“We are here to be there for our kid when they score the game winning goal…and especially when they don’t”

As a matter of fact, I covered a time when he “didn’t” about a year ago. Heartbreaking. This year has been different. It’s been an interesting year of watching my 11 year old son trying to find his place within the game of basketball. From the first time he put on a uniform of any kind, in any sport, he has been the tallest kid on the team. In basketball, that translates to playing “down low” or in the post. Yet, I know his hearts desire is to be a point guard that makes great passes and shoots the “3″. He’s worked hard to do both and do them well. We’ve seen glimpses all season, but this weekend he really put it all together.

Saturday featured two games against one of the other rival local schools (Hilliard Bradley). Game one was a game to remember for sure. Feeding off a new full-court press we have installed, “the boy” would hit 3 out of 4 three pointers and score half of his teams points. Each three was within the flow of the offense and at a critical moment. Davidson would go on to take both games from Bradley.

Sunday would be another game against a local rival school. This time it was Hilliard Darby which are always close games. After jumping out to a 16-4 lead, Davidson would struggle against a zone defense and ultimately lose the lead. With the game tied and 11 seconds left, Davidson had the ball and a chance to win the game. That’s when this happened….

Though the video quality is poor, the shot was not. After the game someone said they are going to start calling him “CCC – Calm, Cool and Collected”. As his Dad it was great to see the game winning shot, but far greater to see him finding his place in the game. Because he’s a “shooter” I constantly remind him that his mentality has to be that “the next one is going in”. During the timeout prior to that shot, I whispered in his ear that “this one’s going in”. I just had the feeling that it would.

Let’s say that the shot didn’t fall. Let’s say we leave the gym with a loss. Again, am I “being there” for him then too? Am I cheering him just as loud if he scores no points? This is the balance I have to find as a Dad. While he finds his place on the court, I have to find my place too. Proud of you number 50!

Yesterday morning was a very special day for Rock City Church. It was one of the many reasons why it is a blessing to call Rock City Church “home”. You see, yesterday was the first Sunday where we gave a gift to a local ministry thanks to ONE FOR ONE. Through this simple, yet brilliant vision, we set aside one dollar for every man, woman and child that attends Rock City Church on any given Sunday. Every person. Every week. The total is gathered and set aside for a local or global need. The first need to receive our donation is an amazing ministry right here in Columbus called “C.R.A.C.K. HOUSE Ministries“.

Thanks to the heartbeat of Rock City and a continued season of growth (a new record was set for attendance yesterday), we were able to present C.R.A.C.K. HOUSE Ministries with a check for $2,000 for their ministry. Heather and I had the opportunity to meet Pastor Mitchell Ellison and his lovely family after the service and they are an amazing family. We look forward to meeting with them again in the future and continuing to pour into this ministry. It’s making a difference in the city of Columbus. Lives are being changed. It was such an blessing to know that Rock City could help support their efforts.

Every person. Every week. ONE For ONE.

Series: GuardRails

Title: Why Can’t We Be Friends?

Scripture: Proverbs 13:20

Definition: A Guardrail is a a personal standard of behavior that becomes a matter of conscience.

My friends ultimately influence the direction and quality of my life.

Knowing how to choose friends is one of the most important skills I will ever develop.

A wise person is one who understands that all of life is connected.

A fool is a person who knows right and wrong but doesn’t care.

3 Characteristics of a Life-Giving Friend:

1. A Life-Giving Friend knows LIFE.
2. A Life-Giving Friend is committed to living out Gods will.
3. A Life-Giving Friend is committed to seeing God’s will lived out in my life.

5 Practical Guardrails to consider: My conscience should light up when…

1. My core group of friends isn’t moving in the direction I want for my life.
2. I catch myself pretending to be somebody I’m not.
3. I feel pressure to compromise.
4. I hear myself saying, “I’ll go, but I won’t participate”.
5. I hope the people I care about most don’t find out where I’ve been or who I’ve been with.

“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

Pastor Chad Fisher. Rock City Church.

For a few years now I have watched this series of videos gain momentum and become a full blown movement of change. I haven’t just stood on the sidelines to applaud this movement, I’ve become committed to it. It’s more than wearing a bracelet or a shirt. It’s reviewing the materials with my son. It’s introducing the study to our Men’s Life Group at Rock City Church. It’s being prepared to share with anyone and everyone that asks what it means. The web site is the perfect place to point those that want to know more. Now there is a resource to go even further and I’m thrilled to have a copy of it.

I Am Second is a book that is filled with the testimonies of people we see every day in the media, on ESPN, in music, politics and on the news. They are stories of success, failure, searching, loss, hope and restoration. They are edgy. They are raw. They are real. The stories are yours and mine. I would submit that at some point in this incredible book you will find a common place to something you have or are struggling with. It will remind you that you are not alone. We all fall short. We all struggle.

But there is hope.

We are second. Christ is first. In this book you will read story after story of those that have discovered this truth and are living it. It’s not a prosperity gospel. It’s stories of the struggle. It’s a collection of unbelievable “behind the scenes” truth in the lives of people you and I think have it all. The truth is that they do “have it all”, but it’s not in fame, fortune or success. It’s in realizing that they are second and Christ is first. He is the hope. He is the answer. I applaud Dave Sterrett and Doug Bender for following a passion, starting a movement and sharing these stories. I HIGHLY recommend it.

I give “I Am Second” a 5 out of 5. 

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

So what in the world could that video possibly have to do with the new book by Mark and Grace Driscoll called “Real Marriage – The Truth About Sex, Friendship & Life Together“? In order to understand the book, in order to understand my review, you need to understand Mark Driscoll. If you don’t understand Mark Driscoll, you will most likely be shocked by the honest, open and edgy discussions within this book. So let’s start there. Let’s understand a little bit about Mark Driscoll:

1. He is growing several churches in the most unchurched city in the United States. (Seattle)

2. He is relevant in the area in which he ministers.

3. He reaches the twenty something crowd that is immersed in a world that has little shock value anymore.

4. His language is strong, but his theology and doctrine are even stronger

5. He has caused controversy in the past and will cause it again.

So why the talking points? Why go through all of this before I ever once talk about this book? Because it’s important. This isn’t a Max Lucado/Billy Graham (of which I love both) book on marriage. This isn’t a book that softly touches on the issues of sex for example. It’s Mark and Grace Driscoll and it’s “going there” on topics that need to be discussed. Some will hate the book. Others will appreciate it for it’s honest approach. I, for one, am a member of the second group. I appreciate the honesty. I appreciate the candor and the uninhibited nature with which they share what needs to be shared.

Much like the video above, “Real Marriage” isn’t just Mark Driscoll being Mark Driscoll. It’s honest truth backed by theological foundation and truth. Could someone have said it differently? Sure. Would some people rather read it written in a different context? Sure. Yet there are many (myself included) that believe we need this kind of truth. The world in which we live surrounds us by images far stronger and language far more graphic. This book, like Driscoll’s preaching is being relevant to the culture with which we live. Simple as that. There is so much good in this book that you need to see past what might offend or not sit well with you. You need to understand the broader audience. For that reason, I am recommending “Real Marriage”.

I give Real Marriage a 4 out of 5.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tis the season… With the Super Bowl just a few short weeks away, I have an opportunity for those interested to possibly win some cash while sponsoring the Hilliard Red Baron’s baseball team. Because I’m not really smart enough to understand how this whole thing works, see the link below for the full details of how it’s going to run. This much I know, it’s $20 to get a square and you have a chance to win $200 each quarter. Not a bad return on your investment.

All of the proceeds of this fundraiser go directly to your Back-to-Back Big League Champion Hilliard Red Barons baseball team. We love our Red Barons and cannot wait for another exciting summer of baseball. Click the link below to download the full description of the contest and EMAIL ME if you are interested in signing up. Thanks in advance for supporting the Red Barons and especially Number 50.

Super Bowl Squares FundRaiser Official Details

Hilarious!

Yesterday morning we were promised some big news at Rock City Church. We eagerly anticipated what we would hear when we arrived. We were not disappointed. As the service came to an end, Pastor Chad announced what is being called “One For One”. As you can see from the image above, the details are simple but the impact both locally and globally are HUGE. For every single person that walks through the doors of Rock City Church, they will donate one dollar to a local or global need. If you know the heartbeat of Rock City you know that they will stand by their promise. Amazing.

A few other things that make this even more remarkable….

1. The One For One promise will take place BEFORE the budget of the church. In other words, this will not impact the 20% already marked for global and local missions for Rock City. This is IN ADDITION TO that 20%.

2. The actual percentage of the budget given to local and global missions in 2011 was 30%. Did you get that? 30% of every dollar that Rock City received in 2011 went to a local and global person and project in need. We are impacting our community and reaching the world.

3. Rock City is currently in the middle of a remarkable season of growth. Though they just launched in April of 2011, the average weekend attendance is nearing 500 per Sunday. That’s $500 every Sunday that will be given to a local or global need. The first check is already being generated for a ministry called “Crack House Ministries” and our hope is that the total given will be somewhere near $2000.

Throughout the day yesterday, I could not help but feel so blessed to call Rock City Church home. The vision and execution of something that is not about us and more about reaching this community and the world is just awesome. When you visit Rock City, know that your visit mattered on so many levels. If nothing else, your presence contributed to the One For One campaign. I will continue to share stories throughout 2012 about the impact of One for One.

So who’s coming with us on Sunday?

Every person.

Every week.

In age of movies with billion dollar budgets, it is nice to see a movie that is simplistic yet carries a great message. The acting wasn’t all that bad and the story is worth seeing. My kids (10, 8 and 6) all really enjoyed it. They quickly anticipated where the film was headed and enjoyed it’s resolution in the end. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quality family film. Here’s a clip for the film:

You can also find “A Mile In His Shoes” on the web at the links below:

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

DOVE FOUNDATION REVIEW

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”