A tie for my favorite Super Bowl ad…

This was a tie for my favorite super bowl ad. Another laugh out loud…that’s LOL for all you under 25ers…moment.

Sunday Recap 2-7-10

Great day today, as we kicked off “The Outsiders” series. Loved the chance to talk about who we are as the Church. We talked about what Jesus said about the church. He only used the word twice. One of those was in Matthew 16:18. He said that HE was building it…that HE would be the foundation and the cornerstone…and that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it.

The church is also described int he New Testament as

• a Building…and we are living stones in it (1 Peter 2:5).
• a Body…and we are to be one (Romans 12:4-5).
• a Bride…and we are being prepared for the bridegroom (Revelation 19:7; Ephesians 5:25-32).
• a Family…we are adopted as children of God (1 John 3:1-2).

When we…the Church…understand who we are (and Whose we are) then we can better begin to understand “How we should ride.” We’ll be talking about that next week as The Outsiders continues. Don’t miss it!

Yesterday, the Ridge Band did a phenomenal job! I keep saying they are the best kept secret in our community. Jerry and the team did a fantastic job yesterday. The covered NeedToBreathe’s song The Outsiders fantasticly (is that a word? It is now!). Jason even showed more of his talent by playing guitar and harmonica at the same time. Awesome job!

I am excited about this series as we look at who we are and how we should ride as His Church @ The Ridge. Don’t miss a single weekend!

Some exciting things are ont he horizon! I can’t wait to share what God is doing.

Join me in praying faithfully for REVIVAL to shake our community. For God to show His presence ina fresh way that we cannot explain!

On another less spiritual note. I was a little disappointed that the Colts lost the Super Bowl last night. However, it was good to see that the Saints are the “Aints” no more. Good game. Enjoyed some of the commercials, but my favorite was this one:

What are you praying for the church?

If we are to see a movement of God in our generation, it will begin with prayer. What is it that we as church leaders are praying for the church? How, exactly, should we pray for revival in the church? Maybe Psalm 85:1-6 is a good place for us to start:

¹ You showed favor to your land, O LORD;
       you restored the fortunes of Jacob. ² You forgave the iniquity of your people
       and covered all their sins.
       Selah

 ³ You set aside all your wrath
       and turned from your fierce anger.

 ⁴ Restore us again, O God our Savior,
       and put away your displeasure toward us.

 ⁵ Will you be angry with us forever?
       Will you prolong your anger through all generations?

 ⁶ Will you not revive us again,
       that your people may rejoice in you?

Can God do again what He did in generations past…bringing revival to the church and spiritual awakening to this nation that would become a global movement? Absolutely! he’s done it before, He can do it again. Pray that God would indwell our churches and fill us afresh with His Spirit. May he take each of us this Sunday in our church gatherings and shake us. May we experience His presence in a fresh way. May we never be the same.

Is that your prayer for your church? I think most of us, if we are honest, are afraid of what that might look like. I know I am, but I still want to pray it anyway.

If it’s gonna happen, it will start with prayer. What are you praying for your church, pastor? More people? More money? Buildings? New programs? Or brokeness and revival.

A word from my daughter…

My 18 year old college girl wrote this today and posted on facebook. I asked her permission to post it here. Very insightful and solid. Love that girl…or should I say, woman!

Why do we try to change the way our Father created us?

by Aly Whipple

We are constantly attempting to change our image. From tanning, whitening our teeth, to changing the color of our hair, we attempt to hide what we consider our imperfections. Fixing ourselves to the extent of trying to reach perfection. Now I’m not saying we shouldn’t take care of ourselves, after all, the Lord lives inside of us and we are His temple. I am saying that we just forget sometimes that the Creator of the universe intimately pieced us together and knew the number of hairs on our head before the world was created. Why do we strive so much to change the way our Creator made us? Is it because the world is telling us that to be beautiful we must achieve perfection? He created us and we are beautiful in His eyes! He knows our inmost being and intricately wove us together in our mothers womb! Oh Beloved, can’t you see? We are fearfully and wonderfully made!

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” -Psalm 139:12-14

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, Have I got it?
‘Cause Mirror you’ve always told me who I am
I’m finding it’s not easy to be perfect
So sorry you won’t define me
Sorry you don’t own me

Who are you to tell me
That I’m less than what I should be?
Who are you? Who are you?
I don’t need to listen
To the list of things I should do
I won’t try, I won’t try

Mirror I am seeing a new reflection
I’m looking into the eyes of He who made me
And to Him I have beauty beyond compare
I know He defines me

You don’t define me, you don’t define me

Mirror by Barlowgirl

One of those “wow!” kinda quotes…

“We cannot expect the Americans to jump from capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism until they suddenly awake to find they have Communism.”  - Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev, 1959 

Must read…perspective

As we have been in this “Squeezed” series this month, I have been struck by the relevancy of the story of Pastor Matt Chandler. Matt is the pastor of The Village Church in Flower Mound, TX and is one of the most gifted preachers in the Church today. On Thanksgiving Day he had a seizure and was diagnosed with brain cancer. His story is compelling.

When you and I feel “squeezed” by things of life, we need to have a little perspective. I don’t know how you will feel about this story, but after reading it I think you’ll have a fresh perspective on your own “trials and sufferings” as well as on God and His grace. Read it HERE, then pray for Matt and his family…and thank Him for whatever He brings into your life, “considering it joy.” (James 1:2-4)

Sunday Recap 1-31-10

Wow! What an awesome end to our Squeezed series today @ The Ridge! We shared an entire worship gathering that was focused on prayer…the place we should turn first when we are squeezed, but also where we should turn before we are squeezed. It was a great time of worship as we experienced a fresh perspective on prayer together. God moved in a powerful way.

When we are squeezed, we should turn to God in prayer and…

• Ask Him for a fresh sense of His presence in my life (Psalm 139:7-12)
• Tell God your fears and worries by name…lay your anxieties at His feet (1Peter 5:6-7)
• Seek God’s perspective on your circumstances. Try and remove yourself from whatever you are facing and see it from God’s viewpoint (Romans 8:28).
• Thank God for your circumstances (Philippians 4:6; James 1:2-4)  
  …and your identity.(Galatians 3:28-29, 4:7)
    *No matter what circumstances I am in, I can thank Him for what He’s doing in and through me.     
    *Whatever lies ahead, I can know that I am a child of the King, redeemed and adopted into
       God’s family as an heir and guaranteed an inheritance in heaven.
• Meditate on the Truth…focus on God’s word and what He has done for you and in you. (Philippians 4:8)
• Praise God for His power. He is greater than any circumstances we may face. When we replace worry with worship, fear fades away, God’s power is displayed and others take notice as God is glorified(Acts:16:19-26) 

The band did another amazing job today. Props!

Our Operations Team  performed in stellar fashion. When they arrived at 6:30am…already short-handed…all the locks on the trailers were frozen! The rain and moisture yesterday followed by the cold temps tonight, froze all the moisture inside the locks. It was a tough start to the day, but they were able to pull it off. Great job guys! God uses you all every week to make a difference! Major Props!

We ended the gathering with everyone putting a prayer need on a card and placing them in a basket…then taking one out. This way people can pray daily for needs of others in the church. This is something we are going to be doing once a month. Remember to pray for one another all month, knowing that someone else is praying for you.

We had several new families @ The RIdge today. That is always exciting. It was a unusual worship gathering, but a very meaningful one. I pray that it made a difference in the perspective of many people today on prayer and on what we should be doing when we are “squeezed and out bailout doesn’t come.”

Next week kicks off a new series that will share some vision and who God has called us to be. It’s called The Outsiders and it should be a lot of fun. Don’t miss it! more about that later this week.

This Sunday @ The Ridge Concludes “Squeezed” Series

I am really excited about this Sunday as we close out our Squeezed: what to do when your bailout doesn’t come series. Where do you turn when you are Squeezed? What do you do? We are not only going to talk about it, but e are going to experience it in a very unique and special worship gathering this Sunday. DO NOT miss it! This will be one of those weeks that, it you aren’t here, you’ll be kicking yourself and saying “Dang! I should’ve been there!”

28 Years Ago…

Yesterday it was 28 years ago that I met a pretty little blond gal that had me smitten from the start. It wasn’t really the first time I had met her, but it was the first opportunity I had to actually talk to her. I had seen her from afar at church and had listened to a friend of mine’s talk of trying to woo her. However, I had not had the chance to really interact with her…until that night, January 25, 1982.

I was a freshman in college and she a senior in high school in Cleveland, TN. After work one Friday night, me and a friend went to the rival basketball game of our two local high schools. Following that game there was a March Of Dimes fundraiser dance at the local VFW. We had nothing better to do, so we decided to go over there and see what was going on. I did know a girl who had recently broken up with another friend of mine and I thought, “Hmm, maybe I could meet up with her there.”

Well, I did find that girl and we began to talk, but she was there with this pretty little blond gal named Kim. I danced one dance with this other girl and my friend danced with Kim. Then the other girl said, “Let’s switch partners!” (I think she was actually more interested in my friend). Well, wouldn’t you know it, they played 3 slow songs in a row…they never did that! One of them was this song. Well, I gotta tell you it wasn’t love at first sight, but it was “really like” at first sight. I was certainly smitten by this pretty little majorette from my rival high school across town!

Kim Beaty before she was Whipple

God put me with the perfect compliment to eventually become my partner, best friend, helpmate, companion, wife that night. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that we would have our first date…but that’s another story! I will say this though, it was just a few months later that I would utter those words that I had never said before and have only said to one woman in my life…”I love you.”  Five and a half years later she would be my wife. My life has never been the same! I am truly a blessed man!  “Your the love of my life…your my Lady.”

 

A wife of noble character who can find? 

She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her 
and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life….

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

 Proverbs 31:10-12, 30

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Funny

I’ve posted this before a long time ago, but it’s still funny!