Order Has Been Restored

Stephanie and our two girls returned from three days in Alabama yesterday, and boy are we glad they are back. Virginia and another cheerleader from CCA had to conduct a cheerleading clinic at a school and Stephanie and Masey went along. That left Me, Marty Jr., and Stephen home alone. I always have the hardest time remembering to make Stephen take a shower when Stephanie is gone. Stephen wears his dirt as a badge of honor.

Our schedule was all messed up. Time just seemed to run together. I am convinced that if I was not marrried to Stephanie my life would be shortened by 10 years. It’s amazing how she keeps everyone fed and clean. She helps me keep a healthy balance between being a pastor and a Dad. I take better care of myself when she is around. I’m glad she’s back. Now, life can return to normal.

Next 2 Sundays

The next two Sundays at Summit are going to be great. This Sunday, August 3, I am going to preach on the vision of Summit Church. After the message, we are going to vote on our annual budget and yearly trustees. The next Sunday, August 10, we will celebrate our first annniversary. You do not want to miss the service. We are going to look at where we have been and where we are going. We have a lot planned for this fall. It is going to be exciting.

On the evening of the 10th, we will have our second baptismal service at Hunter Park at 7:00. Following the baptism, we are going to have cake and home made ice cream. It’ll be a great way to top off this special day.

Sunday Recap

• Great attendance today. We were just under 150.
• I spoke on Heaven and Hell today. Hell is not a popular topic, but it needs to be addressed. This was my last message in the series, “The Dark Side of the Gospel.”
• We passed out our first budget today. It is over $300,00. Currently, we are bringing in 86% of this total, so this budget is well within reach. I actually think that our giving for the next year will easily surpass the budget total.
• We had a ton of teenagers in our worship service.
• We had a lot more kids in Kids’ Worship.
• We have 5 signed up for baptism at Hunter Park on August 10. Remember, biblical baptism happens after salvation not before. It is a public testimony that you are a follower of Christ.

Proud Dad

I must admit that I get into whatever my kids are participating in. When I coached my oldest son’s football team, I would find myself uncontrollably running down field when we would score a touchdown. I even talked strategy with my daughter Masey at at beauty contest. I love watching my kids compete. I’m not obnoxious or anything like that, but I get into it.

My daughter, Virginia, has been traveling all around the southeast doing cheerleading clinics for an organization called Christian Cheerleaders of America (CCA). She is currently in the state of Virginia. Yesterday, I found out that she had led a girl to faith in Christ. I can not tell you how proud of her I am. What’s so neat is that I had been praying for two days that God would give her the opportunity to lead someone to Christ. Wow! What an answered prayer. I am a proud dad.

Small Group

We had a fantastic small group meeting last night. It is so good to get together for Bible study and prayer in the relaxed atmosphere of someone’s home. If you are not in a small group then you don’t know what you are missing. I am a pastor, and I need to be in one. I benefit spiritually and emotionally when I am with others studying the Bible and making life application.

This fall we are starting another small group. Currently, we have seven small groups that meet in Douglasville, Hiram, Lithia Springs, Mableton, and Winston. If you are not a part of a small group, you may sign up following our morning worship service. You will be glad you did.

90 Days

The saga begins! Stephanie and I have begun the P90X fitness program. I have wanted to do this program for several months. My desire intensified when my 43 year old brother told me he was doing it. It got even stronger when I saw him at the beach a few weeks ago. He wasn’t near ready for the before and after photo shoot, but I must admit I was impressed.

Yesterday was our first day. I learned a very important lesson. If you use one of those power bands that you hook inside the door. You better make sure it is secure before you start pulling on it. Mine popped loose and I have two big whelps on my stomach.

Sunday Thoughts

• We had several visitors.
• Our attendance was much better than I anticipated for the third Sunday in July.
• The band was great!
• The volunteers worked like crazy. Boy, we missed Ben and Brett Beasley.
• I can’t wait until our one year celebration on August 10.
• We make our first budget available next Sunday.
• We have two who have signed up for our second baptismal service at Hunter Park.
• I love worshiping at Summit.

One Year Anniversary

On August 10, we will celebrate our 1 year anniversary as a church. It has been a great year! On Monday, our Stewardship Team crafted our first budget. It is amazing how much God has provided for us. I have never been a part of a church where so many people are expecting God to do great things. God changes lives and at Summit we want to be a part of it. It’s exciting!

Almost Childless

As the father of four kids, I am used to a loud house. Three teenagers and a 7 year old can really liven up a place. This week, however, all that has changed. Virginia, our 17 year old, continues to travel with CCA doing cheerleading clinics all over the U.S. She is in Texas this week and will be in her namesake state of Virginia next week. Marty Jr. and Masey are in Vidalia with my parents for a few days. The only one left at the house is 7 year old Stephen. Boy, talk about an adjustment. First of all, the food lasts longer. The house is quieter. We don’t have to drive all over the place. It’s really kind of sad. I am used to a loud house. I am used to an empty pantry. I am used to hauling kids around. Admittedly, a few days break is nice, but I would rather have my kids back.

Great to be Back

It was great to be back at Summit after a two week hiatus. My message yesterday was tough. Any time you talk about eternity and humanity’s misguided attempts to reach God it is heartbreaking. I know that in our culture today it is not popular to say to Jesus is the only way to Heaven, but I believe that to be true with all my heart. The weight of Scripture supports this view. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection paves the path to Heaven. He has purchased our salvation. We do not have to work for it. He offers it to us as a gift. The Gospel is an incredible message.

Next week, I am going to speak on why the Gospel causes so many problems in a culture. The Gospel causes problems because people’s lives are transformed. They are changed. Their values change. Their relationships change. They are now to become change agents for the Kingdom of God. Not everyone likes the change. Not everyone responds favorably to light. Why? Well, that’s what I will speak on next Sunday.