Prayer Request

I'm asking anyone and everyone to help me cover this year's Winter Retreat with prayer. As I do every year around this time, I'm calling for an advance of prayer and petition that this weekend (Feb. 20th-22nd) would be all that it could be in Jesus' name. That it would be used mightily to turn young hearts unto Jesus. And this year is no different. I'm calling for prayer without ceasing between now and the conclusion of our retreat. Yet this year I'm feeling a special burden to pray for a certain group of students.

There is a certain group of students in our community that I desperately want to attend our retreat. They aren't a distinct group that you might see sitting in the doorway of Westmoreland Mall on a Friday night, though they very well might be there. They aren't currently affiliated with our Student Ministry in any way, though I know with all of my heart that God wants them to be. While you may not know the names of these students, you'd recognize them, even from far away. They are the students that no other church is willing to minister to. The goths, the gays, the punks, the pregnant, the drug users, the trouble makers, the forgotten...The students that, when you see coming toward you, you look away as to avoid eye contact. These are the students that hide in the shadows of our community. The students whom the church tends to be afraid of.

Jesus and I want those students to somehow, some way get to our retreat. I want them to come and be loved on by our staff. I want them to come and be introduced to the perfect love of Christ. I want them to come and find that Charter Oak Church believes that they matter to God.

I'm serious. In fact, I've never been more serious about asking for your help in a matter of prayer. Would you join me in asking God to scrape the gutters of this community and send whatever students He finds there to our retreat? They need to know that Charter Oak Church has a home for them; that Jesus has grace for them; and that our Student Ministry is ready to greet them with open arms.

Grace and Peace

Midnight thoughts

Hi! It's the middle of the night, and I can't sleep. I don't know why I can't sleep. I just can't. So...here is a sample of what's been racing through my mind tonight.

-Being a good pastor is hard
-Being a good dad is harder
-I like chocolate
-I like chocolate even more in the middle of the night
-I feel as though I've been spiritually hibernating in recent months...it was involuntary and unplanned.
-God is waking me up from my hibernating...this is good.
-The Senior Management Team retreat that I just returned from was one of the hardest but most productive things I've ever been through in that setting.
-The members of the Senior Management Team of Charter Oak Church kick rear at what they do. Cindy, Betsy, Andi, Maxine, Bill, Chris...I love you guys!
-Chris Whitehead puts the "lead" in lead pastor.
-Someone I know is halfway done with a 21 day fast...Keep pressing in! You're gonna make it! I've never been more blown away by your commitment to Jesus.
-The Student Ministry's winter retreat is gonna be AMAZING this year!
-I miss Lorris. Lorris, there simply must be a round of padiddle in our near future!
-I've been preaching to myself today. I don't know why, but I've caught myself preaching out loud like 8 times today. All the same message...one that I've never preached before.
-I wonder if this sermon I've been preaching today is for something coming up or just for me.
-Izzy ate his first pepperoni today. You'd have thought that he had died and gone to Heaven to see the look on his face.
-I'm crazy in love with my 3 kids.
-Being a good dad is the most important thing that I'll do on this side of Heaven.
-There are a lot of concepts in the Bible that I struggle to grasp, but I know, and I MEAN I KNOW, why it is that "He who has been forgiven little loves little, but he who has been forgiven much loves much."
-Thank you, Jesus, for forgiving me of so much.
-Something big is about to happen.
-I have a secret addiction to gummy worms. I just thought it was time to get that off of my chest.
-I successfully trimmed 3 shots off of my handicap in 2008.
-I guess most of you would think less of me though to find out that I only golf on Wii.
-I'm nervous about Obama's leadership of our Country.
-I'd be just as nervous if it were McCain, though.
-I'm finally feeling sleepy.
-I just sneezed and passed gas at the same time...it's like a "bonus" when that happens.

Alas, I am off to bed.
Grace and Peace

The death of another "David"

One thing you may or may not know about me is that I'm fascinated by combat sports, and I absolutely love practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, it's not uncommon to walk into the Rush Room throughout the week and find me on the mat with a student teaching him/her some self-defense or grappling someone into submission.

That being said, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu creator and Grandmaster Helio Gracie (see the pic) died in his sleep last night at the age of 95. Reports from his family say that Grandmaster Helio was still on the mat working out and grappling just earlier this week...at 95 years old...whether you're a fan of martial arts or not, you have to admit, that's awesome!

Though I never met Grandmaster Helio, I've always admired him as a man. The story of how and why he developed the techniques that are now known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are similar to the story of David and Goliath...well, kinda...Grandmaster Helio, the youngest of Cesalina and Gastao Gracie’s eight children, learned traditional jiu-jitsu by watching his brother, Carlos, teach it, but Helio's small frame made it difficult for him to execute the moves. As a result, he adapted the techniques to fit his limited physical ability and gave rise to modern-day Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Throughout his career, Helio made a living out of teaching his brand of martial art and using it to beat opponents who significantly outweighed him.

The martial arts, and mixed martial arts, world will all be pausing to pay respects to one of the true legends and great men of their game.

Grace and Peace

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

All Student Ministry activities are cancelled for Wednesday January 28th due to inclement weather. This includes confirmation class.

Grace and Peace

Another Winter Retreat Promo

Let's just say that this one got 'youtubed' by popular demand...



Grace and Peace

The Winter Retreat is coming!

Here's a promo video.
Get some friends and sign up!!!!



Grace and Peace

Wednesday with Jason Mraz

A little song to bless your Wednesday...



Grace and Peace

Charter Oak Church reaching Denmark

I got a message this morning from a man who lives in Denmark. His name is Anders. He found our podcast on iTunes. He contacted me to let me know that he has made the decision to follow Christ after hearing a recent sermon. How cool is that!?!

PRAISE GOD!!!!

Grace and Peace

40 Days of purpose: update

Dear ABS group,

You'll notice that I have stopped blogging about our "40 days" journey together. I want you to know that I made the decision to stop blogging about our daily readings because so many of you told me that you were using my blog as an alternative to our daily readings from Purpose Driven Life. In which case, here comes some friendly accountability:

YOU DUDES ARE LAZY!!!!! :)

Stop copping out, and go do your daily reading. Today is day 14. It takes all of about 10 minutes to do. If you don't do the daily readings God is gonna "bless you" with sudden, uncontrollable flatulence the next time you have a hot date. So go do it! Get it done! It only takes 10 minutes!

I know; I know...you were busy...blah, blah...stream of lame excuses...yada, yada...

Don't forget that we're gonna throw a party at the end of this whole thing...a jubilee, in fact. But it's a party that we're having because, in the words of the father of the prodigal son, "We had to celebrate." Don't let yourself down. You're not that busy. You can totally find 10 minutes to read everyday...heck, you can do that while you're pooping. Come on, christianos, let's make it happen!

And remember...Jesus loves you.
Grace and Peace

Izzy's first birthday

Today is my youngest son's first birthday. Izzy completely destroyed the cupcake. It took him all of about a minute to put it away. The picture that you see here is the look of satisfaction that was on his face after he finished.

Happy birthday, tiny man!

Grace and Peace

Sign ups have begun!

Click here to sign up for the Winter Retreat!

40 Days of Purpose: Day 10

Day 10: The heart of worship

Today's reading begins with a most convicting sentence: "The heart of worship is surrender." I don't even know how to begin to express to you how this sentence hits me as I read it.

worship requires surrender...
surrender to God...
surrender to Jesus...
surrender to a cross...
surrender to love...
surrender to righteousness...
surrender to the call on my life...
surrender when surrender comes easy...
surrender when surrender is the last thing I want to do...
surrender...

I don't remember this chapter hitting me so hard the first time I did the 40 days of purpose, but it's overwhelming this time through.

God, I surrender.
And in all of the ways that I'm still learning to surrender, please help me.
AMEN.

Grace and Peace to the fullest measure today.

40 Days of Purpose: Day 9

Day 9: What makes God smile

Rick writes, "The smile of God is the goal of your life."
Amen...

That's all I really want. I want to live everyday of my life knowing that my Abba smiles when He thinks of me. I want to know that I carry myself with such Christ-likeness, and deal with others with such love and care that He beams with love and pleasure over me. Nothing else matters.

Nothing else matters at all...

Rick gives these thoughts about what makes God smile:

God smiles when we trust Him completely.
God smiles when we obey Him wholeheartedly.
God smiles when we praise and thank Him continually.
God smiles when we use our abilities.

Early in the Bible the life of Noah is used for us as an example of a life that God smiles upon. It says that Noah walked humbly with his God, and as a result Genesis 6:8 says, "That the Lord was pleased with Noah."

God, may we all live in such a way to truly please you. May you look upon us all and smile. In Jesus' name - AMEN.

Grace and Peace

40 Days of Purpose: Day 8

Day 8: Planned for God's pleasure

Rick writes, "The moment you were born into the world, God was there as an unseen witness, smiling at your birth. He wanted you alive, and your arrival gave Him great pleasure."

Today's reading has opened up a whole new thought process: God wants me here...alive...and growing up in Him. And watching that process gives Him great joy. It's kind of tough to fully wrap my mind around that. There's just so much of my life that isn't joyful...comfortable...or even pleasant, at times. But watching me live and love and grow is something that God, my Abba, loves to do. In fact, Revelation 4:11 says that my very existence brings Him pleasure.

This is something that I need to work hard to accept and remember. The fact that my God made me to be His delight is something that I believe...but it's hardly something that I've fully embraced.

God, please help me to know the joy that I bring to you. Remind me every step of the way, Lord, that my very existence is something that you set into motion for the very purpose of your pleasure. In Jesus' name - AMEN

Grace and Peace

CHILL is cancelled...

40 Days of purpose: Day 7

Day 7: The reason for everything

This was a timely reading for me today, as I spent part of last night with a family led by a single mother who lost her job yesterday due to lay-offs. In good times and bad times it's important to remember that everything that happens here is all for Him and all about Him and all used by Him for His ultimate glory. That can sound harsh and confusing when the topic of conversation is tragic or shocking, but God has a divine way of using everything to further His plan.

Rick writes, "The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God. It is the reason for everything that exists, including you. God made it all for his glory. Without God's glory, there would be nothing."

Proverbs 16:4 says, "The Lord has made everything for His own purposes." How we trivialize Him when we try to use His creation for anything else. How we mistrust Him when we fail to look for His glory in all that occurs.

God, may we see you and know that you are glorious. May we see creation and all that occurs within and look for your glory in it. In Jesus' name - AMEN

Grace and Peace

What's your story?

I had the great privilege of bringing the Word in sermon form two weekends ago here at Charter Oak Church. I preached a message called "Rest in Peace, Uzziah". The picture above is Uzziah's actual tombstone, by the way.

That being said, as part of that message I shared a testimony from one of my students named Laura. Laura is a recent convert to Christianity who has had many very real struggles on her path to new-life. While I knew that sharing Laura's story was something that simply must be done, I read her words to the congregation with a bit of hesitation because of an inner worry that some of the content might offend someone. I remember on the week of sharing that message I felt like I was serving two masters...one was telling me to present this testimony from the stage because it is EXACTLY the kind of thing that God does in the lives of the hurting, yet the other warned me about the kinds of phone calls that I might get afterward.

Regardless, I felt God leading me to share it from the stage, and so I did.

And after last night, I'm so glad I did.

I went to Powered Up last night where I was greeted by a person who was there for only her second time. She began our conversation by quietly requesting to speak with me in private. I walked her over to a less-populated corner of The Rush Room, and she began to share. She told me of years of struggling with depression and drug abuse. It was truly a heart-breaking story just with that, but then she exposed her forearms to me revealing some of the most gruesome self-harm scars that I have ever seen. And after talking with her about her story, she shared something with me that has left an after-taste.

She said, "I came begrudgingly to a Sunday morning service a few weeks ago where you preached. During the message you read a letter that was written by a girl who used to struggle with the same things that I struggle with. As you read that letter, I found myself becoming convinced that, if Jesus can help her, then Jesus can help me, too. That's why I'm here. I'm letting Jesus help me."

This experience has reminded me just how powerful a testimony can be. It's also reminded me that we as Christians NEED to be transparent about our short-comings and struggles. When we put up a front and pretend to be something that we are not, we tell the rest of the world a lie about Christianity. But when we are real and forthcoming about what we have been redeemed from, God uses us as an example of all that he can do with a life...on display for all of the world to see. There's no sermon as powerful as that.

We serve a grace-giving God who agapes us. We are supposed to be serving a grace-giving church that welcomes all comers. We strive to do that with excellence here at Charter Oak Church. That begs the question...do you let God use your story? Had Laura not been so open about her struggles, and had I been too afraid to share it from the stage, this new person would still be out in the world trying to medicate a wound that only Jesus can heal. But she's not there anymore...She's here getting to know Jesus. To God be the glory for the things He has done.

Grace and Peace be unto you.

40 Days of purpose: Day 6

Day 6: Life is a temporary assignment

Rick Warren writes:

"To make the best use of your life you must never forget two truths: First, compared with eternity, life is extremely brief. Second, earth is only a temporary residence. You won't be here long, so don't get too attached."

This is easily one of my favorite parts of this book as I re-read it so far. It reminds me of Paul's words, "But our citizenship is in Heaven..." (You can read that Scripture in context HERE.)

This quote from Purpose Driven Life also reminds me that...

...my problems aren't as big as they seem.
...my eternity is far more important than my life here.
...my troubles are momentary on the grand scale.
...my God is BIG...POWERFUL...INDESCRIBABLE...

As has become my practice in closing my blogs with a prayer during these 40 days, I know no better way than to do it through Scripture today.

"LORD, Remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered and that my life is fleeing away." Psalm 39:4 (NLT)

In Jesus' name - AMEN

Grace and Peace be unto you.

Stepping out

Last weekend Pastor Chris closed his sermon with one of the most powerful declarations I've ever heard. The congregation joined together with one voice as we read THIS from the screens. I LOVE this!

Grace and Peace

40 Days of purpose: Day 5

Day 5: Seeing life from God's view

The way you see your life shapes your life. The way that you value others shapes how you treat them. The way that you value yourself influences how you let others treat you. Yet when we are courageous enough to view life from God's perspective, you and I are able to see things as they really are. When we look at life through God's perspective we are then, and only then, able to truly appreciate who He is as our Creator and Sustainer.

Father, help us to see through your eyes. May the blindness of our selfishness and sinfulness go away. Please help us to see ourselves, our lives, and others, as well, through your holy gaze that we may be enlightened to the big picture of eternity and the role that we are to play here on earth. In Jesus' name - AMEN.

Grace and Peace

40 Days of purpose: Day 4

Day 4: Made to last forever

C.S. Lewis once said, "There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done.' and those who say to God, 'All right then, have it your way.'" Regardless of which side of that spectrum you and I find ourselves on, there is nothing that we could ever say or do to change the fact that God has created us to live for all eternity. A life of loving obedience to the promptings of God unto His son Jesus Christ will provide for us a home for all eternity in the dwelling place of God. However, a life of disobedience unto the promptings of God unto His son Jesus Christ will provide for us an eternity apart from God. It may seem like a far-fetched proposal, but it's true.

Have you ever really invited Jesus into your heart? Have you confessed of your sinfulness and sought redemption in the death of Jesus? If not, then I'd like to give you a nudge...there's no better time than right now. Do it. You'll never be the same.

You'll never be the same.

God please draw us all into a closer walk with you. Please help us all to see Jesus for who He is, and may we all live our lives according to His ways. In Christ's name - AMEN.

Grace and Peace

40 Days of purpose: Day 3

Day 3: What drives your life?

Everyone's life is driven by something. The pursuit of happiness, financial stability, ambition are just a few of the "carrots" that I've dangled in front of myself at times. But Rick offers some other motivators:

Guilt
Resentment
Anger
Fear
Materialism
Approval

Rick continues stating that, "Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life." A meaning that allows you to live free from those unhealthy and unholy influences which sometimes drive our lives...When we understand that it was God who created us and loves us enough to sustain us, we can live for Him and Him alone. What freedom that brings...

Father, may our only driving force in life be you. May we respond only to your tug on our hearts, and may all other unhealthy or unholy influences fall silent. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Grace and Peace

40 Days of purpose: Day 2

Day 2 - You are not an accident

Rick writes, "Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. He thought of you first." I LOVE that. There is so much Scripture that speaks to that:

Psalm 138:8
Psalm 139:15-16
Ephesians 1:4

...just to name a few.

It is mind-boggling to me to recognize that our God, first, has the power to do this and, second, has the loving-kindness to take the time to carefully consider us all to such detail. What love He has for us...

God, thank you so much for loving to the capacity that you love us. Help us all remember that we, each one of us, are the beloved product of your divine dream for creation. May we never allow ourselves to become so belittled, frustrated, or beaten down that we begin to believe otherwise. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Grace and Peace

40 Days of purpose: Day 1

As you may have read in an earlier post, the Senior High ABS groups began their journey into forty days of purpose this week. Our first meeting to kick this thing off went really, really well. That being said, I'm committing to do this with them and complete the daily readings from Purpose Driven Life, and, as a means of keeping myself accountable to that, I have decided to blog and share some brief reflections about the daily readings. So...without further delay:

Day 1 - It all starts with God.

"It's not about you." That's the first sentence of this chapter. While I've read this book several times before, there is still something very new about this concept...my life, my dreams, my to-do list, my time...it's not really mine at all. In this chapter Rick suggests that the reason that so many people struggle with finding the purpose for their life is simply that they begin at the wrong starting point..."themselves"...Could it really be that our biggest stumbling block to God and His divine plan for our lives is the fact that we are so immensely self-centered? It makes sense.

God help me, and help us all, to be courageous enough, to trust you enough to put you first in our lives. Even before ourselves...especially before ourselves. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Grace and Peace

Katie wrote:

This is from a student's blog:

So it's been about six months since I last blogged. You probably thought I died. Believe it or not, I'm still alive. A lot has happened over this period of time. Life threw itself at me these past six months. I am ashamed to admit what I am about to say, but I know that I need to. Because I have to admit it to myself. These past six months my walk with Jesus hasn't been so great. I started to slip away. Not on purpose. I'm not even sure how it happened. But it did. Through different circumstances, I guess. Something really ugly was thrown at me during these past six months. And while the details of what happened aren't something important to this story, much less to be shared, the aftermath of what happened plays a role in where I'm going with this.

This summer, the world that I knew was rocked and turned upside down into something I didn't recognize. My trust and self confidence were completely rattled and shaken up. I didn't know who to believe, or if I could ever believe anyone again. And I felt so small. I felt so insignificant and unimportant. I felt as though I was of no value or consequence to anyone. Because of this, and my deep trust issues, I started to fall away from everything. I distanced myself from my friends. I was so terrified of trusting anyone. The idea made me so paranoid. So much so that eventually I distanced myself from God. I didn't mean to do these things. They just sort of happened.

Months passed, and I watched myself become who I know I'm not. I became extremely numb and apathetic. I watched myself constantly do stupid things, just because I knew they were bad for me. I'm not proud of it. I just did things in hopes that I might feel something, because it was better than feeling nothing. Eventually my friendships were repaired, but my walk with Jesus was still suffering. And I knew it was because I wasn't making an effort. I didn't want to face the fact that I had let it become that way.

Tonight I went to youth group. We opened like always, with the telling of jokes and fart stories. Everyone was loud and laughing. Then we settled in and started worship. The band played a few songs and everyone was singing along. They closed the set with How He Loves. As we sang, I was beginning to feel my heart break. But not in a bad way. I could feel it breaking down defenses, letting down walls, mending scars. The band went silent, and all of us sang out
He loves us
Oh how He loves us
Oh how He loves us
Oh how he loves...
But it wasn't just singing. We were doing more than singing. Singing is polite. Singing is nice to listen to. We were belting. We were shouting. We were begging. We were calling out. We were being real. And for the first time in months, I felt myself be real too. I felt the real me coming back to life. I felt Jesus reaching out His hands to me. All I could do was throw up my hands and reach back. I sang the words loud, but not pretty. But that's how it's supposed to be.

Now I am running.
I am running Home.
I am running Home and I'm not looking back.
I'm breaking free. And I am running.

Praise God!

Grace and Peace be with you.

A.B.S. Announcement

Last night at Powered Up it was announced that all of the senior high A.B.S. groups will be starting the "40 Days of Purpose" this Tuesday night. We will be meeting in the Rush Room at 7pm.

The "40 days of purpose", as we will be presenting it, is a daily devotional reading from the book "The Purpose Driven Life" that is complimented by a weekly discussion of the devotional readings. The topics that are covered over the 40 days are the fundamental teachings of Christianity. So...as for our Senior High A.B.S. ministry, we are getting back to the very basics.

Are you:
...not currently involved in a small group Bible study?
...needing a shot in the arm due to a dry season in your faith walk?
...wanting to join a group of people who are serious about their life's purpose?


If so, then you should join us.

Grace and Peace

Another life lesson with Izzy

My son Izzy is now almost a year old, and he's very close to walking (hard to believe, time flies). Well, over the past couple of days my family has been taking down the Christmas decorations and putting our house back together after the holidays. Because of that, Izzy has had a blast pushing around the tubs and containers that are sitting all over my house waiting to be put away. You can see him do it in the video above.

That being said, I've become intrigued by watching him do this. He gets going faster and faster, and he has a great time until he bumps into something and gets stuck. It's then that he immediately starts fussing out of frustration. Well, this morning I was watching Izzy push his tub down the hallway when God used this frustration to open my eyes to something. Izzy was pushing the tub and headed for the bathroom, so I called out to him, "Izzy, that's a dead end." Naturally, Izzy kept plowing forward full-speed-ahead. He pushed the tub straight to the back wall of the bathroom and got himself stuck. True to form, Izzy started grunting out of the frustration of being stuck. Quick to his assistance, I bent over, picked him up with one arm and grabbed his tub with the other. But it was in this moment when Izzy's demeanor changed...in fact, it was precisely this moment when Izzy started freaking out. He burst into tears and shreeked as though I was taking away his favorite toy. Little did he know that I was just turning him around so that he could push the tub back in the other direction. A mere second later I sat him and his tub back down on the floor, and he was off again moving in a better direction.

God used that moment to open my eyes today. There have been SO many times in my life when God has intervened to get me out of a tight-spot, a dead end, and instead of letting Him just help me out of my jam, I have often chosen in those moments to whine, protest, complain, and panic...yet, all the while, God was diligently working to improve my direction, alter my course, and help me out of a jam.

I kind of felt in that moment like God was showing me this as a means of inviting me to trust Him more. In fact, I just sensed God saying, "Mark, I'm here to help you."

About 5 minutes later Izzy got stuck again, so I walked over to him once again to turn him around. But this time as I bent over to pick him up I made sure that his eyes locked on to mine. And though he was frustrated from being stuck, he didn't freak out this time. He just looked deeply into my eyes and let me do what only I could do for him in that moment. It was a pretty intense gaze that we shared into one another's eyes. Neither one of us took our eyes off of the other through the entire process...it was just our way of not letting the frustration become overwhelming. What a HUGE lesson that was for me!

Here's a tough question (one I've been dealing with all day):
When the going gets tough for you, do you get so focused on complaining about your situation that you can't even realize that God is working to get you out of your jam?

I so want to know and love my Father to the point of relentlessly trusting him at all times. Even when it doesn't make sense to me...even when it feels like he's taking "my toys" away from me, I want to have the faith today and every day to trust that, whatever He may be doing, it is something that is going to improve my direction and set me on a better path. And I want to trust Him to the point of not fussing about it, becoming frustrated by it, or freaking out about it.

God, please help me to find this trust in you.
Please help us all to find this trust in you.

Grace and Peace