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!!!!

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 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!

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!!!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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. :)

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. :)

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!

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.

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. ;)

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. :)

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. :)

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. :)