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
Showing posts with label Lee Towns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lee Towns. Show all posts
Monday, August 10, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
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
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
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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
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
Thursday, February 5, 2009
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
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
Saturday, January 17, 2009
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
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
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