Then things changed.
We improved our approach.
We saw the disgrace that our methods brought upon the cause of Christ.

A generation moved to remedy the situation with a boldness and love that was beyond all others.

But somewhere in the correction, we over-corrected. In trying to swerve back onto the road, we jumped the median and headed straight for the opposite ditch. And now it is the fellow Christian that we speak to without love and mercy. Now it is our brother that we harshly discipline without the love of Christ.

Now we mock and we ridicule.

We tweet judgment. We blog satire.

And none of it glorifies God.

We over-corrected.

Your thoughts?

I’m left wondering though, is there an acceptable line of offense? Or is there a line drawn somewhere, an invisible line that says, “You are free to do or say anything, but don’t cross this line.” Too often, I cross it. I’m a line pusher. (and at good buffets a line jumper.)

The Gospel of Christ is a radical message. Matter of fact it is often times an offensive one. It offends our nature. It offends our pride. It offends us. My question is, in sharing the gospel what line of offense is acceptable? Do we portray the message in a way that no one is offended? Or do we just share it however, whether it offends or not? As the church moves forward, does it watch out for the feelings of man or does it just move? Does it give regard to the opinions and religion of others or does it just proclaim truth? Pure, unadulterated truth.

What do you think?

I forget where I came from. That I was once a sinner who needed grace.

I forget who saved me. Sometimes I try and steal the credit for this awesome life I have.

I forget what it’s like to sit on a pew. To wonder if the pastor still knows you or has he forsaken shepherding you for the vision.

I forget what it’s like to be outside these walls. To wonder if the pastor is so concerned with “shepherding his flock” that he isn’t willing to do whatever it takes to reach you.

I forget the days when Christ was my passion and meetings were nothing more than an organizational tool.

I forget that I should be more concerned with how He sees me than how you do.

More than all of that…

I forget that he promised His church would never fail. (Matt. 16:18)

I may fail. Crossroads Church may fail. But, HIS church will not. Sometimes we abandon programs and it was a mistake. Sometimes we cling to them and find they fail. We make this decision and we see growth. We make that one and we see mud on our faces. And sometimes, we don’t even know what to do.

My prayer? My prayer is that Christ never lets me forget that the church of the Living God, in spite of being operated by many fallible people will always be there. And will always be victorious. And one day will be in complete unity. Forever.

Jessica turned 7 this past Sunday and had an awesome party with her friends. Of course she was given some great gifts. From us she got her very first iPod. She was super stoked. (I was as well. She can now listen to Hannah Montana and I don’t have too!)

Here’s the thing though. Jessica doesn’t know/care that its an outdated model and only 1gb. She doesn’t care that it’s refurbished. She doesn’t even care that we got a refund of $0.78 because I purchased it through my USAA MemberShop rewards. All she knows is now she has music. Whenever she wants. From the moment she put in the ear-buds and turned it on. She was free. Free to dance as she pleased.

Bam.

They don’t care. They don’t care how much that new ministry / program our church just started cost. They don’t care how many times it has been used and re-used or who had it before. And if we were honest with ourselves, we would see they don’t even care how outdated it is, or if we would get any return on our investment.

At the end of the day all they care about is the music, and whether or not that can have it, anytime they want, to satisfy their deepest cravings. So what are we giving them?  A refurbished, outdated iPod that we saved a few bucks on? Or music that will cause them to dance and a message that will bring them life?

Part of the decision to begin blogging again was to also remove the old blogs. The entire purpose of starting this blog was to share with the church, and anyone who might read it the journey we were on and the lessons I was learning about God, about myself, and about life in general. To keep it Pure. To keep it Simple. To keep it Relevant.

So, I’m going to try this again. A fresh start. A clean slate. And many other cliches about beginning anew. I hope, that as I begin to share with you the journey I am on, and the journey of Crossroads Church that you will jump in and become a part of the community.

I’m excited to share my journey with you!