Brief Overview...

4th Man…

Bible Overview…

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Gold Rush – MBC Notes

How could someone that seems to have the world by the tail be so foolish as to think he could cheat on his wife, betray his family and marriage vows and not get caught?

By all outward appearances it seemed that Tiger had it all… an amazing golf career, loads of money, fame, a beautiful wife and two gorgeous kids.

For years one of my favorite things to do on Sunday afternoon was to watch Tiger compete for another championship and chase Jack Nicolas for the overall record for PGA Championships!

While I won’t say I will never watch him play golf again, I can say it will never be the same. His actions of late have reduced him to just another guy who cheats on his wife and lives a double standard.

The same is true for all of us. When we chose to compromise our “Virtues & Values” and destroy our “Credibility” by making choices like Tiger’s, we will lose just about everything that was once important to us.

And no matter how hard we try, life will never be the same!

Over the years, we’ve watched countless Celebs, Christian Ministers and friends choose the same fate when they decided to trade everything they had achieved for a few moments of sexual pleasure.

So the question is, what can we learn from the number one golfer in the world? What led up to his destructive behavior & bad choices?

Here are a few faulty perspectives & attitudes that contributed…

• Arrogance
• Lack of Accountability
• Narcissism
• Anonymity
• Selfishness
• Invincibility

Years ago I heard a message that encouraged me to live my life like there is no such thing as a SECRET!

As a pastor, I have counseled hundreds of men & women that have fallen into the trap of sexual immorality over the past 30 years.

One of the reoccurring themes that I have heard as they lament the destructive wake they have created is “If I would have only known what this would have cost me & my family I never would have done it.”

Let’s not wait until we have destroyed our lives and those around us to consider the cost. For the past 20 years I have carried in my wallet a list of the consequences for cheating on my wife and from time-to-time I take it out and read it.

Needless to say, it has served me well over the years.

If only we would rehearse in advance the ugly and overwhelming consequences of immorality, we would be far more prone to avoid it.

(Proverbs 6:32)  “But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.”

Let’s make good choices about our lives and families!

Don’t it always seem to go,
That you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…

Do you remember that song? Big Yellow Taxi. Joni Mitchell. 1969. I’m dating myself, aren’t I? For those of you who are younger, Amy Grant recorded it a few years ago, but, of course, her version wasn’t nearly as good.

The words of this song summarize the plight of so many people: “we don’t often appreciate what we have until it’s too late.”

Lack of gratitude is the greatest hindrance people have today in feeling good about their lives, because most people, instead of feeling grateful for what they have, often spend their energy focusing on what they don’t have.

A survey was done in Orange County, California–one of the most affluent areas of our nation. The question was asked, “What do you need most in your life?” and the number one response was “More money.”

These people already have more money than anyone else on the planet, but they feel they need more. Now, I’m not pointing fingers at the people of California, because I find myself doing the same thing from time to time, and so do many of you.

In this land of plenty, too often we live our lives with a sense of lack.

• I don’t have enough money.
• I don’t have enough time.
• I don’t have enough success.
• I don’t have enough happiness.

As a result, our lives become defined by what we don’t have, and too often we fail to appreciate what we do have until it’s too late.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say:

• I didn’t realize how good my job was until I lost it.
• I didn’t realize what wonderful parents I had until they were gone.
• I didn’t realize how precious my spouse was until he or she died.
• I didn’t realize how important my children were to me until they left home.
• I didn’t realize how wonderful our friendship was until it was over.

You see, the more successful we become, the more affluent we become, the more blessed we become, our biggest challenge is to learn to appreciate–to be truly thankful – for all the good things that have come our way.

It’s a challenge to grow up with a thankful heart.

From an early age we are exposed to a culture of complainers, gripers, grumblers, and critics.

We complain about:

• The weather
• Prices
• Traffic
• Food
• Work
• Neighbors
• Friendships
• Bills
• The government
• The church
• And life in general
• Worst of all, we are ungrateful toward God.

How can we, who have received so much, be thankful for so little?

One of the great indicators of true spirituality is not measured by how many times we go to church, how many bibles verses we can quote, or how long we pray, but it is measured by the level of gratitude that is in our hearts.

When we are ungrateful, the heart of God is saddened, the Holy Spirit is grieved, and the joy of the Lord is quenched within us.

• Being thankful sweetens you, grumbling sours you.
• Being thankful brings sunshine to your countenance, being ungrateful casts a shadow.
• Being thankful brings a melody to your words, criticism makes you sound like a clanging cymbal.
• Being thankful keeps your feet on the pathway of celebration, complaint takes you down the road of despair.

There’s a legend of a man who found the barn where Satan keeps seeds ready to be sown in the human heart. He noticed there were more seeds of discouragement than any other, and was told that this kind of seed can be made to grow almost anywhere.

He asked about it, and Satan reluctantly admitted that there is one place in which he could never get the seed of discouragement to thrive. “Where is that?” the man asked. Satan answered, “In the heart of a grateful man.”

Don’t forget to have an “attitude of gratitude” this Thanksgiving!

Some seasons are more difficult than others… but if you know how to adjust your expectations and find the good in every season, life can be much more enjoyable.

Over the years I’ve met several people from warmer climates that couldn’t handle the winters in Wisconsin. They would batten-down the hatches as soon as the temperatures fell below 50 and prayed for summer.

They were miserable for a significant part of a year all because they didn’t learn to adapt to the current climate and still enjoy the journey!

I think this “seasonal dilemma” has potential application for all of our lives. You see life has its way of throwing curve balls at us thus creating some difficult seasons that we must walk through.

Sociologists have created a term calling this adjusting to the “New Normal.” When things change and difficulties arise we must adapt & adjust to the new nuances that this season of life brings without crawling in a hole and wishing things were back to the way they were.

Like my friends that quit living when the temps dropped many people quit living when seasons change.

But here’s what I found out… the human body has an incredible ability to adjust to just about any environment given enough time & the right attitude.

So as we approach winter this year… even though it may get cold, the trees may be leaf-less & the snow may come in abundance, If we approach it properly and embrace this new season some wonderful things can happen within us.

And even though things may look barren on the surface, there is much going on beneath the surface. God is drawing us to Himself causing the roots go down deeper, our relationship with him to grow and our faith to be strengthened.

All this is preparing us for a fruitful new season of life as spring approaches.

Enjoy the journey!

My how time flies when your having fun! 

Tomorrow my beautiful bride and I will celebrate 33 years of marriage.

Its hard to believe that it has been that long and even harder for some people to believe that it has lasted this long.

As many of you are aware we didn’t have a very good start. We were both pretty selfish and self-centered and neither of us had any good “marriage models” to help guide us in our new adventure.

So after a couple of very difficult years we decided to look at Gods blueprint for a successful marriage. 

I can tell you if it hadn’t been for God’s divine intervention and Him teaching both of us how to love, trust, respect and serve one-another we wouldn’t be celebrating anything tomorrow.

So why am I writing this blog on the eve of my 33rd anniversary?

Partly to say that I am married to the most beautiful, caring and incredible woman in the world and I am eternally grateful. 

And partly to say when I look at the marriages in the world as well as the church my heart is grieved at the way people treat one-another.   

God never intended for your marriage to be a heartache or a nightmare. He intended for you marriage to be a little taste of heaven while here on the earth.

As you know, great marriages don’t just happen on there own. It takes a lot of hard work to build a strong, healthy, vibrant marriage. 

Please let me encourage you to take the time and make the investment into your marriage. There is nothing more important in your life than learning to grow together as a married couple. When you learn the secrets to a lasting marriage you learn the secrets to life.

So as I get ready to take my bride out of town for a wonderful celebration I challenge  you to decide in you heart to take you marriage to a “whole new level” over the next few years… I think you will be glad you did. 

I sure am!

May God be honored and blessed by the way we love our spouse!

Did you know… that the term “Do not be afraid” is mentioned over 350 times in the Bible (almost once for every day of the year)?

(2 Timothy 1:7) For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of sound mind.

(John 10:10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Satan comes to steal…..your love, power, and sound mind.  Then replace it with a spirit of fear.

·      Fear will make you do stupid things.

·      75% of the people in the hospital are there because of worry, tension, and fear.

·      Fear will attract demon spirits like blood attracts sharks.

·      Fear is the power source of the kingdom of Darkness.

Four Methods Satan Uses to infect you with fear.

1.  Words

After Goliath shouted insults and threats to the Children of Israel… listen to what happened to them.

(1 Samuel 17:11) On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

2.  Size of the Problem – it’s too big!!

When the children of Israel looked at Goliath they were intimidated and afraid. And I can understand why, he was almost 10 feet tall and with all his armor weighed over 900 pounds. 

But always remember, the size of our problems is “no match” compared to the BIGNESS of our GOD!

3.  Remind You of Past Failures!

Fear of failure will paralyze you.

(Isaiah 54:4) “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

… Isaiah said God would deliver you from the shame of your youth.

We have all experienced failure! Let it be your friend not your enemy!

Learn from it and move forward in faith believing that God is able to deliver you!

4.  Condemnation. 

The enemy will condemn you for…not praying enough – not reading your Bible, not witnessing.

He is an accuser of the Brethren.

(Romans 8:1) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Fear is the nature of the enemy!

Faith is the nature of your father!

Let’s be good sons & daughters and walk in FAITH not FEAR!

I have been talking a lot about creating margin in our lives so we are not stressed out.

Does this day sound familiar?

In the morning, you hurriedly gulp a cup of coffee and devour a breakfast bar as you check and respond to dozens of emails. You shower, brush your teeth (hopefully) and barely say a word to your spouse or roommate as you franticly rush off to work or school. If you have kids this only complicates matters, as you make a mad dash to prepare breakfast for the kids, pack their lunches, and drop them off at school.

As the day progresses with appointments, classes, unscheduled interruptions, endless errands, emergencies, meetings, more interruptions and continuous responsibilities, you wonder how in the world did I get so busy & where do I get off this merry-go-round.

The day really accelerates (if you have kids) when they get home from school. Two of them have soccer practice while the third has ballet. You eat fast food in the car as you play “taxi” shuttling all to different locations.

Later, after helping with science and math projects, or going to more meetings, or cramming for classes, or working a 16 hour day, then paying bills, responding to more emails, sifting through junk mail, you reintroduce your self to your spouse (if you have one) as you collapse into bed. You barely say a word to each other, drifting off to sleep to Everybody Loves Raymond droning in the background.

Does Any Of This Sound Familiar? (It makes me nauseous just thinking about it)

Sociologist have coined a word for such a lifestyle: hurrysickness.

This condition is the result of living in constant overdrive. When we cram each moment so full of tasks that we have no time to experience these events in any meaningful way.

One prominent symptom of hurrysickness is the compulsion to accomplish several things at once.

The most disturbing result of hurrysickness is that I start to see those around me as obstacles that slow me down.

To treat hurrysickness, we have to face a foe that C.S. Lewis says ambushes us with each dawn…

“It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes, plans and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists of shoving them all back; in listenig to that other voice, taking that other point of view and letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.”

Many of us are experiencing physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion caused by constantly juggling work, family, deadlines, meetings, school and endless responsibilities. We are experiencing what one theologian described as a “fatigue of the soul.”

You see in the corporate world we often look for fulfillment in our achievements. Output equals opinion of self.

However, God ascribes Importance to me as a person not a producer. That’s why we need to rediscover the priority of being over doing.

That’s Why God Gave Us —- The Gift of the Sabbath!

Learn to embrace the Sabbath principle!

Lear to slow down and enjoy the journey!

Learn how to create Margin in your life!

Have an awesome day!

You’ve seen people traveling in airports with excess baggage. They looked “weighed down” & “stressed out.”

A lot of Christians look the same way. Weighed down & stressed out with baggage from the past.

Past hurts, disappointments, conflicts and lifestyles seem to remind us of how much of a failure we really are.   

Over the past 29 years in pastoral ministry I have found that nearly all of my counseling intersects this issue of “dealing with the past” at some point.

The enemy wants to PAINT your future with your PAST!

The Apostle Paul made a powerful statement in…

(Philippians 3:13-14)  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on…

Notice: In order to reach forward to what lies ahead —- We must 1st let go of what lies behind!!!!!!!

If you want to embrace the TROPHIES of the future… you must 1st let-go of the GARBAGE of the past!

4 Important things to remember about your past;

1. The past is a thief – It robs your strength & energy!

2. The past is a bully – It pushes you around & intimidates you.

3. The past makes you a victim – As you replay the offense over and over.

4. The past is a leech – That sucks the life & your God inspired dreams out of you.

It is important for you to realize:

Your present and future will be determined by how you handle your past!!!!

SO —- Don’t get stuck in the past!

When your memories outnumber your dreams… you are STUCK in the past!

When the past seems brighter than the future… you are merely existing NOT living!

When you’re stuck in the past… you die a little more everyday!

Yesterday is over & there is nothing you can do but learn from it &… Let it go!

On Sunday March 15^th 26 churches from the greater Madison area gathered together under one umbrella to seek the face of our God and give him glory for all that he has done.

It was an amazing event filled with awesome worship and passion & thanksgiving. It was wonderful to watch the “Body of Christ” function in unity as one family.

As parents you and I know the beautiful joy that explodes in our heart when we watch our children having fun together & getting along. I think our heavenly Father is the same.

I am absolutely convinced that as we began the process of planning this event and working together as churches it brought a smile to the Father’s Face!

And then to watch as the night unfolded had to be an amazing sight in the heavenlies.

I mean think about it, as He looked down from heaven through the roof of Lake City Church and gazed upon his kids singing, dancing, hugging, laughing & worshipping together it had to make his day a bit brighter.

As a pastor, I couldn’t be prouder of the believers in this city. I know of churches that changed things that were on their calendars just so their members could participate.

MBC had the privilege of being one of the three worship teams that led during the evening and they did a great job, but so did the other two teams.

I love seeing each worship team being authentic to who they were and not trying to outdo the others. And I especially enjoyed watching the teams gather at the end and asking each other for the music of some of the songs they played.

It is awesome to live in a city that is striving towards unity because that’s where God’s blessing rest!

(Psalms 133:1-3)  How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! 3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Herman that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

If you missed the event… hang around, we will definitely do it again!

This Sunday we will celebrate our 7^th Anniversary as a church 

Birthdays are significant because they help us pause, reflect & celebrate the growth, development & success of the previous 12 months.

God has been so good to this church since we started our 1^st service. We’ve watched hundreds of people come to Christ, singles meet their spouses and marry, other’s meet and make new best friends and we have watched countless lives be transformed into brightly burning examples of Jesus’ love. 

Vickie & I are having the time of our life. Who would have ever thought that planting a new church at our age could be such a kick?

But just because God has blessed our church, doesn’t mean we can relax!

(Luke 12:48) “To who much is given, much will be required.”

MBC has been given much… therefore God is expecting a lot out of this church. We need to be good stewards.

We have a job to do in this city.

He has called us to be salt & light both individually & corporately. 

Any time you do something significant for God it always includes more than just one person, it is generally a collaboration between lives and callings.

God designed it that way to create unity in the body and so that no one can get the big head.

God has a plan for us in this city! 

God is longing to build a church that will be strong, stable & powerful enough to overcome the power of the enemy & the pressures of hell.

There are people in the city that are counting on it.

Listen to Jesus’ heart about people who are struggling…

(Matthew 9:36-38) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

That’s why we’re here, because people are being harassed by the devil and are helpless to do anything about it.

They need caring people like you, who will help them find the answers to life’s most difficult questions.

3 Things to remember as we move forward;

1. God “has and will” remain faithful!

2. Enjoy the journey – Have a blast!

3. Take Personal Responsibility for doing your part!

I love to watch God do His thing!

The phrase, “The sky is falling,” has passed into the English language as a common idiom indicating a hysterical or mistaken belief that disaster is imminent.

I was watching the Dave Ramsey Show on the Fox Business Channel last night and was refreshed to hear someone in the media acknowledge that though we are experiencing some down days economically things are not as bad as though they appear.

As you listen to the Mainstream & even some Conservative Media Outlets you would think that everyone is going to lose their jobs and no one will keep their homes.

Now even though most of us have taken a hit (at least on paper) on our 401K’s, very few people around us (if any) have lost their home or job.

If you have been impacted by the economic difficulties I am certainly not trying to make light of your situation… Let’s trust God together and watch Him turn it around.

But for 99% of us, the truth is we have seen very little (if any) impact on our personal income & housing. But a recent National Poll suggests that 68% of ALL Americans are scared to death of losing everything.

I think all of us need to push-back from the crazy input of negativity that we allow ourselves to be exposed to and shut the TV Off.

The Apostle Paul in writing to the Philippian church had some great advice that we all need to listen to…

(Philippians 4:8) And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

I encourage you to read the children’s story “Chicken Little” and notice the frenzy that he had all his friends in over nothing and see if there aren’t some similarities to what’s going on in our Country. 

Remember… things are not as bad as they appear!

If you are like me, you get tired of hearing the craziness & the bad news that’s being communicated in our media today.

Everywhere you turn it seems there is nothing but bad news being talked about! At the coffee shops, the malls & even the locker room, talk seems to be fixated on how bad things are.

Now I am not suggesting that there is not reason for concern or issues that need to be fixed. Make no mistake about it… we as a Country need to realize that terrible mismanagement in fiscal responsibility has been happening for some time.  

And we as individuals need to be aware of what is happening so we can exercise wisdom in our own personal decisions and spending. As well as pray for our leaders.

But if we’re not careful, we can be obsessed with the news and end up filled with worry, fear and cynicism.

May I remind you that Philippians 4:19 says; And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Notice it doesn’t say… “as long as the economic conditions are healthy.”

Often in difficult circumstances we get our eyes off God and on the wrong stuff.

• Peter experienced it in the boat!
• The Israelites experienced in the wilderness!
• The 12 spies experienced it with the BAD REPORT!

And we are not immune from it!

As we navigate as a church through these tough times let me encourage you to embrace God’s perspective instead of the nightly news!

Here are 7 things you can do to walk in faith and not fear!

1. Turn the Negative News Off (Numbers 13:31-33)
2. Resist the spirit of Fear (2 Timothy 1:7)
3. Put your hope in God (Psalms 42:5)
4. Renew your mind with God’s Word (Romans 12:2)
5. Cast your care on Him because he cares about you (Psalm 55:22)
6. Speak out of your mouth… God’s promises (Proverbs 18:21)
7. Obey the bible (Matthew 7:23-25)

(Psalms 37:25) I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

I am praying for you!

I love the way the Lord seems to be using the MBC body over the past few months. We started out this year with a mandate from the Lord “Let your light shine in 2009.”

The sense that I had was that the Lord wanted to use US to touch this City in a very real & practical way.

The bible says in Matthew 5:16;“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

I believe when we use our God given talents coupled together with the compassion of Jesus we will find ourselves striving to help the people around us.

Since Jesus no longer lives on earth he chooses to use his people to demonstrate his heart of love & kindness. You have heard it said that “we are his hands and feet” and I believe that God wants to use you to touch the hearts of the brokenhearted.

I am encouraging everyone at MBC to embrace a servant’s heart & look for ways to give your life away on behalf of others! What act of kindness can you and I offer to the people we see & come in contact with?

There are all kinds of opportunities to be a blessing and lighten the heavy load that people are carrying.

Besides the many outreaches that we are offering as a church, there are also some Citywide Outreaches that are available. One of which is the “Touched Twice Clinic” being offered on March 7^th at Calvary Gospel Church.    

If you would like to volunteer to help provide the man-power needed for this extraordinary event…the website is www.touchedtwicemadison.org/wb/

 I encourage you to roll-up your sleeves and get involved.

 It’s going to be a great year!

Kids helped by the free Dental Clinic

Vickie and I just returned from a great “get away” in the mountains of New Mexico. We flew into Albuquerque and drove the three hours North to a small village nestled in the Colorado Rockies called Red River.

We were there to relax, unwind & read. But I must admit I had “fresh powder” on the brain. You see Red River is a skiing village and I couldn’t wait to buy my lift ticket and hit the slopes. 

After we checked into our room I went out on the patio and realized that our room was just a few yards from the chair lift. Needless to say I was ecstatic! Then I looked up (strait up) the mountain at one of the ski runs and realized this is NOT Wisconsin.

They make the hills BIGGER in the Rockies I thought. I must say I really enjoy skiing but I like having all of my limbs and being able to walk without a wheel chair more.

So I decided to take it slow and just “discover” the mountain before I took on any of the challenging black diamond runs (blacks are the most difficult).

So the first day I did the easier slopes and worked my way up to some of the more challenging runs. By day two I was sore but really up for some tougher stuff. So I took on the intermediate blacks and felt really good about it. On day three, I was ready for the BIG slopes and I spent the day taking on everything that Red River had to throw at me… I was on top of the world and I felt like I had conquered some of my fears.

As I was ridding up the chair lift towards the end of the third day the Lord reminded me of the story of David and Goliath. It was similar to what I had experienced the past few days. In the biblical story the giant mocked and taunted the armies of Israel on a daily basis. That’s kind of what I felt the BIG slopes did to me the first day.

But David, though he was just a young man was able to step up to the plate and take on the giant striking him dead with just a sling and stone to save the day.

What many people fail to recognize in the story is that before David could take on the giant called Goliath he first had to build his faith & courage by conquering the lion and bear. You see, it’s the small “faith challenges” in life that helps to prepare us for the big stuff!

I must admit that overcoming BIG downhill slopes and double black diamonds are not to be compared with conquering Goliath or some of the real challenges we face in everyday life but I do think it has application.

When we are faced with any obstacle or challenge in life if we will simply trust God to see us through that situation our faith will grow. Then if we will take the experience we have learned from the smaller victories, we can apply it to bigger challenges and before you know it you will become a “Giant Killer.”

Now I’m not saying everyone should go out and buy a pair of skis, fly to the Colorado Rockies and take on the biggest “Black Diamond” you can find. But I am saying that no matter how BIG the challenges are that stand in your way never let fear “intimidate” or “control” you!

(2 Timothy 1:7) For God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.

Madison has been our home for almost eight years now and everyday we thank God for sending us to this awesome place. 

Like Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz… there is “no place like home”

When Vickie and I moved to Madison we had a strategic mandate in our heart from the Lord. We sensed Him speak a word while in prayer which kind of went like this…“Don’t focus solely on building your own church but rather focus on building the City Church Philosophy in the entire region” 

In case you are not familiar with the philosophy, here it is; “there is only ONE CHURCH in the city, we just happen to meet in different places.”

Don’t you love that idea? That simply means we are united to our precious brothers and sisters in Christ even if they don’t all attend MBC. Unity is a powerful attitude for revival to sweep this region. It is there the bible says, God commands His blessings, even life evermore! (Psalm 133:1-3)

When we first arrived in 2001, I remember making a concerted effort to reach out and build relationships with other pastors. I must admit the concept of the “City Church” was somewhat foreign.

But what was interesting to me was even though many of the pastors were not familiar with the terminology they were familiar with the desire to unite their hearts with other pastors to do something unique in this region for the Glory of God. 

I’m convinced that the enemy has had a hold on this city because of insecurities among leaders in the past. When leaders are more interested in protecting their “turf” than advancing the Lord’s work the enemy wins. For decades pastors have lived in separation and segregation doing their “own thing.”

But a new day is dawning in Madison; pastors from many theological backgrounds are embracing one-another and uniting their hearts for the sake of advancing God’s Kingdom.

Two Sundays ago MBC had the honor of having Tom Flaherty, pastor from Mad City Church speak to us on the subject of “experiencing the presence of God.” It was awesome.

This past Sunday I had the privilege of speaking at Mad City Church. We had a wonderful time seeing what God is doing at that awesome church. As many of you know God has used that church in a powerful way over the past 12 years and we are thrilled to be partnering together with them as well as with other churches to be God’s hands & feet in this city.

Also, we are seeing an unprecedented amount of people coming to the Lord. These past four weeks we have watched well over 100 surrender their hearts to the Lord including 50-60 at Mad City Church this past Sunday when I gave the alter call.

I believe the increase in “spiritual freedom” is directly tied to the increase in “spiritual unity.”

On March 15^th from 6:00-9:00 PM there are over 30 churches coming together under one banner to “Seek The Lord and Worship Him who is Worthy.” Lake City Church has agreed to host the gathering and our worship team is one of the three teams that will be leading us into His Throne-Room. You won ‘t want to miss this.  

I can’t wait to see what God is going to do over the next few months!

So yes, as you can see, the “City Church Philosophy” Continues to Prevail in Madison… to God be the Glory!

When the Lord began to speak to my wife and I about planting a church we could think of a ton of things we would rather do. Not that we don’t love challenges or meeting new people, but there are a lot of difficulties in starting from scratch.

I mean, when I pastored in Central Wisconsin we had a great facility with all the amenities to make life and ministry easier. It was what we call a “turn-key” operation. You would just unlock the door and turn the lights on & have church.

No so with our current situation… Our set-up team shows up very early on Sunday morning and pulls everything out of a storage room and begins the arduous task of setting up every single cord, microphone, sound board, stage, coffee pot, table, chair, pipe & drape, sign, cross, children’s church equipment, communion, candles, instruments, amplifier, light, carpet, etc.       

Whew! I got tired just thinking about it! It’s a ton of work, as many of you know.  But when I see the teams of people doing what they do with excellence and efficiency and having fun while they sweat & sacrifice I wouldn’t trade what we have for the nicest building in the world.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m NOT saying that we will never have our own building (that day will come). What I am saying is even though there is a lot of challenges in a “Mobile Church” there are a load of blessings as well.

I’m convinced that if we had our own building today many of you wouldn’t have some of the friendships you have. Many of you have met and become close friends through sweating and sacrificing in ministry teams to which I say THANK YOU! 

So now we face another challenge of the “Mobile Church.” Because of a water pipe break a few weeks ago we will be moving our service “time” and “place” for a few weeks. Starting on February 8^th & 15^th we will meet in the aerobics room at the West Side Princeton Club at 1:00 PM.

I can hear some of you say “hallelujah” I can sleep in and chill out on a Sunday morning. Simmer down… remember this is only temporary (until they get the new floor installed in the gym).  

As we face this new challenge we are asking everyone that calls Metro Believers Church home to step up and help carry the extra load for a few weeks.

As I said earlier, having church in a mobile environment can be challenging & difficult… but it can also be very rewarding. 

Sometimes I think back to what it was like having a “turn-key” church and from time-to-time I must admit it is appealing. But knowing what God has given us in “people resources” I wouldn’t trade what we have “together” for anything.

We love facing the challenges of life TOGETHER with you!   

Well here we are entering the new world of “blogging.” When I first heard the term it sounded like “river dancing.” But over the years I become a bit more “tech savvy” so for those of you that are not familiar with the “term” let me give you a quick idea of what to expect.

The word blog is a contraction of “web log“, a phrase not so commonly used these days. In the simplest definition of the term, then, a blog is a log of your thoughts, ideas, useful links, photos, videos, or the latest news.

So, I will be making a concerted effort to give you regular insights and highlights of the wacky-world of your pastor.

So tune in on a regular basis by going to our website and clicking on my blog or by subscribing to the RSS feed.

It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be exciting and from time to time you may be saying TMI… (too much information).

I cannot begin to express my gratitude for all that the Lord is doing at MBC. This is a “special place” with some “special people” for a “special time” in history!

I love you guys and thanks for doing church with us!

Guest Speaker- Rich Gibbs