aquafying the desert

I'm taking a group from Aqua to Egypt. We leave today. Cleveland to Detroit to Amsterdam (with a nine-hour lay-over)...and then on to Cairo. From Cairo we'll take a 7-8 hour night train to Luxor to do ministry with about 80 kids at an orphanage. Unbelievable.

Please pray for us as we travel. We'll be gone until February 4. Please pray for our families while we're away. Please pray that we'd have great ministry while we're there.

I don't know if I'll get to blog much while I'm away but I'll be glad to give full blog report (with photos) upon my return.

a couple video highlights from sunday's services

I didn't get to do the scud review. I was busy during both messages arranging live phone interviews with Tom Hseih in California. Here are a couple of videos (including Dwight's interview with Tom (second service). Hope you were able to there to get the full experience.



In case you missed it, we first learned of Tom Hsieh when we read about him in the December 24, 2007 issue of People Magazine. Incredible story. You can read more about Tom and his family here.




Check out this quote from Tom: "I could easily have lived a life that was boring and inconsequential. Now I am graced with a life of service and meaning."

This dude fires me up! I count it a real privilege to have spoken with him and gotten to know him a little bit. I thank God for people like Tom who inspire me, convict me, challenge me, and give me hope.

so we're not giving up...

I read this in The Message today. Man, I love this passage. Check it out:

So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

Does that give you hope or what?

How good is God?

i witnessed a miracle today

I've been praying about something. It's been one of those things that has kinda stressed me out. I've lost sleep over it. I've been praying, "God, I need you to show up in this area. I don't know how this is going to happen. God, I know this isn't a problem at all for you, but I'm sure stressing about it...but nonetheless, I'm going to trust that you already have the solution and you're going to show up."

Today God showed up. In a big, unbelievable way. He showed up in a way that makes me weep tears of joy even as I type this blog post. I mean, I know God is able...but today, when he showed up, he reminded me that he is more than able...HE IS GOD! I really believe it's a miracle. To see God in action and how he moves in peoples lives is nothing short of breathtaking.

Man, I'm fired up.

Thank you, God, for reminding me that with you all things are possible. I needed that.

tobymac and me

Back in the day (my college days), I actually used to roll with TobyMac. I met him when I was in college. Okay, we never actually "rolled" together but we did know each other a little bit.

My kids don't know whether or not to believe me...so I dug up this old photo. In case you're confused, that's me on the left. And yes, that's TobyMac on the right. Notice his affection for yours truly.

We were both A LOT younger...but, of course, I've gotten better-looking with age. Toby has gotten more wealthy with age. It's cool though. We're both still Jesus Freaks.

with sympathy

I haven't blogged about the Buckeyes losing to LSU last week. I've tried to block it from my memory. You know, there are just some things you'd rather forget. And then I got this in the mail today:

When I opened the envelope I thought, huh? Then I opened the card.

It's from Sherry and Duane Degenardt, die-hard Texas Longhorns fans (and part-time Ohioans). They knew I'd been mourning the loss.

I have some history with Sherry and Duane. Last year when OSU played Texas, we made a bet. I won. They had to wear Buckeye jerseys to church on Sunday (some of you may remember).

Anyway, it's nice to know someone cares during this difficult time.

sunday's scuds (january 13, 2008)

Yesterday we kicked off a short, two-week series called Give It Up. Yes, it's about giving (tithing). It's always tricky to talk about tithing because so many people think that all churches do is ask for money. But the reality is that tithing is a biblical principle that must be addressed. Dwight did a masterful job of navigating a tricky subject matter. Here are the scuds:

• What you put first in your life really does matter to God.
• The blessing, power, and generosity of God wants to move in your life in unbelievable ways in 2008.
• When you and I are generous, it reflects God's character.
• Have you ever wondered, If there is a God, why are there so many starving people in the world? It's because God's people don't put first things first.
• Tithing isn't about giving. Tithing is about returning to God what already belongs to him.
• Keeping what belongs to God is stealing.
• If you will embrace the tithe principle, it will revolutionize your life.
• Do you know that worry is a curse? We worry because we don't trust God.
• I've learned that if I can trust God with my finances, I can trust God with everything.

Dwight gave a great illustration involving french fries. I thought it'd be better for you to watch it rather than trying to explain it:



Dwight closed by offering a 90-day money-back guarantee. He challenged us all to try tithing to God for 90 days and at the end of the 90 days if God has not blessed you, honored your giving, come through for you, then the church will give you back every dollar you gave. So what do you have to lose?

made me laugh

married life live tickets go on sale sunday

the theme: SPICEY! (is having that romantic spice in your marriage essential, or is just extra?)
the marriage essential: Nurture Romance (don't worry guys, I promise it won't be ridiculously mushy...in fact you may be surprised at how we define romance)
the date: Feburary 16
the cost: $30 (you can purchase tickets online by clicking here
the perks: dinner, music, prizes, fun, and a better marriage
the music: we're still nailing it down but I wouldn't be surprised if you hear a little Marvin Gaye, Cheap Trick, Faith Hill, and maybe a little James Taylor
the #1 reason to come: Hey, it's Valentine's weekend. Duh.

Guys, why don't you take the initiative on this one and go ahead and surprise your wife with tickets. She'll love you for it.

america's most innovative churches

Outreach Magazine released their list of America's 25 Most Innovative Churches of 2008:

1. LifeChurch.tv, Edmond, OK, Craig Groeschel
2. Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA, Mark Driscoll
3. Granger Community Church, Granger, IN, Mark Beeson
4. Flamingo Road Church, Cooper City, FL, Troy Gramling
5. Seacoast Church, Mount Pleasant, SC, Greg Surratt
6. Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA, Rick Warren
7. Mosaic Church, Los Angeles, CA, Erwin McManus
8. Fellowship Church, Grapevine, TX, Ed Young
9. North Point Community Church, Alpharetta, GA, Andy Stanley
10. Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, IL, Bill Hybels
11. National Community Church, Washington, DC, Mark Batterson
12. NewSpring Church, Anderson, SC, Perry Noble
13. Community Christian Church, Naperville, IL, Dave Ferguson
14. Elevation Church, Charlotte, SC, Steven Furtick
15. Healing Place Church, Baton Rouge, LA, Dino Rizzo
16. North Coast Church, Vista, CA, Larry Osborne
17. NorthWood Church, Keller, TX, Bob Roberts
18. NewSong Church, Irvine, CA, Dave Gibbons
19. New Hope Christian Fellowship, Honolulu, HI, Wayne Cordeiro
20. Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York, NY, Tim Keller
21. Crossover Church, Tampa, FL, Tommy Kyllonen
22. Perimeter Church, Duluth, GA, Randy Pope
23. Mars Hill, Grandville, MI, Rob Bell
24. The Orchard Church Community, Aurora, IL, Scott Hodge
25. The Sanctuary Covenant Church, Minneapolis, MN, Efrem Smith
26. NewPointe Community Church, Dover, OH, Dwight Mason*

No, NewPointe did not make the top 25 this year. We were nominated, but not in the top 25. (*I don't know if we were #26...maybe we were...who knows?).

The list, obviously, is subjective. Just somebody's opinion. We're actually more concerned with being relevant in our community than we are being innovative. If there were a top 25 most-relevant-to-everday-life list, I'd like NewPointe's chances.

Here's some more info on the top 25 if you're intereested: Outreach Magazine.

wanted: your stories

We had a creative team meeting tonight. Ten people sitting around the conference room table tossing out crazy and creative ideas to help bring practicality and relevance to an upcoming series: The Reel NewPointe. Fun.

During the series, Dwight is going to hammer relational evangelism--one of our core values. We often refer to it as invest and invite.

Another Sunday will focus community (small groups).

Heard a great NewPointe story? Are you a great story? Did someone invest in you and invite you to NewPointe and as a result your life is different? Has being in a small group rocked your world? We'd love to share your stories of invest and invite and small group participation via video during the series. Email me at jbunn@newpointe.org and we'll get right on it!

sunday's scuds (january 6, 2008)

Dwight's message was a stand-alone (not a part of a series). It was called Present Future. He talked about the mission and vision of NewPointe and it was scud-a-licious. Scuds were flyin' all over the place with several people taking a direct hit. Are you ready to read some of them? Here they are:

• What could God do through you if you were totally surrendered to him?
• What could God do through NewPointe if we were all completely surrendered to him?
• Why do you want to be healed? To pursue the American dream? To see your kids grow up? That's not a good enough reason.
• The reason we should ask God to heal us is so that we can fulfill our mission here on earth.
• Our mission? To lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Jesus didn't wait for people to come to him...he went to them.
• The church has become so inward focused that we've forgotten what we're supposed to be doing.
• Why don't we have adult Sunday School at NewPointe? It's because you don't need to come and sit in yet another room and listen to yet another lesson. We're kicking you out to serve.
• 'Church shopper' says this: "We're looking for a church that meets our needs." Do you see how incredibly selfish that statement is?
• The church does not exist for you. We are the church and we exist for the benefit of those outside the church.
• If you don't want to be a part of a church that's growing and leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ then you have my permission to leave.
• Jesus Christ was never marginalized. You either loved him or hated him but you couldn't ignore him.
• Most people think 'going deep' means acquiring more knowledge. No...going deep means becoming more like Christ.

Dwight gave us three things that we can count on happening at NewPointe in 2008:

• We're going to break the rules
• We're going to believe God for the impossible
• We're going to redefine "deep"

He concluded by sharing some church wide goals that we've set for the next two years. By the end of 2008 we want to:

• average at least 3,000 in weekend attendance
• have at least 300 small groups
• see 1,500 people serving regularly each week
• send 500 people on work/mission teams
• help 1,000 people complete FPU and/or Crown
• Determine locations and start two satellite churches

Impossible? Yeah...apart from God.

miscillany

Some random thoughts from this weekend:

• I won my fantasy football league. My team (The Sesame Seeds) may be the first team in the history of fantasy football to win a league without making a single roster move. Thank you Tom Brady.
• Took the fam to see National Treasure Book of Secrets today. We're big fans of the National Treasure franchise. The movie was fun. We all gave it a thumbs up. But the previews lasted, count 'em, 25 minutes. No, I'm not exaggerating. 25 minutes.
• Natalie is playing 7th grade basketball. Her team is undefeated so far (something like 10-0). They beat dreaded rival Strasburg this morning in a close one. One of the Strasburg fans got thrown out of the game by an official. What exactly do you have to do to get thrown out of a 7th grade girls basketball game?
• We ate at Shorty Bone'z in Dover tonight. Just for the record, the coney dogs are top notch.
• My injured ankle is getting better every day. The bruising is almost gone and I'm finally able to get around without crutches. Looks like I'm still a good month or so away from playing hoops again though.
• It's always nice to see the Steelers lose.

the day i repo-ed the OSU football coach's car

With the college football bowl season winding down, I'm reminded of some fond memories of my newspaper days in Columbus. I worked for at the Columbus Dispatch for about five years, supervising the classified advertising key accounts staff. Working with the car dealers was one of my main responsibilities. Part of those responsibilities included entertaining our clients and just basically schmoozing them from time to time. This allowed me to develop some great friendships with many of the Columbus dealers. One of my favorite friendships was with a guy named Phil. He was the general sales manager at one of the Buick dealerships.

In January of 2001, Phil and I were due to have lunch together and talk business. A day or so prior to our meeting, Phil called me to ask if I'd be interested in riding to OSU head football coach John Cooper's house to get his car. Coop had just been fired by Ohio State and part of his "package" included the use of a sweet Buick Riviera. It was Phil's responsibility to retrieve the car for the company.

Of course, I agreed to go with Phil. Heck, it meant a trip to John Cooper's house and the opportunity to drive his car. So Phil picked me up and we drove over to Coop's house.

I'd always heard that Cooper's house was ridiculously huge. When we arrived on his cul-de-sac, we saw the Buick in the driveway. The house was large and nice but not as big as I expected. We rang the door bell (no the OSU fight song did not chime). Nothing. Where's coach?

Phil said, "He knew I was coming, I wonder where he is."

After a few minutes, Coach Cooper emerged from the side of the house wearing a denim shirt and unlaced snow boots that he had obviously just slipped on. He said, "Hey guys, this is not my house...but it is my daughter Cindy's house. My house is over there."

He pointed next door and...DANG! His house was ginormous. It lived up the hype. He continued, "This is the car, though. I parked it in Cindy's driveway. It's all ready to go."

He handed the keys to Phil and then Phil tossed the keys to me. Sweet! I get to drive Coop's car!

Coop was not in much of a chatty mood. After all, he'd just gotten fired and, well, we were taking his car. So we said goodbye and we got in the cars.

Phil backed out on to the cul-de-sac to wait for me. I began backing out. What I've failed to mention to this point is that it had recently snowed in Columbus. About an inch--enough to cover the ground...and the driveway.

As I was backing out, I looked to my left and saw a big tree. I thought to myself, I don't recall that tree being on that side of the driveway. As I paused to recalibrate, I realized that I had just driven through John Cooper's front yard. See, the driveway was curved...and I missed the curve on the back-out.

I pulled forward, and after some fancy maneuvering, backed the car out on to the street.

I can just picture Coach Cooper watching all this from his big picture window, and cussing me out.

I expect to read about myself in his memoirs someday. It may look something like this: "I knew it was all over when, not only did they come take my Riv, but the dude turfed my front yard."

In case you're curious, yes, I did check in the glove box. Nothing too interesting...a couple documents from the OSU athletic department but not much else. The way they got hammered by South Carolina in the Outback bowl a few days prior, I half expected to see the OSU game plan in the glove box...with Cooper thinking, Where did I put that darn thing?

And that's my story of the day I repo-ed John Cooper's Buick.

taking a shower with dwight, popcorn in church, and knocking people down

If you miss church any time over the next few weeks, you'll may just miss:

• Seeing Dwight in the shower (trust me, it'll be fun)
• Seeing a bunch of people get knocked off their feet (at least 7 people will get decked in church this Sunday)
• The opportunity to actually eat fresh popcorn in church (isn't there a commandment somewhere that prohibits snacking during a church service?)
• Many more surprises that we're still working on

See you Sunday!

t.p. jesus

Tonight the fam was looking at some of the Christmas cards we received this year. Andrew saw this one, brought it to me and said, "Look Daddy, toilet paper Jesus."