Can you see it?

Each person who follows Christ is given a Spiritual gift which is given by God through His Spirit for the purpose of building up the kingdom of God and extending the gospel. I believe that my strongest and primary gift is the gift of leadership. Honestly, I believe my spiritual gifts are very disproportionate. But this has given me such a passion to know more and grow in this leadership gift. One of the things that I've notice about people who have this spiritual gift see the world differently. When others see barriers leaders see bridges. When others see opposition leaders see opportunity. Leaders are typically optimistic in nature and are oriented towards vision and action. I believe one of the uniqe components of our journey to the Bay Area is that God gives me as the leader of South Bay Church the blessing of seeing things before they come into existence. He places the vision in my heart and then it moves into the hearts of our team and they begin to see it. So this morning as I was reading the bible and praying I was just rejoicing as I think of all the lives that will be changed in the coming months and years. I thought about the first time we baptize people at South Bay Church and was just thanking God for the people who will be the very first at South Bay who decide to follow Christ. I think of all the people who 12 months from now who will be eternally changed with the gospel. I think of the joy that will come as we see God establish a church from nothing in just a few months. I can see it! Can you? Ask God to help you see it today. Ask Him to show you the world and His kingdom as he sees it. Ask Him to help you be driven by a hot vision that comes from the depths of your soul. Ask Him to help you see the big picture as you serve. Ask Him to break your heart for all the people who need the hope of the gospel. Ask Him to give you vision. He will. He will move you from ordinary mundane living to the joy of his kingdom purposes and redemption of the world. He wants your life to be for more than just now. He wants you to be for something great! Something way beyond what you could ever ask or imagine. He wants to do immeasurably more than you could ever ask or imagine with your life. Are you willing to ask Him to help you believe that today?

A Minor Confession

So, part of my routine when I travel is to scout out all of the Starbucks along the journey. I will often stop for a latte like one stops for gas in fear of the next Starbucks being more than 500 miles down the road. So tonight at Starbucks I had an encounter that needs some reflection... After pulling open the door of Starbucks I was spotted by a group of Christian guys doing their bible study. For some reason just about every Starbucks in the bible belt has "that" group of Christian guys or girls. Most of the time they are somewhere in late high school or early college age. None of them seem to have jobs and they sit around at Starbucks discussing the bible all day long. They are carrying on a similar conversation to the last time I was in Starbucks. You know how I know, they are the loudest ones in the whole joint! Sometimes they are laughing in a way that makes everyone feel a little uncomfortable and just a tad bit excluded. I've also noticed their humble desire to witness to me. Usually their conversation will cease as I or others pass by... then the look comes, the "I am going to witness to you" look. You know it. I never want them to know that I am a pastor. So I scurry past hoping not to get into the conversation... I don't think about it in the moment, it is more intuitive... Tonight as I sat in Starbucks eating a sandwich and sipping a latte and reflecting on my experience I wondered why I as a pastor am repelled by these guys. I know they mean well, I am sure they are very nice. I guess I just would rather talk to the guy who sees the world a little differently. Something in me is drawn to the guy with tattoos who seems as though he is not carrying a pretense as we strike up conversation. I hope that when I meet others at Starbucks they don't think of me as "that guy." Rather as an honest, sincere, humble, non-pretentious guy who cares about others.

On the Road!

This morning I leave Columbia South Carolina for my one week journey which has me landing in the SF Bay Area next Monday afternoon. Today I will head out to Oklahoma City for a church planters roundtable with ARC. I will be apart from Stacie and Caedmon for two full weeks. This is the longest amount of time I have been away from either of them for a long time. Aside from my sadness there I am excited about finally getting to California. Today will be fun, I have downloaded Bill Hybels new book Axiom into my iPod and some other church planting training stuff. I am going to also listen to a novel by Francine Rivers titled "Redeeming Love." Thanks for all of your prayers for my family and our church. God is blessing and we are seeing a vision become a reality in our lives!

10 days to go!

I am only two weeks away from heading to the SF Bay Area. i will arrive into the area on monday aug. 18. I will spend the next few days trying to find our place to live. Stacie and I have a specific part of town where we plan to plant our lives. We have decided based upon demographics where the greatest percentage of young adults and young families live. We are looking to live in the Santa Clara/Sunnyvale/San Jose part of the valley in the north close to hwy 101. As you think about us please pray that God would open doors for our housing. We are praying that we can find a 3 bedroom townhouse or home for rent in this area. We are looking for a location that will have room enough for parking when we have friends to our home. Please pray that God would give us favor to find something within the budget we've set for housing!