flatline...

Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears... Well it looks like I am about to give up the ghost again on this blog. I just wish I had the time, but in reality I feel like I just dont have the time to keep up with this blog as well as I would like to. It's hard letting go because I do have fun writing from time to time, but in reality I think my mediocrity is hurting both you and I. Me, because I hate doing something halfway. You, because you don't really get all of me if I am doing this halfway. So this is the last hoorah as I am going to take this thing off of life support. Thanks you few faithful folks!!! I love you and you have a special place in my heart... Cue trumpet playing taps... Peace

I know that I love to jam the hip-hop and rap. But today I want to show you another side of me. I love Fernando Ortega. This guy is my dawg. I think this is a great video and a great song. It was a tribute to Billy Graham's wife when she passed away in 2007. Be careful if you watch this because your eyes might start to leak. ;)

Fernando Ortega - Give Me Jesus from John Schroter on Vimeo.

Best be ready son 9.28.10

9.28.2010 Lecrae: Rehab... It's gonna be off the charts gooooooooood!!!

Saturday Night Musings

So I should be sleeping because tomorrow is the big day... We will be busy running around, making the magic happen. People will be juiced up and ready to go with coffee in hand and big smiles on their faces. The strings will be tuned and the messages will be prepped. The doughnuts will be fresh and the chairs will all be straight. The lights will be cued and the sound should be perfect. The computers will be buzzing and check-in will work without a hitch.

Sometimes it seems like its a well oiled machine, that doesn't need tuning. It runs in high gear and purrs like a kitten. But the truth is without God we don't have anything. It is all lights, smoke, and posing. Without the Holy Spirit we are just another production, almost like broadway or any local theater troupe. Without hearts that are in humble posture to the Almighty we are just another busy religious parody.

But I know with all of my heart that we are not that machine. The church will rise up tomorrow and in buildings all over central Florida God's name will be lifted up. See, we have been praying and are praying this very moment for God to be the center of our attention. We have put our whole hearts into what you see on Sunday. Not because we want it to be flashy, but because we to give God the best that we have. We do that every day you see. As long as He gives us strength we will push as hard as we can to just reach one lost soul. Because you know what, I was once that person. I still remember my "first" Sunday. And believe it or not, every Sunday is someone's "first" Sunday.

So no matter what you think, or believe, or hate, or love, or disdain about this thing we call "church". Please take a second to remember that it is God's church and Christ is the head of it. Christ loves the church and it really is the hope of the world. So before you cast judgment, or decide to sleep in because it's not worth it, remember that. Remember what is good, lovely, worthy, hopeful, joyful, wonderful about Christ's legacy in the world. Pray for her (the church) and go to your worship gatherings tomorrow with great gladness in your heart. Let's celebrate together what God has done, so we can go out and be the hope of the world 7 days a week.

great wisdom- D.A. Carson

"People do not drift toward Holiness...

Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith.

We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated."

----D.A. Carson

Please don't think for one moment, that when you cross the line to be a Christ-follower that the battle is over. In fact, it has just begun. You must realize it is our natural tendency to fall away from Grace. (many times because it's all we have known)

But we must remain diligent, putting on the things of God (Eph 6:10-11) that we can fight the good fight. So put up your dukes today and know that the battle belongs to the Lord!!!

mmmmmmm... salt...

Salt. I dont think about it much. I mean, I grew up in the south, which means you salt your food before you even taste it (and butter it). I remember one of the earliest phrases I learned was, "pass the salt". Why??? Because I like me some flavor!

I'm not one of these fitness fanatics that say food is just "fuel". Gas is fuel. Firewood is fuel. Food is my pleasure. That's why I want my food to taste good! In the gospel of Matthew 5:13 it says that WE (as Jesus people) are the salt of the earth.

If you are in Christ, you should have flavor. You flavor the world like salt flavors food. But think about it, you don't put chunks of salt on your plate. That would be weird!?! It would be like saying "Hey pass me the salt, I need to salt my big chunk of salt a little more..." Salt flavors the food. What this means is the food (the world) actually benefits from the salt's presence. It (salt) makes a difference...

You (are the salt) make a difference! If you are in Jesus, realize that he has put you where you are for a reason. You may be disgruntled, because you are in a harsh work situation, or a bad school, or a terrible carpool group, or a sketch neighborhood, etc. etc. But here is the real deal. If we are to live like Jesus, we need to be in these places, because we need to bring the God flavor (love, selflessness, hope...) to these areas. God has called us to be salt in a place that has lost it's true flavor.

Now, I'm not downplaying that it is hard to live in contexts that don't seem to put God first. It is a high calling to take up our cross. But who can snatch us from His loving care? If God is for us who can be against us? If we are in Christ that is the ultimate prize.

Even if we die. He is worth it...

Now, go out and share the flavor!!!

Video I have been jamming lately...

Hey family. I have decided to add a new page to the blog. If you look over to the right you will see different menus and one of those is "Read More". I know there are some of you out there that love to see what's new in gospel rap music and I will try my best to update this from week to week (or so). If you look on that menu, you can select, "Video I have been jamming lately" and it will take you to a page with one of my favorite videos that I have been getting crunk on. So definitely check it out and get your jam on!!!

Trip Lee- Between Two Worlds - June 22

I am a super-huge fan of Reach Records. One of the artists on this label is Trip Lee. Now if you haven't heard yet, this guy is so legit. I love his rhymes and beats, but better yet I love his heart for Jesus and The ministry. I promise you, if you want to listen to some uplifting and challenging tunes, this will be a great buy--June 22!!! Peace

sharing in His suffering

Recently I read a passage from the Bible that I have put up on my white board. It comes from Philippians 3. You can read it HERE.

Like any other scripture I was trying to learn, I wanted God to teach me more about what that means. Wow. Not so smart on my part ;). Here's the dealy. I was expecting hardship, or pain, or drama. But no. I have been learning that one aspect to the fellowship of sharing in His suffering, and being like Christ, is on this side of heaven we will constantly be misunderstood.

You might be like, "Why is that suffering?" But look at it this way. Jesus was misunderstood by almost everyone He came in contact with. People were constantly sifting His "motives", Jesus was constantly under the microscope, Jesus was always being misjudged, misunderstood and especially, misquoted. Could you imagine being 100% completely right/holy (because your... duh! GOD) and people still not believe you? Or believe what you say? Or believe your motives? How frustrating must that have been for Him in many ways?

Now Jesus is God, and also Jesus was perfect, therefore He is blameless no matter what. I say this because even as Christ-followers we are all subject to the fall, so the point Im trying to make is my suffering is not exactly the same as God being misunderstood, but I digress.

Back to the point of the post... Have you ever been misunderstood? Have you ever had words put in your mouth? It hurts. It is heart-wrenching, especially when you care about the people involved. And I think the worst place for this can be in the church. Many times people (I am chief of sinners here) only see something from their limited perspective and are quick to throw up hands (either to fight or to give up). Both sides can actually be misunderstood. This too is part of the problem of the fall.

But I think as a Christian, it's going to be a given in our life to be misunderstood many times. I think this is one of the parts of the "fellowship of the suffering". This side of heaven is NOT perfect. We all fail, and we all fall short. And I guess the bottom line is many people will hold you up to a stringent standard, but not expect that from themselves.

So be it. I learned/am learning a hard lesson about being part of the fellowship of His suffering. So I have to praise Him in both good and bad. I trust that God will work all things to His end and for His glory. But this is a hard fact of life, it might not be on this side that we see that work out. But again, glory be to God.

Great is thy faithfulness... PART2

so anyways... back to the story...

So God specifically told me that I needed to go to Orlando. I whined for about a day and finally made the call to cancel my plans to Germany and reroute myself to Orlando for the summer. Well... a quick snag. It was too late to get financed for the trip to Orlando, because it was about two weeks away. (It's a long story, but you have this big process you go thru with IMB/NAMB to get funded for your summer trip as a student... yada yada... long time)

So I think, "well God, looks like this confirms it! I gotta go to Germany!" Boy was I relieved! After all, following God is very rational, because we serve a very rational and practical God. Obviously, there was no way to get to Orlando. Right???

Right. There was no way to pay to get myself to Orlando. But I heard God tell me. "That's where I want you to GO."
Damn. I was cornered. I had a little savings and not much else. Now this is the time where you usually hear... "Then this random check came in the mail for $2000, and God paid for the whole trip, because what God orders, He pays for!!! Glory Halle---"

No... Didn't happen.

If you wouldnt mind going with me to this verse, Matthew 13:44 Did you read it? I'll be here when you get back, just click the link, or pull out your Bible.

I had to empty my pockets to go to Orlando. I had nothing... I went for it, because I KNEW God was telling me to go. Just like you are reading the words on this page God was speaking into my heart so that later (even now 10 years later) HE would receive GLORY. God was preparing a story that would put the spotlight on Him and His son.

So I recall feeling a little sick to my stomach that I had no money left. I paid for my flights and was hoping I could make it the whole summer on what was ultimately a "faith" budget. (When you have nothing it really is a "faith" budget. lol) I still remember boarding the plane and taking the first leg of the flight to ATL. I just couldn't believe I had missed the trip of a lifetime to Germany!!!
* * *

As I write this I realize there is a heck of a WHOLE lot about that summer that went on to change my life, my view of God, and my heart. But one of the biggest things that happened, was that I met my wife. Her story about coming to Orlando, was just about the same. She was reluctant, almost disappointed to be going to Orlando. She thought "Whats in Florida!?!?"

This week 10 years ago I saw my wife for the first time. I still remember seeing her for the first time. I was devastated by her beauty... I had never seen a person more beautiful in my life. I couldn't even start up a decent conversation with her when I first talked to her. It was an EPIC FAIL.

But then God reminds me that it's not my business to worry about making my own way, but to trust HIM. So I knew that since God was a rational, practical and sensible God, that I had a snowball's chance in hell to date this girl. So I needed to get over it. But something in the deep back of my heart trusted God. Obviously since the title of the last two posts is not "how everything is really sucky.." you know that this gorgeous Jesus-follower became my bride. Despite myself, God found a way for Kim to actually see what God sees in me. She loves me. She loves me so hard. We are best friends. And it's all Jesus' fault.

So please don't tell me what God can't do.

I am the son of a Mexican migrant worker who only ever knew toil and poverty. My mother and I were beaten by her first husband. I grew up in a trailer, and lived below the poverty line most of my life. I remember times that there was only beans to eat. But God was with me then...

I grew up with horrible self-esteem problems, and ran to every known thing to quench the pain of this life. I got drunk when I was 13. I wanted to kill myself daily. I was depressed more than any teenager should ever be. I smoked weed and lusted heavily in high school. But God was with me then...

I had a full ride to school, but failed out my first year. I was desperate and lonely. I drank very heavily. I had to work my tail off for the 7 years while going to school. I didn't think I had what it took to make it.But God was with me then... (and I was the first person in my whole family tree to graduate from college.)

God was, is, and will remain faithful. You may not believe in God, especially in His son Jesus. But I ask you, look at my life! Look at what He has done. I am a damned mess, but He has taken this mess and found a way to bring beauty, joy, rightness, goodness, wonder, passion and hope through his son Jesus. I have so many reasons to point to Jesus, because HE IS LIFE!!!

It was my first year in college when I heard Jesus call me. I cried out to Him, and He heard me. Now 15 years later, here I am...

Great is thy faithfulness... PART1

You may not know me, but thru this blog. Or you may know me in real life. I'm not sure why you decided to stop by, but I'm glad you did.

Today I want to talk about God's faithfulness. Last night I was thinking about how God has brought my wife and I along on a crazy ride. The funny thing is it hadn't hit me much until last night... Why, maybe because I have been so busy lately? Maybe because God decided to pull back the curtain for a second? I dont know. But in this moment I was overwhelmed by a rush of gratefulness like I have never felt...

I wept out loud. Hard. I made those weird choking sniffle gulping squeaky sounds while crying! It was in that moment that I remembered that 10 years ago this week God moved my life right where it needed to be. So ten years ago I was slated to be a student summer missionary to Germany. I was going to kick it on the beach the whole summer and do "american clubs" (not sure why "american club" would be a good idea, but that's another story) with teens that came to visit the beach. I was STOKED. I love working with teens and I just imagined myself playing the guitar on the beach and chillin all summer with German kids who needed Christ. How SICK is THAT!?!?

Back at home I was working as a janitor at the Baptist Student Center. I would go in late at night/morning and clean, vacuum, sing to myself really loudly ;p. I was cleaning off the desk for the BCM director (who btw is still one of my good friends, he is now @ Rice) and I happened to see this loose page that was actually a plea for male student summer missionaries in Orlando, FL. It really was that a PLEA, because this was for people who wanted to work with children and lame stuff like pool ministry...

Anyways... This is one of the most distinct times I ever sensed God telling me. "THAT's where I want you to go this summer."

WHAT?!? I was not happy. In fact I tried to rationalize that it was just all in my head. Why would GOD tell me that? I was almost on my way overseas (which at the time I was certain was my future). Why the junk would you call me to Orlando???

"To-NOT-Do List"

Do you find yourself spinning too many plates? How do you feel at the end of the day? At the end of the week?

At Grace Fellowship, we have been going through a series entitled "balanced". In this series we have learned that many times we have so many "things" in our lives that call out for our attention. Many times we are not really sure why we do all these things, but we do them anyway. A nice little house. Kids on a nice little soccer team. A nice little boy scout troup. A nice little gymnastic class. A nice little science fair. A nice little country club membership. Pretty soon, it goes from "nice little" to "friggin' killing me you evil horrible big" schedule/life.

So STOP it...

God is calling you to Him...

I give you permission to take a few seconds and create a "To (NOT) Do List"
Pause.
Pray.
Think.
Listen.

What is God asking you to let go of?

What I want you to do is write it down. What is the thing that you need to stop doing???

Write it down, and then put a due date by it (when you will STOP doing this):
Is it too many soccer games? STOP...
Too much overtime/sacrificing family time? STOP...
Trying to keep up with the neighbors? STOP...

I'm fighting with several things now in my life that must be given to God. Trust me, it's hard to do. But we need to. Today.

Glory to God: Zac's story

A few weeks ago I taught a message that was about "being ready". I wanted to teach that no matter what circumstances you go through, if you make one God decision after another, you will be ready for whatever life brings. I believe this is true with all my heart. Just take one step toward Jesus at a time and He will do the rest.

This video is about a man named Zac, who worked at NewSpring Church in South Carolina. He served in the IT department at this church. A year later he came down with cancer. He passed away yesterday after battling with cancer for the last part of his life. But Im sure everyone that knew him could tell you that he loved and lived for God. He lived well. This is his story.

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Easter Extravaganza!!!

Just wanted to give a shout out to all the volunteers that came through for Easter @gracefellowship! You guys rocked it out and many people took their 1st step toward Christ this past weekend! Everything went so well and it is all you! Way to SERVE teams!!!

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

Seriously stoked about our new series called, "On the Lot". We are going to be discussing one of my most cherished things in the faith. The Bible.

Wait. I know what you're thinking. The Bible, at church...? Wow you dug deep for that one! But I would venture to say many of us would agree that this is a difficult area to discipline ourselves in. Whether this is your 50th year as a Christ servant or first 5 minutes or even if you don't believe in God, we can all agree that the Bible has been an important book throughout history. But in this series, we will challenge you to go beyond just words, sentences, ink and binding.

We are going to discuss what it means for the scriptures to COME ALIVE in your life.

We want to help your student understand what the heck it means to take the Scriptures in and live them out in 2010.

This week we are starting off in the Psalms and are going to take a fresh look at the "Mt. Everest of Psalms" Psalm 119. So you won't wanna miss it :).>

Personal Psalm of Lament

Why? Why do we do it? When faith in Jesus seems absurd? When we have more questions than answers? When everyone that goes their own way seems to triumph.

They have fat wallets, fat jets, fat watches and fat rings. Pleasure shares their bed and Gluttony washes any sorrow from their face. They laugh at us from afar and say, "Where is your god? If he were real why do you toil? I say "grow" and my pile of gold doubles. You see a building and cannot take it. I could buy the building for my dog to sleep in."

It seems as if their hands are almost on any prize that they seek. It is within their grasp. Many are crushed under their heel. They are free to do as they please. They are proud. Men bow down to them, and look in envy.

When I look at our work, is it much to regard? We work all day long. Consumed with the concern for our flock. A flock that disregards and goes its own way, but we run after it. We pursue it. Although it scatters we work to mend our fences. But we are soon divided. We strive between tending the flock and reaping the fields full of grain. Will there be no more to help?

Then I hear the voice of the ONE. It splits my bones and melts me like wax in a fire. I become as a liquid under YOUR rebuke. Why do I doubt YOU? YOU make the sun rise and fall. YOU give the stars their home under YOUR roof. Earth's riches are but a trinket. A small charm on the wrist chain of the least person in YOUR Kingdom. At the sound of YOUR voice the clouds retreat. The earth splits open and bears its interior. It too is afraid of YOUR voice. In the same way as the earth splits open you will crush the wicked. They will be revealed and laid bare before the NAME. Those that cast no regard in YOUR direction will stand and give account.

I bow down and YOUR fire rains down upon my life as a cleansing flood. I trust YOU. YOUR rebuke is better than 10,000 kisses from my lover. YOU will see YOUR work done during this time. At YOUR command YOU bring living water from stone. Nothing is too hard for YOU. So I will praise THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES. In YOUR NAME is hope and YOUR NAME is good. I will praise YOU, because YOU have delivered me from stumbling. YOUR GLORY shines above the earth.

AMEN

A good and gentle reminder for today...

one of the best...

Here is one of the best messages I have ever heard preached. This message was delivered to seminary students at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary this past year. The preachers name is Matt Chandler and he is teaching pastor at the Village. If you have ever aspired to be in the ministry or are currently in the ministry, I implore you to listen. Even if you are not, this message still will stir something in you. If not you're probably dead. ;)

Lucky # 7

This Sunday our church fellowship is going to be 7 years old!!! We are going to have a crazy awesome party next Sunday, plus you are going to hear some great vision God has given us for the future!!!

So you definitely don't wanna miss out on the festivities next Sunday, because it is going to be sweet!

I am so thankful for our volunteers. Week in and week out you guys give up so much to help make us who we are @Gracefellowship. But especially @GraceSTUDENTS! This weekend is made for you as well. So come JOIN THE PARTY!!!

See you Sunday Feb 7th!