noticed there is a pastor from one of the area churches sitting and sharing his story with a lady wanting to give her life to Christ. I have to tell you that I have been compelled by what I have eavesdropped on. (Don't judge, you do it too) His story is one that I am sure Hollywood would love to have for a script. It would be a number one box office hit. It is full of intrigue, famous people, drugs, and glitz. There is a dramatic conversion experience that almost makes Paul's conversion in the book of Acts look like a typical Sunday walk down the aisle. I have to admit that I have been completely entrenched in listening to this story this morning. It is an incredible story. The life change is unreal. He is now a pastor and God's used his story I am sure to lead countless people to Christ. Here is … [Read more...]
I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ME FOR COFFEE…
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I would like to join me for coffee. I would like to call up my 16 year old self and have coffee in some vintage little nook that you can only find in one of those little eclectic towns. I would love to look myself in the eyes and just search my soul. I would love to guess what I am thinking. I imagine my younger self's first thought would be, "Wow, that is me 15 years from now. When did I get so old?" Then I imagine I would be thinking what kind of things do I want to know from the older me? I would like to join me for coffee. I would love to see the anticipation in those eyes 15 years prior to today. I would love to hear what he is so excited about. I would love to hear about the girl he is dating, the classes he is taking, the job he has, and the relationship with his family and friends. I would love to see what gets him stoked and amped up. I would love to ask my younger self why he wants to change the world. I imagine he would have a lot of wisdom to impart to me. However, I … [Read more...]
DON’T LOOK TO COMPETE, BUT COMPLETE!!! (THOUGHTS FROM SUNDAY)
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Monday... What is in a name like Monday? Today there are a lot of things in that name. Today I am tired. I think in a good way, but a delirious good way for sure. Yesterday was an incredible whirlwind. I cannot express the things that I continue to see God doing in my life, the life of others and the life of the church here in Roanoke and across the nation. Yesterday at Newspring Church in South Carolina they had over 500 people give their lives to Christ. Elevation Church saw the same by way of first time decisions for Christ. In Compass Roanoke we saw one...AND IT WAS GLORIOUS!!! What I realized again yesterday was no matter if it is 500 or 1 the celebration is the same. Whether it is 500 or 1 God is still rejoicing over them all. Whether it is 500 or 1 the angels throw down the rock show of all rock shows for them..EACH AND EVERY ONE!!! I am thankful for the movement of God that is taking place right now across the Kingdom of God. The awakening that is coming from its slumber. I … [Read more...]
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