4AM

I couldn’t sleep last night so I woke up extra early and I decided to grab a bit of breakfast this morning before church setup. I pulled up in the Waffle House parking lot and my heart began to break for the unchurched in this community. Young and old alike at 4:30 am they come stumbling in to get something to eat. Most of them thinking their life is great but I’ve been there before, where they are trying to feel their lives with everything but God and not a bit of it is fulfilling. They will wake up Sunday afternoon with a headache and empty again. Next time you need to grow a heart for the lost, go to the Waffle House on Sunday morning before set up. You will see real quick there is a great need for Jesus in this community. Thank you Jesus for waking me up early this morning and setting my heart a blaze for a lost and dying world.

The Yellow Sign

If you look around Rockmart on any given weekend you will see yellow signs posted throughout the community. If God ever leads you to take on that ministry let me know. The yellow sign is not the focus of this blog but more about the sign itself. If you look at the slogan at the bottom of the sign it says “We’ll change the way you think about church”. Now some Christians may look at that and say “I love the way I think about church” and may even get a little mift because of that slogan; however, if you regularly attend church, then then sign is not for you. Before we launched Cross View I personally went through our community and ask people why they didn’t go to church. The sad thing is it wasn’t hard to find someone to talk to about it. But here were the top 4 things people said about church. Here is #1
1. Don’t have church clothes! When we first started we made a decision that many churches focus more on the clothes someone has on their back that the need one has in their heart. So we came to the conclusion that if we were going to be like Jesus and minister to the man at the tomb then we had to keep our eyes on more important things. Now I agree with modesty, but the church for far too long has given the appearance of a social club instead of Gods bride.

Last Night

Last night and the night before last I have not been able to sleep. I continue to wake up at night thinking about the people that are walking around Rockmart LOST. I really believe that God has placed this burden on my heart and it just really empowers me to do what ever it takes to reach the unchurched in the community.  So pray that I will get some sleep tonight but my burden for the Lost to stay!

Faith

I guess today I will just start off with a question and just ask you. Why is it when we are children we can put all our faith and trust in God but as we get older we will have faith for everyone else but for ourselves? We have a   “sort a kind a faith.” I think that so many times God shows up in a huge way but so many times we just won’t step out in faith. When we started God’s church in Rockmart we had to have huge faith to quit our jobs and start working in a community where at first we knew no one. But I believe because we had huge faith in God that he has showed up in a huge way. Just think about it! This church started with one couple Gracie and I and now we have over 200 in weekly attendance any given Sunday. But what is an even more impressive number to me is the 63 people that have made Jesus Lord of their life and 52 have made it public through baptism. What an awesome journey we would have missed if we didn’t follow God in faith. We need to have a childlike faith and trust our heavenly father to come through in a huge way, because if you do there will be a time that God shocks you because he will show up above and beyond anything you could ever ask or imagine. The Bible says and I can imagine some pretty super thinks so we need to trust God for more and have the faith that he will deliever if it is his will!

Difference

I love being part of a church that is making a difference! I’ve been a part of churches that talk about doing something and never really do anything. I’ve been a part of church’s that have revivals and commit to do “whatever it takes!” and nothing happens besides people getting hyped up for 2 days and then Sunday comes back around and nothing happens. God has placed it in my heart to lead His church to never try to put him in a box. And to make a difference! I really believe this has nothing to do with the way we do church like with our music or style of delivery, but I do believe it has everything to do with our hearts. There are many styles or preferences with church, but my question is; Are you making a difference? Are you really running the race or is your church sitting stagnant, doing nothing but talking? Or Are you walking? Listen we have got to be on the move!

We have to advance God’s Kingdom by lifting up the name of Jesus. I sat across from a man this morning at breakfast that was a fundalmentalist Legalistic pastor. Now I say that because that’s what he called himself. But even we could agree that we need to lift up the name of Jesus and our ministries needed to be focused on making a difference! He also agrees that different people are reached different ways. So with that said “We are going to walk the walk not just talk the talk”. Cross View will be about making a difference where God has placed us by introducing people to Jesus Christ because he is the one who will make the difference.

Miracles

I am jacked up about the series we are about to launch. I really believe that there is going to be huge opportunities for people to not only receive Christ, but as Christ followers, I know your faith is going to be stretched and huge growth will happen because of it. I really feel like we are about to go into a season like any other we have experienced before as a church. Listen I believe the more we grow as followers of Christ, the more people God is going to send our way to lead. I believe this past year God has grown us in a huge way in our faith and now I believe he is going to grow us in numbers because of our ability to minister to those in need. Make sure you invite your family and friends to church this Sunday as we talk about Jesus calming the storm. If you know anybody that is in the storms of life they need to be there. So, with that said invite everyone because either we are in one, just came out of one, or about to get caught in one. So come be prepared to understand the storms of life.

READY OR NOT I’M BACK!

Man I tell you I’m back and ready to go! Last week was great but I am refreshed, restored, and Ready to Rock Rockmart for Jesus Christ. Vacation was great and thanks to all that made that happen, but it is good to be home. I can’t wait until this weekend! Getting to communicate to my people is going to be awesome because I missed you guys. Thank God I Pastor a church that when I say I missed it, it’s the truth. Listen I really believe as a church we are about to all experience a movement of God like we have never seen or even been a part of, so keep on your seat belts and get ready to get on the God train as we get to be apart of what God is going to do!

The Best Staff in the World!

I am so proud of our staff and how they made me feel comfortable leaving one of my greatest passions; for them to take care of Cross View and DiD they show out. Thank God to Ashley, Jonathan, Gabe, and Marsha! What a team of Superstars that led our superstar volunteers. I feel that our staff live, breathe, love, and are willing to die to accomplish God’s vision for His Church. Thank you guys for being there for my family and for being my family!

Sunburn

The day before yesterday Gracie, Nathan, Jewel and I went to the beach, hung out and had a picnic at the beach. It was really nice, not to hot, not to cold just right. It was warm enough to get in the water but not so hot that you would actually burn up, so I thought! Gracie asked if I needed sun block and being so stubborn I said no babe it’s not that hot. Well to say the least I wished I would have put on the sun block. I wish i would have listened to her decernment because even after 2 days of apple cider, vinegar and vanilla extract I’m still on fire. I believe we can relate this to us and our relationship with God. We step on dangerous ground sometime without the protective covering of God and we don’t even listen to the ones closest to us. When it comes down to their discernment, we suffer because we are just plain out stubborn.  So my prayer for you today is that you listen to those that are closest to you in your spiritual walk with Christ. Allow God to cover you with His protection so you can avoid the pain of not listening to him. May we all as the Bible say’s “Seek first the kingdom of God!”

Sand

This morning God woke me up early and said Danny go to the beach, so I jumped in my truck drove over to the board walk and sat still. I looked at the wonderful creation that God had made and there was a since of awe. As I looked at the sand it reminded me of what God told Abram in Genesis 22: 16-18. God told him because you obeyed me I will bless you and your decendants will be like the sand by the seashore and they will conquer the cities of their enemy! Wow! What a word from God! The enemy for too long has been moving into Rockmart. Being a decendant of Abraham we will accomplish the mission and conquer the city for God. The city that God has placed before us and Satan can’t do anything about it because it was a promise from God! May we continue to obey God and continue to win our community to Jesus!