Check this out.

On JoePa and living out RPC's mission

2012-01-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

Ever since the news of the passing of Joe Paterno this weekend, it seems the world has had mixed feelings on his legacy.

He's the all-time winningest DI College Football coach. His resume is ridiculous. but beyond that, he didn't just build a football program in Happy Valley, he built men. And every former football player interviewed this weekend testified to his influence.

But then he missed it. Facing the biggest test of his career, most of us would agree he didn't do enough.

The world struggles with where the legacy will rest, which is good because I struggle with it. Until I settled on this.

At RPC, we often use the statement, we refuse to define people by their worst moment. Undoubtedly, this was Paterno's worst moment. And I refuse to define him by that moment.

What's going on? (part 2)

2012-01-19T06:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I blogged about a movement that can be impacting this generation.

Never has that been more evident to me than last night. Our band did an amazing job as they've been getting better and better each week. But the way students worshipped and the seriousness in which they took the commitment...it was inspiring.

Comfortable is not memorable.

That was our main talking point last night. We want to live comfortable lives because it's easy. But five years from now we'll have wished we had done something memorable.

The mark of a movement is when people become dissatisfied with status quo and push for change. It's not comfortable, but it is memorable. Years ago, I read a book by Alvin Reid who I cited in yesterday's post. In it he detailed the Great Awakening and the spiritual fire that spread across our country. In his book, he quotes Jonathan Edwards, the most notable preacher during that time in history who said about the awakening:

"The work has been chiefly amongst the young; and comparatively but few others have been made partakers of it. And indeed it has commonly been so, when God has begun any great work for the revival of his church; he has taken the young people, and has cast off the old and stiff-necked generation."

Get that...the awakening began as a youth movement. Edwards actually commented on the flexibility of students to be teachable. To learn, to grow, to believe.

In the same book, Dr. Reid outlines some ingredients for growth. I want to take them, re-order and expound on them just a little. See, if there is a movement starting, the movement isn't a movement of man, it's a movement of God. That doesn't alleviate us from responsibility, it necessitates a response. Four things that are a necessary response to the movement:

1. Hunger for the Word of God

2. True and Authentic Worship of God

3. Fervent Prayer to God

4. Intentional Evangelism about God

Last night, students took the first challenge of our #impactyear challenge. Over the next two weeks, they'll receive two more challenges. They will not be comfortable things. But, if lived out, they will be memorable. Pray for students. Not just here, but literally across the world. This time is short. We need to make the most of it.

What's Going On?

2012-01-18T08:03:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a distinct difference in our youth group. It was subtle at first but definitely noticeable. Students getting more focused, asking deeper questions, taking spiritual matters more seriously.

If I were aware, the signs towards the end of 2011 were pointing that way as a group of students were leading the charge for change.

Then this year, things just started to go crazy. The last couple weeks have been intense and for lack of a better term, just different. And I started to notice, it wasn't just here.

The Passion gathering in Atlanta started off the year with over 42,000 college-age students gathered together to worship their Creator and to hear from some of the best speakers in the country. While there, the contributed $3 million to end human trafficking in our world.
I had a chance to visit a retreat put on by a former student in our youth ministry. Amazing to see the response of students. Genuine. Heart-felt worship. Repentance.
The school I grew up going to had a spiritual emphasis week, something they do yearly. Only this year was different. Much different. I started to hear some of the reports. Saw students posts on Facebook, things I've never seen some students write. Then a teacher who has been there off and on since I was in middle school posted that in all the time there, she's never seen anything like last week.
Then there were our experiences at Merge.

There's something different going on. I can't put my finger on it yet (and perspective requires time), but to borrow from Jim Cymbala, I would say there's a "fresh wind" blowing through youth culture currently.

Granted the experiences that have been mentioned are all in the southeastern U.S. Still, there's been that shift.

Alvin Reid is a professor at Southeastern Baptist Seminary. I had the privilege to sit in his class for 8 weeks a few years back. More than that, he's been a long-distance mentor as he is a guru when it comes to youth ministry. Recently, he tweeted this statement.

"There is a wind of change coming in student ministry. I want 2B on the ship sailing w/ it."

This is from a guy who speaks all over the world. And everyone I've talked to says it's not just an emotional response. It's something deeper. I've been around youth ministry for 15 years, and it's rare to see something like this happening on a local level. I've never seen anything like it on the national or international level.

Here's the deal, though. A movement that starts and fizzles is nothing more than a firework. Impressive at first, but no lasting substance. The challenge is to be aware of that which is happening around us, and to realize that while the movement itself isn't up to us, we are responsible to do our part to see the movement spread.

Tomorrow, I'll be posting some thoughts on the mark of a movement.

Thankful to be a part of this moment in student ministry.

There's No Way...

2012-01-13T21:16:00.002-08:00

They said he'd never be born.
While pregnant with Tim Tebow, his mother was treated for dysentery. Doctors treating her with medication to pull her from a coma were sure the baby was stillborn. The experts recommended an abortion as a life-saving method for his mom, a procedure outlawed in the country. His mother refused, and on August 14, 1987, Tebow entered the world. Alive and healthy

They said he'd never be a high school quarterback.
As a freshman, he excelled as a linebacker and tight end. The next year, he transferred to Nease High School in Jacksonville, FL. His senior season, he led the team to a state title, along the way garnering the state's Mr. Football Award for being the best football player in the state.

They said his game wouldn't translate to the college campus.
Tebow was recruited to the University of Florida, where he would fill-in in crucial spots his freshman year as the Gators would win the national championship. By the end of his career at UF, he would add another national championship and a Heisman trophy to his resume, but...

They said he would never be drafted in the pros. At least not in the first round.
Despite draft analysts placing him no higher than a second, or (more likely) third round draft pick (with Mel Kiper taking a swipe at him comparing him to Pat White), Tebow was drafted with the 25th pick in the first round by the Denver Broncos.

They said he'd never start a down as a quarterback in the NFL.
Scouts wondered if the Broncos would move him to fullback or tight end. His delivery was awkward and slow. He wasn't accurate enough. He wasn't smart enough to play the position. Stuck at 1-4 this season, Tebow became the starting QB for the Broncos, after starting only in a mop-up roll last season.

They said he couldn't win.
In the preseason, NFL analyst Merril Hoge said it was an "embarrassment to think the Broncos could win with Tebow." And he wasn't alone. Tebow took the reigns as starter and led the Broncos as they scored 15 points in the final 2:44 of their week 7 game against the Dolphins. Ultimately, the Broncos would win in OT.

They said he couldn't beat a good team.
The win against the Dolphins was underwhelming. At that point in the season, the Dolphins had no wins. And the Broncos barely pulled out a win. What happened when they face real competition? Over the next 7 weeks, the Broncos would amass wins against the Raiders, Chiefs, Jets, Chargers,Vikings, and Bears, winning most of the games in dramatic fashion.

They said he'd never win a playoff game.
After jumping to a 7-1 start with Tebow at the helm, the Broncos lost their last three, backing into the playoffs, and an opening round game against a vaunted Steelers defense. No way he'd lead them to this win. His season was over, and he'd probably lose his starting job during the game. Then they won. And he looked good, throwing for 300 yards (first person to do so against the Steelers all year). The Broncos would win the game as Tebow hit WR Demaryius Thomas across the middle for an 80-yard touchdown in OT, propelling the Broncos into a rematch with the New England Patriots.

Today, that game happens. The Patriots hold one of the most prolific offensive attacks in football. QB Tom Brady is everything Tim Tebow is not. Smooth, savvy.

There's no way he can pull this game out.
But isn't that what he specializes in?

Merge Parent Meeting

2012-01-11T06:05:00.000-08:00

The numbers are staggering. Since I've been in youth ministry (15 years), they haven't changed. 90% of students who are active in their church youth groups drop out of church in their college years.

The answer isn't in better programs, more events, or more influential youth pastors.

The answer is in parents.

Tonight, we're going to invite our parents to get a little taste of Merge. Then we'll break away to meet to talk youth ministry philosophy, and events. Retreats, mission trips, service projects, and family groups.

Oh, and we'll be blessed with the infectious lyrics of Nene Smith, and one of our students, Jose Viera will bring the word. This year started off hot last week, and I can't wait to see what is in store tomorrow night.

#Impactyear. Check it out.

Heads Up

2012-01-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

I'm back.

VMA Flashback

2011-08-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

Following the tweets #VMA was better than the show itself. Here are a few favorites.

Lady Gaga was born this way (and by this way, she means like ralph machio's character in the first karate kid)- @thechrisarmy

If the only air-able words you said were, 'to the kids out there'... Maybe you shouldn't be talking to the kids out there.- @goldietaylor

So cool that Beyonce is pregnant! If she were fourteen years younger she could be on an MTV series.- @BorowitzReport

Wait!!!! Did Tyler The Creator momma just go into a Pentecostal Praise????!- @DarianMurray

Two that I couldn't find the twitter names for:
#thatawkwardmoment when the Jessie J sings Firework better that Katy Perry right in front of her.

The VMA's, the one night MTV plays videos, and music.

Amy Winehouse tribute was sad. speaking of sad, why is katy perry wearing a green bay packers cheese head?- @thechrisarmy

Maybe next year Katy Perry can wear a hat made out of an entire level from Q*bert instead of just one cube.- @theBGrass

I could've made that 'Hunger Games' teaser in my backyard.- @josephbirdsong

Lil Wayne borrowed a pair of Nicki's leggings 4 this performance I see....- @ItaughtYeezyy

Things You Might Want to Know About Merge

2011-08-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of things to keep on your radar if you're a student in middle school or high school and reside in Polk County (or if you know someone who does):

Back to School Swag- School is right around the corner and with it is the kickoff to a new Merge year at RidgePoint Church. Wednesday, August 24th, we'll be bringing in the new year with band Letters from Patmos leading us in worship. Our Wednesday experience is dynamic and will continue to change as the year goes on. Join us Wednesday's at 7pm, starting August 24th.
Leadership- One of the most exciting upgrades to Merge this year is our student leadership team. We'll be meeting Wednesday nights before the gate opens to go over some leadership principles and prepare for living those principles out. We also have some leadership development trips already on the books. It's too late to add to the leadership team before the first trip, but there's still room on the team. See me for more info.
Rock the Universe- September 9-11 is Rock the Universe. Great bands, incredible nights. We're organizing our third trip through RPC. Cost is $100 for the weekend. Check out the website for all of the bands. Sign up now as a $40 deposit is due August 21st.
It's hard to imagine, but we're already well into our planning for Winter Retreat '12. We already have the worship leader reserved and are finalizing details on the speaker and theme for the weekend. The retreat will be January 27-29 at Camp Gilead. Cost TBA.

We're working on details as well for our spring missions trip and summer camp for 2012. I'll announce those once details are finalized. And this is just the beginning. Some of the smaller events will be used to fill in the gap. We'll also be talking soon about our family group environments set to launch at the beginning of September.

Honduras- Day Six

2011-07-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Eddie!
The group was flexible yesterday, as they pushed the trip to Guanabana back one day, hoping Beth would be able to make it.

We woke up this morning with her feeling much better. Everyone seems to be getting a little bit of something, and Cipro is in much demand. Still, we're surviving, and everyone is ready for today. Church at Pastor Jeony's church was phenomenal. One of the songs went through my head all day. I'm going to download it when we get back to the States. It was that good.

After church, and saying goodbyes to many of our friends, we finally headed up to Guanabana. It was so good to see everyone. Jennifer, a girl we met last year that is probably about 9, was the first to recognize me, and said, "hota, hota". After that, kids started showing up left and right, with the last two to arrive being Kelly and Isis. Beth went running towards them as they ran towards us. It really was hard to imagine that it's been a year. I doubt they even realize a year has transpired. Maybe?

The picture at the top of Eddie might have been my favorite of the week. Something just so stunning about the picture. We met Eddie last year, when he would walk around the neighborhood with no pants on. This year, he again had no pants. At least had some underwear.

We also got to re-visit the two homes we worked on last year. Carlos (the homeowner our team worked on) was excited to see us. It was AMAZING to see the work they had done on the home when we left. Last year, it was basically a 20'x20' concrete box. Today, there's drywall on the inside, painted beautifully. A hammock was in their front living area. And a working TV. What? I know. It gave us so much hope for the homes we built this year. The time in Guanabana flew by. We could have stayed there all week. Great times. And though there's a language barrier, some great friends. I anticipate one day we'll be in heaven with some of the friends we made, and language will no longer be a barrier. I can't wait to get caught up. One of my fave pics from last year was me picking up both of the twins for a picture. This is this year's version. They've grown quite a bit. This will probably be the last year I can do this:

We finished out the day with lunch, a trip to do some shopping at Valle de Angeles, then dinner at the hotel. We had our final debrief/devotion of the night, before we headed off to sleep. It was a great, but exhausting week. Sad to see tomorrow come. Yet excited to get back.

Honduras- Day Five

2011-07-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the week, Rey gave us a challenge, and said rule #1 this week is that we must be flexible. Today put that to the test.

One of our guides for the week (Austin) had taken two of our team members to the airport, as this was originally the day we were supposed to fly back. We said our goodbyes to Chris and Brett (from TMP) and got ready for the day

All week long, we hadn't had anybody get really sick. Until this morning. Beth woke up not feeling well at all. She tried to push through as she really wanted to go to Guanabana, but by the time we were ready to pull out, she said she couldn't make it. We met up with the Rey from AFE, and he actually brought me back to give her some Cipro. I was glad I came back as she was (and I'll try to be as discreet as possible here) throwing up out of both ends. I mean it was BAD. I decided to stay back with her for the morning/afternoon.

The team finished the work and gave a great report of the presentation of the homes. Hamee would later say the presentation was his favorite part of the week. Here's a picture of the families inside one of the homes.
I was sad I missed the presentation, as I heard amazing stories of the words of one of the new homeowners. Extreme Home Makeover's "Move that Bus" has nothing on this. It's literally hope out of a perpetual hopelessness.

That afternoon, the team made it back. Beth was feeling better and wanted me to join them on the afternoon trip. We traveled up to Cristo del Picacho. About 14 years ago, a large statue of Jesus was erected on a mountaintop overlooking Tegucigalpa. A beautiful park surrounds the statue. We walked through the park, and came to the statue area, and one of the most amazing views in the country. Here's the team (minus Beth, Chris, and Brett) overlooking the city.
We finished out the night by having dinner at the church, prepared by Pastor Jeony's family. Chris summed up meeting Pastor Jeony this week, by saying it was like meeting a "real-life Mother Teresa". We sat at separate tables. I was fortunate enough to sit at his table and hear some of the amazing stories of God's providence as they started AFE and the church. Next door to the church is a three-story building that is being completed 8 years ahead of schedule, which will house their seminary. Pretty extraordinary stuff.

Honduras- Day Four

2011-07-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

I know I said this yesterday, but the trip really is just going by so quick. So far we've had none of the complications of last year.

Today, we hiked back up to the house, which might be the farthest up we could go in this particular area. Nice. But I felt a little better this time going up the hill. It was the going down that was the issue. But I'll get to that in a second.

Construction was fluid today. We really were knocking it out, and we got to a stopping point way early in the morning. The team is really impressing me. We had planned on stopping for lunch, for a trip to look at the current homes of the families whose new homes we're building, then to the trsh dump, then Guanabana (the community we worked in last year). All that changed.

First, coming down the mountain, I slipped on some of the loose gravel. Not normally a big deal as it happens frequently. This time, though, I tweaked my knee or something. Thought I could walk it off, but I'm definitely in pain. Took some advil, but it doesn't look like hiking is a possibility any time soon. We did travel to the other homes, which were treacherously placed on the side of the trash mountain. Getting to it was tough on a good knee. Today, was impossible. Most of the team traveled up to the homes. Homes is a stretch. Terrible living conditions. Revamped hope for the team as we see the desperate need these families face. Here's a pic of the team climbing to the home, and a pic of a sampling of the current living conditions of the families.

Rain forced us to hurry the trip on the trash dump. Rey has had teams get caught on the dump in rain, and he didn't want that to happen to us. Second time on the dump for me. Just as sobering. We didn't get to go to Guanabana. Instead, I spent the afternoon reorganizing the toiletry supplies we're giving away up at AFE.

Dinner was fantastic. Great devo time. We heard a story of how God protected our group today in a way we weren't even aware of. Pretty fantastic stuff. Rest. Tomorrow's a big day. Presentation of the homes, and Guanabana (we hope).

Honduras- Day Three

2011-07-22T05:44:00.001-07:00

A couple of things we've noticed as the week has begun:
1. The trip is going by very quickly.
2. The country seems a whole lot more civilized than last year.
It's amazing how much can change in a year. Last year, it seemed like every other motorcycle or scooter that drove by had a passenger pointing a gun in the air. This year, I haven't seen one. I mean there are still security guards everywhere brandishing shotguns, the people are still cutting the countryside with machetes, and the street markings are more a suggestion than a rule

But it's just more civilized.

The trip is flying by. Our lunch breaks are shorter and shorter as we just want to get the work done. The words we look to hear from our foreman are "Esta Bien."

Today, we broke up into two teams, and I used the saw on our team. Despite a couple of complications with a change of direction from our foreman, our group finished the exterior wall and all of the interior walls for the home. All that's left is to put on the roof, doors, and windows.

Yesterday the bus made it up the mountain to our location. Today, we walked. My cardiovascular system was struggling. I made it. Barely. Interesting to see what tomorrow brings.

We got to a stopping point a little earlier today. Literally, there was nothing else we could do. In the morning, a couple of the ladies went to AFE to work there. Beth joined them in the afternoon. As much as I love the work we're doing, I also love hearing the stories of the people (new and old friends) she's meeting at AFE.

Tomorrow, we've been told we're going back to Guanabana, the community we worked in last year. We're stoked about it. We'll work a half day, then go to lunch, the garbage dump, then spend time with the families we worked with last year.

Dinner was early, followed by a sweet trip to Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins. Devo. Then a great discussion pool side by a few of us. It seemed late, even if the clock said 9:48 local time when we turned in.

Honduras- Day Two

2011-07-22T05:28:00.000-07:00

It's so weird waking up in Honduras as the sun starts to peak through the window shades somewhere around 5:40 am. And our bodies are telling us it's 7:40, anyway.

The team woke up and we got an early start on the day. Breakfast at 7 am. On the bus by 8. We're a little more efficient this year as we're the only ones on the bus and we're all working basically on the same worksite. We had started working by 8:40 am. Here's a picture from the worksite from our visit yesterday. The concrete foundation has been laid and it's time to work.
Fortunately, we have some skilled labor with us, and the work on the first day went much quicker than anticipated. In fact, we got so far ahead, we had to wait on more lumber to be delivered so we could finish up today. We also had more than enough help as the family as well as our four translators pitched in hammering. We've come up with a pretty good system, but we're tweaking it tonight in order to be more efficient and get more people involved tomorrow. Here's the first wall going up:
The neat thing about the project is that the two homes adjoin each other. Think more like a duplex. They will share one wall. Everyone worked together as one team today. I was basically Trevor's helper in making the cuts. It seems like the plan for tomorrow is for us to break into two teams and I think I'll be the cutter on that team.

We were able to knock off a little early to head back for showers and a little rest before dinner. Unfortunately, there were no glass bottles of Coke at the pulpuria by our work site. However, Trevor, Kathy and I found one by the hotel. What a refreshing reward after a hard day's work. Dinner was fantastic as Rey Diaz heard the groups love of the Chinese food last year and took us to the best Chinese food we've ever had.

Devotions, a good discussion, and rest all came quickly after that. I had a harder time sleeping as my neck got really sunburnt during the day. I sprayed twice, which evidently wasn't enough. More tomorrow.

Honduras- Day One

2011-07-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

Finally, everything worked well, and we were able to make our flight.

When I say everything worked out right, I mean, we had to abort our first landing into Miami, and our landing in Tegucigalpa was a little rough, causing some paneling to fall upon impact. Oh, and Luke asked the flight attendant where the parachutes were. And Chris' dad met us as he was in Miami waiting to fly a plane to the middle east.

Still, we were in Tegus and ready for the week. All 15 of us made it, 5 of which were here for the first time. And upon landing, we ran across the street for some Pizza Hut. The music playing throughout the trip has been ironic. Today, as we ate pizza, we heard "The Lazy Song" come on the radio. Today, not feeling like doing anything isn't an option.

Everything is moving a little quicker this time as we've lost a day. We checked into our hotels, than had a brief orientation to Amor Fe y Esperanza, the school we'll be working through. We then went to the job site, which requires a walk with a pretty nice incline to it. We found out the houses we're working on will literally be adjoining each other, which we're pretty excited about. We walked back down the hill/mountain and made it to the bus. We had a few minutes back to the hotel for a little more orientation before we headed out to dinner at this amazing crepe place. Beth said the dessert she had might have been the best thing she's ever tasted.

A short devo time as a group, then to bed early. We were exhausted. Tomorrow promises an early morning, and lots of work. Here we go...

Honduras Trip- The Intro

2011-07-21T05:31:00.001-07:00

I know, I've gone most of the summer without blogging. There's reasons why, which I won't get into here. However, I'm back, and bringing it with a creative flurry this week. Amazingly enough, there's wireless in the hotel, not just spotty wireless in the lobby as there was last year. We even have a separate wireless signal in the rooms, well at least the rooms on our end. Bonus.

Anyway, I'll be blogging about our daily adventures provided two things:
1. We continue to have a good signal
2. I have the energy each day to do so.

To understand this trip, we have to start at the beginning.

Saturday morning, we were prepped and pumped for the trip. At the end, 15 of us had been able to participate along with two Trash Mountain Project staffers. We woke up in our house at 2:40 am, got ready and headed to the church. Everyone was on time, we loaded the bus and left for the airport. After zipping through security, we had breakfast and prepared for the first leg of the trip, a 39-minute jaunt to Miami where we'd hit our connecting flight to Tegucigalpa.

We made it out on the runway, and the captain was just about to kick on the jets when we were informed an electric issue would return us to the gate. Initially, we were asked to stay on the plane as they were hoping for a quick fix. Eventually, they gave us the option of getting off the plane as the repair seemed a little more complex. Finally, everyone de-boarded as they had to fly in repair parts, delaying the flight by hours. We'd miss our connecting flight.

The TMP staff along with other RPC'ers used various means to try to re-schedule our flight. Ironically, I was standing in a long line to talk to the attendant when the song "You Had a Bad Day" came across the airport speakers. Ironic. Brought me back to a trip I took years ago to Philadelphia where everything that could go wrong on the trip up there did.

By the end of the day, the best our airline company could do was book us all on flights three days later. Fortunately, most of us had schedules that allowed us to prolong our visit in Tegus by a couple of days. We did lose one of the TMP staffers as he had another trip coming up. Our airline also lost three of our bags, which were found later that day.

It was a crazy feeling returning home. We had nothing planned. No responsibility. But exhaustion was setting in. The adrenaline had worn off, and one of us summed up how we all felt. Trevor said on the way back that he was more tired after spending the day in the airport and returning than he was last year on returning from Honduras. I agree. But we get to do it all over again. Three days later.

How many ways can you say CRAZY!!!

2011-06-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

If you follow, this blog very often (thanks to the three of you, and hi mom.--just kidding. My mom doesn't read this...), I typically use one word to describe our weekends. Crazy.

Like I wish there was a better word to describe it. If there was one word that just fit better than crazy I'd use it. I tried. I looked up Crazy on thesaurus.com (and you get some synonyms for that word that are just um...crazy). I needed a superlative for this weekend. Because, this was really crazier than most weekends.

The best I could come up with?

This weekend was unhinged. Seriously.

Just going into the weekend, here's a list of things that we faced, things I really wanted to be a part of:

3 friends who were moving and needed help loading/unloading trucks
a former student who graduated as valedictorian of her class
Auburndale's Centennial Celebration
I was speaking 3 times in church on Sunday morning
Cory Ginn had come to stay with us for the weekend

I legitimately wanted to do everything. There just wasn't enough time in each day to do so.

Then I got sick before the weekend came. Did I mention I was speaking three times on Sunday?

We got through everything on the list. The voice held up, miraculously, for all the services. Everyone got moved out and back in. And it was all done. But that was only a trickle of what was to come.

Sunday night, one of the (set of) friends that was moving had moved to Lakeland and had asked if they could leave their piano at our house. Figuring that's just what we need is a piano in our house, we agreed. One problem. The only way the piano would fit into the house is through a side door. Just outside the side door is our side lot filled with soft dirt that neatly allowed their Penske moving truck to get stuck. Really stuck. After an hour of trying (even using Cory's expertise from working in the sand of Afghanistan), we gave up. Fortunately, a friend showed up with tow chains and a big truck the next day to save us.

The truck was unstuck. I took Cory to the airport. We killed ourselves moving the piano into the house. Finally, we could relax.

Some friends came over, and we all agreed to go to Yogurt Mountain. Sitting outside of the shop, some random stranger came up to us, explained that she was a standup comedian and she was looking for groups of people to practice her act on. Would we be willing to be her guinea pigs. Seriously? Stuff like this just doesn't happen. Of course we said yes. Spent the next half hour (I didn't know she was Brian Regan, giving his whole stand-up routine). Still, she had us laughing, even rolling at times. And her story is remarkable. Here's a brief synopsis of it from the Lakeland Ledger. But really? How did all of that just happen?

Unhinged. Never a dull moment, right?

Memorial Day

2011-05-31T05:02:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend.

It was really an honor of ours to have Cory Ginn with us all weekend long (and what a crazy weekend it was, but that's still to come in another post). Cory just got back from serving in Afghanistan and is finishing up his commitment before he moves to Colorado. He's also a former youth leader and game-time guy. It's people like him that have provided for the freedoms we now enjoy.

People like him, and people like Ron Ginther.

I never had a chance to meet Mr. Ginther, but his daughter Alayna is part of our youth group. She shared this video that played on Bay News 9 yesterday. (Bay News 9's video player is not very user-friendly, you might have to click on the link that says "Daughter Remembers Dad on Memorial Day" for it to work...how about an embed feature BN9???)

I was blown away. Blown away at her story, but just as much as Alayna's composure at sharing the story. An ardent reminder of the sacrifice so many make for us. Something I hope we never take for granted.

Thank you to all who have served and are currently serving, as well their families. Your sacrifices are what make us a great country.

Response to a Friend

2011-05-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

At some point last night, a friend from my childhood posted this video on Facebook, looking for an explanation. A mother, afraid of the prophecy of Harold Camping of judgment day coming May 21st slit her own throat and the throat of her children.

How can you explain the unexplainable or defend the indefensible?

Honestly, after all this friend has been through in the past few years, he has every right to be angry. And we have no response to soothe the pain.

You can't defend stupid.

I wish I had an answer for how a mother could hurt and kill her own children. But there's no part of my mind that can even begin to process that. It's actions like this that make believers look foolish, out-of-touch, and even crazed. All I can say is it's not supposed to be so. This wasn't the work of God, nor was it a command of God. Much has been done in the name of religion that has brought hatred, war, and even death.

That's because religion has been tainted. And tainted religion isn't from God. In the book that bears his name, James, the brother of Jesus, tells us that pure and undefiled religion is when we help out orphans and widows. When we help, not hurt. Not kill. That's pure religion. That's what we long for.

I can't explain the mother's behavior. But I also hold Harold Camping responsible. In the Old Testament, a prophet was responsible to bring forth the Word of God. Sometimes, but not always, that was through prediction. However, if one prediction ever came wrong, the prophet was considered a false prophet. Harold's now tried twice. Both times he was wrong. False prophet. And he's responsible for those he misleads.

In I Corinthians 11, the apostle Paul writes that we should only follow him as he follows Christ. The same should be said of any leader. Follow me as I follow Christ. And if I veer from that path, stop following me and start correcting me. At some point, Harold's followers should have stopped following him. And I'm sure some did. But whenever people are using 'Bible codes' and stuff 'hidden in Scripture' to try to come up with some secret message that no one else has...it's dangerous. People get hurt. And people do crazy things.

Our calling is to be the opposite. To be light in a dark world. I try to do that. At times, I fail. When I fail, that is a reflection on me, not on the One I serve.

Jason, I wish I had words to explain why some people do the things they do. I don't. In this world we're going to have tribulation. But there is One whose overcome this world. This wasn't from Him. Today, I honestly believe He's grieved even more than we are at the actions of some people who claim to follow him.

Book Review- The Truth About Dating, Love, and Just Being Friends

2011-05-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

Dating is one of those topics that can be corrosive in student ministry.

Don't get me wrong. It can be really good. Literally, every topic that comes up in a youth group discussion can have a bearing on teenagers and their relationships. It's just that after over a decade in student ministry, there have been so many books written on the topic, and so many studies offered that at times it can seem unoriginal.

Which is why I was a little skeptical approaching Chad Eastham's new book The Truth about Dating, Love, and Just Being Friends. But I was impressed for many reasons, but I'll limit it to the three most impressive:

1. Chad's writing is engaging. He writes with humor about topics such as "dumb dating things even smart people do" and "the problem with dating mythical creatures," then he'll dive seamlessly into a discussion on violence in teenage relationships. He's funny and yet deep.

2. The study questions are discussion- provoking. I read the book, then incorporated it into our high school small group. We planned on reading a chapter a week, but never got through it all. The questions just left us open to some open and frank discussions.

3. He's relevant, right now. The problem with most of the books on dating is that they're out of date. Let's be honest, in youth culture, much changes in just a couple of year. This book hits on topics that students are dealing with today.

After reading the book, I'd say it was one of the two best books I've been able to incorporate into our student ministry when dealing with this topic. I'd highly recommend the book to youth pastor, leaders, parents, and students.

*From time-to-time, I receive a book for review on State of Flux. While the book is provided for free, I do not receive anything for the review. Thank you to Book Sneeze for forwarding this book.

Chick-fil-A Leadercast 2011

2011-05-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to go with the RidgePoint Church staff Friday to check out the 2011 Chick-fil-A Leadercast, hosted locally at Relevant Church in Ybor City. Typically I like to catch everyone up on the high points of every speaker, but two things stand in my way:

1. I had a wedding this weekend. Everything has been so crazy, that I'm just now getting to it.

2. Some other posts have already done a great job of summing up the highlights of the things said. Here's one example. Others can be found simply by checking the #CFALeadercast hashtag on Twitter.

Instead, I want to do a little more personal recap of the event.

1. John Maxwell killed it. I'll admit, I haven't always been a huge fan of his (probably tracing back to bad pate' before an Acquire the Fire event early in my youth ministry experience. However, his 5 Levels of Leadership is something I find myself going back to again and again, especially with some of our student leaders. Perhaps the best takeaway of the day.

2. If I had verbalized it beforehand, I probably would have said Seth Godin was one of the top 2 people I was most interested in seeing. Unfortunately, we experienced some feed problems with the telecast during his presentation. Because of that, it was a little hard to follow. I did like what he had to say about living on the edge of the box instead of outside the box. And he also had a couple of great quotes, including...

-"you're either an artist or an accountant...an artist painted the Mona Lisa originally, painters copy it for $1 an hour."

-"We are way weirder now than we ever were before."

3. But the highlight of the day (for me at least) was Sir Ken Robinson. If you remember, Sir Ken made an appearance on this blog back in February when I talked about creativity. I really didn't know much about him at the time. He was funny, engaging and said some great things about the fundamentality of creativity and imagination. At lunch, Chris Neff said that "your boy was the best so far." I assumed he was talking about Sir Ken, but around here I can never quite be sure who 'your boy' is. I'll assume it was him. I put his book The Element at the top of my books-to-read list.

The afternoon was filled with people who had amazing stories...the originator of the Freedom Writers, a lady who was part of the first US Women's team to climb Mt. Everest. Some other really good speakers. Unfortunately, we had to leave to get to Clearwater before Dave Ramsey spoke. Still, some good content. Some great times. And they gave us Chick-fil-A for lunch. FTW.

Mawwiage

2011-05-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend, I had a chance to officiate at a wedding of a former student. That makes three in the past 12 months. As I tweeted before it's not that I'm getting older, but they (the students) definitely are.

And it hasn't been just any students. Shea, JP and now Kaydee. And of course their significant others.

As a YP, it's an honor and a reality check to be in that position. To think it wasn't that long ago that they were in youth group listening to you talk about dating. And now they're entering the next phase of those talks.

The couple, well at least 1/2 of the couple requested I start the ceremony off with the opening clip of the marriage scene of The Princess Bride. If you haven't seen it, you really need to. I'm talking like cancel whatever you're doing for the next 2 hours. Leave work. Go home from school. And block out the time to see it. Okay, maybe not that extreme, but here's a clip.

Exacerbating the problem was a couple of major issues:
1. I wasn't sure that everyone in attendance would get it, particularly some of the family. However, it wasn't their wedding.
2. I found out days before the wedding that my favorite college professors and one of the most influential people in my life was going to be there. I mean one of those people that is a giant in your mind, one that you always want to view you favorably. Yeah, ratcheted the pressure up just a little.

So what did I do? I mean if Michael Scott can pull it off, I can right?

I had a good laugh about it with Mr. Carver afterwards. He asked if it was on video. I confirmed it was and asked if he'd be using it at CCC in the future for what not to do...

Wading through a Biblical response to Bin Laden's death

2011-05-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

**disclaimer--I had originally planned on posting this on Monday, but the emotion of the moment led me to hold off on releasing this. I strongly believe that as believers, we need to be careful to refrain from making important decisions in the heat of the moment. However, over the past several days, a number of post have been made on the topic. As I've thought through the myriad of responses, and prayed through my own response, I am firmly convinced that this is the appropriate response. The post has taken on a slightly different tone as I'll attempt to address some of the concerns of the opposing viewpoint before clarifying my own.**

Over the past several days, many of us have felt a strange rush of emotions...joy, even euphoria as we received the news Sunday night of our government's ability to kill the world's #1 terrorist...guilt for feeling joy at someone's demise...fear of retribution as there are other terrorists looking to take Bin Laden's place.

And the blog posts came rolling out. A number of them seemed to be critical of Christians who took joy in the death of another person, especially one, who for all we know, is now in a place of eternal torment. As the last couple of days have passed, that voice has become louder and louder. I understand the mentality. I've struggled with it. I've read the posts. I've wrestled. But in the end, I'm not at all convinced we should feel guilt for the joy the judgment brought. Here's why:

Addressing the opposing viewpoint:

Most of the opposing viewpoints fall into one of two categories.

1. They argue from a Scriptural standpoint, but the Scripture used tends to speak towards how we treat personal enemies. Yes, we're supposed to pray for our enemy. No, we're not to gloat in our enemies demise. I heard a great Bible teacher earlier in the week explain the reaction of David after learning about the death of his nemesis Saul. He was grieved. Great point. But the two situations are very different. More on this later. However, the point being made is that there is a difference between a person who holds a personal vendetta against you and an extremist who has killed people worldwide and presents a current threat to others as well as ourselves.

2. They argue from a logical standpoint. The evidence seems clear Bin Laden didn't have faith in Christ. If that is true, then at death, hell became one person fuller. That should grieve us as believers. However, his death might open the door for others to live. While he was alive, I can remember on a couple of occasions, specifically praying for Bin Laden. Not as often as I should have, but I did. I get the logic of the grief that comes with someone dying without Jesus. But we also must realize who the Judge is in this case. His judgment is holy and just.

*As a side note, the internet has been flooded with quotes by some greats, including Mark Twain and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that would make it appear they opposed such rejoicing in killing. Only one problem, neither of the quotes was uttered by the supposed author.

Now for the affirmative.

1. The celebration of Sunday night, and the remainder of the week was a celebration of justice being done. I'm not saying at times people didn't get carried away. However, I did not see the burning of flags of our enemies. I didn't see the celebration of a soul being lost. I saw Americans applauding that justice had been done. Romans 13 clearly gives government the right and responsibility to enact a just form of justice. And Proverbs 21:15 says "When justice is done, it bring joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers."

2. I think it's a danger when we use what Scripture records as opposed to what Scripture commands. David's response to Saul was just that, a response. Scripture doesn't commend it nor does it condemn it, it just records it. However, since that line of logic is open, let's dig a little deeper. David grieved over the death of a personal enemy. It wasn't that Saul was a threat to the country. He was a personal threat. And David grieved his death. However, if we want to pull a more relevant situation from the life of David, let's take a look at David's killing of the Philistine giant Goliath in I Samuel 17. After defeating Goliath, David proceeds to cut his head off and CARRY THE HEAD WITH HIM TO JERUSALEM. Upon arriving there, he's greeted with the cheer about how he had killed 10,000 enemies. Cheering the death of 10,000's. The danger is that never in Scripture is either event said to be "the right thing".

That doesn't rid us as believers of the dilemma. Is part of me pained, sure. All I'm saying is that the actions of our government were just, right, and even biblical. That's not something we should be ashamed of. When we cheer, we cheer because justice has been done. I would hope that had Bin Laden been taken alive, the cheers would have been just as vocal. The cheer shouldn't have been about a life lost, but that justice was accomplished.

'Justice is done'. Now how do we respond (as Americans)?

2011-05-02T04:12:00.000-07:00

Last night, President Obama delivered the news we had waited almost 10 years to hear.

"Justice is done." A small team of American soldiers had killed the world's #1 most wanted man.

Ironically, I first heard the news via social network as a FB friend mentioned something about a late night press conference our president was about to deliver. Something that late had to be momentous. Soon, Facebook and Twitter were littered with everyone's comments about the death of the terrorist.

And there it was. One of my twitter follows, while celebrating the death of Bin Laden referred to our President as an "a--clown." Our president. Isn't this the thing that 9/11 did to most affect the morale of our country.

Immediately following 9/11, President Bush's approval rating was through the roof. There was a sense of American pride. We thought the terrorists hadn't won. We were resolved. But it didn't last. Slowly, we began to attack ourselves. Questions lingered. Not only did our President Bush's approval rating drop dramatically, but so did the respect we had for the office of the president. It became acceptable for country singers to go onto foreign shores and announce they were embarrassed by our president (by the way how's that working our for ya, Dixie Chicks).

Somewhere along the way, we lost something. We lost our pride. We lost our respect for the office of the president. We lost our resolve. Yesterday, we took a bold step in bringing that back. President Obama made it known that he would continue to pursue Bin Laden. And now, we find out that he, as the Commander-in-Chief was successful.

That's our president there. Last night, he gave what might have been the speech of his life. In it he gave a nod to President Bush, who started this hunt. He tactfully reached out to Muslims in clarifying this wasn't an attack on Muslims but on one who had killed Muslims as well. And he fulfilled a commitment he made as part of his presidency.

Even more importantly, he reached out to President Bush to share the news with him. President Bush released a statement saying, "No matter how long it takes, justice will be done." This man, who had belittled two of our presidents, had been brought to justice.

I loved the partying in the streets. I loved the renewed national pride. I loved the resolve.

This time I hope it lasts.

I don't always agree with the policies of our current president. But he is our president. And today, we should respond with a "well done," and lose the disrespectful slant. Many times I think the political pundits are more cynical than the politicians themselves.

And every time we cave into the arena of disrespect of the presidency, we're sending a message the terrorists are winning. Last night, we were reminded that they're not. Time to go listen to some Toby Keith on the way into the office.

Five Thing Friday

2011-04-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

Here are five things I'm insanely looking forward to:

1. The Concert- Tonight, we're doing something a little different (okay, a lot different) than anything we've done in the past. Four local bands will be playing a show at RPC. It's gonna be loud. We have a couple of kids in our youth group that play in two of the bands, and they've been after us for a while to make this happen. I'm stoked it's here. Concert starts at 7pm. $5 at the door.

2. The BBQ- RPC Hearts Honduras is putting on a BBQ and charity auction to raise funds for our team to travel down to Honduras this summer. We'll be selling plates of BBQ for lunch and dinner on Friday, May 13th. That night, we'll open up the church for dinner and an auction. More details will be coming shortly, but this is a great event, and last year we had a great response.

3. Camp- June 20-24th, we'll be taking the youth group to Student Life Camp. Nothing better than taking a group of teenagers away for a week. Seriously, I can't wait. We love camp week. My wife is especially excited to be spending our 14th anniversary at camp. Okay, maybe not. But I already have some plans in place to make it up to her this year. And REALLY make it up to her next year.

4. Honduras- For the 2nd year in a row, we'll be traveling to Honduras to build homes with AFE and Trash Mountain Project. As a youth pastor for the past 14 years, I've had a chance to participate in a number of trips. None of which was more life-changing than the week we spent in Tegucigalpa.

5. This Concert- I just heard about this dropping. I'd pay to see each of those bands individually. All four of them in one place? Bonus.

Grace

2011-04-25T05:43:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Easter.

THE holiday for millions of Christ-followers around the world.

It was a banner day at RPC. I can't say enough about our volunteers, some of whom showed up before 7 am to help out in our three services.

Great music, great service, great message, great response.

And here's the video we played. It got me each time we showed it (as it did the first time I viewed it.)

Jumping the Shark in Youth Ministry: When a Sweet Idea Goes Sour

2011-04-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

I've been on staff as a youth pastor for 11 years. Add to that a couple of years volunteering in the same capacity, and it's almost 15 years that I've been involved in ministering to students.

In 15 years, things have changed.

Drastically.

Sometimes, we need to be ready to jump the shark when an idea of the past has lost its relevancy. Over time, even our best and sweetest ideas can sour.

While some core ideas for student ministry never change, a lot of how those core ideas are filtered out has. There are things we're doing now that would have blown me away 15 years ago (videos of the week? Graphics? The Gaia Dialect?). And some of our ideas back then just wouldn't belong in today's culture (just one more time kids, As the deer panteth for the water...)

One of the core values of student ministry, or in a greater capacity for anyone in ministry, must be openness to change. In order for that to happen, we need not be wed to any specific idea. No idea we have is more important than the people we reach.

Last weekend, we began a discussion with some youth leaders about a redirect in student ministry. This would be removing one of the things that has become a staple of our student ministry for years. Something that we all like. Something that has worked well for me for years. But in the end, we agreed it was impeding us getting to the next step. And it was stopping us from being who we were called to be.

As leaders, we need to be careful of being tied to any idea that in the past worked effectively. Even things we loved to do. We need to continually be willing to adapt, to change, and to open ourselves to the possibility that God's best can sometimes be found in someone else's ideas.

People matter more than our ideas.

Rewind 4.18.11

2011-04-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

I've gotten away from the weekly rewind over the past couple of months, choosing to focus more on thoughts and ideas moving forward rather than a recap of the past. But this week, well a rewind is just warranted.

There have been few weeks in the past few years that have brought so many high highs, as well as some extreme moments of hurt. Last night, I laid back on the recliner in our game room, soaking it all on, and promptly fell asleep. Emotionally spent. Here's a few reasons why:

Last Sunday night, we had an impromptu meeting with some of the high school small group leaders about some changes that were coming. Really encouraging meeting. And some of those things we talked about were implemented by Wednesday night.
And Wednesday night, there was a tangible difference to the service. I loved the response. After the service, I had the chance to talk to two high school girls who have made decisions to follow Christ recently and are ready to be baptized.
Saturday, we conducted a youth event that has taken months to plan and schedule. The Eco-trip was a pilot idea for a possible start-up company and we were the guinea pigs for the project. It's basically geocaching on teams. Pretty cool stuff. We've done events like this before, but I an obvious difference in this event. As one of my sons pointed out, it wasn't as much "cut-throat" competition as much as it was good teamwork happening.
Sunday morning, we had a youth car-wash fundraiser during both church services. We tried a car wash last year to benefit camp, with little response. This year, we changed things up, and the church responded. We still have money being turned in, but we already have raised about $800 for camp. The best thing about the car wash is that is was an idea thought of, planned, and executed by one of our leaders. I knew when it was planned for a Sunday morning, that I wouldn't be available for most of the event. But other leaders stepped up. Awesome stuff.
Sunday at RPC was equally incredible. We finished out the study of Philippians that had stretched out over multiple series to start off this year. We also finished up the second semester at RPCU. And the band kicked some Mumford and Sons "Awake My Soul".
Right in the midst of all of these highlights, we also dealt with pain. Immediately following the service yesterday morning, we found out that a young dad who attends RPC was killed in an auto accident Saturday night. One of our leaders has an uncle who is now facing a battle with cancer. We received a call that Beth's 93-year-old grandmother had fallen. And last night, Chris Weatherly shared with the HS group that in a few weeks they would be moving and closing out his season at RPC.

That's the crazy thing about life. In the midst of joy, their is pain. In the midst of success, their is failure. In the midst of life, death. And there's a set model for making it through. A strong trust in the sovereignty of a powerful God. And the strength we can find from others to help us persevere. To close out the weekend, we had our high school group together last night, and we celebrated communion. It was poignant for so many reasons. The pain of the day, the fellowship of each other, the fact we're celebrating it easter week. That was the first time we've done communion in group, and it was one of the most powerful celebrations I've been a part of.

In the midst of suffering, there's hope.

We need your help...

2011-04-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

Blogger friends. Time for an honest reality check. We need your help. Let me explain.

Last August, we had the chance to be part of a team that went to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to build homes outside of the trash dump community. We partnered with Trash Mountain Project and the AFE school in the capital city to reach out to a city of great need.

We've seen some crazy things here in the states, but nothing prepared us for the poverty, devastation and hopelessness we encountered in our first few hours there. Poverty like we've never experienced here. And right in the midst of all of the destruction, there's this hope. Great people doing a great work.

In 5 days, we helped build 2 homes for families that desperately needed it. We saw students in the school who actually had an opportunity for a future. And we took part in a church service that celebrated Jesus in a way we'd never experienced. And I knew 2 things:

1. We were coming back.

2. Next time, I wanted to bring our kids with us.

Karam's still a little young, but this year, we wanted to bring the boys with us. So in July, the four of us will be boarding a plane to head to Tegucigalpa. It's again our plan to build 2 homes while we're there.

We're only a few months away. And we need your help in getting there.

We each had to raise support to go on the trip. Last year, that came easy. Money, sometimes from sources we weren't even aware of, came pouring in.

This year, that hasn't been the case. I know finances are tighter, and there's also the daunting task of the four of us going on the trip. But, I honestly believe this is what we're called to do. And we're asking for your help if you'd like to partner with us on the trip.

This is gonna sound cliche' but our greatest need right now is prayer. The trip last year was one of the most powerful experiences of our lives, but it was far from easy. Pray for the safety of the group, and pray for our strength.

After that, we're asking if some of you would want to partner with us as we raise funds for the trip. There's no way we can do it alone, but God can. And the crazy thing is that God chooses to use us to accomplish His purpose. So consider it, and pray about it.

We've sent letters out to individuals we thought might want to sponsor us on this trip, but if you'd like to be a part of it, e-mail me your information and I can get a letter to you as well. Or, if you'd just like to give online, it's easy and convenient. Go to the church website, click give online, fill out your information, and in the comment field, make sure you write our names.

Thanks for your time, your prayers and your consideration for this. We believe God is doing some great things in the city of Tegucigalpa, and we're excited to be a part of the journey.

What I love about Merge (part 2)

2011-04-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

I love our large group interaction.

But I don't want to tell this story. Instead, I want to introduce you to Krista. She's a high school student who recently visited our youth service. That night, I received a message from her on Facebook saying what an amazing experience she had with us. She was only in town for a couple of weeks, but what she said was so powerful, I asked her if she'd write a guest post to explain her experience. Here it is.

So I was a guest to Merge for a couple of weeks while on my vacation in Florida from Ohio. My friend had told me that it was an awesome church so I thought I would give it a go. I am a very shy person, it is hard for me to warm up. I never felt comfortable at a church before. I would walk in a church and get dirty looks for wearing jeans and having piercings. One church even told my brother he would go to hell for watching Spiderman, and that I had a one way ticket there. So I got to the point were I just stopped going.

I thought to myself does he really exist, why do churches make harsh judgments on people like that? Then, I remember back to when I first went to church I had to sneak out because my father did not allow religion of any type in our home. I was of course caught and got into a lot of trouble. There is a long story and lots of details that people don't know about me. I do not plan into getting into details but in the end I knew deep down God exists. So every time I asked that question I told myself of course he does, or I would not be here today, I would not constantly be drawn towards church.

I never had a father figure in my life and I realized all I need is God. So I came to Merge scared to be judged because of the way I dressed and because I have a lip ring and listen to Alternative music, I was so used to being judged, I was just nervous. I have to say though, I felt very serene. Funny, of course, due to the craziness. Everyone seemed so happy, and upbeat. I actually did not want to leave at the end of the night. As much as it was fun, it was also very touching, I felt like God was actually with all of us, I did not feel uncomfortable, I felt safe. I loved my experience with Merge, and I will be coming back the next time I come down to Winter Haven.

What I love about Merge (part 1)

2011-04-12T05:25:00.000-07:00

I love the small group interaction at Merge.

Every week, a group of high schoolers invade our home to eat, and do life together (the middle schoolers have small group Sunday morning in the portable).

This week, we were down a few of our regulars, so we did something we haven't done in a while, we combined the groups. Typically the guys and girls are separate during group time as we talk through life. But this week we combined them.

What started off as a time of catching up and sharing where we're at in this season of life morphed into an evening of encouragement and affirmation as students and leaders shared the good qualities they see in each other. There was laughter, and there was emotion. And through it all, there was an honest transparency. Openness about struggle coupled with reassurance of strength.

We closed out by talking about celebrating communion together next week. I can't wait.

If you're not in family group, you're missing out on the complete system we have in place. Sunday night was a strong reminder of that.

Tomorrow, I'll be posting another reason why I love Merge. Kinda. Actually, it will be the first guest post we've had here at Flux. Trust me, you don't want to miss this.

"So encourage each other and give each other strength, just as you are doing now."

-I Thessalonians 5:11

Radar

2011-04-05T05:23:00.001-07:00

Here's 5 things that you might want to put on your radar...

1. Have you seen the picture of Jesus yet? No seriously, experts believe they have uncovered an actual portrait of Jesus. Hmmmm, I might be a little skeptical up front. But it definitely makes for interesting discussion. Your thoughts?

2. We are a video-saturated culture. There are few videos that illicit a lot of emotion. Still, when I saw this video, I couldn't help but be overcome with a wide range of feelings. There's so much need out there, and we're selfish. Perspective check.

3. The 2011 ACM awards were this past weekend, and the country show went pop crossing some country artists with those from pop/rock. In my opinion, the mixture of Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood did more than the Rihanna/Jennifer Nettles duet.

4. Every week in youth group, we play a video of the week, which tends to be some funny/crazy video that has gone viral. Consistently, Rhett and Link have created some of the videos that bring the greatest laughs. Their epic rap battle video is one of the best.

5. For a group of us, we're only a few months removed from our missions trip to Honduras to build homes outside of the trash dump in Tegucigalpa. Once, again, we'll be partnering with Trash Mountain Project to do the work. TMP has been working on a new web site and a new video documentary on their work in the DR. Great stuff. Check it.

Those are 5 things on my radar. Anything I missed? What's on your radar?

Play Ball

2011-04-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

Opening Day technically was last night, but today is what matters. Raysball is back.

It's definitely going to be a different year. Gone are Carl, Carlos, and Garza. Not to mention a solid bullpen that was decimated over the summer.

Still, all is not lost. Here's some predictions for this year.

The Rays just miss 90 wins, going 89-73, taking the AL Wild Card spot. The Red Sox finish 1st, edging the Rays in the final week. The Yankees, with the weakest rotation of the three fall to third.
The bullpen costs the Rays a few games this year, but not as many as we fear. They pull it together being encouraged by one of the best rotations in baseball. Kyle Farnsworth solidifies himself as the closer, though never being used exclusively in that role throughout the year.
Zobrist and Shields have bounce-back years for the Rays.
Manny and Damon provide leadership for the team, but more importantly, they come with a spring in their step, adding talent to a deep field.
Longoria thrives with Carlos Pena gone, and Manny batting fourth. He bats .295 with 32 homers and 105 RBI's and garners some support for MVP voting. On a side note, it takes a week into the season, for Longo to throw someone out at home on a cut-off from the outfield. The announcer responds with a quip of how Longoria "gunned down" the runner at the plate.
David Price? 2nd in AL Cy Young voting. Again.
He's joined by Hellickson whose 2nd in ROY voting.
Surprisingly, attendance is up this year, as there's a new found excitement with the team. Something about "our backs against the wall".
Carl Crawford is both cheered and booed in his return to the Trop. The first time. After that, it's straight boo's. He also struggles to live up to the hype and the press in Boston. He'll be off, but not amazingly so.
Either Garza or Pena won't last in Chicago for the year.
The Rays wild card spot leads to some exciting games, but not enough to get them into the Series. That spot will be reserved for the Sox who will lose to the Rockies in 6. My boy Cory will be dancing in the streets, and maybe we'll catch a game of the Series.

But enough with predictions. The season is here. Play ball.

Don't come to church this Sunday...

2011-03-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, the doors of RidgePoint Church will stay locked, no one will have kicked on the air, and our child check-in stations won't be booting up...

Cause we're not gonna be here.

Instead, we're inviting everyone to Simmers-Young Park in Winter Haven for our semi-annual church picnic. The church is providing hamburgers and hotdogs, we're just asking families to bring a side dish and a drink (let me clarify...sweet tea/soda).

We'll be hanging out, playing some games and just having a great time, but somethings we need to set straight:

1. This is a spiritual thing. Sometimes, the most spiritual thing we can do is spend time together. Church can be so busy, and this is a chance for both services to get together, relax, and hangout. That is spiritual. And it is still "having church".

2. This is a one-week deal. We'll be back next week. Same time and everything.

3. We still have a chance to give. We won't be taking up an offering or anything like that, but there's still a chance to give online. Simply go to the church website, and click the "Give Online" tab at the top.

Thanks, feel free to invite your friends, and we'll see ya Sunday!!!

Project 100

2011-03-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

Let me get this out of the way first.

Numbers mean nothing.

And yet numbers represent people.

And they mean everything.

Tonight, we've set out to rock Merge Student Ministries with a lofty goal. Maybe it was a little too lofty. Maybe it wasn't.

100 students. 1 night. Bring it on...

I know it's a little early in the game for this, but I never want us to get to the point where we become complacent and lackadaisical. See, it's never about the numbers. We put a number out there as a goal, something I wouldn't back down from. But it's not about that number. It's about a mindset. There are people to reach. And it's the responsibility of each of us to reach them.

A Christ-follower who isn't impacting people eventually stops growing.

So we've built this up, and I'm already hearing about some friends have been invested in and invited for tonight. Ultimately, that's what it's all about. Investing. Inviting. And letting God give the increase.

Project 100. Tonight. 7pm.

Undefiled Religion

2011-03-30T04:02:00.000-07:00

Spring Break 2011. Party Hard.

"Religion that God the Father accepts as pure and without fault is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help, and keeping yourself free from the world's evil influence."

-James 1:27

Catching up...

2011-03-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been hectic, to say the least. No excuses though, the blog is back this week, with a vengeance. For now, here are some random thoughts that didn't make it into the blog in the past couple weeks

It's amazing how many of the memories of the past couple of weeks come down to conversations. Conversations in the car, after youth, during small group, via text message and even Facebook. While we tend to focus on things that are a HUGE deal, most of our favorite memories come through the laughter of conversation. We had a number of family visit over the past few weeks. Beth's brother even brought his family by while they visited Disney for the week. One of the kids said his favorite memory was when we came over to spend the day with them.
That doesn't discount family adventures. Over break, we got to take our kids to Universal/Islands of Adventure. Awesome stuff. But they definitely don't make Rip Ride Rock-It for us full bodied males. That's a decision I regretted for a while. Still trying to catch my breath.
Break wasn't all rest and relaxation, our student ministry got to work over their break as well. But that will be coming in another post tomorrow. Look for it.
This past weekend, we had a great opportunity to see a family take part in the baptism of their son. This is the first of quite a few baptisms coming our way at RidgePoint over the next couple of weeks. And what a memory. There's a reason our host was almost in tears taking the stage following the baptism.
This weekend, we were able to hang out with some friends to enjoy the Chris Tomlin/Louie Giglio event in Lakeland. What a night. The music was amazing, easily the best concert I've seen Chris put on. And Louie's message was right on, including one of the coolest object lessons I've ever encountered. Look for the DVD when it comes out. So worth it. But there was something different that night. Something tangible. Something that made the Lakeland stop so different. Really unexplainable, and I was just glad to be a part.
Sunday night, we finished out the weekend bowling. It's been years since I bowled consistently, and I miss it. Better than that was the company. Hanging with our HS group never gets old. And Sunday produced some great memories.
As a staff, we spent the day touring a couple of sites we're considering for a marriage retreat in the fall. With that in mind, we have a number of BIG things coming to RPC in the next few months. It all starts this weekend, with the church picnic/BBQ. Simmer Young Park, this Sunday, 10 am.

Like I said, it's been a whirlwind, though things seem finally to be settling down (a little).

On Filters, Friendships, and Familia

2011-03-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

No HS small groups tonight as we're heading out to some friends' wedding. But, by special request, here's a post for ya to think about...

We kicked off Filter at RidgePoint Church this morning. I love the creative process that goes into branding and launching a series. Though this particular series is light on the creative elements in the set design, I love the content that's coming our way over the next few weeks. Especially as we get into Philippians 4:8-9. Seriously. Awesome verses.

As we kick off this series, we've also been going through a book study in our student family groups looking at dating and relationships from a unique perspective. We've been reading through Chad Eastham's The Truth about Dating, Love, and Just Being Friends. This is probably the most active I've ever seen a student study on a particular book. It's been engaging, and encouraging as students wrestle with doing things right.

And these two thoughts (Filter and The Truth...) run concurrently. The verses I referenced earlier are a great filter for everything, in particular our relationships.

The past two weeks, we've had two of Beth's brothers (and their families) come visit us in successive weekends. One of the joys of living in Florida. We've stayed up late having some great conversations and just talking and laughing. It's been cool just to see their relationships developing.

Today, we get to see two friends make a lifelong commitment to each other. Their relationship is only beginning.

Here's the thought I have as I sit here observing these two happenings. The outcome of our relationships are a direct result of what we put into them. And what we put into them begins long before we ever meet our future spouse. It's in the thoughts, desires, and decisions we make in laying our foundational relationships. What we do now impacts what we'll do later. More than we'll ever know. That's why what we talk about now has such a huge bearing on what happens then.

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

-Philippians 4:9

My take on Rob Bell and love winning

2011-03-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

If you are a follower of current theology, or even a follower of current technology (namely twitter), you've probably heard something about the controversy being stirred by Rob Bell's forthcoming book Love Wins.

It seems everyone and their theology professor is weighing in with their opinion on the latest offering. Justin Taylor got the ball rolling with this post about the book. There's also Albert Mohler, John Piper, and others going as far as labeling Bell a Universalist and a heretic.

To provide balance, there are also a few coming to support Bell. Michael Gungor wrote this piece on the danger of dualities. Carson Clark goes as far as to write an open letter to Justin Taylor. And JR Woodward asks for balance in approach to the topic.

By the way, all of the above posts (with one possible exception) has something intelligent to say about the topic. They all wax eloquently on the topic, much more than I will be able to do. So if you clicked on one of the links and never came back to finish this post, I'm okay with that.

But here's my take:

1. I'm not convinced Rob Bell is a heretic. I know. I know. It sure sounds like it. The press release that Harper One sent out in advance of the book...the video Rob himself dropped. But he's faced charges of heresy before. All because of questions, questions he later answered seemingly on the side of orthodox Christianity. I'll reserve judgment until reading the book.

2. Rob Bell is incredibly intelligent. He is sharp, he is deep, and he is excellent at communicating. This wasn't done on accident. He had to have known before all of this happened that he was about to stir up some controversy. When one excels so well at communicating, there is a certain responsibility that comes with it. Your words impact millions. Choose them carefully.

3. Both sides have valid points, as well as invalid actions. Some of the discussion coming away from this has led to Christ-followers having discussions they haven't had in years. People who would have had no opinion on universalism (mostly because they didn't know what it meant) are now openly discussing it and the exclusivity of the gospel. That's healthy. It's unhealthy when we do what we do to simply be controversial or dismissive ("Farewell Rob Bell"?)

4. Controversy doesn't have to be negative. There are times that followers of Christ disagree about stupid things. And the world points at us an laughs. This isn't that. This is us wrestling with a topic that in central to our faith. In the history of the church, councils were convened to keep the church between the barriers of orthodoxy. Discussion on topics such as this don't automatically discredit the message. As long as we don't do it just to be controversial or dismissive (see #3).

5. Those who are critical have a point. I'm not a huge Rob Bell fan. I really like Velvet Elvis, not to much with Sex God. I enjoyed his talk at Catalyst two years ago, even though I did not agree with everything he said. But this time, I think he went too far. Those who are fair in their criticism of Bell point to the video he produced to promote the book. I understand he doesn't come out and specifically say anything in the video, but he does ask very leading questions. In communication, a question is a powerful tool. I'll often use them in speaking, particularly to students. However, we ask provocative, though-filled questions to lead to an answer that is coming. Bell assumes we'll read the book to get the answer. But what about those who do not name the name of Christ who watch the video? They get all the questions, but might not have the answer. I understand the video is going to sell books. I'm just not sure who the video aims to target. Bell is too good a communicator to leave those open-ended questions without resolution.

In the end, I'm still not convinced he's a heretic. That might (or might not) be proven soon. But in my opinion, he executed poor judgment, particularly when it comes to the video. But don't take my word for it, examine it yourself and let me know what you think...

Grace and Law

2011-03-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

As parents, one of the battles we often face is when to apply grace to a difficult situation. Very few of us really like disciplining our children. It's work, really tough work.

And sometimes, the answers just don't come easy. Especially as our kids grow up and become teens.

One of the things I'm discovering is that often what comes natural to us as parents isn't always the best solution. Makes sense if you think about it--sin comes naturally, righteousness doesn't.

It makes sense that the more distressing a child's behavior, the more severe a punishment. And yet I'm in a season of life that I'm feeling the exact opposite is true. Bad behaviors are punishable. But sometimes the best thing we can do in areas of extreme bad behavior is to apply grace. A beautiful juxtaposition.

I want my kids to know there's a right and a wrong. And even a small wrong behavior can lead to damaging consequences. So there's a place for the heavy hand of the law. And yet after a major failure, the best thing we can do is offer the shoulder of grace for them to cry upon.

Your kid might not comprehend it. "But mom, last week I did this, and it wasn't a big deal. And yet the punishment was severe. Today I totally screwed up, and there's no punishment at all?"

I get that it might not make sense. That's the thing about grace. IT NEVER MAKES SENSE. But I'm glad it's there. The best thing we can do is to talk to our children, to say, "I know the behavior was wrong, way wrong. And it deserved to be punished. But you've already learned from the mistake, and today I'm choosing to look past this situation, to apply grace."

Grace is not the same as not caring. And this isn't absolving the parent from responsibility. the best thing we can do in that situation is to talk it through with our children. They need to know we care.

And by the way students, that talking thing goes both ways. And your parents need to know you care.

16? Wow.

2011-02-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

I grew up in St. Petersburg, FL. A city that had big city offerings, but with a small city charm. And I never felt unsafe.

A month ago, two police officers were shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a suspect holed up in an attic. I couldn't remember the last time that happened in my hometown. We'd soon learn in had been 30 years.

Then two nights ago, it happened again. Officer David Crawford, a 25-year vet of the SPPD was shot and killed in the line of duty. The suspect had fled on foot an a massive search was on.

30 years with one killing, then three in 30 days? It was too much.

Then last night, there was word the suspect had been caught. Emotions intensified. It was enough that I was hoping we could lend out Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd to dispense justice.

Then the news, and my worlds collided. The suspect was 16.

16? wow.

I'm a youth pastor, and I spend much of my time talking to students about the choices they make. I try to teach them that they're not defined by their past mistakes, and that they are more than those choices. We don't want to limit them to their worst moment.

No doubt, this is Nicholas Lindsey's lowest moment.

And he'll always be defined by it.

Excuses mean nothing. I'm sure he had a troubled life. So did thousands of others who grew up in south St. Pete. And none of them ever shot a cop. He knew right from wrong.

But he wasn't mature enough to apply what he knew.

Part of me still cries for justice. And yet, part of me begs for grace.

I definitely don't have this whole thing figured out. And I'm not sure I should. Sometimes life is messy, and it comes without the easy answer.

But 16? Wow.

Be a Gardener (overcoming a student ministry hangup)

2011-02-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

A year and a half ago, a group of us went to Catalyst in Atlanta. Of all the talks, one has stuck with me more than the others. It was a talk given by Shane Hipps, then pastor of Trinity Mennonite Church in Phoenix.

Shane recalled a story of a trip he took to a museum. During the trip he noted the difference between the guards who protected the paintings and the gardeners who worked outside the museum on the various greenery that made the outside of the museum as aesthetically pleasing as the inside.

In contrasting the two he noted:

-the guards were motivated by fear

-the gardeners were motivated by love

A couple of years ago, I had a chance to visit some students at a local Christian school. I had been to numerous schools in the area to speak at chapels, to eat lunch, and just to help out in whatever way possible. I was especially excited to be at lunch that day because one of our key leaders was at the school, and it was going to be great to get caught up.

And it was good. Until I got ready to leave. The school administrator, who was a good friend, pulled me aside and said the youth pastor of the church that was connected to the school had seen me in the lunch room. He asked the administrator to tell me not to promote our youth group while I was there.

Motivated by fear.

But it gets worse.

A couple of weeks later, the leader that I spoke of was pumped about an event we were hosting in our church, and he started to broadcast it to his friends. You can guess what's coming, right? Yep, the same youth pastor told him he had to stop. The youth pastor was trying to reach the kids there, and he didn't want to take the chance they'd go to another youth group.

Fear focuses on maintaining what we have. It focuses on the group more than the individual.

Love focuses on who we can reach. It focuses on the individual more than the group.

As youth ministers, we need to shed the self-focus that comes with putting our youth groups over the needs of the individual. For in losing perspective in one, the other is loss in the process.

Creativity

2011-02-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Great video of Sir Ken Robinson... "if you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original."

RPC's creative team meets next Monday night. Contact me if you're prepared to be wrong, every once in a while.

V-day

2011-02-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, yesterday was Valentine's day. Since a certain someone gets grossed out whenever Beth mentions the details, I'll stay away from that, with a couple of exceptions.

We did get a chance to go out to eat sans kids. It was no where near as adventurous as it was two years ago when our Valentine's Day dinner was ruined when we found our dog (after an hour and a half search) in the back of a sheriff's cruiser. And we made it home in time for curfew. After all, it was a Monday.

But that's not where I'm going. I want to take a minute to talk of all the hatred of V-day. Not all of it is outright hatred. Some of it is veiled as contempt, dislike or other types of malevolence. But let's be honest, there are some haters out there. Some go as far as creating an anti-Valentine's day flash mob pillow fight.

I know you think it's a Hallmark-created holiday to boost sales between Christmas and Christmas? But it's more than that.

The number one excuse given for such abhorence of the holiday is that we don't need one holiday to celebrate romance, that it should be more natural and spontaneous. And I can see that. However. Along that line of argument, it could easily be stated that our celebration of the incarnation of Jesus doesn't need to be limited to a single day. But that's not going to keep me from celebrating Christmas. And celebrating V-day doesn't exempt me from being romantic the other 364 days of the year.

So don't hate, and next year, find a reason to celebrate.

In fact, don't wait til next year, find reason now. Cause love isn't limited to one day.

lovedrug, small groups, and more (a rewind)

2011-02-15T05:36:00.003-08:00

It's been a while since we've had a rewind, but so much has happened over the past week, I really needed to get everyone caught up...

lovedrug- we kicked off a new series in youth on Wednesday, exploring the rights and wrongs of teen relationships. And something was tangibly different. Students were engaged and focused during the singing (and sounded amazing), they were intent and open during the message, and different leaders made a bold stand. I left believing that was the best youth group we've ever had at Merge. And I still do.
Tension- Church has been really solid lately, and Sunday was no exception. The band sounded good, the message was solid, but it was response to the service cards that was memorable. We had people look for opportunities for us to serve others in the community, then write those needs on cards. The church responded, tacking those needs on our walls, then coming and removing cards where they could meet a need. We still have a couple of cards leftover, so if you're looking for a way to impact the community, stop by the church and check out the needs.
Small groups- At the beginning of this year, I started to lay out the vision for student ministry in 2011. While we were doing a great job in our Wednesday night environment, our challenge coming into 2011 was to build up our groups. We kicked those groups off on Sunday. I've never laughed so hard, in both the MS Group and the HS group. Great times. Chris Weatherly is basically leading the small group charge for us. As excited as I was about Wednesday night, he was equally as excited about Sunday. We set an ambitious goal to have 60 percent of people present on Wednesday night plugged into groups. Even with a couple of people not there who we expect to be there in the future, we were at 45.5%. Stoked.
Speaking of groups, we had a couple with us that was visiting for the weekend. That's notable for two reasons. First of all, Joe and Taylor have seriously become a college couple that I believe our high school students can look up to in how they do relationships. It's not that they're perfect, but they have a great relationship to emulate. It was awesome to have them there and for them to give feedback on seeking out advice. Secondly, Joe is the best gamemaster when it comes to silent football. To close out our HS group, he taught them the game. Hysterics ensued.
In between all of that, there was some a host meeting, pancake festival, airsoft war, family time at the park, and some great food. Awesome time and awesome memories.

Five words to leave you with:

Pitchers and catchers report tomorrow!!!

lovedrug

2011-02-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is Monday, as I was reminded in an e-mail recently.

Love is in the air.

At least for some.

But why are so many relationships so jacked up?

There's a song out getting airtime on radio stations that says "your love is my drug" as if that's all we need is a fix from our significant other and everything will be okay.

But it doesn't work that way. Relationships aren't some narcotic that we get our fill of each day to get us through. They're much bigger and more important than that.

And relationships that work require balance.

Tonight, we kickoff a new series in Merge called LoveDrug. There is a right way to do relationships. Most of us accept that. It's time to learn what that right way is and commit to His plan in all of this.

So if you have been in a relationship, are currently in a relationship, or are one day considering a relationship, join us tonight starting at 7.

Remembering Sennit

2011-02-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

Two years ago today, God chose to take home one of the coolest people I've ever had a chance to meet. I've never met someone who at such a young age had so much to challenge us with. He lived his faith out, and he loved people, in a way we should all strive to follow.

It's still hard to imagine. Just over a month ago, I saw a movie and during one of the scenes, my first thought was, "I need to tell Sennit about that."

In the days that followed, friends and loved ones sent us photos and videos that we were able to collect into the following video. Over the past couple of years, we've all found various ways to remember him. They were all admirable and well intentioned. Somehow, I think if he could communicate with us today, he'd tell us the best thing we could do is to live the life he tried to live. Love the Jesus he's currently with. And take time for everyone God puts in your path.

I love you buddy. And I can't wait to see you again. But until then, save a place for me...

Super win, but...

2011-02-07T06:01:00.000-08:00

The Packers pulled it out. Aaron Rodgers left Green Bay wondering Brett who?

But what was up with the Super Bowl?

I mean this is the most hyped week of the year, and it's the most watched experience.

So what was with all of the glitches? Some of them were beyond the control of the host city, NFL execs, and the paid professionals. But all of these things hitting as Super Sunday (week) happened?

1. The Weather- the one thing that none of them had control over might have played havoc on some of the other things on the list. But shouldn't this have been planned for? I heard rumors that earlier in the week one of the guys in "The Super Bowl Club"- you know the guys on the Visa commercials who hadn't missed a Super Bowl in like a bajillion years- might not even be able to fly in for the game.

2. Prince a no-show- The artist formerly known as "the artist formerly known as Prince" missed a Friday night pre-Super Bowl concert. Fans coughed up $1500 to see the concert only to have the venue changed, and then told late into the night that the concert was cancelled. This begs the question: "who'd shell out $1500 to see Prince?" I mean, wasn't his last hit "Little Red Corvette"?

3. Christina Aguilera's anthem- Funny, I heard some people who really liked the anthem. What? She reminded me of an American Idol contestant who nailed some notes, but completely bailed on others. And there was something else...oh yeah, she FORGOT THE WORDS. I know there's a lot of pressure, and all. But you have one thing you gotta do. Go out and do it well.

4. The Half-time show- Oh my goodness, where to begin. The Black-Eyed Peas (other than when they were lowered from the roof- which was a cool touch- started the night off awkardly. It seemed like they had this huge stage and didn't really know what to do with it. Though there were some cool moments when Slash appeared and the lighting up of the 'extras', the rest of the show was full of technical flaws. I mean seriously, light up the 'V' in Love already.

5. The audio- And that doesn't even begin to say anything about the audio. Someone pointed out what a terrible lip-syncer Fergie was, which made me wonder, "if she's lip syncing, why is the sound so terrible?" Best tweet of the night came from @shameonyoko: The Black Eyed Peas' mix sounds like they hired a church sound engineer with a "great heart."

6. No Seats?- Evidently, Dallas was attempting to set up temporary seating for the Super Bowl. In doing so, they hoped to break the all-time record for attendance (previously held by the Rose Bowl). However, in their haste to get this done, they apparently didn't have time to have the seats inspected, leaving paying fans needing to be moved around prior to kickoff. Some seats were upgraded, but many of those fans were left outside of the big game. Money was refunded, but seriously? I know there was an ice storm this week, but was it a surprise this game was happening. I mean did the Cowboys have a run of home games over the past couple weeks that this couldn't have been taken care of before now???

I normally don't rant about stuff like this. So much of art is in the eye of the beholder. And the NFL is so careful about what they do. This week was just a surprise. Too bad it happened on the largest stage. But there's always next year. Bring on Indianapolis and Super Bowl XLVI

It ain't over...

2011-02-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Hit Show was a charade.

Pat the Bat was more Pat the Bust.

Today, the Rays make another splash in signing Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon. Can you hear the critics already?

In the words of Lee Corso...not so fast my friend.

The Hit Show was doomed from the beginning. The Rays had no existing offense, and a weak team all around, and they were counting on aging players to be THE attraction on the team. This is different. The Rays still have offense. And they have a great rotation. ManRam and Johnny might not be the all stars they were a few years ago, but they can still hit. They can be great complements to a team that is missing a few parts.

Pat Burrell never produced the numbers the Rays expected. But he was a lifetime NL outfielder who not only switched leagues, but also had to adjust to being just a DH. The latest additions are AL guys who will be playing in their normal positions. Not to mention, both have lit it up at the Trop as visitors.

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has said the Rays are still a team to be reckoned with. And he makes a great point. Our key losses were Garza (who was replaced by Hellickson), Crawford (who will be replaced by Jennings), and Pena (who could be replaced offensively by almost any big leaguer who batted over .200 last year).

That still leaves two glaring holes. Pena's defense was incredible. That won't be replaced. And the bullpen is still weaker than it was in 2010. They have made some additions, and let's be honest, no one expected Soriano and Benoit to perform to the level they did last year. So I'll give them a pass and see what 2011 brings. If nothing else, they might have signed the wittiest blogger in baseball.

Winter Retreat Memories

2011-02-01T05:40:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we had the chance to take the Merge students on a retreat weekend to Camp Gilead. This is the fifth year I've had a chance to lead a Winter Retreat, but the first time we've had it at RPC. Blown away doesn't do it justice. There was laughter, a lot of laughter. There were tears. In fact, lots of them, too. Here are just a few of the memories:

-Red Bench songs with Jahid and Wilshonn

-Jess doing a squat with Matt on her back

-Peyton's failed attempt to do a squat

-The Rules video (with Devine)

-All of the Cheers (each team really brought it)

-Jeff and Eric being team leaders

-April's bday cake, and her crying, then Diana joining her and crying

-Speaking of crying, Trey and Wilshonn cried a river during the last service

-Karam lifting the one side of the A-Frame (pretty sure she did more than Devin)

-I'd catch a green-ade for you

-Trey, do something cool

-Matt as the Jailer

-The moment everyone got Zoom (especially April)

-Robert Waldo singing his cheer

-Hamee acting as Waldo (and others) sang

-Caleb (and others) refusing to let the campfire die

-Jalbert

-The smell of guys dorm B

-Saturday night, God moving

-Terra Terra Terra

-I stand with arms high and heart abandoned...

-Blowing a breaker again, and again, and again

-The words, and the tears around the campfire

-Bailey's Baptism

-The togetherness that happened

These are a few of the things I'm taking away from the weekend, but I know I missed some, what ya got?

The next two weeks

2011-01-19T05:59:00.000-08:00

It seems lately that every week at RidgePoint Church is critical. Some just happen to be more critical than others.

The next two weeks fit that mold. Here's just a sample of what's to come:

Family Group sign-ups- Group sign-ups are well under way. Groups are essential to what we do at RPC, and it's our goal to see as many people as possible become connected through family groups. We passed out a catalogue last week detailing the many groups that are offered. If you're interested in signing up for a group, or just want more information, e-mail Chris@ridgepointchurch.org

Honduras Meeting- This Sunday after the 2nd service, we're having a meeting for anyone interested in finding out more about our July trip to Honduras. Brett Durbin from Trash Mountain Project will be with us to pass out a packet of information and answer any questions we might have. If you're interested in coming to the meeting, e-mail me at JJ@ridgepointchurch.org to reserve a spot. Lunch will be provided.

(Good) Tension- February 6th, we kickoff a new series called Tension, in which we'll investigate how tension in our life can be leveraged for good. This is a great series to get your friends plugged into RPC as we all understand what it means to have tension in our life. To help in sharing about this series, we've created bracelets with the goodtension.com website on them. Visitors are able to go to the website to discover information about the series and our church.

Winter Retreat- Next weekend (Jan. 28-30), Merge Student Ministries will be having it's first annual Winter Retreat. We'll be led in worship by Terra Terra Terra, and Matt Laughter will be speaking. We'll be back that Sunday in time for the second service and we already have some things planned on the backside of the retreat that will make the weekend even more special.

Don't be stupid, people.

2011-01-18T03:20:00.000-08:00

I'd watch the news everyday if it was more like this...

Winter Jam Takeaway

2011-01-17T14:00:00.000-08:00

I normally wouldn't post a takeaway from a concert event, but this year's Winter Jam was different on so many levels, that these ideas bouncing around in my head just had to come out...

Winter Jam is consistently the best Christian concert going. 10 bands for 10 bucks, and literally every act was good. I first went to WJ when it was at Carpenter's Home Church, and they sold that out. Then it moved to the USF Sun Dome and sold that out. Last year, they moved to a bigger venue in the St. Pete Times Forum. Um, yeah, they sold it out this year. Crazy.
All the bands were amazing. I even was impressed with the Newsboys, who I didn't think deserved the headline role (I'm a little partial to Crowder), but they brought it all. However, I was especially excited this year to catch Chris Sligh. Most people know Chris from the show American Idol, where he made it into the top 10 a few years back. However, way before AI (and in my first year in student ministry), Chris' uncle was my pastor. When Chris and his parents came to the states (they were missionaries in Europe), he'd stay in St. Pete. We had him come to youth group a few times and go on some events. Saturday was the first time I've seen him sense then, and it was good to get caught up, if only for a couple of minutes.
While I'm on the topic of Christian music, I need to say this. It's become very easy to be critical of the Christian music genre. But the truth is, there is some really good music out there. This past week, Lecrae's new record dropped and it was the #1 hip hop album on itunes, and the #2 overall. That's not in Christian music, that's in all music.
One of the highlights of the night, was going to the youth pastor meeting, and seeing one of my former students whose taken my place in student ministry. I honestly think one of the greatest aspects of this calling is seeing others take up the mantle. It was a bit surreal, but even more amazing to see JP at the youth pastor's meeting during his first trip as THE youth leader.
So many great memories, and it was great to get caught up with a bunch of other youth pastors and pastors, as well as other friends (one driving all the way from Gville). But definitely the highlight of the night was seeing our group come together. We struggled at the end arranging rides as more came than had signed up, but in total, we had a group of 39 students/leaders traveling with us. Throughout the night walls came down, and I was just glad to be a part of it.

Remembering the Dream

2011-01-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

Every time I look at our youth group, I see the diversity that was once only a dream, a dream that great people died to bring to pass. Celebrate that freedom today...

2011

2011-01-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

2011 has dropped like a 100 pound bologna in a Lebanon, PA New Year's Eve Party. (Ok, like 2 of you actually got that).

And here are just a couple of big things to keep on the radar as 2011 hits:

January 15th- Winter Jam hits Tampa. Some of the biggest artists in Christian music make their annual trek to the St. Pete Times Forum. This year, we'll see Newsboys, David Crowder Band, Kutless, Red, and some others. As an added bonus (and a small claim to fame) Chris Sligh will be performing there. Chris' uncle was my pastor years ago and when he was in the States (his parents were missionaries in Europe) he would stay in FL and come to our youth group.

January 23- Honduras Meeting- anyone interested in finding out more about RPC's trip to Honduras is invited to an informational meeting after church on the 23rd. We'll provide lunch and Brett from Trash Mountain Project will be there to answer questions.

January 28-30- Winter Retreat '11- In 10 years of ministry, the retreat is the best regular event we've ever put on. This year, we kick it off RPC style. We're already well into planning the event, and I can't wait to see the whole thing happen. It seriously will be that important to the long-term goals of Merge. And it's going to be killer. I. Can't. Wait.

Super Bowl Weekend- I'll be speaking at a retreat that I'm super-stoked for. We'll be kicking off a new series, and we'll be hosting a football game/Super Bowl Party. Woohoo!!!

And this is just the next few weeks. I have a feeling that the last few weeks have just been the calm before the storm!!!

We're ba-ack!!!

2011-01-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

I took a week off from the blogosphere, to get settled back into the routine of being home and to get the creative juices flowing (and last week was pretty intense after a 17 hour car drive, getting the kids back into the school routine, a set design, and a series launch).

Add to that the fact the kids school schedule means dad is back waking up at 5:45...

Yeah, I decided to ease back into this thing.

But we're back.

And the posts will be rolling this week.

#1b of 2010 (tied)

2010-12-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

There were a number of events that could have made this list. I could have mentioned feeding the football teams, Winter Jam, the Thankgsiving Outreach, a number or series that happened in 2010. I also could have mentioned the number of volunteers it takes to make all this happen.

But in the end I limited it to 6 (plus one).

And these have been the six.

Any guess on the final?

#1 of 2010- The Trip to Honduras

I've had a chance to be a part of many missions trips in the states. From Gulfport, MS to Philadelphia, PA.

And nothing compared to the experience of Tegucigalpa. The greatest of challenges. The scariest of circumstances, and the highest of rewards. There was nothing quite like sharing the love of Jesus with the people outside the Trash Dump Community. Helping families build homes. Ministering to the children of the neighborhood. And passing out food on top of the dump.

Nothing. Like It. Ever.

At least in my experiences.

It changed us. And all I can say is I'd recommend it for anyone as we plan on the trip for 2011.

It will change you.

In a good way.

My favorite quote of the year was the idea of a 'common catalogue of shared experiences'. Nothing this year embodied that more.

So that's my list. Anything I missed?

#1 of 2010 (tied)

2010-12-31T20:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, I couldn't limit it to 1 number one. I tried. I really tried.

But I narrowed it down to 2.

The first #1 of 2010- was the number of baptisms we had in 2010.

As we gained momentum towards through 2010, a number of students made decisions to give their life to Christ or to follow up a recent decision to do so with deciding to follow up with baptism.

And it wasn't just students as we saw adults getting saved and then baptized.

At one point, while we were still at three services, we had 6 students in one day want to be baptized. They asked if it would be possible to be baptized in all three services, an idea we had already been considering.

So we did so. Again and again.

#2 of 2010

2010-12-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

Hard to imagine we're only 2 hours from 2011.

And down to #2 in the countdown.

#2 for 2010- Launch of Merge 2.0

It's hard to imagine that it's only been a year and a half since we launched out with Merge. Still, as we approached the kickoff to 2010, we felt as leaders that we could make some minor "tweaks" to what we were doing to make it even more accessible to unchurched students.

For the most part, they were minor additions to the schedule. That, along with adding more leaders and offering more "pickup points".

We weren't prepared for the results.

Within 3 weeks, we saw attendance increase 100% from about 4o per week to a high of just over 80, a number that has been sustained throughout the semester. There's no doubt that our group is not perfect. A large majority of the students were unchurched even 6 months ago. But it's been amazing to see their growth.

We've had 2 weeks off, and I'm roaring to get back and to talk through some of the changes coming this next semester.

#3 of 2010

2010-12-31T18:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, we're getting down the nitty gritty here. Only hours left til 2011, and I gotta come up with a top 3? Seriously?

#3 of 2010- Launch of Taking Back Christmas series

This is the most recent entry into the top 6. This was the moment where I feel like our creative team, booth, and band pulled together to create the most memorable experience of the year as it pertains to service programming.

The band was on it. The guitar solo was hot, and Jordan nailed the drum solo. But when students came out playing the metal trash cans. Wow. One long-time RPC'er said the next day that even he didn't know what to expect next. Awesome stuff.

That, and co-hosting with Chris Neff was off-the-chain (can we still say that in 2010. If not, I'm bringing it back in 2011). Seriously, we went all over the area trying to find ugly Christmas sweaters (even going to Plato's Closet- which is a funny visual if you think about it). I laughed so much as we envisioned the hosting for that day.

Awesome stuff as so many pulled together for so much. And then Timm nailed that week's message.

Sweet.

#4 of 2010

2010-12-31T17:00:00.000-08:00

#4 of 2010- Wednesday morning basketball

Seems a little unusual to have basketball in our ministry events. But here it is. And here's why.

Towards the second half of 2010, I got into playing basketball at New Life with a number of youth pastor and leaders. The exercise is needed (trust me). The games have been good. But more important, there's been a chance to connect with other leaders and to share common experiences.

There are some really good guys there, and each week this is one of the things I really look forward to. I've missed this the last two weeks, and I can't wait to get back.

An added bonus has been the chance to ride with my boy C-dub on the way to the games. We should start recording those conversations as there's never a dull minute.

#5 0f 2010

2010-12-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

#5 event of 2010- Student Life Camp

This past summer was the first experience we've had at RPC with taking our student ministry to camp. This year, we stayed local as we travelled to Stetson University in Deland to take part in Student Life's camp. We were led in worship by Revive and Ed Newton (an old college buddy) was the speaker.

Camp offered a great chance to see students connect with God, and ultimately connect with each other. The event offered a chance for walls to come down as students started to open up about where they were and where they needed to be. The fact that two other churches from the Auburndale/Winter Haven area were at the same camp gave us the chance to interact with other students in our schools.

We're already making plans for 2011's camp experience, and I can't wait.

Top 6 of '10

2010-12-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

Great things come in 6's.

As we count down the final hours to 2011, I'm going to post my top 6 ministry events of 2010. These are not to say these are the biggest or best events, they're just 6 of the lasting memories I'll have looking back at the prior year.

#6- Concerts

Towards the latter part of 2010, we had a number of concerts happen at RPC/Merge. Really, the re-launch with Merge 2.0 offered an opportunity for these concerts to happen. It all started with Audea back in August, followed by our own Paul Rojo, then Cord of 3, and finally Jeremy Spring from Abandon Kansas.

The concerts were diverse as they come, from the acoustic living room concert Jeremy Spring offered on his Living Room Tour to the hardcore sound of Cord of 3. There seriously was something for everyone. It's not normal that we can have a stretch quite like we had for the end of 2010, but the concerts brought it. Great memories.

Un-Youth Group part II

2010-12-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

(This might not make sense unless you're a student in Merge, but you're welcome to read along)

Last week, we explained that in the absence of our regularly scheduled youth gathering, we'd be looking at a challenge from Psalm 100 reminding us of the goodness of God, even in our most trying of times. And we've had our share of them this past year.

But 2011 is right around the corner.

And with that, we now turn our sites to look ahead.

In Genesis 15, God revealed to Abraham that his descendants would one day possess a "promised land". The promise was later reiterated to his son Isaac, and to his son, Jacob (in Genesis 28). They would never possess the land themselves, but the groundwork they laid in their people would lead to the Promised Land.

I love our student ministry. I love it because it's so different. As I looked out on our group two weeks ago, I was struck with how many of you even a year ago would never have thought about coming to church. And yet, here you are. Not just attending, but taking time to read this blog. I'm proud of you for that.

You've begun laying a groundwork. I don't think for a second that you have it all figured out. But you're trying. That's the groundwork. That's what this year has been. Now it's time to build upon that groundwork.

This week, while I'm in PA, I'm praying about God's direction for Merge in 2011. I'm praying specifically about a couple of areas. When we get back next week, I'll begin to lay those ideas out to the group. Areas we need to mature and grow. As a group.

But this week, I want you to focus on areas you need to grow. Not things we need to do as a group. But things you need to do as an individual. Tangible or intangible. As you sit on the cusp of 2011, what are the things you can set now as goals for the year?

Im not one for resolutions, but I understand the concept. 2011 is a tabula rasa. The slate has been wiped clean. With that, this is a season of fresh starts. Take time to write down some goals for 2011. Place them in a place that will be noticeable for you. Then, from time to time, pull them out as a reminder of where you want to be.

I can't wait to get back. To share the next step in this journey. But for now, discover your next step. Take time. Do it.

Peace.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

Un-Youth Group

2010-12-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

(This might not make sense unless you're a student in Merge, but you're welcome to read along)

Hey guys-
As I said last week, tonight and next Wednesday, we're going to be youth-group less in that we've been accustomed to meeting on a weekly basis. This week we're out of town, and you're (hopefully) spending time with your family, enjoying this holiday season.

That doesn't mean we're leaving these last couple of Wednesday's without being challenged.

Call it the un-youth group. Or more appropriately, the youth un-group.

I digress.

The last couple months of 2010 have been hard on many of us. There are financial burdens we might not have experienced previously. Combine that with family issues, and the pressure seems relentless. And that's only the beginning. There's been a stabbing in one of our schools, with serious threats in another. There's been pain, hurting, even death. To people we care about.

It's enough to make us question...why?

And there's a time and place for that.

But when I look back on this past year, I'll remember 2010 as a good year. Not always great, but always good. For that, we are thankful.

For that, we celebrate.

Psalm 100 reminds us to "enter God's gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise...for the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures." God is good. Even in the hardest of circumstances, He is there. His promise is true. And He'll never leave us.

In our moments of triumph, He celebrated with us. In our moments of darkness, he provided the grace to continue.

As the year draws to a close, we celebrate Christmas, the moment that Jesus humbled Himself by becoming man. Reflect on that. Remember the sacrifice. Consider the cost He paid. And then understand why this year was good. For He is Good.

Next week will be a look forward as much as this was a look back. Pray about it. Read about it. And be ready for it.

Honduran Homes

2010-12-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

Back in July, a group of us from RidgePoint Church traveled to Honduras to build two homes for families living just outside the Trash Dump community in Tegucigalpa.

Our first day there, Pastor Jeony of AFE shared with us just how much it meant to the Honduran people that we were had come. He said that Hondurans had a very high view of American Christians because they saw many of us giving of our time and effort to meet their needs. He said that even the Christians in Honduras were so busy trying to get their needs met that they had very little time for each other.

I'm not sure that's an assessment of reality. To be fair, they're seeing the 'American Christian' at his best. We all had committed that week to give our very best. Catch us at other points in the year, and I'm sure we weren't nearly as selfless. And our experience also showed others in the community partnering with families to see their homes built.

Either way, the message we received was the same. To each of us living comfortably in the U.S., they couldn't do it without us. And I know we have needs to be met here. And I know that people here are struggling. But the poorest person here lives exponentially better than the many of the things we saw in Honduras.

I love our country. And I love our community. But the hand of the Gospel is supposed to reach beyond the walls of the U.S. And once a year, we make a concerted effort to do just that.

Last December, we partnered with Trash Mountain Project to raise funds to build two homes in Honduras. Presenting the homes to those families was one of the most moving experiences of my life. This year, we're looking to do the same thing. This Sunday, we'll take up an offering to build homes, once again. It's our goal in one week to raise enough money to build two homes. Then in mid-July, we'll be traveling back to be a part of the process.

To be the hands and feet of the Gospel.

Then, January 23rd, we'll have a meeting after church for anyone interested in going to Honduras in 2011. Brett Durbin from TMP will be with us and will go over all of the information for the trip.

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-16T17:37:00.000-08:00

There's so much I love about Christmas.

God becoming man is significant. Redeeming mankind. That can't be overshadowed.

But that doesn't mean that the other stuff can't have a redemptive quality.

So starting the day after Thanksgiving, we hit up some of our favorite times of the year. Tonight, we took part in one of those traditions. Everything lined up. The kids behaved. Even got along.

We missed out on the first few years of our children's lives. We've tried to make it up to them by instilling as many traditions as possible in our family. And we hope they, in turn, will come up with their own traditions they pass onto their kids, one day.

Here are just a few:

Picking Out a Tree/Decorating- We might go out shopping Black Friday, but that night, it's all about the decorations. We can't get started before then, but mid-afternoon on the day after Thanksgiving, the decorations are brought out. That night, we're on the hunt for a tree. A large tree.

Stockings for Foster Kids- Our kids know all too well what it's like to have Christmas in foster care. So every Christmas, each of our kids sponsors a foster kid's stocking for Christmas. We go shopping and they each pick out gifts for their kid for Christmas.

Traveling for the Holidays- Every other Christmas, we rotate between my family and Beth's family. This year, we'll be up in PA for Christmas. That means Hershey's Candy Cane Lane, time with the family, and maybe snow.

Wrapping Presents for the Rest of the Family- Tonight's Activity. We gather around the table, pull out the presents for their younger nieces and nephews, as well as for the grandparents and great-grandmothers. Cool to imagine what Christmas will be like as we all get involved in the wrapping. At the top was a picture from tonight, a surprising moment of quiet. It's these moments, I'll try to remember.

These are just a few of our traditions. What about you?

NorthPoint's iBand

2010-12-15T08:36:00.000-08:00

You probably have seen this already. But in case you missed it, here's North Point's Christmas series opener. I love the creative elements that are always in play at all of NPCC's campuses.

(the best part happens starting about 5:08 in the video)

Merry Christmas!

6 (Sports) Things

2010-12-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

I was told recently by Jamison, that whenever I write a sports blog, he never gets through it. Guess he's not a sports guy. But some of you are. And I'm a recovering sportswriter. So everyone once in a while, I get the creative juices flowing where I just need to comment on some stuff in the sports world. Allow me to indulge those senses now.

1. The Gators hired a new head coach, and I couldn't be more excited about the prospect (well unless we heard the words "Coach" and "Bowden" in the same breath). Muschamp is a hometown boy, who will bring some defensive pride to Florida. Now if we can get a new offensive coordinator with him... I like the hire, but I have an issue with the whole deal. Why make the announcement (or let it leak at least) 30 minutes before Cam Newton is announced as the Heisman winner. I've said all year long that I've rooted for Auburn because of the class of their fans. Then we go and do something that can be seen as the exact opposite of that definition. Just left a bad taste in the mouth of so many. And why?

2. Have you seen the video of the Metrodome roof collapsing? If not take time to watch it. It's amazing to see how quickly the roof deflates and falls apart. Kind of reminds one of the Vikings playoff hopes.

3. While we're on the topic of the Vikings, let's talk about Brett Favre for a second. If he had retired two or three years ago, he would have gone down as one of the greats. Now, people have just tired of him. That being said, what he has done is remarkable. His consecutive games played streak is unparalleled, especially when you consider how he played the game. Some of the earlier games when he was with Green Bay and had a rivalry with Warren Sapp and the Bucs were some of the greatest games I've seen. He didn't shrink back from hits and always returned. It's sad that his legacy will be tarnished by the last couple of years. Kudos, Brett, on a great career. Hanging up the cleats a couple of seasons ago might have been the right call.

4. We knew this offseason would be hard on the Tampa Bay Rays, but losing three of our all-time greats (ok, really anybody on the team the past 3 seasons could be considered an all-time great when compared to their predecessors) in a 24-hour period was a little excessive. Has there been a worse day in the history of the franchise then the day we said goodbye to Crawford, Pena, and Bartlett?

5. While the Rays have had a revolving door in the locker room, the Phillies pulled off the shock of the off-season in signing Cliff Lee. Seriously, their rotation just went from the best in baseball to just downright sick. Fortunately, the games are still played on the field. And not all of them will have career years, right? I'm calling it here, but the Phillies are going to struggle to make the wild card. I don't know which team does it, but the Mets, Braves, or Nationals are going to represent in the start of 2011.

6. Sal Alosi was an unknown 3 days ago. His main job was to yell "get back" to players who came to close to the playing field as a coach for the New York Jets. Then this happened. Classless. My first reaction was to say he should be fired and banned from the league. But something resonated with me about a message I heard this weekend. None of us should be defined by our worst moment. The Jets took appropriate action. And that was good enough. Time for grace. And Sal's hoping his 15 minutes will soon be forgotten.

PS- I made it through the top 6 without mentioning the possibly-playoff-bound Bucs. They have their work cut out for them, but it's still a real possibility.

PPS- Jamison, if you made it to the end of this, text me and I'll take you out to lunch. My treat.

From Concept to...

2010-12-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

Wow, I'm still shaking my head thinking about all that happened this past weekend at RPC. I've heard so many great comments about the service. One long time RPC'er said he'd come to expect much from RPC, but during this service, even he was excited, waiting to see what would happen next. Someone else wrote to let us know about an unchurched friend who showed up for the first time with them and couldn't stop talking about the service. A number of people in the first service stayed over to catch the opener again in the second service. We videotaped the whole thing and are hoping to have that available soon.

The service had it all. Creativity. Comedy. Content.

But how did we get there?

It really all started months ago with the concept of the series. That's done mostly in-house now as a few of us meet to talk through what the content of the series is going to be. From there, we have a team that meets, just to consider the creative elements of the services. Leaving the creative team meeting, I knew it was the most productive meeting we'd had. Then it was time for the concepts to become concrete.

That was done on multiple fronts, involving the creative team and the band. Then I got an e-mail from Justin showing me something Buckhead Church had done. He thought we could pull it off. And pull it off we did.

It wasn't just the band. It was the band, the booth, the creatives.

All working together. To give their best.

To strive for excellence.

Because we believe that's what God deserves.

And we do it because that one unchurched person experienced God in a way that wasn't anticipated.

And it led into the message. Because really all we do on the creative side is to set the stage for the Message that is coming. We are not the message, but we bolster it.

This past Sunday was probably the best example I've seen of that happening. And I'm proud of the team for pulling it together.

The cool thing is another Sunday's coming. And if you think you know what's coming, you probably don't. Just saying. I can't wait.

UF's next head coach

2010-12-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it, Urban Meyer is announcing he's stepping down as the head coach of the University of Florida Gator football team. Unlike last year's similar announcement, this one doesn't seem as surprising. If Meyer was having a problem dealing with the stress of coaching a major college football team, this year wasn't helpful.

Since I'm sure the University Chancellor will be calling to get my opinion soon, I came up with a short list of potential 'interesting' candidates for the Florida job.

Let me know what you think.

5. Charlie Strong- He has some ties to Florida, and he seems to be doing well now at Louisville.

4. Dan Mullen- The early favorite to take the job.

3. Jon Gruden- His name is mentioned with every coaching opening. Don't do it.

2. Steve Spurrier- Think about how stressful the last couple years have been. Then think back to how much fun it was when the Old Ball Coach was at the helm. Return to the glory days!!!

1. Bobby Bowden- He's retired, but still hanging around. Slide him in for a year or two to mentor a future head coach. And watch the reaction by Seminole nation. That alone would be worth it.

Living Room Tour 2 (Coming Tonight)

2010-12-08T05:05:00.000-08:00

I've been excited about this for a while. And now it's finally here. Be there tonight as it's about to get funky, Christmas-y, and just a little real. I can't wait.

Product Review-Life Discipler

2010-12-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

Any of us involved in ministry have come across moments when we were searching for just the right Bible verse to fit a specific situation. A new electronic device seeks to help out in those trying situations.

As part of the BuzzBlogger Program, I received a demo of the Life Discipler to review. At first glance, I wasn't overly impressed. The screen wasn't backlit making the screen difficult to see unless in appropriate lighting. I also had some early issues getting to where I needed to be. There also seemed to be a little glitch as I messed around in different areas.

However, as I explored further, the real value of the Life Discipler became a little more apparent. The device boasts 1500 verses (though to be fair that's spread out over 5 translations, meaning not 1500 unique verses). Need help with a specific topic, it addresses 44 areas where Scripture application would be beneficial. In addition, it has features that will save favorite verses as well as verses you might want to memorize.

I looked up various verses and was pleasantly surprised at the depth to which the verses went, often listing multiple verses on a single topic. It really made it possible to have a mini-walking topical concordance. Beneficial, but far from essential.

A couple of years ago, the Life Discipler would have been greater potential. Unfortunately, I kept trying to figure out what the device could do that I couldn't do just as quickly with my iPhone. And the answer wasn't a whole lot. However, the developers seem to be aware of that as their website promises an iPhone App in 2011. All things being considered, I'm more excited about the app. There are some benefits to the Life Discipler. Unfortunately, we live in a society where less is more. Why carry another device if one will do?

As far as content is concerned, the device would add value to the novice Bible student. It also provides valuable and instant topical verses for even the experienced student. However, there is room for improvement. And, as I said, I think there greatest opportunity lies in their app development.

The Life Discipler people are offering a special deal for the Christmas season. If you go to their website and order the product using the code "Christ 20", you will get 20% off the regular price.

Life Discipler was given to me by Google Buzz Plant as part of their BuzzBlogger Program. I was not coerced into a positive review, and the opinions expressed are strictly my own.

StoryTellers- OurStory

2010-11-30T08:41:00.000-08:00

For the past 3 weeks, we've been going through a series at RidgePoint Church called StoryTellers. The idea behind the series is that we all have stories, and each story has value. So we've brought different families in the church up to speak about their stories. The first 2 weeks were emotional. This week was our families turn to talk about our adoption. Here are some random thoughts regarding that morning.

I'm so proud of our kids. Sunday morning, we showed the first pictures we ever received from them in foster care. They've each grown up physically so much over the past 6 years. More than that, they've grown emotionally and spiritually. I was struck at the close of the second service just how far we've come. Jahid was courageous in recounting what his early years were like. Karam was hysterical (particularly in the first service) in sharing her part. And Hamee let us know he was there to make us look good (and not speak). I love each of them and their distinct personalities.
I'm proud of my wife. She was ahead of me on this whole thing. And she was right at every turn. Throughout the journey, every turn was met with a shrug and a laugh. I'm thankful to be sharing this journey with a woman who is just as crazy as I am.
I didn't think our story was as "emotional" as the prior two weeks. Still, there were two grown men who came up to us after the service with tears in their eyes. And I heard stories of others. We're humbled that our story could be used in such a powerful way.
After the second service, we had a family come up to us who was visiting RidgePoint for the first time. They had their adopted daughter along with them. They took time to share their story of adoption and the incredible ordeals their daughter experienced. Seriously, I wish everyone could have heard their story. Incredible. The fact they visited RPC for the first time the week we shared our story was one of those God-orchestrated things.
A couple of years back, I started a series of posts about OurStory. The original post was here. At the time, a couple of readers challenged me to write a book. I really should. And I should finish the OurStory posts.
If you missed the video of our Adoption Story, I'm linking back to Beth's blog here. I got through the video in the first service fine. For some reason, during the second service, the emotion of that day hit me. It took a moment to compose myself and get to the next question.

All, in all, we were humbled to be a part of the series. We believe that adoption is close to the heart of God as we are called to take care of the orphans and the window (James 1:27) and as believer we're all referred to as being adopted into the family of God. I believe strongly the idea that We're not all called to adopt, but we are all called to care.

Remnants 11.30.10

2010-11-30T07:02:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure last week was my favorite week of the year.

I love Christmas, but the week of Thanksgiving is just so special for so many reasons. Here are some quick hits (bulletin point style) on what made this weekend so special.

Thanksgiving morning I had a chance to take a couple of my kids with me as we joined with other churches in our area to provide Thanksgiving dinners to families throughout Polk County. Altogether, we served in excess of 3300 meals, delivering many of them to the homes of the individuals. Karam travelled with me as we delivered 26 meals in our vehicle. Hamee actually stayed at the Center as he was recruited to take pictures for an online newspaper. Awesome times as we realized that the greatest gift is found in serving. If you want to see pics of the RPC Team in action, become a fan on FB, and view the pics here.
That afternoon we had family over including Beth's grandmother (whose 92), my parents, my uncle, and 2 of our college-aged students. My uncle hadn't been to a holiday meal with the family in years, so it was good to have more of the family present. We need more times likes these to slow down and value what is essential. One of the girls in our youth group made a pumpkin pie for us. The thoughtfulness of the gesture was awesome, the fact she's a talented cook (and an hysterical person) is a bonus.
The next morning, we woke up early. Really early. To get our shopping on. It amazed me how many people were very opinionated on whether or not to go shopping. Some people hated the notion. And I can get that. But here's where I rested. My kids and my wife are important to me. I'd like to be able to get more for them, but on a youth pastor's salary, that's not always possible. There were a couple of things that we bought that morning, that I wouldn't have been able to do so if they were at regular price. They mean enough to me to get up early one day a year to go shopping for them. To have Purvis join us for the day was hysterical. Jahid getting up early enough to go was impressive.
Friday afternoon, we decorated and got a tree. I mean a big tree. And we're almost done decorating, if only the outside lights would hang themselves.
Saturday we took grandma back. Sad dropping her off as we remembered fondly so many of these Thanksgivings we'd had together. Didn't catch one down of the UF-FSU football game. Evidently, that was a good thing.
Sunday morning we had a chance to share our adoption story as a part of StoryTellers. I'll blog more on that later. But everything was great. Really phenomenal morning.
We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging with family and friends (including a couple who was there the day the adoption was finalized. It was a day full of a lot of stories, and outrageous fits of laughter. I wished it didn't end.
Last night, another of the girls in our youth group met us to take our family picture for our Christmas card. Once we get them we'll be sharing them.

That's it. I think I ended this week more exhausted after a "break" then when I started it. But I wouldn't change one moment.

Thankful

2010-11-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

It shouldn't take a special day each year to remind us of the things we're thankful for, but here's my feeble attempt to list things that I appreciate on this Thanksgiving Day.

Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwiches

All things Apple

The Tampa Bay Rays of 2010

The Florida Gators of 2011

Being able to serve at a church that gives us freedom to create

Cord of 3

The resurgent Tampa Bay Bucs, and their young talent

David Crowder's new music video

The readers of this blog

Timm and his leadership

Chris and his analysis and caring ways

Pam and her nurturing of our children and community

Justin and Jordan for leading not just our band but our church

The band for the hours of work put in to be on stage for a few minutes

The booth for their attempts to be seamless and invisible

Our hosts for not just giving announcements but for adding quality to the service

Our youth leaders for their timeless dedication, commitment, and belief in what we're doing

Chris Weatherly for being there in every facet of youth ministry, and for being the butt of constant abuse for his jokes

Jamison for being proficient in all things, and for his willingness to put up with our constant change

For fellow youth pastors who encourage me on a regular basis. Weekly basketball is beneficial in more ways than one.

For Aaron- I miss our weekly accountability time, I'm pretty sure you kept me sane at times.

For students who grew up in our youth group, who are now in leadership positions in their churches. Carry on the tradition. Err, scratch that tradition part.

For my golfing buddies. I only played golf a couple of times this year, but they were rewarding experiences.

For the prospects of 2011- Winter Jam and the retreat are only the beginning

For students and leaders who continue to be challenged and to grow

For the Merge Students- you remind me on a regular basis why we do what we do

For the future leaders of Merge- 2011 is going to be a year God challenges you to step up to lead in ways you haven't even imagined. yet.

For this video

For the remake of Hawaii 5-0. I didn't really think I'd like it, but in the end, it's the one show I look forward to.

For our soldiers serving around the world protecting our freedom. In particular, I'm thankful this year for Cory Ginn and Tommy Lockwood. You guys are real life heroes.

For my extended family, I really am blessed

For the news this week that my mom is 2 years cancer-free and officially a cancer survivor

For my kids. 4 years ago this month our adoption was finalized, but we were already family. It has been amazing to see how much you've grown, and changed. I can't imagine life before you.

For my wife. You put up with all of my antics. And you love me. That's amazing. Even more amazing is who you are and what you're becoming. I love you with an ever increasing love. I can't wait to see what the next 40 years have to bring in our lives.

To My Savior and My God- Your Word says you pursue us. That boggles my mind. I am the least-worthy to be pursued. And yet you do so on a regular basis. I'm humbled and just glad to be a part of this journey.

Thankful pt. 1

2010-11-24T06:51:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a massive Thanksgiving post on things I'm thankful for that will post tomorrow. But last night, I received a message from Cory Ginn, one of my former youth leaders stationed in Afghanistan. Moments before receiving the message, this video had come on our TV. I know it's not new, but since some of you may have missed it, I wanted to share.

Thanks to all who are sacrificing this holiday season to give us a better life.

Movie Review-Homeless for the Holidays

2010-11-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for the holidays. I love the time with family, the decorations, the nostalgia that the next month will bring. Which is why I was excited recently to receive a copy of Homeless for the Holidays, a straight-to-DVD movie recently released.

The movie chronicles the story of Jack Baker (Matt Moore) a successful marketing director who had little time for anyone but himself. His family enjoyed the rewards of his hard work, but rarely had the opportunity to spend time with their father/husband as he climbed the corporate ladder of success.

When his company experienced some negative press, Jack is left as the fall guy. Soon, he can't find a job in his hometown, and slowly his family starts to lose all of the comforts their previous life had afforded them. The cable's shut off, the car is repo'd, credit card bills are stacked up, then it's the electricity, and finally they lose the house.

But in losing everything, they find something more important. Time with each other. The ability to laugh. The lack of stress.

Homeless for the Holidays is a low-budget film that reflects the movie-maker's own story. At first I was fearful that the movie would come across as a typical cheesy holiday offering. It was a simple feel-good story. But somehow it worked. The brilliance of the movie was that its production matched its message, that simple is significant.

As a youth pastor, I showed it to some of our students to get their insight into the movie, and was surprised at the response. Everyone that came up to offer their opinion came with a positive review. Again, the simple message is one that is needed by so many of us, particularly this Christmas. Homeless won't win over many critics, but it will easily find a niche in the holiday movie tradition.

For more info on the movie, and to check out a trailer, click here.

*BuzzBlogger provided a free copy of Homeless for the Holidays for me to review. I received no compensation for the review and the review was entirely my own.

What youth pastors do in their free time...

2010-11-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

Top 10 List from Last Night

2010-11-18T07:49:00.001-08:00

Last night at Merge, we opened up with a video, the host, then this Top 10 List of things I'm thankful for. This was a joke as I got around to a list of things I was actually thankful for later on in the service. But in case you missed it (or just want to reminisce) here it is:

10. That Cord of 3 rocked the house last night...and Jeff's black eyes have healed

9. That Sunday's football game is over...and the leaders are still able to walk

8. That Chris Weatherly is no longer able to tell jokes. Woops scratch that one off...

7. That Kaley wore a hoodie on Sunday

6. That the Gator football season is drawing to a close

5. That Greg nailed that shot last week, and that he is the Asian of the future

4. For sturdier chairs in my house

3. That Kris Keene has stopped trying to pull off the skinny jean look

2. As bad as the Gator season has been this year, I'm still thankful I'm not a fan of the "U"

1. That fast worship is about to start.

Bonus on the night:

-that Devin was once again rocking the Fedora Hat.

Remnants 11.16.10

2010-11-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some quick hits and a timely reminder from the past weekend:

Saturday morning, our creative team at RPC met to discuss some of the creative elements for a series coming our way soon. This was probably the most productive CT meeting we've had in the past year. We met, came up with some great elements, and spent time really thinking outside of the box. We have some ideas lined up. If all comes together, you don't want to miss even one Sunday in December. Trust me.

Saturday night, was spent watching the Gators throw away the SEC East Championship. I could write a whole post on the topic. But why bother? It's been a tough year. Beat FSU, and all will appear better. There's always next year, but changes need to be made. And it doesn't appear that's happening.

Sunday morning, we kicked off a new series called StoryTellers. The concept behind the series is that everyone of us has a powerful story. In the end, it's how we leverage that story that makes the difference. This week, we heard from a couple in our church that had to go through a difficult pregnancy and the loss of one of their twins. Yet, their trust and faithfulness was rewarded. What an inspiring story. And we've only just begun. The next two weeks are going to be just as powerful.

Sunday afternoon, we played football. I mean a lot of football. The leaders were rolling until half of the AHS football team showed up. The better half. They were that good. And we're that old. I ended up pulling a hamstring in the process. Never had that happen before. Don't ever want that to happen again. Googled hamstring pulls, and found out that hamstring injuries increase with age (don't most injuries?). Either way, it's not looking good.

Remnant- With the weekend behind us, there is plenty to take away. However, the lasting remnant of the weekend was in the mother's (Ashley's) response to her situation. She grew up in church, she heard all of the messages. She knew that God was in control, yet this pushed that belief to the edge. Her statement: "I had to act on the fact that I believed it." Right then, you could have turned down the lights and went home. It's not just saying God's in control it's learning to live that out in our most trying times that determines just how legitimate our faith is. Simple message. Complex to be lived.

A Letter to Our Students

2010-11-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

As a youth pastor, this is one of those days, I wish you didn't have to live through.

It was the kind of day we pray you'd never have to experience.

Life is more important than this. It has value. And yet events like today (particularly what happened at WHHS) can give a warped view of that truth.

Enough events like this pile up, and it's easy to see why you could become cynical.

Yet, it's these very events that serve as a reminder why you can't.

The world is full of hopelessness. It's full of students who are living for the moment and living for themselves. It's that very thinking that leads to a fight escalating into a stabbing. And your high school being featured on the 6 o'clock news.

Life is bigger than this. Life is bigger than you.

In the midst of that hopelessness, it's even more important right now that you offer hope. That you rise up and shine like lights in the midst of the darkness. It is for these very moments that everything we've taught up to this point begins to make sense.

My heart breaks for you. You shouldn't have had to experience this. But these are the moments that must be seized. These are the moments where our we display whether our faith is legit.

It's your time to step up. It's your time to show the world, or at least your world that there is a bigger picture. That life is much larger than the small picture we have. It's your time to lead.

Throughout the day, the lyrics of this song have been beating through my head. Take the time, watch the video. Apply it to your situation. Then ask yourself, "what is that bigger picture?"

And what role are you being called to play?

Foundations Pt. 4

2010-11-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

For the past several weeks, I've been posting blogs about 5 core ideas we've tried to incorporate into student ministry. This is the fourth in that series. If you haven't caught the first three, the most recent is here. From there you can follow links to the previous two.

I've tried to be careful from the beginning to clarify that I don't think this is the only way to do youth ministry, it's just what I've found to be effective for me. A youth ministry (or any ministry for that matter) reflects its leader. You have to be true to who you are and use the gifts, talents, and personality that God has created in you.

Onto #4, and this isn't original with me:

Rules without relationship leads to rebellion.

I've never been much of a rules guy, especially when it comes to youth ministry. I've seen it too often that we enforce a rule while a student is in youth group. The student follows said rule in the context of youth group, but there's no overlap into his life.

About my third year in youth ministry, I had a parent approach me about starting a dress code in youth group. Ironically, the only student we had a problem with was her daughter, and I think she was trying to get me to parent her daughter. I refused. And here was my logic. I can give a girl a rule on what is appropriate and what isn't. She'll still push back against the rule and try to find ways around it. And if she does respond to the rule, she has the propensity to do so because she has to, but the way she dresses at school might be completely different.

Doesn't it make much more sense (instead of giving a bunch of rules) to just teach modesty. To let the student figure out why this is important. I understand they're teenagers, and not all of them will get it. But I'm against a bunch of rules that will do nothing more than lead to a legalistic mentality in the mind of the student.

Compare that to a youth pastor I knew. He had a very strict rule on modesty. If a girl came into his youth group, even if it was her first time there, she was expected to dress according to the code. If any part of her stomach was visible, he would give her an XL t-shirt that hung to her knees. Not sure that accomplished his goal. And I'm pretty sure most of the girls who experienced such things wouldn't return.

When we enforce rules, without relationship, it often ends badly. Our role as YP's should be to disciple students. Jesus doesn't give the disciples a handbook of rules they needed to study before they were acceptable. He simply says, "Follow Me". If we follow Him the rest is going to eventually take care of itself. They didn't get it all right away. And I'm sure Jesus' ministry was never viewed as a 'safe ministry'. Pretty sure ours shouldn't be either.

I love our youth group. They're not all perfect. In fact, none of them are. Tonight, there will probably be some students there that other parents might have questions about. But we're in the process of building up relationships and earning the right to disciple them into being all that God wants them to be.

It's not that we're rule-less. We do have rules. Just not too many. We're more interested in teaching them what are the guard rails they need to place in their own lives to keep them safe as they navigate life now and beyond their high school years.

5 Things Monday

2010-11-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Normally, Monday brings a rewind on the past week(end)'s action. But as exciting as this past weekend was (Harvest Festival's, awesome church services, ever-encouraging small group, and a freestyle rap that was off the cha-heezy. I'm just not up for the rewind. Not with all of this to look forward to:

1. Cory Ginn being with us. Cory was one of the best youth leaders I could have asked for. Somewhere along the way, he became like family to us. For the past several months, he's been serving in Afghanistan. He's home on a short break, and we get to hang with him tomorrow. I can't wait. Of all things, this is most important right now.

2. Parent Night Wednesday. This Wednesday night, we're inviting Merge parents to come hang with us for a while. I'll get a chance to break off with them and share a little of what we do, and why we do it. I also get to talk about the Winter Retreat. Nothing gets me stirred up more than talking about that.

3. iPod Shuffle giveaway- For the past 5 weeks, we've been using the book of James to communicate how essential it is to listen to the right voices in our series called Shuffle. This week, we're going to celebrate one of those right voices as we giveaway an iPod Shuffle to an RPC volunteer. If you want to nominate someone, write a paragraph or two on why they are a "right voice" in your life and mail it to info@ridgepointchurch.org.

4. AFE Cafe- We're heading back to Honduras to work with Trash Mountain Project and AFE. To help us get there, we're starting a cafe selling Honduran coffee and snacks before the services on Sunday. All proceeds go towards a missions team heading to Tegucigalpa in July 2011.

5. RPC in 2011- We just finished an all-day meeting in which we laid out the schedule for RidgePoint Church in 2011. There are definitely some changes in store, in more ways than one. Some of the ideas that we worked through makes me wish 2011 was closer. And it's already pretty close.

Honorable Mention: Some things that could have made the list, but didn't.

A World Series Champion other than the Phillies or Yankees
The Winter Retreat (I mentioned it in passing, but too far out to put on the list)
A new video idea coming to Merge soon?
The development of a young Bucs team-with guys like Freeman, Williams, and Blount, this team is already fun to watch.
Winter Jam 2011
Merge groups continued development

Foundations Pt. 3

2010-10-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

I've been a youth pastor for over 10 years now. That means I've led somewhere around 500 Wednesday night youth services. Small groups studies, camps, retreats, missions trips, conferences, all-nighters...there's been a lot.

Experience doesn't always equate success. If we repeatedly do something wrong, we've never leveraged that experience to do something well.

Through God's grace, He's allowed us to be a part of some really cool things. Along the way I've learned. Alot. For the past two weeks, and for two weeks to come, I'm sharing 5 core principles that we exist by in our student ministry. I'm not naive enough to think this is the only way to do youth ministry. Or even the RIGHT way to do it for everyone. This is just our philosophy. If you missed out on the first two weeks, you can check them here and here.

In the intro to this series of posts, I mentioned a catalytic event in our first year in youth ministry that changed the way I thought of how to minister to students. Going into that weekend, I thought I knew it all, and I left thinking I knew nothing. But I was hungry to learn, to change, and to see what God was up to.

The crazy thing was it wasn't a profound idea. But it was the one thing that was stifling our growth as a group. Here's the big deal: As a youth pastor, you can't do it all. At least you can't do it all effectively.

I was trying. I loved kids, and I loved helping kids. And I wanted to be there for every answer, to give advice for every problem. But you can't do that. We had grown to about 30 kids in our youth group. Even if I gave them each one hour of my time during the week, it would take me 30 hours to see all of them. And for some, an hour/week wasn't enough.

The first day of the conference, the speaker said he could almost guarantee that most of our youth groups were stuck in the neigborhood of 30 students. If that's the case, he said, it's because you're trying to do it our yourself. And you can't. You need to pour into some quality leaders. Jesus was the best teacher this world has known, and yet most of his time, he spent with the 12 disciples, and some of the deepest times, he spent with his inner circle of Peter, James, and John.

If that's the way we do discipleship, then we shouldn't try to outdo Jesus. It's not gonna end well, if we do.

From that time on, I've tried to invest more in leaders. Having some consistent, godly examples to set the tone for our group. Our model today has leaders responsible for our tech stuff, for our game time, for our video of the week, and for our small group interacton.

This past week was a great reminder of the importance of having not just a good representation of adult leaders, but having the right kind of leader.

This is one of those things that when I learned it, it made an immediate impact on how we did youth ministry. And the impact was evident in the years to come. And yet, it's also one of those things I have to constantly be reminded of. There needs to be balance. But as a leader, I've come to realize that when I pour into other leaders, I've increased our possible influence exponentially.

Remnants

2010-10-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a look back at a memorable weekend:

Friday, our kids enjoyed a day off from school. We knew there was a busy weekend ahead, so we spent the day hanging out, grocery shopping, and preparing for the days ahead, while recovering from an adventurous couple of days.

Saturday, we spent all day in Largo being a part of their Spooktacular at Largo Central Park. Somewhere around 25,000 people came through the park at some point during the day, and Beth's Chick-fil-A had a large presence. During the day, I tweeted: My wife has been my core volunteer since day 1. A couple days a yr, I get to volunteer for her & return the favor. Today is 1 of those days. And I meant every word of it.

Sunday, was a whirlwind morning as we got little sleep Saturday night, prepared for Sunday morning. Dealt with a power surge that knocked out one of our computers in the booth, and affected some of the sound settings in church. The booth worked through it all, and I enjoyed being able to be in the first service, before leading middle school small group in the 2nd. Timm's message on James 2 was necessary for all of us. We don't always realize the power our tongue has in our lives and in the lives of others.

Sunday afternoon, we had a great high school small group. We were down a couple of people and a couple of leaders (Jamison is a new uncle, and Chris had family in town), but the discussion among the group was powerful. We combined the groups, and though it wasn't planned that way, it became a great opportunity to visioncast to remind students why we do what we do (using Jesus' calling of the 4 fishermen as a backdrop). I loved the response of students in asking, "Well, what can we do?" Awesome stuff.

Finished out the night with Status. Good response. Great questions and participation. I went home encouraged, and exhausted. But there is so much to look forward to this week.

Remnant- There is so much that could be left as a takeaway on a crazy week. But the one thing that I'll hold onto following this weekend is just how important what we do is. Wednesday night was the most adventurous night in youth group that I've had in 10 years. We had one of our students have an episode with his Tourette's that brought a level of sobriety to the group. Within 5 minutes, and just as we got him settled, we had another student go into a seizure. Leaders stepped up, helped out, and filled in in new roles. Both students ended up being fine. As I sat with our high school small group 4 days later, it struck me just how important these days are. They're getting it. And we're getting there. One day at a time.

Review- 7 Minute Daily Planner

2010-10-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

What can be accomplished in seven minutes?

I mean really, we all have those moments in our day (at least most days) that are throw-away moments. Seven minutes left before I take my kids to school? I don't have time to get anything of significance done.

Or do I.

My wife and I were individually chosen to be a part of the review of the 7 Minute Life Daily Planner. This planner is really part of a greater system that is all about increasing the user's productivity.

Unlike my wife (who is a master planner), I at times am lacking in this area. I took time to skim through the book and I came across some principles that I had been trying recently to put into practice in my own life. However, the book and more specifically the planner brought a more intense focus into some specific areas.

The system helps the reader prioritize his life, helping each of us determine specifically what our big picture goals are, then our more immediate goals. After laying the foundation for those goals, the purpose is then to discover what we can do each day to spend even a small amount of time working to move towards those ends.

Two things that I found most rewarding looking at the system.

1. Is the intentionality of the book/planner. There are specific challenges in each of the chapters that can be accomplished in 7 minutes. It can happen. The reader just needs to be intentional.

2. The overall organization. We all go to sleep at night wishing we'd have made a phone call to that friend we haven't caught up with in a while, or wishing we'd been more organized in our finances. This system takes all that into account, and then sets out time each day to see those things realized.

Overall, there are principles from the planner I hope to instill into my personal planning. At times, the full system seemed a little much for me, but part of that is my personality.

For more information on the book and system, follow this link.

*I received a free copy of the book and planner for free for review purposes only. I was not paid for the review and I was not required to give a positive review.

Foundations Pt. 2

2010-10-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

Last week, I began a five-week blog series dealing with topics that I've discovered are essential to student ministry the way we do student ministry. As different churches have different philosophies of ministry, I believe student ministry is very similar. There are different ways to do student ministry. The biggest thing a yp needs to do is pray that God would give him/her vision as to what their student ministry is to look like, and then stay faithful to that vision.

This is our vision.

The second foundation we build upon is this:

Every student matters, and they should know it.

Again, it seems simple enough, but there are two elements to it.

Every student matters. In the book of James, the author addresses the problem of favoritism within the church. At Merge, we are intentional in welcoming students from all backgrounds and walks of life to be a part of our gathering. Recently, we invited the youth group to a BBQ at our house. One of the staff members at our church, after seeing a picture up on Facebook, commented on how great the diversity is in the group. Awesome.

However, it's one thing to say we emphasize something, it's another to actually model it. I'm glad we have a group of leaders devoted to this cause. Every week, volunteers offer to transport students to and from our Wednesday night service so that every student who wants to can be a part of Merge. We seriously couldn't do it without these leaders.

The second element of the foundation is that the students need to know that they matter. That needs to be communicated from the stage and on a personal level. Students today are disassociated from so much. They're looking for a place to belong and to be loved. As a culture we tend to assign a lot of tasks to students without ever giving them responsibility. That mindset needs to shift. I read a book years ago on student ministry in which the author talked of how we allow teenagers to represent us at the Olympics or to serve flying multi-million dollar jets in the military, and yet we often hold them back when it comes to church.

At Merge, we work had to let students know that they have value and that they add value to our team. Students need to know that. And they need to be reminded of it.

Remnants

2010-10-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

Each Monday (or Tuesday, or Wednesday) I write a rewind of the previous week. It usually is written rather matter of fact. Here's-what-happened-in-case-ya-missed-it type stuff. And that's cool. But I'm looking to make a subtle change this week. Not to use the rewind as just a chance to get caught up, but more a look at what's left after a weekend-more than a rewind. It's how the past weekend can impact us as we move forward. It will still have some rewind-esque features, but hopefully with a little more substance.

Friday night, we headed back to the 727 to have dinner with my parents. Little Italy is still the best pizza place I've been to. We then followed them up to the fall festival my mom's church was putting on. The kids had a great time, and it's been a long time since we laughed so hard. Especially when the girls slid down the giant slide at the end. It was great to see some old friends and students who have grown up way too much. Makes me realize just how long I've been in student ministry.

Saturday, was full of checking off items on the honey-do list (finally got the sink working thanks to some friends), playing baseball (I'm still sore), and Beth having some friends over to make some pre-planned meals. I think they made about 42 meals in 4 hours. Crazy. And I can't wait to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

Sunday, was a win on so many levels. Jamison Smith is one of the most talented tech guys I've ever had the chance to work with. He makes my job as SPD so much easier. The cool thing is that this weekend he took a Sunday off, and we didn't miss a beat. The band was good, the sound was excellent, and Timm's message was on point. More on that later. I had a chance to lead the middle school small group in the morning, then to be a part of the high school guys' small group in the afternoon. These kids are so encouraging. Then we closed out the night with college group. Awesome times. Great friends.

This Morning, we had the first ever drawing for a giveaway through the State of Flux blog. Thanks to all who participated. At about 9:15 am, I walked over to our director of connection's office and had him randomly pick a name out of a cup of all the entrants. It's my privilege to let everyone know that Dave Carson is the first winner. Look for more giveaways in the future.

The Remnant- This weekend was left with a lot of memories. Old friends, new friends. Great time with family. But the lingering thought I have this morning is the chair illustration from Timm's message yesterday. We all have chairs of influence in our lives. It's our responsibility to intentionally choose who we allow to sit in that seat of influence. As a father, I am coming even more to grips with how essential this principle is in the lives of my children. And it's been a reminder in my own life to re-examine who is in that seat. In my life. And in the life of my family.

With that being said, who are the people who you've allowed to sit in that seat of influence?

Blog Giveaway- FREE T-shirt

2010-10-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

As a special thank you to my loyal blog readers, we're doing our first ever blog giveaway.

One reader will be strutting away in a new and sweet t-shirt to coincide with the release of Ted Dekker's new book Immanuel's Vein which I reviewed earlier today.

Trust me, if you get this shirt, you'll be walking with all kinds of swagger.

And all you need to do to win is enter your name and e-mail address in the comment box below. all entries must be received by Sunday night at 9pm. I will be drawing the winner's name and contacting them by e-mail to let them know that they won.

Again, name and e-mail address. If you win, I'll contact you about size.

Go!

Book Review- Immanuel's Veins

2010-10-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

Seduction is powerful. It can reduce the strongest of men to a shell of his former self,

and it can leave the best of us looking for hope. In his latest book, Immanuel's Veins, Ted Dekker weaves a tale of the power of seduction and the hope of redemption.

Toma Nicolescu is a trusted warrior for the empress of Russia, Catherine the great. He displays the character of such a warrior. He is loyal, devoted, and honest. His standing has left him with a notable charge, to protect the Cantemir family.

Despite Toma's vast experience, he isn't prepared for what he's about to face.

He has learned to rely on his own understanding and skill. But he'll soon discover that his strong character might lead him to make wrong decisions. As those closest to him face a powerful seduction from some unusual guests, Toma must discover what is right. Even if it means abandoning who he used to be.

Immanuel's Veins is a powerful story of discovery. Toma must abandon much of what he thought about religion and devotion to discover something deeper. And in the end, he must be willing to embrace that which he once mocked in order to redeem the life of the one that he loves.

Ted Dekker is known for allegorical thrillers, and his latest work is the no exception. While at times, I felt the story lagging, it more than made up for it in the intricacy of the story that is told.

*I received an advanced copy of Immanuel's Vein through Thomas Nelson Publishers. Find out more about this at booksneeze.com

Foundations Pt. 1

2010-10-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

Two posts today. Intro to Foundations, then this one.

And we're getting out of the box hot. If there's one lesson I would begin teaching young youth pastors, this is it.

Stop trying to get students to act like you, start pointing them to Jesus.

Seems simple enough. And yet, so often, this is the one we miss. In my opinion, this is one of the fundamental issues in our churches today. As American believers, we've become adept at branding our version of Christianity. We understand the Bible in our framework and we push towards producing believers who look like us, talk like us, and act like us.

We get excited about the next event, the latest curriculum or the newest trend in student ministry. And we think that equates to spirituality in kids who get jacked up about the same things.

We've taught them very little about spiritual growth, but we've produced a glowing reproduction of ourselves.

If we think about it, this is the thing we've mocked for years. Some churches stopped teaching Scripture as much as they taught their interpretation of Scripture. Faith was propped up by what we wore, or the fact we abstained from going to movies, or whatever the hot-button topic of the hour was.

Thirty years later, what was considered deep then has become the butt of jokes. And yet, we can be guilty of the same. We press students into the cookie cutter of American evangelicalism and wonder why they often rebel after their high school years. We're guilty of pointing others to ourselves instead of towards Christ.

The model we need to follow is to teach them Jesus. Point them to how He lived. And then as they learn the core values of who Jesus was and what He actually taught, we free them up to creatively express themselves within the context of their faith.

That doesn't mean their church will look the same as our church. It doesn't mean they'll get excited about the same music, the same programs, or the same events as we do.

And that's okay. Because at the core, we're teaching them something deeper. We're teaching them the tenets of an authentic faith, and then the way to work out their faith in the context of their lives.

I've seen too many young youth pastors make this mistake. And I've been guilty of it myself. We get in our mind that this bracelet or that movie or some trip is the be all-end all for faith. And when others don't respond the way we expect them to, well then they're just not as spiritual.

And then we miss the point. So stop trying to produce another you, start producing disciples of Christ. It will be a little messier, I can guarantee it. But in the end, it will radically alter your youth group. And years from now, you'll be able to look back at kids who got it, who have become the leaders poised to take your place.

Foundations- Intro

2010-10-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" -Eph. 3:20

Confession time. I didn't become a Christ-follower until I was 19 years old.

No big deal, except for two things:

1. I bucked a "Christian trend" as most people who accept Christ do so before they turn 18.

2. I never went to youth group growing up.

That's not true. I do remember one time when a friend of mine snuck me into his youth group when I was a year or two too young. I was scared, intimidated, and a little freaked out. I vowed never to go back.

And I didn't.

Until one day when I was 20, my pastor at the time pointed me towards the youth group and said, "you're in charge".

I didn't have the context of having been in youth group in my teen years. I really didn't know what was out there. This presented two conflicting streams of thought.

1. Because I hadn't seen youth ministry modeled, I didn't come pre-programmed to copy some of the errors of youth groups in the past.

2. Because I hadn't seen youth ministry modeled, I also didn't have the shoulders of some spiritual giants to mentor me into a position I could handle.

It really was a double-edged sword.

I was 10 months into my first position when I got advice that would forever change the course of how I did youth ministry. And it was advice I wasn't expecting and didn't think I needed.

Boy was I wrong.

Over the past 10 years, I've learned a lot. And I've also discovered I have a lot to learn. But my philosophy of ministry has become more concise and more precise. Over the next 5 weeks, I'm going to share 5 core values of student ministry that I've adopted.

Like I said, I have a lot to learn still. And one day, I hope to write a book on some of the experiences God's allowed me to be a part of. But for now, I'm going to share some lessons--lessons I'm relearning all the time.

Check them out. If there's something you can use, take it. If not, sorry for the time spent reading the post. But the truth is, I think we all have a lot to learn. These are just some of the things God's taught me. Enjoy. And check back weekly on Wednesday to get the next core lesson. These aren't really core values, just some foundations to build upon.

Paparazzi

2010-10-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

Celebrities live in a world that most of will never comprehend. A world in which every action is judged, every relationship scrutinized, and every flaw criticized. They are constantly bombarded with media attention where they are being watched literally every moment of their lives.

We can't identify.

And yet in some ways we can.

The lights may not be as glaring as those surrounding the latest hollywood starlet, but does that make them any less real? Don't you feel the daily pressure that your life is being critiqued?

Tomorrow night in Merge, we kick off a new series. A series we're calling Paparazzi because 'someone is always watching'.

In our lives, it might not be a photographer with a telephoto lens, but it is our parents, our friends, our teammates, our co-workers. As soon as we're identified with Christ, we place ourselves in a glass house. Part of the challenge is realizing who it is that is watching.

So join us tomorrow night at 7pm, as we begin this 3-week journey. Paparazzi. Someone is always watching.

Weekend Rewind

2010-10-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Getting caught up on the weekend that was...

Trash Mountain Fundraiser- For the past couple weeks, we've had a semi-trailer parked in front of RPC. Friday, Timm and I followed the trailer as it was transported to the parking lot of Trash Mountain Project. As an organization, we believe strongly in the mission of TMP, and it was our pleasure to help them as they raised funds for their operating budget through the year. It was even cooler to be able to deliver a trailer FULL of supplies that sold well. We'll be giving a final report this Sunday as our win. So be there.

Church- We had church Sunday, just not in the way you'd expect. Instead of meeting in our building, and using music and a message to worship, we met in the park. Our worship was building relationships and serving others. It was great to connect with some new RPC'ers and some families of students who've been involved in Merge. Great food, great fun, great people. One of the most spiritual Sunday's I've been a part of. Seriously.

Rays- I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Rays coming back Saturday and Sunday. I mentioned it was a long shot, but still a shot. Amazing how many of those things came into play. But it's still not over. The finish line is tomorrow night, one way or another.

Family- One of the things I don't mention nearly enough is the role my family plays in all that happens. Friday night, we helped out with tagging items at the fundraiser. We left early as more helped arrive, but then were back at it Saturday morning, getting up at 4:15 to help unload everything and set up. It struck me Friday night when I saw Jahid take a batter's helmet and a lawnchair cushion and use them as helmet and shield, that my kids not only are there to serve, but they do it with a smile on their faces. And they create smiles for others. One of the adults there mentioned the amount of work they did. As a dad, I couldn't be prouder. And that's just my kids. I can't even begin to put into words the work that my wife does. I'm fortunate. And blessed.

It was a fun weekend, but a physically draining weekend. I'm realizing the more sports I play (it was basketball, football, and softball this week) that I can still play as hard as I did when I was younger, it just takes much longer to recover.

Awesome times. So glad to be a part of a team willing to take some risks.

It ain't over...

2010-10-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

Game 3 of the ALDS is almost upon us. At this point, fans of the Tampa Bay Rays are packing it in. And rightly so. Poor pitching (even from David Price who was consistent for most of the season), no hitting, uncharacteristically sloppy defense, and some questionable calls have resulted in the Rays being down 0-2 in a best of three series. The next two games are in Texas, leaving virtually no shot at the Rays coming back.

Or is there?

A lot has to change. But I'm convinced hope isn't lost. The fat lady is warming up, but she hasn't been invited to sing just yet. Here are some reasons I think the Rays have a shot (along with the likelihood that the particular reason will have a bearing on the series, mentioned in bold).

1. Argument- The offense will turn things around. Outside of the first innings of each of the first two games, the Rays offense has been non-existent. It's time for them to break out of this slump and come up with a big couple of games. Reality- the Rays have been slumping, but it's not just a playoff thing. They've been slumping for the last third of the season. Hoping for a breakout now is not a sure thing. Probability of affecting series: About as likely as Kelly Shoppach stealing home in the ninth inning of a tie game.

2. Argument- Joe Maddon pulls a genius move and turns the tide. Joe Maddon is unconventional. This will work in the Rays favor now. Anything to change things up. Reality- It will take more than a lineup tweak, but look for Maddon to prove his genius in this series still. Probability of affecting series: About as likely as Carl Crawford being with the Rays next season.

3. Argument- The Rays have to catch some breaks, right? They have been on the wrong end of a couple of horrendous calls in each of the first two games. Both were damaging, and could have indirectly affected the games. Reality- The calls were bad. They didn't affect the game as much as the number of strikeouts by Rays hitters. I don't think there's a conspiracy. Though the fact that Maddon and Gardenhire both get ejected on the same day on terrible calls is a crazy coincidence. Still, no conspiracy. Right? Probability of affecting series: About as likely as Carlos Pena driving a ball to the opposite field.

4. Argument- The Rays have some favorable pitching matchups coming in the next two games. Reality- Probably the strongest argument yet. Garza was the Rays go-to guy in the '08 playoffs. I like his shot vs. Colby Lewis in game 3, leaving an interesting matchup in game 4. The Rangers' Tommy Hunter has better stats than Wade Davis, but Davis has been hot since returning from a late season injury. Probability of affecting series: About as likely as Joe Maddon putting a catcher in the #1 spot in the lineup.

5. Argument- The Rays defense will be the game-changer. Thus far in the series, the Rangers have been playing defense like the Rays, while the Rays have been playing defense like the Rays- the little league ones sponsored by Domino's Pizza. Reality- The Rays defense is stellar, and this series has been unexplainable. Look for that to change. Big Time. And with that change can come momentum. As bad as the Rays feel, it's going to take one Carl Crawford diving play to wake them up. Probability of affecting series: About as likely as Matt Garza spitting 20 times an inning tomorrow.

The series really isn't over. Garza has been a stopper in the past. If he pulls it out tomorrow, it sets up a huge matchup on Sunday. The Rangers won't want to lose game 4, leaving open a fifth and deciding game back at the Trop. Momentum is a funny thing. One big play tomorrow can be a mo-generator. I think it happens.

And I'm calling it.

Rays in 5.

But I might be a little too optimistic.

Weekend Rewind

2010-10-04T06:59:00.001-07:00

Another weekend, and some more craziness (along with some much-needed down time). Here's the rewind.

Randomness- It was not a typical weekend as I actually had some notable down time for the first time in a while. Because of that, the weekend was full of some random acts such as going to a pool hall, sleeping in, lounging around during the day, and catching some football Saturday night (which I probably could have done without).

Church- We kicked off week 2 of Shuffle, and it was good to have Timm back. Everyone filled in admirably in his absence, don't get me wrong, but it was good to be back at full strength. The band rocked it, and Timm had some really good things to say. Everyone is leaving remembering the idea of Lust leads to Sin which leads to Death (thus the wicked LSD trip). He said something in passing (I think it might have been just in the first service) that caught my attention as well. It's easier to get a divorce than it is to get married. Wow. Seeing that lived out in friends' lives. Debilitating.

Groups- I can't say enough about the groups that meet on Sundays. I was working the band computer so I missed out on middle school group, but the high school group was banging last night. Great discussion in both groups. The girls group had such good discussion, the pulled me over to answer a couple of questions they have. The way the group is going, I will have to study more to keep up. Then the college group last night was hysterical. I love the way our group flows from hilarity to depth in a matter of moments. Than back to hilarity. Maniacal banter each week. Maniacal banter.

On the Horizon- We have the semi-trailer at the church for the rest of this week only. We need all sale items in place before 3pm Friday. The yard sale is Saturday and the church picnic is Sunday. We also have some interesting blog ideas coming from the group soon. So look for it. And also, I'll be using the blog to talk more about our coming retreat. So check back frequently.

Teaser

2010-09-30T05:13:00.000-07:00

There's a lot heading our way in the coming weeks/months at RPC. Since we're sticking with the "5" theme this week, here are 5 things you might want to know about.

Fill that truck- Trash Mountain Project is having their annual fundraiser to raise their operating expenses. This year's garage sale is happening outside of their offices in Lakeland. As a partner organization, we want to help them as much as possible. This weekend is the final weekend to bring items to RPC to fill the semi-trailer. We will be leaving the parking lot on Friday, October 8th to deliver the items for the sale. So clean out that garage and get the items to us ASAP.
Church Picnic- On Sunday, October 10th, we're pre-empting our regular Sunday activities to have a picnic at Simmers-Young Park. We believe strongly that one of the necessary ingredients for a church to be a church for there to be a sense of community. That Sunday morning, we're asking each RPC'er to bring a covered dish (enough for two families) a 2 liter of soda or a gallon of tea, and whatever games you want to play for our church picnic. This would be a great time to invite some friends out and let them get to see a little of what RPC is all about.
Baptism- We've had a number of baptisms since August. And I hear there are more ready to take the plunge. If you're interested in being a part of the baptisms at RPC, contact Chris Neff (chris@ridgepointchurch.org) for more info.
Thanksgiving- October is here, which means we're about to start collecting items for our Thanksgiving outreach in November. Listen to the host in the coming weeks to hear more info on what supplies we need brought on the individual weeks.
Winter Retreat- One of the traditions that is going to become a benchmark for Merge Student Ministries in the future is our winter retreat. This year's retreat is January 28-30th. We have the band lined up, and the other details are close to being finalized. Our goal is that every student who comes to Merge be able to attend the retreat. The cost per student, if they register now, is $100. We'll be doing fundraisers to defray the cost. Again, it's our goal that every student be able to attend.

These are just a few of the events coming our way. I'm sure I missed some. So tell me...what's on your radar?

5 (Sports) Things

2010-09-29T05:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've done a sports-related post. And quite frankly, it's about time. This is one of the greatest seasons of the year for sports as football season has it's feet, and pennant fever has hit baseball. Here are some quick hits on some things running through my head.

Too many Bucs fans sipped the Kool-Aid when they got out to the 2-0 start. They weren't that good. Too many jumped shipped when they got thrashed by the Steelers. They aren't that bad. They're going to wind up somewhere in the middle. I'm still sticking with my 8-8 prediction to start the season.
Unfortunately, I agree with David Price and Evan Longoria who called out fans after last night's Rays' game. We had a chance to clinch a playoff berth. 12,000 fans at that game is an embarrassment. The number of butts in the seat is going to directly affect who we sign in the off season as three big players are free agents.
The Rays will have some decisions to make at the conclusion of the season. Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, and Rafael Soriano are all free agents. Crawford is THE superstar and is about to fetch some big money. The Rays could sign him (and earlier in the season I thought they would sign him), but I think he's gone. Pena will probably attract offers, but after this season, not as much as he would have after the past two. I'd hate to see either leave, but if they do I think the Rays will be fine. Desmond Jennings is preparing to be a suitable replacement for Crawford, and Willy Aybar or Dan Johnson (I know Trevor!) could generate as much offense as Pena has this year. The one indispensable piece I see right now is Soriano. He's been lighting it up this season. Benoit might be able to move from set up man to closer, but we'd be missing something somewhere.
Speaking of Pena. He gets paid to hit. I mean that is his job. Couldn't someone teach him to push something to the opposite field. At least every once in a while. The shift (and the K's) are killing him this year.
Finally, this week is the big game of the year (at least for this week). Alabama v. Florida. Last week this time, no one gave Florida a shot. Then Arkansas almost tripped up 'Bama, and Florida looked like themselves for the first time this week v. Kentucky. I think Florida goes into hostile territory and pulls off the upset. And sets the stage for the two teams to meet again in the SEC Championship.

Weekend Rewind

2010-09-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

Another weekend is in the books. Here are the quick hits on the weekend, bullet-point style.

Friday night was the annual rivalry game between Auburndale High and Winter Haven High. In our youth group, we're pretty much evenly divided between 4 high schools, with WHHS holding a slight edge lately. And WHHS held a major edge when it came to the game. 54-0 rout. It was still a great time, with some really cool people. And one of our newer students plays in WHHS' band, which basically took over the halftime show and rocked it. Sonic and Fifth Quarter followed. Let's just say if you weren't there, you missed out.

Saturday, we got a chance to go see Timm and Miranda and Levi, before heading out to a birthday party. There have been a lot of birthday's the past couple of weeks, and a lot of births. Here's the pic of Levi and dad. Notice the similarities.
Sunday morning, we kicked off the new series Shuffle. The goal of the series is for us to walk through the book of James, and learn to listen to the right voices. With Levi coming a little early (though everyone kind of expected it), Chris Neff kicked off the series. And he nailed it. By far, the best I've heard him speak at RPC. Awesome, well-thought out content, fluid delivery. I loved it. The band opened things up with Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down". The creative team did a good job of creating the mood with the set design, and James came up with one of the most creative openers for any series we've done.
Sunday was also week 2 of our youth group small groups (eMerge), and I was able to break away to be a part of the middle school group, which had doubled in size from the previous week. High school group that afternoon was good, and I'm excited to hear some positive feedback about how important the groups are becoming to those who are plugged in.
We concluded the evening with our college group. Awesome times as we're learning to live life together. We had some great conversations and capped the night with some laughs playing Scattegories. No idea who won, but that wasn't really the point. It was all about the answers that people came up with and the laughter that ensued.
PS- Monday night we had a chance to go with some friends to the Rays game. They didn't clinch the playoffs (hopefully DP does that tonight), but it was still a great post-script to the weekend.