Bye-bye lawnmower blade

I was mowing the yard this morning and accidentally got my lawnmower blade in a fight with the metal water meter cover... ultimately the lawnmower blade won... but not without serious injury. The blade cut the grass fine and then took a 6 inch long chunk out of the water meter cover (I don't know how to explain that to the WCWSA). In the process, the end of the mower blade was bent at a 45 degree angle and after trying unsuccessfully to bend it back straight, I had to say goodbye to it.

Basically, the problem was caused by using the wrong tool to cut the grass around the water meter cover. The area is a little tight and is better suited for a weedeater than a riding lawnmower... but it's just so much quicker to use the mower. So, most of the time, I just head into that same spot with the same mower... and most of the time, it works out okay. But today, my "shortcut" cost me a cover, a blade, and a lot of aggravation.

Okay, now for the leap into the spiritual lesson... God has called every believer to be missionaries in a particular circle of influence... he has designed them perfectly for the ministry and relationships in that circle. If you don't follow through with your responsibility, I might wind up having to take the Good News into your circle of influence... that may work out fine most of the time... but, on occasion, something I say or do will create a little bit of chaos in that circle of yours... it might even have a higher cost than either of us want.

So, instead of taking the risk, let's agree as followers of Jesus that we will do everything we can within our own circles of influence. That way, we can use God's design in our lives to most effectively let the people that God has put us around know about the His love for us. And maybe in the process, we can avoid some unfortunate costs.

Free movie tickets and other stuff

If you drink Coke products, stop throwing away the caps and the labels and the mycokerewards points. Take five minutes, go to the http://www.mycokerewards.com/, and sign up. Save up a couple hundred coke points, get your free movie tickets or your gift card, then donate the money you saved to something worthwhile... something that meets a need... something that changes a life... something that offers people the hope that can be found in Jesus. "Go Green" with your "green" and do something meaningful... save money in one place so you can invest it somewhere else. Just a thought.

Do you ever feel lost in the shuffle?

I googled myself today just to see if I existed... so I typed in "craig story" and found 16,500,000 results. In the first 100 results, there were about 90 web pages with the "Larry Craig story", 9 with "my Jenny Craig story", and one about a boy named Craig that used to live in Africa titled "Craig's story." I didn't hit the other 16,499,900 results, but I bet they would be about the same. In other words, most people in the world don't even know I exist.



Fortunately, in my life there have been several key people that did know I existed, and even cared about the fact that I existed. It was through the influence of these key individuals that I began to consider spiritual things... and it was through their influence that I chose to become a follower of Christ. Even though most of the world didn't even know I was alive, a few people loved me enough to help me consider a relationship with God in a new way. It was their compassion that persuaded me to follow Christ. In twenty years, I wonder how many people will say the same thing about me and my influence in their lives... I hope there will be a lot.

A wise grandmother and a simple faith

A friend of mine officiated the funeral of his grandmother this past weekend. I went to support him in his time of loss, but also to support him as he preached his first funeral. He did a great job... and I think he honored her life well.

As good a job as my friend did, the two most impacting parts of the funeral were those where her words were shared, instead of his.

Her great-grandaughter read a letter she got from "MiMi" when she was baptized. The letter congratulated the great-grandaughter on her decision to follow Christ, encouraged her a little bit, and then listed out some important things to know as a new believer: "love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; love your neighbor as yourself; the Lord's prayer is found in Matthew 6; my favorite scripture passage is Psalm 23; the Love chapter is 1 Corinthians 13; Jesus' sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew 4; and the Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20." That about sums the Bible up in my opinion - the greatest commands, a basic format for prayer, a description of God's love for us, an understanding of human love, Jesus' most direct teachings on life, and God's most direct teachings on life. Simple biblical faith.

After this letter was read, and a few very respectful comments were made, my friend said, "I knew this day would happen at some point in time, so last year I sat down with MiMi and asked her a question in preparation for this day: 'MiMi, if you could gather all your friends and family together one last time, what would you say to them?' Her response was simple, 'For years, I've told them about God and his love for them. I've told them about Jesus and his sacrifice. So, I would gather them together and just tell them those things again.'" That is a life well-lived. Simple biblical faith... and a desire for others to have the same simple biblical faith in their lives.

Well done, Jeff, with the funeral. Well done, MiMi, with your life.

Learning to speak "American"

I was at Walmart on Friday and had one of those really funny moments that just made me laugh. I am not a big fan of the self-service checkout stations because it really does take as long as if there were that many regular registers open, but it can lead to some very funny situations, so I guess they're not that bad.

As I was ringing up my items, a couple approached the station behind me and proceeded to ring up their items. I think the woman was just one of those people that likes to complain because it gives her something to talk about... so when she approached the screen and saw the first question on the screen, she decided to say something to her husband... unfortunately she said it loud enough for me to hear.

WOMAN: "I hate these stupid things..."

MAN: "huh?"

WOMAN: "...these machines. I hate when they ask me what language I want to choose..."

MAN: "oh"

WOMAN: "I mean this is America... of course I want to ring my stuff up in American... not Spanish."

Wouldn't it be great if we all spoke American? But, of course, in our part of the country many different languages are spoken: Spanish, Korean, English... and, apparently, even "American". Different languages can be confusing and sometimes it can be hard to carry on conversations with people when don't fully understand each other.

That's actually a lesson we ought to carry into other parts of our lives, too. In Romans, God identifies how difficult it is for someone to begin a relationship with him when they haven't heard about him and his Son. And, God goes on to say that people won't hear about him unless someone tells them. Doesn't it seem logical that "we" might be the "someones" God was talking about? You run in different circles of people than I run with (different friends, different companies, different neighborhoods, etc.). There are people in my circles of influence that need to hear about God, and I want to have discussions with these people about spiritual things... and my friends may not understand what you have to say because they don't know you very well. There are also people in your circles of influence that need to hear about God, and I hope you want to have discussions with those people about spiritual things... and your friends may not understand what I have to say because they don't know me very well. So, each of us are responsible for starting our own discussions in our own circles of influence. As we start these discussions, people will hear about God and his Son... and as people hear, they can begin their relationships with Christ.

Just think for a moment how this community will change when all of us are starting discussions about spiritual things in our own circles of influence.

So turn off your computer now and go meet some of your friends and talk... and know that you are having an incredible impact on the Kingdom of God... whether you speak Spanish, or Korean, or English... or even "American".

The "mexican menu" was a coincidence, not a Freudian slip

Last night, I got the chance to hang out with eight of the coolest people in the world... my wife Amy, David, Amanda, Jason, Kristen, Gabe, Kortney, and Kelly. There are three others - Jeff and Felicia had some illness running around their house and Jeremy was working - so they couldn't make it.

We hung out for about 15 minutes while the food finished cooking and while people arrived. We talked about work, and our families, and our kids, and life in general. We fixed our plates full of some incredible mexican food (including some "Salsa Casera") and we laughed a lot about Sunday and Book22. Then, we moved into the living room, watched a 15-minute clip of Andy Stanley on being "salt of the earth", and we talked about what God was teaching us and how he could use us to impact our friends and co-workers and families and neighbors and even people in other parts of the world. After that, people slowly began to filter home and we straightened the house a little bit and went to bed. It was a great evening with our community group.

If you're not building relationships with people through a small group or in your neighborhood or in the community, you are missing out. Life is a journey that is much too hard to travel through it alone. Go ahead... invite another family into your home for dinner, or host a community group, or play a game of kickball with the families on your street... do something to meet new people and build relationships with them... you'll be amazed at what God will do through it.

And, no, the mexican menu was not a Freudian slip from Sunday's message... just a coincidence.

What a Sunday it was?!?

We laughed... we talked... we laughed some more... and it was great. Thanks to the band and the setup team and the childcare team and Nathan/Katelyn with the teenagers and to the many, many, many volunteers that created an incredible environment on Sunday. We had a lot of first time guests at Church At The Grove and we have had a bunch of great comments about their experiences... opportunities they had to explore faith at their own pace... and that is what we go for.

By the way, if you were in the 11:15am Gathering, don't worry... I will start this Sunday by answering the three questions and I will tell you the salsa story... sorry we didn't get to it this past week.

I took too long, but I think we had fun

The Bible records a story where the Apostle Paul is teaching at a house during the evening. He talks so long that a boy that was sitting in the window falls asleep, tips out of the window and falls to his death. (Don't worry, the boy is brought back to life at the end of the story). After looking at the clock near the end of each service, I realized that I had done the same thing (minus actually killing anybody). As we talked and read and laughed together this morning, the time flew by way too quickly...it was my fault...sorry!

I enjoy being with you guys each Sunday morning at CATG. I enjoy talking about all that God is teaching each of us. I enjoy hearing your stories and telling you mine. I enjoy "sharpening" each other in our walks with Christ.

You know, the Disciples spent about three years following Christ together. They invested morning, noon, and night to following Jesus and I'll bet they had some pretty interesting experiences and conversations with each other along the way. They started out by following this Rabbi around and they became "disciples" in the process. What an incredible journey they had together.

Thanks for being in this process with me. It's great to become "disciples" with you, as we journey through life.

And Speaking of Lunch

Speaking of lunch... if you want a free one, go to www.freechickenandcoke.com and register with Chick-fil-A. You've got to give them your name, email, and home address, but they will send you a coupon for a free chicken sandwich and a free drink. Only 1,000,000 coupons will be sent, so you might want to register soon.

You Might Be Rich

You might be rich... and not even know it. During lunch today, take about 5 minutes and go to www.missingmoney.com. Type in your last name (don't worry about your first name, unless your last name is VERY common) and press search. You may be the proud owner of a $6.18 refund because you paid too much on a power bill at the house you lived at 8 years ago. Or, a distant third-cousin, twice-removed may have made a fortune by inventing a possum trap and left you with part of a $4 million dollar estate. Maybe you opened a savings account with the $27.92 you made off a lemonade stand when you were five years old... forgot about it... and now (with interest) it has grown enough for a college fund. Who knows?

I look on the site from time to time just to see if I might "strike it rich." I didn't find anything this morning for me, but I did find some money for my cousin and my aunt... maybe a little, maybe a lot... I'm about to email them. And, before I did, I just thought you'd like to know.

Jesus was there

I want to follow Jesus... I want to know him, understand him, talk like him, act like him... I want to be like him. As a result, I want to go where he went, talk about what he talked about, challenged what he challenged, and support what he supported.

I got off the phone with a friend of mine a little while ago. We small-talked for a few minutes, he asked me a favor, and then we talked about what was going on in our lives. Below is a transcript of the last part of the conversation:

ME: "Yeah, I'm finishing up my message for our "Can We Bring Sexy Back?" series.

HIM: *awkward silence*

HIM: *awkward silence*

HIM: "I'm sorry, "Can We Bring 'what' Back?"

ME: "Sexy"

HIM: *awkward silence*

HIM: "Can We Bring 'Sexy' Back?"

ME: "Yeah"

HIM: *awkward silence*

HIM: *awkward silence*

ME: "We're really having fun with the series."

HIM: "I bet."


The point of the conversation is not that guys don't use a lot of words in phone conversations. The point is that it doesn't seem to matter who a person is, the idea of talking about "sex" on Sunday mornings in a church in a culture like ours is a little bit weird at times.

But, back to my initial statements. I want to be like Jesus. I want to go where he went, talk about what he talked about, challenged what he challenged, and support what he supported.

The Book of John, Chapter 2, opens with this statement: "Two days later there was a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his followers were also invited to the wedding." The rest of the story focuses on the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine, but I want you to think back to another lesson in the story... Jesus went to weddings. Jesus, a rabbi, went to a wedding that he did not perform and showed his support for the happy couple simply by being there. Jesus thought that this wedding was a good thing, so he went and he celebrated.

Now, during first-century Jewish weddings (which typically lasted a week), the bride and groom would get married in a quick ceremony at the beginning of the festivities. After the ceremony, the bride and groom would go to a specially prepared bedroom and would "consumate" the wedding ("consumate" is a fancy word to politely describe the passionate sex the couple enjoyed since the desires they had for each other were finally able to be fulfilled). Then, after a couple hours or even a few days, the couple would emerge and the party would really kick into overdrive as the family and friends of the couple would celebrate their love for each other.

Not once in the story in John do we ever see Jesus get up and leave the wedding. Not once do we see him blush with embarrasment over what was happening in the next room. Not once do we see him challenge the "focus" of the wedding celebration by saying that the bride and groom should wait until their friends and family had gone back home before they had sex. No... Jesus was there... at the wedding... the entire time. God created sex. He designed it to be incredible. He just wants it to be experienced at his discretion. And, when we do enjoy within his guidelines, he celebrates right along with us.

And that, my friend, is why Church At The Grove planned the "Can We Bring Sexy Back?" series in the first place. We want to be like Jesus... we want to go where he went, talk about what he talked about, challenged what he challenged, and support what he supported. I can't wait for us to talk about Song of Solomon 3&4 this week as we continue the series.

6 Years

As I drove into work this morning, the radio DJ came on to mark the moment when the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Immediately, I was taken back to the exact time 6 years ago when that happened. It was on my way into the office then that I heard the initial announcement on the radio... they broke into the regular talk show to say that reports were coming in from New York that a small plane had run into the side of one of the World Trade Center Towers. When I pulled into the parking lot, I headed into the office and gathered with the other members of the staff as we watched the horrible events of that day unfold on a 7-inch black and white TV. Who would have ever imagined the full impact of that attack?

Take some time today to remember that morning... and the people that families that have lost loved ones as a result.

"Message Impossible"

Alright, so here's the scenario: You are a pastor of a new church that has grown more than 400% in less than 18 months so you are watched closely. Your heart is to develop people to follow Jesus and make disciples so you are constantly overwhelmed by your mission. A large portion of the surrounding community has been disconnected from God for most of their lives, so there is no end to the importance of messages that point to hope that is found in Christ and lived out through daily life. And, then you are asked to open a series called "Can We Bring Sexy Back?" with more than 300 people attending (including singles, teenagers, people with struggling marriages, people whose marriages have fallen apart, and everyone in between).

Yesterday's message was truly a "Message Impossible," but Russ pulled it off with stunning ability. If you weren't here on Sunday, you've got to visit the http://www.churchatthegrove.com/ website, click "Listen Online" and get caught up with the series. Russ covered the fact that "sex is God's design" during the first week and got us off to a great start. You may even want to send a link of the church website to your friends. You can also send your friends to the http://www.canwebringsexyback.com/ website where they can access details about the series, resources, and click the link to the website for the message.

This week, we take on "sexy" itself. What is it? We'll look at God's design for passion... you will be shocked when you hear what God says about it... the answer is in Song of Solomon 5. If you want a preview, read Song of Solomon 4... but be warned, you might need to take a cold shower afterwards. To be honest, I can't believe we're going to talk about this at church... but it's all part of developing people to follow Christ and make disciples (by the way, as a side-effect of "developing people", I will probably need some additional volunteers in the baby room in about 9 months... thanks in advance).

See you Sunday.

Cross Promotion Gone Wild

There's a term used in advertising called "cross-promotion" and it basically means that you create a unique link between two pretty much unrelated things in order to promote a particular product, concept or event. Sometimes it is a very effective use of resources... like getting Kelloggs to make Pirates of the Caribbean cereal and put it on the shelves a couple months before the movie hits the theaters. Obviously, pirates have very little to do with cereal, except that people that eat sugar-coma cereal like that might also want to see the movie, and the cereal will sell particularly well when 9-year old boys pitch fits in the grocery store in order to get it. Happy Meal toys are also famouse examples of "cross-promotion" and usually very cost effective... promoting movies, toys, or game systems to kids in McDonalds through 20-cent plastic toys can really boost sales of the product nationwide.

But, what happens when "cross-promotion goes wild" and advertising gurus start using money (lots of it) to promote items in ways that simply don't make sense? The result is a complete waste of resources. Three days ago, I followed a large dump-truck-type thing for about 5 miles when I repeatedly asked myself the question: "What were those advertising guys thinking?" Behind the back wheels of the dump truck were mudflaps with the "OshKosh" company name and logo on them. Maybe they were custom printed because the truck's owner really loved "OshKosh" clothing... maybe the dump truck itself was owned by "OshKosh"... or maybe even more likely - some goof-ball out there thought it would be a great way to get the "OshKosh" name out there on the highway. But in my mind, it was just a waste of money.

I'm all for trying something new or different or a little unique. I'm all for taking a risk and even spending money to do it. I'm all for cross-promoting the gospel message so that people that wouldn't normally seek God would hear about his message in unique ways. But, we've got to be smart about the resources we spend as a church. I'm thrilled that the people of Church At The Grove have the desire to use the resources we have on those things that most effectively develop people to follow Jesus and make disciples. It's great to be part of something where faithful stewardship is understood and recognized.

We put our resources into serving the local community (schools, public servants, local needs), we send resources out to church plants around the metro Atlanta region, we are looking forward to Russ' trip to Africa so we can begin to meet some of the needs of the global community. We invest heavily into the Sunday morning environment so people can continue to explore faith at their own pace. And, we try to use resources on things that streamline the ministry that comes out of the CATG office. God has blessed us so far during this first year. We believe that he will continue to bless us in the years ahead if we continue to be faithful stewards of what he gives us.

Free antivirus software

Over the summer, we traded in our home phone and dial-up internet connection for high-speed internet and cellular. It was a good trade, but for the last several months I've been running my computer unprotected. With the dial-up connection, I wasn't too worried... what virus would even bother attacking a computer on a dial-up connection anyway? And, since we got the high-speed, it hasn't been an issue, but I know that the longer I surf the web, the more likely it is that I will get hit with a virus.

I just downloaded "avast" home edition virus software from http://www.download.com/ and I love it. It was free, it works fast (and runs in the background without slowing anything down), and I finally have a little peace of mind for the home computer.

Did I mention it was free? You know I love that word.

The new Hindu temple in Lilburn...have you seen it?

Yesterday, I drove by the new Hindu temple in Lilburn. I must say that it is an impressive building... lots of white stone, hundreds of thousands of carvings, and just a massive structure overall. But, as I drove by, I got this incredible feeling of sadness for the people that will worship there.

I don't know what your understanding of Hinduism is: as a religion, it's pretty rough... and as a way of life, it's a mess. Religion is basically man's attempt to please or appease a god with the idea that there will be some sort of reward if you are successful in doing so. The problem with Hinduism is that there is not one, but literally thousands (actually millions) of gods. There are more than a thousand "official" gods and then every hindu home has their own "version" of gods. Can you imagine trying to please all of these deities?

I am glad that there is really only one true God... I am glad that I get to relate to him as a friend, rescuer, and father... I hope you are experiencing the same simple relationship with God that I have... I pray that you are able to communicate this incredible life we have been given in ways that are simple enough for those around you to understand.

Reality without counseling

When Russ and I speak, we do our best to communicate God's word in ways that are easy to understand and easy to relate to. One of the ways we've seen as effective is to share a little of our own stories and experiences... which is normally not a big deal. However, the "Can We Bring Sexy Back?" series starts in 4 days and I'm getting a little bit nervous. How can Russ and I communicate the reality of God's incredible design for sex and remain conscious of the fact that we are still the pastors of Church At The Grove? In my mind, it's kind of like hearing your parents talk about sex... sometimes you are able to fight off the mental images... sometimes the images never leave and you feel like counseling is the only option. Just Kidding!

I can promise you that the next four weeks are going to be awesome... we are working hard to communicate reality through personal experiences (authenticity without "too much information") and mainly through scripture... I really think you'll be surprised at how much God says about the incredible invention of sex. We are looking forward to this fun, straight-forward, and honest conversation about "sexy". In the meantime, visit www.CanWeBringSexyBack.com for resources and more information. Then, send a link to your friends and neighbors with some sort of a comment like, "I think this church-planting thing is getting to our pastors... are they stupid or something to plan a series like this... what do you think?" Then, when they call you to ask what time you leave for church so they can ride with you, you can be confident that we will do everything possible to talk "reality" without counseling... to be authentic without causing nightmares.

$11 glasses

Last week, my new glasses arrived... I got two pairs of glasses delivered to my house for just over $22 (total).

Check out http://www.zennioptical.com/ if you need some cheap ones... you have to have your prescription handy (and you will probably have to get someone to measure the distance between your pupils), but it may be a great way to save a ton of money.

Are you "connected"?

Russ did a great job on Sunday with the importance of being "connected" to others. As I participated in communion, my brain was not only thinking about the people in the room, but also about the other believers I know that are scattered around the world. I've got a friend in Indonesia, two friends in Japan, and other friends in Asia that are constantly working with people that need hope. I've got friends scattered around the country that are starting churches and ministries to reach people. And there are hundreds of millions of other believers in the world that I symbolically "connect" with when I take communion... we worship, we reflect, we remember the incredible sacrifice that Jesus made... and we celebrate the incredible gift that his sacrifice gave us.

As the faces and names of my believer friends went through my head, I also thought a lot about the friends I have that are still unconvinced. Over the last couple years, I have met a ton of new friends that don't follow Christ... and I love them more than you can possibly imagine. I enjoy hanging out with them, relaxing with them and talking with them... about life, parenting, movies, vacations, and as the topic arises - spiritual things. I would love for my connections with them to eventually lead them to a point where they follow Christ, but I also understand that I have no control over those decisions. All I can do is love them, enjoy their friendship, and "be" Christ in their lives. When I do those things, my "connections" pay off... maybe I will get to see more of these friends begin to follow Christ in the years ahead... maybe not... that is between them and God. My job is to extend God's love to the people in my community so that they will have the best opportunity to explore faith at their own pace... if you're a believer, that's your job, too.

What a morning!

If you missed this morning at Church At The Grove, you missed an incredible thing. We worshipped "in the round," Russ did an incredible job communicating that "Life is too difficult of a journey to do it alone," and we took communion together. "Linked" Sunday was a great way to spend the day.

When Amy and I sat down after we took communion, we really started watching the individuals and couples that approached the tables. It brought tears to our eyes to see the people that were there... people that have recently begun their spiritual journeys... people that, if not for Church At The Grove, would not be exploring faith anywhere. As we sat there, we were overwhelmed with love for all that God is doing in the lives and hearts of people. I hope you are experiencing that same overwhelment as you think about the people that are part of the CATG Community.