A Whole Lot of Stuff

This will probably be one of the most scatter-brained posts that I've written in a while, but I have to get all of this stuff out of my head!

I'll start with Wednesday night. Week 4 of "SHHH" is shaping-up to be one of the best week's of the series. Our leaders and I have been sharing ideas about Biblical guidelines for dating, and God is really showing me some incredible stuff. The night will center around Colossians 3: 5. Paul gives us a warning signs of not only improper dating relationships, but improper relationships with Christ as well. If you're in the area, come hang-out with us on Wednesday night at 7pm!

I've really been blown away the last few weeks by the response to our latest series. Teenagers want to have an open and legitimate discussion about sex. How do I know this? I'll give you two answers: 1) the increase in attendance on Wednesday nights and 2) they've told me or one of our leaders. God has reaffirmed my belief that the church cannot remain quiet on certain issues. It's time to broach subjects that are controversial with a passion and confidence that only comes from knowing the truth, but we must do it in a loving manner. We can tell our students what the Bible says about sex until we're blue in the face, but we cannot condemn those who have succumb to sexual temptation. God has really energized me in the last few weeks, and I thank Him everyday for doing so.

My bracket is totally screwed-up. I only have 12 of my Sweet 16 teams remaining. The good news is that 7 of the Elite 8 are still alive, including my entire Final Four. Of course, I am gaining absolutely nothing from this nonsense, so who cares.

I'm still upset with myself that I allowed Dr. Epting (NGU's President) to bust my chops last week! While on campus, I tried to weasel my way into lunch with him and Ergun Caner (btw, if you've never heard this dude speak, check-out his website right now - http://www.erguncaner.com/) in the President's Dining Room. This place is like going behind the curtain into the Holy of Hollies! His response to my weaseling was, "If your wife was here, I'd invite you." What?! It's bad enough that every time I see the man he immediately asks me how Michelle is doing, and seems to care less about my current situation (I know he cares, but I'm on a roll), but now he disses me in front of faculty and students. To make matters worse, he just walked off while laughing at his joke! Touche, Dr. Epting...touche.

One more thing...I love it when God throws me curve balls while preparing a talk or message. I've been prepping Sunday night's message for over a week, and at 2pm yesterday, God told me do scrap everything. "So a week's worth of preparation lost doesn't bother you?" That's right. Whenever that happens, I know that God is steering me into His will and not my own. I will admit that I'm a little scared about where He's leading me, but I'm stoked that I know that the message will be exactly what He wants!

Wow. I really did go around the world on this one. Sorry, but now I feel like getting a little work done. Labels: