Have a Great Christmas

Monday, December 24th

Going to take a week off from blogging to enjoy Christmas with my family. Have a great time with your loved ones and I'll catch you next week.

Brian

A Great Magazine To Get

Thursday, December 19th

For those who attend CCV or are interested in the happenings/beliefs/church news/etc. of Independent Christian Churches around the country, there's a free small weekly magazine I'd like to turn you on to -- The Christian Standard.

It's geared to volunteer church leaders and pastors and is a great way to get a weekly shot in the arm concerning issues related to doing church in a compelling way in the 21st century. It's also a great way to see how CCV is connected to over 6,000 churches nationwide that are really doing some great things.

If you are a leader at CCV in any capacity you must get this magazine. You need to read this magazine every week. Every single week. I mean it.

You can order a free 13 week hardcopy subscription at: http://christianstandard.com/subscribe.asp

You can also get a free weekly email subscription at http://www.christianstandard.com/

Good Friends/Good Times

Tuesday, December 18th

A good friend of mine at CCV, Mike McGovern, sent me this picture. That's him on the right. Mike's been with me now at CCV since the whole thing started. He's one of those great guys any pastor would love to have as his friend. This is a picture of the both of us at Vision Night.

(Actually, Mike made me post this or he said he'd start rumors about me on the internet.)

The cool thing is this picture proves that a devoted, fully-committed follower of Jesus can love on outright pagans. Mike was wearing a Penn State jacket while I had on my Troy Smith Ohio State jersey from last year.

Too Good Not To Post

Friday, December 14th

This was sent to me by my good friend Gary DeSanto...enjoy!

Bizarre Dinosaurs

Friday, December 14th

I was on a plane yesterday and to kill time I picked up the most recent National Geographic Magazine. The cover story was "Bizarre Dinosaurs."

Honestly, as a Christian I've always struggled with the whole dinosaur thing. If God created human beings millions of years ago, and we lived with these things, like, wouldn't that have sucked big-time? My heart never would have stopped racing, constantly dodging these things around every corner. Right now the biggest worry in my day is if my car's engine will give out.

Imagine running along the road and having a bird six times larger than you swoop down and plucking your jogging buddy off the ground and taking him up to the top of a tree and feeding him to his kids. Not too fun, unless you're Chuck Norris.

Spiritual Leadership

Wednesday, December 12

This morning I re-read a chapter in an amazing book: Spiritual Leadership by Henry Blackaby. Over the years I've returned to this unassuming book over and over again. Here are some thoughts that hit me again:

P. 202, “God has a plan for each person that is uniquely suited to that individual. Unlike people, God never piles on more than someone can handle. God never overbooks people. God never drives his servants to the point of breakdown. God never burns people out. God never gives his people tasks that are beyond the strength or ability he provides.”

Caught a Bug...Missed a Blessing

Thursday, December 6

On Wednesday morning I was to fly out to New Mexico to co-lead a seminar with ministry friend Rick Rusaw from Lifebridge Christian Church in Longmont Colorado. Unfortunately, on the way out the door to the airport, and I mean on the way out, I started hurling.

My family always jokes that when I barf I sound like a beached whale. It was 5am and my middle daughter woke up and said, "Dad, I thought you were being choked by a burgular."

"No, honey, that was just me ralphing my guts out."

I hate being sick, but what I hate even more is missing the chance to see good Christian friends across the country. I was going to spend time with Errol Stepp and Boyd Hamlin, both friends and fellow church planters who are hitting it out of the park in NM.

Thanks Rick for pinch hitting for me. Errol and Boyd, catch you soon.

Press on.

Brian

P.S. It's Thursday afternoon and I'm just now starting to feel like I can walk without making a mad dash for the bathroom. Thank God for the gifts of 7UP, Saltines, Immodium AD, two-ply toilet paper and Pepto Bismal.

Cheryl Flora Video

Thursday, December 6

As promised here is the Cheryl Flora video from this past Sunday. Her story was the last of four "Switch" stories we shared over the last four weeks. For those of you who struggle with the same thing Cheryl struggles with be encouraged. As we talked about this past Sunday, Jesus is more powerful than any "demon" we'll ever face.

Anxiety and the Past

Wednesday, December 5th

Here's an excerpt from Getting Rid of the Gorilla:

Years ago Lisa and I were traveling from Trenton, New Jersey, to the Jersey shore for the day. A white Volvo station wagon in front of us veered to the right, then turned hard left again and flipped over three times, coming to rest in the grass in the center median. In that split second I was more frightened than any other time I can remember.

I quickly pulled over, and when Lisa and I jumped out, we were surprised to see small preschool-age children in the back seat. We reached in, grabbed one in each arm, and pulled them out. Lisa huddled with the children while I pried the driver- and passenger-side doors open and helped a man and woman, both covered in blood, slide out of their seats. Since these were the days before cell phones, I ran out into the freeway, stopped a car, and asked someone to go get help. Twenty minutes later an ambulance showed up and took them all to the hospital.

I’ll never forget what I saw in that car, but more important, I’ll never forget what I felt—a knot in my chest and a mad rush of adrenaline covered by a blanket of numbness. It’s the only situation that’s ever come close to mirroring the immediate emotional aftereffects of getting ransacked by the gorilla. The place where unforgiving words are formed is a dark, erratic, and anxious place.

When the gorilla moves in, the first thing he unpacks is anxiety. Anxiety masks the real issues involved in forgiving those who have hurt us by locking us into replaying what happened to us over and over and over again. Rather than giving us ways to move on from the pain we’ve experienced, anxiety keeps us trapped in a nonstop mental replay of how we were hurt, complete with all the bewildering emotions we felt when the hurt first happened. Anxiety makes our situation seem more painful and intractable than it actually is, if for no other reason than the more we replay the memories, the more ingrained they become.

As disciples our best weapon against anxiety is prayer. Prayer opens up the windows in our souls and allows fresh air to whip around the corridors of our past, opening up the possibility for new ways of looking at what we have experienced.

I Need 2 National Championship Tickets

Monday, December 3

Sunday was a great day.

First, 19 people were baptized after church. If you weren't there to see Cheryl Flora's story about the way God has been working in her life you missed one of the most powerful videos of 2007. I'll try to have that on my blog by the end of the week.

Second, my Ohio State Buckeyes made it into the BCS National Championship game in New Orleans.

If you have connections to get me 2 tickets to the Sugar Bowl near face value, Jesus wants you to email me brian@moviechurch.com immediately.

I'm not asking you for the tickets.

Jesus is asking you to give me the tickets.

I'm simply his servant ready and willing to receive whatever he has for me.

(seriously, I need 2 tickets...I'll paint your house or something if you can get me tickets)