News & Updates

At 6:15 this morn, our beach retreat was buzzing.  Normally it’s just me fumbling to make coffee, get out the door and onto the sand by 6:30.  Today was different.  Busier.  Lauren was flying back to Atlanta.  She had work to do for VBX.  Lauren is heading up the decorations, and has taken it all on with great passion and determination.  Off she went.  Ugh. Normally the quiet early morning ocean is my only companion.  This morning remained different.  Busier. …

My new, early morning beach friend from Shelbyville, Kentucky had vision.  He.. Steve… was going to catch so many fish, he brought out a kiddie pool to keep them in.  Dinner was going to be a spectacular feast without having to leave a tip.  Steve had awakened with a clear picture of a preferred future.  This was vision. I never did see one fish held captive in that thar Kentucky kiddie pool.  So… was that really vision or just wishful…

The morning of July 4th was all about control.  A normally quiet beach at 6:15 a.m. saw hundreds scrambling for beach chair prominence.  With over 30,000 expected to set up camp for fireworks, early hour dominance was the game serious beach goers were playing.  Nobody was playing better than this pastor.  I brazenly secured three chairs with prime, sandy real estate.  We would claim our place in the sand for the entirety of the day.  We would even endure an…

The early morning coffee helped me wade through words from C.S. Lewis.  “The more we get what we now call “ourselves” out of the way and let  Him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become.  The more I resist Him and try to live on my own, the more I become dominated  by my own heredity and upbringing and surroundings and natural desires.” As this day rolled by, ideas of surrender began a hostile takeover of my thinking. …

(read Mark 9-12; 22% of “The Gospel As Center” by Carson & Keller’ 50% of “Love Does” by Bob Goff) I didn’t know the Gospel Coalition was formed by pastors (including big dawgs like Timothy Keller & D.A. Carson) who long for and work towards the good news of Jesus being restored in our churches and teaching.  They define the gospel as the epic narrative of scripture to restore all God’s creation in a new heaven and earth… reconciling all…

    (read Mark 5-8; 15% of “The Gospel As Center” by DA Carson & Timothy Keller) “The fall, the fall, oh God the fall of man The fern is found in every eye and every hand Nothing there is nothing yet in truest form We walk like ghost upon the earth, the ground in groans How long, how long will you wait? How long, how long till you save us all, save us all”          –…

    (read Mark 15-16; 1-4; and finished “Beautiful Outlaw” by John Eldredge)     In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal:…

Read Mark 14;  45% of “Beautiful Outlaw” by John Eldredge) “Think of the ocean. Picture it in your mind. Tonight the breakers are thundering on the reef a hundred yards out, and beyond that open ocean. What does this tell us about Jesus? What words come to mind? Majestic, powerful, wild, dangerous. Yes, tempestuous, like the clearing of the temple. “His eyes like the grey o’ the sea,” as Ezra Pound wrote, “the sea that brooks no voyaging.” But also…

(Read Mark 12 & 13;  Finished “Simply Jesus” by N.T. Wright) After a complete rain out yesterday (studying and reading from the lanai), this morning is beautiful.  The rains have cleared, but my mind hasn’t.  I’m swimming a bit in my thoughts. In the nine previous study break experiences my family has been on, I’ve begun to capture vision, strategy, and the “do” of what life and ministry might look like once back into real life.  Usually, my second week…