Reality Check

Is Being Rich Evil?

2012-02-08T11:14:00.000-05:00

I Was Broke And Now I'm Not has been different from any other small group study we've ever done at Oceanside. I Was Broke And Now I'm Not is a study on the Biblical management of money. The study talks about getting out of debt, budgeting, and investing ~~our~~ God's money. It has fostered great discussion every week.

This week's discussion was most interesting because we debated if being rich is sinful. That conversation is more relevant than ever as we recently watched the Wall Street protestors demonize the wealthy. So I offer to you my opinion on rich people.

You Are Rich-
Yeah, I bet you don't believe it, but if you live in the U.S. you are a part of the worldwide 1%. Even if you're poor you're wealthy. On average the United State's poor have a car, an air conditioned house, and two Televisions. But that's not all! Most families have an Xbox 360 or a Playstation 3 and even cable/satellite TV. That's not what I think of when I think of poor people. I think of the single father in Afghanistan, whose wife has died, lives in a stone house, and hopes to feed his family once a day. The poor discussion becomes more difficult when we become the same evil we're rebuking.

Being Rich is Difficult-
You may be asking, "If I'm rich what does that make Bill Gates?" I don't know... maybe filthy rich. But let's not get distracted. You may not be filthy rich, but you're still rich. Being rich has it's advantages, but it comes with many spiritual difficulties. Jesus said in Luke 18:25, For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Immediately that creates a problem for us rich people. Money has a tendency to destroy people spiritually. I believe that money can let us think we have it all under control. It gives us a false sense of security. Because no amount of money can give us eternal security.

Have you ever noticed that when we're financially cruising and the bills are getting payed we don't go to God as much anymore. But when the bills are overdue, the house is about to be taken, and we're not sure how we're going to pay for next week's groceries we start calling the Big Man Upstairs every time we walk to the mailbox. If we let it financial security can lead to a pride that says, "I can do it on my own."

Greed is Wrong-
So is being rich evil? It can be. But the issue isn't an amount of money. The issue is greed. The Bible is very clear that greed is wrong. Jesus warned us in Luke 12:15, Protect [ourselves] against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot. Rich people that a greedy are evil. Poor people that are greedy are evil. The issue isn't how rich or poor someone is. The issue is what we do with the money God has given us.

People with lots of money have the ability to give lots of money. God uses rich people to accomplish great things. Being rich isn't evil. Being rich is an opportunity to make a great difference in the world.

What do you think? Is being rich evil?

iPad Is Crushed, But I'm Still Alive

2012-02-01T11:52:00.002-05:00

This is my sad face

Sunday I preached about Greed. It was a sermon that had a real impact on my life, and I felt like the Lord wanted me to share it. So... I did. In it I gave the illustration below about my iPad.

It was a Sunday afternoon like any other. I was over at my dad's house (Pastor Trey) getting ready to indulge in an excellent meal prepared by my mother. I was asked by someone if they could use my iPad. At the risk of seeming like I preach one thing and do another, I said, "Sure." Everyone had fun playing around with it, but the time came for me to go home. I collected my children, iPad, and random other items. After much coxing we walked out the front door.

It had been a weird day. Maggie seemed to be a bit emotionally unstable, Quentin was about to fall asleep on my shoulder, and my arms were full of stuff. When putting Quentin into his carseat I must have set my iPad on top of my car. I never realized it. We drove off.

Once home I was going to do my normal iPadding, but I couldn't find it anywhere. PANIC! I realized at that moment that I had left it somewhere, but I didn't know where. I called over to my parents house to see if it was there. They searched to no avail. HORROR! Immediately I bolted downstairs, jumped in my car, and with all vigor sped off Daniel Island. My eyes were searching for any sign of my ten inch ipad.

Finally I saw it. It was laying in the middle of the road where Hungryneck Blvd. and the Isle of Palms Connector cross. To the frustration of all the drivers behind me I stopped in the middle of the road. Flayling my arms with wild gesticulation I stopped traffic hoping to save my iPad. As I picked it up, still standing in the middle of the road, I prayed a fervent, but incomplete prayer, "Oh, dear Lord..." Then I thought, "Maybe, maybe, maybe... Oh no." The screen looked as if a small bomb had exploded inside the iPad. I was devastated.

At that moment I remembered these verses from Matthew 6:19-21 (And I'm not telling a preacher story, I actually thought about these verses. I mean, I hope I would have... I just preached on them that day.) Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Moments after picking it up off the road

iPads are great, but they're just earthly treasures. That was a costly and difficult reminder for me. Don't base your life on any thing. Stuff is going to break... that's what stuff does. In everything we do we must base our lives on the Kingdom of God not our own. When God's done with His iPad he can throw it off a car. I trust Him. I also think it was a test to see how I would react. I sure hope I passed.

Keep this in mind this week. Stop building your kingdom and start building up God's kingdom. You never worry about the stuff you give away, you only worry about the stuff you keep. Let's start a movement to give it all away to God.

Finally, the iPad does turn on. I'm going to see if it can be fixed... I would like to get it back and be able to again use it to God's glory. Seriously.

Do you have any crazy stories of losing a valuable item?

UPDATE 2/2/12: I brought my iPad to L2 technologies here in Mt. Pleasant. They told me the iPad would cost about $500 to repair. So, basically it's totaled. That's a bummer.

Follow the Leader

2012-01-25T12:36:00.000-05:00

But Ruth replied:

Do not persuade me to leave you

or go back and not follow you.
For wherever you go, I will go,
and wherever you live, I will live;
your people will be my people,
and your God will be my God.

Ruth 1:16

The story of Ruth and Naomi started as a tragedy. Naomi's husband died, but she still had her sons. Those sons married the moabites Ruth and Orpah (Not to be confused with Oprah). A few years after those marriages Naomi's sons died. In that day the women had little hope of living without husbands. It was essential that both Ruth and Orpah married again as quickly as possible. Naomi urges her two daughter-in-laws to leave her and find new husbands.

Ruth, I assume, urged by the Holy Spirit and a love for her mother-in-law says that she will not. She did this at the risk of being a beggar for the rest of her life. She listened to the Holy Spirit in this life or death matter and made the illogical choice. Ruth's illogical choice became a victory in God's book even if it didn't make sense to everyone else. Ruth became the grandmother of King David, and it was through David's lineage that Christ came.

It is essential that we listen to what God is telling us to do. Sometimes it doesn't seem logical, sometimes it seems really stupid, but God sees the future and knows that our small obedience will lead to big victories. God is wanting to use those people who are ready, willing, and obedient.

I think I could keep writing about this verse, but I'll leave it here. If you have any input or other perspectives please leave them in the comments.

Financial Alcatraz

2012-01-17T15:53:00.000-05:00

Jorge Garcia in Alcatraz

I was a huge LOST fan. I've seen every episode and dissected them all. One of my favorite characters from LOST was Hurley played by Jorge Garcia. Alcatraz has a mysterious island, Jorge, and a science fiction story... I'm all over that. The first episodes were really interesting and I definitely didn't feel like I was waisting my time. I'm excited to tune in next week.

If you're anything like me sometimes your financial situation can feel like Alcatraz. It seems like there is no way out. My wife and I try our hardest to stretch every penny. We have some debt. The huge majority, I'd say 95%, is student loan debt. There are times when I look at the bills when they come in and I feel like I'm never going to pay those things off. They feel likes chains.

Proverbs 22:7 tells us, The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender. The reason it feels like prison is because it is. Debt means we're not in control of our destiny. When we have debt our master becomes who we borrowed from. Many people are stuck in jobs they don't want because they have debt they are imprisoned by. Marriages are being destroyed because debt controls their marriage, not God. It was pretty easy getting where we are. The real trick is figuring out how to escape the prison of debt.

My wife and I are in the beginning stages of trying to escape the Alcatraz of debt. It's going to be tough, but over the years we are going to escape. Our new series Man Vs. Money is going to be life changing. If you feel like you're in a financial prison I really want to encourage you to join us on Saturday Night at 8PM or Sunday at 10:30AM. We're also doing a small group study called I Was Broke and Now I'm Not. If I could tell you that in 6 weeks you could learn the escape route to your financial Alcatraz, would you do it?

Immediate Obedience to God and How I Helped a Guy Seizing Because of it

2012-01-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

Last night at small group we talked about being immediately obedient to God. Something that I'm not always too good at. I like to think things over for a little too long, but sometimes, sometimes, I get it right. I can point to a few of these times in my life, but I quickly want to share a story that happened to me in the past week.

Allie, my wife, and I were supposed to pick up some new trashcans for the church at Walmart before Saturday night service. We forgot. Later that night, against everything I wanted, I drove over to Walmart again. That part took me about 2 minutes. I grabbed the cans and I was heading to checkout.

At this point it was about 10 PM and there were only 2 registers open. I had a choice: 10 items or less or the short line. A strange tugging seemed to pull to the longer line. While I was standing in line a couple of positions ahead of me was a 25 year old guy buying what I believe to be a sleeping bag. From out of no where I hear a crack sound and watch his knees fall out from under him. His debit card flew into the air and his neck had all the tention of a dead chicken's. His whole body landed with a thud and crescendoed with the knocking sound of his head bouncing off the hard linoleum.

He was slightly shaking on the floor and fluttering his eyelids. I believe he was having a seizure. He got up no more than 30 seconds later and acting like nothing was wrong. Seconds later everyone in line heard that same crashing sound of him falling on the credit card swiper. This time me and another man ran to him and locked our arms underneath and carried him to bench. I yelled out, "Someone please call 9-1-1!".

I watched the guys breathing and made sure he wasn't going to fall off the bench we laid him on. Soon I was on the phone with 9-1-1 talking him through some cognition tests. Within in maybe 3 minutes EMS was on the scene. I left him in much more capable hands.

The story ends there. I don't know what happened to the man, but hope maybe I can find out some day. I prayed for him while he sat on that Walmart bench. I really hope everything turned out fine.

I believe that God wanted me in that line. I was one of two men anywhere near close enough to help this guy in time. Could God have used someone else in Walmart? Sure, but because I was obedient to his voice I was able to make a difference in this guys life.

If we would learn to be immediately obedient to God we would be able to impact, help, and support people whom God has called us to.

Rick Santorum, Iowa, and Underdogs Like Me

2012-01-04T11:45:00.000-05:00

Rick Santorum Potential Republican Nominee

Some people love the political process but it makes many sick. Most people, I think, just put up with it. When the time comes to vote they'll step in that booth, get their button pushing finger limbered up, and push away. Many of them voting for candidates that they know nothing about. I'm an active news reader and talk radio listener. I try to discern who it is I'll vote for by how closely they line up with my beliefs.

Last night, January 3, 2012, Iowa had their caucus. Mitt Romney won by eight votes. He edged out ~~Ron Paul~~ ~~Newt Ginrich~~ Rick Santorum but just barely. Who in the world is Rick Santorum? I remember seeing him on the stage at debates. He would barely get a chance to speak. He was a true underdog who surged at the right time. Almost every other Republican potential nominee has had a huge surge in the poles, but none of them were at the right time except Rick Santorum. One could say he is the Tim Tebow of the republican potential nominees.

There is a long road ahead, and we really don't know who will be the nominee for Republicans. At this point anything can still happen. What we should pay attention to is the narrative of the underdog.

Me and you are underdogs in a race that we're not capable of winning. We can try hard and show promise. We struggle and preserver, but we're underdogs that will never come back in the fourth quarter. One of my favorite songs of all time by one of my favorite bands is a song call Underdog by Audio Adrenaline.

I'm in this race to win a prize

The odds against me

The world has plans for my demise

What they don't see

Is that a winner is not judged by his small size

But by the substitute he picks to run the race

And mine's already won

The race of life has already been won. Jesus Christ took death and crushed it under His heel. Jesus picked us to be on His team, but we have to say yes if we're going to win. Christ takes an underdog like me and gives me victory.

Dueteronomy 20:3-4 says, ...In a few minutes you're going to do battle with your enemies. Don't waver in resolve. Don't fear. Don't hesitate. Don't panic. God, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies, fighting to win.

Really it's unfair. If Christ is your leader and forgiver you've won no matter what happens. That means that when time runs out you'll come out the winner because you have more than a cheerleader. You have a teammate.

Doing Excellence, Pleasing God, and Winning those Far From God

2011-12-15T16:01:00.002-05:00

Firstly, I want to remind everyone about Oceanside's Christmas Offering this Sunday December 25, 2011. It is a great opportunity for you to give and support the work of God all over the world. You can check out this week's EMAIL about where your money goes when you give to the Christmas offering, and if you'd like a detailed explanation of it click HERE. And if you can't join us on Sunday morning you can give online at this LINK. Thank you and Merry Christmas, I will now get into this week's regular blogpost.

I want to start off this post by saying I'm not a Steven Furtick hater at all. I love the guy as a brother in Christ and a fellow pastor. We're both South Carolina Low Country boys, and I loved every chapter of his book Sun Stand Still. But just because I really like him doesn't mean I have to agree with everything he says.

This week he wrote a post on excellence in the church. Read the entire post here. As an example he said that our competition for Christmas decor isn't other churches but the shopping mall. I completely agree with the former but not so much with the latter. His rationale is that people far from God don't know what other churches have up for Christmas decorations, but they do know how the mall is decorated. He goes on to say that if we're going to win them to Christ we have to have better decorations than the mall.

Who am I to argue? The dude has thousands on a weekend and me, well, on a good one 70. But something about his statements fundamentally ring false.

1. People far from God are looking for truth not great Christmas decorations. Otherwise why would they even be entering the doors of a church? A friend invited them? Probably, but in my experience they don't say yes until they're ready for a little truth.

2. Few churches have the money to compete with the malls. Are we all useless? Our church struggles many weeks just to meet the basic needs of our ministries.

3. People far from God aren't going to stay because of the decorations, but they will stay because of the relationships. Two relationships are extremely important: 1) the one they have with Christ and 2) the ones they have with other people.

Lastly, musically no church will ever be able to compete with the stage show of Maroon 5 or The Killers. Church videography will never come close to the quality of CBS, and no small group experience will ever equal the directorial genius of Chris Nolan.

My philosophy is it's "Good enough." Whatever we do we should strive to make it good enough for God. If you've finished a project, look at it, and with your God given resources ask: is that good enough for the God of the universe? I don't care if it's good enough for people far from God. Their expectations are mortal and fleeting. Do your absolute best and then do it a little better. Our competition isn't the shopping mall. We compete for God's pleasure.

How Twitter Taught Me To Wait On God.

2011-12-06T14:38:00.001-05:00

Fail Whale.

I've been using twitter for years, but one unfortunate day I woke up and tried to read my tweets like I had many times before. They weren't there. I jumped up out of bed to figure out what was going on. I wanted to know which child of mine had deleted everything. All replies came back, "No one has touched your twitter." I immediately ran, to my computer threw open the lid, pounded in, "twitter.com" to see I'd been BANNED!

Me, banned from twitter? I don't do anything to get banned. There are really 2 broken rules that will get a person banned from twitter: Spamming and distributing Porn. I was NO WHERE near those two things. I couldn't understand why I was banned.

I quickly shot out an email to twitter trying to get the problem resolved. I got no word back. One day, two days, three days, one week, two weeks, nothing.

So this morning I jumped out of bed with a new vigor in my bones to start a brand new twitter account. I get registered, and click away at the follow button as I try to emulate my last twitter. The thought even goes through my mind that I can make this one better. Hours pass, problems creep in, phones won't sync, websites crash, and I'm left irritated and without a completely useful twitter account.

After 5 hours of on and off tinkering I give up, and convince myself to pick this up another day. Within seconds (No exaggeration) of giving up I received an email from Twitter telling me my account was back up and that they were sorry for the mistake. They even said that they didn't know why I was banned.

I found this whole adventure to be a microcosm of life. We start pushing and struggling. We try to make things happen. We worry. We work to an end, but we don't get much of anywhere. Then all of a sudden out of no where our problem is solved, or our situation is changed. If I just would have waited until 2PM on December 6, 2011 I wouldn't have waisted the entire morning. But I couldn't.

Many times God wants us to wait on Him. He's going to come through in a big way, but we have to wait for it. We get impatient and pull an Abraham and Hagar stunt (Read more about that here). If we would trust God to do what He said He was going to do it would save us a lot of time and pain.

Psalm 27:13 Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.
Lamentations 3:26 It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the Lord.
Isaiah 33:2 Lord, be gracious to us! We wait for You. Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble.
Psalm 37:7 Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him
Lamentations 3:25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.
Micah 7:7 But I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
Psalm 25:5 Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long.

We have to learn to be patient, because God is going to come through in a BIG way. And that is what Twitter taught me today.

Keep Christ in Christmas!!! POW!

2011-11-29T15:18:00.001-05:00

Every year people make a big deal out of whether certain stores use the word, "Christmas" in their advertising. Stores that use Christmas want everyone to know. They display it for the world to see. But then the other stores, well, you'd hardly know there was a special day once a year at the end of December. For them it has become winter holiday.

I'm not really the boycotting type, but seriously, I'm buying these gifts for Christmas and if your store doesn't recognize the holiday I'm certainly not going out of my way to support it. And why would I? My family celebrates Christmas and not winter. I don't even really like winter... I'm never dreaming of a white Christmas.

Just this week I read a post on Facebook which caught me off guard. At first I was outraged... but then I started thinking about it a little more. What do you think?

It's true we can't make anyone celebrate our Savior's birth. When I celebrate my wedding anniversary I don't force others to celebrate it with me and shun them if they don't. It's their choice if they want to be happy for me and my wife. And the truth is, it's everyones choice to keep Christ in Christmas. If they just want to have ~~Christ~~mas or winter holiday that is there loss.

That being said, I'm determined to celebrate Christ this Christmas. I'm making a strong personal effort to keep Him as the number one reason for the day. Which is exactly why I like this status update. I think if people saw Christians keep Jesus the real reason for the season they would want to embrace Christ.

Christians do ourselves a disservice when we stand for things but have inconsistant stances. Christians scream "Sanctity of marriage", but we have an insanely high divorce rate. We press sexual purity and feed our addiction of pornography at home. We yell, "keep Christ in Christmas", but beat the snot out of people to get a Nintendo Wii on Black Friday. Before we start focusing on the spec in everyone else's eye let's focus on the log in our own.

Christians say Christmas isn't about the gifts, but we don't mean it. Allie and I have decided to do Christmas a little different this year. Maybe it's something that you'd be interested in. We're going to invest in world missions through our Church's yearly Christmas offering and Samaritans purse. A large portion of the money we usually spend on Christmas gifts is going to go to feeding the hungry, sharing the gospel, freeing slaves, and providing water. Jesus was/is serious about helping those in need. Get a refresher course in Matthew 25:34-46.

I'm not against gifts at Christmas at all. So, don't misunderstand me. We're still giving toys to the kids and giving each other gifts, but we're cutting down on all the extra filler junk and knocking it down to the gifts we really want.

How are you keeping Christ in your Christmas?

10 Steps to Cook the Best Thanksgiving Turkey Ever

2011-11-23T11:53:00.001-05:00

I like good turkey and I don't like bad turkey. I'm sure you feel the same way. Instead of a deep heavy post this Thanksgiving I'm going to tell you how to cook a REALLY killer turkey.

I'm passing this on to you with a couple of provisos I'd like you to understand. 1) My wife cooks the turkeys. She is Italian and a very skilled homemade cook. I'm blessed. I'm sure she was meant to marry a fatter guy who would take advantage of her cooking more, but she got me... 2) I believe what has come to be known as Allie's recipe is actually inspired from cooking scientist Alton Brown.

Before you follow any of these steps thaw the turkey thoroughly.

Cook the turkey for the lowest hours suggested for your its weight.
Take all the stuff out of the turkey, including the neck and do whatever you want with it.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Drown turkey in your cooking oil of choice (Olive, corn, etc.). Even put the oil inside the turkey.
Liberally sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the turkey.
Take sticks of margarine and flatten them with your hands. Blanket the butter over the turkey (Especially the breasts). Make sure to stick some on the legs too.
Place it in the preheated oven.
About 1/2 way through cooking the turkey loosely cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil, making sure to tuck the aluminum foil under the sides the turkey.
Let it cook the rest of the time needed.
Take it out of the oven and let sit uncut for 30 minutes. CUT IT RIGHT BEFORE SERVING so that it is still moist when you eat it.

There you have it. That is my wife's turkey and it's marvelous. In the comments tell me what you thought after cooking the turkey. Also, if you have any questions leave those there too. I'll ask my wife and try to get back to you quickly.

7 Ways To Keep Oceanside's Momentum

2011-11-16T11:32:00.001-05:00

The problem with momentum is the more of it you need the harder it is to get going. A 4 ton rock might have a huge amount of momentum while rolling down hill, but getting that rock rolling is very difficult. A 5 pound stone would be much easier to push down a hill, but it would also be far easier to stop.

Oceanside has struggled with momentum throughout our 9 year history. Buildings, health, finances, and confusion of Oceanside's vision and mission have all built huge walls that many times have taken years to breakthrough and overcome.

Once again Oceanside has a little momentum on our side. We've picked up some steam! People are getting their lives changed and we've seen real growth in our worship services. Events like Scaremare have given us little nudges to get us rolling. The question is, how do we keep this momentum? Here are 7 ways that I thought of today.

1. Provide The Finances Needed For Growth.
I wish everything was free, but few things are. If we're going to continue to grow and keep this momentum we're going to have to trust God and do some sacrificial giving. One of Oceanside's biggest barriers is money. Matthew 6:19-21

2. Stay On Board With The Mission.
Far too often people get confused about the mission of Oceanside. We're not left here on Earth to just build cool buildings and hang out together. We're here to build relationships and make disciples. Oceanside needs to be out there making friends and making disciples. That's our mission. Matthew 28:19

3. Love Each Other.
Dissension in the church can ruin momentum faster than you can blink. The sad part is, most of the time church arguments aren't about things that matter. Stay on task, love each other, and take care of each other. Hebrews 10:24-25

4. It's Not About You (Or me).
We often get way too caught up in ourselves. We think the church needs to meet our needs. But if Oceanside is going to continue to grow you're going to have to stop worrying about your comfort and start thinking about the greater mission of Christ's church. Sometimes we forget that we're not people who work and go to church on the weekends. We're the church and we work. Church isn't something we do it's something that we are. Colossians 1:16

I saw this tweet and had to share it with you.

5. Stay In Church.
It is most important that you are THE Church at your job, in your classroom, with your friends, and at home. But don't quit coming to church and small group. Sometimes that means getting up on Sunday is going to be really tough, and staying out late on Saturday might be a little too much. But the fact is your spirit needs the energy is received when Christ's Church meets together. Hebrews 10:25

6. Stay in God's Word and Take Care of Your Spiritual Health.
The temptation is going to be to let that time alone with God slip. DON'T YOU DO IT! In this time of momentum if you're going to participate and get involved where God's at work you'll have to stay in the Bible. You'll have to have deep prayer times with God. You'll have to be on your spiritual guard against Satan. Otherwise this whole thing will fall apart. Proverbs 4:23

7. Forget About Normal.
God doesn't need our normal. There was nothing normal about Jesus. If you're about a church being normal then you are at the wrong church. We're about changing our world, and a lot of times that means we're going to do some strange things. You might have to get on board with some weird things. Like what if we started meeting in a tent for church. Yeah, that would be weird, but it might just be exactly what we need to do. Learn to accept WEIRD and reject NORMAL. Matthew 7:13

There you have it! That's what I came up with. Are there any other ways you can think of to keep our momentum?

Scaremare 2011 by the Numbers (A Postmortem, If You Will)

2011-11-04T14:01:00.001-04:00

Only a few of the volunteer group

What a week! Scaremare was amazing. Just take a look at the numbers.

2 Workers Made Life Changing Decisions
2 Baptisms Scheduled for November
3 Nights
6.5 Was the Average Group Size (WHO IS THAT HALF PERSON!?)
6 Hours Touring
8 Salvations
15 Tours
35 Volunteers
91 Non-Oceansiders Toured Through Scaremare
500 Man-hours in Preparation

Numbers matter because people matter. Numbers are individuals. By the numbers this is one of the most successful events Oceanside Church has ever done. We were able to share the Gospel with more lost people in those three nights than we have probably been able to do for the rest of the year. Of those 91 people toured MANY of them did not know Christ.

Painting the Checkerboard Hallway

One of the most powerful parts of the whole experience was the camaraderie between all the volunteers. From set up to tear down everyone spent well over a week together. New friendships were sparked, inside jokes were made, and Christ was spoken into the lives of many workers who had abandoned Him long ago.

Emmie Gluing Newspaper to the Wall For Our Goose Bump Inducing Serial Killer Room

Truly, some of the greatest life change happened in the lives of those who worked in Scaremare. Every night we shared the gospel with ever person who volunteered. They listened and participated. Some made huge decisions, and all left closer to Christ than they came through our doors. That is success.

All these things can happen because of your support of time, prayer, and money. It would not be possible without your audacious vision for this little church in the middle of Mount Pleasant.

Halloween, isn't that the Devil's Holiday?

2011-10-12T11:22:00.002-04:00

Maybe the question has come up, why Halloween? You may think that it's the devil's holiday. And it you'd be pretty close to right. That is exactly why we're using it. We'll kick him right in the face on his own day!

Truth be told, Oceanside hasn't always been successful when having events. Halloween, on the other hand, has been very effective for Oceanside. That is the one day where people actually come out of their homes and talk to us! I wanted to strongly encourage you to get involved. It's going to be unbelievable and I'd hate for you to miss out. Make the sacrifices needed to work October 28, 29, 30, and 31.

People Come out for food and candy...

Trunk 'r Treat: in the past Trunk 'r Treat has been great for us. People in our community have come to recognize Oceanside as a safe, fun, and friendly Halloween destination. Where else can you get piles of candy by walking a total of 50 yards? Last year we had over 100 people visit. Every year it has grown, and hopefully it will be bigger this year. The more people the more come the influence we have.

We need:

People to sign up to man decorated trunks.
Have some small game and some candy.
Workers to walk around, talk, and council people.

"Funeral In My Brain" by Emily Dickinson for the Scaremare preview by Gradearawk

This is a preview of some of the creepy audio that will be in the intro video for Scaremare

Scaremare: because of our yearly success on Halloween we're expanding our influence through our scare house. You can read all about it here. Check out our website for more in-depth information about why and how we'll do it. Also, go like our Facebook page.

We need:

Actors
Builders
Make-up Artists
Costumers
Decorators
Counselors (for people who accept Christ)
Crowd control

I really think these two things put together could be huge. Don't miss this opportunity to make a massive and meaningful impact on our community.

I'm Tired of Being a Good Father

2011-10-04T17:15:00.001-04:00

Good enough. I bet any dad who reads this wishes to be a good father. The good enough policy is, well, good enough in a lot of life's areas, but fatherhood is not one of them.

I'll confess I strive to be a great father. I fail far too often. Sometimes I come home and I want my alone time. I veg on my ipad or watch my show on TV. I've worked hard that day and I deserve it... so I think.

I'm always hearing older fathers tell me that, "They'll be grown and out of the house before you know it." I usually smile and nod politely dismissing their wise words. But they are too right.

If a Dad spends an average 6.5 hours with their children every ~~day~~ week, as research shows, that means in a year they will spend 338 hours with their kids. That comes out to a grand total of 2 weeks out of the year with their kids. During the first 18 years of a child's life the father will spend 254 total days with their kids... That's not even 1 whole year before they leave the house. Wow, that sucks. No wonder they're gone before we know it. On average we don't spend a whole year with our kids before they're gone. [Compare that to almost 3 years will be spent with our TV during that same 18 years period, ouch.]

Courageous Movie Trailer

As fathers it is time we start to bump that number WAY up. Come on guys let's at least get an hour a day in (And much more). The time we have to invest in our children is extremely valuable and apparently quite rare. Don't go home a ignore the kids. Go home and invest. The difference that we can make as a father is incredible.

Here is your homework- Go see Courageous in theaters. Get a baby sitter for the kids (This time away from them will be well worth it) and you and the wife go out and see this movie. It might give you a swift punch to the stomach, but sometimes we need that. You'll cry, you'll laugh, and you'll leave changed.

Christianity is For Those Willing to Die

2011-09-28T11:21:00.002-04:00

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani and his son

Do you have what it takes? How far are you willing to go? Are you willing to act in a way that people are going to think you're out of your mind? I've heard it said that the safest place to be is in the center of God's will. I understand what people are getting at when they say that, but I think many people who hear that misunderstand. Being in God's will is not safe for the temporary. It is only safe for the eternal.

There is a man in Iran who is scheduled to be executed at any time. Today he will be asked for the third time to deny his faith. He won't do it. And because of that Iran will be able to execute him. The execution may happen today. If I told you he was a, "Christian terrorist" you may understand his execution. But he's not. The only crime Yousef Nadarkhani is guilty of is changing his faith from Islam to Christianity. Please pray for Rev. Yousef, his family, and the congregation to whom he is pastor.

Is Pastor Yousef in God's will? Yes. Then why is he being executed? Because being in God's will is not safe in this life. Asking Jesus to be the leader and forgiver of your life only gives you safety in eternity.

Please write a letter to the Iranian embassy here and plead with them to not execute Pastor Yousef.

In Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were set to be thrown into a blazing furnace. But before they were thrown in they looked the king in the eye and said these words,

If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."

In other words, we trust our God and no matter if we aren't saved from the furnace He is still God. Standing in the middle of God's will can be a dangerous place. But it is the perfect place to be. You will never be more complete than when you are exactly where God wants you.

Our new series Sun Stand Still has been invaluable to me. The only other study that has impacted how I view finding and following the will of God would be a study called Experiencing God. I encourage you to read Sun Stand Still, digest it, and act on it. Following God isn't always safe, but it's good. Are you willing to give it all? Buy the Book Here

We All Have Heart Disease. Your Mouth Proves it.

2011-09-20T15:43:00.004-04:00

I have heart disease. Not the kind you're probably thinking of. You see, it's not physical (Sometimes I wish it was physical). I'm talking about the part of me that loves, hates, lusts, desires, and completely loses it. The most inner me.

It's like the fat guy with heart problems that goes to the doctor. The doc tells him that if he'll start eating right and exercising they can head off a heart attack. Then the fat guy says he needs all that really tasty food to support his body and he can't exercise because it makes him tired. You see, he's fat, and if the doctor can fix his heart then he'd want to eat better and actually have the energy to exercise. Then the doctor interrupts and explains that he needs to change his actions in order to fix his heart. That's how we will fix our hearts. There is no magical prayer or button that will fix our hearts. It takes effort and exercise.

All of us have heart problems. If you don't believe me, have you ever said something you regretted later? Something that just came out of your mouth? You may apologized and said, "Oh that's not me, I don't know where that came from." The truth is that is the most real you people will ever see. Jesus knew where those words come from. They come out of our hearts.

In Matthew 15 Jesus says, What comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man. The words that come out of our mouths come straight from our hearts. Filthy mouth = filthy heart. It's not a real difficult equation. People can get a glimpse of what is in our hearts by what comes out of our mouths.

Then Jesus tells us in the next verse For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.

I bet you thought your heart just pumped blood. Oh no, it does WAAAY more than that. The equation gets a little more inclusive: Filthy actions = filthy heart. What is wrong with us comes down to a problem with our hearts. Our hearts are dirty, but how do they get that way?

We fill them with dirty things. The wrong friends, the wrong jokes, the wrong TV, the wrong movies, the wrong video games, the wrong conversations, the wrong websites, the wrong... You get the picture. We didn't get where we are on accident. We're not going to get out of where we are without intentionally making choices that will clean up our hearts.

We get over hatred by loving people. We get beyond greed by giving. We stop lying by telling the truth. We have victory over sexual impurity by practicing purity in every area of our lives. There is no magic button that will fix your heart and change all those things. You have to change those things to fix your heart. It takes purposeful actions to start cleaning our diseased hearts out. We didn't get in this hole on accident, we'll never get out by magic.

When we start to change what we put into our hearts what comes out of it will surprise us, but in a good way. Solomon tells us in Proverbs 4:23 to Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. Do whatever it takes to make and keep your heart pure. That's going to take some tough decisions, but they are choices that need to be made.

I had to share this message to you. Most of what I said above was not original to me. If you would like to hear more you can check out Andy Stanley's sermon It Came From Within Part 1 It's a powerful message.

In Closing...

Saturday Night Service: We had an amazing time this past Saturday. We worshiped the Lord, drank, coffee, and tweeted. Way hipster. There was even a beret in the crowd. KEEP INVITING PEOPLE
Sacremare: We're getting close so we're going to have to double our efforts to get this thing together. I think it could really impact the community. FOR REALZ we're having a meeting after church this Saturday and Sunday.
Twitter: Start following us on twitter @OceansideChurch. Start using our hashtags #OCnite #OCday and #OCprayer. Get the word out!

Do You Need A Victory?

2011-09-14T11:29:00.000-04:00

Baptism on Sunday

Sometimes victory can seem like something out of reach. Have you ever been in the middle of a project and you couldn't see how you were going to finish it before the deadline? Then, to your surprise, you got it done. It took late nights, perseverance, time management, and insane hours. But you had that victory moment!

In college I remember looking at my syllabus's thinking, "There is no way we're going to cover all this." Some how we would. I would get all the projects done and all the exams passed. One class, specifically, was the bain of my existence. Anatomy. I had to memorize, what seemed like, every piece of the human body. Thousands. Of. Parts. With the help of my wonderful wife I passed by one point. That was a huge moment of victory for me.

Sunday September 11, 2011 was another one of those days. I had the privilege to baptize one of the students we had been working with at Reality for several months. It was so mind blowing to see God work in a person's life and actually change them. I could tell she was growing because she started making the right, but often more difficult, choices.

Those kind of victories are why we do the things we do at Oceanside. Why are we starting a new Saturday night service? To be able to have a hip service for cool people. No. We're doing it to reach a type of person that may not be reached any other way. Why do we offer movie tickets to guests who come to Reality? So they can see a movie. No. So that when we have 37 students at Reality because they want movie tickets and hopefully a few stay and we can actually make a difference that will last for eternity.

I think I used my life verse last week, but I love it so much, I'm going to use it again. Deal with it. Brothers and sisters, I can’t consider myself a winner yet. This is what I do: I don’t look back, I lengthen my stride, and I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Look at you life and figure out what you consider victory. Would God put your victory in His win column? If not, examine how you can change that and get victory for God. The rest of this week serve God and run as hard as you can, lengthening your stride so that can pass the finish line proudly. Enjoy the victories and learn from your defeats.

In Closing...

Saturday Night Beta Service starts this Saturday at 8PM. Please come enjoy and hang out with us. Gourmet coffee, a great message on the power of God in our lives, and killer worship.

Oceanside's Youth Group Needs Some Help

2011-09-08T13:46:00.000-04:00

The Students on this board are the ones you need to pray for.

Yesterday was Reality Youth's big back to school push. We call it Back to Cool. I know it's a way dorky name, but that is kind of the point. It was the most successful Back to Cool party we've ever had. We fit 37 students and workers in our little building. Praise God!

Playing an Icebreaker Game...

So, you may ask, how did we get them their? We lured them in with money and movie tickets. Before you freak out it is a Biblical model. Luke 14 tells us to, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. The understanding of, "Compel"is by any legal means. The Message says it this way, Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! In other words do whatever you can legally do to get them under the preaching of the Gospel. That is what we did.

Playing More Games...

With the help of some great volunteer staff we pulled off games, food, and a gospel presentation where almost half the students raised their hands for salvation. We had all kinds of students at church: profest atheists, Christians, nominal-Christians, non-believers, and students with lots of needs. I'm so proud of our students!

Here is the Problem:
I told the students that I would give the one who brought the most friends a $50 gift card to Town Centre. I honored that and had that ready to go. I also said I would give all the friends of the winning student a free movie pass. The winning student brought 11 friends! I was only prepared for at most 5.

We Need Your Help:
We need 6 people to give $10 to help cover the costs of the tickets we didn't have the money for.

You can send your gifts through the mail to (Please get it in before next Wednesday):
1728 Rifle Range Rd.
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

or give online at this link ONLINE GIVING. Please, memo it for the Youth Group. Thank you for your help. When you give you're impacting the lives of students who may never hear the gospel any other way.

I've Tabled Sanctification or Cool Story Bro

2011-09-07T12:08:00.002-04:00

Practicing Sanctification...

Sanctification... It's a cool word. If you're alone right now (or even if you're not), say it out loud. It's fun to say. It's not always fun to experience and do.

Some of you may ask, "What is sanctification?" I'll explain it with a story and then a verse...

Thursday and Friday Pastor Trey and I were putting together some new tables for our hip Saturday night service. The tables were circular and it was important to find the relative center. After a quick search on Youtube we found an easy way to do that and we started putting the legs on the tables.

The first table we put together was a little sloppy. We were almost an inch off of center. It's nothing life altering, but it wasn't as sturdy as we wanted. So on table two we figured out what we did wrong and reduced our error to one-quarter of an inch. We were getting better. On the third table we were determined to make it our best yet. So, we measured ~~twice~~ three times and drilled once. It was even better. We were only less than a sixteenth of an inch off. We got better over time.

1 John 3:2-3 explains sanctification this way, Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure. [Emphasis is mine.] Sanctification is becoming more like Christ tomorrow than you were today. It's the process of reaching perfection over time. Becoming like Christ.

Drinking coffee on one of our tables.

If we would have had a one more table and a square I really think we could have hit dead center. It took time and practice.

Our Christian life is similar. When we first become followers of Christ all of our sins are forgiven, but that doesn't mean we just stop doing sin. The goal is to become more like Christ every day. As Philippians 4:12-13 says, Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus. It's a process that we have to push forward through. Today focus on being a better person than you were yesterday, repeat tomorrow.

On The Other Hand...

Oceanside Saturday Night starts on September 17 at 8PM. It'll be our beta service so we might be a little sloppy. But if you're ok with that join us! We're aiming for gourmet coffee, loud music, and digital integration (So it might not be for everyone).
Sun Stand Still I've just started reading the book for the new series we're doing. Amazing! You'll be blown away. The series truly kicks off September 17 and 18. Start saving a few bucks to buy this book. It's one of those books you'll want to have around for a long time.
Scaremare keep thinking about your rooms. We're going to have another meeting this Sunday (Sept. 11).

Using Halloween to Scare The "Hell" Out of People

2011-08-31T11:01:00.001-04:00

Why are clowns so scary??

Have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching [them] from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Jude 1:22-23

I'm not cursing... if you're freaking out, calm down. I really just wanted you to click on the post. It worked! Thanks for the click. There is a point to my rather crass title.

Need a laugh? Here is a great montage of people being scared.

God has called us to reach out to those who are destined for eternal separation from God, and as Jude states, the fires of Hell. Hell isn't something people really like to hear about. Because of that in our culture many preachers don't like to preach about it or even say the word. Hell has to be preached about. If we don't warn people about it who will? No one.

Oceanside's main goal is to reach out to the lost. We desire for people to come to know Christ as their leader and forgiver. We work in all kinds of ways to help people make that decision: Block parties, Sunday services, small groups, podcasts, and street preaching (to name a few). This Halloween we're extending our reach and hosting, what many people might call, a haunted house.

Haunted really isn't the best term. It won't be full of ghosts, witches, or anything like that. But it will be a house filled with death. Death that is caused by sin. Suicide, drugs, prostitution, and serial killings are just a few of the themes.

So, what is the point? We're trying to remind people that this life will end, and we'll ask them if they're ready. The point of our, "Haunted house", for lack of a better term, will be to scare the Hell out of them and fill them with Christ. We're looking for people to be a part.

So how can you use this awesome opportunity to reach people for Christ? Well, I'm glad you asked.

We need:
Actors, Makeup artist, costumers, builders, crowd control, and counselors. It will be an awesome event for you to help at, please join in.

7.5 Steps to Starting a New Ministry in Your Church

2011-08-24T11:58:00.000-04:00

If there is one thing I've found over my few years as a fulltime pastor it's that there are a lot of people who want to start up their own ministry. Everyone has their passions and knows the ministry they wish their church had. So I'm going to give you a few suggestions to starting up a new ministry in a church. Be aware this list may not be comprehensive and is more or less a general guideline to getting one started.

STEP 1: Find a church that fits you. Not every church is for everyone. And most of that comes down to worship style preference. I also encourage you to do research into the church and make sure they are Bible believing and that your beliefs match up with theirs. It would be a terrible thing to start up a ministry and find out you can't stay at a church because of their beliefs. So be sure this is a church you are willing to stay at for years. And just a note- if that church's vision and mission matches up with what God has called you to, but their music isn't your preference... just put up with it and listen to your favorite style in the car on the way to church. Matching up with beliefs, vision, and mission is far more important than the style of music a church plays.

STEP 2: Join that church! Some people call it becoming an owner, and others call it being a member. Whatever it is called let the people know you have a serious commitment to that church and their vision.

STEP 3: Get involved in a ministry. You need to find a place to serve. And I encourage you to serve in that ministry for at least a year before even considering starting up a new ministry. Serving helps you with a couple of things. 1) You'll get to know other ministers in the church. 2) It will orient you to a church's mission and vision. You'll be able to see more clearly what the church's goals are and who they are trying to reach. It would be a bad idea to start up a ministry without knowing those things.

STEP 4: Look where God is at work in your church. Ask these types of questions:

What type of person is being reached by my church? If your church is reaching a lot of singles and young marrieds, but has no seniors, you probably don't want to start up a monthly breakfast for the elderly (unless of course you see a need where there are seniors who don't have an outlet, then you would have a great ministry opportunity.)
Does this ministry fit in with the strategy of my Church?
What are the church's strengths and how can I use those to help me?

STEP 4.5: Talk With Your Pastor about the ministry... You'll have a lot more respect from him if you're an actively serving and consistently attending member that he knows he can trust. And with his blessing and support move on to step 5.

STEP 5: Partner with people and get them excited about your dream. Tell people where you want the ministry to go, who you want it to reach, and how they can be a part of it. People want to know where you're going. They don't want to jump on a ship that has no destination. People will invest time and money into a vision not a fancily named ministry.

STEP 6: Raise your funding. Ministry takes money. Some churches may have the financial means to support whatever ministry you feel God telling you to start, but even so, raising your own funding will help you and your team members take ownership of the ministry. Once the church sees your dedication and success they'll be more willing to throw a few dollars your way. Again, when trying to raise money, be sure to get people invested in the vision of the ministry. You can tell them all day long how much money you need, but connecting those dollars to actual people will get the money flowing.

STEP 7: Pick a start date, advertise, and kick it off!!! You will have worked hard to get here, but you should know the hard work is just beginning, but so are the great rewards. Make sure you are celebrating God's victory in people's lives. If someone becomes a follower of Christ tell people how God is using the ministry! Give God the glory.

A few closing points-

Your ministry will not be the savior of any church, big or small. Jesus saved the church. Your ministry is a tool that God can use.
Your ministry has the potential to make a real difference when you start thinking about other people's needs.
Don't start a ministry that you wish your church had. Start the ministry your church needs.
Ministry is not for the faint of heart. Be prepared for a very rough road of non-attendance and half-heartedness in the beginning, but fight through it! It takes time to grow a great ministry. Having a strong vision for your ministry will help get people's hearts into it and get people to attend and/or support it.

Find Out Why I'm So Happy I Got a $300 ticket! :-D

2011-08-16T16:46:00.000-04:00

Getting Ready to Leave for New York

Sorry I didn't blog last week. I was on a little thing I like to call vacation. I vacated to the metropolis of New York City. What an amazing city with incredible wonders. Time square, Freedom Tower, Toys R Us, and the Statue of Liberty are only some of the amazing sites I was able to see. All those things were great, but I was treated to the real New York experience. I had my car towed.

Me in front of Freedom Tower Which is on the WTC site

I can read. In fact you may say I'm quite good at reading. So when a sign says, "No Parking" I read it and know not to park there. But when a sign says, "No Standing" I figure it means not to stand there. HA! Was I wrong.

That is exactly what the sign said...

What I found was No Standing is actually a more severe warning than No Parking. It basically means that no body, car, or thing can be standing still in this area at anytime or it will be towed and ticketed. I parked my car in a No Standing zone at 10:45 PM and it was towed by 12:15 AM, barely an hour later. It was an expensive lesson that cost me an entire day of my vacation and $300. I'll never park in a No Standing zone EVER again. And I'll never forget the experience.

I was reminded in all this that even in the most annoying situations I should stay joyful. James explains it to us this way, Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

This is another Biblical paradox. We are supposed to be happy when times are most sad. We rejoice in the trials of life not because it's fun, but because God is making us into the people He wants us to be. After we face a trial, if we react to it the right way by counting it all joy, we are closer to that final product that God wants us to be.

So what difficulty are you going through right now (If you're not going through anything yet, hang on, it's coming)? Stare it down and tell it that it's not going to get the best of you. Because you understand this challenge is only making you stronger and more like Christ. What an amazing thing it is when we can take the terrible events of our life, as minor or major as they might be, and put it in the joy column because we know God has it under control.

In Closing:
Halloween Scare House: As Halloween jets towards us we are working hard at getting our scary house together. We need help, your help. We need people to help build sets, props, sue costumes, and paint makeup. There will be another interest meeting this Sunday morning after church.

Oceanside Saturday Night: We have a mission at Oceanside to reach every man, woman, and child in our 2 mile radius. So in order to reach a new demographic we're going to start a Saturday night service. It will be very similar to the Sunday morning service except more technology driven (Twitter, Four-Square, Facebook, and so much more). We think it will appeal to a those who have challenging schedules, like to sleep, single, young & married, or all the above. Beta Service September 17th 8PM.

You and Captain America Were Made For More Than This

2011-08-02T16:02:00.000-04:00

Captain America

This past week was my birthday and I want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes. It was great and now that I'm 26 I feel so much older. After my party Allie and I escaped to the movie theater to watch the all new Captain America movie. We were on the edge of our seats the entire time. Explosions, excitement, and even emotion (something not too often seen in summer blockbusters) had us captured for the entire hour and a half.

Most of the movie takes place during World War II. It follows a very slight man named Steve Rogers who gets turned into a super soldier to fight for the U.S. Army. This scrawny man with a huge heart turns into a beast of a man with a huge heart that can out run a car and pickup a motorcycle. It's pretty fantastic.

Steve in the USO

Steve Rogers wants to fight on the front lines. Steve wants to serve his country. He wants to be a real hero. But the Army sees him as an experiment that needs to stay in a lab and be tested, and the politicians see him as a way to sell war bonds and build morale. Neither of those things are his dream.

The conversation that changed everything.

Depressed and ready to give up a woman sits down and talks to Steve. She tells him that he is made for more than just the USO. He is made to fight for his country. That sparks a flame in Steve's head. He puts on a helmet, his leather jacket, and uses his USO shield to storm a Nazi base. Single handedly he rescues 400 men. The Army realizes that he is more than an experiment and the politicians realize he is more than a showman. He is Captain America.

Captain America suited up.

This set off a spark in my mind too. We were made for more than the mundane life. We were made for more than just 70+ years and then dead. We were made for eternal life and made to lead others into that eternal life. That pang you get in your heart that says, "This can't be all there is" has been designed by God. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart. Yes, you were made for more than this. God made you for Heaven.

It's when we start living and thinking about our ultimate goal, Heaven, that we start living differently. Suffering for Christ on Earth isn't just something we put up with anymore, it becomes a joy. We don't make more money for the sake of getting more stuff. We make more money to give it away. We don't schedule our day for our own good, but we schedule our day for God's good. The list of things that change could go on. Paul says in Philippians 3:7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Everything changes when Christ enters the pictures.

Let me encourage you this week. Stop living like this is all there is. You were made for more than the mundane you were made for the extraordinary! God hasn't saved you so you could attend Oceanside on a Sunday morning. He saved you so you could serve Him and he would reward you greater than you can even imagine in Heaven. Take charge, break into satan's strong hold, and make him sweat! Satan hates it when you start living like you have a purpose. #KSITT

Converted Into The Church of the Juicer!!

2011-07-26T16:15:00.002-04:00

Could you wait just a second while I finish my Nutty Buddy Bar? ........

Thanks. Allie and I watched a very interesting documentary last week called Fat, Sick, And Nearly Dead. The documentary followed a guy named Joe who was over weight and quite sick. He had to lose weight. Joe decided, with some help from his doctors, to go on a 60 day juice fast. He drank every kind of fruit/vegetable juice I'd ever seen. All of it was fresh produce and juiced by him. He lost over 100 lbs. and felt better than he had in years. And then he kept the weight off. It was a fascinating documentary.

Joe talking to a tourist

Joe would walk up to people on the street, at gas stations, and even very unhealthy restaurants to discuss a healthy life. People would talk to him while they were huffing down their hotdogs and fried doughnut burgers. It was interesting to watch people get very emotional about the way they eat. Some wanted to change their habits and others didn't.

Finally he met up with a truck driver named Phil that was over 400 lbs. Phil had an auto immune disease that can often be helped by losing weight. Phil wasn't a believer at first but Joe left his phone number with him and told Phil that if he was ever interested in starting this juice fast give him a call. A couple of months later Phil gave him the call.

Joe on the left and Phil on the right.

Phil started the fast, and a camera crew followed him as he was shedding the weight. People started to notice Phil was losing weight. Phil, because of the success the juice was having in his life, started to tell people about it. He eventually started a, "Juicing church" (My term not theirs). It was a group of people who came together weekly to support each other. They would give, "Testimonies" (My term not theirs) about how the juice fast was helping them. Phil would end off the meetings by giving his testimony and showing how many bowling balls he had lost. It was inspirational.

Then, it hit me like a 400 pound fat man. Phil was able to tell his friends about juicing and get them excited enough to join him weekly. He didn't have a five step plan. He didn't know six different ways to lead someone to juicing. He wasn’t dressed in a tie. He didn't even carry any pamphlets. He just told people about what juicing had done for him. They could look at Phil and see the difference it had made in his life. They saw his genuine concern for their health and saw that he had a solution.

So proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don't ever quit. Just keep it simple.

2 Timothy 4:2

Telling people about Jesus isn't a five step plan, something preachers do, or a special secret method. It's all about talking to them about the difference Christ has made in your life. When they look at you and can see real change. Then they see their need for a savior. Step 1) Start talking to people Step 2) invite them to our weekly meetings. Be real. Be Changed. Be bold.

Ps> It was so inspirational that Allie and I did a five day reboot express juice fast... We fell off the bandwagon on day three. And I can’t help thinking that we may have made it two more days with a little support.

Don't Believe Everything People Say The Bible Says

2011-07-19T13:58:00.000-04:00

Do you want to know what gets on my nerves? When biblically ignorant people make a point using the Bible to invalidate our faith. Do you know what really gets on my nerves? When equally biblically ignorant Christians get stumped by it.

Ok, I'll calm down and try to write a coherent post today. I believe that Christians in America have a huge problem. We don't know our own Holy Book (The Bible). Many Christians are swayed and shut up by
arguments that are not only irrelevant, but often times false. We need to learn to not only deflect these arguments, but crush them as it says in Philetus 1:3*.

Those who doubt the Bible often pull verses out of context and misinterpret passages. Then they use those passages to prove their points. Many of those arguments and questions would be easily squashed or answered with some basic Bible knowledge. For some, studying the Bible may seem beyond your abilities, but let me assure you that it is not. If you can read and write you can study the Bible.

1) Today I can't give you all the answers, but I do want to encourage you with this. Start actually reading and studying the Bible. It will mean a little hard work, but in the end it will be worth your effort. Read, study, and meditate on God's Word. It will not only transform your life, but it will strengthen your faith. When questions are asked and lies are proposed you'll recognize them easily.

2) Research the claims people make. If someone throws a verse in your face don't just believe what they say. Look it up! Many times people don't even know the verses they are referencing and their
ignorance will quickly bubble to the surface if you look up the passage. What about Pastor Trey and myself, should you double check us? Absolutely. Both of us encourage everyone to double check the passages we quote. Make sure we're correctly teaching the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15).

Get into the Bible, build your confidence, and blow your mind! The Bible is a supernatural book. Check out some free Bible study tools at YouVerson.com.

You can check out this video that will lead you through some simple questions to ask when studying the Bible.

Also I encourage you to get a study Bible like this one:

Or try it free online here: MyStudyBible.com

*Philetus isn't a real book... I made it up. I hope you figured that out and didn't just soak it in without question.

In Closing:
Carowinds: We have very limited space, and I have to order the tickets Thursday. The full price of the trip (Carowinds ticket, lunch, and transportation) is $55. Get your money to me this Wednesday.

Haunted House interest meeting July 31: We're looking at doing a Halloween haunted house without all the witches, ghost, etc... Ours will actually be scary. The point would be to show people the reality of their mortality. We would end off the tour with a Gospel presentation. TAKING BACK SATAN'S NIGHT! #KSITT

How Tiny Tower Changed My Life

2011-07-12T16:40:00.000-04:00

Floors 10-23 of my Tiny Tower

Addiction is a problem, and I'm an addict. It's not the normal culprits like drugs, alcohol, or smoking. I'm addicted to a little game called Tiny Tower. You can play Tiny Tower on a number of Apple devices, but if you have an addictive personality you might want to stay away.

It's not much different from a multitude of other simulation games like The Sims, Simcity, Farmville, Fishville, Cityville, Villville (Ok, I made that last one up... I think). In Tiny Tower you are the owner of a sky scraper. This is your tower. Your tower starts off humbly with a lobby and an apartment place. You collect rent from people who move into your apartment. That rent is used to build up your tower with stores like a laundromat (Exciting), a comedy club where you serve up LOLs, and a coffee house. There isn't an end to the game. The tower could stretch as high as a thousand stories if you kept playing. All this sounds really compelling doesn't it? Yeah, I didn't think so either until I started playing.

Say hello to a Bitizen

The tower is inhabited by "Bitizens" who are tiny pixilated people. Each bitizen has a dream job, strengths, and weaknesses. You, as the tower manager place these people in jobs all over your tower. By far the most enjoyable part of the game is placing one of the bitizens in their dream job. When they are placed in their dream job their happy meter reads, and I quote, ":-D". Which makes me happy that they are happy.

This bitizen is happy!

This got me thinking about how God has a big plan for us. He has given us desires, talents, and dreams. He placed those in us before we were even born! In Jeremiah 1:5 God says, "Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you..." He gave us those dreams to glorify Him.

We all have a choice: How will we use what He has given us? It's our selfish desires verses His heavenly desires. When we act selfishly our life will never be fulfilling, death will be scary, and happiness will be out of reach.

God gets joy out of placing us in the jobs where we excel. He wants nothing but the best for everything He owns. Isaiah 43:1 tells us that we are owned by God. "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine." Sometimes life gets tough, but we have to look forward to our future lives in Heaven. There may be temporary suffering, but as James says, this life is just a, "Vapor." (James 4:14)

We should be encouraged in two ways, 1) suffering is temporary and 2) we have to get moving because life is short. It's essential that we grab on to God's plan today! Remember that you are at Oceanside for a reason. God has made you a vital part of this church. Will you choose to get to work where God is moving. God doesn't want you in a job that you hate. He wants you exactly where you fit best.

A closer view

In encourage you to look at your spiritual gifts and your God-given talents. See where God wants you to be. There is a perfect place for you. Now, I have to get back to my tower. The Video Rental Store needs to restock New Arrivals.

A Golden Calf, Really guys? Uhhgg. #ksitt

2011-07-06T16:14:00.001-04:00

The whole crew

Camp was really amazing this year. It was one of the best years that we've ever had. There were 8 salvations and re-dedications. God was at work. Johnathan was great, Pastor Trey brought some practical and challenging messages in the morning, and I had the privilege of speaking at night. I would like to thank everyone who helped make this year's camp possible. If you volunteered, supported, and/or prayed for, thank you.

Our volunteer staff being prayed over and hugged

Camp is never without its challenges. I warned all the students about coming home. I told them that the transition would be difficult. At camp we are surrounded by a wall of protection. Satan has been kicked out and we try to keep distractions as far away as possible. But when we come down off the mountain and back to the real world things get a little tougher. Look at what Moses went through when he came off the mountain after meeting with God (Exodus 32).

Satan will hit us with what we least expect. He'll bring up things in our past that we thought were long gone. He does it because he hates us. We have to fight him with all we have and not fall into the crazy temptations that can destroy us when we come off the mountain top.

The winning team's prize cake

I would like to encourage everyone with this: The decisions that you made at camp, or church, are only empty promises unless you back them up with actions. People will know you are serious when you start acting like you're serious. That means you'll have to make unpopular decisions. You may even have to break off some destructive friendships. Your relationship with Christ is more important than anything else. James 2:26 tells us, The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.

People don't care about our decisions we make at church camp unless we back them up with some serious action. Go out and live for God!! And, just for me, kick satan in the teeth. And every time you do report it to us on Facebook or twitter. Be sure to hash tag it #KSITT.

Christmas Miracles in June

2011-06-22T13:29:00.000-04:00

Painting originally by George Roberts remixed by me.

He has a lot of great paintings to check out here

Christmas only comes once a year for most of us, but for some it comes a few times a year. This is God’s blessing.

Recently I was in a meeting with several other pastors. It was mentioned that God gets a lot of glory out of people without money. I’m in no way poor mouthing, but I don’t think it’s a secret if I say, most pastors don’t earn a lot. Experience has taught me God does get a lot of glory through those without.

When people are in need it gives God the opportunity to provide. Thank the Lord for those whom He has financially blessed! He uses those people to meet the needs of those without. I’ve seen it over and over again in my life.

Wednesday was the deadline for camp money. Many of our students came to me asking for help. Their families didn’t have the ability to pay for camp (either completely or partially). I was crunching numbers, trying to pinch pennies, and figuring out ways for everyone to go to camp. I was not having much success.

Then suddenly my phone vibrated and jingled with a dance tune I often let ring for too long (Man, I love to dance to that tune!). When I picked up the phone, I figured it was another student asking for mercy. On the contrary, a person told me they wanted to sponsor two full scholarships! It was seriously a Christmas miracle in June. That amount put us over the top and allowed everyone to go to camp, even those in need.

Whether you have a lot or not, there is always someone who has less. There is always someone that you can be a miracle to. I encourage you to look for those people. When we have little God gives great.

Philippians 4:19-20
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

In Closing:
1) I thought we had a great week at the Waterworks building! There are some things to get used to, but it was MUCH better than being at the Ministry Center’s sweat box. Great attendance too. Keep inviting.
2) We leave for Camp Fusion this Sunday after church at 2PM. Thank you to all who have helped pay our students ways to camp. You are a blessing to them and me.
3) If there is one thing Oceanside knows how to do it’s eat and throw a party. I’m really excited about the block party we’ll be having at Seagull Apartments on July 17.
4) Vacation Bible School is my second favorite time during the summer (The first being youth camp. I’m a little partial). We’ll be rockin’ and rollin’ this year on July 22-24.

I DOUBT IT!!! What To Do When You Doubt Your Salvation.

2011-06-15T12:59:00.000-04:00

I had the privilege of speaking at Oceanside this past Sunday while Pastor Trey was out. You can head over to his blog to read about his time preaching at Common Ground Church.

This week we took a test. How did you do? I hope you passed. The test was on your salvation. Some people in the church, if you asked them would say, "Oh yeah, no doubt." Others would reply with a simple, "I don't know." And I'm sure some would say, "Nope."

There is no reason to doubt your salvation. Doubt is the absence of knowing. So if you know you're not a Christian you don't doubt. If you know you are a Christian you don't doubt. It's to those in the middle that I'm writing today.

I used to have huge doubts about whether or not I was saved. I struggled with this for years. As I've gotten older I've come to think that I probably was saved from age three on. I really think Satan was trying to beat me down and hurt me. That being said, I finally kicked Satan to the curb by getting straight once and for all. I let go of my pride and again surrendered myself to Christ at age fourteen. As I've read scripture the Lord has brought me to some big conclusions about salvation.

1) God Doesn't Play Games

When we ask Him to save us, and we mean it in our hearts, he is not playing a little game of keep away with us. Jesus cleared that up in Luke 11:11-13, What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish?...how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Salvation isn't about saying the magic words or asking with perfect timing. It's about admitting we're wrong and can't be the leaders of our lives. We screw up. God desires to give us salvation and waits for the day we humbly ask for it. Romans 10:9 tells us, If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

2) Salvation is Forever

It's a common thought that your salvation can be lost. People believe that if we do bad things we'll fall out of favor with God and lose our salvation. This is something that can't be farther from the truth. There is no sin, big or small, that can separate you from God. Once you are saved you ARE saved for eternity. It's as simple as that. 1 John 2:1 tells us that we have an advocate who takes up for us, My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ the Righteous One. If we follow Jesus He is on our side! Jesus has never and will never fail us. The Gospel of John 10:28 tells us, I give them eternal life, and they will never perish-ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. Not even you can snatch yourself out of Jesus' hand.

3) If We're Saved We'll Act Like It

This is the problem. People may incorrectly assume that because Jesus has forgiven all our sins (past, present, and future) we can live however we want. There are far too many people who say they are Christians but don't act like it. Scripture tells us that when the Holy Spirit enters into our lives he changes us from the inside out. The change that happens inside us manifests itself physically by the way we act. 1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. There is a real change! Paul tells us in Romans 6:1-2 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? The Bible makes sure to tell us that just because Jesus forgives us we can't act any way we want. As Pastor Trey says, "When you become a Christian your 'Want-to-er' changes." You'll stop wanting to do all that stuff you did before Christ and start wanting to do what Jesus wants.

4) The Main Thing That Makes People Doubt Is Sin

The main problem with people doubting their salvation is that they aren't acting like they are saved. Doubt starts to creep in, and it should. What we consider doubt should be interpreted as the Holy Spirit saying, "Get right with God." Rather than changing we continue to stay where we are. This leads to us eventually dropping out of church, out of ministry, and doubting more than ever. Don't be that person.

So next time you doubt, check yourself. Examine the reasons you are doubting. You're either moving away from God, or you're not saved. Both of those things can be fixed. Don't live in doubt, get it worked out (I'm sorry that rhymed... it was unintentional, but too good to remove). If you need to talk to someone feel free to email me.

I Wander What To Do... (This week it is a play on words)

2011-06-07T16:27:00.001-04:00

The family and I went on an epic journey this past Sunday after church. I'm a bit of an explorer at heart, and I saw a bridge. It wasn't just any bridge, but a bridge to nowhere. This was a big bridge the kind that could be driven over. When I looked it up on Google it led to a little island that was completely uninhabited. The explorer in me wanted to see what was on this small island and why there was a bridge leading to it.

The "Bridge to Nowhere"

So we packed some water, grabbed the stroller, and commenced the journey in ninety degree weather. Along the way we made some stops and a few wrong turns. What I had told Allie was going to be a one and a half mile trip turned into a five mile trek. Two hours in and we had not made it to the elusive bridge to nowhere. We could see it but we couldn't figure out how to get there. Creeks and miles still separated us. Quentin was getting grumpy, Maggie was getting loopy, and Allie was losing the italian explorer within. We decided to turn back and try again another day. Hopefully a little more experienced and a lot more prepared.

While walking miles in that heat I could not help but think of the Israelites wandering in the desert for forty years! I was losing hope after only two hours. I never lost faith in God in those two hours, but I was able to glimpse how quickly you could. You start to feel like you're never going to make it to the promised land.

We had the choice to turn around and head home, but imagine being Moses and having to convince the people that wandering the desert was God's plan. It's difficult for me to comprehend following for only one year, but can you imagine forty years of wandering?! It took a huge amount of faith for Moses to continue. Hebrews 11 pummels us with the words "By faith Moses..." I encourage you to head over to Hebrews and read the whole chapter on faith. It will encourage you that our God is faithful.

Lego Moses... I thought that was really cool.

My walk illustrated two things to me. 1) I have far too little faith. Moses' faith was beyond what I'll probably ever achieve. 2) I'm not thankful enough for what God has provided. We look down on those Israelites as they complained and questioned, but I guarantee most of us would join them.

Let's learn to be thankful for what we have. Let's learn to trust God in the tough times, and not forget Him on the good days. Let's learn to, by faith, follow God even if it's into the fire. Let's back up what we say by actually living it out.

Please share this post with someone that needs it and hit the +1 below. THANKS!

Is Oceanside's Youth Camp a Waste of Time?

2011-05-31T21:40:00.000-04:00

Camp Fusion t-shirt and logo from Eph. 4:5-6

Nope.

Camp 2006

Every year for the past 6 years Oceanside has taken its youth to camp. This will be our seventh year doing youth camp.

Camp 2006

I think sometimes people get confused why we go to camp. Some think we go just because it's the best time we'll have all summer. Some people think it's because we love hearing Johnathan Elrod play music. Some think it's because it gives us a vacation (obviously those people have never gone to camp with us). Still others think we go because we're just trying to keep middle and high school students busy during the summer. Yes all of those things are accomplished, but none of them are the goal.

Face plant! Camp 2007.

Everything at Oceanside's youth camps are designed with purpose and meaning. Games are played to build community, illustrate points, and wear students down. The location is picked to get students out of their comfort zones. The food is great to nourish their ravenous appetites, because a hungry student is a student that isn't paying attention. All of these things are to point students to one person, Jesus Christ.

She cooks a mean tube steak. Camp 2010.

If we went to camp and just had a blast, and only sang a lot of music, and ended it all off on an emotional high it would be a waste. We bring students to camp and great things happen. Most of the fruit that happens through Oceanside's Reality ministry is harvested at camp every summer. Please, support our students the best you can. They need some money (We do it as cheap as we can), but also need your prayers.

Peanut butter isn't just for sandwiches. Camp 2009

Specific prayer points:
1. The Holy Spirit is already moving in the lives of the students going
2. God will give Pastor Trey and myself the words to say as we speak to the students
3. We'll be safe on the trip and while there.
4. The students on the edge of life change will take the step of faith and make Jesus their leader and forgiver.
5. Pray that those who can't decide if they should go will decide to go

In some serious prayer. Camp 2009.

Some Camp Needs:
We need someone who will be willing to drive the van to Lake Greenwood and back to Charleston. This person won't stay at camp during the week, but will pick the van up from Budget Rental and return it on Sunday, June 26 (when we leave) and Friday, July 1 (when we return). This is a tremendous need. It helps with cost and transportation. Click here to let me know if you're interested in helping. Or leave it in the comments.

Camp 2005

Don't Be A Crap Factory!

2011-05-26T14:44:00.001-04:00

As promised, here is the message from Steven Furtick about being grateful for what you have. Watch it, enjoy it, and comment your thoughts below. Thanks Seacoast for getting this video up! My favorite line, watch for it, is about people being crap factories.

Did you think it was as powerful as I did? What are your thoughts? Comment below.

-Ivey

10 Things I'm Grateful For

2011-05-24T16:07:00.001-04:00

We should be more grateful.

Today I had the privilege of watching Steven Furtick, pastor and Monks Corner native, on Seacoast's stream of their staff meeting. He is now a Pastor in Charlotte of Elevation Church. Really cool guy. He talked about being grateful to God for what he has given. It would be really difficult for me to summarize the sermon. Hopefully when Seacoast gets it up on Vimeo I'll post the link here. It was a great message that I encourage you to watch. Here are the 10 things I'm grateful for.

10 things I'm Grateful for

My wife who puts up with my crazy dreaming.
My kids who put up with my need to irritate and wrestle.
My church who offers me pay to do what I'm compelled to do. Don't tell them, but I'd do it for free.
My second job that helps me have a little financial breathing room.
My car that despite its age keeps going.
My sweet gadgets that keep me connected, but are totally not needed.
My dad and mom who give advice and wisdom yet still support even when I do things that may not be exactly what they said to do...
All four of my parents who give, and give, give.
My God who puts up with my crazy doubts and questions.
My ability to enjoy, play, sing, and stumble through music.

I could keep going but I'm getting a little overwhelmed.

What are you grateful to God for? Please list some in the comments below. With your permission I'd love to read some of these in church this Sunday.

The End of the World. Save the Date.

2011-05-17T15:42:00.000-04:00

I thought you might want to know. It’s the end of the world. Yeah, I’m hearing it all over the place. Save the date. Harold Camping tells us that Jesus is coming back May 21. The Mayan calendar ends next year. So if Jesus doesn’t come back May 21, 2011, “2012” will surely get us. The government tells us that if we don’t raise the debt ceiling it’s going to be the end of the world. The Middle East is on fire, and joblessness is the highest it has been in a long time. The world is a crazy place.

Harold Camping will be wrong about when Jesus is coming back. He may come back today before you finish reading this blog post, but He won’t be coming back on May 21.

Camping has predicted these events before in 1994. He was wrong then. The Bible tells us that prophets must always be right. The fact that a Camping was ever wrong in a prediction identifies that he’s as a false prophet (See Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Harold Camping is a false prophet. So stop worrying about the Mayan calendar, May 21, the debt ceiling, or high gas prices.

Luke 12:25 tells us, “Can any of you add a cubit to his height by worrying?” In case you are wondering, the answer is no. You have no control over any of the events I listed above. If they happen, they do, if they don’t they don’t. Stop worrying and start praying more (see Philippians 4:6). God is the only one who can change those events anyway.

A date you might want to think about is, well, today. You have control over you. The decisions you make today will affect you for the rest of your life. No, Jesus isn’t coming to see you May 21, but you may be going to see Him. No one is promised to wake up alive tomorrow (See Proverbs 27:1; James 4:13-15). So instead of waiting to get your life right before 5/21/11 you might want to check yourself and get your life right today.

Simply admit you’ve done wrong things that the Bible calls sin. Ask for forgiveness for those sins. Believe that Jesus died for your sins, and rose again after three days to conquer them. Turn away from all the bad stuff you’re doing and follow Jesus with all your heart, and do it today.

Is everything right between you and God?

5 Steps to Save a Mormon

2010-06-03T14:15:00.001-04:00

I compiled this list because I see Mormons all over Mt. Pleasant. They’re riding their bikes from house to house and sharing their faith. The sad part is they do not have the truth. Here are 5 steps to saving a Mormon.

1. Live out Christ in front of them- When you see them around town or when they come to your door. Don’t treat them like dirt. Respect, serve, and love them like Christ does.

2. Pray for them- Prayer is powerful. It has the ability to move mountains and change hearts.

3. Don’t argue- It only creates a rift between you and them. Bring your Bible out and witness to them. Let them see their sin and their need for a savior.

4. Be consistent- Mormons don’t like people who only act like Christians sometimes. They want to see sincerity and genuineness in your life. If you are a follower of Christ act like one no matter what the situation.

5. Talk to them about Christ- Tell them about the hope that is found in Christ. Don’t worry about offending them. Their souls are at stake here! You tell them and let the Holy Spirit do His work.

You may have read that list and thought, “Those are the 5 steps? That sounds like how I’d witness to anyone.” To that I say, exactly. I titled this article “The 5 Steps to Save a Mormon,” but it could have been titled “5 Powerful Witnessing Tools.” You probably wouldn’t have wanted to read it as much then. Use the steps with anyone: Atheists, Wiccans, Jehovah's Witnesses, your mom, and/or your neighbors. I encourage you to go out and tell the world.

In John 15:5 Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” So what is your best witnessing tool? Having the God of the universe on your side.

-Ivey Rhodes

Ravi Zacharias on the Issue of Sexuality

2010-05-15T01:26:00.001-04:00

In light of my post from earlier today someone sent me this video from Youtube. I think it's very interesting and decided to pass it on to you guys.

-Ivey Rhodes

3 Reasons Homosexuals and Marriage Can't Go Together

2010-05-14T16:05:00.002-04:00

On the brink of the first Gay Pride Parade tomorrow in Charleston, SC I decided to write this blog. Allie and I were sitting at lunch today and were talking about the whole issue. We were mainly discussing gay marriage. In that discussion I thought about the issues below. I’ve really tried hard to think of the issues from a logical position. It is impossible for me to be completely unbiased, but all I’m trying to do is respond to and refute arguments I’ve heard before. May it be understood I do not agree with homosexuality at all. Some of the arguments may seem that I feel it is a grey issue, but I do not. Most of what I say is used in a way to break down the arguments that some people have given in response to homosexuality.

Homosexuals and Heterosexuals Do Not Have Equal Rights

When I hear someone proclaim the statement above I get confused. When brought to its logical conclusion the statement doesn’t make any sense to me. As of the writing of this article homosexuals and heterosexuals have the same exact rights. We all go to the same schools, we all drink out of the same water fountains, and we all eat in the same places.

I think the backlash is about the whole marriage issue. Homosexuals want to marry and they believe that if it isn’t recognized by the state than it’s discrimination. The truth is as heterosexual man I cannot marry another homosexual or heterosexual man. A homosexual man can still marry a woman just as I have married a woman. All of us have equal rights.

The real thing that homosexuals want is not equal rights but different rights determined by sexuality. If you are gay you can marry someone of the same sex. If you’re heterosexual you can marry someone of a different sex. The truth is those that push the homosexual agenda really want unequal rights.

Homosexuality Is A Gene or I Can’t Help It, I Was Born This Way

Okay, I’ll give you that one. Maybe it is a gene. If that is true then heterosexuality is also a gene. So a homosexual is born the way they are and a heterosexual is born the way they are. We have two completely different ways of looking at the world. One’s world revolves around attraction to the same sex and one’s world revolves around attraction to the opposite sex.

Being born homosexual is a bad argument when trying convince people that homosexuality is acceptable. There are many things that we are born with that aren’t acceptable. Some people are born with a sexual attraction to children. Some people are born with the predisposition to be fat. Just because those people are born that way doesn’t make overeating or molestation acceptable.

We’re born with all kinds of things that we have to fight every day. I was born a selfish jerk, but I try to fight against my urges to be a jerk. Homosexuality as a specific gene is difficult to nail down. I don’t believe that one can go take a test to see if they are homosexual and it doesn’t present itself in a physical manner. There is no new body part or color that comes along with being gay. Because it deals with internal urges we have to trust whoever is telling us they are homosexual.

Bob and Phil Should Be Able to Marry Just Like Steve and Jill

Here’s the problem with that statement: Marriage is a Biblical institution. It all started in Genesis 2:24 when God told Adam to be joined to Eve. That is the basis for our western idea of marriage. Regardless of whether you believe the Bible or not this is where we have come to understand what marriage is. Marriage is something designed, promoted, and approved of by God according to Genesis.

The same God in Genesis 2 also said in Leviticus 20:13, “If a man has sex with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is abhorrent.” So the same God that instituted marriage as we know it today also said homosexuality is abhorrent. So it begs the question why would someone who is homosexual want to follow one of the commands of God (marriage) but not the other (don’t act on homosexual urges).

My guess is that homosexuals don’t want to be seen as different. They want to have the same label as a heterosexual couple. It’s impossible because you cannot be a homosexual and be married. Marriage is created and defined by God as being between a man and a woman.

I’m not saying that homosexuals can’t have something else that is similar to marriage. Maybe we could call it garriage. Whatever we call it; it could never be marriage. It’s impossible.

I’ll End With This Illustration

In my hypothetical driveway I have a new electric car and a new gasoline car. The electric car really wants to run on gas, but it can’t because it is not a gas car. The electric car was just created that way. No matter how much it wants to be like that gas car it isn’t going to be exactly like it. Yes, it can drive on the same roads, park in the same driveways, and even frequent the same gas stations. Still the electric car cannot be fueled by gasoline or even be labeled a gas car. Is it a car? Of course it is.

Over time my electric car became satisfied with its label of electric. It didn’t strive to muddy the definition of what a gasoline car is. In the same way the gasoline car is satisfied with being a gas car.

If a homosexual is satisfied with being gay why can’t they be satisfied with all that it means to be gay. No, you can’t be married, but you don’t follow the God who created marriage so it shouldn’t matter to you. Homosexuals, don’t try to muddy what a Christian believes to be created by God. Let them have their classification for living and loving someone for a lifetime. If homosexuals want to create another classification for living together for a life time I’ll accept that. I’m all for calling it garriage. Just as a homosexual can’t be married I, as a heterosexual, can’t be garried. That would solve many problems.

-Ivey Rhodes

Camp Creation 2010 Info

2010-04-29T11:52:00.002-04:00

Where will Oceanside’s youth camp be this year?
Camp will be held on Agape Farms Mt. Union, PA. I know it’s longer then we’ve ever been before but I believe it will be well worth the distance. The trip will be around 11 and 1/2 hours away.

The actually camp is going to be happening with a Christian music festival. Rest assured this is not like a Woodstock type event in respect to what will go on. There are absolutely no alcohol or drugs permitted into the camp.

Beyond just the music there great and there will be many awesome speakers that will talk directly to your students needs. The opportunity for life altering things to happen will be greater than it’s ever been before.

Why are we going to so far away?
First, distance can often help students. In my experience most of the greatest single events in my life happened away from home.

Will this be run like Oceanside’s camps in the past?
Yes, for the most part. We’re still going to have all the great games and fun as before, but this time some of your students favorite bands will be there. That absolutely ramps up camp to a level it has never been at before!

Is it safe?
Yes. The camping facility on Agape Farms has it’s own small hospital if anything did go wrong. At Oceanside we promise to never put your student in a situation that we do not believe is safe. You can read more about the medical facilities on Agape Farms at this website: http://www.creationfest.com/ne/details.php

What are the Dates?
We will be leaving on June 29th and arriving back home on July 4th. The festival last from June 30th-July 3rd. June 29th and July 4th will be travel days.

What are the Accommodations?
This year, for the first time ever, we’re truly breaking out of our comfort zones. We’ll be sleeping in tents on the camp grounds. That is something I’m excited about. The tents will be separated into to camps: guys and girls. The camps will not be too far apart but will have the proper amount of camp counselors for the corresponding gender. If you have tents that we could borrow that would help tremendously.

Oceanside Camp 2008

What’s the Cost?
We try to make our camps affordable. This year is no different. Many camps don’t offer what Oceanside’s camp does and they cost twice as much. Camp will cost $250.00. Those cost include the renting of the camp ground, food, t-shirts, speakers, bands, and games.

Fund Raisers:
This year we’re offering more fundraisers than ever before to cope with the price being a little more than previous years.

May 15th: Bike-a-thon: This is an Oceanside classic where we earn money biking around.

(CLICK HERE FOR AN EXTRA Bike-A-Thon Form)

June 19th: Potato Bar: Invite friends and family to stuff their potatoes to the brim and enjoy entertainment and family fun at Oceanside.

Fund raisers such as the Potato Bar and the Squeegee day will only benefit those who show up and participate.

Payment Dates:

~~March 31st: We’re asking for a $50.00 deposit for each student to hold their space.~~
~~April 28th: payment of $50.00~~
May 6th is the deadline for having at least $100.00 on your account. You will not go to camp if I do not have that amount by the 6th.
May 26th: Payment of $100.00
June 23rd: Final payment of $50.00

Look for more info to come in the near future

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email me:
Ivey@myoceansidechurch.com

God Bless,
Rev. Ivey Rhodes

Controversial Church coming to the Lowcountry

2010-03-16T12:22:00.000-04:00

Westboro ~~Baptist Church~~ is coming to the Lowcountry to picket and spew hateful speech all around. Pastor Trey, my pastor, has a very helpful blog about it. I encourage you to check it out below. I will say that they are not Christian, Baptist, or even a church. Pastor Trey goes much deeper and has a lot more to say about it. It's awesome.

Pastor Trey's blog

You can also listen to his sermon where he talks about it.

-Pastor Ivey Rhodes

Quentin is Almost Here!

2010-03-12T15:38:00.001-05:00

Allie and I are very excited about Quentin coming soon. Allie went in for her weekly doctors appointment and all is well. We're just over 3 weeks away from the due date now and I can tell you Allie is ready (and me too)! I feel God has this amazing thing built into women. Just a few weeks ago Allie was really nervous about the delivery. Yesterday she said, "I'm ready for this to happen!" The bigger women get the more accepting they become of the painful contractions to come. It's kind of like getting a spanking. Let's just get it over with.

The doctor says it's any day now so we're packing our bags tonight to prepare. If you would lift up Allie as she is determined not to take any pain meds. When I say no pain meds I mean, like, not any Tylenol. Yeah, she's crazy like that. As for me I'll be taking plenty of Tylenol and maybe getting a spinal tap. I have to deal with Allie's hand squeeze of death again [Tongue in cheek].

Maggie and me waiting in the car for mom to finish with her doctor's checkup. Those are some killer blue eyes.

Maggie in our Walmart brand paper towel fort. It was awesome.

One interesting thing that has happened, that I only assume will increase, is the time I've gotten to spend with Maggie recently. As she gets older she has become more fun. She even plays some video games with me, and wakes me up so I'll go turn on the Wii. Good times.

-Ivey

40 Days of Love... Let's do it.

2010-03-04T12:23:00.002-05:00

We're learning to be first class lovers! That phrase makes me laugh, but it's true. Learning takes listening and action. This past week and a half has been helpful and challenging. In this weeks Small Group lesson Pastor Trey challenged us to love those who hard to love. He asked us to show patience to that person who grits our nerves, and he asked us to affirm someone with low self-worth. That last one was a challenge for me. Not because I can't affirm people but I had a hard time thinking of someone with low self-worth. After I prayed about it for a minute the Lord gave me a student at Reality. God then worked it out where I could offer this student a gift and affirm her. It was amazing to see her eyes light up when I gave her some iPod headphones after her's broke. A simple gesture. That same night a middle school student came up to me at Reality and told me how she struggled to be nice to a hard to love person, but this week she has been making an extra effort. She's even gone as far as buying this person's their favorite cookie and giving it to them at lunch. I was impressed. And that's where this 40 day journey makes a difference. We have to take action. I encourage you to take action the day after your small group, because it's fresh on your heart. Offer that person forgiveness, demonstrate trust to someone, affirm another, and accept those her are not accepted by most. Yes, it takes effort, but loving like Jesus loved will be impossible. It's our job to take the steps we need to get there. James 1:22 tells us, "Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!"

Below is Pastor Trey's message from Sunday on the Father's love. It's a good one! Don't miss it.

And this is the video we showed that's in the podcast, but you can actually watch it. Pastor Trey conducted the interviews. Thanks to everyone who participated. Enjoy :)

-Pastor Ivey

40 Days of Love Campaign Kickoff

2010-02-18T17:20:00.002-05:00

This is the sermon I preached this past week. I was privileged to start off the 40 Days of Love Campaign for Oceanside. I hope it's inspirational and pushes closer in relationship with God and others.

You can check out more about 40 Days of Love (like service times and small groups) by clicking HERE

-Iv

Sir, I need a Christian Music Comparison Chart!

2010-02-18T13:26:00.000-05:00

All the time I have people come up to me and say something along the lines of, "I'm looking for some good Christ-centered music, but I don't know where or how to start. Can you help?" Well yes I can. Finding good Christian music really isn't all that hard. Just like with anything there is good and bad. I'm sure you want to dodge the bad. Below I'm going to post some link to a few great webpages that give comparison charts for Christian music.

Christian Music Comparison Chart
Another Chart
Look for music by genre

I hope those link are helpful. They should give anyone a place to start. After finding some bands you are interested in I recommend going to iTunes and just giving the bands a 30 second test listen. You will definitely be able to find some great Christ-centered music.

In Christ,
Ivey

A Day of Waiting

2010-02-16T16:53:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a day. Have you ever had those days where it seems like you were running as hard as possible but doing it in waist deep water. No matter how hard you go you never cover as much ground as you wish you would. Frustrating, really. Today I've been working on the 40 Days of Love DVD videos, and I'm here to tell you Satan does not want me to finish these things. Everything that could go wrong is going wrong. There has been improper formatting, corruption, harddrive crashes, and computer freezes. Not such a good day at work. Good news is, I've found a way around it all and now I'm finally on track. We'll see how tomorrow goes. Below is a pictorial illustration of my day :)

How have I had time to do a blog post... I've been waiting on my computer all day. I'm trying to do something constructive with my time.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:25-27 NIV

Can't worry about tomorrow... just need to take care of today to the best of my abilities.

-P. Iv

Southern Snow Day SC 2010

2010-02-13T15:01:00.003-05:00

Everything I see today on Facebook has to do with the snow from last night (BTW it's already melted). Almost everyone is freaking out and I'm no exception. The snow was a lot of fun! When morning time hit I was a little upset because Maggie had been sick for most of the night throwing up. I was afraid she would miss the snow. Thank the Lord she woke up and was feeling much better. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to it ten years from now! Below is a video that I took during the snow. I had a little rant regarding all you northerners dissing us for having snow. You're just jealous it comes and then melts ;)

Snow, see ya next decade! But if global warming has its way I might see you next year... or at least that's what I'm being told.

The Difference of 1

2010-02-11T14:24:00.003-05:00

Above is the link to my latest Sunday Morning Sermon. I was facinated by Isaiah's call (Isaiah 6). The Lord lead me to speak on our callings. I talk about the 7 excuses that I make for why I can't serve God. They're really lame, but I feel it's not just me that makes these excuses. Most of the excuses I struggle with other people in the Bible did too. I hope the message can encourage and help you like it did me.

-Ivey

The Job at Oceanside is Getting Done!

2010-02-09T16:45:00.001-05:00

Amazingly Oceanside is finally on its way to finishing our building. Just a few weeks ago Mt. Pleasant gave us approval! The deck outside is well on the way to being done. Thanks to Kevin for working his head off trying to get it done (through rain and cold). Below I have some pictures of the deck. It's still a work in progress.

50% of deck is done. That's Kev there picking up heavy wood while I watch.

This is from the other side of the deck... and Kevin still working hard while I watch.

And now a verse to leave you with-

For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

-Psalm 37:9 HCSB

-Ivey

The Rebelution

2010-01-19T22:02:00.002-05:00

I've been reading a really interesting book called Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. When these guys wrote Do Hard Things in 2008 they were teenagers calling out to other teenagers to start a "REBELution".

Don't get confused parents. This isn't rebellion from you but a rebellion from the world. Romans 12:2 pleads with us, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The world tells teens to rebel against their parents and the world tells them to be consumers rather than contributors. The world expects them to experiment with drugs (in which I include alcohol) and sex. God expects much more. Too many times the teen years are wasted on petty pursuits that backfire and affect our student's futures. Many teens don't realize this, but if you waist your teens years you've wasted 1/7 of your life! Just because a student is young doesn't mean they can't have a huge impact on culture. This is what Paul wrote to Timothy, "...don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity."* This year at Reality we're focusing on being Rebels for a reason. If you have a student, I strongly encourage you to get them to Reality for the next 5 weeks. These are weeks that could shape the rest of their lives.

*1 Tim. 4:12