Don't Miss It: Advent Conspiracy!

I'm excited about the Christmas season series that we are going to begin on THIS Sunday -- Advent Conspiracy! It has the potential to change Christmas for every single one of us!

Don't miss it. And don't let anyone around you who needs to hear the real message of Christmas miss it.

Irish Wisdom

I can't imagine much more earthly pressure than being a big-time college football coach. On some levels you've got to appease players, parents, administration, teachers, alumni - and 100,000 fans every Saturday.

I've posted several times lately on perseverance/continuing on --- and Lloyd Carr who just resigned as the Michigan football coach after 13 years -- persevered with dignity and character.

In an article about his retirement, I loved this quote of an Irish Poet (Pakenham Beatty) that he said helped to guide him:

By your own soul, learn to live.
If some men thwart you, take no heed.
If some men hate you, have no care.
Sing your song. Dream your dream.
Hope your hope and pray your prayer.

Some powerful thoughts. Click here to read the entire article.

What Are You Expecting Today?

It's so easy to live life in a rut, or at a pity party, or in front of the stinkin' tv/internet/email. What are you expecting God to do today?

Read Ephesians 3:20: "Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope?"

Read it again.
No, really, read it again.

It just struck me today. Why so often don't I dare to ask or hope? Why are we just content living in this place apart from God's fullness?
What are you thinking can't be fixed or can't be healed or can't be done?

Expect God. I dare you.

Way to Go Creekers!

Wow, I can't believe that time got away and I forgot to give you the Operation Christmas Child count. You filled and wrapped and prayed over at least 198 boxes! (If you delivered them directly to the pick-up station you may not of made our count . . . but you did make a huge difference!)
Those boxes are now in route to children's homes around the world who need Jesus. Keep praying for those children and their families that they would experience the power of the risen Christ!

In addition to that in the past 3 weeks we've sent at least 55 coats to Georgetown Community Church that are being given out to the homeless in the metro DC area! One Creeker couple was even heading to a conference in DC and packed two extra suitcases that were hand delivered to grateful folks at GCC!

Way to go Creekers! It's awesome to be a part of Church that is willing to give itself away!

The Hurting and Needy

This morning I took my daughter Sarah and a friend to visit another of their friends in the hospital. Every time I'm in that situation it reminds me so powerfully of God's heart for the broken and hurting.

I'm convinced that ALL of us who are Christ followers should intentionally - and regularly - put ourselves in situations where we are confronted with the hurting and needy. It takes us out of our little bubble and reminds us of the needs all around us. It draws us back to the mercy of God and what it means to follow Him.

"I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help." (Isaiah 58:7)

"And wherever [Jesus] went--into villages, towns or countryside--they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed." (Mark 6:56)

Post Thanksgiving Thoughts

Hope everyone made it back from Thanksgiving . . . I'm just getting over the travel hangover after the 8 hour drive from Frisco to Corpus on Saturday night. Got in at 1am and it was in the rain ALL the way! My shoulders are still a little tight.

I do think that Thanksgiving is the best holiday . . . all the food and family and football of Christmas, without the social and financial pressure of gifting and re-gifting.
Speaking of re-gifting how many of you will confess that you are going to re-gift something this Christmas?

Thanks to Wes, Jason and Gil for sharing your 'Thanks in All Things' yesterday in worship - that was awesome. I really like that worship phrase we came up with for Sunday 'Thanks in All Things.'

'Boys or The Pack on Thursday night?

Wow, It's Cold!

Drove to Sherman today to spend Thanksgiving with Cindy's sister and her family. About Waco we hit the cold front and the temperature dropped about 40 degrees! It's supposed to be an icy 33 degrees tonight. Great sleeping weather.

Spent 9 hours with the family in the car on Texas highways - we had a good trip. About half the State's population traveled with us . . . in our lane. One thought: If your gonna go 60 in a 70, then please stay out of the stinkin' middle lane! :)

Looking forward to sleeping late, turkey, hanging out with family, and watching the Cowboys tomorrow! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Advent Conspiracy

Get Ready Creekers! This Advent Season we are going to substitute Compassion for consumption . . .

We are joining many other churches around the country in Advent Conspiracy.

We are conspiring to return Christmas to it's right place of worshipping Jesus and changing the world!

I'm pumped about how God is going to bless this Christmas as we focus truly on why Jesus showed up on earth!


Coming December 2nd . . .

Oso Creek PEACE Plan - Part II

P - Pray.

E - Every Person is a Divine Appointment.

How many people have you accidentally crossed paths with today? Did you know that every person you meet, you leave your fingerprint on in some way?

What if we started looking at every single person that we came in contact with as a Divine Appointment? I mean it really is true if you are a follower of Christ. The Divine lives within us through His Holy Spirit. And if we're there and they're there, it must be an appointment.

What if we lived out every divine appointment so that we could in some way help that person move nearer to God.

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity." (Colossians 4:5)

Today. Today I dare you to ask God to show you all the divine appointments that He's set for you. It will change forever the way you look at others.

Thanksgiving Dreams

This week we are going to get spend Thanksgiving with one of Cindy's sisters and her family in Sherman (we also get to see Emily as she meets us there! :)

Here's what I'm looking forward to:

1) rest
2) hanging out with my family
3) watching Laura play soccer (she's also playing in a premier tourney in Dallas over the weekend)
4) pumpkin pie
5) Cowboys game
6) dressing & mashed potatoes


What are you looking forward to this week? Or, what Thanksgiving traditions does your family have?

Keep Running!

". . . But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3:13-14)

God keeps impressing on me this this need to courageously persevere. Pressing on to what's ahead.

Just the last couple of days I've been sent two links that illustrate this so powerfully:

First a young female runner in Ohio finishes the State Cross Country meet with a leg broken not once, but TWICE! This is a powerful story & video - story & video

And then Sherman Jones - a wartime hero from Spade, Texas - wow this is awesome! video

How is God encouraging you to press on today? Let us know and encourage us . . . and keep going!!

Church Sign Terrorists

When we were moving onto our land several folks approached me about getting a church sign that we could put little sayings on. I would rather have an AC/DC concert on Easter Sunday.

I think that many church signs have been as instrumental in pushing people away from God as the loving 'Christians' who carry the 'God Hates Fags' signs (Don't believe me check out their website - click here - wow! and yes, sadly, it's for real!)

OK, maybe a slight exaggeration, but check out admissable evidence A: Perry Noble's blog on bad church signs :)

Sending Out Mercy

Only three more days until we bring our shoeboxes filled with hope to be sent out as gifts of mercy around the world.

This Sunday is Operation Christmas Child Dedication Sunday.

And don't miss the opportunity to get your children involved in loving other children around the world who have never had the privilege of hearing about the Christ of Christmas.

Oso Creek PEACE Plan

Jesus said that He came to bring God's peace. It's been a while since I've talked about the Oso Creek PEACE Plan and God has had heavy on my heart the simplicity of what He has called us to as followers of Jesus.

I had a one-hour conversation yesterday morning at the coffee house with a man named Richard who is desperately searching for answers in his life. So many around us are. And God has given us the privilege of sharing with folks how they can be filled with Peace . . . for eternity.

You may (or may not) remember that PEACE is an acronym for:

Pray
Every person is a Divine Appointment
Ask questions
Communicate the hope of Jesus
Expect changed lives

I want to begin in this blog by talking about Pray. Then I will follow it up in the coming days.

Pray. Do we really believe Jesus when He said that we have not because we ask not? I wonder.

It's much easier to try to accomplish things on our own, then to kneel before the Savior and ask Him. But remember this: Everything eternal that happens on earth begins in heaven.

I've encouraged Creekers to always be praying for their 'Top3' - three people around them who need to know the hope of Jesus.

And to pray the 3-Open Prayer from Colossians 4:3-4 :

1) Pray that God will open the door of opportunity (2 Peter 3:9)
2) Pray that God will open the door of their hearts as only HE can do (John 16:7-8)
3) Pray that God will open our mouths (Romans 10:17)


Pray. Pray right now. Pray desperately for God to use us to change our City.

Reveal! (ONE more time!)

OK, for you Creekers with a guilty conscience because you didn't get the Reveal Survey done . . . you have found GRACE!

We have been given another week extension to collect as many surveys as possible. If you don't know what I'm talking about then click and read this blog.

If you're just ready to take the survey, click here: Survey Link: http://www.revealnow.com/SLsurvey/?church=127

Help us help you - and many others - navigate the deeper waters of the Kingdom of God!

Freedom Experience!

Last week there was something called Freedom Experience at the American Bank Center that was targeted at bringing youth to Jesus!

Over the 3 Night event - which was lead by Brock Gill and Vertical Ministries - 11,000 people attended and 1,170 decisions were made for Christ!!

Praise God for these Creekers who were part of loving those who came to FX: Kelly Schumaker, Connie Bures, Tanya Soto, Megan Rangel, Michelle Robbins, Brigetta Thornton, Pam Teel, Rachel Wranosky & JT Wranosky. I apologize if I missed some of you who were there, but way to go for the Kingdom!

Long - But Great - Saturday!

Long day . . . 2 basketball tournaments (now finished) and a baseball game still to go.
I was so proud of Sarah in the JV basketball tourney as she played great and made the basket to put away the last game.
And Laura made her first varsity points yesterday! (4 actually!)

Can't wait for worship tomorrow to see what God does!

OCC Opportunities!

One week from this Sunday (Nov 18th) is Dedication Sunday for Operation Christmas Child and sending boxes around the world filled with the Hope of Christ for Christmas!

And that means you have one week left to use OCC to love your neighbors and co-workers. Again, it's an incredible opportunity to invite your neighbors to be involved with us in loving hurting children around the world -- and letting them see God's grace through you and Oso Creek!

On my block I invite everyone to prepare boxes and let them know that we will be dedicating them on November 18th at our 9am and 11am services. I tell them that we would love to have them as our guest that Sunday, but if they're not able to make it they can drop their boxes off at my house before the 18th.
Here's a CHALLENGE! If anybody can get more OCC shoeboxes on their block than us, I'll buy you dinner!

Another cool OCC note is that our own Tammy Conolly is doing live interviews on TV for Operation Christmas Child. One around 7:30 am this Sunday morning (Channel 3) and another at noon on Monday on Channel 6. Pray for Tammy and praise God for these opportunities!

Athletics & Jesus

The King Girls Basketball season began last night and we smoked the Mathis Lady Pirates! I'm excited about my daughters having the opportunity to play JV & Varsity basketball this year, but I'm just as excited about the opportunity God has given me with the Varsity Girls.

The Coach has asked me to come before every game and share a devotional and pray with the team. Last night I talked about one of my favorite verses, Proverbs 4:23:

"Above all else guard your heart. For it is the wellspring of life!"

I told them that the heart is the seed of life - and that most importantly the spiritual life begins with a heart focused on Jesus.
I went on to relate it to basketball - and life - in that those who live from the heart (and not just on their physical talent and/or intelligence) are those who find fulfillment and victory!

Please pray for me as I relate God's truth to these young ladies and coaches. This weekend we have a tournament and I plan on spending each pre-game talking about courage.
My hope is to be salt and to unwrap the Hope of Christ through the season.

Egomailiacs

On Sunday I talked about how we decimate our life with Christ when we get mesmerized on our perceived inadequacies instead of seeing the 'God Possibilities.'

This Summer when we were in Pennsylvania, as I was running one day, I discovered an interesting phenomenon among Pennsylvanianites. They're egomailiacs. Almost every single house where I was had these HUGE mailboxes! Like the size of 4 of my mailboxes. I mean huge! You could get a turkey AND dressing, or a medium sized dog in there! (maybe both!)

I guess in Pennsylvania people EXPECT something BIG to come in the mail. Wow, I thought, shouldn't we have BIG spiritual mailboxes? Didn't God say that He could do more than we could ask or imagine? Are you expecting big things from God?

When we quit looking at ourselves and look at the God of Creation and expecting HIS possibilities, watch out! Your box is gonna get BIG . . . and FULL!

Chasing Lions

As I said on Sunday, beginning this Saturday I'm going to lead a men's journey through the book: In A Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day.

Men, if you're a Creeker or not, would love to have you come. We've got a few books left at the building (most were snatched up yesterday) but you better get by quick to grab one. Then read chapter 1 and show up at the building Saturday morning at 7:30am.

We'll have the coffee brewing and go for about an hour.

Men's Awesome Encounter!

What an awesome Men's Encounter we had this weekend!! Thanks to Mark Patterson, Greg Richmond and JT Wranosky for leading! And thanks for all the men who shared their heart and their stories of victory (and continuing struggle) in Christ!
And a special thanks to Chris Burns for humbly sharing this morning in worship. Wow, powerful.

That's what I love about Oso Creek and about Encounter . . . . the willingness to be transparent for the sake of the Kingdom. That's why Encounter never gets old because it's about us sharing our lives so that other lives can be transformed!

Blogging

I've been blogging for 2 months now. Quite honestly I'm having a blast with it. I feel as if it is another venue that I can use to communicate quickly and honestly with a large group of people -- and then have the power of interaction and community.

The intention of my blog is to talk about life and to lead others (and specifically Creekers and anyone else who tunes in) into the deeper waters of following Jesus.

You ever thought about blogging? The Swerve Blog that I read just posted a whole series of blogs on blogging. Check this out on Why Consider Blogging? And you may want to check out that whole series of posts.

And then let me know, what do you think about this blog? How has it impacted you?