New blog website!

I have a new blog site, which look pretty sweet. It is directly connected with our website, which just makes everything a whole lot easier. So from now on, visit

http://www.jacobswelloncampus.com/Blog/

Sushi with the sister tonight = pretty sweet date. It hit the spot. And you know you're getting old when Home Improvement is on Nick @ Night. So just a few thoughts on the evening. Excited for an eventful day tomorrow!

Coffee-no-food-shakey

For you coffee drinkers, you know where I'm coming from. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's only the coffee drinkers that really know what I'm talking about. If you drink coffee on an empty stomach, just wait. If you have no food, it's only a matter of time before the jitters start - the kind of jitters that make it impossible for you to hold your hand steady.

This is not the case with you mountain dew drinkers, or you drinkers that have other sources of caffeine, because with your source of caffeine is a source of calories. Mountain dew, pop, diet pop, all of those caffeine sources have some caloric content. And the caloric content makes it so these jitters won't hit you as hard because you have something in your tummy. Coffee, on the other hand, has little to no caloric content, which means you're basically drinking straight caffeine.

So here I sit, thinking I should probably eat something soon because I'm coffee-no-food-shakey. There's work to be done today though, plenty of it actually. I'm trying to manage my time well, and at the same time take a break every now and then (like I'm doing right now) to collect my thoughts.

For the record, it was time for Carly to go on American Idol, and I'm a David Cook fan to the end. The new Jacob's Well website is sweet, props to Brian. And I'm heading to Rochtown later today to teach at a youth conference tomorrow for 13-18 year old students, which I'm stoked and scared about at the same time. I'm used to addressing college students, I've forgotten what it was like to be in high school, and so I'm trying hard to remember and asking my sister for advice. Oh ya, and after Rochester, Sunday Clint and I are taking off for Kansas City to speak to a class of seminary students about church planting and Jacob's Well, which is cool.

I'm bummed I'm going to miss the first Sunday Gathering at the Stadium Village Church Building, but I know it's going to be a sweet time. I had a dream about last night - little weird, guess that means I've been thinking a lot about it. I just hope the first Sunday Gathering at SVC is as sweet as it was in my dream.

And by the way, all this is coming to you from Overflow Coffee, which will be my favorite "office spot" for a long time to come.

Commitment to slow down

So life has been too much go go go if you haven't picked up on that in my posts already. Yesterday I was journaling and I made the commitment to slow down in the moments I am able. Don't get me wrong, this week is crazy busy with stuff every day of the week, but in the few moments I have where nothing is going on, I've committed to really resting in those moments - going out on the porch, journaling, going on a walk or a run - things like that.

I've been thinking a lot about the concept of a Sabbath day of rest - how God created the universe to function in a rhythm and demonstrated it to us by Himself creating in 6 days and resting on the 7th. Did God need to rest on the 7th day? No. But He did to set the example for us. I know one thing - I need to program the Sabbath rest into my schedule, a whole day of nothing, because this go go go really can catch up to you.

So I guess those are my thoughts for the day. Relax as much as I can. I'm outskies.

My roommates are a blessing

My roommates are such an incredible blessing. All of them. I'm thankful I have the opportunity to share life, the good and the bad, with them, and they with me, and we can walk through it together. One thing's for sure, none of us have this thing called life really figured out.

My roommate Tyler was playing the song, "Come Thou Fount," in his room today on his computer. I lost it, began to cry, struck by the powerful lyrics that speak the truth of Jesus' love for us.

Jesus saught me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescure me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

Oh to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander Lord I feel it
Prone to leave this God I love
Here's my heart Lord
Take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above....

Thinking on how Jesus gave Himself because of His love for the world... how Jesus saught me when I didn't know any better by interposing His precious blood. Man, overwhelmed. It certainly puts things in perspective.

I'm in a season of reflection, at least for the next few days, but my prayer is Jesus is at the forefront of my thoughts, that His sacrifice for me would put everything else in life in perspective, and that I would love people with the extravagant love He has shown me.

Hope you all are trying as I to figure out what it means to live in light of the Gospel through the help of Jesus.

Reflections on the Gospel, the whore and the Savior, community, and the journey...

Lately, my life has been go go go and I want it to slow slow slow.

This morning I taught on church planting, something I myself am incredibly passionate about. But I can't really explain it, but this morning, I wasn't in my element. I was bummed that something I feel so passionate about probably wasn't communicated like I was incredible passionate about it. It's times like these I am thankful God uses us in our weaknesses. I guess every once in a while, you have an "off-Sunday."

I can't say how encouraged and blessed I am to be part of a community like Jacob's Well. My closest friends are a part of this community - a community of people committed to journeying together towards Jesus, learning more and more what it looks like to live in light of the Gospel.

And a community that is not content to be content. A community who sees themselves as sent - who are trying to figure out what it looks like to live as a missionary where they are right now. I wish it were a bunch of easy answers, but I'm thankful that I have people who are all trying to figure this out together.

John 12:32-33
"As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself." 33 He said this to signify what kind of death He was about to die.

I'm thankful I'm a part of a community that desires to lift Jesus up, because we know when we do, He draws people to Himself. But when we lift Him up, we aren't talking about singing songs and the like that all goes on during the Sunday Gatherings of local churches around the world, although that is well and good.

To lift Jesus up is to make Him famous. And to make Him famous - to lift Him up - is to tell the world of His love and demonstrate to the world His love. To lift Jesus up is to realize the extravagant love Jesus has shown us. Even though we are hopeless sinners, Jesus gave Himself for us. To lift Jesus up is to love people with the extravagant love Jesus has shown us.

And when we do this, when we lift Jesus up, He will draw people to Himself.

I am struck more and more with my own depravity - my fallen nature. It was my sin that nailed Jesus to the cross. My sin was the reason He had to die. But what's really got me lately is the thought that when I am unable to forgive myself, or I continue to beat myself up for something that I have done or said and later regretted, I am telling Jesus His death on the cross wasn't enough - that somehow I have to pay for this particular sin. So I spit in Christ's face when I sin, and I tell Him His death wasn't enough by refusing to forgive myself - I am in one terrible mess.

But Jesus forgives even that. And God who starts a work will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Learning to walk in light of the fact that I am a mess, but the death of Jesus was all-sufficient is quite a journey. But it is freeing! I'm thankful God reached down through Jesus and saved me when I could not save myself. I'm thankful His hand is at work and that my God is in the business of Life-Transformation and shaping His people to look more and more like His Son. I'm thankful that Jesus, the bridegroom, is always faithful to a neverfaithful whore who continues to turn her back time and time again and He continues to take her back time and time again. It is this extravagant everfaithful love that I am trying to learn to walk in light of. And it is this love I want to love others with through the power of Jesus.

Without the late snow, without the hard winter, this spring day would not be as beautiful...

This is what I've been waiting for - porch weather. All day today I have not frequented a coffee shop. Instead, I have been sitting on my porch, outside, soaking up the sun when it peaks from behind the scattered clouds. These perfect spring days are a rarity. Porch weather like this is rare. Because soon, summer will be here and once again, the weather conditions will push me inside, soon because it will be so hot. But then, oh the porch summer nights! So can I just say I'm stoked for the next several several months. Spring is a reminder of life. It reminds me of the Life-Giver, the one who pulled me out of darkness and into His wonderful light.

It's crazy to think that in one month, I will have been out of school for one year. In one month, students will be going home, or going away for the summer. This year has flown! What an incredible year!

Frustrations with Christians...

So my friend Pat wrote this post on some frustrations he has with people who call themselves Christians. It echoes my thoughts and was beautifully put, especially his portion on church hoping and going to a church to "get fed." So for your reading pleasure, check it out.

From Pat's Blog:

Its been several days since I'd hoped to get this posted, but I've struggled with it too. So now I'm sitting in the airport with my Blackberrt and I have a few minutes on my hands.... So here goes!

Continuing with the Confessions Blog theme, today is "Sometimes Christians Really Annoy Me". Now let me clarify. This is not to say that all believers annoy me at a random time. Maybe annoy isn't even the best word... Maybe it should be 'frustrate'. Nonetheless, there are moments when I encounter believers that are very frustrating. I realize many (or most) people in the US that 'claim' to follow Christ are in fact not true believers. This could definitely lend a hand to many common misperceptions that exist as a result. So many of these frustrations (if you will) are birthed from those misperceptions or what should be mischaracterizations actually playing true. Clarifying even further, why I feel this frustration is because as a Pastor, part of my goal is to help change peoples thoughts about Christians. I want them to see ours and Christs love for them. Its not my delight to find fault or difficulty in anyone, as it is not a regular practice. For easy reading, I'll create a few things:

"Consider my needs...." I've heard it said all we need to live is food, shelter and love. I've seen people get along with only 2 out of 3 - although not that well. I get frustrated when people pull this card out though, because 9 times out of 10 (IMO) the person asking you to consider their 'needs' has not once considered yours. In fact, they often don't think about anyones except their own.

"I want to be fed...." This is a toughy, but regarding churches I've know countless people over my 27 years of life that have left churches because they're not being fed. Let me go on the record and say that I do believe part of my responsibility as a pastor is to preach the Gospel (Good News) and I make no consolation to that fact. I do not 'hide' what Scripture says on a subject because its not PC. However, there is a contigancy within our churches of people who feel they need to be spoon fed by the pastor every week. If they aren't getting it, they go somewhere else. Sundays shouldn't just be about expanding your knowledge, it should be about exhortation, encouragement, worship, (and so on) with one another. We've created this 'feeding time' so its our fault as pastors (over the past 100 years). If your a follower of Christ, its your duty to feed yourself, so put away childish things (IE spoon feeding) and get to some meat!

"You've offended me..." Ok, I haven't heard this that much in my life - but I have seen it like crazy. What part of Jesus telling us to die to ourselves makes us think we have a right to be offended? Call me fat, dumb, or insincere -- it doesn't matter to me. I'm not saying it won't hurt, but as much as Christ has given up for me, can I not show a similar love to others? I have never demanded an apology from anyone... And hope not to.

"I've been here for ___ years..." This one is a tough one. We get the idea that if we've been at a church 50 years we have precedent over someone who has been there 5. We do this in other ways too... We assume that age equals wisdom. Just because someone has been a believer for 20 years doesn't necessarily make them wiser than the guy who's done it for 2. Smarter (more info) maybe... But we have the same Holy Spirit guiding us. I've seen both sides of course, and quite often some of the people I know with the strongest faith are older... But we are all a part of this Body. Different functions, and none of us more important than the other.

"I think..." Ok, anything that starts with these words regarding theology (etc) should from hence forth be described as personal opinion. I like you, your brain, and your thoughts - but I'm basing the way I live on what I know from Scripture, not rational deduction or reasoning.

"Church hoppers". We've met them, we've been them. I know pastors that haven't been at a church more than 3 years... They can hop too! Seriously, there is no perfect church and you will most likely never be somewhere where you completely agree 100% with everything. If you think you do, you just haven't thought through everything. These differences make us GREATER as believers. Stop jumping from church to church and commit. The Bible says "let your yes be yes and your no be no". If you have been involved in more than 3 churches while living at the same address, you need to ask yourself: am I serving God or myself/my-family? I'm not called to put my wife and kids first, but God. If I make a decision on what's best for them, it places them above Him - and sets a bad precendent for my son to think he's number 1... And God isn't. This one is the hardest, but when you find a church and commit to it - stick with it until God moves you on or a tornado carries you off. (And both will carry the same intensity)

Let me finish by saying, its OK if you've been or said one of these things. The world doesn't stand still because of my frustrations. :)

However, if you tend to agree with me (now) then join with me and make an effort to live differently... Sacrificially. I've said a few of these things, and I've definitely been down some roads I don't love, but there's hope in our faith! These were tough to write, but be encouraged- we weren't meant to live for so much more than we settle for!