Upcoming Events...

Please be praying for these next few events coming in January...

January 2-11 @ Billy Graham School in Louisville, KY

January 13th @ Kirby Woods Baptist Church...O-H-I-O Day!

January 15th @ Kirby Woods Baptist Church...OHIO Banquet from 6:30-8

Thanks!

The Greatest Gift Ever Given

This is part three of the series entitled, "The Christ in Christmas." Now that we have seen the greatest tree ever decorated and the greatest story ever told, we now see the greatest gift ever given, Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:15...thanks be to God for His indescribable gift...one translation says that it is a gift that is too great for words, I would agree. Four things come to mind when I think of this indescribable gift: (1) Personal...Psalm 139 shows us the intimacy God has and desires for us to have with him, (2) Practical...we receive his righteousness and He gets our sin, talk about dirty santa! The moment we receive this gift, it changes our lives immediatly, (3) Permanant...once this gift is received, it can never be returned or exchanged. Once you are saved, you are always saved (John 10), (4) Purchased...this gift has already been purchased, all you must do is receive it by faith! Praise God, what a Savior!

The Christ in Christmas

Right now I am in the middle of preaching a series entitled, "The Christ in Christmas." I have heard or read that we need to put Christ back in Christmas, however, the only problem is that He never left. Christ is the reason we celebrate Christmas and His virgin birth. As we gather around the Christmas tree this year, let us remember the greatest tree ever decorated. It is not the tree in your living room, it is the tree that Christ the Lord hung on. 1 Peter 2:24 says that He hung on the tree for us. The cross of Jesus Christ truly is the greatest tree ever decorated, and His blood that made it possible for redemption decorated that tree. Hebrews 9:22 says that, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins." More to come in this series soon, but let us begin with a biblical view of every aspect during this Christmas season.

Tis' the Season

It's hard to believe, but Christmas is almost here. As of this post, only 26 more shopping days! I don't know where you are in your list, but I better get started soon. As followers of Jesus Christ, let's keep the main thing the main thing. Instead of becoming weary in Christmas shopping, how about not becoming weary in doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13). We are now entering the time of year when the suicide rate jumps to its highest level. God tells us to be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us (1 Peter 3:15)...so this Christmas season let's be ready to tell the story, HIStory.

Missions in Memphis...

This past week was amazing here at Kirby Woods Baptist Church. We hosted our 2nd annual Global Impact Conference and the Lord did a great work. Lives were changed, individuals and families were called, and over $400,000 was raised for mission causes, all to the glory of our great God! This is the conference the Lord used to call my family last year to plant a church in Central Ohio. How will you make a Global Impact in 08?...

Missions in Millington, TN

This past Saturday and Sunday I was involved in a missions conference in Millington, Tn, right outside of Memphis. Lucy Baptist Church hosted the conference, a church in which part of my extended family have been members all of my life. It was held in the gym, a place which I grew up playing a lot of basketball in. The Lord did a great work and I made a lot of good contacts. One thing I came away from this weekend with is this, "The Kingdom of God is BIG!" It doesn't matter whether you are in the north or the south, in the states or among the nations, the Kingdom of God is big and we have extended family...a.k.a. (brothers and sisters in Christ) all over the world. Next time you talk to the Lord, pray for your extended family.

At The State Convention

Hello from Cleveland, Ohio, where I promise you it is probably colder here than wherever you are! I have been here for the past couple of days meeting and greeting leaders and pastors from all over the great state of Ohio. The Lord is definitly at work here, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are so few. I cannot wait for us to relocate to Marysville and get on the ground. My good friend Dean Fulks delivered the convention sermon on engaging the culture with the Gospel and church planting, and the Lord did a great work. Pray for me as I fly home tomorrow and that the Lord will continue to send partners our way!

EE Tonight

Pray for me as I lead our Evangelism Explosion ministry here at Kirby Woods tonight. We only have a few more weeks left in this semester until graduation. Like most Monday evenings we have experienced this semester, storms are scheduled to move through the area later on tonight. What people fail to understand is that when it rains, more people stay at home and we have a greater opportunity to reach them! What the devil has meant for bad, God uses for His good and glory. If you are interested in learning more about the EE ministry, check out www.eeinternational.org

Halloween?...No, It's Reformation Day

October 31, 1517, just might be the most important date in the history of Protestant Christianity. This was the day when Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk and a professor of theology, posted on the doors of the Cathedral of Wittenberg, Germany, his 95 Theses against the teachings and practices of the medieval Roman Church. With this event, the 16th-century Protestant Reformation was formally launched, and the stage was set for the birth of one of the Christian church's greatest hymns, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."
The Protestant Reformation, a profound movement of theological revival in the church, was built on these three main tenets:
• The re-establishment of the Scriptures. The reformers asserted "sola scriptura," declaring the Bible as the ultimate source for Christian faith and practice and a book that should be read by all.
• Clarifying the means of salvation. The Reformation proclaimed "justification by faith in Christ" rather than by works and "salvation by grace alone."
• The restoration of congregational singing. The movement defied the Roman Church tradition where only clerics were allowed to sing worship songs in public.
"A Mighty Fortress," which became the rallying cry of the Reformation, was composed by Luther, who surprised many with his songwriting skills. The exact date of the hymn is unknown, but it's generally believed to have been written for the Diet of Spires in 1529 when the term "protestant" was first used. "A Mighty Fortress" is loosely based on Psalm 46, which praises God for His deliverance from adversity and trial.
In 1853, Frederick H. Hedge translated the hymn into English from the original German. It endures to this day as one of the great anthems of the faith.
Adapted from Amazing Grace: Illustrated Stories of Favorite Hymns by Kenneth W. Osbeck (Kregel, 1999). Used by permission.

Meeting With Dublin Baptist

If you have ever played baseball, you understand when someone uses the expression, "It fits like a glove." The expression indicates that the glove feels comfortable and has been comformed to fit comfortably. That is exactly how I feel after this weekend here in Columbus, Ohio. Bro. Steve McAlister and I , the Executive Pastor at Kirby Woods met with the pastor, staff, deacons, and leadership council this weekend, and both churches have a missions focus and like-minded agendas, and that simply is Mark 16:15. Jesus said in the Gospel of Mark 16 to , "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Tonight I had the opportunity to preach at Dublin Baptist, and the Lord moved in a great way. The Dublin family is extremely encouraging and desires to be a partner in reaching Marysville for Christ. Also, the Buckeyes took care of business down in Happy Valley by beating Penn State 37-17. We are still the #1 team in the country, Go Buckeyes...O-H-I-O! Please pray for Steve and I as we fly home tomorrow.

Flying to Columbus

It is early Monday morning and I should be packing to leave here in the next hour or so, and instead I am writing this:) The Lord has opened the door for me tonight to share at a regional associational meeting in Columbus, Ohio. There should be around 200-250 people there, which includes pastors, staff members, and leaders from around Central Ohio. I will have a few minutes to share the story of Living Hope Church! I will fly home tomorrow afternoon. Pray that all my flights connect on time and God will be glorified through my words tonight.

Behind The Name

Columbus, Ohio is now the 15th largest city and one of the top relocating cities in America. With the city being named after the great explorer Christopher Columbus, the city holds true to its name drawing thousands every year to uproot and plant their hopes and dreams in Central Ohio. The Bible says in the Old Testament that the hopes and dreams of those who are lost are worthless and will not satisfy. God invites all people in Psalm 34:8 to "Taste and see that He is good." Hope is not a bad thing, it just won't last, nor will it satisfy. However, there is good news. The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:3 that, "We have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." That's the only hope I need and the only hope I want! As thousands move to Central Ohio with their hopes and dreams, let us share with them the only hope that will last, the living hope found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ!

Prayer Requests...

Just wanted to let you know of some things to be praying for at this time.

(1) we need our house to sell...right now in Cordova there are close to 2,000 homes for sale, so it is very competitive. It doesn't matter though, the Lord is in control and He will sell it in His own time!
(2) we need support...prayer, physical, and financial. I met with a pastor today in Millington and he is praying along with several other churches right now that I have met with over the past month. Pray that the Lord would provide the funds we need to hire staff and get off the ground. Many churches are in the process of finalizing their budget for next year, so pray Living Hope will be a part of it. And finally, pray about coming with us to Ohio. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few...therefore pray!

The story begins...

It's hard to believe this is actually happening but the story of Living Hope has begun! Actually it has begun in our hearts and minds, but not the Lord's. Our God is sovereign and already we are seeing His hand upon all that is happening. 2 months ago, Jennifer, Caden, and I were taking our nightly walk and we began to pray the Lord would sell our 2 new cars and provide us with reliable used cars that would relieve us of financial debt. That night on carmax.com we found an 03 Dodge Caravan that was amazingly the amount we had left over after selling her car. Have not seen a deal like that since. 2 weeks later a Christian doctor from St. Jude offers to buy our car and guess what, I found an incredible 2000 Accord for the exact amount I had left over from selling my car and I had $75 left over! You think God is into details? Yes He is! I do not understand why the Lord let's us be a part of His story, but I am thankful He does. May Living Hope bring glory to the story of our great God. How will you be a part of the story...

Where to plant…

where to plant…
In June 2006, our family set out on vacation. Part of the drive included driving through the state of Ohio to get to our destination. As we drove through the state, I could not help but see thousands of souls, and yet so few churches. In November of 2006, I met Dean Fulks, who shared the great need of new churches in Central Ohio. On the Thursday evening of a missions conference, Dr. Al Jackson preached a message on the cost of following Jesus. His second point of the sermon was that the cost of following Jesus could mean a change of plans for your life. Needless to say, Jennifer and I knew God was calling us.

Why Ohio? The need for church planting in Central Ohio is great. Our focus will be the “Northwest Metro area of Columbus.” The township of Marysville is a strategic area we are looking to plant. Listed below are a few facts about the area…

• Approximately two million people live in the Columbus Metro Association with over one million unreached.
• There is only one Southern Baptist church for every 22,000 people.
• Union County is the third fastest growing county in the state of Ohio.
• Nearly 400 or 2/3 of SBC churches in Ohio average 50 or less on Sunday mornings.
• Current population of Marysville is around 25,000 and expected to double in the next 10-15 years.