I Stll Get Nervous

You may not believe this, but I have always had stage fright. My first stage appearance was a month after I turned three years old. There I was being pushed onto the stage of my parents' little church to recite my Christmas poem - in a diaper! I will let you make up your own story about that, but you can believe what really happened was probably worse that what you imagine.

All through school, from first grade through college, I hated having to speak in front of an audience. Then, I went into ministry where I have stood before a congregation nearly every week for the past 32 years.

It doesn't matter if I'm speaking to a handful of people or thousands, I still get nervous if I am in a new environment. My hands grow numb and cold, my heart rate increases, I get short of breath, and feel like I could faint dead on the spot! Every time I feel that anxiety begin, I use it for an opportunity for prayer while reminding myself that it's not about me. I am weak, God is strong. I am insufficient, He is all-sufficient.

Yesterday, was one of those days. I was driving across town to speak at a Christian school's weekly chapel service. While researching the school a bit online, I had come across a statistic for South Carolina's private schools and found that I was on my way to speak at the state's largest private school (school's entrance is pictured above). I assure you that no pride rose up in me at that point, only fear. So, as I drove, I prayed asking God for peace in my heart and mind, for clarity of thought, and mostly that he would speak to the students through me. As I flipped on the radio hoping for some soothing Christian music, they were in the middle of a break from music and I had to endure several minutes of blah, blah, blah. This church is having the event, this other church wants you to come hear this singer, on and on.

Finally, a song came on, and tears came as Matthew West started singing a song that I had only vaguely heard before. Oh, I knew that catchy hook lines, but had never actually listened to the song all the way through. He sang,

You must, You must think I'm strong
To give me what I'm going through
Well, forgive me, Forgive me if I'm wrong
But this looks like more than I can do on my own.

I couldn't believe they were playing what my heart was crying!

I know I'm not strong enough to be everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up, I'm not stong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be strong enough, strong enough
For the both of us

Then I realized this wasn't just a "right now" song, this was really the song of my life. Matthew and my heart kept singing.

Cause I'm broken, down to nothing
But I'm still holding on to the one thing
You are God, and you are strong when I am weak

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength
And I don't have to be strong enough.

I suspect that the next time I stand in front of a new crowd, I will still feel weak and less than able. But, I'm ok with that. The only reason I am ever standing on two feet is because Jesus is holding me up. Works for me.

Winter in the South

We've had a bit of frost and one spat of sleet and freezing rain, but today we finally got SNOW!

Then, of course, since we're in the South, an hour later the sun came out and melted most of it away.

Priority Shift

From Matthew 10:42
If anyone gives even a cup of
cold water to one of these
little ones who belong to Christ,
he will certainly not lose his reward.

What is your priority? How do you characterize your Christianity? What gets most of your time and attention? There are so many "Christian" issues that steal our resources and deplete our ability to serve, but have you ever noticed how in both testaments of the Bible, God constantly tries to draw attention to people in need? Many of the laws of Moses were in place to provide equity among God's people.

Consider this from the law in Deuteronomy 15:11, "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."

From the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah 32:6 "For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the LORD; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water."
...

From Jesus' words in Luke 12, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

And from the apostles, James 1:26-27 "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Maybe it's time to turn your gaze away from your petty issue and ask God to direct your focus.

 

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

An Image of Jesus

Today, Transformation House was featured in the City People section of the Greenville (SC) News. The article was based on an interview that Amber Anderson and I recently gave to a reporter. I thought the writer, Donna Walker, did an excellent job of capturing our message and the heart of our interview with her.

The article started with this statement, "Transformation House aims to be a place where people can connect with one another, or with an image of God that they may not have expected to find." That really caught my attention: "an image of God that they may not have expected to find." I'm sure that's not how we stated it, but it is absolutely true.

We know that many people have a preconceived idea of God based on their past church experience, or their upbringing, or how God is portrayed through various media outlets. Some see him as an angry overlord, some as a sugar daddy, some as a distant, mysterious figure, some as a close, intimate friend.

Our goal in starting this downtown ministry, is to present to the people of Greenville a crystal clear picture of who Jesus really is. We are convinced that when they see him for who he really is, they will find him completely irresistible.

You can read the newspaper article online.

New Amphitheater in Greenville

Out with the old, small, open stage. In with the new, larger, covered stage. The seating area has been completely redone creating more rows.

It Could Be Me

After you watch this video, you may be inspired to make a difference in someone's life. If so, let me know. I could use some help as we work in our city to help one person at a time change their destiny.

Can You Relate to Trey Pennington?

People arrive for the Candlelight Memorial
for Trey Pennington

I’ve been reflecting this week on why the death of Trey Pennington affected me so deeply.  We lived in the same city but had never met.  I only knew of him through the internet.  We weren’t Facebook friends and had never exchanged emails, but when I learned of his death, I felt a sense of loss.  That seems odd when there was no personal connection.

Trey was well-known around the world as an online radio personality, a blogger, a mentor, and a speaker.  I read this week that his Facebook and Twitter pages were ranked near the top in terms of influence.  He was an important figure to many people.  That was obvious at the candlelight memorial held at Falls Park on Wednesday evening.

This made me wonder who Trey’s influencers were.  Whose voices did he hear?  When it was time to make important decisions, what voice spoke loudest in his mind?  Last Sunday, as he faced the choice of life or death were his thoughts echoing with words of love and encouragement or derision and condemnation?  As he made his final choice, the choice to end his own life, only that last voice mattered.

Trey's cousin addresses the crowd gathered
in the park he loved

I think I’ve come to understand why I felt connected to Trey.  We had at least two things in common.  First of all, Trey loved Greenville.  Anyone who knows me knows that I think Greenville is the best city anywhere.  I love to eat, work, and play downtown.  I even hope one day to live downtown.  I love Falls Park, the river, the Liberty Bridge, the surrounding businesses, and the people who create the diverse culture that we enjoy here.

Second, at Trey’s memorial his friend, Jay Handler, made a statement that I could identify with.  He said that Trey had a hole in his heart that none of his friends could fill.  Can I ever relate to that!  I spent many years trying to fill that big hole in my own heart.  I tried to fill it with relationships, with busyness, with pornography, with church, and with anything else that I thought would silence the voices that called me worthless.

For the past dozen years or so, I have been free of those voices, and the great void has been filled.  It’s not a religious solution.  I had been in church my entire life, and church never filled that emptiness.  The solution was found in scripture though.  In John 8, Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.”  When I learned the truth about who God is, who I am, and how God sees me, I was able to have healthy relationships, healthy thoughts, and could reject the lies that were hurled at me from people of little character or lies that I had internalized.  Now, it’s my goal to communicate the liberating truth to other people who are listening to opposing voices.

At the same time Trey chose to end the conflict of his heart, I was one block away speaking to a small group of people about their worth.  Here are some thoughts I shared with them:

• God created you with a purpose.
• God created you to love you.
• Do you know why God chooses to use imperfect people?  Because that’s the only kind there are.
• Life is like a jigsaw puzzle: none of the pieces look like much by themselves.  A circumstance that you experience may not seem to fit your life, but according to Romans 8:28, God is causing all things to work together for your good.  It may be that you will never understand that until the last piece is in place.
• We tend to look at our failures and think we are too messed up to have any value.  Like those lucky people on Antiques Road Show with their $5 yard sale item who find out its worth is actually thousands of dollars, we see ourselves at the yard sale price.  The truth is that you were created with value and no circumstance of life can devalue you.  Your worth is determined by your Creator.

There are people all around me who live in moments of despair, people who lie awake at night in utter hopelessness.  If you’re one of them, please don’t pretend you’re ok when you’re around me.  You can be real.  I can handle it, and I want to help if I can.  I don’t assume the answers are easy or the same as mine, but I’m willing to walk through the hard times with you until you find the solution that works for you.  Whether I’m a block away or a continent away, call me.

Look around.  Who needs your help to fill the hole in their heart?

My other photos from 9/7/11 are in my Facebook album.

Heading Home

Approaching Greenville on Wade Hampton Boulevard reminds me how great a task is before us. Transforming a city one person at a time requires a long-term commitment. Our Transformers have made this a priority in their lives and are sacrificing their own agendas in order to follow God's call. Wouldn't you like to be a Transformer?

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Unleash at NewSpring

I got to spend the day with friends and colleagues at NewSpring Church in Anderson.  I have been to Newspring several times for other events, but this was the first time I've attended Unleash.  If you're interested you can click here view videos from previous years.

I won't give you a lengthy description of the conference, but let me say that the volunteers were phenomenal - as always.  You can't attend NewSpring's Anderson campus without feeling that they are really glad you came.  Also, Lee and the worship team always move my heart closer toward God.  They are incredible musicians, but their music abilities pale compared to the presence of God that fills the room as He inhabits the praise.  I have never made it through a worship time at NewSpring without tears.

Today, I felt that the welcoming volunteers and the worship team were matched by the profound teaching that I received.  There were four sessions: two general sessions and two breakouts.  Perry Noble taught (preached) in the general sessions.  I attended his Q&A session for senior pastors and the breakout session taught by Jake Beaty, Pastor of Care and Outreach. 

Now, I've read a few blog posts, watched some YouTube videos, and read Tweets that criticized Perry and NewSpring for their methods and for the "false gospel" that is preached there.  I have never been to NewSpring when the gospel was not presented, and it was clearer than ever today.  Every session pointed to Jesus and the transforming power of the Gospel.  Perry and Jake reminded us that our first calling was not to ministry but to be a child of God - ministry just flows from that relationship. 

In a non-specific acknowledgement of recent blog posts concerning another pastor, early in the day Perry made his position clear by saying, "Hell really does exist, and people are going to go there unless we tell them about Jesus."

My greatest take-away was one point Perry made in the last session.  Here's my paraphrase:  He was challenging us to believe Jesus' words recorded in John 14:12 when he said that those of us following a God-given vision for ministry will look crazy to people who can't see the whole picture.  Those people may have a tendency to slow us down or stop us from fulfilling our ministry calling.  Perry pointed out that no great move of God recorded in Scripture happened because a person or group of people sat down and made a plan for the move of God.  More often than not, it happened when people stepped out in faith.  For instance, in the story of Jonathan and his armorbearer in 1 Samuel 14, we read, Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few." "Do all that you have in mind,' his armor-bearer said. 'Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

Did you read that?  Perhaps!  Yet so often we ask for writing in the sky, or some other sign, to assure us that we're on the right track.  However, let me make this personal.  If I am truly called to pastor a church in downtown Greenville - and I am - then I can walk in faith saying, "Let's do something.  Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf."  God always backs up His calling. 

So, after today, I'm actively waiting to see what God will do as I partner with other Transformers and walk out in faith the call we have received.  I believe that Greenville will experience a great move of God.  Believers all over the city are living out their faith, those who are missing from our churches are crying out for help, and God is poised, ready to act on our behalf.  Perhaps today is the day.

He is the God of the Miraculous

Yesterday morning, during my prayer time, I was captivated by God's miraculous nature.  I was preparing for my day and anticipating having lunch with Pastor Chris and a friend who has been a tremendous blessing to Transformation House over the past 9 months.  At the same time, I didn't want this to just be another ho-hum day.  In my prayer I began to rehearse miracles from Biblical times:  blind eyes that were opened, lame people who were healed, children who were raised from the dead, the day the sun stood still. 

"God, if you did all those things, You are certainly capable of opening doors for me today and leading me to divine appointments with the right people, at the right time."

This phrase came to my mind, "He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think according to the power that works within us."

Lunch on Main Street, Greenville

Well, I met Pastor Chris and our friend for lunch.  We shared our hopes and vision for future ministry opportunities in downtown Greenville.  Our friend said, "There's somebody you need to meet."  He picked up his phone and made a call then asked if we wanted to ride a few blocks to meet this guy.  Of course we did!

I won't go into the details here, but before the afternoon was over, we had met three different people who are investing blood, sweat, tears, and dollars in ministry to people in downtown Greenville.  Each one of these men were encouraging and offered their support as we take our next leap of faith.  Chris and I spent the entire afternoon downtown.  We now have four different buildings that are possible locations for Transformation House.  And that's just the beginning!

Our families went to RWOC for the evening service.  One of the first songs we sang was He's Able by Deitrick Haddon.  Then, Pastor Steven Ward got up and told us that we need to keep knocking until God opens the door but that we shouldn't expect Him to open a door if we aren't knocking. 

After worship, Pastor Ben Miller preached a GREAT word on dealing with frustrations.  I won't describe his message here because I believe every word was straight from God's heart to mine.  But, he ended by reading Ephesians 3:20 - you know, the verse that says God is "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."

At Transformation House, we are believing for great things.  While we're believing, we're working as if it depends on us, knocking and expecting the door to open, asking knowing He will answer, bleeding because it's a cause worth dying for, praying because we know it depends on God alone, giving because if it's worth having, someone else needs it too, and living like King's kids.

Wouldn't you like to be a Transformer too?

Created with Purpose Part 2

Tonight, we continued our IN THE BEGINNING series with part two of Created with Purpose.

For anyone trying to discover their purpose in life, here is some advice:

• Make a decision.  Don't wait for writing in the sky before taking a step into your destiny.  I believe God has already put in you everything you need to carry out your purpose.  What are you passionate about? Where are you gifted? What brings you joy?  When you find that answer, you will find your purpose.  God is not waiting for you to "find His will."  He is waiting for you to DO something.  Then, He will bless what you set your hand to do just because you belong to Him.
• Patiently wait for your work and passion to bear fruit.
• Don't waste time on things that don't matter or on things that God won't bless.
• Don't step into a role just because it's the only door open.
• Don't stop pursuing your passion.  Hebrews 12:1-3
• Give up control in areas that you can't control.  Proverbs 16:3
• Find God's will in His word.  2 Timothy 2:15
• Hang out with people smarter than you who have succeeded at what you want to do. 1 Corinthians 11:1

At Transformation House, we believe we should carry out Christ's commission as found in Matthew 28:16-20 and Luke 4:16-19.  The church in general, and Transformation House specifically, should find our purpose for existence in Isaiah 61:1-3:

• Anointed - set apart and given the ability and authority to perform the following tasks
• Preach good news - our message is Christ-centered, it is the message of our daily conversation
• Bind up brokenhearted - a place of refuge, arms and words of compassion
• Proclaim freedom for captives - to help those who deal with issues of life find freedom from their struggles
• Proclaim release from darkness for prisoners - to help people who have no hope of change find the way to a transformed life
• Proclaim God's favor and vengeance - point out the truth that grace is available now but judgment waits alternately
• Comfort mourners, provide for the grieving - put our money where our mouth is, don't just tell people that there is hope, give them hope; tangibly interact with those who have suffered loss
• Restore beauty for ashes, gladness for mourning, and praise instead of despair - be different from every other place.  No long faces and no sob stories.  We are all about beauty, excellence, grace, joy, contentment, praise, and encouragement.

Sounds like somewhere I want to be!  Join us.

The above picture is the interior of the building we are praying for.  The Board of Directors for the property is deciding this week if they will approve our proposal.  The room pictured would be the gallery when furnished with a coffee bar and casual seating.  This is the area we would like to have open each evening.  Thanks for praying for us this week.

God Created the Church

At our Transformation House Bible studies, we are looking at what the Bible says about God as Creator.  In our first meeting, we looked at how God created the church. 

One of Jesus' main objectives was to build His church (Matthew 16:18 and Colossians 1:17-18).

Our main point was that everything we do in the church and as the church is ALWAYS relational.  God's very first observation after creating Adam was that it was not good for him to be alone (Genesis 2:18). 

In the Bible, the church is referred to in many different ways, including family, a body, a fellowship, a community, a building, a bride, branches, and sheep.  None of these can function alone.  A family requires at least two members.  A body has many parts.  No one can fellowship alone.  A community is not a community if there is only one house.  A building needs many bricks.  A bride isn't a bride without a groom.  Branches need a vine or trunk.  Sheep need a shepherd.  EVERYTHING IS RELATIONAL.

We determined that the normal functions of the church - fellowship, evangelism, discipleship, and worship - aren't just for Sundays.  Our goal at Transformation House is to incorporate these into our daily routines in a way that exudes life. 

We want to keep our message simple: God loves you and can change your life. 

We want to keep from focusing on one leader, and keep Jesus in the spotlight.

We want everyone to have a place to participate in our activities. 

We want to create and foster community. 

Our homework was to read the following scriptures:
Galatians 6:2; John 13:34; James 5:16; and Hebrews 10:25.

FAMILY FUN DAY

Today we had an afternoon in Cleveland Park in downtown Greenville. The kids had a great time on the playground. Gavin fell from the top of the bars and claimed he broke his finger. (He was fine.) But we weren't there just for fun; we had a family meeting to discuss how to carry out the vision God has given us.

We are looking forward to having a place of ministry in downtown Greenville and believe that it is now time to step out in faith to see it happen. We will be having weekly family meetings that will become open Bible studies in time. This is how we believe the Lord is directing us to start Greenville's Transformation House, a church that we hope will eventually have continual ministry 24/7.