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The Stories of Christmas

I'm excited to announce this brand-new series which I will be preaching starting this weekend. We often learn life's lessons best when our imaginations are engaged. In The Stories of Christmas we will unlock biblical truths and spiritual principles from three classic Christmas movies ... both LCC campuses ... this Sunday!

 
12/6 "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" - Matthew 2:1 - 2:23
King Herod was the original Grinch. But unlike the Grinch, his heart was never changed. Because Jesus Christ came to earth, we have the opportunity to receive a changed heart!

 
12/13 "The Christmas Carol" - 1 Chronicles 29:15
Jesus isn't just another pick-n-choose lifestyle guru or teacher; in fact, He claimed exclusively to be "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." If we choose to follow Him, then we also have to count the cost - and it is a dear price to pay. However, the reward - a dynamic, loving relationship with the dynamic, loving God - is surely worth it!

 
12/20 "Miracle on 34th Street" - Luke 1:26-38
To believe in Kris Kringle as Santa Claus is a blind leap of faith. But to believe in the miracle of the virgin birth, the atoning death of Christ and His resurrection, is a reasonable step of faith when you understand the true nature and power of God!

Come each Sunday and bring someone with you. Lets' make sure that we do all we can to ensure that Jesus does not become crowded out in the commercialization of Christmas - and that has to begin right in our own hearts and minds. See you Sunday! 

I Finally Did It!

One of my life's goals has been to drift into a gas station on a dead empty gas tank. I made it!

You may be thinking, "Big deal. I do that ALL the time!" Others of you are thinking, "Dude, you need to step up your life goals!" I have others, and this one has not been in the top 25, but still ...

Monday Morning Reflections

- Great day at LowCountry yesterday.

- Marquis Laughlin brought us John's gospel as only he can. Marquis is a very talented presenter of Scripture and just makes it come alive.

- If you missed it, check it out on the LCC website later this week.Click on "Messages."

- To all my pastor friends, PLEASE go to Marquis' site and book him to come to your church. It is a most powerful, captivating and moving dramatic presentation of Scripture...unlike anything you may have witnessed.

- I'm starting a new series this Sunday called "The Stories of Christmas." Using familiar Christmas movies as illustrations that already engage our imaginations, we'll draw some practical Scriptural lessons on changed hearts, a changed world, and a changed faith.

- LCCers, INVITE, INVITE, and INVITE! This time of year hits people hard: some positively and some not-so-positively. We'll be presenting the truths of God's Word as it tells us about the first advent of Jesus Christ. He is the only Hope for this world of ours.

- We had quite the Thanksgiving. We did the family thing earlier in the week as Tiff and Bryan spent Thanksgiving Day in Hartsville, S.C., Bryan's hometown. I cooked my famous french toast and Debbie (sis-in-law), Claude (Debbie's fiance'), and Hannah (niece) joined us. Lauren arrived home safely from Belarus, where she was served cow tongue for lunch one day. On Thanksgiving Day we got together with eight other families and ate progressively at three different homes...32 of us in all, and it was a blast. I'm still full...

- Bummed the Tigers lost to the chickens on Saturday but we are pumped about the ACC championship game in Tampa this Saturday night against the North Avenue Trade School from Atlanta (that would be Georgia Tech for most of you). No, I'm not going, but Darlene, Tiff, Bryan and Lauren are. Fingers crossed.

- Darlene got in total Christmas mode yesterday so that means the house is decorated, the tree is up (we go artifical), and Michael Buble' - among others - has been crooning on the CD player. I make sure that "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" is in the play-mix as well.

- So proud of Emily. She turned 17 on Saturday and will be inducted into the National Honor Society next week. Way to go, Em. We're proud of you!

- That's it for now. Have a great week, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving

In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt, issued the following proclamation. His call to honor God and count our blessings rings as true today as it did 101 years ago.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - A PROCLAMATION
Once again the season is at hand when, according to the ancient custom of our people, it becomes the duty of the President to appoint a day of prayer and of thanksgiving to God.

Year by year this nation grows in strength and worldly power. During the century and a quarter that has elapsed since our entry into the circle of independent peoples, we have grown and prospered in material things to a degree never known before, and not now known in any other country. The thirteen colonies which struggled along the seacoast of the Atlantic and were hemmed in but a few miles west of tidewater by the Indian-haunted wilderness, have been transformed into the mightiest republic which the world has ever seen. Its domains stretch across the continent from one to the other of the two greatest oceans, and it exercises dominion alike in the arctic and tropic realms. The growth in wealth and population has surpassed even the growth in territory. Nowhere else in the world is the average of individual comfort and material well-being as high as in our fortunate land.

For the very reason that in material well-being we have thus abounded, we owe it to the Almighty to show equal progress in moral and spiritual things...

To read the rest, click HERE.

Image: Theodore Roosevelt, 1858-1919, 26th President of the United States of America

Coming This Sunday!

Our friend, Marquis Laughlin, will be joining us again at LowCountry Community Church's Bluffton campus. Marquis is an extremely gifted "performing artist whose life work is to help audiences see, hear, and feel the God of the Bible through the words of the Bible."

It is always an amazing time when Marquis shares with us. I am so looking forward to hearing him present the Scripture - from John's gospel - to us in such as straight-forward, yet profoundly moving, way.

This Sunday at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 a.m., LCC's Bluffton campus.

To see and read more about Marquis and his ministry, click HERE.

Enough About Me. What About Me?

 

"By which He has granted to John His precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these John may become a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust." (2 Pet. 1:4)

Have you ever inserted your name as you read the Bible to make it more personal? Now you can experience the reality of God's love and promises in a way you never thought possible. In the Personal Promise Bible, you will read your first name personalized in over 5,000 places throughout the New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, over 7,000 places throughout the complete Old and New Testaments.

As if there were not enough versions of the Bible already, now we can have our own personalized Bible. The Personal Promise Bible is another stunning achievement of evangelical narcissism.

But the Personal Promise Bible makes perfect sense if you have payed any attention to the trajectory of American evangelicalism. Quite simply, it's all about me...

This is from the blog of Todd Pruitt, called "1517." To read the rest, click HERE.

For All Control Freaks Everywhere

Brian Jones recently posted an excellent, thought-provoking commentary on who controls our lives.

"In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald describes the character Nick Carraway as someone who 'wanted the world to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention forever.' Trying to operate the world as Nick did only works if you are a librarian—demanding that people stand in certain lines, living life by unmovable due dates, having everyone and everything in your life stacked neatly and under your thumb. This doesn’t work real well, however, if you want to follow Jesus.

"Jesus doesn’t work on our timetables. He doesn’t check with us before he makes decisions. Following Jesus is more like driving a taxicab than being a librarian—you never know who you’ll meet or where you’ll go next."

Read the rest HERE. 

My Friend and Mentor, Dr. Ravi Zacharias

I was blessed yesterday. I revelled in a two-hour lunch with my friend, Dr. Ravi Zacharias. I could write so much about him and his influence in my life...and perhaps in future blogs, I will.

Suffice it to say he is one of the most brilliant Christian minds and gifted communicators of our age. He has always been so encouraging to me in my life and ministry, and because of his wide travels, has a most unique perspective on what God is doing around the globe. He perhaps has more to be arrogant about than most, yet he is humility personified.

The brief clip below from a Canadian TV program, 100 Huntley Street, will give you some insight into his life, character, and ministry. To learn more about Dr. Zacharias and his ministry, click here . You can also click over to YouTube to watch and listen to a number of addresses he has presented. Well worth your time.

 

Monday Morning Reflections

-  Enjoyed a great weekend with our senior high group led by Rob Jacobs. About 50 of us went to Awanita Valley, in South Carolina's mountains. Rob and Gina just do a great job relating to and leading students. So glad they're on our team.

- Kind of surreal to go back there. Darlene and I took our first youth group to Awanita in 1986. Then every year thereafter until '91. Now to be back again kind of blew my mind. And it was only this weekend that I learned "Awanita" is a Cherokee word for youth.

- I taught three sessions on Temptation. Luke, one of our worship leaders from our Hilton Head campus, did a wonderful job leading us. The most awesome thing was that four students indicated that they prayed to receive Christ and many more made some significant spiritual decisions.

- The rest of the time was zip lines into the lake (yes, it was "hypothermic"), full-on tackle football, death-defying Hummer rides, horseback riding, bumper boats, frisbee golf, "Sting-pong," and hanging with friends.

- On a personal level, it was a very good time. I wanted to attend this retreat because I was feeling that I didn't know our senior high students as much as I wanted to, and I was able to get to know a lot of the kids better. I had a blast with them!

- I was even presented with a birthday gift. And for those of you who heard my recent sermon on contentment you will be glad to know I received a leopard-print Snuggie! And no, I did NOT model it for the entire group.

- Afterwards, I drove down to Atlanta to see Lauren and visit my father-in-law, John Woodward, who is hospitalized after a serious automobile accident last week. The doctors anticipate a full recovery but it's going to take some time. We appreciate your prayers so much.

- I'm going to stay here in the A.T.L. for a few days this week for sermon series prep, message prep, some thinking and praying, and visiting Dad Woodward. I need to get ahead in message prep. No matter what happens Sunday's come every seven days! I like to stay about three months ahead in series prep and at least two-three weeks ahead in message prep. That way things have time to marinate in my mind and spirit. Too often the tyranny of the urgent crowds this out. These few days help me battle that and get ahead. I try to do this two-three times per year. It really helps.

- I'm also getting some face time with two of my mentors: Drs. Ravi Zacharias and John Hull. I am completely jazzed about that!

- Our South Africa team will be returning soon...good things have happened and are happening ... please keep praying.

 - Lauren leaves on an Equip trip tomorrow night to Belarus. My fingers are crossed (in prayer!).

- I'll probably blog more on this, but the Clothing Connection held at LCC-Bluffton on Saturday was unbelievable! We believe about 2500 persons attended. Read an article from one of our local newspaper's here. It will give you a good idea of all that took place.

- Enjoy your day. ¡Via con Dios!

Are You Ready for the Social Revolution?

Like most people, I am somewhat hesitant to change. I didn't used to be like this. My mantra was, "Change?! Change is good!" Now, as I am in my late 40s (gasp...when did THAT happen?), I find myself seeing major societal changes happening around me and I sniff them off as fads.

But I am wrong.

Major changes have been happening for the last few years ... especially in the way people relate and communicate. The following video is forcing me to ask a lot of questions. Primarily, they have to do with my personal involvement to jump in or my refusal to join in. This also has some major implications for the Church.

What do you think?