Clemson 31 - South Carolina 14



Thunder & Lightning

You’re invited to Coastal’s Clemson/Carolina Game Party on Saturday! Kick-off is noon. Bring your favorite game day snacks. Invite and bring a friend. We’ll be watching the game at the church on the largest screen in Charleston - 16’x21’ (that’s FEET)! Even if you’re not a Clemson or Carolina fan or even a football fan for that matter - come for the food and the fun. Here in SC, it’s kind of like the Superbowl - an event that everyone will be talking about, without all the funny commercials. Well, more of a pathetic, redneck Superbowl, but ours none the less. But no matter who you pull for, chances are you’ll get to see your Pastor cry and scream in the span of 2 hours!

Wow! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day yesterday! We decided to stay home this year and not go to Georgia to see Janet’s family. Although I’m sure we would have had a great time, it was nice to stay put and not travel. We did so for several reasons. Next year, Lydia goes off to college, and although I assume she’ll be coming home for Thanksgiving, you never know what’s in store. So we wanted to be “selfish” and be together at home as a family. We also love having people over for Thanksgiving! We call it our “orphan” Thanksgiving. Other than my mom, we had several people from our Small Group and several other people from the church who either don’t have family here in Charleston, couldn’t travel, had spouses who had to work, or who came over after work. We had lots of food, lots of good conversation, and lots of laughs. My wife, who is an awesome cook, out did herself. She was a cooking tornado for two straight days.

I have so much to be thankful for. Most of all I am blown away by God’s grace! I am thankful for my Heavenly Father who loves me and was willing to sacrifice His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, for a sinner like me. And then, this just blows me away, He is willing to keep loving me, keep showing me mercy and grace and forgiveness and truth, as I slowly, very slowly, and sometimes even kicking and screaming, hopefully, become just a little bit more like His Son Jesus - which is how He already chooses to see me in the first place. That is not a love of this world or like any other. And then somehow He uses a screw up like me in His redemptive plan of rescuing people who are far from Him!

And then, if that were not enough, He has blessed me with the most amazing, beautiful woman I could ever imagine in Janet. What can I say? Words are not enough to describe my love for her and what she means to me. I love her, everything about her - more than I thought ever humanly possible. She loves Jesus and she loves me. And then come Lydia and Christopher into our lives! They love Jesus, they love people, and they love the church (which is a lot to say about Pastor’s kids). I am so proud of both of them - who they are and who they are becoming. I have some of the best friends a man could ever have. And on top of all of that, I am so thankful to be the Pastor of Coastal Community Church - a group of wonderfully imperfect people who love God, love people, and who really believe there is more to life and are willing to do whatever it takes to share and experience the life of Jesus with the world. I live the adventure of a lifetime! I am a blessed man.

(For those of you who were worried about me, I wanted to give you a grill update. I bought a new one! At our house, not having a grill is almost like the oven going out. Home Depot had their after Thanksgiving Day sale early. Merry Christmas to me! Don’t miss the spatula!)

1998-2008

I think God is trying to make me a vegetarian! For 21 days our family was on the Daniel Fast - nothing but fruits, vegetables and whole wheat. I think on Day 2 we started making plans for our first day off the fast. We were going to have a MEAT binge this past Sunday after church - grilled steaks! In fact, Bi-Lo had steaks on sale last week.

Then the unthinkable happened. I had a health insurance physical scheduled for Monday. They wanted me to fast the day before. No way! The steaks would have to wait. Then, when I did eat meat (and other things I had not eaten for almost a month) on Monday after the physical - let’s just say it didn’t sit well with my stomach.

Okay, we decided that we would grill the steaks tonight. The steaks were thawed out, seasoned, and ready to go on the grill! I went out to old faithful (a 1998 Weber Genesis 1000) and it bit the dust! I knew it was on it’s last legs, but nothing prepared me to finally pull the plug. He has been a good friend - feeding my family faithfully for 10 years. He has already had several transplants and makeovers over the years. His time has finally come. There is nothing that can be done. Can you see my tears?

Then I had to lower my standards and do something we never do - actually cook the steaks in the oven! NOOOOOO! We eat a lot of chicken at my house. 98% of the time I cook it on the grill. Most men claim to be the “Grill Master”, but I AM the “Grill Master” (at least at my home). At least I know what I’m getting for Christmas this year! It probably won’t be a Weber, but tomorrow I’m stopping at Home Depot, Lowes, and Wal-Mart and see what’s on sale. Good bye old friend! I shall eat meat again!

Well, I woke up early this morning, very early - about 3:30 - and could not fall back asleep. I have to get up at 5:30 anyway for my Oakland Prayer Group, so I decided to go ahead and get up. Actually, I went to bed pretty early last night - about 9:30. That’s very early for me. I’m usually up til midnight. To be honest with you, the reason I went to bed so early is that I wasn’t feeling well. I have a little bit of a cold, but after 21 days of the Daniel Fast, I started eating meat again yesterday and it didn’t sit well with me.

So what do I do at 3:30 in the morning? Try not to wake everyone else up with my sniffing and coughing for one. I finally added Wes to our Pastoral Staff page on our website. I guess it’s about time since he’s been here since July. I caught up on a few blogs that I read and people that I’m friends with on Facebook. If you haven’t already - send me your friend request.

Probably another reason I’m up is because I’m reading a lot more lately. Let me explain. When I read, I think. I think about the church. I think about people. I think about next steps. I think about the future. And when I wake up, it seems as though a million thoughts race through my mind and I can’t fall back asleep.

Yesterday, I took Christopher to the Dentist. We waited 1 hour and 40 minutes in the waiting room! For 40 minutes I was standing up because they were so crowded. Customer Service suggestion: when scheduling goes bad or when Doctors get pulled away because of an emergency, do something unexpectantly nice for the waiting (many of whom are frustrated) patients - like pass out Skittles or a free whatever coupon. And it doesn’t hurt to explain the delay. At least that way people won’t get so mad at the receptionist (it’s not her fault!). When we left the Dentist, I thanked the receptionist and told her to hang in there. She almost cried. The good news - I had a book with me! I read about 6 chapters. The book is called, Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church. It’s a book by Nelson Searcy, Pastor of the Journey Church in NY City. It’s all about assimilation systems. It’s a very practical book that covers everything from Guest Services to follow up. We will start implementing parts of this system now.

The other book I’m reading right now is Jim Collins’ book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don’t. Honestly, I’ve had the book for a while and kind of skimmed through it when it first came out. But I heard Jim Collins speak this year at the Catalyst Conference and now Wes and I are reading it together and discussing it at our staff meetings. I can’t hardly put it down. It’s great stuff about leadership that has enormous implications for the church.

These are the two areas that I’m focusing on for our church this year - leadership and systems. In fact, I was talking to a good buddy and Pastor friend a couple of days ago, and he said the same thing - leadership and systems. If we are going to take the next step as a church, I’ve to got to improve as a leader. I’ve got to keep growing as a leader. I’ve also got to create and facilitate leadership development. In other words, Coastal needs to be a place that grows and develops leaders. That’s the main driving force for our monthly Leadership Development gathering that we’re beginning in January (we might call it FUEL - stole that from Scott Hodge). I’ve also got to implement new systems and improve existing systems at our church. Systems are simply an organized way of getting things done, that produce the desired results. I watched Andy Stanley’s message from last years Catalyst Conference on systems and took 11 pages of notes.

Anyway, I guess this is why I couldn’t go back to bed. By the way, Sunday was awesome! Lots of guests and return guests. I’ve loved preaching this Stewardship Series - getting lots of great feedback. Our offering was great Sunday - one of the largest we’ve had in a long time. Keep it up Coastal. Can’t wait for Thanksgiving! Having lots of people over! If you don’t have a place to go - give us a call, we’d love for you to join us! I’m serious.

Yesterday morning, at about 3:30AM, I was awakened by a phone call from Security Central - the alarm company for our church. The woman on the phone proceeded to tell me that the alarm was going off at our church and that the police were on the way. She wanted to know how long it would take for me to get to the church and what would I be driving. I got to the church in about 15 minutes (record time). A thousand thought were racing through my head - “I hope this is just a false alarm. What did they steal? Computers? Sound equipment? Times are tough financially and now this! I hope I don’t get a ticket. Is Bryan Miller on duty?”

When I arrived at the church I was met by the police. They told me that they had already walked around the perimeter of the building and didn’t find anything. They asked me to unlock the building, turn off the alarm (it was still going off), and they would search the church. Nothing. It could have been a bug that scattered across a sensor or a large moth flying past a motion detector - who knows? Either way, I was relieved. One of the police officers commented that he now knew where he was going to go to pass the time - our Youth Room. Of course, I invited him to church. I locked the building, set the alarm, and drove a lot slower back home. I crawled into bed about 4:30AM for a few more hours of sleep.

John 20 begins with, “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark.” I can’t imagine the emotions Mary must have felt as she found the tomb with the stone rolled away. What were Peter and John thinking as they raced to the tomb in dark? And can you imagine the huge rush when Jesus calls Mary by name?

When I was 15 I went to Israel and visited what many believe to be the empty tomb of Jesus. It is a life changing experience to walk inside that empty tomb - one I will never forget. Chapter 20 ends with these words, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Life in His name. That’s what I have - LIFE! Coastal, that’s why we exist - to share that LIFE with the world around us. Just like Mary and the Discples, who will you tell that you have seen the Lord?

I can’t read this chapter without seeing these images:

“But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!”
1Corinthians 15:57 (The Message)

Well, today was a first in ministry. We get calls all the time from people asking if we will pay their rent or their power bill. Sometimes people drop by the church looking for money. Well, today a guy came by the church and told me that he was a hair stylist and would cut my hair for gas money. He said he had his scissors and supplies in the car and would do it on the spot. I simply pointed at my head and said, “Are you serious? My hair?” He told me that everyone needs a hair cut, even me. I told him I didn’t need a hair cut and all I had was a dollar, but we had some gas in one of our sheds. Apparently, he really didn’t want the gas, but he took my dollar. And I didn’t even get a hair cut! I just know I’m going to see this sign on the road soon:

It was a little chilly early this morning on my way to Oakland Elementary School. Okay, my wife says it was freezing. I left my jacket at the church and 4 teachers asked me where my coat was (I was wearing a short sleeve shirt). They’re such moms. At my Prayer Group this morning, I talked about the importance of unity - in a family, on a team, in the workplace. I then read from John 17 and talked about Jesus’ desire for unity among Christians. In fact, He says that our unity will have a direct effect on the world coming to Christ. Vs. 23, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

But here’s what blew me away: later this morning (the same day we’re reading John 17 in our fast) I received an email announcing One Prayer 2009. Remember One Prayer? It was the series we participated in back in June flowing out of Jesus’ prayer in John 17. Over 1800 over churches representing over a million believers around the world participated in the series. The premise of the series was if you could pray one prayer that God would answer, what would you pray? “Lord, make us __________.” Well, they’re going to do it again this June. This year the series is going to focus on the character of God. “God is _________.” Here‘s a portion of the email sent out by Craig Groschel of Life Church:

“The foundation for this year will remain the same: we pray to Jesus asking Him to answer our prayers—what if we became the answer to His? In John 17:20-24, He prayed that we would be one, and One Prayer is an opportunity to see what can be accomplished through a unified Church.”

“During One Prayer 2009 we’ll be exploring the attributes of God through the teaching theme, “God Is…” We’re looking forward to hearing what the gifted communicators participating in One Prayer have to say about this topic through messages like, "God is Powerful," "God is a Fortress," "God is My Provider," and "God is Love."”

“Not only will we learn together, but we’ll also unite as the Church in action. Here are the words you’ll want to keep in mind: share, serve, and give. We’ll be sharing resources, serving our communities, and giving to a meaningful cause.”


So what would you preach? What comes to your mind? I’d love to know. “God is . . .” What?

It was great being back at church today (last week I was preaching at Branchville Christian Church for their anniversary). I just missed it all - our people, our worship, our “vibe” - everything.

We continued in our Stewardship Series, “Can I Speak to the Manager?” We looked at an often overlooked parable of Jesus, frequently called the parable of the Shrewd Manager. At first glance you’re almost sure you know where Jesus is going with this parable. You know he’s going to blast this guy for his seemingly dishonest ways. But then out of nowhere Jesus goes in a totally different direction. He commends the guy for his resourcefulness, for leveraging the little time and little opportunity he had for his future benefit.

He’s the reality: we all have a little bit of time and a little bit of money. From God’s perspective we all have just a little. And He is watching to see what we will do with what we have. Will we leverage our resources, our stuff, to further God’s kingdom? The challenge today was to see everything we have, all of our stuff, our time, our talents, our money as a tool, as a test, and as a trademark.

I hope people have been surprised by this series. Typically, people think that when Pastors preach about Stewardship, the messages are all going to be about giving. Now don’t get me wrong. We need to teach and preach truth about giving. But again, stewardship is so much more than that. It’s a way of life.

A few other observations about today. Our band seems to be getting more and more comfortable playing with each other and it shows. The first service the last few weeks has definitely been the larger service. It’s kind of flip flopped. It might be the time change. Who knows? We keep having first time guests. Lots of people come from our website.

The other thing that stood out about today was Operation Christmas Child. Huge props to Teresa Spell. She is the “Organizational Queen”! I think they packed and wrapped over 50 shoeboxes. And if you’ve seen what Teresa does with a shoebox, you know that one Coastal shoebox is probably 2 1/2 shoeboxes from somewhere else.

Today we read John 15. In some ways, vs. 5 is one of the reasons for this time of fasting, prayer, and scripture reading, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” It’s all about staying connected to the vine. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing - nothing of any value and nothing that will last. However, the sad truth is that we as Christians do that all the time. We work, we do, we serve, we give and it doesn’t flow out of our daily walk with Jesus. It’s in our power, our strength. We don’t pray. We don’t spend time in His word. We don’t cry out to our Father. We don’t listen to His voice. It’s so easy to do. But it’s also so easy to change. No matter how long you’ve drifted, once you turn around, you will discover that God is right there with open arms ready to welcome you home. Reconnect to the Vine.

Jesus also issues a challenge for us to love each other. In fact, He says it several times. But He goes a step further and tells us to love as He has loved and that there is no greater love than to lay down our lives for our friends. In fact, He calls us His friends! Wow! I am God’s friend! God’s grace never ceases to amaze me! Coastal, let’s love each other. And let’s show the world around us what God’s love looks like.

Day 14. This is our final week. Our fast is over and we celebrate what God has done in our midst next Sunday. Obviously, I hope you’ve noticed that this is Jesus’ final week in John. Take in every word that He speaks, everything that He does. I also challenge you this final week to move your focus from your food - what you’re eating and what you’re not eating - to prayer. Speak little about your diet - speak much to God. Instead of talking to others about you’re doing, share with others what God is doing.

This morning we read a passage that I’ve read many times at funerals:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Not only does Jesus promise His followers a future hope, but later in this chapter He reminds us we have a present help in the Counselor, the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the LIFE! He’s not one of the ways. He’s not one of many truths. He’s not just another life. He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life. To further emphasize that truth, He says that no one comes to God except through Him.

If you really believe that, how would it change your everyday life? Live in light of eternity. Everything we do in this life, in this world, echos in eternity. Live with a sense of urgency. Life is short. Make the most of every opportunity. See you tomorrow Coastal. Give someone a call and bring them to church with you.

This chapter blows me away every time I read it. Father, I want nothing more in life than to hear you say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” And may people know that I am Yours by the way I love.

“He now showed them the full extent of his love.”



“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I had a great Men’s Group yesterday morning. I just love hanging out with those guys. They’re my friends. We laugh so hard! We talk about our lives, read some scripture (read John 11), and pray together. It’s a great way to start the day! I also got the opportunity to do something very cool and exciting yesterday. In fact, I was like a little kid on Christmas morning. I went on a “ride along” with Bryan Miller - a SC State Trooper from our church. I actually wore my “Law & Order” t-shirt to church (not on the ride along - can’t wear jeans or t-shirts) and sang “Bad Boys, Bad Boys” more times than I want to admit yesterday.

I met Bryan right before his shift (1PM-1AM) and off we went. First of all, let me say that Bryan is impressive. He’s all decked out in his uniform, dark glasses, hat, gun - you don’t want to mess with him. And the car - it’s quite impressive as well and VERY fast. I’ve never sat in a car with more high tech gadgets (or a locked up shot gun next to my leg for that matter). I’m sure I talked Bryan’s ear off. He was quite gracious in answering all my questions and telling me quite a few VERY interesting stories (that I won’t retell here). We went through an entire tank of gas last night! Bryan confessed that his goal last night was to make his Pastor swear. Although he did not achieve his goal, I did mutter a few, “Oh, help me Jesus’s” under my breath. We drove from Monck’s Corner to James Island and back during the shift. We joked about how his job and my job have similarities - stretches of seemingly boring, mundane tasks or work (but very necessary and important), moments of adrenaline pumping crisis or sadness, listening to people from all walks of life, and dealing with crazies.

The 3 highlights of the night:
- when Bryan whipped the car around (pulled off into the grass, pulled the emergency brake, spun the car around, and gunned it) to chase down someone speeding.

- arrest number one - pulled over a suspicious driver on the interstate (driving too slow in the fast lane, hugging the lane, etc.). Come to find out he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. When Bryan pulled them over and approached the car, the guy was reaching around behind the seat - a big no no. They apparently also wreaked of pot (later confessed to having smoked a blunt). From the moment Bryan walks out of the car, the whole thing is being recorded. But I’ll tell you the truth, it looked like a scene from a movie where the guy in the car reaches down for a gun. Bryan obviously knows how to handle himself, but I was praying the whole time in the car for him.

- arrest number two - a felony DUI. It was around 11PM off exit 199 in Summerville. I got to see Bryan conduct a sobriety test. The guy was DRUNK. At first, watching the guy try to stand on one leg or walk a straight line was somewhat funny. But very quickly, I found myself getting angry. This guy was DRIVING A CAR! My daughter is on these roads! Honestly, I wanted to go “Sipowicz” on him! (Remember Andy Sipowicz - the old school cop character from the show “NYPD Blue”?) I wanted us to take him out back somewhere and beat the crap out of him. Bryan is definitely more professional than that and he cuffed him and we took him to jail. The guy complained, cursed, laughed, and pleaded. Bryan never flinched.

I definitely have a greater appreciation for the “men in blue.” I will regularly pray for Bryan and those like him who serve our community. I will pray for their protection and safety. I will pray that they don’t get jaded or cynical from regularly seeing the sinful nature of man up close and personal (both arrested men were fathers). I will pray that they don’t give in to the many temptations placed before them. I also look forward to going again. Bryan said I was welcome to ride along any time.

I hope you’re reading through the gospel of John with us. Today we read John 12. As I read the chapter this morning I was struck with the truth that reading scripture, especially reading through John, is like going on a “ride along.” The life of Jesus is unfolding right before our very eyes. Everything is building. It’s all been recorded for us to read and experience. You can feel the tension and the suspense mounting. You see the sinful nature of man and you know that the only hope of the world is Jesus. In John 11, Jesus raises His friend Lazarus from the dead. He is the resurrection and the LIFE! In John 12, Mary expresses her love for Jesus in a very extravagant way. Jesus then enters Jerusalem on donkey. We know it as the Triumphant Entry or Palm Sunday. People are shouting praises. A week from now these same people wanting to crown Jesus as their King will be turning their backs on Him, shouting, “Crucify Him!”

Keep reading, keep praying. There’s so much here. You’re not going to want to miss a single day, a single chapter on this ride along. Ask God to reveal Himself in the scriptures to you, to speak to you. Pray for our country. Pray for our church. Pray for the people in your life that are far from God. Maybe they’re not as far as you think. Maybe they just need a friend to care about them, someone to love them in an extravagant way, or invite them to church that loves people unconditionally.

Well, here we are at the half-way point of John and the fast. Yesterday was the first real day that I found myself wanting meat or bread or cheese or anything else. But I quickly reminded myself how much I really have and that I have more than I need in Christ (which is the point of a fast in the first place). I made sure I prayed for our new President-Elect Obama, our church, and the people in my life that are far from God. The thoughts and cravings for earthly things, like food, quickly passed. By the way, watching the Food Channel doesn’t help! Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives is like porn for fat people!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s so easy to get distracted with the stuff of life and forget why we’re here and why we do what we do. We fail to see the comings and goings of everyday life through the lens of God’s purpose and plan for us. We forget that we’re on a mission to love people back to God. Well, the past two days I’ve had a couple of minor distractions. It’s always the minor stuff, isn’t it? Yesterday I took our Nissan to our local mechanic to get a tire plugged. It had been losing air and I had already pumped it up. I was sure it was a nail or screw, like many others, over the years. The guy is looking for the culprit and can’t find it anywhere. Takes the tire off, sprays it down, can’t find it. Removes the tire from the rim, still nothing. Maybe it’s the stem. No, that’s not it. Come to find out, I’ve got a crack in the rim itself. I need a whole new tire. After several calls and visits to junk yards, I’ve located one in Goose Creek.

Then this morning, around 6AM, on my way to my Prayer Group at Oakland I get pulled over by a police officer. No, I wasn’t speeding or driving drunk. I had a rear light out. Lydia actually pointed this out to me about a week ago, but I completely forgot about it. I really thought the officer would give me a warning or maybe the citation would be about $50. Guess how much it was? $237! Wow! I was blown away. He said that if I got it taken care of and showed up on the court date they would “help me out a bit.” Now I’m not sure what that means, but you better believe I’m heading over to Advance Auto Parts today and will be showing them the receipt on my court date.

Anyway, I share all of that to say that sometimes it’s so easy to let little things like that distract us from our mission. You never know, God might use me and my Christ like attitude with the officer to make a difference. He might be hoping to use me to reach out to the guy or gal at the salvage yard. Or, it just might be that He’s hoping that when stuff like that happens, that my attitude about it won’t disqualify me from being used that day or in the future, that I’ll still display the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

You see, according to Jesus, “A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (John 10:10 The Message) Our job is to live that real and eternal, more and better life of Christ for all to see. As we say all the time here at Coastal, we exist to share and experience LIFE! That’s our mission. That’s our purpose. LIFE! You see, these are life and death matters. Eternity hangs in the balance. People are either alive in Christ or dead in sin. We don’t just GO to church - we ARE the church! And we are on a mission. Invite and bring someone to church with you this week. And be sure to take the time to check your lights and your tire pressure!

When I was in Bible College I was the Hospitality House Manager for South Fulton County Hospital. Think Ronald McDonald House on a smaller scale. If anyone got sick or injured at the Atlanta Airport (which happens way more than you realize) they automatically took them to South Fulton County Hospital - the closest hospital. Much like the Ronald McDonald House, their relatives could stay free of charge at the Hospitality House. It was my job to take care of the house and the families. It helped Janet and I out financially and taught us many lessons about loving and caring for people. It was a great experience.

Well, during my senior year at Atlanta Christian College, I was taking a class on the gospel of John. It was a small class and the format was simple. We were each assigned different sections of John to research, write a paper, and then present that paper to the class. One section I was assigned was John 9. I remember it like it was yesterday. All week long I was reading and writing and thinking about this chapter. For some reason, most of my thoughts centered on the man who was born blind. I had never really known anyone blind and found myself wondering what it would be like to be blind. I stayed up late one night working on my paper. Janet went on to bed. I finally went to sleep, again thinking about this man, what it must have been like to have been blind 2000 years ago, and then to meet Jesus and receive sight.

Early, early in the morning I was awakened by a phone call from the hospital. This was not uncommon. The call typically went something like, “Mr. Rollins, this is nurse so and so from South Fulton. We have a patient who has some family who need a place to stay. Do you have a room available?” I told her that we had room and that I would be over in a few minutes to pick him up. It was an elderly husband whose wife had a heart attack at the airport. But this was no typical call. After giving me the particulars she said, “Well, we do have one problem. The husband who needs a place to stay is blind.” Silence. “Mr. Rollins? He’s blind. Will that be a problem?” I said, “He’s BLIND!? That’s awesome!” I went on to explain my paper and John 9 to the nurse. She too thought that that was more than just a coincidence. By now Janet was awake and couldn’t believe it either.

I got dressed and made it over to the hospital in record time. Finding my new guest was pretty easy. He was sitting in the waiting room with dark glasses and a cane. After introducing myself and explaining about our home, I told him that I just had to tell him a story. I told him about me being in Bible College and taking this class on John. I told him about writing this paper all week on John 9 where Jesus healed a man born blind. He had a big grin on his face and said something like this, “I just knew God had a reason for all of this.” He went on to tell me that he was an Elder at his church back in Kentucky. We stayed up late, laughing, talking, and praying. I can never read John 9 without thinking about that paper, that night, and that blind man. And just like the man that Jesus healed, I am so thankful that I have received my sight. “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (By the way, I got an A on the paper.)

Well, the obvious thing about Sunday that stood out to me was that I was not with you (I’m not sure if it stood out to you or not). I was preaching at Branchville Christian Church’s Anniversary service in Branchville, SC. The Pastor of the church is a friend of mine and he asked several years ago if I would preach for their 110th Anniversary. I said yes (honestly it kind of snuck up on me). Although it was nice to preach for their special day, and it was fun to see some old friends, and they are a wonderful church, I sure did miss my Coastal family! Absence does make the heart grow fonder I guess. As always, I heard that Wes did a great job and Pastor Rizzo’s message went along nicely with our stewardship series. I can’t wait to be back preaching at Coastal on Sunday!

Yesterday was crazy. It’s about an hour drive to Branchville. After the service, like most country churches, they had HUGE dinner! Being on the Daniel fast, there was very little I could eat. One woman came up to me and said she had some fresh corn from her garden that she brought that didn’t have any butter. Another woman found some plain brown rice. So while everyone else was eating homemade fried chicken and every kind of casserole and dessert you can imagine I was eating brown rice and corn. I drove home, changed clothes, got a little something else to eat and then drove to Isle of Palms for a wedding I was officiating.

For the past two days, we’ve read a couple of my favorite stories about Jesus in the gospel of John. Yesterday, John 8, was about the woman caught in adultery. It is one of the most dramatic encounters anybody ever had with Jesus. Jesus was at the temple teaching the people. Large crowds were there because they loved to hear every word that fell from His lips. At about mid morning some religious leaders made their way pushing through the crowd, dragging a woman. I can see the scene from the movie, “The Passion of the Christ” in my mind. They brought the woman up to Jesus. I picture her hair in disarray, what little clothes she had on were in a mess, and fear stamped on her face. They shoved her down at Jesus' feet, pointed the accusing finger at her, and said, "Jesus, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. Now the law of Moses says we're supposed to stone her. What do you say?"

Jesus said so little, and yet He said so much. He wrote on the ground. I’d love to know what He was writing. Maybe it was His way of ignoring or turning His back on the Pharisees. Maybe He was controlling His anger. And then these words in vs. 7, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then He stooped down and wrote on the ground again. One by one, from the oldest to the youngest, they drop their stones and leave.

After a very brief interaction, Jesus speaks these 5 powerful words, “Go and sin no more.” It’s a beautiful picture of pardon and forgiveness. He accepts her without approving of her sin. He doesn’t lecture her on adultery. The only one who could throw a stone at her, didn’t even pick one up. Jesus focuses on her future. “You’re forgiven - now live like it! I’m getting ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for your sins. You matter to me more than you understand. You are my child.”

We don’t know what happened to this woman - the Bible doesn’t say. Did she become a Christ follower? Did she return to her old way of life? Again, we don’t know. But we do know a lot more about the heart of God from this story. Who does your heart more reflect?

Today is the one week mark for our Daniel Fast - 7 days of fruits, vegetables, water, and whole wheat products! It really hasn’t been that bad. It has required a lot of planning and preparation and reading labels - no meat, cheese, dairy products, white rice, yeast, caffeine, sugar, sugar substitutes, processed foods, food additives, or preservatives (and a bunch of other things - those are just the biggies).

Reading labels has been very eye opening. It is amazing how many preservatives and additives we eat. Eating healthy can be expensive, at least initially. I know, I know, it will save me lots of money in the long run. But for the most part we don’t tend to be long run thinking people. Fruit is expensive. Although so is meat and dairy. So I’m sure it will even out. I know what you health nuts are thinking, “So is high blood pressure and heart disease Chris.” Point proved. You win.

John 7. I don’t know about you, but I can’t read this chapter without being struck by all the different reactions people had toward Jesus - from His brothers to His followers to the Pharisees. They just don’t know what to do with Him. They want to hide Him, follow Him, arrest Him, kill Him, crown Him, worship Him, or kill Him. They call Him everything from a miracle worker to a good man; from the Messiah to demon possessed. But that’s what Jesus does. He demands a response. You can’t stay neutral about Jesus. He doesn’t let you. Why? Because He claims to be God. As Josh McDowell said years ago, “He’s either a liar, a lunatic, or He is the Lord.” There is no in between.

The question hasn’t changed. In fact, one day we will all stand before God and have to answer that same great question, “what did you do with Jesus?” What about you? What do you do with Jesus? Vs. 37, Jesus said, “If you are thirsty, come to Me! If you believe in me, come and drink!” Come, believe, drink! Nothing else satisfies. The world around us is so thirsty. Nothing will quench their thirst but Jesus.

Today our church was a host site for the Lowcountry Pregnancy Center’s “Walk for Life.” It was a two mile walk to raise awareness and funds for their West Ashley branch. It was a great turnout. Mike & Tammy Matthews did an awesome job. It was great to see so many Coastal walkers and volunteers. At the end of the walk, just like they do at all walks or runs, they had bottles of water. Nothing quenches your thirst like water - not juice or energy drinks. And nothing is better for you either. We try to quench that inner longing with so many other things, don’t we? They’re nothing more than flashy substitutions for the real thing. They never satisfy and always leave you wanting more. Come, believe, drink!

One of the things that I am loving about this Daniel Fast is reading through the gospel of John together. Every day my whole family asks each other, "Have you read today?" It's a fun form of accountability. Over the years I've probably read through the gospel of John more than any other book and I've told others to read through this book more than any other. It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how many times I read a passage, God illuminates something brand new, like it was my first time reading it.

Jesus performs some amazing miracles in this chapter - the feeding of the 5,000, walking on the water, the mysterious fast boat ride. But as I read the chapter today, I was struck with the crowds and how Jesus saw their hearts. After Jesus feeds them, they almost work themselves into a frenzy wanting to crown Him King - not because of who He is, but because He filled their stomachs and because of what He could do for them. Jesus slips away. After revealing Himself to His disciples (would have loved that boat ride!), the crowds chase Him down again.

Jesus then, in an almost rebuking fashion, explains how He is the Bread of Life. Several thoughts race through my mind as I read this. One, I quickly find it ironic that I'm reading about the Bread of Life when I'm on the Daniel Fast and can't eat bread! I almost start laughing. But then as quickly as that thought comes, another one slaps me in the face. "That's the point Chris. Find your strength in Me and Me alone. Seek Me. Yearn for me. Depend on Me. Stop looking for other things, even good things, to satisfy. Life is only found in Me." Wow!

I almost found myself saying exactly what the Disciples said as I read it (vs. 60), "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" In fact, it was at this point that many people left Jesus. I think this is the same point in which many people today leave Jesus. It is the fork in the road so to speak. People find out that Jesus is not about what He can give you or do for you. It's not even about the good things you do for Him. It's about Him, following Him, depending on Him, needing Him, not being able to live without Him. There's a difference.

Upon making that discovery, Jesus asks all of us the same question he asked 2000 years ago, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" There is only one right answer, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

(Daniel Fast Hint - Oatmeal with cooked apples, cinnamon, and bananas. I've never really eaten oatmeal except for the sweet flavored kind, when there were no grits available, but this wasn't too bad. Rebecca O'Grady told me that she made hers with 100% apple juice instead of water. Speaking of grits - I have a hard time eating grits without butter, but plain grits with a little dab of salsa (sugar free, of course) isn't too bad.)

Well, it's day five of the Daniel Fast for our church. How's it going? I don't know about you, but I've been overwhelmed with a huge sense of God's sovereign timing. If there has ever been a time when we need to be praying for our country and it's leaders - it's now. Pray for our new President-elect Obama and his family and the enormous issues he will be facing in the months ahead.

(By the way, here are several outstanding posts about politics and the election that I thought I would pass along:
Frustrated With Politics & Christians, Perry Noble
Why I Think Christian Leaders Supporting a Political Candidate Is A Very Bad Idea, Greg Surratt
In God We Do Not Trust, Mark Driscoll
My Thoughts On The Election, J.D. Greer
America Has Chosen A President, Al Mohler)

If there has ever been a time when we need to pray for the church, our church - it's now. If there has ever been a time when we need to pray for people who are far from God - it's now. If the election process has taught us anything, it's that people are starving for hope, change, inspiration, community, and vision. Ultimately, we have the only answer for man's greatest need and problem. That answer is Jesus.

If you've been reading through the gospel of John with us, today we are in John 5. The part that stands out to me is vss. 1-15. The story is so rich with application for today. The situation just seems utterly helpless and hopeless. The NLT translation says, "crowds of sick people - blind, lame, or paralyzed." The man in the story had been in this situation for 38 years - talk about feeling trapped! Jesus asked him, "Would you like to get well?" (which is a sermon all in itself) But for this man, living a better life didn't even seem like an option. He said, "I can't, for I have no one to help me into the pool. . ."

Here's my thought. We are surrounded by hurting people - physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. So hurt in fact, they don't even think healing or restoration is possible. It's become a way of life. Our job, the church's job, is to help people get to the Living Water - Jesus. Instead, the church has become a bunch of people pushing aside the very people we are called to reach so that we can enjoy the pool ourselves - "While I am trying to get there, someone else always gets in ahead of me." Pray that God would give you eyes to see people and circumstances as He does and help someone to the pool.

Over the years at Coastal we've called our Small Groups several things - Cell Groups, Small Groups, or early on we called them CARE Groups. To better communicate our vision and mission and to be more consistent in our language we're going to start calling them LIFE Groups. The name is nothing new. In fact, we've used it on occasion and our current High School Small Group is called a LIFE Group.

For us it just makes sense. Coastal is all about LIFE! Our tagline or motto has always been, "Because there's more to LIFE!" We exist to share and experience LIFE. In fact, we even tell people that LIFE is best experienced and lived out in small groups. So from here on out we will refer to our small groups as LIFE Groups.

And speaking of LIFE Groups we have two new ones starting next week. The Schroder's and the Bowick's are starting a new LIFE Group that will meet on Wednesday nights, 7PM at the Schroder's home, beginning November 12th. They will be reading Max Lucado's book 3:16.

Also, Jennifer Schroder is starting a Mother's Morning Play Group that will meet at the church on Tuesday mornings at 10AM, beginning November 11th. The group is open to all moms for a time of playing, sharing, occasional trips, and prayer. For more information on either group, you can send me an email, contact them directly, or sign up on Sunday if you're interested.

Okay, that wasn't bad at all. A 15 minute walk to Drayton Elementary. And from the time we got in line til we hit confirm and walked out - 1 hour, 15 minutes. Some people wait longer for a ride in Disney World. Somebody even gave us a Chic-fil-a coupon when we were done (although we can't use it for another 19 days - Daniel Fast). What was your voting experience like today?

We're walking to our polling place this morning - Drayton Elementary School on Hwy. 61. If it rains Lydia is coming to pick us up. We live in a great country. But no matter what happens today, and no matter who wins, Jesus is still on the throne and still the only hope of this world! Go vote!

Honestly, I hate time change Sundays. There is a church near my home that normally has two services, but today had one combined service. They know that people get thrown for a loop on these Sundays and their attendance will be down. It doesn't matter how much we remind people - emails, announcements, etc - it still throws people off and without fail someone forgets. Now out of the two days a year, this is by far the better one for attendance ("spring forward" is terrible). You know the drill, "Your clocks 'fall back.' You get an 'extra hour' of sleep. Nobody will have an excuse," and on and on and on. Personally, it will take me about a week before it feels right. I'll be wanting to go to bed earlier and I'll be wide awake earlier in bed trying to make myself sleep. I'd prefer that they just leave it alone. I like the longer days of sunlight.

However, at Coastal, today was just one of those good days. I can't really put my finger on one particular thing that stood out - it was many small things.

- The music seemed to really flow. The more the whole band plays together with Wes, the better they seem to sound. And speaking of sound, the more musicians, the more important the sound man becomes. And Jeff is simply a great sound man. He has a good ear. He knows when things aren't right and he knows how to fix it. I always feel good when he works the first service.

- We had a lot of guests today! Had some people who found us on the web and had a group of folks, mostly in the first service, who were visiting from a church that is no longer meeting together. One of their members is a friend of mine from Oakland Elementary School and she told me that we were on their list of churches to visit. They actually knew several of our folks and seemed to enjoy our service. I hope they find a place to call home. That has to be hard.

- We had a Baby Dedication for Annabeth Elaine Beam. When they stood up to come to the front, everyone applauded. That's never happened before. I can't say enough about the Beam family and what they mean to me and our church. They're special people.

- My wife had a first today. A first grader between the two services passed Janet in the hallway and asked, "How did it go?" Janet wasn't sure what he meant and so he asked again, "The first service, how did it go?" We raise 'em young here at Coastal. Janet also pointed out to me that in the first service we have 3 generations in one family serving and then coming to the second service (Pat, Jennifer, Ashley). Pretty cool.

- We started a new series today - "Can I Speak to the Manager?" It's a series on stewardship. Today's message was about the difference between being an owner and a manager. Stewardship is so much more than money. It's a way of life. It's looking at everything you have as being on loan from God and then living your life to further the goals of the owner - God. The message really seemed to resonate with our people.

- We started our 21 Day Daniel Fast today at 6PM. It's funny, I've had more people ask me about this and what to eat and what not to eat than I do about eternal security and end times. It's really created quite a buzz. On Friday, our family had a last meal of sorts - ribeye steak. Delma White called me at about 5:45PM today and said, "You've got about 15 minutes left Pastor Chris!" He then informed me that he was stuffing his face with roast. He said he might drop by the church during the week so we could exchange fruit.

I really am excited about this fast, not so much about what we're eating and what we're not eating, but reading the Word together, praying together, and seeking God together. We are specifically asking that people focus their prayers in three areas: our country, our church, and people who are far from God. We'll be reading a chapter a day of the gospel of John.

- Even though it's only a small class this go around, the Financial Peace Class is changing lives. (I think Bill & Susan could lead the next class - hint, hint.)

- Wes took about 20 students to Paintball Charleston on Saturday. They had a blast (and the bruises to show it). They also had some new students in Student Ministry tonight. Sometimes students do a better job of inviting than adults.

Well, that's about it. I'm getting ready to eat my version of a bean burrito: whole wheat, no yeast or preservatives tortilla, no fat or preservatives "refried beans" (bean mush), brown rice, no preservatives or sugars salsa and humus. Yummy!

I love our church! I love what I get to do! I want to spend my life serving God, managing the resources He's given me, to accomplish His goals - sharing and experiencing LIFE!