A Nice Perk

One of the neat benefits of working here at the Big 5 is the chance to be a guest on Brian Shrader's web show "Live @". Brian was desperately seeking a fill-in guest this morning. So desperate that he asked me to join him.

One of the cool things was being able to give my grandson Markus a shout out on his first birthday!

Check out today's episode of "Live @"...



That's some quality television.

In Christ,
Jay

Is This Really Happening?

I continue to be absolutely bowled over by the work of God. It seems to happen just about every week these days in the crazy group of folks we call the Church at the Triangle. I'm constantly pinching myself. Is this REALLY happening?

This weekend was no different. Lead Pastor Lee Towns asked me to interview Joshua so we could present his testimony on video during Sunday morning's Experience. So Saturday afternoon, Joshua and I sat down for a quick video shoot. For the next 26 minutes, I heard a man describe in very real, very raw terms what Jesus is doing in his life RIGHT NOW!

The difficult thing was editing it down. What in the world do you leave out of this incredible story? Somehow, someway, I cut the interview down to 3 minutes. I'm honored to share Joshua's story with you.



I'm humbled to say that Joshua is my friend. I just love the way he loves Jesus. And I love what Jesus is doing in His life.

In Christ,
Jay

God @ the Movies

I'm REALLY looking forward to our "God @ the Movies" series at Church at the Triangle.

Lee Towns will use four recent flicks to illustrate the difficulties of life and how we can apply biblical truth.
-"Taken" (July 12)
-"Slumdog Millionaire" (July 19)
-"Iron Man" (July 26)
-"Gran Torino" (August 2)

It should be awesome.

I'm also excited about the songs we'll be playing over the next four Sundays.

Hope you can join us.

In Christ,
Jay

Changing of the Guard

First, Tom Suiter. Next, Bob Holliday. WRAL Sports said "goodbye" to a pair of local legends in recent months.

And for many of us, these fellows were friends. They were our eyewitnesses to Final Fours, bowl games, high school football and the Stanley Cup playoffs. They will certainly be missed.

As the Sports Photographer for WRAL from 1980-1986, I would like to share a couple of thoughts about Tom and Bob.

Allow me to crank up the Flux Capacitor to March 1980. I was fresh out of college and starting my first job as shooting sports at WRAL. Tom Suiter was the Weekend Sports Anchor at the Big 5. Tom and I were a team. We went everywhere together.

Whether it was interviewing a newly hired Coach K, a grumpy Ralph Sampson or NASCAR up-and-comer Dale Earnhardt, Tom's enthusiasm and laser-sharp sense of humor was amazing. We laughed our way to and from most of our assignments. And I owe Tom a huge debt of gratitude as he taught me the words to every fight song in the ACC.

Now fire up the DeLorean to 1981. Bob Holliday visited the sports office as part of his job interview at WRAL. I'm not sure Bob knew what he was getting himself into. As he eloquently told us of his sports philosophy, Tom and I played a spirited game of Nerf basketball. Bob never missed a beat as the ball bounced off his noggin and Tom did his best impression of Tommy Heinsohn shooting free throws.

After joining the WRAL Sports team, Bob and I became the new duo. "The Captain" and I teamed up for some great assignments: Daytona, UNC's '82 championship, the Cardiac Pack in '83, and too many great high school football games to remember.

I want to take a moment to address some of the concerns about Tom and Bob moving on (although Tom remains at WRAL for special assignments). They will be missed. No question about it. But their fingerprints are all over the Big 5 Sports team. They have left behind an amazing legacy. Each member of the sports office was strongly influenced by Tom and Bob.

Jeff Gravley. Ken Medlin. Josh Hailey. Jason Jennings. Each of these guys grew up watching Suiter and Holliday, dreaming about the day they might work one day with their TV idols. (As a matter of fact, you might say that my son Jason literally grew up in the WRAL Sports office as he followed dear ol' dad on numerous assignments.) Once here, they learned from these men first-hand.

We miss Tom and Bob. As a friend, I miss having them around. As a colleague, I'm indebted to both of them for allowing me to grow not only as a Sports Photographer but as a Reporter as well. I want to publicly thank both of these gentlemen for everything.

But their legacy lives on. It is not necessarily the end of an era. More like the changing of the guard. Just tune in to the Big 5 Sports tonight and see for yourself.

Jay

More

We called it "More." It was truly that.

This past Sunday night, Church at the Triangle hosted our first ever night of worship. Attendance was light at the Royal Event Center. But God's presence was thick in the room. Very thick. I will never do justice in describing what happened. As the saying goes, "You just had to be there."

The evening was a combination of music, prayer and communion. Under Lee Towns' excellent leadership, we entered into times of deep, guided prayer. This was a first for our young church. That seemed to set the stage for an amazing evening in the presence the Lord. This was intimate, heart-changing prayer. The kind of prayer that remolds you in such a way that you leave the room a different person than when you entered.

We're planning another event like this in August. While I'm hoping God moves in a similar way once again, what happened June 28th cannot be duplicated.

Something happened Sunday night. Maybe I should say Someone happened.

In Christ,
Jay

Rattling My Cage

Ever get your cage rattled?

You know, something happens in your life that is totally unexpected. Out of left field. A belt from the blind side. Never saw it coming. But yet you deserved it. You had lost focus on the main thing and started majoring in the minors.

Then... WHAMMO! God does some serious cage rattling.

Well, that's what happened to some folks who were simply minding their own "bidness" while doing "bidness." Suddenly out of nowhere, this Guy storms in, chasing away their livestock and dumping their cash registers on the ground. You see, these people had lost their focus on what was really important.

Jesus not only did that to the moneychangers and animal vendors in the Temple courts, but He does it to us as well. In the same way that He ferociously cleared the Temple, He upsets the apple cart in our lives. Especially when He needs to get our attention.

What in the wide, wide world of sports is the connection between what Jesus did 2000 years ago recorded in John 2:13-25 and my life as a Christ-follower today? Don't forget that each believer is a Temple for the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 4:7). Jesus will ferociously protect this Temple as well.

Gotta admit, I'm not crazy about this when it happens. And God rarely does it the same way twice. Illness. Death of a loved one. Loss of a job. Major life crisis. The Lord will definitely use these to get our attention back on the main thing. Namely, Him.

I may not like it, but a little cage rattling now and then is really good for me.

In Christ,
Jay

Beach Sabbath

How often do you ever see the words "beach" and "sabbath" in the same sentence?

Well, that's going on here. We're taking a beach sabbath. My wife and I are taking a weekend away. Much needed. Very much needed.

Since becoming part of the team at Church at the Triangle back early in 2009, I've been serving just about every Sunday. Don't get me wrong. I love it. But it was time for a break. And, let's face it, it's biblical. God calls us to sabbath. And He tells us that He created the sabbath FOR US!

Who am I to disobey my Creator?

So that being said, we're taking a beach sabbath. See y'all next week. Tanned, rested and ready.

In Christ,
Jay

That's CRAZY Talk!

Do I seem just a little crazy to you?

Kinda out there? Just a bit off my rocker? Honestly, I hope so. And the reason: my love for Jesus. The Apostle Paul said the same in 2 Corinthians 5:13a.

"If it seems that we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God..."

My desire is that I would have such a passion for Jesus and His glory that the world would think I'm at least a little loony. That's because a love for my Lord is so out there, so counter culture, that it does seem crazy by the world's standards.

This week at Church at the Triangle, we're starting a new series called "Crazy," based on that same idea. Curious at what a Gospel-centered crazy looks like? Well, join us for the next few weeks.

We'll also be singing a handful of new songs, so you might want to listen to them before coming. Here are the tunes we're singing this Sunday at the Experience.

Do I seem a little crazy to you? I sure hope so.

In Christ,
Jay

"Home" Music

We just finished our "Home" series at Church at the Triangle. We set the tone with some great music before and after the Experience. Here's a sample of what you might have heard if you have joined us.

In Christ,
Jay

Experience Sneak Peak

Here's a sneak peak of Sunday's Experience at Church at the Triangle. We're holding our first outdoor worship event at the Meredith College Amphitheater this weekend...with a picnic to follow. From what I understand, we'll even have a "bouncy house." I might break a hip, but will have to give it a try!

Check out our set list...

Hope you can join us at 10:30am this Sunday morning.

In Christ,
Jay

Sunday's Set List

Never tried this before. But here's an iMix of the band's set list for Sunday, May 31st at Church at the Triangle. Enjoy.

Jay

The Prodigal God

Thank you, sir. Can I have another?

These words rang in my head as I read Tim Keller's amazing book "The Prodigal God." This itty bitty 132 page punched me in the gut like Buster Douglas pounded Mike Tyson. With each paragraph, Keller's insights on Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son landed body blows on my soul.

And somehow, I liked it. In someway, it was good for me. In the words of the great philosopher and theologian John Mellancamp, "It hurt so good." Kinda like a velvet hammer.

Thank you, sir. Can I have another?

In "The Prodigal God," the author points out that we have long overlooked the powerful Second Act of the parable, what Jesus had to say about the Older Brother. He correctly reminds us that the Older Brother is just as lost as his younger sibling. The Older Brother has obeyed his Father in order to get something in return...NOT out of love.

For someone like me that's worked hard to obey the Lord, it makes me stop and wonder about my motive. Am I obedient simply because I want something? Shouldn't the Father's love be enough. Ouch.

Thank you, sir. Can I have another?

Do yourself a favor. Read "The Prodigal God." But be warned. It packs a punch.

In Christ,
Jay

The Woman on the Bench

She haunts me. I see her wherever I go. Her words ring in my ears. The woman on the bench.

This past Sunday, Lead Pastor Lee Towns played a video called "An Unspoken Plea" in the conclusion of his message. In the video, a woman on a park bench talked very frankly about how we, as Christ followers, treat her. She says we call her "lost," and has no idea what that means. We judge. We condemn.

The woman on the bench asks questions are like daggers through my heart.

"What are you going to do when you leave this building? Are you going to share with me what you've been learning? Or are you going to just bottle it up and pull it out next week for your friends?"

Ouch.

Funny thing. Now I see her everywhere. In every conversation I have with my friends at work. In the car next to me at the intersection. In the eyes of every person I see. There she is...the woman on the bench.

I have to admit that I've had a miserable few days since meeting her this Sunday. Suddenly God is allowing me to see people as He sees them. It's both awesome and awful at the same time.

It's all because of the woman on the bench.



In Christ,
Jay

A Lame Hobby

Church is a really lame hobby.

I heard Matt Chandler of the Village Church in Dallas say that in his weekly podcast. No truer words were ever spoken! He talked about if church is only a hobby to you then it's really nothing more than weekly Christian version of Halloween. You get all dressed up in your costume and pretend to be something you're not.

Church is a really lame hobby.

I think that's what Jesus was talking about when He said, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God" (Matt 15:8-9 NLT).

If church is only my hobby then I'm just wasting my time. And yours. Church is SO much more than that. It's folks in community who share a radical and counter culture belief in Jesus and who are on a mission to reach as many others with His message as possible. Church is no hobby. It's a passion. A passion for Jesus. A passion for people.

If that's not what church is to you, then go home. Do something else. Sleep late. Play golf. There are plenty of great hobbies out there. But Matt Chandler was right...

Church is a really lame hobby.

In Christ,
Jay

A Coat Rack Moment

It was a "Coat Rack Moment." Not to be confused with a Kodak moment.

I've had a couple of them recently. One in a very physical sense. Another spiritually.

The first "Coat Rack Moment" happened a couple weekends ago. I was carrying wood into the house to stoke a crackling fire. Somehow, someway, I stepped on the foot of the free-standing coat rack in the front hallway as I was closing the front door.

WHAM!!!

The coat rack cracked into my forehead and sent me and the firewood sprawling in the hallway. My forehead was cut open like Ric Flair in a cage match. Needless to say, it got my attention.

The second "CRM" was this past Sunday at church. Lead Pastor Lee Towns sermon dealt with "forgetting what lies behind" from Philippians 3:12-14. His basic message...get past your past. As he spoke, I realized that I had some pretty nasty bitterness from the past year that I had never really gotten over. The day before, I received an email that didn't just poke at an old wound, it torn it wide open. Bitterness and unforgiveness boiled over. So as Lee preached his message on Sunday, the Holy Spirit slammed His divine coat rack into my forehead once again.

WHAM!!!

No blood this time...but a boat load of conviction. I've had the chance to confess my sin to close friends over the past couple of days. That's REALLY helped me drain the bile from my life. I needed to confess. I needed to repent. I'm sure there's still more work to do. But I'm thankful that God used this moment to get my attention, however painful it might have been.

A "Coat Rack Moment."

In Christ,
Jay

A New Adventure

"Well, that didn't take long."

Those were my wife's words when I accepted a position at The Church at the Triangle heading up their Creative Arts Team. And really, who can blame her for saying it? It's only been 3 1/2 months since Freedom River closed its doors.

But when God gets involved, I guess it's really not surprising at all. Looking back at the sequence of events at both the final days of FRCC and what the Lord's been up to at CATT, His fingerprints are all over this situation.

Probably the most surprising thing is that I actually stopped to talk to the two people who had veto power: Jesus and my wife. It would have been VERY easy to blurt out a "YES!" before Lead Pastor Lee Towns ever finished making his offer. But I took the time to pray over the decision and also make sure Debbie was on board.

One reason for the amazing ease of the decision is my growing friendship with Lee. He and I have hit it off from almost our first conversation. We have a very similar view of church and ministry. We read a lot of the same authors. We listen to many of the same podcasts. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Lord will deepen our relationship. And I'm very excited to serve under someone who has such a clear vision for the months and years ahead.

I'm looking forward to leading worship for the first time at CATT this week. Jesus is up to something. Come check us out some Sunday morning.

In Christ,
Jay

Home Again

Looks like our church search is over.

Since Freedom River's last meeting on October 5, 2008, my wife and I have been on the lookout for a new church home. We've visited some great places. We've met some wonderful people. We've seen God at work in a variety of cool churches.

But something special happened when we visited the Church at the Triangle for the first time on November 16th. The atmosphere was like no place I've ever visited. More like a cool coffee house. Ever sit at round tables during a worship service before? Well, you do at CATT.

The people were warm and friendly. The band was tight and rockin'. The sermon was biblical and applicable. For all of the other neat places we visited, this just clicked. It was like putting on your most comfortable pair of old jeans. Most importantly, God is clearly at work.

Lee and Carla Towns began laying the ground work for CATT more than a year ago. They launched August 24th of 2008. I mean this thing is brand-spankin' new and fresh out of the box. It still has that "new church" smell!

One thing that has made this even more special is the fact that several Freedom River refugees are also attending CATT.

Deb & I are looking forward to serving Christ's Kingdom at CATT in the coming weeks. What will do? Wherever the Lord wants us.

Join us sometime. Check us out at http://www.churchatthetriangle.org/.

It's good to be home again.

In Christ,
Jay

Job Insecurity

The headlines and evening news are chock full of downturns, bailouts and layoffs. Seems everyone is concerned about job security. 

But let's talk about "Job insecurity."   Not job, but Job.  You know...the guy in the Old Testament.  Yeah, THAT Job.  You see, Job had lost it all.  Not just his job, but also his health, his wealth and most of his family.

I sat down and read through this amazing book in one reading the other day.  What an incredible reminder to me about reading the Bible.  So often, I'll check out a verse or two here or a chapter there, but never see the B-I-G picture of an entire book.  Not this time.  Read Job in one sitting.

For 37 chapters, we read about this once proud man whose life is now nuked.  We hear the loving "advice and encouragement" of the three stooges: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.  We are right there when Elihu lovingly and firmly speaks some sense to this broken man.  We read Job demanding a hearing with Almighty God.     

And then God shows up.  Oh, does He ever show up!

God hits Job with an unending barrage of challenges that start with phrases like, "Have you ever..?" and "Can you..?" and "Do you know..?"  The Creator questions him on such topics as geology, astronomy, zoology, biology and philosophy.  Imagine the hardest blue book exam times a gazillion.  And Job had no idea this would be on the final.

Job is left there...stuttering and stammering.  "I am nothing--how could I ever find the answers?" (Job 40:3a NLT).  

"Job insecurity."

Interestingly, God never tells Job why he lost it all.  And Job is fine with that.  After experiencing first hand the awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping power of God, it just doesn't seem to matter.  And God drenches Job in His amazing grace by restoring him.  "So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning" (Job 42:12 NLT).

If you ever doubt the power, the majesty, the holiness or the knowledge of God, crack open your Bible to the book of Job.  Read it all the way through.  I think you'll experience "Job insecurity."  And that's a good thing.

In Christ,

Jay