I found this CD that I think anyone should listen to here on Myspace. It is from a church here in Austin. I am not a huge fan of most Christian music and more often find my heart being draw to God through other types of music. But this Cd is worth a listen if nothing else for the lyrics. My favorite song is "In Your Name" and singer has an amazing voice. Make me wish we sang this song at our church. But here are the lyrics

And oh that this city would know your love!
And oh that this city would feel your touch!
And oh ...that this city would live with Hope---!

Give us hands to touch
Give us hearts of love!

We love because you loved
We pray because you prayed
We give because you gave
We live for your fame
We hope because you save
We believe in your name

Flunking Evangelism

Some shifts are going on in my job in the up coming months. Nothing monumental or anything but I am being asked to lead the church in the area of evangelism to our local community of Georgetown. Funny thing, because I am scared like most people about sharing their faith and if I was being graded on in this effort so far I would have flunked the class. Thoughts of rejection, ridicule, and fear dominate my thoughts but God gives His Holy Spirit which overcomes all my shortfalls. I am reading all that I can about practical ways to share this Truth and I ran across this quote. It freed me up remember something I already knew but my fear would let me grasp.

"The Christian call to evangelism is not simply a call to persuade people to make decisions, but rather to proclaim to them the good news of salvation in Christ, to call them to repentance, and to give God the glory for regeneration and conversion.
We do not fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not subsequently converted; we fail only if we do not faithfully tell the gospel at all."

Mark Dever

The story

I love all the writing of Donald Miller and Here is an little bit from his new book coming out soon. I love the line about the story is not about arriving at the ending but the development of the character along the way. I know we will never get they spiritually here on earth but I am very concerned about how I develop, or change, here on earth. I hope you enjoy it.

A Motto by Michaelanglo "Criticize by creating."

I know it is the tendency of us all to complain about those things that we don't like. Some thoughts are justified most aren't. Inside the church people always have the idea of how it should go and often time back it with their scriptural interpretation. I am guilty as well so it is great reminder from Michaelanglo that it is best to criticize by creating. I need to begin this process of removing all the time focusing on the negatives and start creating a new future. And most important following God's lead to creating the future He wants.

Proud Pastor

This is my first attempt at imovie but I wanted to give you an idea of why I had not posted anything last week or leading up to it. Crazy busy with Bible Club Adventure and all my free time was going to spending time with family. A lot of children came to know God which is amazing but one of the things that made this year special for me was the difference I saw in the students. In my time with the youth here in Georgetown I have seen the students come from being extremely apathetic to excited about advancing God's kingdom. I was so proud/thankful for all the hard work the students put into making it not just happen but making it a joy to work at accomplishing the goal.

Soft hearts and Hard words.

Preaching this Sunday out of Luke 6 and it is really doing a number on me. My mind is not focusing very well this week but I do know that it calls for some hard word to those of us who follow Christ. Mark Driscoll says "That hard word produce soft hearts and soft words produce hard hearts". I am praying that will take place this weekend. In any case, the sermon includes a old, plaid, and course suit that I bought at Goodwill today so it is sure to be fun. The lady that was at the register looked at me like a moron when I bought it. I do love getting paid to study important and life changing truthes.

So are you to me

John 3:8
"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Just heard the this song and thought of how active the Spirit is in everything we do. Really not sure what the songwriter inteaded it for but this is how I see it. We just have to pray for eyes and ears to hear the movement the Spirit is making in the mundane. He is to be praised in for the wine, fruit, and music because He longs to teach us through the goodness of His creation. People born of the Spirit listen for to the wind of the Spirit of God. Plus, the song is great for music as you are working.

Peter Bradley Adams
"So Are You to Me"

as the music at the banquet
as the wine before the meal
as the firelight in the night
so are you to me

as the ruby in the setting
as the fruit upon the tree
as the wind blows over the plains
so are you to me

as the wind blows over the plains
so are you to me
so are you to me

Stories

Terri informed me the books say it is time to start telling Tripp stories. I love telling stories and I have a lot of practice with my nephews who often stayed with us and most nights we ended the evening telling stories we had made up. Like, how we saved Target for a ravenous grizzly bear or stopping the aliens from taking over the United States. One nephew still enjoys it but the other got to big to take part. He listened but stop acting like he cared anymore. Read this quote by C.S. Lewis about the Narnia series.

"In most children but in relatively few adults, at least in our time, we may see this willingness to be delighted to the point of self-abandonment. This free and full gift of oneself to a story is what produces the state of enchantment. But why do we lose the desire--or if not the desire, the ability--to give ourselves in this way? Adolescence introduces the fear of being deceived, the fear of being caught believing what others have ceased believing in. To be naive, to be gullible--these are the humiliations of adolescence."

I believe most people are like my older nephew that want to be a part of the story but fear that people his age don't do the whole story thing. That is why God's story, through Jesus, is just perceived to be for those naive people. Rational people believe in what they can see and touch. We all long for something transcendent but few people abandon themselves to the good news of the Bible. Guess that why Jesus said we have to receive the Kingdom of God like a child. Letting ourselves be swept up in a story we can't fully explain but we know we can't deny.

Independance Day

Life is good. Can't wait for today of spending time with family watching Tripp play in the water, eating BBQ, and just relaxing. One of the biggest decision we are making right now is what to name our second son. I want Fletcher Niles but I still have to win Terri over with the name. I think it sounds like a football player. It is so great to live in a country where we are free to live as we choose. I finished reading the book "Almost Home" by Randy Alcorn about the perscuted church it opened my eyes up to the challenges in other countries when it comes to freedom of religion. I wonder how radically different my faith would be if death and torture were real threats for today not just possibilities in the future. So I soak it up today because in this world trouble will come so I praise God for today because I am so fortunate.