Last week when I read the news that Josh Hamilton had a “relapse”,  I wasn’t mad at him. I wasn’t disappointed in him. I felt bad for him. While many web sites took the opportunity to pile on Josh and throw stones, I felt a deep sadness in the pit of my stomach. After the 24 hour rule of allowing it to process, I think I got mad. I wasn’t mad at Josh Hamilton, I was mad at all of the people and media outlets lined up to point out his failure. The last time I checked, Josh is human. Did his relapse make him any less Christian? This might not be received correctly but let me say this….

I believe it made him even more Christian.

In 1 Corinthians 15:31, the Apostle Paul said “I die every day – I mean that, brothers- just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In 2 Corinthians 12:7, the Apostle Paul said “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a throne in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me“.

Josh Hamilton is an addict. Every morning when he rises he has choices that he must make. His record against those choices is pretty strong. He has a thorn in his flesh. He must die daily to these addictions and surrender them to Christ. Last week they won. As I said on twitter and Facebook, the only difference between Josh Hamilton and I is that his failure was in the public eye.

We’re all fighting an addiction and thorns. They come in all shapes and sizes. They are the result of an evil which exists in our world. We will win and we will lose, but we must keep fighting. We will slip. We will fall. We are not perfect. We are forgiven by grace and called to aspire to live like Christ. Until all things are made right, we will all suffer a “relapse”. Be very careful if you think you won’t. I bet Josh Hamilton would say the same.

Keep fighting Josh. Keep fighting to all those that read this. I’m fighting. I’ll win. I’ll fail. But I will keep fighting and I firmly believe Josh Hamilton will too.

Series: Guard Rails

Week: 3

Title: Flee Baby Flee

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Definition: A guardrail is a personal standard or behavior that becomes a matter of conscience.

1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us to flee from sexual immorality.

My body is a temple; and I am not my own.

5 Practical Guardrails to Direct and Protect: These I will determine in my heart…

1. No more second looks
2. (a) For Marrieds: I will not allow myself to be alone with a person of the opposite sex. (b) For Singles: I will be cautious and intentional about the time I spend alone with a person of the opposite sex.
3. I will establish personal accountability.
4. I will honor God’s design and intuition for when and where sex is to be experienced.

Note: Every time sex is mentioned in Scripture, it always related to marriage.

5. It’s never to late to begin again.

This tragedy has captured attention both locally and nationally. Big Dave’s wife, Nicolle, is a friend to everyone. She calls Columbus “home”. Let’s do everything we can to reach out to this family in this time of need and support them however we can. All of the details are below. For directions to the Chick-Fil-A on Sawmill Road, click HERE.

Love them Home Fundraiser at Chick-fil-A

Come help us love on Big Dave’s family and the orphans in Haiti!

When: Saturday, Feb. 4th ALL DAY

Where: Chick-fil-A, 6051 Sawmill Road

How: We will be collecting donations all day to give to…

Big Dave’s Medical Fund to ease his family’s burden
Finish the orphange Big Dave was working on in Haiti

We hope you can stop by to help continue the work Big Dave has started!!

When you order food, don’t forget to mention “Love them Home” to help a local family adopt two orphans from China.

Wow. Last night my wife and I had the opportunity to pre-screen the upcoming film “October Baby” which releases in March. To be honest, I am still a bit numb to everything that I saw. This is a heavy, heavy film about the life of a girl that is the survivor of an abortion attempt. The movie is the story of her search to find who she is and who her birth mother is. Like I said, it’s incredibly powerful and incredibly heavy.

Without giving away specific details of the film, I would say that this is a movie that each person should consider carefully before attending. This is not something for younger children due to the nature of the subject. Teenagers are a possibility as there are several themes and lessons which can be taken away from seeing it. Adults should certainly consider seeing it, yet consider each person you invite and what their past may or may not include. Hopefully that makes sense. I’m not trying to be cryptic, I just know this is a very, very sensitive subject.

October Baby succeeds in literally putting a “face” to this topic. You see and experience a life that almost wasn’t. You feel the emotion and weight of the decisions of several different people. There are light moments and some comedic performances (namely former American Idol contestant, Chris Sligh) which seem to come at the appropriate moments. I’ll post more once the movie officially hits the big screen. Until then, know that I recommend this film. For a better understanding, let me share this powerful clip about the casting of one of the people in the film. This story is remarkable.

This is not how it’s supposed to go. This is not how this story should end. These are those “Why God?” moments when the questions don’t have answers. I did not know David well but I know his wife Nicolle. She is a treasure. She is the kind of person that lights up every room and beams the spirit of a living God. David has been described as a “Warrior” and a man with a huge heart for those in need. Their foundation, Eyes Wide Open International, I have mentioned before on this blog.

Please keep Nicolle and their son Mack in your prayers during the days ahead. I don’t know much, but I know that God holds them now. I know that David is face to face with the Creator of this universe. This song just feels appropriate at this moment….

Yesterday morning was a very special day for Rock City Church. It was one of the many reasons why it is a blessing to call Rock City Church “home”. You see, yesterday was the first Sunday where we gave a gift to a local ministry thanks to ONE FOR ONE. Through this simple, yet brilliant vision, we set aside one dollar for every man, woman and child that attends Rock City Church on any given Sunday. Every person. Every week. The total is gathered and set aside for a local or global lead. The first need to receive our donation is an amazing ministry right here in Columbus called “C.R.A.C.K. HOUSE Ministries“.

Thanks to the heartbeat of Rock City and a continued season of growth (a new record was set for attendance yesterday), we were able to present C.R.A.C.K. HOUSE Ministries with a check for $2,000 for their ministry. Heather and I had the opportunity to meet Pastor Mitchell Ellison and his lovely family after the service and they are an amazing family. We look forward to meeting with them again in the future and continuing to pour into this ministry. It’s making a difference in the city of Columbus. Lives are being changed. It was such an blessing to know that Rock City could help support their efforts.

Every person. Every week. ONE For ONE.

Series: GuardRails

Title: Why Can’t We Be Friends?

Scripture: Proverbs 13:20

Definition: A Guardrail is a a personal standard of behavior that becomes a matter of conscience.

My friends ultimately influence the direction and quality of my life.

Knowing how to choose friends is one of the most important skills I will ever develop.

A wise person is one who understands that all of life is connected.

A fool is a person who knows right and wrong but doesn’t care.

3 Characteristics of a Life-Giving Friend:

1. A Life-Giving Friend knows LIFE.
2. A Life-Giving Friend is committed to living out Gods will.
3. A Life-Giving Friend is committed to seeing God’s will lived out in my life.

5 Practical Guardrails to consider: My conscience should light up when…

1. My core group of friends isn’t moving in the direction I want for my life.
2. I catch myself pretending to be somebody I’m not.
3. I feel pressure to compromise.
4. I hear myself saying, “I’ll go, but I won’t participate”.
5. I hope the people I care about most don’t find out where I’ve been or who I’ve been with.

“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

Pastor Chad Fisher. Rock City Church.

So what in the world could that video possibly have to do with the new book by Mark and Grace Driscoll called “Real Marriage – The Truth About Sex, Friendship & Life Together“? In order to understand the book, in order to understand my review, you need to understand Mark Driscoll. If you don’t understand Mark Driscoll, you will most likely be shocked by the honest, open and edgy discussions within this book. So let’s start there. Let’s understand a little bit about Mark Driscoll:

1. He is growing several churches in the most unchurched city in the United States. (Seattle)

2. He is relevant in the area in which he ministers.

3. He reaches the twenty something crowd that is immersed in a world that has little shock value anymore.

4. His language is strong, but his theology and doctrine are even stronger

5. He has caused controversy in the past and will cause it again.

So why the talking points? Why go through all of this before I ever once talk about this book? Because it’s important. This isn’t a Max Lucado/Billy Graham (of which I love both) book on marriage. This isn’t a book that softly touches on the issues of sex for example. It’s Mark and Grace Driscoll and it’s “going there” on topics that need to be discussed. Some will hate the book. Others will appreciate it for it’s honest approach. I, for one, am a member of the second group. I appreciate the honesty. I appreciate the candor and the uninhibited nature with which they share what needs to be shared.

Much like the video above, “Real Marriage” isn’t just Mark Driscoll being Mark Driscoll. It’s honest truth backed by theological foundation and truth. Could someone have said it differently? Sure. Would some people rather read it written in a different context? Sure. Yet there are many (myself included) that believe we need this kind of truth. The world in which we live surrounds us by images far stronger and language far more graphic. This book, like Driscoll’s preaching is being relevant to the culture with which we live. Simple as that. There is so much good in this book that you need to see past what might offend or not sit well with you. You need to understand the broader audience. For that reason, I am recommending “Real Marriage”.

I give Real Marriage a 4 out of 5.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Yesterday morning we were promised some big news at Rock City Church. We eagerly anticipated what we would hear when we arrived. We were not disappointed. As the service came to an end, Pastor Chad announced what is being called “One For One”. As you can see from the image above, the details are simple but the impact both locally and globally are HUGE. For every single person that walks through the doors of Rock City Church, they will donate one dollar to a local or global need. If you know the heartbeat of Rock City you know that they will stand by their promise. Amazing.

A few other things that make this even more remarkable….

1. The One For One promise will take place BEFORE the budget of the church. In other words, this will not impact the 20% already marked for global and local missions for Rock City. This is IN ADDITION TO that 20%.

2. The actual percentage of the budget given to local and global missions in 2011 was 30%. Did you get that? 30% of every dollar that Rock City received in 2011 went to a local and global person and project in need. We are impacting our community and reaching the world.

3. Rock City is currently in the middle of a remarkable season of growth. Though they just launched in April of 2011, the average weekend attendance is nearing 500 per Sunday. That’s $500 every Sunday that will be given to a local or global need. The first check is already being generated for a ministry called “Crack House Ministries” and our hope is that the total given will be somewhere near $2000.

Throughout the day yesterday, I could not help but feel so blessed to call Rock City Church home. The vision and execution of something that is not about us and more about reaching this community and the world is just awesome. When you visit Rock City, know that your visit mattered on so many levels. If nothing else, your presence contributed to the One For One campaign. I will continue to share stories throughout 2012 about the impact of One for One.

So who’s coming with us on Sunday?

Every person.

Every week.

In age of movies with billion dollar budgets, it is nice to see a movie that is simplistic yet carries a great message. The acting wasn’t all that bad and the story is worth seeing. My kids (10, 8 and 6) all really enjoyed it. They quickly anticipated where the film was headed and enjoyed it’s resolution in the end. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quality family film. Here’s a clip for the film:

You can also find “A Mile In His Shoes” on the web at the links below:

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

DOVE FOUNDATION REVIEW

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”