andy's blog

2012-01-19T09:21:00.002-05:00

Last night as I was brainstorming for a message my daughter Maggie walked in the door from a Young Life meeting. She was telling me about someone that came to the meeting who was totally fired up about Jesus. It got Maggie fired up hanging out with this person. The fire was catching!

After Maggie ran off to the kitchen and grabbed some leftovers from dinner, I began thinking about my message I asked God, "Can you give me a pill that would make me fired up about you like that?" God showed me that we are either in the race or not. If anyone has ever done cross country or ran long distance you know that the race is long and there are amazing times in a race where you are euphoric and excited and there are times where you are just trying to push through. What can we do to get fired up?

1. Engage! Get in the race!

2. Be in fellowship with other believers that are encouraging you in your daily walk with God. (Think of how Maggie was fired up because she came in contact with someone who was fired up at the meeting!)

3. Spend time with God. (The kid that was fired up just came back from a retreat.)

4. Share with others what God is revealing to you!

This weekend at Crossroads we are beginning a series called "Thrive Not Just Survive". Come Sunday morning and get in the game!

-Pastor Andy

2012-01-12T15:03:00.000-05:00

God did some miraculous things in our midst during the Christmas season here at Crossroads. We were so blessed to be able to share the Good News with many people that needed to know that there is Hope, and that God has not forgotten them and neither has the church.

I can hardly believe that 2012 is here! It seems like just yesterday our launch team was praying and fasting in my basement in North Stafford seeking God to see if it was His will to launch a new ministry. I look back and marvel at how God put together a team that has stood by in good times and bad to see this church become a reality. God has blessed this ministry and we have seen God provide to get us to where we are. My encouragement to you today is to pray that God will continue to provide resources so that we can make a big deal about Jesus this year.

We've had ten services and already we have seen God's hand in touching people's lives. We answered the call to start a church and He provided for us a place to meet right in downtown Fredericksburg. Thank you Jesus! God was looking for a place that His Spirit can reside and His impact is already being felt in our neighborhood, the surrounding area and beyond! Since October we have identified local and global missions to seed into financially. I am most excited however for all those that have started attending Crossroads on a regular basis. God is growing the church in a lot of different ways but mostly through the common bond we all share through Jesus Christ. It is my heart that we continue to reach out to those who are in need so that they can see the salvation of the Lord. Micah 6:8 says:

"...The LORD has told you what is good,and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." What is our mission at Crossroads? To be an authentic community of Christ Followers. We are sinners saved by God's grace and we are desiring to show people that the church can be real, relavant and relational. Our desire is to provide a place for God's presence to reside and that we go for God with everything we have and bring as many people alongside us as possibile.

Keep us in your prayers as we continue to answer the call that God has on our lives!

Twitter Insight

2011-12-14T10:55:00.000-05:00

This morning I had my cup of coffee and read through my devotions. I read a couple of meaningful verses so I decided to share them on Twitter and put #comforting at the end of both tweets. It got me thinking so I did a search on #comforting. Here's some of the responses I found.

"Mrs. Smith is the best counselor ever." #comforting
"Sometimes a hug is all you need." #comforting
"Can somebody vox me I want to hear a familiar voice." #comforting
"I really miss what I used to have with my dad, but it was nice talking to him today when I was stressed out." #comforting
And the picture above was a photo that was tagged, you guessed it, #comforting
And I especially loved this one, "Just checking in real quick" http://tinyurl.com/bltdg3j ...okay good." #comforting

People are looking to be comforted. And people will go to great lengths to feel comforted. They want to know that there is something constant in their life and even when things do change they long for the constant to return.

There is only one constant in this world. "The Lord your God goes with you; he will NEVER leave you nor FORSAKE you" (Deuteronomy 31:5 NIV). #comforting

Some of us look to counselors, a physical touch, a phone call, a reuniting of what was a good relationship with your father, and even checking in to see that the blog that boasts the same picture day after day is still up and running. It's good to feel comfort in the midst of struggle. My prayer for you this morning is that you will turn to God in your time of need and receive from Him the love that you are craving today. He's truly a comfort in our time of need.

"The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life" (Psalm 121:7 NLT). #comforting

Thankful? Yes, Yes I Am

2011-11-22T10:39:00.001-05:00

"Let us genuinely give thanks to the one continues to give and bless." -Derrel Emmerson

Pastor Derrel was and is a major influence in my life. I grew up listening to his sermons, sometimes more attentively than others! He is a faithful man of God and is always reminding me of God's blessings in our lives.

This is Thanksgiving week and many of us are rushing around trying to get last minute items for the big feast! I saved the day for our big feast. We were so busy with things that we almost forgot to take the bird out to thaw! I can't take complete credit for that because my sister in law, Maria put a Facebook update that she took her bird out yesterday! Thanks, Maria!

This morning I thought of all the amazing things that God has done to show me his faithfulness in my family and the Crossroads church family. Crossroads has now been holding Sunday services for four weeks. We have an amazing volunteer staff that has been doing an incredible job getting to the church at 8:30am and setting up. God has truly blessed us and I am truly thankful for each person on the team!

There is a moment right before the service starts. We all get together to pray for those coming to the service that day. It's a short prayer usually. But what that prayer does for me is amazing. We all have been running around setting up and making sure that things are ready. The prayer is that pause before the start of the service, nursery, and children's church. That moment is a constant reminder why we are here every Sunday morning. It's that time that I invite Him to come. It's the point when I recognize we are here to worship Him! It's the time that I let everything else go and pray that our human preparation plus the presence of the Holy Spirit will come together and we will see God's salvation that morning!

"He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer" (Psalm 102:17 KJV).

Be Thankful!

Thankful Heart

2011-11-04T09:33:00.000-04:00

Last week was a beautiful weekend in spite of the rain, sleet and snow! Our fall festival was a success, not because we got our name out in our little neighborhood, but because we were faithful in the little things. God says in his word that if we are faithful in the little things he will give us bigger things. (my paraphrase) I've been around churches all my life and I love the stage that Crossroads Church of Fredericksburg is at. After our fall festival was over and we had washed the last pan and cleaned up the last crumb on the floor, we all got together in a circle and prayed. We prayed that the seeds that were sown and we prayed for people to come to Jesus in our generation. Afterward, we looked at each other and realized that we'd never forget this day! What happened on Saturday spilled over into Sunday morning at our first service and here it is Friday and I'm still marveling!

Have you lost that joy? Do you wish you could be a part of what God is up to where he's planted you? Look around! Be thankful and ask God to use you right where you are at. Join in where God is at work! And if you want to join a church where God is at work, come visit us at CCF this Sunday morning @ 1915 Charles Street @ 10AM in Old Town Fredericksburg!

-Pastor Andy

Conversation

2011-10-20T09:24:00.000-04:00

"Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone"(Colossians 4:6 NLT).

Have you ever been around someone who seems to say just the right thing at just the right time? And when they do talk they attract people when they start talking?

Knowing God has been so gracious in our lives we should show grace in our conversations with others. If our conversations are sprinkled with grace it's hard to be critical. It's hard to be unpleasant. And what does it mean to be attractive? Do I use a lot of big words with people to make my conversation attractive? I looked up attractive in the Greek and in this case it means, "seasoned with salt". We should choose to work grace into all of our conversations and we should choose our words carefully asking God for wisdom so that we can respond in a Godly way to every situation.

Prayer: Lord let us be led by your spirit, speaking the truth in such a way that is going to promote life change in us and the people around us.

Amazing Grace

2011-10-18T16:50:00.000-04:00

October 18, 2011

16 This is what the LORD says:
“Stop at the crossroads and look around.
Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.
Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.
But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’

During my devotional time this afternoon, God reminded me not to forget that assurance I received so many years ago. My relationship with Christ began at a tender age of 7. Yes, 7. I learned about the work of the cross when an evangelist was speaking at our little Baptist Church one Sunday night. He shared the story of the cross and he said, "And he did all this for you!" As a 7 year old I immediately understood the sacrifice that was made for me and I was compelled by that. I went home and couldn't stop thinking about it and I asked Christ into my life in my room that night. I remember the feeling of complete peace that surrounded me.

Fast forward a few years later when I entered High School. I was trying to walk down a path that didn't include Christ. I was the one that was saying, "No, that's not the road I want!" I won't lie to you. I had some great times when I wasn't following Christ. But there was always this constant battle that was going on in my life. I was riding the fence so to speak and definitely was being torn in two directions, until that moment I stopped and took stock of what I was doing and decided I was going to jump in with both feet. No more riding the fence, I was going to follow the path that God had laid out for me.

40 years later I still need to be reminded not to forget His amazing power to save. I need to take a moment and remember the peace that flooded my room that night so long ago.

Take a moment today and thank God for His Amazing Grace.

-Pastor Andy

Monday Morning Quarterbacking

2011-10-17T14:38:00.001-04:00

Good Monday Morning!

It's week three of our 30 day challenge at Crossroads. We have challenged and encouraged each other to read the Bible for 30 minutes, pray for 30 minutes, write down God's revelation, AND share Christ with one person that week. Fortunately, in order to make this happen we have accountability partners who are calling each other on a daily basis to encourage each other. The testimonies have been awesome and we are seeing God at work in our lives and the lives of others around us.

All of us have a story. Facebook, Tweet, Blog, and get on the City and share what God is up to!!! I'm looking forward to seeing what God will do when we read His love letter to us, talk with Him and share what God is doing in our lives with someone this week! It's amazing what can happen when God joins together a community of believers and works in and through them to bring God's light to a neighborhood, community, city, a nation and the world. The light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home.

Prayer: Lord let your word come alive in our lives and the lives of those around us.

"And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47 NLT)

-Pastor Andy

2011-10-12T09:26:00.000-04:00

11 Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;save them as they stagger to their death.12 Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.”For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew (Proverbs 24:11,12 NLT).

I love to read novels by John Grisham. Recently I read "The Confession" which is about a man who walks into the office of a pastor and confesses to a grisly murder and tells the pastor that another man is about to be wrongly executed for the crime that he committed. The pastor has a choice. He either gets involved and tries to stop the execution or he looks the other way and does nothing. It is a very compelling story and there are many twists and turns but the Big Picture is what this pastor does. He violates the murderers parole and goes on a journey that will change his life forever.

As I read Proverbs this morning that novel came to my mind. I thought about what would have happened if the Pastor walked away from the situation and didn't act. In verse 12 of Chapter 24 in Proverbs it says that the people say, "we didn't know". But the Lord who guards your soul knows you knew.

As I searched my heart this morning I thought of a young man that came to me for help. He needed something. I was busy getting ready for a meeting and almost said, please come back later but God prompted me to listen to his story. As I did my heart was compeled to act. After the service I shared with him from what we had. I listened to God's prompting. As you go about your day today ask God to open your eyes. Each of us are leaving a legacy. What is the legacy that you are leaving?

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:40).

2011-10-11T11:50:00.000-04:00

Good Tuesday Morning to You!

This is day 9 for me in the 30 day challenge and I am amazed at how God is using the Holy Spirit to bring understanding as I read. It does come alive! I am finding that the Words on the page that I am reading really are applying to the situations I have encountered in the past few days.

Today I read in Isaiah that God's arm is not too short and his hearing is good so when we cry out to him he will hear us. Then I turned to Philippians and it says, "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns" (Phil. 1:6 NLT).

This pursuit of God is a daily routine, but don't let it become routine! Ask God to bring the Word that you read alive today! Embrace it, Obey it, and let it change you into the person God has designed you to be.

"The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet; it runs after me; it has hands; it lays hold of me."

-Martin Luther

2011-10-08T20:17:00.001-04:00

It's the end of the first week of the 30 day challenge and already I am seeing how it has revolutionized my prayer time and time in the Word. My outlook towards those around me have changed dramatically.

True story: So, I am getting towards the end of my week and I am really praying to ask God to show me who to share my faith with this week. If anyone knew what was going on in my brain while going about my day they probably would have thought I was a bit crazy. I would look at people and literally ask God is this the one I am supposed to share with! I got home from a particularly crazy day of substitute teaching and God was speaking to me to pray specifically. So I prayed a quick prayer that God would lead me to someone to help along their discipleship journey with Christ. As I did that I found myself in a conversation with an old friend that had moved out of the area and moved back recently. My friend told me that reconnecting with God was hard and that he was fearful because he had walked away from God. I shared with him that God's arms are always open and that He always welcomes us back. We started talking and in that process God gave me some things for him to do to reconnect.

As I finished that conversation I walked away with such an amazing feeling of joy! There is nothing like asking God to use you and then having the Holy Spirit present the situation in such a simple amazing way.

Prayer: Thanks God for using this 30 day challenge to help me to think of others before myself. Help me to be led by your Spirit every day and lead people into relationship with you.

2011-10-07T00:39:00.002-04:00

This morning God showed me during my prayer time that I need to pray specifically. I need to let him know exactly what my needs are and ask others to pray along with me. Yesterday, I shared this with accountability partner and he prayed for something that I shared with him. This morning without going into detail, God answered that prayer! It's amazing to see how God wants to interact with our everyday lives. He cares about even the smallest details of our lives.

http://bible.us/Ps17.7.NIV

2011-10-05T09:02:00.002-04:00

“I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is good for you
and leads you along the paths you should follow. (Isaiah 48:17NLT).

I read this scripture in Isaiah andbelieve it is for you. This morningI am believing that God is the one that teaches us what is good and thatHe will lead us where we should go. Simple, but true. He is a faithful God, and He shows us His faithfulness to us over and over in His word.

Prayer: Father I pray that you would show us your path and make it clear to us. I pray that you would reveal yourself through scripture and that through your Holy Spirit you would reveal to us your perfect plan for our lives.

2011-10-04T10:05:00.001-04:00

Read in the Word 30 minutes a day.
Pray 30 minutes a day
Journal: Write down what God shows you in your prayer and reading time
Share Christ with one person each week
Hold another person accountable to these things on a daily basis.

My blog for the next thirty days is to chronicle this challenge. I want to share with you the effects of this discipline and hopefully you will be encouraged to go deeper in your relationship with God.

October 3

This morning I woke up and walked across the hallway to the office and opened my laptop and turned to http://www.youversion.com (The Bible). I turned to the one year Bible devotional and read Isaiah 44:3 http://bible.us/Isa44.3.NLT which says, 3 For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children. Now when I woke up this morning I was thinking and praying because one of the comments that someone in our church made to me was that he was feeling dry spiritually. I immediately emailed him this scripture and thought how cool it was that in less than two minutes of devotional and prayer time that God opened my eyes to see how this scripture could speak life to someone who was asking God to quench their spiritual thirst.

Prayer: Father I pray that you would quench our thirst every time we sit down and pray and read your Word. Thank you that it's life to those who listen and most importantly, help us to apply it to our daily lives.

Wisdom: Get some

2011-09-12T09:34:00.002-04:00

I was reading my devos this morning and was reading from two amazing books written by Solomon, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. Now we know that Solomon was a man. A powerful man because of his position of King. His father was King David, man after God's own heart and mom was Bathsheba. So, Solomon was probably a good looking guy who hopefully loved God as much as his dad. He was smart too. He asked for wisdom and he got it.

The great thing for us living in the 21st century is the fact that he didn't just keep all this wisdom to himself or his people. God used Solomon to share wisdom with people throughout the ages. Recommendation? Ask for wisdom and read a Proverb a day. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs so you can read the whole book in a month if you read one chapter a day.

"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse." http://bible.us/Phil4.8.MSG

Who Will Be The Chosen Ones

2011-08-09T17:32:00.002-04:00

Well, football season is upon us. The NFL lock out has ended and we are all putting our hopes and dreams in our favorite teams. Wouldn't it be awesome if your team took a ride to the play-offs and maybe even the super bowl?

Sports stories are always moving to me. I watched the NFL channel's biography on the Sharp brothers and saw the rags to riches story. The drive that was in Shannon Sharpe enabled him to be one of the chosen few to enter into the Hall of Fame this past weekend. But if someone hadn't looked his way, if someone hadn't given him a chance at a small school, we might never had seen that amazing tight end that wowed us with his amazing presence on the gridiron. Someone gave him a chance.

One of my favorite football movies is The Blind Side which is the story about Michael Oher. Here is a boy full of promise in the gifting department, but he had so much against him. Until one day, when someone took him into their family and called him their own. It reminds me how all of us that have believed are adopted into the family of God. We all have been created by God. We all have gifts and talents that He's given us. But we were born into a sinful world and that isn't something you can just shake off. Thank God we had a loving Father who sacrificed His son on a cross so that we might have eternal life and be able to enter into a relationship with God.

Yes, I'm a sucker for a good football story of the one kid that made it to the big leagues. And I'm also eternally grateful for the chance that God gives all of us if we accept the gospel and turn our lives over to the Father. It gives me peace knowing that He is the God above all other gods and has the power over life and death. That same God that created the universe invites us to be a part of His family. Won't you join Him? Won't you step into the blessings that God has for you today?

-Pastor Andy

Community, we need it...

2011-06-27T09:52:00.000-04:00

Four years ago, I went to Indonesia with Sean Feucht and shared an amazing trip of ministering to churches, and worshiping God and igniting a movement that is still going on today. I had never met the majority of the team members until I arrived there. We were on the island of Bali.

One afternoon after I ate lunch with Sean, and the guys got together and surfed (I tried to!) the waves of Bali. That evening I sat on the beach that evening and watched the sun set. I remember a profound feeling of enjoyment of God's creation but there was something missing. I missed sharing this experience with my wife Missy. I promised myself if I ever got back to Southeast Asia I would bring Missy with me to share the experience. As amazing as the experience of that trip was, it's nothing if you aren't able to share the experience with someone that you love and care about. We need community with others.

God created us. And when he did he said it was good. In fact after he spent a week creating all this cool stuff he looked at it and said that it was very good! Until he saw Adam and said, "It is not good for man to be alone, I will provide a helper that is just right for him (Gen. 2:20NLT).

Adam had everything. He had a perfect relationship with God, the task of caring for the garden of Eden. If that was me? I would do my job, enjoy the presence of the Lord and that would have been a great life! But God saw that something was missing. A relationship with someone he can share life with.

Church should be like this. We need each other. We need to share the amazing experience of our relationship with God with others. God understood that we needed this community from the very beginning. Share life with others today. Join in where God is at work and grab a friend to come alongside and join in the mission.

Acts Kinda Church

2011-06-21T08:37:00.000-04:00

Is your church enjoyable? Do you go to church with an expectation that God is going to do something amazing? Do you regularly bring friends that don't know Christ to church because miraculous things are happening?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to experience an Acts 2 Holy Spirit moment at your church? Think of having new believers added to your church each week. Some of us pastors are already thinking, "I need to revamp my assimilation process if that happened...I need to start more discipleship groups and I need to get more volunteer staff to provide for this new influx of believers!" What a tremendous problem to have!

47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47NLT).

According to verse 47 people couldn't contain their enthusiasm. They praised God. And it was fun! It was enjoyable to be around other believers! After that initial meeting in Acts 3000 people came to Christ. These weren't re-dedications, these were first timers! And literally thousands more turned their lives over to Christ.

What if we went out of our way to live our lives in such a way that would be contagious to the non-believer? Let's face it. If you are a believer you have what everyone else is searching for to fill that God shaped hole. What would happen if we asked the Holy Spirit to show up in miraculous ways to bring glory to God our Father?

I am challenging myself to reach out to someone this week that needs Jesus. Let's see God's name glorified and watch what happens when we do!

It's a Wonderful Life

2011-05-28T01:46:00.000-04:00

Last night, I took Zach to his soccer game. The game started and the other team had only a few players. I watched a team of five kids move the ball with great precision and actually scored a goal on our team! Finally other players showed up so we could play a full team on each side.

Zach played hard all game. He had a dozen shots on goal. Every one of the shots came so close, and finally at the very end of the game he scored a goal.

Two things I took away from this fantastic game. Zach's opponents played short at the beginning, but because their passing was so precise they were able to move the ball down the field and eventually score. Even if your playing short, stay in the game. Where two are three are gathered in His name he is there also! Remember that!

Also, I thought about Zach. He did not give up. It was hot, he was tired, but he kept running. We need to set our sites toward the goal and even when we don't hit the mark, we need to get back up and keep trying!

Be encouraged, church! Be a light to someone today, even if you've been rejected a thousand times over. Share Jesus with someone today. Today may be the day that will make a difference for the rest of their lives.

Go For Launch Part II

2011-05-17T14:48:00.001-04:00

In this pic by a NJ woman, is a unique view from an airplane capturing the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor. What an amazing shot of the shuttle bursting through the clouds and into the sunshine on it's way to space.

I am excited to say that the launch of Crossroads Church is underway. We have planted a seed, and we are watering it and watching it grow. In the beginning there were many questions whether or not this was where God wanted us to be. Even after God gave us the "go for launch" we still felt like we were under a blanket of clouds. This past weekend though, I felt as if we have risen above the clouds just like this picture. I know that we are in the infancy stages and we have much to learn still about church planting, but there is a feeling that we are on our way. There is forward movement.

Last week we talked about how God has given us many gifts. In Ephesians 4:12 we see that the reason for these gifts is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. We realized that no matter whether you are a worshiper, teacher, graphic designer, web designer, financial planner, entrepreneur, or pastor, God has given you those gifts, and those gifts are to be used for the work of ministry and for the building up of the body of Christ. Fortunately, God has surrounded us with a bunch of families that have that heart to use their gifts to launch this church.

As we looked at the word "equip" we found out that the word comes from a verb in Greek that means "to mend". We are to share the word of the Lord through our gifts to mend the body of Christ.

As a pastor sometimes the first thing you ask when you are hanging out with other pastors is, how many people did you have last week at your service. What we don't ask is how many people were mended or equipped for service last week. God desires that we raise up a church of leaders that are using their gifts to mend or equip the body of Christ. We see this in the bible. Zeb and his sons Jimmy and Johnny were fisherman. When Jesus found them they were mending their nets. They did not mend them to sit on a shelf or put in a museum or say to their fellow fisherman, I have "X" number of mended nets. They mend their nets so that those nets can catch more fish! Our job as a church is to mend people and equip them so that they can go be fishers of men. Get engaged in the process of mending and equipping today!

Go For Launch

2011-04-11T11:52:00.000-04:00

If you are my age you can remember as a young child watching the television and watching the Apollo crews countdown to lift off from earth and then just a few days later watch the moon landing. Not long after that we remember looking up and watching the Sky Lab glide along in the sky circling overhead. And now we watch another era of space travel come to an end with the Space Shuttle.

Getting something of that big off the ground takes a group of qualified scientists and engineers to make it possible. It is the same way in ministry. It takes a large team of people to make it happen. It's prayer warriors paving the way spiritually. It's financial people giving to provide the resources needed. It's those that are on the ground working through every possible scenario to be sure that the launch is successful.

The one thing that hasn't changed through the years at NASA is the fact that each time one of these rockets manned or unmanned take to the heavens, there is a team of people that makes it possible. I want you to watch this video someone sent me. It's an incredible time lapsed footage of a space shuttle launch. As you watch this, remember the hundreds of people that it took to get that bird off of the ground. Amazing and incredible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=KZrFC988Thc

You Can Make A Difference

2011-03-24T11:05:00.001-04:00

One of my all time favorite Bible stories is the story in Mark 2:1-12. Four men, out of compassion for a lame man brought him to Jesus so he could be restored to full health. This is such a great example of what how we should act as a church. The thing that I love about this story is the fact that Jesus was moved by the faith of the four men. I'm not sure what kind of faith the lame guy had but the four men believed if Jesus laid his hand on the man he would be healed. The other thing that is interesting is the fact that the four guys went to such lengths to get the lame man to Jesus. When they arrived, there was a crowd, but that didn't stop these men. They literally took their friend up to the roof, broke through the roof and lowered him down in front of Jesus. Now the intent of the four men may have been to have their friend healed but this act of love also reflected Jesus power to not only heal but to also forgive sins, therefore revealing the very nature of the son of God and why He entered into human history.

Each of us has the capacity to do the same thing for someone, and this story shows us that it is a group effort. Our faith in Jesus is not just a personal thing. It's not to be kept to ourselves. We need to band together as a body of believers to bring people to Jesus. We need to see someone in need and bring them to an encounter with God, one person at a time. We need to work together to make this happen. We must be willing to sweat and labor as these guys did to make that happen and not give up when there are obstacles in our way!

Let's live out the great commission, and let our lives reveal the nature of Jesus!

2011 (Part Two) I Want Change

2011-02-04T02:09:00.001-05:00

How many times have you been at a graduation and the guest speaker says, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life"? I am a former youth pastor and over the past twenty years I have probably been to over 50 graduations in that time. I saw anchor men, civic leaders, presidential cabinet members come up to the stage and give their tidbits of wisdom to young and impressionable men and women who's lives really are just beginning.

There is something that happens to a young adult when he leaves the middle school/high school life. You start to look at the world around you and wonder what you can do to make a difference. You find out real quickly if this faith that has been passed down to you is real. You either embrace the things that your parents and youth pastors and kid pastors have taught you growing up in church or you reject it. You might even question your faith and explore other religions. But one things for sure. You find that you are at a crossroads. Do you embrace a real relationship with God even when mom and dad aren't there to encourage you in your faith? Your relationship with God has to become your own. It's a time where a parent has to hold their breath to see if their son or daughter that they have raised will embrace Christ or deny him.

In 2011 I desire to speak into the lives of people who are seeking Christ. I especially want to speak into the lives of young people that are making that transition from their parents faith to their own. I want to introduce them to Jesus and want to invite them to come on a journey with other like minded believers that want change not only in their lives but the lives of those around them. Then, I pray as they start to follow Him that they will seek God for their future. That they will see that God has created them for specific purposes to be fulfilled in their lifetimes. For many people the moment is now. My heart aches for those that are wandering about trying to find the answer to their futures. God is here, and God is waiting for us to be his vessels to speak into the lives of those around us. The time is now to to be a change agent. Ask God to help you to see people the way that He sees them. Ask God to put a love in your heart to love people the way Jesus first loved you. Stand up in 2011 and be a change agent for Christ.

After Jesus died he rose again on the third day. He then revealed himself to the 11 remaining disciples and left them with this command. "Then he said, “Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all." (Mark 16:15 MSG). Make a difference today.

The Little House on the Corner

2011-01-19T12:03:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about what Christian community looks like at the grass roots level. It's a conversation over coffee at Starbucks. It's a random act of kindness of a person that goes out of their way to do something for someone in need. It's starting a Bible study because there are people in your neighborhood who are asking questions about who Jesus really is in your life.

I don’t think it was by accident that I grew up in a multi-cultural area of Northern Virginia. It gave me a burden to share Christ without prejudice. My family grew up in a predominately white neighborhood until the 70’s. There were several international tragedies that occurred that precipitated an influx of international families into our neighborhood. We had Iranian families, families from Saudi, Arabia, and South America that became our friends and family. We shared life with them and they shared life with us. We would send Americanized dishes to them to sample and they would share their international dishes with us in the evenings. One thing my family desired was to share Jesus with these families. We didn’t knock on their door and hand them a religious track and then run home. We were fixing their bikes when they broke. We made meals when someone had surgery and delivered them to their families. We opened our house up to kids that parents who had to work late at night. We had bible studies in our living room for kids that wanted to know more about Jesus. We opened our side yard up to all the neighbor kids to play football every afternoon.

This all happened largely because of my family's transformation when we turned our lives over to Christ and invited the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom in who to reach out to in our neighborhood. Our house became a house of faith. The door was always open and the light was always on. Even today 47 years later, my family still gets a knock on the door and it will be a neighbor asking us to pray for them. Why? Because people saw that we genuinely cared for them and that our faith was real. They also witnessed that as we prayed, God answered our prayers, and we weren't afraid to testify of God's faithfulness in our lives.

What if our churches were like my house that I grew up in? A church that has relationships with all kinds, that doesn’t discriminate by the color of their skin, that doesn’t let boundaries get in the way of sharing our faith. A place where the members were actively reaching out to those in need. A place where people can come through the doors and sense the presence of God.

Pray and ask God to today what you can do to expand His Kingdom one person at a time, one family at a time, one neighborhood at a time. This is what I believe God desires Christian Community (The Church) to look like!

2011 Is Here (Part One)

2011-01-08T12:40:00.000-05:00

Wow, there were some days that I felt that 2010 was one of the longest years of my life yet, I know, that there are 365 days just like any other year. As I look back over this year I think of all the things that I did. I think of all the things that weren't meant to be and finally I was able to start to look forward to what will be.

What if you only had a year to live? What if your physician called you up one day with test results and told you that you had 365 days = 8,760 hours = 525,600 minutes = 31,536,000 seconds to live? How would you approach life? How would you treat your family and friends? I don't know about you but I think I would make every one of those 31,536,000 seconds count. I would show my friends and family how much I love them every day, every hour, every minute, every second. I would ask God what it was that he wanted me to accomplish in that year and then I would start to run. Run as fast as I could so I could accomplish all that I wanted to accomplish in that year that I had left to live on this earth.

No, I don't think that I have just one year to live, but I feel that this year I am supposed to take risks. Not because I have a lust for adventure, but because I believe that God wants me to run the race without hesitation. In 2010 God spoke to me and said that the best is yet to come. I thought that meant that I'd see the results in 2010, but instead it was something different. 2010 was 365 days of waiting and praying and seeking God's face. Not knowing what the future would hold. My spiritual Father who was instrumental in me following in his footsteps as a pastor, said, "There is nothing like hindsight to remind one that we have very little foresight no matter how hard we try to design our lives." Man has a certain way that seems right but God's ways prevail. This year I want to do things God's way. I want to take risks because God is calling me to take these risks. God has ordered our steps from the very beginning of time and we can rest knowing that he is in control.

Need Directions?

2010-12-15T20:20:00.000-05:00

Are you the kinda guy like me that hates to ask someone for directions? Let me tell you, I was so thankful last November for my Android Smartphone. I could hit my GPS button, and speak where I want to go and it finds where I want to go and gives me precise turn by turn direction. It eliminated my need to ask others for directions. Even if I take a wrong turn it modifies my directions to help me get to my destination the fastest way possible. I love it.

The Holy Spirit is like a spiritual GPS. He is our guide. We wait upon him for turn by turn directions. Sometimes we don't know why he wants us to turn to the right or the left but later when we look back we can see how His hand guided us through. Sometimes we make our decisions and make a turn without waiting on Him. But He waits for us and gets us back on track when we need it.

Why do we wait until we are almost in an accident to cry out to God for help? Why do we leave the spiritual GPS off unless we are in trouble? It's simple. Just like me not liking to ask for directions when I'm on a trip, we don't like to ask God for direction because we simply want to be in control of our lives. Today, I feel like God is speaking to us and wants us to know He desires to give us direction before we think we need it.

Here's a simple prayer that I pray every morning before my feet hit the floor.

God, today is the day that you have made. Order my steps. Let me be a light wherever I go and whoever I talk to. I am your vessel. A jar of clay that is imperfect. Make me more like you. Fill me up to overflowing and use me today!

There is so much that God wants to do in your life. He has plans for you. He has a place for you. He knows your circumstance and he's waiting for you to ask him for directions.

10 Things I Like About Christmas

2010-12-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

Woke up this morning. Hit the Christmas play list and started on my day. This Christmas is going to be an awesome one! This is a video I shot of Christmas morning not too long ago. Here are just a few things I'm thankful for:

Thankful to God for His Son Jesus who came on this earth in the flesh so we might have eternal hope
My wife and kids. You guys are so awesome!
My Mom and Dad and family who have helped so much during 2010
Reading Luke 2 "The Christmas Story" on Christmas Eve (Family Tradition)
Getting a Christmas Eve kiss under the mistletoe from Missy
Snuggling with Missy after all the presents have been assembled
Gathering around the Christmas Tree with the kids searching for their gifts on Christmas morning
Smell of Starbucks and Cinnamon Buns on Christmas morning
Hugs and Kisses from the kids after they open their gifts
Thankful that 2010 is coming to a close and that 2011 is almost here full of hope and wonder

Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas season.

2:45AM

2010-11-30T15:10:00.001-05:00

This evening I was recovering from the flu, I was eating my saltines and drinking gatorade and hot tea to try and settle my messed up stomach. I tried watching Monday Night Football which has always been a real sleep aid especially when it's the forty niners vs. the cardinals. Well, I watched the whole game. Missy came in to see how I was doing and then went to go sleep in the guest bedroom. She's so good to me letting me have the bed! I watched the late late news and that only made me more awake. My Facebook was calling so I answered a few messages and tried to communicate with my daughter downstairs but she was busy with homework.

Finally everyone trudged upstairs and drifted off to sleep. The house was dead. I walked back downstairs to get some more hot tea. No sound in the house. I turned on the stove and you could hear the electricity pulsating when the range top came on it was so quiet. I waited, waited, for the tea pot to boil. It seemed like it took forever. I waited some more but still it hadn't come to a boil. I almost grabbed some water from the tap and put in my mug and set the microwave then all of a sudden the tea pot came to boil. It roared to life and I ran across the room so it wouldn't whistle and wake up the house.

Someone tonight emailed me and reminded me that I still had something in my possession. (thanks Karen) It's called Hope. And it dawned on me. That kettle is like hope. I wait and wait and wait and it looks like nothing is happening, yet inside there are little bubbles forming on the bottom of it's surface, yet I can't see them. I can't hear them, I am still waiting. But, just when I think that all Hope is lost, that tea kettle roars to life. Hope has always been there it just needs the right ingredients to show itself strong. God is my hope and my strength and He can be yours today as well. Just ask, and he will come. Relinquish the reigns of your life that you hold on so dearly and let him gently lead you. Call Him Father, call Him Master. He will not let you down, He will never stop loving you. He is our Hope.

Ups and Downs

2010-11-18T10:02:00.000-05:00

What does it look like for someone looking for employment? It comes in waves. One month ago there was a flurry of activity. I was on an emotional high. I attended a motivational speaking conference at the Verizon Center in D.C. with a good friend and his church staff. We listened to Zig Zigler and he gave one of his famous quotes, "Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street." I walked out of there pumped. On the metro ride home I got an email from a church saying that I was one of the top three candidates for job search for them that started out with 95. I was one of the top three. I was excited, full of expectancy hoping that this finally will be the one. I walking on air!

So what's next? I recently watched a skit done by Conan O'brien and in the skit his wife is yelling at him to find a job and he replies, "I don't know how!" The rest of the skit is Conan trying to work at a fast food place and working as a birthday clown and not being very successful as either. It was pretty funny. Conan was meant to be a talk show host. I was meant to speak life to the next generation. Maybe I should stop looking for a job in network TV and look for a basic cable company to hire me. I could relate. I needed a good laugh!

Fast forward one month later. The interview went well. But last week I got the email I was dreading. They picked one of the other two candidates. The church leaders will meet with him next month for an on site interview. If for some reason he doesn't work out I'd be back in the running.

I was telling someone yesterday that this time of my life has been the lowest of lows. But even in this low place, I know that God is with me. Even when I feel forsaken, I know that I am not, because God's word promises that I'm not. Today you may be in a tough spot as a leader. Maybe you feel all alone and no one understands your situation, but God does. He loves you and will never forsake you. Reach out to Him in your time of need and He will comfort you with the Holy Spirit. Stand on His promises today. Redemption and restoration is right around the corner. And keep that sense of humor, it's critical!

Satisfied?

2010-10-23T00:04:00.000-04:00

Today I was getting a message together that deals with knowing who God is. As I was preparing I thought of a song that seems to be ageless. It's a song by the Rolling Stones called Satisfaction. Of course we all know the chorus, "I can't get no...satisfaction." It's a catchy tune. I heard it when I was a little kid and when I hear the first few notes from the lead guitar I know exactly what song it is.

Knowing God. Who is He? Is there a verse or a chorus of a song that makes you say, "That's who God is"? As my thoughts turned towards Him this morning I thought of a song. A simple song with simple lyrics. "There is no one like you. No one like you. No one like you, Jesus." Just a few words but very meaningful. If I believe the words of this song, then I should truly be satisfied. Satisfaction comes from knowing Him. So, if you aren't getting any satisfaction, then maybe you are looking for it in the wrong place.

There is a saying, "Know God, Know Peace, No God, No Peace. Satisfied?"

Hope Springs Eternal

2010-10-18T09:20:00.000-04:00

This is an excerpt from my journal a couple of weeks ago. I tell you, this job hunt thing is so unbelievable. I spend many hours of searching and then sending out resume's and then waiting, waiting, waiting. Last week I interviewed for a position that literally had 95 applicants. They whittled it down to three and I ended up being one of the three. I'm praying for God's patience and wisdom. I've been at that interview stage about three times now where I make it to the top three and then they pick one of the other two. Anyhow, to all of you out there looking for work in their field, I am with you and am praying that today you will receive the Word from God that will encourage you to keep plugging away.

A couple of weeks ago:

"Today was an amazing roller coaster ride of emotions. A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about something I was so sure of that was lost. Well, there was an email that showed up in my inbox that gave me a 2nd chance at a hope. It resurrected the possibility of something I thought was already gone. And then, just like that there was another email that came in my inbox just a few hours later and dashed that bit of hope regarding this particular job opportunity. I really questioned why God allowed this to happen. Why would he get my hopes up and then "boom!" I'm back where I was a few hours later. But after much thought and contemplation over this, I realize that Hope Springs Eternal. In this life "in between" there will be things I will be able to look back on and see the lessons learned. I also see how God is preparing me for that next big thing that he wants me to do.

Hope Springs Eternal. My hope isn't in a job, a ministry, or a person place or thing. My hope is in Him, period. My hope is in you, Lord. Today I realized my hope was in the position, not in Him. I had to do an adjustment on how I am looking at this process. This is indeed an amazing journey of trust. My life truly is a crazy adventure but all along the way God is giving us what we need to sustain us."

Jeremiah 29:11

Follow Up To This Morning's Post

2010-09-23T18:05:00.000-04:00

A year ago I blogged some ideas for parents as they enter into the purposeful world of designing time into their busy schedule to get one on one with their kids. "Just Do It"!

One of the things I shared with my parents on Sunday night was the fact that we need to spend priority time with our kids, but a lot of us are asking ourselves, "what does that look like?" Here's some rules for priority time with your children that will help you get started.
1. Find common ground
2. Make sure there is no agenda
3. Keep it outside of your home
4. Do it without friends
5. Put it on the calendar
6. Stay flexible
7. Remember your goal is not to CHANGE them.
8. Keep working on it (even when it doesn't seem to be going well)
9. Use it as an opportunity to give your teenager one thing...

What is that one thing? "the gift of approval" You as a parent are the only one that can give them this! You know your child better than anyone. You've seen them at their best and at their worst. If you believe in them after all that, they know "your approval" is REAL!

A Weekend Away, Can Make All The Difference

2010-09-23T15:20:00.000-04:00

Our family is our treasure. What we pour into them will be what's passed on to their children and their children's children.

Not too long ago I took Zach to VA Beach to participate in a football tournament. We packed up the camper and headed south. It was a long drive so we spent a lot of time talking about dreaming of being a pro football player, the trials of elementary school, the love of God, fear of thunderstorms, girls (yes, girls!)and well, life. These are the things you won't find out from your kids unless you spend some quality time with them.

Each day we have with our kids is a gift. Be purposeful with your kids this week. Schedule a time with each of your kids just to "be" with them. Make them feel special. Let them know how much you love them. Show them what God's love looks like. Show them the Father heart of God. What does that look like? Just remember what love is.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (I Corinthians 13:4-7)

Lift your eyes up to the heavens

2010-09-05T19:24:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had that sick feeling in your stomach when you receive news about something that was less than favorable? This past week I had some news come into my inbox and it literally made me feel like I was going to get sick. How could I be so sure of something just one week before?

I know when I call on Jesus name my life changes. My attitude changes. When I lift my eyes to the heavens my perspective changes. A friend of mine went to Williamsburg recently and went through one of those hedge mazes. Our lives are like that. We can only see from the ground level. We can't see what's around the corner. But God sees from a heavenly perspective. He sees the "maze" of our lives and we can trust him when he leads us to the left or right. When we receive news that seems less than favorable we can look to the heavens and know that God sees the big picture. Lift your eyes up and you'll catch a glimpse of the one who can see our lives and can order our steps. Thanks God, for ordering my steps this week. I trust in you that you are going to lead me on....

A Night on the Town

2010-08-18T02:15:00.000-04:00

Last night we went to downtown D.C. We hopped on the Metro, took a walk in Chinatown and then ate at Five Guys. After that we headed across town to the Mall and watched the Army Band play and then walked to the Lincoln Memorial. We had a blast! Who would have thought that such a simple thing an impromptu dinner, a free concert, and a walk to a memorial would get so many "thank you's" at the end of the night! Thanks Zach for wanting to go to the Mall tonight!

My Final Horizons Church Sunday night @ H20

2010-08-02T11:08:00.000-04:00

Last night reminded me how blessed I am to have been a part of Horizons for these past four years. I don't want it to end but I know we need to move on. First of all, thanks to all my Horizons church friends and family that have totally blessed us last night. The surprise birthday cake and flowers and gifts were awesome! And, yes, Keiko thanks for adding some Hawaiian flavor to the night! You all are truly a blessing

I pray that God has used me in some small way to help each of you at Horizons to fall in love with Jesus and to understand his enormous love for all of us. In worship and in youth, my prayer is that all of you will Go for God with all that you have and share that passion with as many people as possible in this generation.

I am hopeful that the next time you read this blog it will be full of the fresh ideas that God has been laying on my heart for the next generation and the place where Missy and I will be serving next. Tune in! It's gonna be awesome!

-andy

Messiah 2010 Update

2010-07-31T15:23:00.000-04:00

Messiah Camp 2010

Just a quick note. We went to Messiah Camp 2010 with high expectations and guess what? God met or exceeded every expectation. God is a great God. He's a supernatural God that does supernatural things. This morning I was reading an email from one of our parents and he was marveling at the fact that the feedback from camp wasn't how great all the cool the amazing activities were (and they were off the charts!) but how awesome worship was, how amazing devotional time was and how God was transforming their lives and the lives of their friends during ministry time. God is a great God. We met our creator this weekend and He loves us, O how He loves us. Thanks, God!

It's Summer Time!

2010-07-17T03:18:00.003-04:00

I'm a summer time kinda person! It's my favorite time of year. I love the sunshine, I love the beach, days at King's Dominion and I can't wait to get to camp this year! Messiah 2010 is shaping up to be one of the most memorable ever. It is definitely the highlight of my summer!

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic as you can imagine. There are emotions, memories of the amazing things that have taken place in the past four years of being here at Horizons Church. There's a part of me that wishes it never had to end. Yet, there is a part of me that can't wait to put my hand to a new project that God has for me. One of Maggie's friends from school came over tonight and we were reminiscing about the first year she came to camp. We were laughing about some things but also recognized that it was one of the most life changing weeks that any of us had ever experienced. The presence of the Lord was there. It was amazing and many people that had no interest in God, acknowledged Him and walked through the steps of salvation and surrendered their lives to Christ by the end of that week. Every year has it's stories. Every year has it's amazing testimonies of what the Lord did.

Pray for our kids this year that they would have an expectation of what camp can be if they turn their gaze upon Jesus Christ. Pray that their hearts will be open as the Lord speaks.

Ecclesiastical Thoughts

2010-06-24T11:07:00.000-04:00

I have been going through Ecclesiastes in my daily Bible reading, and no I'm not contemplating the meaninglessness of life! In the midst of this book, there's a lot of wisdom to be gleaned. In Ecc. 6:10 it says that "Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny".

I believe that! I witnessed history yesterday when the U.S. National Team pulled out a last minute goal to get them to the next level of the World Cup. Landon Donovan's goal was something that was amazing! God reminded me as I was watching that he knows our destiny. He spoke it before we were even born! There is a promise that God has given each of us. We were born for a purpose. And that purpose is to glorify Him in everything we do. You have destiny!

Monday Morning Ramblings...

2010-05-29T15:05:00.000-04:00

I looked at myself in the mirror last night. I looked old and I looked very tired! I had just come off of a 30 hour famine Friday and Saturday with some of my awesome H20 friends and then lead worship for two services on Sunday morning and then did H20 youth service Sunday evening! The whole weekend was such a blessing! So many lives were touched and changed by God because a few people decided to go and be like Jesus. But man, am I tired!

So, after all of the busyness of the weekend wears off, here I am at the Beautiful letdown of Monday. After searching high and low for four months for new employment I have come up empty. I am feeling like I am back to square one. Several opportunities in which I had high expectations simply just didn't pan out. The timing wasn't right. I am trusting in God 100%, but so far I don't see what God can see. My heart is still pumping. My eyes are squinting to see past the horizon (no pun intended) but I can't. I'm not supposed to. It is difficult but I am to trust Him explicitly! Do I? Do I really believe that God is going to provide all my needs according to His riches and glory or am I going to start carrying a burden that was not meant for me to carry.

A friend posted an update to pray for him to find a job a few months ago. Some "not so friendly" friend replied back sarcastically that he needed to quit praying and get off his "behind" and find a job. As I read the reply I felt angry and disappointed that the person didn't get it. There is a balance. I have to do all I know to do. I have to bang on doors, make phone calls, email people I've never even met to let people know I'm looking for a job. But, the rest is up to God! Prayers work, and prayers get answered. It may not be as quickly or exactly the way we envision things working out but God is faithful.

I'm waiting for my Father. I am waiting...

1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
  and he turned to me and heard my cry.2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
  out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
  and steadied me as I walked along.3 He has given me a new song to sing,
  a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
  They will put their trust in the Lord
Psalm 40:1-3 NLT

What Kind of Inheritance Are You Leaving?

2010-05-13T15:05:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was checking my facebook and I was noticing that there was a lot of profanity in a number of posts. It really bothered me. When I started thinking about it, I realized how many lives are touched in positive and negative ways on Facebook. In Proverbs there is a great verse that says, "A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children. Some fathers may look at that verse and call up their investment broker and start a fund for college. I want to challenge you to leave a legacy of eternal value. What kind of inheritance are you leaving for your child? Your grandchild? The words you speak, and the way you live your life is a legacy. Everything that flows out of your mouth or typed on a Facebook page is a part of that Legacy. What kind of legacy are you leaving today? One that is poisonous and hurtful or one that speaks life to other people.

Finding Your Voice

2010-04-29T16:06:00.001-04:00

Everyone has something burning inside of them. What is your passion? God's given each of us a dream and a voice. As a youth pastor I see a lot of Juniors and Seniors start to wonder "What am I going to do with my life"? Here's five easy steps that we can do to find that thing that God wants you to do.

How to find your voice:

What is it that God wants you to do? Eric Liddell in the movie "Chariots of Fire" was asked the question, "Why do you run?" He answered, "I believe God made me for a purpose but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel God's pleasure." What is it that gives you that sense that when you do it you feel God's pleasure?
You need to be talented at it. We've all seen American Idol and people that thought they could sing. Are others affirming that you are good at it?
Start to find out everything about it. When you are passionate about something it drives you to be the student of that thing and learn as much as you can about it.
It probably scares you a little bit. If you think it's in you, go for it! Why can't we as Christians be the best at it, fulfilling our purpose for this generation?
You need to find people that believe in you. At 16 God spoke to me about my purpose to work with Youth. After that encounter with God I spent a lot of time with my youth pastor asking questions and wanting to know as much as possible about how to be an effective leader.

Let's not wait until tomorrow but identify that place that God wants me to be right now. That is the place where I can start to hone the skills of what my call is going to be.

Dreams

2010-04-13T13:07:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had a dream that is so big that it makes you shudder whenever you think about it? Maybe it even makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up whenever you think about it?

In Genesis, Joseph is a guy that I admire. Early on in his life he was given a dream. A dream that took years to see fulfilled. He had to go through so much before He really understood the big picture, but he never gave up and believed, and ultimately, "Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Joseph had to endure years of setbacks but all the while he trusted God, and eventually he saw the dream come to pass.

I have never been more confident that God is ordering our steps as we follow His lead. Sometimes it's easy to question whether God is in something or not. I believe that the best is yet to come! If you are a child of God you can have every confidence that He is going to lead you and care for you and love you into that next big thing that He wants you to do. So dream big! Don't shy away from it! Embrace God's will for you life today!

All Of God's Promises Are True

2010-04-01T10:56:00.000-04:00

I'm reading through Bible in a year and I read Joshua 23:14 this morning. http://read.ly/Josh23.14.NLT 14 "Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!" God is faithful. Period. Not a single promise he makes has failed.

Today, as I am waiting on Him, I hear Joshua's words echoing in my ears this afternoon. Every promise that He has for me will come to pass. It's been passed on from Moses to Joshua to the next generation.

As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ this Sunday, remember that He is a faithful God. He died and then rose from the dead just for you! All of His promises won't let go of you!

What's Important

2010-03-02T09:21:00.001-05:00

About a week ago, my dad encouraged me to start being more proactive in my kids spiritual life. I was humbled by that. I didn't say anything out loud but I was like, "Hey, I'm a pastor and I'm living a spiritual life as an example to my kids!" I don't know if it was the Lord (Okay, yes it was!) or not but all of a sudden I started noticing little things about my kids. Things that had been left unchecked and I had "put up with" as a parent. It wasn't their fault. I had gotten a little lax in my parenting. Call it being tired at the end of the day and expecting Missy to "handle" some of those kinda things. It happens to all of us.

So, the Rogers' family is starting a new habit of reading a passage in God's Word and seeing how it applies to our lives. I know, elementary, right? But, how many of us have gotten out of the habit of being in His Word as a family? I was kinda wondering whether or not whether my kids would see this as just a chore rather than a privilege. I have to admit there was a rolling of the eyes at the beginning and at first they were just listening but then my High School daughter started observing literary devices that the author used in Proverbs. (yes!) My middle school son sighted how Proverbs wisdom can be applied to everyday life. My youngest son on finding out that we'd be reading the Bible at dinner brought his bright orange New Testament that a Gideon gave him at a Baccalaureate service last year and opened up to the passage I was reading.

So, I will check in a month when spring sports are in full swing to update how things are going!

Seasons

2010-02-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

There have been a lot of emails and questions about my departure from Horizons. I just wanted to get this out so that there isn't any confusion. After being given all the details of the direction change for staffing at Horizons, I agree that there needs to be changes. There is no animosity between Pastors Rich, or Jay nor the leadership of the church. We all recognized there needs to be a change.

Horizons is growing and with growth comes some decisions. Decisions are never easy especially when it comes to church staffing. We feel that the past four years have been amazing here at Horizons. I know that God has used this experience here to help me grow as a leader. I've watched two ministries grow and flourish and feel privileged to have been a part of it! A wise pastor once told me that I always need to take into account that all things are seasonal. My hope and trust is in Jesus and I know that when one season ends, another season begins.

Currently God is already showing himself faithful. Some opportunities are opening up and I'm excited to see where God plants us next. Life is an adventure and the best is yet to come, for Horizons and the Rogers' family.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for my family as we seek God for what the next step is for us.

See you on Sunday!

-Andy

Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord?

2010-01-26T08:42:00.000-05:00

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, `Can an old woman like me have a baby?'14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." Genesis 18:13-14

Have you ever been in a situation that looks so big or so out of the ordinary that you didn't think that it was possible that it would come to pass? Sarah was in that situation. God spoke to her regarding his plans for her to have a baby and her immediate reaction was to laugh because it sounded so impossible. I understand her situation. There have been many times where I have had a crisis of belief and my first reaction is to laugh.

I love God's reply. Before Abraham could even answer the question, "why", God said, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" It all points back to how we view God. Do we believe that God can do something that seems impossible? Seek God for your life and trust him. Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Dream Big, The Best Is Yet To Come

2010-01-22T14:26:00.001-05:00

Here we are, almost a month into 2010 and God is at work. As I have been praying I get the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up and a sense of anticipation that the best is yet to come. Our days are numbered. I know that's a little morbid thinking that we only have a certain amount of time on the earth to make an impact for Christ. I feel that God is going to give us opportunities to be Jesus in 2010. What are you doing to be Jesus today? Dream Big! Don't let a day go by that you don't ask God to be used by Him! And watch out, if you ask, He will answer!

It's All in How You Look At Things

2009-12-09T14:26:00.000-05:00

Last night we went to a Department store to do a little Christmas shopping with the family. Somehow we ended up taking a detour though. There was a need for outfits for Christmas. My son is having his first band concert of the year and he needed black pants, white shirt and a tie. My daughter is taking a field trip to see a play with her school and is in desperate need of getting a dress. She has grown significantly and literally has no dresses that fit.

We quickly found something for my son but my daughter and my wife were taking a looong time trying on clothes and trying to put together an outfit. My job at the end of the night was to try and figure out how to keep a 9 and 11 year old boy occupied without tearing apart the store. After they played hide and seek they got bored. I suggested that we sit on the benches by the exit. They were not excited about this at first. They sat there and started counting the number of people exiting the store. I had this bright idea to have them say Merry Christmas to each person that walked by. Well, they counted every person that came by and told each and every one of them Merry Christmas. The count was 85 when we left and just about that many left the store with a smile on their face last night. When plans change, don't get upset, (like I did!) look for a God moment. Last night we found our God moment.

2009-11-26T20:36:00.000-05:00

Thanks Giving Thankfulness

After a wonderful day of eating turkey and my mom's special whipped potatoes I realized that we are so blessed to have the families that love one another. The more people I talk to, I realize our families are an anomaly. We had my folks and Missy's folks over, yes, at the same time! No two meals for us. Our families get along and love hanging out together. I'm so thankful for family that is easy going and can get along with practically anyone. All of us share the common bond of Jesus Christ and while we don't necessarily agree on everything, we all agree that God is the most important things in our lives. Thankful? Yes. Yes I am!!!

2009-11-21T23:46:00.000-05:00

it was a good night

Tonight was a great night. We met with our H20 leaders and sat around eating sushi and Brazilian barbecue. We told funny stories and laughed til our sides hurt. We brainstormed some ideas for youth group as well. As I looked around the table I thought to myself that I really love these guys. In years past we've had some great leadership groups but this one by far is one of my favorites. They've come from all over world and God's brought them here to Stafford, VA to minister to this group of kids. It's truly amazing and I'm amazed at how God is truly using each of them to be an example and a friend to our kids. Come out to H20 this Sunday night to experience God through these amazing leaders!

2009-11-09T15:47:00.000-05:00

Rethink came out with a great sermon series called GodView. It rocked my world and it really helped my kids think through their view of God and how they approach Him.

This week we talked about how our view of God can become distorted if we aren't careful. When we ask God for something and he says no, do we tend to doubt God is who he says he is? God is God and his purposes will prevail. He's our dad and He wants the best for us! We won't be disappointed if we see our lives in God's hands.

One of my favorite songs of all time is Blessed Be The Name. It talks about how we should call God blessed no matter what. In the good times and the bad. The bridge of the song says, You give and take away...blessed be your name. That line is coming from someone who's been through the ups and downs of life and recognizes their life is in God's hands.

My prayer today is that everyone of our students (and adults) get this and apply it to our life. What is your Godview?

2009-10-22T14:58:00.000-04:00

The Butterfly Effect:

In my last post I shared with you how God moves when we worship. Two weekends ago we had 24 hours of worship and that was amazing. All over the planet there were cities and communities worshiping together asking God to move in this generation! As we worshiped and interceded throughout the night God moved on our hearts. God spoke words of encouragement to us and I believe His promises are being fulfilled in this generation.

After a massive event of historic significance, there is a cause and effect that is set in motion. We are seeing the after effects of our offering of Praise and Worship. Each team brought a fragrant offering to Lord. Now, two weeks after the event, we are seeing those effects. God is at work!

Last weekend we had 25 people moved by the Holy Spirit to get baptized. We preached a simple message about baptism and people responded. I believe this response has a direct connection to the 24 hours of worship and intercession that took place the week before. Do you desire to see the Lord work in your church, community and city?

"14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there" (2 Chronicles 7:14-16).

Let's humble ourselves today and ask the Father to show himself strong in the coming days.

2009-10-07T15:49:00.000-04:00

This weekend we will be gathering together as a body of believers to worship for 24 hours. All over the planet there will be communities of believers that are gathering together at the same time. If this sounds like a long time to worship, it is. But the payoff is that we are connecting the body of Christ at large to come together to acomplish something no one team or church could accomplish on our own.

When we worship we see breakthrough. By design we are created to worship. Our desire is to see God lifted up in every town, every city and that they will know and see God. Habakuk 2:14 says "That the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord would cover the earth as the waters cover the seas." That image is so powerful.

Over the summer I had the chance to spend a week at the outer banks. I spent every morning praying and reading the word as the sun came up over the Atlantic. I thought about how that body of water is a connection point to Europe, Africa, Asia and beyond! My prayer is that each of these points of worship would be a light that shine in that community but would be bright enough to see to the horizon. People would be drawn to the light and know that God is good.

John 4:23 says "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."

Horizons Church is a house of worship. My prayer is that it would be filled with true worshipers. God seeks those who worship in spirit and in truth. May God seek you today as you connect with Him!

2009-09-29T16:38:00.000-04:00

The Rest Of The Story...

Since last Spring, Missy and I have been going through a rough time waiting on God. She was looking for a job for the '09-'10 school year. The beginning of school started and Missy was still without a job. She started substitute teaching and all the while still believing she was going to get hired. I'll be honest, I had my doubts. I felt like that she'd be subbing the rest of the year and maybe, maybe she'd get a job next year. Well, last week while she was subbing at a school she got not one interview but three interviews for three different schools. Out of the blue, there were three positions and she had the pick of the three! Once again, God was like, "Hey, I told you to trust me!" Are you trusting Him today?

2009-09-16T07:50:00.000-04:00

Dash

The older I get the more I realize that yes, God cares about us finishing well but he also cares about the "in between". When you get to the end of your life most likely you'll have a tombstone. There will be a born date (first most significant date in everyone's life. birthdays are pretty sweet!) and the year that you passed, and in the middle is a simple little "dash". Although these two dates are pretty important, God cares about the dash in the middle. He cares about how you lived your life. He cares about the steps it took to get to the finish line of the race. So, today, you may be working for the weekend (I know I do, but I'm a pastor, I'm supposed to!) but what are you doing Monday through Friday to get there? God cares about the destination for sure, but he also cares about the every day stuff before we get there. How are you spending your dash today?

2009-09-09T11:39:00.000-04:00

Big Picture: Never Stop Fighting for a Relationship With Your Child

We just completed an XP3 series called the "The Good Fight". I wanted to share with you highlights of what I shared with our parents last Sunday evening. I am committed to building teams of leaders to encourage your kids to have a good relationship with their Heavenly Father as well as have a good relationship with their parents. We are going for God and not leaving anyone behind.

As a parent of two teenagers myself, I am realizing that my kids are moving from dependence on me to independence. I am moving from being the authority to being the influence in my kids lives. I have learned that it's not an easy transition. I am constantly battling from holding onto the reigns and letting go and giving them opportunities under my umbrella of protection to make wise and sometimes unwise choices.

One of the things I shared with my parents on Sunday night was the fact that we need to spend priority time with our kids, but a lot of us are asking ourselves, "what does that look like?" Here's some rules for priority time with your children that will help you get started.
1. Find common ground
2. Make sure there is no agenda
3. Keep it outside of your home
4. Do it without friends
5. Put it on the calendar
6. Stay flexible
7. Remember your goal is not to CHANGE them.
8. Keep working on it (even when it doesn't seem to be going well)
9. Use it as an opportunity to give your teenager one thing...

What is that one thing? "the gift of approval" You as a parent are the only one that can give them this! You know your child better than anyone. You've seen them at their best and at their worst. If you believe in them after all that, they know "your approval" is REAL!

Decide today to: make the first move with your child. It may seem awkward, it may seem messy, but it's a process! Don't stop trying...make the first move over and over!

The final thing to remember is to realize that you are not alone! There are other parents that are dealing with the same issues that you are. Find out whats working and not working with other parents @ H20.

Never Give up! God doesn't give up on us! Don't give up on your kids!

2009-08-27T11:31:00.000-04:00

Busyness of the Summer (Why is there a smile on my face? Read on to find out!)

Most people's summers are a little more "chill" and laid back. My summers as a youth pastor are one of the busiest times of the year. We met on Sunday nights and added a mid week "Wacky Wednesday" event night which consisted of Madden tournaments, open gym nights, bonfires, a dodgeball tournament, laser tag, a senior high beach trip, and a pool party just to name a few of the awesome things we did. Small groups, and Bible studies continued to meet. Yes, all this and not to mention our week long Messiah Camp and our NYC Missions Trip! Wow, such a great summer!

So why the smile on my face? Because, I got to witness so many instances of life change. Kids that didn't want anything to do with the church or God at the beginning of the summer are now head over heals in love with Jesus and now are devouring His Word. Yes, kids that are hungry for a life that is fulfilling and are finding it through a relationship with Jesus and other Christ Followers! What a wonderful summer! And I can't wait for the Fall! Horizon's H20 Youth is a great place to call home!

Wanna get plugged in? Come to the Fall H20 KickOff, Wednesday, Sept. 2nd @ my house. Dog's n Burgers and a slip and slide! What more could you ask for!?

-Andy

2009-08-12T15:07:00.000-04:00

It's Been A While...

This morning I woke up @ 6:30AM and my heart was heavy. I have a lot of things on my mind and my brain was already on overload even though I just woke up. I woke Missy up and told her to get her dressed, we were going to go do a work out. When I am distraught or worried there's a little three mile circuit that I do to pray through things that are weighing me down. There's something about getting outdoors and away from the computer. (yes, I did carry my Blackberry with me, but that's another story!)

As many of you already know, Missy is looking for a teaching job in Stafford County. And as many of you also know, there aren't that many positions to be filled. Missy filled out the application, been through an interview process, took two classes to get her re certification, and is ready to go. But, at this point it is looking like there just isn't any positions available. With the economy the way it is and there already is a shortage in the education budget there just isn't enough resources to hire new teachers. Needless to say , this is weighing heavily on us.

What do you do when things are in the mix and they are out of your control? If you've done everything that you know what to do and you've done all your homework, you've passed out resume's to everyone you can think of you have to just say, enough. You have to know that you've done it all and now the rest is up to God. God is faithful.

Our hope is in Him, not the circumstances around us. Jer. 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God gave His people (that's us!) a “gracious promise” (v. 10, NIV) to deliver them, and He would keep His promise. God makes His plans for His people, and they are good plans that ultimately bring hope and peace. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid or discouraged.
In every situation, however, God’s people have the responsibility to seek the Lord, pray, and ask Him to fulfill His promises, for the Word and prayer go together. Are you seeking out God today? Have you asked him to fulfill His promises in you! He is waiting, patiently for you today.

2009-07-15T17:07:00.000-04:00

wrestling, and dad stuff

This is my son Zach and I, in the middle of a full out wrestling match. These impromptu matches break out at any moment when I'm home. Zach is awesome. So full of life and so ready to tackle anything in his way. Last night we stayed up late and played some Xbox 360. He was already figuring out after the first game how many more points he had scored, and of course he spent the next ten minutes telling everyone how bad he beat me. When I spend time with my kids, I realize I was made to be a dad. I love my kids. This morning I woke up and looked into each of my kids rooms just to get a glimpse of them before I left for work. Along with my wife Missy, my kids are the apple of my eye.

Our heavenly Father feels the same way about you. You are the apple of His eye! That means that well, you are very special to Him! Get to know your Heavenly Father today!

2009-07-09T14:38:00.000-04:00

Summer Time Fun!

Wow, we just got back Monday from our NYC Missions Outreach. Our team consisted of mostly H20 Leaders which was awesome! I don't get to spend as much time as I'd like with these guys and it was fun doing something amazing as serving people in New York City! God is awesome and amazing. When you go into a trip like this with an open mind God can do amazing things through you. We spoke with hundreds of people about Jesus and what he did for us. We came back from this trip on a spiritual high.

It's very contagious, being used by God, that is. (I sounded like Yoda there!) It was so evident when we engaged in an exercise known as survey evangelism. Missy and I went up to the first person and I was like, "man I just don't wanna do this!" God gave me the strength and they were very open with us. The next one was even easier than the first and by the time we got to our final person before watching the fireworks on the Hudson River, I could tell God was giving me specific words to speak life into people's lives! I've never been so resistant to something and then have my world turned upside down by God in the next moment like that! Crazy!

I'm excited because Sunday night I get to share the love of Jesus with 65 wonderful kids who are ready to continue their crazy ride with Jesus. We are bringing it on Sunday night! Come and check it out!

2009-07-04T08:35:00.001-04:00

there is a place that God has for those that are healing from deep wounds. Its not a retreat away from others. Its reaching out to others in your time of need.

2009-06-17T11:32:00.000-04:00

It's always darkest before the dawn

I've heard this phrase many times but never really understood it until I rode out a hurricane a few years back. Missy and I along with 15 of our closest friends at a church in VA Beach went on a Cruise. We decided to "road trip" it down to Miami and then go to the Caribbean. We had a blast. We were 1/2 way there when we got the call saying that because of a hurricane that the boat was unable to get back into port. We decided to wait it out. The hurricane came up the Eastern Seaboard and then took a left right where we were staying. (The picture doesn't lie!) We had a fun hurricane party! The storm got pretty intense and it ended up being a long dark night! We didn't sleep much because of the howling winds, so we consequently were up at dawn. The winds died down and the sun peeked up over the horizon and it was the most beautiful peaceful and comforting thing that I have ever experienced. In the dark fear was gripping me but when that sun popped up, I was so relieved that the storm had past. We enjoyed a great vacation on the cruise ship at reduced rates and were blessed to see God's hand in keeping us safe!

If you are going through a dark time, remember that God's in control and dawn is coming!!!

2009-06-04T16:08:00.000-04:00

Today is the Day You Have Made...

I have had a busy couple of weeks where I felt out of control. I had many many unscheduled meetings that caused my days to be "lost" when it came to being productive in the office. What do you do when you start feeling this way? I tend to get with someone that I trust and hang with them, and unload. This is what I did yesterday.

A close friend of mine got together with me for lunch and instantly my world felt better even before we said a word about what was going on in our lives. Why? Because I knew that this friend understood me. He is a pastor and has been in my shoes. We ministered together at a small church. He lead the youth group and I did worship for him. We got in his truck and we went to a place that had the potential for being their next building. We prayed for that, he prayed for us at Horizons and we both took a deep breath and were ready to face the "giants" in our lives!

How do you deal with pressure? A friend of mine once told me that our lives are like a three legged stool. One leg represents "Prayer", one leg represents the "Word", and the other represents "Fellowship". If any one of the legs is missing the stool falls over. We need to find that balance. If you are need of fellowship, find a friend at Horizons. Get in a small group. Get balanced!

Hope to see all of you at the 24 hours of prayer this weekend @ Horizons Church. www.horizons church.com

2009-05-29T09:08:00.000-04:00

It's all in how you respond to STUFF

I get an email newsletter called Mikey's Funnies. 95% of the time its filled with cheesy jokes but this story was too good to not pass along.

"One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, "Why did you just do that? That guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage -- frustration, anger, disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!"

Good advice. I'm still learning this life lesson myself. Let's put this practical advice to practice today.

-andy

2009-05-18T20:41:00.000-04:00

Thankful

Ever looked back one year to see how God has worked in your life? Have you made progress in the 365 days that you are reflecting on? What are you using to measure your successes and failures? One thing I don't do often enough is to look at things through the eyes of thankfulness.

I looked back one year ago and realize that we were going through a really crazy time financially last year. Things were failing left and right in our house and we were literally trying to keep our head above water. We prayed that God would provide. Now, I will be honest with you, I wish that God would have rained down money from heaven but he didn't. What he did do was provide payment plan for our septic system. He provided a way to pay to fix our basement after it flooded and the insurance company decided not to cover it. He allowed an appliance insurance policy to cover replacing a hot water heater and fix a fridge.

Sometimes God doesn't give us the thousands to go out and purchase the biggest and the best, but he does provide just what we need to get through another day, another month or another year. He is faithful. Period.

2009-05-05T11:49:00.000-04:00

Continuing to read through the Bible in a year

Five months into anything it's easy to just give up and go on to something else especially when it's something as tedious as reading the Bible in a year! I have been pretty good. There are days however that I've been "catching up" because I've missed a day here and there. But, today I'm caught up and rocking it!

Today I read some really cool stuff in Kings about Elisha and I read the first chapter in Acts. What a privilege it must have been to actually be one of his chosen and actually see Jesus to appear after his death. He spent forty days which seems to be a significant number in a lot of ways in the Bible to show himself and to encourage them. Then he said, adios but told them to wait! Which is what I'm going to do now because I'll continue this conversation later! Seriously read Acts 1 and mull it over and meditate upon it! There is a lot of stuff in this first chapter that will rock your socks off!

If you've stopped "eating an elephant in 2009" I want to encourage you to start again! To me its a great motivator to keep my mind bathed in the Word of God. If you've gotten out of the habit join with me and start here in May and work your way through in a year!

2009-05-04T23:05:00.001-04:00

Just lettin everyone know that I'm back on trrack with my blog. I've got so much to share with you. God's been doing some amazing things @ Horizons!

2009-04-18T10:02:00.001-04:00

After a few days of rest camping with the family we are heading back to Stafford. It's amazing what a few days away can do to refresh! Now back to prep for Sun!

2009-04-15T10:53:00.000-04:00

BABY STEPS

As I look back on my life I see God's imprint on it. Sometimes there were pivotal moments like coming to Faith and the decision to marry Missy and those were incredible moments of asking God for wisdom and having Him open my eyes to see where He wanted me to go next. But there have been times when I have taken steps and I'll be honest, I didn't see the light, and I didn't hear the angels rejoicing! They were tough steps and sometimes I felt like I was walking all alone. There have been those times when I felt nothing. I got up, got showered and dressed went through my day and at the end of the day I felt like saying, "Where was God today?"

It's in those times that I realize that God IS near. He's requiring me to trust in him and not waver in my faith. I need to be obedient to Him even in the mundane. Last month we went through a series dealing with these "baby" steps in our spiritual lives. We all have taken these steps, steps to overcome adversity, sin, all to get closer to God! We can't do it alone. We need each other. We need other believers that help us along the way. They help us stay the course. And when we accomplish a "victory" step even if it's a small step, a mundane step that isn't of epic proportions we need to celebrate the win! It's all for you, God!

2009-04-03T16:03:00.000-04:00

Finish Line

There haven't been any blogs in the past two weeks because we have been putting in some serious long hours getting the new Horizons Church Campus in Stafford up and running. While we were working on Saturday someone noticed that the name of the seeding company that was spreading grass seed on the property was named Finish Line (see picture). Those of you who've been here for a while know that our capital campaign was named Finish Line. What a funny coincidence! Last Sunday was our first service and it was rather surreal. Watching so many people respond (we had a record crowd) to the message of Jesus, was unforgettable. It was a powerful fantastic service and God showed up!

I even had some time to chat with some of the workers while we were up here working. We were very blessed to be able to share Christ with many of them and see them take steps toward committing their lives to Christ. I believe that scores of people will come to this place to meet Christ for the very first time and begin a relationship with Him! Workers who had been on the job site for months came to the service on Sunday and worshiped alongside of us! All in all it was an amazing weekend. The fruit of many years of labor!!!

God is Good!

2009-03-17T10:19:00.000-04:00

"I Can't Believe My Eye" (this has nothing to do with anything except for a commercial I saw during the superbowl and me playing around with my webcam!)

Today as I was reading Joshua and trying my best to eat an elephant in 2009 (check this group out on Face Book that is a help to read through the Bible in a year) There are so many times that the Israelites were asked to do way crazy stuff back then!

The latest is when they are ready to go into Jericho in Josh 6. The first six days they went around the city walls once a day. They had the band playing, worshipping (trumpets actually) in the front but armed men were protecting from the front and the rear while the whole group walked around the perimeter! Wow. I can imagine that this didn't go unnoticed by the people in Jericho. They already were a little afraid of the Israelites because their reputation has preceded them. The people inside the city were fearful, not because the Israelites were the baddest horde on the block but because of all the cool stuff God had done on their behalf. The surrounding neighbors were getting nervous!

As I read through this I realized that in order for all this to happen God didn't build a highway from Egypt to Jericho and build a bridge that led into the Land of Milk and Honey. He sent them through a process of steps to teach them to trust in the Lord with all of their heart! One step at a time. Not huge leaps but steps. Let's walk today recognizing that God is leading us forward!

2009-03-12T10:01:00.000-04:00

I usually blog at the beginning of the week, but here we are and it's Thursday and I'm just now getting to it. Spring in VA! One week we have a wind chill of 8 degrees, snow on the ground and we are sledding then the next week it's 70 degrees and we are out playing ultimate frisbee in shorts!

My heart is full! I'm amazed at what God is doing at Horizons! We are starting to do a new series on Sunday morning called "My Story". Wow, this is going to be powerful! Simultaneously, we are going to be starting a new series called
"Forward Motion" that will totally knock the socks off of everyone and will transform our lives if we apply this stuff! It's gonna be awesome and you need to be there!

Last weekend was an amazing weekend. DTR (you can see them playing(shameless plug) @ Bella Cafe'), a local band who has a heart for worship came and played at H20 Sunday night. God showed up. Period. 45 kids were dialed into God that night! After that we had a friend of mine who grew up in the church I went to in Vienna, VA come and speak. She is a smart girl, William and Mary graduate and loves God with her heart soul and mind. Now she's married, to a wonderful man, Gabriel and they have a mission. A mission to plant churches in South Africa! They spoke life to our group Sunday night! It was amazing. We had a question/answer time at the end of the service and I had to stop the kids from asking questions because we had to break down and get out of the building on time! When is the last time you've seen kids that dialed in!? God's opening the hearts of our kids. There were several that really took a look at what missions is all about and have decided that this is what they want to do with their lives.

Jesus is at work @ H20. Come and see what God is doing. Sunday Nights, 6-8PM @ Colonial Forge HS. Soon to be at our new building! Yeah baby!

2009-02-24T17:01:00.000-05:00

A friend from VA Beach gave me a call this afternoon. He's a really cool dude, and loves to worship. He doesn't have a musical bone in his body but I've never seen someone worship with as much enthusiasm and passion as he does. He called me this morning and wanted to share that after a lot of prayer over the course of the last few days that God spoke to him that he's supposed to reach out and be a voice to this generation as an evangelist.

It took me by surprise. He told me God spoke to Him in a vision and revealed this to him. Some of us might say, "Does God still speak like this in the 21st century!?" And I would have to say a resounding yes!

I thought back to when I was sixteen years old I was working as a counselor at a Christian camp for 4-6th graders. It was held at a farm and we totally had a blast swinging on tire swings and swimming and playing star wars with our flashlights in our tents at night. In the middle of the week we were having a meeting and there was a time of prayer. I was in the back of the room and I heard a voice behind me. I thought it was my youth pastor at first but I looked behind me and no one was there. I sat down quietly and I heard the voice again. Basically the message was, "You will be working with young people and many lives will be impacted by you!" I opened my Bible took out a piece of paper and wrote that down and stuck that piece of paper back in my Bible. I think I still have that paper somewhere in a box! It wasn't until I turned 19 a couple of years after high school that I realized this message from God came to pass. I became the Jr. High Youth Leader and worked with our 7-8th grade kids. I am still friends with a lot of those kids in that group. Working with them was so fulfilling and I've never looked back since.

As I read the passage in the Old Testament about Samuel hearing God in the middle of the night I never doubt that he heard God's voice. I've heard it too, and so can you.

2009-02-13T20:39:00.000-05:00

Are You Connected?

Looking outside our window at the office last week, it looked like the trees were going to rip from their roots and start rolling down the street. Our electricity started flickering and our server went down twice. Not too long after that I went to a meeting with my student leaders at the Daily Grind and the electricity was completely out there and they were turning people away. The wind evidently had caused trees to come down on power lines and that caused thousands of houses and businesses to lose power.

In Life we can become disconnected. For various reasons friendships and circumstances can come our way that cause us to disconnect from each other and sometimes from God. The thing that we need to realize is that there is always hope for a reconnect. I am finding this out more and more through an amazing resource called Face Book. I have reconnected with literally hundreds of people that I have known over the years. It's pretty cool because I feel like I have a second chance to get to know them again and reconnect with them.

I feel like we all need a vehicle like FB to help us stay connected with each other. But how to do we reconnect with God? Sometimes we may feel like it's too late. Or that We've done something that is unforgivable that our relationship with Him could never be rekindled. God's always there. His arms are open wide and guess what? You don't need a Face Book to reconnect with Him today. All you need to do is dust off that love letter called the Bible and ask Him to speak to you today.

2009-02-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

Recently, a friend of mine, Adam Herod www.adamherod.blogspot.com wrote a blog regarding the power of prayer in his life when he was a kid. He encouraged others to chime in with incredible experiences of healing. I want to share this story with you.

I believe that God heals today and I am a product of God's amazing healing touch. When I was three I contracted a blood disease that caused my white blood cells to go all out of wack. The doctors tried many things, and I almost died because of a botched blood transfusion. You can imagine the toll that this had on my mom and dad. It is a disease that has no cure. I was destined to live with it the rest of my life until one day my mom and dad's friend Claire Matthias came into my hospital room and felt compelled by God to lay hands on me and pray for my healing. Out of my mom and dad's desperation they said yes, and this lady prayed over me and in a short time my disease disappeared. The doctors where amazed and told my mom and dad that this was miraculous!

For some reason this disease came back when I was six. I had to stay home from school that year and went to the doctor every day to get my blood checked and was bed ridden for many months. This time my mom and dad's prayer group prayed over me and again, I was healed!

From a very early age I realized that God had a reason for me to live because twice he saved me from certain death. As my friend Adam stated in his blog, I also believe that when we are in the presence of God, amazing things happen. When two or three are gathered in His name He is there! God's will be done.

2009-01-29T10:35:00.000-05:00

Anticipation

Perry Noble of New Spring Church just sent a twitter that I thought was worth noting. He says, "The reason there is seldom revelation is because there is often no anticipation...so...what are you anticipating the Lord to do today?"

A lot of our kids at H20 get that. They aren't waiting until H20 services Sunday night. I see them come into service on a Sunday morning and they are ready to receive from God. They are anticipating that God is going to do something that morning! And they aren't afraid to act upon that!

This weekend is one full of anticipation! We are taking forty some kids to Acquire the Fire. Many have brought friends with them in (yes, there's that word again!) anticipation that God is going to meet their friends and experience life change! It's going to be a great weekend! We've been praying and seeking God all week long and we believe that God will reveal himself to many this weekend. Pray for us as we go to Richmond Friday and Saturday. I believe that God has great things in store for us! We are ready for God to do something great! Check this out! http://www.youtube.com/ATFacquirethefire

Sunday morning is coming and Horizons services are going to be amazing. We just had our planning for the order of service yesterday and I am so excited to see how God is going to use each element of the service rock our socks off! So come this Sunday anticipating that God is going to do some great things!

But you don't have to wait until Sunday! "What are you anticipating the Lord to do today?"

2009-01-28T08:23:00.000-05:00

a trip down memory lane...

This morning I'm looking outside at the freezing rain. I'm doing my devos and sitting in front our fireplace drinking a cup of coffee. We had an awesome day yesterday sledding and playing games, and watching movies with the kids. It reminds me of how things were when I was a kid on a snow day. We would get our snowsuits on and grab our sleds and walk to our elementary school which had a huge hill. We would trudge up that hill and then throw our sleds down and jump on it and slide down and scream and just have a blast. We'd do this sometimes until late at night. A neighbor would bring a big barrel and started a fire in it so we could warm ourselves before the next run down the hill. Finally we'd make our way back to our house and mom of course, would have steaming hot chocolate ready for us. I don't know how she knew when we were coming back to have that hot chocolate prepared for us but she did. There were no cell phones to call and let her know we were coming home!

Today it's back to reality. We've got a busy weekend ahead of us and thankfully it looks like the weather will clear up for this weekends activities. God's got some great things in store for you this weekend @ Horizons! But you and I need to prepare for those things and get our gear on and hat and gloves and move forward. Some of us may find ourselves trudging up the hill or maybe we've just made it to the top and are ready for the run down the hill. No matter where you are spiritually God is walking beside you leading you to the place that he wants you to be.

"Father, I pray that you would speak to our hearts today through your word and through the circumstances that surround us. Let us be a light for you today! Help us to lead others into a relationship with you today!"

-andy

2009-01-20T00:04:00.000-05:00

Last Week:

Last week was a crazy week. My kids loved it because they got off school for two days in observance for Martin Luther King Jr. and the inauguration.

Some of us needed to be in the office and it was cool to catch Obama's swearing in Live on streaming video with CNN/Facebook on my computer. We got to witness history in the making. It was really cool. There was a window that had live coverage and on the right side of the window people were sending messages via Facebook commenting about the event. The awesome thing that I liked about this was the fact that people were connecting with hundreds of people across the nation sharing an event.

I thought Rick Warren did a great job with the prayer and the name of Jesus was proclaimed. Way to go Pastor Rick!

It's next week and we are on our way with a new administration in this land. Please pray for our local and national leaders that God will grant them wisdom to lead this country.

-andy

2009-01-15T10:30:00.000-05:00

Kids...

I can remember the days back before I had kids and parents would come up to me as a youth pastor with questions and problems and I remember thinking how silly some of the questions were and how easily they could arrive at a solution to that problem. I thought I knew so much until I brought Maggie home as an infant from the hospital! All of a sudden my life changed dramatically and it gave me a brand new perspective on how my youth group parents handled things! There are so many variables that go into seeing situations clearly. I have memories of how my dad raised me, I have certain fears, moods and that's just me. My wife has a whole other set of variables that she's dealing with. Missy and I work together to be on the same "page" when it comes to family decisions and discipline but we don't always get it right.

I realize as a grow older that I can't do any of this alone. I want my kids to get a well rounded upbringing and get support from trusted people speaking in their lives and I know that my kids are getting that from our Children's Pastor and his small group leaders. Likewise I know that we have a volunteer staff at H20 that genuinely care about the spiritual development of our kids. Praise God for a church family that can help us in shaping our children to be Jesus followers!

-andy

2009-01-02T15:38:00.000-05:00

2009...Gonna Be Awesome!

Yesterday was New Year's Day. I had my laptop on the coffee table kicking out Happy New Year greetings to all those on Facebook and getting emails answered. I spent a lot of the day dreaming about being in the new building and how that's going to dramatically change how we do ministry @ Horizons & H20. I'm so excited about the possiblities!

Jesus Said, "Follow Me"

Have you ever done a ginormous thing before? I'm about to once again. I did it a long time ago but I was convicted to do it again. I have joined a Facebook group called "Eat an Elephant in 2009" A dude named Byron Vinson basically started this group to get hundreds of people to read through the Bible in a year. I joined because I have to say I have not read all the way through the Bible since I've moved to Stafford. I know I know that's hard to believe. It really challenged me when I read what this group was up to. I wanna encourage all of my friends @ H20 and Horizons and all over the world to sign up for this and read with me! The Bible is our handbook and love letter from the Father to us, His sons and daughters. Want to know God? Read your Bible. It's that simple. It's a great place to find out exactly who God is and why He sent His son on this earth. Will you join me in this quest?

Happy New Year!

2008-12-24T00:09:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!

My prayer for all is that you'd find Hope in Jesus this Christmas.

From our H20 family to yours! I hope each and everyone of you has a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

2008-12-09T09:17:00.000-05:00

Looking for God?

Wow, I'm more pumped and charged about Christmas this morning than I've been in a long time. And I haven't even had my cup of coffee yet! Why, you ask?

Well, for one thing, I am always excited to buy gifts for my family at Christmas. And of course its great to receive gifts too! Justin left a note in my car to me saying, "don't worry daddy, I'm getting you a Christmas gift this year! During my forty something emotional moment as I read this note I realized that something has happened in Justin's heart. He's not just begging and pleading for the perfect gift but he's starting to think of others! Not bad for a ten year old! I'm proud of 'em.

Christmas, as it probably will be for a lot of people will be a bit leaner this year in the Roger's house. But, that caused me to rethink how I do Christmas. I had to get creative to save a buck but still give a gift that is going to make someone smile. I started listening to my family. Not the "I want a "fill in the blank" for Christmas kind of conversation but the ones that as we talked I began to see where their passion lies and that helped me figure out what gifts I'm giving.

I find God in these little things and I hope that this Christmas that we all see the attributes of the Father in our families! Only 16 more days til Christmas. "Don't worry Dad, I'm getting you a present!"

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the Heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows."
-James 1:17

2008-12-03T14:42:00.000-05:00

It's A New Day and a New Year (Almost)

Hi Everyone,

After a short break from blogging I'm back on track again. I took some time off last week to catch up with some things such as planning for the new year, staff retreat, the new building, etc.

Here's a video short of something that I am so jazzed about. We found out on Monday that they are pouring the stage so we got a camera and went out to see what was up! As I was watching them spread the concrete over the form it was an "ah ha!" moment where I realized that we are so close to getting this building finished. Anyhow, here it is and I hope you can capture the excitement. God bless and have a great day.

2008-11-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday morning and I'm at a stopping place from desperately trying to clear my inbox and trying to get a handle on a very long to do list. As I stopped for a moment I thought back to Sunday night. We had a worship time in youth that was truly amazing. After worshiping for almost an hour we broke up into small groups and had a time of prayer.

Usually when I look around at the different groups I see some kids disengaged and not taking things seriously and I'll join that group and help them focus, but last Sunday there wasn't one group that wasn't completely focused. In fact they were so focused that when I called to have everyone join in corporately for one last song I had a hard time getting them to stop praying! What a great problem to have! God's moving in the midst of our kids and our leaders are noticing how their prayers are genuine and even outward and not all about their own problems.

Take some time today and pray. God's waiting...

2008-11-13T11:46:00.000-05:00

2009 and Beyond...

We are in a staff retreat right now and we are planning for 2009. Yesterday, we had several team building activities and we spoke words of encouragement in the form of constructive criticism to amazing encouragement. Although it was exhausting, I came out of this meeting realizing that these are people that really understand me and want me to succeed as a leader.

Today we are in the brainstorming mode of what our theme is going to be for 2009. We have spent time in prayer, and God has brought us to some amazing ideas for this year. I'm excited, nervous and believing that God is going to get us to where He wants us in this new year. A lot of things are happening this year. We are moving into our new building. The goals that we are looking at are more challenging then ever but we all are sitting here with eager anticipation to get started! God is good.

2008-11-06T14:18:00.000-05:00

Looking Back/ Looking Forward

Looking back:
Last weekend was awesome. We had a Fall festival that was an amazing event at Horizons church. I'm so glad that we were a part of that although, it was a little disappointing that our Trunk did not win the competition! After that we went to the Colonial Forge vs. Mountain View Football game. The MVHS Wildcats pulled off the upset and there was much rejoicing, unless you were Forge fan. Afterwards we went to Starbucks to celebrate and then over to Ihop to get some much needed nourishment. The next night was Mission Possible. Six Teams determined as ever got their camo gear and painted their faces, deciphered code and stealthily collected clues. All the while the counselors were being the spoilers and trying their best to distract the teams from their goals. Afterward we hung out at the camp fire, roasted marsh mellows and chilled. It was a beautiful night to be outside! Sunday night was H20 and I spoke to the middle schooler's while Missy spoke to the HS Group. We had a great night and overcame adversity to be in the presence of God.

Looking Forward:

This weekend will be even more amazing and incredible than last weekend! We are off to the Patriot Center Friday night to launch the inaugural Invincible Tour for Dare2Share. Steve Fee and Leeland will be there leading worship and Gregg Stiers and his team will be giving us some tools to be "Invincible" as we go out and about sharing Christ to a hurting world.
I hope everyone has a great weekend and
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone Sunday morning
and evening @ Horizons services and H2o Services Sunday night!

2008-10-27T15:11:00.000-04:00

Standing in the Midst of the Storm

As I look back over the past few months we've had a lot of things go wrong at our house. Some of you may remember that we had a series of thunderstorms over the summer. One of those storms knocked out our power for five hours and our sump pump in our basement failed. That translates into 2 inches of water all throughout the basement level! After that we had a hot water heater go bad that needed replacing. After that we had our fridge go out and needed fixing, twice in the same week! And this month we had our ejector pump go bad in our septic tank which is not a cheap fix. These weren't, "gee it would be nice to fix that someday expenses". These are all in that "necessity" category. Missy and I contemplated each of these things and realized we needed someone in the form of a savior to help us. Now in each of these things God showed himself strong. We got things fixed and realize that there are more things that are going to need fixing in the future as well. It's part of life.

As I was praying with the pastor's this morning I realized that we are in the midst of a storm. The word that came to me as I was praying was that Jesus said that "my yoke is easy". What that means is the fact that as we are walking through all these little trials that add up to big headaches sometimes, that He's walking with us, shouldering the burden. The light bulb went off and I realized that He's walking right beside us. When these things happen and when we are flustered and we aren't sure how we are going to deal with the things that life throws at me, we can stand firm. We can stand in the midst of the storm confident that He is right by our side. And you know what? After all, "We Win!"

2008-10-21T14:32:00.000-04:00

Making Time For Him

In the middle of this crazy "fast paced" Northern Virginia world that we live in, I had three different people that tell me, "Andy, you need to slow down and spend more time in the presence of God." I hope you aren't shocked and surprised that a pastor would have to be told to slow down and rest and take it easy. Well, I thought I had a handle on this and that the time I was spending with God was sufficient.

Two questions quickly came to mind. How in the world can I slow down with all that needs to be accomplished in God's kingdom? And the other was what in the world can I cut out to do this? Do I lose sleep and get up earlier? Do I spend less time with my family to do this? Do I spend less time with my H20 kids? What do I do?

As I was pondering this I was reading some leadership mentoring materials over before meeting with some of the H20 leaders the next day. I realized a very simple truth. I better make adjustments even if it hurts. One of the key statements in the material I was reading was the fact that we as leaders need to put our own spirituality over others spirituality. That means simply that if you aren't spiritually healthy that you can't minister to others.

So, today I need to just be, even in the midst of taking care of my home and family, even in the midst of all the crisis that emerge around me, I need to take that moment and just be. God please fill me up today. I need you. You are my source for the energy and the power that I need to be able to accomplish everything that you have planned for me to accomplish in this life. Thanks, God!

2008-10-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

The Monday Holiday Syndrome

I have a love hate thing with Monday holidays. On one side of the coin we get a day off and can spend some time with the fam. On the other hand we have lost a day at the office and we are sprinting to get things done by the end of the week.

Monday, we basically used it wisely which really means that we worked around the house, went grocery shopping and then later that evening we had H20 worship practice. At 9:30 that night I remember thinking where'd the day go?

If I lived "back in the day"and Jesus said, "Come follow me", I would have been the one saying, "but, don't you know what I have to do by Friday?" "There's a lot of fish to catch and fry!"

The bottom line: Here's the deal. I need to give my week up to God. I need to allow Him to speak to my heart and trust that He'll give me what I need for the week. Lord, give me the strength, the wisdom and knowledge to be an effective witness for You today.

No Worries!

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own." -Matthew 6:34

I think this applies to four day work weeks as well.

2008-10-08T09:12:00.000-04:00

The Search For Significance

How many times have you prayed and asked God for significance in your life? "Am I really making a difference or am I just a blip on a huge blue ball called earth?" There are several moments in my life that have had that sobering realization that I am still on the planet for a reason. The first moment was when I was three. I had a rare blood disease and unless God intervened and healed me I would not be here today. Long story short, a woman of God who my mom and dad were friends with came into my hospital room and laid her hands on my head and prayed and asked God to heal me. Her name was Claire Matthias. Through this lady, God's healing power touched my body and I was healed. The doctors were amazed and called it a miracle. Fast Forward (I fast forward and rewind a lot in my blogs for some reason.) to when I was six, and I contracted the disease again! As you can imagine my mom and dad where devastated. But, God was faithful again. One more time, people came to our house and prayed for me and I was healed.

Not once, but twice my life was headed for a premature end but God showed Himself strong and healed me. Whenever I am having doubts I can recount the stories because they've been told many times over in our family. Are you recounting your story? If you look back, I can guarantee that maybe God didn't have to save you from a life threatening disease, but you can see God's hand in your life. There is purpose for you to be on this planet!

2008-10-06T13:21:00.000-04:00

The One Thing

Here I am, and it's a beautiful Monday morning. After the morning meetings I got on my motorcycle to ride back to the office I realized how blessed we are to be a part of where God is at work. It's the "One Thing" that we were created for. It's the thing that keeps me up dreaming about how to do it the best that I can. I realized that God's hand is on my life. I sense His presence at the beginning of the day. I realize that I am fulfilling God's will for my life here in the place that God has me.

This morning at the Daily Grind, I read a scripture in 2 Corinthians that really says it all. 2 Cor. 4:7 says, "But we have this treasure (the One Thing) in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us. Thanks God for the treasure! Thank you that you use us even in our broken state. We are leaking and cracked but you use us to carry your treasure. Everything that we do and everything that we are is because of your power not ours. This passage goes on to say that we are pressed but not crushed, persecuted not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. In everyday terms, we will have problems. Everything is not perfect. We make mistakes! But God is there, using us and making our lives significant each day through His son Jesus Christ.

2008-10-02T13:10:00.000-04:00

The Light that Shines the Farthest...Shines the Brightest at Home...

We had an awesome week last week celebrating a multi-church effort to celebrate Jesus Christ through "See Ya At the Pole". I marveled at the prayers that were lifted up. (see blog below about syatp!) I love it when God says do something bigger than yourself! Several area churches in the Stafford area came together to do something special and I believe that there will be profound affect felt throughout the year because of that event.

I came into work yesterday and I guess October 1st is Missionary update day! I got three updates from my contacts in Southeast Asia and Western Africa and each one was chock full of God doing amazing things! As I was reading the one from my friends Drew and Sarah in Bali, Indonesia I saw this same concept of churches coming together happen on a much larger scale. 30,000 Indonesians got together in Bali's largest stadium for four days to hear the gospel message. Hindus, Muslims and Christians all joined together for this historic event! People brought the lame and sick and they were healed. My friends church had the priviledge of leading worship and documenting this by filming the event. It is a beautiful thing when God calls His Body together to do something amazing!

Last year I had the priviledge of going to Indonesia to serve the local church in a "Burn" for 24 hours. Continuous worship to bring down strongholds and to strengthen his church. Since then the Fire is burning and I was blessed to bring some of that home with me. The leaders of that trip had the priveledge of meeting with local church leaders and they wanted to know how to keep that fire burning even after we left. The Burn continues there and this outreach is just more evidence of God moving in Indonesia. Drew and Sarah continue to serve faithfully in a local church in Bali and they are seeing God's faithfulness each day.

May God continue to draw churches together to impact our world around us. The light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home. May God's love invade your world today!

2008-10-01T09:31:00.000-04:00

Impacting Our World
Wow, it's Wednesday and yes, this is my first blog of the week.

Have you ever really got a glimpse of how God is using you to reach people? Even ones that you'd least expect. Here's a great example.

Flashback to Sunday night. As the kids were playing a game in the auditorium, I was praying in the hallway before we started worship.

A guy came up behind me looking around like he was lost. I asked if I could help him and he said that he had teenage kids and wanted to check out the H20 Youth Meeting. I told him that he was in the right place. And, I'll be honest I prayed another little prayer that youth group would go smoothly! I'm always a little self conscious when I have parents in the meeting!

He and I walked through the doors into the auditorium and there was music playing and lights going during a wild and crazy game called "tick tick boom". The guy proceeded to the back of the auditorium and found a seat. The game finished up and I got up to do announcements and to pray before we started worship. As worship started and the band started playing and the lights went down, I sensed this was going to be a great night. Instantly everyone got out of their seats and entered into worship. During one of the songs, a youth leader got up with a word and the kids responded. Leaders were praying for kids and God encouraged all of us that night. Even more than we realized.

We finished worship and went into the message and then got in our small groups. As we were transitioning into small groups the guy sitting in the back handed me a note and thanked me for letting him be a part of the service.

I read the note as the kids were getting into their small groups and it went like this. "I've been looking for a church with youth on fire for the Lord. I was only going to pop in for 10 minutes but I couldn't leave. The youth during worship so blessed me. It was incredible. God was definitely in this place tonight. The kids here are building treasure in heaven and blessing people even when they don't know it." As I looked up from the note the man was just walking out of auditorium and I thanked God that his life was changed by what he experienced at H20.

The thing that stuck in my mind was the fact that he said, "the kids were blessing people even when they don't know it." When we are honoring God and worshiping Him, it changes a place and those in that place are profoundly affected. Here was a casual observer. Someone who was checking out the youth group for his teenage kids and God showed up and totally blesses him.

Without realizing it we are all having an impact on the others that are around. We are leaving a legacy wherever we go. What is the legacy that you are leaving?

2008-09-25T09:32:00.000-04:00

Coincidence or Answered Prayer?

Tuesday I was riding my Yamaha R6 motorcycle to my house after a long day at the office and as I was riding home a small piece of the bike had come loose and fallen off. It was just a cosmetic piece but it was missing and I was upset. That afternoon I looked for it but couldn't find it anywhere on the road where I had driven.

Fast forward to yesterday. I was in traffic coming home from work and I found myself praying a simple prayer. God, you know our budget, you know I don't want to spend money for a cosmetic piece for my bike. Could you just show me where that piece is that fell off on Tuesday so I don't have to buy a new one? The traffic started getting heavy as inched toward an intersection we stopped. I looked up after praying and right there on the side of the road was the part that fell off the bike! I put my hazard lights on and ran over and picked it up and got back in the car and drove home! The first thing I did was thank God for this!

Was that just a cosmic coincidence where all the stars lined up and the moon's gravitational pull led me to that spot, or was it God answering a simple prayer lifted up by one of his children and the Father said, "There it is!" I choose the latter.

2008-09-24T16:28:00.000-04:00

see ya at the pole

I was up before the sun came up. Why? Because Maggie and I had a mission. We were on a mission from God. First stop 7AM @ North Stafford HS. We got there and they were just finishing up a few songs of worship and then the student leaders of FCA got together and shared from I Samuel Chapter 3 where God spoke to Samuel for the first time. Powerful scripture and I believe a lot of kids that morning who had never even thought that God could speak to them realized that He had in the past and He wants to now! Amazing. Afterward we got together in small groups and started praying. There were around 100 kids that morning all lifting up prayers for their fellow students, teachers and administration. They dedicated this school for God. Magster even lifted her voice to the heavens as she prayed for that school!

After that our mission was to head to AG Wright Middle School where Maggie attends as an 8th grader. At first it was a mom and her daughter and Mags and I. We eventually had a few more students that trickled in as the prayer time went on. The school nurse showed up and that was awesome. When two or more are gathered in Jesus name he's there also.

As I walked slowly back to my car taking it all in I realized that numbers didn't matter. The same God that was in our midst at North Stafford and the 100 or so kids there was the same God that was in our midst at our little gathering at AG Wright. Sure the big crowd at the High School was more of a spectacle but those few parents and sons and daughters had a moment with God that was just as real and just as tangible.

It was a great day as kids all across the United States lifted up the standard around their flagpoles letting the world know that they are here and are praying and making a difference in their classrooms.

Wherever you find yourself, my prayer for you today is that you'll be that light that shines bright!

2008-09-18T11:39:00.000-04:00

Worship

This week I've been working on a song by Michael Gungor called "Ancient Skies" which gives an amazing description of God's character. His love for us is endless, and his mercy toward us never changes. What is our response to something that amazing and incredible? In the song the response is a single word. A word that is Hebrew in origin for praise. Simply, Hallelujah. It's a spontaneous expression of joy that comes from are innermost being. I think praise comes from knowing God. The more we know God and understand His love for us, something wells up within us that expresses the praise that He deserves. Take some time today to thank God and sing Hallelujah.

-andy

2008-09-16T14:46:00.000-04:00

Super Tuesday

Today has been a really great day. There are things that I have been able to cross off my to do list which is always satisfying and I have been in meetings and phone calls that have really pumped me up for the '08-'09 school year. I've been brainstorming for our Pre-SeeYaAtThePole rally next week. I believe that God has some amazing things that He wants to accomplish through SYATP this year. If He's there when two or three are gathered in His name just imagine what can happen when thousands of kids all across the country humble themselves and pray. I believe that if this generation will pray that God will truly heal our land as scripture says.

Tonight we are starting a new book in our guys small group called "Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. I am so looking forward to diving into this book again. I read it when I was in college and unfortunately it has sat on my shelf way too long! I'm off to prepare for this weekend's h20 meeting. Talk to you tomorrow!

2008-09-15T17:23:00.000-04:00

monday morning quarterback:

As I look back and think of how much stuff we did in the last 36 hours I am amazed that we are still standing. Friday afternoon was an H20 time with leadership guys. I took Zach to his football practice on the other side of town. Saturday morning was Zach's football game then it was off to Justin's football game. Both won their games! I'm so proud of my guys! Then, I went and mowed and weed wacked the yard and then it was off to a party at Ryan's to celebrate his birthday. We got home at 11pm went to bed and then I headed off to church @ 6:45am and then lead worship at both the 9 and the 11am services. Then we had take down and by the time I was done locking up it was time to go to the picnic which included a Volleyball tourney (we made to the semi-finals but Missy's team won again for the 2nd year in a row! Way to go Little Red!) And then after we cleaned up from the picnic we played a quick round of Ultimate Frisbee. We got home at 6:00pm and I watched a few minutes of the afternoon NFL games and then collapsed into bed. I know that this is a rambling run on paragraph but it gives the feel of what this weekend was like! Have a great week everyone!

2008-09-09T09:33:00.000-04:00

About the Father's Business

Today I came into the office and I was the first one here. After checking my fantasy football scores this week and after I read over the news of the day, I try and get alone with God for a few moments. I love that time before everyone arrives. It's quiet and there are no distractions. I put the coffee on and set up my laptop and started reading Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest which always challenges me and then looked up the scripture references and even looked up a couple of concordances on the highlighted verse of the day. Yeah, I was feeling pretty good about myself. But there was something missing.

I was reading "about" God and I was getting nuggets to apply to my life but was I really taking the time to hear from God? So many times I do my devos and read a chapter or two and pray a quick prayer and then everyone else starts arriving and I don't get to that spending time in His presence like I should. If we are truly to be about our Father's business it would be good to get to know the Father's business! Jesus was a consultant of sorts. He was constantly consulting the Father about everything. I need to spend a few moments each day looking at His agenda and seeing what matters to Him.

I am just an apprentice. I'm spending as much time as I can getting to know and understand the business. God wants us to be about His business each day. Today, our we listening to His voice?

Blog done. Well not completely. Pastor Jim is challenging me to blog on a daily basis so I am going to start blogging Monday through Fridays. As Jim has challenged his readers, let me know if I haven't kept up! The experiment starts today.

*can't wait for the church picnic! I was recruited for the v-ball tournament. I feel special!