Life Lessons From Kung Fu Panda

About a week ago, our family got the chance to go and see the movie, "Kung Fu Panda". It was awesome! I am continually amazed at the special effects and the creativity of those in the film industry, but what I loved about this movie even more was the story line and the message behind it. Jack Black is voice behind the lead character "Poe" who is the Kung Fu Panda. In the opening scene, Poe is dreaming about all of mad skills in Kung Fu only to be awakened by his current reality. That he works for his father(who is a goose by the way - hilarious) at their restaurant making noodles all day. He is afraid to let his dad down who thinks he was dreaming about noodles when his real dream was really about being a master in Kung Fu. I think that many of us can easily find ourselves in the same place in life(No, not as a Panda or immersed in Kung Fu) but where we feel stuck in our current reality while dreaming for something more. One of my favorite verses in the whole Bible is Jeremiah 29:11 where it says, "I, the Lord, know the plans that I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." This verse makes it very clear that God has purpose for each and everyone of us, so I want to encourage today to embrace God's dream for your life. Who knows maybe there's a Kung Fu Master hidden inside of you as well?

A Feast For Our Men & Women In Blue

Last night, our church had the awesome privilege of providing a meal for some of Denton's finest. We appreciate so much all that our police department does for our city, and we just wanted to express in a small way our thanks for all of their service. We fed them smoked brisket, baked beans, potatoes, homemade banana pudding, brownies, and cherry cobbler. It was great getting to meet many of the officers, since most of us only encounter them when we've done something wrong while driving. It was pretty cool to leave the station last night and not have to pay a ticket or be scheduled to take defensive driving. Seriously, what I saw last night was a group of great people that work very hard and genuinely care about making our city safe. There are so many things in this country that we all take for granted, and if you ever go out of the country you quickly realize how blessed we are. I want to encourage you today to take the time to pray for our police department and their safety as they serve and protect.

My Gift On Father's Day

I know that in our time and culture it is pretty common to make fun of all lame gifts that are given to dads. I really don't see the big dilemma in what to buy. How can you go wrong if you stick with something safe like food, football, or a gift card from Home Depot or Best Buy? It's only when we go a little brain dead that we choose something like a tie or those goofy gifts that are in the middle of the aisle the week leading up to Father's Day. On Sunday after service, we had a lot of our family over for a big cookout to honor all of the dads. The ladies treated us like kings with steaks, chicken, and shrimp skewers right off the grill! The food was awesome, but what I treasure the most is the gifts I received from Shanon and the kids. I got a cool shirt and watch, but what got to me was the kids cards and their sweet words. Caroline made me this card covered with hearts with two dollars in it. I knew that those two dollars was all the money she had and she gladly gave it away. I almost got a little choked up then, but what sent me over the edge was the card from Dawson. He gave me the card with one of his batman action figures. When I questioned it, he just said, "I gave that to say that you're my hero." I almost lost it. They were just so sweet and sincere, and it just humbled me so much and made me realize how blessed I am. That was no lame gift for sure.

What I've Learned from our Life Group

For the last two months, we have been leading a life group for the young couples of our church using the curriculum, "Marriage On The Rock". I have been completely blown away by our group and the things that God has been doing in our lives and in our marriages! I have to admit that in my past ministry positions I have never really been apart of a church that made small groups a priority, so all of this is new to me. Honestly, it's becoming one of the highlights of my week. Not only do we just have a blast getting to know each other better, but this group has created an atmosphere where we can be honest and transparent about our lives and where we need help. It's started a culture in our group of people really being there to support one another and praying for each other. It's all about relationships. The great thing is that we still have a couple more weeks before we're finished with the material. My main goal now is that I want everyone to be able to experience this first hand. We're launching a new round of small groups in September, so hopefully we'll have multiple opportunities for people to experience these awesome life groups up close and personal.

The Dream Team

This past Sunday, I shared a message titled, "Dream Team", and the main focus of the talk was on the amazing team of people that have are now using their gift and talents in various ministries around Eagle Pointe. Every week I am blown away by their heart and service unto God and others. Many people never discover the joy and fulfillment of serving, because they either think they're too busy or they're not qualified. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There is no such thing as the perfect person. Examine the various disciples that followed Christ, and you'll find a rag-tag group of guys with issues. We must all realize that our relationship with Christ is a journey that will last a life time. In the beginning of the journey, God begins to work on our heart and character through prayer and learning principles in His word, but unfortunately that is where many people stop. Serving is just as important to our maturity, because we begin to learn to live a selfless life like Christ. What we have to all realize is that every believer is a minister, and it's all of our job to do the work together as a team. In fact, when you look at Ephesians 4:12, you discover that the role of the pastor is like a coach in order to prepare the people to minister. On Sunday, we had more people decide to join the team, and I can't tell you how excited I am about that. Every Sunday so many people invest their time to create a great experience for those that attend. I want to say a big "Thank You" to all of our team members who serve with greeters, cafe, nursery & Pre-K, media, worship band, kids church, ushers, and of course our landscape artist team! You are a true blessing. Now is the time I want to hear from you. Share with me how serving has impacted your life.