Hello everyone,
I have moved my blog. The new address is:
www.revjdub.wordpress.com
SEE YA THERE!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Out of control!
So, we had our first preview service in the theaters yesterday and it was out of control! In case you were wondering that is a very good thing. Of course we had a few problems, but thats why we are doing two preview services before the BIG launch on January 20th. It felt so amazing to be in the theaters away from the stuffiness that big fancy buildings often bring. It definitely fits our style to a t. All of the volunteers we had did an amazing job setting up and tearing down the three mac daddy trailer loads of equipment that it takes to do church in the theaters. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart and without you none of this is possible. Thanks for latching on to the vision that God has given this church, to be whole-heartedly in pursuit of the lost, and running right beside us every step of the way. Pastor Byron used this illustration Sunday, our life is like a picture drawn by connecting the dots, if we skip any dots the out come will not make sense. God has brought this church through many difficult times, but without them we wouldn't be the church we are today. Please remember this in your own life, God has a plan for you, all you have to do is follow the dots. Be persistent and don't give up, God has something amazing in store.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
I'm so excited!
Hello everyone,
Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I have been in Georgia for the past week visiting family and friends, and before that we were really busy moving out of the church. Now we are out and are busier than ever getting ready to move into the theaters, but i felt like i should make some time to blog. I hope that everyone is having an absolutely wonderful New Years Day, I know I am. I am so freakin excited about moving into the theaters, it fits our style way better than the building we were in before. I walked into the theaters with the electrician, pastor barry, and pastor t-rav to check out the theaters and understand how all the power was wired and instantly felt at home. I attend movies at Regal Cinemas occasionally, so i am familiar with the smell and the atmosphere of it. I then began to think, if i was someone who had never attended church before where would i go? A nice, big, fancy building with columns and choirs, and cookie-cutter christians dressed like a million bucks, or a church that meets in a place that i go often and am familiar with, with people who welcome me with big, fat smiles even though i am wearing flip flops and an AC/DC t-shirt? Sorry to stereotype so much, this is from one extreme to another, but hopefully you get my point. C3 is going to be in a way better position for God to use to reach people that don't know Him, and at C3 thats what we are all about. Connecting the Community with Christ. The launch is January 20th , first service starts at 9 the second at 1030. GET READY ORLANDO!
Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I have been in Georgia for the past week visiting family and friends, and before that we were really busy moving out of the church. Now we are out and are busier than ever getting ready to move into the theaters, but i felt like i should make some time to blog. I hope that everyone is having an absolutely wonderful New Years Day, I know I am. I am so freakin excited about moving into the theaters, it fits our style way better than the building we were in before. I walked into the theaters with the electrician, pastor barry, and pastor t-rav to check out the theaters and understand how all the power was wired and instantly felt at home. I attend movies at Regal Cinemas occasionally, so i am familiar with the smell and the atmosphere of it. I then began to think, if i was someone who had never attended church before where would i go? A nice, big, fancy building with columns and choirs, and cookie-cutter christians dressed like a million bucks, or a church that meets in a place that i go often and am familiar with, with people who welcome me with big, fat smiles even though i am wearing flip flops and an AC/DC t-shirt? Sorry to stereotype so much, this is from one extreme to another, but hopefully you get my point. C3 is going to be in a way better position for God to use to reach people that don't know Him, and at C3 thats what we are all about. Connecting the Community with Christ. The launch is January 20th , first service starts at 9 the second at 1030. GET READY ORLANDO!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Born to be wild!
What were you born to do?
~this is one of the questions Pastor Byron asked this morning. A very though provoking question. He spoke this morning on Rahab the prostitute, the story is found in the second chapter of Joshua if you would like to read it, but it tells of how Rahab allows two of Joshua's spies to stay at her place and hides them from the King and tells him that they were there but were no longer. This eventually leads to the fulfillment of God's will when Joshua's army conquers Jerico. All of this to say that Rahab wasn't born to be a prostitute, but a servant of God. Pastor Byron asked the question, "do we let our biggest failure define who we are?" I know so often in my life i do, but i realize that i was born, like Rahab, to be a servant of God. My failures may not be as extreme as hers, but nevertheless i often let them define who i am. That is exactly what the devil would want me to do. But because of Christ i have victory over my failures. "The power of God works best in weakness."( 2 Chorinthians 12:9) We sang a song this morning that i know satan hates to here, it's called Shout unto God, it's pretty much a chant and the words are:
the enemy had been defeated
death couldn't hold You down
we're gonna lift our voice in victory
gonna make Your praises loud
shout unto God with the voice of triumph
shout unto God with the voice of Praise
shout unto God with the voice of triumph
we lift your name up, we lift your name up
Our lives should proclaim the truth of this song. No more living like were defeated. No more walking with our noses to the ground. But living every second to bring Glory, Honor, and Praise to our Creator, the One who gives us victory, the One who took our filthy lives and made use clean and whole.
~this is one of the questions Pastor Byron asked this morning. A very though provoking question. He spoke this morning on Rahab the prostitute, the story is found in the second chapter of Joshua if you would like to read it, but it tells of how Rahab allows two of Joshua's spies to stay at her place and hides them from the King and tells him that they were there but were no longer. This eventually leads to the fulfillment of God's will when Joshua's army conquers Jerico. All of this to say that Rahab wasn't born to be a prostitute, but a servant of God. Pastor Byron asked the question, "do we let our biggest failure define who we are?" I know so often in my life i do, but i realize that i was born, like Rahab, to be a servant of God. My failures may not be as extreme as hers, but nevertheless i often let them define who i am. That is exactly what the devil would want me to do. But because of Christ i have victory over my failures. "The power of God works best in weakness."( 2 Chorinthians 12:9) We sang a song this morning that i know satan hates to here, it's called Shout unto God, it's pretty much a chant and the words are:
the enemy had been defeated
death couldn't hold You down
we're gonna lift our voice in victory
gonna make Your praises loud
shout unto God with the voice of triumph
shout unto God with the voice of Praise
shout unto God with the voice of triumph
we lift your name up, we lift your name up
Our lives should proclaim the truth of this song. No more living like were defeated. No more walking with our noses to the ground. But living every second to bring Glory, Honor, and Praise to our Creator, the One who gives us victory, the One who took our filthy lives and made use clean and whole.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Another EYE OPENING sunday at C3!
Sunday morning at C3 was amazing as Pastor Byron continued the series Barbaric Grace. Below I have typed a few of the things that He said that really hit me.
"Comfort keeps us from success."
~As humans we all tend to gravitate toward comfort, but God often calls us to do things that are outside of our comfort zone. I am confident enough to say that if God hasn't called you to do something that is uncomfortable then you aren't listening well enough.
"Faith is the only thing that defeats fear."
~One thing I like to remember when stepping out in faith is that God will never fail. I often have insecurities about myself and doubt that I’m good enough to do what God is telling me to do, but I have to remember that I didn't create myself. It was God who created me this way so if I doubt myself then I doubt God. Therefore, I should drown my fear in faith.
"Why do we define ourselves by what others think about us?"
~I’d like to say that this question doesn’t apply to me, but I would be lying to myself. It’s ok to be cool and to be liked by others, but when that becomes more important than being the person God wants me to be then we have a BIG problem.
"Jesus feared the cross, but His love for us was greater than that fear."
~Love from the father does a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick on fear.
"Comfort keeps us from success."
~As humans we all tend to gravitate toward comfort, but God often calls us to do things that are outside of our comfort zone. I am confident enough to say that if God hasn't called you to do something that is uncomfortable then you aren't listening well enough.
"Faith is the only thing that defeats fear."
~One thing I like to remember when stepping out in faith is that God will never fail. I often have insecurities about myself and doubt that I’m good enough to do what God is telling me to do, but I have to remember that I didn't create myself. It was God who created me this way so if I doubt myself then I doubt God. Therefore, I should drown my fear in faith.
"Why do we define ourselves by what others think about us?"
~I’d like to say that this question doesn’t apply to me, but I would be lying to myself. It’s ok to be cool and to be liked by others, but when that becomes more important than being the person God wants me to be then we have a BIG problem.
"Jesus feared the cross, but His love for us was greater than that fear."
~Love from the father does a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick on fear.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
I want to serve God. How do I do it?
I have talked to so many new believers who are so stinkin ready to serve God they can hardly stand it, but a lot of them think that in order to fully serve God they must become a minister, or a bible scholar. This couldn't be further from the truth. Yes God calls people to become pastors and bible scholars, but God calls the majority to other things. God has placed a skill and a passion in everyone of us. I believe in order to serve God to the utmost we need to purse our passions and develop our skills for the purpose of Christ. God doesn't call us to do things that we can't do, he has placed inside of us all we need to fulfill His will for our lives. I know that many people don't really know what their passion or skill is, and to be honest if you don't know you can serve God just as much as someone who does. The bottom line when serving God is loving Him and loving others and we can all do this.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Our story isnt written by what we think, but what we do.
Tonight rob bell is speaking at hard rock live, and several people at C3 are going... I'm not one of them :( but anyways, i decided to check out his church and see if they had a podcast that i could listen to. Well they did and guess who was there guest speaker this past sunday. One of my favorite authors, Donald Miller. His message was about story telling, and what it takes to make a great story, and how each of us tells a story with our own lives. It was a great message, you can get the podcast if you go here and click on add podcast to itunes. Anyway, i had heard this analogy before and i loved it, but what hit me smack between they eyes was when he concluded with, "Your life story isn't written by what you think but what you do." That is so true, you can know the bible from front to back and you can pray like nobodies business, but what is your life story? What are you doing? Donald Miller also said, when writing a story you should first come up with a climatic moment and then figure out how to get your character there. For us as Christians our climatic moment is when God says to us, "Well done my good and faithful servant." What are we doing to get there? What am i doing to get there?
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