Jesus Geek

Worshipper | Husband | Father of 3 | Musician | Geek

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RT @PastorMark: Jesus said we're either for him or against him http://t.co/I2B3cWz4

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RT @BrianCHouston: Your response to current issues cannot conflict with your desires for future issues!

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tweeting from my dad's #googletv box. i could get used to this!

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Longest trip to Kroger... Ever!

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Our new lighting system offers tons of options.

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Our finished auditorium on a Sunday morning.

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And here we are...

Well, I haven’t posted since May.  It probably looks like I had given up on this blogging thing… However, let me tell you what’s been going on in the last few months.

While going full-time at NorthStar Church, we were still in the midst of getting our new building ready for our opening day.  My first week on the job consisted of running an excavator and installing drain pipes from our building’s gutter system to the sewer line out front.  Over the next eleven weeks, I made hundreds of trips to our local home improvement stores, cleaned, helped install carpet and hang doors, sanded, painted, ran electrical, audio, DMX, and video cables, hung speakers and lights, installed projectors, mounted projection screens, installed amplifiers, setup several computers, learned how to operate all of our new audio and video equipment, and eventually came to grips with my fear of heights while standing on a 25 foot lift!

All of this to say… I love it!  Every day still has its challenges, but it’s now been 19 weeks and I’m just starting to get settled in my office.  Things are finally getting to where there is time to breathe and relax a little.

Here’s my week in a nutshell: Monday – Work on podcast, Leadership Team Meeting at 12:00, Sermon Roundtable meeting at 5:15, Creative Team meeting at 6:15. Tuesday – Work on getting chord charts made and sent out to Worship Team, review pastor’s notes for upcoming sermons and plan music, listen to some new music to see what’s out there.  Create loops for any songs that are any needed on Sunday. Wednesday – Make preparations for Wednesday night rehearsal, practice vocal and instrumental parts for the songs we’re doing on Sunday.  Try to learn everyone else’s part too just in case.  Read and study lots of different devotions, blogs, & websites for something to share with the Worship Team.  Band rehearsal that night from 7PM – 9PM. Thursday – revamp lineup for Sunday if something was hinky from Wednesday night rehearsal.  More planning for upcoming services, finalizing what we’re doing the following Sunday.  Create a practice CD to hand out on Sunday. Friday – Daddy Day!  Spend time with the wife and kids Saturday – Off Sunday – Arrive at 7:15 and make sure everything works.  Band rehearsal at 7:40.  Three services (9, 10:50 and 12:30).  Leave around 2:15 to go home and take a nap and get ready for the next week :-)

Here’s a little bit about what’s been going on at NorthStar: - On our opening day (August 14th, 2011) we had 1,146 people in attendance and 33 decisions for Christ!  Wow!  It was an awesome day and it really felt like all of the work on the building was worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears. 

- On October 2nd, NorthStar had its Grand Opening and several of the out of state work teams that so graciously helped with the construction of the building came that day and worshiped with us. 

- This past Sunday, October 9th, NorthStar offered spontaneous baptisms and ended up baptizing 36 people in one day!

Lives are being changed and I am so glad to be a part of it!

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Afraid of the Dark

I can remember was I was young, I used to watch Mister Rogers every day.  Growing up as an only child I had friends, but none like Fred Rogers… He was my bestie. 

Mister Rogers had a way of explaining things that always made sense to me.  He always had a smile on his face and approached every situation with a calm spirit.  Every episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was so magical and entertaining.  I learned about musical instruments, that men walked on the moon, how M&M’s were made, and… that I shouldn’t be afraid of the dark.

On that day, Mister Rogers turned off the lights in the studio and continued talking to the children at home. He told us that even though it was dark, everything was just the same as it was when the lights were on, when everything was seen.  It’s 30 years later and this still makes so much sense to me.

Next week I will leave my current position at the bank and begin working full-time at NorthStar Church.  I’ve gotten so excited about this and can hardly wait to make the transition.  I’m leaving a life that was fueled by promotions, raises, and job performance - I’m headed into a life of simplicity, sacrifice and the unknown.  It’s like venturing out in the dark.  I don’t know if God has me at NorthStar for the rest of my life or just for a season but I’ve given him all control of my job, my family, and my future. 

Through all of this, it’s great to have a loving family, and most of all a supportive wife.  In July, Lana and I will have been married for 14 years, and through all of those years she has supported my every decision with faith that I am in God’s will while leading our family.  I am so thankful to have her to lean on when times are tough; to give me her honest opinion, to keep me on track.  Many hopes and dreams she had for our family are now changing as well.  Please take a minute to hear from her in her own words:

From The Land of Lentz: "But I'm afraid of the dark..."

While typing this, God reminded me of this scripture:

Isaiah 42:16 :  I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.

These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

Nothing has changed; even though I cannot see where God is taking me, HE is still in control… I will not be afraid of the dark. 

Amen!

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Worthy or Willing?

As I’m writing this, I have five work days left at my current job before heading off into the unknown.  As each day passes, God continues to provide comfort, reassuring me that he’s got me in his grip.

Still, I’m anxious about the life changes that are about to happen.  Not that I doubt God at all, but I’m still in awe that He led me to this point in my life.  I’ve been asked recently what background I have that would allow me to fulfill the role of Worship Pastor at NorthStar Church.  That got me to thinking…  I have no seminary training and I graduated from a state college with a degree in Information Systems (computers).  So, do I have what it takes?  Am I worthy to be in full-time ministry?

Peter was a fisherman and Paul was a theologian; both were called, equipped and used by Christ.  That’s reassuring!  Matthew 4:18-20 says, “They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.”  Later, Jesus tells his followers that before they can heal the sick and drive out demons they need to attend JTS (that’s Judea Theological Seminary).  No!  Of course he didn’t say that.

Christ called these fishermen and equipped them through the Holy Spirit to do the work that He had planned.  In Ephesians 2:10, Paul tells us: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Several people in the Bible had a desire to follow Christ, however, they were not willing to sacrifice what He asked of them.

It all comes down to this… None of us are really worthy, but some of us are willing. 

I have been called…

I am willing…

I accept the sacrifice…

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White Flag

So, as I had mentioned (read Introduction first), changes are coming to my life. Yes, we already have three kids and for those of you who know me, NO, we’re not pregnant again! In 2005, after almost a year being the worship leader at my church, I felt that something wasn’t right. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I felt that I needed to make myself available to whatever God had in store for me. That August, my wife and I left the church that I called home to search for what God was wanting in our lives. Little did I know that He was orchestrating something awesome and I was going to be part of it. In October, I received an email from the Associational Missions Director for our county and he wanted to meet with me, along with some former band mates. We ate lunch at a local deli and he presented the plans for a new church called NorthStar… I was awestruck! Everything about this new church concept felt right. Right then and there, I told our AMD that I was all in and couldn’t wait to get started. He told us that there was a pastor in the area that had the same vision, dream and calling as us and he would be leading this new church. Wow… the plan was coming together. Fast forwarding to 2011 again, after serving as Worship Leader for NorthStar Church on a volunteer and part-time basis for 5 years, God has made it possible for me to serve full-time doing what I love most. That’s great…Right? Sure it is! I’m totally geeked about it… and just a little bit scared to death too. Everything I know is about to change. It looks like it will be June 1st when I will make the change to “full-time ministry”. I wanted to do the right thing at work and not shock them with a two week notice, so I gave them an 8 week notice. That oughta be sufficient don’t ya think? It was my option to set that date, partially to do the “right thing”, but also because I figured that after 8 weeks I would give God a little more time to think about it too in case he had second thoughts. Just kidding of course! People have asked me for several years if I would ever want to be a full-time worship leader, and I’ve always said, sure! However, I never thought that it would come to be, so I didn’t really ever give it much more thought. But now, I find myself testing my faith. Can I really be about to do something this radical? A question that has been on my heart for a long time is, what does it mean to be sold out to God? What does it look like when God has control of your life? How do I truly trust God? The truth is, when you start giving God the little things in your life, He wants more and more.

The White Flag has been raised… I surrender.

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NSC Tech Booth

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Future NSC Stage

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During Easter Weekend 2011, NorthStar Church saw 65 people give their lives to Christ!  Over 1100 people came to worship our risen Savior!

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They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-20

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Introduction

So, I’ve been around since April 4th of 1977… Growing up in Okolona, MS, my parents took me to the First Baptist Church there.  I can remember being in Sunday School around the age of 4 or 5 and each Sunday we “played church”.  Not in the spiritual sense, but we acted as if we were conducting the adult worship service.  I was the “preacher” [I read our memory verse from the bible] and my friend Josh was the “song leader”.  I’m not really sure how I was assigned the role of “preacher”, but I really wanted to lead the music instead.  It’s funny how things work out that way.

I come from a somewhat musical family; my paternal grandmother played the piano, both of my grandfathers played guitar, and my dad played guitar and organ, so surely I was destined to pick up a little bit of that… and I did.  I never have learned to read music, but I’ve been blessed with an ear for it.  I’ve learned a little bit of music theory along the way, and that’s helped make up for the rest.

We had moved to Verona, MS, and as I got into my teenage years I was part of the praise band at the First Baptist Church there.  I was the keyboard player for many years although I really wanted to be a guitar player.  I considered myself a much better guitarist than a keyboard guy, but again, it’s funny how things work out like that.

In 2004, a lot of changes took place at FBC Verona and I ended up being one of the worship leaders there.  What?!? Me?!?  Ok… so I can “do this”, but it’s just something I’ve been asked to do – no biggie… or so I thought.

So, if you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering where I’m going with all of this.  Well, it’s now 2011 and I’m an IT guy for one of the South’s largest banks.  A lot of things have changed since 2004; things I didn’t see coming, but I thought I would share with you how life will be changing for me soon.