new friends, old friends, and friends in-between

While I was out "thrifting" this afternoon I ran into an old friend from our first tour of duty in San Diego. He's the father of another friend of ours and that's how we got to know him. I almost didn't say anything because I wasn't 100% sure it was him -- but I knew it was somebody I knew. I'm glad I spoke up because we had a really good visit.

From there I retreated to Twiggs, one of my two working cafes. In other words, one of my two "offices." There's been a fellow who's a regular, an artist who illustrates children's books. He's lived in San Diego for about a year but will be moving up to San Francisco in a few days. We chatted for a while about his time here and his move up there.

At any given time, life is the summation of our relationships. Some are old and weathered by time; others are new and just gaining momentum. Some are separated by time or distance; still others are yet to be discovered.

That's all for now ...

reflections on recent school shootings

There have been two more school shootings over the past week. One of the details that emerged from the shooting at Platte Canyon High School in Colorado brought me to tears. It was about the young student who was killed before the gunman committed suicide.

Emily Keyes had recently turned 16 and was given a cell phone as a present. As the story began to unfold on live television, her father sent her a text message asking if she was OK. She replied at 1:52 PM with a short message, "I love you guys." Less than two hours later she would be shot in the back of the head as she tried to run away. You can read more about the ordeal at The Rocky Mountain News website.

That would be a text message I would keep forever.

There is no doubt that we live in a fallen world. We live in a world where evil exists alongside good and where people exercise their freedom in ways that both bless and destroy others.

When I watch stories such as these unfold, they remind me of what our neighbors need the most ... a relationship with God. There is a peace that does pass all understanding and it comes only through Jesus Christ.

I'm sure there are cynics reading this who would argue that I'm offering a simplistic solution to a complex problem.

To those cynics (and you know who you are) I would ask, "What is your solution?" "How do you propose to solve the problem of evil?" Is it by growing even more cynical, even more bitter, and then dying? Isn't it ironic that those who are the fiercest about removing God from our public dialogue and lives are the same ones who offer no feasible way of dealing with evil! Even if one doesn't believe in God ... how could you not believe in the presence of evil?

On a more personal level, one of my "take-homes" from the story of Emily Keyes is to devote myself to building an even stronger relationship with my daughters. For you fathers out there, let me encourage you to buy this book: "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters." It's well worth the time and money you invest in it.

beta testers for new "show" idea

Our next series at LifePoint is entitled, "The One Liners of Jesus." We've decided to build a talk show theme into each week's service. This will lead up to a full "show" on October 22. We're calling it The Not Really All That Early Early Show. We'll have a house band, guests, a desk for me to sit behind, and more.

We've even created a website for the "show." We'll use it when promoting the series.

You can find it here. Take a look and tell me what you think.

friday morning prayer

I went to the top of Mt. Helix for the first time this morning. In all the years we've lived in San Diego, I have never been to the top of Mt. Helix. It offers a great view; unfortunately it was overcast and the view was somewhat obscured. I enjoy spending time at high altitudes because it helps give perspective. I decided to reread Acts 17 because it deals with how Paul adjusted his approach to reach the most people with the message of Jesus. But I kept going and I'm glad I did. There on top of Mt. Helix, with a view that encompassed hundreds of thousands of people, I read these words: "One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: 'Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.' So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. " (Acts 18:9-11).

As I looked out over San Diego, those words spoke to me. They reminded me that there are thousands upon thousands of people yet to restore friendship with God. They reminded me to keep on speaking, to keep on creating.

As I contemplated these words I was reminded of the story of Jonah. God wanted to send him to Ninevah, to warn the city and call it to repentance -- Jonah ran away instead. That act of disobedience lead to a bit of rough sailing.

Jonah eventually goes to Ninevah and the city breaks out in revival. But the book ends with Jonah still stewing over God's decision to offer mercy to such a wicked city. Here's how God teaches Jonah (and us) a great lesson:

---

1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."

4 But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"

5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."

9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."

10 But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"

-- Jonah 4

---

God is still concerned with great cities and San Diego definitely qualifies as a great city.

From the top of Mt. Helix I could see LifePoint becoming a regional-impact church, one that seeks to impact not just one neighborhood but many. Not just Mission Valley but by helping out downtown, in East County, South Bay, and elsewhere across the county.

May God speed that day!

a few great t-shirts

Here are a few funny t-shirts I've found ...

Help bring Jack home.

Arnold for President!

san diego reader artice

As I mentioned earlier, a reporter from the San Diego Reader came last Sunday to profile LifePoint for the "Sheeps and Goats" column. Well ... here it is. It's fair and balanced and unafraid!

---

"NEXT Church," read the painted sign running along one wall of the converted industrial space: poured concrete floors, concrete-block walls painted in muted red and yellow, a canopied stage in one corner, and a '60s-era rumpus room set up in another, complete with fish tank, console TV, and purple-felt pool table. A coffee bar offered refreshments; jazzed-up religious art offered edification. A pair of gray prayer pillars, covered in writing, flanked the entrance: "Thank you Lord for a new life." "I pray for the families who have fathers, brothers, sons in the war with Iraq." "Thanks for my mom, my family, my good-lookingness, my education, for heaven, for God." Pictures of church members were wired into a mattress spring mounted on one wall.

Among other songs, the band played Matt Redman's ubiquitous "Blessed Be Your Name," slowing it down and adding jangle-twang guitar-work reminiscent of early REM: "You give and take away/You give and take away/My heart will choose to say/Blessed be your name." Vocalist Catherine read from Romans 8: "Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?" Worship leader Justin ruminated on the love creation ought to bear its creator.

Pastor Hensley announced that "Next Sunday night at 7:00 is our Lifepoint Café," where "we bring in local artists. This month, we have a fellow coming down from L.A. who used to play in San Diego quite a bit: Tom Brosseau. He's good friends and plays a lot with Gregory Page and Steve Poltz of the Rugburns. One of the many reasons we do this is we want to support the local arts and be a church that is artist-friendly -- also for those who are outside of our church community. Just have a place where the arts are celebrated; build a bridge for the artists that exist in our community. It's always free, and Tina brings her coffee cart and fires up some espresso."

Hensley's opening prayer expressed his desire to "join with the chorus that exists around the world and throughout history, of those men and women whose hearts have been given to you.... We trust, Father, that your presence is here, that your Holy Spirit is here, that Jesus is here, and Father, we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses...."

The band played again, and Hensley gave his pre-communion talk. He had recently read a book entitled Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters and found a story about a teenage girl who, after being sexually forced by a longtime friend, told her father about what had happened. "The father's response was, 'Boys will be boys.' And he went and played golf." The girl went through 18 months of counseling to recover from "the impact of that afternoon. If the father's response had been different, perhaps it might have shortened that period -- maybe changed it altogether. We rub off on each other, whether we like it or not. The good rubs off, and the bad rubs off." He talked about the good that had rubbed off on some newer members of the church: "God had gotten into their life through the influence of other people, and they find themselves doing things that would have been out of character 12 months ago."

Communion meant getting up and partaking from a candlelit table holding trays of what looked like matzoh shards and tiny plastic cups of grape juice. Here as well, Hensley reminded us that "as we share in communion, it reminds us that we have a common union.... Father, you pulled us into the kingdom, into community."

The theme persisted through the lesson on "ways we can improve the relationships in our life that are important to us." Hensley argued that the strongest relationships are those that "have God in common," and noted that Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, pleaded with two quarreling women to "agree with each other in the Lord." "The Holy Spirit of God is inspiring Paul to write to these churches, and the Holy Spirit felt like it was important enough to lead Paul to write this. 'Focus on what you have in common -- your relationship with God.' When you have two people who have Jesus in their life, there is a unity there, regardless of what you do.... The Bible calls it 'the unity of the Spirit.' The Holy Spirit is not a stranger to itself." To help foster and maintain such unity, he exhorted the people to "live Godly values" in their own lives, pray together, and serve together. "One of the best ways of discovering God is to start doing what God does, and that's serve."

What happens when we die?

"I believe that if a person has a personal relationship with Jesus, then they go to heaven and spend eternity with Him," says Hensley. "If not, they spend eternity separated from Him."

-- Matthew Lickona

upcoming cafe

Our next LifePoint Cafe is this Sunday night featuring Tom Brosseau and Will Edwards. We've hosted Will twice before but this is our first time to have Tom. Here's a snippet from Will's email newsletter:

"I haven't seen Tom in almost two years because he's been touring up hill and down dale. But, Tom is one of the finest acoustic artists I've ever seen. "

If you're in the area, stop by! Show starts at 7 PM.

my kids think i'm semi-famous

Back during our years in Covington, GA, one of my many joys was getting to know local musicians and artists. Much like here in San Diego, I developed a musical circuit and tried my best to work it into my schedule.

This included the Newborn Opry, a great old schoolhouse that hosted live bluegrass on Saturdays. It was a one-room schoolhouse that had a stage at the front and seating out on the floors. Most of the musicians were locals and the crowd was, well, elderly.

Shortly after my dad retired from Caterpillar, he and mom bought an RV and hit the bluegrass circuit on weekends. Mom would carry along this old Panasonic cassette recorder and tape all the groups and "live jams." As I was in college and later in San Diego, I never had a chance to go bluegrassing with them. But I would hear the stories over the phone and in letters. Then after mom died, we had the responsibility of sorting through her belongings. She had so many tapes! The best part was ... she would press record and start singing along with the groups. She was so close to the microphone that most of what you heard was mom singing :-)

I imagine that my parents' love for bluegrass was buried in my subconscious when we moved to Georgia. Those of you who know my musical interests, know I'm a conflicted man. I love bluegrass but am not a big fan of country music.

I remember the first night I went to the Newborn Opry. I sat in a wooden chair along the wall. It was the old fold-down type that used to be in school auditoriums. Looking over the room, I began to notice that everyone was older than me ... way older than me. The place was filled with grandmas and grandpas of all kinds. To be honest, it was a very emotional experience for me as I sat there and could see my parents sitting on almost any row, mom singing along with her tape recorder and dad tapping his foot.

On one particular night, this guy takes the stage and looks unlike anyone else who has taken the stage that night. And the songs that he sang had me cracking up -- one was about the problem of overpopulation and how too many people are being born. It ends with a young guy offering to shoot the older proponent of this theory in order to make the world a better place. And the room was filled with old people.

This fellow turned out to be Johnny Roquemore. As we talked, I discovered he had recently moved from Malibu to Mansfield (now that should be song title) and I had moved from San Francisco to Covington (that should not be a song title). I invited him to come play at our church for a series we were doing that summer called "The Gospel According to 'O Brother Where Art Thou.'" And he did and was enthusiastically received. Our kids still talk about his spelling song.

That was the beginning of a friendship that remained for the next three years. During this time, Johnny got a spot playing at a local bar in Covington called The Depot. Some nights it would be him solo or with a few buddies. I tried my best to make it each week because I got a kick out of his music. On my first night there I had a drunk lady try to get me to dance ... and you should have seen her face when Johnny told her I was a preacher. You should have seen my face when she then told me where she went to church!

Johnny became a frequent guest at our church. Our worship pastor brought him for our final Sunday. That's when he played the song that has now made me semi-famous to my daughters (and does anyone else matter?). Why? It's on a CD!

I've uploaded it here (mp3). It's simply called "Ken Hensley." For those of you from the west coast, the reference to "honky tonk" means it was a bar :-)

Below is where you can hear more music:

Johnny Roquemore and the Apostles of Bluegrass. Another buddy of mine, John Nipper, is also in this group.

go vote for acoustic awards

There's a new awards show in town and it's called San Diego H.A.T. awards. It stands for Honoring Acoustic Talent. Cast your vote at the San Diego H.A.T. awards website.

lifepoint in the san diego reader

The San Diego Reader has a weekly column called "Sheeps and Goats." LifePoint was featured back in the spring of 2005, before we held our first public worship service. The reporter came to our service yesterday and we will be featured again this Thursday.

Here's the link to our first column.

wifi cafes

FYI ... I think coffee shops that offer free WiFi should post a small sign showing their internet service provider. For those of us who use Outlook for email, it would help tremendously.

maybe it was just a bit too pricey

Nearly every day I drive past SDSU's big electronic sign that greets travellers on Interstate 8. For some time now I have noticed advertisements for the upcoming speakers series. Speakers included James Carville, Ann Coulter, and Rudy Gulliani. But it seems that the series has been cancelled due to low ticket sales. Only 120 tickets had been sold for three different nights of speakers ... and that is in an auditorium that will hold thousands.

That's why I chuckled when I saw the price tag: $193-313 per ticket per night. For SDSU students, ticket prices were originally $300, then $160, then $25. Even $25 is a bit pricey for college students.

Here's the full article from the San Diego State Aztec describing the cancellation:

Series called off
Poor ticket sales force cancellation
Stephanie Nehmens, Assistant city editor

Posted: 9/18/06

The price tag was too high, even for an event such as this.Promoters for the San Diego Speaker Series had no choice but to cancel all planned events on Friday because of poor ticket sales.The event was scheduled for three separate nights during the fall semester to host five of America's prominent political figures, starting with former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on Sept. 26.Other figures expected to speak included Ann Coulter, James Carville, Bob Dole and Wesley Clark.

Ticket prices for general-public seating in Cox Arena for all three nights ranged from $193.50 to $313.50.For San Diego State students, ticket prices were originally almost $300, but dropped to about $160 and finally went down to a special price of $25 per night.

There were more than 6,400 seats available for each event night in Cox Arena, and as of last week, there had only been 120 tickets sold for all three events, Cox Arena Director John Kolek said."Not only were the ticket sales bad, but it would have been embarrassing for the speakers to see as well," Kolek said.

The San Diego Speaker Series is co-operated by Guy Levy, an SDSU alumnus who said that after attending speaker series' elsewhere, he wanted to bring a similar kind of series to educate the San Diego population.But following the cancellation, SDSU students won't have that opportunity this year.

"I was so disappointed - I thought it was going to be a really good series," Associated Students President Matt Keipper said. "I had tickets to all three."I think it would've been a great educational experience to see both sides of the political spectrum. I really wanted to see Giuliani."

Kolek said that there is no talk of rescheduling the event, and if speakers do come to Cox Arena, the structure of the event will be different. Series ticket holders will be getting most of their deposit money back, except for a non-refundable fee that SDSU charges, Kolek said.

He said he is currently trying to fill the available nights in Cox Arena, but does not have any events scheduled yet.Those who bought tickets to the series can receive a refund at the respective ticket offices where they had been purchased.

i know this guy

No, it's not a police bust. This is Georgia State Senator John Douglas -- getting shot by a taser gun. From the look on his face, I've already decided to avoid getting tasered any time soon.

Here's the story:

State Senator Tasered in Show of Support for Law Enforcement
By Crystal
Tatum, Staff Reportermailto:Reportercrystal.tatum@newtoncitizen.com

COVINGTON — State Sen. John Douglas had a shocking Friday morning.
Douglas found himself on the business end of a Taser gun fired by a captain with
the Newton County Sheriff’s Office.

But there’s no need to scour the paper for the legislator’s mug shot: It
was a voluntary act — Douglas’ way of showing local law enforcement officers
that he supports their work.

Sheriff Joe Nichols said authorities who carry Tasers are first required to
be Tasered themselves so they know what the experience is like.

“I’ve made it a point in my public career to be a champion of public
safety. ... I feel like you have to lead from out front, you can’t lead from
behind,” Douglas said.

So, before a throng of law enforcement personnel during a Friday morning
training session, Douglas got zapped. Rather than penetrating his skin with the
taser prongs, Capt. Mark Thomas used a training device that was clipped to
Douglas’ shirt to fire a low-voltage shot.

Though the pain lasted only seconds, Douglas said the shock’s effects took
a while to get over.

"The actual feeling was like waves of electricity going through your body.
It only lasts a few seconds and it doesn’t leave any pain, but it did leave me
kind of washed out and lethargic. If you had to give that two or three times to
somebody trying to get away from police, I can’t imagine. I can only attribute
that to being hard-headed, because it got my attention the first time out,” he
said.

A Taser is a weapon that delivers an electric shock and is used by law
enforcment to disable a suspect without resorting to lethal force.

Douglas said he thinks Tasers are good tools for law enforcement, adding
that the devices have saved lives of officers and suspects. “Not letting
them use Tasers is like tying one hand behind their back and telling them to do
their job anyway,” he said.

coming up

We have several special things planned at LifePoint for the rest of September. I'm excited that we will be working alongside the San Diego Park and Rec Department to help clean-up parts of Fiesta Island. We have a team of volunteers who have agreed to help!

Also ... next Sunday (September 24) will be a busy but blessed day. Look at this!

You can learn more about Christiane at her myspace page.

Tom can be found online at www.tombrosseau.com.

Will's internet resting spot is www.willedwards.net. FYI: Will was our featured artist, playing two songs at our grand opening. He also kicked-off the first LifePoint Cafe!

new logo for october series

life from the national to the local

Yesterday was September 11, 2006. All the networks and cable channels had 9/11 specials. The President gave an address during primetime to commemorate the occasion. Even Monday Night Football included a special piece about remembering what happened five years ago.

Our youngest daughter, Hope, also had soccer practice yesterday. That’s a typical day – from the national to the local. As I approached the park where she was practicing, traffic was stopped and being redirected. The fellow in front of me rolls down his window and says, “Just turn around. You can’t get through because a girl has been hit by a car.”

What was a nuisance for him was a cause of concern for me. Both of my daughters were already at the park, having arrived with Tonya a few minutes before me.

I quickly parked and scurried to where a crowd was gathered. As I looked into the circle, I felt a rush of relief that it wasn’t Hannah or Hope and then suddenly realized … it’s not my daughter, but she is somebody’s daughter.

As I counted my blessings I offered a prayer to God on behalf of this little girl. She was bruised and scraped but was conscious and alert.

That’s often how life unfolds. We are bombarded by highs and lows. Hurts and hopes often reside side-by-side. May life never get so busy that another person’s pain becomes a nuisance to us.

Lord, let our hearts beat in sync with your heart.

five years later

Five years ago today (9/11), we had only recently relocated to Covington, Georgia, to begin work with Covington Christian Church. When I say "recently," we had been in town for less than a week.

On that morning, I was scheduled to have coffee with our worship pastor and start planning our upcoming worship services. We met at a little soda fountain on the square. When he arrived, he mentioned that there had been a plane that had flown into a building in New York and we both thought it must have been an accident. Only a few minutes later did we learn that a second plane had flown into the World Trade Center and these were no accidents.

We immediately packed up and went back to his house. For the next several hours we sat speechless and just watched the images on the television. We both watched each of the towers fall. Even today I can't fully explain or describe what I felt.

Needless to say, I scrapped my planned topic for that weekend and spoke about healing.

Five years later, the images of 9/11 still bring tears to my eyes. This morning one of the cable networks was replaying their broadcast from that day. Even as I type, I still get shivers.

Politics and prognosticating aside, 9/11 reminds me that we live in a fallen world that desperately needs hope. It desperately needs Jesus. It did then ... and it does now.

lifepoint is one-year old

Wow! That's about the best way I can describe LifePoint's one-year anniversary as a new church community. In all respects, today was an outstanding Sunday. Our music was good, the atmosphere was good, and even the pastor didn't fumble around too much. One person did wonder why I was wearing a shirt with pink stripes -- but she's six years-old and lives down the hall from me.

As I reflect on God's faithfulness to us, we have much to be thankful. As I look forward into the future, we still have much more to do. In some respects we are just now "getting our legs." We definitely have challenges, just as any new baby / organization / business would at one-year-old. Just trying to live and function in San Diego is a financial challenge. New churches are certainly not exempt from challenges ... in fact, they seem to attract them :-)

We also have tremendous opportunities that lie ahead. We started LifePoint because we wanted to see more and more people experience the life Jesus has in store for them. We have only seen the beginning of that! Many of those stories are yet to be written.

Our passion for the arts is beginning to build us a reputation among artists as an "artist friendly environment." My dream is for LifePoint to be a springboard for redemptive creativity among artists. In other words, a place where artists can be inspired to create art that makes a difference. I'm especially pleased that we have a willingness to bring in artists who not from within our church community. On one level, this is a bit risky. But it's also a sign of trust and validation that more than offsets the risks involved.

Challenges and opportunities are a normal part of life -- in and out of church. Wouldn't have it any other way.

births

I’ve survived a few births during my life, not the least being my own. Certainly the highlights include watching my two daughters being born. Living through nine months of the first pregnancy even led me to write a book about it. Fortunately, no one has seen fit to publish it.

(It was entitled "You're What! A Man's Guide to Pregnancy." I let my neighbor in Atlanta read it while his wife was pregnant and he enjoyed it. She enjoyed the parts he shared with her.)

I’ve been a part of two companies during their own prenatal days. In the dot-com days, companies were being birthed from scribbles on a napkin. In medical terms, the first of those companies has expired and the other is beginning to walk after a few setbacks.

Aside from the births of Hannah and Hope, nothing else could compare to the joys and challenges of launching a new church.

The vision for LifePoint began when God changed the direction of my life back in 2001. After a few years of preparation, God opened the door for us to return to San Diego. LifePoint began with 7 adults and 2 children who met in our home for Bible study and planning.

From that very humble beginning, God has formed us into a growing church community. What we celebrate this weekend is not so much the past twelve months but the future that lies before us.

Let’s get going!

cafepress

For all you aspiring artists and t-shirts designers, a great online resource for creating and selling merchandise is cafepress.com. I first became aware of Cafepress about four or five years ago. You upload your designs and they handle the rest. They stock the merchandise, print the t-shirts, and ship them to your customers. They have a base price and you are allowed to charge anything above that. When your item sells, you keep the difference.

LifePoint has a cafepress store ... www.cafepress.com/lifepoint.

So does CrossThreads (a little side business) ... www.cafepress.com/crossthreads.

Click on the following picture if you want to learn how to set up your own free store.

myspacers

Have you noticed how over the past 12 months MySpace has crept into the public consciousness? It's on a radio jingle for another company. Every aspiring musician has a "MySpace" page. We've had people visit LifePoint who first found us via MySpace.

Well, today I went to pay our rent for September. Our landlord is a local realtor and I usually hand deliver the check. Not that I have to ... I just do. As we were talking, I noticed that the receptionist behind the counter was checking her MySpace page -- at work!

Have you got a MySpace page? Want to be a MySpace friend? :-)

enjoying life, family, and church

Sometimes we get so busy that we fail to slow down and recognize the many good things that God has poured into our life. There will be pessimists quick to point out the rough spots -- but I'll leave that up to them.

I'm continually amazed that God saw fit to bless me with a wonderful wife and companion. It's a joy to watch her interact with our daughters and to see them adopting many of her wonderful qualities. She's also a very dedicated teacher who loves her job and the people she works with.

Our daughters, Hannah and Hope, are a constant source of laughter and emotions (FYI: I'm sure there will come a time when the emotions will not be so cherished). Hannah just got braces and it's fun just to look at her. Hope's sense of humor is maturing and pretty quick. I'm just happy to be around for the ride.

Things at LifePoint continue to move forward. We have had a steady stream of new faces, some from our postcards and others from Craigslist. It's become quite a challenge to remember all the names -- a challenge I would welcome any day.

Each week I am surrounded by the same people who helped launch this crazy endeavor. Many of them serve quietly in the background and without much fanfare. It's such a pleasure to work alongside some of the same people who helped us get started in ministry back in 1991.

I feel very blessed to have a worship band comprised of people who just enjoy leading worship. Each of them are talented musicians but more importantly, they have the servant-heart of a Christ-follower. Since Justin Gramm stepped in to lead our worship, the worship has taken on a very positive tone. Our morale is good and the music continues to move in the right direction.

Now, on a personal level, if I could just shed about 10 pounds ...

the podcast returns

Since I know all of seven people have been anxiously awaiting the return of our LifePoint podcast ... I'm pleased to say we're back online! I would like to say that the hiatus was due to an extended summer vacation or that the FCC took us offline. Or even that my newest blog fan hacked the podcast. But ... all that matters is that we're back up and running.

You can subscribe to our weekly podcast here. Or look for us on iTunes. Seriously.