Thanks to his introducing me to Dale and Thomas popcorn, I’m pretty sure my friend Tony qualifies to get the “pure evil” award today. 

This stuff is unbelievable.  Can’t . . . stop . . . check the website: http://www.daleandthomaspopcorn.com.

With being sick for almost two full weeks, it makes sense that this month’s trip to New York City kind of snuck up on me.  I’m up here today and tomorrow to meet with the coaching network that I’m a part of with Nelson Searcy.

I probably post a lot about this, but I don’t think it can be overstated: growing churches are led by growing leaders.  The reason I’m in NYC tonight instead of home with my family is because I believe I need to grow as a leader to be a good steward of the people God entrusts to me and Iron City. 

So I’m praying for God to bring some amazing perspective, clarity, and insight tomorrow in the context of this learning community of Kingdom-minded guys.  Beyond that (and even more importantly), I’m praying that I can go home and be disciplined enough to put into action whatever He reveals.

Oh yeah, New York City is awesome (as usual).  So many people, so little space, so much energy.

Well, I normally fall into at least the early adopter category when it comes to new things and ideas. 

Unfortunately, it looks like that applies to illnesses as well. 

Every other person living in my household is currently suffering with some version of the flu mess that I had for a couple of weeks. 

Please pray for their healing and for me to know how to best serve them.  Thanks.

I have been reading through Exodus lately in my devotional times and this statement that God sent to Pharoah through Moses:

“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

I can’t help but wonder sometimes about how and why God allows or places certain people in certain places of leadership and influence, but this is a powerful statement.  Something to chew on on Super Tuesday.
 

• I hate being sick
• I hate missing out on being with the people of Iron City Church (I had to miss last Sunday’s service)
• I hate that football season is over until August
• I hate being tired from a normal day because I was sick for two weeks
• I hate the fact that my cell phone died because my charger got broken
• I hate the sheer number of voicemails and emails that I have been trying to catch up on to make up for being sick
• I hate that I don’t always know the right things to do to lead my life, my family and ICC
• I hate that I am so undisciplined in some areas of my life
• I hate that I have so much hate inside of me sometimes….

Here’s where you can download yesterday’s message .mp3 or subscribe to our messages through iTunes: http://www.ironcitychurch.com/downloads.html.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of returning to the stage at ICC and wrapping up our “Together” series.  We have gone through what we are about as a church: Charged, Challenging, Life-Changing.  Yesterday’s message was called “Together we’re Life-Changing,” and I talked about how we often live vs. how we should live in light of the new life we have in Christ.

Jesus’ life was the ultimate example of revolutionary love.  He gave healing without adding ultimatums and qualifiers (”I’ll heal your leprosy if you commit to give to my ministry every month”).  He saved lives without first chastising people’s lifestyles (”I’ll keep these pharisees from killing you, but you really need to know that I don’t approve of your adulterous lifestyle”).  And ultimately, he gave his life for us without the promise of anything in return.

In light of this fact and the truth that many of us have had our lives changed by Jesus and gone back to our old ways of life, we launched a new campaign yesterday called “Revolutionary Love.”  Our goal in this campaign is to share the revolutionary love of Jesus with as many people as possible throughout the Pittsburgh metro area (and beyond).  For more info, check out: http://www.revolutionarylove.org.  

In the words of Mark Twain, “reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.”  Perhaps not all that greatly exaggerated, however.  I’ve been sick as a dog for the last two weeks, but thank God that I’m feeling a lot better now.  Let the blogging commence again!