A Heart away from Home

Ever go some place far away yet it feels just like home? Well, that's how I feel about "The Heart," a wonderfully funky church in Boone, NC.

Over the past few years, my wife and I have dropped in on the folks at "The Heart" on some of our little weekend getaways to the North Carolina mountains. Our first visit just felt right. Do you know what I mean? Even though we didn't know a soul in the place, we felt right at home. We love the people. We love their band. We love the sermons. But most of all, we love the way they love Jesus.

My relationship with the folks at "The Heart" took a couple of giant steps forward in December. Pastor Richard Miller graciously asked me if I would preach while he was out of town. So, I humbly took him up on the opportunity, continuing his series "The Grinch: Enlarging Your Heart."

On December 14th, we looked at enlarging our heart to be more passionate. Using Mark 12:33 as the basic text, we learned that Jesus wants to change our hearts so we would have...
-A Passion for His Presence
-A Passion for His People
-A Passion for His Plan

It was great to be back preaching again. First time since September 28th at Freedom River.

Then two weeks later, the worship pastor at "The Heart," John Hawkins, asked me if I could fill in on guitar. Wow, did that feel good! Again, the first time to play in a praise band since October 5th, our last service at FRCC.

If you're ever in Boone over a weekend, I highly recommend a visit to "The Heart." They meet at Watauga High School and the service starts at 10:30am each Sunday. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Check'em out at http://theheart.us/.

I want to thank Richard Miller, his wife Terri and John Hawkins for graciously inviting me to be a part of God's work at their church. But most of all, I want to thank Jesus for opening the door and making this happen.

Can't wait to see what He's up to next!

In Christ,
Jay

Church Search Part Seven

As we close out a VERY eventful 2008, some of us are still searching for a new church while others are settling in somewhere. As we wrap up our "Church Search" series, we need to remember one very important fact...

Plug in and get your serve on!

A couple of thousand years ago, Paul wrote about the importance of each believer not only being connected to other believers in a church, but totally plugged in and serving. He compared the church body with the human body and said, "God has put each part just where He wants it" (1 Corinthians 12:18b NLT).

Kinda reassuring, isn't it? God's going to make sure that He has you right where He wants you. The next part is up to you. Find out what your spiritual gift is and then find out how you can use that gift in helping folks at your new church.

Plug in and get your serve on!

Let's take a quick back look at our checklist in finding a new church home...
1-Do they worship the Jesus of the Bible?
2-Do they preach and teach from the Bible?
3-Do they have a passion for reaching people for Jesus?
4-Do they have a passion for discipleship?
5-Do they preach a Christ-centered, biblical Gospel?

We also looked at four books that can help us in the search...
"Church: Why Bother?" by Philip Yancey
"Who Moved My Church?" by Mike Nappa
"More Jesus, Less Religion" by Stephen Arterburn & Jack Felton
"Nine Marks of a Healthy Church" by Mark Dever

I want you to know that it has been an honor to serve as your interim pastor...even in the past couple of months after we didn't have a church. I hope that I've been able to provide you with some encouragement and instruction during this time of transition. I pray for you and your search daily.

And when Jesus does place you where He wants you...

Plug in and get your serve on!

In Christ,
Jay

The Church Search Part Six

Is their Good News really THE Good News?

As we continue our search for a new church, we really need to make sure that our new church preaches the Gospel.

But pump your brakes, Jay! Doesn't EVERY church that talks about the Gospel, preach the Gospel? Sadly, no. There are a lot of churches out there that preach the Gospel, but it's probably better called "a gospel." Not the great news of salvation in Jesus, but something much less.

Some proclaim a health and wealth gospel, that Jesus died so that you will never get sick and be rich as Rockefeller. Some preach a law of attraction gospel, that if you simply believe something strong enough, you can make it happen. Others teach a do better gospel, that Jesus may have died for your sins to the point of your conversion, but it's all up to you now. That's just a handful of the heresies out there today. Be very, VERY careful.

It would be a good idea for us to listen closely to Paul's warning to the church at Corinth some 2,000 years ago.

"You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed" (2Corinthians 11:4 NLT).

In his book "9 Marks of a Healthy Church," Pastor Mark Dever warns...
-The Good News is not simply that we are okay.
-The Good News is not simply that God is love.
-The Good News is not simply that Jesus wants to be our friend.
-The Good News is not simply that we should live right.

The Gospel is that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God who left the comforts of heaven to live the life we couldn't live and die the death we should have died. We must admit that we have fallen short of God's perfect standard, that we have sinned and turn to Jesus for His forgiveness. When we accept Christ's death on the Cross in our place, He not only forgives us, but graciously adopts us into His family forever.

Now THAT'S GOOD NEWS!!

In Christ,
Jay

The Church Search Part Five

You need them. They need you.

As we continue the search for a new church home, we need to check out what sort of opportunities there are for discipleship. Let's face it. You need them to help you grow. They need you to help them grow.

-Is the church committed to your growth?
-What's their vision for your discipleship?
-Are you on your own or will they provide you a place to develop?

The best place this happens is in some sort of small group community. That might be a home group Bible Study. Or it could be a Sunday School class. Great preaching is important. But true growth, real growth happens best in small groups. That's where the rubber really meets the road.

How important is community? Well, in the middle of His perfect creation, God took a look at Adam. The first human was the peak of His handiwork. But there was just one problem.

"It is not good for the man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18 NLT).

The Lord was talking about so much more than female companionship for a lonely man. It was obvious that God created Adam for community.

All throughout the Bible, God provides examples of small groups that create greenhouses of discipleship and spiritual growth. David and his mighty men. Paul, Silas, Titus and Timothy. Jesus and His disciples.

The writer of Proverbs made the point. "As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend" (Proverbs 27:17 NLT).

As we examine the various churches, let's take a hard look at discipleship. And when we joined, let's get plugged in. Don't forget.

You need them. They need you.

In Christ,
Jay

The Church Search Part Four

The Great Commission. Or the Great Omission.

As we continue our search for a new church, it's imperative that we select a fellowship that places a high value on evangelism. Before the Risen Christ ascended to heaven, His last words were crystal clear.

"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)

Talk about famous last words.

Notice that Jesus' final command was not just for pastors. Or elders. Or deacons. Our Savior commissioned ALL of His disciples to make disciples. That means you. That means me.

That being the case, it's critical to see how the churches we visit view evangelism.
-Are people trained in sharing the gracious Good News of God?
-Are people encouraged to pray and seek opportunities to tell people about Jesus?
-Is the Gospel clearly presented on a regular basis?
-Are there opportunities for folks to respond God's invitation?

Let's be clear. I'm not saying that every sermon must have an extensive presentation of Jesus death on the Cross. And I don't mean that every service must conclude with a guilt-driven altar call. The Good News needs to simply be part of a healthy church's DNA.

Let's make sure that we're obedient to the Great Commission. And not guilty of the Great Omission.

In Christ,
Jay

The Church Search Part Three

The B-I-B-L-E. That's the book for me.

Many of us sang that little ditty in Sunday School growing up. But the truth is, we need to take a close look at how the churches we visit view the B-I-B-L-E.

It's easy for church to proclaim that holds God's Word in high regard. That it's a "Bible-believing fellowship." But does the rubber really meet the road? Here are a few questions that can help us as we move through Church Search when it comes to how a certain church views Scripture.

1. Is the Bible seen as the inspired Word of God?
If God has truly inspired the Scriptures, they can be trusted as divine and without flaw. Translations can be questioned. Interpretations can be doubted. But with the Holy Spirit as its source and inspiration, the truth of the Bible is perfect.

For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2Peter 1:21 NIV)

2. Is the Bible the ultimate standard of truth?
In other words, is God's Word the only truth or is it seen as one of many sources of truth? There is only ONE measure of divine truth: The Bible.

The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight to life. (Psalm 19:8 NLT)

3. Is the Bible used as the basic source of teaching?
It's OK if other curriculum is used, but is the source of that material scripturally based. One of the clear purposes of God's Word is to instruct His people.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. (2Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

4. Is all of the Bible taught?
This might be a little harder to determine in a few short visits, but is the church committed to teach ALL of Scripture. Do they avoid hard or difficult passages? Some churches make a point of preaching and teaching through the entire Bible over a period of time. That's certainly something to consider.

"For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God." (Acts 20:27 NKJV)

When you visit, pay attention to how the Bible is used. Is it used to teach during worship? Is it read aloud? Are the songs based in Scripture? Does the pastor use it as the basis for teaching or simply as a launching pad for expressing his own opinion?

And let me know if they ever sing, "The B-I-B-L-E. That's the book for me."

In Christ,
Jay

The Church Search Part Two

If you're out there "wandering in the wilderness," on the search for a new church, you might wonder what resources might be available to help you.  

Well, here's a list of books that I would HIGHLY recommend.  They have been a great help to me as we've tried to sort through the maze of local churches.

"Church: Why Bother?" by Philip Yancey

Yancey retraces his personal journey through many of his own difficult questions and doubts about the reasons and purpose of joining a local church. 

"Who Moved My Church" by Mike Nappa

In a similar style of "Who Moved the Cheese," Nappa's parable examines how the church is to interact with today's culture.  This one is humorous, entertaining and thought-provoking.

"More Jesus, Less Religion" by Stephen Arterburn & Jack Felton

Arterburn & Felton take a look at the damage of religious legalism and "churchianity."  This is a followup to their book "Toxic Religion."  They call for a return a strong, obedient and grace-filled relationship with Jesus.

"Nine Marks of a Healthy Church" by Mark Dever

Dever examines the characteristics of a healthy and thriving church using nine qualities that are often neglected in today's churches.

I hope these help you in your journey.

In Christ,

Jay

The Church Search Part One

So, for whatever reason, you're looking for a new church.

Where do you start? What do you look for? What's important? How big? How small? What style? What denomination?

The answers to many of those questions are really up to your own personal preferences. Let's call those "the non-essentials." But as we search for a new church, there are a few things that we must not compromise. We'll refer to those as "the essentials."

First of all, do they worship Jesus?

This question is so simple that it may seem obvious. Let's face it, just about every church mentions Jesus' name in some way. But there are often subtle, yet VERY dangerous views of Christ. Maybe the better question is what Jesus do they worship?

We must remember who the Bible says Jesus is.
The one and only Son of God.
The one and only Savior.
The one and only Way to the Father.
Fully God and fully Man.
Lived the perfect life that we couldn't live.
Died the death that we should've died.
Risen to life so that we could attain eternal life.
Ascended to the right hand of the Father.
Ruling and reigning from heaven.
Returning one day soon for His people and judge the world.

Paul describes Jesus in one of the great passages in the Bible...

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see--kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through Him and for Him. He existed before everything else began, and He holds all creation together. Christ is the head of the church, which is His body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so He is first in everything. For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and by Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of His blood on the cross. (Colossians 1:15-22 NLT)

When we visit churches, let's make sure to check out what they stand for and whom they worship. Research their doctrine and theology on their websites. Ask questions of the pastor and folks who attend.

And, first of all, make sure they worship Jesus. Our Jesus.  That's essential.

In Christ,
Jay

George Washington Worshiped Here

George Washington.

Thomas Jefferson.

James Monroe.

All Founding Fathers of our country.  All Presidents.  All worshipers at Bruton Parish Church.

My wife and stumbled into this 334-year-old church during a weekend visit to Colonial Williamsburg.  

This tiny chapel oozes colonial history.  Many of our Founding Fathers worshiped here in the days leading up to the American Revolution.  The bell that once rang to celebrate American independence still rings to call worshipers today.  Reverend Rowland Jones, who served as Bruton's first rector, was Martha Washington's great grandfather.

Bruton Parish Church has certainly seen hard times, but today boasts a membership of 2,000 that meets regularly in the old brick chapel.

As many of my friends continue to search for a new church home, Bruton Parish points me to the Ancient of Days.  The Great I Am.  The One who was and is and is to come.  Compared to our Eternal God, this centuries old church pales in comparison.

Washington worshiped here...and let's not forget WHOM he worshiped!

In Christ,

Jay

In this day of contemporary churches meeting in such places as schools, movie theaters and civic centers, there is something reassuring

119

Psalm 119.

The longest chapter in the Bible.  176 verses.  Considering the psalmist's focus on the power and importance of Scripture, it seems appropriate.  Check out verse 18...

Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in Your law.  

The topic probably tested the writer's thesaurus (did they have a thesaurus?).  When he speaks of God's Word, he uses terms like precepts, laws, commandments, judgments, statutes.

I was chewing on 119 this morning, when something hit me like a ton of bricks.  Three verses that spoke to the benefit of God's discipline in my life.  Let's face it, God's good discipline is NOT a real hot topic of sermons and Bible searches.  But here's what I belted me between the eyes this morning...

I used to wander off until You disciplined me; but now I closely follow Your word.  (Psalm 119:67)

The suffering You sent was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your principles.  (Psalm 119:71)

I know, O Lord, that Your decisions are fair; You disciplined me because I needed it.  (Psalm 119:75)

The point is crystal clear.  God DOES disciplines us...and He does it for a reason.  It is good for us.  It calls us back to His Word.  It's fair.  And we need it.

These verses remind me of Paul's words in 2 Corinthians...

For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation.  We will never regret that kind of sorrow.  But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death.  (2 Corinthians 7:10)

When you get a moment, crack open Psalm 119.  You'll find some of the richest and deepest truth about truth anywhere in the Bible.

In Christ,

Jay  

Just as I Am

If you're a recovering Southern Baptist like me, "Just as I Am" conjures up images of emotional, yet interminable altar calls led by hellfire-and-brimstone evangelists.  I can testify to the night I gave my life to Jesus during a summer revival at the age of 12 as Charlotte Elliot's hymn groaned on the church organ.

But over the past week, "Just as I Am" has taken an entirely new meaning.  It's the title of Billy Graham's autobiography.  The book is massive (784 pages!).  But if any person has the material to carry a book of that length, it is certainly Rev. Graham.

The book sat on my shelf for almost ten years (it came out in 1997).  I made the decision to dive in last week.  I have absolutely no regrets.

Although I'm only 200 or so pages in, I would undoubtedly recommend it to anyone.  His stories of growing up on a North Carolina dairy farm are charming.  His call as an evangelist and subsequent education are insightful.  

But the book makes the jump to warp speed when Rev. Graham begins his 1949 Crusade in Los Angeles.  God's obvious hand on Graham's ministry is unmistakable.

Do yourself a favor and read "Just as I Am."  I'm not responsible for any Southern Baptist flashbacks!

In Christ,

Jay

The Search Begins...

Last Sunday was different. Last Sunday was difficult. For the first time in seven years, Deb and I were no longer members of Freedom River. For the first time in seven years, Deb and I were searching for a new church.

We decided to check out Triangle Community Church in Cary (www.tcc.org). We visited there back in 2001 when they were meeting at an elementary school. They’ve since moved into a beautiful new facility.

Honestly, I was fine until we started walking through the parking lot to the front door. Suddenly, I had huge empty feeling in my gut. At first I thought it was a bad bowl of cereal, but soon realized I wasn’t going to FRCC. As a result, I didn’t want to go.

But I did.

Despite the fact that the church is basically in our neighborhood, we didn’t know a soul. Once again, I felt very alone.

The band was excellent. But they didn’t play our songs. And they only played one song that we knew (“Better Is One Day”). And they didn’t play that one our way. Sheesh.

It was hard to get an idea of what their full service was like because they spent most of the hour baptizing folks. Young. Old. Middle aged. It was an excellent example of Christ’s work in their church right before our eyes.

In the end, I was glad to go. David wrote, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD’” (Psalm 122:1 NLT). Despite all of my loneliness, it was good to be with God’s people. We’ll definitely give TCC another shot in a few weeks. But there are other great churches to visit in the coming months.

I realize that it’s going to be hard for many of us to go anywhere other than FRCC. And I write all this to let you know that you’ll probably have some powerful feelings when you do go. That’s OK. It’s part of the process.

It would be very easy for some of us to punt this church thing…at least for a while. Let me encourage you NOT to do that. Keep in mind the powerful words of the writer of Hebrews: “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT).

Can’t wait to hear updates of where you guys have visited.

In Christ,
Jay

Catalyst...at Random

The folks at Catalyst go out of their way to create one of the most creative, off-the-hook, fun atmospheres you'll ever experience. Here's just a few of the things we saw, in no particular order...

The White Carpet.
Auburn's War Eagle.
A cylindrical Jumbotron.
A step team.
A "popper."
Trampoline basketball.
A pentecostal choir.
Cloggers.
A school bus.
A mariachi band.
An elephant.
A donkey.
A pig.
Jeff Foxworthy.
An African children's choir (performing "Sweet Home Alabama!").
Bagpipes.
Lanny Donoho's GHOTI t-shirt.
Acoustic, all-female led worship.
John Foreman of Switchfoot performing acoustically with a cello player.
Cornhole games.
A rap video featuring Andy Stanley and Franklin Graham.
Painting on stage.
Nerf rockets.
White streamers.
Ping pong balls.
A balloon drop.

I'm sure I left out something. Can't wait to see what they have up their sleeve next year.

In Christ,
Jay

Catalyst Day Two

Back to Gwinnett Arena for Catalyst Day Two.

Opening Speaker Tim Sanders built on the theme from his book Love is the Killer App. Sanders said that "good" is the new "great." He explained that by "good," he means the morally correct thing to do. He strongly encouraged Christ-followers to take Jesus' values to work. The result: "What you learn on Sunday makes you a rock star on Monday."

Sanders gave the example of Timberland employees doing post-Katrina relief work in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. When residents said what they needed most were shoes, a busload of Timberland sales people literally gave the shoes on their feet, right then and there.

Syndicated radio host Dave Ramsey shared his views of leadership and team unity. He explained that the 5 Main Enemies of Unity are...
1. Poor Communication
2. Gossip
3. Unresolved Disagreements
4. Lack of Shared Purpose
5. Sanctioned Incompetence
Ramsey closed his session with a discussion of the current financial crisis. He strongly encouraged us to relax and not be victims of fear-mongering.

Franklin Graham was on hand to accept the Catalyst Lifetime Achievement Award for his father, Billy Graham. The younger Graham passionately pleaded with the crowd to preach the Gospel. "When you preach the Gospel," he said, "there is Holy Spirit-filled power that penetrates the hearts of people." As president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse, Graham boldly stated that this ministry is a means to inject itself into the crises of the world and plant the flag of Jesus.

Author and thinker Ed Stetzer gave a brief but powerful demonstration of statistics regarding unchurched adults in America. First, he said that evangelical Christians often do a great disservice to polls and stats. It's been described as Christians behaving badly...with statistics. Stetzer shared a number of stats that point to the fact that unchurched adults between the ages of 20-29 are consistently more open to biblical Christianity than we realize.

Author Andy Crouch expounded on the theme of his book Culture Making. He said that for years Christians have...
-Condemned culture
-Critiqued culture
-Copied culture
-Consumed culture
None of this has any real impact on changing culture. He said what Christ-followers should do is...
-Cultivate culture (take something good and keep it good)
-Create culture (we are made in the image of THE Creator)

Pastor Matt Chandler was an incredible breath of fresh air. I've never really heard anybody quite like him before. Chandler is the lead pastor of the Village Church in the Dallas area. In his very brief time on stage, he told the story of a young man that accepted Jesus at his church who grew up in the Baptist church. It broke this pastor's heart to think that someone could spend their life in church and miss the Gospel of amazing grace.

Catalyst closed with North Point's Andy Stanley sharing what he called "Recent Random Thoughts on Leadership." He walked through five quotes that have made him stop in his tracks and re-think how he leads his church. They were...
1. "To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing." -Craig Groeschel
2. "The Next Generation product almost never comes from the previous generation." -Focus, Al Reis
3. "What do I believe is impossible to do in my field...but if it could be done would fundamentally change my business." -Future Edge/Paradigm Book, Joel Barker
4. "If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what would he do? Why shouldn't we walk out the door, come back in, and do it ourselves?" -Only the Paranoid Survive, Andy Grove
5. "When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near." -Michael Hammer

Once again, Catalyst blew me away. With its speakers. With worship. With creativity.

In Christ,
Jay

Catalyst Day One

Well, a big "howdy" from the ATL (OK, actually it's Duluth, GA in Gwinnett County, but that's not nearly as hip and cool).

I'm here with 12-thousand of my closest friends for Catalyst, a two-day event for young leaders and fresh thinkers serving in ministry. Day One was AMAZING! Thought I would take a minute to give you a snap shot of what's going on.

Andy Stanley kicked things off with a powerful message on Moral Authority. Using Nehemiah 5:6-18, he said that there must be alignment between our creed and our deed. He emphasized that we must have Moral Authority in three areas...

1. Forgiveness
2. Family
3. Finances

(By the way, the parallels in this passage between what was going on in Jerusalem in 444 BC and Wall Street today were scary. Check it out.)

Sportscaster Ernie Johnson, Jr. interviewed William Paul Young, the author of the best-selling book The Shack. Young describes himself as the "accidental author." This book has been the target of a ton of criticism, especially from conservative Christian leaders and scholars. I must admit that I have my own doctrinal concerns and criticism about some of the things that Young said in the interview. But I probably ought to read it before saying more.

Next up was Jim Collins, author of Good to Great and Built to Last. Collins is one of the most respected men in the area of leadership, in business or in the church. It's easy to see why. He said that the most important question a leader can ask is not "what" but "who." A leader must have the right people in place before moving forward.

Yesterday was my first opportunity to hear Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in the Charlotte, NC area. What an energizing and passionate speaker! He said that between God's Promise on our life and the Payoff, there's a very painful Process. Furtick urged us to stay faithful in the small things.

Brenda Salter McNeill is the author of A Credible Witness. She came in to shake things up. She said that God is all about Revolution. He's shaking us out of our comfort zone. Using Acts 1:8 and 2:1-12, she spoke about how the Holy Spirit rocked the disciples world. She urged us to pray, "Lord, shake upo my world by shaking me up."

I was very excited to hear Seth Godin, the top business and marketing blogger in the world. He's the author of The Dip, The Purple Cow and Tribes. This was his first presentation to a Christian group. He talked about Tribes, people gathered together with a common goal. He believes Tribes are the new key to reaching people.

Craig Groeschel of lifechurch.tv in Oklahoma City closed the first day with an extremely powerful message (that's two years in a row that God has used Groeschel to slam me in face with a spiritual 2x4). He talked about "finding It when you've lost It." "It" is that almost indescribable something of God. "It" is NOT a model or a system. To be an effective leader in the church, you must be overcome with "It." He said that to regain "It," a person must ask the Lord to "ruin me, heal me and stretch me."

Coming here on the heels of the closing of FRCC, I was in a very interesting place to hear this message. I feel that He used the last couple of months to break me...in a good way. Coming to Catalyst was part of that healing process.

Day Two on tap. Stay tuned!

In Christ,
Jay

No Words

No words.

I really want to say "thank you." But there are simply no nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs or conjunctions that will do the job. And "thank you" seems so shallow and so ineffective in communicating my gratitude to you. Let me try anyway.

Thank you SO much for the humbling opportunity to be your pastor. You showered me with so much love, grace and encouragement in my role of shepherd. While the past few weeks have been extremely difficult, the Freedom River family has made it an absolute joy. I really appreciate how you gave the "rookie preacher" a lot of rope.

No words.

Thank you SO much for the opportunity to be your worship leader. From the moment I walked in the door, I could sense a passion for worshiping Jesus, especially through music. You made it so easy. You allowed me to take chances and continually pulled for me to succeed. I will always cherish our Sundays singing and praising our Savior together.

No words.

There are a boatload of folks I wish there was space to mention, but I would like to specifically thank a few people...

The Worship Team--WOW! You guys have amazed me for seven years, not only with your gifts and talents, but your heart for Jesus.

Ross Turner--What a friend, mentor and brother in the Lord.

JJ Swick--Always there, never wavering...that's why he's Elder Rock.

Jay Izso--Gotta love a guy who'll speak hard truth with a soft heart.

Ryan Keeter--He loves Jesus and my daughter...a great combination.

Scott Barfoot--Thanks for your endless trust and support.

But most of all, I want to thank the two most important people in my life. First, my wife Debbie, absolutely the greatest wife and partner a man could ever dream of. Baby, you're the greatest.

Finally, I couldn't fathom doing any of this apart from Jesus. My Savior continues to do such amazing things right before my eyes. In the words of the Caedmon's Call song Lead of Love: "How You've made good of this mess I've made is a profound mystery."

See I told you. No words.

In Christ,

Jay

On Your Mark...

The 4x100 meter relay fascinates me. You take the four fastest runners and see how fast they can circle the track, passing the baton every 100 meters. The race is lightning fast, over before you know it. And because of the blazing pace, there is absolutely no margin for error handing off the baton.

That was not the case for both the men's and women's 4x100 meter relay teams at the Olympics in Beijing. Both teams were favorites for the gold, but both teams failed to make it out of the preliminaries. Why? They dropped the baton. Years of training and hard work down the tubes as the batons bounced on the track.

In the book of Acts, Jesus makes sure that He passes the baton of the Gospel off to His followers. We see that, like the starter of the race, He gives them instructions.

On your mark. Get set. Go!

Just before He heads back to heaven, Jesus tells His disciples...

4 In one of these meetings as He was eating a meal with them, He told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what He promised. Remember, I have told you about this before.
5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking Him, ‘Lord, are You going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?”
7 “The Father sets those dates,” He replied, “and they are not for you to know.
8 But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 It was not long after He said this that He was taken up into the sky while they were watching, and He disappeared into a cloud. (Acts 1:4-9 NLT)

First He tells them, "On your mark."

Stay in Jerusalem. Like a relay runner waits inside the designated exchange area for his teammater to deliver the baton, Jesus' followers were to wait in Jerusalem.

Once in Jerusalem and waiting, they observe their next instructions, "Get set."

For approximately ten days, our Savior's first followers hung out. Waiting. He had told them to be ready for the Holy Spirit, but they had no idea what to expect. Suddenly, it happened. While they waited in a loft apartment they heard the roar of whirlwind. They saw tongues of fire. Whammo! God baptized all of them in the Holy Spirit. And He gave them power to communicate the message of Christ to a lost and dying world.

"Go!"

This was the signal Jesus told them about. Now, they were to take the Gospel first to Jersusalem. That was convenient since they were already there. And God blessed them as they met in the Temple, shared life together in each other's homes, studied the Bible and prayed together.

It was a great time to be a Christ-follower in Jerusalem. God was adding folks to their numbers each and every day. And the members of this new movement were loved by all the citizens of the city.

It would have been easy to simply stay in Jerusalem. Things were going well. It's comfortable. This is home. But that's not what Jesus commissioned them to do. They were to take the Gospel to not only Jerusalem, but Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.

God made sure that happened. One of the young church's deacons named Stephen got himself in a boatload of trouble. The Jewish leaders arrested him and had him stoned. Stephen's execution turned the tide of the city against Jesus' followers. Once the toast of the town, now they are a target.

Saul was one of the official witnesses at the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem, and all the believers except the apostles fled into Judea and Samaria. (Acts 8:1 NLT)

Did you notice what happened as a result of the persecution? Yup, that's right, believers fled into Judea and Samaria. Anybody think that's just a coincidence? Not a chance. God used the persecution to carry out His plan and purpose to spread the Gospel. If that's not enough proof for you, check out what else Luke writes...

But the believers who had fled Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the Good News about Jesus. (Acts 8:4 NLT)

Jesus would insure that the baton would be passed. The new church may have had a false start and missed the "Go!" command, but the Lord would make sure they hit the road.

As we wrap things up here at Freedom River, God is making sure that His message of grace and repentance is going beyond the walls of our church. While we don't know exactly His reasons in closing our fellowship, it's clear we're to "Go!"

Hopefully we'll run into each other somewhere along the road. Maybe we'll see you in Samaria.

"On your mark. Get set. Go!"

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River Community Church in Raleigh, NC on September 28, 2008.

Die and Let Live

It just doesn't make sense.

So often in life, we rely on common sense. We do what's intuitive. But there are times when it's best to do what doesn't make sense. We do what's counter-intuitive.

A great example might be our family vacation to Disney World several years ago. A friend of ours moved to Orlando and just loved to be a tour guide when folks went to see Mickey. She gave us the pregrame speech.

With the passion and focus Knute Rockne, she told us, "We're going to get to the park early, ready to go when the gates open. When they open the gates, just about everybody will go to the right. But we're going to the LEFT!"

But her strategy didn't stop there. We would wait in line for a ride and when the doors would open she would grab us and say, "Wait...wait...let 8 to 10 people go on ahead of us...NOW! GO! GO!" And sure 'nuff, we'd be sitting right smack dab in the middle of the row.  Right in the perfect spot. 

She knew what to do, when to go. And many times it was counter-intuitive.

The Bible is chock full of counter-intuitive teaching. 

-The first shall be last. 

-Love your enemies. 

-Gain the world and lose your soul.

Jesus provides us a classic example when He teaches about dying in order to bring life in John 12:20-26. He tells His disciples that we must die and let live.

It all begins when a group of Greeks in town for the Passover ask Philip for an appointment to see Jesus. One of those "have your people talk to my people" kinda moments. When He hears of their request, Jesus' response seems out of left field.

23 Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into His glory.
24 The truth is, a kernel of wheat must be planted in the soil. Unless it dies it will be alone—a single seed. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.
25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 All those who want to be My disciples must come and follow Me, because My servants must be where I am. And if they follow Me, the Father will honor them.” (John 12:23-26 NLT)

But the Savior was saying, "They want to see Me, huh? Well, just wait until Friday when they see Me on the Cross. Just wait until they see Me laid in the tomb. But most of all, just wait until they see Me on Sunday, the Risen Lord!"

The heart of Jesus' teaching is the counter-intuitive idea of how death brings new life. Like the seed that must die, planted in the ground, brings about new life, so the crucifed Christ must die, planted in the ground, and brings about new life.

Die and let live.

And Jesus asks His followers to do the same. Die and let live.

As Freedom River considers bringing this ministry to a close, we must find hope in the fact that death brings about new life. While we don't have the perspective of time, I truly believe that the dying "seed" of FRCC can bring new life in many ways, to many other churches. It's one of the most counter-intuitive you can imagine. The death of the church actually bringing life.

Die and let live.

I realize that so many of us are struggling with feelings of failure. That's certainly understandable. But research about church planting reveals some very sobering statistics. Depending on your source, 70-80% of all church plants fail. I think that points to the fact that the only real failure is not trying at all.

Is Freedom River a failure? Well, the apostle Paul never led a mega-church. Matter of fact, several churches he planted closed their doors. Was Paul a failure? I don't think so. How about the eleven apostles. Ten of the eleven were martyred for the sake of the Christ. Were they failures? Not in the least. Again, the only real failure is not trying at all.

There is life in death. There is hope in failure. God makes sure that absolutely nothing is wasted!

Die and let live.

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River Community Church in Raleigh, NC on September 21, 2008.

Calling a Family Meeting

Time for a "family meeting."

Did your folks ever get "the fam" together in the den at the time of an important decision.   Where are we going on vacation?  Should we get a dog?  Sometimes the topic was less-than-pleasant.  Dad has a job offer in another city.  No matter the topic, it was something that impacted the entire family.  

It's time for a Freedom River "family meeting."

As most of you know, the leadership is recommending that the church dissolve.  We're asking the FRCC family, both members and attenders, to join us Sunday after church at Jay Izso  & Linda Craft's home.  We'll eat lunch together and then call the business meeting together at 1:30pm.

I can't stress enough the importance to be at the meeting.  Please do everything you can to be there, even if you can only be there for meeting.  Also it's imperative that we be in prayer for each other and for the decision to made at the meeting.

And since this is going to be a stressful enough situation for many of us, let's approach this in classic Freedom River fashion...dripping with grace for our brothers and sisters.

I also want to say that it has been an incredible honor to be your pastor during such a tender time.  You guys are the greatest.  Thanks for your prayers and support.

In Christ,

Jay

The First Supper

As a seminary student, I study great theologians and philosophers like Calvin, Luther and Spurgeon. I also enjoy such modern day thinkers as Carlin, Letterman and Seinfeld. OK, so they may not be as deep as the previous three, but they are no less insightful.

They have a unique perspective on our language and culture, which is chock-full of goofy words that really don't make any sense. For instance...
-Why is it called a "hot water heater"? Why do we need to heat water if it's hot?
-Why do we drive on a parkway and park on the driveway?
-If we get corn oil from corn, where do we get baby oil from?
-If they call it tourist season, why can't we shoot them?
-Why do "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
-Why is the word "abbreviated" so long?
-Does it bother you that doctors call what they do "practice?"

And we do the same in our faith as well. We use words and phrases that really aren't appropriate. The classic example is what has become known as "The Last Supper."

Actually, when Jesus gathered His twelve followers in the room upstairs, they were actually celebrating "The Last Passover." It's the meal Jews refer to today as the Seder. Just a few hours later, Jesus would offer Himself on the Cross as the ultimate Passover Lamb (1Cor 5:7).

In those tender evening hours with His closest friends, our Savior gathered for what we should more appropriately call "The First Supper." It was at this meal when Jesus boldly offered the Cup of the New Covenant, the long-awaited promise from the Old Testament (Jer 31:31-34).

"After supper He took another cup of wine and said, "This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you--an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you." (Luke 22:20 NLT)

So as we celebrate the Lord's Table again, let's remember that evening that Jesus gathered His disciples for "The Last Passover." The night they took part in "The First Supper."

In Christ,
Jay

Glorious: Love Is a Verb

Wow, it's hard to believe our "Glorious" series is just about over! Over the past few weeks, we've examined the breath-taking attributes of our glorious God. We've seen that...

-God is Faithful. Our faith is only as strong as what we put our faith in.
-God is Holy. His holiness convicts, cleanses and commissions us for service.
-God is Eternal. As the Great I Am, Jesus is always in the present tense.
-God is Good. Celebrating the Lord's Supper, we tasted and saw that He is good.
-God is Powerful. He has the power to do as He pleases.
-God is All-Knowing. Jesus sees every breath you take.
-God is Humble. And we're to have the same attitude.
-God is Sovereign. The Father sent the Son and now the Son is sending us in His authority.
-God is Near. How good it is to be near God.

And finally...
-God is Loving. Love is a verb.

It's hard to find anyone today who does not play fantasy football. And there is nothing more important in fantasy football than the draft. You pour over magazines, scouting reports, websites and TV shows to glean any tidbit of info that you can use to make the absolute best picks. You want that player who can do the most for you...score the most touchdowns, catch the most passes, run for the most yards.

But in the book of Deuteronomy, we see God make His number one pick in the draft...and it's anything BUT the best player. Check it out.
7 “The LORD did not choose you and lavish His love on you because you were larger or greater than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!
8 It was simply because the LORD loves you, and because He was keeping the oath He had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such amazing power from your slavery under Pharaoh in Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8 NLT)

God chose the Jewish people not because they were big, powerful, good-looking or lived in a great neighborhood. The Bible says that it was simply because He loved them. Nothing more. And because God loved them, He did something. He freed them from slavery in Egypt.

Love is a verb.

Let's take a look at Five Facts of God's Loving Acts.
-God loves GRACIOUSLY (Rom. 5:8)
-God loves SELFLESSLY (John 3:16, Gal. 2:20)
-God loves CEASELESSLY (Psalm 136:1)
-God loves SACRIFICIALLY (1John 4:10)
-God loves UNBREAKABLY (Rom 8:38-29)

God's love is always in action. That's because Love is a Verb.

What's our response? To live and love like God. Love is NOT a warm fuzzy feeling. It's action, always action.

Love is a Verb.

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River Community Church on September 7, 2008.

The Home Stretch

Most of you have heard that the leadership of Freedom River is recommending that we dissolve our church. It's interesting that the just about everyone has the same reaction: sad but not unexpected. You can include me in that group as well.

The timeline is pretty simple. We'll reiterate the announcement again this Sunday (Sept. 21st). We'll have our official meeting AFTER church and Jay & Linda's house the following Sunday (Sept. 28th). At the meeting, we'll vote on the dissolution of FRCC. According to our bylaws, this requires a two-thirds majority vote of the members in attendance. We're strongly encouraging all current FRCC members to attend this very important meeting. Even if you're not an official member, we hope you can join us for hot dogs and hamburgers after church.

If the vote goes through, we'll meet one last time on Sunday, October 5th. This is going to be a HUGE celebration of what Jesus has done right before our eyes in eight years of FRCC. Please contact any and everyone you know that has been part of our church family and encourage them to be there. You will NOT want to miss this. We're planning on packing that theater and blowing the doors off in praise to the King.

You guys are great. Thanks in advance for your support, both prayer and financial, as we seek to honor God in this process.

In Christ,
Jay

Catching Up

First of all, I want to thank Justin Wredberg for preaching God's Word at Freedom River this past Sunday. While I'm sorry that I wasn't there to here him, I'm very grateful for the chance to get away for a weekend with Debbie to celebrate our anniversary. Thanks, Justin.

Hope you had a great holiday weekend. Traditionally, Labor Day signals the end of Summer. Vacations are winding down. Kids are headed back to school.

FRCC won't forget the Summer of 2008. It was difficult saying goodbye to Pastor Scott, Pastor Jamie and their families. But we fully support them as they move on to seeking God's will for their lives. That doesn't mean it hasn't been hard. More than a couple of families have moved on. Attendance has taken a hit. And giving is down even more.

The purpose of this update is not to send anyone on a guilt trip. I want to be honest and transparent about our situation. Freedom River is at a critical time. We have "trimmed our sails" financially. Several tough decisions have been made but we must be good stewards of the resources with which God has blessed us.  We're continuing to take a hard look at our expenses.

What can you do? 

1-When you get back from vacation, make sure you join us on Sunday mornings. Your attendance means a lot to those around you. 

2-Support the work of Christ's kingdom at Freedom River through your tithes and offerings.

3-Pray that God would use FRCC to make a huge impact for Christ in our community.   

I'm convinced that the Lord placed us at this particular place at this specific time for a reason. Over and over in the Bible, Almighty God has a habit of doing amazing things when the chips are down.  

Parting the Red Sea at just the right time.

Making streams in the desert.

Turning Friday's dead into Sunday's Savior.

He's up to something here at Freedom River.  I can't wait to see what it is.

In Christ,

Jay

154 Shopping Days Until Christmas!

Well, that headline may have caught you off-guard. Why in the wide, wide world of sports should you be worried about Christmas when it's not even September? That's because it won't be long before we start the 2008 edition of Operation Christmas Child.

Operation Christmas Child is the shoebox ministry of Samaritan's Purse that sends Christmas presents to underprivileged children in desperate situations around the world.

Freedom River has used OCC in years past to touch the hearts of kids half a world away. We're excited to take part again in 2008.

So what do you do? Well, start hanging on to those shoe boxes. Pray about how God might use you to make an impact through this very simple, yet powerful opportunity. If you want more info on OCC, go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/index/.

One difference we're making in 2008 is that we're asking our small groups to head up this project. I can't think of a better mission project for our groups as we head into the Christmas season.

We'll have more information for you soon. But remember the words of Jesus who said, "When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!" (Matthew 25:50 NLT)

In Christ,
Jay

Tell Them Jesus Sent You

As a member of the liberal, godless news media, I'm often given press passes to cover various events. Presidential visits. The Super Bowl. The Olympics. The Final Four. These media credentials allow me to go places because someone in authority has approved my access.

In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), Jesus tells His doubting disciples that His Father has given Him all authority in heaven and on earth. And because of that authority, He is sending them to go and make more disciples.

When they saw Him, they worshiped Him—but some of them still doubted! (Matt 28:17 NLT)

Is that not one of the more troubling verses you've ever read in the Bible?! Why in the world would Matthew include this? If it were left to me to write and edit Matt's gospel, I would have never allowed this one past my desk. But thankfully, the former tax collector was writing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, not under my less-than-inspired direction.

The doubt of the eleven was real. How do we know? Well, one of them wrote it down! My guess is that Matthew was one of the doubters. This verse also hints at the accuracy of the Bible. It allows us to see an unsanitized look at these men. We see them, warts and all. Just as their doubt was real, so were these men. Let's face it, all of us have our doubts at some point.

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave His charge: “God authorized and commanded Me to commission you…” (Matthew 28:18 The Message)

But their doubt did not change the fact that Jesus had ultimate authority. Daniel's vision gives us a glimpse of the Heavenly Coronation (Daniel 7:13-14). Let's take a quick look at Six Marks of Jesus' Authority.

1-Jesus is the ultimate TEACHING authority (Mark 1:22).
2-Jesus is the ultimate RULING authority (Ephesians 1:10).
3-Jesus is the ultimate FORGIVING authority (Matthew 9:6).
4-Jesus is the ultimate LIFE-GIVING authority (John 10:18).
5-Jesus is the ultimate CHURCH authority (Ephesians 1:21-23).
6-Jesus is the ultimate INDIVIDUAL authority (Philippians 2:9-11).

So often we struggle with the practical application of Scripture. What do we do with what we've read? Well, Jesus was kind enough to provide specific instructions in Matthew 28 regarding our response to His authority.

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matt 28:19-20 NLT)

We are to "go." As a matter of fact, Jesus assumes that we will go. The literal translation from the original Greek says "after going." We're not to sequester ourselves in some bomb shelter or monastery. Jesus expects us to interact with real people in the real world.

We are to "make disciples." Notice it does NOT say "make converts." And this is NOT about forcing people into false conversion. That's a mark of so many false religions. We're to urge or convince others to become a follower of Jesus. Then we are to teach them what it means to follow Him. How can someone ever follow Him if they don't know what to do?

We are to take the amazing message of His Gospel "to of all the nations." Literally, we are "to make disciples from all ethnic groups." His amazing grace is not offered to only people like me. He's calling me to get out of my comfort zone. Reach out to people of every race, nationality and culture.

We do this because Jesus sends us in His authority. We can tell them that Jesus sent us.

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River Community Church on August 24, 2008.

Must See FRCC

Every summer, the TV networks announce their new fall schedule.  Viewers find out when their favorite shows will be on.  We also get a sneak peak at the new sitcoms, dramas and reality shows.  With that in mind, I thought you might like a look at the Freedom River Fall Schedule.

Call it "Must See FRCC."

First of all, we'll continue our "Glorious" series for three more weeks.  This Sunday we'll examine God's sovereignty with "Tell Them Jesus Sent You."  The following weekend we'll take a look at the amazing love of God.  Our next guest speaker, Justin Wredberg, will wrap up the series on Labor Day weekend.

Starting September 14th, we'll begin our next series called "Rebuild, Reboot, Redeem."  This will be a study of Nehemiah.  In this amazing book, the prophet Nehemiah heads up a massive urban renewal project in the ruins of Jerusalem.  I truly believe this could be a powerful study for FRCC at a very critical time.  Talk about reality TV.  This series will take us right up to the Christmas season.

Stay tuned for "Must See FRCC" every Sunday at 10 am.

In Christ,

Jay

The Humility of Christ

This past Sunday, Freedom River was blessed to have Pastor Stephen Davey share God's Word. Davey is the founding pastor of Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, NC. He's also the host of the nationally syndicated radio ministry "Wisdom for the Heart." And he's acclaimed as one of the nation's top expository preachers.

He preached on the Humility of Christ from Philippians 2:5-8. This passage reveals Five Rights that Jesus Reliquished in coming to earth.

1-The right to LIVE like God.
Jesus was equal with God the Father, but renounced this right. He is the ultimate riches to rags story.

2-The right to ACT like God.
Theologians call this the Kenosis of Christ, literally "the emptying of His hands." Jesus gave up His right to use His wonder-working hands. In other words, He gave up the right to access His own omnipotence.

3-The right to LOOK like God.
Jesus was made in the likeness of man. It's hard to imagine what a step down this was. Isaiah 53:2-3 describes our Savior as physically an average Joe.

4-The right to be TREATED like God.
In this passage of Philippians, Paul highlights the humiliation and torture of the Roman cross. We totally betrayed Him. Yet He still gave Himself for us.

Why did Jesus do this? John 1:12 is very clear: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.

In other words, Jesus gave up His rights as God in order that we might receive something that we totally did not deserve. God's grace is truly amazing.

Thanks to Pastor Davey for taking time in his schedule to encourage us with such a powerful word from Scripture.

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River CC on Sunday, August 17, 2008.

Every Breath You Take

What's your IQ? Who's the smartest person you know?

According to the Stanford-Binet IQ Test, some of the highest scores are Parade Magazine columnist Marylin Vos Savant (185) and chess champion Bobby Fischer (187). Some estimate DaVinci IQ at 220. But many experts believe that the smartest person to ever live was William James Sidis. Sidis read the NY Times at 18 months. He was fluent in eight languages by the age of eight. The Bible says that Solomon is the wisest human to ever walk the earth.

But all of those pale in comparison to our All-Knowing God. He knows every breath you take.

God gives us an amazing glimpse of His omniscience in 1Samuel 16:1-7. The LORD gives Samuel the assignment of anointing the Israel's next king. Samuel takes one look at Jesse's oldest boy Eliab, obviously a strapping young stud. Samuel's certain this is guy. God jumps to tell the prophet that while man looks at the outside, He looks at the heart.

The Bible gives us Five Facts of our All-Knowing God.

1-God knows EVERYTHING.
Once more He asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, You know everything. You know I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed My sheep.” (John 21:17 NLT)

2-God knows everything ABOUT THE FUTURE.
“And do not forget the things I have done throughout history. For I am God—I alone! I am God, and there is no one else like Me. Only I can tell you what is going to happen even before it happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” (Isaiah 46:9-10 NLT)

3-God knows everything POSSIBLE.
“For if the miracles I did for you had been done in Sodom, it would still be here today.” (Matthew 11:23 NLT)

4-God knows everything ABOUT HIMSELF.
But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by His Spirit, and His Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God's deep secrets. No one can know what anyone else is really thinking except that person alone, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. (2Corinthians 2:10-11 NLT)

5-God knows everything ABOUT YOU.
O LORD, You have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away.
You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. (Psalm 139:1-4 NLT)

“I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me.” (Jeremiah 16:17 NLT)

“Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!” (Matthew 6:8b NLT)

Jesus knew their thoughts… (Matthew 12:25a NLT)

The amazing fact is that Jesus not only knows absolutely EVERYTHING about me, but that He still loves me despite what He knows!

There is no reason to play games, no reason to wear a mask, He knows you. He knows every breath you take.

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River CC on Sunday, August 10, 2008.

Reaching Up, Reaching Out

Reaching up. Reaching out.

Those four simple words really sum up what some folks call "The Greatest Commandment." When asked what was REALLY most important, Jesus stated very simply that we're to do these two things. "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength...Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:29-31 NLT).

Reaching up. Reaching out.

As Dr. Phil would say, "How's that workin' out for you?" How's your love for Jesus? How's your love for people? I think that's something we need to continually ask ourselves.

As a general rule, I think we do an AWESOME job of reaching up. This is a church that has a passion for singing His praises and spending time in His presence when we gather. I think we do a pretty good job of reaching out and loving our brothers and sisters in Christ at FRCC. That's great because Jesus said others will know that we're His followers through our love for each other (John 13:35).

Can I be honest with you? I think we've struggled with reaching out to folks OUTSIDE our church family. Notice how I said "we." I'm just as guilty as anyone. We must start looking outside ourselves. Without realizing it, we've become a little "Freedom River focused." And that's not healthy. Hey, it's easy to do consider all that we've been through.

Over the coming weeks, you'll start seeing opportunities to reach out...as a church, as small groups, as individuals. Sometimes these will be chances to share Jesus with folks. Other times it will simply be an opportunity to spread a little salt and shine a little light.

Be praying about what you can do...to reach up, to reach out.

In Christ,
Jay

Jesus Is All the Power You Need

Power. Nuclear power. Electrical power. Political power. All power pales in comparison to our All-Powerful God.

Nebuchadnezzar found this out the hard way. As the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar was one of the most powerful people on the planet. He built his country from a third-rate Third World step child into a dominating superpower.

With a powerful military machine, he bullied neighboring nations into submission. Through an amazing domestic revitalization, Nebuchadnezzar brought his people up from the ashes. He ordered the construction of shipping docks, canals, aqueducts and temples. He built not one, but three opulent palaces. The king actually ordered that his name be stamped on every brick used in construction to make sure all would know of his power.

His most impressive accomplishment may have been a gift for his wife. His new bride was a native of the mountains. Nebuchadnezzar literally built her a mountain in the middle of the capital city, covering it with an amazing array of plants and trees. It became known as "The Hanging Gardens of Babylon," one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

But it all came to sudden end one day when the king walked along the roof of his palace. Daniel 4:28-37 says that a voice from heaven told Nebuchadnezzar that his reign was over. Almighty God cut the arrogant monarch down to size. If that wasn't bad enough, the King of kings humbled the King of Babylon, making him believe he was a cow! For seven years, one of the most powerful persons on planet grazed the pasture like a Holstein!

And after a humbling seven years, a broken Nebuchadnezzar realized God's power and might. "He has the power to do as He pleases." (Daniel 4:35b NLT)

God's purpose was to make sure that we would all know that only God is Almighty. But what does it mean that God is powerful? While we can't comprehend the full scope of His power, five "Power Points" may help us appreciate His omnipotence.

1-The power of God is UNSTOPPABLE.
For our God is in the heavens, and He does as He wishes. (Psalm 15:3 NLT)

"...with God everything is possible." (Matthew 19:26 NLT)

2-The power of God is UNIMAGINABLE.
Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. (Ephesians 3:20 NLT)

3-The power of God is IRREVERSIBLE.
"From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can oppose what I do. No one can reverse My actions." (Isaiah 43:13 NLT)

4-The power of God is AVAILABLE.
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. (Philippians 4:13 NLT)

5-The power of God is the GOSPEL.
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes--Jews first and also Gentiles. (Romans 1:16)

Coming to some understanding and comprehension of the power of Almighty God has incredible consequences on our daily lives. Simply put, how powerful is your God? Sadly, it seems that so many of us end up worhsiping an impotent God with an impotent Gospel. If our Omnipotent God can literally speak the universe into existence from absolute nothing, then He is powerful enough to do a great work through us and in us!

John Piper sums it up best.
To be gripped by the omnipotence of God is either marvelous because He is for us or terrifying because He is against us. Indifference to His omnipotence simply means we haven't seen it for what it is.

As Nebuchadnezzar stated so simply 2700 years ago, "He has the power to do as He pleases."

Jesus is all the power you need.

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River Community Church on August 3, 2008.

Happy Trails

The scene is a motion picture classic...our cowboy hero riding off into the sunset.

And now we get to experience it first-hand at Freedom River.  Pastor Scott Barfoot has saddled up and is headed down the trail to Texas.  It's "westward ho!" for Scott, Debbie, Davey and Joel.  Next stop, Dallas and Scott's new position at Dallas Theological Seminary.  

It's hard to believe it's been four years since he came riding to our rescue like the US Calvary.  And what an amazing four years it has been.  When the Lord brought him our way, we were struggling without a pastor.  And many of us remember how Scott faithfully guided us through our facility crisis in 2007 that eventually brought us to our wonderful new home here at North Hills. 

Scott says that we might see him around for a few more days.  Debbie and the boys will probably be here just a bit longer before joining Dad in Dallas.  Do me a favor, when you see them, say "thank you."  Let them know how much Christ has done not only in your own life but in the life of our church.  God has truly blessed us through Pastor Scott's leadership and friendship.  

Scott, thank you.  You've become a great friend and mentor.  Thank you for your investment in my life.

As one man leaves, another will soon come riding into town.  Have confidence that God has already selected our next Senior Pastor.  He'll arrive in the Lord's timing and not a moment too late.

And as our gallant hero rides off into the sunset, I can hear him say, "The adventure continues, bro."  Those words were never more appropriate!

In Christ,

Jay

As Good As It Gets

I LOVE the Food Network.

Paula Dean cookin' country-style. Bobby Flay grilling goodies. Rachel Ray working 30-minute miracles. And my personal favorite, Guy Fieri checkin' out drive-ins, diners and dives.

Do I watch them for the recipes? Oh heavens, no, I don't cook. But I do EAT! But that's the problem. I sit in front of the screen and drool over all these mouth-watering meals. And when it's over, I'm still hungry...REALLY hungry. I see, but never taste.

That's what so many of us do in our walk with Jesus. We watch other people experience a delicious life with Christ, but never experience it for ourselves. Psalms 34:8 rings the dinner bell and invites everyone of us to "Taste and see that the LORD is good."

"Good" is such an undervalued word in 21st Century America. It's come to mean the bare minimum. Something that is acceptable but nothing more. But in the languages of the Bible, "good" is well, GREAT! At various times "good" means beautiful, expensive and delightful. It's also an expression of a superlative. To be "good" is simply...the best.

In other words, when King David writes in Psalm 34 that "the LORD is good," he's inviting us to "taste and see: our great God is simply the best."

Scripture gives us Five Facts about God's Goodness.
1-God is good (Matt 19:17). Don't miss the obvious. Jesus Himself is good. As a result, He's the standard by which we measure the goodness of anything else.
2-God performs good (Ps 119:68). Because He's good and does good things, we can put our faith in Him with full confidence.
3-God approves good (Gen 1:31). When our good God calls something good, He's giving it His divine stamp of approval. We can be sure it's good.
4-God supplies good (James 1:17). If it's good, it's from God. He's the source. This should cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
5-God is the ultimate good (Ps 73:25-26). We're all seeking something. We're all created with a "God-shaped vaccuum" that only Jesus can fill. Most of us spend our time seeking a "what" to fill that need. In fact, what we really need is a "who."

The only way we'll every really know God's goodness is if we actually "taste and see" what life with Jesus is really like. Let's stop living vicariously. Jesus is not calling us to a "Food Network faith." He's inviting us to join Him at the table for the greatest meal we'll ever enjoy. John Piper says we must "savor the Savior."

Taste and see that our great God is as good as it gets.

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River Community Church on July 27, 2008.

The Search Party

Ever watch a movie or TV show where they sent out a search party? Yeah, I thought so.

Well, we're sending out our search party from Freedom River. No, no one's life is in danger and Timmy didn't fall down the well. We're sending our search party (or should I say our Pastor Search Committee) on a mission of finding our next Senior Pastor.

The members of the PSC are Mark Blotzer, Kate Forgeng, JJ Swick and myself. We hope to add one more member to our merry band.

While it's certainly a daunting task to find the next man to lead Freedom River, we have to understand he's already been picked. He just doesn't know it yet. You see, God already knows who it is. The PSC simply needs to find out who that is.

Please be in prayer for our search party. Pray that the Lord would guide us as we begin to post our opening around the country in various ways. Pray that He would speak to us clearly as we receive resumes in the next couple of weeks. Pray for our next Senior Pastor that God's hand would be on him and protect him in this process. And most of all, pray that God's will be done and His name lifted high in the search process.

And we want to hear from you. Please let us know what you would qualities you would like to see in our next Senior Pastor. Drop me a line at jay@freedomriver.org and I'll pass it along to the rest of the gang. Your input is key to the process.

I know I've said this before, but let me say it again: I am NOT a candidate for the position. I will NOT be upset when God brings us our next Senior Pastor. I'm praying that he arrive sooner rather than later!

One reason I think the term search party is appropriate...when the search is over, we're gonna PARTY!!!

In Christ,
Jay

Jesus Is Always in the Present Tense

Two little words. "I am."

With just two little words, Jesus blew the minds of Jews at the Temple in Jerusalem. With just two little words, Jesus announced His ability to travel through time better than Marty McFly, Mr. Peabody, Bill & Ted combined. And He did it by simply saying, "I am."

"Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58).

Jesus used those two innocent, seemingly innocuous words to announce that He was "The Great I Am" (Exodus 3:14) Jesus was there in the beginning before time began (John 1:1-2). As the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8), He not only created time, but had total control over the clock.

You see, Jesus is always in the present tense. Always.

As we know, Jesus eventually stepped out of the throne room of heaven and into the river of time. For 30-some years, the Creator of time was subject to it. He grew up from baby to boy to man. He aged. And when the time was right, our Savior gave His life on a Roman cross.

It was there, outside the city walls of Jerusalem, that Jesus created the greatest time warp the universe has ever known. The Lamb of God died once for all time (1Peter 3:18). In doing so, Jesus punched a hole in the fabric of time and reached back to offer salvation to our first parents, Adam and Eve. At the same time, He stretched forward through space and time to you and to me. He took on all sin for all time. He died once for all.

How was this possible? Jesus is always in the present tense. Always.

As a result, I believe Christ is calling us to do the same...live the in present tense. We're to check the bags of yesterday's regrets at the foot of the cross. God is crystal clear when He says, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing" (Isaiah 43:18-19a). He also doesn't want us to be terrorized by tomorrow. "Don't worry about tomorrow...each day has enough trouble for itself" (Matthew 6:34).

The late missionary Jim Elliot summed it up best when he said, "Wherever you are, be all there."

I've heard it said that Jesus was crucified between two thieves: yesterday and tomorrow. The thief of yesterday steals the joy through regret and keeps us from enjoying today. The worries of tomorrow steals our joy through worry. That's not why Jesus died. Not in the least.

Jesus is always in the present tense. Always. And He's calling us to live in the present tense as well.

And it all started with two little words. "I am."

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River CC on July 20, 2008.

Time after Time

Ever since I was a kid, I've had an incredible fascination with time travel.

Whether it was a book like HG Wells' "The Time Machine," TV shows like "The Time Tunnel" or "Star Trek," or the uber-popular "Back to the Future" movies, I wanted to know what it might be like to travel through time. Admit it, you really wanted to hop in Dr. Brown's tricked out DeLorean and crank up the "flux capacitor"!

(On the other hand, my wife Debbie would list "time travel" as one of her absolute turnoffs. There's nothing like the mention of "the time space continuum" to set her eyes rolling and her feet to leave the room!)

So what in the wide, wide world of sports does all this have to do with Jesus? Honestly, just about everything. You see, over and over the Bible describes God as eternal. When I start to think about it, it makes my head hurt. What are the implications of a God Scripture describes as "everlasting to everlasting" (Psalm 90:2)? Even the Lord Himself said to the Apostle John, "I am the Alpha and Omega--the beginning and the end...I am the One who is, who always was, and who is to come" (Revelation 1:8).

Join us this Sunday as we continue our series "Glorious" with a look at the eternal quality of God. I think you'll see that it has huge implications as we live our day-to-day lives. We might even fire up the DeLorean to 88 mph!

In Christ,
Jay

Spiritual Luminol

Ever watch "CSI"? How 'bout one of the true crime shows like "Forensic Files" or "48 Mystery"?

No matter the detective show, you can almost count on them using Luminol as part of any murder investigation. Luminol is a chemical that reacts with the iron in blood. The chemical reaction, called chemiluminescence, causes any blood to glow blue-green in the dark.

Luminol allows investigators to see blood at a crime scene that is invisible to the human eye. In a very similar way, God's holiness acts as spiritual Luminol. It allows us to see our sin that so often is invisible to us. What is hidden from our normal sight is blatantly obvious when He shines the marvelous light of His holiness on our lives.

In Isaiah 6, the Lord allowed Isaiah a glimpse of the heavenly Throne Room. The Apostle John tells us that Isaiah actually saw the preincarnate Christ seated on the throne (John 12:41). This breath-taking encounter with the Holy One changed the prophet's life forever. The Lord's awesome holiness had three lasting impacts on Isaiah.

First, Jesus' holiness CONVICTS. Like spiritual Luminol, His utter holiness reveals our own disgusting sinfulness. Isaiah quickly realized that he was unworthy of being the presence of the One the seraphim declared to be "holy, holy, holy."

Second, Jesus' holiness CLEANSES. Once the prophet admits his own sin (and the sin of the people he serves), the Lord cleanses him. One of the seraphim pulls a chunk of white-hot charcoal from the altar and supernatually sterilizes Isaiah's lips. It's a great reminder that Jesus is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us of every bit of unrighteous if we confess and repent (1John 1:9).

Third, Jesus' holiness COMMISSIONS. After convicting of his sin and then cleansing him, the Lord commissions Isaiah for service. It's interesting to note what happened when Jesus said, "Whom should I send as a messenger to My people? Who will go for Us?" Isaiah didn't hesistate. He immediately threw his hand in the air and eagerly volunteered for duty. "Lord, I'll go! Send me." And the prophet didn't even know what the assignment was!!!

It's a reminder that Jesus is looking for volunteers who are willing to serve Him no matter what. God asked Abram to "go to a land I will show you" without giving him the exact location using Mapquest, Google Maps or Tom Tom GO (Genesis 12:1). When Jesus recruited His disciples, He simply said, "Come, follow Me" (Matthew 4:19).

Jesus' holiness convicts.
Jesus' holiness cleanses.
Jesus' holiness commissions.

He's inviting each of us to join Him in His work, "Who should I send as a messenger to My people?"

What's YOUR answer?

In Christ,
Jay

From a message at Freedom River Community Church on July 13, 2008.

Hello, My Name is...GOD!

The more time I spend with my wife Debbie, the more I find out about her, and the more I deeply I love her. After 32 years of marriage, I continue to discover new things about her. And when I do, I just appreciate and love her all the more.

So...why do we worship God?

That may sound like a silly question, but seriously, what makes God deserving of worship (or as the Bible says "worthy of praise")? How well do we really know Him?

It's kind of like my marriage. The more we discover about Him, the more amazed we are, the more humbled we are, the more we love and worship Him. That's exactly the reason we've taken on the new series called "Glorious." Over the next few weeks we'll examine the breath-taking qualities of our Lord.

We began with a look at His faithfulness. We must never forget that Jesus is the Rock! This past Sunday, JJ Swick brought us a powerful message about Christ's Second Coming, or "the Glorious Apprearing" as Paul described it (Titus 2:13).

In July and August, we'll take a look at God's holiness, His eternal nature, His goodness, His power, His all-knowing ability, His sovereignty and His ever-presence. As we come to understand more about our Lord, the deeper we'll love and worship Him.

Sunday, I invite you to join us for a look as we investigate the holiness of Jesus. What does it mean that He is holy? What impact does that have on my faith? What impact does that have on my life?

Curious? I sure hope so. See you Sunday for part 3 of "Glorious."

In Christ,
Jay

What Happens NOW?!

Many of you are wondering what's ahead for Freedom River. There are plenty of questions.

How long will Jay be the Pastor?
What does Interim Pastor mean?
Are we looking for a Senior Pastor?
If so, when will we have a FULL-TIME Senior Pastor?
Does Jay want to be the Senior Pastor?
Won't he be upset if he doesn't get it?

These are just some of the questions that folks have been asking in the past couple of weeks as Pastor Scott prepares to move to Dallas and I step into the pastoral role. Let me take a moment to make a few things clear.

First of all, the Elders and Governing Board have asked me to serve as our Interim Pastor for a period of three months (basically July, August and September). At the end of three months, we'll pray and see if God wants us to continue. If so, we re-examine our situation in another three months.

As Interim Pastor, the Elders have charged me with very clear duties. I am to preach God's Word on Sunday mornings. I will be the liason between FRCC, the theater companies and North Hills. I am also the "single point of contact" for other issues of ministry that might come up. Most of the time, I'll be delegating these issues to others. If it's something we can handle internally, great. If not, God has provided us with numerous contacts and resources outside the church family to make sure His people are being shepherded. I am NOT resigning my position at WRAL, so this new way of ministering is essential. And I think VERY healthy.

Yes, we are looking for a new Senior Pastor. The Elders and Governing Board will be announcing the members of the Pastor Search Committee very soon. Stay tuned!

When will we have our new Senior Pastor? Well, that's really up to God. Many times, the pastor search process can take months. But as we saw when the Lord brought Pastor Scott to our door, it can happen much, MUCH more quickly. Be praying for our next pastor. We don't know his name, but Jesus does!

Let me be as clear as I can about this: I am NOT a candidate for the Senior Pastor position at FRCC. While I am humbled and honored to serve in the interim role, I don't sense God's call on my life to take the next step into full-time pastoral ministry. As some of you know, I'm currently enrolled at Shepherds Theological Seminary in Cary. I still have two to three years before graduating. I currently don't see taking that leap until then.

No, I will NOT be upset when the church calls it's next Senior Pastor. I'm hoping it will be soon, very soon. I'm looking forward to stepping back to my role as Worship Leader once he gets here.

Let me close by saying what will NOT be happening at Freedom River.
We will NOT sit around and lick our wounds.
We will NOT pout and feel sorry for ourselves.
We WILL "stay the course."
That means moving ahead with the mission of being a river of grace to everyone we come in contact with, the North Hills community and the city of Raleigh.

While we will miss Pastor Scott, Pastor Jamie and their families, our true Shepherd isn't going anywhere. "I am with you always," Christ told His disciples before returning to His Father (Matthew 28:20). This is Jesus' church. And He is faithful to see us through. "Great is His faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:23).

I'm going to use my blog as one way to communicate with you. You can check it it out at http://jellyrolljam.blogspot.com/. Feel free to email me at jay@freedomriver.org if you have any questions or concerns.

I love you guys. But most of all, He loves you and wants His best for you.

In Christ,
Jay

Rock Solid

A recent survey by by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life revealed both ridiculous and disappointing facts about American faith.

In one of the most absurd stats, one in five atheists surveyed declared that they believe in God. Hmm. Seems like the atheists might want to rethink their entrance requirements. On the other hand, 57% of evangelical Christians hold that many religions can lead to eternal life. What!? It's further proof that we need to have a much better understanding of the foundations of our faith. Or should I say THE Foundation of our faith: Jesus Christ.

That's exactly the reason we're starting our new series "Glorious" at Freedom River. We're going to look at the attributes of God and what impact they have on our daily lives. We begin with His faithfulness.

Over the past couple of decades, a destructive cancer has infected our society. It goes something like this: Your faith is as strong as the strength of your belief. In other words, if you believe strong enough in something, it WILL come to pass. What a huge pile of garbage!! Yet millions of people have fallen for the lie. The real truth...

Your faith is only as strong as what you believe in.

An examination of the Old Testament book of Lamentations reveals a lot about God's breath-taking faithfulness. The prophet Jeremiah is utterly humbled and broken over the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Thounsands of people slaughtered. Hundreds of thousands taken prisoner. Thousands more die on a death march through the desert. Jeremiah was on the brink of giving up. Until...

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!" (Lamentations 3:21-24 NLT)

When you read Lamentations, you have a front-row seat for a Texas Death Match between Jeremiah's growing unbelief and faultering faith. And just as faith is about to tap out, something amazing happens. Faith wins! His faith pulls off this incredible "come-from-behind-only-Vince-McMahon-could-write-something-so-ridiculous" victory. His faith wins because of his tag team partner. God's faithfulness. It was Jeremiah's faith in God's great faithfulness that's the difference. Remember...

Your faith is only as strong as what you believe in.

There are many examples of the faithfulness of Jesus in the Bible, but let's look at 8 "Faith Factors."
1-Jesus is faithful to NEVER CHANGE (James 1:17).
2-Jesus is faithful to FORGIVE (1st John 1:9).
3-Jesus is faithful to SAVE (John 6:39).
4-Jesus is faithful to TRUST (Titus 1:2).
5-Jesus is faithful to DEFEND (Psalm 46:1).
6-Jesus is faithful to FINISH (Philippians 1:6).
7-Jesus is faithful to BE THERE (Matthew 28:20).
8-Jesus is faithful to RETURN (Mark 13:26).

As we go through many changes at Freedom River, we need to remember that Jesus alone is faithful. No matter what else happens, He will never leave us.

We must trust in Christ. Jesus is the Rock. He will never change.

Your faith is only as strong as what you believe in. Put your faith in Jesus. He is the Rock.

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River CC on June 29, 2008.

Eat This Book

Eat it. Just eat it.

These are words of "Weird Al" Yankovic in his wacky take off of "Beat It." Now, author Eugene Peterson is saying the same thing, but with much less parody, and much more power.

Peterson has written "Eat This Book," that he describes as "a conversation in the art of spiritual reading." Some of you know him as the author of the Bible paraphrase "The Message," one of the more controversial and powerful versions of Scripture you'll ever sink your teeth into.

In his latest book, Peterson discusses our approach to reading the Bible. The title comes from the various instances in Scripture when God serves His Word on a silver platter to a prophet and tells him to chow down. Jeremiah, Ezekiel and John all dined on heavenly scroll.

The idea? The Bible is so much more than a piece of literature, a self-help book or chronicle of history. It's God's revelation of Himself to us. His Word should and must change us. The only way that will happen is from the inside out. For that to happen, we consume His Word, cutting into to bit-sized pieces, chewing it thoroughly and swallowing it.

Once in our system, it changes us internally. Only then will we humbly obey the Word planted in our hearts (James 1:21). Only then does it change us completely, thoroughly, absolutely.

"Eat This Book" is only 176 pages (minus the appendix), but this is anything but a light snack. I nibbled and feasted on this wonderful meal for three weeks. Peterson's observations and conclusions are thick and rich. Often, I would consume a few paragraphs and push back from the table to chew on what he had put on my plate. But it was worth every bite.

And if you are a fan of his translation "The Message," you'll be fascinated as he tells the story of how God moved in his life to create this paraphrase.

I highly recommend Eugene Peterson's "Eat This Book." It's a wonderful appetizer that encourages us to read the Bible with a clean palate. Only then will we "taste and see that the Lord is good." You'll clean your plate and ask for seconds!

In Christ,

Jay