Ramping up for Easter

I’m TRYING to get back into the swing of blogging regularly (Ok, Ok – I’m trying to START getting into the swing of blogging regularly!!!)

Ramping up for Easter – pray with me for literally HUNDREDS of our folks to bring unchurched friends to Easter services. BTW – are YOU planning already to invite people you know? Use the “invite cards” we received this past Sunday – get more this coming Sunday. Lots of folks need Jesus. Duh!!!

Please pray for my dad and his wife. She has lung cancer and it may have spread – they are running tests, and she is having chemo and radiation. Tough road ahead. My dad is so in need of a miracle. His mind simply will not allow him to understand or remember all that is happening around him. Dad has only come here a few times and none recently. I wish the man I was describing to you I could introduce to you.

I love him so much. Yet, I’m afraid you will never know him as I know him. No eulogy here, just admiration for a man who sacrificed so much for me – for me to have so much that he never had – for me to have so many things that most kids who grew up “the way I grew up” never had. He so “rose above” his upbringing, and for that I’m really proud of my dad. No education, no “breaks” in life – just hard work, pure and simple.

He has the wrinkles to prove it – and I have the blessings to verify it. My parental heritage is strange. Mom was an educated debutante with a Master’s from seminary. Dad was a middle school drop-out. Mother wore a Sunday dress to my little league baseball games. Dad wore over-alls most of his life. He got a new pair as a kid at Christmas every year – that was ALL he got for Christmas every year. Mom was from a rich family, dad from a very poor family. Sometimes I think I understand both because of that.

I digress..

Moral of this moment – let’s love on our parents. They put up with us. What a blessing.

Sacrifice for the Kingdom

OK, I admit it. I’m a total emotional wreck.

Beyond just learning that my dad’s wife has lung cancer (thanks for your prayers).

Beyond the fact that it’s REALLY beginning to hit me that my baby girl is getting married in only months.

No, it’s none of that.

I just left a meeting of the IMB (our missionary sending agency of the Southern Baptist Convention) where I met some of the finest young couples in the whole country who are leaving EVERYTHING to go around the world to tell people about Jesus.

THEN, on top of that, I just left a session where we had a memorial service for the IMB missionaries who passed away serving the Lord. 32 missionaries (retired and active) who have served a total of over 1100 years – YEARS, not days or months. Unbelievable.

I heard their names called, and just broke down and wept because of their faithfulness and ministry for Jesus. I was literally moved to my bones with gratitude for their sacrifice for the Kingdom.

Then, I thought of these young couples we are appointing this week. I have met them, talked to them, prayed with them – they are incredible. The finest of the finest.

PLEASE, PRAY FOR THEM.

• Pray for Michael and Crystal – a young couple with four little kids heading to Peru.
• Pray for Greg and Kim – a couple with four kids (two recently adopted) heading to Mexico.
• Pray for a couple from Rockwall, Texas – David Miller’s home town.
• Pray for a couple from Spartanburg, coming out of a church pastored by one of my closest friends from seminary.
• Can’t remember all their names – but God knows. And, they are incredible folks.

I am called to pastor a church – McGregor Baptist Church, and I love it. I am NOT called to be a missionary; I couldn’t do it. Too tough. I’m a wimp.

My hat’s off to these folks. My heart is with these folks. My soul rejoices for these folks.

My tears keep coming.

God's Leadership and Blessing

I get away 2 or 3 times each year for a dedicated week of study and sermon preparation. It is such a huge help to have sermon ideas planned well ahead of time.

I have been having such a "week" this past week. Some are better than others and this one has been a good one. I really sense God's leadership and blessing. Studying His Word is always a personal blessing, but sensing His leadership in a special way is awesome.

Many of your pray for me regularly. I greatly appreciate those prayers. Preaching is one of my greatest joys and biggest responsibilities. It is also the area where Satan would love to distract me the most. He "got NO victory" in that this week, and I rejoice in that.

I couldn't wait to get back home and I couldn't wait for this past Sunday. Not just the preaching, but for the chance to worship, and to be with my church family. I love church. I love worship. I love preaching His Word and learning from it. I love my church family. I love Jesus.

Hope you do too. Get it? (you say, “got it!!”)

Today's Thoughts

In my devotional time today, I was blessed to continue to read “Miss Nan’s” devotional guide. Knowing this precious woman personally really taints my opinion of her writings.
She is so transparent in her unwavering love for Jesus and His church. She is an amazing woman.
God laid on my heart the desire to reaffirm my heart’s cry to change people’s lives – for Jesus.
I am so hungry to help folks navigate through these rough times and come to Christ.
As people lose their jobs, live in fear of these economic times – they are more open to Christ than ever. As a Christian, we are to live in a way that pagans are stunned and drawn to Him.

Pray with me as so many of our people face these difficulties with God’s strength. Pray for our church – our financial situation is nothing more than the cumulative reflection of the faithfulness of our folks.
Pray for us to be able to do more with less – all for God’s Glory.

He's So Good to Me

THANKSGIVING is over and CHRISTMAS is close. 

I had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving.  As I said Sunday, LuAnne and I had ALL of our kids and “in-laws” with us for Thanksgiving.  It was AWESOME.  We’ve never done that before.  We have for years gone to my home in Spartanburg for Thanksgiving.  Not this year.

This year we had Heather and Andrew and kids (Aidan and Rylee), Alan and Brycie, and Kayla all with us.  Jordan (Kayla’s fiancé) even dropped by for a while.

LuAnne cooked a BIG dinner for us – with help from us all, especially Andrew, who loves to cook.  Great fellowship, lots of love, plenty of games, a lot of laughter – unforgettable.

I won’t bore you with all the details, but I needed this.  My family needed this.  God knew it and blessed us all.  He is so good!

If you went to Sunday School or Children's Choir as a child, you probably remember this little chorus..."God is so good.  God is so good.  God is so good.  He’s so good to me.”  When your day isn't quite going as well as you had hoped, sing this little song as a reminder of all the great things He has done... and most of all, thank Him for Jesus.

Florida Baptists

Yesterday was a "less than stellar" day.  I love my convention and my denomination.  I have been a Southern Baptist all my life.  I LOVE serving the Lord in small ways through serving Southern Baptists.

I was asked by several of my pastoral friends several weeks ago to pray about allowing my name to be submitted as a nominee for President of the Florida Baptist State Convention. If you've been around McGregor, you may remember that we hosted this meeting at our church only two years ago.  It was a sweet time for all.

I was not elected – and by the smallest margin perhaps in the history of the convention.  12 votes. Less than one percent.

In my heart, my love for our state convention has only grown.

So I ask you to join me in praying for our new President, John Cross.  He is my friend and my brother in Christ.  John is the pastor of South Biscayne Baptist Church in North Port.

The highest calling in ministry is already mine – to pastor the greatest church on the planet – McGregor Baptist Church.  Nothing could deter my enthusiasm for that calling.

Can’t wait for the Lord’s day – it’s all for Jesus!!

Back to Blogging

Ok, Ok – I know, I haven’t blogged in … well, too long.    My deepest apologies.

Like my good friend, Mark Bricker, I re-commit to being more faithful to this thing.  Speaking of Mark, he's leading a group folks on a cruise for a marriage retreat.  Since I'm here on land, I hope the water's not TOO rough. :)

We have a group in Peru sharing Jesus in the mountains close to the edge of the earth.

We’re just doing our thing – what God has called us to do – win souls and disciple believers.

That part is going really well.  I talked to twelve – count ‘em – a smooth dozen -- folks this week who were new believers or new to the “discipleship” thing of following Jesus.  They are so fun to talk to – so hungry to grow.  It’s refreshing to be around them.   Pray with me for them, as they yield their life to the Lord – it’s all new to them.

DANGEROUS FAITH – fun series that really hits us ALL close to home – our heart of faith and trust in Jesus.  There seems to be a lot of interest in the blog site, mydangerousfaith.com ... Lots of comments and interaction – new to me, it’s cool.  Join the discussion!

My son, Alan, sang at 7 services at Saddleback this past weekend.  It was like a “special” song that went at the end of Pastor Rick Warren’s sermon.  So proud as a dad to see my kid singing for Jesus.  Love my kids – we’re blessed with three wonderful kids that love Jesus – and two spouses that are awesome –and another one “in line” – awesome.

My grandson, Aidan, turns two next week, so we’re heading to Tampa this weekend for the big party.

My prayers will be with the awesome RISK conference with almost 200 men in attendance.  Wish like crazy I could be there, but the family didn’t check my schedule when they planned this party.  God will bless big time in the hearts of those men.  Praying that lives will be changed!!

Life is good.  Jesus is awesome.