You don’t have to scroll very far through my blog to realize I stink at blogging! I’d much rather be with people than behind a computer. And I’m so ADD, it’s challenging for me to write in paragraphs. I’m bored with myself after the first sentence. I prefer status updates on facebook from my blackberry while I’m talking to someone at the same time.

But, I have an unbelievable story to tell. I don’t know if anyone even subscribes to this blog, so I hope somehow this story finds it’s way to the right person.

Sunday, January 25^th, my team and I launched MyChurch in Columbus, GA. We were supposed to be in this awesome, new strip mall with a cool build-out planned and decorated to our specs. Six days before our launch, we found out we could not be in the building (after 50,000 mailers had gone out announcing our big day). Keep in mind, this is January. It was one of the coldest weeks of the year (low temps at 21 degrees). We had no other options but to rent a big tent and put heaters inside. I was sure people would drive up, see the tent and keep going.

Fifteen minutes before the service, I was hiding in my truck praying for God’s power to keep people from turning away. When I came around the corner, I saw a line of people all the way across our parking lot, waiting to check their kids into a Tae Kwan Do studio turned kid’s ministry. Then, I walked in the tent, and it was full and overflowing with people (and warm too, I might add). My sister told me later that my jaw dropped open and I said, “Oh my gosh (I try not to say that around my kids).

Long story short, we had 625 people come to our launch, standing room only. (We’d have never fit in our building…God is so sovereign). We had to add 200 chairs all around the tent to our 300 inside. 44 people checked off on a communication card that they were choosing to make Jesus the leader and forgiver of their life! It was the most amazing God moment of my life.

What should have been an awkward experience with a bunch of new people upset for sitting in the cold turned out to be an unforgettable adventure. People walked away exhilarated. The Spirit of God moved in an amazing way! I asked how many people would come back next week. Everyone raised their hand, so we announced we’d have two services next week!

I am on my face praising God. This is not a story of success. This is a story of brokenness. Eighteen months ago, I shut my first church plant down. It was the most painful time of my life—worse than losing my mother. I felt like a complete failure. I had people blog about our church shutting down (maybe that’s why I still hate blogging). It was the lowest point of my life.

A few faithful friends, Shawn Lovejoy at Mountain Lake Church, Brian Bloye at Westridge and Bil Cornelius at Bay Area Fellowship, wrapped their arms around us and believed in us when we didn’t believe in ourselves. God poured down His grace on me and my family! I had read about grace, talked about grace, preached about grace, but I had never personally experienced God’s grace (other than my salvation). God broke my spirit and filled me up with His grace. I would choose the pain all over again to get to experience God’s love that way again.

I love my first church. Hundreds of people came to Christ there. Many of those people helped us launch MyChurch. It’s as much theirs as it is ours. I’m so grateful for all they sacrificed with us.

One thing I have learned, “God does not delight in sacrifice, He delights in a broken spirit.” The guys at ARC and DCN who partnered with us on round two, told us that God is using guys my age who have fallen down and gotten back up. I wasn’t sure whether or not to believe them. Now, I want every pastor and every church planter who is experiencing pain to know…relish in it. Let God break your spirit. He is preparing you for the next great thing.

So don’t call me and ask me how we did this launch. I’ll have to tell you to go out and fail at something or choose the most painful circumstances you could imagine. I have no talent, no good strategy, no superstars in the wings…I only have the power and grace of God. Praise God for using broken people like me! You broken guys out there, get up off your face and do what God tells you to do, even if you think it’s impossible. There are millions of people out there who need God’s grace, and you’re the only guy who can really authentically pass it on!

PS – I don’t have time to do links to all these people I mentioned. But they all have great websites and blogs, you should look them up!

Today I am headed to Columbus for some meetings. I have a couple today and a couple on Friday.  Christy and the kids will come down Friday night and we will hang out with some friends. Saturday we are going to meet our Realtor Gary Head Jr. and see some homes on the market.  Thinking back to where we have been living for the last 6 years, it was a miracle to have the opportunity to see all of our neighbors come to know Christ. I hope and pray God will give us a similar experience as we search for where we can live and invest in people. 

3 Prayer Requests:

• Our Home to sell by June
• Our former office to sell asap!
• A movement by God in the Columbus Ga. region!!

I titled this “Unwritten” because I really have no idea what God has next for us.  Truthfully I am scared by the idea of not knowing the future. You can’t plan for or adequately prepare for what you don’t know–but somehow I think God likes it that way. Not knowing the road causes us to lean on him rather than leaning on what we know or can expect.  I am reading in my One Year Bible now in the gospel of Matthew. I thought that it was great how in Matthew 2:19-23–God in his Sovereign plan moved Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus where he needed them to go. But to Joseph this had to be frustrating and scary.  Joseph had already been given a dream and told to go back to the Land of Isreal since Herod was now dead. Good news right… Well right after they set foot out to go home after a long wait at the Shepard’s hospital they find out that Herod’s son Archelaus is now the king.  So does that mess up Gods plan?  No way God will not be mocked– Joseph being scared re-routes the course to Nazareth. Yes-get the picture–he is called “Jesus of Nazereth”   Sometimes I get so worried about what the plan is going to be that I miss seeing God in the middle doing what he does best(BEING IN CHARGE).  I love the fact that God gives freedom and control. Freedom for us to choose him and follow, and even when we blow it or a catastrophe comes he reminds us that he is Sovereign and still in control.  I am excited about our future. I am excited to see where God will take us next and because he is ultimately in control I am OK with the story being still unwritten.