“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13

This verse has created a burden in me as I look at the way men live in our culture. Are we acting like men or are we acting like what we think men should act like according to our culture?

The bible tells us that there is a way that men should act. Manhood is a gift from God and we need to understand what manhood is really all about according to His design.

This Sunday we begin a four week study on biblical manhood. This series will challenge men to “act like men and be strong!”

If you are a man you need to join us. If you are married to a man you need to join us. If you are raising boys that you hope will become men you need to join us. If you known anyone who is a man you need to join us!

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we talk about “Manhood”.

To send an e-vite to someone click on this link: http://cedarcrestchurch.com/currentseries

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Over the last year at Cedarcrest we have seen God move in an amazing way in our student ministry. This area of our church is growing very fast and has become a very exciting part of Cedarcrest Church. It is my heart’s desire that the student mininstry at Cedarcrest would be a huge part of our focus and resources as we seek to show the next generation the love of God and empower them to stand out as an example of Jesus Christ.

In honor of our students we are holding a “Student Takeover” at Cedarcrest this Sunday. Our students will be leading the charge in our volunteer areas and I will be preaching a message geared toward our students. If you are a middle school or high school student this is a day you don’t want to miss! It is going to be an exciting day. I can assure you that if you are an adult we will have something for you as well!

I also have some very exciting news to share with the church that has been three years in the making! I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Compassion Sunday was an incredible day at Cedarcrest! It was amazing to see the way so many people in the church responded to the call to take action and sponsor a child! I am continually blown away by the faithfulness of people at Cedarcrest and the desire that is so clear on display to make a difference in the world around us for Jesus Christ!

142 children were sponsored yesterday! It is incredible to consider that the world literally changed for 142 children as a result of yesterday! Thank you to all of you who are “Being the change”!

In case you missed it check out the services on our website.

You can also sign up to sponsor a child through Compassion by clicking on the Compassion link on our website.

www.cedarcrestchurch.com

“James 1:22-24 - But prove yourselves doers of the word, not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in the mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediatley forgotten what kind of person he was.”

What kind of person are you because of your faith? Do you remember or have you forgotten?

The words of James are so incredibly powerful and cut right to the core of our lives. How many times do we hear the word of God and remain unchanged? How many times have you been challenged, motivated, inspired or moved to do something where you did not follow through?

I had a professor in seminary who said “Information without application is an abomination”! That statement haunts me as I think about the way so many in the church respond to a call of action. Who cares how much you know if it does not change the way you live! Information about God will not matter unless we allow the info we learn from His word to move us to action.

The Christian faith is often described as a journey. What needs to take place for a journey to begin? A destination is set, bags are packed, a map is laid out, plans are made, but after all the prep work is done a step must be taken so the journey can begin.

The Chrisitan faith is a faith of action. The stories of scripture that challenge and inspire us are always stories of people who step out on faith and take action. This is not a comfortable or passive thing! If you have been called by God to follow Christ, you have been called to action!

What needs to happen in your life to move you from being simply a hearer to a doer? What is the next step for you? How can you apply the things you have heard so that you can live a faith of action?

God is calling you to step out on faith and take action! Will you respond?

This Sunday at Cedarcrest as we conclude our “One” series you will have the opportunity to take action in a way that will literally change the world for someone. I hope you will join us. It is going to be an exciting day! I am praying expectantly!

To send an evite to someone for this weeks services click this link:

http://cedarcrestchurch.com/currentseries

Sunday was the culmination of a great week for me!

Our staff was able to get away and have some fun together as well as soak up some incredible worship and teaching. On Tuesday night we attended the U2 concert at the Dome downtown and had a blast then Thursday and Friday we attended the Catalyst Conference for church leaders at the Gwinnett Center where we were filled up with some incredible stuff from the Lord!

I was fired up to preach on Sunday! It is always a challenge and a privilege to call the church to take a step of faith. I can’t wait to see and hear the stories of how God uses this series in people’s lives.

As we conclude the “One” series on Sunday I can assure you it will be an incredible day. Many of you are trying to decide how to get involved and position your life to make a difference and on Sunday you will have the opportunity to literally change the world for someone! You don’t want to miss this Sunday!

Last night I had an amazing experience as our staff went to the U2 concert at the Dome together. I realize that music is all about personal preference, but it would be hard to argue that their is a more recognized and influential band in the world than U2. I was blown away by the entire night. I have never seen a production like what they pulled off for this two hour concert.

It was clear as soon as Bono walked on stage that while some of the 70,000 people at the dome showed up to see a concert, most of those in attendance where engaged in a worship service. It was incredible to see the passion and emotion on clear display in the crowd. Hand raised, voices straining, eyes closed, fully engaged; this was a worship experience for many.

As I witnessed this incredible sight from the nose bleed section of the dome I began to think about worship as we see it in church most Sundays. The worship at a U2 concert is very different than the worship at most church services I have attended!

Here is a simple thought on worship inspired by last night:

- We are made to worship! Worship is a part of how we are wired. Our soul is longing to find something worthy to be praised.

Could it be that the reason people pour out their heart and soul at a concert is because they have not found anything else in life truly worthy of their worship?

“I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of HIs robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.” Isaiah 6:1-4

When the prophet Isaiah was given this vision of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the only way he could respond was in worship! There is only one who is truly worthy of our worship!

True worship takes place when we begin to discover the power, majesty, and mystery of God. True worship takes place when we realize all that God has done on our behalf through Jesus Christ. True worship nourishes our soul and leaves us longing for more.

Is this what worshiping God is like for you? Could it be that we have such a distorted picture of who God is and what He has done that our worship is apathetic and meaningless?

Perhaps it is time to reexamine your perspective of God. Perhaps it is time for you to dig deeper into His word and discover who He is and what He has done. Perhaps it is time for you to step out on faith and worship Him with all your heart and soul for He alone is worthy of our worship!

When I was growing up my dad used to tell me that “we will never know the impact we have made on people until we get to heaven.” His point in this was to remind us to live in such a way that we make an impact on others even if we don’t get to see the results or the final product in this life.

This past weekend Megan and I had the privilage of attending church in Columbia, SC with her parents at Shandon Baptist Church. Shandon is a church that is near and dear to us because it is the church we attended while in college, it is the church where we had our wedding, and it is the first place I was on a church staff after being called into full time ministry. I spent my first year in ministry working in the student ministry of Shandon.

After the worship service on Sunday I ran into the parents of one of my favorite students from my time in student ministry at Shandon. It was incredible to hear from them that their son is now married and expecting his first child (this makes me feel old!). They also told me that he is now working in full time ministry on a church staff. As they gave me the update on their son they said, “You will never know how great an impact you had on our son’s faith”. What an amazing thing to hear! There is no question in my mind that God is the one who created the impact, but I was reminded that He used me in the process!

One life can make a difference!

How would your life look different if you could see the way you are impacting people today? What would you say differently if you could see the long term power of your words? What would you do differently if you could see the affect of your actions on other people?

You are making an impact with the way you live. What kind of impact will you make? Will you live a life that makes a difference for eternity?

If only we knew….