Tom Allen

Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss life, plans, disappointments, shattered dreams, etc. with someone.  I decided to write out pieces of the story of my life, from one plan and one experience to the next.  What I discovered totally caught me off guard.  When I started putting it down on paper I suddenly realized, NOTHING IN MY LIFE HAS GONE THE WAY I PLANNED IT!   NOTHING! My life is the sum total of my plans that got blown up or never quite turned out the way I planned.  It's a stream of broken dreams, broken promises, broken plans and HUGE MESSES. I also realized another thing...if given the opportunity, there is very little I would change.  Very little happened the way I planned, dreamed and wanted it to.  But, it happened.  Here are the truths I've discovered: *Life is not about getting around the mess that thwarts our wonderful plans we make for our life.  Life is the mess.  Life is found in choosing to live life in spi...

Last Sunday we had 25 first-time guests (that filled out a Communication Card).  I email all our first-time guests, and many respond (maybe just to see if it's really me!).  I was amazed at some of their responses. "We are so glad we came.  We just want to know how we can be members". "I was invited by my friend _______.  We've been friends since 2nd Grade.  I'd put my spiritual life on hold for a long time, and knew I needed to renew my relationship with Him.  I'm so glad my friend invited me.  It's just what I needed.  I'll be back next week and am so excited to start my relationship with God again". "As soon as the service was over, I couldn't wait to call my daughter and tell her, You've got to try this church!". Those are pretty awesome responses.  But, the point is, none of those responses would have been possible without the fact that someone said, "Please".   They just took a minute to invite someon...

NOTHING.  It's that simple.  There is nothing grand about any building.  A building is just a building.  Take the ASTRODOME  for example.  It started off as the 8th Wonder of the World.  Today, it's just an eyesore that sits unused, costs millions of dollars to do absolutely nothing and has a city paralyzed and divided as to what its fate should be.  There's lots of emotional attachment there, but absolutely no practical worth.  The REASON: IT'S JUST A BUILDING!!!! So why is this Sunday such a big day at Crosspoint Church?  Because we've got a cool new building?  Of course not!  Then what's the big deal? The big deal is this: We have an OPPORTUNITY.   If you read through the New Testament, the men and women that God used to reach people never missed a great OPPORTUNITY, no matter what it was.  When Paul was in Athens he saw all the idols to the various false gods.  Rather than condemning them, he saw them as ...

That great theologian Dave Matthews seems to have written about my life.  Sometimes it seems like everyone around me has so much to say, so much to say, so much to say, so much to say, so much to say....   I hear voices.  Don't worry.  They're connected to people.  They say things like... "Do you have that for me yet?...When are we going to get away?...What did you decide about hiring that guy?...I think we should buy this, don't you?...Can you meet with us at 7:00?...Here's where I think we should go with this...Are you coming to my ballgame?...When can we get together?...What do you want for dinner?...Have you sat down with her yet?...I think we have a problem...Have you..,Will you...Why didn't you...Did you forget? All good stuff.  But, the reality is, it's just as easy to be totally overwhelmed by good stuff as it is to be overwhelmed by bad.  The reality is this: Sometimes, there are so many voices speaking at us at once, that we fail to hear th...

I have watched in amazement as our new campus has been built.  From the first turning of the dirt to pouring the walls right there on the foundation and hoisting them into place to painting and lights...all the way to, at least externally, the finished product.  But, nothing has made the entire construction project come to life like what has happened over the past few days.  LANDSCAPING. Trees and shrubs and grass and flowers.  This beautiful, but dead, concrete building has come to life.  There's something about things that are alive...that live and grow and change...that changes everything about a building.  I think it's an outward reminder of an inward reality.  IT'S NOT ABOUT A BUILDING...IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE. During his presidential campaign, Bill Clinton's campaign manager had a huge sign printed and hung in the campaign headquarters.  It was to help keep the candidate focused and on message.  It simply read, IT'S ABOUT THE ECONOMY, ST...

We live in Texas.  In Texas, the number one sport is Football.  The number two sport is Spring Football.  You get the picture.  Football is BIG!  HUGE!  It's not LIFE & DEATH...it's BIGGER THAN THAT!!! We don't just love football, we love OUR TEAM.  We're FANS.  FANS is the shortened version of FANATICS.  That perfectly expresses how we feel about "Our Team".  We bleed red or green or orange or maroon...whatever our team's colors happens to be.  They win...life is good.  They lose...life is bad.  We are true-blue, honest-to-goodness, cross-our-hearts-and-hope-to-die-stick-a-needle-in-our-eye fans! Count me in.  I'm an Oiler fan (the Pearland variety).  I'm a Bear fan (the Baylor variety).  I'm a Texan fan.  OK, so I don't paint myself. And I don't make that many games.  And, if they should lose, I never contemplate ending it all.  But, I am a fan...at least, I think so.  Being a f...

I have to admit, I was a little excited when they told me we were getting our clothes back yesterday.  When the fire happened, we were told to pull out "emergency clothes", and the rest would come later.  What does "emergency clothes" sound like to you?  A few days?  A week, maybe?  I had no idea that it would mean a month.  I've worn the same pair of shoes every day since the towering inferno.  My wardrobe was a bit repetitious as well.  So, needless to say, I was happy at the thought of wearing different shoes today. One thing I wasn't prepared for.  As the gentlemen brought the stacks of hanging clothes up the stairs, I felt like it was a scene out of Jesus' feeding the 5,000.  Our clothes were the stand-ins for the loaves and fishes.  They just kept coming and coming and coming...  I'm pretty sure there were numerous basketfuls left over.  WAY over! My emotions went from joy to total embarrassment.  We have to...

I've asked my church to be part of a 30-Day Prayer Experiment.  For those who opt in, they will receive a text message each morning with one thing to pray for.  We started on Monday, praying that our church would be a family.  Yesterday's prayer was that God would provide for us financially as we move into a new campus. Usually, the Sunday giving totals come in on Monday, but with the holiday, they arrived yesterday.  What's normal?  Around $25,000-$30,000.  But, the report read almost $50,000.  I asked to make sure it was correct and was assured it was.  Almost simultaneously, someone walked into my office with 2 envelopes that had just arrived in the mail.  One was a check for $1,000 and the other a check for $15,000. Normal expectations:  $25,000 to $30,000 This day:  Almost $65,000 Coincidence?  Maybe.  But, then gain, we prayed for financial provision and it came.  So far, GOOD EXPERIMENT. Want to be a p...

College football has begun.  The calendar has rolled over to September.  The kids are back in school.  Starbucks has broken out the Pumpkin Spice Lattes.  IT'S FALL!  Can't you just feel it in the air?  The Dog Days of Summer are over.  There's a crispness in the air.  Soon the leaves will be turning.  Time to pack up those summer clothes and break out the cardigans. I WISH. My thermometer in my truck read 101 yesterday.  Not quite the picture of Fall I was having.  No rush to cut firewood. OK, so it doesn't feel like Fall...but it is.  (sorta)  School is back in session.  Football has, indeed, started.  And, in two Sundays it will be NATIONAL BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  Thousands of churches around the nation are involved in this...program?...celebration?...movement?  What do you call it? So, what is it, exactly?  Does this mean that, as the church, we...

My wife has...had...this sign in our kitchen for everyone to read every day.  It simply said...SIMPLIFY.    I'm not certain what she had in mind by that, but in the last week we've gone from ... *2800 square feet of living space to 1200 *Several sets of dishes, and silverware to 4 cups, 4 plates, 4 bowls, 4 spoons, 4 forks, 4 knives, etc. *A huge closet that would barely contain all our clothes to 3 pairs of jeans, 6 or 7 shirts, 2 pairs of   shoes, socks and underwear *The furnishing we've accumulated over a lifetime to some rented stuff *Downstairs and upstairs to just upstairs I could go on, but you get the picture.  I'm not sure if that was her idea of simplifying, but we've SIMPLIFIED.  Not by choice, but success none the less. The lesson?  Life is all about PERSPECTIVE.  We don't see ourselves as going "down" from all we had.  We see it as moving "up" from the Holiday Inn to a place of permanence.  A KITCHEN!   A REF...

1.  If the fire is on the first floor and wienies or marsh mellows are available, you may consider roasting      (however, if the fire is on the second story, roasting is contraindicated) 2.  You can play "Pass the Hat", saying something like, "Come on people, we really need to help these       poor, unfortunate folks". 3.  You can start singing, "Saw varsity's horns off" while swaying back and forth. 4.  You can slip into the cab of the fire truck, engage the loud speaker system and yell, "OK, we've got      the place surrounded.  Come out with your hands up!" 5.  (Suggested) You can stand in the street and thank God that you own your stuff, rather than your      stuff owning you. (Hint) #5 changes everything.

This past Sunday we had a rapper at Crosspoint.  His name is Ray and he was awesome.  He sang with our Worship Team, and then, a couple of times, he just busted loose.  He was great.  OK, I have to preface that...I do not claim any expertise in gauging the art of rapping.  I own a total of 0 rap albums (unless you count that thing that LL Cool J does with Brad Paisley on Accidental Racist ).  I just thought he was good.  In fact, I wanted to keep him.  We couldn't hire him, so I offered to adopt him.  The offer's still good. I read the Communication Cards from last Sunday.  Lot's of really good stuff...LOTS...except for a few.  So, why do I even mention the few?  Because they were insightful and puzzling at the same time. Here was a puzzling one:  " I'm sure he was very good at what he does, I just don't like rap".   I'm not sure what to do with that.  If someone writes, " I'm sure all the donuts are good, I j...

Most people know what an IQ is.  Some even know what their IQ number happens to be.  But, CQ, that's a little odd.  Well, if your IQ is your Intelligence Quotient, then your CQ would be your Church Quotient.  Do you know what yours is?  Look at the scale and see where you fall: ESSENTIAL:   The Church is an essential part of my life and health and is a necessary element in my spiritual growth, service to God and to others.  It is a place I both receive and give. IMPORTANT:   The Church is an important part of my spiritual life, growth and health, and I place it on the priority list of my life.  Though not essential, it is important, and a priority. OPTIONAL:   I see the benefits of my Church life, and place it on the list of beneficial activities, yet it is one of many and would not be categorized as a priority. UNIMPORTANT:   Although I believe Church is a beneficial thing in theory, practically speaking, it is not particul...

The other day I was with my family and my youngest son just wasn't himself.  I asked if he was feeling bad.  He just said he was tired.  No reason to be, just tired.  He wasn't himself.  He was quiet, withdrawn, never smiling, little response to anything.  We thought he might be sick.  But, I kept probing. (it's what I do)  Are you sick?  Are you worried about something?  Are you stressed?  He didn't think so, but then again he didn't know what stress felt like. I remember those days.  I used to think stress was something other people had.  Mainly, I just didn't know what stress felt like.  That, and I didn't know that the source of stress wasn't from just negative stimuli.  We accumulate a certain amount of stress points for the death of a loved one or the birth of a child.  Stress can just as easily come from losing a job or  from getting a new one. Let's see:  He's about to start a new job, ...

OK, so it's no secret...I love cactus!  I have a cactus garden in my back yard.  Of course, with a pool, some people think I've lost it.  But, when everyone else's petunias are wilting and burning up, my cacti are soaking up the sun and loving it. One item in my garden is blue agave.  These are beautiful succulents that have those blue-green leaves.  I love them.  However, they have been a frustration to me.  What I want for my garden is for them to get big.  However, that doesn't seem to be their priority.  Rather than putting all their energies into growing themselves, they prefer to put their energy into making more blue agaves.  They are constantly "pupping"...sending out shoots that will become new agaves.  Frustrating to this gardener, but teaching a great lesson. I'm only a part-time cactus gardener, but a full-time pastor.  I like cactus, but I love Christ-followers.  However, the frustration that I have with C...

I've been a pastor for almost 33 years.  I've had the opportunity to pastor thousands of people over that period of time.  After seeing all shapes and sizes and personality types, I've realized their are basically two types of church members: OWNERS & CUSTOMERS. What's the difference?  Simple...                CUSTOMERS                                                                           OWNERS *Are there to be served by the owners                             *Are there to serve the customers *Are concerned that their experience is good                   *Are concerned that the customers' experience     ...

Susan & I just returned from a week off.  We ventured into the Great Smokey Mountains and then a few days in Nashville.  We saw some of God's "showing off" with a beautiful part of this world, had a little adventure white-water rafting and visited a city we'd only heard about.  We VACATED & RECREATED. Sometimes we miss the necessity of those two things.  Sometimes, you just need to "get out of Dodge".  I think that's even more important for a pastor.  I find as long as I can be found, work will find me.  I got lots of emails and texts telling about situations and what I needed to do while I was gone.  Everyone's expectations.  But, "I'm in Tennessee" got me off the hook.  It's necessary to get away physically, emotionally and mentally. But, we didn't just get away...we played.  We recreated.  We hiked, we rafted, we explored, we enjoyed beauty, we re-connected with one another and did things outside the norm.  ...

STUFF HAPPENS LIFE NEVER TURNS OUT THE WAY YOU PLAN IT BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE IF IT CAN GO WRONG, IT WILL MURPHY'S LAW RULES Stupid stuff happens that shouldn't happen.  Some are devastating.  Some are painful.  Some are just inconvenient. Right now, I'm sitting in Panama City Beach, Florida, expecting 125 students and sponsors to roll in any minute.  ONLY PROBLEM:  They're stuck on the side of the road in Covington, Louisiana.  FUN. Why?  Because we live in a fallen, sin-soaked world where stupid things happen.  It's frustrating.  But, it's our world.  It's the only one we've got.

It breaks my heart when I see couples, but especially women, who struggle with infertility.  It can be the most devastating thing in a person's life.  I partly have problems understanding because I'm a man.  Although that desire to have children is real in men, it is totally different in women.  So many women feel like less than a whole woman when they face fertility issues.  Again, I'm not a woman and will never completely comprehend how that would make a woman feel, so I won't even try to address it. My point is, even though I don't understand it, I should.  That same desire that God built into women to bear children is built into each one of us who call ourselves a Child of God.  We were created to reproduce spiritually.  We were created to "give birth" to new Children of God.  We were created to bring new disciples into the world.  And, if we aren't or can't or don't, that should stir some emotions in us. Paul called Timothy his ...

OK, it's pretty easy to be a Monday Hater.  It's just...MONDAY.  Kinda rhymes with MUNDANE.  Same idea.  For me, Monday isn't coming off a great weekend, it's following up the start  of my week and the biggest day.  For most folks, your week builds to a climax.  For pastors we start off our week (on Sunday) on all cylinders, then, splat, down to earth with Monday. Maybe that's why most pastors resign on Mondays.  Nope.  Didn't make that up.  Fact.  It's a little like sky-diving, knowing your parachute is going to fail to deploy.  You love Sundays so much, you jump anyway.  But, then there's always the Monday landing.  For me, Mondays usually mean staff meetings, followed by Strategic Leadership Meeting, followed by lunch (sometimes a meeting), followed by an occasional Creative Team meeting, some individual meetings and ending with a Service-Planning meeting.  (Who said this job isn't sexy?)  Oh yeah, one ...

You ever been to one of those stores?  I don't even know what they sell at WET SEAL.  But, I've seen them in the mall...just never paid much attention.  But, I like the name...WET SEAL.  Reminds me of baptism. That's, in many respects what baptism is all about.  Of all the practices of Christianity, baptism may be the most misunderstood of all.  There is more misinformation, bad theology and superstition surrounding baptism than any other practice.  Ask someone what baptism is all about and you may get one of 100 answers...all of which may have missed the mark. Since it's a command of Jesus, it must be pretty important.  At least, you'd think so.  So, I guess we ought to get it right. This week we'll look at the ACT and the ART of BAPTISM...and just what Jesus had in mind for it when he commanded us to obey him and submit to it.  What we find out may not be the Sunday School answers you've been carrying around most of your life and...

I was sitting at my desk working away when my cell phone rang.  It was my sister-in-law.  She never calls me.  Probably a mistake,  She said, "How's Noah?".   Strange.   I said, "Fine, I guess.  Why do you ask?".  She had just landed in San Diego and saw televisions everywhere talking about the devastation in OKC. I immediately hung up and called my son.  He answered and said, "Call my wife and tell her I'm OK".  I tried to ask a question, but he insisted, "Just call my wife and tell her I'm OK".  So, I did.  Phone lines were, naturally, blowing up there.  I got through and found out she was fine, told her he was fine, the kids were fine...but, life was not fine there.  It was anything but fine. A 2-mile-wide path of power and destruction had just come within half a mile of their home.  My son had hidden in the bath tub with a mattress over him hearing an unforgettable noise come closer and closer, only to pa...

Here's a question for you to think about today...What if our Church went out of business?  What if Crosspoint Church decided to close its doors and hang it up?  What difference would it make?  Would it be missed?  Would there be a noticeable hole in Pearland?  Would it be a devastating blow, or would people just find other places to worship on Sundays and go on with business as usual?  Would it make a big difference?  Would the landscape and spiritual temperature of Pearland, Texas be negatively affected forever?  Or, would it be forgotten in a few months? OK, while you're thinking about that one, let me give you one more to ponder...What if YOU went out of the church business?  What if you stopped being a part of Crosspoint Church?  Would you be missed?  Would there be a sizable hole to fill because of your absence?  How long would it take for someone to call and say, "Where are you?"  What ministry would suffer?  ...

I remember my first pastorate.  It was in a small town.  Correction:  A tiny town.  Let's try again:  A village...population 469.  They had a mayor they called "Boss Hog".  No one that I ever spoke to liked him.  So, how do you get to be mayor (an elected position) if no one likes you?  I found out the answer to my query...no one ran against him. Well, finally someone did.  A young, well-known, well-liked guy from the community.  We would finally have a new mayor.  Results:  "Boss Hog" was reelected in a landslide.  How could this be?  No one liked him.  So, I asked.  The answer:  "At least we know what we don't like about "Boss Hog".  We don't know what we wouldn't like about the other guy". Let me translate:  CHANGE IS TOUGH. It doesn't matter what the situation, we're not wired for change.  We don't like our world disrupted.  We don't care to have anyone "move our chees...

According to Jesus, we're supposed to be SALT & LIGHT.   You know, preserve and enlighten.  Protect society from itself.  Also, according to Jesus, we 're not supposed to JUDGE anyone.  Which is it Jesus?  Pick one!  It appears to be a Christ-Follower requires a bit of self-imposed schizophrenia.  This can't be right...can it? How do you live in the world, be salt and light in the world, hold firmly to the moral and spiritual imperatives that Christ demands without being a compromiser, and at the same time, not come accross as the MORALITY POLICE? Sounds impossible, but it's not.  Let me show you what God's Word has to say about it.  This Sunday, I'll show you how to keep the balance and hang up your MORALITY POLICE badge, once and for all.

I had a conversation with someone yesterday and I had to be "that guy".  You know, the guy who deals in the realm of stark reality.  The guy who says, " That sounds good but it won't work.  It doesn't add up".   I think sometimes as Christ-followers, we decide that guy is the "Anti-Christ".  Following God is about just hearing whatever we think we hear, dreaming whatever we want to dream and going for it...full steam ahead, damn the torpedoes, don't look back, don't let anyone distract you, don't let anyone steal your joy....etc. But then, there's this little book called Proverbs.   It's written by this guy who was told by God he could ask for anything, and he asked for wisdom.   Pretty clever.  Pretty wise.   He says things like "there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors".   There's a prevailing theme throughout the book that says " get counsel...get wise counsel...get a multitude of counselors......

     Much of the world views Christians as MORONS.   I have to give them credit, they're half right.  I would define Christians more as OXYMORONS.   What is an OXYMORON , you ask?  Well, here's what Mr. Webster says...       : a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (as cruel kindness ); broadly : something (as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements       It comes from two little Greek words... oxys, meaning keen, sharp and moros,  meaning dull or stupid.  Two concepts that are totally opposite and mutually exclusive.        Here are a few examples of oxymorons: Jumbo Shrimp Clearly Confused Deafening Silence Random Order Original Copy      You get the picture.  Two things that absolutely do not go together.  That don't fit.  That make sense separately, but not together.  Those are oxymorons. ...

If your boss pulled you aside and said, " I've been watching you and you're doing a great job.  Here's $100, and take the rest of the day off" , what would you do? How many of you would say " Thank you" , head back to work, and later, take home the $100 and either frame it to admire from time to time, or simply put it in a drawer and pull it out every now and then to remember that great moment from the past? May seem like a stupid question, but it's exactly what many of us do in the church world. One of the HARDEST THINGS to do in ministry is to gain MOMENTUM.   The only thing that may be even harder is MAINTAINING MOMENTUM.   But, more times than not, we're like a dog that chases a car.  If he ever caught it, he wouldn't know what to do with it.  We're the same way with MOMENTUM.   We work like dogs to achieve it, but if we're successful, we don't have a clue what to do with it. Here's an example:  Recently, like ever...

I listen to people publicly dumping on and dissing christians from every angle and for every reason imaginable.  It breaks my heart.  It makes me mad.  It frustrates me.  Think of an emotion...I've felt it.  Why are christians always the target? This week, unspeakable tragedy and pain came into the life of a christian.  One that many of us know.  One who is, because of his success as a pastor and author, a public figure.  His name is Rick Warren.  He pastors Saddleback Church in Lake Forrest, California.  He is the author of THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE . I could go on and on with his accomplishments for the Kingdom of God, but this week, none of that matters.  This week, all that matters is the fact that his 27 year-old son, who had struggled with mental illness, took his own life. I'm not sure how it can get any worse than that...but, it has.  Fellow christians...don't miss that fact... fellow christians  have responded...

I don't think most pastors would agree with that statement.  Some like to ask them.  Few like to be asked them.  Pastors, as a whole, are more into making statements than being asked questions.  So, the church becomes a place where you can come with your questions...Just don't ask them.  Sit back and listen and, I'm certain, we'll answer every question you need  an answer to.  Just be patient.  If you don't hear the answer to your question, you can pretty much assume it was unnecessary at best...stupid, at worst. However, the big sign on the front of the Church building should read... QUESTIONS WELCOMED!     The Church's motto should be, THERE REALLY ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS...REALLY! To make matters worse (or better, based on your perspective), the Church should constantly be asking itself questions.  For instance: * Are we really all about JESUS...him and nothing else but him? *What's running this show...fear or faith? ...

OK, so I've read all those things, like why do you Drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?   Why do they put expiration dates on Sour Cream?   All funny and interesting and entertaining.  But, as a pastor, I have to admit, I'm legitimately confused.  Why do we call the day Jesus died GOOD FRIDAY and the day that big bargains are available BLACK FRIDAY ?  Am I missing something here?  Isn't that backwards? I'm thinking Jesus would agree with me.  He prayed, " Father, let this cup pass from me".   Translation:  " I don't want to do this...at all...no way.  I'm requesting you reconsider and please come up with a Plan B." Sorry, from my perspective, this is a true BLACK FRIDAY .  But, God, in His power and wisdom has turned BLACK FRIDAY into a very GOOD FRIDAY.   OK, so I guess I'll just remain a CONFUSED PASTOR.   By the way, isn't that redundant?   CONFUSED PASTOR?

Biblical language can sometimes be confusing.  Jesus and Paul both talked about people who were "asleep", but neither was talking about sleeping.  It was the first century way of referring to death.  They weren't just sleeping, they were SLEEPING! Have you noticed how pop culture seems to go from one thing to the next.  One minute everyone's a vampire.  Then, vampires are yesterday's news and zombies are the new cool thing.  Zombies are the new cool thing. However, they are not new, by any means.  (See Night of the Living Dead)   I guess interest in zombies runs hot and cold.  Today, they're hot.  Tomorrow, who knows. Culture aside, the zombie problem has been around longer than any of us realize.  This Living Dead idea is not only a Hollywood phenomenon, it's a biblical reality.  God's Word proclaims the fact that all those around us who are without Christ are dead men.  Literally, spiritually dead.  They walk. ...

What's a narcissist?  Sounds bad, doesn't it?  It is.  Let me give you the simple nickel definition: It's a person that's totally in love with themselves.  Yep, you were right.  It's bad.  It comes to us from Greek mythology, where a guy named Narcissus was bending over a pond and saw his reflection and thought, "Wow, that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!".  You get the idea. So, why do I bring it up?  Well, because I believe the whole concept is one we battle against on a continuous basis.  If you're like me, there are some names and faces floating through your mind right now.  Pretty sure yours isn't one of them....but, you can think of a few without much trouble. Here's one for you:  Christian Narcissists.  Isn't that an oxymoron?  Can you be a Christian (totally in love with Jesus and those he died for), and a Narcissist (totally in love with all things ME )? Well, let's see.  Jesus gave us some v...

I remember a great quote from Mel Brooks in the movie, History of the World, Part 1.   After doing whatever he wanted with absolutely no checks and balances, he simply stated, "It's good to be King!".   I guess it would be.  Have everything you want and do everything you want, with no impunity.  Sweet gig.  You don't always do the right thing...but, whatever you do is the right thing, for one simple reason...you're the King!  Sweet gig. I look at it another way.  I guess my mantra would be, " It's good not to be king!".   I met yesterday morning with the staff.  We discussed what we were doing, what we need to be doing and what we better be doing better or even different.  We agreed and disagreed and challenged one another...sometimes liking it and sometimes, not so much. Then, later, I met with my Executive Staff.  I heard about things I did well, things I should have done better and choices I could/should make that would be be...

Life is not so much about what happens, as it is the direction that you're looking at it from.  I've seen, as have you, people's totally opposite reactions to the same event.  Both saw the same thing.  Both heard the same news.  Both experienced the same stimulus.  But, they responded totally oppositely to the same thing. The Resurrection is one of those things.  We, as Christ-followers, celebrate the Resurrection every Sunday.  But, we REALLY celebrate it on EASTER.  We build our calendars around it.  We plan for it.  Some get all dressed up for it.  Others, plan a feast for it.  We plan outreaches around it.  We, unapologetically invite everyone we know to join us in worshipping our risen Savior on this most special day of all days. Jesus' disciples got to experience the Resurrection up close and in person.  So, how did they get ready for Resurrection day?  By hiding out, laying low, feeling sorry for thems...

There's a thought for you.  You're probably thinking, " If you don't know what a Christian is, what are you doing being a pastor?"   Good question.  But, I'm asking you.  Here's the honest truth, if you asked 50 CHRISTIANS  what a Christian is, you might get 40 different answers.  And that's from CHRISTIANS!   If we're not sure, what chance do those who don't follow Christ have of getting it right?  For that matter, what chance do we have of winning the world if we're not sure what winning looks like?   CHRISTIAN. Is there any other word in the English language that is so emotionally charged?  Just the mention of that one word makes some smile, while it makes others curse.  It conjures up images of grace-filled, loving people in one person's mind, while at the same time, in another's mind comes pictures of judgmental, hypocritical, and non-tolerant hate-mongers. How can one word mean so many different things to so many pe...

Personally, I like Daylight Savings Time.  But, every morning, I'm reminded that it's a misnomer.  When I get up it's dark.  After I've been up a while it's still dark.  That sun takes its pretty little time getting up.  This is, obviously, not Daylight Savings Time, but, rather, Daylight Postponement Time.  I know it's just a technicality, but I feel a need for accuracy. This is either the idea of the government or a woman...possibly a woman in the government.  The government can grow its expenditures by 20% and cut out 3% of its spending and tell us it saved us money, all while the deficit continues to pile up.  A woman can find an item she may or may not need, on sale for $10 off, buy five of them and come home after spending $100 she didn't intend to spend and announce to you how proud she is that she was able to save you $50 dollars. OK, so I've now successfully offended all government  workers and all women....my audience is being w...

It must be Spring.  Yes, I know it's barely March, but it's Spring.  How do I know?  My truck is yellow every morning.  I believe my sinuses are approximately the same color, although I can't prove it.  There may be a tree already have sprouted there.  I may be trimming the leaves growing from my nose soon. (But, as I am prone to do...I digress) Spring brings a lot of challenges to those of us who are allergic to life.  But, it also means that everything is coming back to life, turning green and starting to bloom.  It also means that Easter can't be far behind.  Easter is THE DAY.  It's the DAY OF ALL DAYS.  It's Christmas & the Fourth of July &  President's Day & Thanksgiving all rolled into one....only BIGGER!  It's the RESURRECTION OF JESUS. For a Christ-Follower, it's everything.  There's nothing bigger.  Nothing better.  Nothing in the same league.  The guy we trust with our live...

They say " Ignorance is bliss".   OK, I'm not sure who they  are...but they say it, and some people believe it.  In some ways it's true.  As long as you are totally ignorant of a situation, how bad it is, how much you can do about it, what Jesus would do, and, therefore, what a true follower of His would do, etc....it's sooo much easier.  The SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL mode of living has its benefits.  Ignorance is definitely easier.  You get to concentrate on YOU, YOURS, MINE & OURS.  You're not bothered by all those problems of somebody else out there in the world.  You can tuck yourself away in Suburbia and your greatest causes of concern are big things like Property Taxes, whether your kid makes the football team or the dance squad and how your 401K is doing in these trying economic times.  Yep, it's tough, but we get through somehow. Then, you go and blow it.  You venture out of the bubble...out of Suburbia....

I've spent the last 3 days in the country of Haiti.  Adam Bateman, our Missions Pastor and I came here to "spy out the land" and see if this was a place we should engage in doing work for the Lord.  Our purpose in coming was simply to be the "eyes and ears of God", that He might give us, hopefully, a resounding "Yes" or "No" as to what we are to do. What we've seen is unbelievable poverty, people who are going nowhere (" Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained"), and the needs are great. So, what's the word from God?  We have been looking for a word like, This is where I have for you to work...This is what your assignment is in my Kingdom's service...Here is the village you are to serve...this is the task I have destined for you... or even, This is a great place of service, but it's not the place I have destined for you. That would make things so simple, but God is often either not that simple, or...

I thought that title might get your attention.  Bill Hybels once said, "There are three topics I can preach on that I'm guaranteed will draw a crowd...Sex, End Times and will there be sex in the End Times?".  That little three-letter word packs a wallop.  It turns some heads, grabs some people's attention, makes a few really squeamish, but seldom has no response at all.  SEX gets your attention. The power of sex cannot be overstated.  Recently, I have been reading some statistics regarding sex and  our sexual activity in the U.S.  They are amazing, eye-opening and disgusting, all at the same time.  The Church points to culture, pointing a harsh finger, but there are a few fingers that need to be pointed back at the church.  By either our silence on the subject, or our party-line of "Just Don't Do It!", we are complicit with the magnitude of the mess. Someone once said, " Every bad thing is a good thing perverted".   That was never mo...

Last week, we looked at some key mistakes that people make to sabotage our ability to have lasting, loving relationships, as well as some keys to make sure our present and future relationships have a chance to go the distance.  This week, we'll pick up where we left off.  But, this time we'll take it up a notch. This Sunday we'll look at what God has to say that may just be the most important key to not just falling in love, but staying in love for a lifetime.  I don't think I'm overstating it when I say, this could be life-changing.  If you want to have a marriage that lasts a lifetime, DO NOT MISS IT! See you Sunday!

I'm writing my blog a little later than usual.  However, what's later than usual may become the usual in the days to come.  I realized something...My writing time was cutting into my praying time.  My talking to you was taking precedence over my talking to God.  I didn't kill my prayer life, it just infringed upon it. I was reminded recently, of the important and the power and the absolute necessity of prayer.  I think most of us would agree with #1 and #2, but would, at best, give lip-service to #3...the absolute necessity of prayer.   Most would easily agree its important and powerful, but absolutely necessary ?  That's a bit of a stretch. What happens when we're faced with the dilemma of prayer or work, prayer or breakfast, prayer or sleep, prayer or productivity?  In most of those cases, prayer usually gets relegated back to the important and powerful, but not the absolutely necessary. Martin Luther once said, " I have so many things to ...

Do you ever have those "Eureka" moments in life?  Those times when the lightbulb goes on.  When you want to hit your forehead and go, "Why didn't I see that till now?"  Maybe for you they're "duh" moments.  Moments of sudden clarity, when something comes into focus...finally.  When you suddenly "Get it"! Eureka is an interesting word.  One of my favorites.  It comes from a Greek word that sounds a little like e-hu-rees-ko.... EUREKA!  It means, " to find".   Like, suddenly, out of the dark, possibly by total surprise, I find something.  Maybe something I've been looking for.  Maybe not.  Maybe something I thought I had found, only to discover I hadn't...but, now I have. I LOVE e ureka moments in life.  When out of the blue something crystalizes and becomes absolutely, unmistakably clear.  Sometimes, they can be a little scary.  I think to myself, what if I didn't have this moment.  What if the universe h...

We like to think of ourselves as a Christian nation, even though our President likes to go abroad and announce to the world that we aren't.  However, a recent study may lend credence to such a pronouncement. For years, Gallup polls have indicated that about 40% of the American populace attend a Christian Church on a regular basis.   A new study, done by the Director of Church Planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church indicates that on any given Sunday the percentage of Americans in a Christian Church is actually closer to 20%.  Taking into consideration population growth patterns and declining Church attendance trends, the study estimates that if projections continue on this track, that by 2050, only about 12% of Americans will attend a Christian Church on any given Sunday. Those statistics are sobering.  So, we ask the logical question, "Why?".  One answer may be helpful.  The oldest churches and denominations have shown the greatest decline.  ...

In early March, I'm taking a vision trip to Haiti.  Our Missions Pastor and I will travel there for several days and see what Mission of Hope, Haiti is doing and if it's something God is calling us to join in.  One of the things you have to do before you travel to such an under-developed country as Haiti is acquire all the proper inoculations.  That's shots for the less literate. Interesting how most inoculations work.  They take the virus or bacteria that they want to protect you against...a small amount, sometimes live, sometimes dead...and shoot it into your bloodstream.  Then your body goes to work and your own immune system builds up the necessary antibodies to fight off what it's been tricked into thinking you have contracted.  Rather than the whole disease or the live disease, you get just enough to fool your body into thinking, "I've had this before, no problem".  Then when you're exposed to the real thing, your body just kind of goes, "...

One of the ways our government is considering dealing with the financial hole we have dug for our selves into is to limit the tax deduction for our charitable donations.  If I thought this was being done to do something about our National Debt, I might, at least, have some sort of compulsion to try and understand.  But, it's not.  It's simply a means to raise revenues (that's the new code word for taxes) to fund the enormous programs that the administration outlined this week. Of all the things to stick a fork into, why would we choose the one good thing Americans do...give generously to charities.  Isn't that behavior we would want to reward , not punish?   In a recent article, it was summed up like this... Results of a recent national study conducted by Dunham and Company show that the American public are strongly against the proposed cap on charitable deductions. Sixty-one percent of Americans polled feel strongly against capping current tax redu...

Are you a project person?  I know guys who build boats in their backyards and airplanes in their garages.  I know women who always have a project going, whether its painting the Living Room a new shade of whatever, to making new curtains for the Bedroom to refinishing that piece of furniture that's was sitting by the side of the road. You can fill in your own story.  Some people thrive on projects.  Some people just married people who thrive on them, and thus, get sucked in.  Some people actually need them, or else they would never get anything done. My son was recently talking about a guy he knows and likes, but who is extremely antagonistic to organized religion, and thus, to Christ and His Church.  They've developed a friendship and enjoy spending time together, so rather than being turned off by his anti-Christian rants, or just changing the subject to save the friendship, he's made this guy his Project. He purposely spends time with him, listens ...