Speaking @ OBU Chapel

I got the opportunity and honor today to speak at the weekly chapel service at my alma mater, Ouachita Baptist University (www.obu.edu) in Arkadelphia. Toward the end of last year, my friend Ian Cosh, called and invited me to speak. OBU has chapel every Tuesday at 10 AM and all students are required to attend. I was under no illusion that the students gathered to hear me...they were there because they have to be. But for me...to be asked to be there...this was so cool! Most of the staff (Sean, Rob, Melanie, and Emily) traveled an hour up I-30 to support me. As we pulled into town, they put the song "Eye of the Tiger" on to get me pumped up and ready! It was too funny...I love the people I serve with and am so thankful for their friendships!

There was about 1,200 students and faculty in JPAC...that is the largest crowd I have ever preached to. God led me to talk on Proverbs 25.28 and the value of self-control. I used the recent trials of Tiger Woods to challenge students to examine any broken walls in their life and shifted to Nehemiah 2.11-17 to see how to build the walls back. I pray that God used His word today. I confess that my pride wanted students to remember me...but God reminded me that I fail if people do not remember Him and His word more than me!

After chapel, we gathered up our Beech Street students to treat them to lunch. Krystal, Andrew, Mark, and Adam joined us...Duncan had a baseball game. We had a great meal at Little Italy...who would have thought that you could get that good of authentic Italian food in Arkadelphia, Arkansas!!?? It was sooo good!

Ouachita is a really special place for me. It is the place God gave me an incredible wife in Melanie...God shaped my call to ministry...God gave me tools to accomplish His calling...God gave me so many valuable friendships that are still a blessing to me each day! What a treat to be on campus and share in chapel!

Why I Support Student Ministry!

We are in the middle of our "live LOVE" Disciple Now weekend at Beech Street. Our h2o student ministry under the leading of Sean Mills (www.seanmillsh2o.com) and Rob Dunning (www.therobdunning.com) has put together an awesome weekend involving teens, college students, and adults. Mel and I are hosting the 7th grade boys at our home again this DNow...we have 8 guys at the house who can demolish some junk food! Our college leader is Chad who is a student at Texarkana College from Nashville, AR. He is doing great with the guys and is sharp in his walk with the Lord.

As a Pastor, I strongly support student ministry. It drives me crazy that so many pastors are disinterested and disconnected from their teenage ministry staff and students. Kids and teens are as much a part of God's flock as the young adults and the senior adults. I want our students to know who I am and that I care about them. This younger generation doesn't care about titles or status...just that someone is authentic. I have determined that all my folks...especially our students, will not just see me or know me from a distance.

I support student ministry because of its great value. A strong student ministry made all the difference for me. It was during that season in my life that I grew to really understand and grasp that God wanted a relationship with me. I learned how to abide and walk with Christ. My student ministers at FBC Benbrook (www.fbcbenbrook.org)...Mike Williams and Craig Hobson are men that I love and am so grateful for. I'll tell you why I support student ministry. They are incredibly receptive to the Gospel. There are more teenagers right now than ever before and they are open to Jesus. This generation can be reached...they can be a force for Kingdom work and that is why the enemy is after them big-time!

It's been a great weekend of seeing God work in the lives of teenagers...may there be many more days like this!

Barksdale AFB Pastor Appreciation

Once again this year, I was invited to attend the Clergy Appreciation event at Barksdale AFB in Shreveport. Active Duty Air Force airmen or Reserve airmen are encouraged to invite their minister for a special day on base. The 917th Air Wing is the Reserve unit at Barksdale, along with the 8th Air Force and other units. It is one of only two bases that the B-52 call home. The flight line is filled with B-52's and A-10 attack fighters. My invitation came from Tech Sargent Ken Wooley, one of my Beech St. members. Ken serves the AF Reserves full-time. He maintains the many complex components of the B-52's electronic warfare systems. Much of what he works on he could not discuss. Sean Mills, my Education/Student Pastor made the trip with me for a great day with Ken and the staff at Barksdale.

We were treated to a great lunch at the officer's club. We were then briefed on the day's activities by a General who commands the 917th! We boarded a bus and got a tour of the massive base. That place is huge! We ended up going to the secure area of the flight line to see up close a B-52 and an A-10. We were given a walk-around tour of the B-52 by a weapons officer who had almost 5,000 hours of flight in the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fella). He told us many of the weapons the bomber deploys and some of his recent combat missions in Afghanistan. We checked out the bomb bay and the cockpit of the massive plane! An A-10 pilot joined us to visit with us about the plane they call the Warthog. He shared with us some of the missions he had carried in Iraq helping troops on the ground with close air support. The coolest part of the A-10 is the massive gun under the nose that I would not want to have aimed at me! We got a special treat at the end as Ken got permission to show us his work station and a B-52 his guys had been working on.

This day makes me so appreciate Ken and the many other folks in our military doing the mission and keeping our nation safe. They are so nice and encouraging to us, but it's the airmen that deserve the thanks! Thanks for the invite Ken...I can't wait until next year!!

Super Sunday & New Sermon Series

It's time for Super Sunday at Beech St this week! Each year, we have a couple of big-day, one-day, emphasis on our small group ministry. On Super Sunday we encourage each group to contact all members and invite some new friends. On Sunday evening, our small groups are having Super Bowl home fellowships all across Texarkana. Sunday morning is sure to be charged with all kinds of energy and excitement as we gather to worship our great God. Sunday night is filled with some great times of friendship and fun. Melanie and I have invited our College small group to our home for the big game and fellowship. We're excited to have these great students in our home. What are your plans this coming Super Sunday? At Beech St, we have seized this day to make it more about our gatherings than a game!

I'm really excited about a new sermon series I'm starting this Sunday called "Dream Home". For too many, home is a place of struggle...dare I say nightmare, at times. In this series, I will be tackling with application how we can apply God's principles to our families. I'll be preaching on family time, marriage, communication, parenting, and more! You can catch the messages on our website www.beechstreetfbc.org by clicking on the "Media" tab. I'm praying and believing that Sunday is indeed going to be SUPER all day long!