what's up?  it's been a really good weekend and week so far.  had a cookout saturday with some awesome friends of ours.  i love hanging out with them, cause we have such similar views on church and life so it was a blast.  Sunday we did a new Tim Hughes tune called Everything.  I love that song.  It has my favorite verse in the Bible in it from Colossians..."Christ in me, the hope of glory"...  

Anyway, I know i usually only talk about church and home on here, but I have to give a plug to our home business.  Mona Vie is taking off like crazy!!  It was featured on an episode of The Doctors.  We've gotten a huge response from that!  Also, in June, Mona Vie is launching it's own energy drink.  It will be all natural and kick the teeth out of red bull and rockstar!  we are psyched.

Anyway, peace out...

Here is an small portion of an article Francis Chan wrote...

He was talking about how the word "Christian" has become diluted over the past years and that we shouldn't strive to live like "christians" but like Christ.  He said that we talk about how the world has become hostile and rejects Jesus, but the fact is that they may have never seen Jesus since that is supposed to be his followers;

Try to be COMPLETELY honest with yourself right now. Is the following true of you?

You passionately love Jesus, but you don't really want to be like Him. You admire His humility, but you don't want to be THAT humble. You think it's beautiful that He washed the feet of the disciples, but that's not exactly the direction your life is headed. You're thankful He was spit upon and abused, but you would never let that happen to you. You praise Him for loving you enough to suffer during His whole time on earth, but you're going to do everything within your power to make sure you enjoy your time down here.

In short: You think He's a great Savior, but not a great role model.

To read the entire article, copy and paste this link:     http://www.catalystspace.com/content/read/francis_chan/

sunday

Hope you guys had a great mothers day yesterday.  We had...a busy one!  Journey went great yesterday.  I was a little nervous at 10 when there was like nobody there!  Then at about 2 minutes after everybody started pouring in.  Guess everybody was taking it slow on mothers day.  We had a fun set yesterday.  Started out with David Crowder's version of O For A Thousand Tongues.  It has such a folk sound to it.  I almost broke out in river dance (not really).  Then Al joined us and we did a southern rock version of a bunch of older hymns (I'll Fly Away, There's Power in the Blood, I saw the Light, and Will the Circle Be Unbroken).  Everyone seemed to enjoy it.  Then we closed with Kristian Stanfills version of Jesus Paid It All.

Then Heather, Lance and I had to pack up and get to the Cobb Galleria by 2 to help with Passion City Church.  We set up 3,000 chairs within 45 minutes.  It was pretty cool.  I got to sit in on Chris Tomlin's practice and sound check.  It was great.  I learned a lot.  Then when it got about time for the service, I was assigned to check id's for access to the green room.  I got to talk to Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Kristian Stanfill, and all of Tomlins band.  It was great!! I got to introduce Heather and Lance to Kristian.  Heather was pretty psyched!

man... we have had a great time in the past couple weeks in the Crazy Love class.  we hit on a topic this week that just won't leave my mind.  we posed this question..."if you could have absolute perfection in heaven...if you could have your family, perfect weather, no sickness, no sadness, your favorite foods and hobbies, and eternal life...if you could have all of that but no Jesus...would you be satisfied?"  

wow!! that question brings a lot of empty looks on peoples faces.  i think why that question is so powerful is that we have turned following Jesus into living this "American Christian Dream."  Being a follower of Christ has turned into not cursing, dressing the right way, having good kids in good schools, driving to church on sunday, wednesday and any other time of the week the doors are open, being on committees at church and all other similar activities.  we vote republican, sign petitions for babies rights, listen to christian radio, put fish stickers on our suv's, wear t-shirts with sayings on them like God's gym, and stay away from any place with a flashing neon sign (or simply condemn those who go near one...even if it's where their church meets!!!).

the problem with all of that is that we have forsaken that being a follower of Christ is simply about a love relationship with Jesus.  one of the ladies in the class put it so beautifully...in fact, in my prayer life this week i have closed with the request that i want to fall in love with Jesus just as she has.  she pointed out that she wouldn't want anything without Jesus for the very fact that she didn't deserve His love and He gave it to her anyway!  wow...i want my heart to rejoice just over that fact.

i sat in prayer last night and found myself thanking God for all of the great blessings in my life...my family, my wife, my son, my daughter on the way, my guitars, my mac, my dog...you know...everything.  and then i thought, is this why i'm rejoicing...has my praise of God been reduced to the tangible things He has given me?  yes i'm thankful to have those amazing things in my life...but at the base of it all...i want my praise to simply flow out of a redeemed heart that is madly, deeply, and overflowing-ly in love with it's Redeemer.  i want to love Jesus, the way that she loves Jesus.  because of His love.

extravagant worship

we are currently in a money/priorities series at journey.  this is going hand in hand with the crazy love series.  in a few weeks michael is preaching on the widows mite.  here is a song i wrote for the service.  

sitting in the lap of luxury

looking down our nose at their poverty

our bank accounts, 401k

putting away for a rainy day

stocks and bonds and louie vuitton

from mall on the weekend to the hair salon

we runneth over our starbucks cups

10 bucks in the plate that should be enough

but can't you se her, walking thru the crowd

the money grubbers they act so proud

but Jesus saw her, two mites she gave

to the deceitfulness of riches she was not a slave

I want to be just like her...extravagant worship

i wanna leave the cares of this old world behind, and extravagantly worship You

two things i ask remove lies far from me

give me neither riches or poverty

feed me with the food that You've alloted me

so i won't be full, and forget that You are God

I want to be just like her....extravagant worship

i wanna leave the cares of this old world behind, and extravagantly worship You