Jax Blog

Step right this way don't be shy....

...folks, let me draw your attention to some new attractions on the Wonderful World Web.

First, if you are on Facebook, (like there is really someone out there not on Facebook!)

and you know my wife, I would like to invite you, to invite her, to be her friend. While you are online stop by and see her photobucket, it contains pictures of some of the prettiest people you'll ever see (my family). 

One last stop on our journey is to this guy's 
new blog. I would like to be the first the throw him into the blades, so he will feel compelled to blog on a regular basis. Here is his blog.

 

Later.

Sesame Street Rocks!

As I sat in bed the other night watching You Tube on my wife's Ipod Touch, I ran across these old videos. They really take me back to a better time! 

Capitol I 

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

and 

Red Ball 1,2,3,

A Sad Thought - my kids had never seen these videos. 

A Cool Thought - my kids loved them when I showed them! 

Sesame Street Rocks ! 

Time: 10:30 am 

Dress: Very Casual

Bring: A Chair or Blanket and a Friend. 

If you want something done better, give the job away!

I am a firm believer in the idea that we need to give ministry away. Andy Stanley (and others) copied my idea in his book 7 Practices Of Effective Ministry. (just kidding) 

But really, in Chapter 15 he talks about Replacing Yourself - learn to hand off what you do.

A couple nights ago my fellow church planter and friend Chris Herrmann  and I, sat in Summit Central and planned out our next steps in our church. One of the action steps that we took was to let him have a shot at customizing our website(blog) so that it better suited our purposes. Because I was not able to get-r-done, and he is a whiz with stuff like that. 

The Moral of this Story: 

Chris did a bang up job and I think that it looks great. If I had not allowed him to get in to it and be creative, it would still be unfinished.

So all this to say... go check it out.

www.thesummitauburndale.com 

oh yeah and check it out regularly, cause I am sure it will only get better! 

LOCATION,LOCATION, YES A LOCATION!

We now have a location for our launch on September 14th. 

The place that we will be "going public" is The Women's Club in Auburndale.

It is right next to the Auburndale Public Library  

We are excited! 

It holds approximately 175 people so I figure that we can cram at least 250 in there easy. 

Pray for us still we are looking to build our band and to spread the word about our church. 

So shout it from the mountain tops that The Summit is looking to reach people for Jesus! 

My Heroes Of The Faith

I got in one of those moods just a while ago, I pulled out the old vinyl album of "For Him Who Has Ears To Hear" by Keith Green. If you don't know who he is or much about him check this out.

As I listened to this album I began to think of my heroes of the faith. Many men and women who have  inspired me, shaped me, challenged me and some have honestly saved me from ruin. 

I want to list them now in no real order, just as they come to mind.

1. Tommy Tyler - youth pastor

2. Scott Smalley - friend

3. Chrissy Wooley - Childhood Sunday School teacher

4. Rick Van Clief - youth pastor

5. Bill Pruitt - summer intern - back in the day

6. Tom Beauregard - friend, sold out brother for Christ

7. Bob Alster - Sunday School teacher

8. Richard Parks - Godly Man, friend

9. Ron Headley - Youth Pastor

10. David Pooser - great friend

11. David Earnest - great friend

12. Michael Geniott - friend

13. Chris Herrmann - friend and distant cousin

14. Mark Hall - college neighbor and philosophical counterpart

15. Duane Cole - college friend

16. Bruce Tucker  - lifelong friend

17. Tom Burke - college friend 

18. Mike Jarrett - former pastor - taught me bunch of stuff

19. Travis Thompson - friend and foe, that's what makes him such a good friend! 

20. Leonard Kory - my buddy Jim's dad. 

21. Jim Kory - what a guy. I've never had a better friend.

22. David McNally - Pastor 

23. Harry Collins - Pastor 

24. Richard Cole - shop teacher

25. Gordon Philbrick - friend 

26. Terri Smith - my first wife (and only)

27. Vanessa - friend, sister in Christ at GEICO 

28. Billy Graham - little known evangelist

29. Keith Green - sold out soldier for Christ.

30. Sonny Smith - my grandfather

31. Rick Warren - If you knew what I know about him, he would be your hero too.

32. Url Utterback - friend, pastor

33. I am sure there are more.... 

Do you have any heroes? 

Pastor Goes "Dirty Harry" on Trailer Thieves!

You guys have to check out Pastor Gary Lamb's blog as he discusses what he would do if he caught the people who stole the church's trailer.

Check it out here.

I salute my brother for being able to speak his mind on his blog!

Back In The Saddle....

I had a great vacation(x2)! 

The Keys are awesome, I could live there. 

Camping @ Fort Desoto was fun too.

Now it's back to work... 

Sunday Morning - Not Who We Are But Something We Do. Part 2

I know that I said I would continue this blog the next day, but life happens. Since then I have been out of pocket and unable to connect with the web. More on this story - maybe tomorrow.

I believe that we (people who have accepted Christ as Savior) are the church. I am a part of the church right now sitting in my office typing on this computer and you are as you do what you do.

Therefore Sunday is not church it is what the church does. 

I am the church when I gather with 2-3 or more other believers and we commune with God.

When we Worship,Study,Fellowship,Minister,Missions we are fulfilling what the church is supposed to fulfill. Sunday should fall into one or more of these categories, but does it ever include all of them? 

I doubt it. 

In my way of making sense of how the world should be, I see my life as the place that I am to carry out this purpose. So as a micro unit of the church I am to carry this out systematically in the world as God has prepared my world to exist.

In my job, my neighborhood, my free time, my family, my school, my shopping, my vacation, my __________. (in case I forgot something) 

Then I am to get together with like minded people that can support my efforts through encouragement, prayer, correction, love, etc, etc. A group of people that I can be real with. A group that I can be open, honest, authentic and the like. All of this so that I can continue to carry out my purpose that God has for me.

This is a close group that become family. This is small group. Small group is church.

Sunday is not church, rather it is a family reunion among other things. It is when the smaller groups of churches get together to rejoice in what God has done in the life of their church in the past week. A Celebration time.

Sunday is the front door to church. - many people in the South especially still think of Sunday morning as church. If they are going to "check out a church" or "try God" they are usually going to attend a Sunday service.  I look at Sunday service as almost a mission project. 

Sunday is a time that we focus together as the body of Christ at large and we combine our efforts to storm the gates of Hell. 

So this is my difference in a nutshell. their will probably be more to come as I am inspired to share. Stay tuned.

  

A Dad That Loved His Son

I never met Jerry Burns. I have learned about him from this video, 

and even though I knew him not I am confident that he loved his family.

This morning as I sat in my living room holding my son while he slept,

I wondered what Jackson and I will be like when he gets older. 

I know of another man that has a son in his teens, and they have a 

strained relationship at best. This man loves his son and the son 

loves the dad. But what they have, or don't have, is not what I want 

for Jackson and I to have when he is in his teens.

As I sat in my dark living room looking at my total blessing and 

miracle of God, I think about my life and I know that I would not 

change a thing if it meant that I would not have my son. I love my 

son and like Jerry's son, I hope that when my day is done, Jackson 

will know without a doubt how his dad felt about him.

"Thank you God for my (your) children, I am thankful that 

you have allowed me to take care of them for(with) you.

Please God where I fail them I pray that their Perfect 

Father will fill the void. As a man with limitations I ask that 

You be the Father that I cannot be, providing blessing

and protection from on high. Amen.