The Divine Mentor

My pastor recently recommended reading The Divine Mentor, by Wayne Cordeiro. After finishing the work, I would also recommend this to believers young and old. In this work, Cordeiro reminds us that the Word of God is full of mentors. These mentors are just waiting to teach us and help give us understanding of our current experiences.
Cordeiro points back to the Scriptures as the only divinely inspired Word from God. As you read this book, you'll be challenged greatly by Cordeiro. Listen to some of these quotes:
"Life has given us two very effective teachers. Both are top-flight instructors, but neither comes cheap. While both are effective, both require something of us. We have to choose one or the other, and if we choose neither, the second will be chosen for us. The teachers are wisdom and consequences."
"God not only marked out these 66 books, He also breathed himself into the whole library and said to us, "If you will read this, I will let you sit with Jacob. I will let you walk through the deserts with Moses - and the same wisdom that I gave to Moses, I will transfer to you...if you will only take to heart the words written here."
"Your best friends will be found in the Bible. They are men and women who have been handpicked and ordained by God to befriend you. They will guide you and tutor you. No seminar, no conference, no leadership forum will outdo what you will learn from entering the Bible. To attempt a substitute is like parents allowing the media to raise their child."
I would recommend this book to you. Cordeiro hits the nail on the head throughout this work, and he reminds us that the Scriptures are sufficient. If you are looking for a great book to help you get on track in reading the Bible (or back on track), this is a wonderful piece to check out. As I read, I was encouraged time and time again to continue in His Word.

Oasis '09 Recap

Wow! Just got back in from our first ever Oasis summer camp with the Ingleside student ministry. What an incredible time!
Josh Via led worship along with an outstanding group of guys (tim, andy, nate, and Josh's wife Tasha :). The times of singing and praising were amazing. Our students connected with them from the very first strum until the last set of camp. If you are a youth pastor reading this, you absolutely have to bring in these guys! You will not be disappointed. They were ministry focused, and they loved on our students and leaders.
Bill Stanley brought the Word each morning and evening. Bill is a beast (6'8" - ??? lbs.). Bill connected with our students and spoke truth into their lives. He made an impact on our students. Bill is a great guy to serve with, and he did a great job as our camp speaker.
We also had Tenth Avenue North come for a concert. You may not have heard these guys yet - but they just received a Dove award for best new Christian artists. If you have a Christian radio station like K-love, you probably hear "By Your Side" every hour or so. These guys were some of the most humble and caring people I've ever met in the ministry. They were unassuming, and they absolutely demonstrated the attitude of Christ. The concert was great!
For me, there were many great moments of camp. The morning celebrations were fun, the afernoon recreation was awesome (led by our Executive Pastor Riley), the family group times were so great (30 leaders pouring into our students' lives), the worship sessions were outstanding and worship-filled, the late night was histerical (led by Justin and Philip - or "Bart" and "Lance"), fishing in the morning with my guys was enjoyable - and tiring, and the beach and resort were exellent. Still, the highlight of camp for me was the salvation of one of our students. God truly made him a new creation, and changed his heart.
Thank you Lord for doing something only you can do.

Ten Things I Learned About Batching It...

This morning I picked up Lindsey, her sister, and the kiddos from the airport in ATL. They've been gone for 10 days, and I've been baching it in Maconga (macon, ga). After 10 days on my own, I learned some things that I'd like to share with you. Here they are in random order:

1. "It is not good for man to be alone" - God sho' knew what He was talkin' bout.

2. My clothes really do not wash themselves. Seriously!

3. A house with 3 loud children is better than a quiet house.

4. Redbox can only entertain you for so long.

5. Season 9 of The King of Queens is pretty good. Lindsey got it for me while she was away.

6. You can really eat PB&J for dinner!

7. I really love my family.

8. I'm still not good over the phone.

9. God fashioned a great rib for me.

10. I have the best wife in the world and my life is 1000 Xs better when she's with me.

I am so thankful that I don't regularly batch it. God has blessed me in so many ways.

Secret Church

For the past year and a half, I have been influenced by the preaching and teaching of Dr. David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills, in Birmingham, AL. I first heard Platt at a conference in January 2008 in Chattanooga, TN. I was blown away by the passionate preaching of Platt - a believer that's my age!
I would encourage you to go to their website and listen to some recent messages. They are also on podcast.
You will not be disappointed by this teaching.
On the church site, you'll also find what's called "The Secret Church." Dr. Platt uses these efforts to teach the Word to the people of God. I would highly recommend it. I'm listening to one of these (4 parts) on the Old Testament. You can even print the notes out and follow along. If you've ever wondered what seminary is like, this could give you a taste - only it's better!
If you're in a place where you really want to learn more about the word of God, you have to check this out!

Latest Read

I've just finished Holy Discontent, by Bill Hybels. I must say that this read didn't "wow" me. This is the second book I've read by Hybels in the last year (the other was Volunteer Revolution). Each of these books list story after story of people who have gotten passionate for a cause or calling, and have pursued that fire. In HD, Hybels suggests that we all have a "holy discontent" moment. He used two Biblical examples - Moses and Nehemiah - to prove his point. These are the moments in our lives when we decide that we must act on our convictions. Modern day examples are given, like Bono and his support of AIDS foundations.

All in all, I did not enjoy these books. I love stories as much as the next guy, but I also love spiritual truth. Outside of a couple Biblical examples, it was a skyscraper (story upon story) book. Anyway, just thought I'd update you on the latest reading. I'm almost finished with a couple others as well. Have a great week!

Best Saturday in a while...

What a great Saturday!
This was quite possibly the most action packed and most exciting Saturday we've had in a while. Here's a rough outline of our day:
1. Went to the park - ate lunch and flew a kite.
2. Went to Bass Pro - Joshua asked us to buy an awesome yellow boat! That's my boy!
3. Got home - Paw Paw came to the crib.
4. Went to a Strawberry Patch - picked strawberries, ate home made ice cream, saw lots of animals, thought the kids might get attacked by several animals they got way too close to - peacock, steer, rooster, etc.
5. Ate at Nu Way Weiners - it's a Macon thing...
It was a busy day! It was a great day. Thank you, Lord, for such an awesome family!
For pictures, check out Lindsey's blog at www.fourbroomes.blogspot.com . She'll probably be posting some tomorrow.

life and death

This past weekend, we held my grandmother's funeral in Charlotte, NC. As I reflect on her life, I think about my own mortality. To be sure, we will all eventually die and stand before God someday (unless the Lord returns). That part doesn't concern me as much, because I know that "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." I cried out to the Lord for salvation many years ago, and am ready to meet the Lord.
My greater concern is this life. How will I spend it? Will I make any difference? Will I be a good father? Will I be a good husband? Son? Follower of Jesus?
One of my favorite past times is vegging out in front of the TV set. I've grown quiet accustomed to just sitting and letting my wheels stop turning as I watch whichever latest and greatest show hit primetime.
When it comes to my life, I am resolved not to veg out. I hope and pray that God will find me faithful to Him and to my family and friends throughout my life.
How does this happen? Less of me and more of Him. Me says "Sit down. Take it easy. You've had a long day of work. Rest." He says "Spend time with me. Be still before Me. Love your wife as I loved you. Teach your children and love them. Love your neighbor as yourself."
I hope when it's all said and done, I will have made a difference. I hope that I'll be a husband that loved my wife, a father who loved his children, and a servant who loved God more than anything. A legacy doesn't happen overnight. It will take small steps over time...am I willing to put one foot in front of the other?