Powerful words from an aggressive leader

Dave Ferguson blogs a great piece on Q & A with Rich DeVos. It seemed like half of the campus of my alma mater is named after him. He’s a HUGE believer in financing the work of God. He’s an incredible businessman and motivator. When he speaks, I’m listening. You have to check it out. One of my favorites things he said were some powerful quotes from his upcoming book:

I’m wrong,
I’m sorry.
I trust you.
I’m proud of you.
I luv ya!

Awesome stuff from a great leader.

Do as I Say Not As I Do

If you’re a parent, you know you can’t get by with telling your kids "Do as I say not as I do."  We reproduce who we are, not who we want others to be.  We should consider ourselves a stamp, imprinting ourselves into the lives of people closest to us.

In Nehemiah 11, we see the leaders of Jerusalem living in the city, enduring the same challenges, navigating the same terrain as the volunteer settlers and the settlers who were recruited to repopulate the city.  The Church of Jesus Christ faces its biggest problems when its leaders feel that they have one set of rules to live by while their followers have another.  It is frustrating to see people who should be leading a movement, instead taking advantage of the movement of Jesus.

Without dwelling on the negative, it is also incredibly invigorating to see leaders who lead aggressively admit their flaws, and who consistently direct people to Jesus.

A Soft or selfish view on Jesus?

Perry lays the smack down on guys and gals that have a soft or selfish view of Jesus.  A MUST READ.

I’m Impressed with This Guy

Casey Watkins job at Life Pointe is to manage our setup in the theater.  In addition to that, he has a ministry of his own, Rock Pointe (concert promotions).  If you ever want to see any of the jacked up, head splitting "Screamo" shows he puts on, visit You Tube and search Life Pointe or watch this or this or this or this or this.  It’s fairly bizarre…and fun as long as you have ear plugs.

I’ve seen Casey come a long way in his personal growth.  I have never been more proud of him than I am at this moment.  I’m a big believer in celebrating wins.  I want him and his production crew to know how proud I am of his development and dedication.  It has shown up BIG TIME in the lead up to our two services, with the beginning of our Saturday night setups, and with the success in his concert promos.  You rock, Casey…literally.

Growing Pains

When I was 13 years old, I had painful "shin splints."  My dad called them growing pains.  The bones in my shins weren’t pacing each other in their growth and the muscle actually separated from the back of the shin.  OUCH!

I’ve come to understand that the same things happen in any organism, even in the church.  Any time there is growth, there is always a need for the skeletal structure (organization) to keep pace with the muscular structure (people). 

For those exceptionally-gifted organizational geniuses that are out there, I have to say I envy you.  But, since I am not you as most of us are not, I have to recognize that growing pains are simply a part of life.  So, I want to state some realities about growth and invite you to share your insights.

• Growth is inconvenient.  If you want convenience, don’t ask for growth.  The status quo and ease get rocked in the wake of growth.
• Growth is a pathway to great opportunities and heavier personal responsibility. As one of my business mentors always says, "If it was easy, everyone would be doing it."  It isn’t easy but, it has a great pay day.  In the Church, the pay day is eternal.
• Growth mandates that we mature.  If a 2 year old pitches a fit in the cereal aisle it is different than if a 21 year old does.
• Growth means that we learn that discretion is the better part of valor. You can’t fight and die on every hill and over every issue you see.  If growth is to last and fruit is to remain, you have to concede that some battles aren’t worth dying for.
• Growth means more bills. Have just 1 child.  You’ll see what I’m talking about.
• Growth means responsibility.  My familial growth has required me to moderate my driving habits.  My responsibility for my family trumps what was permissible in the past.

Life Group Video and Catalogue for Registration

   

Download Life Groups Fall Catalogue.pdf

The groups begin the week of September 16 and last for 12 weeks.  Then, more groups will form for the spring.

You can register by emailing Anne Johnson.  Include your name, phone number, and email address.  If you are registering for more than one person, detail their information as well.  Since groups will fill up on a first come, first serve basis, its important that you get your registration in as quickly as possible.

Sunday Wrap-up

Breathe deeply and regrip because life comes at you fast.  That is the "environment" I feel like I’m living in right now.  It seems like the only constant is change.  I’m just embracing that value and moving in a fast forward position.  Check out how today was:

• Aside from the service length today (need to shave off 15 minutes), I feel like we are just about ready for the September 16th move to two services (9 & 10:30).
• I would like to encourage you to take that awesome opportunity to attend a service and serve in a service.
• Speaking of service, our children’s team rocks!  The volunteer base there is pretty amazing going into the two services.  There are still a few opportunities there.  But, I am absolutely blown away at how strong the kids’ venues are becoming!
• There were some changes to the lobby setup that really opened things up.  I absolutely loved it.  I loved the vibe out there, especially after the service.
• The buzz surrounding life groups registration is off the hook.
• I enjoyed sitting back and taking in the worship service today. 
• The guys and gals on stage did a great job of leading us in worshiping Christ.  I have really enjoyed watching Jesse develop…can’t wait to see how this looks over the next few months.
• Paul was challenging today.  Great message.  Its awesome to have such a strong teacher and good friend on the team.
• I can’t wait to see the Life Group registration numbers.  Before we start closing groups, I’ll post the Life Group video and catalogue here.  We’ll start closing some groups on Tuesday.
• Looking forward to seeing Mr. Bean tonight with the Life Pointe crew tonight at southland…should be fun.

Life Groups: What You Need To Know

Registration for our fall semester for our life groups begins Sunday.  Its first come, first serve on group registers so the first Sunday is critical if there is a particular group you are trying to get into.  This fall, we’ll grow from 12 to 18 groups.  I will never forget our first group.  I am very glad to see God accomplishing His work through each of us.  Its incredibly encouraging.

A few of our Life Group values are:

• Open, welcoming environments
• hospitality
• shared leadership
• group multiplication

We consider a group to be successful if the group has:

• Biblical conversations
• Prayer for one another

Your relational and spiritual needs will not be fully met by being in a life group.  But, it is often a launching pad for long-lasting, Christ-centered friendships.  It is an environment where you can grow.  It is an environment where you can accomplish the mission of Jesus by making disciples and by becoming a disciple.

Ministry Opportunities @ Life Pointe

We’ve got some really great ministry leaders/servants.  We’re looking to move more of you guys on up the leadership ladder.  Following are some available ministry positions:

• Kids Life team captain – a Sunday morning team leader – ages 5-12 (twice per month…MUST HAVE A LOVE FOR KIDS)
• Children’s venue setup crew member (twice per month)
• Volunteer Office Assistant (Mondays or Fridays)
• Parking Team Members (serve twice per month)
• Web Genius (to manage our internet strategy)
• Graphic Designers and Video Editors (to work with Jesse on projects)
• Bloggers (to share your Life Pointe experiences)
• Hospitality (especially if you have good breath)

Things are really moving forward.  Its an exciting time to be serving and investing in the development of people at Life Pointe!  If you see an open position that excites you, email Paul (paul@life-pointe.com).

2,920 Days

252,888,000 seconds.
4,204,800 minutes.  70,080 hours. 2,920 Days.  8 years.  It hardly seems like any time at all since Kelly said "I do."  She gave her short list of milestones on her blog, which includes our affinity for "24."  I could add quite a bit more.  But, its a great list for starters.

Some of my favorite memories with her are:

• When we kissed for the first time in Cleveland, TN under a clear sky and a full moon.  I knew then that she was either going to fall in love with me or break my heart.
• When we drove my ‘63 Caddilac Fleetwood from Tennessee to Miami.  It took 24 hours and about 800 gallons of gas in that beauty.
• When we went to Vail/Beaver Creek.  I thought I’d enjoy skiing more than anything.  Building snowmen and sledding with Kelly and the girls beat the heck out of the mountains.
• When our girls came into the world.  She performed like a champ and I felt like a superstar.
• When we moved to Chicago to start our church there.  We had $500 to our name after we paid rent and that’s all we needed.
• When she had a tumor on her throat and we found out it was benign.
• When I woke up next to her this morning and realized I get to spend the rest of my life with her.

She’s incredibly special and very much loved.  She brings out the best in me.  Happy Anniversary #8, babe.  You’re the best.

The Jesus of Suburbia – The Jonses Do Announcements

Geiger on Leadership

Eric Geiger drops a beautiful post into the blogosphere today on leadership multiplication.  Here’s an excerpt:

In the corporate world, those who are able to work themselves out of a
job will never be without a job. In ministry, the church’s ability to
raise up leaders is directly proportionate to the church’s ability to
expand ministry into the community, to reproduce, to multiply.

I’m a Paranoid Freak

In 6 weeks, I’ve watched four seasons of 24.  As a result:

• I’m paranoid.
• I think Zeke from LPC is Jack Bauer incarnate.
• I’m an active dreamer and Kelly is paying the price for it.
• I’m contemplating a fall back career in nabbing terrorists.

Well, I’m logging off to begin season 5.  I’m a freak.

Sunday Wrap-up

• IT IS GOOD TO BE BACK!!!
• We had about 14 people make a decision for Jesus Christ today!
• Today, we had our largest crowd of the summer…more than on any day since Easter.  That’s exciting going into the fall and the kickoff of our two services (9 & 10:30 beginning 9/16).
• We are gearing up for life group registration…starting this week on my blog.  Several groups will be closing before we get to Sunday’s group rollout.  I figured it would only be fair to give you guys the first crack at registration.
• The "Keeping Up With the Jonses" video was hilarious.  For what its worth, I was "the guy on the third row."  The video should be on YouTube soon.  I’ll embed it when it comes up.
• Our people love to hang out.  No matter how big we get, we will always be a family.  I love going to the park, showing the young bucks how to sling a football, and eating dogs.  Still, it was blazing hot…I thought about climbing onto the grill to cool off.
• I’ve got so much stuff in my head from being alone for two weeks.  I can’t wait for staff meeting, especially to thank the team for such a great job while I was gone.

He gives seed to the sower

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.

2 Corinthians 9:10

We cannot afford NOT to plant seed before our harvest.  God does not supply seed for people to munch on like its some kind of trail mix.  He also will not provide resources to churches and organizations that are afraid to put it to work.

That is precisely why we promise our contributors that we will spend their money as rapidly as possible.  And, we do.  And, we ask them to join us on a journey of generosity, sowing into other people’s lives.

You know what else?  We also expect a harvest.  We expect to reach our city with the life-giving, life-changing message of the revolutionary, Jesus Christ.  We also expect that God will continue to prosper people who are faithful to plant the seed with which God has entrusted them.

Keep up with the Jonses

They’re here…in the theater…the Jonses, stars of "The Jesus of Suburbia."  Sunday 10 AM.

A Dangerous Time to be a Pastor

Shoot a pastor in the back and get 5 months in a psych ward. Kill a dog and expect 1-5 years in the Federal Pen. That’s jacked up. Needless to say, I’ll be at Life Pointe on Sunday with bodyguards.

Ready to Be Home

I am at the point in my vacation where I am ready to be home.  I’m enjoying myself and want to squeeze the last bit of pleasure and rest out of it.  But, I have the itch to get back, especially since we are kicking off a new message series this Sunday.

Has anyone made a teleporter yet?  I could use one to avoid the 12 hour drive.  See you guys Sunday…great day to bring your friends!

Last night at Turner Field

Last night, I was at Turner Field in the 755 Club to witness Barry "Beroid" Bonds hit homerun #759.   Yep, another record set.  But, it wasn’t the only record set.  Manager Bobby Cox got throw out of the game for the 133rd time in his career.  No one has been throw out more than him.  Now, that’s impressive!

Thinking about Barry, I thought it was funny how that everyone was booing him.  No one likes him right?!  RIght…they don’t like him.  But, every time he batted, the stadium lit up with flash photography.  Some how the messages weren’t quite congruent. 

What happens if…

I just had a weird thought. What happens is you have an away message auto responder on your email and then email yourself?

What’s in a Name (continued)

We continue to talk about names because of our son that will soon be making his entrance to our world.  It really has me thinking bigger than just my boy.

This morning I read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs specifically thinking through some of the names we might give him.  I probably won’t be naming him Wycliffe, Martin, Wesley, Huss, Tyndale, Origen, Dydimus, Bartholemew, Peter, or some of the other matryrs.  But, I have given some thought to it.

The reason is that these people were great in my eyes.  They lived selflessly and their names have been repeated for centuries.  They added value to their name given them.  Considering a name associated with one of those men is plausible.  I would want my son to have that kind of greatness.

There is also a lot to consider behind the psychology of names.  Freakonomics shares that a name may actually have bearing on someone’s success or failure in life.  I believe it. 

However, history shows us that some people, a select group of people who exhibit greatness, people who are thrust into challenging situations and rise to meet them actually create value for their name. Instead of as Dubner and Levitt propose, allowing their name to dictate the course of their lives.

So, while I am praying about the name for our son, I pray a bigger prayer.  Its a prayer that has daily implications for my walk with Christ and for my children and their children. That prayer is that God would help me to live a life that challenges my children and causes them outgrow their name, to have a reputation, a fortitude, integrity, and a dependence on God.

Foxe retells stories of men and women who refused to deny Christ, stories of people who were sawed in half, boiled, burned, crucified, stoned, drown, torn apart, and fed to wild animals. Their names are not remembered because their father and mother agonized over their moniker.  Their names are remembered because of how they lived and how they died.

As I sift through the last names to consider, I understand my mission better than ever.  It is not a mission of naming or branding.  It is a mission of raising children and living life aggressively in front of them.  It is a mission of passion and pursuit of the one whose name is Holy, who is good, and who is perfect.  Naming my children has been a challenging process.  But, the process is nowhere near as challenging as the call to live before God and before my family. 

So, what is in a name? I guess that depends on your perspective.  Do you see life as an event that happens to you?  Or, do you see yourself as someone that happens to life?

Sunday Wrap-up

How was Sunday at Life Pointe?  Ask Jesse or Paul or the Major or Ritz.  I wasn’t there.  But, I heard it was a really great day.  I have to tell you, I cannot wait to get back next week when we kick off "The Jesus of Suburbia" message series.  I’ve been chewing on this series and getting ready for about 9 months.  This is an awesome day to bring a friend…zero doubt.

Anyway, here’s my Sunday wrap-up live from Oak Leaf Church:

• Michael has a great team – committed, excellent, warm, and friendly.  Its a wonderful thing to see the Body of Christ.  If you think about it, its bigger than any nation, global coorperation, or any other entity in the world.  The Oak Leaf team represents their corner of the world well.
• I saw how a church in a theater can pull off three services in one Sunday.  That’s a tight schedule.  They did exceptionally well.  I loved the energy in the lobby between the two services.  I think we picked up some key observations leading into our kickoff of two services on September 16th.
• As a parent, it was great to get away from our familiar environment and feel anxiety as we dropped our children off.  McKenna cried at first.  The kids space and volunteers were great and we felt as comfortable as we could leaving our kids.  It reminded me of how important our children’s venues are (especially since kids 12 and under make up almost 1/3 of our church).
• When I talk to Michael, he reminds me a lot of this guy…an inward confidence, steadiness, and  competency…like he’s older than he really is.  God is really doing something special at his church (I hesitate to say its his church…the Church belongs to God.  But, you know what I mean). 
• Michael’s message was about the "Church".  He talked about how the church was missional and attractional.  The challenge was for people to go and share Jesus in practical ways (with some easy organized outlets of service).  The challenge was also for people to bring people to Oak Leaf.  It was a very good message…one that personally ministered to me and challenged me as a follower of Jesus.
• From Oak Leaf, we went to Williamson Bros. BBQ in Canton, GA where I met my friend, Eddie Robbins (the Rabbi).  If that place was in Homestead, I’d weigh 40 pounds heavier.  But, it would be well worth it.
• While we were driving through Canton, some 14 or 15 year old punk threw a tennis ball at my car while I was driving down Marietta Hwy.  The old Travis would have pulled over and entered into negotiations with the little hoodlum and his two buddies.  But, not me, the new and improved Travis 2.0.  I simply stopped the car until I realized it was only a tennis ball, watched him soil his britches, and then drove on.  I think he might have been from Gary Lamb’s youth group or something.
• Just a little ways down the road, I saw a fine Asian Dining establishment.  You would think the restaurant would have been called "Canton House" or something like that.  No such luck.  The name?  Well, see for yourself.
• And, that’s my Sunday.  I’m getting a little homesick for some road rage, congris, palm trees, and high property taxes…oh yeah, and my Life Pointe family.  See you soon.

@ Oak Leaf Church

I just finalized our directions to Michael’s church, where we’ll visit tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to taking advantage of having time away from Life Pointe by being at a great, new church (which also happens to meet in a movie theater). 

This vacation really has been stellar.  I am already so refreshed and rested.  In fact, I haven’t shaved since last Sunday.  I didn’t even know where my shoes were Thursday and Friday.  Don’t worry though, I’ve showered daily.  And, my face will be naked again tomorrow. 

I have lunch plans with some old friends in Canton, GA where I’ll be hitting Williamson Bros. BBQ.  That’s good stuff.  I first met that place at lunch with Roger and Gary about a year ago.  Can’t wait to grab some seriously good ribs as I hit the half way point on the Johnson Family Vacation.

I think I may still do a Sunday Wrap-up.  It will just be on Oak Leaf Church.

My Wife Is Killing Me!!!

We have been motoring through 24.  We’re in season 4.  Kelly is a wimp though.  We get right to the tense moment of the series and she can’t take it.  So, the TV goes off for a few hours.  Since we made a pact not to watch 24 without one another, I get stuck dying to know what’s going to happen.

The stress was so bad today when the tv went off, I had to cool my jets by calling Paul for the first time this week to find out how things were going back in the office.  What is she smoking?!

By the way, I’m still leaning toward Jack Bauer Johnson for our man child’s name.

the Johnsons, Groening, and Dave Barry

I know I’m a little late to the Simpsonizer.  I had to at least keep up with Jesse.  Anyway, I present to you, "the Johnson’s" by Matt Groening (who I actually interviewed in college along with Dave Barry).  By the way, if you know how those two super-genuises are connected let me know.  The first with the correct answer gets a virtual cookie.

29

Kelly’s 29th birthday is today.  I had plans to take her and the girls to dinner and enjoy the day.  Instead, she’s been taking care of me.  Yesterday afternoon I crashed.  My ears are ringing and I can’t eat. 

I married way above myself.  She is a star that handles so much with incredible amounts of grace…just wanted to let the world now how great my sweetheart is.

Vacation Activities

We bedded down last night and slept great.  The girls were a lot of fun on the trip.  The first day, I just decompressed.  Now, I’m checking some things out and making my list of things I’m going to do.  Its going to look a bit like this:

• Play with the girls. I’ve dressed dolls for Kourtney and McKenna all morning.  Next up.  Photos on PhotoBooth.
• Read.  I’ve got three books to finish: Sex God by Rob Bell, Leading at a Higher Level by Ken Blanchard and Game of Shadows by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance WIlliams.
• Utterly Cheesy Tourist Stuff. I don’t know where the world’s largest ball of twine is.  But, I want to find it.
• Sleep.
• Swim.  Yep.  I’m a fish.  In a former life, I was a lifeguard.  My chiseled physique often causes people to guess that.  I’m sure its no surprise.
• Go to church.  I’ll walk in, fill out a guest card, grab some coffee, sit down, and enjoy the morning.  I am checking things out to see if I can fit in two services at two churches on my list.
• Blog.  Blog about some topics I might not normally hit in the normal course of things.
• Fantasy Football. I’ll mess around with my fantasy football teams in prep for the season.  When football season hits, I’m a freak.  On Saturdays, I go to all the Hurricane home games.  But, Sundays are a wreck.  I have stat trackers open on my laptop and I’m conflicted as I root for my teams and players.  Last year, I won both of my leagues.  This year, I have a lot of trash talking to back up.

If you call my cell…

If you call my cell tomorrow, it will say:

"You’ve reached Travis Johnson.  I am out of town on vacation and not accepting calls.  Please call Paul Hollifield for assistance at 305.247.0889."

When I left the office today, Casey asked where I was going for vacation.  I told him if he knew, it wouldn’t be vacation.    I won’t stop blogging.  But, it will be from my secure, undisclosed location.

Hittin’ the Sauce: God on Alcohol

Since the east Homestead power grid went down during our worship set yesterday, there is no podcast.  I wish I could fire up the audio from yesterday’s message on "Christians and Beer."  Instead, I uploaded some notes for you to peruse.  Download it here.

Not the only ones in the dark

The power issue we had in church this morning…turns out that we weren’t the only ones.