Wade's World

Good Sermon Advice...

2012-01-25T10:12:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about this quote as I'm working on my sermon for Sunday...

You have no idea how thankful I am to NOT be preaching on the Trinity this week. =) lol

Remembering Joe Paterno...

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

I came across this article on Joe Paterno, written by Rick Reilly. It's a shame that Joe Pa's coaching career ended the way it did... I'm not condoning or condemning at this point. (I doubt we have the whole story of what happened at Penn State.) Regardless, I wanted to share this article written about the coach with you all. It is inspiring in it's own way.

Maybe you will never be convinced Joe Paterno was a good man who made one catastrophic mistake, but do you have time for just one story?

Taliaferro and Paterno

In 2000, Penn State freshman defensive back Adam Taliaferro had his spine crushed when tackling an Ohio State player. He lay on that September field paralyzed and panicked.

The first person he saw when he opened his eyes was Paterno, who died Sunday at 85.

"He could see I was losing it, but his eyes stayed totally calm," Taliaferro remembers. "And I remember that familiar, high-pitched voice, going, 'You're gonna get through this, Kid. You're gonna be OK.' And I just trusted him. I believed it."

Taliaferro wound up in a hospital bed in Philadelphia, everything frozen solid below the neck. Doctors said he had about a 3 percent chance of walking again. And every other week, Paterno would fly to Philly to see him.

"He'd bring our trainer and a couple of my teammates," Taliaferro says. "Nobody in the hospital knew he was there." Paterno would tell him all the dumb things his teammates and coaches had done lately. Pretty soon, Taliaferro would be laughing his IVs out.

"I can't tell you what that meant to me," says Taliaferro, now 30. "I'm stuck in that hospital, and here's Coach Paterno bringing a piece of the team to me, in the middle of the season. How many coaches would do that?"

One midnight, Taliaferro moved a toe and the first person his dad called was Paterno. His dad held the phone to Adam's ear and Paterno said, "You're gonna prove 'em all wrong, Kid!"

From then on, every visit, Paterno wanted to see Taliaferro move something new. "I got to where I wanted to be ready. A finger, a hand, whatever. I wanted to perform for Coach Paterno."

One day, five months into it, Paterno walked in and said, "What's new, Kid?" Taliaferro swung his legs over the bed, stood and extended his hand to shake.

"I'll never forget his eyes," he says. "They were already huge behind those Coke-bottle glasses, but they got even bigger." Paterno gave him a 10-second hug and then said, "Kid, ya make me proud."

A man is more than his failings.

I learned a lot about Paterno when I wrote a story about him in 1986 for Sports Illustrated. I've learned a lot about him since. He was a humble, funny and giving man who was unlike any other coach I ever met in college football. He rolled up his pants to save on dry cleaning bills. He lived in the same simple ranch house for the last 45 years. Same glasses, same wife, same job, for most of his adult life.

He was a man who had two national championships, five undefeated seasons, and yet for years he drove a white Ford Tempo. In 46 years as a head coach, he never had a single major NCAA violation.

He was the only coach I've ever known who went to the board of trustees to demand theyincrease entrance requirements, who went to faculty club meetings to hear the lectures, who listened to opera while drawing up game plans.

He was a Depression kid who wouldn't allow stars on helmets or names on jerseys. And he hated expensive tennis shoes.

He'd see a player wearing Air Jordans and say, "It's not the sneakers, Kid, it's the person in them."

One day Taliaferro wore an entirely different pair into his office, a pair of "Air Paternos" he'd made himself. "He freaked out," Taliaferro remembers. "He was about to call Nike. He thought they were real!"

If a player was struggling with a subject, Paterno would make him come to his house for wife Sue's homemade pasta and her tutoring. One time, he told a high school blue chipper named Bob White he wouldn't recruit him unless he agreed to read 12 novels and turn in two-page book reports to Sue. They were the first books he ever finished. White wound up with two degrees and a job at the university.

Paterno was other things, too, like controlling and immovable. He lingered as head coach when he promised time and again he wouldn't. And when he needed to follow up on what he'd been told about Jerry Sandusky and a child in the shower in 2002, he failed miserably.

But he followed up for thousands of others.

Even though Taliaferro would never play football again, Paterno stayed on him to keep moving. "I came to Penn State to become a lawyer," he told him. "But I never made it. You could, Kid. You're smart."

He got the fully recovered Taliaferro a summer internship with the NFLPA in New York and, before you knew it, Taliaferro was a corporate lawyer in Cherry Hill, N.J. He successfully ran for local office there and is now running for the Penn State board of trustees, where he wants to help his school heal from a scandal Paterno made worse with his neglect.

"The last three months, I've just wanted to go up on a rooftop and shout, 'I wish you knew him like I do!'" Taliaferro says. "I know, in my heart, if he'd understood how serious this situation was, he'd have done more."

I believe that, too. But if you don't, I respect that. I only ask this:

If we're so able to vividly remember the worst a man did, can't we also remember the best?

- Rick Reilly

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2012-01-23T09:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone!!!

- Crazy storm last night. I hope everyone is ok.

- We had a great weekend at Restoration Christian Church! While a few families were out due to sickness, we still had a good group of people for our Sunday morning service. Zach Price did a good job leading worship for us. We are still trying to figure a few things out with the flow of our service, but yesterday I felt like we had finally smoothed things out. I also heard good news about our children's and student ministries yesterday. I'm very thankful for how things are progressing with our church plant!!

- I had a great time with my wife this weekend. We were able to go to Buca di Beppo's for the first time... and it was uh-mazing!!! I'm so thankful for the blessing I have with Amanda. God really is in the restoration business.

I really enjoyed Buca's!!! lol

- I was glad the Giants won yesterday! At least one Manning will play at the Indy Super Bowl.

- I felt bad for the Ravens kicker.

- I am convinced that we are in a spiritual battle. Over the past couple months, I have never seen so many people hit with struggles or face sorrow like the people in our little church have. As I looked around the room yesterday, I was overwhelmed by how many of them were facing situations that I couldn't even imagine. I know we are being attacked as we launch this church. I'm just thankful that "greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world."

- I love seeing how God is using our church to make a difference in people's lives!!

- Congratulations to my friends Bane & Crystal Angles! They welcomed their daughter, Charis, into the world last week. Thankful that she and Crystal are doing great. Bane is like a brother to me and he will be such a great dad. I hope it works out to see them soon!

I'm looking forward to this week! Have a great day!!

A Typical Saturday???

2012-01-21T11:17:00.001-05:00

Today I am going to a funeral home visitation... and then, within an hour of that visitation, I will be performing a wedding ceremony.

It's not a joke. A funeral and a wedding within an hour of each other. And yes, they are two separate events.

It's just another "typical" day in ministry.

This day reminds me to not base my happiness or contentment on circumstances. Circumstances can change very quickly. In fact, the only thing you can depend on circumstances to do is CHANGE.

My happiness and contentment must come from my relationship with the Lord. HE is the only One who never changes. HE is the only One who can truly provide.

"In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:12-13 ESV

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA!!!

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife Amanda!!
I'm so thankful for her in my life.

Yes... I'm a lucky man. =)

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2012-01-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone!!!

I'm very proud of my brother Chad. He is now the Senior Minister at the South Haven Christian Church near Valparaiso, IN. Since moving there in October, things have been going very well for the church. I got a text from my dad yesterday saying they had a great service, with 2 baptisms and a great sermon from Chad!!

My wife makes amazing chocolate chip cookies. =)

A mixed sports weekend for me... I was glad the Saints were beaten, as well as the Packers. I want at least one Manning to play in the Super Bowl at Indy! But my Hoosiers are struggling. Live by the 3... die by the 3. I was also sad that the Broncos didn't do better against the Patriots. Here's to hoping Tebow is given some help in the offseason by drafting and bringing some more players in to help him out.

Great Sunday at Restoration! We had a great crowd with several first time visitors. Micah Stephen did a good job leading worship, and Jeff & Jessica Hale are getting our children's ministry going in a good direction. I couldn't help but feel blessed as I left the church service yesterday. I was heading to lunch to catch up with some friends I hadn't seen in awhile. The church was excited and seeking to be the church God calls us to be. All I can say is... God is so good!!

A question that has been bugging me... How come my dog smells like Fritos now? Guess it's time to take him to the groomers! =)

Have a great day!

GO HOOSIERS!!!

2012-01-06T09:39:00.001-05:00

Last night I attended my first Indiana Hoosiers basketball game thanks to my wife, Amanda.

She had called my uncle Harold, trying to get tickets for a later game on the schedule, and he happened to know a guy in Bloomington that pointed us to a couple tickets for the game last night. So, yesterday afternoon, Amanda comes into my office and asks me if I wanted to go to the IU vs. Michigan game.

YES!!!!

I had been to Assembly Hall before, but I had never been to a Hoosier game there.

Thankfully, I got to see an Indiana win over Michigan!! It was a little too close for comfort, but they were able to hold them off.

Chipmunk Christianity...

2012-01-04T09:58:00.002-05:00

I enjoyed reading this post from my friend, Mike Edmisten. I wanted to share it with you all today. Enjoy!!

I love animal documentaries on TV. I realize that doesn't make me cool, but I'm getting old enough that I just don't care anymore.

One of my current favorites is the Wild Russia series that's been on recently. Thecinematography is awesome, and it features some of the rarest animals on the planet. But one of the interesting tidbits that I saw recently wasn't about a rare, endangered animal.It was about a common, everyday chipmunk.

Chipmunks bury food constantly. If you see a chipmunk, it is either searching for food or burying food. All day, everyday.

But here's the interesting part…their memory is only three days long. I don't know how we figured out the length of a chipmunk's memory, but apparently we have conclusively determined that a chipmunk can't remember anything longer than three days. That means that they often forget where their food stashes are located.

Chipmunks are all about gathering and storing food…but most of it never gets used.

As I was watching this show, it occurred to me that most believers in Christ are chipmunks. They are all about gathering food. They always want to stock up on food and store it away.

Food, in this case, is Biblical knowledge.

So many Christians always want to attend another class. They want to do another study. They want to accumulate more and more food…but they never use it.

In James 1, God tells us, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (James 1:22)

That is one of the least complicated, easy-to-understand verses in all of Scripture.

Don't just store it up. Don't simply acquire more and more knowledge. Use it.

John Maxwell said, "Most Christians are educated far beyond their level of obedience."

Most believers gather more and more food. They stock up. They store it away. But they never use it.

They learn, but they don't love.

They gather, but they don't give.

They store, but they don't serve.

Apparently chipmunks are forgetful and wasteful animals. They hoard food that is never used.

It's time to put a stop to chipmunk Christianity.

MORE SALT, LESS JERK...

2012-01-03T16:55:00.000-05:00

I tried to help someone today.

It backfired on me.

I was shopping with Amanda in Walmart. It was a normal day. She and I were just doing our part to stimulate the economy. Amanda wanted to make chili for supper. Being a strong Christian, I thought that sounded like a good idea. But we needed to pick up some chili powder so Amanda could fix supper.

As we were looking at the shelves filled with various spices, it took us awhile to locate our chili powder. A fellow shopper was standing beside us. He was also having some trouble finding what he was looking for.

Finally, Amanda found our chili powder. She then turned and asked the guy what he was looking for. He needed some celery seeds. I have no idea why. Perhaps he was beginning a celery garden.

Regardless, Amanda found them rather quickly for him. As she gave them to me, my mind came to the realization that all of the spices were in alphabetical order. So I observed out loud, "They're all in alphabetical order."

The only problem was... it came out sounding like I was calling that guy next to us an idiot because he couldn't find what he was looking for.

I was only trying to help. I had just then realized the alphabetical order myself.

And yet... my words came out wrong.

Ugh. I felt so bad.

At least the guy laughed about it... "That's some useful information," he said. But I think he laughed trying to play off the fact that he hadn't found what he was looking for.

Why do I say things in a way that can be misunderstood?

I guess it's just being human. But as a preacher, you'd think I'd be better at speaking to others.

The Apostle Paul says, "⁵ Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Colossians 4:5-6)

My desire is to make the best use of my time. My desire is to be able to give the best conversation possible so that people will be drawn to God.

More salt. Less jerk please.

2012 RESOLUTIONS...

2011-12-31T10:28:00.002-05:00

Last year I was ambitious and made an exhaustive list of New Year's resolutions. It was exhaustive because I would get tired thinking about them. Long story short... I did a horrible job of keeping my 2011 resolutions.

That is why I have written a new set of goals for 2012. It might be a mistake to announce them to you on my blog, but throwing caution to the wind, I want to share with you today my 12 resolutions for 2012.

1. I resolve to kiss my wife every day.

2. I resolve to eat at least 2 meals a day.

3. I resolve to give "knucks" and "noggins" to my nephews when I see them. (Fist bump and head bump)

4. I resolve to feel small when I stand beside the ocean. Also, if given the choice to sit it out or dance... I will dance.

5. I resolve to pray for my church family every day.

6. I resolve to loyally root for the Indiana Hoosiers basketball team. GO HOOSIERS!!!

7. I resolve to live each day as if it could be my last. (And if the Mayans are right, it very well could be.)

8. I resolve to shuffle every day... so I can say "Every day I'm shuffling" all the time and truly mean it. (I really like those hamsters on the Kia commercial.)

9. I resolve to know when to hold 'em. I will also know when to fold 'em. Perhaps I'll get to the point of knowing when to walk away and when to run.

10. I resolve to stay away from the gym the next few weeks. I know how much the regulars hate the overcrowding at the beginning of the year.

11. I resolve to preach the best sermons I can possibly preach.

12. I resolve to make a list of resolutions for next year.

McDreamy Jeremiah...

2011-12-27T16:44:00.000-05:00

I found a movie at Amanda's house based on the book of Jeremiah. I was surprised to see that Patrick Dempsey starred in the lead role of Jeremiah.

Amanda and I watched this movie last night. It was not the greatest film ever produced, yet I was surprised at how accurately they portrayed the story of Jeremiah.

I was personally gripped with the difficult task God had given to Jeremiah. Jeremiah was called to stand up to the king of Judah, to stand up to the military generals, even to stand up to the priests so that God's message would be delivered to the people.

What an intimidating task that would have been!

Add to it the burden of not being allowed to marry and Jeremiah had a lonely call from God.

This movie made me think about the "calls" we receive from God in our life. If we are honest, most of the time when we get a "call" from God it is for us to move on to something we consider better. We typically find something more comfortable and become certain that God has "called" us to that task.

After all, God would never call us to do something uncomfortable.

Right?

Can we expect only good "calls" in life from the Lord? Or does God allow us to suffer for His sake so that we will long for a future life with Him?

When God called Jeremiah, the initial words spoken were these:

“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." (Jeremiah 1:10)

Who wouldn't want to do that?!?!?! I'd love to speak for YOU God!! I'll tear down some kingdoms!! I'll destroy and overthrow whatever YOU want God!! Sign me up!!!

But then Jeremiah is told the people he's going to preach to... they won't listen. In fact, they will oppose him.

Despite this fact, Jeremiah is told to go.

And he went.

I'm sure if you asked Jeremiah today if it was worth being beaten and thrown in prison for the sake of delivering God's Word he would say YES.

God does not call everyone to suffer, but it is His will for some people.

Peter said, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." (1 Peter 4:19)

Something Just Doesn't Seem Right...

2011-12-21T19:22:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had something feel wrong but you couldn't figure out what it was?

For awhile now there has been something bothering me.

There has been something that hasn't felt right.

It took me awhile to figure out what it was... but now I realize what it is.

I miss being part of the small group we had while preparing to launch the church!!

From January through September we met almost every week at the home of Matt & Tina Pierce for a time of fellowship, food, and Bible study. It was during this time that our church core group grew close to one another.

We developed relationships with one another.

We laughed together.

We prayed for one another.

Since launching the church on Sunday mornings in October, our core group has not met together on Sunday evenings. We stopped meeting to allow a time and place for the teenagers to meet. I did this knowing that once we had an additional space, we would start offering small group Bible studies for the adults in January.

What never occurred to me was just how long it is from October to January.

Oh sure... when you're getting ready for Christmas and trying to shop it flies by!! But when you miss being together with your brothers and sisters... well... it just isn't right.

The good news is that really soon we will be starting new group studies at our church!! I for one cannot wait for this.

It really is good when a church comes together to worship, study, and do life together.

I can't wait.

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-12-19T10:15:00.002-05:00

My thoughts on a Monday...

- We had a great Sunday yesterday at Restoration Christian Church. It was very exciting to see Brad Combs baptized into Christ yesterday!!

Brad and Jeff Hale (our Next Gen Minister)

My sermon used the classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life" to wrestle with the question - What if Jesus had never been born? The reality is that everything would be different if Jesus had never been born!!! I am so thankful that Jesus was born in Bethlehem... and He lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and came back to life!!!

I am very thankful to be a part of Restoration Christian Church.

- I watched the Patriots/Broncos football game yesterday. I wanted to see how Tebow would play. While many will criticize him, I think that Tebow played decently. Yes, he made some mistakes... but what QB doesn't? The biggest problem for the Broncos yesterday was their turnovers. You cannot give the ball away to New England like they did yesterday. But my opinion is that if Tebow is given the chance, and if they can add some defense, he will go far in the NFL.

Besides, all Tim Tebow did yesterday was what every other NFL QB has done this season except for Aaron Rogers... lose his 2nd game.

- We are having church on Christmas this year. It can be difficult with Christmas falling on Sunday to get everyone together. I know our family is affected by it. Plans and schedules have to be altered. But even though it is not convenient, we are still going to have our worship service on Sunday morning. (I say this because I have been asked if we are having church Christmas morning.)

We view this as a great teaching opportunity for our families to show their children what Christmas is truly about. This coming Sunday we will not have any kids programming. Everyone will be together for a time of worship to celebrate Christ coming to earth. I'm looking forward to this special time of worship with families this Sunday!!

- Did the Colts really win yesterday? Peyton starts throwing in practice and they get inspired. =)

Have a great Monday!!!

What I like about Christmas...

2011-12-14T11:06:00.000-05:00

What I like about Christmas is Jesus was Immanuel - which means "God with us."

Later on Jesus would teach His disciples that He would be leaving them. While this may seem like a bad thing to His disciples, Jesus insisted it was actually for good. The reason it was good is that after Jesus leaves He would then send them a Helper.

We know that Helper as the Holy Spirit.

Can you catch the beauty of this? We move from "God with us" to "God IN us."

If you are a Christian, you are never truly alone.

I love Christmas because it was through Christ coming as Immanuel that we can now experience His love, joy and peace in us.

Isn't that cool?!?!

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-12-11T22:55:00.001-05:00

A collection of my thoughts on a Monday...

- I am so proud of our church. Yesterday we gave away our entire Sunday morning offering to help families in our community have a merry Christmas. After taking up the offering on Sunday morning, our student ministry went shopping last night to purchase the gifts for the families.

- I am very proud of my wife. Tomorrow she starts a new job in French Lick. She has sacrificed a lot for me. She has moved away from family and friends, left a job and co-workers she had known for over 10 years, and puts up with me on a daily basis. I am thankful for her and proud of her!!! (Plus she is pretty to look at!) ;-)

- An UNBELIEVABLE win for Indiana University over the #1 rank Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday. Amanda and I had our cable connected on Friday... which was great timing so we could watch the game at home. We both jumped up from our couch when that lost shot went in the basket. We jumped and screamed so loud that we scared our dog Bo!!

As an IU fan I am thrilled that we won. I realize we have a ways to go, but it's great to watch an Indiana basketball game that you actually enjoy again!!

I have watched this clip several times and it never gets old.

- I will be doing some future planning for Restoration Christian Church this week with our Next Gen Minister, Jeff Hale. Please pray that God would continue to lead us as we seek to bring Him honor in French Lick!!

Have a great Monday everyone!!!

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-12-05T10:47:00.001-05:00

Another installment of my thoughts on a Monday morning...

- First of all, I am very blessed. I have so much to be thankful for. My wife. My family. My friends. My church.

- Yesterday got off to a rough start. However, it finished up AMAZING.

I was printing things off for church in the morning. (I know I shouldn't wait until Sunday morning, but that's what happened. lol) As I was printing the bulletin, the printer stopped printing. One of the toner cartridges was out. Thankfully, Matt Pierce is an angel in disguise and had ordered replacement cartridges... AND BROUGHT THEM TO MY HOME.

So I replaced one cartridge. The printer started printing. For a few pages that is... then it stopped. Long story short, I had to replace 3 cartridges yesterday morning on the printer!!

Then, I get a text from our worship leader saying that he can't make it.

I've always had this nightmare that one Sunday we'd be stuck without a worship leader. It finally happened.

So at 8:50 AM... a mere hour and ten minutes before our service was to start, I call Steve and Jennifer from our church to see if they can lead some songs for us. I am so thankful they were able to cover for us.

I'll be brutally honest... it wasn't our best service ever. It wasn't as smooth as what we'd like for our service to be, and even my sermon wasn't that great. But all things considered, it came together very well!

What's exciting is that we had a rededication and a possible baptism for later this week!!!

It just goes to show that God can take our mess and make it into something beautiful.

- Last night we had a prayer dedication service for our new offices!!! That's right. We now have offices for Restoration Christian Church. We are leasing the former loan department of the Springs Valley Bank & Trust. This space will give us a "home base" for ministry, as well as space for small groups to meet throughout the week. Our Sunday service will still take place at the Springs Valley Elementary School.

It was very exciting last night to gather with people from our church in the new office space. We prayed together and gave God thanks for bringing us to this point, and dedicating these facilities to His glory and honor.

Here are a few pics from the offices. More will come later!

Have a great Monday!!

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-11-21T09:38:00.001-05:00

Another installment of my thoughts on a Monday morning...

- Yesterday was my favorite day so far at Restoration Christian Church!!! Our Next Gen Minister, Jeff Hale, did a great job opening the service and setting the table. Micah Stephen then led our singing. I loved the fact that the church broke out clapping during the song "Blessed Be Your Name."

- We are definitely going to have to invest in our children's ministry VERY soon. We had 21 kids in Jr. Church yesterday.

- I really enjoyed the Christmas Tree lighting at the French Lick Hotel on Friday night. Amanda and I walked over and listened to the children's choir from the elementary school sing. Then they lit the tree and set off a bunch of fireworks!! We also walked into the hotel and had some hot chocolate.

After that we grabbed a bite to eat, then went home to get Bo and took him for a walk around town. Bo even went to the hotel with us and looked at the Christmas decorations. I don't know if he liked sitting in the sleigh. lol

- Miguel's Mexican restaurant in French Lick is amazing.

- My wife is pretty amazing too. ;-)

- Looking forward to a busy, but good week. I have much to be thankful for.

Introducing Bo...

2011-11-17T09:23:00.001-05:00

Not only have I gotten married in the past month, I also have a new son.

That's right. I now have a son. (Although, he is kind of furry.)

This is Bo.

Bo is a Cocker Spaniel / Poodle mix. He was Amanda's dog, therefore, he is now my dog too.

If you had told me a year ago that I'd be getting up in the morning to take a dog for a walk and then pick up after him... I'd have said "you're crazy!" But now I find myself getting up and taking Bo for a walk. I even pick up after he does his business. Wow... my life has changed. lol

The one thing I'll say about Bo is that he loves to be with you. In fact, Amanda took this pic of me and Bo yesterday while I was texting someone from the couch. He loves to curl up with me. (Probably because I'm very warm. lol) Even as I write this blog post, Bo is in the chair with me.

He is a very loving dog.

He is a good listener.

As someone said, "My goal is to someday be the person my dog thinks I am."

Bo also likes my couch.

No Shave November...

2011-11-16T10:05:00.001-05:00

I've never let my beard grow out.

In fact, I'm not even sure I can grow my beard out. lol

But I'm trying this month with the whole "No Shave November." Granted, I couldn't start until this past weekend because of a family photo we were taking at Myrtle Beach, but I have now gone 5 days without shaving.

I posted this pic on Facebook after 3 days of not shaving.

I'll let you know how it ends up (if I don't shave it off before then!).

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-11-14T10:54:00.001-05:00

It has been awhile since my last blog update... and A LOT HAS HAPPENED!!!

First of all, the big news is... I GOT MARRIED!!!!!!!

That's right. On October 20th, I married miss Amanda Templin. My brother Chad performed the private ceremony for us. (Neither one of us wanted a big ceremony.) Here are a few pics from our wedding.

Me & Amanda.

Our rings.

Even Malachi was excited! Chad looks thrilled too. lol

After getting married, Amanda and I enjoyed "A Peaceful Getaway" in Tennessee. That was the name of our cabin.

I am so blessed. Life is a little crazy right now with getting adjusted to married life, as well as doing a church plant during this time. But life is good. God has been so good to me.

Pray for me... things are going great!!!

2011-10-19T09:04:00.001-04:00

Has anyone ever asked you, "Things are going so well right now, would you please pray for me?"

Typically we ask for prayer when circumstances are difficult. We ask for prayer during the dark times of life. Rarely does anyone ask for prayer when things are going well.

I was reading the first chapter of Colossians the other day and realized the apostle Paul had a different approach. Paul wrote to the Colossian church and let them know he has heard a good report about their faith.

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven." (Colossians 1:3-5)

Paul thanked God in his prayers because there was good news about this church! Paul heard about their faith. Paul heard how loving the church was. Things were good in those departments of the church.

That's why in verse 9 Paul says, "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you..."

Wait a second.

Paul hears about a church where good things are happening and the first thing he says is "I'm praying for you... like NON-STOP!!"

Doesn't that seem a little backwards? Doesn't that seem a bit unnecessary? If I was writing this letter I'd be like, "You guys are doing great, but that Corinthian church over there... GEESH!! Would you join with me in praying for them?"

Yet, Paul looks at a church where there is faith and love and he knows they need prayer. Paul understands that when a church is growing, where disciples of Jesus are progressing together, he should never stop praying for them, but instead, pray all the more for them!

I find myself doing the opposite. When I pray I look for things that aren't going well. I try to figure out who is in trouble. That's how I determine whether or not to pray for someone. Who's in the deepest need?

But a strong case can be made that the ones who are successful for God's Kingdom are ones who actually need constant prayer! After all, they are in the line of fire from the enemy!!

Wasn't Job an example of this? Job loved God. Job was blessed and prospering. And Job desperately needed prayer!

Paul writes to the Colossians and basically says, "Since I've heard a good report about you, I'm praying for you."

I would have to say that things are going well for me in my life. I'm engaged to an amazing lady. Restoration Christian Church is taking off very well. I have experienced God's blessings in some incredible ways the last several months.

And then it hits me...

I need to pray.

We need to pray.

Please pray for me... things are going great!!!

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-10-17T09:05:00.000-04:00

What a great weekend!!!

First of all, it is "Facebook official" now that I am engaged to the lovely Amanda Templin!!! I'm very excited about this. =) I'll be posting more about her and me later on the blog. All I can say is "life is good!"

Me & Amanda

Our 2nd official Sunday as a church was great. After launching with 71 people last week, I was preparing myself for a big drop in attendance. Most church planters I talked with said to expect that the 2nd week would not have as many people. Since we had 71 to start with, I figured we'd be down to 40-50 people this weekend, which is a great number to start with.

I was blown away when we had 64 yesterday for church!!

Especially since we had 17 first time visitors and 6 of our core group were absent for various reasons.

God is really blessing our church. I know anything good that happens at Restoration Christian Church is from God. I am not that good. But I keep praying that in my weakness HE will be strong. I love the Lord and the fact that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Really takes the pressure off.

Was also glad to visit with my aunts and uncle from Bedford yesterday. Harold & Beth and Cynthia drove down to attend church and go to lunch. So thankful for my family and their encouragement and support.

Jeff & Jessica Hale

Last night we had a bonfire to welcome our Next Gen Minister - Jeff Hale and his wife Jessica to our church. 52 people gathered at Randy & Cathy Chaplin's house to roast hot dogs, make s'mores, and play a little football. They also heard Jeff share his heart about the direction of our student ministry (6-12th grade), as well as listen to me rap a little bit. (Seriously, totally unplanned but the crowd demanded it.)

I guess I'll just sum up everything by saying... I'm so excited about the future with Amanda and all that God has in store for us and Restoration Christian Church!!!

Have a great Monday!

Looking forward to Sunday...

2011-10-15T09:06:00.003-04:00

Come join us if you're in the French Lick area tomorrow! www.rccfl.org

Wade Recommends...

2011-10-14T09:39:00.003-04:00

Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman.

I agree with Kyle that Jesus is looking for followers, not fans.

Check it out here...

It really is a battle...

2011-10-13T09:22:00.000-04:00

Church planting is a HUGE task!! Before I committed to planting Restoration Christian Church, I sought wise counsel from people who have personally experienced a church plant.

A theme developed from our conversations. That theme was this: Church planting has been the most difficult undertaking of their life, yet also the most rewarding.

Church planting is rewarding when you see God move in people's lives. It is a joy to follow His calling for your life. It is a joy to see people move from darkness to light. It is amazing to experience blessings that could come only from Him.

However, church planting is extremely difficult. There are days and nights filled with doubt. There is the feeling of loneliness. There is financial pressure. Relationship pressure. Even physical pressure.

I have been reminded more and more that the life of a disciple is really a battle.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

Crockett & Natalie with their daughters

My friend, Crockett Davidson, is preparing for a church plant in Hickory, NC. He shared a few of the struggles he is facing on his blog today. Would you take some time to read his blog titled, "These Things are Real." (simply click on the title to visit his blog) Then pray for Crockett and his family as they plant a church in North Carolina.

It really is a battle...

Reflections from LAUNCH... part 2

2011-10-12T17:30:00.000-04:00

The LAUNCH service for Restoration Christian Church exceeded my expectations. God does more than we ask or even imagine.

I'm very thankful to be part of this church. God is up to something special in French Lick.

Here are a few pics from Sunday...

Tina helping set up.

Alisha getting the chairs just right. =)

Waiting for the service to start.

The opening of Restoration Christian Church

Me & Amanda at LAUNCH.

Thankful Dad & Mom could be there as well.

We even had RCC cookies!!! =)

Reflections from LAUNCH... part 1

2011-10-11T08:35:00.001-04:00

Restoration Christian Church officially launched on Sunday, October 9th. After several months, even years of planning, a dream became reality.

It was more than 5 years ago when my friend Darrel Land mentioned to me the need for a church in French Lick. I was preaching at Central Christian Church in Huntingburg, Indiana. The ministry at Central was going very well. While I agreed with Darrel about the need for a church, I thought it would be something I could perhaps help with from a distance.

Then I made a trip to French Lick...

And from that time I have never been able to shake the idea of planting a church in French Lick.

Not that I didn't want to. There were times I told myself that French Lick was a bad idea. I told myself I needed to pursue a church plant in a different town. I even visited other places and met with people to discuss planing a church in other towns.

But I always found myself thinking about French Lick.

It was last November when Darrel called me and said there were a few families from French Lick he wanted me to meet. These families were interested in starting a new church in their community. I met with them for lunch to discuss planting a new church.

We met for a second time to discuss with people the idea of a church plant. These initial meetings were very positive and encouraging. Yet, I continued to struggle with the decision. I took a month to decide whether or not French Lick was the place to plant a new church.

During that time of making the decision whether to go to French Lick or not, I was reading Isaiah 61:

"¹ The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;² to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;³to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified."

It was my prayer from that point on that we would plant a church in French Lick. A church that would share the Good News of Jesus Christ. A church that would share the truth and set people free. A church that would warn people of God's judgement. A church that would bring comfort to those who were hurting.

This was my prayer because if we did that... we would be a planting that glorified God.

The Lord answers prayer in amazing ways.

This Sunday we launched Restoration Christian Church with 71 people in attendance. The feeling among the people is one of excitement. I truly believe God is answering our prayers.

Greater things are yet to come!!

LAUNCH is here...

2011-10-09T07:37:00.002-04:00

This is it. Don't get scared now.

Tim Duncan Singing Again!

2011-10-07T23:11:00.000-04:00

Tim Duncan is singing again!!

Not the basketball player named Tim Duncan... lol

Tim Duncan was the bass singer with Ernie Haase & Signature Sound. He left EH&SS last year and I hadn't heard what he was up to. But, yesterday I came across a blog with this video clip of Tim singing with a group called Canton Junction. Not sure if they are going full time or not, but it's great to hear his bass voice again.

Oh... I guess I should mention that this is Southern Gospel music. I am a huge quartet fan... as long as it's a quality quartet! =)

Enjoy!!

Field of Dreams 2

2011-10-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

This is a little old, but I thought it was pretty creative.

Have a great weekend!

Field of Dreams 2: NFL Lockout with Taylor Lautner from Taylor Lautner

Steve Jobs... 1955 - 2011

2011-10-06T01:29:00.000-04:00

I am sad to learn that Steve Jobs passed away.

I purchased a book about Steve and Apple the day he died. (Crazy coincidence, but it's true.) I wanted to read about Steve's leadership style and how his Apple company functioned. I was curious how he brought Apple from the brink of failure to become the most valuable company in America.

I read the first chapter yesterday morning. It was very interesting. I look forward to reading more today.

Jobs famously hired John Sculley away from Pepsi by asking him, "Do you want sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?"

Steve did change the world... the computer I'm writing this on is a result of his leadership. The way we listen to music has changed because of Steve Jobs.

One man really can change the world.

Of course... computers will come and go. Music sources will probably change again in the future. The world will keep on changing.

I want to change the world too. Not for just a little while, but for eternity.

So the question I have to ask is...
what am I doing today that will change the world for eternity?

Restoration is Coming...

2011-10-05T13:30:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that this Sunday, October 9th, is our LAUNCH date. What has been a dream for the past year... really 2 years... is going to be a reality.

I'm so excited that Restoration is Coming!!!

Some Fun with Footprints in the Sand...

2011-10-04T09:30:00.001-04:00

There's an old poem called "Footprints in the Sand." Check out a new twist on it. It may make you smile.

Footprints from HSM on Vimeo.

LAUNCH is this Sunday!!!

2011-10-04T08:52:00.004-04:00

To say that I'm getting excited is an understatement. I cannot wait to see what God does through our efforts in French Lick. Looking forward to Sunday. If you're in the area, come join us.

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-10-03T09:26:00.001-04:00

Some of my musings for your Monday enjoyment!

RCC Booth @ Pumpkin Festival.

- The Pumpkin Festival was great!! That's right Charlie Brown... I survived the great French Lick Pumpkin Festival. Our church booth was a good idea as well. The booth served as a great way of informing our community about the launch of our new church. Many people seemed interested in what we were doing, there was a definite buzz in the air!! I'm so thankful for our church core group who made the booth happen this week.

- Our last Preview Service was great!! We picked up a few visitors because of our booth at the festival. Most of the chairs we set up were full. We will definitely have to set up more seats for the Launch service next week. Steve and Jennifer Wilkerson did a great job leading worship, with Waynetta Underhill also doing a fantastic job of bringing special music.

- Our sound system was great!! Thanks to the generosity of the Christian Church of Jasper, we were able to purchase a sound system. The system made a huge difference for our service.

- Our God is great!! I wanted to save the best for last. God has been so good throughout this entire process. But even if things weren't coming together the way that they are, God is still good. God has been good in spite of the fact that I am inadequate to lead this church. Yet this inadequacy forces me to rely more on Him. When I am weak, He is strong!

Looking ahead to the launch this week, I realize that there is no way I can do this on my own. In fact, I'm pretty sure my efforts could hinder the church. If something great happens in French Lick, it will be because God has blessed it. My prayer is that God would be honored through what takes place at Restoration Christian Church.

Have a great Monday!!

A Friday Night at the Pumpkin Festival...

2011-09-30T23:31:00.000-04:00

We had another great night at the Pumpkin Festival. It's really enjoyable to meet so many people from the community. There also seems to be a lot of interest in our new church.

We are giving away hot chocolate and coffee to people at the festival. The reaction is priceless. People cannot believe we would do that. So many have asked "how much" when they come up to get their cup. Some ask if we are taking donations. It's a true joy to be able to say that we simply want to give a cup of coffee or hot chocolate from our church.

It really is better to give than to receive.

A few more pics...

More Pics from Pumpkin Festival

2011-09-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pics from Thursday night...

Matt & Alisha Tomlinson

THE PUMPKIN FESTIVAL...

2011-09-29T15:16:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I attended the first night of the Pumpkin Festival in French Lick. I did this in spite of the fact that I'm not a big fan of pumpkins... I'll eat the pie, but it's not my favorite. I like apple pie better because I feel patriotic while eating.

I'm also not a huge fan of festivals... they're usually hot and crowded. But thankfully the Pumpkin Festival is held the last weekend of September, so the weather was nice and cool. Very comfortable.

You may be wondering why I went to the festival if I'm not a fan of pumpkins or festivals.

I went because our church had a booth advertising our grand opening on October 9th!

That's right. We chose the biggest event of the fall in French Lick to announce our new church to the community.

It was a nice evening of visiting with people from church, as well as meeting new people in the community.

I'm also proud to share that the Pumpkin Festival Queen, Morgan Underhill, attends our church. This meant that Restoration Christian Church was announced as her church during the ceremony. Pretty cool publicity for us!!

Most of all, I love the fact that we are giving away free hot chocolate and coffee to people at the festival. There are other churches that have booths there, but as far as I could tell, we were the only one not selling anything. I don't share this because I think we are better, but I love the fact that we are different by giving, rather than receiving. We do not want anything FROM our community, we want something FOR our community.

Looking forward to going again tonight!

Alisha & Tina modeling their new RCC t-shirts.

Our church booth.

View down street from our booth.

Festival Queen - Morgan Underhill (RCC member)

YOU'RE PREACHING WHAT??? part 2

2011-09-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

I have decided to preach through the book of Colossians as we launch our church in French Lick, IN. I wrote about the first reason why I am preaching Colossians in part 1. Here are 3 more reasons why...

2. COLOSSIANS CAN HELP BRING UNITY.

There are so many church buildings and opinions and even doctrines in our culture. One of my desires with Restoration Christian Church is that we would search the Bible and restore God's vision for what the church should be. I am convinced that restoring this begins by understanding WHO the Leader is.

Colossians 1:18 says, "And he (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent."

Unity begins with following Jesus as the leader of the church.

3. COLOSSIANS SPEAKS TO OUR RELATIONSHIPS.

People in our world are looking for meaningful relationships. Yet, so many find themselves unfulfilled in life. Many people are lonely. Many people are disconnected... even if they have a husband or wife, children, and co-workers. We seem to have a difficult time building bridges to one another.

Colossians speaks about this issue. The book talks about relationships with husbands and wives and children, even employees and employers!!

When we find ourselves struggling in relationships, Colossians comes to the rescue!!

4. COLOSSIANS WILL CHANGE YOU.

If you allow God's Spirit to work on you through His Word... it will change you. As our church goes through this book, and especially as we get into chapters 3 and 4, we see that when we come to Christ HE changes us.

God loves us so much that He wants what is best for us. As we get close to Him, we become more like Him.

God is in the business of restoring people's lives.

I'm so excited about this sermon series on Colossians!!!

YOU'RE PREACHING WHAT??? part 1

2011-09-27T00:30:00.000-04:00

Church plants will often launch by doing an “attractive” sermon series that will catch the interest of their community. These sermons may even be controversial so that a "buzz" is created in town.

I must say that I struggle with this temptation. As we launch Restoration Christian Church, I want to have a sermon series that will appeal to people. I want something that will be flashy and spark a lot of interest. I want a series of sermons that would bring in a large crowd.

It was in June that I began to plan and pray about what I should preach at the beginning of our church. As I prayed, I thought about the New Testament book of Colossians. I quickly tried to push Colossians out of my mind because that was not a "hip" series idea. But over and over again I have been brought back to the book of Colossians.

Colossians is a great book.

It is a short book. Only 4 chapters.

It is a book about Jesus Christ.

If there is anyone I want our church and community to know... it is Jesus.

If there is any topic I should preach about... I can't think of any better than Jesus.

Restoration Christian Church is about Jesus Christ. This church is NOT about Wade Allen... or anyone else for that matter. So while it may not be the "trendy" thing to do at the launch of a church, I am going to preach through the book of Colossians.

What's been exciting for me is to see how preaching through Colossians is a great choice for the launch of our church!! In fact, I have four main reasons why I want to preach through Colossians.

1. IT'S A PRACTICAL BOOK!!

We live in a time when people want to know what works. Walk into any book store and you will find a section called "self-help" that is filled with rows and rows of books. People want to know what works. People want to know what makes life better.

Our culture asks the same questions about Jesus Christ. Does it work to follow Jesus? Does He bring happiness? Does He bring meaning to life? Is there purpose with following Jesus? Is there hope with Jesus?

I love the book of Colossians because it answers those questions!! Colossians gives us an amazing picture of Jesus and how He brings life to others.

If there is anything our community needs now it is practical teaching on Jesus and His way of life.

Tomorrow I'll share 3 more reasons why I decided to preach through Colossians...

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-09-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

Another installment of my thoughts on a Monday...

- We had a great day at Restoration Christian Church yesterday!! Things are really coming together for our group. The singing was really good.

- Looking forward to experiencing the Pumpkin Festival this week. Our church will have a booth to announce our launch coming on October 9, 2011. If you happen to be in French Lick this week, stop by and say hello!!

- I've enjoyed making videos for our new church. I have to say, though, this one is probably my favorite. =)

- I'm grateful for Kendall Faull and Frontier Ministry Group that purchased a new MacBook for our church plant. That has made these videos and so much more possible for our church!

- I started a new sermon series on the book of Colossians yesterday. As I have prayed about what to preach on as we launch Restoration Christian Church, I kept coming back to the book of Colossians. I didn't necessarily want to preach through Colossians, but I really did feel like that is what I should do. The good news is... it started off great!! The sermon came together and I experienced one of those times when you can tell that God is working through His Word. I love moments like that!

HAVE A GREAT MONDAY!!!

Living the "Amish" Dream...

2011-09-23T10:03:00.003-04:00

I moved to French Lick, IN a few weeks ago. Over the course of that time I have contacted two different companies to install cable/satellite TV in my apartment. I went with the first company because they were going to give me a "bundle" deal with internet and cable.

However, a day later I get a phone call from them informing me that while I could subscribe to their internet service, the building I live in was not yet available for use of their cable service.

Bummer.

I called a second place to set up TV service with them. I went through the whole process of setting up my new account, giving them my information, etc. They were to send my satellite receiver in the mail. Sure enough, a few days later I received my TV equipment from them.

I set up the receiver with my TV and turned it on. The screen showed a message which said, "Searching for satellite signal." I figured that was normal at the beginning. I left it on for awhile and came back to find that the receiver was still searching for the satellite signal.

After 4 hours of searching for a signal I decided to call for support. Of course, I had to leave a message.

The next morning I am called back and asked to explain the situation. I told them that the satellite signal has not yet been found. They ask me if the receiver is plugged in correctly. (I wanted to say "How in the world do you think I can see the message on my TV if it isn't plugged in correctly" but I was nice.) They agreed to send a technician to my apartment to check out the situation.

When the technician arrived he quickly diagnosed the situation. Are you ready for this? My building is not available for their satellite service. The one beside me is, but not the one I live in.

Perhaps God is teaching me that I need to read and focus on Him rather than using my time to watch TV. Plus, it's a lot cheaper!!

Life goes on without TV.

RESTORATION CHRISTIAN CHURCH PROMO...

2011-09-22T00:02:00.002-04:00

Here's a little promotional video I made for a church who is taking up an offering to support our new church in French Lick. Enjoy!!

PREACHER TO PREACHER...

2011-09-21T05:00:00.002-04:00

My friends at the Christian Church of Jasper held an event called "Preacher to Preacher" yesterday. Darrel Land and his team did a great job hosting.

Ben Merold and Bob Russell shared their wisdom and experience with about 70 preachers. It was so encouraging to listen to these men speak!!

Ben Merold

A few quotes from Ben:

"Is the message you're preaching good news?"

"What about the thief on the cross? If you can get yourself nailed to a cross beside Jesus and He tells you that you'll be with Him, then that's fine. Otherwise, the Bible says repent and be baptized."

"Does my sermon build faith and hope?"

"Don't tell it like it is, tell it like it can be."

"We stand between the living and the dead."

Bob Russell

A few quotes from Bob:

"New Testament preaching is biblically based."

"I figured I'd speak and let my home church worry about it." (Joke in reference to speaking about Jesus at a high school graduation in his home town. lol)

"New Testament preaching is a logical proclamation of the absolute truths of the Gospel and is intentionally evangelistic. It motivates to repentance and transformation."

"Preaching matters."

Ben Merold speaking @ CCJ "Preacher to Preacher"

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-09-19T10:06:00.000-04:00

Another installment of my thoughts on a Monday morning...

I mentioned last week that church planting is a roller coaster experience... and it totally is... but yesterday was probably my favorite day at Restoration Christian Church so far!!! It wasn't that we had a big crowd (in fact we had our smallest number to date), but the fact that I knew I was where God wanted me to be, it truly was a joy yesterday at church.

Caleb Spencer did a FANTASTIC job leading our worship service yesterday. He's only 20 years old... but wow!!!

I also enjoyed spending time with Jeff & Jessica Hale this weekend. So good to visit with them in The Lick.

A&W @DCB =)

Friday night the lovely miss Amanda Templin and I went to the David Crowder Band concert in Fort Wayne. It was Legend... wait for it... ary. lol But seriously, it was a great concert. DCB played so many of their good songs... How HE Loves, There is no one like You, Wholly... but I'd have to say my favorite song of the night was the cover of Hank Williams "I Saw the Light." We had a ho-down in that place!!

The surprise of the night came from Laura Story. She opened for DCB. While I had heard her song "Blessings" on the radio, I was simply going to "tolerate" her blessing us with music until DCB came on stage. However, SHE WAS GREAT!!! First of all, she was hilarious. Secondly, I didn't realize she was a song writer. (Ever heard of "Indescribable" by Chris Tomlin? Yeah... she wrote that.) And third, what a powerful testimony behind the song "Blessings."

It was a great night!!

My poor Colts are struggling. The Browns beat them. Ugh... My thought is that they should go ahead and forfeit every game this season. Get the #1 draft pick and get the best quarterback they can. Let this QB have 2-3 years to learn from Peyton Manning and then pass the torch. Just my thoughts...

Anyway...

Hope you have a great Monday!!

I wore a Colts jersey on Monday...

2011-09-13T01:00:00.001-04:00

After an embarrassing defeat to the Houston Texans on Sunday, I walked around town in an Indianapolis Colts jersey on Monday.

I wore it to a JV football game at Springs Valley High School.

I also wore it inside the gym to a girls volley ball game, also at Springs Valley.

But it wasn't until I was making a trip to Wal-mart that someone commented on my #87 Reggie Wayne jersey...

"You're actually wearing that today?"

"Yes I am." I replied back smiling.

I'm not a fair weather fan. And if (or when) Peyton Manning returns this season and the Colts return to their winning ways, I want to be able to say that I was a fan all the time.

If only I could be that consistent in my walk with Christ.

Galatians 3:27 tells us, "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." I would be so much more consistent following Jesus if I remembered that I wear HIS jersey every day.

It may not be the most popular jersey to wear.
It may not even be the most comfortable jersey to wear.
It is, however, the best jersey to wear.

I don't want to be a "fair weather" Christian. I have switched jerseys far too many times in the past. I want to be able to say when Jesus returns that I was faithful to Him... even though it may look like a losing cause at times.

Oh and one more thing...
I've got Spirit, yes I do. I've got Spirit, how 'bout you?!?!
(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-09-12T09:21:00.001-04:00

A collection of random thoughts this Monday morning...

One of the downsides to moving is having to wait on things being connected. I really missed TV yesterday since it was the first Sunday of the NFL season. Hopefully I will have TV soon.

I also wish I had internet too. lol

Church planting is one of the toughest things I have ever done. It is an emotional roller coaster at times! While everything has for the most part gone smoothly with my move to French Lick, it is also intimidating and a little frightening at times. (I might write a post about this later on this week.)

I downloaded the "Words with Friends" app on my phone. It's like playing Scrabble. I think I'm going to be addicted to it. lol

The Oversight Team for the church plant will meet later on this week. I always look forward to meeting with those guys.

I think Peyton Manning should have won a few more MVP's the last few years. It definitely showed he was the most valuable player to his team yesterday!!! WOW. It might be a long year for the Colts.

Preached on not being anxious yesterday. I thought that was a good topic in light of it being the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Philippians 4 is such a great chapter in the Bible.

I can hear a fountain outside my apartment window... which is cool because I love the sound of water. But I have noticed I use the restroom more. lol

HAVE A GREAT MONDAY!!!

An Invitation...

2011-09-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

I've been learning how to put videos together. My first attempt is an invite to our church plant we are doing in French Lick. I'm looking forward to the church and looking forward to getting better at making videos!! lol

10 Years...

2011-09-09T10:52:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that it has been 10 years since the attacks on 9/11. So much has happened since then. Our world truly has been changed.

Where were you when you heard the news?

When 9/11 happened I was the Youth Minister at the Peebles Church of Christ in Peebles, OH. I was in the church office talking to our secretary, Amy Kelley, when Diane Ward called and told us what happened. We didn't have TV at the church, so we turned on a radio. We heard that the second tower had been hit, and then that the Pentagon had also been hit. When it was announced that the first tower had crumbled, I went home and watched the news on TV.

Isn't it amazing the details that can be remembered?!?!

Where were you when you heard the news?

THE APPLE ORCHARD...

2011-08-30T10:52:00.000-04:00

From Ben Arment's blog...

I don't know about you, but all of my ideas can be traced back to some singular, even obscure, experience in my past.

After dropping out of Reed College in Portland, Steve Jobs worked at an apple orchard called All-One Farm.

This is why you never, ever, ever discount the experience you're going through now. No matter how mundane. No matter how excruciating. It'll spawn something great later on.

Charles Spurgeon's Story of the Gardener

2011-08-16T18:49:00.000-04:00

A child had a little garden in which she planted many flowers, but they never grew. She put them in, as she thought tenderly and carefully, but they would not live. She sowed seeds and they sprang up; but very soon they withered away. So she ran to her father's gardener, and when he came to look at it, he said, "I will make it a nice garden for you, that you may grow whatever you want."

He fetched a pick, and when the little child saw the terrible pick, she was afraid for her little garden. The gardener struck his tool into the ground and began to make the earth heave and shake for his pickaxe had caught the edge of a huge stone which underplayed almost all the little plot of ground. All the little flowers were turned out of their places and the garden spoiled for a season so that the little maid wept much.

He told her he would make it a fair garden yet, and so he did, for having removed that stone which had prevented all the plants from striking root he soon filled the ground with flowers which lived and flourished.

Just so, the Lord has come, and has turned up all the soil of your present comfort to get rid of some big stone that was at the bottom of all your spiritual prosperity, and would not let your soul flourish. Do not weep with the child, but be comforted by the blessed results and thank your Father's tender hand!

TRIPLE PLAY!!!

2011-08-16T15:15:00.002-04:00

Check out this triple play by the Brewers...

Texas Fan?

2011-08-10T22:07:00.000-04:00

No... just having some fun in the Bear Hollow store in French Lick.

If you mess with the bull, you get the horns. lol

The Northmen...

2011-08-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

I'm having a great time with my dad in Michigan this week. Dad spoke tonight at the Northmen meeting. This is the 50th and final Northmen meeting. The Northmen is a retreat for men in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. It's held in a very remote location. We have to drive over a half hour to get to our hotel. (That's my idea of roughing it. lol)

These guys took up the offering tonight. =) Always great to see the young guys getting involved.

Dad did a great job preaching tonight.

It's also cool to hear 400 men singing at one time. Granted, the quality of my camera is not the best, but when you have that many voices under the tent, it's pretty sweet.

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-07-18T12:36:00.000-04:00

I am having a great time in North Carolina!! Yesterday I preached at First Christian Church in Roanoke Rapids where my friend Bane Angles is the preacher. Bane and his wife Crystal have been great hosts for me this weekend. Plus, the church where Bane ministers is a wonderful church family. I enjoyed preaching both services yesterday. (They even had a baptism and several people come forward for prayer at the end of the service.)

Bane & Crystal have an English Bull Dog named Lucy. And of course... she likes me. Well specifically, she likes to lick my feet. Ugh. lol But I think she likes to sleep more. lol

While I'm away though, I have truly missed the people from the church plant in French Lick. I can't wait to be back with you guys!!

The Hillsboro Family Camp starts next week. I really enjoy this event. I'm even going to set up a display for our church plant to let people know about the work taking place.

It's going to be a busy week... but it's exciting!! And I can honestly say that I am truly enjoying everything that is going on in my life. It's crazy good. =)

Have a great Monday!!

Washington, D.C. 2K11...

2011-07-16T10:12:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to spend some time in DC this week. My friend, Bane Angles, drove up to Delaware to hear me speak at the Delmarva Family Camp on Thursday. After I spoke, he and I drove across the Chesapeake Bay, with a quick drive-thru tour of Annapolis, MD, then finally on to Washington, DC.

I love history, especially US history, so you can imagine how much I enjoy getting to be in DC.

On this trip we walked around the monuments at night, then made a few stops during the day. We visited the US Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. Those places were amazing and inspiring.

I also enjoyed eating at Burrito Brothers... but that's probably for another post. lol

Here are some pics I took with my phone...

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-07-11T14:03:00.001-04:00

This summer is flying by!!! It's been extremely busy, but extremely good. I'm very blessed in my life.

- I am blessed to be able to plant a church in French Lick, Indiana. While there is still much planning and preparing that must be done before we get started in September, I can see that God is bringing all the pieces together. Pray with me that God would be honored through our efforts in Restoration Christian Church!!

- I am blessed with a great family and wonderful friends!! I haven't always been the best friend to other people, but I am so thankful for the people in my life that love me regardless of how I mess things up.

- I'm blessed to be leaving on a jet plane tonight... heading to Baltimore where I will meet up with my dad to spend a few days with him at the Delmarva Family Camp. Dad is speaking Tuesday night and I am speaking Thursday afternoon. From Delmarva I will spend the weekend with my friend Bane Angles. I'll be preaching at his church in North Carolina on Sunday.

I am blessed!!!

Have a great Monday everyone!!

CHRISTIAN ACRES...

2011-06-13T11:34:00.000-04:00

I get to spend this week at one of my favorite places on earth... CHRISTIAN ACRES CAMP!!!

I'm helping my friend, Jason Cole, with a week of church camp. It's a Sr. High week, and it has started off great!!

I always love being at C/A. I spent a lot of time here growing up. It was at C/A that I made the decision to go into ministry. It was at C/A that I first served as a dean for a week of camp. Plus, I worked as a life guard for the pool at C/A for 3 summers.

I will be enjoying this view every day...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHAD!!!

2011-06-09T00:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to my brother Chad!!!

It's seems like it was 29 years ago today that he made his first appearance in this world. But I guess that would be accurate.

Today I get a lot of joy from seeing Chad with his two boys - Malachi & Silas... or Khi and Si!!

Happy Birthday bro!!

Glad & Sad...

2011-06-07T11:49:00.000-04:00

I try to be a thankful person. Each day I will typically give thanks for what many of us would consider the basics of life. I have a place to live. I have food to eat. I have clothes to wear. I'm thankful for God's provision.

I also give thanks to God for my family and friends. I am thankful that God uses me in spite of my failures to talk to others about Him.

But in my prayer time this morning I realized something else I'm thankful for...

I'm thankful that God is not like me.

These are part of the words I prayed this morning:

"God, I am thankful that You aren't like me, but I'm sad to know I'm not more like You. I'm thankful You do not react like I react. I'm thankful You love completely and unconditionally. Oh God, forgive me when I am not like You."

I find myself today feeling a mixture of emotion. I'm glad on the one hand that God is not like me. We are not dealing with a god who simply cannot wait to punish us when we step out of line. Yes, it is true that God will punish, but His nature is that He would rather discipline than punish. There really is a difference. This difference makes me glad that God is not like me.

But at the same time I am sad to realize I'm not like Him. I find myself so caught up in things of this world. I find myself treating people in a way that doesn't value them as God values them. It breaks my heart that I am not perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect.

Today I am thankful that God is not like me. But I am sad that I am not more like Him.

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." - Ephesians 5:1-2

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-06-06T13:45:00.000-04:00

It's Monday!! As my friend Mike Edmisten would say... let's dominate this day. After all... it is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

We had a great night last night at Restoration Christian Church. It was good to have Micah & Crystal Stephen join us again to lead our worship time. So thankful for good friends who also use their talents to serve the Lord.

I'm also pumped about the things taking place at RCC. We are waiting to hear back this week about the use of a building we have requested. This facility would allow us to have Bible studies, community information meetings, and other events this summer. We are praying that God will supply our every need.

I was able to hear my brother Chad preach yesterday. Chad is becoming a good speaker. He really connected with the people at church yesterday. I'm very proud of my brother!!

Next week I will be at Christian Acres Camp in Bluefield, WV!! I'm pumped to go back and speak for the high school week. It's always a treat for me to go to the camp I attended growing up. It was at Christian Acres that I made my decision to go into the ministry. Pray for me as I prepare the messages this week.

My friend Bane Angles is writing his dissertation for the doctorate program he is in. Bane emailed me the first chapter. (That's right, I said chapter.) It will be a published book when he is finished. Very proud of my brother from another mother!!! =)

Youth MiniSTARZ...

2011-06-03T13:28:00.001-04:00

As the summer months are kicking off, I find myself thinking of all the youth ministers out there who will be serving, teaching, and (hopefully) discipling the young people this summer. Some youth ministers get a bad rap... although there are plenty who have deserved the complaints. But I believe there are many who love Jesus and serve the young people where they have been called.

I pray that the summer of 2011 will bring a lot of fruit for the kingdom through the youth ministers who are serving.

And just for some added enjoyment... here's a video for you!!

Memorial Day Weekend 2011 RECAP...

2011-05-31T15:14:00.000-04:00

I had a great time visiting with my family and Amanda's family over the weekend. I am so blessed by the people that God has brought into my life. I'm so blessed with the family I have.

We don't get to choose our family, but if we did, I'd still choose mine!!

Here are some pics from the weekend...

Uncle Harold grilling.

Me & Amanda

Aunt Beth & Aunt Cynthia

FOOD!!!!!!!!!

FRANCIS CHAN ON BAPTISM...

2011-05-31T05:00:00.001-04:00

Francis Chan shares some thoughts on baptism. I appreciate it when someone simply tries to ask what the Bible says about a certain topic.

This video is a few minutes long, but I wanted to share it to get your feedback. Enjoy!!

Memorial Day Weekend 2011...

2011-05-28T10:34:00.000-04:00

I hope you have a great Memorial Day Weekend!! My plans for the weekend involve spending time with family.

I'm so thankful for the freedom we have in this country. I pray that we would always give thanks to God for that freedom, realizing that freedom ultimately comes from Him. I also hope that we would honor those who have sacrificed so much for our country.

We are truly blessed.

GIGO...

2011-05-24T11:38:00.000-04:00

Sunday night I taught from Philippians chapter 4. It's one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.

In that section the Apostle Paul writes, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8, ESV)

Once again I was reminded of the GIGO phrase - Garbage in, garbage out.

Or as Jesus taught in Matthew chapter 15 that it is from the heart that our mouth speaks. In other words, what you are carrying around on the inside is what will come out of your mouth.

Garbage in. Garbage out.

I have made it my goal to think good thoughts. I came across a quote from author Tim Sanders that I thought was very good. Tim writes:

"You should be as careful about what you put into your mind as about what you put into your mouth. Your mind is a machine. When you ingest a piece of information, your mind goes to work chewing on it, digesting it, and then converting it into a thought. When good stuff goes into your mind, good thoughts emerge. People who maintain purposeful mind diets of positive stimuli think healthy thoughts."

That is why I make an effort to read books that will teach and help me grow in a positive way. That is why I will pass on watching TV shows or movies that are filled with negative images. I choose to listen to Christian music because I'm amazed at how much more positive I am when I do.

This does not mean that I listen ONLY to Christian music. This does not mean that I NEVER watch TV or movies. Rather, it means I want the primary messages I listen to and think about to come from God’s Word. I want God’s perspective to be my default mode.

I’m not saying that we should bury our heads in the sand and avoid culture. That would not be consistent with what Jesus taught. But I am saying that our mind needs to be renewed by God so that when we hear a negative message from the world, we will be able to counteract that with truth. In doing so this will help ensure that the message which comes out of our mouth will be from a pure source.

After all, no one likes the taste of garbage in their mouth... unless they have acquired a taste for it, or even worse, they have no idea what real food tastes like.

That is why I am striving to do the following steps in order to make sure I have the right thoughts going into my mind.

1) I am memorizing Philippians 4:8. I want to memorize this verse so that I can be constantly reminded of the things I am to think on.

2) I am reading from the Bible daily. It is only by listening to God's message that our minds can truly be transformed. Find a plan and read every day to input the correct thoughts into your mind.

3) I avoid negative people. While I never want to exclude people, I need to evaluate who I am letting speak into my life. This applies to Facebook or any other social media. Look for people who lift you up rather than bring you down. Avoid a person who continually tears someone else down.

4) I avoid gossip. This step is closely connected with the previous step of avoiding negative people. While it is tempting to know what is going on with someone else (or think we know what is going on because often gossip isn’t the whole story), putting gossip into our minds does nothing but change our appetite from healthy to garbage. We should never let someone else’s misfortune be our source of entertainment.

These are four things I am doing to help make sure that the right messages are being put into my mind. After all, it really is Garbage in, garbage out.

I pray that we would focus on what is good and pure so that we can better fulfill our purpose in life for God.

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-05-23T05:00:00.001-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DAD!!!

He's the best dad in the world and the greatest "Paw" to Malachi and Silas!! (In my biased opinion.)

Well Saturday came... and Saturday went this weekend... and no rapture. Of course, I doubt we've seen anything yet. Just wait until all the predictions in 2012!!

It was a bittersweet time on Saturday at Ed Bousman's funeral. On the one hand I'm thankful that he is with the Lord now. I know he is not suffering any longer. But on the other hand, I hurt for his wife Naomi and the family.

I had a good weekend in French Lick with Restoration Christian Church. Things are progressing fairly well with the church plant. There is still much to do, but I am really enjoying the adventure of planting a new church! I enjoy being able to sit in a Bible study with friends and simply teach what God's Word says. I enjoy being able to fellowship with each other. I look forward to seeing how God uses our efforts to honor Him in French Lick!!

As for the rest of the day... I'm looking forward to heading back to Ohio later on and spending time with family this week. Have a great Monday!!

IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!!!

2011-05-20T16:25:00.002-04:00

A preacher named Harold Camping has stated that the rapture (what he believes is the event that will take Christians out of this world) will be Saturday, May 21, 2011. His “We Can Know” website also states that the destruction of the world will be October 21, 2011.

This announcement from Mr. Camping has created quite a stir. In fact, there has been considerable media attention regarding this assertion that the end is near.

I personally do not subscribe to the belief that we can know when Jesus will return. While Mr. Camping gives his reasons on the website, I find them to be a gross twisting and misapplication of the Bible verses he quotes.

When Jesus was asked by His disciples about His return, Jesus plainly said in Matthew 24:36, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Jesus goes on to teach His disciples that the most important lesson is to always be ready because we do not know when He will return.

I also do not agree with the teaching about the rapture taking away the Christians from the world in the month of May, then the world coming to an end later in October. It has always amazed me that you cannot find the word rapture mentioned in the Bible. Granted, I know that "rapture" not being found in the Bible is not in and of itself an argument killer. A word like "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, yet it's a teaching I would believe in.

But if I am reading the context of Matthew chapter 24 correctly, Jesus said that it is the wicked that are taken out while the righteous are left behind. (Please check out Matthew 24:39. Jesus says Noah went into the ark, and then the flood came and took everyone else away. In context, Jesus is saying the wicked are the ones taken away, not the righteous.)

The point I want to make is that I believe it is very dangerous to try and presume upon things Jesus said no one knows for sure except God the Father.

In Matthew chapter 13 Jesus is asked by the religious leaders of His day to show them a “sign.” In other words, they were putting Jesus to the test. They had to see something miraculous in order to believe. Jesus rebukes the religious leaders by saying, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!” (Matthew 13:39)

There is a principle in this verse that we must always remember. It is not the reflection of a pure heart to seek after signs. I do not take this to mean that it is wrong to wonder about the circumstances surrounding when Jesus will return. I also do not take this to mean that it is wrong to study the Second Coming of Jesus. But we must guard against putting God to the test and misinterpreting Scripture to fit our agenda.

What is extremely sad to me is how many people will have heard Mr. Camping’s claims, and then when nothing happens on Saturday, they will turn and mock the name of Christ.

I also worry that some young or naïve Christians, as well as people in the world, might possibly reject Christ because of this false teaching. I wish the media could spend more time focusing on the good things Christians do, rather than the few on the fringes of Christianity who do not accurately represent Jesus Christ.

When all is said and done this weekend… we may still wonder: Is the end near? I think the best answer is simply, “Yes. We are closer now than we’ve ever been to the return of Christ.”

ED BOUSMAN...

2011-05-16T10:17:00.000-04:00

2 Samuel 3:38 says, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day…”

Ed Bousman took his last breath at 4:38 a.m. today (May 16, 2011), drawing to a close this chapter of his incredible life.

There are two types of people in this world: thermometers and thermostats. A thermometer person will walk into a room and simply reflect the temperature of that room. On the other hand, thermostats walk into a room and the temperature adjusts to them.

Ed Bousman was a thermostat.

Since 1962 his voice has been heard on countless radio stations across the world through his God is Just a Prayer Away broadcast. Ed literally preaches to thousands of people every Sunday.

I was blessed to know Ed and his wife Naomi. In fact, Ed and Naomi have even stayed with our family at times.

I remember one occasion when Ed & Naomi were staying with us that I asked Ed for help with a paper I was writing for school. I was taking a church history class in college and had chosen to write a report on Gregory the Great. I did not know that my professor had written his thesis on Gregory the Great. Once I learned this information, I realized that I could not just fluff my way through this paper. I would have to really do my homework in order to get a good grade from a professor who knew so much about Gregory the Great.

That evening I approached Ed, with fear and trembling, trying to work out my own salvation on this paper I was writing, and I asked him, “Mr. Bousman. What do you know about Gregory the Great?”

Ed thought for a moment. Cocked his head to the side. Then looked at me and said, “Well… I know his name is Gregory… and I guess he was great! That’s about all.”

I quoted Ed in my paper and got an A+!!!

Ed and Naomi Bousman have had a HUGE impact on my life. I am so thankful for them and their ministry.

When I think of Ed, I often think of the verse found in John 1:8...

“He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.”

Didn’t he shine friends… Didn’t he shine.

Friedman's Theory of Differentiated Leadership...

2011-05-12T11:16:00.000-04:00

Crazy title for a blog post... but I came across this video today and thought it was worth sharing. It is several minutes long, but from my experience in life and ministry, this leadership theory makes a lot of sense. I hope you can take some time to watch it and then let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Exponential Conference...

2011-04-27T09:06:00.001-04:00

I am in Orlando for the Exponential Conference. Not a bad place to be on your birthday! ;-)

As I said in my "Monday Musings" post, I don't agree with every view or position that a speaker may have. Having said that, I'm EXCITED to be at this event. I'm praying that God will use this time to stretch me and form me to be more like Christ. I'm also praying that I will learn how to be a better church planter.

I have already been blessed just by hanging out with other church planters and talking to them. I'm looking forward to the sessions starting today!!

MONDAY MUSINGS...

2011-04-25T23:48:00.000-04:00

It's late on Monday night... but it still qualifies as a Monday Musings post!! =) lol

I had a good weekend with family and friends. I loved attending the Good Friday service at Cicero Christian Church where my brother Chad is the Youth Minister. It was a very moving service... I am amazed that Jesus would pay such a high price for my sins. But I am so grateful that HE rose from the grave!!!

I went to lunch with my girlfriend Amanda, and her parents on Sunday. A visitor showed up... Amanda was thrilled!!! LOL

My mom had eye surgery today. Dad said she came through ok. Some pain from the laser treatment, but overall was ok. Keep praying for her... she has another one on May 9th.

I'm in Ocala, Florida this evening. I'm traveling with 3 other ministers to the Eponential Conference taking place in Orlando this week. The conference deals with church planting... and since that is what I'm focused on in my life, it makes sense that I would attend this conference. I'm very appreciative of the Frontier Ministry Group making it possible for me to be here.

I'm praying for Randy & Cathy Chaplin, who have been part of our core group at Restoration Christian Church. Cathy's father Charlie passed away.

I'm not sure how much I'll get to post this week... but I hope to share thoughts from the conference I'm attending. While I don't agree with all of the speakers at the conference on their doctrinal positions, I am going into it knowing that I can learn from their experience in church planting. I'm praying that this will be a productive week!!

Have a great day!!

EASTER ACCORDING TO TWITTER...

2011-04-21T05:00:00.001-04:00

Good video...

A HUMILIATING JOURNEY...

2011-04-19T21:23:00.000-04:00

The spiritual life is a journey of humiliation. The closer I get to God the more humble I am/have to become. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

It's tough to admit... but I am very prideful. I can honestly say I want to be humble, but then I'm afraid people wouldn't notice how humble I am!!

I heard in a sermon Sunday, "Pride is the only disease that makes everyone but the carrier of the disease sick."

I realize I am so full of my own ego that it's not even funny.

As I get closer to Good Friday I cannot help but be reminded that Jesus has called me to surrender my life. Anyone who wants to follow Jesus has to pick up a cross and follow Him. In other words, I have to put myself to death. I have to surrender my agenda. I have to surrender my ego. I have to go on a journey of humiliation.

That's what Jesus did on the cross. He submitted to the will of His Father. Jesus went on a journey of humiliation.

Yet so often my pride keeps me from submitting. After all, I do not want to be humiliated. I would much rather be respected. I would prefer to be liked.

Ruth Haley Barton wrote: "We want God as long as we can still have our successes. We like the idea of being on a journey of faith as long as it doesn’t require too much…well, faith. We long for the Promised Land as long as we don’t have to leave anything behind. We want space for God as long as it doesn’t intrude too radically on our packed schedules and conflicting priorities. We want self-knowledge as long as it doesn’t cut too close to the ego bone. We want God’s will as long as it doesn’t make us look too foolish. We want love as long as it’s not too inconvenient. We’d like to buy the pearl of great price as long as we don’t have to sell everything we have."

The spiritual life is a journey of humiliation. It is humiliating to pursue Christ. It does not make sense to the world. But it is through this humbling that I grow closer to God.

What is it that I'm holding onto rather than humbling myself before God?

Whatever that thing is... LET GO!! Start down that humiliating path so that God can lift me up to Him!

An Awesome Night...

2011-04-18T15:24:00.000-04:00

We had an awesome night at church last night. As many of you know, I am doing a church plant in the French Lick, Indiana area. Restoration Christian Church is coming together and God is doing some awesome things among us.

Last night we celebrated our first baptism as a church!! Matt Tomlinson was baptized into Christ.

I had been teaching through Acts in our Sunday night Bible study. I'll never forget one night after the study was over, Matt came up to me and said, "You really do need to be baptized, don't ya?" I simply said, "Yes. That's what they did back then. That's what we need to do now." So last night Matt made that decision and went all in with Jesus Christ.

It was cold in the pool... but it was worth it!! =)

We also had Micah Stephen and his wife Crystal with us last night. Micah came and led worship for us. I was nervous about how it would go because we had NEVER had singing at our group meetings. But Micah came in and did a good job leading and the singing was GOOD!!!

I am so thankful how God is blessing us.

It really was an awesome night.

Just Checking In...

2011-04-12T16:05:00.000-04:00

I'm having a good time in Falmouth, Kentucky this week. I'm preaching a revival for the New Hope Church of Christ. Jason Anderson is the minister here and he's doing a great job with this church.

Jason was a college roommate of my brother's, and even one of the groomsmen in Chad's wedding. It's been fun catching up with Jason and his wife Maria this week.

Hope you all are having a great week too!!

HAPPY TEARS...

2011-04-06T16:13:00.000-04:00

I had tears in my eyes on Sunday.

I'm not ashamed to admit that.

I had tears in my eyes on Sunday.

Have you ever been in a church service where you couldn't help but have tears in your eyes? At the church I visited last Sunday, I couldn't help but have tears of joy in my eyes.

In that worship service I witnessed people's lives being changed forever. I watched a father baptize his daughter into Christ. I watched the minister of the church baptize a man who's wife's funeral he had preached a few months before. I watched a man baptize his fiance, then wait a few moments, and baptize his future mother-in-law!!

And while I watched those baptisms... I couldn't help but have tears in my eyes. Happy tears.

There is nothing that excites me more than seeing people having their lives changed for eternity!!

Easter Pageant...

2011-03-21T10:16:00.000-04:00

I am pumped to be going to the Southeast Christian Church Easter Pageant tonight!! I have been at least 3 or 4 times before... but it is so well done that I still look forward to going back!!

This also happens to be the last year that Southeast will do their Easter Pageant. If you can make it to Louisville in the next week or so, I HIGHLY recommend you going to watch this event. It is powerful!! (The last show is April 1st.)

Click here to see a preview and purchase tickets. SECC EASTER PAGEANT

What's up with Wade?

2011-03-16T17:27:00.000-04:00

I've just spent the last 2 days in Indianapolis attending the National Preaching Summit. I LOVE the Preaching Summit. It is a great time hanging out with some good friends who are also preachers. It's become an annual tradition for myself and Darrel Land, Matthew Sullivan, Michael Luke, Bryan Sanders, and Ryan Heathco. Plus this year my dad was able to join us! I also come away from the preaching summit with a renewed passion to preach. I want to be the best communicator I can be for the Lord. Can't wait for next year!!

I wore short sleeves and sunglasses outside today. It was NICE!!!

I'm very excited about the church plant in French Lick. Granted there are a lot of obstacles to overcome, but I know this is an opportunity that God has given me to do something I've always wanted to do. I'm really enjoying getting to know the people there and building relationships. Great things are on the way!!

I'll be doing some traveling and speaking in the coming weeks. Next weekend I speak at the GAP Fest in Hilliard, Ohio. I'm looking forward to being on that program and encouraging guys to preach. Then I also have a revival coming up the last week of March in Hollybrook, Virginia. Looking forward to being with Jim Conley (a former professor of mine) and his church.

Busy times... but life is GOOD. :-)

What's up with Wade?

2011-03-09T11:11:00.000-05:00

You may be wondering... "What's up with Wade?" And if you are, I appreciate that. If you aren't... well, I'll tell you anyway.

- I'm in the beginning stages of doing a church plant in French Lick, Indiana!! That's right... I'm working to start a new church in the French Lick area. It is going to be a difficult ride for sure... but it's one that I'm enjoying. I will be posting more about the church as time goes forward. But to serve as an update, we currently have about 30 people who are meeting in our core group Bible study on Sunday nights. It is definitely some exciting times!!

- I'm having a sad week. My friend Alex Lewis passed away on Sunday. Alex and I were "golf buddies" in Huntingburg. We would go out every couple weeks and play 9 holes at the Huntingburg Country Club. Even though there was an age gap between me and Alex (he was 64), we had a good friendship. Alex loved to laugh and he enjoyed life. I will definitely miss him, but look forward to being reunited on the course in Heaven! If you would, please remember Alex's wife Deena in your prayers, as well as his kids in this difficult time.

- I'm being stretched. I have not posted a lot lately on the blog (despite my goal of posting more regularly). The reason for this is that I am in so deep over my head with the church plant that I'm doing a lot more listening than talking. God is really stretching me in several areas of my life. It's good and I look forward to the end result... but it's also painful at times. But I wouldn't have it any other way! Like the sports trainers used to tell us at football practice, "Stretching prevents injuries."

Have a great Wednesday everyone!!

Are you smarter than an 8th grader... from 1895?

2011-02-28T19:29:00.002-05:00

Jeff Foxworthy has made the show "Smarter than a 5th Grader" very popular. But let me ask you a question... are you smarter than an 8th grader from 1895?

Check out this final exam from 1895 for 8th graders!! It came from Salina, KS.

I feel blessed just to be able to read it!

CLEVELAND STILL ROCKS...

2011-02-28T12:47:00.000-05:00

I took this picture walking into my hotel on Saturday night...

This is Cleveland, Ohio in February.

Who schedules themselves to preach in Cleveland... in February?!?!
ME. That's who. (I need a new agent. lol)

I had a great time with the Walton Hills Church. I look forward to hopefully going back in the future!

While driving I decided to check out the music on the radio in Cleveland. I had been listening to a few sermon podcasts, so I turned on the radio and the first song I hear driving into Cleveland... the home of the Rock n Roll hall of fame... the city that rocks...

I hear Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio.

True story. You can't make that up. =)

And yes... Coolio rocks.

IT IS WELL...

2011-02-23T13:59:00.000-05:00

With all the news taking place around the world, it's good to be reminded WHO is in control.

Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

GEORGE STRAIT...

2011-02-19T10:43:00.000-05:00

My favorite country singer is George Strait. I have always wanted to see him in concert, but never had the opportunity. That is until last Thursday night!! Thanks to miss Amanda Templin, I got to see George!

Not only did I see George, but we had floor seats!!! It was incredible!!

Leeann Womack opened the concert up. Her song "I hope you dance" was the only one I expected to know, but I was pleasantly surprised that I recognized several of her songs from the radio. She has a great voice. (But she is tiny!! lol)

Then Reba McEntire performed for about an hour and a half. I've never been a huge Reba fan (although I do enjoy her TV show), but she is a great performer!! She really did a great job with her concert. The song "Fancy" brought the house down!

After Reba it was...

GEORGE STRAIT & THE ACE IN THE HOLE BAND!!

If you've ever seen the movie "Pure Country" you can truly appreciate George's show. There's not much flash with George, just pure music. It was so much fun to hear many of his hits and sing along with George and the rest of the crowd... for 2 HOURS!!!

Good times... Good times...

IDOL WORSHIP...

2011-02-15T10:08:00.001-05:00

I heard a minister tell about his mission trip to India. He visited many places and one of the details that stuck out to him was the amount of idols that each place had. There were idols in the towns. There were idols in the people's homes. Idols were everywhere!

As he was visiting with a family there in India, the topic of conversation turned to the United States. The person whose home they were in made the comment, "I wouldn't want to go to the USA because of all the idolatry there." This preacher was shocked to hear this because he instantly thought, "Wait a second! We don't have idols in the USA. Besides, look around!! There are idols everywhere here!"

But after a moment he realized that she was right... we have a lot of idols in the USA.

Granted, they aren't necessarily stone or wood animals... but they can be golden arches and pizza huts.

My brother sent me this video. Really got me thinking about idol worship.

Your thoughts?

MY PIRATE LOOK...

2011-02-14T09:49:00.000-05:00

I'm not really sure why pirates liked birds on their shoulders...

but apparently I'm a bird whispherer today. lol

SUPER BOWL WEEKEND!

2011-02-04T12:55:00.001-05:00

I always look forward to the Superbowl regardless of which teams are playing. I love the commercials. I love the life stories that are told.

But I came across this blog that I just had to share in preparation for the big game on Sunday.

HOLY WEEK by Chaplain Mike.
(Read the entire post by clicking on the title.)

Once more, it’s our sports “holy week” in America—super bakuli Sunday is this Sunday, Feb. 6. Kickoff is at 6:28 ET.

It’s the holiest day of the year, and what a service we’re expecting! Our sanctuary will be the most impressive cathedral in contemporary American sports stadiums: Cowboys Stadium. This venue is perfect for today’s worship, as it features the world’s largest HD video screen—more than 25,000 square feet in size. The massive display weighs 600 tons, is 180 feet long and 72 feet tall. It’s made of 10.5 million LEDs. Let’s hope the PowerPoint team doesn’t screw things up.

Leading the service will be our priests, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman of FOX. With authority and relevance, they will enlighten us on the details and mysteries of the game. Inspiring and enthusiastic praise and worship music will be provided by Christina Aguilera (national anthem), Lea Michele of Glee (“America the Beautiful”), and the Black-Eyed Peas (halftime show). Break-out discussion sessions will be facilitated by such qualified teachers as Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan, Howie Long, and Jimmy Johnson.

Of course, the highlight of the day will be provided by our multimedia ministry, featuring the always creative and inspiring super bakuli commercials. These ground-breaking ads will not only bring an immediate blessing, but will also no doubt have a transformative impact on our culture for years to come.

Let us pray for a memorable day of celebration, fellowship, instruction, and encouragement. Invite your non-football friends to join you. Even if they don’t normally like watching games, there will be plenty for them to enjoy, and you never know, they just might open their hearts and receive a great blessing from the experience.

Let us pray:

Our Father, who art in the skybox,
May your name be cheered enthusiastically.
May the championship be won.
May touchdowns be run
In Dallas as they were in New Orleans.
Give us this day our daily wings (and nachos).
And forgive us our bad sportsmanship
As we forgive those who exercise bad sportsmanship against us.
And lead us not into indigestion,
But deliver us from bad bean dip.
For thine is the super bakuli, the Lombardi trophy,
And the best commercials forever and ever.
Amen.

Volkswagen Star Wars Commercial...

2011-02-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

My inner Star Wars fan loved this commercial...

YOUNG BEARS FAN...

2011-01-25T12:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday was a tough day for this young Chicago Bears fan...

JESUS WANTS YOU TO BE A LOSER...

2011-01-24T21:51:00.000-05:00

That may sound harsh… but it’s true.

Jesus wants you to be a loser.

Jesus wants you to lose…

Your agenda.

Your mind.

Your life.

To follow Jesus means you are willing to be a loser.

Before you get depressed, I must tell you that there is something really great about following Jesus. It’s not all bad. If you become a loser for Jesus, you will ultimately find out that you are…

(At this point you might expect me to say something like, “You are actually a real winner” or something similar to that.)

But what I’m going to say is this: If you become a loser for Jesus, you will ultimately find out that you are in some very good company.

That’s right.

Good company.

You will never be viewed as a winner from the world’s perspective. However, you will find yourself in the presence of some amazing people. Most of the men and women we read about in the Bible were viewed as “losers” by the world.

For example, Moses grew up in a palace surrounded by the “winners” of this world. Yet, Hebrews 11:24 - 26 tells us, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”

Moses faced disgrace. The world thought he was a loser.

Isn’t it interesting that we are still talking about that “loser” Moses?

Ask yourself these questions….

Who would be with me if I keep everything for myself?
Who would be with me if I lose everything for Jesus?

The choice is yours.

Just remember… Jesus wants you to be a loser.

WORTH YOUR TIME...

2011-01-21T05:00:00.004-05:00

Here are some good blogs I read last week... I think they are WORTH YOUR TIME to check out. Enjoy and have a great weekend!!

Where is your Faith? by Jon Bloom.

Grandma's Car by Mike Edmisten.

Latecomers by Vince Antonucci.

Having 2 Gods by Jon Acuff.

MLK's Last Speech...

2011-01-19T05:00:00.001-05:00

This is believed to be the last speech that Martin Luther King, Jr. ever gave. After giving this speech, he was assasinated the next day.

As I listened to his words I realized that these words are appropriate for all of us. It is worth a minute of your time to listen to what he has to say.

After listening ask yourself this question...

Can these words be said of you?

DECISION POINTS...

2011-01-18T11:59:00.000-05:00

I've been reading President George W. Bush's book Decision Points for the last two weeks.

I chose to read this book because, first of all, I received it as a Christmas gift. (Thanks mom and dad!) The second reason is that I am making some decisions in my own life and thought it would be interesting to read what principles guided President Bush in his decision making. A third reason is that I am a history nerd and love reading about the executive branch of the United States government.

I do not think it matters if you are a Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, Independent... whatever your political persuasion, this book provides an interesting glimpse into the decisons made by the 43rd President of the United States.

I truly enjoyed reading and learning about events taking place behind the scenes. So much happened during George W. Bush's presidency that we had no idea about. It is mind boggling to me how much President Bush had to process in making his decisions. It's no wonder the presidency ages a person like it does.

If you enjoy history and want inside access to what took place during the past decade, you definitely need to read this book.

IRREVERENT, SILLY MYTHS...

2011-01-16T05:00:00.001-05:00

Matt Chandler teaching on Irreverent, Silly Myths... pretty convicting stuff for preachers and leaders in the church.

WORTH YOUR TIME...

2011-01-14T05:00:00.008-05:00

Here are some blogs I read this past week that I think are worth your time to read.
Enjoy and have a great weekend!!

Who are you going to offend? by Mark Batterson.

Win the Day by Donald Miller (about Oregon football coach Chip Kelly).

10 Wishes from a Pew-Sitter by Thom Schultz.

Altar Call's Greatest Hits from Soren's Blog.

Things that break my heart...

2011-01-13T11:38:00.001-05:00

There are certain things that break my heart. For example, my nephew crying breaks my heart.

While Chad and Megan were at the hospital this week having my new nephew Silas, my 2 year old nephew Malachi stayed with my parents and me. This caused him to miss Chad and Megan immensely!

Yesterday as we were leaving the hospital I had to take Khi from Chad’s arms. Khi bawled and bawled. He kept screaming, “Daddy!” at the top of his lungs. Even after placing him in the car and driving home, he continued to cry for his daddy. He was so tired that he fell asleep in the car, but when Khi woke up, the first words he said were, “Daddy!”

Nothing made me happier than seeing Chad and Megan come home last night and be reunited with Malachi. It’s a joy to see Khi run with his hands raised asking his daddy to lift him up. I’m so thankful that Chad and Megan are such great parents.

Witnessing this has made me think about my desire for my Heavenly Father. Oh I pray that I would bawl my eyes out when I am away from HIM!!

Psalm 63:3-4, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”

ME & SILAS...

2011-01-11T12:04:00.001-05:00

I was never big on holding babies... in fact, when I would visit the hospital to see a newborn and the family, I would NEVER hold the baby.

But that changed just over 2 years ago when Malachi was born. I guess it's true that it's different when it's your own family.

Last night I held my new nephew Silas for the first time. He is AWESOME!!!

I'm so blessed with family.

INTRODUCING SILAS DAVID ALLEN...

2011-01-10T15:14:00.002-05:00

Silas David Allen was born at 2:20 pm today.
He weighed 7lbs 12 oz.
He is 19.5 inches long.

Everyone is doing fine.

Congrats Chad & Megan!!!

HAPPY BIRTH DAY!!

2011-01-10T11:48:00.001-05:00

My family is growing... Today my nephew will be born!!

As I type this, Chad and Megan are at the hospital. Please pray that everything goes well and that Megan and the baby will both be healthy.

Here they are leaving for the hospital.

I'll update the blog as soon as there is more information. (and pics)

WORTH YOUR TIME...

2011-01-07T05:00:00.005-05:00

These are some blog posts I've read this past week that I think are worth your time reading. Have a great weekend!!

Remember the Duck by Tullian Tchividjian.

Don't Watch the Parade in 2011! by Donald Miller.

Urban Meyer Leaves the Field a Winner to Win at Home with Family by Doug Fields.

Don't Share Your Resolutions! by Donald Miller.

Six Steps to Overcoming Obesity by Perry Noble.