How Can God Use a Wedding

Recently a couple within Vintage Church were married. The newlyweds, Josh and Sarah, had an incredible God-honoring wedding. Vintage’s lead pastor, Rob Wilton, led the ceremony and he openly and frequently shared the Gospel message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. He also shared what one must do to be saved. Josh and Sarah wanted this to happen at their wedding. Josh was very much aware that most of his family were lost without Jesus…including his sister.

It’s incredible where God brought Josh and how he and Sarah began dating, fell in love, and married. I met Josh almost two years ago. He was dating a girl within our church and he didn’t have a relationship with Jesus. That all changed rapidly however. After a few times of attending some of our worship gatherings God began to rock Josh’s world. He saw his sin, his need for a savior, and knew that savior was Jesus. Within weeks he repented of his sin, turned to faith in Jesus, and was baptized in obedience to Jesus. Josh’s life was turning around. Through some ups and downs, breaking up with the girl who he was dating, and other things, God began to shape and mold Josh more into the image of Jesus. And then enters Sarah. After a while they began to date. All this time Josh and now his new girlfriend were beginning to live out their faith in front of Josh’s family. They noticed a difference.
Let’s fast forward to this past Sunday. After preaching at both of Vintage Metairie’s Sunday morning gatherings I had the opportunity to meet Josh’s sister. Josh shared with me that their wedding had messed with her in a good way. So I introduced myself and simply asked her what God had been showing her about Jesus. Immediately she began to tear up. I knew something was going on. She went on to tell me that she was lost and searching and knew she was in need of a savior…in need of Jesus. I shared with her how she could find salvation in this savior through faith and repentance. Very bluntly I asked her “what’s stopping you right now from giving your life to Jesus and accepting him as your savior?” It was her sin. Without going into too much detail, she told me she had done some things in her past and had sinned. I went on to share with her the reality of Romans 5:8, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I then asked her again what’s holding you back. Through her tears, she said “nothing.” I knew then Jesus was going to save this woman. She was broken of her sin and in need a savior.

So we prayed. I prayed for her and then she called out to God, begging for salvation. The incredible thing about it all was that she prayed out loud using her own words. She prayed from her heart. The other incredible thing about this moment was who was there. Circled around her holding her was her brother Josh, his wife, his mother-in-law, his father-in-law, and even his brother-in-law. This was a family affair. When she was done praying tears of joy fell from all their faces, everyone hugged her, and people were truly praising God. What an experience! I never get tired of seeing God bring people from darkness to light, making people new creations. They peace, joy, hope, and countless other emotions expressed are incredible to see.

I was so thankful to be a part of this small moment where God did a massive thing. Now we have Josh’s sister set up with a Bible, a Bible reading plan, a community group, and we’re talking about baptism. God reminded me of several things this Sunday. First, he reminded me that he’ll move regardless of what is going on. I preached on giving Sunday, not exactly your typical evangelistic sermon. It was also after the gatherings when people were cleaning up and leaving. It wasn’t exactly the best time. God also reminded me that he is working in all things. Josh’s witness and wedding had laid the groundwork. God simply placed me in her path to harvest. God is working even when we do not see it. God reminded me of the importance of being Jesus to those we love and know. God used Josh to bring his sister to faith. And I believe God is going to use him and his sister to bring the rest of their family to faith in Jesus. Finally, God reminded me of simple faith. Josh’s sister didn’t have all the answers. She didn’t say the “perfect” prayer. But she had simple, yet deep faith in Jesus to save her from her sin and give her abundant life. There simply isn’t anything like hearing someone lost call out to Jesus for salvation. It reminds me of how great a savior we serve and worship.

I’m thankful for Josh and Sarah. I’m thankful for God’s love. I’m thankful for Jesus. I’m thankful God can use a wedding…to bring someone to Jesus.

How Can You Give Locally?

This past weekend was an incredible weekend for Vintage Church. There is much I could tell you about (and I will in the next few days), but I wanted to highlight briefly something I preached on. Over the past 5 weeks we have been walking through a preaching series we are calling GX: Gospel Multiplication. In this series we have been talking about how we can multiple the Gospel globally and locally. Our strategy for doing this is three-fold: Pray, Give, and Go. This week I had the awesome opportunity to preach at both our Metairie campus and Uptown campus on how we can give locally. I preached from 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 and talked about giving. Here is what Pastor Paul told the church at Corinth about giving:

1. Give
2. Give regularly
3. Give cheerfully
4. Give sacrificially
5. Give worshipfully

The real application of my sermon, however, was sharing with our campuses how we can really give locally. As the Metairie campus pastor I am leading my campus to choose one organization in our area we can partner with to help. This organization is the Watson Community Center. This organization is a food bank, provides rental assistance, and utility assistance among other things. The Watson Community Center has a need. They need volunteers and non-perishable food items. Although we are going to volunteer of our time, this weekend we highlighted how Vintage Metairie can give right now.
So this coming Sunday, July 29th at both of our Vintage Metairie worship gatherings we will be giving and collecting non-perishable food items, water, and banana boxes for the Watson Community Center. If you are wondering what this might include, here is a list:

1. Any Non-perishable food items

• Cereal
• Baking Mixes
• Canned Meats
• Dried & Canned Fruit
• Macaroni & Cheese
• Chicken & Hamburger Helper
• Pasta
• Peanut Butter
• Canned Vegetables (Preferably with a pop top)
• Canned Soups (Preferably with a pop top)
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Crackers
• Flour
• Sugar
• Syrup
• Cooking oil

2. Water (Gallons or Bottles)

3. Banana Boxes (to give the food in)

This is an incredible opportunity to give locally. There are needs all around us right now that Jesus has called us to give to. Now is our opportunity to give. Come and bring your canned non-perishable food items, water, and banana boxes all this week to our Vintage Metairie campus or on Sunday at our 9:30 AM or 11:00 AM worship gatherings. Our address is:

3927 Rayne St.  Metairie, La  70001

 
Give like Jesus. Model how he gave. Give locally.

 

Some more reading for June

June has been a busy month with 3 weeks of studying German and the Southern Baptist Convention in my back yard, but I still wanted to provide three recommendations for some books I have enjoyed. I’m working hard to write more and hone my craft. So hopefully you’ll see some more articles and other musings on the blog soon. Until then here are three books I recommend you pick up and read.

Theological Value

The Cross of Christ by John R. W. Stott

Buy on Amazon

For the longest time I have wanted to read Stott’s The Cross of Christ. For over twenty-five years this has been the book on the cross and what it accomplished. Stott breaks down his book into four major sections which include  “Approaching the Cross,” The Heart of the Cross,” “The Achievement of the Cross,” and “Living Under the Cross.” If I had to recommend any two sections to read in this book it would have to “The Heart of the Cross” and “The Achievement of the Cross.” In the “Heart of Cross” Stott discusses the central elements of the atonement. He writes about forgiveness, satisfying the wrath of God, and Jesus substituting himself in our place. In “The Achievement of the Cross” he discusses how the cross saves sinners, reveals God, and defeats evil. Without a doubt, if you want to know more about Jesus and his atoning work read this book. If you want to be reminded of the Gospel and the love of God read this book. The Cross of Christ is a theological must-read. Pick it up.

Spiritual Value

The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

Buy on Amazon

I would be lying if I didn’t tell you it has been a while since I read this book. Regardless, this book impacted me greatly when I read it over five to six years ago. It is the kind of book you need to read again. It is the kind of book you need to read every year. Brennan Manning is an incredible writer who vividly shows how although we are sinners God views us in his grace through Jesus. We all must remind ourselves moment by moment of the grace in which we live in. This book is that reminder.

Practical Value

Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George M. Marsden

Buy on Amazon

This summer I’ve been reading a biography on the Puritan minister Jonathan Edwards. Edwards, who lived from 1703-1758, was a minister in New England during the 1st Great Awakening as well as quite possibly the greatest American theologian to exist. If you enjoy biographies, Jonathan Edwards: A Life is well-worth your time. I enjoy biographies, but this book has been practically valuable in my own life. Edwards’ life has taught me much about pastoral ministry, both the good and the bad. It has also taught me much about the 1st Great Awakening and how much the Spirit moved in the life of the people. Jonathan Edwards: A Life has been both an enjoyment to read and a time to learn from a man of God from the past.

“I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.”

– C.S. Lewis

What to Read In May?

Last month I shared three books that are worth reading. I wanted to provide you with three more books this month you might enjoy reading. Like last month I’ve chose a theological book, a spiritual book, and a practical book. Although the three books for May could fit into each of the three categories, each speak to their respective category specifically. This month’s books are three books that I really enjoyed reading. Not only did I enjoy reading them, but I came away from reading them enriched and encouraged. So here they are:

 

 Theological Value

Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing By C.J. Mahaney

Buy on Amazon

Last month I shared with you Greg Gilbert’s small book, What is the Gospel? Although a small book, What is the Gospel? is an incredible reminder of the Gospel. C.J. Mahaney’s Living the Cross Centered Life is another one of those small but powerful books. Only 166 pages, this book is another great reminder of the Gospel in our lives. This is one of those books I have read and plan to read again that reminds me the importance of the Gospel in my own life. It has been an incredible resource that has allowed me to continually preach the Gospel to myself. C.J. Mahaney simply walks through the importance of Jesus’ death on the cross and its unbelievable implications for our lives. He wastes no space. Every word, sentence, paragraph, page, and chapter is used to share the importance of the Gospel. Although theological, this book is an incredible resource for your spiritual life. Read it, savor it, and apply it.

 

Spiritual Value

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy By Eric Metaxas

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If you’re looking to read a biography that will impact your spiritual life you need to read Eric Metaxas’ biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Metaxas writes a detailed and entertaining biography on the life and death of the German pastor/theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who stood up against the tyranny of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. The author does an incredible job of weaving the story of Bonhoeffer through the history of World War II. This book was both an encouragement and challenge to me. As I read about the incredible sacrifice Dietrich Bonhoeffer made for Christ and his church I was reminded to evaluate my own life in light of the call from Jesus to take up our cross daily. Bonhoeffer was an encouraging kick in the pants to reevaluate and recalibrate my own spiritual life. I pray it will be the same for you.

 

Practical Value

Am I Called?: The Summons to Pastoral Ministry By Dave Harvey

Buy on Amazon

Do you think God has called you into pastoral ministry? Are you trying to figure out your calling? Are you already serving the church in some capacity? If you answered yes to any of those three questions, Dave Harvey’s Am I Called? is a great resource for you to read and think about. In this book Harvey breaks down his discussion of calling into three sections: “Approaching the Call,” “Diagnosing the Call,” and “Waiting.” The author does an incredible job of discussing the elements of the call while as the same time describing them in an understandable way. He makes the call to pastoral ministry an accessible topic. If you feel called to pastoral ministry or know you are called to pastoral ministry, Am I Called? is a book you need to read. It was a great reminder for me of what God has called me to. I’m thankful for pastors like Dave Harvey who provide today’s ministry leaders with such a valuable resource for understanding calling.

Some Book Recommendations for April

One of the things I love to do is read. I’m constantly picking up books, both old and new. Reading is my passion. You can ask my wife if you don’t believe me. Recently I was reading a book entitled Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books. In the book the author, Tony Reinke, discusses how pastors can raise up readers in their church. In his book he says one way pastors can raise up readers in their church is by maintaining a list of recommended books on their website. As I began to think about that I thought about my own blog. If you’re like me you often wonder what you should read. You wonder what books are worth your time? Our lives are incredibly busy with multiple tasks to accomplish. So when we sit down to read a book we want to make sure the book is worth reading. So I’ve decided to provide three book recommendations each month. First, I want to highlight a theological book. Secondly, I want to recommend to you a book for your spiritual life. Finally, I want to highlight and recommend a book of practical value to you. So here are April’s book recommendations.

Theological Value
What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert
Buy on Amazon

What is the Gospel? is a book I read several months ago but continue to recommend to people. Anytime I find a readable book on the Gospel I recommend it. What is great about this book is that, although it’s theological, it’s written using plain, concise language. The book is only 121 pages long. Greg Gilbert breaks the Gospel down into four parts: God the righteous creator, Man the sinner, Jesus Christ the savior, and Response – faith and repentance. That is the heart of this book. He clearly delivers the Gospel.
Some might say, “why read a book on the Gospel? I already know it.” I would suggest that we need to continually saturate our lives with the Gospel. I work to make it a continual task of preaching the Gospel to myself daily. Only then does it remain fresh in my life. What is the Gospel? is an excellent resource to use for daily preaching the Gospel to yourself. When I read this book I read it with my daily devotions. So whether you know little about the Gospel or you are a seasoned veteran of the Gospel, you need to pick up Greg Gilbert’s What is the Gospel? You won’t regret it.

Spiritual Value
The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy & Kathy Keller
Buy on Amazon

In preparation for Vintage Church’s current sermon series “Real Marriage,” I read Tim & Kathy Keller’s book The Meaning of Marriage. Although marriage is a practical life issue, it is also very issue. The Keller’s work to illustrate this to their readers. If you want to have both a sound theological and practical understanding of marriage, then look no further than this book.

The Keller’s spend the majority of their time working through Ephesians 5:22-33 discussing the secret of marriage, the power of marriage, the essence of marriage, and the mission of marriage. In these chapters they focus on issues such covenant, holiness, and submission. In the remaining chapters they discuss other practical issues such as marriage roles, singleness, and sex within marriage. If you are thinking about reading some books on marriage this should be on that list. Certainly they do not answer all the questions on marriage. They also write from a different perspective than others, but what they provide is useful information for singles, engaged couples, and married couples. You’ll want to pick The Meaning of Marriage. It’s worth your time.

Practical Value
Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke
Buy on Amazon

I literally just finished this book this morning. Lit! was a pleasant surprise. At first glance I wasn’t sure about it; however, after reading it I was pleased. Reinke basically breaks his book down into two sections: “A Theology of Books and Reading” and “Some Practical Advice on Book Reading.” If you enjoy reading or have ever desired to improve your reading Lit! is a definite gem for you. In the beginning of his book he discusses how a Christian worldview colors what we read, whether that be fiction or non-fiction or Christian or non-Christian literature.
In the second half of his book he provides the reader with practical advice in reading. He discusses issues such as deciding what and what not to read, tips for reading non-fiction, protecting your reading time, and how-to’s for marking up your books. I particularly found chapter 7, “Read with Resolve,” very beneficial. In it he discusses prioritizing his reading. This chapter helped me to create a plan for reading various types of literature. Now the books I read cover a more broad spectrum of topics and genres than before. If you’re looking for a readable and practical book on reading, Lit! is the book for you.

Two Are Better than One: The Importance of Community

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

I’ve heard those verses several times before. Until recently they’ve never really hit home. As I lead Vintage’s community group leaders and am a community group leader myself, I’ve had the opportunity to see a lot in regards to community. Over the past few weeks I’ve seen several things that echo the truth of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. I’ve seen both the good and the bad. I’ve heard about and personally dealt those who have pulled away from community. I also had the incredible opportunity to experience real community firsthand. In these experiences I have seen Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 play out.

The writer (who many believe to be an aging King Solomon) is sharing the importance of community with his readers. He shares the positives of being in community and the drawbacks of not being in community. The writer shares “two are better than one.” Why? “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.” What does that mean? It simply means two can do more together than one. He then shares how with two people one can pick the other up when he or she falls. Again he says “if two lie together, they keep warm.” Think about being stuck out in the wild during a freezing winter night. Would you want to be by yourself or with someone else who might be able to keep you warm with their body heat. It’s about survival. The writer then imagines a fight. Someone might be able to beat up one person, but not two. He concludes by simply stating three is even better than two.

If the advantages of community weren’t enough to persuade someone, the writer then shares some of the disadvantages to not being in community. First, he warns “woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up.” He warns again “how can one keep warm alone.” The point is simply this: a person can only do so much by himself. Many circumstances in life cannot be dealt with individually. All of this proves the importance of community.

What I have seen recently is people begin to pull away from community. As they do so they become more independent, more unstable, and ultimately more in danger. When people pull away they are more apt to fall as the writer of Ecclesiastes points out. Often people share that they are in a busy season in their life and they just don’t have time for community. Brad House in his book Community writes about this saying:

I am often confronted with the claim that a person is not active in the church community because of a lack of time. “I just don’t have time right now…Maybe in the next season of life.” What a crock. The issue is not, and never will be, time. The issue is our desire. When our community gives us life, we will always find time for it. We will change our schedules to accommodate it, and we will want others to experience it. We must find out what is strangling the life out of our communities and begin to live in community in such a way that it brings glory to Jesus and transforms lives. When the glory of Jesus inspires passion and zeal, we will be surprised at how much time we find (154).

I agree with Brad House. I think we find as many excuses as we can to fight community. That seems odd but it is true. We are either neck deep in sin, fighting community or we believe community is not important. We need community because we need each other. We need to be helped, prayed for, and loved. If we try to do life on our own we fall deeper into sin and deeper into depression. We do because God did not create us to loners.

Enough with the negative stuff. I want to share with you a good picture of community I’ve experienced recently. There is a woman in our church who has been struggling with some things for a long time. Finally, she could not take it any longer and shared this struggle with her community group. They prayed with and loved her through it. Later that community group leader and his wife shared this with myself and the other pastors. Just recently we had the incredible opportunity to pray for her and encourage her as she battled through some of her issues. As I sat with her, her husband, her community group leaders, and the other pastors, I immediately realized what great community she had. If she would not have had such community no one would have been personally praying for you.

It breaks my heart every time I see someone slowly slip out of community. As I quickly reach to try to bring them back into community, they often think exiting community is the best thing for them. Inevitably some never return to community. I’m thankful for those who do return. Those are the ones who, although they’ve walked away from community, come running back realizing their need for it. Whatever you and I do, let us not run away from community but embrace it. We must fight for community. We have to fight our independent and sinful nature. Community simply will not come naturally. So next time you feel the urge to run away from your community remember: “two are better than one.”

Are You a Missiologist?

Are you a missiologist? You might read that question and wonder what is a missiologist? You might wonder what kind of degree or training you might need to be a missiologist? You might wonder how much work is involved in being a missiologist? The reality is that being a missiologist does require a lot of work. Much care and dedication is required to be a missiologist. There is sacrifice.

At this point you’re probably asking what is a missiologist and what does this have to do with me? Here it is. Are you ready? Are you a student of your neighborhood? Missiologists are students of their neighborhood. Why is this important? This is important because if you know Jesus as Lord and savior you are called to be a missiologist. You are called to be student of your neighborhood. In his book Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support, Brad House says that to be a missiologist “is to be observant, having your eyes open to the values of people in your city and particularly in your neighborhood. It is about discovering where people find their identity, what wakes them up in the morning, where thy spend their time, and where they hope to experience community.”

There is no doubt that Jesus has called us to be students of our neighborhood. Before he ascended into heaven Jesus called his disciples (that’s us too) to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). In Acts 1:8 he tells us that we will be his “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth.” You might say “where does that say anything about being a student of my neighborhood?” My question is how else are we to be a witness to our neighbors? Yes, Jesus certainly spoke to mass crowds and called seemingly random people to repent of their sin and trust him, but the majority of his work came with people he knew and had invested in. How can we know and invest in our neighbors when we don’t who they are or how they live?

By studying our neighborhoods and neighbors we can better understand the rhythms of our neighbors. We can better understand how they spend their time, what they enjoy doing, and what is important to them. We can discover ways to love them, build relationships with them, and ultimately share Jesus with them. This is the importance of studying your neighborhood. Let’s be honest with ourselves. We’re really not all that interested in listening to anyone share about anything (especially religious stuff) when they don’t know us or have shown that they care about us. But when people live like we do, value the things we do, and show they care for us…well, we’ll listen. Those are the people that  we want to hear from.

So are you a missiologist? Are you a student of your neighborhood? Do you know your neighbors? Do you know what they do for a living? Do you know what they enjoy to do? Do you know if they know Jesus? I ask these questions because God has challenged me to be a missiologist. I live in a condo complex next to probably almost 100 people. One person in particular I see everyday. His name is Matthew. He comes out on his steps, smokes a cigarette, and plays on his phone. I know he’s married with a child, but that’s about it. Why is that all I know about him? That’s all I know about him because I have not been a good missiologist. Do you know your neighbors? Are you friends with them? If you are, have you intentionally shared Jesus with them? I’m not just asking if they know you are a Christian. I’m asking if you have asked them if they know Jesus. I’m asking if you’ve shared how they can know Jesus. We can be great friends with our neighbors but that won’t save them from hell and separation from God. Only Jesus can do that. When we finally do get to know our neighbors how can we easily and openly share Jesus with them. Here’s a great article on The Resurgence about talking with your neighbors about Jesus. http://theresurgence.com/2012/01/16/7-tips-for-talking-with-your-neighbors-about-jesus.

This week learn about your neighborhood. Connect with your neighbors. I’m going to connect deeper with Matthew. How are you going to connect with your neighbors? Be a missiologist. Study your neighborhood. Get to know your neighbors. Share Jesus with your neighbors. Make disciples for Jesus.

A Short 2011 Ministry Year in Review

Recent Things Going On:

This past month has been an incredibly busy month (as usual). I’m thankful for the Christmas and New Year season. Although it’s not much of a break, it is an incredible time to recharge as I spend time with my family and friends (plus everyone has loved seeing and kissing on baby Gabriel). I’m also still celebrating my graduation from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with my degree, a Master of Divinity in Biblical languages, two weeks ago. Friday, December 23rd marked my final day with Sears as well. As many of you know I have had the incredible opportunity to work with Sears for five years in their Home Improvement section. I’m excited to share that in 2012 I will be serving full-time with Vintage Church as their Theology and Training Pastor. So this last month has been and continues to be an exciting time for Rachel and I as we look to 2012.

I do want to share some things that have been going on this past month at Vintage Church. During December we celebrated Advent by preaching on hope, peace, joy, and love. I had the opportunity to preach on hope during the first weekend in December. I preached from Micah 5, sharing how Jesus is our present and future hope. You can hear the sermon here. Our series concluded with out first Christmas Eve service. Because many of our people live in other places all over the United States, we were expecting approximately 50 to 60 people. We were pleasantly surprised though. God was so good. That night about 130 people came and worshipped with us. What was incredible was that the majority of these individuals were locals from the area who probably would never attend a worship gathering any other time of the year. This was a great opportunity for the seed of the Gospel to be planted in the hearts of these people. My hope is that Vintage Church can love these people and continue to share the Gospel with them.

I have many other activities in the fire, but two things in particular are driving the rest of what I desire to do. Although it’s already 2012, over the next few days I plan to write personal, spiritual, and missional goals. Before I can move forward with my ministry I have to have an idea of what I want and where I am going. I’m excited to get away from everything for the next few days and begin to develop some of these goals. Directly linked to my goals is my planning for 2012. I’ve begun to plan on a large scale for 2012 and at least the Spring season of 2012, but I also want to spend some more time focusing on some specific planning for the rest of the year. I’m looking forward to continuing to share with you how some of my plans unfold in 2012.

Some Highlights from 2011:

For me several things stand out from 2011. First, was my ordination and enlistment as a pastor/elder with Vintage Church. In his first letter to Timothy Paul writes, “if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (1 Timothy 3:1). From the onset the leadership of Vintage knew I desired to be a pastor. I’m thankful that our lead pastor, Rob Wilton, took the time to take me through several months of eldership training, preparing me for pastoring Vintage Church. I’m looking forward to our pastoral team working together in 2012 for Vintage Church and ultimately the kingdom of God. Another exciting event that stands out from 2011 is the launching of our Vintage Metairie campus. We launched our second campus on September 11^th and approximately 375 came out to celebrate the launch of this campus. On that day 6 people were also baptized. It was an incredible time of celebration. Previously I wrote a blog on the launch of Vintage Metairie. You can read more about it and see pictures here.

The greatest highlight of 2011 is the lives that have been changed by Jesus. That might sound cheesy but its the truth. This past year we saw over 10 people give their life to Christ and over 20 people publicly display their faith through baptism. I’m also thankful for those who are moving closer to Jesus. Several people in our church have grown closer to Jesus. Through 2011 they have begun to look more like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. There are also several in our church, who although they have not given their life to Christ yet, they are closer to surrendering their all to him. This is ultimately why I do what I do. I fully believe that people are on a journey. I want to honor that journey while at the same time understanding the urgency of the decision to accept Christ. So I’m thankful that people have continued to journey through us moving closer to Jesus.

How can you help?

I’ve shared this before but these truly are the best ways you can help support me and my ministry:

• Pray

Pray for us. New Orleans is a spiritually dark place. People are deeply enslaved in sin and most do not want out of it. Pray for our ministry. Pray that God would use my ministry and Vintage Church to pull back the darkness in the city. Pray that God would protect Rachel and I and the rest of Vintage’s staff from temptation, sin, and Satan. Pray that God would continue to provide for all of us as we serve the Lord, his church, and the city of New Orleans.

• Go

Come and visit us. We love to have visitors. More than anything we want you to see what God is doing in New Orleans. I love updating you every month, but you cannot truly see what is happening until you experience first-hand the work of God in New Orleans.

• Give

Finally, you can give to my ministry. Your financial contribution allows me to focus less on our needs and more on the ministry that God has called us to. Money is always a touchy subject. My prayer is that you would listen to Jesus and do what he says. If God has called you to give to my ministry do it. If not pray and/or come. If God has called you to support my ministry, just know any amount helps. Whether it’s $10 per month or $100 per month, your gift helps support our ministry. If you would like to give here’s what you can do: Send your checks to:

Vintage Church

6221 S. Claiborne Ave

Box 609

New Orleans, LA  70125

(In the memo line put: for Dustin Turner)

Thanks again for your support in 2011. I hope you are as excited to see what God has in store for 2012 as I am.

Plan Your Reading & Read Your Plan

As we are coming to the end of the year, many of us are beginning to think about goals and resolutions for 2012. There are many things we want to change in the new year. Bible reading can often be one of those goals. Often times we have a desire to read the Bible but we don’t know where to start. Other times we begin to read Scripture faithfully but by March we begin to lose our pace and endurance to finish. Life gets busy and we simply just stop reading the Bible.

We’ve all been there. Every year we tell ourselves “Next year, I’m going to read the Bible.” Unfortunately every year passes and we always seem to drop the ball. If you are not in this camp praise God, because you have found a way to faithfully stay in Scripture. Many of us struggle in maintaining a consistent time in God’s word because we need structure and accountability. We need something to help us know where to read next and we need something that tells us when and how much we need to read. We need a plan. Some might construe this as legalism and ultimately bad, but its actually the opposite. This structure and accountability is what we need so that we can faithfully read Scripture and maintain a growing and thriving relationship with God. How do we do this? The answer is simple: a Bible Reading Plan. A Bible Reading Plan allows us to plan for our spiritual growth and development. It allows us to measure what is behind us and prepare for what’s before us. Here’s a great article from John Piper on the importance of planning Bible reading: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/a-new-years-plea-plan.

There are countless Bible reading plans available to use. These plans are great tools to give you direction in where to read as well as accountability in how much and how often to read. Because so many plans exist, you have freedom to choose the one which will work best for you. Remember the point is not to check a box saying you’ve read the Bible, but rather to grow in your relationship with God. Here a just a few Bible Reading Plans I would recommend:

1. Read the Bible for Life 4+1 Plan – http://blog.georgehguthrie.com/?p=800

This plan is an awesome plan that was created in conjunction with George Guthrie’s book Read the Bible for Life. This plan is great in that it you will read through the entire Bible once and the Psalms twice in one year. With this plan you’ll also have the opportunity to read both the Old and New Testaments simultaneously. Finally, this plan includes 6 days of reading per week, giving you one day of rest or a day to catch up if you’ve fallen behind.

2. Discipleship Journal Reading Plans – http://www.navpress.com/dj/content.aspx?id=138

• The 5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan.

This plan is a great plan for beginners of the Bible. The 5x5x5 plan will take you through the New Testament in one year. In this plan you read 5 minutes a day for 5 days. This allows you two days to recover and/or reflect on prior readings. This plan also provides you with 5 ways to dig deeper. These include underlining/highlighting, paraphrasing, asking/answering questions, capturing the big ideas, and personalizing the meaning.

• The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan

In this plan are four readings per day, 2 from the Old Testament and 2 from the New Testament. The other great thing about this plan is that in each month there are only 25 days of readings. Therefore you’ll have 5-6 days off where you can catch up if you’ve fallen behind or use those days to study a passage that you’ve already read.

3. Blue Letter Bible Old Testament and New Testament Together – http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/
This plan is a very simple and basic plan. Nonetheless it is a strong plan. This plan includes a reading from the Old Testament and New Testament each day. Some might like this plan better because rather than two readings from both the Old and New Testaments each day, there is only one. This might be more manageable for those who find four passages a day difficult.

4. M’Cheyne Daily Bible Reading Plan – www.gnpcb.org/assets/products/excerpts/1581348150.1.pdf
In this plan you’ll read through the New Testament and Psalms twice and the rest of the Old Testament once. Another awesome feature of this plan is that it begins with four great beginnings or births of Scripture: Genesis (beginning of the world), Ezra 1 (the rebirth of Israel after her return from Babylon), Matthew 1 (the birth of the Messiah), and Acts 1 (the birth of the Church). A great resource to use alongside of this reading plan is D.A. Carson’s For the Love of God. This is a devotional following alongside the reading plan. Carson’s devotional can be found here: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/loveofgod/.

5. ESV Reading Plans (http://www.esv.org/resources/reading-plans-devotions/) & YouVersion Reading Plans (http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/all)
Here are two great resources for reading plans. On both of these websites are a large sampling of various reading plans. These reading plans can be emailed to you, placed on your mobile phone, or even sent to your calendar. Each one contains several different reading plans you can utilize in 2012.

Remember these are just options. Pick something and do it. Again, the point is not check off that you’ve read the Bible for the day or even the year. The point is this: at the end of 2012 you want to be able to say “because I’ve read my Bible my relationship with God is closer and stronger today than it was 365 days ago.” So plan your reading and read your plan.

Learning from a Bizarre God Ordained Encounter

Last night was an interesting night for me. I thought it was going to be just another night.  We have worship gatherings on Sunday nights at our Carrollton location in Uptown. Things were a little different last night because of the Po Boy Festival a few blocks down. The church building we gather at is on the main street there so we had a lot of traffic. Festivals in New Orleans always bring out a very diverse group of people.

Anyways after our gathering I was standing in the back and a lady came up to me and asked me “are you one of the pastors?” I immediately said yes, knowing that when someone asks you that they want to discuss something. As soon as I said yes, she unloaded on me. She began our conversation with a discussion on black holes, the age of the earth, and how all of this disproves the reality of Jesus. We then moved to the reliability of the New Testament and then moved to the age old question “if someone never hears about Jesus do they still go to hell?” All of these questions came out in approximately five minutes. I don’t know if I’ve ever dealt with so many apologetic-type questions in one conversation. I could also tell this woman struggled with some sort of mental disorder. She had some behavioral quirks that told me something was wrong with her. Thankfully, my friend and fellow pastor Jonathan “Griff” Griffin came to the rescue. He could see that the conversation was uncomfortable and difficult. As he came over, she admitted to having Asperger’s Syndrome which is a form of autism characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. If you want to read more about this disorder you can read here.

Well, it just so happened that a friend and person Griff had ministered to several years ago also struggled with Asperger’s so he was aware on how to better communicate with her. That night our lead pastor, Rob Wilton, preached on 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 and gender roles. This lady then began to explain to Griff and I that we probably disagreed with her because she was also a lesbian. At this point I was thinking to myself “wow, let’s throw something else into this conversation.” Nonetheless we shared as best we could about Jesus, asking her where she stood in relation to Jesus, whether she had a relationship with him. She was quick to say she believed in God, knew of Jesus, but wasn’t certain about a relationship with Jesus. Finally, we were able to get her info in hopes that Griff and I could follow up with her.

Why do I share this story with you? I share it because Jesus humbled me last night and taught me some things. I want to share those things with you. First of all, I’m thankful for partners in the Gospel. If it would not have been for Griff last night I feel as though my conversation with that lady would have been a waste. Not understanding Asperger’s, I let our conversation go in every direction. Griff was able to refocus our conversation on the Gospel and Jesus. Griff and I had breakfast this morning and he shared with me that after last night he was thankful that God placed his friend with Asperger’s in his life years prior because it prepared him for the conversation he had with this woman. I am thankful that men like Griff, as a fellow pastor and friend, have my back and are willing to come alongside and support and help me in a time of need. Don’t underestimate your friends who stand beside you. Pastors, don’t underestimate your fellow pastors and staff. God has put them in your life for a reason.

God also taught me to make no distinction among people. I want to be clear about something I am not a racist or discriminatory against anyone. Like everyone I have prejudices that I am continuing to work out by the power of the Gospel. The woman last night was an African American woman, but it wasn’t the color of her skin that troubled me; it was her disorder. I didn’t hate her because she had Asperger’s; I loved her because God loves her. But for the first time I struggled to have a conversation with someone and reason with a person. I don’t know if you’ve ever talked with someone who has this disorder, but it is difficult to communicate with them. Although they are highly intelligent people, they often lack social/behavioral abilities. So as our conversation went on I was thinking in my head “okay, God obviously you’re not going to do anything in this woman’s life tonight.” Hear me out, I am and was not saying that God could not save this woman from her sin. But last night I was saddened by my lack of faith that God could save her right then and there. This morning I was reading in Acts 11:12. There Peter is reporting to the church about Cornelius and God’s inclusion of the Gentiles in the church. In verse 12 he says “the Spirit told me to go with them (i.e. the Gentiles), making no distinction.” It was as though God punched me in the gut and heart at the same time. He told me regardless of age, race, color, or mental disorders, make no distinctions. I knew this in my head. I would never discriminate because of these things, but practically speaking I felt as though because of her disability God would do nothing immediately. How faithless of me. The Holy Spirit can quicken anyone’s heart to faith in Jesus and repentance of sin. I was made aware of my lack of faith last night and humbled by it.

Finally, God showed me I do not pray enough. This woman completely caught me off guard with her questions. I wasn’t expecting any of what she had to say. I was not prayed up. I entered that worship gathering expecting nothing new of God. I had not convened with God, preparing my heart and mind for him to move among our people as well as encounter people like the woman I met. As a pastor, I am broken over my lack of prayer. Especially considering prayer is to be one of my highest priorities. Remember in Acts 6 when the seven are chosen to help and serve the widows. Why did the apostles delegate this task to these early deacons? They did so they could devote themselves “to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). My ministry is to be devoted to prayer and the study and proclamation of the Bible. Last night I clearly saw a need for growth and development in the area of prayer.

Why do I share this with you? First, I hope you might learn from my experience. Rest on others as support, be prepared to share the good news with anyone regardless of their disorders, and pray. Some of you might say those things are so simple. I often find it is the simplest things God challenges me in the most. Secondly, I pray that you would pray for me. Pray that God would strengthen me in these areas. Pray that God would develop my prayer life. Pray that I would lead my people as God sees fit. Finally, pray for this woman. You don’t need to know her name to pray for her. Pray that she would respond to me when I send her an email. Pray that God would open her heart and eyes to trust in Jesus alone for salvation. Pray ultimately that God would save her.