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Rise A Knight
Confession: I’m addicted to…
Published on Jan 15, 2010 - In: Leadership| Manhood| Personal| Random Thoughts
I have a confession to make: I think I’m addicted to food…
Seriously! My wife will tell you the words “i’m hungry” come out of my mouth more than “i love you”. In my defense, I’m a guy and we need our food! And when hunger strikes, everything looks good! There are days where I almost can’t wait the two minute drive it takes to get from the movie theater to my house for Sunday afternoon lunch. Our drive home from The Rock goes something like this: As we pull out of the movie theater, we pass sonic and my mind runs to: tater tots… cheesy tots… cheesy tots w/ chili… onion rings… onion rings AND chili-cheese tots! Then my loving wife reminds me we are saving money and have plenty to eat at home. As our drive continues, we pass Carolina Wings… and my mind is consumed with these five simple words: ALL YOU CAN EAT WINGS! Before I even have time to drool, El Cerro makes it way into view… At this point, I am ready to spend the only $2 in my wallet and transfer money out of my savings so I can stuff some cheese dip… but we keep driving. Then… in the distance… salvation calls… Taco Bell! mmmmmm… Visions of Half Pound Beef & Potato Burritos, Volcano Tacos, Chicken Casadillas, and Fire Sauce dance in my head.
As you can see, the ride ride home can be TORTURE!
Well, I was driving to the office the other day, thinking about chicken minis, Bojangles sausage biscuits, and McGriddles when this verse popped into my head:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
// Matthew 5:6
It was one of those ’smack-you-in-the-face, light-bulb-turned-on, God-spoke-through-the-burning-bush’ type moments! It was amazing!
In response, I worked up this little prayer (feel free to use it. All you have to do is replace “cheese dip” with your favorite food and “32″ with your personal record for # of chicken wings eaten in 1 sitting):
Lord, give me a starving hunger for Your righteousness. Help me to desire Your holiness like I desire cheese dip. I want to crave Your Word and be satisfied by it like I just ate 32 chicken wings!
How ’bout you?
You hungry?
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My wife is gonna PWN me…
Published on Jan 14, 2010 - In: Leadership| Personal| Volunteering
but I just HAD to put this picture up!
Many of you have asked how my wife, Kelly, is doing since our mad dash to the ER last night. Kelly is doing, and I quote, “20x better” today. The doctor diagnosed Kelly with some sort of infection (he was using all kinds of big words that I couldn’t keep up with) along with a bad case of this stomach bug that’s goin around. Add in some dehydration and we were packed and ready to take a family vacation to the hospital. Here’s some thoughts I had during the night:
- Kelly called me around 5:30 asking/demanding/begging to go to the hospital. At this point, I was unloading and setting up for Katalyst. As most of you know, students begin showing up around 6. So I was in a bit of a panic. I share this too say that I work alongside THE BEST volunteers EVER! And I do not say that lightly. When crisis strikes, the best thing someone could say to their leader is “Go, we got this!“ And that’s exactly what our Katalyst volunteers said to me last night. To know that a ministry still moves forward without me in the picture is both humbling and comforting. You guys dominated last night! I’ll also add here that the second best thing someone said last night was, “Can we bring you some food?” You KNOW what my answer was to that question!
- Andrew Wade neglected to mention this, but I hear the students gave him a warm welcome as he walked out on stage.
- I was about to be frustrated with the women stationed at the front desk of the ER. I walked in, with Kelly hung over my shoulder, stood at the front desk, and they acted like we didn’t even exist. It wasn’t until I snapped my finger in the woman’s face and said “my wife is sick, I have no clue what to do.” that she finally gave us some direction. Her reply was, “fill out this paper. She’ll have to be seen.” All I wanted to say was, “NO CRAP! OF COURSE SHE HAS TO BE SEEN! LOOK AT HER! I WOULDN’T HAVE BROUGHT HER HERE OTHERWISE!” This woman was really testing my patience… But God gave us great favor. Another women walked up, order the front desk woman to get Kelly a wheel chair and had us checked in, tested, and in a room in under 15 minutes. This woman was my hero! But it made me ask myself how many people enter our ministries with no clue where to go or what to do and are welcomed with a blank stare? It also made me think of how many hurting people come into our ministries only to hear, “fill out this paper, we’ll get to you as soon as we can.”
- I’m not sure you truly love someone until you help them take a stool sample… just sayin!
- Its not a lot of fun to walk in on the women you love most lying on the bathroom floor, half conscious, covered in… well, you get the picture… I was pretty terrified. What’s more is I couldn’t help her. This was completely out of my control. So as much as I like to be in complete control, I am reminded that God is the sovereign One… not me.
- I don’t know how I would have made it last night without my family and MyGroup! My mom pointed me in the right direction while I was panicking and had no clue where to go. My dad called to make sure I had everything I needed and took all the equipment home with him. My sister helped set up/tear down and I’m sure she took the reins when it came to leading volunteers. Andrew Wade (along with my mom & sis) ensured me that everything was covered which allowed me to leave without worry. (when I say “allowed” me to leave, they pretty much pushed me into the car, started it, and put it in gear for me. I couldn’t have stayed if I wanted to.) Andrew & Ashleigh brought me dinner and kept me company at the hospital. Not too mention Doug & Joan, Jerry, my parents & in-laws, my Katalyst small group, tons of Katalyst students, and my church family all praying for us over the phone and sending txt. I was blown away! A good friend of mine, Jerry, had me almost in tears as he prayed for kelly over the phone.
Thank you!
Yesterday at The Rock, Kevin dropped some series Man-Bombs! I left feeling like Chuck Norris round house kicked my man card right out of my jockstrap. It was a long, shameful, tail-between-my-leg bicycle ride home. In all seriousness, this “The Naked Truth” series has whooped my tail! So I wanted to share with you a few things about being a real man that I’ve been learning:
- REAL MEN make a difference, not excuses. This statement packs a huge punch, and rightfully so. When you drop the ball, man up, accept the failure, and move forward. When you sin, man up, confess it, and move forward. Men, we fall into a long line of finger pointing, excuse making, whiny, little mama’s boys who ran away when the heat turned up. (Adam, Moses, David, Jonah, Judas). Dudez… are you tough enough to remain strong in tough times? Do you let things fall through the cracks? Do you buckle under pressure? Do you finish things you start?
- REAL MEN view women as meaningful pursuits, not disposable pleasures. Proverbs 18:22… nuff said! This is a quote I stole from one of the manliest man movies EVER… James “007″ Bond!
- REAL MEN have a plan. Chicks dig dudes with a plan. Dudes in ministry LOVE to talk about casting vision and making plans for the church… but how about for your family? Guys, do you have a plan? Do you know where you are going in life? Where are you leading your family? Where are you going for date night this week? Do you even have a date night?
- REAL MEN provide for his family. Proverbs 6:9-11. Before God gave Adam a woman He gave Adam a J.O.B.!!!! Dudez… Put down the video game, get out of your mom’s basement, get on your bike and go get a JOB! How can you provide for your family if you don’t have a job (1 Timothy 5:8). If you can’t get a job b/c of the economy, see point #1. Ladies… you can learn a lot about a guy by the way he spends his money.
Teenage Dudez… we are hitting manhood hard this week @ Katalyst. Man up, and be there! I challenge you. I Dare you!
That’s it for now. I’m going to take of my training wheels now and attempt to regain my man card.
Rebels wk4
Published on Oct 2, 2009 - In: Katalyst| Volunteering
I have continually been BLOWN AWAY at how God has been showing out @ Katalyst! Its like we finally broke through a wall. I’m not even sure I can explain it. All I know is this: worship has been more intimate than ever, students are becoming more intentional about sharing their faith, and small group relationships have reached a new level of personal accountability. It is an AMAZING sight to see!
Here’s some take aways from our final week of REBELS:
- The thing that comes to mind when you think about Jesus is the most important thing about you.
- We relate rebellion to tattoos, getting plastered on Friday nights, sleeping around, disobeying your parents, and beating the crap out of anyone that crosses your path.
- A true rebel refuses to follow a crowd that forces you to think the same way they do even if it means becoming an outcast to society.
- You want to be a rebel, then read your bible because that’s what no on is doing!
- “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.” // John 4:34
- Jesus HAD to go through Samaria.
- God was intentional about reaching the Samaritan woman.
- “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony.” // John 4:39
- Jesus overcame the cultural norm to reach the many.
- Many of us feel that we have to understand everything about the Bible or we make things complicated when all we really need to say is “COME and SEE!”
HUGE things are happening in our youth ministry. And even BIGGER things are about to come as we jump into our next series called VISION. We will be talking about where The Rock and Katalyst began and where we are headed as a church! Its gonna get good!!!
Want to be a part of the Katalyst team? Here’s a few ways you can help make an impact on the next generation of leaders:
- SNACKS – We have a dedicated team who serves our students by providing snacks and drinks. As more students come through the doors, more bellies need fed. And that requires more folks serving those hungry students!
- MONEY – We NEED money… and to be more honest, we need YOUR money! Katalyst is just a few weeks away from being in our new building!!! BUT… there are items we still need (chairs, projectors, ping pong tables, TV’s, etc). Our goal is not to create an environment to occupy your student’s time with simply fun and games. I am NOT a babysitter! Our goal is to create a place where students are not ashamed to invite their friends… a place where students who would have gone to no other church will hear the Gospel!
- SMALL GROUP LEADERS – Our small group leaders truly are the spiritual leaders for our students. Students can hear a motivating, encouraging, or convicting message, but small groups is where the message becomes personal. Our small groups are designed for students to be honest and real about relevant issues.
Here’s why these 3 volunteer rolls are so important: We can only handle what we are prepared for. If (and WHEN) 50, 100, 200, 500, or 1000 students show up to Katalyst unexpectedly, some legitimate questions must be answered. How will they all eat? Where will they all sit? How can we accommodate that many students? How can we effectively minister to all of them? To answer those questions, we need you!
Want to be a part of that? Want to be a part of reaching students who would never go to any other church? Want to invest in the lives of those who will be leading our future churches and businesses? Want to impact the world through students who will become international missionaries?
You know where to find me: matt@rockc3.com
Sunday Recap // 092009
Published on Sep 21, 2009 - In: Monday Morning Aftermath| The Rock
Is it just me, or has there been something stirring up at The Rock these past few Sundays?! Worship has been INTENSE! Kevin has been delivering some serious HOLY SPIRIT HOT SAUCE! And all our Rockstars seem to be on the brink of something HUGE! Its almost like God’s doing a work in and through our church or something… ha!
Here’s just a few Judo chops I took in the face from yesterday’s service:
- People of Walmart
- “Even when my kook-o-meter goes off, I still reserve a space for the possibility that the person might be the real deal.”
- “There’s a reason John didn’t fit into the organized civilized religion of his day. And that’s because God didn’t either.”
- “Giving yourself to Jesus turns your heart into a place where the Spirit of God roams around wild!”
- “Your best act of rebellion is for YOU to rebel against YOU!”
- “How many battles could you and I both win if we simply learned how to say ‘NO’ to ourselves?”
- John 3:30
- 1 Corinthians 9:27
- GOD USES FOLKS WHO STRUGGLE!
- “There is no such thing as a follower of Jesus who doesn’t struggle.”
- “Our struggles/circumstances don’t change the character of God.”
- “Sometimes heroes like John the Baptist get beheaded.”
- “You want a Christianity that is nothing but easy and shallow. Watch some TV preacher and send him a check. It’s fake faith, but you’ll feel blessed.”
KEEP YOUR FORKS!!! Its about to get crazy!
Last night was the most AMAZING Katalyst EVER! And the best part is… God aint through with us yet!
Here’s what some folks said:
Youth group was firein – nate dorman
Katalyst was flippin intense…holy wow! Next wed night 7pm. If your a student, you NEED to be there! – andrew wade
My goal for the next week… get as many students to Katalyst as possible! Lord don’t let me shut up about your love! – hunter lowes
I wish I wasn’t too old for Katalyst – Johnny Calhoun
Last night was one of those times where you just KNEW that God was in the middle of doing something HUGE! I can’t wait to hear how students bring the hot sauce to their schools & homes! The best part may have been watching Alex take down Klock with a guillotine! EPIC!!! Not to mention the 3 first time students and 2 new volunteer leaders!!! That gets me PUMPED! Grab your forks!
“Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
// Numbers 14:9