We had the distinct honor of welcoming Dakota Ray Duke into the world today (January 21, 2009) at 5:49 PM.  Both he and his mom are strong and healthy (and my wife is a champ). 

Join us in praising God for this tremendous blessing!

Quick update: I injured my back a little over a month ago and I have been really slowed (almost to a grinding halt) with constant pain.  In the midst of this mess, I find myself oscillating between two positions: 1) the downtrodden, depressed “poor, pitiful me” syndrome, and 2) the “what in the world is God trying to show me through this” mindset.  Thanks be to God that I have spent a lot more time on #2.

And one of the myriad revelations that I have been shown during this time is just how blessed I am.  God has allowed me to spend the rest of my life with the woman of my dreams, He’s shaping perhaps the coolest little boy in world in my son T.J., He is currently forming another blessed son of mine in the womb (we’re looking for a launch in late January ‘09), and He has called me to lead an awesome assemblage of people known locally as Iron City Church.

He has also been showing me all over again the value of my TIME.  My time with Amber and TJ during this painful period has grown both of those relationships like crazy - especially between TJ and me.  I am reminded once again of the resounding, truthful words of Paul in his letter to the Romans: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.   - Romans 8:28

I have never been prouder of the Iron City family than I was yesterday afternoon.  I had the joy of helping Ami M. and six or seven other servant-leaders from ICC distribute and wrap all the toys that we collected over the last few weeks. 

As a part of our Christmas Conspiracy, we partnered with our friends at Faithbridge Community Church to help out their community during the holiday season.  One of the greatest needs that was shared was the very real concerns of parents - many of whom have lost jobs this year - who were afraid that they may not have anything to give to their children this Christmas.  We shared this need with Iron City and they responded in unbelievable fashion, overflowing the collection boxes every week.

In three short weeks, we collected enough toys to fill a Honda Element and to make Christmas morning special for a couple dozen families in McKees Rocks.  In addition, we were able to tangibly demonstrate the love of Jesus to an anxious bunch of parents.  And as I watched grateful parents file in and out of the gift room yesterday I was reminded of this passage:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.   James 1:27 (NIV)

I have had the privilege over the last few weeks of inciting a group of people to do some crazy, subversive things.  In fact, we’re all conspiring together to celebrate Christmas differently this year.  Our plan is aggressive, but viable, and the wheels have already been turning to return the JOY of Christmas, the celebration of the Presence of God, to the hearts of people in the Pittsburgh metro area.  What are you doing differently this Christmas?

You can listen to the messages from this series by clicking here.

We just finished week #2 of our Dirty Little Secrets message series at ICC.  It’s based on one specific secret, that we’re all created with a need and desire for relationships but we all suck at making them work.  That’s how God created us, to live, grow, and thrive in the context of relationships.  This series is all about sharing some of the “dirty little secrets” to help us make our relationships work. 

Yesterday’s topic was marriage, titled “Fairy Tales are for Children (not your love life).”  The love we hear about in fairy tales, movies, and pop songs is all about infatuation, but God-pleasing love (the kind required to make marriage work) is hard work.

Here are some resources to help:

• Movie - Fireproof
• Book - The Love Dare (Kendrick & Kendrick)
• Book - The Five Love Languages (Chapman)
• Book - Sheet Music (Leman)
• Book - Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts (Parrott)

The Stillers are 5-1, the Pirates completed their 16th straight losing season, the Penguins are back on ice, and the leaves have turned all sorts of beautiful colors and begun to fall from the trees.  In other words, it is autumn in the ‘Burgh. 

We just celebrated (last Sunday) Iron City Church’s 1st Birthday.  After months of slumping attendance numbers we had a really good turnout on Sunday, including about a dozen first time guests.  I’ve spent a lot of time in the past few weeks thinking back over the last couple of years of my life: the call to start a new church, our move to Pittsburgh, God’s confirmation that this was the place, and all the buzz of activity that has gone into the last year and ten months.

You can find any number of reports about specific survival rates for new churches.  No matter how which percentages are correct, I know that there are a lot of church plants that never see their first birthday.  I thank God that we have not only made it, but God has already used ICC to bring new life to dozens of people through a relationship with Jesus, to connect with hundreds by coming to check us out, and by causing untold numbers of people all over the area to re-think what church is all about.

If you would have told me 5 years ago that I would be here now, doing this, I would have called you crazy.  However, as of today, I can say with no reservations that there is no place I’d rather be than Pittsburgh and nothing I’d rather be doing than leading Iron City Church.  Thank you God for this life and for this calling!

There has been so much going on lately.  Most of it inside of me.  God is still hard at work (can you call it “hard” if God’s the one doing it?), shaping me into the man He created me to be.

I felt that it was time to break the silence because this post  from Steven Furtick hit me right where I am a lot of the time.  This, incidently, is one of the major areas of my life that God has been re-shaping/re-framing my perspective.

No promises on how often I’ll be posting, but the above is a must read.

God has really been showing me some things in the last few weeks.  I feel like my spiritual life gets so stale from time to time that I need Him to show up and shake me up.  That’s been going on in a big way lately.  I know this is sort of general and ambiguous, but I’ll try to get back to this soon and elaborate a little bit. 

I just thank God that He’s never far away when I’m going through a time like I am coming out of . . . That He’s always there when I come to my senses and focus on Him.

The Catalytic one and I are cruising down the highway, headed for Reston, VA, this afternoon.

We’ll be attending The Whiteboard Sessions tomorrow. My friend Ben Arment and the gang have put together a conference experience that is bound to be like nothing I’ve seen in the church world.

Ben has asked 8 of the most influential leaders in the church today to each come and share what’s on their heart for 30 minutes apiece. What a concept!

What is most exciting to me is that the speakers weren’t selected because they all think alike, speak alike, dress alike, or agree about everything.

On the contrary, from the looks of it some of these guys may only agree about one thing - the most important thing - that Jesus Christ and His Bride (the Church) are the hope of the world!

Can’t wait to see what God has in store…

We had another pretty good morning at ICC today.  Our numbers have been down for a few weeks, and today was no exception.  However, the folks that were present were fired up, the band was rocking, and we even had a couple of first time guests. 

I am enjoying our current series, “No Ordinary Joe,” learning lessons from the life of Joseph.  Today I pointed out a few lessons that we can learn from Joe about dealing with disappointment.  I hope it was as helpful for the other people there today as it has been for me getting ready to preach it. 

We all have to deal with disappointment from time to time, but most of us suck at handling it well.  We learn from the life of Joseph that, just because we’re going through a disappointing situation, it doesn’t mean that God isn’t at work in our lives.  You can listen to today’s message by downloading it here.