Fence building and faith

This past week I put up over 500 feet of privacy fence with the help of my brother-in-law Danny, and my friends Jamie, Mike, Chuck and D.J. We put up over $10,000.00 worth of privacy fence for less than $2,500.00! You see, the materials were given to me. One of the last hurricanes took it down. Since an insurance company paid to put up the owner a brand new one, my brother-in-law was able to bring it to me in sections. We simply dismantled it and put it back up good as new. I boasted to my friends who helped me erect the fence all week about how God has blessed me with a FREE fence!

One day, while attempting to dismantle a particularly difficult section of the fence, I beat my hands up pretty good. My knuckles, covered with cuts and bloody, provided me with a wonderful illustration to share with my friends: Just because something's free doesn't mean it won't cost you something. This is true of my fence, and it's true of our salvation. Philippians 2:12 says, As you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

This fence has been laying in my breezeway for over a year, waiting to be erected. Isn't that how we treat the free gift God's given us sometimes? Let's get to work. Let's build something with what God's given us.

We've got to make room!

This past week we had another record-breaking weekend! We had over 2,600 in attendance. In our 10:45 service we had to break out extra chairs - we had 647 people in an auditorium with 600 seats. We need our new auditorium! We are still in the design phase. Here's the latest rendering of the exterior. Our parking lot construction will begin in February. Construction on the building should follow very soon thereafter. Our architects are forecasting the project will be complete sometime in mid 2010. Until then we have to keep appealing to our church family to select a service other than the 10:45. We can accommodate another 1,000 people if the services would divide equally. We've got to make room!

Do you wear your worship on your face?

If you told someone you love God, would they be tempted to tell you that you might want to notify your face? So often our expression doesn't really "say" what we're supposed to communicate to the world. Sometimes the expression on our face says, "I don't have time for you." Or, "I don't care what you're going through."

I was so proud of Tim Tebow last week at the National Championship Game for wearing John 3:16 on his face. I hope everyone will read something similar on my face this week. I hope my face will say, Hey God loves you! This week, lets wear our worship on our faces!

How does seventeen years go by that fast?

That's right... Seventeen! That's how old my daughter Robin is today. Her mom and I are scratching our heads trying to figure out how it happened so quickly. She is a brilliant, beautiful young woman with a passion for God that challenges my own almost every single day! She can't wait to graduate high school and go through Master's Commission. 

It seems just like yesterday she was that little bald headed baby girl with the big brown eyes, the big smile and the big bow on her head.

To all my friends with young children at home: Enjoy every moment of it! They grow up SO fast! 

Dreams still come true!

In 1989, when I was the youth pastor at Crossroads, after visiting with Lloyd Zeigler from Phoenix First Assembly of God, I returned home with a vision to start a Master's Commission program in Lafayette. I remember commenting to Pastor Mike Linney about how awesome it would be if we owned the apartments behind the church so we could house our students there. At that time it was a complete impossibility!

I'm so thrilled to announce that, after 20 years, last week we purchased those apartments! We will be moving our students in soon. Here's a picture of me and our Master's Commission Director, Shawn Marcell standing in front of the apartments. 

I'm reminded of what God told Habakkuk the prophet, "...the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:3) Hold on to those dreams! They're worth waiting on, and they still come true! 

Getting started...

I've wanted to start a blog for some time. Today I've made the commitment. I'm titling my blog Mile Markers. As the pastor of Crossroads Church, I often reference the "journey" metaphor and if life is a journey then these posts will be the mile markers I leave along the way. I hope they will inspire and encourage all who take the time to read them. 

President William Henry Harrison delivered the longest Inaugural address of any U.S. President in history. 1 hour 45 minutes in a snow storm! He went on and on about what he would accomplish as president. A month later he died. (Many believe the time out in the cold on his Inauguration day contributed to his death!) I say, instead of standing around in the cold talking about what we're going to do this year, let's just get busy doing it! It's 2009 - It's a brand new year - Let's make the most of it!