SNOW DAY!!

The weather guys finally got one right!! We got pretty good with some and ice this weekend. I really hate that our worship services are called off tomorrow, but safety is the main thing. Matter of fact, I even tried to drive my SUV in my neighborhood and was all over the place. I had a hard time even getting back up my driveway...needless to say I never even tried to get out of the neighborhood.

Snow days are great for the kids and certainly bring back many memories of days gone by playing in the snow. Thought you might like this pic...pretty hilarious with the family sledding today. Pictured is Grace, Emma, Benjamin, and myself. I was the designated "big push down the hill guy".

Enjoy the break from the routine with your family and stay warm...who knows when we will see the next big winter storm here.

What's the Point? part II

The response to this series has been overwhelmingly supportive! The mission statement really sets the stage for how we are to live our lives for Christ. The reality is that some people/churches will get it and other will not.

This is a not new phenomena! Jesus faced the same types of people in His day. Our role is to obey what God has called us to do and serve Him to be the best of our ability.

Does this mean we will be liked by all? NO. Does it mean that everyone will like what we do? NO. However, at the end of the day, all that matters that day is that I did my best for God and lived a life pleasing to Him.

This past week we focused on Christ-centered worship at South Pointe. This message showed us that it has always been about Jesus in the past, is currently about Jesus today, and will forever be about Jesus tomorrow and into eternity. This week we look at value #2 - Focused Outreach.


Remember, it is always about Jesus!

What's the Point? part I

Have you ever heard that question before? I certainly have.....in many different circles. At South Pointe, we are unveiling our new mission statement now and it really has me thinking about what that means to me personally. I have been a part of several churches that all have mission statements. Most churches have them, but do they live them out? Over the next few posts, I will explore this thought further identifying the different types of churches and their thoughts about their mission.

In the church world, most churches are holding on by the skin of their teeth and many are on the decline. The 21st century church is in a state of flux....you have several scenarios being played out. Here is the first one:

1. Churches that are traditional in nature and are not reaching out to the younger generation. Note: This church could have a young pastor, in hopes of hiring him to draw young families. (please make a note here: THAT DOES NOT WORK!!) These churches may have been strong in the past, but that is the glorious past. They have nice big buildings and plenty of room to fill it each Sunday. They are program oriented and have a very rigid schedule that changes rarely. They are typically very committee/deacon led and will tolerate a young-wipper snapper as long as he plays by the rules. This type of church has money and more often than not thinks money is the fix to many of their issues. They are usually high in missions giving which is a good thing, but rarely do missions themselves. Image is important to this type of church - and membership is a really big deal! This type of church spends allot of time developing a mission statement, but has a hard time living it and selling there people people on it.

Please note the above graphic as our mission. I really like it, but more than that my goal and desire is to live it. A mission statement is more than just words on a wall or in a bulletin - it must be something we do and live. Here it goes - "Love and Lead everyone we meet into an everyday walk with Christ."

2010!!!

When I think of 2010, I think of the movie, "2001: a space odyssey" and the sequel "2010". Some far out date that would never come and if it did we probably would be riding in space cars. Nevertheless, we are officially in the year 2010. Have you made any resolutions yet?

Some of the top ones are dieting, exercise, saving money, etc....Most Americans will break their resolution in two weeks. Yes, by January 14th, it's all over. For some, they may take it a little longer, but most will be done before we hit the month of love.

I am all about goals and stuff, but I like to look at it more in line with commitments! You see commitments are harder to break than resolutions. As a Christ follower, commitments mean something.

Here are my top ten goals/commitments for 2010(in no particular order):

1. Run a 10k and a half-marathon
2. Spend quality time with each of my children
3. Treat my wife like it was the first year we were dating.
4. Read 20 books.
5. Continue to work the baby steps from Dave Ramsey to achieve financial goals.
6. Expand the ministry of South Pointe to reach the greater Pageland community.
7. Share the Gospel intentionally with a least one person a week for the year.
8. Be head coach for my son's baseball team.
9. Play tennis regularly with my daughter.
10. Spend more time in prayer than ever before.

Happy New Year! I will keep you posted as I attempt to hold to my goals/commitments for 2010.