I love Summer

Summer is definitely one of my favorite times of year. I love warm weather. I love taking vacations. I love the laid-back feel of Summer.
One thing I told my staff this past Tuesday was, "we are not going to go on vacation as a church." What I meant by that was, sure everyone at church including the staff needs to get rested up, take a vacation, etc. but we are still going to put our best foot forward every week.
Every Sunday will be someone's first time at Foothills, and we are going to do our part to make their experience the best hour of their week.
Having said that, we understand that there are certain straegic times during the year when you have attendance spikes, so we program stronger during those times. Like Easter, Christmas, the start of the school year and after the New Year.
If you attend Foothills, why not make it a point when you're in town this Summer to be at church, to continue giving regularly, and to find a place where you can volunteer.

Summer Schedule

We made an executive decision in our staff meeting to go to a summer service schedule.
To give our Staff and volunteers a little break for summer we decided to temporarily cancel our 6:00pm service.
Beginning June 17th we will be offering 3 services instead of 4. The times will be 8:30am, 9:45am and 11:15am.
We will resume the 6:00pm service on August 5th.
If you are one of the people who comes to the 6:00pm service we apologize for any inconvenience, but when we began the 6:00pm service last September we knew that it was going to have a lot of wear and tear on staff and volunteers. People have stepped up to the plate and have served faithfully without any complaints. So we wanted to say thank you, by giving everyone a few weeks to catch their breath. Until then plan to catch one of the other 3 services!

Happy Memorial Day

We live in the greatest Country in the World! We have freedoms people in other Countries only dream of. I am grateful for all of the men and women who have laid down their lives to protect our freedoms.
I am doing some relaxing today. Just spending some time with my family. Actually this whole weekend has been relaxing. Yesterday our Pastor of Student Ministry, Scott Chatfield did a great job giving the message. I was on a crazy schedule because it was the first Sunday of 2007 I was not speaking. I try to speak about 40-42 Sundays a year, so I will be taking more Sundays off.
When I am on an extended speaking schedule of more than 10 weeks in a row, I feel creatively challenged and need to step back and catch my breath. My friend Perry Noble told me that he heard that the adrenaline rush of speaking one time on Sunday takes about 8 hours to come down off (multiply that by 4 times because of our service schedule and you kind of get what I'm talking about.) If you've ever been driving your car and had someone suddenly pull out in front of you, and you barely missed getting in an accident----that's the same kind of adrenaline rush. It takes hours for you to settle down.
But, I am feeling rested up and am so excited about this weekend's message I'm doing called, "The Tunnel of Love." It will be alot of fun, sharing with couples about how to put a little romance back in their marriages! The feature song is going to be great. Don't miss it!!

Great time

I just got home from a Pastor's Roundtable with a group of about 10 Pastors at Newspring Church in Anderson. We had dinner together last night, then spent all day today hanging out and learning from one another. It was a great time. I met a lot of new friends and got to see some old friends.
There is such a benefit to me personally to rub shoulders with guys who are committed to reaching their communities for Christ. I left inspired, challenged, and grateful that I was able to be there.
Thanks Perry, and Newspring for making it happen!

The eyes have it

I read a quote this morning in a devotional that I have really been thinking about. The writer said "When something concerns us, what's our perspective? It's not WHAT we see, but HOW we see it that reveals our attitudes."
Have you ever noticed how two people can look at the same thing, but see two different things? It's not a vision thing it's an ATTITUDE thing.
One person sees the obstacle, while the other sees the opportunity. One person sees danger while the other person sees adventure.
Think about David facing Goliath. Everyone else saw a giant that would surely whip their behinds, but David saw an obnoxious guy that actually looked pretty small in comparison to God.
The Nation of Israel saw the walls of Jericho as an impenetrable impossibility, but Joshua saw them as God-sized probability.
Many times we face obstacles or things that scare us to death. If we will learn to see things from God's perspective rather than our own, we'll be a lot better off!

What is something you have been looking at through your human perspective that looks pretty impossible? Maybe a financial obstacle, or a relationship obstacle, maybe you're a Pastor and you are struggling with seeing your church grow or you are having battles with people who won't let you lead. In your human eyes, from your perspective it looks impossible. Let me give you one word of encouragement---- PERSEVERE!

Yesterday was intense

Yesterday's message was one of the most difficult ones I've done in quite some time. I spoke on the topic of Adultery. It must have struck a nerve, beacause we sold out of the CD's by the end of the second service!
When you address a topic like that, no matter how you word it, it's still very intense. I approached it from the angle of how to avoid an affair. I felt like what people needed was not more knowledge or information on adultery. For that matter people don't really need more convincing as to whether it's right or wrong. What we really need to hear is, HOW do I keep from ending up in an affair?
If you missed it, you can hear the message at our website.
Foothills Community Church is committed to helping families. For that reason there are many times that we have to discuss topics that are uncomfortable. If a message like yesterday, can prevent one person from committing an act of infidelity against their spouse, than it's worth it.
If you are in the early stages of an affair; You're getting emotionally attached to someone from the opposite sex that is not your spouse, wake up! You are headed toward disaster.
If you are in the middle of a full-blown affair; Run away as fast as possible. Get counseling with your spouse. Keep distance from that other person. Change jobs, change zip codes, do whatever is necessary to save your marriage.
If you are the victim of a spouse that has committed adultery with someone else; Get some counseling. Allow God to heal your wounds.
If you are the one that has committed adultery, and you are living with the guilt; Seek the Lord's grace, forgiveness and healing.

Let me end with some good news---- there are many couples who work throught the pain and betrayal and have wonderful marriages.

My Bible

I am getting to the point where it's time to get a new Bible. Mine is falling apart. I have glued and re-glued it back together as many times as I can. This Bible is not even that old, but it's seen better days. I wish I could still use a really small one, but my eyes won't let me.

Speaking of old Bibles; There is just something special about all of my Bibles. I picked up a Bible off the bookshelf the other day that I have been using in my quiet time this week. It was the first Bible I ever owned. My wife gave it to me many moons ago. I wish I could tell you how many moons ago, but the cover is missing, and the beautiful inscription my wife wrote to me with the date was on the inside of the cover.

As I have been thumbing through the pages of that old Bible, I have read some of the notes in the margin that I wrote. I have seen many underlined or highlighted verses that God was speaking to me at that time about. I remember how back then I devoured God's Word with intensity. I couldn't get enough of it. And then I was convicted. I was convicted because although my new Bible is worn out too. It is worn out for different reasons. It is worn out because of Sermon preparation. It is worn out because I use it many times in a more academic way these days. I used to read my Bible with desperation for God to speak to me---many times now, I read my Bible with desperation for a sermon.
Last Sunday I spoke about priorities. I am going to once again make God's Word one of my top priorities.

Here is one of those underlined passages from my old Bible that speaks to this:

"How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin againgst You."

Ultimate

I look forward to Tuesday evenings. Tuesday evening is our weekly Ultimate game. If you've never played, you are missing out on some great fun and exercise. Basically Ultimate is kind of like soccer, only you use a disc (frisbee). It is non-stop running and throwing and catching.
The only down side to it, is that I'm usually the oldest guy out there (unless Pastor Brian shows up!) The average age excluding me is probably 20. So needless to say, I have my work cut out keeping up with the young pups.
It is supposed to be a non-contact game, but last week one of the guys caught an elbow to the eyebrow and I believe ended up getting a few stitches. Last year we had a guy break his foot.
The most frustrating part of playing is realizing I have lost a step in the speed department, and a couple of inches in the vertical leap department over the years. I am sort of in denial about it though. It's all good!
If you are free at 6:00pm on Tuesdays, come by the church and give it a shot.

Is God your #1 priority?

Well, when you got your day started did you remember to consciously remind yourself and acknowledge to God that He is #1?
If you weren't at Foothills yesterday, that was the challenge; to make sure that God was our #1 priority. There are alot of things that will try to bump God further down our priority lists. Urgent things---good things, but only one thing can be #1.
The benefit to this is that our lives will be a lot less stressed out. There will be order instead of chaos. Jesus promised in Matt 6:33, that if we will seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness all these other things will be given to us as well.
Why not pause right now, and tell Him that He's #1
By the way, our services were really great yesterday. We had our Parent Child dedication service at our 8:30 am service. There were around 30 kids and their Parents all lined up across the stage (on the stage and in front of the stage---it was so cool!) Way to go Parents! Thanks for your commitment to raise your children in a home that elevates the name of Jesus!

Another great story

I love to hear stories of life change. I don't think I could ever get tired of them.
I received an amazing story from a young lady about our spontaneous Baptism service on April 15th. Do yourself a favor and read it. I'm sure you will be inspired. I know I was!!

In case you missed it, we baptized 111 people that day!! You can view the video here.

The "Call" to ministry

We hear the phrase, "I was called into ministry", but what does it really mean?, and how do you know if you have really been "called"?
First of all the term, "Call" is pretty mysterious sounding. It is not something audible to the ear, but it is more audible to the heart. It's probably more of a "sense."
Basically what someone is saying when they use that phrase is that they believe that God has actually prepared them and set them apart for some ministry opportunity.
Here's where a lot of people get in trouble. They say, "God has called me to become a Pastor."
But in many cases it wasn't a call from God, it was a desire on their part that they confused for a call.
Here is a couple of scriptures to show a call versus a person's own desire.

Jer. 20:9 But if I say, "I will not mention Him or speak anymore in His name," His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in, indeed, I cannot.

1 Cor 9:16 Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

Here are 4 ways to know if you are being "Called":
1. You can't NOT do it. (see scriptures above)
2. You will make whatever sacrifice necessary to follow
3. You will have a passion to do whatever it is you're being called to do that will cause you to constantly think about it. You will wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it. You will wake up in the morning thinking about it. You will go to sleep thinking about it. You will dream about it.
4. The passion will only increase with time (If it fades out, it was probably just your desire, not a true calling)

Moving some dirt

Since yesterday all I have been hearing around here is BEEP--BEEP--BEEP. It's that awful sound of tractors backing up. And yet it is music to our ears!!
In case you haven't driven by here in a couple of days, they are moving a lot of dirt in preparation for our new facility. We definitely need more seats. But as exciting as it is going to be having a new bulding to meet in, building buildings is not our mission!!!! Building PEOPLE is!!!

Another thing to remember, is that we are constructing a building, not a Church. The church is not bricks and mortar (or in our, case steel and screws) The church is the people.

I think that distinction needs to be made, because I hear people in the community say, "so you all are building a new "Church". I sometimes say, "no we're the same church, we're just building a new building."

A lot of churches have emphasized their buildings so much, once they finish constructing it, the people feel like they have arrived---that they have achieved their mission.
Our mission is to reach people for Christ, and until every person knows Christ personally, our mission is not over!!

Hard to imagine sometimes

It is mind boggling to think about what God is doing here in smalltown USA!
Seneca, SC is no booming metropolis. It is not really near any large city. It has a population of less than 8,000 in a county with around 70,000. Oconee County is about 75% rural. There are probably 200 hundred churches in the county.
It is probably one of the least likely places people would think of when it came to a major movement of God---and yet that's what is happening here at Foothills Community Church!!!
I can't explain it. I can't take credit for it. All I know, is that I want God to keep on doing what He's doing.
On any given Sunday we will have 2% of Oconee County at one of our services. We are seeing people becoming followers of Christ every week. We are seeing lives change literally before our eyes. We are seeing people who have not darkened the doors of a church in decades become fully engaged Christ-followers. We are seeing people come to the reality that their time, talents, and treasures are really not theirs, and offering them to Christ.
There are many weeks that all I can do is shake my head in amazement as to what He is doing. And yet with all of that I truly believe that the best is yet to come!!
If you are a person that calls Foothills your church home I want to encourage you to continue to build relationships with people who are far from God, and point them to the savior. Continue to invite your friends to Church. Continue to live out your faith.
If you've never come to Foothills yet---what are you waiting for?

Honored

I was honored to be invited by my friend Perry Noble, to be a part of a Pastors Round Table group that will be meeting later this month. I can't wait! I must say, when I saw the list of the guys who are coming, it was a little intimidating. These are among the most influential churches in America. Some of these guys I have admired from a distance, and now I will get to hang out with them----how cool is that?!
I hope I don't say anything embarassing! (That's been known to happen on occasion)
It is so refreshing to hear what the Lord is doing across this Nation. I look forward to sharing the story of what is happening at Foothills Community Church.
I love this church!

no more Games

That's right---no more Games. The message series, that is. This Sunday we are wrapping up the series called, "Games".
This week we'll be talking about the game Sorry. We will be relating the game of Sorry, to Peter's denial of Christ. If you've ever royally messed-up and have struggled with believing you can be forgiven, make sure you are at Foothills this Sunday!!

It's not the size of the dog

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog. That is a very true statement. I just read an incredible story of a Jack Russell Terrier that fought off 2 Pit Bulls to save five children. Unfortunately for George (the Jack Russell), the Pit Bulls got the best of him and he had to be put down by a vet, but man, you talk about laying down your life for a friend!
George had heart. Heart is another one of those intangibles that is hard to factor in, but when someone's really got it -- all bets are off. Heart makes the impossible possible. It shifts the odds. Heart changes everything! R.I.P. George!

The power of friendship

I just got back from lunch with one of my best friends in ministry, Eddie Cox. Eddie is the Lead Pastor of Marathon Community Church in Easley, SC. I have known Eddie for about 10 years. I met him about 4 or 5 months after he planted the church. Under Eddie's leadership they have grown to about 2,800 in attendance.
We don't get to spend alot of time together, but when we do get together we just pick up where we left off the last time. Eddie and Marathon have been a huge encouragement to me as we planted Foothills. In fact, just last week, Sean, Marathon's lighting Director came over and helped us for several hours. (He wouldn't even let us pay him)
Ministry can be lonely at times. And believe it or not, sometimes the only guys who really understand the unique pressures of being a Lead Pastor are other Lead Pastors.
If you are a Pastor and you don't have friends in ministry----then make some!