Malcolm's Musings

5 Things I keep in mind while praying

2012-01-05T09:40:00.008-06:00

This week a co-worker told me, "you pray the longest prayers."

I've been a Christ-follower for 18 years but I've been praying my whole life.

I remember before I surrendered my life to Jesus and received his leadership in my life, I would lay in bed and pray for help. I vividly remember praying one night as a ten year old asking God to keep us safe. You see I was living in Germany at the time and President Reagan had ordered the bombing of Libya. I was convinced by others we would be the prime location for a counter attack.

Since then, I've prayed many prayers in the shower, on the road, with the church, in hospital rooms, on the ball field, in bed with my wife, with & for the kids, in meetings, etc. Yet even with all the praying I've done, I'll admit it's a bit of a mystery.

I wrestle with the words and emotions I express in my prayers. I have wondered if I'm just talking to myself. I even question what right I have to ask God for the things I do. In spite of all of that I still pray.

One of the challenges of prayer is seeing them answered. After all, if we risk praying and what we pray for doesn't happen, what does that mean? Is it better to just skip the prayer, in case you ask for something stupid and God gets angry?

Even still, I keep praying.

Here are somethings I keep in mind when I'm praying.

1. I start with a sense of who I'm speaking with.

It's important to keep in mind that you and I are not merely telling God things, but rather prayer is a conversation with God. That means just as I need to share what has happened in my day or what's going on, I also need to make time to listen to him. After all, he is the creator, redeemer, restorer of all I see and know.

2. I practice thanksgiving.

A key element in my time of prayer is offering thanks. I express my thanks to God for his provision in life. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking I make things happen, but I need to remember God is at work.

3. I talk about what and who I see.

That means sometimes, actually a lot of the time, I pray with my eyes open. This can be distracting at times and even take away from the formality and mysticism of prayer, but I find it really helps the "nowness" of prayer.

4. I seek to bless God and others.

This is harder to explain without it sounding like I'm praying for the appeal of those listening, but I consider those I'm in the presence of when I'm praying aloud. I want God to be blessed and I want to offer blessings to others.

5. I remember that "amen" means "so be it!"

It is not uncommon for us to pray and say "amen" to close out the prayer in a way we might hang up the phone at the end of a conversation. Instead I see it more like the athletic team preparing to take the field. They've huddled up, placed their hands on top of one another, spoken words of inspiration and challenge, cry out really loud, and then take the field. Amen is an announcement of let it happen, let's do it, make it so! (Thank Jean-Luc).

There is much more to prayer than what I've got here, but maybe this will help you in your prayer life. My co-worker who I mentioned at the top, she not only expressed how long my prayers were, but she added, "I don't know how you just talk like that." Maybe this helps!?

GP: A Small Church Doing BIG Things

2011-12-27T10:03:00.003-06:00

I want to take a moment to brag on Grace Point Church in Odessa, Texas! I'll be honest, I'm partial to them as I have the extreme privilege of serving as the lead minister for this group, but they are a awesome bunch! The past twelve months have been huge for Grace Point and I want the world to know what God has done in our midst as we've made ourselves available to him.

Over the course of 2011 we have had more than 250 people attend Grace Point in one or

more of our worship gatherings. Some of these guests were family and friends while others were searching to become a part of a church. Of those searching, we have had nine new households become a part of the “regulars” at Grace Point! We were blessed

to baptize eight this year.

We also stepped out on a limb this year by trying a Saturday night worship gathering. With help from guest worship leaders like Skip Birtman, Bill Yuhasz, and Andre Furtado, these were great experiences. Though the gathering time seemed like a good idea to many of us to start with, we discovered in the process that Saturday nights work for some congregations, but it just wasn’t the right time for us. So in September, we returned to gathering on Sundays!

Another bold step we took was to partner with Faith Temple Fellowship and their efforts to assist men transitioning out of homelessness through the Jesus House and Soup Kitchen. Beginning in May, a team of GPers spent one Sunday a month preparing meals for the Jesus House Soup Kitchen. More than 30 people participated in this throughout the year, including some 10 kids. This effort to care for others is a great example of how we live a missionary life in our own community.

Speaking of missionaries, we had seven people affiliated with GP attend a mission trip this year. Mother and daughter duo, Channon and Elizabeth Gregg went to Haiti in April. The Greggs served alongside others from Texas in helping in some of the rebuilding following the earthquake of 2010. Christy Tyree joined Project Partner for Christ to teach English for two weeks in China. In late September, I joined Matthew Gregg and Dale Arnold and her son Bryce Harper on a trip to Berlin to witness the efforts of XZBerlin.

If you add the numbers, that means nearly 40 people from Grace Point experienced some level of missionary service in 2011! That’s pretty awesome for a church that averages 55 in attendance.

I’ve not mentioned our efforts for the Spring Fest where more than 200 people showed up for our egg race or the 300 backpacks we gave away to students at Jordan Elementary. We did all this and more through your partnership and an income stream of less than $65,000. What a mighty God we serve!

As we prepare for 2012, join me in believing God is up to something BIG for the year ahead. He is moving in your life; in my life; in our lives. He is at work not only for our benefit but also for the benefit of our neighborhoods, city, state, nation, and world. We should count it a great joy that he has chosen to use us as part of his plan to bring heaven to earth!

Thanks for sharing in the stories of Grace Point and for allowing me to brag on what God is up to in our midst as we make ourselves available to him.

Discipleship: Come out and be separate

2011-12-12T13:46:00.006-06:00

I'm a pastor, church planter, and a voice in the lives of others seeking to follow Christ. I'm also a guy who wrestles with what it means to be a disciple of Christ and how to help others in their path of discipleship.

In my previous posts I've wrestled with the time it takes for discipleship and my particular formation as a follower of Christ. As I look back on my journey I'm grateful for my experiences, particularly for the experiences that pulled me away and pushed me to grow.

The more I wrestle with what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, the more I think we need times where we separate ourselves for our own development.

The challenge with becoming proficient in something is that it requires a dedication and devotion that is uncommon. In Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers (mentioned in my

previous post), he shares about a study at the Berlin Academy of Music (read the story) and the discoveries concerning top level violinist and pianist. Each group of the best had put in the 10,000 hours or more of dedication to the craft. If you think about it, practicing violin and/or piano for 10k hours sounds excruciating, but it is the difference.

I transferred this 10k hour rule of mastery to discipleship and I've asked how can one achieve the 10k hours. This is where I think opportunities like youth camps, Bible College, Seminary, etc come into play in our discipleship formation.

It is well accepted that to grow in your faith you need to attend church regularly. Some may argue this point, but the majority have come to recognize the role of the Christian community (typically expressed as the church) is vital to our growth. Yet, there is more to our faith development than merely going to church. And if going to church is our only act of discipleship it will take a really long time to achieve our 10k hours.

Alan Hirsch in his book The Forgotten Ways borrows the idea of communitas from anthropologist Victor Turner as a way of helping us see a vital element of our faith development. Essentially, communitas is when a community forms through a shared experience of trial or hardship and carries an intense kinship with it that bonds those from the experience together. I see communitas as being a critical component of achieving our 10k hours of discipleship formation.

For many Christians, their first exposure to communitas is a youth camp. Certainly, these are not life threatening experiences but the separation from the normal into an abnormal place, routine, and relationships creates an experience that shapes and bonds the participants. This is part of the reason so many campers will make decisions of faith during the week and long to return to the experience year after year (regardless of the quality of the camp). This time of separation allows a camper to accelerate the hours they spend in their faith development. For instance in that week they increase from 1-3 hours to 80-100 hours depending on the programming.

The most influential time of communitas is probably college. This time of separation from one's family, support system, and likely home town begins to shape a person in immense ways. The new environment with its academic and social challenges (not to mention financial) begins to test the student in a huge way. They form bonds with others going through the experience. Many of these bonds are brother or sisterhoods (fraternity or sorority) that endure through the years. This is also the time when a person devotes a great number of hours into their development. For instance, it is possible a college student could spend up to 5,000 hours focusing on a field of development. That's half of the hours needed to reach the "expert" status mentioned by Gladwell and others. This is why choosing the right college is critical. Bible and Christian colleges along with seminaries stand in a tremendous position to help form disciples.

Rather than focusing on one discipline of discipleship formation, it is critical our Bible and Christian college along with seminaries seize this opportunity to develop disciples across the disciplines. Todd Hiestand has done a great job of outlining the areas of discipline or formation.

The five different puzzle pieces as I see them are:
Liturgical Formation - The community gathered for worship is where we are re-oriented together to the story of God through the scriptures worship, prayer and communion.
Personal Formation - This emphasizes our need to relate to God intimately through spiritual disciplines.
Servant Formation - We are called to love and serve others and when you care for others, you cannot help but be changed.
Relational Formation - We are not called to follow Jesus alone. We intentionally seek relationships that were encouraging one another on towards Christ-likeness.
Educational Formation - We seek truth together and seek a knowledge that leads to faith. This “renewing of the mind” is a vital part of our formation.

As I see it, the preferred track to achieving our 10k hours must involve the above formation pieces in association with communitas which is only possible when we step into a level of devotion that includes separation for development. Trying to frame this into a 21st century North American society is becoming increasingly difficult.

While reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book Discipleship, I stumbled across this:

Following Christ means taking certain steps. The first step, which responds to the call, separates the followers form their previous existence.

I added this thought: the call of separation is likely the hardest step because we are so comfortable in our surroundings.

I feel like I'm on to something, but I have as many questions now as I do thoughts. How can we experience communitas in a world where we can rarely separate ourselves from the 24/7 noise? How can we devote the time needed to faith development when we are faced with the demands of work, family, etc? How can we separate from life for a season of development without creating tremendous earthquakes in our lives - or is that the point?

Discipleship: It's not sexy

2011-10-19T08:02:00.007-05:00

I'm a pastor, church planter, and a voice in the lives of others seeking to follow Christ. I'm also a guy who wrestles with what it means to be a disciple of Christ and how to help others in their path of discipleship.

In my last post, I shared about my faith journey to this point. If you've not read it, please take a moment to do so, because it sets the stage for this post.

I've been following Christ for 18 years now and I think I'm just starting to get a picture of what discipleship looks like, and it's not sexy!

I think the biggest obstacle to discipleship (whether it's being one, or making them) is the fact that it takes TIME. Our culture is constantly running and we have this distorted understanding of time. We want everything to happen immediately. I remember my first computer and modem back in the around 1991-92. It was a 1200bps modem! I thought this was so fast. I was able to access my message boards at blazing speed. I think the computer had something like 8mb of ram. Today, my iPhone 3G (no, I've not upgraded yet) blows the doors of that. Technology is the easiest area in our lives to see our perception of time. We have this crazy notion that faster is sexier!

Yet, the Kingdom of God doesn't seem to be concerned with speed. Consider this, the Bible covers some 5,000 years of history (give or take a millennium). In those stories, there is not a rush on God's part to fix everything right away. Sure, he wipes out humanity with Noah, which is only 4 chapters after Adam & Eve mess it all up, but it was more than a 1,000 years between the stories (if you trust the Bible's record of ages). Then we find the Hebrews live in Egypt for 400 years, plus 40 years of roaming around in the wilderness before experiencing the promised land. From then it moves through hundreds of years of the chosen people messing it up, followed by 70 years in captivity, and another couple hundred in a mixed up time of "free" and "occupied". Then Jesus comes onto the scene to fix everything, nearly 1,000 years after the righteous King David. Since Jesus, we've had nearly 2,000 years of life and we still don't have it right. Clearly, the Kingdom of God does not seem to be concerned about speed or efficiency (major values in the US).

As a matter of fact, much of creation (nature) seems to fly in the face of speed & efficiency.

For the past four years or more, Christy and I have planted tomato plants in the backyard, hoping for some fresh grown tomatoes for salsa, sandwiches, salads, and more. Each year, we seem to be pretty focused on caring for them for the first two weeks to a month. Then our attention begins to wane as we have a hard time holding out for the time when the plant is mature enough to produce fruit. By the time our plants produce fruit, we've failed to nurture them properly, and so the fruit that is produced is small and sporadic. But we love when someone else brings homegrown tomatoes by! We see a healthy vine of tomatoes and begin to fantasize about what it would be like to have our own full bush. So we go home and try again, but we don't stick with it, because it doesn't happen fast enough. You see we want the sexiness of homegrown tomatoes but we don't want to put in the work required because that takes time.

Discipleship is the same way. It takes time! Disciple formation sounds sexy when someone else is doing it. We long for the same things in our lives, but we won't invest the time.

Best-selling author and columnist Malcolm Gladwell (he's got a great first name and some awesome hair), identifies a powerful rule of development in his book Outliers. In looking at the Beatles, hockey players, computer programers, and more, he uncovers what is known as the 10,000 hour rule. Simply put, this rule states that it takes 10,000 hours devoted to working in a field in order to become an expert. If you've not read the book, go, do so immediately!

Gladwell's premise of 10,000 hours got me thinking about my vocation (preaching/public speaking). A few years ago, a fellow pastor and friend and I wondered when preachers reach their prime? NFL Quarterbacks seem to reach their prime around 30. So what was the range for pastors. We figured 45. Do the math and add up how many hours a preacher would have preached by 45 if he preached "every" week beginning around 27.

Since then, I've wondered how long until we reach "expert" as a follow of Christ? I use the term "expert" loosely. But how long does it take for a person to be, in the words of many church mission statements, a fully-devoted follower of Christ? If Gladwell is right and it's 10,000 hours, how long is that?

Is it possible in one year's time? 168x52= 8,732 Close but not quite. This also requires us to be devoted to the formation 24hours a day, seven days a week, without sleep.

So let's remove the time we sleep... 5,824 hours in a year. So it would take just short of two years, if we did nothing else.

Let's say we took one day a week (16 hours, if you take out 8 hours to sleep), how long would that take? 12 years

Let's propose we spend an average of 3 hours a week completely focused on our faith. At that rate, if my math is correct (3x52= 156 then 10,000/156) it would take 64 years!
64 years to be a fully devoted follower? I guess so, I mean if you made a decision to follow Christ in your early teens, as most do, and you gave yourself 3 hours a week to follow Christ, and you did so for 64 years, you would have spent your whole life following Christ, right? Is that what we mean by fully-devoted followers of Christ?

Certainly there's a better way! Isn't there something sexier and more efficient?

Using Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule as a metric for discipleship formation I believe there is a path we can develop, but it won't be sexy, nor will it be fast.

In my next post, I'll share my thoughts on a formation track and how church, devotional time, and even Christian Colleges and seminaries can play a role.

What stands out to you? How long has it taken you to develop? What are the obstacles to developing faith in your own life or in the lives of your disciples have you noticed?

My Discipleship Journey: Was It Wrong? Was It Right?

2011-09-23T08:01:00.007-05:00

I'm a pastor, church planter, and a voice in the lives of others seeking to follow Christ. I'm also a guy who wrestles with what it means to be a disciple of Christ and how to help others in their path of discipleship.

My faith journey is not unlike many others' in America. I grew up in a typical American family that experienced divorce, remarriage, and other set backs. I was not raised going to church. I began actively attending church in High School at the invitation of my best friend. A few months before graduation, I surrendered my life to Christ. The church I attended was around 200 in attendance and the pastor's messages could always be boiled down to two central themes: salvation and sanctification.

After I made my decision to follow Christ, I began to volunteer in simple ways for my church. It started with mowing the lawn. From there I was changing the marque sign, inserting such token phrases as: "there won't be a u-hal behind your hearse." Yes, I did misspell "u-haul" when it was on the sign. I eventually became the teacher for the youth meetings on Wednesday, the Sunday School teacher for the college-age, and the director for the children's church. Did I mention that I also helped in getting our bus ministry going and the men's fellowship. I was all in!

After those three years of faith development and volunteering, our new senior pastor encouraged me to go to Bible college, so I did. I had failed in my previous attempt(s) at college, but this time I seemed to have a purpose for attending. I devoted myself to my classes, especially my Bible classes, learning the inductive Bible study method as well as the challenges of different learning styles and personalities. I graduated in 3 1/2 years and then went on staff at the college working in campus ministries. A short two years later, I became a senior pastor for a 65 year old congregation.

After 3 years of pastoring this congregation, tensions where high. I was a young and idealistic kid (27 when I assumed the role) and they were a seasoned group who had seen their glory days pass them by (they had decreased by more than 100 people in the three years prior to my coming). It didn't end well. I was asked to step down, and I did.

Some six months after stepping down, my wife and I dove into starting a new congregation, in the pastor-circles we call it church planting. Over the past five years I've committed myself to this effort and helping others learn from my successes and failures.

As I look back on my faith journey, I am grateful for my home church in Clarksville, Tennessee. They laid the foundations of my beliefs. Bro. Lanham was a godly man whose messages of salvation and holy living have guided me through the years. I am also grateful for my time in Bible college. There my beliefs were challenged and expanded thanks to the instruction of Dr. Greg Robertson and Dr. Cliff Sanders (BTW 21 hrs with one prof is too many for anyone!). As hard as it was to accept the end to my first pastorate, I am grateful for the experience I had there too. It helped to mature me. And the last five years leading Grace Point Church has allowed me to grow and mature in ways that shape every relationship and conversation I have these days.

As I look back I often wonder if I've missed something in my 18 years of following Christ. In the books and blogs I read these days there is a sense of critique against the church for her failure to really disciple believers. I can't say that I entered into a formal discipleship outside of my time at Bible college. But not everyone will attend Bible college. I can't say I experienced a form of discipleship that is easily reproduced. What I can say is my discipleship has consisted of listening, observing, and practicing.

Now after 18 years I can say I am seeing others who are directly influenced by me. I am discipling them (mostly inadvertently or accidentally). A few months ago, I was listening to a young man and his wife who have walked with me for 9 years. They were sharing about an experience they had at a conference and were telling me what they had observed. I realized they had evaluated it in a way I would have. Did this make them my disciples?

Since then, I've been really wrestling with what it means to be a disciple and how to make disciples.

In my next post, I'll share about some correlations I'm observing with regards to discipleship. In the mean time I'd love to hear about your discipleship journey and what you think of mine. Is yours vastly different? Is yours remotely the same?

I look forward to hearing from you and sharing some of my other observations.

Returning to Sunday: What we learned from Saturday Gatherings

2011-09-08T09:35:00.001-05:00

Last winter, the leadership of Grace Point began to ask again a question we had pondered in the summer of 2010 - what if we had church on Saturday night? This time we took it a bit more seriously and elected to bite the bullet and make a go at it. That's right, we took our main worship gathering time and switched from Sundays at 10AM to Saturdays at 5PM.

As we prepared for the switch, the anticipation was high. We believed it would be more convenient for people to participate in our gatherings if we eliminated the "it's my only day off" or "it's my only morning to sleep in" excuse. We also thought it would be great to really help us experience a true day off on Sunday. What we found was different than we expected.

After making the switch to Saturdays following Easter Sunday, we had a great turn out. The truth is we saw our highest attendances for the year during the first month of Saturdays. Surely this was a sign! Then June, July, and August came. As vacations, getaways, camps, reunions, and the like filled family calendars attendance quickly plummeted. By the time the summer was over we averaged 30% less in attendance than we did on Sundays before the switch.

Here's what we found: church on Saturday night sounds great, on Sunday morning!

The shift to Saturdays was exciting at first because it was new, but as life continued, the newness wore off. Changing one's rhythm is very difficult and we found our new Sundays were enjoyable, but Saturdays weren't working. Our families hadn't abandoned the gatherings, but they were unable to participate as they once had.

Some might ask, "why cut it before the fall? Surely, more people would be able to participate in the fall, wouldn't they?" Maybe. But our experience has taught us that Saturday night church is a great OPTION but it's not a person's first choice. There is a historical value to Sunday morning church. Regardless of the validity of gathering for worship on Sundays versus any other day, Sunday has the first place in our historical memories. Additionally, unchurched people aren't any more excited about going to church on Saturday as they are on Sunday.

Ultimately, it comes down to this: if we are trying to make church attendance/participation convenient, we've already lost!

Being a part of Christ's body, the church, is not convenient. It should cost us something! And I mean more than just our time and money. Being the part of the church should cost us our comforts, attitudes, and predispositions. We've fallen into the trap of believing this following Christ-stuff is easy, and it's not! As my college professor Cliff Sanders reminded me over and over again: "It's impossible to follow Christ! By our own efforts." The cost of discipleship is great and it doesn't matter how we try, it is never convenient to follow Christ or to be a part of his body.

So, here we go, back to Sunday mornings because it's our story! Grace made it's grand entrance into the lives of humanity on a Sunday morning as Jesus conquered death and made life available to you and me. We are returning to Sunday gatherings because it's not convenient to set aside the beginning of a day or week to gather with others for worship. We are returning to Sunday mornings because our neighbors expect to see us leaving our homes and assembling during this time. We are returning to Sundays because it seems old fashioned and maybe that's what is missing in our culture.

We are returning to Sundays, but that doesn't mean we won't try out of the box ideas to reach our neighbors with the kingdom of God. Who knows, some of efforts may crash and burn, but some may be glorious!

Why is Grace Point Switching to Saturday Nights?

2011-04-14T10:24:00.003-05:00

Grace Point continues asking how can we expand our reach in the community to encourage others in their faith journey? As a part of that we’ve questioned whether Sundays at 10am is the best time to reach our neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Overwhelmingly, we’re seeing more and more individuals and families facing issues related to work and activity schedules that rule Sunday mornings out as the time to gather with the church. Sundays are no longer viewed as set a part for church.

When we extend invitations we hear comments like “I’ve got to work on Sundays” or “Sundays are the only time I get to spend resting” even “My kids play soccer on Sundays.” We also have had a number of our members get “called out” for work on a Sunday morning. Increasingly, Sundays are filled with competing activities. We can always question the “validity” of such activities, but rather than fight this trend and limit the number of people we are hoping to encourage, we’re making an adjustment in our approach.

In surveying the community, outside of Catholic Mass, it appears Sunday mornings are the only option for families in Odessa to gather for worship with the church. Certainly there are a few churches that offer Sunday and Wednesday evening gatherings, but these are not seen as “main” worship gathering times.

We understand the historical nature of gathering as the church on Sunday mornings. We have valued this through our own heritage and history, but rather than focus on what we “like” or are used to, we’re committed to reaching those who are disconnected from Christ and his church. Rather than continue to lament about how “no one makes church a priority” we are making people a priority by offering a legitimate option for gathering for worship with the church.

We believe there are plenty of great churches in Odessa gathering for worship on Sunday mornings and there are thousands of people unable to participate in Sunday worship for a number of reasons. We are not satisfied with this, so we’re providing an option on Saturdays!

Some may ask, why not do both Saturday and Sunday? Logistically, we cannot. Our current size limits us into choosing. We do not have the budget nor the facility to meet on both days, today. So we’ve drawn a line in the sand and we’re taking a stand to reach those who are disconnected from Christ and his church, who need to be encouraged in their journey of faith.

We believe individuals and families across Odessa are looking for a church that gathers with it’s neighbors, friends, and families in mind. We’re striving to be that kind of church.

Take a step of faith and be a part of the gatherings on Saturday nights at 5:05PM at Jordan Elementary School, 9400 Rainbow Dr.

Remember, if you need something to change in your life, chances are you need to make a change.

Creating Conversations on Heaven, Hell & More: A quick review of Rob Bell's Love Wins!

2011-03-24T10:42:00.001-05:00

Rob Bell knows how to get your attention! This book and the campaign with it have certainly done just that. The theology nerds out there (like me) are going ape over this series of questions, which leads to more questions, and ultimately leaves you questioning.

In a paradoxical and enigmatic way Bell weaves through issues surround the touchy subjects of heaven, hell, and where we end up at from a historical linguistic conservative reading. The challenge is, many of his answers appear to be liberal. This creates an uproar because ultimately, he bobs and weaves enough to leave the door open for many possibilities.

Here's what I loved about the book: the focus on Jesus. As you read (listen) to Bell you can't help but be curious about the Jesus he's curious about. You find yourself wanting to know more of this Jesus.

Here's what I found lacking in the book: the Holy Spirit. Bell talks a great deal about Jesus and God the Father, but rarely mentions the Spirit. He either takes the Spirit for granted or doesn't want to raise questions about this controversial person.

Overall, I think people should read (listen) to this book because it gets you thinking. It also creates some great conversations. If people can start talking about the dynamics of the Kingdom of God being just as real today as they are in the future, then maybe we'll start acting like the Kingdom is now and not yet. Without a doubt, we could all agree then, truly Love Wins!

I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by Rob Bell. I'm sure hearing him read it actually takes some of the sting out of the book because he is a polished presenter and it's easier to hear "tongue-in-cheek" comments than to read them.

A Better Church Service or A Church Plant

2011-03-22T15:56:00.008-05:00

Nearly five years ago, I gathered some of my closest friends together to embark on a journey I called "church planting." For many of them, the concept was a bit foreign, so for the sake of clarification, church planting is the idea of starting a new church. We started Grace Point.

Prior to gathering up my friends, I had attended a conference on church planting and it was great! In hindsight, it was a bit like that network marketing meeting your friend invites you to. You hear how great this will be and how everyone will want what your providing. The reality is, very few succeed at the highest levels and it takes a lot of ground work to even get started.

The conference was great. They had great music. The building had awesome colors, catchy phrases throughout, and was a work of edutainment art. I was hooked. I had fallen for the six-million dollar man idea of church planting: “We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better...stronger...faster." I was convinced we could make a church that was "better...stronger...faster" than those around us. What I didn't know at the time was: that's not church planting!

In fact, the six-million dollar man approach is just making a better church service, rather than establishing a new community where those pursuing the things of God can explore and grow. You see, a better church service is easy. All you need is better musicians, better preachers, better graphics, better greeters, better carpet, better building, better... you get the picture. And it can cost you $6,000,000.

In this journey of church planting, I've come to find that I didn't know what "church planting" was. Today, I believe I'm still learning what it is. One thing church planting isn't: just a better church service.

Check out my fellow sojourner of church planting, Greg Hunt, and some his t houghts on church planting. While you're there, share your thoughts, and please take a moment and share them here too.

Here's a quick glimpse of some of how we're learning what church planting is at Grace Point.

Lying: the last remaining gotcha?

2011-03-21T15:59:00.004-05:00

If you're a college basketball fan, this time of year is heaven for you. Even so, there are some fans who uncertain of their future as the University of Tennessee announced the firing of it's men's basketball coach, Bruce Pearl. Rather than get into the specifics of all the details related to his firing, it appears his greatest act of failure was lying.

This is becoming a recurring theme among news cycles, people losing their job for lying. Consider the Bush-era controversy concerning ex-CIA operative Valerie Plame, Scotty Libby was forced to resign and later found guilty of lying. Jim Tressel of Ohio State University is under intense scrutiny for lying. The former-principal of a local school retired early due to an investigation regarding lying. Former Christian leader Ted Haggard was ultimately disgraced for his lying about his behavior. Has lying become the ultimate "gotcha?"

In a world that likes to see truth as relative, lying has become the inescapable crime. We can attempt to justify our lies, make excuses for our lies, and even cover-up or lies, but ultimately our lies cost us. We cannot tolerate lying!

This is probably why hypocrisy is so difficult to forgive. After all, hypocrisy is lying isn't it?

As we struggle with the truth, let's remember lying is a bad choice.

Church, is it just a Sunday thing?

2011-03-11T09:20:00.005-06:00

For most of us, church is a Sunday thing. Sunday is the day we gather to sing, pray, and listen. It’s been this way for as long as we’ve known it, or has it? The influence of church and Sunday led to many business and cultural habits for most of our country’s history, but times are changing. Is church just a Sunday thing?

A quick survey of church history reveals some important truths to us about the way we gather. Initially, the church met daily (Acts 2:46) to encourage one another. This was especially important in the early days because the church was seeking to understand the new realities of Jesus’ resurrection and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. As the identity of the church was established, daily gatherings became less common, especially as the church spread geographically and began to build “houses of worship.” As the years passed, Sunday became the prominent day in the week of the Christian. It was recognized as the day of celebration for the church because it was the day Jesus rose from the dead. As the Protestant Reformation shaped the newly developing region known as North America, Sunday became sacred.

The lives of the early pilgrims, pioneers, and settlers looked forward to Sundays as a day of rest from the regular work and as a day to connect. Farmers, hunters, and towns people would gather at the building in the center of town, the church building. As Manifest Destiny played out in the brave individuals moving west, the separation between families became greater and the need to connect for encouragement increased. Sunday became even more important.

As Sunday became a “free day” in the society, church leaders seized the opportunity to add additional gatherings and instruction periods to the day so that a congregant might spend a significant portion of his or her day with the church. The emergence of Sunday School and Evangelistic Services created a full schedule for Sundays, further establishing it as the day for church.

As townships and cities embraced Sundays, they sought to protect it as a free day by limiting businesses and behaviors through “Blue Laws.” Since the 1960’s there has been an increasing repeal of Blue Laws as well as an increasing number of activities occurring on Sundays. As businesses began opening up on Sundays, it provided opportunity for individuals to expand their income, squeeze in shopping, and slip into their favorite restaurant.

Today, we live in a different culture than that of the 1950s and 60s. Our Sundays are filled with games, parties, work, and sometimes church. More and more we find ourselves looking for an opportunity to rest, catchup or even just relax on Sundays.

How can church remain relevant when it no longer holds exclusive rights to a day? What can be done to help people connect for celebration, encouragement, and relationships? What should we do for the growing number of people who don’t have an option of going to church on Sundays because of other responsibilities? If greater than 80% of a town’s population is not participating in church on Sunday, should we just accept this and move on or is there something we can do?

Why we're apathetic about the "lost"

2011-03-07T20:09:00.001-06:00

The church faces an overwhelming apathy with regards to those who are far from God, those we call "lost". We tend to see them as a man who’s lost driving, too belligerent to stop and ask for directions. Instead we should see them as a lost child in a supermarket, desperately needing to be found. The difference is the level of initiative we take in resolving the issue.

Help find Local Missing Boy

2011-03-04T16:13:00.002-06:00

Wesley “Donovan” King – Odessa TX
Birthdate: 12/13/1994 Age: 16
Missing/Runaway – 02/25/2011

If you have seen or know anything about Donovan’s whereabouts, please contact Odessa Police Department at 432.335.3641.

OPD Case # 11 - 3670

The Art of Marriage: Never Ending Love

2011-03-03T15:10:00.002-06:00

We’ve all seen or read the stories of “happily ever after” and we’ve dismissed it as simply a fairy tale. As much as we’d like to believe in never-ending love and happily-ever-afters, our experiences leave us convinced their not possible. They may seem impossible, when in fact they’re just rare, because it’s hard work!

Keeping the marital passion and love alive is hard work because it requires giving of yourself all the time, with the possibility of receiving very little in return. This never-ending love is not a type of perpetual motion, but rather something that must be fueled again and again, and very frequently.

Love is never-ending because it’s persistent

Our notion of love is really emotional. We fall in love and we fall out of love. Sometimes we feel it sometimes we don’t. Yet, the Bible’s description of love is more of an intentional decision than that of a passing feeling.

The fuel of love is respect and cherishing.

Respect is valuing of the person for who they are. Cherishing is placing a great worth upon the person, even more than what others see as their perceived worth. As a couple fuels love with respect and cherishing, it becomes never-ending.

Art requires inspiration to continue

Read Ephesians 5:21-33. This is a key passage for understanding the marriage relationship. What do you think of when it comes to submission? What if you replaced the word submission with serve?
Read 1 Peter 3:1-8. We know Peter was married because Jesus healed his mother-in-law. He calls for wives to “accept the authority,” how is this respect? When he says a wife is weaker and equal recipient of God’s grace, how does that make you feel? How can this lead to cherishing?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-6. What about this description of love seems emotional? What seems to be a conscious choice by the lover? How can this be applied in a marriage?

The Art of Marriage: Sheet Music

2011-03-03T14:55:00.003-06:00

Every form of art has dealt with sex. Comedians joke about it. Singers extol over it. Artists illustrate it. Poets laud about it. Actors…. Yet, for all the coverage that we get about sex, it seems that it’s still a touchy subject (puns intended).

It seems we can’t escape the realities of sex, but it’s rarely discussed in a positive light among preachers and teachers. In fact, we tend to only speak of it in the “thou shalt not” categories. How is it that we continue to avoid the enrapturing subject? And when the subject rises, we laugh, tell stories, and sensationalize it. What is it about sex (sheet music) that is so hard to understand?

Sex is not new...it’s been here from the beginning

It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing we are more sexualized in our culture today than any other generation, but a quick study of the art of history and you can see we are not. Actually, our culture is quite conflicted in the subject of sex.

The Bible is not silent on the subject either. A quick word search of your favorite Bible translation and you can find the word or its derivatives mentioned 50-150 times depending upon translation. There’s even a whole book that celebrates the love between a man and a woman (Song of Songs).

The best music is within a composition

Read Leviticus 18. This is one of those sections of scripture that remind you of the Jerry Springer show. God is establishing boundaries for sex. Pay close attention to 18:5, this is the why of the chapter. How can following these instructions ensure a better life?
Read 1 Corinthians 7:2-5. The Bible is clear that we have a sexual need. Why is it difficult for spouses to talk about their sexual needs?
Read Song of Songs. This lovers’ poem is quite intense at points. How does reading this nearly erotic poem challenge your perception of how God views passion, intimacy, and sex in a marriage?
Read Hebrews 13:4 in The Message. What steps can you take to “guard” your intimacy?

Listen to the message

The Art of Marriage: Choose Your Ending

2011-02-18T13:14:00.000-06:00

Paintings, sculptures, stories, movies, dances, and songs can all be inspiriting. We marvel at how the artists involved in the project are able to connect the lines, pieces, and elements together to create something that is beyond our own ability. The awe we experience when viewing art of quality often stirs something in us. But have you ever wondered how they got to the “finished product”?
Artists typically have an end in mind with regards to their work. They are setting out to specifically produce something. The finer points may change along the way, but the intended results are the focus.

Marriage like art needs an end in mind!
Today it seems as though marriages are just as or more likely to end in divorce than they are in “til death due us part.” The common perception is that 50% of all marriages end in divorce. The statistics tell us that marriages which are considered second, third, etc. marriages increase exponentially in the likelihood of divorce.

There is a strong debate as to the place of marriage in our society, so it’s even more important to understand our desired results so that we might set forth to create a masterpiece that inspires others.

Having the end in mind

Read Matthew 19: 1-12. Now read it in the Message paraphrase. When Jesus’ says “let anyone accept this who can” and the Message paraphrases it “if you’re capable of growing into the largeness of marriage do it” how does this change your thoughts on what marriage is?
If marriage is something we grow into, how can a couple be “successful” in their marriage?
Is marriage for everyone?
If a couple is struggling, what are the alternatives to just calling it quits?
What key thought should a couple keep in mind as they grow in their marriage?

Listen to this Message

Frequency needing Consistency

2011-02-05T12:02:00.002-06:00

Have you ever wondered why you find yourself eating at McDonalds or Subway on a roadtrip? How about when you’re in a different city for vacation or trip, do you stop in at Chili’s or Applebees before the local restaurant? We’re drawn to these place because of consistency, we know what to expect from these establishments.

Consider the route you take to and from work. Most likely, you take the same route each day. Why? Simply put, you’ve probably found this route to be the most consistent in getting you there on time.

Consistency matters, even for those of us who really like change.

One of the biggest knocks on Christians today is the perception of hypocrisy. At its root, this is related to a lack of consistency in our lives. We declare the life-changing message of Jesus, but yet we don’t seem to be changed. This inconsistency is glaring and creates doubt in the minds of others.

Everyone in my church gave me advice about how to raise my son, but a lot of the time they seemed to be reminding me that I have no husband - and besides, most of them were not following their own advise. It made it hard to care what they said. They were not practicing what they preached. [from UnChristian by David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons]

Like perfecting a golf swing, making a BigMac, or becoming a musician, we as Christ-followers need consistency in our lives. The consistency that others are looking for is not merely our frequency of attending church, participating in Bible studies, or professing to prayer. The consistency that others are looking for is with regards to our willingness to show compassion, just as we say it’s been shown to us. It’s in our online lives matching our real lives. The consistency that others are needing so the frequency of God’s voice carries through our lives is an intentionality of sameness or character regardless of where we are, who we are with, and what we are doing.

Fine Tuning

Think of a restaurant that you eat at a lot. Are you inclined to order the same thing each time? Why do you order that same meal or go to that same restaurant? What would you do if you had a “bad encounter” with the meal?
Malcolm Gladwell points out in his book Outliers that “10,000 hours is the magic number of greatness.” His point is that it take about 10,000 hours of practice for a person to reach greatness or success. How does consistency effect our achievement?
Considering faith development, how does our consistency affect the perception of hypocrisy? In what areas of life do you need to be more intentional so the frequency of God broadcasts through you?
Read Colossians 3:17. How can you live this out online and in real life?
Read Colossians 3:12-15. Who do you know that would reject you if you behaved this way? How would this consistent behavior impact others’ willingness to hear God?

Frequency = Regularity

2011-01-18T10:13:00.000-06:00

There are many practices we engage in with increased regularity; the frequency is intense. We take up these practices because we believe they are good for us or because they help us with those around us. Some of these practices we talk about, others we just do without saying a word.

As we raise children, it’s at this stage of life that we discover our thoughts on the frequency or regularity of certain behaviors. It’s rare that you think about brushing your own teeth, after all you do it automatically. Yet, with your kids, you have to ask, “did you brush your teeth?” Other behaviors like wiping your mouth after taking a drink or eating something messy are so common that we think people do these automatically, but really they are behaviors that are set in due to frequency.

This is easier for us to understand when we think of issues like fitness or dieting. These practices force us to evaluate our frequency. How often we eat sweets or sit in front of the TV are effected by our desire to be in better shape. We adjust our frequency patterns, our regularities to shape a desired result. We even increase or decrease our frequencies when it comes to relationships. If we like someone, we increase the regularity (frequency) of seeing them. If we don’t like someone, we decrease it.

Our lives are effected by our frequency (regularity). Our relationships are impacted by our regularity (frequency). Our spiritual lives; our relationship with our creator, redeemer, restorer, is related to the regularity we give to listening, praying, reading, studying, abstaining, and engaging in activities that draw us close to God.

Consider the words of James when he encourages his readers, “come close to God, and God will come close to you.” (James 4:8)

Fine Tuning

What practices are there in your life that you do without any real thought? How did you learn those practices?
How does frequency relate to exercise, dieting, or even learning a new subject?
If you rarely spend time with those you “care about”, how is the relationship affected?
What happens when you go out of your way to make a relationship with someone new?
Men and women of faith have practiced various forms of activities in varying frequencies to make themselves available to God. Some of these acts are contemplative (i.e. prayer, study, fasting, solitude). Other acts are relational or communal (i.e. service, celebration, hospitality). Each of these acts is to focus the heart, mind, and soul are connecting with God. How do these help us “come close to God”?
Read Hebrews 4:14-16. Many struggle with a desire to come close to God because they do not understand him. How does this passage encourage you to come closer to God? What steps can you take to come close to God this week?

Frequency: Getting Connected

2011-01-10T16:31:00.000-06:00

Cables, adapters, conduits,dials, and antennas, we seem to overlook these things when the frequency is running just fine, but the minute we get an interruption in service…

There are a number of keys to connecting to a frequency and at some point they all involve a receiver tuning into the signal. The “bars” on our cellphones are extremely useful because they help us understand the strength of the signal we are receiving. These bars also provide comfort and assurance to us concerning the quality of the connection we are making. Wouldn’t it be great if we had “bars” for our spiritual life?

Overwhelmingly, the number of people looking for God’s guidance in their daily lives is immense. It seems the vast majority of us are searching for “his will” but yet we question if we’re receiving a good signal. How can we connect properly with the voice, frequency, of God?

The Bible is often referred to as the “word of God.” As such it’s the best place to find the frequency of God, God’s voice. It is filled with hundreds of stories concerning how God has interacted with men and women as well as timeless truths for living life. It is a key connection tool for tuning in the frequency of God.

The Bible's significance is not an object to be worshipped, rather it’s significance is that it is a cable that connects us to the frequency of God’s voice. The apostle Peter states it like this: “these prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” (2 Peter 2:21) This is why it’s critical to frequently connect with this frequency. Paul adds that: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true…. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2Timothy 3:16)

Fine Tuning

Think of a time when you had to adjust an antenna, reposition a device, or plug in a cable to receive a signal. Why was this important?
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to increase the “bars” on your cellphone?
What comes to mind when you hear “the Bible is the word of God”?
If the Bible is the word of God, how can that influence our desire to frequently explore what’s in the Bible?
Why is it that people, maybe even you, can read the Bible and feel disconnected from God?
The Bible is not equal to God, no more than a coax cable is equal to the TV broadcast. It is a conduit for the frequency of God. Our faith must be connected to God in order for the Bible to impact our lives. With this in mind, how can our Bible readings be more effective and not just more frequent?

Frequency: Tuned In

2011-01-02T21:39:00.003-06:00

In a day of cable TV, satellite radio & TV, 3G or 4G networks, and Wifi it’s rare that we’re not tuned in to something. We step into a store and there are messages played overhead and on the screens. We get in our cars and we surf to find our favorite songs. We hear a “chirp” or “chime” and we grab our mobile device and see what’s up. We are tuned in more than any other culture that has existed, yet we question if we’ve heard the voice of God.

The fact of the matter is that we are so tuned in, we’ve probably tuned out a number of things, starting we things we don’t agree with or understand. This leaves us vulnerable to tuning God out, and we wonder why we do not know his will for our lives. So how can we tune in and discover the ways of God when we are overwhelmed by so many voices or frequencies?

In the Gospels, we get a clear sense that Jesus was gathering men and women who would follow God. He is recorded as saying, “my sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) This is a significant premise for us to grasp in a society filled with voices. For those who followed Jesus in the first century, it seems like it would have been easier for them to know the master’s voice. After all, how many other voices were there?

It’s never been easy to listen to the call of the master!

Jesus’ followers were faced with a variety of messages including those similar to his own. Of course, there were those that were completely different, but those were easy to spot. It was the messages that were similar (i.e. Gnosticism) to his that were the most dangerous. These voices still challenge us today.

Our ability to hear the voice of the master is dependent upon the frequency of our availability to hear from him. Consider for a moment the opportunities you actually take to listen to him. To tune in the frequency known as the voice of God requires that we focus. Our focus increases as we intensify our frequency of making ourselves available to the voice of God.

Fine Tuning

List some of your favorite TV Shows. What channels do they come on? Who are the lead characters? What other shows have the actors been in?
How frequently do you check on your friends’ status?
Why do you think it is easier to listen to the voices and frequencies around us than it is to listen to God?
What are some of the messages that are similar to Jesus’? How are they dangerous?
Beyond hearing the voice of God, what more needs to happen so that other see God’s frequency in our lives?
How can you make yourself available to God more frequently? What will you have to reduce in order to do that?

Surprise and Asking

2010-12-26T17:51:00.008-06:00

Ever so often, an unexpected surprise can bring tears to your eyes. This past week, I had such an experience. By some accounts, the surprise was small, but by others it was quite significant. What was the surprise you ask? A show of support; an expression of belief; a reminder of faith.

At the close of a calendar year, it’s not unusual for a pastor or a non-profit director to remind members and supporters of the opportunity to give a year-end gift. I’ve always wrestled with this because it seems too often to be wrapped in the “tax-deductible” language, when in fact this should not be the motivation for our giving. Certainly, we should “give Caesar his due” and not a penny more, but using the tax-deductible incentive as the chief reason to give is hard for me to swallow. Yet, I’d be lying to say I’ve never considered this. In fact just over a month ago, I considered sending out such a letter, and here I am today mentioning it.

What prompts me to mention this is the surprise I received. As I mentioned, it was a show of support; an expression of belief; a reminder of faith. In truth, it was a year-end gift to Grace Point from an old friend, whom I haven’t spoken with in months. His gift was unexpected and inspiring. As a matter of fact it inspired me to write this.

I would love to say that the gift was icing on the cake for us, but in truth, 2010 has been a difficult year financially for Grace Point. We’ve been able to manage our expenses to match our income, but we’ve been limited in our endeavors because of a cash-flow shortage. So the gift goes toward 2011 and helping us impact our city, one neighborhood at a time.

Recently, listening to Rob Bell of Mars Hill Church teach through the Sermon on the Mount, he offered an insight into Matthew 7:7-12 that I had failed to consider. As is often the case, we tend to associate the teachings of the Bible as being about our relationship with God and miss the aspects of the teaching that speak to our relationships with one another. Bell points out that the “ask, seek, knock” passage is not just an admonishment to ask, seek, and knock with God, but also a call for us to ask from one another; to seek help from each other; to knock on the door of a friend for help. He points out that asking, seeking, and knocking is a way to honor those around us, because we acknowledge their the ability to say “yes” or “no”. Too often, we choose to manipulate others into responding rather than simply respecting someone enough for them to say yes or no. None of us likes to be manipulated, so why do we do this to others? Each of us likes to be asked to help, especially if we have the means to be of service.

So, here it is, will you make a year end gift to Grace Point? (Gifts can be made online or mailed to Grace Point Church: 9202 Dublin Ave, Odessa, TX 79765-1448)

Thank you for your show of support; your expression of belief; your reminder of faith!

~ Malcolm

Book Review: Heaven Is For Real

2010-11-30T10:26:00.002-06:00

Books are like paintings, poems, songs, and other works of art. They are a deeply personal thing that often come from the soul of the artist. In the case of Heaven Is For Real, Todd Burpo shares a deeply personal side of his own soul and family as he recounts his son’s “trip to heaven.”

Burpo is a good story teller and his small-town rural life comes through in engaging ways as he tells the story. If you ever lived in the rural bread-basket of America you can relate to his descriptions of his home town of Imperial, Nebraska. As you read the story, it is easy to identify with the family and their challenges.

I can imagine the questions the Burpo family had as they began to record Colton’s story of his trip to heaven. We live in a day where it is OK to talk to God but to profess that God talks to you is often seen as a mark of mental instability. So as they tell how Colton spoke with Jesus, saw aspects of heaven and the “afterlife” I’m sure they questioned themselves. Yet at the same time, this is an experience that Colton and the Burpo family cannot deny.

Experience is where things get tricky. Faith is often challenged by the tension of knowledge or reason and experience. In many cases our reason causes us to rule things out, yet our experience does not allow us to ignore what has happened. For the Burpo family, there are the honest questions initially of the likelihood that young Colton could have been in heaven, yet the intensity of the experience for Colton and his exactness in sharing the story caused the family to embrace the experience.

Burpo does try to share Colton’s experience in relationship to scripture. Some of the challenge with the story is that it seems too safe. It’s almost as if what Colton saw in heaven as what we expect to see. For many skeptics this may cause doubt in the reliability of the story, but then again, does heaven have to be so far removed from what we’ve come to expect?

As someone who has never been to heaven, I can only guess as to what it’s like. Colton’s story will comfort many because it paints a picture of heaven. What I can say for certain is that I agree with Colton and the rest of the Burpo family, Heaven is for real!

Drunk on Vision & High on Possibility

2010-11-19T10:51:00.003-06:00

Here we are, in the heart of Thanksgiving and I’m counting my blessings, wondering what’s ahead in ’11.

There is a part of me that has a hard time fully embracing the moment. I am often optimistically looking ahead. This trait is something that I often underestimate as I try to live in the moment, but the truth is, I’m always thinking ahead.

I think one of the reasons I’m inclined to do this is my tendency to get caught up in what could be. I’ve coined a phrase for my condition: “Drunk on Vision and High on Possibility.” Do you struggle with it too?

It’s very rare that I can sit down with a group of friends, colleagues, or even rivals and not imagine about possibilities. Very seldom do I not hear an idea and wonder how I can take it a step further. Many times, when I come up with ideas and thoughts for Grace Point Church, I’m probably over reaching. You see, vision is intoxicating and possibilities create a buzz.

Maybe you struggle with this too, though you may wrestle on a different scale than I do. I tend to wrestle with this when it comes to causes or organizational opportunities. You may wrestle with it on a smaller more personal scale. I like to think about what a group of people could do. You may think of what is possible for you to do on your own. Regardless of how you wrestle with vision and possibilities, like most indulgences, there is a great temptation to get lost.

As of now, I don’t have a 12-step program laid out for this addiction, though I’m sure we could adapt the 12-steps to it easily, I’ll just start with a few suggestions.

Evaluate the moment - don’t let right now slip past you.
Hold tightly to the tension between what is and what can be.
Dream BIG but allow others to help scale it to the canvas you have to work with.
Live up to a vision before moving onto a new vision.
Measure possibilities with the probable resources.

Getting “Drunk on Vision and High on Possibility” can inspire a great deal of good, but let’s make sure the good gets done rather than just dreamed about.

What's it like being church planter?

2010-11-09T15:40:00.007-06:00

In the past few weeks, I've had the opportunities to share with others what it is like being a "church planter". For those unfamiliar with the term or for those who want to argue otherwise, a "church planter" is basically a founding pastor of a church that is intentionally established rather than just spontaneously established.

Today's church is perplexing to say the least. We expect our churches to be places that are set apart from the everyday behaviors of society. We expect our churches to reflect the teachings of the Bible. We expect our churches to be there. Without over simplifying things, we expect our churches to be simply spiritual organizations. The truth is, they are; and that involves many things. With that in mind, a church planter has to address each of these things.

So, it's safe to say that a church planter is:

A Spiritual Guide
A Biblical "authority"
A counselor
A community organizer
A cheerleader
A care-giver
A reference on a job application
A teacher

One of the components of church life that very few of us appreciate or even expect is the business side of things. I have many friends who have stepped away from church due to the business side. As difficult as the business side of things can be, it is necessary. To that end a church planter is like a small business owner. This doesn't mean he owns everything in that sense, but he shares the same responsibilities.

A church planter is also:

Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Creative Officer
Information Technology Officer
Public Relations
Human Resources
Development Officer
Fundraiser

If church planting were a movie, the church planter could be considered:

The Producer
The Writer
The Director
The Lead Actor(s)
The Set Designer
The Costume Director
etc.

One of the better analogies for what it's like to be a church planter is:
It's like being a farmer. We pick a plot of land. We till the land. We plant the seed. We water the seed. We fertilize the seed. We wait for it to grow. We sharpen our tools as we wait. We water and fertilize more as we wait. When the harvest comes, we reap. Then we do it all over again.

Truthfully, the great challenge is that church planting is often done with one person (or family) as the focus point of the endeavors. This leads to a great number of issues for which we don't have the full time to discuss today. Suffice it to say the biggest issue is how quickly can the church planter bring others into the effort and pass along various responsibilities?

In a culture that admires those who do it by themselves and awards those who "go the extra mile" it's very difficult to share the "glory" of church planting. It's also part of the formation of the planter to let it happen.

Now, I know as a church planter, I want to share and I want others to be responsible, BUT this is in some ways like raising children and so it takes time. How much time? That's the million dollar question.

So, what's it like being a church planter? It's all that I've described and more. Find a church planter near you and help them discover how much better it can be!

P.S. Most of this applies to a small church pastor too!

The Mark of a Christian: Hospitality

2010-10-20T17:37:00.006-05:00

I got to thinking the other day about how Christians and the church are generally perceived. Dave Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons’ book UnChristian served as an exposé of sorts to the church expressing how our actions have created a less than flattering image of us to those watching.

Honestly, I read the book when it first came out and I wasn’t surprised by their findings. I know many of my professional peers were taken back by some of the observations, but I guess not growing up in the church and trying to stay connected to much of mainstream society, I wasn’t caught off guard.

At Grace Point, we’ve recently begun diving into a devotional/group curriculum written by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, The Tangible Kingdom Primer. As I’ve been working through this material I was processing some of my conversations of late, and I couldn’t help but think of how The Tangible Kingdom is an attempt to counter so much of the perceptions in UnChristian.

Then as I was driving around town, a simple thought popped into my head:
“Is hospitality the measurement by which Christians are being judged?”

We all know that Jesus said we, his followers, would be known by our love for one another (John 13:35), but the word “love” has lost so much of it’s true meaning. We use love so much we should consider adding it to the “Banished Words” list. So if “love” has been devalued, how can we reframe the action in a way that is meaningful?

The KJV Bible often translates the word for love into “charity.” Now this seems nice, but the truth is it too has lost its meaning because we use the word charity to describe a cause or group. We admire charities, but we rarely think of it in our own lives.

This brings me to “hospitality.” It’s a word that is well understood, but rarely practiced in our society. In a personal sense, we tend to think of it with regards to the way we welcome others into our homes. But what if we used “hospitality” in our conversations? What if we expressed “hospitality” at the grocery store? What if we showed “hospitality” in our disagreements?

What if Christ-followers exemplified hospitality to the extent that our culture identified this as our number one characteristic? How would they see God? Would they see him as the host of a great banquet (Matthew 22:1-10)? Would they better understand Jesus as a host for a heavenly home (John 14:3)? Would they become more hospitable to the Spirit residing in their lives (Ephesians 2:19-22)?

How are you practicing hospitality for Jesus’ sake?

Book Review: Transforming Church in Rural America

2010-10-13T17:01:00.003-05:00

Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking All the Rurals by Shannon O’Dell

Shannon O’Dell lays out the case that rural churches can be difference makers. Sharing from his journey in “north of nowhere” Arkansas he peels back some of the trials and challenges he faced in turning a struggling small rural church into a thriving multi-site church that is making a difference around the country and world.

The opening of the book is uncomfortably familiar to anyone who has served as a pastor of a small church. His battles with congregational leadership and the endless need to vote on anything and everything leads you to wanting to share your crazy vote or board discussion. His candor about the transitions he had to personally go through from being a “hiding at the foosball table” associate pastor to being a public figure in a small town are refreshing. As refreshing are his observations about the perceived “vocational suicide” associated with going to a small rural community to serve rather the a large metropolitan area.

The book is filled with practical observations on how a rural church, or any church for that matter, can begin the process of transformation through proper attention to vision, attitude, leadership, understanding, and enduring excellence (VALUE as he coins them). Honestly, the book reads a bit like a seminar or conference that you would have a notebook and blanks to fill in accordingly.

As much as I enjoyed the opening of the book and the simplicity of the VALUE observation, I found the book lost it’s strength when he shifted to principles and away from the stories of life change. Sure there are a few stories scattered throughout the work, but they are presented in an abbreviated fashion and lack an emotional connection. Emotionally, he paints the picture for the frustrations and the challenges, but he doesn’t help us see the wins beyond the aspects of building a facility and adding technology to their efforts.

Overall, the book shows how a pastor who benefitted from serving in a metropolitan area surrender to God’s leadership and moved to a rural area to lead the church in adopting a 21st century model of ministry. Along the way, it has worked. I think if you haven’t benefited from serving in a larger metropolitan church, you might find yourself frustrated in attempting to replicate his efforts. Yet, if you’ve served in a smaller or rural church, you identify with his challenges.

Inviting Uncomfortable

2010-09-03T16:04:00.001-05:00

Without a doubt, those who read the Bible, go to church, or engross themselves in the Christian sub-culture of our day would agree that there is a call on the life of the believer to invite others into the Jesus-following life. Yet, if this is so painfully obvious, why is it so painfully rare?

I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t invite as many into the Jesus-following life as I could, so why is it?

Let me start with a few observations about how we are doing at being friends and neighbors.

On a typical street in the US, you’ll find 20 houses on a block, and depending upon the age of the neighborhood, you’ll see the house sealed shut. From the remains of a front porch, pass the closed-in (now an extra room) garage, to the privacy fence, the family inside has shut-out the world around them. Who can blame them? After all we deserve the opportunity to leave work behind, to escape from our frustrations, and spend quality time with our families. Yet, in the process we are closing ourselves off.

The conveniences of air conditioning, TV, a backyard oasis, and a garage door make it easy to hide away. Yet as we have retreated into our fine homes, we’ve lost a part of ourselves as individuals, as a community, as Jesus-followers.

Right up next to the Great Commission of “go and make disciples” most Bible reading, church going, Christian lifestyle living people are familiar with the Great Commandment of “Love God...and love your neighbor as yourself.” How can we love our neighbor if we don’t even know them?

One of our greatest barriers to inviting others to into a Jesus-following life is our homes. We are too comfortable and too satisfied with our flat screens, alarm systems, double-door fridges, and perfect sleeping beds. We escape into our media-rooms and become hypnotized by the blueish glow of our screens.

We are comfortable and so we assume our neighbor is too. And since we don’t want to be bothered, why should we bother them, after all isn’t that “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you”?

Connecting with our neighbors; making friends with those who live on our block, is UN-comfortable.

Maybe that’s why we don’t invite others into a Jesus-following life, it’s uncomfortable. After all if we follow just 50% of what Jesus says, we will be uncomfortable.

My Presidential Platfom

2010-08-20T09:17:00.002-05:00

I’ve always looked forward to the day I would turn 35. The reason is simple, Article II Section 1 of the United States Constitution identifies 35 as the age of eligibility to serve as President.

I remember growing up considering what I’d like to be, and after astronaut, it always seemed like a cool idea that maybe I could run for President someday! So, here I am, 35 years of age now, so here’s my platform: “Roll Back.”

In a limited study of American History it can be easily argued that our government has been steadily increasing in size and scope. We’ve become more and more centralized as a federal government and have limited the significance in a states ability to govern itself. It can be argued that much of this is a result of the fall out of the Civil War, but a greater argument can be made that this centralization began most clearly in the mid-20’s as progressives were influenced by economic thoughts of the time which seemed to favor equality among workers manifesting itself in forms of subsidies and redistributions through government. This progressive move to centralization took a gigantic step forward under the leadership of 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The policies enacted and legislation crafted in the era of the Great Depression and World War II transformed the view of government in the US. Government was now seen as a place of provision and solutions. Since then, the federal government has continued to expand providing more and more services and offering more and more solutions.

The difficulty of this expanded government is that it assumes that we as a United States are a monolith. This couldn’t be a more erroneous belief. The United States is a compilation of values and practices that are at times homogeneous but more often they are diverse. We lampoon these differences in our depictions of “city-folk” and “country-bumpkins” as well as our other geographical and social stereotypes. We share many basic values, but they way we act upon these values can differ as much as some of our values differ.

A quick survey of our national make-up clearly demonstrates this diversity as we often compare and contrast regions. As you look at the “Rust-belt” and compare it to the “Bible-belt” you see a basic foundation that is similar but upon further inspection you see actions that express the values differently. It’s not hard to contrast “Fly-over country” and the “Coasts”. Our federal government is at its strongest in the areas where our values and practices most agree and needs to allow state and local governments to have greater influence in areas of difference.

Our Revolutionary Fathers fought against being ruled in a monolithic way, particularly without representation. As the Constitutional Framers labored to establish a workable government, they recognized the importance of government being closer to its constituency. Today, we are frustrated by a government that is moving further and further away from the average citizen. The recent USA Today article detailing the the difference of income in a federal worker versus that of a private sector worker is one example of this separation.

Clearly, our nation was strengthened and shaped by centralization, but now is the time to allow for decentralization of many aspects of government. Just as a body cannot continue to inhale and function, we need to exhale. It’s time to rollback many of our federal government concerns and once again allow state and local governments the ability to protect and govern their citizens.

The areas needing to have considerable federal rollback include: education, health care, social security, research, environment, taxes, and arts.

Areas where there needs to be a greater level of cooperation between federal and state governments include: law enforcement, border security, housing development, infrastructure development, disaster response, and job creation.

Areas where the federal needs to continue its dominant influence include: defense, immigration, and financial regulations.

I do not profess to be an expert on these subjects, and I am open to conversation on these matters but if we could begin looking at these areas we can find a way forward.

Ultimately, my platform may never make it to national attention, but these are the things I’m looking for in political leaders. There is still time before the 2012 Presidential election for these areas to be influenced, even for me to meet the right people to fund a proper campaign. In all likelihood, I realize that I don’t have the connections to adequately run for President, but if I did, the issues I listed above would be my platform.

If you were running for office, how would you propose leading?

Off Course?

2010-07-06T13:13:00.002-05:00

In today's fast-paced world, faced with a barrage of constant messages, it's easy for us to get off course in our lives. It seems we are constantly chasing after something and before we catch it, something else grabs our attention and we are chasing something different and before we catch it.... Can you relate?

The constant shifting of the wind and pounding of the waves can steer us of course. Each of us seems to have an internal compass that we want to follow but the storms are so loud it's hard for us to focus. We know the right thing to do, but yet we end up pursuing other things. We chase after happiness like it's a prize to be won, when we know we find it most often in the stillness and company of those we love. Our endless pursuits leave us empty and worn out.

How can we get back on course? How do we discover the beauty of simplicity?

#Exponential - Matt Chandler

2010-04-28T12:23:00.001-05:00

If we get so tapped into the mission of the Trinity we can risk failing to dive deep into the relationship with Father, Son, Spirit.

Are we constantly preaching the gospel to ourselves, not just others.

Remember you are a stench to God without the Gospel
Don’t compare your 15yrs of Sanctification with the coming believer with regards to who is more righteous
Rom 1:13-15 (The Gospel was preached to believers as well as unbelievers).

Don’t forget that what you are a part of has been around much longer than you think and “if the Lord tarries” it will be around long after you.

Gotta love how Chandler walked through history showing a church planting movement through the ages from Pentecost through today!

“Pagan is just NT for redneck.”

“I’m not a closet baptist! I’m a baptist, southern”

The church doesn’t need to be saved. It needs faithful men and women who will faithfully proclaim the message of Jesus.

Acts 2 is a great model for the church, but then came Corinth.

There are too many people involved in the church for it not to be messy!

This job is not better than Jesus Christ. What we experience in the best of our churches is cheap in comparison to Jesus, knowing him, loving him, drawing near to him, allowing him to bring us to life!

#Exponential - Mark Batterson & Louie Giglio

2010-04-20T09:37:00.012-05:00

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church.

Using as his text Numbers 23 - The story of Balaam - begins to share the backstory of NCC and it's start.

Mark failed in his first church plant in the Chicagoland area.

"It's never where you going, but who you are becoming."

"It's really not the donkey that is in the way, it's GOD!"

"Sometimes God gets in our way to show us the way."

Louie Giglio - Passion City Church, Passion Conferences, Sixsteps Record

I know I can plant a church without a single resource on earth, but I can't do it without the power of God bringing me to life.

The entire auditorium stood and read Isaiah 55 aloud together.

"What kind of church did the Acts 2 church set out to be?" Did they have a clue as to "what kind of church" they would be? What did they have and what did they know?

Teaching of Jesus
Eyewitnesses of the Resurrection
The Power of the Holy Spirit

Which of these three do we lack? We have these same cores aspects. We even have more than these because we have the teachings plus the epistles and faith based along through the mother and fathers of the early church onto today. We're eyewitnesses to the resurrection, at minimum on the spiritual level, we who were dead are now alive. Without the resurrection we miss what this is all about. The cross is the place of justification, but without the empty tomb, it's work is incomplete! We have the Holy Spirit. HE is at work in us!

It's not a matter of whether we speak and knock it out of the park. It's have we carried forth the assignment of declaring the word of the LORD. Do we trust the power of the word to work by the moving of the Holy Spirit?

Thoughts from #Exponential Pre-Conference

2010-04-20T09:37:00.006-05:00

Exponential Pre-Conference Breakout with Dave Ferguson and others

1. Lead with a Yes

We can't always lead our churches like we parent.
"Being led by a yes is very empowering" - participant who had been led by a "yes" to her interest for the kingdom.
There are different sizes of 'yes'. Often times it's better to start small than to start big. After all if it fails, you're only messing up a few people rather than everyone.

2. Empower (Ordain) all Christ Followers

We all have a mission, we are all priests
What happens if you unleash everyone to the ministry?

3. Teach people to "go" and not just "bring"

Some people will need to be going even on Sunday morning.
If they go with the gospel, they'll most likely bring them back with them.

4.Plant the gospel before planting a church or group

Being the hands of feet of Christ is critical and more meaningful than being a gathering.
If we are about the gospel first, it's set in our DNA. That means we are more excited about the gospel of Jesus than we are about being in a group or gathering.
Our missiology should trump our ecclesiology. Though our ecclesiology may be cool, it must be in alignment and for moving ahead with our mission! "The mission has a church" - Alan Hirsch.

Grace Point Seeks Worship Intern

2010-04-09T08:59:00.002-05:00

Grace Point Music/Worship Internship

Objective: This program is intended to provide the individual with the opportunity to experience the many facets of a church start, with a particular emphasis worship leadership. These opportunities will be provided in the context of a team environment as teamwork is essential to the long-term effectiveness of an endeavor.

Requirements:

A person must have made a public commitment of faith in Jesus the Christ that can be attested to by close friends, acquaintances, and rivals.
Candidate must be able to sing and play either guitar or keyboard.
He or she must be enrolled in college the semester prior to participating in the internship.
She or he must have a minimum CGPA of 2.75 and be in good standing with his or her college.
The candidate must have an expressed desire for serving the greater church and be willing to work toward that end.

Program Outline:

Intern will be provided housing throughout the internship as well as a weekly stipend.
On-site participation will begin no later than June 1, 2010, in Odessa, Texas, and conclude August 8, 2010 (10-weeks).
During the internship the intern will spend a minimum of four weeks working to develop the song selection for the coming weeks as well as rehearsing with Worship Band Members.
Weekly selections will be reviewed with the Lead Minister in regards to:

Preparation
Delivery
Creativity
Relevancy
Theology

Opportunities for ministry experience in other areas of emphasis will be available as time permits. These areas may include: children, teens, college, community outreach, preaching, camps, etc. All additional ministry experience beyond the basic internship for music/worship will be cleared through the Lead Minister.
The intern will read at least five books during the internship and participate in discussions regarding those books and present a one-page summary including action points. The books will be from this list:

The Externally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw & Eric Swanson
Communicating For a Change by Andy Stanley and Reggie Jones
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
The Likeability Factor by Tim Sanders
The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch
The Big Idea by Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson, and Eric Metcalf
No Perfect People Allowed by John Burke
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The Present Future by Reggie McNeal
The Dip or Tribes by Seth Goodin
The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom

Compensation: The intern will receive lodging, daily meals, $50/mo. for fuel, and a stipend of $125/wk. Additional compensation may be awarded at the close of the internship.

Expected Schedule: A typical week will consist of 15-20 hours of work including full participation in the main worship gathering(s). An intern should have availability to secure an additional part-time job in the community if desired. A regular training time will be schedule as agreed upon in the week and last for 2 to 5 hours. Time unaccounted for in this document will be spent fulfilling assignments as agreed upon.

Guidelines of Behavior: Persons participating in this internship are expected to work hard and dutifully. They are to adhere to the code of conduct of their respective educational institution as well as refrain from: illegal use of funds, engaging in pre or extra marital sexual behavior, illegal substance abuse, insubordinate behavior toward their respective supervisor(s), and discrediting the reputation of Grace Point, the Church of God, the greater church, or Jesus Christ.

Terms of Service: The person participating in this internship does so under the understanding that this is a 10-week position and is expected to fulfill all 10-weeks as agreed upon. Should the person be unable to fulfill the 10-week experience due to failure to adhere to guidelines or personal difficulty, s/he forgoes any additional scheduled compensation for the unfulfilled portion of the internship. All monies raised are consider a donation to Grace Point and as such are under the discretion of its Board of Directors. If an agreement has been reached with an educational institution for credit, the fair-evaluation process will be outlined prior to the acceptance of the internship as well as the consequences of failure to complete the internship. In no way does participation in this program ensure a positive recommendation, future employment opportunity, or endorsement of the individual beyond the scope of this internship.

To apply for this internship: Complete this online form or send a resume to: malcolm@ourgracepoint.com. Upon receipt of your application a phone interview will be set up with a subsequent face to face interview to follow accordingly. Deadline for application is May 10, 2010.

Church Beyond Easter

2010-04-07T14:08:00.002-05:00

Grace Point is fortunate to be a part of a variety of networks, including one of new church starts. One of our sister church starts is One Community Church in Queen Creek, Arizona. Mark Krenz leads One and I was impressed by his words to his congregation after an awesome Easter Sunday.

So you went to church on Easter Sunday. Now what? On Easter Sunday many churches in America see a spike in attendance of 30-100% more than their regular weekly average. At ONE last Sunday we had two amazing worship services celebrating that Jesus is alive. With nearly 400 people, we had a 96% higher attendance than our average Sunday. We celebrate so many people coming together for Easter worship! But what will happen this coming Sunday? On the Sundays after Easter it's typically back to business as usual. Those that come to church weekly come back. And most of those that don't won't come back again until Christmas, unless...they sensed something in their gut that tells them there is more and they need to find it.

At Grace Point, our Easter Sunday was also an awesome day. We saw nearly 100 people come together. We had baptisms and a great time of hanging out with one another flying kites after church.

Mark goes on:

Weekly worship builds the foundation for a growing, vibrant faith. We gather with others who are on different parts of the faith journey. We come together to celebrate Christ through powerful, meaningful worship and prayer. We look to the Bible for guidance and wisdom and hear a message that challenges and encourages us on our real life journey.

Don't just settle for church once or twice a year or even once a month. You couldn't train for a marathon like that, get a degree like that, learn a new skill or pursue a hobby like that, nor build any kind of deeper relationships with that kind of investment. And some of us wonder why our faith is flat or non-existent. Growing our most important relationship with God and his people also takes more. So what do you say? Will you make the choice to invest in yours and your family's spiritual life? I hope you will and I hope to see you this Sunday!

I can't echo Mark's words enough! I firmly believe it takes regular participation in faith-building activities to see our journey come alive. Don't just settle! Take a bold step of faith this season and go after the life of faith you long for. At Grace Point, we will do everything we can to help you take the next step in your journey of faith!

~Malcolm

Calling for Worship Leadership

2010-03-25T08:59:00.003-05:00

Worship is often one of the most misunderstood aspects of today's church. We can get caught up in the music and often miss that worship is really about a life response to God and the work that he has done on our behalf.

That said, what we know "worship" in church is still important.

Grace Point is seeking out qualified individuals who are willing to provide leadership in corporate worship. We understand the importance of music to our culture and we are seeking those who desire to use music to proclaim the goodness of God, encourage Christ-followers, and inspire all to a deeper walk with Jesus.

From a musical standpoint, we seek to present songs that reflect the musical style of today. Our song selection is often from artists such as Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Hillsong United, and those often associated with the Passion Conferences. We also desire for our music team to be able to present songs expressing their own faith journey.

We realize that Odessa, TX is not a hotbed of music. Despite having a mall called The Music City Mall, we know that most musicians don't end up out here. That's why we are emphasizing the true nature of worship before we emphasize musical qualifications. We are seeking someone passionate for Christ and committed to living out the church as descried in Acts 2:42-47.

To top it off, we probably can't compete with the salary packages of most churches. What we can offer is a community of faith that strives to live out honest worship. We believe it's our role to encourage one another to take the next step in the journey of faith in Jesus. We know that there's no such thing as a perfect person (outside of Jesus) and so we practice acceptance and forgiveness with one another. Because we are a young church, there is great freedom and opportunity to work beyond some of the traditional constraints.

If God has impressed upon your heart the desire to serve him with everything in you, then that could be your first indicator that Grace Point is the place for you. If you are committed to encouraging the people around you to take the next step in the journey of faith in Jesus, Grace Point might be the people who encourage you in that. If you know that God loves even the most unlovable, you should consider being a part of Grace Point. If for some reason, you feel compelled to Texas, Grace Point may be the reason. If you want to try something that is challenging yet could be bold for the kingdom of God, consider Grace Point.

I'd love to talk with you more about God's calling in your life. You can leave a post, or feel free to email me: malcolm(at)ourgracepoint(dot)com.

Be A Part of Grace Point!

2010-01-28T17:30:00.002-06:00

I love watching pro football. When I'm done with my Sunday activities, I love being able to sit down and watch the games until Monday night's Sport Center on ESPN. (Yes, I did say Monday night!)

One thing I've noticed as I've followed the NFL is the level of commitment that the players have to helping their team achieve the mission of winning the game or making it to the playoffs. Again and again, you'll hear about how they don't quit. How they study film, practice, hold meetings, etc. They are fully committed to winning the game. The truth is the NFL would not exist without commitment. If the players treated the game as a pick up game, it wouldn't really matter. One week they may be good because everyone decided to show up. The next, they may just be mediocre or worse. No, the teams are great because there is a commitment - even a contract.

Yet, when it comes to the other treasured activity of Sunday, most of us treat church as though it were more of a pickup game of football then something we've committed our lives to. I know it's hard to imagine really committing to church, that's what the pro's (pastors, etc.) are for. The truth is pastors are to be the coaches, not the stars of the game. Yet, too often pastors are carrying out the plays because they don't really know who's committed to the mission.

It's naive to believe that everyone will fully commit to the mission. It's also naive to believe that everyone will have the same responsibilities or importance in carrying out the mission. Much of the responsibility is dependent upon skill and availability. When a NFL player is injured, their skill may be the best in the position, but their availability is limited. So, skill and availability are critical in the coach's decisions as to how the team goes about accomplishing it's mission.

At Grace Point, we really try to encourage everyone to take the next step in their journey of faith. Yet, it can be challenging sometime to know how committed a person is to living out the mission. To that end we've designed a covenant to help us get a better picture of what is expected of you and what you can expect from us. This covenant really announces to the leadership of GP you're level of commitment. It establishes the parameters of expectations for the relationship.

In the coming days, weeks, and months ahead for GP, your willingness to live by this covenant is the difference maker for our journey of faith.

Please take sometime to review the covenant and complete it as God leads you.

Thank you for truly being a part of Grace Point.

Juicy rumors...News?

2009-12-11T08:39:00.004-06:00

For those who don't know, I'm a bit of a news junkie. I love reading headlines and stories concerning the latest developments around the world. Over the past few years, my "news addiction" has been feed at a furious rate thanks to 24-hour news channels and the internet.

In the fall of 2006, I worked at a lunch counter in a local call center. Directly across from me was a TV running a 24-hour news channel. As the day progressed, things would slow down and I'd be sitting there feeding my news addiction. As the day progressed I noticed in the 6 hours that I was at the counter, I saw the same 5 stories. That's right, 5 unique stories in a 6 hour period. Each hour they would share the same stories from the first hour, with a different voice sharing basically the same details and only a slight variation in the opinions offered (in case you aren't aware, the bulk of the 24-hour news channels spend more time offering opinions than news).

Since those months working the lunch counter, I've followed the news patterns and I'm convinced we need to start waving some yellow and red flags. Today's news is less news and more gossip and rumors. That's right, today's news is more gossip and rumors. Over the past few year, the "top stories" have been the details of marriages or relationship splitting, the tragic death of a person, the disappearance of a person, etc. At first glance they are news, but as we dig and speculate, they simply become the spreading of gossip and rumors.

The person at work or church who spreads rumors is easily spotted and often ignored or should be. We should do the same today with much of today's "news."

Proverbs 18:8 reminds us that rumors are dainty morsels that sink to the heart of a person.

Sure rumors are appealing, but can't we do better than indulge them. Shouldn't we be the one's who bring a stop to them. Today's 24-hour news cycle is built on rumors and gossip. Let's stop feeding the monster!

Message Series for 2010

2009-11-30T17:23:00.004-06:00

So, here's my first draft at the message themes for the first five months of 2010 at Grace Point. Share your thoughts, or even better yet, share your message for the series!

Jan - All In for 2010 - to focus on daily scripture reading, financial partnership, commitment to prayer, commitment to transformative living.

Feb - No Labels - in this series we will look at how the kingdom of God is a label busting kingdom. We'll tackle the labels of race, religion, sexuality, marital status, & intellect.

Mar - God Sightings - in this series we will look at the miracles of Jesus including those of today.

April - Alive, Really Alive - this series will emphasize the significance of living for the kingdom today, not just living to enter the kingdom someday.

May - GOOF - a look at how to escape our addictions and hang-ups.

What are your thoughts? Remember this is a draft, and material is subject to change.

Of course, if you can help by adding to the messages through stories, insights, graphics, or object lessons, I'd love to have you on the team!

GP Vision: Campuses of 300

2009-11-19T09:12:00.006-06:00

As a leader, I read the blogs, articles, twitterfeeds, and books of other leaders; especially those ahead of me. To be honest, I copy some of their thoughts and approaches. I wouldn't call it plagiarism, just learning. Recently, Lifechurch.tv lead by Craig Groeschel in their blog Swerve has asked a great question: "Does size matter?"

Quite simply, the answer is yes and no. I encourage you to read the blog, but here are some of my thoughts and why a key part of the vision for Grace Point is the emphasis of campuses of 300.

Years ago, the megachurch (those with attendance greater than 2,000) began emerging as the cutting edge of the ministry effectiveness. Their numerical and financial success led many to believe that this was the preferred way of doing church. It was hard to argue against their results. Yet, as people began to look beyond the weekend gatherings of the crowds, some have asked the questions of spiritual health and transformation among the attendees of these megachurches. One of the pioneers, Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago area, actually commissioned a study of it's own effectiveness of accomplishing their mission of turning irreligious people into fully devoted followers of Christ. Their study, later packaged as Reveal, led them to do some soul searching and in the mean time many large, midsized, and small churches have followed Willow's lead.

Following in the paths blazed by leaders like Bill Hybels of Willow Creek, I've tried to learn from their successes and failures while adapting our ministry efforts to Odessa, Texas. That's where the vision for campuses of 300 comes into play.

The megachurch offers many opportunities. It has a large budget and can produce large programs and events. It's impact can be exponentially greater than that of a smaller church, simply because of its base of influence. Yet, for all the opportunities, one of the observations of the megachurch is that it's easy to get lost in the crowd. For some, this is a plus, yet for others it is a detriment. One of the most significant aspects of church is the interpersonal relationships that form. The larger the gathering, the more work it takes on behalf of the participant. That's not to say that a small church is better at relationships. The truth is that smaller churches often become too inward to be able to embrace those new to the church.

In light of the tension between opportunities for programming and relationships, the vision of campuses of 300 was birthed. If we can develop a network of shared ministry that is spread among mid-sized crowds across our city and region, we have the opportunity to maximize the relational and programming positives.

The idea of having multiple campuses of 300 is daunting. It is filled with a variety of logistic details that have to evolve as the campuses develop. Yet, the opportunities to impact a city or region are huge.

Imagine if GP had four campuses in Odessa (north, south, east, & west), with each of these campuses working together for efforts of programming for messages, teens, children, and community involvement. The headway we could make with 1,000+ people working in the same direction is huge. While we are making headway in programming, the campus approach allows us to get to know one another and more clearly identify when someone is new or missing.

It's not hard to see that we are still some time out from seeing this vision come to fruition. Today our average weekend attendance is around 65. Three years ago, we averaged around 28. Progress is being made.

What appeals to you about the part of our vision that seeks campuses of 300? What makes you nervous?

Prayer for Grace Point

2009-11-16T12:23:00.003-06:00

There are days when I really wrestle with how to pray when it comes to leading Grace Point. Just over three years ago, the prayers seemed simpler. "Lord, give us people to invite on the journey." Over the three years, we've seen several people walk the journey with us. The hard part has been that many of them only walk the journey for three to six months.

The revolving door at GP has often bothered me. I know it bothers those who have signed on board for the long term. We all have a great picture of what we hope GP to become. As new faces come in and express an interest in GP, we get excited about what's to come. Then after the three months or so, the team gets discouraged because those who we thought we're going to help, drop out and we are left wondering if we smell bad or something.

It's really quite a rollercoaster of expectations.

I'm not sure how to feel about those that come-n-go from GP. I understand that we may have helped them through a crisis point. We may also have fallen short of the expectations they had for a new church. We could just smell bad. I get some of it.

So, today, here is my prayer for GP: "Lord, surround us with people who buy into the vision of your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, even in Odessa, TX. As you surround us with these people, may we together live up to that vision. Along the way, would you place in our midst those who will walk this journey for longer periods, who will also encourage those on the journey. May we be a people who've surrender ourselves to you, so that we are not in your way but are available for you to have your way."

Veterans

2009-11-11T13:44:00.007-06:00

It's hard for me to deny the influence Armed Service Members have had on my life. My Dad, Sergeant First Class (Retired) Dan Tyree spent the greatest portion of my childhood serving in United States Army. I'm proud of his service.

In High School, I was a member of JROTC and was strongly influenced by Master Sergeant Leonard Kruck. He was a straight shooter, but I learned a lot about self-respect and due diligence from him.

I learned a great deal from my best friend's dad, First Sergeant Adolfo Cisnero. Cisco and his family let me live with them for nearly a year.

After graduating High School, I connected with many soldiers at my church, First Church of God in Clarksville, TN (the city adjacent to Ft. Campbell, KY). While there, I met Sergeant Major Joe Brockman. Joe was a man who loved the Army. He even loved spending 30-days at a time in the field. He was the image of a soldier. Yet, I learned from Joe that a real man can cry too.

My best friend, Adolfo Cisnero, Jr., also joined the Army and served post-9/11 in Afganastan and Iraq. I'm grateful for his service.

And a man who has been a huge influence on me as an adult I met after his time in the service. Even though it has been decades since he was a part of the Armed Forces, I know the military influence in the life of my father in law, Terry Robinson, US Navy.

I've tried to compile a list of people in my life who have served or a currently serving. I know that I've missed some, but I thought I'd say thanks to these American Warriors.

Dan Tyree - US Army (father)
Terry Robinson - US Navy (father-in-law)
James Tyree - US Navy (uncle)
Danny Chunn - US Army (uncle)
Adolfo Cisnero, Sr. - US Army
Adolfo Cisnero, Jr. - US Army
Joe Brockman - US Army
Gary Goosett - US Army
Leonard Kruck - US Army
Samuel "Kristian" Gregg - US Army
Jeremy Owens - US Army
Kevin Abney - US Navy
Kyle Hickey - US Army

I'm certain there are others, but for today these are the men who came to mind.

Pastoring...

2009-11-09T16:31:00.003-06:00

I've never been comfortable with the title Pastor. I'm not sure exactly why the title bothers me. I'm sure some of it comes from my honest lack of understanding as to what it really means to be a pastor. When someone asks me "what do you do?" I often shrug and make up stuff. Nah, not really, I just tell them what I've done today or yesterday.

You see, today, I've been searching for jobs for those I know needing leads. I've also done some "pastoral counseling" (a.k.a. giving advice to a problem after listening to the story). Then I had a conference call with church leaders from across Texas as we did some brainstorming. Did I mention that I tried to connect a family with a landlord to find a new home to live in.

I've also stayed current on what's posted on twitter and facebook. Though these two could be overlooked, they can be important. Like they help me keep up with people I'm sharing life with.

I imagine at some point, I've prayed, though I can't say it was like one might imagine a pastor praying. I was in the shower. That's were I do a lot of praying. So far, I've not taken the time to read the Bible today (now that I've admitted it, I feel like maybe I should do that instead of posting this).

So, there are many days when I wonder what's a pastor really supposed to do? I hear stories of guys who spend 20 hours a week preparing a message. Then there are those who lead a staff and teams to accomplish some great event or plan out a weekend worship experience.

I guess for me, I'm too ADD.

Tomorrow, I'll keep helping those in need, as best I can. Hang out with my fellow pastors in Odessa, and probably wonder what are we supposed to be doing? Then I'll head up to Lubbock for a meeting on developing a facility.

I'm hoping I get to head over to the local coffee shop for a spiritual conversation this week, too.

Finally, at the end of the week, I'll stand in front of our gathering and share what I believe our next steps are as a community of faith. All the while, I keep wondering if I really know what pastoring is.

Balance or Tension?

2009-10-28T13:04:00.004-05:00

For most of my life, I've heard statements regarding how we need to live "balanced" lives. We've got to balance our priorities, balance our family & work, balance tasks & relationships, etc. You can probably come up with your own points of balance.

I'm wondering if it's not really an issue of balance but rather tension.

Seth Godin in his blog points out that some people are better than others. As harsh as the statement is, it's true. His blog cites how businesses should pursue the better employee, the better customer, the better client, etc. As a leader, I'm tempted to always look for the better. Yet, as a Christ-follower I'm struck with the call to care for the least of these. Is there a balance, or is it a tension?

As I pattern my life with disciplines and practices, I wrestle with thoughts of trying to please God, when in fact He is pleased with me simply because he chooses to be. Is there a balance between work and acceptance or is it a tension.

The whole kingdom of God seems to be wrapped in tension. Balance seems easier to live with so we avoid tension.

I wonder if our frustrations are more of our inability to live in the tension than they are our lack of balance.

I'd love to know your reaction to this food for thought.

Bored with Running Alone

2009-10-20T15:33:00.004-05:00

At the start of the school year, I thought I'd embark on a new challenge. I signed up to run a 5k during the local marathon. To prep for the 5k I spent 6 weeks running in the morning under the guidance of a iPhone app call Couch to 5k. To be honest, there were aspects of the training that I enjoyed. More than anything what kept me running those morning was knowing that I was running in the 5k. Deadlines motivate me.

On the day of the 5k, I got there early enough to notice a lot of the runners for the 5k and half

marathon had running buddies. They were warming up together. Talking through their goals and plans. It caused me to think. Then when the race started I began my run and it wasn't much later that I began to realize I was running on my own. The pack had spread out, the fastest were well ahead of me, just as the slowest were too. I was in the middle to back of the runners.

As we approached the halfway point, I noticed the pairs were still together and making good time. I was exhausted. I slowed down to a walk. I picked back up to a run, but then took a couple more opportunities to walk along the way. I finished the 5k just around 32min. Not bad, not great. When I finished I wondered how much faster I could have been had I had a fellow runner encouraging me, challenging me, inspiring me to go further.

As I endeavor to lead at GP, one of my biggest frustrations is the sense in I get that I'm running by myself. I know that's not truly the case, but at times it's more true than it should be or I wish it were.

The truth is I'm bored with running by myself, literally & figuratively.

I'm not sure how to change things, except to start by admitting my frustration.

Maybe you can't run with me, but maybe I can run with you. I'm open to the invitation.

I'd love it if we could run together.

Pastor Appreciation Month - Are You All In?

2009-10-06T14:34:00.005-05:00

October is set aside as clergy or pastor appreciation month. I’m grateful to those who felt that a time of remembrance for this role in the lives of so many is need. As the month unfurls, I know my co-laborers and I will appreciate the greeting cards, baked goods, gift cards, and other tokens of appreciation that will find their way to our mailboxes and desktops.

As much as these gifts and remembrance are appreciated, I really want something else. I’m not asking for a car, a bigger house, a vacation, or anything like that. The truth is, I don’t do what I do because of the monetary gain or various perks that are available. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not intending to turn away a gift or a bonus, but I would rather have something greater instead.

“What’s greater?” you might ask. Simply put, I need to know you’re all in. That’s right, I need to know you’re all in.

Seeing you on Sundays or during the week for a smaller gathering is great, but I need to know you’re all in. Helping you through the time of hardship and trial is wonderful, but I need to know you’re all in. Sharing a great meal or event is fabulous, but are you all in?

I’ve committed my whole life to the Kingdom of God. I will do whatever I can to help others know Jesus and experience the life he has made available for us. To that end, I’m giving everything I can to this effort. I’m all in, are you? More than anything that’s what I need to know, that’s how you can express your appreciation for me as your pastor. I’m not asking you to go all in for me. I’m asking you to go all in for Jesus and his Kingdom.

You might be wondering, “what does it look like to be all in?” Can I start with two key areas: your checkbook and your day planner.

If a close examination was done of your checkbook, how would your expenditures be evaluated? I know that we have to provide shelter, food, and clothing. Even the modest recreational or entertainment expense is needed. But is there enough giving on your part toward the advancement of the kingdom. I’m not just talking about what you put in the offering plate at church. I’m talking about giving. Are you generous or stingy? When we live generous lives, we show we are all in.

Does your day planner show you to be all in? Do you have a commitment to being involved in the body of Christ? That means you participate in gatherings for worship, opportunities for service, and times of connecting. It also means you invest time and energy into those who are not yet walking with Christ.

A pastor is responsible for presenting those in his care as mature believers (Ephesians 4). Yet, it’s hard to know if we are making progress because faith is so personal in our culture. This personal notion of faith makes it hard to know where one stands with regards to the kingdom of God. So, as a pastor, I question myself and my efforts frequently, wondering if I’m doing any good concerning my responsibility. I’m certain there are those who feel good about what I do with or for them, but I wonder if they get what this is really about. I wonder if they're all in.

So, for Pastor Appreciation Month, if I’m your pastor, help me know you’re all in.

Have meaningful conversations with those far from Jesus.
Be generous in giving to see the kingdom of God expand.
Take the time to serve the needs of the community around you.
Step up to the responsibilities God is asking of you in your life and the lives of those nearest to you.
Embrace the life, death, & resurrection of Jesus in a way like never before.
Live a life that looks like the good pattern God has put forth in the Bible.
Make your declaration public.
Pray like it all depends upon God and work as if it all depends upon you.

Thank you for the honor of being in your life. May we walk together in such a way that those around us will have no doubt that we are all in for the kingdom of God.

Becoming a Parenting Pro - Friends

2009-09-17T13:17:00.003-05:00

I've been fortunate enough to have a life-long friend of 20 years now. It's hard to imagine, but 20 years ago I met Adolfo Cisnero, Jr. I owe a lot to him, most of it I think he is aware of.

We met through a shared class, JROTC. At first we were rivals, but throughout the school year of 1989-1990 we became friends. We spent many a nights playing "Pirates" on his home PC while learning the joys of participating in the early internet via our 1200 & 2400 bps modems. (We thought that was fast). It wasn't uncommon for me to walk over to his house right after school on Friday and stay through late Saturday.

My parents rarely worried where I was at. They knew Adolfo and his parents. They trusted that I would make the right choices. I can't recall having a group of bad friends.

Now, flashforward, as I imagine the friends Caitlyn and Andrew will make as they are in school. I wonder if they will meet any that will walk the journey of life with them for 20+ years. I wonder if they will be fortunate enough to have friends who will point them in the right direction. I wonder if I will have to be the kind of proactive parent who says "you can't play with ________, because _____________."

Adolfo has been a great friend. He introduced me to church and Jesus. As a result my life is what it is today, who knows which direction it would have gone otherwise. He helped me make right decisions about dating Christy. He stood by me when I said "I do" to her. He has been an uncle to my kids.

The truth is, it is possible that I could have been negatively impacted by a friend just as I was positively impacted. Our challenge in Becoming a Parenting Pro is that we have to guide our children, but then have faith in their ability to choose a friend.

In my years since High School, I've had the opportunity to see moms and dads struggle with who their kids hang out with. Many times, I wonder how much mom and dad did to lay a foundation for finding the right kind of friends in the early years.

Being a parent requires us to be proactive in so many areas, and discerning friendships is one of the most critical areas. We are all subject to peer pressure, the question is what will it pressure us to do.

Solomon warns his children to avoid evil doers (Proverbs 1:8-19). He wasn't concerned about being a good friend to his son, rather he was concerned about his son having good friends.

Do you have a good friend? I'd love to hear about him/her.

If you are a parent, how do you help you children discern good friends?

Becoming a Parenting Pro

2009-09-08T15:09:00.005-05:00

It sounds presumptive "becoming a parenting pro." Each time I say the words or think them, I can't help but laugh.

I remember when I graduated High School and I was thinking about what's next for me. I had a few friends who were entertaining marriage thoughts, but most of us were just looking for where we were going to school next. I recall during those first years after High School how I couldn't imagine being responsible for taking care of someone else, especially a child, because I could barely take care of myself. At the time I was living at a friend's house, working at Wal-Mart, and eating one, maybe two meals a day thanks to Taco Bell and Wendy's. Once the new Waffle House opened up, I made sure that I popped in there too.

I look back to that and I'm amazed I've reached this point today. Along the way, my thoughts about kids have been challenged and debated. Christy and I have had plenty of "discussions" on the matter. And here I am today.

So, with an almost 7-year old and a recently turned 4-year old, am I a pro?

Yes and no. Yes, it is my full-time responsibility to be dad to these two kids. NO, I'm not an expert.

That being said, I have found some techniques that work. I have discovered some truths and practices that seem to bring less stress to me and Christy as we raise Caitlyn and Andrew.

We've become PROactive. We PROvide and PROtect for our kids. We even PROgram for them. So, in that funny play on words, preacher sense of humor, I think I becoming a pro at parenting.

I'd love to hear (read) some of your tips on parenting. What do you see as being key to becoming a parenting pro. Share your thoughts with me and the rest of the world.

Who knows, maybe through our collective efforts we can move pass the cliche and discover something worth our time.

Obama's Public School Address

2009-09-02T11:41:00.004-05:00

This morning I heard that President Obama is making a live online broadcast to the public schools of America on September 8. Along with the announcement of the broadcast, there was a "Menu of Classroom Activities" that was published for the event.

I'm sure that the presentation is intended to be innocuous.

I think my concern over this broadcast is the unknown nature of the content. As a parent, I have an obligations to protect and provide for my children in an appropriate fashion. I generally do not allow my children to watch any programming that I have not already previewed or reviewed in some nature. I do this because I believe that children are not able to completely process information that is shared with them.

If President Obama is intending to use the broadcast to encourage children in the pursuit of education, that seems reasonable, but why not just make it a YouTube video that teachers and parents can preview and determine the time and place of showing.

Based upon the "Menu of Classroom Activities" it appears that this is not simply an encouragement in their educational pursuit but rather a call to action of some sort. Again, this is not a bad thing in itself, unless the call to action is in conflict with the values that I uphold in my household.

Overall, it seems to me that the intended audience of this presentation is inappropriate if it is directed toward children PreK-6. Their ability to reason is limited and developing. This is too close to a form of state-sponsored propaganda, which I have a problem with when it is directed at children.

He can serve as a cheerleader for education, but this activity is too close to a violation of how we've understood education to be more locally or state directed.

I think the President should allow parents and teachers to preview the presentation to determine the appropriate place for it to be shared.

Again, I am an advocate of education. I think it breaks many chains of bondage. Yet, under the current political climate, I believe the President maybe better served by withholding on this event until a better time.

GP 500 Backpack giveaway report

2009-08-10T11:26:00.001-05:00

To GP and Ministry Partners:

Sunday, August 9, 2009, was a phenomenal day for Grace Point. By far, it was our biggest single-day effort to date. In hosting our 500 backpack giveaway, we were able to put into practice many of the values we esteem and make an impact in the lives of hundreds of Odessans. Obviously, there were many steps involved in this reachout effort, so I will take just a moment to recount the highlights before I share with you the first results of the day.

The idea for the backpack giveaway came out of the huge response we had to our outdoor Easter Celebration. In hosting our celebration of hope outside with the 5,000 egg-hunt immediately preceding our 45-min time of worship we discovered that Odessans would respond to an event on Sunday morning that included a time of singing and preaching. The Easter event was made possible through a grant from Church of God Ministries. We had 25 new households join us for Easter, five of them returned over the following Sundays. That got my wheels spinning, asking how can we repeat this kind of experience - thus the backpack giveaway.

In late April, we received a one-time contribution from the West Texas District of the Church of God. This money made the the thought of a back-to-school event possible.
In June, the search for backpacks began. Pricing looked as though it would be around $10 a pack, but we were able to find an excellent deal on backpacks through www.DollarDays.com. We were able to purchase the packs for around $5 each. Also, Family Dollar Corporate responded to an email request for support and sent us $100 in gift certificates to their stores.

In July, we began announcing our efforts to GP as a whole and to the community. We asked GPers to donate school supplies for the event and to encourage others to join them in the effort. GPer Lynn Carver secured a financial donation from a relative. Matthew Gregg’s former employer the Sandwichery in Odessa, also gave us a donation.

As the date drew closer, press releases and community service announcements were released to local media outlets. The first to respond was KLove radio. KLove broadcasts nationwide reaching more than 40 states. They featured us in their news updates throughout Wednesday, August 5, and also over the weekend of August 8-9. The Odessa American, our local newspaper, ran two articles about our efforts in addition to listing it in the religious events section. Both articles appeared on the front page. Also, to help get the word out, we ran an advertisement on a local country radio station and printed up 1,000 flyers to be given out during registration at six campuses.

When the GP team began to arrive at 8:00AM on Sunday, August 9, we knew it was going to be a special day. By 8:30AM, a line began to form outside the school. When we opened the doors at 9:45AM, the line was down the east front of the school and approaching the nearest neighbor’s house.

To get a sense as to how the morning went, watch the video we assembled that is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIdvt84-OAI. Our attempts to estimate the size of the crowd was based upon the number of seats we knew we had out and a guess as to how many people were standing. The early estimate was more than 350 people were in attendance.

Here’s what we know as a result of the communication cards that were completed and returned to us.

144 households filled out a communication card
371 children were listed as being connected to these homes
17 first time commitments to Jesus
5 requests for baptism
11 interested in a study on parenting
7 interested in a study on personal finances
6 interested in a study on Job Skills
6 interested in a Bible study
58% indicated single as their marital status
60% were between 26-45 years of age
56% indicated having 2 or 3 children
24% recorded an email address
1 household drove from 60 miles away

In the coming days and weeks we hoped to follow up with these households through:

Letters expressing our appreciation for their participation and informing them about our regular worship gatherings
Phone calls inviting them to return
Emails with links to our website
Hosting a parenting message series and/or classes
Providing a study on personal finances
Hosting a Job Skills event
Launching new Bible Studies
Scheduling a baptism celebration for September

For nearly three years, we’ve been working to make the most of the opportunities we have, especially with those outside the faith (Colossians 4:5-6), now is a key opportunity. Let’s not waste it!

Pray for the families impacted. Volunteer to serve and lead in our coming endeavors. Strive to bless God! Take the next step of faith in Jesus!

Taking My Next Step,

Malcolm Tyree

The Power of Relationship

2009-08-05T16:03:00.002-05:00

Recently I was delivering flyers promoting http://OurGracePoint.com’s 500 Backpack Giveaway. The particular location was new to me. I think I may have entered the building one other time. As I presented the flyers to the “gate-keeper” of the location, she simply asked if I had the appropriate approval for the flyer to be distributed to their patrons. I was aware of this location’s standing policy but because I had been able to circumvent that policy at other locations I hadn’t thought about getting the necessary “stamp of approval.”

As I left the location to make my way to get the needed “stamp” I thought how things were different at this location compared to the others I had already given flyers. I had been to the location once before. I didn’t personally know the “gate-keeper” nor did she appear to know me or http://OurGracePoint.com. Though the information I was providing was significant to the patronage of the location, it was less than warmly received. Even after securing the stamp of approval, I noticed the flyers went into a cabinet. Now, I’m not speculating on the likelihood that the flyers were distributed. I’m just noting how my useful and possibly needed information was responded to. Because I lacked the relationship with the location, my information was devalued. At the other locations, especially those we have a closer relationship with, the information was received with adulation and fanfare.

Too many times we wonder why those around us may seem slow to our invitations to come to church or to trust Jesus. I think most of the hesitancy or even acceptance we experience is due to our relationship with those around us.

When you hear good news, are you more interested when it comes from a friend or a stranger?

One Prayer @ Grace Point

2009-06-04T08:16:00.005-05:00

Imagine more than 1,000 churches across the globe coming together to share, serve, and give. This summer, Grace Point will be one of more than 1,000 churches participating in One Prayer.

This special event will feature messages related to who God is. They will be presented by GPers and by some of the pastors who have helped influence our efforts as Grace Point. These pastors include: Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch.tv in Edmond, Oklahoma; Francis Chan of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California; Mark Beeson of Granger Community Church in South Bend, Indiana; and John Burke of Gateway Community Church in Austin, Texas.

This series will also help us launch our CIA Operations. Beginning June 14, GP will begin sending out CIA Operatives into Odessa to conduct various service projects. The teams will focus on Caring In Action. They will be made of 6-12 adults who will leave from our worship gathering and conduct a strategic operations of caring during our gathering time.

The final element of this special time is our partnering to give so that people in Odessa will be cared for and that new churches can be started across the globe. We will wrap up our Courageous Generosity Experiment on June 21. This experiment is one way we will give to help care for Odessans as the proceeds of this will go to support the Crisis Center of Odessa. In addition to the experiment, we will be contributing to two international church planting initiatives. The first is a project underway in Australia under the direction of Dave Ravell. The second is a project under way in Berlin, Germany. We are also considering a third project that is in the works for the Fort Worth area.

One Prayer: God Is...

Don't miss out!

Courageous Generosity Experiment

2009-05-18T07:35:00.003-05:00

This Sunday, May 17, 2009, we gave away $50 to each family in attendance at Grace Point. The big question is "why would we do that?" In a recession economy, giving money away doesn't make since does it?

The truth is we each need to be encouraged to be generous. It's easy to spend all of our money on ourselves, when in truth we have more than we need and we are to the point of making up things we want.

To encourage generosity, we thought we take the approach of giving money away to a new level. Rather than just give $50 to each family and ask them to give it away, we're asking each family to take the $50 and earn more money with it. On Father's Day we will collect the money earned and use it to help The Crisis Center of Odessa.

How the families use the $50 to earn more money is up to them. Some may choose to buy&sell on ebay. Some may use it to create a collection drive. Some may choose to make & sell some crafts or bake goods. Even some may choose to buy gas and mow lawns for donations. The possibilities are endless.

What would you do if given $50 to use to make more money to help your community?

The Odessa Crisis Center is doing a great job of helping families suffering from violence and abuse. This is a definite group that is making a difference in our city. How can we encourage them in their journey?

Nat'l Day of Prayer - Opt Out

2009-05-07T14:14:00.005-05:00

Today is set aside as the National Day of Prayer and President Obama is catching a lot of flack for his lack of participation. Before I jump into the foray, I need to confess, I didn't join any public gatherings for prayer today.

A few thoughts come to mind with regards to this event.

1. Am I less spiritual or faithful because I don't join in the public gatherings? I don't think so, but then again, others may think so.

2. Is it appropriate to consider it a day for Christian prayer and Christian prayer only? How would those attacking the President shape their argument if he had invited religious leaders from a variety of spectrums and faiths to the White House for this time of prayer. Would this be seen as an affront to Christianity? I firmly believe that the faith centered around Jesus is the right faith, the only faith that truly saves us, and the faith that I've committed my life to, but our founding fathers were more Diest then they were Christ-followers. Their writings and efforts lean to a reasonable argument that God was more of a generic god than a specific god - Father, Son, Spirit. So if we have a National Day of Prayer, it seems to me that including other religious systems could easily be considered. I know my conservative friends are shouting at me right now, but let me ask you, is the United States of America only for Christians?

3. What if President Obama took the time to practice private prayer on this day? Instead of assembling on the steps of the Capital or other public setting, what if President Obama, privately, in his "closet," called on the name of Jesus to heal our land? It seems to me, President Obama has expressed his faith in Jesus. He also leans more "liberal" in his expression of faith, which many associate with a works based faith. Often times it seems to me that "liberal" Christians tend to focus on the Sermon on the Mount, while "conservative" Christians focus on the Epistles of Paul. The Sermon on the Mount calls for "closet" prayer.

I applaud the efforts of those who call us to prayer. Yet, do we need to assemble in the largest prayer gatherings we can? I personally am not a big fan of being in prayer gatherings with 10s, 100s, or 1,000s of others. If we all pray aloud, how crazy and annoying is that? Don't get me wrong, I believe we should pray. But if I pray in my "closet" I can focus more clearly not only in talking to God, but also in listening. If I'm in a large assembly, it seems I'm listening to the prayers or voices of others more than I'm listening to the one I'm trying to talk to.

Is Technology Ruining the soul?

2009-05-06T11:26:00.006-05:00

Yesterday a friend and colleague asked me where my watch was. I explained to him that my iPhone is my watch. He smiled, reached into his bag and handed me a watch. He was offering it to me as a gift. To be honest, I was taken a back and a bit surprised. I know how much this friend enjoys watches, he collects them. I explained that I really didn't need a watch, but he insisted and so I accepted it. The funny thing is that I'm noticing that it feels kind of good to wear a watch again.

I gave up my watch because I had a cell phone. It's just one form of technology that has changed me. On my iPhone, I have the Amazon Kindle app, twitterfon, facebook, and even the Bible. I use each of these apps with great regularity, not to mention the Safari browser. Each of these apps has replaced something that I used to use. From books, to sitting at a MacMini, to even how I use my Bible.

Now to my question, is technology ruining the soul? I don't know, but I do know that if I'm not careful I can be so caught up in technology and the things available to me that I miss out on people and I miss out on God. 1 Corithians 10:23 reminds me that I have great freedom because of my relationship with Christ, but with the freedom comes a need for judgement.

Can technology ruin my soul? Yes. I can fall into the trap of consuming all that technology makes available. Whether the temptation is internet porn or constant chatting online, to the subtle effects of mass information at unbelievable speeds, technology can ruin my soul. Yet, it will only be able to do this if I do not measure my usage and evaluate the benefits of it.

Check out what Shane Hipps, a former strategic planner in advertising, and now a Mennonite pastor, has to say about techonology. Then take sometime to give me some of your thoughts on technology and your soul.

Thanks to my friend for reminding me through a time keeping device how life can be measured more effectively.

21st Century Doctor's Office

2009-04-28T17:24:00.006-05:00

Today I had the privilege of taking my daughter into the doctor's office to have her eye looked at to determine if it's pinkeye. Let me just say upfront I don't like going to the doctor, nor do I like taking anyone to the doctor's office.

My biggest complaint about going to the doctor's office is that by the time you get in, the symptoms for which you were hoping to be examined have cleared up. In the case of my daughter, her pink eye symptoms were drastically reduced between the time I called (9:20AM, because they wouldn't answer before then) and the time of her appointment (2:45PM) and even more so by the time she was seen (4:15PM).

In addition to the change in symptoms is the frustrating wait. Between the time it takes to "sign-in" and the time you get to go behind the wall is ridiculous! Why have an appointment if it takes more than an hour to see the doctor? Doesn't the nullify the idea of the appointment. If any other professional treated his clients this way, s/he'd lose them.

Then there's the moment I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for...the diagnosis. Shocker, it's what I thought! I know doctor's spend years of their lives learning to diagnose and treat patients, but is it really that complicated.

Finally, the bill. "I paid what to find out something I already knew?"

So, because I hate to complain without offering a solution, here's my solution. Self-diagnosing kiosk! We have self-checkouts and the grocery store. There is practically self-banking with ATMs and online . Legal-zoom let's us find the legal form we need! Surely we can have a self-diagnosing kiosk that will provide a prescription as well.

The concept is simple, the kiosk is found at the local pharmacy. You enter your basic information and it develops and electronic file on you that is similar to what the pharmacist already has. Next, it runs you through a battery of questions starting with identifying the presenting symptoms by area of the body. After asking the basic questions it then proceeds to identify possible conditions. You then select the one that most accurately fits your condition. We do this already with WebMD! After the kiosk has directed you through the diagnosis, it will then print a perscription that can only be filled at that pharmacy. The pharmacist then reviews the printout and administers the drugs accordingly with an addition fee of $15 for use of the kisok.

The kiosk has the ability to be 24hrs at Walgreens, CVS, etc. It will cut down on wasted trips to the ER because the ER is the only place open at 2AM. It will cut down on the wait at the Doctor's office and will let the docs spend the right time needed with a patient instead of running from room to room. It will be easier on parents of multiple kids because they can pile them into the shopping cart instead of having to sit and wait in the BORING waitng room.

Sure the kiosk can't help with broken limbs, cancers, or other major ailments where you really need a doctor. It's not made for that. It can help with common viruses and bacterial infections and other common issues that can be easily diagnosised and treated.

Of course we have to put in there a disclaimer for CYA purposes, but that's as easy as signing the credit card doodad at the grocery store or doing turbotax.

You see there was a day when education was limited to the elite. Doctors, pastors, lawyers, and the like were forced to go through hours of lectures and years of courses to gain the information to earn their degrees. Today, in the inforamation age, you can gain a great deal of information through a quick Google search. Certainly it's not all reliable information, but the web has a way of policing itself. It could be argued it's one of the few places of capitalism left in our country. The point is, we are not as ignorant or as in the dark as we used to be about medicine, theology, law, and other complex issues.

Today, you can get most of your common legal forms through a website. You can study theology to your hearts content. We can even diagnose ourselves. But the field of medicine still requires us to over pay for information we have already gotten for ourselves.

I could be an idiot for putting this out there and not trying to make my fortune of it, but I don't care! I just want something better! And it's not just about how much it costs.

What do you think?

Nothing to see here - the debate on the theory of evolution, etc.

2009-02-23T13:05:00.006-06:00

Apparently there is a level of discomfort concerning the recent action by the Texas State Board of Education with regards to it's decision to modify the language concerning the discussion of the theory evolution. Opponents see it as making it more difficult to submit objections to the theory, while proponents are on the record as saying it makes the debate more scientific.

The flaw in the theory of evolution is that the debate is not solely scientific. It is metaphysical, philosophical, scientific, and religious. Even the proponents have acknowledged this but would prefer to stick with arguing the science.

Mike Baldwin, president of the Science Teachers Association of Texas, was quoted as saying, "Unfortunately, [the old language of state's science curriculum is] being leveraged to promote a non-scientific view some people have. That language is being used by people who are non-scientists and have a different world view to contradict what scientists have explained using the evidence that we have." (italics added)

A worldview is not something that science produces in exclusion of philosophy, metaphysics or religion. Yet, instead of honoring the debates of many scientific observations and theories by allowing the metaphysics, religion, and philosophy into the discussion, we curtail the discussion. Evidence does not interpret itself. Thus presenting evidence cannot solve an argument because it is possible for evidence to have contradictory interpretations. This is why the issue of evolution and global warming are so controversial.

There is evidence that shows a similarity among species. Just as there is evidence that shows the average temperature of the planet has increased. These facts are present. But to interpret these facts requires reason, logic, philosophy, ignorance, religion, and personal experience to be included into the debate. Just as the similarity among species could point to an evolution of one species to the next, it could also point to an artist who has created one masterpiece and then moves on to the next using the patterns already established while deviating on them for purpose or form. Just as the rise in the planet's temperature can be attributed to the inventions of man, it can also be attributed to a prescribed cycle that was established for some purpose beyond our awareness at this time.

You see, evidence is subjected to our personal interpretations. Therefore, scientific evidence does not interpret itself as much as we might like it too. Evidence must be reasonably placed in connection to other reasonable assembled evidence. From there we determine our conclusions.

The key difference is what one worldview believes to be reasonable as opposed to another worldview.

They Walked!

2009-02-09T10:47:00.008-06:00

During the last song before my message on Sunday, I was thoroughly shocked as I noticed 70+ year old sisters coming into church. The sisters are at Grace Point on most Sundays. I met them over a year ago as I was knocking on doors inviting people to come and be a part of Grace Point. The odd part of Sunday was that the sisters were 30-minutes late. One of the two is brutally honest, and she walks up to me and informs me they had left the lights on overnight on their car. As a result, the battery was dead when they got ready to leave for church. Rather than miss, they walked! That's right, they walked. It was just short of a mile, and these two 70+ year old sisters walked to church with the wind blowing 20-35 mph. It took them a little while, but they weren't going to miss church!

Many of us make excuses to miss church. These sisters had determined in their hearts, they would not miss! They had the will to go to church!

Thanks Joyce and Anita! Keep being an example!

Go Mobile (part 3)

2009-01-15T13:11:00.004-06:00

Driving through some of the remote portions of Texas, especailly west Texas, can be interesting. The wide-open roads, surrounded by mesquite and pump-jacks can be lonely. It's not uncommon to reach areas where there are "no bars" and cell phones become expensive bricks. We've become very accustomed to being able to call, text, and email from almost anywhere. In those remote places (like I-10) it's not uncommon for a thought to spring up, "man, I hope I don't break down, have a flat, hit a deer... out here!" The thought creeps forward because we are concerned about how do we call for help - our signal strength is too weak.

Now, I know communication companies are striving to cover the entire country, but let's face it, there are still places where there is no signal.

Is our mobile faith at risk of losing signal? I'm not sure if it's an issue of losing signal as much as it is that we are at risk of losing the charge in our battery. God is everywhere, and can hear us and speak to us anytime. Most likely what happens is we fail to charge the batteries and are left with no power to receive the signal.

Just as we make a habit of plugging our cell phones in each night to be recharged, updated, and snyched, we need to do the same with our faith. The places and the times we recharge may very, but it needs to happen with regularity. Our abiltiy to access the latest updates may be limited, but we need to make sure we have the latest operating system. Finally, we need to make sure that we sync our critical information, for you never know when a crash or meltdown might occur.

Church is a great place to recharge, update, and sync.

Small groups are too.

Where else can you recharge, update, and sync? Is there a private side to it as well?

Go Mobile (part2)

2009-01-13T10:22:00.003-06:00

It could be said that I'm an iPhone fanatic. Wes, a friend from OurGracePoint.com, accuses me of slipping it into every conversation - I just think he's jealous!

One of my favorite things about the iPhone is it's numerous applications. Some are games, others are connecting tools or address health issues. The number of apps available is huge and there are still more being developed. The whole point of the iPhone and its apps is to make things as mobile as possible - as long as we have a signal. Our faith should be the same, mobile, versitile, and yes, dependent upon receiving the signal.

A mobile faith is functional at work. It guides our decisions and interactions with others. We not only consider if something is legal or ethical but a mobile faith asks us to consider the spiritual implications as well.

A mobile faith is great at parties. Following Jesus doesn't prohibt us from having a great time, actually it enables us to have a great time with no regrets. An active faith can open the door for those living full-of-regret and help them see life from a new perspective.

A mobile faith is ideal for all of life, the key is staying connected to God, the faith signal.

How is your faith mobile?

Go Mobile! (part 1)

2009-01-09T09:24:00.007-06:00

Thanks to the innovations in cell phones and the networks used to transmit signals, there is a huge shift occurring among how we connect. People are no longer bound to a phone or computer attached by a cord to the wall. Desktop and laptop computers are no longer the exclusive place to access the world (wide web). The recent prolficiation of wi-fi and the 3G cellular network has made the cell phone the number one device for people to connect. Thanks to the iPhone (:-)) and the Blackberry Storm, consumers can access the web like never before. These "phones" and others like them make it possible for us to connect through voice, text, instant message, social network sites, email, and some day video chat. Truly our conncetions have gone mobile. Can the same be said for our faith connection?

In years past, people connected with God at a church building. These sacred places were seen as the place to discuss faith, encourage others, and connect with God. Through the years church attendance has declined, especially as we have become a more mobile society. So does that mean people have lost their connection?

One of the beauties of the church is that God is not bound to a building, nor are his people. Again and again we are reminded in Scripture that God is "with us." Jesus is Immanuel. The Spirit dwells in each believer. Our connection with God is mobile. Our faith is mobile.

[This is the first in a series of blogs on how Christ-followers are to Go Mobile!]

New Evangelicals?

2008-12-19T08:36:00.004-06:00

ABC News has a new story titled "Evangelists Buck the Christian Right".

I find it interesting that the story is released around the same time as the controversy related to Rick Warren offering the invocation for Obama's inauguration.

I'm in my 30's and a pastor and follower of Jesus. Yes, I have been shocked at how evangelicals can "cherry-pick" our issues to focus on.

I think you would find a vast majority of church-goers and non-church-goers are uncomfortable redefining marriage, but they are shocked to think that there are legal hurdles related to child custody, hospital visitation, and other concerns related to "civil unions." The issue here is the excessive legislation that is in our country. Instead of making more laws we should eliminate a few.

With regards to abortion, those under 35 have lived with it all their life. As a result of it being in our lives for all this time, we see it as a travesty, but we don't know a world without it. We also are the "latch-key" generation that has had to raise ourselves and as such we are just as concerned, if not more, for those who are born and the fair treatment of each of these children. We are shocked at how people will fight to protect the unborn, yet ignore those in foster care and single-parent households.

Certainly, there is a resurgence in how we address issues like poverty, pestilence, and famine. We understand that we have the solution to these problems. We are not comfortable allowing the world to fall apart when Jesus taught us to pray "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

So, I expect you will continue to see us shift from political extremism to social action. Yet, we will strive to honor and serve Jesus as best we can along the way, understanding that our acts of social justice are merely an expression of our conviction of God's justice for us through Jesus Christ.

My Top Tiger

2008-12-12T10:21:00.004-06:00

This year, Caitlyn started school, and I'm just amazed at how she's done. Her teacher is a former stage singer and that's perfect for Caitlyn because she, like her daddy, loves to sing and even make up songs.

In September, we attended our first PTA meeting and they awarded the "Top Tigers" of each class. This is basically the student of the month. At that time, I have to admit that I was disappointed that Caitlyn was not the first one. At the end of the meeting, her teacher came to me and shared Caitlyn would be the "Top Tiger" for the next meeting.

Life happens, and Christy was away on a trip for the next meeting and so, Caitlyn's teacher decided that it would be best to wait until Christy could be there. Now, again, I was a little disappointed, but I really appreciated the gesture.

Well the wait is over now Caitlyn is the "Top Tiger" for her class. Congratulations, Rose-bug!

I guess this was a time for humility and patience.

Giving for Christmas

2008-12-12T10:08:00.004-06:00

This week, my family received one of our first Christmas gifts. It was a poinsettia. Thank you for the gift, it brightens the room!

Now, the gift is not worth blogging about, but how she acquired the gift is. This Christmas season is different for our country. Many are facing job loss and the recession has many people thinking about spending less.

At Grace Point, we're challenging people to Rethink Christmas. Part of how we Rethink Christmas is through our gift-giving. This past Sunday Christy challenged us to spend less. I'm going to suggest giving presence this Christmas. And our friend who gave us the poinsettia did both.

You see, our friend works for a company that services flowers and plants at a major home improvement store. For whatever reason, the company didn't have it in the budget for her help in Dec. So, she decided to work for poinsettias! That's right, she's working for poinsettias, which she's giving to family and friends. Talk about spending less and giving presence!

You may feel like you're working for peanuts, but have you ever considered working for poinsettias?

Cultivate

2008-12-09T13:49:00.003-06:00

Over the weekend, I had the privilege of being a part of a student conference for the Church of God in Texas. I led a breakout sessions title "Help! I think God is preparing me for something!" Close to half of the conference attendees participated in the breakout sessions and I was so excited to see their response.

More than 40 students signed up to participate in a network to discover who God intends you to be. This new network will seek to partner students up with three or four other students from across Texas along with a coach or mentor. The goal is to guide the students in activities of discovery through connecting, deepening, exploring and unleashing. I'm calling the network "Cultivate."

I can't wait to see what God does with this!

Feed an AIDS Orphan

2008-12-04T10:13:00.004-06:00

Horizon International is a ministry caring for children whose parents have died from AIDS in southern Africa. Grace Point is partnering with them to help purchase chickens, rabbits, goats, and cows that will go to feeding these orphans.

10 Baby Chicks - $8
Chicken - $15
Rabbit - $20
Goat - $75
Cow - $400

Click here to help us feed these Orphans. To download a flyer to share with your co-workers or neighbors, click here. All donations will go to Horizon. Donations are due by Dec. 29.

Youth Trip

2008-12-04T10:03:00.002-06:00

This weekend I'm going with 9 other GPers to Austin, TX for the Texas Youth Convention of the Church of God.

I'm really excited about the trip because we have two adults (Jason and Jennifer) going who are stepping up to the ministry needs at Grace Point, and 7 students!

Tim West will be the speaker. I've just recently met Tim, back in March. I have to say that I am so excited to share in ministry with him. He has already challenged me on many levels with regards to Grace Point and how I lead my life. Tim was a church planter in Australia and Florida. He also served in eastern Tennessee. He is now the state pastor for the Church of God in Texas.

The really hard part about being gone is that I won't be able to hear Christy preach. That's right, she's filling in for me while I'm gone. Pray for her as this is only the second time she's done this. I think I need to let her do this more often, like maybe when I'm around!

Thankful for Grace Point

2008-11-27T09:18:00.005-06:00

Just over two years ago, we launched into this journey we call Grace Point. Along the way we've had the privilege of seeing many people come through the doors and many lives take the next step in a journey of faith in Jesus.

I would be a total ingrate if I didn't give thanks to a few key people who have been intimately involved throughout the past two years!

Henry, Kate, and Emma - thanks for giving of yourselves on so many levels, especially as friends!

Kris, Channon, Matthew, Elizabeth, Timothy, and Sarah - thank you for your continued friendship and sacrifice. It is so awesome to see the way a family can serve in ministry together.

Josh and Jessica - you continue to amaze me in your willingness to do what must be done.

I also owe a big thank you to each who is stepping up in new ways at Grace Point! The list continues to expand, so if I forgot your name, I apologize!

Chane, Brittany, Candy, Kwyndala, Jeremy, Wes, Sandra, Cortne, Chris, Chelsea, Andrew, Andy, Belia, Claire, Melisa, Sean, Tanya, Domonique, Jennifer, Jason, Natalie, Robert, Natlisha, Yvonne, Carson, Dustin, Mindy, Wiley, Amber, Joyce, Anita, Shelley, Kyle, Shannon, James ...

We could not do what we do without this awesome team of servants!

I also owe a Huge THANK YOU to Christy, Caitlyn, and Andrew. As those who live with Grace Point (because the office is our house) you share in all the ups and downs, but you also help me see all there is yet to come!

Thank You!

Thanks! Giving!

2008-11-25T15:36:00.004-06:00

I wrestle with the this time of year. Christy is annoyed that Thanksgiving is almost forgotten as we rush from Halloween to Christmas. Me, I find it humorous that we try to conjure up things we are grateful for on this one day out of the year. Shouldn't we have an attitude of "thanks giving" regularly.

I'm told the idea of the day is to set aside a day to express our thanks to God. I'm not sure we really do that. Most of us will stuff our selves on turkey and stuffing then sit down in front of a TV and watch the "lions" and other gladiators fight it out. We might sneak in a movie or two. Then some will get to bed early for a day of excitement at the local shopping centers duking it out over the best-valued limited-supply item. So how do those activities capture thanks giving?

I'm not trying to be critical, just honest. I think it's really turkey day! I mean really, it's one of the few days out of the year when I eat turkey.

Yet, for me, I hope that I'm thankful each day. For what you may ask, well here's my list:
Faith - I'm thankful for the opportunity to believe in a God who I treated like an enemy and has called me friend!
Family - I'm thankful for a wife who loves me, a daughter who is amazingly curious, and a son who is demonstrative.
Friends - I'm thankful for those who walk this journey of life with me, calling me to greater steps, reminding me to wait for them, and lifting me up when I fall down.

So, as I eat turkey this week, I will try to be thankful for these things and more.

Going Nuclear

2008-11-19T11:24:00.003-06:00

Do you ever just feel like scrapping the whole thing and starting over? I do, especially when the hole gets deep. I call this going nuclear.

It's not the best approach, but it's one that I'm inclined to use especially when I reach my limit.

When I get to cleaning the house, I can go nuclear - everything goes into the trash!

When a program at work is not working, I can go nuclear - scrap it and start over!

When people don't cooperate, I can go nuclear - write them off and move on!

Like I said, it's not the best approach, so I have to set up some safe-guards to prevent it from happening. It's kinda like no one person can launch a nuclear weapon in America. It takes the consent of another before launch.

Another safe-guard is one of the practices my friends apply "The 24-hour rule". Basically, if they are upset about something, they wait 24-hours before really addressing it. Now, I don't know that I'm that patient, but I do see some merit in the idea. Waiting has a tendency to diffuse the emotion of the issue. It also helps to gain perspective - not everything needs to be solved right now.

Finally, I guess the constant refrain in my life has to be "Slowdown." It comes from a song my mom wrote very early in my life. Though I don't know that she wrote it for me, it is for me. It's the words that she has left with me to guide me and direct me in the way I should go.

Walk with the Spirit each every day
Read God's Word it will show you the way!
Trust and believe and you will receive
Grace beyond the seas.

I am the One, why must you run?
Slowdown and take my hand
So we can walk this land.
I am the Way, don't be led astray
Slowdown and take my hand so you can understand

Walk with the Spirit each every day
Read God's Word it will show you the way!
Trust and believe and you will receive
Grace beyond the seas.

Jesus is the light, He's always shining bright
Slowdown and take His hand
So you can be His friend
Jesus is the One through which salvation comes
Slowdown and take His hand
So you won't be condemned.

Walk with the Spirit each every day
Read God's Word it will show you the way!
Trust and believe and you will receive
Grace beyond the seas.

Thanks, Mom!

Death, Life, Hope, Eternity

2008-11-17T09:53:00.007-06:00

Today is still early, but I've already had two conversations related to death today.

The first was concerning the funeral of a young man who's life was full of contradictions. On one hand he professed a belief in God, while on the other he ran with a crowd that was clearly uninterested in God. His funeral portrayed him as a saint.

The second was about the death of a teenager who was being raised by her grandparents because her mother had died, as well as her uncle. What a tragedy for this family. Where do they find reason for life?

Death is a great mystery. Many of us do not know what to do with death.

When I was eight, my mom was murdered. She was raising my brother and me, as she and my dad had divorced three years before. Her jealous ex-boyfriend stalked us and met us outside our apartment one day and then after my brother and I went inside, he murdered her and committed suicide.

I mention the story because death doesn't make sense to me, yet it is a part of my story.

Another death that is part of my story is the death of a man who lived 2,000 years ago. His death shocked his family, friends, and followers. They couldn't believe he would die, but he did. Throughout the final days of his life, he challenged his followers, friends, and family to believe in him and they would have eternal life. Then he died. His name was Jesus.

Yet, the story does not end there. The reason Jesus' story is a part of my story is what took place three days after he died. He rose! That's right he returned to life, an incorruptible life.

To be honest, his death doesn't always make sense to me. It's a mystery. But I put my belief in him, trusting that though I may die a physical death, there is something greater for me because I have put my hope in Jesus.

I'm not sure we will understand death, our best choice is to hope for life. Jesus offers us life, both for today and beyond the grave - have you accepted his offer?

Reflections on Leadership

2008-11-11T08:39:00.004-06:00

Leadership is one of those great mysteries. Some believe leaders are born. Others believe leaders are raised. I think leaders are present. In most cases, leadership is about just being present. This means that you see what's happening. You engage what's going on. You are active in the present rather than looking off into the future wishing, or reflecting on the past with nostalgia. The past and future are tools for a leader, but a leader must live in the present.

The past is a tool because a leader can use it to recall victories or defeats and call forth an approach.

The future is a tool because it inspires and motivates since we all long for the future to be better.

Yet, these tools are useless unless the leader is present.

Seth Godin, author & blogger, in his newest book Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us makes these observations:

We hesitate [to lead] because it feels like something we need to be ordained to do. That without authority, we can't lead.... In fact, authority can get in the way. (pgs. 19-20)

The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow. (pg. 108)

I hope that we can continue to create a culture at OurGracePoint that reminds us leadership is about being present. It's not about a title, degree, or pedigree. Rather it's about being present, stepping up, and moving forward.

What are you waiting for: Lead Where You Are!

Are you open?

2008-11-06T13:06:00.004-06:00

It seems to me that the key to a growing spiritual life is our availability. It's not in our understanding. Nor does it seem to be in our self-discipline. No, it seems to me that it all comes down to "are you open?"

Being open means that you expect business.

When you read the Bible, pray, serve, give, care, love, and seek God, are you really expecting business?

I have to admit that I fall into the trap of reading the Bible just to say I've read it. I can give my tithe more out of a discipline than out of expectation. I can even treat others with kindness and respect more for my own gain than because I'm expecting God to do something.

Yet, again and again, it seems to me that if I'm open - God works. And as he works in my life, I'm transformed in my mind and my actions. It's about being available for God to come and do business with me.

So, my prayer is that I will be open!

"Father, may I offer myself to you, because of what you have done for me. May my hands be open to you to use. May my mouth be open for you to speak through. May my wallet be open for your direction. May my life be open to you. And as I offer myself to you, may I get a glimpse into how you have transformed me as you renew my thoughts, because I even want them to be open to you as well. Then as I look back on my life, I will see your hand, your will in my life, and oh how good, pleasing, and perfect it will have been, because I was open to you!"

History, Obama, Hope

2008-11-05T09:15:00.005-06:00

I have few thoughts as to why Obama has made history and won this presidential election.

1. His campaign was well run.

2. He's an attractive candidate.

3. He spoke of hope!

Roland Martin of CNN said that Obama had studied Ronald Reagan and had a great deal of respect for what Reagan did 28 years ago. It seems to me what Obama learned best from Reagan is the message of hope. Hope wins every time!

Yes, Obama's campaign theme was "Change" but it was change based in hope. It seems to me that the Republican party has to move away from fear-mongering into a party that understands hope. I thought it was best expressed in the final Republican Primary Debate from the Reagan Library when Mike Huckabee expressed his view of whether Reagan would endorse any of the Repbulicans. The video is no longer available on YouTube, but he expressed that what made Reagan a great president was not that he was an expert on policy, but rather his belief in America, the beacon on a hill. Huckabee wasn't sure if Reagan could endorse any of the candidates, but he sure hoped that each of them could endorse the America Reagan believed in.

I think Obama captured the sentiment of hope - hope in a better America, in a way that appealled to the masses and called out to us to act. Instead of countering with an alternate message of hope, the Republican party chose to counter with a message of fear "You can't trust him! He hangs out with terroist! He's a socialist." All of these messages fall short because they lack hope.

I hope Obama is a great President. I hope America rises up to the poetential she has. I hope our nation chooses to move forward rather than continuing to live in the past elections and presidents.

Hope is powerful and dangerous. It can inspire us to achieve great things. It is dangerous because with just a little bit of hope, we'll strive to dream more!

Obama's book The Audacity of Hope is a great title for each of our lives. May we live in hope.

Congratulations America! Keeping Hoping!

My vote

2008-11-03T11:58:00.003-06:00

I've decided to announce my vote.

I'm not voting for Barack Obama because I do not agree with his desire to see government employ and enable the everyday citizens. His education plans alone create a system where everyone who subscribes to them becomes an employee of the government in some way. I do think the term "socialist" is a fair way to describe him. Socialism is truly a neutral term, so he shouldn't be offended when he is identified as one. The real issue is that America is a less-socialist nation rather than a more-socialist nation. We have some programs that are socialist in design, yet we prefer to keep those fewer and further between.

I'm not voting for a third party candidate for president. Though I believe we need a viable third party in our political system, I cannot vote third party for the president at this time. To me, voting third party on the president is inappropriate because the caliber of leadership demonstrated by third party candidates is too weak at this time.

I'm voting for John McCain (I just said it). I'm not thrilled about the vote, but under the circumstances, it's who I'm voting for. I'm not voting for Sarah Palin, though I think she is an interesting candidate, I'm not certain I'd vote for her to be president today. McCain has many character issues I like, yet I don't always agree with him politically. My hope is that McCain is elected and that the congress is controlled by the Democrates in hope of gridlock. Do you remember Gridlock from the Clinton years! Oh, those were good days.

So, in brief, there you have it. I, Malcolm Tyree, am voting for John McCain in 2008. No, I won't be putting a sign in my yard, I'm not that excited.

And if you asked me today, I think Barack Obama wins by 30+ electoral votes. I may be wrong, we'll see tomorrow night.

Celebrating Each Day!

2008-10-29T13:02:00.001-05:00

It's wild to think of what God can do!

This Sunday Grace Point broke the 100 barrier for the first time! We had 103 people gather for worship on Sunday. It was great seeing how many chairs we could put out! Then we had three baptisms and three first time decisions for following Christ!

It was quite an anniversary celebration as we took some time to not only remind ourselves that "the church is the hope of the world," but we also expressed it in our meal following the worship gathering. More than 60 people stayed to enjoy a carry-in lunch, balloons, and the pinata smashing!

Check out our Year 2 Highlight video here.

Check out highlights of this Sunday, click here.

God is up to some amazing things - are you on board?

Robin Wood, president of CMA, challenged Grace Point in two specific ways:

1. Break the 100 Barrier - this will mean more conversions, more baptisms, more families restored.
2. Commit at a high level - emotional, spiritually, and financially.

Together we can rise to the challenge! Will you step up?

Thanks for the opportunity to walk this journey of faith with you!

~Malcolm

Rethink Christmas

2008-10-24T08:34:00.001-05:00

We're already thinking Christmas at GP! I know Halloween is not over, but you've got to think ahead if you want to be prepared for the season.

So, I think it's time to RETHINK CHRISTMAS!

Happy Birthday Grace Point

2008-10-22T15:24:00.007-05:00

We're celebrating Grace Point's second anniversary this Sunday (Oct 26). Here are a few well wishes for GP.

Congratulations Grace Point! We are SO EXCITED for you as you celebrate your 2nd anniversary!! It has been our pleasure here at CMA to partner with you and this adventure. We know that the #1 way to reach communities for Christ is to plant new churches, so THANK YOU for being one of those and for lives you're touching there in the Odessa area. May God continue to make His face to shine upon you!

Steve Chiles,

Church Coach
Church Multiplication Association (CMA)

I want to congratulate Pastor Tyree and the entire congregation for the excellent ministry you are providing to the people of Odessa, and for celebrating 2 years of service. I have heard of your many community connections and of your passion for reach out others by sharing the love of our Lord in a real way. It is because of your great commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ that the lives of others will be changed for all of eternity. You are making a difference! May you continue to grow, not only in numbers, but in your love for each other, your love for God, and your sacrificial service to those who have yet to hear the Good News that Jesus loves them and has a great plan for their lives.

John L. Newton

Church Multiplication Coordinator
Church of God Ministries
Anderson, Indiana

I feel like I'd like to communicate to every person at Grace Point just how proud our church family and church leaders are of all of you. Janet and I worked on two church plants while we served as missionaries in Romania so we understand something about the difficulty of this type of work. One of our churches is still going and growing. The other church plant did not survive. You all, on the other hand, are doing much better than just surviving. You are growing, leading people to the Lord, and carrying out the purpose that God had in mind for the church. In other words, when I see what you are doing, I see what the Lord had in mind when he told the disciples to go out and make other disciples. Wow! In a day and age when many churches have forgotten this original mission statement given by the Lord, you continue to 'hammer it out' every day in obedience. The church is a team of people working together. Everyone of you has been essential for the success you are seeing at Grace Point. It doesn't really matter if your part has been to preach, to welcome, to sit with infants in the nursery, to set chairs up .... need I go on? We are so proud that you are a congregation that finds a need and fills it to the best God-given ability that you have from Him. Way to go! Your ministry convicts me personally and challenges our church to do a better job at not forgetting the essential role of the church. Thanks for serving us in this way.

May God continue to bless you and use all of you to His glory in the upcoming years. Hang tough.

Ken Merrifield
New Life Bible Fellowship

Hey, Grace Point Church!
We love to hear news about what God is doing in Odessa. We are your prayer partners out here in California. We watched your pastor's wife grow up in San Antonio and were so happy to be part of her teenage years. We think she made a wise choice when she married Malcolm. It is fun to see how God has blessed them with a beautiful marriage and two precious children and now...a growing church of people who actively seek God!
I know that you, being the good Texans you are, do not think there are any Christians in California. Well, we would like to challenge that point. You see, where sin abounds, there is more grace. So there is grace all over the state of California. Seriously, we have met some of the most godly, devout Christians in this state. We moved here because our daughter was seriously ill with stage 4 colorectal cancer. Julie just passed away August 19. If it weren't for the prayerful support of people all over the world and the physical support of the California Christians I don't know how we could have made it
God puts us in families for a reason. He has put you in the family of God called Grace Point. Cherish that family. Work for that family. Give yourselves for that family. We believe in you and love you and are happy to be a part of your ministry. We can't wait to see what is going to happen next!
Love to y'all,
Jerry and Pat James

Awesome Brother! You guys are doing a great job working together to further the kingdom. Keep on fighting this great fight, when it’s all said and done it will all be worth it. Blessings-Jeremy

Congrats Malcolm and happy birthday to GracePoint. What a huge mile-marker on your journey as a church. I know how much it has cost you and your family personally to get to this point. It is a huge achievement! May God bless you, your family and your ministry as you head into year three.

Mark

2 Years

2008-10-14T09:22:00.004-05:00

Can you believe it, we're celebrating the second year of Grace Point!

As I look back at the remarkable things God has done in our midst, I'm humbled. As a new church that launched prematurely, I can't help but be amazed at what God has done.

This past Sunday we set a new record attendance for a non-holiday weekend. We had more than 90 gather for Grace Point!

We are working on a new video sharing our 2 years of highlights, it should be ready by the end of the month.

The most exciting part of the two year celebration - God's not finished writing the Grace Point story!

Rain!

2008-10-14T07:22:00.004-05:00

Yes, rain is worth posting about! I woke up this morning to hear the rain falling down pretty heavily. I was excited because it's been overcast for the past two or three days and I just kept hoping it would rain. We haven't had ran in several weeks. And so today, it did rain. I guess I should have thought of that hope last night when I left the windows down on the van. So, just after I woke up, I had to run out (mostly undressed) and roll up the windows on the van. I guess it's a good thing that most people on our block aren't out at 6:15AM!

Thinking More

2008-10-10T10:24:00.003-05:00

A part of the vision for Grace Point is that we multiply. I know, it's kind of a buzz word in the greater-church right now, but I've long felt that it's critical that the church needs to be constantly expanding her influence.

At GP, I believe God is calling us to start planning for multiplication. One of the prayers from this past Sunday helps us to get some sense as to why this is something to consider.

As we wrapped up the service, prayers were offered, and one read "Father, I wish that church would happen more often, because it is difficult for me to go all the time."

There are many people out there who for whatever reason can't make it to church on Sunday morning. There are those who may not be able to make it to GP because they can't get to our location at Blanton Elementary School. So, do we just ask them to adjust and deal with it, or do we consider how we can multiply our efforts to make church more accessible?

My friend Gary Kendall just launched a Sunday evening service at his church in Olathe, Kansas. The service is practically the same as what they do on Sunday morning. More than 200 people joined in for that alternative service.

What if we at GP found ways to produce multiple services. Could we then be part of an answer for the prayers like the one offered this past Sunday?

Prayers of Grace Pointers

2008-10-10T09:38:00.004-05:00

Sunday at GP was filled with prayers as those in attendance responded to the message by offering prayers for the church. Each GPer was asked to write a prayer and then bring it forward a light a candle as a sign of offering the prayer.

It was great to read these prayers, here are some excerpts from some of them:

"God, may we, the people of Grace Point, be the kind of people that reach out to any and all that need You."

"I pray that we can be the donors, rather that just those donated to."

"God, be with the people of Grace Point... let [people] know that no matter who they are and what the look like that God will love all of them."

"Make us one so taht Jesus might be lifted up so all will see Him and be drawn to Him"

"I pray the church will grow so taht there will be less crime."

"hope for the hopeless, help for the helpless"

"Allow us to grow so that the people lost on the outside have an uncontrollable curiosity that they have to come in and see what it is that keeps your children moving forward towards You. Amen"

God of This City

2008-10-02T10:11:00.001-05:00

While at the CMA Conference, our team was introduced to this great song that truly became a theme for us. We believe God is up to much more than we can even dream!

What dreams do you still have for our city, O God?

$700B Bailout

2008-09-29T16:16:00.001-05:00

Are you as confused as I am as to what to think about the proposed bailout?

I have to admit, it feels really bad to me. I don't see how it helps solve the issues at hand.

A key aspect of learning is failure. This bailout removes failure!

I don't like it.

Check out what a Harvard Economist had to say about it to CNN.

Ken Love - stay in sync

2008-09-26T19:37:00.002-05:00

Ken Love is the lead pastor of Grace River in Orlando, Florida, a CMA plant. During the conference he was on a panel discussing staffing in a church. Ken has a great deal of experience as he has lead other church plants and pastored in established congregations as well.

The take-away that I got from Ken's comments focused on the idea of chemistry in a team, but he called in being in sync. That's a word that really jumps out at me. I sync my iPhone regularly. I sync my checkbook with the bank regularly. I get the idea of being in sync.

Ken reminded those of us in attendance that being in sync is critical. If we are out of sync, we need to address it! If it's resolvable - resolve it. If it's not, move on.

Thanks Ken!

Dave Ferguson - keynote speaker

2008-09-26T08:11:00.005-05:00

Dave Ferguson was the keynote speaker for the CMA conference. Dave is the lead pastor of Community Christian Church in the Chicago land area. He presented several challenges to the audience with regards to how we do church.

A key theme that resonated with the GP team was the idea of everyone having an apprentice.

Dave challenged each of us to accept the responsibility of helping someone else learn how to live and serve.

The methodology is simple. Find someone to encourage. Show them how to do what you do. Ask them to help you to do it. Help them do it. Watch them do it. All the while, talk about it and look for ways to develop a deep relationship through it.

Why is having an apprentice so important? It's the key to multiplication! Think about it.

The trip

2008-09-24T07:17:00.001-05:00

The trip to the CMA conference started at 4:00am. We were all chatty until we reached the interstate - at which point everyone but me went to sleep.

When we got to OKC we went on a trip down memory lane recounting moments in mine and Christy's life in OKC. We showed off MACU, our alma matar. It was really near to see how things had changed. We then enjoyed lunch at Panera Bread (mmmm good).

Once back on the road we took some time to learn a little more about ourselves through a personality sorter. We discovered that Kris and Sandra share many traits.

We finally arrived in Olathe about 5:15pm. The conference started at 6:30.

What is CMA?

2008-09-21T06:57:00.007-05:00

This week I will be at the annual Church Multiplication Association (CMA) Conference at Indian Creek Community Church in Olathe, Kansas. This will be my third year to attend the conference, which can bring up a few questions. What is CMA? Why are you a part of CMA?

CMA was founded by Robin Wood and Gary Kendall to address the need for encouraging men and women committed to starting new churches, particularly churches affiliated with the Church of God (Anderson, IN). Robin and Gary both started new churches in the late 1980's. Through the years they encouraged each other in their respective journeys and dreamed of what it would be like to have a support system to encourage them in their efforts. In 2003, they launched CMA. This network focuses on providing coaching and mentoring to church starters, as well as assisting in financial support.

Grace Point is affiliated with CMA. Robin was one of the first to encourage me to pursue the dream of starting a new church. CMA has assisted us through mentoring and encouragment as well as underwriting a portion of my salary for the past two years. In addition to this regular support, CMA has provided underwriting for three promotional mailers (see below) and

three months worth of radio advertisement. All of these efforts have gone into helping make GP what it is today.

We are also a part of CMA because of the vision CMA has of helping new churches start. Today, CMA works with 60+ churches that have started in the last five years. These churches range in size from 30 to 1200. Each of them is committed to advancing the kingdom of God.

Pray for CMA and those in attendance at this week's conference. It will a moment of life changing for many of us.

Family-friendly conncetion groups

2008-09-19T09:08:00.005-05:00

We've started an experiment at GP in an attempt to help us connect so we can live out our mission of encouraging those around us to take the next step in our journey of faith in Jesus. This experiment is called family-friendly small groups or connection groups.

Over the past two weeks, four GP families have been coming together to be encouraged in our journey of faith. The groups feature a light meal (soup, sandwiches, salads, baked potato, etc.), as well as a Bible lesson that everyone can participate in.

This past week, we looked at temptation and the kids had some of the best answers as to what temptation looks like and how to avoid it.

One of the objectives of the connection group is to help span the generational gap that often exists in small groups. Too often small groups are "adults only" environments, which leave many families with younger children out of the mix. Arranging child-care can be a real booger. So for these connection groups, the kids are part of what we're doing.

It's an experiment we hope to duplicate in the coming weeks. Our goal is to launch two more groups like this at GP by Thanksgiving.

Who knows, we may be on to something here.

Velocity - CMA 2008 Conference

2008-09-17T10:44:00.004-05:00

This time next week, I'll be in Olathe, Kansas at Indian Creek Community Church for the last day of the Church Multiplication Association (CMA) conference: Velocity.

I'm so excited to have Christy going on this trip as well as Kris and Channon Gregg and Wes and Sandra Toller. This will be my third time to attend the conference and each year it has been a time to have wind blown back into my sails!

As a part of our time at the CMA Conference, we are going to dream about what the future of GP could look like. Our key question is "If God is at work at GP then ..."

Pray for us as we attend the conference and take the time to be recharged. And pray for us as we dream.

If you have any thoughts on the key question of "if God is at work at GP then..." post them here. I'd love to know how God is speaking to you about Grace Point.

Bad Attitude T-shirts

2008-09-15T21:10:00.003-05:00

I'm still trying to figure out what the point is behind all the "bad attitude" t-shirts!

It seems to me that shirts saying things like "keep talking, I like watching your lips move" or "zero to *itch in 6 seconds" are annoying. I guess I'm annoyed because these people seem to be proud of their bad attitude.

Who wants to work with some one with a bad attitude? Who wants a friend with that kind of attitude?

I'm sure most of them are meant as jokes, but really who's the joke?

Church: Why Bother? (part 1)

2008-09-12T07:26:00.004-05:00

In the coming weeks Grace Point will celebrate its second anniversary. For two years we've focused on encouraging those around us to take the next step on their journey of faith in Jesus.

A critical aspect of this is helping people get connected to the church. I know that there are a many who would argue that "the church is the problem!" They maybe right, but I also believe the church is the answer.

As someone who has my share of negative encounters at church, I understand why someone is gun-shy to go to church. I also know how painful it is to be disappointed and even devastated by the lack of acceptance or love you see in church.

Yet, for all its faults, the church is the place where we have the greatest opportunity to be connected to our Savior. The church is not an organization - it is the expression of our Savior. The scriptures refer to the church as the "body of Christ," "family of God," and even a "holy nation." These descriptions require affiliation.

As much as we might think we can grow on our own or that we can connect to God by ourselves; the truth is we will wander off course and drop out. We need to be connected to one another so that we can "spur one another on to love and good deeds."

We need each other - that's one reason why we should bother with church.

Ed Stetzer is a Southern Baptist Denominational leader. He is an author, consultant, and leader in the church for his denomination and beyond. He recently posted some of his observations regarding this question of "church:why bother?" on his blog. Check it out.

Let's start the conversation with our neighbors and friends. I know there are many out there who have given up on the church but will tell you they love God. Let's help our friends, families, neighbors, and enemies see that to love God, you've go to love the church.

As Bill Hybels has said, "the local church is the hope of the world." Do you believe it? Will you help that statement be a reality in the lives of those around you?

Where were you that Sept Day (A 9/11 Rememberance)

2008-09-11T09:35:00.004-05:00

I was on staff as the Director of Campus Ministries at Mid-America Bible College (now Mid-America Christian University). I was preparing for our Chapel service when someone said "did you hear?" I ran to the TV in the Student Center to watch as the towers began to fall.

As the students, faculty, and staff gathered for our Chapel service, I was the one who informed most of them about the attacks. Many of them had been in class and were unaware of the attack as it was the days before cell phones were a "necessity." I stood before 400 or so adults and broke the news and then lead us in prayer. The prayer went something like this:

Father forgive us. Forgive us for becoming lax in our mission of reaching people with your love.

I'm still convinced that we need to continue to share the love of Christ with generations and cultures. For as we experience the forgiveness of God we are able to forgive others and our world will be begin to find harmony. Sure, we won't all agree on every point or idea, but we can agree to love and respect one another.

I still believe the cross of Christ is what changes us. I believe the church is the body of Christ and as such is the hope of the world. May we live as that hope and may each of us be changed.

Survival story

2008-09-10T13:11:00.003-05:00

Have you heard the account of the man and his son who were swept out to sea and survived 12-hours without a life jacket? Did you know the 12-year old boy has autism?

I read their story and it is remarkable! I'm far from emotional, but this account brought me to tears!

Check it out for yourself!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/10/rescue.at.sea/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Party Pooper - going to heaven?

2008-09-05T13:49:00.005-05:00

Have you hear the song "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven" by Kenny Chesney or George Straight?

I heard it for the first time yesterday. I realize it's been out a while, I'm just behind.

The themes of country music are often times themes of the American culture, especially in non-urban population centers. I guess that's why I had such a hard time letting this song settle in on me.

Here are the lyrics:

Preacher told me last Sunday mornin’
Son, you better start livin’ right
You need to quit the women and whiskey
And carrying on all night

Don’t you wanna hear him call your name
When you’re standin’ at the pearly gates
I told the preacher, “Yes I do”
But I hope they don’t call today
I ain’t ready

Everybody wants to go to heaven
Have a mansion high above the clouds
Everybody want to go to heaven
But nobody want to go now

Said preacher maybe you didn’t see me
Throw an extra twenty in the plate
There’s one for everything I did last night
And one to get me through today
Here’s a ten to help you remember
Next time you got the good Lord’s ear
Say I’m comin’ but there ain’t no hurry
I’m havin’ fun down here
Don’t you know that

Everybody wants to go to heaven
Get their wings and fly around
Everybody want to go to heaven
But nobody want to go now

Someday I want to see those streets of gold in my halo
But I wouldn’t mind waiting at least a hundred years or so

Everybody wanna go to heaven
It beats the other place there ain’t no doubt
Everybody wanna go to heaven
But nobody wanna go now

Everybody wanna go to heaven
Hallelujah, let me hear you shout
Everybody wanna go to heaven
But nobody wanna go now
I think I speak for the crowd

I guess I was offended at the $20 offering and the $10 prayer request. Come on - surely he could have given more if he really meant it!

But in all seriousness, I was most caught off guard at how heaven is seen as boring in comparison to this life. I've talked with many people through the years who have questions about heaven and what it will be like. This song paints heaven as too stale and too boring to even what to trade it in for.

When Jesus taught us to pray, he challenged us to pray Father your will be done "on earth as it is in heaven." If heaven is seen as boring and stale, no wonder we never truly pray the prayer or even live our lives in expectation of an answer.

John's gospel records Jesus as saying "I've come to give you life, and life to the fullest!"

Are we really expecting Jesus to give us a better life then the one we can have on "Saturday night?"

Sure, we all wanna go to heaven, but are we willing for heaven to come to us?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjFjKTZVT6E

Oh Me of Little Faith

2008-09-03T15:16:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday I was reminded of how my faith can be small at times and how easy it is for me to overestimate my own abilities!

As we came to Labor Day weekend, more than three families (representing at least 15 people) had shared with me that they would be gone for the weekend. That's cool, I know families need some time to get away and a three day weekend is perfect for that. So, I prepared to see a slim crowd on Sunday. If 15 people were bailing on me, I knew that there would be more.

As we wrapped up our set up, we gathered to pray as is our habit and we had a new family walk in. Needless to say, I was shocked! Who visits on Labor Day weekend. This added to the fact that they were early! In Odessa, it's not uncommon for someone to arrive 15 minutes after something is supposed to start and still believe themselves to be on time!

As we wrapped up with prayer, more people kept strolling in. We topped out the day at 79.

One of our first time guest shared with me on his way out the door: "This was actually good!"

Another emailed sharing how it was a "wonderful experience" and that they will be back.

Needless to say, I don't know anything about what brings people to church!

Step It Up @ GP

2008-09-02T11:08:00.002-05:00

We’ve worked hard this summer to Beat the Heat at Grace Point and what a summer it’s been!

Our attendance stayed strong throughout the summer even seeing Sundays in July and August with attendance hovering near 80!

A key ministry we started this summer included our ministry for teens. What a success this has been. We’ve seen as many as 17 students (6th-12th grade) participating in our weekly gathering called XP3. In addition to their participation, they have stepped up to leading in our worship gatherings through skits and playing in the band. XP3 has been so effective, we’re moving it to Wednesday nights to accommodate student athletes.

The outreach to men through our softball team Pointmen, has continued to serve as a way to connect with others who are yet to attend GP. We also had our first monthly men’s breakfast at Wiley Gregg’s house.

Helping GPers connect to one another we had several Friday nights featuring hot dogs and conversations at the home of Henry and Kate Littich.

Our baptism events have truly reminded us of what we’re about. Baptizing four in July and four in August has really fired us up and helped us stay focused on our mission of encouraging the next step in a journey of faith in Jesus.

Now that summer is over it’s important to celebrate the victories and Step It Up. The fall is a prime time for people to connect with one another and reconnect with God. The estimates are that nearly 80,000 people in Odessa are not connecting at church on any given Sunday. We have an opportunity to encourage them to take the next step!

This fall we’ll Step It Up in our journey as a community of faith. Some of the things to look forward to include:

Understanding how to connect emotionally, personally, and spiritually
Forming home-based small groups that encourage family participation
Getting to know your neighbors through block parties
Answering the questions of why church really matters

So here’s what you can do to Step It Up at Grace Point.

Make Sundays a priority - participate in our worship gatherings
Get involved with a small group gathering, even hosting one in your home
Invest in a family through serving one month in one of our children’s classes
Contribute financially: give what you can, as often as you can, and practice tithing
Take the 360 challenge of praying for 3 people, 6 times a week, missing 0 opportunities to point them to Jesus

Will you help us Step It Up? By working and praying together, we will make ourselves available to God and we’ll see how he chooses to Open Gates in what’s left of ’08.

History, Theatrics, and the vote

2008-08-30T08:28:00.002-05:00

What a historical week in politics - and the theatrics to match!

Regardless of where you preferences lead you, you have to admit that these guys have put on a great show!

Obama's acceptance speech at the convention in Denver can only be described as theatrical! His delivery was clearly unmatched and then the swell of the theme from Remember the Titans reminded you of the historical nature of an African-American being nominated for the highest office in our country. The fireworks, enormous crowd, and amazing oratory skills certainly mark a new era in American politics.

Not to be out done, McCain pulls his own historical moment filled with theatrics. Selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate continued this historical political season. The shock and elation surrounding her selection through everyone in the media and established political insiders for a loop. Many are still scratching their heads trying to understand how McCain came to the selection.

Needless to say, I'm grateful to be living in such a historic time! And the theater of it ain't too bad either.

Hope

2008-08-28T09:32:00.004-05:00

This week we moved XP3, our ministry for teens to Wednesday nights. We had 15 gather in my living room! This is a great group of students. It is really remarkable to see how these 6th-12th graders are interested in discovering things in the scripture as well as applying it to their lives.

Last night we focused on the aspect of partnership in the life of Christ-followers. As we closed out our study of Colossians, we noticed that Paul mentioned 11 different people who were partners in ministry with him. These partners helped him in sharing the Gospel. They also helped him live the Gospel.

In a day of abundant means of communication, may we do our part in helping others share the Gospel as well as live the Gospel.

The students were challenged to text each other with encouragement, as well as take advantage of myspace, facebook, twitter, email, and even old-school methods of writing notes and letters to each other.

Finally, we all agreed that the most powerful thing we could do for one another was to pray!

I'm excited about how God is going to use these 15 students from 8 different campuses to change a generation here in Odessa. Join me in encouraging them!

Sunday, August 24 @ GP part 2

2008-08-27T13:32:00.005-05:00

After the worship gathering at GP we then headed to Wes and Sandra's for a cookout and baptisms. We baptized four!

Sarah, Dale, Aubrey, and Abby were all baptized signifying their desire to follow Jesus with their lives.

It was really neat because Dale's girls went right in with their mom! It was awesome to see this kind of commitment from a family!

Sunday, August 24 @ GP

2008-08-27T13:19:00.007-05:00

What a day Sunday, August 24 was at Grace Point!

The teens did a great job with their skit!

To prepare us for communion, we did an exercise of examining our hearts. Taking paper hearts and folding them, we placed our good things on the outside of the heart. Then on the inside we listed the things we felt were worthless or that we were ashamed of. GPers were then asked to exchange their symbolic hearts, their lives, for the life Jesus has for us, as represented in communion, the body and blood of Jesus. Broken and spent for us!The response time was powerful!
One of the participants shared that the exercise was intimidating, it left her feeling exposed, but that it was definitely needed!

Thanks to all who made Sunday such a great day.