just got a pair of Chuck Taylor Converse.....Most Uncomfortable Shoe EVER!!!

Yesterday was a great day at Journey.  Justin McGhin, who is a missionary in Romania was in town and spoke yesterday.  What an amazing message.  It totally lined up with everything that Francis Chan is talking about in Crazy Love, so it totally lined up with where I am in life right now.  Justin spoke of leaving everything and the foolishness of possessions.  That is so where I am.  Heather and I almost bought a new car last Saturday!  We were in the lot and picked out the one we wanted.  We justified it.  Our van has alot of miles.  We have a new baby on the way.  Then when the salesman told us what the payoff on the van was I had to stop.  It could be paid off in a year and we would owe nothing.  All I could see was Francis Chan in the house he lives in and the old car he drives...knowing that he could afford any house and any car he wanted.  But, he has priorities.  And they do not include living the american dream.  so...we walked away.  And made a commitment.  To be totally debt free in 2 years and give away 50% of our income! To people like Justin that are out living on the edge for Jesus and the Gospel.

So the set list from yesterday;

Song of Hope

Let Me Sing

Here is Our King

All Over the World

it went great.  All over the world went perfectly with the message Justin gave..."Every nation tribe and tongue join as one and give glory to God."  

Still busy getting everything ready for the Crazy Love small group starting Sunday.  And oh yeah, Journey starts it's new schedule Sunday....Worship at 10.  small groups at 11:15.

yes i'm frustrated!!

Just got done reading Crazy Love for the second time in preparation for teaching a small group on the book.  All I can say again is...WOW!!  I have made a serious re-commitment to putting away the "American Christian Dream" and pursuing God like he intends.  How is that...by living in a way that show i believe in God and in a way that God has to come through.  We as American Christians love to talk about things like, "i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", but we live like " i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but if he doesn't i always have my pension and savings to bail Him out".  Or our churches live in a way that always has a backup plan if God doesn't come through.  How can God not come through?  How have i been blinded to live this way for so long?  How can I not be completely dependent on Him and live in total abandon for Him?  How can I put my personal safety (and that of my family) above His plan?  We in America have turned church into a spectator sport and if we feel a little convicted during a sermon we think that we have done what God wanted.  No Action!  No Commitment!  When it comes to serving God, we say things like, "I'm waiting for Gods will".  But i bet you didn't see if it was Gods will before you turned on the TV last night?  Or did God inspire you to go to Starbucks today or did you just act on the desire?  

What if the church asked you to participate in a homeless feeding ministry?  Would your answer be that you needed to pray about it?  Did you get up and work out this morning?  Did you pray about it first?  Did you eat lunch?  Are you sure that was Gods will, or did you do it because it was time to eat.  There is nothing wrong with Starbucks (i go there everyday), eating lunch and working out...what is wrong is when we do all those recreational things without Godly inspiration, but won't move a finger for God unless he moves heaven and earth and gives us a heavenly sign!  Here's your sign...it's called the BIBLE!! 

yes you can sense my frustration...but it is with myself as well as most of the American church.  Oh to be part of a church who gets it. Who's leadership gets it.  Whose people get it.

so for the set list today;

Forever

Happy Day

we started out old school with Forever and then came modern with Happy Day.  Happy Day went great.  We used the loop downloaded from the Northpoint music site and it was perfect.  Robert, our drummer was dead on!!  We were supposed to close with Let Me Sing, but we ran out of time.  We packed in a baby dedication and an intro to our new series based on the Song of Solomon.  All in all it was a good day.

Today we began to talk about Song of Solomon and all the lessons God has for us in loving our spouses.  SEX is good!! WOW!! who knew??  Just kidding.  Anyway, it is amazing that details about loving your spouse are so vivid in Gods Word.  The lesson for the day...kiss your spouse!  I like this homework.

can't sleep

so...sitting here at 1:24 am on a saturday night.  I have to lead worship tomorrow and was hoping for a good nights sleep before but that is just not in the cards it does not seem.  I have been re-reading and studying "Crazy Love" to get ready for the small group I am going to begin teaching next month and just like it did the first time i read it...it has me all messed up!  All of my goals, all of what I am living for just seems so insignificant compared to the life that God intends for us to lead in community with each other.  I don't want to get into specifics here, due to ruining the group lesson that i am going to be doing, but I just hope and pray for a group of people at Journey that sign up for this class that will be impacted by this book and the scripture that it drives you to as i am.  If so, look out Atlanta...Journey Church is going to impact this town for the Kingdom of Heaven....

So..Heather and I had a great weekend off last weekend.  We went out to eat whenever we wanted...went to Buckhead and played pool...watched some funny movies...went to Northpoint CC Sunday morning...basically just did whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted!!

Journey had a great Sunday with Hugh leading.  We really missed being there.  This past Sunday was great.  We had a good turnout and a great energy during Worship. I have decided to blog every Monday about the set we do on the previous Sunday.  

So Sunday...Here was the set list

No One Like You

Famous One

Oh the Wonderful Cross

Come Ye Sinners-(Robbie Seay version)

We got kind of old school yesterday and did some of our churches favorites.  Famous One is my second favorite worship song of all time (2nd only to My Glorious!!).  I am going to be teaching a small group class on Sunday mornings after worship on the book "Crazy Love" starting next month.  I am pretty excited but also overwhelmed by the thought of putting into lessons all of the amazing teachings that Francis Chan covers in the book.  But, it is gonna be fun to delve into that book deeper than ever on a weekly basis.