This is Goodbye Oceanside

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Our First Youth Group

My years at Oceanside have been some of the best years of my life. I have been a part of Oceanside church since its inception. This is also the longest I've ever been at a single church. Through the years I've met many life long friends that I've had the privilege of serving the Lord along side. I'm going to miss them all very much.

When God told me to go to seminary I wasn't sure what that meant. It was going to be a MASSIVE life change. I needed a job. I needed a place to live. I needed a school. You can read more about that process of trust and faith in this former blog.

God came through (imagine that?)! I have a school. I have a place to live. I have a job. Some hear me say that, "God came through" and ask, "Well it all just works out for some people." That would never happen to me." And I don't want to off sounding like I didn't work to accomplish any of those things. God worked through me to get them done. Over the past year Allie and I have prayed hard, but we've also worked hard. In my first round of sending out my resume I sent it out to 8 different churches. I applied to be everything form a senior pastor to a choir director.

Our first youth camp... only 9 of those people are ours. I have no idea why the rest of them are in the picture. 

In the end only one church called me back, and they are awesome. When I said I got a job, I meant I got a great job. I'm going to be the Student Minister at Cross Culture Church in Raleigh, NC. Head over to their website and check them out. When I walked into Cross Culture for the first time I felt at home. They're a great church that loves the Lord, loves people, and wants to see those far from God come to Him.

With every job there are going to be challenges. I'm not saying everything is going to be perfect, but I am saying that I truly believe God was in this whole thing. I'm excited to work beside Pastor Clay, the youth, and the members of Cross Culture.

Camp Kinetic 2012

Oceanside will always hold a special place in my heart. It's where I cut my teeth on ministry. It's where I learned to walk in ministry. It's where I learned to run and jump (And fall through ceilings) in ministry. I love you guys, and will continue to love you. Keep serving the Lord! Don't slow down.

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it. Philippians 3:12-16

I Was Called a Pharisee, Is That A Bad Thing?

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The cool Pharisee

Let's get this out in the open: Jesus wasn't too fond of the Pharisees. Anyone who just finished reading the gospels with Oceanside knows that. Jesus called the Pharisees Sons of Hell, white washed tombs, and vipers. Those aren't names you want Jesus calling you. The Pharisees had some major problems (like killing Jesus), but maybe all of them weren't all bad.

You see, the other day I was talking with a friend about a particular belief, and this friend called me a Pharisee. Couldn't he have just called me satan? That really bothered me. I argued my point, but the whole time the name Pharisee rang through my head, because I equated them with the things I mentioned above. I was highly offended, but also a bit ignorant.

100th BLOG!: I'm leaving SC, and Many Want To Know Why. It's All About The Mud.

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Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light. -Raymond Edman

I'm using my 100th blog to say very publicly that I'm moving to Wake Forest, NC to go to seminary full time on campus. Many people already know what's going on, but I thought I'd let everyone in on the story of how all this came about.

Though most people found out recently I didn't wake up three weeks ago and say with my best king impression, "I do here by decree that I am going to seminary full time in the spring." It was a decision that happened a little over a year ago. I was listening to a sermon podcast from Elevation Church, and to be honest I can't remember the topic, but I clearly remember the Holy Spirit speaking to me. He said that it was time.

Obama Supporters Tip Better Than The Other Guys

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There are two things you don't talk about unless you want people to get in an argument: politics and religion. Well, today I'm kind of going to talk about both. This isn't anything about who is right or who is wrong, but mainly about my perception of the people who supported candidates in this past election.

Tips are a big deal for a pizza guy. Almost any delivery driver conversation heard at a pizza place has to do with how much someone did or didn't tip them. It's common to judge a person by how much they tip. Notoriously bad tippers are scum in the eyes of most delivery drivers.

Give Away Everything

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I'm thankful to the Lord for the great response to the sermon last Sunday. I think the message was so affective because I was preaching to me more than anyone else. If you missed it, here is Oceanside's Church On Demand podcast.

I've had several people come up to me and say, "In America we're just not able to sacrifice." I guess the assumption is that we have it too good. We have too much. We're too rich to actually sacrifice.

If There Is A Loving God Why Do Good Things Happen?

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Because of last week's shooting in Connecticut many people have been questioning how a loving God could let something like that happen. That's a fair question. People much wiser and more intelligent than me have thought deeply about this question, and if you're still wondering about it I encourage you to read this article written by Billy Graham in the aftermath of the shooting. Another great resource dealing with the suffering of this world is a book by C.S. Lewis called The Problem Of Pain.

I have often been posed the question, "If there is a loving God why do people suffer?" In my experience it is one of the top questions from those doubting the existence of God. But there is a question we should ask back: Why is there joy?

Should You See The Hobbit? (A Christian Perspective Movie Review)

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I love The Lord of The Rings (LOTR) trilogy. I would say that the first movie, The Fellowship of The Ring, is my favorite movie of all time. The first time I saw it I got lost in it like no movie before or since. I didn't want it to end. I was literally dreading the ending.

If you don't know, The Hobbit is a prequel to the earlier movies. It takes place 60 years before LOTR. The story is going to span three movies and cover almost every detail of the 288 page book. You don't need to know anything about The Lord of The Rings to enjoy The Hobbit.

Atheist Shouldn't Go After The Manger Scenes (They Should Try To Stop The Giving)

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A Los Angeles landlord has gotten in the giving spirit of Christmas. There is hope for humanity, ha ha! But seriously, everywhere I've lived all my landlords and managers have ALWAYS been super particular about getting the correct rent amount and getting it on time. I can't blame them... it's their job. The one time I thought we got a break on our rent it turned out the office had just mis-charged us and then took extra out every month for the next 4 months. It's amazing how much just $70 off the rent would help during Christmas.

Levi, The Amazing Down Syndrome Baby!

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I think most know by now, but Allie and I have a new baby boy! His name is Levi Alexander Rhodes. I'm super excited about the potential held within this tiny child. The first time I looked at him I wondered, "What does God have in store for this little guy?"

He was by far Allie's most difficult pregnancy. As many of you know Allie struggled to keep the amnionic fluid at a safe level. Three weeks before his due date he finally decided it was time to see the world. He was just in time too, because his fluid had dropped to a dangerous level. They were going to induce Allie if she hadn't gone into labor on her own. He was born 1:28AM weighing 6 Lbs. 10 Oz. and 19" long. Levi was the smallest of our children for sure, but, to be fair to him, he was the only one who didn't go to or past his due date.

Trust Me I'm The Doctor

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Life has been cray. Thank God Scaremare is over and it was successful, the election has ended, and Levi has been born healthy! So, it's time to get back to blogging.

In the past few months the Lord has been teaching me a lot about trust. There have been times in my life where things have been bananas, but since I've been married nothing has compared to this season.

It all hit us at the same time. There were moments where I wasn't sure if the baby Allie had carried was going to live. Our finances, despite me working more, got tighter. Through all that I had to try and keep my school grades afloat. You've been there (maybe you are there), and you know what I'm talking about.