We had a family vacation at the end of July.  It was great.  I decided to turn my email off and really, really be on vacation (which by the way, is a great recommendation for all).  I replied to all emails Sunday night around midnight before vacation officially started.  I went on vacation on Monday.  On Friday night, I decided to turn my email back on, and it kept rising.  Below is the number of emails that I received that week:

743.  Within 5 days, I collected 743 emails.  When I started going through those emails, I was overwhelmed and excited all at the same time.  And here what was in those emails:
(more…)

Happy birthday to me!  I’m getting pretty old, maybe I can receive some wisdom now to go along with my senility.  30 Reasons I’m Blessed Today:

1. Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.

2. I love my bride more today than ever.

3. I am the adoring father of two fantastic boys.

4. I am watching a church unite and follow God’s Word.

5. I finished another LifeWay project this week.

6. Our church just gathered 447 volunteers to move forward to make disciples in this City.

7. Courageous is coming to Greenwood.

8. Ephesians 1.

9. Ephesians 2.

10. Ephesians 3.

11. Ephesians 4.

12. Ephesians 5.

13. Ephesians 6.

14. Getting ready to record a hymn project that is already blowing my expectations.

15. New worship leaders on the team.

16. God is multilingual and we are following his lead to reach the nations.

17. My C-Group is growing. Disciples on the move.

18. I can’t wait to disciple more Lander students in the Fall.

19. North Side has lost a bunch of members lately due to them preaching or leading worship in other churches. That’s how to lose members!

20. I’m going to do a triathlon.

21. I’ve got some fun ideas about some writing projects.

22. I’ve got some ambitious ideas about some recording projects.

23. The Courageous Honor Begins at Home Bible Study is in final stages (sample lesson here).

24. I’ve been on vacation all week with these 3 people I absolutely adore.

25. North Side’s schedule is about to get ridiculously simple in order to disciple more people.

26. I’ve got two wonderful nieces on the way!

27. God is still on his throne.

28. My boys still love to read the book I made them.

29. When I decrease, Christ increases.

30. The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.

I think about my funeral from time to time.  I wonder how people will remember me.  Will I leave a legacy or will I have just taken up space?  Will the world be any different from the time I spend here?

I want to hear from you.  Give me a one word response to this post:

“When I die, I want people to remember that I was…”

I’m going under the knife this morning at 9:30.

When I returned from Ethiopia, I brought back all kinds of special bugs and germs from my time in the orphanage.  It’s kind of hard to turn down all these kids reaching for the white giant who can rescue them from their cribs.  One of the bugs I brought back was a rough case of tonsillitis.

After that, Amanda noticed I was snoring (“noticed” is a nice way to put it).  She actually said it sounded like I was gasping for air.  After a while with no improvement, I went to see the doctor.

He told me my tonsils were the size of a golf ball and a half and were pretty much blocking my air waves.  My big adenoids weren’t helping either.  I tried to donate these organs to some needy children, but I was turned down.  Tragic.

He asked me, “Do you ever feel hoarse when leading worship on Sunday or just feel vocally tired?  Do you ever feel like you are gasping for breath when you preach or teach?”

Affirmative.

(more…)

15 By abandoning the straight path, they have gone astray and have followed the path of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, 16 but received a rebuke for his transgression: a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

17 These people are springs without water, mists driven by a whirlwind. The gloom of darkness has been reserved for them. 18 For uttering bombastic, empty words, they seduce, by fleshly desires and debauchery, people who have barely escaped from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them. -(2 Pet. 2:15-19, HCSB)

The Freedom Mirage

Not Butch, but one sad looking dog

When I was young, my family rescued a dog named Butch out of the county kennel.  This mutt who used to live in a tiny cell was brought into a huge backyard where he had all the food, water, and running space of which a dog could only hope.  Surrounded by love and protection, I knew he would happier than ever before.

Until the stray dogs came around.  When these visiting dogs came around, a change happened in Butch.  All of a sudden, the protection that he benefited from became the barrier that confined him.  That night, he dug an escape route to enjoy the life of a stray.

Unfortunately, that can be our story sometimes too.  Having complete freedom in Christ has immeasurable implications, but we sometimes see how those outside these Christian “fences” are living and we envy their carefree state.  Peter says of these people that they seduce us by promising freedom, but they are actually “slaves of corruption.”  We tend to confuse people who don’t have a standard to live by as being free.  While they may seem carefree, they are slaves to sinful appetites.

One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to try to convince ourselves that a sinful way of life isn’t fun.  Of course, it’s fun – for a season.  Following every sinful desires brings about momentary pleasure, but it causes us to be slaves to our desires.

Today, be careful of envying sinful lifestyles.  From celebrities to coworkers, don’t envy distance from God.  Acknowledge that following desires is pleasurable, and the only thing more pleasurable is handling those desires in a God-honoring way.  Choose to follow Jesus today over your desires or the seductive lies of those around you.