The new promo video for TNLC!

Here it is, the new promo video for Trinity New Life Church! We’re showing it at the national Every Nation conference Thursday morning. Big props to Chris Tavalare for his help in putting it all together.

Whaddaya think?!

25

06 2009

It’s a big blue airy road!!!

Here was a favorite shot from the plane ride to DC yesterday. I was on a plane!

24

06 2009

Seven years and counting!

DSC_0002

June 22, 2002! What a great ride, and I’m looking foward to another 77 years…

Thanks for everything, Kelly. Love you.

22

06 2009

Can you keep it in your pants?

text-mania

No, not THAT. Your cell phone! What were you thinking of?

You’ll find few people who are stronger advocates for the use of social media in most settings, including Twitter in church, but I’d like to amend my endorsement of social media to include this note:

Use all forms of social media…in the appropriate settings.

  • Know when to lock in during a meeting and get off the Twitters.
  • I don’t need to know where your bald spots are when we’re having lunch, so look up from your phone so I can see your mug.
  • Know when to drop IM and keep a record of a conversation via email.
  • Know when to stop trying to solve a problem via email and when it’s time to go to the phone call.
  • Know when it’s time to move from a phone to an actually face-to-face meeting. I know, the horror.
  • Don’t tweet during your date night. Don’t even check your phone. Wives hate that. At least, my wife hates it.

I know this may seem a bit of pot calling kettle black, which is true, but I’m working on getting better. Technology should enhance our personal interactions, not detract from them.

Do you know when to keep it in your pants?

16

06 2009

Facebook- nessessary evil?

Be honest- do you even LIKE Facebook?

I’m torn. I’m a fan of the new Pages feature for groups/churches/businesses, but it’s so hard to get to that it almost seems Facebook isn’t a fan themselves! And why did birthdays lose such a prominent place? That was the best part of Facebook!

Facebook’s trying to become more Twitter-like with the custom URLs and the landing page, but that’s not who Facebook is, IMHO. But what IS their strength at this point? Are they losing their identity so quickly? Do we like where they’re going? It is still your first stop when you fire up the ol’ web browser, or are you just using it because everyone else is using it, only they’re just using it because everyone else is as well?!

So do you LIKE using it, or use it because you “have to?”

15

06 2009

Will you pray for Trinity New Life Church?

As we prepare to launch of Trinity New Life Church we recognize there’s nothing more important building the foundation of the church with prayer and fasting. Or, as the Bible says:

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. -Psalm 127:1a

Anytime a new church starts, there is a crazy level of spiritual warfare involved. We desire to build this new church on the foundation of prayer and authority of Jesus. Having a dedicated team of 200 prayer partners will provide the strong support needed for this new adventure. Here’s what you’re getting yourself into:

  • Signing up
  • Receiving a weekly email with our prayer needs
  • Taking some time each week to pray for us
  • Consider fasting with us once a month

Now, as much as I want you to pray with us, let me say this: please don’t sign up for this prayer team unless you’re really going to pray. Too often saying we’ll “pray for something” to sound polite and then we don’t end up following through. All we’re asking is for you to consider what you’re doing before signing up.

But if you’re ready to rock Hell with your prayers, just fill out this short form to start receiving updates!

And of course, if we can pray for you, just let us know how.

11

06 2009

We’re leaving Tallahassee to plant a church!

This may be a bit anti-climatic by now, but my wife and I are moving in mid-July to the Tampa Bay area to lead pastor a church plant with Every Nation Churches.

Nearly four years ago God began speaking to us about planting a church, but we weren’t sure where or when. Over the last 12 months the call of God became clear, and we knew it was time to pursue God’s will to plant a church.

Our original intention was to do so through Every Nation, Tallahassee and expand the church in the Tallahassee, but it became clear to both me and Ps. Ron God was moving in us in a different direction. It’s with his, and the entire elder board of ENT’s support that we’re stepping out to plant Trinity New Life Church.

This is an incredibly bittersweet move to leave so many beloved friends behind, and a very scary one, but we’re both so excited for this next step of faith in obedience to God’s will for our lives. We’ve been blessed to be friends with, pastors to, and coworkers with some of the most amazing people. Thank you all.

They’ll be plenty of time to talk about the church plant, but here are a few details to whet your appetites:

We’ll be building a team through the rest of 2009, and hold preview services from November through February. Then, God willing, we’ll launch Trinity New Life Church on a weekly basis in March of 2010!

You can find out more information at TrinityNewLife.com, follow us on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook.

OK, here we go!

07

06 2009

A crazy single-shot video

I know I’m a little late to the party with the video, but it’s too fantastic to pass up. Mute Math is so incredibly creative, and I know I’m not the only one eagerly anticipating the new album this fall. Enjoy.

RSS readers click here to enjoy the video.

05

06 2009

I love legalism

legalism

Don’t you?

It’s so much easier to be holy when I’m legalistic. There are nice, clean lines. I don’t have to think. I can just mindless react to arbitrary lines I’ve set up (or others set up for me) and feel like I’m pleasing God. It’s great!

But legalism isn’t God’s desire for our lives, even if it can become our desire. His desire is for us to walk in holiness, measuring what is both permissible and beneficial for us, for our ministry context, and for the people we’re in relationship with on a consistent basis. But how do we balance the two?

Wisdom.

And where do we get wisdom?

Fear of the Lord.

Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time.- Proverbs 2:5-9

More fear. Less legalism.

04

06 2009

How’s your holiness filter?

After the family developed colds last week, I realized I needed to check our A/C filter, since our maintenance crew only does so only after being asked and not once every two months like I was told. But I digress

What I found was a dark gray air filter where a white one previously existed. We’d been ingesting impurities unnecessarily because I’d waited too long to perform a simple maintenance task. Take a look:

holy-filter

The picture of these filters is not unlike our personal holiness. We start out clean, eager, devout to our God. We do out best to catch everything before it impacts our souls.

But eventually there’s a build-up. Eventually the clear lines we’ve draw of what we will and won’t do begin to be come…dusty. They’re moving and shifting. Each little particle/sin seems harmless, but when you’re able to step back and see the cumulative effect of each tiny, little, “insignificant” particle/sin you’ll see just how far you’ve drifted, how dirty your filter really has become.

We must take time to step back. We must intentionally re-orient our filters from time to time. We must maintain them with regular and intrusive accountability. Otherwise we’ll find ourselves not only covered in sin, but spreading it as well.

How’s your filter?

PS- Here’s a message from Ed Stetzer at the Innovate Church conference entitiled “The Case for Personal Holiness.” Fantastic message along these lines.

02

06 2009