Jesus is my friend

If you ever needed proof that David Crowder is the coolest person too ever grace the face of the planet, behold...this video.

Grace and Peace

Song lyrics

One of the ways that I turn my eyes upon Jesus is through music. I love nothing more than putting on my iPod or cranking up my car stereo and singing to Jesus at the top of my lungs. You should see some of the strange looks I get at traffic lights. Anyways...here are some of my favorite lyrics from some of my favorite songs:

"You've stolen my heart. Yes, you have. You've stolen my heart. Yes, you have. You've wiped away the stains. You've broke away the chains. Yes, you have."
Leeland - Yes, you have

"I will go. I will go. I will go. Lord, send me to the world, to the lost, to the poor and hungry. Take everything I am. I'm clay within your hands. I will go. I will go. Send me!"
Starfield - I will go

"I will not be silent. I will not be quiet anymore."
David Crowder Band - I will not be silent

"Let it rain. Let it rain. Open the floodgates of Heaven. Let it rain."
Michael W. Smith - Let it rain

"He wraps himself in light, and darkness tries to hide. It trembles at his voice, trembles at his voice. How great is our God."
Chris Tomlin - How great is our God

"Turn your ear to Heaven and hear the noise inside. It's the sound of angels awe, the sound of rescued ones."
David Crowder Band - Oh praise him (all this for a King)

"Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss, and my heart turns violently inside of my chest."
Eddie Kirkland - How he loves

"I can barely breathe without you."
Steve Fee - Who have I

"Heal my heart and make it clean. Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like you have loved me."
Hillsong United - Hosanna

"Jesus has overcome, and the grave is overwhelmed."
Chris Tomlin - I will rise

"Let me sing louder than creation to you..."
Todd Fields - let me sing

"Oh, praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead."
Kristian Stanfill - Jesus paid it all

"I want to make much of you Jesus. I want to make much of your love. I want to live today to give you the praise that you alone are so worthy of."
Steven Curtis Chapman - Much of you

"To label me a prodigal would be only scratching the surface of who I've been known to be."
Rush of Fools - Undo

"I am free to run. I am free to dance. I am free to live for you."
Newsboys - I am free

"And what was said to the rose to make it unfold was said to me here in my chest. So be quiet now and rest."
David Crowder Band - Here is our king

"Amazing grace make the people wanna holla!"
Toby Mac - Love is in the house

"Greater things are yet to come. Greater things are still to be done in this city."
Chris Tomlin - God of this city

"Oh, Christ, be the center of our lives. Be the place we fix our eyes."
Charlie Hall - Center

"I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back...no turning back."
Traditional hymn - I have decided to follow Jesus

Grace and Peace

A letter...

We began a new teaching series in Student Ministry two Sundays ago called "Irresistible Revolution". We are proudly teaching the concepts of Shane Claiborne's book with the hopes that we may all become more "christianos" or "like Christ".

With that in mind the Student Ministry has built a team of people who have taken on the responsibility of keeping "serve" opportunities at the fore-front of everything we do. Part of the first phase of work for that team was to identify organizations that our Student Ministry could partner with over the long haul as to make these serve projects as relational and impactful as possible. One of those organizations that we have chosen is The Hunger Garden. You can read more about The Hunger Garden here.

Over the weekend, I received a letter from Lyn Hunter, the director of The Hunger Garden. It was one of the biggest blessings I've received in a long, long time. Here it is:

Dear Pastor Mark,


I just wanted to thank you again for your youth ministry’s regular participation at The Hunger Garden this Summer. It was a real treat to meet you and your students and work alongside of you on a weekly basis, which really is why I’ve felt so compelled to write you this letter.

Pastor Mark, I’ve worked with literally hundreds of churches here at The Hunger Garden over the years, and I have to tell you that the weeks that I’ve spent with you and your students lets me know that there is something special going on at your church. What I mean by that is simply, there has never been a youth ministry follow through on their commitment to serving with us like your’s has. You and your students have become a regular fixture here, and, what’s more, is the tireless work-ethic that you all bring with you. While most groups of teens that come our way “horse around” more than they actually work, you and your group are committed to getting things done for Christ. I must say that this has altered my thinking not only about this generation of teenagers, but it has also improved my outlook on the Christian church altogether.

I do hope that Charter Oak Church’s youth ministry will be joining us in Summers to come. There are more hungry families to feed, more vegetables to harvest for them, and acres upon acres of Good News for those in need here at The Hunger Garden.

Until next time,
Lyn Hunter

As a pastor, I believe that it's letters like these that show milestones that we should celebrate. I am SO proud of the students who helped out at The Hunger Garden over the Summer and early Fall. Way to go, guys! WAY TO GO!!!

Grace and Peace be unto you today.

Is your dream worth fighting for?

This picture is a familiar sight in the Student Ministry at Charter Oak Church. It's called a thumb prayer. The thumb prayer that you see in the picture here is the closing prayer at my A.B.S. (Area Bible Study) group this past Tuesday night.

As I stared at the picture this morning I felt inspired to give you some of the history behind it. You see...We started this A.B.S. group almost 3 years ago. On our first meeting there were 4 students who showed up, and for every following meeting that month there were only 3... And, honestly, I was discouraged. I know that small groups are supposed to be small, but I also had a vision and a dream to use this particular small group to grow and give birth to many more groups. And after a full year of working with this A.B.S. group...it hadn't happened. It was one of those "moments of truth" for me as a leader. It was one of those moments when I had to sit back over the course of that first Summer and ask myself,

"Is this dream worth fighting for?"

Well....I certainly felt that it was worth fighting for. And after a little more time, a lot of prayer, and a ton of hard work you see the picture above. And what you see in the picture above is not a small group anymore...it's actually a group of students that is going to be divided into 3 small groups over the course of the next month. That's right, I said 3 small groups! It's very literally a dream come true.

Yet I'm not trying to paint a picture that the work is done. I now have a dream to see all 3 of those groups multiply themselves and give birth to new groups. My one group turned into three...in just a couple more years could that 3 turn into 9? I don't know, but I'm committed to finding out. In the meantime, I just want to encourage you a bit. Is there a place in your life for which God has given you a vision or a dream that has not yet manifest itself before you? If so, then I have some thoughts for you.

1) I believe that for every God-given-vision there is God-given-provision.
God sent three students regularly, and eventually that turned into 7 students regularly. He gave us a convenient place to meet that was conducive to that which He had shown me. And, though the growth was slower than I was hoping for, I knew all of the pieces were being put into place. Can you see God putting the pieces in place for your dream? Asking yourself this question will allow you a "lens" through which you can look to see if the foundation upon which you intend to build is solid. You see this in the Bible with the Israelites as they walked through the desert to the Promised Land. It was a LOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG process that God used to build and refine the leadership of the Hebrew nation while teaching them to rely upon Him and Him alone for their survival. ***If you see gaping holes in the foundation, then turn your prayer life onto them...for every God-given-vision there is God-given-provision. Do your part prayerfully, administratively, etc., and then give God the room to do His part.***

2) God is rarely early, but He is never late.
While you give God room to do His part, it's important to give God time to do His part, as well. One of my coworkers has a banner on her wall which reads, "God's timing is perfect." That's easy to accept on some days and hard to accept on others. There's nothing like playing "the waiting game" with God. It took 3 entire seasons of ministry to divide my small group. I had originally hoped that it would've taken more like three months. But it's being divided now. And every group is big enough to be self-sustaining. And now that it's finally happening it no longer matters how long it took. It happened in God's perfect timing, and that's good enough for me. Are you feeling impatient regarding your vision, as I was? Oh that both you and I would faithfully turn our "waiting and wondering" into "waiting to see His wonder". Be patient. Be persevering. Be about His business, and let Him come when the time is right.

3) Practice listening to constructive criticism, while letting all deconstructive criticism fall on deaf ears.
Constructive criticism can sometimes be hard to swallow, but deconstructive criticism always causes pain. My staff and friends know that I am deeply interested in their input regarding all aspects of our ministry. Yet they also know that I'm not interested in listening to anyone when they go into "attack mode". Making that clear to the people around you can give you two valuable things:

1) thoughtful observations and suggestions to help you advance the cause
2) an understanding that we're not here to tear one another down

Keep in mind that typing that is much easier than living it out, but it's so important to persevering in your dream. It seems like every couple of months or so the enemy will do his work to cause discord and discouragement on ministry teams. I've come to accept that for what it is, recognize it when it comes, and rise above it by refusing to return venom for deconstructive criticism...something Jesus called "turning the other cheek". But at the same time, I'm utterly committed to communicating value in my staff and friends by being vulnerable and humble enough to take their constructive advice when they make it known to me. Bottom line, God has called us to live and serve in community with one another. We will do a lot to see our dreams/visions come to fruition when we practice healthy communication with one another.

Are you still fighting for a dream? I am. I'm fighting to see these three new groups multiply themselves, and I'm fighting for many other advancements in the Student Ministry. Be encouraged! For every desert, there is a promised land. For every failure, there is redemption. For every opposition, there is a new measure of God's power. Keep going for it. The best is yet to be!

Grace and Peace

Daddy's Little Girl (a post for men)

I had the immense blessing of attending a Promise Keepers conference in Cleveland, OH this past weekend. For the record, I've been to 7 PK conferences in previous tours, and I've even worked on PK's executive team that put on the PK conference in Nashville back in 2005...so I have lots of history and research invested in my next comment:

This was by far the best Promise Keepers event that I've ever attended!

Every speaker hit it out of the park. The music was perfect for an event of that nature, and the "entertainment" was first-rate. Heck, even the food was better than in years past, but I'm not really focusing on any of that as my "take-away".

Rather, I am chewing on the content of a CD that I picked up while i was at the conference. It is a recording of a "Father and Daughter" seminar that Mike Silva did. Mike was one of the presenters at PK, but his personal ministry is global evangelism...anyways...Mike is married and has 4 daughters. His tag line on that fact was, "Men, I have a wife and 4 daughters. It's always someone's 'special week' at my house, so don't even try to tell me that you got problems!" That was said "tongue in cheek", of course.

The seminar CD that he did is called "Daddy's Little Girl". It is a little more than 2 hours worth of SOLID GOLD. I listened to it this morning before diving into my work day, and I can't get it out of my mind. This guy candidly shares life lessons, wisdom, and personal testimony about all kinds of things that scare most dads to death when it comes to thinking about their daughter(s) and "life"...he shares in a manner that I've never heard anywhere else and with a Biblical authority that I've never heard before on this topic. Simply put, if you are a father of a daughter, then I have a seminar CD that YOU need to borrow from me.

*I say "borrow from me" because it's not available on the internet or in stores.

Trust me, men, you need to hear this. If you would like to borrow this CD, then shoot me an email at mmcmahon@charteroakumc.org.

Grace and Peace be unto you.

a thousand words...

Grace and Peace

Hello Love

I picked up a copy of Chris Tomlin's newly-released "Hello Love" yesterday. YAY!!! True to Tomlin of old, this CD is one that instantly makes you want to memorize every word to every song so you can just sing your heart out as you listen to the music. I'm not exaggerating at all when I tell you that this is easily one of the best worship CD's that has ever been released. Here's my favorite song from "Hello Love":

This is the story behind the song:


This is the recording of "I Will Rise" from "Hello Love":


Grace and Peace to you.

Regarding "getting out of the boat" and walking on the water...

...a quote by Gregg Lovey.

"To sinful patterns of behavior that never get confronted and changed,
Abilities and gifts that never get cultivated and deployed-
Until weeks become months
And months turn into years,
And one day you’re looking back on a life of
Deep intimate gut-wretchingly honest conversations you never had;
Great bold prayers you never prayed,
Exhilarating risk you never took,
Sacrificial gifts you never offered,
Lives you never touched,
And you’re sitting in a recliner with a shriveled soul,
And forgotten dreams,
And you realize there was a world in desperate need,
And a great God calling you to be part of something bigger than yourself-
You see the person you could have become but did not; You never followed your calling. You never got out of the boat."

Takes my breath away...

Grace and Peace

It got bad for Jesus.

I've been asked by a few people to transcribe the last few minutes of the sermon that I preached last weekend (Because you can't quit). So...here it is:

When it comes to fighting for the heart of our King, we as followers of Christ ought to recognize and accept that sometimes it's just gonna get bad...sometimes things are just gonna go wrong. That's very apparent as you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and it's the core of Jesus' story as you study the final hours which led up to the crucifixion.

One of Jesus' friends betrayed him for a pile of silver.
It got bad for Jesus.
Jesus was brought up on bogus charges and arrested like a common criminal.
It got bad for Jesus.
He was brought before Caiaphas who spat on Him and struck Him in the face.
It got bad for Jesus.
He appeared before Pontius Pilate who had the authority to let Him go free, but instead of sighting His innocence, Pilate sent Him unto Herod.
It got bad for Jesus.
Pilate later sentenced Jesus to a beating so vicious and gruesome that many men would have died from it. They bound Jesus and beat Him with "the cat of nine tails" ripping the flesh off of His back.
It got bad for Jesus.
When they were through scourging Jesus they placed a crown of thorns upon His head which lacerated His head and face.
It got bad for Jesus.
They forced Him to carry a cross from the temple courts uphill to Golgotha, and when He fell, unable to carry His cross out of sheer exhaustion and dehydration, no one offered to help Him. They had to force Simon of Cyrene to help Jesus against his will.
It got bad for Jesus.
They drove nails through His hands and through His feet.
It got bad for Jesus.
Even after He had breathed His last breath, they speared Him in His side for good measure.
It got bad for Jesus.
His disciples scattered out of fear and heartbreak.
It got bad for Jesus.
And for 48 hours Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod rested...smiling...cheerfully celebrating their victory. They were certain that this King of the Jews was a king of the past.
It got bad for Jesus.

But what they didn't know....what they had forgotten was that when the Temple had been destroyed it would be rebuilt in just three days time...what they had forgotten were the ancient words spoken unto all eternity...because when the sun rose on the third day, everything that had gotten bad got better...when the sun rose on the third day the angel descended and the stone was rolled away and Jesus walked out of His tomb. And that should remind us all today and everyday that it's always too early to quit fighting for the heart of our King. We should look upon that tomb that is still empty and recognize that we have a Savior who is still alive and be reminded that we still have hope! We should look upon that empty tomb and know that, even though it may feel like Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday is coming...and coming for us...We should look upon that empty tomb and say today, "You can't quit, Jacob, because Israel, your blessing, is closer than you think!"

Grace and Peace be unto you.

Crazy Love

I sat down last night after my wife and kids went to bed and started a new book by Francis Chan entitled "Crazy Love", and two-uninterrupted-hours later I finished it...once I started reading it, I simply couldn't put it down. WOW...what a book...

In this book, Francis Chan challenges us to remember that when we are wildly in love with someone, it changes everything. Therefore, if we are wildly in love with God, as He is wildly in love with us, then we should be radically living for Him. We should be living a crazy life that reflects the crazy love that we have for a God who is so crazy in love with us...

This book spoke to the longing in my heart to know Christ and live for Christ in a manner which speaks unto Heaven saying with all that I am, "Jesus, I am so in love with you!"

I dare you to read this book.
Grace and Peace be unto you today.