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Archive - December, 2009

Has The Church Abandoned Christmas?

December 21, 2009 in Holidays, Leadership with 60 Comments

Time magazine published an article online last week entitled “Going to Church on Christmas: A Vanishing Tradition.” In my opinion the article tried to say that churches have “sold out” because we offer fewer Christmas Day services and tend to favor Christmas Eve services. They wrote…

While demand for Christmas Eve celebrations is so high that some churches hold as many as five or six different services on the 24th of December, most Protestant churches are closed on the actual religious holiday. For most Christians, Christmas is a day for family, not faith. If that sounds like the triumph of culture over religion, it is. By the middle of the 20th century, Americans had embraced a civil religion that among other things elevated the ideal of family to a sacrosanct level.

My biggest problem with this article was the statement “For most Christians, Christmas is a day for family, not faith.” Along with this statement comes a huge assumption. The assumption the writer is making is that we can’t celebrate our “faith” with family at home. The assumption is that our “faith” must be celebrated through an organized service inside the four walls of the church.

If you’re in the area we would love for you to join us at Cross Point for one of our seven Christmas eve services at one of our three campuses. It’s one of my favorite services of the entire year! Please don’t allow this service to be the end of your Christmas celebration, but rather the beginning. Just because the building is closed on Christmas doesn’t mean our faith won’t be celebrated and remembered.

What do you think? Is the church “selling out” by not doing Christmas day services?

My Problem Isn’t With Tiger, the Media, or His Sponsors

December 18, 2009 in God with 62 Comments

Like many of you I’ve been unable to escape the constant media attention given to the Tiger Woods scandal. Does it seem ironic to anyone else that the media is giving Tiger such a hard time for living out the lifestyle they portray on almost every single television show they air?

But to be honest, my problem isn’t with the media outlets. They’re just doing what they do. Feeding ratings.

My problem isn’t with the sponsors who are either ditching Tiger or standing beside him. They’re just doing what they do. Making money.

My problem is with the millions of Christians (including myself) who have jumped right in and used this as an opportunity to throw stones.

I thought my friend, Mike Foster, wrote an absolutely amazing blog post on this topic a couple days ago. I couldn’t agree more with his suggestions (#3 alone I will never forget).

As People of the Second Chance, here are a few of my suggestions:

1. You have so many words that you can share in a day. Decide whether they will be about blessing or cursing someone.

2. When someone is caught in a scandal, I visualize two buckets that I can fill. I can add to the “Shame Bucket” or the “Second Chance Bucket.” Sometimes my first/easy/fun/human nature response is to fill the “Shame Bucket” so I have to work harder not to do that.

3. For all you online peeps…write your articles, blogs, tweets, and comments as if the person in crisis (and their family) were reading it. Why? Because they do! And the jokes, snarky comments, sloppy facts and flippant remarks hurt people. Instead, devote your computer keyboard to the restoration of people.

4. Refuse to participate in the gossip session around the water cooler. Or better yet, jump in and turn the conversation towards grace and second chances. BTW, just plan on being called a “buzz kill” and not invited back to any more social functions.

5. Realize we are either part of the judgment problem or the grace solution. But we can’t be both. So choose wisely.

What are your thoughts?

You Did It Again!

December 17, 2009 in Missions with 34 Comments

My prayer 7 years ago when we launched Cross Point Church was that our church would make a real difference in its community. I prayed we would care just as much about what’s going on outside our four walls as within.

Early Monday morning there was a horrible fire here in Nashville which destroyed several units, and affected about 20 residents at the Mission Bellevue Ridge Apartments. These apartments are only minutes from our Cross Point Bellevue campus which launches this Spring.

Last night while watching the local news I heard a story about how a local group was trying to help the families, many of which had lost everything. I thought to myself, what an awesome way to reach out in the midst of this crisis. Then I heard the reporter say that a mom’s small group from Cross Point Church was responsible for collecting items for the family (CLICK HERE to watch the video).

This is a CP community group at its best. Not just studying the Gospel together but actually living it out!!

The reporter went on to say that the Cross Point Bellevue campus (the old Circuit City building) was now being used as the drop off/collection center for items being donated to these families.

I love it. The Cross Point Bellevue campus reaching its community before it even launches. Now that’s the church being the church! This community of believers never ceases to amaze me. You did it again and I’m so proud of you guys.

Love Becomes A Luxury

December 16, 2009 in Holidays, Spiritual Growth with 46 Comments

While this is my favorite time of the year, I know it can be a difficult to navigate for many.

With only 9 days left the “Christmas Season” is in full swing. There is the last minute shopping to get done. You’ve got a string of Christmas parties to hit up. Family gatherings will have you stressed out to the max. We often describe this as the “hustle and bustle” of the Christmas season.

I just want to remind you of one thing today. In the midst of your see more, do more, wrap more, shop more, decorate more, get rushed, crazed, and stressed out Christmas season. Please remember this:

Love becomes a luxury as the speed of life increases.

You tend to forget that people don’t exist just to meet your needs, but they have a soul.
You tend to forget that everyone needs healing…everyone.
You tend to forget that you simply cannot love like Jesus and live in constant hurry.

Do you agree?

I Hate Mice

December 15, 2009 in Random Fun with 80 Comments

At the risk of losing my “man card” once again, I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of mice. For the life of me I can’t figure out why so many of us seem to be terrified of a little creature we could kill with two fingers, but the fear seems to be pretty wide spread. Nothing makes me freak out, run, and scream like a little girl like a mouse on the loose.

For the past couple weeks we’ve had quite the problem with these little creatures in the Cross Point Nashville office complex. There have been numerous reports of mice scurrying around.

After the first Sunday service each week I meet with several members of the programming team and a few staff in my office to review the service and see if there are any adjustments that need to be made to the additional services at any of the three campuses. During the middle of the meeting this past Sunday a mouse literally ran under my chair and then darted through Dave Senes’s legs before going under my closet door for refuge.

That’s one brave mouse.

For your entertainment here’s a quick video taken on THIS GUY’S iPhone right after the traumatic event.

What creature in the animal kingdom are you most afraid of?

Waking Up With A Smile

December 14, 2009 in My Family with 82 Comments

It’s hard to believe but 13 years ago today I stood at the front of the church and watched my soon to be bride slowly walk down the aisle to me.

It seems like just yesterday that through a chance encounter, I met her. It was the beginning of our Sophomore year at Western Kentucky University and a friend of mine named Andrea had invited a group of us to go home with her for the weekend. Truth be told, I was going because a girl named Katy was supposed to be there. I had met Katy a few times and was really interested in getting to know her.

I can’t tell you how disappointed I was when, at the last second, Katy had to pull out and I found out some other girl was going to be attending instead. The other girl was Brandi.

All the way through high school and college I kept a daily journal so it’s really cool to be able to look back and read what exactly was going through my mind when I first met Brandi. This is what I wrote the day we met.

Oct 15, 1993

I met this incredible girl named Brandi tonight who came in Katy Bridges place for the weekend. This girl is so much fun. We spent most the night just sitting out on the dock talking and dreaming about life…I really fell for Brandi hard.

My next journal entry was…

Oct 17, 1993

I literally woke up with a smile on my face this morning thinking about Brandi. I could not get her out of my mind all day. I’ve tried all day to come up with a reason to have to call her or see her. If I didn’t know myself better I would say I was falling in love.

I would never try to convince you that the last 13 years of marriage have always been easy because most of you know better than that. As in any relationship we’ve had our fair share of struggles, temptations, and battles.

We fight.

We get on each others nerves.

We lose our temper.

We sulk (actually she sulks a lot more than me).

We blame (okay, I blame more than she does).

However, I’m very blessed that on most any given day…

I still wake up with that smile on my face.

I still love to dream about the future with her.

I still can’t get her out of my mind.

And yes, I’m still falling in love with her.

We’re So Stinking Close!

December 11, 2009 in Holidays with 53 Comments

We’re so close! For 5 years we’ve tried to get a single picture with all three boys in Santa’s lap. In 2006 we got really close but at the last minute, despite promising him cotton candy, Gage decided he just couldn’t do it. But he agreed he would stand in the general vicinity of the “big red man.” He made is very clear that if “that guy tried to touch him he would scream bloody murder.”

Then there was 2007. The cotton candy trick actually worked on Gage this year but there was no way in heck that Brewer was even going to consider it. This was his way of tell us to shove the cotton candy up our….

In 2008 I put my negotiations gifts into action and spend a good 10 minutes explaining and motivating Brewer for the big moment with Santa. He was talking a big game. He promised me this year he would do it, but at the last minute he had a total emotional meltdown and tried to take off so my wife heroically dove into the picture and held him with all of her strength so we could get the shot. I will admit that I don’t think I could have sat in the 2008 Santa’s lap either. He was a bit scary. Just look at those eyes.

And then there was last weekend. With a little coaxing from a very convincing Santa, Brewer actually agreed to stand next to Santa, but said he would bite his index finger right off of his hand if he in anyway even attempted to pick him up and put him in his lap. Well we didn’t get all 3 boys up in his lap but at least Santa ended the day with all 10 fingers.

Do you ever remember being afraid of Santa?

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