Monday, December 31, 2007

One Year Bible Challenge

On Sunday Morning, we challenged our entire congregation to read the Bible through in one year. I want to challenge all the readers of my blog to do the same.

Here are some great resources...
1. You can visit www.rustyposey.com everyday and click the link on the right side of my blog to go to that day's reading.
2. You could purchase a one year Bible from your local Christian bookstore.
3. www.oneyearbibleonline.com
4. www.bibleonradio.com - this is a daily podcast that takes you through the one year Bible.
5. We will be printing the weekly reading in our Sunday Bulletin.

I dare you to read the Bible in 2008. It will change your life.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Peyton Update

The doctor just came in the waiting room to let us know that Peyton had made it through surgery just fine. He said everything went well.

Please continue to pray for his recovery.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Pray For Peyton

For the regular readers of my blog, you have read about Peyton. He is the baby in our church that the doctors were not expecting to be born alive. He is now two and a half months old. Jessica, Peyton's mom, called tonight to let us know that they had to take him back to Children's hospital in Little Rock.

He was not breathing very well on his on. Peyton was born with two of the arteries that go into your heart. This is causing his health problems.

They will be operating on Peyton tomorrow morning. Please say a prayer for Peyton. I will post on my blog an update as soon as I know something.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

House Update

We are really close to be able to move into our new house. I just finished cutting the last trim pieces. A friend went home to get a different saw to finish the last piece of laminate. We still need to finish painting another coat in the laundry room. Hopefully, we can start moving stuff in tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas!

We want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy the day with your family and friends. Remember why Jesus was born.......He came to pay the price for our sin. Remember to give him thanks today.

God Bless and Merry Christmas, Rusty, Sasha, Mady and Mackenzie

Monday, December 24, 2007

I'm Back......

To the faithful readers of my blog, I apologize for not updating last week. :) We moved to Atlanta six months ago and have been living in a great duplex with one problem. It was too small for our family of 4. We have been looking for a house for the last six months and finally found one. We closed on it last Tuesday and have put major hours into flipping the house. My Mom and her husband, Bill, came to help us in this endeavor and there is no way that we could have done it without them. :) Thanks Mom and Bill! We took up the hardwood laminate flooring in the girl's rooms and had carpet installed. We reinstalled the laminate in the hallway and the office. We cut a door from the office into the laundry room. We painted the living room and the girls rooms. Plus, we painted the closets, trim, etc. It looks like a completely different place.

We should be moving in soon. I haven't been able to update my blog at home because the DSL service is already turned on at the new house, but we haven't moved the computer yet.

I'm going to try and update it more this week. :) Thanks for reading my blog!

Monday, December 17, 2007

They are dying to get into church....

I was in my office today at the church. I heard a loud thud. It sounded like someone slammed a door in the building or there was a major accident at the intersection near our church. I got up from my desk and went to see what happened. I walked to the front of the building.....there was no accident. I looked around and there was no unexpected visitors in the place. So, I went back to my office.

Approximately 15 minutes later, I had to leave the church on an errand. As I approached the double glass doors leading to the outside. (For those of you who are outside the ATL and read my blog, our church is located in an old Safeway building. The entire front of the building is made up of huge windows.) I went to unlock the door to leave. I noticed something on the ground in front of the double glass doors. It was a HUGE pigeon laying there. I examined the glass and literally 10 feet up and about 10 feet to the left of the doors were some bird feathers that were stuck to the window.

Apparantly, the loud thud that I heard was a HUGE pigeon that flew into the glass windows in front of the church. Unfortunately for him, he did not make it. What a way to go. If he was going to go, at least he was going heading into church. :)

Thursday, December 13, 2007

An Answer To Prayer

Over the last several years, I have had a burden for the small community that I grew up in, China Spring. China Spring is a suburb of Waco, Texas. China Spring High School is a 3A school. It is a growing community.

My family moved to China Spring in the Spring of 1984. There were several churches in the area.....good churches, but not one Assembly of God Church. So, we had to make the drive to Waco. We ended up finding an A/G church on the other side of Waco. So, we would drive 25-30 minutes to go to Victorious Life Church.

So, for the last several years, I have prayed on occasion that God would send someone to start an Assembly of God church in the China Spring area. I had even prayed to see if that was what I was supposed to do with my life. I really felt that my role was to pray that God would send laborers.

My Dad serves as the business administrator for Victorious Life Church in Waco. VLC is the church I grew up in. A few weeks back, Dad told me that VLC was starting a church in China Spring. They are even using the High School Cafeteria as the meeting place for this new church.

They launched their website this week. www.vlcchinaspring.com

I am so excited to see a church in this area. It really is an answer to prayer. Matt Johnson, the Youth Pastor at VLC, will serve as the Lead Pastor at VLC in China Spring. Please pray for Pastor Matt and this new work.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Tuesday Thoughts

1. We had a great time with the church's advisory board and their wives last night. We gathered together to have our Board Christmas Dinner. Sasha and I enjoy being with these men and their wives.

2. I believe firmly in the direction of Cornerstone. God is stirring our hearts to draw near to Him. I am so excited to see what God is going to do in 2008.

3. The Ladies Tea is this Saturday. Sasha has been working on this event and you will not want to miss it. It is Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

4. Sunday, we are continuing our series "Unwrapped." We are going to be dealing with the issue of conflict in the family.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

China Spring and the Heisman

1. When my family moved to Waco in 1984, we moved to a suburb called China Spring. My sister and I both graduated from China Spring High School. Today, the Cougars faced the La Vega Pirates. La Vega handed China Spring their only loss of the season when they met in District Play. Today was the Regional Finals at Floyd Casey Stadium (Baylor's Stadium) in Waco. My sister called this afternoon and gave me the great news that China Spring had won 31-28. Now, they will face Cuero in the State 3A Semi-finals. Congratulations Cougars!!!

2. I have to admit that I was pulling for Darren McFadden to win the Heisman. I was really hoping that the Cowboys could draft him with one of their two first round picks in next April's draft, but with Cleveland doing so well that is not going to happen. However, after watching the video montages of Tim Tebow, I began to hope that he would win. Tim Tebow won the Heisman trophy. He was a homeschooler who under Florida laws was allowed to play on the local High School team. He was recruited to Florida. Tebow is the first Sophomore ever to win the Heisman trophy. He mentioned that his priorities in life are his "faith, family, academics and football" fourth. Tebow demonstrated that by thanking "Jesus Christ" to open up his acceptance speech. He thanked God two more times throughout his speech. Congratulations Tim Tebow! You picked up a fan in me tonight!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Giving Honor - Scott Wilson

In the original Giving Honor Blog, I honored my High School Youth Pastor Brent Williams. Today, I want to honor Scott Wilson. Scott is co-Senior Pastor of the Oaks Fellowship in Red Oak, Texas. Scott was the Rec. Director at camp the summer before I went to Southwestern. It was there that I met several of his interns. One of them, Jason Alexander, invited me to come to what was then called Oak Cliff Assembly of God. A guy on my hall, Ron Rhoads, also invited me to go to Oak Cliff. It was there that I met Scott. I was blown away the first time I attended SOL'R (Sharing Our Lord's Radiance) Youth Ministries. It wasn't long after that I found myself in Scott's Sky Blue SUV driving down I-20 with Brian Dollar. He invited us to be a part of their intern program. I accepted and worked for Scott throughout the 4 years that I was at SAGU.

This was a defining moment in my life. I learned so much from my mentor and friend.

Five Key Lessons I learned while interning at Oak Cliff.

1. It is important to continue growing and being a life long learner.

2. Everyone has something that you can learn from them. I witnessed Scott on more than one occasion learning from someone who had a smaller ministry than what he did.

3. Dream a Big Dream! Scott is a dreamer and he taught me the importance of dreaming big.

4. The attitude of Gratitude.

5. The importance of being loyal to those who you follow.

Thank you, Scott, for believing in me, for not giving up on me, for allowing me to make mistakes, for being my mentor, for investing in me and for giving me the practical training that has allowed me to do what I'm doing today. I love you and Jenni!

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

You are the reason for the season

Does the title of this blog sound selfish to you? In the materialistic society that we live in, we are bombarded with advertisments for what should be under our trees. Tickle Me Elmo, 42 Inch HDTVs, X-Box 360, Diamond Jewelery, etc. Advertisers try and convince us that this season is really about what we need....I mean want.

The truth is the season is all about us. It is not for the reasons that we may think. Christmas is a time for celebrating the birth of Jesus. We often say that He is the reason for the season. When we look at why he came to this earth, we see that he came for us.

Luke 2:8-12 (NLT) "8 That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, 10 but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! 11 The Savior — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!"

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. He came for you. You are the reason that he was born. You are the reason that he came to live on this earth. You are the reason he died and rose again.

This holiday season, remember that in God's eyes, You are the reason for the season.

Monday, December 3, 2007

From the recesses of my mind.....

1. We had a great day yesterday at Cornerstone. Last night service was great. Jimmy White, Pastor of Northside Church, came and spoke on the glory of God. It was a fantastic message and we had a great time in the altars.

2. College Football needs a playoff system. I have said this before but maybe someone from the NCAA will find this blog and read it. :) Take the top 16 teams according to the BCS....no automatic bids. Then, you would need 14 bowls plus the championship game to get on board. You could still rotate the championship game between the various bowl sites or you could get brand new venues on board (example Jerry's World...aka Cowboys new stadium). Currently, there are 31 bowls, plus the championship game. So, there could still be 17 bowl games of non-playoff teams. With this system, you would have 14 less teams in bowl games. It would make the bowl games more exciting and bring in more money (which is what the bowls are all about). You would still get the top 50 teams in college football in bowl games. It makes sense. You would still have disagreements over who should get in to the playoffs...much like March Madness and the "bubble" teams. However, I would rather argue the merits of BYU (the current #17 team in the BCS) deserving to be in the playoffs over Tennessee (the #16 team in the BCS) than have a faulty system without a true champion. The playoffs could start the third weekend of December (after finals) and still end Monday, January 7th.

Friday, November 30, 2007

11-1

How 'bout them Cowboys! What a great game! Now, I know some naysayers might say that the Packers didn't have Favre. Favre went out in the second quarter, but he had thrown 2 INTs at that point. Rodgers came in and made a comeback. So, that argument is futile. The Cowboys are the real deal.

We watched the game last night at Dennis Smith's place. He's got a great setup. So, we watched the game on his 42 inch HDTV. Nice. It was our first Guy's Night Out. We had a great time. There was a lot of food and lot of great conversation. On top of that, we had a great game.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

It's beginning to look a lot like.......

Christmas is here! Yesterday, we had a crew of people who decorated the church for the Christmas Season. I would like to send a big thank you out to everyone that helped. Thank you Beverly and Dennis Smith, Lillian Smith, Peggy Erlewine, George Hicks, Colton Hicks, Austin Mote, Coleman Stuart, Tammy Caraway, Marc and Gina Mote, Maureen Marshall, Joseph May and Brent Caraway. The church looks great!!!!

Tonight, is our First Guy's Night Out! We will be heading to Dennis Smith's House to watch the Cowboys/Packers game on the NFL Network. Go Cowboys!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Back from a Blogging Break

1. I decided to take a vacation from Blogging during the Thanksgiving Holiday. I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving!

2. We made the short trip to Texarkana for Thanksgiving. As usual, the food was excellent and there's nothing like watching the Cowboys win on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is definitly one of my favorite holidays.

3. The Christmas season is upon us. We are starting a special Holiday Season Series entitled "Unwrapped" next Sunday. I'm really looking forward to this series.

4. I caught the tail end of the LSU/Arkansas game. What a game! For you LSU fans that read this blog, I am sorry to bring this up. I am not a fan of either school. However, I think the upset is good for College Football. I just wish the powers that be would institute a playoff system. It looks like this year the National title game could be Missouri/West Virginia or Ohio State/West Virginia or Ohio State/Georgia.

5. I am looking forward to our first Guy's Night Out at Cornerstone. We are going to Dennis Smith's house on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. There will be hamburgers and hot dogs. Plus, we will be watching the Cowboys and the Packers play.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Mackenzie

Mackenzie is a trooper. Over the past few months, she has non-stop ear infections. So, this morning, she had to have tubes put in her ears. I am amazed at how fast they do that procedure. We arrived at the surgery center at about 6:15 a.m. After paperwork, they called up back about 6:45 a.m. They took us back to the room and put her gown on her. She looked so cute.


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She went into surgery about 7:10 a.m. Within 15 minutes, they came and got us to tell us everything was great. We left the surgery center about 8:00 a.m. I can't believe how fast they do those things. Sasha had tubes when she was small. She had to stay overnight in the hospital.

Mackenzie is doing great. She is so much fun. Before the surgery, she was blowing kisses to all the nurses. She was putting on a show for them.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Monday Night Blog

1. Yesterday was a great day. I enjoyed speaking the message on Formed: Strong. Last night, we had a great time at the all Church Thanksgiving Dinner. There were a lot of our people who are relatively new to Cornerstone there. I am convinced that our best days are ahead of us. :)

2. I had a great time at Youth Convention with our students over the weekend. Jeff Deyo, Robert Madu and Rick Lorimer all did a fantasic job!

3. Dallas beat Washington to go to 9-1 on the year. How 'bout them Cowboys!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Mackenzie's Birthday Pictures

Tonight, we celebrated Mackenzie's Birthday! We will see all the grandparents over the next week and we will have mini-celebrations with them. Tonight, just the 4 of us had some cake celebrating this milestone. Here are some pictures from the evening.

Mackenzie and Mady getting ready for cake!

Mackenzie shoving cake into her mouth. :)

Mackenzie discovers that the icing is the best part!

Happy Birthday Mackenzie!

Wow! It is hard to believe that Mackenzie is turning one year old today. In some ways, it seems like she has been with us forever and in other ways it seems the time is passing by so fast. She is wonderful. She makes us laugh. She loves her big sister, Mady.

It is so much fun to watch her walk around the house. Last night, she had real milk for the first time. She is beginning to experiment with new foods and feeding herself. She is getting so big.

Happy Birthday Mackenzie! Don't grow up too fast! Love, Daddy

Monday, November 12, 2007

Weekend Reflections

1. Worship was awesome yesterday. Yesterday morning, there was a word from God crying out for us to worship him. There was a wonderful presence of God in the place. Last night, we were singing the song "Everlasting God." I have to admit. I wasn't "feeling" it. After the song was over, the congregation erupted in spontaneous worship. It was awesome. I was pleasantly suprised by the reaction and the worship to God. He's amazing and he deserves our praise.

2. Mady had her last Soccer game. This season seems to have flown by. I was really proud of her. She got in and kicked the ball a couple of times. Then, the rain came and the game got called.

3. Sasha and I had a date night. We really connected. With two kids and us both having jobs, it is sometimes hard to find the time to focus on one another. We had a great time.

4. Little Peyton got to come home yesterday! He is now one month old and they released him from the Hospital. Please continue to pray for him. They still may have to do surgery because an artery is closing.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Sports Musings

1. What a game last night! I stayed up and watched the Mavs game against the Warriors. Both teams were missing key people, but it looks like the Mavs can run with the more athletic Warriors this year. Brandon Bass was huge! He had a double-double. Great game! Dirk was huge in the 4th. 4-1 to start the year.

2. How' bout them Cowboys! 7-1 at the half way point of the season. I have enjoyed watching their games this year. I haven't seen everyone of them....especially the afternoon games. I usually head back to the church around 3. They have a big game with the Giants this week.

3. Yes, I am a Baylor fan. My family moved to Waco when i was 11. Several years, my parents had season tickets to the games back in the Southwest Conference Days. I had always cheered for the Longhorns....and still do. However, I became a fan of the Bears. Let's just say the last 12+ years have not been kind to the Bears. Multiple media outlets (Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News and ESPN) reported last night that the current head coach will be let go at the end of the season. Guy Morriss has done a good job of getting the program on the right track. However, they have had a few setbacks this year. The candidate of choice is legendary Bears (both Baylor and Chicago) Linebacker, Mike Singletary. I hope he is the next head coach. I always liked him as a player. The only drawback to Singletary is a little video called the Super Bowl Shuffle. How embarrassing! :)

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Building Children

To the right of my blog, you can see several other blogs that I read on a regular basis. My friend, John, has a blog that I read. He writes about life, his family and the church that he is planting. This week, John wrote about Chick-fil-a and their core values. At the end of his blog, he gave the following reminders for building children. They spoke to my heart and I thought I would share them also with my blogging audience.

7 Reminders For Building Children* by S. Truett Cathy - Founder and Chairman of Chick-fil-A

1. Every child I know who overcame long odds and grew into a responsible adult can point to an adult who stepped into his or her life as a friend, mentor, and guide.

2. Don’t be too concerned that your children don’t listen to you. But be very concerned that they see everything you do.


3. Be so consistent in your discipline that you’re boring.


4. Stop arguing in front of your children.


5. You may think children have outgrown the desire to be rocked to sleep at night. They
haven’t. 


6. Children will never believe in the covenant of marriage unless they see you living it with their own eyes. 


7. How do you know if a child needs encouragement? If he or she is breathing.



* Excerpts taken from Cathy’s 2004 book: It’s Better to Build Boys Than Mend Me

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Hope

Today, I was reading in the book of Lamentations. I'm reading the author make statements like "He has dragged me off the path and torn me in pieces, leaving me helpless and devastated" and "He has made me chew on gravel." I'm starting to get depressed. Jeremiah wrote Lamentations during a time when he saw the walls of Jerusalem torn down and the majority of the people taken into exile to Babylon. It was not a great time in the History of Jerusalem.

In the midst of all the wild statements about chewing on gravel and bones being broken, Jeremiah writes in Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT) that "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

This had to be the darkest time of his life. Yet, he never lost hope. He believed in the faithfulness of God. He looked beyond his present circumstances and saw the mercy of God. He knew that tomorrow was a new day.

Today may stink! Tomorrow is a different story! Be encouraged! The Best Is Yet To Come!

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Hide And Seek

Tonight, we had a great night at the house. Mady and I played Hide and Seek. We used to play in our house in Oklahoma, but there's not much room here in the duplex we are living in. However, we were creative and found some great places. She didn't want to quit when it was time to go to bed.

I love my girls! They are the best! All three of them. ;)

It never gets old...

Again on Sunday, we had one person commit their heart to Christ. It never gets old to see lives changed in an instant. I've said often that God can do more in an instant than we could ever do in a lifetime. I love to see people give their lives over to God.

We started a new series on Sunday called "Formed." In this series, we are looking at the relationship between the potter and the clay found throughout the Bible. Sunday, we talked about how God formed us from the dust in his image. We were made in God's moral likeness...sin free. Then, sin entered the world and Romans tells us that we all have sinned. Ephesians tells us that we are God's Masterpiece and he created us anew or formed as anew in Christ Jesus. The Potter created the masterpiece, but sin tainted it. So, he throws us back on the spinning wheel and recreates us. When we allow ourselves to stay on that wheel, then he will finish the work that he started.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Family Fun Fest Recap

We had a great time last night at the Family Fun Fest. From 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., there was a steady stream of people. We had almost 450 registered attenders and we know that there were those that did not register. We estimate that over 500 people attended the Family Fun Fest at Cornerstone. We served almost 300 hot dogs and drinks! We gave away one $100 gift card to Wal-mart and 5 $20 gift cards to Wal-mart. I'm going to be posting a lot of pictures of the Family Fun Fest soon over at http://www.cornerstoneatlanta.tv/

I personally passed out over 3 bucketfuls of candy as I walked around and met countless people. Today, a man met Sasha at her school. After she introduced herself, he asked her if she was "Rusty's wife." He said he had met me last night at the Family Fun Fest.

I want to thank all of the workers. At Cornerstone, we believe every member should be involved in ministry. Several of our new families got involved last night and helped with the booths and clean up. We had everyone from our students to our senior adults pitching in to pull off this event. We could not have done it without you. THANK YOU!!!!

Today, we sent out flyers with information about our church to approx. 120 families that attended last night! I am praying that if they don't have a church home that they will connect with God at Cornerstone!

My aunt and uncle drove down from Texarkana to come to the event. They suprised us. We were not expecting them, but it was a wonderful suprise. When we were in Oklahoma City, our nearest relatives were 4-5 hours away. Now, we are only 25 minutes.



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Mady had a blast last night. She loved the inflatable slide. Sasha took lots of pictures of her and Kenzie. I wanted to post a few on my blog.



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Mady was Uniqua from the Backyardigans T.V. Show. The Backyardigans is one of the best and most creative kid's shows out there. Mady loves it.

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Mackenzie Striking a Pose

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Time out for a blog

1. We're getting ready for tonight's Family Fun Fest. I'm waiting on the Inflatable company to come and set up. Then, it is off to Wal-mart for some last minute items.

2. We have a great team. I believe in teamwork. I want to thank everyone who came up last night. Thank you to Bobby, Tammy, Blake, Brent and Brandon Caraway, Wes and Patti Everett, Marc, Gina and Austin Mote, Tyler Stuart and Amanda Vaughan. These guys worked for about 4 hours last night getting ready for tonight's Fun Fest. Bobby fixed some of the lighting outside and it looks awesome. Thanks guys for all your hard work!

3. I spoke with Bobby this morning. Little Peyton came through surgery great! The doctors are very pleased with the results. Let's keep praying for him!

4. Yesterday, I made my NBA picks. Then, last night, I got an e-mail newsletter from the Dallas Mavericks announcing that they had reached a deal with Juwan Howard. WOW! This instantly make the Mavs a deeper team. I hated to see Howard go when he was a Mav before. He fits into their team really well. He had a great year as a role player in Houston last year. This year, he will be a great role player. Stack, Terry and Juwan off the bench is going to be a formidable line up. They face Lebron and Co. tonight on ESPN. Go Mavs!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

NBA

I love football, but I also love Basketball. I had such a great response from my NFL picks that I thought I would prognosticate the upcoming NBA season.

I'm going to give you my picks to win the Western Conference and Eastern Conference. In fact, I'm going with two teams that are flying under most people's radar.

I'll start with the East. I'm going to pick the Miami Heat. Shaq, Wade and Co will be back in the finals this year. When Wade is fully healthy, these guys will make a run. Boston has nothing to stop Shaq down low and there's no way that Ray Allen or Paul Pierce can stop D-wade defensively. You can never count out a Pat Riley coached team.

In the West, no one.....absolutely no one is giving this team a chance. The Spurs are an every other year team. They won last year and will have a down year with that aging roster. The Suns are in disarray....Marion doesn't want to be there and you never know with Amare what you are going to get. In the end, their lack of defense will be their demise. Utah was a one year wonder and they lost the "heart and soul" of that team when Derek Fisher left. So, once again I'm going with a homer pick. That's right.....the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs got rid of Croshere and Buckner and brought in Eddie Jones, Trenton Hassell and Brandon Bass. They have adjusted the lineup to have Terry and Stack off the bench. This will be a potent team. Dirk will turn in another MVP season.

The Cowboys in the Super Bowl. The Mavs in the Finals. This will be a great year in Dallas sports.

Winner: Mavs get revenge on Shaq and Wade and win it all.

Blogging and other thoughts

1. I had several people tell me this weekend that they read my blog regularly. I love blogging! I love celebrating what God is doing. I love talking about my family. I love revealing what I'm thinking about. Thank you to all the readers of my blog!

2. We had a great weekend! On Sunday Morning, one young man committed his life to Christ. That is why we do what we do! I love it when someone accepts Christ. We also had several new families at Cornerstone! We were honored to have them in service!

3. Our Family Fun Fest is tomorrow night. There is a lot to do today and tomorrow. It is going to be a great event. It starts at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow night and will last until 8:00 p.m. There will be inflatables, candy, food and more. It is all free! We're also giving some prizes away.

4. Please continue to pray for little Peyton. They got great news yesterday on his heart. However, they are still anticipating having a procedure on his stomach tomorrow.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Saturday Night Thoughts

1. Today was a great day! We had a soccer game this morning for Mady. I got to invite someone to our Family Fun Fest.

2. We went to Larry and Joyce Rhyne's 50th Anniversary Party! What a great celebration! Congratulations to Larry and Joyce for 50 years of marriage!

3. I can't wait for tomorrow. I am anticipating God doing something great in our services tomorrow.

4. I talked with Bobby earlier. Please keep praying for little Peyton. He had a rough night, but is doing better. He is still in the hospital in Little Rock. He is having some problems with his intestines and they are possibly going to operate on him Wednesday.

Friday, October 26, 2007

First Steps

Mackenzie took her first steps this week. Tonight, she took 7 or 8 steps before falling. She got to where she would catch herself and then stand back up. Then, she would start walking again. She is getting so big. Both of our girls are. I love my girls! They're the best!

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Only The World

Right now, I have to say that my favorite song on the radio is Mandisa's "Only The World." We have this song on our Myspace Profile. It's got a catchy tune and a catchy beat. I love it. If you're going through a rough spot in the road of life, then put this is in your 8-track.....I mean CD player......mmmmm Ipod and enjoy it. It'll make you smile!

Here's the lyrics:

Verse 1: Been a hard one, Been a bad one Been a tough one, Been a sad one It's been one of those days that keeps chipping away at my heart Nothing new here, It's what I do here its a stereotypical day, in the life I'm surrounded by all of the pain and the strife but I know it's alright, woah oh

Chorus: Cause it's only the world i'm living in It's only today i've been given There ain't no way i'm giving in Cause it's only the world (only the world) I know the best is still yet to come Cause even when my days in the world are done There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world

Verse 2: Anybody can you hear me? Do you feel me? I mean, do you feel me? I know I'm not the only one wearing the weight in this world We got problems (said it's alright) Just remember (yeah, it's alright) Take a good look around we're just stuck on the ground for a little while Don't it make you smile

Chorus: Cause it's only the world i'm living in (Yeah) It's only today i've been given(Yeah) There ain't no way i'm giving in Cause it's only the world (only the world) I know the best is still yet to come Cause even when my days in the world are done There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world

Bridge: Heaven is a place where the tears on every face will be wiped away And I can't wait to go, but for now it's enough to know This is only temporary this is only, Yeah, Alright!

Chorus: Cause it's only the world i'm living in It's only the day i've been given There ain't no way i'm giving in Cause it's only the world (only the world) I know the best is still yet to come Cause even when my days in the world are done There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me

Monday, October 22, 2007

Sunday Thoughts

1. We had 86 in service yesterday morning. We are averaging about 5 more people this month than last month. :) Jon Catron, the North Texas District Youth Director, spoke about Sacrifice. We received commitments and an offering for Speed The Light.

2. Last night, we had a great service. I spoke about priorities and making God the number one thing in your life. We had a great response to the altar call.

3. Yesterday was a busy, busy day. Between services, I attended the funeral for Moe Moyer. Bro. Moe was 85 years old. It was a great memorial service celebrating his life. Please pray for his wife, Ruth.

4. The Cowboys win!!!! Now, they are 6-1 going into the bye week! I have noticed that when they play the 3 o'clock game that our Sunday Night attendance is down. Coincidence?

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

The Best Question Ever

In the summer of 2006, I read a book by Andy Stanley called "The Best Question Ever." There are few books other than the Bible that have impacted my life as much as this one.

Tonight, we started the Group Study based on this book in our Wednesday Night Service. I had a great time. We had great interaction and the Video portion was awesome.

If you have not read this book, come join us next week or go pick up a copy at your local bookstore.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Monday Morning Thoughts

1. Yesterday was a great day! We had 94 in attendance yesterday morning. Also, we had one person who committed their heart to Christ. There was such a sense of excitement in the place. We challenge Cornerstone to get involved in ministry. I was excited to see how many people who are not currently serving in an area stepping up to get involved.

2. Peyton's Grandparents were in service yesterday morning. His Grandmother told us about how the place where the doctors saw the hole in little Peyton's heart. The medical staff can't explain it, but there is new muscle growing over that place. I can explain it. By his stripes, we are healed!!!!!!! They have a test scheduled today that will determine when they will let him come home.

3. The Patriots are awesome. I saw the first half of the "Duel in Dallas." The Cowboys played well, but the Patriots were in a league of their own. Not sour grapes, but I think the game is different if Anthony Henry, the 'boys starting Cornerback, is playing. Maybe we will get to see the rematch in....dare I say....the Super Bowl. :) Plus, Terry Glenn will give them another weapon on offense when he comes back.

4. I got to hang out at my Granny's house for lunch yesterday. My grandaddy turned 85 and my aunt cooked lunch for everyone. It was great. :) I got to see my little cousin, Jared, for the first time. He's cute. We had a great time. Mady enjoyed playing with her cousin, Brooke. They played tag and hide and seek all through out the house.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Update on Peyton

I spoke with Debbie, Peyton's Grandmother, tonight. As I said yesterday, the doctors were going to run tests today because they said he had a blockage in his pulmonary artery. The doctors had said that there was nothing they could do for him if there was a blockage.

Guess What? They ran the test and there is NO BLOCKAGE. Praise the Lord! We serve an awesome God!

Jessica, Peyton's Mom, was released from the hospital today. Please keep praying for Peyton. There are still some problems with one of the chambers in his heart. The doctors have said that they can correct these problems, but I am praying for a complete healing.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Peyton

Tuesday, I went to Little Rock. Bobby and Jessica were scheduled to have their new baby Wednesday Morning. So, I drove up Tuesday afternoon and spent the night with Brian Dollar and his family. Thanks Brian and Cherith for your hospitality!

Jessica had the baby about 2:50 yesterday afternoon. Peyton Lee Hearnsberger came into the world weighing in at 8 pounds 4 ounces.

All babies are miracles. However, Peyton is especially a miracle. The doctors said months ago that Peyton would not even make it into the world. They said he had no stomach, that his heart was turned around backwards and that he would have down syndrome. The family, friends and Cornerstone have been praying. Other pre-natal tests showed that the stomach was there and that Peyton would not have Down Syndrome. His heart has progressively gotten better. At one of their last appointments, the doctors told them that he would have to have surgery right after he was born or he wouldn't make it.

They took him yesterday to a Children's Hospital for tests. I got to see him in the NICU at about 8:45 last night. He looks healthy, is breathing on his own and was resting peacefully. They will run more tests today. There are some problems with his heart.....in one of the chambers and a blockage in an artery. The heart is beating good and the doctors are now saying that it isn't necessary for them to rush him into surgery now. He still may have to have surgery, but we are believing that God is going to heal him.

We have already seen the miraculous with Peyton. Now, we are believing that he will be completely healthy. Please Pray for Peyton.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Soccer

Mady had her first Soccer Game this weekend! She had a great time and so did we! I thought I would share some pictures of the event!








Monday, October 8, 2007

How 'bout them Cowboys!

What a nail biter of a game! Romo was awful. Now, a couple of those interceptions were not his fault. If you didn't see the game, it had to be one of the greatest games in Monday Night Football History. Dallas was down by 8 with two minutes left. Romo leads them down on a night when he had personally turned the ball over on six plus occasions. The 'boys score. T.O. couldn't hang on to the two point conversion. The Cowboys are forced to kick an onside kick. They recover it. Romo completes a couple of passes. It sets up the game winning field goal by rookie kicker Nick Folk. Nick makes the kick. Wait! Buffalo called Timeout! He kicks the 53 yarder again. Ice water runs through his veins and he nails it! Cowboys comeback and win by one in Buffalo. 5-0!!!!!

Next week, the New England Patriots will face the Boys. I can't wait!

Weekend Update

1. We had great services on Sunday. 84 were in attendance Sunday Morning. We had a couple of new families. I'm so excited about what God is doing.

2. Sunday Morning, we talked about fellowship in our Get connected series. Thank you for the positive feedback on the message.

3. It was sad to say Good bye to Matt. Matt is leaving for the Air Force today. Please remember to pray for him! We had a great time Sunday Night at the going away party for him!

4. Our Sunday School attendance was great! We had over 50 in Sunday School. I heard a lot of great things about the two new Adult Classes!

The Best Is Yet To Come

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Reasons my life is good

1. I love God! He is the best thing that ever happened to me. I honestly do not know what or where I would be without him guiding my path. Thank you, God, for sending your son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins. I can't wait to see you in heaven.

2. I love my girls! Sasha, Mady and Mackenzie are the best! They are going to be here in about an hour and we are going to get to hang out tonight. Mady's got soccer practice and we will probably grab a bite to eat before or after.

3. I love my church! It is fun working with such great people. Dennis and Beverly are up here now working. Last night, we had a group of teenagers that stayed and rearranged classrooms to get ready for our new classes that are starting Sunday.

4. I love my family! I wish I got to see everybody more, but I have a great family. It has been nice living closer to my Texarkana Family and getting to see them more than a couple of times a year.

5. I love my friends! I am truly blessed to have great friends. I'm in a couple of different Fantasy Football Leagues. One with some friends in the Chandler area and one with guys that I went to SAGU with. I am having a blast.

6. I love this time of the year. Don't get me wrong. There are things that I love about all the seasons. I love the spring when everything is blooming. I love the summer because of vacationing and the longer days. I love the briskness of the winter and the holiday season. There is nothing that compares to fall. The beautiful colors of changing leaves. NFL. College Football. Friday Night Lights. The crispness of the air. I love fall. This is by far my favorite time of the year.

My life is good. I'm a blessed man.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Community and Bar-B-Que

We had a great weekend at Cornerstone! Sunday Night, we had a great fellowship. I love the sense of community at Cornerstone. We had a young couple visit Sunday morning and they came back Sunday Night for the Fifth Sunday Fellowship.

Our theme for the fellowship was Bar-B-Que. I have to admit that I was amazed at how much Bar-B-Que we had. There was Brisket, Chicken, Sausage, Ribs and Shrimp. All of the Bar-B-Que that I had was great. No, I didn't over do it. In fact, I stayed away from the dessert table.

I really appreciate all who came early and stayed late to clean up. Thank you for serving at Cornerstone!

Bro. and Sis. Chamblee sent my family home with some of their Bar-B-Que chicken. It was delicious. It was great the first time and great last night. Thank you for blessing us with such great food!

I love the sense of community at Cornerstone so much that I want to get other people connected to our church family. This Sunday, we are continuing our series "Get Connected" with the topic of fellowship. I can't wait!!!

Monday, October 1, 2007

Kid's Convention

Mady and I attended the first ever North Texas Kid's Convention. We went with Bobby and Brandon Caraway. Brandon even got to go on stage as a part of an Illustration. We had a blast!!!! Thanks guys for going and hanging out with us!

Friday Night, we checked into our hotel and ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Pei Wei. After some great Honey Seared Chicken, we headed over to the Kid's Convention. It was held at Calvary Church in Irving, Texas.

My good friend, Brian Dollar, was the speaker for the event. Mady loved the lights and the music. When she got home, she was telling Sasha all about it. The theme was having a Rock Solid foundation in Christ.

It was great seeing Brian, Cherith and the Kids again. He does a great job with Kid's Ministry. I especially love his character, Skittles. Skittles is hilarious.

It was also great seeing some of my other friends. Darrell Wickert was there. He's a Kid's Pastor at Bethel Temple in Cleburne, Texas. It was great seeing his wife, Margaret and his kids. Darrell, Brian Dollar and myself came out of the same church, Victorious Life Church in Waco. Brian Massey helped Brian with the Kid's Convention. We interned at the Oaks together. Massey is on staff there as the Creative Director. It was also great seeing David McLain. David pastors The Bridge Community Church in the Austin area. All five of us attended Southwestern at the same time.

Here are some pictures from the event!

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Mady and Daddy hanging out at Kid's Convention. Sasha stayed home with Mackenzie. So, we had a Daddy and Mady Weekend. It was a blast!

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Mady has been learning about giving to Missions through BGMC. She was so excited to see the big blow up Buddy Barrell.

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Mady and Brian Dollar's Daughter, Ashton.

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Milk Dud and Skittles rapping for Jesus. He's got a rainbow of flava and he's living for his savior.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Worship

Last Sunday, we began a new series entitled "Get Connected." At Cornerstone, we are connecting people to God and to each other. Last Sunday, we talked about how we connect to God in worship.

One of the ladies at Cornerstone e-mailed me this poem she wrote after hearing the message Sunday Morning. I thought I would share it with those who read my blog.

Worship

Worship is an important thing
To show our love to the Lord
It's about reading the Word
Cause its sharper than a sword!

The heart of worship is obedience
We must search for Him
Then submit to His ways
Not let our light grow dim!

We must worship to please God
Not worry about others
Or what they are thinking
Not brothers, sisters or mothers!

We must be in the right frame of mind
Not letting the weariness of the day
Distract us of our first love
Giving Him 110% each and everyday!!

Susie Staley
09-23-2007

Thanks Susie for sharing your poem with us and for letting me post it on my blog.

I can't wait to continue the "Get Connected" Series this Sunday. We will be discussing Discipleship. Don't miss Sunday Night. It's our Fifth Sunday Fellowship. This month's theme is Bar-B-Que!!!!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Mady

I just got back from Mady's school. They were doing a bike-a-thon to benefit St. Jude's Children's Hospital. They rode their bikes around the parking lot for about 30 minutes. These pictures were taken with my cell phone. So, they are little blurry.




Mady kept looking around at all of our friends on their bikes. They were laughing and having a great time.


Mady got going so fast. When she tried to negotiate the turn, her bike got tight (Nascar term for not being able to turn). She crashed twice. This picture was taken after her second crash. I was so proud of her. She didn't cry or whine at all. She got her knees fixed and was ready to get back on the bike. Before she could get cleaned up, the time was up and it was back to class.


Mady's got a great school. She enjoys it so much. Sasha and I could not be more happy that the girls are in such a great daycare.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Wednesday Thoughts

1. A huge thanks to my wonderful wife today. It was one of those days that happen ever so often. I have been having some sort of sinus/throat problems. When I woke up yesterday, my throat was clogged. I left the office yesterday at lunch and never made it back. I took some meds and fell asleep on the couch. Then, I went to bed when the girls got in. Sasha was a big trooper. She made dinner, took care of the girls, got them baths and put them both to bed. Plus, she had to take care of a sick husband. Thank you, Sasha. I love you. I am feeling a whole lot better today.

2. I am looking so forward to our first outreach here at Cornerstone. We are having a "Family Fun Fest" on October 31. We will be adverstising in the paper and inviting the community. It's going to be great. We have inflatables rented. There will be tons of food. It's going to be a great event for the community.

3. We're about to start some new Adult Sunday School Classes. More information will be coming soon.

4. I've been reading a great book called Comeback Churches. Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson interviewed and researched over 300 churches from multiple denominations including the Assemblies of God. These churches were all plateaued or were decreasing in attendance. It is interesting to see what God did in these churches when they prayed, planned and acted on God's plan.

5. Due to our church's faithfulness to missions giving, we have been able to add two new missionaries to our missions family. They are Gaylord and Fredna Brown and Amy Farley. Welcome aboard guys!

Monday, September 24, 2007

All I can say is WOW!!!!

1. We had a great service yesterday morning. I began a new series entitled "Get Connected." We talked about Worship. True Worship isn't about an experience. It's about a relationship. Even though it was raining, we still had a good attendance. We are averaging over 80 in the month of September.

2. One of the things that I haven't blogged about is how unusual our Sunday Night Attendance is compared to other places.. We are averaging about 60-65% of our Sunday morning Attendance on Sunday Night. Most churches that I have talked to are averaging under 50%. Now, these are not hard facts. It's just a collection of what I have seen other places. So, I'm really excited about our Sunday Night Crowd.

3. We had a great service last night. I blogged last week about "Opportunity." Last night, I spoke about that subject and how we need to see and act on the God-given opportunites. We gave an opportunity for people to get saved. Two people raised their hand for salvation. During the altar time, a teenage boy came and started to talk to me. He wanted to give his heart to the Lord as well. So, 3 people commited their lives to Christ last night. That's what it is all about. WOW!!!!!

4. After service, I came home and helped get the girls in bed. Thanks to the miracle of DVR, I got to see the Cowboys/Bears game from start to finish. Wow! What a game! Anyone who has talked to me on this subject knows that I have been hesitant to completely jump on the Romo Bandwagon. I am now officially on the Tony Romo Bandwagon. Where is my #9 jersey? This guy is the real deal. Jason Garrett is doing an awesome job with the offense. The defense needs some work, but I like the pressure they are getting on opposing Quarterbacks. 3-0, WOW!!!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Random Thoughts

1. We had a fantastic service last night! It was definitely our best Wednesday Night crowd since we came to Cornerstone. We had 58! The church was averaging 50-55 in attendance on Sunday Morning during April and May. Now, to hit that on Wednesday is exciting. Our student minsitry, CSI, had 22. I'm so proud of our leaders. They are doing a wonderful job.

2. Tank Johnson is now a Dallas Cowboy! Tank was suspended by the NFL for a violation of the NFL's player conduct policy. He was convicted of a crime dealing with guns. I have heard many fans and journalists that don't think he should be allowed to play in the league. As for me, well, I believe in second chances. Grace gives us a second chance. I know this is professional sports, but in life we serve a God of grace and forgiveness. I think we should encourage people who are trying to get their lives straight. We should forgive and let him move on with his life. Tank, you don't deserve a second chance. Grace and Forgiveness gives you one! I'll support you as a fan of "America's Team." Welcome aboard and we'll see you on the field in November!

3. Tonight, I get to go to Mady's second soccer practice. I'm excited. She is so cute.

4. This Sunday, I'm starting a brand new series called "Get connected." We want people to connect to God and to others at Cornerstone. This Sunday, we are looking at characteristics of people who connect to God in worship. I've included the graphic for the series. Check it out!


Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Leadership Team

I had a great time with our leadership team last night. We talked about our core values as a church. We also looked over the calendar for October. We also spent a lot of time planning the upcoming Family Fun Fest on October 31.

We have a great team that serve our different departments. Marc and Gina Mote work with our student ministry. Patti Everett works with our Kids. Bobby and Tammy Caraway run our Sunday School ministry. Thank you guys for all you do for Cornerstone.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Opportunity

When I was a kid, one of my favorite kid's church songs was the one about the lame man who was healed in Acts 3. "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee....."

I was reading this passage of scripture today in my quiet time. I find interesting what happens after the man "went walking and leaping and praising God." The scripture records that people rushed out to see what happened. They saw the man holding on tightly to Peter and John. Everyone was in awe about what happened.

Now here is where it get really interesting. Acts 3:12 (NLT) states "Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd."

Two things happened in this scripture. The first thing is that Peter saw his opportunity. How many of us miss opportunites to do good things for God because we don't see them? Perhaps, we are not sensitive to the leading of the spirit. Perhaps, we are not looking for them.

The second thing that happened is that Peter addressed the crowd. How many times have we seen the opportunity, but not been bold enough to speak? We know it is what God wants us to do, but we are afraid of speaking out.

Let's be people who see the opportunity and act on it.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Weekend Update

1. We had two great services yesterday! There were several guests with us! We wrapped up the Seven series with a message on Lust.

2. Thank you to all those who have volunteered to work the nursery. We now have our toddler nursery and baby nursery fully staffed.

3. How 'bout them Cowboys!!!! I didn't get to see the game since it was 3:00 kickoff. However, I saw the score. The offense is clicking. The defense needs Terrance Newman and they'll be alright.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Quick Trip

We made a quick trip to Kilgore last night to see the mighty Atlanta Rabbits face the Kilgore Bulldogs. We have several teens in the church that are involved with Atlanta's football team and band. Sasha graduated from Kilgore. So, we drove down and watched the game. The girls stayed with their grandparents and Sasha and I got to go eat together before the game. We went to Bodacious BBQ.

Instead of making the drive back from Kilgore, we stayed with Sasha's parents last night. Then, today, we got up and went to Longview. Mady needed some new soccer cleats. She starts soccer in the next couple of weeks. We also went to lunch at one of our family's favorite restaurants, Cheddar's. We love their onion rings.

All in all, it was a great trip. We had a blast at the game and hanging out together as a family. The only downer was that the Rabbits (3A) got beat by Kilgore (4A).

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's service. I can't wait. I need to go to sleep, but I can't. :)

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Gluttony Notes from Sunday

As promised, I am posting the notes from Sunday's Message on Gluttony. This is something that a lot of people struggle with. This is something that I have struggled with. God has challenged me personally this week. I hope this is beneficial to you.

Gluttony

Proverbs 25:27-28 (NLT) “Just as it is not good to eat too much honey, it is not good for people to think about all the honors they deserve. 28A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls.”

What is Gluttony?
· Gluttony - excess in eating or drinking
· Gluttony is a lack of self-control.


Gluttony is sin. Why is it that we see all the other "seven deadly sins" as sin, but we struggle to call Gluttony sin. Have you ever heard of "Comfort Foods?" These are the foods that we eat to find comfort. Many times, when we are upset or stressed, we turn to our Comfort Foods. When we do this, we are making food our God. Let me explain, the Holy Spirit is to be our "comforter." When we look to food instead of God to be our comfort, then we are elevating food into God's place. Thus, Gluttony makes food our God. Philippians 3:18-19 (NLT) states "18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth."


The Enemy uses food as temptation. Look back at the very first sin, Eve took the FRUIT from the tree and ate it. The serpent enticed her with the knowledge of good and evil...the ability to be just like God and with the fruit....(Look up Genesis 3:6-7 NLT). It says the fruit looked fresh and delicious. What would have happened if the fruit was spoiled....if it looked gross....if it smelled nasty, perhaps we would still be in the garden. Fast foward to the New Testament, Luke 4:1-4 (NLT) records Jesus being out in the wilderness for 40 days. He was tempted by the Devil. The very first recorded temptation of Jesus was at a time when he hadn't had anything to eat for 40 days. The enemy comes and tells him to turn the stone into bread. The enemy of our soul will trap up any way he can. The sad things is that we do not see Gluttony as sin and therefore, we are entangled in a web of gluttony and don't even realize it.


Keys to Overcoming Gluttony

Be Filled With The Spirit
Ephesians 5:18 (KJV)


Practice Self-control
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) gives us the fruit of the spirit. One of those fruits is self-control. If we truly are filled with the spirit, then we will bear those fruits in our lives.


Proverbs 25:27-28 (NLT) “Just as it is not good to eat too much honey, it is not good for people to think about all the honors they deserve. 28A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls.”

Titus 2:11-12 (NIV) tells us that the grace of God has appeared to all men and it teaches us to live self-controlled lives.


As Christ Followers, we need to practice self control.


Find Comfort In God
Psalms 34:8 (NIV) "Taste and see that the LORD is good;blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." Our comfort needs to come from God and not from our comfort foods. We are blessed when we take refuge in him.


Take care of God’s Temple
1 Corinthians 6:12-13, 19-20 (NIV) “Everything is permissible for me"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"-but I will not be mastered by anything. 13"Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"-but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” We use this portion of scriputre often when talking about sins that are sexual in nature. That is true, but it also refers to food. Everyday, we pile things that are high in fat, calories and things that we don't even know how to pronounce. We need to take care of God's Temple

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 (NLT) “Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. 10So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.”

Use Wisdom when selecting foods
Proverbs 23:19-21 (NIV) “Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path. 20Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, 21for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.” Go for something that is healthy. Don't overdo it! Use wisdom. Ask yourself: Is it wise for me to eat this type of food?

Eat in Moderation

Proverbs 25:16 (NIV) “If you find honey, eat just enough — too much of it, and you will vomit.”

If you find something you like, don't eat too much of it. Get a small or medium instead of the large. Don't supersize. Enjoy your favorite foods, but do it in moderation.


Put Food In a Proper Perspective
Proverbs 13:25 (TLB) “The good man eats to live, while the evil man lives to eat.” We need to view food as fuel for the body. We should eat to live, not live to eat.

Fast
Matthew 6:16-18 (NLT) “"And when you fast (not if you fast), don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look pale and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I assure you, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17But when you fast , comb your hair and wash your face. 18Then no one will suspect you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.” Fasting is one of the greatest combats to gluttony. Nothing tells your body who is in charge like not eating for a few days or radically changing your diet. I'm not a fruit and vegetables type of guy. Periodically, I have done what is called the Daniel Fast. The Daniel Fast is based on the passage of scripture in Daniel where he and the three hebrew children denied themselves the pleasures of the king's table for "pulse." Pulse is vegetables, fruits, etc. Things that are sown with seeds. You can check out this link to find out more about the Daniel Fast. http://www.daystar.com/Daystar/Prayer/Daniel+Fast_landing.htm

My prayer is that this will start a brand new life for you as you combat gluttony. :)



Monday, September 10, 2007

What a great weekend!

1) We had a great weekend at Cornerstone! First, we had our biggest attendance since we became pastors at Cornerstone! There were 98 people here yesterday! I'm so grateful to God for what he is doing! Thank you, Church Family, for bringing your friends and family! Together, we are going to see over 100 people attending Cornerstone real soon!

2) I heard great reports from our Kid's Ministry! Yesterday was the first day for the Kids to began their service at 10:45! They began a new curriculum called Got Questions? Patti and her team are doing an excellent job with our kids.

3) We also had two people rededicate their life to Christ. It is awesome when someone sees their need for Jesus.

4) I had a great time communicating the message on Gluttony. I will be posting some notes from it in the next couple of days!

5) It's always a good weekend when the Cowboys win! :) How 'bout them Cowboys!

Saturday, September 8, 2007

New Look

I have a new look to the blog tonight! Thank you to all who take the time to read my blog.

If you have a RSS Feeder like myyahoo, etc., then you can subscribe to my blog by clicking the link on the right hand side of the page. There's also a place for you to subscribe by e-mail.

Again, thank you to all who take the time to read the blog. It means a lot to know that people are actually coming and checking it out.

I can't wait for tomorrow. I promise to post the notes from the Gluttony sermon next week for those of you who do not attend Cornerstone.

Friday, September 7, 2007

TGIF

Happy Friday!

1) I'm looking forward to being with my girls this weekend. We're about to go to Wal-mart together.

2) I have enjoyed studying for the message on Gluttony. For those of you who read my blog and don't attend Cornerstone, I'll post some notes from it next week. If you are in the Atlanta, Texas area, come to Cornerstone this Sunday and check it out!

3) Kid's service time changes this Sunday. Be sure to bring a friend and get your kids here at 10:45 a.m. to start King's Kids.

4) Wow! After last night's Colts/Saints game, my Colts pick in the Super Bowl is looking really good. ;)

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Are you ready for some football?

I am pumped. Tonight is the first NFL game of the season. It should be a great matchup between the Colts and the Saints.

I thought I'd put my Super Bowl Picks for this Season online.

In the AFC, I'm picking the Colts. How can you argue with that offense? I know they lost a couple of guys on Defense, but they will be good enough to win.

In the NFC, I'm going with the same pick that Mike Golic had on Mike and Mike in the Morning. That's right....the Dallas Cowboys. It has been awhile. They have a stellar defense and will be good offensively. There is not a dominant team in the NFC and I think this will be the year the Cowboys make it.

As far as a winner, I'll just say it will be ring #6 for the Boys.

Call me a homer. That's fine. I'll revisit this post in February after the big game to see how accurate my prediction was. :)

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Gluttony

I have been thinking about and studying for Sunday's Message. I'll give you a little hint. Gluttony is really a lack of self-control. ;)

I'm really looking forward to sharing this message. This is something that I think we all need to hear.

Question: Is this message for those who struggle with their weight?
Answer: Yes

Question: So, can I stay home if I'm skinny? :)
Answer: No, this message is for you too. There are a lot of people who are skinny and still exhibit zero self-control.

Bring a friend. This is going to be a great weekend. :)

Monday, September 3, 2007

Weekend Update

1. We had a great weekend at Cornerstone. For Labor Day weekend, our attendance was great. We still had 75.

2. Last night, we had our Labor Day Fellowship. It was great. I enjoyed hanging around the grill with some of the guys as we cooked burgers and hot dogs.

3. After the fellowship, I got to hear some of the students practice for our CSI band. CSI: Cornerstone Student Impact is our Student Ministry for grades 7th - 12th. Tyler is doing a great job leading the band and they sounded great. I look forward to hearing them again.

4. CSI had a lock-in last night. They had a great group of students there. I met several new students. I also got to play Madden '08 for the first time. Austin took me to school on the game. He dominated the game. I'm looking for a rematch soon. :)

5. I'm really excited about next weekend's message on Gluttony. :) Don't miss it. :)

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Looking ahead...

1. I'm pumped about this weekend's services. I'm spending this morning putting the finishing touches on the message about Greed. Also, Sunday Night, we are having a church Labor Day Fellowship. It's going to be awesome. We'll be having burgers and hot dogs. I love being with the Cornerstone Family!

2. Tonight, College Football kicks off the new season. I love this time of year. :) I can't wait. We are going to cook some ribs tonight. :)

3. We have some great things for kids in September. Beginning September 5th, we kick off our new Wednesday Night Program, High Point! Starting September 9th, Kid's Church begins at 10:45 a.m. instead of after worship. Also, we will be going to Kid's Convention in Irving on September 28-29. It's going to be a blast. :)

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Why do bad things happen to good people?

That is a question that I have heard more in the last 10 months than I have heard in my entire life. Last Sunday Night, I spoke on this topic. I don't claim to have all the answers to this question, but this is a good start. I want to give you the highlights from Sunday Night's message.

Why do bad things happen to good people?
1. God never promised us that life would be easy and worry free.
  • John 16:33 (NLT) “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.
    Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because
    I have overcome the world.”
2. God uses tough times to develop our character.

  • James 1:2-3 (NLT) “2Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

3. God allows tough times to happen to show off our character.

Job 1:6-12 (NLT) “6One day the angels came to present themselves before the
LORD, and Satan the Accuser came with them. 7“Where have you come from?” the
LORD asked Satan. And Satan answered the LORD, “I have been going back and
forth across the earth, watching everything that’s going on.” 8Then the LORD
asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the
earth—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with
evil.” 9Satan replied to the LORD, “Yes, Job fears God, but not without good
reason! 10You have always protected him and his home and his property from
harm. You have made him prosperous in everything he does. Look how rich he is!
11But take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” 12“All right, you may test him,” the LORD said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the LORD’S presence.”

What should our response be as believers?
1. Don’t worry

  • Matthew 6:25 (NLT) “25“So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing?”

2. Be Joyful

  • James 1:2 (NLT) ““2Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.”
  • Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) “10And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our LORD. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

3. Use the time to draw closer to God

Psalm 23:1-6 (NLT) “1The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need.
2He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to
his name. 4Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not
be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect
and comfort me. 5You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my
enemies. You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil. My
cup overflows with blessings. 6Surely your goodness and unfailing love will
pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.”


4. Maintain Your Integrity

  • Job 2:3 (NLT) “3Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you persuaded me to harm him without cause.”

Monday, August 27, 2007

Happy Monday!

1. We had a great weekend! The weekend before school starts and we had 30-35 people who are there most every week that were out. We still had 75 in attendance. We had several new families in at Cornerstone. God is doing some great things. The Best Is Yet To Come!!!!

2. Update on Brandon. If you read my blog on don't attend Cornerstone. Brandon is the 9 year old who was in the automobile accident last Saturday, August 18. Since then, he has had 5 surgeries. I talked to him tonight on the phone. He's still in Little Rock, but is doing excellent. They didn't have to do any skin grafts on his leg. They only had to do one small one on his arm!

3. Tonight was a cool night. It was the first time in a couple of weeks that we have all been at home on the same night. I love spending time with my family. Between Sasha getting ready for school and the nursery project at the church, we haven't all been together for a whole night in a couple of weeks. We grilled out (Brats, Hot Dogs, and Corn). Sasha made Mac and Cheese. It was a great meal. We all had a good laugh at Kenzie. She crawls so fast. She kept making quick tracks to Mady's Bathroom. That's her favorite place to go. The only bad thing is that she can climb up now. Tonight, we didn't make it in time and we heard Mady say "Kenzie just stuck her hand in the potty." We've decided that since she likes the potty so much that maybe she'll potty train early. :) Mady and I finished the night playing a game of Princess Monopoly. She won.....fair and square. :)

4. One of the things that we were hoping that Atlanta would have is a soccer league for 4 year olds. Guess What? They do. Mady is so excited to be playing Soccer again. She'll have her first game at the end of September.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Responsibility

I read a great chapter on Responsibility in John Maxwell's Talent is Never Enough. We must take responsibility for the world we live in. We cannot wait for others to change the world. We need to change the world by changing ourselves.

There's a sign in my office that says "If it is to be, then it is up to me." If our world is going to change, then we need to change it. We cannot wait for a politician, athlete or entertainer to be the catalyst for changing our culture. We, as believers, must infilitrate the culture and change it.

We could point fingers to blame previous generations, but will we leave the world a better place? Will there be positive change on our watch? Or are we going to let it continually decline?

If the world is going to change......if the world is going to be reached, then it is up to me. Responsibility.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Weekend Update and Today's Journey

1. Praise God!!!! This was our 4th week in a row above 80! We had a great spirit in the Sunday Morning Service! I love our church family at Cornerstone! You guys are awesome!

2. On Saturday, we had 20+ people join us for some much needed maintanence and clean up at the church! Thank you to everyone who came and gave up their Saturday to work at Cornerstone!

3. The girls started back to school today. Sasha took Mady and Kenzie to the daycare this morning and then headed off to school. I am proud of my wife. She is a great teacher! She works so hard.

4. Today, I went to Little Rock, Arkansas. It was a one day trip. On Saturday Night, Brandon, Blake and Brent, three young men in our church, were in an automobile accident. They rolled the truck that they were in. Blake and Brent, both teens, made it out with a few aches, pains, scraps, bruises and cuts. They were treated and released at the Atlanta Hospital. Their younger brother, Brandon, age 9, was taken by helicopter to Texarkana. When I got into the ambulance at the accident scene, the paramedic told me that he had a compound fracture and that the bone was exposed. We prayed. When he got to St. Michael's, they x-rayed his leg! Guess What? Not a broken bone in his body. Praise the Lord!!!!! God is a god of miracles! Brandon has significant damage to his right arm and leg. It was cut pretty bad and the tissue, muscles and some bone were exposed. He was taken by ambulance to children's hospital in Little Rock. He had his second surgery this morning, but is doing fine. There was a lot of dirt, grass, gravel, etc. in his wounds and the doctors are cleaning them out. All three of the boys were wearing their seat belts. Brandon will have at least one more surgery on Wednesday. Please pray for him and the whole family.

5. While in Little Rock, I got to see my good friend, Brian Dollar. Brian is a Kid's Pastor at First A/G in North Little Rock. He and I are childhood friends.....both of us were each other's "best man" in our weddings. We hadn't seen each other since the fall of '05 when we met in Tulsa to see Stryper in concert. I got to see his wife and kids too. I cannot believe how big Ashton and Jordan are. It was a quick visit. Hopefully, we will see each other more often since we are just a couple of hours away.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Random Friday Thoughts

1. This Sunday, we are continuing our series entitled "Seven." It is a look at what the Bible says about the Seven Deadly Sins. This week's topic is anger.

2. The floor guys are at the church. The new nursery will be operational by Sunday. The tack strips are down, but the carpet will have to go down tomorrow because they had to glue some of the tack strips. The tile has been set, but they are waiting for it to dry to grout the tile. It is going to be really nice.

3. I have been thinking a lot lately about not wanting to take for granted what God does. We have had many people give their lives to Christ since June. I never want to take for granted what God is doing. We should always expect God to move. We should equally be grateful when he does move. We want salvations to be common in our church, but we should never treat them like they are common. Heaven rejoices over every salvation and we should too. :)

4. Sasha and the girls start back to school Monday. This will be Mackenzie's first time in daycare. I enjoyed spending time with the girls last night. Mady made us a play meal. She set the table and even had play candles on the table. I love my girls.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Giving Honor

Today, I want to honor someone who has been influential in my life. From time to time, I will use this blog to thank those who have impacted my life and made me the person that I am today.

The person that I'm honoring today is Brent Williams. Brent was my youth pastor at Victorious Life Church in Waco, TX. He came to our church the summer before my freshman year in high school. Brent was a fantastic youth pastor. I knew that he geniunely cared about me. It was not just a job to him. He really loved us. He encouraged us to live on the Frontline for God!

If it were not for Brent, I do not think that I would be where I am today. He stayed after me and believed in me. Thank you Brent for taking me to camp! Thank you for taking me to convention! Thank you for introducing me to Speed The Light! Thank you for encouraging me to live for Christ! Thank you for being there for me during the tough times in my life!

I will never forget the day that I graduated SAGU! Brent was there. He walked up to me with tears in his eyes and encouraged me to "love the teens that I would be pastoring." I tried to do that as a Youth Pastor. Now as a Lead Pastor, I am trying with God's help to be a loving and caring Pastor.

Thanks, Brent! I love you!

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

A Great Quote...

I am currently reading John Maxwell's book "Talent is never enough." I enjoy Maxwell's content and his writing styles. I wanted to share with you a quote that I read today in his chapter on courage.

Maxwell stated "Our situation doesn't make us; we make our situation. Our circumstances don't have to define us; we can redefine our circumstances by our actions. At any given time, we must be willing to give up all we have in order to become all we can be."

God has an incredible plan for your life. Remember next time you are faced with having to give something up that you may need to give up in order to go up.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Weekend Update

1. We had great services this weekend. On Sunday Morning, we had two people commit their lives to Christ. This is what it is all about! Thank you, Jesus!

2. Sunday Morning marked the third week in a row that we were over 80 in our attendance.

3. Sunday Night, we baptized 7 people in water. It is exciting to see people make a declaration of their faith! :)

4. We had several guests with us this weekend! Thank you Cornerstone for inviting your family and friends!

The Best Is Yet To Come!!!!!!

Friday, August 10, 2007

A few things I'm excited about...

1. I'm excited about Sunday's services. This week, we are continuing our series entitled "Seven." This week, we are looking at what the Bible says about Envy.

2. I'm excited about our nursery remodel. Things are progressing along well. We are hoping to be able to reopen the nursery and toddler room on August 19th! The new flooring should be going in next week!

3. I'm excited that football season is here. I didn't get to watch the Cowboys game last night, but have it on DVR. I'm interested to see what the boys did against the World Champs! I'm also excited about being back in Texas for Friday Night Football. There's nothing like being at a high school game under the Friday Night Lights in Texas.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

9 Years

At about this time 9 years ago, I married the love of my life. It is hard to believe that it has been 9 years. Today, at lunch, I was sitting across the table from my wife. As we ate, I began to think about all the changes in the last 9 years. The first, I don't weigh the same that I used to when I was 25. :) The second is our kids. Sasha and I have been blessed with two great kids. Mady makes us laugh everyday. She is very funny. Mackenzie is growing so fast. She'll be 9 months old soon.

Sasha is a good wife. She is very thoughtful of others. She is generally concerned about helping people. Sasha is also very good at putting up with me. She's a great cook! Probably, too good of a cook for me. She takes care of our family. She is a fantastic mother to our girls. She works real hard at keeping the house clean, which is hard with two kids and a husband. :)

Since, our anniversary fell on a Wednesday. We celebrated last night. We went to eat at our new favorite restaurant in Texarkana, the Ironwood Grill. After that, we went shopping. My aunt, uncle and cousin watched the girls for us. I kept thinking through out the night how that we need to do that more often.

Sasha, I want you to know that I love you with all my heart! You really are the best thing that has happened to me! To quote the song that I sang to you on our wedding day! "Though the storms of life my toss us, our love will be the anchor that holds. Though trials may come and bind us, this one thing I know.... I will love you forever and always. I will love you 'til the end of my days! God gave a special gift when He gave you to me! I will love you forever and always!"

Sunday, August 5, 2007

What will I use this for?

Thanks for reading my blog. So, what's the purpose of this blog? It will be an outlet for me to talk about anything that's on my mind. It may be about my wife, my girls, the church I pastor, friends, hobbies or sports. You never know what you are going to see.

Today was a great day at Cornerstone, the church I pastor. We've been here since the first of June and God is doing amazing things. I am completely humbled by the souls that are coming to know Jesus. We had two people raise their hands to commit to Christ this morning. :)