We live in a world where grace is of the premium. We are quick to ridicule, judge, and tear down. As much as we love a good comeback story we also love the dirt of a great fall. Especially one’s where all the kings horses and men cannot put Lindsey Lohan back together again. We like grace when we receive it but it is tough for us to give. Or is it. Think for a moment of the past couple years. We have seen a many great fall.
Brittney Spears

Tiger Woods

Michael Vick

John and Kate Plus 8…well…maybe!!!

Either way you get the point. We say that our world is graceless and we thrive off of trashing others, but I have had more conversations with people lately that said they love seeing these people beat the odds, receive grace, and rise to greatness again. As I thought about this, this is true. I have never met any of the above, but I longed to see each of them make it. Is it strange that I was always scared that I would turn on the TV and Brittney would be dead? Why? I have never met her, don’t really care for her music, and have no personal ties to her. Yet for some reason I wanted her to make it. This past week I watched all four rounds of the Players Championship. Why? One, I like golf. But two, I want to see Tiger do well. Everyone has their opinion on him but he is human and he, as much as me, deserves second chance after second chance.

Why? Because we like Grace. In fact for most of us it is easier to want it for others than for ourselves. We love to see others make it, but for us, when it comes to ourselves, we are simply…Ashamed by Grace. It seems to me, especially in church circles we will sing Amazing Grace, and read books like What’s So Amazing About Grace, and study together things like Gracenomics, and even follow one of my favorite organizations People Of The Second Chance, yet we ourselves think the grace that everyone is talking about is for someone other than us.

Those people have overcome.

Those people are special.

Those people have resources to receive grace.

We think that it applies to everyone but us. We are ashamed to receive it. It is as if we don’t want to receive grace because we fear that there is a limited supply and someone more deserving should get it. We think that our transgressions are too big for grace to cover them. We fear receiving grace because that would mean people would have to know what we did. We are ashamed by it because it proves that we are not in control. We are ashamed to receive it because we feel that we simply don’t deserve it. And you know what…?

Your right!!! In fact that is by definition what Grace is.

It is the getting of something we don’t deserve.

None of us deserve it. That’s what makes it so incredible. In fact receiving grace is not something that Christ wants us to be ashamed of, but is the very thing he wants us to receive and then scream it from the rooftops because he died to give it to us.

Today may we be people who are no longer ashamed by grace, but are ashamed when we don’t receive it.

Here I sit…

Week two of my sabbatical is coming to a close. I was really looking forward to this time, but even I did not realize how much I needed it. Let me back up though. Some of you hear the word sabbatical and you think a myriad of things. Some think…

VACATION

NOTHINGNESS

TIME OFF

LAZY

Even though all those things seem to be what we would label “sabbatical” it is so much more than that. This is what I love about my church. At the ten-year mark they give each of our staff members a one month sabbatical. However, this is not a vacation. This is not nothingness. This is not “time off”. It is rest, but is not laziness. This is a time to rest, replenish, and re-energize. In fact there are some requirements on our time of sabbatical. Not a list of rigid rules, but some guidelines in order to make us truly get the most of it.

REQUIREMENTS OF SABBATICAL:

Week 1: You must spend one week at another church simply serving. For me that was a trip to Nashville. Some of my best friends are on staff at one of the best churches in the country there. I love it, because I can go, copy stuff, make coffee, file stuff, love on people, take notes, encourage staff, and simply be a guy helping the church for no other reason than serving the church.

I am not drawing a paycheck from them.

I am not getting any gain other than serving them with the gospel.

I have to tell you that it is one of the best weeks I have had so far on my sabbatical. In fact I was able to get my friend there to take the weekend off, which was the first time in four years that he has had a Sunday off where he was not leading somewhere else. I served him and his family and it was so rich. We unplugged, got in kayaks and spent three hours in the Harpeth River in Tennessee. It was full of resting, replenishing, and re-energizing. It took that week to get me in a state of sabbatical.

Middle of Nowhere: Nashville, TN

Week 2: You must spend a few days in solitude. Solitude looks different for all people. However, one constant remains. You must get still and quiet in order to hear God’s voice in new and fresh ways. I was home from Nashville for a few days to celebrate my wife and daughters birthdays and then I hopped another plane to the North East. I walked off the plane this past Saturday in Boston. It was cool and overcast outside. I got my rental car and started up the coast. An hour later and I was in Manchester, NH. Now being an East Coaster myself it felt as if I was coming home. It was welcoming and full of beauty. There were rolling hills and mountains in the distance. I spent a few days with my good friends Bo and Eric who used to be on staff with us in Texas, but now lead one of the greatest churches in the North East. Everyday since I have been here I have had large chunks of solitude. Simply still and quiet moments. It is amazing when you still yourself how clearly you can hear God.

He has spoken through scripture.

He has spoken through nature.

He has spoken through the quiet.

He has spoken through others.

He has simply spoken…

Today is a full day of solitude. Today is full of writing, reading, and listening.

New Found Lake: Bristol, NH

Week 3 & 4: You can do what you would like. For me…that means going home and hanging with my family. Investing all I can in my wife and daughters. Giving them the full attention that they need from their husband and father. It means resting at home. It is like when you go on vacation and you come home needing a vacation from your vacation. Well, this time I get that. I get to come home and rest after traveling to rest. Sure I look forward to new places. I love the quiet of airplanes, hotel rooms, and the loneliness that sometimes comes with travel. In fact I revel in those moments. However, there is really no place like your own bed, couch, kitchen, patio, family, and surroundings. I actually look more forward to that than I do anything else I have done.

I encourage you…if you are not taking a regular sabbath, you need to. You don’t need a month. In fact Jesus retreated regularly to rest, replenish, and re-energize. It is time that we take back the time that God wants from us and give it to him. It is there and there alone that we hear the still small voice of the Lord.

I noticed right at the beginning of one of Paul’s letters in the New Testament it started with the phrase “Grace and Peace to you in…” I am not sure why this struck such a chord with me but my interest was peeked. I turned to another book of Paul’s and read the intro phrase “Grace and Peace to you in…”

Sure enough, the more I turned the pages the more I learned that Paul started most his letters this way to the churches he was writing to. Then I had this thought…

Could it be that simple?

Could Paul have just unlocked an unspeakable truth to me that has always been right there in its simplest form?

Honestly…Yes!!! It really was that simple. Now you may be asking the question of “What is that simple?” Well, I am glad you asked.

Notice that Paul does not say “Peace and Grace.” In fact the order is quite important. He puts Grace before Peace. Funny how that works. I think of all the times that I have tried to feel peace before offering grace to others. As I went through the myriad of times in my life where I have tried to do that I realized that it never happened. I have never had a moment where peace preceded grace for me when I had been hurt or offended and was trying to move forward. The only time that I ever found true peace was when I offered grace first.

Grace offers us love.

Grace offers us joy.

Grace offers us transformation.

Grace offers us redemption.

Grace offers us a new start.

Grace offers us friendship.

Grace offers us newness.

Grace offers us second chances.

Grace offers us intimacy.

Grace offers peace…peace that surpasses all understanding.

So today I say to you “GRACE AND PEACE!!!” May you now find peace because you have been extended grace, and may you now give grace in order to help others find peace.

It was Saturday a week ago. I woke up and started to feel that little scratch in my throat. As a preacher you notice every little twinge in the vocal region of your body. I began to take vitamin c, drink herbal tea, suck on cough drops filled with menthol and honey, drink pickle juice, gargle with Listerine, and any other home remedy I could find. However, to no avail. Sunday morning I woke up to a voice that was almost completely gone. Not only that but my ears hurt and my nose was dripping. I somehow managed to make it through two services and then went into an afternoon coma.

Monday I decided to take to the couch and sleep it off. But then I realized really quickly that this thing was not going away. It was taking up shop and residing in me. I woke up Tuesday and was ready to literally die. At one point I pushed on my eyes and clear fluid made its way out (I know it’s gross, but it was reality). It was at this point I decided it was time to go to the doctor. However, it was not just a decision to go to the doctor, but I even said to my wife, the nurse, that I wanted him to just give me a shot. Did you read that last sentence? I WANTED him to give me a shot…with a needle…that goes into your skin…and hurts. WHY?

Well…honestly because I am not a fan of needles does not mean that I don’t need a shot from time to time. In fact even though I am not a fan of needles, I am a follower of good health. I understand that in order to move forward with good health sometimes you have to do things you don’t like. You have to do things that are painful. But in the end you end up being healed as a result.

As I look at many people’s journey with Christ it is much the same way. Some people are not fans of the pain that comes with knowing and claiming Christ. However, when we truly follow after him we find that we begin to be healed. Sure it might hurt. Sure it might cause us some pain. Sure we might have to go through some things we don’t like. But the end result is us being healed and transformed to do what it is we were created to do. Fan’s very rarely do what they need to do. That’s why they are fans. But followers understand that sometimes you have to go through painful stuff to get to the good stuff.

Come to find out I had a severe upper respiratory infection. Sure enough he recommended the shot and I took it. Did it hurt? YEP!!! Did I care? NOPE!!! Why? Because within 2 hours I was already feeling better. It was worth the momentary pain to begin the process of healing. Today I hope you will go through the momentary process of some pain to become a follower of Christ.

For more Not A Fan posts and interaction go HERE!!!

We launched into week two of this series Not A Fan yesterday. This series is for sure not for the faint of heart. It is truth, and truth has a tendency to make people uncomfortable. For 25 minuets I literally watched some people squirm in their seats as we opened the truth about baptism and surrender to Christ. In fact if I am to be honest I was a little uncomfortable with some of the truth and I was the one preaching it. But then it happened…

Now I have seen and been a part of literally hundreds of baptisms in my life as a Christ follower. However, yesterday was one like I had never experienced. We started into our decision time in Roanoke. The band began to sing words that I have had etched in my mind since church camp as a kid.

“I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to Follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.”

I looked up and a couple people had come forward and grabbed towels. Then Julie started to move. Her movement was different. She literally pushed her husband out of the way to get out of their aisle. She walked briskly and with purpose. She bee lined for the towels and then she looked me right in the eyes and mouthed the words that she wanted to do this now. I got up and walked to the edge of the stage. I asked her if she wanted to wait for the song to finish or just go ahead and do it now? She said “NOW!!!” So as the chorus echoed behind us and as the church continued singing (now louder than before) she got in. Now you have to understand because we are mobile at our Roanoke campus we don’t have robes for baptisms. So she got in…FULLY CLOTHED!!! She had no care in the world of her cloths getting wet. There was urgency to be fully surrendered.

The horse trough (our baptistry in Roanoke) was full of warm water. She sat down and pulled her knees close to her chest. I leaned down and asked her to repeat after me. At this moment it seemed as if the world stopped even though everyone was singing and the band was playing. She repeated every word through tears. Then she took the plunge. She died to self. And then…then she rose to new life. A new life in Christ and Christ alone. Her surrender brought freedom. She got out wrapped her new towel around her and made her way to the back of the room with some friends.

No longer had I sat down to sing and gather my composer…Jimmy stepped out. Around a year ago we baptized his wife. And for whatever reason he was not there yet. But in this moment…he was ready. When he stepped out in his jeans and t-shirt he was barefoot. He was ready. He wasted no time. I did not have to ask, he just got in. There was no question that he was ready to die to self. There was not question that he was taking up his cross and dying with Christ. And then…he came out new and alive. As quickly as he got in he got out and was in the embrace of his wife. And again, fully clothed and soaking wet we saw another go from fan to follower.

Now in an effort to not make this post longer I would love to stop here, but I cannot. There were already two sets of footprints etched in water on the tile. I thought that it could not get any better than this. I walked off stage and we started to wrap up the service. The room was buzzing with shock and awe at what God had done. I made my way to the lobby and waited. The doors opened and a handful of people began making their way out. Then it happened…AGAIN!!! All of a sudden I heard cheering coming from the worship area. I literally stopped my conversation and took off running. I walked in just in time to see SuJean come up out of the water. Her friends Steve and Ceci had the privilege of baptizing her. She was brimming with excitement and gratitude. However, it was not gratitude just for those who helped her, it was a gratitude towards Christ. She had literally left fandom behind for being a Completely.Committed.Follower.

Yesterday when all the smoked cleared, more than 100 people across all three of our campuses decided to go from Fan To Follower. If you were not one of them, our prayer is that today you will remember that “today is the day of Salvation.” Today may you go from Fan To Follower.

Starting last Thursday I got enthralled in what I usually get enthralled in this time of year. In fact being a follower of what I am it is tough not to get wrapped up in the hype. It starts mid week with watching the rehearsals and then really from Thursday to Sunday it is go time. The crowds pour in and there are more people than one person could really count. The atmosphere is electric and there is an anticipation of what will happen this year.
I mean honestly every year is exciting, but you are wondering if this year can top last year. Last year seemed so spectacular. There was laughter, drama, and awe. But no matter the atmosphere the same thing is going to happen this year that happened last…someone is going to win!!!

Now my guess is, is that you think I am talking about Easter. I will get to that in a second. But I am talking about the Masters. I love golf and I love this event. From the time I was a little kid till now it is my favorite major in golf. My dad was a local golf pro when I was a kid and I got to go to Augusta and I even have a signed visor of one of the PGA’s golf legends. I am a fan of golf. Before this last Masters I was a fan of Bubba Watson. But after his win this past Sunday I have become a follower. I have watched interviews, examined his swing, looked at his equipment, and learned details about his life. I would even go so far as to say that there are many things I would like to emulate from his life.

Now it is interesting to me that I can get so caught up in the hype of a man. Now I get that Jesus was fully man, but he was also fully God. In fact the last time I checked Bubba Watson has never resurrected from the dead or raised others from the dead. Yet what I have noticed is, is that it is easier sometimes to become followers of good people and forget that we have a Great God that we should want to follow even more. He not only conquered death, but he did so for us. For me that is more than enough to want to be a follower of the one true God.

I am excited to see over the course of this series how God is going to take us here at Compass from being casual fans of Jesus to being COMPLETELY. COMMITTED. FOLLOWERS!!!

-This series of Not A Fan posts are posts from where I am contributing for Compass Christian Church. Please feel free to read and watch there as well.-