It’s hard to believe that it’s been a full year since Rock Church El Paso launched.  I can’t say everything has gone smoothly; however, I can’t complain about anything either.  This year has taught me a great deal about myself and where I am with God, with His Church, with His Followers, and with everyone I come into contact with in His Kingdom.  One thing I’ve learned is that you don’t need to know a whole lot before you can do something for the King.  The truth is, Jesus Christ can change your life just like He changed my life… He died on a cross for the sins of the world and He’s alive in Heaven today and He offers peace, forgiveness, healing, and hope…  He is Lord and He has commissioned His followers to go make disciples… to go make a difference in peoples lives… Really, what else do you need to know before you go do?  Just a thought…

Happy Birthday Rock Church EL Paso… you are now one year old!  I am looking forward to the many challenges and opportunities awaiting us just around the corner.  My dream for RC is that before the year is over we will have started two more worship centers (who knows, maybe more… that would be cool).  That there will be multiple ministries launched by those attending RC and countless disciples made through the outreach efforts of those influenced by RC.  Honestly, I’m excited about our “SIMPLE” approach to ministry and believe that God will bring an abundance of eternal fruit our way throughout the year.  Please pray for RC and for the vision of a better tomorrow in El Paso because Jesus reigns here.  God bless…

A few days ago I watched in horror as the Dallas Cowboys (my favorite team) got taken out back to the woodshed.  It wasn’t even as pretty as it looked.  I couldn’t tell if it was just how bad they were, how good the Vikings were, or if it simply was the crowd noise… It doesn’t really matter, the boys just got it handed to them.  The thing that got me most however was the final touchdown thrown by Favre with less than 2 minutes left in the game.  It’s not like the boys were going to rally… why did you do it?  To prove a point?  To show just how good you are?  To remind everyone of your greatness?  I just didn’t get it… Then it made me think, that didn’t show class, that didn’t show sportsmanship.  Then… I started to think, what is sportsmanship?  I think the answer will come down to a couple of factors:

1. Who’s winning and who’s losing…
2. Who’s the one doing the scoring and who’s the one being scored upon…
3. Who’s team are you a fan of?  If you’re a fan of the Vikings… it’s sportsmanship.  If you’re a fan of the Cowboys… no way is that showing sportsmanship.
   

   Josh - getting after it...

All I have to say to the Vikings is, “Don’t forget, what comes around goes around…”

It’s been really difficult to watch what’s happening down in Haiti right now.  My heart goes out to them and my thoughts and prayers are with them.  As I saw the images on tv I was reminded of the mortality of man and the finality of death.  We only have one moment in time… it’s this one…  How do you choose to spend this moment?  God tells us in Ephesians 5:15-17 NLT, “So be careful how you live.  Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

I think we all realize that every moment is precious and we shouldn’t take a single one for granted.  Every moment is an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, don’t waste it.  So, I encourage you… before you go to bed tonight, give your kids a hug, give your wife a kiss, tell them you love and appreciate them.  Make every moment count… Remember this, there is nothing better for you to give to those you love than YOU.  Just give them a “Moment”!

From putting on a new pair of shoes to taking a shower after a long days work at the ranch, I love the freshness of anything made new.  I love seeing a baby discover anything new… I love watching my kids discover new ways to be silly, and even when they learn new ideas or principles from school, I get excited.  I love when things get broken and you have to get a new one to replace it.  I love change, I love when I have epiphanies, the truth is, I love anything that is made new.  

In just a few hours I’ll be getting up to a new day, a new challenge, a new opportunity.  Everyday, with the rising of the sun, I am reminded that God makes all things new.  How grateful we each can be knowing that His mercy is made new every morning.  I encourage you to wake up tomorrow, go outside and breathe in the air and offer up a moment of praise to the Creator of all things.  Spend just a moment in worship as you ponder the beauty and vastness of the heavens.

There’s a day coming when Christ will return and truly everything will be made new.  I can’t wait!  In the meantime, I will do my best to live with integrity and honor today…  And should I fail, Lord willing I won’t, I will fall before the Great God of the universe and beg Him and thank Him for His renewed mercy on me.  Happy New Year!

My wife and I are celebrating our 17th anniversary. Cool. I can only say that she is more lovely now than when I met her. I wanted to say thank you for the years but couldn’t figure out the best way. So, as I sat there and thought about it. I thought, the best way to say thank you was to say, “I’ve Noticed!”
I’ve noticed her this year more than ever. I’ve seen her with the kids in the Word of God everyday. I’ve seen her struggle through the issues of life and motherhood with class and grace. I’ve noticed her as she became a great worshipper of God and lover of Jesus. I’ve noticed her desire to be a great wife, mother, teacher, worship leader, servant, shepherd, and friend. I’ve noticed how she’s handled disappointment with purpose and courage. I’ve noticed how she’s handled success with humility. I have just noticed her more.

I think that means more to her than anything that I could purchase or anything that I could do. Honestly, it’s easier to take for granted all the things that I’ve noticed about my wife… I hope I remember this lesson.

As for our future… today, we’re going to eat Indian Food (our favorite by far) and enjoy some time alone. Tomorrow, we begin again a new year filled with love, challenges, hopes, and dreams. I can only believe, by faith, that this year will be the greatest year of our lives.

Babe, I love you with all that I am.

Living in the USA is a real blessing. We have amenities coming out our ears, we have an exuberant amount of choices for just about anything. From Denny’s to Village Inn to IHop – just for pancakes… are you kidding me! For someone who grew up in just about any other part of the world, America would be Utopia.

The other side of the blessing to be in the USA is the feeling of entitlement for the things that we want. From the wine and dine treatment at a Country Club to customer service at Burger King – we feel we deserve to be treated as special. I don’t know that I have a huge problem with that, especially when I’m the one doing the spending. However, whatever happened to people being gracious? I mean, come on, give people a break! Frankly, it’s embarrassing to see people act like they deserve to be treated like royalty, thinking that they are doing the shop a favor by spending their money there. I’ve heard the saying, “The customer is always right!” Problem is, it’s not always true! And so what if it is true… You don’t have to take advantage of that… just relax, be patient, and be gracious. Instead of getting all mad that they didn’t get your order right; smile, tell the teller or waitress that it’s okay, and walk them through the issue with grace. You’ll be surprised at how far that will go. And if it doesn’t work out – try this… just take the hurt and with grace, move on.

Honestly, we really need to treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. We need to be kind and courteous when others are rude and arrogant. Your smile and words of encouragement might be what they would need to see that their own behavior should change. Who knows?

Just a word of encouragement

So often I hear Christians tell me how important the Bible is to their walk with Christ only to find out that they really never spend time in it. We have heard many times that the Scriptures are literally God’s words to us (2 Peter 1:20-21) and that they are profitable to our lives (2 Tim 3:16-17). I think that we would all say that the Bible is Sacred and important. The problem is, not very many “Christians” believe it to be THE authority in their life.

What’s the deal? Why is it easier to read a book or the newspaper than it is to read the Bible? Why do “Christians” blame the church or the pastor for their lack of growth and spiritual maturity when they themselves would acknowledge their own lack of Scripture intake? If the Word of God truly possesses all that we need to live a godly life – it would be my assumption that more Christians would take advantage of this amazing resource. Let me share with you some things that are so important.  If you are a “God Follower” remember this; God’s Word is to be what we delight in (Psalm 1:2), meditate on day and night (Joshua 1:8), and if it truly is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105) then you must take the time to let it dwell in you richly.  Why? because then the young man can stay pure (Psalm 119:9), then you might not sin against God (Psalm 119:11), then you would have good success (Joshua 1:8).

Do you struggle with reading the Word of God?  Do you treat it as something so Sacred you never touch it???  Listen, to the words of Hebrews 4:12 NLT, “For the word of God is alive and powerful.  It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.  It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”  This explains why so many Christians stay as far away from the Bible as possible.  It has authority and accountability written all over it.  You see, if I begin to read the Bible, I learn that I am responsible to follow it’s commands.  I learn that I become accountable to God for my life – pretty scary notion.  Therefore, I admit that the Bible is important (because that is what I’m supposed to say!) only to neglect the most important thing… getting into “IT” so that “IT” can change me.

I often question my place in this world. Am I worth the trouble? Am I living up to the potential that people have always told me I had? I’ve wondered many a times, is there anything in me that can make a difference… after all, I’m really a nobody in a little corner of the universe that seems quite insignificant.

The truth of the matter is; I don’t feel special; I don’t have any extraordinary gifts; I am certainly not a person of great wealth. Frankly, I don’t see how my life really can make a difference. (Anybody feel that way?)
I’ve been looking in the Scripture to see how the insignificant became the significant. I’ve been looking at several passages of people who for whatever reason was called out by God to accomplish HIS tasks.

What I found was, the people who made the greatest impacts didn’t necessarily have the most to offer. What they did have (regardless of how much or how little) however; was AVAILABLE. Listen, most often, “It is the insignificant that becomes the most significant…”

Look at some of them with me…
• Adam an Eve – the parents of mankind
• Noah and his family – builds a boat to save humanity
• Moses and Aaron – leads God’s people out of bondage
• The Widow at Zarephath – gives Elijah her and her son’s last meal
• Rebekah (Isaac’s Wife) offered water to Abraham’s servant and camels
• David – A young shepherd becomes the King of a nation (God’s People)
• Jonah – brings a city to it’s knees in repentance
• Elizabeth – in her old age, gives birth to John the Baptist
• The inn-keeper – giving refuge to a pregnant woman
• Joseph and Mary – the parents of the Messiah
• The shepherds – first to hear the Good News
• The Small Child – offers his meal to feed thousands
• The Apostles in Matthew 10 – Good News & Good Deeds
• The Apostles in Matthew 28 – Great Commission
• Annanias – Prayer over Saul so he could receive his sight back
• The list goes on and on…

Here are some things that I found profound.
1. They were ordinary people
2. They didn’t have much to offer
3. God didn’t give them a warm-up try
4. When God called on them to act…. They DID!
5. This really impacted me: God trusted them to use what they had to accomplish something great for HIM

The question becomes: when God comes to calling, can He trust me to step up? Go through the list of those who said yes to God and see what the results were…

The truth is, we don’t think we’re smart enough, ready enough, financially set enough, holy enough – or whatever… And honestly, I hope none of us ever feel like we are. It’s good to be in a place of dependence… The point for us is; BE AVAILABLE when God comes to call.

We’ve all heard the story of the missionaries who were killed by the Auca Indians. Maybe this video will inspire you to go to the ends of the earth to take the Gospel to a group of people who desperately need to hear the Good News of Jesus’ love.

A Musical Tale – Steven Curtis Chapman from LuMeL on Vimeo.

In March of 2008 my wife, my family and I moved to El Paso, Tx to plant a church.  God has been so good!  In just over a year we were able to establish (with the help of several folks) The Rock Church El Paso.  A Non-denominational church that is convinced that it must make a difference in the city.  We have  already seen multiple salvation experiences, baptisms, and the transformation of lives and ideals.  What a ride it is… To God be the glory…