Definitely not Disapointed . . .

I just thought I’d write a quick update before heading out after a hard day of work . . . looking forward to seeing Emily, and Roxie (she went to get her shots today, poor puppy!)

Yesterday was awesome. We had a few first-time guests at Journey as we finished up our Rolling Stones series by rolling away stones of disappointment . . . and worship was ROCKIN!  God is really refining us and helping us understand who we are as a church so that he can bust open the doors.  I can already hear the hinges creaking . . .

Emily and I spent the rest of our Sunday doing some little odd jobs in the yard and actually cleaning our cars (mine has almost 80,000 miles and has been washed twice).  It was a great way to take advantage of some beautiful weather.

I came to work, dreading the thought of how much I had to accomplish today.  I closed my office door and dove in . . . And, believe it or not, I was winding it all up at about 4:30!  I even got the information I needed from most of my consultants.  It’s a great way to start a new week, and I’m almost scared to find out what’s around the corner.

Anyway . . . off to home . . .

Another Travel Guide Online

Hey Growth Group Leaders!

 Another Travel Guide is online for the last message in the Rolling Stones Series!

FEARLESS - continued . . .

My work has been absolutely crazy lately . . . so I didn’t get a chance to write my usual Thursday Growth Groups recap . . .

Wednesday night was really cool in our Growth Group, but I have to admit it was little odd.  We had one couple back that hasn’t been in quite a while . . . and another visitor who was new to the group.  I am excited to have a couple more real prospects for our Growth Group, because I had already decided that when we have at least two additional couples solidified into the group that it will be time to multiply.  Please be praying that these and other couples would become regulars so we can multiply.

On the other hand . . . with the visitors there . . . it was a little bit of an odd night.  Quite often I am excited to learn more about our folks, getting to know each other and doing life together.  But for some reason, this Wednesday was “newcomers night” or something . . . Our guests seemed to be more open and talkative than our regulars.  This was incredibly strange to me, but I was encouraged that the new folks jumped right in.

I must admit . . . being totally open and honest about fears can be a little intimidating.  When you say to a group of people, “_____ is my biggest fear that hold me back from doing great things for God.”  It means you know God wants to do more, and it scares you to death.  It also means you’re asking the folks who hear you to help you overcome your fear . . . and that can compound the fear.  I am so glad that God tells us over and over, “Do not fear.”

After seeing the response to our fear message on Sunday, and talking about our fears on Wednesday night . . . I am excited to see what God is going to do in our lives at Journey Church as He “rolls away stones of fear” in our lives . . . so we can do great things for Him!

FEARLESS . . .

Man, if you weren’t at Journey yesterday, you missed out!  We continued our Rolling Stones series with Rolling Away Stones of Fear.  We don’t usually do a “come down front” commitment time, but yesterday we gave everyone a chance to write down their biggest fear, and bring it to the front, symbolically giving it to God.  More than half our folks responded!  For more info, see Eric’s Blog.

We also had 7 kids in Journey Kids, which made Emily plenty happy for the afternoon . . . She’s also real excited, because she believes God has given her a vision for 150 people at Journey by August . . . For more info, see Emily’s Blog.  Are you going to join in the “Operation August - 150″ prayer team?

All in all, it was definitely a momentum day at Journey, and I’m looking forward to hearing what happens in the Growth Groups to follow it all up . . .

I was so excited, I only took a short nap on Sunday, when I usually sleep like 2 hours.  Which was good, because I got two more sets of shelves done for my library . . . only two more to go!

New Travel Guide Online

Hey Growth Group Leaders!

A new travel guide is now available on the “Travel Guides” page.

God bless!

OOPS!

I doubt anyone noticed except me . . . but in case you did . . . The date and times are messed up on some of my blog entries . . . I had “+6″ instead of “-6″ inserted for the time zone . . . which actually is “-5″ now for daylight savings time . . .  In fact, this entry will actually show up BEFORE the travel guides update . . . but I’m actually writing is AFTER posting the travel guides.  How silly!

Anyway, it’s corrected now.

Rolling Away Stones of Guilt . . .

It’s Thursday morning at work, I’ve put out the normal morning fires and have a moment to reflect and think . . .

As usual, I spent Wednesday in Auburn/Opelika, working from home and concentrating on Journey Church stuff.  At our Journey staff meeting yesterday, Eric mentioned some things his family had discussed in a family meeting related to little influences that had been allowed to creep into their home . . . And it got me thinking about some little things that Emily and I had allowed to influence us.

The biggest thing that popped into my head was some innapropriate language I had said to Emily at work on Tuesday . . . loud enough for some other people to hear it.  I had immediately realized what I had done and appologized to her (loud enough for the same people to hear.)  However, the very fact that I would say what I did was a bit out of character for me.  So when Eric said what he said, I knew it was worth reviewing with Emily.

After Growth Group last night, Emily and I sat to talk about the influences and some other things.  Honestly, we realized we had been rather unguarded this past weekend. Most people know that we have a digital recorder to record all our TV shows so we can fast-forward through the commercials.  Generally, this has allowed us to watch more shows, but spend less time watching TV overall.  But, this weekend we were caught up on all our pre-recorded stuff and spent some time watching a marathon of an old season of one of our favorite shows.  There’s generally nothing wrong with the show, but the marathon was on MTV, and watching it live meant watching commercials.  The commercials MTV forced us to watch were enough of a bad influence to ruin any home.

After our discussion, Emily and I decided that we need to limit our TV during a regular TV season to the shows we have set to record.  We know the shows and don’t feel like they are a significant negative influence, and we have the control to fast-forward through the commercials, which protects us from the networks’ agenda.  We also decided that there were some much more productive and constructive things we can do with some of our time to help us overcome the tendencies toward unguardedness we’ve been dealing with.

I think the experience fit in well with this weeks’ Growth Groups discussion about rolling away stones of guilt . . . As Christians, we are free from a guilty conscience that paralyzes us and keeps us from being effective, passionate Christ-followers.  When we confess and repent of our sin, we can leave it with Jesus and move on.  BUT, at the same time, when we mess up, our guilt can be healthy, because it leads us to confess and repent of the sin. This is the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts . . . and when we confess and repent, the discomfort the Spirit caused transforms into a renewed understanding of the holiness and mercy of God.

Taking a breath . . .

Wow.  What a week . . . and it’s only Tuesday!

Sunday at Journey Church was awesome (as usual).  Please continue to pray with us that the awesome things that are happening at Journey would pour out into the community and create the “Buzz” that we really need to grow.  Pray for me specifically that with my crazy out-of-town life, that I’d be able to find effective and creative ways to connect with disconnected people in Auburn.  It’s honestly a bit frustrating to me . . . I really want to make some more significant connections, but my schedule seems to always get too full to follow through.  Since I’m out of town about 40 hours or more each week (for work in Montgomery), I have to be intentially creative the other hours I’m awake and in town.  Help pray with me that I can do that.

Sunday afternoon we had a few college guys from Journey over for lunch . . . Emily and I have decided that providing these guys with a home-cooked meal every now and then is a great way to help build some community at Journey.  We had a great time, and then Emily sent me out on some errands, so I had a wonderful marriage-building opportunity to bring home some cool looking flowers . . . just a cheap little bunch from Kroger, but it’s amazing how just the little thought and action can really help your marriage . . .

Monday was absolutely nuts . . . Our office is working on one of the new schools in Montgomery.  We had a review meeting with the owner representatives from 8:30am until about 8:00pm.  Which meant I left the house at 6:45am and got home at about 9:15pm.  The meetings were very helpful and informative . . . but exhausting.  I’m just glad I didn’t have to go back for another 3 hours this morning like the rest of our team did!

Today, I had to play catch-up on my other projects.  You wouldn’t think that 1 day working on something else would get you so far behind, but with the complexity and crazy schedules some of our projects have, it doesn’t take much . . .

But, it’s almost 4pm now, I think I’m caught up on almost everything here at work . . . so I’m taking a breath to catch up to myself . . . oh, no . . . one more thing to do before I leave . . .

I’m glad I have such a wonderful wife to put up with me!

Travel Guides online . . .

I’m trying something new this week . . . for my Growth Group Leaders at Journey, the leaders’ travel guide is available here on my blog by clicking on the Travel Guides page above.  The page is protected, so if you did not get the email with the password, let me know.

“I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died”

I know, the title is a quote from an Emily Dickenson poem . . . and a rather depressing poem at that . . . But the line has been stuck in my head for almost 2 months now . . .

For the full poem, go to:
http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/I_Heard_A_Fly.htm

I just finished writing the first-draft of this week’s Growth Groups Travel Guide, and was thinking about how much I’m looking forward to creating new groups at Journey Church . . . I’m excited to start one more group, but would love a whole lot more . . . which brings me back to the title of this blog entry . . .

Both of the church planters’ events that I have gone to with Eric have talked about creating a BUZZ in the community.  I am utterly convinced that, just like in the poem, that blue, uncertain, stumbling BUZZ is the essential ingredient that stands between the light of making a difference in the community . . . and death as a church.

Don’t get me wrong.  I do not believe Journey Church is on the verge of death by any means . . . but if we are serious about reaching disconnected people in Auburn/Opelika, there is going to be a Journey Church “Fly” buzzing around all over town.  That buzz doesn’t come automatically. It’s going to take work . . . and it’s going to take us stepping off the front porch and getting down in the mud and cow manure to stir up the Flies. 

I think mailouts are good, and can be affective . . . I think flyers are good, and can be affective . . . I think invite cards are good, and can be affective . . . There are hundreds of other ideas that are good and can be affective . . . BUT most of them are name-recognition tools and relationship starters.  Until we step out and invest in disconnected lives in a very visible way, the Buzz just won’t happen.

I’m ready to get messy!  If anyone has any ideas on how to get into the mud in a big way, and wants to join me . . . let me know!  If you want to know some of my ideas, you’ll have to ask me later . . .