Everyone Is Invited!!!

Dear Bara & Friends,

Tomorrow is a BIG day for Bara Church! We are celebrating our 2^nd Birthday as a church and we are inviting you to join us for the party!

Our gathering will occur at our normal time of 10am and the party will begin immediately after around 11:30am. It all takes place at Byron Nelson High School in the Student Union! As official “2 Year Olds,” we are going with a Candy Theme and the scripture we’ve chosen is Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”  This scripture really captured our heart as God has been so good to us these past two years. And we believe we’ve only experienced just a taste of His goodness!  Speaking of God's goodness, lunch will be served and there will be plenty of sweet surprises too! 

It would mean so much to Kim and I if you would join us for this special day! I’ll be beginning a new series from Nehemiah called, “Fixing Broke” and am so excited about preaching tomorrow’s sermon, “Blood, Sweat & Tears!” Whether you are a current Bara Partner, a first time visitor from last week, an in town friend or a out of town guest, we want you to join the party tomorrow! If you cannot make it, would you please pray for us? We covet prayers!

Again, it would just mean the world to Kim and I and our entire church family if you would honor us with your presence tomorrow at our 2^nd Birthday Party!

Still amazed by God’s prodigal grace.

Joel

PS: Click here for directions.

Open a Door

I preached on Colossians 4:2-6 today. The sermon is online here.  While I don't always use extra biblical stories or illustrations in my sermons, I did yesterday. In fact, I used several.  The two that really resonated with me were these:

In 1269 Kublai Khan sent a request from Peking to Rome for "a hundred wise men of the Christian religion...And so I shall be baptized, and when I shall be baptized all my baron and great men will be baptized, and their subjects baptized, and so there will be more Christian here than there are in your parts." The Mongols were then wavering in the choice of a religion. It might have been, as Kublai forecast, the greatest mass religious movement the world has ever seen. The history of all Asia would have been changed. 

But what actually happened? Pope Gregory X answered by sending two Domnican friars. They got as far as Armenia, could endure no longer and returned home. So passed the greatest missionary opportunity in the history of the church. 

And this poem...

Press on. 


Nothing in the world 


Can take the place of persistence. 


Talent will not; 


Nothing is more common 


Than unsuccessful men 


With talent. 


Genius will not: 


Unrewarded genius 
Is almost a proverb. 


Education will not; 
The world is full of 


Educated derelicts. 


Persistence and determination 


Alone are important

Jeff Johnson Birthday Wish

Jeff,

I wanted to write you a birthday wish but I fell asleep and had the weirdest dream. I wanted to share with you the dream to see if you could interpet it for me. 

I was in Colorado gazing at the beauty of a mountain Where the River Runs swiftly down towards the valley when all of a sudden I was Shaken by a man in a bear suit. I yelled, “Reveal Yourself!” but alas, he didn’t! Then I shouted, “I know Who You Are! You are Matt Chandler!”  He laughed a loud laugh and took off the bear suit head, which made a loud clicking noise. I asked Matt, “What are you doing here?”  He said in a distinct Native American Indian accent, “Here I Am To Worship.”  I said, “by yourself?” (Thinking that I could hang with him because you know it takes like a year/week/month to get on Homeboy’s calendar!) And he said, “No. Jeff Johnson is supposed to Meet With Me.”  I asked “why here? I mean we are at 13,000 feet, Matt!”

He said, “I don’t know why So High either.  Jeff just asked me to meet him up here and he’s my boy and I love him so I came!” I was like, “Matt, I Stand In Awe of your Undying Love for Jeff.” And Matt was like, “Joel, you have no idea of how much I love Jeff. I worship the ground he walks on!”  I was like, “Matt, Bro, isn’t it a bit hypocritical to have a Heart Of Worship when the worship terminates on man and not on God? I mean, Bro, you’ve preached on this and You Have Spoken against this for years! You are acting like He Rose from the dead when he is just a mortal man Who Is Like You!”

Immediately Matt fell face down on the dirt.  You could see The Fear come over Matt’s face as if God himself had decided to Enter In the conversation.  He Rose from the ground and confessed sin and shared with me that he wanted nothing more than God Over Us.  In fact, I believe I heard him even pray, “Ruin Me on this frappin Glorious Day.” 

Just then you came walking around the trail wearing a “Jesus Is Mine English Teacher!” t-shirt!”  Matt proclaimed loudly, “Why you drawing attention to yourself Homeboy?  You can’t be bringing Glory To Your Name, Jeff! It wasn’t you that died for us on that Old Rugged Cross, was it?"  You got so mad and yelled, “Bleecker was right! I should have dropped you from my ‘A’ List Friends a long time ago! I’m Movin’ On!” 

I said to you both, “Look Men, I’m headed Home unless you guys Reign in this foolishness! I’m Amazed you guys even call yourself Christians! You both would be so much Stronger if you’d just accept that the true Beauty of the Cross is the Passion that God has for us to be one in Him and with one another!"

Then you started crying and Matt started laughing at you and John Piper came around the trail and said, "Teach Me How to Dougie."  Then I woke up and I realized that it had all been a crazy dream and that I had to get back to reviewing my sermon for tomorrow with @barachurch.  So Happy Birthday, Jeff Johnson! I hope you can tell me what my dream means someday!

Church Planting Myths

My buddy is speaking on church planting on the subject of Myths of Church Planting and emailed me and asked me to share some of the myths I've encountered in my first 20 months of planting.  Here is my reply:

Here you go...

Myth: It takes money to plant a church.  Truth: It takes a man with courage and conviction. Money doesn't raise itself. 

Myth: Play to your strengths:  Truth: Staff to your strengths. People people can't do it without Project people. 

Myth: Play to your strengths:  Truth: Staff to your strengths. Project people can't do it without People people. 

Myth: Coaches help some.  Truth: When your coach says develop teams and you fly solo, you're an idiot. 

Myth: Building (planting) a church is sexy and cool.  Truth: Foundations aren't sexy. Concrete and ugly form board aren't sexy. But neither is stopping to repair the crappy house you built too quickly without counting the cost. 

Myth: If you plant and water, God will cause the growth!  Truth: You can't deny the Law of the Farm. You can plant. You can water. But if you can't wait, you'll either dig up good seed (quit too early) or yell at the seed to grow (go nuts) or pull up something that isn't ready to produce fruit (shallow church). 

Myth: You only thought you had dealt with your father wound, people pleasing and fear of man issues before you plant. Truth: You haven't. 

Myth: If you don't delegate, you'll struggle.  Truth: If you don't delegate, you die. 

Myth: Church Planting is Hard. Truth: Church Planting is Brutal. 

Myth: It is all about relationships.  Truth: Today I started a relationship with a young couple named Pete and Staci.  They moved here from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  You know why they came? They saw the signs that I was too proud to put out the first 8 months of planting. 

Myth: It isn't about Sunday morning. Truth: It's not if you don't hold a gathering on Sunday morning. 

Myth: It is not about the numbers.  Truth: If you are counting people, salvation, baptisms, Life Groups, healed marriages, etc... IT IS ABOUT THE NUMBERS!  If you are counting how many cats your church members own, it's not about the numbers. 

Myth: Church Planting can be time consuming.  Truth: Church Planting can idolatry. 

Myth: If you have plenty of money, you'll be fine.  Truth: I've never had plenty of money so I have no idea... 

Myth: If you plant a church without the support of your wife, you'll fail.  Truth: If you plant a church without the support of your wife, you'll get divorced and then fail. 

Myth: You will be tempted and tested when you plant a church.  Truth: You've not seen tempting or testing until you plant a church! The devil would rather kill a baby than a grown man!  He will attack you and your church with all the fury of hell.  He hates new, creating, and birth.  It is the opposite of status quo, destroying, and death. 

Myth: It is just a season. Work hard and your wife and kids will be okay.  Truth: If you ever put God's bride above your bride, God's family above your family, your bride and your family will resent you.  If they resent you long enough, they will despise you. 

Myth: You need good worship, good preaching and good kids programs on Sundays if people are going to come.  Truth: If they don't have a place to serve (ministry) and people to serve with (community) they might come, but they won't stay. 

There are plenty of others that I will share later... 

Church Planting Myths p. 1

My buddy is speaking on church planting on the subject of Myths of Church Planting and emailed me and asked me to share some of the myths I've encountered in my first 20 months of planting.  Here is my reply:

Here you go...

Myth: It takes money to plant a church.  Truth: It takes a man with courage and conviction. Money doesn't raise itself.

Myth: Play to your strengths:  Truth: Staff to your strengths. People people can't do it without Project people.

Myth: Play to your strengths:  Truth: Staff to your strengths. Project people can't do it without People people.

Myth: Coaches help some.  Truth: When your coach says develop teams and you fly solo, you're an idiot.

Myth: Building (planting) a church is sexy and cool.  Truth: Foundations aren't sexy. Concrete and ugly form board aren't sexy. But neither is stopping to repair the crappy house you built too quickly without counting the cost.

Myth: If you plant and water, God will cause the growth!  Truth: You can't deny the Law of the Farm. You can plant. You can water. But if you can't wait, you'll either dig up good seed (quit too early) or yell at the seed to grow (go nuts) or pull up something that isn't ready to produce fruit (shallow church).

Myth: You only thought you had dealt with your father wound, people pleasing and fear of man issues before you plant. Truth: You haven't.

Myth: If you don't delegate, you'll struggle.  Truth: If you don't delegate, you die.

Myth: Church Planting is Hard. Truth: Church Planting is Brutal.

Myth: It is all about relationships.  Truth: Today I started a relationship with a young couple named Pete and Staci.  They moved here from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  You know why they came? They saw the signs that I was too proud to put out the first 8 months of planting.

Myth: It isn't about Sunday morning. Truth: It's not if you don't hold a gathering on Sunday morning.

Myth: It is not about the numbers.  Truth: If you are counting people, salvation, baptisms, Life Groups, healed marriages, etc... IT IS ABOUT THE NUMBERS!  If you are counting how many cats your church members own, it's not about the numbers.

Myth: Church Planting can be time consuming.  Truth: Church Planting can idolatry.

Myth: If you have plenty of money, you'll be fine.  Truth: I've never had plenty of money so I have no idea...

Myth: If you plant a church without the support of your wife, you'll fail.  Truth: If you plant a church without the support of your wife, you'll get divorced and then fail.

Myth: You will be tempted and tested when you plant a church.  Truth: You've not seen tempting or testing until you plant a church! The devil would rather kill a baby than a grown man!  He will attack you and your church with all the fury of hell.  He hates new, creating, and birth.  It is the opposite of status quo, destroying, and death.

Myth: It is just a season. Work hard and your wife and kids will be okay.  Truth: If you ever put God's bride above your bride, God's family above your family, your bride and your family will resent you.  If they resent you long enough, they will despise you.

Myth: You need good worship, good preaching and good kids programs on Sundays if people are going to come.  Truth: If they don't have a place to serve (ministry) and people to serve with (community) they might come, but they won't stay.

There are plenty of others that I will share later...

Please Pray for Kim

I'm writing this from my house as I'm working from home for the remainder of the day. I spent the morning with Kim at the neurologists office in Southlake.  I don't know if you know or not but Kim has had horrible, unrelenting headaches for the past 3 months.  Today's visit was just another step in our journey.  The neurologist believes that Kim's stuck in a chronic loop of migraine/tension headaches due to:

- a massive Vitamin D deficiency (Normal is 100. Low is 30. Kim is a 12)

- prolonged/chronic stress catching up and taking it's toll (18 months = 3 moves, Mom's getting cancer for 4th time, planting a church, significant change in salary and work related stress)

- Sleep Deprivation (not near enough and almost always interrupted)

- Severe tension in her shoulders and neck. Know a good massage therapist?

The doctor wanted to put her in the hospital today but we opted for the more economic home health care approach which includes 2 shots today, more medicine tonight and then back for more shots tomorrow.  Needless to say, Kim is out cold!  The doctor wants her to stay in bed a minimum of 3 days.  He said we must aggressively attack this problem and break the cycle.  

I just know many of you love my Kim and have been praying for her and would want to know how she is doing.  Please keep praying and pray specifically that she would be a good patient! Kim is much better at being the "care giver" than she is being the "care receiver" and so naturally, this is hard for her.  

In the middle of this season of sickness, Kim and I are well aware of how blessed we are despite how bad things might seem, especially compared with the burdens that so many others bear. We also are all the more convinced that God is good despite the bad.  

Thanks for praying for Kim! I can promise you that no matter how bad her head may hurt, as long as she has a heart beat, she is praying for us!

The Eyes of Gratitude

God give me your eyes.
I want to see beauty.
That I might acknowledge blessing.
Yet I really want to see you.
In the middle of everything.
Even of pain. Struggle. Spiritual winter.
Your eyes see the lonely in the middle of busy.
Your eyes see hope knee deep in despair.
Your eyes see the whole person when others just see the broken.
I want eyes that capture the full future of a current foe that I might fully free a future friend.
Give me eyes to see my fear so I might step out in faith.
Give me your eyes, God.
I know you're great.
I believe you're good.
You're strong.
You're loving.
I see it.
Thanks.

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