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Don't miss this weekend

I am really excited to be able to preach this weekend at Journey - Ok, I am always excited to preach but this weekend is a little different - I am preaching a message called "the church I see".  We are almost four years old and God has done amazing things at Journey but I believe that the best is yet to come.  We have only experienced a taste of what could be and by God's grace, will be.  I believe that a movement of God has begun in our city and we want to be right in the middle of what He is doing.  Whatever you do, don't miss this weekend at Journey.  I will be speaking live at both campuses and all four services.  To complete the weekend, we have a worship night at 6pm Sunday night at our NE campus.  It is going to be ridiculous - Get there early and bring a friend as we come together as the church to worship our King.

Twitter vs. Blogging

I have never been an consistent blogger but I noticed recently that I am blogging less than ever since I began to twitter.  I have heard twitter called "facebook for men".  I have a facebook page but rarely visit there - my twitter actually updates my facebook status.  I try to twitter a few times a day because it is quick and concise.  With a blog, I first determined who I was writing for - My Journey peeps, church-planters, other pastors, etc - I decided that I would focus my blog on my Journey peeps.  A lot of pastors target other pastors so they write about leadership, theology or other related ministry topics.  I mostly have written about what is going on in my life and what God is saying to me.  I recap and preview weekend services and I try to give an inside look into my personal life.  Beverly tells me that there are some people who actually care about that stuff.  I don't even know what the point of this post is other than to acknowledge that I blog less since I began to twitter.  When I figure it out, you can read about it on my twitter.

Innovate Church Conference

I am away this week at Innovate Church Conference in Lynchburg Va.  Not only does this bring me back to Liberty, where I graduated from in 1990 but I have seen many friends that I rarely get to see.  The speakers have been great and I can't wait to get back to Journey to share with our senior leaders what God has been doing in my heart.  In addition to the great speakers, the Liberty Church Planting Network approved 13 church planters yesterday.  We gave away over $300,000 to help expand the kingdom.  I praise the Lord for the opportunity to be a part of what He is doing in Raleigh and around the world.

Prayer Preview

For the next two weeks, we are going to focus on prayer.  We are defining prayer as "an intimate conversation with God".  A conversation involves talking and listening.  I rarely struggle with the talking part but learning to listen to God has to be intentional and is a journey.  During this series, we will discover the differences between a religious and relational view of prayer.  You will learn a simple outline for prayer and we will answer the question of does God answer all prayers.  If there is a breakdown in your conversation with God, where does that come from?  Will He always give me the desires of my heart?  This is going to be a fun and helpful series so plan to attend both weeks at one of our campuses.

Weekend Recap

Mother's Day at Journey was awesome.  Beverly spoke about how we are all deficient but since God created us, that means we are deficient by design.  God created incomplete so that HE could make us complete.  We try to fill our deficiencies with everything else except Him and most people are left feeling empty and incomplete.  Beverly taught us that we can only find fulfillment in Christ - He planned it that way.  We baptized at each service and celebrated with about 15 people who went public with their faith.  I had the privilege of being at NW again and I love being at that campus.  There is great energy and excitement and I love what God is doing through that team of servant leaders.  This Tuesday night we have our first NW Refuel service.  If you have not made plans yet, plan to attend and worship with us.  For more information, contact Lisa or Mark through our website.

Weary

I talk to many people who just seem beat down, cast aside and worn out.  We know that we have an enemy who is at war against us.  He is out to discourage and destroy us and sometimes we get battle weary.  We know how to fight from victory - not for it.  We know how to wear the armor of God.  We know that greater is the one in us than the one who is in the world - yet sometimes we get tired of constant attacks.  There is another group of people who are weary and worn down but not just from the battle but rather from doing good.  Galations 6:9 encourages us to not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.  Some of you are trying to follow Jesus - serving - giving - sharing - growing - loving - and maybe you thought that if you followed Jesus, you would not get attacked and everything would be perfect in your life.  In case you haven't figured it out yet - that is not how it works.  The more you give your life away for the sake of the gospel, the more you are going to be attacked and the more prone you are to become weary.  I just want to encourage you today - I have prayed for you - I want to remind you to "abide in Him" - "renew" the spirit of your mind - you have "divine power to destroy strongholds" - claim His Word - you will reap if you do not give up - keep believing - stay faithful - do not quit!!!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was a "first" and a "last.  The "first" was that it was the first time that I spoke live at our NW campus while showing video at our NE campus.  We have been talking about this for a while but were finally able to get the tech issues worked out.  I have heard many positive comments from those who were at NE.  There is no set schedule on where and when I will speak live except for Saturday nights - I will be live most weeks at NE on Saturday nights because that is when we video for the following day.  The "last" this weekend was the ending to our "30 days to live" series.  I talked about leaving a legacy - leaving shoes that are worth filling.  I encourage you to check it out online.  One of the highlights this past weekend was some of our NW groups hosting block parties in their neighborhoods.  They did a great job and we had the chance to meet many new people.  The weekend ended with Starting point on Sunday morning at NE and Sunday night at NW.  I love being a part of what God is doing in our city. 

Thirty days to live - week 3

If you were to die today, what would people say about you at you funeral?  Is there a gap between what you wish they would say and what they actually would say?  The reality is that the pastor does not preach your funeral sermon - you preach it - you are writing your funeral sermon everyday by how you live - with every decision, obsession, and relationship - you are writing your own story.  Recently, I asked those close to me to write my obituary - what would you say about me at my funeral (I am reading some of it this weekend).  I encourage you to give this a try.  It will give you a clear picture of how people view you and the legacy that you are leaving.  If you don't like what they say, pray for more time and then go change your life.  I look forward to seeing you at one of our campuses this weekend.

Weekend Recap

Slow getting this out but last weekend was week two of "Thirty days to Live".  We talked about what happens after you die.  We learned that the you are not your body - the body is what dies but you live on - I encourage you to check out the video or audio online.  For the past two days, I have been at the ARC conference hosted by C3 church in Clayton. Matt Fry and his team have done a great job hosting pastors and church planters from all over the country.  Ed Young Jr. was the main speaker - Ed pastors Fellowship Church in Dallas Tx. - They are one of the largest churches in the country with an average weekend attendance of around 25,000 people at 4 campuses.  I love being around church planters and discussing how we can expand the Kingdom of God.  It has been a great couple of days for our team.

Emotional Swings

I hate to turn everything into a sermon or teaching moment but I can't help myself.  Last night I was blessed to sit on the second row for the Canes vs. Devils game 4 at the RBC center.  Someone who knows how much I love the Canes was gracious enough to invite me to go with them to the game.  It was a must win game for the Canes - The first two periods, they played with intensity and determination and were winning 3-0 until almost the end of the second period.  We are so excited and fired up.  People are celebrating and slapping high-fives - we felt good about this one.  Then you could sense that things began to go in the wrong direction - Canes give up two more goals and all of a sudden, everyone is frustrated and discouraged - using a few choice words.  Here we go - we are going to another overtime where the Canes will blow it and be down 3-1 in the series - the clock is ticking down 5-4-3-2 seconds and then the Canes just throw it at the net and the unbelievable happened - we score with .02 seconds left.  People are throwing their beer, and whatever else was in their hands, into the air - mostly on me on the second row - but we did not care because the Canes just won an amazing game.  You may ask, where is the teaching moment?  I was thinking on the ride home, as I was smelling beer and coke all over me - that was a lot like life.  You have great anticipation about this season of your life - you come out with passion and a sense of purpose only to be met with the attacks of the "devil" (sorry, I could not help myself - just hang with me)  What you thought was going to be a season of celebration and victory seems like defeat and you frustration sets in.  You become confused and begin to question whether it is even worth the effort to try to live a significant life.  Then all of a sudden in dawns on you, "I am not fighting for victory - I am fighting from victory" - You have already won - You re-discover that even when it seems you are defeated and condemned, you are simply in process - God is molding you and shaping you to look more like Jesus - Before you know it, you are on the top of the mountain, looking back at that valley.  It is not that you forget the pain and frustration of the valley - it is just that it fades when compared to the celebration that comes with this victory.  Go celebrate - Rom 8:1 - There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

Weekend Recap

If you knew that you had thirty days to live, how would it change your life?  What would you do differently?  What changes would you make?  These are the questions that we asked as we kicked off our new series at Journey.  James says that life is a mist and whatever you know you should do - do it now!!!  In other words, live your life with no regret.  It has been fun to ask this question over the past few months and to hear to various answers - spend more time with my family, get my life right with Jesus, repair a broken relationship, etc. - Since we are not guaranteed tomorrow, Do it Now!!!  You will either dictate your life or have it dictated for you.  You have to choose what is important to you and live an intentional life.  Next week, we are going to deal with what happens after you die.  Invite your friends - it could be a week that changes their life.  

No Shaving

 

The tradition of not shaving during the playoffs was believed to have been started in the 1980's by the New York Islanders.  The idea is that no one on the team should shave until they are out of the playoffs and years ago, fans even began to adopt this tradition.  Back in 2006, when the Canes won the cup, their were beards everywhere.  The playoff's begin tonight and the Canes are taking on the hated New Jersey Devils in round 1.  I am calling on fans everywhere to put those razors down - actually, this call is just for men.  I really don't want to see women walking around with facial hair.  Come to think about it, some guys like me can't even grow a full beard - it is so spotty that it makes you look like a total loser.  Maybe, I will just go with the goatee.  Go Canes!!!

Easter Recap

WOW!!! Yesterday was amazing!!!  We concluded our "Gospel" series this past weekend and between the past two weeks, nearly 75 people have given their life to Jesus.  How crazy is that?  Forget that we had record attendance this past weekend - 1100 people between our two campuses - the most amazing thing is that God allowed us to be a part of seeing people repent of sin and follow Jesus by faith.  I sense a baptismal service coming soon.  I have heard from so many people who have told me that they never understood the gospel until the past two weeks.  I encourage you, if you missed either week, go online and listen to these two sermons.  I can't talk about the weekend without talking about our NW campus.  When I walked into the theater and looked up, I was blown away.  There were people everywhere and the energy was amazing.  Thanks to our staff and team of volunteers who made this weekend possible - it is an honor to serve my King and His people with you.

Online devo's

If you have not checked it out yet, go to www.journeydevotionals.com and do the daily devotionals that are there.  Each of these focus on a different aspect of the gospel.  Not only will this help you develop the discipline of doing a daily devotional but you will learn so much about Jesus in the process.  This is the passion week and we are counting down to the Easter celebration - Have you stopped to think about what the week represents?  

Weekend Recap

It is so good to be home!!! Uganda was amazing and I am so glad that I had a chance to go.  Arise Africa is a tremendous organization and Godfrey is a great leader.  We are excited about the future partnership with them as we get the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth.  Speaking of the gospel - this past weekend was unbelievable.  I began a two week focus on the gospel and over thirty people gave their life to Christ.  Yesterday was Palm Sunday, which of course kicks off what we call the passion week or week of suffering.  I am challenging our entire church to do daily devotions together, focusing on a different aspect of the gospel each day.  You can find these at www.journeydevotionals.com  We had major tech issues with lights flashing and speakers not working.  I ended up having (getting) to preach live at all five services.  This actually worked out great because I loved getting to talk about Jesus so much this weekend.  Obviously, we are working to get all of these tech issues fixed but as I said this weekend, it is all relative - this time last week, I was preaching in a building made out of mud.

Uganda Update #3

Uganda Video Blog # 3 from Jimmy Carroll on Vimeo.

Uganda Video Blog # 2

Uganda Video Blog # 1

Blogging Break

I will be taking a break from blogging for the next couple of weeks as I prepare for and am gone to Uganda.  I will return to the blogging world the week of April 6.  If I can get a connection, I may sneak a few post in from Uganda but if not, I look forward to updating you when I get home.

Getting ready for Uganda

The next two weeks are crazy as we get ready to leave for Uganda. I am excited about the opportunity to train hundreds of pastors and church leaders but there is much to do before we can leave. I am currently working on the material that I will teach each day in Uganda. The topics include faith, discernment, a study of James, leadership, and topics yet to be determined. The plan is to preach a message from Uganda and show it at both Journey campuses while I am gone. I am really excited about doing this and getting to show footage from the orphanage that many of you have sacrificed to help build. In addition, I am already getting ready for Palm Sunday and Easter, the first two weeks of April. These two weeks will be a series simply called "Gospel". As you can see, I have a lot of preparation and studying to do over the next few days. It is a good thing that I love what I get to do.

Weekend recap

In week two of "Lost" we focused on the difference between the omni-presence of God and the manifestation of His presence. Positionally, He is here but practically, do you sense His presence at your job, in your home or in your relationships. We discovered that it is not only possible but you were actually created to experience Him at all times and in every place. I encourage you to check out week two online and then make sure you are here this coming weekend for week three. This was the second week of the 12:30 service and attendance was up from the previous week. You should check it out. I also announced that we are finally ready for video teaching at NE. This means that both campuses are now ready for video and I will begin to teach live at NW more than I have to this point. We are trying to figure out what this balance should look like but it is an important move towards maintaining the philosophy of one church in two locations. Sunday night was week four of MM1 and Paul taught us about the reliability of scripture. This class has been amazing and there continues to be such a hunger from so many people, to know God. I love being a part of this movement of God in this city.

Thanks for the Prayer

Most of you know by now that my dad had open heart surgery last Tuesday.  The surgery was successful and they did six bypass - I had never heard of doing that many.  It was an long week that was filled with anxiety, fatigue, celebration, love and just about every other emotion you can imagine.  He did so well that the plan was for him to go home on Sunday.  The plan quickly changed when they found fluid on his lung but we were not extremely concerned because they said this happens about 50% of the time.  They kept him an extra day to remove the fluid but on Tuesday, they said that there was still more fluid.  At this point they called in a lung specialist.  There were several possibilities including a clot (not good).  Last night, they ruled out it being a blood clot and now believe that the problem will resolve itself over the next couple of weeks.  We are still waiting for word on when he will go home but we once again have seen the power of prayer.  I want to thank all of you who have gone to my heavenly Father on behalf of my earthly father.  We are very blessed and thankful for what God has done and we give Him all the glory that He deserves.  

Weekend Recap

It was a great kick-off to our new "Lost" series.  Before you can recognize and experience God in your daily life, you have to know who He is.  We began by answering the question, "who is God"?  I chose to focus on God as our father - He loves and cares for His children - His character does not change - He is always here - He has all power.  We could have focused onmany aspects of His nature or work but I felt that talking about Him as our father would give us the best chance of relating with Him.  This was a difficult week for many people who grew up in a home that left them with scars and disappointments.  In every way that your earthly father was imperfect, your Heavenly Father is perfect - In every way that your earthly father hurt you, your Heavenly Father will heal you.  I am excited about week two as we continue this series and learn to experience God in the mundane.  The weekend ended with MM1.  With the threat of snow, we did not know how many would show up to learn about the depravity of man and the Holy Spirit.  Once again I was blown away as over 125 people showed up hungry to learn and grow as a follower of Jesus.  I love being a part of what God is doing through Journey. 

Weekend Preview

This weekend begins a brand new focus on learning to recognize and experience the presence of God in your daily life.  We are going to discover who God is and how to clarify what He is saying and doing in the world.  Many have felt His presence in a church service but never at their job, in their home or through their relationships. We are calling this series "Lost" because it best describes how people feel when it comes to relating with God on a daily basis.  I am so fired up to teach you how to cultivate an awareness and receptivity to the presence of God - to experience God in the mundane.  Also, don't forget that we are adding a 12:30 service at the NE campus beginning this Sunday.  

Preaching Jesus

Mile Marker 1 was great this past Sunday but the topic was offensive.  You can talk about church and people don't mind that.  You can talk about God - everyone talks about God.  You can even talk about faith or prayer but whatever you do, don't talk about Jesus.  If you really want to be offensive, tell people that Jesus is God and that Jesus is the only way to God.  Paul tells us in I Cor 1 that preaching the gospel and is folly or foolishness to most people.  The gospel is Jesus - it is the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that provides full and free deliverance from the power and penalty of sin according to the grace of God alone through faith in Jesus alone.  John Calvin said "the whole gospel is contained in Christ".  Many would say that it is arrogant of us to claim that Jesus is the only way to God and yet we only say about Him what He said about Himself.  Everyone has opinions but we base ours upon the inspired Word of God.  Many would say that others have great intentions and passionately believe in other ways to God.  Sincerity is not a substitute for truth.  We must realize that preaching Jesus is all that matters.  Everything else is a waste of time.  It is all about preaching Jesus - It is all about preaching the gospel.  

weekend recap

I took a break this weekend and Cally preached at the NE and Smooth at NW.  They actually worked together ahead of time and preached the same message so both campuses would be united.  Their message was on gratitude and they both did an amazing job challenging us from God's Word.  I was personally excited to get to hang out at NW.  Normally, when I have been there, it is just to preach and I don't get to meet people.  Yesterday, I had the privilege of meeting a lot of people who call Journey home and I love what is happening at NW.  Last night was week 2 of MM1.  I got to talk about Jesus for and hour and fifteen minutes.  What is better than that?  From the past two weeks, it has become obvious that there are a lot of questions so we are adding an optional Q&A segment beginning this week at 5:30.  If you have a question that you would like for us to answer, email it to growup@takeajourney.org and then we will spend 30 minutes each week trying to bring some clarity to some of these issues.  I love the hunger that I sense from the people who are at MM1, to know and follow Jesus.  On a final note, pray for my dad - he is having open heart surgery on Tuesday.  We will send an email out after the surgery to keep everyone updated but our family would appreciate your prayers.

Excited about church planting

Beverly and I are away for a few days meeting with some pastors who share my passion for Jesus and church planting.  I am honored to serve with these guys on the board of directors for the LBF.  At this meeting, we are spending a lot of time evaluating what we are currently doing and making necessary changes to become as effective as possible for Kingdom expansion.  We are strengthening everything, including assessment, funding, networking and training.  Beyond the Kingdom work, these are just a great group of pastors and I love getting to be a part this team.

weekend recap

This weekend, we finished up our "Leaving Neverland" series.  In this series, we learned that growing up begins with Desire - then I make the decision to grow - I then Assess where I currently am - then this week we talked about taking action.  I know where I am and where I want to go so now it is time to move.  We learned that we have a common enemy and we face common obstacles.  While our journeys may be a little different, there are at least four essentials for all of us as we leave Neverland - Surrender, God's Word, Prayer and Community.  The weekend ended with our first Mile Marker 1 class - nearly 200 people showed up and committed to seven weeks at study and growing together.  If you have not taken the online assessment - go to www.takeajourney.org and check it out

weekend preview

This weekend concludes the "Leaving Neverland" series but it is the beginning of many peoples journey towards spiritual growth and development.  We are about to introduce our new online assessment tool and we have been blown away with the sign up for Mile Marker 1.  If you have not signed up yet, it begins this Sunday night at 6pm and will last for the next seven weeks.  I am so encouraged and challenged by the heart felt desire that I see in so many lives, to truly follow Jesus - to get to know Him in relational intimacy and respond.  I love being on this journey with you guys.

Be Still

For the past few weeks, God has continued to lead me to meditate on Ps. 46 - (go read it now and then come back to the post)  The obvious point of focus is on vs. 10 - Be still and know that I am God - but it needs to be read in context.  Most of the time we read this to mean "stop and get quiet" - spend time in solitude but I think the meaning is deeper.  I believe and practice the discipline of solitude but I don't think this is the point here.  God is sovereign - The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord - Ps 1-2 are great to read - God watches us make our plans and he laughs - He is in control of all things and nothing happens without His approval and nothing that He wills to happen will not happen - He is God.  The reality is that God does not need me but rather invites me to be involved in what He is going to do with or without me.  The whole "be still" part does not mean that I don't get to play a role but rather that I don't forget what my role is.  It is as God is saying, "relax and settle down - the world does not revolve around you, it revolves around me - get to know me and respond - bring me glory in every word and deed - I invite you to be involved in what I am doing in the earth - pursue me and then you will be passionate about what I am passionate about".  I am still working through this and seeking God to illuminate my mind but I love what He has taught me so far.  

weekend recap

Week two of Leaving Neverland was about trying to figure out where you are.  You can know your destination but before you take off, you have to know your current location.  We know that our destination is to grow up/follow Jesus/intimacy with Him but before you start moving, you have to examine yourself to see where you are.  We learned that the way we do that is by looking at fruit (Gal 5:22) and deeds (James 2:14-17).  What is the demonstration of your decision - Is the Holy Spirit living His life through you. Jesus said that we would recognize people by their fruit.  Now as we learned, fruit and deeds are not the requirement to be a follower but rather the response of one who is following.  The result of being a follower is that you will live out your faith and there will be evidence of the fact that you are a Christian.  You don't do good things to make God happy and find favor in His sight - You already have favor with God but not because of you - It is only because of Jesus.  I am fired up about week three because we will begin to talk about the pathway to following - what does your spiritual journey look like.  Don't forget to sign up for Mile Marker 1 - it begins this Sunday night at 6pm and will last for seven weeks.

Day two

Beverly and I started out the day by meeting with Scott Thomas, the director of Acts 29 network www.acts29network.org  I have loved everything that I have heard and seen from these guys.  They have a heart for Jesus and a heart for planting churches.  One of the highlights of the day was listening to Wayne Grudem who wrote "Systematic Theology - an introduction to Biblical Doctrine". I found him to be incredibly smart and amazingly humble.  I am looking forward to praying and processing through all that I have heard and experienced over the past couple of days.

Acts 29

Wednesday and Thursday, I am attending the Acts 29 Boot Camp being hosted by Vintage 21 in downtown Raleigh.  Acts 29 is a network focused on planting churches.  Obviously, this is something that I am passionate about so I am checking out Acts 29 to see if they are someone that we can partner with.  I loved what I heard on day one.  The speakers were great and the founder and leader of Acts 29, Mark Driscoll, did a Q&A during lunch.  I have heard Mark speak online before but never in this type of setting.  I was encouraged, challenged and inspired by what he had to say.  On Thursday, I am having breakfast with Scott Thomas, the director of the Acts 29 network and I look forward to finding out more about them and then praying about our involvement and partnership.  

End Times - pt 1

In my sermon last weekend, I spent some time talking about II Timothy 2:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.  This really got me thinking about end times and I have had several people ask me questions about prophecy (do i sense a new series coming?) Anyway, I wanted to take a moment to write out a few thoughts about the future.  First of all, anyone who says that they know the order of end times events are usually like the person who is "often wrong but never in doubt".  The Bible has a lot to say about end times but it does not lay it out neatly so we have to do our best to interpret scripture and from there begin to develop a possible timeline.  I believe that the next event that we are waiting for is the rapture of the Church/Bride/Believers - I Thess 4:13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.  Most people confuse the rapture with the second coming of Jesus.  I personally believe that these are two different events.  I believe that the church will be raptured out and that will be the beginning of a seven year tribulation period.  At the end of this tribulation period, I believe that Jesus will return to earth and we will return with Him.  I will write more about these events later but regardless of the order of these events, we do know that we will be raptured and He is coming again.  This is something to get fired up about.  The early church lived with this in mind.  They anticipated the coming of their King.  It seems that we have lost this sense of awareness and anticipation about our future.  How would it change our lives if we really believed that we could see Jesus face to face today?  

Weekend recap

Saturday was a little rushed...we flew in from Atlanta and got home around 2:30...pre-service mtg at 5:15 and service began at 5:45.  Sunday was just as crazy because I got to preach live at all three services at both campuses.  Fortunately, I was on time for each service and everything worked out great.  I thought it was an amazing kick-off to our new "Leaving Neverland" series.  We introduced "mile marker 1" - the new first steps class that will begin on February 15th.  If you have not signed up yet, you need to take care of that asap - email us at growup@takeajourney.org  This is going to be a church altering month.  I sense a true hunger for people to know God.  I have never felt a stronger desire from people wanting to know how to follow Jesus, than I do right now at Journey.  It is such a privilege to get to be a part of this movement of God.  Next week, we will introduce a key component of your spiritual journey - whatever you do, don't miss next weekend.  

Leaving Neverland Preview

I am pumped up (no big surprise) about our new series that begins this weekend.  Since the beginning of Journey, we have worked hard to not just talk about what we care about but to actually live it out.  We say that our vision is to "reach out - grow up"...in short - our mission is to "help people follow Jesus".  While I think that we have done a pretty good job with some of this, one of our concerns is that we not just build a crowd but that we actually connect people with Jesus.  Attendance has grown but are you growing?  That is the question that has promoted this series.  Neverland is a place where you don't have to grow up but we are calling you out of Neverland.  This will not just be a series that will inspire you to grow but we also have a plan and strategy to facilitate your journey.  I have not been this excited since we started the church.  Whatever you do, don't miss any of these three weeks.  It is time to grow up!!!

The life of a Roadie

I am in Atlanta with Beverly...she is speaking at a conference for youth pastors and their wives.  She is teaching three times during the breakout sessions.  I am so proud of her and I am having a great time serving as her roadie.  My job is to basically drive her around, get her some coffee, speak only when spoken to, walk a few steps behind her while in crowds - ok, not really but I am having fun doing whatever I can do to be a blessing to her.  This should be a great conference - Francis Chan is one of the main speakers - you know how much I loved his book "crazy love".  

weekend recap

All I can say is "Wow"!!!  This weekend was almost too much to handle.  The presence and power of God was so amazing and I am so full.  We closed out our "1thing" series and learned that the trials we face are actually for our good and God is using everything in our life to make us look more like Jesus - Never Quit!!!  If you missed any of the weeks, you can check them out online.  We closed out the weekend with a night of worship.  It was out of control - It is so weird that we can have that much fun while while praising our King.  The room was packed and the energy was contagious.  I think Jesus was pleased.  You can check out the pic below - don't blame the iphone for the poor quality. 

I have to say this

Periodically, I need to vent about something that is on my last nerve - today is one of those days.  The subject is movie etiquette.  The last few movies I have seen, I left appalled and irritated - not at the movie but at those who attended and were seated around me.  First of all, show up early or at least on time.  It is opening night of a big movie and it starts at 7 - don't walk in and act surprised and even offended that there are no seats.  Don't come in and ask people to move over when they got there early to get a good seat.  Another thing - eat before you come or don't smack.  People around me act like they have not eaten in a month and they are devouring their popcorn and loud bags of candy as if it is their last meal.  The theater is not in your living room and these other people around you, despite what you may think, do not want to hear you eat your $20 "snack".  Yes there is more - the next subject is talking during the movie.  What happened to no talking during a movie or at least using your "inside voice".  Do you not have the ability to whisper?  Again, no one wants to hear your conversations while we are trying to listen and watch the movie.  Recently, Beverly and I went to a movie and there was a couple who violated all of these etiquette's and when we gave her "the look" - she actually responded with "what are you looking at"?  Beverly jumped up and punched her and then we kept watching the movie in peace (ok - that part is not true but the rest really did happen like that)  Instead of responding with some verbal ugliness, I just continued with "the look" but this time added the "no" head shake.  She got the point of my disapproval but continued with her rudeness anyway.  Man, that feels better to have gotten all of that off of my chest - I am positive that nothing will change but sometimes you just need to vent.

How is your 1 thing?

We are closing out our "1thing" series this weekend and I have been thinking about how effective it has been.  Obviously, the goal was to help you make and keep the change.  As we have said many times, God's goal for you is to conform you to the image of Jesus.  This is great news for you because that automatically means you will be a better father, mother, person, etc - It does not get better than that.  As you surrender to Him, He changes your heart and then helps you change your life.  My question is how is it going?  Are you surrendering to Him daily?  Have you given Him your heart and life?  Are you letting Him have His way?  Are you letting Him sit on the throne that He put in your life "by HIm and for Him"?  Are you doing your part to decide what is important and then bring your life into alignment?  Do you see what I am asking? How are you doing with this series?  For us, this was not just some cute series that we thought would be good to kick off the new year with - It was a series designed to help you follow Jesus and become more like Him.  For those who have already given up - this coming weekend is for you - don't miss it.  We would love to hear your stories of change - email us with your updates to info@takeajourney.org

Twitter

You can now follow me on twitter - to open a twitter account go to www.twitter.com  I will try to update it throughout the day to give you a closer look at what I am thinking, where I am and what I am doing.  

weekend recap

Have I ever said how much I love our Church and what God is doing here?  I know...all the time but it is true.  I am overwhelmed with the presence and power of God and continued to be blown away by what He has chosen to allow us to be a part of.  This weekend was week 3 of our 1thing series and the focus was on community.  From the beginning of time and throughout, God has clearly said, "it is not good for man to be alone".  We need each other...we need the right people to influence us and we should be looking for those we can invest our lives in.  We will experience real change and true growth, only in the context of community.  That is another great thing about the local church - this is a place where you can find community with the right people.  I finished out the weekend by attending our new youth service, "uprising".  If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I called it "fusion".  Smooth promptly corrected me and I apologize for everyone who lost sleep about it.  Fusion is what we call our kids/parents combined worship experience.  We have another one of these coming up soon.  Anyway, "uprising" was awesome.  Smooth ate a leaf - students led some amazing worship - great energy and excitement - Smooth brought a strong message - I loved the whole night.  Thank you Jesus for letting me be a part of your work.

Allergic to Pain

On Wednesday, I went to the health department to get vaccinated.  At the end of March, I am going to Uganda and I knew there would be shots but it ended up that I need six - three in each arm.  I ask her, "can't you pour it all into one tube so it is only one shot".  Not only did she not think that was funny, I think she gave me an extra one just for my sarcasm.  I told her that I was allergic to pain but that did not stop her.  The worst was the tetanus shot - I can hardly lift my arm.  All of this made me think - this was all for my good, even though it did not feel good.  Isn't that interesting - that is exactly what Paul said in Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  He did not say that everything would feel good but he did say that it is ultimately for my good.  Many times, I want to say to God, "can you just lump all of my pain into one tube or experience because I am allergic to pain".  I think he gets a kick out of my sarcasm and laughs - I can hear Him say, "stop being a baby".  OK, He probably doesn't respond like that but I am sure that He simply wants me to trust Him and to remember that He is making me more like Jesus.  For whatever it is worth, I hope that there are no more shots coming for a while.

A new friend

I had the privilege to spend time today with Pastor Jack Robbins.  Jack has been in ministry for more than 40 years and at 66 years old, he is as fired up as anyone that I know.  I was challenged and inspired as I listened to his heart for Jesus and his love for the gospel.  He has a passion to reach people around the world and I am anxious to see how God reconnects us for Kingdom expansion.  You can check out his ministries at http://www.cypruscreekdigital.net/lovem/  The highlight was having him come to our staff meeting and pray a prayer of blessing and wisdom.  I loved connecting with him and I look forward to the next time.  

weekend reflection

Sorry for the delay in sending out the weekend recap - it has been a crazy day.  Today, I met with some local pastors who care about Kingdom things and God is putting some things together that are going to be amazing.  I am so thankful for the relationships that God is giving me with men that are passionate about the gospel and I believe that a movement has begun in our city.  Anyway, this past weekend was week two of our 1thingineedtochange.com series and we discovered how to not just make the change but how to keep the change.  We had some technical challenges at both campuses.  At NW, I heard the video quality was not great - that is unacceptable and is a top priority this week to correct.  At NE, we had two power surges that caused everything to go off for a few minutes.  The first one was before the 9:15 am service but the second was during my sermon.  I was in the groove, right in the middle of my talk and POP!!! It was so loud that I almost had a heart attack.  Lights, sound and video went off and after a few seconds of gathering myself, we just continued.  Fortunately, everything came back on and it did not happen again.  Satan hates what God is doing and he will fight us at every turn - He did not win this weekend and he is still a defeated scum - I despise him.  I will tell you what was really fun - Starting point.  We had it at NE Sunday morning and at NW on Sunday night.  Both sessions were awesome and I loved hanging with people who are hungry to know Jesus better.  All in all it was, once again, an amazing weekend and I thank Jesus everyday for letting me be a part of this.

Weekend Preview

I am ready for a huge weekend - we have had great response to week one our 1thingineedtochange.com series and week two is going to be extremely practical and helpful.  Bring a friend and choose a campus and service.  If you call Journey home, I once again want to ask you to try our NW campus at 10 or Saturday night at NE at 5:45, to create more room for those who are checking us out on Sunday's at NE 9:15 and 11.  Regardless of which service you choose, I can't wait to share with you what God has given me to share.  I started the day right by grabbing a biscuit at Bojangles and watching the Canes and Bruins.  I am about to get a quick work-out in and then get my head together for tonight's service.  

An inside look

It is scary thought and probably a short trip but I want to let you know what is in my head.  I spend a lot of time praying and processing but I don't always process out loud so that is what I am going to do here.  The subject is space, services and dealing with the amazing growth that we are experiencing.  For those that don't know, we are once again running out of space on Sundays at the warehouse, especially at the 11 am service.  Beyond the obvious things like asking any and all of you that call Journey home to move to a different service or to the NW campus, we are looking at other options.  The next move is to probably add a third Sunday service at NE and it will probably be around 12:30 or 12:45.  I know that this is not ideal for some but many have actually said that they are looking forward to it.  Sleep in, grab and early lunch and then show up.  Anyway, we also are looking at changing the look and feel of Saturday night.  Once the NW grows another fifty to seventy people, we will be looking at adding a second service there also.  Beyond some of these immediate but temporary solutions, we are considering several next step, longer term solutions.  They include but are not limited to: 1) starting another campus 2) expanding the NE campus at its present location 3) moving the NE campus to a bigger space 4) finding land and building and then moving the NE campus  5) finding space for the NW campus and moving out of the theater.  This is not an all-inclusive list but these are some of the things that I am seeking wisdom from God for.  All of them have their pros and cons...all of them have various cost associated with them.  At this point, I tell you all of this so you will know how to pray because I believe in praying specific prayers.  I love what God is doing at Journey and I am so excited about the future as we impact this city for the glory of our King.

Pray for the peace of Israel

If you are around me much at all, you will hear my heart for Israel. I believe strongly that what God told Abraham in Genesis 12 is still true today – “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you”. We know that the Jews are God’s chosen people and as Paul tells us in Romans 9-11, He has not forsaken His people. We also are God’s people, “grafted in” as Paul says – adopted into the family of God. In the end of time, God will once again turn His attention to His people and will judge the nations for how they treated His chosen people. It is with this in mind that I ask you to join me in praying for the peace of Israel. They are geographically surrounded by countries that hate them in ways that most of us cannot understand hate – hate that goes beyond, “we don’t like you” – it is hate that wants to remove the Jews from the face of the earth. Even now as Israel is in a real battle with the terrorist group Hamas, most of the world does not understand what is going on. The goal of Hamas is not to take land from Israel but rather to remove Israel from the earth. Israel is fighting for their very existence. Caught in the middle of this current battle, are innocent Palestinians and my heart breaks for them – we should do everything possible to aid them but it is not Israel that has put them in harms way but rather Hamas. I strongly urge you to stand with Israel and pray for them daily.

Weekend Reflection

What a great kick-off to our 1thingineedtochange.com series.  I spoke live at all four services and had a blast getting to see all of our people.  This was one of the highest attendance weekends ever at Journey.  The best part was seeing almost thirty people give their lives to Jesus.  We learned that real and lasting change happens from the inside out - God changes our heart and then He helps us change our life - He changes us then He helps us change.  If you missed it, check it out on line.  This is going to be a great month at Journey - in addition to the new series, new groups are forming and our financial peace class is starting back up.  

back from the blogging break

Well, I took a break during the holidays from blogging but I am back. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years break. Other than battling some family sickness, everything was great for us. We even went to see the acorn drop on New Years Eve. It was not Times Square but it was still fun. I am excited to begin our brand new series, "1thingineedtochange.com this weekend.  I will be live at both campuses and preaching at all four services.  I can't wait to see you then.