Our Finest Hour

Tonight I when I got home my wife said something profound to me. First, she asked how my day had gone. Simple question, so I gave a simple answer. "Rough," I said, "It was pretty rough."

Why rough?

Change is coming at me from every angle. People who I care about are changing careers. People who I care about are going through difficult medical trials. I am finding myself in a strange season of doubting my ability. On top of that, one of my boys broke his arm, while another has been recovering from a serious bacterial infection in his knee. The church I pastor is in a season of transition and uncertainty. Which is completely normal in the life of a church, but the devil will always look to gain a foothold when uncertainty is in the air, and that raises a fear factor. And then when I thought things couldn't get weirder, I was eating inside a McDonalds when a car lost control in the parking lot and rammed into my unoccupied vehicle, badly damaging the rear of my car. No worries though, the guy didn't have insurance! (sarcasm intended)

So yeah, I thought, "Rough," was a pretty simple and descriptive response to my wife's question about my day. She responded to my depressing response by saying, "Well, with all due respect, I believe this will be our finest hour."

That's a good word, Sarah! She said she felt like God gave that word to her, but He meant it for both of us, and boy did I need to hear it.

My wife knows that I love movie lines. And she had just hit me with one of my favorites from the movie Apollo 13. When Astronaut Jim Lovell and the crew of Apollo 13 were faced with almost certain death, the workers inside mission control began to brace themselves for bad news. In fact, one of the higher ups in mission control commented, "This could be the greatest disaster in NASA's history."

Upon hearing this, the head of mission control for Apollo 13, Gene Kranz, turned to the man who spoke of disaster and said, "With all due respect, I believe this will be our finest hour!"

You can watch the clip here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMMGhH_cR-8

You see, uncertainty and trials are really just God's way of showing us that He can overcome anything. God will intentionally allow you to enter difficult seasons because he wants you to see how He can pull you through that season. The testimony is not that you were in a trial, but that God saved you from it when there was nothing you could do. It was His power, not yours that saved you.

Throughout history people have viewed trials and struggles as God's punishment or judgement, but the Bible clearly says that we should consider it pure JOY when trials come.

James 1:2-4 (NIV)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything

Here's a truth I can count on. If the devil thinks I am worthy of being attacked, then God believes I am worthy of being defended. 

And when God is the one doing the defending I have to believe that the finest hours are just ahead. When I look at my life in that way I will begin to understand that all the trials and struggles are  making me stronger. They are teaching me and growing me. I will consider that pure joy because God is fighting on my behalf!

So the next time fear and uncertainty hit you because of overwhelming trials, look them straight in the eye and say, "Disaster, you have no place here. Because with all due respect, I believe God is going to make this our finest hour."

A Holy Spirit Moment

There are times when God and I have a moment. He speaks into my life, I am blessed by it, and I keep the moment between us. Like in the movie Stand By Me, when Gordy sees the deer he says, "I kept that moment for myself. I've never spoken about it. Until now."

I have moments like that with God.

However, today I had a Holy Spirit inspired moment that needs to be shared. I wrestled with whether or not I should keep this to myself, but I believe so strongly in encouraging people that I felt others needed to read this.

So here goes:

Thursday is my day to finalize the message and plans for everything that will take place at New Hope Church on Sunday morning. I have the Scriptures and general idea of the message in place before then, but Thursday is my day to put everything God has placed on my heart in a final draft. There are some days when this process goes well, and there are days when getting the words on the screen is a challenge.

Today the words flowed...It was effortless. I felt connected to God in a special way, and I am confident that the words will touch someone's heart on Sunday morning. I even posted about it earlier on Facebook because I was so excited about it.

One of the Scriptures that inspired me was Galatians 6:2.

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

The idea that God calls us into community with one another, and that we are to not be isolated and separate from one another, but to help each other and carry each others burdens, was a breathe of fresh air. This is how it's supposed to be. So when I see someone who has a need, if I'm able, God calls me to meet it. If I see someone who needs encouragement, God calls me to encourage them. It's really that simple. That's the law of Christ. 

With that, the message was finished. The Sunday planning was finished. I had a few hours to kill before worship band practice. (I get to play this week!) So I thought I'd go for a run. 

During my run I was listening to one of my new favorite worship tunes. The song Rising Sun from All Sons and Daughters. Oh my goodness, this song hits me right in the feels. As soon as the guitar kicks in I have tears filling my eyes, and the Holy Spirit filling my heart. Seriously, today it was too much. I had to stop my run so I could take a moment and sit on a rock for a while.  

The sky was blue and beautiful. The sun was bright in the sky (still is). And I'm telling you, God and I had this amazing moment. Listen guys, I've had a tough week. I'm just like everyone else. Even though I'm a pastor I still have doubts about how good a job I'm doing. I still worry about raising four kids, being a good husband and father. It can stress me out. I'm human (the secret's out).

God knows all of that about me...and today he just filled up my heart with this moment of worship. It was so encouraging...a true Holy Spirit moment. I truly felt like God was saying, "I got you, man!"

It was beautiful. 

As I was driving home, I decided to stop at the McDonald's drive thru for a drink. A young man was working the window and he handed me my order. I was immediately struck by how nice this young man was. He had a great big smile. And I don't know what it was, but I was really impressed by his positive approach to his job. I pulled away and began to enjoy my tasty Hi-C beverage. 

But as I drove down the street the Holy Spirit began to speak directly to my heart. It wasn't an audible voice or anything like that, but it was a definite tugging on my shirt to do something. "Turn around and go back to that drive thru. Tell that young man some encouraging words."

At first I didn't know what to do. Was I seriously about to turn around and go back to the drive thru window? I would look like a crazy person. But again, I felt like God was saying, "You don't know what that young man is going through right now. Go and encourage him!"

So I went back to McDonald's.

I pulled up to the window and the young man was still there. The conversation went like this...

Me: Hey buddy, what's your name?

Him: It's Mike (not really, but we'll call him Mike)

Me: Well Mike, I just came through here a few minutes ago and God put something on my heart that I believe He wants you to know. You're a good guy! The way you had a smile on your face and were so positive and nice to me. You really brightened my day, Mike. I want to thank you and I wish you the best day!

Mike: Hey, thank you man. I appreciate that!

I drove away.

I don't know why God had me do that...but I know in my heart that God wanted that young man to know that about himself. Maybe he was carrying a burden that I don't know about and he needed some encouragement. I don't know, but God knows. 

I share this story with you because I am thankful for the tugging on my heart that the Holy Spirit does. Today has been filled with it. And I believe there is a connection between all of the God moments that I had today. They all culminated in me meeting Mike and sharing with him something that God wanted him to know. I believe there are times when God puts it on our hearts to do things like this, and all too often we just keep on driving. Don't do that. Turn around if you have to. BE willing to BE used! 

The more we can be an encouragement to one another, the better...

Josh

Inspiration 101

Today I sat down to lunch with a guy who always energizes my spirit. Whenever I need a pick me up I give this guy a shout and say, “Hey, it’s time to meet up.” Here’s the funny thing, he doesn’t lift my spirit because he tells me how good I am, or how great a job he thinks I’m doing. He motivates me because I ask him about the things he has going on and his responses inspire me. In fact, I often walk away from our conversations ready to do more in my community and more for my family. I may have walked into lunch spiritually drained, but I’m walking away full.

I think this is how the disciples felt around Jesus. He was constantly inspiring them to see the good they could do, and I’m sure they often aspired to more because of it. Yes they failed constantly, but just being around Jesus gave them a sense of new spiritual power that they could tap in to. Those three years that the disciples had Jesus were formative years of growing, maturing and preparation that set the groundwork for a life of mission after Jesus ascended into heaven.

As I was driving back to work I asked myself, “Why don’t I surround myself with people like that more often?” God knows we let enough people come into our lives who drain us. Jesus had people around him who tried to drain him with negativity as well. He referred to them as a “brood of vipers.” He called them that because there is a saying that is as true today as it was 2,000 years ago, and that is, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

With all that in mind, I have decided to make a purposeful decision to seek out people who inspire me to do more for Jesus. I say “purposeful” because I believe we need to be intentional about finding people who push us and motivate us. People who show us how simple it is to be the hands and feet of Jesus. They shine light upon a need that has been sitting under our noses, and their passion motivates us to jump and shout, “I can help!”

You know what, something else just occurred to me. Maybe we could all make it a point to encourage others and actually BE the one who is inspiring others. Then nobody would be a drain. Now THAT would be inspiring.

Pastor Josh

It Matters

A couple Wednesday nights ago I saw something pretty awesome. Our student minister, Pastor Andy, built a Wheel of Fortune game from scratch. Not an actual wheel, but an all digital wheel that would be projected on the wall and the student could control it with their foot. It was awesome! I mean, youth ministers these days are coming up with some pretty amazing ways to connect with kids, and then they incorporate God's Word into the meeting. It's a win, win. I put a picture of the promo image they made for the event. Unbelievable!

You know, the student ministry at New Hope is really solid right now. I came to New Hope in 2006 and was lucky to be the youth pastor for several years, but I've got to tell you, we weren't doing things nearly as cool as they're doing now.

High school students have their own meeting time on Sunday evenings at 6:30 PM, and middle school students have a Wednesday night program that is really strong right now. Parents, the onus is on us to make sure our children are at these meetings. They're too good to miss!

There is also a Sunday school class for middle school and high school at 9:00 AM, which is before our 10:00 AM Worship service. They even serve waffles to the kids who aren't able to get breakfast. Hope is Rising is the name of our group. Check out Pastor Andy's program here: www.hopeisrising.org

I also want to mention that the teaching of God's Word is front and center in these meetings. Pastor Andy does a good job of being in sync with what is happening in our worship services, so the teens are getting the same message everywhere they turn.

That brings me to our Children's Ministry. Pastor Taryn is one of the most passionate Bible teachers we have, and she just loves to be with the children. This was a picture taken of her during VBS this year, and no, she didn't know the camera was on her. :-)

Our Children's Ministry is called KIDCITY, and meets on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Parents, children don't drive, but they respond best when they are in a consistent community. It is our responsibility to connect our children to things that put Christ first in their lives. God knows we do all we can to make sure they don't miss events that have nothing to do with God, why not make a commitment to plug your children in to Wednesday night and Sunday morning programming for a year.

You know what, that's a good idea. We should all commit to that. Let's be honest, there are times when our kids tell us they don't want to do something, but what if we, as parents, all committed to bring our children and students to church meetings that are designed for them? Maybe we could commit to a year of doing that, and also commit to a year of praying for our children and teens so that they would see the true importance of placing Jesus as #1 in their life.

It's starts with us, the parents. Yes, I am one of them...and I have children in both groups. I am committing to get them to church, and I'll pick yours up to bring them as well if I have to. I believe it's THAT important. Who's with me?!

What Does that Logo Mean?

I was excited this past week to see a brand new sign going up in our gallery at New Hope. Sean McDonald, our deacon over buildings and grounds, took our brand new logo and carved it into a sheet of metal, built a frame, added some LED lights, and BOOM! A new sign was on the wall.

If you have attended New Hope you have probably noticed that this new logo is popping up everywhere. Yes, it looks good. And yes, we are proud of the new "look" of the church. But I wanted to write this blog today to let you know that the logo actually has a deeper meaning.

A little over a year ago I began sketching out a new logo that I wanted to represent us as a church. More specifically, the church that I believed God desires us to be. The criteria for the logo was simple...

It needed to be memorable.

It needed to be pleasing the eye.

It needed a deeper meaning.


What we came up with (left) fits that description. When we unveiled the logo a year ago I explained its meaning to the New Hope congregation, but as they say, repetition isn't a bad thing. And since we have hung a new sign in our entry way, maybe it's time for me to tell you once again what it means.

1. The Circle

When a man and woman get married they place a ring on the finger of the other. This ring is a symbol of love and devotion. The circle goes around the finger and "connects" all the way around. Simply put, the circle is a symbol that means "forever". Whatever is contained within the circle stands as the thing that is most precious to you. In the case of New Hope, our circle will stand for what is most precious to us! That is why I knew that New Hope's logo needed to be circular. But what would go inside?

2. The Foundation

Matthew 7:24 "Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." 
It is absolutely essential that New Hope's teaching be grounding and built on the foundation of God's Word. That's why there is a bar representing that foundation in our logo. When you come to our church we desire to share His Word so that those who hear it can put it into practice, thus, enabling people to build on the rock.

3. The Arrow

On one side of New Hope's gallery we have placed our vision statement on the wall. Pursuing a Relentless, Unrestricted Relationship With Jesus Christ. When someone is pursuing Jesus with every fiber of their being, the natural overflow of that pursuit will point other people to Jesus as well. That is why we have made Pointing People to a Relationship with Jesus Christ as our first core value.

So, let's put the whole thing together...

The Arrow means that everything we do will point people to Jesus Christ, which is directly above the Foundation that is anchored to the inerrant Word of God, which is enclosed by a Circle that means this is what we hold most dear to our heart. We are...

Walk This Way

I’ve been thinking a lot about joy lately. Not happiness, but joy. Often times I’ll hear people talking about the things in life that make them happy, because happiness is a good thing, right? Yeah, it is, but happiness is often determined by your situation in life or your circumstances. You can be happy one moment, but then when something in your world goes haywire that happiness can disappear in an instant.

Enter a different word altogether: JOY

Joy is not affected by our circumstances, good days, bad days, or when something that is not of our “liking” takes place. Joy is a foundational approach to life that cannot be tampered with, and for me, that joy is found in one person, Jesus. I have fond memories as a child singing, “The joy of the Lord is my strength,” and it always stuck with me. After all, in a world that is full of crazy news reports every night and broken promises by those in authority over us, why wouldn’t I be joyful about the fact that my entire life rests on the foundation of a promise that will never be broken? And that is that Jesus lived, died and rose again on the third, all so that my sins could be washed away. Because of what Jesus DID, I am now blameless in God’s eyes. That means no matter what else happens in my life, I have that promise, and no one could ever take that joy away from me.

I am currently teaching this in a new sermon series called Walk This Way. I was reading Philippians the other day and was struck at how Paul could write such joyful, heartfelt words as he sat under house arrest. From the day Saul was converted (and became Paul) he had been preaching the gospel, planting churches and ruffling the feathers of the Roman officials. Paul was so vocal about what Jesus had done for him that the Roman officials threw him in jail as much as they could. Did that get Paul upset? Did he complain to Jesus and ask why more doors were not being opened for him? I would! Christians often believe if God calls you to something that everything will be smooth sailing and free of challenges. That’s simply not true! Jesus even said, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Tough times happen and circumstances change. The question is, will you respond in a joyful way like Paul, or will you choose the route of a complainer and let everyone know about your hardship?

Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi was joyful and encouraging to all. You’d of thought he was writing from a beautiful chair on the beach, taking selfies with his toes in the picture, overlooking the water. But again, he was in JAIL! But when the church at Philippi sent him a gift he was overcome with joy, and he was THRILLED to receive it. Even more so, he was thrilled to hear that the church at Philippi was as bold and daring in their declaration of the gospel as ever. Paul’s joy was in the Lord, and he expressed why he had that joy in Philippians 1:6.

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Simply put, every person who professes to be a believer in Christ should walk in pure joy! Why? Cause when you accepted Christ as your Savior you received EVERYTHING you would ever need. He became your foundation! There is nothing but Joy to be found in that. No need for complaining. No need for a bad attitude. You have the light. You have the hope. So BE the JOY!

There are four chapters in the book of Philippians, and they are often referred to as the “Joy” book. Yes, a book born out of dire circumstances is called the Joy book. Let me encourage you to read Philippians this month. Let me encourage you to take in every word, pray on it and jump into the JOY pool with both feet. Philippians is a great reminder to Christians everywhere that we need to Walk This Way!

ENOUGH

A few weeks ago I attended a pastors conference in Tulsa, OK. There were a lot of worshipful moments, funny moments and even some thoughtful moments. One particular time that stood out to me was a dramatic portrayal of how human beings grow from simple, fun-loving children, into complex, self-conscious adults. It’s a sad fact that as we age we begin to pay close to attention to our flaws, whether in the mirror or in our personality. We watch television, surf the net, and see plenty of examples of how we could look, feel and be better. The fact is, far too many of us go through life thinking we’re not enough. We think when God made us, He made too many mistakes.

Let me tell you a personal story. In a few months I will be selling my house. My family and I have lived in it for about 9 years, but the house itself is around 25 years old. I love it, but it was time for us to move because our family is growing. When we first walked into the house 9 years ago I remember pointing out all the flaws. It needed new carpet, a new deck, and the kitchen was outdated. We made an offer cause it was ENOUGH for us! Over the years we made upgrades where we could, fixed things when they broke, and cared for our home because it was ours.

Then we decided to sell…

We got the house ready for viewing, and in the extremely HOT Nashville housing market, had over 50 showings in about two weeks. It was non-stop people walking through the house, dissecting its appearance, pointing out every flaw, even criticizing upgrades we had made. “It’s too small. It’s outdated. It’s not private enough. I don’t like the layout.” All valid points for people who are looking for a home, but that didn’t mean we weren’t hurt by it. After all, we are the owners. It’s OURS.

Sometimes I think about the builder of our house. I think about the plans that were followed during construction. I wonder if the workers ever thought about the families that the roof would keep safe from thunderstorms, or the living room that would host so many wonderful friends and family. Yes there are flaws in the house, but that’s what makes it a home, and that home is ENOUGH for me.

Now, let me relate that to what we see in the mirror every day. You…yes YOU, are enough! Every single person walking this planet has flaws, and if the internet has taught us anything, it’s that people will go to great lengths to point out every flaw and try to convince you to be more.

But here’s a truth you need to know.

You were created. There were plans for you that the builder followed. Making sure that every spot and wrinkle was in the right place. In fact, the very things that you think are mistakes are probably the things that someone loves about you. It’s what makes you, YOU!

And YOU are loved by your creator…
AND YOU are loved by so many…

YOU. Are. Enough!

By the way, one family came to our home and fell in love with it. They didn’t see flaws, they saw themselves raising a family there. In a short time the home will go from OURS to THEIRS, and I am very excited for them.

If you ever feel like you’re not enough, read Psalm 139. Let that Scripture reveal to you how perfect you are!

Psalm 139:13-15 (NIV)

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.