I Don't Like Resolutions...

Happy New Year! This is the time of year when people get excited about the New Year and make all kinds of resolutions about how they can improve their life... and then a week later, they forgot about what they wanted to do altogether. It is sad.

For example, so many people will get memberships to the YMCA or PEAK Fitness and say, "I am going to work-out everyday and really get healthy in 2009!" It's great to want to be healthy and in shape, but the problem comes when they miss one day of working out and then say to themselves, "Well, I have already missed one day, so it's not big deal if I miss another one... and another one... and another one..." Pretty soon, it isn't even February and they forget about working out altogether and by March, they cancel their membership because they don't want to pay for something they don't use... Or how about this one.. "In 2009 I am going to start going to church." Well, that is a great thing to do, but the problem comes when someone oversleeps one time and they feel like a failure for missing church. Then they don't want to go back the next week... or the next week... etc.

Now... lean in close to your computer screen and read this very carefully... I think we should stop making so many resolutions and set more goals! That's right... if we understood the difference between setting a goal and making a resolution, we would be so much more successful and satisfied. Let's face it... Resolutions are really hard to keep because we feel like once we mess up once, the whole thing is worthless. We think we have failed and there is no point in trying anymore. However, that is not the case with goals. Check this out... if someone makes a resolution that in 2009, they are going to work out 5 times a week and then they don't accomplish that, they feel like a failure. Once you feel like a failure, there is not a whole lot of motivation to keep that resolution because if you keep trying, you are just going to fail again. Here is the difference... instead of making a resolution to work out 5 times a week, why not set a goal to lose 20 lbs in 2009, or to be able to bench press 200 lbs by the end of the year. See, if my goal is to lose 20 lbs or to increase my bench press by 50 lbs in 2009, even if I don't work out one day, I still feel like I can accomplish my goal. I am still motivated. I don't feel like a failure. It is a different way of looking at life that will keep us feeling motivated to do the positive things we want to do... it's a different mindset.

I love this time of year for a lot of reasons but a big reason is because it gives me the chance to look back on the past year and then set goals for the new year. I am really big on goals. Ask anyone on the eMerge staff, ask Bethany, ask anyone... I am always setting goals and trying to achieve them. I think goals are so important because in life you need to have vision and a plan for where you want to go. If you don't have any goals, you will be happy with whatever happens. You will train yourself to be very content with mediocrity. I choose not to be mediocre in any part of my life and I will always push myself to be all that God created me to be.

Here is what I want to do today... I want to share with you how to set goals in your life that you will be able to accomplish in 2009. This is something I hope you will carry with you for a long time. Then, I want to share with you some of my goals for 2009 and how I will accomplish them.

How To Set Goals: A Six-Step Process...

1. Consider your priorities in life... ask yourself these questions: What am I responsible for? What is important to me? What areas to I need to improve in? What do I not like about myself?
2. Set a Goal... this is when you put down on paper the goal that you want to accomplish in 2009. In 2009, I want to ______________________________.
3. Explain how you will accomplish your goal... this is where you map out a plan of how to accomplish your goal. What are the steps that you want to take... Write them down.
4. What will you need to eliminate from your life in order to accomplish this goal in 2009? In my opinion, this is the most important step in the process, but this is the step that almost NOBODY thinks about. Eliminating the bad from your life is just as important as adding the good.
5. Find someone who will keep you accountable for your goals. We all need accountability in life. Find someone that cares about you and wants you to succeed.
6. Keep your Goals visible at all times. This will help remind you of the things you are trying to accomplish.

With all that being said, let me share with you some of my goals for 2009 and how they play out. ***I will not have any eMerge goals on here because these are my personal goals for 2009. I have a set of goals for eMerge that is separate.

Goal #1 - Grow in my relationship with the Lord.

• How will I do this? Set aside intentional time daily for God, pray more, pray for other people more, read the entire Bible, serve more, encourage more, laugh more, seek out friendships with non-Christians and invite them to church, be more patient
• What will I have to eliminate to accomplish this goal? Sleeping in, laziness, other things getting my attention, criticizing others.
• Accountability: Brandon Berry (College Roommate)

Goal #2 - Be a great husband to Bethany

• How will I do this? Pray with her, pray for her, make her laugh, listen to her, keep our Thursday date night fun and sacred, seek to understand her, be patient, encourage her, help her overcome fears, love her unconditionally, compliment her, celebrate little wins,
• What will I have to eliminate to accomplish this goal? Pride, Hurtful words, working too much, getting frustrated.
• Accountability: Danny Marshall (College Roommate)

Goal #3 - Go to the Grand Canyon

• How will I do this? Research hotel prices, plane ticket prices, pick a date on the calendar, GO!
• What will I have to eliminate to accomplish this goal? the mentality that I don't have time to do fun things like this.
• Accountability: Bethany

Goal #4 - Complete 8 classes toward my Seminary Degree

• How will I do this? Stay disciplined, keep a good work-school balance, set aside time daily to study, study ahead
• What will I have to eliminate to accomplish this goal? Procrastination, laziness, TV,
• Accountability: Todd Lesher

Goal #5 - Stay Healthy

• How will I do this? Exercise often, eat right, take vitamins (I live by these things!), get enough rest
• What will I have to eliminate to accomplish this goal? Long stretches of time without working out, desserts and butter (I am starting a month long fast on both of these things starting January 1st)
• Accountability: Brad Cooper (College Roommate)

Well, there you have it... those are some of my goals for 2009. Sorry this post was a little long, but I think it was important. What are your goals for 2009? Make a comment and let everyone know...

Where's The Chapstick? (Newest YouTube Craze)

Ok, so... the first time I saw this video I thought it was so dumb... but then I watched it a few more times and now I crack up every time I see this girl's face... Also, there are lots of people who are making remixes to this video on YouTube... Why is it so popular? I dont know... Check this out and have fun!



If this video has gotten over 300,000 hits, I know that someone from eMerge can come up with a better video and we can pass 1,000,000 hits... What do you say? Who wants to make a funny YouTube video? I'm game...

The First Story Ever Told - Part 4

This past Sunday we wrapped up our December series... I thought it was a great series overall. My prayer when we started this series was that every student who got to hear the messages would realize that God is the author and creator of every story because He wrote the original story through Christ.

Here is the sermon from 12-28-o8


The First Story Ever Told - Part 4 from emerge ministry on Vimeo.

And here are the songs from 12-28-08: Check them out and then download them on iTunes...

1. Glory of it All - David Crowder
2. Take it All - Hillsong United
3. Reign In Us - Starfield
4. Hallelujah (Our God Reigns) - Hillsong United

Feel free to give your feedback... What did you think about the series? What did you learn? How did you like the music? Etc.

Panthers Win NFC South Division - Kasay plays the Hero...

Just one week after missing a kick to win home field advantage for the playoffs, John Kasay had yet another opportunity to propel his team to victory on Sunday. This time it was a 42 yard attempt. How would he respond? Would he be a nervous wreck, thinking back on the result of last week's kick? Would he walk into this situation with fear or confidence? He had a decision to make and his team was depending on him...

Despite the pressure, John stepped onto the field with confidence and knocked a 42 yard field goal right through the uprights... His team victorious.

If you look back at last week's post about "Why I Respect Johk Kasay" you will see what kind of man I think John is. There is no doubt in my mind that he was extremely focused this week in practice and truly excited about having another chance to win a game.

Being a Pastor, I tend to look at life through "Christian Lenses." I look at this as a story of redemption. John knew that if he walked onto that field thinking about the bad kick from last week, he wouldn't have any confidence to make the present kick. If all he thought about was how he had messed up in the past, his mind would have played tricks on him and probably would have caused him to miss this kick as well.

Everyone has messed up at some point in life... None of us are perfect. However, once we receive the forgiveness of Christ and recognize Him as our Savior, we need to walk in the truth that we are forgiven. Our past sins should no longer haunt us. We don't need to think about the past and beat ourselves up. Romans 8:1 talks about this... read it.

Don't condemn yourself and don't listen to anyone who does. If you are a Christian, you are forgiven by God for all of your past sins. He knows that you are not perfect and he loves you anyways... Isn't that GREAT NEWS! God doesn't want you to continue to live a sinful life and repeat your mistakes, but he also doesn't want to beat you down for your wrong doings... The most amazing story of grace that I know of in the Bible is in John 8 when Jesus has an encounter with the woman caught in adultery. Click here to read that story and getting a better understanding of Jesus' grace and his truth. He says "I don't condemn you... now go and sin no more." Basically he is saying, "I am not okay with you sinning, but I forgive you... and don't keep doing it." WOW! That is the kind of love that could change the world! (why isn't EVERYONE a Christ Follower? This world would be so much better!)

I will wrap up this post by saying I am so proud of John for how he handled it and I hope that as each of you grow in your relationship with Christ that you will continue to understand his unfailing love for you. Don't beat yourself up after you make a mistake. Ask for forgiveness and work hard not to repeat it! I know one thing for sure... if you try to drive a car looking in the rear-view mirror, you are bound to crash! Always keep your eyes looking forward and not backwards!

I Got A Pair... Do You?

During our November series, "Are You OK With This?" we did a couple spotlight features on TOMS Shoes... Check out this video as you think about the ways you will spend some of your Christmas money...

website - www.tomsshoes.com

The Building Block for All Relationships...

How do you choose your friends? What will you look for in a guy/girl when you decide to date someone? What allows you to get close to someone? What kind of person will you do business with one day? Who will you choose to babysit your children? Who will you take advice from?
The answer to all of these questions is really quite simply, but it is something that is overlooked all the time... The answer is the most fundamental and foundational building block for any relationship... The answer, of course, is TRUST...

Think about it... you won't allow yourself to become really good friends with someone you don't trust... you wouldn't date someone that you didn't trust to take care of your heart... you wouldn't leave your kids with some random person you don't even know... you wouldn't marry someone you didn't have a huge amount of trust in, would you? HECK NO! Trust is the number one issue in all relationships... You show me a relationship that is struggling and I can almost guarantee that there is a lack of trust somewhere in the mix.

Trying to make a relationship work without trust is like trying to go swimming without any water... or like trying to play a game of basketball with no hoops... or like trying to drive a car with no steering wheel!!! It just doesn't work! Trust is the most important and necessary building block for any relationship to survive. When trust breaks down, the relationship suffers.

So how does this play out in our relationship with God? Well, I would argue that it is no different. God has given us a perfect example to follow in the person and work of Jesus Christ and he has also given us His Word so that we might follow its teachings. Our relationship with God breaks down when we decide that we don't want to trust God with out lives because we know more than him. We look at what the Bible says or how Jesus lived and we say, "That is really nice for some people, but my situation is different." Or, "There is no way I can do that! God wasn't talking to me when he said that." When we tell God that we don't want to follow him and we want to make up our own rules, we are basically telling him that we don't trust him. When we look at our circumstances and develop our own reasoning that is outside of God's reasoning, we are telling God that we can do a better job of handling our lives than He can. In other words, "I DON'T TRUST YOU GOD!" When we get to this point, we will see a break down in our relationship with God. We will feel far from God and wonder why...

On the other hand, if trust is in tact in a relationship, there is no limit as to what can happen. If you trust someone, there is just about nothing that you wouldn't do for them. If my high school basketball coach, David Carrier, told me that there was a pot of Gold at the end of every rainbow, I would believe him and next time I saw a rainbow, I would set off on a journey to find it. I trust that man with my life! I would listen to anything he said... why? Because I trust him.

The best way we can display trust is by obeying when we don't understand. If we understood everything and knew how everything worked, there wouldn't have to be much trust (since we already would know what was going to happen). However, by following instructions and being obedient when we don't understand shows the amount of trust we actually have.

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Do you believe that? Do you trust God with your life? Do you think that he can take care of you better than you can take care of yourself?

What areas of your life do you need to give to God and tell Him that you trust Him with it? What are you holding onto that you don't want to give to God? Will you follow Christ?

This weekend I am preaching on Matthew 4:18-22. I am amazed to see how much the men in this passage trusted Jesus. They dropped everything they knew and followed him. Now that is TRUST...

Why I Admire John Kasay...

"I should have made it. No excuses." These were the words that came out of John's mouth minutes after he missed a 50+ yard field goal that cost his team home field advantage for the playoffs. His kick had the distance, it was just wide by a few feet.

I am sure that if he thought about it long enough, he could have thought of a million reasons why he missed the kick: It was freezing cold, the ball was an ice-brick, the hold wasn't perfect, it was windy, his leg wasn't loose, etc. He could have said any of these and most people would have thought he had a point. But he didn't. He chose to take responsibility for the miss... Like a man.

This makes me think of when sin entered the world in Genesis 3. There are many things that Adam did (and didn't do) in this chapter that bother me, but most of all, I hate how he passes the blame of sin off on God and Eve. When God asked him if he ate of the tree that he was commanded not to eat of, he answers with this statement in verse 12: "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." Here is what Adam is saying to God. "God, you gave me this woman (so it is partly your fault) and she gave me the fruit to eat (so it is partly her fault). I am the innocent victim here. You should really feel sorry for me." Let me make this very clear. ADAM IS A PUNK! He didn't do the things he was supposed to do and then he tried to blame other people for his shortcomings. He didn't accept any responsibility for his actions.

This is happening way too much in the world today. We make excuses for why we don't do the things we should and people listen to our excuses and feel sorry for us. Or even worse, someone else steps in and makes excuses for us and speaks on our behalf. Sometimes, we just need to step up like John and say, "I didn't do a good enough job. It's my fault. No excuses."
When we mess up, we need to own up... We need to acknowledge our mistake and try to make it better the next time.

I hope you understand my heart on this... I am not saying that you should NEVER mess up... you will. Everyone does. We are a fallen, sinful human race. What I am saying is that when you make a mistake, don't try to cover it up and make excuses. Admit your mistake, work hard not to repeat it and then forget about it. In other words, "Admit it, quit it and forget it." I know one thing... If there is one kicker in the NFL that will work hard in practice to get better this week it will be John Kasay. If there is one kicker who will stay late to make sure all his mechanics are right before Sunday it will be John Kasay. If there is one kicker who would like a chance to make a game winning field goal with 0:01 second on the clock in the playoffs (or to win the Super Bowl), it will be John Kasay.

The way that John has handled this situation is one of many reasons that I look up to him. He is also a committed Christian, he passionately loves his wife, he loves his family and he is one of the wisest men I have ever met. I have talked to John until 1:00 AM about how I can be a better husband to Bethany and how I can understand her more. He literally sat out in the dorm hallways of Wofford College at Panthers Training Camp and talked to me until I was ready to go to bed. He is selfless, caring and a truth speaker.

John... Thanks so much for the example you set. You are admired and appreciated by so many. Keep doing what you do and living how you live. You are the man...

Image is nothing... Christ is everything...

How often do we look at someone and judge their heart? How often do we draw conclusions about people without even uttering a word to them? Why do we only look at the outward appearance of people and think we know their hearts? This is so wrong!

This video hit me like a ton of bricks this morning... it really convicted me that we should care more about the heart than the appearance...

• Tattoos... So What!
• Long Hair... Big Deal!
• Dresses differently than I do... Who Cares!

If I saw Brian "Head" Welch on the streets, I would have no idea that he loved Jesus. I would probably look at him (his appearance) and draw some untrue conclusions. He used to be a member of the band "Korn." Needless to say, this was not a group that honored God with their music. Watch this video and see what kind of impact Christ can make on people's lives if they invite Him in.

This video is called "I am Second" because it tells about how Brian went from loving himself most, to loving God most. His priorities changed when he met Christ. Here is the simple facts... When people have an authentic encoutner with Christ, they are changed. Look through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and see how the people who had experiences with Christ had major life change. It is so exciting to know that even though Jesus walked on this earth 2000 years ago, He is STILL changing peoples' lives!!! Do you know Him? Has he changed your life? He can...

Wanna see more "I am Second" videos... Here is the one on American Idol's Jason Castro... and here is the one on MLB All Star Josh Hamilton...

*My Prayer - "I pray that Christians everywhere would seek to know people's hearts and not get caught up in their outward appearance. Help us to understand that ALL people have a need for Christ in their lives. I pray that we wouldnt write people off because they are not the same as us. Lord, I pray that I would find ways in my life to put You and Your Kingdom ahead of the things that I want. Lord, I want to be second. Amen."

The First Story Ever Told - Part 3

The First Story Ever Told - Part 3 from emerge ministry on Vimeo.

God Showed Up Today @ eMerge...

God has many attributes. He is very complicated, powerful and mysterious. We will never know all there is to know about God but we do know certain things about him. He has revealed parts of himself over time, through the Bible, and through Jesus. Here is one thing we know about God. He is omnipresent. That means He is present everywhere, at all times.

This morning during the eMerge service, I saw this attribute come out in a major way... As I was praying with some of the leaders before the service, we asked God to show up. We knew that God would be there no matter what, but as we were praying we made it a point to invite Him in and asked Him to reveal Himself to every student in the room. He did. In a big way.

God is not going to force himself into your life. He will not make you love Him. But he does respond to prayer. If you ask him to be with you, He will. If you invite Him into you life, he will come in. James 4:8 says, "Draw close to God and He will draw close to you." What part of your life do you want God to "show up" in? All you gotta do is ask...

Here are the songs we played at the service today in case you want to check them out on YouTube and then buy them off iTunes:

• Solution - Hillsong United
• God is With Us - Michael Olson
• Came to my Rescue - Hillsong United
• True Love - Phil Wickham

And here is the "Everything" skit that we watched... show your friends and explain to them what we have been talking about this month in our series "The First Story Ever Told." (Check back tomorrow and I will have my sermon from Sunday up on the BLOG)

What did you think about the service this morning? Feel Free to make a comment!

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What Would YOU Ask For?

What if God appeared to you one night in a dream and said, "Ask me for ANYTHING and I will give it to you." What would you ask for? How would you respond to God? Check out 1 Kings 3:5-9 to see what King Solomon does with this opportunity...

What did he ask God for? Wisdom. Not money, not power, not prestige, not stuff... Wisdom.

Why did he ask God for Wisdom? So that he could fulfill his role as King in the best way possible and know the difference between right and wrong. He knew that he couldn't be a good king without the guidance that comes from above. He thought about others before himself. He used an opportunity that he had before God to make others lives better. He thought of himself last. He didn't try to make his name great, but allowed himself to be used by God and for God.

What did God give him? What he asked for... and more... a whole lot more... Yes, He gave him the wisdom that Solomon asked for... but God also blessed him in significant ways.

Why did God give him all these things? Because God stays true to his word. He never breaks a promise. Check this out to see what I am talking about...

*Self Check - What is your prayer life about? Are you asking God to bless you or do you spend time lifting others up? Do you want more and more from God or do you ask God to use you more and more? Are your prayers selfish and self centered or are they "others focused?" Look at the mind that God gave Solomon and how many awesome things God used him for

*News Flash - if you haven't figured it out yet, let me drop a quick reminder on you... THIS LIFE IS NOT ABOUT YOU! Look for opportunities to put yourself last and others first. Ask the Lord for Wisdom above all else so that he might use you to make an eternal impact on this world that is quickly fading away...

Some other verses to check out about Wisdom:

• James 1:5
• Proverbs 8
• Ecclesiastes 9:18
• James 3:17

Dodge Ball Tournament...

Ok, I am not saying you have to wear shorts like this guy, tuck your shirt in like this guy, part your hair like this guy or make that goofy face like this guy... but I AM saying that you need to play Dodge Ball this Friday (December 19th) from 6:00 to 8:30...

You don't need a team... just show up and be ready to play... Invite friends who dont go to church...

Winning team members all get prizes...

Good Reactions...

No matter what you think of our President... he is still our President... He deserves respect and this guy is crazy... Check it out

***Looks like the President still has cat-like reflexes

A Good Day for Me...

I am sure that if I put 50 people in a room and asked the question, "what does it mean for you to have a good day?" I would get 50 different responses... It is different for everybody... For me, if I do three things every day I consider it to be pretty darn good... they are:

1. Work Hard
2. Play Hard
3. Pray Hard

I think every person (especially every man) should have a strong desire to work. God created us to work. I think it is a very healthy thing to set goals and to work hard to acheive them. Goals help us stay motivated so that we might use every bit of the potential that God gave us. No matter what job we are doing, from CEO to toilet scrubber, we should work hard and set an example for all to follow...

Playing hard can take on many different forms. It is basically whatever you like to do to relax. There is no wrong way to unwind. Some like to read a book, some like to watch sports and some like to surf the net... for me, there is nothing better than getting a good workout. It is the best way for me to chill out and get my mind off things...

Praying hard means that I spend intentional time with God and I love to start off my day with this. Getting in the Word, journaling, talking to God, or listening to some Hillsong or Shane and Shane... any or all of these things help me get off on the right foot. Worship can take on many forms..

What does a good day look like to you? Feel free to comment!

"Reign In Us" By Starfield

For those of you who havent got to hear our new Worship Leader, Tadd Tatum, you are missing out BIG TIME! This past Sunday he led us in a worship set that BLEW MY MIND! It was the first time ever that we did the song, "Reign In Us" by Starfield, and it was amazing... If you havent heard it yet, listen to this preview on You Tube and then go to iTunes and buy it...

Buying a house...

We are officailly "under contract" on the most amazing house ever... Click here to see what God has given us!
P.S. - Corn Hole tournaments will be starting as soon as the weather is warm enough...