Radical: by David Platt

I have been reading a book called Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt.  Here is a quote from the book:

“When you or I open the Bible, we are beholding the very words of God- words that have supernatural power to redeem, renew, refresh, and restore our lives to what he created them to be.  That is why I believe it is more important for you and me to read Leviticus than it is for us to read the best Christian book ever published, because Leviticus has a quality and produces an effect that no book in the Christian marketplace can compete with.”

Platt would be the first to tell you that God can and has used other books throughout Christian history.  I was struck by this passage, not because I did not know the Bible to be the “Word of God,” but because we hear it so much we become numb to the power of God in the Bible.  I think for most of us, if we are truly honest, spend very minimal time reading the Bible.  Churches tend to be our place of learning and once we understand the basics of Christianity then we don’t see any need to read it ourselves.

Platt tells a story of being overseas.  He was asked to do a Bible study for a group of pastors in an area where Christianity is illegal.  He shares how he was picked up and put into the back of a car.  He arrived in a village where he entered a dark room with a couple of lit candles.  The pastors were gathered in this room eager to learn and study the Bible.  He said a very simple Bible study lasted twelve hours.  After it was over they wanted to meet the next day for another twelve hours. 

What would it look like to study the Bible for twelve hours?  In our culture we are lucky to have a Bible study, which lasts about 1 hour.  In our culture, if the pastor’s sermon goes over the allotted time we get upset.  If we had to risk our lives to study or read the Bible would we do it?  How important is it to read the Bible?  Does it speak to you or change you?  Or do we read it to finish our daily reading for the day? (Obligation to check off the list) Just a few thoughts…

I encourage all of us to answer these simple questions.

See people and be moved

"The Gathering" in Jacksonville

This week I wanted to share a few points from one of the speakers at the Gathering. Keith Loy is the lead pastor of Celebrate Church (Wesleyan) in Sioux Falls, S.D. Keith has a passion for ministry and when he spoke that passion was communicated.

Matthew 9:35-38: Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Keith points out: Jesus saw people, Jesus had compassion, and Jesus met the need. 

How many times do we attend church on Sunday morning, leave, and never apply the message?  This message hit me and I wanted to share it with you.

Matthew 9:35-38 reminds us that the church is about people.  God wants us to partner with him in our communities and see the people who God sees.  Jesus saw the crowds and immediately felt compassion.  We see people all the time, everywhere we go and most of the time there is not a response.  Some of us have been trained to focus only on our own needs and our own responsibilities.  We are so consumed with our own situation that when it comes to others we are without strength or motivation.

Believe it or not people, Christian and non-Christian, matter to God.  Jesus saw the crowds and something moved inside him.  When was the last time you saw the crowds and something moved within you?

The “Gathering” is all about people.  We want to see the people around our community and we want to partner with God.  We want to “gather” together so we can “scatter” into our respective jobs and communities.  We want to share the hope of Christ wherever we go. 

My prayer is that we can all see people and be moved.  But more than being moved we need to take action.  Jesus saw the crowds, had compassion, and then met the need.  My prayer is that we can all find ways to meet the needs (spiritual, physical, and emotional) of those around us.   

Lord, give us eyes to see and ears to hear what is going on around us.

Continue to pray for us as we plan and prepare for the church in Wesley Chapel.

A New Year

I hope everyone is doing well. I just got back from a Wesleyan Ministry Conference in Jacksonville, FL. If you want to check out any of the speakers feel free: http://www.wesleyan.org/gathering


I drove down on January 4, 2011 and was scheduled to pick up Ryan at 5pm. When I arrived in town, I had 3 hours to kill. I was going to find a Barnes and Noble. Coffee and a good book is always a smart choice. When I got to the parking lot, I noticed my car was making some funny noises. The more I drove the louder the noise got. I knew I had to get somebody to look at my car, because I thought the wheel was falling off. I found a Midas about six miles away from the Barnes and Noble. They were very helpful. They told me the back brakes on one side had locked up and I had a huge nail in one of the tires. $956.00 later I was on my way to the airport. I got to the airport with about 10 minutes to spare. What a way to start off the trip.


God showed up during our time in Jacksonville. Ryan and I had some great conversations. One of the most exciting conversations came after a seminar, which talked about creative planning for the worship space. This sparked some ideas for Ryan and we began to brainstorm. The speakers provided us with great challenges as we move into 2011. Next week’s blog is going to focus on one of the messages we heard. Overall the conference was inspiring and helped light a fire within me for ministry. I am ready to get on the ground and implement the many ideas we tossed around.


I am reminded of patience. I am also reminded of prayer. Patience and prayer are so vital at this stage of a Church Plant. Thanks to everyone who has been praying for us.


This is God’s church and we are so lucky to be a part of His work!!!