The Dip - So That's What It's Called

I’ve been reading a lot of church planters’ blogs lately. We are very similar lot. In fact, it’s quite encouraging to hear that the hard stuff we go through, everyone else has too.

Ben Arment has a great 4 part series of posts on The Dip. Peachtree staff, we’ve been in the dip for over a year. This fall, we’re coming out. I can’t wait for our meeting on June 9.

Daily Time with God...more advice

Eric Wright has a great 5 steps program for spending time with God.  30 minutes (what I’ve just started doing) in the morning keeps coming up.  Cool.

What would _______ think?

I need to read this awesome post by Steven Furtick every day.

Thanks, man!

D

Psalm 19: General & Special Revelation

Psalm 19 is beautiful.

The Heavens declare the glory of God (Hebrew El – a generic word, much like our English usage of the word God)

Creation points to the majesty and power of the painter of everything we see, but it doesn’t tell us his character.

But the Law (v. 7–14), reveals Yahweh.

Yahweh’s law: revives the soul (v. 7), makes the simple wise (v. 8), and gives joy to the heart (v. 9).

I especially like verse 13–14:

“Keep your servant from willful sins; may they not rule over me.” and

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Psalm 18: Praise for Deliverance

(Part of my series of commenting on the Psalms)

David is grateful to God for delivering him from Saul.

Great verses:

1 I love you, O Lord, my strength

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer…

28 You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning, my God turns my darkness into light.  With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.

That’s a great thought:  with my God, I can leap over any wall.

 

Wow, I just read Ps 18 in Eugene Peterson’s The Message

Here’s a sample:

Psalm 18:1-6 (The Message)
^{1 I love you, God— you make me strong. 2 God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God—the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout. 3 I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty, and find myself safe and saved. 4 The hangman’s noose was tight at my throat; devil waters rushed over me. 5 Hell’s ropes cinched me tight; death traps barred every exit. 6 A hostile world! I call to God, I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence— a private audience!}

Great words for today.

My Vision for Peach Buzz

I believe blogging is an incredible tool. The many comparisons to the Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in 1517 are apt, I believe, both in terms of technology giving the expression of individuals the ability to persuade masses, as well as the revolutions such persuasive expressions were able to cause. (Don't forget, the Protestant Reformation was what it was because of the printing press).

I blogged for about a year (first post: March 2005; last post, April 2006). I didn't consciously decide to quit, but a couple of things happened:

1. I went through an internet funk where other blogs began to discourage me (not based on their content; I don't know if it was jealousy or mid-life crisis (Katie says I'm too young for that; I'm 36) or what, but for the sake of my spiritual life, I swore off blogs for at least six months.

2. We had a CHALLENGING year at Peachtree (my staff says, which year has not been been challenging). Deciding to buy/build, leading a capital campaign, and choosing the place consumed 2006, and much of it was not glamorous to write about. Looking back, God has been so faithful to led us to His best for us, but there were lots of faith-stretching moments along the way.

To sum it all up, I've felt really led to share my voice, this time around, primarily for the congregation at Peachtree and the people of West Georgia. I have several church planter friends I hope will be encouraged and I really do hope to connect with some guys who are leading well and down the road ahead of me (Perry Noble, Scott Hodge, I'm dying to meet you guys...Gary, hook me up)

But, I really want to share life with my closest brothers and sisters and the people we are called to reach.

So, don't be shy. Let me know what you think…what you’d like to talk about, and especially who you are.

Got a question or comment...I look forward to our conversations!


Also be sure to check out Peachtree Community Church
Peace be to you,
Pastor Dave

Praying through the Psalms

I’ve been reading Eugene Peterson’s Under the Unpredictable Plant and it has inspired me to “Pray through the Psalms”. I’ve never done this before, but basically you read through Psalms as personal prayers. It seems the church fathers and the church through history used the Psalms as a “school of prayer” and it has really been cool for me. Let me know if you want more details about it.

One of my heroes of the faith

Here’s one of my heroes of the faith. Every time I’ve ever heard Bill Hybels speak, something wells up in me to go all out for the Kingdom.

Here’s what Bill said recently at a conference to church planters:

Bill said that his greatest horror is “what if I would’ve given my life to a lesser dream?”

Bill finished his talk by telling us that after 31 years this would be his advice to church planters:

1. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A “HANKERING” AND A “HOLY DISCONTENT”. A “hankering” is thinking that you might like to try this someday; but a “holy discontent” is something that if you don’t do it you will implode! Church planting can not be a “hankering” it has to be a “holy discontent” that you have to do.
   


2. KNOW WHO HAS WHAT GIFTS. You need to know not only your gifts, but also the order of your giftings. Most people have 3 or 4 gifts and you need to know which is first, second, third and fourth. You also need to know the gifts of your team and the order of their gifts as well.
   


3. KNOW THE CONNECT BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND FAITH. Faith is what allows you as a leader to continue to move forward even though what you hope for is not yet in sight. Faith is essential for a spiritual leader.
   


4. DECIDE TODAY THAT YOU WILL TAKE THE “HIGH ROAD”. There are too many church planters who have ditched their efforts because they compromised in the area of sexuality or financial impropriety. If you are going to plant a church decide right now that you are going to take the moral high road.
   


5. ASK GOD TO LET YOU FINISH WITH A FEW OF THE PEOPLE YOU STARTED WITH. Don’t start this new adventure on your own; do it with a team. Create a community that feels more like a family than it does like a profession. And then ask God to let you finish with some of the same people with which you started this church.

Faith that moves mountains

Okay, so it’s a little play on words, but make no mistake, Peachtree moving to a new facility so we can connect more people in West Georgia to God is the biggest faith risk we’ve taken so far.

Check out the progress.

Foundation will be poured next week!

Psalm 17: Oh, to be a man like that!

Psalm 17 struck me this morning.

David makes bold statements I long to be true of me.

Take verse 3 — “though you (God) probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, YOU WILL FIND NOTHING; (for) I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

Wow, the certainty of that statement in a prayer to God reflects a man who’s examined his own heart closely and knows there is nothing between himself and God.

The context (see v. 9–12) suggests this is written while David was on the run from Saul (17 years of running!)

And yet, this prayer reflects a complete confidence that God will deliver.

How I want such confidence in God from a pure heart!

Psalm 17 (NIV)
^{1 A prayer of David.
Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.
4 As for the deeds of men— by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.
10 They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword.
14 O Lord, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.
15 And I—in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.}

Blackstock Photo Friday

Wow, what a week at the building site. We found out that we had our own Stone Mountain under the worship center plot. Not in our budget, the estimates of $10,000 and up to blast it were sad news for Peachtree Church.

But a providential phone call to Big John Postell, a dynamiter for 40 years, led to him blowing up our rock for FREE, zero, zilch, nada.

The Lord has done great things for us!

Hey, they also let me detonate it. I felt like Jack Bauer on 24.

Thank you, Big John and friends! We are very grateful!

The existing building should be done in four weeks and the worship center in eight.

Cool!

My New Routine

I’m terribly task-oriented.

I’m the kind of person who writes the smallest tasks (i.e. put on clothes, well maybe not that bad) on my list so that I get the dopamine rush of checking it off. Sometimes, I’ll even put a task on my list after I’ve completed it.

The upside is that I get a lot done and am always working on something.

The downside is that I get going on tasks early in the morning and can go all day marking things off the list and miss developing relationships, most importantly, my relationship with God.

I’ve had some great times with God lately, and I’m going to formalize it into a routine (a daily task…hey, it works for me)

Here’s what it looks like for me:

Immediately when I get up:

5 minutes Listen to a worship song on my iPod
5 minutes Read a chapter in the New Testament
10 minutes Pray through the Psalms
10 minutes Pray and write in my journal

What’s your way of spending time with God?

This is our God

We’re teaching the Book of Exodus right now, and as part of my research, I watched The Prince of Egypt today.

I have chills as the scene plays of the people of God walking through on dry land.

This is our God!

Ready to Live Free?

I’m pumped about the series we just started. It’s going to be Exodus like you’ve never seen it before. God is all-powerful and He cares deeply about whatever it is that’s holding you back from what He designed you to be. Add these two together, and you’ve got the setup for The Great Escape…

This Sunday, we slipped lists of what we are in bondage to (sins, habits, attitudes, emotions) into the links of a chain. We are asking God to deliver us from these chains.

I can’t wait to see what our God does!

Getting Away

Church planting, it has been said, is the extreme sport of ministry.

When I think about my role, I am part preacher, part leader/motivator, part business manager, part counselor, part vision caster, part boss, chief financial officer, etc.

On top of that, I’m attempting to follow Christ apart from ministry, be a godly husband, effective father, honor my parents, and have deep, meaningful friendships along the way.

As the urgent always battle for attention from the important, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the hundreds of details that make up a ministry week.

A blog I read a long time ago (I’d give anything to find that insightful post) made a convincing case for church planters to get away two days every 6 or 7 weeks.

I really do try to do that. When I just get away from the chatter and change setting, my faith is increased, I hear from God better, and I can see the vision more clearly.

God’s blessed me with an Elder board who allows me the freedom of flexibility, a church that values seeing me healthy, and a staff that fills every gap when I’m away.

I’m currently at my dad’s on Amelia Island, FL (northeast corner of FL) through Memorial Day. The fam gets to enjoy the beach, and this is a planning week for me.

Please pray for me; God has already been revealing more than I keep up with.

Peachtree, I miss you; but it’s a sweet miss. ;>)

Exodus Notes

Passover – Jewish Independence Day

Plagues of Egypt

I’m researching for my current series on Exodus…Here’s a list of the Ten Plagues God unleashed on Egypt…

The plagues as they appear in the Bible are:

1. (Exodus 7:14-25) rivers and other water sources turned to blood ('Dam')
2. (Exodus 7:26-8:11) reptiles (commonly believed to be frogs) ('Tsfardeia')
3. (Exodus 8:12-15) lice ('Kinim')
4. (Exodus 8:16-28) Either flies, wild animals or beetles ('Arov')
5. (Exodus 9:1-7) disease on livestock ('Dever')
6. (Exodus 9:8-12) unhealable boils ('Shkhin')
7. (Exodus 9:13-35) hail mixed with fire ('Barad')
8. (Exodus 10:1-20) locusts ('Arbeh')
9. (Exodus 10:21-29) darkness ('Choshech')
10. (Exodus 11:1-12:36) death of the firstborn ('Makat Bechorot')

Plagues of Egypt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Groundbreaking

This is from our Groundbreaking over at Blackstock...Check out the trees.

Too cool

Wow, I was able to send this pic from my phone straight to my blog. That could come in handy. This is my Big Ben, by the way. He has dumped the paci since this pic.

The Great Escape

I am REALLY excited about our next Teaching series at Peachtree.

The Book of Exodus is all about God delivering His people from bondage.

I can't wait to see what God breaks people free from in this series.

What is it that's keeping you bound?

Peachtree's New Location

If you haven’t heard, Peachtree has a new location. We’re not meeting there yet, but things are really happening on the property. We bought the former Blackstock Montessori School on Hwy 78 at the end of March and the existing school building should be done by June 30, and the worship center we're building should be done by July 15.

I'm baaaack!

After a year hiatus, I am back to blogging.