The following is a statement that was prepared several months ago on behalf of the Elders of Damascus Road Church.  It was initially made available to our church privately.  With the upcoming election, we feel it prudent to make the statement publicly in all forms available to us.  Through the internet, television, and radios, our communities are being inundated with confusing arguments about Referendum 74.   Many of these emotional pleas are coming from "religious" individuals voicing  positions in conflict with Biblical truth.  Within this confusing political and spiritual environment, our hope is to bring some clarity to the real issues at hand. That being said, this statement is by no means a comprehensive treatment of every issue related to this piece legislation.  Our statement is simply one way of distinguishing ourselves as Christians in, not of, culture; of declaring our allegiance to our Lord Jesus; and of voicing our commitment [...]

Over the limited years I have had as a pastor/planter, I have learned that there are two kinds of CHRISTIANS that come to, and sometimes through, a church. They both have very different expectations coming into a church family and, as a result, both have very different experiences. One comes in expecting to get everything and plans to give nothing.  They reach out to no one. They connect with no one. They talk with no one. They fellowship with no one. They learn with no one. They pray with no one. They give (nothing) to no one. They serve no one. They sacrifice for no one.  In the end, they have helped no one and no one knows them.  Then, in their time of need, no one shows up, and they judge everyone. The other comes in expecting nothing but plans to give everything. The reach out to everyone. They [...]

Do you really believe God knows what He is doing?  Do you really believe God is in control of everything that is done?  Do you really believe that everything He does is purposed for good?  I have been asking myself these questions today.  When your expectations are met, they are easy questions to answer. When your expectations are not met, the answers come more slowly, as the substance of your faith is tested.  Because God is the faithful gardener of His church, dedicated to its beauty, devoted to its health, and committed to its growth, He never fails to prune, trim, and thin when necessary.  It is not a matter of if, but when.   And when he does this, it is always at a time when His church is robust; it is always by means of something that is painful; it always results in a church that is less than [...]

Wednesdays are when I spend most of my day on sermon prep.  I usually go to my nearest second office (read Starbucks) and spend several hours reading and studying.  I can say with confidence that I am one of "those guys" who probably irritate the baristas because I spend a $1.65 to rent a table for a couple hours.  Today was no different other than the fact that my wife and I are now running with one car.  We sold my dream truck--a T100--because it was beginning to fall apart.  I wept. Since that time, we have managed to use one car.  It has worked for the most part, resulting in a few days where I bike to work or Caylin is left stranded at home.  She hasn't complained once. I have.But today, like every Wednesday for the past two months, I WALKED up to the nearest Starbucks a mile [...]

Each year, the lead pastors, of the Acts 29 Network, gather together for a time of rest and reflection.  This year, we gathered in Newport, CA.  With all the new leadership changes in Acts 29, this year's retreat served as an important time of realignment.  My hope is that that, over the next year, Acts 29 will become more faithful and more certain of what it is, and what it is not.  I don't say that like a high school kid who complains their school "spirit" sucks as they fail to recognize, they are the school. I say that knowing that I am Acts 29. So hope for more, without my own commitment to participate (or get out of the way), is both foolish and dishonest. So, below is a list of several different things that moved me over this past week.  They are personal very personal to me, though they [...]

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH? We believe our mission is to live out the Great Commandment as we fulfill the Great Commission.  The gospel forms us into a family of families and sends us on mission into the world. Specifically, we believe we are called to make disciples and plant churches.  This commitment requires a conviction that the Great Commission can be accomplished and will be completed.  Furthermore, it requires that pastors and churches view themselves not as the end of the mission, but as a means to mobilize and equip people for mission through the local church.   As God saves us by the power of the gospel, believers are gathered into a FAMILY where we grow in the gospel together—taking it deeper into our own hearts as we share it in one another’s lives.  But our family is not only a collection of maturing brothers and [...]

I have been reading a book titled Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor:  The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson. The book is written by his son, and well-known scholar, D.A. Carson.  Essentially, the book is a biography describing the ministry of a faithful "small town" pastor. He never speaks at a conference, never writes a book, never has thousands of "fans", never leads a mega church, and really never realizes his full vision. It is the story of an "ordinary pastor."  It is a fascinating read, containing various journal entries and excerpts from letters Tom Carson wrote, as well as commentary by his son.  It is also a sobering read, especially for pastors, as it presents an honest and realistic picture of the various discouragements that come with being a pastor. In one journal entry, during a particularly dark season of  ministry where Tom experienced deep discouragement from relationships in [...]