November 2010
1 post
How To Be Free
Here’s the video we put together to celebrate what God did at Round Rock a while back. Let’s lay ‘em down, folks!!
October 2010
4 posts
Wow.
God. Is. So. Good.
Please, please trust me. Test him. Taste him. See.
3 tags
“The Lord…has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These...”
– True for the Israelites in the wilderness. True for us in suffering. [Deuteronomy 2:7]
1 tag
Further
For me, deeper discipleship (that is, God-following that’s one step deeper than my current reality) is scary.
Mostly, it’s scary because I haven’t been there. It’s scary because I don’t know exactly what would happen if I _____________ (gave/committed/sold/confessed/sacrificed/reached out/etc.). I don’t know because I’ve never been there.
That’s...
2 tags
How's Your Heart?
For the next few weeks at Round Rock, we’re exploring how to guard our hearts from envy, lust, greed, pride, and anger. (It’s not as much of a downer as it sounds like, I promise!)
On Sunday, I shared some questions we can ask in order to get a handle on monitoring what’s going into and coming out of our hearts. Several people have asked for those questions, so here they are....
3 tags
Breaking Bread
There’s something intimate and powerful about sharing a meal with someone in your home at your table.
Hospitality is not quite as easy as it was when the Gerhardt house wasn’t teeming with offspring. …Okay, not “not quite”—more like “not hardly.”
But it’s such a powerful relationship-builder/friendship-enricher/community-developer. So glad...
September 2010
2 posts
5 tags
Awesome Morning.
So today I had one of the most moving experiences I’ve ever had in worship.
HERE’S WHY WE DID IT We’re in the middle of a series called “How To Be Free” at Round Rock, with each lesson coming from Israel’s first few moments of freedom in Exodus 14. Wow that’s a great text.
Today, we talked about how we can’t do freedom on our own—how that,...
July 2010
7 posts
2 tags
Why I Like Jesus' "Water of Life" Comparison:
“If anyone thirsts,” Jesus says, “let him come to me and drink.”
And with that, he brings all of the truth of water—raindrops and waterfalls, fountains and springs, rivers and brooks, lakes and oceans, sometimes dripping, sometimes drenching, always cleansing, the power of steam, the beauty of snow, the mystery of ice—and applies that truth to Himself.
Covering three quarters of the...
2 tags
“The world breaks everyone, then some become strong at the broken places.”
– Love this truth from Ernest Hemingway
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WatchSure the actual source is more powerful, but you’ve got to admit—reflection can be pretty cool.
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory”
2 Corinthians 3:18
God is awesome; there are some great fireworks going on. Let’s show them off.
2 tags
Singing is Saying, But More
Why did God invent song? And why did he build it into the lives of His followers?
I’m not absolutely confident of the answer to those questions, but I know this: Some things are too beautiful or wonderful just to be said.
They need their own music.
4 tags
WatchOpened the fourth part of our Storyboard series at Round Rock with this extended quote from Donald Miller yesterday. We talked about how conflict/difficulty/suffering doesn’t diminish our story, but instead enriches it.
Two bottom lines:
Difficulty brings God into your story.
Difficulty allows you to bring God into the stories of others.
Like it or not, good stories are hard stories. God...
3 tags
“Death isn’t the extinguishing of a light; rather, it is the turning off of...”
– Jerry Jones, Beyond the Storm
1 tag
Understandable.
I’m working this afternoon in a coffee shop in Austin. At this moment, about 15 yards away from me, a woman is positioned on a couch, reading a book. She’s all alone. And she’s smiling and crying and wiping tears away and taking deep breaths and crying again.
The only words I can make out on the cover of her book?
Beauty and church.
2 tags
Love Your Daughter at Work Day
London just woke up in my office, having been moved here mid-nap.
She rolled over, her slightly sweaty wisps of hair sticking to her neck, raised her head up, and realized with a bit of surprise that she was in my office.
She smiled.
“You’re in my office!” I said.
She smiled again.
I got up from behind my desk and walked over to the couch. “Did you have a good...
June 2010
10 posts
4 tags
6 Ways to Tell if Your Spiritual Life is...
An inescapable truth in Scripture: Christianity is centered on relationship. Not ritual.
Is that to say ritual is meaningless and unimportant? Nope. But the moment the execution of proper ritual eclipses the pursuit of meaningful relationship with God and people, we’ve missed the mark.
So here are 6 ways to tell if your Christianity is more about ritual than relationship:
You talk more...
3 tags
“85% of the people in Round Rock, TX don’t go to church ANYWHERE.”
– Found this out last week and haven’t been able to get it out of my head/heart. Tragic reality. Fantastic opportunity.
3 tags
No Possible Term of Comparison
Love this statement by Napoleon. An empire founded upon love. Revolutionary.
3 tags
Collaboration.
Layered creation. ...
3 tags
A Reason To Sing
God wired song into creation. …But only certain parts of it.
Scientists tell us that approximately 5400 species of animals sing: humpback whales, pigmy blue whales, dolphins, gibbons, Mexican Freetail bats, certain tree frogs, and of course, birds—well over 5,000 different species in all.
But of all the animals that sing, apparently not one lives on the ground. It seems every...
3 tags
Wiping Tears
I’ve always thought the passage in Revelation about there being no more death or mourning or crying in heaven was beautiful. It certainly describes a reality I want to experience.
But only recently was I truly struck by the part God will play in my healing—my transition from pain to paradise, from a world where I cry to a world where I don’t. God, the Bible says, “will...
4 tags
Led
I had an elder tell me today he’s going to email me every week so he knows what to focus on as he prays for me on Sunday nights.
Shepherds shepherding.
Fantastic.
3 tags
The Power of the Obvious
I’m noticing lately that so much of parenting is saying obvious things.
“Don’t put that screwdriver in your mouth.”
“Do not pull that bookshelf down on yourself.”
“Please don’t rub poop in your hair, buddy.”
Half the time I’m talking to my kids I’m thinking, “I can’t believe I’m actually saying this out...
May 2010
11 posts
2 tags
Dora The Explorer--Leader Extraordinaire →
Click the title for a great post from my wife about Dora’s mad leadership chops.
Seriously.
3 tags
Loved
Had a going-away shindig last night at church. Jennifer, the girls, and I were given food, prayer, kind words, a ridiculously generous and thoughtful money tree, and a chance to reflect on how blessed we’ve been by our Henderson family over the years.
Being a part of a church family isn’t always easy. But it’s always good.
“I want to stop doing things for God without God.”
– Love this statement from friend Daniel Hope in a sermon recently. Hate that it resonated so powerfully with me.
“God did not bless me BECAUSE OF of me, and God did not bless me FOR me.”
– Andy Stanley on money and stuff. So challenging.
Dad
God as a kind, close, loving Father.
What an extraordinary image.
3 tags
When Your Faith Isn't What It Should Be
What do you do when the faith you proclaim doesn’t quite match up with the faith you possess?
I’d imagine you’ve had times (I know I have) when circumstances tested how much you actually believe what you’ve said (or sung in church) about God.
Ezra finds himself in exactly this place in a fascinating passage in Ezra 8 where he’s leading a wave of return from...
2 tags
Embrace
While on our date last night, Jennifer and I remembered a kiss we shared 14 years ago.
It didn’t make me feel old.
It just made me feel good.
2 tags
Tragic Canvas, Beautiful Art
I don’t know if everyone is this way, but it seems as a preacher I have a theme that I come back to again and again. Something I always feel at home talking about. Something that touches my heart and I guess will always touch my heart. Something that, every time I preach or teach about it, makes me feel as if I’m swimming and have just entered the current—like I’m swept...
5 tags
Blank Canvas
Churches of Christ have got to give artists more ways to channel their talents for the glory of God.
And yes, there are too many ugly websites and poorly done Power Point slides. People with artistic gifts could really do our churches some favors in those departments.
But beyond that, we are missing waaay too many opportunities to communicate truth and beauty through painting, film, music, and...
3 tags
Two Things Every Christian Should Know
If you’re a Christian, here’s what I know about you:
You have two stories.
Every Christian does.
HOW you were saved
WHY you were saved
Check out how Paul refers to both stories in Ephesians 2:
[HOW:] “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. [WHY:] For we are...
1 tag
Forward
Well, it’s official. We’re moving.
Last week, I accepted the position of pulpit minister at the Round Rock Church of Christ in Round Rock, TX (just outside of Austin).
I’m thrilled.
Don’t get me wrong—leaving the people we love here in Henderson (Jennifer’s parents and my best friend, just to mention a few) will be difficult.
Tears will be shed.
But...
April 2010
5 posts
Celebration-Worthy
London: "Jesus is alive! Give me a high five, dad."
2 tags
Prophecy & Water
I wonder if you’re like me on this: growing up listening to sermons, I heard a decent amount about prophecy. Enough, certainly, to know that a lot of Old Testament prophecies foretold certain things about Jesus and the church.
What I didn’t hear too much about was how most of those same prophecies also had meaning at the time they were spoken—a more literal, immediate...
4 tags
Cut And Paste
This past weekend, my sister introduced me to the YouTube phenomenon of recut movie trailers. Pretty funny stuff.
Check out You’ve Got Mail:
And here’s a reimagined Mary Poppins:
The first thing I thought when I saw these? People do this with the Bible all the time.
Combine a bunch of actual quotes from Scripture, some creativity, and a predetermined agenda, and...
1 tag
Want A Different Opinion Of Someone? Talk To Them.
Had a conversation yesterday with two people who had a decent reason to suspect me of a bad attitude in one particular area.
But instead of going with their limited evidence and making a decision about my character/motivation/etc., they…wait for it…called me.
Called me. And in a non-accusatory way, asked a couple of simple questions to hear things from my perspective. After that...
2 tags
What Kind Of Salt Should We Be?
You may or may not be tapped into it, but there’s been a big discussion going on for a while in certain circles about whether a church should be “attractional” or “missional.”
I’m probably not smart enough to know the answer.
But I do know this: every church had better be on a mission, and every church had better be attractive.
Live a lover’s life,...
March 2010
13 posts
2 tags
I Say We Keep 'Em.
London’s speaking abilities are really coming along lately. It seems like just in the past few weeks her vocabulary and pronunciation have mushroomed to a pretty impressive level.
That being said, however, there are still a few…”stragglers” in her word repertoire.
And they’re stinking cute.
Here are my favorite 3:
Banana: “Ba-nahh”
Zebra:...
1 tag
Our Barista Took A Dip In The Fountain Of Life
So Jennifer and I were grabbing coffee in Nashville this weekend (well, technically I was grabbing coffee and she was grabbing tea), and when we handed over the cash to the double nose-ringed, funky-haired barista, Jennifer looked at her and said, “You look like Rachel McAdams with edge.”
The girl was elated.
She looked at Jennifer and said, “That might be the best compliment...
2 tags
Why I Want To Die
Saw a bit of teaching this week from John Ortberg about the themes explored in his new book, The Me I Want To Be. Ortberg always has great stuff to say.
The point of the book is this: When God gets a hold of you, His goal is not to change you into someone else. It’s to restore you to what you were always meant to be. He doesn’t just want to make you holier, He wants to make you...
Off To Florida
Long-awaited vacation this week (and the end of last week). Back on Monday; see you then.
2 tags
First Things First
Many things to pray about.
Many things to do.
Reminds me of Martin Luther’s famous remark, “I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.”
Too busy not to pray. I like it.
2 tags
A Conference To Check Out & A Principle To...
I’ve been spending time this week getting ready for EQUIP—a conference for ministers and volunteer leaders interested in improving outreach and involvement in their church. (Hopefully, that’s most of us, right?)
If you’re within driving distance of Nashville, you should check it out. It’s the 26th & 27th, and the session topics look great. I’m presenting...
2 tags
Want To Miss What God Is Doing? Decide What God...
Preached last night on the road-to-Emmaus encounter in Luke 24. Great story about missing God. Two disciples, leaving Jerusalem, talking on the road about Jesus’ death that weekend and the reports about his missing body.
Then Jesus shows up and starts walking with them.
But they don’t know it’s him.
They seem to have decided the resurrection talk is foolishness, holding on...
2 tags
The Joys of Parenting, continued
I have no idea where this tiny Jesus figurine came from, but London’s quite taken with it.
Tonight, as she was alternately dissecting and devouring her dinner, I set it on the table in front of her. She looked at it, looked down at herself, looked back up and said, “Jesus, I messy.”
I hesitated a moment, but decided to go for it.
“I know,” I said in my best Jesus...
1 tag
The Joys of Parenting
Sometimes when you’re trying to sneak some coveted sleep time and your refusing-to-sleep baby cries (again), you can’t help but thinking, “Exactly. That’s exactly what I want to do.”
Thanks, Eve, for teaching me unconditional love. :)
4 tags
Tradition Versus Innovation
Sometimes “the same” is good.
When things are done the same way they usually are, people know what to expect—“Oh—I’m supposed to listen/participate/brake/laugh/wait to be seated/etc.” Piggybacking on people’s previous experience allows you to take a shortcut. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel—just use the cues that work.
But...