No Sunday School Answers

New Site

2008-11-20T07:54:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone. Just to let everyone know, I am starting a new blog at www.anthony-stephens.com. Make sure that you point your browsers there and update your subscriptions.

A New Week

2008-11-10T10:35:00.000-06:00

I have been looking forward to today greatly after last week. Last week was a dark one for sure. I attended a funeral for a high school senior and upon return home found out that a college friend was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Today, though, I'm reminded of a passage of Scripture shared with me by a good friend. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning."

Thank the Lord for those new compassions this week.

Steve Remembered

2008-11-04T17:01:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow morning I will get up, get dressed and make a four hour trip that I have mixed emotions about. Tomorrow is the funeral of Steve Dorsey. He was a student that was somewhat involved in our student ministry while we were at Fairhope. He was killed in an auto accident. This was his senior year. He was a great guy. Not one for many words unless he really had something to say. Also, he was one heck of a guitar player. I can remember watching him play and being envious of his talent.

The good thing about tomorrow is that it should be a celebration. Steve shared with me that he had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. That means that when he took his last breath here on earth, he took his first in heaven.

I know that there are still so many questions among those who knew Steve, but there is hope in seeing him again. Please be in prayer for Steve's parents and sister and those who were close to him. It's not easy saying goodbye, but if you've trusted in Jesus, then it's really a "see ya later."

RIP - Steve Dorsey

Rainy Days

2008-10-28T08:43:00.001-05:00

On top of my almost breaking my ankle, our family is down to one vehicle because Naomi's car needs a new ignition switch. The first comment was "when it rains, it pours!"

You can look at showers like this in different ways. You can get bummed out and pout in the corner. You can also jump out and play in it. We have apparently decided to choose the latter without even knowing it. With our busy schedules, me and Naomi have been looking for opportunities to spend more time together. The past two mornings have been great! We have gotten to drop off our son at daycare together then go get breakfast together. God has interesting ways of giving us what we need.

How has God turned your rainy situations into opportunities to play in the rain?

Not broken?

2008-10-23T10:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I got to get out of the house for the first time since the "incident." It was so good to get out and see the world. I went to the orthopedic doctor to find out that the ankle is probably not broken. It may have a slight fracture, but it's more of a mid-foot sprain than anything. I have to keep it elevated and iced over the next couple of days, then I get to put weight on it and try to work myself out of this boot! I am truly grateful because I had a gut feeling that he was going to say "surgery." Well I'm headed back to the couch to put this thing up and do what I'm supposed to do.

Stagediving From The Pulpit

2008-10-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a very eventful day. I was to do the welcome at our church in the pastor's absence. After making sure that I had the announcements that I needed in place I proceeded to exit the pulpit area. I wasn't paying much attention and counting the steps in my head "one... two... three". The next step should be the floor or at least that's the way it went in my head. Truth is, there's one more step. I found that out the hard way as I picked myself up off the floor.

The diagnosis: fractured ankle. That's right, my first ever broken bone came from falling out the pulpit. Sorry thing was that I was supposed to preach that night, too.

Servant Students

2008-10-18T11:17:00.000-05:00

Today had an early start. I went up to the church today to meet two of our high school students. These guys are awesome. They came to me about a week ago and told me to find a senior adult in our church that they could serve.

Did you catch that? Two high school students wanted to give up a Saturday morning to serving those in our church who may not be able to do some things for themselves.

This is one reason that I'm in student minisrty. This generation of students have a desire to fulfill the word of God. James 1 tells us to "be doers of the word and not hearers only."

How are you being a doer of the word?

Spoonfed?

2008-10-17T23:10:00.001-05:00

The other day I was listening to a radio Bible study on Daniel. The speaker reminded his audience that Daniel was in exile and had nothing but his prayer life for spiritual nourishment... no temple... no priest.

This got me to thinking, what would happen if we didn't have our nice church buildings? What would happen if we didn't have many copies of the Bible in our possession? I'm not against nice church buildings or having many copies of God's word (just ask my wife). I do wonder if all of these things were taken away, would we be able to thrive in our faith? Would we be able to survive?

In being totally honest, I think that we might not be as spiritual as we think. We depend so much on things like church services, small groups, and Sunday School to feed our spirits, but these aren't to replace that one-on-one time building a relationship with God. Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. Church services, small groups, and other things like are great tools, but if one depends just on these to grow in their faith, then they're just being spoonfed and need to learn to feed themself..

Preparation

2008-09-29T15:30:00.001-05:00

Today I got a good dose of reality juice. I had two tests for my seminary classes. The Old Testament test was a breeze. The Encountering the Biblical World test, now that's another story. I know that I had the "deer in the headlights" look plastered all over my face. It was my own fault though. I didn't study enough for it and really didn't know how it was going to go.
Isn't that like life sometimes? You don't always know what's around the corner and how to prepare for it. What do you do in those situations? I have learned to learn from past situations and be prepared for the next time. Many times God is training us for something that's right around the corner and we don't realize it.
Also can't go without saying "Roll Tide Roll!" Number #2 in the AP Poll (like that really matters right now)!

From Georgia

2008-09-27T22:24:00.000-05:00

Today has been an interesting day. We came back early from a simulcast in Georgia because little Drew isn't feeling too well.

I want to encourage people to go and check out the truth project from focus on the family. It really looks like a great tool to help develop a biblical worldview.
Naomi had brought along my Alabama shirt and I wore it today in support of my favorite team. I didn't think about how we were just an hour or so from Athens, GA. What I would have given to be there for that game tonight! Roll Tide!

Fan Night

2008-09-24T09:26:00.001-05:00

I am so looking forward to tonight. We are doing a theme night in our student ministry called "Fan Night". We have students inviting their friends and dressing up in their favorite team's gear. We're going to talk about being a fan or follower of Jesus Christ.

What is the difference between a fan and a follower of Christ?
1. A fan is one that will associate when things are going good and all is well.
2. A follower is on board whatever may come.

There are many "fans" of Jesus in our society today. Those who will be on board with Jesus when all is well and it benefits them to do so. Jesus didn't come to call fans but followers. Let's be followers of Jesus Christ!

Drew's First

2008-09-20T20:23:00.000-05:00

Today was our son, Andrew's first birthday party. I never thought that it would be this much fun. It is amazing how quickly the time does seem to go by. It was a year ago that we experienced the miracle of childbirth. Now we're watching him walk, dance, talk, and do so many other things.

In all that has gone on the past year, I believe that God has used this awesome opportunity in life (being a dad) to give me a glimpse of who He is. How has God revealed His nature to you?

Reflecting The Glory Of God

2008-09-15T12:36:00.001-05:00

As I sit here getting ready to go into my Old Testament class, I am reflecting on the assigned reading for today: Exodus. That's right, the whole book. It's good stuff though. I have been drawn to the passage in Exodus 34 where Moses descended from the mountain and his face was shining with "the glow." I have read this many times and heard many thoughts on it, too. The fact was that this "glow" was given to Moses as a sign of his spending time face-to-face with Yahweh and Yahweh's approval of Moses' leadership.

I guess my fascination with this event is my wondering, "Do I ever glow?" Is there a true sign that I have spent time face-to-face with the God of the universe and His approval of His call on my life? It may not be that I have to wear a veil for the sake of those around me, but I long for a sign that others can see that the God that I love and serve is real.

Refuge '08 Day 2

2008-09-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

Today was the second and final day of Refuge sponsored by Student Life. Kristian Stanfill led in some good worship. I was reminded of when we had him lead worship for our DNOW a couple of years ago. Randy Hall, president of Student Life shared about a new definition of student ministry. I know that it seems like everyone is trying to "redefine" student ministry these days. What he had to share wasn't really anything new, just a reminder: help students to be just like Christ while we ourselves try to be like Christ.

Ministry is about passing on what has been given to us. We don't have to reinvent the wheel, just share what we have. If we aren't growing in our faith, then what are we passing along to students?

Refuge '08 Day 1

2008-09-09T08:27:00.004-05:00

Last night was the first session in a get-together called Refuge hosted by the wonderful people at Student Life. It was for student ministers who are using the curriculum that Student Life produces. My favorite part of the whole thing is that it is free. They truly just want to give something back to the leaders of student ministry. That's cool.

Last night, we started off with a little worship led by Chris Tomlin and a couple of guys from his band. The neat thing that I took away from this was that Chris didn't use the whole band. He even asked that they take him off of the screens so that it wasn't like a performance. It was a great gathering of brothers and sisters in Christ just worshipping the Messiah. As we left for the night, we were given free copies of Chris Tomlin's new CD that just came out called "Hello Love". I strongly encourage people to check it out.

After Tomlin, Louie Giglio came and just shared some words about grace with us. It wasn't much like a "sermon," but more like a conversation over dinner. I think that the one thing that I took away most from what he said was...

"God didn't/doesn't need you... but He has invited you to be at the table."

How true that is! God can get by just as good (and sometimes better) if we weren't involved, but out of His great love for us, He has invited us to come and experience what He is going to do. Good stuff...

Community

2008-08-29T09:57:00.002-05:00

Last night I attended a birthday party for one of the students in our ministry. He is the son of our janitor and doesn't go to school with any of our other students. This was his 16th birthday. When I arrived at Cici's Pizza for the party, I was greeted there by five of the students from our student ministry. They had gone out of there way to be there for Henry on his special day. I was so proud of them. They didn't have to come, but they chose to be there and support Henry. That meant a lot to me because I'm quite sure that Henry doesn't have that many friends because only one other person showed up to his party. It was extra special also as Henry's dad shared with everyone how this was a special point in their family's life.

8 years ago, Henry's dad was diagnosed with cancer and given a year to live. He is kicking strong in full remission of the cancer. Henry's dad is one of the janitors at our church. Earlier this week, he came into my office to share about how well his stem-cell harvest went. They gathered enough for 3 transplants if needed, but as it stands now, he is not in any need.

As I drove away from the pizza place last night, I was reminded of the greatness of teenagers. They can be so encouraging at times. I love and am so grateful to the Lord for giving me a call at this time in my life to work with students and experience the awesome things that He is doing in and through them.

Renege

2008-08-27T09:21:00.006-05:00

I can remember that when I was growing up in the student ministry "Spades" was the game of choice. We would get together and play for hours. It quickly became a part of all of the fellowships that we had as a student ministry. Occasionally, there would be times when people would "renege" and go back on what they had played earlier. We would call it out and get on that person for doing such a terrible thing. Of course, I never did that (cough, cough).

As I was reading in Exodus 8 about the plague of frogs sent on Egypt for failure to release the Hebrew people from slavery to worship God, I came across something that stood out to me.

"But when Pharaoh saw that the frogs were gone, he hardened his heart. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had predicted."
Exodus 8:15 NLT

Now just a day earlier, Pharaoh had said that he would release the Hebrews if Moses would make the frogs go away. He went back on his commitment when things got better.

How many times do we do this with the LORD. We may be in a tight spot or things may be going downhill quickly, and we cry out for deliverance promising that we'll do this or that. Maybe we feel the call of God on some part of our life and tell God that we will obey if we can get through something. Then the LORD helps us through, and we have sudden amnesia.

God has called us as His children to be people of our word. When we tell people that we're going to do something, we need to do it. We reflect, and often paint a picture of, God to those we have contact with. God has always kept His word, and as His representatives in this world, we need to also.

"Supping" with God

2008-08-26T10:28:00.005-05:00

I bet that you have seen this picture or one like it before. It is based on Revelation 3:20 where Jesus says,

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (King James Version).

Now, I know many people focus on the first part of that verse where Jesus talks about standing at the door and knocking. It is no secret that though I strongly believe in evangelism, but I believe this verse is taken out of context by many to share the Gospel with people. That's not what is on my mind today. Today, I want to look at that whole verse and what happened at our house last night.

I was on my way to Subway last night from seminary classes thinking about how I could spend more time on building my family up and being the spiritual leader for them that I have been called to be. I was picking up some dinner for me and Naomi when this verse came into my head. I began to meditate on this verse as a whole... then it clicked! Jesus was telling the church that He wanted to come in and live life (all of life's experiences) with them like a family member. I have been looking for creative ways to lead my family (see the entry about family ministry). God gave me a great idea: why not just talk with God (prayer) while we eat dinner.

I realize that for some people to pray in any other position besides "heads bowed, eyes closed" is a sin. I'm sorry, but I don't see it that way. So last night while munching on some Subway sandwiches, me and Naomi talked with God (prayed). It was a little awkward at first, but I will say this, I don't think that I've ever been more focused in prayer. It was just like having dinner with some friends and sharing our lives with them. I think we truly got the picture of what Revelation 3:20 was saying.

Family Ministry Plan

2008-08-25T12:36:00.000-05:00

"You can lose your job at a church because you spend so much time with your family and still find another one. You lose your family because you spend so much time with the church and no church will have you."

Those were some words of wisdom from of mentor of mine as I was looking to get married. As I look around and watch those words become reality in many ministers' lives, I ask myself, "how is my family doing?"

The answer: okay. I have come to realize that, if I were honest, that I probably spend more time planning youth ministry than I do the ministry of my own family. I'm not saying that I throw my wife and child to the curb, but I have seen that I sometimes expect our "family ministry" to just happen. Anyone who's been in ministry knows that doesn't "just happen."

As me and Naomi were talking last night after the little one went to sleep, I realized that I am no good as a youth pastor if I'm not shepherding the first flock that God gave me: my family.
What about you? What is the ratio of time spent planning your family's spiritual health compared to that with the church? What ways to you do ministry within your home with just the family? I'd love to hear what's going on in your world.

School's Back In Session

2008-08-20T11:53:00.000-05:00

It has finally happened. I have gotten back to work on my Master's degree this week. I love it. I'm not terribly excited about all of the classes, but I am excited that I will be one step closer to the finish line.
As I get started back in my education, I remember the importance of always being a learner. What are you doing to grow?

Weekend Update

2008-08-11T10:32:00.003-05:00

Wow... this has been an eventful weekend in my life. We took about 20 teenagers and 7 adults to a lake house in Guntersville to wrap up the summer. It was great. Some of our regular students reached out and brought some friends who had never done anything with our church before. It was a hit. There was fishing, tubing, and I even attempted to ski for the first time in my life (and I'm paying the price for it today). Everything was going good until I received the phone call early Saturday morning that my uncle had lost his battle with liver cancer. It is never easy to hear that you will not be able to hang out with a loved one here on earth again. All I could think about was the memories of times past when we were able to do so. The good thing was that he seemed to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Knowing that definitely helps soften the blow because I will be able to see him once again.

Yesterday was a very interesting day in our church. Sunday morning, we had a Romanian pastor speak. It was awesome. It was amazing to hear about what God was doing on the other side of the world. It was great to hear about what faith looks like when it comes through intense persecution. I was greatly encouraged and reminded once again that we in the "West" are dealing with an attack from the evil one on a different front from others. While there are people who are losing their lives and families because they worship in a church, we are being rocked to sleep by the enemy. If you think I'm just making a big deal out of nothing, ask yourself a couple of questions...

When was the last time you were arrested for telling someone about Jesus?
When was the last time your family signed a death warrant on you for following Jesus?
How many Bibles do you own? Now, how many people have you shared the message of those Bibles with this week?
Do you get angry when a church service goes longer than an hour?

So what was your weekend like?

Church Unified

2008-08-07T10:54:00.004-05:00

I think that it's a beautiful thing when the church can come together. Last night, we pretty much chunked the usual things that we do out the window and came together to commission some missionaries off to their mission field. Everyone from preschool to senior adults gathered together to pray for the students (preschool through high school) that are getting ready to go back to their schools. Our church's children ministry team put together prayer partners within our church. These are adults that have agreed to adopt a student to pray and encourage them through this school year. I was stoked when they invited the student ministry to be involved in this. I had the opportunity to share about how students were in their respective schools "for such a time as this" from the story of Esther. Our pastor, Stan Lewis, came and shared to the students the importance of "standing in the strength of the Lord" within their schools. Stan also shared about the importance of the adults surrounding and supporting the students of our church.

When the church comes together as one, we fulfill one of the desires of Christ. The prayer that Jesus prayed for future believers in John 17 was a prayer of unity. Christ desires for His bride to be unified. It is important to have things that minister to the different age levels where they are, but if we do nothing together then all we have created is a "church within a church." This can be a monster of destruction.

How is your church showing unity within the Body?

Crouching At The Door

2008-08-05T11:06:00.007-05:00

For some reason I was reminded of what God had said to Cain in Genesis 4...

... if you refuse to respond correctly, then watch out! Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, and you must subdue it.

It seems like once again, God knows exactly what He's talking about. No matter where we are in our journey of life, sin seems to be at our door waiting to pounce on us. We can be on top of a spiritual mountain feeling like we're face to face with the Father, then out of nowhere comes temptations that make no sense as to why they are coming your way. There's not a level in your spiritual walk that you get to and you become "untouchable" by sin... at least not in this world.

I guess it's just on my mind that we need to be alert as Peter warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 because whether we realize it or not, there is an enemy out there that is seeking to destroy your life. He doesn't check with you to see if you can fit his "attacks" into your day planner. He is most effective with his attacks when we let our guard down. While we would like to think that our enemy (Satan) would come at us like the kitten above, he's not always as noticeable in his approach.

Transparency Is Good

2008-08-04T12:46:00.000-05:00

This is something that I've been told for most of my ministry. People would tell me, "people want to know that you're real. They want to see that you don't always have it together."

The truth is, I don't see much transparency in ministry. I even have to battle the temptation to wear the "everything's okay" mask. So please don't get me wrong when I wrote that, but I just don't see people letting their true emotions go.

That is until yesterday. Our pastor was very transparent with us. One of his close friends had passed away and their was still some emotions that needed dealing with. He acknowledged that he was not at his prime and why. I think that the rest of the church joined me in relating much closer to our pastor.

So, I see that there is much truth in transparency being a good thing. If you're in ministry, remember that you don't have to be perfect. You are just called to be real!

Dancing the Night Away

2008-08-02T22:54:00.000-05:00

Today it was decided that we had to get out of the house and do something. I'm always up for these kind of days. We tried taking Drew to the park, but turned out to be a little too hot for him. We went and got ice cream and headed home.
It was after we got home that the fun began. We turned on some of the music channels on our cable and Drew thought it was great. He would dance and clap his little hands.
This got me thinking. Do we take time to just stop and dance to the music. You may be like me (a terrible dancer) but that makes no difference. We spend way too much time worrying about things we can't do anything about. We need pull a Drew and enjoy the moment. The truth is when the moment is gone, then that's it... It's gone. So as you go about your day, take time to "cut a rug."

Luau

2008-07-30T22:41:00.000-05:00

Tonight our student ministry had a luau to start wrapping up the summer. The students will be heading back to classes in about two weeks. I realized tonight that I would also be looking to start seminary classes back here soon. I am pretty pumped about that. Back to the luau though. We were trying to use it as an outreach event, but this group has had nothing of outreach in so long. They're not really sure how to do it. That will definitely be something that we work on here in the very near future.

I also picked up my copy of the new Third Day album "Revelation," but I haven't had the chance to listen to it. It's Third Day so how bad could it be?

Hey Jude

2008-07-27T22:47:00.000-05:00

Today our pastor finished a very interesting sermon series on Jude 11. It covered three major ideas:
1. The Way of Cain - how people try to make their own way to God.
2. The Error of Balaam - how some ministers get sidetracked by money.
3. The Rebellion of Korah - how people didn't follow God's leader, but rather wanted to do things their way.
This was interesting because I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever seen anyone speak about these passages of Scripture. It was very refreshing to hear parts of God's word that I've never heard taught before. I encourage you to check it out for yourself. You can hear it from www.fbcbhm.org.

Dedication and Other Symbols

2008-07-26T11:58:00.000-05:00

This weekend marks the day that we will have a baby dedication at our church. I have always wondered about this, especially since we are Southern Baptist by choice. As grandparents and all come in, I wonder what is so big about these services? It's not like we are just now handing little Drew over to the Lord. We did that when we realized he was coming.

What I've come to realize is that there are just some things that happen for other people. Baby dedication, baptism, and others are symbols that tell about what has already taken place. Baby dedcation - parents handing their child back to the Lord and vowing to raise them in a God-honoring way. Baptism - shows that one has trusted in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and also they,ve been given a new life because of this decision.
Sometimes we may not understand why somethings happen. This doesn't mean that they don't need to happen.

First Steps

2008-07-15T13:15:00.000-05:00

It has occured to us that our little man is growing up too fast. Sunday night after church Naomi came up to me all excited after getting Drew from the nursery saying, "Watch this!". She stood Drew up and told him to come to me. Drew looks at me with a smile and takes a couple of steps (by himself) and falls into my arms. I grab him up and shower him with hugs and kisses.
Since that time he hasn't taken many steps, but I've been thinking. Is that what it's like when we discover something that our Heavenly Father desires for us to do? I truly believe so. I can see Him standing there in front of us saying, "C'mon... You can do it" and then showering us with love and affirmation as we take Him at His word and step out in faith.
Is there something that God is asking you to do that is further than you've been before? Trust Him and step out. We aren't supposed to be crawling for the rest of our days. Maybe it's time to get up and walk!

Jesus in the Food Court

2008-07-08T14:03:00.000-05:00

Today I had the privilege of taking a student to lunch. We had some good ol' Chik-fil-a in a nearby food court. I had the opportunity to talk to this student about their relationship with Christ. After some sharing, this student bowed their head and asked Jesus Christ to come and be their Lord and Savior! God knows no limits. He can even save someone in the food court of a mall!
I want to encourage anyone who may read this and can be called a biblical Christian to share the wonderful story of the Gospel with someone around you. God is not limited to work only within the walls of a church building. He is limitless.

Drew's First Pool Adventure

2008-07-07T07:55:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was our annual family get-together for the 4th of July. Every year we meet at my cousin's house for a day of fun. This was our son's first time at this event. It was also his first experience with a swimming pool. The moment he saw it, his eyes lit up. I took him in thinking that he might get scared... Boy, was I wrong! He loved it.
When I wasn't in the pool with Drew or wrestling with my cousin's kids or stuffing my face with hamburgers and hot dogs, I was playing Rock Band on the Wii. That game is awesome. Maybe we can get that for Drew one day.

Out of the Box

2008-07-02T23:35:00.000-05:00

I don't know if it's because I work in student ministry (which calls for one to be looking for new ways to share the Gospel)but I love trying things in a new way. I am also very thankful for a pastor who realizes that sometimes doing things in a different manner can be a good thing. Tonight, we took the youth to a local minor league baseball game and fireworks show. The whole intent was to get students to invite their friends who aren't involved in church anywhere. Though that didn't happen, it was a great time for the students to see me as a real person and not just their youth pastor. It is geeat because you can see them warming up to me and our family.
I encourage anyone who may read this to not get in a rut of doing things the same old way. Look for new ways to accomplish the same purposes. It will help you to see the "why" behind the "what," and also help you to grow a little by stretching you.

The Birdhouse & Some Dialogue

2008-06-27T08:24:00.000-05:00

The past couple of days have been very eventful. Yesterday, as I was getting ready to go into the office, I had to chase a bird out of our house. The stupid bird came in through the chimney and had taken a seat behind a chair. The interaction was something for YouTube. Everyone survived the ordeal though.
Today, I was doing my devotion and was reminded of a great truth: when we read God's word, it is an invitation to converse with the Creator of all things. In Daniel 9, we see him reading the writings of Jeremiah. What he read immediately drew him to prayer. I realized that as God speaks to us through His word, He is looking to hear from us. Here are some suggestions (most not my original) for the next time you read God's word to engage in dialogue with the Father:
1. When reading a difficult passage, ask God to give you understanding.
2. When reading Scripture that reminds you of someone's need, take time to pray for them.
3. When you come across something in Scripture that is contrary to what you previously thought, ask God to conform your beliefs to His.
4. When you read about God's faithfulness, take time to thank Him.
These are just a few ways to engage in a true conversation with Almighty God. He didn't tear the veil in the temple just to show His authority; He did it so that you and I could have discussions with Him.

The Lost Art of Encouragement

2008-06-24T13:08:00.000-05:00

Today, I was in the office to get some things done now that camp is over. I saw that I had a voicemail on the office line. I was shocked that there was only one, but that one made my day. It was an adult volunteer who had gone on the trip with us just encouraging and thanking me for the camp. I got to thinking, "why don't we do that (encourage one another) more often?" I know that I'm not the best at telling people "thanks" after the fact. But I really wonder why the art of encouraging others seems to be one that few are participating in.
I want to encourage you to encourage someone today. It may be nothing more than writing a card or even text message to someone. If you do this, be specific with what you're thanking them for. This will brighten the darkest day.

Home Sweet Home

2008-06-23T15:06:00.000-05:00

Finally home! Don't get me wrong, I had a great time at Student Life, but I'm at the best spot in the world: home. I get to spend the afternoon with my son, Drew. What more could I ask for? Only one thing and that's to spend some time with Naomi.
We made it through our first summer camp at FBC Birmingham, and I think it went well. I look forward to seeing the fruit of the seeds that were planted this weekend.

Student Life at the Beach Day 4

2008-06-23T00:29:00.000-05:00

Well another summer camp is in the bag. We will be packing up and heading back to Birmingham. It was a good camp. I think that a lot was accomplished in this weekend that will help our student ministry move forward. I look forward to seeing the reaction when "home" hits. David Nasser did a great job with giving the students a way to win the victory in everyday life.
1. Hear the Word
2. Read the Word
3. Study the Word
4. Memorize the Word
5. Meditate on the Word
I love summer camps and all but I'm really looking forward to getting home to the Mrs and the little boy.

Student Life at the Beach Day 3

2008-06-21T23:05:00.000-05:00

So today we welcomed a typical beach thunderstorm to camp. Nothing to really worry about. It rained pretty good for a little while then the sun came out with the humidity. It had been so nice, now we have sticky.
Today, we talked about an awesome subject: the glory of God. This was a good night. We heard a message that we need to hear so often: it's not about you. Many of the problems that we see in church come from people not getting what they want. Every thing that takes place on this playground called Earth happens in order to bring glory to God.
I also got to share with the students that came to camp about the future of the student ministry. They seemed to latch on to the idea of "the crossroads."

An Extra Thought From Day 2

2008-06-21T07:42:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share something that seemed to just be carrying over in my mind from yesterday's messages at camp. Is Jesus on the top shelf of your life? While that sounds good and all, it is the wrong place. Before you pick up stones, let me explain. On a shelf there is room for many things. You could have Jesus on the top shelf of your life but there is still room for other things (even good things) like family, work, ministry, etc. This is why the Bible refers to Jesus being on the throne of our lives. There is only room for one on a throne. May God's word and the principles that come from it bless you today.

Student Life at the Beach Day 2

2008-06-21T00:24:00.000-05:00

Today was the first full day of camp. It went pretty good with not many gliches. David Nasser talked this morning about the importance of getting into the Word. I think that people are starting to grasp onto the fact that we have to break this crazy cycle faith: spiritual high at camp, faded by October but returns at the winter retreat, but fades again. Our group talked about the narrow path and what it means to take the narrow path. Tonight after worship "Unhindered" played a praise concert. They're a band out of Atlanta. I would definitely recommend these young guys. Now comes some sleep before an early morning.

Student Life at the Beach Day 1

2008-06-19T21:16:00.000-05:00

Well we arrived at camp safe and sound. Student Life @ the Beach in Orange Beach. The day started off good because we had everyone there, all forms filled out, all dues paid, and left within 30 minutes of announced time. When we got here we realized that our entire schedule was changed and we had 30 minutes to register, take our bags to our room, eat, and get to worship. It didn't happen. We got there one song before the message but all was good. I am really looking forward to what this weekend holds for our group.

Staff Retreat

2008-06-09T22:22:00.000-05:00

Today and tomorrow, the staff of our church has gone away to Dallas County Alabama for a little time to get focused, relax, build relationships with one another, among other things. Today was very nice as I got to go fishing for the first time in forever. I caught about 6 bream and 3 little bass until my lure (loaned to me by our senior adult minister) was taken by a thief fish. As for the meetings, they have been awesome as we have shared our thoughts and hearts with one another. I really think that we're on the same page and headed in the right direction.

Wednesday Recap

2008-06-05T09:22:00.002-05:00

Last night, we started our summer series "Discovering Your S.H.A.P.E." with our student ministry. This is a series from Doug Fields that I've seen and done (not knowing) for some time with other ministries. It is great. It helps the student to find out how God has wired them and how they can fulfill the purpose for which God created them. This series is a big shot in the arm for me because it follows the thought-pattern that I have that students who have a relationship with God are gifted by God to serve God... NOW. Not when they get "older", but to serve their Creator in the present. I am very excited to see how this will go this summer. If you are a leader in student ministry and looking for something that will help equip students and ignite a spark for them to start doing something, try this series. You can find it here.

This week has been interesting as my summer intern, Merritt, started to work. I'm really looking forward to his help and to pouring in some experience for him. He is looking to go into student ministry himself. I have come to believe that internships are the essential keys to developing true experience for young ministers. Some are like me and get "thrown to the wolves" right off the bat and make stupid mistakes. I know I did (taking the group to a pro wrestling event... not a good idea). If you do not have an internship program in place, that would be something that would be well worth your time in getting together. Pass along the wisdom that you have to the next generation of leaders.

Well, it's off to get the week wrapped up and help Pastor Stan move to his new house.

Life Lessons From Chicken Little

2008-05-30T20:46:00.000-05:00

I just got finished watching the cartoon movie "Chicken Little" with Naomi and Drew, and I am amazed that God spoke to me through that movie. I realized the importance of a parent letting their child know that you believe in them... No matter how crazy it may seem. A child has to be constantly reminded that you are in their corner. I encourage you to watch that movie and let God encourage you also.

Prince Caspian and the Mythbusters

2008-05-27T11:09:00.002-05:00

I know that you're probably wondering, "what in the world do these two topics have in common?" That would be a good question. The only thing that I know of at this moment is that we experienced both of them this past weekend. Saturday was a wonderful day for me and my bride, Naomi. We finally got a day to ourselves. Naomi's parents came in town to watch little Drew and we went out on the town. We cashed in a gift card and ate at a great local Chinese resturaunt then went to see the movie Prince Caspian. It was really good I thought. It seemed to have its own life apart from the first one. Sometimes sequels will just be so much of a repeat from the first. That was not the case with Prince Caspian. The only thing that bothered me was trying to figure out who C.S. Lewis was trying to portray with this Prince Caspian guy. I must confess, I have never read the books. I told Naomi that I felt like that old Switchfoot song "Chem 6A." It is from way back before anyone knew who Switchfoot was. There was a line in the song that went something like:

"I don't want to read the book; I'll watch the movie!"

Saturday evening was filled with me and Naomi going to see "The Mythbusters"
from the Discovery Channel TV show. I was really looking forward to this. They were in town as part of some fundraiser for the area high schools. I must say that I was slightly disappointed with the night. I thought that they might show a couple of their experiments or something. But all Adam and Jamie did was sit on stools with a local radio personality and talk. They did show a couple of videos that were cool, but two hours of watching an interview wasn't what I was looking forward to.

American Idol and Children's Musical

2008-05-22T10:27:00.002-05:00

I must say that I was shocked at the result of this year's American Idol. Don't get me wrong... I was a big fan of David Cook, but I really thought that little Archuleta took it with his performances. Let's be honest though, both of these guys have big futures ahead of them. I was shocked to see that 12 million votes separated these two guys.

Last night we had a children's musical at our church. A couple of things I just have to mention. First, these things can be really good if you get in to them. Second, I was super proud of our students. Normally we meet and have our "student time" on Wednesday nights. Last night we decided to earn some brownie points with the rest of the church. But truthfully, this is what it's all about. Sure, you can take a group off and do "your own thing" or you can help the students see that they are part of a bigger picture. The latter is what I was going for last night. I know that the students weren't all that interested in the program, but they sat there. Presence can speak volumes. I had many people come up to me after the program and thank me for having the students in there. I am so proud that they didn't just go out to the cars and leave because we weren't doing "the youth thing." I hope that they saw that they were ministers of encouragement last night just by sitting in some pews during a children's program.

Why Nicodemus Came

2008-05-13T14:44:00.002-05:00

I was reading in the Bible a very familiar passage today. It can be found in John 3:1-2. This is the instance where a Pharasee (Jewish religious leader) came to Jesus by night. This Pharasee's name was Nicodemus. From things that I've studied, there are different views on why Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. Here are a couple of the major ones.

He didn't want to be seen with Jesus. Nighttime provided a great cloak because not many people if any would be around to see this encounter. Nicodemus had a reputation and it was well documented that Jesus was not on the "Most Loved" list of the Pharasees.
Night was the time when teachers would prepare and study. Nicodemus knew that Jesus was a teacher and would probably not have many around at this time of the day. This would provide a good time to go and get some answers to some questions that may call for some detail.
Nicodemus had no other time in which he could have a sit-down with Jesus. Nicodemus was a teacher himself and had many duties that filled his day planner during the daytime. Night would be the only time that he had any free time.

As I began to think about these reasons as to why Nicodemus would come to Jesus under the cover of night, I was struck with what I feel was a sidenote from the Holy Spirit: so what? Is it really that important to know the reasoning why Nicodemus came to Jesus at night? Isn't the greater point that he actually came to Jesus at all? I am convinced that many times we get hung up on things that are very trivial. With this passage, some may say that Nicodemus was trying to cover his sin and was living in the dark. The truth that we can see from Scripture is that Nicodemus was just like you and me. He was a man who had questions. He did exactly what we should all do: he went to the One who he knew had the answers, Jesus.

Where do you go with your questions? Maybe we should take a chapter out of Jesus' handbook and do as He did. Jesus didn't worry about the reason behind the visit; He just welcomed Nicodemus and gave him answers to his questions.

Mother's Day & More

2008-05-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

This Mother's Day was a first. This was the first where we got to celebrate with a child fully present. The past two Mother's Days have been interesting. This year little Drew got his mom a purse filled with his momma's favorite Bath & Bodyworks scents. He is so smart.
Today is a torn day for our family. Tonight is the Fairhope High School graduation. Some of our former students are going to be walking the stage and getting that little piece of paper that will get you a job at any fast food joint. We are so proud of them, but still bummed that we won't be able to share that moment with them. We wish those Pirates the best and want them to know that our prayers are with them.

The Comatose Tour

2008-05-02T10:30:00.005-05:00

WOW! It has been a little while since I went to a concert just to have some fun. Last night, I went to one of the better ones that I've ever been to. Me and four guys from the church went to see The Comatose Tour featuring Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, and Decyfer Down. It was amazing! I can't remember when I had headbanged so much. I had not heard much from Decyfer Down, but they were great. They had some awesome riffs, lyrics, and most important was their message. Thousand Foot Krutch was great. I must thank my lovely wife for introducing me to them about 5 years ago. Skillet... well, what can you say? I remember when they busted on the scene when I was a teen (no old jokes) with "Gasoline." It was funny because some guy older than I was down in the pit kept yelling for them to play that song. Skillet definitely brought the house down. I must say a huge thanks to Skillet for taking us back to the 80's power ballads one time.
If you have a chance to see this tour, drop everything you have going on, grab a few friends and make sure that you are there. You will not be disappointed... I promise (and I don't do that much)! Check out some pics from the show in the photo section.

National Day of Prayer

2008-05-01T15:32:00.003-05:00

Today has been the National Day of Prayer. Seeing that I work in a church, it has been busy here and people have been in and out more than the usual Thursday. I think that it is a great thing to gather people together for the purpose of prayer. I know that today is a great reminder for us as Christians that we are to be a people of prayer. But I must be honest, I have a couple of concerns about the whole idea. Let me first say that I am about people coming together to pray. But as I think about the "National Day of Prayer", I think about these concerns:

Does it take a "program" to get us to drop to our knees together in prayer? I have seen and heard about people who would not normally come together doing so for this event. What is so different about any other day? I hope that this time of prayer together with others may spark a fire for God's people to come together and pray together more often.

Will we pray as hard for the next President of the United States after they take office? One of the key elements that people are asked to pray about is for our governmental officials. Many Christians have no problem praying for "W", but will that continue if the next President isn't as outspoken about their faith or if they have differing religious views from Christian? We are not told to pray for our leaders who are just Christian. We are to pray for them all. I hope that this time next year the prayers that are being lifted up for our governmental officials will only increase.

Just a few thoughts I had... I pray that God's will would be done here just as it is in Heaven. May we be a people who are known first by our love and then by our prayer-life.

Misused

2008-04-29T22:39:00.000-05:00

I was doing a Bible study today and thought I would share a gem that the Lord showed me. In Daniel 5, the Babylonian king took some holy objects and used them for some very unholy purposes. Here's the gem: how are you being used? If you are a Christian, you are holy because of Christ's blood. But are you being used by Satan in the way you talk, work, think, etc?
Be careful how you are being used and by whom.

The Birmingham Chapter Begins

2008-04-29T22:24:00.000-05:00

We have gotten moved in to our new place of residence (for the time being). We are beginning the new chapter in our lives called the Birmingham years. It could not be much better either. We have been welcomed with so much love and support that we can't hardly take it.
In true tradition, I have opened my head at our new house. It seems that I can't live in a house without bumping, cutting, hitting, or splitting my head open in some form or fashion. This time was a towel rack.
We are looking forward to this new chapter of our life. Our family asks you to pray for a couple of things:
1) Pray that God would quickly sale our house in Fairhope.
2) Pray that God would give us wisdom in how to lead the student ministry at FBC Birmingham.
3) Pray that Naomi would be able to find a job.

Birmingham, Here We Come

2008-04-23T23:43:00.001-05:00

I am laying here in a hotel bed with Naomi and Drew sleeping in Birmingham, Alabama. I am just now realizing that almost everything that we own is sitting in a truck somewhere here in Birmingham. It is supposed to be delivered to the house we will be staying at in the morning. What trust! We are excited about this new work that God has called us to here in ol' Bham. It was definitely strange not being with the crew in Fairhope tonight. I know that God has great things for them and can't wait to hear about it all. But now the focus is Birmingham and the surrounding areas.

Lord, bring revival to this great area called Birmingham... And let it start within me!

Final Day in the Office

2008-04-18T16:44:00.001-05:00

Today was my final day in the office at FBC Fairhope. I must say that it was a good experience for the most part. I did not spend it behind a desk or anything like that. Our church hosted a simulcast of Maximum Impact. It was awesome. It was a leadership conference featuring many great leaders from different walks of life. It proved to be 7 hours of well-spent time. I got a lot of good reminders as well as some new insight in leadership. It was perfect timing as I'm looking to start anew in Birmingham. The sad part of the day was after the conference I cleaned out the office and brought everything to the house. It really hit me today that this is it. We're on our way out of Fairhope and heading to Birmingham in a matter of days. I'm looking forward to the new work, but I'm also sad to leave many great friends behind. It's a good thing we have phones and email to stay connected.

Getting Ready

2008-04-17T11:03:00.003-05:00

I am at the house now and should be cleaning up some, but I stopped to eat some leftover wings from yesterday. The staff at our church brought in wings for a special "going away" lunch for me and my wife. It was really nice. They tried to think of a happy song to sing me out on, but nothing worked. Last night, we had one student show up for church. It's hard when spring break hits and you're only 30 minutes from the beach! As I finish up these wings, I need to get back to straightening up our house because we have a couple that wants to come and look at it. We are praying hard that this couple will buy because then we won't have to worry with a big house payment when we move to Birmingham.

Build Your Replacement

2008-04-13T13:40:00.000-05:00

This weekend begins spring break here in Fairhope. We also find ourselves within two weeks of our move to Birmingham. I was thinking the other day about whether we had completed the task here in Fairhope. I have realized more through this experience than any other that one of the most important goals of a minister is to replace himself. The fact is that at some point someone else is going to take over what you have built up. You can tell how truly effective one's ministry was by examining how it carries on after they are out of the picture. If a ministry caves in and dies when a person leaves, there is a good chance that it was built on a person and not the Kingdom. A Kingdom ministry will continue on past a person. I am so encouraged to watch as some adults are already stepping up to make sure the work of the student ministry in Fairhope carries on. Definitely a Kingdom-minded ministry.
If you are in ministry, make sure that you are building a Kingdom ministry and not your name or resume.

The Past 24 Hours

2008-04-10T13:55:00.005-05:00

After an interesting past 24 hours, today is a Sabbath of sorts for me. A day of rest. A day to kick back and catch up on some much needed rest. Back on Tuesday night, we had the student leadership team that we put together here at FBC Fairhope come over to the house for some spaghetti and Wii. It was good times. I challenged them to step up... take the leadership that's been given to them and use it for the Kingdom. I really believe that they will. Later that night, actually in the wee hours of Wednesday morning (somewhere around 3am), we packed the family into the Explorer and headed to the ER. That's right, the emergency room. My lovely bride encountered her very first migraine. It was awful. Yesterday turned out to be a very busy day. I wanted to make sure that Naomi was able to get plenty of rest and recover from the migraine, so I dropped Drew off at the daycare at about 7am and headed into the office to prepare for our Wednesday night youth service. By the time me and Drew got home (somewhere around 8pm), Naomi was doing better.

At our youth service, we had a blast. We had a special guest appearance by the world-famous air band, The Lava Drinkers. They opened our service with the Skillet song "Whispers in the Dark". It was so funny. We moved on to some awesome worship and then talked about worship. As Jesus put it, true worshippers are those that do it in "spirit and truth" (John 4). I reminded the students of a lesson that I learned as a teen: if you're going to sing it, you better be willing to do it. If not, then it's just as empty as lip-syching. The spirit refers to our emotions. The truth refers to God's word. It is guardrails that keeps us from just going anywhere and everywhere in our worship.

In closing, I thought that I'd drop a line of something that I came across. Usually, Naomi has me watching American Idol, but this year we haven't gotten in to it. I did happen to see something from YouTube that was pretty cool. They had the contestants doing "Shout to the Lord." After picking my jaw up off the floor, I was impressed. I know that some think it was lame because they replaced "Jesus" with "shepherd" in the first line, but the song still spoke clearly. If you didn't see it, here's the video.

The News Is Out

2008-04-03T09:31:00.003-05:00

Well, the news is out. We are fixing to move to Birmingham in a couple of weeks. We will be serving at First Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama as the minister to students. We are excited about this move, but also a little torn. I guess there is always a little part of you that doesn't want to move on to new things, but when God calls you have to answer. We shared with the youth at First Baptist Church of Fairhope, Alabama the news last night. Once again, I was blown away by these students here in Fairhope that God has given us the awesome privilege of working with. I know that the news came as a shock at first, but then the students responded in a heart-gripping prayer session. They pulled me aside and prayed for me and our family during this time of transition. It was a beautiful scene. To see students who had a grasp on the big picture of things and stand behind us was awesome. We are going to miss seeing them all the time, but look forward to seeing and hearing about all that God does in their lives.

"Busted" Series

2008-03-27T14:00:00.003-05:00

I must say that I love student ministry. I especially love preaching and teaching the Word of God in a way that can be easily understood by students. I know that when students can grasp what's being said, then so can I! We just finished up a three-week series called "Busted!". We took a look at (1) how temptations can be so easy to give in to, (2) hidden things aren't so hidden, and (3) could you be busted for being a follower of Jesus? It was some good times. I really enjoyed preparing and putting these together. The last topic was near and dear to my heart. I truly believe that I hold in my heart the spiritual gifts of teaching and evangelism. As I said before, I love to study and present the Word of God. I also love to share the wonderful news that though we've blown it (many times), God is still reaching out to us and calling us to have a relationship with Him.

I really got to thinking about the topic that we went over last night: could you be busted for being a follower of Jesus Christ? For some reason, I have not been able to get this out of mind. Here where I live (in the southeastern United States - Sweet Home Alabama), it is very common for someone to be called a "Christian". But does the term "Christian" mean today what it meant in the first century? I really think not. We can see from the Scripture that the term "Christian" was meant to be very derogatory. It was meant to be an insult, but somehow we've taken it to be one of our favorite "labels" that we place upon ourselves.

What are the qualifications of being a "Christian" in today's world? Go to church. Get baptized. Walk down front and say a prayer. These are some of the things that we talked about last night. These things are all good, but they in no way make a person a disciple of Jesus Christ. I found a video on YouTube that says it so much better than I could. Take a moment to watch it, and then answer the question: could you be busted for being a follower of Jesus Christ?

First Easter As A Parent

2008-03-20T09:39:00.006-05:00

As Easter quickly approaches, I realize that this is going to be a very different Easter than ever before. For the first time ever, I am going to participate in Easter as a parent. It seems that with every passing day there is a new experience in this thing called parenting. This past Sunday, we gathered the family up after church, got some Sonic to munch on, and went and had our "Easter pictures" made. It was so much fun. I have never really gotten into the whole picture-taking craze in my life. This time was very different. I got to choose what I would wear. I also got a say in what the pictures should look like (with much help from the lovely Naomi). It was really good times. We had 143 pictures taken. Good thing was that I was only in maybe four. Most of the pictures were of our little man, Drew. I hope to get some of the pics up here soon. I think that you would like them.

In the way of ministry, I guess you can say that I'm bucking a trend. I know that Easter is only a couple of days away and that most of the attention of churches all around is on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I'm not saying that it's not important. I'm not saying I'm against it. I am very much for it. It was the resurrection that gave me hope of a future and eternal life. We have taken a different course though in our student ministry. We are currently doing a series called "Busted!" I am really enjoying this series. I am growing fond of hunting down funny pictures for this series. Here are a couple of pictures that have made their way to our screens that we thought were just hiliarious:

That's funny stuff... but the focus has been on times when people have been busted for things. The first week we talked about David and Bathsheba and how giving into temptations can get you into a world of trouble. Last night was a good night. We had our students back who were gone to Chicago on a school band trip (go Pirate Band). Last night we talked about Moses and our "hidden things". It was good times. I'm really looking forward to this next week. We are going to put a spin on things and take them in a totally different direction. It's always good to do that every so often. I will tell you more about it after next Wednesday.

Have a great and awesome celebration of the risen Savior this weekend!

Accountability

2008-03-18T22:19:00.002-05:00

I am currently going through a study of Daniel from the Bible and I came across something in this familiar story that I had never seen before. In chapter 2, we see that Daniel and his friends were in a hard place - they had a death warrant on their lives. After finding out the reason, Daniel asks for a little time to interpret the king's dream. Here's the part that I had never paid much attention to: Daniel goes to three friends and asks them to pray. It got me to thinking about the precious few that I have in my life that I can call on at any time to pray with me about something. I thank God so much for giving me a couple of guys to lean on during times of decision. Do you have someone that you can go to about anything and know that they will lift you up in honest prayer? If not, ask God now to send you someone to be a real friend.

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

DNOW

2008-03-13T09:14:00.004-05:00

Wow, how time flies by. It has been a couple of weeks since I last got on here and dropped a few thoughts down for people to read. So let's see what we can come up with. We are on the other side of our church's DNOW. This was a great weekend where First Baptist Church of Fairhope, Alabama joined together with the Church on the Eastern Shore and the Way Community Church. We had close to 200 students from the Fairhope area participate. It was some good times. Gary Permenter (http://www.garypermenter.org/) was the speaker. If you are in student ministry and looking for a good speaker, I would highly recommend Gary. Check out his website and tell him that "the Fireant" sent you his way.

I noticed something during the DNOW worship services. I don't know about where you live, but to get churches to come together and do things together can be like trying to pull a tooth from a pit bull's mouth. Everything went so well and I truly believe that we got a glimpse of heaven. It was people who loved Jesus together singing, praying, listening with one heart. It was truly a beautiful sight.

Don't Forget The Family

2008-02-22T10:52:00.001-06:00

You have to love it when times get busy. I am in the middle of planning events up to my eyeballs! We are hosting a satellite conference for girls, DNOW is right around the corner, trying to get airlines talking to me so that we can get our tickets for our mission trip to Jamaica this summer... What next? I know that I should really not ask that because that only opens the door for more things to come. In the midst of all this stuff, I was reminded today of a key element: don't forget the family! With everything going on, there has not been much time to have some quality time with the fam. That's why tonight is all about Naomi and Drew. The good thing about hosting this event tomorrow is that we get a free Avalon concert tonight. So I will be treating the family to a concert and dinner tonight.

If you are in ministry, be very careful that you do not plan away the quality time with your family. A wise man once told me this bit of advice: "if you lose your church, you can get another one, but if you lose your family, no church will want you!". Something to ponder.

Winter Jam 2008

2008-02-09T22:13:00.001-06:00

I write this blog from the comfort of a bus seat. Not just any old bus seat, but a church bus seat. Those are always the most comfortable (note the sarcasm). We are on our way home from Winter Jam. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it (www.jamtour.com). This year had Newsong, Barlowgirl, Skillet, MercyMe, and more. I was impressed yet once again this year. Great concert and message.
It is not that often to find a concert where every song that is sung is for the glory of God. I'm not against Christian bands doing other songs. It is just not as common to see a band follow in the footsteps of the greats that walked before them (ie:dc Talk, Audio Adrenaline, etc)
My hat's off to those who put this concert on. Great chance to worship, hear the Gospel, and have fun... And all for $10!

Little Man Gets Sick

2008-02-06T11:31:00.001-06:00

It has finally happened. We knew that it would... we were praying that it wouldn't, but in the back of our minds we knew that we couldn't avoid it forever. Our little man got sick. We took him to the doctor on Sunday afternoon and they said that it just looked like a bad cold. They told us to keep a watch out for fever and if it came, to bring him back. They must be prophets. That very night, the fever came. We took him back and magically there was an ear infection. Now, for those of you who are already parents, I'm sure that you're either rolling your eyes or laughing at the big deal that it is to us. But this is our first. I am also one that does not want to fail. There is a part of me that when Drew gets sick is like "how could you let that happen?" I know, I know... you can't protect them from everything. So, our lives have been filled with doctor visits and running to get medicine the past couple of days.

February is always an interesting month. Everyone's thinking about "love". We just finished up a dating series in our student ministry that went really well I thought. This month is going to be more mixed up in topics. I am going to share tonight about how passion moves us to action. Should be good.

I am also reading a great book. I highly recommend it to anyone. It is called "Chazown" and the author is Craig Groschell. You should check this book out.

Awesome

2008-01-24T13:30:00.002-06:00

I often think about random, off-the-wall things. I have realized that I really use the word "awesome" a lot. I got to thinking about what that word means... not necessarily what Webster says, but what does that word mean. When I look at the word I think that it is referring to something that makes you just stand there in awe. I know that I use the word "awesome" way too much because there are very few things that make me just stand still in awe. I will say that this week I have encountered something that is truly "awesome." There is a radio program out of Birmingham, Alabama that I listen to quite often. It is called "the Rick and Bubba show." If you have listened to this show any the past week, you know where I'm going. Rick (one of the hosts of the show) and his family went through the horrifying experience of losing their two year old son in an accident this past weekend. Being a recent new father myself, this really hit close to my heart. The thing that stopped me in my tracks and cause me to realize that I had been paralyzed with awe was the working of the Holy Spirit in and through Rick Burgess and his family. I encourage you to go to their website (http://www.rickandbubba.com/) and check out and experience the awesomeness that I'm talking about.

Who does the church belong to?

2008-01-21T18:48:00.001-06:00

Today I got to talk to a friend that is going to be pastor of a church. I was partly disgusted with the condition that the church was left by the former pastor. I don't understand the thought-process of guys who go into a church with an agenda other than God's glory. Where do we get off thinking that the church is something that we concoct or create? The church is the bride of Christ. He created it and it functions for His glory. I know that my friend is going to do a great job of leading those people to the throne of God. I can't wait to hear about all that God does there.

Giants and Dating

2008-01-20T22:43:00.001-06:00

So the Giants are going to the Super Bowl. I must say that I did not see that one coming. Blindsided by the kicker who couldn't make one. It is like the series that I am doing at our church. We are discussing dating and what it should look like. Of course there are so many that roll their eyes at what I say and then go on to do the very things that we are warning them against. I guess that Jesus really did know what He was talking about when He called us sheep (and it's not because we're cute).

How far are you willing to go?

2008-01-19T09:07:00.001-06:00

I find myself standing around in the midst of leaders. We are hosting an area-wide training conference for leaders at our church. It is good to see and talk to some old faces that I know. It is also nice to be able to meet some new faces, I am encouraged to see that so many people would get out in this nasty weather just to make themselves a better leader. It makes me wonder, how far are we willing to go to be what God has called us to be?
God is really doing some awesome things in our family's life. He seems to be opening so many doors that we are really having to seek His heart as to what direction to go.

Anniversary

2008-01-18T10:07:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was one of those interesting days. It was the 4th anniversary of marriage between me and my wife. I was stoked about it. I had to spend the day in Hattiesburg, MS though. My mother had to have a stint put in. I got to thinking about how you can be torn in many different directions. My heart and thoughts were back at home with my wife of 4 years and our soon-to-be 4 month old son. I was drawn though to the thought that my mother was having heart complications. I was drawn back to the commandment to "honor your father and mother." That doesn't end when you get married. It changes but it doesn't end. You can't run to every beckon call of your parents once you get on your own or else you will be living in slavery. But there are times when they need your help. My mom came through the procedure great and will be spending time in the hospital. God is good and gracious because I was able to get back home to my wife of 4 years and share a wonderful anniversary dinner, pizza!

Looking to 2008

2008-01-07T14:45:00.001-06:00

It is a new year, but does it really feel like it? 2008 is seeming to start off the same way that 2007 did. That's not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion. A little familiarity is a good thing. I guess in the back of my mind I always wonder what the new thing will be this year. Last year it was definitely the expectation and birth of our first child, Andrew Thomas. I am sitting here at my desk wondering what will be the thing that 2008 stands out for. Will this be the year that I finally get organized? I don't know... and the stack of papers and folders on my desk are shouting out at me, "Yeah right!" I'm not one for making new year's resolutions much. I like to think more in the terms of making goals. It seems a lot easier to attain a goal than to maintain a resolution. As you start off your 2008, I encourage you to make some goals and commit them to the Lord. Dare to set some goals that only God Himself can reach. When you get to December and see how God performed miracles and surpassed those goals, you will have yet another thing to praise Him for!

2007: A Year in Review

2007-12-31T09:10:00.001-06:00

As 2007 comes to a close, I have been thinking about all that has happened this year. This has no doubt been the busiest, most changing, most exciting year that I have experienced in my 28 years of existence. It was towards the beginning that I realized that I was going to be a father. That has really been the defining point of my year. I never thought, even with my crazy imagination, that life would change this much. I really thought that the first year or so of this fatherhood stuff would easily get on my nerves and push me to limits I had never seen before. I have been very much surprised at how "stretchable" I really am. God has been flexing me greatly the past couple of years so that I would be ready for what I'm going through now. To Him be the glory.

There is still an issue that our family is praying through and seeking God's direction on. I continue to go back to the account of Abraham from the Old Testament. God came to Him and said, "follow Me and I'll show you where to go." God never gave the end result or what the path that He was calling Abraham to would hold, but simply invited Abraham to follow. (Now that I think of it, sounds very familiar to the invitation that Jesus gave each of His disciples, huh?) I know that God has big plans for our family and the ministry He has given to us. We are continually seeking Him and trying to discern the direction that we are to take.

On a less "spiritual" note, how about the Crimson Tide of Alabama??? I know, you can't really jump up and down much about this season, but at least it was a winning season. It seemed like the bowl game was a summary of their season. They started strong, slacked back and then held on and finished with their heads above the water. Being one that is a huge Crimson Tide fan, I thought that things went pretty well this year. I really look forward to what this new era of football at the Capstone will be like!

I guess that was 2007. Wonder what 2008 will be like?

Christmas 2007

2007-12-27T08:55:00.001-06:00

Christmas 2007 has come and gone. In our house, it couldn't have passed soon enough. It turns out that the first Christmas that we spend together as a family would be decorated with visits to the emergency room and such. I had to leave Naomi and Drew at the house while I went to our church's Christmas Eve service to let some people know that we weren't going to be able to make the party afterwards. (I was there for the worship, too.) When I got home, I was confronted with my 3 month old son not being able to hold anything down. We took him to the ER and found out that it was just a bug and that he should be okay. Christmas morning brought another whole adventure as my wife had apparently caught "the bug" from our son. 'Twas not a good day. My mother and sister had come over for a Christmas lunch, but everything was up in the air because as anyone knows, "when momma ain't feeling good... nothing goes right."

Even with all the craziness that this Christmas brought to us this year, it was nice. We reflected on many things. Most thankful that this year marked the first of many that we would share together as a family... father, mother, and children. That was the stocking stuffer that I was looking for. I guess the question now becomes, "what will 2008 have in store for us?"

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2007-12-24T08:33:00.001-06:00

Now it's starting to feel like Christmas around here. When we moved to Fairhope some two and a half months ago, I knew that the weather would be warmer and all, but the past couple of days it has finally gotten chilly enough for the feelings of Christmastime to come. As I think about this Christmas Eve, I realize that it is so different from any other. This will be little Drew's first Christmas. This is my first Christmas as a father. I'm just glad that I haven't had to get into the stealth mode of hiding presents from the children yet. That will be fun though.

I am very thankful for the time that we have off (from the offices). It gives me a chance to rest up and get ready for the big youth all-nighter that we have coming up at First Baptist Church. I don't know who the wiseguy was that came up with this idea, but if I ever find him... we are going through all the good stuff... pizza, concert, skating, bowling, movies, games, breakfast... I can't wait. I think that the church saw everything that we were doing and said that we would need two weeks to recover from everything.

I know that this seems like a bunch of rambling... well, it is. It's just a little of what's on my mind this wonderful Christmas Eve morning. I wish that all may have a wonderful Christmas this year. If you're reading this... stop... get off the computer and go spend a little time with your family. And remember that Christmas is all about presents. That's right, it's all about presents. God gave us the greatest present of all, a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. God also desires for us to take that present and share it with someone. So do that this Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Remembering Mr. Vernor

2007-12-10T08:47:00.001-06:00

It was brought to my attention this weekend that a couple of families in our church had lost loved ones. This news always tends to bring a cloud over on a sunny day. I can honestly say though that it is good to have hope because of Jesus Christ. From everything that I knew about these two men, they had a relationship with Christ and that has brought hope and comfort to the families.

One of these men, Mr. Vernor, just amazed me. The first time I saw him, he was just walking down the hallway in our church and stopped to say hey to me. I later found out that he led a worship service at a local nursing home each week. I would notice him walking to the nursing home each week and thought nothing of it. That is until it was brought to my attention that he had lost the ability to drive to a stroke. If that wasn't enough, he had also lost the ability to read to a stroke. That's when it hit me. He can't read... he can't drive... but yet, you see him serving his God with the little he has left. Amazing...

It has really made me think about some things. What do I do? What do I allow to put me on the sidelines and miss out on God's work? Here was a man that did not let anything stop him. I pray that the dedication and passion that Mr. Vernor had for Jesus Christ might be found in me one day.

2007-12-03T08:03:00.000-06:00

December already. I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by. It seems like it was just the beginning of 2007 and we were hearing about that we would be expecting our first child. Now he's 10 weeks old and it's time to see what 2008 has in store. This makes me think about a verse from the Bible: James 4:4 "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (NASB). How true that is. Life can seem to creep by at such a slow pace, but the truth is it is just a vapor compared to the big picture. Is the vapor unimportant? Not at all. Though our lives, compared to eternity, may not be much, they were enough for the Creator of all things to take the time to intervene and help us with the most minute problems that we have. I guess that today's thought is really about perception. Keep things in the proper perspective.

2007-11-27T15:16:00.000-06:00

Well today is day #2 in the new era of our family's life. Our very own little Drew started daycare yesterday. Much to our delight, he loved it. He had the teachers cracking up and loving on him. It seems like you blink and years fly by. May it be a reminder to each of us... make the most of every moment.

2007-11-21T10:14:00.000-06:00

Last night, our church had its Thanksgiving service. We started things out in the traditional Southern Baptist way: eating a meal. I'm not complaining, because it was good. We then had a testimony service where people were sharing what they were thankful for. One of the ministers on staff stood up and challenged the congregation with something. He challenged them to take some time and make a "Top Ten" list of things that you are thankful for.

This got me to thinking about the many ways that God has blessed me. To narrow the field down to ten seems to be the biggest chore. After putting a little thought into it, I think that I have my list.

My relationship with the living God made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
A godly wife who challenges me daily to walk close to the Lord.
My awesome son, Drew for giving me a clear picture of what unconditional love and patience is.
Living in a country where I am free.
Knowing that freedom isn't free, I'm thankful to those men and women who are daily in harm's way protecting us here at home.
Good friends that you can share life experiences and trials with.
Alabama Crimson Tide football - it may not be the best quality at the moment, but there's nothing else like it.
Technology - I know this is a weird one, but it has been great for keeping the attention and curiosity of us ADD people going.
Trials - because without these, there would be no need to really exercise my faith.
Creativity - without this everything would be the same... nothing special... nothing extraordinary...

What is your "Top Ten" thankful list?

2007-11-20T08:46:00.000-06:00

Time goes by too fast. I've heard that said a bunch of times growing up. I can remember thinking to myself when I would hear someone say that, "What? Fast? You're crazy!" Now I find myself saying those very words. I feel so much like ol' Rip Van Winkle. I feel that I've laid down for a nap and woke up many years later. For example, it seems as if we were bringing little Drew home from the hospital just yesterday. Just in case you may not know who Drew is, he is the greatest son in the world and not a bad dresser either... see...
Like I was saying, it seems that we just brought him home from the hospital yesterday. This coming Monday he starts to daycare as me and his mom have to be at our jobs.

This makes me think about some wise advice given some time ago: "Make the most of every moment because when it's gone, it's gone." Time is a precious commodity. But we must realize that we only have one shot at doing it right the first time. There are no guarantees that we will be able to go back and correct our mistakes either. So I guess that's my thought for the day.

Join me in wishing a big good luck to the Alabama Crimson Tide as they get ready to lay a long awaited whooping on Auburn this Saturday. Roll Tide!

2007-11-14T05:37:00.000-06:00

Call me simple, but I never cease to be amazed. Just when I think I know how something will turn out, God comes along and reminds me that He's in control and that things don't always go the way you thought that they would. Last Wednesday night, we did a break from the normal way of doing things at our church's youth service. We had something that was called a "Night of Offerings." It turned out to be really cool. We had a couple of our youth sing some songs, one girl got up and read Scripture, and one girl revealed a piece of art that she had put together made up of pictures of people from the youth group and other creative things. I shared about the widow giving her "little" offering that would equal less than a penny today. We moved on to talk about how life is about giving our awesome God offerings of praise, our time, our lives, and our gifts. At the end of the service, we gave an invitation for students who did not have a relationship with Christ to give an offering of their life to God and receive the gift of salvation that only He can provide. One young man, a 7th grader, came to me and said, "I want that."

Amazing. I guess my thoughts have been here lately about what are we giving God? Do we take the time to give Him what He's due? Do we give Him our leftovers?

2007-11-05T12:28:00.000-06:00

Separation is a bad thing... very bad thing. The wife and kid have been at her parents' house for the weekend to pick up some things. They are coming back tomorrow. I find myself counting down the minutes that the two people that I love more than anything on this earth return and I'm able to see and hold them. As this thought goes through my mind, I start to grab hold of a truth that I've heard for so long, but I don't know if I've quite understood it this deeply. The truth is: God loves us. I know that you're probably thinking, "Whoa! That's a deep one there!" Like I said, I've heard this truth for as long as I can remember. I've believed it for almost that long. But to take a moment and listen to what that truth says, it's mind-blowing! The God of the universe that can do whatever, whenever, however He chooses... He set aside His greatness, went through the most cruel and embarrassing execution, and was buried in someone else's tomb. And He did all of that just so that you and I didn't have to be separated from Him. I think about an OC Supertones song that goes like: "He'd rather go to hell than heaven without me."

How close to God are you? Some to think about...

2007-11-02T09:52:00.000-05:00

As I sit here at my desk at the church, I am reminded about a couple of things. Me and my family are currently reading through Deuteronomy. If you haven't read through this book in the Bible, I strongly encourage you to do so. It gives so much insight into many things. Yesterday, I read chapter 2. Moses was reminding the people about the wandering around in the desert they had to do because of disobedience. But there came a point where God said to Moses, "enough wandering." God had promised to watch over Israel and we see in this chapter that who God gives His word to, He keeps it.

This made me think about God's leading and plans for our lives. We are told in Jeremiah 29:11 that God has great plans for us. With those great plans comes great provisions. If God has called you to something, keep watch. He will make a way of provision for you. God never said that He would give us all of our wants. God never promised us a mansion and the nicest of things. He did promise that He would take care of our needs. What are you trusting to make your provisions? That is the question of the day.

2007-10-29T07:19:00.000-05:00

Well, it is time to get back into the normal routine of things. The past couple of weeks have been "different." I like it when things are a little different. To get into a rut is not a good thing. But some routine is not a bad thing either. I will be heading to classes again for the first time in two weeks. It seems like I am starting a new semester almost. I am enjoying the classes (for the most part), but I cannot wait for them all to be over. I know that I have a ways to go til I get that Masters degree... oh well.

I am excited to see what God is going to do with this idea that He gave me for our youth service. On Wednesday, November 7th we are going to have a night of "Offerings". So many times we tell students that they are gifted by God and need to use those gifts for God as an offering, but we seldom give them the chance to. I don't want that to be said of us. We are going to have a night where students come and bring their gifts and talents before the LORD and offer them to Him. I have already had students sign up for singing, interpretive dance, and more. I am excited to see what happens. If you are one that is looking for a place to use your talent for the LORD, I invite you to come and worship with us at FBC Fairhope, Alabama.

2007-10-24T10:41:00.001-05:00

A parent of a couple of our students sent me a link to a skit. I must say at the forefront, this skit was one of the greatest dipictions of life for students today. I'm not sure about who the group was, but man, did they rock it out. I encourage you to stop by this link and take a look at it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA

Let me know what you think...

2007-10-23T10:24:00.000-05:00

Last night was our "Next Generation Emphasis" at our church's revival services. We went more contemporary and had a great time. We had a band from the Nashville, TN area come down and lead some awesome worship. You can find more about the band at the website www.toddhampton.net. They were with us at our previous DNOW back in March. It was great teaming up with these guys again. The speaker for the night was John Hickman (www.johnhickmanonline.com). He brought a great message about being dangerous for Christ. It was so awesome to see many of our students go out and pick up their friends for this service in the midst of a tornado watch. I am constantly reminded and encouraged by students. They have such a passion for Christ. When they latch on to and see the purpose for which they were created, nothing can stand in their way.

2007-10-16T09:25:00.000-05:00

I am simply amazed at the potential of students. I work with students at a church and I get to see God do incredible things through them. I am constantly reminded of what God has called me to do: help teenagers know Him and make Him known to others. At our church, we are having a special youth service tomorrow night called "Super Hero Night". It is simply a theme night where we are having the youth dress up like their favorite superhero and bring as many friends as possible. I chose to let a group of high school students in our ministry take the ball and run with the plans for this night. What they have come up with is awesome! I cannot wait for tomorrow to come and see the fruit of their labors.

If you have an opportunity, pour into the teenagers around you. Give them an opportunity to shine. I have been working with students since 1997. One thing that I have clearly learned in my work with students (especially high school students) is that they are just looking for an opportunity to contribute. Take the time to let the students that God has placed in your path shine.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." ~ Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

2007-10-10T10:26:00.000-05:00

Whoa man... I am so tired. I crawled out of bed this morning with the full intentions of making to the local high school's First Priority meeting and made my way to the shower. I found myself a couple of minutes later waking up in the shower. My lovely wife came and told me to get back in the bed before I drowned myself. I love the way that she looks out after me. I guess that the sleep that has been lost with the care of little Drew is catching up with me. It's amazing though. Perspective is everything. I usually find myself very cranky and snappy when I don't get enough sleep, usually pointing a blaming finger at the culprit who is robbing me of my precious z's. But I find myself taking great joy in losing sleep. I realize that I am losing z's to take care of this wonderful gift that our awesome God has entrusted to me (and to help take care of the wonderful bride, too). With that in mind, loss of sleep is no big deal anymore. In this journey that we call life, perspective is key. When we get our priorities and perspective out of whack, then everything begins to fall apart leaving us wondering, "what in the world is going on?" When those priorities and perspectives are in their proper order, life is truly lived in an abundant way.

Jesus Christ said that He came to give us life and to give it to us in an abundant way (John 10:10). This is truly one of my favorite verses showing that Jesus is anything but a "stick-in-the-mud." He also said to us that if we were weary, worn-out, run-down that we should come to Him and find rest (Matthew 11:28-30). I encourage you that if you are being drained by life, come to Jesus and find the rest that you are so eagerly looking for.

2007-10-08T07:29:00.001-05:00

I don't know how I get all these blogs in one place until now. Now I can just put my thoughts down in one place. Maybe I will do a better job of keeping up with this. So where do I start?

So much has happened since I last dropped some lines in a blog. The main thing is that me and Naomi had our first child, Andrew Thomas. He was born on September 19, 2007 at 2:05pm. There are very few days in a person's life that they can call "life-changing"... that day was one of mine. I believe that I have had 3 major life changing days in my life. First, the day that I started my relationship with Jesus Christ. It was in the summer of 1992. Second, January 17, 2004. This was the day that I got Naomi to say "I do" and she became my bride. Third, of course was the birth date of lil' Drew. I never imagined how much life would change when he came on the scene. EVERYTHING is different. Here is a pic of the little guy...

Life is really interesting at this moment. I find myself in an awkward position right now. I cannot go into much detail but I find myself scratching my head and wondering what the next month or so holds. I ask for prayers for wisdom and discernment at this time.