Merry Christmas from Russia!

On this Christmas morning, Carrie and I hopped aboard the van, a Scooby Doo-like mystery machine, and headed toward the orphanage. On the 2 hour journey to the orphanage, our driver blasted Nirvana over the radio, but I was able to pray, meditate on some of the Christmas story in Luke’s gospel, and read a Christmas sermon from Charles Spurgeon. Today, I’m reminded of the first Christmas day and the greatest Christmas gift of all—our Heavenly Father sending us the Savior!

Though the ride was bumpy, we arrived safely at the orphanage at about 10 AM. This was our second visit with our baby. Both visits went great, and as we finished our visit today, we signed a paper saying that we agree to adopt this little boy.

As we jumped back in the “mystery machine,” I praised God all the way home. God has granted me the gift of salvation through His Son. That gift alone is enough. Yet, because of His amazing grace, He also has given me a godly wife and the hope of adopting a little baby boy. Well, I don’t think that I can my Heavenly Father enough on this Christmas day.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Adoption News!!!

Looks like we're going to Russia instead of Washington D.C. for our Christmas vacation. If you read yesterday's post, you know that we planned to start our vacation today. Well, we were almost to Knoxville, and we received wonderful news from our adoption agency. They have a baby boy for us!!!! So we turned around and came back home. We will find out more tomorrow about when we go to Russia, but it may be as early as next week! Isn't God good?!?!! He answers prayer!

You can read more about the news we received today on my wife's blog:
http://oneal-itsasmallworld.blogspot.com/

Please continue to pray for us. We've got a long way to go, but today was a HUGE step in the right direction. And we'll continue to trust God's perfect timing!

Christmas Vacation!!!!!

In 2002, there was a 30 year-old Japanese man who died because he worked too much. I'm not kidding. You can read about it here. In fact, just last week, the Toyota Motor Corporation agreed to pay compensation to his young bride. Apparently, the man was working 80 hours of overtime a month, and he worked 114 hours of overtime the month he died!

What a sad story. But it happens far too often. Maybe the person doesn't die from overwork, but maybe his or her health suffers. Or maybe he loses his family because he's spending too much time at work. Or maybe she misses out on quality time with her husband and children because she's working too much.

Carrie (my wife) and I, at times, are guilty of working too hard at our jobs that we miss out on life with each other. That's why we LOVE to go on vacation. We just don't love it, we NEED it. So tomorrow morning, we leave for Williamsburg, VA. After a few warm days in Williamsburg (supposed to be 70 degrees all week), we will then head to Washington D.C. We've even scheduled a White House tour for next Tuesday! We will also celebrate our anniversary next Sunday!

So let me encourage you workaholics out there: Work hard, but don't work so hard that you miss out on what matters most. Don't work so hard that you miss out on your relationship with your spouse and kids. If you're a Christ-follower, don't work so hard that you neglect your relationship with Christ. Work is not your life. The Lord is your life (Deuteronomy 30:20).
And one more challenge: Go on vacation once or twice a year!

I plan on posting some pictures of our Christmas Vacation this week, so stay tuned!

Merry Christmas!

"A Christmas Carol" and a Jew

Next to the real Christmas story in the Bible, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is probably my favorite Christmas classic. Ebenezer Scrooge was a miserable man who lived a life that revolved around money and material wealth. The ghosts of Christmas come knocking, however, and help him realize his selfishnesses. By the end of the story, Scrooge wakes up and is a radically changed man.

Whenever I think about the story of Scrooge, I think about how Jesus Christ has radically changed millions of lives around the world, including mine. He rescued me from my sin and selfishness and made me a new person.

I was reminded again of this truth in a conversation with a stranger today. I talked to a 63 year-old lady today who was raised Jewish, but now works for a Christian organization. She began to tell me about how she became a Christian. I found her story so fascinating that I asked her to email me her story. In her words, she spent her first 26 years as an "angry Jew." She writes:

"I was angry, hurt and alone, always. I went to university, did my Jr. year abroad, and graduated. I became a hippy, a drug addict, and generally checked out of life. I tried pleasing the flesh and the mind with drugs, philosophies, and self indulgence. I was busted for drugs and growing pot in my backyard in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I basically did not want to go to prison so I left the country and went to live in Amsterdam. One night I just did not want to live anymore."

Soon, she began to see her need for a Savior. A few weeks later, all alone in a Holland field, she cried out: "I don't know who or what you are , but whoever you are, help me." Right then and there, Jesus Christ changed her life in radical fashion. Here's how she summarizes that Summer of 1970:

"I KNEW JESUS WAS THE SON OF GOD. I KNEW I WAS FORGIVEN...I FELT CLEAN FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME....I knew something the summer of 1970 that has never changed--Jesus, the Son of God, died for my sins. It was supernatural, like every single salvation that has and will take place."

What a great reminder to me today: Jesus Christ radically changes lives! I needed to hear these words from this stranger I met today. My question to you--Have you been radically changed? As you ponder that question, ponder this Bible verse:

Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT)

Beech High School Homecoming

Some people who attend PCC are in their late twenties and early thirties. Some went to Beech High School in Hendersonville, TN. We even have a few teenagers who are seniors at Beech right now (like our drummer boy). So I thought it would be fun to post a little of my senior class video from "Homecoming" at Beech High School, Fall of 1994. Man I'm old! By the way, I'm on at the beginning of the video with my pajamas pulled up to my chest.

Heroes

The other day, a friend emailed me a great article by Priscilla Shirer called "No More Heroes." Here's the article's basic point:

The more visible the gift and the more celebrated the ministry, the more we subconsciously align a human with the Almighty. It is alarming how frequently the Church has glorified the ones for whom Christ died. We have begun to worship our "heroes."

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I think that's a good point. I have always had my heroes. When I was growing up, my heroes were my grandad, my dad, and Dale Murphy (baseball player for the Braves). Now my heroes are my grandad, my dad, and influential Christian leaders of the past and present like Charles Spurgeon, Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, and the thousands of missionaries around the world.

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Now I don't think there's anything wrong with having heroes. We can and should learn from them. If they're the right heroes, then they ought to inspire us to do more good for our great God. The big question is: Who do we trust? We should never put our ultimate trust in our heroes. If you're a parent, you are a hero to your kids. But who would you rather them trust? God or you? Who is more reliable? Who knows all their needs? Who can meet all their needs?

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So have your Christian, Bible-loving heroes. There's nothing wrong with that. Learn from them. Strive to be more committed to Christ like they are (or were). But whatever you do, don't put your ultimate trust in them. They all fall short of God's glory just like we do. In other words, don't trust your heroes, trust in the God of your heroes. As Psalm 20:7 reminds us: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

2 Exciting Opportunities

PCC's main mantra is "Ordinary people making a difference--together." When you look in the Bible at the people God used to make a difference, you don't just see professional ministers or educated pastors. You see ordinary people, ordinary people who have made themselves available to whatever God wanted them to do. In Acts 4, we read how the world was impressed by Peter and John, "for they could see that they were ordinary men who had no special training. They recognized them as men who had been with Jesus" (4:13, NLT).

PCC is a small church, but I believe we can make a big difference this Christmas. We are asking everybody (adults and children) to get involved with 2 exciting outreach efforts:

(1) Operation Christmas Child--Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God's love. This program of Samaritan's Purse provides an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ. For more info, you can check out their website: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC.asp.

(2) Making a Difference Christmas Offering--Over the holiday season, we are also encouraging people to give to a special offering that will help spread the Good News about Jesus Christ to a world in need. The greatest problem around the world is spiritual emptiness. Therefore, most of the money received for this special offering will go to support missionaries and their work around the world--especially in places where there are no churches.

I have no doubt that God will use our work and our giving to make a difference around the world. People of all ages, backgrounds, and professions can participate in these causes. Please don't let these God-given opportunities pass you by during this season of giving. And remember what our Savior said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35, ESV).

Family FAQ

On Sunday morning, November 11, I'm doing a message called "Family Matters FAQ." Between and now and then, I'm just talking with people in our community, encouraging them to share some of their biggest questions related to family issues. For instance, one mom I talked to yesterday said that her biggest question was "How do I balance everything? How do I balance God, work, children, activities, etc.?" What a great question!

Over the next week, I'll be gathering questions and taking notes. If you have a question that you'd like to ask, please feel free to email me or comment on this post. I will look forward to looking into God's Word and sharing some answers with you on November 11.

Lunch with Ed

I had lunch with Ed Stetzer today. Ed is Director of LifeWay Research here in Nashville. He is one of the "top dogs" in the areas of church planting and missional research. I've talked with him on several occasions, but today was the first time I actually sat down to pick his brain a little.

For the last few years, I've been impressed with his research and writings. Today, I was impressed with his willingness to take time out of his extremely busy schedule to have lunch with me. He offered some advice, he offered some encouragement, but there was one thing that he said that jumped out at me. He said (my paraphrase):

"I'm 41 years old, and your forties are usually the years of greatest impact in ministry. I want to use the next decade to change the world."

As I heard him say those words, I couldn't help but be inspired. I believe God will use Ed in the next decade. I'm 30 years old, and I want the next 20 years of my life to count--not so that I can feel good about myself, not so that others will applaud me, but so that more people will find their salvation and joy in the God who loves them and gave himself for them (Galatians 2:20).

What about you? Whether you're 20, 30, 40, or 50 years old, let me beg you: Use the talents, gifts, abilities, passions, money, and time God has given you to change your community and your world.

Ed, thanks for the inspiration today!

You can check out Ed's popular blog at http://www.edstetzer.com/.

Child Dedication Service

We just had a great child dedication service at PCC. I love doing these dedications. There are 2 main reasons why we do them:

(1) We want to praise God for the gift He has given. The Bible says:

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. (Psalm 127:3)

(2) Also, we do child dedications because it is a time for our church to say that we support parents and we embrace our responsibility to help them teach and train their children. Yes, parents are the primary influencers of their children's spiritual development, but the local church also plays a key role in raising up the next generation to become Christ-following leaders.

Here are some pictures from our child dedication service on October 21. The great photos are courtesy of Angela Bertrand. Thank you Ang!

"In the Heat of the Night"

This coming Sunday morning (October 28) will be interesting. We continue with our I Love the 80's series, and the message will focus on S-E-X. The title of the message is named after the old 80's show titled In the Heat of the Night. I don't know about you, but it seems like the church is guilty of not talking about this topic enough. Maybe pastors are not sure what to say about the topic??? There is no question that the church should talk about sex. God created sex, so He's not against it.

Anyway, pray for me over the next couple of days as I pray about what God wants me to say. Like I said, it should be interesting!

Former Soviet Union

Over the last year, the former Soviet Union has been on my heart. One reason is because my wife and I are adopting from Russia. The former Soviet Union had never been on my radar screen until we began this adoption process. Recently, I've been talking with missionaries in Russia about what God is doing in Eastern Europe. And on November 8-9, I'll be attending a "Volunteer Summit" here in Nashville, and I'm so excited about hearing more about how God could use Peace Community Church to reach those who have never experienced the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

If you'd like to hear more about what God is doing around the world, specifically in Central and Eastern Europe, then I invite you check out the following websites: http://www.hope4cee.org/index.htm

http://www.imb.org/main/lead/page.asp?StoryID=5229&LanguageID=1709

Here are a few Bible verses I'm committing to memory over the next couple of weeks:

PSALM 67:2

May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.

PSALM 2:8

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

Catalyst

Last Thursday and Friday, I attended a church leaders conference in Atlanta called Catalyst. Although I wish the Braves were still playing so that I could have squeezed in a game, at least a friend and I had a chance to eat at Fuddruckers on the way down.

Anyway, I thought the conference was pretty good. I had been praying for God to teach me and encourage me during the conference, and He answered my prayer. Here's what God taught me:

• As a leader, I must use my position and power for the benefit of others. Jesus modeled this for us in John 13, where the disciples were stunned by His humility. Is anybody really stunned by my humility? When I fail to follow Christ's example, I'm saying that I'm greater than Jesus. (from Andy Stanley's talk)
• The people I am leading need recognition and relevance. They want to know they are making a difference, especially when it comes to making an eternal difference in people's lives. (from Patrick Lencioni's talk)
• Jeremiah 1:4-19--This passage was the most encouraging part of the conference for me. Francis Chan, one of the key speakers, challenged me by asking: "Do you really believe God put you in this position (as pastor/church leader), or are you just running a church?" I left the conference on Friday encouraged by God's words to Jeremiah.
• If I want God's blessing on my life, I must get in on God's agenda. (from Rick Warren's talk). This principle has been foundational from the very start of PCC. It helps drive everything we do--from small groups to the P.E.A.C.E. Plan.
• I also left the conference with this powerful quote from Francis Chan: "If Jesus had a church in Simi Valley, mine would be bigger. People would leave his church to attend mine because I call for an easier commitment."

I'm still trying to digest this one! I think Chan's words are true, but it's so tough to call people to the same level of commitment that Jesus expected. You always have people get mad at you personally, and it's a challenge to help them understand that the Christian life is not about following the pastor's expectations. It's about denying self, taking up your cross daily, and following Christ (Luke 9:23).

Hangin' Out with My Nephew

My 4 year-old nephew (Luke) and I hung out a little bit this afternoon. First, I picked him up from school, and we went to Wal-Mart. There was a CD signing there, and we had a little "meet and greet" with The Oak Ridge Boys, Collin Raye, Bryan White, Teddy Gentry (from Alabama), Marty Raybon (from Shenandoah), and Rebecca Lynn Howard. Here's a picture of Luke and William Lee Golden of the Oaks (Luke calls him "Billy Lee")-

Here's a picture of Luke with Marty Raybon and Rebecca Lynn Howard:

After Wal-Mart, I took him to Station Camp High School, where our church meets on Sunday mornings. The principal had to sign some paperwork for me, and he gave Luke a football! Next, I took Luke to the local LifeWay bookstore and bought him a VeggieTales toy. Then, we went to Dairy Queen.

It was a great few hours. You know, I've got a bunch of stuff to do. I've got books to read, sermons to write, small groups to organize, etc. I've got a lot to do between now and tomorrow afternoon before I leave for Atlanta's Catalyst Conference.

But it's worth it to take a few hours out of a busy schedule to spend time with my nephew. On the way back to his house, I missed the turn. I've been to Luke's house many times, but for some reason, I missed the turn. Luke realized what I did and asked me, "Did you go past our house?" I replied, "Yeah, I missed the turn. I don't know why, but I did." Luke said, "You just made a mistake." I smiled and then commented, "That's right. I made a mistake. Everybody makes mistakes, don't they?" As Luke nodded his head, I asked him: "Do you know the only person who never make a mistake?" He shook his head. I added, "Jesus Christ is the only person who never made a mistake."

I just couldn't pass up the teaching moment. Tonight, since my wife is out town, I'll catch up on some of the work I missed this afternoon. Today, the right thing for me to do was to invest in the next generation, specifically my 4 year-old nephew. To all of you out there, I say: Work. Work hard. But make sure to make time for the next generation. They need us. They need spiritual leaders they can look up to. The Bible says in Psalm 78:4:

We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.

Commercial for Family Ties

There is always something or someone crying out for our commitment. When trying to balance the family life with all the other demands of life (work, soccer, football, hobbies, etc.), there just doesn’t seem to be enough time.

I struggle with this in my own life. Yes, I’m a pastor. So because I’m a pastor, my work is church work. Even church work causes there to be some tension in the O’Neal household. And I’ve been guilty of working too much at the expense of quality time with my wife. Sports are a source of tension. I want to watch the Braves, but my wife doesn’t care to watch them EVERY night. Thankfully (I guess), the Braves are pitiful, and I don’t have to worry about this tension until next April. Somehow, I don’t think Carrie and I are the only ones who deal with these tensions. But what do we do when our families are pulled in so many directions? Is it possible to have a healthy marriage if you don’t spend quality time together?

This week, we kick-off the I Love the 80's series with "FAMILY TIES." Tune in this Sunday!

How Strong Are You?

There's a pastor out in Texas who I really admire and respect. His name is Bob Roberts, pastor of Northwood Church and author of two inspiring books: Transformation and Glocalization.

I read his blog regularly as well. In his blog today, he talked about the importance of disciple-making (leading people in the community to become committed followers of Christ). As I was reading, he touched on something that I think is crucial in understanding Christianity in the 21st Century. He said:

"A church is only as strong . . . as the disciples."

In other words, a church is not a building or a place. It's a group of Christ-followers. SO, the health of the church depends on the commitment level of the Christ-followers. And this commitment level will affect all aspects of life: work, family, marriage, other relationships.

How strong are you? Who are the others around you, helping you to connect with God and others?

Big D and Bubba

"Big D and Bubba" are popular radio personalities based here in Nashville. Their show, however, is heard around the country, from Seattle to Key West. Every Friday, they have a pastor come and pray for all the football games that will be played that evening. Folks, this is not Christian talk radio. This is mainstream country radio! I don't know much about these guys, but I'm impressed by what they're doing.

Earlier this week, their producer asked me to come and tape something for tomorrow's show. I was so nervous, but excited! So this morning, I went to the WSIX studio downtown and taped a little prayer for the "Big D and Bubba Show." What an incredible God-given opportunity--to pray on country music radio for thousands of people to hear across the country.

In my prayer, I didn't hold back. I prayed for students, coaches, and schools around our country. And I closed the prayer by thanking God for His love and for sending His Son Jesus Christ to forgive us from sin, to give us purpose in this life, and to give us eternal life. And I prayed in the holy, life-changing name of Jesus! I'm just praying they don't edit it out!

Tune in to the "Big D and Bubba Show" tomorrow around 5:00 central if you're interested. I think you can listen online: http://www.wsix.com/pages/listenlive.html

Plans for this Sunday?

Do you have plans for this Sunday? This is BIG Sunday @ PCC, and we would love for you check it out (http://www.thebigsunday.com/). We're going to have a FREE lunch for everybody, we're going to give a little sneak preview of the I Love the 80's sermon series, and we're going to have some of the PCC kids sing a song or two. But do you know what I'm most excited about? Bob and Larry from the VeggieTales (pictured below) are going to be there. You can bet I'll get my picture made with them...You know you want to. Everybody's doing it!

Glenn Weekley made 'em count

Just got a call from my wife a few hours ago. She told me that Bro. Glenn Weekley, the beloved pastor of First Baptist Church of Hendersonville, TN, has passed away. He was only 59 years old. But he made those 59 years count. God used him to touch thousands of lives, and now he gets to party in heaven where there is no sickness or pain.


Please pray for his family and church this week. To read more about Bro. Glenn and his ministry, please go to http://www.firstbaptisthendersonville.com/.

And follow Bro. Glenn's example: Make your years count!

Community Group Projects

This summer, our community groups @ PCC have been reaching out in the community as part of our P.E.A.C.E. Plan. Below are a few pictures. For more pictures and stories, come and check out "Show & Tell Sunday" this coming Sunday (Sept 9)!

One group making food bags for those who have HIV/AIDS:

Another group feeding hundreds of parents and children at a "Back to School Night" at a local elementary school:

It was like 105 degrees that day, and Jeremiah and Dan are sweating like they stood next to a grill or something:

Refocus Your Life

While I was in college, I went through a personal Bible study called Experiencing God. At a time in my life when I was searching desperately for direction in life, God used this book to teach me one central truth: The Christian life is about adjusting your life to God's agenda. In other words, we're not saved to live for ourselves. We're saved to serve God, allowing Him to accomplish His purposes through us.

Every once in a while (actually, quite often), we have to refocus our lives. SO, last week I went out and bought the newly revised edition of Experiencing God, and I'm going through this study once again. Here are a few quotes that jumped out at me over the first week:

• "Real Christianity is not merely a religion; it is a relationship with a Person." (8)
• "What is God's will for my life? is NOT the right question. I think the proper question is, What is God's will?" (15)
• "You cannot stay the way you are and go with God." (21)
• "God knows you can't do it! He wants to do it Himself THROUGH you." (38)

Carrie (my wife) went through this study in high school, and she also is going through it again. If you've never read it, we highly recommend it. If you have read it, we highly recommend you read it again! Do you sense that you're not experiencing God like you want to or like you once did? It may be time to refocus your life.

Rockbridge Seminary

Right now, I'm taking a faculty orientation course for Rockbridge Seminary. It's a fully online seminary and designs its curriculum around the 5 purposes of the church. Just over the first few weeks of the course, what I'm learning has challenged my traditional thinking about higher education. For example, there may be more participation among the professor and fellow students in a healthy online community compared with a face-to-face classroom setting. Rockbridge encourages students to dialogue with each other and learn from each other, as opposed to the "expert teacher" just dishing out information that needs to be memorized for an upcoming test. The professor acts more like a coach or mentor.

What impresses me most about the co-founders of Rockbridge is their commitment to helping students live out the eternal purposes of God wherever they are. If you are interested in getting a seminary degree without leaving your ministry position, I encourage you to check Rockbridge out (http://www.rockbridgeseminary.org/). You'll be impressed too!

Oak Ridge Boys tradition!

For the last 6 years, Carrie and I have attended an Oak Ridge Boys concert at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville. This year made 7 in a row!! Andy Gilley took our picture before we left. No, Carrie did not wear the t-shirt to Louisville, but I was not ashamed to wear mine! Carrie says my t-shirt is scary--

"Heaven Isn't Too Far Away"

That's actually a line from an old Warrant song. (Warrant was a heavy metal band back in the 80s. See picture below.). Anyway, for my morning devotional, I'm going through a workbook titled Heaven, by Randy Alcorn. A quote popped out at me today, and I just had to share it:

A young woman was visiting a missionary in Eastern Europe and asked her, "Isn't it hard being so far away from your grown children and missing important events in their lives?"

"Sure," the missionary replied. "But in Heaven we'll have all the time together we want. Right now there's kingdom work that needs to be done." (121)

Sometimes I'm guilty of thinking only about this life here on earth. The missionary's perspective is on target. She's thinking about her real home--Heaven. She realizes that "Heaven isn't too far away."

40 Days of Faith Begins!

Today marks the first day of "40 Days of Faith." We've already posted the first daily reading on the official "40 Days" website: http://www.40dof.com/. I invite you to go to this website each day and participate in pursuing the path of faith with us. Feel free to leave comments.

One of my greatest struggles is unbelief. I want to be in control, and I want everything to happen on my timetable. Well, I'm slowly learning that God works however He wants to work. And you know what? He knows best. And I'm learning to rest in that fact. And over the next 40 days, I'm asking God to grow my faith in such a way that I will trust Him in every area of my life.

Will you pursue the path with me?

A Serious Baseball Fan

You may have heard about this news story, but a 25 year-old man in Queens killed his mom while he was watching the New York Mets lose last Saturday. Now I love baseball and am very passionate about the Braves, but that's a little overboard, don't you think?

Alan and Denise Jackson

For you country music fans, you may be interested in knowing that Alan Jackson's wife, Denise, released an autobiography today called It's All About Him. At first glance, you may assume that the book's title refers to her husband, but it actually refers to Jesus Christ--it's all about HIM. You may want to check this book out--a story of faith, forgiveness, and love.

Also, if you buy the book, an exclusive CD is included with a song written and performed by Alan. The song's title? You guessed it. "It's All About Him." And what an amazing song! Let me give you just the first verse and chorus to whet your appetite:

You ask if I'm happy, it's easy to see

I'm high on a mountain, the world at my feet

All of the reasons I should feel free

Come and look closer, it's not about me

CHORUS

It's all about Him and the love that He gives

Redemption and hope for all who have sinned

You can walk all alone, never find your way home

Till you see deep within, it's all about Him

Without question, Alan and Denise are getting opportunity after opportunity in the media to share what God has done in their lives. And God is going to use them to touch people's lives, people who are struggling in their marriages and searching for meaning in life. Say a little prayer for Alan and Denise as they promote this book and song.

Nashville Cares. Does the Church?

I just got back from a meeting with Kate Haygood, Director of Marketing and Volunteers at Nashville Cares. Nashville Cares is an organization committed to promoting and participating in a "compassionate response to HIV/AIDS in Middle Tennessee." Check out their website: www.nashvillecares.org.

After my conversation with Kate, I am so much more motivated to do something about eliminating this giant disease which kills millions of people every year. Just skim over these stats and see if your heart doesn't break:

• There are over 40 million people infected with HIV/AIDS resulting in 15 million children losing one or both parents.
• In the United States, there are approximately 1 million people living with HIV.
• Last year, there were 3 million people who died from AIDS. That's like the entire population of Chicago being wiped out in one year--every year!

If you're like me, for a long time I didn't really think HIV/AIDS was a serious disease here in Middle Tennessee. That's Africa's problem, right? Nope. Get this:

• About 4,600 Middle Tennesseans are currently living with HIV/AIDS.
• About 300 new cases of HIV/AIDS are reported for Middle Tennessee annually.
• Last year, a person with HIV died an average of every 4 days in Middle Tennessee.

Nashville Cares (the organization) is committed to tackling this global giant. What about the church? When will we step up to the table? Does the church care like Jesus cared? Luke 6:36--"You must be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate." That's Jesus talking. He walked the talk. It's time for the church (the body of Christ) to do the same.

Chili's and Parenthood

Carrie (my wife) and I are adopting a baby from Russia. As we wait (and wait and wait), we're doing all we can to prepare for parenthood. We're praying, we're reading, we're working on the nursery, and we're talking with other families who have adopted. In fact, we ate at Chili's last tonight with another couple who is adopting a baby from Russia. And one thing that encouraged us tonight as we talked with others who are in the same boat:

We can TRUST GOD'S TIMING TOGETHER. God is in complete control. He knows exactly what He's doing. He's already picked our child and has a plan for our child and our family. God is always on time. And it's great to talk with people who are walking the same adoption journey. They understand what we've been through and what we're going through, and we can wait on God's timing TOGETHER. Especially if they're Christ-followers, they'll want to pray for us and encourage us. We will pray for them and encourage them.

And one of these days (hopefully not long), we'll bring our children home and celebrate TOGETHER. The couple that we met at Chili's lives about 15 minutes away. So it won't be long until our kids are playing TOGETHER.

By the way, the couple informed us last night of some Russian adoption t-shirts. I think we'll get this one for our baby to wear when we arrive at the Nashville airport. What do you think?

Money, Money, Money

The response to yesterday's message has been amazing! I talked about a few of God's financial principles, Brian Manning (a bank manager for Regions) spoke on the danger signs of debt, and Grady Dycus shared about how and he and his wife are closing the door on debt. Grady's powerful story proves that God's financial plan does work! You may want to take a few minutes to listen to his story (which was near the end of yesterday's message).

Also during the message, I mentioned several resources that have helped people discover God's principles for closing the door on debt. Below are some links to those resources and a few more that you may find beneficial. Check them out:

3 GREAT resources from Dave Ramsey:

http://www.daveramsey.com/shop/Financial_Peace_Revisited_P81C31.cfm
This book adds 4 new chapters to his classic book, Financial Peace. The new chapters tackle such topics like marriage and money, singles and money, and kids and money.

http://www.daveramsey.com/shop/The_Total_Money_Makeover_P123C31.cfm

http://www.daveramsey.com/shop/The_Money_Answer_Book_P181C31.cfm


There's an incredible DVD resource from Andy Stanley called Lost. It's a series of sermons by one of the greatest Christian communicators I've ever heard. There is also small group curriculum included, so you can use it for personal study, family study, or group study. My small group just completed the study and LOVED it! Find out more here: http://resources.northpoint.org/store/shop.do?cID=44&pID=781

Let me give you a website that has tons of info and tools: http://www.crown.org/
The organization is called Crown Financial Ministries. In their words, they believe that "money is the language of the world, and God's word is the translation that leads to True Financial Freedom."

Let me know what tools you've found helpful as you've walked on your financial journey. I'd love to hear from you and learn from you!

My Singing Debut on Live TV

Last week, PCC had a booth at Hendersonville's Drakes Creek Park where we painted faces, played some kids' games, and talked with folks. I just happened to see Channel 4's weather guy near our booth, and I stopped to talk with him. I joked with him and said, "If you need somebody to sing God Bless the U.S.A., I'm here for ya." He responded, "I'll be back in 15 minutes!" And so I belted out the chorus shamelessly on live TV. Watch and enjoy (or make fun of me)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deGz9oOR2l8

The Recipe for a Healthy Marriage

Yesterday, I spoke on the D-word--Divorce. Actually, what I decided to do was focus on the question: "What is the recipe for a healthy, long-lasting marriage?" And it's really all about following God's original recipe. And if we follow God's recipe, and really focus on building and growing a healthy marriage, then divorce will not be an issue. What is God's original recipe? 3 letters: KFC (Kindness, Forgiveness, and Christ). This recipe comes from Ephesians 4:32 (NIV): Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. There's much more to the message, so please feel free to go to our website and listen to yesterday's message. Go to www.PeaceCC.org and see the "From the Stool" section.

I also showed a few video clips in the middle of yesterday's message. They'll make you cry and laugh. Check 'em out:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4425508422989241530&q=%22Project+Everlasting%22&total=58&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2341405925318795297&q=%22Project+Everlasting%22&total=58&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Last Sunday, we just wrapped up a sermon series called "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." A few weeks ago, I talked about what it means to follow Christ. And my basic point: The Christian life is not just about hitting the ball ("accepting Christ" or "becoming a Christian"). The Christian life is about running the bases. And it's about running the bases in such way that you will make it home. Here's a video clip with my modest explanation. By the way, the popcorn was great: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBe7T2CaYEE

Go Braves!

Doors, the D-word, and KFC

This Sunday, PCC kicks-off a series of messages called "Doors." And the first message deals with a very common, a very real, a very painful, a very emotional topic: DIVORCE (the real D-word). The most important door decision we can make, other than our commitment to Christ, is made by walking through the door of marriage. Statistics show that most people will walk through this door at one point or another. In fact, there will be 2.3 million marriages in America this year. But sadly, as the numbers show, most people will also walk through another door—the door of divorce.

Without question, there are certain signs or predictors of divorce, and we're going to look at these predictors. But we're also going to look at how we can slam the door on divorce and open the door to the marital fulfillment that God desires. And I'm going to argue that God desires a KFC marriage. KFC? Yeah, KFC. Original recipe or crispy? I'm looking forward to sharing more about this on Sunday. It's so biblical, practical, and relevant. Hope to see you there!

Good Directions and Sweet Tea

Every Tuesday, I meet with two guys at Backyard Burger and discuss a chapter of Rick Warren's booklet titled What on Earth Am I Here For? Over some great food and great sweet tea today, we had a great discussion, tackling questions like "What drives your life?" and "What keeps us from fulfilling our purpose in life?" As I drove home from Backyard Burger this afternoon, I heard a song on the radio called "Good Directions" (by Billy Currington). Love that song about sweet tea and a flat-bed truck! And the very last line of the song includes the words, "Thank God for good directions and turnip greens." Now I don't know about the turnip greens part, but I am so thankful to God for good directions. In the Bible, there is story after story, verse after verse, that screams out, "God forgives you. God loves you. God has a purpose for your life. God wants to know you relationally. God wants to use you."

The main reason that I meet with those guys at Backyard Burger over a cup of sweet tea is because they are searching for direction in life. The main reason we started Peace Community Church is because people are searching for direction in life. They don't realize God's love for them, God's purpose for them.

If you're reading this blog and you are searching for direction in life, then come and check out Peace Community. We are in this journey of life together. And God has given us a roadmap which He meant for us to discover. As Billy Currington would say, "Thank God for good directions."