Not just worship but a way of life!

Motivated By Love

2012-02-09T09:43:00.001-05:00

You are a motivator! Each and every day, God has called you to help motivate those coming behind you to serve Him and love Him with everything that they can. You have wisdom, experience and the Holy Spirit living inside of you to help you accomplish this, and because of those simple truths, you have the opportunity to be a real MOTIVATOR! But, what motivates you? What encourages you to keep going, serving, loving, working and making a difference? Is it guilt? Is it tradition? Do you keep on keeping on because you don't know how to do it any other way, or do you have a hard time finding any motivation at all? Sometimes, we lose our personal motivation and thats usually because what motivated us to begin with was an earthly goal, or something with no long term value. Today, let me encourage you to be consistent, and find motivation in this fact from 1 John 4:9, "We love God, because He first loved us!" WOW What a promise! That God loved us first! We did nothing to deserve it, nothing to earn it, He just decided a long time ago that HE- the creator of all things good, would LOVE YOU and love me! That is our motivation...our assurance and our hope! We strive to keep going because His LOVE is enough! We continue serving, because His love compels us to serve! We stand strong because we are loved by one with a love that knows no bounds! Even in times of heartache, problems or celebration, His love never changes and it never will! Let me end this weeks devotional with this great old song....

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen could ever tell
It reaches past the brightest star
And reaches to the lowest hell
The guilty pair, bowed down with care
God gave His son to win
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from His sin

Could we with ink, the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above
Would drain the oceans dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though Stretched from sky to sky

Just Stuff...

2011-08-14T20:40:00.003-05:00

Work work work...and for what? Just to get stuff? We spend many hours working each year to earn a paycheck. Some may have funds given to them by family or draw a check, but no matter if you have a job or acquire means some other way, the question still remains, what are you going to do with your money? Well of course, you're going to buy stuff! Stuff to go on the wall, stuff to cook, stuff to put in your car, stuff to make you smell good, stuff to wear when you go out, stuff to play, stuff to sit on your shelf. Some buy stuff with the intention to give it away to other, but only keep it for themselves, and you know what happens? It gets piled in your spare bedroom. Sometimes I wonder if some people suffer from being a hoarder but dont realize it? My wife tells me I have that problem all the time due to my reasoning to keep EVERYTHING and throw away only things that smell bad or could be deemed expired.
I was actually at my Aunt Helen and Uncle Bills house just last week, both of whom have passed away well into thier 80's. I remember going to thier house as a kid and loving every minute of it. Aunt Helen always had something good to eat and would slip me candy before, during and after dinner. Like most of my family, Uncle Bill and Aunt Helen had accumulated alot of knick knacks over the years. They used to own a little neighborhood store and still had old clocks, thermometers and wat knots all over the garage. In the kitchen, Aunt Helen kept wooden spoons and wrought iron utensils hanging on the wall along with other bowls, mixers, etc on the counter. The real treasure trove was in the dining room where she kept a buffet table, shelf and curio cabinent covered and jam packed with, candy dishes, old news papers, books, games, clippings, pictures, gadgets and other odds and ends that I was intrigued with. One of my favorite things was an electronic bird that was her "pet" as she called it. Every now and then she would reach into that cabinent in the dining room and pull out this little bird in a box and tell it to sing for me and oh how much fun I had with that little guy. She also had one shelf dedicated to souviners that thier family had gotten on different vacations. A little calendar from Florida that flipped over each day as the date changed, little ash trays from little towns they had visited, oh and of course salt and pepper shakers from our very own dog patch trading post here in London.
Being back in the house last week brought so many memories to mind. As we walked through the house looking at different things, even noticing the picture that hangs on the wall behind the couch where it always had, an oil painting of Uncle Bill and Aunt Helen, one thing kept coming to mind. When you leave this place called earth, everything you leave behind stays behind. You can keep everything and anything. Put back all the canned veggies, paper bags, newspapers, dishes and tools, but one day when God calls you home, in the end, its just stuff. That ash tray that you bought in Montana, is now just stuff to be packed. That can opener that didnt work right but you hated to throw it away so you stored it in the attic, is now just stuff for somebody to dispose of. The clothing that you cant wait to wear out to dinner, but only wear it once, now becomes stuff that somebody else will give away. The bedroom suit that you maxed out your credit card to purchase, now becomes stuff that somebody will buy at a discounted price. From shoes, to cars. from golf clubs to jewlery. From old cool whip bowls to fine china, when the final buzzer sounds in life its all just stuff.
So keep in mind that when you spend your hard earned paycheck on something that makes you look as cool as somebody else, or you make that large purchase that puts you into debt when you could have gotten by with something much less expensive, ask God to give you wisdom on how to spend your money, because there could be a better way. But not only should we consider the Lord in our spending, but in our giving! The next time you buy a new shirt, give one of your old ones away. When you purchase a new sofa, find a new couple just married in your church or neighborhood and bless them with new furniture. Big, small, pricey, or cheap...when you leave this life, in the end what you leave behind, well its all just stuff!

New Campus, new challenges!

2011-07-14T08:31:00.002-05:00

Well here we are, over 15 weeks at the new Hawk Creek campus and God is still amazing us weekly! Not just on Sunday but throughout the week. It seems that everywhere we look there are people hurting and in need of love, forgiveness and Gods grace. In fact, those same people have been our main reason for building anything at all. As we journeyed through the building process, we tried to keep in mind those families and individuals who were not even part of the faith family yet, but in time would hear the gospel and respond.
Like every new home, car or other items, the building still has that "new" feel to it and some people are overtly excited just to have a place that the sound system doesn't require set up and seats do not have to be rearranged weekly. The carpet still looks new, there are barely any markings on the wall and there are no permanent stains as of yet from Cletus dropping his coffee in Sunday school. But stains on the carpet or paint chipping are not the obstacles that we want to avoid. After all, if you're going to love on people, no matter where they come from, you are going to get dirty. The challenge that we face as humans is, that we don't become complacent!
It would be so easy to look back over the last year and say "Thank you Lord for the building and allowing everything to be completed. Since you brought us here, I think we'll sit down a while!" That would be a dangerous place to be...God did not allow us to build, only to finish the project and declare victory. A building project completed, does not a complete ministry make, and it is simply just another tool in our belt that we pray God uses to reach our community with news of Gods grace! We could say that now we have room, lets just chill out a while, but living the Christian life requires action, not just through a relocation process but throughout our entire lives.
What an opportunity to give God worship by simply standing firm in our commitment to continue working, serving, singing, and loving. I pray that God will give us extra zeal to keep moving, making a greater impact on those who are watching. Let our testimony be that we didn't stop to take a break, but that our joy was found in going forward to reach as many as we could with the gospel! In our perseverance, God is honored and our lives will be a testimony of worship to our great God!

God is not fair!

2011-04-05T22:34:00.004-05:00

To live in a world that says everybody has to be treated equally and that we should do everything we do with the consideration of making everybody feel the same, it seems almost passe' to make the statement that God Is Not Fair! In fact, my own ears almost curled when I first heard somebody make the assumption that the loving, gracious and holy God that I have served for the last 20 years could be unfair. In my mind, the idea of God as unfair or not considerate equated to a un-loving or cruel God that I did not want to serve or worship, and didn't resemble the God I had developed in my head. We love to see God as the God of blessing, prosperity and giving, but what about those people who have spent the last decade in war torn, poverty stricken nations who cry themselves to sleep because they are starving and are not even sure that they will wake up when the do finally doze off? They don't know life any other way, or see that it could be better, like we do. What about those children who are sold into the sex trade without even being able to say no and end up brutally tortured and some murdered? How is it that I have been blessed to grow up with good parents, loving family, always having a roof over my head and food to eat yet many kids will never experience what I know as a normal life? Many times we shape and mold God into an idea that suits our fragile minds and allows us to still get all warm and fuzzy. We make God out to be a very "Americanized", version of who He really is. The fact is though that while Gods character is equivocally without doubt, love, grace, mercy and justice, it is not in any shape, form or fashion even close to being fair, at least not as we see fair. You can still be loving without being fair. You can still be love and serve justice, without being fair. If there are 4 kids on the baseball field, 2 who can really play and 2 that can not even catch a ball or run very fast. Lets say we put choose all 4 kids to play on our team no matter what their talent. While it might be fair to the 2 kids who cant play, just to make them feel good to be on the team, its not really justice because as a coach part of my job is to develope and manage a winning team. I havent served justice to my team sponsor, other kids, or parents by placing bad players on our team just so I can be fair. It would even be true to say that I averted justice by putting the kids who can not catch well at all by placing them in the outfield, only to be fair and allow "everybody" a turn. If the object is to win, and in most games it is, then I will play the best players at the best times in order to score runs and accomplish the win. When we come to the conclusion that God is not always fair, it will help us deepen our love and appreciation for who He is in our lives and all He has done for us. I don't know all of the whys behind God's choices, but I do know His motives are pure and that He has my best interest at heart. Accepting the idea that God is not fair will also cause us to worship Him more passionately! You ask, "Daniel how in the world would deciding that God really isn't fair make me want to stand up, shout and raise my hands to somebody who doesn't value fairness?" Take this into consideration... The fact that you are able to have access to the Internet, have obtained enough education to read this post and that I have written it in a free society where I am afforded the right to free speech, tells me that you and I have been shown much much more grace by God than we would ever deserve! Knowing this truth should kindle a deep fire inside of us that crys out to God just to say THANK YOU LORD! We have been allowed to hear the gospel, worship in comfortable church buildings, read a well printed, leather bound copy of the word of God. If God were really fair, and had given me what I deserved, I would have never heard the gospel more than once, and really not even once! If God were really fair, I would have been born with far less belongings, in the middle of a jungle somewhere never knowing what friendship or family meant, but that was not the plan! To God be the glory, that He blessed me to have the life I have lived and have been able to hear the gospel, accept Christ, and live out my faith! We should worship Him for not only the simple things such as breath and blessings but for allowing us, to be His child, serving Him and giving us the chance to serve Him and others! Is God fair? I don't think so, but it does not mean that He loves us less or wants to mis-treat us. Because God will always do what is right, and I can trust Him with everything I have in this life and all that will be, in the life to come! While God may not be fair as I see fairness, I do know that He is faithul and will always love and lead me for His glory and my good!

New Year, New ideas!

2011-01-01T01:04:00.002-05:00

Today is the first day of the next decade! Can you believe that 1/1/11 is here? No doubt there will be some exciting and modern couple who will take advantage of the unique sequence and tie the knot in the morning or tomorrow night at 11am/pm. That will make thier wedding date be 1/1/11 at 11:11am/pm. Yeah that might be a little far but you get the picture. With a new year, usually comes new resolutions, thoughts and ideas. Along these same lines, I want to challange you to find new ways to worship and respond to God. There are many ways to express worship to the Lord, some of which you may have never even thought of or even tried. Think about it this way...God, who is very creative and loving, made you with personality, talent, and so many other traits, but how many times do we use these other "things" to worship or respond to God for His goodness? How many times do we try things, we never tried before to honor the Lord? Maybe you have never raised your hands in praise, or sang loudly. Maybe you only give the minimal and have never really given till it hurts. Maybe you have never been on a mission trip, but are ready to venture out. Whatever it may be, step up and be the kind of worshipper that God desires! One that is not afraid to be passionate and creative in the way you worship Him! Give financially till it hurts, and watch God provide! Lift your hands during that song that you love and sing to the top of your lungs to the Lord! Find that neighbor or friend that you have a hard time loving, and serve them as Jesus would! Whatever you do, do it with passion as unto the Lord! It's 2011...what new ideas will you come up with to worship and respond to our great God? Let's go all out and be "city shakers" with the gospel and truth that is found in Jesus. Let's sing Gods word, read Gods word, study Gods word and live out Gods word! Find that new idea, and lets get busy worshipping Jesus in this new decade!

Hope, Heaven and Holidays!

2010-11-19T20:33:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving is just the beginning...Actually, now it all starts way before Thanksgiving and keeps going strong till December 25th! What is it? You guessed it, the Christmas season has now branched out to include all of about 2 months, maybe a few more days. This time of year we find ourselves cooking, shopping, eating, traveling, charging our credit and did I say eating? We are going in every direction, and usually at the same time. We spend time looking for that perfect gift, wrapping it in just the right paper, and delivering it in such a way that even Santa would be jealous, but do we ever stop to think that this would be a perfect season to worship? Thanksgiving and Christmas are great opportunities to live a lifestyle in front of family and friends that shows them the importance of Christ in your life. Show them by being slow to anger when they make those comments that normally would make you open up a can of Christmas kick butt! Take a few minutes to read the Christmas story to your entire family and remind them what the season is all about. If its Thanksgiving, why not actually live out the name and give thanks openly for the great things God has done for you! Use every opportunity you can to show Christ and the difference He makes in your life and the life of your family, because in doing so you are worshipping God through being light. You are giving Him praise by leading others to be fully devoted followers of Christ. The hope that we posses should cause us to act and speak differently, especially around people who have no clue about what it means to be free and happy in Jesus. We have a place in heaven because of the one who stepped out of eternity and into time, as a sweet baby boy. Jesus came not so we could run up our debt to income ratio but so we could lift up His renown and shout His fame to all the earth. This holiday season, lets speak about, sing about and show others, that thanksgiving and Christmas are not just 2 days for a Christ follower but are more of a lifestyle to live out every day of the year!

Some things you cant do without!

2010-10-09T21:19:00.004-05:00

What are some things you couldnt live your life without? I mean if you were going on a 2 year trip and and could only take 5 things with you, what would they be? In the physical sense, you might say tooth brush, underwear, ipod, blanket and a car. Maybe you would want to take your favorite candy, or cell phone, or what about pictures of loved ones or a shirt that you love to wear 5 times a week. Whatever the items are that you choose, they will no doubt be important to you and things that make you feel like you can make the 2 year trip without a problem. In the spiritual sense you might choose different things such as your bible, prayer, devotional book, worship, and your favorite worship music. Some of those things arent really a choice, because God has given us some of these tools to make our life better. Prayer being one of those things, that as a Christ follower we cant do without. There is one cheesy line but its actually true..."7 days without prayer makes one weak!" When we neglect to talk to God and worship Him by praying and spending time with Him, it doesnt fail to change Gods plan or mind, but it does cause us to be less like Jesus and rely much more on our on strength. So the next time you think you can make it on your own, or imagine what it is that you would choose on a dessert island, remember that some things you cant do without, and by choosing wisely, you can and will become stronger in your faith and thrive even in rough times!

Class Reunion vs Facebook!

2010-10-08T21:52:00.003-05:00

I received an email back in the spring about an upcoming class reunion for my old high school class. Being the people person that I am, I was excited. Just to see how everybody had changed in 10 short years and finding out what they were doing in life. How many kids they have and if they married their high school sweetheart. I also thought that everybody in my class would share the same sentiment, but this was not the case. I started to ask around to see who was planning on going, and most had the attitude of "who cares...I am not paying $25 to go back and see people I didn't like in the first place, besides I already keep up with the ones I do like on facebook." This brought several questions to my mind, but the number one conundrum was, "Has facebook killed face to face contact?" In an age of technology, there is no doubt that such networking sites as Twitter and FB are very important! I use both on a daily basis to keep in touch with people, communicate vision and even keep track of some church family that are sick or hurting that might need a visit or call. The problem that presents itself is when we would rather drop an email or tweet a message than talk face to face. In fact, sometimes this is how we treat our time of worship with the Lord. We would rather give God just a few minutes rather than spend time listening to Him. God doesn't want us to check into worship on Sunday morning or our quiet time through the week with a mere status update and then sign off. He knows our entire history and the reality is, that he wrote our profile himself and knows our very heart and intentions. For me it is so hard to find time to spend just seeking Him and letting Him speak to me, but its a must if I want to be the best husband, friend or pastor that I can be. Speaking on a social level, even our friends deserve more than just a quick post on their page, they deserve a phone call and even a face to face conversation, if for nothing else, at least to encourage them and build them up. Even though our class reunion has been postponed (due to lack of registrations) I still hope to catch up with some of my old friends soon, and see whats going on and maybe even encourage a couple of them!

Work it up or wait for it?

2010-09-16T13:36:00.004-05:00

Isn't it funny how we view Gods presence and worship sometimes? I mean we come into the music service and think that because we lift our hands, or sing loudly or even dance around, that God is going to respond and "send his spirit" in a special way because we have "convinced" Him to do so with our actions. When we think through this kind of theology, its not very biblical, and actually is very "cult" like. If the way to get Gods attention is through something that we do, or the entire service is focused on getting God to "move" then we have missed our mark! In fact, working up the presence of God or competing for His touch, is exactly what was happening with the prophets of Baal when Elijah encountered them at Mount Carmel(I Kings 18:16-39). They were not seeking the One true God, but were trying to get thier god to notice them. There was Gods man facing a showdown with a heathen group of people, needing only to ask God for His power while all the while, the prophets of Baal were shouting, cursing, even cutting themselves to get their God to move. How sad to serve something or somebody that would only re-act to you because of what you do for them, when our God has already did everything for us. Which is the whole reason that we come to worship together. The whole point of our singing, clapping, raising hands, dancing, shouting and celebration is to respond to what God has already accomplished through Jesus Christ His Son (Ps66)! We bring our best offering because He loved us first(Ps 136:2)! We do everything with excellence because He gave His best(John 3:16)! We dont have to work up the Spirit of God, because He lives in us (Jn 14:17), and wants to move and bless his people. He empowers us to live for Him, so that His kingdom will expand and those on the outside will know, its not about what you do, but its all about what He has done and continues to do in those who will trust Him!

Backwards Worship Part 1

2010-07-08T10:18:00.002-05:00

There are different actions involved in worship at different time. Sometimes we clap, sometimes we sing, at other times we might even dance, but I have found that there is another action that we tend to look over as a "non-action" if you will. For some reason we think that to be "doing" something is worship, but there are times that we find we can worship God best when we simply wait on Him! Sounds kind of moronic to think if we sit still and just wait, that we are actually doing something, but its true, and what we are doing most of all is being obedient! Each week as worship leaders plan song sets, there are things we must be aware of, one of which is time. Time is something that is precious, that you cant get back once it passes. You have to consider the best use of the time you are given, and consider that there is another service following the first which requires time. However I find myself concerned that in our quest for better time management that we time God right out of the picture. In planning many times, how often do we ask the important questions of "Does this song exalt Christ"? "Can we use this to focus people on Gods love?" "Are we allowing enough time to just wait on Him?" Scripture tells us over and over, especially in the Psalms to wait on the Lord and seek Him, but instead we tell God to wait on us. In essence we say to the Lord "You can wait till my planned schedule is over and if you have time to move, go for it!", or "Ok God! I am giving you 10 minutes and 2 songs, 2 prayers and a nice speech to do your thing, so get to it...clock is running!". How absurd and utterly rude that we, the creation would try to place God the creator in a box and tell Him, the King the way its going to be! When Jesus took the disciples up the hill to pray with Him, He came back and found them asleep and asked them "Could you not wait for just an hour?" Sometimes we are so ready to get in, start the clock and get out that we do not wait and seek, instead we sprint and rush! What happened to the scripture that talks about prayer and fasting, or the passages that tells us not to grow weary in well doing? It seems we are comfortable to water down and do less and less, when Jesus exhorted us to do more and more as we see the day approaching! Don't get me wrong, having a plan and following it is a necessity. After all I would rather have a plan and God change it when He moves, then to have no plan at all and God not move, but falling in love with a plan or system more than loving the Spirit and presence of God is dangerously wrong. Some say we should use our personal time of worship to "wait" and "seek" and this is true, however when Gods people meet to worship cooporately through music and preaching, we are charged to gather not so we can show off our talent and preform but to bring him thanksgiving and hear from Him. The church was not created to be a show palace, but to be a place that we are charged and sent out to make the difference. If lost people come, let them come but let them see us with our hearts poured out before the Lord! Will they think this is strange? Maybe.... Will they feel uncomfortable? Possibly, but thats usually what happens when God is active around lost people...its not us making them feel uncomfortable, its the Spirit of God convicting and dealing, just as He does with us when we are out of line. So, lets think a moment....Were we created to wait on the Lord? And if so, are we guilty of telling God to wait until we can schedule Him in?

Leading worship requires some sweat!

2010-06-04T18:42:00.005-05:00

Everybody these days wants to find short cuts and easy ways to accomplish everything, from the job they do to their marriage! Nobody likes to take the "long road", but sometimes its the road that takes the longest amount of time that offers the most rewards and wisdom. I found myself trying to take the easy way out just a couple of weeks ago as I mowed my yard (which seems to grow faster and get larger every week).We have a small side yard as well as a larger side yard and the front and back. All of these parcels can be mowed for the most part with a riding mower, but not the small side yard. As I stood looking at everything I had just mowed, I thought to myself, now if I could just get the riding mower in that small side yard, I could finish up alot faster! I finally made the decision to try and fit the riding mower through the side gate and therefore minimize my time over all. At the time it sounded like a good idea but 45 minutes later, the "good" turned to just another stupid idea. I learned that day that my riding mower can not fit through the side gate and will get stuck if you maneauver it just right :) So after getting the mower unstuck, I grabbed to push mower and finished up the small side yard, taking a grand total of 3 hours to do something that should have taken more like 2 hours. In leading worship, or any other ministry for that matter, it is always wise to do what you need to do in order to get the right result! In worship, our result should be to bring a prepared heart and life of worship to the Lord. In music, our desire is to be ready to do our best as we play, sing, dance or act. Doing our best is not always showing up 30 minutes before the service starts to run over something and hope we have picked the correct "God breathed" order of worship and music. I get frustrated when people who are "part time" say to me, "Well you know I do work another job and just don't have the time to plan all the time like you do." This is an easy cop out and should be interpreted to something like, "I had some time to work on the worship and music this week, but between the ball game, hanging out with friends, sitting by my pool, surfing the web and the other not so important things, I didnt have time by the end of the week." No matter if you are full or part time or volunteer, there is time other than Sunday, and it takes more time other than Sunday to prepare. It might mean some late nights, or early mornings and maybe some time away from the internet but time is there...find it! Be early for practices, love the people you are leading, and serve them! Don't blow into choir practice late and blame it on the kids or another ministry. Don't cut practices short because you want to go hang with your friends....put a little extra effort! Giving a little more doesnt mean you will always have to take the "hard road" but it does mean that there will be times you will have to give more than everybody else...after all you are a leader! Give till it hurts and give some more! God did not call you to sit back and let others serve you, but for you to serve others! Don't sit back and say "I'll just let them do it, after all Im raising up other leaders", but say "I will do it with them and help them to become leaders who give thier best". Jesus didnt sit at the head table and say "Ok boys, I am raising you as leaders so you do the work and I will supervise!" Not at all...Jesus said, "Hey let me show you how its done and you follow my example". May those of us in worship ministry be willing to sweat a little and work hard to be prepared to declare His truth and worthiness, each week in practice and in service!

The Milk Man on Wilson Lane

2010-04-24T08:58:00.002-05:00

After several emails, the majority wanted to hear about the Milk Man! Thanks for those of you who read this blog and responded.

I am writing this blog on a Saturday morning here at the house. On Saturdays, I sometimes sit in our sun room, listen to the birds, read, do my quiet time and look out of the window. Ironically enough, when I was young, looking out the window was part of my routine as a child too, even though it was for entirely different reasons. We lived in a place called Noetown and from our window in our town home, I felt I was king of the world. You could look all the way down the entire street. You could also see the local grocery store, as people came and went with their groceries, ice cream and soda pop. And why did I sit at our window on Saturday mornings? To watch for the milk man to pull up to the grocery store. His name was Buddy Mike (still not sure what his real first name is), and he was definitely a prominent figure from early years. Each Saturday that big white and red truck would pull to the side of "Walt's Grocery", and I would beg my parents to take me over across the street to see Buddy. While I waited on my parents to get ready, I would sometimes raise the window and yell "Hey Buddy Mike" and he would always peek out of the back door in his truck and respond "Hey there little man!" As we would make our way over, I knew what was coming. I could hardly wait as we walked what seemed to be at the slowest pace. About the time we would approach the truck I would hear "Come on in here and lets see what we got". Buddy always seemed to know when we were close without ever seeing us coming. My dad would sit me up in his truck and I remember the sights of that truck always fascinated me. There were towers of crates, some holding buttermilk, sour cream and even ice cream, but those things were not what I came for. About the time I would finish scanning everything with my eyes, Buddy would pop out from behind a tower of milk and say "Is that what your looking for?" and hand me a small kid size chocolate milk! I would enthusiastically say "Yes sir!" and take the milk right out of his hand. As a kid, I thought this was something every milk man did for children everywhere, but in reality it wasn't. Buddy would sometimes pick me up and carry me into the store to help stock the shelf, all while telling me how big I was getting and treating me like I was his very own grandson. Even as I got older, when Buddy would see me out he would go to the back of his truck and get a chocolate milk to give to me. Buddy was always kind, and usually always willing to give with a smile. I noticed as I got older that Buddy was a friend of our families, who was there whenever there was a death or difficulty in life. Back then to have somebody like that in a community was special. Somebody who worked in your community, somebody you could trust and somebody who cared about others. Today, that is a rare find, but I am thankful that it was something I was able to experience. Buddy reminds me sometimes of Jesus in the idea that he was always willing to give, most times before I even ask. James 1:17 says all good and perfect gifts come down from the Father of lights! I am humbled that God would even want to bless us and give us things, and yet He is more than willing and able! Thank God for a man like Buddy Mike who in simple ways, taught me to love others and give whatever I could. He also taught me to invest in others, especially those younger and show love in work or outside of the job! Thank you Lord for allowing me to grow up around people like Buddy Mike, the milk man!

People...From home!

2010-04-10T15:56:00.002-05:00

I had an idea recently, and hope each one of you find it interesting. I was thinking back about my childhood and the different people that God used to impact my life. Some I remember, were just sweet people living life, others were spiritual mentors. My mind went back to the simple things like, things that were said, actions I had observed and mistakes that I remembered others making. I thought about times that I messed up and those I looked up to giving me advice. Then I began to wonder if my kids would ever have people like these giants in thier lives. If this generation was really being poured into the way I was. So in a feeble effort to preserve some great advice and stories, I want to write a series of posts about people I grew up around and lessons learned from them. If you read this article, I want your feedback. Below I will give you several choices of people that impacted my life from back home, along with a brief description of each. If you would, please email me and vote for one of them by giving me the name you would like to read about first! Please use the email...

praisemusicman@yahoo.com

1. Thomasa Risner- My music teacher from K-5 through High School.
2. Buddy Mike- Local Milk man, who always had a good word and a special suprise.
3. Aunt Helen- Better known as Miss Hillwig...Loving, sweet and sassy.
4. Preacher Bingham- Childhood Pastor...Pastored same church 52 yrs
5. Mama Pearly- Prayer warrior, woman of God...Always at Pearlies gate.
6. J.R- Playing golf with peanuts and a coke.

Recap of The Solemn Assembly from The Creek

2010-03-29T10:12:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday was one of those days that words were not enough to describe it! There are days that Gods presence is so heavy and He does so much that to actually tweet, blog or write about it is not doing the event justice. However, last Sunday was not an event but a begining of a great move of God! As perscribed in the book of Joel, our pastor called the creek to a solemn assembly...to seek God, to listen to God and to respond to God! For too long our church, as many others, have been satisfied with status quo and reaching some yet ignoring others. We have become complacent in our worship, wasteful with our time and lost the passion to share the greatest news that changed our lives. Sunday was the day, we asked God to change us! As people came into the worship center, they were asked to remain quiet and prayerful as scripture scrolled on the screen. Signs were held around the room as a reminder and some people sat quietly reading their bible. You could sense from the parking lot that this would not be a typical service or Sunday, and that God was already dealing with hearts. The time came and the music started as we sang to God and worshipped Him as God Of The Ages. Hands were raised, tears were flowing and voices sang as if it were one single sound! Our pastor came to the platform and called us to the Solemn Assembly, explaining why were there and what we were asking God to do. We began seeking Gods face and asking God to break our hearts and our pride! When the call was given to respond, the alter quickly filled, with people who were hurting and broken over the pride of the heart. You could hear as people wept and cried out before the Lord! From that point on, the service took on a whole new light as people responded to each call to do business with God. As our Pastor called us to confess sin, pray for needs, repent, turn and seek Gods face, the people were being touched by the Lord and His presence was so evident. People that were dry, and thirsty for a fresh move of God called out to Him and He responded. As the service continued, some that were living life away from God, came and responded to Him by re-commiting their lives, while others who were not saved, came and gave their lives to Christ! Some came wanting to be baptized, and without reservation, we baptized them on the spot! Couples were coming to pray together for healing in thier marriage, for the children, and other reasons. Adults and students alike were responding to whatever God was speaking to thier hearts! All of this activity of God was so wonderful and exciting, but our prayer is not that it is contained in the walls of the creek! Our prayer is that God will start something in us that will spread to other churches, to our city, our state and our nation! The sad thing is, some will brand this move of God as nothing more than hype or emotion, but the fact is, if we seek God and respond to God He will move in our lives! It might not be the way you expect, or even something you are comfortable with, but as long as its Him at work, you can trust the outcome will be for your good and His glory!

The Man In The Mirror

2010-03-27T08:52:00.002-05:00

I was riding in the car the other day with my wife, when a song came on the radio. Mel commented that the song playing used to be a secular song but that she had always liked it, and now it was being played on the christian station. I listened to the words and it was true! The song that was written as a secular tune, actually could be applied to the christian life. We began to talk about the other songs that we knew that could be used the same way and what would you know, an old Michael Jackson song came to mind. "Man In The Mirror" began to play in my mind then the scripture passage from Proverbs started to come to me. "As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the man". WOW! It could be said of some that vanity is a problem but not so much for me. I hate looking into the mirror. Every time I do, I see all of the blemishes, imperfections and unpleasent things I do not like about my looks. I see my big nose, huge eyebrows, crooked teeth, receeding hairline, etc. It is scary! Still, if I want to look presentable, I have to look at the man in the mirror to see what needs to be done. Does my hair need brushing? Do I have any food in my mustache? Is it time to shave? Until I take a look at the reflection, I have no idea what needs to be done to stay groomed, or even how to do it. We have to use a mirror in order to shave correctly or else, I would shave my gotee off. I have to have the mirror to comb my hair or it might stick up in places and not in others. Do you see the connection? As much as we hate it, sometimes we need to examine the heart to see if we really are measuring up to the standards that God has asked us to live by. The heart tells the story, and allows us to get a good snap shot of where we are exactly in our walk with Christ! Some of us are the same with our heart reflection as we are with our actual mirrored image...we would rather walk away and not look, but this is not an option for the child of God! We should always be willing to make changes in our spiritual apperance so that we reflect God and not ourselves! Looking at our heart reflection can sometimes be sickening, but the more we come to terms with who we really are and who He really is, the more we will be like Him, but it all starts with the man in the mirror! Let me close with this short story. I heard of a pastor once who, led a small church that had once upon a time been an on fire, lively, soul winning, growing congregation but had lost the passion to do just about anything over the years. Attendance had slumped, guests were not very welcomed, the nursery had dropped to 2 on a good Sunday and the only thing to report in the newsletter was how nice the social was last Saturday! Missions had become something that "other people" did and the vision for the church consisted of nothing more than a plan to maintain what was already going on. Churches around them that were growing were labled as "liberal" and "worldly" and many of the members gossipped but made sure to fashion it in the form of a prayer request. After becoming tired and distressed about the situation, the pastor commented that he felt like sundays were like going to a funeral home, so he had an idea. He decided to preach an entire message in the same style as if he were preaching a funeral. He talked about the "dearly departed" and how we loved the one who had passed. He talked about good times and the memories. As the pastor continued, he talked about all the qualities that were loved about the deceased and even how much others were dependent upon them, however throughout the whole message, the preacher never gave the name. All at once, the back doors came open and a casket, shiny, black with silver handles was rolled into the sanctuary. The pastor slowly made his way to the head of the casket as he closed his bible and opened the lid. He asked the church to come around row by row for the final viewing. As each person intrigued by who this poor soul was that had met with an untimely death peered into the coffin, they were astonished to find a mirror! In place of a corpse resting in peace, it was their own reflection that glared back at them! "This is a sick joke" one man whispered. "He has lost his mind" a lady from the back said. Finally the last row had came by the coffin and peeked in, then the Pastor stepped back into the pulpit and announced, "Thank you for coming to the funeral of a dead church". The people were angry and some even left the church, but the truth was still there! The people were dead and had failed for many years to take inventory of themselves personally and as a church, until they saw a familiar reflection, one they recognized laying in the coffin...their own! It was not until we get honest, open our eyes and look that we might find a similar situation in our personal and spiritual lives, but we must face the mirror and look into our heart!

Call to Repent

2010-03-18T09:53:00.002-05:00

My pastor published the following article on his blog just a couple of days ago. After praying for a couple weeks, I really believe that God is getting ready to shake our church for His glory and bring about a fresh revival. I am so thankful for a Pastor whos heart is honest and trusting in God to move.

A Call to Repentance
Over the past few weeks our church has been seeking God for a fresh authentic move of God in our fellowship. For three weeks on Sunday morning we have been examining the parable of the prodigal son. The bottom line of those messages was this: God calls both the religious and irreligious to repentance.

Repentance is a prerequisite for any revival. As a church we have been talking through Joel on Sunday evenings and examining the prophet's call to return to God with weeping, fasting, and with torn hearts instead of torn garments. God's word is teaching us that true revival is impossible apart from true repentance. So with that in mind, here is our church's confession as we seek revival.
We believe Christ is brokenhearted over the state of His church – specifically ours. For too long we have taken credit for being better than what He knows us to be. We have been guilty of hiding behind superficial numbers and busy church calendars as evidence that we are good at doing church. We have written of church fellowships and special offerings because confronting the uncomfortable reality of the things that truly matter is much more difficult. We brag about those who have joined our church knowing that most likely many have just left another church. In the absence of God’s saving activity among us, we tend to retreat by writing about trivial things such as trips, bean dinners, brownie sales, or other things of the like.

However, in recent months, we have found ourselves in desperate need of revival. God has blessed us indeed, but we have become distracted by those blessings. To be quite honest, we are dry and in need of the rain of revival. It’s been too long since we have experienced a mighty move of God. It has been far too long since I have introduced someone to our congregation who I have personally led to Christ … and the same is true for our church staff and deacons. While sad to say, our church has been following our example. Undoubtedly, we have unconfessed, unrepented sin on many pews. It has been far too long since genuine repentance characterized one of our services. We are attempting to be obedient to Joel’s call to return to God with weeping, fasting, and with torn hearts instead of torn garments. We are guilty of hypocrisy and playing religion while people are dying and going to hell. We have been more in love with doing church rather than being the church. Please, forgive us – and pray for revival to come to our faith family. (Trevor Barton, Pastor)

Get A New Song

2010-01-13T13:09:00.001-05:00

So many artists, so many songs! It seems that there are millions of options when it comes to new songs to sing and learn. I am constantly looking for new material for the worship team but sometimes because I am so picky, there arent too many songs that catch my attention, not to mention my ADD prevents me from listening to a song in its entirety sometimes.(that was a joke although totally plausible) I was reading just this morning about a new song. It was a melody and chorus that only comes from living a life for Jesus and serving Him. I began to ask myself, how do you get this song, how do you keep it? Its really not that hard, simply seek the Lord! Some people say that they do seek Him but cant find Him, but isnt that contrary to His word? He told us that if we would seek, we would find. When I found Christ, I found my song, and it is so beautiful! Every believer has a song, the question is, are you singing it? Maybe you have asked the same questions I have about finding your song or keeping it, if so here are some things God gave me during my quiet time.
Psalm 40 gives us a great road map to follow... First, you have to actually seek God! Thats right, there is some action required to this christian life. For some reason we think its ok to sit idle and expect God to come to us, but thats not what Psalms tells us, it calls us to action and tells us SEEK! Isaiah 55 confirms this with its admonishon to "Seek the Lord while He may be found". We find that which we seek after most. No wonder so many times life gets messed up. We are seeking to gain wealth, prosperity, recognition, large homes,position, power, everything but God! Most times when I find myself in trouble its because I stopped seeking God and went after selfish ambition. The second step is to allow God to do His work! The Psalmist tells us that God drew him out of the pit, and thank God that He still does that today. People I have encountered are usually in distress and want to stay there. They are happy with people always worried about them, comfortable with drama and ok with mediocre. They know nothing else but the pit so they are comfortable and dont allow God to move them. The best advice I was ever given concerning Gods move was, sit still and let Him. That is harder than it sounds, but its part of learning to "Wait on the Lord". If God is offering a hand, dont just smile, jump in His arms and let Him work in and through you. The next step is very difficult, especially if you dont allow God to be in total control, and that is "Trust the plan". When a platoon of soldiers go into battle, the first have a plan, and no matter what happens, you stick to the plan. You dont question, you cant disagree, you simply follow the stratagy and trust your life to your leaders judgement. That is what God is asking of us and assures us in verse 2 that our steps are secure! You might not always have a clue about the next step but you can be sure that its safe, as long as you are in Gods arms. Life has alot of blind curves, road blocks, obstacles and pit falls. The only way to survive is to let God give you the plan and simply follow it. The last point is easy but only comes after steps 1-3. You can get out of sync and you cant skip a step. When you seek, allow and trust thats when you learn that through the process of heartache, pain, somtimes joy and peace, there was a song being written. Before God places a song in your heart, He has to write the music of your life. If you are still holding on to the pen, dont expect the melody to be so sweet. But if you let go and trust thats when you will begin to sing! Sing your song loud! Sing your song to anyone who will listen and glorify God in the fact that your light is shining and the waiting, hoping and hurting is over, and now you can sing your new song. It might be a song of hope. It could be a song of praise. Maybe a song of deliverannce or grattitude. No matter what it will be a song of Love, to the only one who could have written it in a way only He knows how, and when God speaks a new song, it doesnt come from an earthly artist, but a heavenly author, and it will be a best seller!

New Year, New Worship

2010-01-08T15:32:00.003-05:00

It is a brand new year, and I am sure that there are many of you who have made resolutions to be a better you. Some have resolved to lose weight, some have resolved to read books, some have even decided to be nicer to people. I have resolved several things myself but one that I want to be most intense is to be a better worshipper. I want to be more passionate and more intentional to read His word and be more like him. To be more focused in the corporate worship service and be a better example of an expressive worshipper. After all God created us as emotional beings and worship should be part emotion and an outward expression of the great inward change and touch of God! What about you? Are you satisfied with your worship? If not, its a great time to make a change and resolve to give God more of yourself! After all, that's what He is after anyway!!!!

More COW-BELL

2009-11-19T14:32:00.003-05:00

There was a popular skit on the TV Show Saturday Night Live, that depicted a band having problems with a Rogue member who played the cowbell. The problem was every time he tried to actually play the cowbell, he would distract the other musicians and cause chaos, meaning the band had to stop the song and start over. Finally the producer of the band came out and demanded more cowbell, and announced that he had a "fever" and the only cure was MORE cowbell! The acting was great and the skit hilarious, however inside the church world, this parody is very true to an extent. So many people are crying out for MORE cowbell. They want to be heard, over everyone elses voice, or they want others to pay attention to them and their needs instead of their neighbor. When choir members are more concerned about hearing themselves more on the platform than the heart they bring to worship, its too much. When Pastors rule the church staff as a dictator instead of leading like a shepherd, its too much. When committee members that should be serving a function in the church, ignore Gods Word in order to please their conscious, its too much. When the regular church attender can pick out problems in everybody else's life but cant see any fallacies in their own, there is a problem. What is the problem? What does too much mean? Simply put, the needs and wants of our own flesh have become the proverbial cowbell in the church. We speak up, and loudly, only when it will benefit self. We make a scene and cause division, at the cost of God blessed unity and love. We play our personal cow bell so loudly, that the rest of the band is overshadowed and if anybody may try to help us town it down to blend, we purposely play louder or right in the ear of the one trying to help. What is the cowbell in your life? Who in your ministry plays the cowbell too loud? God gives us a challenge to work together to be unified and allow our lives to play Jesus a song of praise for who He is and what He has done. God is not looking for more cowbell, he is looking for more unity and obedience. More love and faithfulness. More praise and more worship. Put the cow bell down and serve without reservation. Give yourself and let Him help you become not just a cowbell player but a true worshipper of Him!

Others

2009-11-13T22:40:00.002-05:00

God has placed so many people all around us. Some are friends, others are merely acquaintances while some may be people that we look to for wisdom and advice. Many times we want to live life our way, do ministry how we think it should be done and play the game by our own rules, but this thinking can sink our ship so much faster than we imagined. If we do things only the way we think they should be done without input from others, then we will never realize the best way things could be done. Adrian Rogers used to say, "Do everything with excellence and all things to the glory of God", but if we really want to be excellent, we should consider how others function and execute their ministry and life. There are two groups of people, those who show us how to do something better, and those who show us what NOT to do, both are needed! As a worship pastor, and artist I sometimes have a very critical ear and eye, but when used in perspective, it can be a good thing. When I visit other churches, I am always interested in how they do everything, from where they find the music they play to how much they practice. As I sit and observe I find myself sometimes thinking, "WOW, that's an interesting way to do that, we should try it!" But sometimes after listening I think "OK, that doesn't work at all, do not try this at home". In both instances, I learned something that will help me in the long run with my own ministry at the creek and on the road. Things I would never have picked up on if I had not looked to OTHER ministries or leaders for advice. I am thankful for a church and a Pastor that encourages me to check out other leaders and ministries to learn, grow and stretch. In my 10 years of ministry I have never had a pastor that was actually interested in what I could learn from other pastors and staff members, and that in and of itself gives me alot of what I need to lead others with confidence! It would be pure pride to think that God only gives me and my team the best ideas, but when I realize that we are in this together as a family to please and praise our father in heaven then I will be intentional to ask questions, observe and even help other worship pastors, pastors, and staff members from other churches. If you serve in ministry, let me encourage you to find other people in your field of ministry and visit them, take them to lunch and find out the what and how of their ministry. Ask them what God is doing in their church, and how they got to where they are. Use friendships and networking to allow God to speak to your heart and mold you into the best leader you can be. During the past 12 months I made a commitment to visit some other ministries that God had given favor and just sit at those staff members feet to learn. As I close this article, I would like to give you 5 things that I found these successful ministries had in common.

1. People are always more important than the music or talent.
2. There is never any room for pride...Jesus never takes second place
3. Commitment to developing people as Christians make a world of difference
4. The Senior Pastor must have a heart for worship, to make a successful worship ministry
5. The Worship Pastor does NOT have to be in the front
6. If you expect others to worship, then don't tell the congregation how to worship, show them how to worship.
7. Its not the style of worship (choir, praise team, band, organ, contemp or traditional) it's the position of the heart!
8. You don't work up an atmosphere of worship, you worship anyway and depend on the spirit
9. Be flexible, bendable and teachable.
10. ASK FOR INPUT FROM OTHERS!

The Servant Worshipper

2009-10-15T17:14:00.002-05:00

When we think of worship leaders or even teams, some people automatically think of performers or "stars" of the service. There are some places where the platform people are even treated as such. I remember leading worship in one church when I used to travel and a lady and her husband picked me up from the airport in a limo. They carried my bags for me, tipped the driver and then upon arriving at the hotel ordered room service for me to eat. By the end of the week I was spoiled, and felt like royalty. This couple would sit with me each night, carrying my folder and bible in for me, provided fresh water for me during practices and run through and then re fresh my bottle of water before I walked out on the platform to lead. The last day there I asked this sweet couple, who had been in charge of my care, exactly why they were so sweet to me. The reply was simple. We wanted to serve the servants of God! I began to think about that and realized that each of us are called to be servants of God, so why cant I serve the same way they did? In serving me, they were serving the Lord. When we serve others around us, God is not only pleased but glorified. Even Jesus himself said that He came to serve not be served. If you are a pastor, worship leader, deacon or any other kind of leader, ask God to make you are servant and teach you how to serve others in worship. You might say that this couple went too far, and maybe so because I am definitely not a star or a performer, however when God told us to love people like we love ourselves, I'm pretty sure that means loving and serving others to the extreme! Who are you serving today? Are you placing anybody in front of your own desires or wants?

Remembering September 11, 2001

2009-09-11T21:14:00.002-05:00

The song has been playing in my head all day, "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning". The images have been flooding my mind like a photo album. Even during my quiet time this morning, my heart seem to cry for the victims, families and for our country. For the first time in our countrys history, terrorist had succeeded in striking not only physically but mentally, the entire nation, for a moment, cripiling us all with fear and tradgedy. I remember well, the place and time when I first heard the news and saw for myself the second plane hit the towers. I remember the thoughts I was thinking and the confusion I felt. And even though I remember the tradgedy, and chaos, today I also remember the heros, resolve and faith that became so important to so many. Some said that everything fell apart that day. Some remark that nobody was in charge on that beautiful bittersweet day. Some responded in panic believing that all hell had broken loose. During my drive back home that afternoon, even I had asked God if this would be the last time I would see my family or even have a normal life again. I asked questions through my tears, how could God allow this to happen in America, and "God what is next?". In those moments when darkness seemed to cover our nation and fear overshadowed my faith, God whispered gently to my heart, "I AM still I AM. Nothing will remove me from my throne". Today, our nation remembers the tragedy, but may we never forget the triumph of Christ 2000 years before that can assure us that personal, national or international crisis, He is still in control even when we aren't. May we never forget those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to rescue those in the towers and Pentagon and those who may have saved thousands of other in the fields of Pennsylvania. So much to remember, how can we ever forget. Thanks be to God for His protection and love. May God bless the families still grieving their loss, may He give peace to those still restless, may God bless America once more! We will never forget!

Revival at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College

2009-09-04T22:55:00.002-05:00

Some say God cant. Some say that God will not, and others dream of God moving in their church the way He moved at Clear Creek this past Thursday. Just before seven this past Thursday evening, Clear Creek students began to assemble in the chapel to attend what was the last scheduled service of the fall revival. The opening prayer was prayed and the music started. Students were singing, lifting hands and hearts to the Lord. It was evident that the Lord was up to something, but we were not sure exactly what. Anytime God begins to move, His spirit is so sweet and comforting, and this time was no different. When the music concluded Roc Collins stood up and delivered an awesome sermon on Praise! Psalm 150 tells us Who, How, Where, and Why we praise God. After about 70 minutes of preaching, God broke loose. It began as a simple invitation, that turned into a testimony service. People were coming and apologizing for not praising God more in their lives, they were asking for prayer as they struggled with trusting God, and they were broken as they admitted that God was working in their lives in a special way. I sat, playing the piano, leading in songs such as "My Chains Are Gone", and "It Is Well" and many others, yet after each testimony we were all giving praise to God as a family for working in the lives of many that testified. I watched as the broken hearted were made whole, the solemn were broken, the cynical became sorrowful and the youngest generation worshipped in concert with the older generation. There is something special when Gods people begin to offer praise together. To lift holy hands, and cry out to Him, in one heart and voice. 2 1/2 hours later, people were finished speaking of the goodness of the Lord, but God is far from finished working on Clear Creeks campus. One professor made the comment that he had been there over 10 years and had never seen God move in a way so strong. I pray that God will keep moving, and that students and faculty will allow Him to work and touch as only He can. Revival does not happen when and how we want it but it helps when we begin to call out to Him and praise Him! I am thankful that God allowed me to be a part of this special time in the history of CCBBC. That's right, I believe that this past week will be remembered for years to come as a true move of God. There is so much more that God wants to do on that beautiful campus, and I cant wait to see what it is. To God be the glory...PRAISE YE THE LORD!

Everybody Needs Somebody To Look Up To

2009-08-21T15:23:00.002-05:00

I have lots of friends, many who are in ministry and many who are not. They have different positions from farmers to banker, from gas clerks to associate pastors, and all of them bring a unique prospective to the table. Each friend from the different backgrounds hold valuable advice and direction from unique perspectives, however they are not what I would call a mentor. Even though I talk to my friends often and ask advice, it is always good to find those people in my life or those I know about who have been doing ministry longer and better than me, and ask questions about how they got to where they are and what God is doing in their lives! Sometimes we are afraid to ask other people questions because that would be admitting that we don't have the answer. God told us that there is wisdom in the company of counselors, but we must be careful who that counselor is. This idea can be applied to all areas of life and to anybody. If you are a banker, you can always be better by asking somebody who has been doing it for a while and really making a difference. If you are a CEO, there are always others who are in charge of larger companies that you can take to lunch and find advice. As a worship pastor, I am constantly finding other worship guys and pastors to watch and ask about ministry things. Recently I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days with a fantastic worship team from FBC Woodstock in GA. These guys are absolutely amazing and God is blessing them tremendously. You might say, "They are in a huge church, how do they relate to you?" Easy, because there was a time they were where I am at, and God has taken them to a larger platform to reach more people. Obviously God has blessed them and deserves all credit for any good or advancement, but there were many lessons learned on the way to thier present position. The time I was able to spend was filled with observation and lots of questions. Everything from what time do you practice, to how do you handle conflict. Those two days have been a major blessing to me and I will take several things I learned in GA to make the ministry better in KY. Did I like everything about Woodstock's worship ministry? No, but even difference of opinion can be a learning experience. Let me challenge you. Find those people in your life that you might not even know yet, and request some time with them to learn and ask. Even if it is only lunch, offer to buy their lunch and pick their brain. Be sure to really be interested and have some questions ready, this way you don't wast your time or theirs. John Maxwell when he was first getting started, would take those in his profession who had it together to lunch and pay them $100 for an hour of their time. Why? Because input from others is very valuable if you ever intend to grow and be better. Why be better? Because God deserves our best, and if we only want to stay where we are, then God is not pleased and we will become stagnant. God was always asking His followers in the Bible to go forward, or stand still and wait on Him, but He never asked them to go backward or become dull and dried up. Take this opportunity to evaluate where you are in your walk, profession, ministry and service. If you have not made any advance in those areas of your life in recent months, find somebody to speak into your life through Gods word and get moving again for the Glory and worship of God! Be ready for honesty, and dont accept anything less. Honesty is what will help us be better.

CD Music Review- Travis Cottrell

2009-08-07T22:00:00.003-05:00

I am not a professional critic but when I find a great collection of worship I want to share it with others. So many of today's artist sound the same, especially when they release a worship CD. We usually find a CD filled with songs we don't know or are hard to sing. Sometimes we discover songs that make us want to cry and not because we are broken, but more like the songs on the CD are so bad. If this is the case in your search for good music, I have great news for you! Travis Cottrell is not just another artist trying to promote a new CD that just happens to be filled with worship tunes but, Travis is an actual worship leader with a heart that comes through as he leads. Jesus Saves Live was recorded at FBC Woodstock in GA along with special friend Beth Moore. From the deep drumbeats of "To The King" all the way through to the classic "In Christ Alone", this project will move you to worship God with everything that is within you. Giving others who are called an opportunity to serve is definitely a vision of Cottrells and you can tell as other leaders are featured on the new rendition of Mercy Seat and the great exhilarating arrangement of Victory In Jesus. This is not your grandmothers hymn tucked away in the pages of an old hymnal, but this power packed version has been revived to portray the real, powerful victory that is our in Christ! I highly recommend this project to anyone that loves Worship music that is deep and meaningful, not just shallow or as some traditionalist rightly describe some songs as 7-11 music. This CD is anything but....Thank God for Travis Cottrell!

Planning a Worship Service

2009-07-09T13:05:00.002-05:00

OK so this post will be a little out of the ordinary for me, but it is in response to those of you who have been asking how a worship service is planned at the creek. Well there are as many answers to that question as there are songs that are sung. There is not a magical method that I use to deduce what songs or what will happen in a worship service, but there is alot of prayer. I usually begin planning a typical music line up a couple weeks out. I will try to find out what the sermon will be or if we are in a series like we are currently, I will find the theme and find songs that might fit. I use a list of about 85 active songs that we are singing, then compose a list of about 8 songs from that list and consider keys, transitions and tempo as I arrange them in an order. As I said, prayer is important, so I will usually spend a couple days praying about the eight before going further. Sometimes a song might come to my mind in my quiet time or something I am reading and if it keeps coming back around to me for a couple days I will add it to my list of 8 (which makes it 9 LOL). Other people like to give suggestions at times to what song they haven't heard in a while (24 hours or less), and if the songs fit the message or God just really impresses it in my spirit then I will add it. Once the 4 songs are picked then I add them to the worship planning online for the team to be practicing. Then on Thursday we have a creative team meeting where songs can and sometimes do change, depending on a change of direction or some thoughts or direction given by the pastor. One thing that all worship Pastors should keep in mind, is that God has given us a shepheard in the Senior Pastors office and we should be able to trust his heart to give us suggestions and input. On Thursday after the creative team meets, I will finalize the entire service order with, videos, testimonies, special music, drama or whatever we have felt led to add or use for that week. I will also put together the tentative list for the next weeks services and begin praying over that service and the elements we plan to use. Some might say that this is too much planning, but keep in mind that the Holy Spirit still has complete control and it is not uncommon to change everything on Sunday or even Saturday night! As one pastor put it, "I would rather plan ahead and allow God to change things when He shows up, rather than not plan at all hoping God shows up and he not be in our midst."
So there you go, a very short snap shot of planning in the worship department. May not seem like very much but God has blessed us with over 50 people that go into the planning and execution of each weeks services so it can become very busy, complicated and hectic very fast. I am so thankful to be a part of a church that has a passion to worship and bring honor to the King through music and arts!

Just some random thoughts!

2009-06-10T14:53:00.003-05:00

This post will be different from normal, but I hope useful. In the last several days I have read and heard some great quotes and scriptures that I wanted to share with you. Some are funny, some are thought provoking, some are sad while others are deep. What have you been reading or studying in your quiet time? Has God given you any great thoughts or scriptures to help you through the day? If so, respond to this blog and let me know.

- If we tolerate what we should terminate, then corruption will permeate and sin will escalate!

- The woman at the well was more concerned about "where" to worship rather than the "who".

- I am sweating like a pavlovian dog thinking about Krispy Kream doughnuts!- E. Canur

- God is going to cut the grass one day!- Trevor Barton

- "So Let Your Light Shine before men that they might see your good works but glorify the father which is in heaven"- Matt 5:16

- When you give everything you have to Christ, then you have everything left!

- "I Want to leave this place better than I found it!"- JMH

- True humility is not making yourself small, but making others BIG. - Unknown

- "He who dwells in the secret place of the most high, will abide in the shadow of the almighty- Psalm 91

A Proverb A Day

2009-06-03T14:20:00.003-05:00

People ask me on a regular basis, what are some good things to read during my devotion time? This is actually a topic that God had placed on the heart of my Pastor and so in this particular post, I want to give you just a short synopsis of what he recommends. A great read for anybody would be the book of Proverbs. It has 31 books which naturally gives you 31 days you can read a chapter and use it during your time of prayer each morning or evening. Once you read through the corresponding chapter with the date of the month, it is a good idea to take the chapter verse by verse and ask God to do those things in your life or shape you according to His word. For example in Proverbs 3 when it says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart lean not to your own understanding", that's a good opportunity to ask the Lord to help you not always have to have your way and to trust Him more. What a great prayer, that we would trust God more. It doesn't sound like much but when you begin a daily digest of the word and putting it into action, you will see that God will bless and help you to become more like Him!

We Will Remember

2009-05-26T12:43:00.002-05:00

So yesterday we celebrated Memorial Day across our great nation. Some gathered with family and friends, had cookouts, played in golf tourneys, decorated graves, went to the lake and many other activities but what exactly did we remember? As I sat at a late lunch with my sweetheart, the TV's were tuned to a NASCAR race and I watched as the race was stopped at 3pm to remember the fallen hero's of our country as well as some of the driver and crews family who had given everything for the cause of freedom. Some pictures began to flash on the screen along with names. The photographs contained men and women in uniform, some smiling and some somber but all proud to wear the red white and blue. I began to cry, and yes partly because I am a big baby but also because it moved me. There I sat in a restaurant with strangers looking at pictures of people I did not know nor would ever meet but was touched to think of how they were willing to give everything so I could be sitting there. The call was un-mistakable, the sacrifice was great, and the soldier was willing! Praise be to God that those who came before us were bold and courageous enough to stand tall and report for duty! As a christian, I pray we would always remember and support our military and pray for their safety and safe return. Find a veteran or soldier in uniform and say thank you! If you see a soldier out eating, secretly pick up the check. God has blessed us to live here, but just as the freedom we have in Christ did not come without blood, so the American freedom came by the same currency. Truly God has shed His grace on us!

Ponder the path

2009-05-19T14:18:00.000-05:00

Sometimes there are ideas and principals that are so obvious that we fail to recognize them or even heed the advice and direction that they give. In the book, “The Principal of The Path”, such a principal is found. The thought is very simple yet profound, and one which we realize all too late in life most times. Basically the principal can be summed up in this statement, “Whatever path you are on, will lead you somewhere, and it might not be where you want to go.”
Of all places to find wisdom, Andy Stanley takes up to King Solomon himself, the wisest King to ever live or rule. Solomon tells us that we should observe where we are because it can tell us where we are going. How much simpler could it get? If we will take the time to first of all, examine our current path, what we are giving energy to and spending resources on, we may be able to see what the ending will be like. There have been many times that when all is said and done we look back and think, “If I had only seen this coming”, but the truth is there are times that we could have. If we had only taken the time to look around, check a map, or ask somebody who has been where we are, then some circumstances could be avoided. I have reflected on several things in not only my personal life path, but my ministry path as well. Looking back from this point, I see why I am where I am and how I could have been somewhere different, but I have also found some great insight in the book that will help me get to where I feel like God wants me to be. One thing, that Stanley and King Solomon hammers home is the concept of wise counsel from wise people. Too many times we ask the wrong people for advice and direction who may be good friends and confidants, are not “wise” on the issue that we seek input about. The bible makes it clear that the best counsel comes from those who have “been there and done that”, not those who have a fresh view or promise a “new perspective”. Rehoboam learned this the hard way when he rejected the counsel of the elder statesmen and went with the direction given by those the bible says “he grew up with”. The path we are on can be navigated no matter how young we are, however we must use those around us who know how to navigate the path and have already been that way before. Another point that stuck out to me is the story you tell while on your path, will make a great impact! No matter what path you are on, there will be a story about the journey can be as important as your arrival. I have heard Johnny Hunt mention over and over that he prays that he will “finish well”, and oh how we should all desire that, but some of us will never finish well if we don’t change the path we are on. We find ourselves making the same mistakes over and over, but we are not willing to change paths, and eventually the sympathy that people feel for us as we fall the first couple of times will turn to apathy because they can see that we are headed for a dead end, if we don’t change paths. The last thing from this great book I would like to discuss is the art of paying attention and not being distracted. When we are on the path, there will be many distractions and “side shows” to grab our attention but if we are to finish the path, it’s a good idea to stay focused. Stanley uses the analogy of a driver that stares at something to his right or left while driving, will veer toward it. The same holds true for us as we walk the path we are on. Whatever captures our attention will cause us to steer toward it, and sometimes that can be dangerous and sometimes fatal. Once again, King Solomon shares a story about the young man who was dealing with a questionable woman who, even though the young man couldn’t see, was standing at the doorway that led to destruction. The young mans attention was captured and his path was re- routed. But what if our focus and attention was set on Christ and we steered our path in His direction?
In conclusion, this book was a great read and recommended to all church staff, leaders, even business folks. I challenge you as you read this, look at the path you are on and ask yourself “where am I going to end up if I continue doing this job” , “making these decisions”, “treating my spouse this way”, “giving God this amount of time”, “pleasing people”, “working here” or whatever would fit your situation. Once you have assessed your life, then make some decisions about changing your path and remember, don’t do it alone, seek “wise” counsel, get directions, keep an eye on the story line, and pay attention!

The Great Commision

2009-05-07T11:32:00.004-05:00

If you look online, or even in many publications in Southern Baptist life, you can't miss the fact that there is something on the horizon that promises to be as big if not larger than the "Conservative Resurgence" that our mentors helped to bring about in the late 70's and early 80's. It is something that I believe to be very important and long over due. This is something that will change not only the face of the SBC but possibly the landscape of our nation. What is this great thing I am talking about? A Great Commission Resurgence! A call to start fulfilling the calling God has given all Christians, and share our faith. Giving resources, time, energy and anything else that we can in spreading the gospel. To re-focus our giving and structure toward making a lasting difference for the Lord Jesus! We have become so proud that we "give to the co-operative program" and we give to "missions" and we give to the "association", but what happened to us giving ourselves to the Lord and "going" and not just "giving". In my 12 years of ministry, I have been able to work with hundreds of churches of all sizes, denominations and races, and one thing is true across the board; the great commission is void in our actions and mission of the local church. Oh sure, the "mission statement" that most churches have over the door is to "be a great commission church" but when asked what that means, the only answer is "we give money to the association to send out missionaries." Another popular answer is " we are part of the SBC". There was even one church leader that once told me, that the only reason that his church gave to the association or convention was so his Pastor and other staff could be leaders in the denomination. Another pastor, admitted that his church only gave because the annuity was so good. When did we replace our redeemer with recognition and retirement? At what point did we become so concerned with being on committees than being committed to serving others and the Lord? It seems that we have become obsessed with the business of the church, but sadly the tasks that we are trying to accomplish have no eternal perspective and fails miserably at being the church that Christ died for. My prayer is not that a great war is waged or even that we find a great leader and follow them, but the cry of my heart is, to follow the leader we already have in Christ, and lets do what we were commanded to do in the first place! It has been said that we won the battle for the bible, and I am thankful for those who fought the fight and stood strong, but if you are not going to obey the words of the bible, what did we really win? It is time! Today! Share your faith, preach and sing the gospel! Ask yourself the question, "What are the results of what I am doing for the Kingdom?" "Could this money be used better for the Kingdom?" Take some resources and pour them into serving your community or neighbor, sharing the gospel through your own church, and see if God will not bless it! It will take courage, and action, but one thing is for sure, if you will take action, God will give you the courage to follow through! And when we act, that is living a lifestyle of worship!

Practice makes perfect, but who needs perfection.

2009-05-04T20:16:00.002-05:00

It is said that practice makes perfect, and many people hold to this idea. Please don't think I am discounting the discipline of practice, but sometimes I think we expect a monumental outcome. I do believe that practice is needed and a very important part of any worship ministry or any other talent or ministry, but to use the statement that guarantees perfection, is a stretch. I think many times we spend more time trying to be perfect in our worship practices than actually preparing for worship. How many of us actually practice our worship? There should be some un-rest if we spend more time preparing the stage, than the heart of the platform personalities. We should practice spending time in God's word, seeking God's face and listening to His voice. I mean actually living out our christian walks day after day, trying to give God our all! There is also something to be said for the actual physical side of ministry. I say that we should spend many hours in practice and preparation because while perfection may not happen with practice, our best will. I think it was said well by former basketball star Ed Macauley "Just remember that if you are not working at your game to the best of your ability there will be somebody out there with just as much talent as you, that will be working to the best of their ability, and they will out preform you!" In ministry, as well as life, lets put our time and energy into practice as much as possible, so that when the time comes to actually lead worship, play our instrument, or just shine for Christ, we will be at our best for Christ, that is humanly possible!

Talent in Worship

2009-05-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

When you think of talent, most times you think of success and unconditional greatness. However in John Maxwell’s book, “Talent Is Never Enough”, we find that talent is a great treasure to posses but it is only the beginning of a successful life or profession. There are far more attributes that we should posses and build on, that will cause us to be a “talent plus person”. When individuals fail to see that talent is not enough, they fail miserably at most things in life. As I read this great book by Maxwell, there are several things I observed.
In life, we find that one thing, sport or profession that we are comfortable in or excel at and we consider that talent. Most times we think that practice is not needed, focus is not required and working with others only gets in the way. We tell ourselves that we are good enough and initiative, preparation and perseverance are not needed, but only talent. There are others that we see around us at times and think that they are the most talented people we have ever met, and that must be what has propelled them to greatness. But if talent is all that they posses or all they depend on, the notoriety and fame they may seem to have will be short lived, and crumble at the same pace as it was attained. Maxwell suggests that ingredients such as Teamwork, character, preparation and passion are necessary to multiply, protect position and energize your talent, and I have found that he is correct. As I reflect back on these leadership laws and proverbs, the resounding call to consistently learn is clear. When we fail to do right, we fail to protect our talent. When we fail to prepare, we fail to position our talent and when we fail to learn we fail to grow our talent. Through reading this retrospective book, I am reminded that talent is awesome when used in the correct parameters and conduits that these other characteristics provide. So many routine things in day to day life such as relationships, are overlooked and brushed aside for the purpose of relying too much on what we at times think too highly of, our own talent. We overlook teamwork, so the glory of success is ours alone. We overlook practice because we already feel that we are good enough, when the result proves us otherwise. We try and play the victim, yet we are actually the facilitator of our own demise, all because we stopped becoming better, thinking we were satisfied where we were.
There is more than reading this book to discover that there are so many more ways to enable your personal growth but you must take chapters three and eight to heart and muster the courage to place initiative in growing in whatever area your core values and passion will drive you. Having the knowledge and putting it into practice are two different things. Sometimes, I think we know but we fail to act, causing us to become like a new car and losing our value after we drive off the lot of comfort. What is it that cause so many of us to decide that we are through or burn out earlier in life than what we dreamed? I think the answer is simple, yet hard to admit, dependency! What do we depend on so much that could hurt us or slow us down? Talent! There are times we don’t even realize the enormity of the impact we could have in our profession, church, or life because we are so focused on the parts we can see, instead of developing the potential that you can’t. There is a great quote in the book that bears repeating, “Some people are like an ice berg; you only see the top 15% but what you cant see underneath the water is so much bigger”. We don’t take the time to master ourselves but instead we allow circumstances and even our abilities master us. One story that caught my attention was the tale of the great golfer Bob Jones. Jones had problems with his temper, and was even known to throw clubs on occasion. Obviously his character was scared and known throughout his social circles, yet so was his talent. He was advised several times through his teen years to take charge of his temper, or he would never succeed at the game he was gifted to play. Jones, relied heavily on his gift until one day it sunk in. With perseverance and focus, he eventually broke his temper and became known as one of the best professional golfers not to mention one with great character. One English scholar remarked of Bob Jones, “Bob was fourteen when he mastered the game of golf but he was twenty one when he mastered himself.”
Coming to the conclusion that one’s talent is not enough is sometimes a long process. It does not happen overnight, and sometimes needs prodding, but when reality is clear, and you find that you must make some changes, then talent is not seen as the only virtue but only a building block, on which God wants to build and grow you for His kingdom and glory. When talent stands alone, without any other stones, then that is how your life will stay…incomplete!

Change is not a campaign slogan, its a promise of God!

2008-06-27T12:38:00.002-05:00

As I watch the news this afternoon, I see the campaign slogan "Change". My question is, what is this candidates definition of change? The word of God tells us that we are promised change, but only when God is made Lord of our life and he takes the old away and gives us the new. Change does not happen when a new party takes over our political system. It does not happen when a new person assumes the role of president. Change does not happen because we do something different. Change does happen when we allow Jesus Christ to be in charge and lead us in the right direction. When we read more of God's word and follow it closely. When we spend time talking with God, trusting Him and imitating Him. That is when change comes. There will never be a better picture of unity than God's people standing together to proclaim the gospel to the entire world! My prayer is that we will in this upcoming election, that America will not vote based on promises of change that is promised to America but for change that has already taken place in a candidates life.

Music Recomendation

2008-06-23T09:49:00.002-05:00

The new Gateway Church Worship album "Awaken The Earth", is awesome! If you like worship music, this CD is the one to listen to over and over. God has blessed this church to write some incredible worship music over the past 3 years. Songs like Revelation Song, You Are God and others seem to be the standard of excellence with this church. You can find it on itunes under gateway worship.

God and the Universe

2008-06-23T09:44:00.002-05:00

What a great message by Pastor Trevor yesterday at the creek! Imagine how large our universe is, and how much greater our God is! Why do we sometimes give him praise in such small amounts when He is so big? I think it has something to do with the way we view Him. I heard it said once that our worship is a reflection of how we view God. If we really saw Him as our Savior and creator of the universe then I believe our worship would take on a new form. The way we worship sometimes, makes me think that we view God as a mere dignitary or CEO. The God I serve is not a life sized thing or title, He is the great I AM! He is the creator of the world and redeemer of all man kind from beginning to the end! As you worship Him, keep in mind that He is a big God who deserves Big praise, so as David said, let's make His praise LOUD!

Music: The Brooklyn Tabernacle

2008-02-29T13:57:00.002-05:00

For those of you who like music, let me suggest the Brooklyn Tabernacles new CD, "I'll Say Yes". This is a great addition to any praise and worship or choral collection. The title track says it best when the question is asked of us by the Lord, "Will you be willing to serve me?" This album is both inspiring and eclectic, ranging from typical praise and worship such as "Holy Is The Lord" and Worthy Is The Lamb" to Choral ballads such as"How I Love The Name" and "Ill Say Yes". Another home run for Carol Cymbala and the BTC.

Childhood Games: The Name Game

2008-02-29T13:47:00.002-05:00

I am so amazed that people who claim to be part of the body of Christ get caught up in so many childish games. You know the ones I am talking about. For example, "Follow The Leader", the game where different people in the church want to be in control and tell everybody else what to do. Or what about "Red Rover"? That's where people dare others to cross the line and just "try something". But my favorite is the "Blame Game". Yes, that's right, the game that church people play by blaming other people or churches for the problems that they have caused themselves. I have to admit, it intrigues me when people use slander, gossip and other tactics of the devil to carry out a "righteous call to spread the truth". Gods word tells me that we are to speak the truth in Love not be ticked off when things don't go my way and blame everybody and start calling names. I am thankful that the God I serve is a God of Love and compassion and he still cares about us even when we play our games. I really wonder sometimes if God is not calling the church to "GROW UP", and act like the one we are called to serve!

So whats your point?

2008-01-17T08:07:00.000-05:00

Ok here it is. Recently I was watching Television and an ad came accoss the screen that stated the following..."Are you tired of Rock n Roll Music in church? Are you tired of casualy dressed preachers? Are you tired of preachers using everything but the origional KJV bible? Come try "XYZ" Church." As I read that and think about it even now, I am amazed at how biblicaly void those statements are! It seems that we have gotten out of the bussiness of reaching people with the gospel and gotten into the spiritual rut of trying to clean people up before we win them! Rock and Roll music is not what is killing churches, it is legalistic teaching that majors more on opinions than the word of God! When scripture states "How will they hear without a preacher?" it does not follow up with "Who will use the King James Version". And as far as dress code goes, if we want to get right down to it, a suit and tie is something that only the wealthy and Pharisees would have worn as they falsely worshiped in front of huge crowds so they could be seen. Please do not misunderstand, Suit and tie is great if that is what you worship in, but I have felt God just the same in khakis and a polo shirt. It's time in our culture that we stop beating people to death with our opinions and begin sharing our faith in confidence knowing that when we lift up Jesus and not out argument for or against something minor, that HE will draw people to himself. The church has become so good at slamming another church because of their "style". If we want to take a passionate stand for something, lets find those churches who have blatantly subverted the word of God and allowed the pastor to preach out of other books rather than the bible. Stand against those people who call themselves Christian but would vote and support a presidential candidate who would sign back into law, partial birth abortions. Find the truths in God's word and stand for those things, not against churches who are reaching others for the Kingdom of Christ! Do I use the KJV? Not usualy but I do study out of it from time to time. Do I like the contemporary music in church? Yes, as well as some of the songs of old that are great pillars of our worship! Do I dress casualy in church? I put clothes on that are fitting to wear in the presence of a king and I come to praise him, not admire wardrobes! What is my point? That majoring on issues in place of lost people, is pointless!

It's the most stressful time of the year, but it dont have to be!

2007-12-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

I wonder sometimes if people who lived 200 years ago, ever dreamed that the Christmas season would ever be this busy and jam packed? In the last couple weeks I have been trying to get some Christmas shopping accomplished, and it has turned out to be more of a life or death mission getting in and out of malls and parking spaces, than shopping and enjoyment. People act as if they lose all sense of awareness and go temporarily insane. If we would just slow down and remember that when we are in a rush, that we are not being Christlike, instead we are being more like "ourselves". Even during the holidays, we should reflect Christ and His example, after all, it is His birthday that we are celebrating.

The Creek
Things at Hawk Creek are really exciting now as much as ever! With almost 500 attending on a weekly basis, every parking space is full, and the children's ministry to capacity God is showing off even still! There have been many saved over the last several weeks and several new members! Lives are still being changed in Celebrate Recovery and new ministry opportunities are presenting themselves on a weekly basis. If you are reading this, let me ask you to pray as we begin construction on our new facility located on HWY 80. This is a major undertaking and will require God's hand and blessing throughout the entire process. I am thankful that He has been in the forefront of all that we have been involved in so far. May we always remember that ministry is about Connecting to God, Serving People, loving both and Promoting Jesus!

New is not always good

2007-11-12T23:20:00.000-05:00

First let me update you on the creek! Yesterday was absolutely amazing. With 4 salvations, 8 joining the church and several re-dedications, God's presence was definitely in the house. The congregation was singing loud and giving God everything during worship, and the message was very anointed, giving each person the truth in love from the Bible. So here we are, another election over with in Kentucky, and a new governor has been elected. The people of the commonwealth has chosen a man who stands for expanded gambling, and refuses to take a stand on the ten commandments. So is this new governor a good thing? We read of new buildings going up, new businesses being starts, new people taking positions, but what makes new things bad things? I believe the answer lies in if the subject in question glorifies God or not should determine the answer. In life we can come up with so many reasons to put out the old of anything and bring in the new, but if the new is not needed and is not used to glorify God then why not stick with the old.

Celebrating Recovery

2007-10-31T10:39:00.000-05:00

Last night at the creek, we celebrated the power that God has to set people free from their hurts, hang-ups and habits. The Celebrate Recovery ministry (CR) had an open house of sorts for people to come and see the many examples of changed lives, who I like to call trophys of God's grace. Like our pastor preached on Sunday, these lives, changed lives are some beautiful decorations of God's power and mercy in our church. The scene last night was so electric, as people from all walks of life poured into the creek. People who were hurt, confused, changed and all kinds of backgrounds came together to celebrate the Lord! With 4 20 lb turkeys, and all the trimmings, we ate a delicious meal, which by the way took several people to prepare. There were people who came early just to help the band and media dept set up. People came just to greet those who came. People came to help usher, and clean up. There were around 200 individuals that came, and it was amazing. People came to CONNECT to God, RELATE to people, SERVE both, and PROMTE Jesus. People came to CELEBRATE RECOVERY!

No pain No Gain

2007-10-22T21:19:00.000-05:00

These words equating gain due to some kind of major discomfort are sometimes very accurate, but not in the worlds version. The world uses this statement to describe working out in the gym and gaining muscles. I remember running with a buddy of mine in high school that tried to encourage me when I complained (after less than 1/2 a mile) that my stomach and side was hurting by saying, "it just burns because it is helping. Keep running and it will stop." In my mind I thought "yeah right, when I fall over from a heart attack." But the principle of was right! My side was hurting because I was out of shape and my body was adjusting and becoming more healthy. Sometimes in our spiritual lives, things hurt and bring us much pain, but those are the things that the bible tells us produce perseverance, and perseverance helps strengthen our faith! This past week I have counseled with several people facing many types of problems and pain ranging from death to financial loss and other personal problems. In all of these situations, I know that God will use them for His good to strengthen character, integrity, ministry, love, and many other characteristics in each persons life. In my life, God has been using even the stories and problems of others to teach me many things and I am thankful. I have hurt this week for the one who lost a loved one, I have been concerned with the one who is having a hard time with finances. Sometimes I take other peoples problems to heart and make each one a personal concern. The one thing God has spoken to my heart is without the test, God can not build a testimony. The pain comes, but after the pain, you gain those things which shape us more and more into the image of Christ! No pain No Gain? You bet, and I am thankful even as I look back at the trials God has brought me through. And though I know I will face many more tough days, it is good to know that I am being made to be more like Jesus! Ultimately because of His pain, we gained everlasting life, through Jesus!

The buzz

2007-10-18T22:03:00.000-05:00

October has been a very busy month and November promises to be another month to be remembered! God has continued to bless things at the creek in almost every ministry. The children's ministry is running over 100 and many of those are new faces who have given their hearts to Christ. The student ministry is ever expanding and the church as a whole is seeing many peoples lives changed by the power of God. It is something awesome to be known as a church that is on fire, exploding, vibrant and unique. As I write this, I think back on today when I met about 5 different people all over our region who upon finding out that I was at the creek, proceeded to tell me all of the great things they hear about the church. It is so great to know that God is using us in such an awesome way, but with all of those blessings come lots of responsibility. My prayer is that we will be faithful to always give God credit, love people unconditionally, preach the gospel, be humble, and lift Jesus so high that nothing we do will shift the glory from Him to us. The buzz is that the creek is doing some amazing things, and it is all because of Jesus Christ!

Theres a New Day Coming!

2007-10-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to ask all who read this blog to be in prayer for the creek in upcoming days! It is so exciting to see what God is doing around here, but I believe that a new time of blessing is upon us, and with more blessing comes more responsibility. Thank God that He is using our church to do such a work in our town and region! I am humbled as I think of the great responsibility that God trusts us with, not only at the creek but also other churches who name the name of Christ. May we never get distracted by comments, current events or an other flash bomb that Satan puts in our path, but may our eyes stay focused on the one who has called us to serve Him!

Why you do what you do

2007-10-01T21:32:00.000-05:00

Have you ever thought about why you so what you do? Why do you go to certain stores and not others? Why do you write with your left hand? Why do you speak with an accent? There are several things in life that we ask why, but what about our christian life? Why do we treat others with respect? Why do we chose to be honest on our income tax? Why do we tell others about the one person who can change their life? Do we do these things because we are trying to be "good" or because it is what is expected of us? Is it because we have been trained to be a christian? Do we function out of tradition? Only each individual can answer those questions, but let me give this challenge. If we do what we do to attract others, please people, or out of habit, then the heart of obedience that God so much desires will not be the drive behind the action. I am so thankful that at the church I serve, we do not sing the songs we sing to attract people or to coerce them into being faithful to church, but we sing to worship the Lord and lift worship to Him. We don't have activities for children to out-do any other church in the area, but to serve children a sweet plate of the gospel and share the good news with them. The next time you share your faith or even go to church, ask yourself...why? I pray it is not the product of years steeped in tradition but rather a heart that longs to serve Jesus Christ and serve others! "Jesus answered "the greatest commandment is this; love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself"-Jesus

A Man With A Mission

2007-09-23T21:15:00.000-05:00

Speaking of a mission God has given us a big one! The Whole World!!! It is a big mission but HE is a BIG God, and he has given those of us at "the creek" the vision to accomplish the mission. Today was another great day at HCBC. With 4 baptisms, 2 salivations and 3 coming to be a part of the creek family. The morning service was awesome with almost 400 people in attendance, but the the evening service rolled around with close to 300. WOW It is so awesome to see a people that loves God enough to come back and fill His house up on a Sunday night! Not only did they come but they worshiped God with everything it seemed that was inside of them. As I close this day, I am so thankful that God has placed me and Mel at HCBC and given us a mission, a vision, and the passion to see it come to pass. Jesus was the man with the mission, and HE has passed it on to us, not just at Hawk Creek, but to every church that names the name of Christ! That means the churches in London, Corbin, Lexington, Knoxville and America have been given the same mission and it should be the man who gave us the mission that guides us and stirs us to go farther, worship harder, tell more people and do anything that it takes to see that Mission accomplished

The plan

2007-09-21T10:55:00.000-05:00

This has definitely been a long week! Please don't think that I am complaining, but just giving you a fact. God has reminded me of an important lesson this week in the midst of the hustle and activity. He is still in control and has a good reason for what He does. This week began with a swift trip to Frankfort, then several awesome ministries to work on. After an awesome service at the creek Sunday with 8 saved, four baptized and many re dedications, that kind of start to the week meant no rest, but God still had a plan. On Wednesday I left for a conference, then back a day early to take care of some business back home. Again, rushed but still reminded that God has a plan. In life we need to remember to go with the flow, and trust God, not become so ticked off or "frazzled" that we lose sight of who is in control. What was the reason or the plan God had this whirlwind week? I am still not sure but I know this because His word is clear....God has a plan!

God provides but when?

2007-09-06T21:46:00.000-05:00

We hear all of the time that "God provides", He will meet your needs", but what do we do when He doesn't do what we want, when we want, how we want? What we do and what we should do are two different things. The thing we usually do is whine, blame, and come up with a plan of how to take care of ourselves. What we should do is take God at His word, trust Him and ask what the next step that He wants us to take. In Isaiah God's word tells us that God's ways or plan is higher or better than our plan. But sometimes we think our plan is better and should be the way to God because God took too long. Even in my own life I find myself at times wanting to go a different direction at times because I feel as though God has taken more time than I would have. I am so thankful that God loves us even when we do take a different direction and loves us enough to show us where we went wrong and helps place us back in the right direction. Time and time again, God reminds us as the song says, "He's an on time God, Yes He Is!"

And He keeps going and going and going and going...

2007-08-27T20:31:00.000-05:00

God continues to bless at The Creek! This Sunday was definitely a God thing! With 2 saved and 6 people joining the church, it was definitely refreshing and a blessing. Each week we talk about what a blessing to be a part of a church family that is so alive, but do we really think about what being alive means? Of course, it is the opposite of dead, deceased or as the KJV would state it, asleep. Being alive is not just a statement for the atmosphere of a church, but for those of us who are saved, it means life and substance! Thank God that His son, Jesus Christ has made us alive in our soul and given us life that is full! Being a part of "The Creek", has taught me that Jesus makes us alive in Christ, and the Holy Spirit has made our church a place filled with life! What a thought that we can live life to the fullest by giving God our best Monday-Sat, but also coming together as a family on Sunday to worship Him in an atmosphere that is lively! I wonder sometimes how people could criticize a church that claps, crys', shouts, raises their hands, wins people to Christ, reaches out into the community, and sometimes does things "out of the box". Then I realize, they criticized Jesus for doing things differently, so why not follow His example. Let me close with this. If the method you use is reaching people, centered around Christ, and is something that can only be accomplished if God does it, then you might find yourself in the center of God's will. Just be obedient, stay faithful and love God by loving people and giving them something that they need, the life changing gospel!

The throat and the heart!

2007-08-19T21:57:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a time that you lost your voice completely? I am talking, no sound comes out no matter how hard you try? Sunday night, right in the middle of worship, my voice went completely out! I tried to keep a smile on my face, while inside I was screaming to the top of my lungs, GOD HELP! I'm my mind I thought, "Lord, how can I praise you if my voice is gone? But then, at that moment God reminded me once again, that it is the heart and the attitude in which I worship that is pleasing not my feeble attempt to make a noise. Even when we cant make a sound, or even know what to say, God knows the heart and is touched by the overflow of love, praise and adoration that can come from our lives! Today, there was definitely plenty of things to praise God for. A couple folks were saved, at least 10 re-commitments, a couple joined and about 350 people in the AM service with about 270 in the evening service! God is definitely doing something that only He can take credit for, but something that we can definitely raise the praise for!

The End Of Summer is just the begining!

2007-08-18T00:50:00.000-05:00

Summer temperatures have been very hot! Over 100 degrees for several days. But cooler days are coming, according to the weather lady. Even though things are cooling down outside, they are heating up at the creek! I am amazed at how God blesses a church once they become obedient to Him and Him alone. I am thankful for the holy spirit that He gives us to refresh us and remind us of His unfailing live. And I am in suspense of what God is going to do next. In the bible, God used people throughout history who were normal, cracked vessels, but yet they were obedient. In our personal lives, I believe that God would do so much more if we would be obedient and just go where He leads and not where we meander off to. He tells us in Psalm that He leads beside still waters. This scripture does not say that he stands by the water and watches us walk by ourselves but it implies that God, through His spirit, leads us into places that we can rest, regroup and get back into the fight for the gospel! I believe that God is finished leading us beside the still waters for now, but praise God, He is still leading and it will be into the greatest days our church and congregation has ever seen!

The future looks bright!

2007-08-04T21:33:00.000-05:00

When Jesus told us to be the light of the world, I don't believe that it was to be a dim light, or even a candle that has burned so far into the wax that you cant tell if it is even lit. I do believe that he wants us to be a light that is so bright that it causes darkness to leave completely! At the Creek, God's light is shining like a spotlight and the focus is completely on Jesus! Some get caught up in talking about other churches, pastors, people and problems and all that does is showcase the problems. At HCBC, we spotlight Jesus! His life, His sacrifice, His kingdom and His priorities. It is all about Him, and nothing about us. The future looks bright too. As long as the light of Christ is what we shine and not our own, then the sky will be the limit for God's people at the Creek. With the light of Christ I can see, thousands coming to know Christ as Lord and Savior. I can see drug addicts, drug abusers and others with hurts, hang ups and habits, set free from their addictions and chains. I can see Missionaries in countries all over the globe sent out from Hawk Creek! I can see pre-schoolers, children, students, college students, singles, young families, and senior adults serving Christ together!!! Could a food and clothing ministry exist in the Creek's future? Could a Homeless shelter be in the outlook of our congregation? Could God use HCBC to begin a Christian School or Ministry training center? Is it possible that so many lost people could be saved through the ministry of HCBC that we are going to be out of space in the new building before it is even built? I do not know what the future holds, but I know that with the Light Of The World still shining, that our future is BRIGHT!!!

Hawk Creek Has A Home

2007-07-29T22:11:00.000-05:00

How awesome to see the hand of God, still moving in a mighty way! Today we had a wonderful attendance, and also baptized 4 people and had 6 join the church. The exciting part to these new members is 3 of them did not join until we had met after church on the new property to celebrate. Oh yeah, God has given a wonderful piece of property on the main road. Our church voted to purchase 20 acres so that we can expand our outreach to our community. With this awesome tool, we should be able to reach over 1000 people with the gospel of Jesus Christ! Will there be outside opposition? Yes! Will there people who think we are crazy? Absolutely! Will we continue to follow the Lord in spite of these obstacles? With all that is within us! As we await the future, we look forward to other things that God is going to do. We are not watching to see God build a building, but to build His kingdom and accomplish His will! I honestly believe that there will be more wonderful services, more lost people coming to Christ. More alcoholics becoming sober. More marriages put back together. Praise the Lord for HCBC's new home and for His mercy and blessing on us!

Never too old to be a camper!

2007-07-21T20:29:00.000-05:00

It has been a great week. I had the opportunity for the 9th year to lead worship at Camp Jubilee in Tennessee. There were over 100 students there and over 20 saved! How awesome to see lives changed. I had a pretty busy schedule on Friday so I came home late Thursday night in order to get a jump start on it. We ended our VBS at The Creek by having a worship service for the parents and community Friday night. There were 3 saved, one of those being a parent of one of the kids. We also baptized 17 during the service making a total of 41 this month alone. It has been a great month and I am looking forward to the months to come. There are more lost parents, more lost children, more un-churched and more people that need the love of Christ. In fact, there are enough people that if ever church would be passionate about sharing the gospel, our sanctuaries and worship centers would not contain the numbers, but heaven would definitely have space for them and more!

Family, Fun and Faithfulness

2007-07-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

Melissa and I had an opportunity to go and spend some time with my immediate family and wish my grandmother a Happy Birthday! During dinner we sat and talked about the past and old family stories, from old traditions to new stories of times not so long ago. What an awesome thing to listen and see the thread that ties my family together, a thread of faithfulness. Faithfulness to God, each other and morals and values. It reminds me of passage in Hebrews that talks about the "Hall Of Faith", being surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses". My prayer is that Melissa and I will continue to pass that on to future generations of family, having fun, while remaining faithful!

Go team go!

2007-07-11T11:58:00.000-05:00

Envision Update (Building): No word today, but things still look good. Pray that God will grant favor to HCBC, and continue to guide leadership as decisions are made.

Alright, so what team do you cheer for? For me, of course I cheer for Kentucky Wildcats, and various hometown teams. But what about in the church world? First of all what would you consider a team in the wide world of faith? Would you consider your church in itself as a team? What about your denomination? Would pitting one student ministry against another be categorized as teams? I believe that God has placed all of us who name the name of Christ to be on the same team, and further more, do whatever it takes to make sure the gospel reaches the most desolate places on earth. It breaks my heart when I hear of one church degrading and trying to undermine another gospel preaching church. Yet more and more it seems that congregations all around the country become distraught when another fellowship begins to gain "points" or pull ahead in "the game". This is not at all what Jesus had in mind when he told us to "Love the brethren" or to "serve one another". My prayer is not that Hawk Creek become the "best team" or the biggest church, but it is that our vision and heartbeat remains the heart beat of Jesus, to reach the world with the gospel! If we will do that, then our lifestyle of worship will be consistent with the great commission! To borrow a phrase from Ronnie Floyd, "It is more important to remember who you are in the kingdom, that what you do".

It's not about an opinion but about integrity!

2007-07-10T09:10:00.000-05:00

In life, we sometimes have opinions about things that matter, other issues are not that important. There are some matters that demand not just an opinion, but a decision, and the decision that is made, will reveal the integrity that we hold. In many of our churches today we have a large number of opinions popping up, some over music, some over style, others are still trying to decide what color the carpet should be in the sanctuary. It has been my observation that too many times we decide to take issue over difference of opinion when dealing with small things and substitute opinion, sometimes mistaking it for conviction over issues that should be forefront. For example, I recently had the opportunity to be a part of an event in which I led worship for a diverse congregation of several denominations. The speaker that night was of a different denomination than I, and that is something that I think should be celebrated as unity in diversity. However, when the speaker began to share something that he stated was "what the bible says", I was prompted to find the scripture that he was referencing. The so called scripture did not exist, nor does the bible give reference to this so called "scriptural truth" that the speaker was adament about. The speaker continued on by giving the congregation a perscibed ritual of how to obtain this scriptural truth. Now, please do not think that I want all christians and people I worship with to be Baptist, or to worship in the same manor as I, but actual scripture should be used, not just opinions. Some denominations intepret different scriptures in different ways, and that is understandable, but that was not the case in this instance. By standing on the same platform as this speaker, I felt as though my integrity was in question, that others felt I went along with him. When somebody declares "Thus says the Lord", the Word of God should back him up, and the Spirit of God should confirm it in your heart. If scripture does not support the teaching, then my friend, the speaker has no integrity, authority or place to preach, and should be labeled a false prophet. In love, Gods people from Pentecostal to Presbyterian, from Baptist to Apostolic, should preach the Gospel loudly, without reserve and to the world without personal agenda or doctrine. Praise God for diversity, and for giving me friends of other denominations who preach the truth, and love people enough to have a kingdom mindset! It's not about spiritual gifts and if you believe in them enough. It's not about how much of the bible you know. It's not about taking comunion every weeks or once a quarter, but it is about Jesus and by always preaching Jesus, our integrity will speak much more loudly than our opinion.

A New Home for Hawk Creek

2007-07-06T10:47:00.000-05:00

It seems that God has been up to something for a couple years, and we are now feeling the downpour of His blessing. We recently received a call about a building that was origionaly built for industrial use, with 65,000 sq ft of empty space. What kind of awesome things could God do there? The possibilities are limitless. We have seen the hand of God move in a mighty way even in the small place that we are currently. I am so greatful that God uses the small things to do some enormous works. I will try to keep everyone up to date as information becomes available!

Summer Is Here

2007-06-14T21:50:00.000-05:00

With summer in full swing, that means alot of extra time for some, and less for others. The temperature of our worship should always be hot, no matter what the temperature outside. At Hawk Creek, God is definitely keeping the fire hot. People are coming from all over to serve God, and some to give thier hearts and lives to Christ! What a time to give praise to God! We have several awesome ministry opportunities coming up. Mission trips to Bosnia, Argentina, and Las Vegas. GROW outreach ministry to reach the 13,000 people within a 4mile radius. The student ministry that reached students from 4 schools, and a childrens ministry that has overflowed its banks! Oh Lord, keep it coming!

Touchdown at HCBC

2007-03-06T10:05:00.000-05:00

Sundays services were so amazing! Two were saved and 4 joined the church! We baptized 2 Sunday night and that was another wonderful time of worship. Even though worship happens on an individual and personal level most times, it is great to come together for corporate worship and celebrate together what God is doing in the lives of his people, and the resurection of Jesus! Are you celebrating anything when you go to church? I hope so! My prayer is that your worshipservices are not boring but full of life, after all, Jesus came so that we could have life and have it to the full!

Super Bowl Blitz

2007-01-17T22:37:00.000-05:00

Seems like everybody is getting ready for the Super Bowl. I go to Wal-Mart, and there are signs everywhere. Go to the grocery store, and even Coca Cola, and that other drink have arranged their displays in the shape of football fields. Even people who don't like athletics are getting into the action, buying t-shirts of teams they have no idea about. I am excited about another opportunity to share Christ, at the Super Bowl Blitz! That's right, February 4th, Hawk Creek Church will rent the entire bowling alley in London, to give students in the area to bowl for free while watching the Super Bowl on a wall screen TV. We will also give away I-Pods, PS2, DVD, Cd's and other cool stuff. Why would a church spend money on such an event? Because we want to impact the culture for Jesus, and by doing so loving people. Loving them to the point that they see something in us that they want, that is the light of Christ. We want to be the salt of the earth not just a tasteless good for nothing substance. What better way to worship the Lord, than by serving Him through serving others. I am excited to see what the Lord does through this event, this might turn out to be a SUPER SIZED GOD THING!

What a Wonderful Day at Church

2007-01-15T21:51:00.000-05:00

In todays time, alot of people find church boring. Some even refer to it as a "cold" place to be. I am thankful that is not the case for the place God has planted my wife and I. Yesterday was so wonderful. God began moving, even before the formal time that the worship service started. A guy from our singles ministry felt that God was dealing with his heart to be saved. He said that he had prayed a prayer when he was young but had no idea what he was doing. All of these years, going to church, praying, etc, he said was nothing more than acting out what he had been taught. He nailed it down and settled it Sunday morning at about 10:35am. God began to move in a great way during the music and worship with people just loving the Lord through music and giving Him praise for who He is. The sermon was anointed by God, from Matthew talking about being the salt of the earth. What a thought that God wanted us to be the driving force that preserved, protects among other things. The Lord is asking us to stand firm and change the world for the good! We should be willing to refuse to leave the city, county, state and nation the way we found it. During invitation a middle aged gentleman gave his heart to the Lord. The alter had several other folks who was doing business with God. What a great time of celebration, I know I am thankful to be part of a church that celebrates life on a weekly basis. Not just life that he gives us if we ask, but his own life that was raised from the dead so that we could live forever!

A New Covenant or Just Convienience?

2007-01-15T21:36:00.000-05:00

I was recently reading that former leaders of our country have decided that it is time that a new Baptist denomination is formed. One that would promote more open mindedness as well as become more sympathetic to the environment. The basis for their argument was to state that the Southern Baptist Convention was not helpful enough when it came to disasters that affected individuals nor tolerant enough of homosexuals and abortion rights advocates. Let me say that I am a Southern Baptist, but my views on social issues are not dictated by my denomination but by my conviction that the Word of God is my moral compass. This fact is not so for those at the helm of this "New Baptist Covenant". They have taken the Word of God and tried to make it the word of man. Letting minority opinion and political gain be the guide used to build a base. When denominations sidestep the Bible, then they are in no way a Christian, Evangelical or God fearing denomination. I pray for those that are teetering on the line of decision to join the new Covenant, that they will weigh the scripture against the vision of this new movement. Where are the plans to reach people around the world with not just clean drinking water but living water? I challenge each of you to read the Bible, and stand firm in your convictions no matter what winds of change blow.