Sailors, Saints, & Sinners

• Our weekly devotional, Rock Bridge Fuel is now online … and compatible with mobile browsers.  Check it out here.
• The countdown to launch Rock Bridge Chatsworth is ON … February 28th is the big day!!
• Rock Bridge PM (Thursday nights) continues to have great attendance and energy.  Every week I meet someone who works on the weekend and is now able to GO TO CHURCH!!
• We’ve got tons of people wanting to get into a small group right now.  This is so exciting because we believe a BIG part of our walk with God is walking consistently & intentionally together with other Christ-followers.
• I’m loving teaching our current series, Fool Proof.  The finale is this weekend … GREAT time to bring a guest because of what we’ll be discussing.
• Our next series will be called Jonah. We’ll be going through that amazing book … and it is much more than a story of a guy who got eaten by a really big fish
• Beth & I are cautiously, nervously exciting about our court date in Ethiopian court this Thursday.  We don’t have to be present and it may take a few days to find out the results.  Lots of variables at work — weather, road conditions, power outages, lot of paperwork, etc. etc.  The big thing is not passing court but court delays.  We are praying everything goes smoothly and this first date is the last date for us.
• Have a great week!!

“There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” –Proverbs 14:12

“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” –Proverbs 27:12

I did a little self-evaluation today, trying to be prudent and see how and when I get myself into trouble.  Very humbling exercise but hopefully it will prevent some suffering.

Here’s what I came up with … I get into trouble (mental, spiritual, relational, etc.) when …

• I forget God’s Word is powerful, sufficient, and true.
• I try to impress people.
• I try to prove myself to people.
• I let my emotions overrule my beliefs.
• I act like it all depends on me.
• I talk too much.
• I try to do important things or have meaningful conversations when I am hungry, angry, or tired.
• I am not still before God.

• It snowed … again!! Twice in the same month!!
• Had a great Elders meeting to kick-off the new year! Excited to have elders in place in Calhoun.
• Rock Bridge Chatsworth is getting rolling with “practice” services … and we actually had some 1st time guests!! The unofficial launch date is February 28th.
• Beth and I had an amazing time at Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, GA for Leadership Georgia.  Lots of learning with some great people from all over our state.
• Our Thursday night services continue to be well attended … with great energy and excitement.
• Praying hard that we pass court on February 11th!!
• Have a great week!!

Today another milestone in our adoption journey was reached — we have our court date!!  Our scheduled date is February 10th.  This is sooner than we anticipated

The purpose of court is for an Ethiopian judge to verify everything regarding the adoption process — paperwork, reasons for adoption, our qualifications to be adoptive parents, ethics, etc. etc.  If all the criteria are met and the judge is satisfied, then we are declared the legal parents of these two brothers!!

However, we keep reminding ourselves that lots of things can hinder the court’s verdict, everything from bad weather to incorrect paperwork.  So we are praying for a smooth process … and that we “pass” court on the first round.

Once we pass court, we are expecting to travel to pick them up within 4-6 weeks.  This means that if everything goes “smoothly” we could the boys home by the end of March!!

Thanks so much for the continued prayers and encouragement!

I think my favorite thing to do is to “try harder”.  I’m always striving to get better and constantly looking for ways to improve … so I work harder, pray longer, try and try again.  However, God is teaching me that this strategy is flawed and leads to frustration and failure.  Why?

Because God works by faith, not by works.  When I work, I compete with His work and negate faith.  God is honored and glorified by my faith, not my efforts.

The biblical strategy is to stop striving and start yielding to God.  Let God be God and respond to His work.  Here’s how this seems to be working itself out in my life:

• Instead of “working for” God, I “work with” God.  Big difference. When I work for God, He is like a boss that I can disappoint.  When I work with God, He is a partner and I seek to cooperate with His work in me and around me.
• I can busy or I can be in touch with God, never both.  God is not busy, He is God.  When I am in step with Him and yielding to His still, small voice, I am not rushed, busy, or anxious … I am fruitful, peaceful, and blessed.
• This does not mean I don’t put forth an effort or try or work.  It means my effort is in a direction He gives, in a cause He initiates, and in a plan He develops.

At least for me, the problem is rarely a lack of effort; it is normally a problem of failing to yield myself to God.

• Rock Bridge PM … once again we had to “move the curtain” to open more seats … I’m blown away!!
• The downside of “Rock Bridge PM” … I can’t figure out if it is morning or evening:
  • On Thursday night I was telling people, “Good morning“!!
  • This morning, I said, “Tonight!”
  • Hopefully, I’ll get it figured out
• The offering for Haiti Relief is approaching $20,000!!!  The “quick” generosity is awesome!!
• Rock Bridge Chatsworth officially starting practicing their set-up operation today!!! Get ready Murray County, here we come!!
• We’ve had some positive feedback on our “FUEL” devotional that is inserted into the weekly bulletin. We hope this helps get people into the Bible on a regular basis.  Email jay@rockbridge.cc with feedback.
• Beth & I are cleaning out our house to get ready for our future children!!  We have emptied 2 rooms and set-up a baby bed … I can’t believe I just typed that — there is going to be a BABY in my house FULL TIME … and he will be MY SON … WOW!!!!!!!!
• Have a great week!!

• What an incredible week … I stand amazed at God, at our volunteers, at our staff, and at our church.
• We launched Rock Bridge PM on Thursday night … had 297 seats in the Wink Theatre … wasn’t enough!!
  • We had numerous guests who work on the weekends saying, “Thank you … I can come to church now!”
  • People received Christ as their Lord & Savior
  • We thought Sunday attendance might be down as a a result of Thursday night … wrong!! It was up!!
• Gus Waters, our Chatsworth Campus Pastor, informed me that today might be his last day … in Dalton!! He’s hoping to start practicing set-up in Chatsworth as early as NEXT Sunday!!!  Things are happening!!
• We don’t have all the Haiti relief counted yet … but as of now over $6000 in cash (this does not include checks)!!  Blown away … we are being the church!!
  • We are going to send relief money down 3 avenues:
    • Water: people cannot live without water for long.  Safe, clean water is big need right now.  We will be helping fund efforts to build or rebuild 500 wells that can service 250,000.
    • Overall relief: medical, physical & spiritual — we plan to support Samaritan’s Purse’s efforts.  They are not only meeting physical and medical needs but they also have chaplains on the ground.  In one area they helped 21 people cross the line of faith and become Christians!!
    • Long-term missionary work: we are partnering with a missionary on the ground.  We will be traveling to work alongside him in a long-term partnership.
• Had a great meeting this week about forming a church planting alliance for the Atlanta-North Georgia area … this could be something really amazing for the kingdom and planting healthy churches.
• Beth & I really appreciate all the prayers and support and congratulations regarding our adoption.  Having names and pictures and a story is incredible.  Please keep praying because nothing is final or for certain yet.
  • Pray for a quick court date and pray that the legal process goes smoothly!
  • We’ve started cleaning up and clearing out their future bedroom and playroom

The news is filled with the disaster of a major earthquake literally destroying a large portion of Haiti.  The death and devastation are heartbreaking.

We have been talking “in theory” about increasing our missions efforts with three avenues: local impact, Great Commission partnerships, and Global Poverty (see “Rock Bridge and the World” blog post).  Interestingly enough one of our partnerships was shaping up to be with a Christian missionary in Haiti named “Ed”.  Ed has been posting through the night on Facebook about what he is witnessing and asking Christians around the world to pray.

We can move into action immediately (see James 4:17).  We have the ability to act to relieve suffering and provide hope.  Here’s our plan:

1) Pray.

2) Collect a special offering during our services this week. (including Thursday night).

• For checks write “HAITI RELIEF” on the memo line.
• All loose cash and loose change will be directed for Haiti relief.

3) Use a portion of our approved “missions” budget for Haiti relief.

• The funds collected from #2 & 3 above will go to help Ed provide relief in Haiti as well as to another Christian relief effort already working on the ground in the country.

4) A relief drive/effort for Haiti.

• We are not sure of the details yet but we are working to see how best to respond with specific supplies.
• We are hoping to send our initial, “advance” team into Haiti this Spring.

This Thursday we begin an unorthodox experiment.  We have prayed & prepared but I know ultimately the outcome is up to God (Proverbs 19:21).

We are being faithful to what God has called us as a church to do which is to connect people from all walks of life to life in Christ. And “all walks of life” includes the shift worker who can’t make church on Sundays, the weekend traveler who is often out-of-town, the college student, and anyone else who might otherwise be inclined not to come to church at the typical/traditional times.

This service is an offering to God to use as He sees fit.  I hope and pray it is for His glory.  I hope and pray that He will do more than I can ask for or imagine (Eph. 3:20-21).  I feel like Jonathan on his way to fight the Philistines as a severe underdog saying “Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf …” (I Samuel 14:6).

Because I want to pray specifically, here is my “Perhaps List” — the list of things that “perhaps” God will do as we take an unconventional step to share God’s amazing love with more people in NW Georgia:

• Perhaps God will bring hundreds of previously unchurched people to church … and they will discover the difference of Jesus Christ.
• Perhaps God will cause people to be more consistent in their church attendance as they have more opportunities to meet together and practice Hebrews 10:25.
• Perhaps God will raise up more people in the church to serve Him through the church (Luke 10:2).
• Perhaps God will raise the temperature for evangelism in our church … that we would be willing to risk, serve, pray, and labor for the salvation of others in our community (2 Timothy 2:10).
• Perhaps God will open another door for His message to go out (Colossians 4:3).
• Perhaps God will cause the message to spread rapidly & be honored by many (2 Thess 3:1).

Perhaps YOU or SOMEONE you invite will join us THIS Thursday at 6:30 pm in the Wink Theatre?

Last week we got a call from our adoption agency … a call we have been waiting on since we began this process one year ago.  The call was our “official referral” to adopt two orphaned brothers from Ethiopia!!

We have spent the past week looking at pictures and reviewing all the information provided to us about these children.  We have prayed, asked follow-up questions, talked to our families, and prayed some more.  AND today, we mailed our official acceptance, signifying our desire to adopt these brothers and bring them legally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually into our family.

The oldest brother is 3 years old; his younger brother is 4 months old.  We can hardly stop looking at their pictures, thinking about them, and praying for them … BY NAME!  We can’t wait to travel and bring them home

We cannot share much more (pictures, names, locations, etc.) at this time about them because of privacy and confidentiality agreements designed to protect children.

What happens now?

1. We get a court date.  In court an Ethiopian judge must legally make these children ours.  As of now, we do not have a court date but expect one sometime in February.  {Nothing is guaranteed until we pass court.}
2. Once we pass court, then we arrange travel to Ethiopia to pick them up.  The trip is about a week long and involves meeting the children, their caretakers, visiting birth relatives (if possible), and obtaining visas at the American Embassy.
3. PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE 2 BOYS and FOR US!!!