Marvelling

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. . . " Acts 4:13

As I was reading this morning, Henry Blackaby (in Experiencing the Spirit) asked a great question from this verse . . .

Does the world marvel at the church today?

Hmmmm??? Do we have a passion that is unexplainable? Is there something supernatural going on? If we were gone would there be an unfillable void in our community? Why or why not?

I have to ask myself: Do people around me marvel at what God has done/is doing? Do they go, 'Wow, that isn't right. How did he respond that way?' 'Why isn't he upset/discouraged about that?' 'Why does he care about those people?' 'Why are his priorities so much different?'

How about you?

You Just Gotta Ask!

This is what I found when I got to the building this morning . . . .

We still had 'Who is Jesus?' on the door from Sunday and somebody wanted to know who Jesus was so bad that they broke out the front door window trying to find Him . . .

So, please tell all your friends who don't know Jesus that they don't have to get into our building to find Him :)

Tell them that He is everywhere and just waiting for them to ask!

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!" Acts 2:21

Thankers . . .

I know I don't say 'Thanks!' enough. I know that I don't acknowledge folks who give great effort enough (with my family at the top of that list!).

I think if we were better 'thankers' how much different life would be . . . "Pleasant words are a honeycomb; sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." (Proverbs 16:24)

Well, with that in mind, mucho THANKS to Audie & Mike Ilse and the entire Oso Fun team! Awesome job on Sunday!

And THANKS to Charlie Ogden and all the men who threw in on the Saturday morning work day to help maintain what God has given us! They got a ton done, way to go guys!!

Back On!

A little slow moving but I'm back on some sort of real life schedule today after nearly 2-days in the sick bay . . . .

My Father-In-Law came in town today and I had lunch with him and Cindy -- first real meal in over 2 days . . . still down ok . . .

Ready for a crazy weekned! Are you?

fasted today . . . .

Ok, well kind of not really actually fasting . . .

Cindy, Laura and I both woke with (very) bad stomachs this morning . . . I forget how easy it is to take for granted my health . . .


After going back and forth from the bathroom to the bed all day here is what I look like as I try to type out a few emails at 10pm (what's time when you sleep all day).

"I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick . . ." (Ezekiel 34:16)

The Students Need Your Rummage

Creekers (or anyone else) . . . our Students are trying to raise money for Summer Camp and they are having a giant rummage sale on April 18th!

(This pic is people trying to get into our last rummage sale!)

So . . . will you clean out those closets and that stinkin' garage man! It's a mess! And bring that stuff to the building so that more students can go to camp and here about the power of the King!

Call Beau if you need more info (446-0322) - he might even come over and clean out your garage :) [Don't count on it!]

Send Me Sunday!

This past Sunday was an awesome day of challenge and response! I challenged Creekers with Isaiah 6 and what it means and looks like when we say, 'Here am I Lord. Send me!' (Isaiah 6:8)

And I can't wait to see what God is going to do as we are willing to say and live, 'Send me.'

You can check out the message by clicking here -- and the powerful video that we watched at the end is here: Thousand Questions video.

What are you going to do with your envelope? . . . And your life? Don't forget to let us know what God does at ocjourney.org --- we want to hear your 'Send Me' story!

And if you weren't there on Sunday and after listening to the message, you want to 'come up' and get an envelope, come by the church office by Friday at 4pm to get one.

A Season Ends . . .

A long Monday as we had another drive to San Antonio . . . and our King HS girls soccer team lost to SA Clark 2-0 in the playoffs to end our season.

But they had a great season - 2nd in District (10-3-1) --- and Laura and Sarah both played awesome games last night --- and I am so thankful we were able to be there!

The sad thing for me is that these fun times will be over before we know it . . . Parents, enjoy all the games and concerts and moments away together and recitals and plays, etc, etc . . . they go by so quickly . . . Be there!

Exciting News!!!!

This is awesome stuff . . . . For the past 8 years or so I've attended Leadership Summit, and in the past 4 years over a hundred Oso Creek leaders have gone to the Summit!

And here's the deal, this year it's coming to OSO CREEK!

Yes, on Friday and Saturday August 14th & 15th we will host Leadership Summit! You can click here and watch the video by Bill Hybels that tells about this years speakers and check out other details about the Summit.

This is going to create tons of opportunity for us to be blessed by the Summit, to serve folks in our City, and to bless other churches. Having it in Corpus is going to give hundreds of more people the opportunity for this incredible training and encouragement.

So MARK YOUR CALENDARS for August 14th & 15th . . . I hope that EVERY Creeker possible is able to be at the Summit!

Remembering Matt . . .

Matt B's headstone came in recently and at the request of his Dad about 15 of us gathered this afternoon at his gravesite and shared some great memories.

We all decided that it was a fun way to celebrate because we're inspired by the way Matt finished his life . . . . inspired to live today like there's no tomorrow . . .

"No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Phil 3:13-14

Mixed Messages?

Or is it that we just want our cake and also for it not to make us fat?

What kind of mixed messages do we send about the Kingdom of God?

"For the Kingdom of God is not just fancy talk; it is living by God's power."
(1 Cor 4:20)

59 Days . . . Eternity Left!

This is day 59 of the Soul Journey 60/60! What has God been teaching you? Log onto ocjourney.org and tell us about it!

And keep connecting with God . . . on Sunday we'll talk about what's next . . . .

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33

Praying . . .

Please pray with me for our group from Oso Creek who are on a Compassion Trip in Mexico this week.

Tim & Susan Klaus, JT Wranosky & Rachel Wranosky are part of a larger group that is serving the children and staff at the Pan de vida orphanage in Queretaro, Mexico!

"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel." Ephesians 6:19

Week in Review . . .

Was a busy week, and awesome to have Emily back home for the week! We were inundated with lots of youth and late nights at our house . . . .



One night we had 12 people around the table at dinner and it was awesome (and I had a great pic but I can't get it off my camera right now because the battery is dead . . . technology!!!)





And this is Andre . . . Emily's ummmmm . . . signficant friend :)
We really like him . . .

And, o' yeah the girls soccer team at King beat their rival (Carroll) in an exciting 2-1 game on Tuesday night . . . We've all but assured ourselves of no worse than 2nd in district with one game left!

And Spring Break for Sarah, Laura and Luke is just starting!!

God Likes You

I got this same message yesterday in two different places:

First in a Mark Batterson blog post he quoted from a new Brennan Manning book:

"The Father not only loves you, he likes you."

Mark went on to say this: "In my experience, most of us believe that God loves us. But we aren't so sure He likes us. Listen, He loves you and likes you enough to spend eternity with you."


Then another email I got expanded on 1 Peter 2:4 . . . "Chosen by God and precious to him."

It's so essential to regard yourself as one chosen by God and precious to him. Sometimes . . . you tend to underrate yourself becauseyou underestimate God's love for you . . . Please accept his thoughts that are higher than your thoughts by regarding yourself as clothed in Jesus.


What do you think? Do you believe that God really LIKES you? He does. As a matter of fact He likes you more than anyone on this planet. He's cheering you on today to live in light of how much He believes in you.

How Wide is a 2x4?

OK, I'm 44 years old and I should have realized this before now. I'm not a carpenter, nor the son of a carpenter, but I've been around enough boards that I shouldn't be so ignorant. . . .

But did you know that a 2x4 isn't really 4 inches wide? It's actually only 3 1/2 inches wide! I was having to measure something to fit it in a space and when I went to Lowes to get a board I had this moment of extreme realization and disappointment. All my life I've said 2x4 and I should have been saying 2x3 1/2! We're getting ripped off people!!!

As I sent out the Creek Text this morning I chose 1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

The 2x4's made me think about: When we live out who we are as a church are we getting ripped off? Or, are we ripping others off when we pretend to be something but we're only 3 1/2 inches of it?

' . . . a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him . . .'

Are we about the Kingdom of God? Are we about declaring His praises so that His Kingdom will come and His will be done?

God help me. Help us to fully become what you have created us and designed us to be. Teach us, set us on fire, to be about your Kingdom!

Peace and Design

Want to make sure you know about 2 opportunities that are starting/happening THIS week:





1) Financial Peace - This is a 13-week course, that if you lean into it will change your financial future!

Begins this Wednesday Night!

If you have any financial questions or issues in your life and have never been through FP, then you need to get there!

To sign up or fmi call Colleen Harris at 808-341-8464.



2) Divine Design - This Saturday at 9am I'm going to teach about our Spiritual Gifts, Talents, Personalities and Passion!

On Sunday I talked about how God has wired us each differently to impact the world for the Kingdom! If you're not sure what He has wired you for, then get there on Sat morning!

Call the office - 993-4463 - to get signed up!

Incredible . . .

Had an incredible time at the Church Planting Conference last week in Keller, Tx at Northwood Church. Very challenging and inspiring!

Just really affirmed to me in so many ways that we are on target in focusing on Discipleship Groups and being 'On Mission.'
If we are not about the Kingdom of God then we have missed the entire point of having a church.
And if we are not about seeing people grow from converts to disciples, then we will not have people who are devoted to the Kingdom . . .

Spring Forward!

Ah, it's time a little earlier this year . . . it's time to sacrifice an hours sleep for an hour of daylight! (or something like that!)

Don't forget to spring your clocks forward an hour tomorrow (Sat) night or you'll be late on Sunday!

Crazy, Busy Day . . .

What a wild day between trying to work on a sermon, fix a car window (see this mornings blog) and tying up loose ends to get out of town . . .

I'm excited to get on a plane in a couple of hours to go to Dallas for a Church Planting gathering that's been in the works for several months . . . I'm going with Alan Reed and taking along Luis Garcia who I've been meeting with and is planting a church near Hamlin MS and John Richerson is also meeting us there . . . it's at Northwood Church where Bob Roberts leads and they are pushing out into the world in incredible ways . . . it's gonna be awesome . . .

Although I'm very bummed as I'm missing my girls soccer game tonight and it's us - King @ 7-2-1 against Converse Judson @ 8-1-1 . . . the winner will be in first place with 3 games left! Man, I can't believe I'm stinkin' missing it! Go Kings Girls!!!!!!

Choose Life!

Read this in Proverbs this morning:

4:14-17: "Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. . . . For they cannot sleep till they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence."

Then I went outside and the twins car had been broken into last night . . . window smashed and all. I nearly had to laugh because of what I was reading . . . that was 'nearly'!

It goes on: 4:19 "But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble."

There is a place of darkness that is not even understood by those who allow themselves to live in it. It doesn't fix my window but it does speak to the power of darkness when we choose to mess with it (and yes, we DO choose!).

God goes on in Proverbs 4: 4:20-22 ". . . listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body."

God's Truth is life folks! This isn't something to mess with.

What will you choose today?

Soul Journey Freedom Art

What cool contrasting styles . . . "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freeeeeeeedom!" (2 Cor 3:17)

Trevor S with the man in the jar and Lisa R with the man by the water show a great picture together of what slavery and freedom look like!

". . . Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

What has God been teaching you about freedom? Would love to hear about it at ocjourney.org!

Soul Journey Art - Correction

These are too good to miss any . . . . last week I incorrectly identified one of the pics and missed this one which is Erin Richmond's from the week after I talked about forgiving/confessing relationships. Thanks Erin!

Is there still anyone that you need to reconcile with this week as you 60/60? Jesus said that this is how the world will know we follow Him, our love for each other.

One Another's Burdens . . . and other stuff

It seems like the first days of the week move way too fast . . . We had a great Sunday! Wow, God was so very real and from the feedback I got speaking so clearly! (And as some of you have asked, yes the 'Training' video will be online soon!)

I spent time Sun & yest trying to figure out how to get to Lubbock and back today and all paths just kept being blocked . . . I'm not going to be able to physically be with my friend Paul Gaschen at his Dad's funeral this morning, but I will be carrying the sorrow with you Paul . . .

Had a great All Leaders meeting last night . . . We've got some leaders on fire, I pray that it spreads . . .

Espanol @ Oso Creek

We will be test running Spanish interpretation in our 11am Celebration in the next few weeks, so if you see some folks with head phones you'll know they aren't just listening to their Ipod!

We have one Life Group that is all Spanish speakers and many of those folks know very, very little English . . . It's been a passion of the Gonzalez' who lead that group to provide a way for them to participate in Celebration, so that they can reach even further . . . . so that group is going 'on mission' to seek to love those folks and others by leading this!

After we test it out, we'll keep you updated . . .