Glassmeyer Tribe in Vegas

Exchange Student from Japan

2010-12-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

This school year we've been the privileged hosts of an exchange student from Japan. Masa, as he goes by, is 16 years old and has quickly become a part of our family life over the past few months. We can already begin to feel how much we'll miss him once he has to return to Japan next June. I think his visa allows for him to stay three weeks past the end of school, so I'm sure we'll be packing all sorts of activities into those final days.

Philip Jr. has long loved Japanese culture. It's been so cool to be driving down the road listening to J-Pop (Japanese Pop) on the radio with Philip and Masa singing Japanese lyrics in perfect tandem. I'm grateful that God has given this opportunity for Philip to learn more about the culture and people for whom he's got such a large heart. I've promised to make every effort to take Philip to Tokyo during the summer between his Junior and Senior years of high school. Hopefully by then he'll be able to speak the language with ease, and can translate for his ignorant dad!

The Man from the Par 3 13th

2010-06-17T22:47:00.001-07:00

Tonight I watched the Lakers vs. Celtics game on the single story screens at our local casino. I watched in luxury because right in the heart of the sports book they've arranged six or seven rows of plush leather seats with arm rests and drink holders for betters and fans alike to enjoy the "big game."

Once I arrived the game was already twenty minutes old, so I scanned in search of a seat. There was one empty in the third row, one in from the end. I asked the man next to it if anyone was sitting there. "Nope! You are!"

As I slouched down into the leather he began to chat. "Who you pulling for?" "I'm a Suns fan," I confessed, "so I'm rooting for the Celtics just because I'm still bitter about their loss to the Lakers."

He chuckled with approval. To my surprise, in a room filled with gold and purple jerseys he told me he was pulling for the Celtics too. At least it would be a safe place from which to offer cheers for the team in green.

Within four or five minutes we were into a regular pattern of dialogue exchange. I quickly learned that he's a limo driver for the Rio Hotel and Casino downtown, but lives two miles from me on the north side. He told me about one night when he had Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Doctor J in his limo. He told me about his Vietnam experiences. He told me about the time he played Pebble Beach, the site of this year's US Open. He told me about his view of the 13th green at the Aliante golf course from his back porch. He spoke with a roughness that made the walls of his heart seem course and unwelcoming. He cussed like a sailor. He was a sailor.

As we sat together I was asking myself, "What opportunity am I going to have to say anything gracious? Is there a way to point this man in the direction of grace without putting my life in danger?" I considered thanking him for his military service, but I didn't expect an approving response.

Just then he told me about his three heart surgeries, including one for which he was only the fifth known patient in the world. He had been the lucky recipient of a local doctor's expertise and willingness to push the medical frontier ahead with hopes of giving my new friend a longer life.

That's when it hit me. He's got so much for which to be thankful! Then he told me that he's been married 40 years, and that his wife is a cancer survivor. He outlined her fear during the days when he was in a coma and fighting for his life with a lung infection after his second open heart surgery. His summary: "I'm a lucky SOB. That's for sure!"

"You've got much so much to be thankful for, don't you?" I meekly spoke into his right ear. He looked me in the eyes and spoke. "You know, you're right. I sure do."

The game ended moments later. Our conversation was finished. I had no opportunity to say more, but I learned something tonight. I learned in a new way that even God's common grace in the lives of the hard-hearted is so abundant that there is a door for the gospel. I remembered that it's His kindness that leads us to repentance.

I know where my new friend lives now. I don't even know his name, but I know the green he likes to watch on the par 3 13th. I hope to see him next time I'm playing at Aliante. I am praying that he lies restless in bed tonight because he realizes that somebody needs to be thanked for his health. Someone deserves his words of gratitude. Hopefully we will soon have the chance to introduce him to Jesus.

My Casino

2010-06-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

In many cities families "adopt" any number of groups or causes in order to share the love of Jesus in an intentional way with a collection or geography of people who many not expect it. For us it's our neighborhood casino, Aliante Station. We love the people there, many of whom seem invisible to most customers. They clean their seats, service their machines, deal their cards, bring their drinks, remove their trash, freshen their restrooms and park their cars. But to many they are a faceless (unless they carry worldly beauty, then they can double as depersonalized objects for pleasure), nameless presence--an animated uniform there to facilitate their leisure.

Now, this description of a casino employee's work experience isn't meant to serve me in self glory, nor to be a platform from which to point my finger at all those "inconsiderate customers." Rather, I simply want to shine a light on the reason why our friends there respond with such vibrancy when anyone offers a genuine smile, inquires with sincerity about their family, or attempts to speak their native tongue if they are from another country. The opportunities to impact someone's day with great significance are without number. They are only limited by how much time our family has when we stroll from one end of the casino to the other en route to a late night ice cream snack or a dollar hot dog during the World Cup.

That provides the context for my conversation tonight with Martha. Martha is between 60-70 years of age. I've never spoken with her, but I've seen her on a number of occasions. Tonight our eyes met as I passed by some 75 feet away. I waved. She waved. I smiled. She smiled.

After I retrieved my slice of heaven from the food court pizzeria the return route to my seat took my right past her work area where she was sweeping the floor and cleaning ash trays. "Ten buen noche," I shared, my best attempt at "Have a good night!"

"Como esta tu familia?" was her reply. "How is my family?" I thought! In a moment when I anticipated to be the blesser and her the blessed I was overcome by her compassion for me.

"They are fine," I said with my limited Spanish vocabulary. "My wife would like to meet you, Martha." As I spoke I glanced past her uniform to read her name. "Oh, I would very much like to meet her too!"

Our conversation continued there in front of some noisy slots while my pizza grease dripped down the outside of my hand. As I left she cautiously broke from her Spanish to say, "Thank you for saying, 'Hello.' Have a good night" I did. She made my night, and somehow in God's grace I could tell I had impacted hers for the better too.

Perhaps next week when I see her I'll have the opportunity to speak more boldly about the love of Jesus.

The Pace

2010-04-18T00:08:00.001-07:00

I can't believe April's just about history...again. Wasn't it April just a few weeks ago?

Today's weather finally felt like summer. It must have been close to 90 degrees, with full sun. It felt so good to be outdoors for a bit. Once I was halfway through my errands, though, I was regretting the fact that I hadn't put on shorts before leaving the house.

My family is well, again. I'm thankful. We've been experiencing more illness than I can ever remember. Just this past week we had three members of the family depositing their undigested meals into the porcelain portal of our sewers. Looks like I might escape this current round without getting the bug...at least I'm still hopeful.

Tonight we hosted a half-dozen folks at CWR's Newcomer Cafe. I really enjoyed the conversation and appreciated the very thoughtful questions from these new friends whom I already count dear. It's incredible how much healing the gospel is bringing to their lives. More than half of them have been through some very difficult "religious" experiences in the recent past, but they have not relented in their pursuit of God's truth and they are finding our true God to be faithful. God is good.

Tomorrow I'll be preaching the last sermon from Luke's gospel. I started preaching through Luke in December 2007. We've taken a few detours through Ephesians, Jonah, and Ruth along the way. The perspective I've gained on Jesus through Luke's gospel has been very helpful to say the least. What a Savior!

Empty Tomb

2010-04-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was tasked to preach on Luke 24:1-12, the account of Jesus' resurrection. No details are given about how he actually "got up" or how the angels moved the stone away. Instead, the attention of the text is the process of discovery and initial disbelief on the part of Jesus' followers, including the apostles.

It was just too crazy to take in. The way things unfolded, though strictly according to what Jesus had already predicted, and according to the Old Testament Scriptures, was still not what they expected. The empty tomb forced a re-organization of their understanding about God and how he would redeem and rescue his people from the effect of sin in the world.

Two things struck me about the events and interactions that day in Jerusalem. First, everything happened in plain sight. Anyone could do the investigation and check with the eyewitnesses to see if indeed Jesus had risen. If someone wasn't willing to engage the truth (for example the religious leaders we read about in Matthew's account who just paid money to the Roman guards so they'd cover up the truth) it wasn't because the confounding events couldn't be verified, but it was because hard hearts didn't really want to know the truth.

This is a humbling reality. Sharing the good news about what God has accomplished through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection isn't just a matter of making sure people can get the facts straight. The Holy Spirit must first break up the ground of hardened hearts so that an individual will want to go through the difficult process of truth discovery and the resulting reorientation of worldview leading to peace and fulfillment in Christ.

So, I'm off to pray for my unbelieving friends in Vegas. I'm praying for clear communication, but I'm praying all the more for the soil of their hearts to be made ready for the true truth.

Mid-week Update

2010-01-19T22:53:00.000-08:00

I just arrived home from a time of celebration over Keith Robinson's arrival to Vegas. He left St. Louis yesterday morning and made it into town tonight. Keith will be joining our pastoral team at CWR as a church planting apprentice. He meets tomorrow with his new employer, as he will be bi-vocational during his first year.

Tomorrow evening marks the first gathering of City-Wide Redeemer Central, our second site in the midtown area of Vegas. We expect that around 20-30 people will come together for this first worship gathering. We can't pray enough for the Lord to protect us from the evil one as the gospel continues to mark through Las Vegas, and certainly not through our efforts alone. We praise Jesus for the opportunity to be working in this portion of his harvest field.

Philip Jr. heads back to the second half of his freshman year tomorrow morning. He did well on his first set of finals last week, in spite of being quite sick most of the week. I'm quite happy for him in his progress. This second semester should be a bit easier for him now that he has learned how to manage his schedule.

The happenings in Haiti has been gut-wrenching for us to behold via TV and email updates. I'm hopeful that in the next day or two aid will begin to flow freely to some of the mid-sized cities outside of PAP that were also devastated by the quake. It was quite a site to see Haitian orphan children deboarding a plane in Philadelphia today where they are being connected with American families who wish to provide them care. May Jesus richly bless those families as they extend their loving reach across cultures within their own homes!

My Rock

2009-12-30T23:43:00.000-08:00

I'm enjoying a much needed week of vacation. It's really a "staycation," since we are staying at home this week. My time has mostly been spent playing Wii, running a few casual errands, and working on Noah's new bed in the garage. It's such a grace to have a few days to put my hands to work on a project like this. Tomorrow will bring the big moment: assembly and unveiling for Noah's 6th birthday.

This afternoon while I was in the garage Hannah and Noah were on the street riding bikes and scooters with our neighbors. At one point Noah came to me and said, "Dad, check out this cool rock I found in Alex's front yard." I glanced at it and told him he needed to return it to their yard because I'm sure that Alex's father doesn't want to have to order more rock for his landscape due to little boys running off with his rocks one by one. He smiled and returned it.

As he strutted back across the street his eyes fixed on a rock in our yard. "Look at this one, dad!" I looked across twenty feet of pavement to see the one-inch rock he was holding up in the sunlight. "That's a pretty one, Noah."

"Can I keep this one, Dad?"

"I guess so. But, what are you going to do with it? It's just a rock!"

"I'm going to show it to people, so they can see what God made."

I paused from my painting and began to reflect on his answer. My interest in what I was "making" overshadowed my ability to appreciate what God has made and continues to sustain. I'm so thankful to have a son whose constant appreciation of God's goodness provides a daily refocusing for us as we hear his musings.

Jesus said that if the crowds hadn't praised him that the rocks would have cried out. Today I think I heard both child and rock declare God's praise. Thanks, Noah.

Tiger

2009-12-18T09:54:00.001-08:00

It's been tough to read the headlines about Tiger over the past few weeks. As each day brought news of another woman with whom he's supposedly had relations that leap over the boundaries of his marriage vows, one can't help but wonder how he's handling it all. I read today, one day after Elin was reported to have left the house with her children and belongings, that he's spending the day watching cartoons and hitting golf balls at night.

I can't help but think about the 32nd Psalm. David new his sin, but until he was willing to be out and open about it he was crushed under its weight. I am praying that Tiger would know the freedom of forgiveness through the gospel.

I've also been reflecting on how obvious it is that one cannot separate themselves as a professional from who they are as a person. I don't have much to say about this as more reflection is needed.

Psalm 36

2009-12-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

I've spent time this morning meditating on this great Psalm. The take away for me today: use this Psalm to cultivate humility that leads to wisdom and righteousness!

In the first four verses David speaks about the trajectory of the heart in the wicked. This man's underlying belief is that God will not find him out, that he will not have to give account for his sin. What pride! What foolishness!

The next section of the Psalm (vv. 5-9) is a recounting of God's glorious character and the reality that mankind can only find satisfaction and safety in God! This is antithetical to the one who is trying to find satisfaction in his iniquities and safety in his presumption that God doesn't see or know of his deeds.

Finally, in verses 10-12 the Psalmist prays for God to keep him from arrogance saying, "Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away." What he's saying is, Lord don't let humility and dependence upon you escape from me. He knows that his favor with God is of grace (vv. 5, 9) and he knows how easily each of our hearts can be fooled in a moment outside of God's saving activity (v. 6).

I needed to read this today. It is all too easy to look upon the example of the wicked and say, "I'm glad I'm not that man!" How arrogant! The reality of my daily situation is that any time I make a conscious decision to sin, or to allow myself near the ledge of transgression, I "have no fear of God before my eyes," (v. 1) and I'm acting outside of the wisdom of God! I tremble to confess that and pray myself that today Jesus would not let the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. For with Him is the fountain of life, in his light do we see light (v.8)!

New Worship Site Update

2009-12-09T10:15:00.001-08:00

We've asked the leadership of an established church downtown to consider granting us permission to use part of their facilities on Wednesday nights for worship. They will be meeting December 15 to consider our request. If out request is approved we hope to begin our second site of worship by the third week in January. The interest in this new service among a few of our networks is growing and we are planning for around 40-60 people to be part of this from the start. We are praying regularly for Jesus to open this door if it's what he wants us to be about as the next step towards establishing many more local congregations around this city. His will be done! I'll have another update about this development late next week.

How Business Looks when Jesus is Boss

2009-11-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

This Sunday I'll be opening up the Bible to Ephesians 6:5-9 to finish our series through the book. (A guest speaker took up 6:10-24 last weekend for us). I've been very refreshed by the view of work that the passage gives us. Ever heard the phrase, "I'm tired of working for the man!"? Paul says that we don't have to work for "the man" anymore. We're freed up to work for "the God-man," the Lord Jesus, the only one to whom we owe ultimate service.

Here's the question I'm asking today as I meditate on this passage: What would a company look like wherein each employee was working for the glory of Christ and where the manager/boss knew that he wasn't boss, but that Jesus is? If that question seems to idealized, then what about this one: What would a career path look like for an employee who is only interested in pleasing Jesus with his work?

Aliante Blue Star Launch Gathering

2009-11-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Aliante Blue Star is the name of our first missional community at CWR. Last night we had our kick-off meeting. I couldn't have hoped for a better evening. Paul Fletcher, our MC leader, did a great job of welcoming people and facilitating an interview with the spouses of deployed military personnel.

The kinds of things that these spouses shared were very insightful, giving great evidence of the real need that exists to minister to these families. Their need is a generally unnoticed one. Whenever we talk about orphans, sex-for-sale workers, or the homeless the need is obvious, but this group of our city's citizens has some very real needs too and I'm looking forward to seeing what opportunities come to serve.

Side note: Some may wonder what the name, "Aliante Blue Star," is all about. Whenever a family member deploys, his family is able to hang a banner, if they wish, that indicates such. The banner includes a large blue star. Since the initial mission of this group of people is to bring the love of Jesus to families suffering difficulty due to deployments, the name makes perfect sense. Don't feel bad if you didn't already know that. I just learned it three days ago myself.

Our next event as an MC will be a family BBQ on December 03 when Paul and the rest of the leadership team will be announcing our service opportunity for December. Can't wait to see how the Lord leads us in this endeavor.

Help is on the Way

2009-11-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

Just wrapped up a great three days with Keith Robinson. For three years I lived next door to Keith while studying at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis. He actually lived across the hallway of our on-campus apartment. Over the past two years we've kept in touch on a mostly irregular basis. Last June I asked Keith to consider the crazy idea of coming out to Vegas to live, work, and help us establish another worship site in the city. He visited in July. We began to pray. This week he came again to see exactly what kinds of opportunity for work would be realistic. He was offered two jobs. Keith is moving to Vegas in January.

This represents a huge milestone for us as we have prayed with increased intensity for Jesus to send more workers to the harvest field. Keith brings a different set of gifts to the mix, and a different perspective based on his own ministry experience. So glad he's coming. Can't wait until he's here.

Wrestling With our Idols

2009-10-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

I recently read Tim Keller's new book, Counterfeit Gods. It's a great work that simply peals back the idolatries that most Westerners share. The subtitle of the book is: The empty promises of money, sex, and power, and the Only Hope that matters. Here's an excerpt from Keller's book:

"We should not think that one culture is less idolatrous than the next.
Traditional societies tend to make the family unit and the clan into an
absolute, ultimate thing. This can lead to honor killings, the treatment of
women as chattel, and violence toward gay people. Western, secular cultures make
an idol out of individual freedom, and this leads to the breakdown of the
family, rampant materialism, careerism, and the idolization of romantic love,
physical beauty, and profit.”

My reading has brought about deep challenges in terms of how influenced I remain by the idols of my own culture, and how counter-cultural I'll become as fullness or worship to Jesus becomes the norm of my own heart.

In a recent article by a friend of mine, Jon Tyson, says the following about how our own idols have made limp our efforts to stand out as light in the world:

"In the midst of this cultural fragmentation [this is evident all around us],
the church has tried to address the problem by calling people to a vision of
true community. But no matter how hard we try, the cultural forces are often too
powerful and persuasive to counteract. We are barely different from our culture
-- busy, driven, individualistic, and disconnected -- and so, we too have lost
our social capital. Our lives lack that mystical missing ingredient. We have become cultural consumers who no longer have the networks, norms, or values for anything other than our own peace and affluence. It shouldn't be this way. As people who are called to be a new and different kind of community -- a city on a hill -- we should offer something toward the common good and the renewal of our world. But because our schedules, practices, values, and networks are often identical to those who are not believers, we lack the ability to offer them anything different than the
fragmenting forces they are already encountering in society. We have somehow
forgotten that we are called to something bigger than our own fulfillment and
dreams."

It's humbling to realize that the reason most of us aren't shining as lights in our communities is that we've still got traces of false worship in us. The lifestyle changes that would be reflected in different worship aren't visible because my worship is still polluted. We are still worshiping at the temples of our culture in the pursuit of "our own fulfillment and dreams."

Jesus called us to be a city on a hill. That won't happen because of any ingenious plan we can concoct to make impact in our neighborhoods. It will only happen when Jesus is the sole aim of all my affections, hopes, wants, and faith.

New York City

2009-10-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

I'm in NYC with Angie this week to spend five days with other church planters from around the country. I've been looking forward to the time for over a month, now, and can't wait to see how Jesus stirs in my heart as a result of the conversations with them.

Today Angie and I were able to just have some fun in the city. We started the day with a few hour tour of the Metropolitan Museum and followed that up with a stroll through Central Park. We had hot dogs for breakfast and for lunch. Seeing all the hot dog stands in the city made me wonder how many hot dogs are consumed in NYC on a daily basis. It's got to be a big number.

This evening we worked our way through the subway system down to Times Square. Quite a place! Reminded me of the Vegas Strip in some ways. After dinner we were walking back to the subway station when a kind woman walked up to me and asked if I'd like two tickets to Billy Elliot. "Sure. How much do you want for them?" I asked as I noticed $114.00 printed on the top ticket. "They're free for you to use if you are able to go into the show. It starts in five minutes. We had four people from our group fail to show up and we don't want them to go to waste."

So in we went to our first Broadway show, jeans, tennis shoes, and all. The performance was tremendous. That was quite a surprise.

The Lord showed us again that his provision is always at hand, even when it comes to unneeded Broadway tickets. We were very thankful for the reminder.

Newcomer Cafe

2009-09-30T22:18:00.001-07:00

Tonight we hosted another Newcomer Cafe for City-Wide Redeemer. We were the privileged hosts of several great folks who shared dinner with us and heard a brief introduction to the history, vision and values of CWR, in addition to a few possible next steps as they seek to become further engaged in this community of Jesus followers, and in our mission to Las Vegas. From them we got to hear about their interests outside of work over dinner. That was cool. I now can say I know a painter, flautist, outdoorswoman, pilot, barefoot water skier, photographer, runner and boat restorer. What a fun group.

As an appetizer, Angie served this new black bean soup that she made for the first time today. It is a keeper. It was phenomenal. Can I say, "phenomenal" about black bean soup? I must. That's no exaggeration in this case. Thanks, Angie.

God is Good

2009-09-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

The earliest memories of prayer I have were the pre-meal repetitions of "God is great. God is good, and we thank him for this food. Amen." Of course, "food" was pronounced so as to make it rhyme with "good"!

Yesterday morning I was reading Psalm 18:1 to my children. Long after they were off to school and I was into my own day I found mind wandering back to that verse: "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good." Each time I unexpectedly stumbled over those words as my thoughts raced around my head (almost the way one might trip over the vacuum cord when it gets left out in the hallway) I realized at a deeper level that my desire to give thanks is almost always tied to how well I think God's will for my life matches up with my desires. My heart's version of the verse goes like this: "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for my truck has been running three weeks straight without needing to be repaired," or "...for my bank account has enough in it to pay the bills." You get the point.

Are these good reasons to give thanks? Yes, to be sure, but without them I'm still being called by the song writer to consider the pure character of God that is reason in and off itself to give thanks. The very fact of my existence as a creature makes my Creator worthy of thanksgiving. He is the first cause of all things. Everything I experience from Him is all of grace. The creation itself has its roots of existence in grace--undeserved kindness from God. All this is to say that I'm refocusing my thanksgiving motivation on the Lord tonight. Just looking at Him. I'm not looking around, but up, you might say, and am finding every reason to give thanks as I encounter the character of my redeeming King.

Thank you, Lord.

The Funk!

2009-09-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

I've had a bit of a funk two Mondays in a row now. Not sure what that's all about. I'm fighting back with some extra time in God's word this morning. It's so helpful to be reminded of the innumerable ways that God is for us. I just don't think I can hear that enough.

Sunday morning at City-Wide Redeemer was a great encouragement to me. We have seen several guests over the past few weeks again. Looking forward to getting to know some of these new families.

Our Sunday morning set-up crew has been such a blessing to us. Not sure if most people realize what goes in to making the sound and video projection work like it does, but their work is so appreciated!

Looks like next week will mark the first meeting of our missional community here on the north side. Really looking forward to seeing how Jesus leads the group into new areas of service in our city. We have so many gifted people who share a great desire to be used by the Lord. He will use them, I'm sure of it.

We will also be starting two new missional communities (MC's) over the next couple of months closer to the city center. I am still praying much about these possibilities and beginning to meet with potential leaders for the communities. The possibilities there are also very exciting. If God is in this, those two MC's will likely begin meeting mid-week for regular worship as well. We may be on the verge of seeing seeds of our first church plant already! We're trying to go slow.

Philip Jr. was sick to the point of needing urgent care last night. They got him all fixed up, though, and today he appears to be on the road to recovery. He was disappointed that his illness would mean missed days at school. "I really wanted perfect attendance this year!" I couldn't believe my ears. What a difference being in a school where he's learning things that excited him makes. Very thankful.

I tried removing a ceramic tile in my kitchen in order to make preparations for a small modification I'm making to the cabinet arrangements. What a chore! Those tiles just don't want to come up. I was in there with a three lb hammer and cold chisel and only removing one or two square inches at a time while shards flew everywhere. I gave up. Maybe I'll get after it some more tomorrow.

The Double Yellow Line

2009-09-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Last night I returned home with Angie after spending six days (five nights) away in celebration of 15 years of marriage. Much could be said about my gratitude for her as my wife and best friend! We had a great time reconnecting and relaxing. I think my favorite moment was leading her by the hand deeper into the ocean than she had ever dared tread. We body surfed together. The moment struck me. We had the excitement of two kids on their fist date, but the mutual trust of a couple that's been married for 50 years. That was a special time.

As we drove from Huntington Beach to Santa Barbara where I preached Sunday morning we ran into a snag. As I pulled onto the 405 from the East 32nd Street on-ramp I gently eased over toward the HOV lane through heavy traffic. Even though it was heavy we still had to go 70 to keep from being run over! When I was in the number 2 lane I looked into my mirror to see that the vehicle behind was racing toward my bumper. As a courtesy I moved over the the number 1 lane. It was tight. I then noticed that the HOV lane was clear and I opted to move over immediately to get out of every one's way. As soon as I was in the lane flashing lights greeted by rear view. It took two miles to get over and off. I had crossed the double yellow line into the HOV lane. In CA they have special spots where you are allowed to enter that lane. In my concentrated effort to avoid traffic I hadn't noticed. Now I'll have a $434 reminder to notice next time.

While the officer was examining my documents and license I thought, "He's been gone a long time. That can't be good." It wasn't. He returned with my ticket, told me to sign, and told me how I could get back on the freeway.

I was so stunned that I wasn't even able to plead my case. It wasn't intentional. It was an effort to avoid causing an accident, not to avoid heavy traffic that I didn't want to sit in. When I went on to the CA website to check out the damage (the ticket included no numbers/fees) I was all the more disappointed to learn that this particular infraction can't be dismissed by the court. The legislature wrote it that way. So much for a trial by jury! Mitigating circumstances??? They don't matter.

This morning as I reflected on the incident I realized something further. I was stunned to get the ticket because as I sat in the truck with Angie and waited I was expecting grace. Yes, that's right! I was EXPECTING grace as though I deserved it or something. What a misunderstanding of grace. Now I'm wrestling with the deeper question of where I abuse grace from Jesus. Perhaps that's why God appointed Officer S. Clyburn to be there to write that ticket?

I've put a call out to his office in hopes that he hasn't yet filed the ticket with the Long Beach Court and that I might have the opportunity to ASK for grace.

These kinds of lessons are difficult, but I'm reminded of Eugene Peterson's summary of Hebrews 12:11: "At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God."

Why the Misconception?

2009-08-31T17:34:00.000-07:00

This morning I jumped on the scale for my Monday morning reveal. The digital readout displayed 202.8. I've hit another plateau, but I'm still enjoying the 20.2 lbs that are no longer part of my daily payload!

I hiked Mummy Springs trail on Mt. Charleston last Saturday. The views from atop the ridge line of the Vegas valley below were amazing. At one point on the trail my hiking partner and I viewed the oldest known creature on planet earth--a 4,000 year-old bristle cone pine. That's pretty cool to say the least.

I was hiking with a friend who was born in the states, but who has roots in Iran. When I was asking him about the religious climate in Iran he told me that roughly half the population there practices Islam. He then went on to say that it's much like what we see here in the states: some Christians practice; others call themselves Christian by name only.

"What does it mean to be a true Christian?" I asked.

"Oh, people who are practicing Christians go to church on Sundays and pray before meals."

After listening for a few moments I said, "Yes, that is a common misconception about what it means to be a Christian who's practicing faith."

His reply: "You're saying that I have a misconception?"

"Not exactly. Your perception is right on target. The misconception comes for those who go to church and pray before meals and think that's the basis for calling themselves Christians."

The whole conversation got me reflecting again on this thought: why is it that when people outside the Kingdom encounter Jesus' people, often the only thing that makes them different is their Sunday morning schedule and 20 seconds before eating? Is it that they're not getting close enough? Does the way we live not reflect anything of comparison to the rest of the world?

Here, here, to a discipleship that is so life changing/encompassing that when people encounter us they know that something is radically different about us because of God's work in us!

Redemption Continues

2009-08-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

It's already Friday and I've been meaning to post about Sunday. Last weekend we enjoyed a visit from Rick Schaeffer, a church planter in Long Beach, who preached from Joshua 23--a great word! He's a trusted friend who's walking down the same path and season of church planting as me, so his visit was a double encouragement to me as we celebrated God's work in spite of similar mistakes on our part along the way.

We also celebrated to witness eight baptisms last Sunday! These baptisms were so significant because they were the first people who've come to faith at City-Wide Redeemer because somebody else (besides Eric or myself) was sharing the gospel with them.

Then, on Tuesday our celebration of God's grace increased with news of another gal, Tiffany, putting her faith in Jesus. Eric's been meeting with her for about five weeks. It is such an honor to stand by and watch souls being rescued from despair and emptiness as they come into the freedom and joy of union with Christ.

God is doing something in Las Vegas. City-Wide Redeemer is not the only place where He's moving. Every week I'm hearing stories of His redemption from around the city. On an entirely increased level I'm believing with new faith that we may get to see large-scale redemption come to this city in our lifetimes! To God be the glory.

We're going to begin forming missional communities in our city to further engage our culture and it's citizens. Much prayer is happening as we prepare to take steps that we believe will be pivotal in making ourselves all the more available and equipped for His service in Vegas. More details will be published soon as God's leading becomes clearer.

203 lbs and Losing

2009-08-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

I have finally hit the 20 lbs lost mark. All thanks to the Lord for making my body feel so much better!

This is an exciting week for me on three levels. First, I've got a friend coming in from Long Beach, CA who has been planting a church there for around two years. We'll have the chance to compare notes about how the Lord is working in our respective mission fields and also to encourage each other in continued faithfulness. I'm really looking forward to that.

Secondly, Rick will be preaching while he's here. I can't wait to be encouraged by God's word as he opens it.

On a third level, this has afforded me the chance to do some different study this week. I'm thinking through many things related to getting a second worship site (eventual church plant) off the ground here in Vegas. God has introduced us to about three or four existing communities of people in whom He may be please to set the gospel loose to change many hearts. These communities would be the core of new church plants. I'll share more details in coming weeks as things get clearer.

I read a great article this week in Leadership magazine about decentralized leadership and idea forming withing different communities. The cases that were studied only solidified convictions to which I've been coming on my own about the kind of leadership that is needed with this generation of young adults. By God's grace I'll be up to the task of providing it. The missional communities that we're forming at CWR this fall will be the testing grounds for some of these principles. I'm thankful that Holy Spirit is actively working in spite of our ideas and convictions where they may be wrong.

It's Monday Again

2009-08-03T21:36:00.001-07:00

I love Monday because (my favorite day next to Sunday) because of all that the week ahead offers. Today I'm still sick, though, so I'm not feeling quite as vigorous as usual.

The scale said "205" this morning. That's up a pound from last week, but still down 17 from the beginning weight. I'm betting I'll be at 203 by next Monday, though. I'm hoping so.

Gospel conversations are breaking out all over the place again. We're seeing cool things happen at the basketball court, with some bands in town, and in the neighborhood. In fact, Eric told me that last week a well-known local band asked him to be their chaplain. Pretty cool.

Some pretty significant things are beginning to fall into place for our next church plant here in town, but many more things still need to happen. I'll be writing more about that soon. In the mean time pray about it if you think about it.

I'm in need of more bed rest, but just wanted to at least post quickly to let everybody know that we're alive.

By the way, house repairs have begun after last week's fire. We got a window replaced and the stucco is half-way repaired. The construction guys have done an amazing job with the stucco repair. I'm very thankful for what they're doing. I'll post some "after" pictures when the repairs are done. That reminds me...tomorrow I get to buy a replacement grill. (Insert manly growls).

Sonita

2009-07-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

This is Sonita. She is an orphan at Cambri in Les Cayes, Haiti. She stole my heart. I hope to see her again someday soon.

Fire Sale--Not Really

2009-07-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

Just as I was about to log into my blog last evening and begin catching up on our trip to Haiti and the lessons learned my bride reminded me that we needed to cook the chicked for dinner because it was already 6:30. I lit the grill and the whole thing flashed with fire and immediately the propane tank nozzle became a jet engine. The hose didn't even make the flames flinch.

All that was left to do was grab my wife, the kids, the dog, and head out front. We alerted our adjacent neighbors to the fact that an explosion was pending. The fire department arrived very quickly and soon the flames were out with nobody sustaining injury.

The Psalmist said, "The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: 'The right hand of the Lord does valiantly'" Our house was filled with songs of thanksgiving this morning during our time together as a family this morning. As we huddled in a driveway down the street and listened anxiously to the roaring flames we prayed that our God who calmed the sees would reduce the flame. He did just that. Within seconds the sound dissapated and the bottle was empty. My kids are learning--we all are learning--more about what it means to trust our powerful and present Lord.

The NLVFD Fire Investigators came out and confirmed that there was a failure with the valve on the propane bottle. I'm still waiting on my home owners insurance adjuster to call and come take a look. It's a bit wierd having plywood over the kitchen window. Hopefully we'll be able to have that window replaced soon.

Another point of thanksgiving was how well our youngest children did with going to sleep last night. God gave them peaceful rest throughout the night.

Saturday's Summary

2009-07-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

It's been 15 hours since the day began, and it feels like it's been two days.

When our hotel phone rang with the courtesy wake up call my eyes could barely register the "5:03" on the clock. Time to roll. Within forty minutes 33 of us were piled into a shuttle, with a trailer behind carrying 66 bags (50 lbs each) of supplies. Things with American Airlines from Ft. Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince went smoothly. That's when the fun began.

At Port we were inundated with men wearing red caps who were anxious to help us with our bags. I'm not sure any of them even knew where we were trying to go; they just wanted to help in hopes of making a few bucks. Thousands of other faces stared in through the chain link fence with hopes. I'm not sure what their hopes were. It would be eye-opening to speak with any of them, I'm sure.

After several minutes of organized confusion our contact from Les Cayes arrived and huddled us into two busses, with a third for our bags. We drove three miles to a seperate terminal and eventually boarded our 15 passenger prop plane. That ride was wild, but we did make it.

After a few hours to drop our stuff we were on our way to the orphanage in Cambry. I still don't have words to describe what we saw there. It was quite a moment. Check my Facebook page for pic's.

We're being called for dinner, so this is all for today.

Mission to Haiti (Day 1)

2009-07-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

We have safely made it to Ft. Lauderdale and are just about to creep into the sheets for about 5.5 hours of sleep before an early start tomorrow.

Today we really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know more about each other (that is the four of us from CWR). We grabbed a ride to Hollywood Beach and took in the waves for a few hours before enjoying dinner together at a place called the Moonlight Café. They had something called a stuffed cinnamon roll that was amazing (sorry, Weight Watchers). After dinner we met up with the other team members from Indiana, Washington D.C., Illinois, and South Dakota. Ted Powers, the lead for this entire team, took a few minutes to pray for the group and then to encourage us with something we all know, but needed to hear again.

His question: “Why are you going on this trip?” It was a great question, but rather than telling you what he said, I’m going to ask you the same question: “Why are you doing what you do as you play your role in God’s mission?” We can interact more on that Friday evening, July 24th during our “Storytelling from Haiti” evening that I hope many of you will make plans to join.

Tonight I know that each one of us is feeling our need for prayer. We want to be used by God. We want to show his love. We don’t know what to expect. We feel our weakness.

I was encouraged just now by reading Isaiah 58:6-11. There the prophet says that as we make ourselves available to the weak, God will cause us to be never-ending fountains of blessing. We don’t have to muster up the strength or the resources, we need only make ourselves available. On the heals of two very busy weeks and in the midst of feeling very much out of energy I needed to read that.

It's Tuesday

2009-07-07T14:28:00.001-07:00

I know that I forgot to make my weekly weight announcement yesterday. It wasn't as encouraging, but progress was still had. This week's weight was 208.4, down from 208.8! The scale read 207 this morning, so maybe that's a good sign of things to come.

For reasons other than my waistline, I'm absolutely full of joy today. I have had many days in my life when I was so overwhelmed with despair, fear, and/or anxiety that I could barely function. Today I can barely function because of the amount of joy that is welling up and over within me. I can't give definition to what I'm feeling except to say that I feel as though I'm going to burst apart at any moment because of an inability to keep the joy that is within contained.

God is pouring out his blessing in measures almost too difficult to hold. Here are a few snippets:

We have received financial support for the month of July!
We are experiencing a flood of people who are asking for support and friendship as they seek further understanding about God and his word. With each soul this is such an honor.
Each one of our team members heading to Haiti this Thursday has experienced an outpouring of love and support from CWR that surpassed any expectation. 3 John vv. 5-7 speaks about the kind of support that should be given to God's ambassadors whenever we send them out. CWR has done that and much more to the glory of Christ's name.
Our family is benefiting from many rich friendships.
Our family is experiencing a season of unity and increased love for one another. It's been especially encouraging to see how Philip Jr. is loving his younger brother and sister by spending some great time with them. Because of his attention for them they are overflowing with joy.
I was once lost and now I'm found. I am loved by God apart from my performance!

I expect to be able to post short sound bites about our time in Haiti on my facebook page, assuming that the international phone connection I've signed up for works as it should. My facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/philip.glassmeyer .

I'll be preaching Sunday evening in Les Cayes, Haiti. I'm more than a bit nervous about that, but trust that God will somehow make it useful to His people there.

Catching Up

2009-06-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here are a few quick sound bites from the past two weeks:

I spent June 16-18 in Orlando being part of a national conference of pastors with the PCA. I went there hoping to connect with some new financial supporters for our work of church planting in Las Vegas. God had others plans. I'm not sure if I made any connections that will grow into partnership with our work, but I my soul was deeply nourished through the preaching at the evening services of worship and in a couple of the breakout sessions. I also treasured the opportunity to catch up with some dear friends I've not seen in a year or more.
After the conference I headed down to Ft. Myers with Eric Phillips. We drove through several rain storms. That was nice. While in Ft. Myers we met with an older pastor who told us that he has only a few days remaining before his body concedes to the cancer he's been fighting for a few years. It was a rare opportunity to receive a life's worth of wisdom that's been refined and focused by these few years of suffering. This man is dying well because his faith is strong and his love for family is evident. I was honored to be a guest in his home that day.
Before we flew home Eric drug me out onto a 20' to go shark fishing with some of his buddies from the area. I ended up dragging in a 4' black tip shark. Amazing! I'm still waiting on the picture to be emailed.
Weight loss continues to be a steady fight. I weighed in Monday morning at 208, 14 lbs lighter than I was six weeks ago when this journey began. Angie and I are almost a combined 30 lbs lighter. Most importantly, the lifestyle changes regarding food are becoming second nature and our energy levels are starting to rise. I hope this translates into more stamina for service to our neighbors.
I continue to play basketball on Monday evenings with a group of guys from CWR, some employees from the Venetian Hotel and Casino, and a regular group of men from the surrounding neighborhoods. I'm pretty excited about where some of these relationships are going.
People at CWR are doing an amazing job of loving each other. I could tell stories for hours about the ways that folks simply recognize needs and work together to find solutions, trusting God for the necessary resources instead of being paralyzed by thinking that everything depends on their efforts alone.
Our missions trip to Haiti is only 10 days away. I'm really beginning to feel pumped about this time to serve, learn, and to do it all with my oldest son. Our church family is growing in their vision to be used of Jesus for kingdom expansion and witness. Again, amazing!
We are in the middle of a three-week project to sort through all of our five-year old's Legos. Slow going, but we are getting there.
I'm looking forward to the series on Ruth that begins in two weeks.
We praying for Jesus to send more workers into his fields in Las Vegas. We are especially hoping for some men and women who will more actively pursue the middle and high school kids in our community. They are very hungry for relationship, the gospel, and discipleship. Pray with us about these opportunities.
I'm in the middle of a book called, "Family Driven Faith." So far it gets a "Highly Recommend" rating from me.
We've had two cars break down in as many days. The immediate temptation is to go and buy a new car. I'm fighting through it and hope to have both cars repaired by week's end. I'm still not sure what the $ damage will be for the van.

Life goes on. The mission continues to move forward. We are growing in faith. To God be the glory!

Another Monday

2009-06-15T14:24:00.001-07:00

Ok, first, I have good news to report on the weight loss front. Today's weight was 211, another two pounds less for my knees to endure with every step. God has been so gracious to allow for this to continue going well. Angie hit her first goal weight today, having dropped five percent of her total body weight in just 28 days. Way to go Angie!

The most encouraging thing has been the increased self-control that God has given us with respect to food. We are actually beginning to want what's healthy for our bodies. Don't get me wrong, the Snickers bar on Saturday while I was out with Philip tasted delicious!

I just read in the paper that police have arrested a 30 year-old woman for broadcasting live sexual assault on her children over the Internet. She has four kids, ranging from 18 months to four years, the article said. My heart aches. When will this evil stop? I have hope, though, for both this mother and her children. These are just the kind of souls for whom Jesus came--to seek and save the lost. Thank God for a Savior!

Just read Psalm 29 again. It's wonderful to consider the incredible power that God holds at his disposal. For 10.5 verses we read of His unending strength. Then we read why. It's all for the sake of bringing peace to his people. Amazing. Simply amazing.

Another Monday

2009-06-08T21:20:00.001-07:00

Today was great! I was humbled to get on the scale this morning and discover a reading of 213.6! That's another 2.2 lbs for the week. I can't believe it.

I had to repent yesterday, though, with respect to my goals for weight loss. Motivation is fine. Goal is great. Level of time committed is also good. Trusting in my own efforts--bad. I don't know why, but when it comes to something like this my first thought isn't Jesus' words when he said to His men, "Apart from me you can do nothing." So I've added a prayerful dependence in my efforts to remain true to the menu plan and exercise schedule. Even something as basic as weight loss reveals the remaining streak of self-dependence my heart lunges for when left unchecked.

I played basketball tonight. Played three games. Won three games. Playing with the four guys on my team a golden retriever could have won three times. They are all very good. Fun to watch.

The gospel continues to run here in Vegas. I have heard from three or four friends who were engaged by others this past week to learn more about this "Jesus stuff." Hopefully they will experience the freedom of the gospel soon.

Angie is thrilled to be finished with her home school year for our oldest. They both did such a great job. He'll be in high school this fall. Angie doesn't know what to do with herself. I'm sure that the camera will get more use now that she's got the time.

The Desired Effect?

2009-06-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

So, as part of my new diet and lifestyle I decided to finally give a colon cleansing routine a try. I'm taking the simple route with some all-natural capsules to be taken once each day until the bottle is gone. The notice on the side of the bottle nearly killed me due to laughter as I read. Here's what it says:

"Take two capsules daily with a large glass of water. If you don't get the
desired effect, add a capsule a day until you achieve the desired effect. Do
not exceed 5 capsules a day."

What exactly is the desired effect? I'm thinking, as a colon cleansing novice, that if I'm not getting the "desired effect" that the last thing I'm going to want to do is add to the number of capsules I'm taking.

Teenage Girls

2009-06-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

I spent an hour on Tuesday evening with some of the girls who gather at Laura Stremmel's house for study each week.

One thing to say: What an amazing group! As I was speaking to them about what the Bible teaches us concerning baptism their ability to interact and follow showed a rapidly growing grasp of the gospel on their part. Laura and Kellie Raih are doing an amazing job loving and instructing these girls!

The other thing that really struck me was how many of their friends they regularly pray for, not to mention the number of friends with whom they are sharing their faith and inviting to be part of this study. Their boldness and confidence in the face of relativists, atheist, evolutionists and otherwise apathetic friends shows how beautiful the gospel is for each of these young women. They love Jesus and want others to follow him as well. I'm sure that this group will be used by God to change the lives of many people to come.

Weekly Weight Numbers (6/1)

2009-06-01T15:06:00.001-07:00

Monday's my weigh-in day. The moment I stepped on the scale this morning was filled with much anticipation. I wasn't able to work out of the past few days as much as I had hoped, but things are still moving forward. Here's the update:

5/18: 222.0 lbs
5/25: 219.0 lbs
6/1: 215.8 lbs

I couldn't believe that I've lost 6.2 lbs thus far. That's equivalent to 21,700 calories! I'll check back in a week and let you know if the progress continues. This is not easy. I wish it were!

Where have I been?

2009-05-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe that my last post was ten days ago. I'm fine. I haven't died. In fact, I've been getting healthier. I started a journey to health with Weight Watchers. Yes, that's what I said.

I like the program because it's all about math. No special meals, just simple math. I can do math, so I understand how to have reasonable expectations.

3500 calories burned equals one pound of weight loss.
Eating 1000 calories less than you burn each day equals two pounds weight loss per week.
Losing two lbs/week from now until mid August equals a healthier me.

It's not been easy. I'm now 9 days in, and have to admit that part of the reason I haven't posted is because I'm keeping myself busy with other activities besides sitting in front of this computer. I'm in rhythm now, though, and will be able to keep you all up to date.

Here's what the numbers look like so far.

Beginning weight on May 18: 222 (Yikes! That's a lot for my knees to handle!)
Weekly weigh-in last Monday: 219 (It's all down hill from here!)
Took a sneak peak this evening: 217 (Wow!)

I'll keep posting every Monday as part of my own accountability. I hope to write more tomorrow about how this experience has opened my up to a whole new area in my life desperately in need of Jesus to overhaul in His grace.

I'm thinking about my hunger pangs now so that's my cue to go to sleep.

Santa Barbara

2009-05-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

I know some of you are wondering if I'm ever home in Vegas anymore. I'm starting to wonder the same thing! This weekend was spent in Santa Barbara, CA. It was only 73 degrees yesterday! The shock of hitting 112 degree weather in Barstow on our way home was not an easy one to absorb.

The official reason for the trip: preach and worship with a congregation in SB. The time with those people this morning was great. God showed up among his people with great encouragement.

I missed being here with our dear friends at CWR.

This trip was one in which I could bring the kids and Angie. So glad I did! Yesterday we bought tickets onto a 64' boat that gave about 40 people a 3 1/2 hour ride around the Channel Islands. We saw flying fish, sea lions, two humpback whales, and 1000 common dolphins. You could see the dolphins roaring through the water under the boat as they coordinated their efforts for lunch. Absolutely breathtaking!

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I hope to repeat at least once more.

Lot's to do this week. Better get the rest of this needed Sabbath rest!

Fatherly Apostleship (1 Cor 4)

2009-05-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the way Paul lays things out for his beloved children in the faith. His humility is established in the opening verses of the chapter: "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God."

Good stewards are good example setters, to the extent that Paul says, "Be imitators of me." What would we imitate? We would imitate a man who has been faithful in his stewardship of the gospel and love for those who need to hear it. Paul was not a man looking for the easy life. The Kingdom is too important for that. Rather, he was, "like a man sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake...To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands."

That's the kind of gospel worker I long to be. Would that the gospel becomes so important to everyone of us in the City-Wide Redeemer community that all else is loss compared to the glorious riches we have to enjoy and share in the gospel!

Last Week's Boca Trip

2009-05-11T10:03:00.001-07:00

Many of you prayed for me during my time in Boca Raton. Thank you. The week at Spanish River Church was an incredible encouragement to my soul as I continue to try and play my unique part in God's huge world mission. I was able to chat with a few guys planting churches in the Manhattan area. Very cool stuff. I also spent time with a church planter in Haiti who has now seen God multiply his efforts over the past 11 years into 42 church plants, 2 seminaries, and orphan care for 2300 children. He's one of my heroes of the faith for sure!

The time Sunday afternoon at the beach was much needed. There is something incredibly therapeutic about being in the surf as one wave after another grooved by and smashed into the retreating water from the beach. So glad I remembered my sun screen too. That could have been bad.

On the way over to the beach I encountered a first, at least as far as I can remember. It was a ramp in the road that lifted up in order to allow drivers to skip over the downtown area just before arriving on Deerfield Beach. You can see the picture below. I think I made it about 3,400 ft before landing squarely into my parking spot on the top level of the parking garage. Invigorating! Time for new shocks.

OK, so that's not what happened. It's just a draw bridge that allows the rich and famous access to and from their inland docks. Cool nonetheless.

Sad News in Vegas

2009-05-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Death is always horrible, but sometimes its ugly and sinister nature is tempered a bit when life is lived out to years beyond 70. This morning as I drove into downtown you could sense, even from the expressway, that the entire town was stunned. Acclaimed entertainer, Danny Gans, dead at age 52. News reports came across the radio waves as local dj's struggled to keep their composure in the midst of reporting the death of their friend. Out of 13 years in Vegas he was voted Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year 11 times. He was a friend to the city. He loved to help the helpless. Graciousness defined his interactions with others. He was known as a follower of Jesus. He was loved by many. Death is always horrible.

Thank God for the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Lord is at Hand (Phil 4)

2009-04-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

It was one of those mornings when I just flipped open my Bible without any intended landing point. I'm still working through my reading of 1 Corinthians, but randomly ended up in Philippians 4. The words jumped off the page: "The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything..."

I don't know what you might be working through right now, but how do those words affect your ability to face your circumstances with faith?

I jotted these sentences down:

I'm not sure how we are going to get groceries. The Lord is at hand.

My wife seems to be getting weaker in her fight against disease. I feel
weakened by the task of caring for her, the children, and maintaining my work
load at the office. The Lord is at hand.

I'm afraid at night. The Lord is at hand.

I'm facing new temptations this morning. The Lord is at hand.

My boss wants me to do something terrifying--give an oral report to the
board. The Lord is at hand.
I'm facing death. The Lord is at hand.

Somehow these words have enabled a visual sense of his presence and power. Paul doesn't say, "I'm at hand," or, "The President is at hand," or, "Superman is at hand." He says that the one who made me, who conquered death, who loves me--it's Him--He's at hand.

Alabama

2009-04-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of my layover in Phoenix en route from Birmingham to Las Vegas. The last two days have been spent with T.J. Wolters, a great friend who is pastoring at Covenant PCA in Birmingham. He's been one of the greatest advocates of our ministry work in Vegas. From day one he has been one of our most vocal encouragers, writing, texting, and calling frequently to see how we are doing. You can't embark on this kind of work and maintain any kind of endurance without the benefit of outside voices who encourage and continually point back to the faithfulness of Jesus. T.J.'s solid in both categories.

Yesterday over lunch he invited me to share an update on the work God's been doing in Vegas with the missions board there at Covenant. Last evening was spent with other personal friends who wanted to hear more about the work, some of whom have already given critical finances over the past year or so. It was such a privilege to meet them and share some Greek pasta (no idea what it was called, but it was delicious) in their company. The campfire chat that followed was the perfect cap to a great day.

This morning one of those men at last night's dinner met us for breakfast, and then another contact from another one of the guests took time out of his morning to discuss our work and financial needs going forward. He had been encouraged by one of the men at the dinner to meet with me before leaving town. He made time right away. I'm always amazed when someone entrusts me with a relationship by way of an unsolicited referral. Humbling stuff!

Getting away from the work to share a few of the stories allowed me to realize just how much God has done in our presence over the past year. Unbelievable!

Contemplating Discipleship

2009-04-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

I had a great lunch today with a guy I've known here in Vegas for over a year now. He's heard the gospel many times. He's contemplated it even more.

Today he and I were discussing the ramifications of making a whole-hearted commitment to follow Jesus. He knows what Jesus demands of his followers--everything. He said that it's difficult for him to imagine giving up his passion for music. What?

That's not his fault for thinking that way. Somebody told him that.

I'm so glad that came up. He is a great musician, with a passion for writing really good stuff. I shared with him the reality that Jesus wants musicians to follow Him. He wants musicians who will make great music, with lyrics that speak truth and grace. Jesus didn't take the fishermen out of Peter, James, and John. Instead he oriented three fishermen toward people, for the purposes of God.

The example of Eric Liddell's life was a helpful one for him. It was cool for him to know that God used a man so mightily who liked to run.

I think God's got the ropes around the ship of this man's heart and that it will be coming to dock in the bay of God's glory and grace soon. No more tiresome bobbing on the sea of dissatisfaction with all of this world's idols.

I can't wait to see how God employs him in His kingdom.

Can't Have Two Masters (Luke 16)

2009-04-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

The first 13 verses of this chapter will be the topic of my preaching this Sunday. At first blush this has got to be the most difficult of the parables that Jesus shares in the gospels.

There's a master. He has a chief of staff who has been wasting the master's goods. It's not quite on the level of a Bernie Madoff because there is no indication that he's wasting his master's investments on himself (stealing and laundering the goods), but the results are equally bad.

The master wants an accounting, but instead of going into the records to prove his innocence and diligence, he pulls aside some of the masters larger debtors and cuts their debt by around 500 dinari each. That's a huge adjustment, that will indebt each of the men to this conniving servant once he's kicked out of the master's house.

Then Jesus seems to commend the guy. What???? He says that he acted "wisely." But he still called him a "dishonest manager" in v. 8 too. Well, actually, the master commended the servant he's about to fire, saying that his situational wisdom toward his peers exceeds that of the "sons of light" toward their peers.

Jesus wants his disciples to emulate this kind of wisdom (not unrighteousness). He wants them to make friends for themselves (v. 9). How? Use the worldly wealth at your disposal--that which is fading away or may get in the way of your dependence on God alone--to make friends. Why? So that at the time when their possessions fail to effect any welfare (even on the day of their death) they might be welcomed into heaven.

One of my dear friends, Bill Connors, asks a question of the text at this point. Why? Why will they be welcomed into God's presence? The answer: Using all that is at our disposal for the benefit of others is an act of faithfulness to our master, the Lord Jesus.

We are confronted with the reality that our faithfulness to the master is seen in how we related to our material goods. I'll leave you to ponder that one for a while.

Life Change

2009-04-13T17:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning after worship I was speaking with a young man who has regularly been with us for about two months. I haven't gotten to know his well yet, but look forward to the opportunity to hang out with him soon. Two months ago he started following Jesus. When we were speaking yesterday I asked him about how his life is most different as a Jesus follower. His answer was quick and clear: "I have hope now." It's not hope like the kind of hope that Cubs fans have every year, but it's the certain hope of a guaranteed future that gives a new perspective to all the pain of our past and present.

That says it all!

Easter Worship

2009-04-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

So, I'm just now regaining my equilibrium after a very full day yesterday. When I woke up I was so excited to relive the events of the actual day when God the Son performed a round-house kick on the rock of his grave (creative license...his powerful presence alone could help but clear the way before Him) and forever loosed the bondage of death for his people. Death is forever dead!

Our time of worship was a great encouragement to many. In fact, there were many people there. We don't get a count, but there were probably around 100 souls. I lost count of the number of people who shared some way or another in which God spoke to them, encouraged them, or challenged them in His love during the morning. I didn't preach, but a friend, Simon Peter, did. SP and his bride, Joy, are from Uganda Africa and they were glad to share the morning with us. I was glad too. It's so good to be able to call them friends. SP preached on Luke 15.

Below are a few pics from the service.

After worship we grabbed SP and Joy to join us for some Mexican at a great little place in NLV called Cafe Rio. I highly recommend it. As I write I'm fighting the urge to go get something from there right now.

Later in the day I piled our family (my parents visiting from Phoenix included) into our van and headed a bit north to the Valley of Fire state park We had an awesome time together. Noah kept talking about his "hiking ability." He's got some skill. A little too much for Angie's comfort. But that's why God gave boys dads, so they could be encouraged to try the crazy, insane and downright dangerous! Here are a few pics from the scenery there:

1 Cor 3

2009-04-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."

There's something quite humbling about that statement, and quite freeing too. There's no sense in assigning honor to God's men because of what seems to be happening as a result of their labor--it's all God's doing. Then could one surmise that the workers are nothing, just pawns in God's game of redemption? Not at all! That's not it either. Paul calls God's laborers "fellow workers".

The wise worker builds upon the foundation of Christ, which assumes that growing God's people to maturity doesn't move them away from the foundation to some sort of "higher knowledge", but rather to fuller dependence upon Christ. To do otherwise is short sighted and even destructive.

In the end, the counsel for all is this: become a fool for Christ. Know that God has accomplished and given all in Him alone.

Increasingly I am believing this with my whole being. I'm part of the church planting culture, by virtue of being a church planter. Guys are always looking for the next bit of insight or wisdom that will allow them to grow a church or increase its impact. For the most part their heart is in the right place. They want to see Christ Jesus lifted up. But is there any weapon more powerful than the gospel, which is the "power of God unto salvation?"

1 Cor 2

2009-04-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Two things stand out to me about these few paragraphs. First, the man whose preaching turned the Gentile world upside down is self-described as one who "was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that you faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

If this man, this leader in the church, went down--which he would--the church that was established would not be thrown into chaos, because the knew that their existence was not owed to the master planning, charismatic magnetism of a man, but the Spirit of the living Christ.

Secondly, Paul is saying what Solomon said in the proverbs: The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. If we are to see people gain understanding into the things of God it will not be because of our amazing teaching skills, but it will be because the Spirit of God has changed the heart to be disposed to trust the Lord.

Are clear communication and strong leadership to be despised? No way, in fact Paul would elsewhere say that we should speak with clarity and boldness (Colossians 3), but the power for affecting change, the power for imparting God's truth, is God's power.

As a parent this brings an interesting application very near. How will I capture the heart of my kids for God? In light of these paragraphs in God's word, now what does the place of prayer-led, Spirit-dependant parenting have in my hopes of raising kids to successfully navigate life with an unswerving dependence upon the Lord?

No Longer Alone

2009-04-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

It should be just a few hours now until I'm re-united with my bride and our three wonderful kids. Angie is leaving Phoenix in about an hour to make the half-day drive back home to Vegas. It will be so nice having them home again. But I will have to make certain adjustments...

No more extended quiet moments in my study without the distracting noise of little children arguing over who's turn it is to let the dog out.

No more will I get to personally check out any suspicious noises downstairs in the middle of the night, instead of just sending my brave wife and the dog to investigate. (Hey, this is comedy here, no letters of reprimand, please.)

No more walks with the dog following him around with a little plastic bag to pick up the portion of dog food his body did not deem to be nutritious.

No more easy parking into the wide driveway with just one vehicle.

No more $12 trips to the grocery store.

No more of straightening the couch cushions only to have them stay where they belong.

No more turning off the TV and not having it "magically" turn back on again when I leave the room.

Yes, I'll have to make some significant adjustments, even sacrifices to have them in my daily company once again...but they're worth it! I can't wait to hold them.

1 Cor. 1

2009-04-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes! Last night, and again this morning, I was reading 1 Corinthians 1. The context is straightforward: Paul is writing to some old friends in the 1st Century city of Corinth. He's writing to friends in the gospel, friend to whom he preached the amazing news that God had become a man in the person of Jesus, died for them, and rose again from the dead in order to bring about their redemption, forgiveness, etc. Many of the people in what was a very contemporary city in Asia Minor embraced the good news that Paul brought to them. Once they began following Jesus they had been gifted with many gifts of the Spirit, given to them for the work of engaging in Jesus' mission to redeem the whole world from the deadly effects of sin, death, and the devil.

As you might suspect, there are problems in this church, problems that will become more clear as the letter unfolds. There are sects within the church who are beginning to believe that their are levels of knowledge within God's economy of spiritual growth. This led, among other things, to an idolization of their favorite respective leaders, hence the comment by Paul that some are arguing about who they follow (v. 12). If these people were on facebook they would have had those little posts that say, "Sally Jane is now a fan of Cephas," or "Bruce is now a fan of Christ."

Paul had to open up a can, and expose their debates for what they were: quarreling! I love the fact that he couldn't even remember whom he had baptized! That's the scripture I refer to when I can't remember if I did a wedding, baptism, or if I got all the kids out of the car after going to the grocery store!

Then comes his first blow against this false knowledge garbage, the belief that their was more to know than Christ as it concerns reaching spiritual maturity. I couldn't stop pondering vv. 26-30, especially, "He [God] is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption." Everything I can ever hope to attain in terms of wisdom, holiness, right standing before God and others, and ultimate redemption is bound up completely in the person of Christ Jesus. It's all in Him.

The implications and applications for that are endless, but I'm still pondering what that means for a guy who wants to make an impact in this great city and who never feels smart enough, strong enough, righteous enough, or connected enough. Being any of those things would actually disqualify me from having an impact ministry since God has already decided to use the foolish, the weak, and the low to change the world through the simple proclamation of Jesus Christ.

I've got all I need to make a difference, and so do you. I've got nothing to defend, nothing to work for, nothing to try and maintain in terms of access to God's power and wisdom and might. Pretty cool!

Sunday

2009-04-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Solo

I had a great day of rest. Angie and the kids are gone. I miss them much. She is spending some time visiting her family and a few friends in the valley of the sun (Phoenix).

As a "geographical bachelor" I was the beneficiary of two lunch invitations today. That was so kind. I was really able to enjoy the time with the family who got to me first (either option would have been a home run). Their kids are really into Star Wars and Star Trek. It was fun to listen to their descriptions of recent episodes.

I'm having to walk the dog most while the family is gone. I think I'm the one getting walked. Tomorrow I think I'm going to put the collar around my neck and let him take us where he wants to go. It will save all the fighting. I wish he would learn to do his business earlier on in the walk so that I wouldn't have to carry the plastic bag for so long!

Finished Series

We finished up with another group of CWR folks who have been walking through the six-week series we refer to as ETC (Equipping the Church). What a great group, as the others have been. I always learn so much through that process, and really enjoy seeing how the idea of living missionally impacts God's people. This group really gets it. It will be fun to see how Jesus works through them as they follow him. Some great things are already happening through them.

Great read

I read a great book by Tim Keller yesterday called "The Prodigal God." The title could be misleading, but it's a look at the "Heart of the Christian Faith" through the lens of God's dealing with both prodigal children of Luke 15. I recommend it to anyone who wants a devotional look at our great gospel of grace. It could be read comfortably in about 20 fifteen-minute sessions.

Neighbor love

My neighbor is about to have her baby--any day now. With Angie and the children out of town I'm now the official middle-of-the-night-sit-with-the-kids-guy should she go into labor at an untimely hour. They've invited me to dinner tomorrow if the baby's not delivered by then. Hope he's one day later!

It's such an honor to be trusted by our neighbors with their children should they need the help. This causes me to reflect on the honor it always is to be able to serve others in Jesus' name. I can remember being a child and getting so excited when my dad would let me turn the wrench while he was working on the car engine. It was an honor to help. I would run inside and tell my mom and brother, "I got to turn the wrench!!!" Being called to image our great God in the everyday circumstances of getting to serve our neighbor is even cooler.

Worship

Today's sermon was on Luke 14:25ff. Great text. I'm deeply challenged to live as a completely sold-out follower of Jesus. We had several guests today. God keeps sending people to worship with us.

I'm really looking forward to worship next Sunday. We'll have a guest preacher from Africa. Our God is a global God, doing his work everywhere.

Men's Conference

2009-03-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm about to get on an airplane in beautiful Tucson, AZ after a great couple of days in southern Arizona. Eric was able to join me for this trip. The time together to process all that we've been experiencing as a result of God's Spirit was needed.

Yesterday I was able to have lunch with Dave Murrow who wrote, "Why Men Hate Going to Church." That was an interested conversation. I also was able to eat with Dave Sonderman who ministers at Elmbrook Church in their ministry to about 3,000 men. That was a great conversation.

The last couple of days have also been very restful. I'm looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow.

Oops, my plane is being boarded. I'll reflect more in a couple of days.

Rewriting the Guest List

2009-03-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

Today I was preaching on Luke 14:1-24. The topic of Luke's text is hospitality. Jesus said some pretty radical things, both to his fellow guests and to the host of the meal he was invited to attend. The summary of his rebuke was that both the guests and the host were using others to gain social recognition, material benefit, and/or security through their relationships. Nobody was there simply to enjoy the company of the other. Their were perverse motives that permeated all aspects of the meal.

The alternative to such usery is hospitality--genuine welcome simply for the sake of loving others. Genuine experience of hospitality is free from the need to use others. It's free from fearing that others are out to use us. It's only possible because Jesus has already provided everything we're after when we use other people in our attempts to gain recognition and security.

This afternoon I've been contemplating the kind of misrepresented hospitality that some non-Christians have experienced at the hands of professing Christians. I've spoken with some who have felt like a target, not like a person. They've experienced the kindness of Christians that seemed only to be shared as bait to get them to listen or to believe. When they failed to convert their Christians "hosts" simply ceased in their "hospitality." I wish I could have the opportunity to speak to each person who's experienced that to say, "We are sorry."

When God's people really begin to live out of God's provision, out of His ultimate hospitality and welcome through Christ Jesus, we are not only freed from using others in attempts to gain recognition or security, but we are freed from simply using our kindness as bait. It doesn't mean that we don't share the gospel with others. Quite to the contrary we do, but even that sharing is because of love for them, not because we've feigned love simply to get a few words about the gospel in while they are paying attention.

A real understanding of God's love and welcome transforms the way we relate to all people. We are free to risk through generosity and welcome because we know that God is the one who gives what we give. Every invitation to receive hospitality can be received with thanks, not with an eye for gain. Every opportunity to show hospitality can be an opportunity to demonstrate and reveal God's goodness, not with an eye for gain.

I'm hopeful that as a community we can really continue to live this out with greater capacity. I'm hopeful that I can live this out with greater capacity. It's very freeing to be able to see others as image bearers and not as steps toward whatever I'm trying to attain. I've got all I need through Christ!

Thy Will be Done

2009-03-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday morning and I can't believe it. Where has the time gone this week?

Today we are officially a family of "big kids." Our youngest has accomplished a full week's course of not sucking on his thumb. Angie promised a small surprise from the store if he could do it. He did. Today in his excitement he tried to talk Angie into going to Target in her pajamas so he wouldn't have to be too delayed in getting there. She talked him down. He's patiently waiting.

A few of the young ladies at CWR are hosting an outreach bible study to teenage girls. The group continues to grow in size. Last night they saw their first converts, two or three. I'm still getting the details, but I am in awe once again of the "power of the gospel for salvation for everyone who believes." I can't wait to hear the stories that come out of that study over the next few months.

I'm reviewing a great book this week titled, Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition. This weekend I'll be preaching on a peculiar passage in Luke that has Jesus correcting both the guests and the host of dinner he attends, all the while giving great hope for the outsiders who are observing the meal. Great stuff. While I'm on the subject, Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring is another fantastic book on the subject of Christian hospitality. I recommend both works. The latter is less academic and easier to read, just depends on what you're looking for.

Last evening our community group discussed these words of the disciple's prayer: "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." The author of the study we're using, John Smed, broke down the implications of praying that in this way. First we are praying to accept God's will, second to approve God's will, next to enter into his will, and finally to do God's will. For the first time I was able to see how Christ-centered this is. Isaiah 41 explains that God's will is going to be ultimately carried out "on earth as it is in heaven" through Jesus Christ. With Christ as the lens through which we pray, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," one could break down the above implications in this way: First we are praying to accept the person and work of Christ, second to approve of Him and trust Him, next to follow Him, and finally to imitate Him as the Holy Spirit transforms us into His image. I hadn't made this connection before.

I'm excited to discover what this day holds as Jesus' rule is further realized in my life and in His world.

Proverbs 3:5-6

2009-03-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

It's a passage that almost every Christian has memorized at some point in their journey with Christ:

"Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and He will make straight your paths."

If that's true (and I believe it is along with everything else preserved for us in God's word, the Bible) I wonder why we struggle to apply it in our lives.

Maybe I'm alone. Probably. I'm sure that everyone else is living by this beautiful truth. But just in case you're not, I'll speak to my own situation and you can listen in and perhaps grab something helpful to chew on as you walk about through your day.

When I need to solve a problem I begin to tackle that problem as though my ability to take in the data, process the options, and work towards the best solution is all I've got. This mindset assumes that God had no idea my challenge was coming. He's as surprised as I am. But that's obviously not the case. What if the Lord knew what I was going to face? What if He is working all things for my benefit in Christ? What if He already knows the way forward?

Hmm? I'm thinking that leaning on my own understanding would not only be the least helpful thing, it would be absolutely foolish. Why do I insist on doing that, though?

I forget that He's God in heaven, Lord of all--present, past, and future. I don't have to hope that I "get it right," as I lead His people in His mission in Las Vegas because He will get it right. He will "make straight our paths."

I'm glad that Jesus is the church planter, really glad. He will succeed. His name will be made great.

My plans aren't in the trash, they've just been put off to the side while I wait for God to lead.

So close

2009-02-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

It was early morning one day this week. The sun was barely peaking over the eastern mountains when our group teed up on the 5th hole at Durango (a local municipal golf course for the average Joe). No wind, 167 yards to the flag, and a six iron in my hands. The ball leapt off the club face and headed for the cloudless sky. "That's headed right at it," remarked a friend. "That's got a chance," followed another. One bounce in front of the flag and right into the cup...and out again only to rest 24" from the cup.

When I got on the green I noticed that the flag had not been replaced properly by the group in front of us, leaning slightly back and left. Would it have made a difference? I'll never know.

So close.

At least I had three hours outside with good friends in the beauty of the desert.

Glenn's Got a Place

2009-02-23T22:45:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was an incredible day for me personally, and for the whole of City-Wide Redeemer. Many people know Glenn's story. We met Glenn on the street about six months ago. He was without one leg, in a wheelchair, and homeless. God provided what was needed to pay a doctor in town to build a prosthesis for his leg. Once he began walking again, Glenn began his search for work. His search continues, and he has spent most nights in a shelter downtown.

The biggest challenge with the shelter has been that Glenn never gets any rest. Sleeping in a place where thieves are always on the lookout for their next target means that the sleep Glenn has been getting for the past few years has not been refreshing.

Last night that all changed. We were informed that a friend of someone in the congregation has a condo in town that is not being used. He offered it to us to use in any way we saw fit. The decision was easy. A quick announcement during our worship yesterday morning led to nearly a dozen deliveries of consumables and perishables for Glenn's new place.

When we picked up Glenn yesterday afternoon we turned his attention to the back of Eric's van. "That's all for your new place, Glenn." He could not hold back the tears, and neither could I.

This morning Glenn called me. He sounded so refreshed. Tomorrow he will resume his job search, with clean clothes, no backpack to drag around with the sum of his possessions, and a refreshed appearance in his eyes. After we spoke for a few minutes he said something I'll never forget. He said, "This means more to me than you can imagine. I can't believe this is happening to me. God is real and I know he loves me. All the glory to God! I know you guys did this, but I just want to give him the glory!"

Me too, Glenn. Me too.

Ready the Troops

2009-02-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

Bob Roberts, the pastor of Northwood Baptist Church in Texas, has written a trilogy of books (my description, not his) on being the missional church. I've just finished reading Transformation, in which his basic biblical premise is this: Church planting happens through discipleship as Christians experience life transformation and move out into their communities and into the world as kingdom participants. The focus is very much centered on discipleship, so he often has to remind his readers of the need for God's people to focus on being the church as opposed to going to church. True, true.

So it's easy to ready people with whom you already agree, granted, but he provides some fresh language for concepts with which I've been wrestling for some time. I highly recommend the read to anyone interested in the topic.

Perhaps my favorite part of the book came as he writes under the heading, "What Is the Church and Who Is the Pastor?" Here's part of what he says:

If the church were a base [for the spiritual operation of advancing into
global evangelization], then the pastor would look less like a chaplain or
preacher and more like a soldier mobilizing the troops for massive advances. I
didn't realize my new role until a few years after we got into that mode of
operation. If fact, when I once asked a panel of my advisers, "Do you think of
me more as a preacher or as a pastor? the response was intriguing

One of the men quickly said, "Neither." That concerned me, since we were
evaluating my role and the church. fortunately, he swiftly followed that
statement with another: "Bob, you're a soldier, and you're turning this church
into an army!"

He was right, I had evolved into a new paradigm for the role of senior
pastor. In [this] model, the role of he pastor undergoes specific shifts--from
chaplain/preacher to soldier/diplomat. From a stateside motivator to the
in-the-field model of how it's to be done.

This is the kind of discipleship model that we pursuing at City-Wide Redeemer. It seems to most parallel that pattern of Jesus. It requires a leadership that is teaching and modeling the truth in the context of going down the road, so to speak. It's life-on-life, not information-on-life. It's the player-coach model versus trying to organize and orchestrate things from the offensive coordinator's box high above the playing field. And to be honest, it's a great privilege to be on the front line getting such an up close perspective on the action as God does His work in and through His people.

Misc Items from the Past Week

2009-02-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

It's Monday morning and another week is already upon me. My family is well. I began a weekly Bible study breakfast with my oldest last Friday. We are working through the book of Proverbs together first. So far we've just made it through the introduction.

I've got yet another difficult passage to preach next Sunday, Luke 12:49-59. Sure isn't rainbows and unicorns, that's for sure. It's been helpful for me to remember that the One who said the things He did in Luke 12 was on His way to be killed for the sake of us rebels. Even His warnings are gracious.

I am really enjoying the time I have each week with a Journey group that I'm leading. Being able to learn from the other men as we discuss, apply, and pray through different aspect of faithfulness as disciples has been deeply encouraging to me.

We have several new families beginning to join us on Sundays for worship at CWR. I am thankful to see how new people are greeted with genuine kindness by the others.

A couple members of CWR have begun an outreach bible study to teenage girls. They are giving away six bibles tomorrow to girls who have never owned one. I can't wait to see where this goes.

Our community group is going to meet a man whose wife died suddenly in the shower about six months ago. He is left with three children. He has also gone blind over the past couple of years, so cooking for his children is impossible. I hope that we can be an encouragement to this family. I am amazed at the ways God brings these people into our path so that we can have the privilege of knowing and serving them, and growing as a result their relationship.

The Work Continues

2009-02-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

I was speaking with a teen this afternoon who said to me, "I hate who I've become...I can't stand to see myself in the mirror. I feel sorry for the ways that I've fought with my parents, the language I've been using, [etc.]"

That was a great opportunity to share with this young man that repentance is still an open door forward. I told him that God is calling us to a willingness to change. There is a sorrow that leads to a willingness to change, and to be changed, but there is a sorrow that leads unto death--the one that is without repentance and only leads to further self contempt and rebellion.

As our conversation continued I invited him to read from 2 Corinthians 7. He cried through the reading. He knows the gospel, but today I believe it became more real to him as he looked again to Jesus.

27-23

2009-02-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

That hurt. At least we were able to watch the game with 50 great friends from City-Wide Redeemer at Eric's place. Thanks, Eric.

GF

2009-01-31T14:53:00.000-08:00

There's this mega-church in Las Vegas that gives out stickers to all of its members that simply say GF with a circle around it. The letters stand for God First, but unless you're an insider you'd never guess it. But their rear view window theology is a great introduction to something I've been processing for a couple of weeks.

When new believers, or transplants from other cities who are already Christians, are recognized publicly as those who are following Jesus we invite them to a six-week series on Sunday afternoons called Equipping the Church (ETC) where we spend time realizing together that God is on a mission in the world and that we have a significant role to play. Our time together involves recognizing the purpose of pastors who equip God's people for the work of ministry, discovering our own gifts, passions, and personalities, and beginning to take steps in the direction of getting fully engaged in Jesus' mission.

A few months ago we began meeting with 10 or so men who have gone through ETC and who want to engage in further discipleship. This is called The Journey. In these groups we are currently reading a book called "The Answer" by Randy Pope. Randy tells the stories of glory, grace, and truth, taken from John 1.

The first section, the story of glory, is a great piece that attempts to get at understanding the gospel with respect to that for which we were made (to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever)--to live in God's glory. Randy speaks about the glory that Adam had received from God as that which defined his total satisfaction before God, and the total satisfaction that will define our existence after we who have been called, justified, and sanctified are finally glorified (Romans 8).

Randy summarized the Bible's teaching by saying that after Adam and Eve sinned against God they lost that glory that had been theirs, and that every person born after them knows something is missing (the glory/satisfaction, etc.). This definition of "glory" also has much to do with trust. When we glorify/trust God we receive glory/satisfaction because we were made for the glory that only He gives.

That's where an understanding of our sin gives light to the whole search for glory. Our sins are only the visible manifestation of our search for glory/satisfaction/fulfillment/purpose in other people, things, or activities besides God. These false hopes for glory are idols.

What was interesting to me is that Randy gets to the point that their are no neutral pursuits--we are either seeking glory in God or in empty idols. Since God is the only one who can satisfy, all other pursuits are not neutral, they are actually the vehicles for withdrawals on the glory for which we were made. We are hurt by them; by them we are emptied, not filled.

This explanation of sin through idolatry shines bright light on what the Bible is talking about with respect to repentance.

Here's what I mean: I speak with people all the time who say that they aren't ready for Christianity, or church, or Bible study, because they have too many things in their life that they aren't really ready to clean up. They don't want to give up their porn, or their adulterous relationship, or their stealing at work, etc. and they assume that becoming a Christian will mean that at some point they will have to give up those things they know instinctively to be opposed to God's pattern for life. But this is short-sighted because repentance isn't first about stopping bad habits and wicked practices. It is first about seeking for all that those idols promise in the Lord Jesus.

This is surprising to many people because they have never really understood biblical repentance and faith--they've never really heard the gospel. If you and I survey people on our street and ask them if sleeping with their neighbor's spouse would be wrong, or stealing their neighbor's grill, or falsely accusing their neighbor, or killing their neighbor they would say, "Yes, those things are all wrong. No doubt about it." They might even say that taking the Lord's name in vain and not keeping the Sabbath are wrong. But I guarantee that they will not have a problem with breaking the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before me." And that's the root of the issue. It is when we have other gods before Him that we will break all the other commandments in our pursuit of what's missing in our lives. But people who don't understand the reality that Jesus came to restore us to our God, to deposit His glory in our hearts, and to bring forgiveness for our idol pursuits will not understand the beauty of repentance--that repentance is about finally and fully finding what we've always been looking for, but could never discover anywhere else.

Maybe we need to do a better job of describing repentance in terms of what God is giving ahead of what we are being called to give up. If we just harp about particular sins and fail to get at the root idols that are driving people to their destruction then repentance will not make sense. But, if we help them to see what is at the heart of choosing idols over God, then the fullness of change that comes in repentance will make sense. With the psalmist we will sing, "Blessed are those who keep His law, who seek Him with their whole heart!"

The gospel is beautiful. The gospel is good news to Las Vegas.

Armed and Dangerous

2009-01-29T10:57:00.000-08:00

Eric and I returned home from LA just before midnight Tuesday evening. He is now armed and dangerous (I'll explain in a minute). Yesterday was a recovery day. I'm officially recovered.

As a mission church of the PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) we enjoy the fellowship of several other pastors of churches in this region (Nevada and South/central California) who are committed to the mutual protection of each other's hearts and the purity of the gospel within our ministries. This collection of pastors/elders make up what what is called a presbytery. Presbutero is the transliteration of the Greek for "elder," so presbytery means "collection or gathering of elders." I personally am hoping that we can change the name to elder dudes, but then I guess we'd have to say that we are part of elderdudenism. Maybe we'll just stick with being Presbyterian.

As a presbytery, these men often invite candidates to gospel ministry into their gathering for the purpose of being tested as to matters of the heart and soundness of theological understanding. This process includes a couple years of internship/seminary education and concludes with the steps of being licensed to preach and finally ordained (called) to vocational gospel ministry.

Eric's oral testing of the floor of presbytery went very well. He proved himself to be a faithful servant of the gospel and of our Lord. He is a man full of the Holy Spirit. In May, Lord willing, he will undergo further exams ahead of being ordained in the PCA.

It's good to be home. The drive back into town from the south provides some incredible views of the lights and buildings that make up the downtown of this great city. May God continue to make His name ever greater here!

Examining the Pastor

2009-01-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

I'll be out of town for all of Tuesday (leaving early and getting back late) for meetings with pastors in California near Burbank. Eric will be orally examined by several colleagues in ministry as to his theological competence and biblical knowledge. He's ready. He's nervous. I'm sure he'll do very well even though this kind of examination is not his thing.

As I've witnessed his competence over the past year of ministry in LV together I've been most impressed with the heart that God has given Eric for others. He's not naturally a people person. He's an introvert who could very comfortably hang out in an office all day reading books and designing ministry strategies on a white-board. But God's calling on Eric's life has made him a people person. He goes after the lost, the hurting, and lonely. His ability to communicate truth with grace is a great gift to the church. His willingness to be stretched and vulnerable makes him a powerful tool in the hands of God's Spirit. I couldn't be more thankful for his partnership in ministry.

I'm confident that the committees examining him tomorrow will see that he's got the brain power to faithfully execute his calling as a pastor. I'm hopeful that they will be able to see the man, the man after God's own heart who wants to be used in some part to bring hope to this great city.

Super Bowl Party

2009-01-18T21:47:00.000-08:00

It's official. The Arizona Cardinals are in the big game. This means that we are going to have a City-Wide Redeemer showdown.

Here's a quote of a text I received from a friend in the church just minutes before the Steeler's victory was official: "Should we have a CWR party before the church splits?"

This is a legitimate concern (not really) because I have been public about my support of the AZ redbirds while Eric, a PA native, has been very outspoken about the Steeler blood that fills his vascular pathways. Beyond the church planters, several families have been long time fans of either one of this year's Super Bowl participants. The church may be split right down the middle.

All these ingredients could make for a very interesting Super Bowl party. I can't think of a scenario where the interest could be higher for us or our friends.

I think that we could see face painting. We will certainly see kids wearing the jerseys of their parents' loyalties. We may even see Eric with no shirt, painted from head to waist in gold and black. Really, anything is possible. I have only this to say: "May the best team win, and may the Steelers be gracious in defeat!"

Back from the Gym

2009-01-17T20:08:00.000-08:00

Just got back with our children from a birthday party at this huge gymnastic training center. The kids had a blast jumping into this huge pit filled with 12" x 12" cubes of foam that looked like cheese. I'll have some pictures to share soon. I heard several of the men say that they want their birthday parties there next year too.

Several folks from CWR were there. As I drove home I was reflecting on how good God has been to our family. In just a little more than one year He has surrounded us with too many good people to count--people who really care for us and for our children. We are thankful.

I've got split duties tomorrow morning with Eric in worship. He's preaching and I'll be leading worship, an area of service that is always good for my soul.

We continue to meet several people each month who are open to discussing the gospel. People in this city are hungry for God, they often just don't know it. We are praying for about 30 people right now who have shown signs of God's Spirit at work in their lives. I'll be posting some more specific stories in the weeks ahead.

2009-01-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

It’s Wednesday afternoon and I realize that I haven’t posted on my blog for several days. I was able to take off three days last week and feel incredibly refreshed.

I’ll be boarding an airplane here in Salt Lake City about three hours from now and can’t wait to be home again with Angie and our children.

The two days in SLC have been very productive. Mission to North America hosted what they billed as a Western Key Leaders Meeting and invited me to come for the second year running. About twenty guys are invited to come. (Apparently they haven’t yet figured out that I’m not a key leader. If they invite me next year I’ll come again because the food is good and the time listening to other men who actually know what they’re doing couldn't be more profitable.)

Last week’s worship at City-Wide Redeemer was encouraging to me. Not just because of the eight or so visitors, but because the time during the Lord’s Supper ministered to me deeply. As we do from time to time, last Sunday everyone from within the congregation came forward to be served. That was precious to me because many of our families have been out of town for three to four weeks over the Christmas and New Year’s break and we haven’t seen them. Further, there are so many people at worship now that I don’t get even the opportunity to greet everyone. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper this way I’m still afforded that privilege.

...just got home and am able to finish this post. The kids had a great "Welcome Home!" sign on the garage door. It's so good to be loved.

I Don't Even Feel Badly About It!

2009-01-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

It's 7:37 on the evening of January 1, 2009. As I type I've just dropped another bite of Coolwhip oppressed pumpkin pie into my mouth...and sipped again out of what remains from a 2 liter bottle of Coke. Nice.

No regrets because I have no new year's resolutions regarding diet. It's great.

[Another sip of Coke]

[And another...man that's good]

I do have other resolutions. The highest on the list is to do less. That's right, especially as a church planting pastor. I want to do less and pray from this point forward. Don't get me wrong, 2008 was a year of tremendous growth in our prayer life. Living on the edge will do that to you even if it's not a new year's resolution. Each month we had to trust God for grocery, mortgage, and utility monies. We had to trust God for a place to meet for worship, moving once in the middle of the year with only weeks notice. We live in prayerful dependence as we spoke the good news of God's saving work through Christ Jesus to people yet unaware of God's judgment or His love.

But this year there are bigger reasons to pray more.

[Sorry, needed another sip]

After what many people would consider major "successes" in the first year of a church plant, with several conversions, growth in the church both numerically and in terms of people's maturity in the faith, and an increasing presence in the community we don't feel stronger. We feel weaker.

Now more than ever before I can see that the task it too much for a man, or a whole group of men and women for that matter. Transformation in my own heart cannot happen without His help. Transformation in this community through our meager efforts is even more crazy to imagine. Unless God shows up. Unless God's Spirit awakens men and women all across this valley to His Kingdom agenda to set right all that's wrong beginning with individual repentance and a new commitment to love God and love neighbor.

That's my new year's resolution. Less doing, more praying.

I hope you'll join me.

Post Christmas Reflection

2008-12-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

The title of this entry may be a bit misleading. It is just to say that it's after Christmas and I've been reflecting on some things today.

There is a great article in the current issue of Christianity Today by Tyler Wigg-Stevenson. The title well describes the point he is making: "Jesus is NOT a brand." The question that he is trying to answer for his readers is this: What is the difference between an evangelism within a consumeristic society that is truly Christ-centered vs one driven by individualistic market interests.

That's a good question.

It is interesting to note how many of us have allowed ourselves to be identified by what brands we prefer. Some men are Chevy men, others Ford. Some prefer Mac, others PC's. If you don't believe that, watch one of the current YouTube videos titled, "Mac vs. PC" and see which one you find yourself rooting for.

The implications for this in terms of how one receives the gospel, or perceives the demands of the gospel are not insignificant. The spiritual consumer will approach the church with the same narcissism they bring to other brands. Wigg-Stevenson postulates the spiritual consumers thought process as Christianity (the consumer version) is contemplated: "What am I expressing about myself if I buy Brand Jesus? How will Christianity fulfill my vision for me?" He continues, "The theological implication: I belong to myself. I am my own project, my own product to do with as I will. This is an enacted rejection of the honor due to God as Creator. On a psycho-spiritual level, too, this individualism sets up a sort of endless adolescence. The awkward talk of figuring out who we are--once restricted to teen years and midlife crises--becomes a lifelong endeavor."

That's why our evangelism can't be a presentation of the gospel that simply says, "Hey, look at all you get with Jesus...eternal life...peace...a sense of community with others like you...etc." Rather, it has to demand an ongoing and enacted recognition, beginning with repentance, that we belong truly to God.

We must bring into view the Lordship of Christ, the sufficiency of Christ and the Supremacy of Christ. After all, this is the only way that we remain true to the gospel that liberates, provides real self-identity, and allows us to see all other sorts of people as one of us in a unified gospel family, not one that is dissected according to sub-brand level distinctions such as those we often see in the church today where the gospel is being offered in a consumeristic fashion. In that environment people favor a church with donuts over one without, or a certain brand of music over and against another. These are brand identities that cloud the gospel indeed.

Angie's Face

2008-12-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

When I walked into my neighborhood Wal-Mart today I noticed a sign near the front door letting every customer know that they have only six more days to buy up before Christmas. I can't believe how quickly this month has flown by.

On another note, out back yard is a muddy mess. Because of the orientation of our home, and the yards in Vegas, no sun hits any dirt back there and we've received at least 1.5" of rain over the last week or so. Hopefully it will freeze tonight so that I can get out for a minute to clean up the dog's little (actually not so little) presents.

On yet another note, I have been reflecting on the joy that is called forth in the gospel accounts of Jesus' birth and wondering why it is that so many of us don't seem to exude a level of joy that is proportionate the that which is demanded by the good news of Christ's incarnation. Wow! Perhaps I'm only talking about myself. Maybe everybody else has the "joy, joy, joy, joy down in their heart, down in their..." and I'm the only one trying to rejoice in the ways that Zephaniah 3 calls for. It has taken several minutes of thought throughout the days to begin to see my heart's flame genuinely taken afresh with the wonder of Emmanuel, God with us.

This Sunday I will be preaching on the Angel's announcement to shepherds from Luke 2:1-20. I still haven't decided which text we will consider on Christmas Eve, but I have it narrowed down to a few.

Because our Christmas Eve service will be the first time we've met as a church for worship at night there will be several families joining us for the first time, it appears. Some of these folks have been our friends for months, but haven't been able to get a change in their work schedule that would accommodate them in order to be with us in the morning on Sundays. I hope that they will be richly encouraged by their participation with us. They will be an encouragement to us.

Tonight my youngest decided he wanted to help his mother with her make-up. The final product was nothing short of amazing. Angie looked like she had been camouflaged for a burglary, taken out to the street and smacked in the face with a 2 x 4, made to grow a unibrow during six months of solitary confinement with no access to a razor, and finally drug face down in the dirt for 1/4 mile before standing up to see what her boy had done. As he finished his work he could only say, "Look! You are America's next top model. You look fablious (direct quote)" I guess that would be true if the idea behind showing off fashion was to make the potential buyers wonder which model has most recently come from a filming of Lost.

Angie is so gracious!

To What are We Inviting People

2008-12-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Today I was reading Leadership magazine. It came as a preview with hopes that I will subscribe. As I paged through I found an interesting article titled, “Showtime! No More.” In it the pastor of a mega-church in Phoenix (one with which I’ve been familiar for years, and to which I have friends who are connected) told a bit about his journey from believing that “entertainment evangelism” was a legitimate way of reaching people to the position he is now embracing.

After suffering a heart attack in 2002 he began a lengthy recovery and the opportunity to visit other churches during his ensuing sabbatical. When he returned to his own congregation he was appalled to see what he had labored to build. It was a place built on the Sunday “show.” A pastor-friend visited their new site shortly thereafter and said to him, “You must die as a church [in your current state] and be born as a mission.”

Soon he asked himself this question: “Could it be that our acreage, buildings, and budgets were interfering with the mission instead of accomplishing it? Why weren’t we producing empowered disciples? What were we missing?"

After months of reflection he came to this:

"Instead of just counting the people and the offerings, now we [will] look for evidence that people are breaking out of their private, cocooned lives and are fully engaged with God and serving him. We want them to do more than grab a cup of coffee in the lobby or meet someone new during the worship gatherings. We want them to go deep with one another. To be 3:00 a.m. friends--the kind of people others could call if they had an emergency. We [will] encourage them to have a mentor and to be a mentor."

I have to say at this point, that this is exactly the conviction that has been driving me and Eric since day one when we landed in Vegas. We know that if this city, or any place, is going to be transformed by the gospel it is going to have to be filled with people who have repented from every false idol and who have become fully committed to serving and honoring the Redeemer and King of the universe in every area of their lives. Building a church of 20,000 in a city of 2,000,000 won't do anything if the extent of our impact would be that a certain 1% of the population disappeared from their neighborhood for 1 1/2 hours every Sunday morning.

Our calling as pastors is to equip God's people for the work of ministry as they become transforming agents in His world.

The pastor highlighted in the article said the same thing in his own words, words that I think are quite helpful:

"In the old days, we protected people's anonymity; today we thrust them into community, doing life together. We used to invite them to attend church; now we invite them to be the church. I used to ask, 'What can we do to get more people to attend our church?' Now I ask, 'How can [we] best equip and empower [God's] people to go be the church in the marketplace where God has called them to serve?'"

He's hit it on the head. What if we were inviting our non-believing friends to other opportunities where they would witness gospel impact in the world. Why wouldn't inviting them to dinner be just as wonderful an opportunity to expose them to God's rich grace as inviting them to a service of worship? Why wouldn't grabbing them to go hiking, or to volunteer at the food bank, or to help tutor at the local school be just as wonderful an opportunity to expose them to God's rich grace?

We want to invite people to see the richness of God's grace in and through his church. To what are we inviting them? Is it to an extra 1 1/2 hour commitment to feel like they are fulfilling their religious duty, or is it to experience and participate in what God is doing to bring light into all dark places? Those two invitations are a world apart. I am convinced that people won't feel like they have anything more to invite others into than a service of worship until they themselves know that they are a part of something much grander in scope and community impact. I wonder how this vibrant kind of Christianity will impact the way our services of worship may look.

One Year Already

2008-12-15T18:06:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday marked one year since our first public service of worship. I can't believe it! When I stood up to welcome any guests that were with us I thought to ask who had been with us on that first Sunday, December 16, 2007. Besides my family and Eric's, 13 hands went into the air. God has added so many people to our number during this first year.

More encouraging than the number of people added is the growth in grace in individuals and as a community. I can't say enough about how encouraged I am to see people living more and more boldly in the gospel. This is leading to the actual transformation of homes, soccer teams, playgroups, neighborhoods, and workplaces.

Smith's Cashier

2008-12-14T20:17:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was able to be out with our daughter for a few minutes, just to grab a few groceries before dinner. That's always a great time.

As our food sped down the rubber conveyor the cashier asked me how I was doing? I gave her the customary answer, "Better than I deserve."

I asked her the same.

"You know...broke just a few days before Christmas and wont' be able to give my kids Christmas."

Then...silence as I wondered how best to respond. Nothing came. I didn't have an answer.

She handed me my receipt. "Merry Christmas," were her last words and it was on to the next soul behind me.

She is hurting. I hope to be able to see her soon. In the mean time we will pray.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rawhide!

2008-12-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

Last night I was able to get some time out with my youngest son. We were invited to use a couple of extra tickets to the National Finals Rodeo here in Vegas. The skill and athleticism of the competitors was pretty remarkable. My son loved it. Four nights ago he was watching the opening night of the Finals on ESPN2 and wishing he could go someday. Just three days later there he was. I didn't tell him where we were going until we were in my truck and headed toward the arena. The look on his face was priceless. "Are we going for real? Are we going to see real cowboys?"

That kind of treatment of the animals in the name of sport became questionable to me, though, as I watched it in person. I'm still trying to figure out how this sits within the framework of God's creational mandate to Adam and Eve, and then again to Noah, to image God in their treatment of the animals as they care for them in God's stead.

Things within the City-Wide Redeemer community are so much fun right now. Our discipleship groups are getting into full swing. We should be hitting on all cylinders on the men's side of the house after the holidays. We are still organizing the women's groups.

It has been awesome to see many of our folks taking greater initiative in sharing the gospel with their families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Many of them are beginning to use a tool that we have borrowed from Perimeter Church in Atlanta, GA called Life Issues and another book called The Answer. But this isn't an "evangelism program." It is a case of men and women reshaping a resource to match their own style and personality in the great mission of making God's name known in Las Vegas. I expect that we will be able to see several more people responding to God's gracious forgiveness and acceptance through the Lord Jesus in the near future.

I can't explain what is happening, but we continue to come into contact with many people who are at a place in their lives where they want answers to their questions about God, the Bible, their own mortality, life after death, etc. It's like God is orchestrating the choreography of several lives to meet on the dance floors brokenness and crisis simultaneously, some with questions and others with hope to offer. God's Spirit is clearly at work here.

Sunday mornings are getting easier for me personally. When we launched out I had many things to take care of before we began our services of worship. I basically had to bring everything from nursery items to backdrops to music/sound items. Now we have the workings of a great set-up and tear-down crew that have made Sundays much more manageable for me. And the best part, everyone who pitches in does so with such joy. It's fun to see and experience.

Still Sick

2008-12-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

I can't seem to kick this cold/upper respiratory thing. I've been sick since November 21. Just when I think I might be feeling better I struggle through the next day with minimal energy and sinus issues. Tonight is another tough night. I'm thinking a doctor's visit might finally be in my future.

Lot's of good things happening at City-Wide Redeemer these days. Several folks are continuing to take significant steps in the direction of their God-given purposes within His mission to redeem the world. I'll be sharing some specific stories soon.

My youngest son has a radio in his room now. It is my old alarm clock radio. The tuner is so bad that I was able to only get in four or five stations across the entire FM dial. He's thankful for it nonetheless. I told him he might enjoy listening to some Christmas music on the sleep timer for 20 minutes at bed time. He was thrilled.

When I went in to check on him ten minutes later I asked him how he was enjoying the radio. He said, "Dad, there was this news thing on just now and they said that some bad guys took a little girl's brother and that the police are trying to find the bad guys. Dad, I'm sad."

It struck me in that moment how emotionally stunted I am because of the sheer volume of bad news that crosses my path everyday through the different media outlets and personal contact with hurting people. It was hard for me to feel what he was feeling. His response was right. It is terribly sad, and once I sat for a moment with him I was able to enter into that appropriate sense of sorrow and need to ask our great God to do something wonderful for this young boy who is apparently missing.

I love learning practical theology from a four year-old. He's got lots to teach me!

Roadmap '09 Meeting

2008-11-23T18:28:00.001-08:00

Today we had a rich time of worship. Our text was Revelation 21:1-8. What a salvation! I can't wait for the renewed earth.

In the mean time I guess we'll continue to proclaim the gospel, plant churches, and wait (and golf).

After our worship we had a church-wide meal. The head custodian and principal at Goynes Elementary are both tremendous men--so gracious to allow us to stay an extra hour. During our meal I shared our vision for the next year. We called the presentation Roadmap '09. Not very original, but you get the point.

From day one our vision has been focused on seeing the gospel transform the entire city and cities like it around the world (briefly stated). Today we honed the vision a bit further to say that we hope to plant an additional four churches in North Las Vegas, and two churches internationally over the next five years. Is it aggressive? Too aggressive? Maybe, but I'm looking forward to seeing what Jesus decides to do about building His church in North Las Vegas.

Initially each church plant will be identified as an additional site for worship in a neighboring community. Members of each new site will be involved in the same kinds of discipleship and leadership training we are already engaged in at City-Wide Redeemer. Eric and I will preach and lead worship for at least the second site which we hope to establish by February or March, but several details need to come together before we launch out.

Our whole family is sick tonight. Upper body respiratory stuff. Thank God for phenol!

The Gospel is Tough to Believe

2008-11-19T10:41:00.001-08:00

The more I speak with people the more I am realizing with greater awareness that folks just don't really understand the gospel. I'm not slamming people for being ignorant. I'm not calling people stupid. I'm not talking only about people who are outside of the visible church.

I'm seeing more and more in people that aspect of our fallen nature that believes we must contribute something to our salvation. For some it is just the moral piece of the puzzle that they want to straighten out. For others it is a return to some religious practice that they experienced growing up as a child. It seems to much to first believe that Jesus really did do everything required for our salvation.

Intuitively non-Christians understand that worshiping the one true God instead of themselves and all of their other life-long idols will result in a different agenda for their week. They will do some new things and abandon other activities and thought patters that used to take up space on their weekly schedule. In short, they will increasingly take on the God's character in all that they think, say, and do. But it seems as though that is where we want to go first. In the middle of a desperate search for peace we grasp for something we can do.

Maybe this will help make the point. Often in our search for peace with God we look like someone trying to learn how to line dance in the country-western bar. We see the moves that happy, peaceful people are making. We want to be happy; we want peace, so we begin trying to pick up their steps. We assume that their attitude and outlook must be related to their dancing. The only problem is that Christians who really get the gospel didn't start with the moves. Rather they first heard the music. Someone else played music that brought their dead and depressed bodies to life. Their dance steps are in response to music. Dancing doesn't make music come out of the speaker. Music makes us dance.

How I pray that people in our community will begin to hear the music of the gospel. I am trying with all my might to communicate that reality to people who see what we do as a Christian community. If they only see our moves, but never hear our music then we will never bring an ounce of real hope to Vegas. Rather, we will only push people back into their previous religious experiences where they will labor in despair and restlessness in a dead-end search for peace and an assurance that God is for them.

I'm off to play more music.

Doctor's Visit...Warning: Graphic in Content

2008-11-18T22:17:00.001-08:00

I've been half-limping around for the past couple of weeks with a very sore right knee. Probably a Baker's cyst. I was excited today when I looked at my Outlook calendar and realized that today I was finally going to get into the Dr. When I called my assigned health care provider last week to say that I needed to see a Dr. quickly the receptionist said, "O yes. Here we go. We can get you right in on the 18th. How does that work?" Considering that I was calling on the 12th I wasn't sure what she meant by "right in."

The doc was great. X-rays will be read in the next couple of days to help determine exactly what is going on.

About half way through the exam she asked the question. "Mr. Glassmeyer, have you had any wight gain?"

"Yes, yes I have."

"Has it been pretty recent?"

"No, I've gained 220 lbs over he past 34 years or so."

[laughter... followed by an earnest gaze]

"I think that whatever is causing the painful condition in your knee, you will benefit from losing a few lbs."

"Yes. Thank you. I'm sure you're right"

As I stood in front of the mirror tonight I contemplated the decisions that I typically make regarding food each day. I'm often very busy, traveling from one appointment to the next and in need of a quick meal when he hunger pangs come calling. I usually don't have a plan (bad idea). I usually am making a decision about what to eat in the middle of four other activities. (also a bad idea). I need a plan. I need something around during the day that will help me remember why I need to be making better decisions about food. Maybe a string around my finger?

Then I had an epiphany of genius. As I looked with despair at my growing waist I realized that if I stopped wearing a shirt in public I would begin to make radical and rapid changes in my daily eating patterns. That is not an option, but I know it would be effective.

I'm sure that this falls under the (too much information) category, but as far as I'm concerned it's a part of being human. It's also an area of my life where I'm going to have to allow gospel freedom to be the motivating factor in how I do make changes in my diet and exercise patterns.

Nothing is easy, is it?

She Got Fired!

2008-11-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

I love dinner time at our home. You never know what any of our children might share. Here's a snippet from my conversation with our six year-old daughter tonight.

"What did you do today in school, sweetheart?" (She's in the first grade)

"I helped Alissa feel better."

"Oh no. What happened?"

"She got fired from her own club that she started."

"Really?"

"Yes. Some jerk girls came over to join her club and after a few minutes they decided to fire her from her own club that she started."

"She had a job in her club?"

"Yes."

"What was it?"

"Her job was to invite people into the club and to serve them their food."

"So let me get this straight. She started the club and gave herself the job of inviting other people into the club. Then some people she invited joined her club and promptly fired her from her club that she started. Is that right?"

"Yep."

"Wow."

On a more serious note...our friend, Glenn, is still trying to find work. This has been a great discouragement to him. He has come so far since we first met him in his wheelchair in front of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino downtown. His prosthesis is working very well. When he's wearing pants you can't even tell that he has it. He wants to work. Hopefully a breakthrough will come soon.

Time with the Kids

2008-11-09T21:19:00.001-08:00

I'm not the father I want to be. I don't find often that I have the ability to manage the many different priorities that present themselves each day in such a way as to demonstrate to my kids that they matter to me.

This week I think I took a small step forward. Maybe it is better to say that I fell forward a bit. I was able to spend three hours of 1-on-1 time with each one of our children. Two of them opted for the air show at Nellis Air Force Base. Both yesterday and today some really gracious friends allowed me and one of my children to tag along. Without this kindness I would not have been able to pull off two trips to the Aviation Nation Show because of the hours it takes to park at the Las Vegas Raceway and to then shuttle over to the base.

My kids each loved it. They loved the big airplanes. They loved the fast airplanes. They loved the root beer floats.

I have never seen the F-22 demo before. It was incredible. At one point the plane was standing perfectly still in the sky. At another time it was slowly falling to the earth in a flat spin. There wasn't anything we could imagine that it couldn't do.

Just as the demo was finishing, and we were all noticing that our mouths had been hanging open in disbelief, my neighbor's wife said something really insightful. She said, "I can't believe that during that demo there were so many people just shuffling around with no interest in what was happening in the sky." I agreed. Then I pondered her point. How many of us are living in a world filled with God's general revelation as though we have no sense of what is going on around us, or what our context of reality points us to each minute of the day? The heavens declare the glory of God, and yet we rarely give it thought.

Worship today brought great refreshing. We enjoyed the company of more first-time guests and some other new friends who have just moved to town. God continues to grow City-Wide Redeemer in number. I don't pretend to know what He is doing.

We are just two weeks away from our Roadmap '09 meeting for CWR. There Eric and I hope to express some sense of the directions God seems to be presenting for us as a church over the next year. The opportunities are very exciting. We are holding our plans loosely, though, because if we had held tightly to the plans for 2008 we wouldn't have been able to experience half of what we saw God accomplish through our meager efforts this year.

Back Yard

2008-11-07T10:18:00.001-08:00

When we moved into our home in January we knew that the Home Owners Association had a requirement that the back yard be landscaped within the first year of occupancy. With the year winding down I'm trying to get to that when I have an extra thirty minutes here or there. I actually enjoy landscaping and gardening, as many of you know, but there is a major challenge with the piece of real estate. The dirt is as hard as limestone rock. My joints have joints that hurt from digging a trench for the drip irrigation. I'll be glad when this is finished and I can just sit on the porch in a chair.

Conversations with many who don't yet follow Christ continue to increase in frequency and depth. More and more I enjoy sharing our faith and great hope. And of course, we aren't loving people for the sake of getting to "convert" them. Rather we are sharing the gospel of grace with them because we love them. I have said that for years, but just now feel as though their is congruity between that statement and my heart.

Beautiful Simplicity

2008-11-04T21:44:00.001-08:00

Tonight I was tucking our youngest into bed. He'll be five on New Year's Eve. I asked him why it is that he wanted to participate in the Lord's Supper the past Sunday.

"Because I like God so much."

"Do you know what the bread points us to?"

"Jesus' broken bones."

"What about the cup?"

"His blood."

"Why did Jesus die?"

"To save our lives."

"What are we saying by our participation in the Lord's Supper?"

[silence]

"What does it mean that we join the others in the supper?"

[more silence]

"Do you want to participate because you believe that Jesus died for your sins and because you want everyone else to know that too?"

"Dad, you know I believe Jesus."

[silent pause]

"Why are you asking me all of these complicated questions? Did you think I forgot or something?"

I smiled and reassured him that I didn't think he forgot. I just like to hear about his heart. He smiled. When he prayed he thanked God for ladybugs (and something else equally as precious that is not coming to my mind right now). I love his simple trust. I love his thankful heart. "Who needs to learn from who?" I thought to myself as I headed down the hallway.

The second and third groups in our Equipping the Church series are both winding down. Those gatherings are incredibly encouraging to Eric and me as we watch people grow in their understanding of God's purpose in their lives. Their sense of His love for them is growing. Their sense of His love for others is growing. Their sense of meaningful involvement in the mission is growing. I'm so thankful for that.

At the last gathering one of our current ETC participants noted that City-Wide Redeemer is not a church where 80% of the people sit back while the other 20% work themselves into disenfranchised gospel frustrations. He's right. As I do a quick mental survey of the people who now make up CWR it must be over 80% who are actively using their gifts for the sake of His kingdom, both in their vocation and when the church gathers for worship. People are active in local tutoring programs and with the local food bank. Others are using their hospitality gifts to welcome their neighbors. What a joy. God gets the credit.

The Guilt Goblin Strikes Again

2008-10-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

It happened again during our Tuesday evening community group. The first time was two weeks ago. We were in the the middle of our time together when the doorbell rang. I opened the door this week. Two weeks ago one of our friends took the honor. Nobody was there, last time or this time. Only a plate of cookies with instructions on how to pull the same friendly hoax on two more of our neighbors.

The instructions say that you are to post the sign on your door so that the "Phantom" will know not to attack your home yet again. You then are to "attack" two other homes and pretty soon the whole neighborhood will show evidence of the "Phantom's" work.

But since we didn't do that the first time we are now responsible to plan and execute four "Phantom" attacks on other neighbors. Angie said, "Now I feel too much pressure. These gifts (the cookies that the Phantom delivers) are just creating guilt!"

Is it the 31st yet?

Just for fun I think that we are going to make four meat loafs and drop those off with our Phantom attacks tomorrow. Then we will take down our sign again and see if we can get a free prime rib out of the deal.

Kid's on the Lord's Supper

2008-10-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

A few first-time guests joined us in worship today. I love the way CWR folks welcome guests. Good stuff.

Angie has been working on CWR's first picture directory. It looks great. Should be out in a week or so. That should make things easy for new members who are trying to get to know what is already beginning to feel like an overwhelming amount of people for newcomers.

Our daughter told me tonight, while I was cooking dinner, that she enjoyed participating in the Lord's Supper today during worship.

"Why did you enjoy it?" I asked her.

"I like remembering what Jesus did for us"

"Why did he die for us?"

"Because He didn't want us to have to die...so He died for us instead and God forgave us for our sins."

That about says it.

Look at That Boy!

2008-10-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight during our community group Angie was with our two youngest children at our daughter's school's open house. Students and their families took an informative tour of their main classroom, art room, music and PE rooms, and the library (I think). Our youngest was not behaving. I nearly rolled on the floor when Angie told me about her experience in the art room. Angie was trying to talk with the teacher when she put our youngest son on the ground. Mind you, he's going to be 5 yrs in two months. After about 30 seconds of conversation Angie heard a voice in the room say, "Look at that boy." She knew it must be our son. She turned to see. It was. He had shoved his face in front of a water fountain in the room and was allowing the water to splash all over this hair, clothes, and the surrounding art projects. At this point all you can do is laugh. Since it was the art room Angie decided to glue and staple him onto the cork board next to the fountain so he could dry off without getting into anything else. We'll get him in the morning when I drop our daughter off for school.

The weather has become perfect around here. I was able to play golf on Monday in a tournament put on to raise money for the building of churches in African nations. What a cool ministry ICM is! I needed the break and chance to be outside too. The views of the deep green grass up against the red and brown mountains was an all-morning bowl of eye candy.

We continue to see new guests at worship every weekend. It is so much fun getting to meet new people and make new friends. I struggle, though, with the reality that I can no longer enjoy the same kind of engagement with people because of the numbers. I want to know everybody well, but that is becoming more and more of an impossibility. More and more I am accepting the fact that I won't even be able to greet each person on a Sunday morning during worship. I am deeply encouraged, though, to see that several CWR folks make great efforts to welcome newcomers and to include them in the weekly activities and gatherings of the church. Once again proof of the fact that God builds His church and that He doesn't need us!

I had lunch today with another pastor who serves one of the largest churches in LV. His primary role is related to outreach, including marketplace ministries. That is why I wanted to spend time with him. We are still trying to determine where/how God would use our efforts to reach into the downtown business communities with the gospel. Some good ideas surfaced in my conversation today. We will continue to pray. God will lead, I'm sure of that.

Cardinals 4-2

2008-10-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

I can't miss this opportunity to point you all to the AZ Cardinal's record of 4-2 after yesterday's great win over the Dallas Cowboys. As a Cardinal fan I've hardly ever had hope for the season after six games. Maybe this year is going to be different. It is great fun to see K Warner at the helm again. He makes me feel young!

Pace

2008-10-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

One of the most difficult things for me to learn as a disciple of Jesus/husband/father/church planter has been finding healthy pace. So much goes into finding the right rhythm of life. One must continually prioritize, redetermine motives, rediscover security, etc.

I spent this past weekend in Arizona. A trip that had first been planned for one thing turned out to serve another. I spent Sunday at Grace Fellowship Church, a dear group of friends that financially contributes to our work in Las Vegas every month. We are so thankful for their generous spirit. Saturday turned out to be a rest and retreat day. I played golf in the morning and spent the afternoon in prayer and reflection. I can't remember the last time I took half a day for the express purpose of sitting before God for the purpose of personal worship and seeking clarity about the things of life. It was good for me. I really needed that.

Part of the time was used in the reading of Andi Ashworth's book Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring. She says many things that are helpful. In her summary paragraphs of a chapter entitled "Against the Flow" she says the following:

"In a world that so often values speed, efficiency, and change over continuity
and relationship, we are challenged on a daily basis to consider what matters
most. God invites us to resist the tangled webs of busyness that imprison us and
make it impossible to respond in love to the people around us. If we want our
lives to reflect the truth that people matter, we must live intentionally toward
that end. If we really believe that people are important and that caring for
each other is at the heart of our call to follow Jesus, we must thoughtfully and
intentionally offer people something more."

What she says is true for me on a personal level, but I noted that it is also true for the church at large. As a church we can become so "busy" with programmed ministry activities and gatherings that we may end up not having time to reflect the truth that the people in our city matter. I haven't thought about this subject in this way before, but more reflection is due the issue as we think about ministry design at City-Wide Redeemer going forward.

By the way, I heartily recommend Ashworth's book to all. It's a game changer!

More Cool Stuff

2008-10-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

The TV recording went well, I guess. I was prepared to do several takes, but I did one and they said we were done. That was cool.

Apparently the spot that they recorded will be part of a larger national special on TLN airing the night before the election. The assigned focus was on the need for Christians to pray. That's easy. Really. Paul told Timothy (2:1ff) that we should first pray for all people, for kings and other rulers in authority over us. The purpose for prayer is that God's people might be able to live quiet and peaceful lives, godly and dignified in every way. But there is a greater purpose that I discovered yesterday in my preparation. Paul goes on to say that this pleased God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Big picture: Christian activism begins with prayer for those in authority over us so that we can live out our lives according to our calling in Christ Jesus, so that the agenda of the King of Kings might be advanced in the earth. That is cool.

When I find out more about when this thing is airing I'll post it.

I was able to take the afternoon off today. I needed that. Angie escaped from the house to read at the park while the kids and I ate pizza on the back porch and did some yard work. I can't help but jump at even the small chances to work with my hands. Manual labor is so invigorating.

Side Note: The Arizona (football) Cardinals are 3-2. That is cool!

The opportunities for mercy ministry in our town keep falling in our laps. In addition to participating in the well-known "Operation Christmas Child" ministry through Samaritan's Purse, we are hoping to get some shoe boxes or backpacks together for the homeless poor in our city this January. Glenn, who was in his second year of homelessness when we met him, will play a major role in coordinating our efforts as a church.

We are looking at beginning another worship site for City-Wide Redeemer in the same area where we already meet on Sunday mornings. The tremendous amount of people working shift schedules demands that we invite people to worship at non-traditional times. We are considering Friday or Sunday evenings. I think that by mid-November we should be able to begin a least a Bible study with a new gathering of people. Church planting is such a joy. We will need much prayer as we venture forward with this.

It Finally Rained

2008-10-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night we were awakened to a sound that we haven't heard for more than 8 months at our home. It was rain. It rained for almost 20 minutes, which is the high desert equivalent of a three day gray-skied soaker in the Midwest.

I will be leaving in a few minutes to visit a local TV. The station manager asked me to come in for a quick interview/segment regarding the Christian's role in our political process. At this point I don't even know who I'm going to vote for. Much less do I feel prepared to help Christians think about their engagement in the process. This should be interesting. I'll write more about it on the other side of the morning.

Safety

2008-10-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

"The world I live in...you need to feel safe." When Glenn spoke those words to me on Tuesday they were so real that I almost broke into tears. I was on the edge of crying like a man because yet another window into the world of the homeless was opened so that we could peek in to a world that remains foreign, but not because it's mysterious. It is foreign because we just aren't pausing long enough to reflect on the harsh realities that would be obvious once contemplated.

Glenn was telling me how safe he felt at one of the Equipping the Church (ETC) series of discussions he attended on Monday night with other new members to City-Wide Redeemer. "I've been wanting to be a part of something for years, but haven't found it until now." I can't express how humbling it is to know that a few people in North Las Vegas are having such an impact on one image bearer.

I've said it before. I'll say it again now. We tend to think that people like Glenn really need us. True. But I'm more convinced that we really need people like Glenn. His presence has brought a freshness to our mission in this town.

Here's an example. One young lady has recently voiced a sincere desire to locate a home in NLV where she can care for four to five teenage girls who are at risk of jumping into Las Vegas's ever hungry sex-for-sale industry.

On the flip side, Glenn will help focus our outreach to people of the city. He is already letting us know what is actually helpful in terms of assisting the homeless as we approach the cold nights of winter.

In mid-November we will be meeting with the CWR church family to discuss our hopes for kingdom outreach in the year to come. There are a few big ideas. We will hold them loosely until God confirms that our intentions are His.

Our community groups are beginning to really grow again. Hopefully by January we will be able to establish two more homes where groups can be hosted.

I'm still finishing my prep for tomorrow morning. Back to my notes.

Getting our Breath

2008-10-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

It's been too many days since my last post. Sorry. We are doing well, just amazingly busy.

I'll be posting in the next day or so with stories and details.

A Day of Closure

2008-09-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

This morning the City-Wide Redeemer church family gathered together to mourn as a community over the loss of Tom Phillips. No, we don't grieve as those who have no hope, but we do grieve.

It must have been a sweet thing for Eric's mother to have her son lead and preach at his father's funeral. Eric spoke with such compassion. Eric shared the gospel with such loving urgency. The pundant was right. It is better to go to a house of mourning than a house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart (Ecc. 7:2).

We had another CWR family suffer the sorrow of a miscarriage last week too. I hope that the promises found in the gospel today were an encouragement to their heart too.

I have been especially encouraged to see how others at CWR have loved those who mourn so well. The gospel is alive and well in North Las Vegas.

Logistical Note: It was quite an orchestration to prepare for two services of worship in the school building. We have 4 hours from the time they open the doors until they close them. Set up and set up again went very smoothly thanks to so many CWR families who love to help. God continues to gather a group of people with gifts that He's given that I trust will be used to show Christ to many more people in this city.

We are in the middle of planning many new ministries for our city. I'll have more details in the days ahead.

Glenn

2008-09-12T21:23:00.001-07:00

I was able to hang out with Glenn for a bit yesterday. I'm still learning more and more about what it is like to be homeless. The local Salvation Army shelter provides a cot for $8/night. While this is not a place where he can settle in with safekeeping for his belongings, it is at least a relatively safe and dry place. The other evening someone stole some of his things while he slept. That stunk.

When Glenn was first fitted with his new leg there was pain that developed almost immediately. He walked, but with the help of his wheelchair, and only in small increments at that. Ten days ago he went in for a follow-up. The doctor was able to make a minor adjustment that made all the difference. Glenn is now 6 or 7 days without his wheelchair and he looks great. He said that the pain is gone.

Yesterday he spent time at a job fair. Hopefully something will open up for him soon. He needs to work. He wants to work. We are trusting God for some work.

Glenn was able to get permission from the shelter for a late entry on Tuesdays. Usually he would have to be checked in by 8:00 p.m. This will allow him to join us for the community group that we host at our home. His contributions to the group will not be small.

I'm exhausted. The week has been full of sorrows. Some dear friends lost their baby this morning. She was 11 or so weeks pregnant. That brings back painful memories for us.

Eric's father was taken off of life support this afternoon. He is still breathing, but his recovery is not expected. Death sucks. The empty grave of Jesus becomes much more real in weeks like this.

That's My Boy

2008-09-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for the kind of environment that is being shaped in our services of worship. Parents are feeling more and more comfortable with having their children seated with them. No one is shocked or jolted from their concentration when one of them inadvertently makes a loud noise. I like that. I think that it rightly communicates to our children, "Hey, we want you." I hope that it communicates the same to our guests.

Because of the learning needs that 3-6 yr old children have we are providing a children's lesson for them during the time I am preaching. They love the crafts. They cover the same text we do, and are hopefully prepared to talk about what they learned with their parents via our family discussion guide posted each week on the web site.

Today, about half way through my sermon, a little blond haired four yr old came prancing through the seats on his way to the bathroom. He thought that his mother was with him. She wasn't. She was teaching the children's lesson. He noticed that he was alone. He blurted out, "Mom! Where are you?" I wanted to say, "She is teaching the children's lesson. Where else would she be? Why aren't you there?" Instead I had to say, "That's my son. Could someone please help him?" Thankfully, three mothers stood up immediately to help.

When reflecting on that moment I thought about the kinds of interruptions and oddities that must have occurred on days when Jesus was teaching by the Sea of Galilee. I'm sure he saw it all.

I've been tired. I'm hoping to take all of Tuesday and Wednesday off for some R & R with my bride and children.

Eric's father is still in critical condition at the hospital. That is very sad. Today Eric said that there was some response, however, but very little. Tomorrow Eric and his mom will have to make some difficult decisions with the doctor. We continue to pray for them.

This event has rightly distracted Eric from his final ordination studies. I'm so glad to see him loving his folks and delaying his ordination. That says much about a man who is called to care for people under the Great Shepherd. This has not been a typical ordination exam, but this trial has proven much about his calling.

Our City

2008-09-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Even as a young church plant we talk much about planting other churches, both here in Las Vegas as well as in other parts of the world as we might have the opportunity.

I spoke with a fellow pastor this afternoon who is about to move to Puerto Rico to begin a church plant outside of San Juan. I hope to travel there to visit the area and to get a feel for the work that they are trying to do. Maybe CWR be able to have some kind of partnership with their work in the future.

This morning I drove the extreme eastern edge of the city. Las Vegas is bound up by mountains on all four sides. The view from the rise on the eastern edge was dramatic. I drove about an 8 mile stretch weaving through a 5 square mile area and did not find a single church building. There are many apartments and there is new development around a middle school and highschool that are both under construction. The area is predominately hispanic. I am hoping to begin making more contacts in the neighborhood so that we can begin to think through the logistics of beginning some outreach efforts there with the gospel in word and deed. For now we will being to pray.

I have been learning much this year about what it means to be homeless. Because of my interactions with Glenn I am down on "homeless row" at least once each week, sometimes three times. Yesterday I counted 25 tents or so that line the expressway coming north out of the downtown area. Just 50 feet away along the railroad tracks is another smattering of makeshift shelters.

From this mecca of hopelessness a long line of people filtered and trudged down the hill away from the expressway toward the Salvation Army shelter. I noticed that several women coming into the shelter had children with them. (There are more than 200 homeless students in Las Vegas public schools, according to the local food bank.) I noticed that several other women were without undergarments. Only thin white T-shirts afforded them minimal modesty. How uncomfortable that must be in this heat! When I was actually at the shelter I encountered three or four souls who are mentally disturbed/ill. Glenn has told me that many of the homeless are mentally ill. I don't know what to think about the number of families that have abandonded these weak ones to scrape out an existence on the streets.

One mentally disturbed man asked me for a ride. He hadn't showered in days, it appeared. He knew where he wanted me to take him. The bus stop. He was going to get a ride to visit his sister's house. "Am I missing something here?" I thought. Apparently she keeps his money for him and gives him a little bit at a time as he needs it.

He wanted to pay me for the five-minute drive. He opened his wallet and drew out a $20. He thought it was $2. I urged him to keep it with him, but came away from that brief interaction with a new sense for the vulnerability of these people. Who would have thought that a homeless man could be taken advantage of for a quick $20?

The needs and opportunities to share the hope of Christ Jesus are without end.

I'm preached on the following last weekend and continue to reflect: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

TGIM

2008-09-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

This morning brought some cool breezes across the Vegas desert floor for the first time in months. It was nice to be out for a bit this morning. I might even take a bike ride today.

I crashed into bed last night exhausted. It was a long day, and a long week. It seemed appropriate that I was keenly aware of my need to experience God's strength on a week when I was preaching about his ability to "make all grace abound to us, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, we may abound in every good work."

About 1/3 of the City-Wide Redeemer church family was out of town yesterday, taking advantage of summer's last three-day weekend. It will be nice to worship together with them next weekend.

I've been getting to know some other pastors in town. Some of those meetings have been more encouraging than others. A few of those guys seem to want no sense of fellowship with me. They believe the gospel. I believe the gospel. They are indwelt (as far as I can tell) by God's Spirit. I'm indwelt by God's Spirit. I don't know what I'm missing. I'll wait on God to work.

Our oldest is preparing for school tomorrow. He doesn't want to go. I'm praying that God will carry him through this semester.

God has added another community group to City-Wide Redeemer. Very cool.

My piano playing is coming along. Slow, but sure. It continues to be a great relief from the stresses of the day.

Eric's dad, still hospitalized from his stroke last Tuesday morning, is responding a bit more today. He is still in the ICU. We continue to pray.

The following quote is from an AP story on hurricane Gustav. It is from an interview early this morning while the hurricane was coming ashore. I find it to be classic.

"We wanted to be part of a historic event," said Benton Love, 30, stood outside Johnny White's Sports Bar with a whiskey and Diet Coke. "We knew Johnny White's would be the place to be. We'll probably switch to water about 10 o'clock, sober up, and see if we can help out."

God Draws Near

2008-08-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

My dear friend and church planting partner is having a tough week. Eric began the week with a hefty study and review schedule planned ahead of his written ordination exams set to be taken early next week.

On Tuesday morning his phone rang. It was his mother telling him that his father was lying on their bedroom floor unresponsive. Eric called the paramedics immediately. It was a massive stroke. Tom, Eric's father, is still in an ICU here in a Las Vegas hospital. Today, three days later, he is sedated and breathing with the aid of a machine.

Yesterday he became alert for a short time. His bride was at his side and able to enjoy the tender movement of her husband's thumb across the palm of her faithful hands.

Eric's ordination exam study is on hold for this week, but his learning hasn't slowed down. In the midst of this sad week he told me that he is living out the Psalmist's words in a new way. "God draws near to the broken-hearted." My dear brother is experiencing a new level of broken-heartedness, and hence a new sense of the nearness of our loving Lord.

We pray. We wait. He is faithful.

Unbelievable

2008-08-24T17:08:00.001-07:00

Today was a special day at City-Wide Redeemer's worship. Glenn walked into the sanctuary. I can't believe I just said, "Glenn walked into the sanctuary." It has been so much fun to witness Jesus' kindness to this man, and to see his grateful response in turn. Glenn was received into membership and baptized as well. What a joy! I've said it more than once, so it won't hurt to say it again: As much as Glenn needs friends at City-Wide Redeemer, we need Glenn.

A video of Glenn's baptism should be up on You Tube in the next couple of days. The title will be "Glenn's Baptism at City-Wide Redeemer" for those who want to look it up with a search.

On a much less important note...our kids are enjoying their new dog. His name is Driscoll. He is a border collie mix. We found him at the pound. I think that he was abused because he is pretty tentative when we approach him with something in our hands, but he is getting along with the kids wonderfully. He is potty trained. He sleeps in his kennel well at night. He doesn't chew on things. He is a manly dog. He doesn't bark at other dogs. He walks well on the leash. What else can you ask for?

Glenn's Walking

2008-08-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

It was an amazing feeling to walk beside our new friend, Glenn, as he walked out of the Advanced Prosthetics and Orthotics office in North Las Vegas. What a picture of the kingdom. "Let Your kingdom come, let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..."

We are just observers of God's grace here.

On Sunday evening Glenn was going to his rented room from the bus. Four men came up to him, flashed a handgun, and promptly took all of his cash and his cell phone. To add further insult they slapped him on the head and called, "Punk!" to him as they walked off with his few possessions. I hope for their repentance. I am also comforted by the reality that if they choose not to turn away from their evil practices they will one day face the judgment of God who sees all things, even those things that happen on not-so-well lit streets in North Las Vegas.

We are still waiting on God for the $3700 that remains to be paid for Glenn's new prosthesis.
Glenn is going to begin looking for work this week. I hope that the process is quick for him.

Glenn will be baptized this Sunday. I'm looking forward to that. He told me today that he intends to start reading God's word more often. "Why?" I asked. I wanted to ensure that he wasn't simply falling onto some spiritual disciplines as a means of pleasing God, or trying to gain God's favor. It was none of that. "Because of what he has done for me...I want to know as much about him as I can." What an answer!

We'll be receiving a few other families into membership this Sunday at City-Wide Redeemer. This week we've been spending some time with these new folks and have been deeply encouraged at their stories of God's grace in their lives. These people really get the gospel!

Our friend, Laura, is in town from St. Louis. She studied at Covenant Theological Seminary for the three years that I was there, and one more after we left. She is trying to determine if God might be calling her to live and work in Las Vegas. If so, she would get work, get settled, and begin to share her gifts with City-Wide Redeemer. She has so very much to offer and we are hopeful that she will make the move here.

Our oldest is going back to public school next week. He'll be in the eighth grade. He's almost as tall as me--only 3 1/2 inches to go before he catches me.

I've been learning to play the piano in an effort to keep some balance in my life. It has been great fun and very relaxing. I highly recommend it.

Kingdom Evidence

2008-08-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

Our new friend Glenn, who was living homeless, and in a wheel chair, on the streets of Las Vegas for more than two years is only five days away from receiving his new leg. A doctor in town has agreed to make the prosthesis for only 75% of normal cost and has also been willing to take payments. I can't wait to see Glenn up and around. Lord willing, he will walk to the front of the sanctuary for his baptism 9 days from now. That is going to be a wonderful moment for the people of City-Wide Redeemer to witness.

God also provided a room where Glenn is able to stay. Being homeless without a safe place to sleep or any secure place to store your limited possessions or a place to wash your clothes makes escape from the despair nearly impossible.

We are still waiting to see where the rest of the cash will come from to pay for his leg. That might be the other miracle in this story. I'm looking forward to finding out.

I'll be posting a video of Glenn's baptism if all of the technology stuff works for us.

Glassmeyer Tribe in Vegas

Exchange Student from Japan

The Man from the Par 3 13th

My Casino

The Pace

Empty Tomb

Mid-week Update

My Rock

Tiger

Psalm 36

New Worship Site Update

How Business Looks when Jesus is Boss

Aliante Blue Star Launch Gathering

Help is on the Way

Wrestling With our Idols

New York City

Newcomer Cafe

God is Good

The Funk!

The Double Yellow Line

Why the Misconception?

Redemption Continues

203 lbs and Losing

It's Monday Again

Sonita

Fire Sale--Not Really

Saturday's Summary

Mission to Haiti (Day 1)

It's Tuesday

Catching Up

Another Monday

Another Monday

The Desired Effect?

Teenage Girls

Weekly Weight Numbers (6/1)

More on the Diet

Where have I been?

Santa Barbara

Fatherly Apostleship (1 Cor 4)

Last Week's Boca Trip

Sad News in Vegas

The Lord is at Hand (Phil 4)

Alabama

Contemplating Discipleship

Can't Have Two Masters (Luke 16)

Life Change

Easter Worship

1 Cor 3

1 Cor 2

No Longer Alone

1 Cor. 1

Sunday

Men's Conference

Rewriting the Guest List

Thy Will be Done

Proverbs 3:5-6

So close

Glenn's Got a Place

Ready the Troops

Misc Items from the Past Week

The Work Continues

27-23

GF

Armed and Dangerous

Examining the Pastor

Super Bowl Party

Back from the Gym

I Don't Even Feel Badly About It!

Post Christmas Reflection

Angie's Face

To What are We Inviting People

One Year Already

Smith's Cashier

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rawhide!

Still Sick

Roadmap '09 Meeting

The Gospel is Tough to Believe

Doctor's Visit...Warning: Graphic in Content

She Got Fired!

Time with the Kids