Developing People Throughout The Community

So many incredible things are happening all around us when it comes to spiritual things... I hope you are seeing some of it in your circles. I am consistently hearing about unchurched, unconvinced individuals that are beginning to open up to spiritual conversations with their friends. I am excited to see the churches in the area that are growing by creating environments for people to explore faith (p.s. congrats to our new neighbors, The Orchard Church, on an incredible first week in their building). I am thrilled to watch my generation warm up to the idea that some people follow Jesus without being loaded down with religious baggage.



All of these things, working together, are helping develop people that are thinking about God in a new way. And, I believe with all my heart, that people will continue to seek God if we will continue to provide the opportunities for them to do so.



And... as the community seeks God... we will find Him... He will reveal Himself to us.

After three intense days, I've finally caught my breath

Catalyst was awesome (it always is), and it has taken me three days to recover from it, digest what I learned, process some of my "next steps", and have the energy to write a little bit. Of course, over the next couple weeks and months, I will write more, but I wanted to share a quick thing from Dave Ramsey that we were challenged with.

"Imagine what the people of God could do for the kingdom of God, if the resources that the people of God managed were freed up to do His work." Over the last several days, I've heard of several choices that friends and acquaintances of mine are making that will put them further in the whole, financially. And, if you're reading this while you are facing the opportunity to make a really stupid financial decision, I'm begging you to patiently wait and reevaluate it through the principles that God has laid out in scripture.

1. All the stuff you have is actually His stuff . . . you don't own it, you just manage it.

2. If you use every bit of His stuff to pay for your stuff . . . you won't have any of His stuff left to invest in the work He wants to do.

3. If we borrow someone else's stuff in order to pay for more stuff for us . . . we make slaves of ourselves, our resources, and the stuff that God lets us manage.

4. And, if we change how we live, buy less stuff, and manage His stuff better, we will free up more of His stuff to do what He wants to do.

The point is... if you are about t0 make a stupid financial decision... please wait, contact me (craig@churchatthegrove.com) so I can put you in touch with a financial counselor, and make the decision that you will no longer use all of God's stuff to meet your needs and wants. Trust me: there is freedom in handling your money with God's principles in mind.


P.S. Watch for Church At The Grove's new series in November: "Rich Man/Poor Man" where we will talk about this topic in depth.

Nothing But Clay

I'm heading off to an incredible 3-day conference called Catalyst. Russ, David, and I will be poured into for the next couuple days, so pray for us. But, before I went, I wanted to jot something down that I was reading this morning.

2 Corinthians 4:7 "We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure."

When we begin a relationship with Christ, we truly have an incredible treasure put in us... eternal life. But, when God puts that treasure in us, he doesn't decorate the jar on the outside... we're still just "clay"... the most simple form of pottery that existed in the ancient world.

So, if God decided that "simple" people were worthy of carrying his incredible treasure, why do so many churches believe that "fancy" and "complex" is the only way to carry the treasure today?

Resist the urge to complicate the treasure... remember that we are nothing but clay.

Had a Bad Day? . . . join the club

For me, yesterday was a bad day... not as bad as this guy's, but it was still pretty rough. Life is not always easy. Life is not always fun. Life does not always bring joy. In other words, some days just suck. But that's normal.

The biggest problem comes when we don't have anybody around us to help us through the bad days. I was fortunate that, in the midst of the bad day, I had my wife that I could talk with, my friend and fellow-pastor (Russ Butcher) that I could sort things out with, a mentor that I could email, and some friends that I could just vent to if I wanted. It's those people and the relationships that I have with them that make life good.

Sure, life stinks sometimes, but if there are people around that you can laugh with, cry with, hurt with, dream with, plan with, work with, and just be yourself around... then, you'll survive and come out the other side of the bad day into a day of hope.

So, thanks everyone for just being there!!!

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.

It's a movie weekend...what should I see?

Alright, so I'm hoping to go see a movie this weekend... I have no idea what it should be. The only movies I've seen since in the last five months are Ocean's Thirteen (I almost fell asleep) and Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer (better special effects... but not as good as the first).

Any ideas?

Biblical Faith and the newest public source of laughter

Over the last 2,000 years we've made our beliefs pretty complicated. It started with the simple ideas of a loving God, an incredible gap between him and mankind, and an absurd idea of reconnecting us to him through his son's death. But now "religion" has turned this simple faith into a complex attempt to "please a god that can't fully be known." That's not biblical faith. Church At The Grove wants you to understand true biblical faith... simple understanding of a holy God, his perfect Son, and our desperate need for forgiveness. It really is that clear.


Now, for the funny part of this post... what happens when we take something simple and make it impossible to understand? The now legendary response of Miss South Carolina in the Miss Teen USA Pageant.

She was asked the question, "recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?” Her response is truly unbelievable: “I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uhmmm, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and uh, I believe that our, I, education like such as uh, South Africa, and uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uhhh, our education over here in the US should help the US, uh, should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for us.”

Yep, that's her answer... that's her incomprehensible answer to a simple question... that's her explanation of the challenges facing the US educational system... come to think of it... maybe her answer explains the problem as clearly as it's ever been explained.

Since you've got an extra minute anyway and you could use a good laugh, click to my friend Russ Butcher's blog to read what he had to say about it and watch the clip for yourself.

If you read James with me, keep going

This past week, more than 30 men and women read the book of James with me... one chapter a day. We talked about it by email as we went along and I really enjoyed the journey. If you were part of that group, I want to encourage you to continue to read. I just finished 1 Peter 2, and take a look at what it says:

"But you are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. You were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" 1 Peter 2:9 (NCV)

That's the secret... we have a relationship with God through his son Jesus... we have been called out of darkness and now experience God's wonderful light... our lives have been changed... now all we have to do is talk about it along the way. There's not a whole lot more to our lives... talk about how God is changing our lives.

That's what we mean around Church At The Grove when we say that we want to "Start Discussions that lead people to the hope that is found in Christ." Would you help us in those discussions? Have a great morning. I'll see you in a few hours.

Friday's going to be great... but not as good as September

I just got back from the grocery store with all the fixin's for some serious Jamaican Jerk Chicken for Friday night's Community Groups Get Together. Friday at my house, I will have the chance to spend a couple hours with the hosts and discussion leaders for our community groups that will start in three weeks. And, I can't wait.

We're going to eat some good food (as long as I don't burn it), laugh a lot, talk through some basic details of our groups, and pray for the hundred (or so) adults that will be involved in these groups. So, if you're not linked up with a group yet, email my wife to let us know you're interested. Our hosts and leaders are looking forward to it... we all are looking forward to it.

We know that nobody can go through this spiritual journey alone... life is best lived in the context of relationships. So, get the info, sign up for a September group, and prepare yourself for an incredible couple months of doing life with others.

Yesterday

Yesterday at Church At The Grove was great... the setup team did a fine job... the children were well-cared for... the band sounded fantastic (the acoustic feel was a cool change of pace)... there were a lot of guests... the tear-down team was fast like lightning... and I think everyone found a comfortable place to explore faith. And that last part is why we do everything else that we do.

We create the Sunday morning environment like we do so that people can have a place to explore faith at their own pace. Thanks to everyone who helps us with the environment each week... you're doing an incredible job. And, if you're not helping, consider jumping in... you'd be surprised how fun it can be to serve.

Does "unseen" mean "not real"?

Hebrews 11:1 says "Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it."



Some would say that "faith" in a God that can't be seen is foolish. They would go on to say that "thinking people" would not trust in anything that can't be seen, touched or fully explained.




On Friday afternoon, a force that can't be seen, touched, or fully explained lifted my 200 pound trampoline (15' across with a safety enclosure), off the ground and threw it into the top of some 20' pine trees that are more than 50' away.

The point: just because something can't be seen, does not mean that it is not real. If you disagree, try telling my daughter who was less than thrilled to see the trampoline in the trees.



By the way, thanks to my friend Craig and my neighbor Bobby, for their help in recovering from this freak storm/wind gust. And, thanks to everyone in the neighborhood that immediately headed out in their vehicles to make sure nobody in the neighborhood was hurt or had majore property damage.

Make Disciples???

"One of the two men who followed Jesus after they heard John speak about him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and say to him, 'We have found the Messiah.' ('Messiah' means 'Christ')" John 1:40-41 NCV

Two men spent a day with Jesus and they wanted to follow him. There was something about this man (rabbi, teacher, prophet, wanderer) that intrigued them. Something in what he said, how he lived, or just the way he spoke caused them to wonder who this man really was. When they identified him as the Messiah (savior, deliverer, rescuer, promised one)... they were hooked. This was the one that God promised all throughout the Old Testament... it would have been foolish not to follow him.

But, they didn't stop with that. It wasn't enough for them to have a relationship with God... it wasn't enough for them to meet the Savior and be rescued by him... they wanted others to know. They wanted others to follow him, too. They weren't content with "being" followers... they wanted to help "make" other followers.

And God used these two men (along with another ten) to change the world. Because they wanted to "make disciples," we now have the opportunity "be disciples." But now the responsibility falls on us. If we - as individuals or as a church - decide that it is enough just to "be disciples" then we kill off any hope for future generations to "follow Christ." Let's continue to have a heart for others to know the God that we follow. Let's continue to make disciples.

Follow Jesus???

fol·low /ˈfɒloʊ/ [fol-oh]

–verb (used with object)
1. to come after in sequence, order of time, etc.: The speech follows the dinner.
2. to go or come after; move behind in the same direction: Drive ahead, and I'll follow you.
3. to accept as a guide or leader; accept the authority of or give allegiance to: Many Germans followed Hitler.
4. to conform to, comply with, or act in accordance with; obey: to follow orders; to follow advice. 5. to imitate or copy; use as an exemplar: They follow the latest fads.
6. to move forward along (a road, path, etc.): Follow this road for a mile.
7. to come after as a result or consequence; result from: Reprisals often follow victory.
8. to go after or along with (a person) as companion.
9. to go in pursuit of: to follow an enemy.
10. to try for or attain to: to follow an ideal.
11. to engage in or be concerned with as a pursuit: He followed the sea as his true calling.
12. to watch the movements, progress, or course of: to follow a bird in flight.
13. to watch the development of or keep up with: to follow the news.
14. to keep up with and understand (an argument, story, etc.): Do you follow me? –verb (used without object)
15. to come next after something else in sequence, order of time, etc.
16. to happen or occur after something else; come next as an event: After the defeat great disorder followed.
17. to attend or serve.
18. to go or come after a person or thing in motion.
19. to result as an effect; occur as a consequence: It follows then that he must be innocent. –noun
20. the act of following.

How well do we Follow Jesus?

My kids are growing up

I'm sitting at the kitchen table... we just got done eating breakfast and we've got a little bit of time before we head out for school, so my kids are doing some of the homework that they will have to do this afternoon. My third grader is reading and my first grade daughter is "teaching" my kindergarten son how to do her spelling activity. Actually I think he is doing most of the work, but they're having fun, learning, and accomplishing something at the same time so I'm not going to say anything about it.

It's official - my kids are growing up. Nine years ago when Katie was born I had no idea how quickly this would happen. It really feels like we blinked twice and now we're old. As sad as it is to realize that my kids aren't babies anymore (I've got three in school and Carson doesn't even want us to walk him down to his classroom anymore because he's too big), I am excited to see how they've grown. They're getting taller, smarter, faster, and funnier every day. In other words, they're developing just like they should.

It is sad to watch them outgrow the need for their mom and dad, but it would be even more sad if they hadn't grown up. If my kids were still two feet tall, or still unable to walk, or still pooped in diapers... that would be difficult to deal with. Growing and developing is a natural process when something is healthy. So the growth in my kids is simply a sign of their health.

Over the last twelve months, I've seen some pretty amazing things in people's lives. The Church At The Grove community is full of people that are growing and developing as followers of Christ. Many of them rarely (if ever) attended church in the past. Many of them questioned (if they believed at all) basic spiritual truths. Many of them had difficulty (if they even attempted) living their lives in the way that Jesus teaches us to. But, as they've joined our spiritual journey, they've developed. Are they fully "mature" as disciples? No, but none of us are. The important thing is that they're "growing" and developing just like they should.

How sad it would be if these people had come in contact with the people of CATG, or the environment of CATG, or the teaching of CATG over the last year and not been changed at all. We want to develop people to follow Jesus and make disciples. If they don't develop, then they are not healthy. And, the world is already filled with "unhealthy" Christians... Christians that don't live like Jesus did... Christians that don't love like Jesus did... Christians that don't develop correctly.

Luke 2:52 "And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people. " (Message)

No... I don't think I can dance!

Yesterday, Amy and I went shopping... we had a few things to pick up for the kids, so we hit several stores. The stores were pretty empty and the atmospheres were pretty relaxed... perhaps a little too relaxed. As we approached the back of one of the stores, I ran across a store employee that was enjoying his work... a lot. Right at the entrance to the stock room, there was a man... a large man... dancing to the music being played over the store radio... and he didn't know we were there. It caused an instant flashback to the 96 Rock TV Commercial from the early 1990s... and the original "Joey Bag O Donuts." If you don't remember... or you were still in elementary school at the time, watch this for a quick reminder (yes, I know that this isn't the "96 Rock" commercial, but I did the best I could and you get the idea).

Sure, in my younger years, I was known to demonstrate a little rhythm from time to time... and, then of course there's the dance recital video (only a few have seen it... and it's just not the right time for a public premiere yet). But now that I've grown and matured a little (well, I've grown a lot and matured a little), I know that nobody wants to see me dance... not on a street... not in a store... not on TV... need I say more? I don't have the skill or ability to impress anyone... and I don't have the business sense to make a lot of money with commercials or getting my name on the Moe's menu. So... No, I don't think I can dance.

But, I'm okay with that... and I deal with it by choosing not to dance. It's a conscious choice I make... putting aside one thing so that I can focus my energy on other things. For me, there are lots of things that are more important than trying to do something that I'm simply not gifted at or called to do. It's called "stewardship"... taking the time, energy, and resources that are available to you and putting them toward the most important things in your life. Stewardship is important... in choosing a dancing career or not... in life in general... and in the Church. We don't have enough time, energy, or resources to do everything, so we have to figure out what God calls us to do and focus on that.

How are you doing with that? Are you focused or scattered? Are you investing yourself in those things that are most important to you or are you wasting away with unimprtant things? Can you dance?... Are you doing something with that?... Or, are you just dancing at the entrance to the stock room?

"Simple" Mis-defined = Chaos

I just left a restaurant where a seven year old had taken over the place and a local store where a six year old thought it was perfectly fine to ram a store clerk with a shopping cart without remorse. The real issue in both cases was the parents. I really felt sorry for them... they watched their kids create total chaos and they sat there with an exasperated look on their faces... like this was the normal way they lived life. But, at the same time that I felt sorry for them and their sense of hopelessnes, I also felt pretty confident that it was poor parenting over the last several years that led to the current situation they were in.


Parenting is complex... kids are crazy... and sometimes the two mix to create kids that act in ways that nobody can explain, take responsibility for, or fix. However, most cases where kids are out of control leads back to parents that wanted to raise kids in the "easiest" way possible. They thought that this "easy" or "simple" method of parenting was the best approach to life so they went for it. However, they defined "simple" parenting incorrectly at the very beginning and now all they've got is chaos. To them, "simple" meant no guidelines, no advice, no direction... just wait until the kid tells you what they need or want, then give it to them. It sounds "simple," and maybe it is for a while. But, as the kids grow, their demands and their way of doing things become more vocal and brash... and eventually you wind up with little balls of chaos and no way to control them.

"Simple" - in parenting, in business, in ministry, in life - does not mean having a total hands-off approach. It means direction and guidance that is focused on essential things while helping set aside nonessential things. Church At The Grove approaches ministry with simplicity in mind... what is essential in creating environments for people to explore faith, what is essential in encouraging relationships through community groups, and what is essential in starting discussions about spiritual things so that people are pointed to the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. We don't always achieve simplicity... sometimes chaos ensues... but our goal is that everything we do is streamlined so that we can most effectively impact unconvinced people around us. Thank you to everyone that helps us keep things simple around here... you guys are awesome.

River Hills Church

I was just checking the website of a friend of mine that's starting a new church called River Hills Church in Winder. When you get a minute, you ought to take a look so you can begin to pray for them. This Sunday, they have their last "preview service" before they launch officially on September 9th. It's an awesome church and Chip is a great leader... we expect that we'll hear many stories of what God is doing up there in the years to come.

One of the things that caught my eye was their statement that their "sole purpose is to provide real truth for real people." "Real" is a great word to use when describing part of the mission of God's church. The world is full of "fake"... and "fake" is useless. After all, most people out there are looking for an explanation of reality that they can understand... a definition that includes a real God that cares about us, an understanding of the real separation we feel from this God, an explanation of what he did to reconnect with us in a real way, and a demonstration of what his word says about living out our real lives in the way that Jesus really taught. "Real truth for real people" is a great way to say it.

Are you looking for "real" in your life? Have you found it yet? Have you found the real God and have you connected with him? Have you found real truth and is it changing you? What about people, have you found real friends that help you along in your spiritual journey? If you haven't found one of these things yet, keep searching. God will show up, he will change you, and he will put people around you that will journey with you. And, when those things come about, it is an incredible thing to experience.

Mentally...I'm not here right now

School is back in session which means my brain is not fully engaged here at the office right now. It has been a crazy first four days of having all three of my kids in school (3rd grade, 1st grade, and Kindergarten), so I am a little tired, but that's not real reason for my mental absence.

The real reason is that I've missed the people at Youth Elementary School, and now I want to find ways to hang out with them. I look forward to running by there in the afternoons and checking on the staff and helping where I can. I look forward to spending time in the classrooms with the kids, and I especially look forward to getting to know the other parents at the after-school meetings and special events. Youth Elementary School is full of people that are disconnected from Christ and disconnected from church. It's my responsibility to help them hear about Jesus and begin to explore spiritual things again. Please pray for me and my family as we try to take every opportunity we can to build relationships and friendships with these incredible people. Our hope is that, through those relationships, we will have opportunities to develop people to follow Jesus and make disciples.

And, know that I am praying for you as well. I pray that the next several months will provide you opportunities within your own mission fields to meet people, spend time with them, build friendships with them, and help them connect with God. Have an incredible week!

"When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them because they were hurting and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus said to his followers, 'There are many people to harvest, but only a few workers to help harvest them. Pray to the Lord, who owns the harvest, that he will send more workers to gather his harvest.'" Matthew 9:36-38

Bullies . . .Week 1

If you missed yesterday, you missed a great one. Thanks to all who helped us transition back to two services (Chad and the set-up team, David and the band, Rosemary and the children's team, along with all the first-impression and hospitality people). It was great!

If you weren't there, let me catch you up... God has given all of us a certain amount of talent, time, strengths, resources, and character qualities. He wants us to use those things to develop people to follow Jesus and make disciples. When we do that, awesome things happen. However, when we use what we have carelessly - and specifically, when we use those things for our own benefit instead of the benefit of others - we create chaos. Samson did that. He had incredible strength and an incredible calling on his life, but he used that strength carelessly. His main concern was himself and he wound up missing out on the opportunity he had to rescue the Israelites from the Philistines. In short, he abused his strengths... and became a bully.

In contrast, Jesus had greater strength, greater power, greater status, and a greater calling. But, instead of carelessly looking to benefit himself, he "emptied" himself of everything that made him great... and he went and suffered on a cross for our sake. As a result, God accomplished everything he needed to through his Son... we can now have a relationship with God because of the forgiveness Jesus offers. (Read more of the story in Philippians 2)

Two very different individuals (Samson / Jesus) with very different passions (himself / others) finished their lives with very different outcomes (dead with a reputation as a "bully"/ alive with the character of a "savior"). Jesus loved us to the point that he gave up everything so we could have a relationship with God. That is the clearest example of Persuasive Compassion that the world has ever seen. We want Church At The Grove to consistently display that kind of compassion toward those we run across every day. And, we want you to be part of that journey.


P.S. Check the church website later this week to listen to Russ' message about Samson.

Fall Comes Quickly Around Here

Can you believe how fast the Summer has gone by? It truly seems like last week when Church At The Grove was downshifting for June and July by going back to one service and simplifying our set-up and break-down responsibilities. And, now Fall is here again and things are going to be insane around here.

David Odom and Lance Boyd are working on the stage design for August. Russ Butcher is polishing the outline for the August series. Rosemary Kirby is finishing up the children's ministry team schedule for the Fall. Amy Story is getting the final details in place for the community groups. And, I am sitting here in my office typing my thoughts on all of this.

As we approach the next sets of messages, I hope you will see what we are trying to accomplish. We want to create an environment for people to explore faith. In order to do that, we believe it is important for us to talk about issues of faith that impact our daily lives as well. And, the Bible talks about a lot of issues that we deal with on a daily basis. In August, we're going to be covering conflict in our "Bullies" series. In September, we'll be looking at God's creative design of sex in our "Can We Bring Sexy Back?" series. In October, the unseen spiritual world is the topic as we talk about what lurks in the "Shadows". And, we'll wrap up the fall with talking about money in "Rich Man" and what the world is really like in "Poor Man".

Russ and I want you to know what the Bible says about these things... we want you to understand what it means to follow Christ in our daily lives... we want you to know what it means to have biblical faith. So, each Sunday at 10:00am and 11:15am, we will try to cover these topics through the lens of scripture. We will attempt to give you background, explanation, and easy ways to apply the truth of God's word to your lives. And, we will offer all of this in a comfortable environment where you can explore these things at your own pace. Finally, you can be confident in our promise not to embarrass you or those people that you invite to attend with you (okay, so maybe you'll get a little red in the face during "Can We Bring Sexy Back?", but that's just because maybe you've never heard sex talked about in church without the phrase "don't do it" in the same sentence). Have a great week! We'll see you on Sunday!

David Odom and Bryan Hoover . . . starting discussions

If you didn't catch last night's "Atlanta Live" show, you missed out. I am so proud of David Odom and Bryan Hoover... how well they performed with their bands... how well they spoke of their heart for people... and how well they started discussions about what God is doing in their lives and in the lives of those around them. Great job guys!!

If you haven't met David Odom yet or haven't been to a gathering to watch him lead worship, you've missed out. Russ and I love serving with him and are thrilled with what he's been doing to lead Church At The Grove into opportunities to worship God. He has a heart for people and has been working hard in the last couple months to get ready for the fall... he's been spending lots of time with people and taking advantage of opportunities like serving breakfast at Youth Middle School or being interviewed on TV to get people talking about God.

That's what it's all about... when we start discussions about spiritual things and about God... he reveals the truth about himself... he shows up. When people search for God (through questions, discussions, life choices, and God's word), he promises he will reveal himself. Has God revealed himself to you like he has to David and Bryan? If he has, have you let him change your life? And, last of all, are you starting discussions with those around you so they can seek God, too?

Get Ready For Some Awesome Community Groups

My wife, Amy, is helping organize the community groups for the fall... we've already got nine incredible groups for adults starting the week after Labor Day and going through the week before Thanksgiving. You will not want to miss these opportunities to build relationships with others and talk about what God is doing in and around your lives. I can't wait to spend time with ten or twelve other people each week as we talk through the story of God through a curriculum called Starting Point. One or two of the other groups will be using the same curriculum. The other six or seven groups will be using a variety of discussion starting ideas and will be talking through lots of different topics like marriage, parenting, finances, prayer, relationship with God, prayer, and other things. You will have the opportunity to sign up for a group after the Church At The Grove gatherings on Sunday, August 12th and August 19th. Or, if you want to go ahead and get in a group, contact Amy Story and she will get you hooked up with one. Trust me when I say that these community groups will be one of the best ways for you to take the next logical steps in your spiritual journeys... they will provide you with a place to talk through what God is doing in your life... and a some new friends that will help you along in that journey. Have a great night and we'll see you tomorrow morning at 10:30am (remember that next Sunday we start with two gatherings - 10:00am and 11:15am).

I Am A Tour De France Addict

The last two and a half weeks have been rough on me. The Tour de France is on and it usually ends somewhere around two or three in the morning. I've watched about 6 of the full stages and pieces of another 6 or 7. Fortunately, tonight, I am able to watch the end of stage 18 and it's not even 11pm. There are only 5 miles left now, and I've been watching one of the most incredible "dances" for the last 20 minutes. Four riders lead the stage of the race and they are 10 minutes ahead of the "Peleton" (the huge group of more than 100+ riders that's not in the lead). For the last 20 minutes, these four riders have continued to break away from the rest of the group using an incredibly choreographed process of riding. These four riders rotate counter-clockwise through a pattern of diamond shapes... each one taking a 20 second turn at the lead, 20 seconds at the left side, 20 seconds in the "pocket" at the back, 20 seconds at the right side, then back to the lead.

So what's so special about this process... there are four riders that have pulled more than 10 minutes ahead of everyone else. The way they've done that is to create an aerodynamic "flight pattern"... a perfect environment for these four to pull away and win. With this pattern, everyone gets to lead for a while, support for a while, and rest for a while. It is this environment, that allowed these four to have just finished the race with that 10 minute gap still in place.

Paul talked about life being a "race." He said he doesn't have time to look backward or even that much time to look around... he is running for a goal that is ahead of him... he wants to be like Jesus and is not there yet.

Paul was right about life... it is a race. But running it alone is difficult and foolish... that's why Church At The Grove works so hard to create an environment for people to explore faith. As we race, we want an environment that allows people to lead, support, and rest along the way. Our Sunday morning environment is suited for that... people lead parts of it, help create parts of it, and enjoy it on a weekly basis. And as we go through life, we journey as if in a race. Along the journey, several have joined our community and they race with us... we are working on the "choreography" that will allow us to win... but it's coming together quite nicely.

Thanks to Russ Butcher, David Odom, our set-up teams, hospitality teams, children's ministry teams, band, and all the volunteers that create the Sunday environment each week. You are awesome. And, your efforts are working... if you ever get tired or discouraged... drop back into the "pocket" and rest... but while you're back there, look in front of you, and beside you... we're in a race, but we're in it together... and the environment we're creating is the perfect one for you and your friends to explore faith... leading at times, supporting at times, and even resting at times.

How Ducks Learn To Be Ducks

Our house sits on a lake... well, it's not really a lake - more of a pond... alright, with the current drought, it's really more of a puddle... and, if you've seen it recently, it would probably best be described as a natural aquarium. But it does have fish and turtles and ducks, so I call it a lake.

Anyway, about six weeks ago, 10 eggs hatched from the flower bed behind our house and out waddled 10 of the cutest little baby ducks you've ever seen. Since then, two have died, but we've been watching the remaining eight and have seen the harshness of nature up close and personal. When you think of ducks, you probably think of calm, peaceful animals that learn how to be calm and peaceful from their calm and peaceful mamas. But that's not always the case. For some reason, the mama duck at our house has rejected one of the surviving eight ducklings and he now basically lives on his (or her) own. Anytime he gets too close to the mama duck or the other seven ducklings, he gets attacked by his own mom. She warns him with loud quacking first and then proceeds to chase him away and even bite him if she can get close enough.

Now I don't know what this particular baby duck ever did to the mama to make her turn her back on him... but it's pretty sad to watch. Here he is having to learn how to swim (and eventually how to fly) all on his own. He is learning where to find food all on his own. He is learning how to stay away from danger all on his own. He is even having to learn how to protect himself from his own family... all on his own. And, the worst part of it all, is that he and his brothers/sisters are learning how to be ducks from a mama duck that hates one of her own ducklings.

Church At The Grove develops people to follow Jesus and make disciples. We want people to live their lives in such a way that they honor God more and more every day. During this first year, we've come across some people that have been rejected by others in some pretty harsh ways. We've built friendships with people that have a hard time trusting others (especially when it comes to spiritual matters) because they've been pushed aside before or even attacked by people that were close to them. I've talked with people over these last twelve months whose own families turned away from them years ago because they weren't "spiritual people" or because they weren't "walking with Christ." Unfortunately, that's pretty normal behavior in our church culture... we tell people to grow as followers of Jesus, but we tell them they have to do that by separating themselves from the people around them that don't follow Christ. We tell people to love God... but give them permission to hate people that don't love God. We basically set up a war between Christ followers and those that don't follow Christ... those of us that love God are the "good guys" and those that don't love God are the "enemies." We reject people and tell them to figure life out on their own.

My kids asked me why the mama duck is so mean to this one baby... I don't have a good answer for them. I ask myself, why are Christians sometimes so mean to the "rejected" people around us that don't follow Christ or mean to Christ-followers that may be slightly different on non-essential beliefs... I don't have a good answer for myself. God has called us to reflect his love to the world around us. It's tough to do that if we are always attacking someone for something.

Galatians 5:15 (NLT) says "But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another." Maybe our impact in this culture would be stronger if we were constantly demonstrating God's love through applying the truth in His word instead of constantly being on the attack. And, at the very least, those that are watching us will get a clearer picture of what it means to be a disciple of Christ.

Stories - Volume 3

Last night, 98 people gathered at the home of Marty and Julie Carr for a celebration of what God has been doing in the lives of five people that attend Church At The Grove. Two teenagers and three adults were baptized... just to publicly say to everyone there that they are followers of Jesus. It was an awesome thing to see. But, the greatest part of all of it was to hear their stories (their "tesimonies") of how God is changing them. Each person shared about how they realized they did not have a relationship with Christ, about when they asked God for the forgiveness that Jesus offers, and about what they are learning now about becoming more like Christ. Stories like that are the best part of being part of a church like this. God is at work all around us... and in us. God is using you to help people reconnect with him. It's awesome!!!

By the way, if you missed it... we'll be putting the testimonies on CD and on our website next week... don't miss "Stories - Volume 3".

Changes In Walnut Grove

When I drove into the office this morning, I passed by Walnut Grove's City Hall and saw some of the changes that are happening there. In the lot that this house/city hall sits on was a grove of trees and brush that covered about 1/4 of an acre on the north side. For the last several months, I've seen one of the guys that works for the city up there working around on that piece of the land. He's been cutting trees, clearing brush, and moving things around. But, as you know if you've ever worked with brush-covered land, it's been a long process.

Today, though, it looked different. They had brought in a chipper and basically turned all the limbs, branches, and stumps into mulch. They rounded the edges of this area they've worked on, cut the grass right up to it and basically "finished" the landscaping in that section. And, "overnight" this formerly wasted space has been turned into a beautiful park-like area.

It got me thinking about how God works on our lives. He takes his time and with skillful planning, he begins to clear out the junk from our lives. He takes out pieces of our character (our tendency to lose our temper, selfishness, pride, self-righteousness, or other aspects) and replaces them with character traits that more closely resemble him (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). He changes us over time. Then, before we even realize it, we're different... in more ways than just how we act. We think different, we feel different, we are different.

That's how God develops us... piece by piece... day by day... removing junk and debris... replacing it with his reflection... until we are "finished." Philippians 1:6 says, "God began a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again." God is at work in you... he is developing you... he wants to develop you to be more like him... and he wants you to help others develop, too.

Church At The Grove develops people to follow Jesus and make disciples... maybe God wants to use you to help us do that. You can help with one of our ministry teams to Create the Sunday morning Environment, or build relationships with others by hooking up with a Community Group, or be a part of something in the community to start discussions about God. And, as the years go by, you can celebrate with us as our friends, family, neighbors, and others begin to follow Christ and make disciples.

Back From Vacation

I'm back from a vacation my family and I took in Atlanta... it was a great time to relax and have some fun. But, I couldn't get to sleep last night and so I'm not very rested

While I was awake, I did catch the 9th stage of the Tour de France (it ended about 2:30am) and it got me thinking about some things. Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez of Colombia was the winner of this 99.1 mile section of the race. The race was grueling... two insane uphill climbs that were so steep and difficult, they were "uncategorized" in difficulty. And, four hours, fourteen minutes after he began, this 24 year old took the winner's jersey for this stage.

The race was impressive... or "mind-boggling" might be a better description. But, the most important thing I saw was the focus that the racers had. By the end of the race, they were throwing every unnecessary thing away so they could race their best. They knew their body had a limited amount of energy, so they cast aside everything that they couldn't support with that energy. In the last twenty minutes of the race, riders were even throwing aside their water bottles. Water... as important as it is for athletes... was being tossed away because the extra eight ounces was holding the racers back from their peak performance. They needed every bit of their energy to go toward getting themselves and their bikes up the last hill and across the finish line... and wasting energy on carrying even an extra cup of water across the line with them would have been crazy.

When Russ and I partnered with 16 other families to start Church At The Grove, we were focused. We knew we would have a limited amount of time, resources, and energy. And our goal - creating an environment for disconnected people to explore God at their own pace - was so important, that we knew we would have to toss some things to the side. The result has been a church that has an incredible environment for people that are spiritually unconvinced to figure out how God wants to connect with them through Christ.

Throwing some things aside (land and a permanent building, small groups that meet on "campus", fully developed children's ministry, etc.) has been difficult... but we've got limited time, resources and energy... so we've had to put them away for now. To put our energy toward things that don't help create the environment for disconnected people to explore God at their own pace would be crazy. Sorry if this is hard to handle... just know that we're trying to be the best "stewards" (care takers, managers, handlers) of the limited resources we've got... that's all we can do.

The Simplest Things In Life

People run on conscience rather than instinct, but there are still a lot of things that we do that are so basic and simple, they don't even need to be taught. That said, it's funny to me how complex we humans like to make everything.

I hit the Internet Explorer button a few minutes ago and was greeted by my Yahoo.com homepage. As I usually do, I glanced at the Featured Stories to see what major world events were happening, and saw this picture. Yes, they've finally done it...they've invented an automatic toilet paper dispenser. I didn't want to read the article. I knew it was a waste of time... but I HAD to. You can't skip an article like that (and because I know you want to read it too, I've attached it here). As I read it, I was struck by the amount of time that went into this thing... they worked on it for a year and are only now releasing it... and that was after "Kimberly-Clark turned to focus groups and years of internal research to determine just how much [toilet paper] is right." Now, they hope to "capture more of the $1 billion away-from-home toilet paper market." I hope that works out for them.

When I closed that article, I was struck by the next headline... "China public restroom has 1,000 stalls." (Yes, of course, I've got that link, too... Great Stall of China). What is this?... some sort of Worldwide Day of Celebration in honor of Bathrooms. **By the way, the article and video are worth it, just to hear a tourism official say, "We are spreading toilet culture... after they use the bathroom they will be very, very happy."

One thing led to another, and I remembered a book that my wife laughed at when she was studying Child and Family Development at UGA... "Everyone Poops." It takes the opposite approach to restrooms and their use... it doesn't use years of research... it doesn't try to make people very, very happy... it just says "all living things eat, so everyone poops." As one reviewer wisely pointed out... "Well yes, they do, but does anyone really need an entire book on the subject?"

I guess my point is this... I wasted 10 minutes of my day reading articles about new bathroom appliances, watching video of the world's largest public bathroom, and recalling a goofy book about the simplest of biological processes. No, my real point is that we, as humans, have this incredible need to take anything that is simple and turn it into something complex. We know the simple truth, but we argue and fight and question everything to the point that life is total chaos.

We do this with our relationships (when we should just be real), with our finances (when we should just spend less than we make), with our character (when we should just be honest), with our choices (when we should just use wisdom), and with our spiritual lives (when we should just follow Jesus and make disciples). Sometimes, things ARE as simple as they seem. Resist the need to make them more complex than they should be.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow

I enjoy being around people. It doesn't really matter who they are or how long I've known them, or what they're like. I just love being with others. People are interesting to me. I like to find out what they've experienced. I like to hear their stories. I like finding out what God is doing and has done in their lives. "Doing life" with those around me is important.

Unfortunately, Sundays with Church At The Grove can be pretty crazy when it comes to getting to know people. Of course, there's the usual set-up and break-down situations that come with meeting in a school. Beyond that, there's the normal running around that we do to get ready for guests and regular attenders that show up each week. Finally, there's the "design factor" to consider. On Sundays, Russ and I, along with David, the band, the set-up teams, the greeters, the hosts, the children's ministry workers, and all the volunteers, want to create an environment for people to "explore faith" at their own pace. We want them to encounter God and his truth and then be challenged to consider how that truth may affect their lives or impact their spiritual journey. As we all work to accomplish that, it doesn't leave much time to build relationships with others. Sunday Gatherings are not primarily "designed" for relationships.

And, that's why we have community groups that meet in homes around the county. When you are able to sit around in someone's living room with 10-15 people and talk about life, you really get to know them. As you get to know them, you are able to learn more about how "following God" changes us. That's how God intended us to live... going through real situations in life with others all around us. So, tomorrow night, at my house, I get to do that. And, I can't wait.

If you are not part of a community group, jump in with one. Or, better yet, start your own. We've got resources for you to use to get the discussions started. And all you have to provide is a comfortable environment to gather a few of your friends, neighbors, or others. Trust me, you'll enjoy it. Let me or Russ know if we can help.

Free! (part 1)

Russ did a great job getting our Free! series started at Church At The Grove yesterday. The entire morning was great and I hope you enjoyed it like I did (by the way, how 'bout David and the band?). Afterwards, we got into some discussions about the attitude behind what we're teaching. We don't want to be disrespectful just to be disrespectful, but we do want to stay true to the text, the culture, and the attitude behind the text. As I've been studying for this coming Sunday, I've also been reading some of Paul's other letters (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians). Russ was absolutely right to say that Paul was angry when he wrote Galatians. In fact, Paul was probably much angrier than we described. Paul wrote, "But these leaders saw that I had been given the work of telling the Good News to those who are not Jewish, just as Peter had the work of telling the Jews" (Gal 2:7). He had a mission... to tell "disconnected" people that they could be free through Christ. In the process of trying to do what God called him to do, other people were getting in the way ("They came in like spies to overturn the freedom we have in Christ Jesus" Gal 2:4). Paul was ticked off because God's grace and faith in Christ were being offered as part of a salvation package (grace of God + faith in Christ + follow Jewish law = being accepted by God).

Paul was working hard to tell people about being Free! and others were working hard to keep people contained and under control. Paul was angry and that attitude comes through in his letter. I think that attitude may have come across in Russ' message, too. Church At The Grove is designed to connect with people that live far from God. That is our mission field... God will hold us responsible for how well we do at connecting those people to him. Along the way, we wrestle with the attitude we have toward those that believe differently than us. As I said, we don't want to be disrespectful just for the sake of being disrespectful. We also want to be teachable, humble, and true to God's word. In Romans 14, we are warned about "condemning" believers that act differently than we do... and we want to be cautious about our bad attitudes toward believers that may be more "traditional" than us. On the other side, though, we are called to reach a particular group of people in this community and we are not willing to allow anything to get in the way of our mission... what do you allow to get in the way of your mission?

Persuasive Compassion

My friend, Russ Butcher, taught one time that "compassion" in a biblical sense means that you are moved by empathy for some one so much that you have no choice but to act. In other words, a situation or a person impacts you so deeply that you can't remain distant from the situation... you have to do something. You can listen to his whole message on Church At The Grove's website. Choose "Listen Online" in the upper left corner, and listen to "009 Plunge - Love God. Love People."

My family and I have been moved by a situation so much that we no longer have the choice of staying out of it. We have to do something. Pray for us as we act. Pray that it will go smoothly. Pray that the "best" thing for everyone will happen without too much opposition.

Now, stop reading this and ask God if there's a situation in your own life that God wants to use you in... maybe he wants you to demonstrate compassion in such a way that it persuades people to seek God in a new way. I'll pray for you as you go.

P.S. Find me Sunday and tell me what happens... or email me and share your own story... I want to celebrate with you as follow Christ in practical ways.

Knowing the Bible... Walking Like Christ

Knowing the stories, concepts, teachings, and background of the Bible is great, but sometimes we totally miss the point. The Pharisees and Sadducees were well studied on scripture, but Jesus attacked them as "hypocrites" and "snakes" and "decorated tombs". Many of the great philosophers of ancient times were well studied on scripture, but they also missed the point and wrote the scriptures off as mere teachings or collections of human thought. And, millions of people in our nation know the stories, concepts, teachings and background of the Bible, but our nation is in a complete mess. So what is it that we've all missed... because apparently knowing scripture isn't enough.

When the Disciples (the "talmidin") decided to become "followers" of Christ... they already knew the "scripture". They were raised in a culture where the "Torah" (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) was well known. They already understood scripture, but as they learned to be like their Rabbi (Jesus), they learned what "biblical faith" was all about. It was the application of scripture in daily life. It was knowing the Bible... and using that knowledge to become like Christ... to walk like him on a daily basis.

"Do things like Jesus did"

I talked with the first person I've ever met that is a member of one of the many religious groups in our area. Basically, I don't know anything about her faith... except that Saturdays are the day they use for worship and spiritual gatherings and resting. We didn't get into a long conversation about the beliefs that we would agree on or disagree on. In fact, we didn't talk about our faith much at all. She did say one thing that stuck with me. I asked her about the tradition of not doing anything on Saturday except worship (no buying, no selling, no work, etc.)... was it strictly from a background of Jewish law or was it an adherence to man's rules? Her response was, "well, basically, we just want to do things like Jesus did... and Jesus observed the Sabbath by being in the synagogue and talking about the things of God... so that's what we do."

I still don't know much about her faith... but that statement will stick with me for a long time. I started a discussion about spiritual things and she finished it with the ultimate statement of what my faith should be based on... Doing Things Like Jesus Did. I was challenged through a discussion I started. If you were to start a discussion this week, I wonder what you might be challenged with.

A Tribute To My Friends

During the various stages of my life, I've had a few incredible friends that surrounded me. In Kansas, it was my neighbors, Matt and Chris, and my best friend, Jared. When we moved to Georgia I had Tommy, Eric, and Jeff. In high school, it was Kevin and Brian. Through college and in recent years, the list would also have a few key names on it. These were friends that, for the particular stage in my life, were incredible parts of my memories, my development, and my life in general.

I spent Tuesday evening with some friends in my community group and we talked about the importance of the friendships we have and the relationships we're building with people. We are learning that we can't live life alone. So, the seven of us agreed that we've got to figure out a way to help everyone else understand the importance of relationships. With that in mind, let me ask you a couple questions.

How many people at Church At The Grove (or whatever church you attend) do you know? How many of them would you consider to be "friends"? Is that number more, less, or the same than six weeks ago?

Russ and I want to encourage you to build relationships with others. Maybe go to lunch this Sunday with a family that you don't know very well. Or, invite a couple neighbors over to your house for dinner this week. Take a walk around the neighborhood and decide before you leave your driveway that you will speak to every person that you pass. Or, stop by for Russ and my Community Group that meets on Tuesday nights during the Summer (or any community group that's going on). However you do it, begin to build relationships with others. As you do, you may find a friend or two that will be incredible parts of your memories or your development in this stage in your life.