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.