Monthly Archive

Wow - what a great birthday week.  I loved seeing Beirut in San Francisco with my wife.  She treated me to one of the most amazing weeks of my life.  

The young lady who was next to us (a Graphic Designer named Olga Vinokurova) posted these photos from the the concert.

The floor was standing room only as about 1500 kids packed the joint.  Luckily, it was open “seating” and there was a balcony.  We were among the first to get into line and wound up with awesome seats.

I just found this video and thought I would pass on the goodness called Beirut:

Wow - my wife is doing me up… BIG TIME!
Tonight the whole family went out to the best restaurant in Brainerd, The Classic.  When I got home, I opened my gift; tickets to go see my favorite band.   I first blogged about them back in September.  Oh and ya… they are playing tomorrow night in San Francisco (We used to live there - Great City).  We are going to be staying at a very cool Bed and Breakfast in North Beach.  The plane leaves early in the AM.   

When I was growing up this was “it”. I could sit and listen to Page all night long.
Stairway To Heaven - live december 3 1983 instrumental with Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton all playing just like old times with the yardbirds:

Now that I am a little older and have mellowed out a bit, my preference has gotten a bit more sophisticated. Here is an awesome tribute rendition by Rodrigo y Gabriela:

I just finished another webblog at UStreamTV with Brian Stevens about our church planting experiences.  You can see it here>>>

Hey… have you ever wondered what goes on as speakers and leaders continue the conversation from the platform after a session.  Here is a behind the scene podcast.  I was able to do a podcast with the pastor.com gang that I serve with.  Tomorrow we will be on the main stage with Rick Warren talking about the new software platform that will be released soon.

I am out at Saddleback Church… Read the other session I am in HERE>>> 

Goals:

1.     To Encourage Your Spirit 1 Thess 5:11

2.     To Sharpen Your Skills – Eccl 10:10

3.     To Strengthen your Church – Acts 15:41

4.     To Stretch Your Mind – Prov 18:15 (LB), Rom. 2:21a

5.     To Enlist Your Partnership - Luke 5:7

Definitions:

The Purpose Driven Network is a 20-year-old informal training network of pastors committed to growing healthy churches and to training other pastors and leaders to do the same.  PD is a framework and a network.  It’s not a program or an organization.  It’s a simple framework for ministry and an informal network for fellowship and idea exchange.

The P.E.A.C.E. Coalition is a new “network of networks” including churches, business, denominations, schools, NGOs, governments, and individuals committed to the mission of Jesus:  Promote reconciliation (to God and others) and Plant churches, Equip servant leaders, Asset the poor, Care for the sick, and Educate the next generation.  We’re launching this Thursday!

Rick has spent the past two years learning, listening, writing and calling on God.  The direction has gotten clear and it will be clear to us over the week what he feels God is calling the Network to. 

During the quite period of the past two years God has said to Rick that he must decreases to that God can increase - John 3:30.  God has been testing Rick to really believe “it’s not about you”.  The platform that Rick has been entrusted really is about lifting and elevating the church and leaders who will do and live out the purposes of the church.  

I am very excited to share the news… we are pregnant.  No - not Elizabeth and I.  We are! The Journey North is going to have a baby; we are planting a church this summer. 

At the beginning of the year I stood up and lamented that we have a stated value of stating new churches, but the value has largely gone unrealized.   In the few short months since then God has done some amazing things. 

First, he showed us how we could fan the flame of a brand new Christian Missionary Alliance church in Brainerd called Pointway.   We gave Steve Ericson (the planter) a hunting license and told our church that we were trusting God to send some of our best and brightest to go and help with this new work of God in town.  Our Leadership Team has gone a step further and is planning to receive a special offering for them the week before they launch.  We are excited to send Pointway both people and money.

Then, we hired Mike Verlennich as our Church Planter in Residency.  He is in the process of raising financial support for this position and The Journey North is matching the supporters he develops.  The plan is for Mike to spend a year with us developing his core competencies and the skill sets that will enable him to launch a very healthy, new church in Central, Minnesota.

Finally, this past week we took on another new church planter.  This is a very fun story.  Two years ago, my friend Jeff Gauss, moved his family to Cushing to pastor a sister church of ours there.  Prior to that he had been the planting pastor of an inner-city church called Lounge Divine.  During this same period of time, I had my first contact with a group of people in Thief River Falls who wanted to start a new church.  They started meeting and are a small growing group who have done a great job without a pastor but have been seeking God for an official church planter to move to the North West corner of the state and build this new kingdom work.

Last week, The Journey North committed to Jeff $20,000.00 of financial support for this new work.  Next Sunday, I will be introducing our church family to his family and you will have all have a chance to cheer them on.  Please be in prayer for the things God will do through them in Thief River Falls.  

Learn More About Epiphany Station Here>>>

As I sat down with a good friend yesterday, I was asked if I could summarize the messages from our series – Revolution of the Heart.  It has been based on the Sermon on the Mount, perhaps the most important collection of Jesus’ teaching.

Week 1 – March 30^th

3″Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
 

Blessed are those who come to understand that their best effort is not good enough.  They quit striving and trying to earn it on their own.

Week 2 – April 6^th

4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 
 

Blessed are those who get what is going on inside of them out… only they will be able to find comfort.

Week 3 – April 13^th

5Blessed are the meek, 
for they will inherit the earth. 
 

Blessed are those who have their personal power under control.

Week 4 – April 20^th

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 


Broken people, who give up striving begin to hunger and thirst for God.  Everyone is hungry!  What are you filling your life with?

Week 5 – April 27^th

7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 
 

When you know, that you know, that you know, that you have been given Grace from God…the response that is most natural is to show others mercy.

Week 6 – May  4^th

8Blessed are the pure in heart, 
for they will see God. 
 

An un-mixed, undivided heart for God reveals that a person has experienced a fundamental change.  Jesus told Nicodemus in Luke 3 that it is called being born again.

Week 7 – May 11^th

9Blessed are the peacemakers, 
for they will be called sons of God. 


The peacemakers of the Kingdom are Grace filled truth tellers 

Week 8 – May 18^th

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

No one gets persecuted for just being benign, kind, impotent God lovers.   Broken, longing for God, real, passionate, truth tellers make the religious eeliest very nervous.  Those who are doing the business of the King and doing it by reflecting Jesus…they get blasted.

Ok…I made the switch.  I just got a Mac and am putting my Dell to bed.  It was so tired and sooo slow.  I think I am going to like it a ton (but it is a little to soon to tell).  Now the computer is fast and the user is slow as molasses.  

Here is what cnet has to say:

Specs: Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz); RAM installed: 1 GB DDR II SDRAM; Weight: 5.1 lbs  See full specs >>

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

This was an awesome weekend as dozens made decisions to walk with Jesus as both their Rabi and their Lord. Also, a very sweet time was had during a baptism Saturday:

Brett Richmond and I went down to the Cities yesterday to hear David T. Olson talk about The American Church in Crisis.  Here is a short message from him to The Journey North:

If you want to see and learn more, check out PlantingPartners.org >>>