Can you believe it! We have reached the halfway point of the sabbatical. In some respects it has gone by really fast but in others it has begun to slow down a great deal. I can honestly say after almost six weeks now I have begun to really relax. I can't thank you enough for allowing me this time at this point in my life. It has proven to be an even greater blessing than I anticipated.
Yesterday I visited Bent Tree Bible Fellowship and Prestonwood Baptist Church. These two great churches are right across the street from each other so it was very easy for me to attend both services. They are both doing great things both at home and around the world. I was especially impressed with Bent Tree's missions ministry. They have sent over 470 people on 45 different mission trips around the world this year! I enjoyed their worship service as well. Quite different from what we are accustomed to at First Denton but a great experience. I have been to Prestonwood many times in the past and enjoyed their worship as well. Dr. Robert Sloan president of Houston Baptist University was the speaker. The only negative about visiting these churches in the summer is that so many of their senior pastors are not there! But I still enjoyed both services yesterday.
This week I'm going to be doing a little local "traveling." Tuesday I'm going to a Baylor function in Ft. Worth and Thursday Tami and I are taking Alyssa on a college visit. The rest of the time I will be doing some more writing and reading. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and thank you for the prayer cards. I am reading several every day, it is a highlight of my morning to read your wonderful notes. Have a great week!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
First Baptist Dallas
Tami, Ryan and I had the opportunity to worship at First Baptist Church in Dallas yesterday. It was the first time I have been to a service there in over thirty years. I have been to luncheons in the past few years but not to a service. Our motivation for going yesterday was to hear their pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress and to hear Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy the real life parents portrayed in the movie The Blind Side. We went to the 9:30 service which is the second of three and is held in what they call CenterStage as opposed to their historic sanctuary.
The Tuohy's only spoke for about 10 minutes but I was impressed and inspired by their message. It was simple, make a difference in someones life. You may not be able to adopt a 6'6" 320lb African American teenager but you can make a difference in someones life every day. They have written a book "In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving." I'll warn you it's not a book about Michael Oher and their experiences with him, instead its a book about their lives and how they have tried to make a difference. They were also featured on the cover of the USA Weekend magazine that came in the Sunday paper. In that article they list 21 ways you can make a difference in someones life. Sounds like what a church should be to me! Making a difference in the lives of people. Let me challenge you this week to make a difference in someones life. It doesn't have to be a huge thing, just something simple that will make their day a little easier.
This week I will be doing some more writing and spending time with God seeking His will for our church in the next 5-7 years. I'm already getting excited about some of the things I believe He is beginning to reveal to me. Please pray with me for God's vision, direction and plan for First Baptist Church. Stay cool and have a great week!
The Tuohy's only spoke for about 10 minutes but I was impressed and inspired by their message. It was simple, make a difference in someones life. You may not be able to adopt a 6'6" 320lb African American teenager but you can make a difference in someones life every day. They have written a book "In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving." I'll warn you it's not a book about Michael Oher and their experiences with him, instead its a book about their lives and how they have tried to make a difference. They were also featured on the cover of the USA Weekend magazine that came in the Sunday paper. In that article they list 21 ways you can make a difference in someones life. Sounds like what a church should be to me! Making a difference in the lives of people. Let me challenge you this week to make a difference in someones life. It doesn't have to be a huge thing, just something simple that will make their day a little easier.
This week I will be doing some more writing and spending time with God seeking His will for our church in the next 5-7 years. I'm already getting excited about some of the things I believe He is beginning to reveal to me. Please pray with me for God's vision, direction and plan for First Baptist Church. Stay cool and have a great week!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Getting Down to Business!
After traveling for two weeks and getting things in order last week I'm excited about getting down to the business of writing this week. I will be spending most of my time organizing and beginning the process of working on my book idea. Many of you have asked what the book is going to be about. The answer is the Family. You might remember I did a series on the family about two years ago. My plan is to take that series, and expand upon it.
I visited two churches this past Sunday. I went to mass at the Catholic church and I went to a United Methodist Church. Both were certainly different from what I am accustomed to at First Baptist but both had elements that helped me to worship and experience God in new ways. I was somewhat surprised at the similarity of the two, although the Catholic church was a bit more liturgical and formal there were certainly those elements in the Methodist service as well. I managed to slip in and out at the Catholic church unnoticed but not the Methodist! I saw several people I knew and got some confused looks which made it even more fun.
I know you are going to enjoy hearing Dr. Randall Everett this coming Sunday. Dr. Everett has led our Baptist General Convention of Texas for over a year now and has brought great leadership in a time of great change and challenge in denominational life. Don't miss Dr. Everett this Sunday!
I visited two churches this past Sunday. I went to mass at the Catholic church and I went to a United Methodist Church. Both were certainly different from what I am accustomed to at First Baptist but both had elements that helped me to worship and experience God in new ways. I was somewhat surprised at the similarity of the two, although the Catholic church was a bit more liturgical and formal there were certainly those elements in the Methodist service as well. I managed to slip in and out at the Catholic church unnoticed but not the Methodist! I saw several people I knew and got some confused looks which made it even more fun.
I know you are going to enjoy hearing Dr. Randall Everett this coming Sunday. Dr. Everett has led our Baptist General Convention of Texas for over a year now and has brought great leadership in a time of great change and challenge in denominational life. Don't miss Dr. Everett this Sunday!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Home at Last
Tami and I arrived home Sunday night hoping to see the Denton fireworks only to find they were on Saturday night! Thankfully some people in our neighborhood ignored the ban on fireworks in the city of Denton and we had a pretty good show.
After two weeks of travel it's good to be home. Tami and I had a great time getting away together for the first time in many years! I highly recommend parents that you take a trip without kids whenever possible, it will bless your life!
For the remainder of the this week I will be getting ready to speak at Mini-Camp at Camp Copass. For the past several years this has been something I look forward to with great anticipation. I will also begin this week to work on my book. I hope to at least begin to get my thoughts together to begin researching and putting together what I hope to accomplish. I'm also looking forward to spending time in prayer seeking God's vision for FBCD in the years to come.
Thank you for your prayers for safety during my travel. I won't be traveling again for a few weeks. Pray this week that God will give guidance and wisdom as I begin to study and pray for your First and Second graders as they attend mini-camp.
After two weeks of travel it's good to be home. Tami and I had a great time getting away together for the first time in many years! I highly recommend parents that you take a trip without kids whenever possible, it will bless your life!
For the remainder of the this week I will be getting ready to speak at Mini-Camp at Camp Copass. For the past several years this has been something I look forward to with great anticipation. I will also begin this week to work on my book. I hope to at least begin to get my thoughts together to begin researching and putting together what I hope to accomplish. I'm also looking forward to spending time in prayer seeking God's vision for FBCD in the years to come.
Thank you for your prayers for safety during my travel. I won't be traveling again for a few weeks. Pray this week that God will give guidance and wisdom as I begin to study and pray for your First and Second graders as they attend mini-camp.
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