Random Thoughts...

Three things I have learned about walking by faith… Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV) Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.   If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” I you have spent any time at all in church as a kid you probably have heard the story of the three Hebrew boys and the fiery furnace.   If not, lee me recap, there are three boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego (not their real names – long story for another time…)   Anyway, these boys have been commanded, along with the rest of the Babylonian Empire, to boy down and worship an idol that was made by the King, Nebuchadnezzar.   As you read above in The Message version of the Bible, the...

Where's the Wind Blowing? John 3:8 (The Message) You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.” When you enter this life of following after the Christ you enter into a life no longer guided by the same landmarks as your old life. The old life is measured by tangible things, years, money, possessions, titles, etc...   The new life is measured by the things you cannot see, faith, hope, love, grace, mercy, maturity, etc...   The old things are visible, tangible, they are perceived by your senses; you can taste, touch, smell, see and hear them. This new thing is visible as to the effects, you can see and hear where happened after the fact. This new thing is driven by the wind of the spirit. Like a natural wind, it is invisible, yet it can be seen, it is made...

Friction -vs- Traction I am sitting on the couch, in front of the fire, missing my Encounter Church family.   We have gotten a bit of ice and people are slipping around, so we have called service today.   This brings the topic of “traction” front and center. I recently read a book by Erwin McManus called " An Unstoppable Force" and he makes the distinction between traction and friction. The same issue, substance or obstacle that causes friction in our lives also gives us traction to overcome it. I think over some of the greatest obstacles in my life and have to say they have been just that, friction (pain, road-rash, etc...) and traction. The very things that I asked God to remove have been the platforms to get me to where I am today. Had we not gone through the struggles of the past year, we would never see the amazing time we are having planting Encounter Church today! It is easy to curse the darkness, but remember if it were not for the darkness you would neve...

I have spent a good deal of time in the church world.  My wife, Deidre and I have been in full-time pastoral ministry since 1998.  It started when we moved everything we had from Elkton, MD, where we were youth pastors, to Port St. Lucie, FL to assume the pastorate of a church in South Florida.  We were young, energetic, and in some ways, very naive.  But what we lacked in experience we made up for in passion for the vision God had given us. 
It didn't take long to realize that vision was just not enough.  We learned this the hard way, over almost ten years of pastoral ministry in Florida.  We watched as pastors across the country fell into dark places or financial  indiscretions, moral issues, and even things that were just plain illegal.  We struggled personally with the desire to grow a church, and fell into the trap of following the newest ministry fad.  We tried to be all the "successful" preachers we knew.  I would even stand ...