My Forever Valentine

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“The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.”
— Proverbs 18:22

Today is an extra special day. Why? I'm celebrating the fact that 10 years ago today, Cassidy said, "yes" to marry me! 

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I decided to take Cassidy to the beach in Jacksonville, FL on a chilly, Valentine’s Day. I had bought the ring but I wanted to be creative in how I proposed. I bought an old bottle, a map and decided to write a love letter on it in “pirate language." I wrote the letter on map paper and buried it at Jacksonville beach.  We arrived at the beach around 5:00pm that day. As we spent time on the beach, I asked her if she wanted to build a sand castle.

We started digging and quickly we found a bottle buried in the sand. I awkwardly told her that it might be a pirate map from the 1700's! She opened up the map and read the note. The map included everywhere we had traveled together. When she looked up from reading the letter, I was on my knee and asked her if she would marry me (I didn't put the ring in the bottle, it was in my backpack). By God's grace, she said, "yes!" My life has been exponentially better since she said, "yes!" 

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Cassidy is the greatest blessing in my life next to my relationship with God.
 - She is my best friend
 - She is an amazing mother to Micah, Hannah and Chloe
-  She is my teammate in serving God
 - She cares for people
 - She is passionate about worshipping God

 We left Jacksonville married and now have returned with three awesome children. I am grateful for God's incredible grace. 

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Happy Valentine's Day Cassidy! 

Someone Else Will Do It

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Someone else will do it.

Have you ever said this? If we are honest, there are many times we choose to standby and wait for someone else to act, because we don't feel like we are the ones responsible. Last Sunday, we began a new sermon series, "Beyond These Walls," where we are learning that the church is not a building, but a people on mission everyday.

As followers of Christ, we must realize that it is our responsibility to reach people with the gospel. God's plan was to use the Church to meet the needs of those around us and help make a difference in their lives. Sadly, many churches in America have gone from being sanctuaries to becoming stadiums. Every week fans show up to the stadium, where they cheer for Jesus, but have no interest in truly following him. 

The final words of Jesus, should be our first priority.

“Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
—  Matthew 28:16-20

A church that doesn’t go beyond the walls of the church is no church at all. Missions is not something that a select few are called to do. Every Christian is called to be on mission; sharing God’s love and mercy wherever He has placed us.

The church is a movement gathered around a mission. Have you ever asked yourself the question, "What came first, the mission or the church?" God doesn’t have a mission for a church, God formed the church for His mission. 

There are two approaches to how people view church, in general:

  1.  “I go to church" – It is something I do. I go. I listen. I sit. I consume. I critique. 
  2. “I am the church.” It is not an event I attend, but a faith family.

The difference between these two approaches could be illustrated by comparing a cruise ship to a rescue ship. 

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Some people view the church like a cruise ship. Cruises are amazing! You are catered to the entire time and you can eat all that you want. The purpose of a cruise ship is to entertain their guests. When people view the church this way, the focus will be on the wide variety of programs to meet their family's needs.

But I believe the church is a rescue ship! Much like a rescue ship, the mission of the church is to go to those who need saving. When people view the church this way, the focus will be on doing whatever it takes to reach people with the gospel.

Let’s follow Jesus' commission to go and make disciples. Let’s follow him in our homes, across our streets and to the poor and unreached places in the world. We are the ones God has called to do it.