Resources for graduates

Podcasts to subscribe...
Search iTunes for:
Matt Chandler
Marcus Buckingham
Andy Stanley

The Bible online (various translations)
http://www.biblegateway.com/
Story of Daniel

Speaking at John Cooper Baccalaureate

I had the opportunity to address the John Cooper Class of 2008 along with their parents, friends and faculty of the school. What a thrill for me. This is a great class and my challenge to them was to
1. Build on their strengths
2. Guard their passions
3. Invest their influence

There are lots of resources available on the web to help graduates and students pursue their God-given purposes.
Keep checking this blog as I plan to update and build this resource list.

Improving at Golf

My golf game is really improving. I guess some would say... "so what else do you have to do as pastor, but practice your golf game."
The golf journey for me has been a slow one... overcoming the negative attitudes I frequently heard about the game. My dad sold golf cars, and yet did not "take the time" to play. Now my brother Steve and I both are beginner golfers.
I decided to get some real help and take some lessons with my daughter Catherine last year. We have enjoyed going to the driving range together and learning together.
The lessons and practice are paying off. My score is getting consistently better. I know the suspence is eating at you... my break through score was getting below 100! That's right, I scored 98 last week... legit... real score... no mulligans... no fudging! Then today I scored 95, sank some long puts and beat other players in our foursome! WOW!
Not ready to quit the ministry and go on tour, but it was very satisfying.

Like Spring Flowers

I love planting flowers, seeds and young plants and watching them grow. I am sure it is because I did this with my mom and dad on the farm in North Carolina... Dad in the garden, Mom in the yard. We had a very large garden with corn, peas, potatoes, green beans, cabbage, squash, onions... We had even larger yard with azaleas, camellias, geraniums, daffodils, roses, dogwoods...

I watched and learned and now I get to try my hand at this in Texas. My favorite planting at this point is to do lots of pots on our porch, patio and around the yard. The plants respond quickly. When moved from their little plastic containers into fresh, rich soil in a much larger pot, they stand up alert after the first day. Then new sprouts and blooms begin to show. Soon the pots are full and overflowing with growth.

This winter we planted two Live Oaks in our front yard along with some new bushes and roses. These have been a joy to watch. New leaves and blooms cover them now.

Ephesians 3 talks about plants taking root and growing.

14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I also love to use and read the prayers of Paul when I pray for my wife and children, friends, and partners in ministry and for myself. The love of Christ is very deep and rich soil. We can grow in it forever. When we tap into and become grounded in that love, the fullness of God fills us and blooms over around us.

Lord, like the flowers in my yard that people have noticed and commented on... cause people to notice the love of Christ in me, my family and friends. Allow us to do far more than we could every ask or think by your power and love.

Incredible India

Incredible India

As I exited the plane from Chicago in Delhi, I was greeted by a large tourism sign “Incredible India.” Little did I know how truly incredible my experience would be. In·cred·i·ble –adjective 1. So extraordinary as to seem impossible 2. hard to believe; unbelievable. 3. So implausible as to elicit disbelief.
4. Astonishing.

The sights, sounds and smells
As we loaded our 15 member team and our luggage on the bus, my senses were jarred awake, never to rest for the next ten days. Hazy and humid, the evening air in Delhi was heavy. It smelled of smoke, diesel fumes and sweat. I was surrounded by thousands of people in the airport and on the sidewalks. Taxis, cars, buses jammed together waiting to transport the crowds. The airport roads led to highways filled with traffic traveling on the “left” side. Moving quickly with unexpected aggression our bus pressed ahead and passed other vehicles. Through the hazy yellow glow of headlights and signs it delivered us in front of our first hotel.

In the villages
Every morning our bus would transport us for 30 to 90 minutes down small dirt roads, across wooden bridges and beside vast tea gardens or fields being plowed with oxen. During the five days of focused ministry, we entered villages where people lived in bamboo houses with thatch roofs and cooked in cast iron pots over open fires. Cows, pigs, chickens and goats roamed everywhere. The scents of plowed soil, smoke and manure mixed with the cool fresh breeze.
Northeast India
Northeast India has a population of over 3 million people and is made up of tribes or people groups, many of whom have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ. With today’s radio, satellite TV and internet, this may seem impossible. But literally millions of people still live spiritually uninformed. The Indian believers that we teamed with were enthusiastic and eager to introduce us to the people of their land.
They were our partners and translators as we entered villages where we would meet people in their homes and discuss their culture and spiritual beliefs. The people of the villages were very interested to meet and talk with “the Americans.”


Extraordinary, incredible story
In a village of tea garden workers, I was able to talk with one group of about 25 people. Men, women and children surrounded me as I asked them about their work in harvesting tea. I told them of my work as a young man on the farm and how often I thought about God when working on a farm. I asked if I could tell them the story about the One True God who created the heavens and earth and all the animals and men. As they nodded, many of them sat down around me to listen… (more details on the story later)
As I concluded up my explanation of why God sent Jesus Christ as the solution to every man’s separation from God, I asked if they believed and if they wanted Christ to forgive them and lead their lives. Two women, with tears in their eyes, raised their hands in front of the whole group (which was very bold in their culture.)
We prayed with them, recorded their names and gave them scriptures in their language. Then we proceeded to other homes in the village. A few hours later, as we were walking back near their home, one of the women greeted us on the road and held out a gift for me. She held a tattered piece of paper wrapped around some dried tea they harvested. Through my translator she said with tears, “Thank you for coming to my home. No one has ever explained how we could know God personally through Jesus. Bless you for coming.” Needless to say I will never forget this incredible encounter and the look of appreciation and joy on her face.




The harvest in India
I stood on a path looking across acres of rice fields surrounding me all ready for cultivation. Later I stood at the edge of a vast tea garden with lush green bushes that stretched as far as I could see. The tender tea leaves were ready for the first harvest. How could all this work be done? How many workers would it take to cultivate the fields and harvest the tea?
The same question resonated in my head about the spiritual harvest of souls. How could all the people who were ready to listen hear the story of Jesus? Matthew 9:36-38 says, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’”I thanked God for the opportunity to be a small part of the harvest that is beginning in this land. Please pray with me that the Lord will send the workers and resources needed for His harvest.

Turning 50 today!!

It is a real praise to know that I can plan and prepare for such a trip to India on the week I turn 50 years old.
I do not feel like 50... but I've never been here before and don't really know what it feels like.

Thanks to God for his many blessings.
I feel that the prayer Jabez prayed, one that I often pray, continues to come to reality.
“Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request. -1 Chron.4:10

I look forward to many years ahead... serving God and loving people.