The Mondays – I AM Week 5

What a great weekend. On Sunday, Rock City celebrated with a ton of people who took their next step in faith. Seeing person after person step into the water as a symbol of their transformation in Christ is something that never gets old. Each time we do it, I think “this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

On Sunday, Chad gave a great message on John 11: 25-26.

The context of the story is: two sisters want Jesus to come and heal their brother Lazarus. He’s a good friend of Jesus and they’re certain if he can just get there in time, their brother will be ok. He tells them not to worry and then he does nothing. Long story short … Lazarus dies. Understandably, the sisters are upset. Jesus finally shows up 4 days later acting like it’s no big deal. Many of you know the story ends well, however. Jesus tells (a very dead) Lazarus to get up out of his tomb and the guy walks out!

A couple of things Chad shared that really stuck with me as he was telling this story of Lazarus:

1. Sometimes God waits BECAUSE he loves us … not because he’s mad at us.

2. My preference and comfort will ALWAYS be trumped by His Glory. It’s not about me. It’s about him and what he wants to do in and through me. That means that ultimately, my comfort is not all that important to him.

3. Jesus wants us to trust him for who HE is, not for what he DOES. This is a big one for me. So often our faith meter goes up and down based on what God is or is not doing in our life in this moment. But Jesus says: I AM. And he wants us to believe in him based on that, not on something we’ve asked him to do.

Here’s a couple of adorable pics of one of the many people who got baptized this week. You can see her sweet son in the background video taping his mom’s baptism on her iPhone and then their sweet little kiss afterwards.  I’m so proud of this single mom for leading her son through her faith. It’s a beautiful thing.

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The Mondays – I AM Week 4

We’ve been looking at the seven things that Jesus said about Himself while he was here on earth. This weekend’s service was so powerful. We “met” Sean. A veteran whose story of courage and faith was so inspiring.

You can click HERE to Meet Sean for yourself!

Chad shared with us why, so many times in scripture, God chose to compare us to sheep and why he calls Himself the “Good Shephard.”

I guess I never really thought about it before but as he shared, it did occur to me that it was odd. Why Sheep? Chad’s explanation didn’t do much for my ego. Here’s some facts about sheep.

-They are stubborn.
-They will follow just about anyone even if it means they are putting themselves in danger.
-They are defenseless.
-They are dirty because they aren’t able to clean themselves.
-They wander … all the time.

Sound familiar? How interesting it is that, out of all of the animals in creation, God would choose to compare us to these, for lack of a better word, dumb animals. Sheep need guidance. Sheep need to be protected. Sheep need to be shown which way to go.

In John 10:11-15 Jesus says:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father —and I lay down my life for the sheep.“

Although most of us would not like to admit it, we need a lot of guidance in our life. I can barely decide what to wear each day or what to make for dinner without the opinion of someone else. And I am grateful for a God that does not leave us to our own devices. When we wander, he comes to find us. And what makes him “good” is that despite the fact that he knows me better than anyone, he still chose to lay down his life for me.

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I Can Do THAT

Last night I watched the local news. In our Hulu and Netflix world, I rarely get to do this, but I happened to be waiting on a load of laundry to be done so I thought I’d sit and watch. It was dismal. It was depressing. It was hopeless.

It also was completely contradictory to my experience earlier that day and throughout this month.

Rock City chose to use its One for One fund for the month of May to bless local school teachers and faculty in some of Columbus’ inner city schools. What an honor this has been for our teams to be able to spend time with these fine men and women … hear their hearts … see their commitment.

The city and future we saw through the eyes of these teachers didn’t at all match what I saw on the news last night. The city and future we saw this month is full of hope and full of promise.

Is it hard? Yes.

Are the problems and social issues these teachers are facing with their students nearly insurmountable? Yes.

Have they given up hope? No.

Over and over we heard stories of teachers who were going the extra mile to ensure their students were given a fighting chance.

Today, we talked to a social worker who worked for Columbus Public Schools. She received a call earlier this week from one of the students she works with. The student is 18 and homeless. She hadn’t been showing up to school and with graduation just days away, the social worker was frantic. She shared how, shortly after arriving home the other night, her personal phone rang. It was the girl. She had been on the streets all week. No where to go. That’s why she hadn’t been to school.

The social worker spent the next 4 hours working with various organizations to ensure the girl had food in her belly and a roof over her head. She was the girl’s lifeline. Next week, because of her, this girl will graduate.

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed when we look at the problems in our cities. It’s so easy to say, where would I even start? What could I possibly do? This month I realized that the odds of me being able to tangibly make a difference are actually pretty slim. I’m not equipped. I don’t have the access.

But, I can serve a meal to those who DO have access. I can give a hug to those who ARE equipped. I can provide encouragement to those whose tanks are almost empty because of the time and energy they pour into others. I can show God’s love to that social worker who went the extra mile. I can do that. And Rock City can do that.

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The Mondays – I AM Week 3

What a great series this has been! We’ve been looking at the seven things that Jesus said about himself … who he is, why he came and what we should do about it. We were so blessed to have Lee Powell and his wife Joi with us this weekend. Lee is the Senior Pastor of Cedar Creek Church in Toledo, Ohio. A few thoughts from my heart about Lee, his wife Joi and the amazing church they lead.

1. When no one else believed in us and the dream God had given us, Cedar Creek did.

2. Cedar Creek showed us what it looks like to love people like God loves them.

3. Lee and the the other Elders (Hooty and Ed) are there for Chad whenever he needs them for whatever reason. They are the real deal.

4. Joi told me once that in the early days, her role was to fill in the gaps until someone came along who could do it better … then she got out-of-the-way. As a Lead Pastor’s wife, this statement was perhaps the most valuable thing anyone has told me. 

5. The Cedar Creek team lives out generosity. If they can give it to you, they will, no matter how big or how small. They view nothing as theirs … only God’s. 

I truly believe that Rock City would not be where it is at today, were it not for the support and generosity of Cedar Creek Church. We are so blessed to call them friends.

Lee did a great job this weekend teaching Rock City on one of the most challenging I AM statements Jesus made. In John 14:6 Jesus says: “I Am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a new feature on the Rock City website where you’ll be able to watch past messages including this great one from Lee! 

 

 

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The Mondays – Normal Isn’t Working PT 3

Of Jesus’ many guarantees, there is one I never like to be reminded of:

John 16:33 – In this world you WILL have trouble. 

You only have to be alive for about 3.2 seconds before you realize the truth to this blunt statement. I wish He would have said “you might have trouble,” or “you will have trouble if you are a really horrible person.” But no, He does not. This is a one size fits all promise. No matter who you are, how much money you have, how much you pray, how much faith you have, you WILL have trouble.

Thankfully, He does not end the thought with that depressing statement.

John 16:33 – In this world you WILL have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

I had the extreme privilege of spending several hours last week with a woman who has fully owned and received this promise from our Savior.

Lori found a lump on her breast 3 years ago as she was nursing her second child. After several false diagnoses, a biopsy revealed an extremely rare form of cancer that was in stage 4. The thought of hearing those words given to me by a doctor is, honestly, beyond my ability to comprehend. At the time, Lori had two young children, a flourishing career as a physician and a husband who adored her.

Three years later the cancer has spread throughout her entire body. She has traveled the country visiting the world’s most prominent doctors, lost her hair, gone through every treatment known to man and has basically been given just months to live.

As she shared her medical story with us, I just kept thinking: “How in the world is this woman even here right now? How could she possibly have the physical and emotional strength to recap with a group of complete strangers all that she has been through?”

After her medical story, she got to talking about her sweet children. What it has been like to come to the realization that she may not be here to watch them grow up. She shared how she has written birthday cards for each of their birthdays for years to come, bought them gifts for their wedding days that are to be given to them from her.

Can you imagine?

And would you believe in all of that she did not shed a tear? Not one tear. I’ve never seen such strength and peace.

Only when she began talking about her Jesus did the tears come. It was as if they were reserved for Him. This God who had held her hand so tightly these last three years. This God who she knew more intimately now than ever before. This God whom she trusted completely and unreservedly.

When Chad read Revelation 21: 4 this weekend, I immediately thought of Lori. How she must feel reading these words and how she has embraced this promise as her life’s song.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. And He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” 

Yes, we can count on the trouble. We can count on the fact that life will NOT go according to our plan. We can count on it being MORE than we can bear.

I loved how Chad summed this up on Sunday:

In this life:

-SYSTEMS will be shaken, but in God’s power we will remain STABLE.
-RELATIONSHIPS will be shaken, but in God’s presence we will remain SECURE.
-HOPES will be shaken, but in God’s promises we will remain CONFIDENT.

Here’s a pic of Lori with my sweet Wednesday Morning group. What a gift she gave us all.

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The Mondays – Because Normal Isn’t Working Pt 2

“BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T…”

When we read these words together this weekend at Rock City, I was hit like a ton of bricks. This was part 2 of our series: Because Normal Isn’t Working and Chad shared, from Daniel 3, a story of abnormal faith. I had read the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego countless times. You might remember it too … 3 young guys, evil king with big ego, fiery furnace, etc., etc.

We can all agree that being thrown into a furnace and walking out unscathed is kind of a big deal. It’s the kind of miracle that strengthens our faith, gets us excited and helps us walk through our own trials.  If God can do it for them, He can certainly get me out of this mess that I am in, or that trial you are facing. But what if He doesn’t? What if He hadn’t? What if those three young men had died in that fiery furnace King Nebuchadnezzar had prepared especially for them? Would it have changed anything?

The answer: No.

In Daniel 3: 16-18 we hear the abnormal faith of three men whose faith was not based on a miracle, a prayer or a hope but in a certainty in WHO God is.

“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from your Majesty’s hand. But even if he doesn’t, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of the gold you have set up.”

What they are saying is that no matter how this thing goes down, Our God is still God. I heard Beth Moore say one time, that God will either deliver us to the fire, through the fire or from the fire. I think most of my prayers are focused on God delivering me from the fire. I’d rather not even go there. Chad described it as this:

“Most of us spend the majority of our life seeking a faith that will keep us from the fire, instead of seeking a God that will be with us IN the fire.”

I also loved what he said about real faith.

“Real faith believes that God CAN, expects that God WILL, but trusts HIM even when He doesn’t.”

God, give me a “Even if you don’t” kind of faith. Help me see You in the trials that I face and help me glorify you to others as I go through the fire.

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My Easter Top 10

There are about a hundred moments from this Easter weekend that were amazing. We had record attendance, with 700 people joining us at one of our 3 services and over 60 people making commitments to Get On Their Mark with God! That makes all of the craziness leading up to this weekend worth it.

Here are my Top 10 from Easter 2012:

1. Good Friday Communion and Prayer
On Friday night we joined with some of our Rock City team to thank God for His sacrifice and pray for Sunday. We prayed for every seat, every person that would walk through the doors and every heart that would hear the message of God’s love.

2. Volunteer Rock Stars
One guy walked into our church for the first time this weekend and told a volunteer: “I’ve never seen people more excited to be at church.” That’s an understatement buddy. Our volunteers put their heart, soul, sweat and tears into each weekend. I am so thankful for each and every volunteer who made this weekend so special. Here’s a pic someone snapped of some of our volunteers after the 3rd service after loading up the last trailer. It was hard to get these guys to go home!

3. Easter Bunny Fun
One of the perks of being a Pastor’s Kid is that the Easter Bunny comes to your house a day early! We had so much fun with our girls on Saturday morning. The Easter Bunny brought a few Build-A-Bear gift cards so we spent the afternoon picking out the right outfits for our new friends “Bella” and “Stella.”

4. 3rd Service Jitters
We launched our 3rd Sunday Morning worship experience on Easter Sunday. It kind of felt like launch day all over again. I was sitting in the sound booth thinking: “Oh God, please let people come!” Sure enough, at 12:31 people started streaming in. We met many people who thanked us for offering the 12:30 time. We are excited to see what God is going to do during this new service each week!

5. Sunday Afternoon Wind Down with Family and Friends
After the marathon of a morning, we were able to wind down a bit with our family and friends over some delish City BBQ catering (yes, I have their number on speed dial). We laughed a ton and reflected on all that God had done that morning.

6. Unexpected Sister Time
This may seem silly, but one of the highlights of the weekend for me was an impromptu visit with my sissy Saturday afternoon. We walked around her adorable yard, talked about the flowers and veggies we should plant in a few weeks and even got some sun.

7. Seeing over 60 people stand to their feet and accept Christ
This never gets old. One person who really touched me was brought by a couple who had just gotten on their mark a few months ago. They brought their friend for the first time and when it came time for people to stand to their feet if they wanted to accept Christ, he was one of the first to stand. The couple who had brought him had tears in their eyes and it was a beautiful sight.

8. Because Normal Isn’t Working – Everywhere
Our volunteers all rocked the new Because Normal Isn’t Working Rock City Swag this weekend.

9. Neighbors Inviting Neighbors
I met several families and single people who were invited by neighbors and came for the first time this weekend. I love the heart of our church and I love that Rock City is a place where people can proudly invite their friends.

10. Aftermath
Mondays in our world are always a bit rough. We try not to let them, but the coulda, shoulda, woulda’s always find a way to creep into our day. This Monday, however, they didn’t get far. We got so many encouraging emails from people who had visited Rock City for the first time. Some who had gotten on their mark, others who had been looking for a church for a long time, others who weren’t Christians but felt a connection to Rock City and planned to come back. These helped offset the normal Mondays and help us refocus on why we are here.

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LifeGroup Shout Out

There’s nothing that describes the heart of Rock City Church like LifeGroups. We don’t believe life was ever meant to be lived alone and we are seeing lives transformed through the connections made in these groups. It’s amazing how much easier it is to grow closer to God when you have someone by your side. And it’s amazing the difference we can make when we join together.

Last week, one of our all-women’s groups made a big difference in the lives of one of the single-parent families we helped through our February One for One. After hearing this single mom’s story of loss, they felt compelled to do something more. Together, these 12 women filled up baskets with food, clothing, toiletries and toys.

What a gift it is to be able to see a need and meet that need.

Here is a note they received from the single-mom after she received the items.

“I am in shock and in awe of the stuff everyone gave.
It makes getting a new place not feel so daunting with things I will
need down the road. How awesome. My parents were beside themselves.
They couldn’t believe the amount of items.  If you could pass on my
thank yous to your group, that would be great.  It is so
generous and kind.  Oh and my son loves all the toys.  He was and is in
heaven.  He thinks everything he got was so awesome.  Oh and all the
clothes are his size and he will be able to wear them!  So thank you
from the bottom of my heart. Thank you and I’ll see you all soon!”

 

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The Mondays: On The Verge

Last week was awesome! Chad and I were able to take some of our team to a church we have been learning from for a long time. Perry Noble and Newspring Church in Anderson, SC are big supporters of ARC and they are such a good example of a church that is literally changing an entire city … one person at a time. Benchmarking organizations and leaders that are leading the way is important to us and it was so fun to watch our team’s dreams expand as they walked around their campus and talked with their people.

Here are a few pics from our trip:

This Sunday, Rock City got a little taste of what we experienced and heard a message from Perry Noble. We are in the middle of the Series: On The Verge. Perry is such a good teacher and we were blessed to be able to hear straight from him. In case you missed it, HERE is the message we shared with Rock city Church this weekend. Just Click Week 4 of their “All In” Series.

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Thank You Mable.

There are moments from your past that you look at and you think: “How in the world did we make it through that?” And there are triggers that take you back to those moments. Sometimes it’s a smell, or a song or a name or a city. For me, Asheville, NC is a trigger. When I hear the name of that city I am immediately taken back to our short time there.

I can so vividly picture the endless and winding roads through the Blue Ridge mountains, sweet little Macy cooing in the back seat, the look of stress on my husband’s face and the pit in my stomach telling me: “You are alone and you don’t know where you are going to go.”

We had traveled to Asheville on a whirlwind tour. For months we had been praying: “God, where do you want us to go?” We knew that God wanted us to start something new … perhaps even a church. But we didn’t know where. All roads were pointing to Atlanta, GA. We were ready to make the jump. There were people there, there was support there and there were people who believed in us there. Chad had visited several times but we hadn’t been there together. So, we packed up our sweet, little 6-week old Macy and made the 8 hour drive. Our first day there we knew … this isn’t it. Now what?

A dear friend in ministry had told us of the explosive growth happening in Asheville. Thousands of young people were relocating there. The majority of them were unchurched. We should check it out.

So we did. Atlanta to Asheville we went. Literally, within moments of us arriving there Chad and I looked at each other and laughed. This isn’t it either.

We decided to make the most of the few days we had there anyways. It was fall. The colors were beautiful. We drove and drove and drove. And it seems the further we drove, the more afraid I became. The majority of our closest friends had turned their backs on us. Our home was for sale. We had a newborn baby. We had no where to go. I had never felt so alone in my entire life. I remember looking out the window and thinking: “God, how could you just leave us here?” I had been putting on a game face up until that point for Chad and the girls. But the reality of our situation had finally set in. We were alone.

Several hours later, we stopped at an overlook. It was gorgeous and vast. It struck me in that moment that God had numbered every single leaf on every single tree. He knew when each leaf would fall and when each tree would bloom. He knew it all and He had known it since the beginning of time.

We got back in the car. Macy was clearly getting sick of being in the car seat and we knew it was time to head back to the hotel. We made small talk on the way and then we got back to talking about locations. “I just wonder if we ought to pray more about Ohio,” I said. “Maybe even a city like Columbus.”

It sounds completely irresponsible and strange. But we knew. Chad had literally traveled the country seeking God’s direction. He and I were in the middle of an extremely long trip with an extremely small baby. But somehow we knew. It was Columbus.

We made a stop at the Billy Graham Retreat Center on the way back to the hotel. It was breathtaking. The small museum there chronicling his life was inspiring and we could feel God’s presence as we walked through the sweet chapel his wife had designed. We were not alone. God was getting ready to do something. He had changed us.

This week we had the privilege of taking twelve of our amazing Rock City team members to benchmark a church in South Carolina. We spent 3 days there learning and growing. The person driving took an alternate way home that just happened to lead us through Asheville, NC. … TRIGGER.

We decided to make the stop and visit the Retreat Center with the team. Just a few short years ago, we had been there. Alone, scared and unsure. So much has happened since then. God has blessed us with an amazing team, an amazing church that has seen hundreds of people come to know Christ and a love for our city unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.

We made our way up to the prayer room above the chapel where we met Mable. She is an 84 year-old widow who spends the majority of her time praying for young people. I got the sense that even though she had never met us … she had been praying for us. Even though she had never been to Columbus … she had prayed for Columbus. She did not know our names or our story. But she had been praying for us.

Rock City is here because of people like Mable. Because God never leaves us and sometimes we have to feel alone to know that we are not alone.

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