What's Next?

Holy Discontentment - that uneasy feeling that God gives you in your spirit that lets you know that changes are coming. The things you are doing now are no longer satisfying and the idea that there is something more begins to get stronger and stronger.

That is the best way I know to describe what I have been going through for the past several months. I have been totally happy with my role here at Rock Creek and have enjoyed it. But there was a stirring in my spirit hat let me know something needed to change. Please don't misunderstand me. Things here at Rock Creek are great. I love this place, these people, and this staff. It has been a huge blessing to me for the past nine years. I have learned a ton and experienced things that I never imagined. But my passion to teach has not been fulfilled. And the opportunity for that fulfillment is just available here. Again, please understand. That's not a bad thing, it's just the way it is.

So what do you do when your passion cannot be fulfilled in your current situation?

You make a change.

So that's what I'm doing. As of November 1, I will no longer be on staff at The Church at Rock Creek. I am leaving to launch a church in the Benton/Bryant area. The new church will be called Midtowne Church and will officially launch in January, 2008.

My time at Rock Creek has been awesome. I will write more about it in the coming days. Until then, I pray that your passion will be fulfilled and that you will become all God wants you to be.

Need a Hug?

"I've felt God." That's the statement that our 8 year old delivered while we were driving the other day. Needless to say, my wife and I were very surprised to hear that. Since inquiring minds want to know, I asked, "When?"

He began to tell us how one night as he was going to sleep that he felt a warm breeze across his face and chest. He said it made him feel very comfortable and helped him go to sleep. I asked him why he thought it was God and why he thought God did that. His response was a classic child-like faith comment: "I guess He just needed a hug."

I think God gives us hugs. I think He wants us to hug Him back and not just lean on Him and go through the motions.

I think one of the best ways we can hug and be hugged is by doing what He leads us to do and not just talking about it. By serving as He would serve and loving as He would love we show Him and His love to a world that desperately needs a hug.

Give a hug today: Serve someone. I bet you'll feel God hug you back.

Not the Hokey Pokey

"Will you please go see her? She asked that you come see her soon." That was the message I got from two different people. They were friends of a lady I met in the ICU at a local hospital a few weeks ago. In our first meeting I was able to talk to her about her incurable cancer and her eternity. After a long discussion about the Gospel, she committed her life to Christ even though I told her that does not necessarily mean she will be cured. She understood that and made the commitment anyway saying that she needed relief from her fear and a peace about her future.

She was now back in the hospital and not doing well. I had talked with her on the phone a few times since our last meeting about being baptized. She has not been healthy enough to get out of her house and we were planning to just baptize her at her house. She said her husband was also interested in being baptized and that he wanted to talk to me.

So here I am in the hospital sitting on her bed, her husband in the chair next to us, talking through her salvation experience and her "peace that passes understanding." When I was done talking to her, I looked at her husband and asked about his spiritual condition. He said with great enthusiasm, "You wouldn't believe the difference in her since she was saved and I want what she has!" For the next few minutes I talked with him about the Gospel and concluded by asking him what he wanted to do. His response: "I want to make Jesus my boss."

You never know when the opportunity will arise. A trip to the hospital to meet someone you may not even know could turn out to have eternal consequences. We should be ready to serve at any time in any way. That's what it's all about.