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Pastoring is different when you are young

All of my life, I have tried to be older than I am.  

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a bigger kid.

When I was in middle school, I was ready to be in high school.

When I was a high schooler, I kept looking forward to college.

In college, I was ready for a career.

When I was single, I anticipated marriage.

Now I am a young pastor.  I feel a lot of pressure to act more like an older pastor.

Then I read 1 kings 12.

You have Solomon, this incredible King (with faults) who dies.  His son, Rehoboam takes over.  The people want Rehoboam to lighten their load to be less authoritative. They want to feel more appreciated, they wanted the younger leader to be different.

Rehoboam then asks advice from His father's elders who tell him that he should be less authoritative and serve them.

Then, he asks for advice from his inexperienced friends (who have read books, been to conferences, and follow blogs, but don't really know what they are talking about) for advice.  They say, man you are the King, you need to show them who is in charge.

He follows his friends advice, things don't go well.

Lesson:  I am not 40,50, 60..... I am 26.  I have not been a lead pastor for 10,20,30 years....I've been one for 1.5 years.  I'm not Solomon, I'm Rehoboam.  

I don't need to act like I am a king that expects everyone to follow my direction at the drop of a hat.  I need to realize that people are going to respond best to me as they see me lead by example, serve the people, and personally invest in the vision that God has given me.  

Leadership flows out of Authority and Affinity.  When you are younger, you have less authority, so love on the people more.  God calls the young, but it's more difficult.  But He wants to help us grow, so follow His advice on leading while being young....

or don't.... you know what you are doing; you have read books, blogs, and been to conferences. 

update (part 2) personal life

One word can summarize my personal life lately; strength.  I have had to rely on the strength of the Lord, like never before.  I have come to a greater understanding of my inadequacies and of His ability to work on and through me.  I am continually challenged by Scripture and my relationships with other Christ followers to walk further, run faster, and jump higher than ever before.  Here is what is going on in my personal life.

1. I am more faithful than I have ever been in reading the Bible and praying.  

2. I am being stretched to be continually giving of myself; time, energy, emotion, and money.

3. Cameron is 9 months old now.  He has become an incredibly smart, funny, and beautiful little boy already!  He crawls like a maniac, stands up on his own (close to walking), waves and does more fun tricks.  I am so blessed to have him in my life. 

4.  Christie is three months pregnant.  She is nursing Cameron and has a growing baby in side of her.  Her body has a  lot of work to do!  It is very good that she is able to stay at home.

5.  I am working 40-50 hours a week for the church and another 18 at Starbucks.

6.  After this semester, I will have 18 hours left for my masters!

7.  I am incredibly out of shape and have battled with a good plan to change that over the past year.  I am currently working on a new one.  

8.  I have made some great friends through my involvement in mosaic church of Crestview.

9. As a result of the popularity of our churches nomorechristians.com teaching series, i have several non-Christians who listen to my teaching regularly.  This has provided some cool opportunities.

10. I wish my friends and family from the Jacksonville/Starke area could pack up and move to Crestview.

what you can pray for

Christie and I's relationship.  This is a stressful time for us and we have to be intentional about working on our marriage.  We are both immature and struggle with being the spouse that we need to be.

Christie and I having two kids that are 15 months apart.

Our personal finances. It has been tough for Christie to stay at home.

My continual trust in God's provision and sovereignty.  

Increased opportunities and influence to use the gifts that God has given me.

Thank you so much for your support and love of Christie and I.  God has used so many of you to strengthen us to do the overwhelming tasks that He has called us.

update (part 1) church life

Over the next few days, I will update you on what God is doing in my life. I will begin with a snapshot of what is going on with mosaic church.

1. Jesus is being honored and glorified by our leadership. We are trusting in Him and He is the focus of all that we do.
2. I have been blessed with an incredible staff (Walker, Tripp, and Joey) who are continually improving in their dedication to our church and devotion to helping me focus on what I need to focus on.
3. We have some great volunteers who are giving so much of themselves to see the vision of our church carried out.
4. During July we averaged 110 in attendance which is our second highest month ever.
5. Our worship services and environment has become incredible. (thanks to the staff and volunteers)
6. God has brought some new faces to be a part of our church that are going (and already are) do so much to further the Kingdom of God.
7. We have got some office space for very cheap, so while we remain a portable church we will have a central office.
8. We have seen several trust in Christ. We are excited about them being baptized in August!

what you can pray for

God has been burdening me that we need a few couples that are more mature ( age wise and spiritually). We need some strong older married couples that are passionate about our vision to reach the unchurched.

Finances are pretty bad for mosaic church. Please pray that God provides in a supernatural way. Christie and I are exploring the possibility of me working bi-vocationally gain. We'll do what we gotta do!

Other than that, just pray for me to listen to God and not my desires or other peoples desires. There is a great amount of momentum building right now and we don't want to do anything to quench what God is doing!

Thanks for reading and thanks for loving on my family and mosaic church!

WHO IS THIS?

Storms.

With the exception of a privileged few, we are all guaranteed that times of great uncertainty will come in our lives.  

In Luke 8:22-25 you find that the disciples are on boat with Jesus and while he is sleeping they are engulfed by a fierce sudden storm.

The disciples freak out and do a good thing.  They go wake Jesus.  They want his help.

Jesus calms the storm and then questions the disciples; where is your faith?

Why would he ask this?  All of the factors show that the disciples had reason to be afraid.  They should have been scared....except for one thing!

In verse 22, it tells us that Jesus was the one that put them in their situation.  He is the one who was in control.  Since they were where Jesus wanted them, they should have been calm.  

When we are following Jesus and storms come, we have to follow His example and......

rest. chill.  be at peace.

There is nothing that we can do.  A storm is beyond our control.  So we need to be at peace.

God will put storms in your life for a reason.  Not to make you stronger, not to help you help others.

He put storms in your life so that you will be amazed by Him.

In verse 25, the disciples questioned "who is this" that calms the storm.  

So when financial, relational, physical storms come in your life; be still and KNOW that He is God.  Let Him amaze you and who he is.  

when a word changes

Growing up, all that grace meant to me was a 15 second cliche saying that happened before dinner around certain people.

Wow, has that word changed for me.

I don't think that I will ever cease to be amazed by the grace of God.  To think that He completely loves people who reject him or that claim His name yet live in contradiction to what He desires is unbelievable.

Literally, it is hard to to believe that someone has that much grace.  But, He does.  I am thankful for that grace.  I am thankful for how much that He has grown me.  I am thankful for how much He has changed me.  I am thankful that He uses me to be a part of His church.  

I really am not worthy of His grace.  But He gives it to me, and for that I am thankful.

Michael McDuffie

This morning Michael McDuffie left Crestview to begin his two year commitment to teach English at a university in China.  While Michael will do an excellent job of teaching college Freshmen English, Michael's primary goal is to build relationships with the students and people he encounters and share the love of Christ with them.  

Michael graduated from Auburn last December and has spent the past eight months in Crestview and serving Mosaic Church.  I have learned some incredible things about Michael as we have built a great relationship.  

Michael is in love with Jesus.

Michael loves people a lot.

Michael has a great shared love for His family.

Michael is a natural leader.

Michael has a servants heart.

Michael is hilarious.

Michael trusts God for provision.

Michael is going to do an amazing job of sharing the light of Christ wherever he goes.

Please join me in praying for Michael as he moves across the world to share the light of the world.

you can follow him on michaelmcduffiejr.com

Central Baptist Church

Something that we value at Mosaic is involvement.  We desire to see everyone get plugged into the vision of our church.  This should be something that we have in common with every church, but unfortunately it is not.  

I believe that Central Baptist is a church where you can get involved.  There is a lot of changes going on right now and their leadership has a renewed desire to see new people get involved in the ministries of the Church.  Most people look at Central's impressive facilities and think that they are packed with people and that it will be hard to connect.  This is far from the truth.  Central has suffered many years of decline and stagnation and they are now a small church with big potential.  

Pastor Scott Dennis comes from an unchurched background and has a desire to see people who are far from God come to know him.  Pastor Scott has one of the biggest hearts of anyone that I have ever met.  He truly is passionate about seeing people experience what God has for their life.  I think he is a great fit for Central and that we are going to see some great things happen with that congregation under his leadership.  

Not everyone is o.k. with ridiculous videos and John Mayer songs to open up the service.  A lot of people want a blend of modernity with tradition.  Central is a good to church to try out if you are this type of person.  

We may not all share the same preference for style but we should have the same passion for salvations! 

First Assembly

You can not drive through Crestview without noticing our town's First Assembly of God.  If I were looking for a Church, First Assembly would definitely be one of the churches that I would consider checking out.

First Assembly has the most impressive church (or of any kind) facilities in Crestview.  Their buildings are extremely cool and seemingly offer a lot of options for families.  

The church also seems to have a wide variety of ministries.  From a motorcycle group, to a skate park, several youth drama teams, and a passionate women's ministry.   

While it does not take a lot to notice that the church has been blessed with finances, something a lot of people may not know is that they spend a lot of money on Missions.  They have personally invested great sums into spreading the Gospel throughout the world.  I also know that during the middle of their building (which is when churches "need" $$ the most) they gave another church in Crestview $10,000 to help with their building.  That is definitely something that is rare in churches.

I don't know Pastor Mark English personally, but he has been extremely successful in getting many people to sacrifice great amounts of their time and money to help accomplish the vision that God has given him.  He has also inspired passion for spreading the love of Christ to many people. These are signs of a great leader.

So, if you are looking for a place to go to church in Crestview.  Check out First Assembly, I would.

www.crestviewag.org

Emmanuel Baptist Church

One of the churches that I would consider being a part of if I were not at mosaic, would be Emmanuel Baptist or EBC as their "members" call it.   Here is why:

Pastor Mark Seagle is a great guy.  He has a huge heart to develop leaders and a passion to help the helpless.  He is in tune with culture, which is unique for a pastor in Crestview.  

(No offense to the other guys doing their thing.  Keep following Jesus and lead how you think you should.)

Their music is modern (but a lot less loud than mosaic's.)

Their children's ministry is the largest in Crestview.  They have amazing crowds of little kids on Sunday and Wednesday nights.  There seems to be a great opportunity for your child to have fun while learning about Christ. 

Their student ministry is so solid.  Led by Ian (an unbelievably passionate dude) and several strong student leaders.  Ian thinks they can change the world and I believe they are working to do so.  

Sure, EBC has weaknesses and so does Mosaic and every other church.  If I were "church shopping" I would realize that the perfect church I dream of only exists in Heaven. 

So if Mosaic isn't your thing, check out EBC.

http://www.ebccrestview.com

where to go to church?

I ask myself all the time where I would go to church if I just moved to Crestview.  Just recently, I started believing the answer would be...... Mosaic.  

But, for some people Mosaic is too "edgy", too "laid back", too "loud", or too "young".  

This week I will blog about a few other churches in Crestview (in no particular order) that would be on my short list of churches to attend.

Maybe this will be helpful to those of you that are still searching for a place to plug in.

and then there were four!!

That is right; Christie and I are having another baby!

We are so blessed to have an amazing first and oldest child, Cameron.  He is truly incredible and I am confident that he will be a terrific big brother.   

The next addition to the Ross clan is due to arrive at the beginning of February.  

Cameron and _____ will be 15 months apart!  Pray for Christie as she is at home with a baby (which is crawling and close to walking) and is pregnant. 

The level of excitement in our already crazy life is definitely about to increase drastically, but we are trusting in God's provision and His grace to cover our lives!

God bless America

I do thank God for America and I do ask God to bless America........

and Canada

and Mexico

and China

and Mali

and Brazil

and England

and Iraq

I try to pray that God's grace is felt all over the world and that those who love Him and are trying to spread His good news would be blessed in their efforts.

God thank you for any favor that our country has had and please continue to bless us, not so that we can be rich and powerful but so that Your Love can be spread......all over the world.

are you in love with God or His stuff?

This quote from Crazy Love (by Francis Chan) has been messing with me for a couple of months now.  

Am I more excited about what God can offer me; a good marriage, great children, financial success, great friends, etc

or 

am I just in love with God.

The creator of the Universe who is perfect in every way and could and should do anything He wants only asks one thing of us.....to pursue Him.  

God, I pray that I would join with others from my church and churches across the world in continuing to fall more in love with You every day.  

God help the outcast

We are all in need of relationships.  Even those who consider themselves to be loners.  Those who are content with just blending in with the crowd and going home after work, school, etc and being by themselves.  

We have seen that most of the people who just go home to be by themselves, actually aren't by themselves.  They watch their favorite television shows which they have become attached to or 

they play World of Warcraft (or another similar game) where they are able to connect with others in a safe environment.  They do not worry about being judged or being a disappointment to others.  They don't have to work extremely hard to fit in, they are just accepted by the common bond that they have with their fellow players.  They have been looking for relationships of acceptance and they have found them.  

as a church leader one word comes to mind......OUCH.  

If there is any environment where people should be able to feel accepted unconditionally it should be the gatherings that we call "church".  I know that we don't accept sins that people delve into or allow people to just fill whatever position they want to without any qualifications, but come on!

Why are there emotionally hurting adults AND TEENAGERS that we just push to the side?  Why do we look exactly like the rest of the world in the people that we accept?  

You might be saying, oh our church accepts all people, we are not judgemental like that.  Maybe, you are telling the truth....but in most cases that is BS.   Look who you spend the most of your time with.  Look who you are concerned with getting plugged in.  Look who you show the most grace to.  How equal are you?

I am going to go out on a limb and guess that Jesus did not show any favoritism nor does God show any favoritism.  So lets start giving everyone the same change to be used by God, 

HE DOES!

things aren't always what they seem

I have been stressing about a few things this week (yes, i know I shouldn't worry)!

our car is having problems

something is wrong with our taxes

church finances are way down

and

my cell phone broke.  

I was extremely aggravated by this phone thing.  I love everything about the phone except for not being able to picture message, I have to go  a few days without my phone and I have to buy$$$ a new one........ugghhhhhh

but listen to what I was told by the alltel rep......

  "You are eligible for an upgrade so you can get the phone at the new price.  (I picked the palm treo PRO an upgrade with pic messaging for only $59).  Also, we can and go ahead and lock in your current plan for another two years.  

  Otherwise you would have had to switch over to a Verizon plan next month since your contract has expired (for less minutes and the same features I use currently it would have been another $40 a month to switch to the Verizon plan) ."

So I spent $60 and saved $40 x 23 = 920.  My phone breaking saved Christie and I $860 over the next two years.

Thank you God for breaking my phone. 

This was His way of saying "I got this".  

having it all together

This is something that is extremely far from being about me.

I am not saying this to complain or express personal disappointment.  I just want you to know that if you are struggling with not being good enough or not knowing what do, you are not alone!

When we have a view of how something should be going (our marriage, our career, our finances, or our health) and it is not meeting our expectations it can be very easy to become discouraged.  

The serenity prayer says "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; 

the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference."

What an old school thought that is so relevant for today.

When discouraged, we should ask ourselves if there is anything that we can do about this?

If there isn't..... then be still, and know that God is!

If there is..... then have the courage to take risks and change what is going on.  

Something I have to remind myself is that God's desire to use us for something incredible doesn't go away because of our failures or mistakes.

God, give me the wisdom to know the difference!

back from vacation

I am a list guy..... here is a list of five things I learned on my extended trip to Jacksonville!

1. I really love my family and as dysfunctional as they can be (whose isn't), I am glad that they have played a part in my life.

2. Really good friendships are hard to find and sometimes hard to keep going.  However, their are certain friendships that will be strong forever!

3. I really love having wireless internet at my house.

4.  If home is where the heart is........ Crestview is HOME!

5.  It is so fun to be a part of mosaic church - Crestview.  I missed it even more than I thought would!

top 5 blogs (part 5 of 5)

i'm a good liar   4/29/09

 

I've become excellent at not being transparent but appearing to be so.

 

It is an art. 

 

It is taught at Pastors conference (maybe not directly, but it is).

 

It is the best way to become a successful pastor, leader, employee, spouse, parent.

 

Contemporary Churches have become environments where this is rewarded.  We love to hear some one's confession of  sin, some one's story of growth.  We don't actually want to investigate how they are doing today.  We don't want to look someone in the eye and sincerely ask them about sin.  It may involve more time, prayer, friendship.

 

We like the label of "authentic" without the work that comes with sincere authenticity.  

-will I truly be accepted if people know ____.  

-what will people think of the fact that I ____.

-I really don't want people to use ____ against me.

 

Let's what call it what it IS.

 

We are a culture of liars and typically we are a church of liars.

top 5 blogs (part 4 of 5)

 an audience                  3/23/09

 

Earlier today, I was thinking about how I am so amazed at what God is doing in my life and the life of the church I pastor....

 

......my first thought was to twitter.....

 

......then to blog, what I am blogging right now......

 

not just to praise God for His goodness.

 

I worry sometimes that having this constant audience via the web replaces me talking to God. (Yes, I realize by blogging about this I am doing the very thing I am concerned about.) 

 

I had a great time with an audience of one this morning. 

 

Hopefully our twitters and blogs flow out of our personal communication with God.  

top 5 blogs (part 3 of 5)

philosophy from Barry Manilow              2/4/09

"success comes when preparation and opportunity meet together."  

 

I heard this quote last night out of the mouth of none other than Barry Manilow!

 

This sums up what life is all about.  Opportunities are going to come, but what happens with those opportunities is all about what we have done to prepare ourselves.  

 

This applies to our jobs, our marriages, our financial opportunities, sharing the message of Christ, and pretty much everything.   

 

If I can teach my son one thing in this life, it would be to live his life in preparation for the opportunities that God will put before Him.  

 

Proverbs 16:1

to man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.

 

I think we can all apply this principle from Barry Manilow.

top 5 blogs (part 2 of 5)

where is the feedback?                  11/21/08

 

I was wondering why a lot of people say they read my blog, but no one comments on it. Maybe my readers are just not good with words, maybe their too lazy to comment, or maybe they just don't get technology. Then I was advised by a friend of mine that I had to change the settings because it was currently set to only let registered blogspot users have a say. What a simple thing I was doing to disconnect people from my blog.

 

I think this sums up most churches today.

 

They have a great message, but no one is responding to it. They figure out all the reasons in the world why people are not getting into what they are doing; a liberal culture shift, young people's attention spans, money, etc. They are completely unaware of the fact that they have shut the world out and are only interacting with those "inside". It takes some simple adjustments to change from being a gathering of people focused on self to being a living body that reaches out to a world in need. The message they have is compelling, it is what people are born to hear.

 

The question is whether or not the Church is ready to respond to the world's response to the Gospel.

 

As a blogger I am now ready for your comments. As a follower of Christ, I am ready to see you respond to the message of Christ!

top 5 blogs (part 1 of 5)

responding to criticism        posted on  7/28/08

 

When someone begins to criticise me or an issue arises in a relationship, there is a simple process that I follow in order to make things right.

 

Step 1: I evaluate my life. I check to see if there is something related to the issue that I need to get in line with God. Usually there is.

 

Step 2: I evaluate (not judge) the other person and see if there is any black/white issue that shows they are clearly not following God.

 

Step 3: I ask someone that I trust about the issue. They usually point out something I can work on as well.

 

Step 4: I pray about resolving the issue.

 

Step 5: I attempt to resolve the issue. Start with you heart! Tell them where you desire the relationship to be.

 

This has been very helpful to me over the past year. I encourage you to follow this or come up with a process to handle relationship issues in your life.

anniversary

It has been about one year since I started blogging.  In honor of this (and since I am on vacation) I  will be posting the top 5 blogs that I have received feedback, comments, or encouragement about this week.  I will post them in chronological order.

i am what i am

A lot of times I do not feel like I deserve to be where I am in life.

because of my......past

because of my......age

because of my......mistakes

because of my......failures

because of my......weaknesses

because of my.....inexperience

because of my.....sin

because of my.....doubts

because of my.....insecurities

Paul talks about not deserving to be an apostle in 1 Corinthians 15:10 and has spoken to me in a very personal way

"by the grace of God, I am what I am and His grace will not be void, because I worked harder than all of them; not I but the grace of God with me."

you may not deserve to be where you are - influentially, financially, relationally, etc.... but by God's grace you are what you are.

one prayer 2009

Here are the sermons for the one prayer series in June....

June 7th

God is....Love

Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv

June 14th

God is....Strength

Francis Chan, Cornerstone Church

June 21st

God is....Ready

Me

June 28th

God is....not mad

Eric Partin, Shoreline Church

it is going to be an awesome month!

my wife

Being the wife of a pastor is an interesting deal.  I think my wife is pretty cool and is starting to love shepherding our church with me.  We both have a long way to go and a lot of experience to put under our belt, but I am so in love with her and glad that we are on this journey together.  

Here are some things that I love about Christie.

She encourages me to believe in the power of the Holy Spirit.

She prays with an unbelievable level of sincerity and authenticity.

She is an amazing mother who puts my son before herself and trusts in doing family God's way.

She reads the Bible.

She genuinely wants everyone to be happy.

She wants our church to be a place that people feel loved and welcomed.

She looks for me to lead her and our church in faith.

She loves me unconditionally.

She is called by God.

because i.......

I read someone's comments about the book "Jesus wants to save Christians" by Rob Bell today.   This person said that they thought Rob Bell was wrong about his opinion on something because their church was doing things differently than what Bell said is right.  

Just because you are doing something doesn't mean it is right.  

In fact, just because most people are doing something doesn't mean it is right.  

Right is usually right, wrong is usually wrong.  

I realize sometimes there are different methods, styles, preferences in life that we have freedom to choose from.  But if you are making the point that someone's opinion is wrong, please don't say; they are wrong because i  have..... or because i'm doing.... or because i'm going to....

Tell us why it is right or wrong.  Or just say it is a matter of opinion....

it is ok to be unsure of things from time to time.

the reason for world evangelism

In one of my classes, I was asked to give a biblical reason for world evangelism/spreading of Christianity....Here is my post.

The Bible teaches that the Church exists for the glory of God (Ephesians 1: 4-6).  If this is our purpose for being on earth then it is clear that we are to do everything that we can to increase the glory of God on earth.  In fact, Jesus prayed that God's will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:10).  

John Piper says that the ultimate goal of the Church is not missions, it is worship.   

The most compelling verses for world evangelism are the ones that show God's desire for everything that has breath to praise Him (Psalm 150:6).  

Realizing God's desire for His name to be praised, we must spread the Gospel of Christ to all people (Matthew 28:16-20).  

The Gospel of Christ is Good News to those who are perishing!  Us being faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ will bring others to see how GOOD He is!

a great privilege

One of the coolest things about being a part of a church body is the amount of times that you get prayed for.  

It sounds very "unhumble", but I really like being prayed for!

I am so thankful that you are praying for my family's physical and spiritual health.

I am so thankful that you are praying for my leadership.

I am so thankful that you are praying for God's growth in my life.

PLEASE DON'T STOP PRAYING!

I try to pray for our church partners pretty regularly.  Regardless of whether or not you attend mosaic, I would love to lift you up.  Shoot me an e-mail at james@mosaiccrestview or leave a comment if you have some requests!

The prayer of the the righteous is powerful and effective - James 5:16

some good reads

Five books that have helped shape me into the man I am today:

Velvet Elvis

Crazy Love

Mere Christianity

Encounter God in the City

winning with people

no blogging

My lack of blogging is not intentional but is a result of the way God has grabbed ahold of my mind and is causing me not to think clearly.

I need to be slow to speak (or in this case write).

I will blog again, when I can get my thoughts together!

i'm a good liar

I've become excellent at not being transparent but appearing to be so.

It is an art. 

It is taught at Pastors conference (maybe not directly, but it is).

It is the best way to become a successful pastor, leader, employee, spouse, parent.

Contemporary Churches have become environments where this is rewarded.  We love to hear some one's confession of  sin, some one's story of growth.  We don't actually want to investigate how they are doing today.  We don't want to look someone in the eye and sincerely ask them about sin.  It may involve more time, prayer, friendship.

We like the label of "authentic" without the work that comes with sincere authenticity.  

-will I truly be accepted if people know ____.  

-what will people think of the fact that I ____.

-I really don't want people to use ____ against me.

Let's what call it what it IS.

We are a culture of liars and typically we are a church of liars.

no more......excuses

I make them all the time.......

I'm really busy right now

I don't get enough sleep

God loves me regardless

It doesn't make me that bad

I am pretty good at it already

I am helping others

I don't want to be legalistic

i have the excuses and more.

all excuses.

excuses for why I do not devote myself to reading of the Word and prayer EVERY DAY.

but.......I'm done.

preachers

If your desire to preach is bigger than your desire to see lives changed, then the source of your desire to preach is not God.

weekend recap

Mosaic 5K

We had 247 participants in the 1st ever Mosaic 5k!!!!!!!!

The unofficial amount of money we raised is just under 5K dollars!

-all proceeds benefiting the Crestview Pregnancy Center and the building of  a well in Mali, Africa.

I am so proud of Kinetta (race director) and all of our volunteers that made it happen!

Worship

I think that week 2 of "no more christians" was the best overall worship service we have ever had!

It was cool to meet people who have been to church once or twice in the last 10 years! (It seems like this is starting to be a regular thing!)

1 year celebration

We had a great time of hanging out, eating good food, singing together, and sharing what God has done over the past year!

I am so excited about what God has done, is doing , and is going to do through our Church!

Cameron

His second tooth appeared this weekend.  It is so bittersweet to see him grow up!

I love my family so much!

God

Is so good and so real on a personal level!

MOSAIC'S 1ST ANNUAL RUN FOR A CAUSE

The first ever Mosaic 5k will be this saturday!

Time - 8:30am (show up early to register)

Where - Old Spanish Trail Park, Crestview.

What - 5k run/walk.  kids fun run.  raffle with ton's of amazing prizes (i;e resort getaways, para sailing, etc)

How much - $20 for the 5K, $10 for the kids fun run

Why - All proceeds will be split 50/50 between "The Crestview Pregnancy Center" and Building a well in Mali, Africa.

We already have over 170 registrations!  This is going to be an incredible time and all of the money is going towards some great causes!

I hope to see you there!

are we a Christian nation?

This week President Obama caused an uproar in the "christian community" by stating that "The United States of America is not a Christian nation." 

(quick note: He also said that we were not a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation)

It has been long debated whether or not the Bible should be a factor in decisions made by our leaders. 

I am sure that you have heard statements like the following:

"Our country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles"

"all men are created equal, by GOD"

"We've gotten to where we are because it was in God that we trusted"

You have probably also heard statements counter to the above.

Either way the question is ARE WE A CHRISTIAN NATION?

my answer: I DON'T CARE!

Jesus told His disciples in John 18 that His kingdom is not of this world.  Their mission was not to build a country that stands in God, but to make an impact on lives that will stand with God.  

The whole following Jesus thing isn't about winning or getting our way.  When Jesus changes our life we aren't called to force others to live out our opinions, we are called to show them truth; and leave it up to God to change their opinions.

(quick note 2:  My opinions are based on the Bible.  When my opinion is asked, I give it.  I view the opportunity to vote as giving my opinion.)

Whether we are or are not a Christian nation is in no way a factor on my desire to live out the love, hope, and peace that Jesus Christ has brought into my life.

As Christians, we are people who base our entire opinion on something that is eternal, why don't we live like it?  

Maybe if we started focusing on living what we believe instead of being a nation that "believes" then more people would be willing to believe.  

(quick note 3: go for it if this Jesus being alive thing really matters to you!)

 

  

love and hate

"there is nothing more polarizing than a situation that demands a reaction"  anonymous

On April 1st we began promoting our "no more Christians" teaching series that begins on Easter Sunday.  We expected to get some negative responses.  It did not take long to realize that the response would be far more than imagined. 

We were contacted by the police department to remove our signs within two hours of putting up the first one.  My inbox was flooded with emails.  People noticed them.  In fact our local paper is publishing an article to expose the truth about this series.  You can read it at http://www.crestviewbulletin.com.

I could write about many things, but what amazed me most was one of the forums on yahoo about the commercial.  It started with one person questioning why there was attack on Christianity which brings freedom to so many people.  Then began a series of exchanges between Christians and non-Christians debating whether or not Christianity should or should not be attacked, whether or not Christianity is a good thing.  The Christians just defended themselves and showed pity for themselves and as one of our church attenders (Angela Duckworth) stated could not see past thinking this was a sign of the end times or an attack on their religion. 

No one tried to communicate the message of Love through Jesus Christ.

no one.                     

This is the problem.  

Christianity in America is on the decline, it is undeniable.  Magazines, Newspapers, etc and writing articles about this like crazy.  There is an incredible opportunity for dialogue. 

Christians:

God doesn't need us to defend him.  The world doesn't need us to argue with them.  They need us to live out the radical faith that gives evidence to our Savior who gave his life as a ransom for many.  

"You can't get on to the darkness for be dark, but you can do something about the light not being bright enough" - Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis

Dangerous Churches: Craig Groeschel

check out this blog from Pastor Craig Groeschel, someone I hold in high esteem.

I was talking to a guy on a plane about God. When I asked him if he went to church, he explained politely that he wasn’t interested. I asked him why he wasn’t and he said matter of factly, “Because I’ve already been and nothing happened.”

Maybe he went to a “safe” church.
In a safe church:
The message makes you feel better.
You’re never confronted about your sin.
No one rocks the boat.
You don’t have to change.
You may never truly encounter our Holy and Life-giving God.

When I read about the New Testament Church, it was filled with people with a dangerous faith. While we certainly should make our environments welcoming, our message should remain dangerous.
We’re called to leave everything to follow Christ.
We’re invited to believe God for the impossible.
We’re told to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
We’re told that to find our life we have to lose it first.

There is nothing safe about that message. May our churches become a safe place to encounter a dangerous message.

What are some of the ways you offer a welcoming environment while presenting a dangerous message?

why?

I think that if we truly asked ourself this question we would be so much more solid in the decisions that we make, the things that we do, the opinions that we have.  But we don't because we do not want to answer truthfully, we don't want to face the reality that maybe, just maybe our heart is in the wrong place.

i call my self a Christian........why?

i think he/she is "the one"......why?

i want to start a church........why?

i don't like my job......why?

it is so hard to keep good friends.....why?

i can't trust anyone........why?

no one is following my vision........why?

this problem will not go away......why?

............................................why?

James 1:14 but each one is tempted, when by the desires of their heart, they are dragged away and enticed.

10 random things about my current daily life

1. I am reading through Proverbs very slowly. I am on chapter 9 after a month of reading and it is changing my life!

2. I have seriously increased the number of meals I eat at home due to health and finances.

3. My Alltel report says that I average over an hour and half on the phone a day.

4. I watch 99% of Pardon the Interruption episodes.

5. I typically wake up at 6am and go to sleep around midnight.

6. I try to listen to a sermon a day.

7. I spend at least 30 minutes studying/discussing a religion besides Christianity.

8. I am experiencing the benefits of deep prayer life for the first time in a long time

9. I enjoy reading (or listening to my wife reading) Cameron a book every night.

10. Everyday,  I am confident that tomorrow will hold great things...

an audience

Earlier today, I was thinking about how I am so amazed at what God is doing in my life and the life of the church I pastor....

......my first thought was to twitter.....

......then to blog, what I am blogging right now......

not just to praise God for His goodness.

I worry sometimes that having this constant audience via the web replaces me talking to God. (Yes, I realize by blogging about this I am doing the very thing I am concerned about.) 

I had a great time with an audience of one this morning. 

Hopefully our twitters and blogs flow out of our personal communication with God.  

questions about beliefs

if you are a one of the following and are open to discussing your faith and to my questions about it please contact me...

atheist

muslim

jew

jehovah's witness

morman

hindu

i will not try to convert you, i just have questions for a teaching series we are doing

james@mosaiccrestview.com

it begins

This has been a  mentally exhausting week.  It makes me question the fact that I registered for classes over the summer today (after 1.5 years off from school).  

This nomorechristians teaching series is provoking a lot of questions.  This week....

• I have had four deep conversations about the existence of God, validity of the Bible, and other religions in addition to a group discussion on atheism last night.  
• I have had two e-mails wanting an explanation of this upcoming series.
  
• I have been called blasphemous twice (one joking, one serious)
• Adam Duckworth and I have been referred to as geniuses and idiots
• I have scheduled three meetings; one with an atheist, one with former atheist, and one with an agnostic.

and we haven't even promoted this thing yet.

I don't want to be the guy who only blogs about what the church is doing, but I am so excited about what God is going to do with this series!

nomorechristians.com

We are exactly 30 days away from the most exciting teaching series to hit mosaic crestview so far.  

This is the commercial we will be running during the month of April.

Walker and Amanda Sherman

God has answered a prayer of mosaic church this week as Walker and Amanda have decided to lead worship for our church!

As the leader of our church, I strongly desire to see every worship service become an incredible experience of worshiping God through music and hearing relevant teaching of the Bible.  I am confident that the Sherman's joining our team instantly brings us to that point.  

Here are just a few of the reasons why I believe that Walker is the guy to lead our worship music.

He has an evident love for Jesus Christ

He has an incredible desire to put his wife first

He has an authentic call to lead worship

He has learned from the experience he has

He has a desire to learn more

He is self motivated

He is very talented

He gets the vision of mosaic crestview

He is supportive of me as the Pastor of our church

He wants to see others use their gifts to serve Christ

He is fun to be around

He believes that God is doing great things  and will do even greater things with our body of people

I am excited to see how God uses Walker and Amanda to see lives changed in Crestview.

i am thankful to leaders who have gone before me

In "next generation leaders" Andy Stanley talks about how uncertainty increases with increased leadership responsibility.   The more things that you jump into as a leader the more things are uncertain.  With a lot of areas of leadership there is a great deal of intangibility, which means leaders have to make their best guess at deciding what is right for the situation.  

I am very thankful for the many Pastors and leaders who are ahead of me in their journey.  Leaders who have faced a lot of the same intangible decisions that I am facing or will have to face.  I am thankful for their courage to lead in the midst of uncertainty and for their willingness to be transparent about struggles they have faced and mistakes they have made.

I have benefited greatly from these men and women who have given me a lot of information to help me make the best guess at deciding what is right for situations.  

With twitter, blogs, websites, books, etc. there are some many opportunities to be able to learn from these courageous leaders.  

If you are young and in leadership, it is a mistake to think that you know best, that you are the LONE RENEGADE who is facing challenges and doing the right thing!  Everyone has their flaws, but everyone also has amazing strengths and experiences that we can benefit from!  Let's start letting them know how much we appreciate them!

Thank you leaders who have gone before me for making my life easier!

 

crazy day

6:20 wake up (overslept and did not make it to the gym)

6:45 Time in Proverbs, Prayer and enjoyed a skinny soy vanilla latte

7:00 worked at Starbucks (was on bar for the first time in over a month)

10:00 showered and headed to Cameron's Dr appt

10:45 Cameron's dr ran out of the office b/c of an emergeny at the hospital (reschedule for later)

11:15 lunch with the fam at Hideaway Pizza

12:15 came home to fix a panel of our fence which had fallen down this morning and led the dogs to run around the neighborhood (they are big but wouldn't hurt a fly - ok they kill small animals, but no people)

1:00 conference call with Chris Hodges (pastor of the church of the Highlands) he was 30 min late, but it was a great call!

2:00 finished fixing the fence

2:30 e-mails and changed to go back to cameron's dr

3:15 Cameron's dr appt (royal treatment was given)

3:57 arrived at signs galore which closes at 4pm to place t-shirt and sign order

4:25 picked Cameron up (Christie is working tonight)

4:30 received back to back to back phone calls about complicated stuff

5:00 sitting down blogging about this and realizing that today could have been very stressful, but I chose to have a good attitude today and I started the day off with some QT with God.  

I know it is overstated but that really is a good start to a day in which anything and everything could happen.  Hopefully I will begin tomorrow that way as well!

five questions I ask myself just about every night.

What did God teach me today?

How can I be more like Him tomorrow?

What decision do I need his guidance on?

Who do I need to intentionally talk to about their walk with (or lack of) Christ?

What am I afraid of?

equipment

This is our short list of equipment wants/needs right now.  

Please let me know if you know someone that is trying to sell or give any of these away.  

Let me know if you have any advice on where to get quality stuff for a bargain price

another 12 foot trailer

stage lighting

another macbook

keyboard

rear projection screen

easily portable room dividers/atmosphere creators (i;e pipe and drapes)

road cases for sound stuff and for children's stuff

Please pray for us to obtain these things and of course you are always welcome to meet a need!

leaving on a jet plane

check out where I will be for the next few days:

www.creativechurchconference.com

planning for the "we" series

offering

This upcoming Sunday will be the first Sunday that we collect an offering at mosaic during the worship service.  Up to this point we have chosen to leave this aspect out of our service and only give people the opportunity to give by placing a box at the entrance.  

The largest factor in determining this decision is the following:  We believe we are failing in teaching new believers that giving of their resources is a part of their walk with Christ.  

It is less awkward to remind them weekly through implementing the passing of buckets (plates, baskets, whatever) during worship than to say "don't forget to walk over to the box where everyone can see you and give something."  

Here are some questions and answers that we have worked through in making this decision.  

Q: Will taking up the offering during the service cause those who are unchurched to be uncomfortable?

A: There are a few that may not like it, but most people who do not go to Church have gotten past that when they decide to attend a service.  Plus we will let them know that they are not expected to give.

Q:  Aren't offerings supposed to be given and not taken?

A: However you do your offering they have to be taken, unless you just leave the money sitting there.  Also Paul referred to the collecting of money in 1 Corinthians 16

Q: Isn't it better to give while no one's looking?

A:  Yeah, we don't give to be seen.  People may see you give during the offering time, people may also see you give at the box in the back.  Just don't worry about them.  Focus on God.

Q: Are we doing this so we will have more money?

A: Actually, our finances have increased drastically recently so we are not to worried about that.  God will take care of us.  However, the more people who are giving (with the right heart) the more we are equipping people to live life to the fullest.  

Q: Won't some people give out of guilt?

A: We hope not.  We hope people don't do anything for the wrong reason.  Some probably will, just like some probably do now.  

four blogs that annoy me (part 4 of 4)

the continual response blog

What I did this week probably is annoying to some bloggers out there.  Imagine if my blogs were like this all the time.  What annoys me more than anything is a blogger that only blogs when attacking what other people have blogged about.  

It is like they don't have anything to say but they want to be heard.  

A lot of people are like this in life as well.  Pastors who have no vision but love to criticize Pastors who are actually doing something.  People who don't have courage to follow their dreams, but make fun of others who chase after theirs and fall short.  Unhappy people trying to tear down people who are happy.  

Come on now.  I would love to read your blog, but I want to read YOUR thoughts.  

Love and respect others.

Live your life to the fullest, and if you have the time...

....blog about it.  

four blogs that annoy me (part 3 of 4)

the "please leave me comments" blog

If you have enabled comments people get the point that you would like responses to your blog, so stop begging everyone to comment.  

If you have a survey or some specific question for people I understand that you are communicating that...

but... if you are just posting your thoughts, you don't need to remind everyone that you would like their opinion.

Do you all agree?

(get my point)

four blogs that annoy me (part 2 of 4)

the advertisement blog disguised as a regular blog

If your blog is for the purpose of promoting your church, your business, or whatever and you are upfront about that  - ABSOLUTELY COOL and also a very effective marketing tool!  

For an example of someone who does that effectively check out http://ellementstudios.wordpress.com

But if you are one of these people who uses their "regular" blog to continually promote their books, modeling career, speaking schedule, new business, or whatever..... please be up front about why you are blogging.  You have an agenda to promote - it is cool! Just don't be so shady about trying to accomplish that promotion.  

four blogs that annoy me (part 1 of 4)

the wanna be pastor that lectures pastors

I am tired of seeing guys blog about how to be a good pastor, that have never pastored ever!

Now, I am a pastor, but you don't see me telling pastors how to be effective.  

I love sharing my experiences and I think it is great for each of us to challenge each other on Biblical leadership principles

but stop regurgitating something you have heard Craig Groeschel, Andy Stanley, Steven Furtick or someone else say......

You haven't experienced leading a church to reach people, you don't have the scars to prove that you have been there and done that!

Blog about things that you actually know about, blog about what is going on in your life.

Leave the Pastoral advice to people who know what they are talking about.

We are inexperienced, maybe we should take this time to listen!

WARNING: 4 types of blogs i am tired of seeing

I haven't been a blogger for that long and I usually do not do stuff like this, but this week I am going to blog about 4 types of blogs that I am tired of seeing (yes seeing, because I usually don't read them).  

I am not singling anyone out and I am not trying to be mean.  I just hope to inspire some people to start something great........to start not blogging about the things I mention!

I will begin tomorrow.  

help me grow

my contact is james@mosaiccrestview.com.  

Please take the time and e-mail me the answers to the following questions if you are able:

If you are or were to be a leader of a church/business/organization and I came to work for you full time for free, where would you put me to work and why?

What areas would you see to it that I avoid and why?

In my current job where do you see a misalignment between my competencies and my responsibilities?

In what areas of my life do you see a misalignment between my passion and my competencies?

philosophy from Barry Manilow

"success comes when preparation and opportunity meet together."  

I heard this quote last night out of the mouth of none other than Barry Manilow!

This sums up what life is all about.  Opportunities are going to come, but what happens with those opportunities is all about what we have done to prepare ourselves.  

This applies to our jobs, our marriages, our financial opportunities, sharing the message of Christ, and pretty much everything.   

If I can teach my son one thing in this life, it would be to live his life in preparation for the opportunities that God will put before Him.  

Proverbs 16:1

to man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.

I think we can all apply this principle from Barry Manilow.  

who is going to take care of that?

YOU.

YOU really can make a difference in people's lives.  The Bible is just screaming with promises of God to take YOUR effort, YOUR time and use YOU to make a significant impact in the life of someone.  

There is so much pain in the world, some much hurt, and so many problems that we stand back and look at it and become overwhelmed.  We almost give up because we cannot do it all.  It is like we are a perfectionist that will  not even try if we aren't going to be able to cure all things that are sick.  But we can do something.  If you have no idea where to start, go to your pastor or a leader in your church.  See what you can do.  

You don't have to be the person who preaches/teaches, you don't have to be the one that leads the mission to africa/asia, you don't have to be in control; you just need to be the person who fills whatever role is needed.  

The world doesn't need another savior, but it does need servants!

insight and wasabi

Yesterday I was having lunch at a fantastic sushi restaurant in town with my friend Mark (whom I had a fantastic conversation with).  Just as I sat down a woman came up to me who attended mosaic off and on for a few months.  She exuded that awkward feeling of "i better say hey to him first".  We said our hello's and she asked how my family and I was doing and then I asked her how she was doing......... of course the response went immediately to why she hasn't come to mosaic in a while.  

She said that she loved what we were doing and loved the people at mosaic and that my preaching was incredible (she even said I spoke right to her) but that she was going to a bigger and more established church  (that i won't mention) because it was closer and all the stuff they have. 

TWO THINGS.

One, isn't crazy that someone will pick a church not by the fact that God is growing them but by the things that the church has.  I think having stuff is good, but completely secondary to communicating the truth of scripture in  a way that leads people to get it.  

Secondly, this shows that it is important to single moms for their to be a lot of opportunities for their kids to do stuff.  Our churches must always remember that as we seek to be relevant to families that good preaching and good worship is not enough for that family.   

I wanted to tell her how much better things are for children and students at mosaic, but I realized that she is a christian and is going to church (at least some times). 

mosaic update

Here is a snapshot of what is going on with mosaic right now.  

• God is being faithful to working in the lives of people.
  
• We have two people scheduled to be baptized next month.
  
• We have a couple of people who are so close to realizing what their life should be about.  
  
• Our attendance is in the 90's consistently. 
  
• Our childrens ministry is finally organized well.
  
• We are changing the layout of the Sunday experience to be more comfortable for guests.
  
• We are in a transition time as our worship leader's last Sunday was this past Sunday. Hoping for people that we already have to rise up or for God to bring someone to us.
  
• Finances have improved but are still a struggle, giving needs to increase!
• Our student ministry is doing great!
• We are about to start a new life group for married/engaged couples
• We have started podcasting!  Mosaic Church Crestview
• and much much more!

tripp battle

the right thing

Sometimes doing what is right does not make sense.

It is so easy to lean on our own understanding. We are comfortable with it. We are familiar with what the consequences are. We are in some sort of control of the situation. Even if it is bad there is not an element of surprise.

We don't like surprises; or better put we don't like the time leading up to the surprise. I want to know my choices:

If I am not the one picking where we go to dinner, I like to know beforehand so that I can prepare myself if I am going to be disappointed or eat less during the day if it going to be somewhere good. I do not like just showing up somewhere.

If someone is paying, I don't like rules on what to order. I want to have the freedom to choose. I want to be able to do what I want.

Why do I say all this? Because God asks us to follow him, to make decisions that are not based on our understanding but are leaps of faith.

I have to ask myself a question a lot? As a pastor, as a church planter, as a husband, as a friend, as a leader, as a father, as an individual

am I willing to follow God into the unknown?

accuracy

did you know that the king james version says that were unicorns?

that made me laugh!

It was in Job, so it is slightly possible that they didn't make it on the ark (but not likely).

steps

So, it is a new year and I have some goals. The date I have set to meet these goals varies from during this year to five years from now.

-Finish my Masters.
-Get back into the shape I was at our wedding.
-Pay off our car/have only our mortgage as debt and then save up to pay cash for the next car.
-Become a better husband.
-Lead our church to experience growth and no longer need outside support to carry out the vision God has given us.

Probably a few more to come!

You know what's crazy, people set goals without ever determining the steps to get there. I am setting the steps now! Pray for me as I work on all of these!

plans

GUEST BLOG: John Wise (friend o james and guy who helps at mosaic from time to time)

it's funny. as i look back there is only one question that seems to always come my mind. in fact it is probably the most overused question that is presented to every graduate whether they are graduating from college or high school.

"what do you plan to do next?"

sometimes when that question comes up around the parents, they usually try to answer it for you. am i wrong?for me, that question had to be the most annoying. every time i ran into someone with my parents that they knew, they had to tell them i was graduating. and every time i had to prepare myself for that dreaded question.in all honesty i had no idea what i was going to do. i still don't. if you even mentioned this to the person who asked you that question, they followed it up with even more questions. "well, what about this? or this? or how about this?"and then you get those who ask, "well what is God's will for you?"there it is. the question that leaves me speechless.

but why is it? it should be an easy question to answer. THIS is where God wants me to go. THIS is what God wants me to do. THIS is who God wants me to marry. and the list goes on.what is God's will for our lives? what is God's will for my life? what is His plan?

the verse that is quoted a lot when faced with this dilemma can be found in proverbs. it says: "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."paths. plural. not singular.

sometimes i think we view God's will as this small box that we have to stay in. and if we go here, or do this we break and step out of the box and out of God's will. it is as if we are limiting God. saying, "this is it. this is all You have for me." we change "paths" to "path." in essence, we are limiting God. saying this is all He can do.this thrill ride of abundant life. this journey that we are on can't be one of simplicity and singularity. i don't think that is what God intended for us. if that is what He indented then there would be things in this life and in the Bible that we would completely understand. but instead, the Bible leaves us with questions. it leaves wondering and wanting to know more. i don't see that as simple.look back at those verses and read the first part again. the writer says that we are to "trust" God with everything we have and acknowledge Him in everything we do. part of this complex, intimate relationship that God desires to have with us. He wants us to seek Him and Who He is.

there are numerous verses in the New Testament that show how we should live and act all saying, "it is God's will."for an example:1 Thes 4:3 - "it is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality."1 Thes 5:18 - "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."and the list goes on.it is all part of this complex relationship.once we sit down, take a deep breath and just focus on Who God is and get to know Him more and more "He will make our paths straight."He will present these "paths" to us. He will guide us. He will help us on this thrill ride. this journey. we just need to focus on Him and not get bogged down with worry about the decision.

later in that same chapter in proverbs the writer says, "then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared."meaning this God who wants you to get to know Him, who wants you to experience this thrill ride, this journey is going to be there, helping you. He is not just going to show up when needed, He is always going to be there, watching, helping, guiding. making our paths straight.

so i sit here on my parent's porch watching the sun set on another day. i still do not know what is going to happen in the months to come. i don't know where i will work or where i will live. what will i do?i will continue on this joy ride, this journey where i experience the love and joy of God and get to know Him more in a way i never have.opportunities will come. paths will appear in front of me and i will have to choose where to go and what to do. but if i just have to continue to grow and mature and experience the joy in this thrill ride of abundant life. and if i do that, God will make my paths straight and keep my foot from stumbling.how awesome is that?