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2006-06-02T13:37:00.000-05:00

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What A Weekend!!!

2006-05-28T15:42:00.000-05:00

I just got back from Charleston...wow...where do I begin--oh yeah--Friday...

If you remember I mentioned that I had a "little eight mile run" this past Friday. Well...uh, yeah, you see, what happened was I wasn't used to running in that type of humidity...and so I did do eight miles...but I thought I was just about to meet Jesus face to face before it was over!

Anyway--this week is a tapering week and I am pumped and ready for the marathon next Sunday! I will give a report of how I feel after the race right here...IF I can type!

After the run on Friday Lucretia and I took off to Charleston, SC (along with everyone else in the world) for a wedding. (Pudge, our elementary school pastor, and Meghan, a singer here at NewSpring tied the knot!)

Let me just say this before going on...why do people drive slow in the fast lane--FOR THE LOVE PEOPLE!!! Sorry...

The rehearsal was fun...and the wedding on Saturday was a blast--except for the mild monsoon that swept through. It was a 3:00 wedding--the grandmothers were seated, and then the mothers, then Pudge, his best man, and the other minister and I went to the front. (Keep in mind this was an outside wedding.)

Right when we were in place and ready for the rest of the wedding party to come forward--the bottom fell out!!! Seriously, I don't think I've seen it rain that hard in a while. The cool thing is--nobody moved. I am serious--everyone stayed seated and put their programs over their heads to shield them--which I equate to the Coyote putting an umbrella over his head to stop the boulder from crushing him!

We moved inside...waited...and then came back out and did the ceremony. I thought the rain was a beautiful metaphor of how, though the world will throw storms at us...it can't stop God's gift of marriage as long as both people are committed to going through with it...no matter what!

After the wedding Lucretia and I zipped over to Seacoast Church! We had gotten some rain--they had gotten some lightening. And so...they had no power. I was supposed to speak for them...but since they had no power they were planning on doing about a 30 minute acoustic session and then going home. Props to the staff and volunteers down there--wow--these guys were making it happen.

BUT--Greg, the pastor, asked the prayer team to pray so that we could have a "normal service." The prayed team guaranteed that the power would be back on...and then went and began speaking to the "Master Electrician" who has ALL the power.

Well...a few minutes later the power came back on--oh yeah, who's your DADDY!?

Let me say this about Seacoast Church and Greg Surratt...these people are the real deal. First of all--I bonded instantly with Greg. I love this guy--he was doing the multi-site thing when no one else was doing it...and they are seeing some incredible things happen all over the state. He is an excellent leader--AND he paid for my meal last night--which makes him a godly man!

I was so impressed with Seacoast...and I had the privilege of walking through their new facilities that they should be moving into in about a month or two! WOW! All I can say is that if you live in Charleston...or nearby...then go and check out their new place when they get in...it was built with VISION and PURPOSE!

The lead team here at NewSpring will be doing a short retreat over the next few days--please pray for us...ask that God would give us the wisdom to know what's right and the courage to do what's right! Due to the retreat--I will be taking a blogging vacation over the next several days...but I will be back on Thursday--and I think I will have a new format.

ALSO--pray for me and this marathon coming up...also pray for the people who are running it with me--that we will have a safe trip and do well...the names of the people crazy enough to do this are...

Jake Beaty
Sherry Moorhead
Lindsay Taguba
Tony Taguba
Melody Carter
Joe Sangle

It's going to be awesome--check back Thursday for an update! :-)

A Few Quick Thoughts...

2006-05-26T07:05:00.000-05:00

OK...if you are in the ministry, know someone in the ministry...or care about someone in the ministry then you have GOT to read this post by Mark Driscoll. It is one of the best blog articles I have ever read in my life--hands down...AND it really emphasizes what I said yesterday about ministers being worked to death in many churches because they are expected to do everything!!!

This was a funny post by Ken Wilson...I can honestly say I do not think I would have thought to take a picture dude--but I can't wait to see the monster!

The marathon is a week from this Sunday! My last run of any decent challenge will be in about 20 minutes--I will go around eight miles! If you see me--PLEASE DO NOT HONK YOUR STUPID HORN!!! (I am not bitter--really!) Clayton King will be speaking at NewSpring that week...and so you KNOW it's going to be good--the dude can bring the high, stinking cheese!!!

Don't forget--www.perrynoble.com will be out of operations for a few days next week until we can get my stuff switched over to wordpress--but you can still go to www.perrynoble.blogspot.com and read my posts...and I will also keep this account.

Have a great weekend!!!

Disappointed

2006-05-25T07:24:00.000-05:00

I am not a 24 fan...yet...BUT I have heard that the season finale was very disappointing. (Don't tell me anything about it...I am going to try to catch up this summer.)

I did manage to squeeze in the last 10 minutes of American Idol last night...just to see who won, I have three thoughts on this...

#1 - I didn't realize Prince was that short.

#2 - The people who had the idea for the two finalists to sing the Dirty Dancing song should be fired and never allowed to work again.

#3 - I was disappointed! After all of that searching--that dude was the best? I am sure he is an awesome guy...I just didn't dig his voice.

And Lost...now I am a Lost junkie...but there is no way anyone who is a Lost fan can say that last nights episode was awesome! It was WAY disappointing...the only REALLY good part was where Hurley thought the bird was calling his name!

We all deal with disappointment in life--it's a fact; however, I believe that dealing with disappointment over a consistent period of time is not a good thing because, when it comes to church in particular, I have discovered the following formula...

Disappointment leads to discouragement, which leads to dropout.

Men and women are dropping out of church in record numbers; in fact, I read some research the other day that said up to six churches per day are closing their doors.

"But Perry, what about all of these new churches I hear about that are being planted?" Once again--not good news--research shows that between 85-90% of them close their doors within five years.

Why is it that people are dropping out of church? Why is it that people would rather work in the yard that attend a worship service? I think the answer is simple--disappointment...and I think the disappointment is on two levels.

#1 - They Receive Nothing Of Value When They Come To Church.

In many churches across our nation Jesus has been put on a shelf and instead of talking about the fact that we suck and need a relationship with Christ, pastors have been preaching about self esteem, the evils of the lottery, why you should vote for a particular party, and why the King James Bible is the only version that should be read.

And then those some people wonder why in the world no one comes to church!!!

I remember as a five year old going to a small Independent Baptist church and listening to the preacher go off on Elvis Presley about once every two or three weeks. Seriously--this dude hated Elvis! I remember thinking, "Why's he so mad at Elvis--has he even met him?"

So--people are dying and going to hell...and he was talking about Elvis--no wonder we thought 20 people was setting an attendance record.

When people come to church they need practical help with their lives...and that guidance NEEDS to come from Scripture--period! The Bible speaks, in one way or another, to every issue we deal with in life. AND...if churches would stop teaching certain political agendas and legalistic ideology then maybe the kingdom of God could advance!

And one more thing here--God help the church that does not lift up the name of Jesus! I have heard people argue, "But church should be a place where people should feel good about themselves!" Uh--nope--church should be a place where truth is preached--and many times the truth does not make us feel good! AND...if someone is on their way to hell--the last thing you want is for them to feel good about the trip!!!

At NewSpring we have always tried our best to present Christ and Scripture in a way that is relevant to their everyday lives. As the great theologian, Mark Batterson says, "Irrelevance is Irreverence." AMEN dude! We want to lift up Christ in a creative environment...and we want people to walk away knowing who Jesus is and what Scripture says!!! That is where the value is!

#2 - They Are Not Offered Opportunities To Participate

So many churches in America have adopted the consumer mentality...the pastor and staff does all the work and the people come, sit, give, and then go home. PROBLEM--this is not modeled in Scripture at any time!!!

We deal with this from time to time at NewSpring. I had a guy tell me once, "I can't come to a church where I can't have a personal relationship with the pastor." A few problems here...

One--the church is NOT about the pastor...and if your desire is to get closer to the pastor than Jesus then you need to repent of your idol worship and begin to refocus your theology.

Two--the pastor's job is not to have a personal relationship with everyone in the church, nor is it to be there anytime someone stubs their toe or has to put their cat to sleep. A quick study of Acts chapter six will clearly indicate that needs will arise in the church...but the leaders must stay devoted to prayer and teaching the word--and the needs will be met by the people within the church!! That's the biblical model.

This has been a passion of mine since the beginning. I only do three things well--lead, cast vision, and speak. And so I delegate the other things out. I have been told, "But dude, you need to work on the areas you are weak in!" That is by far one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard--it would be equal to telling Tiger Woods, "Hey man, you are a great golfer...but you really need to develop your tennis skills if you want to be a well rounded athlete!"

So what about the needs in the church? Are they important? Yep! Well then who needs to meet them? The people in the church. I have taught for years that a church is not effective when the pastor ministers to the people--but rather when the body ministers to the body.

Work with me here...you've seen it...a church hires a young buck and gets him to do everything from unlocking the church to visiting the hospitals to preaching to going to every meeting...and they do it all in the name of Jesus...and should he complain they simply remind him of how much they pay him.

So he lasts about 22 months (the average stay for a pastor) and then either quits, goes to another church, or jumps into a pool of piranha. And what happens when he leaves? The church falls apart--people leave--chaos...because they depended on this one man to meet their needs instead of relying on one another...as the Bible teaches.

Here at NewSpring we have tried to combat that by teaching that everyone matters in this church, that if you are a Christian then you have at least one spiritual gift...and maturity is actually doing something and not just memorizing a bunch of theological points that some dead white guys held dearly.

People sometimes walk into our church and think, "It's so big--I could never do anything here that matters or makes a difference!" WRONG!!! Our volunteers rock--we could not do church without you guys! AND--when people volunteer--they are less likely to get disappointed, then discouraged....and then drop out!

You have my promise at NewSpring that we are always going to...

#1 - Teach about Jesus! (It's His church!)

#2 - Teach Scripture (You will never attend our church & not hear someone teach from the Bible!)

#3 - Work our hardest to make sure the presentation is creative, relevant, and excellent.

#4 - Challenge you to get involved!

#5 - Provide opportunities for you to move from area to area until you find your sweet spot.

#6 - Partner with you in reaching your lost friends for Christ.

#7 - GROW!

That's about it for the day--EXCEPT for this announcement...we are going to be switching my blog over to...well...I don't actually know what we are doing...it was all nerd talk. Anyway, what I do know is this...

www.perrynoble.com will not be in commission next Monday through sometime on Wednesday; however, you will be able to go to www.perrynoble.blogspot.com and see this blog. Hope this is clear...I was told it would be.

Thanks!

Myths That Make Us Miserable

2006-05-24T07:19:00.000-05:00

My father had a unique way of "making me behave" when I was a kid. Often this included lying--which I believe nearly every parent does from time to time. ("If you do that then this will happen...")

I remember one time in particular he told me a story that terrorized me for days. It was one of those rare occasions when it snowed here in the upstate. (Southerners go nuts when it snows! It is unlike anything you have ever seen.) Anyway--I wanted to go outside and play in it and for some reason he didn't want me to go.

Being that I was not the most submissive child I began to get dressed to go outside anyway and he said, "Well, ok Perry...you can go outside--but watch out for the snow snakes!"

I freaked out! I am terrified of snakes! AND I was also at the point in my life that if my father said it then that was the gospel truth. BUT...I had never heard of any such thing as a snow snake...and so I asked, "What is a snow snake?"

"Well, son, they only come out when it snows!"

"Well--do they bite you?"

His answer is a classic in parental manipulation, "No--they jump up your butt and freeze you to death."

Yes--he actually said that--and yes, I actually believed him! I WAS FOUR!!! I will never forget the terror that consumed me as I thought about a reptile springing forth and freezing me to death by jumping up my rear end.

Needless to say...I didn't go outside that day; in fact, my parents could hardly get me to leave the house! (Until it was time to go back to school--I was in K-4 at a local Christian school...I went back and told them all about snow snakes...that was actually my first of many trips to the office and my first of many spankings!!!! My mother jumped all over my poor dad for that one!)

The point of that entire story (YES--it's true) was that certain myths can hold us captive to things that are not true. With that line of thought in mind I wanted to share with you some myths that I have had to overcome...and this will set some people free and really tick some others off...so here we go...

#1 - A Christian Should Only Listen To Christian Music

I remember buying into this one hook, line and sinker! There was a dude who traveled around, mainly in the upstate, who played records backwards and convinced me that Queen wanted me to smoke dope and that if I listened to "Another One Bites The Dust" that I was destined to be a drug addict.

During this same time a dude I really admired told me that he NEVER listened to secular music. So--instead of seeking Scripture on this one...I sought to do what every good legalist does--take a minor--make it a major--and then bleed and die over it!

In my first youth group and convinced them to burn their CD's and tapes of Garth Brooks and Nirvana and begin listening to Carmen. (I have since repented--I am deeply sorry!)

I have to be honest--when I listen to Nickelbacks's "Savin' Me" and "Fix You," by Coldplay--I worship the Lord! These songs DO actually bring me closer to Jesus--they make me think about Him!!! Where in the world did we ever get the idea that it is only right for a Christian to listen to something if it was written before 1850 or if it was performed by Michael W. Smith?

Use discretion here--but I don't see anywhere that the Bible says that we can listen to music that is played by a secular group. (And please save your, "do not love the world" e-mails. If that is your stance--then get rid of your car, your air conditioner, and your inside plumbing--none of them are in the Bible...they are of the world!"

#2 - A Christian Should Not Watch Television

Yes--there are those that say that this will corrupt the mind! I admit that there is some funky stuff on TV that I do not watch...but dude--if you take LOST out of my life--I think I might go crazy! (Yes, I am watching it tonight!!! NO--I do not like American Idol!)

I actually saw on another website about a month ago a dude take a shot at me concerning me watching Lost. He actually said, "I don't watch that stuff...instead I sit on my couch and read my Bible...and Mr. Noble should to!"

Several problems here--the first is I don't know where you live....the second is I might not like your couch...the third is that I do read my Bible, but happen to connect best with God in the AM hours...and fourth, with THAT type of attitude--you are a legalist--there is actually a secular song that describes you, "Well I guess you like to think that your don't stank...."

Folks--as with music--use discretion in this area...I would say a Christian should not watch CERTAIN things on TV such as porno or something like Sex in the City...those are just not good things to think about in general; however, to make a blanket statement that all Christians should throw the TV out of the house...well...its just not Biblical.

#3 - Christianity Is A List Of Rules To Be Followed

I remember when I received Christ and being told of the freedom I know had...

Then I began meeting people who told me all of the things I HAD to do..."Here is a Bible, read it 30 minutes a day, memorize at least three verses a week, here is how to pray--make sure you do it at least 30 minutes a day, here is a list of the things you can and cannot say, and you MUST vote Republican..." Many of you KNOW the drill!

So...I spent the first eight years of my walk with Christ learning how to be a good legalist instead of falling in love with Jesus!!!

Folks--Jesus died to set us free! When I realized that I actually WANTED to read my Bible--I actually WANTED to pray...and I don't do it because I HAVE to--I WANT TO! I owe Him my life and it is my passion to let Him shine through me.

I challenge people with this all the time: Find out what causes you to connect and fall in love with Jesus...and do it A LOT!!!

#4 - In Order For A Church To Grow It Has To Be Liberal In It's Theology

Funny story--a lady this morning at the track was finishing up her run just as our marathon crew was. We invited her to church and when she asked where we told her NewSpring.

She had NO idea who I was...and so she said, "Yeah, I have heard of your church and I thought it might be more liberal that I wanted...but I hear your pastor teaches straight from the Bible and deals with issues head on."

Yep--she got it right!!! If a church is going to grow it has to have a high view of Jesus, a high view of Scripture, a radical love for people...and a desire to get those people to a place where they can hear Scripture taught in a creative and excellent way so that they can hear about Jesus!

I tell people here all the time--NewSpring is solid theologically--we believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. We believe He is the only way to heaven. We believe in a literal heaven and a literal hell. We believe the Bible is without error. We believe that God's plan was to set up the church to reach the world through the message of Christ. Yes--we believe this stuff!

Those are some of the myths I have overcame in my sixteen years of walking with Christ...hope that helps!

Two Posts In One Day! (Quick Question)

2006-05-23T17:06:00.000-05:00

So we have two more runs left here in Anderson before our marathon. (Actually we have three--but one is only two miles!)

So...anyone want to run with the marathon crew? We meet at Anmed at 6:00 AM and we are doing 6 miles on Wednesday and 3 miles on Thursday! Come on a give it a try--trust me, we are NOT setting speed records!!! It will be fun!!!

Money

2006-05-23T07:28:00.000-05:00

I remember thinking when we planted NewSpring that I would never teach on money; after all, that would be highly offensive and extremely personal.

I have since repented of my stupidity and teach on the subject at least three times a year.

Why? Plain and simple--people have money problems! It's a fact--everyone of us has made at least one dumb financial decision in our lives...you might be driving it...you might be living in it...you could be reading this blog on it! (You did not make a wise financial decision if you are making "the minimum payment" on your computer!)

AND--hold on now--the Bible has more to say about money that it does on the subject of prayer and faith combined!!! I personally believe the reason so many people are so screwed up financially is because God's word has been ignored when it comes to money!

Please keep reading--this is NOT going to be one of those prosperity deals where I ask you to send in money and in return you will receive a poster of me and a handkerchief that I have wiped my sweat on! I hate that stuff...HATE IT! God's desire is not to make you rich--it's to make you HOLY! And so I am not into the health and wealth thing.

However, I am NOT into the "all Christians must be poor, miserable, and only watch G rated movies" camp either. I think Christians should live blessed lives...and I think financial blessings are a part of being blessed by God.

Folks--here in America we have money!!! We live in a land on abundance...seriously--it bothers me that obese people declare they are living in poverty! Only in America!!!

So money isn't the issue--it's how we spend it!

When we first started NewSpring we didn't have financial support from other churches. (I don't really understand that--if God has called you to start a church then go do it and quit waiting on some other church to come in and foot the bill for you...either you trust God or you don't!!!)

And so, because we didn't have the support from other churches (we never asked) and because our audience was made up of mostly college students and pagans...the offerings were usually very low. (The first month we existed we took in $2,600...for the entire month!)

I was getting angry--angry at God--angry at the people coming, "Hey God--why aren't they giving?" It didn't take long for Him to show me that the reason they were not giving is that they hadn't been taught to give.

So I did a sermon on money--to be honest, preaching on hell was much easier!!! When you begin talking about money it hits people...and it stings. I got accused of being money hungry and all of that...and you will to if you teach on money. (What I have found though is the people who get mad when you teach on money are the ones who are not giving any money!)

And what I found happen was two fold--

#1 - Our offerings began to increase! It's simple--once people knew what God expected of them they actually began to respond.

#2 - People began to mature as believers. Once again, it's simple--you cannot be a fully devoted follower of Jesus if you are not worshipping Him with your money! Don't get mad at me...that fact is all throughout Scripture!

Pastors--you HAVE to teach on money--BUT PLEASE--be biblical about it...here are some basic facts I cover...

#1 - Everything belongs to God...it's not that I have to give 10%...but rather He lets me keep 90%.

#2 - If you are not giving a tithe then the Bible says in Malachi 3 that you are robbing God!

#3 - God clearly does bless people who give...and the ways He blesses are NOT just financial. (Though at times they are.) Once again I maintain a balance here.

#4 - God expects you to be a good steward of you finances--STOP buying things you can't afford! Here I say things like "clothes for your children are more important than a cell phone!"

#5 - Giving 10% is just the beginning--what are you going to do with the other 90% to enlarge God's kingdom.

Those are just a few basics thoughts on it...oh yeah, except for this...we usually hire from within here at NewSpring...but we will not hire someone who does not tithe. Jesus said that where your treasure is there your heart will be also--and if there treasure is not coming here then we know there heart is not here...and we would never hire someone who's heart isn't here!

One more thing...for those who want to debate that tithing is OT and we are under grace now...please save your e-mail. If you think that because of grace that we are free from any responsibilities of fully worshipping God with all that we have then I would say you have some screwed up theology.

Yes--in the OT they gave 10%...in the NT they gave it all!!! One who is truly seeking the Lord will NEVER try to just do the minimum--EVER!

Money is an issue in everyone's life! If you have money issues--I always offer the fact that we provide free financial counseling here at NewSpring. There has literally been hundreds of people take us up on this service...and it has helped so many. If you need help in the area of managing your money--give us a call.

BUT...

You must be willing to change some things. We are not going to write you a check...BUT we will show you how to live on what you've got. Now you may have to sell a car, downsize to a smaller home...and cut up some credit cards--but the fact is you can live and live nicely!!! If you don't believe me...call!

I Think I Am About To Explode!

2006-05-21T21:14:00.000-05:00

WOW...I have so many thoughts running through my head right now that I can't put them into order...but I will try--

Lucretia and I were on vacation this past week--it was SO nice. We spent some time in Panama City Beach, Florida! Everyone always asks, "So what did you do on your vacation?" Which is a weird question in my opinion--we were on vacation--so we did NOTHING! Isn't that the point of a vacation? OR...are you the type of person that, when you come home, you need a vacation to recover from your vacation?

I have to say this--I am more excited about church than I have ever been before! I came home today after the first two services and tried to take a nap...which is what I usually do on Sunday's! BUT...I could not sleep! All I could do was to pray and thank God for what He is doing!

There are less than 500 churches in America today that are running over 3,000. Please read that sentence again and let it sink in! NOW--keep in mind that NewSpring is among those churches--and we are in ANDERSON, SC!!! Not Atlanta--not Dallas--not New York--not Boston--but ANDERSON, home of the redneck festival also known as the jockey lot!

Like it or not--this could only be God! He is making a name for Himself right here--and the best is yet to come. If this is what He has done in six years without us having our own facility--just think what is going to happen now that we are in our own place!

Clayton King spoke at NewSpring today and was incredible. I love it when Clayton comes to speak--he loves Jesus and preaches straight Biblical truth--and God honors that every time! He will be back in a couple of weeks!

I am reading Mark Driscoll's new book and will be posting a review on it soon...let me just say that after reading the first two chapters...OH MY DANG! If you are a pastor or church leader then GO BUY THIS BOOK TODAY and read it! I can't put it down...which is saying something for me because I have ADHD!

Oh yeah--remember Granger...the church I blogged about several months ago...the one that got national media attention with their mylamesexlife.com series? Well--it seems that God was in what they were doing after all! They had a plan--a strategy...they used the series to get people in the doors...and then THIS happened! YEAH GOD! AND YEAH Granger for listening to God instead of the critics!

Mark, once again, hits the ball out of the park with this post!!!

AND last but not least--pray for my friend Gary! This post is proof that his heart is not right with the Lord. He is bitter about UGA being ranked so low--uh Gary, two words for you my friend--WEST VIRGINIA! You guys let a team from the "Big LEAST" come in and walk all over you in your own back yard--you guys are lucky you are even ranked in the top 50! It looks like you guys will be back to "business as usual" this year--being the whipping boys of Florida and UT!

Try Something New...And Other Random Thoughts!

2006-05-18T11:06:00.000-05:00

So I went to Wal-Mart on Monday night...something I do not usually do! (I love the variety at Wal-Mart...but it seems there is only one or two lines that are open every time I go...maybe that's God working on my patience!)

BUT--this trip turned out to be an amazing blessing because...

For the first time in my life I bought some Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I am a self confessed ice cream snob...and have said on this blog that I am usually a Mayfield man...BUT as I walked down the ice cream aisle in Wally World Lucretia got my attention and said..."Hey Perry, check out this ice cream...it's chocolate & vanilla mixed with chunks of cookie dough and brownies."

Uh yeah, she had my attention! So I looked at it & decided to buy it...it's called "Half Baked." So I've got this pint of ice cream and on Tuesday afternoon I decided to eat it--BUT before I did I snuck a glance at the nutritional information.

BAD IDEA!

Obviously Ben and Jerry have no regards for health--but after tasting the ice cream I feel that I am ok with that!!! This was a new experience for me--and I LOVED IT! I got out of my ice cream rut & pushed the edge!!!

That's the way we need to live life--push the edge, try something new!!! And let it go beyond ice cream--take it into your walk with God, your marriage, your workplace--ANYTHING! One of the things that is a shame when it comes to us human beings is that we allow ourselves to fall into boring and predictable lifestyles--we are creatures of habit and we resist change...but God wants us to be creative!!!

A few other thoughts...

My quiet time this morning was AWESOME! WOW--I was reading in Romans and had the following thoughts...

#1 - Without Jesus we are completely screwed when it comes to life and eternity!

And...

#2 - Without Jesus we are completely screwed when it comes to life and eternity!

Sorry for those who may have wanted something "deeper," but that, in my opinion basically sums up the entire book; in fact, it pretty much sums up the Bible.

Oh yeah, I listened to an incredibly challenging message by Driscoll this morning on Ephesians 4 and the five-fold ministry! He said something that we have been teaching at NewSpring since day one...that maturity in the Christian faith is not a result of being informed...but rather being transformed...and a part of being transformed is actually allowing God to mature and develop you through you using your spiritual gifts in serving other people...and NOT expecting to sit and be served all of the time.

Bottom line...someone who is maturing in their faith is NEVER content with coming to a church service every week and then going home...and thinking that there attendance was their contribution to the kingdom...a person who is maturing in their faith is someone who wants to be involved and actually allow God to work through them to reach other people.

One more thing...I am sitting in a coffee shop listening to two people have a fascinating conversation about astrology! People are deeply spiritual beings...and they desire spiritual things...so why are so many people rejecting the church? Maybe it is because we've put God in this HUGE box...just a thought!

Have an awesome day!

My First Book Review!!!

2006-05-17T11:19:00.000-05:00

WOW...I am SO pumped! I was asked by my friend, Andy Stanley, to do a review for his upcoming book entitled, Communicating For A Change. So...here are my thoughts.

First of all I was so excited when I discovered that Stanley had written a book about communication. In my opinion--he is one of the top five speakers in America, hands down. And so that fact alone gave the book a certain "authority" if you will. I would rather read the thoughts of an excellent communicator than sit in a seminary class and listen to someone talk about preaching, but couldn't preach there way out of a wet paper bag. (Just being honest & speaking from experience!)

In this book Stanley is incredibly transparent about several things--one being the struggle that pastors face when they walk off of the platform and the immediate thought of, "What did people think" flooding their mind! Face it--it matters to us what people think--we want people to be captivated by the message; however, for as much as we want people to be captivated, Stanley points out that EFFORT must be put forth in making that happen.

(I personally blame boring messages on the one who is presenting the message--the Bible is exciting and those who make it boring are sinning in my opinion! God is not boring...His messengers should not be either!)

Some would argue that merely "preaching the word" is enough--Stanley disagrees! Here is a quote from page 153...

"Simply put, you have to manufacture interest. On the average Sunday morning, or whenever you communicate, your first responsibility is to pose a question your audience wants answered, create a tension they need resolved, or point to a mystery they have been unable to solve. And if you launch into your message before you do one of those things, chances are, you will leave them standing at the station."

Now, for you "purists" out there--don't take this the wrong way or blow it out of proportion, Stanley consistently affirms the reliability of Scripture and the need for life changing messages--but his point is well made in that unless people know why they should be listening, they probably won't listen...and like it or not, creating an interest is OUR responsibility as a communicator!

I also love the fact that Stanley affirms the fact that preachers need to be honest, in fact, he says at one point in his book, "If you preach from your weakness, you will never run out of material!" WOW--if that is true (and I believe it is) then I will always have something to talk about...my stupidity and selfishness sometimes knows no bounds!

Face it--if you are a public speaker of any kind--the pressure is on! Everyone in your audience has some sort of expectation--some want line by line, verse by verse, others want to feel good, and others want help with their life because it is falling apart. AND--there is NO WAY that any pastor can meet EVERYONE'S expectations...that is why Stanley believes that preaching for life change is the best solution!

He sums this up really well when he says...

"Preaching is a performance. Preachers are performers. But unlike the comedian, we are expected to more than entertain. We are expected to be educational, inspirational, theological, and engaging all at the same time. So there we stand. All alone. All eyes on us. Waiting. Expecting. Hoping. And did I mention that we have to talk to the same audience week after week? Did I mention that all week long they have been driving around in their cars listening to my dad, Chuck Swindoll, Ed Young, and Sean Hannity. Whose idea was this?"

WOW--great point...and unless you have ever spoken publicly you just can't identify!

I will say this--I honestly believe that ANYONE can take this book and, by applying the principles that Stanley outlines, improve as a communicator! He makes it simple--if you take God's Word, create an interest--and explain to people WHY it is important and that IF they apply it then their lives will change for the better...then life change happens...and that should be the goal of a communicator. To see lives changed for His glory!

What I LOVE is that Stanley does not write in a boastful way & claim, "I have found a way to communicate...and this is the ONLY way to communicate...and if you do not do it my way you are a loser and the judgment of God will fall upon you..." He merely presents the way he plans, prays, and organizes his messages and seems to say, "Hey, this has worked for me and I think it will work for you as well."

Let me close by saying that this book is an incredibly easy read. If you read his book, "Seven Practices of Effective Ministry," then you will discover that it is part II. The parable in that book continues in this one. I have A-D-H-D and so I give a book three chapters to get my attention...and if it doesn't it goes on a shelf. I can honestly say that Stanley's book CAPTIVATED my attention from the beginning and held it all the way through.

Every speaker should want to improve! This book has challenged me to review some of the ways I prepare and present...and I can't wait to see the outcome. It should be in the stores by the third week in June...but you can pre-order it here if you would like.

Thanks Andy for a well needed book on this subject! You hit a home run!!!

Tampons and the Righteousness of God

2006-05-16T11:31:00.001-05:00

Got your attention yet? Grossed out? Offended? Please continue reading--there is a method to the madness! :-)

It bothers me when pastors and teachers of Scripture do not make it obvious what the Bible says! I am highly offended at people who will not declare the entire counsel of Scripture...and it ticks me off when people back off of the truth because of a fear of offending someone!

So--I am going somewhere today that few will go...and I am not concerned with who I offend!

A disturbing pattern I have noticed in my sixteen years of ministry are people who think they are going to heaven...and when you ask them why they think they are going on this trip they reply, "Well, I am a good person...I have gone on a missions trip...I have a Bible with my name on it and I read it 30 minutes a day...I tithe 11%...I have grown up in church."

Have you heard these before? Have you said them? What are you depending on to get you to heaven?

All too often people claim they are going to heaven because of what they DO! They think they are a good person and that one day when they get in front of God that He is going to be SO impressed that He's going to say, "Come on in...you are an all-star up here already--in fact, you should be sitting here instead of me..."

But nothing could be further from the truth...stay with me here...

The Bible says this in Isaiah 64:6, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

All too often we skip over this verse; however, I want to explain it in a way that is very obvious!

The literal translation of the highlighted section is, "All of our righteous acts are like a woman's minstrel cloth." In today's language God is basically saying, "On your BEST day--the BEST you can do is equal to a tampon."

That's gross I know--it's offensive...it makes us want to throw up; however, it's the same deal, when we try to depend on our "good works" to get to heaven--its offensive to God! And so He lets us know how offensive it is by letting us know that the best we can do is a tampon!

In other words--we can't work our way into heaven...and thus the need for Jesus! In order to get into heaven we need to be declared righteous...and if our righteous acts are like a tampon then we are in trouble!

Enter Jesus Christ! The Bible tells us in II Corinthians 5:20-21 that Jesus takes our sin and makes us righteous! HE makes us righteous...not all the stuff we do...not our Bible studies...not our perfect attendance in Sunday school--HE, Jesus makes us righteous!

Jesus was never intended to be someone we hang a picture of in our living room to make us feel better about ourselves after a touch day. God knew that we were screwed when it came to eternity--He knew we could never achieve a righteous life on our own--so He sent Jesus! And Jesus died on a cross, paid for our sins and made us righteous...but...

The question is, "Have you received Christ?" As you look back over your life has there ever been a time where you realized, "I am separate from God because of my sins"? AND then you realized, "This separation could never be reconciled by my good works--they are like a tampon in His sight...I NEED JESUS!"

Salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone. You are not going to heaven because your parents are Christians. You are not going to heaven because you are Catholic or Baptist...or because you were baptized as an infant--those are things that we do--righteous acts--TAMPONS...salvation is God's work--not ours...and salvation is found only in Jesus Christ.

Has there ever been a time in your life where you received Jesus? He's necessary for salvation!

THE reason for the success at NewSpring is that we preach Jesus! We are not into boycotts or politics...we don't major on the minors...Jesus Christ is the reason our church is here...and we lift Him up and beg Him to use our church to draw people to Him! NewSpring will always be about the person and work of JESUS! If you take Him away...we go "out of business!" He's our focus and we exist for Him!

For those who now are sick to their stomach...good...I hope I have put it in terms you can understand. For those who are offended--GET OVER IT! For those who need Christ--drop me an e-mail!

Weekend Reflections

2006-05-14T21:58:00.000-05:00

Quick weekend wrap up...

Saturday morning we did a 12 mile run...and things were going great until about mile eight...that is where my legs felt like cement blocks! BUT I made it...this week we are down to 10 miles.

Funny story...we were on about mile seven and ran by a house with two dogs in the yard...I didn't see the owner on the porch...and all of a sudden I hear, "Don't go in that road!" I thought, "Did that dog just say something to me...am I losing my mind?" I had to turn around and look and then saw the owner...I was relieved!

Saturday night was our baby dedication service. WOW! It was awesome...BUT...if anyone wants to know why we do not allow children in the service at NewSpring...well...let's just say you should have been in this service.

First of all let me say that Lee McDee did an awesome job of leading "kiddy worship." Seriously, he looked so cool pretending to be a crocodile! (For those who were not there--you missed him doing motion songs!)

But the babies being dedicated is what got me. WOW--it was an awesome sight. Please understand that this service did not make the child a Christian...it was merely a time when the parent dedicated to raising the child in a godly home. Parents--remember that we are going to do our best to partner with you at NewSpring to reach your children...but you've got them for 167 hours per week and we've got them for one!

Today was awesome...I feel the women were challenged as we explored what the book of Proverbs had to say about them. I did get a few dirty looks--especially when I talked about the way women dressed AND the way they talk about their husbands! BUT...for the most part I believe the women LOVED the challenge that was issued. REMEMBER ladies--the goal is not to change the way you behave...the goal is to fall in love with Jesus and allow Him to change you!

And...last but not least...my favorite comment of the weekend. I was talking to a man who will remain nameless and he was saying that he meets a person from time to time who says NewSpring is a "feel good church." He told me, "You must not go that often because every time I leave I feel like someone kicked me between the legs!" OUCH! I've never heard conviction described that way...but it works I guess. :-)

My posting will be a little sporadic this week--but I will be around...I promise!

A Wedding Marathon

2006-05-12T06:55:00.000-05:00

This weekend begins the wedding marathon for the Noble household--three weekends, three weddings--only one of which is in Anderson.

I love weddings, well, actually, I love SHORT weddings (just being honest.)

BUT...and this is something that breaks my heart--I have noticed that in preparing for marriage that TONS of time, energy and money is spent on the wedding day...but not that much attention is given to the years that should follow that one day!

Marriage is AWESOME...don't get me wrong--it isn't always easy--but from my vantage point it's wonderful. It takes a commitment from BOTH people to make it work...and the marriage MUST be entered into with the attitude that, "no matter what--this is going to work." Lucretia and I made a promise to one another to NEVER use the "d" word--in fact, we don't even use it in a joking manner!

(By the way...if you are engaged and are thinking, "Well, this might not work out," or, "If this doesn't work out..." then do yourself a favor and either postpone the wedding or call it off! I have heard that you can't be 100% sure...and I say that anyone who says that is as full of it as a constipated elephant! Not only CAN you be sure--you SHOULD be sure!!!)

And...things are NOT always going to be easy. Let me use an example of a couple of things that happened to me this week. I received two free meals at two separate restaurants this week because my food kept getting messed up. When my food was brought out to me and it wasn't right I didn't storm out of the restaurant and swear to never come back. I didn't say, "You guys ALWAYS mess up my food at this restaurant, I am certain that another restaurant would never do that." I didn't scream at the restaurant thinking that my yelling would solve the problem. I was patient with them--they were patient with me...and it all worked out!

Marriage is a lot like my experiences in the restaurants--walking out when things are not going your way is never the answer...beginning to look for "other restaurants" when things are not happening the way you would like is not the answer...screaming and yelling and becoming focused on winning the argument rather than settling the conflict is never the answer. However, commitment is the right thing...and once again--it takes commitment from both people!

I have heard it said that in a marriage there will be "wow" days and "vow" days...and commitment is called for in both.

I wish I could say that I have the perfect marriage and that all anyone really needs to do is come and observe me being a perfect husband for 'Cretia...but if I did I am convinced that lightening would strike!!! Marriage is a learning process...a serious dedication must be made to be a student of your spouse and a student of yourself. I am learning...and in the mistakes that I make are lessons that are invaluable and applicable to the future.

Bottom line is that marriage was designed by God--it was His idea. Dr. Phil did not invent marriage--neither did Oprah...yet we often look to them and others like them for advice and teachings on how marriage should be...and God's Word is ignored in favor of pop psychology. However, when God's ways are followed and two people are willing to fall in love with Jesus and one another--marriage just works!!!

So here we go--three weddings in three weekends...and then on the fourth weekend I will run the marathon! Sounds exciting! I can't wait!

How Many Staff Do You Have?

2006-05-11T07:13:00.000-05:00

It seems to be a good week for answering questions here at NewSpring...and another of the questions we often get is, "How many people do you guys have on staff?"

The answer, for now, is 59--39 full time and 20 part time.

What is funny is the reaction we get when we tell people this--many of them make a remark about how awesome that is--but from time to time we get the "why in the world does a church need that many people on staff?"

If I can be honest right here--we really don't have enough on staff (I will explain in just a second); however, we are able to get an incredible amount of work done because of the enormous amount of awesome volunteers that are involved in this ministry.

Now on to the staff explanation...

I remember the days when staff meeting was me sitting in my living room & having a conversation with myself in the mirror. (I wanted to feel as if there was someone else there.) AND...I did everything from preparing messages to returning phone calls to organizing events. (It is a miracle we survived.)

Oh yeah, I led worship as well...the Bible says that we should make a joyful noise...and that's about all I could do! So...we decided to hire a worship leader.

Now keep in mind that our philosophy here at NewSpring has always been to hire ahead...to hire someone before you need them and let them get acclimated to the ministry so that they can grow as it grows. In my opinion...if you wait until you can afford to hire someone then you have waited too late! And trust me--when we hired Lee (the worship leader) we could not afford to do it. At the time we were only taking in about $3,500 a month--BUT we just knew this was what God wanted.

AND--let me say this--Lee has more than paid for himself--a good staff member will pay for themselves in six months or less!

So...we continued to grow and decided to hire a ministry administrator. Why? Because Lee and I were doing much of the organization of things (once again--it's a miracle we are even here!) AND--we began paying a extremely part time secretary and a part time children's minister. (At the time we were running about 150).

As time went on we hired staff as we saw the need. I remember sitting in meetings with Trustees and the guys asking, "Is there ever going to be a time when we can stop hiring staff?" The answer then, and today, is no! (By the way--EVERY person who used to ask that question are now on staff!!!)

"But Perry--59 staff members--isn't that a little overkill?" Not exactly--let me explain.

In the research I have conducted the average church member/staff ratio in America is about one staff member for every 40-50 people. Let me share an example or two...

In my first church there were about 120 people coming every week...(this is a typical size church here in the south) - and there was a full time pastor, a full time secretary, a part time music dude, and then me--the part time youth & disrupter of the peace. That's one staff member for every 40 people.

In the second church I served we probably averaged around 200 a week...and there was a full time pastor, a full time secretary, I was full time, a part time church hostess, a part time children's pastor. Once again it was one staff position for every 40 people.

At NewSpring, just since moving into the building we have had an average attendance of 5,461, now keep in mind with 59 staff members that is one staff member for every 92 people that show up--when you look at our ratio compared to others it is amazing.

Let me break it down a little further & share some examples.

Take the children's ministry--right now there are 11 people on staff in our children's area, five full time and six part time; however, this crew ministers to about 1,500 kids every month. (We are averaging about 900-1000 per week--but around 1,500 cycle through every month.) That's amazing--once again--we could not do it without volunteers!

Or take our care and outreach ministry--we currently receive about 60 first time visitors cards per week (all are followed up with before the end of the day on Tuesday) and we also received 170 prayer requests cards per week--which all receive some type of follow up. How many people do we have serving in this area? Five!!! That's amazing that five people can do that much work--how do they do it? Once again--volunteers!!!

It is our goal here at NewSpring to have a lean staff, pay them well, and try to involve as many people in the ministry as possible. My advice to church planters would be to take steps of faith when it is necessary--hire ahead--and hire someone EARLY to work with your volunteers!

Props to our staff--you guys do an amazing job. AND MAJOR props to our volunteers--this is not my ministry--it is OUR ministry--we are doing this together...and it is a privilege to serve as your pastor.

How Much Money Should A Church Spend On Missions?

2006-05-10T07:18:00.000-05:00

From time to time we get the question here at NewSpring as to how much money we spend on missions. I believe that is an incredibly fair question; after all, we are charged with going and telling the good news all across the world.

However, since the beginning of NewSpring, our philosophy on missions has been a little different (imagine that). Every church has a different way they tackle missions--and here is our philosophy.

(Disclaimer: To those who e-mail desiring debate on this subject--it's not going to happen my friend. I am not saying that every church needs to adopt this approach...but I am saying it is our approach and we feel that this is the direction that God has called our church to take. So...if you want to write in and tell us how stupid we are--that's awesome! You will not receive a response because...well...to be honest--we don't have time for it!)

Now, on to missions... :-)

In Acts chapter one Jesus tells His apostles that they will need to reach Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and then the ends of the earth. And...if you go through Scripture you will see a clear picture of this taking place--Jerusalem in chapter two, Judea and Samaria in chapter eight, and then finally the Gentiles in chapter ten.

So...that is the way we desired to do missions when we began NewSpring...we wanted to reach Anderson first, then the upstate, and then on to the United States and the world.

You see, I have a serious problem with a church that will organize a mission trip overseas, stay in five star hotels, pass out Bible's for a half a day...and then celebrate that event for the next ten years.

I have a serious problem with a church that will get focused on so many things but forget the needs that exist in their own community. You see, we have homeless people in Anderson, we have hungry people in Anderson, we have single moms in Anderson...and it is our desire to make sure we do all we can to minister to these people AND THEN begin to go outside of this area.

So how much money do we spend on missions? Answer--every dime that is given every week. Anderson is our mission. You see, I am not content with the fact that we have teenagers in this community that do not know Christ...and so we need the proper staff and resources to reach them--that is missions.

I am not content with the fact that there are children in this community who do not know Jesus! So...it is our desire to provide a creative and exciting atmosphere for kids to come and worship...AND to reach their mother and father with the Gospel and see lives changed--that is missions.

I am not content that 48% of our county is unchurched--folks--48%, and it's not because they can't find one--it is because they have walked away and want nothing to do with them. In reading the New Testament it is so obvious that church is necessary--and so it is necessary to do all we can to reach them--that is why we built a facility...so we could reach more people--that is missions. (And it is working--our average attendance is up over 1,200 people in the past six months.)

Not only that--we have handyman teams here at our church that go out and build handicap ramps in the community--we are doing a single mom's oil change soon--we partner with Anderson Interfaith Ministries and Crisis Pregnancy Center financially. We are a church that is all about this community.

(Mark your calendars NOW for Friday, June 30--the NewSpring band will be doing a concert and having a fireworks show at the ampi-theatre here in Anderson...and every dime we take in will go to Anderson Interfaith Ministries and Crisis Pregnancy Center.)

BUT--not only are we all about Anderson--we are taking steps to do some work outside of this community as well...

Over the past several months we have sent teams of people to New Orleans and have partnered with a church down there...the stories we are hearing are amazing and...well...yes, that is missions.

AND...we have a meeting scheduled in two weeks with an organization that we are considering partnering with to do missions work in India. You see, I don't want our church to take up an offering once a year and feel that we have done our part--I want us to be involved. So...we are going to adopt villages--build schools, churches....our church will take mission trips every year to the same places--we will know these people by name...and they will know us...and we will see entire regions of that country reached for Christ--that is missions.

We are all about missions--BUT--we consider EVERYTHING we do to be a mission. People DO matter all over the world--BUT they matter right here in Anderson as well! AND--we are going to do all we can with all we've got to make sure as many people as possible hear about Jesus!

How much money should a church spend on missions? EVERY dime they take in!

What If...

2006-05-09T07:43:00.000-05:00

I am a dreamer...always have been. It tripped me out a few years ago when I was going through some old boxes and found some report cards that my dad had kept from when I was in elementary school. There was a "comments" section of the back of those cards where the teacher would write things such as, "You child is such a pleasure to teach." (Actually--I heard that they wrote that--but I never saw it!)

I noticed on the comments section that there was a common thread all throughout my elementary school years, "Perry daydreams in class."

It wasn't my fault--HONESTLY--I blame it on Star Wars! When school would get boring I would simply imagine me being in an X wing fighter and doing battle against the forces of the dark side! (AND...I wanted a Jawa...you know, just to have around...I always thought that would have been cool--I would have named him Fred...and appropriate name for a Jawa I think!)

I am a dreamer...I have always looked at things and said, "What can we do differently--what can we improve--how can we do it better?"

I used to think this was some sort of mental disorder until I discovered that God is actually responsible for wiring me this way. He has given me the ability to dream big--which is an asset in leading a church because the book of Proverbs said that where there is no vision the people will perish.

It breaks my heart that people have big dreams about tons of things--their children, their IRA, their business--whatever; however, when it comes to God's work--when it comes to the church getting radical and reaching people--we think small.

Maybe it's just me--but I don't really think that Jesus died on a cross so that a group of people could get together and swap casserole recipes! I think there was more of an intentional purpose--Jesus died, rose again, and then commissioned us to go and tell as many people as possible--NOT to sit in a room and have a business meeting to discuss whether or not it is God's will to paint the restrooms a different color!

What if we dreamed big?

What if we all believed that God is as big as the Bible says He is and is capable of doing more than we could have ever asked for or imagined?

What if we wanted our churches to be a place where people came in and the only thing that offended them was the cross and not the people wearing one?

What if we believed that people were one breath away from eternity and that motivated us to get as many people in the doors as possible to hear about Jesus?

What if we actually worshipped God with our money instead of worshipping ourselves?

What if we were never satisfied--don't get me wrong--there is a difference between thankful and satisfied...but what if we continually thanked God--but continually asked Him to do more?

What if we were a church who was more concerned with who we were reaching than who we are keeping?

What if we were willing to pray bold prayers and take HUGE risks?

I think God would be honored in all of this if we followed through on the "what if's!" I can say that pastoring NewSpring is a privilege because the people in the church believe that God is BIG and that this is just the beginning of all that He wants to do.

It breaks my heart when I hear that at least 80% of our nations churches are in a state of decline. FOLKS--80%...that should not be!!!

Let's dream big--let's ask God for huge things--let's believe He is able and capable of reaching those far from Christ...and let's take the necessary risks in order to impact this community in an incredible way!

This posts comes out of my quiet time--this passage and this passage rocked my world over the past week--God is getting ready to do something off the charts here!!!

On a side not--check out this post by Mark Driscoll--he hit a home run!!! (But please do not get the idea that I am going to wear a suit next Easter!)

Davinci Decoded (And A Few Other Thoughts)

2006-05-07T20:46:00.000-05:00

WOW--my mind is reeling from today...I cannot sum up how I feel, it has to be one of the most emotional Sunday's in my life.

Our most conservative estimates put the number of people who accepted Christ at NewSpring today right at 100 people. It was truly amazing to see everyone stand today and tonight that received Christ.

My buddy Dan introduced me to a couple tonight who he had invited to NewSpring--the lady was visiting for her second time and the husband was a first timer...he came up to me after the service and told me that both of them had received Christ.

I thought, "WOW--that's it--INVEST in people's lives and INVITE them to a place where they can hear about Jesus!" I want to say "thank you" to everyone who invited someone to church...one thing NewSpring has always done well is step up to the plate when we ask people to invite lost family members and friends!

So...the series Davinci Decoded is over. As of right now we have seen over 300 people receive Christ over the last four weeks! Isn't that awesome?!?!?! When we were preparing for this series we actually had a few people to contact our church and tell us that we were ungodly and pagan for doing this type of series...thank GOD we didn't listen to them! I know of at least 300 people that are eternally grateful that we listen to the Holy Spirit! :-)

There are those who call in and e-mail from time to time wondering why we are seeing these types of results and asking us what we do. Actually--ALL we know how to do is talk about Jesus and teach from Scripture how real and relevant He is to our lives today...and we do it in a way where people can understand it.

This coming Sunday we are going to begin a new series called, "XM Satellite Radio," with the first message being a special Mother's Day deal entitled, "Captivated!" Trust me when I say we are going to deal with some "women issues" from the book of Proverbs...and I will be addressing some things that many pastors are afraid to mention!

I thank God that I get to pastor NewSpring. Folks--He is doing an amazing thing here! I know you may hear criticism in the community from time to time; however, keep in mind that Scripture says have NOTHING to do with foolish and stupid arguments! Stay focused and stay thankful...let me just repeat it--300 salvations in four weeks--THAT's GOD!!! There is no other explanation for that!!!

(One of the things I hear from time to time is that we "steal church members." Uh...just a question, how exactly does someone "steal a church member?" Can't you just see a team of people from NewSpring, dressed in all black, breaking into churches all over the upstate every Sunday and dragging people to our church? Uh...nope...me neither. One thing about it folks--if people are showing up at NewSpring every week it's because they want to--NOT because they were stolen!!!)

If you met Christ this weekend...or you invited someone and they received Christ please shoot me an e-mail with your story...

Whew--a few other quick thoughts from this weekend...

I did my 20 mile run this Saturday--my time was 3:16:18. People ask me, "How was it?" IT HURT! IT STILL HURTS!!! I came to the conclusion that no rational human being would run 20 miles!!! (And then I discovered that I am not rational!)

The route was fun...I went to NewSpring at about 6:15 and ran five miles...then I met up with the running crew and we ran from our building to Tillman Hall in Clemson. Props to some of the CU soccer girls who brought us orange Gatorade!!!

The run got a little exciting right outside of Pendleton. What made it exciting? A big German Shepherd!!! I thought I was going to get eaten and I was totally prepared to kick this stupid mutt...but when it got right up to me I yelled at it and it ran away!

I will post some of my thoughts from the excellent speakers I heard at the leadership conference I was at on Friday. I can say this--THANK GOD I DO NOT HAVE TO ENDURE ATLANTA TRAFFIC! WOW--I've never seen so many crazy people! BUT...I will have to say that the drivers in Atlanta are super nice--every time I looked over at one of them they were pretty insistent that I was #1!

That's all for now--can't wait 'till Sunday!!! :-)

Thoughts From The ATL

2006-05-04T19:01:00.000-05:00

I am sitting in my hotel room in Atlanta watching the NBA playoffs. I must admit that I really enjoy the playoffs because the players actually PLAY! It seems that they actually CARE about the games. They know a lot is on the line--they either win or go home. AND--because so much is on the line you can see a passion and effort that is not seen in the regular season.

WOW--that reminds me a little of the church...

You see--at NewSpring we are convinced that every Sunday is a "playoff Sunday." AND...because of that I can promise that our staff takes each and every service we have with a serious and focused intensity. We don't just throw things together and beg God to do something with it--we work as if everything depends on us and then pray as if everything depends on Him.

We understand that there is a lot at stake--MORE than a playoff trophy...but lives--eternities!!!

However--from time to time we feel like we get to play in the "championship game," and when that happens you can be sure it is our goal and prayer to make sure that every area gets extra attention!

This Sunday will be one of those days! I have said it all week...I will say it again...if you have a friend or family member who does not know Christ then GET THEM TO NEWSPRING this Sunday! I promise you are going to see an incredibly powerful presentation of the Gospel!

I can't wait!!!

Other thoughts...

I HATE ATLANTA TRAFFIC!

The 20 mile run is Saturday--pray hard!!! :-)

That's about it--I am going to bed!

A Few Quick Thoughts...

2006-05-04T06:32:00.000-05:00

Last night was AMAZING...the BEST First Wednesday service we have ever had! Props to Lee and our worship band! (We had over 2,200 people!!!)

I am heading to Atlanta again today for this leadership conference...and I am stoked!

A shout out to all my friends at Buzz! (Gary, Tony, Scott, Ed, Pookie...ok, I made that last one up!) Take good notes for me guys!

That's it for now--a lot to do today! I have some thoughts on, "Can a church ever be too big" that I may share tonight...if not then next week!

Don't forget--get people to church this Sunday--the presentation is going to be awesome!

A Shot In The Arm

2006-05-03T07:37:00.000-05:00

Nine miles this morning...it was PAINFUL! I am gearing up for my 20 mile run on Saturday. (I will finish the run at Tillman Hall in Clemson at around 10 if anyone wants to come out and watch me vomit! Sorry...)

As I was running this morning I had this thought, "I wish someone could just give me a shot and it would make my run better, or even make me run faster and then be less tired when I finish." There are just times when running is easy--honestly (I know there are those who do not believe me), and then...there are times when I feel like a one legged man in a butt kicking contest. (Use your imagination!)

And I've tried supplements...vitamins, caffeine, energy drinks...and I have came to the conclusion that no matter what you do that there are some days you've just got it and some days you feel like its got you!!!

I think I see a spiritual parallel here...

If we can all be honest--there are some days that being a Christian is easy. You open your Bible and it comes alive. You pray and it seems that God answers your prayer in less than an hour. You tell someone about Jesus and they ask you, "Hey, I want to accept Christ--can you help me do that?" I am sure that we've all had those days.

And then there are the days when we just don't feel like opening our Bible because either it seems like we are getting nothing out of it...or God keeps confronting us about something and we don't want to deal with it. There are days when we pray and it seems to be hitting the ceiling. There are days when we are just not sure if God even cares. (Have you ever been there?)

Face it--there are days when, as Christians, we wish that we could just get a shot in the arm.

Well, two thoughts here...

#1 - Tonight Will Serve That Purpose

One of the things we have been able to do since moving into our new facility is have a "First Wednesday" service on the "First Wednesday" of every month. This time includes some passionate worship and a little more in depth teaching time...and it is an awesome shot in the arm. One of the most awesome things for me is that it is another time for the body to come together for worship and learning.

Let me say this--if you are stressed out or freaked out about an issue in your life...OR you are in the thought pattern that "God hates me," then you need to be here tonight. The experience is truly going to be "out of this world."

#2 - Every Sunday Serves That Purpose

Face it--we need one another. One of the only reasons I made it through my run this morning is because of the people around me...it is a lot easier to run in a group than it is by yourself.

The same can be said about our walk with God...I heard Andy Stanley say once, "You can't maintain fellowship with God without maintaining fellowship with the people of God." BOOM!

We need a shot in the arm--people to run the race with us...and God has given us the local church to make sure that we all run the race together. (And MANY other reasons as well!!!)

So...I hope to see you tonight. (Yes, I will see you--most of you have already selected the place where you sit every week!)

AND...don't forget that THIS SUNDAY is THE SUNDAY to invite your family members and friends who do not know Christ. Trust me--get them here--whatever it takes...AND keep in mind that the service is going to be VERY different...so you will want to get here EARLY so that you don't miss anything!!!

One more thing...IF you are having a hard time getting something fresh and exciting out of your Scripture reading time--two things--the first is pick a new place to read your Bible--TRUST ME, this helps...AND then pick a new translation. I usually read from the NIV--but for the past six months I have been reading from the NLT and the Bible has became new and fresh all over again!

How To Pray For Your Pastor

2006-05-02T07:01:00.000-05:00

As a pastor I get a ton of people telling me that they pray for me on a regular basis--which is AWESOME! I heard it said once that you don't have to tell me that you love me if you are praying for me...because if you are praying for me I know that I am loved.

However, one of the questions most often asked of me as a pastor is, "Hey dude (I love the fact that NewSpringer's call me "dude!"), how can I be praying for you?"

That is an awesome question! I would say most people, when praying for their pastor, know to ask God to bless them...but there are some people who want to get more specific...and so my post today is dedicated to teaching people on how to pray for their pastors.

(This list is true of me...BUT...I think it is true of any pastor anywhere. Of course, if you really want to know how to pray specifically for your pastor--the next time you see him...ASK!) Here we go...

#1 - Pray For His Walk With God

I had a friend tell me once that the BEST ministry is done from "the overflow." I have discovered that his comment was so true. Personally, I desire to have a strong, vibrant walk with God. I never want to walk out to deliver a message and not mean what I say. I want my passion for Jesus to keep getting hotter and hotter; in fact, one of my prayers over the past six months has been, "Lord, enlarge my view of You," and He is answering that in a HUGE way.

Pray that in his quiet time that God will show up and rock his world--that the Bible will be alive to him--that he will see knew things--that God will deal with him about issues in his life that need to be dealt with...those are a few suggestions.

#2 - Pray For His Marriage

You NEED to understand that a pastor's marriage will always be under attack--ALWAYS. If there is a marriage in any church that the enemy wants to tear apart--it's the pastor's.

So...pray for your pastor AND his wife...pray that they will continually grow to be more and more in love with one another...pray that the Lord will make them sensitive to one another's needs....pray that the pastor doesn't become so consumed with the church that he gives the Bride of Christ all of his time and, as a result, neglects his bride at home and then says some weak, pathetic thing like, "God will make it up to my wife...she will understand." (Pastors, if you have ever pulled that crap then repent and step up and love your wife!!!)

One of the things I have told NewSpring over and over is that I can always get another church, but I can never have another Lucretia! One of our prayers has always been that our marriage can be a model for what God wants marriage to look like! So...pray for your pastors marriage and his spouse...I promise, it will make a difference.

#3 - Pray For Him As A Father

I don't have this deal going on yet...but one day I know Boaz will be along and my life will change. (For those who do not know...if Lucretia and I have a son I want to name him Boaz...yes, I am TOTALLY serious...I think that is the coolest name ever--it sounds like a line backer!!! Lucretia is not totally bought into this as of yet; in fact, she isn't in favor of it at all. Pray for God to work on her heart!!!)

Sorry...chased a rabbit...I'm back...

You know the deal...all too often the pastors kids are the biggest hellions in the church. (It's probably because they hang out with the deacons kids!!!) Why is this...if you want my honest opinion I think it's because all too often the church expects so much of the pastor that, as a result of living up to the expectations of the crowd (not something that Jesus even pulled off) he neglects his family.

So pray for your pastors kids--by name. Pray that they will see Jesus in their mother and father...and pray that God will protect that family. (And, if you are a church member then make sure that your church allows your pastor TIME to spend with his family. I am so blessed because NewSpring has been dedicated to this from the beginning!!!)

#4 - Pray For His Leadership

Staff meetings for me used to be when I would get out of bed on a Monday morning and go into my living room with a notebook and pen and a mirror. (I looked into the mirror because I wanted to feel like there was someone else in the room!)

Today is a lot different--I am not leading a staff...I am leading leaders...and so because of that my leadership skills have to continue to grow and I must be sharpened!

So, pray for your pastors leadership...pray that he will hear God in regards to the direction of the church...pray that he will be filled with courage to make the right decisions....pray that he will surround himself with godly leaders who say what needs to be said and not what he wants to hear...pray that he will seek God's word and NEVER go against what it says--EVER!

#5 - Pray For His Creativity

This may not be the desire of every pastor...but it is huge in my world...I want to always be able to take Scripture and creatively connect it to culture and show people how relevant the Bible is...AND how necessary Jesus is.

So pray for his creativity...pray that the Bible will come alive to him...pray that he will be a student of culture and not a cave dweller who pretends that life is NOT taking place around him...pray that he will have the courage to deal with real life issues by presenting a Biblical worldview.

#6 - Pray For "Thick Skin."

One of the most offensive things you can say to a pastor who cares about the church he leads is, "Pastor, I have something to complain about...now don't take this personally..." That would be equal to going up to a new mom and dad and saying, "Now don't take this personally...but your baby is ugly!"

Whether your pastor will tell you this or not--criticism comes with the territory. I have learned over the past six months HOW to deal with it...but it always hurts...always. So...pray that your pastor will choose who to listen to...not all criticism is bad; however, people from outside the church who have no desire to do anything except for tear the church down always need to be ignored in my opinion...ALWAYS...and give your pastor permission to do that.

BUT...on the flip side--pray that necessary and constructive criticism will always be received by him...and that God will continue to use those things to shape his life and ministry.

#7 - Pray For His Health

Being a pastor is stressful--period. I would say if it does not keep you awake at night then you might not be doing something right.

I know with me I think about the church all the time...I think about the people who attend...and those who do not attend...and I am so consumed by what God wants to do with our church.

However, if a pastor is not careful he will let a little bit of stress turn to worry...so pray for his health.

And...hold on...I am going to be totally honest here...pray that he will take care of his body by eating properly and exercise. Nothing makes me angrier than for a pastor to preach on self control...but he's 50 pounds overweight! Trust me--I've been there...I know it's a challenge...but pray that God will keep your pastor healthy...and if he's not then maybe the church needs to chip in and buy the dude a fitness membership somewhere!

That's my list list...I want to thank the people here at NewSpring who pray for Lucretia and I...it means so much to us! You guys are awesome and it is such a privilege to pastor the most awesome church in the world!

Weekend Reflections

2006-04-30T20:57:00.000-05:00

This has been an incredible weekend! Here are the highlights...

Friday night was supper with some friends at Sullivan's. I am doing their wedding in a few weeks and Lucretia and I wanted to get with them to hear their story about how they met AND to hear how they both came to know Christ. All in all it was an incredible conversation--we spent almost three hours eating and talking. AND...of course I got desert...AND they did to...AND they did not finish theirs...AND I could NOT just sit there and let it go to waste! (I have no shame!)

Saturday's run was awesome--seriously, I felt like Forest Gump! I took off and wound up doing 12 miles in 1:43:38--that's moving for this big boy! I have no desire to do that pace for the marathon, but I just "felt it" on Saturday. This coming Saturday is my 20 mile run--PRAY HARD!

After the run I can home and watched the Houston Texans make one of the dumbest decisions in the history of the NFL by passing on Reggie Bush...just my opinion! (WOW--I miss football so much!!!)

Yesterday at 5:00 was one of the most incredible things I have experienced as a pastor--BAPTISM at NewSpring.

I pulled into the parking lot and there were--GET THIS--people tailgating! It was AWESOME! They had a grill and a sign that said, "honk if you are getting dunked." I walked over and chatted with them and my buddy Nick said, "If people do this before football games and celebrate nothing--why not do this at church and truly celebrate new birth!" I AGREE...and I think this should be a new "tradition" at NewSpring.

We baptized 117 people--there is NOTHING more moving than seeing 117 people say, "Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord."

One of the things that moved me the most was a conversation that I had before the service even began. When we built NewSpring we had a service where people wrote the names of people they wanted to see come to Christ on a card...and then we placed those cards in the area where we were going to one day baptize people and poured the cement for the pool over them.

So last night I walked up to my friends Scott and Lindsay--their daughter Micah was getting baptized. I told Scott how excited I was about this and he looked at me and said, "Yeah--we are too...we've been praying for this...her name is in the cement."

I nearly lost it right there! I have a knot the size of a golf ball in my throat right now just writing about it...but that's what it's all about. We have a church that lifts up the name of Jesus and challenges people to reach friends and family members for Christ...and people...God is doing something amazing!!!

Last night I received an e-mail from a friend who asked me to consider reading his new book and then post a review on my blog...I was incredibly flattered and hope to have it done by the end of the week--this is so cool...my first book review! (You can pre-order this book here if you are interested.)

Today the message was AWESOME at NewSpring...I can say that because--well--I didn't speak. I had a former professor of mine, Dr. James Emery White, come and give a talk on the Davinci Code. Let me just say that it is the single best presentation of the errors and fallacies in Dan Brown's novel that I have ever heard. (You can listen to it here if you would like.)

As I said today at church--DON'T MISS THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT!!! Remember our first Wednesday service begins at 6:30 and it will be off the hook! If you have ever seriously dealt with worry or stress then trust me...you need to show up! (Uh, that would just about include everyone I know!!!)

One more thing...and my heart goes out to my boy for this one...but Gary and his crew had an "interesting" experience over the weekend--you can read about it here. Gary--dude--I understand about ideas looking good on paper but then not coming out quite the way you had planned them.

Ramblings From My Couch

2006-04-28T07:50:00.000-05:00

I love Friday mornings...they are really relaxing for me. Right now I am sitting on my couch and just wanted to share several thoughts...

Some have e-mailed this week asking how lunch with Andy Stanley went--it was awesome. Andy is not a "Christian celebrity" who feels the world needs to revolve around him...he is humble and very thankful for where God has him in life. I asked him questions about leadership...and he took an interest in me by asking me some questions and challenging me on the way I think about things. I loved that!

I read this in my quiet time this morning...uh...wow...for those of us in the ministry who may think God has given us a difficult task...I think we can pretty much shut up now! (Keep in mind that this is not God's affirmation on streaking...this was a three year deal!!)

We have a 12 mile run in the morning...12 miles...it is sort of a downer...I mean, after running 18 and all. Oh well, it will be fun! Next week we are going to do a 15 mile run...I believe we are going to do the one where we run to Clemson. (I am actually going to do my 20 mile run that day...I will run from my house to NewSpring and then will meet up with the crew and we will run to Clemson from there. Anyone up for a run to Tillman?)

The next two Sunday's at NewSpring are going to be awesome. I am not going to say a lot about this Sunday except for the fact that I am more excited about this message than any message so far in the Davinci Decoded series.

And next Sunday (May 7th)...let me go ahead and say NOW that if you have a friend or family member who does not know Christ...who thinks Jesus is not real or relevant to the culture we live in today--GET THEM TO NEWSPRING THAT DAY! We will be concluding the Davinci Decoded series and I promise it is going to be one of the most creative presentations of the Gospel in the HISTORY of our church!

And Mother's Day...wow...more insight coming on that this weekend.

Oh yeah, let me say it again--First Wednesday is happening THIS COMING WEDNESDAY! Folks, trust me when I say that if you haven't made it to one yet--this would be the month you want to show up. Do any of you remember the first message I did in the series entitled "Wonderbread?" We did the thing where we went into outer space and looked at different planets and stars...well...let's just say that we received so many comments from people who "would love to see that again" that we are going to use some aspects from that message--yeah, you don't want to miss this one!

I hope all of you have an awesome weekend...mine will be wonderful! We have baptism tomorrow night...it looks like we have 108 people registered to be dunked! If you have never seen a NewSpring baptism then come on out at 5:00 tomorrow night!

Have an awesome weekend!

OUCH

2006-04-27T07:23:00.000-05:00

This mornings run was...uh...ouch...ok, back to writing--this mornings run hurt.

First of all let me just say that we had a total of THREE people (including myself) run today. WOW, the crowds sure do get a lot thinner when the runs get more challenging! :-)

Anyway...we are on about mile four and are running down a huge hill. (For those in Anderson we are running down Bellview & hitting 81.)

Well, the light is green...but all of a sudden we see it hit yellow. I look to my right and left and traffic is lined up both ways. Now usually we hit this light and sort of work our way through traffic. (I sort of feel like I am in a live game of Frogger!) BUT today we were actually going to have to stop.

So...I made a split second decision and said, "I think we can make it." (I know--that's not smart--but I really get a rush out of this stuff!) And so I kicked it into high gear and flew across the street.

Small problem--my body was not designed to "kick it" into high gear; in fact, I can't really kick anything except for people who get near my food!

So right in the middle of this "sprint" I felt this golf ball thing in my left hamstring & I thought, "That's not normal!" As I slowed down I realized I had done something to my hammy...it wasn't hurting...but it was letting me know, "Hey stupid--don't do that again--EVER!"

I had this thought after finishing the run, "Why didn't I just wait for a second on the stupid cars to go by...it wouldn't have killed me." The answer is one we all give at times, "I just don't have a lot of patience!"

So why are we always in a hurry? Why do we always have to be going at the speed of light everywhere we go? And parents--I have seen you teach your children this...you hurry them to eat supper, hurry them to get their bath, hurry them to bed, hurry them to get ready for school, and then wonder why they seem to be a little stressed.

Being rushed makes us mean people. I get angry when people pull out in front of me...and so do you. BUT WHY? WHY does this happen...simple--because when someone pulls out in front of us it delays us five seconds from getting to where we need to be...HOW DARE THEY! But what if we were not in such a hurry--I honestly believe it would not matter that much.

We are in a hurry everywhere--at the grocery store. (Come on now--how many of you count the number of the items of the person in front of you in the 10 items or less line...and then get angry if they have 11?) And (this is for the true time freaks!) how many of you, when you come to two line open and they look about the same length, pick one--BUT you mentally mark your place in the other one to see if you would have gotten through the line faster...and if you would have made it through faster in the other line then your day is ruined.

Why do we do this to ourselves? We are in a hurry--we can't slow down...and then we wonder why the voice of God has grown silent in our lives. Simple--God tells us in Scripture, "Be STILL and know that I am God." In other words--there are times in our lives when we have GOT TO CHILL OUT and not be in a rush.

I was reminded of that lesson a few hours ago--the hard way!!! OUCH!

Some Thoughts About Youth Ministry

2006-04-26T07:27:00.000-05:00

I am so pumped! Our youth team has asked me to be the speaker this year for our church youth trip to Panama City...and Lee McDee will be leading worship all week.

I LOVE TEENAGERS! I spent eight and a half years doing youth ministry and I have never forgotten those days; in fact, I still have a notebook full of Bible studies that I used to teach. (No, you can't see them; in fact, after looking at them I am surprised ANYONE came to the youth groups that I led!)

(On a side note--it is an incredible privilege to have three people on staff that were once members of my youth group! Can you believe that--they knew me and still wanted to work here!)

I'll have to be honest though about my feelings when it comes to youth ministry--and BE WARNED, I have strong opinions about this stuff (big surprise!)

It is my personal belief that youth ministry gets the short end of the deal in most churches. Let me give you an example.

In the first church I served in our youth budget for the year was $500. Please read that again--$500! Let's be honest...most churches spend more money on someone to clean the restrooms than reaching teenagers.

When a youth group wants to go on a mission trip what does the church tell them to do? Sell doughnuts or wash cars! In my opinion that is pathetic...and as a pastor I have promised our church that our kids will not do fundraisers.

Why?

Well...if I can be real honest (and I can--it's my blog) I think it is incredibly hypocritical for a church to make the youth raise money for a trip--but when the senior adults want to do something that will impact the kingdom in an incredible way--like travel to the mountains and pick apples--the church covers their cost. I say if the youth have to raise money--so should the senior adults!

Folks--I am tired of the church merely giving lip service to youth ministry!

I am tired of the churches that have more money in their cemetery fund than they do in their youth budget.

I am tired of the church that gives the youth crappy facilities and then tells them to deal with it and be thankful.

I am tired of the church that will spend more money on stained glass windows and hymnals than youth events!

And finally--I AM TIRED of hearing church leaders who say, "We need those youth in here--they are the church of tomorrow!"

WRONG ANSWER! If you have ever said that then please apologize to God for not thinking before you speak. They are NOT the church of tomorrow...they are the church of TODAY! They matter TODAY! They need Jesus TODAY! They need to be involved TODAY! The church that says they are the church of tomorrow will wait until "tomorrow" to reach them...and by then it will be too late!

Why am I so passionate about this? Just the other day I read an estimate that around 4% of today's teenagers will have a relationship with Christ before reaching the age of 18. PEOPLE--FOUR PERCENT! WE NEED TO WAKE UP--these are the people who will be leading our country in 20-30 years...and if you think things are bad NOW--just wait until we have a generation that does not know Jesus in leadership!

Youth ministry can't be an after thought in a church--it must be a primary focus. I remember a senior adult one time in a church asking me why I was so passionate about reaching kids, "After all," she said, "they don't give." I wanted to go off--I wanted to say, "If who and who does not give is the standard for reaching people then a lot of people are going to hell!"

Pastors--in order for a youth ministry to be successful--YOU have to drive it. YOU have to be passionate about it. YOU have to fight for the ministry to have the resources...if you make the youth minister go and ask for everything that he or she needs then you are a pathetic excuse for a leader. One of the things I had at my last church was a pastor who would make sure I had what I needed to be successful (thanks Bill!) Pastors--YOU have to make it happen.

AND...if people get offended--then so be it. If they leave--then so be it.

Oh yeah, when I say you have to drive it...I mean hire the right people...give them the resources they need...pray for them like crazy--BUT DO NOT micromanage it...ask questions but do not try to keep you hands on everything that has to do with the ministry.

I love teenagers! LOVE THEM! One of the coolest things about NewSpring is that we have teenagers all over the place--they are involved--they greet on Sunday's...the work with our children's ministry--they feel like this is their church (it is!)

And our parents--they love it!!!

Whew--I am tired now! That's about it! I can't wait for our trip in June--if you are a teenager then make sure you get signed up ASAP. You can get a form from Alden or Sandy at youth group...or you can pick one up here at the church this Sunday!

Tuesday's Random Thoughts

2006-04-25T07:20:00.000-05:00

I am a LOSER husband!!!

Pray for Lucretia...she has what I had over the weekend! I HATE seeing my wife sick! It's all my fault--just call me "Mr. Virus" for the day!!!

Tony Morgan included me in his podcast last week--you can listen to it here if you would like. Granger is going to actually allow me to be a part of their conference this fall...pray for them!!! I am excited about going to Indiana...BUT...I understand that they do not have sweet tea...it is a sacrifice--but I think I can do it!

I am heading to Atlanta in a an hour or so...I know, I DID go there last week to have lunch with someone--but this week I have another unique opportunity...I am meeting Andy Stanley for lunch. You don't understand how exciting this is for me...I believe Andy is the BEST communicator in America. (You can listen to/watch his messages here.)

About four years ago I made a list of the top four people I would love to have lunch with and ask questions to--they were, (in no particular order), Ed Young, John Maxwell, Andy Stanley, and Bill Hybels.

So far I have been able to meet with Ed, John and today--Andy. But Bill...well...I am not having a lot of success in this area so far. If someone out there in blog world knows Bill then tell him that a redneck from Anderson, SC would LOVE to meet with him and ask him questions about leadership--AND that I am willing to buy the meal. (He's always looking for a free meal.)

Some might ask, "Hey Pastor P, why did you choose to meet with these guys?" It's simple--I always want to get around people who have been where I want to go. I want to hang out with people who have been successful and ask them tons of questions and gain wisdom from their experience. (I believe Proverbs has tons to say about this!!!)

It's the same in life really--if you want to have a successful marriage then you should hang out with people who are having a successful marriage and ask them questions. I seriously don't think people should seek wisdom on marriage from single people (THEY ARE SINGLE) or people that are on their fifth marriage!!!

If you want to be successful financially then you should seek the wisdom of people who are successful financially...that means quit asking your bankrupt friend with 17 credit cards and two mortgages on his home if he thinks you should buy the new bass boat!

Ask the right people the right questions to get the right answers...that is a quote from Ed!

Ok--so I ran this morning...the first time since being sick. Trust me--I didn't blaze a trail--but I didn't throw up either. (WHAAAAAA!)

Oh yeah, I totally forgot to send a shout out to the women's soccer team from Clemson! I had the privilege of meeting these ladies this past Sunday morning & it was awesome!!! They didn't want to talk about their record from this past fall--but we did talk about how they all wound up coming to NewSpring. It seems that one lady on the team began to come--she invited someone who invited someone who...well...you get the picture. So now most of them attend--LESSON--INVITE PEOPLE TO CHURCH! :-)

Oh yeah--more on this later--but "First Wednesday" in May is going to be one for the books...I will talk more about it Sunday.

That's about it for now!

A Change of Plans

2006-04-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

So this weekend was ANYTHING except for ordinary!

I had it all planned out! First of all I did no cardio on Friday because I wanted to save my legs for the 20 mile run on Saturday. I took it easy all day Friday & it was so nice! I had planned to get up and run the big run on Saturday--the weather forecast was calling for rain (and thunderstorms--I love running in thunderstorms!) so I was excited--THEN I was going to go with 'Cretia to her 10 year college reunion at Sullivan's here in Anderson! (I LOVE THEIR FOOD!) And then, of course, I was going to get to preach on Sunday.

But--I had a change of plans. Did you know there is a stomach virus going around? I DO!!!

Friday afternoon I began to have this feeling like, "I am NOT hungry at all." (Which, if you know me, is NOT in my normal line of thinking!) Lucretia and I went to supper on Friday evening & I knew I needed to eat something because of the run the next day...but I could not even finish my plate. (Once again--unusual!)

After we ate we went by the church to check in on membership class & as I was standing around talking to people it HIT ME like a brick. I literally felt like I was about to throw up--right there--all over the dude I was talking to. (I can just see it now, "Thank you for joining NewSpring--whaaaaaaaa!) I am not sure that is how you spell a throw up sound--but you get the picture, right?

So 'Cretia and I left and I came home and laid down on the couch...I figured if I could just stay still then I would not lose anything--WRONG! Let's just say that the next several hours were not pretty...did you know the toilet flushes in a counter-clockwise motion--I do because my HEAD was in it! After the last time I thought, "that has got to be it--there is nothing left in me."

Boy was I wrong!!!

Not to drag the story out--but I lost eight pounds! (This is a fact--I weigh the day before a long run & so I weighed before and after the "excitement" in my life!) So--needless to say--I did not run Saturday morning! (I know--what a wimp!) All I did was lay around the house. Lunch consisted of fruit and Gatorade. (If all I had was fruit--you KNOW I was sick.) And get this--I didn't go to Sullivan's!!! Can you believe that? I had already paid and everything--but I just could not go. I could just see it, "Yeah, I'm Lucretia's husband and the pastor of NewSpring--WHAAAAAAA!"

BUT--I began feeling a lot better about 2:00 this morning and knew that I would be ok! I normally stand in the lobby between services but I just could not do it today because I didn't have the energy! However, TODAY was the perfect example of the fact that HIS strength is made perfect in our weakness!!! Praise God He still uses cracked pots like me!

So I said all that to say this--many times our plans change. I have to keep telling myself that I can't control my circumstances!!! LIFE happens--and the bad things that happen usually do not call ahead to make sure that we are not too inconvenienced by all that is going on. So--when life happens...are you going to get bitter or get better?

I chose to get better this weekend! I chose not to get bitter over the fact that I didn't get to run--even though I REALLY wanted to. (By the way--my legs are REALLY fresh again!) I chose not to get bitter over the fact that I missed an excellent meal at Sullivan's. (By the way--I was able to get a lot of rest and go to bed early.) I chose not to get bitter over the fact that I didn't feel 100% today when I stepped on stage. (By the way--God is always at 100%, no matter how I feel!!!)

Plans change--circumstances change--life happens...how will you let that affect your day today? God is still God whether you are looking into a toilet (WHAAAAAA) or looking at the unemployment line! He is not limited by our circumstances! I was reminded of that fact this weekend...He reigns! Things that seem to be over our heads are under His feet! So don't let circumstances get you down. Even though your plans change--God is still God! YEAH!

So What Do We Do Now?

2006-04-21T07:59:00.000-05:00

We had an excellent question posed to me yesterday via e-mail concerning the number of salvations we have recently had at NewSpring. This person wanted to know now that these people were a part of the kingdom--what are we going to "do" with them.

Disciple them--of course!

HOWEVER, my thoughts about discipleship and the traditional thoughts of discipleship are VERY different.

Traditional views of discipleship say, "teach them to act and think just like you." I think a Biblical view of discipleship is, "Teach them how to completely fall in love with Jesus."

We provide opportunities for a person to grow in their walk with Christ at NewSpring--our "Basic Five" Bible study is an excellent opportunity for someone to really get a handle on the basics of Christianity...and we have other Bible studies going on as well.

AND--I think one of the MOST neglected forms of discipleship is a Sunday worship service. We try our best to make sure that people leave with something new--something they have never thought about before--something they can apply.

I believe a key to being effective in discipleship is for a pastor to present Biblical information with practical application. In other words--if all people are getting in church on Sunday's is a history lesson then that is not true discipleship!

AND--one of the things we also do at NewSpring is rely heavily on the Holy Spirit. I sincerely believe that it is the churches job to provide growth opportunities and to challenge people to mature in their faith; however, in doing so I think there are times when we try to "out do" the Holy Spirit and do not allow Him time to refine and reshape someone's life. He can do more in five minutes than we can do with five hundred classes.

One of my very first posts was on discipleship--you can read more here if you would like!

ONE MORE THING...

Don't forget that this Sunday we are returning to our normal service times - 9:30, 11:15, and 6:00. WE ARE NOT DOING A SATURDAY SERVICE!!! Remember, that was a one time deal. And this Sunday we will be looking at the questions, "How reliable is the Bible? Is it full of myths and legends? Can we be totally sure that we are reading what was actually written?" It's going to be awesome!

AND...John Maxwell's assistant confirmed it yesterday--he will be speaking at NewSpring this fall! I can't wait!!!

I Can't Believe It's Thurday Already

2006-04-20T07:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday went by so fast that when I woke up this morning the first thought that crossed my mind was, "Oh my--it's Thursday--ALREADY!"

Yesterday morning began with a leisure 10 mile run. I did enjoy the run; however, I am not sure the best thing to do after a run like that is to hop in a car and drive to the ATL.

Oh yeah--in my quiet time yesterday I was reading in the book of Nehemiah and I got to the part where his enemies were trying to distract him and get him to quit the work he was doing and come down off the wall...and his reply was, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down!" YEAH BABY! That is why I refuse to get caught up in debates about methodology--because I feel like I am doing a great work...and to debate with people who don't even want to understand would be coming down off the wall!

Anyway, so lunch with John Maxwell was awesome. WOW--the dude has wisdom. I asked him questions for about two hours...the thing I love about John is that he shares his successes and his failures with me...and he challenges me. It was so cool because I spoke to him specifically about dealing with criticism and he told me that a secure leader never feels like he has to defend what he is doing. WOW...AND...OUCH! (That was so cool--God got me in my quiet time and then John was calling me out on it as well.)

Oh yeah--it looks about like a 90% possibility that John is going to come to speak at NewSpring this fall!

On the way back I stopped at Starbucks. Let me just be honest--it's not fair. Atlanta has a Starbucks everywhere...and Anderson has ZERO! If there is someone in Anderson looking for a business opportunity--please--hear me...open a Starbucks! I am begging you! I get so jealous when I read Scotts blog and he has a post about Starbucks--dude, your killing me--it's not fair!

So I walked in and told the dude behind the counter that I needed something to keep me awake for my two hour drive back to Anderson...his solution was FIVE SHOTS of espresso over ice. It worked--not only did I stay awake for my drive back--but I also rearranged the living room in my home and mowed the yard of everyone in our neighborhood! (Actually I didn't--but felt like I could have! WOW--that was a SHOT of energy!)

On the way back from the ATL there was a slight traffic issue on 285...everyone was hitting their brakes...I wondered what was going on until I saw it...there he was...a white dog playing "dodge cars." (Relax--the dog didn't lose!) Once again though I learned a lesson, I had this thought in my head. "Perry--dogs will slow you down...don't slow down for the dogs!" Then this verse popped into my mind, "Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh." Philippians 3:2

That verse is referring to those who, at the time, were claiming to be more godly because they were circumcised. (Aren't you glad that isn't an issue anymore?!?!?!) Translation--don't let people who claim they are godlier than you because they do or don't do certain things slow you down!

Last night was incredible--we had a creativity meeting for mothers day...I met with 15 women from our church and asked, "What do women need to hear?" Seventeen hours later we were done--JUST KIDDING...WOW...the insight I gained was amazing. I can say this--women are complicated--but in a godly sort of way! :-)

The question of the night that I found most interesting was when I asked, "How are women impure? I know how men struggle with impurity--but how do women deal with this?" OH WOW, HOLY COW! And that's all I've got to say about that!

We did video the entire session...you will be seeing clips from it soon! I said all that to say this, you don't want to miss Mother's Day!

My head hit the pillow last night and I was OUT! All in all it was an awesome day! We did the five mile run this morning and I am taking tomorrow off in preparation for our 20 mile run on Saturday! Sound fun?

One more thought...I love it when God totally gets my attention on something and will not let it go--Nehemiah, John's comments, the dog in the road--amazing! Thank you Jesus for being so real!

Off To Atlanta

2006-04-19T07:48:00.000-05:00

First of all--AWESOME run this morning...it felt great--we did 10 miles and now the day can get started! (We had a new person run with us today--a HUGE shout out to Tiffany for hanging out with us! It was so cool to get to hear your story!)

I am heading to Atlanta today for a lunch meeting with John Maxwell. I have the unique privilege of meeting with him about three times a year and he mentors me. I always leave these meetings feeling so challenged! One of the commitments I made when I first entered the ministry was to never stop learning--to read books, go to conferences AND seek out people who had been where I wanted to go.

(I almost said seek out people that are smarter than me...but there are just so many of them!!!)
Anyway...one of the things I have learned from in meeting with John is the fact that there is so much wisdom in hanging out with and getting ideas from other people...it's just that we have to make time for these meetings and we have to ask the right questions.

John made a deal with me, "I'll buy the lunch and you supply the questions." He doesn't have a fill in the blank outline for me, nor does he have a leadership lesson prepared--he just lets me ask questions. SO--I am off now--and I am LOADED up with questions!

Oh yeah, Ed Young mentioned the questions thing a couple of years ago at C3--he talked about asking the right people the right questions to get the right answers. So who in your life do you ask the right questions to?

Thoughts About The Civil War And Church

2006-04-18T07:21:00.000-05:00

I was born in Los Angeles in 1971...but my parents moved to Easley SC in 1975--so, even though I was not born in the South...I grew up here, which has caused me to deeply appreciate Southern culture.

I LOVE sweet tea (yes, I heard that Amen), I love biscuits and gravy, I love a tomato sandwich and I really do like sitting on a back porch and watch bugs commit suicide by flying into that beautiful purple light! (You would think they might look @ all the other dead bugs and back off but...oops...sorry, almost chased a rabbit...speaking of rabbits...)

However, one of the things I do not understand about us Southerners is our whole fascination with the Civil War. I LOVE history--I read about it all the time; in fact, it was the ONE subject in school that I excelled in...and I have never read an account of the South winning the war. In fact, by the time it was over I believe we had pretty much received a beating! (I actually had a Yankee tell me one time, "Be nice to me--I have matches...")

But for some reason there are some Southerners that will NOT let it go--even though the war was over in 1865--that's about 140 years ago. I about fell out of my chair when I read this letter to the editor in our local newspaper about how Jefferson Davis was a better leader than Abraham Lincoln.

Some people refuse to let the past die--speaking of that...it reminds me of the church in a few ways...

I was talking to a discouraged pastor the other day who had just made a bold move in his church--he installed a screen and a projector. He told me about the hour long conversation he had with a church member who had a serious problem with this "tool of the devil" coming into their church. He then made the comment to me, "Dude--if the 1950's ever make a comeback--we are ready!"

As I read the book of Acts I see the church was a powerful movement...a FORCE in the world; however, today it looks more like an institution. It was once a way to reach the world--now too often it resembles a fortress from the world. I read something the other day that rocked my world, "You cannot wash the feet of a dirty world if you refuse to touch it!"

It saddens me that the church is no longer an agent of change in our society! We have became more concerned with who we are trying to keep rather than who we are trying to reach.

We have given more attention to how many we bury rather than how many we baptize.

We have become more concerned with what people are wearing than how messy their lives might be on the inside.

We have become more concerned with parliamentary procedure than focusing on what matters!

We have become more concerned with taking a vote rather than getting off our blessed assurance and loving a world that so desperately needs Jesus!

(If I can be honest--many churches today are nothing more than "mini-mafias." There is a family or two in the church that makes all of the decisions...and if you do not agree with the decision you are simply "done away with" as the pastor!)

The church became more concerned with guarding tradition rather than reaching people--and because of the churches desire to play it safe we almost lost an entire generation to the enemy!

Folks, I have no desire to play it safe at NewSpring--God has not called us to be "keepers of the aquarium" but rather "fishers of men." We can't put our feet up and relax--there are too many people in this world that are going to hell for us to begin looking at things that, in the grand scheme of eternity, don't amount to a hill of beans.

God has been rocking my world lately. About two months ago He began to lead me to pray for a "harvest of souls." I literally wrote that prayer out in my journal nearly every day. AND a few weeks ago I met with the whole staff here at NewSpring and told them that God had been really laying it on my heart for us to pray for a "harvest of souls."

In fact, during our last First Wednesday service I preached a message on how we as a church needed to reach this community for Christ. (You can download it here.)

God is AWESOME--in the past two weeks at NewSpring we have seen over 200 people accept Christ! Why? Because we love people enough to take the Gospel to them and put it on a level where they can understand it AND accept it.

200 people--I can't get over that--in two weeks--that's a God thing! STOP and think about that for a minute--200 PEOPLE! 200 new believers!!! And people--this is merely the beginning! There is MORE on the way! God is going to rock the entire upstate of South Carolina--and we get to be a part of it.

If you are a member or regular attender of NewSpring I want to ask you to do two things...

#1 - Stop right now and thank God for all that He has been doing!

#2 - Ask God to show you who you need to reach out to and invite to church!

I am amazed!

Let me say one more thing before I quit...and I know this has been long.

I had a conversation with some friends the other day who told me that a fear among some people in this church is that I am going to leave one day for "greener pastures." That I am going to begin to look for other opportunities...that I will go to a large city & be at a church with more resources and more prestige.

Now let me qualify this by saying that God can do anything He wants--anytime He wants...BUT...

I HAVE NO DESIRE TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE!!! I LOVE ANDERSON! I WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE HERE! I want to pastor NewSpring until I die--I want to preach my own funeral, crawl in the box, let you guys bury me...and then come back here and have a celebration!

I am not a "preacher for hire." It gripes me when I see pastors who always have a resume in their briefcase and are seeking other places of employment! I don't want to be anywhere else--I want to be right here!!! I understand where the fear comes from...the average stay for a pastor today in America is 22 months--no wonder our churches are in a sad state--they can't find leadership that cares!

I love our church...but folks--we will always change! We will always do what it takes to reach this world. We will always listen to the voice of God! We will always care about those far away from God! And because of this I believe God will be honored, Jesus will be lifted up...and we will continue to see more and more people come to Christ!

Sunday Night Reflections

2006-04-16T19:55:00.000-05:00

I'm tired!

Seriously--I was almost too tired to eat lunch today when I arrived home. (Now if you know me--THAT'S TIRED!)

Easter wears me out every year--in fact, our whole staff and volunteer team probably let out a huge "yeah" followed by a "whew" at the end of our 11:15 service today. After two Saturday night services--followed by two today--and a record crowd of 7,445 people I believe we all had reason to celebrate and then relax!

I don't have the complete count as of yet--but the last I heard there were at least 57 kids in our children's department that had accepted Christ. NOW WAIT...hold on, I know what you are thinking--that we coerced them into raising their hand...and as soon as that happened we said, "BOOM," you are now a Christian!

Not so!

Each child was individually met with and asked over and over again if he or she understood what they just did. There were some that raised their hands just because other kids were--but like I said earlier--the last I heard we had 57 kids that had nailed it down!

In fact, one kid said, "I was baptized in my last church--but I think they tricked me into it."

I don't know about you--but hearing everyone sing "Amazing Grace" today ROCKED MY WORLD! That song is SO powerful!

Tonight Lucretia and I went to Outback with some friends and I had a cheeseburger! (Don't make fun of me--if you have ever had a cheeseburger at Outback you would understand--THEY ARE AWESOME!) It was a relaxing evening!

BUT--next week we are back to our normal schedule. Please help me to get the word out--I had at least five people speak to me in the lobby yesterday and ask, "Now are you guys starting a Saturday night service?"

We have thought about the possibility of a Saturday night service...ONE DAY...but NOT NOW. Next Sunday we will be doing three identical services--9:30, 11:15 & 6:00. Help me get the word out!

That's it--I'm going to bed!

Top Ten Reasons To Attend NewSpring This Weekend

2006-04-14T04:30:00.000-05:00

#10 - Its EASTER--we should all go to church "whether we need it or not!"

#9 - Because I can attend on Saturday evening and sleep in on Sunday--guilt free!

#8 - The word "cantata" will not be used in any capacity whatsoever!

#7 - You will not hear a sermon on "Reasons the Easter Bunny Is From Hell!" (But seriously folks, it always freaked me out as a kid when I was told that a giant rabbit came in my house at night! I still haven't fully recovered from it!)

#6 - Because NewSpring is one of the few places on this planet you might hear, "Hey dude, check out my new Easter tattoo!"

#5 - Because our creative arts area has worked so hard in putting together one of the BEST presentations I have ever seen in my life! (Props to Lee, Ken, DJ, Judith, Karla, Gizz...and my hero--SHANE!) One more thing--you are going to REALLY want to be here early this weekend, I can't tell you what is happening--but there is going to be some COOL stuff happening before the service starts!

#4 - Because pastels are not mandatory!

#3 - Because you do not have to buy new clothes & have other people more interested in what you are wearing rather than the person you are becoming! (We have declared a ban on large Easter hats...anyone wearing one will be tackled!)

#2 - Because the message will be FOCUSED on the most awesome person to ever live on this planet--JESUS CHRIST! I firmly believe this message will encourage the believer AND challenge the socks off of those who say that there is nothing that special about Jesus!

#1 - You decide! And once you do--then tell at least 10 people your reason and DRAG them with you this weekend. Remember--four services, 4 & 6 on Saturday and 9:30 & 11:15 on Sunday!

See you this weekend--AND PEOPLE--I just won't listen to excuses as to why someone isn't able to show up on Saturday or Sunday...I've got a 14 mile run Saturday morning...and I will be preaching twice that evening...if I can do it...so can you! :-)

Oh yeah, one more thing...if anyone is going to bring me Easter candy then keep two things in mind...

#1 - I HATE PEEPS! I mean it--those things freak me out and make me want to throw things! It may be a holdover from the whole big bunny coming into my house trauma!

#2 - I LOVE ROBIN EGGS! :-) (You know--the Whoppers Easter candy!)

And One More Thing...

2006-04-13T10:13:00.000-05:00

Mark...dude--you nailed it!!! This is a MUST READ for pastors who have a desire to be REAL and connect with people!!!

So What's The Big Deal With Jesus?

2006-04-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

I am a man obsessed! I can't help it--the more I read and study about Jesus the more I am fascinated with Him.

Let me be very clear...I am NOT one of those wimpy pastors who portray Jesus as a frail, weak and sad individual. I can't stand the pictures of Jesus that many people have in their homes and churches--there He is, white, Anglo-Saxon Jesus (I thought He was Jewish), wearing a white robe with a purple sash, looking skinny and frail, a tear in His eye and holding a lamb.

I have to be very honest at the risk of offending some people--but the picture I just described DOES NOT inspire me--AT ALL! It makes me sick...if this is the Jesus the church is portraying then no wonder it is so difficult to get men to come to church!!! No man in his right mind would want to follow a wimp--which is EXACTLY what the church has been teaching!

I believe that the picture of Jesus that the Scriptures teach about is far different from the ridiculous paintings we worship!

First of all I believe Jesus was a tough kid! Seriously--his mother was a teenager and became pregnant before she was married. (Do you REALLY believe that everyone at that time believed the whole "virgin birth" story?) Mary knew the truth, so did Joseph--but growing up in that culture and being known as the kid whose mom became pregnant HAD to be tough. Remember, He WAS fully God--but fully human as well!

Secondly lets take under consideration his occupation until the age of 30...He was a carpenter. I have to be honest--I have never seen a wimpy carpenter. I can imagine His hands were calloused and I believe that He had to be strong!!! Remember--Jesus didn't have power tools!

There is a story of Jesus clearing the temple...and to my best recollection--He didn't need any help! Basically we see Jesus here whipping some rear end--so much for the passive view of Jesus!

(I love the stories of strength in Scripture--like when the Spirit of God came upon Samson and he tore the lion apart...or in the last chapter of Nehemiah when he went and beat the crap out of people who were not doing what was supposed to be done!!! I think the world needs more passionate people today!)

If you study the culture of that time period you will come to understand that Jesus was not a somber individual who was always rebuking people and speaking in the King James version only, but rather He used humor at times and had a grasp on the cultural climate of the day.

He CHANGED everything--He didn't care what people said about Him...and trust me, they blasted Him--the people of that day who loved tradition fought against the changes He brought about--and even were the catalyst for the movement to crucify Him. (Aren't you glad we've progressed so much since there--there is no one who loves tradition more than Jesus right here in good 'ole 2006!!!) :-)

And then lets not forget the resurrection--ANYONE who gets killed and then comes back to life in three days...now there's something to brag about!!!

As I said before--Jesus was fully God--AND fully man! And when I say "man" I do not mean some weak, pathetic, passive wimp! I mean strong--confident--passionate--and willing to do whatever it took to honor God!!!

I can't wait until this weekend--we are beginning the series entitled Davinci Decoded and we will be talking about my favorite subject--JESUS! And NOT in a way that you might be used to!

IN OTHER NEWS:

I am currently compiling a list of top 10 reasons to come to NewSpring on Easter--there have been some awesome suggestions; however, at least five or six people have said something about me dressing up in a bunny costume. I have no idea where this came from--but I can assure you that I will NOT be dressing as a bunny--it's just not me!

If you are into leadership development--Tony's post today knocked the ball out of the park!!!

I loved what Jonathan had to say about the Gospel of Judas--people, it's really not new news!

Lee had some thoughts on Jesus this week that were outstanding and were one of the inspirations behind this post today.

Fourteen miles Saturday...and then two services on Saturday evening! Remember--4:00 and 6:00 on Saturday...and then 9:30 and 11:15 on Sunday! (If you are coming on Sunday you might want to get there early!!!)

Cranking Up The Creative Process

2006-04-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

I LOVE TUESDAYS!!!

Why?

Because Tuesday is the day our creative team meets to put the final touches on the upcoming weekend--AND to plan for future messages. (We will working on the message for May 7 today!)

One of the things we are serious about here at NewSpring is the creative process. We want to make sure that when people pull onto our campus that they are ENGAGED by people who love Jesus and love them! We want them to be ENGAGED by the atmosphere that is created. We want them to be ENGAGED during the worship time. We want the message to ENGAGE their hearts...and ultimately--we want to see them receive Christ so that His kingdom can be ENLARGED!

So we take Tuesdays seriously!

You see...I have this belief that there is a man coming this weekend...he's bitter at God and at the church. But he's coming...why, probably because a friend invited him--and EVERYTHING he sees and experiences is going to matter. When I preach I always have him in mind--I want to make sure he can understand what is being said.

I believe there is a lady coming this weekend...maybe a single mom. She hasn't had a moment of silence in...well, she can't remember when. AND she can't remember the last time she really had a time to slow down and listen to the Lord. She's coming--why, probably because someone loved her enough to invite her. She'll bring her kids in and check them in...and then she will come into the worship center and be ENGAGED by the living God! You see, when we plan we have her in mind.

I believe there is a family coming this weekend...and the husband and wife are on the brink of divorce. On the outside things look great--but they are TORN on the inside...and they just don't know how much longer they can hold on. They are coming, why--probably because someone invited them. And they will sit in our worship center...and because of God working through people who love HIM and THEM enough to do what it takes--their marriage will be saved and their children will not have to deal with the pain of divorce.

I seriously do believe these people are coming...and I seriously believe that what we do matters. That is why I PROMISE you as a pastor that if you will invite your lost family members and friends to NewSpring that you will get our absolute best effort every single week! We believe that they are worth the effort!!! This ministry is a partnership--and we want you to know we are doing our part.

Don't get me wrong...we know it is not by our effort alone that God is doing this awesome work, that would be stupidity; however, I do believe it is God working through us! I believe, as I read in a book by Bob Russell, that "excellence honors God and inspires people." And that is what we strive for every week at NewSpring.

We take church seriously! We take that there are people out there who are far from God seriously. We take the fact that hell is hot seriously. We take that without Jesus that people have no hope for this life or the next seriously. AND we are going to work as if everything depends on us...and then pray as if everything depends on God...and we just are all crazy enough to believe that somewhere in that balance...AND with all of us inviting people who need Jesus--that He will draw people to Himself and ultimately this entire community will be changed!!!

WOW--I'm pumped about EASTER! Don't forget our service times this weekend--4 & 6 on Saturday night and then 9:30 and 11:15 on Sunday. AND for this WEEK ONLY we will not have a Sunday night service...but the next week we will resume normal schedule!

Get as many people here as possible...and let's celebrate Easter like never before!!!

One more thing...I am thinking of composing a "Top Ten Reasons To Come To NewSpring This Easter." Does anyone out there have a recomendation? You don't have to come up with 10 reasons...but maybe 2 or 3...shoot me an e-mail!!

Got Joy? (A Pastors Perspecitve On Rumors!)

2006-04-09T21:21:00.000-05:00

A fact that the enemy must deal with is that I am not his...and I never will be. I totally belong to Jesus & my soul is untouchable; however, if he cannot destroy my soul then the next best thing for him to come after is my joy. (Don't worry...if you are a Christian he will be coming after yours as well!!!)

So how does he accomplish this? I would say it is different for each person. For example, some people will lose their joy because their car will not crank...or a bad grade...or their children bring home a bad grade...or, as I said this morning--the batteries in the remote control go dead! (God help us all!!!)

These things get to us--make us angry--and we forget the things that God has done for us and the ways we are blessed and begin to hyper focus on the circumstances--thus losing our joy.

As I said earlier...the enemy uses various things to get us distracted--and one of the things he has hit me with over the past year is rumors.

Any pastor of a church will tell you that he takes what people say about the church personally. Let me say this up front--one of the DUMBEST things you can ever say to a pastor is, "Now I have some things to share with you...and don't take this personally..." That is equal to saying, "Hey dude--your baby is ugly...don't take that personally!!!"

And, this goes without saying, anything said about me...well...I take that personally as well.

AND...the enemy knows this--and that is why he attacks my joy through rumors. We've heard it all--there was the one about the new building having a statue of me in it--there was the one about us not allowing Bible's into our service--there is also the one about us NOT letting people join our church unless they show us their W2's and/or last years tax return. (I am NOT making this up--these have been quoted back to me by several sources!)

And there have been rumors about me as well...one of my favorites of all time is when I nearly died back in July--that all of that was merely a set up and that none of it actually happened! (WOW--I'm a great actor!!!)

But the latest one...wow...this one takes the cake. I was informed yesterday that there is talk in the community about our lead team...and how in staff meetings all of us drink and get drunk every single Monday! Once again...I am NOT making this up!

People, when I heard this I have to be honest...I REALLY wanted to track down the source and explain to them that alcohol has not touched my lips since 1989...and NO--we do NOT drink in staff meetings!!! (Except for large amounts of coffee!)

This rumor was particularly offensive to me because of my previous struggles with alcohol. I battled it and I overcame my addiction--and for someone to begin to throw things around set me on fire with anger that rarely comes to the surface!!!

BUT--I realized what this is...a tool of the enemy trying to tear me down and get me unfocused. So when I heard this, after thinking about it for several minutes I decided, "Oh no you don't--you have gotten me before...BUT NOT NOW!" I refuse to allow the enemy to steal my joy!

One thing you need to understand is that there will always be stupid people in the world! (That's right--I said stupid--I meant it...anyone who spreads rumors or tells what they have heard and begins to tear apart the character of a particular person OR particular group of people is a stupid person!) And you can't allow the enemy to use them to tear you down.

If you are in the ministry you have GOT to understand--people spread rumors about the Apostle Paul...they said things that were not true about Jesus--but that didn't slow either of them down. If they had spent all their time battling rumors then do you think they would have actually gotten any ministry accomplished?

I don't have time to battle rumors...and neither do you! Don't let things that people say about you steal your joy. If you are doing something right then others WILL say things that are untrue...deal with it...and get over it...and let Christ shine through you!

The enemy IS coming after your joy--look back over your life and you will see his pattern. Identify it and then don't let him do it again--remember that Scripture tells us that the God who lives IN us rules OVER him!!!

Well, that's about it--I am going to go to bed now...and it's not because I have a hangover!!! :-)

Running Update

2006-04-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

So...we just finished our 18 miles! How does it feel? Well--it feels like we just ran 18 miles...in other words--IT HURTS! :-)

Yes, we ran in the rain...and it was awesome! I was fearful that we might get some really bad weather--but we decided to do it anyway, I think it made us run faster!

Oh yeah--'Cretia and I have been married six years today! Thank you Jesus that she knows more about me than anyone else does...and she loves me anyway!

Additional Thoughts On Davinci

2006-04-07T07:59:00.000-05:00

It seems that I have created a stir among some people in regards to how NewSpring is handling the release of the movie, "The Davinci Code." I have received e-mails and even seen a few blogs take some shots at how we are handling this.

Which, in my mind, reveals a much larger problem! Let me explain...

First--lets deal with a fact or two...the first being that the book has been on the top of the NY Times best sellers list for right at 157 weeks. So...in light of this I think we can all agree that thousands and thousands of people have been exposed to what is taught in this book.

And, like it or not, people ARE going to go and see the movie; after all, Ron Howard being the director and Tom Hanks acting in it is a drawing card...and this movie is going to make millions!

OK--so what do we do about that? You see, the church can not ignore the culture we live in. (Well, it can and obviously has in many occasions!) But I am talking about NewSpring in this case! I refuse to ignore the fact that people HAVE read the book and ARE going to see the movie...and as a result they are going to have questions about Jesus, the Bible and the church.

It bothers me that many churches are simply saying, "Don't read the book and don't see the movie." That may be excellent advice...FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE EVERY WEEK!!! But I think we have an enormous problem when the church begins to believe it is our job to keep the people inside "safe" & as a result we see those outside go to hell!

The church can't be simply concerned with keeping the saints safe and protected from the outside world...and as a result you distance yourself from those who are far from God.

I have thought long and hard about this--and put much prayer into the decision that NewSpring's job is not to keep people safe...we will be "safe" when we get to heaven...but rather it is our job to preach and teach the truth...and the Davinci Code affords us that opportunity, it presents flat out lies and false doctrine--and to ignore the opportunity to use those lies to teach the truth would be a crying shame.

You can't just tell people who come to your church that have read the book or seen the movie that they are "stupid sinners" who are going to burn. And don't even use the word blasphemy when speaking to them...NOT because it does not matter...BUT because they don't understand what in the heck it means!!!

(Unfortunately I have discovered that there are those out there who misuse the word blasphemy because they use it to describe anyone or anything that is not in line with their way of thinking--which is NOT at all what Jesus said it was...sorry, chased a rabbit...)

I am not attempting to end this debate...I merely wanted to speak my peace and say that we are going to meet the challenges that the Davinci Code raises HEAD ON! To ignore them would be to give fuel to what the book says--that the church is hiding something.

And the bottom line is this--HEAVEN is not shaking as a result of the Davinci Code! God does not run when people have legitimate questions! He has handled skeptics for centuries...and this will be no exception! And if God wants these type of questions dealt with--WHAT BETTER PLACE THAN THE CHURCH to handle them?

WOW--this post is getting me excited--I literally can't wait for Easter weekend to get here! OK--I'm going to calm down now...

IN OTHER NEWS...

Pray for our running crew tomorrow--longest run of the training so far--18 miles!!!

Lucretia and I celebrate six years of marriage tomorrow! WOW--what a woman, she's been with me for six years and still kisses me every morning, bad breath and all!!!

AND...once again...Sunday I am going to boldly go where no pastor has gone before...and it has the potential to get a little uncomfortable for us all...INCLUDING ME!!!

I Am So Torn...

2006-04-06T20:49:00.000-05:00

I had friends beg me to begin watching "Lost" & now I am HOOKED! (Did you see the ending last night...I literally screamed at the television..."NO, you can't end the show like that!!!")

It was so much fun watching all the episodes from season one and then catching up on season two.

BUT...now I am in a serious dilemma...some friends let us borrow the first season of 24 tonight--and I just don't know what I should do! I have heard it is awesome...and then I have heard its not that good...and the main actor, to me, will always be "Doc" from Young Guns!!!

So...I guess I am going to watch it to see what all the hype is all about!

Speaking of hype...and I've got to say this...I am NOT impressed with American Idol this season whatsoever!!! I guess I am just spoiled because I get to hear awesome music EVERY week at NewSpring!

So What's The Deal With Walking On Water?

2006-04-06T07:49:00.000-05:00

Even if you didn't grow up in church you have probably at least heard about this guy named Jesus and the fact that He walked on water...this is commonly referred to as a miracle.

So did this happen? Yet again we see people trying to attack the Scriptures, showing them to be a great work of literature--but not "holy" or "inspired" by God. (Isn't it funny that it is always the Bible that comes under attack and not the Book of Mormon or the Koran? Maybe there is something to that...anyway...)

I referred to this article yesterday about the professor in Florida who said that Jesus probably didn't walk on water...but rather sort of floated on a piece of ice. This dude says he has determined that the Sea of Galilee could have been frozen and had ice on it thick enough to support a human...and that Jesus could have just walked on the ice and appeared to have walked on the water.

But there are several problems here...

#1 - This is more of a curiosity question...but don't you think if ice had been on the Sea that one of the Gospels would have mentioned it? This particular miracle is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and John...none of which talk about ice. Some might say they were trying to hide the fact that ice was on the lake...I would say that is a serious stretch.

#2 - In the book of Matthew we are told that Peter actually attempts to walk on the water...and he actually succeeds for a while, until he "sees the wind" and begins to sink. If this ice theory is true then what is the deal with Peter? Did he step on ice as well? And if so--did he not begin to sink but rather fall off the piece of ice and have to be rescued?

#3 - In the book of John we are told that Jesus was actually walking towards the disciples, who were in a boat. Keep in mind this was not a Coast Guard cutter--this was a boat with 12 men in it--were they rowing through the ice? Once again--don't you think someone would have mentioned this?

#4 - Here is the kicker...we are told in John's account of this miracle that the disciples had actually rowed out into the sea about three or three and a half miles...and Jesus came to them walking on the water. My question is was there THAT MUCH ICE on the Sea of Galilee? People, do you understand how cold it would have had to have been to create that much ice...and keep in mind IF there was that much ice--once again--how did that boat get in the middle of it?

People have been trying to disprove the Bible for centuries...and have not been successful. This miracle happened--I believe that with all my heart. Keep in mind that to a God who can bring the dead back to life...walking on water is a piece of cake!

What A Wednesday!!!

2006-04-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

WOW--I just got home from our First Wednesday service and God rocked my world tonight. I have never seen a group of people move like we moved tonight when challenged to write down the names of our family members and friends who do not know Christ...for those who were not able to be there--I can't describe what I saw--I just know I was moved!

I am now relaxing on my couch & preparing to watch "LOST." What can I say--I'm hooked!

Real Quick...

2006-04-05T07:36:00.000-05:00

Three things...

#1 - WOW, God is SO AWESOME! We did a nine mile run this morning and about 45 minutes into it I saw one of the most awesome sunrises I have ever seen--there was an explosion of reds, pinks, purples and oranges...I would argue with anyone who says that God isn't a creative communicator!!!

#2 - DON'T FORGET FIRST WEDNESDAY! Remember--tonight, 6:30 at NewSpring--it's going to be incredible! (For those who may not know--we have a Wednesday night service on the first Wednesday of ever month--thus the incredibly creative name, "First Wednesday!")

#3 - I read this and had to laugh to keep from crying--I will try to comment on this later today--but people--please--they are called miracles for a reason!!!

Boycott The DaVinci Code?

2006-04-04T11:57:00.000-05:00

Here we go again...Christians making an attempt to let the world know what we are against rather than what we stand for!

I have been reading articles and blog sites that are calling for all Christians to boycott the Davinci Code--and some are actually going to protest outside of local theatres. (Believe me--I have WAY better things to do with my time!)

People are wondering what NewSpring's response to the Davinci Code is going to be; after all, this is the book that has stayed the #1 best selling work of FICTION for over a year...not even a new John Grisham novel could take its place.

AND...just in case you haven't read it--it has caused a stir in the world in regards to Christianity, the church, Jesus, Scripture...and a host of other things as well.

I wanted to judge for myself what I thought about the book...so I bought it and read it (in two days!!!) I can say that it is an incredible work of FICTION--very well written--a page turner if you will; however, the book introduces some flat out lies about Jesus, the church and many other things that I believe simply cannot be ignored.

So--starting on Easter weekend--April 16, NewSpring is going to begin a series of messages entitled Davinci Decoded...in this series we are going to be exploring the person of Jesus Christ, did He really think He was God? Is He really alive? What does all of that mean today?

In the second week we are going to be exploring the Bible...is it really reliable? Are there other alternate Gospels that we should be reading? Did Constantine assemble the Bible for his political purposes?

The third week is going to be awesome as well as we look at Mary...was she really married to Jesus and have a child with Him, moving to France after He was crucified? Is she really the Holy Grail?

And the fourth week--in my opinion--is going to be one of the most powerful services we have ever had at NewSpring...I am not letting any details out now--but trust me, May 7th is a day you will not want to miss!

The reason we decided to address this series is this--the book AND the movie are a part of our culture...AND Christians and non-Christians alike have read the book and are going to see the movie. With Christians it could cause them to question their faith...and with non-Christians it could cause them to reject the faith altogether.

So we thought it best to teach the TRUTH! One thing God isn't scared about is when people investigate Christianity! We are told in Scripture to know what we believe and why we believe it. Christianity is not an empty headed religion--you don't have to turn in your brain to follow Christ.

(I think people think that being a Christian = being stupid because when they have had questions in the past and the person they were asking questions to could not answer the question they would just blow up and say, "Don't ask questions--JUST BELIEVE IT!")

I am so glad there were people around me when I first began getting into the church that took the time to answer my hard questions...and that is what this series of message is going to do! We are NOT going to burn books and stage sit-ins, but we are going to expose the lies and myths that Dan Brown introduces and show everyone who attends that Jesus is exactly who the Bible says He is!

I Have Decided You Should Never...

2006-04-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

#1 - Eat a bunch of greasy chicken fingers & then go to bed!!! 'Cretia and I went out for supper after church last night and I was in a "chicken finger mood." I nearly cleaned my plate--I did leave one chicken finger on there so I didn't quite feel like a pig! So I was up at 2:30 this morning...I didn't throw up--but I REALLY wanted to! I have learned my lesson!

#2 - Wash your car!!! I personally think washing your car is over-rated. I have a serious issue because EVERY time I was my car--IT RAINS within 24 hours! I washed it yesterday afternoon and then lo and behold we were under a tornado watch this morning!!! (WOW--can you imagine what would have happened if I had waxed it?)

Just wanted to share what was going on in my world...

Sunday Night Reflections

2006-04-02T20:41:00.000-05:00

I am sitting on my couch getting ready to hit the hay and I have a couple of thoughts I would like to share...

First--running in the heat is flippin' hard!!! HOLY COW--we did 12 miles this past Saturday and I have to say it was the most difficult run I experienced. (The 16 mile run last week was EASY compared to this one!)

I bought one of those GPS watches on Friday (it is so cool) - it monitors your pace and how far you have gone. Well, I ran the first mile in a 7:58 pace and I knew I was in trouble! By the end of the run I felt like I was barely moving and I was giving everyone running with me a shower due to the sweat that was flying off my body! (Yes--I know--that's gross!) BTW--I averaged a nine minute mile for the entire run...not bad for a big boy!

Second--I ate Brusters ice cream on Friday and Saturday night...and all the people said, "AMEN!" People--it's getting warmer in the evenings...this is ice cream weather. I am convinced that one of the reasons daylight savings time exists is so that we can consume more ice cream!

Third--WHAT AN AWESOME SERVICE TODAY! I don't think we have ever had a Lord's Supper service at NewSpring where God didn't move and do something incredible--today was no exception. The service had a different sort of feel...but I loved it. To share in communion with the entire church was awesome.

Fourth--this Wednesday is first Wednesday...remember, we meet at 6:30 for a time of worship and teaching...and it is FUN! AND...this Wednesday night we are giving a sneak peek at what we have coming up for Easter.

Fifth--uh, I think I can say with just about absolute certainty that I am speaking on a passage this Sunday that very few preachers have ever been brave enough to even come close to. I can just about promise you have never heard this text preached on...BUT as we examine Scripture to see how relevant it is...you will not believe how much you can see of yourself in this story.

OK--I'm going to bed!

"WELCOME TO MOE'S!!!"

2006-03-31T08:55:00.000-05:00

Finally--Moe's came to Anderson!!!

For those who are unaware of what Moe's is...it is Southwestern food at its finest. There are some seriously huge burritos in that place--chips--cheese dip--salsa...I could go on and on...I have eaten there twice this week.

(On a side note--a miracle of Biblical proportions took place last night...I actually got Lucretia to eat there!!! SERIOUSLY--she doesn't eat ANYTHING that slightly resembles Mexican food!)

It's a cool place--you walk in and people scream, "Welcome to Moe's!" And the menu is interesting to say the least...I can't really comment on it...you've got to go and see it for yourself.

One of the things I will comment on though is a menu item called, "A cup of fat." I am serious--its right there on the menu--along with the rest of the stuff. And the price? $9.99

This caught my attention right from the start...I had been told about it--but when I saw it I could not stop wondering about it. I figured something called "a cup of fat" that cost ten bucks had to be pretty good stuff.

So I was in there on Tuesday and I asked about it--the burrito artist behind the counter smiled at me and said, "Dude--that item does not exist--the only reason it is on the menu is to get people to ask questions."

Well--it got me! I loved the idea because of the creativity; however, I have been thinking about this since Tuesday and I have had the following thoughts...

I think we treat God like that at times--don't you? I mean, we have all prayed that prayer, "God, I am serious--I will do anything--go anywhere--blah, blah, blah..." However, when God speaks and begins to lead us...and it isn't the most convenient thing for us--we often times tell God, "that's not on the menu."

As Christians I think we are all guilty of saying things--making promises--putting things on the menu and telling God, "If you order it--then I'll make it." But then God begins to speak--to lead our hearts...and we make excuses such as "the supply truck hasn't arrived," or, "that menu item has been discontinued," OR, "I didn't really mean to put that item there--it's really just to see if You would ask questions."

Is there any area on the menu of your life that is off limits to God? How about your finances? Your marriage? Your dating life? The area of forgiveness? You know--as I have been reading through Scripture I have discovered that God pretty much has an opinion on EVERYTHING...AND...He's always right!!! Yet often times we will hold out because we think our ideas are better.

So let me ask it again...in another way...is there any area of your life that you are holding back from Jesus? Is there any area of your life that if He clearly spoke to you today that you would look back and tell Him that the menu item that He requested is not an option? I challenge you today to take a look and see...and to place everything at His feet!!!

One more thing on this--some say, "Well, if I turn that area over to God He might mess things up!" Seriously--I think we all have a really good track record of messing things up WITHOUT His help--He's the one that can patch things up if we will simply be submissive to Him!!!

In other news...

We have a 12 mile run tomorrow...and to be honest, I'm a little bummed! I mean--we did 15 two weeks ago...and 16 last week...12 might be a let down!!! (OK--I am officially a freak!!!)

This Saturday is when we spring forward--DON'T FORGET to wind your clocks forward ONE HOUR!

Uh, Mark--bravo for this post--I seriously think we are related somehow! We think so much alike!

Sunday's is the Lord's Supper at NewSpring! Lucretia and I were talking about the fact that every time we celebrate this sacred ritual at NewSpring that God moves in a powerful way! I am so looking forward to what is going to happen!!!

Have a great weekend!!!

Running Out Of Gas

2006-03-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

So I was on my way to meet the running crew this morning (5.5 mile run) and I saw two police cars with their blue lights on at an intersection in front of me.

I assumed what most people would assume in a situation like that...that an accident had taken place and someone was in serious trouble; thus the reason for two police cars.

However, as I got closer I realized the problem--the car in front of the two police cars had simply ran out of gas. (Conveniently they were right in front of a gas station!!!)

I don't understand that--how do people run out of gas? I can honestly say that this has never happened to me. PEOPLE--it's REALLY not that difficult--that little thingy on the dashboard of your car is a communication device that is there for the purpose of letting you know how much gas you have.

HINT...when it gets close to the "E" then you need more gas!

I know, I have heard it all before, "I thought I had more in the tank," or, "when it gets on 'E' I still really have about 20 more miles." And though these excuses flow freely--every day someone runs out of gas because they simply will not pay attention to the gas gauge.

The same can be said spiritually!

We had a staff meeting this morning where I communicated to our staff that my biggest fear as a pastor leading this staff is for one of them to run out of gas. I know that might not make sense to some, you may wonder, "How can a staff member at a church run out of gas spiritually?" I would answer, "The same way people run out of gas in their cars--they think they are ok & so they ignore the warning signs AND the obvious places that are designed to help them fill up."

I know what its like to be on "E" spiritually and still be expected to lead--to be honest, it has to be one of the worse feelings in the world. AND I DON'T WANT THIS FOR ME OR MY STAFF!

Ministry takes work--LOTS of work...and it's hard, yet I remember a statement made by Bill Hybels that he made in reference to the days when Willow took off and he was doing ministry at a blazing speed - "The speed at which I was doing the work of God was destroying God's work in me."

OUCH!

As a follower of Jesus Christ WE have the responsibility to fill our tanks. It bothers me when a Christian makes a comment about a church and says, "I wasn't getting fed there..." News flash--it's not the churches job to feed you!!! Let me explain...

Lucretia and I have some friends who have three children under the age of four! (They LOVE the Song of Solomon!!!) One of the things I have discovered about watching each of these children grow up is that when they get to be a certain age they learn to feed themselves--and if a person needs to be fed then that communicates infancy and not maturity.

We are responsible for putting spiritual food into our souls so that we have something to offer for those who are TRULY starving when they walk into our church on Sunday. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to gauge where your spiritual gas gauge is...

#1 - When was the last time I clearly heard God speak to me? (If you have to think about this for a long time...you are close to "E".)

#2 - When was the last time you saw something in Scripture that looked new and fresh, even though you had read it before? (I recently changed versions of the Bible and it has taken my time with God to the next level!!!)

#3 - When was the last time I invited a complete stranger to church?

#4 - Does my mouth and mind go to automatic pilot during the time we sing...or do I truly mean the words that I sing?

#5 - When was the last time I thought about how far God has brought me? (God rocked my world with I Corinthians 1:26-29 yesterday in regards to this--I can see myself so clearly in these verses!!!)

#6 - Can those closest to me see Jesus in me? (In other words--do your children have to look to another household for an example of a godly mother or father...or two parents that REALLY love each other?)

#7 - Am I ministering out of OBLIGATION or the OVERFLOW? I have done it from obligation before...and there just isn't any fruit involved.

I challenge you to do what Mary did in Luke 10:38-39, take some time to sit at the feet of Jesus and LISTEN! I promise it will put gas in your tank...

IN OTHER NEWS!!!

Todd did a post about my toes hurting on his site--you can read it here. Please keep two things in mind...

#1 - That is not my foot--I promise that mine is MUCH uglier than that one!!!

#2 - Todd, THANK YOU for your encouragement...as well as everyone else who posted some awesome comments...it means more than you know dude!

This Sunday At NewSpring

2006-03-29T11:08:00.000-05:00

As I announced this past Sunday...this coming Sunday we will take the Lord's Supper.

I am so excited about this--it is one of the most meaningful things as followers of Jesus Christ that we can participate in.

Often times I am asked why do we not partake of it more. There are some churches that do it every week, some every month some every quarter...you get the picture.

I have always been hesitant to do it every week--I don't ever want it to lose its meaning. And I don't want to just tag it onto the end of a service...I would rather have the entire service focus around it.

Churches that do it every week ARE NOT doing it wrong...I am NOT saying that. However, it has been my passion since beginning our church to let the Holy Spirit guide where we go on Sunday's...and He has clearly led us to do the Lord's Supper this week.

Oh yeah--remember--THIS SUNDAY is the time change...the one we don't like because we lose an hour of sleep!!! Remember to wind your clock forward on Saturday night so that you don't arrive an hour late!

One more thing...Easter is coming and I am REALLY excited about our new series entitled, "DaVinci Decoded." There is a TON of controversy surrounding the movie and the book...and some churches are highly opposed to having to do anything with it, some are actually organizing boycotts (imagine that!!!), and some are using it to expose the lies in the novel and equip their people to know the truth.

I will post more thoughts on that topic later...I guess I chased a rabbit...the main focus, oh yeah, this Sunday! See you here--it's going to be awesome!

ONE MORE THING--this would be THE Sunday to invite someone you know who does not know Christ--the Gospel is going to be presented in a very straightforward fashion...and we are praying for tons of salvations.

My Flippin' Toe Hurts

2006-03-28T15:08:00.000-05:00

So I've got these really cool shoes...you might have seen them...they are orange and purple and have "Pastor P" on the back. I custom designed them off of Nike's website...I figured if I was going to run a marathon then I was going to run it in style!

So a few weeks ago we had a 12 or 13 mile run on a Saturday. (Trust me--there is not a big difference in 12 or 13 miles!) And so for that run I wore my styling shoes. The run was a good one and I felt pretty good--I came home, cleaned up, destroyed some food and took a nap.

However, that night as I was looking at my feet I noticed I had a black toenail. Trust me when I say that my feet are gross to look at without the toenail of death staring back at me--but now it sort of freaks me out.

I was racking my brain trying to figure out why my toe had changed colors...until an experienced runner told me, "Dude, your shoes are too small...you need to go up a size."

"NO WAY," I thought, "these shoes are cool...I paid good money for these shoes." So I ignored the advice and did another long run in them recently. NOW I actually have two toes that are black. I guess the shoes do not fit after all.

So...now I am on a mission to find shoes that fit. I have finally accepted that when you run with shoes that fit you are more likely to enjoy the race.

Believe it or not--this has spiritual significance.

You see--if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then, according to Scripture you have at least one spiritual gift...in other words, there is a perfect "fit" for you spiritually in God's plan.

I think one of the most prevalant problems among the Christian community is that people accept that God has a plan for other people's lives...but not theirs. However, one of the things I am continuing to discover is that God does not ever have to say "oops," in other words, He does not make mistakes...and if you are here on this big ball of dirt we call earth then God has a plan for your life...and that plan is a perfect fit.

I meet so many frustrated people in life--and by far the most frustrated, miserable people are the ones that refuse to embrace God's plan for their life because they are so busy trying to get Him to embrace their own plan. But you need to understand that if you try a plan that does not fit...something (or someone) is going to get hurt.

I laughed at an e-mail a mother sent me today, she said she was talking to her child (who is six) about what she wants to do when she grows up--the girl replied, "either a veterinarian, a doctor, or to work at NewSpring!" I think that's awesome!!! This little girl is about getting in on God's plan! :-)

The one thing you need to keep in mind is that God's plan is not something that is necessarily going to make you miserable...it will be something you do well and something you enjoy as well.

I am going to get new shoes...I want to run the race the best that I can. As Christians we are called to run the race to the best of our abilities...and to do so we need a plan that fits. If you are unsure where to begin then I would encourage you to begin to volunteer somewhere in your church...if you come to NewSpring then call our office and we will find a spot for you. If you do not attend NewSpring then call your church office and tell them you want to volunteer in the church and that you will do anything...you will make your pastor's day!

Oh yeah, in a totally unrelated subject--Lucretia's chocolate chip pound cake was AWESOME last night...I plan to consume the rest tonight!

Monday Just Keeps Getting Better...

2006-03-27T19:14:00.000-05:00

Right now I am sitting in my kitchen watching Lucretia prepare a glaze for a chocolate chip pound cake that just came out of the oven!!! Oh my! I think I am going to hurt myself! :-) My wife is awesome!

Incredible Encouragement

2006-03-27T17:59:00.000-05:00

Monday's are great days for me...and today was no exception.

I try to get a little extra rest on Monday mornings to combat the "holy hangover." Then I get up, have my quiet time and then head off to the gym. It's a great time to do some cross training and listen to a message on my iPod.

This morning while I was nearing a heart attack on the stair climber and older gentleman, who I know very well, approached me and asked could he have a minute of my time.

I think I said yes...it was hard to tell...I could not breathe...and he said, "Last night I had the privilege of worshipping with you at your church. I've heard so much about what was going on there that I had to come and see it for myself...and I can honestly say that you guys are in on God's plan."

I can't tell you how that made me feel...I was jacked up all day today because of this dude's encouraging words. It was especially meaningful to me because I happen to know where this gentleman attends church on a regular basis--and I also know that his pastor has taken personal shots at me from his pulpit and the church newsletter. (It's amazing how good news travels!)

But for this guy to listen to people...but NOT make a judgment call until he actually came and experienced worship with us shows an incredible sign of maturity in my opinion. I appreciated his words more than he will ever know. It's so awesome to meet fellow believes who might not necessarily enjoy our style of worship--but they understand that we are all on the same team!

Thank God for this dude! He made my day!

What A Weekend!!!

2006-03-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

OK--I am getting ready for bed and I had to write down a few thoughts before hitting the hay!

First of all--WHO THE HECK IS GEORGE MASON? I mean, did anyone actually see these guys coming? Where are they from? I have a new favorite basketball team--they are the George Mason...uh...I am not sure what they are...but they beat UConn and messed up everyone's brackets!

Secondly--the 16 mile run yesterday was AWESOME! We have been running at about an 8:50/9:00 pace--but yesterday we did a 9:20 pace and I had gas in the tank in the end. (I didn't literally have gas...that is just a figure of speech to indicate that I believe I could have kept on going!)

So far our crew has ran a total of 238 miles in preparation for our San Diego run! We have a 12 mile run this Saturday and...to be honest...I am a little bummed out that we only get to do 12 miles. (Oh well--that won't last long--we have 18 the next week!!!)

Thirdly--what can I say for our services today except for they were AWESOME! WOW--God did an amazing work at NewSpring in all three services. I mean, when you use "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" as a part of the set list--you KNOW it's going to be good.

This series of messages has been so challenging for all of us--we've covered the subjects of generosity, authority, and overcoming temptation so far...and we still have the Lord's Supper this weekend AND one more in the series on the subject of celebration. I can't wait! I am praying that the next couple of weeks continues to stretch us in an amazing way!

Fourth - I am NOT that excited about "springing forward" next weekend. I love the fact that the sun stays out longer--but I lose an hour of sleep...that just isn't right!!! Here is the first of MANY reminders--don't forget to set your clock forward on Saturday night. (Hey Jonathan...I LOVED the post about your mess up today!)

That's about it...I'm going to bed now--I can't wait for tomorrow--we are working on some stuff for Easter that is going to ROCK!

I Do Not...

2006-03-26T07:10:00.000-05:00

...normally post on Sunday mornings...but you have GOT TO READ THIS LINK!!! I don't even know these people and I love them! I guess its the redneck in me!

(Scroll up to the top when you click on the link for the story.)

One more thing--HEY GARY, for some reason I thought about you when I read this link!!!

Random Thought Friday

2006-03-24T08:49:00.000-05:00

To those who think all religions are the same...please read this. Folks--if you make the claim that all religions are the same and that we are all basically taking different roads to the same place...then that tells me two things about you...

#1 - You have never taken the time to seriously investigate what other religions believe. And if you have....then...

#2 - You are an intellectually dishonest individual!

Can you imagine if the story were reversed? Can you imagine if America began executing people who were not Christians? There would be World War III...but for some reason I feel that this dude, if he is executed, will fade away into the third segment of the national news and eventually be forgotten.

I think it was John Piper who said it best, "A Muslim will kill to convert you--a Christian will die to convert you." Enough said!

In other news...

My brackets are so screwed up! I had Duke and UNC going to the finals...I usually pick with my heart and not my head! I could not believe my eyes last night!!! Oh well...now I will just pull for the underdog!

Pray for my calf muscle--my left calf is experiencing some serious soreness...AND we have a 16 mile run tomorrow!!! Believe it or not--I am stoked about the 16 mile run...we are not going to be heading to Clemson or anything--it will be a course around here! What I am REALLY excited about is going to Pizza Buffet tonight to load up on some carbs!!!

I am PUMPED about this weekend! I really enjoyed taking last Sunday off...but right now I feel as if there is a fire in me...and I am about to explode. Let me just say this about Sunday...it's going to be AWESOME...the band is going to do a song that is going to knock you out of your seat...and the video we are going to show will...let's just say you've never seen anything like it.

I would make sure I was there EARLY this week because the service is structured a little different!!!

Quick question--is it supposed to be spring? I thought so...would someone please ask the Lord to turn up the temperature! :-) Don't get me wrong-it is HIS weather and all...it's just that I would like it a little warmer for these long runs.

One last thing--EASTER at NewSpring is going to be incredible. We spent a lot of time this past week working on the environment we want to create...and I have been laboring over the message like crazy! I can't wait!!!

We are going to do four services Easter weekend...there will be two on Saturday night and then two more on Sunday morning. We will be doing that schedule for one week only...the following week we will move back to our normal times! We are doing a series of messages called, "DaVinci Decoded" that will investigate the claims Dan Brown makes in his novel about Jesus. (I will post a complete article on this at a later time!)

OK--I lied...one more thing...we did series planning this past Tuesday and planned through Thanksgiving--OH MY! I can't wait...we also threw some initial ideas out about Christmas Eve this year AND next year! WOW! I love my job!!!

I Think I Am Doing Something Right

2006-03-23T08:29:00.000-05:00

Last night was date night! 'Cretia and I went to the Cracker Barrel...it was awesome, especially the baked apple dumplin'!

But something cool happened last night...it made me feel pretty good as a husband. When I arrived home at about 5:30 and walked in the door Lucretia ran to meet me, had a big smile on her face and said, "I'm glad your home."

Immediately I began to think that maybe something was wrong--maybe she had set the house on fire or something like that...so I asked, "Is everything ok?"

She said, "Yep--I'm just really glad to see you!"

Let me be very clear about something...I am NOT the perfect husband...I tend to be insensitive at times...I don't communicate well...and there are times that I try to change the way Lucretia feels rather than understanding why she feels the way she does. (EVERY man is guilty of this!)
However, last night...I could not help but think I must be doing something right.

It carried over to this morning...

Our home group is going out for dinner tonight...and so she asked me, "What time do you think you will be home tonight." I told her I wasn't sure & then asked why--she replied, "Because I like to spend time with you before home groups--I love our time together."

Once again it hit me...I must be doing something right...we've been married nearly six years and she doesn't want me to work late--she wants me HOME. She HATES it when I go out of town without her...she wants me HOME.

If you ever needed evidence for God's grace you can just look at how He has allowed Lucretia to love me. However, I must admit that it takes work! Pastoring NewSpring and being married are both enormous challenges in and of themselves...when you combine them...oh my dang!

But there are a few things I do to make sure that I have a healthy marriage--such as...

#1 - Lucretia Is The Most Important Human Relationship I Have On The Planet!

Nothing trumps my relationship with 'Cretia--NOTHING! She understands that there are times that the church is going to be busy...but she always gets tons of attention before AND after the busy time...because she matters to me more than anyone or anything.

If I have my cell phone with me and she calls...I ALWAYS answer the phone...I don't care who I am meeting with--she trumps that meeting. There have been times I have told her, "Hey, I'm in a meeting...can I call you back in 10 minutes," and she says yes. However, I do not dismiss her phone calls!

I have a conviction on this--and it's strong...but a husband that would ignore his wife to give more attention to his boss or a client is a pathetic loser! Yes--I meant that...and please do not e-mail me your exceptions!

And to take this a step further...when we go on a date...I do not answer my cell phone--PERIOD! If the world cannot survive without me for a few hours then we live in a messed up world. The same is true for you dude...if your church or company can't survive without you--you need to get a new job--QUICK!

(Pastors--please--do not ever let the church become your mistress!!! God is not pleased when this happens...and your marriage will suffer!!! You can't use the pathetic excuse that you serve the church and God will make up the difference with your family--STOP SAYING STUPID THINGS and be a man!)

#2 - I Do Not "Innocently Flirt" With Other Women!

This one makes me angry. I heard the other day of a married man who goes out and shops himself around on singles dating sites just to see if anyone will show him any attention. Once again--PATHETIC LOSER!

Men...let me be very clear--there is ONE opinion that matters when it comes to how I look--and that would be Lucretia. I know we all have huge egos--but to try to feed that ego with attention from a female other than your wife is just flat out wrong!

#3 - I Make Time To Listen!

Lucretia knows that usually on Monday's I am fried when I get home...I usually refer to Monday as the day I have a "holy hangover!" And so she doesn't really ask me a ton of questions, nor does she bombard me with information.

Also--when I get home on Sunday's it is the same thing...she encourages me, asks me how the service when...but that's about it...she knows I am fried.

BUT--she also knows that on Tuesday...and for the rest of the week...she has my ear. Don't get me wrong...it IS a challenge to listen at times. Men need to speak about 5,000 words a day...women need to speak about 12,000 with gusts up to 20,000! And trust me when I say that my wife is into the details...most women are...to them it really DOES matter what the person they say at Wal Mart was wearing...

Sorry about that...anyway...so I listen with intention. I ask her questions about what she is speaking to me about. I understand that the reason she is telling me things is that she wants to feel as if I am a part of the world she lives in...she wants me to experience what she has experienced...and by going into the details she isn't trying to kill me with information...but rather she is sharing her life with me.

#4 - I Pray With Lucretia Every Night!!!

I think we have not prayed together three times since getting married. This is priority one for us!!! It does a couple of things--one, it allows us to share a spiritual connection...AND two, it forces us to clear the air of any disagreements we have had.

Men--here is a fact--I can't pray with my wife if I am mad at her...and so it forces me to talk about things...and because of that we do not have arguments that last several weeks...or even days for that matter.

These are just some things that are working for me. They are not biblical mandates by any means...but if you are a man then I challenge you to have some ways you are intentional about making your marriage work--you've got to have a plan...and she's worth it!

Qualities of a GREAT Worship Leader

2006-03-22T08:29:00.000-05:00

"Hey Perry, we are starting a church and were wondering where we could find a good worship leader..."

If I had a dime for every call I have received like that I believe I could pay off the national debt!

I will be honest--great worship leaders are HARD to find. Don't get me wrong--there are lots and lots of talented people in the world who can play a guitar and sing...but to LEAD worship, that is something totally different.

We are blessed here at NewSpring to have Lee as our worship leader. I hired him right out of college and he and I have been neck deep in this thing ever since. It's amazing what I have learned about leading worship just through observing him...and so the following insights I want to share are things he has taught me.

(By the way...when we hired Lee I was actually the one leading worship--he was gracious to me for a few weeks...but then he fired me!!! He told me the band could not go where it needed to go with me in it...I'm not bitter--really, I'm not...I mean...if that's what he wanted...if he...oops, sorry!)

#1 - A Great Worship Leader Is A Deflector!

A friend of mine came to NewSpring for the first time a few weeks ago and so I picked his brain as to what he thought about our service. He told me, "I was amazed at your worship leader--he refuses to touch God's glory, he literally takes all of the attention that would come to him and lets it deflect off of him and on to God."

In my mind there could not be a greater compliment!

Anyone--I MEAN ANYONE--can perform! AND...we are fascinated by performance...look at the ratings on American Idol if you don't believe me! However, the church doesn't necessarily need someone performing for them--they need someone on stage who is "smoking what they're selling." People need to see people on stage who are EXCELLENT and what they are and who are RADICALLY in love with Jesus...which leads to my next point...

#2 - A Great Worship Leader Is Intimately Connected With God.

If you say the name "Lee" in front of me I will admit that the first thing that pops in my mind is NOT how talented of a musician he is...but rather how much the dude loves Jesus. Lee is a student of the word--I have him in on every single creativity team meeting that I have because of his creativity AND his PASSION to see lives changed.

Trust me on this one...if your worship leader, or anyone on staff for that matter, isn't connected with God...well...they can only fake it for so long. Sooner or later junk will come out!

If someone is into worship leading because of the show--they will ultimately fail. I will say this--Lee is fun to watch...he's full of energy...he's all over the place; however, he did the same thing when we had 75 people coming...because of his connection with Jesus!

#3 - A Great Worship Leader KNOWS and UNDERSTANDS The World He Lives In.

Once again...Lee does an amazing job at being able to connect with every single aspect of culture.

I know this might make some pastors nervous...even a little upset...but Lee went to a Nickelback concert last Friday night!!! How do I feel about that? I LOVE IT! I do not like every song that Nickelback sings...but I love the fact that Lee understands that the secular world knows how to grab people's attention...and he is a student of every single band that he goes to see.

I not only don't mind Lee not going to secular concerts...I encourage it! He always comes back with fresh and creative ideas as to how we can ramp things up in our services and make them better.

But not only that--Lee understands how to connect with those who have grown up in church. For those who attend NewSpring...you have GOT to admit that one of your favorite songs is when Lee and Jon sing, "It Is Well With My Soul!" That song puts goose bumps on my goose bumps!!!

There is a balance...and that balance must be managed well.

#4 - A Great Worship Leader Must Be Attentive To The Holy Spirit!

It's amazing...I will say about 90% of the time a song will be in my head and so I will go to Lee and say, "Hey dude--I was thinking that next week we should do such and such a song." He will laugh, pull out the set list and BOOM...there it is...he already had it down. We laugh like crazy every time this happens.

A great worship leader does not just throw a set list together...but rather he meets with the pastor to try to get a grip on what is being talked about and then he goes and spends time in prayer--seeking God and asking Him what songs He would like to be in the service.

Once again--if a worship leader isn't listening to the Holy Spirit then he will inevitably gravitate towards doing his favorite songs...and people will then see that its a show and not a worship service.

#5 - A Great Worship Leader Must Have A Great Relationship With The Senior Pastor

Like it or not--the worship leader and the senior pastor are the two most visible people in your church...and those two people HAVE to be on the same page--or there will be tension on Sunday...and everyone can see right through it.

Lee and I have a great relationship...one of the things I am dedicating to this year is spending more time with him one on one, finding out what's going on in his world and sharing the same with him. We are a team!

Senior pastors, worship leaders--understand this--it's not about the EGO...and if it ever becomes about the ego then one, or perhaps both, of you will flame out because instead of trying to reach people for Christ the attention will swing to who gets the most attention...and it just can't be that way.

Lee can say ANYTHING he wants to say to me about a message...and I listen to him. AND...I can say ANYTHING I want to say to Lee about the music...and he listens to me. The worship leader and the senior pastor MUST value the opinion of the other person...or conflict is unavoidable.

#6 - A Great Worship Leader Will Seek Talent

A great worship leader doesn't have to sing every song...they don't have to be on stage every Sunday...they are not afraid to share the stage at all...AND they are constantly seeking ways to encourage and tighten the band they minister with.

Lee is so good at this...there are times he leads...and other times one of "the Meghan's" or Daniel (aka "Rocky") will lead...and Lee is FINE with this...because he understands that it is not only his job to lead worship...but to train and mentor others to do the same.

#7 - A Great Worship Leader Will ALWAYS Pay When He And The Senior Pastor Go Out For Lunch!

I'm just saying that if...oh, let's say for instance that Lee and I had scheduled lunch for today that...well--Lee--look at #7 one more time! :-)

Always

2006-03-21T08:40:00.000-05:00

There are some things in life that are ALWAYS going to happen...no matter what, such as...

There will always be 28 cash registers @ Wal Mart, two will actually be open, and one line will actually move because the other will ALWAYS break down! (And that will always be the one you are in!)

There will always be someone who pulls out in front of you and goes much slower than you were going...when, if they would have waited for two seconds they could have pulled behind you because another car wasn't even in site!

People will always ask, "Did I wake you up?" when they call at 3:00 am!

ALWAYS!

There are some things in ministry that will always take place as well--here is a list of things that will always happen...or always need to be happening:

#1 - People Will ALWAYS Attack Your Vision

Whether you are a pastor, youth minister or Bible study leader--people will attack you if you have vision. I have discovered that people are either motivated by vision...OR...they are intimidated by it...and if they are the latter then they will attack.

By the way...if people are not attacking your vision then I would say you don't necessarily have a vision...what you have is more like a daydream!

Get used to it...when you have a desire to do something great for God then the enemy will be hacked off...and he will use some of the most unlikely sources to come after you. Stay the course!

And let me say this--don't chase these people--you will be tempted to do so...you will be tempted to compromise what God set in your heart to do...don't do it!

#2 - People Will Always Question Your Motives

You had better know why you do what you do...because there are tons of people out there who will be glad to tell others why you do what you do...and it will actually have nothing to do with why you are doing what you are doing. (WOW--that could be confusing...I hope it made sense!)

Ed Young said yesterday that people have always questioned why he did what he did. He made the comment that people criticized the kind of car he drove and the kind of house he lived in when he was driving a clunker and living in a dump...so he knew if they did it then that it would never stop.

It is very healthy to question your own motives...VERY healthy; however, understand that, as a leader, you will never...and I mean EVER...be able to explain yourself to some people...and you will waste VALUABLE kingdom time trying to do so.

I've heard it said so well...your friends won't need an explanation...and your enemies won't believe you anyway!

#3 - You Will Always Have People Leave

This is a fact...I can remember the early days of NewSpring, sitting in living rooms and restaurants, enjoying people and fellowship...and then the same people that I shared life with and said they were in for the long hall would leave.

I will be honest--that hurts; however, I realized early on that it happens...and that's ok. Some of the people who have left our church have plugged into other churches and are valuable kingdom servants...and I praise God for that.

Two things to keep in mind about the people in your church...don't get caught up in what is being said about you, whether good or bad. I had a friend make a comment to me once that I have never forgotten, "Perry--be careful when it comes to people--because those that deify will crucify!" WOW!

The second thing is this...no matter how many times you get burned...you CAN'T EVER stop loving people! Jesus said to love God and love people are the two most important commands! You CAN'T let a person, or a small group of people, ever make you desire to live in a cave. As a church we are called to reach people...even the difficult ones.

#4 - You Should Always Visit The Question, "Why Do I Do What I Do?"

I remember several months ago I was talking with Lucretia one night about ministry. It had been a really rough week...I had taken a lot of personal shots...and I was exhausted. I told her, "There are much easier jobs out there." She laughed and made the comment, "There sure are...and you would not be happy doing ANY of them!"

WOW--what a godly woman!

She's right...I do what I do because of Jesus Christ. He completely changed my life, power washed my soul and made me into a brand new person. I have been going through the book of Hebrews over the past several days...and there the author challenges us to fix our thoughts and our eyes on Jesus!

I ask myself that often, "Why do I do what I do?" And the reason is always the same...I could not imagine myself doing anything else. Jesus set my soul on fire and it just keeps getting hotter!

By the way...I am SOOOOOO looking forward to Sunday! I had a week off and now I am ready to roll!

From The Mind of the "P" Man...On A Sunday Night

2006-03-19T22:19:00.000-05:00

OK--this was an awesome weekend...several things....

#1 - Thank God for Al Mohler!!! Seriously, Lucretia and I were watching the O' Reilly factor on Friday night and Bill was really going off on Franklin Graham and Pat Robertson because of recent remarks they had made about the Muslim religion.

I am not sure if you are familiar with the factor...or shows like it...but usually the host presents his case as then has someone on that he discusses the matter with. O' Reilly had made the comment that neither Graham or Robertson were available that night...and immediately I broke out into a cold sweat.

Why--because the media usually seems to find the biggest moron in the world to represent Christians. But then...Al Mohler was on the screen...and the dude ROCKED! He remained calm and presented an incredibly credible argument as to why the Christian religion and Muslim religion are complete opposites...AND the dude shared the Gospel! Thank God for Al!

By the way...Robertson and Graham did not slam the Muslim religion--they merely stated the facts about it and how it is not a peaceful religion and is in no way teaching the same thing that Christianity teaches.

#2 - The Run Was AWESOME! The marathon crew ran 15 miles this past Saturday--we began at the NewSpring building and ran all the way to Tillman Hall at good 'ole Clemson University. Props to Chris, Laura, Sydney, and Jenn for hooking us up with water stops on the way!

The toughest part of the run was the hill right in front of Macs drive in...it was literally a half a mile of a steady incline!!! AHHHHHHHHH! I wanted a milkshake so bad...but I kept going!

Did you know that after running 15 miles you feel like you could eat a horse?

#3 - Ed Young Is The Man! Ed did a message today at NewSpring on authority issues and how many people have a problem with authority...it was informative AND convicting!!! It made me look at the authority issues that I deal with...and also allowed me to see why some people deal with things the way they do.

I was having lunch with a pastor of a large church about this time last year and he told me that well over 90% of the people that leave his church do not leave over theological issues...but rather authority issues...I would say that is true in MOST churches. (I might blog about this later!)

#4 - I LOVE Desert! All I am saying is that I ate at Capri's tonight and they had this desert called Creamsicle Cake...OH MY! It was so good it made me want to slap my grandma! (For those NOT in the south...that is merely a figure of speech...no Southern boy in his right mind would EVER slap his grandma!!!)

That's about it--it's been a great weekend. I am going to go to bed now--4:45 comes early!

How Do We Prepare A Message?

2006-03-17T08:38:00.000-05:00

WOW--thanks to everyone who sent both restaurant suggestions and blogging ideas yesterday...as of 4:00 I had read every one of them. On the restaurants...wow...so many choices, only one meal...I have it narrowed down...I will give you an update later. And on the blogging ideas...one really grabbed my attention...so I thought I would hit it head on this morning.

The question was about message preparation. The person asking wanted to know what goes into a message and how we go about doing everything that we do. He also commented that he has received some criticism regarding our church (NO!) because there are some that think we are to "frivolous" in all that we do. (I will address that at the end.)

Let me say up front this is not a magic formula...this is just what happens to work for us...and this process is being constantly refined. Here are some steps that we take.

First of all...a message has to come from deep inside the messenger. If you can't speak with passion and conviction then the people you are speaking to would rather you just say, "There's nothing inside my gut today--go home!"

So with that in mind I would say the most important thing for a speaker to concentrate on is personal time with God!!! I have a daily habit of getting out of bed and diving into the word. I firmly believe this is how God speaks--His word is living and active.

Along with reading and praying...I journal. I will write down random thoughts and ideas as I go through this process. I do not try to develop messages in my quiet time...but I do find that writing ideas down helps my mind to begin to think in that direction throughout the day.

In addition to my personal quiet times there are three other sources in which I get message ideas from...

#1 - Books - I LOVE to read...and I will tear through books...and many times I have gotten message ideas...OR an idea for a complete series by reading...both secular and Christian books!

#2 - Other Speakers - I LOVE listening to other speakers...they help me to sharpen my speaking skills. The three I listen to the most often are Erwin McManus, Rob Bell, and Andy Stanley. I will not speak one of their messages word for word--but if the say something that sparks a thought or idea--I will take it and run with it.

#3 - Culture - A good communicator HAS to be aware of the world that he or she lives in! I brush through magazine, read various websites, and pay attention to music, television, and the movies. Instead of fighting against culture we at NewSpring attempt to see where culture is at and then show people how relevant Jesus is in the world that we are living in today!

I have a notebook with blank pages in it that goes just about everywhere with me. (When I say blank I mean NO lines...I want nothing on the page.) I will take the random thoughts I collect throughout the day and jot them in that notebook. When I say I collect thoughts throughout the day...I am constantly writing stuff down...on my hand, on a napkin--I constantly try to grab on to ideas.

Then, about three times a week I have a section of my calendar blocked off for study time. This is a time when my phone is turned off and I am unavailable to just about everyone except for Lucretia. I have to get in a "zone" and I do so by uninterrupted time. I write--type--and basically go though page after page, developing ideas, researching ideas and topics on-line and in commentaries...

After I develop a talk I send it out to about 8-10 people on staff--this is our creative team. We meet every Tuesday from 9:30 until... I send them about a two page manuscript of what I want to communicate to the congregation and we go thought it and add to AND take away from. Basically--they make it better!!!

(On this team I have a mixture of men and women, marrieds and singles--I want to make sure I hit every section of people that I can.)

After it is decided what is going to be talked about and how it is going to be done--we begin to discuss things such as videos, lighting, music, drama--and anything else that may come into play. We are currently three weeks ahead on message prep and so it makes it much easier on our production team as they have time to plan out video shoots and such.

(We are generally three weeks ahead on message preparation...but about six months ahead as far as having a general idea of where we are going in a series.)

That is about it in a nutshell. After we get the message ready I put it in a folder and look at it and refine it for the next couple of weeks...then on Wednesday the week of I lock myself away and really begin to pray over and preach through the message over and over until I am comfortable doing it without any notes.

We put a ton of time and effort into what we do at NewSpring. Are we obsessive? YOU BET WE ARE!!! We figure we have about an hour of someone's time once a week...and that God wants us to use that hour the best that we can. I just don't see how God is honored by the pastor that is putting the final touches on his message right before he goes out to speak on Sunday morning. (Or the Sunday school teacher that doesn't read the lesson they are to present until the Saturday night before.)

Some in the past have questioned us in regards to being open to the Holy Spirit. They say, "You guys put so much into what you do that there is no room for the Holy Spirit to move." If that happens to be your mindset I would say you have a very limited view of God! Why limit Him to a one hour window on Sunday? What we have discovered is that the Holy Spirit guides this entire process--from planning to creating to preparing...He's there the entire time!!

Yes, we put a lot into what we do--because we feel like it matters. We don't want to waste people's time. As a good friend of mine says all the time...if you go to church and it is boring, don't blame God--blame the church!

It is our goal to take the most exciting book ever--the Bible, and the most exciting man ever--Jesus Christ, and to present them both at the most exciting organization ever--the church...in a way that honors God an inspires people.

WOW--that was long--hope it helps!

Blogging Ideas

2006-03-16T09:21:00.000-05:00

Quick question...what are some issues that you would love to see me address on this blog? Issues about the church, NewSpring, Christianity...anything--drop me an e-mail. I would love to hear your ideas.

Random Thought Thursday

2006-03-16T09:01:00.000-05:00

The marathon crew is preparing for our 15 mile run this Saturday...we are actually going to run from the NewSpring building to Tillman Hall at good 'ole Clemson University. (Yes--we have arranged transportation back to Anderson--people keep asking about that for some reason...trust me...I am running there...I am NOT running back!!!)

I am SO pumped about this run...we all are. This will be a good test of our endurance and training so far...please pray that we will not get hit by a car or chased by a cow that has somehow managed to get free. (Also pray that when I run by Macks drive in that I do not run in there and get a milkshake!)

One of the things that is cool is that a group of people are going to do water stops for us along the way...wow...reminds me of Christianity...we are all called to run the race...but we all need times of refreshing--and God puts the right people in our lives at the right time to do that!

Oh yeah...one more thing about running and I will move on. People--please stop telling me that after I run the marathon I will be in pain. DUH! After running 26.2 miles most people would be in pain! :-) (Whew--I feel better...that's off my chest!)

In other news--Todd had an interesting post on his blog yesterday about what type of car a pastor should drive. There is some really interesting discussion on there...and of course, I had to comment. You can read it here.

For those going into ministry you need to understand something--you will begin to live what is referred to as "life in a fishbowl." This literally scares some people to death...they can't handle it. However, if you live a life above reproach and continually fall in love over and over again with Jesus then this will be no problem.

And please understand that you will be judged on everything you do! People will make comments about the kind of car you drive, the home you live in...and do I even need to mention the things they will say about your kids!

(I really need to say this...I have seen so many parents "go off" on the pastors kids, saying that they are nothing more than hellions...when in reality the reason the pastors kids are like that is because they are spending the majority of their time with the kids of the parents who are doing most of the criticizing! Just being honest!)

Back to the point...everything you do will be analyzed and talked about...and you won't believe what people will say about you...it amazes me the things that get back to me that I said--but I actually never said them.

Like I said...love Jesus, love people...and you won't go wrong.

Another random thought--I am excited about this Sunday. Ed Young, senior pastor of Fellowship Church in Texas will be speaking at NewSpring. Ed has been so kind to me over the past several years and has served as a source of teaching and encouragement for me. It is an honor to have him here and I know our church will be blessed.

Home groups are tonight! YEAH! Our home group is so...interesting. One of the most awesome things is a young lady...let's just call her, I don't know--JILL--who makes up voices for dogs. I am really hoping to get this on camera one day. (By the way--we do talk about Jesus in our home group!)

One last thing...I am going to be in Greenville around lunch time tomorrow...I have an appointment at 1:00 and figured I might head downtown and get some grub...any good restaurants that someone would like to recommend?

Thoughts On Generosity & Giving

2006-03-15T08:31:00.000-05:00

I remember the first revival I ever preached. It was in a little town called Blackwolf, West Virginia. You can't even find it on most maps!

The church that I was serving had partnered with a church there and one of the things we were able to do is take our youth group up one summer on a mission trip. While I was up there the deacon in the church (that's right--THE deacon) asked me would I consider coming back in the fall and preaching a revival. I was honored...and so that fall a friend and I took off and I spoke Sunday through Wednesday.

It was so much fun. I think the largest crowd we had was around 50 people, which was pretty amazing for that community. I taught through the beatitudes for the entire time and one night they fed my friend and I...I can still taste that banana pudding!!!

One thing they did every night was take up an offering. I really didn't think much of it; after all, it WAS a Baptist church...and Baptists don't miss an opportunity for an offering. (Just being honest.)

On the last night of the revival THE deacon approached me as I was about to get in my car with an envelope and said, "Hey Perry--here is some money for you--we wanted you to have the entire offering we took up all these nights!"

I was speechless. Trust me when I say that these people really didn't have a lot--they all lived in extremely poor conditions...and they wanted me to have this wad of cash that the deacon was holding in his hand. I wanted to weep!

I told the guy, "I can't take that money man...put it to use somewhere in the church." He smiled at me and whispered in my ear, "Perry, if you don't take this money then you will insult all of us."

My friend and I drove home that night...I don't really remember much of the drive...I could not get the thought of those people and their generosity out of my mind. I never have forgotten it! They reminded me of the church that Paul was talking about in II Corinthians 8 where he said that those people did not give because they were rich and had plenty to spare--they gave out of their poverty! Amazing!

As I said this past Sunday--we are rich people. The only reason many of us do not think we are well off is because we live in America. Trust me when I say that we've got it good.

AND God's call on our life is to be generous. NEVER, EVER in Scripture does He give the thumbs up to a greedy person. Nowhere does the Bible indicate that someone who is in love with Jesus will be greedy. We are called to be generous with all we have.

From time to time I will have someone tell me that if they just made more money that they would be generous. BULL! If you are not generous now--you will not be generous when you have more. Statistics show that people who make more money give a less percentage of their income away. It's not a money issue--it's a priority issue.

We've seen an amazing outpouring of generosity since this past Sunday. So far at least four cars have been given away--that we know of. One local grocery store sold out of grocery cards. People who are not going to be here Sunday are already making arrangements to bring their stuff by for our drive for the crisis pregnancy center...this is awesome stuff.

I can't wait to see what happens next! I am continually praying that God will raise up generous people here at NewSpring so that we can advance His message here in Anderson...AND all around the world. There is so much to be done...and it can and will happen...and thank you Jesus that we get to be a part of it all!

My question for you is this--are you generous with you stuff? OR better yet--what do you have two of that someone else has none of that you could give away? (I forgot to mention this past Sunday to please not include children in this! Some of you have probably been trying this and its just not working...I don't think that giving kids away is what John the Baptist was talking about!) Cars? Houses? Boats?

Parents--lets be honest--HOW MANY TOYS DOES YOU CHILD NEED? Is all that stuff necessary? I have a friend who was telling me about children oversees and the fact that they play with bottle caps--BOTTLE CAPS--and keep themselves entertained for hours with them. And we can buy our kids things and they are bored in about a week or so! How about buying a toy and the finding a kid who might need it and appreciate it...and then have your child give it to them instead of adding it to their collection! No wonder people are so greedy--they are discipled by their parents to be that way! (Once again, just being honest!)

What are some ways you can be generous today? Go for it...give it a try...you won't regret it--I promise!

Children & Missions

2006-03-14T08:33:00.000-05:00

From time to time we have a question asked at NewSpring that goes something like..."How much money do you guys spend on missions?"

Our reply is always the same - "EVERY DIME!"

When we started NewSpring in 1999 we understood that Anderson, SC was the first aspect of our mission in fulfilling the great commission. God has allowed us to take some pretty large steps in reaching this community...and there is a lot more to come. (AND we are getting ready to launch some worldwide ministry that is going to be LIFECHANGING!!! More on that later.)

From time to time I have church planters call and ask, "What is one of the most important hires that a church that really wants to grow should make?" Nine times out of ten I will reply that a church needs someone devoted to children's ministry FULL TIME...NOT a children's pastor - youth pastor - senior adult pastor - music director - janitor combination...but rather someone who can do nothing but focus on kids & their families.

We made a decision early on to invest a ton of money, staff, and time into kids! We understand that there is an all out attack on the American family...and that if we can begin to reach children then the family can be reached as well.

It is our conviction that kids need a place where they can learn about Jesus in a safe, clean, creative and relevant environment...and we strive to provide that every single Sunday. We do not believe that kids sitting on the back row playing with toys or coloring or mastering their "gameboy" is what Jesus meant when He said, "bring the little children unto me..." And so our vision on Sunday's is to have kids worship in a way that they can comprehend and connect with Jesus...AND IT'S WORKING...

Yesterday I was in the gym and heard three separate stories from three different ladies that I would love to share...

The first lady approached me as I was about to begin my run on the treadmill. She told me she and her son had been coming to NewSpring for about two weeks and they both LOVE IT. I asked her how old her son was and she said five...and then proceeded to tell me how they came to NewSpring for the first time.

She said her son and his grandmother were coloring several weeks ago and the grandmother pulled out a picture of Jesus to color. The five year old said, "I don't want to color a picture of Him--He's BORING!" The mother asked, "Why do you say that?" He replied, "In my school they talk about Him and it's boring...and then I have to go to church with you and just sit there on Sunday and it is boring...and since it's supposed to be about Jesus then I guess Jesus is boring."

FOLKS--this is a FIVE YEAR OLD!!! I know, some legalists would say, "Then the kid needs to be spanked, scolded...MADE to sit there." Yeah right--that is VERY effective...maybe that's why about 90-95% of teenagers drop out of church when they go to college! You can "make somebody" sit there forever...but you CAN engage them on their level.

So this lady decided to bring her son to NewSpring...they have been coming for the past two weeks and just the other day she asked her son, "Is Jesus boring anymore?" He replied, "No way mama--Jesus is awesome!" YEAH--that's what I LOVE--kids understanding that God is not a distant Deity...but rather came to earth in the form of Jesus...and was anything BUT boring.

The second lady told me about her seven year old son who was leaving this past Saturday to spend some time with his grandparents. As he was getting in the car he said, "Wait mommy, today is Saturday--that means tomorrow is Sunday and I am going to miss church!" The mother went on to tell me that her son was really bummed out because of having to miss church!

We joked about this--because both of us agreed that at seven years old...if we got to miss church then we considered it a TREAT! However, when you begin to invest in kids and teach them about Jesus...they WANT to come to church! Yeah God!

The third story was told to me by the aunt of another seven year old child that comes to NewSpring. She was so excited because he had recently received Christ. She told me that he had been asking questions for several years...but the other night his mother when it to have devotions with him and he flat out said, "Mommy--I want Jesus to come into my heart." So his mother led him to Christ.

The next morning the kid gets out of bed and is just beaming and tells his mother, "Today I am going to go to school and be an example and let others see Jesus in me!" WOW! This is a SEVEN YEAR OLD KID! AMAZING!!!

I said all that to say this--one of the best mission fields in America is children's ministry. Statistics show that 85-90% of all decisions made for Christ happen before the age of 18. Truly the harvest IS plentiful!!! And if you want your church to grow then you are going to have to invest time, energy, and money into kids...because unchurched parents refuse to allow their kids to go to dirty, unexcellent and ill prepared places--that's just a fact.

AND...if you are a volunteer in children's ministry here at NewSpring...OR at any church for that matter--keep up the great work. You have NO IDEA how much impact you are having on the kingdom. That kid that blew snot all over you last week just might be the next Billy Graham!!! Thanks for what you do--you ARE making a difference.

What A Day!

2006-03-12T21:40:00.000-05:00

WOW--I have always wanted to ride a Harley on stage...today I lived that dream! It was so much fun--and you have no idea how I begged God to not let me pop the clutch...I can just see the poor people in the front row now!

I felt that today at NewSpring was one of those days that we will look back on and say, "remember the day that we did the generosity sermon." Seriously--I felt that people were fired up! We literally had a group of people leave the first service...go and buy grocery store cards...and then bring them back.

AND it was reported that one grocery store near the church had already sold out of grocery store gift cards by this afternoon!

(For those wondering what in the world I am talking about...I did a message on generosity today and challenged people that there are people in our community that can't afford groceries...and then I asked everyone to purchase a grocery card when they go to the store and bring it next week and put it in the offering bag when it goes by--that way when people call our church we have something to give them!)

I can't wait to see what is going to happen next. I made some phone calls today about church planting overseas and I found out that in one particular foreign country we can plant a church for $5,000! I think we should go ahead and commit to 10 right off the bat!

(If you want to listen to the message you can go here and download it OR subscribe to our podcast.)

Thanks to everyone who prayed for me. I am feeling better...not quite at 100% yet--but getting there. My ear isn't hurting anymore...but there is this ringing in it that just won't go away.

I am praying I sleep tonight...I am so jacked up from today that its going to take awhile for me to calm down!!!

Medicine is GOOD...and another thought...

2006-03-11T09:17:00.000-05:00

SO...I went to the doctor yesterday...and it was good!!! I was given medicine and--WOW--today and I feeling MUCH better. My ear is still a little sore...but all in all I believe I am about to get back on my feet.

I didn't run with the marathon group on Thursday...and I skipped today as well. It killed me to miss...I love running with this group...but I needed the rest!!! (I slept for 11 hours last night!!!)

Tomorrow at NewSpring will be awesome--I can't wait to preach this sermon...we have never really covered the topic we are hitting on tomorrow...and I promise that you will see some things you never really expected to see! :-)

One more thing...if you read the thread of comments from the link I put up yesterday then I am almost sure that you got in all the reading you need to do for a solid month.

However, I noticed something on a blog that cracked me up...there was a blogger that made the comment that if churches like NewSpring or Saddleback or...well...you get the picture...that if churches like us actually started preaching the Gospel that we would cut our numbers in half, that people would stop coming.

Now I have to say this...that is the most stupid, ridiculous thing I have ever read in my life! We do nothing at NewSpring except for preach the Gospel...and lives are being changed. This guys argument says that if we preach the Gospel that no one would actually come.

Here is a link from one of my favorite bloggers that has some pretty good statements on this issue.

Have an awesome weekend--see you tomorrow!!!

Another Update:

2006-03-10T09:57:00.000-05:00

Last night was painful...I will spare you the details...they are gross...but...well...I am actually about to walk out the door to go and visit a doctor!!! I believe this is the first time I have been to the doctor in about 15 years!

In other news...my buddy Todd over at mondaymorninginsight picked up my blog post about how numbers matter...AND...an interesting "discussion" broke out. If you want to read it then here is the link...I warn you--this will take time--there are TONS of comments. Thanks Todd for getting my back!!!

Update: PLEASE KEEP PRAYING!

2006-03-09T18:57:00.000-05:00

Ok--this is ridiculous! It seems that I can't seem to get better!

My wife, who is a doctor, performed "minor surgery" about two hours ago on my ear. Not to be gross...but the junk she pulled out of there amazed me, "Whatcha gonna do with all that junk in your...EAR..." was all I could think about.

She said that it is looking better; however, there is a slight possibility of an infection--PLEASE pray that this does not happen.

Also--pray that I will stop experiencing chills! My body aches have stopped...but my chills have not. 'Cretia thinks I have a touch of the flu. AHHHH! I hate being sick!

I believe in the power of prayer...and I need all I can get! I did not sleep at all last night...and I am craving some shut eye!

Thanks! Seriously--thanks! :-)

One more thing...I am preaching Sunday...if I have to do it from a stretcher!!!

Another Prayer Request

2006-03-09T07:56:00.000-05:00

OK--I've been fighting this cold, flu, whatever thing since about last Friday. I actually left the office yesterday at around 11:00 and came home...I could not function and Clayton, my accountability partner told me, "dude--you can have a great message for Sunday...but if the messenger isn't ready then you will be in trouble."

So I rested yesterday and last night I felt great. In fact, Lucretia and I went out to supper at the Cracker Barrel and afterwards we stopped by the Fusebox, our student ministry facility, and just said hi!

I went to bed feeling pretty good and looking forward to my four mile run...uh...change of plans.
I woke up at 1:45 with an earache from the pits of Hades! I haven't had an earache since I was like 5 years old. I thought it might be a small aggravation and that it would go away...but it just kept hurting.

I finally woke Lucretia up and sought medical advice. :-) She told me that sometimes when congestion is breaking up that it can get caught up behind the ear, causing it to hurt. Well--I would say it's there!!!

I did manage to go back to sleep somewhere around 4am...and my ear had actually stopped hurting; however, I woke back up at 5:00 and it felt like my ear was about to come off!

Saying all of that to say this--please pray for my health! I REALLY want to be well...I hate being sick...and I think if this ear thing would go away that I would feel great!!!

That's about it for now--maybe more later!

Where's Lucretia?

2006-03-09T07:44:00.000-05:00

My office has had a call or two over the past month asking where my wife, Lucretia, is practicing medicine...or IF she has left the medical field all together with the intensions of us starting a family.

Lucretia ceased practicing with her previous place of employment in November; however, she is now practicing again and absolutely loves her job.

For those who may be interested...here is some more information...

She is still doing primary care/family medicine work. However, she will only be seeing female's who are 12 years old and up.

Why? Because she has joined Anderson GYN-OB. (Just in case you are wondering...that would be a place where females would go!!!) They decided to hire Lucretia so that they could better serve the females who were coming into their practice and did not have a family practice doctor.

So--once again...Lucretia IS practicing medicine...she IS doing family practice...but she's only seeing women who are 12 years of age and older.

If you are a former patient and would like to schedule an appointment you can call 225-5131. The office she is operating out of is located at the AnMed health campus.

Do Numbers Matter?

2006-03-08T08:44:00.000-05:00

My man Gary underwent some serious heat for a couple of weeks...so much so that he decided to take away the comments section on his blog. In my opinion this was the right thing to do and I applaud you Gary for doing this...people will post a comment when they would never say it to your face.

However, one of the things that Gary was getting heat about was the fact that he made several references to how his church was growing...and of course he was accused of being all about the numbers.

So I've been thinking about numbers and if they really even matter to God, does He even care whether or not the church is growing?

Believe it or not--I have a STRONG opinion on this. :-)

I think numbers do matter to God...we see it early in Scripture--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, NUMBERS...

All throughout the OT there are number references...AND when you get to the NT it seems that even a higher emphasis is placed on numbers. For example, I've been reading the Gospel of Mark in my quiet time...and Mark keeps mentioning that "large crowds" were following Jesus, why was he mentioning that? Was Jesus just into numbers?

And then you have Acts chapter two--where 3,000 people repented and were baptized...think about this--SOMEONE had to count all of those people...and the Holy Spirit considered it significant enough to include in Scripture. (That is if you believe the Holy Spirit had anything to do with the Bible...which I do!!!)

And then all throughout the book of Acts Luke tells us of the numbers of people and how the church kept on growing in NUMBERS.

I don't think anyone who is intellectually honest can say that God isn't into the church growing...and GOD HELP THE PASTOR or GROUPS of people that do not care about numbers.
Here at NewSpring we understand that numbers represent souls...and souls MATTER to God. There are numbers of people outside these walls that do not know Jesus...and they matter to Him, therefore, they should matter to us. There are numbers of teenagers outside these walls that need to be reached...and they matter to God--therefore--they matter to us. There are numbers of marriages falling apart in our community...and they matter to God; therefore, they should matter to us.

I am grateful for the numbers that have been reached--but I can't stop thinking about the numbers of people that still need to be reached...that is Gary's motivation, mine, and many others like us...and somehow I don't think that God is all ticked at us for wanting to see numbers come to Him.

In fact, I would say this--the church should be growing--healthy things grow--period.

I know, I know--the last time I posted about this I received several e-mails from people who have nothing better to do with their time than to sit around and criticize those who are actually in the game--and they said, "To say that numbers are a sign of success is a ludicrous suggestion. Mr. Noble--the Mormon church has large numbers--would you say that they are being blessed by God."

That is the most horrendous comparison I have ever seen. Let me explain...if you want to compare NewSpring to a cult then I could essentially turn the same argument around on you and ask those that are not growing...

Let me explain--some churches are not growing...and they are fine with that. They claim that THEY alone are doing ministry the right way...that one man in the entire church is able to meet the needs of everyone who comes...that hours and hours are spent going "deeper" into Scripture--and that everyone who isn't like them is wrong. Hmm...I watched this special the other night on the Branch Dividian cult...and they were basically saying the same thing--they wanted it small--they wanted to go deeper--and they were very critical of those who were not like them.

Also--what about the dude with the Nike's who convinced people to hop on the comet that was coming to earth...they kept it small...they thought they were right...

If you are getting offended right now...good! You should never take a work like NewSpring or Saddleback or Willow Creek and compare it to the Mormons...because...

It just might be possible that the Holy Spirit is at work in these places!
It might just be possible that God has called us to do what we are doing!
It might just be possible that real life change is taking place!
It might just be possible that WHAT is going on in these churches is Spirit led...and my brothers and sisters...Jesus was very clear that speaking against the Spirit of God is blasphemy.

Let me also say this...it has come to my attention that some bloggers out there are saying that churches like NewSpring do not allow the Holy Spirit to move. Two problems here - #1, How dare you say that the Holy Spirit is not moving in our church--talk about arrogance. And, #2 - Do you think anyone or anything could actually STOP the Spirit from moving if He wants to move. Scripture is very clear on that sovereingty of God thing!

So to those in the fight--keep doing what you are doing--reaching NUMBERS of people...that is, after all, what Jesus commanded us to do in Matthew 28:18-20. And pay no attention to those who would criticize you for being excited about having a record number of people show up at your church.

NewSpringers--there are numbers of people in the upstate that do not know Christ--and I believe with all my heart that God has raised us up to make an impact for Him...the best is yet to come.

Don't Call It A Comeback...

2006-03-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

I didn't post yesterday--I felt HORRIBLE! The only thing that made me feel better was a HOT shower--and it was great until I ran all of the hot water out of our hot water heater!

Thanks to all those who have been praying for me--I've needed them--I still do!!! My body is producing less snot than it was this past Sunday...but now I feel like I have been kicked all over by a bunch of angry people.

Here are a few random thoughts for the day...

C3 will be here soon...if you haven't signed up yet then GET ON IT!!! It's going to be awesome. You can go here to find out more information...

I got behind an ambulance on the way to work this morning--it had all of the lights flashing and was traveling at a whopping 20 mph...whoever was driving actually had to pull off the road for am minute--I am guessing to clarify the directions to the place they were needed.

I had this thought--if they have no vision of where they are headed then someone could be in serious trouble. The same can be said for the church--one of the biggest problems in many churches is that they have no vision--they have no idea where they are headed...and Scripture says that where there is no vision--the people perish!

We just finished our creative team meeting--the next several Sunday's are going to be off the hook!!!

That's about it--I will try to be back to normal tomorrow--whatever "normal" is! Our marathon group has a seven mile run in the morning...pray that I make it!!!

I AM TOAST!!!

2006-03-05T21:36:00.000-05:00

I am sitting on my couch right now about to go to bed. I keep telling Lucretia that I would feel so much better if we could simply cut my head off; however, she does not think this is the best long term solution.

So...I am blogging now--as opposed to in the morning. I am actually not sure what time I will wake up tomorrow...I just popped a couple of benadryl (sp?) and that stuff makes me loopy!

Today was an awesome day at NewSpring; in fact, it was an awesome weekend. We had an incredible membership class on Saturday night...over 130 people joined our church--yeah God!

Today was so much fun; however, it was the first time that I literally did not think I was going to make it through the service...I just knew my voice was going to go at any minute!!! When I got home this morning after preaching the first two services my face was literally hurting!!! I did get some rest--but right now I feel like I got into a fight with a blender...AND LOST!

Saying all of that to say this--please pray for me. I HATE being sick! HATE IT! So I am asking for prayer. :-) I will give an update later on...whenever I happen to get my day going tomorrow!

Not "Feeling" Like It

2006-03-03T09:19:00.000-05:00

I don't feel good!

Seriously--I am sitting on my couch right now trying to keep excessive amounts of snot from coming out of my nose! (Sorry--but it's true!!!)

What I want to do is crawl back in bed and chill for the rest of the day...I don't feel like doing anything else; however, if I made the choice to allow my life to be governed simply because of how I felt at a particular moment...I would be in trouble--we ALL would be!

SO--I am going to go to the gym this morning and work out...I am going to mentally prepare for my 13.1 mile run tomorrow...I am going to go out with my wife for supper tonight...I refuse to let how I feel govern my decisions or my attitude.

The same can be said for our walk with Christ--I promise that there are days that I do not feel very godly...I do not "feel" like a Christian; however, I can't let my feelings govern whether or not I am going to love Jesus and love others with all that I've got. Jesus didn't say we are to do that when we "felt" like it...He said we are to do that at all times--no matter what.

AND PLEASE spare me, "Well, you don't know about the kind of day I had!" Jesus modeled this for us--when they put Him on the cross He prayed for the forgiveness of those who were torturing Him. WOW--talk about a bad day--yet He modeled love--even though I am sure he was feeling intense pain!

I am not saying this is easy...and I often times fall into the trap of letting my feelings govern my attitude...but it's my prayer and passion that each day I can get a little closer to Him...and in doing so become more like Him.

IN OTHER NEWS:

One of my favorite pastors, Mark Driscoll, began a blog about a month ago--he has several posts, but this one is awesome!

THIS is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life!!!

Tony's insights on Leviticus are awesome!!!

Sunday at NewSpring is going to rock--we will be completing the "Traditions" series and starting a new one next week entitled, "March Madness--Becoming a Full Court Follower of Christ." Let me say a couple of things about this one...

The message on March 12th is going to be VERY DIFFERENT! In fact, we are going to be able to do something we were never able to do when we met at Anderson University! That's all I am saying about it...but I promise that you have never seen anything like what we are going to do...and it is our prayer that through this God rocks our world!!

Secondly--Ed Young is going to be speaking on March 19th. We spoke for a while yesterday on the telephone and I am just as excited about what he is going to be speaking about than what I am going to be speaking about over the next several weeks!!!

Have an awesome weekend!

Recipe--Finally

2006-03-02T08:30:00.000-05:00

OK--so here it is...for all of you male readers...please do not take any "man points" away from me just because I am putting a cake recipe on my blog. Trust me...if someone you know and love will make this cake for you--I will be your new best friend.

One thing before I begin...Lucretia wanted me to emphasize that, even if you follow this recipe that you CAN NOT in ANY WAY overcook the cake!!! Ovens are different...so I hear...and so you must find what works for your kitchen. (WOW--I feel so unmanly right now.)

ALSO--I am putting the recipe on here exactly how it is written...'Cretia said that people would understand...so, if you have ANY questions about the recipe and/or if something is not clear and you are tempted to e-mail in a question--let me go ahead and answer it for you - "I DON'T KNOW!" Really--like I said...I am merely writing what is on the card--I don't know the answer to anything related to cake making; however, I know everything there is to know about cake consumption!!!

Here we go...(there is other news at the bottom for those not interested in my Martha Stewart moment for the day...BUT--trust me--this is one of the best cakes EVER...)

Red Velvet Cake

1 & 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 & 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 & 1/2 cup flour
1 cup buttermilk (wow--I didn't know that--I HATE buttermilk!)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp chocolate syrup
1 bottle (1oz) red coloring
1 tsp white vinegar

Icing:
1 box 4x powder sugar (please--I don't know what the heck this means...I am so confused; however, 'Cretia assured me that this makes sense!)
1 stick butter (soft)
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup chopped pecans

Cake:
Mix vegetable oil and sugar
Add egg one at a time
Alternate adding flour and buttermilk (once again--gross!)
Add vinegar, vanilla, chocolate and mix it all up...
Add food coloring and mix it up again...
Pour into three pans
Bake at 325 for 25 minutes ('Cretia's advice--try 20 minutes at first and then check it with a toothpick...then keep on trying until you know it is done in the middle.)

Icing:
Cream butter and cream cheese--mix
Add 4x sugar a little at a time
Add pecans (she has one of those pampered chef pecan crusher things...it's a great way to relieve stress!)

Further Instructions:
Bring a piece to Perry so he can see if you have truly mastered the art of red velvet cake making!

In other news...

FIRST WEDNESDAY WAS AWESOME!!! We had an amazing service last night with over 1,600 peeps "in da house!" We will have another one on...say it with me...the first Wednesday in April. However, for those interested in a really cool Bible study--one of our home group pastors, Trevor Cox, is going to be leading a Bible study on the Gospel of John on Wednesday nights here at the building. I have heard nothing but positive things about this study...and Trevor is a gifted teacher...if you are interested you can either call our office (226-6585) or e-mail me and I will make sure the information gets passed along.

Marathon training update: This Saturday is the 13 mile run...we actually decided this morning to go ahead and do 13.1 and get the feel of going "half-way." We did a three mile run and the people who I usually run with attempted to kill me...I think we did an 8:02 pace--which is HUGE for my big self!!!

Oh yeah--once again--if you see us running you can pray for us...BUT PLEASE...DON'T BLOW THE HORN! :-) We have no idea who you are...and to be honest...at that particular moment in time...we do not care. Trust me--we are trying to just put one foot in front of the other.

That's about it--have an awesome day--hope you enjoy the cake!

Yea--I'm A Winner

2006-03-01T08:39:00.000-05:00

I saw a question posted on a blog the other day regarding pastors and their willingness to be transparent with their congregation. There are two sides of this argument...

The first side is that a pastor needs to be an example of righteousness and holiness to the people in the church; therefore, his struggles with sin should NEVER be brought before the attention of the people who attend, less they think he is an imperfect person.

The other side is that the people in the church need to be able to see the pastor is real--that he has issues that he struggles with...that in his past maybe there has been a sin that he has had to work through and overcome.

Just in case you might be wondering...I fall in the camp with the pastor being real.

Here are the facts--I am trying my best to seek the Lord with all my heart. There is nothing more that I want for my life than to do His work His way. However, reality is that I fall short many times. I lose my temper. I say stupid, insensitive things to my wife. I want to yell at little old ladies in the checkout lines who insist on counting out change so they can pay the EXACT AMOUNT!!!

I can see where some may think this may be a weakness when it comes to ministry; however, I view it as a strength. I think that it allows me to relate to people in a way that many pastors often miss. I feel like I need to be real--to let people see that I am trying...but that I miss the mark...and through that communicate that instead of being an admirer of a particular person that we should all learn to "fix our eyes on Jesus!"

Don't get me wrong--I do not do confession every Sunday...but, for example--this past Sunday I spoke about Christians who may deal with sins that seem to, for some reason, dominate them. I spoke about accepting Christ in 1990 but not overcoming my addiction to pornography until 1999. That relates to people--they think, "wow--I am not the only one." And this, in my mind, does not give them permission to sin...but rather it challenges them to strive to overcome their issues!

I remember a dude who attends our church saying that the reason he kept coming back was that on a particular Sunday I shared about my previous struggle with pornography...and that he had never heard a pastor share something along those lines...and it made him realize that everyone has struggles--but that those struggles are not to hold us down--that we can overcome them.

Saying all that to say this...I am a winner! Hold on--that isn't a cocky statement...but the dudes from triple "x" church called a couple of days ago (relax--it is an internet site dedicated to helping men overcome their pornography addiction...I actually have their software on my computer now as a means of accountability) and were going to give a free I-pod nano to the first pastor they actually spoke with.

I was able to speak with them...you can listen to the podcast here if you would like...and shared about my previous problems with porn...and the e-mails from people all over the country have been coming in and thanking me for sharing that I did have a problem...but I overcame it...and through that there is hope.

AND...the I-pod did arrive a few days later--yea!

That's about it for the day...and I FORGOT the stupid cake recipe AGAIN! AHHHHH! Sorry. :-)

Be Careful

2006-02-28T08:29:00.000-05:00

So I am riding down the road the other day and I saw something I have never seen in my entire life. I look at the car next to me and the driver is WATCHING TELEVISION! Maybe this is normal, maybe this is something that is coming our way...but for some strange reason I felt just a little nervous considering I was next to this person and they were traveling at a high rate of speed.

Have you seen things like this? I have had conversations with people who change clothes riding down the road. (Please don't do this--can you imagine explaining yourself if you had a wreck, "You see officer--the reason I was totally nude was...") And then there are the ladies I have seen putting on makeup while cruising to work!!! And then, of course, there is the cell phone talker who has to use their hands when they talk--which is not a problem except for the fact that their HANDS SHOULD BE ON THE STEERING WHEEL!!!

Yep--I would say that the reason that many accidents take place on our roadways today is simple...people just are not careful. We are supposed to be driving...but instead we watch television, put on makeup and change clothes!

You know its crazy--but I think this all ties in to our walk with Christ as well. I have been reading through the Bible since December...and one of the things that has always fascinated me was in the book of Deuteronomy where Moses is reminding the Israelites of all that God has done...but then he uses the phrase over and over again, "BE CAREFUL..."

Seriously, read through the book of Deuteronomy and see how many times God communicates to His people that they need to be careful to follow His ways...be careful not to follow other gods...over and over you see it.

And that message is still relevant today. Just in case you may not have noticed--we do not live in a morally neutral culture. We have to make choices everyday that will affect our walk with Christ...and so we need to be careful.

Singles--BE CAREFUL when it comes to dating. How many of you have made serious dating mistakes because you said, "Well, they are not godly--but I can fix that," and so you go along thinking you are the Holy Spirit...and before you know it you feel trapped in a relationship that is not at all what God had in mind. BE CAREFUL...godly men and women have options and should never settle!!!

When making financial decisions--BE CAREFUL! How many of us have rushed into buying something we did not need...but we were convinced we could make the minimum payment & so we went for it. And now the money we make does not go to us...it has DISCOVERED a way to make banks bigger and our homes smaller.

When it comes to marriage--BE CAREFUL! You will never just have "extra time" to spend with your spouse. One of the things I have discovered is that Lucretia's love language is quality time, and as her husband that flatters me...she actually WANTS to be around me...and so I HAVE to guard that time with her...I have to BE CAREFUL or my schedule will fill up with other things. I have to "choose to cheat" as Andy Stanley would say, and cheat other people or other opportunities...but never my wife.

I learned an incredibly valuable lesson in this last week...when it comes to twho you listen to--you need to BE CAREFUL. There are some people in your life (hopefully) that love Jesus and love you...these are the people you need to listen to the majority of the time. You cannot let those who do not even know you let the general statements they make about you dominate your thoughts and actions.

In life in general--we need to BE CAREFUL. I have to shake my head when I think of how many bad decisions I could have avoided if I had just been careful...if I had just slowed down long enough to really think about the situation.

I have to confess--when I left the house this morning...I WAS NOT CAREFUL and so I forgot the recipe again...I will try to put it up tonight.

What A Weekend!!!

2006-02-27T08:25:00.000-05:00

First of all--let me apologize for not putting up the red velvet cake recipe on Saturday...I had the best of intentions; however...we did our 12 mile run--and it was AWESOME. It began raining about 2/3 the way through and it felt great.

BUT...I think I have sustained my first running injury...it is my left hamstring. It doesn't hurt, but it is definitely letting me know that it is there. I felt it twitch in about mile four of our run--and yet we still managed to do an 8:45 pace for 12 miles.

So I got home and had lunch with 'Cretia...and then was going to take a nap for 30 minutes...I woke up TWO HOURS LATER! Oops--my bad!

So I grabbed the recipe this morning and was going to bring it with me...and upon looking at it there are some things that I need for 'Cretia to explain to me first--so I promise--sometime this week.

We had baptism this past Saturday night! This was one of the most moving things I have ever experienced, watching 87 people confess Christ as their Lord is an amazing event. Let me share a few stories...

The first is about a couple that came in and was registering. One of our staff members began to ask them about how they had first began attending NewSpring and how they came to receive Christ. They said that they had both been in church all their lives...but they accepted Christ the first Sunday they ever attended NewSpring because this was the first time they had ever heard about anyone having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

That pumped me up AND fired me up at the same time. I was pumped that they had received Christ...and I was fired up at the fact that they had been in church all their lives and had never heard the GOSPEL!

The second story was about a dude who was in attendance and seemed to be sort of in awe at the entire ceremony. He asked one of our staff members, "What do you guys do here?" She asked him what he meant and he replied, "Why are all of these people being baptized...I've been in church all my life and I have only ever seen two people baptized...I am going to come back here sometime and see what you guys are doing."

That pumped me up AND fired me up at the same time! This dude had been in church for most of his life--and had only seen two people baptized! WHAT IS THE DEAL? What in the world is going on in the church? People are not receiving Christ. People are not being baptized. I don't know about you but that bothers me!

Yesterday was a great day! (And it seems that Granger had an awesome day as well...the church I posted about last Monday...you can read about it here.) I spoke with Tony on the phone yesterday and the dude was PUMPED!

AND this week is going to be a blast--First Wednesday will be THIS Wednesday at 6:30! I can't wait!

That's about it for the day...oh yeah...I know I link this dude A LOT--but Mark hit it out of the park with this post...it has a lot to do with what I dealt with last week--check it out!

Random Thought Friday

2006-02-24T08:35:00.000-05:00

WOW--what a week! After all that has been happening--especially in the realm of "blog-world," I have to say--God is AWESOME...I can't believe I get to do what I do.

A few thoughts on this Friday morning...

First--tomorrow night is baptism at NewSpring. We will begin at 5:00...it will be the first baptism in our new building. We will see right around 100 people confess Jesus as Lord tomorrow--and in my opinion--there is nothing sweeter on the planet!

Second--our messages at NewSpring are now available on itunes...to subscribe to our podcast you can go here.

Third--our home group met last night and the discussion was awesome. We are currently going through the book of James...we did chapter four last night. WOW--James was an intense dude!
Oh yeah--Lucretia made another one of her awesome cakes--but it wasn't red velvet--it was a white chocolate fudge cake...the cake has white chocolate in the mix...and then it has a layer of fudge between the two layers of cake...and then the icing is whipped cream and white chocolate. Uh--our home group at THE ENTIRE CAKE! I was ticked--there was none to take home!!!

(I will put the red velvet cake recipe on this blog tomorrow)

Fourth--Encouragement is AWESOME. Thanks to all of you who have e-mailed in encouraging words and said prayers for me this week. What you need to know is this...

I am more passionate about Jesus than I have ever been...I am more fired up about the church than I have ever been...I can't wait for Sunday...I can't wait to see what God is going to do next. The things that happened this week didn't discourage me--they fired me up...and God has used it all to show me that we are on the right track!

Fifth--Tomorrow is a 12 mile run for the marathon crew. This will be the longest run most of the group has ever done--pray for us!!! AND if you see us--PLEASE do not honk your horn, that scares the mess out of us!!! Besides--if you DO honk the horn...you have usually passed us...and we are not going to turn around to see who you are! A runner has to look at what lies ahead!

That's about it--enjoy your Friday...I am off to the gym!

Thoughts On Unity

2006-02-23T08:36:00.000-05:00

W0w--this has been an interesting week...a GREAT number of things have taken place...and while the battle between heaven and hell has been raging--the people who claim to be in God's army have been shooting one another.

Sad!

I was led to this passage earlier on this week...I just can't get it out of my mind...and so I thought I would share it...

Luke 9:49-50, "'Master,' said John, 'we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.' 'Do not stop him,' Jesus said, 'for whoever is not against you is for you.'"

AWESOME stuff! Here is a dude who is busy about the Lord's work...you know, driving out demons...and I've heard it said, "Everyone's day is a little better with a few less demons!" Anyway, the Apostles, specifically John, has a problem with this because this other dude (we don't know his name) is apparently not in the "inner circle" and maybe is even using some type of unfamiliar method.

And Jesus basically says, "Uh, guys--get over it! DO NOT stop his work--because if he is not against us--he's for us!"

In light of all that has happened this week--I think there are some things we can learn here.

#1 - The Bible specifically says in Ephesians 6:12 that our battle is not against flesh and blood. I have been called out on websites for NOT defending what we do here at NewSpring. I've been asked why I won't respond to e-mails that question our motives and our methods.

It's really quite simple--I do not have time. You see, the staff and I are so focused on lost people getting found...and found people getting grown up...that we don't have time to debate methods. I am not getting caught up in it--nor will I allow the staff to go there. We realize who our competition is with...and it's not with various websites or the church across town...it's with the kingdom of darkness...and every single piece of artillery we have will always be pointed in that direction...and NOT at people on our own team.

I am incredibly open to criticism...I need it--it is how we get better; however, we do not need it from name callers and people who do nothing but dedicate their time to fighing Christians rather than going after those who are not in the kingdom.

#2 - It Takes Different Types Of People To Reach Different Types Of People. (Wasn't that profound!)

I remember a time when I thought the way we did church at NewSpring was right...and everyone else was WRONG! I was so stupid--I thought that if other churches could just be more like us then we could win the world.

And so God allowed me to have a conversation with one of the smartest men on the planet, Lee Royce, former president of Anderson University and now the president of Mississippi College. He told me, "Perry, I appreciate what NewSpring is doing...you guys are reaching an incredibly diverse group of people and God is in this; however, I do not think my family and I will worship with you every week."

I was DUMBFOUNDED! "Why not?"

"Because Perry--I enjoy more hymns...I enjoy an orchestra...I enjoy hearing a choir...I enjoy a different style." It was then that I realized how cocky and arrogant I had been...to think that our way was THE way. Lee Royce is one of the godliest men I have ever met in my entire life, and to say he was wrong would have been...well...wrong!

So...I am in favor of different styles and methods...it takes that! The world needs that. Just look at the group Jesus assembled to be around him...a fisherman...a zealot, a tax collector--and these dudes did not like each other--but they worked together...maybe that's why Jesus said, "They will know you are my disciples by the way you love one another." Notice He did not say, "by the degrees you have on your wall," or, "by the way you kick the crap out of people on your side." Just a thought! :-)

#3 - If Something Is Not Of God--Time Will Tell!

There is a story in the book of Acts about the Apostles and them being persecuted...the Pharisees were TICKED at what they were doing and wanted to try their best to stop them. And then this dude named Gamaliel said,

"...in this present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." Acts 5:38-39

Enough said!

#4 - We Need To Be Very Careful About What We Say And How We Say It!

Folks--the world is watching! There are lost and unchurched people who read this blog everyday...along with other Christian blogs. And when they see nothing but negativity and venom spewing out of one person or group of people towards another--that's just not right.

I lashed out on Tuesday...and I meant it. I am all about healthy, godly debate...I welcome it! However, to tell someone they "do not love Jesus," or, "they are going to burn in the pits of hell" is--well, it's extremely judgmental...AND I think we could say it is wrong.

As I said earlier--we do not have time to answer every question from critics and skeptics as to why we do what we do. We are not the perfect church...and never will be as long as I am the pastor. We make mistakes...but we are trying--we are trying our best to do what God has called us to do the way He has called us to do it...and we will not stop--we can't--there is too much at stake.

In other news:

To those who responded about the typing--we will be getting back to you--we are looking for people who can type REALLY fast...because I talk really fast. :-)

BAPTISM is this Saturday! WOW! I can't wait! It looks like we are going to baptize right around 100 people. YEAH GOD!

Marathon Update: We have a 12 mile run on Saturday--PRAY HARD!

What's Heading Our Way...

2006-02-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

First of all--thanks to everyone who e-mailed yesterday with some encouraging thoughts and prayers. You guys rock! There are still some angry people out there (as evidenced by the fact that someone actually told me yesterday that I do not fear God AND that I am going to hell); however, enough of that...let's get on with life. :-)

We've got some awesome stuff heading our way at NewSpring...

This Sunday will be part three of our series entitled traditions...we will be talking about the subject of "endure." I remember someone saying about that aspect of our vision, "Hey P, that makes it sounds like living for Christ is tough at times." BINGO! BUT one of the things that makes it a lot easier to live for Christ is...well...let's wait until Sunday!

Then--on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of March--we are going to have our very first FIRST WEDNESDAY service. It will begin at 6:30 and last for about an hour. What will it be like? I guess you are going to need to come and check it out for yourself. I do promise this--it's gonna rock!!!

(NOTE: We will be having these services once a month...on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of every month...thus the reason for it being called FIRST WEDNESDAY! And yes, the children's ministry will have a fully functional deal going on that night as well!)

In March we are going to begin a new series entitled "March Madness--How To Be A Full Court Follower of Christ!"

I am REALLY excited about this series because on March 19, Ed Young, senior pastor of Fellowship Church, will be speaking. (Yes, he's the dude on television!) Ed and I have developed a pretty cool friendship over the past few years...and I love his vision, creativity, and love for Jesus. I am PUMPED about him being here.

And then--the very next day--Fellowship Church will be hosting a C3 regional right here at NewSpring. DOUBLE WOW! I can't wait! I have been to four C3 conferences...and every time I go God rocks my world and fires me up! The registration cost is $325 per church--which is AWESOME because you can pay and then bring as many peeps as you want!!! For more information on the conference you can go here.

And then on April 16, Easter Sunday, we will be launching a brand new series called, Davinci Decoded! Here we will be taking a four week look into some of the questions that Dan Brown's novel raises about Christianity--did Jesus REALLY claim to be God...did Jesus really rise from the dead...how do we KNOW that the Bible is reliable...and is there something about Mary?

Understand this--this series WILL NOT be all about boycotting the movie...nor will we be having any sort of book burning; in fact, I am currently reading the novel and will go see the movie. The purpose of this series is to simply show how reliable the Christian faith is...and that when any aspect of it is put to the test...it passes with flying colors!!

Mother's Day this year will be CLASSIC! More on that to come...

Yep--we've got some REALLY exciting things heading our way...

Oops, I almost forgot..."Summer Blockbuster" will be taking place in July. This will be a deal our children's ministry is doing--watch for more information--especially around Easter.

One more thing...there have been several requests for Lucretia's red velvet cake recipe. I will put it up either on Friday or this weekend. I was going to put it up today...but there are some things I need for her to explain to me before posting it; after all, I am a man!!! I NEED an explanation! :-)

I lied--one more thing...and this is it--does anyone out there type REALLY fast...I mean like REALLY fast? I am currently working on a book...and if I could have someone to assist me by typing as I write...I could get it done a lot faster--drop me an e-mail if you are interested.

Sometimes You Just Can't Win

2006-02-21T08:37:00.000-05:00

Whew! I kind of thought that yesterday's post might stir up a hornets nest...I had NO idea!

I cannot believe some of the things have been happening--calls calling me a "moron," hate e-mail (I have literally had worse things said about me by pagans!)-and this is best--people questioning my love for Jesus and my motives for doing what I do.

You can question a lot of things about me...and I usually do not respond to things such as this because I understand that I am in a no win situation (I will explain later.) BUT when someone questions my love for Jesus Christ and my motives for doing what I do--that sets me on FIRE!

To those who would question these things--who in the heck do you think you are? You have no idea what my life was like before I met Jesus! I was one of the most screwed up individuals on this planet. I was so far away from God it wasn't even funny. I made my best attempt to give it my all when it came to rebellion.

You see--my mother died when I was 12 years old...and she was one of the godliest women I know. And I was hacked at God--here was my mom, she read her Bible, went to church, I mean in the mind of a 12 year old she did everything RIGHT! And God "took her." I didn't want any part of a God like that.

But on May 27, 1990 at 6:50 on a Sunday evening before the church service even started...I realized how much God, ins pite of my running and rebellion, loved me and wanted to forgive me and have a relationship with me. So--I surrendered...and I have been passionately in love with Jesus ever since!

You ask my why I do what I do--it is my love for Jesus and my love for people who are in the same boat I was in. You can question my methods--but to question my motives--that just isn't your place. You are not the Holy Spirit!

God knows I make mistakes. God knows I need His help! This church is not growing the way it is because of me...but rather in spite of me. I am "Captain Stupid" when it comes to making dumb decisions...yet God still continues to work...and lives still continue to be changed.

Speaking of changed lives...and you can receive this OR ignore it...and this is true whether it's NewSpring or Fellowship...or any other church--if it is slightly possible that God is at work here, if the Holy Spirit is drawing people to Himself...and you speak against it--then my friend, you are speaking against the Spirit of God--and we all know what that is--even those of us who are "uneducated morons!"

I am not trying to start a fight here...I realize I can't win. I mention that I do not have a seminary degree and people attack me...and then I read those same people who attack Rick Warren and Rob Bell...who do have seminary degrees and are brilliant men...and so I can't win that argument.

I can't win the argument about numbers. I say God is growing our church and people point out that numbers are not a measure for success. YET they would not say that in regards to their portfolio--evidently numbers do matter...they would not say that in regards to a test score...yet they will say that to defend the fact that they are not reaching anyone. I can't win that argument, I understand that!

I can't win the argument about methods of reaching people. We are doing church the way God is leading us to do church...this staff is do desperate for God it isn't even funny--we weep over lost people--we rejoice when people come into the kingdom--we are doing all we can to put resources in the hands of people to see them grow in the Lord--and yet to some we don't do enough or we don't do it right...and I can't win that argument.

I can't win the argument about how "soft" our church is on sin. I have spoken out against homosexuality, couples living together before they are married--heck, I even did a complete message on the wrath of God--and yet some still say we are too focused on making people think that God is ok with sin...I can't win that argument.

There are several arguments I can't win! I understand that--that is why I don't even try. I can't--I don't have time to try to defend what we are doing...you see, I care too much about the people around here that are going to go to hell if they don't hear about Jesus.

But the reason, once again, for this post, is that my love for Jesus and my motives have been questioned by people on various websites. And if you are thinking, "Perry sounds a little mad in this post," it's because I AM! I make no apology for this!

If you disagree with me then that is AWESOME! I thank God for calm, intellectual people who e-mail in or call or see me in public and wish to discuss things in an intelligent manner.

However, when I disagree with you...and you question my love for Jesus, call our church office to rip me...or send me e-mail saying that I am an idiot...my friends--we just are not going to go there.

Jesus Christ changed my life--I am MADLY in love with Him...and I am doing exactly what He called me to do...and I am doing it EXACTLY the way He called me to do it. My vision is clear...and so is my conscience.

I praise God for His forgiveness of my past--and for His direction concerning my future. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Shame On You Granger Community Church

2006-02-20T08:12:00.000-05:00

In case you have missed it--the media has taken the ball and ran with this one...there is a church in Indiana called Granger Community Church that has raised the eyebrows in the religious community.

You see--they started a new series of messages called mylamesexlife.com AND to make things worse...they have billboards all over town with www.mylamesexlife.com on them...and when you go to this site it is an advertisement for the series.

People are going bonkers! There are people on both sides of the argument...and so I decided to weigh in on the melee that is happening and give my two cents.

Granger--I am ashamed of you! How could you do something so outrageous? How dare you try to meet people where they are! Seriously--no one in America EVER thinks about sex--so just who do you think you are connecting with?

Don't you know that people don't need practical help with their lives? What they need is large doses of theology--you know, stuff that confuses the heck out of them. And when they don't understand--just point out how stupid they are and then they will repent. Tell them stuff that will REALLY help them--like how much the Ark of the Covenant weighed OR have an hour long discussion on the peccability/impeccability issue--that will DRAW them in!

And how DARE you use the Bible to talk about sex! Let Hollywood define morality for us all--and then when people begin to dive into immoral practices on the subject just yell at them and tell them they are going to hell--that works, don't you guys know this?

Seriously--God is silent on sex isn't He? Look at Genesis--wait, uh, well, according to Genesis chapter two it was His idea--yep, there it is--one man, one woman, in the bonds of marriage, commited for life. But don't tell people that--just scream at them about pagan lifestyles and practices!

Ok, that's just one instance. Let's look at the Song of Solomon, oh my! Is that stuff really in the Bible? I am sure that book has nothing to do with sex, yeah--uh, it is actually some type of metaphor of Christ and His love for the church. Right?

And the Apostle Paul had nothing to say about sex--just read his letters...no, wait--uh, well, there's something about the subject in just about every one of them.

I admit we tried something like this before. We did a billboard campaign and series entitled ihatemymarriage.com

It was awful! Why? Because our church grew...people actually received Christ...marriages were actually restored...God moved in an awesome way!!! I am so ashamed that we did this. How dare we be concerned about being practical! How dare we actually show people far away from God how relevant Scripture is!

How dare you actually think you are following God! I mean just look at the Bible--He never asked people to do things that seemed "wild" just to get people's attention. No, wait--there was that deal where He asked Isaiah to walk around in his birthday suit for a few years...but that is an exception, right?

Don't you guys know that you are supposed to not attempt to be unique--but rather be uniform. You should NOT talk about sex...but rather direct your people in the "deeper" meanings of the word and make sure they spend a lot of time on websites that quote Spurgeon more than Jesus and hate Rick Warren more than they hate the devil!

Jesus NEVER did anything like this! He never tried to reach people where they were...no, wait, it says here that He fed 5,000 men with five loaves and two fish...and after He had their attention He challenged them...uh, well...

Once again--SHAME on you guys--shame on you for actually having a plan to reach those who are far away from God. Haven't you guys been reading on the anti Rick Warren websites...numbers do not matter--God wants to keep His work small...and He does not want the world to know what His word says. He would be so happy if you guys would simply just tell your community to go to hell and NOT make any efforts to do whatever it takes to reach them.

OK--that was fun! On a serious note--yeah God...and yeah Granger. I am proud of you guys, you are following through on what Christ has called you to do...and there is no way I would be so cocky and arrogant here as to tell you that you haven't heard from the Lord.

And for those who are attacking them and then reading this site--folks--we are all on the same team! And what does it matter to you--you may think churches like Granger and NewSpring are foolish...but wasn't it Paul that said that He didn't care HOW Christ was preached...and long as Christ was preached? Didn't Jesus rebuke His disciples when they told Him they stopped someone from driving out demons because he wasn't doing it "the right way?"

Guys--I believe if you would spend the time that you invest tearing other brothers and sisters down into actually reaching people for Christ--then the Gospel would be forcefully advancing!

Thanks Granger, once again, for being obedient and making a bold move...I pray that the harvest will be plentiful. I don't know a ton about you all--but the thing I have seen out of the ones that I do know is a passionate love for Jesus--a passionate love for people--and a passionate love for His church. Keep it up...and may God bless you!

I've Been Tagged

2006-02-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

I don't usually do this...but since three buddies "tagged" me I guess I will give it a shot--here is some little known information about me...

Four Jobs I've Had:
Pizza Maker (Little Caesars)
Newspaper Delivery Boy (in college)
Children's Minister (I am still not sure if they've recovered!)
Gas Station Attendant (I pumped gas at a "full serve" gas station--OLD SCHOOL!)

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:
Christmas Vacation ("that there Clark is an RV...")
Monty Python & The Search For The Holy Grail ("I'm not dead yet...")
Remember the Titans
Hoosiers

Four Places I've Lived:
Easley, SC
Whittier, CA
Perris, CA
Anderson, SC (my favorite, by far!!!)

Four Shows I Like To Watch:
LOST (I have drank the kool-aid--I'm addicted!)
Sportscenter
PTI
Fresh Prince (I am a re-run junkie!)

Four Foods That I Like (only Four?):
My wife's red velvet cake!!!
Chicken Marsela
Mac & cheese
The baked apple dumplin' at Cracker Barrel

Four Sites I Visit Everyday:
weather.com (I am a weather junkie!)
mondaymorninginsight.com
headrush.com
ESPN
(of course--Gary, Ken, and Tony...or else I would not have been know I was tagged!)

Four Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
Take Lucretia to St. Lucia
Have a dog named dum-dum
Have lunch with Andy Stanley
Have lunch with Erwin McManus
Have lunch with Bill Hybils
(OK--that was five...but I seriously want to meet with those three guys! And it doesn't have to be lunch--supper would be fine! Heck, I would even buy!!!) :-) If Bill reads that, well, he's Dutch, so he will be calling me soon...AND if anyone can set any of this up--you would be my hero for life.

Four People I Am Tagging:
Uh, yeah...you see, everyone I would have tagged has pretty much tagged me...but I will say:
Mark Batterson (dude...you've got to do it--everyone else is doing it...you're just not cool unless...)
Scott Hodge
Todd - come on man, you can do it!
Ian (come on dude--I know you are checking this out--have some fun man! Remember that in the end...we are on the same team!!!)

Convictions That Guide My Life

2006-02-16T08:46:00.000-05:00

There have been people who have asked me, "Hey dude--why do you do what you do?" In my opinion this is one of the best questions EVER because if you do not know the answer to it then one day you will begin looking for ways out of doing what you do.

I love what I do! Being the pastor of NewSpring is a gift from God...and this is all I want to do for the rest of my life. There are some things, though. that have caused this...and I'd like to share them today if I could.

#1 - I Believe People Need Jesus!

It bothers me when people say, "I just need God in my life." (STAY WITH ME HERE!) The reason being the name "god" means so many things. To a Muslim it means Allah, to a Mormon it means who they are striving to be...to a new age person it means them! And to a Christian it means God with a capital "G".

But when you say Jesus--well, His name removes all doubt! And so that is why I preach Jesus with passion and urgency.

When we started NewSpring we discovered that 48% of the people in this community do not go to church...that BOTHERS me...how are they going to hear the message of Jesus? And so we started a church that is unique--but kept the message of Christ...and it's making a difference.

From time to time I hear people say, "All NewSpring is doing is taking people from other churches." It's true that people have came from other churches--but what we are discovering is that many are coming to NewSpring and...get this...accepting Christ. I ask--is that a bad thing?

#2 - I Believe The Church Should Be The Most Creative Entity On The Planet.

I said it this past Sunday--church should NOT be a place where you come and make out your grocery list OR color pretty pictures with your five year old on the back row. Church should be a place where the people who work there actually CARE about the people walking through the doors enough to go all out to make sure the message is ready and will captivate their attention.

I heard about a comment on a local radio station about NewSpring "spending all that money on big screens." A couple of thoughts here--no one ever complains when a church spends a lot of money on a steeple or choir robes...and BE HONEST...when was the last time someone came to Christ "because of that incredible steeple with those wonderful bells?" :-)

The second thought is this--(thanks to a lady who works in our financial area)--why is it that some people would complain about big screens in the church--and yet when you go to their house you see a BIG SCREEN in their living room? Hmmm...could that be considered hypocritical? :-0

As long as this church exists--we will push the edge on creativity and never compromise the message. God is creative. (Did anyone see the sunrise this morning...it was AWESOME!)

#3 - I Believe The Church Is Most Effective When The People Minister To One Another!

It has been my goal ever since we had 15 people meeting in a living room to teach the church to not be dependant upon me. I saw that we were hitting the mark this past July when I nearly died and was out of commission for three weeks--the church never missed a beat. Decisions were made--services were held--and ministry took place--and I didn't do any of it, not because I didn't want to--but because I could not!

Let me be honest here...and this will ruffle feathers...but I mean exactly what I say! There are some pastors in this world with incredibly weak and fragile egos that need to be needed. They want people to call them--they want people to have problems--they want to be the one that holds people together. And so they take their cell phone with them everywhere they go and are able to leap tall buildings in a single bound in order to assist someone who has stubbed their toe! (And in turn they neglect their wife and kids...and then the church wonders why the pastors kids are little hellions...)

And then, after about 22 months (the average stay for a pastor in a church in America) they leave...and the church falls apart because they learned how to depend on the "dude who did it all" and forgot how to love one another--serve one another--encourage one another, you know, things the Bible says we ought to do!

At NewSpring, since day ONE, I have taught that I am not going to do everything. I heard a former pastor once, who was commenting about our church, say, "When I was a pastor I always visited everyone in my church that was in the hospital." He went on to say, "If a bunch of people got sick at that church (NewSpring) I am just sure that no one from the church would come and visit them."

WRONG ANSWER!!! If someone is in the hospital here...and we know about it...they ALWAYS get a visit from someone. They always receive ministry with level 10 excellence. And no, it's not me doing the visiting. Why? Because there are people in my church that do it better than me--they WANT to do it--they are more EFFECTIVE at doing it...and for me to try to do everything is to rob people of their opportunity to exercise their spiritual gift. (See Ephesians 4:11-16 for a further explanation.)

#4 - I Believe God Is About To Bring A Reformation To America...And He's Going To Do It Through The Local Church!

I believe this--I am not saying it to get some "Amen's" from the cheap seats either.

Take a look at what is happening in our country. I hear people say that they are concerned with NewSpring and churches like ours...they think we are not going to make it and that eventually fizzle out.

However...it's NOT the churches like NewSpring that are dying. (And churches in America ARE dying...an average of six per day are shutting their doors!!!) In fact, churches "like NewSpring" have doubled in the past seven years. It looks like God is up to something!

We are seeing it! People that were far from God are now coming to church--receiving Christ...wow...I had a conversation with a dude the other day who, just a few years ago was so far from God...and the other day he asked how he could get more involved in the ministry that is going on here. We are seeing people who were through with church coming back to church. We are seeing children and teenagers getting fired up about Jesus. We are seeing it--it's starting to happen! And God's doing it through the church.

That is why I do what I do. I believe in the ministry that NewSpring is doing...I am smoking what I am selling. You have my promise as a pastor that this church is going to do everything we can to reach as many people as we can for as long as we can! Whew--I am PUMPED! I can't wait for Sunday!!!!!!!!!

Wow--this was long--but good I guess. Have an awesome day--and Tony, Ken, and Gary--I will be doing that thing that you "tagged" me with tomorrow. :-)

Stop Complaining About What You Do Not Have

2006-02-15T08:24:00.000-05:00

I remember the first time I went to a C3 conference at Fellowship Church. It was in January of 2002 and we had a total of six people on staff. (One was working for free and another was part time.)

I sat in amazement as I saw what I call "next level ministry" take place--a church service that was designed for those who were far from God...or who said they were not interested in church because it was boring.

But something bothered me about that experience...it has bothered me every year I have gone. And not just at C3...the thing that bothers me happens at the Catalyst conference--it happens at things at Willow Creek...and to be honest--it makes me SICK.

Wondering what it is yet? Well ready or not--here we go...

It BOTHERS me when I go to one of these conferences and hear a dynamic speaker lay it all on the line and talk about reaching people and seeing lives changed...and then pastors and church leaders will congregate after a session outside of the building and begin to say things like, "Oh sure, if I had all of this technology and a big building and money and a large staff...I could reach more people too."

No wonder the church isn't making very much noise in America today...it's leaders are standing around and making excuses and complaining about all the things they do not have.

I must give props to Ed Young and Bill Hybils...nearly every time I hear them speak they say, "Don't try to be like us--be unique." And a little research will show that these guys started with the bare minimum...and God has used them & brought them to where they are today.

God set my heart on fire in January of 2002...because at that conference in Grapevine, Texas, I was able to see in person what I had been seeing in my mind since 1996.

Let me be very clear...we didn't have a large staff, we didn't have money, we didn't have a building--but we had a fire and a passion to reach people for Christ...and that has been the difference maker.

Let me be honest--here are some things you do NOT need to grow a church...

#1 - A Building - God allowed us to grow to over 4,700 people in RENTED facilities. I will be honest--meeting in rented facilities is an extremely challenging thing...but it CAN be done if people are willing to "put their hand to the plow." God was good to us at Anderson University, and now that He has blessed us with a building...I believe that we will see even more--"to whom much has been given--much is required."

#2 - A Seminary Degree - Wow--this is sacred ground for some...I know you worked HARD for that piece of paper; however, its not necessary to grow a church. There are some people who are passionate about it--heck, a guy even called my assistant this week and told here that I was a moron because I didn't have one (yes--that's true), but I just do not see where it is commanded in Scripture.

#3 - Money - When we first started we were so poor that we had to go to Kentucky Fried Chicken & lick other people's fingers! Listen--if you are waiting on someone to come in and drop a large amount of cash on you before you attempt something great then chances are that you will always sit on your "blessed assurance" and do nothing! Don't get me wrong--money pays the bills...but it amazes me the number of church planters that want 100k in the bank before starting someone--PEOPLE--if it is in the bank then it is NOT being used for ministry!

#4 - Experience - I knew when I was 26 that I was going to start a church one day; however, I felt it would be when I was around 40 or 50...after all, who in their right mind would listen to anything I had to say? Besides...I had been on staff with two seperate churches...but never in the capacity of a senior pastor. But...God set my heart on fire and it came to a point where I could not deny it any longer. I still feel WAY underqualified to do what I do--maybe that's why I stay so desperate for God to work...after all, I am trying my best to listen to Him...and He has a TON of experience.

There are more--but it feels like this is getting long. The bottom line is that the church has God's Word, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Fellowship of the Saints...that's enough to change the world--it was in Acts 2 and it is still the same today. The other things we get are simply a bonus from the Lord--so use what you've got wisely...and stop making excuses and telling God all the reasons He can't do what He wants to do!

Should Architecture Define The Church...OR Should The People?

2006-02-14T08:41:00.000-05:00

One of the most common questions I get about our building is, "Hey P, why aren't there any crosses or a steeple?"

So...I thought today would be a great day to answer this--let's start with the cross.

First of all, no one, and I mean NO ONE is more appreciative than me in regards to what Jesus did on the cross. The cross is where He paid for sin--once for all! And only HE could have paid the debt...He knew the pain that was to face Him--yet He still faced the cross. And because of His death I can have life.

(From time to time I hear a well meaning Christian say, "It should have been me up there on that 'ole cross." I always yell, "What are you trying to do--send us all to hell? If it had been YOU then I would still be guilty of sin--but Jesus paid my debt--that GOD it wasn't you.")

Sorry for the rant...let's continue...

The cross is a reminder of what Jesus has done for us...and Scripture mentions the power of the cross...

However, nowhere in Scripture is there a biblical mandate that a church building must have a cross; in fact, I honestly believe that the early church would be horrified if they were to come to our world today and see crosses all over the place.

Stay with me here...the cross in the Roman world was used to KILL PEOPLE! They killed people on a cross before and after killing Christ on one. It was a means of capital punishment. Basically we can equate it to a lethal injection or the electric chair in today's world.

How horrified would you be if you saw someone walking down the road with a golden needle hanging around their neck...or saw a picture of an electric chair over their fireplace in someone's home?

A study of Christian history will show that the church appreciated and talked about the cross--but it did not begin to show up as a sign of identity until hundreds of years after the church was established.

And today...let's all be honest about this one...the cross in America is nothing more than a religious good luck charm...and don't say it isn't. I see athletes and celebrities being interviewed on television...and they are dropping "F-bombs" and saying, "GD this and that..." and then you see a cross hanging around their neck.

Personally--and this will ruffle a few feathers...I think many churches have turned the cross into an idol. Sort of like the snake on a pole in Numbers...remember the story...the snake was lifted up and everyone who looked upon it was healed...but later on in Israel's history the snake on a pole was destroyed because the Israelites began to worship the symbol of their deliverance rather than the fact they were delivered.

So--when we designed the building here at NewSpring there was a decision made to stay away from symbols that the church had turned into something that Scripture never intended for them to be. Seriously--when was the last time you looked at a cross and really thought about the death of Jesus...and how His death brings you life. Come on now--see what I mean.

I just believe that if religious symbols have to identify the church rather than the presence of God and the people's lives that are changed--there is something wrong.

We preach the cross at NewSpring--we preach that Jesus is the only way to heaven...but we will not get caught up in religious traditions that have become modern day idols to a country that seeks religion...but does not seek Jesus.

As far at steeples--a few thoughts here--

#1 - Once again, there is NOT a Biblical mandate.

#2 - You have no idea how expensive they are...I laugh when I hear people say, "You guys spent money on lights and so on" when there are churches right here in the upstate that have spent nearly a half a million dollars on their steeple!!!

#3 - My buddy Mark Batterson had this post on steeples that is a MUST READ!!! Steeples were once an outlet of creativity...but people who love them have confused methodology and theology...and that's a sad thing.

Happy Valentines Day! :-)

The Best Is Yet To Come

2006-02-13T08:20:00.000-05:00

I am sitting here in my office trying to find the words to describe yesterday. I am amazed at all God has done over the past six years...and yesterday He allowed us to see an aspect of the vision He has given us come true--we worshipped together in our brand new building.

Many are wondering what our total attendance was--it was 6,931 people--AT CHURCH! Can you believe that? And we were not even giving away free water bottles!!!

What pumped me up the MOST though was last night when I found out that at least 17 people had accepted Christ in our two morning services--and I am not sure yet about last night.

I am sure yesterday was not what some people expected. Many have been to "building dedication services" before. You know, the builder says a few words--the architect speaks--heck, I've even heard of the pastor acknowledging the largest givers from the stage. (And that makes we want to throw up!)

But we felt God leading us in a completely different direction--we knew there would be hundreds of visitors with us...so we seized the opportunity that God gave us and recast the vision and shared the Gospel. We didn't want to sit around and blow smoke up our rear end for an hour and then go home--we wanted to share Jesus--and that's exactly what we did.

NewSpring is not about a building--we never have been. Some have asked why we built such a large facility...well...so we can tell more and more people about Christ. We've got room now--and so we literally are praying that God will fill these seats every week...and that we will have to go to four services very soon.

Is it about numbers? ABSOLUTELY! We are not content with the fact that large numbers of people in the upstate region do not have a relationship with Jesus...and large NUMBERS of them will go to hell unless they receive Christ--and so we want to see a switch in the NUMBERS, we want to see SUBTRACTION in regards to the kingdom of darkness...and ADDITION to God's kingdom!

I thank Jesus that we are here--but keep in mind we have NOT arrived. As a friend said to me in the gym this morning, "Yesterday was awesome--but the best is yet to come." I believe that! I believe that with all my heart! This is STILL the beginning of the amazing things God has in store.

Think about it--if He has brought us this far in six year--what will the next six years look like?

One more thing--I can't brag on our staff enough--we had people here past midnight every night last week...they wanted to make sure that everything was just right. And to those of you who did--you saw yesterday the fruit of your labor--lives were changed...

And the best is yet to come!!!

UPDATE: We had 26 people receive Christ yesterday--and another 19 received Christ at our middle school meeting last night...and several more indicated yesterday that they wanted to be contacted by a pastor...

As I said--the best is yet to come...

Holy Cow--This Is Awesome!!!

2006-02-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

OK, first of all let me explain something...I never just open up my Bible and start reading just wherever. I am NOT saying that's wrong...I know many people that do that & the Lord speaks to them that way...it's just that I usually have some sort of plan. (Right now I am in Judges on my way to Revelation...in other words--I am reading the Bible from Genesis to Rev.)

(There is a reason I don't do the whole "just open your Bible thing." It's because I heard about the guy who opened his Bible to see what God would say to him and he read, "Judas hanged himself." He thought, "Now that's depressing--let me try this again--and so he opened it and read, "Go and do likewise." He began to get really worried and finally said, "OK, I am going to try this one more time & so he did and read, "What you are about to do--do it quickly.")

Anyway, this morning I finished my quiet time and it ROCKED. Then I picked up another Bible that I have and something was telling me, "Just open it and read." So--I did--I didn't even hesitate...and I read...

NOW--before I share what I read let me say this--I am PUMPED about Sunday--I can't hardly stand it...the excitement that is in me is amazing...I can't recall a time in my life that I have been this passionate for Jesus, His Church, and what I am doing.

I have been constantly asking God for confirmation...for Him to show us we are on the right path. I am asking Him to do things in our new facility that the upstate of South Carolina has never seen. I want to see people's lives changed--marriages restored, relationships healed, the poor ministered to, the unchurched welcomed--I want to see God do amazing things.

And so back to what I read--I opened up my Bible and read this...

"'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the Lord Almighty, 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the Lord Almighty.'"

That ROCKED MY WORLD!!!

There may be a skeptic or two out there that say that what I experienced is merely coincidence. Sorry--with a Sovereign God reigning in this universe--there is no such thing as luck or coincidence!!

Scripture is clear that God's Word is living AND active...and it was both with me just an hour or so ago! WOW!!!

Sunday is going to be awesome...and so is every single Sunday that follows! I can't wait to see what He is going to do!!!

By the way...everyone I have spoken with says that they are coming to the 9:30 service...uh, that's awesome...I want you to keep in mind that we only have 2,500 seats (isn't that crazy?) and so if you are coming I would make plans to be there early OR either come at 11:15 or 6:00.

I can't wait--only two more days!!!!!!!!!!

Random Thought Thursday

2006-02-09T08:49:00.000-05:00

Some random thoughts on a Thursday for everyone...

I read this story yesterday at CNN.com and could not stop laughing; in fact, I thought it was a joke. Would you give a dying chicken CPR? I am a preacher in the south--we don't try to help chickens--we buy them & fry them!

Speaking of pastors, you can say anything you want about me--how I don't wear a suit or that I listen to secular music--but I don't think I will ever do what the dude in this story did. Can you just see this--some dude rolling down the road launching puppies out the window? Please understand, I DO NOT SUPPORT this behavior--but I do wonder what was going through the puppies mind?

I LOVE dogs--love them...and so like I said--that ticked me off; however, if it had been cats then I might not have been so mad. (Sorry all you cat lovers out there--you may love your little kitty, but you MUST understand that if your cat were bigger than you--he would eat you!!!)

Oh yeah, church leaders--the great theologian Mark Batterson said something last week that I forgot to put here--he said, "Most problems in the church today are not sin problems--they are vision problems!" YEAH! I believe that--you can take an church of any style all across America, and the ones that are growing are led by people who have a vision!

Marathon training update--we did three miles this morning...and the person I ran with and I did it in 23:33...now that's probably not fast for some of you--but for BIG BOY here--that's moving. I could not even talk the last half mile...and it's the first time ever that I really felt like I was going to blow chunks (throw up) afterwards!!! I had extra energy today--must have been the double scoop of Brusters birthday cake ice cream I had last night!!!

This Saturday is our 10 mile run--should be a BLAST! There is a report that it might snow, if it snows keep a few things in mind...

#1 - We will still run...
#2 - We will still have church on Sunday!

Speaking of church on Sunday--holy cow--this is really happening...church in our new building this Sunday--I can't wait!!! Our new service times are 9:30, 11:15, and 6pm. And a word of advice...if you are coming to the 9:30 service I would get here EARLY--the word on the street is that people are going to get here at 9:00 so they can be sure to get a seat.

(Parents--don't forget the open house thing this Friday night from 6:00 to 7:30--I don't even have kids and I'm going to be here--I'm pumped!)

And one more thing--we met with some people from Fellowship Church this past Tuesday. Ed Young is a friend of mine and will be speaking here at NewSpring on Sunday, March 19 and then Fellowship Church will host a regional C-3 conference here at NewSpring the next day. I promise it will be exciting.

If you are a local pastor or church leader--keep watching here and our church website--the cost is going to be around $325--BUT that is the cost PER CHURCH--you can bring as many people as you would like. Trust me--in "conference world" that is a bargain.

That's about it for now--maybe more later on today!

Hooked On A Feeling

2006-02-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday the marathon crew ran nine miles. I do not know if you have ever experienced an endorphin rush...but I had one at about mile eight and I just about went crazy. When I finished I ran back and ran in with some other peeps...and then I went to the gym and rode the bike for 30 minutes...AND I was hyper for the rest of the day.

Yesterday I did my fastest three mile time that I have done during training...I felt like I was flying. (Sing with me, "I believe I can fly...")

Today we did 5.5 miles--and how did I feel--to be honest, I felt like a one legged man in a butt kicking contest!!! (Let that sink in before you move on.)

You see, when it comes to running there are days that it is just easy--everything is flowing, you get in a zone and feel like you can just go forever. AND then there are days like today--where your legs feel like cement and you are constantly aggravated by the persistent wedgy. (If you are a runner--you KNOW what I am talking about!)

But here is the deal--tomorrow morning my alarm will go off at 4:50...and I will get up and prepared to meet the crew at 6:00...and I will give it my best...and I will run as well can I can. You see, I have discovered that if you let how you feel govern whether or not you run, heck, I am not sure I would ever run.

The same is true when it comes to walking with Christ. Let's all be honest--there are days when it's easy to follow Christ. Maybe it's Sunday--and you come to church...and God really speaks to you through the message or a song. Maybe you offer up a prayer...and God answers it in like five minutes. Maybe you are riding down the road in the car and one of your favorite worship songs comes on and you can just feel the presence of God--right there.

And when these things happen--it's EASY to follow Christ...it literally almost takes no effort at all.

However, there are days when you come to church--and maybe the Lord speaks to you, but instead of a pat on the back it's a kick in the rear. Or maybe you are riding down the road in the same car and someone pulls out in front of you. Or maybe you are praying about something--but it doesn't "feel" like your prayers are getting through; in fact, it feels more like they are hitting a wall.

It's a sad fact--but the things that take place in the paragraph above often cause many to turn away from following Christ--all because they don't "feel the chill."

But as I go to Scripture--Jesus hasn't asked us to be fair weather followers...He's asked us to follow Him...NO MATTER WHAT!

You see, if I only followed Christ when I felt like it-well, let's just say I would probably not be in the ministry. (And neither would any pastor who is reading this!) Christianity is more than a feeling...it's a fact! Work with me here--it's a fact that God reigns--that Jesus paid for sin on the cross--that the Bible is true--that God cares about us more than we care about ourselves--those things are fact!!!

But when we lose sight of those things and only follow God when it is convenient OR when He makes us feel good--well, we pretty much put Him on the same level as a prostitute. And let me assure you He's not OK with that.

Are you hooked on a feeling...OR...are you hooked into facts?

I will get up and run in the morning...even though it wasn't as good today as I had hoped for. AND I will follow Christ today...even if I don't feel like it at times. That's what we are called to do.

Don't get hooked on a feeling--they are nice--but Jesus never meant for mere feelings to sustain our walk with Him--when you can't feel Christ then you've still got to trust He is REAL...just as real as He was when you had your most intimate experience with Him--He never changes!

So go for it today! Radically follow Him...and let Him rock your world!

Don't Lie To Me!!!

2006-02-07T13:33:00.000-05:00

One of the most frustrating things in the world is when someone tells you something that is NOT true...

For example--last week I flew to Washington DC out of Greenville, SC. USAir has a flight that is non-stop into Reagan--so that is the one I decided to take.

REWIND--two years ago was the only other experience I have had with USAir...I flew from Greenville to DC, spent the day in DC, and then was supposed to fly home that afternoon at around 4:30--our flight didn't leave DC until 1:00AM!

So--needless to say there was a bad taste in my mouth when it came to USAir.

Jason & I got to the Greenville airport last week in plenty of time to get on a plane and fly to DC; however, when we got to the ticket counter the dude behind the computer told us that the flight was delayed--and so we were supposed to be leaving at 4:00, but instead we were going to now be leaving at 7:30.

I was NOT happy! And don't pretend that you would have been--I love flying out of GSP--but having to be stranded there for three hours! AHHHHH! (We had been dropped off & so we didn't have access to a car.)

Well, I made the comment to Jason in front of the USAIR dude, "Hey man, this happened the last time I flew USAir." And the little dude went off on me, "Sir," he said, "this is not a USAir problem--nearly all airlines have had to cancel flights along the east coast because of bad weather."

I apologized and said that we would hang out there at good 'ole GSP...and I was fine...until...I saw the board with all of the departures and arrivals listed...AND a weather map for the east coast.

UH--there was a problem--USAir was the only airline listed with ANY delays or cancellations. All of the airlines were on time--yes, even the ones flying into and out of DC.

I was furious! I hate being lied to--my intelligence was insulted...I said to Jason, "Why did he tell me that if he knew I was going to walk down here and look at the board?" Nothing fires me up more than to be lied to.

And in Scripture--God is pretty clear that we need to keep our promises--to speak the truth--to not lie to people. I began to think about this in the airport...and discovered that the very thing I was mad about was something that I have been guilty of many times.

We've all done it--haven't we? Saying to someone, "Yeah, I will give you a call," and then we never do. Or we say, "I will be praying for you," and we don't. I have been so guilty of this in the past--telling someone I would do something and then either not following through or simply forgetting all about it.

However, one of the things I have discovered is that if I tell someone I am going to do something then they expect me to do it...and so the words I used to speak as careless words NOW mean something...I can't just throw around empty phrases because God's word tells me to speak the truth.

This is an issue I know we can all work on. I wish I had this one down...but I am still working on it...I want to be a man of my word. We should all strive to do that as followers of Christ.

Acting With Urgency

2006-02-06T08:19:00.000-05:00

Well, it finally happened...today there is a call for snow here in the upstate...

GOD HELP US ALL!

For those not from the South let me explain...Southerners go completely NUTS when there is a slight rumor that it might snow. I am not kidding--they call off school down here if there is an inch on the ground!

And let me tell you about what happens at the grocery store...I promise, you've never seen anything like it--people flock to the store--buy bread and milk (I never have figured out why)--you would think that the end of the world is upon us!

Yep, urgency is in the air--all because of a little snow!

It's amazing the things that get us excited...pumped up...whatever you want to call it. Snow does it for some people; however, church does it for me!

I can't believe I get to do what I do--I literally consider myself to be the most blessed man on the planet...I married WAY over my head, she and I are both healthy, I pastor the best church in the world and I have the privilege of leading the most awesome staff ever assembled.

Some would think that a guy like me would adopt an "arrival" mindset--that I would want to just kick back and relax--you know, not go as hard...sort of calm down.

You don't understand--I can't! There is this passion inside of me to live life to the fullest. Scripture says that our time on this earth is limited...so I have made a commitment to do all that I can and enjoy all that I can.

I want to act with URGENCY!

I want to love my wife in such a way that, if today I found out I had a terminal disease and that I had less than a year to live that I would not have to try to make up for the lousy husband that I had been. I want to go all out so that when I do leave this earth my wife cries at my funeral because she misses me and not because she can't find where I left the will!

The same is true for the church--I am passionate about what is going on here at NewSpring. I once had a pastor comment to me after listening to one of my messages, "Hey Perry, maybe you should calm down a little and be more relaxed in your presentation!"

CALM DOWN! WHAT?!?!? It's not a matter of me calming down...you've got to understand, I CAN'T "calm down." I believe in the message that we teach--I believe Jesus Christ changes lives--He changed mine. In short, I am smoking what I'm selling!!!

I believe the church needs to act with a sense of urgency--passion--an attitude of where we go all out for God...and our desire is to see a revolution take place instead of being excited about the new choir robes and pipe organ that were purchased!

I believe the church needs to spend more money on youth and children! I am sick and tired of churches in America that have more money in their cemetery fund than their youth and children's budget--there is a word for that--UNGODLY! Folks--seriously--does it matter what the flippin' cemetery looks like?

And keep this in mind--stats show that unless the church STEPS UP that only around 4% of the teenagers in America today will accept Christ. You think this country has problems now? Wait until THAT generation gets into leadership!

The time is NOW! The church needs to step up and act with URGENCY!

I believe the church needs to invest more time into making Sunday a creative relevant experience for all that come in the doors...and FORGET the critics who would condemn your efforts to teach who Jesus is in a way that people understand. PEOPLE NEED JESUS...I don't have time to sit around and fight with those who confuse methodology with theology!

The time is NOW for the church to step up and begin to act with urgency.

Let me make you a promise...as long as I have the privilege to pastor this church we are not going to let up--there will be urgency in every single area of ministry--I have this conviction in me that what we do matters...it matters to God and it matters to people.

Whew--I am sweating now--time for a break! Have an awesome week!

Sharing The Love On A Crazy Week

2006-02-03T14:40:00.000-05:00

Ok all you bloggers out there...this week has been crazy...GOOD crazy, and so because of all of the activity I haven't had a ton of time to dedicate to blogging...so here are some random thoughts for Friday/the weekend.

#1 - Last service at the Fine Arts Center!

Yep, this Sunday, four times--8:30, 9:45, 11:15, and 4pm. (That's right...4, not 6!) I promise it will be an amazing service as we celebrate all that God has done...and begin to look at all He's going to do. WOW! I can't believe it!

#2 - HUGE run tomorrow for the marathon crew.

That's right--nine miles tomorrow...I can't wait!

#3 - New blog online

I know, they come on-line everyday; however, this is my buddy Joe who has a passion and a gift to help people with their personal finances. I've seen God do an amazing work in him in this area, and he has taught Lucretia and I a lot. Check it out here.

#4 - Your day can change at a moments notice!

Scott, dude--you made me laugh with this post! Who said that "normal" is good?

#5 - Mark Batterson has some really cool insight on podcasting and John Wesley!
Here is the link...I can say no more--Mark, excellent post!!!

#6 - There is a home groups fellowship/trivia night at NewSpring tonight!

Yep--it will be awesome. My group will be dining at the 'Ole Country Smokehouse before the event...YEAH!

#7 - Tony Morgan's biblical insight is awesome!

Tony, I love the way you keep it simple dude...and the insight you had in Mark (link) is some of the same stuff God showed me when He took me through that Gospel a few months ago. What is that--great minds think alike?

#8 - We have all felt like this picture!

What else do you need to say?

#9 - I hope I never have to fly USAir again--EVER!

(More on that next week!)

#10 - I can't believe we are going to have services in our new building next Sunday.

That's about it--have an awesome weekend!

My Perspective On The State of the Union

2006-02-02T08:39:00.000-05:00

I am back...slept in my bed last night. It sure is fun to travel; however, there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed and taking a shower in your own shower.

The trip to DC was good for me--very good. It allowed me to see some things I have never seen...and it allowed me to gain some perspective on some things I have never really thought about.

I was sitting there waiting on the thing to start...I got there an hour and fifteen minutes early because I didn't want to miss anything. It was pretty cool just sitting there and looking around the room and thinking about all of the important decisions that had been made there...all the people that had passed through those doors.

Then people started coming in the doors--the Supreme Court justices, the senate, Bush's cabinet, everyone! I thought, "This is literally a gathering of some of the most powerful people in the world." I was in awe--for about a second or two...until God rocked my world.

I began to think about Rome--that's right, Rome. For some reason I could not get that country out of my mind...I've read so much about the senate meetings in ancient Rome. I am sure that someone like me probably had the opportunity to sit in some of those very meetings and thought the same thing I did, "Here are some of the most powerful people in the world."

And then I had this thought, "So where are all of those policies that the senate of Rome passed today? How did the decisions made there affect me here today?" What once was perceived as the most important meeting on the planet MAY actually get some history books to dedicate a paragraph to it today--funny how things change.

And that's the way it is going to be with our government. Don't get me wrong--Scripture clearly says to support the leaders, to pray for them...and I do. However, one day the politicians and policies will be an after thought...

BUT...

The church--wow, I am getting emotional as I write this...THE CHURCH will live on. At the same time the politicians were meeting in Rome there was also a group of people who were just popping on the radar screen...they were called Christians...and the decisions THEY were making, well, they are having a MAJOR impact on all of us today. If they would not have done what they did--then we would not be what we are doing.

It's the church--NOT the government--that is the most powerful institution on the planet. I felt as if God were saying to me in the gallery, "Perry, what you guys are doing at NewSpring will last for thousands of years...it's even more important than what is happening here."

The church--she's beautiful...and through her God wants to change the world. The government can pass programs that will assist in times of need--however, they cannot powerwash a soul or give an eternal hope for the future...but the church can.

I am so glad that the people who serve in Washington do what they do. I was able to meet a lot of those men and women...and the ones I met really did seem to care about their duty to represent their country. However, I would not exchange places with any of them--EVER. What they do will last for a few hundred years...what the church does will last for eternity.

I will post some pictures next week...right now I am busier that I have ever been!

BACK HOME!!!

2006-02-01T20:19:00.000-05:00

It is so awesome to be back here in South Carolina--AWESOME! Lucretia and I went to Ma-Ma Penns tonight and I had some sweet tea, biscuits, mac & cheese, chicken--ah yeah!

The trip overall was AWESOME! It was pretty amazing to be in the room last night with some of the most influential people in the world. I have some additional thoughts on that--but for now, well, I am going to bed...MY BED! :-)

More On DC

2006-01-31T16:37:00.000-05:00

WOW--just met Mark Batterson...more on that later...

Scary moment--wow--Jason and I wandered into a restricted area...and with security being tight up here that was not a good thing--I knew we might be in a little trouble when the dude with the rifle took his gun off of saftey...uh, yep--I almost messed my pants.

Fortunately we made it out of there with no wounds of any kind. I am getting ready to put the suit on and then head out for a buffet. Not bad--suit--but buffet--I guess I can make that trade!

DC Is Great!!!

2006-01-31T13:13:00.000-05:00

Jason Moorhead and I are here in DC & about to go on a tour of the Capital...awesome! I can't wait...I've never been inside the capital so I should have a story or two to tell when I get home.

Speaking of getting home--our flight was delayed getting here last night...I am not a fan of US Air...more about that later!

Back to DC...

We had lunch here in one of the House buildings--I think everyone had on a tie but me and Jason. I did bring a tie to wear to the State of the Union address tonight...but I am NOT putting it on until the very last minute.

Oh yeah, I worked out at an awesome gym this morning...I don't exactly remember the name of it...but it was supposed to be $25 a day for a guest...I told the manager, "Look dude, I am a redneck from South Carolina who just wants to sweat a little--hook a brother up," and he GAVE me a FREE three day membership--that's awesome!

More later--got to go for now...I think "W" needs my assistance. :-)

It's Going To Be An Awesome Week

2006-01-30T08:21:00.000-05:00

I can't describe what I am feeling inside right now! I was up at 4:30 this morning READY for the day! I want to hit and move regarding several things today...

#1 - Yesterday was off the charts! What an awesome service--especially last night! For those who were not there--we had a few "issues" to deal with. About 4:45 a squirrel decided to see what an electrical transformer was all about--long story short--he "bought it," thus knocking out about 1/3 of the power where we meet.

BUT--the power was restored about 5:30...and all was great...until the fire alarm went off--and kept on and on for about 10 minutes. (There was no fire...but have you ever noticed no one gets worried when a fire alarm goes off? I guess we all remember those fire drills in school as a kid!)

God is at work...and in my quiet times for the past several weeks I keep hearing Him say, "This is only the beginning!!!

I mentioned the statue rumor yesterday as well--and everyone LOVED it! (See Thursday's post)

#2 - I am taking a trip out of town today...it's really a once in a lifetime opportunity! I was offered a seat in the gallery for this little speech that is going to be given by a pretty important guy...you can see it if you want...it will be on nearly EVERY channel tomorrow night around 9:00 and it's known as the State of the Union Address. No--I am not making this up! Yes, I am excited!

The only thing that isn't that exciting is the fact that I actually have to wear a suit. YES, I do own one! And yes, pictures will follow to prove that point.

#3 - People have been asking are we going to do a building dedication at NewSpring. Folks, the building is already dedicated--it was dedicated before the earth was formed. I know, I know, usually a church gets together and pats itself on the back, let's the contractors and architects speak, acknowledges the big givers...you know--all that crap! (Yes, I said crap--I meant it!)

We don't have time for that. We will celebrate being here--trust me, it's going to be awesome; however, we refuse to take one Sunday off from ministry. Will we thank God--YEP! But we will have church the first Sunday in our building--the Gospel will be preached and lives will be changed and God will get the glory for it all!

Remember--the building is NOT our destination...it is our next place in our churches spiritual journey and will be a major tool for us in reaching this community. Often I hear, "That church just wants to build a big building." Well--we have a big God with big dreams and a big passion to reach this area for Christ...and if we do what He wants us to do then this building will actually be considered small compared to the next one we are going to need as He draws people to Himself!!!

#4 - It looks like I am going to get to meet up with this guy while I am in Washington...I'm stoked--this dude seems to be a creative genius...and a little on the abnormal side...I like him already!

#5 - Marathon training is going well--we have a nine mile run coming up this Saturday and I can't wait!!! (I know, I'm not right in the head--I never claimed to be!!!) We did five and a half this past Saturday and it was easy compared to what we had done the previous two.

But I've got to admit there was a MAJOR issue I struggled with on the run...you see, we run right by Chic-fil-a...right about the time when they are cranking out biscuits left and right...and the smell--oh wow, I wanted to run in there so bad and steal someone's biscuit...but I managed to hold myself back.

That's about all for now--I will try to keep you posted as to what is happening in DC.

Let Them Talk! :-)

2006-01-26T08:32:00.000-05:00

(To the daily readers who may have thought I forgot about posting yesterday...I did post...but it was late--you can scroll down and read if you would like...now, on to today's topic.)

Home groups last night was awesome--we tackled the second chapter of James. Our fearless leader, Allen, walked us through some pretty deep discussion...my head was hurting by the end of the evening.

During the last few minutes of our group, someone mentioned that they had "heard" two things this week concerning NewSpring...

#1 - That we are a cult. WOW--I have NEVER heard that one before. (wink-wink)

And--oh wow--this is awesome...are you ready for it...

#2 - That the new building is going to have a statue of me in it. Darn--there goes our big surprise for opening weekend--the unveiling of a statue of me. (In case you are wondering...there will NOT be a statue of me--EVER...I do not know where in the world this came from.)

The statue thing made me laugh...OUT LOUD...in fact, I am laughing right now. What in the world would that look like anyway? Gross!

I used to get REALLY fired up about these comments. I remember on one occasion actually picking up the telephone to call a local minister, and was going to give him a piece of my mind--until I realized that I could not afford to give any of that away! :-)

Seriously, I used to want to fight--to defend what is going on; however, I am seeing a pattern establish...and it is becoming more and more frequent. If you are a pastor or a church leader--hang in there with me on this one.

I have had several conversations over the past week with people who come to NewSpring. These talks have began with them telling me how much Jesus is doing in their lives, and how thankful they are for our church. When these conversations take place, I ALWAYS ask, "So how did you wind up coming to NewSpring for the first time?" The answers I have gotten over the past week have all been...

"Well, I heard so many negative things about this church that I wanted to come and check it out for myself."

"I wanted to come and see what the cult was about."

"You guys were growing so fast that I knew you had to be doing something wrong--so I came to see what kind of screwed up theology you were teaching."

"Well, my kids loved it...and I figured that if my kids loved church that you guy HAD to be doing something wrong."

So it hit me like a ton of bricks last night--don't fight with negative people. Don't argue with people who are "going off" on our church--let them talk...because--GOD IS USING ANGRY, BITTER Christians who think they are tearing down His church to actually build it up. Isn't that awesome?

Right now there are hundreds of people who had heard so many bad things. came to see for themselves, and have been engaged by Jesus at some point in the service and are now more in love with Him than ever before.

So let them talk...let them say we do not teach the Bible...and when someone comes to see it for themselves they will realize that have been listening to a foolish person who has no idea what they have been talking about. Let them say that we do not care about children...and when they come they will see that we put just as much time, energy, and money into our kids than just about anything else in our church. (Except for the "statue fund," of course!)

If people are talking about our church--whether it is positive or negative--at least they are talking about church...and God is using that to draw people here and change their lives. So it's not a bad thing. I usually say to people who have something negative to say, "Have you ever been?" The answer is usually "no." And then I reply, "You ought to check it out something." And then leave it all in the Lord's hands. No fights...no arguments...just put out the invitation and let it go.

Hope this helps...

Marathon Update:

We did a four mile run yesterday and a three mile run today. I designed a course with a lot of hills...and by the end of it I was really mad at myself!

HOWEVER--today at the end of the run I believe the Lord spoke to me in an incredible way. I nearly had to take my shoes off because the ground I was on almost seemed holy. You see, a "Blue Bell Ice Cream" truck pulled out in front of me...and I believe that was the Lord telling me that it was ok today to consume large amounts of ice cream!

Clemson peeps--see you tonight @ FCA...I am wearing some "special shoes" in honor of you guys!

AND...if you want a good laugh...check out this post from Mark--it about made me spit my coffee on my monitor.