The Creative Story of the Cross

Do you ever have those moments when you read something and it just instantly changes your whole life?

I think I may have had one of those experiences the other day. I was reading a passage in the bible that let’s just say, I’ve read a thousand times. However, this time was different. I read something that I know to be true, yet for some reason it hit me like a bolt of lightening.

The scripture was 1 Corinthians 1:17. “For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.”

I love anything creative. I love it when people put a spin on things and they strive to be different. I think God created us as creative people and when we stop being creative we stop being who God designed us to be. However, the cross of Jesus Christ is so creative and powerful that if we try to get creative, power will be taken away from it.

A few years ago at Catalyst, Franklin Graham (son of Billy) spoke how he never saw anyone really responding to his presentation of the Gospel. One day he delivered a different kind of message. This time he just spoke the facts about Jesus Christ and let the cross speak for itself. He tells how suddenly people started to respond to the message, since then he has seen thousands come to faith in Jesus Christ, be radically changed by the message and receive the life we so desperately crave!

I’ve decided I am going to be as creative as I can in ministry, except one area. That is when it comes to preaching about the cross, the life and the death of Jesus Christ. It is a message that doesn’t need our help, it is a message that brings life and a message that require us to tell it as it is!

If it has transformed lives before, if it transformed my life, then it can certainly transform your life today. It’s all about the power of the cross!

The Big Announcement!

So yesterday the big announcement was made that I will be transitioning out of my position at Grace Assembly in two weeks!

This is something that has been in the works for a while, but God has been working in my heart about a journey he wants my wife and I to go on and we’re excited about the path this journey will take.

So some of you may have a few questions, here are some I’m ready to answer, over the next few months I will probably be able to answer a few more:

What are you going to do? – We are going to be planting a church. If you don’t know what that means, it is basically starting a new church with the goal of reaching people with the hope of Christ Jesus

Where are you going? – Nowhere! We feel God has called us to the east coast and to the Baltimore area. Even though we feel our assignment at Grace Assembly has come to an end, we feel very much called by God to work in our present geographical location

When will you start? – We have no timeline as of yet. However, planting a church takes time, money, manpower and a whole lot of prayer! We are looking at establishing weekly services by Fall/Autumn 2010

Why leave Grace? – We love Grace! It is very hard to leave, but we believe that the hope of the world is the local church. This is the avenue that God created to bring hope to a hurting world. Statistically, historically and most important biblically, starting new churches (which partner and complement existing churches) is the most effective way to reach people with this message of hope.

Are you scared? – Oh yes!!!! This is very scary, but we know that God has called us to this journey and task and we have realized that if Jesus called 12 ordinary men to change the world, then with him being front a center, we have a chance of reaching the people he has called us to reach with his message of hope.

Is there anything I can do to help? – Yes! Pray for us. Pray that God will open the hearts of the people we are going on this journey to reach.

I hope this answers some inital questions. We are excited about this new chapter in our lives and can not wait to see how God causes the growth as we step out in faith to do some watering and planting!